Saturday, August 31, 2019

Cultural Imperialism in Ake Essay

In the advancement of European empires, the widespread approach to colonizing foreign lands was through violence. The Europeans would arrive in new territories with their sophisticated weapons and ideals, and would forcibly subjugate the indigenous people. However, in the instance of the English colonization of Nigeria’s town Ake, the English colonists implemented colonization through cultural imperialism. The English began implementing their process of cultural imperialism through converting the people of Ake into their religion, Christianity. The English, like most colonizing countries, understood that influencing the Nigerian people would come much easier once they were under religious control. The English utilized the brilliant ploy of employing Nigerians to spread Christianity to their own people. The Nigerians who compromised and promoted English concepts were rewarded for their deeds. For example Wole Soyinka’s family was rewarded by being given the security of a parsonage. However, this was actually given as a result of Essay’s contribution to the spread of English education, through his position as headmaster of the school. Education, therefore, became another aspect of English culture used to promote cultural imperialism in Ake. The Nigerians were made to assimilate many English ideals through the education process, which commenced at a young age. The English also required the Nigerians to study their language. By teaching the people of Ake English, the English colonists were able to engrave their ideals into them. The education system furthermore was able to be used to keep a watchful eye on the students, and to control the mindsets of the best and brightest of them. This use of cultural imperialism helped prevent Nigerian intellectuals from becoming political opponents. The English accomplished this by having a government school for advanced students. Although the English didn’t openly colonize the Nigerians through violence, there was a subtle form of violence often used to inscribe English beliefs through education and religion. For example Wole Soyinka had Christian beliefs beat into him by the frequent use of â€Å"the rod† at home, and English manners impressed upon him by principal Daodu’s use of â€Å"the rod† at school. Additionally, the English colonists imparted the technological cultural luxuries of electricity and the radio on Wole’s family. This made them even more dependent on English ways. The installation of the radio into the Soyinka household played an important role of cultural imperialism by introducing the English culture directly into their home. The media can have an incredible influence on a society. As mentioned in the The Years of Childhood, Essay and his friends became obsessed with listening to the news on the radio. Thus the English were now capable of distorting daily events by controlling the news. An important incentive for Europeans to colonize in Africa was taxation, so it too was used to implement cultural imperialism. The wealth accumulated through taxation was a main factor in the economic success of European nations. Taxation was particularly harsh on Ake’s women. This was so much so that the Nigerians started an uprising to abolish taxes on women. As the English knew, to keep the men of a country under control, they first had to satisfy the country’s women and ultimately agreed to abolish the taxation on women.

Friday, August 30, 2019

Deviant Behavior

A cross-cultural perspective on deviant behavior would show that there are certain actions which are deemed acceptable in one society but is considered as a deviant behavior in others. For example, in societies where the primary religion is Hindu, they prohibit people to kill or slaughter the cows, or more specifically the zebu (Schaefer, 2008). The cows are even allowed to feed on fruits in the market while other people have to feed on the small quantity of food left (Schaefer, 2008).Religious factors serve as the primary reason why the cows are treated in such a manner. From a functionalist perspective, the worship of cows is considered as an important part of the Hindu society and the purpose it serves the people when it comes to producing milk and agricultural purposes is very important to them (Schaefer, 2008). Other religions in other parts of the world do not have as high regard for the cows as the Hindus do that leads to a difference in the treatment of cows for the other soc ieties.Likewise, the value of cows as food for the other countries plays a vital role on whether it is to be eaten or not. The perception of people with regard to the severity of the crime committed would have to depend on the reputation of the person and the nature of the crime done. There are certain stereotypes that every society holds vis-a-vis the role that the offender holds in a particular community. For example, a highly-respected person is suspected for the killing of a common person in the community.This would either create disbelief or condemnation of the person where people may either defend the person in belief that he/she could not do it or would express their utter disgrace for what he has done. On the other hand, on the other hand, if the killers were of less influence in the society, this would not be given particular attention especially by the media. However, as what happened in the novel â€Å"In cold blood† by Truman Capote, the status of those who were k illed also affect the perception of people of the crime. References Schaefer, R. (2008). Sociology. (7th Ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

7 Chankras Essay Example for Free

7 Chankras Essay ? Chakra is a Sanskrit word meaning spinning wheel. Chakras are part of the subtle anatomy. The seven major chakras line up from the crown of the head to the base of the spine and connect to various endocrine glands. Each major chakra is directly associated with many aspects of the mind-body-spirit dynamic. When a specific chakra is closed, distorted, or congested, the perception of stress, disease, or illness may result (Seaward, 2012, p. 72.) Of the seven major subtle energy chakras, Western culture only recognizes the seventh chakra, known as the crown chakra. The first chakra is known as the root chakra. It is found at the base of the spine. This chakra is associated with safety and security issues; it represents our foundation and feeling of being grounded (â€Å"The 7 Chakras for Beginners,† 2009.) Furthermore, the root chakra is connected energetically to some organs of the reproductive system, hip joints, lower back, and pelvic area. Some health issues that are believed to correspond with disturbances of the root chakra include lower-back pain, sciatica, rectal difficulties, and some cancers (Seaward, 2012, p. 73.) Some of the emotional issues tied to the root chakra include survival issues such as financial independence, money, and food (â€Å"The 7 Chakras for Beginners,† 2009.) This chakra is known as the seat of the Kundalini energy, a spiritually based concept that is yet to be understood in Western culture (Seaward, 2012, p. 73.) If the Western Culture were to accept the root chakra, it would promote a deep, person al relationship with Earth and nature. When one is rooted in life, they are filled with satisfaction, stability and inner strength (â€Å"The Human Chakra System,† 2009.) The second chakra, known as the sacral chakra, is associated with the sex organs, as well as personal power in terms of business and social relationships (Seaward, 2012, p. 74.) It describes our connection and ability to accept others and new experiences. It is located in the lower abdomen, about 2 inches below the navel and 2 inches in (â€Å"The 7 Chakras for Beginners,† 2009.) The sacral charka deals with emotional feelings that are associated with issues of sexuality, sense of abundance, pleasure, and self-worth. When self-worth is viewed through external means like money, job, or sexuality, this created an energy distortion in this region. Obsessiveness with material gain is believed to be a means to compensate for low self-worth, therefore, created a distortion to this chakra. Some of the symptoms associated with this chakra include menstrual difficulties, infertility, vaginal infections, ovarian cysts, impotency, lower-back pain, sexual dysfunction, slipped disks, and b ladder and urinary infections (Seaward, 2012, p. 74.) Accepting the sacral chakra would encourage people to more easily open themselves towards others, especially the opposite sex (â€Å"The Human Chakra System,† 2009.) The solar plexus chakra, located in the upper stomach region, is the third chakra. This chakra feeds into the organs of the gastrointestinal tract, including the abdomen, small intestine, colon, gallbladder, kidneys, liver, pancreas, adrenal glands, and spleen. This region is associated with self-confidence, self-respect, and empowerment (Seaward, 2012, p. 74.) It relates to our ability to be confident and in-control of our lives (â€Å"The 7 Chakras for Beginners,† 2009.) The solar plexus chakra is commonly known as a gut feeling – an intuitive sense closely connected to our level of personal power. Blockages to this chakra are thought to be related to ulcers, cancerous tumors, diabetes, hepatitis, anorexia, bulimia, and all stomach-related issues (Seaward, 2012, p. 74.) Should the Western Culture accept the solar plexus chakra, it would promote feelings of peace and inner harmony within one’s self and in life. It would allow people to accept themselves complete ly, and respect the feelings and character traits of others (â€Å"The Human Chakra System,† 2009.) The fourth chakra is known as the heart chakra. It is considered to be one of the most important energy centers of the body. The heart chakra refers to our ability to express love (Seaward, 2012, p. 74.) It is located in the center of the chest, just above the heart (â€Å"The 7 Chakras for Beginners,† 2009.) The heart is not the only organ closely tied to this chakra as the lungs, breasts, and esophagus are included. Symptoms of a blocked heart chakra include heart attacks, enlarged heart, asthma, allergies, lung cancer, bronchial difficulties, circulation problems, and problems associated with the upper back and shoulders. An important association exists between the heart chakra and the thymus gland. The thymus gland gets smaller with age and is believed to be a reflection of the state of the heart chakra (Seaward, 2012, p. 74.) The advantage those in the Western Culture would see from accepting the heart chakra involve warmth, sincerity and happiness. These energies open th e hearts of others, inspiring confidence and creating joy among them (â€Å"The Human Chakra System,† 2009.) The fifth charka is located and greatly connected to the throat. Organs associated with the throat chakra are the thyroid, parathyroid glands, mouth, vocal chords, and trachea. This chakra represents the development of personal expression, creativity, purpose in life, and willpower (Seaward, 2012, p. 74.) The inability to express oneself in feelings or creativity distorts the flow of energy to the throat chakra and is thought to result in chronic sore throat problems, throat and mouth cancers, stiffness in the neck area, thyroid dysfunction, migraines, and cancerous tumors in this region (Seaward, 2012, p. 75.) Upon acceptance of the throat chakra, individual feelings, thoughts and inner knowledge could be expressed freely and without fear. Individuals are not manipulated by other’s opinions and they are able to stay true to who they really are without fear (â€Å"The Human Chakra System,† 2009.) The sixth chakra, known as the brow or third eye, is located on the forehead, between the eye brows. It refers to our ability to focus on and see the big picture (â€Å"The 7 Chakras for Beginners,† 2009.) This chakra is associated with intuition and the ability to access the ageless wisdom or bank of knowledge in the depths of the universal consciousness. As energy moves through the dimension of universal wisdom into this chakra, it promotes the development of intelligence and reasoning skills. The sixth chakra is directly connected with the pituitary and pineal gland and feeds energy to the brain for information processing. The wisdom channeled through the brow chakra is more universal in nature with implications for the spiritual aspect of life. Diseases caused by dysfunction of the brow chakra include brain tumors, hemorrhages, blood clots, blindness, comas, depression, and schizophrenia. These types of diseases are believed to be caused by an individual’s inability to see something that is extremely important to their soul growth (Seaward, 2012, p. 75.) The biggest advantage to the acceptance of the third eye chakra is an increased ability of visualization and comprehension of things intuitively. In today’s society, too many people don’t trust their instincts (â€Å"The Human Chakra System,† 2009.) The seventh is the crown chakra. It is located at the very top of our head. It represents our ability to be fully connected spiritually (â€Å"The 7 Chakras for Beginners,† 2009.) The highest level of consciousness is reached when the crown chakra is fully open and functioning. Although no specific disease or illness may be associated the crown chakra, every disease has a spiritual significance (Seaward, 2012, p. 75.) Some of the emotional issues associated with this chakra include inner and outer beauty, our connection to spirituality, and pure bliss (â€Å"The 7 Chakras for Beginners,† 2009.) Western Culture is accepting only of this chakra. In fact, it is highly useful in acupuncture therapy. Resources MindBodyGreen. (2009, October 27). The 7 Chakras for Beginners: Healing, balancing, and opening your chakras with exercises, foods, colors. Retrieved January 10, 2013 from http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-91/The-7-Chakras-for-Beginners.html Richards, R. (2009, September 20). The Human Chakra System. Retrieved January 10, 2013 from http://www.rickrichards.com/chakras/Chakras2.html Seward, B. L. (2012). Managing Stress: Principles and strategies for health and well-being. Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning 7 Chankras. (2016, Dec 10).

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Connection of Social Responsibility and the Need of the Human Being Essay

Connection of Social Responsibility and the Need of the Human Being - Essay Example Ship management must be considered as part of the maritime industry (Donn, 1989), which is in turn, is a part of the transportation industry. It could thus be said that any development in the transportation industry could affect the social responsibilities (Massie, 1987) of those in the maritime industry which will also affect the social responsibilities of these in ship management business. Ship management although made specific must be deemed as still part of business management (Werhane,1999) For the purpose therefore of answering the question, efforts were exerted to focus on those closest to ship management business. Before proceeding further it is also proper to have a working definition of what is a social responsibility. Industry Canada (2007) defined social responsibility as â€Å"a concept with a growing currency within Canada and around the globe† that may assume â€Å"similar approaches such as corporate sustainability, corporate sustainable development, corporate responsibility, and corporate citizenship† and â€Å"many see it as the private sector’s way of integrating the economic, social, and environmental imperatives of their activities.† It also believed CSR to also involve â€Å"creating innovative and proactive solutions to societal and environmental challenges, as well as collaborating with both internal and external stakeholders to improve CSR performance.† Given the concepts, we could now clearly answer the questions. It is very evident that there is a need to collaborate with internal and external stakeholders to improve sustainable development. The stakeholders could include almost many people surrounding the business such as customers, employees, the government, and the general public. To illustrate, let us take the case V. Holdings (2007) which declared its pursuit of a strategy of corporate and social responsibility (CSR) as a business imperative. Making it imperative means that it has become very important for the company to implement and do the same if it wants to survive in business or wants to have sustainable development.

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Nanda Home Case Auysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Nanda Home Case Auysis - Essay Example The proof of concept for her product is that the product effectively and efficiently fulfills the need of the customers. The runaway alarm clock forces an individual out of bed, through its random movements in the room, after it jumps off the bed stand when an individual presses snooze on the alarm clock. The concepts works because an individual must move out of bed and look for the clock so as to stop the alarm; otherwise it cannot allow the individual to continue sleeping, since it will keep ringing the alarm sound, while moving to different parts of the room. Gauri Nanda selected online retail channels, through which customers can order the product. She was able to tell whether the channel was working, through customers’ response. The initial sales that were made allowed the company to break-even within the first two months. The company sold 500 units of the product almost immediately after manufacturing through the online retail channel. Gauri Nanda made changes to the retailing channel over time, through introducing physical retail locations. The company has now also adapted physical store locations, where the product is being retailed in boutiques and other retail stores. 3. How did Gauri Nanda start building her brand? What advantages did she have in terms of how she was able initially to publicize her business? What advantages did she have as an entrepreneur regarding the association between herself and her product? Gauri Nanda started building her brand through giving it a recognizable and memorable name and making it more appealing to the people, while also giving it features that were suitable for its functions. Such features include the wheels that allow it to roll over and move around the room, prompting an individual to move out of bed and look for it. Another feature is the embedment of shock absorbers, which prevents the alarm clock from damaging,

Monday, August 26, 2019

Importance of an entrepreneurial leader Assignment

Importance of an entrepreneurial leader - Assignment Example Entrepreneurial leaders have the drive to be successful and their flexibility leads to adaptability. Entrepreneurial leaders are result-oriented and have high levels of enthusiasm that ensures full commitment to the goals and objectives of the organization. The role of an entrepreneurial leader is different from other leader roles since they are take personal responsibility of the growth of the organization. Their roles are different from other leader roles since they continuously search for new opportunities that will lead to innovative products and ideas rather than ensuring the success of the already established products and ideas. The entrepreneurial leader will assemble and coordinate resources towards attainment of organizational goals and will take personal responsibility for the failures of the team and utilize such challenges in ensuring the organization attains its objective. Unlike other leader roles, an entrepreneurial leader plays the role of a risk-taker through investi ng in new and innovative ideas that will enhance the growth potential of the organization. An entrepreneurial leader role is different from other leaders since an entrepreneur is a change catalyst and champions creative. An entrepreneurial leader is important in an organization since he continuously searches for new opportunities and ensures creativity that ultimately leads to new and innovative products and ideas. The entrepreneurial leader roles are different from other leader roles since he or she is a risk-taker and acts as a change champion.

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Opening a restaurant Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Opening a restaurant - Term Paper Example These businesses are believed to have certain weaknesses that Lexus will capitalise in in order to compete favourably in the market. The business will employ a marketing strategy where our sales representatives will visit institutions to show case the products and services we offer. Brochures, fliers, and posters will be developed to be used in marketing strategy with most of information to be accessed through the website page. We aim to capture majority of the market share in the 1st one year. The business is also planning to use several others strategies like product differentiation, pricing, place/location, segmentation and growth strategies. Together with these, the SWOT analysis of the business is to be examined in order to know all the areas to improve in. The proposed business is to be registered under the name â€Å"Lexus Unit Restaurant†. â€Å"Lexus† is a term in Germany translated to mean satisfactory and comfortable surroundings. The decision to use the above name is based on the restaurant’s ultimate goal of ensuring maximum client’s satisfaction in terms of meals served, lodging services in a favourable dining environment. â€Å"Lexus Unit Restaurant† a 1,200-square-foot restaurant will be setup at Outer Drive within Sioux City and it will be the only restaurant business located on the 25-acre tract of city-owned land targeting middle level income earners. The site is supposedly convenient for the business because it serves as the central point with good proximity and accessibility to potential customers with a good infrastructure such as good road network, electricity, water and telecommunication services. The Metropolitan area highly secured and exposed to several customers that tours the city projects hence need for quality meals and favourable environment to dine. The proposed business will be a sole proprietorship form of business sponsored by me and who shall also be the manager of the enterprise. I will keep truck of the

Information System for Managment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4250 words

Information System for Managment - Essay Example This paper approves that decision making is the most critical function of management. This is undertaken by a manager at every level from the top to the lowest level of management. Thus in the example of Wal-Mart , the store head, the process manager, the inventory control manager, the sales manager, the personnel and the administration manager will have to take decisions at their individual levels. MIS will provide critical support to each of these managers to enable them to carry out their tasks efficiently. While information is critical, it has be evaluated carefully by the manager at each level and cannot be based purely on that provided by the MIS. Since management is a human and dynamic function, a manager should be able to exercise his judgement in each case and use MIS as a tool for functioning rather than let it override other critical factors. This essay makes a conclusion that Software reliability is frequently based on the needs for which it is put. A Borough Council is not likely to have people who are attuned to functioning in a flexible, information technology rich environment, thus there is a need to train them in both soft and hard skills when such a change over of systems is undertaken. It is apparent that neither the Borough nor the provider of FLARE had taken into account the importance of taking the employees on board which finally resulted in the problems brought out in the case study.

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Tainted Love Composed by Ed Cobb Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Tainted Love Composed by Ed Cobb - Essay Example Tainted Love was composed by Ed Cobb, a songwriter and originally recorded by Gloria Jones, a soul singer, in 1965. However, the song emerged a mainstream hit in 1981 performed by Soft Cell duo, Marc Almond and David Ball as a cover song. Almond and David Ball, the core of the Soft Cell band, left their mark on the generation that lives today. Both Almond and Ball came from Leeds, U.K and had a mundane music career. They had redundant failures, which made their recording company to give them one last chance to make a hit. They utilize this last chance to make the song Tainted Love not feeling sanguine when recording it. Every radio station in the United Kingdom was awash with the song. Soft Cell’s version hit the top of the U.K’s single charts and maneuvered its way to Top 40 in the United States a year later, peaking at position 8. Tainted Love by Soft Cell was synth-driven and danceable. Enriched with Marc Almond’s vocals alternating torched and sleazy, it is agreeable that this was one of the epic songs of its time. They went ahead to set a Guinness World Record for the longest consecutive stay on the U.S Billboard Hot 100 chart. Compared with the original version done by Gloria, Soft Cell’s version portrayed a darker edge. In spite of the fact that the band had it as a cover song for their album, their synth-pop approach made the song sound more original. Soft Cell virtually owned the song. Soft Cell’s Tainted Love is my favorite ballad especially because of the jocular manner in which the singer says he wants to run away because he has endured a lot. The song is indeed heart-rending and makes one feel like true love never exist. Different people can have a varying interpretation of a song. According to me, the song Tainted Love is about unconsummated love.  

Friday, August 23, 2019

Clinton Trial Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Clinton Trial - Essay Example However, in 1998, he was accused for perjury and obstruction of justice during a case against him. These two accusations were related to a scandal concerning a white house intern. Although he was acquitted by the U.S Senate and completed his term in office the trial marked a great part of American history. Clinton’s Trial President Bill Clinton’s trial for the charges brought up against him of perjury and obstruction of justice, started in January 7 1999, in the Senate. As indicated in Article 1 of the United State Constitution, Chief Justice William Rehnquist of the Supreme Court was sworn in to preside over the trial and the juniors sworn in were the 100 senators. This was the second time in the United State history that the senate conducted a trial of a head of state (Sigelman et al, 2001). The origin of Clinton’s trial was in a sexual harassment lawsuit claimed by one Paula Jones in Arkansas in May, 1994. Paula Jones was a former Arkansas state employee. Paul a claimed that in May 8, 1991 while she was helping to staff a state-sponsored conference at the Excelsior Hotel in Little Rock, a member of at that time Governor Bill Clinton’s security, Danny Ferguson, came to her and told her that the Governor was asking to meet her in his hotel suite. Jones saw this as an opportunity to advance her career therefore she took the elevator to the Governor’s suite. According to her statement, Jones claims that when she got to the suite, the Governor, Clinton at that time, continuously made increasingly aggressive moves on her. In her account, she claimed that the Governor forced her to do sexual things but, according to the security guard outside the suite, Jones looked happy when she got out of the Governor’s suite. The lawyers of Clinton asked the court to dismiss Jones claims in 1997 saying it would only disrupt his work at the white house but the supreme court ruled against the president and allowed the discovery of the case to continue that was in May 1997. An independent Counsel Ken Starr was the one in charge of the investigation (umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/clinton/). Counsel Ken had history with investigating the officials in the white house although many of his cases had failed to hold in court for example his case on the land deal years earlier known as White-water. It was during this investigation that he got prove of Clinton’s misuse of power by being intimate with an employee, Monica Lewinsky. Consequently, Clinton’s trial had a lot of impact to the political sector mainly in Clintons rating and publicity. During this Lewinsky/impeachment controversy, Bill Clinton received the highest job approval ratings of his administration. Furthermore, as the Lewinsky situation unfolded, Clinton's approval in terms of his job went up, not down as was expected. Moreover, his ratings remained high for the duration of the impeachment proceedings. However while Clinton's job approval rati ng went up during the scandal with Lewinsky and the trial, his poll numbers though went down concerning the question of honesty, integrity and moral character as a political leader. As a result of this low ratings about his moral character and honesty led to change the political leadership of the United States. George.W.Bush was the president elected defeating Gore in the 2000 presidential elections and according to

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Blood Clotting Essay Example for Free

Blood Clotting Essay Blood clotting is an adaptive/defensive mechanism of the human body. Its primary purpose is to prevent the loss of blood from the cardiovascular system from damaged blood vessels in order to avoid shock and possible death. This accomplished by a process called coagulation wherein blood solidify at the site of injury through a complex process involving platelet aggregation and fibrin formation coupled with thrombin and a dozen other clotting factors. Though the mechanism is designed to prevent deleterious harm, clotting can also be harmful especially when inappropriately triggered such as in the case of strokes and infarctions. In the article by Cathleen Genova, she discusses the findings of a report made in the April 17th 2009 issue of Cell, a journal from Cell Press Publication, where researchers found a possible way of preventing life-threatening clots. The discovery might offer a new way to fight clot formation before it can even begin, according to the researchers. According to the findings, thrombin isn’t the only player in the clotting process, in fact â€Å"enzymes known as matrix metalloproteases have recently emerged as important players in platelet function and the biology of blood vessels. Two of those enzymes, MMP-1 and MMP-2 can actually encourage platelet activation† early in the clotting process. If treatments were aimed at blocking the MMP1-PAR1 pathway, a new way of treating patients with acute coronary syndromes may be developed. The advantages of such treatments, the researchers predict, would be that an MMP-1 inhibitor might be better tolerated especially since careful balance between the risk of dangerous blood clots and the risk of bleeding must be kept in mind. Works Cited Genova, Cathleen. â€Å"How Life-Threatening Blood Clots Take Hold. † Medical News Today. MediLexicon, Intrnational Ltd. Accessed 23 April 2009 http://www. medicalnewsto-day. com/articles/146508. php ARTICLE http://www. medicalnewstoday. com/articles/146508. php How Life-Threatening Blood Clots Take Hold Article Date: 18 Apr 2009 0:00 PDT When plaques coating blood vessel walls rupture and expose collagen, platelets spring into action to form a blood clot at the damaged site. Now, a new report in the April 17th issue of the journal Cell, a Cell Press publication, reveals how those life-threatening clots a leading cause of death in the United States, Europe and other industrialized countries get an early grip. The discovery might offer a new way to fight clot formation before it can even begin, according to the researchers. Compared to other diseases, blood clotting has been very well understood, said Athan Kuliopulos of Tufts Medical Center and Tufts University School of Medicine. Nevertheless, he continued, many people still suffer from heart attacks, ischemic stroke and death as a result of clot formation. Drugs designed to inhibit clots through known pathways are widely used by millions. They work well, but not perfectly. There is still an unmet need. Those drugs include aspirin and the so-called thienopyridines, including Clopidogrel (trade name Plavix). Scientists have known that a protein called thrombin plays an important role in clot formation as a potent activator of platelets. It also cuts fibrinogen into fibrin, a fibrous protein that works together with platelets to form a clot. But thrombin isnt the whole story. Enzymes known as matrix metalloproteases have recently emerged as important players in platelet function and the biology of blood vessels. Two of those enzymes, MMP-1 and MMP-2 can actually encourage platelet activation, according to earlier studies, although the means were unknown. In cancer cells too, MMP-1 activates a receptor known as PAR1 the same receptor that is also responsible for receiving the thrombin signal on human platelets. There is abundant proMMP-1 coating platelets, Kuliopulos said. We thought maybe it was on the outside waiting to be activated by something. Maybe it could be involved in an early event in blood clotting, before thrombin is around. Indeed, Kuliopulos team has now connected those dots. They show that exposure of platelets to collagen activates MMP-1, which in turn directly cut PAR1 on the surface of platelets. Collagen is the first thing a platelet sees when a blood vessel ruptures or is cut. The MMP-1-PAR1 pathway activates another set of molecular players known to be involved in early clot formation, he said. Those activated platelets change their shape, sending out spikes and membrane sheets. Within seconds, they become more sticky, adhering to the vessel surface and then other platelets. Moreover, they show that treatments that block the MMP1-PAR1 pathway prevent blood clots from forming in the presence of collagen, suggesting that drugs targeting this metalloprotease-receptor system could offer a new way to treat patients with acute coronary syndromes. According to the new results, PAR1 inhibitors already being tested in clinical trials might have an added benefit, Kuliopulos said. Its also possible they might work a little too well, since there is a careful balance between the risk of dangerous blood clots and the risk of bleeding. An MMP-1 inhibitor might be better tolerated, he said. The researchers include Vishal Trivedi, Adrienne Boire, Boris Tchernychev, Nicole C. Kaneider, Andrew J. Leger, Katie OCallaghan, Lidija Covic, and Athan Kuliopulos, of Tufts University School of Medicine, Molecular Oncology Research Institute, Tufts Medical Center, Boston, MA. Source: Cathleen Genova Cell Press

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Lim Goh Tong - Genting Essay Example for Free

Lim Goh Tong Genting Essay The best way to address the topic of successful tourism entrepreneur is the story of Tan Sri Lim Goh Tong which is the founder of Genting Highlands and how he as a local tourism entrepreneur has succeeded globally. Tan Sri Lim Goh Tong (February 28, 1918 – October 23, 2007) was a prominent wealthy Malaysian Chinese businessman. He was once the 3rd richest man in Malaysia with a net worth estimated to be 4. 2 billion USD, making him the 204th richest person in the billionaire list compiled by Forbes. The Japanese invaded Malaya in 1942 and caused Tan Sri Lim Goh Tong to have a few near-death occasions. During the early Japanese Occupation, he earned a living as a vegetable farmer, but decided to switch to petty trading for a better living. Later on Tan Sri Lim Goh Tong ventured into scrap-metal and hardware trading. When the Japanese Occupation ended, there was an urgent demand for heavy machinery for resumed operations in mines and rubber plantations, he seized the opportunity and engaged in second-hand machinery trading, making his first fortune. From used machinery trading, Tan Sri Lim Goh Tong strayed into iron mining fortuitously. Tan Sri joined as a partner in an iron mining company which couldnt settle the outstanding payment of two bulldozers with him, and this proved to be a successful venture as he earned a substantial amount of profit from the mining industry, including forming a joint-venture tin mining company which was one of the first Chinese tin companies to utilize dredges in mining tin. While dealing in heavy machinery, Tan Sri accumulated a wide range of reconditioned machines as well as a substantial amount of cash to move into the construction and related industries. In the name of his family construction company, Kien Huat Private Limited, he began taking on several contracting jobs with help and guidance from his uncles. Kien Huat won accolades and became recognized as one of the leading construction companies after successfully completing many major projects. Among the biggest projects completed was the Ayer Itam Dam, the first time a local contractor had been given the construction job of such magnitude. He went on the brink of bankruptcy when construction work was facing problems in the Kemubu Irrigation Scheme, but managed to overcome the obstacles and completed the project. In 1964, when Tan Sri Lim Goh Tong was working on a hydroelectric power project in Cameron Highlands, amidst the cool mountain air, he had a vision. The idea of building a hilltop resort was first conceived when Tan Sri Lim Goh Tong was in Cameron Highlands. As he was enjoying the soothing cool breeze of Cameron Highlands, an idea struck him that as the standard of living rose steadily in Malaysia, more and more people would visit mountain resorts for relaxation and recreation, but Cameron Highlands was too far away from the capital city Kuala Lumpur, therefore building a mountain resort nearer to Kuala Lumpur would have great business potential. He envisaged Malaysia would develop and prosper in the near future and why not develop a cool mountain resort at the doorstep of KL, within the reach of all Malaysians. What is now one of the most popular tourist destinations in Asia and Malaysia is the realization of one man’s dream. He is a man of vision who had seen further and beyond about the world. Without wasting any time he started working on transforming his vision into reality. Upon conceiving this idea, many naysayers were skeptical of Tan Sri turning a wilderness into a tourist resort. Most thought it was really risky and reckoned Tan Sri who was financially comfortable to be foolish to invest heavily in money and time to develop Genting, but he brushed off all these negativities and went ahead firmly with his plan. Then he indulgent to take a further step in studying the maps of the vicinity of Kuala Lumpur, he located the ideal site, which was the Ulu Kali Mountain, just 58 Kilometers from KL. In order to have first hand experience of the terrain and surroundings, Tan Sri Lim spearheaded an advance party guided by some aborigines; he set off on the arduous journey. They struggled through dense jungles, climbed over many mountains and crossed numerous rivers before successfully reaching the Ulu Kali Mountain top. During the expedition that lasted nine days, he explored the placed, gathered a wealth of data on the topography, drainage, soil conditions and other relevant aspects of the region about the site which proved to be very useful in drawing up the plan for developing the resort. Setting up a private company called Genting Highlands Berhad in 1965, Tan Sri Lim successfully obtained approval for the alienation of almost 5,000 hectares of land from the Pahang and Selangor state governments respectively. In August 1965, he and his team began the project in the face of mammoth and colossal task. Among the problems were building the access road towards the hilltop, water and electricity supplies, sewerage system and fire safety. He managed to build the access road from Genting Sempah to the Peak of Ulu Kali Mountain towards the summit in three years when it was estimated to take fifteen years. Several sources of water in the mountain were identified, water supply was secured by building water-collection stations and water filtration plants with treated water stored in reservoirs. Electricity is supplied through a central electricity generation system with 12 big generators. He and his construction team worked in two shifts round the clock, 7 days a week because during the construction, he survived six close brushes with death. Meanwhile, Tan Sri Lim had to administer another major project in Kelantan, the Kemubu Irrigation Scheme at the same time. This stretched his physical endurance to the limits as he had to shuttle between Kuala Lumpur and Kelantan. While the first team carry out the survey in front, the other do the tree-felling, bulldozing and building the road behind. In order to save time and money, they built make-shift 1 quarters in the jungle, camped along the way and even stayed in caves. They even have tales to tell about their encounters with tigers in the jungle. He devoted all his time, capital and resources including the reserves of his family company, to ensure smooth and prompt construction of his dream resort. After working day and night for 3 years, the first access road was completed in 1969. Tan Sri was so relieved, because his whole vision for Genting Highlands depended on the successful completion of the access road. The whole Genting project was completed in January 1971, but prior to officially commencing business, Kuala Lumpur and its surrounding areas were hit by the worst rainstorms in a century, the road to Genting was closed by landslides at 180 locations, and the damaged sections took four months to repair. Genting opened its door for business on May 8, 1971. During the Genting project, Tan Sri spent all he had without earning any income. He sold an 810-hectare rubber estate to raise RM2. 5 million. In addition, he invested all the money he had made from iron mining, sub-contracting and hardware business. The project was a heavy drain on Tan Sri Lims finances. When asked to invest in this project, his friends turned him down and counseled him to drop the entire scheme instead. The project received well-deserved boost on 31stMarch 1969, on the occasion of the laying of foundation stone for the company’s pioneer hotel, by the late Tunku Abdul Rahman. Impressed that a private company, without the assistance of the Government could develop a mountain resort for the enjoyment of all Malaysians, a gaming license was suggested to help accelerate the development of this remote area, transforming the initial idea of a 38-room hotel to a 200 room hotel. In 1971, the Highlands Hotel, now renamed as Theme Park Hotel was successfully completed. To cope with the rapidly growing tourists, more hotels were built which included the 700 rooms Genting Hotel, a landmark structure recognized by all Malaysians. Following a corporate restructure exercise, the resort and leisure related activities were transferred to Resorts World Bhd. This was the beginning of the next development phase to transform the hill resort into a City of Entertainment. A meticulously planned development programme was implemented to enhance and expand the resort facilities, which included the development of Awana Chain of Hotels namely Awana Genting, Awana Kijal, Terengganu and Awana Porto Malai, Langkawi. In 1993, at the suggestion of Tun Mahathir, the prime minister of Malaysia then, a township was developed on an 81-hectare piece of land around the site of the Genting Skyway cable car station. It was named Gohtong Jaya after Tan Sri as a token of remembrance for his efforts in the development of Genting Highlands. In 1997, Genting Highlands Resort further boosted its facility attraction with Genting Skyway cable car system that provides a 3. 38 km transport to the hilltop. Genting Skyway is also recognized as the Worlds Fastest Mono Cable Car System with a maximum speed of 21. 6 km per hour and the Longest Cable Car in Malaysia and Southeast Asia. Despite the recession in 1997, Resorts World decided to forge ahead with the ambitious billion-ringgit mega project, the First World Hotel and Plaza. Of course many skeptics questioned why need to expand development during an economic downturn. And the answer was simple during such times, labor costs and skilled resources were relatively cheaper and easier to get. And by embarking on new construction and development activities, also can provide job opportunities and stimulating the construction industry during crucial economic times. The First World Hotel now is the largest hotel in the world with 6,200 rooms. First World Plaza marks a new era for the Genting Theme Park as it features newer and more exciting attractions for families to have fun at the peak. Just in the last 10 years, Genting Berhad has spent over 4 billion ringgit to develop Genting into Asia’s leading integrated leisure and entertainment resort. Throughout the years, Genting have kept firm with their vision: to be the leading leisure, hospitality and entertainment corporation in the world. After 42 years, crown jewel Genting Highlands Resort has since grown from a single hill top hotel with 200 rooms to a world-class integrated leisure and entertainment resort offering more than 10,000 rooms ranging from 3, 4, 5 star and super luxurious 6 star accommodation, over 90 dining outlets, 80 retail outlets, convention and international standard show facilities and many fun rides at the indoor and outdoor theme parks. We catered to over 18 million visitors in 2006 alone. They take pride in being one of the major contributors of tourism sector in the country and that are playing a significant role as a net earner of revenue and foreign exchange for the Malaysian economy. Genting Group is by no means limited to the leisure and tourism business. The company, infact began to diversify as early as the late 70s. With leisure and tourism as its core business, the company also ventured into the plantation, property development, paper manufacturing, power generation, oil and gas exploration. Being a determined entrepreneur and a man of vision, Tan Sri Lim aspired to explore further. He knew, with the strong foundation and wealth of experience accumulated over the years, Genting was well equipped to venture abroad. He encouraged and supported his second son Tan Sri Lim Kok Thay, who is our current Chairman to expand the business overseas. With the strong support and backing from his father, Tan Sri Lim Kok Thay (fondly known as Tan Sri KT Lim) swiftly spread his wings. Since then, he has been instrumental in globalizing Genting Group and has been the key driver behind the development of the Group’s resort and gaming-related projects worldwide, such as the Burswood International Resort Casino, the Adelaide Casino 3 in Australia, Lucayan Beach Resort Casino in the Bahamas and the Subic Bay Resort Casino in the Philippines. In Australia, he had set up the Adelaide Casino and the Burswood Island Resort in Perth. In their first year of operations, these projects chalked up some RM100 million in profits. However, his intuitive decision to dispose of the hotel and casinos in Australia to a Japanese company after only 18 months in operation proved to be the correct decision. The money was reinvested in other overseas ventures, including the Foxwoods Casino Venture with the Native American tribe, which has become the largest resort casino in the world. Due to Genting early success, later extended financial assistance to another US-based Native American tribe to build their casino in the location of Niagara Falls. Genting was granted the only casino license after Tunku Abdul Rahman, the prime minister of Malaysia then, visited Genting Highlands and commended his effort to develop a resort contributing to Malaysias tourism industry without government help. Tan Sri managed to obtain a pioneer status for Genting Highlands and tax incentives despite its resort development not qualifying for it. He did so by convincing the government that tax incentives in the early stage of development of Genting Highlands were not only vital for them but also profitable to the government later on. Tan Sri KT Lim visionary foresight, commitment to excellence, entrepreneurial skills and hard work resulted in the birth of Star Cruises. Capitalizing on its leisure-related expertise and experience, Genting Group expanded from land-based resorts to cruise the high seas by providing a truly comprehensive leisure and entertainment offering. At a time when no one was bullish about the prospects of the global cruise industry, his debut as a cruise operator in Asia raised many eyebrows. However, both Tan Sri Lim Goh Tong and Tan Sri KT Lim saw that again, they would be the pioneers and there was no competition in Asia. Given the rising prosperity and spending power of the people here, Asians would take to cruising readily as a form of recreation and tourism if an operator could provide good, affordable services. Moreover, with many beautiful islands and waters comparable to those in the Caribbean and the Mediterranean, the richly diversified Asia is able to offer exotic destinations with multicultural experiences. Star Cruises Limited was incorporated in September 2003. At a press briefing in December the same year, many local and foreign journalists questioned Tan Sri Lim Goh Tong’s wisdom in bringing in mega cruise ships when there was no industry in Asia and the idea of a cruise holiday was rather alien to an average Asian. One foreign journalist went as far as prophesying the demise of our cruise venture in eight months’ time. His reasoning was simple: How is Star Cruises going to find 1,700 passengers, the equivalent of five 747 plane-loads, each time it sets sail? Tan Sri Lim calmly said â€Å"When I decided to develop Genting about 38 years ago, there were also people who said I was mad and doomed to failure. But I went on to build it up steadily into an internationally renowned holiday resort. As for the cruise industry, isn’t Miami a success story? If the Westerners can do it, so can we Asians,† this statement drew a huge applause from the floor. In November 2000, Star Cruises was listed on the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong. At the peak, the market capitalization of Star Cruises hit US$2. 9 billion, even larger than that of Genting Berhad. As part of his expansion, Star Cruises acquired Norwegian Cruise Line in a takeover exercise that was completed in 2000. Today Star Cruises has grown to become the third largest cruise line in the world and the leading cruise operator in Asia-Pacific. The various brands under Star Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line, NCL America, Orient Lines and Cruise Ferries together operates 21 cruise ships with over 32,000 lower berths and calls at close to 200 4 destinations globally in the Asia Pacific, North and South America, Hawaii, the Caribbean, Alaska, Europe, Bermuda and Antarctica. Part of his global expansion plan was to start an investment arm to exclusively handle all his overseas investments. Hence, Genting International was incorporated in 1984 to invest in leisure and gaming-related businesses outside of Malaysia. Genting International currently owns and operates 46 casinos in the UK under the Stanley Leisure brand names. This includes four of the most prestigious casinos in London – Crockfords, The Colony Club, The Palm Beach and Maxims. Another exciting boost for international venture is the recent success in bid to build an integrated resort in Singapore. The integrated Resort, located on Sentosa is named Resorts World at Sentosa and is expected to commence operation by early 2010. As of now, Genting Highlands is one of the most successful casino resorts in the world and is one of the primary tourist attractions in Malaysia. Tan Sri Lims company, Genting Group operates Genting Highlands and has diversified into many other industries. In the process new company brands were created that have become distinctive names in their respective fields, namely Asiatic, Genting Sanyen and Star Cruises. In the next 30 years, he continued to develop and expand Genting Highlands beyond its original idea of a hotel with basic tourist facilities. A new road was built to shorten the journey to Genting from the northern states, and RM120 million was invested to widen a 10 km stretch of the access road to reduce congestion. Another RM128 million was spent on constructing a cable car system to provide visitors with an alternative mode of transportation. Today Genting is far more than just one winning concept and one celebrated destination. It is one of Asia’s leading and best managed multinational corporations with strong management, financial prudence and sound investment discipline. Genting will continue to be a leading leisure and entertainment corporation in the world.

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

The Rationalism Of Rene Descartes

The Rationalism Of Rene Descartes In the early part of the Meditations, it has been quite clear that Descartes was very much leaning towards solipsism, a philosophy that asserts only the self exists. This is what makes his rationalism quite unique. His rationalism put everything under radical doubt. He had earlier on declared that he exists only because he thinks and doubts things. To put it simply, he exists because he thinks he exists. His being a thinking being is proof because if this were not the case, then he would not have perceived it in the first place. This assertion of his is already quite problematic. The argument is circular, in that there is not enough grounded evidence in which the conclusion, that is he exists, can spring from. Though he had differentiated this from a state of dreaming, to simply assert oneself as existing because one is aware, although quite optimistic, is nonetheless not enough to support the claim. It is not the same as saying that one is feeling hungry because of the feeling of pain in the stomach and other bodily functions connected to making the brain realize that one is in a state of hunger. Had Descartes accepted the notion of the senses playing a part of a persons clear and certain knowledge of the world, then simply being conscious of ones existence through thinking might be more reasonable, since the brain would be sending signals or at least contemplating about itself, which is a distinct characteristic of man being a rational being. To simply rely, however, on ones own reason and rejecting anything coming in from the senses is realistically impossible. For certitude does not simply come into us without having a prior experience about it. He says his senses are deceiving him because of the idea of something within him seems not the same as the object he sees through his senses. He uses as an example the sun, wherein his idea of which is a giant fiery ball of flame and in actuality, he simply sees it as a speck in the sky, only about a third or so larger than the moon. This is a poor example, given that there exists then sciences explaining such phenomena. Yet his conviction remains the same. A thing might be something else than what it seems but how can we perceive its true form if not through the senses? Would Descartes know that the sun was a big fiery ball of gases had it not been for empirical sciences saying such? He says that he is grounded on the natural light of reason and yet seems to derive his conclusions through the use of empirical data. Given Descartes radical doubt, up to the point that he even doubts memories, indeed the only thing that one can be certain about is that one is doubting and trying very hard to think about what there is to doubt and what there is to believe as clear and distinct. Yet Descartes is certain of another thing aside from doubting and this is the idea that there is a God. In his third and fourth meditation, he comes across the possibility of error occurring to him even within the natural light of reason, and of the problem of whether or not God exists. Conversely, if God exists, he pondered if it was possible that this almighty being be deceiving him. He begins his thinking that there is a God who created everything by saying that everything that has been created must be in some way, coming from something else which possess the qualities or modes that is the same with the thing created. A stone, he said, can begin to exist only if it is produced by something that containsà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬either straightforwardly or in some higher formà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬everything that is to be found in the stone; similarly, heat canà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢t be produced in a previously cold object except by something of at least the same order of perfection as heat, and so on(Ariew Cress, 2006). He adds to this that his ideas of a stone or of heat cannot simply come from him alone but from something else that has these qualities. Such ideas are but mere representations of a reality, much like what a photograph would do as a representation of an event. And since such is the case, there must be something, he says, in which all those ideas originate from since there cannot be an infinite regress of ideas. Ideas, in themselves, are not false since they are not from the senses. Even ideas of other men, angels and of God, as Descartes had put it, even if all three did not exist, are real ideas. So long as these ideas are not from the senses, Descartes regards it as clear and distinct. However, there are false ideas for him. The notions of hot and cold, colours and the like that represent non-things, are false in that they are materially false. Regardless, all the ideas that Descartes think about, whether they are materially true or materially false, he asserts to have come from God. He says this because he had, from before his elucidation, thought that things coming from the senses are real. Now, through the use of the natural light of reason, Descartes perceives them as false. He has greatly erred, so to speak. Then, if he is someone who is both incomplete and commits error, there must be something out there that does not. God existed because he has a notion of an imperfect being (himself), and there must be, from this idea of imperfection, something that is perfect from which the imperfection is derived. Since he is a thinking thing, he must have come from something that is also a thinking being, although much greater than him. Descartes adds that the idea of God did not come from the senses nor did he spontaneously created it because if these were the case then he would have been able to manipulate the idea. However, he cannot do this to his idea of a perfect being. and if there is a God, can this almighty being be deceiving him? Descartes answers that it is not possible because a perfect being cannot do something that is out of its nature, which is everything good. Error stems from judgments which in turn, is a product of a persons free will and from a perception of a thing due to ones senses. This is another circular argument from Descartes. In line of theology, it could be applauded but in the realm of philosophy, more or less, it has its loopholes. For one, it is too assumptive. There exists a cause of everything, truly, but the idea of God is anyones guess. To simply state that there is a God because one is imperfect and therefore must have come from a perfect being is, just like his argument for existence, without much proof. Another is his argument that the perfect being is necessary because it is an uncaused cause. Surely, this is true because there is no infinite regress but the first cause is not so much important as the second one, or the third or the fourth or even the last cause of the other cause. To put it, these series of causes are important in each and every aspect just as the first because it is a series of causes that without one of these, the end result would not have happened. Conclusion I assert then, that in Descartes thinking, there is something lacking. In his methods, it is as if he simply grab things out of thin air and claim them to be true and distinct because, to put it, they had been grasped only by the intellect. To not rely on our senses in the physical world is something that we should try to shy away from. Even the Eastern philosophies, particularly that of the Indian civilization, accepted that though the world is not ultimately real, it is real in the practical sense. Nevertheless, a strong point in Descartes thinking is that like all great philosophers before him, he had produced a new mindset for future generations to ponder upon. His esteem of the capabilities of the intellect perhaps cannot be compared to any other. Yet to rely solely on the intellect is a brave feat but nonetheless ungrounded. His claim of treating something as clear and distinct because it is obvious, when we think about it, is not really on par with reality. Descartes emphasis on the human mind to be the sole tool for determining whether or not an idea or an object is clear and distinct is perhaps one that overestimates the capabilities of the mind if not giving it a heavy burden. But that is why we called Descartes philosophy radical, isnt it?

Monday, August 19, 2019

Service Quality at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company Essay -- essays rese

Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As tourism industry has been increasing dramatically during the last two decades, hotel industry is at war. In global competition, hotel chains are required to offer not only standardized facilities, but also standardized services. To meet the different needs of customers in each individual country while maintaining the same standards of services, global marketing strategy plays a critical role. Being a leader in upscale hotel chain industry, The Ritz-Carlton Hotel took a unique path to compete with its rivals.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Founded on principles of groundbreaking levels of customer service, and with guest satisfaction being the highest mission, the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, is the first and only hotel company to win the desirable Malcolm Baldridge National Quality Award and the only service company to win the award two times, with the most recent honor received in 1999. Brief History of Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company was established in 1983 when real estate mogul and former CEO William B. Johnson acquired the rights to the name made famous by Swiss hotelier Cesar Ritz. The company manages more than 50 luxury hotels worldwide, in Australia, China, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, the US, the US Virgin Islands, etc. The Ritz-Carlton name is synonymous with luxury, and its hotels are consistently rated among the best in the world. The company operates sales offices in Germany, Japan, the United Arab Emirates, Singapore, the US, and the UK. Hotel giant Marriott International owns the company. Besides Four Seasons hotel, its top competitors are Fairmont Hotel Management and Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide. (www.ritzcarlton.com) History of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award sets the standard for excellence for U.S. companies. Named for the former Secretary of Commerce, on August 20th, 1987, President Reagan signed the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Improvement Act, establishing an annual National Quality Award. The purposes of the award are to promote quality awareness, recognize quality achievements of U.S. companies, and publicize successful quality strategies.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hunt (1993, ... ...o see how well you're doing and how to do it better, and then eventually bringing the processes to zero defects. One lesson the hotel has learned is not to underestimate the value of even one idea or quality improvement effort. The Ritz-Carlton has become an intelligent organization, where all people understand and actively participate in the processes that support the creation of excellent service. It has come to know that, without quality they would not be dominant in product and profit. Appendix Three Steps of Service 1) A warm and sincere greeting. Use the guest name, if and when possible; 2) Anticipation and compliance with guest needs; 3) Fond farewell. Give them a warm good-bye and use their names, if and when possible. Motto â€Å"We are Ladies and Gentlemen serving Ladies and Gentlemen† Credo The Ritz-Carlton Hotel is a place where the genuine care and comfort of our guests is our highest mission. We pledge to provide the finest personal service and facilities for our guests who will always enjoy a warm, relaxed, yet refined ambience. The Ritz-Carlton experience enlivens the senses, instills well-being, and fulfills even the unexpressed wishes and needs of our guests.

The Themes of Love and Relationships in Pop Music :: Teaching Education

The Themes of Love and Relationships in Pop Music The life of an adolescent varies from day to day. For every good thing, most likely there is a bad thing. This doesn’t always happen, but this constant changing of moods can greatly affect the stress one feels. Adolescents will look for some form of relief, this often being music. Turning on the radio while doing homework can help people stay relaxed and get through an assignment. Drifting off for thirty minutes while you listen to your favorite band on a pair of headphones can be the cure also. It is not what an individual turns on that matters, as long as it is what they like. Not everyone is going to listen to Top 40 music, but a majority will so we focus on the top five songs. The top five songs of today do not differ that much thematically from when I was fourteen with the most common theme being love. The re-invasion of pop music has brought out the theme of love and relationships even more so then ever. If a songwriter has â€Å"writer’s block†, then the simple solution is to write a love song. â€Å"All I want is you (Come over here baby). All I want is you (You make me go crazy)... I‘m gonna love you right...† (Aguilera), is part of the chorus to Christina Aguilera’s song â€Å"Come on Over†. The attraction to this song to girls is in thinking that they could be in the situation of the female character in the song, finding the perfect guy and spending time with him. For guys, the attraction comes because a beautiful girl is singing this and they can pretend that she is singing to them. Something similar is also found in the song â€Å"Doesn’t Really Matter† by Janet Jackson. In this song she is stating all the things she loves about a certain individual. She can live with his imperfections and doesn’t care what a nyone else cares. â€Å"Doesn’t really matter what the eye is seeing. Cause I’m in love with the inner being. And it doesn’t really matter what they believe. What matters to me is you’re nutty, nutty, nutty for me.† (Janet Jackson) This song is good in that it is a love song unlike many out there today. In this song we see that the main character loves her man because of who he is.

Sunday, August 18, 2019

Gun Control in Canada Essay -- Research Papers

Gun Control in Canada Gun Control is an important issue to Canadians. Canada has both provincial and federal legislation that restricts the sale, purchase, and use of different kinds of firearms. The United States, on the other hand, do not have federal or state bills restricting the possession or use of firearms, only local laws exist there. A firearm consists of any barreled weapon from which a shot, bullet or other missile can be fired and that is capable of causing serious bodily harm or death. Society’s concerns about protection from violent crimes involving firearms have encouraged Canadian Parliament to pass tougher gun control legislation. The Federal Government responded by passing Bill C-68 that created the Firearms Act, which came into effect in December of 1998. This is by far the strictest gun control law to date. Many Canadians objected to this legislation and wanted it repealed because they believe it is an unnecessary waste of tax dollars to further license and monitor law abiding gun owners. Firearm laws have become an extensive debate in society and also politics. Politicians from western provinces and rural areas are opposed to these stricter laws because there is a more widespread acceptance and use for guns around them. On the opposite side are politicians from urban areas where crime rates are higher, who embrace the new harsher gun control laws as one solution to violent crimes. There are many pros and cons to the recently passed Firearms Act to control guns in Canada. Severe gun control laws do not limit crime sufficiently enough and it is not worth the government money being spent on it. Government intervention in the licensing of firearms in Canada first took place in 1892. Prior to 1892 all ... ...t: http://gateway.ontla.on.ca/documents/statusoflegOUT/b133_e.htm Dickinson, G. M., Liepner, M., Talos, S., & Buckingham, D. (1996). Understanding The Law (2nd ed.). Toronto: McGraw-Hill Ryerson. History of Firearms Control in Canada up to and including the Firearms Act. (1998, December 23). [Online]. Available Internet: http://cfc.gc.ca/historical/firearms/firearms_control.html Phasing-in Plan of Firearms Act 2000-2003. (2000, March 7). [Online]. Available Internet: http://cfc.gc.ca/legal/phasing/default.html Reference re Firearms Act (Can.): Supreme Court Decision. (2000, June 15). [Online]. Available Internet: http://www.lexum.umontreal.ca/cscscc/en/pub/2000/vol1/texte/2000scr1_0783.txt Too young for guns. (2000, August 8). Toronto Star, p. B4. Ward, J. (2000, July). Crime rate drops to 20-year low. Hamilton Spectator, p. D5.

Saturday, August 17, 2019

Promote equality and diversity in work with children and young people Essay

These were put into place to ensure that all organisations and agencies involved with children between birth and 19 years should work together ensure that children have the support needed to be healthy, stay safe, enjoy and achieve, make a positive contribution and ahieve economic well-being. The key aspect of the Act was to overhaul child protection and chilren’s services in the UK. Every Child Matters has been futher developed through the publication of the Children’s Plan 2007 which sets out to improve educational outcomes for all children. Race Relations Act 1976 and 2000 This places a statutory duty on schools to promote race equality. It makes it against the law for a person to be discriminated against, whether directly or indirectly. Schools are expected to improve the educational achievements of all children and to promote equal opportunities and good relations between different racial groups. Schools are also required to have a race equality policy which is linked to an action plan. Disability Discrimintaion Act 1995 and 2005 This made it illegal for services (shops and employers) to discriminate against disabled people. According to this Act, a person has a disability if ‘he /or she/ has a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on his /or her/ ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities’. Now it is a statutory requirement to encourage the inclusion of children with disabilities into mainstream schools. The Disability and Discrimination Act 2005 builds on the 1995 Act by requiring all schools to produce a Disability Equality Scheme. This must set out ways that schools promote equality of opportunity and promote positive attitudes towards pupils, staff and others who are disabled. Also, there must be an Accessibility Plan in place which identifies how th school will increase access to the curriculum improve the physical environment and provide information in a range of ways to meet the needs of individuals with diability. SEN Code of Practice 2001 The Special Educational Needs and Disability Act 2001 strengthened the rights of parents and SEN children to mainstream education. It made significant changes to the educational opportunities that are available to children with disabilities and special educational needs. Human Rights Act 1998 The United Nations first set a standard on human rights in 1948 with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. In 1998 the Human Rights Act gave a further legal status to this. The basic human rights are: the right to life freedom from torture and degrading treatment freedom from slavery and forced labour the right to liberty the right to fair trial the right not to be punished for something that wasn’t a crime when you did it the right to respect for private and family life freedom of thought, conscience and religion, and freedom to express your beliefs freedom of expression freedom of assembly and association the right to marry and to start a family the right not to be discriminated against in respect t of these rights and freedoms the right to peaceful enjoyment of your property the right to an education the right to participate in free elections the right not to be subjected to the death penalty. UN Convention on the Rights of the Child 1989 The UK signed this legally binding agreement in 1990. It leads on from the Human Rights Act and sets out the rights of all children to be treated equally and fairly and without discrimination. 1.2 The imprtance of promotiong the rights to participation and equality of access All pupils should be able to fully access all areas of the curriculum. The advent of the Every Child Matters framework and the focus on personalised learning in all sectors of education has also made this high on the agenda. The reasons for this are: Human rights: – all children have a right to learn and play together – children should not be discriminated against for any reason – inclusion is concerned with improving schools for staff as well as pupils Equal opportunities in education: – children and young people do better in inclusive settings, both academically and socially – children and young people should not need to be separated to achieve adequate educational provision – inclusive education is a more efficient use of educational resources Social opportunities: – inclusion in education is one aspect of inclusion in society – children need to be involved and integrated with all of their peers. We always have to be aware of the needs of different pupils, whatever these may be. These may become more apparent as we get to know individual pupils. These who may be vulnerable could include pupils: – pupils with special educational needs – those who speak English as an additional language – who are new to the school – pupils are gifted and talented – whose culture or ethnicity is different from the predominant cultture of the school – who are in foster care – whose parents’ views are not consistent with those of the school. 1.3The importance and benefits of valuing and promoting cultural diversity All schools must be aware of the importance of valuing and promoting cultural diversity. Most schools are actively include a number of strategies to ensure that children from all cultures feel welcome in school. These may be: – words are displayed in a variety of languages in classrooms and in different areas of the school – other languages spoken in different lessons or during registration – themed days, festivals and celebrations from other cultures discussed and explored – representations from other cultures found in books and learning resources, and displayes around the school – parents involved in ‘finding out’ sessions with children. These will have a number of benefits for children and young people – mainly that they will grow up in an environment which values cultural diversity and enables us to learn from one another. If children and young adults are finding out about other cultures and belief systems from an early age, they become more open and accepting towards each other. Children from all backgrounds need to know that the culture and status is valued as this helps them to feel settled and secure. This in turn contributes to the being able to learn. If they feel isolated or anxious, it is more likely that learning will be difficult for them. Outcome 2Pudersant the importance of prejudice and discrimination on children and young people 2.1Ways in which children and young people can experience prejudice and discrimination There are many ways in which children can experience prejudice and discrimination in school. There is a big pressure on children to fit in and to conform with expected appearances and behaviour that they may be discriminated against and bullied that they may be discriminated against and bullied if they do not. In school, all staff needs to be vigilant to ensure that children respect and embrace diversity. Children can experience prejudice and discrimination in the sam way as adults due to race, religion, age, sex, culture or ethnicity. We can focus on: – comments about a child’s appearance or clothes – children not interacting with others who may be ‘different’ – children being excluded because they are boys or girls – children only socialising with otrs of the same race or ethnicity. 2.5How to challange discrimination Whenever we witness discriminatory behaviour and comments, we have to challenge, record and report the incident. Children sometimes say things without understanding the impact on others, also the consequences. It should be made clear to them that their comments are not acceptable and that everyone in school should be treated fairly and with respect. Outcome 3Support inclusion and inclusive practices in work with children and young people 3.1What is meant by inclusion and inclusive practices Pupils are all have an equal right to education and learning. Equal opportunities and inclusion should take account not only of access to provision on school premises, but also to facilities outside the school setting. All organisations that offer educational provision must by law ensure that all pupils have access to a broad and balanced curriculum. The school should ensure that inclusive practices are a matter of coures within day-to-day provision and that any barriers to inclusion are identified and removed.

Friday, August 16, 2019

The Death Penalty Is an Outdated Form of Punishment

The Death Penalty is an Outdated Form of Punishment The protective authority is becoming cleverer to stopping crimes and is still increasing for the past years. With the punishment of the death penalty crimes have not been decreasing. In fact the crime in the United States are 5 times more than Australia and Britain. The death penalty is an outdated form of punishment and should be abolished because it is cruel and unusual. With the death penalty enacted criminals have been killed for their crimes but cost 4 times more than have them as life in prison without parole.Some cases have happened where the â€Å"criminal† has been executed and soon with DNA was declared innocent. Life in prison also guarantees no future crimes, some religions go against the death penalty. Some people state that killing is wrong, and it breaks the international human rights which is the right to life. In society it is not practiced as much, the trail is not a fair manner. Some criminals that are conv icted with murder don’t have good lawyers to protect them from the penalty. The death penalty promotes a normal solution to penalties. http://www. antideathpenalty. org/) The death penalty cost much more than life in prison without parole because in the Constitution it requires a long judicial processes to make sure that the criminal is not being charged with execution when they never committed the crime. Even with the precautions like these they can still execute an innocent person without the right evidence. With the cost of the death penalty if life in prison without parole would take the place of it, the cost would lower millions of dollars less.With those millions we could use to fix communities, hire about 500 more protective authorities to take care of the prisoners, provide medicine to the mentally ill criminals, and could also prevent crimes and save lives. (O’Malley) In California if they didn’t have the death penalty they would save about $1 billion d ollars over 5 years. In California taxpayers pay 90,000 more per death row than a prisoner in life. The ACLU has found there is a hidden death penalty tax in California additional to the one that is already been paid. (www. deathpenalty. rg) With people being convicted with crimes they have not committed in some cases the judge has sentence them to the death row. With the many trails and appeals they have to face they are still shown guilty even though they didn’t commit it. With in the United States since 1973, 140 have been executed and later was proven innocent. In 1981, a man named Earl Charles was convicted for murder, he spent the past three years trying to prove his innocence when he was in line for execution, after he was executed and later he was found innocent.Now they talk about him being the huge error. This shows that the court made a mistake and now could never redo or bring him back to life. That’s why we should replace the death penalty with life in pri son because you can take them out for the crime if declared innocent. (Meehan) â€Å"We simply cannot say we live in a country that offers equal justice to all Americans when racial disparities plague the system by which our society imposes the ultimate punishment. †Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   – Senator Russ Feingold, 2003 (www. deathpenalty. org).This means that in United States the constitution says we will not have any discrimination but there is always discrimination in certain ways that they don’t notice. This complaint that people state is true because they have executed some whites to cover up the discrimination against blacks. Also the most prisoners executed almost 99 percent of them are men. Part of another discrimination is that some victims that they killed their lives are more important than other victims so they sentence the â€Å"more important† victims killers to the death row.Studies have discovered that in crimes that if a black person kills a white are about 40 times more likely to be sentenced to death than if he killed a black. (Meehan) Some cases the death row sentence are applied in wrong ways such that when the criminal is sentence to the death penalty when they committed a less horrendous crime than one who did a much worst crime. An example is two men were charged with killing and one of them was sentence to death and the second man was freed, and stated that he didn’t mean for the other man to take the blame is just came out that way.Later after the man was executed the freed man was given 7 years and 8 months in prison for kill the San Francisco mayor and another city official. This show that the court is unjust because they both committed the same crime but one was killed and another one was given about 8 years in prison for the same crime. (Meehan) In some religions scripts it say that execution is ok to do but now those same religions are opposed to the death penalty in the United States and view it as immoral.Some religions that are opposed to the death penalty are Christian, Buddhist, Catholic, Jewish, and Interfaith. (deathpenalty. org) In the second week of September in 2012 an Ohio inmate was freed because of a Catholic organization who found evidence to set him free. (Keyes) In the Christian Religion some enforce the thought that Cain was the first murderer in the world and was not executed because he had something special, which was populate the earth.A pastor wrote a book and stated that Christ would oppose the killing of a human as a punishment for a crime. He also stated that it breaks against one of the Ten Commandments. This shows a strong command that the death penalty is wrong and should not be used. (Meehan) Internationally many countries have abolished the death penalty just during the 21st century about 30 countries have abolished the death penalty for all crimes, why, because they viewed as the death penalty as going against the international human rights which is the right to life. deathpenalty. org) In South Sudan human rights have backed up the campaign against the death penalty in the country saying that this punishment is â€Å" outrageous and inhumane† that goes against the right to life. The South Sudan society of the South Sudan Human Rights Society for Advocacy (SSHURA) are stating that â€Å"the death penalty should be scrapped off the books of South Sudan† – Executive Director of the SSHURA and that they are in full support of societies that are against it.Currently about 150 countries of the United Nations have abolished the death penalty and are in the processes of helping other countries who haven’t abolished it. (Uma) The death penalty can bring suffering to the victims family, they support other punishments instead of the death penalty for various reasons. The death penalty brings traumatizing long term effects that make the families suffer and reopen the event over again unlike life without paro le it brings punishment to the criminal but it doesn’t affect the family as much and will forget.Some families argue that millions are spent to the death penalty each year that if it is replaced with life without parole the money could be spent to violence preventions and solve unsolved cases. They also state that the death penalty focuses on legal consequences and not on human consequences and focuses on the crime and the accused instead of the feelings of the victims family, the accused families and very importantly the community. Life without parole punishes the criminal instead of putting them out in public or the news.With death penalty still enacted in the United States for victims families there are many organizations that help them become situated with the decision and also help reform the death penalty. Such as Murder Victims’ Families for Human Rights which is an international non-governmental organizations of victims family members of criminal murder, terror ist attacks, state executions, assassinations and disappearances helping to abolish the death penalty with a human rights perspective. (deathpenalty. org) One of the most important things a person convicted of any crime is a lawyer.When a person who has had a mass murder determining that if they should get the death penalty is based on how good and clever is his or her representation. Some criminals can’t afford a lawyer so they are given one but those attorneys ether don’t have experience, are under paid, or sometimes overworked which can bring them to losing their lives because of the attorney. Some appointed attorneys come to court without any evidence to get them out or don’t pay attention and lose the case. (deathpenalty. org) People for the death penalty have stated that with the death penalty crimes have been decreasing.The crime has been decreasing because our protective authority are coming up with more technology to stop crimes but not because of the d eath penalty crimes have decreased. It is proven that the United States crime is 6 times more than England and 5 times more than Australia. Some states have larger crime rates than others. In the year 2003 state murder increased and went higher than the national murder rate. (antideathpenalty. org) The murder wouldn’t think that committing the murder they would get caught and if they do they would think about the consequences they would get if they do. Sarokin) There have been various debates on the controversial topic of the death penalty. Such as execution cost more than life in prison, innocent people may be wrongly executed and can not reverse what has been done, crimes have not decreased since the death penalty was legal, life in prison also guarantees no future crimes, it goes against many religions, killing is wrong, some convicted can’t afford an attorney so they are appointed the worst ones, it violated the international human rights laws known as the right to life, and race comes into play while they are tired.

Thursday, August 15, 2019

Effects of Facebook Essay

Social networking sites, most notably Facebook have become so popular today that they are the leading words on the lips of every teenager. Facebook has more than 750 million users today. You love to spend most of your time checking your Facebook updates, but do you know that there are many negative effects of using Facebook. Effects of Facebook on Teenagers Most of the teenagers don’t realize then negative impact of Facebook on their life. And, the main reason is because they are already addicted to it. And, this addiction can lead to several negative developments. You will find 7 negative effects of this social networking site that should encourage you to start avoiding it. The first negative effect of Facebook is that a teenage user starts losing interest in his or her surroundings. You would be addicted to Facebook and the only thing you would be concerned about will be your â€Å"own† world, which is inside Facebook. The second negative effect is that your real-world social interaction will start diminishing. There is no doubt that you are going to have hundreds of friends on Facebook, but with how many of them would you be interacting out in the real world. As a human being, you are a social creature and you naturally require real-world social interaction. When you are going to spend maximum of your time on the Internet, you are going to decrease your communication and social skills. Another negative impact will be on your health. There is a very high chance that excessive use of Facebook leads to the users becoming obese. You would be sitting most of the time in front of the computer, eating snacks and without any physical activities. And, over a period of time you are going to accumulate all the extra pounds. Facebook is also going to minimize your study time. Rather than spending your time on Facebook, you would better start browsing some educational sites that relate to your school course. For Facebook users, family doesn’t come first, but Facebook does. For them their online friends are more important than their family members. The sixth negative effect of Facebook is that your personal data becomes public on this social site, threatening your privacy. This is not reasonable, unless you want to be contacted by hundreds of people that don’t know you. The seventh negative effect of Facebook is that it increases the chances of online conflict. Facebook is populated with immature individuals who create bizarre statuses, upload awkward images and carry out absurd actions. And, this can lead to conflicts between people. Given these negative effects of Facebook it is up to you to decide the degree to which you want this social networking site to enter into your life. Getting addicted to Facebook is certainly going to increase problems in your life, but if you can restrict or avoid the use of this non-productive aspect of your life, you are going to stay away from troubles. Hence, it is up to you to decide how you want to use Facebook.

Wednesday, August 14, 2019

Job Evaluation a Cornerstone to Hrm Practices

| | | | |edith cowan university faculty of business and law | | | | | | | |mba 5712- hr | | | | | | | | | |assignment 1 | |JOB ANALYSIS A ‘CORNERSTONE’ OF | |ALL HRM PRACTICES AND ACTIVITIES | | | | | | | |MUTEMA CHELLA 10157835 | | | | | LECUTRER: MR. D. PHIRI Submission Date: 13th April 2010 | | TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION3 RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION3 SELECTION4 TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT4 PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT5 REMUNERATION MANAGEMENT6 PROMOTION OF WORKPLACE SAFTY AND HEALTH6 CONCLUSION7 REFERENCES8 INTRODUCTION To discuss why job analysis is sometimes said to be the ‘cornerstone’ of all the human resource management practices and activities, six Human Resource functions or practices are listed and then showing how job analysis data is utilised in each of these activities. Job analysis is aptly called so because success or failure of the human resource function in an organisation can directly be attributed to the consequences of job analysis (Siddharth, 2009 October). Siddharth (2009) further contends that Job analysis encompasses understanding and closely evaluating the knowledge, skills and attitudes required by an individual in performing a particular role. It’s like performing a Personal Profile Analysis of an invisible person. Once performed, job analysis would throw open a plethora of answers to how Recruitment, Performance Management, Training, Compensation benchmarking and several other processes should follow for the incumbent on the said job. Job analysis refers to procedures for systematically understanding the work that gets done in an organisation and the basic goal is to understand what people do, how they do it and what skills they need to do the work well (Jackson & Schuler, 2003). According to Jackson & Schuler, the results of the job analysis are used to write job descriptions. A job description spells out essential job functions, describes the conditions in which the job is performed and states special training or certification requirements for the job. For employees, job description produced through job analysis serves as a guide to work behaviour while for supervisors and managers; a job description serves as a guide to performance evaluation and feedback. This essay therefore focuses on trying to show that job analysis provides the foundation upon which to build virtually all components of HR system identified as follows;. RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION Recruitment involves searching for and obtaining qualified applicants for the organization to consider when filling job openings (Jackson & Schuler, 2003). In the function of recruitment the job analysis would determine recruitment sources and methods. To find the most suitable employees for jobs and thus for the organisation as a whole, those involved in employee recruitment need to be fully aware of the relevant job description and person specification which can only be derived from comprehensive job analysis (Baired etal, 2008). Effective programs for recruitment should attract suitably qualified applicants and discourage those who are unsuitable. One would therefore say that knowing a defined set of competencies allows one to more efficiently target, within a candidates population those competencies for recruitment. SELECTION Selection is the process of obtaining and using information about job applicants in order to determine who should be hired for long or short-term position. Jackson & Schuler (2003) contend that it begins with an assessment of the requirements to be met by the new hire, including technical aspects of a job and the more difficult to quantify organizational need (Jackson & Schuler, 2003). Applicants are then assessed to determine their competencies, preference, interests and personality. For productivity and retention, companies such as Southwest, Lincoln Electric, Honda GE, and Toyota hire on the basis of whether an individual matches the job requirements and the corporate culture (Jackson & Schuler, 2003) To do a proper selection of the candidate to be employed it is vital to establish the essential features of the job descriptions and person specifications to allow for objective and easier assessment of applicants (Baired etal, 2008). Selection criteria must be demonstrably job relevant and equitably applied, to facilitate comparison between candidates and the matching of candidates with jobs. They are invaluable in the initial short listing of large numbers of applicants, employment testing, interviewing and subsequent referee checking (Baired etal, 2008) Done very well selection practice ensures that employees are capable of high productivity and motivated to stay with the organization for as long as the organization wants to employ them. TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT In general, an organisation’s training and development practices are its intentional efforts to improve current and future performance by helping employees acquire the skills, knowledge, and attitude required of competitive work force (Jackson & Schuler, 2003). Rapidly changing technology, foreign competition, and changes in organisational strategy and strategic business objectives are putting pressure on organizations to train and develop employees for competitive advantage. This requires careful attention to needs assessment, program development and implementation, and evaluation. Four types of types of needs analysis-organisational, job, person, and demographic-are designed to diagnose systematically the short and long term human resource needs of an organisation (Jackson & Schuler, 2003). Any discrepancies between the experience, knowledge, skills and abilities demonstrated by a job holder and the requirement contained in the job description and specification or list of competencies for that job provide clues to development needs (Baired etal, 2008). Training & development is merely the development and assessment of said competencies for both the employee and the employer. However, without job analysis the organisation would have no way to know what to teach; train and develop and when to do it. PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT A performance management system is a formal, structured process used to measure, evaluate, and influence an employee’s job related attributes, behaviours, performance results (Arvey & Murphy, 1998). Two components of performance management system are (a) performance measurement and feedback for individuals and team, and (b) the rewards component of total compensation (Jackson & Schuler, 2003). A well designed performance measurement and feedback process directs employees’ attention toward the most important tasks and behaviours. It informs employees about what’s valued and provides information about whether the employees’ behaviour and results meet the expectations of managers, colleagues, and customers (Jackson & Schuler, 2003) To emphasise the importance of performance management, it is said that; ‘It is estimated that if companies could get 3. 7% more work out of each employee, the equivalent of 18 more minutes of work in each 8-hour shift, the gross domestic product in the United States would swell by $355 billion, twice the GDP of Greece (Jackson & Schuler, 2003). The job description and person specification, the result of the job analysis, provide the criteria for evaluating the performance of the holder of the job. Performance Management can therefore be said to be that by knowing the competencies required for each job or job family allows HR (or management) to track employee knowledge, skills and abilities and distribute them accordingly to wherever they may have the most impact within an organization. These competencies may also be tied to other organizational-level criteria for added impact and a validity check. As has been mentioned this is as a result of job analysis REMUNERATION MANAGEMENT Compensation or remuneration typically includes a mix of several elements, monetary and non monetary forms of rewards. Monetary compensation includes direct payments such as salary, wages, and bonuses, and indirect payments such payments to cover the cost of private and public insurance plans. Nonmonetary compensation include many forms of social and psychological rewards-recognition and respect from others, enjoyment from doing the job itself, opportunity for self-development (Jackson & Schuler, 2003). Many workplace agreements emphasise the close relationship between job requirements, learning and development programs, career progression and appropriate salary and benefits systems. Baired etal, (2008) further contends that inappropriate remuneration packages may reflect a need for change of job requirements or adjusted pay scales, often in consultation with the relevant unions. It can be said that competencies help guide compensation models to a much more precise degree than more gross measures like â€Å"seniority. For example, a highly sought after software developer with very unique skills may be able to demand on the market a much higher salary than a typical MCSE who has been with the company for X number of years. A competency based compensation model would addres s that. Again, a job analysis done properly will help determine pay scale. PROMOTION OF WORKPLACE SAFTY AND HEALTH Another of the Human Resource function is the promotion of safety and health at the workplace. Job analysis procedures can be used to identify aspects of a job that may contribute to workplace injuries, and ergonomic principals can be applied to redesign the work environment (Jackson & Schuler, 2003). Workplace safety and health refers to the physical and psychological conditions of a workforce that result from work environment provided by the organisation. Physical conditions include occupational diseases and accidents such as actual loss of life or limb; repetitive motion injuries, back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, cardiovascular disease, other forms of cancer and other conditions that are known to result from unhealthy work environment include white central nervous system damage. While psychological conditions result from organisational stress and a low quality of working life, these encompass, dissatisfaction, apathy, and withdrawal and so on (Jackson & Schuler, 2003). If an organisation takes effective safety and health measures, fewer employees will have short or long term ill effects as a result of being employed at the organization (Cooper & Neck, 2000). Both the Health and Safety at Work Act (1974) and the Disability Discrimination Act (1995) of the UK require evidence-based approaches to setting physical and medical employment standards. Proven fitness related strategies include redesigning the most demanding tasks, selecting and training personnel who possess the necessary physical attributes, and assessing and redeploying personnel to jobs within their capability. An essential precursor to pursuing these strategies is to conduct a job analysis to quantify the physical demands of the job (Rayson, 2000) . ). CONCLUSION Job Analysis is quite aptly called the â€Å"corner stone† of all HR activities because the success or failure of the HR function in an organization can directly be attributed to the consequences of Job Analysis. If not carried out or not conducted accurately and comprehensively the other HR processes will be ineffective and the cost to the organisation high in terms of productivity and the ability to retain valuable staff Job analysis encompasses understanding and closely evaluating the knowledge, skills and attitudes required by an individual in performing a particular role. It’s like performing a Personal Profile Analysis of an invisible person. Once performed, job analysis would throw open a plethora of answers to how Recruitment, Performance Management, Training, Compensation benchmarking and several other processes should follow for the incumbent on the said job. Get the job analysis wrong and you'll get the wrong person while recruiting, inefficient and sometimes irrelevant performance management measures, increased training expenditure, improper pay with respect to the market and a whole lot of other issues. . REFERENCES Arvey, R. D, Murphy K. R (1998) Performance Evaluation in Work Settings, Annual Review Psychology 49, 141-168 Baird, M. , Compton, R & Nankervis, A. (2008) Human Resource Management: Strategies (6th ed. ). Cincinnati: South-Western Publishing Co. Cooper, K, Neck C. (May 2000) The Fit Executive; Exercise and Diet Guideline for Enhancing Performance, Academy of Management Executive 14(2), 72-83 Jackson E. S & Schuler, R (2003) Managing Human Resources Through Strategic Partnerships (8th ed. ). Thomson South-Western Publishing Co Rayson, M. P. (2000) Fitness for work: the need for conducting a job analysis, Occup. Med. Vol. 50, No. 6, pp. 434-436, 2000. Retrieved April 12, 2010, from http://occmed. oxfordjournals. org