Deforestation in the Amazon Rain Forest Research Paper

Deforestation in the Amazon Rain Forest - Research Paper Example The majority of the rainforest, just over 60 percent, is within Brazil, and the rest of the rainforest falls within the territory of countries such as Peru, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia and others (Senna, Costa, & Pires, p. 14). Rainforests once covered over 14 percent of the earth’s surface; however, the same percentage has now decreased to almost 6 percent and the most significant chunk of this deforestation has taken place in the biggest rain forest of Amazon. The deforestation of Amazon Rainforest is perhaps, the most significant concern for green movements, environmental activists, experts, governments, NGOs and various other stakeholders. Human activity and demand in the region has already destroyed a significant portion of rainforest and caused immeasurable damage to the animal species, ecosystem, and the current and future human generations (Rice, p. 25). This paper is an attempt to explore the dynamics of deforestation in the Amazon Rainforest and most import antly, its impact on the soil with respect to soil degradation, soil erosion, and soil leaching. Discussion Prior to the second half of the 20th century, the access to the interior of the rainforest was highly restricted and in the absence of roads, railways and others forms of communication, it was almost irrational to conduct mass deforestation of the Amazon for any purposes (Marshall & Watson, p. 327). The costs of transportation were so high that people did not see deforestation as a profitable venture. However, during the 1960s, many farmers initiated deforestation with the slash and burn method for agricultural purposes. With the creation of roads and railways for transportation and the increasing demand for natural resources, deforestation of the Amazon began at massive rates. The rise on population and the aspirations to become a modern economy further increased the demand for wood and wood products and thus, year after year, rates of deforestation kept increasing. For many years, deforestation within Brazil did not catch the attention of the policymakers of the country as a significant environmental issue because they had evidence to believe that there is a strong link between deforestation and economic growth within the country (Senna, Costa & Pires, p. 14). During the period of 1988-1991, the figures revealed a strong correlation between the slowing down of the economic growth and the decline in the deforestation of the Amazon forest. This correlation was validated by the figures of the period of 1993-1998, when the boom in the economic growth appeared to parallel the increase in deforestation activity of Amazon. Many experts even started claiming this link is not merely a correlation but causation. More importantly, it is a unidirectional causation where deforestation activity within Brazil is causing economic growth and; therefore, it was indispensable (Gabler, Petersen, & Trapasso, p. 89). However, by the mid 2000s, it became apparent to the poli cymakers and the public that the link between deforestation and economic growth is not a significant one. Since then, there has been a significant decline in the deforestation of Amazon. In fact, the rate of deforestation of Amazon in the year 2011 was the lowest during the past couple of decades. Experts believe that many factors have caused this decline. First, during

Human Heart Essay Example for Free

Human Heart Essay The human heart is by far one of the most vital organs of the body. It has a mass that ranges from 250 grams to 350 grams. Its contraction and expansion results in 2000 gallons of blood being pumped through the body’s blood vessels per day. It’s located in the middle of the chest protected by the ribcage. Its building blocks are a unique type of muscle known as the myocardium, and it’s enclosed by a double-walled membranous sac known as the pericardium. The double-walled membrane houses the pericardial fluid which cushions the heart preventing shock and nourishing it. It’s divided into four chambers and has a large network of arteries and veins. The chambers are known as the atrium and ventricles. A special kind of muscle called the septum divides the right cavity and the left cavity. Normally the expulsion of blood from one cavity would result in a subsequent amount of blood flowing into the adjacent cavity. The left ventricle is the strongest and largest chamber since its tasked with pumping blood to all parts of the body through the aorta. The right cavity of the heart which is composed of the right atria and right ventricle receives deoxygenated blood from all parts of the body and pumps this blood to the lungs for oxygenation (pulmonary circulation). The left cavity composed of the left atria and left ventricle receives the oxygenated blood from the lungs and pumps this blood to all body parts through the aorta (systemic circulation). The heart has four valves that regulate the flow of blood through its chambers. Blood flow from the right atrium to the right ventricle is regulated by the tricuspid valve. The pulmonary valve regulates blood flowing into the pulmonary artery from the right ventricle. Oxygenated blood from the lungs passes through the mitral valve situated between the left atrium and left ventricle. The aortic valve regulates oxygenated blood flow from the left ventricle to the aorta for delivery to the body. One of the greatest threats to the hearts proper functioning and subsequently to a person’s survival is a heart attack. A heart attack occurs when the heart is not able to pump blood effectively due to arteries clogging. Deposition of fatty cells in arteries will lead to their constriction inhibiting the flow of blood leading to a heart attack which is fatal in most cases.

George MacDonalds The Princess and the Goblin :: MacDonald Princess Goblin Essays

George MacDonald's The Princess and the Goblin In his novel The Princess and the Goblin, George MacDonald has cleverly crafted an underground society populated by a distorted and "ludicrously grotesque" race. Within the body of his tale, he reveals that these people are descended from humans, and did in fact, once upon a time, live upon the surface themselves. Only eons of living separated from fresh air and sunlight have caused them to evolve into the misshapen creatures we meet in this story (MacDonald, 2-4). MacDonald calls the beings goblins, and while they certainly may fit that definition from a 19th century point of view, they are far more akin to the dwarves that we have come to know from classic stories like Tolkien's Lord of the Rings and popular games like "Dungeons & Dragons," as well as countless movies, cartoons and video games. Still, it is clear that MacDonald had a considerable knowledge of folklore and mythology and that he drew upon that background to help evoke and manifest a convincing culture of underground dwellers, or little folk. There seems to be little agreement, at least in a modern world of mass communication, of what exactly a goblin is. The origin of the word appears to come from the medieval French town of Evreux, which claims to have been haunted by a demon named Gobelinus (who may or may not have been, at one point, an actual living person). From there the term evolved to refer to any small spirit or creature who (unlike modern interpretations of the word) may be either good or bad, but is almost certainly mischievous (Wiseley). Dwarves, on the other hand, are also small creatures, but the popular connotation is one of a generally amiable and hard-working being who lives underground building mines. MacDonald's creations fall somewhere in between these descriptions, but they probably lay closer to the latter. Scandinavia and Germany are the primary homes to the legends that inspired both MacDonald and many other writers both before and since. The Scandinavians spoke of the land that the dwarves hailed from, calling it Svartalfheim. This land of "dark elves" was described as a dark, cold realm of caverns, sounding convincingly like the twisting, black underground tunnels which Curdie is forced to blindly explore. An alternative to this hidden land was Nifleheim, a land of the dead that could also easily pass for MacDonald's subterranean labyrinth (Mott).

Envision: Persuasive Writing in a Visual World :: Book Writing Education Papers

Envision: Persuasive Writing in a Visual World Envision: Persuasive Writing in a Visual World, is most certainly a book that more than lives up to its title. Envision is basically a book that covers both persuasive writing strategies, as well as the use of visual rhetoric. Other topics covered by the Envision book include developing research questions and ideas, finding research sources, working in collaborative groups, and other writing topics. It is a how to manual... how to become a more developed and more disciplined writer. Envision teaches topics and ideas that probably were not covered in your typical high school English writing class. All in all, the techniques featured in Envision seem to require a great deal of focus and planning. That's rarely how I write. I prefer to write in a much less structured way. I honestly do not know if I will use the concepts in Envision when it comes to the future. If I ever take a writing class again, then I most definitely will brush up on Envision. However, if I never take another writing class, then Envision may end up shuffled away on my bookshelf. One of our assignments for our college English 015 class was to complete a semi-weekly log of our thought and feelings on specific chapters pertaining to Envision. That was a certainly a challenge at times. Envision is a solid book in its own right. However, it is sometimes difficult to have personal thoughts and feelings towards such a technical writing, and Envision is a technical manual. However, I certainly tried my best in submitting well thought out reading logs, every week that they were due in class. Fortunately, my professor gave the entire class some creative control in what we could write about in our weekly Envision reading logs. Our thoughts could be no-holds-barred. As a result, some spelling errors and crude language were featured in many of my logs. I do not intend to offend any readers out there, so I offer a fair warning. But if you seek to delve into my mind, then you do so on my terms, and my mind is often not a pretty place to be. While my logs aren't exactly prim and proper, it cannot be argued that I held back any honest feelings towards my assignments. Many of the subjects that I read about in this book were later applied towards my English projects, which can also be viewed on this website.

Ece 6604 Final Exam

Georgia Institute of Technology School of Electrical and Computer Engineering ECE6604 Personal & Mobile Communications Final Exam Spring 2010 Tuesday May 6, 11:30am – 2:20pm †¢ Attempt all questions. †¢ All questions are of equal value. †¢ Open book, open notes, exam. 1a) 5 marks: The LCR at the normalized threshold ? for a 2-D isotropic scattering channel can be expressed as v 2 LR = 2? fm ? e , where ?= ? and Rrms = R ?p = R Rrms E[? 2 ] is the rms envelope level. i) Find the normalized threshold level ? o at which the LCR reaches its maximum value. i) Explain why the LCR at ? decreases as ? deviates from ? o . 1b) 5 marks: Consider a cellular system with a carrier frequency of 2 GHz. Suppose that the user is in a vehicle travelling at 60 km/h. Assuming that the channel is characterized by 2D isotropic scattering, ? nd i) the LCR at the normalized level ? = ? 3 dB. ii) the AFD at the normalized level ? = ? 3 dB. 2) The power delay pro? le for a WSSUS channel i s given by ? gg (? ) = 0. 5[1 + cos(2 /T )] , 0, 0 ? ? ? T /2 otherwise a) 3 marks: Find the channel frequency correlation function. ) 4 marks: Calculate the mean delay and rms delay spread. c) 3 marks: If T = 0. 1 ms, determine whether the channel exhibits frequencyselective fading to the GSM system. 3) Cellular CDMA systems use soft hando? , where the transmissions to/from multiple base stations are combined to give a macro-diversity. Here we consider the e? ects of path loss and shadowing and ignore multipathfading. Suppose that the received signal power corresponding to the link with the ith base-station, ? pi , has the probability density function p? pi (x) = v dBm) (x ? pi (dBm) ) 1 exp ? 2 2 2 2 . where pi (dBm) = E[? pi (dBm) ] The ? pi are assumed to be statistically independent. a) 5 marks: The reverse link uses selection combining such that the best basestation is always selected. In this case, ? s p (dBm) An outage occurs if ? s p = max ? p1 (dBm) ? ? th (dBm) , . . . , ? pL (dBm) (dBm) . What is the probability of outage? b) 5 marks: The forward link uses coherent combining such that ? mr(dBm) = ? p1 p (dBm) + . . . + ? pL (dBm) Again, an outage occurs if ? mr(dBm) ? ?th (dBm) .What is the probability of p outage if p1 (dBm) = p2 (dBm) =  ·  ·  · = pL (dBm) ? 4) Consider the reception of a signal in the presence of a single co-channel interferer and neglect the e? ect of AWGN. The received signal power, C , and interference power, I , due to Rayleigh fading have the exponential distributions 1 ? x/C ? ?e C 1 ? pI (y ) = ? e? x/I I pC (x) = ? ? where C and I are the average received signal power and interference power, respectively. a) 5 marks: Assuming that C and I are independent random variables, ? d the probability density function for the carrier-to-interference ratio ? = C . I Hint: If X and Y are independent random variables, then the probability density function of U = X/Y is pU (u) = pXY (v, v/u)|v/u2 |dv . b) 5 marks: Now suppo se that the system uses 2-branch selection diversity. The branches are independent and balanced (i. e. , the distribution pU (u) is the same for each branch. What is the probability density function of ? at the output of the selective combiner? 5) Suppose that a system uses selection diversity.The branches experience independent Rayleigh fading. However, the average received bit energy-to-noise ratio on each diversity branch is di? erent, such that ?i = 2? i ? o ? i = 1, . . . , L a) 5 marks: Find the probability density function of the bit energy-to-noise ratio at s the output of the selective combiner, denoted by ? b . b) 5 marks: If DPSK modulation is used, write down an expression for the probability of bit error. Obtain a closed-form expression if possible; otherwise leave your expression in integral form.

Innovation Vs. Performance essays

Innovation Vs. Performance essays Advertisement is the most important method that companies use to sell their different products. Nowadays advertisement is something that we see in everyday life, when we are at the mall, when we use the internet, when we watch T.V, when we check out a magazine, while walking on the streets we can see companies using different strategies to make people desire or buy their products. Comparing two advertisements, a SATURN advertisement and a VOLVO Advertisement, we can see the difference on their strategies. The Saturn ad is focusing on the cars new design. On the other hand, the Volvo ad is focusing on the cars performance. Also, these 2 advertisements use tricks to grab peoples attention like their messages to the audience, the setting of each advertisement and the comfort. First, something that is really important in advertisement is the message that advertisers send to the audience. Advertisement tries to convince people to buy their products by sending a really good message that can get easily into your head. For example, the Saturn advertisement states Its an innovation, A salute to discovery, That said, its a door, meaning that this is a car that we have never seen before. The car for the future is here now, like saying that this is a unique car because its a three door coupe and if you want to be unique and different to everybody else you should buy the new Saturn. The Volvo advertisement states why four doors in a performance car? Pleasure was always meant to be shared a 247 Horsepower turbo charged engine can get four hearts racing as easily as one the idea that we can get from these words is that it is a car with a powerful engine and a fashionable look, is like saying if you want to drive an elegant and fast car and you want to share this ple asure, this adrenaline with your friends yo ...

Natural Resources essays

Natural Resources essays Yes, the planet will survive, just as it has for millions of years. And the debate over how to save it will also go on. But one thing is certain-we are destroying our natural resources faster than they can be replaced. It does not take a rocket scientist to figure out that this is a dangerous equation, an equation for disaster. The global population is increasing, and along with it the need for more food sources, cleaner water, and cheaper energy. To a poor man from a third world country who is simply trying to feed his family, the terms conservation or ecology do not mean much. He does not understand, much less care, that the yuppie upper-east-side Manhattanite who has laid out his coke lines in perfect little rows on his table made from mahogany that was harvested in razed rain forests somewhere in Malysia is contributing to the problem, by encouraging industry to pay the poor farmer a few dollars a day for years of irreversible damage to the forest. The poor farmer does not know that the forest floor he burned to plant crops to grow grain to feed cattle that are sold to packing companies to make the hamburger you or I bought yesterday at the fast-food restaurant is never going to be the same again, and is totally unsuitable for farming anyway. The time has come, and I agree with the article, to stop thinking about how to solve the problem on a global level and start thinking in terms of solving the problem at the local level, by encouraging the people who live in the affected areas to develop their own solutions, using the resources they have available to them. This is both more economical and feasible. Another idea might be to "rent" the rainforest, paying the countries involved in its destruction subsidies, much like a giant utility, thus discouraging the razing. I want my children's children, and their children, to see the world as I have seen it, before all the animals are gone and there is no clean water left, and ...

How To Streak a Bacterial Culture

How To Streak a Bacterial Culture Bacterial culture streaking allows bacteria to reproduce on a culture medium in a controlled environment. The process involves spreading bacteria across an agar plate and allowing them to incubate at a certain temperature for a period of time. Bacterial streaking can be used to identify and isolate pure bacterial colonies from a mixed population. Microbiologists use bacterial and other microbial culture streaking methods to identify microorganisms and to diagnose infection. What You Need: Culture plate with microorganismsInoculating loop or sterile toothpicksAgar platesBunsen burner or another flame producing instrumentGlovesTape Heres How: While wearing gloves, sterilize an inoculating loop by placing it at an angle over a flame. The loop should turn orange before you remove it from the flame. A sterile toothpick may be substituted for the inoculating loop. Do not place toothpicks over a flame.Remove the lid from a culture plate containing the desired microorganism.Cool the inoculating loop by stabbing it into the agar in a spot that does not contain a bacterial colony.Pick a colony and scrape off a little of the bacteria using the loop. Be sure to close the lid.Using a new agar plate, lift the lid just enough to insert the loop.Streak the loop containing the bacteria at the top end of the agar plate moving in a zig-zag horizontal pattern until 1/3 of the plate is covered.Sterilize the loop again in the flame and cool it at the edge of the agar away from the bacteria in the plate that you just streaked.Rotate the plate about 60 degrees and spread the bacteria from the end of the first streak into a second area using th e same motion in step 6. Sterilize the loop again using the procedure in step 7.Rotate the plate about 60 degrees and spread the bacteria from the end of the second streak into a new area in the same pattern.Sterilize the loop again.Replace the lid and secure with tape. Invert the plate and incubate overnight at 37 degrees Celsius (98.6 degrees Fahrenheit).You should see bacterial cells growing along the streaks and in isolated areas. Tips: When sterilizing the inoculating loop, make sure that the entire loop turns orange before using on the agar plates.When streaking the agar with the loop, be sure to keep the loop horizontal and only streak the surface of the agar.If using sterile toothpicks, use a new toothpick when performing each new streak. Throw all used toothpicks away. Safety: When growing bacterial colonies, you will be dealing with millions of bacteria. It is important that you follow all lab safety rules. Precautions should be taken to ensure that you dont inhale, ingest, or allow these germs to touch your skin. Bacterial plates should be kept closed and secured with tape while incubating. Any unwanted bacterial plates should be disposed of properly by placing them in an autoclave to kill the bacteria before discarding them. Household bleach may also be poured over the bacterial colonies to destroy them.

Police accountability and police misconduct affect law enforcement Essay

Police accountability and police misconduct affect law enforcement - Essay Example They use their mind, experience and training to make important decisions while still have to uphold a high level of proper conduct. A misjudgment on their case may result to public outcry and the blame falls on the police. Still a good decision made according to a police officer may not be deemed the same by other parties due to, for instance, the occurrence of collateral damage. Police officer base their decision on unusual observation or distrusting look on a person. Other times when they are in direct contact with danger. Another reason may be the inappropriate time and place for a person, group to be or activity to occur. The decision itself brings unpleasant consequences such as blame to the officer and deeming the officer as incompetent. Sometimes an officer may be sued by an aggrieved party and eventually lose his job as a law enforcer (Brooks 15). The police department will be as well affected by the negative attention and will be seen by the public as not worth trusting. The decision to stop it may be based on the vehicle appearance, such as a broken headlight, or peculiar observation of the driving pattern, such as speeding. The officer will ask for the required documents for driving, state the reason for stopping and after that will decide whether to let the driver continue on his journey or to arrest the driver if fault has been found. If he arrests the vehicle owner without any clear reason, the officer will be at fault and may be charged. If the vehicle owner is at fault and resists arrest, the officer may have to use force. The police officer may use excessive force and injure the vehicle owner, or may draw out his weapon and shoot the driver. The decision he will take at that time shall have consequences, and the officer shall be held accountable. The law enforcer may have used it in self-defense, but it shall be duly investigated and held liable for his actions if found on the

Miller Lites white label and increased sales Essay

Miller Lites white label and increased sales - Essay Example I support the company’s decision to change its packaging because it helped to boost sales. When the company decided to change to its original white packaging, it never expected that the brand will witness increased sales in the US. The decision to change the packaging has helped to boost the sales of the products. It, therefore, implies that the new packaging was the much-required effort that could help the brand. Miller Lite’s white cans enabled it to stand out from the rest of products on the shelves hence customers went for the brand. It may be dangerous to change the packaging to a completely different color since customers may not identify it hence reduced sales. Redesigning a product packaging can be disastrous as the case of Tropicana in 2009 where its restructuring resulted in a drop in sales of 20% and loss of millions of dollars (MacDonald 6). The decision by the company to rebrand Miller Lite can be placed under the product line extension. Line Extensions happens when a company decides to introduce additional items in the same brand name such as packaging (Chandrasekar 12). The company’s decision to change packaging only affected Miller Lite’s brand and may not affect other products produced by the company. The company did not also change the taste or color of the drink but only change the outer look. The new packaging helped to boost the sales of the brand although the company did not anticipate the increased sales. Line extension aims at helping a brand to register increased sales.

Answer question Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 9

Answer question - Essay Example Samsara is a complex state of the mind where a recreation occurs in the material world. In Buddhism, the process entails three crucial states of beginning, death and the recreation of an individual. An individual experience process when the mind wonders in a systematic ritual. Buddhism describes Samsara as the desires to recreate existence within the mind while opening and closing the eyes within different intervals (Wangu, 2009). The existence provides other interaction platforms of individuals within the recreational process. Samsara entails the Karma as a recycled process of birth. Buddha offered guidance on how to stop the process through individual determination and decision. The process of Samsara and Nirvana entail complex mental states that transform the individual mind. The belief on both the processes lacks the concept of reality but entail a defined existence. In Buddhism, both processes occur because of individual decision to existence and self-acceptability. The mind is the distinguishing element to define and relate the two

Assignment 10(775) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Assignment 10(775) - Essay Example finds him/herself in a position to access the available opportunity in gaining additional into the research process and other topics that are under investigation. This action can lead to education empowerment between different individuals, especially encouraging and giving heart to those who didn’t have a heart in taking this action. Whenever a practitioner undertakes this, he/she will help others who might fear to do the same, they will come in, creating a pool of ideas, empowering their profession in the long run. It has also led to the emergence of the Action Research Community (ARC), where those with teaching jobs come together and share some of their ideas. In ARC, the education professionals present come up with ideas on how to improve some of the aspects of the educational process such as classroom instructional practice. The process of academician presenting their action research has empowered educator at all levels, especially those who take part and make proceedings on the same. They get their selves in a position to make decisions as a result developing skills and capabilities, and gain concentration towards developing their professional needs. This is because they learn a lot of knowledge and therefore effectively increase in their practice, by affecting them positively hence focusing on their professional needs. There are a number of alternative techniques, not discussed in the chapter that I can use for sharing the findings of my research. Nearly all this techniques are simply the adaptations of the other forms of professional communications, which have made use of the technology. I use of YOU-TUBE as a social site, where I will update all my new and current action research and my findings and other professionals in the same field can see. I will also come up with a website and create some links where all the other practitioners in the same line of profession, globally, can meet and share the newly identified ideas. Others will include

Is the current law on murder still acceptable Assignment

Is the current law on murder still acceptable - Assignment Example It is more than any rule that is practiced or any law but it’s a complete process of legal frame work. England inherited the law of Wales, therefore when talking about the English Legal System we refer to Wales’s as well. The English Legal system is based on the common law where the judges can carry on the law themselves and the decisions from the previous cases and be made as a part of law. (Gillespie, 2007) The legal system of England and Wales is based on the common law legal system used I Republic of England and in most common wealth countries. United Kingdom is the member of the European Union, England and Wales are constituent countries of the UK. The essence of common law is that it is the judges sitting in courts applying the Law of England. 1.1 CRIMINAL LIABILITY OF A DEFENDENT ACCUSED OF MURDER As explained by Catherine Elliot and Frances Quin in the first chapter (Elliot & Quin, 2012) there are various elements necessary to prove the criminal liability of a m urder. A criminal offence is only possible when both â€Å"Actus reus† and â€Å"Mens rea† are conducted at a time. ... As stated in the English law that a person is innocent until proven guilty. ACTUS REAUS + MENS REA = CRIMINAL OFFENCE (the above diagram shows the elements of criminal offence) In the case of Woolmington v DPP (1935) the defendant had taken a gun to threat his wife (the victim of the case), that he would commit suicide if she didn’t return to him, accidently the gun went off and he was convicted of murder. Hence, it is concluded from this case that although he did it by accident but the murderer had done a criminal offence, with a guilty mind. (Roe D, 2005) 1.2 ACTUS REUS To begin with the study of any case, firstly it is necessary to prove the criminal offence. As talked about it earlier a criminal offence is a compound of both intention and action to commit the crime. Actus reus is the first element of a criminal offence. Briefly and in simple words it means intent, the intention to commit offence. The term is a Latin word meaning ‘the guilty act’. The literal m eaning explains that it is important that a physical action or movement takes place. In the case of R  v Cunningham  (1982), the victim was attacked by the defendant wrongly assuming that victim has sexual relation with his fiance. The defendant repeatedly hit the victim in his head, causing fracture and severe injuries resulting in death in a week. Although the defendant claimed that law of murder should be held to those who intent to do kill but unfortunately the decision was given against the defendant. 1.2.1 IMPORTANCE The concept of Actus reus has been derived from English common law. The principal of this concept is the application of both the elements of criminal offence to call it a criminal act. Any act that is carried on with the intention to harm anyone becomes a criminal act. In the

Assignment 10(775) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Assignment 10(775) - Essay Example finds him/herself in a position to access the available opportunity in gaining additional into the research process and other topics that are under investigation. This action can lead to education empowerment between different individuals, especially encouraging and giving heart to those who didn’t have a heart in taking this action. Whenever a practitioner undertakes this, he/she will help others who might fear to do the same, they will come in, creating a pool of ideas, empowering their profession in the long run. It has also led to the emergence of the Action Research Community (ARC), where those with teaching jobs come together and share some of their ideas. In ARC, the education professionals present come up with ideas on how to improve some of the aspects of the educational process such as classroom instructional practice. The process of academician presenting their action research has empowered educator at all levels, especially those who take part and make proceedings on the same. They get their selves in a position to make decisions as a result developing skills and capabilities, and gain concentration towards developing their professional needs. This is because they learn a lot of knowledge and therefore effectively increase in their practice, by affecting them positively hence focusing on their professional needs. There are a number of alternative techniques, not discussed in the chapter that I can use for sharing the findings of my research. Nearly all this techniques are simply the adaptations of the other forms of professional communications, which have made use of the technology. I use of YOU-TUBE as a social site, where I will update all my new and current action research and my findings and other professionals in the same field can see. I will also come up with a website and create some links where all the other practitioners in the same line of profession, globally, can meet and share the newly identified ideas. Others will include

Conclusion report for the internship journey Essay

Conclusion report for the internship journey - Essay Example The major challenge was language difference, especially when interacting with customer and staff. However, I did my best to create a profitable impact and add value both to Guangdong and myself. There were both memorable and awkward situation during the two months in Guangdong but all these posed as lessons and opportunities to learn more. With the help of one of the staff, I gained confidence, customer relation skills, teamwork skills, intrapersonal and interpersonal communication skills. The main focus of my internship would be the opportunity to participate in the exhibition of Lingnan Folk Craftworks, Sparkling Flowers, and Ingenious Craftsmanship and Creativity. Sparkling flowers exhibition entailed displaying all collected works by Enamel while Craftsmanship and Creativity involved works by Canton Embroiidery. Exhibiting Lingnan Folk Craftworks expounded more on the culture and traditions of chines. I came to learn of their unique art, painting and paper cutting skills, as well as, their cultural believes. Lastly, I also came to learn of the Guangzhou residential furnishings with keen reference to the furniture tracing back to Ming and Qing dynasties. However, designs for furniture have changed and the old have been replaced with better designs or refurnished to be better. It was clear that the preferences and designs of people change with emerging

Employment Law Essay Example for Free

Employment Law Essay Early this year, there are reports that the number of employees calling in sick has risen to staggering levels. According to an absence management company, there are about 3. 6 million employees who called in sick the first week of January (Pitcher, 2008). The United Kingdom ranked as second as having the most number of employees with long term sickness in a survey conducted by the European Community (Tehrani and Rainbird, 2005). The level of absence for UK was 27. 2% as against an average of 16. % of the European Union (Tehrani and Rainbird, 2005). An approximate figure of 14. 1 million days ‘were lost to stress and anxiety in 2001† (Tehrani and Rainbird, 2005). Absences due to stress and mental problems significantly affect both the employer and the employees. This matter apparently has been taken for granted and unaddressed for sometime until the enactment of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (DDA), Employment Act 2002, Employment Rights Act 1996, and the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. This paper shall show the manner by which the pertinent provisions of these pieces of legislation are applied to a hypothetical case and it shall also seek to identify and explain the remedies of an employee in case of violation of the provisions. Disability—Sickness Absence The Disability Discrimination Act 1995 defines disability as one having a ‘physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on his ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities’ (Section 1(1), Part 1, DDA 1995). The Industrial Tribunal has applied the definition to the different cases brought before it. For instance, in the case of Greenwood v. United Tiles Limited; the employee concerned was suffering from diabetes and was held to be disabled by the Tribunal (Greenwood v. United Tiles Limited 1101067/97/C). In the case of O’Neil v Symm Company Limited, the Tribunal considered ME or chronic fatigue syndrome as a disability (O’Neil v Symm Company Limited, 2700054/97). Even abdominal pains which had no medical diagnosis with respect to its origin was declared as a disability by the Tribunal in the case of Howden v Capital Copiers (Edinburgh) Limited (400005/97) (Thompsons Solicitors web site, 2007). Anent mental disability, Walton v LI Group Limited case involved an employee who had learning difficulties. The Tribunal ruled that the employee is considered disabled under the DDA basing its conclusion on the testimonial evidence of the employee’s parents and the fact that the employee was receiving disability living allowance (Walton v LI Group Limited, 1600562/97). The increased awareness for mental health and issues associated with it has accelerated in time, clinical depression is in fact already considered as a disability. Clinical depression is a ‘common mood disorder in psychology and psychiatry in which a person’s enjoyment of life and ability to function socially and in day-to-day matters is disrupted by intense sadness, melancholia, numbness or despair’ (Farlex Free Dictionary web site, n. d. ). In the recent appealed case of OHanlon v Commissioners for HM Revenue Customs, the Employment Appeal Tribunal ruled that clinical depression is considered a disability and therefore falls within the coverage of the DDA 1995 [OHanlon v Commissioners for HM Revenue Customs (2007) EWCA Civ 283]. Applying the above discussed legal principles to the given hypothetical case, Vangeer has been diagnosed to be suffering from clinical depression. This was brought about by the incident when she accidentally pricked herself with a needle which she picked up while cleaning a bus in the depot of her employer. This caused panic attacks and anxiety and for which she was given a year off from work. At this juncture, it is important to stress that the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 requires the employers to ensure the health and safety of its employees in the place of work. Towards its realization, the law imposes upon the employer the duty to make ‘the provision and maintenance of plant and systems of work that are, so far as is reasonably practicable, safe and without risks to health’ (Section 2 (2)(a), HSWA 1974). This means that Snail Pace Bus Company should have provided a system of work including protective gear for those who clean their buses (Health Safety Executive, 2006). In addition, the employer is also supposed to take measures to protect their employee who may return to work considering that there is more likelihood that the employee may be weak because of the injury or disability (Health Safety Executive, 2006). Vangeer went on sickness absence for about a year. Sickness absence may be short term or long term. A long term sickness absence connotes serious medical reasons such as in the case of Vangeer. Long-term absence is ‘usually defined as a period of absence in excess of two weeks’ (Corcoran, 2006). When she returned for work, a new team leader made discriminatory remarks about her race. In hindsight, this may be considered as a violation of the Race Relations Act 1976. It may be shown that there is direct discrimination of Vangeer because she is black such as when she is treated less favourably than another (Thompsons Solicitors, n. d. ). Moreover, it may be shown that there is some form of harassment under the Race Relations Act 1976 as amended by the New Regulations of 2003 (Thompsons Solicitors, n. d. ). Harassment is broad as to include ‘abusive language, excessive monitoring of work, excessive criticism of someone’s work etc. ’ (Thompsons Solicitors, n. d. ). It may be claimed that Vangeer suffered by because she was degraded, intimidated and her dignity violated. The violation of her dignity is subjective and the Tribunal would need to rule using the ‘reasonableness’ standard (Thompsons Solicitors, n. d. In this case, the effect of Bob’s conduct has caused Vangeer to go on sickness absence for three weeks more based on the recommendation of her psychiatrist. Her transfer to another team was also suggested. Even before the period of sickness absence has lapsed, Snail Pace Bus Company was bought by Slow Coach Ltd. and Vangeer was called to a meeting about her absence. Thereafter, she was dismissed from her employment with pay. Her dismissal is illegal. ‘In relation to long-term sickness absence, the employer who dismisses an employee faces three potential legal risks’ (Lemon Co. 2008). Vangeer may file for a claim for unfair dismissal, for disability discrimination and for violation of her contract of employment. It is axiomatic that there exists between the employer and the employee, a contract of employment. It is an agreement whereby the rights and obligations of both the employee and the employer are specified (Direct. Gov web site, 2008). When the employee accepts employment, there is an automatic contract of employment that is created regardless of whether this has been reduced into writing (Direct. Gov web site, 2008). Generally, employment contracts contain the following clauses: ‘commencement, term, job title and duties, place of work, hours of work, pay, holiday entitlement, pension, sickness absence, intellectual property, confidentiality, termination disciplinary, dismissal and grievance procedures, and collective agreements’(Clickdocs web site, n. d. ). The terms of employment in respect of hours of work, pay, termination of employment and other benefits are provided by the statutes. This being the case, the employer is mandated to comply with the provisions of the statutes. For instance, dismissal procedures should be observed. In the instant case, Vangeer was invited to a meeting to discuss her absence and after a day she was dismissed from employment with pay. The Employment Act 2002, Part 3, Section 30 (1) provides that, ‘Every contract of employment shall have effect to require the employer and employee to comply, in relation to any matter to which a statutory procedure applies, with the requirements of the procedure’ (EA 2002). The law requires that the employer observe the procedure in cases of dismissal as provided for under section 29, Schedule 2 Statutory Dispute Resolution Procedures, Chapter 1 and 2. Substantially, the employer is required by law to put into writing the circumstances and acts of the employee which he led him to initiate disciplinary or dismissal steps and invite him to discuss it in a meeting. The employee must have notice and reasonable opportunity to be apprised of the same. After the meeting, the employer must inform the employee of his decision and inform him of his right to appeal. Should the employee opt for an appeal, another meeting should be scheduled before the dismissal or the disciplinary penalty shall have been effective (Section 29, Schedule 2, Chapter 1, EA 2002). In the instant case, Vangeer apparently may have been given an unfairly short notice and was not informed of her right of appeal if she was not satisfied with the decision. In retrospect, the jurisdiction over wrongful dismissal cases were lodged in courts until 1994 when jurisdiction was given to the Employment Tribunals which were authorised to grant only up to GBP25,000 (British Employment web site, 2007). A contrary rule is observed with respect to unfair dismissals and discrimination cases, where the courts can award greater amounts of monetary damages. Wrongful dismissal results when employer fails to give the employee notice in accordance with the employment contract and without appropriate pay (British Employment web site, 2007). It has been observed though that it is better for the ‘employee to sue if the contract provides a fairly long notice period’ (British Employment web site, 2007). Monetary damages in these cases are computed based on the amount of loss in terms of compensation and other benefits. Unfair dismissal occurs when the employee is terminated from employment and the employer in doing so had no valid and justifiable reason (Direct. gov web site, 2008). The Employment Rights Act 1996, specifically Part X sections 111 to 132 provide for the remedies in case of unfair dismissal. In a nutshell, there are three options: an order for reinstatement, an order for re-engagement or an order for compensation. Reinstatement is when the Tribunal orders the employer to put the employee back to work with the same position and assigned tasks. There is re-engagement when the employee is placed back to work with a new post and tasks but under the same employer ((British Employment web site, 2007). In cases where the Tribunal issues an order for reinstatement or re-engagement, it cannot also order compensation [Wilson (HM Inspector of Taxes) v Clayton (2003) EWCA Civ 1657]. In the instant case, Vangeer was unlawfully dismissed because of her long absence. The Employment Rights Act 1996 provide for the employer’s responsibilities in case sickness absence and dismissal are due to ill-health (Mace Jones web site, 2007). Bad health may be considered a good basis for dismissal of an employee because it affects the ability and capacity of the employee to perform his assigned duties and tasks. The law mandates that in order for a dismissal based on ill-health can be considered as fair, the employer must observe and comply with the legal requirements (Mace Jones web site, 2007). The employee must be given the reasonable opportunity to recover and return to work before they can be dismissed’ (Lemon Co. web site, 2008). In the instant case, Snail Pace Bus Company gave Vangeer about a year to recover from her clinical depression. A return to work programme was drawn up for her. Her relapse was instigated by her new manager. She was given a three week off from work and before the lapse of that time she was dismissed after the discussion with Slow Coach Ltd. Vangeer apparently was not given a reasonable opportunity to even use her three week off when in fact, the relapse was caused by management. However, it should be pointed out that not in all cases shall the employer be liable even if he partly or wholly was responsible for the incapacity of the employee. In the case of McAdie v Royal Bank of Scotland [2007] EWCA Civ 806, the Employment Appeal Tribunal reversed the decision of the Employment Tribunal when it ruled that the dismissal was justified even if the employer, partly or wholly caused the employee’s incapacity because based on the medical evidence obtained ‘there was no prospect of the employee returning to work’ [McAdie v Royal Bank of Scotland (2007) EWCA Civ 806]. Another requirement would be is for the employer to seek evidence of the medical status of the illness of the employee. The employer must request for medical reports from the employee’s physician upon the authorisation of the former (Lemon Co. web site, 2008). The employer may also request for the examination of the employee by the employer’s own physician. The meeting should be for purposes of assessing the current medical state, the existing medical advice and medical evidence. In the case of Vangeer, Slow Coach Ltd. ailed to request the medical reports from her physician. Moreover, the employee must be consulted through a series of meetings for purposes of exploring ways and issues for alternative options and reasonable adjustments (Lemon Co. web site, 2008). Albeit, there is one meeting conducted with Vangeer, no exhaustive discussion seemed to have been made. Finally, ‘The employer must consider the possibility of making adjustments to the working environment in order to permit the employee to return to work’ (Lemon Co. eb site, 2008). When Vangeer was ill the first time, the employer made a programme which allowed her to start work late and go home early. However in the case of relapse, the suggestion that she be re-assigned to a different team was not deliberated upon and carried out by Slow Coach Ltd. It is the responsibility of the employer to seek and accept suggestions from the employee on how she can work when she returns. In a complaint for unfair dismissal, the Employment Tribunal shall take the following factors into consideration: ‘nature of the employees illness, the likely duration of the illness, the nature of the job, the needs of the employer, the employees length of service, the type (and amount) of sick pay paid to the employee and alternative employment’ (Lemon Co. web site, 2008). The most important factor that will be considered is whether the employer took measures in gathering information and ascertaining medical reports from which he would base a fair and reasonable conclusion and decision. There must be recent, comprehensive and competent medical findings (Direct. gov web site, 2008). He must also comply with the procedures in dismissing an employee in accordance with the Employment Act 2002 and the Dispute Regulations 2004 (Direct. gov web site, 2008). Failure to follow the â€Å"statutory minimum dismissal and disciplinary procedure† shall make him liable to ‘a minimum basic award of 4 weeks pay. Furthermore, any compensation awarded by an Employment Tribunal may increase by 10-50%’ (Direct. gov web site, 2008). There is no distinction between sickness absence and disability. In the case of Clark v Novacold (18901661/97) ‘the Industrial Tribunal concluded that there should be no distinction between the two, and dismissal for sickness absence does in fact relate to the disability and accordingly is prima facie unlawful’ (Thompsons Solicitors web site, 1997). According to Solicitor Michael Corcoran, if the disability is the cause of the long term sickness absence and the employee was in fact dismissed, such dismissal is tantamount to discrimination unless it is shown that dismissal is justifiable (Corcoran, 2006). The lack of knowledge of Slow Coach Ltd. may have on the disability would be irrelevant and immaterial to the issue of whether Vangeer was treated less favourably (Corcoran, 2006). Under Section 20 of the Discrimination Disability Act 1995, direct discrimination is committed when the employee is ‘treated less favourably’ than another not suffering from such disability and that such treatment is by reason of the employee’s disability (DDA 2005). Moreover, the employer shall also be liable if he failed to make reasonable adjustments so that the disabled employee can continue his or her employment (HSE, n. d. ). The law requires that the employer ‘go an extra mile’ for the disabled employee, albeit the law does not set parameters of its extent. However, case law has laid down legal principles based on each of the precedent-setting case (HSE, n. d. ).

Gender Divisions and Differences in Work

Gender Divisions and Differences in Work Today, women have gained a new equality with men. This perspective is indisputable’ This review explores the contemporary literature on the theme of ‘women and work’ in the light of the suggestion that women have indisputably gained a new equality with men. Overwhelming evidence has been found for the persistence of gender inequalities which work to disadvantage women in the context of work, including domestic work, although it is clear that providing explanations for this phenomenon has shown that the issue is complex and highly contested. It is argued that a redefinition and re-interpretation of the inter-dependence between paid and unpaid work, care and leisure is needed. There seems no doubt that in order for there to be a greater measure of real gender equality, male identity, in particular, must beer-examined and changed. It seems clear that research and policy are focusing more on the ways in which caring, in particular, is perceived and constructed in gender terms. However, in order to effect real change in gender equality, it is argued that there must be recognition of the myriad of ways in which both masculinities and femininities are constructed and interact with each other in this complex field. Chapter One Introduction The focus of this literature review is upon the theme of women and work within the context of the premise that women have gained an indisputable equality with men. Whilst it seems, in theory, more ‘equitable’, to have included commentary and research in equal amounts from men and women, an exploration of the literature revealed a far greater contribution to the debate from women than from men, perhaps by virtue of women’s perception of their own disadvantaged position, and this bias is consequently reflected in the variety of sources cited. Literature search was conducted within a University library database, using the search criteria ‘women and work’ and ‘gender equality and work’ and this yielded access to a selection of books and articles. The sources selected for inclusion in the review were restricted to those which specifically focus upon gender differences and inequalities in the realm of work, defined in its widest sense to include that undertaken within the household as well as work in the formal labour market. Due to the plethora of writing and research in this field, the decision was made to restrict sources to those produced within the last ten years, thus maintaining a contemporary focus, although references are made to earlier works. Chapter topics reflect the themes which emerged from the literature. Chapter Two presents a historical overview of women’s employment and the major ideology by which it has been underpinned in British society together with the ways in which the different patterns of employment between men and women have served to disadvantage women, particularly in economic terms. Chapter Three explores women as employees in more depth, particularly the ways in which organisations, occupations and spheres of work are profoundly gendered and how this, again, seems to work against women, although it will be shown that this is a contested area. The focus in Chapter Four is upon domestic labour and the ways in which its traditional construction as ‘women’s work’ has been strongly contested. The different ways in which work is itself construed, in both the traditional world of work and the private domain, sets the scene for a change of emphasis. The literature reflects a movement, in Chapter Five, from a concentration upon the inequalities and injustices heaped upon women through patriarchal structures towards a redefinition of the key issues through an exploration of the increasingly blurred distinctions between paid work, unpaid domestic work, care and leisure. A reinterpretation of caring and how this may be incorporated into the discourse on gender and work has been highlighted. It is argued that there is a clear need for more serious account to be taken of the lived experiences of both men and women, to celebrate, rather than denigrate, gender differences and to strive to understand the ways in which such differences are constructed in ways which may disadvantage both men and women. Chapter Two The nature and extent of women’s employment Many commentators have noted the different ways in which women and men have organized their lives together and how the work that each undertakes has changed and developed over time (Crompton, 1997; Hatt,1997). Crompton (1997) describes how the gender division of labour originated from, and was profoundly reshaped by, the advent of industrialisation in Britain. By the turn of the 20th century, men became increasingly associated with paid or market work, whilst women were identified with the household and non-market work. This trend became intimately connected with an ideology of womanhood which effectively served to exclude women from ‘market’ work. As Crompton asserts, the male-breadwinner model emerged from the ideology of ‘separate spheres’ in which â€Å"the home and domestic sphere was defined as belonging to women, whilst that of the outside world including the workplace – was defined as that of men† (1997, p.8). There seems little doubt, as will become clear later in this review, that assuming the main responsibility for household tasks and child-rearing has had a significant impact upon women’s participation in market work. The idea that this responsibility is somehow ‘natural’ can be said to underpin many family-related explanations for women’s behaviour in the labour market, however, this is clearly a contentious issue. Those who support the view that the gender division of labour manifested in today’s society is rooted in biological differences between the sexes include Hakim (1995; 1996) and Browne (1998). Hakim (1995), for example, sets out to explain the particular patterns of women’s employment in Britain and how they are distinct from those of men. She draws on findings from the socio-biological field which cite male traits of aggressiveness, dominance and competitiveness as rooted in hormonal differences between men and women. These natural masculine traits are seen as instrumental in the disproportionate participation and success of men in the employment sphere. In similar vein, Browne (1998) argues, that biologically influenced sex differences in behaviour have important ramifications for the occupational choices made by men and women in the working sphere and their differential employment patterns. Whilst clearly decrying outright sexual discrimination, Browne suggests that â€Å"much of the glass ceiling and gender gap is the product of basic biological sex differences in personality and temperament acting in the context of the modern labour market† and that these differences are the product of â€Å"differential reproductive strategies followed by the two sexes during the course of human evolution† (1998, p.5). Browne argues that instead of denying the reality of these natural sex differences in the pursuit of socially constructed explanations for the ‘gender gap’, it will be more productive for feminists, in particular, to embrace them and incorporate them into future discourse about work. Hakim (1995; 1996) is also critical of feminist commentators on women’s employment, such as Wallaby (1990), who have suggested that occupational segregation, the construction of women’s jobs as separate from men’s jobs, has been a mechanism through which women have been systematically denied access to jobs by men. Hartmann (1982), as cited by Crompton (1997), described the rationale behind occupational segregation by sex as the mechanism through which men’s superiority over women is maintained by enforcing lower wages for women in the labour market in order ensure their dependence on men. Hartmann (1982) asserts that â€Å"men benefit from both higher wages and the domestic division of labour† and thus, the latter, in turn, serves to perpetuate women’s inferior position in the labour market (Crompton,1997, p.11). Hakim argues against this analysis, however, suggesting that the different pattern of women’s labour-force participation and work commitment is due to women’s choices according to their tastes and preferences. Hence, some women choose to give more priority to their domestic role and child-rearing and less to their employment careers, though, for example, working part-time rather than full-time or opting for less demanding occupations (Hakim, 1996). Hat (1997) discusses the issue of gender and work from an economic perspective and points out that the labour resources of an economy include women and men engaging in productive activity in both the labour market and the household. The working population, however, is term most often used, particularly by economists, to describe those women and men who are engaged in paid employment, self-employment, in Forces, on work-related training schemes or registered as unemployed. This effectively excludes all those women or men in the unpaid sector and full-time homemakers. Hat (1997) records that in1993, in the 16 to 64 age group, 71% of all men and 53% of all women were participating in the working population. The Equal Opportunities Commission report that in the same age group in 2004, over 83% of men and 70% of women were ‘economically active’ (EOC, 2005, p.8). Although caution is needed in comparisons between different sets of statistics, it seems clear that a larger proportion of men than of women participate in the working population but the gap would seem to be closing. It is notable, however, that patterns of labour force participation by women and men are both distinct and different. Hat (1997) notes that, in 1993, for prime age male workers aged 24 to 49, participation rates were over 90%, declining after the age of 50. For women in 1993, the participation rate was 71% for the age range 24 to 34, falling to 54%for women with a child under 5 years old, increasing again as children enter school. Similarly, in 2004, 52% of mothers with children under 5years old were in employment, of these women, around 66% were working part-time. Crompton (1997) observes that almost all of the increase in women’s employment in Britain from the 1950s until the 1980s was impart-time work. This trend is further underlined in the latest statistics in that nearly half of all women (44%) and about 10% of all men work part-time (EOC, 2005). As the statistics show, clearly women are more likely than men to work on a part-time basis. Writers seem divided as to explanations for this phenomenon. Wallaby (1990), for example, has suggested that the expansion of part time employment represents a kind of capitalist, patriarchal conspiracy in which mainly male employers have secured women’s cheap and docile labour, whilst at the same time ‘freeing ‘women to continue undertaking domestic labour in the home. Crompton(1997), also, notes that â€Å"part-time work†¦.has a reputation of being insecure, low-paid and with little by way of training or promotion prospects† (p.33). She cites Beeches and Perkins (1987) who suggest that certain jobs were actually constructed as part-time jobs because they were seen as ‘women’s jobs’, invariably low graded and rarely defined as skilled (Crompton, 1997, p.33). Other writers, such as Hakim (1996), deny the assertion that employers have sought to construct ‘poor work’ for women, asserting instead that it is women themselves who have demanded part-time work to fit in with their other domestic responsibilities – employers have simply responded to meet this demand (Hakim, 1996). Evidence from research by Rubbery et al(1994), however, suggests that not only is part-time work less flexible than full-time work and of inferior quality, but also it has been developed largely to suit the needs of the employer. Since most part-time workers are women, it is women who are most affected by the disadvantages associated with this mode of work. Chapter Three Women as employees Hat (1997) traces the changes in the working population and employment patterns of men and women in recent decades, pointing out that whilst there has been a decline in male employment since 1980, female employment since that time has increased. She cites the official census data from 1994 which revealed that this latter increase was due to a greater proportion of mothers entering paid employment (Hatt,1997). It has been well-documented that within the labour market, women play a different role from men. As we have seen, women are more likely than men to work part-time and, as Hat observes, they also â€Å"work in different industries from men, occupy different positions even within mixed industries and are under-represented in senior positions†(1997, p.17). Many commentators have noted that women are concentrated in certain industries and occupations, such as clerical work, catering, cleaning and caring work whereas men are more often found in the manufacturing sector and the construction industry, for example (Hat, 1997; Franks,1999; Moe, 2003). Even when women and men are found in the same sector, men tend to occupy the more senior positions with women more often situated in the lower ranks of the hierarchy (Hat, 1997; Franks,1999). As Hat (1997) records, â€Å"women are under-represented at senior-levels throughout all occupational categories† (p.21). Crompton(1997) examines the banking industry, in some detail, as an example of the response to labour market demands for low-level clerical workers. She describes how this industry, along with others such as insurance and local government, helped â€Å"to generate a mass, feminized clerical labour force† (Crompton, 1997, p.107). Both direct and indirect discriminatory practices against women within particular banks came to light and pressure from the Equal Opportunities Commission forced some important policy changes. Crompton (1997) acknowledges that there have been major changes to employment practices in the financial sector in general, in later years, as far as gender equality is concerned. She cites structural factors, such as the demand for labour and the organization of the labour process alongside male exclusionary practices as the main contributors to the unequal position of female employees within the banking sector. She also concedes, however, that despite recent reforms, women continue to far outweigh men in occupying low-level positions in banking. It is useful, at this point, to identify the key pieces of government legislation in the UK which have been designed to directly address the issue of equal opportunities between women and men. The first is these Discrimination Act 1975 which promoted the basic principle that men and women should not be less favourably treated by virtue of their sexier marital status. The other is the Equal Pay Act 1975 designed to outlaw discrimination between women and men in the same employment, in pay and other conditions regarding their contracts of employment. This Act was later amended in 1984 to incorporate the Equal Pay for Equal Value principle. In addition to these Acts, the UK is also bound by Article 119 of the Treaty of Rome to uphold European Community equal treatment and equal pay directives (Griffin, 2002). The Equal Opportunities Commission, set up through the Sex Discrimination Act of 1975, functions as the expert organisation on equality between women and men, its main tasks being to â€Å"work towards the elimination of discrimination; to promote equality of opportunity and to keep under review the effectiveness of the Sex Discrimination and Equal Pay Acts† (Griffin, 2002, p.11). In the area of what has become known as the ‘gender pay gap’, it seems that, in general, the gap between male and female earnings has narrowed over the past 60 years, but the trend has been inconsistent. For example, female managers and administrators earned 55% of the annual earnings of their male counterparts on 1970, compared to only 33% in the mid 1920s (EOC,1999). However, this discrepancy narrowed by only 1% in this field of work between the mid 1950s and 1970. Since 1970, although this gap has narrowed significantly with women earning 63% of the pay of their male counterparts, compared to 81% for 1998, it was noted that â€Å"in all ethnic groups, men have higher average hourly earnings than women†(EOC, 1999, p.5). This statistical evidence for the steady narrowing of the gender pay gap appears encouraging in terms of the equality agenda. However, as Griffin (2002) observes, there are other relevant issues. She records that, when we look at all sources of income, including earnings from employment and self-employment, occupational pensions, investment and benefit income, women’s income is significantly lower than that of men, apart from state benefits. For example, figures taken from the EOC forth year 1996-7 showed that 45% of women had an income of less than £100 a week as compared with 20% of men (Griffin, 2002). More latterly, the EOC has recorded that the gender gap in terms of income has remained quite high, stating that â€Å"the gender gap between women and men’s mean individual incomes in 2002/3 was 46%† (EOC, 2005). The EOC (2001) records that despite improvements in recent years, stereotyping remains evident in many professional occupations. Notwithstanding the evidence that greater numbers of women are entering certain professions, such as higher education or the law, women’s share of higher level jobs remains generally low. Certain professional and technical occupations, the ‘occupational segregation’ noted earlier, apparently continue to be heavily dominated by either men or women(EOC, 2001). Empirical studies, especially within the feminist perspective over the past two decades, have moved away from the study of organizational structures per se in order to seek explanations for this persistence in the positioning of men and women in the workplace. Writers such as Pringle (1988), Chodorow (1989) and Halford and Savage(1995), for example, have instead demonstrated how specific kinds of masculinities and femininities, and discourses of gender, are constructed within the workplace. The emphasis here is upon recognizing the diversity of discourses on what it is to be a male or female employee and, ultimately, to avoid over-generalising about ‘all men’ or ‘all women’. One example of this is illustrated by Crompton(1997) in her exposition of different masculinities in the banking industry. She charts the movement within managerial positions in banking from a need for solid, paternalistic men towards the requirement for a more competitive, assertive masculinity within selling culture. Crompton (1997), however, argues that although these discursive, ‘post-modern’ insights do much to enhance our understanding of the pattern of women’s employment, and the different ways in which gender is constructed in the workplace, structural or material explanations remain important. Nazarko (2004) offers a contemporary analysis of the barriers faced by women in the workplace. She maintains that the drive for equal opportunities has hitherto failed to â€Å"challenge the premise that certain groups of workers such as women are less productive and less attractive to employers† (p.25) or the assumption that older workers, including women, are less valuable. Nazarko highlights the popularity of organisational initiatives which promote diversity and difference in the field of human resources. Wilson and Iles (1999), for example, have argued that â€Å"diversity management improves recruitment, retention and creativity within organisations† (Nazarko, 2004, p.25). Nazarkocites researchers such as Rosner (1995) who have pointed out that women and men have different styles of working and managing. Women, for example, tend to use interactional styles in management, encouraging participation, sharing power and information and energising others. In contrast, men tend to use transactional styles, seeing pieces of works series of transactions. Both styles are seen as equally valid and also, may be the preferred model for any individual, regardless of gender. It is argued, then, that both organisations and employees will benefit from initiatives which value diversity and difference, since people would be evaluated and treated as individuals, rather than asocial groups and associated stereotypical connotations. Nazarko(2004), however, fears that the diversity approach does not necessarily eliminate the power structures which persist in society. She argues that until female dominated professions such as nursing are valued as much as male dominated professions like the police force, it is difficult to see how gender equality can be attained. Chapter Four Domestic labour – women’s work? It is well-documented that the Industrial Revolution within the western world generated a distinction between paid work outside the home and unpaid domestic labour within the household. Men’s economic activity came to be focused upon paid work, hence the male breadwinner model, whilst women have commonly divided their working lives between the unpaid domestic sphere and activity in the labour market. Hat(1997) represents the feminist approach to this issue by highlighting the way in which women have long been disadvantaged, particularly in economic terms, by their traditional domestic responsibilities. Not only does their focus upon unpaid domestic task constrain their participation in paid work, domestic work itself â€Å"is an unpaid economic activity which has for too long passed unnoticed; the skills, which the successful homemaker acquires, go unrecognized in wage and promotion schemes† (Hat, 1997, p.50). The terms upon which both men and women are able to participate within the labour market are very different and in this respect, it would seem difficult to argue for a level of equality between the sexes. Many commentators have noted, household and child-rearing duties weigh more heavily upon women than men and have traditionally been excluded from economic analyses of participation in work in the widest sense(Crompton, 1997; Hat, 1997; Franks, 1999). As Hat observes â€Å"household responsibilities and paid employment are both valid productive activities but they are not equally rewarded by society†(1997, p. 49). DE et al (1995), in their analysis of the British Household Panel Survey in the mid 1990s, point out that very few men cited household or family responsibilities as affecting their labour market behaviour, whereas over 80% of women surveyed felt that their labour market participation had been adversely affected by these duties. As Franks(1999) points out, work has come to be synonymous with having a paid job and its counterpart is regarded as leisure. Thus, other kinds of activity such as cleaning the house, doing the shopping, cooking and caring for children and elderly relatives do not officially count as work, although for those involved, it may actually feel very much like work. Underpinning the traditional sexual division of labour is the idea that men’s paid work is dependent upon a shadow economy of women’s unpaid work (Franks, 1999). Thus, the increased participation of women in the formal paid workforce throws the spotlight onto the status of what had always essentially been regarded as a ‘labour of love’. Franks (1999) presents the example of widowed fathers who do not receive the lump sums, tax allowances and continuing state benefits received by widowed mothers. A missing father’s financial contributions recognised, whereas a widower’s deceased partner is considered to have had no economic value. One solution offered by some economists has been to officially regard this labour as a form of taxation whereby all of society benefits from it as if they were paying directly to the state (Franks, 1999). Other commentators (Charles and Kerr, 1999); Morris, 1999) have also stressed that despite the contemporary rhetoric of equality between the sexes, the traditional ideology which divides men and women into ‘breadwinner’ and ‘homemaker’ is still very much alive. Charles andKerr (1999), for example, point out that even where there may have been certain egalitarian sharing of domestic tasks within couples initially, once children arrive on the scene it is almost always the case that the woman takes on the responsibility for child-care and household tasks whilst the man takes on the role of breadwinner. It is argued that although, ostensibly, this arrangement may appear to be complementary relationship with roles being ‘different but equal’, there is a differential allocation of power which renders women disadvantaged. On giving up paid work outside the home, or taking on lower-paid, low-status part-time work, women relinquish their power and status, at least economically (Charles and Kerr, 1999). Having responsibility for decisions about food purchase, or other household necessities, cooking and childcare, it is argued, effectively constitutes the exercise of power by women in other people’s interests. As Charles and Kerr suggest, â€Å"most of them (women) carryout these tasks within a set of social relations which denies them power, particularly when they are at home all day with young children and are dependent for financial support on a man† (1999, p.192). There is a large body of contemporary opinion, evident in the literature, which calls for a redress of balance between the fundamental economic inequity between men and women, particularly within the family unit which includes dependent children. Franks(1999), for example, suggests that there will never be genuine equality between men and women â€Å"if male identity remains unaltered and unpaid work continues to be shuffled off onto women† (p.4). Franks goes on to assert that in a market system where unpaid work is invisible, there is no incentive for men to change their identity to encompass low-status, financially worthless activity (1999, p.4). Crompton (1997) presented her own analysis of the relationship between employment and the family with particular reference to the extent to which there has been any change in the domestic division of labour. She acknowledges that there has been some change, albeit very slow, and she cites research byGershuny et al (1994) who describe the process as one of ‘lagged adaptation’ in which changes tend to occur most often when women are engaged in full-time employment. Other researchers have found that although men, mainly middle-class men, have expressed a desire to become more involved in domestic and child care arrangements, there is little evidence that â€Å"equal† parenting is the reality (Lupton and Barclay, 1997). A more recent briefing by the Equal Opportunities Commission observes that there are many ways in which education, the family and access tithe labour market interact to produce different opportunities for women and men and which result in both men and women experiencing discrimination by virtue of gender. In relation to women in particular, this briefing comments that â€Å"women’s work should beer-evaluated, so that it is no longer undervalued and poorly paid†(EOC, 2002, p.1). Hat, in her analysis of gender, work and labour markets, concluded that â€Å"the domestic division of labour would certainly seem to lead to social injustice and it is debatable whether it furthers the efficient operation of the economy† (1997, p.50). Vogel and Pal (1999) present an interesting exposition of the connections between money and power and men and women within households. Their own research found that, in general, the partner with the greater income was likely to be more dominant indecision-making, with women partners in paid employment having greater power than those who work only in the home. There appear to have been few large-scale studies which have focused upon the experiences of social equality, or inequality, between individual members of the same household. The research conducted by Vogel and Pal (1999) draws on typology, constructed by Pal (1989), of household financial allocation systems, constituting the female whole-wage system, the housekeeping allowance system, the pooling system and the independent management system. In the female whole-wage system, women were given their husband’s pay packet, and had sole responsibility for managing the whole household budget. In the housekeeping allowance system, the women were given a fixed sum for housekeeping expenses, the men having prime responsibility for other expenditure. The pooling system was used where partners pooled their earnings and shared access to and responsibility for managing expenditure from the common, joint fund. Finally, the independent management system operated where both partners had independent incomes (usually dual-earner couples), each partner taking responsibility for particular items of expenditure, although this may vary over time. Vogel and Pal (1999) conducted a survey, combined with interviews, of1,211 couples across six British urban areas, covering Swindon, Aberdeen, Northampton, Coventry, Rochdale and Kirkcaldy. Respondents, aged between 20 and 60 years, were questioned on the household financial allocation system which came closest to their own mode of household finance management. By far the most common system used waste pool which was adopted by half of all the couples surveyed, with the remaining half choosing one of the other segregated systems (Voglerand Pal, 1999). The data was further analysed to determine the relationship between strategic financial control and access to money as a resource within the households studied. It was found that in the joint pooling households â€Å"joint management was associated with both equal strategic control over finances and also with equal access to money as a resource† (Vogel and Pal, 1999, p.143). In the female-controlled management systems, constituting just over two-fifths of the sample, a disjunction was found between control over finances and access to money as a resource. The researchers highlighted their finding that even where ostensibly, these women had greater financial control and power in decision-making, significantly higher levels of personal deprivation were experienced by the women with the men more likely to have more personal spending money than their female partners, especially in lower-income families. As Vogel and Pal observe, â€Å"where the opportunities for exercising financial power are heavily circumscribed by low income and by the husband’s expectation of personal spending money, ‘responsibility’ may be a more appropriate term than ‘control’!† (1999, p.144). This more detailed analysis presented by Vogel and Pal (1999), together with that of other researchers, such as Morris (1999), provides evidence for the ways in which patterns of gender and class inequalities tend to interlock to increase the differences between women and men. A different perspective upon the issue of gender differences and gender equality in the arena of household work and parenting is provided bother researchers. Doucette (1995), for example, highlights the tendency for debates on this issue to become focused upon the relationship between women’s greater responsibility for household work and caring role, and their relative inequality to men in employment and public life. She argues that whilst this is an important issue, insufficient account has been taken of the â€Å"various configurations that gender differences may take within household life† (Doucette, 1995, p.271). Doucette suggests that much of the literature on the gender division of household labour is situated within an ‘equality’ or ‘equal rights ‘framework, which itself, tends to be constructed through a masculine perspective. For example, she argues that a â€Å"male model of minimal participation in housework and child care† is pitched in relation to a â€Å"male model of full-time employment† (Doucette, 1995, p. 274). Whilst it is clearly documented that women’s employment is compromised through the need for women, as a

The Truth about Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide :: Free Euthanasia Essay

The Truth about Euthanasia      Ã‚   Euthanasia news apparently sells big in the media. Barred from conducting an on-camera interview with Jack Kevorkian in prison, ABC News is waging a court battle against the Michigan Department of Corrections; they have refused a request from the ABC program "20/20" to let Barbara Walters interview Kevorkian. Corrections invoked a state prisons policy that took effect last March, barring TV crews except for stock footage and scenes of inmates taking part in prison activities. A county circuit judge found in favor of ABC on July 13, saying the prison policy infringes on First Amendment rights [AP, 7/13]. However, this ruling was blocked two weeks later by a state appellate court [Washington Times, 7/30]. Kevorkian is serving a 10-to-25-year sentence. Media hype surrounding euthanasia clouds the issues involved in the euthanasia debate.    Numerous US studies have established that the Americans most directly affected by the issue of physician-assisted suicide -- those who are frail, elderly and suffering from terminal illness -- are also more opposed to legalizing the practice than others are:    * A poll conducted for the Washington Post on March 22-26, 1996, found 50% support for legalizing physician-assisted suicide (Washington A18) Voters aged 35-44 supported legalization, 57% to 33%. But these figures reversed for voters aged 65 and older, who opposed legalization 54% to 38%. Majority opposition was also found among those with incomes under $15,000 (54%), and black Americans (70%).    * An August 1993 Roper poll funded by the Hemlock Society and other euthanasia supporters indicated that voters aged 18-29 supported "physician-aided suicide" 47% to 35%; voters aged 60 and older opposed it 45% to 35%. Hemlock's newsletter commented that "the younger the person, the more likely he or she is to favor this legislation." The newsletter added that "this is somewhat at odds with how Hemlock views its membership," since it sees itself as defending the interests of elderly citizens. (Humphry; Poll 9) A study of cancer patients found that terminally ill patients experiencing significant pain are more opposed to physician-assisted suicide than other terminally ill patients or the general public. The patients who did tend to favor assisted suicide were those who had been diagnosed with clinical depression. The researchers commented: "Patients with pain do not seem to view euthanasia or physician-assisted suicide as the appropriate response to poor pain management.

Axolotl Biology Research Essay

A sexually mature adult axolotl, at age 18–24 months, ranges in length from 15–45 cm (6–18 in), although a size close to 23 cm (9 in) is most common and greater than 30 cm (12 in) is rare. Axolotls possess features typical of salamander larvae, including external gills and a caudal fin extending from behind the head to the vent. Their heads are wide, and their eyes are lidless. Their limbs are underdeveloped and possess long, thin digits. Males are identified by their swollen cloacae lined with papillae, while females are noticeable for their wider bodies full of eggs. Three pairs of external gill stalks (rami) originate behind their heads and are used to move oxygenated water. The external gill rami are lined with filaments (fimbriae) to increase surface area for gas exchange. Four gill slits lined with gill rakers are hidden underneath the external gills. Axolotls have barely visible vestigial teeth, which would have developed during metamorphosis. The primary method of feeding is by suction, during which their rakers interlock to close the gill slits. External gills are used for respiration, although buccal pumping (gulping air from the surface) may also be used in order to provide oxygen to their lungs. Axolotls have four different colours, two naturally occurring colors and two mutants. The two naturally occurring colors are â€Å"wildtype† (varying shades of brown usually with spots) and melanoid (black). The two mutant colors are leucistic (pale pink with black eyes) and albino (golden, tan or pale pink with pink eyes). mexican axolotl are able to shed their skin just like snakes. Australians and New Zealanders frequently refer to the Axolotl as the Mexican Walking Fish, though the Axolotl is not a fish but an amphibian, a salamander, part of the order Caudata/Urodela. Because it’s a salamander, it’s part of one of the three branches of class Amphibia, which also includes the frogs and toads[->0] (the Anurans[->1]), and the mainly eel-like order, Gymnophiona, which are also known as the Caecilians. The name â€Å"Axolotl† comes from the Aztec language, â€Å"Nahuatl†. One of the most popular translations of the name connects the Axolotl to the god of deformations and death, Xolotl, while the most commonly accepted translation is â€Å"water-dog† (from â€Å"atl† for water, and â€Å"xolotl†, which can also mean dog). The mexican axolotl has the ability of regenerating its body parts, so if it loses a body part it can just grow it back. it is a carnovore The Axolotl is the largest member of the family Ambystomatidae The Axolotl was originally native to Xochimilco and Chalco, two freshwater lakes south of Mexico City. Sadly, Chalco is now gone, and Xochimilco survives only as a network of canals and lagoons. These bodies of water are muddy bottomed and rich in plant and animal life.

Barclays Bank PLC Is A Multinational Company Essay

Amenities to attract highly skilled and creative persons at all important levels ? Tradition of closeness to key customers and target customers A business can differentiate itself by performing its existing value activities or reconfiguring in some unique ways. And the sustainability of that differentiation will depend on two things: a continuation of its high perceived value to buyers and a lack of imitation by competitors. There are many alternative strategic directions in which Barclaycard could implement in their current strategy of differentiation. These may include technology innovation or product/ service differentiation. Product/service differentiation Product differentiation occurs â€Å"when, owing to differences in physical attributes, ancillary service, geographic location, information, and/or subjective image, one firm’s products are clearly preferred by at least some buyers over rival products at a given price† (, 1990, ). For firms seeking to make their demand curve less elastic, successful differentiation provides an insulated position against competitors by enabling firms to sell a larger quantity at a given price or by allowing the firm to create brand loyalty in customers resulting in lower sensitivity to price. This uniqueness may build an entry barrier for competitors to overcome (, 1992; , 1980). However, being unique may require a trade-off with investment if achieving differentiation requires costly effort such as extensive research, product design, high quality materials, or intensive customer support. Thus, the firms employing the differentiation strategy cannot ignore costs and risk (, 1980). Horizontal product differentiation focuses on differences in attribute variety among competing brands. It occurs â€Å"when one brand contains more of some attributes but less of some other attributes in comparison to another brand† (). Consumers’ different tastes will exploit differing strong and weak points among brands given identical prices (, 1992). The shift towards consumerism is accelerating with significant implications in many of the markets in which we operate. Fundamentally, our view is that consumerism involves a shift in power from institutions towards consumers. The rapid transformation of the credit card industry – first with the severing of the traditional tie between bank accounts and credit cards and second, with the emergence of credit as a true commodity in the credit card industry – illustrates this so well. Consumers in the past were grateful if they received credit – it was seen as a right granted to a special few by a bank and hence banks held power over individuals. The value proposition was the availability of credit. Technology Innovation In the case of Barclaycard, it is could improve its operations and competitive advantage through real time design data driven tools. This tool would improve their credit limit strategies and increase their interest earning balances. A Fair, Isaac Model Builder for the decision trees may be used as this tool uses historical data to assist in identifying optimal account management strategies. Fair, Isaac Model Builder for Decision Trees is a PC Windows based application designed specifically to support data driven strategy design. It gives lenders the power to rapidly create new strategies in real time using multiple performance dimensions, to process large datasets rapidly so strategies at any point for greater understanding of the portfolio and transfers strategies to and from production application with ease, putting new strategies into production faster. This real time, highly interactive approach dramatically shortens the time between strategy creation and roll out. With Barclaycard objectives of the new strategies to increase interest bearing balances, increase turnover, control bad debt, and address attrition, Fair, Fair Isaac can be a big help for the organization. While the average number of cards in a person’s wallet has increased over the last five years, the value to an individual of having multiple cards will diminish in an environment where credit is a commodity.

IELTS Tests

Task 1:Â  The bar chart below shows the percentage participation of men in senior development in three companies between 1980 and the year 2010. Summarize the information by selecting and report in the main features, and make comparisons where relevant. Write at least 150 wordsThe diagram illustrates the changes in proportion of male seniors in three giants including IBM, Microsoft and Apple over 30 years from 1980 to 2010. In sum, the three firms experienced an upward trend in terms of this indicator. Originally, in 1980, IBM had only approximately 2% of senior positions occupied by men with no significant change in the next 5 years. Afterwards, this number surged to over 10% in 1990 and 26% in 1995, surpassing that of 2 other companies. In 2000, the percentageaugmented reaching over 30% and even doubled exceeding 60% in only 5 years later.Therefore, IBM obtained the highest enhancing pace in hiring males for senior levels. Regarding Microsoft, the period from 1980 to 2000 witnesse d a gradual increase in men involvement percentage in senior positions from roughly 7% to approximately 17%. Nonetheless, the statistic noticeably soared to nearly 45% in 2000. Last to be mentioned, in 1980, there were 15% of Apple high positions taken in charge by males. This was followed by a light fluctuation during 20 years and finally ended at about 25% in 2010.This conversion turned Apple into the company having the lowest man participation in senior board comparing to IBM and Microsoft.Task 2: Some people think that everyone has the right to use freshwater as much as they want; some others believe that freshwater should be tightly controlled by governments worldwide because it is a limited resource. Discuss both views and give your opinion.It is popular that water creates creature. Nevertheless, the essential and priceless freshwater sources are being vanished due to the humans’ massive use. This fact has lead to a discussion that whether water sources should be libera lly accessed or put under strict control of authorities. To begin with, as water touches every parts of our daily life, protecting and conserving it should be among country’s top priorities. The government is able to determine fresh water network manage to distribute clean water effectively to the community.Additionally, the government can allocate an adequate quantity of water to individuals to ensure human and ecological health. This can help us to prevent water shortage and its tragic consequences. Furthermore, authorities can guarantee the water quality and reassure citizens especially to avoid the influence of environmental pollutants and contamination worries.On contrary, it is also argued that everyone and all animals have equal chance to take advantage of Earth natural resources including water. This also plays a crucial role in forming the base for a modern and advanced society. Moreover, restrictions on consuming water can result in the unavailability of this resour ce to underprivileged people as the corruption and the despoliation. The situation may be worse since water dispute can threaten national or world wide security.For what has been mentioned, I agree that regarding water as a national security issue can help to protect the resources. Nonetheless, it is critical that law and policies are fair and assure individuals’ basic right. Besides, communities should come together to promote awareness of water reservation.

Green House gases Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Green House gases - Essay Example Heavy industrialization is believed to be the major reason for the increase in quantity of greenhouse gases on earth’s atmosphere. Carbon dioxide is the major greenhouse gas which causes atmospheric temperature rise. â€Å"During the past 20 years, about three-quarters of human-made carbon dioxide emissions were from burning fossil fuels† (Greenhouse Gases, Climate Change, and Energy). The number of automobiles which use fossil fuels is growing day by day along with the number of industrial units in the world. Both automobiles and industrial units are liberating huge amounts of greenhouse gases and these greenhouse gases absorb all the thermal energy reaching on earth and prevent any thermal energy reflecting back. Earlier, there was a balance between the thermal energy reaching on earth from the sun and the thermal energy reflected back from earth and that is why climate changes were not much common earlier. However, at present, most of the thermal energy reaching on e arth’ surface from sun is staying in the atmosphere itself because of the increase in quantity of greenhouse gases and subsequently atmospheric temperature increases. Atmospheric temperature increase result in weather changes, sea level rise and unexpected natural calamities.

Micosoft in Europe-The Real Stakes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Micosoft in Europe-The Real Stakes - Essay Example As with any large firm there are likely a number of legal issues that a company can face. In the original â€Å"European Union vs. Microsoft† case was originally stemmed from a complaint by Novell regarding the company’s licensing practices. The ultimate original decision was that Microsoft was ordered by the European Commission of the EU to divulge some information in its server products and for the company to re-release its Windows operating system without a mandatory Windows Media Player application. Strengths and Weaknesses within Microsoft: For this section of the paper two of the four components of as SWOT Analysis in which the simple strengths and weaknesses of the firm will be covered. From information presented in the case it has become clear that Microsoft has the financial means to sustain the direct financial costs associated with the European Union upholding the original decision of the case. As it is the case that Microsoft still controls a substantial portion of the operating system and office suite market for personal computers at 93% and 97% respectively. If the company was forced to divulge a significant portion of their strategic competencies it can be that the firm has the human capital to create new strategic advantages. Furthermore if the firm produces a new operating system every couple of years it would only be a matter of time before a new method gaining increased market-share can be implemented Opportunities and Threats: Although this paper will cover both opportunities and threats, as highlighted in chapter 4 of our course textbook a Porter’s (1979) Five Forces model will also be used. In terms of opportunities, in the case study it was not presented that customers were angry with Microsoft rather it is their competitors. As such one could conclude that there is still marketability of their product offerings even if the courts were to rule against them. Whilst it