The Implications for a New Technology Photosynth Research Paper

The Implications for a New Technology Photosynth - Research Paper Example This wasn’t merely limited to text but was also extended to images. For instance, the demonstration featured an overhead shot of the United States and the program allowed one to zoom in on any specific area and view all the street corners – all without having to load new computer screens. The other revolutionary segment of Photosynth featured images that were linked together in a sort of imagistic universe. This was demonstrated as a three-dimensional depiction of Notre Dame Cathedral was featured that was composed entirely of Flicker images. The presentation demonstrated how the program took a specific instance of a tourist’s photograph wherein their hands made a circle around one segment of the Notre Dame Cathedral. Photosynth was then able to determine which segment of the Cathedral the tourist had circled and then collate this segment with a multitude of other photographs to construct the three-dimensional image of the Cathedral. In considering the implications for this new technology, there is a multitude of applications in which it can be utilized. The revolutionary qualities of this platform have even gained considerable attention, being featured in numerous articles, and even an episode of Crime Scene Investigation (CSI) (Bishop). Its implementation in the context of law enforcement only touches the surface of what such technology holds for the future. In an extremely novel use of the technology, the CNN network utilized Photosynth in capturing elements of the Barack Obama’s Presidential Inauguration ("CNN.com"). In these regards, CNN was able to collate images that demonstrate the inauguration from a multitude of angles in its entire splendour. In these regards, it’s clear that Photosynth opens the virtual dimensions of reality to an entirely new level. NASA has even grasped the potential of Photosynth. In its recent collaboration with Microsoft, the technology was utilized to give viewers never before seen access to the shuttle pre-launch, as well as the ability to tour Kennedy Space Center (MSDN).  Ã‚  

Water pollution prevention Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Water pollution prevention - Research Paper Example For a sustainable life on planet earth, water is one of the most important indispensable commodity without which survival of human life and all the other life forms is not possible. It affects our economy, health and lifestyle.The major utilization of this resource is in industries such as agriculture, hydroelectric power generation, transportation, industry along with domestic and commercial uses. Major portions of the earth’s surface are covered with water in the form of oceans and ice caps and therefore difficult to recover; however, only 3% of these water bodies (rivers, lakes) constitute fresh water available for human consumption. Also rainwater is a major source of our water supply on earth. Water pollution has become a global environmental issue due to rapid industrialization, population boom, increased economic activities and demand for fresh water has increased manifolds in the past years. Any detrimental variation (physical, chemical or biological) in the state of w ater by contamination of harmful substances is known as water pollution (Goel1). It influences all the water bodies such as lakes, rivers, oceans and ground water. It affects human beings, plants, animals, birds and fish etc. and is responsible for disturbing the natural ecosystem on earth. There are several sources for water contamination however; there are two primary routes through which these contaminants enter surface water, ground water, drinking water and soil/sediment water. (a) Point source pollution. The discharge of distinct pollutant sources directly into water bodies and aquatic systems (USEPA 14). For example: 1. Domestic/Municipal sewage: The waste water generated from household/commercial activities contains organic (food waste) and inorganic waste (nitrates and phosphates) (WWF 2). The amount of organic waste that water bodies can degrade is determined in terms of Biological oxygen demand. BOD is the amount of oxygen required by the microorganisms to decompose organ ic matter and thus the higher amount of BOD in a water body signifies that it is polluted with organic waste. However, inorganic wastes produced largely by soaps and detergents are non-degradable and upon entering the water bodies causes serious implications on ecosystem. 2. Industrial effluents: Waste water containing organic pollutants and toxic chemicals (lead, mercury, nitrates and phosphates) from manufacturing and processing industries causes water pollution. Also, disposal of solid and gaseous wastes from nuclear and thermal power plants are a source of water pollution (Agarwal 37). 3. Agriculture: Agricultural wastes include manure, slurries and run off. Manure being rich in nitrates and phosphates seeps in the sediments/ground water causing water pollution. 4. Atmospheric gases: As a result of industrial gaseous emissions and automobile exhaust the concentration of dissolved gases such as nitrogen, oxygen, sulphur dioxide, ammonia and carbon dioxide is increased sufficientl y in atmosphere. Subsequently, the water in close proximity to these polluted areas becomes concentrated with these gases resulting in water pollution (Agarwal 39). (b) Non-point source pollution (NPS): Contaminants entering indirectly into water bodies through ground/soil water or atmosphere through rain comprise of NPS. These include gaseous emissions from factories, automobiles, agricultural run-off etc. (USEPA 13). Agricultural NPS is the leading source of water quality degradation and is majorly caused by runoff soils carrying fertilizers, growth hormone residue, pesticides and heavy metals etc. Other sources of water pollution include spillage of oil and harmful substances in water bodies, atmospheric deposition, marine dumping, radioactive wastes and global warming. All of these have devastating and extensive damage effects on aquatic life (Agarwal 37). Harmful effects of water pollution are: 1. Source of contaminants/pathogens to human beings: According to UN world water Ass essment Program, around 2.3

Impact Of Globalization And Deregulation On Air Lines Tourism Essay

Impact Of Globalization And Deregulation On Air Lines Tourism Essay Air transport is a major industry by its own right and it is a source of very important inputs into wider political, economic and social processes. The demand for air transport has created global effects which in return have affected its supply both locally and internationally. This paper will provide an insight to the effects of globalization, the results of deregulation and privatization on the airlines and airport sector. It will also provide information concerning the main revenue sources within airports and techniques used to measure performance. In addition it will address issues concerned with safety in airports and measures for dealing with the security issues. Summary Globalization has an adverse effect on the demand and supply of services in the air transport sector which in return leads to adjustment of both the local and international prices, air trade policies and the consumption rate. Consequently the increased geographical coverage leads to increased concentration of traffic in the international hub airport. There is an argument that globalization results to increase in income and consumption on monthly basis as a result of overall increase in economic activities. In addition the profits achieved by air lines are highly affected by globalization since the competing airlines have to vary their prices in order to compete in the international markets, this could lead to some competitors to lower their prices or even increase according to the demand and supply in a given periods of the year. Deregulation resulted to both short and long term effects in the air industry. It made some airlines to cancel their services to some places since after deregulation the companies were running on losses. It also allowed new airline companies to enter into the market without following the already established rules by the bigger and already exiting companies. Privatization has led to increased charges in the airports as a result of lack of enough economic regulations and failure to apply the principles of ICAO in calculating tariffs and fees. The airport has two main revenue streams which are the aeronautical stream and the non-aeronautical stream. Both of these streams act as revenue sources with the latter doing better than the former. There are a number of safety and security problems that need to be addressed in most airport and they include the population of people living near the airports, wind, vortex constraints and the increased number of buildings in the airports. Airport Management From a general perspective, globalization can be referred to as the process through which people from all corners of the world are brought together to be members of a common society and work together. This process entails a combination of technological, socio-cultural, economic and political forces. Barret states that there are many implications manifested as a result of globalization which are very significant for the international air transport industry (229). Globalization therefore affects the demand and supply for air services leading to adjustments to air trade policies which in return have greatly changed the air trade: For instance the open sky police have affected the demand for air lines so much as result of allowing more efficient feed to the long-haul stage of transatlantic operations (Barret 235).Consequently the increased geographical market coverage has led to increased concentration of the traffic in the international hub airports. Large physical market demand coupled with increased integrated services such as common lounge, code sharing and excellent baggage checking have led to increased demand for international air services (Barret 235). Ashford, argues that globalization results to increased income and consumption in every month due to increase in overall economic activity, though the affluence is not evenly spread (67) .Several consumptions are facilitated by air transport, in larger nations a rise in income leads to many people spending more in internal vacations and having increased visits to friends and family. It is therefore evident that the competition for domestic services is affected by change in international demand. Globalization affects the profits gained by airlines, for example the early 1990s international financial crisis led to downturns in the market. Similarly other factors such as the New York and Washington terrorist attacks have demonstrated to have resulted to very bad moments in the industry. In contrast the returns achieved during the good times always fail to compensate for the bad times. Alderighi also argues that the key players in international market operate regular flier programs that honor frequent clients with bonuses and free flights, the bonuses include higher classes of services, up-grades and permission to have access to airport lounge (567). Many airlines have turned to reducing the cost in order to have an advantage over other stake holders. In case the competing carriers fail to match the reduced prices, then both fares maintain the competitive level of expensive-cost airlines, allowing the cheap-cost carrier to receive a margin toward fixed costs, alternatively the expensive-cost airline might quit the market. This strategy has been highly applied by the low-cost international airlines such as Ryanair in Europe, it helps the low-cost airlines to undercut their rivals and then obtain the market power. The market has been highly dominated by the low-cost carriers but as they expand they have shifted to more thinner and less suitable markets that fit their operation styles. Deregulation had both long and short term effects; first a bigger number of airlines stopped using routes with fewer profits that were used by passengers to travel to small cities. For instance, until 1978, the united airlines which previously had flown to Bakersfield, a thriving oil town in California with a population of 225,000 people stopped flight to the town, hence depriving the city dwellers flights to developed cities like Las Vegas .Secondly deregulation led to development of hub- and-spoke routes. The leading airlines centered their operations in the key cities which acted as the stops for many flights, even in cases where the flights were not in direct routes. Deregulations allowed the up-coming airlines to enter the market without agreeing with the demands of the bigger and well established airlines .A good example was the peoples Express, an airlines company which came up with unconventional management methods like fewer managers, low salaries and multiple job performance by employees. The company applied exceedingly tight operations in which passengers were responsible with paying for meals on plane and paid for baggage that they had checked- in. The company used very low fares that could be compared with the electricity bus lines. The revenues for peoples express increased dramatically all through 1980s, increasing up to a billion dollars in a day. Later in 1986 the company was sold after reaching its peak due to increased losses and complains of dissatisfaction by the passengers. Generally after deregulation of the CAB rules the result was that airlines competed within un-restricted ground for passengers hence a rise in revenue for th e bigger international and national airlines. Consequently it led to low fares. In a broad view privatization can be referred to as the process of reducing the involvement of the government in service provision. The result product of privatization of airlines and airports has been increased charges of services offered in airports, with some places recording drastic increases. This increase in charges is due to lack of sufficient economic regulations and failure to apply the ICAO principles in calculating tariffs and fees. The investors are also to be blamed for the increased charges due to their thirst to gain excess profits. In this effect some organizations have moved forward to control the entire process of privatization, for instance the AITAL which is a Latin American Transport Association states that it is not against privatization although it has fears that privatization will result to increase in tariff and fees which in turn will lead to increased airlines operating cost. The AITAL bases its argument on the view that the airports remain to be pure monop olies which inflict unilateral criteria. Another possible reason for increase in the operating cost is due to the fact that in current market fees and tariffs highly depend on competitive situation of the concerned markets, direct relation with operating cost is also lacking. It is therefore obvious that increased airport charges will lead to increases in costs of airlines, which cannot be indemnified by increase in fares. Question 2. The main revenue streams in an airport can be divided into two categories: The aeronautical and the non-aeronautical. Generally the aeronautical source is composed of fees towards the traditional basis of airport-related ventures like the provisions of runways, facilitation, aircraft stands, security and more importantly the staff undertaking such activities (342). On the other hand the non-aeronautical revenues are gained by undertaking activities such as offering parking, retail businesses, operating restaurants, advertising and provision of accommodation facilities. Interestingly the non-aeronautical income is growing so rapidly compared to the aeronautical revenues hence providing greater profit margins. In order to ensure that all the activities within an airport occur following the prescribed time and with low cost one needs to come up with good performance evaluation techniques. Therefore using an airport scorecard helps so much in ensuring that all activities in an airstrip are done correctly. To have excellent performance the crew members should receive good care and total attention so that they can perform to achieve excellent performance. In addition of more importance is security issues within the airport, this should be handled with utmost power and interest. One way of ensuring that an airport has good security network is by installing the relevant technological gadgets in order to keep away all the intruders (Barrett 535) The major performance indicators can be used as key factors to show the performance of a business and help in filling in the gaps between the real performance and standard performance. Another technique used in airports to establish their performance entails use of airport management KPIS which is divided into four perspectives-passenger relation perspective, financial perspective, social consideration and flight related services. The financial perspective gives an explanation concerning the sources of revenues and expenditures within an airport. These include the operating expenses, aircraft parking fees and passenger charges. The passenger related operations point at the operations in the airport that directly affect passengers. These operations include baggage, number of security checks, check-in time, number of available trolleys for the clients and the immigration time. The flight related operations include checking delays in the National airspace system, delays caused by weather and Air carrier delays (Barrett, 458). This is indicators are very important in analyzing different flight delay factors. The social consideration is concerned with ensuring that the social responsibility and accountability within a business are achieved. Question 3. Cooper, states that the safety and security issues in and around the airports need to be addressed in a very serious matter (712). The safety problems arise as a result of interaction of various factors like traffic, environment and technology. Another reason why the safety issues in most airports needs to be addressed lies in the available evidence, basically provided by the 747 crash in 1992 in Amsterdam. The 1992 crash showed that people living around the airports are exposed to high risks which are comparable to the strictly regulated risks found around chemical plants. Therefore with traffic volumes rapidly increasing there is a prediction that continued growth in the coming years will put a strain on airport capacity. For example the airbus industries predict that there will be an average yearly passenger traffic increase of 5.0 per cent before the next 20 years, which will have an impact of increasing the traffic to 168 per cent. Another safety concern is presented through a dimension concerned with third party risk as seen in increasing number of countries in Europe. Way states that the air transport system relies on airports as hubs hence their presence leads to a convergence of air traffic around the airports (72-73). In addition many accidents occur at the times of take-off and when landing and hence this happens near airports. The critical issues that need to be addressed in order to prevent an increase in safety problems related to the airport include having control over turbulence environments and wind at airports; these are area of great concern. Airports are a major attraction for corporate real estates and therefore buildings are increasingly being erected next to the runways (Wells 459). In return this buildings cause wind turbulence that in some cases make the aircrew to temporarily loss control over the aircraft immediately before the touchdown or immediately after lift-off hence resulting to very serious accidents. As a result of the great monetary value gained from the building spaces in the airports, the pressure to authorize the building activities to continue will definitely grow. A current ICAO criterion on obstacle clearance does not provide enough protection. The wake vortex constraints is another issue that needs to be addressed since it governs the distance that should be maintained between aircraft lined in sequence while making an approach to the runway. The distance determines the capacity at the runways during peak moments and therefore the general airport capacity. Another aspect that is increasingly becoming a limiting factor to airport capacity is environmental constraints and in particular noise pollution. To solve this issue the ATC organizations have developed advanced departure and arrival procedures like Continuous Descent. In conclusion, the airport department has been seen to face certain challenges such as deregulation, globalization and privatization. Despite this, this department has been a key contribution to the economic growth throughout the world. The management has set certain measures to fight these challenges and improve the airport sector. Due to the increased air transport system, the sector is also expected to gain more profits and improvements hence fighting to increase the growth of the economy. The management should hence be made tough and competent enough to achieve the set goals. Work Cited Alderighi, Moses. Network competitionthe coexistence of hub-and-spoke and point- to- point systems, Journal of Air Transport Management 11, 5 (2005): 328-334. Print. Ale, Sjareen. The assessment and management of third party risk around a major airport. Journal of Hazardous Materials 2.3 (2000):71-80. Print. Ashford, Stanton. Airport Operations, New York: McGraw-Hill .1997. Print. Barrett, Moon. How do the demands for airport services differ between full-service carriers and low-cost carriers? Journal of Air Transport Management, 10 (2004): 33-39. Print. Cooper, Etal. Tourism Principles and Practice. Harlow: Prentice Hall, 2006. Print. Hollo, Barrett, Airport competition in the deregulated European aviation market. Journal of Air Transport Management, 6 (2000):13-27. Print. Page, Joseph. Transport Tourism: Global Perspectives. Harlow: Prentice Hall, 2005. Print. Way, Taylor. The Business of Tourism. Harlow: Prentice Hall, 2006. Print. Wells, Alexander. Airport Planning and Management. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2003. Print.

Immortal Hopes of Animal Farm Essay -- English Literature Essays

Immortal Hopes of Animal Farm Communism is supposed to be a system under which all property would be held in common. The dignity of the poor workers oppressed by capitalism would be restored, and all people would live as equals in communism. This book, Animal Farm by George Orwell is an amusing story of allegory of the early history of the Soviet Union. Orwell wanted to make political writing into an art and to harmonize political concerns with artistry. As he became inspired by the Russian Revolution he wanted to show how some governments would do almost anything it took to succeed the rest. The book itself has acquainted many by providing a basis to describe the problems of communism as it was once tried in Russia during the 20th century. We have a deeply marked example in the history of Soviet Communism, where many were slaughter to only satisfy one person, Stalin. I believe George Orwell created Animal Farm with the goal of showing people that there is not a pure form of communism and to realize the mass amount of time, effort, energy, and lives it took for people (or animals) to realize that c ommunism (animalism) would not succeed. In Animal Farm Orwell verified the moral economic failure of the Russian Communist system. Mr. Jones symbolizes Czar Nicholas Romanov II, the leader before Stalin (Napoleon). Jones represents the old government (monarchy), the last of the Czars. Orwell implies that Mr. Jones (Czar Nicholas Romanov II) was losing his "edge". In fact, he and his men had taken up the habit of drinking. Old Major reveals his feelings about Jones and his administration when he says, "Man is the only creature that consumes without producing. He does not give milk, he does not lay eggs, he is too weak to pull the plough, and he cannot run fast enough to catch rabbits. Yet he is lord of all the animals. He sets them to work, he gives back to them the bare minimum that will prevent them from starving and the rest he keeps for himself." So Jones and the old government are successfully uprooted by the animals. Just like in November of 1917, when squads of Red Guards, sailors, and factory workers overthrew the government and showed them that they no longer had support. The pigeons symbolize Soviet Propaganda to countries like Germany, England, France, and even the United States. The USSR was very enthusiastic about its achievements and its... ...on of the seven commandments and the '"'Beasts of England'"', Napoleon becomes more of a dictator. I deeply and truly believe communism will never carry out the way it is planned to. There are too many factors to support this. But what I"'"ve come to an understanding is that Communism does not give equality. If anything it only takes away the little freedom some may have. Thus it also demolishes all hopes and dreams for it sets a constant never ending future. There will always be an abuse of power towards the naà ¯ve proletariats who are constantly seeking to better themselves. No matter the quantity of efforts towards equality one may give, there will not be equality; for we as humans become obsessed with power once we are entrusted and only to become even more power-hungry. I can say I truly learned from this book that communism will never be an efficient part of any government. For freedom is taken away without a warning as people become one with faded dreams of the better tomorrow. I believe George Orwell carried out his goal of teaching people that communism would not be eff icient and if anything the most loyal like Boxer would die in immortal hopes of life ever progressing.

New York Stock Exchange (NYSE)

1)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The two leading stock exchanges are the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and the National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations.   The NYSE began in 1792 with 24 stock owners gathering on Wall street to buy and sell stock. The stock exchange has the largest dollar volume of stock sales in the world, but the NASDAQ   has a larger stock volume. Membership in the NYSE is through â€Å"seats† and seat-holders are guaranteed the right to trade on the floor of the stock exchange.   The NASDAQ was established in 1971 as the first completely electronic trading forum. The NYSE was at the time the largest stock exchange in the world, but in the 1990s it was surpassed in stock volume by the NASDAQ. There are approximately 3300 companies traded on the NASDAQ;   there are 2,764 on the NYSE. 2)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   If a firm’s shares grew from $1 to $2 per share over a 10-year period, the total growth over the course of the decade is 100 percent, but that does not mean that the annual growth would be 10 percent.   If fact, because annual growth is based on the beginning price, 10 percent annual growth is simply not a mathematical possibility. The math makes it more clear. If in the first year, stock is $1 then with 10 percent annual growth, the price would $1.10 at the beginning of the second year. During the second year, ten percent growth would add 11 cents to the share’s price. Share prices would increase 12 cents the third year and so forth. At the end of a decade with 10 percent annual growth per year, the shares would be $2.41. So, it is false to believe that 100 percent total growth in a decade, does not mean 10 percent annual growth. 3)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Simply because the returns of two stocks are negatively correlated does not necessarily mean that one of the stocks is a negative beta.   Though a negative beta would negatively correlate with a stock that performs well during market upturns, it is not required for the negative correlation. Two stocks can have little to nothing in common and both be dependant on the same sort of market action for growth. For example, stocks previously considered to be totally unrelated all perform poorly when the market takes a major downturn. High tech stocks, housing stocks and retail stocks can all be hit by a sharp market turn regardless of the limited correlation between these types of stocks.   A negative beta does not guarantee that the stock can hold steady during those severe drops.

Investigating how business works Essay

Philip Markham Ltd is a family firm. It is traditional manufacturers of classic men swear and produces a wide range of exclusive shirts and ties. It also sells a more limited range of trousers, jackets, overcoats and sweaters. Only shirts and ties are manufactured in the factory in Marlington. Other items are obtained by placing orders with specialist manufacturers. Philip Markham aims to manufacture and sell high quality men’s clothing at fair, competitive prices and to all its customers. Objectives are to use high quality fabric for the shirts and customers can select which style of sleeve of collar they prefer, which type of sleeve fastening and even the length of the sleeve. The four functional areas I will be looking at are: – Resources and IT Finance Production Human Resources Resources and IT The company operates from a large factory, which was purchased by Philip Markham in the 1920s. Jack’s father, the great grandson of Philip Markham refurbished it in the 1970s and the offices are quite spacious and pleasant. The company first introduced computers in the 1980s. Kim Fields was appointed in 1992 and the company now has a small-networked computer system. Computers are used for: * Recording purchases and sales * Preparing financial and management accounts * Recording payroll information and calculating salaries and wages each month * Recording orders received from mail order customers analysing these * Keeping a database of all personnel employed by the company * Preparing letters and memos * Sending e-mails between departments. At the time the IT facilities were introduced it has been planned to locate them within the finance function. Finally, however, it was decided that it should be linked to Administration, as it involved all areas of the business. Marsha Webb is currently investigating how IT could help her to monitor manufacturing levels more easily. Finance The ten staff that works in finance are very important to the success of the company’s Philip Markham. Above all they make sure that they receive the money they are owed, they pay employee bills – and you receive your salary each month. They also make sure that each department does not spend more than it has been allocated. Each department has a budget, which is monitored by its administrator and director – as well as by finance – which can give up-to-date information on the level of expenditure at any time. Finance also has the task of preparing all the accounts each year so that they comply with their legal responsibilities to the Inland Revenue. Pete Martin, however, undertakes number-crunching activities on a far more regular basis. He is their management accountant and his responsible for checking that their production levels and sales are on target. He advises all the directors about the current financial health of the company on a weekly basis. Typical job title Function and responsibilities Financial director Giving advice to senior managers on the overall financial policy of the organisation. Overseeing the company budget. In charge of all the finance function in the organisation. Financial manager Managing the finance function and staff. Advising on financial resources. Chief accountant Overseeing the preparation of the final accounts of the organisation. Management accountant Producing continuous financial information for management. Credit controller Advising on credit policies. Ensuring that money owing to company is kept within agreed levels. Chief cashier Responsible for the receipt, safe keeping, banking and accounting of all cash received. Payroll administrator Responsible for overseeing the company payroll and salary/wage section. Wages clerks Assist the payroll administrator in the production of salary and wage details. Ledger clerks Assist the chief accountant in the recording of all financial transaction. Credit control clerks Assist the credit controller in checking the credit status of new customers and existing accounts. Reminding customers of overdue payments. Production In the induction programme Philip Markham show people who visit their Production area and show them all the different operations that are carried out. The layout of the area has been designed to maximise the flow of materials when they are producing shirts, from cutting to finishing. After shirt material has been cut it is clipped with either a blue ticket – for standard shirts – or a red ticket, for customised shirts. Blue ticket items are passed to the machinists who carry out all the main sewing operations. Red ticket items go to a different group of machinists who also carry out the alterations required. The finishers are responsible for adding all the finishing touches – from the buttons to the label – and they will also carry out any special finishing instructions noted on red ticketed items. Quality control is very importance at Philip Markham and each team – cutters, machinists and finishers – is responsible for ensuring that quality is right at every stage of the process. Then the shirts and ties pass to the packing department, which is part of despatch. Shirts used to have to be folded by hand. But now this has been partially mechanised and is much quicker. The shirts are boxed and labelled – it is at this stage that the goods have to be linked to the correct paper work and the dispatchers ensure that each box includes the correct delivery note and advise note for the haulier. Philip Markham subcontracts the delivery of its goods. This works out cheaper than keeping a fleet of vehicles and maintaining them. Also parts of Production are the purchasing staff and the designers. Purchasing is responsible for obtaining the best quality fabrics at the best prices and making sure all of their raw materials are delivered on time. How much to stock, what to stock and for how long are critical decisions. They only have limited storage place and keeping too much cloth in stock is expensive – so they need to maintain good relationships with reliable suppliers. Their designers are also part of the production team. They have a keen eye on fashion and aim to produce new designs each year. This also means choosing new fabrics and new designs, which will appeal to Philip Markham customers. The design team is busy all year and works at least six months ahead – so that the new ranges can be include in their catalogues which are produced each January (for spring and summer wear) and July (for autumn and winter). Design links very closely with Sales and Marketing as we try to incorporate customer feedback and suggestions into their new designs. Typical job title Job role Production director Responsible for the entire production function and its operations. Operations or Works manager Responsible for the production of all goods as scheduled and to the quality required. Purchasing manager Responsible for the acquisition of raw materials. Chief engineer Responsible for all maintenance staff and for scheduling equipment maintenance and recommending modifications. Chief designer Responsible for the design team and the design of the finished products Production planners Plan all production to maximise machine use and staffing, taking account of customer requirements. Production controllers Check production is going to schedule. Quality controllers Check quality is to the required standard. Buyers/order clerks Buy the raw materials required for production. Stores staff Store and monitor stocks of all raw materials and components and issue these as required. Draughtsmen Responsible for the technical design of manufactured equipment. Foremen Supervise the maintenance staff and factory operatives. Despatch clerks Responsible for the despatching the finished goods. Designers Responsible for the actual design of the product. Engineers Responsible for carrying out equipment maintenance. Factory operatives Undertake the production and assembly of manufactured items by machine or by hand. Human Resources Philip Markham would not be successful if it did not have the commitment of its entire staff. In Human resources they focus on the needs of all the staff and try to do all they can to help to recruit the best people they can – and look after them whilst they work there. These are the most important functions of this department. Their legal experts are Mark butler (for employment law) and Kate Parks (for health and safety). The company operates an equal opportunities policy and aims to treat all its employees fairly and equally in all aspects relating to their employment. Administration at Philip Markham is carried within each department, but in HR/admin they coordinate central services, such as the switchboard, reception, mail room, security, cleaning and building maintenance and last – but by no means least – the staff canteen. Janet Gregory and her team run this. Janet is always keen to receive suggestions from staff and feedback on different types of snacks and meals they would like to see on the menu. IT services is also part of their function. Kim is IT services Manager and Graham, her assistance, helps by developing their range of IT applications – when he is not supporting users, answering queries, solving problems and trouble-shooting in general! Philip Markham sees IT as a developing and rapidly growing area because of the benefits it can bring to the company as a whole and staff operations in particular. If you will be a computer user at Philip Markham your staff training on IT will be organised by Graham and if you have any problems with your computer, the number to call is 4080. The larger the organisation is, the more likely to have a several staff working in the Human Resources. For example: – Human resources director who is a senior manager in the organisation and this is more likely to be found at a large manufacturing organisation which employs thousands of workers. A medium company will have human resource manager who overseas a much smaller number of staff. Human resources function is to deal with the employee who works for the company. Wise organisation regard staff as the most important resource. The reason why I think human resources make their employees an important figure in their company is because their employees are well trained, keen to do their best and committed to the aims of the business. Supposed employees of one organisation are not motivated at their work then all the money and best equipment in the world wouldn’t make that organisation successful. The A-Z of Human Resource services – A flavour of what we do A. For application forms, absences and appraisals B. Covers benefits and bonuses C. Concerns contracts of employment, conditions of service, counselling services D. To discuss your development, your rights under discrimination or disability legislation E. All areas relating to your employment, earning, equal opportunities, eye sight tests and exit interviews F. To talk to us about fairness at work G. If you’ve grievance, perhaps H. For holiday entitlement, hours and health I. For illness, interviews and industrial relations J. For job descriptions and job share opportunities K. If you want to improve your knowledge and know how L. For leave of absence, if you need it M. For maternity, medical examinations and mentors N. For notice periods and National Insurance information O. To check on overtime and off-the-job or on-the-job training opportunities P. Perhaps for pay, pensions, probationary periods or paternity leave Q. For qualifications and queries R. For references, recruitment, retirement, resignations and your rights in general S. Search us out for information on salaries, sickness pay, self-certification T. For tax, training, trade union membership, time off U. For understanding your rights, for knowing what is and is not unfair V. For victimisation and vocational training W. For welfare and wages, works council and working conditions X. For extra special attention when you need it Y. For you – a person we like to see Z. For zappy – the way we operate – and zilch – because nothing is too much trouble! Typical job title Function and responsibilities Human resources director Deciding the overall staffing policies of the organisation. Advising senior management. Setting the HR budget. In charge of all the HR functions in the organisation. Human resources manager Managing the HR department and staff, involved with industrial relations and trade union negotiations, implementing the organisation’s HR policies. Recruitment officer Responsible for the recruitment and selection of staff. Training/staff development officer Responsible for training and staff development. Personnel/staffing officer Keeping staff records, monitoring staff welfare. Health and safety officer Overseeing all health and safety matters, accident monitoring and prevention. Security officer General security, responsible for all security staff. HR administrative assistants Administrative work relating to the human resources function. Orpington College Comparing to Philip Markham LTD Management Structure ——— Organisation Chart Academic year 2002/2003 Why have an organisation Structure? * Employees know what job to do. * Who they are responsible for. * What the responsibilities are. * To whom they are responsible. * How the employee links with other members of staff. There is no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ organisation structure, as long as it helps people to work efficiently, communicate easily and assists the business to achieve its aims and objectives. Orpington College is a flat structure organisation and Flat structure does not have many layers, which means information is sent quickly; with less complication or misunderstanding; therefore it produces the correct result. Having a Flat structure communication is easier {clear information, understanding} between each layer, therefore when decisions are made, they will be specific to advice/order instructions. It has 13 managers in the College, Chief executive, 3 levels management, span of control between 2 and 4 and 4 top level of management in (guidance &marketing manager – assistance principle, staff & Resources and Clerk to the corporation – assistance principle, finance and information systems – assistance principle, curriculum & Students) Philip Markham is Hierarchical structure is based on distinct chain of commands from Managing director to sales director (according to Philip Markham). Decisions are made at the top and pass down. This kind of organisational is usually based on clearly defined procedures and roles. It has 10 managers in the company, no chief executive, managing director, 5 levels management, span of control between 2 and 4 and 4 top level of management in (financial director – production director – HRM/administration director and marketing and sales director.) Communications at Philip Markham Internal communications Every Monday mourning there is a meeting between Jack Markham and his directors. Minutes of this meeting are produced by Maria Forbes and sent to all staff. Each director holds a weekly team briefing with his/her staff to update them on the latest developments in the organisation. These are unofficial, relatively short affairs, just to keep people informed. There are weekly meetings each Wednesday mourning between Production and Sales/Marketing about sales and production targets. Any problems in production that are affecting orders are also discussed. Internal communications are mainly by memo, e-mail and telephone. All senior staff has pagers as well as those who are regularly away from their desk or may need to be called urgently, e.g. the health, safety and security officer, the manufacturing manager and the buildings supervisor. There is a notice board in Human Resources which contains information on staff events as well as details of job vacancies which are always advertised internally as well as externally. All staff has an annual appraisal interview with their own line manager but regular discussions are also held on individual staff performances and opportunities for staff training and development. External communications External communications are mostly by letter, telephone and fax. Senior sales staffs visit important potential business customers. Existing business customers are contacted by telephone at least once a month as well as being sent promotional material. Private customers are sent routine mailshots by sales and marketing as well as new mail order catalogues, as these are produce. In an organisation with dozens of employees, it is important that each member of staff knows exactly what to do, and how this links up with work carried out by other members of staff. People are therefore grouped into functional areas which relate to their job, so that people doing similar jobs work in the same area. These areas are then linked in an overall structure. In a large organisation we are likely to find more functional areas than in a small or medium-sized one. In this case we may find that there are only a few departments performing a variety of functions. Within a functional. The advantages of Ict upon communication internal and external communication at Cadbury are: * Fast (compared to other methods such as writing a letter) * Can be more accurate (easier to correct errors) * Allows people to use the information quickly and efficient * Can get access to a wide range of information easily * Easy and cheap to store information * Can access information where ever you are in the world (and can communicate with people where ever they are) * Often cheap to access * Quality of information can be better Disadvantages: * Messages can be misunderstood * Can take time to clarify misunderstanding * Chance that messages can be sent to the wrong people * People can be unfamiliar with the system * Employees may need training (costly) * Employees may feel de-motivated/ stressed by new technology * Messages can be held up due to technical problems * Lack of visual communication can hinder the quality of communication * Employees can suffer from information over load Ways to avoid some of these disadvantages are by * Training staff * Use face-to-face communication (maybe through the performance management system) * Make sure employees feel they can get to see their manager * Have technical support * Help employees, by satisfying their social needs e.g. through social club * Make sure employees are only given training that will be useful. Equal Opportunities Legislation and Other Employment Law Equal opportunities has been a legal requirement since the 1970s at Philip Markham yet a large engineering firm recently paid a substantial amount out of court because other female personnel manager was paid à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½10,000 less than a male colleague doing exactly the same job. This situation is under a Sex Discrimination Act 1975 where this act makes it illegal for anyone to be discriminated against on grounds of gender (or gender reassignment) – either directly or indirectly. In a record settlement just before an ET hearing in Newcastle-upon-Tyne in April 2000, Mark Hedley agreed an estimated à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½300,000 compensation from his ex-employers, the cut-price grocery chain ALDI. This is the highest sum awarded to date under Disability Discrimination Act 1995 and it is understood ALDI settled to avoid damaging publicity. Mark Hedley had been prevented from returning to his à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½34,000 store manager job after being diagnosed HIV positive – even though he was fit for work. A report from the Trades Union Congress argues that people of African, Afro-Caribbean and Asian ethnicity don’t get their fair share of promotions at work despite having better qualifications. According to the race issues policy officer at the TUC, black people are less likely to be turned down for a job as ‘held back’ from promotion. People already in work – bring most cases to tribunals not just for being turned down for promotion but also for conditions of work, lack of training and racial abuse. This situation is under The Race Relation Act 1976. This act makes it unlawful for anyone to be discriminated against on grounds of colour, race, nationality or ethnic origin. An increasing number of lawyers are offering a no-win, no-fee service to employees who think they have been unfairly dismissed (The Employment Rights Act 1996). This helps those who don’t belong to a union to obtain free advice. This, plus the fact that the maximum compensation limit an employee can expect from a tribunal has increased to à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½56,000, appears to be the reason for the huge rise in cases. Between July 1998 and 1999 ACAS recorded 136, 000 notifications of industrial tribunals – a 30% increase on the previous year. Since 1986, harassment has been classed as an act of discrimination. It is not only the employee who harasses who is guilty but also the employer if nothing has been done to take ‘reasonable steps’ to stop it. Firms must make it clear that harassment amounts to gross misconduct. The Equal Opportunities Commission received 700 complaints about harassment in 1999. Some cases are settled out of court – Dee Mazurkiewica, a former police detective, won a reported à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½300,000 from Thames Valley police. This was a serious case but smaller settlements – from à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½5 to à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½20,000 – can result from acts of ‘belittling’ – such as making inappropriate or sexist comments or behaving in away that another person finds sexually threatening or insulting.

Gender inequality in Algeria

Gender inequality in Algeria Historically, men have always dominated in both social and private lives of women and Algeria is not any different. Algerian women had to suffer extreme hardships from French colonizers and then their husbands and government. Women have had a deciding role in Algeria gaining its independence from France but this did not change the matter of things and cruel and unusual treatment that they receive today, should not be tolerated or allowed.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Gender inequality in Algeria specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Zahia Smail Salhi in an article titled â€Å"The Algerian feminist movement between nationalism, patriarchy and Islamism† talks about the abuse Algerian women have received at the hand of the French colonizers. They were sexually assaulted, auctioned, killed and dehumanized. It is extremely difficult to accept that mere one hundred and fifty to two hundred years ago, a civilized Euro pean nation, France, could allow such atrocities to happen. Soldiers behaved like savages excluding themselves from all that is human. Women had no way of fighting back, as Algerian men were also being colonized. This added even more hardships to women because they would suffer from their husbands too, who were angry and mistreated by the French colonizers. Then, the French realizes that the key to overtake Algeria is to strike at its heart, which was women and their preservation of homes and tradition. They set out to assimilate female population and the treatment worsened. Women had no choice but to fight back and they took up arms. They led active warfare against soldiers and patrols and finally succeeded. At the time the French were still present and Algeria was a colony, women’s rights movement has begun; this took place in 1940 (Salhi, 2010). Catherine Lloyd describes the next era that has begun when women started a revolution and the feminist movement has gained great momentum. The article â€Å"From taboo to transnational political issue: Violence against women in Algeria† describes the revolution at the time of occupation by French, which added even larger strain to the conditions in the country. The French realized that they had to fight against the whole nation and their cruelty increased, â€Å"it was estimated that Algeria lost a quarter of its population, in the period up to independence in 1962† (Lloyd, 2006). Women’s protests and fighting for their rights continued on two fronts, one was the French domination and the other was their own national government and male population, with a view that segregated and dehumanized women. It seems unacceptable and unimaginable that some twenty years ago, in the modern age of human rights and freedoms, women had to and still suffer such abuse. The most despicable fact is that during the colonization and the Revolution women would fight alongside men and there would marriages betw een comrades.Advertising Looking for essay on history? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The Algerian society was united where women were appreciated and enjoyed equal treatment and authority. But after the war has ended and women returned to their homes, men went back to their old ways and continued to deny women of their rights and freedoms. This sort of treatment led to the next period of fighting of women for their equality that continues in the present times. An article titled â€Å"Women and politics in Algeria from the war of Independence to our day† by Djamila Amrane rightfully signifies an important and deciding role that women played in the independence of Algeria. It centers on the help that they provided in the following years but acknowledgement of their input disappeared, as if it did not exist. The fact that women helped to build back the ruins of society and the heroism they showed in the war eff orts, was forgotten by their husbands and the government. Men would get divorced from their wives and get married to younger women and this left their previous wives homeless and with children. The laws deprived the female population of all rights, giving full authority to the man. The government kept reinforcing policies that were degrading and unjust to women. It was forgotten that more than ten thousand women fought for Algeria and helped society get back on its feet. Women would not be allowed to work in professions that required formal and higher education, they would be denied to unveil themselves in public and any form of protest was strictly prosecuted (Amrane, 1999). Governmental and social abuse of female population continued to the modern times and is described by Karima Bennoune in an article â€Å"The war against women in Algeria†. Again, women were forced to form underground organizations and the fierce and determined women’s movement resumed its strength . As if this was not enough, the nineties and the modern days have brought about an Armed Islamic Group that would openly shoot and kill women in public. The religious fundamentalists would and trained militants would subject women who did not wear their veil to inhuman suffering. There are a number of cases where students would get acid thrown in their faces if they appeared in public without a veil, young girls and women would get kidnapped, assaulted and killed (Bennoune, 1995). The modern times have brought about same harsh and beast-like treatment of women.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Gender inequality in Algeria specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More All four articles describe horrific treatment of women in different periods of time by men and government. Women are still forced to meet in secret and fight against traditions that are not relevant anymore. The long history of women’s fighting and protection of their nation was not enough to change the world. Women deserve equal rights, freedom and respect, as much as men do, if not more. References Amrane, D. (1999). Women and politics in Algeria from the war of Independence to our day. Research in African Literatures. 30(3), 62-77. Bennoune, E. (1995). The war against women in Algeria. Ms, 6, 22. Lloyd, C. (2006). From taboo to transnational political issue: Violence against women in Algeria. Womens Studies International Forum. 29(5), 453–462. Salhi, Z. (2010). The Algerian feminist movement between nationalism, patriarchy and Islamism. Womens Studies International Forum. 33(2), 113–124.

Free Essays on Financial Disclosure

Abstract This paper evaluates Briggs and Stratton’s accounting polices and examines how the company’s accounting policies affect the firm’s key success factors. It also assesses Briggs and Stratton’s quality of disclosure and addresses potential red flags and unsustainable income and expenses. A company has a variety of accounting options it can use when reporting earnings to the public. These options affect how a company accounts for virtual ever item on its financial statements. Differences in estimates and accounting policies can significantly affect how a company recognizes revenue, expenses, and inventory levels. Few firms actually engage in outright fraudulent accounting actives. However, most organizations select accounting policies, which enhance the company’s perceived financial health. Many investors rely solely on a company’s earnings and growth rates. In addition, many contracts including executive compensation and financing agreements are tied to the company’s reported earnings and debt ratios. As a result, many firms have learned to use loopholes in the accounting standards to massage their earnings numbers. As an investor or an analyst evaluating a firm’s financial performance, one must recognize that companies use diff erent accounting policies, which can significantly affect the companies’ finical statements. An investor or analyst must adjust for those differences and be aware of accounting discrepancies. As a manufacturing company, one of Briggs and Stratton’s key success factors is its inventory management. Many of its accounting policies affect how inventory appears on the balance sheet and in turn how cost of goods sold appears on the income statement. Even some of the seemingly minor accounting policies greatly affect accounts on the financial statements. For instance, Briggs and Stratton utilize a fiscal year that runs from July to June (Briggs and Stratton, 2002)... Free Essays on Financial Disclosure Free Essays on Financial Disclosure Abstract This paper evaluates Briggs and Stratton’s accounting polices and examines how the company’s accounting policies affect the firm’s key success factors. It also assesses Briggs and Stratton’s quality of disclosure and addresses potential red flags and unsustainable income and expenses. A company has a variety of accounting options it can use when reporting earnings to the public. These options affect how a company accounts for virtual ever item on its financial statements. Differences in estimates and accounting policies can significantly affect how a company recognizes revenue, expenses, and inventory levels. Few firms actually engage in outright fraudulent accounting actives. However, most organizations select accounting policies, which enhance the company’s perceived financial health. Many investors rely solely on a company’s earnings and growth rates. In addition, many contracts including executive compensation and financing agreements are tied to the company’s reported earnings and debt ratios. As a result, many firms have learned to use loopholes in the accounting standards to massage their earnings numbers. As an investor or an analyst evaluating a firm’s financial performance, one must recognize that companies use diff erent accounting policies, which can significantly affect the companies’ finical statements. An investor or analyst must adjust for those differences and be aware of accounting discrepancies. As a manufacturing company, one of Briggs and Stratton’s key success factors is its inventory management. Many of its accounting policies affect how inventory appears on the balance sheet and in turn how cost of goods sold appears on the income statement. Even some of the seemingly minor accounting policies greatly affect accounts on the financial statements. For instance, Briggs and Stratton utilize a fiscal year that runs from July to June (Briggs and Stratton, 2002)...

When Is the PSAT 2019 PSAT Test Dates

When Is the PSAT 2019 PSAT Test Dates SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips If you’re coming up on your sophomore or junior year, you’re probably wondering when you’ll be taking the PSAT and how you should prepare. In this article, I’ll tell you when the PSAT is offered this year, how to get ready, and how this relates to your future plans for the SAT. 2019 PSAT Test Dates The PSAT will be offered in October 2019 to 10th and 11th graders. There are threepossible PSAT test dates this year. (These aren't yet confirmed by the College Board, but they expect to offer the PSAT on these dates.) Primary: Wednesday, October 16 Alternate: Wednesday, October 30 Saturday: October 19 The PSAT is administered by each high school on an individual basis (rather than at designated test centers like the SAT). This means that high schools get to decide which date to offer to students. The College Board recommends that schools choose October 16thfor administering the PSAT. October 19th is the Saturday option and October 30th is a secondary date that schools might use in circumstances where they can’t hold the test on the 16th.You will have to take the test on the date offeredat your school. How Should You Prepare for the PSAT? The PSAT was redesigned in 2015 to accord withthe 2016 redesign of the SAT. Here are some practice materialsto help you prepare for the PSAT. You can also read this article to get more information about practice tests you can use and this article for an overview of the changes to the PSAT. Since the PSAT test date is at the beginning of the school year in October, you will have the summer to prepare for the test.Preparing for the PSAT shouldn’t be as intense as for the real SAT, but if you’re looking to potentially get high enough scores to be eligible for a National Merit Scholarship, you should think about doing some studying. Take a practice test and see how you fare- then you can focus on improving in any weak subject areas. For the PSAT, one of the best things you can do to prepare is just pay attention in your classes and do some challenging outside reading.Developing your logical reasoning and reading comprehension skills as well as basic math knowledge will be key to doing well on this test and on the real SAT. Learning these things over time organically will make them stick in your brain much better. You’ll find that skills that were once difficult become second-nature with accumulated practice.This is much better than cramming right before the test, which might help a little but won’t give you the same level of confidence. Don't let your brain get too overwhelmed. Want to get a head start on the PSAT NMQST? We have the industry's leading PSAT prep program. Built by Harvard grads and SAT full scorers, the program learns your strengths and weaknesses through advanced statistics, then customizes your prep program to you so that you get the most effective prep possible. Check out our 5-day free trial today: How Much Time Do You Have Before the Real SAT? If you take the PSAT in 2019, you will be a sophomore or a junior. Depending on which grade you're in now, you might have more or less time between the PSAT and the SAT. For Sophomores It depends on how early you want to get started with taking the SAT.You could decide to take it in the spring of 2019 to become familiar with the test format and have plenty of time to study based on your weak areas before retaking.You could also waituntil your junior fall to take it for the first time, if you are hoping to avoid a retake and want to get some studying in over the summer. You may have up to a year between the PSAT and the first time you take the SAT, depending on your preferences about when you want to get started and how many times you plan on taking the test.Generally we recommend taking the SAT for the first time your junior fall. If you decide to wait until then, you’ll still have plenty of time to improve your scores! For Juniors If you’re taking the PSAT as a junior, you have less time before the SAT.It can be advantageous to take the PSAT as a junior, however, because you will have learned more material in school by then and will have a more solid grasp on all the concepts that are tested. A couple of months between the PSAT and the SAT should be enough time to study and achieve a modest bump in your scores.If you don’t do as well as you hoped, you can take the SAT again in fall of your senior year. October exams: A Very Special Spooky Scary SAT Test Date Predicted Future PSAT Dates in 2020, 2021, and 2022 If you’re a sophomore or younger, you might be wondering when the PSAT is offered in future years.Based on past dates, here are some predictions about when the PSAT will be held in 2020, 2021, and 2022: Year Regular Date Alternative Date Saturday Date 2020 Wednesday, October 14 Wednesday, October 28 Saturday, October17 2021 Wednesday, October 13 Wednesday, October 27 Saturday, October 16 2022 Wednesday, October 12 Wednesday, October 26 Saturday, October 15 What's Next? Do you have more questions about PSAT scores? Find out what a good PSAT score is and what your scores might mean. If you're aiming for a top score, learn what it takes to win a National Merit Scholarship. Disappointed with your scores? Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points?We've written a guide about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Health care Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 4

Health care - Essay Example this case, the mission statement is vital for an organization in order to facilitate prosperity and growth, since it has a positive impact on profitability, an increase of shareholders equity and it helps the employees to understand the company mission. 2. The health care organizations are integrating their operations with technology by use of computerized systems for communication. This has benefited to the organization, but there are some demerits associated with this integration due to the high dynamism associated with technology. The computerized systems are becoming obsolete with time, thus causing some difficulties since the rate of change is in a way that the organizations are unable to maintain updated systems. Therefore, changes in health care regulations and policies have led to confusion in various health care organizations resulting to a problem in communication and operation using the computer systems. In conclusion, the paper has explored issues related to a mission statement in order to elaborate about its significance to an organization. The paper has also discussed the effects of changes in health care policies and regulation, which are facilitating the use of computer systems leading to a difficulty in

Academic electronic medical record system usability testing Coursework

Academic electronic medical record system usability testing - Coursework Example Some researchers suggest that the main reasons for the backlog in new technology applications are the following: a large number of end-users (e.g. physicians, nurses, and other medical technical personnel) are still strong followers of traditional pen-and-paper methods of information retrieval and storage; high costs of implementation and maintenance of the systems; the usability of the programs are highly variable amongst the software developers and the end-users, with those not having enough computer technical know-hows end up not using the system to their advantage; the use of computer-based records interfere with the time allotted to interact with the patient; and because future nurses are not taught how to use electronic health records (EHR) as early as possible during their studying years (McBride, 2011; Master of Technical and Scientific Communication Program Students, 2004; Moody, et al., 2004; Natarajan, et al., 2010). ... Common EHR Usage in Hospitals Using HER’s in hospitals provide improvements in health care delivery mainly due to the reduction of inaccuracies in patient health and medicine records. There is considerably less misinterpretation of information handled from the reduced use of handwriting which often leads to inaccuracies in patient records or from missing information due to illegibility (Garrido, et al., 2005; Simon, et al., 2007). But EHR is not limited to the storage and retrieval of patient health information, as it also functions as a database for other kinds of data such as drug dosage and actions, disease symptoms, and physician information which many identified users can access in order to synchronise patient medical information and history from (Wang, et al., 2008). At the same time, EHR can also function as an alarm or reminder notification system for regular users in their work duties, such as patient check-up times or administration of drugs, creation of electronic m emos such as patient health progress, among others (Bonnel & Smith, 2010; Moody, et al., 2004; Simon, et al., 2007). This makes for the EHR's contribution in enhancing care delivery for end-users and other stakeholders, and it is expected that the number of agencies putting EHR in effect will also increase in proportion to the improvements made in the program user interfaces. Impact of Teaching EHR in Schools Due to the costs of EHR instalment and maintenance, it can be expected that the bulk of end-users of such programs would be large health facilities such as hospitals or other medical institutions, or individual practitioners tied to these facilities. This is mainly from the high volume of patients or clients that enter regularly or intermittently and have their health records

Impact of Global Financial Crisis on Fiscal Policy Essay

Impact of Global Financial Crisis on Fiscal Policy - Essay Example Battaglini and Coate (2008) presented the political economy model. The model was meant to understand the influence of the fiscal policy that it has on the Business cycle (Barseghyan, Battaglini & Coate, 2013). The model is based on the predictive premise that the fiscal policy is counter-cyclical in nature and that debt tends to decrease in periods of economic boom while increases during the period of economic recession (Barseghyan, et. al., 2013). Tax rates increase during the period of recession while lowered significantly during the boom period and vice versa holds true for public spending (Barseghyan, et. al., 2013). Under general belief the stabalising effects generated by the counter-cyclical fiscal policies is generated through automatic stabalisers and discretionary actions; but the counter cyclical policies have led to an increase in the government debt and also obligated the government to debt services in the coming future (Gordon & Leeper, 2005). Counter cyclical policies can be counterproductive as they require their financing from high tax rates, low spending and elevated financial growth in the future; and also this tends to leave no space for any other business cycle other than itself (Gordon & Leeper, 2005).Austerity means to reduce the public sector expenditure to enable reduction in the debt (Konzelmann, Wilkinson & Davies, 2003). This is only effective if the economy has economic growth to speak of (Konzelmann, et. al., 2003). The government of t

Authentic Assessments Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Authentic Assessments - Essay Example Authentic assessment is the product of a reform in education. This shift is to make standardized testing less drill oriented and applicable to what is expected will be necessary in the students' adult life. These tests hold students to higher standards as well as create a growing body of accurate awareness pertaining to student learning. This way the teacher learns from the student as well. The key argument these test pose is that for the traditional testing method, the right answers are not rationales. This basically acknowledges that the level of logic required for traditional standardized tests is lacking. This is due to a relationship that involves test takers who simply cram for their tests, and instructors who feel the tests have no relevance to their teaching ability. This is a common occurrence that has resulted in resentment for traditional standardized testing on the behalf of both parties involved. Authentic assessment is a genuine push towards the implementation of more authentic tasks. Instructors find it easier to apply these tasks to their curriculum and students find it easier to assess what is expected of them. It is considered a form of improving overall performance, in a testing system traditionally structured solely to monitor it. Authentic assessment applied to math and science addresses the notion among educators that this curriculum is designed to assist students in solving everyday problems like, civic affairs, jobs and professions. To do this less computation must be emphasized and these curriculums must focus more on the analytical. When I was younger, and my grades were starting to slip in math, my father required me to make calendars as a punishment until I was able to improve. Initially, I thought this would be an easy task, but he required that every square have equal length and width, and that all lines on each page be equal in length from one another. This served two purposes; it taught me that everything in the world around me can be weighed and measured. It also taught me the value of organization. The process of using mathematical tools like protractors, rulers and calculators, along with my own thinking and reasoning, incited me to be enthusiastic towards math. This is the perfect example of a pplying math to the student's surroundings. This is the type of authentic assessment I would apply to a middle school math or science curriculum. It doesn't have to be something as bland and mundane as creating calendars, but my task will be inherently applicable to the student's daily living routine. My student evaluations would consist of open ended questions that require mathematical awareness to produce solutions. For example, The Shoe Thief Puzzle A person went into a shop to buy a pair of shoes. The person chose a pair which were reduced to their cost price of $12, and gave the shopkeeper a $20 note. The shopkeeper didn't have any change, so he took the $20 note next door to his friend the restaurant owner to get some. He returned to his shop and gave the shopper $8 change. The shopper then departed. A few minutes later the restaurant owner stormed into the shop shouting "that $20 note that you gave me is a forgery". The shopkeeper took back the forged note and gave the restaurant owner a new and genuine $20 note. How much has the shopkeeper lost on the transaction, explain the cash movements, and show two methods of calculating

Ecomonics Assignment - Questions Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Ecomonics - Questions - Assignment Example C) Zero opportunity cost. D) Constant opportunity cost. E) Infinite opportunity cost. 3) Which one of the following would lead to an increase in the demand for hamburgers? A) a rise in the price of French fries, a complement of hamburgers B) a decrease in consumer income if hamburgers are a normal good C) a news report that hamburgers can cause skin diseases D) a decrease in population size E) a new fad hamburger diet 4) The marginal cost (MC) curve intersects the   A) AVC and AFC curves at their minimum points.   B) TC and TVC curves at their minimum points.   C) ATC and AFC curves at their minimum points.   D) ATC, AVC, and AFC curves at their minimum points.   E) ATC and AVC curves at their minimum points. 5) Total cost is $20 at 4 units of output and $36 at 6 units of output. Between 4 and 6 units of output, marginal cost A) Equals average total cost.   B) Is less than average total cost.   C) is greater than average total cost.   D) Equals to average variable cos t.   E) Equals average fixed cost. 6) Marginal cost ________. A) Increases at low outputs until it reaches its maximum value, then remains constant B) decreases at low outputs and increases at high outputs C) is constantly decreasing, but as output increases it decreases by smaller and smaller amounts D) is constantly increasing, but as output increases it increases by smaller and smaller amounts E) decreases at low outputs until it reaches its minimum value, then remains constant 7) A consumer choosing between apples and oranges is at her best affordable point. Then the price of apples decreases. If both apples and oranges are normal goods, which one of the following statements is true about her new best affordable point? She will consume more apples and fewer oranges.   B) She will consume more apples, and we cannot tell whether she will consume more or less oranges.   C) She will consume fewer apples and fewer oranges.   D) She will consume fewer apples and more oranges.à ‚   E) She will consume more apples and more oranges. 8) If income decreases, the budget line   A) becomes flatter.   B) Shifts leftward and parallel to the original budget line.   C) becomes steeper.   D) Shifts rightward and parallel to the original budget line.   E) Shifts parallel either leftward or rightward depending on whether the goods measured on the axes are normal or inferior. 9) A consumer's best affordable point occurs   A) at a point that cannot be determined.   B) Inside the budget line.   C) Outside the budget line.   D) On the budget line.   E) At a corner on the budget line, with only one good consumed. 10) Larry consumes only beer (B) and chips (C). If beer is measured on the vertical axis, the relative price of chips in terms of beer is all of the following except: A) the magnitude of the slope of the budget line B) equal to the opportunity cost of 1 bag of chips C) the real income in terms of beer D) PC/PB E) the inverse of the relative price of beer in terms of chips 11) When the price elasticity of demand is ________, demand for the good is elastic.   A) greater than 1 B) between 1 and zero C) equal to infinity D) equal to zero

The First Emperor of China, Qin Shi Huangdi's leadership skills, main Research Paper

The First Emperor of China, Qin Shi Huangdi's leadership skills, main achievements and main accomplishments - Research Paper Example It was protected from adjacent states and barbarian tribes with natural barriers. Therefore this region became one of the earliest centers of iron metallurgy in ancient China. Trade with northern neighbors and states of Central Asia and agriculture were basic branches of economy. Before 500BC state of Qin did not take an active part in an internecine struggle of Chinese kingdoms and was considered relatively weak. Strong, persistent leaders and gifted commanders were required to use current potential in full scope. Shang Yang (390BC - 338BC) and Han Fei (280BC – 233BC), who had been statesmen at the end of the Warring States period, strengthened position of Qin among its competitors. Both of them were â€Å"credited with fostering Qin’s growth and categorized somewhat loosely as ‘Legalists’. They both had visited other kingdoms; and both met a violent death thanks to animosities.† (Loewe 12 - 18) As a leader and reformer Shang Yang could be compared with Qin Shi Huangdi, because they strived for building military-bureaucratic state. Both of them rejected principles of Confucianism such as hierarchy, patriarchal concept of power, family clans etc. According to Shang Yang, idleness and lack of discipline are the main reasons of state decline. Lack of governmental control over them causes economic and agricultural recession. Reforms of Yang and Huangdi weakened positions of patrimonial aristocracy as the ruling class, because preliminary they had exclusively comprised officialdom. â€Å"The situation changed when Shi Huang Di successfully unified China under Qin in 221 B.C. with Li Si as his chancellor, by using effective military forces formed by Shang Yang’s reforms. After unification, the emperor decided to abolish feudalism and adopt Junxianzhi, a centralized system in which all the regions are governed by aristocrats appointed by the emperor, rather than as an indi vidual

Ecomonics Assignment - Questions Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Ecomonics - Questions - Assignment Example C) Zero opportunity cost. D) Constant opportunity cost. E) Infinite opportunity cost. 3) Which one of the following would lead to an increase in the demand for hamburgers? A) a rise in the price of French fries, a complement of hamburgers B) a decrease in consumer income if hamburgers are a normal good C) a news report that hamburgers can cause skin diseases D) a decrease in population size E) a new fad hamburger diet 4) The marginal cost (MC) curve intersects the   A) AVC and AFC curves at their minimum points.   B) TC and TVC curves at their minimum points.   C) ATC and AFC curves at their minimum points.   D) ATC, AVC, and AFC curves at their minimum points.   E) ATC and AVC curves at their minimum points. 5) Total cost is $20 at 4 units of output and $36 at 6 units of output. Between 4 and 6 units of output, marginal cost A) Equals average total cost.   B) Is less than average total cost.   C) is greater than average total cost.   D) Equals to average variable cos t.   E) Equals average fixed cost. 6) Marginal cost ________. A) Increases at low outputs until it reaches its maximum value, then remains constant B) decreases at low outputs and increases at high outputs C) is constantly decreasing, but as output increases it decreases by smaller and smaller amounts D) is constantly increasing, but as output increases it increases by smaller and smaller amounts E) decreases at low outputs until it reaches its minimum value, then remains constant 7) A consumer choosing between apples and oranges is at her best affordable point. Then the price of apples decreases. If both apples and oranges are normal goods, which one of the following statements is true about her new best affordable point? She will consume more apples and fewer oranges.   B) She will consume more apples, and we cannot tell whether she will consume more or less oranges.   C) She will consume fewer apples and fewer oranges.   D) She will consume fewer apples and more oranges.à ‚   E) She will consume more apples and more oranges. 8) If income decreases, the budget line   A) becomes flatter.   B) Shifts leftward and parallel to the original budget line.   C) becomes steeper.   D) Shifts rightward and parallel to the original budget line.   E) Shifts parallel either leftward or rightward depending on whether the goods measured on the axes are normal or inferior. 9) A consumer's best affordable point occurs   A) at a point that cannot be determined.   B) Inside the budget line.   C) Outside the budget line.   D) On the budget line.   E) At a corner on the budget line, with only one good consumed. 10) Larry consumes only beer (B) and chips (C). If beer is measured on the vertical axis, the relative price of chips in terms of beer is all of the following except: A) the magnitude of the slope of the budget line B) equal to the opportunity cost of 1 bag of chips C) the real income in terms of beer D) PC/PB E) the inverse of the relative price of beer in terms of chips 11) When the price elasticity of demand is ________, demand for the good is elastic.   A) greater than 1 B) between 1 and zero C) equal to infinity D) equal to zero

Physics Essay Example for Free

Physics Essay A thermometric property is a physical property that changes in a known way with temperature, and can therefore be used to measure temperature. The substance used as a thermometer must have a property that varies proportionally / linearly with temperature. [ In other words: When objects are heated or cooled, their temperatures change, along with some of their properties, these properties are known as Thermometric Properties. ] Two commonly used thermometric properties are resistance and length. 2. Water is generally used to determine the fixed point on a thermometer. The fixed points are freezing point (32oF/0oC) and boiling point (212oF/100oC). Upper fixed point is the temperature of pure water boiling at normal atmospheric pressure. Lower fixed point is the temperature of a mixture of pure ice and pure water at normal atmospheric pressure. Generally the upper and lower fixed points of a thermometer are determined with considering the freezing point and boiling point of water. In Celsius thermometer, lower fixed point is 0 ? C and upper fixed point is 100 ? C, in Fahrenheit thermometer lower fixed point is determined as 32. They need no power source. Disadvantages: If it so happens that the thermometer falls and breaks, a spill of mercury in a doctors office, school or home environment poses significant health hazards. Exposure could result in serious damage to kidneys, lungs, brain, heart and immune system. Digital Thermometers Digital thermometers use thermocouples or thermistors to sense the change in temperature and display the temperature on a digital display. There are a number of different types of digital thermometers therefore the temperature ranges vary. Advantages: Digital thermometers are easy to use. When using a digital thermometer you won’t be exposed to mercury. Disadvantages: Dead batteries are a drawback of digital thermometers. It is hard to determine how much power is left in a digital thermometers battery, which in turn makes it difficult to predict when it will die. Because they are specialized batteries, it is hard to locate replacements. And close-to-dying batteries will provide inaccurate readings. Outdoor Thermometers Outdoor thermometers are used to measure the temperature of the surrounding air. Temperature ranges from -58of/-50oc to 158of/ 70oC. Advantages: Low battery consumption. High stability and accuracy. Disadvantages: If an object is considerably close to the outdoor thermometer it can influence the actual temperature of the surrounding air. Thermocouple Thermometer A thermocouple thermometer is a device for measuring temperature consisting of a pair of wires of different metals or semiconductors joined at both ends. One junction is at the temperature to be measured, the second at a fixed temperature. The electromotive force generated depends upon the temperature difference. Temperature ranges from 200oC to 2,600oC. Advantages: It is very responsive to rapidly changing temperatures due to its low thermal capacity. The low thermal capacity is due to its low mass and metals are good conductors of electricity. As the output is an electrical impulse it can be connected to a suitable electrical equipment for checking rapid or sudden temperature changes. Disadvantages: It is extremely expensive. Generates low signal which is non-linear Must be assembled with care to avoid considerable noise levels. II. Thermal Expansion Thermal expansion is the tendency of matter to change in volume in response to a change in temperature. When a substance is heated, its particles begin moving more and thus usually maintain a greater average separation. Materials which contract with increasing temperature are rare; this effect is limited in size, and only occurs within limited temperature ranges. The degree of expansion divided by the change in temperature is called the materials coefficient of thermal expansion and generally varies with temperature. 1. Thermal Expansion of Solids Heating a solid makes it particles vibrate vigorously. As these vibrations become larger the molecules are pushed further apart and the solid expands slightly in al directions. Thermal Expansion of Liquids Like solid liquids also expand on heating. Since liquids do not have a definite shape they can have only volume expansion. Since the container containing liquid also expands with heat therefore Real Expansion = Apparent Expansion + Expansion in a liquid of liquid of Container . When a liquid is heated in a container, the container expands first and therefore the level of liquid decreases since the expansion of liquid is more than that of solid, therefore after sometime the liquid expands and its level increases. The lava lamp above illustrates the differential thermal expansion in liquids. Thermal Expansion of Gases A gas expands when heated and condenses when cooled. Charles Law predicts a four-fold decrease in the volume of a gas that is cooled from room temperature to the temperature of liquid nitrogen (77 K). If the gas inside the balloon condenses into a volatile liquid at or around 77 K, the volume change will be even larger. Removing the balloon exposes the cold balloon to higher temperatures. The resulting thermal expansion fills the balloon to its original size again. Liquid nitrogen or dry-ice/acetone is poured over a balloon. 2. Thermal Expansion Real-life applications Engine Coolant Another example of thermal expansion on the part of a liquid can be found inside the cars radiator. If the radiator is topped off with coolant on a cold day, an increase in temperature could very well cause the coolant to expand until it overflows. In the past, this produced a problem for car owners, because car engines released the excess volume of coolant onto the ground, requiring periodic replacement of the fluid. Later-model cars, however, have an overflow container to collect fluid released as a result of volume expansion. As the engine cools down again, the container returns the excess fluid to the radiator, thus, recycling it. This means that newer cars are much less prone to overheating as older cars. Combined with improvements in radiator fluid mixtures, which act as antifreeze in cold weather and coolant in hot, the recycling process has led to a significant decrease in breakdowns related to thermal expansion. Building Settlement All pipes and vessels expand and contract in direct proportion to a temperature change. Whenever pipes are routed across structural movement joints in buildings, roads, bridges etc. , they will be subjected to displacements. Expansion ;amp; building settlement products are installed to control this thermally induced expansion and contraction, and pipe movements caused by structural settlement. Pipe Solutions are able to offer technical advice or a full design, for any expansion or building movement problem. Expansion Joints are used to physically compensate for the movements of the pipework. They can be designed to suit almost any combination of working temperature, pressure and movement capability. 3. The Design of a Bimetallic Strip A bimetallic strip is used to convert a temperature change into mechanical displacement. The strip consists of two strips of different metals which expand at different rates as they are heated, usually steel and copper, or in some cases brass instead of copper. The strips are joined together throughout their length by riveting, brazing or welding. The different expansions force the flat strip to bend one way if heated, and in the opposite direction if cooled below its initial temperature. The metal with the higher coefficient of thermal expansion is on the outer side of the curve when the strip is heated and on the inner side when cooled. The sideways displacement of the strip is much larger than the small lengthways expansion in either of the two metals. This effect is used in a range of mechanical and electrical devices. In some applications the bimetal strip is used in the flat form. In others, it is wrapped into a coil for compactness. The greater length of the coiled version gives improved sensitivity. The operation of the bimetallic strip relies on the different expansions rates of the two metals to temperature change ( the different coefficients of thermal expansion of the metals). One of the many uses for bimetallic strips is in electrical breakers where excessive current through the strip heats it and bends it to trip the switch to interrupt the current. Bimettalic strips are also used as thermostats.

Impact of Economic Competitiveness on Wages

Impact of Economic Competitiveness on Wages The growth of low wage jobs is inevitable as national governments seek to promote economic competitiveness. Discuss. Introduction This essay discusses the hypothesis that governmental policies aimed at improving a nation’s relative performance in the global economy must lead to an increase in the low paid jobs. If considered in a global context the subject covers a wide spectrum. So the essay considers the United Kingdom’s (UK) economic experiences from the late 1970’s, with particular emphasis on the Thatcher era from 1979-1990 when the foundations for the UK’s economic reforms were laid. The profound change in economic management coupled with the rapid advances in communications and information technology has accelerated the effects of â€Å"globalisation† and led to severe disruption in the UK labour market. Evidence exists that the erosion of the bargaining power of employees due to the twin effects of government policy and globalisation has exacerbated the decrease in real earnings amongst the less skilled workforce. However this vulnerability can be partially off-set by some of the benefits due to improvements in the UK’s international economic competitiveness and an effective mix of domestic labour market policies. Economic Competitiveness: A Definition For centuries, international trade has been the bedrock of the UK’s prosperity. Economists have long debated the effect of government policies on trade and national prosperity. In 1817 during the first stirrings of the industrial revolution David Ricardo developed an argument which can be summarised as: â€Å"The classical theory of international trade and its role in economic development is based on the principle of comparative advantage. The comparative advantage paradigm states that a country performs better by concentrating on the production of those goods and services for which it possesses a comparative advantage over others, and then trade those goods for those of other countries.†[1] Modern economic theory still supports the basic tenets of Ricardo’s argument, which was primarily developed as an attack on government’s protectionist agricultural policies at the time. Recent research, however, goes a step further. Michael Porter devised the concept of National Advantage [2] which argues that governments have a significant role to play in enhancing a nation’s comparative advantage when competing in the global economy. His â€Å"Diamond of National Advantage† (below) suggests that perusing policies that enhance company performance by, say, strict product standards, stimulating demand for advanced products, focusing on factor creation, with improved worker skills and stimulating rivalry by enforcing antitrust legislation will support the development of a strong and internationally competitive trading economy. The UK Experience After the Second World War the UK government pursued policies to reduce unemployment through subsidies, direct support for industry, including nationalisation of some economically challenged sectors such as coal-mining, railways and a major automotive manufacturer, limiting external competition through protectionism. Trade policy was largely governed by favouring Commonwealth countries, through the â€Å"Commonwealth Preference† arrangements. This approach was largely self-defeating as suggested by the Economist as early as 1960. â€Å"A comprehensive system involving the granting of large margins of preference might be expected to have results of two kinds: it should ensure to exporters a larger share of the market than they would otherwise obtain, or enable them to charge higher prices for their goods than in non-preferential markets. An examination of Commonwealth Preference suggests that its effects in both directions are more limited than is implied by the support which it commands in the Commonwealth and the hostility it sometimes arouses in non-Commonwealth countries.† [3] In particular, it was in conflict with some of the concepts of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, (GATT) formed in 1947 to promote economic recovery after the war by reducing barriers in international trade, particularly the reduction in tariff barriers. The UK economy prospered under this regime particularly in the late 50’s and early 60’s but by the 70’s the cracks were beginning to show. By the mid 70’s it was obvious this economic model was not in tune with the needs of a modern nation in a rapidly changing world. Some of the old tenets were under scrutiny and the entrenched bastions of economic power were at loggerheads. In particular, the power of the union movement and the entrenched conservatism and resistance to change of management in the traditional industries such as coal, rail and manufacturing led to conflict and industrial disputation which were ruinous to the economic health of the nation. Successive governments failed to address the underlying economic causes of the problems, until Margaret Thatcher became Prime Minister in 1979 with a new approach to economic governance. Her philosophy was not necessarily based on economic theory, although some of her advisors and ministers were well versed in Keynesian economics. Her government embarked on a series of structural economic reforms including the privatisation of government-owned industries, deregulation of large swathes of UK economic activity, particularly financial services and the pursuance of an aggressive free trade agenda. â€Å"What became known as Thatcherism may have been an agenda which benefited corporate capital, as left critiques emphasize, but its ideological formulation was populist and it employed the petty bourgeois values of thrift, hard work, and family solidarity as the central justifications for privatization, tax cuts, reduction of state expenditure, and hostility to trade unions.†[4] Since that period it is true to say that â€Å"Thatcherism†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦was†¦. to become the ruling consensus of the British government . soon established and exported around the world[5] It is interesting to note that Thatcher’s economic policies predated Porter’s research outlined in section 2, as Hood and Young observed: â€Å"While what has occurred falls short of a systemic approach to counteract market-distorting behavior or to build up created assets, there is little doubt that there have been consistent themes pursued since the Conservative government came to power in 1979. Deregulation, privatization, the restructuring of the handling of labour disputes, and so on have been driven by a clear philosophy concerning the role of the market and the negative economic and social effects of certain types of market distortions†[6] Effect on Employment and Wages As the Thatcher reforms began to bite, the short-term results reverberated around the UK. For example the industrial midlands in the late 70’s was the heart of the automotive and machine tool manufacturing industries. By the mid 80’s it was an industrial wasteland with acres of empty and derelict factory space with many thousands of workers displaced or redundant. This picture was repeated in many communities previously reliant on â€Å"smokestack† industries in the north and west of the UK. Anecdotal evidence suggested many of those displaced from manufacturing jobs had joined the informal self-employed workforce and those still in full-time employment had migrated to low-wage jobs in service industries such as retailing. This is backed up by comments from Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) which reports: â€Å"The labour market plays a crucial role in reaping potential gain from globalisation by facilitating a shift of jobs from decli ning sectors or occupations to expanding ones, in line with the changes in comparative advantage. However, this labour market adjustment is not always smooth because many workers displaced from declining sectors are poorly positioned to move into newly-created jobs in export sectors, which may be located in different regions or require different qualifications†[7] The International Labour Organisation (ILO) also echoes a similar theme: â€Å"Policies aimed at increasing competitiveness by lowering unit labour costs should consider the potential consequences on either workers (via wages) or firms and economic growth (via productivity). For example, on the one hand, an excessive and long-run emphasis on wage moderation may threaten a country’s productivity growth rate as it might discourage innovation and investment in human capital†[8] In the longer term, however the overall benefits to the UK economy were substantial. The shift from a manufacturing to serviced based economy has brought significant benefits to the nation. â€Å"The UK, a leading trading power and financial centre, is one of the quintet of trillion dollar economies of Western Europe. Over the past two decades, the government has greatly reduced public ownership and contained the growth of social welfare programs. Agriculture is intensive, highly mechanized, and efficient by European standards, producing about 60% of food needs with less than 2% of the labor force. The UK has large coal, natural gas, and oil reserves; primary energy production accounts for 10% of GDP, one of the highest shares of any industrial nation. Services, particularly banking, insurance, and business services, account by far for the largest proportion of GDP while industry continues to decline in importance. Since emerging from recession in 1992, Britains economy has enjoyed the longest period of expansion on record; growth has remained in the 2-3% range since 2004, outpacing most of Europe.†[9] Not everyone has benefited from this development. In relative terms the rich have got richer whereas the lower-paid workers have seen their relative position decline. â€Å"The UKs growth in wealth equality has been the fastest among the worlds 30 richest and most developed countries. But in 2005, when the organisation compiled its latest data, the UK remained a more unequal society than three-quarters of OECD countries, with the richest 10% earning nine times more than the poorest 10%.†[10] Striking the Balance Based on the UK government’s experience, seeking to promote economic competitiveness can be beneficial for the national economy overall. â€Å"Open trade and investment policies can be a powerful force for raising living standards. Economists have long emphasised this point and it is confirmed by much research. For example, the OECD’s Growth Study estimated that a 10 percentage point increase in trade openness translates over time into an increase of around 4% in per capita income in the OECD area.†[11] However to mitigate the disruptive effects of such aggressive economic policies, suitable social policies should go hand in hand. For example policies to enhance labour mobility and relocation, income security packages linked to retraining to increase re-employment options, skill-development programs and minimum wage policies to limit low-pay traps. A balanced policy approach can help offset the growth and pervasiveness of low wage jobs. Bibliography Fidelis Ezeala-Harrison, Theory and Policy of International Competitiveness, page 4 Greenwood Publishing Group Michael E. Porter The Competitive Advantage of Nations, Free Press, 1998 Economist Intelligence Unit, The Commonwealth and Europe (London: Economist Intelligence Unit, 1960.) Philip Abbott, Leadership by Exemplar: Reagans FDR and Thatchers Churchill, Presidential Studies Quarterly 27.2 (1997) Simon Jenkins, Thatcher and Sons, page 1, Allen Lane 2006 Neil Hood, and Stephen Young, 8 The United Kingdom, Governments, Globalization, and International Business, ed. John H. Dunning (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1999) Globalisation, Jobs and Wages, Policy Brief, OECD, June 2007 ILO Key Indicators of the Labour Market KILM 4th Edition 2005 Central Intelligence Agency Office of Public Affairs Washington, D.C. 20505 The Guardian, Wednesday October 22 2008 Globalisation, Jobs and Wages, Policy Brief, OECD, June 2007 Footnotes [1] Fidelis Ezeala-Harrison, Theory and Policy of International Competitiveness, page 4 Greenwood Publishing Group [2] Michael E. Porter The Competitive Advantage of Nations, Free Press, 1998 [3] Economist Intelligence Unit, The Commonwealth and Europe (London: Economist Intelligence Unit, 1960.) [4] Philip Abbott, Leadership by Exemplar: Reagans FDR and Thatchers Churchill, Presidential Studies Quarterly 27.2 (1997) [5] Simon Jenkins, Thatcher and Sons, page 1, Allen Lane 2006 [6] Neil Hood, and Stephen Young, 8 The United Kingdom, Governments, Globalization, and International Business, ed. John H. Dunning (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1999) [7] Globalisation, Jobs and Wages, Policy Brief, OECD, June 2007 [8] ILO Key Indicators of the Labour Market KILM 4th Edition 2005 [9] Central Intelligence Agency Office of Public Affairs Washington, D.C. 20505 [10] The Guardian, Wednesday October 22 2008 [11] Globalisation, Jobs and Wages, Policy Brief, OECD, June 2007