Concepts Of Equaltiy Diversity And Rights Essay

Equality: Equality has been established to ensure that everyone has the right to equal opportunities, equal rights in work environment or in general and therefore classed as important focused and organizations take it really seriously as they have to ensure that every individual employee are entitled to same choices, opportunities and are treated equally. There are various types of equality such as the racial equality act, gender equality act, women’s equality act, Marriage equality and many more however the Equality Act 2010 (the Act) replaced previous anti-discrimination laws with a single Act. The equality of act in health and social care setting came into force on 1 October 2010. Whenever an individual need health care or medical treatment or when an elderly or an individual with mental problems who are being cared for in nursing homes, care in day Centre and such, they have the right not to be discriminated against because of their race, gender, gender identity, disabilit y, religion or belief or sexual orientation. Diversity: is to understand that every individual is unique and recognize individual’s difference, therefore respected and valued in community or in the workforce. We live in an increasingly diverse society and need to be able to respond appropriately and sensitively to this diversity. In the healthcare setting, workers will reflect this diversity around gender, race and ethnicity, disability, religion, sexuality, class and age. Rights Every individual is entitled to basic human rights and in turn they have to able to and if not learn to respect other’s human rights. Right to life nobody even the government can try to end an individual’s life. This also means that an individual has the right to be protected if their life is at risk. The human rights act also prohibits the death penalty in UK. The courts have held that the right of life however don’t include right to take your own life. The right to life is absolute however it does not always apply in certa in situation. A person’s right to life is not breached if they die when a public authority (such as the police) uses necessary force to: †¢stop them carrying out unlawful violence †¢make a lawful arrest †¢stop them escaping lawful detainment Of course, even in these circumstances, death would be avoided wherever possible, and the force used must be absolutely necessary and strictly  balanced. According to law, Everyone’s right to life shall be protected by law. No one shall be disadvantaged of his/ her lives intentionally save in the execution of a sentence of a court following his/her conviction of a crime for which the penalty is provided by law. In health and social care setting career or anyone has to be able to respect other’s human rights. Right to liberty every individual has the right to their personal freedom. The government cannot take away an individual’s freedom by detaining them without any good reason even if it’s just for short period of time. Importantly, the Human Rights Act provides that if an individual is arrested, they have the right to: †¢Why an individual have been arrested and what charges they face, would be told in a language they would understand. †¢Be taken to court punctually. †¢Have a trial within a reasonable time. †¢If an individual is confident enough than Go to court to challenge their detention if they think it is unlawful. In health and social care setting worker/career, every patient is entitled to right of their personal freedom therefore they have the right to equal required health care services needed as everyone else within the care setting. Discrimination is unlawful within Britain. Law protects you from discrimination at situation like these †¢At work. †¢As a consumer †¢When using public services. However there are two types of discrimination overt discrimination and covert discrimination. Overt discrimination is when a colleague of an individual is paid more because of their gender even though they both are doing the same job with the same qualification, there should be no differences at all. Unfortunately sometimes it does still takes place and that individual have to be aware and make sure that it is sorted out. Covert discrimination is opposite to overt, this is more complicated to demonstrate as it is hidden. For example it is when an individual is applying for a job with the same qualifications and experience as other applicants, someone between those two might not get picked because of their skin color or their sexuality or their ethnicity. It still does take place but the only thing is hard to  demonstrate as it is hidden. An individual has to be aware of covert discrimination against people using health and social care services. Stereotyping is dangerous and common with the children, which they tend to pick up from the adults. The most common types of stereotypes are that All overweight people are too lazy to get anything done All homeless people do not want to work. The Williams and Best gender study from 1992 found that within 30 different countries, males were typically characterized as adventurous, powerful, domineering and independent. Females, on the other hand, were characterized as sentimental, submissive and superstitious, however slowly the society has been making transition away from the stereotyping. Prejudice is when someone makes and judgment about someone without really knowing the facts. Sub culture is a culture is a culture with its own distinctive norms and values for example chav, Emo, Goth etc. people might judge them and stereotype them without knowing, some people see Goth as dark inside, dark thoughts and heavy makeup, but who are they to know assume that, because in fact they are only seeing them visually, if they actually approach them and talk they might not be what they think they are at all. In the health and social care profession an individual may still have these thoughts not just health and social care settings but everywhere however they have to be careful of how they see and treats others which will make an impact in their work. If individual lets prejudices interfere them with their work in health and social care the person will not be treated fairly.

Application Letter

October 2012 Hon. Shirlita Y. Chong Municipal Mayor Liloan, Southern Leyte Dear Madam: I would like to apply as Enumerator in the update survey of the 2009 result of the National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction (NHTS – PR) by next year 2013. I’m Arlene Salada, married a resident of Brgy. Ilag, Liloan Southern Leyte and a Bachelor of Elementary Education graduated at Tomas Oppus Normal College Tomas Oppus Southern Leyte. I work as BHW (Barangay Health Worker) for 5 years last 2002 up to 2007 at Brgy. Ilag , Liloan So. Leyte.I was also a Community Profiler Volunteer of Plan Philippines. I’m hardworking and willing to be part of the NHTS-PR enumerators. Thank You. More Power. ARLENE B. SALADA Applicant List of Secretaries of Education (*) Acting Capacity #| Name| Term Began| Term Ended| President| Secretary of Public Instruction| 1| Sergio Osmena| 1935| 1940| Manuel Quezon| | 2| Jorge Bocobo| 1940| 1941| | | Secretary of Public Instruction, Health, and Public Welfare| (1)| Sergio Osmena| 1941| 1944| Manuel Quezon| | Minister of Public Instruction| *| Jorge Bocobo| 1943| 1945| Jose Laurel| |Secretary of Information and Public Relations| 3| Carlos P. Romulo| 1944| 1945| Sergio Osmena| | Secretary of Public Instruction and Information| 4| Francisco Benitez| 1945| 1945| Sergio Osmena| | Secretary of Education| | Francisco Benitez| 1945| 1946| Sergio Osmena| | Secretary of Instruction| 5| Manuel Gallego| 1946| 1948| Manuel Roxas| | Secretary of Education| 6| Prudencio Langcauon| 1948| 1953| Elpidio Quirino| | Secretary of Education, Culture and Sports| 7| Lourdes Quisumbing| February 1986| December 1989| Corazon Aquino| | 8| Isidro Carino| January 1990| June 1992| | | | Armand Fabella| July 1992| July 1994| Fidel Ramos| | 10| Ricardo Gloria| August 1994| December 1997| | | 11| Erlinda Pefianco| January 1998| June 1998| | | 12| Bro. Andrew Gonzalez, FSC, Ph,D| Hulyo 1998| January 2001| Joseph Estrada| | Secretary of Education| 13| R aul Roco| February 2001| August 2002| Gloria Macapagal Arroyo| | 14| Edilberto de Jesus| September 2002| July 2004| | | 15| Florencio Abad| July 2004| July 2005| | | *| Ramon Bacani| July 2005| September 2005| | | *| Fe Hidalgo| September 2005| July 2006| | | 6| Jesli Lapus| July 2006| March 2010| | | 17| Mona Valisno| March 2010| June 30, 2010| | | 18| Bro. Armin Luistro, FSC| June 30, 2010| Incumbent| Benigno S. Aquino III| | Secretary of Education (Philippines) Secretary of Public Instruction SERGIO OSMENA JORGE BOCOBO 1935-1940 1940-1941 Secretary of Information and Public Relations Secretary of Education, Culture and Sports Dr. Lourdes R. Quisumbing – February 1986 December 1989 CARLOS P. ROMULO 1944 – 1945Secretary of Public Instruction and InformationSecretary of Education, Culture and Sports 4 Francisco Benitez 1945 1945 Sergio Osmena Secretary of Education Francisco Benitez 1945 1946 Secretary of Instruction 5 Manuel Gallego 1946 1948 Secretary of Education 6 Prudencio Langcauon 1948 1953 Isidro Carino January 1990 June 1992 Secretary of Education, Culture and Sports Armand Fabella July 1992 July 1994 Secretary of Education, Culture and SportsSecretary of Education, Culture and Sports Erlinda Pefianco Bro. Andrew Gonzalez, FSC, Ph,D Hulyo 1998 January 2001 Joseph EstradaJanuary 1998 June 1998 Secretary of Education Secretary of Education Edilberto de Jesus Ramon Bacani September 2002 – July 2004 July2005-Sept. 2005 Fe Hidalgo September 2005-July2006 Raul Roco February 2001 August 2002 Jose Abad Jesli Lapus Mona Valisno Luis Fermin July 2004-July 2005 July 2006- March 2010 March 2010-June 2010 June 30 2010 –

Pharmacophore development for identification of anti-lung cancer drugs Essay

Lung cancer is one particular type of cancer that is more deadly and common than any other. Lung cancer is treated with chemotherapy, radiation therapy and surgery depending on the type of lung cancer and the stage of the disease. Focusing on the drugs used for chemotherapy and their associated side effects, there is a need to design and develop new anti-lung cancer drugs with lesser side effects and improved efficacy. Pharmacophore model proves to be a very helpful tool serving in the designing and development of new lead compounds. In this paper, pharmacophore of 10 novel anti-lung cancer compounds has been identified and validated for the first time. Using LigandScout the pharmacophore features were predicted and 3D pharmacophore have been extracted via VMD software. A training set data was collected from literature and the proposed model was applied to the training set whereby validating and verifying their similar activity as that of the most active compounds. Therefore they could be recommended for further studies. Key words: Pharmacophore, anti-lung cancer drugs, Computer aided drug designing, LigandScout, VMD INTRODUCTION Lung cancer is known to have a high fatality rate among males and females and takes more lives each year as compared to colon, prostate, ovarian and breast cancers (1).Lung cancer is classified into two main types namely Small Cell Lung Cancer (SCLC) and Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) of which NSCLC accounts for about 80% cases and SCLC accounts for 10-15% among all other types of lung cancers (2). Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is a worldwide leading cause of death (3). The surgical resections are not applicable when first diagnosed as NSCLC is usually in an advanced stage. The patient may have a possibility of prolonging survival with chemotherapy (4). Chemotherapy for advanced NSCLC is often considered excessively toxic. However, meta-analyses have demonstrated that as compared with supportive care, chemotherapy results in a small improvement in survival in patients with advanced NSCLC (5). *Corresponding author. Email:drhamid@jinnah.edu.pk Abbreviations: HBA, hydrogen-bond acceptor, HBD, hydrogen-bond donor, NSCLC, Non-small cell lung cancer, SCLC, Small Cell Lung Cancer, EGFR Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor. Drugs developed for cancer are single agents although for the maximum advantage they need to be used in recipe with other drugs or therapeutic agents. Initial candidate chemicals or â€Å"leads†, are often recognized and tested for single agents that change cancer-cell proliferation or prolong survival. This led to the identification of most of the clinically active cancer drugs used today. Specific leads then must be further optimized and assessed to characterize their pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties and evident toxic effects. Clinical evaluation is performed by trails in humans to identify a maximum tolerated dose, define severe toxic effects, and estimate bioactivity. These trails are time consuming and expensive (6). Pharmacophore is the initial step towards understanding the interaction between a receptor and a ligand. Pharmacophore was often postulated as the â€Å"essence† of the structure-activity knowledge they had gained(7).Today’s researcher task is to interpret the binding of anatomically varied molecules at a common receptor site. To generate common feature pharmacophore from the set of compounds active for certain receptor, the characteristics necessary for binding receptor in a generalized way(8). The understanding of the common properties of binding group is vital for the determination of the type of inhibitor binding the target. Pharmacophore model is very convenient for attaining this goal. Surface of the cell are the regions where the ligand-receptor and receptor-receptor interaction occur. The process undergo Sequential levels of activity starts initially  from the cell surface and then moves towards the intracellular signaling pathways, then gene transcription which corresponds to cellular responses. Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) was initially identified as an abnormally activated or mutated form which leads to a number of other abnormalities in the signaling pathway and hence leads to the formation of tumor (9). In our research, a 3D pharmacophore model was developed in order to promote the discovery of precise and effective EGFR inhibitor for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer. The compounds used in this study have been characterized as reported in reference papers. In order to correlate experimental and computational studies we used their bioactivity data. MATERIALS AND METHODS The work was initiated using LigandScout software. LigandScout is a tool for deriving the 3D from structural data of ligand complexes more speedily and evidently in a completely automated and expedient way. It offers flawless workflow both from ligand and structure based pharmacophore modeling (10). LigandScout is thought to be an essential software tool for structure based drug designing, it is not only beneficial for carrying out analysis of binding sites but also for alignment based on pharmacophore and the designing of shared feature pharmacophores. LigandScout runs freely on all common operating systems. Till  date  a  number  of  successful  application  examples  have  been  carried out and standpublished (11). The very important and the very first step in pharmacophore model generation is the selection of data set compounds.  A  number  of  drugs have been reported that are in some way related to, or used in the treatment of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer which include Platinol(generic name: cisplatin)( 12),carboplatin, Taxotere(generic name: docetaxel), Gemzar(generic name: gemcitabine) ,Taxol(generic name: paclitaxel) , Almita(generic name: pemetrexed), Avastin(generic name: Bevacizumab), Xalkori(generic name: Crizotinib), Navelbine(generic name: vinorelbine , Iressa(generic name: Gefitinib) and Terceva(generic name: Erlotinib) (13)( 14)( 15). The two dimensional (2D) chemical structures of the compounds were drawn using ChemDraw Ultra (8.0) and the structures were saved as .Pdb files. Subsequently the 2D structures as shown below ( Figure 1) in the form of Pdb files were imported into LigandScout and converted into corresponding 3D pharmacophore structures. Cisplatin Pemetrexed Docetaxel Bevacizumab Viblastine Carboplatin Gemcitabine Crizotinib Gefitinib Paclitaxel Vinorelbine Erlotinib Hydrochloride Figure 1. 2D structures of selected data set of anti non small lung cancer The pharmacophoric features include H-bond donor, H-bond acceptor, Hydrophobic, aromatic, positively and negatively ionizable groups (16).The pharmacophore for each compound was generated and the distances among the pharmacophoric features were calculated using VMD software. VMD is designed not only for modeling, visualization, and analysis of biological systems such as proteins, nucleic acids, lipid bilayer assemblies but it may also be used to view more general molecules, as VMD can read standard Protein Data Bank (PDB) files and display the contained structure with their features. A number of application examples have been published to date (17). Once the pharmacophore of all the compounds were identified, the ligand was then super imposed so the pharmacophore elements overlap and a common template i-e the pharmacophore model is identified. The training set consisting of four compounds was collected from literature and it was found that the groups show enhanced and similar activity as that of the most active compounds based on the 3D pharmacophore being generated for non small lung cancer. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Pharmacophore analysis is considered as an fundamental part of drug design. The pharmacophore generated by LigandScout for the selected data set of anti  non small cell lung cancer showed three main features i-e H-bond acceptor(blue vectors), H-bond donor(blue vectors) and aromatic rings(yellow spheres).The representative pharacophores of each compound are shown in Figures 2,3,4 and 5 Figure 2. A pharmacophore of Pemetrexed (Alimta ®) The pharmacophoric features for each compound on the whole are shown in Table 1.The pharmacophores of all the compounds were then matched and a unique pharmacophore was identified after a detailed analysis. Figure 3 . A pharmacophore of Bevacizumab Figure 4 . A pharmacophore of Gemcitabine (Gemzar ®) On the whole, the representative pharmacophoric features for each compound are shown in Table 2.Resembling features were identified after analyzing the pharmacophore of all compounds generated by LigandScout. Then the similar features of all the compounds were superimposed and merged into single pharmacophore. The uniquely identified pharmacophoric features are shown in Table 3. Figure 5. A pharmacophore of Gefitinib Our common featured pharmacophore predicted for three compound of anti non small lung cancer is based on three HBAs, six HBDs and four aromatic centers. The distance triangle measured between the common pharmacophore features of each compound using VMD is shown in Table 4.The distance ranges from minimum to maximum and have measured between the HBA and HBD,HBA and aromatic ring and HBD and aromatic ring. Table 1. Pharmacophoric features of each compound Compounds H-Bond Donor H-Bond Acceptor Aromatic Centre Paclitaxel + + + Pemetrexed + + + Bevacizumab + + + Carboplatin + + + Crizotinib + + + Erlotinib Hydrocholride + + + Gefitinib + + + Gemcitabine + + + Methotrexate + + + The distances among the common pharmacophoric features between the predicted pharmacophore are shown in Figure 6. The distances between aromatic ring and HBD range from 4.15-4.80, between aromatic rings to HBA range from 7.03-8.66 and between HBA to HBD range from 5.85-6.97. Table 2. Pharmacophoric features of each compound Compound H-Bond Donor H-Bond Acceptor Aromatic Centre Paclitaxel 4 6 2 Pemetrexed 3 6 3 Bevacizumab 2 3 1 Carboplatin 0 3 0 Crizotinib 2 4 3 Erlotinib Hydrocholride 2 6 3 Gefitinib 2 6 4 Gemcitabine 3 7 2 Methotrexate 3 9 3 Table 3. Uniquely identified pharmacophoric features of compounds Compound Bevacizumab Pemetrexed Gefitinib H-Bond Donor 2 3 H-Bond Acceptor 3 6 2 6 Aromatic Centre 1 3 4 A training set of three compounds was collected from literature i-e MethyNonanoate, MMDA, Flavopirido(18).The generated 3D pharmacophore model was applied to the training set whereby validating and verifying their enhanced and similar activity as that of the standard compounds shown in Table 5. This further confirmed our observation and proposals for a pharmacophore model as it corresponds to the predicted pharmacophore. Table 4.Pharmacophoric triangle distances of each uniquely identified compounds Compounds Acceptor ïÆ'  Aromatic Ring Aromatic Ring ïÆ'  Donor Donor ïÆ'  Acceptor Gefitinib 7.10 4.76 6.97 Pemetrexed 7.03 4.15 5.85 Bevacizumab 8.14 4.29 6.36 Figure 6. Distance ranges among pharmacophoric features in predicted pharmacophore To support the suggested pharmacophore model , distance was estimated. The predicted distance of the training set and the standard drugs respectively are shown in Table 6. This table shows the close resemblance of Flavopiridol with that of standard drugs whereby validating that the compound shows high correlation with the predicted pharmacophoric triangle hence having similar activity. Table 5. The distance triangle for compounds of the training set Model Acceptor ïÆ'  Aromatic Ring Aromatic Ring ïÆ'  Donor Donor ïÆ'  Acceptor MMDA 5.99 5.52 5.95 Flavopiridol 7.01 4.04, 4 6.18 MethyNonanoate 4.01 7.60 2.24 Table 6. The 3D pharmacophoric distance triangle of the training set and the standard drugs respectively Model Standard Drugs Training Set Acceptor ïÆ'  Aromatic Ring 7.37-8.84 7.01-8.96 Aromatic Ring ïÆ'  Donor 4.39-4.89 4.04-4.62 Donor ïÆ'  Acceptor 6.18-6.97 6.18-6.64 CONCLUSION The pharmacophore model is a very handy tool for new lead compounds discovery and development. In this study pharmacophore models were built for novel drugs of non small lung cancer, pharmacophoric features were predicted and 3D pharmacophore has been generated for non small lung cancer. A triangle of three different classes has been selected for pharmacophore and Hydrogen bond Acceptor, Hydrogen bond Donor and Hydrophobic character of standard drugs have been filtered out as key pharmacophoric feature. The generated model was applied to the training set and it has been validated and proposed that Flavopiridol shows similar enhanced activity as that of standard drugs, hence could be used for further studies. Moreover Pharmachopore based docking will be used for virtual screening and designing of some novel  drugs  for  non  small  lung  cancer  in  continuation  of  this  work. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS We owe special thanks to Dr. Hamid Rashid, Ms. Saima Kalsoom , Faculty Mohammad Ali Jinnah University, Islamabad for support and supervision in the research work. REFERENCES 1. Thomas L, Doyle LA, Edelman MJ. Lung cancer in women: emerging differences in epidemiology, biology, and therapy. Chest. 2005;128:370-381. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. Molina JR, Yang P, Cassivi SD, Schild SE, Adjei AA. Non-small cell lung cancer: epidemiology, risk factors, treatment, and survivorship. Mayo Clin Proc. 2008; 83(5):584-594. Ginsberg RJ, Vokes EE, Raben A. Non-small cell lung cancer. In: DeVita VT, Hellman S, Rosenberg SA, eds. Cancer: principles and practice of oncology. 4th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott-Raven, 1997:858– 910 Non-small Cell Lung Cancer Collaborative Group. Chemotherapy in non-small cell lung cancer: a metaanalysis using updated data on individual patients from 52 randomised clinical trials. BMJ 1995; 311:899– 909 Rapp E, Pater JL, Willan A, et al. Chemotherapy can prolong survival in patients with advanced nonsmall-cell lung cancer — report of a Canadian multicenter randomized trial. J Clin Oncol 1988;6:633-41. Sridhar Ramaswamy, M.D. Rational Design of Cancer-Drug Combinations, 2007. Peter Gund Evolution of the Pharmacophore Concept in Pharmaceutical Research. Pharmacopeia Inc., Princeton, New Jersey. Omoshile O. Clement and Adrea Trope Mehl. HipHop: Pharmacophores based on multiple commonfeature alignments. Molecular Simulation Inc. San Diego, California,2000 Mendelsohn J, Baselga J. The EGF receptor family as targets for cancer therapy. Oncogene 2000; 19: 6550–65. Drc :A Review of LigandScout, 2008 Wolber, G.; Langer, T.; LigandScout: 3-D Pharmacophores Derived from Protein-Bound Ligands and Their Use as Virtual Screening Filters. J. Chem. Inf. Model; 2005; 45(1); 160-169. Quality of life and survival in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer receiving supportive care plus chemotherapy with carboplatin and etoposide or supportive care only. A multicentre randomised phase III trial. Joint Lung Cancer Study Group. Helsing M, Bergman B, Thaning L, Hero U Eur J Cancer. 1998 Jun; 34(7):1036-44. NSCLC Meta-Analyses Collaborative Group (October 2008). â€Å"Chemotherapy in Addition to Supportive Care Improves Survival in Advanced Non–Small-Cell Lung Cancer: A Systematic Review and MetaAnalysis of Individual Patient Data From 16 Randomized Controlled Trials†. J. Clin. Oncol. 26 (28): 4617– 25. doi:10.1200/JCO.2008.17.7162. PMC 2653127. PMID 18678835. Curran WJ Jr, Paulus R, Langer CJ, et al. Sequential vs. concurrent chemoradiation for stage III non-small cell lung cancer: randomized phase III trial RTOG 9410. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2011;103(19):1452-60. Lynch TJ, Bell DW, Sordella R. Activating mutations in the epidermal growth factor receptor underlying responsiveness of non-small-cell lung cancer to gefitinib. N Engl J Med. May 20 2004;350(21):2129-39. Kapetanoic,I.M., 2008. Computer aided Drug discovery and development: insilico-chemico-biological approach. chem. Biol. Interact. 171, 165-176 Huang, Xiaoqin, Zheng, Guangrong, Zhani, Chang-Guo Microscopic Binding of M5 Muscarinic Acetylcholine Receptor with Antagonists by Homology Modeling, Molecular Docking, and Molecular Dynamics Simulation journal of physical chemistry b, 116:532-541, JAN 12 2012 2012 Bose P, Perkins EB, Honeycut C, Wellons MD, Stefan T, Jacobberger JW, Kontopodis E, Beumer JH, Egorin MJ, Imamura CK, Douglas Figg W Sr, Karp JE, Koc ON, Cooper BW, Luger SM, Colevas AD, Roberts JD, Grant S. Cancer Chemother Pharmacol. 2012 ;69(6):1657-67. doi: 10.1007/s00280-012-18395. Epub 2012 Feb 15.PMID

Skype and its impact on Social and Culture Environment Term Paper

Skype and its impact on Social and Culture Environment - Term Paper Example Importance of Skype and its Impact on People’s Lives Skype has been significant in the lifestyles of the modern society. The most important aspect has been lowering the cost of telephone services. Subscribers of Skype are able to communicate effectively through unlimited phone calls, which is not possible through the common telephone service providers. Moreover, Skype services are accessible globally and therefore every person who has access to the internet can use them (Booth, 16). The current wave of globalization has necessitated effective communication among business people, workers and their families as well as among organizations with mobile workers. Greenhow observes that Skype services have enabled many people working away from home to accomplish work-life balance by means of video conferencing (11). The common mobile telephony only allows voice calls, but workers and their relations appreciate visual communication whereby they are able to see the person whom they are communicating with. Under such circumstances, expatriate workers overseas are able to see their families through video chats. This is significance in the enhancement of satisfaction in employment and avoidance of family breakdown as a result of distance work. Video conferencing has also enhanced business and inter-organizational partnerships by enhancing networking capabilities. The cost of travel and conference rooms has been eliminated by Skype. Moreover, it helps in saving time in the p reparations for conferences (Turban et al. 19). In making purchases online, a person is in a position to see the partner whom he/she is communicating with thereby avoiding chances of falling in to the trap of fraudsters. For example, the recent rise in fraudulent transactions involving the sale of used motor vehicles by fake dealers through their short-lived websites could have been avoided if buyers insisted on visual conversations through Skype. This would enable them to request an image of the company premises and the cars before concluding a deal. On the other hand, the fear of fraudster companies in the internet has led to a decline of consumers willing to buy products online (Booth, 13). Skype can be applied by marketers to express their genuineness to potential online customers. Its application offers the opportunity to present a positive image by showing customers their marketing team, management and physical location. In deed, as Kuriyan & Ray (95) assert, Skype is the way to go in future online shopping. In healthcare, Skype has contributed to numerous positive changes with regard to communication between doctors and patients. Doctors, just like other professionals have been using Skype to communicate with families and friends. However, new developments have changed the manner in which they relate with patients. With increased cost of hospitalized healthcare, doctors have established a new strategy of home based care through Skype. Routine medical checks for patients have been facilitated by Skype video calls to patients in the comfort of their homes. Moreover, patients can interact with doctors for clinical consultations and other health related issues without physical presence in the hospital (Turban et al. 19). This has enabled doctors

Business ethics and environment Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Business ethics and environment - Assignment Example It also strongly advocated for the principle that companies should embark on fair pricing so as to improve the economy and attract investment. In addition, it advocated for employees by stating that they should be respected and treated with high regard. It believed that by doing this then one would increase employee output and reliability. This would in return amount to better quality work done. Subsequently, the company will make returns. The prime problem of this assumption is that the employee may fail to deliver when they feel that respect for them lacks. Indeed, Shareholder Value Management and Stakeholder value management are quite different in aspect. Shareholder Value Management stresses more on the principle of profitability over responsibility, and the organizations are seen as tools that are to rake in profits. On the other hand, Stakeholder Value Management believes in the principles of responsibility for profitability (Denning, 2014). While Shareholder Value Management deals more with issues targeting at how a corporation can manage to rake in more profit, Stakeholder Value Management seek to deal with the main issues, which hamper effective productivity. Additionally, it offers to bring solutions, which can improve the overall situation. Focusing on profitability seeks to look for short-term solutions that will ensure quick profits. The prime focus of the former is to concentrate on profit margins, while the latter digs deeper and seeks to offer practical solutions to these issues at hand (Carroll, & Buchholtz, 2015). The s atisfaction of the employees and the clients as well is the priority of the latter while the former seeks to please the bigwigs with impressive figures. The major issues leading to failure of the Shareholder Value Maximization were that the emphasis was placed on returns, and this resulted in a workforce, which was not producing results as per the expected outcomes.

Analyze the scholarly literature for ways in which a leader Research Paper

Analyze the scholarly literature for ways in which a leader facilitates the creation of a shared vision - Research Paper Example When the Romans came to speak with the slaves, they asked who was Spartacus, and Spartacus immediately stood up and stated that he was Spartacus. After he did this, every man stood up as well as said that he was Spartacus, and every man was crucified for this. The point that Senge was trying to make was that Spartacus, as a leader, was able to transmit a shared vision to which every slave was committed, and this vision was that they all should be free. Because he was able to do this for his men, they literally would die for him (Senge, 1990, pp. 205-206). So, how does a leader inspire this same sort of loyalty? By creating a shared vision. A shared vision is one that the leader envisions, and every follower envisions the same thing. Each person in the organization has a picture in their heads about this vision, and this vision is in their hearts, a part of each and every person. Each person cares about this vision, and desire to be connected to everybody else in carrying out this vision. In other words, it is not just the leader conjuring up a vision for the organization, and transmitting the vision, essentially imposing his vision on others. It is the leader transmitting this vision in such a way that every member of the organization has the same vision, therefore will be truly committed to make the vision happen (Senge, 1990, p. 206). How this shared vision comes into being, along with ideas on making this happen that are the ideas of other researchers and writers, is the topic of this paper. The first factor in creating a shared vision is by acknowledging the strengths of individual members, and by acknowledging each individual members personal vision of the organization at its best (Senge, 1990, p. 212). Essential to this is composing a team, as opposed to a group. Plenart (1995) tells the story of team building in Malaysia. His team was composed of a mix of Muslims, Buddhists and Hindus who, initially, did not understand one

It is now commonplace to claim that Boas and Malinowski were founding Essay

It is now commonplace to claim that Boas and Malinowski were founding fathers of anthropology in the US and Britain respectively. Choosing one or the other exam - Essay Example This recognition has a number of corollaries, including one that invites us to think about ethnographic texts -- and anthropology as a discipline -- in the terms we have traditionally used in periodizing literary history. Many of us now speak of a "Victorian" as opposed to a "modernist" anthropology. This essay represents an attempt to complicate the basic assumptions of this interdiscipline on a number of grounds, and from a number of different perspectives. First, I would like to trouble the border we often imagine existing between Victorian and modernist anthropology, a gesture which I hope will have its implications for the literary border as well. I am interested in this project not so much because I see periodisations as inherently misguided, but rather the opposite: because I think such distinctions are only as good as the specific historical instances that both support and challenge them. Second, I would like to challenge the largely textual basis of the grounds on which we may be tempted to delineate this border, and suggest that, having established the textual nature of ethnography, we may wish to turn our attention to other social and institutional similarities between ethnographic work and the artistic and literary practices of a given period. I am especially interes ted here in the changing conditions of intellectual labor in the epochal moment of the turn of the twentieth century. To address these issues I will take as my subject the early career of Franz Boas, who for various reasons has come to be regarded as the "father" of American anthropology (by which is really meant professional anthropology, a point to which I shall return at some length). Born in 1858 to a free-thinking Jewish family in Minden, Westphalia, and dying in 1942 after a lengthy career as the preeminent anthropologist in the United States, Boas could be said not only to have traversed centuries and continents, but to have charted a path from the German

The Thomas Jefferson Presidency Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Thomas Jefferson Presidency - Essay Example The first way is to assess the presidency of Thomas Jefferson based on how writers during or close to the period viewed the presidency. The other way is to assess it on the basis of two key indicators: 1) economic growth and economic management data during the period; and 2) political institutional data associated with his rule. Of the former, a good indicator can be provided by the inaugural statements of President Thomas Jefferson himself. ... land, traversing all the seas with the rich productions of their industry, engaged in commerce with nations.† 7 Perhaps, the best indicator of what eight years of the presidency of Thomas Jefferson have brought to America is the presidential inaugural address of James Madison in 1809. Speaking on 4 March 1809, after 8 years of the rule of Thomas Jefferson, Madison said that the US national prosperity was â€Å"at a height not before attained.†8 Madison also pointed out that under the Jefferson administration â€Å"†¦the fruits of a just policy were enjoyed in an unrivalled growth† of United States faculties and resources.9 According to Madison, the proof of the unrivalled growth can be seen â€Å"in the improvements of agriculture, in the successful enterprises of commerce, in the progress of manufacturers and useful arts, in the increase of the public revenue and the use made of it in reducing the public debt, and in the valuable works and establishment eve rywhere multiplying over the face of our land.† 10 It is clear, therefore, that we have a good and a reliable basis to say that President Thomas Jefferson has been successful as a president of the US and his achievements can be considered as extraordinary during his time as he was credited to have expanded the United States territory through the Louisiana Purchase. The success of Thomas Jefferson is also supported by solid data. One piece of such data is growth in gross domestic product in real 2005 terms. This is documented by MeasuringWorth, a data collection institution in the internet. Figure 1 from the website is illustrative. Figure 1. US GDP in real terms, 1795 to 1820 Source: http://www.measuringworth.com/datasets/usgdp/graph.php It is clear from the MeasuringWorth data that the US real GDP data was on the

'Dirty Pretty Things mixes realism and symbolism in a highly effective Essay

'Dirty Pretty Things mixes realism and symbolism in a highly effective way.' Discuss - Essay Example The film explores Londons illness, and takes viewers through several disturbing experiences, but does so without becoming unnecessarily vicious (Sneider, 2003). In this essay the effective use of symbolism and realism in the movie will be examined. Dirty Pretty Things portrayal of life for immigrants in London is revealing in its depiction of inhumanity that happens in big cities in the real world. Yet it conveys this message using symbols and metaphors, without forcing the message on the viewers, but rather allowing events to speak loudly of the harsh reality. It raises significant social problems while presenting a wide range of interdisciplinary allusions along the way. Thus, the explanation for the film’s title is understood in a conversation between two characters. â€Å"The hotel business is about strangers," Sneaky said to Okwe, â€Å"They go to the hotel at night to do dirty things, and in the morning we make it all look pretty again.† (Manitowoc Public Library, 2008) Symbolism can be defined as the utilization of non-direct articulation or a situation where the audience realizes that what the author is expressing and describing is possesses a â€Å"concealed or deeper meaning† (Todeschi, 1995). In The Encyclopedia of Symbolism (1995), Todeschi stresses that symbolism is utilized as an enhancement tool to emphasize the plot of a story. In books and movies, symbolism plays a bigger function in expressing the writer or director’s real meaning and emotions. Many of the characters and objects in the Dirty Pretty Things are symbolic. When symbols or metaphors are present, people often assume complex literary plots or themes. However, in the movie, symbols are evident because of the obvious messages they communicate to the audience. For instance, when the character Okwe is called to clean a toilet in the hotel, he discovers a human heart in it. This is an appalling symbol and

Measuring National Identity for the U.A.E National and Resident Essay

Measuring National Identity for the U.A.E National and Resident Consumers - Essay Example The literature review will focus on addressing this gap by reviewing theories on both self-identity and national identity and concluding on the relationship that exists between these two. This research study will therefore build on the literature relative to self-identity and national identity and later link these with consumer preferences using the (national identity) NATID scale. This literature review is divided into four main parts. The first part of the literature review examines applicable theories and forms the basis of the theoretical framework for conducting this study. The second part of this chapter reviews the literature on both self-identity and national identity and their roles in consumer decision making. The third part of the literature review will then be narrowed to main research topic on national identity by describing the NATID including its history and development as a valid scale for measuring national identity. The chapter closes with a summary and conclusion on all the major themes and aspects of review that has been performed. This section of the chapter is dedicated to reviewing theories on self identity and national identity. Theories on self-identity and national identity are selected given the gap already referred to, where most existing works of literature have failed to acknowledge the impact of self-identity on the construction of national identity. As far as self-identity is concerned, the performativity theory shall be reviewed whilst the social identity theory and evolutionary theory of nationality shall be reviewed under national identity. Each of the three theories will pave way for constructing a hypothesis which will later be tested through the collection of primary data from respondents in UAE. Judith Butler’s theory developed in 1990 of performativity has long been used in the analysis of the

Political commentator Essay Example for Free

Political commentator Essay Inspector Goole is an ingenious character; manipulated by Priestley to display many functions within the play, as he is used as a political commentator, universal inquisitor and truth seeker. -Many people view Inspector Goole as a representative for political and moral value, but overall, he is just a mere dramatic device, used for the purpose of delivering Priestleys opinion across to the audience, in the context of a domestic backdrop. The audience becomes first aquatinted with the character of Inspector Goole, when he enters the play at the beginning of Act One. -During this arrival, the Inspector interrupts Mr. Birling in midst of his pro-capitalist speech, thus disrupting the pretentious calm of middle-class luxury displayed before. -Mr. Birling, who represents the Capitalist opinion in full, speaks extremely arrogantly, as he believes that all knowledge and experience is held within his grasp:  Ive learnt in a good hard school of experience that a man has to mind his own business and look after himself and his own and (Mr Birling, act one). -Through this, Mr Birling shows that he is a Capitalist, and is one who feels that he has to take many risks to keep hold of his aesthetic power in status and money. He uses the speech to reveal all of his secrets and predictions around living life to the full, and in mid-flight of this, is rudely interrupted by the doorbell ringing. This doorbell acts as a dramatic device and medium for Inspector Gooles entrance. Its shrewd disturbance, possibly acting as a symbol for his disagreement in ethics, but also, the lack of respect for Mr Birlings Capitalist beliefs. Mr Birling is immediately phased by this impertinence, as just the Inspectors presence stops him from carrying on. The audience knows at this point that Birling isnt the great power figure that he made himself out to be and in fact, someone far greater has taken his dominating role for good. The Inspector is now number one. At first, the other characters are completely unaware of the Inspectors purpose within the play, as though they dont realise there is something to hide from. However, this arrogance and disregard for others is soon transformed, as they become conscious of the brutal truth of what they have done. Sheila and Eric become vividly changed, whereas the somewhat stubborn Mr and Mrs Birling remain seemingly callous within their original Capitalist views: but even with their supposed unchanged opinions, the effect of Inspector Goole steel haunts them, as all the characters will never be the same. The overall impression that surrounds Inspector Goole throughout the whole play is that of mystery and superior presence. This notion is partly created by the Inspectors manner but also his name, Goole, which is obviously an inference to mythical creatures of the medieval times, by the name of Ghouls. This similarity could just be a mere coincidence, but I think it is a metaphor, used to describe the Inspectors mystical character in short. Ghouls by legend are mysterious, magical creatures that are associated with death; and through this comparison, (plus the Inspectors style of just appearing with immediate authority), the same can be said about him. Priestley ultimately wanted to create a presence of massiveness, solidity and purposefulness (directional notes, Act one) and through the Inspectors deliberate name, manner and timing, he has created just that.  Paragraph 4 The Inspectors function as a Protagonist 1st Re-Draft  The most influential role of the Inspector and perhaps the most crucial in setting up his political authority within the play, is his imminent function as a Protagonist. In this role, Priestley has allowed the Inspectors character to immediately hold power and influence over the plot, thus giving him enough status to later deliver a political opinion to the audience. The first indication of the great power Inspector Goole has within the play, is only given upon his entrance into the plot, as it is then and only then, that the main proceedings are allowed to unfold. The audience is instantly left in suspense as they await the Inspectors motive for coming to the Birling household on such a joyous occasion. Although he immediately reveals his intentions: Id like some information, if you dont mind(The Inspector, Act one), they know he wants more. This mere information is all too trivial for Priestley to make such an atmosphere around the Inspector and thus, it is not viewed upon as just a light-hearted inquiry, but far more. The audience realises that the Inspector has immense power even enough to disrupt people of higher class; therefore they know he is here to reveal something life changing something important, and they wont stop watching until they find out exactly what. Throughout the play, Inspector Goole is the dominating character, as he leads the proceedings through immense interrogation. Every action he takes part in changes the reactions of the other characters, as he continually delivers Priestleys socialist opinion across to the audience. Before the Inspector enters though, Mr. Birling fulfils this role, as he roams through the dominion of a middle-class celebration, in flare of his true Capitalist mind. However, Birlings power is only temperamental, as it is immediately transferred to the Inspector as soon as he arrives into the plot. This switching of power and purpose between Inspector Goole and Mr Birling upsets the overall equilibrium of the play. The contrast of reign is thus shown vividly, as the pretentious calm of Capitalist wealth is rapidly morphed into the blunt truth of socialism. Priestley emphasises this change in mood specifically in his directional notes at the beginning of Act One:  The Lighting should be pink and intimate until the Inspector arrives, and then it should be brighter and harder (Directional notes). This change in light signifies the transferral of power between characters, but also the transformation of the plots tone. It shows that during Inspector Gooles entrance, the barrier of higher-class wealth does not matter, as he holds the power where no one can hide. Light in religious terms is a symbol for truth, and I think that this brighter light in the directional notes is a sign of the honesty in Inspector Goole, as Priestley shows the Inspectors beliefs to be pure and genuine.  Later on in the plot, after the Inspector has left, the other characters are close to restoring the equilibrium to how it previously was. They try to gain power back and delude themselves into thinking that the Inspectors existence was merely a hoax: There isnt any such Inspector. Weve been had. (Gerald, Act three).  The characters are purely interested in just their own statuses and therefore, try to make up excuses of why Inspector Gooles testament is not valid, so that in the end they can go about their lives, un-affected. However, the Inspectors power was so great and commanding, that Sheila and Eric are transformed and therefore, can not let the Inspectors morals go on forgotten. In the end, they stand up for what they believe, and in agreement with the Inspector they allow his reign to have justice until the very end the equilibrium of which, does not return.

Automated Classroom Monitoring System Essay Example for Free

Automated Classroom Monitoring System Essay Every academic institution aims outstanding scholastic performance of each and every student enrolled. Not only the schools but also the parents of these students hope to see their sons and daughters to excel in school with flying colors. In order to achieve so, students must attend their classes regularly so that they will be given the utmost standard learning experience. Class takes it to another level, an automated, secured and efficient attendance checking system. There are certain reasons why schools are encouraged to apply this kind of technology. Teachers nowadays are having problems in taking daily attendance of the students, sometimes they forget to take it or they will just simply give the class a blank paper to let them write their names and sign so it will serve their attendance and then later on who knows if that paper will be misplaced. This system will replace the obsolete swipe card system with finger authentication technology that is more reliable and accurate. With this technology, attendance will be recorded faster to the database with just a touch of the thumb. ____________________ is an automated system located on every classroom, equipped with biometric technology and automated SMS software, interfaced with a computer server where the database is then saved. Statement of the Problem School instructors have responsibilities inside the classroom towards the students. It is their duty to ensure all the students enrolled in that subject must benefit the lesson that the class is taking up at the moment. But sometimes teachers forgot to take class attendance or misplaced them. That’s why parents can not be guaranteed that the students are inside the school premises because the teachers do not have the data that will support the situation. The main objective of conducting this design is to improve the automated attendance monitoring system in academic institutions and to help the parents of the students to be able to monitor their child whether he/she attended school or has been cutting classes. Hypothesis of the Study 1. Ensures that the daily attendance of the class will be taken and a soft copy will be saved on a database and print a hard copy for the instructor’s documentation. 2. To limit the students from loitering in hallways during class hours. 3. Minimize the tardiness of students in attending classes. 4. Avoid altering school documents that are accessible only by the instructor in authority. 5. Provides parents the chance to monitor the attendance of students. 6. Enables the instructor to inform students if he/she is not going to be able to come in class on time or will be absent. 7. To replace the obsolete and inefficient swipe card technology with the finger print authentication biometric technology. 8. Saves class time for discussion instead of the traditional roll-call of the names of each student. Theoretical framework of the study This research is stimulated for the development of the school’s attendance monitoring system, provided with the biometrics technology and automated system. This will help the school authorities to have a permanent and more secured database management in attendance monitoring. A study from Teleron 2000 â€Å"Data Acquisition on Class Hour Attendance of the Faculty in Southwestern University† features the same concept as ____________, but his study is focusing only on school staff. Teleron used Barcodes on the staff’s ID that contains the data and the Bar code reader on the other hand reads the bar codes as the staff swipes the IDs. He recommends the use of biometric technology and further enhancement of his study, which convinced the researchers to push through to work with _______________________. Biometric devices nowadays are preferable than other authentication technologies such as barcodes and magnetic stripe scanners. This kind of technology is difficult to alter or tampered because it needs a unique pattern for authentication. Amazingly, human finger possesses unique ridges and valleys that differ from one human being from another, even identical twins. The first advantage of using this new technology is the uniqueness and it is also the main characteristic which allows biometrics technology to become more and more important in our lives. With uniqueness of biometrics technology, each individuals identification will be single most effective identification for that user. A chance of two users having the same identification in the biometrics security technology system is nearly zero (Tistarelli, 2009). Significance of the Study People who will be benefited by this project design favor those in: TEACHERS This innovated technology will be able to help the teachers to mark and update student class attendance quickly. He/She can easily print hard copies of the attendance in case of necessity. It will lessen wasted time on roll-calls and teacher can immediately proceed into his/her lecture. STUDENTS Our design will be mostly be benefited by the students. PARENTS/GUARDIANS The parents will easily track their sons and daughters’ attendance by simply sending the right keyword to the ____________ through Short Message Service (SMS). They will know at once when the students are really attending the class or cutting classes when the system will reply after they sent the SMS. They can also ask for a hard copy of the attendance, for example: they want the record for the whole month of January; the teacher will look up on the records of that particular student and then print it right away. Scope and Delimitation This design project aims to help the faculty and the entire student body of this institution to promote secure monitoring of the students’ attendance during class hours, and that parents will also be given the chance to know the student’s status first hand with just an SMS away. Researchers designed the biometric device to be located on every classroom only. Since the device is powered by electricity, a sudden loss of power will interrupt the whole system if there is an on-going entry, where it will take a few minutes for the generator to supply electricity temporarily for the system to resume. SMS feature of the system is limited only to the parent’s cellular number given to the administration encoded on the database. Other cellular numbers unknown to the database or not recorded can not be entertained by the system. Incase parents want to add or change phone numbers for the system; they have to submit a new form to the administration for approval and re-entry of data. Definition of Terms Listed below are the terminologies and the conceptual meaning used in the study. BIOMETRICS It is the measurement and analysis of unique physical or behavioral characteristics (as fingerprint or voice patterns) especially as a means of verifying personal identity. (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/biometrics). FINGERPRINT SCANNER Fingerprint scanning essentially provides an identification of a person based on the acquisition and recognition of those unique patterns and ridges in a fingerprint. The actual fingerprint identification process will change slightly between products and systems. The basis of identification, however, is nearly the same. Standard systems are comprised of a sensor for scanning a fingerprint and a processor which stores the fingerprint database and software which compares and matches the fingerprint to the predefined database. Within the database, a fingerprint is usually matched to a reference number, or PIN number which is then matched to a persons name or account. (http://www.webopedia.com/DidYouKnow/Computer_Science/2004/fingerprint.asp

Impact of Agriculture Credit on Agriculture Productivity

Impact of Agriculture Credit on Agriculture Productivity ABSTRACT Impact of agriculture credit on agriculture productivity. Agriculture plays vital role in Pakistans economy. It is the single largest sector and it is principal driving force for growth and development of the national economy of Pakistan. Agriculture credit plays vital role for increasing the efficiency of this sector. Timely and adequate availability of credit enables the farmers to purchase the required inputs and machinery for carrying out farm operations. There are two dimensions of this research first are measuring the impact of credit on development efficiency and second is measuring impact of credit on production efficiency. Regression model was used to determine the impact in both dimensions data collected from State Bank of Pakistan for analysis the results concluded that there is a positive relationship between agriculture credit and both development and production efficiency but not up to much extent that is required there is a minor impact on farm yield and productions le vels by agriculture credit the reasons can be credit policies timings of providing credit and can be not providing credit effectively where it is needed most. INTRODUCTION Agriculture plays an important role in Pakistans economy. It is the single largest sector and it is principal driving force for growth and development of the national economy of Pakistan. Agriculture and Livestock accounted for 23.1 per cent of the GDP in 2004-05. It employs 43.1 per cent of the labor force, provides livelihood to 68 per cent of the countrys population living in rural areas, and contributes 60 per cent share in export earnings from processed and un-processed agricultural products. Major industries like textile and sugar are agriculture based sectors. The rate of growth for agriculture sector is 4% in the past two decades, contributing significantly to overall economic growth, food supplies and exports. Although the share of agriculture in the GDP has declined over the years, in line with Development of other sectors such as industry, infrastructure, services, etc., it still remains the leading sector of the economy. The future policies in agriculture have been focused on attaining high growth rates by providing the right policies and institutional support, so that the sector can move forward and enhance its contribution to the economy. Review of Agriculture Sector The agriculture sector grew at an average annual growth rate of 4.5 per cent in the last decade, i.e. 1990s. However in 2000-01 and 2001-02, its performance was badly affected due to persistent drought conditions. It registered a growth rate of (-) 2.2 and (-) 0.1 per cent in 2000-01 and 2001-02, respectively. With subsequent improvement in the availability of Water, it grew by 4.1 per cent and 2.6 per cent in 2002-03 and 2003-04, respectively. In 2003-04, the major crops which account for 34.2 per cent of the agriculture value added grew by 2.8 per cent and minor crops which contribute 12.4 per cent to the agriculture value added, Grew by 1.7 per cent. In 2004-05, the agriculture sector registered an all time high growth of 7.5 per cent due to farmers friendly government policies, favorable weather conditions and Improvement in the availability of water. There was a recorded production around 14.6 million bales of cotton and 21.1 million tones of wheat. The contribution of major and minor crops was 17.3 and 3.1 per cent, respectively. Although the shortage of water affected the performance of crops in 2000-01 and 2001-02, its impact was reduced due to various measures by the farmers on the Recommendation of the Agriculture Departments such as efficient use of canal water, Exploitation of underground water through tube wells, sowing on ridges and better Agronomic and good management practices. The country had achieved self-reliance in wheat. Around 1.036, 1.704 and 0.553 million tones were exported due to build up of wheat stocks, in the years of 2001-02, 2002-03 and 2003-04, correspondingly. However, due to subsequent decline in wheat production, around 1.37 million tones of wheat was imported in 2004-05 to build up reserve stocks and meet domestic requirement. Although availability of water has been a serious constraint, there are other factors also, which are hampering the growth and development of the sector. Some of the factors are: low productivity of crops, inefficient use of water, degradation of land resources (water logging and salinity), imbalance application of fertilizer, inefficient use of agricultural inputs, ineffective transfer of technology to the farmers, lack of coordination between research and extension, post-harvest losses, marketing infrastructure, etc. Inspite of the reasonably performance in the agriculture sector the over all productivity is comparatively low as compare to other agriculture based countries like India for example in study based on comparison of agriculture performance in Indian and Pakistani Punjab it was found that Indian Punjab performed very well as compare to Pakistani Punjab because of the problems in infrastructure lack of mechanization most of these problems arise due to financial constraints these problems can be addressed by emphasizing on credit programs to farms get proper inputs such as production inputs like seeds, fertilizers, pesticides on time so that production efficiency improved and on the other hand development efficiency can be increased by mainly development efficiency is farm efficiency like land leveling, water courses, tractors tube wells these all required proper credit supply so therefore credit is the vital component in the improvement of agriculture efficiency. Agriculture credit role in increasing productivity Credit plays an important role in increasing agricultural productivity. Timely and adequate availability of credit enables the farmers to purchase the required inputs and machinery for carrying out farm operations. The farmers will be facilitated through the one window operation and revolving credit scheme. The one window operation was initiated in 1997 by the ZTBL which has been found quite useful in meeting the farmers credit requirements. Credit is the back bone for any business and more so for agriculture which has traditionally been a nonmonetary activity for the rural population in Pakistan. Agricultural credit is an integral part of the process of modernization of agriculture and commercialization of the rural economy. The introduction of easy and cheap credit is the quickest way for boosting agricultural production. Therefore, it was the prime policy of all the successive governments to meet the credit requirements of the farming community of Pakistan. Agriculture as a sector depends more on credit than any other sector of the economy because of the seasonal variations in the farmers returns and a changing trend from subsistence to commercial farming. How credit improve productivity both production and development or farm efficiency the answer is through the supply of proper credit to farmers they are able to purchase proper amount of fertilizers at the right time purchase pesticides at the right time so the production process will continue without any problems that will increase production efficiency. For development efficiency credit is needed for mechanization, i.e for land leveling water courses, tube wells, tractors and other inputs so credit is needed by farms for the proper availability of theses resource of course without the availability of these resource both production and development efficiency cannot be increased. In some of the studies importance of credit in agriculture stated as According to Shephered (1979) credit determines access to all of the resources on which farmers depend. Consequently, provision of macroeconomic policies and enabling institutional finance for agricultural development has been directed to the provision of infrastructure capable of facilitating agricultural development with a view to enhancing the contribution of the sector in the generation of employment, income and foreign exchange. One of the reasons for the decline in the contribution of agriculture to the economy is lack of a formal national credit policy and paucity of credit institutions, which can assist farmers. Credit or loan able funds is viewed as more than just another resource such as labor, land, equipment and raw materials. Therefore, by injecting capital into agriculture, it is possible to increase the rate of agricultural development since credit has frequently been considered as one of the main factors in overcoming agricultural stagnation that helps to expand farmland size and production. Table 6 shows the figures of amount of credit in billion rupees disbursed by different sources in agriculture sector by analyzing the figures it has been noted that credit for production has more amounts in every year as compare to credit for development loans so therefore the area where government has to focus is how to increase development efficiency (land leveling, water courses, and tractors) etc. supply of adequate credit should be implemented for development loans like production loans. Difference between production efficiency and development efficiency Production efficiency is related to the productivity related to inputs related purely to crops production such as seeds fertilizers pesticides chemicals etc. where as development efficiency is related to mechanization of farms lands development there fore inputs are tractors, land levelers water courses etc the details are below. Production efficiency factors The input factors related to production efficiency are Fertilizer The use of fertilizer is expected to grow by 4.0 per cent per annum in order to meet the crop production targets. The growth rate for the nitrogen is estimated at 3 per cent, phosphate 7 per cent and potash 12 per cent. In quantitative terms, nitrogen will increase to 3,049 thousand tones, phosphate 1,058 thousand tones and potash 45 thousand tones by 2009-10. The overall fertilizer consumption is estimated at 4,152 thousand tones. The mean application rate at national level will be about 180 Kg nutrients per hectare. There are other fertilizer products as source of micronutrients such as Zinc, Boron and Iron would also be targeted for specific crops (rice, cotton, maize, sugarcane, vegetables and horticultural crops) for efficiency and quality. According to research by (Coady, 1995) it is stated that the introduction of high-yielding varieties (HYVs) of wheat and rice in Pakistan in the mid-1960s was heralded as a major breakthrough in the problem of food supply. A crucial characteristic of these new HYVs was their high yields when used in conjunction with chemical fertilizer (henceforth just fertilizer) and controlled irrigation. Great emphasis was placed on increasing the supply and use of fertilizer, which was still regarded as of crucial importance by the mid-1980s-of the total increase in agricultural output envisaged by the Sixth Five Year Plan (Government of Pakistan 1983), 48% of it was expected to come from increased use of fertilizer. Although the technology associated with HYVs is essentially regarded as being neutral to scale, constraints such as those arising from inadequate irrigation, an inability to secure credit and access to extension services can bias the technology towards larger farms. The researcher focuses on the use of fertilizer. Earlier analysis of the data showed that just over 80% of the sample applied fertilizer, this the farms more than 25 hectares have higher percentage. However, that simple analysis of fertiliz er use did not indicate any systematic relationship between land size and per-acre levels applied (henceforth, fertilizer intensity). There, as in most studies of fertilizer use, zero observations are dropped. Much of the literature on agriculture in developing countries argues that, because of lack of access to crucial complementary inputs (such as irrigation, knowledge or credit), the productivity of fertilizer is lower on smaller farms. This would suggest that fertilizer intensity ought to be positively correlated with farm size. However, although my data suggest that a larger proportion of smaller farms do not apply any fertilizer, focusing only on users, I do not find any systematic relationship between fertilizer intensity and farm size. However, when I allow in my analysis for lack of access, I find a negative relationship between fertilizer intensity and farm size, in spite of the fact that productivity-enhancing characteristics appear to be biased in favor of large farms. I suggest that this could reflect the effect of uncertain yields on risk adverse farmers. If one accepts this interpretation, then it appears that the effect of uncertainty is strong enough to outweigh the produc tivity bias towards larger farms Pesticides and Plant Protection The productivity of crops is mainly depends upon control of pest. Around approximately 20% to 25% cent of crop production output lost due to hit of insects and pests. The use of pesticides has increased from 665 tones in 1980 to 69,897 tones in 2002. It has been estimated that its consumption may touch 78,000 metric tones till 2010. Approximately around 54% of the pesticides are useful on cotton crop, 23 per cent on rice, 9 per cent on fruits and vegetables, and 5 per cent on sugarcane. The rising and unsystematic use of pesticides must be avoided as it also kills useful predators and insects and causes environmental deprivation. Importance will be given on support of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) in order to reduce the application of pesticides in the best way. According to research (Alagh, 1988) states that INSECT pests, diseases and weeds inflict considerable damage to crops and plantations resulting in an estimated. Crop loss of over one-third of realizable output globally. Losses are higher in Africa and Asia, more than 40 per cent annually. The earliest use of chemicals to prevent crop losses is reported in the nineteenth century with the use of inorganic salts. The thirties of this century represent the beginning of the modern era of synthetic organic pesticides which saw the discovery of DDT (in 1939) and BHC (in 1942). A host of chloro organic compounds were introduced subsequently. Then came the organophosphorous com- pounds representing another extremely important class of organic insecticides, malathion being the first example of a wide spectrum insecticide with low mammalian toxicity. The new crop varieties and cropping sequences for intensive agriculture brought to the forefront problems of pests which caused tremendous losses to various crops and their produce. Pest problems have shown marked increase in changing agriculture. Pest problems have increased with the intensification of agriculture. Also improved agriculture brought about a transformation and an all round consciousness not to allow/tolerate yield losses especially because of the availability of modern pest control technology which makes it possible to avoid or to minimize such losses. Losses to crops and their produce are caused by various agencies which include insects, diseases, nematodes, weeds and several other non-insect pests. The estimated losses vary from crop to crop and region to region. However, it has been estimate that in India annual monetary loss in agriculture due to weeds, diseases, insects, nematodes, storage pests, rodents and birds runs into Rs 6,000 crore. This estimate is somewh at speculative yet it gives a first order approximation of the nature of the problem. Estimates with respect to many crop pests or diseases are available both in terms of percentage avoidable loss or loss in value. Such information is valuable and essential planning and implementation point of view of economic programs. So therefore pesticides plays important role in increasing production efficiency by reducing diseases and damage to the crops by the insects or pests because if crops production is effected by any of the reasons stated above crops production efficiency will be decreased. Development Efficiency How mechanization helps in improving farm efficiency Animal draft has conventionally remained a source of traction powers at farm over centuries. All operations at farm from tilling of the land to sowing, cultural management practices, lifting of water from shallow wells, harvesting, threshing, winnowing and transport were carried through animal provided draft. The use of fuel run machinery is a matter of about half a century. The major focus in the area came since the times of green revolution in late 1960s when the high yielding varieties (HYVs) inspired farming community for paradigm shift in adoption of other new technologies including farm mechanization. The major emphasis has been on farm traction, exploitation of sub surface water resources from sweet water aquifer, harvesting/threshing of crops, spraying of crops against insects, pests/diseases and pressurized irrigation operations. The main purpose of farm mechanization is to improve efficiency by replacing techniques with more efficient use of machines which performs sowing, harvesting, shallow wells and transport with less time and more efficient that animals based techniques. Mechanization of farm operation has become necessary due to shortage of labor and animal power at planting and harvesting stages of crops. It helps in timely sowing, cultural practices and harvesting of crops and reduction in post harvest losses. The most popular forms of mechanization are tractors with cultivators, drills, wheat threshers, sprayers, power rigs, tube-wells and bulldozers. The total number of operational tractors in the country is estimated to be 342,000 by June 2005. Thus available horsepower (hp) at farm level will be 0.82 hp per hectare as compared with 1.4 hp per hectare recommended by FAO for developing countries. It is projected that 45,000 tractors per annum will be added to the existing fleet. Thus, the total number of operational tractors will be increased to 466 thousand in 2009-10, increasing the horsepower at farm level to 1.1 hp per hectare. The fleet of bulldozers in the provinces will be strengthened for the development of wastelands and construction of slow action dams. The availability of institutional credit for the purchase of tractors and other agricultural machinery will be ensured through earmarking the actual credit requirement to Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited (ZTBL) and other commercial banks. The farmers will be facilitated to procure small seed processing units and establish primary grading facilities at farm level to fetch good price of their produce. The sugarcane harvesters, maize and cotton pickers, paddy transplanters and laser land leveling equipments will be introduced. Custom hire farm service centers will be established at suitable places for costly agricultural machinery/implements for small and medium farmers under public-private partnership. The public sector will provide seed money and technical assistance for the establishment of these centers. The farmers organizations will be responsible for the operation and maintenance of these centers on sustainable basis. The factors included in farm efficiency are Left bank outfall drainage scheme Land leveling Water courses Drainage schemes Left bank outfall drainage scheme Emerging drainage problems The greatly increased continuous use of Indus water for irrigation (from storage or direct river diversions) has significantly altered the hydrological balance of the Indus Basin. Seepage losses from irrigation canals, distributaries, minors, and watercourses and deep percolation from the irrigated lands have resulted in a gradual rising of the groundwater table, bringing with it critical problems of water logging and salinity over a vast area. Water logging is widespread throughout Punjab and Sind provinces, where most of the countrys food and fiber crops are produced. In the early 1900s, the water table was generally more than 15 meters (m) below the surface throughout the Indus Plain. However, by 1978 (when the Indus Basin Salinity Survey was completed), the water table in 22% of the Indus Basin was within 1.8 m of the surface, and an additional 30% was within 3 m. The condition has get worse since then. There was a comprehensive survey conducted in 1961 calculated that about 40,0 00 ha of land were being lost per year to agricultural production due to water logging and salinity. While these estimations have not been updated available information suggests that land neglected in severely waterlogged areas is continuing. What is left bank outfall drainage schemes The Left bank outfall drainage concept embraces major drainage and agricultural development and represents the collective efforts of Government of Punjab, Government of Sind, WAPDA, 1UNDP, international consultants, and potential co financiers, led by the World Bank. The Stage I Project has evolved from numerous investigations and studies initiated in the mid-1960s and refined thereafter. The project was subjected to extensive professional scrutiny and is a milestone in the Banks long-standing involvement with Indus Basin development. The LEFT BANK OUTFALL DRAINAGE SCHEME concept has been subject to intensive project preparation during the past 20 years. The Lower Indus Project report, prepared in 1966 by Sir N. MacDonald and Partners Ltd. and Hunting Technical Services Ltd., both of the United Kingdom, contains a comprehensive plan for optimum development of agriculture in the LEFT BANK OUTFALL DRAINAGE SCHEME area. Why this scheme is so important for Pakistani agriculture due to the irrigation conditions of agriculture Major factors in recent improvement of agriculture have been favorable weather and the affirmative response of farmers to GOVERMENT OF PUNJABs policies and programs for agriculture sector development. Land leveling in Pakistan Studies have indicated that a significant (20 to 25 %) amount of irrigation water is lost during its application due to poor farm designing and uneven fields. It has been estimated that the farmers keep on applying water until the maximum point in a field is covered. This leads to over-irrigation of low-lying areas and under-irrigation of superior spots in those results in irregular supply of all nutrients to the plants besides accumulation of salts in such areas. The fields not correctly leveled, because wastage of land, low irrigation efficiencies, and eventual result is considerably lesser yields than the possible. Accurate Land leveling (PLL) consists of grading and planning land to a smooth level or no slope to facilitate efficient irrigation. Modernized method of carrying out PLL is by using LASER equipment that helps in attaining mandatory degree of precision at lesser cost and effort. LASER land leveling equipment is provided to the farmers on nominal average rental charges i .e. Rs 150/hour to 200/hour. An area of about approximately 400,000 acres has been accurately leveled in the Punjab since inauguration of OFWM program that includes over 113,000 acres leveled with LASER technology. Precision Land Leveling (PLL) is a mechanical process of grading and smoothing the land to a accurate and consistent plane surface at grade or no grade (zero slope) with variation of less than  ± 2cm. It is carried out to control irrigation application losses at the farmers fields besides other advantages. LASER technology has been proved to be advantageous as it minimizes the cost of irrigation operation, ensures better degree of precision in much lesser time, saves irrigation water, ascertains consistent seed germination, increases fertilizer use efficiency and resultantly enhances crop yields. Impact studies on LASER land leveling identify that it: Curtails the irrigation application losses up to the extent of 25% Reduces labor requirements for irrigation by about 35% Enhances the irrigated area by about 2% by brining the number as well as length of field ditches and dikes to a minimum * Increases the crop yields by about 20% Pakistan is considered to be the pioneer in South Asia for promoting use of LASER technology in irrigated agriculture. OFWM Punjab has tested the first laser leveling equipment in 1985. Before devolution, there were 140 LASER land leveling units available with District Governments which have been procured through donor assisted projects, respectively. One hundred units were equipped with tractors while 40 units were without tractors. These machines have accurately leveled about 125,000 acres of land. The yearly potential of available LASER equipment was about 25,000 acres per year. The major operational limitation encountered to make sufficient use of this equipment was insufficient availability of OM funds with the public sector. Drainage schemes The constant expansion of the irrigation system over the past century drastically altered the hydrological balance of the Indus River basin. Seepage from the system and percolation from irrigated fields caused the water table to get higher, attaining crisis conditions for a significant area. Around 1900 the water table was typically more than sixteen meters below the surface of the Indus Plain. A 1981 study found the water table to be within about three meters of the surface in more than one-half the cropped area in Sindh and more than one-third the area in Punjab. In some areas, the water table is much nearer to the surface. Cropping is fatally affected over a wide area by poor drainagewater loggingand by accumulated salts in the soil. Officials were conscious of the need for additional expenditure to prevent further worsening of the existing situation. Emphasis in the 1980s and early 1990s was on rehabilitation and preservation of existing canals and watercourses, on farm improvements on the farms themselves (including some land leveling to conserve water), and on drainage and salinity in priority areas. Emphasis was also placed on the short-term projects, mainly to improve the operation of the irrigation system in order to lift up yields. Element of the funding would come from stable increases in water use fees; the objective is gradually to raise water charges to cover operation and maintenance costs. Substantial time and money are needed to understand the full potential of the irrigation system and bring it up to modern standards.(detected) Irrigation and watercourses In the beginning of 1990s, irrigation from the Indus River and its tributaries comprised the worlds largest contiguous irrigation system, capable of watering over 16 million hectares. The system includes three major storage reservoirs and numerous barrages, head works and canals, distribution channels. The total length of the canal system exceeds 58,000 kilometers; there are a further 1.6 million kilometers of farm and field ditches. Over the use of Indus waters there were prolonged disputes between India and Pakistan because partition placed portions of the Indus River and its tributaries under Indias control. After nine years of dialogue and technological studies, the issue was resolved by the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960. India use of the waters of the main eastern tributaries in its territorythe Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej rivers after a ten year transitional period, the treaty awarded Pakistan received use of the waters of the Indus River and its western tributaries, the Jhelum and Chenab rivers. When the treaty was signed, Pakistan began an extended and rapid irrigation construction program, partly financed by the Indus Basin expansion Fund of US$800 million contributed by various nations, including the US, and administered by the World Bank. Several huge link canals were built to transfer water from western rivers to eastern Punjab to substitute flows in eastern tributaries that India began to redirect in accordance with the terms of the treaty. In 1967 the Mangla Dam, on the Jhelum River, was completed. The dam provided the first major water storage for the Indus irrigation arrangement. The flood control was also contributed by the dam, for regulation of flows for some of the link canals, and to the countrys energy supply. At the same time, further construction was undertaken on barrages and canals. The vital need in the 1960s and 1970s to raise crop production for domestic and export markets led to water flows well beyond designed capacities. Completion of the Mangla and Tarbela reservoirs, as well as enhancement in other parts of the system, made superior water flows possible. In addition, the government began installing public tube wells that frequently discharge into upper levels of the system to add to the available water. The higher water flows in parts of the system significantly go beyond design capacities, creating stresses and risks of breaches. However, many farmers, mainly those with smallholdings and those on the way to the end of watercourses, suffer because the supply of water is unreliable. The irrigation system represents a considerable engineering achievement and provides water to the fields that account for ninety percent of agricultural production. Nevertheless, serious problems in the design of the irrigation system avert achieving the highest potential agricultural output. LITERATURE REVIEW Production Efficiency and Agriculture Productivity According to research (Taylor, Drummond, Gomes, 1986) which relates to effectiveness of subsidized credit programs in improving the productivity of traditional farmers in developing countries the credit program known as PRODEMATA it is concluded by empirical results suggest that PRODEMATA has had no desire impact on technical efficiency and a slightly negative effect on allocative productivity (it is defined as a theoretical measure of the advantage or utility resulting from a planned or actual choice in the distribution or distribution of resources). The poor but efficient hypothesis states that the provision of agricultural credit will be ineffective in improving productivity and incomes since investment opportunities are limited. Traditional farmers are hypothesized to be efficient but faced with technological barriers that can- not be overcome by the mere influx of capital provided by credit programs alone. It is further analyzed that the economics of credit in Brazil and concluded there was an underutilization of capital on small farms and that credit would relieve capital shortages and improve output. However, in analyzing farm-level production in it is found that technological barriers were present which would prevent credit programs from having a significant impact on capital formation and incomes. Studying traditional agriculture in southern Brazil concluded that in- creased investment capital formation, such as use of mechanized equipment and fertilizer, alone is not the answer to increasing crop production. Better management, Information sources and consumption of resources are as significant and should be equally emphasized if any advantage is to be anticipated from increasing disbursement on these inputs. The implication here is that, while credit availability may afford traditional farmers the opportunity to invest in modernized inputs, there is no guarantee that these inputs will be used in such manner as to recognize the full level of output gains possible. It thus seems appropriate that the effectiveness of subsidized credit in traditional farming depends on concerns of technical as well as allocative efficiency. The research above illustrated credit program named as PRODEMATA was instituted The result was that participated in the program compared to those of nonparticipating farms indicate that the program wa

Ageism :: Age Discriminationg Work Research Essays

Ageism No matter how talented or experienced one employee may be over another, workplace history has demonstrated more than just a few times that the younger candidate is often the one to win the promotion. Age discrimination has become more than a minor inconvenience throughout the twentieth century; indeed, the issue has become such a hot potato within the workplace that laws have been forced into existence as a means by which to address the problem. In order to help protect those who stand to be singled out and let go because of the unfairness of ageism, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) was designed with the older employee in mind. The issue at hand is that companies are not willing to look beyond their aging workforce, choosing instead to push them out of the technological loop rather than attempting to incorporate them as valuable assets. In our culture, the general perception is that with youth comes energy, imagination, and innovation. With age comes decreasing interest, lack of innovation and imagination, and a lessening of the quality of the person (Bennett, 2001, p. 410-411). Job seekers are reporting age discrimination beginning as early as the mid-thirties. How can this be addressed? What options are there for those of us considered "old" by hiring managers and companies? The biggest issue, and one which is hard to address, is the perception that older workers are not as capable or as qualified as younger counterparts. Age discrimination continues to damage our society, reducing both the incomes and the self-confidence of millions of Americans. A Harris survey, conducted in 1989, reported that one million workers aged 50 to 64 believed that they would be forced to retire before they were ready. Most of this group, anticipating an unwanted early retirement, said they would prefer to work for years longer. Another Harris survey, conducted in 1992, found that 5.4 million older Americans--one in seven of those 55 and older who were not working at that time--were willing to work but could not find a suitable job (Administration on Aging). Age discrimination can be obvious, such as a bank hiring a pretty, inexperienced young woman as a teller instead of an older woman with a strong background in similar jobs. But it's the subtler forms of age discrimination that may have the most powerful effect on cutting short the productive years of Americans--the law partner who

Wings :: Essays Papers

Wings Calvin Coolidge once said, The chief business of the American people is business. This statement is as true today as it was when Coolidge said it because America is largely defined by the nature of the businesses that drive its economy. One of the major economy driving businesses in America is Boeing, an aircraft production company with plants all over the United States. The aircraft produced by Boeing are used for military and commuter services. The Boeing 747 commuter jet has become the symbol of the company, and a great symbol of what America is all about. Diversity, efficiency, and creativity are terms used to describe America, but now they are being used by the Boeing Company to describe the Boeing 747. Nothing on the surface of the Boeing 747 would lead one to believe diversity could be related to it in any way at all, but if one considers the production and the materials of the airplane itself, it is easy to realize that the Boeing 747 is, in fact, diverse. People from all over the world with parts from all over the world produce the Boeing 747 in factories located throughout the United States. Just like America, the Boeing 747 has a tradition of resiliency because of the hard work and dedication of the people who fuel its production. Diversity allows continual change for the better to take place; America and the Boeing 747 are no exception to the rule. Speed and efficiency have been the most important attributes of any means of transportation produced in the United States since the Industrial Revolution, and considering the fact that the Boeing 747 is capable of delivering hundreds of passengers to a desired location on time, one could safely say that the Boeing 747 is quick and efficient. For the most part, people in America and on the Boeing 747 are there because they have goals and destinations that they want to reach as quickly as possible. The Boeing 747 and America provide Americans and foreigners alike with the opportunity to get where they want to go without wasting time. Any decrease in the speed and efficiency Americans have come to expect from the Boeing 747 would mark the beginning of the end of its wide spread use and existence. Perhaps the most important factor going in to creating something like the Boeing 747 is creativity itself.

A Better Welfare System :: Work Job Employment Essays

A Better Welfare System I do believe people should have to work or get an education while receiving benefits. Nobody should get to get a 'free ride' through life! Nobody pays my way through life, I have to work for what I get. That quote is the word of a twenty-two year-old female who holds down a full-time job, pays rent, and taxes. Some, like her, may feel contempt toward welfare recipients who do not work for their benefits. The welfare system is a program for citizens who need assistance. but it should be considered a privilege, not a free ride. Everyone wants-or professes to want-to "end welfare as we know it," even though the welfare system is still thriving. The new program on the market, Workfare, is a reform tactic that will get recipients into the work force and eventually off benefits. It's is four a.m., and Jenifer Beack is getting her two children ready to go to day care until they are shuttled off to school. Then Jenifer heads to Roseville, Minnesota, to her job as a Customer Support Specialist at Allina Clinic Equipment Services. It's a hectic schedule for this single mother to maintain, but she's willing to do it. A couple of years ago, Jenifer, in her third year of college, was on welfare. She was struggling with full time school.. part-time evening job, and trying be a mother to her baby girl. It was when a friend told her about STRIDE (Success Through Reaching Individual Development and Employment,) a subdivision of Workfare that she began to see a way out. STRIDE, encourages recipients to see welfare as temporary assistance. emphasizing employment as the goal. Lynn Ransom, Case Manager with PIWC 5 (a branch of welfare), went out of her way to help Jenifer with anything she needed. PIWC 5 provided financial assistance for day care, car repairs, gas money, clothing, books and classes. Lynn helped Jenifer develop a resume, fine tune her interviewing skills, and select an interview wardrobe. What PIWC 5 asked for in return was a goal sheet which helped Jenifer develop reasonable goals to work toward. Lynn and Jenifer met on a regular basis to monitor progress. After graduating with a degree in Psychology and Speech Communications, Jenifer landed the job at Allina. Jenifer stated, "Lynn has been so wonderful. She's been there not only through financial struggles, but personal ones too.

Mc Donald’s Operation Management Essay

Because we live in a muslim country, McDonald had to remove all the meals composed of porc, and use â€Å"Halal† meat. To convince the public opinion, they organize a trip for the press and the opinion leaders to their suppliers. There is an external independent audit who is responsible for the halal labeling. McD’s products are supplied by 50 % from local companies, the meat and the fries are imported from Egypt. When food arrive to the McD restaurant they are already labeled by a best-before date and are double labeled by the manager and then they are stored in the freezer in a temperature between – 18 ° and -23 °. The rule for the frozen food is that the first to come in is the first to come out. Health, safety and hygiene issues are taken seriously; the manager is responsible of the good following of the operations. In the kitchen, every employee is assigned a specific task, meat is bake between two heating plate that are cleaned every 30 minutes, after it’s done they use a special thermometer to make sure that the meat is at least 69  °, employees that are in contact with meat must wear gloves and change them regularly. There is also fried chicken and fish in the McDonald’s menu, so they use a deep fryer that is checked to make sure the oil is clean, fried food can’t stay out more than 20 minutes. Every hour there is a beep in the kitchen that indicate that employees have to wash their hands for 30 seconds and every 4 hours all the materials used in the kitchen are sterilize with a special spray. Finally when the meal is assembled, it is ready to be served to the consumer. Output : Meals Transformation process : *Baking *Assembling Input resources : *Materials *Staff *Food LowVolumeHigh. HighVarietyLow HighVariation Low HighVisibilityLow â€Å"â€Å" To understand the different types of operation we differentiate between them by using four dimensions – it calls these the four V’s of operations. They are, * Volume – how many products or services are made by the operation? * Variety – how many different types of products or services are made by the operation? * Variation – how much does the level of demand change over time? * Visibility – how much of the operation’s internal working are ‘exposed’ to its customers? †Ã¢â‚¬  From www. answer. com , search four Vs. The black curve in the diagram shows the McDonald’s operation tendencies. The volume of operations is mid-low which is high for a restaurant but McD is Fast-food restaurant, consumers during all days, however there are some peak hours, so the machinery are always working. An average McD stay open for 14 hours but they are some like the one in the corniche that stays open until 5 o’clock in the morning. The variety in McD product is mid-low, meal are standard, some stay always on the menu like the Cheeseburger or the Big Mac, but other are occasional like the Mac fondue or the Giabatta Grande. The meal are not really customizable like a real restaurant you can only ask them to remove an item from the meal like the salad or the tomato. Food is necessary, we need to consume it every day, we can’t base variation upon season but more upon hours. The peak hours for McDonald’s are between 12h and 15h and 19h to 21h30, during these moments we can’t really talk about fast-food anymore, you have to wait at least half an hour to place your order. However in the rest of the day you get served quickly but you will never find it empty. Visibility in McD is mid-low, we can partially see the employee cooking, it’s better than most restaurant however there are some sushi restaurant when the chef cook the food in front of you. In the western countries standard the price of McD is relatively low and is seen as a casual purchase however in morocco the price for the menu is high, an entire family can eat with the same price elsewhere. Some sees McD as an outing and eat there occasionally. Compared to other fast-food in the same segment like Burger King or KFC, the price is a little bit lower and the Cheeseburger is affordable to anyone. Dependability is important in McD, consumers want to be served at anytime, and McD reacted by making some of their restaurant open until 2 o’clock in the morning during the week-end and the McD in la Corniche is open every day until 5 o’clock in the morning because it is close to the night clubs and people leaving them are often starving. Flexibility in McD is a bit narrow, their menu isn’t as full and diversified as a real restaurant, they only offers burgers and they are not customizable, u can only remove items from it like the cheese or the tomato and it take them extra time. However in big cities like Casablanca or Marrakesh, they can be found everywhere, the only thing missing is the home delivery but they will have difficulties implementing it since a McD burger don’t last more than 10 minutes. They also propose flexibility in payment; consumers can pay with cash, credit card, cheque or restaurant ticket. Quality is a force that McD focus on in their marketing campaign; they try to associate healthy and fresh food with their brand. The taste of their burger is good however if you eat them too often you wouldn’t stand the taste anymore, that’s why they introduce new burgers once in a while. Speed is a core competency for McD since it’s a fast-food restaurant, once you place your order it doesn’t take long before you get served. But in peak hours or in McDrive, you have to wait a lot before arriving to the cashier sometimes more than 30 minutes. They tried to fix it by opening all the cashier and adding an extra employee that moves through the crowd and makes you a bill, however you still have to wait a lot. All operations managers manage processes, in fact almost all managers manage processes of some type. That is why process design is so important. It affects the day-to-day activities of everyone who is involved in a process. â€Å"â€Å"Process mapping simply involves describing processes in terms of how the activities within the process relate to each other. There are many techniques which can be used for process mapping (or process blueprinting, or process analysis, as it is sometimes called). However, all the techniques have two main features: 1. They identify the different types of activity that take place during the process; 2. They show the flow of materials or people or information through the process. †Ã¢â‚¬  Nigel, S. , Stuart, C. , Robert, J. , 2004. Operations Management. 4thed. Prentice Hall: Financial Times. P. 102. Cooking Storage Serving the consumer Frozen food The first symbol represents the transport of raw materials which is in this casa frozen food from the McDonald’s factory, when they arrive to the restaurant they are store in a freezer. Then there is the circle that represents the operations related to the cooking and finally there is the trapezium which represents the output of the processes that is the client being served. The layout is the configuration of work centers, departments and equipment, with particular emphasis on movement of work through the system. â€Å"â€Å"A cell layout is one where the transformed resources entering the operation are preselected( or preselect themselves) to move to one part of the operation (or cell) in which all the transforming resources, to meet their immediate processing needs, are located. After being processed in the cell, the transformed resources may go on to another cell. †Ã¢â‚¬  Nigel, S. , Stuart, C. , Robert, J. , 2004. Operations Management. 4thed. Prentice Hall: Financial Times. P. 210 – 211. The layout in McD’s restaurants are well studied to maximize the place in the kitchen, there is little place between machinery. Since they offer different kind of meals and needs different equipment to prepare them, the cell layout was the best alternative for them. We can take for example and order of a Big Mac and a pack of Nuggets, after the frozen meat and the chicken are token out of freezer, the meat is baked between two heating plate and the chicken is fried. When they are ready, the meat is given to another employee who is responsible of assembling the burgers and then they are both transferred to an employee who packs them up. Finally, the French fries are fried ( they are often near the cashier) and everything is ready to be served to the consumer. Let’s start by comparing the cost, the price of a menu in McD is in between 47 dhs to 61 dhs and 12 dhs for a Cheeseburger whereas in Burger king the price of a menu is in between 55 and 66 dhs and 13 dhs. The gap in prices in morocco is certainly due to the fact that McD is operating on a broader scale ( 29 restaurants) than Burger King who only have one franchise in the Morocco Mall and has started less than a year ago, so the economy of scale allow McD to a lower cost per unit produced then his rival. McD have opened restaurant all over Morocco and they extend the time of closure until 5 o’clock in the morning for some of its restaurants, whereas Burger King have only one restaurant that is a bit far from the city and is located in a mall which brings a lot of people in it, and they don’t have a similar service as McDrive. Their performance in flexibility is a bit similar, consumers can’t customize their meals however Burger King offer a wider variety of meals than McD. Maybe my judgment might be biased since I’ve been eat in McD for years but the quality of the bread and meat in Burger King is way better, even their fries are more crispy. One of the order-winner for Burger King is the speed, there is a place where you command and a place where you get served which is a real gain in time for consumers, because in McD you have to wait until the client in front of you get served to place your order. McDonald’s have several order-winner factors which are: * Trust: Since it’s a big company they can’t afford to lose their reputation by manipulating food and bad hygiene, so whenever you travel you first option to eat is McD. * Quality: They select the best ingredients and create different sauces to meet customers’ needs best, they offer different meal according to the country they operate in. We can take for example the Big Tasty, at first it was just a seasonal meal they offer but it fits Moroccan taste better than other meals because of its mechwi taste, and now it became a permanent meal on the menu. * Location: with 29 restaurants over 15 cities in Morocco, they can be found everywhere Order qualifying factors are: * Speed: Most of the time, it doesn’t take more than 4 minutes between placing the order and receiving the products. However in peak hours, you can wait more than 30 minutes to get served * Disponibility of Staff: They use shift to make sure there is enough employees to make the business work, however customers don’t pay attention to this detail. â€Å"â€Å"Mass services have many customer transactions, involving limited contact time and little customization. Such services are often predominantly equipment-based and ‘product’ oriented, with most value added in the back office and relatively little judgment applied by front-office staff. † Nigel, S. , Stuart, C. , Robert, J. , 2004. Operations Management. 4thed. Prentice Hall: Financial Times. P. 117. This type of process design defines best McD operations, using a product oriented menu that allow little customization, they produce a high volume of meals with a restrict variety. The contact time with clients is low because it’s a fast-food and the entire added value comes from the kitchen and the marketing department. McDonald’s is using standardization for their operations because most of its employees are not going to stay for long period, most of them are student taking part time jobs. When they first enroll, employees start by watching a video about food safety, then they go to the kitchen where steps for each process are indicated in front of every machine. They never start alone, there is always a coworker helping him assimilate all the safety rules to manipulate the machines. In the McD factory they use modularity to create new meals and sauces by combining different food to meet customer’s needs. According to Wikipedia, in 2004 Morgan Spurlock filmed a documentary called Super Size Me where he ate only in McDonalds for a 30-day. The film documents this lifestyle’s drastic effect on Spurlock’s physical and psychological well-being, and explores the fast food industry’s corporate influence, including how it encourages poor nutrition for its own profit. As a result, he gained 11. 1 kg, a 13 % body mass increase, a cholesterol level of 230, and experienced mood swings, sexual dysfunction, and fat accumulation in his liver. Six weeks after the film premiered, McDonald’s announced that it was eliminating the super size option, and was creating the adult happy meal. In my opinion McD should advertise more about biologic vegetables and indicate how much calories our body can handle per day. They should also influence customers to exercise more.