Business Communication - Assignment 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Business Communication - Assignment 2 - Essay Example The process also tends to be highly emphasised on the exchange of thoughts among parties by verbal as well as non-verbal means that could be beneficial for the organisation to a large extent (Means, 2009). However, in practicing effective business communication strategies, businesses in the global context have often been observed as facing problems due to extensive influences of globalisation in terms of cross-cultural language barriers and distinctiveness. It has been observed in this regard that inadequate understanding among employees regarding the cross-cultural influences during their operations can further lead to various issues in terms of ethical concerns and misinterpretation of the communicated message. Inappropriate cross cultural training of employees can also influence poor performances, poor productivity, greater employee turnover and conflicts within the internal business environment of an organisation. Additionally, misinterpretation in business communication can be observed when the employees are unable to identify the organisational process thoroughly through which the objectives can be achieved (Genc, 2010). The influence of culture on consumer behaviour is found to gain greater attentiveness within the context of contemporary marketing and within disciplines related to consumer behaviour theories as well as practices in the national and in the global arenas. It has often been observed in this regard that consumer behaviour is principally emphasised on the decision making of individuals in the cultural as well as social contexts. According to Farhangmehr & Shoham (2004), the impact of culture is dynamic and its divergences provide an adverse effect on the decision making process of a particular business organisation. From another perspective, it can be stated that influence of culture hypothesises

Quality Metal Service Essay Example for Free

Quality Metal Service Essay An overview of cost, profit, revenue, and investment centers Cost classification in accounting also involves the allocation of costs, revenues and responsibilities to various centres or departments. These centres include: == Cost centres == Revenue centres == Profit centres == Investment centres Cost Centres A cost centre (CC) is a unit, location or department where cost data is collected. The purpose of the cost centre is to collect, analyze and ascertain costs in its immediate context. Cost centres usually have cost units—units or equipment for which costs are determinable or attributable. Overheads and direct costs constitute the cost structure of a CC. Since many activities in an organisation involve costs, a cost centre is a fundamental aspect, especially as profit and investment centres can be cost centres. According to the ACCA Study Text (Management accounting, c 1999), cost centres can manifest themselves as a project, a machine, department or overhead costs. One should note that a specific cost centre might not necessarily have other functions. CCs are not limited to production and manufacturing, since they can also be attributed to service centres, like commercial bank branches for example. Revenue Centres These centres deal exclusively with revenue. Even though costs may arise from these areas, the revenue centre is not accountable for costs. Its purpose is primarily to maximise sales and revenue. Profit centre The profit centre addresses both costs and revenue. Therefore, the manager responsible for a profit centre is accountable for the purchases and sales for that unit, department or branch. Since both revenue and costs fall under the purview of the profit centre, it is both a cost and revenue centre, although a revenue centre is not a profit centre and a cost centre might not necessarily be a profit centre. Investment centres Investment centres are profit centres that are accountable for cost, revenues and net assets for capital investment. This unit is assessed by return on investment and is a cost centre. Managers in an investment centre are responsible for purchasing capital or non-current assets and making investment decisions with capital. Investment centres Investment centres are profit centres that are accountable for cost, revenues and net assets for capital investment. This unit is assessed by return on investment and is a cost centre. Managers in an investment centre are responsible for purchasing capital or non-current assets and making investment decisions with capital. Responsibility centres are the umbrella term for cost, profit, revenue and investment centres, since their performance is under the direct control of a manager. The cost centre concept is present in profit and investment centres. The profit centre can be stand alone or, with additional responsibilities, an investment centre. Revenue centres operate in a similar manner to cost and profit centres, but their managers are primarily responsible for maximizing revenues and sales. An accountant needs to know the different types of centres to understand the information needs and requirements of the managers of the various units. Responsibility Centres A responsibility centre is an organizational subsystem charged with a well-defined mission and headed by a manager accountable for the performance of the centre. Responsibility centres constitute the primary building blocks for management control. It is also the fundamental unit of analysis of a budget control system. Aresponsibility centre is an organization unit headed by a responsible manager. There are four major types of responsibility centres: cost centres,revenues centres, profit centres and investment centres. Cost Centre A cost centre is a responsibility centre in which manager is held responsible for controlling cost inputs. There are two general types of cost centres: engineered expense centres and discretionary expense centres. Engineered costs are usually expressed as standard costs. A discretionary expense centre is a responsibility centre whose budgetary performance is based on achieving its goals by operating within predetermined expense constraints set through managerial judgement or discretion. Revenue Centre A revenue centre is a responsibility centre whose budgetary performance is measured primarily by its ability to generate a specified level of revenue. Profit Centre In a profit centre, the budget measures the difference between revenues and costs. Investment Centre An investment centre is a responsibility centre whose budgetary performance is based on return on investment. The uses of responsibility centres depend to a great extent on the type of organization structure involved. Engineered cost centres, discretionary expense centre, and revenue centres are more often used with functional organization designs and with the function units in a matrix design. In contrast, with a divisional organization designs, it is possible use profit centres because the large divisions in such a structure usually have control over both the expenses and the revenues associated with profits.

Establishing an ECL culture in China

Establishing an ECL culture in China Electronic Communications Ltd. (ECL) had decided to start business in China and to form a relationship of common prosperity with Chinese people. The company knew that there was major progress to be made, but there were also risks and challenges. One of these was the management of cultural differences. An issue the management was whether it should adapt ECLs management practice to the Chinese culture or to establish ECLs global management policies in China. Successful cultural alignment is an important element for multinational organizations. Electronic Communications Ltd (ECL), like many other companies entering foreign markets, is faced with how to adequately incorporate their corporate culture with the Chinese national culture. Situational analysis Cultural issues were a basic problem to overcome and the must important because it will create the daily operations environment and it is a critical success factor for multinational organizations. Electronic Communications Ltd (ECL), like many other companies entering foreign markets, is faced with this situation. ECL management must determine if it is more prudent to adapt to the Chinese culture or to apply their western-centric management practices to ECL China. ECLs management must explore if they should adapt or assimilate the culture, they needed to find that they need to develop a reliable management plan to attract, develop and retain leaders within the company. One of the key issues for ECL is learning how to effectively integrate managers from a different culture. According to Lewiki people from different cultures appear to negotiate differently. For this reason cultural relations are also important to be established. Lewiki mentions that in addition of people behaving differently, people form different cultures may also interpret the fundamental processes of negotiations differently. This particular issue came up when expatriate managers provided feedback to Chinese employees who saw the feedback as a critic to their culture. Perhaps ECL management should focus on creating tasks that will contribute to building relationships with ECL China associates. It is known that that managing personal relationships is essential for conflict resolution. Lewiki mentions that according to Phatak and Habib the relations developed among the principal negotiating parties before the actual negotiations will also have an important impact on the negotiation process and outcome. A personal relation was perceived by the Chinese as it could promote a more open flank and communication between managers and their subordinates and colleagues. The business style presented within ECL is demonstrated as expatriate managers expect associates to be more proactive. The high power orientation within ECL China seems to be contradicted by the Chinese staff style to find short-cuts to solve problems. ECL management has created systems to predict the proper steps to solving problems to a given situation. However, many Chinese staff thought the systems went wrong and delayed the decision making process. This contradiction shows that in some instances Chinese staff did in fact want an opportunity to be proactive. ECL should be create a more flexible solving structure that encourages Chinese staff to be more proactive without forgetting the issues which can rise during conflict resolution. Also ECL management claims that the Chinese staff lacked the expected teamwork capability. This problem was attributed by some expatriates to the education system in China, because e the system encourages a more individualist culture. The face issue in the Chinese society was a combination of dignity, self-respect, prestige and social standing, as perceived by others, an example of face is when a manager criticize his employee could cause the person to lose face especially in from of others. This so called losing, face is detrimental to a working relationship in certain cultures. However we can conclude that ECL has a very strong cultural adaptation with its employees. ECL had a successful combination of training and systems to form the technical skills in the Chinese workplace. There were doubt as to the replacement of the expatriates could be completed on time and the Chinese employees were given the opportunity to get promoted within the company the senior management positions were still dominated by the expatriates. This represented another challenge for ECL that the expatriates did not have the full respect from their staff. Chinese staff had difficulty accepting that many expatriate managers do not have the same level of technical expertise that is expected of the staff. Further, expatriates were often viewed as not fully committed to China and would relegate decision making responsibility to the home office. This would often cause a delay in productivity. However, China has a very productive and the coaching program that was developed to pair Chinese staff with experienced expatriates was implemented to create a formal mechanism to transfer knowledge and cultural information. This lowered the level of animosity growing towards ECL management; it was a better decision for ECL to promote expatriate managers to China with a high level of technical experience who are able of making decisions in a short amount of time. An additional challenge that ECL had was attracting and keeping local talent. ECL wanted to replace expatriates in a short period time but they are having a difficult time hiring competent Chinese managers. The demand for competent personnel was growing and more skilled personnel were needed. A critical issue encountered was the emigration impeding success is that many talented potential hires leave the country. Those that remain receive handsome compensation packages from Chinese owned firms. A lot of well prepared personnel were getting better offers; ECL also has to compete for the remaining individuals amongst other firms that are beginning to enter the Chinese market. ECL must remember when seeking out talent that respect for elders plays a significant role in high power orientation countries and young managers may not receive the respect or support that they need to be effective. An additional issue was the competition added by China entering the World Trade Organization. This caused a lot of investors to China and start investing creates an environment of intense competition. Perhaps, ECL could use current employees to recruit younger family members that can be groomed within the country. G ECL must assimilate their management practices into Chinese culture. Regardless of how hard ECL works to indoctrinate employees into the ECL culture, their future talent pool will be generated from the Chinese culture. For this reason is important for the management to determine how the cultural issues may be faced within ECL. The Chinese work force will be a key factor to ECL success. The company needs to get more involved in to how to handle a direct dialogue and completely adapt to the Chinese culture in order to earn their trust respect and be successful. Another solution for the companys recruiting effort is recruit family members and groom them into the ECL culture. And finally, the ECL can continue the training from ECL University which will demonstrate the ECL culture while familiarizing it to ECL China. Summary of Issues The Chinese culture shows a significant degree of collectivism- The Chinese cultures have group oriented vision. Expatriates failed to develop the relations that are prerequisites for creating a harmonious and respectful working environment that would allow the cultural integration. The action to be taken by ECL is that management should focus on creating tasks that will contribute to building relationships with ECL China. Expatriate managers expect associates to be more proactive- ECL should adopt a more flexible problem solving structure that encourages Chinese staff to be more proactive while considering the issues of the conflict resolution process. Expatriate managers want results and Chinese staff wants to build relationships to get to the results. Chinese staff wants to develop a trust based relationship prior to executing a contract while the US approach is to finalize details and clarify. ECL manager should acknowledge that the Chinese work ethics correlates directly to the Chinese national culture and thus must be embraced within ECL practices. Expatriate managers provided feedback to Chinese employees who perceived the feedback to be a direct criticism. Management need to negotiation and regular meetings and encourage the dialogue. Expatriates did not receive the full respect from their staff. For the Chinese staff was hard accepting that expatriates because they were viewed as not fully committed to China because they would relegate decision responsibility the company and that they did not have the same level of expertise. The coaching program was developed to pair Chinese staff with experienced expatriates was implemented to create a formal mechanism to transfer knowledge and culture. A solution could to promote expatriate managers to the China with a high level of technical experience who are comfortable making critical decisions in a short amount of time. ECL is having trouble attracting and securing local talent. The issues impeding success are that many talented potential acquisitions leave the country, the Chinese owned firms offer good compensation packages and more competing firms are beginning to enter the Chinese market. Continue the training from ECL University which will demonstrate the ECL culture while acculturating it to ECL China and is a system that if managed properly it will work and will provide the desired results. Conclusion To conclude, ECL must assimilate their management practices into Chinese culture. Regardless of how hard ECL works to involves employees into the ECL culture, their future leaders will be generated from the Chinese culture. Thus, it is important for management to determine how the cultural attributes may be faced, refined and indoctrinated into ECL to achieve success. References: Lewicki, R. J., Barry, B., Saunders, D. M. (2010). Essentials of negotiation. United States: McGraw-Hill Companies. Ho, M. (2001, November 9). Establishing an ECL culture in china: organisational difference or national difference? Centre for Asian Business Cases , 11.

The Gods in Homers The Iliad and The Odyssey Essay -- Homer The Ilia

The Gods in Homer's The Iliad and The Odyssey The stories told in the Iliad and Odyssey are based on stories handed down over several generations, for they preserve (as we have seen) memories of an already quiet far distant past. The two pomes show clear connection in their language and style, in the manner in which their incidents presented, and in the combination of agreement with level, which distinguish their creation. The work was written by one author but gave two diverse views on the nature of the Olympian Gods, their relationship to humankind, and the general lot of mortals throughout their all too brief lives. For the reason that of these differences, both novels end up sending, different messages about life in general. In the Iliad, the supernatural denizens of Olympus are representing as false, power-hungry, and above all unreliable beings that are always at each other's throats. Factionalism abounds, and neither the bonds of marriage, nor the ties of relationship can contain keep it under control. A great example is when Ares betrays his mother, Hera, and his sister, Athene, by aiding the Trojans instead of the Greeks. When he is revealed, Athena strikes him down in battle through Diomedes. In the Odyssey, however, the Gods of Olympus display far more unity and civility toward each other. They argue and disagree, but their disagreements are never carried out to the extremes found in the Ili ad. When Poseidon punishes Odysseys for blinding the Cyclopes, Athena does not take revenge. Even though Odyssey's is her favorite human, she respects Poseidon's right to punish him. In addition, the betrayal among the Gods that is so prevalent in the Iliad, is nowhere to be found in the Odyssey. In Iliad, Hera, enters int... ... be so short. If you are clever enough, strong enough, and careful enough, you can overcome just about anything the Gods or other men throw at you. Bibliography Bloom, Harold, Homer’s Odyssey: Edited and with an Introduction (NY, Chelsea House 1988) Fitzgerald, Robert, tr., The Iliad of Homer, USA: Penguin Books, 1991. Copyright 1995. Griffin, Jasper, Homer on Life and Death, Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1980. A clear and easy to read exploration of the poem and its worldview. Griffin, Jasper, Homer: The Odyssey Cambridge UP 1987. Heubeck, Alfred, J.B. Hainsworth, et al. A Commentary on Homer's Odyssey. 3 Vols. (Oxford 1988) PA4167.H4813). Lattimore, Richmond, tr., The Iliad of Homer, University of Chicago Press, Chicago, 1951. Thalmann, William G., The Odyssey: an epic of return. (NY, Twayne Publishers 1992) PA4167.T45.

Radiology Report

Diabetic patient with ulcer on the bottom right foot. Images of the feet were obtained in a plane perpendicular to the long axis of the foot. Utilizing a T1-sequence an effective double-echo sequence and in a plane nearly paralleling the long axis of the foot utilizing an effective double-echo sequence. An additional sequence was performed in an attempt to do a fat saturation technique. However, motion artifact degrades the detail on these images limiting the use for evaluation. There is prominent abnormality evident in the right midfoot and forefoot. This consists of abnormally increased soft tissue present, predominantly plantar, medial to the tarsals and proximal to the metatarsals but also dorsal to the proximal metatarsals. At the distal aspect of this abnormality near the metatarsophalangeal joint, there is a prominent defect present in the plantar medial soft tissues extending to this abnormal soft tissue characteristic, suggesting an area of ulceration or surgical defect. Deep to this area of apparent ulceration there is bright T2-signal present at the dorsalateral aspect of the foot at the level of the mid to distal metatarsals suggesting edema and and/or inflammation in the dorsal soft tissues in that region. I do not see definite replacement of the normal bright marrow signal on the T1-sequence within the tarsals or metatarsals. Therefore, I do not see definite osteomyelitis. Certainly the findings are highly suggestive of a rampant cellulitis. Unfortunately, I have no plain films available for correlation at this time. If additional evaluation is required, one could consider combined gallium and bone scanning. In the left foot, I see neither definite remarkable soft tissue abnormalities nor do I see marrow replacement within the tarsals or metatarsals. The phalanges in both feet are rather difficult to evaluate other than the bases of the proximal phalanges of the great toes in which I see no remarkable abnormality.

The Nature of Scientific Progress essays

The Nature of Scientific Progress essays Physicist and Nobel laureate W.L. Bragg once compared science to a coral reef, pointing out how the living organisms at the surface produce the growth of the reef on top of tens of hundreds of feet of skeletons of organisms that have long since died. The life of the reef is only at its surface; the life of science is only at its frontier. The main idea of this analogy is that present science is not created out of thin air, but rather, was a product of many years of research and development. This idea in itself implies that there is progress in science. Scientific methodologies as well as science as an institution have been developed in such a way to allow for growth and improvement. Like the growth of the reef, is a process of building upon the foundation created by our ancestors. It is a common misconception that science progresses when a correct theory replaces a wrong one. The process is better described as the replacement of a wrong theory with a less wrong theory. However, before even beginning to understand how this can happen, one must examine the criterion that is used to judge a correct theory from an incorrect one. Determining whether a theory is true or false is a never-ending process; that is, a theory can never be conclusively falsified or proven to be the absolutely true. A theory is usually accepted as valid when it is proven by numerous experimental tests and there is no other theory that explains the phenomena better. The more tests that back up the theory the more confidence is placed in its truth. However, one can never be certain that there will not come a time in the future where a test will show that the theory does not apply in all cases. Newtons laws of motion, for example, were proved by every possible experiment for almost 250 yea rs. The confidence in the theory was so high that it was hard to imagine that it was not the absolute truth. In the late nineteenth century, ho...

Hamlet and Laertes are Dramatic Foils essays

Hamlet and Laertes are Dramatic Foils essays Due to their different personalities, Hamlet and Laertes are dramatic foils. A dramatic foil is a character who contrasts with another character. A quality that differs Hamlet from Laertes is how they handle an obstacle. Hamlet approaches a situation with more thought and strategy. Laertes on the other hand, jumps to conclusion and reacts without consequence. Hamlet and Laertes are proven to have different personalities, when compared , support the idea that they are dramatic foils. His use of witty remarks and double entendres reveal Hamlet to be a man who thinks before acts. When Hamlet learns of that Claudius is the murderer of his father, he first makes sure that he is proven guilty of the quell by using strategy. As soon as he investigates his fathers murder he then waits patiently for the perfect time to avenge his fathers death. And so he goes to heaven, And so am I revenged. That would be scanned; A villain kills my father and for that, I , his sole son, do this same villain to heaven.(III.iii.71-83) Here Hamlet hesitates to kill Claudius. Doing so will send him to heaven, which is not what Hamlet wants. He lets the opportunity go and waits for the chance to murder him and damn Claudius to hell. Laertes has a different approach to his situation. His actions reveal him to be one who reacts instantly and without consequence. When he hears of his fathers death he rages into the Kings castle threatening to kill the king. Where is this king?- Sirs, stand you all without (IV.V.122) Laertes doesnt take the time to research the murder of his father. He just assumes he was killed by the king and immediately seeks his revenge without realizing the consequences for his actions. When the personalities of Hamlet and Laertes are compared, it is evident how they are dramatic foils. hamlet is witty and strategic, however Laertes assumes and jumps to conclusions. When Ham...

Celsius to Kelvin Temperature Conversion Example

Celsius to Kelvin Temperature Conversion Example Here is  an example problem  that explains how to convert a temperature from degrees on the Celsius scale to Kelvin. Its a useful conversion to know  because many formulas use Kelvin temperatures, but most thermometers report in Celsius. Celsius to Kelvin Formula To convert between the temperature scales, you need to know the formula. Celsius and Kelvin are based on the same size degree, just with different zero points, so this equation is simple: The formula to convert Celsius to Kelvin is: K  °C 273 or, if you want more significant figures: K  °C 273.15 Celsius to Kelvin Problem #1 Convert 27 ° C to Kelvin. Solution K  °C 273K 27 273K 300300 K Note that the answer is 300 K. Kelvin is not expressed in degrees. Why is this? A scale measured in degrees indicates it references another scale (i.e., Celsius has degrees because its actually based on the Kelvin scale). Kelvin is an absolute scale, with an endpoint that cant move (absolute zero). Degrees dont apply to this type of scale. Celsius to Kelvin Problem #2 Convert 77 ° C to Kelvin. Solution K  °C 273K 77 273K 350350 K More Temperature Conversion Calculators Convert Kelvin to CelsiusConvert Celsius to FahrenheitConvert Kelvin to Fahrenheit

OSHA and EPA Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

OSHA and EPA - Coursework Example OSHA was primarily formed to ensure optimal and safe working conditions for the employees through the set-up of standards that provide the necessary training, outreach, education, and assistance. It was also tasked with the enforcement of whistleblower statutes and regulations (Rodrigues and Cusick, 2012). EPA, on the other hand, conducts routine environmental assessments and enforces national standards under different environmental laws. The organization also has powers to fine or sanction institutions whose operations contravene the set environmental statutes. OSHA’s standards apply in the aviation industry with regards to the safety standards. For example, when working on a flight line, the employee is to be provided with protective gear such as safety glasses, steel toe boots, hearing protection equipment and so forth. These requirements are in accordance with the OSHA standards. In addition, OSHA requires that the employees who work in high noise environment be subjected to periodic hearing examinations (Rodrigues and Cusick, 2012). The organization also outlines guidelines to be followed in the identification of methods for handling hazardous chemicals such as hydraulic fluids, jet fuel, battery maintenance and so forth. This standard demands that all employees tasked with maintaining these dangerous chemicals must undergo appropriate training. Moreover, a material safety data sheet that lists all the chemicals on site, their composition, and the precautions to be adhered to should be made available. The Environmental Protection Agency is primarily tasked with the regulating the disposal of hazardous chemicals in the environment. The organizations Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) has a direct impact on the aviation industry. The RCRA act requires the airlines to take up the responsibility for the management, control and disposal of the toxic substances related to the industry (Rule, 2011).These materials include

BU3019c Enterprise Finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

BU3019c Enterprise Finance - Essay Example No matter the size of the business, big or small, banks can be the solution to financing. A bank can also finance a project based on the business needs. For instance, if a large successful business needed a new warehouse, a bank might advance cash. Big business generally have banks issue stocks or bonds on the market to raise money for their loans. This can generate money, but if the bank or stock fails, the results are disaster. For example, Northern Rocks Share price crashed after credit freezes in the interbank money market. Walayat (2007) explains: Northern Rocks Share price crashed by 30% today as the mortgage bank sought emergency funds from the Bank of England due to the credit freeze in the interbank money market which Northern Rock heavily relies upon. Panic gripped savers forming long lines outside Northern Rock Branches throughout the UK to withdraw funds. Investors dumping the stock on the market open where even unsubstantiated rumors of takeovers and white knights failed to halt the crash in the banks share price. The tick chart for the Northern Rock bank decline is shown below: The drawbacks for bank loans are two fold. First, most banks require collateral. If a party defaults on a bank loan, the bank will foreclose. Secondly, a business must have good credit. Without almost perfect credit, banks will not even consider giving a business a loan. The upside is most banks have lower interest rates than other means of investment. For example, (Simple Pound, 2007) reports that The Bank of England has a 5.5% interest rate. This is quite low considering credit cards charge up to three times that figure. The chart below shows the highs and lows in interest rate at The Bank of England over the years. Investments can be used in various ways to finance a business (Loeb, 2007, 10). An international corporation, such as Microsoft, can sell stocks to generate financing for their

Tourism report for Lincoln Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Tourism report for Lincoln - Essay Example The county is divided into two, with the River Witham flowing between the two parts, known as namely ‘uphill’ and ‘downhill.’ The northern area, which is the ‘uphill’ area is where the historical part of the county houses. Historical structures belonging to this part of the city include the Lincoln Cathedral, the Lincoln Castle and the Medieval Bishop’s Palace. There are also residential areas in this part of the city. The ‘downhill’ area comprises of the city centre, and the residential houses belonging to this part of the county are less affluent than their uphill counterparts. This divide has been considered to date from the Norman times during the Norman Conquest. At that time, the hilltop was occupied by mostly the military elite as well as the religious elite. Well-known and exclusive organizations belonging to the ‘uphill’ area include the Lincoln Uphill Gardeners’ Club, the Lincoln Backgammon Club and the Lincoln Astronomical Society. It is mainly a historical county, which houses evidence of being inhabited by the Romans, the Normans, the Medievals, the Tudors and the Georgians. That comprises of around 2000 years of history altogether, making the county ideal for educational tourism. In the first century, the county was known as Lindum Colonna by the Romans, and it was in fact the home of Roman legionnaires and their families. Evidence of this is the Newport Arch that the Romans themselves built over Ermine Street (About Britain.com, 2010). The economy of the county is one that depends on commerce, agriculture, public administration and tourism. Previous years show evidence that Lincoln used to be a major industrial area. However, such evidence exists simply in the warehouses that have been left behind, and are now being used to conduct other purposes, such as a broadcasting station. Recently, the county has begun to develop itself into an IT rich

A change in the way you deal with other people Essay - 1

A change in the way you deal with other people - Essay Example It is rare indeed of a person who does not respond in kind or in the same manner, an aberration. It is the purpose of this paper to examine and discuss the phenomenon of dealing with people. Social scientists who wanted to study the attitudes and behaviors of people previously faced a serious quandary on how to effect positive change in them. However, because nobody in effect exists in a vacuum, it is used as a foundation or starting point to improve peoples lives by making changes in how they deal with other people. This change in attitude has many practical applications, such as in schools, in workplaces and in fact, in the day-to-day affairs of all of us. A teacher who faces a recalcitrant student needs to have patience to achieve positive change in the said student by a series of positive reinforcements, so to speak. A word of encouragement, praise and coupled with genuine interest and empathy can achieve far greater things in the student than using threats such as reporting him or her to the principal and to the parents. Many entrepreneurs and successful businessmen realize that their continued success to a great deal depends on how they deal with their customers and other stakeholders. Honesty in all their dealings will cause their customers to patronize their products and services; it begets loyalty and favorable word-of-mouth free advertising. A businessman who cheats his clients can do such perhaps only once; sooner or later, customers will wise up and stop buying. In other words, there is a circular causality in how we deal with other people; some call it as the law of karma or to put it more simply, what goes around, comes around. The causality is the basis for patterns of human behavior that in turn leads to interpersonal cycles (Negele, Fricke & Schulz, 2000, p. 320). There is a feedback mechanism in these cycles, and depending on the nature of the feedback, can either be positive (virtuous) or negative (vicious), with shorter

Togther we stand Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Togther we stand - Essay Example To substantiate the hypothesis, the necessary research was made, with the assistance of some people in the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). With the help of monitoring devices, such as gas analyzers and detectors, the toxic fumes being emitted by the company were identified. The findings revealed that the level of poisonous chemicals being emitted is way above acceptable levels. The EPA concluded that the pollution that resulted from the operations of the gas company is indeed detrimental to the health of the residents. They have slowly polluted the air, soil and water. The results of the research were showed to the city health administrators and some doctors and they all agreed that there is a direct link between the pollutants and the health problems currently being suffered by our community members. The city health officials presented data on the rising incidences of asthma, pneumonia and other respiratory illnesses and skin diseases ever since the gas company started operat ions. Given the above scenario, this letter was decided to be written to ask for support in this fight against air pollution. To address this urgent issue, it is kindly suggest that community leaders, together with the city health administrators and government representatives from the EPA to meet with the management of the gas company and inform them of the findings regarding their emissions and how it has affected the health of our residents. It is important that data to this effect be presented to them to support the veracity of our claim. It is but proper to require the gas company to disclose the amount of toxins and chemicals that they emit. They should come out with a plan on how to reduce and manage their wastes and emissions so as not to adversely affect the health of the residents within the community where they operate. They should at the very least deliberate on ways on reducing their greenhouse gas emissions. Other companies have

Academic Report and Financial Calculations 04031 Essay

Academic Report and Financial Calculations 04031 - Essay Example A model of the HR function and its implications were critically evaluated in light of the chosen capital investment project and trading with its Co-share. As per the evaluation of the project suitable conclusions and recommendations were provided and in addition the reflective statements were prepared. Capital budgeting is a method through which a firm decides to invest in the long term investment proposals (Baker and English, 2011). Capital budgeting can also be measured as a scheduling process which helps in deciding which investment like new machinery, new products, replacement machinery and new plants can prove to be cost effective (Phaup and Kirschner, 2010). It is used for budgeting of vital capital investments. The different techniques for calculation used in the capital budgeting process are NPV method, IRR method, payback period and profitability index method. In the capital budgeting process, there exist some non financial qualitative aspects in case of project viability (Lan, Chung, Chu and Kuo, 2003). Every organization is recognized for their surroundings and norms. It becomes necessary to gauge in order to shape the behavior of the employees in an organization. There are three stages in capital budgeting analysis including decision analysis for building knowledge, op tion pricing for establishing position and discounted cash flow for making decision regarding investment (Garcia, Contreras, Correia and Muà ±oz, 2010). In context of project valuation, it is necessary for a company to ensure that their potential projects are in order to the employee’s culture because going further than that may crash the financial factors. The study is conducted to analyze the implications of the project and their impact on human resource (HR) (Law, 2004). The implications of the project includes capital budgeting calculations to choose the profitable project, evaluation of the chosen project, ethical considerations and relating a HR function model with the

A change in the way you deal with other people Essay - 1

A change in the way you deal with other people - Essay Example It is rare indeed of a person who does not respond in kind or in the same manner, an aberration. It is the purpose of this paper to examine and discuss the phenomenon of dealing with people. Social scientists who wanted to study the attitudes and behaviors of people previously faced a serious quandary on how to effect positive change in them. However, because nobody in effect exists in a vacuum, it is used as a foundation or starting point to improve peoples lives by making changes in how they deal with other people. This change in attitude has many practical applications, such as in schools, in workplaces and in fact, in the day-to-day affairs of all of us. A teacher who faces a recalcitrant student needs to have patience to achieve positive change in the said student by a series of positive reinforcements, so to speak. A word of encouragement, praise and coupled with genuine interest and empathy can achieve far greater things in the student than using threats such as reporting him or her to the principal and to the parents. Many entrepreneurs and successful businessmen realize that their continued success to a great deal depends on how they deal with their customers and other stakeholders. Honesty in all their dealings will cause their customers to patronize their products and services; it begets loyalty and favorable word-of-mouth free advertising. A businessman who cheats his clients can do such perhaps only once; sooner or later, customers will wise up and stop buying. In other words, there is a circular causality in how we deal with other people; some call it as the law of karma or to put it more simply, what goes around, comes around. The causality is the basis for patterns of human behavior that in turn leads to interpersonal cycles (Negele, Fricke & Schulz, 2000, p. 320). There is a feedback mechanism in these cycles, and depending on the nature of the feedback, can either be positive (virtuous) or negative (vicious), with shorter

Academic Report and Financial Calculations 04031 Essay

Academic Report and Financial Calculations 04031 - Essay Example A model of the HR function and its implications were critically evaluated in light of the chosen capital investment project and trading with its Co-share. As per the evaluation of the project suitable conclusions and recommendations were provided and in addition the reflective statements were prepared. Capital budgeting is a method through which a firm decides to invest in the long term investment proposals (Baker and English, 2011). Capital budgeting can also be measured as a scheduling process which helps in deciding which investment like new machinery, new products, replacement machinery and new plants can prove to be cost effective (Phaup and Kirschner, 2010). It is used for budgeting of vital capital investments. The different techniques for calculation used in the capital budgeting process are NPV method, IRR method, payback period and profitability index method. In the capital budgeting process, there exist some non financial qualitative aspects in case of project viability (Lan, Chung, Chu and Kuo, 2003). Every organization is recognized for their surroundings and norms. It becomes necessary to gauge in order to shape the behavior of the employees in an organization. There are three stages in capital budgeting analysis including decision analysis for building knowledge, op tion pricing for establishing position and discounted cash flow for making decision regarding investment (Garcia, Contreras, Correia and Muà ±oz, 2010). In context of project valuation, it is necessary for a company to ensure that their potential projects are in order to the employee’s culture because going further than that may crash the financial factors. The study is conducted to analyze the implications of the project and their impact on human resource (HR) (Law, 2004). The implications of the project includes capital budgeting calculations to choose the profitable project, evaluation of the chosen project, ethical considerations and relating a HR function model with the

Renaissance (1300-1650), the Industrial Revolution Essay Example for Free

Renaissance (1300-1650), the Industrial Revolution Essay Throughout history, slavery has played a very prominent role in shaping the worlds societies and economies. Across three time periods in particular, slavery throughout the world has notable similarities and differences in areas such as the status of slavery, the way slavery influenced society, and the motivation for a civilization to practice slavery. These time periods are the Renaissance (1300-1650), the Industrial Revolution (1700-1900), and World Wars I and II (1914-1945). Renaissance The time period known today as the Renaissance was, as its name means, a â€Å"rebirth† of Greco-Roman values. It was a reaction against the Dark Ages and stood in stark contrast to the medieval time period before it. The practice of slavery was no exception. Whereas slavery had fizzled out during the Dark Ages, it was instituted again during the Renaissance. Slavery in the Renaissance began in Spain, and for a while the Spanish played the primary part in the slave market. Soon, though, slavery spread to the other parts of Europe. This was especially true with the case of the Italian city-states in which the Renaissance boomed. As the Renaissance grew in Italy and as the city-states expanded, slavery became more and more widespread until Italy became a main user of slaves (Hooker). In contrast to slavery in the later periods of the Industrial Revolution and the two World Wars which is explained later in this essay, slavery in the Renaissance was not solely based on race, but mostly religion (at least in Europe; another type of slavery was practiced in America during the Renaissance, as explained later). Europe and Africa at that time was divided between Christians and Muslims, and so slavery in nations dominated by either religion was based on captured people from the other religion. In other words, in the Renaissance, Christians mostly enslaved Muslims and Muslims mostly enslaved Christians. In the case of the Italian Renaissance, Muslims slaves came from â€Å"Spain, North Africa, Crete, the Balkans, and the Ottoman Empire† (Hooker). The vast majority of slaves at the beginning of the Renaissance were white (Hooker). But as the Renaissance progressed, black slaves began to be used more and more widely. In the beginning of the Renaissance, these African slaves were acquired through Arabs in North Africa, who also held them as slaves. When the Portuguese started exploring the African coast, they participated in a black slave market, shipping slaves to the Americas and back to Europe (Guild). El Mina was the first slave trading post set up by the Portuguese on the West Coast (â€Å"Gold Coast†) of Africa (Guild). Thanks to enslaved Africans, the Portuguese were especially successful in their plantations in the islands off the west coast of Africa known as the Cape Verde, where they transported many of the Africans they enslaved to work in plantations there (Gascoigne). While most slaves in the Industrial Revolution did hard labor in fields, most slaves in the Renaissance were domestic slaves. This means that they did work in the home, doing duties for their masters around the house. Rich people in the cities almost always had one or more slaves. Instead of the brutal, inhumane treatment of slaves common in the Industrial Revolution, slave-owners during the Renaissance commonly integrated their slaves into the family. In both the Industrial Revolution and the Renaissance, masters claimed all rights for their slaves; they did with them what they willed. Therefore, there arises the similarity between all three time periods in that commonly the slaves were used as sex slaves, although sex slaves in the World Wars were used mostly just for sex, not for hard labor. When masters in the Renaissance had an illegitimate child with a slave, the child was not a slave but was free (Hooker). However, when a child was born to a slave and its master in the Industrial Revolution, the child became a slave like its mother (â€Å"Master-Slave†¦). While most slaves were domestic in the Renaissance, another form of slavery was surfacing, slaves used for cheap labor in plantations. In the Renaissance, slaves were starting to be used in plantations, mostly in America, but also in plantations in Italy and off the coast of Africa (Gascoigne). So, in both the Renaissance and the Industrial Revolution, at least some slaves were used for hard labor. The Portuguese were the first to put slaves to work in plantations, and slaves soon came to be used on plantations in the Americas by nations such as Spain, Holland, France, England, and the Netherlands. The first slaves they enslaved in these colonies were the native peoples, but soon, the native population began to dwindle. Since Portugal had been exploring the coast of Africa and since Africa had a booming population of people, Africans became the people they predominantly enslaved (Guild). Thus, racial slavery was started. Blacks came to be viewed as lower than human, and this view spread to all the nations which came to have plantations in America. Millions of blacks were imported to plantations for sugar, spices, tobacco, coffee, etc. during the span of the Renaissance (Hornsby). Industrial Revolution Slavery went through many changes during the course of the Industrial Revolution. At the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, slavery on plantations that had developed in the Renaissance continued to grow in the Americas. With the success of the plantations in America, what is known as the triangular trade began to form, and this trade majorly affected the world’s economies and prosperity. This system of trade is known as the triangular trade because the directions of travel for the trade were in the shape of a triangle—from Europe to Africa to the Americas and back to Europe. Items such as weapons, liquor, jewelry, and products made from cotton were taken to Africa from Europe and traded for slaves. These were loaded on ships and taken to the Americas. Conditions in the ships were horrible. Thousands of slaves were chained in very tight spaces in the ships. Disease permeated the hold where slaves were kept. Slaves laid in their own excrement and urine, and were fed barely anything. Many slaves died or committed suicide—an average of 16% of slaves. When the horrible trip was over, the remaining slaves were auctioned and sold in slave markets to plantation owners in the Americas. The products made in the plantations, such as tobacco, coffee, sugar, spices, and molasses which could be made into rum were then shipped to Europe, completing the trade system. The British were the primary traders in this system, but other nations participated (Gascoigne). Slavery greatly affected the Industrial Revolution. It made it possible to create and grow products in a shorter period of time and for less money. All the master had to do was to provide food, which he have very little of, so slaves provided very cheap labor. In the case of America, slaves operated the new inventions such as the cotton gin to make cotton products easier. This greatly affected the economy of America. The prosperity in the South boomed as agriculture continued to see success. This cotton industry and therefore the textile industrial majorly drove the Industrial Revolution in America. It became the primary export and cash crop. Hundreds of thousands of slaves were imported until 1808, when the American slave trade was banned. Still, hundreds of thousands of slaves were moved across America to the South and West to work on cotton plantations. These plantations and slavery in general brought in a huge profit for the American people. A similarity between slavery in the Renaissance and the Industrial Revolution can be seen here—both used slavery as a catalyst for economies (â€Å"Africans.. †). But a difference is that most slaves in the Renaissance were domestic slaves in homes and were considered part of the family (Hooker). However, most slaves in the Industrial Revolution were plantation slaves and were considered less than human and were subjected to incredibly harsh treatment by their masters. However, near the Industrial Revolution, there was more of an awareness of the brutalities of slavery and more of a movement to stop it than the Renaissance. The final time period that will be discussed in this essay is the World Wars from 1914 to 1945. World Wars Forms of slavery used during World Wars I and II from 1914 to 1945 were very different from slavery before it and slavery after it. The wars during this period of history had a huge impact on all aspects of society, and so the status of slavery and the motivation for slavery was largely based on the huge wars taking place. During World War I and the time after it before World War II, outright slave traffic continued to be curbed in the areas of the world still practicing slavery. The slave trade still continued underground between countries in eastern Africa, especially Ethiopia, and the Middle East, especially Arabia. Throughout this period before World War II, there were outrages about revealed underground slave trades with enslaved Africans in Liberia and the Congo, and enslaved Native Americans in northern Peru (â€Å"Slavery†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ). Joseph Stalin was the dictator of the Soviet Union from 1927 to 1953. During his regime, millions of people were forced to work in labor camps. This was in accordance with the USSR’s Labor Code, which stated that all citizens must labor for the government. Prisoners, enemies of the state, and other convicts were sent to do hard manual labor in Siberia during this time. Citizens were accused of being enemies of the government and sent to work without a trial and without much grounds at all. Like in the Renaissance and Industrial Revolution, Stalin used his massive free labor force to build up the Soviet Union’s economy and to industrialize the nation. Labor projects included building roads and railroads, building houses and power plants, mining, cutting trees, working in fields, etc. The workers were given nothing but food. One third of all the workers died from the poor environment in which they worked and from starvation and the cold. They were brutally treated on unjust bases. Therefore, this â€Å"corrective labor,† as it was called, is really slavery at its core. World War II was the instigation of several other types of slavery, also, such as POW slavery, Holocaust slavery, and sexual slavery. Nazi Germany captured enemy civilians and soldiers and brutally enslaved them to fill the gaps in the workforce. Much of the weaponry made by the Germans during World War II was made by slaves. One manufacturing company alone – Krupp—held 100,000 slaves by the end of the war. Many of these slaves died from exhaustion, starvation, and lack of basic necessities. They were kept in stables like livestock. Those that didn’t die were forced to work in German factories and farms. In 1944, Germany held 9. 5 million slaves—7 million civilians and 2. 5 million captured soldiers. Russian women that the Germans captured were held as domestic slaves, and Russian adolescents that the Germans captured were apprenticed to German businessmen. Not only were the Germans notorious for their brutal system of slavery for prisoners of war, but even worse, they enslaved innocent Jews and other â€Å"undesirable† people during the Holocaust. As a method of exterminating them, these people were sent to labor camps where they were treated even worse than the prisoners of war. Children from 6-years-old up were forced to work in these camps. Slaves mined, built weapons, sewed, etc. Slaves there were driven to work too hard in tight spaces with the poorest of living conditions. They had poor and meager food rations and a shortage of shelter and clothing. Loads of people died from diseases such as tuberculosis, from being overworked, from the cold, and from starvation. Their corpses were systematically burned in huge crematoriums (Sylvester – everything above). The fact that there were scandals about slavery and labor camps during the time period of the World Wars indicates a similarity and difference between this time period and the Renaissance/ Industrial Revolution. A similarity is that all three time periods had some forms of slavery to enhance nations’ economies and extract resources. But a difference is that slavery in the World Wars was looked down upon and was underground, whereas it was not in the Renaissance. But there lies a similarity between the World Wars and the Industrial Revolution, in that in both, measures were enacted to end slavery and the slave trade. However, World War II had labor camps for prisoners of war and specific races, which had never been done before. It also had sexual slavery, which though it had been practiced before, never to the extent it was carried out in World War II. Some captured slaves in the World Wars were used as domestic slaves, as they were in the Renaissance. But in the World Wars, there was not the worldwide slave trade there was in the Renaissance and the beginning of the Industrial Revolution. Part 222 Introduction The 18th century English poet William Cowper’s poem, â€Å"Pity for Poor Africans,† accurately portrays the world’s mindset throughout history about slavery. A line from that poem reads, â€Å"I pity them [slaves] greatly, but I must be mum, for how could we do without sugar and rum? † This sums up much of the world’s motivation for millennia for slavery. Throughout history, slavery has been a way to easily derive resources and produce goods. It has played a very prominent role in shaping the worlds societies and economies. Though it may have struck a chord with peoples’ consciences, the world did not know how else to get luxuries and how to live without them, and so the world allowed this horrific practice to go on. This essay details more of how slavery was used as an economic stimulus, how the world finally took action against it, and what forms of it still were used after this action took place. Across three time periods in particular, slavery throughout the world has notable similarities and differences in areas such as the status of slavery, the way slavery influenced society, and the motivation for a civilization to practice slavery. These time periods are the Renaissance (1300-1650), the Industrial Revolution (1700-1900), and World Wars I and II (1914-1945). Conclusion As one can clearly see, slavery has been a major factor in affecting and molding the world’s economies and societies throughout all of history. It has gone through major changes, affecting the world as a whole, especially in three time periods, namely, the Renaissance, the Industrial Revolution, and World Wars I and II. Throughout all three and under many names, it was used as cheap labor to easily produce goods and advance civilizations’ economies. This slavery did, and it played a massive role in getting the world to where it is today. Without slavery, America might not have been industrialized or industrialized as quickly. Without slavery, we would not have the manufactured goods we have today. However, I am by no means condoning slavery; if slavery had not been practiced, millions of innocent, beautiful people would have lived their lives in freedom and would not have been torn away from their homeland, families, and livelihood to go labor without profit for people who abused and beat them. The Civil War would have been largely prevented if it weren’t for slavery. Though slavery was mostly domestic in the Renaissance, this does not make it any better. Also, the plantation slave emerged in that time period, and the triangular trade between Europe, Africa, and the Americas continued well into the Industrial Revolution. Men achieved luxury through the pain and misery of others. Thankfully, mankind realized, though later than it should have been, how deplorable this system was. Finally, they put an end to it through abolitionist movements that spread throughout the world at the end of the Industrial Revolution. Yet, slavery continued in several other forms into the 20th century. Throughout the time period of the World Wars, labor camps emerged. Though these were seen as punishment for criminals and war prisoners, they were slavery at root, used to industrialize and make transportation routes, weaponry, etc. These labor camps were even used against innocent Jews and other â€Å"undesirables† during the Holocaust. Unbeknownst to the world for a time, even outright and brutal slavery was still used as exemplified by King Leopold of Belgium. Sexual slavery is another often overlooked form of slavery that had been carried out through past time periods like the Renaissance and Industrial Revolution but that was executed en masse by the Japanese during World War II. Still today, the pernicious act of slavery continues to be practiced, though concealed to the world, in underdeveloped countries of the world. Let us hope that mankind’s conscience continues to overshadow its greed and that slavery continues to be fought until it is completely wiped out the whole world over.

Black Children in the Child Protection System

Black Children in the Child Protection System INTRODUCTION In recent years, child abuse among black African families has attracted a lot of attention, academically and politically in British social work practice following the tragic death of Victoria Climbie (Laming, 2003) and Adam (Sale, 2005). Many of the research and literature on child abuse since the 1989 Children Act have not extensively discussed the aspect of poverty and child abuse. For many years social work interventions with black African families and children alleged of cases of child abuse have been a controversial topic. The difficulties black African families experience are not limited only to the foreign culture they find themselves in, but other issues may be significant, such as cultural differences in child-rearing, poverty, government policy and the intervention tools and processes. Research evidence suggests that black African children in the UK are over-represented in the child protection system for a variety of reasons such as physical and sexual abuse or neglect. Chand (1999) research on black African families and the child protection system highlights the over-representation of black families (58%) compared to white families (42%) on referrals involving physical injury. Another research shows that referrals involving inadequate supervision of children are disproportionately higher among black African families than white families. Some black African children are involved in the child protection system because their families are unable to provide adequate care for them. Bernard Gupta (2008) study also found that black African children and families are more likely than white families to be drawn into the child protection system on the basis of inherent differences in beliefs and child-rearing practices. The aim of this work is to suggest that black African children and families, due to a number of reasons, are more or less likely to be investigated of child abuse by social workers and other professions. The possible implications for black families being more or less likely to be investigated are either black African children will become over-represented in local authority care under the child protection system or they will not receive the appropriate intervention by social workers under the child welfare system and make children to be subjected to further abuse or neglect by their parents (Chand, 1999). According to Chand (1999) even when abuse among black families is identified, the service provision for the abused children are hampered by lack of resources and this cause delays in assessment and the provision of treatment where specialized services are required. The 1989 Children Act may classify many African children on the child protection register in the UK as children in need as their parents are more likely to live below the poverty line (DoH, 1989). Poverty is linked with reports of abuse and neglect and African families are proportionately more likely to live in poverty than many of the other communities in the UK (Bernard Gupta, 2008). According to Fontes (2006) people who are affected by child abuse are nestled by a variety of social and material domains that are highly interconnected and interactive. Therefore the poverty status of African families living in the UK is an important factor to be considered by social workers working with African families alleged of child abuse. Many African families have negative perception about social workers who work on cases of alleged child abuse, as they employ an assessment and intervention process that is based on euro-centric child protection procedures and as such view black families, their culture and lifestyle as inherently problematic and need correcting (Chand, 1999). This negative perception of social work practice by African families and children living in the UK breed grounds for mistrust and apprehension and make working with such families a major challenge for social workers. Bernard Gupta (2008) argued that black African children and their families are more likely than white families to be investigated of child abuse and therefore are over-represented on the child protection register under the category of poor parenting behaviours. However, black African families are also under-represented in receiving preventative supports such as housing needs, financial benefits that is required to address any family needs and to improve children welfare. Singh (2006) findings show that African families and their entrenched cultural and social perceptions of parenting behaviours are difficult to understand in the context of contemporary social work practice and therefore social workers may be quick to intervene in such families. Bernard Gupta (2008) also found in their research work that the majority of black African families who have migrated to the UK because of war, poverty, and tribal anarchies in their home countries, also have difficulty not only how to adapt to the western culture in which they find themselves but how they may be viewed by social workers involved in child care. Most social work professionals working with black African families do not appreciate the poverty background of such families and would feel justified to make judgements resulting into mistrust and disengagement from both parties. However, according to Bernard Gupta (2008) the Framework for the Assessment of Children in Need and their Families places a requirement on social workers to consider families backgrounds and cultural perspectives when dealing with cases of child abuse. Korbin (2004) argues that social workers face difficulties in employing appropriate intervention in child abuse cases as the processes involved in chi ld abuse assessment may be complex and parental behaviours may not be the same in different cultures and socio-economic settings. In view of this perception, Bernard Gupta (2008) states that a focus on maltreatment or dysfunction within African families can risk stereotyping this ethnic minority as deficient, thus fostering pathological viewpoint of African family relationships'(p 478 ). This raises the question of what type of social work intervention is needed to be used by social workers working with black African families living in economic poverty so that vulnerable children are fully supported and protected, and not just drawing these children into the child protection system. This professional dilemma in social work practice presents a major challenge and therefore, calls for a new perspective in work ideologies and practices, the way information is disseminated on how the child protection system works, training on child-rearing differences in black African culture, social work values and enhancing collaboration with other professions. With a change in social work practice, social workers will develop the skills to distinguish between the styles of parenting inherent in African families which is not necessarily harmful to children and those parenting behaviours that are harmful. This point will be further discussed in chapter two. The dissertation will draw on social work theories, policies and practice, key models and literature search from electronic journals to web search on child abuse, social work intervention and child protection system. The main emphasis of this dissertation looks at the available literature on black African families involved in the child protection system, focusing on specific poverty-related parenting practices that give rise to issues of child abuse. The methodology for this work is mainly qualitative and the literature obtained from both primary and secondary sources. The dissertation examines various issues such as how social work professionals should perceive and manage child abuse among black African families living below the poverty-line, what interventions social workers need to employ that would support these families to provide adequate child-care for their children and the possible reasons why black African children and their families may be over-represented in the child pro tection systems. The first chapter examines the literature on black African children and the child protection system. Chapter two provides a discussion on the increased complexity of social work intervention in child abuse cases involving black African families living in poverty. It also analyse how poverty could complicate parenting behaviours that impact on child-rearing which, tends to draw black African children living in the UK into the child protection arena. Then chapter three draws on legislations and policies regulating social work practices in the UK. It also examines contemporary social work practice in child abuse cases among African families. Chapter four critically analyses the various methods of interventions available to social workers when working with black African families. Finally chapter five discusses the implications of social work intervention among African families living in poverty. CHAPTER ONE BLACK AFRICAN CHILDREN AND CHILD PROTECTION SYSTEMS The prevalence of Black children in the child protection system Many children are drawn into the child protection system for many different reasons. The majority of these children go through distressing and damaging experiences, which may include physical, emotional, sexual abuse and neglect. Some children living with poor families come under the child protection system as result of families parenting behaviours and practices, oppression, discriminations and cultural values. Considering the child protection system and black African families, Bernard Gupta (2006) have critically analysed the evidence on the disproportionate representation of black African families on the child protection register. Brophy et al (2003) study highlights the proportion of minority ethnic families and their children represented on the child protection register involve several allegations about parental behaviours and practices. Chand (1999) states that different child-rearing methods used in different cultures mean that as an outsider, understanding what is the norm a nd what is deviant is problematicand trying to distinguish the risks in one family from the another, social workers may fall back on moral judgements'(p.72). In contemporary social work practice many social workers are faced with difficulty situations when assessing and making decisions on child care issues among African children and their families who are living in poverty. It is paramount in view of available literature to say that when social workers acknowledge and understands these families financial backgrounds and their cultural identity through effective communications, it is possible they will come to terms with some of their parenting behaviours and practices. However, where families go over the boundaries of child-rearing to inflict physical and emotional harm on their children, which is evident in Victoria Climbie inquiry, it should be understood that such families have gone beyond what is acceptable not only within the western culture but in their own culture (Chand, 1999). Therefore, if social workers understand the causes of parental behavioural patterns of African families, they will be well-informed to determine whether a particular parenting behaviours should be considered within the protection process or to provide advice and support for such families under children in need (Chand, 1999). The challenges social work practitioners experience when using the assessment processes as detailed in the Climbie Inquiry (Laming, 2003) is crucial to the safety and protection of black children whose families have immigrated into the UK. Sometimes social workers may be stereotyped as racist and ethnocentric, as they do not acknowledge and address issues of poverty-related parental behaviours of African families in the assessment process of a child abuse case (Chand, 1999). Under the Governments Every Child Matters policy, social workers first priority is to ensure children live with their families if it is best to do so. In addition to this policy, it is the responsibility of the social services or local authorities to create the enabling environment for the provision of preventative services to families so that these families can provide appropriate care for their children. According to the Department for Education and Skills (2006b) statistical data a significant proportion of bl ack African children are on the child protection register. A number of studies tend to support the view that families of these children lives in poverty and struggle to raise their children to the standard set up by government legislation. Therefore it is difficult to say whether social services are meeting the agenda detailed in the Framework for the Assessment of Children in Need and their Families (Department of Health, 2000) which places on social workers the responsibility to consider families backgrounds and cultural values when dealing with child care issues. Thoburn et al.s (2005) review of the nature and outcomes of child welfare services for black children concluded that African children are almost twice as likely to be looked after than the white majority children in the population as a whole, which then suggest, that some of these children will be accommodated under section 20 of the 1989 Children Act, by virtue of being raised by families living in poverty. However, there are a number of contributory factors which could be perceived as important in understanding the involvement of black African families with social work agencies and the resultant over-representation of their children in the child protection system. Child abuse and neglects may be linked to poor parental practices and poverty by families who are supposed to be responsible for looking after these children. Therefore the poverty experienced by many African families and children may be resolved through a more preventative welfare services rather than child protection se rvices. Platt (2006) study on the refocusing initiative on social work practices from the child protection orientation to a child welfare orientation underpins government legislation, policies and procedures and management efforts to redirect social work interventions more towards welfare services. Also through child welfare practices social workers may appreciate the difficulties that families experience and may endeavour to meet children and their family financial and social needs through a range of social and preventative services. The government legislations and policies The most relevant legislation in the UK that aims to protect children from abuse and harm is the Children Act (1989), of which Section 47 expects local authorities to make enquiries into cases where they have reasonable cause to suspect that a child is suffering or likely to suffer significant harm and Section 17 makes provision for a child to be assessed with a view to the provision of services to children in need (Platt, 2006). Therefore there are two definitive objectives of the Children Act (1989), the child protection focus and the child welfare focus. Many black African children referred to social services under the child protection system may not necessarily be suffering from any harm or neglect if the situation is considered in the context of parenting behaviours and practices (Chand, 1999). According to Platt (2006), the Audit Commission recommendation to shift from the popular investigational work use by social workers to a family support services, was a result of many fail ings identified by many other government bodies. This wind of change for social work practice was accepted by the Department of Health, after examining the publication, Child Protection: Messages from Research (Department of Health, 1995). Chand (1999) argues that the child protection system tends to draw too many cases inappropriately onto the child protection register, of which many may be classified as border-line cases, that could have being managed under the children welfare services. Whilst other research findings support the view that the child protection system seems to have achieved as much as could be expected in terms of preventing further abuse of vulnerable children. Hayes and Spratt (2008) argue that such achievement is not in ways most readily understood by those who legislate, set policy and measure performance. Bernard Gupta (2008) highlights in their study that, in situations in which there is a risk of abuse or neglect of African children, as with other minority ethnic children, the literature suggests that fear of difference, combined with racist stereotypes, may both exacerbate defensive practice, leading to avoidance that can leave children unprotected (p486). The Department of Health (1995) emphasises that social work professionals need to rely on various policies and measures since child abuse is not an absolute concept and most family behaviours have to be seen in context before decisions of abuse are made (Chand 1999, p. 70). Although child protection social workers in the UK are trained to follow the official guidance as set out in the Department of Health (1988) Protecting Children: A guide for Social Workers undertaking a Comprehensive Assessment, this guidance in the context of black African children and their families, fall short in addressing their basic needs (Chand, 1999). Against this background, the quality of social work assessment and, hence intervention process used by social workers may stereotype black African families, their parenting behaviours and practice and culture as inherent indicators of child abuse and need correcting (Chand, 1999). The fundamental dilemma facing contemporary social work practice is the manner and extent social workers should engage in social welfare services rather than in investigational procedures and processes, so as to redirect its efforts primarily to the poor and needy in society (Karger Hernandez, 2004). From the 1990s there have been proactive and sustai ned efforts on behalf of the UK government to develop and promote legislation and policies, which challenge the influence of a child protection culture on management and social work practice, which notably are perceived as distorting the balance of service provision to children and families (Spratt Callan, 2004). Pringle (1998) argued that the family support strategies may focus on the generalization of responses compared with child protection procedures that target actual nature of the alleged abuse. Cleaver Walker (2004) argued in their research, that the implementation of this switch from child protection to child welfare services by social work agencies can have negative and difficult impact on the government Framework for the Assessment of Children in Need and their Families. According to Hayes Spratt (2008) the government has seen a remarkable reduction in the number of children drawn into the child protection system, which commends local authorities effort to help achieve performance targets. Spratt Callan (2004) criticized the reductions in number of children on the child protection register, as being achieved largely due to modern governance and measures to promote compliance with performance targets. However, following Baby P report childrens services watchdog, Ofsted, reported t hat a review of 173 serious cases in April 2009, found that social workers and other agencies, failed to act swiftly to put children suffering from physical and neglect abuse onto the child protection register (www.ofstednews.ofsted.gov.uk/article). Ofsted also identified certain poor social work practices such as the failure of social services workers to identify and report signs of abuse, poor recording and communication, and limited knowledge and application of basic policies and procedures (www.ofstednews.ofsted.gov.uk/article).This report has since seen an increase in the number of children drawn into the child protection system. According to Chand (1999), the UK government reiterated that the primary and official duties of local authorities within the context of the 1989 Children Act is to focus more on safeguarding children through the provision of advice and support services under children in need. In Spratt Callan (2004) study the Department of Health estimates four million children living in England are vulnerable to harm or neglect, due to their families living far below the poverty line, yet only 300-400,000 of these children are known to social services at any given time. Thoburn et al (2000) study on families, whose children were at risk of suffering emotional abuse and neglect, shows that 98% of the children brought to the attention of child protection system, their families live in poverty. Parton (1997) argued that due to the correlation between poverty and the need for provision of public services, only the very small number of vulnerable children who are designated as children in need receive s ervices under the welfare service. Spratt Callan (2004) suggest that a more effective way social work can help such vulnerable children, particularly black African children, who may be over-represented on the child protection register, is the government increasing resources to local authorities, increasing the number of social workers and reshaping the social services system. Therefore, with regard to the governments provision of resources, legislation and policies, the model or intervention approach social workers may employ when working with black African families living in extreme poverty, will determine whether a family receives a child protection service or a child welfare service. CHAPTER TWO POVERTY AND BLACK AFRICAN FAMILIES Poverty and Child Protection The area of poverty and child protection with black African families has been the source of controversy in British social work research for many decades. Many researchers find a correlation between economic deprivation such as poverty and social exclusion and parenting behaviour and practice, child-rearing capabilities and skills which are a prerequisite for proper child development anywhere in the world. Moreover, according to Jordan (2001) poverty is correlated with reports of abuse and neglect. For instance, the National Centre for Children in Poverty found in 1990 that the incidence of child abuse and neglect, as well as the severity of the maltreatment reported, is much greater for children from low-income families than for others (Jordan, 2001 p.1). As a large number of Africans in the UK live below the poverty line, it may be reckoned that most black African children on the child protection register live below the poverty line. Brophy et al (2003) argue that many families brought to the attention of the child protection system lives in extreme poverty and may experience social exclusion. Black African children living in the UK may be over-represented in the child protection system for reasons such as physical abuse or neglect; therefore it is understandable to say that there is a correlation between abuse and parenting behaviours and practices. The question is why African families and their children living in poverty, who are alleged of child abuse, are over-represented in the child protection system? Sossou Yogtiba (2008) noted in their study that a child is the most valuable asset of any traditional African family, as children symbolise status, respect and completeness of the nuclear family, if that is the case, then it is ironical to see African families and their children to be over-represented in the child protection system. Many black African families in the UK still lives below the poverty-line though they undertake different types of unskilled or skilled jobs, as they support large families in their countries of origin (Anane-Agyei, 2002). It may be reckon that poverty is linked with other social disadvantages such as poor education, limited employment opportunities, and poor health and may have devastating consequences for childrens development and life chances. Research shows that many African families and their children may have insecure immigration status and their existing financial predicaments only help to complicate their parenting behaviours and practices. Penrose (2002) study shows that African families seeking asylum are often forced to live at level of poverty that is just unacceptable, and this puts financial constraint on them to provide adequate childcare for their children. Unemployment levels are known to be very high among African families, and they are also subject of stigmatization and prejudice by the larger community that are suppose to accept them. According to Bernard Gupta (2008) immigration and asylum status determines income, employment opportunities and access to support services for many African people in the UK and these issues of entitlement to services only complicate their cases. Some African families living in the UK may be without jobs and may not also be entitled to social and economic benefit and therefore may find it difficult to care for their children. Children growing up with parents living in poverty may be deprived of proper childhood development ( Montith Eithne, 2005). African families living in poverty and failing to provide good care for their children may be perceived by social work professionals as failing in their parental responsibilities (Chand, 1999). For this reason, social workers may intervene in such families and often than not they are drawn into the child protection system. Amin Oppenheim (2002) argue that the unfamiliar cultural expectation of black African families living in the UK somehow contribute to the high level of poverty they experience. Research shows that many African families suffer from institutional oppression including housing, employment, education and health which not only means that they are more likely to experience poverty and deprivation, but also more susceptible to social work interventions in child abuse or maltreatment allegations. Corby (1993) noted that it may be expected that black African children are over-represented in child abuse cases because their families are more open to surveillance as they show high levels of poverty that complicate their parenting behaviours (Chand, 1999 p73). In a broader perspective, Pearce Bozalek (2004) emphasise that the child protection system that exist in Britain will be unfamiliar to many African families, especially those more recently arrived, as similar state systems do not exist in most African countries, particularly where socio-economic factors, political instability and violence overshadow intra-familial child maltreatment and effective intervention into child abuse and neglect (Bernard Gupta, 2006 p481). Brophy et al (2003) study supports the above assertion that African families experience discrimination and insecurity in child abuse cases, as the tools for assessing abuse are often euro-centric bias and prejudice the families. Chand (1999) study expresses the awareness that black African families are disadvantaged through oppression in all areas of society and this should not reflect in social work practice. Gibbon et al (2003) findings show that the child protection system was picking up more alleged child abuse cases inappropriately and putting more families and children on the child protection register than children who are subject to social welfare procedures. Therefore the over-representation of African families on the child protection register somehow, undermines the government aim of keeping children with families and reducing the number of children that are drawn onto the child protection register. The Department of Health (1995) document on child protection identified some pertinent shortcomings with the child protection system, as it seems to encourage unnecessary child protection interventions in border-line child abuse cases. Bernard Gupta (2008) in their study of black African children and the child protection system suggest that there are a series of interactions between environmental factors such as poverty, immigration status and social exclusion that affect the life cha nces of many African children and the capacity of their parents to provide adequate care. Dowling (1999) realise that social work practice in the UK focus less on poverty-alleviating strategies but throw more resources behind safeguarding and protecting vulnerable children from abuse or maltreatment. Social workers need to understand the context in which abuse occurs, irrespective of race and culture, to develop an assessment and intervention process that is fairer for black families as they are more likely to suffer racism and oppression. In view of the above argument, it is pertinent that social workers know when to employ preventative measures to support black African families who have financial needs and when to take such families through the child protection system in the quest for safeguarding children. All these factors together create complex needs for many African children living in the UK, and, in many circumstances increase their vulnerabilities which draw them into the child protection arena. Bernard Gupta (2008) argued that only by developing effective relationships with African families can social work professionals can begin to understand their parenting behaviours and practices. Poverty and Child Welfare Services Current literature shows that poverty experience by most black African families living in the UK could be alleviated by social work services that offer a pragmatic welfare services rather than drawing these families and children into the child protection system. Brophy et al (2003) study suggests that immigration and asylum issues, combined with poverty, are likely to be some of the reasons for the increased complexity for social work professionals assessing and intervening child abuse cases involving black African children. The Department of Health challenges social workers with the responsibility to work with Section 17 of the Children Act 1995, so as to provide adequate social support for children in need via the child welfare services (Platt, 2006). However, social work agencies have not fully achieved the government agenda of alleviating poverty experience by many families and children due to inadequate resources at all levels of social work practice. The Department of Health have indicated that most families, struggle to bring up their children in conditions of material and emotional adversity (DoH, 2001). For instance black African families experiencing poverty may fail in their responsibility to provide proper care for their children as they spent almost all their time working to make ends meet. Such children hardly experience family treats such as going on a family holiday trip, having birthday parties and they are deprived of having basic playing toys and games that help children to learn and grow into adulthood. The lack of affordable basic needs for children of poor families complicated with other social adversities may contribute to poor children developing aggressive behaviours, low self-esteem, picking up awkward attitudes, and may to suffer from social deprivation. Fontes (2005) realises that many traditional immigrant families, where black Africans are part of, may use an authoritative style of parenting, demanding tot al obedience and respect from their children. Although these parental practices may not necessarily constitute child abuse, it may clash with the child-rearing norms, and thus seems to bring African children and families to the attention of the child protection system (Fontes, 2005). When social workers start acknowledging borderline child abuse cases and understand the difficulties families living in poverty experience in raising their children, they would be able to strike a good balance between when to employ a child protection intervention and a child welfare intervention (Spratt Callan, 2004). It is evident that children living in poverty may benefit from the child welfare services as stipulated in section 17 of the 1989 Children Act, as it aims at alleviating poverty in families

Doing Business in Thailand :: GCSE Business Marketing Coursework

Doing Business in Thailand Thailand’s booming economy has encouraged me to begin a new business relationship with a highly recognized Thai company. I manufacturer a line of products for the sugar processing industry. I recently signed a one-year contract with Thai Chemiclas and Engineering Co. Ltd., located in Bangkok, to be my exclusive representative in the Thailand area. Thai Chemicals and Engineering will promote my product line and get it into the all the sugar mills in the area. They will purchase two containers per month for which we have negotiated a compatible price. The containers will be shipping out of Savannah, Georgia with a final destination of the port of Bangkok. The shipping terms will be CIF: Bangkok. I decided to use a local company to represent my product line for various reasons. First of all, I need someone that knows the culture and business environment who has an established relationship with other locals. Once my products become known, I would like to establish a factory in Thailand. Therefore, I found it necessary to gather all the information required to begin a new business in Thailand. Establishing Business or a Factory Although business can be 100 % owned by foreign investors, some are reserved for 51 % Thai ownership. People of any nationalities can participate in ownership to varying degrees: through sole ownership, a limited company /corporation, an ordinary partnership, a limited partnership, or a branch of a foreign corporation. The Ministry of Commerce's Department of Commercial Registration is directly in charge of company registration. The Stock Exchange of Thailand The Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) is a well-developed financial institution which welcomes foreign investment. Tax Corporate income tax rate is 30% Transport Bangkok's modern Don Muang International Airport can easily serve your arrivals or connections. Thailand is equipped with an extensive and ever-developing transport infrastructure and an extensive state-run rail system. There are numerous shipping ports including Bangkok's Klong Toey Port and the Eastern Seaboard's Mab Ta Phut and Laem Chabang deep-sea ports within 200 kilometres of Bangkok. Working Hours Typical business hours are : for banks and financial institutions, Monday - Friday 9:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.; Government offices, Monday -Friday 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. (closed noon - 1 p.m.); private business, Monday - Friday from 8:30 p.

college essay :: essays research papers

College will be a major change for me; in all likelihood, it will probably be the most significant transformation I will experience. It will be a time of growth and learning. In order to adapt to these many changes I hope to mature both emotionally and educationally. In doing so, I will influence those around me and the community as a whole. I anticipate that my life experiences will prove to be valuable to me and to those I come into contact with.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   I have had many challenges to overcome thus far. I’ve had problems with my school work, but most significantly, problems with myself. I have made many wrong decisions and I have had trouble realizing what is important to me in the past. I now know what steps I need to take in order to become a better person and to stay on the right path that I have chosen. I hope to continue this pattern of maturation by accomplishing my goal of academic excellence while attending New Jersey City University. I have already promised myself that I will not participate in any activity that will lead me astray morally or academically. I am very good at meeting all of the challenges that I have to meet. I have already begun to take an initive on guiding myself in the right direction, by taking my school work seriously, looking for a job that would benefit my major, and working harder to make my self happy.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I am interested in majoring in Media Arts at New Jersey City University. I am taking a Media Arts curse in High School now and I am really interested in the aspects that go on in the field of Media. I like the wide verity of oppurtunities someone can get with an education in Media Arts. A major thing that attracted me to your university was your great school on Media. I also took a tour of your campus and feel in love at first site. I am currently participating in my high school peer ministry program. Which is a program in our school that gives specially selected seniors an opportunity to show their leadership skills to the incoming freshman by giving them an opportunity to be comfortable at St. Mary High School. I stay active by playing sports such as basketball, baseball, & bowling. I’m also interested in music.

How to establish respectful, professional relationships with children Essay

3.1.1 Describe how to establish respectful, professional relationships with children. It is essential that teachers establish positive relationships with all children. You can establish respectful professional relationships with children and young people by doing the following: Give children the opportunity to put forward their ideas and provide children with opportunities to express themselves in their own time and using their own words – give children thinking time and talking partner’s time. Give children your full attention when listening to them; this can be achieved through body language, facial expression, speech and gesture. Listening to children is key to establishing a positive relationship; it is essential that teachers listen to children and then respond appropriately, these skills can be modelled to children through speaking and listening. 3.1.2 Describe with examples how to behave appropriately for a child stage of development. Children like to think they are grown up so they will tend to push the boundaries, they maybe talking to you about school or their friends and slip in a naughty word, when you ask ‘where did you hear that word from’ they will say ‘i heard it from ( say ) another adult’. When you are communicating with children and young people you need to communicate with them at their ‘age related’ stage of development, because children develop at different stages some might be more advanced than others, children with ‘special needs’ will need more help from other professionals who will assess their stage of development and areas that will need focus on. Foundation stage and key stage 1 Children of all ages and stages will have varying levels of attention span, the younger children will need more reassurance than the older children, especially when they first start school. These children are very young so they will be developing their communication and language skills. When you are addressing them you need to come down to their level otherwise they could get frightened if you are standing over them while trying to communicate with them. You have to make sure you have their full undivided attention when communicating with them as their attention span is very limited and they tire very quickly with them being so young, you could also ask them to repeat back the conversation you have had with them so you know whether they understand what you have spoken about, you will also get an idea of what level of an understanding they are at. Key stage 2 When the children go into key stage 2 they have already started to mature especially the way they communicate with each other and their teachers, they will have a level of understanding and will be more considerate of the needs of others especially with children with ‘special needs’ they tend to protect them alot more and interact with them and help to keep them on the right path. You will at some point still have to remind them not to interrupt when others are talking but this could be due to immaturity. Key stage 3 and 4 Now the children are older they will know how to communicate effectively with other people. Teenagers will start to feel more self conscious especially if they have to do a speech in front of other peers and may show signs of embarrassment, they will often need plenty of time to prepare themselves both mentally and physically this will in turn help them to steady their nerves and also help them to grow in confidence. 3.2.2 Describe the main differences between communication with adults and  communicating with children. When we are communicating with adults it is important to address them by their preferred title this in turn is showing respect, for example ; With adults you are communicating with you can use more complex language, whereas with children you have to keep it clear and to the point so they understand what you are talking about, it is important for them to feel comfortable with you, especially since you are going to be working closely with them in the classroom, you have to show them; That you are a caring individual, Respect their wishes in the setting, Communicate politely and courteously, Give them all the support they need, Listen to their views, Ask questions on a need to know basis, Always try to handle disagreements with adults in a way that will maintain a positive relationship, This will make it easier to work in a team and therefore less likely to cause friction in the setting, this will also make you a good role model for children aswell as the adults When your in a discussion with an adult it is fair to say everyone will have different views, some adults expect you to have the same views as themselves, your not always going to agree on matters, as long as you show mutual respect and be professional the best way to get over this is to communicate effectively and respect each others views, as long as you are able to support other adults then you are on the right path, when the compromise has been met you can for example ; Show you’re approachable Demonstrate positive behaviour Give support as and when it is required Demonstrate your listening skills Show commitment Show respect Don’t gossip about work colleagues Respond politely.