What factors affect the gender pay gap in the UK industries Literature review

What factors affect the gender pay gap in the UK industries - Literature review Example Recent statistics indicate that the percentage for GPG has increased exponentially in recent times as compared to the previous five years despite the measures taken to abate the differences. Women begin to experience these wage differences with their male counterparts in their first jobs and the gap continues to widen as the women continue to rise in their careers (Blau, Brinton, Grusky, 2009, pp. 121). This literature reviews examines the different factors that have resulted in such discrepancies in the labor force in the UK. The factors contributing to gender pay gap among women in full time employment can be grouped in to four main categories namely education, experience, occupation, and unexplained factors. Over the years, the number of women accessing higher education has been minimal as compared to the number of men. This has negatively affected both employment and wage rates for women because men often most men have higher educational qualifications. As a result, women need to have slightly superior degrees, for instance a masters or a doctorate degree in order to earn the same amount as their male counterparts with only a first degree (Chant, 2010, pp. 73). The government has taken several, measures to promote higher education for women in the country and the situation is likely to be remedied in the future. Another factor related to experience is professional experience. Women tend to have less professional experience as compared to their male counterparts in similar positions. Women’s professional experience is cut down due to various factors including duration spent on maternity leaves, or time taken off to take care of children. This has in turn affected the wages and salaries that women get in similar positions held by men. One other factor that contributes to the GPG is occupation. The society generally classifies various occupations as male or female professions. Most women would therefore be

Managing Sexual Harassment at Workplace Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Managing Sexual Harassment at Workplace - Essay Example I managed to learn that sexual harassment is just the manifestation of unmet sexual needs while, the belief of supremacy in males causes the featured behavior to increase manifold. Moreover, I also found that the attitude of management towards the issue significantly moderates its nature and intensity. However, the workplaces with closed doors are suspected to have higher degree of the demon. Yes, I have developed a new understanding of the issue as I came to know that the behavior is associated with deformation of the sacred concept of marriage, people are considering it the means of satisfying sexual needs, and therefore, the holy notion of procreation has been placed on the backburner. I have faced significant level of hardships in conducting of the research because the topic was unique, people were reluctant to talk about it, and therefore, I had to conduct intensive literature review on the topic. But, the effort was fruitful and I reached to a better understanding of the social issue. I enjoyed the phase when I have managed to link the presence of sexual harassment with managerial attitude. At first, I thought that the behavior is committed on an individual level. But, to my surprise, it is a social and communal behavior. The topic does not concern me personally but I was annoyed by the attitude of males that compelled them to consider sexual harassment as part of the game for females. But, in reality, it is not the case because the behavior is the representation of the masculine belief that females are created for fulfillment of counter-sex’s sexual needs. Finally, I would like to conclude that I am very much satisfied with my effort because it increased my knowledge and it is a reward in itself for a student. Yours Sincerely Student Name Signature Managing Sexual Harassment at Workplace Introduction The issue of sexual harassment is quite prevalent in all parts of the world regardless of national level scientific and economic development. The phe nomenon is defined as a mechanism that is working in order to tame the female professionals to submit to the institutional and cultural strength of the males. It is often recorded that male supervisors do not allow their female subordinates to perform their roles and responsibilities until they fulfill the higher authorities’ sexual wishes. But, the sexual harassing behavior is quite common in all parts of the globe. The issue is stemming from males’ misconception that females are primarily created to meet the sexual requirements of their male fellows. In major number of workplaces, the female staff has to kneel in front of the dominating male force in order to keep their bread and butter intact (Barling, Rogers and Kelloway pp. 260). Nevertheless, the researchers and policy makers have been known to be working to find a neutral solution to the abovementioned problem. The idea is to safeguard the professional and personal integrity of the females while protecting manag ement’s image as an equal opportunity provider. The employers do not have the luxury to afford the allegation of gender biasness (Lach and Gwartney-Gibbs pp.109). The demon of sexual harassment grows stronger when management does not consider it an issue of great importance while on the other hand; it can be needlessly aggravated when females become extremely sensitive. However, according to classical research, it can be established that sexual harassment is directly related to the management’s behavior towards the problem (Fitzgerald pp.1073). The office environment with separate and opaque offices and cabins is rated as an ideal atmosphere for subliminally supporting the sexual oriented

Case Study Of Coca Cola India

Case Study Of Coca Cola India Coca-Cola Enterprise, founded in1892, by the standards of the Coca-Cola system it is a young company. Till now each of its franchises had a powerful heritage in the traditions of Coca-Cola that is the foundation for this organisation. The Coca-Cola Industris started to 1892;when an Atlanta pharmacist,Dr.John Stith Pemberton,began to produce Coca-Cola syrup for sales in function drinks. Though the bottling business begin in 1899 when tow businessmen, Benjamin F.Thomas and Joseph B.Whitehead,protecte the exclusive rights to bottle and sale Coca-Cola for most of the United States from The Coca-Cola Company. In December1991,a merger between Coca-Cola Enterprises and the Johnston coca-cola Enterprise and the Johnston coca-cola bottling group,Inc.(Johnston)created a larger, stronger company,again helping accelerate bottler consolidation. TYPE: PUBLIC (NYSE:KO) Dow jones Industrial Average Component INDUSTRY: Beverage FOUNDED: 1892 HEADQUARTER: Atlanta, Georgia, U.S AREA SERVED: Worldwide KEY PEOPLE: Muhtar Kent PRODUCT: Coca-Cola, Carbonated soft drinks, Other non-alcoholic beverage REVENUE: US $31.0 BILLION (FY 2009) OPERRATING INCOME: US $ 8.23BILLION NET INCOME: US $ 5.82 BILLION TOTAL ASSETS: US $ 48.7 BILLION TOTAL EQUITY: US $ 24.8 BILLION EMPLOYEE: 92800 JULY 2010 Coca Cola Indias Thirst for the Rural Market: Coca-Cola Goes Rural From first half of 2002, Coca-Cola India (CCI) started a new advertisement campaign with one of the best Bolliwood actor-Aamir Khan. The advertisement what they made with the tag line -Thamda Matlab Coca-Cola was focused at rural customer semi-urban customer. From to company sources, the main thought was to position Coca-Cola as a comprehensive brand for Thanda. To support the rural marketing CCI has launched many campaigns in rural areas. CCI started looking on the rural areas in the early 2000 to get a growth in the volumes. This decision was not at all surprising, for the huge size of the not yet exploited rural market in India. With authorization sales in the urban Market, it becomes clear that CCI would haave to move its attention to the rural market. Manotos Chattergy, said, The market in India is in rural areas. If you able to crack it, there is unimaginable potential. CCI Rural Marketing Strategy: CCIsrural marketing strategy was based on 3 As-Availability, Affordability Acceptancy. The first A refers to the Availability which emphasizes on the Stock of the product for the customer; the second A refers to the Affordability it is all about focusing on products price, the third A-Acceptability allocated on convincing the customer to buy the products. CCIs Rural Marketing Strategyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.. Avalability: When CCI entered in to the rural market; it allocated on giving strength to its distribution channel. It realized that the centralized distribution channel used by the organization in the urban market cannot ever be suitable for rural market. For the federal distribution channel, the product was taken directly from the manufacturing plants to the retailers. Though CCI understand that this distribution channel is not suitable in rural marks, as taking reserve straight from bottling plants to retailers becomes very costly due to the long distances. The corporation instead opted for a hub spoke sharing system. Under the distribution channel, reserve was transferred from the bottling plants to ware house then from house, the stock was carried to retailers, they were located in small towns. These were house feed the retailers catering to the demand in rural market. Here CCI not only altered its distribution model, it also altered the type of vehicles used for carrying. The organization used huge trucks for transporting reserve from bottling plants to warehouse average business vehicles transport the reserve from the warehouse to retailers. For transporting reserve from dealers to village retailers the company utilized small vans cycles. To make a statement on the transport of reserve in rural areas ,a company ware house person said, we use all possible means of transportation that starts from heavy trucks ;auto ;cycle rickshaws hand carts; even camel caarts in Rajasthan mules in late 2002 ,CCI made an added million from the organisation to meet up rural demand. Next to March 2003, the company had added 25 manufacture lines doubled its glass preferred bottle capacity. Additionally it also supplied around 210000 retreaters to its rural retailers; it also purchased 5100 new giant trucks auto rickshaw for boost its rural supply. Through its rural supply hackneyed, CCI was able to boost its presence in rural areas from a exposure of 80,383 villagers in 2001 to 154,342 villagers in august 2003.Apart from intensification distribution channel CCI also paying attention on price of products in rural market. AFFORDABILITY: A survey performs by CCI in 2001 discovered that 300 ml bottles were not popular in rural semi urban areas. Two persons sharing one 300 ml bottle; it was also seen that the price of Rs.10- per bottle was measured to high by rural consumers. Taking care of this CCI decided to make some changes both in the size of its bottles price to increase share in therural market. In the beginning of 2002, CCI launched 200 ml bottles mainly for rural areas, as the rural was very sensitive in case of price. It was sown that the 200 ml bottles priced at Rs 5 increased the rate of the consumption in rural areas of India. Annual Report for per capital consumption of coca-cola in rural areas at bottle as compared to 6 bottles in urban areas. AFFORDABILITY CANTED: The new brand price that is Rs.5-for 200 ml bottles would also make CCI competitive against local brands in the unorganized sector. According to the reports states like Rajasthan Gujarat the local cola brands such as choices tiller cost only half the existing offered price by CCI with their new brand chota coke .CCI ,which help them in gaining the major market share previous to CCI also came out with its marketing campaigns, which were focused at growing awareness of its brands in rural market. Acceptability: The initiatives taken by CCI in distribution strategy pricing all are powered by advertising .The organization put up of the residence in the villages. Again, the participative nature, Coca-cala India participates in the weekly matis by setting up momentary retail outlets, also took part in the annual hates also took part in the annual heats fairs major sauces of business activity entertainment in rural India. CCI also launch television targets at rural consumption in order to attain more rural demand .CCI improved its advertising spending .The organisation ensured that all the rural marketing initiatives were very much -supported buy them, when CCI launched in 2002 priced at 5, it bought out a commercial best bollywood actor Amir khan to be in touch the message of the picas cutt the launch of 200 ml bottles to the rural areas. By the summer of 2003, CCI rise up with a new bolliwood featuring Aamir khan, to give further power to the coca cola brand image among rural areas. The commercial aimed to give coke a standard name for thanda, of the reason for picking up the word thanda, prasoon josgi.National creative director_ mccann rickson, the creator of the commercial ,said thanda is a bevy north India _ centric phenomenon. Go to any restaurant in the North and East attendants would punctually ask, Thanda usally means Lassi or Nimbu pani, garam is including tea. Because the character, in its elf represented a culture of the socity , that we wanted to equate Cock with Thanda. Since Thanda too is the division of the popular dialect of the region including North. Thus Thanda belonging to a kind for Coca-Cola. With the long-playing potentiality of the Thanda thought becoming evident, Thanda became the leading idea. Suitability : In the primary commercial the relation of Cock with Thanda was create, in the second one there was a very small distinction, with the retailer asking consumers to ask for Thanda alternate of Cock, and the third commercial explained that when one asked for Thanda, one would get Cock. Analysis said that all the three commercial succeeded in the make rural consumer connect to Cock and increased awareness of the brand between them. Along with TVCs,CCI also lunched print advertisement in several regional newspaper. Future Anticipation: CCI claimable all its marketing legislative were very successful, and as a result increased from 9.1% in 2001 to 25.03% in 2003. CCI also said that volumes from rural markets had increased to 35% in 2003. The organization said that it would reflect on joining more villages to its dispensation network. For the year 2003, CCI had a target of streaching 0.1 million extra villages. Analysts pointed out that not flexible competition from archrival PepsiCo would create it increasingly tough for CCI to garner more market share. PepsiCo too had started notice on the rural market and due to the plain volumes in urban locality. Like CCI, Pepsico too lunched 200 ml bottles priced at Rs.4.80. Going single step in front; PepsiCo cut the price of its 300 ml bottles to Rs.6 to boost quantity in urban areas. In early 2003, CCI declared that it was dropping plans to venture into other beverage business. Organization sources said that increasing quantity of cola drinks had created company rethinks its contrivance of lunching juice and milk-based beverages. In 2002, CCI had declared map to lunch beverages like as nimbu paani (Lemon juice), fruit juice, cold coffee, and tea in co-operation with Nestle India. Though CCI was upbeat on account of its early success in its organize to arrest the rural area, the question was whether the organization would be able to take this success again. A main media setback happened in August 2003, when the Delhi-based Center for science and Environment declared that it had set up very high gorgeous content in soft drinks produced and sold by both cola majors. Around some time BBC radio in its programmed Face the facts alleged that cocks plant in Kerala was creating most use of groundwater resources in the region was also corrupt the ground water through reject of toxic elements, there by harming the land, water resources and it also the food chain in the region. Though CCI refuted these blame, the organization reportedly experienced a acceptable refuse in sells after August 2003. With huge social political team becoming active against the coca organization in rural place, it remains to be seen whether CCI will to be satisfy its thirst for the rural market.

Type of Genre :: essays research papers

Type of genre and its importance by "Briton Hammon" Briton Hammon's captivity narrative was a well-recognized African American prose text that was published in North America. His life has been limited to the information that is within his narrative. While reading through his prose it is still undetermined as to whether he was a servant or a slave. In his narrative he has tried to explain a life of a man of African decent and how he gets along with the public sphere and made use of the opportunities he was given. Hammon mainly discussed the issue of his suffering while he was in captivity. In the introduction he explains him and other people were brought to the shore and were suddenly attack by sixty Native Americans, "†¦but on advancing yet nearer, we found them, to our Surprize, to be Indians of which there were Sixty; being now so near them we could not possibly make our Escape." (pg 1005) He says as soon as they figured out who these people were it was already too late to escape. He also says that all their arms and necessary items were taken away from them. While reading along his narrative, Hammon describes how these Indian caused an environment of terror among these people, and how he tried to escape from these savages and was once again trapped with them. Soon he escaped from these villains by getting aboard a Spanish schooner, later he was imprisoned again in a dungeon for four years in Spain because he refused to serve their ships. After escaping that imprisonmen t Hammon worked in Cuba, which lead to his opportunity to go back to London. As said before, Hammon's life is limited to the information contained within the narrative. He had spent thirteen years of his life in captivity. Hammon's narrative is one of the best examples of genre. He chose to write a narrative so that his audience thoroughly understand the hardships that he went through while being an African decent and a captive. According to his writing he was liked were ever he went as a prisoner, which forced the Indians to request an appeal for his relief, "†¦[the Captain] came to the Prison, and ask'd the Keeper if he might see me; upon his Request I was brought out of the Dungeon†¦intercede with the Governor for my Relief†¦and the next Day the Governor sent an order to release me.

16 Questions to be Graded Essay

1. The researchers analyzed the data they collected as though it were at what level of measurement? a. Nominal b. Ordinal c. Interval/ratio d. Experimental 2. What was the mean posttest empowerment score for the control group? 97.12 3. Compare the mean baseline and posttest depression scores of the experimental group. Was this an expected finding? Provide a rationale for your answer. The mean baseline for depression 14.00 and the post-test for depression was 13.36. The post-test score is 0.64 lower than the baseline score which is what the study hypothesized. The study results state â€Å"This study found that there were significant differences in improvement of empowerment, self-care self-efficacy, and depression in patients who were in the intervention group using empowerment strategies than with the control group patients† (Grove, 2007). 4. Compare the mean baseline and posttest depression scores of the control group. Do these scores strengthen or weaken the validity of the research results? Provide a rationale for your answer. The mean baseline and post-test depression score was 10.40. These scores strengthen the validity of the research results because it shows that depression did not improve for the patients within the control group but the scores did change for the patients in the experimental group. 5. Which group’s test scores had the least amount of variability or dispersion? Provide a rationale for your answer. The control group had the least amount of variability with the depression  score which stayed with a SD of 10.4. 6. Did the empowerment variable or self-care self-efficacy variable demonstrate the greatest amount of dispersion? Provide a rationale for your answer. The empowerment variable demonstrated the greatest amount of dispersion because the mean not only went up by 6.64 the SD also went down by 1.91 suggesting the scores are also closer to accurate. 7. The mean () is a measure of __central__ __tendency__ of a distribution while the SD is a measure of __dispersion_____ of its scores. Both and SD are ____descriptive_____ statistics. 8. What was the mean severity for renal disease for the research subjects? What was the dispersion or variability of the renal disease severity scores? Did the severity scores vary significantly between the control and the experimental groups? Is this important? Provide a rationale for your answer. The mean severity for renal disease for the research subjects was moderately severe with a mean of 6.74, SD of 2.97, from a range of 0-10. The severity scores did not vary significantly and it is important to have the same severity of disease across the board so the outcomes can be true. 9. Which variable was least affected by the empowerment program? Provide a rationale for your answer. The mean for the control group was least affected by the empowerment program only rising 0.4. 10. Was it important for the researchers to include the total means and SDs for the study variables in Table 2 to promote the readers’ understanding of the study results? Provide a rationale for your answer. Yes it was important to include the totals so at a glance anyone can see that even when the experimental and control groups are combined the results still show an improvement in all three categories. References Grove, S. K. (2007). Statistics for Health Care Research: A Practical Workbook. [VitalSource Bookshelf version]. Retrieved from http://pageburstls.elsevier.com/books/978-1-4160-0226-0/outline/16The citation provided is a guideline, please check each citation for accuracy before use.

Case Study: Creedence Clearwater Revival

Case study: Creedence Clearwater Revival Introduction Creedence Clearwater Revival (CCR) was an American rock band that gained popularity in the late 1960s and early 1970s (Lyrics Freak, 2010). â€Å"The group consisted of lead vocalist, lead guitarist, and primary lyricist John Fogerty, his brother and rhythm guitarist Tom Fogerty, bassist Stu Cook, and drummer Doug Clifford† (Lyrics freak, 2010). The foursome began early on as young teenagers and grew together. Throughout their time together there were many issues that arose that in the end led the group to disband. Cause of Demise CCR began their downward spiral that ended in disbanding in 1970; by 1972 the group had come to an end (Lyrics Freak, 2010). The cause of demise for the group entailed a lot of different factors. John Fogerty had taken business control of the group by 1971 and felt that a democratic vote would only cause problems, however the other band members felt they should have a say in things (Lyrics Freak, 2010). Cook and Clifford were not thrilled with the decisions that Fogerty was making, but ended up accepting what Fogerty offered (Lyrics Freak, 2010). Despite the differences that the members had with how things were going they continued on recording and touring. â€Å"Finally, on October 16, 1972 – less than six months later – Fantasy Records and the band officially announced the disbanding of Creedence Clearwater Revival† (Lyrics Freak, 2010). Legal Issues Each went their separate ways. John began a solo career as a one-man band, but still was under contract with Fantasy to finish eight more records (Lyrics Freak, 2010). John was not thrilled with the way Fantasy was handling the contracts and was upset that they had the copyright to his work. In order for him to break the contract and be free John signed over his rights to Creedence’s songs to Zaentz, the owner of Fantasy (Lyrics Freak, 2010). John fought with Zaentz over this and many other issues. One legal issue much that affected the whole group was that much of the money earned by Fogerty and Creedence was â€Å"lost in an offshore tax-shelter deal arranged by Fantasy† (DeCurtis, 2005). The group took Fantasy to court and after much trial and tribulations CCR won a considerable judgment (DeCurtis, 2005). After John Fogerty left CCR and Fantasy he created an album in 1985 â€Å"Centerfield,† which had the song â€Å"The Old Man Down the Road† on it (DeCurtis, 2005). Zaentz, from Fantasy, felt that he owned the copyright to that song because he felt it â€Å"was an illegal remake of Creedence's ‘Run Through the Jungle’† (DeCurtis, 2005). Zaentz sued Fogerty for $140 million â€Å"for plagiarizing himself† (DeCurtis, 2005). The battle between Fogerty and Zaentz became childish with lashes back and forth. Fogerty began to create songs about Zaentz that were disrespectful and rude. After many arguments and legal battles Fogerty won. Cook and Clifford formed Creedence Clearwater Revisited and decided to sing some of the old songs. They had asked for John Fogerty to join them, but he refused (Lyrics Freak, 2010). Lawsuits between the band members began to ensue because John felt the others had no right to use the names of the band and songs (Lyrics Freak, 2010). Financial Issues Financial Issues were always a problem for the group since the beginning. Although there were a few years where they had financial gain overall the group struggled. When CCR disbanded Cook made a statement to the press saying, â€Å"Over the years John Fogerty has done everything he could to devalue Creedence Clearwater Revival†¦He owes the rest of us a fiduciary duty to protect, enhance and help [the band] grow on a business level. And we believe that he has violated that† (Rolling Stone, 1997). Fantasy had made a deal with an offshore tax shelter, and according to Lyrics Freak (2010) the other members were not aware that John had signed off on this. This deal led to a downfall of finances for all of the members. The negativity that occurred between all parties led to distrust and the inability to work together. This negativity affected their work and before they disbanded the albums put out was not received well by the public, which brought in less revenue then desired (Lyrics Freak, 2010). Management Issues In 1964 CCR, formerly known as The Blue Velvets, signed with Fantasy Records (Lyrics Freak, 2010). From 1964 to 1970 the band had a good run of success under Fantasy, however dissension began to settle in the band and Fogerty took the reigns as business leader for the group (Creedence Online, 2009). Fantasy was the group’s management, but Fogerty began making the main decisions for the group. Eventually the group decided to run as a democracy, which turned into chaos because everyone had their own ideas on how to manage the band (Creedence Online, 2009). Band Interpersonal Issues Dissension arose amongst the band members. Success was something they all sought after, but could not handle. Each had their own ideas on what should be done, but it was rare that all were in agreement in how things should play out. Tom Fogerty became upset at how the band was reacting to situations and in 1971 left the band for good (Creedence Online, 2009). This left John Fogerty, Stu Cook and Doug Clifford, the trio continued on but could not get along enough to keep the band going. They tried by putting together the album Mardi Gras and had also decided to attempt a U. S. tour (Lyrics Freak, 2010). â€Å"Hecklers reportedly pelted the band with coins at the final stop of the tour on May 22 in Denver. Finally, on October 16, 1972 – less than six months later – Fantasy Records and the band officially announced the disbanding of Creedence Clearwater Revival. † (Lyrics Freak, 2010). Conclusion The many issues of the demise of CCR should be learning points for other bands and managers. If I were the one who had discovered CCR and became their manager things would have been different. It is important to understand how each band member reacts to situations and as the manager to make sure everyone is on the same page. It seems that Fantasy did not do this and that John Fogerty had his own agenda as well. Although a democracy is needed and good sometimes, a fine line must be drawn in order to effectively manage a band. First off I would have made it very clear that as the manager I am working for CCR and that everyone does get an equal say, however what is best for the band should always be taken into consideration above what each person desires for themselves. Secondly conferences would have been held to ensure that everyone is on the same page. This is extremely important during long hours of recording and touring. People tend to get tired and do not always think clearly during stressful times, so a re-hashing of the goals the band has is important to keep peace. Thirdly when it comes to the bands money all should have a clear understanding of how the finances are allocated. Every member should have the right to viewing statements. So decisions like the offshore account would not occur. Contracts to protect the members would have this stated in them to offer fairness to every party. By being honest, communicative and having legal protection for all parties I feel that CCR may not have disbanded in such a terrible way. It is shameful that the group could not remain working together after the split. However in 1980 the four did play together for Tom’s wedding lawsuits once again created an end of relationships amongst the group (Lyrics Freak, 2010). Even after the death of Tom John could not let bygones be bygones and still refused to play with former members Cook and Clifford (Lyrics Freak, 2010), References Lyrics Freak. (2010). Creedence Clearwater Revival: Biography. Retrieved March 4, 2010, from http://www. lyricsfreak. com/c/creedence+clearwater+revival/biography. html Creedence Online. (2009). Creedence Clearwater Revival History. Retrieved March 4, 2010, from http://www. creedence-online. net/history/ DeCurtis, A. (2005). John Fogerty Is Closer to Peace With a Label. The New York Times. Published: November 1, 2005. Retrieved March 4, 2010, from http://www. nytimes. com/2005/11/01/arts/music/01foge. html? ei=5088=a96cbcb6483ce99c=1288501200=1=rssnyt=rss=1182985952-kKlgvwEFB+csZpVxoY0czw

Free Essays on Structural Criminology

John Hagan was born on February 15, 1946. He is currently married and living in Canada where he is a professor, in the Department of Sociology, at the University of Toronto. Hagan was a "draft dodger" during the 1960’s. He fled to Canada from the United States, because he feared that he would be drafted into the Vietnam war. Hagan wanted to continue his education and therefore did not want to go to war. He received his B.A., in Sociology, at the University of Illinois in 1968. He received his M.A. and Ph.D., in Sociology, from the University of Alberta in 1971 and 1974. Hagan has had numerous teaching appointments. Among them are Professor of Sociology and Law at the University of North Carolina, at Chapel Hill, from 1994-1996 and Professor in the Department of Sociology, at the University of Wisconsin, from 1980-1982. Hagan has written numerous books and journal articles. Among them are The Disreputable Pleasures , Crime and Disrepute, Criminological Controversies, Mean Streets. Among Hagan’s many journal articles are The Class Structure of gender and Delinquency: Toward a Power-Control Theory of Common Delinquent Behavior, Gender, delinquency, and the Great Depression: a test of power-control theory, Class in the Household: A Power-control Theory of Gender and Delinquency, Feminist scholarship, relational and instrumental control, and a power-control theory of gender and delinquency, The structuration of gender and deviance: a power-control theory of vulnerability to crime and the search for deviant role exits, and Risk Preferences and Patriarchy: Extending Power-Control Theory. Structural Criminology John Hagan, in his book Structural Criminology, attempts to "use a structural methodology to develop theoretical perspectives on crime and delinquency". He proposes the study of social structure in terms of power relations between individuals or groups. Inherent to this structural approach to criminology, is the study of vertical,... Free Essays on Structural Criminology Free Essays on Structural Criminology John Hagan was born on February 15, 1946. He is currently married and living in Canada where he is a professor, in the Department of Sociology, at the University of Toronto. Hagan was a "draft dodger" during the 1960’s. He fled to Canada from the United States, because he feared that he would be drafted into the Vietnam war. Hagan wanted to continue his education and therefore did not want to go to war. He received his B.A., in Sociology, at the University of Illinois in 1968. He received his M.A. and Ph.D., in Sociology, from the University of Alberta in 1971 and 1974. Hagan has had numerous teaching appointments. Among them are Professor of Sociology and Law at the University of North Carolina, at Chapel Hill, from 1994-1996 and Professor in the Department of Sociology, at the University of Wisconsin, from 1980-1982. Hagan has written numerous books and journal articles. Among them are The Disreputable Pleasures , Crime and Disrepute, Criminological Controversies, Mean Streets. Among Hagan’s many journal articles are The Class Structure of gender and Delinquency: Toward a Power-Control Theory of Common Delinquent Behavior, Gender, delinquency, and the Great Depression: a test of power-control theory, Class in the Household: A Power-control Theory of Gender and Delinquency, Feminist scholarship, relational and instrumental control, and a power-control theory of gender and delinquency, The structuration of gender and deviance: a power-control theory of vulnerability to crime and the search for deviant role exits, and Risk Preferences and Patriarchy: Extending Power-Control Theory. Structural Criminology John Hagan, in his book Structural Criminology, attempts to "use a structural methodology to develop theoretical perspectives on crime and delinquency". He proposes the study of social structure in terms of power relations between individuals or groups. Inherent to this structural approach to criminology, is the study of vertical,...

Lige N. Mims Jr. Essays - Corrective Lenses, Philosophy, Free Essays

Lige N. Mims Jr. Essays - Corrective Lenses, Philosophy, Free Essays Lige N. Mims Jr. Ms. Ravick ENG 202 3-21-2017 Comparing the Enlightenment to today's Day The Age of Enlightenment, otherwise known as the age of reason, was a great time for humans as a whole in the research of science, economics and law, but also politics. In comparing them to today there are still use some of those theories, politics and even philosophies. In the act of this age coming about brung along the French Revolution. In which changed a little of everything to come, somewhere for the good and somewhere for the bad, but all made us who we are today as a country as far as technology go's . Benjamin Franklin created the bifocals, in which now we call glasses he created these to see up close and in person to things. He wanted to be the first to objects, people, animals and whatever else up close and far distances from things. In today's world we use them the same way, but only thing that is kind of different is that when they prescribe us glasses. They also created future jobs for people to grow upcoming businesses, we call them optometrist or eye doctors. Along with that comes assistants, and also receptionist which help fuel the economy and families with ways to provide for their family and to keep people from going below the poor threshold . Along with the invention of the bifocals Franklin created the odometer to measure how far he went in his carriage on certain routes. Along with that invention today, they now put odometers in cars, trucks, and even ATV bikes. With the aid of technology, they can also be shown in digital form in the dashboard of vehicles, in which gives off the number of how many miles as well. Mail man use those to check mileage in the cars they drive and that was one way Fran klin keep track of how many miles he drove and the time it took him to get there. Sir Isaac Newton (1642-1726) N made studies in mathematics, optics, physics, and astronomy. In his Principia Mathematica, published in 1687, he laid the foundations for classical mechanics, explaining the Law of Gravity and the Laws of Motion. Which was used in the first launch to go to the moon, his studies were used to make it possible for the rocket to even fire. They used his theories and formulas to know how much strength may be needed to push a rocket in the air against gravity. Francis 1st Baron Verulam (1561-1626) was an English scientist and lawyer. Bacon was an instrumental figure in the Renascence and Scientific Enlightenment. In particular, Bacon developed and popularized a scientific method which marked a new scientific rigor based on evidence , answer and a methodical approach to scientific discipline . He is widely considered to be the sire of empiricism and the Scientific Revolution of the Renaissance period. His studies pushed people to become more i nterested in science and his beliefs. The Pendulum clock was created by Galileo this was a better way to keep up with time. Now in today's day we use watches , cell phones and etc., But you still always find yourself looking at a clock for the time and how neat is it to always have a phone which tells you the time out loud," Technology". Everyone named played a role in today's world, as far as inventing things we still use today. As simple as the light bud, the odometer and many more. They go hand and hand with each other from one generation to the next. The technology made some advances but these people started the idea for us to push though the inventions and make them better. Now we live in a world of science and technology, and every day we are adding new technology to the world we live in.

Associated Business Risks Of An Organization

An organization involved in a business has certain specific characteristics which makes it different from other organizations. Each and every organization has to work in different environment which makes the job of the management of an organization challenging as the conditions changes so are the challenges to an organization. Accordingly, the associated risks of doing business also change with even little change in environment and other conditions. In this document a detailed discussion shall be made on how to assess the associated business risks of an organization working under a particular environment and how to use analytical procedures for such an organization to conduct an effective audit in such circumstances. There are numerous countries across the globe which have specific domestic auditing standard on understanding and assessing the risks of material misstatement through understanding the entity and its environment is auditing standard. In order to conduct an audit efficiently the very first thing that the auditors need to know is the environment in which a particular organization operates. The environment and the attributes of the environment of an organization will determine the nature of risks that such an organization will experience in conducting its operations (Arens et al. 2016). In this document a detailed discussion shall be made to understand the risks of business associated with the operations of Aristocrat Leisure Limited and accordingly, the analytical procedures that shall be used to deal with these risks and provide an appropriate opinion on the financial statements of the company. Manufacturer of gambling machines Aristocrat Leisure Limited is an Australian company; with the administrative center of the company in Sydney the company conducts most of its research and development activities at its North Ryde site. Apart from Australia the company also has its marketing and brand development offices in countries like United States of America, South Africa and Russia. The management of the company takes product in its achievement of being the largest gambling machine manufacturer in the country and also at being one of the largest in manufacturing slot machines on the planet. In fact when it comes to manufacturing of slot machines the company is only second to International Game Technology (Byrnes et al. 2015).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The company is involved in manufacturing of gambling machines and slot machines and is one of the largest company in the globe in manufacturing these machines, certainly the largest in whole of Australia. The business operations of the company includes manufacturing of spinning reel slot machines and computerized gambling systems, development of computerized card games. The company has license to distribute computerized card game simulations, gambling machines and slot machines in more than 200 jurisdictions in and out of Australia (Cao et al. 2015). The company is a constituent of Australian Stock Exchange ASX and was first listed in way back 1996. It first manufactured a machine in the year 1953 and since then have invested in number of new initiatives and projects to manufacture innovative gambling and slot machine. Investment activities of the company include huge amount of investment on research and development process to find new and better ways to manufacture and develop slot machines as well as other gambling machines. Investment in research and development processes has also helped the company to come up with innovative new products of its own. The company has made substantial amount of investment on developing computerized gambling systems and automatic spinning slot machines. Apart from these the investment activities of the company includes investment in computerized card games simulations and advances computerized gambling systems. Over the years the management has used its funds very sensibly as it clear from the fa ct that most of the investment initiatives take by the management in the past has helped the company to enhance its market growth substantially. Thus, at present the company stands as a market leaders in Australian manufacturing gambling machines the second market leader in manufacturing slot machines across the globe (Fayol 2016).   Financing of the projects of the company has been done mainly by using the funds generated from the issuance of ordinary shares in the market and from loans taken from banks and other financial institutions. Thus, the financing of the company is a combination of own funds and borrowed funds. Apart from these two sources the company has also earned substantial amount of profit during the course of its existence and thus has substantial amount of retained earnings. The company has made efficient use of its retained earnings by financing profitable projects. The company follows the international financial reporting standards to prepare and present the financial statements of the company. The company has followed the going concern concept in preparing the financial statements. In recording the transactions that the company enters into, double entry system of accounting and accrual basis of accounting prince have been used. The company prepares Balance sheet, income statement, cash flow statement, statement of changes in equity and notes to accounts. All these statements include corresponding figures of previous year to allow the users of these statement to compare the current year’s figures instantly with the corresponding figures of previous year. The company has also followed the guidelines of AASB 8, Segment Reporting, and has provided necessary information for different operating and geographical segments of the company in its financial statements (Jans et al. 2014). Understanding of the industry of which the organization is part of us an important part of assessing the environment within which the organization performs to understand the associated risks and possible material misstatements in the financial statements. The industry of production of gambling machinery and development of computerized gambling system and computerized card games simulations is a huge industry with numerous companies vying to capture bugger market share than they have at the present. Slot Machine Manufactures, International Game Technology etc. are well-known organizations that are in the business of manufacturing gambling and slot machines for number of years now. These are only few companies mentioned since these are the only two companies that are in the same league as that of the Aristocrat Leisure Limited. However, there are numerous other companies that are looking to capture the market with production and development of innovative gambling machineries and computerized card simulation games. Apart from that there are other companies which are trying to get in the industry in the future. The industry growth has been phenomenal to say the least. According to the data provided by a leading magazine the gambling activities have showed an increase of 200% only over the last 5 years and if the trend continues then the gambling society believes that the revenue from gambling will increase to 5 times within next 10 years. Obviously as the gambling activity going to increase so will the requirement and need of gambling machines and system. The increase in use of computerized card games simulations have increased to 3 times in recent years and so has the business of the developers of such game. The potential of growth of the industry is huge and in fact with this rate of growth it can be said that the industry is in high growth trajectory. The industry has an effective supply chain and it has contributed immensely to the growth of the industry and will continue to do even in the future. Slot Machine Manufacturers, International Game Technology, Developers Limited are the major players in the market and have dominated the market for number of years now. The major portion of the market share are of International Game Technology, Slot Machine Manufactures and Aristocrat Leisure Limited. These three combined provides more than 50% of the machines used for gambling. Also in card game simulations these three companies are the top market share holder in the industry. All the other companies combined have a market share of less than 50% when it comes to manufacturing and production of gambling machines are concerned. The critical success factors are the following: The legal environment within which an organization works and operates is a huge factor that contributes to the overall development of an organization. Neither too much nor too less regulations is good for an organization and business hence, there should be proper balance between too much and too less regulations. Aristocrat Leisure Limited has to follow the relevant guidelines and provisions of competition act, Income Tax Assessment Act, 1997 and others to continue its business operation. The political environment of the company is stable and has never been a roadblock to the progress of the company and there is nothing to believe that this going to change in the immediate future. The economic environment within which the organization operates is also progressive and helpful for the development of business. Socially the country is a developed and opened society which have helped the gambling business to grow and so the business of the company. Technologically the country is well developed and been a leader around the globe in that aspect hence, technological progress has also helped the company to grow further (Trevino and Nelson 2016). Strength of the company is its ability to innovate. Over the years the company has provided new and invocative products in the market. The company has an efficient management and workforce which have helped the company to be the largest gambling manufacturing company in Australia and second largest computerized card game simulation developer in the whole wide world. Weakness of the company is the fact that often it has been unable to make optimum use of its idle funds and most of the times these funds have remained idle without any use. The ever increasing regulations and rules for the business of the company is another aspect to be looked at in the future as an area of possible concern. The company has the opportunity to be a huge player in the manufacturing and development of gambling machines in the whole world. The card game simulations also provide the company an opportunity to take over the reins of the market from International Game Technology. Threats are the ever increasing pressure of the existing players in the market to provide better quality products at relatively low prices in the market to keep the existing market share intact. Apart from that the threats of new entrants to the market is also a justifiable threat. Constant innovation and up-gradation of technology makes it imperative on the part of the management to keep modifying its machines and card game simulations to keep up with the requirements of the customers. However, the work force of the company is not fully capable of handling the ever changing needs and requirements of the customers. Thus, the management needs to recruit better equipped personnel to deal with this problem (Sierra?Garcà ­a et al. 2015).  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The customers’ needs and expectations are always on the rise and the competitors in the market are always on the look out to provide the customers there desirable products to capture the market. Continuous up-gradation of technology and subsequently the machines and computerized card game simulations is essential for the company to hold on its market share.   The main risks in business expansion strategy of the company is the lack of innovative ideas on the operational aspects of the business. For years now the company has not been able to give a break-through computerized gambling machine or card game simulations of highest quality. In order to expand the business the management needs a break-through product which shall be liked universally by the customers. Apart from that the funds to expand the operations is another issue that the organization has faced in the past. Implementation of the guidelines provided in Australian Accounting Standards issued by the Australian Accounting Standards Board is the primary objective of the management and executive of the organization (Sekaran and Bougie 2016). The company is required to adhere to the Competition Act guidelines by not getting involved in any unlawful practices to hamper the competition in the market. Apart from that the company should disclose its earnings according to the provisions and guidelines provided in the Income Tax Assessment Act, 1936 and the relevant guidelines of Environment Laws of the country should also be followed to avoid penalty or other punishments. The company needs to fulfill its commitments to the banks and financial institutions in order to get financial assistance in expansion of business. Any failure on the part of the company in fulfilling its commitments to financial institutions and banks would hamper the chance of the company in getting financial assistance from these organizations (Sadgrove 2016). The use of information technology is crucial for the development of the company especially since the company is involved in the business of manufacturing computerized gambling machines, slot machines and simulation card games. Proper and effective use of information technology would help the company to achieve its desired objectives in the future. Effects of implementation of a new strategy: As soon as a new strategy is implemented there bound to be some changes in the organization. Accounting requirement might change with the implementation of a new strategy. The accounting professional must have the necessary knowledge to deal with changes and its impact on accounting environment.   An auditor is responsible to express a clear opinion on the financial statements of an organization as to whether the financial statements portray the true and correct picture of the organization. In order to discharge his responsibility efficiently and to express a valid opinion on the financial statements an auditor needs to corroborate evidence by using analytical and substantive procedure. The extent of use of substantive procedures would be dependent on the results of the analytical procedures used by the auditor. Thus, use of analytical procedures has to be done effectively and efficiently by the auditor (Louwers et al. 2015). Use of analytical procedures such as assessing the gross profit margin , net profit margin of the company in the current year and comparing the same with the previous years’ figures along with the standard industry parameters would help the auditor to check for any unnecessary fluctuations in these metrics. Apart from the percentage of interest expense to overall expenses, the growth in sales, the increase in operating expenses all these will help the management to identify any unwarranted fluctuations and possible area of misstatements and frauds. The mission and vision statement of the company has made it amply clear for all the stakeholders to understand how serious the management is to run the operations within the organization in accordance with the ethical values and norms of highest standards. The management has made sure that the importance of following ethical guidelines is conveyed to the employees, labor and other stakeholders in clear terms. The company has a separate unit that looks into this aspect of the organization and is responsible for design and administration of ethical values within the organization. In order to ensure that the manufacturing process as well as other important aspects of business are effectively managed the management has a standard skill and knowledge development program which includes providing training to the employees and educating them with new and improved technologies to equip them to deal with the challenges at the work place.   Ã‚  Ã‚   The governance of the company can be segregated into two main pillars, these are the shareholders of the company and the management of the company. The management of the company is separate from its shareholders. The decisions taken by the management of Aristocrat Leisure Limited are pure to achieve its desirable business objectives and for the benefit of the company. The company has a standard internal audit program which is completely independent of the management (Krahel and Titera 2015).   Ã‚  Ã‚   The management of the company has a very clear style when it comes to running the operations of the company. Managing the business risks by taking important decisions keeping in mind the interests of the company is the backbone of decision making process within the organization. Huge importance is given to the financial reporting process and the management never interfere with the accountants in financial reporting process. The organizational structure of the company is such that it allows the management to take important business decisions only after consulting with the other stakeholders of the company such as shareholders, banks and financial institutions who have provided the company with financial assistance. The management segregates duties and responsibilities of different departments within the organization. The employees have their duties and responsibilities clearly curved out thus, there is generally no overlapping of roles and responsibilities within the organization. The company has a standard recruitment policy which is regularly up-top-dated by the management to ensure that employees and staffs recruited by the company is capable of discharging their duties and responsibilities efficiently. Also in order to develop the skill and knowledge in the work force the company has a standard training program to ensure that the work force gets to know about the new development in their field of work to be able to give their best while working for the company (Knechel and Salterio 2016).     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Arens, A.A., Elder, R.J., Beasley, M.S. and Hogan, C.E., 2016.  Auditing and assurance services. Pearson. Byrnes, P.E., Al-Awadhi, C.A., Gullvist, B., Brown-Liburd, H., Teeter, C.R., Warren Jr, J.D. and Vasarhelyi, M., 2015. Evolution of auditing: from the traditional approach to the future audit.  Audit Analytics,  71. Cao, M., Chychyla, R. and Stewart, T., 2015. Big Data analytics in financial statement audits.  Accounting Horizons,  29(2), pp.423-429. Fayol, H., 2016.  General and industrial management. Ravenio Books. Jans, M., Alles, M.G. and Vasarhelyi, M.A., 2014. A field study on the use of process mining of event logs as an analytical procedure in auditing.  The Accounting Review,  89(5), pp.1751-1773. Knechel, W.R. and Salterio, S.E., 2016.  Auditing: Assurance and risk. Taylor & Francis. Krahel, J.P. and Titera, W.R., 2015. Consequences of big data and formalization on accounting and auditing standards.  Accounting Horizons,  29(2), pp.409-422. Louwers, T.J., Ramsay, R.J., Sinason, D.H., Strawser, J.R. and Thibodeau, J.C., 2015.  Auditing & assurance services. McGraw-Hill Education. Sadgrove, K., 2016.  The complete guide to business risk management. Routledge. Sekaran, U. and Bougie, R., 2016.  Research methods for business: A skill building approach. John Wiley & Sons. Sierra?Garcà ­a, L., Zorio?Grima, A. and Garcà ­a?Benau, M.A., 2015. Stakeholder engagement, corporate social responsibility and integrated reporting: an exploratory study.  Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management,  22(5), pp.286-304. Trevino, L.K. and Nelson, K.A., 2016.  Managing business ethics: Straight talk about how to do it right. John Wiley & Sons.

Brain Computer Interfaces Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Brain Computer Interfaces - Term Paper Example entists have always speculated that EEG might prove helpful for a completely different kind of purpose, which is infact another way of sending messages to the brain, and instructions to the outside world. Until this discovery, the control and communication system solely depended on the muscles and nerves. But with EEG, communication with out the use of muscles and nerves is achieved with the help of brain computer interface. â€Å"Brain computer Interfaces a new communication and control option for individuals for whom convenient options are ineffective.†Ã‚   It provides a way of communication and control for those people who are disabled, for whom the normal way of communication is literally impossible. The goal of the BCI system is to listening to the brain, understand its intent, and then to materialize that intent without the involvement of muscles. This is the reason why BCI s is also termed as â€Å"mind reading technology† (Wolpaw, R & Birbaumer, Niels p.603). The BCI system reads the â€Å"Electrophysiological signals reflecting brain activity, and they are acquired from the scalp, cortical surface or from within the brain† (Wolpaw, R & Birbaumer, Niels) . They are transferred to measure certain signals which help in knowing the intent of the user. These signals are converted into commands. These commands, in turn, fulfil the user intent like operating a machine, speaking something, walking in a particular direction etc. The interfaces which are Invasive are directly implanted in the brain. These are normally used in blind or paralyzed patients. The interfaces which are semi invasive are implanted inside the brain but not within the brain of an individual. Non invasive interfaces â€Å"record the brain signals through a neuro-imaging procedure† (Brain Computer Interfaces). Brain Computer Interfaces still have a long way to go. Researches are being conducted to understand brain functioning and to map it efficiently to an electronic device. There is no doubt

Internet Marketing Strategy Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Internet Marketing Strategy - Case Study Example LVMH thus controlled a portfolio of 50 luxury brands and is the number one worldwide seller of champagne, cognac, fashion and leather goods and number three worldwide seller of perfumes and cosmetics. The company's revenues topped $10 billion in 2000. The growth of the internet has been a challenge in marketing for traditional companies as Louis Vuitton. Since internet is an egalitarian medium of retailing, Luis Vuitton which caters for the luxury customer did not view it as a brand multiplier in the initial stages, it has gradually developed its web presence over the years. There is however adequate scope for enhancement of internet marketing and branding by Luis Vuitton. Internet marketing strategies are build around segmentation, targeting and positioning(STP). A company utilising the web site as a tool for marketing has to take STP into account. (Tanahashi: 2001). Segmentation is carried out to identify the most suitable target market and position the brand to attain competitive edge. Simultaneously the customer's needs and expectations can be easily researched on the internet. Differentation with rivals, an essential marketing parameter can also be easily accomplished. (Tanahashi : 2001). Another issue is differentiation within the market, its level of maturity and customer segmentation based on the innovator theory. The innovator theory determines that every market has different levels of customers. A miniscule 2.5 percent are said to be innovators or those who will seek a new product for its novelty. These are followed by opinion leaders or early adapters (13.5%), early majority (34%), late majority (34%), and laggards or late adapters (16%). ( Rogers : 2002). The internet provides easy tools to assess the size of each segment. Internet marketing strategy also entails facets such as key word search. Customers are homing onto products on the web by keying in product identity. Search engines facilitate location of the best or most sought after product. There is a necessity to see how key word search results can provide market visibility to the product. For brand measurement on line, it is also necessary to understand why a particular product is not bought. This implies measurement of the clients product outside the conversion rate, which is possible on the internet. Thus click through and conversion rates can be achieved through better branding.(Key Word Search Marketing : 2005). Internet Marketing is carried out by using advertising banners, pay per click advertising, e mail marketing strategies, search engine optimization articles, blog marketing and business strategy to connect with a large number of customers simultaneously without the need for physical presence. Web marketing involves focusing and indivi dualizing advertising campaigns by using superior information available to market analysts through the internet. (Internet Marketing: 2005). Speed is of essence in internet marketing and it allows new products and services to reach the user within minutes if required. The key to effective internet marketing is ensuring the basics. The fundamentals entail assessing the needs of the consumer and providing these requirements as quickly as possible. This would

Psychology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 28

Psychology - Essay Example With reference to humans, excellent semantic and episodic memory is present. We are able to remember and recall events with accordance to time, place and manner. Also, humans have the ability to learn and retain tasks and perform them successfully. Using memory is not confined to humans but also to non human animals. Considering animals, it has been difficult to prepare models to test the episodic memory of animals, which can be mainly due to the difference of level of consciousness between humans and non humans. Nevertheless the studies that have been carried out, though they have not yet been able to successfully differentiate between episodic recollection of events from semantic factual knowledge in animals; however, in the main it is assumed that animals recall incidents with no past-time orientation . A dog may be able to remember a familiar face, but would be unable to remember when or where it saw previously. Contradictory to this theory, episodic-like memory has been observed in certain birds. Experiments involving food-caching trials show that some type of birds have been able to successfully recollect the location of their caches, while other types are also able to recall the contents of the cache. These experiments do provide us with substantial evidence that animals do not possess episodic memory as highly developed as humans but certain animals do exhibit some level of episodic-like memory. While taking semantic memory also in view, Tulving, a world-renowned experimental psychologist and cognitive neuroscientist, suggested that episodic memory is unique to humans and not found in animals. Therefore an animal responding to a stimulus for reward basis is demonstration of semantic memory rather than episodic memory (Grondin, 2008). On the other hand, other theories suggest that animals do not have enough semantic networks to develop this type of memory. Therefore their experiences are based on episodic memory. Apes however do display some

Images Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Images - Essay Example Hence, it is vital for firms to have a consistency between their channel image and their brand image (Marconi, 1996). This paper will analyze the importance of maintaining a channel image and a brand image. Firms sometimes seem to forget that customers do not think in terms of channels. Customers, owing to that, have expectations of marketers (Armstrong, 2007). However, sometimes marketers do not see these prospects. The perception of a consumer being in control goes back a number of years and the idea will probably never change. The real hurdle is how firms give them what they anticipate and make sure that they shop with them in the future. In business-to-consumer environment, firms in the past opted to eliminate middlemen. If a firm had a pleasing product and an attractive offer, then it could create a list of consumers and never assign budget to brand marketing (Gregory, 1999). That, however, is no longer the case. These days, every functional area of a company needs to serve as a middleman and offer the help that a customer requires to make a purchasing decision and become a steadfast buyer. Therefore, brand image has a significant influence on a firm’s channel performance. Also, as the article 7 rules of global distribution (2000) emphasizes, a multinational firm needs to have authority over its marketing strategy (Arnold, 2000). This will help the firm in determine the way the distributor perceives the image of their company. This, at the same time, may be damaging and favorable. In addition, a group’s notoriety may also assist in the selection of foreign partners. This is because distributing well-known products is always quite an â€Å"honor† for a partner abroad and the willing marketers are always many. Finally, a firm depends on the â€Å"win-win speculation† and so a distributor is anticipated to respect the firm’s rules before his or her own interests (Arnold, 2000). In relation to L’Oreal, the company takes

Search and Seizure Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Search and Seizure - Essay Example Searches and seizures are used to produce evidence for the prosecution of alleged criminals. The police have the power to search and seize, but individuals are protected against  Arbitrary, unreasonable police intrusions.† (http://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com, 2011) The provisions under the search and seizure law are not uniform across countries. For example, some countries allow citizens the right to be free from what they deem to be â€Å"unreasonable search and seizure†. Often this right is derived from broader rights to individual privacy. In most cases of ‘search and seizure’, the police officers are required to possess a valid search warrant before they commence their operations. In the United States law, the Fourth Amendment to the Constitution states â€Å"the right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and Warrants shall not be issued, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.† (http://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com, 2011) This amendment is rather brief, leaving jurors to bank upon precedence and previous rulings on similar cases to ascertain legality of a contested ‘Search and Seizure’ operation. Not only is the amendment brief, but it is also subjective and vague at places, leaving juries to read situations based on the spirit of the law as opposed to its actual stipulation. Moreover, although consent must be voluntary and essential before the procedure begins, there are no clear-cut tests through which it is obtained. As a result, the court will consider the ‘totality of circumstances’ in deciding if the consent was voluntary. The urgency of a particular case is also important, as it will help ascertain whether police officers could have afforded to waste time b efore the evidence gets hidden or disposed off by the suspect. It is a reflection of lack of comprehensiveness of the Fourth Amendment that such phrases as â€Å"reasonable expectation of privacy†, â€Å"exigent circumstances†, â€Å"probable cause†, etc are used in court trials and during ‘search and seizure’ procedures. (Amsterdam, 1974, p.350) In the context of the United States, most ‘Search and Seizure’ operations occur as a way of checking illegal trafficking of drugs or suspicious transfer of huge sums of money. In the post 911 scenario, ‘search and seizure’ procedures are employed as a way of gathering intelligence to prevent possible attacks. For example, in a hypothetical scenario, the police may have been tipped about an impending terror attack, wherein the bombs are ticking and are hidden in a vehicle. In this case, it would be imprudent to consider the privacy rights and property rights of the owner of the car before locating and disposing of the bombs. Another common scenario where Search and Seizure procedure is carried out is to catch tax-evasion. The police, on a tip-off from the IRS, proceed to conduct a surprise raid on the premises of the suspected tax-evader, so that they could get hold of crucial evidence that stands contrary to the stated claims in tax returns. ‘Search and Seizure’ procedures come in conflict with rights to privacy and also rights to property. Hence, as a way of priming citizens toward this law, law

Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 47

Assignment Example The advantages of becoming a motocycle repair â€Å"engineer† include low training costs and ease of starting a business as no formal certificates are required. The possible disadvantage of such a career is that it may be low paying and subject to high competition as many entrants are expected in the market. There are no documented records of innovations by motorbike repaire experts. Aeronautical or aerospace engineering is broadly concerned with how airplanes and spaceships work. More specifically, the discipline is concerned with the design and manufacture of aircraft, communication systems, flight simulators, and air propulsion and control systems among other structures relevant to aviation (degreedirectory.org par 2). Typically, aeronautical engineers involve in the creation of models and prototypes for new airplanes, perform tests on prototypes and make necessary changes on them, and design procedures for performing aviation related tests (degreedirectory.org par 2). Aeronautical engineers in the U.S. earn a starting median salary of 60,000USD per annum (cms.montgomerycollege.edu. par 1). Professionals in the middle of their careers earn a median yearly wage of $120,000. Statistics from the US Bureau of Labor statistics reveal that as of 2008, the country had 71,600 aeronautical engineers. The engineers work with airlines, aviation authorities, airplane and manufacturers with job prospects high depending on level of training and experience. Advantages of taking aeronautical engineering as a career choice include higher pay compared to most other professions and high prestige going by statistics (bls.gov par 1). Disadvantages associated with aeronautical engineering as a career choice include high risks associated with working on flight and relatively few vacancies with slower than average (5%) growth according to (bls.gov par 1). One of the

Search and Seizure Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Search and Seizure - Essay Example Searches and seizures are used to produce evidence for the prosecution of alleged criminals. The police have the power to search and seize, but individuals are protected against  Arbitrary, unreasonable police intrusions.† (http://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com, 2011) The provisions under the search and seizure law are not uniform across countries. For example, some countries allow citizens the right to be free from what they deem to be â€Å"unreasonable search and seizure†. Often this right is derived from broader rights to individual privacy. In most cases of ‘search and seizure’, the police officers are required to possess a valid search warrant before they commence their operations. In the United States law, the Fourth Amendment to the Constitution states â€Å"the right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and Warrants shall not be issued, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.† (http://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com, 2011) This amendment is rather brief, leaving jurors to bank upon precedence and previous rulings on similar cases to ascertain legality of a contested ‘Search and Seizure’ operation. Not only is the amendment brief, but it is also subjective and vague at places, leaving juries to read situations based on the spirit of the law as opposed to its actual stipulation. Moreover, although consent must be voluntary and essential before the procedure begins, there are no clear-cut tests through which it is obtained. As a result, the court will consider the ‘totality of circumstances’ in deciding if the consent was voluntary. The urgency of a particular case is also important, as it will help ascertain whether police officers could have afforded to waste time b efore the evidence gets hidden or disposed off by the suspect. It is a reflection of lack of comprehensiveness of the Fourth Amendment that such phrases as â€Å"reasonable expectation of privacy†, â€Å"exigent circumstances†, â€Å"probable cause†, etc are used in court trials and during ‘search and seizure’ procedures. (Amsterdam, 1974, p.350) In the context of the United States, most ‘Search and Seizure’ operations occur as a way of checking illegal trafficking of drugs or suspicious transfer of huge sums of money. In the post 911 scenario, ‘search and seizure’ procedures are employed as a way of gathering intelligence to prevent possible attacks. For example, in a hypothetical scenario, the police may have been tipped about an impending terror attack, wherein the bombs are ticking and are hidden in a vehicle. In this case, it would be imprudent to consider the privacy rights and property rights of the owner of the car before locating and disposing of the bombs. Another common scenario where Search and Seizure procedure is carried out is to catch tax-evasion. The police, on a tip-off from the IRS, proceed to conduct a surprise raid on the premises of the suspected tax-evader, so that they could get hold of crucial evidence that stands contrary to the stated claims in tax returns. ‘Search and Seizure’ procedures come in conflict with rights to privacy and also rights to property. Hence, as a way of priming citizens toward this law, law

Types of ownership Essay Example for Free

Types of ownership Essay My business will be a sole proprietorship because I will be in charge of the business but I would need to employ people to help me run the business. As I decide what happens to the profits I would pay for wages and then spend the rest on repairs and debts until I had paid off the necessary debts and loans. I have chosen a sole proprietorship because I get to be my own boss and if I am deciding what happens to the profit I know it will be spent in connection with the business . The disadvantages wont affect me because I have employed people t work for me therefore I wont have to work long hours . All skateparks around the uk are unincorporated because people ride skateparks at their own risk so if they injure themselves it is there own fault. The only way I could get prosecuted is if they are injured due to bad maintenance of the park i. e. somebody hurting themselves on a nail sticking out of a ramp. Cash flow is important because if you have a poor cash flow your business goes bankrupt. A cash flow forecast enables you to see how much money is coming into the business and how much is coming in and how much money is going out. If to much money is going out and not enough is coming in you can use the spreadsheet to see what needs to be changed. If you have a poor cash flow there is a lack of working capital. This can result in a lot of other problems like staff not getting paid on time and if loans arent repaid firms may take legal action against this and reposes things making the business unable to sell products. I would not have good facilities for anybody under the age of 12 with no great understanding of the sports or ability to do the sport

Effect of Inter-professional Team on Collaborative Working

Effect of Inter-professional Team on Collaborative Working How Communication within an Inter-professional Team Can Affect Collaborative Working Strategies Introduction Schwartz, Lowe Sinclair (2010) have stated that effective communication is very important for a health care professional and service user to interaction with each other successful and also between the health care professionals. according to Weiss Tappen (2014),P98 Communication is considered to be a core competency in promoting inter-professional collaborative practice. This assignment will identify and discuss the differences within the inter-professional and collaborative working strategies, which can help health care professionals overcome any boundaries within different professions. The assignment will also looked at the knowledge and skills which are vital in order to show autonomy in practice this help nurses to improved their level of interaction with different professionals within the an inter-professional team. Anderson(2013), have stated that communication is vital in nursing profession this is due to the nursing practice on a daily basis is build on collaborating or working with different professionals. (Garwood, Lingard et al, 2005) reported that when medical errors take place, the reasons for the error are often traced back to breakdowns in communication between members of the healthcare team. It has been stated by Goodman and clemow(2010) nursing profession is not a solitary profession. Nurses should therefore be able communicate effectively with different professionals in order to work as a part of the team and interact successfully. If nurses can maintain this positive attitude of working in inter-professional collaborative working strategies and communicate effective, this will not only benefit the patient centre care but it will also reduce the conflict within different professions. Anderson (1990) stated that active listening is a process that requires energy and concentration to avoid one missing major points which would in turn compromise delivering quality care to the service users. This has been evidenced in both Victoria Climbie baby P cases and Mid Staffordshire(Francis report 2013) where there was a lack of communication and collaboration among the inter-professional group which led to fatal incidents in both cases. According to (Hall and Weaver,2001) in order to improved the quality of the service user there has to be a good communication, collaboration and congruence among the health care provides. To be an effective collaborative worker. The Nursing Midwifery Council (NMC,2008) have state in the code of conduct that nurses must able to work effectively as a part of a team and this can only be achieved through if nurses are willing to sharing their knowledge, skills and experience with their colleagues. making consultations, taking advice when appropriate, and making referrals to other practitioners. cooperate with others in the team; maintain your professional knowledge and competence; be trustworthy and to act to identify and minimise risk to service users This strategy naturally entails communication with other professionals. Communication in this case can be verbal or non-verbal.when communicating with different professional it is vital that the language which is used during the communication is understood by all those whom are involved in the care of the service user. (Kourkouta Papathanasiou, 2014).What that means is that during inter-professional communication the language which is use should be formal and consistent. This is another way which help to improve inter-professional communication and enhance collaborative practice. Schwartz et al.(2010) have identify that one related problem which prevent effective development of inter-professional communication, which is development of a language that is different for every profession. Having a language which is only unique to one profession or discipline can seriously cause communication barrier within personnel from different professions or discipline(Schwartz et al.2010). Miscommunication could be due that health care professionals are unable to understand the information which been given , now this could be due to lack of shared understanding of commonly used acronyms , terms and concepts.( Schwartz et al.2010).This can have great impact of the quality of collaboration within professionals this could be due that they are unable to understand each other on easy way. In order to deal with this problem it is important to avoided use of medical jargon, especially when inter-professional team involved non-healthcare personnel. This issue of using medical jargon when communicating with non-healthcare personnel has been a hot topic during the lecture of Cares of Hertfordshire, they have stated that they wish that healthcare professional will communicate with them with the language that they understood not so many medical jargon that they do not understand and has not been explained to them in way that they could understand it. which is why it vital to recognize our own use of jargon and asked colleagues clarified unclear terminology and use jargon free language whenever is possible. Campbell(2006) Have reported that poor communication has frequently been cited as one of the biggest criticisms in health care settings. Another importance of collaboration is that it ensure the transfer of accurate information necessary to deliver appropriate care . Nurses have also been advice to adopt a structured format of verbal and non-verbal communication skill which is acceptable to all members of the inter-professional team. One structured which is common within the hospital known as SBAR,(Situation, Background, Assessment and Recommendation) this method make inter-professional communication more effective and easy to understand and reduced any confusion . Narayan(2013,p504). According to Kourkouta Papathanasiou, (2014,p65) have stated that communication can happened even without words been said, which is it is important to recognise that non-verbal communication is quail important as verbal communication. Non-verbal communication is through body language and facial expression (Kourkouta Papathanasiou,2014 ) . This is why it is vital that nurses learn within early stage of their practice learn how read and understand other professionals non-verbal communication, which usually should use with spoken words, in order to fully understand the information communicate and eventually improve collaborative practice. It is important to have a clear and structured form of communication in order to prevent stereotyping and judgmental attitudes and unprofessional behaviours towards other members of staff. with this knowledge in hand it is important to make sure ones future professional judgement or decision are based on accurate information sharing, making sure that non-judgemental avoided misunderstanding and misconception when making decision. This is one of the reason why The NMC (2008,p5) states that nurses should be able to work cooperatively within teams and respect the skills, expertise and contribution of the others. another strategy of collaborative working is that always make sure that patients or service users are involved at any decision making regarding their acre. According to Beauchamp Childress (2001) the autonomy of services users should be respected and their decision-making capacity of independent person which enabling them as an individuals to make reasoned informed choices about their treatment. It is clear that nursing profession is like any other profession which requires a certain of independence from other professions even if the practice of nursing required ones to work collaborating with other professions. Dave (2009) have state that the role and responsibilities needs to be defined, challenged and task to be shared within health care profession this will enable both nurses and different other health care professions whom are also involved in service user care. Independent practice points to the concept of autonomy. Dewar (2010) states to be able to practice professional autonomy means that one is already in the advance practice of ones profession. Nurses should be able make clinical decision directly relating to their patients care in order to practice autonomy. It is important to know yourself and your capabilities, to understand what makes us do the things we do and why we do them. also to be self-aware. Self-awareness is a vital aspect of professional development. People are born into different backgrounds and are different in their ways, motivations, thoughts and beliefs; however as a professional, it is important to recognise how these affect others to be able to establish and maintain therapeutic relationships with patients. (Swapna ,2007) Knowing our own thoughts and feelings, strengths and weaknesses gives us the ability to guide us in our decision making, and also helps us to become more self-confident in our approaches The main priority of service improvement is to improve access for patients by engaging clinical teams to reduce waits and delays at all stages across a patient pathway. Service Improvement is achieved by looking for opportunities to redesign as well as ensuring that effective waiting list management practice is implemented. Conclusion Inter-professional communication gravely affects collaborative working strategies which use within an inter-professional team. It is core effect which is inefficient collaborative practice which enable to make sure high quality of care is deliver to the patients at all time. poor inter-professional communication can hinder collaboration within professionals and which in turned can have a greater impact on the quality of care which delivered to the patient. It is important to have good inter-professional communication and collaborative working practice in place to prevent any miscommunication happening within the health care. SBAR is one good example of using a formal structured language. It is also very important as a health care profession to remind ourselves to avoided using medical jargon . References Anderson, L. (2013). Why communication in the nursing profession is important? Retrieved May 10, 2015, fromhttp://www.nursetogether.com/why-communication-in-the-nursing-profession-is-important Anderson, C. (1990) Patient Teaching Communication in an Information Age. New York. Delmar Publishers Inc. Beauchamp T Childress J (2001) Principles of Biomedical Ethics. Oxford. Oxford University Press Dewar, K. (2010). Advanced practitioners and advanced practice. In: M. Standing (Ed.).Clinical judgement and decision-making in nursing and inter-professional.(pp. 28-53). Maidenhead: Open University Press. David Hutton (2009)Professional Advisor Revalidation, Nursing and Midwifery Council Preceptorship Framework for Newly Registered Nurses, Midwives and Allied Health Professionals Department of Health (2009) Goodman, B. and Clemow, R. (2010).Nursing and collaborative practice: A guide to interprofessional learning.London: SAGE. Francis (2013) Report on Mid Staffordshire Hospital. Retrieved from https://www.gov.uk/government. Hall, P., Weaver, L. (2001). Interdisciplinary education and teamwork: A long and winding road. Medical Education, 35, 867 – 875. Joshi Swapna Ranade Sujata (2007)Model Answers in Obstetrics Nursing Published byJaypee Brothers Medical Publishers (P) Ltd. The Nursing Midwifery Council (2008) Code of professional conduct: Standards for Conduct, Performance and Ethics. London. NMC Kourkouta, L. Papathanasiou, I. (2014). Communication in nursing practice.Mater Sociomed,26(1), 65-67. Narayan, M. (2013). Using SBAR communications in efforts to prevent patient rehospitalizations.Home Healthcare Nurse,31(9), 504-515. Rita Debnath Professional Skills in Nursing: A Guide for the Common Foundation Programme (Campbell 2006) Chapter 3 Communication Skills Schwartz, F., Lowe, M. Sinclair, L. (2010).Communication in health care: Considerations and strategies for successful consumer and team dialogue.Retrieved December 20, 2014, fromhttp://www.hypothesisjournal.com/?p=885 Thurgood, G. (2011). Teamwork: Working with other people. In: R. Burton G. Ormrod (Eds.).Nursing: Transition to professional practice.(pp.118-157). Oxford: Oxford University Press. Verhovsek, E., Byington, R. Deshkulkarni, S. (2013). Perceptions of interprofessional communication: Impact on patient care, occupational stress and job satisfaction.The Internet Journal of Radiology.12(2) Retrieved December 20, 2014,https://ispub.com/IJRA/12/2/4895 Weiss, S. Tappen, R. (2014).Essentials of nursing leadership and management.Philadelphia: F.A. Davis Company. 09203474 Jarra jabang1

The Effects of Western Imperialism on China and Japan Essay -- Cause E

The Effects of Western Imperialism on China and Japan   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  China and Japan had very different experiences with Western Imperialism . Their reactions to western interference would lay a foundation for their destiny in a world that was rapidly progressing forward , leaving the traditional world behind .   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  China viewed themselves as totally self sufficient , superior , and the only truly civilized land in a barbarous world. They were inward looking and were encouraged by the conservative Confucianistic beliefs of their emperors to cling to the ancient and traditional ways of the past . They slid rapidly behind in industrial development , refusing to acknowledge the need for shipbuilding or naval development , and saw no importance in European trade .   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Then in the 1800's , Europe thrust its way into the heart of the Middle Kingdom, shattering and destroying its isolation forever. China would then be involved in four wars during the nineteenth century ; Britain's opium war (1839- 1842), a second war (1856-1860) fought by British and French , the Sino-Japanese war (1894-1895) , and a final western invasion involving British , French , German , Japanese and U.S troops (1899-1900). Chinese Emperors were compelled to sign unequal treaties and were forced to open a number of ports , as well as agree to other territorial concessions . China was also forced to open its seacoasts and its rivers to Western intruders . The Europeans also exploited China's land... The Effects of Western Imperialism on China and Japan Essay -- Cause E The Effects of Western Imperialism on China and Japan   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  China and Japan had very different experiences with Western Imperialism . Their reactions to western interference would lay a foundation for their destiny in a world that was rapidly progressing forward , leaving the traditional world behind .   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  China viewed themselves as totally self sufficient , superior , and the only truly civilized land in a barbarous world. They were inward looking and were encouraged by the conservative Confucianistic beliefs of their emperors to cling to the ancient and traditional ways of the past . They slid rapidly behind in industrial development , refusing to acknowledge the need for shipbuilding or naval development , and saw no importance in European trade .   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Then in the 1800's , Europe thrust its way into the heart of the Middle Kingdom, shattering and destroying its isolation forever. China would then be involved in four wars during the nineteenth century ; Britain's opium war (1839- 1842), a second war (1856-1860) fought by British and French , the Sino-Japanese war (1894-1895) , and a final western invasion involving British , French , German , Japanese and U.S troops (1899-1900). Chinese Emperors were compelled to sign unequal treaties and were forced to open a number of ports , as well as agree to other territorial concessions . China was also forced to open its seacoasts and its rivers to Western intruders . The Europeans also exploited China's land...

Fond Memories :: essays research papers

Fond Memories As I grew up my family and I have lived in a few places, but none were more memorable than our house in Columbia, Maryland.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The neighborhood I grew up in was a brand new town house development. The house colors were tan, white, green or yellow. My neighborhood was shaped like a gigantic eight. In the center of each circle that made up the eight was a center island that was dense with trees, and had honeysuckle plants that gave off a sweet almost hypnotic smell. On the outskirts of the figure eight were the townhouses. In front of each house was a tree or two surrounded by evergreen shrubbery and a garden of various different types of insanely large flowers.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  To the rear of the houses were wooden fences separating each town house, it was as if the builders of the houses had anticipated trouble between where one persons property ends and another persons property begins. Behind our fences there laid a dark concealing forest that was perfect for exploring as a kid. In this forest you could find any tree from redwoods to weeping willows towering in the sky. On the ground there was moss, ivy, and even poison oak (which I found the hard way over and over again), but oddly enough there was no grass in this forest. Maybe the reason there was no grass is because the trees were so huge that sunlight had not touched the ground there for at least 100 years.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There were many paths in the forest, and all of them led to isolated parts of the famous Patomic River. This river is famous in Maryland for the wildlife that it supports and its stunning beauty. The section of the river that I always liked to visit was about 12 feet wide and as clear as crystal. There were tons of fish, frogs, and bugs there it was enough to keep a kid like me busy all day. Although there was a hint of a moldy smell there it mainly smelled like pine and sap. This was by far my favorite experience growing up in this neighborhood.

Factors affecting the english proficiency of fourth year students Essay

The English language, which is the closest thing to a lingua franca around the world, is another means for us to join the stream of world culture. This is where English proficiency becomes vital in today’s world and country. English proficiency is the ability to speak, read and/or write in English. In Philippine education system, high school students with ages ranging from 12 to 17 are expected to have already basic knowledge of English and the four communication skills which will enable them to function satisfactorily in certain English communication situations. The basic goal of high school English is to enhance the students’ knowledge and skills so that they can function effectively in any situation which requires the use of English particularly in a classroom setting that challenges their academic performance . They need to be able to express their ideas and opinions in speech and in writing. They need to think independently, critically, and creatively. Hence, they should be given opportunities to enhance higher order thinking skills like analysis and evaluation (Proficiency in English 1, 2010). In the secondary English curriculum, it aims to address the communication needs of Filipino students for English, which is emerging as the international lingua franca. These communication needs are interpersonal, informative and aesthetics. In consonance with the government’s thrusts and globalization, this English curriculum adopts a communicative-interactive-collaborative approach to learning as well as reflection and introspection with the aim in view of developing autonomous language learners aware of and able to cope with global trends. As secondary English teachers, we can see how essential it is for the Filipino students to become proficient in English language both in written and oral. Aside from being the medium of instruction in the Philippines, learning the English language also provides the Filipino people with all the advantages that champions of English say – it does access to the vast fund of culture expressed in it, mobility in various spheres of the international scene, especially those dominated by the English speaking people, participation in a quality of modern life of which some features may be assimilated by us with great advantage. Knowledge in foreign language such as English will allow us to participate in intellectual discourses during engagement in social, political and economic issues in a wider global and scientific community. As we communicate our thoughts and understand others, we can further develop our potentials and enhance our capacity in learning life skills, as well as cognitive and affective competencies required of us to connect to the world (Luistro, 2011). To realize English proficiency among the students, they should take some advice under the four (4) learning skills which are reading, listening, speaking and writing. The most important thing that they should bear in mind is that reading and listening are inputs whereas speaking and writing are outputs. Since English is one of the most widely spoken languages in the world, gaining English proficiency can be an important aspect of education in many fields from business to aviation to science. Another aspect of attaining the goal of English proficiency is speaking or using it regularly. Improving the proficiency in English language is something that somebody could work on the entirety of his/her life. The best way to improve the person’s proficiency is to make sure the foundation and understanding in all grammar concepts is more or less secure and then to work on using the language as much as possible. The more proficient someone’s English is the more doors that can open for his/her career and life. While it is possible to increase proficiency in English through other means, taking formal classes can accelerate learning. Classes can help increase motivation and keep the student on a normal schedule of study which is important for learning any language. These realities will be faced by the students later on especially after their college graduation. Therefore we need to prepare our students to become ready and independent in facing the world of competition. They should instill in their minds the value of English proficiency especially when they immerse in the wider professional community. Unfortunately, apart from the lack of job opportunities in the country, what is more disheartening is that most of our graduates do not qualify. Simply stated most of these graduates particularly the ones coming from the provinces and the ones coning from low-quality schools in the metropolis have a weak command of the English language, poor analytical and thinking skills. Furthermore, they cannot effectively communicate their observations and reflections. In other words, they are not competent. They do not possess the qualification and proficiency to meet the standards of employment (www.philstar.com/article, 2009). What are companies looking for in an applicant? Today where technology is as important as having excellent communication skill, companies are looking for people who are attuned to the times, can communicate well their ideas, can discuss issues, problems, and concerns in detail (Soliven-De Guzman, 2011). Once you have graduated from college, you are expected to have learned the basic skills. It is sad, but nowadays employers end up going back to teaching the ABC’s of communication. Shouldn’t these have already ingrained in all our students early on? Where did we go wrong here? This fact causes a significant decline in English proficiency in the Philippines particuarly in Magpet National High School. For almost sixteen (16) years of being an English teacher in the school, it was observed that the deteriorating English proficiency of the students – even those fourth year students – are still the predicament of the teachers. Hence, this study was conceived to look for the possible factors that affect the English proficiency in relation to the academic performance of the Fourth Year students in Magpet National High School. Statement of the Problem This study aimed to identify the factors affecting the English proficiency in relation to the academic performance of fourth year students in Magpet National High School. Specifically, the study sought to answer the following questions: 1. What is the socio-economic profile of the fourth year students in Magpet National High School when analyze by: 1.1 Gender 1.2 Age 1.3 Religion 1.4 Parents’ Educational Attainment 1.5 Parent’s Occupation 1.6 Sources of Family Income 1.7 Annual Family Gross Income 1.8 Allowance Received Per Day 1.9 Number of Members in the Family 2. What are the factors affecting the English proficiency of fourth year students in Magpet National High School when analyze in terms of: 2.1 Personal – Related 2.2 Family – Related 2.3 School – Related 2.4 Community – Related 3. What are the levels of English proficiency of the fourth year students in Magpet National High School? 4. What are the levels of the different factors affecting the English proficiency of fourth year students in Magpet National High School? 5. Is there a significant relationship between the different factors affecting the English proficiency and the academic performance of fourth year students in Magpet National High School? Objectives of the Study This study aimed to identify the factors affecting the English proficiency in relation to the academic performance of fourth year students in Magpet National High School. Specifically, the objectives of the study are the following: 1. To know the socio-economic profile of fourth year students in Magpet National High School. 2. To determine the level of English proficiency of fourth year students in Magpet National High School. 3. To identify the factors affecting the English proficiency of fourth year students in Magpet National High School when analyzed in terms of personal, family, school , and community. 4. To distinguish the levels of the different factors affecting the English proficiency of fourth year students in Magpet National High School. 5. To identify the significant relationship between the different factors affecting the English proficiency in relation to the academic performance of fourth year students in Magpet National High School. Basic Assumptions The following assumptions were the bases for the study: 1. There is a variation in the socio-economic profile of fourth year students in Magpet National High School. 2. There are factors affecting the English proficiency of fourth year students in Magpet National High School when analyzed in terms of personal, family, school and community. 3. The level of English proficiency performance of fourth year students in Magpet National High School is declining. 4. The levels of different factors affecting the English proficiency of fourth year students in Magpet National High School are realistic . 5. There exists a relationship between the factors affecting the English proficiency and the academic performance of fourth year students in Magpet National High School. Hypotheses The following hypotheses were formulated: 1. There are significant factors affecting the English proficiency of the fourth year students in Magpet National High School. 2. There is a significant relationship between the different factors affecting the English proficiency and the academic performance of the fourth year students in Magpet National High School. Theoritical Framework According to Professor J. Cummins, one of the world’s leading authorities on bilingual education and second language acquisition, there are distinctions between the two differing kinds of language proficiency. First, the BICS or Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills. These are the â€Å"surface† skills of listening and speaking which are typically acquired quickly by many students; particularly by those from language backgrounds similar to English who spend a lot of their school time interacting with native speakers. Second is the CALP or Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency which suggests for a child’s ability to cope with the academic demands placed upon coming from various subjects. Cummins states that while many children develop fluency within two years of immersion in the target language, it takes 5-7 years for a child to be working on a level with native speakers as far as academic language is concerned. Cummins believes that in the course of learning one language, a child acquires a set of skills and implicit metalinguistic knowledge that can be drawn upon when working in another language. This common underlying proficiency (CUP) provides the base for the development of both the first language (L1) and the second language (L2). It follows that any expansion of CUP that takes place in one language will have a beneficial effect on the other language(s). This theory also serves to explain why it becomes easier and easier to learn additional languages. As Cummins (2000) states: â€Å"Conceptual knowledge developed in one language helps to make input in the other language comprehensible.† If a child already understands the concepts of â€Å"justice† or â€Å"honesty† in her own language, all she has to do is acquire the label for these terms in English. She has a far more difficult task, however, if she has to acquire both the label and the concept in her second language According to Jean Piaget, proficiency in certain skills, including language skills, depends on a combination of developmental readiness, social interaction and the student’s own interpretations. His experiments have been implemented with adults as well as children, and educators have applied many of his theories in the realm of language learning. Hence, many ESL classrooms have discussion groups, pair work interactions and class presentations. Many ESL instructors rely heavily on these peer-to-peer interactions because students are more likely to experiment with each other than they are with the instructor. Conceptual Framework How imperative it is to make English part of people’s lives. The need to learn and master the English language is recognized by other countries as well. No one desires to be left behind simply for lacking the English proficiency. Philippine education does not take this need for granted. This view is supported by former President Arroyo’s promulgation on May 17, 2003 of Executive Order No. 210 entitled Establishing the Policy to Strengthen English as a Second Language in the Educational System. Positive views towards mastery of the English language should lead to favorable self-identity changes. One of these shifts is the early encounter of the students on English proficiency. What better consequences can we expect to hear our students conclude, after being proficient in English, that they have become more sensitive to changes in the outside world and that they have more understanding now and can better communicate using the English language (Mojica, 2009). It is widely accepted by educationalists and linguists that many Filipino children begin formal schooling with zero English proficiency. Studies have shown that the struggle to English proficiency is primarily caused through the lack of supportive home, peer group and community environment as well as formative language-based opportunities. These deficiencies impact not only on their ability to learn the English language but also deprive them of personal empowerment and a capacity to facilitate verbal and written communication thus affected their academic performance. Modern wisdom advocates that classrooms and school communities should become the learner’s missing ‘supportive’ environments and that teachers are best positioned to respond to English language deficiency. While it is accepted that learners may come from unsupportive environments and be disadvantaged, teachers can make the difference and readily reverse the negative resulting from such environments (Study and Teaching, 2009). Much depends on the awareness, discernment and response of teachers at the coalface – in the classroom, from the environment, as well as of those in support-service roles. Moreover, much depends on the ability of a school system to create an alternative, positive supportive environment that addresses the deficiencies brought by the learner into the classroom. To achieve this ‘environmental shift’, teachers need to recognize the importance of English proficiency. The English language programs taught must take into account the difficulties inherent in a teacher’s language of instruction from the learner’s aspect be it spoken or written, appreciating the learner’s often misunderstood that English language is just a ‘teacher language’. To achieve these outcomes, learners need to be exposed to a range of English language skill varieties and encouraged to use them. They need opportunities to experience with different English proficiency genres and registers in both oral and written codes. In implementing the above strategies, teachers should acknowledge the effect English language may have on their students especially those who come from different socio-economic and cultural backgrounds (Studyard Teaching, 2009) While there is a plethora of teaching methods and approaches from which teachers may choose, there are some considerations to be looked into and these are the factors which influence the student’s academic performance in their English proficiency. Gender can influence while teaching resources are applied in the learning process and can even affect the physical layout and seating arrangement of a teaching environment. A simple factor such as age can determine the ‘sophistication’ of the teaching methodology adopted especially when members of a teaching group vary greatly in age and maturity. Learners of English who come from different cultures often have to contend with learner-related issues that primary English speakers never have to think about. Beginning with English sounds that do not exist in their native language and English words and concepts for which there is no native language equivalent, to particular religious inhibitions, teachers who carry the responsibility of teaching English to speakers of other languages must be totally ‘culturally conscious’ – even to the point of ‘researching’ ethnic diversity and difference if they are to perform their task professionally and successfully. The specific language needs of each individual learner are of paramount importance in the planning of any English course, thus the selection of the teaching method to be used. The availability or lack of technology and tools will immediately decide whether many appropriate and proven e-learning programs can be used by both teachers and learners alike. The absence of computers, audio systems, CD players and more advanced equipment such as LCD-power point projectors can lower the quality of teaching outcomes and can hinder accelerated learning. The social and economic status plays a great role also in providing the needs of the learners. Some students are deprived with technological advances that will help them improve their English proficiency (Keith W. Wright, 2010). One of the most important aspects of gaining proficiency in any language is speaking it regularly. For students, the appropriate venue for them to use the language is inside the classroom where they feel the freedom and need to say it. Self-study can improve reading and comprehension skills, but interacting with other English speakers is essential for boosting real world comprehension and practical use of the English language. The community where the students grow and feel the belongingness has a great factor in shaping them as well. Their performance in the school can also be influenced by their peers and the kind of environment they are raised. The prevailing fad of computer games and internet could rob the child of the time to study his lessons /Sunstar, 2005/. As seen in Figure 1, there are factors affecting the English proficiency of fourth year students. The independent variables consist of the factors such as personal-related, family-related, school-related, and community-related. The dependent variable is the academic performance of fourth year students based on their English proficiency. Figure 1: Schematic diagram showing the relationship of the variables under study. Scope and Limitation of the Study This study confined its research to the fourth year students of Magpet National High School enrolled in School Year 2013-2014. The researcher chose them as the respondents in her study because of her desire to identify the factors that affect the English proficiency of the fourth year students and how these factors affect their academic performance. This study was limited to the factors affecting the English proficiency in relation to the academic performance of fourth year students in Magpet National High School. The respondents are to be evaluated through their socio-economic profile such as their gender, age, religion, parents’ educational attainment, parents’ occupation, family income, allowance per day, and number of members in the household. Other factors are to be considered also such as personal-related, family-related, school-related and community-related. Significance of the Study The study is significant to both teachers and students on the following reasons: 1. It determines the students’ progress in all fields of learning which use English as medium of instruction. 2. It helps the students to gain proficiency in English particularly in their communicative competence. 3. It ascertains the factors to consider as contributory to students’ English proficiency. 4. It helps to assess the students’ academic performance as reflected in their achievement and participation. Definition of Terms The following terms are being defined to give the readers further clarity and understanding on this study. 1. English –It refers to the second language used in the Philippines and as a medium of instruction in Philippine education. 2. English Proficiency – It is the ability of the fourth year students in Magpet National High School to speak, read and/or write in English. To be considered truly proficient, one should have advanced abilities in all skills of communication (http://wiki.answers.com., 2011). 3. Language – It refers to the English words used by the respondents both in oral and written communication. 4. Respondents – It refers to the fourth year students in Magpet National High School who are officially enrolled in academic year 2013-2014. 5. Factors – It is about the facts or circumstances which constitute a result or situation. It refers to something that contributes to the performance of the fourth year students in MNHS based on their English proficiency. 6. Teachers – The academically qualified individuals assigned to teach and handle the fourth year students of MNHS specifically those who are teaching subjects using English as the medium of instruction.