Ongc Corporate Governence

Corporate Governance Corporate Governance is a reflection of the company’s culture, their relationship with stakeholders and commitment to values. ONGC has a pioneer in benchmarking its corporate governance practices with the best in the world. ONGC Corporate Governance philosophy is based on the following principles:- Achieving high level of transparency, openness and accountability and fairness in all areas of operation. Promoting ethical conduct throughout the organization with primary objective of enhancing shareholder’s value.Sound system of internal control to mitigate the risks. Compliance of law, rules and regulation in true letter and spirit. Independent verification of the company’s financial reporting Strategic supervision by the board of directors of appropriate composition, size, varied experience and commitment to discharge their responsibilities. Timely and balanced disclosure of all material information to all Stakeholders. Protection of the inter est of all Stakeholders In recognition of excellence in corporate governance, the following awards have been conferred on ONGC: I.SCOPE Meritorious Award for Corporate Governance 2006-07 received II. ICSI National Award for Excellence in Corporate Governance 2003 III. Golden Peacock Global Award for Corporate Governance in Emerging Economics – 2005, 2007 and 2008 by World Council, U. K IV. Golden Peacock Award foe Excellence in Corporate governance by the Institute of Directors in the years 2002, 2005 and 2006. The company is managed by the Board of Directors which explicates strategies, policies and reviews its performance.The board of Directors has an adequate combination of Functional and Non-Executive Director. The company has a practice of periodic retreats where all the members of the Board and senior officials of the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas discuss issues of Corporate Strategy and Policy. The company being a PSU, all Directors are appointed/ Nominated by th e President of India. Board / committee Meetings and Procedures: 1. Institutionalized decision making process 2. Scheduling and selection of Agenda items for Board/Committee Meetings 3.Recording minutes of proceedings at the Board Meeting 4. Follow up mechanism 5. Compliance 6. Training and evaluation of non-executive Board members To have the benefit of cumulative knowledge and experience of the ONGC family, an assembly of the past and present members of the erstwhile Oil & Natural Gas Commission and Board is organized every year. The key Executives in-charge of Assets, Basins, Services and Institutes meet periodically with CMD and the functional Directors to review performance and to formulate future plans.The company has the following committees of the board: Audit & Ethics Committee: The role of audit & ethics committee includes the following: i. Oversight of the company’s financial reporting process and the disclosure of its financial information to ensure that the finan cial statement is correct , sufficient and credible. ii. Recommending to the board, the appointment, re-appointment and if required , the replacement or removal of the statutory auditor and the fixation of audition fees. ii. Approval of payment to statutory auditors for any services rendered by the statutory auditors. iv. Reviewing with the management , the statement of uses / application of funds raised through an issue, the statement funds utilized for purposes other than those stated in the offer document and the report submitted by the monitoring agency monitoring the utilization of proceeds of a public or rights issue, and making appropriate recommendations to the board to take up steps. v.Reviewing with the management performance of statutory and internal auditors adequacy of the internal control systems. vi. Reviewing with the management, the quarterly financial statement before submission to the board of approval. vii. Reviewing the adequacy of internal audit function viii. Discussion with internal auditors any significant findings and follow up there on. ix. Discussion with the auditory before the audit commences about the nature and scope of audit. x. To review the functioning of the whistle blower mechanism. Remuneration Committee:ONGC being a Government Company, appointed and terms and condition of remuneration of Executive Directors are determined by the Government through administrative ministry, the Ministry of Petroleum & National Gas. Non Executive Part time official Directors do not draw any remuneration. Shareholder’s/ Investors Grievance Committee: The Shareholder’s/ Investors Grievances committee specifically looks into redressing of Shareholders and investors complaints pertaining to transfer of shares, non receipt of annual reports, dividend payments and other miscellaneous reports.The committee also monitors implementation and compliance of company’s code of conduct for insider trading in ONGC’s securities. H uman Resource management Committee: The term of reference include consideration of all issues concerning human resource planning and management, HR policies and initiatives and promotion. Project Appraisal Committee It examines and makes recommendations to the Board on projects or Capital investment. Health, Safety and Environment Committee The terms of reference includes review of policy, processes and systems on Safety, Health, Environment and Ecology aspects.Financial Management Committee The committee looks upon the matters pertaining to Budget, Delegation of power commercial issues, Forex and Treasury Management, Capital structure, Issue of Securities, Short and long term loans periodical performance review of subsidiaries. Apart from the above committees, the Board from time to time, constitutes Functional committee with specific terms of reference as it may be fit. Meeting of such committees are held as and when the need for discussing the matter concerning the purpose arises .Time schedule for holding the meetings of such committees are finalized in consultation with the committee members. Code of Conduct for Members of the Board and Senior Management: The Company is committed to conducting business in accordance with the highest standards of business ethics and complying with applicable laws, rules and regulations. A code of conduct, evolved in line with the industry practices was adopted by the board on the recommendations of Audit and Ethics committee. All members of the board and senior management have compliance with the code of conduct for the year.Subsidiary Monitoring Framework: All subsidiaries of the company are Board managed with their boards having their rights and obligations to manage such companies in the best interest of their stakeholders. As a majority shareholder, the company nominates its representatives on the boards of subsidiary company and monitors the performance of company periodically. Disclosures The Company has not entered i nto any material financial or commercial transactions with the Directors or the Management or their relatives or the companies and firms, etc. in which they are either directly or through their relatives interested as Directors and/or Partners except with certain PSUs, where the Directors are Directors without the required shareholdings. The company has compiled with applicable rules and the requirement of regulatory authorities on capital market and no penalties or strictures were imposed on the company. Means of Communication: Quarterly or Annual results News release, Presentation Website Annual Report Guidelines on Corporate Governance by DPE: No Presidential Directive has been issued during 2008-09 and the last three years.No items of expenditure have been debited in books of accounts, which are not for the purpose of business. No expenses, which are personal in nature, have been incurred for the Board of Directors and top management. The administrative and office expenses were 3. 79% of total expenses during 2008- 09 as against 5. 45% during the previous year. The decrease in 2008-09 is on account of reversal in 2008-09 of excess pay revision arrear provided during 2007- 08 and also provision of additional gratuity in 2007-08 due to increase in the maximum amount of gratuity to Rs. 10 Lakh from Rs. 3. 5 Lakh.

Islam and Muslim Contact Unit

The term â€Å"Islamophobia† was first used in print in 1991 and was defined in the Runnymede Trust Report as â€Å"unfounded hostility towards Islam, and therefore fear or dislike of all or most Muslims. † The word has been coined because there is a new reality which needs naming — anti-Muslim prejudice has grown so considerably and so rapidly in recent years that a new item in the vocabulary is needed so that it can be identified and acted against. (Sajid 2005) The term â€Å"Islamophobia† was coined by way of analogy to â€Å"xenophobia†, which is a dislike or fear of people from other countries or of that which is perceived to be foreign or strange.Some definitions suggest xenophobia as arising from irrationality or unreason; this can also be said for islamophobia. Islamophobia can be characterized by the belief that all or most Muslims are religious fanatics, have violent tendencies towards non- Muslims, and reject concepts such as equality, to lerance, and democracy. It is a new form of racism where Muslims, an ethno-religious group, are constructed as a race. A set of negative assumptions are made of the entire group to the detriment of members of that group.During the 1990s many sociologists and cultural essay writer toronto analysts observed a shift in racist ideas from ones based on skin color to ones based on notions of cultural superiority and otherness. (Sajid 2005) In Britain and other European or Western countries, Manifestations of anti-muslim hostility has been exemplified in many verbal as well as physical attacks on Muslims in public places and attacks on mosques and desecration of Muslim cemeteries. Before 9/11, in Western countries negative stereotypes and remarks in speeches by political leaders, implying that Muslims are less committed than others to democracy and the rule of law.There was a rise in the number of hate crimes against Muslims in  London in 2010, these hate crimes were being encouraged by mainstream politicians and sections of the media, a study written by a former Scotland Yard counter-terrorism officer, published January 26, 2010, says that attacks ranging from death threats and murder to persistent low-level assaults, such as spitting and name-calling, are in part whipped up by extremists and sections of mainstream society. Lambert headed Scotland Yard's Muslim contact unit, which helped improve relations between the police and Britain's Islamic communities.The study mentions no newspapers or writers by name, but alleges that the book Londonistan, by the Mail writer Melanie Phillips, played a part in triggering hate crimes. Londonistan is a book about the spread of  Islamism  in the  United Kingdom  over the past twenty years. When London was hit by suicide bombers in July 2005, the dirty little secret was finally out. Great Britain had been the European hub of Islamist extremism for more than a decade. Under the noses of British intelligence, a network of terrorists and their sympathizers had used Britain to plot, finance, recruit and train for atrocities in the United States and around the world.The scale of this activity was so large that exasperated European security agencies dubbed Britain's capital city Londonistan. (Phillips 2006). In Europe and in America as well, it can be seen in widespread and routine negative stereotyping in the media and everyday discourse in ways that would not be acceptable if the reference were, for example, to Jewish or black people. (Dodd 2010) Islamophobia is heightened by a number of contextual factors. One of these is the fact that a high proportion of refugees are Muslims.Demonization of refugees is therefore frequently a coded attack on Muslims, for the words â€Å"Muslim,† â€Å"asylum-seeker,† â€Å"refugee,† and â€Å"immigrant† become synonymous in the popular imagination. In this case, the common experiences of immigrant communities with unemployment, rejection, alienation and violence have combined with Islamophobia to make integration really difficult. This has led Muslim communities to suffer higher levels of unemployment, poor housing, poor health and higher levels of racially motivated violence than other communities. (sajid 2010).For example, in 2003, when the Home Office produced a poster about alleged deceit and dishonesty amongst people seeking asylum, it chose to illustrate its concerns by focusing on someone with a Muslim name. France has been wracked by tensions over its rapidly growing Muslim minority. Another example of this would France banning the wearing of Islamic veils and other face coverings earlier this year, claiming they were both degrading and a security risk. Belgium has passed similar legislation, and Switzerland banned the building of minarets, the tall spires which often stand next to mosques. Ghazi 2006) A large issue that fuels the fires in the battle against Islamophobia is the drawing of cartoons offending the Islamic prophet, Muhammad. More specifically, this issue began after 12  editorial cartoons, most of which  depicted  the Islamic  prophet  Muhammad, were published in the Danish  newspaper  Jyllands-Posten  on September 30, 2005. These Danish cartoonists targeted Muhammad as a way to attack the Muslims’ freedom of free speech and religion. In Muslim societies insulting Muhammad is the gravest of all crimes; also considered blasphemy and punishable by death.Unfortunately, some events that followed these insults toward Muhammad ended in multiple deaths. The Organization of the Islamic Conference has denounced calls for the death of the Danish cartoonists. The obvious denial of this request caused attacks on innocents and riots all over Europe. Some acts included bombing of Christians at church, burning of churches, slaughtering innocent children and other civilians, and one specific incident included killing innocent train passengers. Even before the Jyllan ds-Posten riots, there were plenty of anti-Muslim acts in Europe.One of which was the Dutch politician Pim Fortuyn’s assassination in 2002 for his anti-Islamic views. He called Islam a â€Å"backward culture† and wanted to stop Muslim immigration. After his death his party made its debut in Parliament with a 17% seat share showing how popular he was at that time. Another example of Europe’s anti-Muslim views as well as the Islam’s’ intolerance for the belittling of their culture is the assassination of Theo van Gogh In 2004. Van Gogh directed a short movie called Submission which tried to highlight the role of women in Islam.While the movie came in for a lot of criticism, van Gogh was assassinated in the same year over the movie. Specifically, the fear of Muslims became more prevalent in the United States after the events that occurred on September 11, 2001. In order to study Muslim Americans’ framing in the news media after 9/11, it is impo rtant to focus on two specific periods; the first six-month period after the attacks and the period after the first anniversary of September 11. The two periods are very important because the news framework completely changed during these two episodes.In the first immediate six months after 9/11, the media representation was very positive, comprehensive, frequent and contextual. However, after the first anniversary of 9/11, the media coverage changed. It became very negative, stereotypical and exclusive. By the first anniversary of September 11, the portrayal of Muslim Americans in both print and cable news had completely shifted from the more frequent, positive, contextual,  thematic, descriptive and comprehensive coverage to a more frequent, negative, stereotypical,  episodic  and exclusive coverage.The share of reporting on Muslim Americans declined, hate crimes skyrocketed and the positive public perception of Muslims that was created in the immediate period after 9/11 dim inished. Eventually, this negative perception of Muslims manifested itself through anti-Islamic riots and hatred of Muslim Americans in upcoming years. (Amiri 2012) September 11, 2001, and the days that followed produced strong feelings amongst non-Muslims as well as among Muslims in Europe.When people feel powerless and frustrated they are prone to hit out with violent language: â€Å"You don't belong here,† or â€Å"Get out of my country now; England is for white civilized English people! † are examples of the kind of violent language that was used in e-mail messages to the Muslim Council of Britain immediately following the attacks. These messages are significant, for they expressed attitudes and perceptions that are widespread amongst non-Muslims and that are recurring components of Islamophobia. Allen 2002) While over in the western hemisphere, the American government was trying to ensure the Americans citizens of their safety. In the first few days following 9/11 there were multiple news cast questioning citizens, politicians, and government officials of what exactly went on that day. But what most Americans really wanted to know was whether or not they can be safe knowing that people of the same race and religion as the terrorists were walking the streets.Although there was fear struck into the hearts of American citizens, Americans were too decent to even consider lashing out on Muslim Americans. Not only that but American didn’t know even about their culture, religion, or race to hate them to extent that Europeans do. (Schwartz 2010). When it came time to get the point of views from the horse’s mouth, Muslim Americans were more frequently covered in the news and more often interviewed as sources than before the events of 9/11.They were given a chance to speak for themselves rather than the commentators talking on their behalf offering their views on certain issues relating to Muslim Americans. (Abid 2011) What changed the A merican view of Muslims altogether was the start of the wars in Afghanistan. Americans who were considered to be Islamophobes were completely against the idea of thousands of soldiers losing their life trying to fight for a faith that what President Bush calls â€Å"A religion based on peace, but hijacked by the terrorists. (Bari 2012) But Americans had an odd response to the anti-Muslim controversy they elected a president bearing an Islamic middle name, Barack Hussein Obama. This demonstrated that for their majority, Islamophobia was moot. Too few said so, but Americans seemed to have instinctively grasped certain truths: that Islam would not simply go away, they would not change their view, they could not be defeated in a direct confrontation and that moderate Muslims would be valuable allies in defeating radical Islam. (Schwartz 2010)

Assignment 4 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 4

4 - Assignment Example The cost factor allegedly includes the monthly premiums, as well as out-of-pocket costs. It has been noted from various news items and article regarding the health care that increasing number of Americans could not avail of health insurance plans due to the exorbitant costs. Of course, if these plans could be availed at very minimal costs, most of the people would prefer to avail of plans that would provide the greatest benefits for the least cost possible. However, the type of plans that could be availed depends on the income level or earnings generated by individuals or family members. Therefore, if an individual would have excess funds after taking care of basic necessities (food, clothing, shelter), only then could portions of excess funds be earmarked for health care. Thus, inasmuch as the article provides relevant information regarding finding the health insurance plan for readers, it is actually presumed that the plan that is to be selected depending on the income level or earnings or the capacity to pay. How to find the health insurance plan that’s right for you. (2014, March 20). Retrieved from HealthCare.gov:

KIDS (1995) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

KIDS (1995) - Essay Example Most of these factors tend to be influenced by the environment within which these teenagers live, the latter being further influenced by people with whom the teenager lives, the people they associate with, the economic status of their families, and finally, the values of the society within which these teenagers live. The most common character throughout the movie is Telly, who is a sixteen year old addicted to sex and he says in a soliloquy that without it, he sees no other reason to live (Goldberg 55). The fact that he is HIV positive is revealed when one of his sexual partners, Jennie, finds out that she has been infected. Telly chooses to only have sex with girls who are virgins and he, perhaps unknowingly, ends up infecting a lot of girls through his encounters with them. Throughout the movie, the viewer comes to the realization that among the main factors which influence the behavior of the characters involved is people with whom they live. ... n is perhaps the reason why he indulges in so much sexual activity, most likely in an attempt to find some meaning to his life after the rejection that he feels from his mother. It is in this instance that the conflict theory can be applied because of the fact that since Telly’s mother does not give him the attention he deserves, and for this reason, Telly indulges in the activities which in one way or the other lead to conflict in the lives of the people that he influences. It is a fact that teenagers are highly observant people, and it is a normal thing for them to imitate the behavior of their older family members or their friends. If a parent, for example, is a drug user, then it is likely that their teenage children will also become drug users and this is because these teenagers will grow up with the belief that taking drugs is not wrong. A home is the biggest influence that a teenager can have, and what goes on in that home is displayed by the character of this teenager. If the parents are negligent of their child, as Telly’s mother is of him, then it is likely that they will not notice the changes that are occurring in the teenager (Steele 46). It can be assumed that when Telly and his friends who get involved in delinquent activities, they do so to compensate for the lack of attention from their parents as well as the society. All through the movie, one of the factors which increases the risk of teenage sexual encounters as well as the use of drugs is people with whom they associate. Peer pressure is one of the premier causes of the delinquent activities among the characters of the movie as seen when Casper and his friends attack and beat up a man perhaps to death. It is seen that they indulge in such activities so that they can gain the approval of their

Men in Nursing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Men in Nursing - Essay Example Though there is historic evidence of males in care-giver roles, the female domination of the nursing profession started as early as150 years ago when Florence nightingale became a role model for dedicated nurse (Anthony 2004). Infact, the nursing profession gained its importance since then because of efficient training, practice of good hygiene, emphasis on environment, careful data collection and analysis, high standards of character and good performance (Anthony 2004). Similar to the Nightingale model was the European religious sisterhoods model, which came after the Nightingale school and further extended the female domination of the profession. Thus nursing profession came to be viewed as those services provided by kind, caring, subordinate, nurturing, domestic, humble and self-sacrificing women (Anthony 2004). Men were not considered for the role of a nurse because they were perceived to be strong, aggressive and dominant (Anthony 2004) and did not fit into the role model of nur se. It is an obvious fact that the registered nursing force should reflect the diversity of the population they serve (Sherrod 2005). However, the trend does not seem to be so. Infact, females are 9 times more recruited than women (Sherrod 2005). The concept of nursing as a female profession came into vogue due to the popular Nightingale and European sisterhoods schools. But the true fact is that men have been care-givers since much before that. The priests and their assistants who were delivering health care in the form of herbal remedies and incantations in the ancient civilization were infact males. Similar services have been described in the Bible (Mosaic laws), Persian and Babykon literature, Greek literature, also (Anthony 2004). The role of male nurses has been described in the military and civil wars also (Anthony 2004). In the post- Nightingale era, men

In What Ways Have the Recent Technological And Institutional Essay

In What Ways Have the Recent Technological And Institutional Developments Shaped Public Service Broadcasting In the UK - Essay Example In such a market with a large number of private players (with large funds and new technologies to back them), the PSBs with their obligatory roles as public service broadcasters which disallows them to focus on earning revenues, are finding it increasingly difficult to survive in this fragile economic scenario (Shooshan and Cave, 2000, 71-83). In this context, Singer opined that, â€Å"increased number of TV services means that audiences are getting fragmented. Where once a show on the publicly owned BBC, or its commercial rival ITV, regularly commanded audiences of 20 million, now a good audience is under half this† (Singer, Getting over our public service broadcasting addiction, April 2010). Along with this, the Internet has now emerged as large threat, taking away a large portion of UK audience, whereâ€Å"70% (80% in urban areas) are on the internet; there are movies on your Xbox, and assorted forms of catch-up TV† (Singer, ibid). In the internet, the most popular a renas are the social networking sites (like, Facebook, Twitter., etc.,) that allow open interactions between various users, thus making it necessary that the UK PBS in order to modernise itself must look towards allowing a greater scope for interactions amongst its recipients. In this context, in the 2005 Ofcom review, Richards, Foster and Suter give us a fair idea of the extent of technological invasion, where they state, â€Å"Fifty per cent of households already have digital television, and take-up has been extremely rapid†¦Other digital technology is increasingly competing for viewers’ attention. Ownership of DVD players has exploded – reaching 45% of... This essay stresses that PSB has always been at the core of UK cultural development, and in the Ofcom’s research it has been seen that despite changing consumption patterns, public support for the main objectives of PSB remain unchanged. Thus, it is necessary that Ofcom, while making suitable change to shape the present PSB that would be more suitable to the present context, must keep the traditional institutional values intact within the UK PSBs. It should create a suitable status for the PSB operating in the digital environment, create specific superscriptions for PSB, and allow them to make use of the new technological innovations to fulfil the superscriptions and adjust to the modifications in the present media landscape and modifications in the listening and viewing patterns of the recipients. This paper makes a conclusion that the UK must make provisions in their legislations to formulate specific superscriptions for PSB, which would cover the new mode of communication and technology services, thus allowing PSB to make optimal use of their potential in advocating democracy, social values and wider cultural participation, using the new form interactive media. The government also must allow the PSB media to respond completely in its own way, to the hurdles arising from the networking society, taking part in market competition, while keeping in mind various legal issues that dominate the public/private structure of the electronic world.

Argumentative Thesis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Argumentative Thesis - Essay Example Since skin grafts are also treated as external bodies, it appropriately also gives an insight into how the patient’s body may treat an allograft and an autograft and why the treatment is different. In ACL surgeries allografts are considered as foreign tissues while autograft are not hence the former needs a greater length of time to be incorporated when compared to the latter which makes autografts the better choice owing to early and safe incorporation thus this served as a strong support point for my thesis statement. This article discusses the problems that a sportsperson faces after an ACL injury and surgery. It mostly looks into the trauma faced by sports people who have been victim to some sort of field injury. The article correctly identifies the reasons behind the need of quick recovery for such people. The content helped me conclude that the surgery opted for must be such that the recovery time is minimal but it should also help the person return to the game. The goal of my thesis was to prove why autografts are a better option. Most ACL problems are linked to physically active people, so it becomes really necessary that the tissue chosen for surgery (autograft/allograft) has to help the patient return back to their normal lives as soon as possible since most sportspeople depend on the sports for their livelihood. From this source I learnt how ACL tearing occurs and how it affects the patient. For my thesis understanding the reason behind an ACL injury and the aftereffect was beneficial and crucial because then it becomes easier to understand the expectations from an ACL reconstruction and select the appropriate graft tissue. This article talks about the kinds of tissue grafts, organ grafts and immunity of the body in detail. It states the difference between cadaveric grafts and own tissue grafts and the various pros and cons involved. The article also discusses the effect of graft surgeries on the human

Management Finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Management Finance - Essay Example In the following parts of this paper, first features of ABC have been provided in which entire ABC process has been included. Subsequently, comparison relating to selling price and selling volume with absorption costing has been included. After this step, budgeting and planning, budgeting and control, budgeting and performance evaluation and budgeting and motivation parts have been given before the conclusion. Activity-Based Costing (ABC) refers to as â€Å"It is a technique which involves identification of cost with each cost-driving activity and making it the basis for apportionment/assignment of costs over different cost objects/jobs/products/customers/services† (Pandikumar, 2009, p. 414). The analysis of this definition further highlights that ABC is mainly based on three fundamental activities: cost identification, activities and apportionment basis. Fundamentally, ABC is based on a sequence of activities in which costing process is carried out. In the first step, the process of identifying the activities is carried out in which organizational activities are properly pointed out; in the second step, computation of the cost of each activity is conducted; in the last step, the process of identifying the activity cost driver takes place which concludes the entire sequence of ABC (Ryan, 2014). And the typical examples of cost activities are schedule production jobs, machine set up costs, number of orders and number of batches (Ryan, 2014). In addition, cost pool and cost activities are two different activities. In the cost pool, total attached costs are combined and the combined costs are further allocated to cost activities. However, before allocating costs to cost activities, identification of drivers is of paramount importance. In the Berry Ltd, the company has budgeted machine set up costs $280,000, material ordering costs ($316,000), machine running

Three topics every topic one page Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Three topics every topic one page - Essay Example As early as the 1820s the United States instituted reform measures aimed at curbing slavery throughout the country. For instance, the Missouri Compromise, established in 1820, outlawed the practice of slavery in any of the territories acquired in the Louisiana Purchase. While the Missouri Compromise constituted a major reform measures, undoubtedly another of the most prominent reform measures was the Compromise of 1850. The Compromise of 1850 established a number of reform measures aimed to curb the then boiling tensions regarding slavery. This compromise specifically indicated that Washington D.C. would not become a slave state and that the Southern wish to involve California in the slave trade was also prohibited. Conversely, the act granted the southern states a strong fugitive slave act, which ensured escaped slaves would be returned. Ultimately, however, while these reform measures put off the eventual war, they would not be enough to stop the significant sectional crisis that e merged. 2. The mid-19th century American division between the northern and southern states over slavery came to be referred to as the sectional crisis. The sectional crisis divided the nation along geographic lines and created new divisions that the nation had never previously experienced. This essay argues that the

Service operations managements Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Service operations managements - Essay Example hai Banking Corporation (HSBC), which are highly critical services and need absolute customer focus besides thorough banking knowledge and skills and effective operations management. Service operations management is a large and critical business sector. Besides customer satisfaction, service operations managers are also responsible for continuous improvement and cost-saving objectives. These are to be achieved with the available resources such as materials, staff, equipment and process technology (Johnston & Clark, 2008). Service operations management also requires specialized skills and competencies in terms of the five main management functions, planning, organising, leading, coordinating and controlling. These five core functions are achieved through strategic planning and management, effective leadership, technology and skills, and human resources management. In general, these functions seem quite similar to any other service/production management; however, the practices, policies, and approaches differ in the service industry. In service operations, all operational functions are pre-planned and assessed in terms of costs, infrastructure, staffing etc; these operational functions require the support of other functions like the administration, facilities, human resources department, training and quality assessment departments etc. All functions are strategically aligned to the organisation’s main goal. Among HSBC’s five core business principles, customer service, effective and efficient operations, strict expense discipline through teamworking and organisational commitment form the grounding principles for carrying out efficient service management (HSBC Holdings plc, 2001). Amongst the hundreds of different services provided by the global bank, payment services forms one critical unit and service which has sound impact on its customers as well as the bank itself. Capacity planning is the process of calculating the capacity of materials, personnel

Alarm over Dramatic Weakening of Gulf Stream Essay Example for Free

Alarm over Dramatic Weakening of Gulf Stream Essay Gulf Stream and the extension it has on Europe is said to be a powerful Atlantic current that has its origin in Gulf of Mexico all the way to Africa across the Atlantic Ocean. It is the one that influences the climate in the North American coast as well as the coast in Europe. It is also used as a source of renewable energy for the generation of power. Gulf Stream is a strong current that usually meets with other ocean currents and rain is formed. It also transports water in the form of waves and also helps the rivers that drain in the Atlantic Ocean. It forms rain as the current is able to cool the water that is draining in the Atlantic Ocean thus evaporation takes place and falls in form of rain. Since the current is the one that is controlling the climate in the region that it passes scientists have warned that there is evidence of its weakening. This means that there are areas that the current will cool thus preventing human activities from taking place. According to George et al 1995, this will lead to reduction of global warming in the future until 2015. This is evident as the warm water that comes from tropical Atlantic is cold when it gets to the north of Atlantic. This is not to say that the climate will change badly as it might be thought. According to the same source the Gulf Stream is said to have weakened in the past decades and this has been caused by global warming. The strength that the current has, when measured it has been found to slow by 30%. This has made the circulation to slow down and if it remains so the temperatures in some countries are likely to drop like in Britain. It is also not clear whether the weakening is long term or short term. The reason why temperatures are likely to change is because the current transports heat from regions that are equatorial to the circle of the Arctic. This makes the water in the surface to warm as the current releases the heat as it goes to the north where it is cold. Global warming affects the current by slowing it down. This is because global warming has caused melting of the water in the mountainous regions to melt and makes the water less saline thus cooling cannot take place. In Paris â€Å"Little Ice Age† that started in Europe is as a result of the weakening of the Gulf Stream. This is because there is warm water that enters River Thames and cannot allow it to cool to how it was in the past. This has also changed the weather in the region. The weakening has been explained in the British journal Nature. The Gulf Stream has been blamed because the warm water that it takes from the tropical regions to the coastline in Europe has cause severe weather changes in the regions that it passes through. There is also evidence in the sediment cores from where the Gulf Stream enters. There are planktons that are evident in these cores and this depends on the isotope that is present in oxygen. The isotope is dependant on the salinity of the water. This is what shows the density of the water in the sea. According to scientists there is evidence that there are changes that are taking place in the Gulf Stream. They say that if the Gulf Stream did not have any influence Britain and Siberia could have the same latitude. In the past Greenland Sea had dense water sinking but since today it meets the Gulf steam currents it warms up and the result is that the water becomes warm. This has caused the water to become warm and affect the animals that are present in the water. Chimneys are the dense water that used to sink and this has reduced and thus weakening the Gulf Stream current. The ice in the sea is said to be getting thinner and thinner. Other scientists from Cambridge University have confirmed the weakening of the Gulf Stream and that Europe is likely to be cold than in the past. This is because of the fact that the strength at which the current is flowing is slower than in the past. They have also said that the chimneys that were present in the Greenland Sea are no longer there. It is because of these chimneys that the world is experiencing the climatic changes that are taking place. They have also predicted that the waters are going to remain as they are and that temperature in Britain is going to drop in the next decade. (Taylor, et al, 1992 p. 920) The weakening of these temperatures is going to cause no melting of the snow that falls in countries like Finland and France. This will cause glaciations to begin because there will be an increase in the reflectivity of the planet. The Gulf currents is also said to affect the other currents that it meets as it travels. There are also some climatic changes that are likely to occur in the future but they are not known. It is also projected that the currents will continue to slow down in the future. Work Cited George, D. G. and A. H. Taylor, UK lake plankton and the Gulf Stream. Nature, 1995, 378, 139 Taylor, A. H. , Colebrook, J. M. , Stephens, J. A. and N. G. Baker, Latitudinal displacements of the Gulf Stream and the abundance of plankton in the north-east Atlantic. J. of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, 1992, 72, 919-921.

Auditing Risk and Liabilities

Auditing Risk and Liabilities Auditors are naturally nervous of the potential liability that they face when undertaking their role. This is particularly the case when it comes to the high risk audit client, where there is a much greater chance of inherent problems either within the business itself or with the way that it reports its position. This difficulty is recognised by the Accounting Standards Board to the extent that it has brought out guidance requiring auditors to undertake risk assessments in relation to the potential client, before it undertakes any auditing engagement (AICPA, 2006)[1]. The role of the auditor is quite simply to report (predominantly to the members of the company) as to whether the accounts have been prepared to give a true and fair view of the company’s financial position. Typically, factors such as complying with the Companies Act 2006 and preparing accounts in accordance with recognised accounting standards are all matters that the auditors will draw on to decide whether or n ot the accounts have been prepared in a way that gives a true and fair view of the financial position of the company. The problem occurs when something goes wrong with the company that is being audited. Risks are incurred by auditors when some sort of defect appears in the accounts of the company that has been audited as being true and fair. Naturally, the burden does not rest entirely with the auditor and there may well be other parties who are drawn in as jointly responsible, such as those who prepare the accounts, the directors of the company, the staff members within the company and, in the case of fraud, the person responsible for the fraud. However, for the purposes of this examination, only auditor risk will be considered (Cunningham, 2007)[2]. Auditors are often the main target when there is a problem, particularly in the case of a corporate collapse, due to the perception that they have deep pockets, largely provided by the indemnity insurance that auditors hold. Liquidators are particularly keen to access these funds as those involved in the business will rarely have access to any funds, at this point. Auditor risk (i.e. the risk of the auditor giving an incorrect opinion on the accounts) can be broken down into three areas: inherent, control and detection. The risk that a set of company accounts is inaccurate is inherently higher in certain sectors. When setting the level of audit risk, in this respect, the auditor will not take into account the level of internal control and will only consider the risk inherent with the business. For high risk audit clients, this inherent risk will be considerably higher than in other sectors, e.g. banking and financial institutions. Control risk is different from inherent risk in that it measures how likely it is that the company will pick up any accounting misstatements, if they occur. This is vital as a company may be inherently very risky; however, if it has exceptionally good internal controls, the inherent risks will be substantially limited. Finally, there are detection risks which reflect the risk that auditors do not pick up any misstatements that remain in the accounts (Worthington, 2007)[3]. Therefore, where there is an inherently high risk client, this will not necessarily result in an increased audit risk, if the controls are sufficient. Similarly, there may be an inherently un-risky company that has few or no controls, yet may become considerably more risky than it would immediately appear. Because of the potentially high risks involved and the chances of auditors being targeted in order to assist recovery of funds, in cases of corporate collapse, it is not surprising that auditors are keen to establish a cap on their liability. The Office of Fair Trading was asked by the government to consider whether imposing a cap on liability would result in a negative impact on competition between auditing firms. This is particularly concerning given the dominance of the top four accountancy firms in this area (KPMG, Pricewaterhouse Coopers, Ernst Young and Deloittes). There were mixed views from the auditing profession, with some believing that a liability on the cap would result in an increase in competition, whereas others believed that the cap would increase the dominance of the big four firms. The OFT noted, in the report, that there were no available mechanisms for auditors to limit their liability in relation to faults due to negligence or incompetence. It also noted that it saw no history of courts awarding excessive amounts in cases relating to auditor liability. It also referred to the fact that most auditing companies are set up in an LLP structure so that the partners’ personal assets are protected and the existence of professional insurance was noted. The report concluded that the position should not alter in relation to auditors’ liability and no cap should be introduced. However, it did recognise that there was at least an argument in favour of introducing a cap. In particular, the report recognised the key differences that exist between the UK and US. It should also be noted that the recommendations deviated from the findings of the report and this shift will be discussed later in the examination. In the OFT report, it was recognised that one of the leading cases for dealing with the scope of liability for auditors remains that of Caparo v Dickman[4] where a duty of care was established between the auditor and a minor shareholder. Although the decision itself was not surprising, the obiter in the case maintained that only the company could bring an action against the auditors. This position is not the same in the US where other third parties can bring actions aside from the company (although the changes in the Companies Act 2006 should be noted) (Smith Keenan, 2004)[5]. The case of Royal Bank of Scotland v Bannerman Johnstone Maclay[6] served as a timely manner of the extent of this potential duty of care. In this case, liability was allowed to be extended to third parties that have been adversely affected by a corporate failure. In this case, the issue of whether auditors could possibly have a duty of care to the company bankers was considered. The bankers continued to make investments into the company, having relied on the financial accounts that were incorrectly prepared and audited. The auditors naturally relied on the Caparo case and attempted to argue that they had no liability to third parties. Conversely, the bank argued that the auditors knew the bankers would be relying on the accounts and felt that this meant that a duty would be owed (Vinten, 1999)[7]. By considering all of the facts such as the degree of attention that was placed on the loan facilities being provided by the bank, it was felt by the court that the auditors did, in fact, assume a duty of care towards the bankers. The auditors were completely aware of the banks’ role in assessing working capital. It was noted by the court that if the auditors had issued a suitable disclaimer then the decision would have been different. As a result of this case, the Institute of Chartered Accountants of England and Wales has issued advice that auditors should include a disclaimer, advice which all four of the big four auditors have chosen to accept. Conversely, the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants felt that a disclaimer should not be routinely used, as it may undermine the value of audit reports. Regardless of this, the potential of liability to third parties has undoubtedly caused some nerves for the auditing firms (Pacini, Hilison Sinason, 2000)[8]. Despite the ability of audit firms to establish themselves as limited liability partnerships, audit firms have pressed for a change in the regime from a joint and several liability process to a proportionate liability regime as seen in the US. As previously indicated, the joint and several liability process often results in the auditors being much greater targets where a claim is thought to exist. In the US, there is the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 which specifically replaced the joint and several liability approaches with that of proportionate liability. Under the US regime, liability is allocated based on the degree of wrong doing for which each party is potentially responsible, rather than based on who has the deeper pockets, which seems to be more the case in the UK. This has the effect that where there is no wrongdoing, companies are not inclined to sue the auditors simply because they have the resources to pay any damages (van Boom, Koziol, Witting Bloch, 2004)[9]. As well as limiting the way that wrongdoing is allocated, the PSLRA 1995 has the impact of limiting the cap on liability to reflect the difference between the sale or purchase price and the mean trading price that the company displayed in the ninety day period immediately after the market became aware of the misstatement. This is clearly completely opposite to the structure in the UK whereby liability is joint and several and limitation is based on the loss levels that the claimant can prove in court that they have lost. This critical difference between the UK and US also raises issues when there are international companies involved that can legitimately bring an action in either jurisdiction. In these cases, it is likely that the company would choose to bring an action in the UK against the UK branch of the audit company in order to avoid the limitation on liability that exists in the US (Hood, Rothstein Baldwin, 2004)[10]. Whilst this dichotomy between the US and UK has not entirely been closed, the issue has certainly been considered by policy setters, in the UK. There was some speculation that provisions to provide a cap on limitation would be introduced in the Companies Act 2006. This has not happened, but some concessions have occurred that will potentially be of assistance to auditors in attempting to limit their liability. Under part 16 of the 2006 Act, a company cannot indemnify its auditor. Where previously a company could purchase insurance for their auditor, this is no longer the case; however, the company can agree to indemnify the auditors for any costs incurred in successfully defending a claim. The big amendment under the 2006 Act is that it is now possible for the company to agree a liability limit in the form of a liability limitation agreement (LLA) with the auditors. This agreement can cover breach of duty, negligence and breach of trust, thus making it potentially exceptionally useful for auditors. There are some restrictions as to when an LLA can be entered into. These include approval by the company’s members; it must be limited to the financial year of the audit and it must not be limited at a level that is below that which is seen as fair and reasonable. When considering what a fair and reasonable amount of limitation would be, the court will take into account various factors including other sources of recourse that the company may have against other parties, thus retaining the essence of joint and several liability (Markesinis Deakin, 1999)[11]. Auditors in the UK are rightly concerned about the level of risk that they are potentially exposed to when undertaking their role as auditor. The position is distinct from that in the US and has resulted in UK auditors facing an increasing burden in international transactions. The failure to impose a liability cap naturally means that those attempting to reclaim losses will target the deep pockets of the auditor. The argument against having a proportional liability approach is that in doing so the valuable auditor’s reputation would be jeopardised (Law, 2008)[12]. There have been slight moves towards capping liability in the 2006 Act, but this has not gone nearly as far as the auditing profession would have liked and is still not in line with the position in the US. Despite multiple efforts, it would seem that a statutory limitation of liability is not going to be forthcoming and auditors will have to rely on entering into their own arrangements with individual companies, although the fair and reasonable requirement may result in the effectiveness of this provision being, at best, piecemeal. It seems that for now, at least, auditors’ deep pockets will remain under fire. Bibliography Cunningham, L.A., 2007. Securitizing Audit Failure Risk: An Alternative to Caps on Damages. William and Mary Law Review, 49. Hood, C., Rothstein, H. Baldwin, R., 2004. The Government of Risk: Understanding Risk Regulation Regimes. Oxford University Press. Law, P., 2008. Auditors perceptions of reasonable assurance in audit work and the effectiveness of the audit risk model. Asian Review of Accounting, 16 (2). Markesinis, B.S. Deakin S.F., 1999. Tort Law. Clarendon Press. Pacini, C., Hillison, W. Sinason, D., 2000. Auditor liability to third parties: an international focus. Managerial Auditing Journal, 15 (8). Sealy, L. Worthington, S., 2007. Cases and Materials in Company Law. Oxford University Press. Smith, K. Keenan, D.J., 2004. Smith Keenans English Law. Pearson Education. van Boom, W.H., Koziol, H., Witting, C.A. Bloch, L., 2004. Pure Economic Loss. Springer. Vinten, G., 1999. Audit independence in the UK – the state of the art. Managerial Auditing Journal, 14 (8). Footnotes [1] AICPA Statement on Auditing Standards No. 109, 2006. [2] Cunningham, L.A., 2007. Securitizing Audit Failure Risk: An Alternative to Caps on Damages. William and Mary Law Review, 49. [3] Sealy, L. Worthington, S., 2007. Cases and Materials in Company Law. Oxford University Press. [4] [1990] 1 All ER 568 [5] Smith, K. Keenan, D.J. 2004. Smith Keenans English Law. Pearson Education. [6] unreported, 23 July 2002 [7] Vinten, G., 1999. Audit independence in the UK – the state of the art. Managerial Auditing Journal, 14 (8). [8] Pacini, C., Hillison, W. Sinason, D., 2000. Auditor liability to third parties: an international focus. Managerial Auditing Journal, 15 (8). [9] van Boom, W.H., Koziol, H., Witting, C.A. Bloch, L., 2004. Pure Economic Loss. Springer. [10] Hood, C., Rothstein, H. Baldwin, R., 2004.The Government of Risk: Understanding Risk Regulation Regimes. Oxford University Press. [11] Markesinis, B.S. Deakin, S.F., 1999. Tort Law. Clarendon Press. [12] Law, P., 2008. Auditors perceptions of reasonable assurance in audit work and the effectiveness of the audit risk model. Asian Review of Accounting, 16 (2).

Rumination Disorder: Causes, Epidemiology and Treatment

Rumination Disorder: Causes, Epidemiology and Treatment Rumination disorder is an eating disorder whereby an infant or toddler brings back up and re-chews food that was already swallowed and digested. This is known as regurgitation. In most cases, the re-chewed food is then swallowed again; but occasionally, the child will spit it out. For this to be considered a disorder, the behaviour must have occurred to a child who had been eating normally previously, and it must occur frequently for atleast a month. The behaviour may occur during feeding or right after eating. What Are the Symptoms of Rumination Disorder in Babies and Kids? Symptoms of rumination disorder in infants and toddlers may include (1) repeated regurgitation of food (2) repeated re-chewing of food (3) weight loss (4) repeated stomach aches (5) raw and chapped lips. Infants, in addition, may make unusual movements such as straining and arching the back, holding the head back, tightening abdominal muscles and making sucking movements with the mouth. These movements could suggest that the infant is trying to bring back up the partially digested food. What Causes Rumination Disorder? The exact cause of rumination disorder is unknown although there several speculation. According to () some factors that may contribute to this disorder are those that are physical. Physical illness or stress may trigger the behaviour. It may be a way for the child to get attention; it has been found that neglect from the primary care giver may cause the child to engage in self comfort.It has been found that rumination may occur in a state of self relaxation , self absorption and self pleasure. It appears to have a self soothing or self stimulating function. The infant gets some satisfaction from this. For the first four to six months of an infants life, breast milk or an alternative formula is a baby’s source of energy and nutrients (Santrock, 2011). it has been found that breast fed infants have lower respitory tract infections, they are less likely to develop otitis media (a middle ear infection) and breast fed infants have fewer gastrointestinal infections (Santrock, 2011). According to (Chial, Camilleri, Williams, Litzinger, Perrault, 2003) rumination is a functional gastrointestinal infection. This suggests that there is a possibility that children who develop this disorder may have had a lack of breast feeding as an infant which further elaborates that neglect from the primary caregiver is vital. Rumination is common in disorders such as bulimia nervosa. It is a learned disorder and comes from a manifestation of rejection. http://www.webmd.com/children/guide/eating-disorders-in-children-rumination-disorder?page=3 Epidemiology It is difficult to know exactly how many people are affected by this disorder mainly because most cases are not reported. Children tend to outgrow it and as they grow into the adolescent stages and adulthood, they become embarrassed by it and it often happens in secret. Rumination disorder is generally uncommon. Rumination disorder occurs often in infants between the ages of three and twelve months as well as in children with cognitive impairments. It may occur slightly more often in boys than in girls, but few studies of the disorder exist to confirm this. (webmd) For the purpose of this paper, the South African context will be put into consideration. It is important to remember that reality is socially constructed. South Africa is a diversified country with many cultures. Amongst many of the African cultures, western culture is often overlooked and shunned upon. It is difficult to change the minds of others and it would be unethical for an â€Å"outsider† to come and talk against their belief systems. When there is behaviour that is unusual, it is common for the average traditional African woman or man to put their trust in the customary traditional healer. People tend to keep their parental and ancestral roots, this is quite common more often in the homelands where majority of the financially deprived stay; even though sometimes it happens that those who move to the city to look for jobs may adopt new ways of thinking but still truly remaining to their roots. Because of these strong traditional beliefs, primary caregivers may opt for traditional healers than westernised medical attention. It is also much easier to go to a traditional healer than it is finding a good clinic or good health care facility. The social and economic pressures make it hard for children to get the right kind of medical attention. It is common for these primary caregivers to believe it is witch craft, it is something they learn. When something cannot be explained, it is easier to put blame in witchcraft. —often with grandparents staying in rural areas and the younger people moving to the cities in search of employment, better education, and health care. The effects of disrupted bonds are manifold. In our field, the geographical separation between young mothers and the maternal grandmothers has particularly far reaching consequences. We have called our Service theMdlezana Centre. This is a Xhosa word depicting the early bond between mother and child, when they are still one unit—equivalent to the Winnicottian term of the state of primary maternal preoccupation. Infant Mental Health was a new concept in 1995, but it took root in the city of Cape Town immediately. There are no problems in obtaining referrals to the Rondebosch pillar —in fact, at times we are inundated, and can barely cope with the workload. In Khayelitsha, the situation is different and the population was initially hard to reach. There are various reasons for this: In a community where unemployment is unimaginably high, where families are disrupted, where there is often no food, the emotional life of the infant is not a priority. Mothers, who are the main caregivers (I have only seen fathers on two occasions in the past five years) are often depressed and suffer in silence. They have a helplessness that is real and in a way adaptive in the sense that the great majority of women have no choice, but to cope and make do with what they have. They bear their fate stoically and will not spontaneously open up. Then there are cultural factors in that one does not easily share with strangers one’s intimate family problems. There is a sense of privacy and possibly shame and thus problems are often borne silently. A visit to a Traditional Healer is for many a more familiar option. I shall return to this point shortly. The infants themselves are mostly not a problem— they are generally quiet and seemingly content—this is an observation that all western visitors who come with me to the clinic make. The wait is often long, but the noise level low and there is immense patience, even in the babies and toddlers. It is only the physically obvious, such as delayed milestones, that will readily be seen as a reason for a consultation. On a diagnostic level the infants fall into three broad categories: developmental delay, failure to thrive, and increasingly, depression. When a condition sets in after birth, then the presence of evil spirits or bewitchment is  very much in the foreground. For whatever individual reason, the protection of the  ancestors has been withdrawn and the child has become exposed to forces of evil, the  impundulu. The muthiis said to drive out the evil  spirit or to strengthen and protect the child against it. Mostly these interventions are  harmless from a medical perspective —however, there are some mixtures which, when  ingested, can cause gastrointestinal symptoms. Operations and anesthetics are at times viewed with great fear. This may have to do  with a giving up of the child to be put to sleep —which, in effect, could mean a kind  of death. The father of one ill infant whom we saw and who required surgery spoke  about â€Å"sacrificing† his child. The healer who was involved in this case also said to the  parents that surgery would interfere with the workings of themuthihe was using. The  end result was that the child did not receive the operation in time and died. A working alliance with traditional healers is being established with the recent founding  of the Traditional Healers’ Association. It is hoped that with collaborating with the traditional  healers in diagnosis and treatment gaps can be bridged and unnecessary suffering be prevented. I will end this section by giving a brief case illustration. How Is Rumination Disorder Diagnosed in Infants and Children? The diagnosis of rumination syndrome is based upon the characteristic symptoms and the absence of signs of disease. Although diagnostic criteria (symptombased, Rome II) for childhood functional gastrointestinal disorders have been developed, such criteria for children and adolescents with rumination syndrome have not been defined. The lack of formal criteria for diagnosing rumination syndrome in children and adolescents likely contributes to the lack of awareness of the condition and to the difficulty in making the diagnosis. We anticipate that such criteria will be developed in the future. How Is Rumination Disorder Treated in Children? Rumination disorder is a voluntary, learned behaviour which patients are frequently unaware. As infants grow older, clinical features of regurgitation are similar to those of bulimia nervosa. Before one can be diagnosed it has been found that individuals with this disorder undergo several medical interventions and experience prolonged symptoms before a diagnosis is made. (Chial, La Crosse, Camilleri, Bean, 2009) One important aspect in the history is the timing of the regurgitation. Diaphragmatic breathing has been shown to be clinically beneficial in rumination syndrome; although this type of treatment can only take place starting from ages where toddlers can understand. According to (Chiktara, van Tilburg, Whitehead, Tall, 2006) this method is useful to treat children as young as six years of age. Patients should be encouraged to practice diaphragmatic breathing midway through the meal or after meals for three different 5 min periods of inactivity with 10 min in between periods. They should also repeat this plan after each episode of regurgitation. The goal is for diaphragmatic breathing to occur unconsciously during events that may incur regurgitation. Treatment of rumination disorder mainly focuses on changing the childs behaviour. Several approaches may be used, including:Continue reading below Changing the childs posture during and right after eating Encouraging more interaction between mother and child during feeding; giving the child more attention Reducing distractions during feeding Making feeding a more relaxing and pleasurable experience Distracting the child when he or she begins the rumination behavior Aversive conditioning, which involves placing something sour or bad-tasting on the childs tongue when he or she begins to vomit Psychotherapy for the mother and/or family may be helpful to improve communication and address any negative feelings toward the child due to the behavior. There are no medications used to treat rumination disorder. What Complications Are Associated With Rumination Disorder? Among the many potential complications associated with untreated rumination disorder in infants and children are: Malnutrition Lowered resistance to infections and diseases Failure to grow and thrive Weight loss Stomach diseases such as ulcers Dehydration Bad breath and tooth decay Aspiration pneumonia and other respiratory problems (from vomit that is breathed into the lungs) Choking Death What Is the Outlook for Children With Rumination Disorder? In most cases, infants and young children with rumination disorder will outgrow the behavior and return to eating normally. For older children, this disorder can continue for months. Can Rumination Disorder Be Prevented in Infants and Children? There is no known way to prevent rumination disorder in infants and children. However, careful attention to a childs eating habits may help catch the disorder before serious complications can occur. (culture and psychiatry journal) The culture of the patient In addition to individual factors—such as level of education, medical knowledge, and personal life experiences—culture will contribute to the patient’s understanding of illness, perception and presentation of symptoms and problems, and reaction and adjustment to illness. The patient’s expectations of the physician, motivation for treatment, and compliance with treatment recommendations are also influenced by culture.

Tech Effect Essay example -- Technology, The Internet

Tech Effect "The Internet is one of a series of aids developed over the last millennium or so that has increased the operational capacities of the average world citizen", (Stefanie Olsen, Sec. 2). With all the new technology so closely on hand, people are starting to wonder about the effects on society and the peoples true ability. The amount of technology in this new world has increased rapidly and is influencing our society by the way they think, the way they work, and by the way they interact socially. Over time new inventions come and go; however, the invention of technology is here to stay. Initially, the use of cell phones has inflated over time. "There are now estimated to be eight times as many mobile phones as fixed lines, three times as many mobile phones as personal computers, and nearly twice as many mobile phones as TV sets", (Niki Denison, Para 3). People are upgrading their technology from the old phones to the new mobile ones. These new phones now have some of the same qualities as personal computers have, such as Internet; therefore, who needs a big computer to access everything if a phone can do that? Phones also can show videos, episodes, and other information shown on TV. Additionally, some technology can imitate other technology. "About one in six (15%) of adults use the Internet, sometimes referred to as VoIP of Voice-Over-Internet-Protocol, to make telephone calls, ("Cell Phone Usage Continues in the USA," Para 3). This explains that people are using and relying on technology to interchange gadgets. Finally, technology is available for any age to use. " Surveys have revealed that teen ownership of cell phones has exploded, from less than half of U.S. teens in 2004 to 71 percent in 2008" ("Cell Phone Usa... ...and they should not fear that use of the Internet and mobile phones will send them ‘into a spiral of isolation," ("New study shows the Internet and mobile phones increase your social network," Para 15). Most people's lives are working out okay with technology, so why not jump on the band wagon? To conclude, people say society relies on technology to much, but it can't be a bad thing if it is bringing this world closer. The ways our society thinks, works, and interacts socially truly comes from our ability to use so much technology. Today's society is lucky enough to have technology at the tips of our fingers; however, what is technology doing to us and can we stop it or better it? â€Å"The Internet is one of a series of aids developed over the last millennium or so that has increased the operational capacities of the average world citizen†, (Stefanie Olsen, Sec. 2). Tech Effect Essay example -- Technology, The Internet Tech Effect "The Internet is one of a series of aids developed over the last millennium or so that has increased the operational capacities of the average world citizen", (Stefanie Olsen, Sec. 2). With all the new technology so closely on hand, people are starting to wonder about the effects on society and the peoples true ability. The amount of technology in this new world has increased rapidly and is influencing our society by the way they think, the way they work, and by the way they interact socially. Over time new inventions come and go; however, the invention of technology is here to stay. Initially, the use of cell phones has inflated over time. "There are now estimated to be eight times as many mobile phones as fixed lines, three times as many mobile phones as personal computers, and nearly twice as many mobile phones as TV sets", (Niki Denison, Para 3). People are upgrading their technology from the old phones to the new mobile ones. These new phones now have some of the same qualities as personal computers have, such as Internet; therefore, who needs a big computer to access everything if a phone can do that? Phones also can show videos, episodes, and other information shown on TV. Additionally, some technology can imitate other technology. "About one in six (15%) of adults use the Internet, sometimes referred to as VoIP of Voice-Over-Internet-Protocol, to make telephone calls, ("Cell Phone Usage Continues in the USA," Para 3). This explains that people are using and relying on technology to interchange gadgets. Finally, technology is available for any age to use. " Surveys have revealed that teen ownership of cell phones has exploded, from less than half of U.S. teens in 2004 to 71 percent in 2008" ("Cell Phone Usa... ...and they should not fear that use of the Internet and mobile phones will send them ‘into a spiral of isolation," ("New study shows the Internet and mobile phones increase your social network," Para 15). Most people's lives are working out okay with technology, so why not jump on the band wagon? To conclude, people say society relies on technology to much, but it can't be a bad thing if it is bringing this world closer. The ways our society thinks, works, and interacts socially truly comes from our ability to use so much technology. Today's society is lucky enough to have technology at the tips of our fingers; however, what is technology doing to us and can we stop it or better it? â€Å"The Internet is one of a series of aids developed over the last millennium or so that has increased the operational capacities of the average world citizen†, (Stefanie Olsen, Sec. 2).

Marlows Racism in Joseph Conrads Heart of Darkness Essay -- Heart Da

Marlow's Racism in Heart of Darkness  Ã‚  Ã‚        Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Heart of Darkness is an intriguing story as well as a symbol for Joseph Conrad's social commentary on imperialism.   Marlow's journey takes him deep into the African Congo where he bears witness to a number of life-altering revelations.   He beholds his most striking revelation when he begins to compare the "civilized European man" with the "savage African man."   These two opposing forces represent the two conflicting viewpoints present in every dilemma, be it cultural, social, or otherwise.   As a modern European man who believes religiously in imperialism, Marlow is inherently arrogant.   Yet, although he cannot accept the African jungle as being equally important as imperialism, his experiences there lead him to believe otherwise.   Essentially, this is Marlow's inner conflict.   Everything he has believed in his entire life seems to crumble around him.   His view of the civilized white man becomes tainted when he sees that society is merely a form of delusion, denying its members the greater truth of the world.   â€Å"The superficial boundaries of society have no meaning in the jungle, and Marlow has trouble dealing with this revelation†(Bancroft 37).   Marlow's inability to accept this initially prevents him from eliminating his intellectual arrogance and feelings of moral superiority over the savages.   For the most part, Marlow is unaware of his prejudicial attitude, but he eventually comes to realize the whole truth of the world.  Ã‚        Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Marlow says that the colonizer who goes to Africa must meet the jungle with " 'hi... ... Guerard, Albert J. (1979) Conrad the Novelist. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press. Hawthorn, Jeremy (1990) Joseph Conrad: Narrative Technique and Ideological Commitment. London & New York: Routledge. Henricksen, Bruce (1992) Nomadic Voices: Conrad and the Subject of Narrative. Urbana & Chicago: University of Illinois Press. Hubbard, Francis A. 1984 (1978) Theories of Action in Conrad. Ann Arbor, Michigan: UMI Research P. Junter, Allan (1983) Joseph Conrad and the Ethics of Darwinism. London & Camberra: Croom Helm. Singh, Frances B.   Conrad and Racism: Oliver & Boyd. 1968 Scheick, William J. (1994) The Ethos of Romance at the Turn of the Century. Austin: Univ.Texas Press. Watts, Cedric. A Preface to Conrad. Essex: Longman Group UK Limited, 1993.

The Life and Contribution to the Development of the British Empire of J

The Life and Contribution to the Development of the British Empire of James Cook I) Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The purpose of this paper is to describe the life and the contribution to the development of the British Empire of one of the most important English explorers. It was in the second half of the 18th century when James Cook, originally a poor farm boy, explored and mapped vast uncharted areas of the Pacific and the Atlantic Ocean. However, James Cook was not ‘only’ an explorer. He can also be called a scientist – he managed to introduce new principles into seafaring and cartography. For better understanding, the paper is divided into five chapters. The first chapter is the introduction, which throws light on the purpose and structure of the paper. The second chapter is a brief introduction to the situation in Great Britain in the 18th century. It helps to explain why and how the so called â€Å"the First British Empire† was built up and later destroyed, and what led to the creation of â€Å"the Second British Empire†. The third chapter deals with Capt. Cook’s life and his three unique expeditions to the Pacific. The fourth part of the paper summarises Cook’s achievements and his contribution to the development of the British Empire. The fifth chapter forms the conclusion of the paper. II) A brief introduction to the situation in Great Britain in the 18th century. Great Britain became a great world power in this period. Under the leadership of William Pitt the Elder, Britain’s Prime Minister and at the same time a man who believed that the strength of the nation's economy depended on overseas expansion, the country gained vast territories all over the world and the so called â€Å"the First British Empire† was founded. The reasons why Great Britain was so successful can be divided into four groups: †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Revolutions† – the Industrial Revolution, a financial revolution and a revolution in agriculture made Britain the leading power in Europe. The creation of the Bank of England in 1694 helped to raise capital for colonial wars and to support British trade. At the beginning of the 18th century a series of mechanical inventions enabled the building of the world's first mechanised factories. A steam engine invented in1769 provided the power to drive machinery and thus enabled mass production of goods. The new ways of making products more quick... .... Impà ©rium. Praha: BB art, 1999 CD-ROM: Encarta 98 encyclopedia. „Cook, Captain James.â€Å" Microsoft. CD-ROM.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Microsoft Item: X03-22823 Web sites: http://152.105.19.10/scouts/nunthorp/seeonee/badgewk/history http://www.britannia.com/history. http://freespace.virgin.net/chris.jones/ccsu72.htm http://freespace.virgin.net/chris.jones/ccsu73.htm http://geography.about.com/science/geography/library/weekly/aa101397.htm http://mmbc.bc.ca/source/schoolnet/exploration/cookdeath.html http://members.tripod.com/cuculus/cookbio.html http://winthrop.webjump.com/jcook.html http://www2.lucidcafe.com/lucidcafe/library/95oct/jcook.html http://www.arcticculture.about.com/culture/arcticculture/library/yafeatu res/bl-Cook1.htm http://www.bbc.co.uk/education/archive/voyager/history/hs_cook.shtml http://www.captaincookstudyunit.com http://www.geocities.com/TheTropics/7557/cook.html http://www.jetcity.com/~kirok/cook.htm http://www.lib.virginia.edu/exhibits/lewis_clark/ch4-25.html http://www.mariner.org/age/cook.html http://www.nmm.ac.uk/education/fact_cook.html http://www.pacificcoast.net/~regent/cookbio.html http://www.south-pole.com/p0000071.htm

Unit 1, Business Administration Level2

Unit one: Principles of personal responsibilities and working in a business environment Section 1 – Know the employment rights and responsibilities of the employee and employer 1. Identify four main points that would be included in a contract of employment. If possible, use an example contract to support your answer (feel free to obscure any confidential information). – Employer’s name – Employee’s name – Date of commencement of employment – Main place of work Example: Employer’s name: AbC Ltd. Employee’s name: Date of commencement of employment: 15 Jan 2013 Main place of work: Unit 12, 3 Long Way, New York, AB1 2CD, UK a) List three key points of legislation that affect employers in a business environment. – Health and safety – Employments rights and responsibilities – Data protection 2b) List three key points of legislation that affect employees in a business environment. – Health and safety – Pay & Pensions – Employments rights and responsibilities 3. Identify a range of places where a person can find information on employment rights and responsibilities. You should identify at least two internal and two external sources of information. Internal (within organisation): – Line manager – Informed colleagues – Trade union representativesExternal (outside of the organisation): – Citizens Advice Bureaux – Government – ACAS 4. Describe how representative bodies can support employees. The representative bodies can help and support employees in work place. The best examples are Trade Unions, large organisations that represent the interest of their members. They can offer assistance through work based representatives. Their members may share an occupation or a common industry. Trade Unions will also have regional and national expertise that they can use. One of the place, where employee can get help and advice when is not a member of Trade Union, is Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB).It can advise employee on his rights at work  and in other settings. CAB advisers can often  help write letters to present employees complaint or claim to an employer, service provider or business. Sometimes, the CAB will provide representation if person makes a claim at the employment tribunal. 5. Briefly describe employer and employee responsibilities for equality and diversity in a business environment. You should give at least two employer responsibilities and two employee responsibilities. If possible, provide relevant equality and diversity procedures from your workplace (or place of study) to support your answer. These documents hould be annotated to highlight the relevant sections. Equality can be described as breaking down barriers, eliminating discrimination and ensuring equal opportunity and access for all groups both in employment and to goods and services. In all organisations, it’s important that all em ployees are treated in an equally fair way and are given equal opportunities. Diversity can be described as celebrating differences and valuing everyone. Each person is an individual with visible and non-visible differences and by respecting this, everyone can feel valued for their contributions, which is beneficial not only for individual but for company too.Examples: Employer responsibilities: – Should provide training to increase   awareness of equality and diversity so that employees at all levels can perform effectively and develop their full potential within their jobs; –   It has responsibility to protect employees in the work place, to remove all barriers to individual development and to maintain and promote an environment that appreciates diversity and is free from discrimination, harassment and bullying. Employee responsibilities: Focus on actual people rather than the â€Å"label† which may be put on them; – Be aware of the judgements make. 6. Briefly explain the benefits of making sure equality and diversity procedures are followed in a business environment. Your answer should include one benefit for the employer, one benefit for the employee and one benefit for the overall organisation. In all organisations, there are social and economic benefits of equal treatment. Examples: Benefit for employer: – Employer can reduce the risk that will be held legally responsible for he behaviour of the people who work with him, if training them in equality and diversity procedures. Benefit for employee: – Any person doing the same work as someone else has the right to be rewarded in the same way as they are. Benefit for overall organisation: – It brings to an organisation a wide range of experience, ideas and creativity and if managed well it can ensure that each individual utilises their skills effectively and feels valued for their individual qualities. Section 2 – Understand the purpose of health, s afety and security procedures in a business environment . Identify employer and employee responsibilities for health, safety and security. If possible, provide relevant health, safety and security policies / documents from your workplace (or place of study) to support your answer. These documents should be annotated to highlight the relevant sections. Health, safety and security procedures clarify ‘who’ is responsible for ‘what’. This ensures that an organisation has a structure to ensure a secure, safe and healthy business environment for everyone.The Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 is the primary piece of legislation covering work-related health and safety in the United Kingdom. It states that everyone has responsibility for health and safety in the workplace. The 1998 Data Protection Act, that is another law, which purpose is to protect people from having information about themselves abused. In other words, in spite of its name it is intended to p rotect individuals rather than data. It does this by imposing restrictions on what those holding personal information may do with it and to whom they may pass it.One more very important legislation in a business environment is Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. This act ensures that things such as literacy, photographs, artists creations, dramatic and musical works cannot be copied. The law is also carried out when it comes to computers as it is illegal to copy software or run pirated software. Everything here mentioned, however, can be claimed as someone else when the original owner has been dead for a certain amount of years.It is usually after 70 years it can be claimed but in some cases where they don't know who the creator is it can be claimed 50 years after it was first made public. Examples Employers responsibilities: – Employers have duties under health and safety law to assess risks in the workplace. Risk assessments should be carried out that address all risks that might cause harm in workplace. – Employers must give information about the risks in workplace and how employees are protected, also instruct and train on how to deal with the risks. Employers must consult employees on health and safety issues. – Employers have a legal duty under the  Health and Safety Information for Employees Regulations (HSIER)  to display the approved poster in a prominent position in each workplace or to provide each worker with a copy of the approved leaflet  Health and safety law: â€Å"What you need to know  that outlines British health and safety law†. Employees responsibilities: – Follow the training has received when using any work items your employer has given. – Take reasonable care of own and other people’s health and safety. Co-operate with employer on health and safety. – Tell someone (employer, supervisor, or health and safety representative) if think the work or inadequate precautions ar e putting anyone’s health and safety at risk. 2. Explain the purpose of following health, safety and security procedures in a business environment. All people at work need to take reasonable care to avoid harm to themselves or to others by their working practices, and to co-operate with employers and others in meeting statutory requirements.The principal objective in Health and Safety Act is to prevent harm from occurring to employees while they are at work. It is an employer's duty to protect the health, safety and welfare of their employees and other people who might be affected by their business. The employer has legal responsibilities to staff and any breach of these could result at legal action against employer as an individual, resulting in heavy fines. All companies have procedures for staff to follow. There are some important reasons for following those procedures.Failure of any of them can bring consequences: – Legal reasons – reprimands, fines, closure s and even prison sentences – Organisational rules – can be subject to disciplinary procedures – Morale reasons – employers and employees have a moral obligation to follow health and safety procedures to ensure no one comes to any harm – Economic reasons – e fines for breaking the law, compensation payments to customers or staff, loss of customers who are aware that health and safety procedures are not being followed, increased costs and, potentially, even the whole organisation being shut down . Describe three different ways of maintaining a safe and secure business environment. – Personal conduct: One of the most significant influences on risks in the workplace is the behaviour of staff. How people conduct themselves can have a significant impact on their own health and safety and that of others. For example: not wearing clothes / jewellery that may be dangerous, not tired when at work etc. Awareness and observation: Noticing any po tential hazard, noticing what is happening in work environment; – Prompt reporting: promptly reporting to the appropriate person when someone is wrong or may have a potential for causing harm but the individual cannot correct it. Section 3 – Understand how to communicate effectively with others 1.Complete the table below with descriptions of different methods of communication. You should include two verbal, two non-verbal and two written methods of communication. |Methods of communication |Description | |Verbal communication |1.One-to-one discussion: allows communicators to exchange ideas | | |back and forth freely; information flowing smoothly and clearly | | |between speaker and the audience | | | | | | | | |2. Presentations: Using effective verbal communication, business | | |professionals give presentations and lectures to convey their | | |expertise on a particular topic.Whether a business professional | | |provides instruction, describes a product to ma ke a sale or | | |communicates a vision or strategy, he needs to keep the message | | |clear by preparing adequately. | | | | | | | |Non-verbal communication |1.Voice ton: quality of person’s voice, characteristic style or | | |manner of expressing yourself orally, that shows what the speaker is| | |feeling | | | | | | | | |2. Eye contact: is strongly influenced by social behaviour, is most | | |often defined as a sign of confidence; can indicate how interested a| | |person is in the communication taking place.It could also suggest | | |trust and truthfulness. | |Written communication |1. E-mail: electronic messaging, virtual communication tool, have | | |taken the place of actual â€Å"pen and paper† memos or written letters | | |due to ease and speed of sending and receiving emails. | | | | | |2.Business letter:   is a  letter  written in formal language, usually| | |used when writing from one business organization to another, or for | | |correspondence between such organizations and their customers, | | |clients and other external parties. The overall style of letter will| | |depend on the relationship between the parties concerned. | | | | | | | 2. Using two specific examples, explain how to choose the most appropriate method of communication to meet your needs and the needs of others. Managers meeting regarding targets for next year – Business manager have to communicate â€Å"plan to win† for next year with all managers. It should be done in out of the public place; it’s kind of the face-to-face meeting in small group. Speaker can use presentations, may discus some issues concerning business with staff. Clearly written, comprehensive and organized notes can be very powerful. They can make the difference between those who attended the meeting going away and doing nothing, or actually doing what's needed in order to move a project forwards. – Confirm additional order – when need to add some more items to existing order, need to quick communicate it with service company.The best and the quickest way is to send fax. It’s good method of communication for all external contacts, or other offices some distance way. In addition, we are in possession of copies of the order confirmation in writing. 3. Describe at least two ways of actively listening. The way to become better listener is to practice â€Å"active listening†. This is where the person makes a conscious effort to hear not only the words that another person is saying but, more importantly, try to understand the complete message being sent. There are some key elements of active listening. They all help to ensure that you hear the other person, and that the other person knows you are hearing what they say.Examples: – Pay Attention: Give the speaker your undivided attention, and acknowledge the message. Recognize that non-verbal communication also â€Å"speaks† loudly. * Loo k at the speaker directly. * Put aside distracting thoughts. * Don't mentally prepare a rebuttal! * Avoid being distracted by environmental factors. For example, side conversations. * Listen† to the speaker's body language. – Respond Appropriately: Active listening is a model for respect and understanding. You are gaining information and perspective. You add nothing by attacking the speaker or otherwise putting him or her down. * Be candid, open, and honest in your response. Assert your opinions respectfully. * Treat the other person in a way that you think he or she would want to be treated. Section 4 – Understand how to work with and support colleagues 1. Explain the purpose of agreeing standards for your own work. Give at least two reasons. Organisation provides a foundation of work standards to ensure everyone knows what is required from them and from people around them. As an employee, we should always make sure that we know exactly the work standards requir ed of you. If an employee doesn't have a standard of work or unclear then it is difficult for them to know what or how or when they should be doing it.The absence of standards makes it impossible for an employee to effectively monitor their own performance. If work standards don't exist, then things are open to personal interpretation and this can lead to conflicting viewpoints. If some colleagues work to lower standards, it can affect the work of others. Examples: – Wastage standards – An engineering business producing ‘widgets' may set a maximum of 0. 25% scrap; a chef in a restaurant aims to keep the cost of unused ingredients down to ? 30 per day. – Behavioural standards – Members of the armed forces will have very precise standards on appearance and dress; a receptionist should smile 100% of the time when greeting customers. 2.Explain the purpose of taking on new challenges and being able to adapt to change at work. It is important to take on n ew challenges and adapt to changes, because nothing ever stays the same, things are always changing which means unless you can adapt and change too, you will be stuck doing the same things which could then make your life a lot harder than it needs to be. Changes could be due to an advance in technology, new environment or anything that will have an impact on you and your day to day life. Those people who welcome change are likely to get more opportunities for variation in their work. If a person wishes to learn then they will need to face up to new information and new situations.If a person will not change and adapt then there is little scope for learning. Employees who resist or deny changes will find themselves at odds with colleagues and managers. Their skills and attitudes may become redundant. This may result in them no longer fitting in with the business. 3. Explain the purpose of treating others with honesty and consideration. Having integrity and being honest are fundamental requirements if you want to grow spiritually and follow your true destination of personal development. It’s not simply about being honest with people. Whilst that will make you a better person and a more accepted one it’s more importantly about being honest with yourself.If we’re honest in all that we do and say, it means we are genuine, real and true whereas dishonesty symbolises all that is fake, fictitious and unreal. Living your life honestly and with integrity means that you’ve decided to live openly and to show your true self to others and that you can be relied upon to be genuine. One of the key elements in any relationship, be it a personal or professional one, is the ability to trust and be trusted. Without trust, we have no credibility which is at the core of being able to influence people and provide strong leadership. Without honesty, there is no foundation upon which to build a personal relationship with someone you love.Section 5 – K now how to plan own work and be accountable to others 1. Explain the purpose of meeting work standards and deadlines when completing tasks in a business environment. Setting clear standards of work and deadlines enables people to complete work effectively. If there are no standards or they are vague this can lead to confusion and problems. It is important that you produce your work to the best possible standard in order to meet the requirements of the person who set you the task. This shows that you are responsible and trustworthy and that you can be relied upon to get things done. You do not know who else might be waiting for your work; it could have to be passed on to someone else.This could cause problems in a business environment and affect your  team  relationship. Your line manager will expect you to meet all your deadlines, this could have a detrimental effect on your progress is you regularly fail at this. 2. Describe two different methods that you can use to plan your o wn work in a business environment. – Prioritization – Prioritization is the essential skill you need to make the very best use of your own efforts and those of your team. It's also a skill that you need to create calmness and space in your life so that you can focus your energy and attention on the things that really matter. It is particularly important when time is limited and demands are seemingly unlimited.It helps you to allocate your time where it is most-needed and most wisely spent, freeing you and your team up from less important tasks that can be attended to later or quietly dropped. With good prioritization (and careful management of reprioritized tasks) you can bring order to chaos, massively reduce stress, and move towards a successful conclusion. Without it, you'll flounder around, drowning in competing demands. – Goal setting – is a powerful process for thinking about your ideal future, and for motivating yourself to turn your vision of this future into reality. The process of setting goals helps you choose where you want to go in life. By knowing precisely what you want to achieve, you know where you have to concentrate your efforts. You'll also quickly spot the istractions that can, so easily, lead you astray. A useful way of making goals more powerful is to use the SMART mnemonic. While there are plenty of variants (some of which we've included in parenthesis), SMART usually stands for: †¢ S  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Specific (or Significant). †¢ M  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Measurable (or Meaningful). †¢ A  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Attainable (or Action-Oriented). †¢ R  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Relevant (or Rewarding). †¢ T  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Time-bound (or Track able). 3. Describe ways of keeping other people informed about progress and compare their effectiveness. What are the benefits and drawbacks of each approach? Very few people work entirely on their own. Even fewer are responsible to no one but themselves for the work they do.Most of us have to make sure that other people know what we are doing and, in many cases, approve it. If you don’t keep them informed you’re going to make both your life and theirs that bit harder. It’s quite easy to let people know about the end of your actions. You send a memo to each member of staff telling him or her of the time of the staff appraisal interview. You hand the boss a file containing all the relevant travel documents. You tick the completed box on your list of â€Å"jobs to do† and that’s that. What is equally important is keeping people informed on an ongoing basis as a particular job progress, particularly if it is long and complicated.The reasons of that: – You might not be completely clear about what you are supposed to do and don’t want to go any further because you might be taking the wrong route; – Something unexpected turns up that might alter what you have to do; – You might urgently require some advice; – The person for whom you are doing the job needs a regular progress report for his or her own boss; – The job is so big that a number of people have to be kept informed on a regular basis of what everyone else is doing so that they feel confident that they can continue carrying out their part of the plan. There are many different methods of communicate progress with other people, but always have to remember to choose correct one. One can be very effective, the others less. For example: Meetings – These can vary from one-time kickoff meetings to daily meetings of small groups of team members, weekly or monthly executive updates, or occasional all-hands meetings. Although you can’t guarantee that people will pay attention in a meeting, getting people in the same room is ideal for discussions, brainstorming, and decision making. – Status reports – These can contain different types of information depending on the audience. Moreover, whether you produce paper or electronic status reports depends on the audience as well. Sending status reports to people makes it easy for them to read the information, and they can choose to scan the reports for pertinent topics or ignore them if time is at a premium. Newsletters and email distribution lists:  These work well for announcements and other information you want to disseminate to broad audiences. You can distribute information to many people without much effort, but the readers can skip the message if it doesn’t apply to them. Section 6 – Understand the purpose of improving own performance in a business environment and how to do so 1. Explain the purpose of continuously improving your performance in a business environment. Knowing that you are getting better at something feels good. Sometimes this happens just because you get more and more experienced at doing it. At other times it needs someone to show you how you can improve on what you’re doing.Your first step is to decide where you are now and where you want to get to. A lot of organisations try to encourage their staff to â€Å"continuously improve† themselves; often referring to it as â€Å"lifetime learning† because they feel that it can help them to improve the organisation’s overall performance. Businesses and employees should focus on doing their tasks as well as possible, and look for what can be improved. By continuing to improve, an employee can increase job interest, wages, long-term careers and a more valued contribution to the organisation and the satisfaction of customers. 2. Describe at least two ways of improving your performance at work.Where relevant, illustrate your answer with specific examples from your own experience. Knowing that you are getting better at something feels good. Sometimes this happens just because you get more experienced at doing it. At other times it needs someone to show you how you can improve on what you’re doing. First step is to decide where you are now and where you want to get to. For an organisation to survive and grow it must continuously improve its performance. When an organisation makes changes, employees will have to make changes in what they do and how they do it. Improvement can take place in different ways. Examples: – Learning from mistakes – very few people like saying sorry.Nor do they like even admitting to themselves that they have made a mistake. It might boost your morale in short term to blame everyone but yourself when a mistake is made. In longer term, never admitting a mistake can cause problems. Acknowledging your mistakes can help both you and the person you’re talking to. He or she will recognise that you have admitted your mistake without trying to lay the blame on anyone else, be immediately in a position to try to correct the mistake because you have not tried to be obstructive about it, will try to ensure that the same mistake won’t occur a gain by giving your extra training, assistance or support, will appreciate your honesty. Learning from performance reviews -it is a systematic and periodic process that assesses an individual employee’s job performance and productivity in relation to certain pre-established criteria and organizational objectives. These reviews tend to be done every 6-12 months so they create a framework for continuous performance review and improvement. Most people think of a performance review as an uncomfortable meeting with their boss; a chance to hear how great (or not so great) a job they’ve been doing or what sort of salary increase to expect this year. But a good performance review should be much more than this — it should be an engaged, two-way conversation between employer and employee.While this is your manager's time to share his or her overall evaluation of your strengths and weaknesses, it is also  your  time to ask insightful questions, receive constructive fee dback, and establish a clear plan for improvement or future professional development. Your performance review, whether overwhelmingly positive or somewhat disappointing, is always a great opportunity to learn, grow, and move forward in your career. 3. Briefly describe at least two different types of career pathways that may be available to you. One and the most wanted career pathways for me is kind of administrative job. I would like to work in the office environment.Many of administrative and clerical jobs, like Administrative Assistant, Data Entry Clarke, Secretary and other, all are about following procedures, checking things and keeping records. So, I’m organised person, accurate and pay close attention to detail. I have ability to use my own initiative, but also know when matters need to be referred to a supervisor. Second career pathway for me is the social service sector. All of these services are about helping people. I could work as Social Work Assistant, Family Supp ort Worker or Youth and Community Worker. I’ve got a caring personality and want to help people during trying times in their lives. I want to make a positive difference to children and their families' lives, and help them have a better future.Unfortunately, I don’t have specific qualifications to work in this environment, but the most of employers giving training before work begin. Section 7 – Understand the types of problems that may occur in a business environment and how to deal with them 1. Identify at least two different types of problems that can occur in a business environment. At work, problems are at the centre of what many people do every day. You're either solving a problem for a client (internal or external), supporting those who are solving problems, or discovering new problems to solve. The problems you face can be large or small, simple or complex, and easy or difficult to solve. Regardless of the nature of the problems, a fundamental part of ever y manager's role is finding ways to solve them.There are two main types of problems that may occur at work environment: – Minor problems – small and usually have obvious, easy-to-implement solutions, where you can use your own knowledge and experience to come up with a workable solution. – Major problems – are likely to have serious consequences and need careful consideration, they must be referred to a senior manager. In this instance, you should inform a senior manager as soon as possible. 2. Complete the table below by describing at least two specific problems that can occur at work and how they can be dealt with. |Problem |Dealing with the problem | |1.Equipment failure |Need to report the problem to store manager, he need to call | | |engineer to fix it up | | | | | | | |2. Customer complaint about hair in food |Ask shift manager to deal with customer. Need to apologise customer,| | |offer replace food, extra dessert.Check that they are kept f ood | | |safety roles on the kitchen. | 3. Complete the table below by listing at least two problems you are able to deal with yourself and two problems you would need to refer to others to deal with (and how you would refer these problems). |Problems I can deal with: |Problems I would need to refer to others: |How are problems referred to others? | |1. Delivery not arrived – need to contact |1. Computer crashing |Report to computer technician by telephone. | |with head office by telephone, to find out | | | |what happened. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |2. Stock on front counter run out – need to |2. Important equipment failure |Report to store manager. If is present in | |go to stockroom to pick up some stock or | |store – face to face, if not – by phone call | |delegate someone to stock up | |or by email. Should leave note in managers | | | |diary for next shift manager, to let him know| | | |about problem | | | | | | | | |