External audit on Carnival Corporation

When considering what type of environment analysis to do certain things should be taken into consideration this is do to with the fact that different industries will have different requirement. For example Carnival in a multinational company so it may be more concerned with political issues then local customer perceptions or the customer demographics. Johnson & Scholes (1999), David (2001) and Lynch (2000) all agree that organisations or managers should adjust and change according to an environment analysis. Mullins (1999), Johnson & Scholes (1999) and Lynch (2000) all agree that a good starting point for an external analysis would be the ‘PEST' analysis. ‘PEST' means political, economic, socio-cultural and technological (see appendix 1). The PEST analysis is only a very general analysis of the external environment. This is why another audit should be used to â€Å"inform and guide analysis† (Johnson & Scholes, 1999: 104). If a company wants to plan for the future Johnson & Scholes (1999), Lynch (2000) and Mintzberg, Ahlstrand & Lampel (1998) all agree that the ‘scenario planning' is all about the long term. Johnson & Scholes (1999) and Lynch (2000)' agree it is one way to help companies looking into the future. One thing that companies must understand is that â€Å"scenarios are concerned with peering into the future, not predicting the future† (Lynch, 2000: 111) Scenario planning is about considering factors that could affect the company for example if there was a terrorist attack in the future on one of the Carnival cruise liners. What steps could be taken to prevent the attack or to make sure that the customers are safe? In all industries customers are the ones that buy the product or use the service this may be other companies or the general public. This is why analysing the customers and market segmentation is very important. It is important for organisations to understand that customers â€Å"have different characteristics and needs† (Johnson & Scholes, 1999: 129). Lynch (2000) states that there are three important issues that should be conceded when analysing the organisations customers. The first is to identify the organisation customers and market. The second is its segmentations and its strategic implications. The final one is the role of the customer service and quality. Porter's Five Forces model (see appendix 2) is a more in-depth analysis of an organisation it focuses more on strategy so companies can develop opportunities and protect them self from threats. The five forces are: 1. The bargaining power of suppliers; 2. The bargaining power of buyers; 3. The threat of potential new entry; 4. The threat of substitutes; 5. The extent of competitive rivalry. (Lynch, 2000:125) One of the best ways to describe Porter's Five Forces Model is: â€Å"†¦ a high force can be regarded as a threat because it is likely to reduce profit. A low force, in contrast, can be viewed as an opportunity because it may allow the company to earn greater profits.† (Wheelen & Hunger, 1998: 61) It is argued that customers are the most important part of the business: â€Å"Customers demand satisfaction and expect more. It is no longer sufficient to merely satisfy customers They need to be delighted, both internally and Externally.†(Mullins, 1999: 869) This is why customer analysis is so important to Carnival with out any customers the company would not generate any revenue. One thing that they do know it that the disposable income of young couples and families has increased over the last fifty years. What they are trying to do it tell the target market that cruising is an alternative vacation available for everyone. Carnival believes that 93 percent of North Americans have not taken a cruise at some stage. This gives then a target of almost 100 percent of North Americans that they can attract, to go on one of their cruises. This is due to the fact that they can try and attract the people that have already been on a cruise. Carnival is the first modern Cruise Company and tries to promote its ships as ‘fun ships'. With a price that can compete with land based vacation resorts. This is why they are the leaders and innovators of the cruising industry. They know that the cruising industry have three main market segments. The first is contemporary then premium and finally luxury this is why they have entered into all three market segments. One thing that is very important to Carnival is the customer service that they provide. As well as a high level of service they want to offer a product that will attract the customers. This is why they offer a package that will allow passengers to stop at exotic ports of call as well as a premier restaurant service. What they are trying communicate is that the ship is not just a means of transport but the vacation it self and the ports of calls are bonuses for the customers. This is why they offer such entertainment as live music, dancing, night-clubs, movies as well as a casino this is the entertainment in the evenings. Carnival wants to offer a high level of service this is why their holidays start when you bags are tagged for the ship. After that moment you would not need to pick your bags up because it would be delivered to your cabin. When on board waiter on the ship will offer you drink while they help you to find your way around. With a restaurant service that could rival any top land based restaurant in terms of variety in food and wine. With this sort of service they can keep on attracting the customers that in turn create the profits that the organisation wants.

Discuss Friel’s presentation Essay

In the time ‘Dancing at Lughnasa’ was set Gerry and Chris’s relationship would have been extremely unorthodox and would have circulated a lot of town gossip. Having a child out of wedlock was extremely shocking and making the decision to then keep Michael even more so. In 1936 women had very few rights and with the shock of Michael being born only the towns respect for their brother, a missionary, kept them from being societal lepers. Friel presents the relationship between Gerry and Chris by using stage directions to show the true feelings between them and how their relationship is sustained. Having Gerry and Chris talking in the garden while the four other sisters are inside listening intently shows how little privacy the two have in their relationship. When Gerry first arrives Chris appears extremely cold and offhand in front of him using one word answers ‘Chris: Hello, Gerry†¦ yes†¦yes. ’ All of this gives the impression that she has very little time for him and doesn’t particularly care about him. However Friel’s staging shows the audience that she really does care because we see her reaction before Gerry comes on stage. Friel portrays her as standing stock still in shock then, when coming to her senses, rushing around panicking, ‘adroitly adjusts her hair and clothes. ’ It is the panic before the extract that shows her much Chris truly does care about Gerry and also about how little the sisters have in their lives due to the their scramble to make themselves presentable. This highlights how Gerry is a key romantic figure in the play because even though all the while the sisters are saying ‘Kate: He won’t stay the night here’ and ‘Rose: I hate him!’ they still all end up crowding around the window to listen in and watch, suggesting that though disapproving they still half wish to be in Chris’s shoes. The social constraints of the situation lead them to wanting Gerry out of the families lives, but still the desire is there through the constant comments. These comments are key to the suggestion of an invasion of privacy, ‘Maggie: you should see the way she’s looking at him†¦Kate: they’re not still talking are they? ’ Friel is trying to show how hard it must be for Gerry and Chris to live in such an enclosed area where everyone knows everyone’s business, thus exploring a theme of romance, or lack of romance. This is continued throughout the extract, the fact that Gerry never visits ‘Chris: 13 months’ making the relationship seem very one sided – Chris remembering the last visit to the day while Gerry can’t remember the month. Gerry proposes to Chris at the very end of the extract and this gives a sign that maybe he does care about her. Even though Chris turns him down there is still the slight remembrance of this moment throughout the rest of the play, leading to the audiences opinion that maybe Gerry does truly care for Chris despite leaving her alone with child. However through Michael’s narrative closer to the end of the play in the second act we find out that Gerry already had ‘a wife and three grown children’, Friel choosing to leave this revelation till the end to produce a far more dramatic climax to their relationship. It is then that the audience realises that Gerry never intended to marry Chris and only offered in the knowledge that she would refuse. This all gives the impression that there is never any real closeness or intimacy for the two of them and the whole summer of happiness before, ‘suddenly he takes her in his arms and dance. ’ was a lie. A large influence on Friel when writing ‘Dancing at Lughnasa’ was the changing role of women in society. Thatcher had just been Prime Minister and women’s rights were becoming much more accepted in the 1990’s, perhaps why Friel chose to make this such a large part of the play. Set in 1936 the Mundy sisters would not have been at all accepted by society with Chris having Michael out of wedlock and then deciding to keep him. Changing attitudes within society would have influenced Friel’s interpretation of Chris and Gerry’s relationship. Friel depicted this family as an example of what is yet to come, the sisters supported Chris throughout and after her pregnancy even though it went against societies beliefs, thus inflicting Chris’s embarrassment upon themselves as well yet still sticking together as a family. Friel emphasizes that women should have the right to do as they please through the disruption of outside influences. At the beginning of the play the sisters are happy in their little bubble making jokes about the outside world ‘Maggie: steady on girl, today its lipstick; tomorrow it’s the gin bottle’ although never participating in it. It’s when they begin to allow others into their circle that things begin to go down hill for them. Before Gerry’s arrival they were all dancing and laughing but his arrival marked a change for them all, Friel perhaps suggesting that women don’t need the influences of men and all they bring with them is destruction. Danny Bradley and Rose are another example of this, the death of Rose’s defenceless white rooster is symbolic of mans predatory nature and the violence of this act implies violence between Rose and Bradley. Therefore Friel is portraying women as stronger without the male interference, Chris and Gerry’s relationship is used to highlight this as it is obvious to the audience that Chris would have been better off without Gerry in the first place but it is this continued procrastinating relationship that truly destroys her. The audience views Chris and Gerry’s relationship with trepidation throughout the play due to Friel’s depiction of him as a stereotypical womaniser. Kate calls him a ‘Loafer! Wastrel! ’ but conveniently neglects to mention the obvious charisma he has. In a short few minutes of conversation he has turned Chris from cold and unwelcoming ‘Chris: Thirteen months. ’ To one who is warm and laughing and allows Gerry to ‘dance her lightly, elegantly across the garden. ’ The audience views this exchange with surprise having heard only very negative things about Gerry from the sisters; the easy acceptance from Chris confuses them. The audience’s mistrust of Gerry’s character increases after the small discussion of Agnes between the two. Having already seen Agnes’s rigid, almost forced disinterest in Gerry, and then to have Gerry asking specifically after her Friel creates a slight unease for the audience, suggesting that something may have between the two of them. This leads to the audience beginning to see the cracks in the family’s foundations with Gerry seemingly at the centre of this. Friel enforces this idea of him being a womaniser later in act 2 when he begins to flirt with Agnes ‘Gerry: Dance with me Agnes.’ and then kisses her forehead, all of this watched by Chris. The audience begins to really mistrust Gerry at this point as it is obvious that he is the cause of conflict between the family they have come to love. The audience is seeing men in a bad light which relates to the feelings at the time it was being performed when the term ‘glass ceiling’ was coming into existence, women in the workplace being oppressed by men and now, in the play, them to being oppressed in relationships. There is the feeling that men can get away with any sort of misdemeanour by just walking away, leaving, whereas women i.  e. Chris, are always left with the result – a baby. Gerry’s carrying on represents this stereotypical male so that when the audience discovers that Gerry in fact has ‘a wife and three grown children’ it comes as no surprise. In conclusion, Friel presents Gerry and Chris’s relationship as something parallel to that of a pre 1990’s relationship. He wants to suggest to the audience that women no need longer depend on men by showing how much better off the Mundy sisters were before the arrival of Gerry and the conflict he brought within the family. Although the influences on Friel were all about the empowerment of women, he presents Gerry and Chris’s relationship with Gerry as the dominant figure, putting the play in the context of its setting and to show how the male dominance was a cause of the family breaking down. Through his presentation of the relationship he is evoking the idea that there are more possibilities available to an empowered women rather than a dominated one.

Teenage Pregnancies and the Health Risks to the Unborn Child

Running Head: Teen Pregnancy Teenage Pregnancies and Health Risks Betty Samuelsen Western Governors University Teen girls should refrain from the peer pressure of becoming pregnant. Becoming pregnant at a young age may have consequences with the range of seriousness. Pregnant teens are encouraging others to become pregnant in the form of peer pressure. Teens are watching too much television that encourages them to become pregnant. Pregnancy is a major reason that the dropout rate of teen girls is so high. Teens need to be informed of the health risks that they may be faced with if they become pregnant. Research suggests that there are no easy solutions to the complexity of issues affecting pregnant teens, such as outside influences in the form of other pregnant teens and media that encourage pregnancy, the effect of pregnancy on a teenager's education, and the health risks faced by pregnant teens and their unborn children. Television shows are one example of media that complicates the issue of teen pregnancy. Studies show that teens, 12-17 years of age, that watch television shows that have the most sexually suggestive information, are twice as likely to become pregnant (Chandra, 2008). The television industry needs to have more of a balance between sexual content and the risks that pregnancies have upon teens (Chandra, 2008). These television shows also influence others to become pregnant because it is the thing to do. For example, MTV program content implies that if a girl gets pregnant, then the teen has a one-way ticket to fame and MTV is also promoting teen pregnancy instead of stating it as a serious problem in America (Montalvan, 2011). Television increases the complexity of this issue when watching television shows that make teen pregnancies appealing leads to peer pressure to become pregnant. For example: Girls 16 and younger have gotten together to â€Å"plan† their pregnancies and how they are going to raise their children together. When the girls would find out if their pregnancy test came back positive, they would high five each other, like they were proud to be pregnant at such a young age and they will be ok (Males, 2008). Peer pressure is usually male-to-male and female-to-female, this pressure seems to be harder to withstand from males due to status and being accepted. On the other hand, females fall into peer pressure to â€Å"fill a void† in their lives and maintain a relationship with the opposite sex (Sugland, 1997). Not only is peer pressure a problem, research shows that 20% of teens have stated that their parents (46%) are also a big influence on them having sex compared to the 20% of friends pressure (Albert, 2010). What is this saying about parents' influence on their own teens? Teens state that they wish they could have more open conversations about sex with their parents and be more open in conversation about contraception. They believe that this could reduce teen pregnancies (Albert, 2010). There are also various cultural practices that complicate how teens think about pregnancy. In adolescents' views about sex, it is on their minds most of the time whether or not they are sexually active themselves. Views differ from race to race as to the frequency of sex among their peer groups, for instance African-American perceive more sex than among peer groups in the European-and Mexican-American peer groups. (Mahavarkar, Madhi, & Mule, 2008). Teen pregnancy is not only a local problem, but is a global concern even with the conflicting information from study to study. The previous new labor government in England identifies pregnant schoolgirls as a particularly vulnerable group. In addition, research shows different effects of pregnancy on the education of pregnant teens. The leading cause, 30%, of teens dropping out of high school is pregnancy and parenthood (National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, 2010, March). In England, the 1st cornerstone of a four cornerstone campaign is to increase the participation of pregnant teens in education, training and/or employment. According to the Social Exclusion Unit, the second strategy is getting 60% of young mothers into training, employment, and education (as cited in Vincent & Thomson, 2010). The Social Exclusion Unit assumes that meeting the second cornerstone will help reduce the negative health, social and economic correlates of teen pregnancies. Researchers appear to agree with policy-makers on the challenges that the pregnant teens and mothering teens face in their education. The Department of Education and Skills put out a guidance on the education of school-aged girls and parenting mothers which outlined the expectations that the teens should be getting. England's local authorities have a low priority in helping teen mothers get back into education. Audit Commission, 1999, Coleman and Dennison 1998). In the 2001 guidance, the Department of Education and Skills state, â€Å"The school should ensure that the young woman continues learning as long as possible up until the birth by exploring all opportunities for curriculum support available (Department of Education and Skills, 2001, 5). Schools are also required to provide an elective official to be in charge for the pregnant teenagers–someone whose main function is to facilitate the on-going education of the pregnant pupil and her successful reintegration to education after the six-week post-natal check-up. This official should be made aware of all the schoolgirl pregnancies within the local authority. The local authorities are encouraged to provide the same education as those of pregnant teens. Pregnancy should not be the reason some of these parenting mothers are not being allowed to attend school. Schools should be partially accountable for the education of these parenting teens. In order to make this goal happen, schools would need to provide work for the pregnant teen to do at home when she is unable to attend school. About half of the teens that are pregnant have a high school diploma vs. 9% of those that were not teen mothers. â€Å"Other data find that less than 2% of young teen mothers (those who have a baby before age 18) attain a college degree by age 30† (National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, March 2010). Pregnancy can have negative effects on education. According to Ashley, study 1 of 4, was an average student that found out at 6 weeks she was expecting. She t hought, â€Å"I'm not going to get my GCSE's [General Certificate of Secondary Education], I'm not going to go to college and I'm not going to get the job I want to get† (as cited in Vincent, & Thompson, 2010). Ashley was hoping to be able to say goodbye to her friends. The school implied that she would be able to maintain her education with a pupil referral unit; therefore, the school was expressing its concerns of the health and safety of her pregnancy. Poor communication of the students mainstream school with the pupil referral unit made Ashley miss coursework and failed some of her GCSE's that she was optimistic in passing. The school just did not care. In some cases pregnancy has mixed effects on a students education but still presents complications. Shae, study 2 of 4, had mixed reactions, peers were mostly accepting, but among staff they are mixed, some accepting, others not so much. The meeting was a different situation from Ashley's. Shae was able to stay in her school until most of her GCSE's were complete with minimal accommodations, such as leaving class a little early to avoid being â€Å"crushed† in the hallways. Her teacher also took on making sure the Pupil Referral Unit had coursework for her to do, unlike to first study. Shae felt more apart of her school still (as cited in Vincent, & Thompson, 2010). Pregnant teens will need to make complicated decisions on education. Shae was able to stay in the mainstream school until her 7th month of pregnancy, but at the same time still felt like she was apart of the school. Unlike Ashley's school, Shae's was more supportive of her situation. Children of teen mothers are affected in the long term, such as, becoming a teen parent later (National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, 2010). Pregnant teens will have a much harder time finding well paying jobs if they are not able to have the proper education available to them†¦ Without a high school education, it is much harder to be accepted into college (National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, 2010). Shae was aware that she had a choice and made that known to the school and staff members and stuck to convincing them to allow her to stay and accomplish her dreams and goals that she had set for herself. Title IX actually protects pregnant teens to have an equal education to those of their peers, no matter the situation. (Educational Policy, January and March 2006, 20(1). Shae was aware of the choice that she had on her education and made it known to the school and the staff members and stuck to convincing them to allow her to stay. As stated above the Title IX, is an American statue, that should also prepare pregnant teens the same opportunity as those in other countries. For example, a non-educational consequence of teen pregnancy is the health risks to the mother and the baby. Prenatal care is critical in the first months of pregnancy. Prenatal vitamins with folic acid are suggested to be taken before becoming pregnant to prevent certain birth defects, such as neural tube defects (as cited in Nihira, M. , 2009. Teen Pregnancy: Medical Risks and Realities). Some of the health risks for both the pregnant teen and unborn child are as follows: Teens have more complictions in delivery than those in their 20's and later. Pre-Term deliveries for the unborn child are a major complication. The teen is 3 times more likely to develop anemia, than those that are not teens. Pre-term deliveries are higher in some studies while other studies do not have the higher rates. Poor prenatal care and late identification of complications could explain the high rate of pre-term delivery. (Mahavarkar, Madhu, & Mule, 2008). Any baby born before 37 weeks is considered pre-term or â€Å"preemie. † Full term lasts 40 weeks. The baby can have respiratory, digestive, vision, cognitive, and many more problems (as cited in Nihira, M. , 2009. Teen Pregnancy: Medical Risks and Realities). Pregnant teens are still growing themselves which puts their unborn child at a greater risk of being a â€Å"premee† and being under weight. Pregnant teens are 1. 8 times more likely to have low birth weight babies. Research shows that in a controlled and study low birth weights are as follows: 2. 5 (42% study, 59% controlled). (Mahavarkar, Madhu, & Mule, 2008). Babies that are less than 3. 3 lbs. ay have to be put on a ventilator to help them breath after birth due to their lungs not being fully developed. Premature babies usually have not had enough time in the womb to develop fully (as cited in Nihira, M. , 2009. Teen Pregnancy: Medical Risks & Realities). Complications for the pregnant teen may be very severe. Pre-eclampsia is a severe condition for the mother such as bleeding problems, pre-mature separation of th e placenta from the uterus before the baby is born (placenta abruption), rupture of the liver, stroke, and death (rarely). (Mahavarkar, Madhu, & Mule, 2008). For example, pre-eclampsia, can cause swelling in the hands and feet of the mother along with organ damage (as cited in Nihira, M. , M. D. , (2009). Teen Pregnancy: Medical Risks & Realities). Research suggests that there are no easy solutions to the complexity of issues affecting pregnant teens, such as outside influences in the form of other pregnant teens and media that encourage pregnancy, the effect of pregnancy on a teenager's education, and the health risks faced by pregnant teens and their unborn children. In conclusion, outside influences account for some of the reasons that teens are becoming pregnant in high school. If teens are not sexually active in high school, teen peers torment them and encourage them to become pregnant. In return, the pregnant teens and teen mothers suffer the natural consequences of becoming pregnant. One result is not having an equal education to their peers and not having the better paying jobs that the other teens may have. Teens that become pregnant while still young and their unborn child face huge health issues, such as low birth weight, pre-eclampsia, possible stroke, and possible death. Reference List Albert, B. (2010). With one Voice 2010: America’s Adults and Teens sound off about Teen Pregnancy. Washington, D. C. : The NCPTP and Unplanned Pregnancy. Audit Commission, (1999) Chandra, A. (2008). Study: TV influences teen pregnancy stats. Retrieved from Coleman & Dennison, (1998) Department of Education and Skills, (2001), 5. Educational Policy, (January and March 2006) 20,(1). Mahavarkar, S. H. , Madhu, C. K. , & Mule, V. D. (2008). A comparative study of teenage pregnancy. Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, 28(6), 604-607. doi:10. 1080/01443610802281831. Males, M. (2008). http://articles. latimes. com/2008/jul/13/opinion/op-males13. National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy (March 2010). Why It Matters: Teen Pregnancy and Education. Nihira, M. , M. D. , (2009). Teen Pregnancy: Medical Risks & Realities. Retrieved from http://www. webmd. com/baby/teen-pregnancy-medical-risks-and-realities. Social Exclusion Unit, (1999). Sugland, B. (n. d). Sex, Pregnancy and Contraception: A Report of Focus Group Discussions with Adolescents. N/A, Retrieved from EBSCOhost. Vincent, K. , & Thomson, P. (2010). ‘Slappers like you don't belong in this school': the educational inclusion/exclusion of pregnant schoolgirls. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 14(4), 371-385. doi:10. 1080/13603110802504580

WHAT CRITICS SAY ABOUT ROBERT MCKEES SCRIPT WRITING WORK Essay

WHAT CRITICS SAY ABOUT ROBERT MCKEES SCRIPT WRITING WORK - Essay Example Even movie directors seek advice from Mckee on very many issues. Statistics reveal that over 500,000 students have undertaken Mckee’s course in different cities of the world. Therefore, his movement and screenplay scripts have been well received by authors from various parts of the world. Notable actors have not been left behind in all these matters. This is because, they have also decided to undertake Mckee’s seminar so that they have noteworthy information about screen writing. In 2000, Mckee managed to win the International Moving Image Book Award for the book story, Regan Books/ Hypercollins. The book is currently a reading requirement for Harvard film and cinema schools. This further highlights the respect that has been accorded to the author and his words. Not many critics have come out and criticized his teaching on various aspects of screenwriting. All these factors show that no negative impact has been documented to criticize Mckee’s

Job Satisfaction and Employee Performance Essay

Job Satisfaction and Employee Performance - Essay Example OCB incorporates behaviours, like volunteering to help each others at the workplace, speaking in the most favourable manner of one’s business organisation and also to the supervisor. These aspects are effective in terms of making different useful suggestions for initiating improvements at the workplace, by voluntarily putting in additional hours to meet up tight deadlines as well as sacrificing self-interests for the betterment of the entire group or the organisation. In overall terms, OCB improves the economic, social as well as psychological setting in the place of work in a way where it supports different task expertise and also can increase the group presentation (Lapierre and Hackett, 2007, p.539). Job satisfaction and employee performance: Creation of significant level of job satisfaction and the corresponding effects on the performance of the employees of business organisations across the globe are regarded as one of the most important concepts in modern times (Williams and Anderson, 1991, p.601). There are significant amounts of research which have shown that there is a close association between the employee performance and creation of greater level of job satisfaction at the workplace (Narang and Dwivedi, 2010, p.1). The meta-analysis based on these researches has revealed the fact that there are close association between the dispositional, attitudinal and relational aspects which are again correlated with the notion of OCB. These relations are known as trait conscientiousness (Lapierre and Hackett, 2007, p.540).... This notion is also known as the leader-member-exchange and by the job satisfaction as well. The meta-analytic research has identified the fact that job satisfaction is regarded as among the most important and the strongest correlates in respect to greater level of performance presented by the employees. In this context, the notion of trait conscientiousness is regarded as the second most important and strongest correlate of greatest level of job satisfaction. These greatest levels of job satisfaction are considered most important among â€Å"the big five personality traits, second only to neuroticism† (Lapierre and Hackett, 2007, p.540). Empirical studies: A meta-analysis in respect to close association between creation of greater level of job satisfaction and employee performance has been conducted by Michelle T Iaffaldano, Paul M Muchinsky (1985). This research has shown that out of 74 empirical studies regarding job satisfaction and effective job performance, it has been f ound that the greater the job satisfaction among the employees, the larger will be the level of performance by the employees in any organisation (Iaffaldano and Muchinsky, 1985, p.251). Aggregated studies had been comprised of a size of the sample as 12,192 and 217 satisfaction performances have been found to be correlated. Findings of this research have also shown that, the most efficient predictor of the (measured) true population parameter, the correlation between the degree of job satisfaction and the degree of employee performance has been relatively low (0.17) (Iaffaldano and Muchinsky, 1985, p.251). This research has shown that much of this variability in the result has been obtained in the previous research conducted by the same researchers. This has been due to fact

Sustainability Financial Analysis Project Research Paper

Sustainability Financial Analysis Project - Research Paper Example 3). While assessing and selecting companies for inclusion to the DJSI, various corporate economic, environmental and social performance factors are taken into consideration. These factors include, but are not limited to: corporate governance, brand management, risk and crisis management, climate change mitigation, supply chain management, strategy for emerging markets, environmental policy, water related risks, raw material sourcing, human capital development, social reporting (DJSI Annual Review, p. 50). All these and other factors specific to each industry belonging to the three pillars mentioned above are also known as a concept of a triple bottom line. Nike Inc. was chosen for analysis. The company is included in the DOW Jones Sustainability United States Index and belongs to the consumer goods industry (category: Footwear). The non-DJSI company that will be analyzed and compared to Nike Inc is the Jones Group Inc. ... Supplier power. Many western countries domestically manufacturing the footwear can’t effectively compete within the mainstream market and much of the footwear offered within this market is outsourced to low-cost manufacturing regions, particularly South-East Asia (Footwear Industry Profile: United States 14). However, many western suppliers have increased their supplier power through differentiation techniques, such as high-end designer footwear and specialist foortwear for specific needs (Footwear Industry Profile: United States 14). New entrants. The threat of new entrants to the foortwear retail market is considered to be strong, mainly due to relatively low fixed costs for retail operations (Footwear Industry Profile: United States 15). Threat of substitutes. Overall, the threat of substitutes to the market is weak as footwear is a basic necessity (Footwear Industry Profile: United States 16). Degree of rivalry. There is a high degree of rivalry among large retail groups, which dominate the market (Footwear Industry Profile: United States 17). However, there are also many smaller retailers that co-exist within the market. Footwear market is broadly diversified by retailers, varying from large supermarket chains to apparel retailers and dedicated shoe retailers (Footwear Industry Profile: United States 17). Company Business Strategy Analysis As Don Blair, CFO in of NIKE Inc. claimed, â€Å"Innovation is at the heart of NIKE, Inc.'s business growth strategy† (NIKE, Inc. CFO, Don Blair, on Sustainability n.p.). At NIKE, Inc., a sustainability strategy is an integral part of its business strategy. Sustainability is perceived

The Neo-Realist Understanding of State Conflict Essay

The Neo-Realist Understanding of State Conflict - Essay Example The study will also take the effects of the Cold War, and making of new contracts at regional, continental and global levels, which have introduced new alliances and rivalries among the nation-states. The study is also interested in exploring the causes behind the establishment of new alliances and rivalries, and consequences of the same on the administrations and subjects of the first and third world countries. The paper will also be supported by the classical and realist approaches of international relations in order to elaborate the topic under analysis. Attributed to the contemporary era US theorist and political thinker Kenneth Waltz, neo-realism approach views the modern age of international relations at the age of the growth and development of independent states system at the international stage (Waltz, 1988, p.617). The perspective is of the opinion that after the emergence of several former Asian and African colonies as independent states during 1945-1965, nation-states have turned out to be the most effective and influential actors of international politics (Baldwin, 1993, pp.26-7). As a result, the balance of power is expected to be shifting from the imperialist states to the poor countries as well. Consequently, the recently emerged nation-states would play a vital role, according to the perspective, in respect of the formation of political policies and strategic schemes by keeping in view the interests of the downtrodden masses belonging to the third world countries. In addition, these nation-states will also embark upon the arduous task of maintaining peace and condemning violence had been being practiced by the powerful states since perhaps the known history of the world at large. It is, therefore, neorealist perspective appeared in order to replace the age-old Realism theory, in the light of which there would be conducted researches in respect of international relationships, and nature and scope of state conflicts from various international plat forms (Powell, 1994, p.318). The claim has partly been articulated by keeping in view the distress, destruction, and damages the previously-subjugated nation had undergone from the eighteenth century onward at the hands of western imperialism (Ihuegbu, 2002, p.22). Since the subjects belonging to these colonised countries have witnessed cruel suppressions and oppressions unjustly inflicted by the foreign invaders upon them, these former colonies of European states must contain the natural tendencies in respect of condemning and protesting of atrocities on the weak nations by the strong and powerful nations at large, which is sure lead to lead the world Fascism, by challenging the Marxist doctrine of equality and democracy (Reich, 1980, pp. 6-7). As a result, the presence of these oppressed nations as the member of international forums and platforms including the United Nations, NATO, NAM and several others, the world would never witness the incidences of exploitations of weak and po or nations by the big powers of the globe. However, the time has turned down the notion supporting the rise of nation-states as completely sovereign and independent ones in such a way that they could be in a position of making policies regarding their internal problems and external affairs without undergoing any pressure or threat from the external powers. Nevertheless, the idea of being set free from the cruel clutches of former masters appears to be just a wild goose chase for the third world.

Homo Sexual- Rogerian Argument Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Homo Sexual- Rogerian Argument - Essay Example Critic’s view: In the paper written by (Smith), child adoption by homosexual couples has been favored. (Smith) has made an extremely biased approach to speak in favor of child adoption by the homosexual couples. This can be estimated from the fact that he refers to the conceptions against child adoption by homosexual couples as myths and those in favor of child adoption by homosexual couples as facts. Smith says that it is nothing but a myth that children raised in homosexual couples may become homosexual themselves. Smith also refers to it as a myth that children raised in homosexual family systems may be harassed by their peers and be put into social exclusion. He says that children have a habit of making fun of one another for any reason. Children are made fun of for being short, tall, skinny or obese. He says that if a child does not grow in a homosexual family system does not mean that he/she will not be made fun of by the peers. However, there is a lot of difference betw een the harassment offered for any reason and that offered for being a part of a homosexual family. A child may be obese or skinny for a short period of time, but his/her association with the homosexual family remains a source of embarrassment for the whole of his/her life. Smith denies the fact that every child requires both male and female parents. â€Å"Children without homes have neither a mother nor a father as role models. And children get their role models from many places besides their parents. These include grandparents, aunts and uncles, teachers, friends, and neighbors† (Smith 4). Justification against the points raised by critics: Environment that cultivates in the home of homosexuals may be extremely harmful to the psychology of the children. The child may remain intact from the effects of his/her homosexual parents’ sexuality, though the child is quite likely to adopt a life style in which monogamy is discouraged, and extremely risky sexual behavior preva ils. Gays assume a very high verisimilitude of acquiring the Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS) as compared to heterosexual couples. A vast majority of cases in which people acquire this deadly disease happens through wrongful sexual practices. Gayism and lesbianism is the primary source of the spread of AIDS around the world. If either or both of the homosexual parents suffer from AIDS, the children are exposed to the threat of acquiring AIDS. There is a parenting equation that is conducive for the accurate psychological and physiological development of children. This parenting equation lays down respective roles and responsibilities for parents from both the genders. According to the equation, every child requires two parents that belong to opposite genders. Every child requires a male parent and a female parent. The male parent or the father plays the role of sperm donor to make the child gain birth, and later plays the role of bread earner for the whole family. Contr ary to that, the female parent or the mother plays the role of making the baby and giving birth to him/her, and later assumes the responsibility of the child’s psychological and physiological nurturing at home. She makes best use of the money earned by the father and spends it in such a way that is beneficial for the whole family as well as the children. Healthy development of a child requires bo

Design slow sand filtration unit Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Design slow sand filtration unit - Assignment Example Disinfection It is any process that deactivates, removes contaminants or kills pathogens that may be present in water. It is usually the last step in the household water treatment process and comes after sedimentation and filtration. Effective size This refers to the size opening read from the grain size distribution graph that will only pass 10% of the sand. Hygiene Various practices, for example hand washing, which help ensure both cleanliness and good health. Filtration It is the process of allowing water to flow (pass) through the layers of a porous material, such as sand, with the aim of removing pathogens and any suspended solids. It is carried out as the second step in the household water disinfection and treatment process and comes after sedimentation and before the disinfection process. Flow rate It is the time taken to fill a certain container of water, most often a one litre container. It is measured once the slow sand filter is fully filled with water. Nutrient This refer s to any that is used by microorganisms for both survival and growth. Although this term is applied to refer to phosphorous and nitrogen in contaminated water, it can also be used to describe other chemicals. Pathogen This term refers to any disease causing living organism. The pathogens that are most commonly found in water are protozoa, bacteria, viruses and helminthes. Pores These are the small spaces between the grains of sand that allow water to pass through them. Sanitation It is maintaining clean and hygienic conditions that ensure prevention of diseases through services like garbage collection and proper waste disposal. Sedimentation It is the process used in settling out solids and particles that are suspended in water under the influence of gravity. Suspended solids These are small solid particles that fall in water and thereby causing turbidity. They are removed through the sedimentation or filtration process. Turbidity Turbidity is caused by the suspended solids that flo at in water such as sand, clay and silt. It is used to refer to the quantity of light that is reflected off these particles suspended in the water and which make the water look dirty or cloudy. It is measured in Nephelometric Turbidity Units (NTU). Uniformity coefficient It is a measure of how poorly or well sorted the sand is. It is the size of opening that is read from the grain size distribution graph that will allow pass of 60% of the sand divided by the size opening that will allow passing of 10% of the sand. Water quality Refers to the physical, chemical and microbiological characteristics of water. The level of the quality of the water to be used varies depending on the purpose for which it is intended. Wet harrowing This is a technique used in cleaning slow sand water filters whereby the sand surface is agitated gently in order to stir up the bio layer. The cloudy water is then drained off and then afterwards, the filter is allowed to operate for a number of days in order to re-establish the bio layer. Abstract Also known as a bio sand filter, slow sand filters have been used as a technique of water filtration since the nineteenth century. The most widely used version of slow sand filters used is constructed using concrete and has a height of 95 cm and a width of 36 cm and with a flow rate of 20-40 liters per hour. There are over 80, 000 filters used in 36 countries. There are various modifications which

Amartya Sen Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Amartya Sen - Essay Example Being one of the first economists to break-away from capitalist theories and assumptions, Sen brought a whole new perspective to studying economic activity. In his influential work Collective Choice and Social Welfare, published in 1970, Sen argued that self-interest is not the only motivation behind economic transactions and that proper social welfare is incompatible with the conventional model. He also discovered explanations for skewered sex ratio in developing economies like India and China, whereby he attributed the economic unviability of poorer families as the reason for this disparity. Today, Sen's ideas and proposals find application in real-time operations. For example, Sen's guidelines for calculating poverty and economic standards are widely used in the developing world. His proposals to alleviate starvation and famine are also followed in many Third-World countries, especially India, where no major famines were witnessed in the last few decades. By concerning himself wit h the poor sections of under-developed and developing countries, and by coming up with feasible solutions to their most pressing problems, Amartya Sen can truly be considered a doyen of 'welfare economics'.

The dangers of BPA (Bisphenol A) in Plastic bottles or containers Speech Presentation

The dangers of BPA (Bisphenol A) in Plastic bottles containers - Speech or Presentation Example I. Introduction How many of you have taken drinks or food products packed in plastic bottles? How many times do you stay for a day without using a plastic bottle or container? How many plastic containers do you use in your kitchen every day to warm food and store left over’s? Most of us in college always pack their sandwiches in plastic containers because it is the most convenient packaging material. Plastic bottles or containers are cheap and easy to carry around because they are light. Plastic containers and bottles are used world wide. Take a walk into a supermarket one day and you will be amazed at just how many food products are packaged in plastic bottles or containers. Just take a look in your refrigerator and count how many food products are packaged in plastic cans or bottles. Today we are going to look at a component known as Bisphenol A (BPA) found in plastic bottles and containers, specifically the effects of Bisphenol A. We are also going to look at samples of pla stic bottles that are safe or unsafe to use. We always use plastics because they fit our convenience. Plastic containers are most convenient when it comes to packing our drinks or food. Bisphenol A (BPA) is a toxic material found in the hard plastic containers or bottles. Usually, Bisphenol is used to harden plastic bottles or containers. Bisphenol A is located in the lining of plastic beverage and food plastic cans. The most disturbing issue is that plastic bottles used to feed children have been found to have Bisphenol A. II. Body. Bisphenol A is a chemical material found in polycarbonate resins and plastic materials or bottles; it possesses a health hazard to animals. A. Chemical compound of Bisphenol A. 1. Bisphenol contains phenol chemical components known as acetone 2. When acetone is highly ingested, it causes irritations that will depress the central nervous system. 3. Acetone can cause irritations in the eyes when it comes into contact with the eyes and the respiratory syst em. B. Health hazards of Bisphenol A. 1. Bisphenol may be dissolved in foods and drinks that we take. 2. Although Bisphenol is highly digestible, high exposures of low plastic levels of Bisphenol in the plastics can lead to several health complications in animals. 3. According to the National Institutes of Health, Bisphenol can cause interference with the body’s estrogen production (endocrine Disruption). 4. Many studies conducted by scientists have shown that rodents exposed to high levels of Bisphenol show change behaviors and brain structure. 5. Rodents exposed to Bisphenol exhibit cancer, difficulty in breathing and diabetes. 6. Although effects of Bisphenol on human beings is inconsistent, recent studies have shown that exposure of human beings t to low levels of Bisphenol can inhibit the production of a hormone known as Adiponectin. 7. Adiponectin is used to regulate levels of insulin 8. Studies have also shown that Bisphenol A can cause obesity in human beings. 9. Bisp henol A can also cause negative effects on the pregnancy. C. Research Studies 1. The Food and Drugs Administration in United States has come under fire for claiming that BPA is not harmful by the Natural Resources Defense Council in 2008. 2. The National Institute of Health in 2008, raised concerns about the safety of BPA on plastics used in storing beverage and food products as allowed by the Food and Drugs Administration in United States. III. Conclusion. Since it is impossible not to use plastic containers and bottles, it would be advisable to

Oedipus and the Sphinx Essay Example for Free

Oedipus and the Sphinx Essay Know Thyself is sage advice. All Things in Moderation is also a wise saying. King Oedipus, subject of the most tragic story ever written, brought about his own downfall because of his excessive obsession to know himself. And, try as he might, the more he tried to escape his tragic Fate, the closer it got Thus, some say that the moral of the story is, Even if you try to thwart your destiny, you wont succeed. The concept of predestination plays a large role here. For example, if the gods know what will happen, and events are pre-ordained, how can people make free choices or have any semblance of free will? If the gods put challenges in our way that we fail to rise to, are we responsible for the consequences? Would knowing the future, as Oedipus does, cause us to act or behave any differently? The ancient scribe Sophocles wrote Oedipus the King (between 441-427 B.C.E.) for the annual festival where playwrights competed for prizes. These festivals were major civic occasions, with attendance expected of all noted writers. In his play Sophocles goes out of his way to present Oedipus as an extremely capable, beloved ruler. It should be noted that Sophocles never suggests that Oedipus has brought his destiny on himself by any ungodly pride (hubris) or tragic flaw (hamartia), common themes in Greek tragedies. Sophocles also makes a special effort to explain that Oedipus killed King Laius in self-defense, and a major theme in the tragic play is whether one can believe in oracles and seers. The title of the play, from which is derived the story, is often given in its Latin translation (Oedipus Rex), rather than in its original Greek (Oedipus Tyranneus), since the Greek term for king is the English tyrant, which means a monarch who rules without the consent of the people. THE TRAGEDY BEGINS Laius and his wife Jocasta (or Iocasta) were King and Queen of Thebes, a prosperous and famous city state in ancient Greece. King Laius, as many people did those days, consulted Apollos revered oracle of Delphi for advice and to find out what the future held for him. What the oracle announced shocked the royal couple The Delphic oracle said that the Kings son would grow up and kill him! To make matters worse, it was prophesized that the son would marry his mother and produce offspring by her. King Laius and Queen Jocasta were understandably aghast! A short time later Queen Jocasta became pregnant and gave birth to a darling little baby boy. Remembering with fear the oracle of Delphis words, the royal couple of Thebes had the infants feet pierced and tied together thats the meaning of the name Oedipus, swollen feet. (Myth Mans note: this mythical detail makes no sense. It must have been introduced to explain the heros name. (Hold everything, I stand corrected. Here is an informative note sent by reader Adam Johnston on July 1, 2011.) Hey there, Just thought Id let you know that the pointless mythical detail about Oedipus feet being pierced and tied together actually has dual function. It was to ensure that the baby would not survive when exposed to the wilderness. But, more importantly, it is a detail that helps him decipher the answer to the sphinxs riddle later in life. He is a crippled man who walks with a cane, and scholars see this as the assistance he needed to understand the part of the riddle regarding the 3 legs. Just thought you should know! ~Adam (Many thanks to Adam for taking time to bring this to my attention.) Laius and Jocasta knew that their baby son had to be destroyed, but they didnt have the heart to do so themselves. They instructed their most trusted slave to expose the hapless baby on Mount Cithaeron, a wild and beast-filled place where the infant surely would perish. In those days, it was usual to leave an unwanted or defective baby in the wilderness. However, the slave glanced down at the innocent child and took pity on it. Knowing that the royal couple of the nearby city state of Corinth was childless, and desperately desired a son, the slave left the crying infant, its feet still pierced and bound by a pin, in a place sure to be found. Sure enough, a kindly shepherd discovered the baby and brought the foundling for adoption to King Polibus and Queen Merope of Corinth. Oedipus was raised as a son by Polibus and Merope and grew to be a handsome, clever and brave young man, even though he walked with a slight limp from the wounds he suffered when his real parents pierced his feet. One day, while playing with his adolescent friends, he got into an argument with them. They insisted, as mean children sometimes do, that he was a fake son, and not the real child of Polibus and Merope. When Oedipus confronted his parents about this, they denied that he was adopted and swore that he was their legitimate child. They told Oedipus to forget what the mean kids had said, but now he was intrigued. To discover the truth for himself, Oedipus journeyed to Delphi and asked of the oracle, Who am I? The oracle, cryptic as always, replied: You are the man who will kill his father and breed children by his mother. Confused and devastated, the young man started to head back home. Nearing the crossroad, Oedipus decided never to return to Corinth and go to Thebes instead. He dearly loved his parents and thought that by never returning home he would keep them safe and thus overcome his Fate according to Apollos oracle. As he was approaching the crossroad between Delphi, Thebes and Corinth, distraught and deep in thought, Oedipus came upon an old man in a chariot, escorted by a few attendants. It was a narrow passage between two rocks and hard to navigate safely. The crabby old man in the chariot shouted: Get lost! Go away! Get off this road!, striking Oedipus with his long scepter. Adding further injury, the rude, regal old man ran over the young mans sore foot with his chariot wheel. Oedipus angrily grabbed the staff from his tormentors hands and hit him on the head, killing the old man. The same fate befell the attendants, who tried to attack and arrest Oedipus he valiantly fought and killed them too, save for one servant, who ran away in panic when the battle broke out. Hey, he just wanted to cross the narrow passage, thats all! Besides, Oedipus was simply defending himself, and he got there first! Little did Oedipus suspect that the old man he had just slain was his own father, and that the first part of the oracles prophecy had come true

Why is Ethical Considerations Important in a Social Research? Illustrate your answer with examples from real research.

Why is Ethical Considerations Important in a Social Research? Illustrate your answer with examples from real research. In this assignment I will attempt to define ethics and explore its significance when conducting social research. Firstly I will present many different views of ethics in social research by analyzing some common considerations that a researcher must take into account if he/she is to conduct a piece of research properly without breaching ethical principles.   Examples from real research will also be utilized to demonstrate some consequences of unethical procedures in social research. This assignment will then culminate with a critical analysis of why ethical considerations are important when conducting social research. Ethics is defined as the values and morals upheld during interaction with others during the collection of data and the dissemination of findings (Merriam, 1988).   Some ethical considerations include an over-involvement of the researcher, confidentiality of data, the need to preserve the anonymity of participants and problems emerging from a misinterpretation of findings.   As in any research, the researcher should take responsibility for ensuring that guidelines and regulations are followed.   Where there is an extensive analysis of participants behavior and interaction over a period of time, the well-being, confidentiality, privacy and safety of individual participants must take precedence at all times. In addition to this, the British Sociological Association code of ethics states: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"Guarantees of confidentiality and anonymity given to research participants must be honored, unless there are clear and overriding reasons to do otherwise (British Sociological Association, 1996). Homan (1991) contends that during the process of designing and implementing a piece of research one needs to consider the ethical implications on undertaking the research. Homan also note that ethics is the science of morality: those who engage in it determine values for the regulation of human behavior, collecting information about people, raise ethical issues in the focus of attention, chosen methods adopted and in the form and use of the findings. In such a contextualized situation, the researcher must seek to cultivate a high degree of trust without influencing the behaviors of participants.   The researcher therefore must ensure that the true identity of the participants is not revealed and that any documents used are kept confidential at all times. Douglas (1979) notes that the development of ethics in social research provides something of a safeguard against the researcher encroaching on freedom of speech and the outcome of the research. Douglas also believes that ethical guidelines serve to remind the social researcher about their obligation in the conduct of their work. According to Bell (2006) research ethics is about the nature of the agreement that the researcher has entered with the research participants or contacts. Bell further added that ethical research involves getting the informed consent of those you are going to interview observe or take materials from. It also involves the agreements reached about the use of this data and how the analysis will be reported and disseminated. Then adding to all of this is an obligation of the researcher to adhere to the agreements when they have been reached. When carrying out social research, the researcher should take into account ethical considerations, policies and guidelines. Alcock et al (2008) stated that ethical considerations underpin all social policy research. For example, it is unacceptable to conduct research that would harm the participants or place the researchers themselves into danger. Data must be collected and stored in a place where it is secure and which will protect the anonymity of participants. Participants should give their informed consent to taking part in the research rather than being coerced, bribed or misled. There are ethical codes and protocols for conducting research in social policy, other research frameworks and it is very important that these are adhered to in all enquires. It would be seen as an indicator of the quality of social research study where there is evidence that ethical procedures have been followed.   Brown (1997) in Gross (2001, 2005) made the point that, although à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"protection of participants is one of the specific principles in the Ethical Principles, theyre all designed to prevent any harm coming to the participant, or the avoidance of overt à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"sins. This view is reinforced by Cohen et al (2007) who stated that whatever the specific nature of their work, social researchers must take into account the effects of the research on participants and in such a way to protect their dignity as human beings. There are several instances where ethical principles are lacking in some social research and result in unethical practices. An example of this is in an extreme case of deception: In an experiment designed to study the establishment of a conditioned response in a situation that is traumatic but not painful, Campbell et al (1964) in Cohen (2007) induced through the use of drugs a temporary interruption of respiration in their subjects. The subjects reports confirmed that the experiment was a à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"horrific experience for them. All the subjects thought they were dying. The subjects, male alcoholic patients who volunteered for the experiment when they were told that it was connected with a possible therapy for alcoholism, were not warned in advance about the effect of the drugs, since this information would have reduced the traumatic impact of the experience. In relation to the case presented in the above paragraph it could be argued that the researcher could have given more thought to the ethical consideration of informed consent. Frankfort and Nachmaias Nachmaias (1992) suggest that informed consent is particularly important if participants are going to be exposed to any stress, pain, invasion or if they are going to lose control over what happens. An important example is in drug research; such informed consent requires full information about the possible consequences and dangers. Cohen et al (2007) argue that the principle of informed consent arise from the subjects right to freedom and self determination. Being free is a condition of living in a democracy and when restrictions and limitations are placed on that freedom they must be justified and consented to, as in research. Also, as part of the right to self determination, the subject has a right to refuse to take part or to withdraw once the research has begun. Thus informed consent also implies informed refusal. There are several other reasons why ethical considerations are important when conducting social research. Although the use of deception has already being explored in the previous paragraph it appears to be a very common way of breaching ethical principles in social research. The use of deception resulting in particularly harmful consequences would be another occasion where ethical considerations would need to be given priority.   An example here would be the study by Festinger et al (1956) in Bryman (2008) of a religious cult; it is quite likely that the fact that the researchers joined the group at a crucial close to the projected end of the world fuelled the delusions of group members. Frankfort and Nachmaias Nachmaias (1992) explains that conducting research that may violate the rights and welfare of the research participants should neither be the intent or of major interest of the social scientist. They further argue that the underlying objective of research is to contribute to the development of systematic, verifiable knowledge. These ethical considerations help to guarantee that the researcher can be held accountable to the public.   Cohen (2007) agrees that the researcher has responsibilities to the research community, for example, not to jeopardize the reputation of the research community (e.g. the university) or spoil the opportunities for further research. Thus, a novice researcher working for a higher degree may approach a school directly, using a clumsy approach, with inadequate data collection instruments and a poor research design and then proceeds to publicize the results as though they are valid and reliable. Cohen (2007) also believes that such a r esearcher , at the very least, should have sought and gained advice from the supervisor, modified the research as necessary, gained approval for the research, made suitably sensitive overtures to the school, and agree rights of disclosure. The quality and integrity of research is very important to the public and when ethical considerations are applied public support is more than likely to be achieved. Bryman (2008) argues that possibly one of the most interesting developments in connection with ethical issues is that the criterion of the ethical integrity of an investigation is its quality. To add to this is the government involvement with the conduct of research. Bower (1979) indicated that the government plays an instrumental role in taking responsibility for subjects involved in research it sponsors but also its accountability in light of the vast amount of public monies on social research. Finally, lapses in ethical considerations in research can significantly harm human, researcher and the public in general. Some examples here could be a researcher who fabricates data in a potentially harmful experiment and may harm or kill participants similarly a researcher who fails to adhere to strict regulations and guidelines relating to safety may jeopardize his health and safety and the health and safety of all those who are involved in the research.   An example of where this actually happened is where the participants in the Milgram (1963) experiment on obedience to authority, experienced high levels of stress and anxiety as a consequence of being incited to administer electric shocks. It is against things like these happening why ethical considerations are so important. Punch (2005) explained that a thorough research proposal will have anticipated the ethical issues involved, and will show how they will be dealt with.

Five Hundred Days Of Summer Analysis Film Studies Essay

Five Hundred Days Of Summer Analysis Film Studies Essay (500) Days of Summer (2009) is a creative approach to the romantic comedy genre. An unidentified male narrator  warns us early on that This is a story of boy meets girl. This is not a love story. The film is a story about love while it may or may not end the way we expect, its a more real, complicated, and a believable love story then any number of romantic comedies that we been exposed to.   Most movies usually tell us that true love is possible with whomever we choose if only we want it enough. Hollywood likes to distort reality and put most romantic entanglements into a happy ending with a cute bow on it, this movie brings us back to the reality. The film deceives the viewers to believe that the narrative will be from both protagonists perspectives: Tom and Summer.   In fact, it is told through its main protagonist Toms (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) perspective. The boy, Tom Hansen of Margate, New Jersey grew up believing that hed never truly be happy until the day he met the one. His belief originated from early exposure to sad British pop music and a total misinterpretation of the movie The Graduate. The girl, Summer Finn (Zooey Deschanel) of Shinnecock, Michigan did not share this belief since the collapse of her parents marriage. In referring to the main title the five hundred days is about how long Toms life is spent with a girl named Summer. This movie doesnt play out chronologically, but instead  jumps back and forth through time using flash back (Giannetti Leach 2008, p.48). In depicting the relationships struggles faced by Tom , (500) Days of Summer addresses the main theme dealing with those small but significant moments between two people and taking a risk at love when uncertainty remains. Moments that can make someone wonder if the other person was feeling the same thing or if it was only an illusion. This is a different kind of love story but, not told in a conventional way about how our romantic preconceptions can cloud relationships and tryi ng to understand the truth and nature of love. This film is a work of fiction. It has a formalist narrative structure told out of chronological order and relies on flash backs plus flash forwards with creativity in nearly every scene.   The Director frequently plays around with ideas from the visual to the aural.   The movie at beginning uses a split screen look at the main characters childhood growth before they cross paths somewhere in time in the future at a greeting card company. The use of narration made you want to see the two main characters live happily ever after. The film starts on day (290) with urgency using non-diegetic (Giannetti Leach 2008, p.212) music through cinematic images and sequences of a girl riding on a bike through the dark streets of LA arriving at a gated apartment to a visually heartbroken, plate smashing Tom. Tom retells his sister (Rachel) and friends about what has gone awry with his relationship with Summer. The clichà ©s of the younger know it all smart sister, giving him vodka to loosen up in order to open up and retell his story about Summer works. He starts from his recollection of the beginning and what happened. A montage of happy moments between Summer and Tom laughing, kissing, holding hands, hugging and buying music together. Summer suggests they should stop seeing each other in a diner setting which is a clichà © moment and this scene visually reminded me of when Harry met Sally. The mise en scene of his apartment reflects an educated, middle class, cultured person who enjoys reading and music. Another clichà © moment is reference to Sid and Nancy Sid Vicious stabbed Nancy seven times with a kitchen knife. They have some disagreements but he hardly thinks he is Sid Vicious. She replies No. Im Sid. Summer says the words that is death to all guys Youre still my best friend! We visually see Tom moving in slow motion after Summer says the word friend It is like the bottom drops out emotionally for Tom. This movie is filled with more clichà ©s like theres plent y of other fish in the sea or a recurring theme in many romances I dont want to get over her. I want to get her back. The unseen narrator states There are only two kinds of people in the world. There are women and there are men. He is reminding us of the differences between the genders. There are black and white images of a scene of shots or descriptive play by play on Summer Finn. The director tells the story using his stylistic choices and including gimmicks from sketchbook-like transitions to an impromptu dance number and the Bergman inspired black and white film montage. A significant visual scene is shown, after Tom has sex for the first time with Summer. This scene represents his feelings of being in love, people smiling, life is wonderful, Tom checks out his reflection in a car window at the peak of his happiness and sees Hans Solo wink at him. The scene continues with the fountain exploding while the music is diegetic, the song by Hall Oates ballad You Make My Dreams Come True is heard and ending with a dance number reminiscent of Ferris Buellers day off. The music selections are inspiring, reflective and the slow motion bits add to the nostalgic mood. The pure range of ideas keeps audiences not only eagerly interested in what is to come next but for the most part benefits the plotline.   The creative vision gives the ordinary story a life of its own with very real feelings. Many viewers, who have experienced an important relationship, will be surprised in at least one unique way the film tackles its themes. (500) Days of Summer left a uplifting message about putting yourself out there and taking the risks and the hardships that go with them is the only way to find happiness. A defining moment scene in (500) Days of Summer occurs day (259) when Tom defends his relationship with Summer at a bar and hits the stranger. Tom and Summer (alternating close-up shots between two characters) come back to her apartment where they break-up, the scene ends with a high angle shot of Tom running down a spiraling staircase. His life seems to be spiraling out of control. Summer eventually comes back to him. We see homage to Annie Hall in an art gallery. There is a black and white neo-realist or film noir of suffering in the shot of Tom consoling himself at a movie theatre. Day (154) The officially in love with Summer scene in extreme close-ups of Summers body parts hearing shes like the wind by Patrick Swayze and the contrary scene I hate Summer, same shots as the love ones but dialogue is expresses the distaste for everything he liked about her teeth, smile, hair style, knees and her birth mark, not to mention he now hates the song shes like the wind by Patrick Swayze. The greatest use of imagery or editing is the split screen shot of expectations and reality a fantastic use of parallel editing (Giannetti Leach 2008, p.186) plus the non-diegetic sound he runs down the spiraling staircase from high angle to low angle shot into the streets with a sketch drawing of his world fading away and he is standing alone. Day (450) Toms sister says she is not the one, your just remembering the good stuff next time you look back at the relationship you should give it a better look. Tom is inspired to move forward after the end of his relationship with Summer and starts drawing again. We see close-up sketching of linear buildings drawn on a blackboard in his apartment, next a sketch pad and jarring movements in fast motion. There are a lot of fast pace, movement scenes of the world around him. Next, we switch to a parallel/split screen scene with Tom on a bus expressionless and the other parallel screen of Summer smiling in the process of getting married. Anothe r important scene is where Tom has closure with Summer at his favourite park bench scene, this is a medium two shot. Summer reveals she was never sure of love with Tom. Tom realizes love does not ever make sense. The final scene in (500) Days of Summer is completed by answering the question fate does exist and there is the one or soul mate out there and you will never know when it happens. The final scene first shows a shot from a birds eye view (Giannetti Leach 2008, p.72) inside a building with the narrator remarking most days of the year are unremarkable they begin and they end. Tom sits on a chair in personal proxemic pattern (Giannetti Leach 2008, p.126) from a female interviewing for the same job. They both reply to each other I hope you dont get the job in a medium shot. They then share a laugh. Tom appears to have a revelation coincidence or fate his pessimistic view is transformed upon meeting Autumn. Tom looks into the camera in a way to acknowledging us as an audience that he might be wrong and still believe in fate or the one. In conclusion, the energetic art style and architectural look at the scenery of Los Angeles adds to overall ambience of the environments and characters in each scene. The story telling is in one way conventional, about a boy meets girl love story. Tom (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) meets Summer (Zooey Deschanel), they fall in love, break up, maybe get back together, and then ends abruptly. The film is also unconventional in an indie sort of way. The storytelling is not chronological; there are unexpected camera angles, clever editing, split screens, variety of eclectic songs and combination of references throughout the film like The Graduate. Its a film that embraces love among the ruins of a modern society. (500) Days of Summer is about how our romantic preconceptions can alter our understanding of relationships and trying to understand the true nature of love is not something we can truly define. This is not a love story. This is a story about love.

Nonprofit and For-Profit Hospitals Essay -- Health Care, Long Term Car

Describe the differences between nonprofit and for-profit hospitals. William & Torres provided a table to reflect hospitals ownership, and noted that some hospitals, while owned by one type of entity, may be operating under a contract by another entity, such as a hospital management company (Williams & Torrens, page 185). Some of the largest groups of hospitals in the nation are nonprofit community hospitals (Williams & Torrens, page 185). Nonprofit entities, including hospitals, function under special provisions of corporation law in each state, and under federal and state tax provisions that recognize their community service function (Williams & Torrens, page 185). The nation has approximately 1 million nonprofit entities of various sorts and hospitals have long been a traditional service provider in the nonprofit sector (Williams & Torrens, page 185). Nonprofit entities are generally exempt from most taxes at the federal, state, and local levels including income and property taxes (Williams & Torrens, page 185). These facilities are govern ed by a community based board that has ultimate authority for running these entities. Sponsorship for a nonprofit can come from various organizations, unlike other hospitals with traditional religious sponsorship (Williams & Torrens, page 185). A small percentage of the nation’s hospitals are operated by for-profit businesses (Williams & Torrens, page 186). For-profit hospitals have owners and issue stock to those owners to reflect their equity position (Williams & Torrens, page 185). For-profit hospitals are not just accountable to the community but must also provide a return on investment to the shareholders; they expect to generate a profit to pay a return to the equity inves... ... pays for 47 percent of all nursing facility care, and residents and their families pay for one-third. (Williams & Torrens, page 205). As for as the hospital, Medicare and private insurance are the primary payers from hospital services, with individuals paying relatively little from their pockets (Williams & Torrens, page 205). Critique the current state of long-term care policy in the U.S. After reviewing the current state of the long-term care policy from the United States, it appears to be slowly moving toward extinction. Public policy is not likely to provide any over- arching continuity for long-term care in the near future (Williams & Torrens, page 218). I agree with the idea of Americans engaging in personal planning. Personal planning will assure individual that if he or she needs long-term care it will be available.

Increase in Young Criminals :: Argumentative Persuasive Papers

Increase in Young Criminals Increased youth crime rate is caused largely by absent fathers as a result of divorce made too easy. Consider this chilling forecast. When we pass the year 2000, we will see two groups of working age adults emerging. One group will have received psychological, social, economic, educational and moral benefits and the other group will have been denied them all. The first group will have grown up with a father present in the house and the second group will have not had a father present. The groups will be roughly equal in size. In order to be divorced in my parent's era of the fifties, one mate had to be proven adulterous. Legally, one party was deemed guilty and one was innocent. That finding affected each party financially and socially enough so that most couples tried hard not to divorce. In Canada the rate of divorce in 1951 was one out of twenty couples. In the late sixties, the "sexual revolution" began and couples rebelled against the constraints of marriage. Movie makers and journalists became rich extolling the virtues of free love and liberation. The addition of more grounds for divorce and the elimination of the need to appear in court made it easier for couples to split. Now there are "no fault" divorces which further decrease the stigma. By 1987 one out of two couples divorced. Since then, the annual divorce rate has dipped slightly. The stigma is almost gone. Books are written about doing your own divorce. One can obtain a low budget quickie divorce by phone or fax to the Dominican Republic in about three days. There are "divorce parties". Even the Royal Family discusses its divorce dilemmas on t.v. The divorce picture is not all rosy. According to sociologist Lenore Weitzman, divorced women get by on about 64% of the income they had during marriage. For their children, this translates into less money for school activities, clothes, opportunities for traveling and learning, day care and sometimes food. Children can be called on to do adult tasks before they are ready, like caring for younger siblings. Older children may be required to work long hours at a job to help bring money to the family. As a result, they may fall behind in their school work. After a while, the child may feel it is hopeless to try to keep up and decide to quit school.

Controversy Over Full-Body Scanners

Having security inside an airport is a necessary and important safety precaution, but there is controversy as to how to achieve an effective airport screening system, and yet provide privacy to travelers. A recent national debate has arisen on the topic of installing new Full Body Scanners into airport security systems nationwide. The scanners are thought to be an invasion of privacy, have a very high cost, and are an ineffective security method.One of the key issues for the usage of full body scans is that it can be a major invasion of privacy to people being screened during the airport security process. For instance in the article â€Å"Debate Over Full Body Scans vs. Invasion of Privacy Flares After Incident,† the author John Schwartz explains that â€Å"images produced by the machine can be startlingly detailed†(1). So despite claims of â€Å"blurry and opaque images† they can in fact have the potential to become detailed images.This could potentially make th e security process a humiliating experience and discourage some people from air travel. In another article by U. S. A today â€Å"Our View On Transportation Security: Airport Body Scanners Balance Safety and Privacy,† they found out that â€Å"TSA sought to buy scanners that can store and send images in test mode†(1). If the scanners that can store photos are utilized by airport security systems, then it is possible that the images could be copied or shared.People should not have to worry that their semi nude images are going to be shared, however slight the risk. Is it not true that travellers should feel comfortable during the check in process and not need to be concerned about a humiliating or undignified experience? Another important argument against the instillation of full body scanners is that they can be overly expensive relative to traditional screening methods. Jessica Ravidz supports this argument in her article â€Å"Airport Security Bares All, or does it? ,† saying â€Å" each machine can cost up to a total of $170,000 per scanner†(1). It is a costly and unnecessary project because there is already a effective security system in place. It would be cheaper to stay with the current methods of security, such as metal detectors and pat downs than to incorporate a much more costly alternative. A story in The Wall Street Journal â€Å"TSA Pressed on Full-Body Scans Despite Concerns,† Cam Simpson and Daniel Michaels say in the paper that â€Å"The U. S.Transporation Security Administration plans to buy 450 body scanners, and that the Department of Homeland Security announced that they are purchasing 300 more this year†(1). This is a large fund of money that could be used for better training, different technologies, and more efficient systems moving people through the airport security process. Another way the money could be used is to fund investigations and intelligence work and detect threats before they even arr ive at the airport. The financial costs vs benefits to airport security does not appear to support adding Full Body Scanners to our current methods.A different debate on the usage of body scanners is that they are an ineffective security system and cannot detect certain objects. An example is in the story â€Å"Debate Over Full Body Scanner vs. Invasion of Privacy Flares Anew After Incident,† by John Schwartz states that â€Å"the machines cannot, for example, detect objects stowed in bodily orifices or concealed within folds of an obese person’s flesh†(2). This proves that the scanner technology is limited and can be deceived under certain circumstances. Therefore the scanners are only useful against a limited number of threats.In the same article Bruce Schneider, a technological security expert is interviewed and says â€Å"If there are a hundred tactics and I protect against two of them, I’m not making you safer, if we use full body scanning, they are going to use something else†(2). He brings up a point that even though the scanners can detect certain concealed objects they still only protect against a few specific threats. And now that people know about the scans and how they work they now also know how to get around them. Those are the reasons on why it is an inefficient security method and should not be put into use as primary airport security.In conclusion this proves that the usage of Full Body Scanners in airports would not be a conventional method to replacing current security processes. The reasons being on why they would not be viable solution are that they are an invasion of privacy to travelers, a costly national project, and would be an ineffective method for increasing security. The solution to the problem dealing with body scanners is to not install them in airports at all, but to stay with traditional methods and finding other means to improve on the current system.

Early Man

The base of all human accomplishment derives from the Paleolithic era. These beginnings of mankind could be considered our most important. The first tools were developed, stone tools used to shape wood, dig for food, or weaponry. The progression in tools shows the growth in thinking, first using objects for tools then creating tools to fit a certain need such as sharpening stone for cutting. Tools were used to fashion weapons like a bow and arrow. Man learned how to make fire with friction for heat and cooking food (Baldwin).Art provides an insight into life for early man, their location and migration, and the animals they hunted or domesticated. Paintings, statues, and carvings show ingenuity and awareness to the surrounding world. Languages developed with migration allowing communication. Human behaviors were established on religious ideas and formal conduct. An idea of the afterlife was present, burying the dead with prized possessions. These slow developments foreshadowed the adv ance to come. With the end of the ice age, changes in available game and a warmer climate encouraged a new idea on how to live.Fostering the agricultural developments already learned the hunter/gatherer way of life was no longer necessary. With dogs already domesticated, new animals became useful – farms owned pigs, sheep, goats, and cattle. These animals were vital several ways, providing meat, milk, or labor. As well as food, they could also be used for leather and furs. Working the land aggressively enough to live off was difficult and required many hands. Families began to grow. Women were able to produce more offspring with a more permanent settlement.The children were raised with strong work ethics, expected to be useful cultivating what might one day be theirs. The society became largely patriarchal since men harvested the land and women spent most of their time caring for children. The population growth was immense, multiplying tenfold. The need for access to water cr eated small communities resulting in culture and society changes. Houses were built, some more extravagant than others depending on profits generated from the farm. Social statuses were developed.Art, in all forms – painting, sculpture, embellishment in clothing and accessories – were encouraged. Some farms produced excess and gained the ability to trade for items they could not themselves produce. This surplus of food allowed people to learn other trades. A weekly system was prevalent in almost all societies, based on market days, seasonal harvest, or religion. Language began to meld together making communication with a broader range of communities. This culture is the first to spread worldwide (Baldwin). With technological progress, recovering artifacts and what we can learn from them advances daily.Weather and climate changes can unearth new artifacts and expand knowledge of prehistoric life. The ability to accurately pinpoint the age of an artifact, and historians interpretation of an object could give us insight into many aspects of prehistoric life. â€Å"It’s very important, telling us something about species close to us but not quite ‘us’† (Cornoe). (Baldwin) http://socsci. gulfcoast. edu/rbaldwin/early_man. htm (Cornoe) http://www. smh. com. au/national/scientists-stumped-by-prehistoric-human-whose-face-doesnt-fit-20120314-1v3m0. html

Challenges Facing Canadian Organizations Essay

Canada. They are the world’s largest producer of newsprint, nickel, and asbestos. Montreal, Toronto, and Vancouver are rated some of the best cities in the world. There is also Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), which bring us Canadians radio and television broadcasts the news, music, and entertainment. (Schwind, 2010, p. 3) Even though Canada is a leader and a top competitor around the world in regards to business, resources, talent, and innovation, there are still many challenges facing Canadian organizations. In this paper I will discuss the many ways that Canada, from a business stand point and as whole, faces challenges and what we as a country are doing to rise and succeed through these challenges. There are five major challenges that are facing Canadian businesses; Economic, Technological, Demographic, Cultural, and Legal. Economic challenges are broken down into three separate categories; surviving a recessionary cycle, facing the global trade challenge, and meeting the challenge of productivity improvement. All three of these are interrelated and I will briefly describe each section of the challenges. Surviving the recessionary cycle is a tough challenge especially for the Human Resource Managers, who are tasked with planning, coordinating and ultimately implementing layoffs. Recessions are a misfortune that affects everyone and every company, big or small. Job security and overall high morale of employees at a company are troubled as well in these hard times. The global trade industry is another issue that Canadians are facing. International trade has been critical to Canada’s prosperity and growth. (Schwind, 2010, p. 5) Canada is ranked number nine in the world for exporting internationally, (Metcalfe, 2008), but per capita we export more than the United States or Japan. To face this challenge Canadian organizations are expanding abroad by opening new plants and increasing activity rates in foreign countries. This is to be closer to the customers and also for the lower labour costs. Being a multicultural nation has given Canada a competitive advantage in regards to trading with other countries. However, other countries have a lower-cost based trading system due to factors such as lower labour costs, has caused Canada to lose our market share in some industries such as pulp and paper, cotton yarn, and steel manufacturing. (Schwind, 2010, p. 6) Productivity is the third aspect of economic challenges we face. Technically, productivity is the ratio of output to input. It is a measure of how efficiently and effectively a business or an economy uses inputs such as labour and capital to produce outputs such as goods and services. Alan Greenspan, an ex-chairman of the Federal Reserve of the United States, was quoted as saying â€Å"Productivity – the goods and services produced from each hour of work – is the magic elixir of economic progress. It’s why we live better than our grandparents did, without working longer hours.† (Demos, 2011) Canada’s largest trading partner, the United States, has been improving their productivity faster than we have. We have to increase our productivity as a nation in order to continue to thrive and grow. A report conducted in 2000 stated that if the productivity gap between Canada and the U.S. were to continue, it would reduce Canada’s living standards from 61 percent of U.S. levels in 1999 to 52 percent in 2010. (McCallum, 2000) In order to maintain and improve its productivity, Canada must update its technology to increase its levels. There are two technological changes and challenges face the Canadian businesses today, computerization and automation. Computers and their technology are rapidly growing and they affect all aspects of work. They produce large amounts of information in a timely matter, and have the ability to massively store and transfer the information. There is an increase in flexibility, such as being able to work at home, or even while on vacation, if need be, due to the internet, emails and data transfers. Telecommunicating is also a factor in helping with productivity, morale and cost reduction. Not only is there internet, many companies also have intranet, which are a private information network within the company. The mix of telecommunicating and intranet increase communication and information knowledge between members of an organization to also increase productivity. Automation is the automatically controlled operation of a process, system, or equipment by mechanical or electronic devices. The two major reasons for automation is speed and better service. In some capital equipment items, Canada takes six to twelve months to make, where Japan takes six to twelve weeks. (Schwind, 2010, p. 10) This is a major challenge that Canada must face. The service factor is continuous. A machine is programed to do the same exact operation over and over to ensure quality and effectiveness, where as a human might make an error on one or more areas of the operation. Another challenge with technology and automation is cost. Machines are expensive and not all companies can afford the high-tech equipment, and therefore must rely on manual labour. Demographic challenges include the changes associated with the labour force, such as education levels, age, and participation levels which occur slowly and are usually known in advance. The number of female workers in the workforce has greatly increased over the last three decades, and with that so has the way organizations are ran. In the past the men worked and the women stayed home and took care of the house and home. Now, more and more women are out in the workforce and companies have had to change the way to operate, in order to accommodate. Also, more and more workers are getting higher educations and becoming more knowledgeable in many areas of the field. Canada’s challenge with these issues are to be able to find, keep in home country, and continually train and increase the overall knowledge to promote further success in Canadian organizations in the future. Age is a key factor that has started in will continue to affect Canadian operations. The term â€Å"baby-boomer† is defined as any one born between the years 1946-1966. (Krotki, 2012), and the majority of that population is already, or getting ready for retirement. This is social (health care) and organizational challenge facing the workforce is termed as the â€Å"old age crisis†. (McLean’s, 1983) The challenge facing Canada now is the vast amount of workers that will be retiring, and the knowledge that they take with them. The largest sector that this â€Å"crisis† will affect is the trades department. According to Statistics Canada, in 2007, the ratio for non-trades was 0.7, indicating significantly more workers nearing retirement than in the early stages of their careers. This was substantially lower than the ratio of 1.6 in 1987 and illustrates the well-known phenomenon of the baby boom generation—now approaching retirement—and the subsequent significantly smaller generation beginning their careers. When this ratio is below one, meaning fewer people in the early stages of their careers than will be retiring soon, it points to a potential net out-flow of workers (Pyper, 2008) So as the baby-boomers retire, there will be a shortage of skilled workers to fill their shoes. The last factor of the demographic challenge is that of the part-time workers and contractors or contingent workers. There is a disadvantage as well as an advantage to this line of work. For the employee it means less benefits and lower pay than that of a full-time worker. But on the other hand, the employer will in turn pay less labour cost, and benefit payouts, to part-time workers, as well as contractors, who are not on the pay roll, thus reducing long-term costs. The cultural challenges facing Canada today are crucial due to the multicultural nation that we are. The main areas are work-related attitudes and ethnic diversity. People now are requesting more vacations and holidays than before and a varied workweek. Instead of the typical two week vacation a year, and Monday to Friday 9-5, they expect more and want more flexibility. There is also a major attitude difference between the baby-boomer generation, Generation X, and Generation Y workers. Canadian organizations have to accept these differences and find ways to accommodate each group. Society as a whole are also more ethically orientated now. Business can run like they used to two decades ago. People and employees are more aware of the ethics and expect to be treated fairer and with respect. Canada’s society and workforce is a cultural mosaic. Hosting and employing a variety of ethnics, races, cultures and social groups. Having this vast array of differences poses opportunities as well as challenges for Canadian organizations. They prosper by gaining knowledge of each different group, but they must also take into consideration that they are all different and have different views, beliefs, and backgrounds than other people. The final factor is that of legal matters, which are categorized into five sections; employment equity, human rights laws, charter of rights, minimum wage acts, and safety-related legislation. Employment equity is an act that was amended in 1996 and is a federal law that states one must remove employment barriers and promote equality. It was set to ensure equal opportunities for four different groups; women, persons with disability, Aboriginal people, and people of a visible minority. The Canadian Human Rights Act, in effect March 1978, proclaims that all people regardless of; age, sex, race, ethnic origin, colour, religion, sexual orientation, marital status, family status, disability, or conviction for which a pardon has been granted, shall not be discriminated upon, and should have equal opportunity to make for themselves a life which they choose. The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms is a federal law enacted in 1982, guaranteeing individuals equal rights before the law. Federal government passed the Minimum Wage Act in 1935, but minimum wage jurisdiction falls under provincial legislation. So each province has their own set of wages and rules to follow. The safety-related legislation is an area concerned with the safety and well-being of individuals in the workforce. These above mentioned legal matters are a definite challenge facing Canada’s organizations. More than ever people know their rights and freedoms, and expect safety in the workplace. The challenge for organizations is to uphold the law, and ensure safety and wellbeing for not only themselves but to the employees, their families and everyone involved whether it’s internally or externally. References Demos, D. (2011, Feburary). The New Formula for Branch Productivity. Retrieved Janurary 27, 2013, from Novantas: http://www.novantas.com/article.php?id=303 Krotki, K. J. (2012). â€Å"Baby Boom†. Retrieved Janurary 28, 2013, from The Canadian Encyclopedia: http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/articles/baby-boom McCallum, J. (2000, May). â€Å"Will Canada Matter in 2020?†. Royal Bank Current Analysis, Royal Bank of Canada Economics Department, p. 5. McLean’s. (1983, Janurary 17). â€Å"Our Coming Old Age Crisis†. MacLean’s, p. 24. Metcalfe, L. (2008, March 2011). Economic Statistics. Retrieved Janurary 27, 2013, from Nation Master.com: http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/eco_exp-economy-exports Pyper, W. (2008, October). Skilled Trades Employment. Perspectives on Labour and Income, 9(10). Schwind, H. F. (2010). Canadian Human Resource Managment (9th ed.). (J. Cotton, Ed.) Whitby, Ontario, Canada: McGraw-Hill Ryerson.