Utilitarianism, business ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Utilitarianism, business ethics - Essay Example So every aspect must be examined to evaluate potential good and bad outcomes; if the goods outweigh the bads, then morally, the action can be deemed right. If there are more bad consequences predicted, then the opposite applies. As with all ethical and philosophical theories, there are more issues to be considered, nothing is quite so simple. Different forms of utilitarianism have been described over the centuries, like Bentham's pain - pleasure as bad and good consequences. (Ethics, 8), but all seemed to attempt to measure and define what 'utility' actually means. If utilitarians consider morality to be all about consequences, then how are consequences measured, which calls into question how utility can be measured and how much of it is the ideal level to aim for Hinman states: "utilitarians must answer the question of whom these are consequences for" (137). This question is highly relevant when applied to using utilitarian ethics in business, and in particular, within the context o f the Ford Pinto case, to be discussed later. There are many different versions of the theory, all trying to define what consequences are applied to and how they may be applied. One version, rule-utilitarianism, considers that a rule or code of behaviour is morally right if, by its application, the consequences are more favourable that unfavourable to everyone. The actions driven by the rule would result in benefits, or goods for all of society. One example might be a Council's Urban Regeneration Programme, funded by Council Tax. The rule is that everyone must pay, and in doing so, produce an outcome that creates a better environment for the majority living in the urban area. The flaw is that those in the suburbs, who contribute the greatest amount, will not receive as much favourable consequences, on the premise that they already have plenty of utilities. So simply following a rule would not always be equally favourable. On the other hand, act-utilitarianism, the most common form used in many circumstances, looks at the consequences of every case individually and works out the benefits before taking a morally right action. Leggett (13) in commenting on Ford's use of utilitarian ethics, says: "The utilitarian approach evaluates each action separately and the consequences that arise from it. This analysis would include any 'harms' or 'benefits' incurred by any people involved in the case." Business Ethics: In applying utilitarian principles to business ethics, the cost-benefit analysis is most often used - it is a good decision making tool. Companies will attempt to work out how much something is going to cost them before taking action that should, ideally, result in consequences favourable to everyone. That would mean the company could make a profit, while the consumer benefited from their product. Hopefully, products are fit for purpose, safe, and give value for money. No business would attempt a project without evaluation of all relevant factors first, as well as taking other issues or risks into account that might jeopardise success. Ethical business practice, using

Right to Education in Malaysia and the United States Thesis Proposal

Right to Education in Malaysia and the United States - Thesis Proposal Example As the report highlights various studies have been carried out on the right to education   Some of these will be discussed and presented below.   In the study by Kamarrudin, Ahman, and Sulaiman, the authors set out to discuss the right to education in Malaysia in relation to the UN Declaration of Human Rights and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.   It mostly considered the rights to education in Islam in Malaysia where majority of their population belong to the Islamic faith.   The study established that the right to education is recognized in both the international and in Malaysia policies and the latter has done its utmost to secure compulsory primary education for its citizens regardless of their religious affiliation.   It is recommended however that Malaysia take more strides towards securing compulsory education for the children until they reach the age of 17.   The country also recognizes the fact that through education, the moral, economic, and social development of the children can be secured.   In the end, these are values which are also supported by Islam.  From the essay it is clear that in the United States, the right to education is less legally clear-cut.   Their constitution does not specifically mandate the right to education for its people and the country is not a signatory to some of the international conventions which specify the allocation of the right to education.  

The Overemphasis On Physical Appearance Sociology Essay

The Overemphasis On Physical Appearance Sociology Essay In what way can it be argued that an overemphasis on ones physical appearance alienates individuals from themselves? Is the body part of the self or separate from the self? To answer this question, first of all it is necessary to understand what physical appearance means for individuality, and how it influences on persons self-image and self-perception. Persons appearance is a meaning of his identity.  Appearance is a expression of self-appraisal of person in overall positive or a negative attitude.  When self-appraisal is independent and autonomous, it does not dependent on external evaluations.  But in most cases the person tries by the appearance to attract the attention of surrounding people, and show his inner world, the mood and character.   Through the appearance person reveals his identity to a particular social class, individual lifestyle with his characteristic values, and, last but not least, interacts with various aspects of the social environment and changes them.  A person can achieve his goals by manipulating the impression he makes on other people. That is, appearance is a continuation of humans inner world, so the body can not be separated from the spiritual and emotional side. 2. Several of the classical theorists believed that much of modern life has become objectified and rationalized. In addition to the areas of the body, celebrity, and medicine, in what other areas has modern life become objectified and rationalized? Comparing the situation in contemporary culture and society that was a hundred years ago, many critics and theorists say that it has become objectified and rationalized. First of all this process is connected with the globalization, that has brought certain standards in the world. Globalization has led to fundamental changes in the relationship between folk, elite and mass culture, it lowered the status of the culture as it was before.  At the same time it brought mass culture, turning it into a leading element of a cultural system of post-industrial society.  The mass culture is like a substitute designed to meet the lowbrow tastes of poorly educated population. 3. Is it possible to effectively untie the rational and irrational, mental and emotional dimensions of life to create a more humane society? Why or why not? Should social theorists even be concerned about such an issue? Rationality one of the most important concepts of philosophy, sociology and psychology. The characteristic of our time is a neglect of rationality, that is mainly due to the uncertainty in the use of this notion.  What is rational and what is irrational? Rationality, like morality, is essential characteristic of behavior.  It is important to distinguish between the rational and irrational behavior.  An important feature of the actions that is called irrational or rationally forbidden (rationally prohibited), is that virtually no one would support people to commit these acts, on the contrary, they would have tried to convince not to do so.  To call something rational or rationally acceptable does not mean to endorse all of this, in these words there is only one modal nuance of lack of conviction. Many people want to draw a clear line between facts and values, rational and irrational.  If you get rid of the irrational motives, it means the mental control of reason over the behavior, which requires adherence to specific actions, conditions, programs, limiting the freedom of thought.  However, the above indicates that such a clear distinction is impossible, because rationality is in some way a subjective judgment. 4. What are the long-term implications of the open sale of human organs for social unity and divisiveness in the United States? The problem of sale of human organs is a matter of division of society into two views for and against.  Also, this issue has two problems: A rapid withdrawal of transplantation at the level of mass practice; An equally rapid growth of the declarations and documents of ethics adopted by professional associations, regulations and new laws, which develops and offers modern law and adopt modern nations of Europe and America, Asia and Africa. Modern transplant did not create utopian concepts, but wants to reach the level of ethical rules and standards of sale of human organs.  They see a direct connection between the progressive development of transplantation and overcoming of social psychological barrier in the form of traditional religious culture, with its system of rituals and attitudes towards death.  They believe that the success of transplantation is possible only in conditions of developed and prepared public opinion, that shall have absolute humanistic values across the range of practices of organ transplantation. Changing spiritual situation in the society, the democratization of social consciousness, which centered on the idea of human rights, led to a change in measures of responsibility for human life.  The increase in moral pluralism, the need for ethical and legal controls on the experimental research, medicalization of life, the globalization of bioethical issues all this makes urgent the task of fu rther development of the social problems of bioethics, which includes the issue of trade of human organs. 5. What are the most insightful or useful measures of class position? Why? How does inequality on each of these measures affect the lives of individuals? The recent trend in democratic industrialized countries of the world is increasing social mobility, that improve the status to representatives of every individual groups in society combined with the persistence of their unequal socio-economic position.  Subordination of the major social groups, their division into superior and inferior position reflects the concept of social class. Social classes are usually distinguished from other on the basis of their economic situation, the stability of the social situation of their representatives, difficulty of social mobility, the transition from the lowest class in the highest, as well as the multiplicity of their representatives.  All this makes them significant and sometimes define the measures of class position. Most measures of class position are aimed at influencing the process of social inequality and convergence status positions of the general population of industrialized countries, because the formation of the middle class does not negate the existence of traditional class position and the stratification of differences. (Delaney, 2003) 6. What evidence is there to assess the adequacy and/or inadequacy of Marxs predications about the relationship between workers and larger employers? Many of the ideas on social inequalities derived from the Marxist theory of stratification and class.  The mode of production determines the economic organization of each formation.  Marx believed the economic organization of the main aspect of society.  It includes a technology division of labor and, most importantly, a relationship formed between people in the production system.  These relationships play a key role in the Marxist concept of class.   Marx argued that in any type of economic organization is the ruling class, which owns the means of production (factories, raw materials, etc.) and provides control over them.  Due to the economic power of the ruling class decides the fate of those who are working for him.  (Berberoglu, 2005) Marx thought that workers would see that they were exploited this would lead to a deep, inescapable conflict between workers and owners.  Marx predicted that with the development of capitalism, the bourgeoisie would become richer, and the proletariat poorer.  The conflict would intensify, and in the end the workers would make a revolution, the revolution would be worldwide, leading to the overthrow of capitalism and the transition to socialism.   Marxs prediction was wrong: capitalism has not led to results that he expected.  First of all, government and the capitalists themselves began to pay more attention to the needs and demands of the workers due to political pressure and through the system of collective bargaining: now workers in the U.S. have high salaries and bonuses, in addition, they receive unemployment benefits. 7. What parallels exists in the ideologies used to maintain different racial and gender categories as separate status groups? What is your position on Durkheims prediction that the use of race and gender for positioning individuals in occupations will be eliminated someday? One of the earliest explanations of inequality due to gender or race was proposed by Emile Durkheim.  In the paper On the division of social labor (1893) Durkheim concluded that in all societies, some activities are considered more important than others.  In a society highly valued the achievement of religious salvation, that was characteristic of Puritans in colonial times.  Another company may consider the social value of material wealth.  All the functions of society law, religion, family, work, etc.  can form a hierarchy according to how highly they are valued. This view is expressed by Durkheim in his famous remark:   When I realize my duty brother, husband or a citizen, then I perform the obligations prescribed by law and custom and which are external to me and my actionsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Similarly, a believer from birth detects in the ready-made form of beliefs and practices of religious life  and, if they existed before him. Therefore, they exist outside of it. The system of symbols that I use. aphid expression, monetary system, which I use for payment of debts, credit facilities, which I use in their commercial activities, procedures  which I follow because of their profession all these and similar things operate, regardless of my usage. In turn, if we turn to each member of society, then those comments are true for each of them. (Durkheim, 1964) I dont agree with his position, because society is a set of multiple identities?  If we study a certain group, we see not a collective entity, but only a group of individuals interacting with each other in different ways. 8. Discuss the common threads in the arguments on inequality found in each of the classical theorists. On what do they agree of disagree? In contemporary Western, especially American, sociology, social scientists hold several opposing views on inequality.  At the heart of the functionalist theories is the idea that some activities the society considers it more important than others.  Proponents of these theories, inequality is a means of ensuring public confidence in the fact that such activities, carried out the most qualified individuals.   Supporters of Conflictological theories suggest that inequality is due to more favorable position of those who control the social wealth.  Their views are based on the theory of classes and social stratification, designed by Karl Marx.  According to this theory, the economic system of any society creates two main classes, one of which operates or controls the other.  (Berberoglu, 2005) In the concept of stratification, Weber identifies three factors: wealth, prestige and power.  These factors are often but not always interact.  The theory of stratification based on the criteria Warner reputation of people within the community.  According to this theory, belong to a particular social class is determined by the members of the community.  (Berberoglu, 2005) In the functional approach we can point out the theory of middle class (or the new middle) class ( Aron, Daniel Bell and others).  Theories of the middle class were a reflection of the quantitative growth of the officials, intellectuals, managers, enhancing social protection and education of workers and several other groups, as well as the convergence of income, consumption and lifestyles of the general population.  According to followers of the theory of the middle class, this process led to the elimination of traditional class distinctions between the bourgeoisie and the proletariat and the social formation of a new social groups, encompassing and unifying value pain majority of the population of industrialized countries its the middle class is.  This includes individuals who possessing family income, education, prestige role in life, lifestyle and identify themselves with this group of society.     According to exit polls, in Western countries for more than half the population (70-80%) identify themselves as middle class.  Formation of the middle class society provides a high level of social homogeneity, smooths or even eliminate class conflicts, helps to reconcile the positions of parties, trade unions, etc.  (Berberoglu, 2005)

Invisible Man Essay: Values of the Invisible Man -- Invisible Man Essa

Values of the Invisible Man      Ã‚  Ã‚   Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man is the story of an educated black man who has been oppressed and controlled by white men throughout his life. As the narrator, he is nameless throughout the novel as he journeys from the South, where he studies at an all-black college, to Harlem where he joins a Communist-like party known as the Brotherhood. Throughout the novel, the narrator is on a search for his true identity. Several letters are given to him by outsiders that provide him with a role: student, patient, and a member of the Brotherhood. One by one he discards these as he continues to grow closer to the sense of his true self. As the novel ends, he decides to hide in an abandoned cellar, plotting to undermine the whites. The entire story can be summed up when the narrator says "I'm an invisible man and it placed me in a hole- or showed me the hole I was in...." During the novel, the narrator comes to value several intangibles that eventually help to shape his identity. Throu gh his experiences and the people he has met, the narrator discovers the important value of his education, his invisibility, and his grandfather's advice.    From the very beginning of the novel the narrator values his education. His education first brings him a calfskin briefcase, when the superintendent rewards him for his success, saying "Take this prize and keep it well. Consider it a badge of office. Prize it. Keep developing as you are and some day it will be filled with important papers that will help shape the destiny of your people." The narrator treasures the briefcase so much because it symbolizes his education. He carries it throughout the whole novel, and it is the only object he takes into the cellar fro... ...ture and History. 1996 ed. Kelly, Robin D.G. "Communist Party of the United States." Encyclopaedia of African-American   Culture and History. 1996 ed.      Internet Sources: Bellow, Saul. "Man Underground" Review of Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man. Commentary. June 1952. 1st December 1999<http://www.english.upeen.edu/~afilreis /50s/bellow-on-ellison.html Earl, Gerald. "Decoding Ralph Ellison" Essay obtained from IGC.org Summer '97. 30 November. <http://www.igc.org/dissent/archive/summer97/early.html Howe, Irving. "Black Boys and Native Sons" English Dept. at Univ. Penn. 1 December 1999 <http://www.english.upenn.edu/~afilreis/50s/howe-blackboys.html. Howe, Irving. "Review of: Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man" Pub. The Nation. 10 May 1952. 30 November 1999. <http://www.english.upenn.edu/~afilreis/50s/howe-on-ellison.html.   

Activity Based Costing

Probably the most popular proposal to upgrade the traditional cost accounting system is activity-based costing (ABC). The purpose of ABC systems is to focus on the causes behind indirect costs. It is primarily a system of allocation. Activities rather than traditional departments are emphasized in order to isolate the cost drivers, which are the factors most likely to cause or contribute to the incurrence of costs. ABC systems are designed to be complementary with the technological changes in the factories due to enhanced global competition. t refers to the basis for cost accumulation, either direct or indirect, to products or services.The traditional approach to assigning costs to products is to attach those costs that are directly traceable to the product and allocate the indirect costs by a measure of volume, such as direct labor hours, direct labor dollars, or machine hours. According to Anderson and Kaplan (2004), a cardinal principle of ABC is this: if products or services are made to specifications known to add value for the customer, then activities, and hence costs, that can be removed without compromising these specifications are unnecessary and should be removed. Benefits of ABC Systems to CompaniesCompanies can benefit from ABC through the system’s attempt to improve the allocation of indirect costs by identifying the activities that are responsible for the costs. Costs and expenses that cannot be economically traced directly to a cost objective are to be allocated on a rational basis. Costs and expenses that can be directly traced to a revenue-producing division, a single product line, or to any defined cost objective need not be allocated. Traditionally, only direct materials and direct labor were assumed to be directly traceable to separate product lines.That assumption will no longer be followed. Instead, it will be assumed that elements of manufacturing overhead, administrative expenses, and marketing expenses may be economically traced to product lines, or revenue-producing divisions. ABC as a process-based approach represents one capital budgeting strategy for analyzing investment opportunities which allows managers to vary the underlying activity drivers in business processes in order to study the impact of different levels in the process itself.Managers have the potential to learn much more about investment risks when they study the uncertainties in the business processes, rather than the traditional overview approach. This traditional approach has typically focused upon highly aggregated revenue and cost items that are merely the result of business processes. Contemporary organizations normally develop activity-based costing systems to provide more accuracy in assigning indirect and support costs to activities, business processes, products, services, and customers.ABC systems have recognized that organizational resources are needed both for direct production of goods and services and for indirect or support ac tivities (Neely, 2002). The goal of organizations is for the ABC to measure and then price out all the resources used for activities that generate the production off and services for customers. The principal difference between the traditional costing methods and ABC systems is the number and type of cost drivers used.The traditional product costing systems uses allocation bases that may or may not have been cost drivers. Companies may find that direct labor is not a cost driver and may never be a cost driver, especially in highly automated production environments. Therefore, these companies utilize the ABC system because it uses a much larger number and variety of cost drivers than the one or two volume-based cost drivers typical for a traditional cost system. As a result the ABC method increases accuracy. Application and Benefits of ABC in the Pilgrims Manufacturing Inc.Company Activity-based costing system is effective and appropriate for the company because, as Hammer and Champy (1993) state, it facilitates the use of process-based management that represents an evolving management strategy for highly competitive environments, as opposed to the traditional, departmental management focus. Moreover, activity-based costing focuses upon the broader control span of cross-functional processes of how work really gets done in organizations, as opposed to the narrow control span of individual departments of organizations.Business processes have been discussed as a series of activities that are cross-functionally linked to achieve specific organizational objectives. An activity-based costing system should be developed within the company to satisfy some of the weaknesses of the traditional systems of accounting for and controlling costs. It is important to recognize the place of ABC systems in the overall picture of cost management. In traditional cost systems, direct materials and labor are the only costs traced directly to the product.Manufacturing overhead costs, by definition, are not traced, but allocated to the product. They may be traced to an activity or a service department or some other cost objective, but not to the product itself. Administrative, engineering and marketing expenses are not included in production costs even when they can be traced directly to the product. ABC along with other new concepts such as computer-integrated manufacturing and total cost management advocate changes in the traditional system to coincide with technological changes in the production process.Once the factory has been reorganized to provide maximum efficiency and minimum wasted resources, the cost system can be streamlined to serve the needs of managers, not just to satisfy the presentation of data in the financial statements. ABC seeks to identify activities that cause or drive costs. Once these activities are identified, product costs are assigned according to the activities consumed. Typical activities would be storage time, wait time, number of se tups, number of engineering changes, and move time.The traditional cost system usually assumes that the only relevant activities are volume (measured in units of product), direct labor hours, or direct labor dollars. ABC expands these activities and claims better assignment of overhead as a result. WORKS CITED 1. Anderson, S. & Kaplan, R. (2004). Time-Driven Activity-Based Costing. Harvard Business Review, November, pp. 131-138. 2. Hammer, M. & Champy, J. (1993). Reengineering the Corporation. New York, NY: Harper Business. 3. Neely, A. (2002). Business Performance Measurement: Theory and Practice. Cambridge University Press.

Compensation and Benefits Strategies Essay

A strategic plan for employee compensation determines how much you want to pay employees and what type of employees you want to attract. Your compensation plan entails a variety of aspects including pay scales, reward programs, benefits packages and company perks. A successful strategic compensation plan allows your business to compete in the market for the best employees in your industry (Lister, 2013). In order for this medium sized construction business to structure itself and be market competitive then research around benefits, compensation, merits, and the laws related to benefits and pay programs needs to be conducted. The success of the business will rely on the research put into it. Construction Market Evaluation When looking at the relevant labor markets the task was difficult due to the slowing and sluggish construction economy from 2007 to 2012. Demand in this industry depends heavily on the health of the economy. A midsize company’s profitability and efficient operations require the skills of experienced employees you will be able to work efficiently with available resources because they will not have the advantage of larger commercial construction companies with multiple projects simultaneously in various types of construction. The company’s annual net revenue is $10,000,000 and will need to use their resources wisely to attract and retain talent in the present market and in future expanded markets. When researching labor markets according to (Cascio, 2013), â€Å"This can often be a complex task because employers must pay attention not only to labor markets but also to product markets (e.g., level of demand and degree of competition). Pay practices must be designed not only to attract and retain employees but also to ensure that labor costs (as part of the overall costs of production) do not become excessive in relation to those of competing employers.† The job surveyed for this market evaluation was Corporate Construction Manager on a  national level for companies with 800 to 3,000 employees. The present workforce in this midsized business is 650 employees and they are looking to add over an additional 20% to the current workforce or an additional 130 employees. The company wants to be comparable to other commercial construction businesses as they expand in Arizona while being conscious of the compensation used currently in Detroit, Michigan. The median annual income for a Corporate Construction Manager in Detroit, Michigan is $104,626.00. The core compensation package is based on averages, not personal factors and will be different from those in Arizona. Here is the breakdown of the benefit package for a Corporate Construction Manager in Detroit; Core Compensation Expanding into Arizona, the median annual income for a Corporate Construction Manager is above average at $120,601. Here is a breakdown of what makes up the compensation benefits in Arizona; Core Compensation Median % of Total Base Salary $120,601 65.9% Bonuses $15,405 8.4% Value of Benefits Social Security $9,021 4.9% 401K/403B $5,168 2.8% Disability $952 0.5% Healthcare $6,507 3.6% Pension $8,704 4.8% Time Off $16,739 9.1% Total Compensation $183,099 100% The level of knowledge and skill requires 10-15 years of experience in the industry with a bachelor level degree. According to (Duchon, 2007), â€Å" When construction is booming in a region, and strong able-bodied workers are in short supply, hourly wages can escalate to attract labor from other locations. To attract and retain individuals with appropriate skills/competencies, organizations must be willing to pay competitive rates based on targeted labor markets (local, regional, and national). It’s the law of supply and demand.† Construction and Manufacturing industries are rewarded and paid for prescribed output, project completion, and measured  output. Any bonuses will range according to job level and specific weight based structure. When expanding into Arizona the company will need to consider the total company structure on a national level as they increase headcount and annual revenue. Compensation Structure The use of market pricing to determine wages and salaries is known as market based pay and utilizing this system would be the best practice for a competitive market segment such as construction and contracting. Especially considering the expansion to another region. According to WageWatch, â€Å"committing to a market base pay compensation structure means that employees will be paid at a competitive wage when compared with rates offered to people in similar positions in peer organizations (WageWatch, 2012).† Supply and demand, which rules over the labor market, further drives this approach. A properly designed market based pay system will facilitate companies by controlling compensation costs, enhancing market competitiveness, improving recruitment results, increasing employee morale, and achieving greater internal equity. However, in order establish and inevitably maintain an effective market-based pay system, one needs to know how to successfully match and integrate salary surveys with the company’s data, philosophies and practices. Internal equity is analyzed in a way similar to external market analysis in that the data determines worth relative to benchmarked job titles, but different in that the benchmarks are internally established. Internal benchmarks are particularly useful in evaluating both unique and hybrid job titles for which external benchmarks do not exist. Managing external and internal equity is a dynamic process that requires the organization to stay vigilant on changes in market conditions and business demands. The market based pay approach to compensation gives the influence of the external market on wages precedence over internal equity (WageWatch, 2012). The success of Corporate Construction is contingent on attracting and retaining the best talent needed to efficiently execute the company’s business strategy. Having the right pay structure is at the helm of this. And in recent years organizations have noticed a significant shift with the types of structures that work best. A new study by World at Work and Deloitte, â€Å"2012 Survey of Salary Structure Policies and Practices,† found that market-based salary  structures are the most prevalent type of pay structure in use (64 percent). While traditional and broadband structures are less common today (23 percent and 12 percent respectively). Companies of all sizes in varying industries are understanding the importance of market- competitiveness and are focusing on external equity to attract and retain top talent (Deloitte Consulting, 2012). Total Compensation and Benefit Strategy Performance Incentives and Merit Pay Merit pay, although not covered by the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) is still subject to other regulations and laws, up to and including city, state, regional and federal laws, mandates and regulations. Although not mandated by law, especially in Arizona, merit pay and performance incentives are an excellent way to motivate new and current employees to push for specific short and mid-term goals (Saari & Judge, 2004). In a new work environment, the key to growth is hiring and motivating the right employees. In a construction business, these goals can be broken down between the construction crews, and the support and admin staff. Implementing goals for the construction foremen and/ or project managers, and authorizing them sub-goals and incentive pay for contractors, subcontractors, and crews can give the right incentives for completing on-time, on-target, and within budget construction projects. Merit pay for those who work longer hours up to and including authorized overtime, or who complete safe, timely portions of projects within budget constraints will also boost performance without sacrificing quality. (HRHELP, 2011) Whatever benefits and pay program is chosen several laws must be considered. With the location, size of the organization, and projected revenue and personnel growth in the coming year, the following laws will apply. Remember that this is not an exhaustive or complete list, and there may be updates after the time of publication (Cascio W. F., 2013). The Arizona Employment Protection Act (A.R.S. 23-1501), Arizona Legal  Arizona Worker Act (ALAWA), and The Arizona Civil Rights Act (ACRA) are three of the main Arizona laws in particular that Clapton Commercial Construction must abide by. Any incentive, performance pay and compensation programs must be in concert with these laws. Federal laws, principally those to do with government funded construction projects include the McNamara-O’Hara Service Contract Act, Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards Act (CWHSSA), Copeland â€Å"Anti-Kickback† Act, and Walsh-Healey Public Contracts Act. These laws cover everything from properly instituting overtime pay to ensuring that employees receive the merit pay and other benefits afforded to them in a timely manner. (U.S. Department of Labor) References Arizona Attorney General’s Office. Employment Discrimination: Get the Fact. Phoenix: Arizona Attorney General’s Office. Arizona New Hire Reporting Center. (2009-2013). New Hire Reporting Law. Retrieved 12 07, 2013, from Arizona New Hire Reporting Center: https://az-newhire.com/law Arizona Senate Research Staf. (2007-2008). Arizona Senate Background Brief: Labor Laws. Phoenix: Arizona Senate Research Staff. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2013, December). http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes119021.htm#st. Retrieved from www.bls.gov. Cascio, W. (2013). Managing Human Resources; Productivity,Quality of Work Life, Profits. New York:McGraw-Hill. Deloitte Consulting LLP. (2012). Salary structure policies and procedures. Retrieved from http://www.worldatwork.org/waw/adimLink?id=65885 Duchon, M. (2007, June 1). Compensation; Total Reward Plans that Attrack, Retain, and Motivate.Construction Business Owner . Henderson, R. (2012, January). Employment outlook:2010-2020 -Industry employment and output projections to 2020. Monthly Labor Review , p.65-83. HRHELP. (2011). HR & employment Law Compliance Guide for Arizona Employers. HRHELP. Lister, J. (2013). Strategic Plan for Employee Compensation and Benefits. Retrieved from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/strategic-plan-employee-compensation-benefits-15613.html National Right to Work Legal Defense and Education Foundation, Inc. (2010). Right to Work Laws: Arizona . Retrieved 12 07, 2013, from National Right To Work Legal Defense Foundation:

Johann Friedrich Struensee Biography

Johann Friedrich Struensee Biography Though he was an important figure in Danish history, German physician Johann Friedrich Struensee is not particularly well known in Germany. The period he lived in, the late 18th century, is known as the Age of Enlightenment. New schools of thought were introduced and revolutionary ideas made their way to courts, Kings,  and Queens. Some of the policies of European rulers were heavily coined by the likes of Voltaire, Hume, Rousseau or Kant. Born and schooled in Halle, Struensee soon moved close to Hamburg. He studied medicine and, just like his grandfather, he was to become personal physician to the Danish King, Christian VII. His father Adam was a high-ranking cleric, thus Struensee came from a very religious home. After he had already finished his university career at the age of twenty, he chose to become a doctor for the poor in Altona (today a quarter of Hamburg, Altona used to be a Danish city from 1664-1863). Some of his contemporaries criticized him for using new methods in medicine and his rather modern worldviews, as Struensee was a strong supporter of many enlightened philosophers and thinkers. As Struensee had already been in contact with the royal Danish court, he was picked as the personal physician for King Christian VII while the latter traveled through Europe. Throughout their journey, the two men became close friends. The King, in a long line of Danish Kings with severe mental issues, known for his wild antics without regard to his young wife, Queen Caroline Mathilde, sister of the English King George III. The country was more or less ruled by a council of aristocrats, which made the King sign every new law or regulation. When the travel party returned to Copenhagen in 1769, Johann Friedrich Struensee joined them and was appointed the permanent personal physician to the King, who’s escapades got the best of him once more.  Ã‚   Just as in any good movie, Struensee got to know the Queen Caroline Mathilde and they fell in love. As he saved the crown prince’s life, the German doctor and the royal family became very close. Struensee managed to rekindle the King’s interest in politics and started influencing him with his enlightened views. Right from the start of his involvement with the King’s affairs, many members of the royal council looked upon Johann Friedrich with suspicion. Nonetheless, he became more and more influential and quite soon the Christian appointed him to the royal council. As the King’s mind drifted away more and more, Struensee’s power increased. Soon he presented Christian with numerous laws and legislation that changed the face of Denmark. The King willingly signed them. While issuing many reforms that were supposed to better the situation of the peasants, amongst other things making Denmark the first country to abolish serfdom, Struensee managed to weaken the royal council’s power. In June 1771, Christian named Johann Friedrich Struensee Secret Cabinet Minister and gave him the general power of attorney, de facto making him the absolute ruler of the Danish Kingdom. But whereas he developed an incredible efficiency in issuing new legislation and enjoyed a harmonious love life with the Queen, dark clouds started to tower on the horizon. His conservative opposition to the basically powerless royal council turned to intrigue. They used the rather new technology of printing to discredit Struensee and Caroline Mathilde. They spread flyers all over Copenhagen, stirring up the people against the opaque German physician and the English Queen. Struensee didn’t really pay attention to these tactics, he was far too busy, radically changing the cou ntry. In fact, the rate at which he issued new laws was so high he even opposed those powers at the court that weren’t actually opposed to many of the changes he made. Though, to them, the changes came too fast and went too far. In the end, Struensee became so involved with his work, that he didn’t see his downfall coming. In a cloak-and-dagger operation, the opposition made the now almost moronic King sign an arrest warrant for Struensee, marking him a traitor for consorting with the Queen – a crime punishable by death – and further charges. In April 1772, Johann Friedrich Struensee was executed, while Caroline Mathilde was divorced from Christian and eventually banned from Denmark. After his death, most of the changes Struensee had made to Danish legislation were undone.​ The dramatic story of the German doctor who ruled Denmark and – for a short while – made it one of the most advanced countries at the time, who fell in love with the Queen and ended up being executed, has been the topic of many books and movies, even though not as many as you might think.

Ethics and Social Responsibility †Business Essay

Ethics and Social Responsibility – Business Essay Free Online Research Papers Ethics and Social Responsibility Business Essay Ethics and Social Responsibility in business and government today are very important subjects. There are numerous reasons for businesses to operate in an ethical and socially responsible manner. There are government regulations, corporate belief systems, and basic common sense. There needs to be a overall intent to be ethical and socially responsible in today’s business environment in order to stay successful. Ethics in Business In business today there are many instances of corporations that act from an ethical standard, including the company that I work for. In the wake of scandals such as Enron and Imclone it is more important than ever that companies make an effort to push out improper behavior and practices if they wish to stay in business. One example of good business practices is the case of Henry Thomas, a cellular technician for Southern Bell, who was asked to randomly terminate five employees as a disciplinary measure. He refused to do so based on his moral code, and was then terminated. He decided to go into business for himself and dedicate his business to God. He states that, â€Å"The Bible tells us that God’s eyes are looking to and fro throughout the earth for those whose hearts are wholly committed to him. Every day, I pray that God would give us wisdom and that he would find us usable so that we can continue our mission to help others and to show God how much we love him.† (Mi ller, 1). When Thomas rededicated his efforts to God and his business, his small business has grown to the point where they have monthly earnings in excess of $10 million. Not bad for just following your moral code and God’s plan. Another area where ethics are important is the government sector. It is important for the government to act in an ethical manner so that we, as citizens can have faith that the right things are being done for the right reasons. I was pleased to find that the government is active in the form of a website called the developmental gateway, which contains articles on topics such as ethics and social responsibility in government sectors and business sectors. It is extremely informative and a good source of information on how things are handled in government. The importance of ethics in business is seen all the way into the structural natures of businesses. It is not just a notion that you have; it is in the way a business operates that can show the importance of ethics in your company. The dedication to ethics must come from the highest ranks of the organization. In order to have a principled company, you must have a principled leadership. Principled leaders â€Å"†¦have their goals and views in line with all stakeholders in the company such as workers, stockholders, customers, and communities â€Å" (Batstone, 86). Another factor involved in principled leaders is credibility, credibility is â€Å"†¦intangible characteristics that lead their people to believe in and work towards objectives. Earning credibility is a daily, uphill journey that has to be continually renewed.† (Kouzes, 125). Credibility is something that many of the companies involved in scandals have lost. Getting it back will be either impossible or a t remendous effort. One way to handle the effects of any kind of catastrophe or scandal is to have a crisis management system in place. Crisis management is â€Å"†¦a systemic initiative to prevent man-induced catastrophes from effecting the organization negatively.† (Mitroff, 17). At my place of employment, we have an emergency response team in order to respond to any medical, chemical, and hazardous material situation. I think that this is a valid method of crisis management and will help if there is ever any problems in the future. Another very important area for ethics to be apparent is the medical field. Banja states in his interview that ethics are important because â€Å"†¦health care is so unpredictable, uncertain, stressful, and contains such high-stakes, that many practitioners exaggerate their competence. They come to believe that one ought never appear ignorant, uncertain, hesitant, or wrong. They work hard on convincing themselves and others that they are eminently capable, indeed, outstanding, so that when something like an error does occur, the cognitive dissonance it creates is traumatic because it threatens their self-image.† (Banja 1). The public often hears of tragedies that occur on the operating table, such as instruments left inside the body, or wrong limbs operated on. These instances scare people and lead to mistrust. It is essential that physicians maintain ethical standards so that they can maintain the trust that we need to place in them as customers. Social Responsibility in Business With the amount of pollution in the world today it is very important for business to be socially responsible in operation. For instance, my company has its own environmental department, which takes care of any environmental issues that may occur in our daily operations. Another instance of a corporation being ecologically sensitive is the case of Bainbridge Graduate Institute. Bainbridge Graduate Institute has committed itself to 100% use of renewable energy sources. One of Bainbridge’s faculty stated, â€Å"Our purchase of green tags [renewable energy certificates] is a natural extension of our mission to teach sustainable business practices† (www.epa.gov). It is important to note that Bainbridge is not the first to try this practice, but they are one of the most successful. Another case of social responsibility is the Brazilian sugar markets. These companies are becoming more globalized and are coming under the scrutiny of many other governments. Once used to free reign as far as their overall actions were concerned. One thing they are learning is that â€Å"Bad publicity can translate into a lower stock price† (Vogel, ethicsworld.com). Also, Frank Vogl in his article says that, â€Å"For business, coming to terms with this vital and complex agenda (social responsibility) means new strategies and corporate behaviors.† (Vogl, ethicsworld.com). Hopefully the Brazilian sugar makers will realize that they cannot exploit people or resources and continue to be profitable in this day and age. People are more valuable than to be used as mere commodities. In conclusion, Ethics and Social Responsibility are very important for modern businesses to possess to function productively and profitably. In a world that has been rocked my multiple corporate scandals and environmental disasters, it is essential that companies put forth the effort to regain and maintain the trust of their customers and the public in general. Hopefully the efforts of organizations like Bainbridge Graduate Institute, and people like Henry Thomas will help to regain some of the footing that has been lost over the years. With a little effort and responsibility, perhaps the organizations of today can leave the world in better shape for our children and their children. WORKS CITED Books or Literature Batstone, David. Saving the Corporate Soul (Who Knows?) Maybe Your Own. San Francisco: Jossey- Bass, 2003. Kouzes, James M. Posner, Barry Z. Credibility: How Leaders Gain It and Lose It, Why People Demand It. San Francisco: Jossey –Bass, 1993. Mitroff, Allen I , Anagnos, Gus. Managing Crises Before They Happen: What Every Manager Needs to Know about Crisis Management. New York: American Management Association, 2001. Peters, Thomas J. â€Å"Putting Excellence Into Management,† Business Week, July 21, 1980,  © 1980 by McGraw – Hill, Inc. Internet Sources Bainbridge Graduate Institute Commits to 100% Renewable Energy, Joins EPA Green Power Partnership (2006). Retrieved 1-15-2006 from www.epa.gov/greenpower. Miller, Kevin.(2006). Refusing to Compromise Pays Big Dividends. Retrieved 1-15-2006 from http://secretsofsuccess.com/people/thomas.html Vogel, David. (2005). The Market for Virtue: The Potential and Limits of Corporate Social Responsibilit. ethicsworld.com/ corporatesocialresponsibility/viewsandanalysis.php Vogl, Frank. (2005). Ethics Values of Globalization. Retrieved 1-15-2006 from ethicsworld.com/ corporatesocialresponsibility/viewsandanalysis.php. Professional Interview BANJA, JOHN. (2005). JOHN BANJA INTERVIEWS HIMSELF ON HIS BOOK MEDICAL ERRORS AND MEDICAL NARCISSISM. RETRIEVED 1-20-2006 FROM HTTP://WWW.ETHICS.EMORY.EDU/NEWS/ARCHIVES/000374.HTML. Richie Dunn dunn_richie@yahoo.com Research Papers on Ethics and Social Responsibility - Business EssayMoral and Ethical Issues in Hiring New EmployeesPETSTEL analysis of IndiaBringing Democracy to AfricaTwilight of the UAWAnalysis of Ebay Expanding into AsiaRelationship between Media Coverage and Social andNever Been Kicked Out of a Place This NiceOpen Architechture a white paperResearch Process Part OneThe Effects of Illegal Immigration

10 Ser Conjugation Charts For Every Tense in Spanish

10 Ser Conjugation Charts For Every Tense in Spanish SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips One of the hardest parts of learning a romance language- especially one like Spanish- is verb conjugation. In Spanish, the way a verb is conjugated depends on a number of factors, including the subject, the verb tense, and the purpose of the sentence itself. That means that there are actually many versions of each verb, all of which mean something slightly different. And because so much of understanding Spanish revolves around verbs, it’s an important (though pretty confusing) part of learning Spanish as a second language. If you’re taking the AP Spanish exam, ser is one of the most critical verbs that you need to know- and know how to conjugate. Unfortunately, the conjugations for ser can be pretty tricky. But we’re here to help. In this article, we’ll give you every possible verb conjugation for the Spanish verb ser, which means â€Å"to be.† We’ll even give you a quick rundown on what ser means and when to use it! So†¦  ¡si estan listos, vamos! It's time to do like Dora and "Come on, vamanos!"Loren Javier/Flickr Every Single Ser Conjugation Chart We’ve broken down every conjugation of ser by verb tense and form! Scroll down until you see the heading for the verb tense you need, then check out the corresponding chart below. Present Indicative Yo soy Nosotros somos Tà º eres Vosotros sois Usted/El/Ella es Ustedes/Ellos/Ellas son Imperfect Indicative Yo era Nosotros à ©ramos Tà º eras Vosotros erais Usted/El/Ella era Ustedes/Ellos/Ellas eran Preterite Indicative Yo fui Nosotros fuimos Tà º fuiste Vosotros fuisteis Usted/El/Ella fue Ustedes/Ellos/Ellas fueron Future Indicative Yo serà © Nosotros seremos Tà º sers Vosotros serà ©is Usted/El/Ella ser Ustedes/Ellos/Ellas sern Conditional Yo serà ­a Nosotros serà ­amos Tà º serà ­as Vosotros serà ­ais Usted/El/Ella serà ­a Ustedes/Ellos/Ellas serà ­an Present Subjunctive Yo sea Nosotros seamos Tà º seas Vosotros seis Usted/El/Ella sea Ustedes/Ellos/Ellas sean Imperative or Command Yo - - Nosotros seamos Tà º sà © Vosotros sed Usted/El/Ella sea Ustedes/Ellos/Ellas sean Imperfect Subjunctive Note that there are two conjugations for the imperfect subjunctive. In Spanish, these conjugation forms can be used interchangeably! Yo fuera Nosotros fuà ©ramos Tà º fueras Vosotros fuerais Usted/El/Ella fuera Ustedes/Ellos/Ellas fueran Yo fuese Nosotros fuà ©semos Tà º fueses Vosotros fueseis Usted/El/Ella fuese Ustedes/Ellos/Ellas fuesen All Perfect Tenses A quick note: there are multiple perfect tenses, including the pluperfect, preterite perfect, future perfect, conditional perfect, and present perfect subjunctive, and pluperfect subjunctive. When using these forms, the construction is always as follows: Conjugation of haber + sido You’ll conjugate haber in whatever form accompanies the perfect tense. For example, if you’re using the future perfect, you’ll conjugate haber in future tense! Yo sido Nosotros sido Tà º sido Vosotros sido Usted/El/Ella sido Ustedes/Ellos/Ellas sido Dad joke of the day: "Ser" means "to be," not "two bees" Meaning and Usage of Ser As we mentioned earlier, ser means â€Å"to be† in Spanish. But if you’re studying Spanish, you know that there’s a second verb that means â€Å"to be† as well: estar. (We’ll talk about estar in another article, so you don’t need to worry about it now.) Additionally, ser is an irregular verb. That means it doesn’t follow the normal patterns of conjugations that a regular verb- ike hablar (to speak) or vivir (to live)- do. Unfortunately, there’s no easy tip, trick, or formula to help you nail the ser conjugation each and every time. The only way to make sure you know the ser conjugations is to memorize them. So how do you know when to use ser? In general, ser is used to talk about what something is. You can think of ser as a way to talk about a thing’s permanent state or a set of characteristics that don’t change. To show you how this works, here are examples of situations that require you to use ser: Time and Date If you’re talking about a specific time (on a clock) or calendar date, you should use ser. Example: Hoy es Martes.Today is Tuesday. Example: Son las dos. It’s two o’clock. Place of Origin and Nationality Whenever you’re talking about someone’s home country, state, or where they were born, use a ser conjugation. Example: Claudio es puertorriqueà ±o. Claudio is Puerto Rican. Example: El es de Alemania.He is from Germany. Occupation or Profession Use the appropriate version of ser when speaking about a person’s job, profession, or occupation. Example: Mi abuela era doctora en Chile. My grandmother was a doctor in Chile. Example: Adela es arquitecta.Adela is an architect. Religious or Political Affiliation Use ser when you’re talking about someone’s religion or the political party they belong to. Example: El presidente de los estados unidos es republicano. The president of the United States is Republican. Example: Martin es un cristiano, entonces à ©l quiere ir a una colegio cristiano.Martin is a Christian, so he wants to go to a Christian college. What Something Is Made Of When describing what something is made of, use ser. If you’re discussing how something is made, you’ll need to use a verb like hacer (to make) instead. Example: La bicicleta es de metal. The bicycle is made of metal. Example: Los boletos son de papel.The tickets are made of paper. Possession When you’re talking about what something belongs to, use ser. This is how you indicate ownership! Example: Mitzi es la perra de Miguel. Mitzi is Miguel’s dog. Example: Esos libros fueron del seà ±or Villareal.Those books belonged to Mr. Villareal. Permanent Relationships of One Person to Another Use ser to indicate how people are related to one another. Example: Ella es la amiga de Laura. She is Laura’s friend Example: Seà ±ora Mariz es la mam de Juan.Mrs. Mariz is Juan’s mother. Where an Event Is Taking Place Use a ser conjugation to talk about the time and location of a specific event. Example: La conferencia es a las siete en la noche. The conference is at seven p.m. Example: La pasada copa del mundo fue en Rusia.The last World Cup was in Russia. Essential Characteristics of People and Things When deciding between ser and estar to talk about characteristics, use ser when you’re talking about permanent, unchanging, and/or essential traits of a person or item. Example: Colombia es un paà ­s grande. Colombia is a big country. Example: Josà © y Clara son amables.Josà © and Clara are friendly. Generalizations If you’re talking in large generalities, use a ser conjugation. Example: La prueba fue muy difà ­cil. The test was very difficult. Example:  ¡Es fabuloso viajar!It’s fabulous to travel! What's Next? If you’re preparing for the AP Spanish exam, that’s great! You might also look into other classes that offer AP exams in order to maximize your college credit and weighted GPA. Wondering what a good AP score is for the AP Spanish exam? Here’s a list of the average AP scores for every AP test! One of the tricky bits about AP tests is that it’s hard to know when to start studying for them. You’re taking the AP class, after all! Here’s a handy guide to help you figure out the best time to start studying for the AP Spanish test on your own. (Spoiler alert: you do have to study for AP tests outside of the classroom, too!)

Policy Issues in the Criminal Justice System Essay

Policy Issues in the Criminal Justice System - Essay Example Indeed, never before in history has the controversial practice appeared to be under such a threat. These people consider the death penalty to be a form of cruel and unusual punishment. They argue that it is a part of a barbaric ancient world and as such it no longer has any place in our contemporary world. This is a popular opinion. But upon critical consideration, the idea that the death penalty is cruel and unusual punishment does not stand up to scrutiny. Just because something had been used for many millennium does not mean it is barbaric or obsolete. People in the past knew a great deal about human nature; Michelangelo, for example, painted the Sistine Chapel. He was not a barbarian. The truth is we need to look at the death penalty in the contemporary world and examine its effectiveness. We need to look closely to see if it is cruel and unusual punishment or if it is an effective and responsible way to punish murderers and allow society to act as it feels is necessary in the fa ce of certain heinous crimes. Society needs to be able to make a statement about the worst crimes. One of the few developed countries to still use the death penalty is America. In America today capital punishment is legal in around thirty-seven states. It enjoys substantial popular support (Clark County). Most Americans do not believe it is cruel and unusual punishment. They believe it is an appropriate form of censure. ... If it is cruel—and that is an open question—it is plainly in response to the cruelty of the acts committed by those who have received the death penalty. The truth is that there is a strong argument that the death penalty is a deterrent to those who seek or plan to commit heinous crimes—this would therefore justify those who suggest the death penalty is beyond the pale. The death penalty prevents people from committing crimes. No one criminal wants to end up subject to capital punishment and on death row. That is only part of the argument in favour of capital punishment however; more than that, the death penalty is the ultimate sanction that society can take against those who commit the most serious crimes. As a whole society needs a mechanism through which to express their extreme displeasure at acts of extreme violence. This simply make sense. Many scholars also believe it works effectively as a deterrent (Mappes, 98). Those who study criminology and who take a serious interest in this question, often agree that the death penalty has that kind of impact. The statistics, however, may not be so clearly demonstrative. The reason why statistics are so open to misuse and manipulation by death penalty opponents is the fact that many murders committed by murderers are not actually first degree and do not involve a lot of premeditation. They often occur on the spur of the moment or by negligence. For these sorts of crimes, death penalty is not much of a deterrence—and this fact will be reflected in the statistics used by opponents. In fact, it is difficult to think there is much of a correlation between crime rates and capital punishment to begin with. Homicide is but a very small portion of crime

Disaster Management and Emergency Planning Essay

Disaster Management and Emergency Planning - Essay Example This report would highlight, in clear terms, the actions expected of the emergency response units: with a great emphasis on how the casualties are attended to; how the public is being warned of the danger of the incident; and how media representatives are properly handled in the course of this catastrophe. The magnitude of this disaster calls for rapid establishment of an effective command structure. According to the classification of emergencies in UK, this scenario can be categorized as a â€Å"serious emergency† (Level 2), because it is a terrorist attack on the welfare of people. In such a situation, a Co-ordinated Combined Government Command Structure (CCGCS) may be necessary to help the casualties. This depends on which section first of all responds to the incident. The UK Central Government, after deliberating on the urgency of the issue may firstly activate Cabinet Office Briefing Room (COBR), chaired by the Prime Minister. Since this incident occurs in the Promenade of Blackpool, which is located in Lancashire, North West of England, the response would be led by the appropriate Lead Government Department in that English Region. Initially, local responders are naturally expected to start the rescue operations: and when this is carried out by the local police led by Police Gold Commander, Strategic Co-ordination Group (SCG) would be activated (which comprises of all the representatives of rescue/ emergency organizations and agencies in that locality). The main guiding principles behind the operations of the Co-ordinated Combined Government Command Structure include preparedness, situation monitoring, continuity, subsidiarity, crisis detection support, containment, communication, integration, response, de-escalation and recovery (Moore & Lakha 2006). The Strategic Co-ordination Group may involve Regional Resilience Team

Love Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Love - Article Example Based on the new ability to scan the brain, researchers have developed new theories about language acquisition that focus on â€Å"critical windows of learning† (Wasserman, 2007). This theory that emphasizes critical windows of learning states that children’s brains can learn certain skills, such as language, only during short windows of time. Once the window has closed, the child cannot learn that skill. Wasserman argues that educators must embrace this new research in order to address the needs of at-risk students. Though Wasserman acknowledges that this research is still being debated, she believes that educators should use the theory just as educators in the past used the research of Piaget, Skinner, and others before it was officially accepted. Classroom accommodations that Wasserman emphasizes are using neuroscience to identify at-risk students. Once a brain scan identifies a student, the educator should use the critical windows of learning to identify what the child has learned and is capable of learning. Additionally, she calls for educators to use brain-based research to change the way they teach. In her words, â€Å"Sequential knowledge is harder for the brain to process. Nonlinear learning in bits and pieces is easier for the brain to process† (Wasserman, 2007). Public education classrooms focus entirely on sitting in a desk and learning knowledge sequentially. Educators should adopt teaching that allows for nonlinear learning. In other words, the classroom that Wasserman envisions does not have students all sitting quietly at a desk listening to the teacher. Instead, it is a classroom that is full of energy where students are learning and discovering as their brains lead them. Wasserman’s article covered the basics of brain-based research in a method and language that was easy to understand. Since the audience is public educators, language that is too complex would be detrimental to her purpose as an educator would not read

QUESTION TWO,(it is under assignment criteria) Essay

QUESTION TWO,(it is under assignment criteria) - Essay Example n sources of community law are: treaties establishing the communities in EU, general principles of administrative law, international agreements of the European Commission, directives, and conventions between the Member States. This paper briefly addresses the judicial review of community acts along with the relevant aspects with regard to the applicability of articles 230 EC, 232 EC and 234 EC. The judicial review of community acts involves susceptibility of the law, which can be challenged either directly through an action for annulment, or indirectly through the plea of illegality or a preliminary ruling on the validity of the act. In case of article 234 EC, it has been challenged through the preliminary ruling procedure whereas article 230 EC has been challenged through the action for annulment. â€Å"Article 234 allows the Court to decide on the validity of any ‘acts of the Institutions of the Community and of the European Central Bank’, while EC Article 230 contains some restrictions, e.g., as to the binding character of the act, or so to the authors of the act.† (Schermers and Waelbroeck, 2001, p. 314) In case of a failure to act, article 232 EC entitles individuals to challenge the failure to adopt a binding act. Under article 230 EC, Member States and Institutions can challenge all acts of the Institutions including directives. But individuals can only attack the decisions, there is no mention in the act about the possibility of private parties to challenge provisions of a directive. It is notable in this context that the Court of Justice is the only judge of the validity of community law. National courts are not entitled to invalidate any community act. In the interest of legal certainty, it would be preferable if private parties given time limit (two months) to challenge the provision of a directive for effective consequences. With regard to the applicability of article 230 EC, the purpose of actions for its annulment is to invalidate the binding

Gallery Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Gallery Paper - Essay Example A reflection of the Impressionist style is seen in Poppy Field whereby Monet depicts his perception through rough stokes of brush, vivid hues on a light colored canvas. The painting captures a spontaneous approach and depicts a snapshot of a scene that the artist has chosen. The most enthralling part of this painting is that it looks simplistic as opposed to complex; as if it were drawn with much ease. The painting depicts a typical day in Argenteuil’s summers (Murray). The most prominent part of the painting is the arrangement of various elements under consideration in the painting. The flat, horizontal flower bed is in strike contrast to the vertical stance of the trees. Furthermore, the striking green leaves stand in sheer contrast to the grass in the field which has been painted brown with a slight tinge of green as if it were dried. The essence of the painting is captured by the poppies that are painted vividly red with roughly six to seven random strokes of red brush at the bottom of the painting. To add to it, the sky stands in deep contrast to the rest of the painting with light blue hues and several scattered feathery clouds portraying a bright summer’s day. Monet has been more than just successful in outlining the sky with the aid of trees and the earth. The soil, although it encapsulates the largest space in the painting, gives an enthralling effect whereby its dark colors cause it to retreat and the white hues in the clouds cause it to become more prominent. Since the sky is in stark contrast to the trees and the soil, the ground and the trees drift the viewer’s attention to the sky. The perception of the artist is such that he controls the viewer’s eye movements by positioning the objects in a particular fashion. Hence, the viewer’s eyes first roll to the sky then towards the trees on the left side, and in the end towards the ground itself. It is a common mistake to think that because the ground depicts a lot of p eople that would be the most capturing position in the entire painting. In reality this is certainly not the case. Rather, the people become the most insignificant part of the painting, and that is simply because the people stand small in front of the greatness of the sky. At another instance also the painting demonstrates the insignificance of people by portraying three different people on the ground; the boy in the front who waves to the audience, and two women in the backdrop. Finally, the insignificance of man is further highlighted by the fact that the artist depicts a holistic view of man; he does not go into details and does not show the features of the boy of the women, in an attempt to merge them with the rest of the scenario. The boy is merely a figure and the artist does not even give the slightest hint of where his features ought to be. Furthermore, the hues used by Monet are bright ones, such as yellows, blues and greens; however, they tend to be not so bright or appear somewhat faded out by the scorching rays of the sun. We can, therefore, confidently say that the painting captures at length the sentiments of experiencing a typical summer’s day. Perhaps a significant aspect of this painting was that the outlines were thinned; the painting articulately depicted a melodrama of colors, a colorful fusion of brightly colored hues all blended together in an eloquent

Exercise research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Exercise research - Essay Example Please provide answers to the following three (3) questions. The results of your investigations may be, summarised in a table like the one below. A word count of between 300 and 400 words for each answer is required. Please do not exceed the word count, as this will not gain any additional marks. Each answer must include references to each article you have used to answer each question: Please use the Library Portal to find three (3) sources of information that clarifies this claim. Summarise the nature and extent of the problem based on the information you used from your selected articles. There is no doubt that the frequency of computer related fraud and crime had grown in the past few years. One of the rampant and challenging problems is digital piracy of entertainment material and software applications. Craig Kuhl, in his New York Times article, points out the prospects and problems facing the digital media industry in light of threat from piracy and copyright infringement: â€Å"The stakes are high: Worldwide online video revenue is expected to exceed $4.5 billion by 2012, up from $1.2 billion in 2008. And by 2012, according to In-Stat, 90% of U.S. households will have access to broadband, with 94% watching online video. An IMS Research study estimates that by 2013, 255 million TV households worldwide will be watching HDTV and the number of unique HD titles increased by 161% over the first six months of this year, and the number of on-demand orders jumped to 3 billion in 2007. Meanwhile, the Motion Picture Association of America puts annual losses to film piracy at a whopping $18 billion†. (Craig Kuhl, 2008, p.22) Surely, 18 billion dollars is a significant loss to an industry that is also vulnerable to several other risk factors. Other threats to computer systems worldwide come in the form of viruses, worms and Trojan horses. The issue of financial and information losses from these

Gallery Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Gallery Paper - Essay Example A reflection of the Impressionist style is seen in Poppy Field whereby Monet depicts his perception through rough stokes of brush, vivid hues on a light colored canvas. The painting captures a spontaneous approach and depicts a snapshot of a scene that the artist has chosen. The most enthralling part of this painting is that it looks simplistic as opposed to complex; as if it were drawn with much ease. The painting depicts a typical day in Argenteuil’s summers (Murray). The most prominent part of the painting is the arrangement of various elements under consideration in the painting. The flat, horizontal flower bed is in strike contrast to the vertical stance of the trees. Furthermore, the striking green leaves stand in sheer contrast to the grass in the field which has been painted brown with a slight tinge of green as if it were dried. The essence of the painting is captured by the poppies that are painted vividly red with roughly six to seven random strokes of red brush at the bottom of the painting. To add to it, the sky stands in deep contrast to the rest of the painting with light blue hues and several scattered feathery clouds portraying a bright summer’s day. Monet has been more than just successful in outlining the sky with the aid of trees and the earth. The soil, although it encapsulates the largest space in the painting, gives an enthralling effect whereby its dark colors cause it to retreat and the white hues in the clouds cause it to become more prominent. Since the sky is in stark contrast to the trees and the soil, the ground and the trees drift the viewer’s attention to the sky. The perception of the artist is such that he controls the viewer’s eye movements by positioning the objects in a particular fashion. Hence, the viewer’s eyes first roll to the sky then towards the trees on the left side, and in the end towards the ground itself. It is a common mistake to think that because the ground depicts a lot of p eople that would be the most capturing position in the entire painting. In reality this is certainly not the case. Rather, the people become the most insignificant part of the painting, and that is simply because the people stand small in front of the greatness of the sky. At another instance also the painting demonstrates the insignificance of people by portraying three different people on the ground; the boy in the front who waves to the audience, and two women in the backdrop. Finally, the insignificance of man is further highlighted by the fact that the artist depicts a holistic view of man; he does not go into details and does not show the features of the boy of the women, in an attempt to merge them with the rest of the scenario. The boy is merely a figure and the artist does not even give the slightest hint of where his features ought to be. Furthermore, the hues used by Monet are bright ones, such as yellows, blues and greens; however, they tend to be not so bright or appear somewhat faded out by the scorching rays of the sun. We can, therefore, confidently say that the painting captures at length the sentiments of experiencing a typical summer’s day. Perhaps a significant aspect of this painting was that the outlines were thinned; the painting articulately depicted a melodrama of colors, a colorful fusion of brightly colored hues all blended together in an eloquent

Super Size Me Analysis Essay Example for Free

Super Size Me Analysis Essay To some, eating solely off the McDonald’s menu for thirty days to see what the effects may be is looked down at as an attack on unhealthy and fast food corporations, but to many, Super Size Me is an incredible documentary that helps shine a light on the horrendous effects that fast food has on our society. Morgan Spurlock’s rules are simple: only food off of McDonald’s menu may be eaten, he must consume three meals a day, if asked to super size he must, and everything on the menu must be eaten at least once. On day one he goes and gets baseline measurements of his body from numerous health and medical experts to be able to gauge himself as the month progresses, and from there on out, it’s chow time. Morgan Spurlock’s Super Size Me digs beyond the obvious correlation between fast food and poor health. Spurlock exposes the flaws in our society’s choice of food, makes the point that personal responsibility is essential, and openly criticizes corporate and government deniability. By using an extremely personal setting, a plethora of unforgettable visuals, interesting dialogues, a steady change in tone, and incorporation of children, Spurlock effectively delivers his message that fast food is a fast way to deteriorate your state of health. Morgan Spurlock, unlike many other documentary producers, creates an extremely personal point of view. He does so by allowing the viewer to see over his own shoulder, and not a random test subject, to watch his month long McDonald’s binge. Spurlock immediately, and at times humorously, opens up completely to the audience. Before the viewer knows it, Spurlock is half naked at the doctor’s, throwing up on camera, and being torn apart by his wife about his in ability to perform in the bed. By having this more personal and open point of view, Spurlock is able to earn more of the audience’s trust making it easier for him to get his message across. Second to the personal setting, the visual effects utilized by Spurlock make the message of the documentary hard to forget. Without fail, every two to five minutes a McDonald’s â€Å"Golden Arches† appear somewhere on the screen, making it hard for the audience not to pair a negative denotation with it by the end of the film. Aside from all of the McDonald’s signs, the camera consistently zooms in, as close as one would ever want to be, to Spurlock’s super sized french fries and extra greasy Big Mac. Watching the repetitiveness of close ups on processed, fried, and poorly made food is enough for any viewer to not want to east fast food for quite sometime. Spurlock also uses simple charts, such as the ones to display his portrait as days pass, to allow the viewer to easily see the trend of negative health increasing directly with the amount of time spent on his McDonald’s diet. Another interesting visual Spurlock uses is the satanic drawings of what appears to be Ronald McDonald. The pictures are demonic and are supposed to depict Ronald as a ruthless clown and not someone a little kid would like to be around. And if all of these visuals weren’t enough, Spurlock goes even further when he shows a common body weight reduction surgery in action. The viewer first sees probes with cameras and tools inserted into the patient’s repulsively large belly, and then ends up inside the patient’s fat filled stomach watching the surgeons nip and tuck away. Spurlock makes it very hard for the viewer to forget what his message is with all of these images that stick in the back of your mind. From the head of McDonald’s to a middle school kid buying lunch, Spurlock carries out an assortment of dialogues throughout the documentary. Although many are significant, the most memorable and effective would have to be the conversations Spurlock has while visiting Madison Junior High School. He first confronts a girl with only cookies and french fries on her plate and asks her if she’s going to eat anything else. The girl simply says no. Spurlock moves on to the lunch line and asks a girl if she was going to get anything else other than french fries on her plate and she responds, â€Å"Well I’m getting milk†¦ its my calcium and my vegetables. † If you weren’t disgusted with the kid’s food choices alone, Spurlock moves on to the lunch ladies to get their two cents on the food being served at their school. The lunch ladies were content with the saying â€Å"ignorance is bliss. They serve the kids french fries, swiss rolls, and high sugar drinks, assuming that they had brought their own sandwich from home, but none of them ever checked to see. They all claim that they are setting up the kids to make the right choices yet most of the kids aren’t. All of these dialogues Spurlock has at the Junior High School in Illinois were very eye opening, and made the viewer feel obligated to see more of what is going on behind the scenes at their own local schools. Further on in the film, Spurlock calls McDonald’s  Headquarters trying to set up an appointment with someone high up in the corporation. Nearly every phone call he made he is promised either a message be delivered, a return phone call, or a good time to call back. Following close to twenty phone calls later, Spurlock gives up trying to schedule an appointment with the head of McDonald’s. After seeing Spurlock get shot down time and time again, it makes the viewer wonder if McDonald’s is trying to dodge a question that could damage their reputation, as well as contemplate how unprofessional their business is run. Another key strategy Spurlock uses throughout his month long McDonald’s stint is the gradual change in tone. From the beginning, Spurlock is very excited to kick off his McDonald’s exclusive diet and has a cheerful tone and positive attitude. After a couple of days turn into a couple of weeks, Spurlock’s tone changes drastically. Instead of optimistic and cheery, like from the beginning of the month, Spurlock now has a rather negative and dire one. Phone calls between him and his girlfriend that once were normal, turn in to him seriously questioning his will to continue with his experiment. Spurlock’s tone and attitude are easily noted as having a negative correlation with days spent on the McDonald’s diet. By showing this trend, Spurlock is able to emphasize the emotional, rather than just the physical, effects of his diet to the viewers. Throughout the documentary, Spurlock continuously incorporates children to capture the viewer’s attention and to show that the obesity problems start at a young age. â€Å"A Pizza Hut, a Pizza Hut, Kentucky Fried Chicken, and a Pizza Hut. McDonald’s, McDonald’s, Kentucky Fried Chicken, and a Pizza Hut† is sang by young children, some being obese, right at the start of the film. If this doesn’t raise a red flag in one’s head that children are being taught how to sing America’s most unhealthy fast food restaurants in school, I’m not sure what will. Spurlock also spends a decent portion of his documentary in schools. He examines the food choices available to the kids, asks them about what they eat, and observes their physical education class. The most effective use of incorporating children is the interviews he conducts by holding up pictures of famous Americans and famous fast food icons, then asking the children who they are and what they were. Some of the children could identify George Washington and what he did, but as soon as Spurlock showed them a picture of Jesus all were stumped, one boy even guessed he was George W. Bush. Then the pictures of Wendy and Ronald McDonald were shown, and to no surprise every kid there knew exactly who Ronald was and that he is associated with McDonald’s. By putting this emphasis on young children being led down the wrong path at an early age, makes the viewers compelled to believe that our society is going wrong with teaching healthy food choices. Whether it was the personal touch, visuals, dialogues, change in tone, real footage, or incorporation of children, Morgan Spurlock does an impeccable job provoking Americans to question their choice in food and influencing them to take action. When the final results of Spurlock’s experiment are posted (13% weight increase, cholesterol level of 230, and dysfunctional liver) it’s going to be very hard for me to walk into a McDonald’s. So, next time I’m faced with the choice of eating at fast food or taking a little time of my day to cook myself a meal, I definitely know which one I’ll be doing, but the real question is will everyone else?

The Great Healthcare Debate: Liberalism versus Conservatism

The Great Healthcare Debate: Liberalism versus Conservatism Alex Fisher A large issue in todays society is healthcare. The clashing ideas about what should be done within the realm of healthcare is such a big deal now more than ever since we have a recently elected president. Much like other issues, there are clashing ideas from different political parties; this case will highlight those of liberals and conservatives. It is important to note that liberals and conservatives tend to clash on all aspects of healthcare such as: amount of government intervention, access or entitlement to healthcare, and federally mandated insurance. Furthermore, it must be stated that each partys stance on these aspects demonstrates a key idea or pillar of their party. The first main aspect of the healthcare debate between the two parties is the amount or level of government involvement. The conservative side argues for minimal government involvement so that healthcare, just like the overall economy, runs like a free market. This facet of the conservative healthcare argument can be traced back to the concept that the conservative perceives the need for prudent restraints upon power and upon human passions (Kirk, 4). Kirk further explains this point of view by stating that The conservative endeavors to so limit and balance political power that anarchy or tyranny may not arise (4). Additionally, this point of view can also be traced back to the conservative concept that there must survive orders and classes, differences in material condition, and many sorts of inequality attempts at levelling must lead, at best, to social stagnation (3). Essentially, Kirk is explaining that conservatives believe that unless there is a natural hierarchy with competiti on, a society will stagnate or lose the ability to progress. After piecing together these pillars of conservative view, it is not surprising that the current conservative argument is for healthcare to be run like any other business in our economy with free market ideals. With this being said, there is a liberal side to the argument of government involvement in healthcare. Their point of view is the complete opposite of the conservatives in that they believe that everyone in the healthcare field should be equal, therefore getting rid of the competition that fuels the free market. The liberal background that influences this point of view is a bit more complex than that of conservatives. One concept in liberalism is that there is a natural state in which mankind falls into. This state of nature involves a natural hierarchy of physical and mental strength; however, it must be stated that this hierarchy will lead to competition; For as to the strength of body, the weakest has strength enough to kill the strongest, wither by secret machination or by confederacy with others that are in the same danger with himself (Hobbes, 1). At first, this concept seems to parallel with the competition and free market ideals of conservatism. However, there is a caveat to this liberal view. Liberals recognize this state of nature, and then argue that mankind should forgo this state for the good of society. Hobbes explains that during the time men live without a common power to keep them all in awe, they are in that condition which is called war (2). This statement explains the idea that the duration in which mankind is living without a governing power, they are in constant war with each other due to the high levels of competition in the state of nature. Furthermore: In such condition there is no place for industry, because the fruit thereof is uncertain: and consequently no culture of the earth no knowledge of the face of the earth; no account of time; no arts; no letters; no society; and continual fear, and danger of violent death (Hobbes, 2) Essentially, this concept in liberalism is that mankind must forgo the vicious competition and violence found in the natural state in order for society, industry, and culture to even exist. These aspects cannot be established if man is more concerned with preserving his own life, and ending that of others to get ahead. For this reason, the liberals are arguing for more equality and less of a business or free market model in the healthcare field. The second main point of contention in the healthcare debate is the question of who should and should not be entitled to healthcare. It is important to note that both liberals and conservatives agree that everyone should get healthcare. The difference in views is found when it comes the financial aspect of healthcare entitlement. Conservatives believe that if you have money to pay for healthcare, you should be paying for it. They do not believe in government assistance for healthcare if you can pay for it yourself. Essentially, it goes back to the old adage that there is no such thing as a free lunch; except in this case its healthcare instead of lunch. This concept can be explained through the conservative concept that conservatives are guided by their principle of prudence (Kirk, 3). What this means that Any public measure ought to be judged by its probable long-run consequences, not merely by temporary advantage or popularity (3). Conservatives do not want to just start handing ou t healthcare for free or at discounted prices because it would have a hefty impact on the economy in the long-run. In the present time, the general population would love to have free or even cheap healthcare, but the United States economy is not in the position to be able to do that. This is what the conservatives are thinking about when refusing to give handouts. Conversely, the liberal view is that even if you could pay for healthcare, you should not go broke for it. This concept can be traced back to the liberalistic idea that the whole purpose of government is the preservation of property (Locke, 3). Furthermore, this connects to their idea of abandoning the state of nature because The great purpose for which men enter into society is to be safe and at peace in their use of their property (Locke, 3). Forcing people to pay for healthcare until they reach bankruptcy violates these ideas. By making people give up all their money for such a basic right like healthcare, the government is no longer preserving the property (or money) of the people in the society. To take this concept even further, there are things that liberals believe a governing body cannot do. Among this list is it doesnt and cant possibly have absolutely arbitrary power over the lives and fortunes of the people (Locke, 4). It should also be noted that Locke stated that legislature can never have a right to destroy, enslave, or deliberately impoverish the subjects (5). Making people pay for healthcare until they no longer can, instead of giving government assistance completely goes against these liberal ideals. It is for this reason that liberals prefer to provide assistance for healthcare even if the person has the ability to pay for it. The third focus of the healthcare debate is the concept of federally mandated insurance. This refers to whether decisions about laws involving healthcare and health insurance should be left to the federal government or if it should be an issue that is decided on a state by state basis. According to an article by Michael Bihari, MD: Mandated health insurance laws passed at either the federal or state level usually fall into one of three categories: Health care services or treatments that must be covered, such as substance abuse treatment. Healthcare providers other than physicians, such as acupuncturists. Dependents and other related individuals, such as adopted children Essentially, what Dr. Bihari is saying is that the most common mandated healthcare laws involve the coverage of necessary treatments, specialists, and dependents. After getting a good idea of what these mandated healthcare laws typically are, it should be aware that the most common debate on this aspect is who gets to decide if the law gets passed or not. Should each state get to choose if they want to pass and recognize the laws set forth or should the federal government pass healthcare laws for the entire nation? A subset of this question is should people face financial penalties if they fail to comply with these mandates? The conservative view on this matter is that these decisions should be made on the state level, not federal. Furthermore, the conservative party argues against any form of monetary penalties if people fail to adhere to these healthcare laws. For example, under the Affordable Care Act, there is fine for people that do not have health insurance. The conservative view is against this concept of health insurance mandate compliance. This side of the argument can be traced back to the conservative pillar that conservatives uphold voluntary community, quite as they oppose involuntary collectivism (Kirk, 4). Additionally, conservatives believe that: the decisions most directly affecting the lives of citizens are made locally and voluntarily. Some of these functions are carried out by local political bodies, others by private associations; so long as they are kept local, and are marked by the general agreement of those affected, they constitute healthy community. (Kirk, 4) In laymans terms, conservatives believe that decisions that greatly impact citizens, such as healthcare, should be decided by a governing body close to the population. This big of a decision cannot and should not be made by the federal governing body since each state has a different set of circumstances. There is no way that the federal government is completely aware of the needs of the people of each state. Furthermore, conservatives are against forced collectivism. Leaving healthcare mandates to the federal level means that these decisions are being made for the entire nation. It is forced collectivism by means of the nation instead of the individuality of each state. Moreover, giving that kind of collective power to the federal government gives way to a standardizing process hostile to freedom and human dignity (Kirk, 4). Each state should have the freedom and ability to decide what is best to uphold or bolster the standard of living created in each. Furthermore, each person shoul d be given the freedom to make their own choices about a personal matter such as healthcare. Penalizing people for not complying with healthcare mandates takes away this freedom of decision. On the contrary, liberals argue for healthcare mandates on the federal level. They also support the idea of monetary penalties for noncompliance. This aligns with the current themes seen in the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. The Affordable Care Act is a federally mandated healthcare act that penalizes people that do not have insurance. This view can be explained by the classical liberal idea that: The only way to erect such a common power, as may be able to defend them from the invasion of foreigners, and the injuries of one another, and thereby to secure them in such sort as that by their own industry and by the fruits of the earth they may nourish themselves and live contentedly, is to confer all their power and strength upon one man, or upon one assembly of men, thay may reduce all their wills, by plurality of voices, unto one will. (Hobbes, 3) What Hobbes is saying is that in order to organize the chaos of the state of nature, the people must decide on a person or group of people to represent all their voices and decisions in one. Additionally, Hobbes further explains the scope of this assembly of men: every one to own and acknowledge himself to be author of whatsoever he that so beareth their person shall act in those things which concern the common peace and safety; and therein submit their wills and their judgements to his judgement. (3) This further explanation translates into the concept that liberals believe that government should have a large amount of power and intervention. This is the reason why the liberals are arguing for federally mandated healthcare laws. Another level of that increased government power and intervention is the aspect of financial penalty for noncompliance. These fines are ensuring that everyone is following their mandates. In conclusion, the debate on healthcare has been going on for several years and has shown no signs of stopping anytime soon. The liberal and conservative parties have clashing views on aspects of this debate such as the amount of government involvement, access or entitlement to healthcare, and if healthcare should be federally mandated. The views or arguments of these parties can be explained and traced back to key ideas or pillars of their party. Conservatives favor less government intervention, prudent reform, and local governing bodies whereas liberals favor more government intervention, equality or less competition, and that a government should not deliberately impoverish their community. https://www.verywell.com/mandated-health-insurance-benefits-1738931