Saturday, December 28, 2019

Essay about The Psychology of Robert Frost’s Nature Poetry

The Psychology of Robert Frost’s Nature Poetry Robert Frost’s nature poetry occupies a significant place in the poetic arts; however, it is likely Frost’s use of nature is the most misunderstood aspect of his poetry. While nature is always present in Frost’s writing, it is primarily used in a â€Å"pastoral sense† (Lynen 1). This makes sense as Frost did consider himself to be a shepherd. Frost uses nature as an image that he wants us to see or a metaphor that he wants us to relate to on a psychological level. To say that Frost is a nature poet is inaccurate. His poetry is in the main psychologically oriented with emphasis on specific recurring themes, which include, but are not limited to, loneliness, retreat, spirituality, darkness,†¦show more content†¦The contrast between the humans and nature enables Frost to deal with and illustrate significant issues affecting humans. A very interesting point regarding Frost’s relationship with nature is that he views it with ambiguity. Most assume that Frost is a nature lover; however, while this is true in part, Frost also views nature as having the capability of being destructive. Lynen speaks of this duality by saying, â€Å"You cannot have one without the other: love of natural beauty and horror at the remoteness and indifference of the physical world are not opposites but different aspects of the same view† (7). On speaking of Frost’s dualistic view of nature, Phillip L. Gerber states, â€Å"For nature is hard as she is soft, she can destroy and thwart, disappoint, frustrate, and batter† (132). Robert Frost views nature as an ‘alien force capable of destroying man’, but on the flip side, he also views â€Å"man’s struggle with nature as a heroic battle† (quoted in Thompson). In his poem â€Å"Our Hold on the Planet† Frost illustrates this point by saying, There is much in nature against us. But we forget: Take nature altogether since time began Including human nature, in peace and war, And it must be a little more in favor of man, Say a fraction of one percent at the very least, Or our number living wouldn’t be steadily more, Our hold on the planet wouldn’t have so increased. (Frost 317).Show MoreRelatedEssay on Symbols and Symbolism in the Poems of Robert Frost1463 Words   |  6 PagesPoems of Robert Frost    Nature has inspired countless poets from primitive times to the present. They have used it as a metaphor for virtually all human emotions-his stormy brow, her sky blue eyes, as wild as a summer storm. Very few, however, have so masterfully crafted their verse to fully express the range of nature’s power and influence, or suited the tone of a poem to encompass both human nature and ‘true’ nature. This is true in the poetic works of Robert Frost. The aspects of nature thatRead MoreEssay about Analysis of the Poems of Robert Frost1316 Words   |  6 Pagesother than Robert Frost. Robert Frost is a poet that is well known for his poetic contributions to nature, as well as his award winning poems. His poetic ability and knowledge make him an extraordinary author. His past; including schooling, family, and the era in which he wrote influenced nearly all of his poems in some way. This very famous poet contributed to the modernism era, had a family and an interesting lif e story, and a unique poetic style as well. The literary era in which Robert Frost wroteRead MoreEssay on An Assessment of the Poetry of Robert Frost2857 Words   |  12 Pages  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Nature is beautiful in every aspect, but as nature changes with every season, beauty and innocence in human life is much the same as the years progress. Robert Lee Frost uses nature in such a profound approach; every aspect of nature can someway correlate with any characteristic of life. Whether it is the beauty in nature signifying the joy and happiness that every person experiences, or it be the traumatic losses and disappointments that may lead to ultimate failure or destruction, Robert FrostRead MoreAnalysis Of Robert Frost s Birches 3014 Words   |  13 Pageselement in Robert Frost poetry is his use of nature in a symbolic way. Frost is not describing the inner workings of nature as we see it all around us, but about exploring human psychology. For example, Frost uses Homely farmers, rural scenes, landscapes, and the natur al world to epitomize a psychological struggle with an everyday experience that is often met with courage, will, and purpose; contextually, using Frost’s own life and personal psychology. Frost’s attitude in his poetry is honest,Read More Mending Wall by Robert Frost Essay2093 Words   |  9 Pagesâ€Å"Mending Wall† by Robert Frost   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Mending Wall† by Robert Frost is a poem in which the characteristics of vocabulary, rhythm and other aspects of poetic technique combine in a fashion that articulates, in detail, the experience and the opposing convictions that the poem describes and discusses. The ordinariness of the rural activity is presented in specific description, and as so often is found in Frost’s poems, the unprepossessing undertaking has much larger implications. Yet his considerationRead MoreEssay on Mending Wall2143 Words   |  9 PagesMending Wall by Robert Frost is a poem in which the characteristics of vocabulary, rhythm and other aspects of poetic technique combine in a fashion that articulates, in detail, the experience and the opposing convictions that the poem describes and discusses. The ordinariness of the rural activity is presented in specific description, and as so often is found in Frosts poems, the unprepossessing undertaking has much larger implic ations. Yet his consideration of these does not disturb the qualities

Thursday, December 19, 2019

Biology Standard Level Photosynthesis - 903 Words

IB Internal Assessment BIOLOGY STANDARD LEVEL PHOTOSYNTHESIS PRACTICAL REPORT Candidate Name: Meara Berhan Ahmed Candidate number: 000790 – 0003 (Word count: 4500) Examination session: November 2015 Design Research Question What is the effect of altering the distance ( ±0.05 cm) of the Elodea Canadensis aquatic plant from a light source at (5cm, 15cm, 25cm, 35cm and 45cm) on the photosynthetic rate by counting the number of oxygen bubbles rising up the test tube per minute (min^(-1))? Aim: To investigate the how the photosynthetic rate of Elodea Canadensis is affected by varying its distance (cm) ( ±0.05) from the light source at (5cm, 15cm, 25cm, 35cm and 45cm) by counting the number of oxygen bubbles rising up the test tube per minute (min^(-1)). Background Information: Photosynthesis is the process by which plants use energy from sunlight to produce chemical energy in the form of glucose, which cellular respiration then converts into ATP (Farabee, 2010). The chemical equation for photosynthesis is: 6ã€â€"COã€â€"_2+ H_2 O→C_6 H_12 O_6+ ã€â€"6Oã€â€"_2 There are two stages to photosynthesis. The first stage of photosynthesis is a set of reactions typically referred to as the light-independent reactions (Damon, 2007). The light-independent reactions predominantly involve photosynthetic pigments (including chlorophyll) absorbing light energy and undergoing a conversion into chemical energy known as Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP). Also, light energy is utilised by the plant to undergoShow MoreRelatedIB Bio lab report on photosynthesis1509 Words   |  7 PagesThe effect of different coloured lights on the rate of Photosynthesis Objective: To find out which colour of light provides the best consequences for the production of oxygen/ the rate of photosynthesis Background: In photosynthesis, there are two main parts, including light dependent and light-independent reactions. Plants use the energy from light for producing sugar, which is being converted into ATP by cellular respiration. They also are the only organisms that produce oxygen along with glucoseRead MorePhotosynthesis Lab Report866 Words   |  4 Pages Photosynthesis Lab 8 Section 022 Kaileen Savage Tanushree Majumber Introduction â€Å"Photosynthesis is a biochemical process for building carbohydrates using energy from sunlight and carbon dioxide taken from the air†, (Morris, J. (2016) Biology How Life Works. New York, NY.). It is a system that uses plants and specific algae to synthesize molecules from both water and carbon dioxide. The oxygen we breathe and the food we eat is fueled by photosynthesis because it is anRead MoreName: Danielle Bristol Jillian Lundy1400 Words   |  6 PagesName: Danielle Bristol Jillian Lundy Subject Area: Life Science (Biology) Grade Level: 5th/6th Grade Estimated Time: Date: April 6, 2014 Photosynthesis 1. Brief Overview: Starting off this lesson, we will ask the students what they had for dinner the night before. We will write down some of the foodRead MoreEffect Of Photosynthesis On Photosynthesis1483 Words   |  6 PagesEffect on photosynthesis in Elodea densa when limiting NaHCO3 Enbo Yu (Principal Author), 1, Francis (Bench-mate 1), 1 Laura (Bench-mate 2), 1 1Dept. of Biological Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, Canada UTSC BIOA01 Lab PRA01, BENCH3: PRA01 TA: Fielding Montgomery ________________________________________ Abstract: As CO2 levels increase in the atmosphere, more is dissolving into the water and affecting aquatic plants and their photosynthesis rates. The study will focus onRead MorePhotosynthesis Lab Report1392 Words   |  6 Pagesuse a process called photosynthesis to covert energy from the sun into energy they can use for their activities. The plant’s chloroplasts, along with water, carbon dioxide, and light are the essential elements required for photosynthesis to take place. The â€Å"photo† part of photosynthesis is in reference to the fact that the process requires light. The simplest form of the photosynthesis equation is: H2O + CO2 ----light---- (CH2O)N + O2 As shown in the equation, photosynthesis produces carbohydratesRead MoreGesabelle1845 Words   |  8 Pages | Zachary SpoonerGrade/Class/Subject: Grade 8, Team A, Science | | Unit/Theme: Introduction to Basic Concepts of Ecology Standards: Region: USA- NAS- Science Education Standards National Academy of Science Type of Standard: Science Content Standards Grade Range: Grades 5-8 Content Standard: Life Science Area- POPULATIONS AND ECOSYSTEMS: A population consists of all individuals of a species that occur together at a given place and time. All populationsRead MoreDark Life by Ray Taylor1704 Words   |  7 Pageshe finds ‘dark life’ as they are able to form ecosystems and even food chains without the help of sunlight, photosynthesis, or oxygen. This alone questions everything the standard definition of life states. However, one may question, â€Å"what qualifies Taylor to do such a thing?† Michael Taylor is a writer. One may now declare that a writer has no knowledge of microbiology, or any biology for that matter, and is in no way shape or form qualified to write a book about said topics. One would beRead MoreSex-Linked Traits Through Meiosis and How It Relates to Genetics.1609 Words   |  7 Pages|Principles of Biology | Copyright  © 2011, 2010, 2008 by University of Phoenix. All rights reserved. Course Description This course is designed to introduce biology at an entry level by examining the hierarchy that ranges from the fundamentals of cell biology to the physiology of organisms, and the interactions among those organisms in their environment. The topics in this course include cell biology, genetics, molecular biology, evolutionRead MoreMy Learning About Myself As A Learner And Biology1523 Words   |  7 PagesThroughout this semester my learning about myself as a learner and biology is backed by multiple changes in my study habits with the evidence included in my documentation, self-regulation, critical reflection, integration, and my collaboration with a Community of Practice. I enrolled in this Principles of Biology class this semester because it was a requirement for my major. This class is important for my long term goals because it is a requirement for me to achieve those goals. Those goals includeRead MoreWater Is A Chemical Compound Essay1578 Words   |  7 Pagesthe highest perce ntage of fluids in the bodies of living organism. As a matter of fact, there are states in which water can be available depending on temperature, and they are ice as solid water, steam as water in gaseous state and liquid water at standard temperature and pressure (Mobley, 1994). These three states are well known to co-exist on earth, having other inconsequential forms like cloud, fog and dew. Most importantly, water is known to cover 71% of the total earth’s surface, a worthy reason

Wednesday, December 11, 2019

Sustainable Procurement Policy Godrej Consumer Products

Question: Describe about the Sustainable Procurement Policy for Godrej Consumer Products. Answer: Introduction Godrej Consumer Products Limited (GCPL) is one of the largest and biggest home-grown personal and home care company in India. The company is focused on becoming a leader in fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) particularly in the emerging markets and thus company has continued to substantially grow in the sector. One of the GCPL critical pillars is the Godrej Groups Vision 2020 which is founded on environmental sustainability Good Green. Furthermore, the companys vision is based on a shared value principle; the vision has been instrumental in promoting the operating practices and policies that are key in improving the companys competitiveness while also enhancing social and economic conditions in communities within which the company operates. In accordance with the Good Green vision, the company aspires to establish a more employable Indian workforce, innovate for good and green products as well as build a greener India. The company also believes that business firms have the capacity of helping to solve social issues that are critical in the community whereas improving their competitive advantage in the marketplace. Sustainable procurement is defined as a process through which public organisations accomplish their needs for services and goods, works and utilities in a manner that satisfy value for money on an entire life-cycle with regard to benefit generation not only to the business firm, but also to whole society and the economy while at the same time significantly reducing negative effects to the environment (Meehan Bryde, 2011). This paper critically analyses Godrej Consumer Products Limiteds sustainable procurement policy in terms of its objectives, comprehensiveness, potential effectiveness, practical implementation and measurability. GCPL sustainable procurement objectives The companys sustainable objectives are grouped into four broad categories, including: To be ethically driven: the company strives to conduct its business operations in a transparent and fair manner while upholding integrity, honesty, high moral and ethical standards as well as respecting human rights (Singh, Bakshi, Mishra, 2015). The company has a strong belief that maintaining high ethical standards across the company is vital for establishing sound business relationship. In this regard, the company requires its suppliers to share a similar commitment as they conduct their trade. To be socially focused: GCPL is also strongly committed to supporting and ensuring sustainable development as well as business practices. For instance, the sustainable practices encompass the social performance criteria (Pai, 2013). The organisation also believes that it should play an important and profitable role within the larger society and the local community. As such, GCPL contributes towards economic and social development of the communities within which they operate and hence they also expect their suppliers pursue a similar course (Pai, 2013). To be green inspired: GCPL fully understand that environmental concerns are issues of today and thus they are real challenges that must be addressed in the now rather than later. For this reason, the company aims to making its value chain environmentally responsible and friendly. GCPL is robustly committed to complying with local environmental laws and regulations that are associated to the environment particularly in regions and countries that it has its operations as well as where they source products, services and materials (Singh, Bakshi, Mishra, 2015). The company operates with full knowledge of the scope and nature of operations of their suppliers varies and hence strongly emphasise on sustainability principles (Walker Philips, 2008). To be quality centred: the company is also committed to ensuring that quality is adhered to and manufacturing and product standards are relied upon is it is of great importance to the company. Comprehensiveness of GCPL Sustainability Policy Each of the companys sustainability objectives is expansively comprehensively defined to tackle various sustainability issues. For instance, the ethically driven principle encompasses business integrity and ethics that significantly addresses issues of conflict of interest; bribery, corruption, gifts and donations; confidentiality; restrictive and anti-competitive trade practices (Force, 2006). Business integrity in this regard ensures that the company as well as its suppliers undertake their business operations ethically. Similarly, the ethically driven objective also addresses human rights issues whereby GCPL prohibits forced and child labour; compensation and working hours; and discrimination (Ghoshal, 2011). GCPL suppliers must make sure that there is no discrimination in their hiring practices together with employment based on gender, race colour, nationality, sexual orientation, marital status and religion. The objective also encourages transparency and accountability, complian ce with the laws and regulations of the land (Brammer Walker, 2011). In accordance with the above discussion, the social focus objective is also comprehensively elaborated to encompass various operational guidelines that ensure sustainable procurement. For instance that company works to ensure that it has responsible conduct with stakeholders in that it deals fairly with suppliers/vendors, encourage diversity in the workforce, and engage and involve local communities (Rimmington, Carlton Smith, Hawkins, 2006). Furthermore, under the social focus objective, GCPL is determined to ensure employee health and safety, and local community development. Accordingly, to be green inspired GCPL has holistically defined whereby the company has positioned itself to offer green products produced through green processes through reduction of water intake and carbon emission, efficient systems and processes, minimising the usage of toxic and hazardous substances and materials, toxic waste disposal, and using renewable energy. Consequently, the green inspired objective encourages the company reduce, reuse and recycle; this is specifically employed to ensure zero waste to landfill, responsible resource consumption, and packaging material that reduce environmental impact. GCPL works to Adopt green initiatives and practices to help in the monitoring of the environmental performance with a singular of becoming environmental friendly. GCPL sustainable procurement is centred on quality whereby the company has installed quality management system that makes sure that company suppliers develop quality objectives, procedures, policies and have implemented certified Quality Management System by ISO authority. The company also expects its suppliers to give utmost significance on facility and machinery design, installation as well as maintenance and ensure verification of the same. Significantly important, suppliers are expected to have good manufacturing practices together with quality controls. Additionally, through quality centred GCPL has made strides in material management whereby the company requires its suppliers to have established practices for storage, handling and transportation of raw materials together with maximisation of risk prevention measures through proper handling of rejected items and good warehousing. Potential Effectiveness With regard to the comprehensiveness of GCPL sustainable procurement policy, the policy has effective potentials. The policy address all areas of sustainability and thus if fully implemented and adhered to, it will ultimately ensure sustainable procurement across the organisation. Ethical procurement practices that are defined with the policy expressively ensure that company suppliers adhere to the companys sustainable requirements. The social focus widely helps the company as well as its suppliers to be socially responsible to the localities within which they operate. Based on this, the policy has the potentiality of being effective when fully implemented. Practical Implementation and Measurability Policy applicability and implementation GCPL fully understands that their suppliers can be categorised differently based on their scale, services/products they supply, the type of raw materials they use, the corporate culture and their modes of operation. Taking this into consideration, the company has designed the procurement police in a way that it is fully acceptable and works for all suppliers; however, levels and types of compliance differ with regard to the supplier type together with the principles applicable to them. Given this understanding, GCPL requires its suppliers to establish internal policies, structures of governance, systems, and processes while also implementing any other sustainability measures that will ensure they fully adhere to the companys sustainability policy. Additionally, suppliers are required to disclose to GCPL their sustainability goals together with the measures they have put in place to meet the various principles stated within the policy. GCPL also is ready to work with their suppliers t o unearth any sustainability issues that are not in line with the companys expectations whereas helping them in addressing the identified gaps. Measuring/Monitoring and Reporting In accordance with GCPL sustainability policy, the company requires suppliers to monitor and report the steps made by them in ensuring their adherence to the policy. Furthermore, GCPL recommends that their suppliers install management systems and monitoring and reporting mechanisms wherever needed to effectively implement as well as manage sustainability objectives. As such, suppliers are expected to focus on a continual enhancement of their performance in order to comply with the sustainability policy. Conclusion Godrej Consumer Products Limited (GCPL) is regarded as the Indias biggest personal and home-grown care company. The company is focused on becoming a leader in first-moving consumer goods market. With regard to this broad objective, the company has established a sustainable procurement policy aimed at propelling it towards achieving the stated objective. This paper has critically analysed GCPL sustainable procurement policy by comprehensively analysing its sustainable objectives, the comprehensiveness of the policy, potential effectiveness of the policy, practical implementation and measurability of the policy. In accordance with the analysis, GCPL sustainable procurement policy is sound and essential for it to satisfy its sustainable procurement goals and objectives. Introduction Sustainable development is increasingly attracting massive attention and recognition from all corners business spheres as well as in governments and non-governmental organisations regardless of it being new for many business executives. In essence, sustainable development leave alone sustainable procurement is remains abstract to many. From a conventional setting, business organisations seek practicality and precision as the source for their planning efforts; sustainable development is a new concept that is not agreeable to simple and universal definition. It is dynamic and continually changes over time while responding to the societys evolving priorities as well as increased information. The businesss contribution to sustainable development role remains indefinite. Regardless of all businesses playing a role in sustainability agenda, their abilities vary by organisation size and sector. Many are times where some business executives consider making money as the principle objective of a company; however, in the current business environment, business expatriates recognise the broader significance of sustainability and social responsibility. There is no consensus among business executives as to how to achieve the best balance between the broader good of the society and the narrow self-interests. In this regard, business organisations are unendingly confronted between what they need to trade off what they would like to do and what they must do in pursuit for financial survivability. Sustainable procurement is a process through which public as well as private organisations accomplish their needs for services and goods, works and utilities in a manner that satisfy value for money on an entire life-cycle with regard to benefit generation not only to the business firm, but also to whole society and the economy while at the same time significantly reducing negative effects to the environment. Following this understanding, this individual case study report, using Finland-Helsinki: Business Services: Law marketing, Consulting, Recruitment, Printing, and Security (Tender Notice) discusses how to present the business case to the decision maker, procurements strategies for sustainable development, and how to design the specifications and tender documents to enhance the tender. Similarly, the report also brings to light how to prepare contracts to ensure sustainability and strategic outcomes, designing contract administrations and management regimes to make sure that susta inable outcomes are achieved, and terms of monitoring, governance, audit and reporting on the project are also discussed. Presenting Business Case Involving Significant Sustainability aspects to the Decision Maker A business case is a tool that advocates and ensures that an investment is justified with regard to the strategic direction of the organisation together with the benefits it delivers. In essence, a business cases generally provides the context, costs, benefits and a set of options for key funders and decision makers. Furthermore, a business case also defines how the companys success will be achieved and measured thus guaranteeing the promised improvements are delivered. This section is a business case for Finland-Helsinki: Business Services decision makers in their pursuit to make sustainable decision making (Epstein Roy, 2003). Sustainability Business Challenges Despite managing downside risks, business value creation by inclusion of sustainable business solution or through identification of innovative ways for sustainability financing, it is important for business organisations to be drivers for competitive solutions to sustainability to help financing and addressing sustainability challenges in the future (Wu Pagel, 2011). From a global perspective, sustainability challenges are continually increasing and thus compelling business organisations to come up with long-term strategies to meet the needs of their customers as well as external stakeholders (Farrel Fraedrich, 2015). This includes the ever growing demand for natural resources to disparities in economy, and to the changing climate which has exposed business organisations to more complex and sophisticated array of trade offs as well as risks across their value chain. The exponential growth in population, the rising middle class, and economic growth coupled with rapid urbanisation are all exacerbating an increase in food demand, water use, energy, land use together with other resources. Over the last decade for instance, emerging markets have seen a 80% growth in per capita income that in turn is a recipe for increased consumption. It is expected that by 2030 more than three billion middle class consumers will further will drive up the demand for natural resources (Farrel Fraedrich, 2015). Climate change is another key stumbling block that business organisation must address in their value chain. For instance, understanding climate risks together with adaptation is vital in supporting clients for an extended period of time. The impacts of climate change are real and are experienced by business organisations as changes in rainfall patterns, rising temperatures, and storm conditions demand for new adaptation strategies (Epstein Buhovac, 2015). Given this understanding, there is public pressure to companies to cut on their greenhouse emissions. For this reason, many companies across the world are coming up with strategies to cub climate change effects through assessing their internal and supply chain emissions whereas also examining their approach to the changing climate through their entire operations and value chain (Epstein Buhovac, 2015). Business environment volatility and uncertainty have massive impacts on both consumers and business organisations. Across many countries, the rising food prices have already driven millions into destitution while disproportionately affecting the vulnerable. Significantly important to mention, high resources price, including energy, food, and water have the capacity of fuelling civil unrest especially in emerging markets (Carroll Buchholtz, 2015). In this regard, the volatility of recourse prices causes uncertainty for business organisation and thus creating risks associated with productivity investment while potentially distorting the efficiency of the supply chain. Sustainability Challenges Create Value for Businesses Sustainability is a significant factor in business organisations strategies; large multinationals as well as mid-sized firms are increasingly focusing on long-term strategies for managing sustainability risks. As such many companies have come to the realisation that through addressing sustainability issues that can achieve extended and better growth that is cost saving, brand and reputation improvement, stakeholder relations strengthening, and boosting their own bottom line (Sourani, 2011). By strategically integrating sustainability goals into the companys corporate strategy, the firm prepares itself for better understanding of long-term trends and the impacts of using resources and hence help in addressing the expectations of stakeholders. Furthermore, companies capitalise on local conditions in shaping their corporate strategies to accommodate constraints on natural resources in a manner that enables them to develop innovative products, services and business models. Accordingly, i t provides unlimited opportunities for bolstering their profitability, growth as well as adds on societal value (Haaske, Seuring, 2009). Investors and Customers value Strong ESG Performance Consumers and investors are growingly demanding for sustainable products and services, and increased scrutiny and reporting on corporate responsibility are compelling companies to strictly take into consideration to their ESG (environmental, social and Governance) performance. Accordingly, investors are considering social and environmental issues when selecting investments. In line with this observation, various sustainability frameworks, including Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) and Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) are significant tools that investors use in making informed decisions for investment (Haaske, Seuring, 2009). Moreover, the social responsible investing (SRI) market is another vital tool that enables to have a positive return on investments whereas bringing positive impacts to the society. In a similar way, environmental together with social evaluations plays an imperative role in the investors decision to allocate their capital to SRI funds (Stevenson Sum, 2002). Procurement strategies for sustainability There are several sustainable procurement strategies; however this section significantly discusses product-based and supplier-based sustainable procurement strategies. Product-Based Sustainable Procurement Strategy A product-based sustainable procurement strategy is basically designed to guide the procurement staff in making sustainable choices when procuring goods and services for the company. In this regard, a product-based procurement strategy is aimed at outlining the environmental and sustainability principles that a company must consider when making procurement decisions (Stevenson Sum, 2002). Demonstrate the current market good practices while identifying the opportunities available for pursuing sustainable procurement whereas staying within the framework of the public procurement law as well as obtaining value for money. Furthermore, it provides resources for finding knowledge and information related to sustainable development, and providing a rubric for judging the sustainability of products and services. Value for money requires that goods and services that the company purchases should take into consideration holistic life costs, quality and long terms savings. Sustainable procurement practices are in line with this requirement. In essence considering costs of a product or service for its entire life cycle including how the most environmentally, socially, and environmentally sustainable choices that can be made will result into long term savings (Adetunji, et al., 2003). Advantages of product-based sustainable procurement strategy Achieving best value for money Carbon footprint reduction Stimulate the market for sustainable technologies Improving and maintaining global living standards Environment health and improvement Save money. Disadvantages Despite the above identified advantages, product-based sustainable strategy has the following disadvantages: Loss of product uniqueness Loss of responsiveness Unsuited for some business aspects Stifles creativity and response time Supplier-Based Sustainable procurement Strategy The corporate world is continually focussing on social issues especially in supply chains including forced labour, human trafficking and slavery. In supplier-based procurement strategy, business organisations set up procurement policies that are essential in leveraging procurement and sourcing functions with a singular objective of making the supply chain sustainable coupled with long term success through minimising products environmental features, or lack thereof in the upstream supply chain (Hamza Greenwood, 2009). Accordingly, in the supplier-based sustainable procurement companies are becoming more active in evaluating, monitoring and influencing suppliers sustainability performance that leads to costs savings that are then passed on to the buyer. Furthermore, through supplier-based sustainable sourcing organisations also help in enhancing supplier disclosure together with risk management capabilities as well as anchoring information verification and exchange. Similarly, the business organisation is empowered to evaluate the supplier capabilities by addressing sustainability practices which on the other hand, drives internal and external standards improvements while facilitating disclosure and transparency (Hamza Greenwood, 2009). These organisational sustainable procurement practices in turn supports compliance with any environmental regulations which are essential in enabling the capacity to better comprehend and minimise risks associated to specific suppliers. The supplier-based sustainable procurement function credibility together with collaborative dialogue with suppliers favours the building of a sustainable supply chain that has the effect of increasing brand reputation and company value. Advantages Reduction of operational costs Management of risks and compliance with environmental regulations Disadvantages Difficult to achieve Supplier-based sustainable procurement can be perceived for larger organisations only Time and resource consuming (Fewing, 2013). Designing Tender Document for Sustainable Outcomes Also known as project scoping which involves the following attributes: Need identification: this is the initial and first stage of procurement process. The procurement decision is derived from existing contracts expiring or completing, new aims and objectives setting and the business aims and objectives review. Business Case: after the identification of the need, then the business must be prepared. Hence, when pursuing procurement that is sustainable, it is vital to include all stakeholders in the business case development (Evans Jones, 2008). Market Analysis: it is significant to assess what sustainable products, services or works are available. In many cases, these alternatives are not easily identifiable. The market analysis process gives staff more information and knowledge with regard to how the market could potentially meet the organisations needs, the available alternatives and the price that the firm will be expected to pay (Evans Jones, 2008). Risk Assessment: there are always ethical and environmental risks related to the procurement of suppliers, works, and services. The company is called upon to think about these risks prior to any procurement taking place. Aggregation: contract aggregation must be done by staff. Not only is this good for the procurement process but also is in line with procurement regulations. Aggregation provides the firm with commercial leverage together with terms for accomplishing sustainability (Need, 2006). Preparing contracts to ensure sustainability and strategic outcomes Preparing contracts is a vital phase in sustainable procurement. The specification for sustainability is placed on where the most impact can be achieved in relation to sustainable procurement. For instance, procurement staff members can specify the type of products they need to purchase such low carbon emission for a vehicle or purchasing recycled papers. It is significantly important that when preparing procurement contracts to incorporate specific sustainability to ascertain sustainable contribution. The following are the key steps that must be adhered to when preparing sustainable procurement contracts (Kenvward, et al., 2011). The specifications: defining the companys procurement requirements while at the same time asking suppliers to how they will meet the organisations requirements. Purchasing specific materials: the organisation can also insist that any products procured are made from specific materials. When preparing the contract thus, a range of materials can be specified that the company prefer using or specify that none of the procured materials are harmful to the public health as well as the environment (Kenvward, et al., 2011). Production methods: In a similar way, the organisation can specify the production methods or process use in the contract as long as they are contract relevant. For example, requirements that are not directly associated to the producer/manufacturer and do not add to its characteristics cannot be use, such as asking suppliers to use recycled paper in their offices. However, the organisation can specify for characteristics such as green electricity, sustainable timber, and food grown locally or organically (Kenvward, et al., 2011). Setting the Evaluation criteria: during procurement contract preparation it is vitally important to set the evaluation criteria. The tender can either be evaluated by the lowest price or by most economical advantageous tender (MEAT). However, in order to achieve sustainable procurement, tenders must and should be evaluated using the MEAT criterion (Dunleavy, et al., 2006). Method Statement and Case Studies: The organisation has an obligation of asking suppliers to complete a method statement of cases as part of the tender documents. Method statements and case studies help suppliers to demonstrate their deep understanding of sustainability issues in a manner that they would deal with then in a contract. For instance, how the suppliers will be able to address or minimise environmental impact (Dunleavy, et al., 2006). Alternatives or Variants: these are essentially useful way of accomplishing improved environmental performance of a contract because it empowers suppliers to be innovative. It should be understood that suppliers are experts in their own field thus by using alternatives or variants, ideas are generated and put forward that the business organisation may not be aware of or may not have thought about. Using variants and alternative is acceptable in procurement process but only when the contract document defines the minimum requirements (Dunleavy, et al., 2006). Local Labour: suppliers are encouraged to use local labour within their procurement process; nonetheless, it would discriminatory and non-transparent if the business organisation insists on the use of local workforce (Dunleavy, et al., 2006). Buying ethically: this is the process of buying goods produced ethically from companies that fairly trade in the marketplace; an attribute that must be considered at the contract preparation stage. This practice gives users various choices while eliminating discrimination against suppliers. Designing the contract administration and management regime Also referred to as letting the contract and involves the following elements: Advertising: contracts adverts are issued through electronic means or in print media. Electronic means is mainly advocated because not only does it save on paper, but also minimises the timescale (Osborne, 2010). Pre-Qualifying: after returning all the pre-qualification questionnaires have been returned, the business organisation can begin their evaluation. There are various ways of evaluating suppliers based on their sustainability, including, past experience, technical capability, environmental technical competence, and educational and professional qualification (Osborne, 2010). Evaluation of the tender: there are specific rules that must be observed when evaluating the tender. It is highly recommended not to duplicate the assessment criteria used at pre-qualification phase but rather MEAT and lower prices should used to assess bids. Sustainability tender evaluation can be achieved when: MEAT is the evaluation criteria It is directly linked to the contracts subject matter The environmental award criteria A non-discriminative criterion (Osborne, 2010) Whole life cost: the tender can also be evaluated through whole life costs; an essential way for securing sustainability. The cost incurred by the organisation mainly from production to disposal and they may include: Costs for running the project Efficiency Effectiveness costs Direct running costs Spending to save Product maintenance Disposal and recycling (Christensen Laegreid, 2010) Local Buying: through tender evaluation, it is important not to consider whether or not a product or the supplier is from within the locality. Awarding the Contract: when the contract has been awarded, it is important to provide suppliers with feedback on their tenders, not only is a good procurement practice, but also acceptable by law. With respect to sustainability, it is a useful tool in creating suppliers understanding of the organisations needs (Christensen Laegreid, 2010). Monitoring terms, governance, audit and reporting on the project, the tender and its outcomes Meeting sustainability through procurement does not come to an end after awarding the contract. However, it is highly recommended for the organisation to work closely with suppliers in order to achieve the companys objectives for sustainability. By incorporating a development plan into the tender is critical for encouraging suppliers to be innovative, providing solutions to social and environmental problems that can then be translated into future procurements. Suppliers are always keen to enhance their sustainability, and when the organisation is a big customer that provides security together with renewable, high value together with long duration contracts. Contract review or monitoring is done when the contract has been finished in good practice to share all or any successes and failures through the Organisation sector which may include sustainable issues (Bertelli Smith, 2010). Conclusion Private companies as well as public institutions are increasingly focusing on sustainability in order to increase their competitiveness in the marketplace. In accordance with this, they are streamlining all their business operations to conform to environmental sustainability. In this regard, they are turning to sustainable procurement. Given this understanding, this report has significantly explored different aspects of sustainable procurement, including how to present a business case to decision makers, different sustainable procurement strategies, designing specifications and documents to improve the tender, sustainable contract preparation, contract administration and management regime that ensures sustainability, and monitoring, governance, audit and reporting on the project. The report has exhaustively discussed sustainable procurement. Bibliography Adetunji, I., Price, A., Fleming, P. and Kemp, P., 2003, December. Sustainability and the UK construction industrya review. In Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers-Engineering Sustainability (Vol. 156, No. 4, pp. 185-199). Thomas Telford Ltd. Bertelli, A.M. and Smith, C.R., 2010. Relational contracting and network management. Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, 20(suppl 1), pp.i21-i40. Carroll, A.B. and Buchholtz, A.K., 2014. Business and society: Ethics, sustainability, and stakeholder management. Nelson Education. Christensen, T. and Lgreid, P. eds., 2011. The Ashgate research companion to new public management. Ashgate Publishing, Ltd.. Dunleavy, P., Margetts, H., Bastow, S. and Tinkler, J., 2006. New public management is deadlong live digital-era governance. Journal of public administration research and theory, 16(3), pp.467-494. Epstein, M.J. and Buhovac, A.R., 2014. Making sustainability work: Best practices in managing and measuring corporate social, environmental, and economic impacts. Berrett-Koehler Publishers. Epstein, M.J. and Roy, M.J., 2003. Making the business case for sustainability. Journal of Corporate Citizenship, 9(1), pp.79-96. Evans, J. and Jones, P., 2008. Rethinking sustainable urban regeneration: ambiguity, creativity, and the shared territory. Environment and Planning A, 40(6), pp.1416-1434. Ferrell, O.C. and Fraedrich, J., 2015. Business ethics: Ethical decision making cases. Nelson Education. Haake, H. and Seuring, S., 2009. Sustainable procurement of minor itemsexploring limits to sustainability. Sustainable Development, 17(5), pp.284-294. Hamza, N. and Greenwood, D., 2009. Energy conservation regulations: Impacts on design and procurement of low energy buildings. Building and environment, 44(5), pp.929-936. Fewings, P., 2013. Construction project management: An integrated approach. Routledge. Kenward, R.E., Whittingham, M.J., Arampatzis, S., Manos, B.D., Hahn, T., Terry, A., Simoncini, R., Alcorn, J., Bastian, O., Donlan, M. and Elowe, K., 2011. Identifying governance strategies that effectively support ecosystem services, resource sustainability, and biodiversity. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 108(13), pp.5308-5312. Need, W.C.D.H.P., 2006. Human resource management: Gaining a competitive advantage. Osborne, S.P. ed., 2010. The new public governance: Emerging perspectives on the theory and practice of public governance. Routledge. Sourani, A., 2011. Barriers to addressing sustainable construction in public procurement strategies. Stevenson, W.J. and Sum, C.C., 2002. Operations management (Vol. 8). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill/Irwin. Wu, Z. and Pagell, M., 2011. Balancing priorities: Decision-making in sustainable supply chain management. Journal of Operations Management, 29(6), pp.577-590. Brammer, S. and Walker, H., 2011. Sustainable procurement in the public sector: an international comparative study. International Journal of Operations Production Management, 31(4), pp.452-476. Force, S.P.T., 2006. Procuring the Future: Sustainable Procurement National Action Plan-Recommendations from the Sustainable Procurement Task Force. Ghoshal, B., 2011. Indonesia in Indias Look East Policy. Report of Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies (India), p.22. Goel, S., 2016. Financial Management Practices in India. Routledge. (Goel, 2016) Gurumurthy, A., Soni, G., Prakash, S. and Badhotiya, G.K., 2013. Review on Supply Chain Management ResearchAn Indian Perspective. IIM Kozhikode Society Management Review, 2(1), pp.1-19. (Gurumurthy, et al., 2013) Meehan, J. and Bryde, D., 2011. Sustainable procurement practice. Business Strategy and the Environment, 20(2), pp.94-106. Pai, V.S., 2013. GODREJ CONSUMER PRODUCTS. Business Case Journal, 20(2). Rimmington, M., Carlton Smith, J. and Hawkins, R., 2006. Corporate social responsibility and sustainable food procurement. British Food Journal, 108(10), pp.824-837. Singh, R., Bakshi, M. and Mishra, P., 2015. Corporate Social Responsibility: Linking Bottom of the Pyramid to Market Development?. Journal of Business Ethics, 131(2), pp.361-373. Walker, H. and Phillips, W., 2008. Sustainable procurement: emerging issues. International Journal of Procurement Management, 2(1), pp.41-61.

Wednesday, December 4, 2019

Jealousy lead to tragedy Essay Example

Jealousy lead to tragedy Paper A view from the bridge Arthur Miller  How does Eddies jealousy lead to tragedy?  A view from the bridge is a play that identifies the work and lives of the communities of dockworkers and longshoremen of New Yorks Brooklyn Harbor.  The author Arthur Miller has written his play focusing on the Carbone family.  Eddie Carbone is an Italian longshoreman working on the New York docks. When his wifes cousins, Marco and Rodolpho, seek refuge as illegal immigrants from Sicily, Eddie agrees to shelter them. Trouble begins when his wifes niece Catherine shows attraction towards the younger brother Rodolpho. Eddies inability to let go of Catherine, his frailty leads him to betray Rodolpho and Marco and this tragic error of judgment leads him to his death.  From the first scene Eddies frailty is shown in his obsessive need to control his niece Catherine, and his theme of appearance versus reality is more complicated because Eddie will not admit that there is a problem. To prevent other characters from knowing his motives, he hides behind what mite seem to be good reasons for his behavior. We will write a custom essay sample on Jealousy lead to tragedy specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Jealousy lead to tragedy specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Jealousy lead to tragedy specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Katie, I promised your mother on her deathbed. Im responsible for you  Here you see Eddies hiding his protectiveness behind his responsibilities for Catherine and as the play progresses, we realize that deep down he wishes to keep Catherine for himself.  Eddies jealousy is dealt effectively throughout the play.  We can see from Eddies actions and the way he talks to Catherine that he has some sort of secret desire for her.  Catherine: Hi Eddie! (Eddie is pleased and therefore shy about it)  Instantly in the opening lines of the book you see Eddies true feelings for Catherine. Eddie is a grown man and has been a father figure to Catherine for many years therefore shouldnt be feeling shy when she says hi he is acting as a young man with a crush on Catherine would. Instantly his love is shown but in a very subtle, clever way. Catherine comes across flirtatious towards Eddie and he feels flattered that a young, attractive woman shows interest in him.  (Catherine enters from the bedroom with a cigar and a pack of matches)  Here! Ill light that for you! (She strikes a match and holds it to his cigar)  Catherine fusses over Eddie in a flirtatious way giving the wrong impression to Eddie.  His protectiveness over Catherine Is developed throughout the play and further on turns into jealousy.  In the first scene Eddie comes across as being protective over her as any father would be but in this case Eddie is not the father. He begins by telling Catherine that a new skirt that shes bought it too short, then tells her that shes walking wavy and he doesnt like the looks shes receiving off men he says Heads are turnin like windmills  Then follows on to tell her that he doesnt like the way she waves to men through the window. Immediately in the book you see that Eddie is a very dominant man. He sees the fact that other men are becoming interested in her and dislikes the fact she is becoming interested in them.  Catherine do me a favour, will you? Your getting to be a big girl now, you just gotta keep yourself more, you cant be so friendly kid  He begins to see that Catherine is growing up and turning into a woman. Eddie wants to protect her from growing up and is shading her from the world. But here he knows that Catherine would do anything to please him, so he asks her to do him a favor but he doesnt wait for an answer he quickly changes the subject. When both Marco and Rodolpho arrive you can instantly see Catherines interest in Rodolpho. She starts asking questions about why he hasnt married.. Eddies aware of Catherine and Rodolphos attraction towards each other and stops it before it goes further by insulting Catherine and embarrassing her in front of the visitors. Eddie uses Rodolfoà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½s illegal status against him and exercises his authority over him. He makes Rodolfo stop singing under the pretence that the singing is drawing attention to him and he may get discovered and picked up, to mask his feelings of jealousy and dislike towards him. (Eddie has risen, with iron control, even a smile. He moves to Catherine)  Whats the high heels for,Garbo  Eddies jealousy is growing. Catherine is showing more attention to other people than Eddie so instantly we can see that he resorts to embarrassing her in front of Rodolpho and Marco.  Eddies hatred for Rodolfo grows and he is acting on his emotions when he tells Catherine, after they have come back from the cinema that Rodolfo is only using her to get his papers so he can stay in America. Katie, hes only bowinà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ to his passport  The explosion of jealousy comes when Eddie comes home drunk and finds Catherine and Rodolfo alone after having been in the bedroom together. He is so desperate; he is acting on his emotions and not thinking rationally and tells Rodolpho to leave, so Catherine agrees to go with him and Eddie tells her she isnt leaving.  Catherine: Eddie, im not gonna be a baby any more! You-  (He reaches out suddenly, draws her to him and as she strives to free herself he kisses her on the mouth) Eddie kisses Catherine to show Rodopho that Catherine is his and no one is to touch her and grips Rodolpho and also kisses him to show try and show Catherine that he isnt normaland this to Eddie was the last straw.  Eddie approaches Alfieri for help but he is unable to do anything about the marriage because she is her own person to do as she wishes.  Give me the number of the immigration bureau. Thanks. (he dials) I want to report something. Illegal immigrants. Two of them. Thats right. Four-forty-one saxon street, Brooklyn

Sunday, November 24, 2019

Free Essays on Good Life

Living a Simple Life â€Å"We have unintentionally achieved a human population explosion which is ruining quality of life in many parts of the world. The planet’s ecosphere and resources base may not tolerate even two more doublings of world population (to 20 billion). Either we limit our reproduction or nature will limit it for us by starvation and disease†. ( Milbrath, p.199 ) In his article, â€Å"Redefining the Good Life in a Sustainable Society† Lester W. Milbarth argues, that living a good life does not imply more consumption and the pursuit of material goods. He criticises the world of today and the people living in it by illustrating that we have created a society where growth and consumption are considered to be the two most important aspects of living a happy and prosperous life. In his view, quality of life can be achieved by a sense of happiness, physical well being, completeness, hope, and confidence more than continuing to grow in material consumption. His argument states that we are destroying the biospheric system and our lives are being spent in a way that would destroy many of our resources and would lead us to starvation and death. He goes on to say, that even if we became more technologically efficient through inventions we would not want to live a life that is defined by material quantities. Opposition to this view could say that through technology we can maintain desired consumption and create substitutes for resources that are scarce. Mark Sagoff argues that nature sets no limits to economic growth and even if the current population of the world doubles our environment and technological changes would be able to support human needs in any circumstance. He believes that the idea of resource scarcity and starvation is quite naive. This paper disagrees with the latter view in that, we need to distinguish quality of life away from consumption of material goods. The simple life can be interpreted as a focus on pr... Free Essays on Good Life Free Essays on Good Life Living a Simple Life â€Å"We have unintentionally achieved a human population explosion which is ruining quality of life in many parts of the world. The planet’s ecosphere and resources base may not tolerate even two more doublings of world population (to 20 billion). Either we limit our reproduction or nature will limit it for us by starvation and disease†. ( Milbrath, p.199 ) In his article, â€Å"Redefining the Good Life in a Sustainable Society† Lester W. Milbarth argues, that living a good life does not imply more consumption and the pursuit of material goods. He criticises the world of today and the people living in it by illustrating that we have created a society where growth and consumption are considered to be the two most important aspects of living a happy and prosperous life. In his view, quality of life can be achieved by a sense of happiness, physical well being, completeness, hope, and confidence more than continuing to grow in material consumption. His argument states that we are destroying the biospheric system and our lives are being spent in a way that would destroy many of our resources and would lead us to starvation and death. He goes on to say, that even if we became more technologically efficient through inventions we would not want to live a life that is defined by material quantities. Opposition to this view could say that through technology we can maintain desired consumption and create substitutes for resources that are scarce. Mark Sagoff argues that nature sets no limits to economic growth and even if the current population of the world doubles our environment and technological changes would be able to support human needs in any circumstance. He believes that the idea of resource scarcity and starvation is quite naive. This paper disagrees with the latter view in that, we need to distinguish quality of life away from consumption of material goods. The simple life can be interpreted as a focus on pr...

Thursday, November 21, 2019

International Financial Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

International Financial Management - Essay Example The spot rates extracted from reliable sources for the foreign currencies are depicted in the following table: Currency Spot Exchange Rates Euro / USD 0.7624 â‚ ¬ Yuan / USD 6.3123 Yuan These spot exchange rates were used in computing forward exchange rates which are the rates at which a bank or any party is willing to exchange or trade one currency for another at some prescribed date in the future. The forward exchange rate is a kind of a forward price. This rate is computed with the use of the relationship among the spot exchange rate and the differences in the interest rates between two nations. ... 300 $30 10.00% $300 $30 10.00% $0.00 0.000% Germany $132.15 $15.86 12.00% $131.16 $15.74 12.00% $0.12 0.748% China $109.45 $8.76 8.00% $102.97 $8.24 8.00% $0.52 6.294% $541.60 $54.61 10.08% $534.14 $53.98 10.11% $7.46 1.179% The above table shows the amounts repatriated into US Dollars after 1 year and on current basis using the spot foreign exchange rates. The main constituent which has been required in this assignment is the repatriation of ROS into United States. Using the forward and spot rates, the change in the ROS is depicted in the last two columns in terms of millions of US $ and percentage. The change in the ROS of Germany and China after one year has come about to be US$ 120,000 and US$ 520,000 which in total comes about to be US$ 746,000 and 1.179%. Discussion of repatriation with respect to: A spot transaction   A foreign exchange spot transaction or widely known as FX spot is a contract between two factions of people to purchase one currency against disposing of anoth er currency at a settled price for settlement on the spot date. The exchange rate at which the spot transaction is carried out is called the spot exchange rate. The computation of the repatriation of the ROS to the United States after the period of 12 months has been done in the previous section. As the total worldwide revenues of Navigation Systems, Inc. amounted up to $500 million have been forecasted for the coming year therefore the transaction is not a foreign exchange spot one but a forward exchange transaction. However, to convert the sales or figures for operations and ROS of the two foreign countries, Germany and China into the currency of United States, the spot exchange rates have been used with US Dollar against German Euro and Chinese Yuan. The spot foreign exchange rates were

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

AN EXAMINATION OF THE EXTENT TO WHICH IMMIGRATION AND ETHNIC RELIGIOUS Essay

AN EXAMINATION OF THE EXTENT TO WHICH IMMIGRATION AND ETHNIC RELIGIOUS PLURALISM THREATENS THE WELFARE - Essay Example As briefly indicated in the above, ethnic and religious plurality constitute a potential threat to the very notion of the welfare state and its associate welfare citizenship. Plurality, implying conflict and difference, is antithetical to the very principles upon which the welfare state is predicated; the principles of shared identity, commonality and homogeneity. Even while conceding to the reality of the stated threat, however, this research will posit the claim that the management of plurality through multiculturalism has the potential to control and limit this threat. Understanding the extent to which ethnic plurality and religious diversity can function as a threat to the welfare state, is predicated on an appreciation of the implications of nation-hood and the social citizenry to which it gave rise. If the idea of the nation was invented, imported, and implemented by elites, it had also to appeal to the rest of the population who had not known dignity before the age of nationalism. Weber observes that "the idea of the nation for its advocates stands in very intimate relation to [their] prestige interests" (Weber 1978: 9251530). While the dominant political strata, such as feudal lords, modern officers, and bureaucrats are the primary exponents of a desire for the political power of the state, since "power for their political community means [political, economic, and social] power for themselves" (Weber 1978: 911/520), it is those who appropriate leadership in a community of culture, the "carriers of culture." who promote the idea of a nation (W eber 1978: 9261530). These are, for Weber, primarily intellectuals, but also artists, editors, authors, journalists, etc. (Weber 1946a: 1791485). While, originally, the "masses" had little to gain and little to lose within the political project of the state, or within the "cultural" mission of the nation (Weber 1978: 9211527, 9251530), they can increasingly identify with the nation-state's prestige due to the "democratization of state, society and culture" (Weber 1946: 1781485). The implication here is that the nation emerged as an imagined entity but attained concrete reality because of a shared social identity, a common culture which, in turn, gave rise to shared historical memories and heritage. In other words, the state is inherently founded upon shared social identity and it is the latter which gave rise to the nation, and not vice-versa. Within the context of the stated, the nation may very well be an imagined entity but it, nonetheless, bestows identity upon its populace (Gre enfield, 1992). Citizenship derives from the nation which, in turn, emerged as a direct outcome of

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Boeing Company Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Boeing Company - Research Paper Example Boeing organization has a very unique business structure, which consist of two business solutions that are tied together. The two businesses of the Boeing organization are commercial airlines and the integrated defense system. The driving force behind the Boeing organization is the stakeholders, which include the employees, customers, communities and shareholders (Berridge, 2003). The management model used to direct the planning and focus of the company is a simple and effective method of planning and analysis that yield better results for the business. Good business results are driven by the Boeing’s aptitude to encourage leadership and growth in the organization. Boeing receives performance –driven management at all levels since it makes its employees to share in both their successes and failures through education. Planning is concerned with the future consequences and impacts of the present decisions of a company. In other words, Planning is a very important function of management and operation of Boeing Company. For this reason, staff cannot be mobilized and production can not begin unless planning is completed. The major function of management in any organization is to maximize the profits in order to benefit the company and the owners.

Friday, November 15, 2019

Insulin and Erythropoietin Production

Insulin and Erythropoietin Production Insulin is a protein (polypeptide) discovered in 1921 by Banting with the pancreas being the site of its production. It is made up of 51 amino acids, divided into 2 chains; A and B, bonded by disulfide linkages. Chain A is made up of 21 amino acids with an intra-disulphide linkage, while chain B is made up of 30 amino acids (4). Why Insulin? Insulin is important in glucose metabolism, and is being used for the treatment of Diabetes mellitus; a metabolic disorder of glucose in the body. Initially, Insulin from animals was used to treat this disorder however nowadays synthesized human Insulin is being used, this is because; it is fast absorbed by the body, it has less allergic reactions, it contains less impurities, and it produces good results (3). Recombinant process of producing Insulin Synthetic Insulin was first produced in 1983 through genetic Engineering, which involve extraction of the human DNA (1), once extracted, the gene for Insulin is isolated, and enzymes are used to cut it. The gene is then cut using enzymes and put into the plasmid of a vector, where in most cases E. coli plasmid is used. Since Insulin contains two chains, two pieces of DNA are extracted, and the genes for the two chains are linked to ÃŽ ² galactosidase enzyme of the bacteria. The plasmids formed are then inserted into a host cell E. coli and sealed using another enzyme called ligase. And the host on replicating produces the enzymes each containing one of the two chains each. Production is followed by extracting and purifying the chains which are mixed in a reaction to reconstitute the disulphide bridges (1). ESCHERICHIA COLI AS RECOMBINANT INSULIN HOST Entero-bacillus, gram-negative E. coli is about 1 2ÃŽ ¼m, it can survive in the presence/absence of oxygen, and it also grows in an optimum pH and temperature of 7.0 and 37oC respectively. It utilizes glucose as its major carbon source and can also use other carbon sources like pyruvate, glycerol, acetate, and other sugars. K-12 and B strains are mostly used in the laboratory (20) Reasons for choosing E. coli Genetic Engineering technologies were developed using E. coli as a role organism, and so, the genetics of E. coli are well known among other microorganisms, as such its the most used organism for the production of different proteins (14). Moreover E. coli has a well known safety and production abilities, stable plasmid, controllable promoter, cheaper and easily cultured (6), E. coli also has fast growth rate, its easy to handle, and has well known fermentation skills and the ability to produce high protein content (14). That is why most of the proteins licensed recently by FDA and EMEA, were produced in E. coli (5). With these, and the fact that Insulin is a simple polypeptide (protein) which does not require glycosylation for its bioactivity and stability, E. coli carrying the plasmids for production of insulin will be used as the host for the production of Insulin Strain and plasmids: BL21 strain containing the pMYW-A and pMYW-B plasmids and temperature repressor ÃŽ »-c1857, will be used for insulin production (21). Growth strategy The various growth strategies that will be used to grow E. coli in order to make it happy and produce the desired product (11) include: Medium: E. coli needs nutrients like carbon, nitrogen and others; thus a carbon source; glycerol will be provided since its cheaper and more soluble than glucose (12), a source of nitrogen in the form of ammonium sulphate will also be provided. However such nutrients in large quantities can inhibit the growth of E. coli, as such a defined medium that contain optimum concentrations 20gl-1 glycerol and 2gl-1 ammonium sulphate will be used (11). The medium will also consist of the following; 3gl-1 KH2PO4, 1gl-1 MgSO4.7H2O, 0.8gl-1 citrate, and 6gl-1 K2HPO4 (23). Some trace elements will also be added to the medium. (23) Process and culture-strategies: E. coli will be grown submerged in a sterile controlled stirred tank reactor, and fed-batch will be used as the growth strategy so as to avoid accumulation of acetate which can be inhibits its growth, and reduce the production of the insulin (18). The growth strategy will be divided into two; initially batch mode will be used to initiate growth, after which the fed-batch exponential feeding will be used to produce the insulin (21). After adapting the medium and feeding method, oxygen transfer rates (OTRs) had to be increased through a suitable bioreactor design and over-head pressure (16). Large scale reactors usually reach high ORTs using air and normal aeration pressure, and so the oxygen partial pressure (pO2) will be increased by adding pure oxygen to the air-stream entering the reactor, thus increasing its oxygen transfer rates (16) DO will be maintained at 40% of air saturation and aeration rate at 1vvm. Foaming arising due to large number of cells and high aeration-rates will be solved by use of impellers for stirring simultaneously at 300rpm and the use of antifoam (ucolub N115) (16, 21). The process temperature and pH will be maintained at 30oC and 6.8 respectively so as to avoid partial proteolysis of the insulin protein. Bioreactor Design: Bioreactor vessel is usually cylindrical and made up of stainless steel. It is composed of impeller for stirring, Air sparger is placed at the bottom of the vessel for introduction of air, it has some inlets for introduction of acid/alkali for pH control and also for introduction of antifoams, nutrients and inoculum; It is also has pH, DO and temperature probes for sensing (22), Microbial activity during fermentation usually produces heat, so the bioreactor design must allow for removal of heat, and this can be achieved by cooling with jackets and coils (16) Bioreactors must also be designed in a way that it can withstand high temperature and pressure and to allow cleaning-up and sterilizing (22). Growth analysis Temperature, pH, DO, foam, partial oxygen and carbon dioxide pressures, will be analysed on-line, other parameters like biomass, will be analysed by using optical density (OD600) and dry cell weight (offline). Cell viability will be analysed by using flow cytometry, the concentrations of substrates and metabolites by enzymatic methods while insulin will be analysed using electrophoresis methods like SDS-PAGE, and ELISA, while its purity will be determined by HPLC (8). Limitations/Problems There are several problems that may arise during processing and can limit the use of this organism for Insulin production, these are; Poor secretion because of the structure of its membrane (and tough cell wall), small amount of foldases, chaperones and increased concentrations of proteases, leading to low productivity (7). Solutions to this problem include all measures taken to increase quality of secretion and production such as: Use of secretion systems like the system of ÃŽ ±-haemolysin (7) co-expression after co-cloning of foldases and chaperones (13) Improving the rates of gene-expression and using proteases deficient mutants like BL21 (18). use of E. coli mutants that are deficient of cell-wall (12) Limited post translational-modifications; including disulfide-linkage formation, which is important for the insulin stability and biological activity (9). Solutions to this problem include; Production of insulin with altered amino acid sequences through genetic engineering (9) Using E. coli mutants to enhance the formation of disulfide linkages e.g. Origami (15) iii. Exporting proteins into the periplasm which has disulphide bonding mechanisms (19). Codon biases; due to large quantities of exact transfer-RNAs found in E. coli, the codons in the human-genes are often different from those that are found in this organism. This results in inefficient expression of some of these rare codons by the organism resulting in an unexpected protein synthesis termination or wrong incorporation of the amino acids (12). This problem can be solved by replacing codons that are rare in the desired gene by codons that are often found in the E. coli and by co-expressing the rare transfer-RNAs (15). Acetate is usually formed as a by-product, and is inhibitory to growth of the cells (20). Solution is by using a fed-batch feeding method and by limiting DO level (11). Another problem is that large proteins are often obtained in an insoluble form (5); forming aggregates called inclusion bodies; IBs (20). This can be solved by adjustment of temperature, increasing the strength of the promoter, adjusting the number of plasmids, concentrations of the inducer, and the composition of the media (9). Erythropoietin EPO EPO is a glycoprotein that is produced in the renal cortex of the kidney (10, 11). It has also being shown to be present in the brain, spleen, liver and the lungs (7, 17). It is made up of 165 amino acids of about 18kDa (25), with a number of carbohydrates linked to the polypeptide through O and N glycosidic-bonds giving the glycoprotein a total weight of 34kDa.Two disulphide linkages hold the molecule together (15) and the carbohydrates are responsible for the stability of the glycoprotein in-vivo,and increasing its half-life in the body (24). Why EPO? EPO functions to regulate the amount of red blood cells (RBC) in the blood by controlling the proliferation and differentiation of its immature cells to mature cells (1, 2, 22,). It is also involved in the growth and formation of blood vessels, and healing of wounds (6), it functions in the brain is not clear, but studies showed the glycoprotein to have some protective effects (18). Because of these functions EPO has being used in the treatment of anaemia caused by kidney failure and other causes (25). Recombinant production of EPO Despite its importance, EPO in body is found in very small amounts and mostly in the urine (4), as such there is the requirement to produce EPO in large amounts, this leads to the work of isolating the glycoprotein from the urine (12, 21), and was used to identify its amino acid sequences, and synthesis of its DNA (9, 12), furthermore the human erythropoietin genes were cloned by Lin et al. (17), and consequently recombinant human EPO (rhuEPO) was produced in 1985 using CHO cells (14, 16). Chinese -Hamster- Ovary (CHO-Cells) as rhuEPO host: These are epithelial cells derived from the ovary of Chinese hamster (a mammal). They grow well in culture and looks like cobble stones. The cells usually attach to a surface available but can be grown in suspension (20). CHO cells are grown best at 37oC and at pH 7.4; they are cultured in a suitable complex medium which can support their growth for many generations (20). CHO cell lines are now available from cell culture collections like the American type culture collection; ATCC. Moreover human EPO expression plasmids are now also commercially available, and are usually used for production of EPO using the CHO cells (27). Reasons for choosing CHO-cells Karthik et al. (13) showed that CHO-cells are being used extensively in the industries for the production of many proteins, because they have demonstrated, to possess some qualities like: They can modify biological products post-translationally; Proteins produce in CHO-cells have high glycosylation quality making them compatible and stable (13) Safety of the product; Studies in 1989 have shown that most viruses do not multiply in CHO-cells (13) Ability to adapt easily and be grown in suspension (13). Products can now be purified to contain less contaminant (13). CHO cells have being used for a long time; as such much data has being accumulated for regulatory reasons (13). They are easy to manipulate genetically (13). The isolation of cells deficient in Dihydrofolate-reductase enzymes leads to stable clones selection and genes amplification to increase production (13). With all these, and the fact that EPO is a glycoprotein that requires glycosylation for its stability and activity, recombinant CHO cells are chosen to produce EPO. Cell lines and plasmids: Cell lines which have the capability of glycosylating proteins (Pro-5), harboring the pGEX-HET-puro expression plasmid, will be used to produce the recombinant human erythropoietin (27). Growth strategy Medium: Complex culture medium will be provided with; Glucose as a source of carbon and energy, Amino acids as source of nitrogen, Salts will be included to make the solution isotonic Vitamins and hormones will be added as co-factors Serum is usually added to the culture medium to enhance the growth of the cell (20), but has the following disadvantages: It chemicals are not defined and can cause cell growth inconsistency between batches (20) It is very expensive (20) The serum may contain proteins which can be difficult to separate and purify from the proteins secreted by the cells during downstream processing (20) It increases foaming and can be a source of contamination by viruses. (20) Therefore a serum-free (SF) media (16) will be used for the growth of the E. coli. Process and culture-strategies: The cells will be grown adherent on micro-carriers in a sterile controlled packed bed reactor, and perfusion method of production where some amounts of the medium is removed and replaced by fresh one and the cells are grown slowly will be used (28); because it was found to improve the glycosylation of the proteins more than fed-batch where there is fast growth of cells, (8). Before, many processes were run in a simple batch method, but nowadays, Perfusion or fed-batch methods are mostly employed and higher products are now realized (22). The production will be carried out in two stages; the growth stage and the production stage. Normally stirring will be kept at 100 to 150 rpm, foaming will be avoided by adding Pluronic F68 (16).Temperature will be maintained at 37oC initially during growth and then reduced to 33oC during production, as was shown to increase the overall protein production, while maintaining the quality of the glycoprotein (3, 26). pH w ill be kept at 7.1 initially and then reduced to 6.8 (8, 26), by passing CO2 gas to the culture or by addition of concentrated sodium-bicarbonate solution in low quantities, because CO2 is also toxic to the cells and can also affect the production of EPO (20). In order to avoid the depletion of oxygen, the oxygen transfer rates (OTRs) will be increased above its utilization rate, with a constant supply of pure oxygen and air, while DO will be maintained at 20-50% of air saturation (20). Bioreactor Design: Since the cells are big and fragile, the design of the bioreactor has to be considered. Mammalian cell culture bioreactors are designed with bottoms that are round and are usually made up of glass/stainless steel (20). The impellers are usually marine or pitched blade types fitted at the end of mechanical drives shafts so that both vertical and horizontal mixing are allowed at low stirring-rates (20). Temperature is controlled through coiled pipes or open ended fermenter jacket (20). pH, DO and temperature probes are used for sensing and have both air inlet and outlet for respiration. Growth Analysis Temperature, pH and DO will be monitored on-line, because cells are immobilized, biomass formed cannot be measured directly therefore it will be monitored by measuring rate of glucose consumed daily and the rate of lactate produced (28) Cell viability by flow cytometry, Glucose, glutamine, and lactate concentrations will be analysed using multi-parameter Bio-analytical system (26); while ammonia formed as waste product of amino acid metabolism, will be analysed by colorimetric assay and by the use of detection-kit (26). EPO formed will be analysed using HPLC to determine its purity and its quality by Isoelectric focusing, SDS, and Bradford assay (26). The activity of EPO will be analysed by bioassay and by the use of protein assay-kit (27) Limitations/Problems. There are many limitations associated with CHO cells culture processes and they include; They are fragile and highly sensitive to shear stress caused by agitation and bubble because the cells are large and have only cell membrane (20). This is usually solved using a suitable bioreactor-design and use of Pluronic F68 (20). They need a complex medium including serum which can cause problems in the downstream processing and is expensive (20). Solution to this is by using serum- free media (24, 25). Low yield of proteins have been produced from these cells, the productivity using the microbes being higher than the use of these cells. They also have slow growth rates (13). The problem of low productivity and slow growth rates can be solved through selecting cell lines that are better and optimizing cultural-strategies. Ammonia and lactate are generated during growth and can inhibit growth and also affect glycosylation (8). Solution is by optimizing the strategies of feeding and by monitoring (8). Glycosylation differences may arise from the EPO produced in the CHO-cells and the human EPO as seen in the way the two are sialylated terminally, as a result that the CHO-cells are not able to express an enzyme called alpha-2,6, sialyltransferase (27). Solution is by the use of CHO-cells harboring alpha-2, 6, sialyltransferase-cDNA expression-cassettes (27). REFERENCES: 1. Alcamo, I., DNA Technology; the Awesome-Skill. Farming-dale. New York: Academic Press. (2001). 2. Banting Grolier Electronic publishing www.littletree.com.au/dna.htm accessed on 30/12/2010 3. Carbs information, www.carb-information.com/insulin-synthetic.htm accessed on 30/12/ 2010. 4. Charce, R.E., and Frank, B.H., Research, Production and Safety of Biosynthetic Human Insulin. (1993). www.littletree.com.au/dna.htm accessed on 30/12/2010. 5. Ferrer-Miralles N. Domingo-Espà ­n, J. Corchero, J.L. Và ¡zquez, E. and Villaverde, A. Microb. fact. for recombinant pharmaceuticals, Microbial factories , 8:17, 2009. 6. Fox, S. Improved processes and new capacity for pipeline to commercial production. Biopharmaceutical contract manufacturing, Volume 1 (report). High Tech Business Decisions: San Jose, CA. 2005 7. Genschev, I., Dietrich, G., Goebel, W.,The E. coli alpha-hemolysin secretion system and its use in vaccine development. Trends Microbiol. 10: 39-45. 2002 8. Hewitt C.J., Nebe-von Caron G., Axelsson B., McFarlane C.M, Nienow A.W Studies related to the scale-up of high-cell-density E. coli fed-batch fermentations using multi-parameter flow cytometry: effect of a changing microenvironment with respect to glucose and dissolved oxygen concentration. Biotech. Bioeng. 70: 381-390. 2000 9. Hite P.F, Barnes A.M.J.P.E. Exhuberance over Exubera. Clinical Diabetes 24: 110-114. 2006. 10. Jana, S., Deb, J.K. Strategies for efficient production of heterologous proteins in Escherichia coli. Appl. Microbiol. Biotech. 67: 289-29. 2005. 11. Joseph S., and Raphael F., growing E. coli to high- cell density-A historical perspective on method development Biotech. Advances 23: 345-357 2005. 12. Korz D.J, Rinas U., Hellmuth K, Sanders E.A, Deckwer W.D. Simple fed-batch technique for high cell density cultivation of E. coli. J Biotechnology, 39: 56-65. 1995. 13. Kujau, M.J., Hoischen, C., Riesenberg, D., Gumpert, J. Expression and secretion of functional mini-antibodies McPC603scFvDhlx in cell-wall-less L-form strains of Proteus mirabilis and E. coli: a comparison of the synthesis capacities of L-form strains with E. coli producer strain. Appl. Microbiol. Biotech. 49: 51-58. 1998. 14. Lund, P.A. Microbial molecular chaperones. Advanc. Microbiol. Physiol. 44: 93-140. 2001 15. Makrides S.C. Strategies for achieving high-level expression of genes in Escherichia coli. Microbiol. Rev. 60: 512-5388. 1996. 16. Meyer, H.P. Brass, J. Jungo, C. Klein, J. Wenger, J. and Mommer, R. an emerging Star for Therapeutic and Catalytic Protein Production. Bioprocess International. 2008. 17. Nacelle, G. J. V. and Coppel, R. L. Reshaping Life; Key Issues in Genetic Engineering, Novo-Nordisk Promotional Brochure. Melbourne: Melbourne University Press. 1989. 18. Schmidt, F.R. Recombinant expression systems in pharmaceutical industry. Appl. Microbiol. Biotech. 65:363-37. 2004. 19. Wacker M., Linton D., Hitchen P.G., Nita-Lazar M., Haslam, S.M., North, S.J., Panico M., Morris H.R., Dell A., Wren, B.W., Aeb, M. N-linked glycosylation in Campylobacter jejuni and its functional transfer into E. coli. Science 298:1790-1793. 2002. 20. Demain, L. A., and Vaishnav, P. Production of recombinant proteins by microbes and higher organisms. Biotech.Advan. 27: 297-306. 2009. 21. Schmidt, M., Raman Babu, K., Khanna, N., Marten, S., Rinas, U., Temperature- induced production of recombinant human insulin in high cell density culture of recombinant Escherichia Coli. Journal of Biotech. 68:71-83. 1999. 22. Ratledge, C. and Kristiansen, B. Basic biotechnology. Cambridge: Cambridge university press. 2001. 23. Tabandeh, F., Shojaosadati, S.A., Zomorodipour, A., Khodabandeh, M., Sanati, M.H., Yakhchali, B. Heat induced production of human growth hormone by high cell density cultivation of recombinant E. coli. Biotech. Letters. 26: 245-250. 2004.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Chad Essay -- essays research papers

Chad Chad is one of the most underdeveloped countries in the world because of its climate, geographic location, and a lack of infrastructure and natural resources. It's main cash crop that is helping it's economy is cotton, which accounts for 48% of exports.1 The industry of Chad is mainly based on processing agricultural products. It is run by a republican government and it's legal system is based on French civil law system and Chadian customary law. The recent president is Idriss Deby and head of government is Prime Minister Joseph Yodoyman Chad had gained its independence from France on August 11, 1960. Its national holiday is held on the same day every year.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The geography of Chad is mostly pastures and meadows. Chad is located in Central Africa and is between the Central African Republic and Libya. The total area is 1,259,200 km2, and the land area is 1,259,200 km2.2 The total size in area of Chad is slightly more than three times the size of California. The land boundaries of Chad are; Cameroon (1,094 km), Central African Republic (1,197 km), Libya (1,055 km), Niger (1,175 km), Nigeria (87 km), and Sudan (1,360 km).3 All of these countries total to 5,968 km. Chad is landlocked which has no coastline. It has no marital claims. The disputes between Chad and other countries is that Libya claims and occupies the 100,000 km2 Aozou Strip in the far north. The year around climate is tropical in the south, and desert in the north. The terrain is broad, arid plains in the center, desert in the north, lowlands in the south and mountains in the northwest. The natural resources are petroleum, uranium, natron, kaolin, and fish. The land use consists of arable land (2%), permanent crops (0%), meadows and pastures (36%), forest and woodland (11%), and other (51%).4 The irrigated land used is 100km2. Its environment is hot, dry, dusty harmattan winds occur in the north, drought and desertification affecting much of the south, and subject to plagues of locusts.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The people of Chad rely on agriculture for survival. The total population is 5,350,971 people. The growth rate of the population is 2.13%. The birth rate is 42.21 births / 1,000 population. The death rate is 20.93 deaths / 1,000 population. The migration rate is 0% migrants / 1,000 population. Chad's death at infancy is at a great risk at 134 deaths ... ...s. The exchange rates are communaute Financiere Africaine Francs (CFAF per US $1 - 274.06 in January 1993, 264.69 in 1992, 282.11 in 1991, 272.26 in 1990, 319.01 in 1989, and 297.85 in 1988.8 Chad's fiscal year is a calendar year.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The highways in Chad total to 31,322 km, 32 km bituminous, 7,300 km gravel and laterite, and the remainder is unimproved earth.9 Inland waterways are 2,000 km navigable. Airports total to 69. The usable airports total to 55. Permanent-surface runways total to 5 airports. The telecommunications department in Chad is a fair system of radio communication stations for intercity links; broadcast stations - 6am, 1fm, limited television service; many facilities are inoperative; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Chad's defense forces consist of the branches, manpower, and defense expenditures. In the branches there is the Army and the Republican Guard. In the manpower availability males age from 15 to 49, total count is 1,246,617; fit for military service 647,908; reach military age is 20 and annually 52,870.10 In defense expenditures the exchange rate conversion is $58 million and 5.6% of GDP.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

How Technology and Environment Might Influence the Structure of an Organisation

Student Name: Adeniyi Adebowale Module: Principles of Organising and Managing Student Number: 500188225 Due Date: 15th of March, 2010 Title: Explain how technology and environment might influence the structure of an organisation; support your answer with examples. Paragraphs: 25 Charles Perrow (1974) suggests that there are four types of technology that determines an organisation's most effective structure and success in the market. The following are the types of technology: Non-routine Technology are characterized by high task variability and low task analyzability, examples include tasks performed by research chemist, advertising agencies, high-tech product designers and top management teams. With this type of technology, an organization has to develop structure that allows employees to respond quickly to manage exceptions and create new solutions like an organic structure. Engineering Technology is characterized by high task variability and high task analyzability, examples of these includes civil engineering companies that build roads and bridges another example includes motor manufacturers that produce customized cars. Craft Technology is characterized by low task variability and low task analyzability, examples includes an accountant preparing a tax return and a plumber fitting a bath or shower. Robbins (1993) further argued that technology has and will continue to influence growth and development in organization. Technology has made a fundamental impact in the education sector, providing a competitive advantage that has come to be essential to many organizations. For example, education institutes must also use technology to improve the educational learning process. In the past decade, computers and the Internet have changed the way in which education can be delivered to students since it is currently possible to engage in distance education through the Internet. There are two means in which technologies can be used in delivering education to students and they are listed below: Synchronous Technologies is a mode of online delivery where all participants are â€Å"present† at the same time requiring a timetable to be organized. Web Conferencing is an example of synchronous technology. Asynchronous Technologies is a mode of online delivery where participants access course materials on their own schedule. Students are not required to be together at the same time. Message board forums, e-mail and recorded video are examples of asynchronous technology. draw:frame} {draw:frame} Source: Andrzej Huczynski and David Buchanan (2001), page 36. Placid, Randomized Placid, Clustered Disturbed, Reactive Turbulent Fields {draw:frame} The figure below outlines the suggested points in details: Source: Andrzej Huczynski and David Buchanan (2001), page 49. Source: Andrzej Huczynski and David Buchanan (2001), page 47 References Stephen P. Robbins, 1993, Or ganizational Behaviour, 6th Edition, Prentice Hall International, U. S. A. Stephen P. Robbins, 1994, Management, 4th Edition, Prentice Hall International, U. S. A. David Faulkner, 2002, Strategy_: Critical Perspective on Business and Management_, Volume 1, U. K. Lloyd S. Baird, James E. Post and John F. Mahon, 1990, Management: Function and Responsibilities, Harper Collins Publisher, U. S. A. Harold J. Leavitt, Louis R. Pondy, and David M Boje, 1988, Readings in Managerial Psychology, 4th Edition, The University of Chicago Press Ltd. U. S. A. Charles Perrow, 1974, Organizational Analysis: A Social View, Tavistock Publications, London, U. K. Alan Fox, 1974, Beyond Contract: Work, Power and Trust Relations (Society Today and Tomorrow), Faber Publishing, London, U. K.

Friday, November 8, 2019

Facts and History of North Korea

Facts and History of North Korea The Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea, commonly known as North Korea, is one of the most talked-about yet least understood nations on Earth. It is a reclusive country, cut off even from its nearest neighbors by ideological differences and the paranoia of its top leadership. It developed  nuclear weapons  in 2006. Severed from the southern half of the peninsula more than six decades ago, North Korea has evolved into a strange Stalinist state. The ruling Kim family exercises control through fear and personality cults. Can the two halves of Korea ever be put back together again? Only time will tell. Capital and Major Cities Capital: Pyongyang, population 3,255,000Hamhung, population 769,000Chongjin, population 668,000Nampo, population 367,000Wonsan, population 363,000 North Koreas Government North Korea, or the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea, is a highly centralized communist country under the leadership of Kim Jong-Un. His official title is Chairman of the National Defense Commission. The President of the Supreme Peoples Assembly Presidium is Kim Yong Nam. The 687-seat Supreme Peoples Assembly is the legislative branch. All members belong to the Korean Workers Party. The judicial branch consists of a Central Court, as well as provincial, county, city and military courts. All citizens are free to vote for the Korean Workers Party at the age of 17. The Population of North Korea North Korea has an estimated 24 million citizens as of the 2011 census. About 63% of North Koreans live in urban centers. Nearly all of the population is ethnically Korean, with very small minorities of ethnic Chinese and Japanese. Language The official language of North Korea is Korean. Written Korean has its own alphabet, called Hangul. Over the past several decades, the government of North Korea has attempted to purge borrowed vocabulary from the lexicon. Meanwhile, South Koreans have adopted words such as PC for personal computer, handufone for mobile phone, etc. While the northern and southern dialects are still mutually intelligible, they are diverging from one another after 60 years of separation. Religion in North Korea As a communist nation, North Korea is officially non-religious. Prior to the partition of Korea, however, Koreans in the north were Buddhist, Shamanist, Cheondogyo, Christian, and Confucianist. To what extent these belief systems persist today is difficult to judge from outside the country. North Korean Geography North Korea occupies the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. It shares a long north-western border with China, a short border with Russia, and a highly-fortified border with South Korea (the DMZ or demilitarized zone). The country covers an area of 120,538 km sq. North Korea is a mountainous land; about 80% of the country is made up of steep mountains and narrow valleys. The remainder is arable plains, but these are small in size and distributed across the country. The highest point is Baektusan, at 2,744 meters. The lowest point is sea level. The Climate of North Korea North Koreas climate is influenced both by the monsoon cycle and by continental air masses from Siberia. Thus, it was extremely cold with dry winters and hot, rainy summers. North Korea suffers from frequent droughts and massive summer flooding, as well as the occasional typhoon. Economy North Koreas GDP (PPP) for 2014 is estimated at $40 billion US. The GDP (official exchange rate) is $28 billion (2013 estimate). The per capita GDP is $1,800. Official exports include military products, minerals, clothing, wood products, vegetables, and metals. Suspected unofficial exports include missiles, narcotics, and trafficked persons. North Korea imports minerals, petroleum, machinery, food, chemicals, and plastics. History of North Korea When Japan lost World War II in 1945, it also lost Korea, annexed to the Japanese Empire in 1910. The U.N. divided administration of the peninsula between two of the victorious Allied powers. Above the 38th parallel, the USSR took control, while the US moved in to administer the southern half. The USSR fostered a pro-Soviet communist government based in Pyongyang, then withdrew in 1948. North Koreas military leader, Kim Il-sung, wanted to invade South Korea at that point and unite the country under a communist banner, but Joseph Stalin refused to support the idea. By 1950, the regional situation had changed. Chinas civil war had ended with a victory for Mao Zedongs Red Army, and Mao agreed to send military support to North Korea if it invaded the capitalist South. The Soviets gave Kim Il-sung a green light for invasion. The Korean War On June 25, 1950, North Korea launched a ferocious artillery barrage across the border into South Korea, followed hours later by some 230,000 troops. The North Koreans quickly took the southern capital at Seoul and began to push southwards. Two days after the war began, US President Truman ordered American armed forces to come to the aid of the South Korean military. The U.N. Security Council approved member-state assistance to the South over the objection of the Soviet representative; in the end, twelve more nations joined the US and South Korea in the U.N. coalition. Despite this aid to the South, the war went very well for the North at first. In fact, the communist forces captured nearly the entire peninsula within the first two months of fighting; by August, the defenders were hemmed in at the city of Busan, on the southeastern tip of South Korea. The North Korean army was not able to break through the Busan Perimeter, however, even after a solid month of battle. Slowly, the tide began to turn against the North. In September and October of 1950, South Korean and U.N. forces pushed the North Koreans all of the way back across the 38th Parallel, and north to the Chinese border. This was too much for Mao, who ordered his troops into battle on North Koreas side. After three years of bitter fighting, and some 4 million soldiers and civilians killed, the Korean War ended in a stalemate with the July 27, 1953, cease-fire agreement. The two sides have never signed a peace treaty; they remain separated by a 2.5-mile wide demilitarized zone (DMZ). The Post-War North After the war, North Koreas government focused on industrialization as it rebuilt the battle-torn country. As president, Kim Il-sung preached the idea of Juche, or self-reliance. North Korea would become strong by producing all of its own food, technology, and domestic needs, rather than importing goods from abroad. During the 1960s, North Korea was caught in the middle of the Sino-Soviet split. Although Kim Il-sung hoped to remain neutral and play the two larger powers off of one another, the Soviets concluded that he favored the Chinese. They cut off help to North Korea. During the 1970s, North Koreas economy began to fail. It has no oil reserves, and the spiking price of oil left it massively in debt. North Korea defaulted on its debt in 1980. Kim Il-sung died in 1994 and was succeeded by his son Kim Jong-il. Between 1996 and 1999, the country suffered from a famine that killed between 600,000 and 900,000 people. Today, North Korea relied on international food aid through 2009, even as it poured scarce resources into the military. The agricultural output has improved since 2009 but malnutrition and poor living conditions continue. North Korea evidently tested its first nuclear weapon on October 9, 2006. It continues to develop its nuclear arsenal and conducted tests in 2013 and 2016.   On December 17, 2011, Kim Jong-il died and was succeeded by his third son, Kim Jong-un.