Monday, November 25, 2019

Top 10 Grammatical and Spelling Errors of 2013

Top 10 Grammatical and Spelling Errors of 2013 It’s that time of year again! This year I will address some of the top grammatical and spelling errors specifically found on resumes and business documents, both of which constitute a large portion of what I read. Here’s the list: #10 Inconsistencies in Bulleted Lists If you make a list of bulleted items, whether it be on a resume or on a website, make them consistent in terms of the part of speech you start with. Bullets that start with the words Provide, Assess, Ensure, and Designing are not parallel; nor are bullets that start with Creates, Teaches, Organized, and Fulfills. Perhaps the inconsistent word jumps off the page when listed this way, but I see mismatched bullets in many types of documents every day. Check your bulleted lists carefully! #9 Manager/Manger According to Wikipedia, a â€Å"manger† is â€Å"a feeder that is made of carved stone, wood, or metal construction and is used to hold food for animals (as in a stable).† A â€Å"manager,† in contrast, is a person in a professional setting who supervises a person or team. Don’t mix them up on your resume, or in your Christmas greetings ;-). #8 Principal/Principle â€Å"Principal† is an adjective meaning first, highest, or foremost in importance, rank, worth, or degree; or of, relating to, or being financial principal, or a principal in a financial transaction. It can also be a noun meaning a person with a leading role, or one who holds a position of presiding rank or who is a main participant in a situation. â€Å"Principle,† in contrast, is a basic truth, tenet or assumption. I realize this spelling distinction can be hard to remember. One trick I use to keep them straight is to think, â€Å"You’re my #1 pal† and know that the word ending in â€Å"pal† relates to someone or something that is #1. #7 PowerPoint/Powerpoint It’s a common error to miss the capital P in the middle of PowerPoint. Be careful when listing any computer programs on your resume to spell them correctly! #6 Set up/Setup â€Å"Set up† is a verb meaning to set something up or put something in a specified state. Notice that there is a word in between â€Å"set† and â€Å"up† in the definition of â€Å"set up,† which you can think of as being substituted with a space. You must set *something* (_) up. â€Å"Setup,† however, is a noun meaning the process of preparing something to be used. You might set up the menus in a restaurant if you work there, but you would go to a setup menu to get a computer program ready for use. #5 Inconsistent Dashes If you use dashes in between start and end dates on your resume, or between any items in a document, use the same length dash for every similar set of text! I almost always see inconsistencies, especially on resumes, and they appear unprofessional. Don’t write June 2011-July 2013 in one spot and August 2010- June 2011 in another. #4 Apostrophes This issue makes the list for the third year in a row. Main point: Creating a plural doesn’t require an apostrophe. One client, two clients. To make a singular word possessive, add an apostrophe ‘s’: e.g., I wrote one client’s resume today. To make a plural word possessive, add an apostrophe after the ‘s’: e.g., I reviewed 5 clients’ records and discovered errors in 3 of them. See Top 7 Grammatical and Spelling Errors of 2012 and Top 10 Grammatical and Spelling Errors of 2011 for more on this topic. #3 Everyday/Every day This is a repeat topic as well. Everyday is an adjective meaning â€Å"common† or â€Å"day-to-day.† Every day means â€Å"daily† or â€Å"each and every day.† Want to learn a trick to remember which is which? See Common Grammatical Errors: Everyday vs. Every Day. #2 Lead/Led The absolute most common spelling error on resumes is the use of â€Å"lead,† meant to be the past tense of â€Å"lead.† The past tense of the verb â€Å"to lead† is â€Å"led†! I would love to see this error disappear from the resume writing world. #1 Two spaces after a period! Sure there are people who still argue that two spaces after a period is acceptable, but I have been fully converted! I have trained my fingers and my eyes to put one space after each period, and I’m attempting to train my clients to â€Å"get with the program† as well. If it’s good enough for the Chicago Manual of Style, it’s good enough for me! Have a happy, healthy, and grammatically correct new year. And remember, I’m always open to hearing your suggestions for my 2014 list!

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Critical Infrastructure Vulnerability and Protection Case Study

Critical Infrastructure Vulnerability and Protection - Case Study Example It also needs rail and road transport as well as pipeline to supply it with the fuel for generators, water for emotions control and cooling, finance and banking for purchases of fuel, and telecommunications for system status monitoring and e-commerce. Mat times of component failure or emergencies, other critical dependencies on the same infrastructure will be used by the electricity infrastructure, yet within the same infrastructure. A good example is petroleum fuel for the emergency generators and transportation of repair materials. In this example, the supported infrastructure is electricity which is supported by water, telecommunications, transport, and the other infrastructures (Ronaldi, Peeremboom, & Kelly, 2001). Interdependency is bidirectional relationship existing between two infrastructures whereby is correlated or influences the other one’s state. These increase complexity of the system or systems dramatically. They are characterized by infrastructural multiple connections, feed forward and feedback paths as well as intricate, branching topologies. An intricate web is created by the connections, which depending on its linkages characteristics could transmit shocks across the broad swaths of the economy as well as through multiple infrastructures (Ronaldi, Peeremboom, & Kelly, 2001). Infrastructure interconnection causes vulnerability to failure. For instance, a cascading failure will occur when a certain disrupted infrastructure will cause a component of the other infrastructure to fail creating disruption on the infrastructure. An escalating failure will occur when a disruption that is existing disruption in the first infrastructure will intensify an independent commotion in the other infrastructure, normally worsening the situation in terms of recovery time or restoration time of the second failure. A common cause failure will occur when several networks of infrastructure are at the same time disrupted: there is failure in components in each

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Ethics Case Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Ethics Case Analysis - Essay Example Question 2. The physician also should never have spoken to Annie about the seriousness of her illness. This is because withholding the truth about the seriousness of Annie’s condition by the physician did more good to Annie and her family, more than revealing the whole truth to her. This is because, had Ann known that she was about to die, she would become distressed and make her family also distressed. The main ethical dilemma in this case is to make the choice of either or not to reveal to Annie the seriousness of her illness. Revealing the truth to Annie would have meant that the physicians and the Annie’s husband have acted in the honest way by telling Annie the truth; the main disadvantage of telling Annie the truth, however, was that Annie would become emotionally and psychologically disturbed, thus becoming distressed and making her family also distressed. Withholding the truth, on the other hand, would have meant that the physicians and Annie’s husband have acted in the best interests of Annie and her family because Annie would remain hopeful throughout the short period remaining in her life; withholding the truth from Annie, however, would mean that the physicians and Annie’s husband lied to Annie, thus acting in a dishonest way towards Annie. Making a choice between these two options is a real dilemma because each of the options has both positive and negative consequences. The main reason why I am of the view that the Physicians should never have revealed the truth to Annie about the seriousness of her illness is that the physicians are not under any obligation to reveal the whole truth to their patients. This view is supported by Sokol when he argues that, physicians have no moral obligation to tell their patients the whole truth about their condition (2002). For that reason, therefore, the physician acted in the morally right way by not disclosing to Annie about the seriousness of her illness. Secondly,

Monday, November 18, 2019

Personal statement for transferring to UW Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

For transferring to UW - Personal Statement Example I have always been fascinated by trends in the building industry, from the ancient designs to the contemporary urban architecture; modern cities are undeniably beautiful, particularly in the glare of city lights and stars at night, due to the magnificent visual impression of landmark skyscrapers. Ever since I was a boy, watching my dad work in a local construction firm as an architect made me establish a particular interest in the profession; furthermore, growing up and experiencing the beauty of architectural designs, I knew I had to be an architect just like my father. My family relocated to the US from South Korea in late 2012, which implied that I could no longer continue studying in my previous college in my country; following this development, I discontinued my studies to accompany my family in the US. I decided to take an educational break to refocus on my career goals while allowing my family to settle and readjust to the US society, I have been out of school for a year and a half now, and I am ready to resume my studies. I intend to study Geography as my major because I believe it will lay a strong foundation for my later career ambition as an architect. I chose Geography as my major because it will expose me to a vast body of knowledge in the fields of the physical, built and human environments; this knowledge will provide a strong foundation upon which my later career as an architect will be built eventually. The UW will be strategically important in achieving both my career and personal goals in many ways; the UW will cater for my career goals through its serene environment, resources and a dedicated faculty that will equip me with the relevant knowledge and skills that will suit my future career ambition. Besides that, the UW will also cater for my personal growth and social needs since it will offer me adequate opportunities to

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Report On Workplace Stress Management Essay

Report On Workplace Stress Management Essay Workplace stress can be defined as the mental trauma and distress that an employee has to go through when there is a disparity between the requirements at work and the capabilities, efficiency or the resources available. Workplace today has become a studio wherein scripts are written to overtake other studios and outperform every single instance of competition out in the middle. Hence the pressure put by employers on their â€Å"bulls† to plough their fields is immense. This pressure takes its toll and results in increased anxiety and tension levels among workers. This phenomenon is popularly called stress in the workplace. Overworking, repeated rebuttals can cause such a response in workplaces these days. Majorly, work related stress affects sleep causing insomnia and sleeplessness. It affects fitness adversely because of the reduced sleep. It can cause problems in the family of the affected individual like infighting, frequent arguments and fits of disagreement. This adverse ly affects the family life and also enhances the inefficiency at work. All of this lead to increased levels of frustration and hesitancy and directly affects the quality of work, thus further compounding the pressure on the individual. Also stress is related to the cause of various physical disorders like cardiovascular and others. Hence workplace stress is a potent problem faced by modern day offices and employees. It not only affects the individual, also the company is on the receiving end of poorer quality of work output. (Wikipedia) There has been much work going on in regard to increasing the level of comfort of an employee so that there are lesser and smaller chances of stress burnout. This includes increasing the number of employees taken in, or easier division of labour at the workplace, or better appreciation or acknowledgement of quality work. All of this is being done by companies to offer their employees an opportunity to a â€Å"healthy job†. A healthy job, as defined by the World Health Organization, is one where the pressure on an individual is proportional in measure to the individuals capability, the resources available at hand, the amount of work assigned to him and the people present to support him. All of these form important factors in deciding the stress levels of an individual at the workplace. Also, the WHO emphasises that a good working environment would be one wherein the individual feels not only the absence of stress inducing factors, but also the presence of health and goodwill pr omoting factors. (WHO official website) Statement of the problem: Our major concern in the undertaking of this project is to assess factors that may lead to a stress burnout in modern day work environments and a possible solution to mitigate their effects on employees. This study aims at studying the measures that have already been taken to counter the problem of work related stress and questions their effectiveness. We will look at measures suggested by various agencies like the WHO and people involved in research on this subject in order to provide the world with a workforce performing at its maxima. Purpose: Firstly, the study will focus on the causes and effects of increased stress levels, especially in or due to the workplace. The symptoms are evident. Increased levels of tension (hypertension), insomnia, loss of interest in work, apathy or indifference, increased frustration, fatigue, trouble concentrating; these are all symptoms that an individual is on the verge of a nervous breakdown due to highly exaggerated levels of stress or anguish, thus leading to a poor response at the workplace. At times, this heightened anxiety may also lead to the individual involving in the usage of dope or turning an alcoholic. Thus the symptoms indicate when a person is in need of guidance, help or assistance to cope with the psychological pressures of working overtime or not being able to match with the standards of his peers. Then our focus will be on measures to detract such situations from coming to the fore in a workplace. We will study methods that seek to improve the overall well being of the em ployee, whether it is changes in the sociological environment, or the use of a counsellor to help the individual emerge from his state of depression. Significance of the study: Its of immediate and absolute necessity that the problems of the office and the workplace be solved as soon as possible before they spill over into the personal lives of the concerned individuals. There are many problems affecting the corporate sector, problems related to publicity and HRM, but when the output coming out of an employee is sub standard, and if that happens on a mass scale, the company loses long standing clients and the reputation takes a steep decline, inhibiting further expansion and growth. Hence, employee satisfaction is one of the major concerns in todays corporate world. And one of the most important aspects in employee satisfaction remains burnout prevention. If the company can keep employees from exhausting their potential due to excessive workload, they will certainly excel in other aspects of growth. The feedback of an employee is essential to the expansion and the reputation of the company. Thus, employees form the backbone of the skeletal structure of any company. Hence the study of work related stress becomes of top priority of corporate honchos. If a company is unable to protect its employees from the disastrous outcomes of a burnout, the word about the companys exploitative policies gets out in the market and then there are hardly any people willing to join the company even on a bit elevated pay scale. The company loses reputation, and there is no way in which it can recruit quality professionals because of its lousy reputation. Also the company becomes a bed of controversies as people start criticising its policies of employee management. This adversely affects the stakeholders in the company. Hence, employee management and satisfaction form a primary priority of the companys policies. Chapter 2 Background: The problem we are looking at is the issue of employee burnout at the corporate level in todays cut throat environment where companies draw up plans of execution that require employees to exhaust themselves by repeated stints of overtime, incentive based overload, etc. Though in the short term the company ends up profiting from such misplaced dedication, in the long term, the company loses its energy and money on training professionals who are eventually going to burn themselves out in a particular instance. Hence the long term loss of the company is far more emphatic, and the company has to invest in order to set it right. Hence the company loses a lot of its money and time setting things right. Thus, the modern day corporate has woken up to an existing issue of workers suffering work induced stress. This problem needs to be addressed with a steel authority so that in the long term, employees dont end up leaving the company due to such reasons, and the company can retain most of its staff, thus putting good to all the investment it made on training and teaching the staff. The issue of employee burnout also has to be addressed to improve the output of a employee in a capacity. An increased output level of an employee can make wonders for a company looking for greater ventures. An employee holds the key to a companys ability to make it big in the corporate world. A grumpy and irritable employee only succeeds in turning the mood of an environment irritable, leading to an epidemic of grouchy workers, in turn leading to a horrible turnover for the company, failed attempts at meeting deadlines, angry clients. Thus an employee needs to be looked after if he does show signs of burnout. A pat on the back can do wonders to lift the morale of the worker. It can give him much needed assurance from the employers side. However, it is also rewarding to appreciate the quality of work a worker constantly turns in by rewarding him a pay rise. At times, a little counselling from experienced people can also help the individual climb out of his state of depression. Literature Review: A lot of literature has been published on the above topic to help companies with various techniques aimed at reducing stress at the workplace. The WHO has been actively involved in collaborating with researchers and the corporate world alike to enhance the methods taken to help individuals with their stress disorders. This is necessary for all companies throughout. The studies undertaken can be company specific, pertaining to the workplace of a particular company. The studies undertaken may be industry specific, pertaining generally to the kind of work involved in the industry of choice which will more or less be the same in most companies working within the domains of that industry. The studies could also be general, pertaining to some common features that all industries share. These measures can be adopted by all companies and are for global welfare of employees. Also the governments of various nations fund their own studies and researches to identify the key aspects that impact th e psychological functions of an employee. Thus even governments are actively involved in working for the welfare of their workforce. Many governments have set up centres or councils that work all the year around to study present day policies of companies towards its workers and give suggestions relevant and feasible to protect workers from an overdose of work. Also many nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) are also working for the same. Human rights activists are also actively voicing their concerns over the exploitative policies of certain companies and at times, also the governments. These add up to numerous research papers and literature on policies that a company should follow to save its employees from blowing off the lid off their heads. Definitions: An important definition is of a healthy job. As previously mentioned, a healthy job is one where the load on an individual is considering the capabilities of the individual, his resources, his knowledge of the topic, his work routine, so that he is not indirectly forced into putting in far too many extra hours, his support staff, whether everything in the personal life of the individual is fine and doesnt involve sizeable perturbations. Also the stress related hazards at work can be differentiated into 2 categories: work content and work context. Work content includes the amount of work handed to the individual, the quality of the job, also whether the individual is coped with enough resources to carry out the work, whether the work entails him to put in hours of extra effort, thereby affecting sleep. The work context includes the sociological factors in a workplace. These can be the competition at the workplace, the disappointments of failure, and the grumpiness due to malpractices at the workplace, the ignorance of the higher commands to the appreciable work done by the individual, the lack of motivation or disinterest in the kind of work allotted. Chapter 3 Causes of Workplace Stress: As many countries around the world spend billions of rupees on anti-depressants and stress-busters to relieve their people from stress, an analysis of the causes of stress provides a great deal of understanding of the problem. The research hence indicated some of the chief causes of stress, the major causes being explained as follows. The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, U.S., emphasises that the personal traits and characteristics of the workers play a chief role in determining the level of stress the person is likely to go through, given a fixed set of working conditions. (NIOSH, 2010). For instance, the stress level of one person may differ from another person based on their skills to cope and adjust, and the tendencies of their bodies to respond to the mental stress. Another increasingly popular notion which is gaining credence states that the working conditions, instead, play a greater and dominating role in causing stress to the people. Apart from these viewpoints, there are also other causes by various organizations of the world, which are cited as contributing factors in inducing stress. For example, the post of a person, his status in the organization can also alter the levels of stress he might be experiencing. In other words, people who have little influence and lower status in the organization are found to be more stressed out than other people, who at higher posts. Such arguments also state that even though people at powerful positions have higher workload, but there is no co-relation between workload and stress. In addition it must be mentioned, the Glob al Business and Round Table Conference on Addiction and Mental Health puts the overload factor, also called as â€Å"The Treadmill Syndrome† on the top of the list of the factors causing workplace stress. Moreover, there are popular arguments which have claimed to link the stress with economic factors. It can be best illustrated by an increasingly growing trend in the 21st century business world wherein companies are very quick to lay off workers or sack them stating some reasons, cutting down jobs and taking back benefits to the existing employees, so as to save on capital and adjust with the rapidly changing business environment. The solid emergence of the concept of â€Å"downsizing† leads to worrying employees, which in turn leads to a great deal of stress. Moreover, studies of the WHO reveal that the most significant cause of work stress can be attributed to the pressures and demands from the employees who are either not capable enough, or not qualified and equipp ed to the level which would enable them to do the required work. Such situations, clearly, lead to immense workplace stress. Another factor that adds to the stress of an average employee is the vagueness of his perception of his job and the goals of the organisation. When the employees are ambiguous about their jobs, their duties and what is expected of them, it leads to worries and anxiety. Furthermore, the lack of concrete and clear knowledge about the philosophy of the organisation and its objectives leads to a lack of awareness, commitment, interest and a sense of lessening confidence. In addition, many studies have revealed the inflexibility is also a major factor contributing to stress. Workplaces where the employees are required to work for long hours under a strict schedule, and particularly those where they are made to do so alone, and the environment is non-social, it leads to great stress. The mental pressure increases with the strictness, and this might also, in a way, d epend upon the characteristics of the supervisor (manager). Another aspect of stress which is usually found to be its cause is, as discussed, lack of control or participation. The reason behind why employees at lower positions feel stressed is actually this factor, by which the employee tends to feel that his contribution to the organisation is making no difference, since he holds no say in any sort of decision-making or policy-framing. Gradually a growing sense of alienation and frustration combine, thereby leading to stress. (Workstress.net) Effects of Stress: Stress in the working environment of a company directly affects the individuals, and in turn, affects the organizations and its many aspects to a great extent. Apart from the physical toll stress can take on an individual, leading to many problems like fatigue, blood pressure problems, the emotional and psychological effects of stress are the most severe. A distressed person may lose his spirit of dedication and commitment towards the organization totally, thereby putting in less and less amount of effort and creativity in the work he does, and contributing less to the organization. Stressed out employees may not be able to work with concentration which can affect the output of their work in a negative way. All this in turn affects the organization as a whole. For instance, increasing workplace stress may cause considerable absenteeism from work thereby pulling down efficiency and productivity. In addition, it may create many other problems like defaming the image of the company, and dissatisfaction among the public (customers). Stress among the employees also leads to objectionable trends like drug abuse, etc. It negatively impacts the procedure of recruiting new staff, as the image of the company has been harmed and damaged. In addition to this, stress can be very problematic on the personal side of the employee. Anxiety, mood swings, etc. may affect the personal life and the relationship of the employee with his family and loved ones, the negative impact of which may result into more and more stress. Hence, the effect of stress is multi-faceted. It is taxing to the company, to the individual and to other people not directly related to the organisation. The effects of the stress lead to symptoms of stress amongst the employees, which must be identified at a stable stage, so that the task of stress prevention is carried out effectively and successfully. (Workstress.info) Chapter 4 Summary: The problem of stress, its management, its causes and effects is one of the most important global problems of the current area. The ever-increasing concern about workplace stress and how to curb it is the key motivation behind the research. Furthermore, the primary aim of the research is to study the causes and effects of stress, and provided recommendations. There has been a genuine attempt in fulfilling the aim, beginning by reading a great amount of literature on the topic. Various studies and various sources have tried to provide a concrete notion of the causal of workplace stress, based on which many have provided recommendations. Those causes are studied in a practical environment, as part of this research, so as to genuinely assess their validity. The research also involves considerable study on workplace stress management. Preventive measures that have been implemented to reduce stress have been evaluated and looked into, and measures that include management of stressed out w orkers and their total recovery from stress have also been analysed. Discussion: It must be mentioned here that completely doing away with stress is an unprofitable concept. Psychological studies reveal that a small amount of stress can provide for just the right amount of drive needed to work effectively with genuine interest. Thus, a little stress is always good. But when stress assumes larger proportions, it can be destructive for the organisation. We have studied the factors leading to stress. The causes of workplace stress vary, as we have seen. Contrasting arguments also exist, for instance, some cases argue that the even though managers and executives of a company face a larger workload, there are less stressed out than other employees at lower positions. On the contrary, there are studies that list the overload factor as one of the primary factors leading to stress among the employees. The likelihood of the latter claim seems more intense, since it is more reasonable and plausible. Furthermore, stress is now increasingly believed to be arising out of a si tuation known as the Work Organisation Problem, which states that the stress among the employees is a consequence of improper, inefficient, problematic and inappropriate organisation of tasks and work amongst the employees. This is perhaps a result of various studies which point out and emphasize that the mismatch between qualification and work done by an employee is the root of all problems that arise in various forms within the organization. Moreover, the recommendation for the organisation to look for signs of stress amongst its employees stems out of the need for prevention of stress. Since stress management, i.e. management of stressed out workers involves many structural measures and a great deal of temporary effort, and is also time consuming, it is always imperative for the organisation to prevent stress in a proactive way. Managing stressed workers should always be recorded for further interpretation of the findings, and hence for effective human resource management of the organisation. The need for culture change within the body of employees is an area that must be taken care of. Having unions for the betterment of the employees is a notion that must be discussed with the employees first, and then implemented. Furthermore, it is quite clear and easily comprehendible that stress leads to the damage of the image of the organization. Such damage is usually both internal, i.e. within the perceptions of the employees, as well as in the eyes of the public. (Guide to Stress Management) Recommendations: Based on the findings, it can be concluded that stress arises out of not one factor, but many factors. Improper work organisation, economic factors like pressure from investors in the share-market, growing fear of being downsized, and so on can create workplace stress. In any case, an organization must follow certain fundamental steps whenever stress is discovered to threaten its efficiency. The risks involved with stress are huge, and affect the organisation in many direct and indirect ways. Hence, a concrete policy of risk-management must be followed. Such a policy includes various steps as shown by the following flowchart. Beginning from the assessment of risk, to planning and materialisation of the required action plan, all steps must be followed up with genuine concern for the stressed employees and the suffering organization. (Leka) Thus, to address the overload problem first and foremost, the primary concern of the managers should be proper distribution of work among the employees. Moreover, there can be also a regular training for all employees to teach them on how to prioritize work efficiently. Certain other factors that are also cited as causes of stress must be treated. For instance, random and abrupt disturbances for the employees can have a negative impact. Various experts have suggested measures such as effective management of workspace and time as a solution to this type of stress. In an organization, it is imperative for every employee to be treated equally and justly. Absence of such treatment can also leads to uncertainty and stress amongst the employees. Hence, it must be tended to that each employee is treated equally and at par with everybody else, and all his rights are guarded. Mistrust amongst employees should be taken care of, with an attempt to develop frank communication levels and healthy inter-personal relationships within the organization. It is strongly recommended that any kind of politics must be rejected and condemned, so as to create a healthy workspace. In addition, the aim of creating a healthy and productive workspace can be done through rewards and recognizing outstanding performances, and their appreciation. Such measures have been found to go a long way in creating a sense of loyalty, commitment and a positive attitude towards the company. Stress puts the whole organisation at the risk of survival. Hence, it must be addressed as soon it has been discovered. Apart from small measures, a need to take large steps within the organization to reduce the problems caused by work stress might also arise. Such steps may involve redesigning the whole structure of work, and reorganising it within the employees, and managing it. Work stress generally shows itself in little observations, hence regular and continual steps must be taken to assess the conditions of the w orkers, and to look for signs of stress. Such measures may include regular questionnaires, or talks with the employees and managers. Also, whenever the warning signs are discovered, immediate action must follow. Discussions should take place with the stressed out workers, and certain changes which will help remove stress must be implemented. Such discussions should encompass suggestions and measures that could be taken on the personal front of the employees, which could help in lowering the stress. Steps such as having a balanced diet, thinking positive and even incorporating ideas like organising regular workshops on how to psychologically manage stress and combat it could turn out to be of great help. It becomes all the more important in many situations whether these discussions take place or not, since they could greatly benefit and completely curb stress within the workplace. A sense of direction, in totality, needs to be provided to the staff at regular intervals. (Life positiv e official website) References: Wikipedia (n.d.) retrieved on 17/5/2010 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Workplace_stress WHO official website retrieved on 17/5/2010 from http://www.who.int/occupational_health/topics/stressatwp/en/ National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health official website (n.d.) data retrieved on 17/5/2010 from http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/programs/workorg/ Workstress.info official website (n.d.) retrieved on 17/5/2010 from http://www.workstress.info/the-health-effects-of-workplace- stress/ Workstress.net official website retrieved on 17/5/2010 from http://www.workstress.net/causes.htm Guide to stress management official website (n.d.) data retrieved on 17/5/2010 from http://www.guidetostressmanagement.com/workplace-stress/ Work Health and Organization Stavroula Leka and Amanda Griffiths UK 1-35 obtained on 17/5/2010 from www.who.int/occupational_health/publications/en/oehstress.pdf Life Positive official website retrieved on 17/5/2010 from http://www.lifepositive.com/mind/psychology/stress/stress-at-work.asp Appendix: Downsizing (cutting down or chopping the workforce in economically unfavourable times) Page 9. Flowchart on Risk Management Page 13. Flowchart on Stress Causal Mechanism Page 8. Global Business and Round Table Conference on Addiction and Mental Health (organised by the Centre of Mental Health and Addiction , Toronto) Page 9 National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NOISH) U.S. Page 8. Summary of the research Page 10. Treadmill Syndrome (disproportionately high amount of work with respect to time, space) Page 9. Work content Page 8. Work context Page 8. WHO—World Health Organisation Pages 4, 7, 9.

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Quines Physicalist Epistemology :: Philosophy Theories Papers

Quine's Physicalist Epistemology Quine, in his article "In Praise of the Observational Sentence," claims to establish naturalized epistemology and the work of science as a realist mapping of the world. Invoking Rorty's criticisms of foundationalism from Philosophy and the Mirror of Nature, this paper analyzes Quine's observational sentence by discussing the unresolved issue of justification. It discusses whether a causal explanation can be a justified true belief and adequate "grounding" of knowledge. I suggest that the criticisms of Quine bypass similarities between Rorty's position and Quine's. Such polemic positions - characteristic of the postmodern/modern debate - imply a false dichotomy. These criticisms of justification and grounding are best understood as a means to argue for eclectic viewpoints of human understanding. I conclude that Wittgenstein's idea of "human life form," or world-picture, provides further context for insisting upon interdisciplinary dialogue in lieu of an assumed hierarchy of specialize d sciences. In his Philosophy and the Mirror of Nature, Richard Rorty argues that Quine's doctrines of indeterminacy of translation and ontological relativity call for the end of epistemology. Nonetheless, Rorty criticizes Quine's physicalist stance. According to Rorty, Quine's claim that observation sentences are a foundation for empiricism contains a contradictory ontological bias. In a more recent article "In Praise of the Observation Sentence" (1993), Quine allegedly clarifies his physicalist epistemology addressing criticisms analogous to Rorty's. Quine states that naturalized epistemology is not a theory about an "internal domain of qualia;" it is an "intermediate position" between what Quine calls "old phenomenalism" and anti-epistemology. (1) He argues that observation sentences entail observations of the world itself that are not entirely subjective. Consequently, in comparison to "old," that is, analytical phenomenalism, Quine claims that his use of language and logic is a "more realis tic rational reconstruction" of knowledge. (2) In this paper, I examine Rorty's challenge that Quine's physicalist claims are contradictory and Quine's recent defense. I conclude that Quine's position is not inconsistent although his "intermediate position" within epistemology remains controversial. Overview of Quine's Intermediate Position on Observation For Quine, classical epistemology has its most recent roots in British Empiricism. Consequently, according to Quine, epistemology's primary concern has been to clarify how we derive natural knowledge from sense data. The link between observation and the natural world is allegedly a resource for privileged access to such natural knowledge. Quine in parallel to classical epistemology asserts that "perceptual similarity is the basis of all learning, all habit formation, and it is testable in people and other animals by the reinforcement and extinction of conditional response.

Monday, November 11, 2019

Tesco V Walmart

BA. Honours Business Management BUSINESS MATTERS Business Issues: Tesco v Walmart TABLE OF CONTENTS Page 1. Introduction 3 2. Business Issues in the Retail Sector 3 3. Financial Health 5 3. 1 Tesco 5 3. 2 Walmart 7 4. Cultural Style & Leadership 9 4. 1 Tesco 9 4. 2 Walmart 10 4. 3 Ethical & Environmental Issues 12 5. Conclusions 12 6. References 13 7. Bibliography 14 1. Introduction In 2009 the grocery market in the United Kingdom was worth 146. 3 billion pounds, an increase of 4. 8% on the previous year [see Figure 1].Groceries account for fifty-two pence of every pound in retail spending [Newbold, 2010, online]. Figure 1: UK Grocery Market Performance 1998 – 2009 Source: IGD Research 2009 This report looks at contemporary business issues in the grocery sector and then compares the financial health, leadership, cultural style, ethical initiatives and environmental values of two of the biggest business names in the industry – Tesco and Walmart. 2. Business Issue sin the Retail Sector At the expense of small, specialist shops, supermarkets increasingly manage the supply chain from farm to shelf.Technological improvements in stock control and checkout scanning, for example, have lowered costs and attracted customers. Loyalty card schemes provide these superstores with an insight into consumer preferences, enabling them to better match products with customers. To increase efficiency and maintain competitiveness, supermarket chains have consolidated, resulting in a fewer number of giant companies. Consequently, manufacturers have become increasingly dependent on a small number of market outlets, giving these retailers tremendous leverage to negotiate lower prices.There is also severe competition with discounters such as Lidl. To better manage household budgets during the present credit crunch more British shoppers are shopping at these discount stores. Competition from these discounters has led the big chains to develop new strategies. For exam ple, Tesco has recently launched its new Discount range, in an effort to combat the rise of these popular, super-cheap supermarkets. Shoppers are not just attracted by low prices. The super centre or hypermarket approach means that one-stop shopping has become a reality for shoppers.Shopping at one of these large stores, possibly two to three times a week, has become a recreational event not a chore. With most shopping now done in malls or online, the traditional high street, with its parking charges, and traffic problems has suffered. There is no much talk about the dead heart of the city. To counter this trend, convenience stores [under 3000 sq feet and â€Å"opened all hours†] are increasing dramatically on the high street [see Figure 2]. With an increasing range of products and improved layouts, convenience multiples such as Spar represent the fastest growing part of the grocery market, with sales increasing by 12. %. They currently comprise 20. 5% of the total United Kin gdom food and grocery market [Tesco, 2009, online]. Figure 2: UK Convenience Stores, 2009 Source: IGD Research 2009 The large multiples have responded strongly in this market sector (e. g. Tesco Express) and have taken over some existing chains and petrol station forecourts. 3. Financial Health of Tesco & Walmart 3. 1 Tesco Tesco is the United Kingdom’s premier supermarket chain. It employs 440000 staff and operates in thirteen countries [Tesco, 2009, online]. Presently, it has a commanding, and increasing, 30. % share of the non-convenience UK grocery market [Figure 3].Figure 3: UK Supermarket Share In the financial year 2008-9, despite the economic downturn, Tesco had record profits of more than ? 3 billion, 10% more than the previous year. Total revenue rose to ? 59. 4bn, taking sales to more than ? 1billion a week for the first time. Consequently, shares in Tesco rose by 5. 5% [I. S. , 2010, online]. Figure 4: Tesco’s Profit & Loss Account 2005-2009| Year E nded 28 February| 2009| 2008| 2007| 2006| 2005| ? millions| Turnover| 59377. 0| 47298. 0| 42641. 0| 39454. | 33866. 0| Operating Profit| 3206. 0| 2791. 0| 2673. 0| 2280. 0| 1952. 0| Net Interest| -362. 0| -63. 0| -126. 0| -127. 0| -132. 0| Profit Before Tax| 2954. 0| 2803. 0| 2653. 0| 2235. 0| 1894. 0| Profit After Tax| 2166. 0| 2130. 0| 1881. 0| 1586. 0| 1353. 0| * * Source: www. redmayne. co. uk Figure 5: Tesco’s Balance Sheet 2005-2009| Year Ended 28 February| 2009| 2008| 2007| 2006| 2005| ? millions| Intangible Assets| 4027. 0| 2336. 0| 2045. 0| 1525. 0| 1408. 0| Tangible Assets| 23152. 0| 19787. 0| 16976. 0| 15882. 0| 14521. 0| Fixed Investments| 321. 0| 309. | 322. 0| 480. 0| 423. 0|Total Fixed Assets| 32008. 0| 23864. 0| 20231. 0| 18644. 0| 16931. 0| Stocks| 2669. 0| 2430. 0| 1931. 0| 1464. 0| 1309. 0| Cash at Bank and in Hand| 3509. 0| 1788. 0| 1042. 0| 1325. 0| 1146. 0| Total Assets| 46053. 0| 30164. 0| 24807. 0| 22563. 0| 20155. 0| Total Liabilities| 33058. 0| 18262 . 0| 14236. 0| 13119. 0| 11501. 0| Net Assets| 12995. 0| 11902. 0| 10571. 0| 9444. 0| 8654. 0| Net Current Assets| n/a| n/a| n/a| n/a| n/a| Called Up Share Capital| 395. 0| 393. 0| 397. 0| 395. 0| 389. 0| Share Premium Account| 4638. 0| 4511. 0| 4376. | 3988. 0| 3704. 0| Other Reserves| 40. 0| 40. 0| 40. 0| 40. 0| 40. 0| Profit and Loss Account| 7865. 0| 6871. 0| 5693. 0| 4957. 0| 4470. 0| Shareholders Funds| 12938. 0| 11815. 0| 10506. 0| 9380. 0| 8603. 0| Source: www. redmayne. co. uk A balance sheet lists all a business' assets and liabilities, giving a â€Å"snapshot† of the its overall money value at a given time. The Tesco balance sheet [Figure 5] indicates that it is very healthy financially. It shows that net assets [total assets – total liabilities] have increased tremendously from ? 8654 million to ? 12,995 million.The profit and loss account [net profit, or loss, made] has almost doubled in the five years shown from ? 4470 million to ? 7865 million. Figure 6: Key Figures for Tesco 2005-2009| Year Ended 28 February| 2009| 2008| 2007| 2006| 2005| Earnings Per Share Growth (%)| 6| 22| 10| 16| n/a| Total Dividend (p)| 11. 96| 10. 90| 9. 64| 8. 63| 7. 56| Operating Margin (%)| 6| 6| 6| 6| 6| ROCE (%)| 13| 17| 19| 20| 18| Dividend Yield| 3. 60| 2. 70| 2. 20| 2. 60| 2. 50| Price / Earnings Ratio| 11. 40| 14. 60| 19. 90| 16. 50| 17. 60| Dividend Per Share Growth (%)| 10| 13| 12| 14| 11| Source: www. redmayne. o. uk Return on capital employed (ROCE) is a key measure of an industry's financial health and performance [Atrill and Melaney, 2004]. It is calculated as the earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) divided by the difference between total assets and current liabilities.It shows whether an organisation is obtaining a decent profit for the amount of capital it owns. The higher the ratio, the better the company is. Tesco’ ROCE is down slightly but a return of 13% is still much better than any bank account interest rate and shows a ve ry effective investment of capital employed [Figure 6]. . 2 Walmart The USA based Walmart superstore chain is the biggest company in the world. Almost fifty years on since Sam Walton opened his first store, 90% of the US population is within fifteen miles of a Walmart [Luce, 2005]. With over 1. 3 million employees and sales at a quarter of a trillion, it is the biggest retailing success in history. With the goal of low prices, the average customer saves 15% shopping at Wal-Mart [Walmart, 2010, online]. Despite stiff competition, Wal-Mart's annual income from 1996 to 2006 increased steadily, as shown below in Figure 7.Figure 7: Walmart’s 10 Year Income For the fiscal year ending January 31, 2009, Wal-Mart brought in $405. 6 billion of total revenue [sales]. The income that the firm made after subtracting costs and expenses from the total revenue [net income] was $13. 6 billion [Foley, 2009, online]. Figure 8: Walmart’s Annual Report 2008-2009| | 01/01/2010| 01/01/2009| Revenue| $m| 405,607| 408,214| Pre-tax Profit| $m| 20,898| 22,579| EPS| $m| 3. 39| 3. 70| Dividend| $m| 0. 95| 1. 09| ROCE| 21. 00% Source: www. walmart. com| | | | |Even higher than Tesco, Walmart’s ROCE index of 21%, is indication of its great financial success. Walmart’s share price was hit by the recent economic recession but, as Figure 9 shows, has started to rise again. Figure 9: Walmart’s Share Price 2007-2010 Source: www. walmart. com In 1999 Asda was acquired by Walmart and in 2006 the company expanded even further internationally. They opened 537 new international stores, employing over 50,000 new employees. International revenues soared by 17. 4% to $7. 87bn, helped by store openings in markets such as Canada and Scotland [I. G. D. 2010, online]. Walmart’s market share continues to rise in the United States, but also in the United Kingdom and Mexico. In the midst of a global depression it is obvious that everyday low prices are a big consumer d raw. 4. Cultural Style ;amp; Leadership 4. 1 TESCO As a performance-driven organization, Tesco’s mission statement is â€Å"to create value for customers to earn their lifetime loyalty. † They are determined to strike up a close relationship with its customers. Consequently, Tesco endeavors to provide better, more innovative products and services than any of its competitors.It believes if you treat customers well and operate efficiently then shareholders’ will inevitably benefit by growth in sales, profits and returns [Enfield, 2009, online]. The customer/staff focus of Tesco is reflected in the far-sighted leadership of Terry Leahy, Chief Executive Officer. Representing a new era, Leahy adapted a more participative style of leadership, where employees are given a voice in the decision-making process. Terry Leahy, Tesco CEO The organizational structure is now simple and flat with fewer levels in the management hierarchy.There are fewer formal rules, more decentr alization and shared decision making throughout the organisation. Leadership roles are delegated to best informed and capable individuals in the organization to ensure that the company operates effectively. As values and beliefs develop, so does commitment to the organization and this is much more productive than a formal hierarchy (Miner 2002). The organic structure suits the pressure to be innovative – given its flexibility it can respond to environmental variations quickly (Salaman 2001, p. 106). 4. 2 WALMARTMuch of Wal-Mart's success is due to a strong and all-encompassing, corporate culture, originally developed by Sam Walton. At the core of this culture is a relentless push for the lowest prices. This penny-pinching is achieved using state of the art technology and by its â€Å"plus one† policy, which demands that suppliers lower their prices or increase the quality on every item every year. In â€Å"The Wal-Mart Effect,† Charles Fishman shows how the pric e of a four-pack of General Electric light bulbs decreased from $2. 19 to 88 cents within five years [Fishman, 2006].Because of this culture, Wal-Mart no-frills headquarters are in Bentonville, Arkansas, not an expensive city like New York. Executives start work before 6. 30 am, never use limousines, always fly economy-class and often share hotel rooms with colleagues. The company offers basic wages and health care plans. It demands that hourly workers do overtime without pay. Store managers regularly work 70 hours per week. They are expected to pinch pennies wherever they can, even on things like the heating and cooling of the stores.In the winter stores are kept at 70 degrees Fahrenheit and in the summer, they stay at 73 [Seth and Randall, 1999]. In almost fifty years of operation, Wal-Mart has managed to keep these cultural components, as well as its enterprising spirit. Leadership Walmart’s present chairman, S. Robson Walton [son of the founder] is reported to have said i t is the job of leaders to â€Å"listen to customers, listen to customers, listen to customers† [Fishman, 2006, p32]. Choosing to be a humble-servant type of leader, Mr Walton has established a spirit of customer service throughout the whole company. S. Robson Walton,Walmart Chairman Like Tesco, Walmart believes that delegation and limited supervision increases efficiency. Additionally, if leaders trust workers then they will develop quality decision-making skills. Fewer managerial, supervisory jobs also reflect Walmart’s culture of saving money wherever possible. 4. 3 Ethical & Environmental Issues In response to increasing consumer awareness of environmental and ethical issues, the supermarket chains have adopted a range of initiatives. In 2008 Walmart introduced new Fair Trade certified coffee products which provide plantation workers with better wages and working conditions.Similarly, to benefit farmers growing Fair Trade cotton in Africa and India, Tesco was t he first supermarket to bring in Fair Trade cotton knitwear and is presently doubling its range of Fair Trade cotton school uniforms [Wiener, 2009]. Also, to support local producers, much of Tesco’s meat and vegetables come from farmers within the region. With environmental issues becoming mainstream, Tesco has recently promised to attach a carbon label to all its goods and install sophisticated new refrigeration techniques to reduce its consumption of climate changing hydro-fluorocarbons.Wal-Mart now claims it will power its US stores entirely using renewable energy [Walmart, 2010, online]. The introduction of clear labelling regarding fat and calorie content of products has allowed supermarkets to take advantage of the increased consumer awareness of health issues. In the case of a health scare [e. g. BSE], their sophisticated communications networks make product traceability very easy. 5. CONCLUSIONS In conclusion, the retail market has been completely transformed in recen t years by the large supermarkets.Whether your preferred criteria for financial success is square footage of retail space, sales, net profit or dividend growth, both Tesco and Walmart have reached heights that few others in the retail industry can hope to match. To counter the image that they destroy the environment and are enemies of society, both Tesco and Walmart have adopted a range of environmental, social and ethical programs. The so called â€Å"Walmark effect† may yet be seen as a force for the good.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Why Foreign Education is worth the Price

Why Foreign Education is worth the Price Many students across the world, especially those from developing and emerging economies, continue to seek for educational opportunities in the developed world. International education is expensive by any standards, but cost factors alone have failed to dissuade students from seeking education in foreign countries. This brief essay purposes to demonstrate the reasons why foreign education is worth the price.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Why Foreign Education is worth the Price specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The first reason deals with the quality of education provided in home countries. Many of the college certificates offered in home countries, especially in the developing world, are not recognized in international job markets. Students undergoing these systems of education are constricted in their opportunities for career choices due to the low quality of education, not mentioning that they are unable to secur e employment outside their home countries because the certificates received from their respective home colleges cannot be recognized elsewhere. However, most foreign-based educational institutions are recognized for offering quality education and students who have passed through these systems can be assured of getting employment anywhere across the world. The second reason deals with the exposure students get upon travelling abroad to enroll into the foreign-based educational institutions. It is often said that students need to be exposed to a whole range of variables for them to succeed in their career life, with two of the most important variables being interpersonal socialization and cultural socialization. International education guarantees that students develop their socialization capacities in the two fronts not only because of exposure to a diverse cultural set up in the university, but also due to constant engagement with other students from all over the world. This kind o f exposure is critical in developing a future professional in any career field. The third reason deals with scarcity of educational institutions in home countries. There exist scenarios where students have performed exemplarily well in their high school examinations only for them to be locked out of the local universities due to lack of places to accommodate them. Advertising Looking for essay on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In such situations, it is always plausible to look elsewhere to secure quality institutions where these students will progress their education for future career endeavors. It may appear costly to enroll abroad for lack of places at the local universities, but the education received abroad will certainly pay dividends in the future. The last reason, which is intrinsically tied to the third, deals with pursuing an educational direction that is of core interest to the student rather th an going to the university for the sake of getting post-secondary education and certification. Due to constrained resources in many home countries, especially in the developing world, qualified students are forced to undertake courses they didn’t choose in the first instance. The most revered courses, such as engineering, medicine and aviation, are considered a preserve of the very few who had managed to perform exemplarily well in their high school examinations. Many students who also did very well but perhaps performed poorly in a single subject are forced to take courses they didn’t choose and, therefore, not of interest to their career path. In such circumstances, it is always better to look elsewhere so that you’re able to pursue a course that is not only of interest to you, but will also assist you to pursue future career opportunities in the field of your choice.

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Democracy in Ancient Athens and Democracy Today

Democracy in Ancient Athens and Democracy Today While wars today are fought in the name of democracy as if democracy were a moral ideal as well as an easily identifiable government style, it is not really that black and white. The inventors of democracy were the Greeks who lived in small city-states called poleis. Contact with the wide world was slower. Life lacked modern conveniences. Voting machines were primitive, at best. The people the ones who put the demo- in democracy were intimately involved in decisions that affected them and would be appalled that bills to be voted on now require reading through thousand-page tomes. They might be even more aghast that people actually vote on those bills without doing the reading. What Do We Call Democracy? The world was stunned when Bush was first named the winner of the U.S. presidential race, even after more U.S. voters had cast ballots for Gore. How could the U.S. call itself a democracy, yet not select its officials on the basis of majority rule? Well, part of the answer is that the U.S. was not established as a pure democracy, but as a republic where voters elect representatives and electors. Whether there has ever been anything close to a pure and total democracy is debatable. There has never been universal suffrage and Im not talking about voters disenfranchised by corruption or improper balloting and tallying. In ancient Athens, you had to be a citizen to vote. That left out more than half the population. Introduction Democracy [demos ~ the people; cracy kratos strength/rule, so democracy rule by the people] is considered an invention of the ancient Athenian Greeks. This page on Greek democracy brings together articles on the stages democracy went through in Greece, as well as the controversy Greek democracy caused, with passages from period thinkers on the institution of democracy and its alternatives.​ Democracy Helped Solve Ancient Greek Problems The ancient Athenian Greeks are credited with inventing the institution of democracy. Their governmental system wasnt designed for the enormous, spread-out, and diverse populations of modern industrialized countries, but even in their small communities [see Social Order of Athens], there were problems, and the problems led to inventive solutions. The following are roughly chronological problems and solutions leading to what we think of as Greek democracy: The Four Tribes of Athens: The ancient tribal kings were too weak financially and the uniform material simplicity of life enforced the idea that all tribesmen had rights. Society was divided into two social classes, the upper of which sat with the king in council for major problems.Conflict Between Farmers and Aristocrats: With the rise of the hoplite, non-equestrian, non-aristocratic army, ordinary citizens of Athens could become valued members of society if they had enough wealth to provide themselves the body armor needed to fight in the phalanx.Draco, the Draconian Law-Giver: The privileged few in Athens had been making all the decisions for long enough. By 621 B.C. the rest of the Athenians were no longer willing to accept arbitrary, oral rules of those who lay down the law and judges. Draco was appointed to write down the laws.Solons Constitution: Solon redefined citizenship so as to create the foundations of democracy. Before Solon, the aristocrats had a monopoly on the govern ment by virtue of their birth. Solon replaced the hereditary aristocracy with one based on wealth.city,coast, andinland. Cleisthenes and the 10 Tribes of Athens: When Cleisthenes became a chief magistrate, he had to face the problems Solon had created 50 years earlier through his compromising democratic reforms foremost among which was the allegiance of citizens to their clans. In order to break such loyalties, Cleisthenes divided the 140-200 demes (natural divisions of Attica and the basis of the word democracy) into 3 regions: Cleisthenes is credited with instituting moderate democracy. The Challenge - Is Democracy an Efficient System of Government? In ancient Athens, the birthplace of democracy, not only were children denied the vote (an exception we still consider acceptable), but so were women, foreigners, and slaves. People of power or influence werent concerned with the rights of such non-citizens. What mattered was whether or not the unusual system was any good. Was it working for itself or for the community? Would it be better to have an intelligent, virtuous, benevolent ruling class or a society dominated by a mob seeking material comfort for itself? In contrast with the law-based democracy of the Athenians, monarchy/tyranny (rule by one) and aristocracy/oligarchy (rule by the few) were practiced by neighboring Hellenes and Persians. All eyes turned to the Athenian experiment, and few liked what they saw. Beneficiaries of Democracy Endorse It On the following pages, youll find passages on democracy from some of the philosophers, orators, and historians of the time, many neutral to unfavorable. Then as now, whoever benefits from a given system tends to support it. One of the most positive positions Thucydides puts into the mouth of a leading beneficiary of the Athenian democratic system, Pericles.

Monday, November 4, 2019

Big Tobacco Sues Feds over Graphic Warnings on Cigarette Labels Research Paper

Big Tobacco Sues Feds over Graphic Warnings on Cigarette Labels - Research Paper Example Congress, 2009). Till 1996, the FDA has no vital role to play as far as the regulation of tobacco products is concerned. It was then controlled through an array of state and congressional legislation. In most of the US States, statues deal with the issue of selling the tobacco products to minors and licensing for its distributions to retailers. In the year 1950, all states had put the ban on sale of tobacco products to minors at that time purchase age varied from state to state (U.S. Congress, 2009). The law in vogue impressed upon the large size tobacco manufacturing companies to disclose publically all the ingredients used in the cigarette manufacturing process. It should also highlight the poisonous contents used in it. The company should refrain from using the mild words just as light or ultra light to dispel the impression of its harm on human body. The bill in force makes the cigarette manufacturers accountable on wooing the adults and children to become addiction of smoking (U .S. Congress, 2009). In the eyes of critics, the promulgated act is effectuate in the sense that it can reduce the nicotine level in the cigarette to some extend rather than wipe it out completely. The affordable level of nicotine may encourage smokers to smoke more. Market restrictions definitely put the hurdles to find out the smoking alternatives to smoke cigarette. In FDA v Brown & Williamson case, the Supreme Court of United States of America held that since the congress had not delegated the authority to FDA to control the damages arising out of the use of tobacco products, therefore to fill the gap and to ensure effective control, Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act came into being. Secondly the former American Administration over acted the delegated power of congress in this respect. As per the Senate bill, health-warning label should cover fifty percent of front and back portions of the package. The word warning thereon should be in capital letter. The number of opposition members in the Senate largely hailing from tobacco cultivating states, supported the ongoing move to discourage the smoking in spite of the facts that they have deep roots in the tobacco industry. In the larger national interest they are ready to afford the financial losses to keep away their children and adults from the bad habits of smoking (Gifford, 2010). In order to have an effective control over the damages of human health they have suggested the following measures to be implemented (U.S. Congress, 2009): 1. FDA should have tobacco control centers at its disposal to regulate the substance, marketing and sale of tobacco products. 2. Importers and tobacco companies should reveal the ingredients of their existing products and get approval from FDA. Approval for any new tobacco product should also be sought from the same authority. 3. FDA should have the authority to change the tobacco substance in any product to lessen could be damages on the body of its users. 4. I t should shun the application of sugar coated definition cigarette, which is contrary to section 3(1) of the Federal Cigarette Labeling and Advertising Act (Connolly, 2004). New rules are to be introduced to prevent sales through direct channel or to conduct between retailer and consumer in order to curb the eye catching advertising campaign,

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Synopsis of War against the Weak Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Synopsis of War against the Weak - Essay Example He is able to trace the history of the Eugenics Philosophy to its utility in the early 20th Century, best exemplified by American scientists, livestock breeders, and politicians in their effort at creating a superior Nordic race. These results in a compulsory sterilization campaigned on over 60,000 men and women, most of them were of color and poor. This, unfortunately, was to later inform on Hitler’s cleansing campaign, which he maximized to the fullest in the resultant concentration camps.Thus, racist American pseudoscience based on the field (ideological inclination) of eugenics, as practiced in the first 3 decades of America’s 20th Century history, provided the foundation for Hitler’s quest towards the creation of a Master Race (Aryan) in Germany and then the rest of Europe. This is furthered by the great influence that American Eugenicists had on their German counterparts further solidifying Hitler’s destructive course. What is appalling is the fact t hat American eugenicists were to contribute greatly to Hitler’s Nazi racial hygiene (eradication) policy. Through utility of gas chambers, x-ray machinery for human sterilization and euthanasia, Nazi Germany was able to implement the eradication of millions of populations, these methods/ avenues having been at one time or another been proposed by American eugenicists as necessary and effective means of cleansing. Such cleansing was proposed for America’s unfit social strata based on racial discrimination.