Chains and Sustainable Development Essay

Those of us who preach the gospel of agriculture with evangelical zeal find the text compelling and convincing. We are regularly possessed by the spirit only to look around and see out colleagues, in other sectors, in country management, or even our senior management doubting, yawning or subtly edging towards the door. We face the implicit query, â€Å"If agriculture can do such great things, why have they not yet happened? †1 The past decade has been one of agro-pessimism. The promises that agricultural development seem to hold did not materialise. This pessimism seemed to coincide with pessimism about Sub-Saharan Africa. Especially for Sub-Saharan Africa the hope was that economic development would be brought about by agricultural development. After the success of the green revolution in Asia, the hope was that a similar agricultural miracle would transform African economies. But this hope never materialised, agricultural productivity did not increase much in SSA (figure 1), and worse, the negative effects of the green revolution in Asia became more apparent, such as pesticide overuse and subsequent pollution. Also in Asia the yield increases tapered off. The sceptics put forward several arguments why agriculture is no longer an engine of growth2. For instance, the liberalisation of the 1990s and greater openness to trade has lead to a reduction in the economic potential of the rural sector: cheap imported Chinese plastic buckets out compete the locally produced pottery. On the other hand, it does mean cheaper (imported) supplies. With rapid global technical change and increasingly integrated markets, prices fall faster than yields rise. So, rural incomes fall despite increased productivity if they are net producers3. The integration of rural with urban areas means that healthy young people move out of agriculture, head to town, leaving behind the old, the sick and the dependent. It is often also the men who move to urban areas, leaving women in charge of the farm. This has resulted in the increased sophistication of agricultural markets (and value chains) which excludes traditional smallholders, who are poorly equipped to meet the demanding product specifications and timeliness of delivery required by expanding supermarkets. The natural resource base on which agriculture depends is poor and deteriorating. Productivity growth is therefore increasingly more difficult to achieve. Finally, multiplier effects occur when a change in spending causes a disproportionate change in aggregate demand. Thus an increase in spending produces an increase in national income and consumption greater than the initial amount spent. But as GDP rises and the share of agriculture typically decreases, the question is how important these multiplier effects are, especially when significant levels of poverty remain in rural areas, which is the case in middleincome countries. The disappointment with agriculture led many donor organisations to turn away from agriculture, looking instead to areas that would increase the well-being of poor people, such as health and education. Those organisations that still focused on agriculture, such as the CGIAR, were put under pressure to focus more on reducing poverty, besides increasing agricultural productivity. However, since the beginning of the new century, there seems to be a renewed interest in agriculture. A review of major policy documents5, including the well-publicised Sachs report and the Kofi Annan report, show that agriculture is back on the agenda again. The most influential report, however, has been the World Development Report 2008 of the World Bank6. This report argues that growth in the agricultural sector 1 contributes proportionally more to poverty reduction than growth in any other economic sector and that therefore alone, the focus should be on the agricultural sector when achieving to reach MDG 1. A reassessment of the role of agriculture in development seems to be required. This policy paper addresses several timely though complex questions: †¢ First, how can or does agriculture contribute to economic development, and in particular how does it relate to poverty? †¢ Second, the agricultural sector has changed considerably in the past decades: what are the main drivers of this change? †¢ Third, what is the relationship between economic or agricultural growth and pro-poor development? †¢ Fourth, how does agriculture relate to other sectors in the economy? †¢ Fifth, who is included and who is excluded in agricultural development, specifically focusing on small farms? †¢ And finally, if agricultural development is indeed important to economic development, then why, despite all the efforts and investments, has this not led to more successes? 2. Agriculture and economic growth This section presents a number of factual observations describing how the agricultural sector changed in terms of productivity, contribution to economic growth, and indicating the relevance of the agricultural sector for poverty alleviation in different regions. Background: some facts In the discussion of the role of agriculture in economic development, a leading question is how agriculture contributes to economic growth, and especially to pro-poor growth. There seems to be a paradox in the role of agriculture in economic development. The share of agriculture contributing to GDP is declining over the years (see figure 1). At the same time, the productivity of for instance cereal yields has been increasing (see figure 2). It seems that as agriculture becomes more successful, its importance declines in the overall economy. Of course, other sectors in the economy can be even more successful, such as the Asian Tigers.

Victors and Vanquished

The Spanish conquest of Mexico is an epic story that is understudied. The historical documents recounting the events are either written through the memory of the conquerors or the conquered, and as a result there is a great disparity in the facts, those facts changing depending on which side produced the documents. We will take a look at several of the documents published in Victors and Vanquished from both the Spanish and Nahua perspectives, analyzing them for bias, lessons learned, as well as the different contrasts between different perspectives. In addition I think it is important to look at the overall motivation behind the Spanish conquest. In Bernal Diaz second writing in the book he speaks of the Spanish movement from Santa Maria de la Victoria to San Juan de Ulua. When The Spaniards arrive they have their first meeting with representatives from Moctezuma. According to Diaz, Cortez treats the ambassadors very well, and it seems that Cortez is quite intended on making a good impression with Montezuma as well as the locals, confessing that they are there to simply trade with the Indians. When Montezuma’s ambassadors return from delivering Cortez’ message to their king, they bring back a good amount of treasures with them. The ambassadors also tell Cortez that Montezumadoes not think an interview is necessary. This is an interesting statement and something that I believe may have shown the hidden motivations behind Montezuma’s thinking. I have to wonder if Montezuma was hoping that if he sent an acceptable amount of gold and some kind words the Spaniards would accept it graciously and be on their way. When a person in power says something along the lines of, â€Å"an interview is not necessary (pp 90),† it is a nice way of saying, â€Å"I do not want to be interviewed. † Political correctness is not something that is new to modern times. Unfortunately for Montezuma, by sending all that gold, his plan backfired as the Spaniards noted that with the helmet filled with fine grains of gold it, â€Å"showed us that there were good mines there. † (pp 89-90) Shortly after this, Cortez informs Montezumaof his strong intentions on meeting him. Another interesting fact is that Cortez seems very focused on imparting the idea that he is there with peaceful intentions, despite the eight hundred Indians he had left dead in Tabasco. I can understand Cortez’ desire to trade and explore a new country with new people, but the bottom line is that he had more on his mind than trading and exploration. He and his men had received a less than warm welcome in Tabasco, and rather than find another route or turn back (which of course they couldn’t do) they opted instead to kill around eight hundred of the indigenous peoples. When Montezuma sent that helmet filled with gold to Cortez I believe he sealed his fate. Cortez’ acts of kindness from that point forward were a means to an end, a necessary deposit on what he hoped to be a big payoff. The next few writings I’d like to look at deal with the Chalula massacre. In Adres de Tapia’s account of the incident the Cholulans put up a very friendly front, but are however plotting to kill the conquistadors all along. The Plot is uncovered through Dona Marina (Cortez translator and mother to his son) once the conquistadors are informed of the plot they confront the Chalulan warriors (who were at the time under the guise of slaves). They end up locking the warriors in a courtyard and then according to de Tapia, â€Å"he ordered most of the lords to be killed. † (pp 118) Then the Spaniards and Indians (Tlaxcalans) went throughout the city, â€Å"killing warriors and burning houses. † (pp 118) De Tapia makes it sound as if the Spaniards were simply executing those guilty of treason and lies. However I think one has to question if the destruction of the entire city was necessary. Along with this, the Tlaxcalans were cited to have made off, â€Å"with a great amount of plunder. † (pp 118) It is hard for me to believe that while the Tlaxcalans were making off with all that plunder, the conquistadors were standing by not indulging themselves. In my opinion, the Tlaxcalans provide a good scapegoat for the conquistadors. The other side of this story written by Sahagun offers some key differences (as expected). Sahagun’s story is much simpler than de Tapia’s with the conquistadors arriving in Cholula and having been previously warned by the Tlaxcalans that, â€Å"the Cholulans are very evil; they are our enemies. † (pp 121) They simply issue a general summons for the higher ranking officials and warriors to assemble in the courtyard and slaughter them followed by the city. According to Sahugun the Chalulans were not even armed. Sahagun goes on to describe the conquistadors as a war machine. Mentioning all the iron incorporated with their weapons and armor, and making it sound like they steamrolled through Chalula which was a small bump on their way to Mexico. One interesting fact is that in this account there is no mention of the plunder that Diaz had mentioned. Given the Nahua’s obvious spite for the conquistadors it seems likely that they would take every opportunity to mention all the negative aspects of the Spanish conquest. This leads you to believe they either did not know about it, or it didn’t happen (most likely the former. They do make mention of the conquistadors greed when shortly after Montezuma sent them gold gifts and, â€Å"Like monkeys the grabbed the gold. It was as though their hearts were put to rest. † (pp 122) The Spaniards entry into Tenochtitlan was initially surprisingly peaceful. With each leader feeling out the other, Montezuma especially seems to be very cordial toward the Spaniards treating them as teules (gods). This sh aky peace ends abruptly with a bloodbath during the fiesta of Huitzilopochtli. There are three documents dealing with this massacre that I’d think are important to look over. All the documents are fairly short in length, but there are a lot of things to consider. The first document written by Francisco Lopez de Gomara (whom Bernal Diaz often mentions with disdain) discusses the fiesta covering some of the rituals and dances, then quickly progresses to the Indian murders. The only motivation Gomara offers as to why the Spanish so abruptly decided to abandon peace was that, â€Å"they coveted their gold and jewels. (pp 162) Thus the Spaniards locked the doors to the temple and murdered all that were inside taking from them their treasures. Given the conquistadors track record up to this point it is not unbelievable that this could happen, but I find myself wondering if there wasn’t something more persuading them. The Florentine Codex and the Codex Aubin which both cover the massacre from a Nahua perspective are very similar to that of Gomaraâ€℠¢s with no real outstanding differences. This begs the question, was the treasure present at the ceremony reason enough to attack? I think that question is answered in another source. Bernal Diaz while describing the initial entry of the Spaniards into Tenochtitlan seems to be fairly peaceful as mentioned before. There is, however a turning point is his writings. The Spaniards find a cemented door near there quarters in the city and end up breaking into it, only to discover a large storehouse of treasure. The description of the vast quantities of gold was like a dream. Immediately after this discovery the Spaniards start to feel like they are wearing out their welcome, and that the Aztecs are becoming more hostile toward them. This should not be surprising given that they had broken into the Aztecs treasure vault, of sorts. However the conquistadors discovery of the chamber seems to be the major turning point in the relations between the Aztecs and the Spaniards and is what I believe led to the massacre and ventual conquer of the empire. In my opinion the Spaniards greed was ultimately one of the biggest driving forces behind the destruction of the Aztec empire. When analyzing historical documents it is very difficult to try and read between the lines and separate fact from fiction. Undoubtedly emotions and time cloud people’s memories. However with so many various sources I think you begin to realize the truth stereotypically resides somewhere close to the middle.

Unilever Business Project

Unilever is a company that operates all over the world. They produce a wide range of products, concerning all sorts of food, detergents and etc. For a large company like Unilever to be successful, they have to implement a certain strategy and to have vision and mission. For this assignment we are focusing on the UK market. The brand we chose is Carte D’or. To start with the overall vision of Unilever. They are looking at developing new ways of doing business for the future, to increase the benefits for the company, as well as to reduce their environmental impact on the nature by Unilever`s activities.Their mission, is to make their business more sustainable. For example, Unilever`s plan has over fifty targets to achieve. Most of them are focused on helping people to improve their well-being and health, reduce the pollution of their products and source the agricultural raw materials sustainably. Sustainability and fair trade are Unilever`s main goals, which are influencing the whole corporation. Regarding the changing weather conditions and scarcity of usable agricultural supply. Unilever introduced a Sustainable Living Plan, that will enable them to source only sustainable materials.According to Unilever, it is also of vital importance to have the suitable people with the right talent, skills, creativity and education to support the growth of the enterprise. As part of the `Sustainable Living Plan`, the company is looking at healthy and motivated workforces, which would provide them with the right employees. In order to make this plan become reality, they are arranging better work places, which means reducing work injuries, industrial accidents and provide variety of stimulus's. Nowadays, Unilever is struggling to create shared values with its customers to provide stability and growth.Companies can meet social needs while at the same time serving existing markets, accessing new markets and lowering costs through innovation. Unilever has chosen the path o f innovations, as well as improving quality, quantity, cost, and reliability of inputs and distribution. While at the same time the company is acting as a steward for essential natural resources and drive economic and social development. As stated above, their mission is: â€Å"We work to create a better future every day. We help people feel good, look good and get more out of life with brands and services that are good for them and good for others.We will inspire people to take small, everyday actions that can add up to a big difference for the world. We will develop new ways of doing business with the aim of doubling the size of our company while reducing our environmental impact. † (source: http://www. sustainable-living. unilever. com/news-resources/news/inspiring-sustainable-living/) The above comes back again in Unilever’s report. For instance, their ambition is to double the size of the company while reducing the environmental footprint.Furthermore, they have a sustainable living plan; Unilever wants to grow without damaging the environment and increase the social benefits arising from Unilever’s activities. This plan has been set in 2010 and has 3 major outcomes, as can be read on page 20 of Unilever’s annual report of 2010: * Helping more than a billion people improve their health; * Halve the environmental impact of the production and use of Unilever’s products; * Enhance the livelihood of people in their supply chain. A good example is COMFORT ONE Rinse fabric conditioner. Many customers in developing countries do their laundry by hand.COMFORT ONE needs only one bucket of water for rinsing instead of three. In this way, consumers save time and money. The reason why Unilever is performing this plan, can be summed up in a few points: * More and more consumers want products that are sustainably sourced; * Retailers have their own goals for sustainability and Unilever can work with them; * New products and packaging ca n be developed as part of the sustainability plan; * Half of Unilever’s sales take place in developing countries, so these countries represent a huge future market for the company.These countries face the greatest sustainability challenges; * Managing sustainability saves money for Unilever and the consumer. Below we will show Unilever`s structure on both Multinational and Business level. Multinational Level: Source (http://www. theofficialboard. com/org-chart/unilever-1) Business Level: Source: http://www. theofficialboard. com/org-chart/unilever-ventures) In order to explain the process of creating values when making ice-cream, we are going to use Porter`s value adding chain to support the explanation. PRIMARY PROCESSES:SUPPORTING PROCESSES: ————————————————- Primary processes Inbound logistics: Carte D`Or buy ingredients for the ice-cream production from a variet y of suppliers. In order to improve its efficiency the exclusive brand can start performing business procurement. In this way Carte D`or can use purchasing function to reduce its costs and improve their long-term strategic planning techniques to deal with the outgoing costs. Using strategic purchasing would enable them to negotiate for the supply of milk, sugar, cream and ect.In this way the procurement approach would increase the CM (contribution margin). Processing: The processing stage would start with the fulfilment of the ordered ingredients in the procurement department. Later on all the ingredients are get together into the assembly process. The Carte D`Or`s recipe is prepared and the ice-cream is prepared. In this press, Carte D`Or can take an advantage by integrating the JIT method. This would help them always have fresh ingredients and not going to keep too ingredients inventory.This can be implemented by ordering smaller quantities of ingredients and increasing the supply frequency. Outbound logistics: In this process of Carte D`Or brand is concerned with the storage of the made ice-cream. The ice-cream package is quite important for keeping the product fresh, protect it during storing, warehousing, transporting as well as to protect the environment form the ice-cream package from the ice-cream package that would be used. So, sustainable packaging would be a major factor in the outbound logistics of the Carte D`Or brand.Packages, which are more eco-friendly and recyclable can take place as well as packs with improved durability. The durability factor can reduce waste, of cracked or broken packs. Marketing ;Sales: Creating a good image for the product might be of vital importance for brand. As, Carte D`Or are producing luxurious ice-cream with a premium quality they need to bind their brand and customers. Carte D`Or would add value to their products by detailed research and development, using Customer Relationship Management.Collaborating closely wit h the CRM department would give the information about customers’ needs, wishes, expectations and even tendencies. Due to the usage of this technique the Carte D`Or brand set their customers as a starting point for all their products development and concepts. Services: ————————————————- The Carte D`Or brand provides their customers with a range of services, as: customer care, direct ordering of bigger quantities, B2B and B2C SCM. In addition to that the brand adds value, by applying the differentiation approach.They provide to their customers special fan website, with the full range of products and a TV show with one of the top chiefs in the world. What is more there is a special line for problem solving callings to Carte D`Or cusromer service. ———————————————â₠¬â€- Supporting processes: Infrastructure: Carte D`Or brand adds value with an efficient assembly line, which gives a high production level during the whole manufacturing process. Production safety and durability is another aspect that may put emphasis on preventing waste.HRM: Carte D`Or brand is quite focused at the sort of working force they use, because they are promoting exclusive ice-cream with top quality. They put emphasis on employees suitable skills, efficiency and job enrichment, in order to stimulate the working force. Technological development: An approach thag Carte D`Or adds value in this sector of value chain would be leverage, as maximizing production and effectiveness without any investments increase. Their top goals are effectiveness and efficiency due to decreasing the expenditures and increase profit.Procurement: Procurement in is very important for Carte D`Or brand because this Is a sector where huge expenditures can be significantly reduced. Negotiating for ra w materials, auxiliary materials and etc. Carte D`Or has a special customer call centre for questions regarding procurement. Relevant systems that facilitate the primary processes in the value chain: ERP(Enterprise Resource Planning) is a relevant system in the primary processes in the value chain, because ERP is developed to facilitate the flow of information between all business functions.It will optimize the communication and information flow between inbound logistics, operations, outbound logistics, marketing ; sales and service CRM is also relevant because it is designed for managing customer service, marketing and operations. MIS stands for Management Information Systems. This system provides the management with the right information to manage an organization effectively ; efficiently. The system analyzes the primary processes with the goal to optimize them. Why would a company adapt their packaging of ice cream? For a company like Uniliver that wants to be more sustainable, a reason can e to produce a environmental friendly packages. To comply with that, the packages have to be adopted according to the new standards: reduced waste, being recyclable and re-usable. Other reasons can be to optimize the space available, lower costs or get the attention of customers with new and improved packaging. There are multiple departments involved when changing a packaging like the Research ; Development department to design this new packaging. But also the marketing department; is involved to do the promotion and management finally makes the decisions.Changes in packaging automatically lead to changes in the value chain. Because machines have to be re-programmed, marketing ; sales have to use a different promotion strategies (introduction of the product). But also inbound and outbound logistics will change. New materials will be imported so new routes have to be created. Also the company will have to examine which type of transportation is the most efficient in the n ew situation. It will make a huge difference if a package is round or square if you consider transport and storing.Also customer behaviour will change, if a customer recognize a problem he or she will go to different phases before actually purchasing a product. First they search for information; a new package can have an influence on commercial sources. Also the selective perception process will be influenced because the perception on the promotion message will change and this can lead to a different interpretation. Perhaps the evaluation will also change because consumers feel that the products offers more benefits. If the new package requires new materials the suppliers will be examined if they are capable to deliver these new materials.If not they need to look for other suppliers. The stakeholders and NGOs can be a threat to the company for example the new package is less environmental friendly than it might happen that they do not longer want to invest in de company. Unilever sh ould pursue a Research ; Development policy that focuses on sustainability. They can do this by using recycled plastic for the packages and recycled paper within their offices. Use biological milk and fair trade ingredients such as chocolate. They can also make use of green energy and transport as environmental friendly as possible.The Research ; Development department has the most influence on the structure. As we have seen the entire value chain will be affected with a change in for example the packaging. The method that we used to come to a package innovation was idea capture internally because of the limited time and resources. But there are other methods appropriate for Unilever like customer focus groups for problem detection while pre-testing to prevent future failure, external idea contest to get to know the customers wants and needs. Last consult partners and vendors to make sure that everyone is reading from the same page.Process descriptions As shown below, there are a nu mber of steps taken in the process of creating ice cream. (source: http://www. foodsci. uoguelph. ca/dairyedu/icmanu. html) When there’s a new product packaging, there will be a small change in the primary process. First of all, when ice cream is stored it is done so in temperatures below -18 Celsius; so the packaging has to be able to withstand such a temperature. This is important for two reasons: * The prevention of growth of micro-organisms; * Maintaining the texture of the product. When using new kind of packaging, the process can be changed.For instance, if the new kind of packaging can withstand a temperature of below -18 Celcius, packaging can be done before storing the ice cream in the freezer and thus saving plastics, waxed paper or cardboard containers since these are used as temporary packaging. There are many activities involved when producing ice cream. Blending, aging, pasteurization etc. Below we will present which activities are involved when producing ice cr eam. To do so, we used a RASCI-Matrix, a process chart for sustainable activities (the green one) and finally a department-transcending table. RASCI-Matrix:Column1| Column2| Column3| Column4| Column5| Column6| Task /Role| CEO| Financial Director| Logistics Manager| Marketing ; Sales manager| Process Manager| Support employees| Strategic Planning| Accountable| Informed| Informed| Informed| Informed| Informed| Financial Planning| Responsible| Accountable| Informed| | | | Buying ingredients| Responsible| Consulted| Accountable| | Responsible| | Marketing ; Sales| Responsible| Consulted| Informed| Accountable| | | Warehousing| Responsible| | Accountable| | | Responsible| Transport| Responsible| | Accountable| | | Responsible| Storage| Responsible| | Accountable| | | Responsible| Services| Responsible| | Consulted| Responsible| | Responsible| Supporting services| Responsible| | Consulted| Responsible| | Responsible| Analyzing results| Responsible| Accountable| Informed| Informed| Informe d| | Maintenance| Responsible| | | | | Responsible| R ; D| Responsible| Informed| Consulted| Consulted| | |The above RASCI-Matrix show the different roles and tasks. The purpose of this matrix is to show the relationship between the actors and their responsibilities. The abbreviation RASCI stands for: R=responsible, A=accountable=support, C=consulted, and I=informed. Flow-Chart ; Transcending-department table: Above we have shown the whole production process of Carte D’or ice cream. Starting with blending of the ingredients and ending with the packaging. During this process value is constantly added. Package: after the freezing procedure the ice-cream is placed into its package. This is the step where a company would be able to take a competitive advantage over its rivals.It can be done in a variety of different ways: In particularly for Catre D`Or there might be: Package size: turn into a production a variety of smaller packages, which are relatively more suitable for daily usage: The shape of the package may play a major role: for example the company can safe cost if they use square or rectangular form of the package. In this way they may improve efficiency of logistics as more packs would be able to place into a box. In this way efficiency and sustainability would be improved as more packs of ice cream can be transported within the same use of space; Sustainable materials: materials used for producing the packaging also might be an important factor. In recent years the interest in products which are environmentally friendly has risen.An example of would be a package that is going to be recyclable or bio-degradable as the harm at the environment would be significantly reduced. Hardening: The packaged ice-cream is placed into a blast freezer at -30 ° to -40 ° C where most of the remainder of the water is frozen. Below about -25 ° C, ice cream is stable for indefinite periods without danger of ice crystal growth; Storage: storage of the produced i ce-cream can be sustainably improved, due to a new package shape. With a new package shape, Carte D`Or would be able to reduce its storage costs and to improve logistics efficiency. This approach would enable to leverage the logistics process. There would be the same storage expenses, although the packs of ice-cream would me increased.Steps in the process| Activity| Transport| Check| Wait| Inventory| time (hours)| | | Blending of the ingredients| X| | X| | | 30mins| | | Pasteurization| X| | X| | | 30mins| | | Homogenization| X| | X| | | 1h| | | Aging| | | X| X| | 12h| | | Freezing| X| | X| | | 15mins| | | Hardening| X| | X| | | 15mins| | | Storage in the freezer| | | X| | X| 60mins| | | Packaging| X| | X| | | 20mins| | | This table shows the average throughput times of each activity. ——————————————– [ 1 ]. Our mission. (nd). Retrieved 02 16, 2012, from https://www. unilever. com/ aboutus/ourmission/ Paper&Board – Unilever Sustainability. (sd). Opgeroepen op 02 13, 2012, from http://www. sustainable-living. unilever. com/the-plan/sustainable-sourcing/pape

Audit of a Workplace as a Learning Environment Essay

Audit of a Workplace as a Learning Environment - Essay Example From this paper it is clear that learning in this organization is a continuous process as many employees do not possess the required skills for effective work performance and those who are experienced need reinforcement. The assignment will be evaluate and discuss this learning in three ways. First the audit will evaluate the understandings, knowledge as well as dispositions required for employees to perform their tasks effectively. Secondly, the contribution of the workplace towards enhancing or hindering learning will be discussed after which the strengths and weaknesses of the workplace as a learning environment will be evaluated and summarized.As the discussion highlights  learning in workplace refers to the skills and knowledge gained through interactions and leads to change in behavior, attitudes and understandings. It increases employees’ innovative capacity and efficiency hence increasing company’s competitiveness. Workplace learning takes various forms which can be intentional or unintentional, formal or informal.  Formal learning occurs when programs are created to offer training to staff so that they can acquire skills such as a training department established to train tailors how to make garments. Informal learning occurs through daily experiences and through educational influences and environmental factors such as knowledge on how to cut, iron. Trim and pack garments. Intentional learning involves moving towards a set objective by the learner such as a tailor assistant willingness to become a tailor.

Does Oil prevent Libya's democracy Research Paper

Does Oil prevent Libya's democracy - Research Paper Example They argued that oil is an impediment to democracy in countries that derive revenue from it. The presence of oil has reinforced autocratic administration. The revenue from the oil regimes prevents the formation of social groups that claim participation and representation in the government. The oil revenues will provide the government with sufficient money and will prevent the mobilization of these groups independent of the state at the end. Oil rent refers to the revenue derived from the sale of oil products (Arwa 19). This income directly accumulates to the administration coffers. The revenue derived implies that the government will not have to tax its citizens. This excise effect minimizes the citizens’ demands for accountability and their aching desire to participate politically in the government adequately. This effect thus eliminates the ruler and the ruled linkages. The net effect is that democracy will less likely thrive in the state. The no taxation or representation i n a state will make the leaders postpone democracy indefinitely. Oil rent enables the government to obtain political opposition to achieve legitimacy. The government has exceptional authority on how to account for revenue and spend because the oil rents directly accrue to the government. In order for the government to win legitimacy and consent from the total population, it uses rewards and even social welfare to dwindle off the social groups. The government is able to redistribute the proceeds to the public by offering education, employment, and a well-developed infrastructure through the welfare system (Arwa 20). In a rentier state, the biggest employer is the government. Only a few people from the total population will benefit from the oil rent through welfare, in addition to other benefits such as land gifts. In the end, the population also becomes a rentier class that regularly engages in a â€Å"rent-seeking behavior". This will influence the individuals to view this behavior as the best option compared to political unrest as a means to encourage redistribution. Loyalty and legitimacy in a rentier state creates patronage networks. Examples of patronage networks involve personal favors in the form of jobs belonging to the public sector and distribution of public resources in terms of licenses, contracts and even projects. This action leads to increased corruption and bribery. The individuals involved in these activities have a tendency of resisting democracy since democracy encompasses high levels of accountability and transparency (Arwa 22). At times, the state uses the oil rent to provide funds for repressive measures aimed at controlling opposition and the population at large. As oil revenues decline, the repression effect takes place thus leaving minimal amounts of money for activities such as patronage and welfare. This repression is achievable by banning of political parties and the independent media thus hindering democracy. Libya’s crisis resulted from the Arabs uprising and unrest in the Middle East. The presence of deleterious governance has been the core influence of the unrest. Then there is the issue of the western interest in the Libyans oil (Martinez, 28). The leadership of Muammar Qaddafi has attracted international interest. A peaceful protest in February 2011 culminated into a global crisis with a violent attack. The situation continued until the royal citizens took arms and engaged in a battlefield that have left so much

Case study assignment Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Case study assignment - Coursework Example ‘Open Systems’ Approach and Icy Foods Open system approach is fundamental to the survival based on external stimuli (Kreitner, 2009). Open systems approach came into effect after World War II when management began thinking that organisations are no more a self-contained unit – free from external influences. The company under discussion namely Icy Foods began its operations in 1999 and continued to grow exponentially at least until 2005. The Smiths adopted a very flexible policy approach for organisational management as that suited to them most for meeting market needs. The informal way of working in Icy Foods encouraged workers to learn varied skills passing through different departments as per the needs. Even the company operated night shifts and weekend working when order book forced them to do so. In fact, the Smiths’ approach was quite flexible in people management. It can be gauged from the fact that employees were trained in several areas of company o perations providing them enough liberty to move where they find themselves more suitable. The Smiths were always keen to invite employee view points on operational aspects to bring efficiency in the operations. The fact remains that employees enjoyed considerable freedom in their overall working including their freedom related to leave. Icy Foods paid them above industry average apart from paying bonuses to high performing workers. The Smiths also motivated workers by declaring monthly awards for performers. The management motivated their workforce to deliver their best in many ways and that is reflected in low rates of employee turnover. Thus, Smiths’ were largely following open systems approach responding well to environmental influences; however, things changed when Icy Foods became a subsidiary of one of the large super market chains namely Megastar Plc. Megastar Lacked Open Systems Approach in Managing Human Resources Brown and Grundy (2012) emphasise that human resource (HR) "strategy is very much a part of an open system with many interdependencies" (p 34). Management of the Megastar not only streamlined the operations but also rationalized the product portfolio keeping only four products while discarding remaining. It is true that the company did a commendable job on operational aspects improving efficiency by 35 percent; however, the company fared badly on human resource development aspects. Employee turnover and absenteeism increased significantly. Employees remained grossly unsatisfied with the management because they were not involved in the decision making. They felt that decisions are thrust upon them by managers and headquarter. It is quite clear that in the process to improve operational efficiency of the firm, the management moved away from the ‘open systems’ approach of management. Trained Workers and employees are not only an important but scarce resource for any organisation and ‘open systems’ approach dicta tes that they must be not only preserved or retained but also allowed to develop within the organisation. It is a fact that new management improved the efficiency of the organisation without making it effective to external influences. Environmental Influences Play Critical Role Cole (2005) argues that several environment factors such as economical, social, technological, or political along with competitive forces keep on exerting influence on any organisation. Most of these external environmental factors are not in control of the firm –

Audience Analysis Memo Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Audience Analysis Memo - Assignment Example Offering these descriptions have considerable influence on the completion of the presented project since these descriptions provide the focus points. The primary audiences are decision makers of the senior level who include CEOs and other executives involved in global business. The secondary audiences are the middle management that usually facilitates communication between the senior management and workers without management roles (Adebi, 2008). Other audiences may comprise of business players in the industry and regular workers. The audiences have profound educational backgrounds and their job responsibilities may include change management, eradicating barriers and creating an organizational culture (Adebi, 2008). The age ranges between 25-65 years with the gender being well distributed throughout the company’s positions. The audience possesses diversified ethnic background with most being from China, which serves as the host country. The religious beliefs ought to be considered due to the diversity of the employees (Didier, 2002). The audiences have little knowledge concerning the topic and, therefore, require deep training regarding the matter. The audiences have considerable interest regarding the topic and offer positive attitudes towards the topic. The audiences require cross-cultural knowledge, since they have to cope with individuals possessing diverse cultures in China. Therefore, the audiences expect to acquire knowledge concerning cultural diversity, and ways to avert bias at the

Freedom of Speech Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Freedom of Speech - Essay Example The paper aims to refute all arguments against freedom of speech and provides arguments against any restrictions on freedom of speech in certain countries like Canada. Freedom of speech provides people with different views about life, political condition, people, education, society and the whole world. This freedom is not aimed to defame anyone or anything but people provide their deepest thoughts and perceptions about different issues. These varying ideas and opinions provide the uninformed with a wide range of possibilities and sufficient grounds to make their own judgement. Hence freedom of speech, in this context, must remain untied with restrictions and laws. The criticism against freedom of speech is the fact that people may use this right in order to defame other people, develop controversies and negatively change people’s arguments. The criticisers believe that restrictions must be imposed in order to protect people’s privacy and reputation from the abusers of this freedom. The justification to their criticism is the increasing debates over political, social and religious issues. The increasing conflicts and worsening law and order situation provide them with the chance to stand against such freedom. In my opinion, all these arguments are, to a great extent, baseless. Milton describes in Areopagitica two kinds of people: the prudent ones and others who are imprudent. Prudent class of people are able to distinguish between good and bad, reasonable and unreasonable; imprudent, on the other hand, are unaffected by any judgements. In other words, we may say that prudent class has the power to analyze, asses and judge every event, claim or argument; whereas, imprudent do not have their own opinion and they lack the power of expressing and judging. Hence, imprudent remain unaffected by the opinions and expressions of others and prudent accept the claims only if they have any instance of truth in them. Moreover, it is

Significance of International Trade to UK Businesses Assignment

Significance of International Trade to UK Businesses - Assignment Example According to the research findings acknowledging the significance of international trade UK is trying to simplify trade procedures, promoting best practices, removing trade barriers, and facilitating trade and entrepreneur in every possible manner. A dedicated department the Simpler Trade Promotion Board (SITPRO) is established to address related issues. Policies like Access to Finance are targeted to strengthen the local entrepreneurs’ financial standing in international markets. There are several positive and negative impacts associated with international trade. Entrepreneurs get the liberty of choosing cost effective resources from around the world. Specially, from the countries where cost of living is not as high as it is in the UK. This makes a lot of difference in the total operating cost of an enterprise. Stonehouse & David have discussed such an impact of international trade liberalization on UK job industry. Prudential, a renowned UK-based insurance giant saved  £16 million a year by switching their call centre to subcontinent. Beside low salaries, tax relaxations, huge subsidies and low oil prices are some other factors that may attract businesses in UK and entrepreneur may switch to cost effective markets. The overall impact of these factors may result in a shift of manufacturing units of large multinationals from developed countries to underdeveloped countries where they can operate at low costs and can find new markets for their products. Moreover, it may also result in shift of global imports and exports corridors. Great Britain is commonly perceived to be reluctant member of European Union in adopting joint policies. Social Chapter of 1992, which was adopted by UK in 1998, and common currency adoption are commonly referred to emphasize this perception. However, it implements more rigorously, what it accepts as common interest. (USITC, 2000). Britain joined European Free Trade Association (EFTA) 1960, European Economic Community in 1972 a nd EU in 1973. (Jones, 2004, p. 21). Since then EU, policies and community laws got precedence over local policies and regulations. This joint structuring of financial policies and regulations has been a great bearing on UK international trade. One simple example how EU policies can influence UK trade is that of EU free trade policy between member states. EU is operating on the basic principle of four freedoms, â€Å"free movement of goods, people, services and capital.†(Cullingworth & Vincent, 2003, p. 35). This means custom free trade between member states and a common external tariff for non-member states. The objective of these polices was to achieve a higher level of economic prosperity through elimination of trade barriers. (EUC, 2008, p. 9). Another example, where the impact of EU policies can be traced is the expansion of HSBC bank in member states. The HSBC is a large UK-based concern that is operating in several member states of EU. The

Do International Marketing Strategies help Multinational Firms achieve Dissertation

Do International Marketing Strategies help Multinational Firms achieve competitive advantage - Dissertation Example The new development of globalization and multinational firms has created a gap in building a different framework for businesses that are working toward expansion at a global level. However, the demand to work into a new form of competition is continuing to create a different understanding of what is required for businesses that are looking for an established presence at an alternative level. The multinational presence that is currently a part of many businesses is one that has led to several new dimensions of conducting business through the internal and external environment. Politics, culture, social viewpoints and the economy are some of the dimensions that are causing businesses to change the approach of working into new regions of the world. This research will examine the model of Unilever, a multinational firm that has successfully established a reputation in Pakistan. The business will work as a microcosmic model that determines how businesses can create strategies, models and m arketing components that assist in meeting the needs of different regions of the globe. Table of Contents 1.0 Introduction†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..6 1.1 Aims and Objectives†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..7 1.2 Statement Problem†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.8 1.3 Significance of the Study†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.10 2.0 Literature Review†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã ¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.11 2.1 Emphasis of Globalization†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦...11 2.2 Definition of International Strategies†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦...13 2.3 Types of Marketing Strategies†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦14 2.4 Performance Measures of Culture†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦...16 2.5 Political Performance Differences†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦...19 2.6 Economic Performance†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚ ¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦22 2.7 Current Factors in International Marketing†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.27 3.0 Methodology†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦30 3.1 Timeline†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦...33 3.2 Limitations of the Study†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦...35 4.0 Analysis and Results†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦37 4.1 Qualitative Resultsâ € ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦...37 4.2 Quantiative Results†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..42 4.3 Analysis of Results†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..44 5.0 Future Research and Recommendations†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..46 6.0 Conclusion†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦...47 Bibliography†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..49 Index of Images Image 1  : Hofstede’s Dimensions of Culture†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.19 Image 2: Multi-tiered Strategy†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦...21 Image 3: Double – Helix Model†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦

Analysis of Fallen by Jane Hammond Research Paper

Analysis of Fallen by Jane Hammond - Research Paper Example Art can only be appreciated relatively on an individual perspective. The influence and importance of art can be seen by their presentation of society. The ancient art can be appreciated when interest and urge to understand the past and their role in the society are evaluated (Barnet 89). Several writings in the English language have been employed in the development of the artistic impressions that create a powerful artistic appearance. With the increasing space utilization and the need for information transfer, the work of art displayed on the Great Wall of Los Angeles is a combination of both art and information transfer. Fallen by Jane Hammond Jane Hammond artwork is based on experience in Iraq. The Iraq war had a massive impact on the works of artists. Fallen by Hammond is a work of art focusing on the problems of the soldiers. The soldiers lost lives in the war, and the work of art by Jane Hammond is based on remembering the fallen heroes of the Iraq war. The art is essential is helping the society realize the beauty of memories and the impact of the war in society. However, making an artwork that covers issues of war without raising emotions is hard because of the emotive nature of the issues. The art by Hammond is effective in creating a memoir of the fallen heroes. The art involved using a collection of leaves that are relevant (Eaves 67). It is a non commissioned memorial to the fallen heroes of the Iraq war.   The created paper leaves are placed on a horizontal platform. The fallen artwork departs from the conventional practice of using bronze and durable materials. The number of leaves on the platform increases as the length of the pedestal is increased leading to the creation so a wider pedestal. The use of the fallen leaf symbolizes the end of life making the memorial effective and easy use (Eaves 56).  

Teacher That I Like Essay Example for Free

Teacher That I Like Essay Friendly short Pay attendant with students Kind Handsome Knowledgeable Good solving the problem Funny Good explaining Good manner Implement High education entire The teacher that I like is teacher Don Sarom. I’m a student at Kids international school. At there I have a teacher. His name is teacher Don Sarom. He is the teacher that I like very much. He is very handsome but he is shorter than me and fatter than me. He is very friendly and funny also. When he is explaining he always has a fun that make we want to study with him. He always pay attendant with all the student in the class. When have some students that don’t understand he will explain them again and again until they understand clearly. And when he explains, all the students are tried to listen to him altogether. He is very kind also. When I have some problem that I don’t know how to do I always call to ask him and he always tell me all the time although hi is studying or busying also. He always has enough implement to teach. When have some problem that happen in the school or in the class he always find the good solving. And he is the good manner person also. When he speaks is make all the student listen to him and always think what that he speak because he is a high education person. I’m very like him he is always helping me all time that I have problem or also the entire student in the class. I will remember all the things that he has done to me. If the entire teacher is as same as him I think all the students are very happy to study.

The Safeguarding Of Children By The Government Social Work Essay

The Safeguarding Of Children By The Government Social Work Essay The process of protecting children from abuse or neglect, preventing impairment of their health and development, and ensuring they are growing up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care that enables children to have optimum life chances and enter adulthood successfully. (Source: Working Together to Safeguard Children, 2006). It is essential that children are safeguarded from maltreatment and impairment of their health and development not only to prevent the terrible day-today suffering some children are subjected to, but also to ensure that children are safe from these abuses to protect their long-term well-being (Combrink-Graham, 2006: 480). Deliberate and sustained maltreatment, which includes physical, emotional and sexual abuse of children, is not confined to any particular group or culture; it pervades all groups, classes and cultures. So as practitioners it is our professional duty of care to ensure that every child has the same amount of safeguarding as the next. It is also vital that as Early Years professionals we understand the roles and procedures of the services available for children and families so that we may offer the best advice possible. There are two areas of guidance statutory and non-statutory. LOC1- analyse the role of statutory, voluntary and independent service in relation to children and families. A service which is defined as statutory is one that the Local Authority have a legal duty to supply. The Local Authority is obliged by statute to provide some services, for example, social services, NHS hospital, health professionals, the police and probation service, youth offending teams, secure training centres, childminders and schools. They all have a duty under the Children Act 2004 to ensure that their actions are clear with regard to the need to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. (Source: Working Together to Safeguard Children, 2006). Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children is the responsibility of the local authority (LA), working in partnership with other public organisations, the voluntary sector, children and young people, parents and carers, and the wider community. (Source: Working Together to Safeguard Children, 2006). The role of statutory services in relation to children and families is to employ professionals who are committed to the cause of helping children to stay safe. The services need to employ staff that understands their responsibilities and duties in these difficult situations, so any organisation that deals with safeguarding children needs to make sure that all members of staff are safe to work with children and young people by providing a thorough identity check. Also the organisation that provides this service needs to be equipped to deal with any allegations including ones made against staff by having clear procedures in place. All staff have to have regular up to date training and understanding of the subject while working in this environment and they also need to understand the correct procedures if working with partner organisations. The voluntary sector is undertaken by organisations that are not for profit and non-governmental such as charities like Childline, the NSPCC and churches. This sector plays an important part in providing information and resources to the general public who may be unable or afraid to contact other sectors about the welfare of some children. They may also specialise in a particular area of abuse and may have greater and better understanding of the subject as their members of staff have experienced more in-depth training. Like the public sector their staff paid or volunteers need to go through the same process as the staff from the public sector that is stated in paragraph 2.8 in Working together to Safeguard Children 2006. Like the voluntary sector, the independent sector also has to abide by the regulations that come with working towards safeguarding children. The Independent sector is not financed through the taxation system by local or national government, and is instead funded by private sources. Such independent services are private schools, boarding schools, private counsellors and private charities such as UNICEF. A non statutory service is one which may or may not be supplied, at the discretion of the authority concerned. LOC2- Evaluate the legislation framework and procedures for child protection at national and local level. There are several legislative frameworks/laws and procedures for child protection at national and local level which are continually being amended, updated and revoked. One of the significant pieces of legislation is The Children Act 2004 which led to a considerable change in the way services are directly concerned with serving children and families. As a result of consultation with children and families following Lord Lamings enquiry into the terrible and tragic death of Victoria Climbià ©, the government announced its plans to restructure childrens services to help achieve five outcomes for well-being. The government outlined these outcomes in its Every Child Matters (ECM) agenda, stating that to achieve well-being in childhood and in later life children and young people want to: be healthy; be safe; enjoy and achieve; make a positive contribution; and achieve economic well-being (DfES, 2004b). These five outcomes for well-being are now the goals for Every Child Matters and all services that are concerned in the education and welfare of children and young people are bound to ensure these outcomes are achieved. The Every Child Matters Outcomes Framework (DCSF, 2008b) for enabling children and families to be safe requires that Early Years settings and primary schools must demonstrate that they are enabling children to be safe from maltreatment, neglect, violence and sexual exploitation, and from accidental injury and death, and that children and young people have security, stability, are cared for and are safe from bullying and discrimination. This is a very complex area for those who work with children, or intend to work with children, in part because of the amount of legislation that is attached to these issues. The Education Act 2002 places a duty on Early Years settings and schools to safeguard and promote the welfare of all children, including ensuring they provide a safe environment themselves and take steps, through their policies, practice and training, to identify child welfare concerns and take action to address them, in partnership with other organisations where appropriate (HM Government, 2006:13). The Education Act 2002 also places this duty on childminders and any organisation that provides day care for children of whatever age. Locally the group of people responsible for co-ordinating what is done by organisations in Essex to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and to ensure the effectiveness of this activity is the Essex Safeguarding Children Board (ESCB). Despite all of the legislation and policies, preventable tragedies like Victoria Climbià © and Baby P continue to happen. It is vital therefore that child protection agencies learn from these terrible events and continue to amend their policies. Legislation is also put in place not just to protect against harm to children but also to give protection to the professionals working with children and their families. LOC3- Debate theories of abuse such as medical, feminist, social and psychological models. The general publics usual opinion of an abuser is that they are abnormal, sick or criminal. The reasons for abuse may be deep and complex. The actions of an abuser are definitely wrong but why did they take them? There are lots of different theories as to why abusers abuse. Some of the more widely held theories are: The social model definition is where it is believed that a child copies the behaviour of adults around them. Albert Bandura (1977) referred to the social learning theories of other important professionals in child development such as Vygotsky and Lave. This theory includes aspects of behavioural and cognitive learning. He believed that behavioural learning assumes that peoples environment cause people to behave in certain ways. Also he believed in cognitive learning which is when someone experiences or acquires knowledge, he presumed that psychological factors are important for influencing how people behave. Another theory is the medical model. John Bowlby (1969-80), is recognized as one of the most prominent theorists in researching social effects on child development, in particular he is famous for his attachment theory (Flanagan, 1999). When Bowlby first began discussing this theory his work focused on the importance of the attachment a child has with its mother. The present accepted theory is that children can form a number of attachments with adults other than their biological mother, what is important is that children need caring and nurturing relationships in order to thrive, and not simply the basic needs of food and shelter (Foley et al., 2001; 211). Bowlby believed that there was a critical period of bonding in the first year of life. Much research has been done that suggests a strong correlation between mothers who have not formed a strong attachment to their children and child abuse and neglect. If not treated conditions such as postpartum depression (or post-natal depression as it is more commonly known) could lead to the mother having a negative attachment with the child developing into neglect which is a form of abuse without the mother realising. Another influential theorist in the area of child development is Erikson (1902-1994) who in the 1960s devised a model of human social development that focuses more on the impact of background and environment on development, rather than genetic determiners. This is known as a psychosocial model (Miller, 2003). The importance of this theory is that it explores how the beliefs, attitudes and values we grow up to hold are shaped by our genetic predisposition towards incentive acts and how the environment we grow up in impacts on those natural characteristics. Therefore, Erikson maintains, we are distinctly shaped by our formative experiences. If this is so, then the experiences a child will have while they are young will impact on their life as an adult, including on their attitudes, beliefs and values. A different opinion as to why abusers abuse is the psychological model. Psychological theories focus on the instinctive and psychological qualities of those who abuse. This theory believes it is abnormalities within the individual abuser that are responsible for abuse, for example, abusive parents may themselves have been abused in childhood (Corby, 2000). Although the flaw is that psychologists have failed to establish a consistent personality profile for a child abuser when compared to another form of abuser. Feminists believe that the Feminist model may be the answer to the actions of an abuser. The feminist model suggests that child abuse like domestic violence is a result of unequal power in the family. Cossins (2000) believes that abuse is done by man to women and is about male masculinity and power. But this does not take into account female abusers. Professor Lynne Segal suggests that the ideas of masculinity emphasises control and power. This assumes that all men have power and women and children do not have power (Bell, 1993). This theory also needs to include not just gender and power issues but to consider race, class and culture as well (Reavey and Warner, 2003). The Cycle of violence is another model, it is based on the view that children who live with domestic violence will learn that abuse is acceptable and will become either an abuser or a victim. While experiencing or witnessing domestic violence can have a serious impact on children and young people, they will respond in various ways depending on their age, race, sex, culture, stage of development, and individual personality. By no means do all children who have lived with domestic violence grow up to become either victims or abusers. Many children exposed to domestic violence realise that it is wrong, and actively reject violence of all kinds.  There is not much evidence to support this model. Although all these models give some insight into why an abuser would abuse there is no one type of abuser, so there can be no one model. What we would consider a child abuser in this country is not the same standards as other countries. Not one of these models can solely explain the actions of a child abuser. Finkelhor (1986) understood that and was a critic of single factor models. He also believed that women were just as capable of abuse as men are. LOC4- Describe the categories of abuse and the possible effects on the child, family and workers. What comprises abuse is open to wide debate, because some researchers will state that what one group in society deems to be abuse, another will claim is a normal part of child rearing practice. For example, the smacking debate. Is it acceptable to smack a child? There is a legal acceptance that where a smack doesnt leave a lasting mark it is not abuse, but if it is continuously done and escalates then this would be classed as abuse. The point at which any practice becomes abusive is the point at which it becomes ill-treatment, likely to impair health or physical, emotional, social or behavioural development (DfES, 2006). The categories of child abuse are physical, emotional, sexual abuse and neglect. Most often if a child is suffering from one of the categories like physical or sexual abuse they are likely to be suffering from emotional abuse as well, as the categories link into one another. As Early Years practitioners we need to keep an eye out for any signs of physical abuse, which are usually visible to the eye, such as unexplained injuries, bruises or burns. Other signs of physical abuse are if the victim refuses to discuss injuries, gives improbable explanations for injuries, has untreated injuries or lingering frequently recurring injuries. If the parents administering of punishment appears excessive, if the child shrinks from physical contact, or they have a fear of returning home or of the parents being contacted, or a fear of undressing, or a fear of medical help these could also be a sign of physical abuse. Physical abuse can lead to the child becoming aggressive towards other children and bullying. An abused child may display over compliant behaviour or a watchful attitude, have significant changes in behaviour without explanation, their work may deteriorate and they may have unexplained patterns of absences whilst bruises or other physical injuries heal. In some cases the child may even try to run away. Another form of abuse is emotional abuse; this is one of the hardest types of abuse to recognise as there are often no outwardly visible signs. Emotional abuse is about messages, verbal or non-verbal, given by a care giver to a child. Almost all children are subjected to emotional abuse to some degree. Even the most caring of parents will at some time give children quite negative messages, this is why it is hard to detect emotional abuse. Examples of emotional abuse are deliberately humiliating a child, making a child feel ashamed for not being able to do or understand something which they, in fact, are developmentally incapable of. Other signs of abuse are expecting a child to put the needs of other family members before their own. Persistently verbally abusing a child, or constantly threatening to leave a child on their own as a punishment is abusive whether or not the threat is carried out. Making threats of other cruel and excessive punishments and/or carrying them out, telling a child that he was not wanted, was a mistake, or was the wrong gender, isolating a child, preventing them from socialising with their peers and continually putting a child under unfair moral/emotional pressure is abuse. Some adults may also not realise that exposing a child to age-inappropriate activities such as television, films and computer games is also classed as emotional abuse. The DfES (2006) What to Do if You Are Worried a Child Is Being Abused document defines sexual abuse as: Sexual abuse involves forcing or enticing a child or young person to take part in sexual activities, including prostitution, whether or not the child is aware of what is happening. The activities may involve physical contact, including penetrative or non-penetrative acts. They may include non-contact activities, such as involving children in looking at, or in the production of, sexual on-line images, watching sexual activities, or encouraging children to behave in sexually inappropriate ways. (DfES, 2006: 9). The definition of neglect is the persistent failure to meet a childs physical and/ psychological needs, likely to result in the serious impairment of the childs health or development (DfES, 2006: 9). Some examples of neglect are failure to feed a child adequately, not providing appropriate clothes or bedding, giving inadequate basic physical care, the child having no boundaries or consistency, the child not being safe, not attending to a childs medical needs and failure to meet or recognize a childs emotional needs. The definition of neglect clouds with shades into the definition of emotional abuse. While both these definitions make sense, they are somewhat blurred around the edges. When we talk about severe actions it can be difficult to decide whether, and at what level, to intervene. There have been studies that show evidence that neglect, physical abuse and sexual abuse are all associated with reduced intelligence in children (Carrey, 1996). While this study shows an example of the effect abuse can have, sometimes a child can grow up with a positive attitude and have a successful life. But this is not to say that all survivors are successful in life and obviously some people suffer terrible ongoing issues related to their experience of abuse. Such as being able to trust anyone or in the case of sexual abuse never being able to let anyone touch them and the damage is permanent. Abuse can also affect the family by breaking it apart and separating the abuser from the abused. LOC5- Evaluate ways of enabling children to protect themselves, and ways of supporting children who have been abused. We cant expect children and young babies to protect themselves. So the government and schools try to communicate a universal message to children to try to protect them. Such as bullying is wrong, to be nice to one another, to eat well and look after each other and to promote a positive environment. We should always take children seriously and listen to what they are saying, as this is a way of improving our ways of providing support. There are four methods that are used with children in need and their families, each of which needs to be carried out effectively in order to achieve improvements in the lives of children in need. They are assessment, planning, intervention and reviewing (DfES, 2006). As an Early Years professional you should be aware of the local procedures to be followed for reporting concerns about a particular child. If you have any concerns about a child, they must be reported to the schools designated senior member of staff or a senior member that is appointed child protection supervisor. This may be where your involvement may end or you may need to be involved further. The practitioner will discuss with a manager and/or other senior colleagues what they think the appropriate action should be, then if there are still concerns a referral to the Local Authority childrens social care team will be made, followed up in writing within 48 hours. The social worker and manager then acknowledge receipt of referral and decide on the next course of action within one working day. An initial assessment is required to decide if there is any concern for the childs immediate safety. The initial assessment should continue in accordance with the assessment framework which is a chart that states what the needs of a child are. If there is reasonable cause to suspect the child is suffering, or is likely to suffer significant harm, childrens social care should arrange an immediate strategy discussion. The purpose of the strategy discussion is to agree whether to initiate section 47 of the Children Act 1989. It is also to identify the appropriate tasks and timescales for each involved professional and agency, and agree what further help or support may be necessary. If the child is likely to be harmed then the police and other relevant agencies are called. Next there would be a child protection conference and the results from that would determine whether a core assessment is made which is where the family and other professionals agree a plan for ensuring the childs future safety and welfare. If the results are that the child is in sufficient harm then the child becomes the subject of a child protection plan, which is where the difficulties of the child will be made known to partner agencies. This will be followed by giving the child a key worker and a child protection review conference, the purposes of the child protection review is to review the safety of the child. Usually, the decision to keep a childs name on the protection register is reviewed every six months, depending on the circumstances. A child protection review conference can decide that a childs name should be removed from the register. This decision will only be made when the child protection review conference is satisfied that the child is no longer at risk of significant harm. A young person will also be removed from the register once he or she turns 18. Obviously the worst case scenario is when a child dies due to abuse and nothing was done to help them. As Early Year professionals it is extremely important that situations like this never happen and that is why these procedures are put into place. Professionals can intervene by working with children and families to help protect them. There are support systems in place for children and their families provided by local government and sometimes connected to the school. Sure start is one such system. Sure start is a government programme which provides services for children and their families. It works to bring together early education, childcare, health and family support. Services provided include advice on health care and child development, play schemes, parenting classes, family outreach support and adult education and advice. If there is a case of suspected abuse but it is decided that there is no need to remove the child or the parent following the families assessment, Sure start can be recommended to the family as a place for family development. In this country there are 11 million children, 4 million have been identified as vulnerable (disabled), 400,000 have been identified as children in need, 32,000 are on the child protection register and 63,000 are looked after (in foster care). These statistics have gone up since the terrible tragic death of Peter Connelly (Baby P) in 2007. (http://www.statistics.gov.uk/cci/nugget.asp?id=348). We live in a highly complex and diverse society and as professionals it is part of our responsibility to ensure we are not confusing what we think is the case, or what we would like, with what is really the case. As Early Years practitioners we need to approach individual children and families with an open mind. While we believe we know what, a perfect world is, we also know that families come in all shapes and sizes, and that all families are likely to need support to help them. To make sure that all children get the correct and full treatment/service needed to make sure that they are safeguarded against abuse all practitioners/professionals should work together and communicate to achieve this goal.

Use of CBCT in Orthodontics- A Review

Use of CBCT in Orthodontics- A Review ABSTRACT Lateral cephalometric radiographs are most commonly used as a diagnostic tool in orthognathic surgery as well as orthodontic treatment. But the limitation of lateral cephalograms is its 2 dimensional nature whereas the human body is 3 dimensional. Conventional 2D lateral cephalograms have numerous drawbacks in terms of investigating the changes in the alveolar bone and roots, particularly in the anterior region, as a consequence of the midsagittal projection. Additionally its accuracy is questionable as it has projection errors. The use of computed tomography in 3D imaging of human body is available in the field of medicine since last 30 years. CT scanning is the three dimensional imaging technique giving quantitative assessments of the buccal and lingual cortical bone plates and labiolingual width of alveolar bone with elevated accuracy and precision. But the use of computed tomography in dentistry is limited because the amount of radiation exposure with this technology is very high . Since the invention of Cone Beam Computed Tomography, the amount of radiation exposure in the patient is reduced. This enhances its use in obtaining the 3D images of the craniofacial structures. This technology helps in visualizing the hard and soft tissues of the craniofacial structures from various perspectives and helps in thorough diagnosis and treatment planning of orthognathic surgery and orthodontic patients. The principles of CBCT and its use in the field of orthodontics will be discussed in detail in this paper. KEYWORDS: Cone beam computed tomography, Surgical orthodontics. INTRODUCTION Orthodontics is a field, which places a significant amount of emphasis on the modification of abnormal craniofacial growth patterns, in addition to the correction of dental malrelationships. Successful orthodontic and surgical treatment of such anomalies naturally requires efficient and reliable imaging of the structures of the cranial complex. Ever since the advent ofÂÂ   the Bolton cephalometer in 1931 [1], orthodontists have consistently used lateral cephalograms in evaluation of treatment as well as in diagnosis and treatment planning. In addition, postero-anterior, panoramic, occlusal and peri-apical views of the skull and teeth have been used as and when required to aid in the diagnosis. All these additional radiographic views add up to a significant quantity of radiation exposure to the patient, which can and should be avoided if possible. Also, the 2 dimensional nature of these conventional radiographic views imposes further limitations such as overlap, leading to lack o f visualization of individual structures, errors due to projection, as well as the incapability to identify true skeletal asymmetries when present [2]. Thus, it has been recognized for some time now that three- dimensional imaging of the skull is the need of the hour in orthodontics. 3D Computed tomography in Orthodontics The use of computed tomography in 3D imaging of human body is available in the field of medicine since last 30 years. But the high radiation exposure and the prohibitive cost of this technology have till now precluded its use in orthodontics. However, recent advances in CT technology have seen a dramatic decrease in radiation as well as in cost, making it a viable and desirable alternative to traditional imaging. The newer CT machines can now perform a complete scan of the head in just a few seconds and provide the patient an effective dose of only 50 micro-Sieverts, compared with about 2000 from a conventional CT scan of the entire head [3]. This follows the ALARA principle (As low as reasonably acceptable) for radiation exposure, of the American Dental Association. Radiation exposures are further reduced when one believes that a single CT image can replace a number of conventional radiographs that are now considered essential for almost every orthodontic procedure. Thus, the routine use of CT scans for orthodontic diagnosis may not be very far away [4]. Cone Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT): Technique and Advantages Conventional CT machines acquire image data by using either a single narrow X-ray beam or a thin broad fan-shaped X-ray beam. These X-ray beams rotate around the patient in a circular or spiral path as the patient moves through the scanning machine or as the rotating beam passes over the patient. A series of detectors register the attenuation of these X rays, and from the data gathered, the machine reconstructs the internal structure of the patients body [5]. 3D data of the patients anatomical structures is stored in the form of Voxels. These can be thought of as tiny cubes arranged next to each other. The brightness of each cube represents the density of the corresponding anatomic structure. Obtaining the final 3D object from the raw data requires a time consuming process called rendering, which is achieved using computer algorithms [6]. However, a new digital imaging breakthrough, the NewTom QR 9000 Volume Scanner (Verona, Italy) is now available for clinical practice. This CT scanner uses a cone-shaped X-ray beam that is large enough to encompass the region of interest. It produces a much focused beam, minimizing scatter, thus reducing the absorbed radiation dose to 45 microSieverts [7]. In contrast to conventional CT imaging the patient remains stationary throughout the procedure. In a single scan, the X-ray source and a reciprocating X-ray sensor rotate around the patients head and acquire 360 pictures (1 image per degree of rotation) in 17 seconds of exposure time. The 360 acquired images undergo a primary reconstruction to mathematically replicate the patients anatomy into a single 3 dimensional volume. Further, the software allows for reformatting and viewing the image data from any point of view in all 3 dimensions. Thus, from a single scan, frontal, lateral, panoramic and other views can be created. Addition ally, the anatomy can be peeled away layer by layer to locate the desired section. A major advantage of CBCT-generated cephalograms is the ability to excise unwanted structures such as the cervical spine and occiput, avoiding superimposition of irrelevant structures, and providing a remarkably clear image of pertinent maxillo-facial structures [8]. Uses of 3-dimensional computed tomography in Orthodontics Assessment of alveolar bone The alveolar bone height is particularly important in adults and periodontally compromised patients. Assessment of available bone is necessary prior to arch expansion or labial movement of incisors. Surface irregularities due to ectopic teeth, bone dehiscences, salivary gland invaginations and other abnormalities can also be visualized in three- dimensional images. A new resource for occlusal assessment is the lingual view-as if the clinician were looking from the back of the patients head into the oral cavity. Impacted tooth position Impaction (or failure of eruption) of teeth is a common orthodontic problem, which requires precise localization for the purpose of surgical exposure and guidance into the oral cavity. Conventional views such as the occlusal and periapical views cannot precisely locate such teeth. CT scans with 3 dimensional reconstructions provide an excellent means to accurately locate such teeth. In such a study done on a 21 year old girl, by Ravinder et al. [9], an impacted maxillary left canine was accurately localized, and revealed to be in a horizontal, palatal position. This was done, by obtaining various views, such as plain axial, sagittal CT slices, as well as superior, sagittal and superior- oblique views of the maxillary dentition. Walker, Enciso and Mah [10] have also reported the advantages of 3D imaging in the management of impacted canines. In addition, cysts of the jaws, supernumeraries and ectopic/buried teeth can also be visualized using this technique. Temporomandibular Joint Assessment Coronal, sagittal and axial views of the temporomandibular joint obtained from the CT scan can be correlated with the occlusal views. Functional shift of the joints can be occasionally detected as differences between the left and right TMJ views. In addition, 3D CT studies on patients who underwent orthognathic surgery, have allowed better evaluation of post surgical condylar resorption [11]. Surgical patients including syndromes and clefts Surgical planning for patients with jaw asymmetry, e.g. Hemifacial Microsomia can benefit from 3D imaging. This allows measurement of true jaw dimensions without the customary problems of magnification, superimposition and distortion, inherent in 2 D cephalograms. Use of virtual cutting tools and collision tools to plan out surgery on the 3D images, means that orthognathic surgery as well as distraction osteogenesis can be carried out with a far greater degree of precision, leading to more predictable results. [12] Facial Analysis A conventional photograph is a simple two- dimensional representation that is not correlated with the supporting skeleton. The 3D volume can provide any frontal, lateral or user-defined view of the face, and by altering the translucency of the image, one can determine the exact relationship of the soft tissues to the skeleton. This has major implications in the planning of tooth movements, orthodontic extractions, orthognathic surgery, and other therapies that could alter facial appearance. Tongue size and Posture Volume measurements of the tongue could provide a more objective assessment of size, to aid in the diagnosis of arch-width discrepancies and open bites. Airway assessment Volume measurements of the airway could evaluate patency, particularly in patients suspected of adenoid hypertrophy, mouth-breathing or obstructive sleep apnea. Turbinates and nasal morphology can also be evidently seen in CT scans. This would mark a significant improvement over the use of 2 dimensional lateral cephalograms. Root resorption 3D CT images can show areas of root resorption on central and lateral incisors adjacent to impacted canine teeth. Walker, Enciso and Mah [10] showed that incisor resorption adjacent to impacted canines is present in 66.7% of lateral incisors and 11.1 % of central incisors. A correlation was found between the proximity of impacted canines to the incisors and their resorption. Current CT machines may have too low resolution to detect early stages of root resorption as a result of orthodontic movement, but this may be possible in the future [6]. Planning for placement of dental implants Osseo-integrated implants may be used in orthodontics either for the prosthetic replacement of missing teeth, or as stationary anchorage to facilitate tooth movement. Optimal spacing as well as correct root angulations of adjacent teeth must be achieved in order to successfully place dental implants [13]. Cone beam CT scanning could be used to accurately assess space availability, root angulations, as well as the quality of alveolar bone at the implant site. This would replace the use of panoramic and peri-apical radiographs currently used for the purpose. Cephalometric Analysis Conventional 2D cephalometric measurements can also be carried out, by rendering a 2D projection of the 3 D data, resembling a radiograph. For bilateral cephalometric landmarks, the computer can calculate the midpoint between them. Certainly, new cephalometric landmarks and analyses based on 3D data shall be developed in the near future. Conclusion 3D computed tomography represents the cutting edge of orthodontic imaging and diagnostic capability. While mainstream orthodontists are still living and practicing in a 2D world, orthodontic residents in many universities are becoming 3D sense. The several distinct advantages of 3D CT imaging, with ever-decreasing radiation doses, mean that this is where the future of orthodontic imaging lies. References Broadbent B.H. A new technique and its application to Orthodontia. Angle Orthod 1931; 1: 45-66. Baumrind S. Integrated Three Dimensional Craniofacial Mapping: Background, Principles, andÂÂ   Perspectives. Semin Orthod 2001:7:223-232. Mah J.K, Danforth R.A, Bumann A, Hatcher D. Radiation absorbed in maxillofacial imaging with a new dental computed tomography device. Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol Endod 2003; 96: 508-13. Hatcher D.C, Aboudara C.L. Diagnosis goes digital. Am J Orthod Dentofacial Orthop 2004; 125: 512-5. Carlsson C. Imaging modalities in x-ray computerized tomography and in selected volume tomography. Phys Med Biol 1999; 44: 23-56. Demetrios. J .Halazonetis. From 2-dimensional cephalograms to 3-dimensional computed tomography scans. Am J Orthod Dentofac Orthop 2005; 127:627-637. Kau C.H, Richmond S, Palomo J.M, M.G.Hans. Three-dimensional cone beam computerized tomography in orthodontics. Journal of Orthodontics 2005;32:282-293. Huang J.H, Bumann A, Mah J. Three-Dimensional radiographic analysis in orthodontics. J Clin Orthod 2005; 36; 7: 421-428. V. Ravinder, Nikhar Anand Verma, Ashima Valiathan. 3-Dimensional Computed Tomography- A new method for localization of Impacted Canines. J Ind Orthod Soc 2002; 35: 73-75. Walker L, Enciso R, Mah J. Three dimensional localization of maxillary canines with cone-beam computed tomography. Am J Orthod and Dentofacial Orthop 2005; 128: 418-423. Bailey LJ, Cevidanes LH, Proffit WR. Stability and predictability of orthognathic surgery. Am J Orthod Dentofac Orthop 2004; 126:273-7. Troulis M.J, Everett P, Seldin E.B, Kikinis R, Kaban L.B. Development of a three-dimensional planning system based on computed tomographic data. Int J Oral Maxillofac Surg 2002; 31:349-357 Ravinder V, James Sunny P, Mariette DSouza, Valiathan Ashima. Osseo-integrated implants for maxillary lateral incisors- Orthodontic considerations. Malaysian Dental Journal 2003; 24(1):79-86.

economic Essay -- essays research papers

Globalisation - Economic Growth and Development and development indicators. â€Å"Outline the differences between economic growth and economic development. Discuss how economic development may be measured. Outline how globalisation may impact upon a nation’s development. Where appropriate make reference to a relevant case study.† Although economic growth and development are similar in meaning, they have some essential differences. Economic growth refers to the increasing ability of a nation to produce more goods and services. Economic development basically implies that individuals of that nation will be better off and takes into account changes in economic and social structures that will reduce or eliminate poverty. Economic development can be measured in a number of different ways including the Human Development Index, a Gender Empowerment Measure, a Human Poverty Index and a Human Freedom Index. All of these measures were developed by the United Nations Development Program. The World Bank also has its own indicator called the World Bank Development Indicator. Globalisation can have both negative affects on a nation. It can impact on the levels of economic growth a country may experience, impact on levels of unemployment or it may impact on a country’s quality of life. Economic growth is the expansion of a country’s productive capacity. This leads to a rise in total national output. Growth can occur in two different ways; the increased use of land, labour, capital and entrepreneurial resources by using better technology or management techniques and increased productivity of existing resource use through rising labour and capital productivity. While theoretically having an increasing national output means greater material welfare and a rise in living standards, it does not equate to having higher levels of well being for individuals in that nation. Economic growth can, in fact, have negative impacts on a nation including environmental degradation and the loss of traditional cultural values. It also may mean there is greater inequality between different classes in society, that is, the gap between the rich and the poor may grow. It is for these reasons that economic development measurements are also used. Economic growth as a measure fails to account for other important social and economic factors such as the size of the black market, domestic work ... ...e strong progress. Although in the very early nineties Poland experienced a sharp decline in GDP, it has since resumed steady growth. In 1999 its GDP growth was 4.1%. The private sector now accounts for over 55% of the total GDP. In early 1990, Poland was experiencing hyper-inflation with levels of up to 1200%. In 1999 the inflation rate was lowered to 7.3%, which although is still high by developed world standards, is slowly dropping. Also in the early nineties, Poland had huge unemployment rates with most sectors at around 30%. This has now been lowered to 13%, which again is high by developed nations’ standards but is a lot less than the rates experienced early in the decade. Essentially, the difference between economic growth and economic development is that one is a quantitative measure (growth) and the other is a qualitative measure (development). Economic development can be measured using a variety of indicators, mostly developed by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), though another widely used indicator was developed by the World Bank. Globalisation can have many affects on nations, depending on their government policies and also on their economic status.

Juniper Berry :: Botany

Juniper Berry Juniper is a short evergreen shrub whose fruit and oil provides a flavoring agent used extensively in the food, perfume, and soap industries. Juniper berry is probably best known as the unique flavoring agent of gin, an important component of the dry martini, a popular intoxicant and a putative calmative revered by western culture for over 300 years. As a medicinal remedy, juniper has a long history of use employed as a treatment for numerous diseases by ancient Greek and Arab healers, as well as Native American Indians.(2) Juniper berries have been used since the 16th century in herbal medicines. They are rich in vitamin C, volatile oils and other nutrients. (11) The junipers are also used in aromatherapy, which is the use of essential oils through inhalation, massage, bathing, or ingestion to create good health and beauty. The science of aromatherapy can be traced back over 5000 years to the Egyptians. The practice of employing the essences of plants for medicinal and therapeutic beauty treatments is thousands of years old. (10) The scientific name of juniper is Juniperus communis. It belongs to the family Cupressaceae. Common names include juniper berry, genepro, and enebro. (7) The genus has about 60 to 70 species of aromatic evergreen trees or shrubs distributed throughout the Northern Hemisphere. (6) About 15 species occur in North America. (7) Juniper foliage may be scale-like, needle-like, or both, and it often has a distinctive odor that can be detected from quite a distance. (1) The juvenile leaves of a juniper are needle-like and the older leaves are scale-like. Mature leaves are awl-shaped, spreading, and arranged in pairs or in whorls of three. Some species have small, scale-like leaves, often bearing oil glands that are pressed closely to the rounded or four-angled branchlets. Male and female reproductive structures usually are borne on separate plants (6), so only female trees have fruit. (1) The reddish brown or bluish cones are fleshy and berrylike and often have a grayish, waxy covering. (6) Their fruits are soft and look like blue berries, and are round cones, but they are softer than most and they have a blue, red, or copper color. They mature in I to 3 seasons and contain I to 12 seeds, usually 3. (6) There are three junipers native to the Pacific Northwest, but chances are good that western juniper is the only one you will see.