Planning for Long Term Wealth Creation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Planning for Long Term Wealth Creation - Essay Example Before borrowing to invest in the stock market, Albert and Nancy should first build an investment plan that clearly documents their retirement goals of savings and income. After identifying the level of income and savings that they require for their retirement goals, the couple can then develop several investment strategies that are potentially adequate in achieving these goals over time, using the principles of risk management to differentiate the advantages and disadvantages of each strategy. In summary, the couple should schedule meetings with a number of financial professionals and discuss the investment options available for achieving their retirement goals to compare advice and strategies in different stocks, bonds, and commodity investments. Once this information has been gathered, they should study each recommendation given by the financial advisors and make a final decision on an investment plan they are comfortable with dedicating their income to over the next 20 years. One serious concern that the couple must consider when contemplating taking a home equity loan for investment in a retirement fund is the rate of interest that they will pay on the initial sum and how that rate compares to expected stock market returns. For example, HSBC and UBank are both offering home equity loans at a 6.79% interest rate in Australia currently. (InfoChoice, 2011) The consumer inflation rate has average between 3.33% and 3.6% in Australia in 2011. (RateInflation, 2011) Therefore, Albert and Nancy would have to average over 10% returns in the stock market every year just to cover the costs of the loan repayment plus inflation. While $125,000 is a strong deposit into an initial self-managed superfund account, the couple will need to understand that upon investment in a single company or diversified portfolio of stock holdings, there is no guarantee that future returns will match or exceed the rate of interest plus inflation. Nevertheless, the home equity investment can be seen as beneficial for the couple if they can easily afford the home payment over time without significant stress in the household budget. Since the couple is paying a higher rate of interest on the car, personal loan, and credit cards than on the home equity loan, at a comparison of 15.5% to 17% vs. 6.79%, the best initial use of the home equity loan would be to clear the personal debt. Then, the income that was previously being dedicated to loan and credit card payments can be set aside for investment each month in equities, bonds, and precious metals. Thus, the couple would do best by first retiring the personal debt at a sum of $32,000, and then keeping the credit card purchases at a minimal level. In this manner, the couple should be able to free up $900 to $1000 each month to invest into their self-managed super-annuity fund. In dedicating $32,000 of the $125,000 home equity loan to clearing the personal debt, the couple established a means to dedicate an extra $900 to $10 00 every month to their retirement fund. However, when compared to their retirement goals of achieving self-sufficient income in old age, even an initial investment of $93,000 in the self-managed super-annuity fund plus the monthly contributions at the rate of $900 to $1000 per month would not be sufficient to meet their goals. Part of the reason for this is inflation, which operates in the manner of compounded interest. Considering the couple has a $100,000

National Health Policy Of India

National Health Policy Of India The National Health Policy of 1983 was announced during the Sixth plan period. The National Health Policy (NHP) in light of the Directive Principles of the constitution of India recommends universal, comprehensive primary health care services which are relevant to the actual needs and priorities of the community at a cost which people can afford (MoHFW, 1983, 3-4). It recommended the establishment of a nationwide network of epidemiological stations that would facilitate the integration of various health interventions. It set up targets for achievement that were primarily demographic in nature. The NHP 1983 stated that: India is committed to attaining the goal of Health for All by the Year AD 2000, through the universal provision of comprehensive primary health care services. This goal was in line with the 1978 Alma-Ata conference of the WHO. Some of the policy initiatives outlined in the NHP-1983 have yielded results, while, in several other areas, the outcome has not been as expected. National Health Policy of India 2002 The results of the 1983 policy have been mixed. The most noteworthy initiative under this policy was a phased, time-bound programme for setting up a well dispersed network of comprehensive primary healthcare services. However the financial resources and public health administrative capacity which it was possible to marshal, was far short of that necessary to achieve such an ambitious and holistic goal. The outcomes have been far less than targets as NHP 1983 was a set of broad-based macro-level recommendations spanning not only the health sector, but also sectors associated with other contributors such as water supply, sanitation, environment, nutrition, etc. to the health status of the population. Thus against the above backdrop the existing health policy was modified in 2002 and the National health policy 2002 was formulated. The National Health Policy 2002 renews its commitment to expeditiously control communicable diseases, eliminate a few and contain the rest in a time-bound manner. Some of the time bound goal this policy expects to achieve are shown in the table below: Goal Target Dates Eradicate polio and yaws 2005 Eliminate leprosy 2005 Eliminate kala-azar 2010 Eliminate lymphatic filariasis 2015 Achieve zero level growth of HIV/AIDS 2007 Reduce mortality by 50% on account of tuberculosis, malaria and other vector and water-borne diseases 2010 Reduce prevalence of blindness to 0.5% 2010 2010 Reduce infant mortality rate to 30/1000 and maternal mortality rate to 100/100000 2010 Increase utilization of public health facilities from current level of 75% 2010 Establish an integrated system of surveillance, national health accounts and health statistics 2005 Increase health expenditure by government as a % of GDP from the existing 0.9% to 2% 2010 Increase share of Central grants to constitute at least 25% of total health spending 2010 Increase state sector health spending (from 5.5% to 7% of budget) 2005 Further increase state sector health spending to 8% of budget 2010 In this essay we analyse the national health policy by addressing the following questions: Have the tasks enlisted in the 2002 NHP been fulfilled as desired? Did the 2002 NHP sufficiently reflect the ground realities in health care provision? And lastly, what are the gaps in national health policy formulation and what is the road ahead for the health policy of the country? Achievements of the NHP 2002: India achieved the lowest ever polio transmission levels in 2010, especially during the high transmission season. Also a sharp decline was seen in number of polio cases reported with only 633 polio cases reported in November 2010 compared to 633 cases in 2009 Adult HIV prevalence at national level has declined from 0.41% in 2000 to 0.31% in 2009. The estimated number of new annual HIV infections has declined by more than 50% over the past decade. According to data from National AIDS Control Organization, there has been an overall reduction in adult HIV prevalence and HIV incidence (new infections) in India. Leprosy Prevalence Rate has been further reduced to 0.71/10,000 2010. 32 State/UTs (except Bihar, Chhattisgarh and Dadra Nagar Haveli) have achieved elimination by March 2010. Similar progress of elimination has also been in 81% of districts and 77% of Block PHC in the country. TB mortality in the country has reduced from over 42/lakh population in 1990 to 23/lakh population in 2009 as per the WHO global report 2010. As per the WHO global TB report, 2010 the prevalence of TB in the country has reduced from 338/lakh population in 1990 to 249/lakh population by the year 2009. Problems not addressed by NHP 2002 NHP 2002 completely omits the concept of comprehensive and universal healthcare. The policy thus departs from the fundamental concept of the NHP 1983 and the Alma Ata Declaration. By its silence, the NHP 2002 provides a framework for the dismantling of the entire concept of primary healthcare. Importantly, the section on policy prescriptions in the NHP 2002 is silent on the content of the primary healthcare system. Despite the increase financial resources dedicated to health care the country continues to struggle in creating sufficient healthcare infrastructure. The government estimated there was a shortage of 4,803 primary health centres and 2,653 community health centres in 2006. According to a study conducted by the Confederation of Indian Industry, the formal healthcare system reaches only about 50% of the total population. India is also desperately short of doctors, with only 645,825, or 0.6 per 1,000 people, in 2004, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO). Even though the NHP 2002 plans to raise public health investment to 2% of GDP, the target is far less than the WHO recommended target of 5%. The policy does admit grave deficiencies in the health sector and notes how only 20 per cent of the population seeks OPD services and is forced to turn to private clinics. It also admits the collapse of the primary healthcare system and acknowledges the poor coverage of womens health and prevention of infant mortality. Ironically, its prescriptions fail to address the problems or offer solutions. The policy calls for providing incentives to the private sector to move to the primary healthcare system. However, the experience in urban centres has been discouraging. The incentives in terms of subsidised land, water, electricity and duty-free import facility doled out to high-profile private medical centres and hospitals in the urban areas has seen little benefit for the poor. Very few of these hospitals conform to the mandatory provision of free medical care to the population below the poverty line or the reservation of a certain percentage of their beds for the poor. Recommendations and conclusion: Although the Indian economy had high growth rates in recent years (9Â ·4% in 2005-06 and 9Â ·6% in 2006-07, with a consistent 7Â ·0% growth rate even during the period of global economic slowdown), according to the Human Development Index India is ranked 134 among 182 countries. Indias economic transformation does not seem to have produced tangible improvements in the health of the nation, and the recognition that improvement in health contributes to accelerated economic growth has not led to adequate investment in or improved the efficiency of health care. The NHP 2002 fails to check the growing influence of the private sector in the health care system. The private sector grew in an uncoordinated manner, to become the default option for healthcare in many cases. In an unregulated environment, neither the private sector nor the public sector provided an assurance of quality or access. The increasing dependence on the private sector, in addition to very weak regulation and corruption, has led to a huge increase in health-care costs in the country. Considering the above scenario the new healthcare policy or any other healthcare plan of the government should focus mainly on achieving the following objectives in the period of next 10 years: Ensure the reach and quality of health services to all in India; Reduce the financial burden of health care on individuals; Empower people to take care of their health and hold the health-care system accountable. Thus the new policy should again focus on the goal of universal health care which was mentioned in the NHP 1983, but was sidelined in the NHP 2002. Strategic plan to achieve healthcare goals: In this section we briefly discuss the goals that are desired to be achieved by the new healthcare policy framework and proposed strategies to achieve these goals. Goal: Integrate private and public health-care delivery systems Strategies: All health-care institutions and practitioners should be required to register with a national health regulatory agency and make this information available on the internet. Define a rational mix of public and private health-care services to enhance complementarities, and invest in further development of public health-care services including health promotion and prevention services. Goal: Create a universal health-care fund and reduce the cost of health care Strategies: Increase the proportion of gross domestic product as public health expenditure Merge all existing health insurance funds (eg, Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojna, Arogyasri) with this fund Apply heavy taxes on harmful products such as tobacco products, alcohol, and foods of low nutritional value, and allocate most revenue to health care Define the costs of all essential and emergency health-care interventions, and finance a package of care that is based on diseases that should be prioritised and cost-effective interventions Negotiate prices with providers, including caps, for different services on the basis of the cost of the care packages Invest in health promotion and early recognition of disease Goal: Increase the numbers, diversity, and distribution of human health resources Strategies: Establish an autonomous organisation to govern the supply of a full range of health workers, from accredited social health activists to doctors to health administrators Strengthen the role of community health workers with clearly defi ned skills, adequate remuneration, and career paths Encourage postings in rural or other underserved areas through increased salaries and other incentives such as provision of education to children Establish the Indian Health Service for careers in government health care All senior personnel in the Ministry of Health should be required to have public health training Promote the creation of medical and nursing colleges in underserved districts Goal: Promote evidence-based health-care practices Strategies: Establish an autonomous organisation to set guidelines for care practices in the Integrated National Health System Monitor and regulate the use of practices that are not based on evidence Strengthen capacities of health and non-health policy makers to recognise the importance of this approach Increase resources for priority health research Implement and act on the findings of district and national health surveillance and information systems, and encourage assessments Goal: Promote rational use of drugs and technology Strategies: Promote use of generic drugs through a wide network of pharmacies for generic drugs, with at least one in each block Ban incentives by pharmaceutical and medical technology companies to practitioners or consumer groups Negotiate bulk purchasing for patented drugs Make the best use of information technology that is being developed for the health system Goal: Create a decentralised governance structure that responds to local needs and is accountable Strategies: Create systems for accountability of local health-care services to fully empowered civil society groups Provide flexibility and expertise in districts and subdistricts to plan local health-care management plans Monitor and promote equity, efficiency, effectiveness, and accountability in the health-care system

Skin Cancer :: essays research papers

Skin Cancer What is it and how to prevent it Skin cancer is the most prevalent of all cancers. There are three types of skin cancer: basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and malignant melanoma. In this presentation I plan to discuss a little about each of these cases as well as tell ways to prevent and treat them. The first most common skin cancer is basal cell carcinoma. This cancer develops in the basal or bottom layer of the epidermis, which is the top layer of the skin. The cause of this cancer is a gene called patched or PTC, which helps to control cell growth and development. If this gene is missing, defective, or damaged by ultra violet radiation, unrestrained cell proliferation may result. Basal cell carcinoma usually appears as a small, fleshy bump, which most often appears on the head, neck, or hands. This type of cancer seldom occurs in African Americans, but they are the most common skin cancers found in fair- skinned persons. These tumors don’t spread quickly. It could take months or years for one to grow to a diameter of one- half inch. If untreated the cancer could begin to bleed, crust over, heal and then the cycle repeats. The second most common skin cancer is squamous cell carcinoma. This cancer develops in the upper layers of the epidermis. Although this cancer is more aggressive than basal cell cancer, it is still relatively slow growing and is more likely to spread to other locations, including internal organs. Squamous cell cancer is usually found on the rim of the ear, the face, the lips and mouth. However, the disease is usually painless, but may become painful with the development of ulcers that do not heal. This cancer often originates from sun- damaged skin and usually begins at age 50. When found and treated early as well as properly, the cure rate by dermatological surgery is 95%. The third and most deadly skin cancer is malignant melanoma. This cancer develops in the pigment cells, which are found throughout the basal layer. Although melanoma is almost always curable when detected early, it is responsible for three quarters of all skin cancer deaths. About 48,000 new cases are diagnosed annually in the United States. About 7,700 people die from this disease each year. Melanoma may suddenly appear without warning but it may also begin in or near a mole or other dark spots in the skin.

Movie Review-Sydney White Essay

â€Å"Sydney White† is a story about a tomboy named Sydney White, who was raised up by her foreman father and a group of construction workers since her mother died nine years ago. In this movie, Sydney White is set to be a freshman in a college. She is a happy go lucky girl. When it was the age for Sydney heading to the college, she decided to enroll and joined her late mom’s alma mater sorority which her mom proud and cherished much. She believed that by doing so, she will get closer to her mom and have the chance to experience the life which her mom went through before. As a legacy, Sydney was successfully chosen to be one of the Kappas in the college. On the first day, Sydney met Dinky, a nice, cute kappa legacy as her roommate. While both of them were on the searching to Kappa sorority house, Sydney’s naive, sincere and her candour had stole Tyler Prince’s attention, which is the president of Beta sorority house. He is a good-looking and smart man. He was then kind enough to offer himself to be the guide for both of them to the Kappa sorority house. Sydney had a great chat with him and this was seen by Rachel Witchburn, the princess president of the Kappa sorority house. Rachel is a pretty and confident girl, and is very conscious on her appearance and fame in the college. Sydney who had been in the limelight since the very first day had boosted her jealousy and as a result, Sydney had some confrontation with her. This is followed by kicking out Sydney from Kappa sorority house by giving the excuses that Sydney did not fulfill the condition to be a kappa. Sydney ended up living in the Vortex, a soon-to-be demolished house and also the home to seven great geeks or dorks in the college. However, Sydney had never give up for what she had received. In fact, she found some kindred spirit with the seven dorks. Her altruism made her felt that they, the resident of the Vortex have the same right as the Kappas and Betas in the college, she then rallied the seven dorks, asked them to stand up and voice out their rights by joining the student council. With the determination and cooperation from the seven geeks, plus some helps and supports from Tyler and schoolmates, in the end, Sydney was successfully been elected to be the new president of student council in the college. The movie â€Å"Sydney White† is an idea taken from the story â€Å"Snow White and the seven dwarfs†. Sydney White is the new and modern version of Snow White. I personally like the plot of the story. It is great and well arranged. Despite the good messages, determination, tolerance and the success of the hard work, the story also put in some problems that might be faced by the people especially students nowadays. For example, discrimination to the geeks, bullying, lack of confident in handling problems and confrontation. The story taught the people how to face and handle the problems and obstacles in our life. As we know that, life is not always smooth and easy, people need to learn how to handle it. Sydney White’s determination in facing the problems and confrontation between her and Rachel had been a good example and indication that we must not easily give up something in our life. Overall, it was a nice movie and I enjoyed watching it very much.

50 Ways to Combat Climate Change

Climate change is something that has been on the radar of people worldwide since the 1980's, when the hole in the ozone layer of Antarctica was discovered. Are we doing enough to reduce climate change, and reverse the effects of global warming? While it might be nearly impossible to reverse climate change, we can try to slow down the effects of climate change. On this page, you can find earth friendly tips on reducing your carbon footprint, from greening your vacations to recycling, reducing your energy use at home to helping promote sustainable forestry. . Eat less meat, and eat more vegetables. Cattle are one of the largest producers of methane, a gas that helps contribute to global warming. Cut back on the meat, and you'll be contributing to less methane. 2. Use a more energy efficient vehicle to reduce emissions and oil use. The Toyota Prius always tops the list of most efficient cars, but don't forget the Accord, Sanata, and Jetta. 3. Plant a tree on your own, or in Brazil. You can make donations to help plant trees far away, or plant one locally to help produce more oxygen and filter our air. 4.Take public transportation. Even if you only take public transportation once a week or once a month, you're lessening potential emissions that contribute to climate change. 5. Turn the temperature down on your thermostat to save energy. Any energy you save lessens the amount of fossil fuels used at energy plants. 6. In the warmer months, use window and fan ventilation over air conditioning when possible instead of air conditioning (in your car, too). 7. Purchase recycled products, like recycled paper and recycled plastic toys. 8. Reuse things in your life.Even recycling takes some amount of energy to transform a material into something else. By reusing, there's no transformation or emissions involved, just a little brain power. 9. Buy locally, from farmers markets, locally grown shops, and even in the grocery store to lessen transport energy. Aim to buy your produc e where it's grown closest to you (it often tastes much better this way, too). 10. Start an herb garden or veggie garden. Nothing tastes fresher, it will save you money, and you won't have to drive in the car to get your herbs and veggies.Very little energy consumed! 11. Unplug energy suckers when they aren't in use. Your appliances, toasters, computers, televisions and cellphone charges all use energy just by being plugged in. So, save energy by unplugging! 12. Use CFL bulbs to reduce electricty usage. They save you money, save the environment, and even glow brighter. 13. Bring your own reusable bags to reduce climate change. Bring them to the grocery store and anywhere else you go shopping. If you have a single item and don't need a bag, don't take one. 14.Drink tap water over bottled water. Bottled water costs more, takes more energy to create, and to transport. In most circumstances, tap water is cleaner than bottled water. 15. Think about using reusable diapers to prevent diape rs from decomposing in a landfill. Disposable diapers take up approximately 4% of landfill space, and take hundreds of years to decompose. 16. Use a zero voc paint when painting a room in your home. The VOCs found in traditional paints can be hazardous for you and the ozone. 17. Switch to paperless billing.It's a benefit for the companies, but a great benefit for the environment, too. It's also nice to not be inundated with bills in the mail. 18. Bring your own reusable take out container. These small styrofoam containers really add up! 19. Bring your own reusable container and reusable bag for lunch. 20. Use less resources and energy when you travel by having a green vacation. 21. When you buy anything, buy for the long term instead of the short term. Buy a product that is going to last for a long time, instead of buying the disposable or short term version.A good example is clothing. Higher quality brands will last much longer and hold up better, while cheaper brands often only ge t a few short wears. 22. Support clean energy to reduce climate change, as well as other renewable resources like wind energy and geothermal. 23. Get healthier. By eating less food and exercising more, you'll be consuming less packaging, throwing away less, creating less waste, spending less, going to the doctor's less, and living longer. 24. Take a slightly less warm shower. Heating water is one of the most energy consuming parts of our lives.Warm showers feel great, but reducing the amount of time in the shower and the temperature by just a small amount can make a big difference. Taking cooler showers can also give you better skin. 25. Buy products with less packaging. The less packaing, the less you'll throw away into our landfills. 26. Turn off your cellphone and other electronics at night to cut back on electricity. 27. Try a low energy cold water wash, combined with hanging clothes on the clothesline. 28. Use energy efficient washers and dryers. The savings on your utilities l one will be substantial, but the benefit to the earth will be greater. 29. Reduce junk mail that comes to your home by following these simple steps. 30. Reduce the amount of aersols, candles, and perfumes used by switching to natural perfumes and natural room fresheners. 31. Learn how to recycle things in your life. Start with the obvious choices like cans and bottles, then get more serious (curbside pickup makes it very easy). 32. Save gas and money by carpoolling. The savings will add up, you'll have someone to talk to, and you'll be helping the slow down climate change. 3. Consolidate errands and plan your route to save gas. 34. Order online orders in bulk. When things are shipped together, less packaging and energy is used (and it's cheaper, usually). 35. Buy used and buy repurposed. This prevents new products from being made (and fossil fuels from being burned), helping the environment. 36. Use a reusable product to clean your home instead of disposable paper towels, like reusa ble paper towels, sponges and cloths. 37. Sell your stuff on Ebay, try to throw away less. 38. Donate your stuff instead of throwing it away. 39.Compost to reduce climate change by reducing trash in landfill spaces. 40. Camp out on vacation instead of staying in a hotel and enjoy the outdoors (without the TV and A/C). 41. Go digital and online with more things in your life, like photos, using ecards instead of ecards, and ebooks. There's the Kindle for wireless reading, free ecards, and many free photo hosting websites to store your photos online. 42. Schedule online meetings to save on flights and travel expenses, as well as transport energy. 43. Bring your own reusable to-go coffee cup to the cafe instead of taking a disposable one. 4. Help protect our forests so that the forests can help combat climate change. 45. Recycle packaging instead of throwing it away. Donate it to a local UPS store or post it on Craigslist. 46. Encourage and become involved in reforestation to slow clima te change. 47. Buy sustainable wood, repurposed wood, or a used wood product for furniture purchases. 48. Consider Ecycling your computers and electronics instead of throwing them away. 49. Swap clothing, toys and books with neighboring parents and friends instead of buying new ones. 50. Most importantly, educate others about climate change.

Homeland Security

Homeland Security From the time America won it's freedom back a little more than two and a half centuries ago, America has run into many problems. Some being natural disasters and some being terrorist attacks. But who is in charge of keeping the peace? Who has the responsibility and intergrity to hold America's head high during these troublesome times,and be able to take initiative to find a way to prevent it from happening in the future for generations to come? I'll tell you who, the D.H.S., also known as the Department of Homeland Security.The D.H.S. was created following the World TradeCenter/Pentagon disasters in November 2002 (National Geographic Atlas of the World, 8th edition, 2004).President George W. Bush, during the act of 2002,)established the D.H.S. through the Office of Homeland Security. Unbelievably, the D.H.S. was formed by twenty-two seperate agencies; Depts. of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Energy, Health and Human Services, Justice, Transportation, Treasury, to list a few, they we re reorganized and formed (Homeland Security, United States Department of, The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition 2005).English: Full Ready.gov logo with tagline and trad...Indeed, as a military force, the country is something to be reckoned with.The concentration by then should have shifted to protecting the homeland from the threats posed by those countries and political leaders whom the United States openly opposed. By 1997, the term Homeland Defense was thrown around a lot by the Department of Defense and coined in order to describe their idea of an organization or agency whose sole responsibility would be to defend the homeland during times of necessity or foreign attack. (History, March, 2007)But the country let its guard down and became lax, homeland security wise. The National Defense Panel had warned the country's leaders as early as 1997 that the U.S. mainland and its territories were becoming a target for terrorist threats and suggested a redirection of the security att ention towards...

How to use LinkedIn to get a job

How to use LinkedIn to get a job LinkedIn has positioned itself as end end-all social media portal for your career. It has professional development resources, helpful articles, and- most importantly- the connections and job postings to put you in your next job. But if you’re looking to use it for a very specific purpose, finding your next job, then it can be a little overwhelming. Let’s walk through some of the strategies you need to cut through the noise and use LinkedIn to score your next gig.Understand what LinkedIn does (and doesn’t do)Not all social media is the same, which means it shouldn’t occupy the same space in your job search. Twitter and Facebook are great for content sharing (also funny pet videos), but not necessarily great for the level of nitty-gritty info you want and need to bump up your job hunt. Studies have found that about 75% of LinkedIn users are there primarily for research- about companies, about people, about job openings. If you want to know what a companyâ₠¬â„¢s overall brand looks like, Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook is fine. If you want to get real information about the company that you can use to find your next job, think of LinkedIn as your research assistant. You can use it to get targeted information to take with you into informational meetings you set up with new (or existing) connections, or come up with detailed, insightful questions to ask in an interview.Keep your content currentThis may seem like a no-brainer, but you’d be amazed how many people update their LinkedIn profiles once in a while and let them just languish. It happens to all of us. Make sure your LinkedIn profile is completely up-to-date, and that you’re refining it often. Think of this as your living resume.Check your settingsLinkedIn’s â€Å"Open Candidate† settings (found in our account preferences) let you signal to recruiters and companies that you’re open to new opportunities- even if you’re looking on the DL. If you have this setting enabled, you can specify what types of recruitment you’re open to receiving without having to put â€Å"hey, I’m looking for a new job!† on your public profile.Make your profile stand outYour headline is going to be the first thing people see when they click through to your profile. Make sure it’s a strong one that simply, concisely explains your brand: â€Å"Customer support specialist, fixing the world one solved problem at a time† is a good example. It shows off your job title, some key words, and a bit of flair to grab the reader’s interest. Having a flattering, clear profile picture is helpful as well. But remember- always use a work-appropriate headshot.Avoid looking like a seekerSounds counterintuitive, right? You are using the site to seek a new job. But if you use words like â€Å"job seeker† or â€Å"looking for† in your profile, it can come off as a little needy or desperate. Instead of broadca sting what you want, broadcast who you are and your professional brand.Target specific companiesJust about every company these days has a presence on LinkedIn. Start following the company- its content, news about them, any information you can find on the site. That way, when opportunities do open up you’ll likely already be in the loop, and able to jump on it right away.Leverage your connectionsOne of LinkedIn’s strongest points is how it brings the word-of-mouth network into the digital realm. It also lets you see who your connections are connected to, several degrees down the line. Use this data to help visualize how your network connects to someone at the company where you want to work, or someone who can get you an introduction.Don’t be afraid to reach outYour LinkedIn experience can be very passive (people come to me) or very active (I reach out to people who can help me achieve my next career goal). Take advantage of the best thing about LinkedIn- the real -time connections to people all over the world. You have nothing to lose by dropping a note in the inbox of someone you’d like to â€Å"meet† to discuss your industry, their company, etc.LinkedIn can be a great asset to your job hunt when you give it your care and attention. When you put the time in to refine your profile and start engaging with others on the site, it can yield career-changing results.

Timeline of the Directory in the French Revolution

Timeline of the Directory in the French Revolution 1795 January February February 3: The Batavian Republic proclaimed in Amsterdam. February 17: Peace of La Jaunaye: Vendà ©an rebels offered an amnesty, freedom of worship and no conscription. February 21: Freedom of worship returns, but church and state are officially separated. April April 1-2: Germinal uprising demanding the 1793 constitution. April 5: Treaty of Basle between France and Prussia. April 17: The Law of Revolutionary Government is suspended. April 20: Peace of La Prevalaye between Vendà ©an rebels and the central government with the same terms as La Jaunaye. April 26: Representatives en mission abolished. May May 4: Prisoners massacred in Lyons. May 16: Treaty of the Hague between France and the Batavian Republic (Holland). May 20-23: Uprising of Prairial demanding the 1793 constitution. May 31: The Revolutionary Tribunal closed. June June 8: Louis XVII dies. June 24: Declaration of Verona by self declared Louis XVIII; his statement that France must return to the pre-revolutionary system of privilege ends any hope of a return to monarchy. June 27: Quiberon Bay Expedition: British ships land a force of militant à ©migrà ©s, but they fail to break out. 748 are caught and executed. July July 22: Treaty of Basle between France and Spain. August August 22: Constitution of the Year III and the Two Thirds Law passed. September September 23: Year IV begins. October October 1: Belgium annexed by France. October 5: Uprising of Vendà ©miaire. October 7: Law of Suspects cancelled. October 25: Law of 3 Brumaire: à ©migrà ©s and the seditious barred from public office. October 26: Final session of the Convention. October 26-28: The Electoral Assembly of France meets; they elect the Directory. November November 3: The Directory begins. November 16: The Pantheon Club opens. December December 10: A forced loan is called. 1796 1797 1798 November 25: Rome is captured by Neopolitans. 1799 January March March 12: Austria declares war on France. April April 10: The Pope is brought to France as a captive. Elections of the Year VII. May May 9: Reubell leaves the Directory and is replaced by Sieyà ©s. June June 16: Aggravated by France losses and disputes with the Directory, the ruling Councils of France agree to sit permanently. June 17: The Councils overturn the election of Treilhard as Director and replace him with Ghier. June 18: Coup dà ©tat of 30 Prairial, Journee of the Councils: the Councils purge the Directory of Merlin de Douai and La Rà ©vellià ¨re-Là ©peaux. July July 6: Foundation of the neo-Jacobin Manà ¨ge club. July 15: Law of Hostages allows hostages to be taken among à ©migrà ©s families. August August 5: A loyalist uprising occurs near Toulouse. August 6: Forced loan decreed. August 13: Manà ¨ge club shut down. August 15: French General Joubert is killed at Novi, a French defeat. August 22: Bonaparte leaves Egypt to return to France. August 27: An Anglo-Russian expeditionary force lands in Holland. August 29: Pope Pius VI dies in French captivity at Valence. September September 13: The Country in Danger motion is rejected by the Council of 500. September 23: Start of Year VIII. October October 9: Bonaparte lands in France. October 14: Bonaparte arrives in Paris. October 18: The Anglo-Russian expeditionary force flees from Holland. October 23: Lucien Bonaparte, brother of Napoleon, is elected president of the Council of 500. November November 9-10: Napoleon Bonaparte, aided by his brother and Sieyà ¨s, overthrows the Directory. November 13: Repeal of the Law of Hostages. December December 25: Constitution of the Year VIII proclaimed, creating the Consulate. Back to Index Page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Analyse how organisational culture creates complexity of management Essay

Analyse how organisational culture creates complexity of management - Essay Example If management teams follow guidelines of ethical behaviour, social learning theory indicates that subordinates and co-managers in the organisation will role model these behaviours so long as there is reiteration of mission and vision and establishing an environment where ethics and moral business practices are iterated repeatedly by senior executive leadership. Therefore, establishment of an effective and moral organisational culture requires significant investment on behalf of management to appeal to sociological and psychological needs and values of employees. Fairholm (2009) identifies that in order to build a positive culture, a manager must be visionary, charismatic, and inspirational to gain followership and dedication to organisational vision or mission. The psycho-social dimensions of human behaviour are what make investigation into the Barclay’s Libor Scandal so relevant when attempting to understand how culture creates complexity of management. Barclay’s was a participant in fraudulently inflating their Libor rates in order to create the perception of better creditworthiness and to make Barclay’s appear more financially stable than the bank actually was (New 2012). These actions were designed to entice shareholder investment and ensure more profitable sales of various derivatives that were, in actuality, over-valued. If senior leadership at the organisation had developed a culture of ethics dedicated to sustaining moral business practices, manipulation of the Libor interest rate would not have occurred. The purpose of this research into the Libor Scandal is to determine how culture played a role in creating a negative reputation for Barclay’s in a variety of profitable investment markets. The research examines Barclay’s senior management team involvement in the scandal and their failures in creating an organisational culture that would have prevented public outcry and legislative investigations into Barclay’s ethical business practices. The scope of the research is an investigation into what potentially drives a need for development of an organisational culture through analysis of secondary research literature describing cultural importance and the factors that could have potentially driven Barclay’s management to dismiss ethical business practices in favour of profit gain. Research identifies that culture creates management complexity with the demands placed on managers to exceed their role of structured manager to that of a human resources-focused leader that understands transformational leadership imperatives and role modelling behaviours to gain followership and dedication to meet corporate goals. Complexity at Barclay’s Starnes, Truhon and McCarthy (2010) identifies that authentic relationships can only be developed over time, starting with a series of reciprocal acts between organisational actors that, over time, leads to trust and respect. Barclay’s maintains a subordinate population and middle management population that has a high turnover rate in which long-term, effective relationships are difficult to develop as employees and managers defect to other financial institutions for better career development. A highly centralised organisation, Barclay’s leaders utilise an autocratic management style in which policy-makers are bureaucratic and executives dictate both policy and punishments for non-compliance to

Human Resources Manager at Shangrila-Hotels International Assignment

Human Resources Manager at Shangrila-Hotels International - Assignment Example Likewise, I find fulfillment in meeting the needs of people who need good service. I believe I am the best candidate for this position. My resume is attached for your perusal. The Front Desk Officer is a crucial job, especially when handling customer service concerns. The FDO,( also commonly known as the Receptionist ) is responsible for representing the company to the public the minute they walk in an establishment especially if it’s within a hospitality industry. The important issue here is that the Receptionist creates a lasting impression on the visitors. There are many openings for a Front Desk Officer internationally. Aside from such  Ã‚   Duties, other duties may also be assigned to the Receptionist as long as it pertains to the receiving of guests. Furthermore, this job entails not only skills in accommodating guests and making reservations but also certain personal qualities that would be endearing to the guests.  

Human Resources Manager at Shangrila-Hotels International Assignment

Human Resources Manager at Shangrila-Hotels International - Assignment Example Likewise, I find fulfillment in meeting the needs of people who need good service. I believe I am the best candidate for this position. My resume is attached for your perusal. The Front Desk Officer is a crucial job, especially when handling customer service concerns. The FDO,( also commonly known as the Receptionist ) is responsible for representing the company to the public the minute they walk in an establishment especially if it’s within a hospitality industry. The important issue here is that the Receptionist creates a lasting impression on the visitors. There are many openings for a Front Desk Officer internationally. Aside from such  Ã‚   Duties, other duties may also be assigned to the Receptionist as long as it pertains to the receiving of guests. Furthermore, this job entails not only skills in accommodating guests and making reservations but also certain personal qualities that would be endearing to the guests.  

History - The Mongol Empire Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

History - The Mongol Empire - Essay Example Some of the key features brought to the human thinking by this impressive empire include the intercontinental long distance trade, united people that formed different distinguished nations, change the way leadership, specifically military leadership, was thought to be, and fanatically developed new norms for the historians. The historians remember the Mongol Empire as the largest contiguous kingdom mankind has ever witnessed. The best spectator of this empire was the area of Eurasia, distinctly at the 13th and the 14th century. But the overall ruler ship of Mongols throughout the world is like the golden pages of history books. 2 Brief History The Mongolian empire was a federation of different tribes of Central Asia. The evolution of this empire was a slow and steady process that began when the Turkish and Mongolian tribes sat together for mutual interests. The first renowned of them was Temujin (1165-1227). He was a charming and fascinating leader and was the heir to Toghril Khan, s upreme leader of the Kereits. The â€Å"Kereits† tribe was the most prominent and populous tribe among the Mongols. The idea of leadership that Temujin possessed was genetically adopted from his father. Soon after he came into limelight, sections of people emerged that were jealous from Temujin. This jealousy ended into a clash in 1203 from which Temujin was left victorious and he gained control of the entire area of Mongolia. 3 Temujin modified the concept of the people residing in this tribal land, unifying each one into a single umbrella of â€Å"Khamag Mongol Ulus†, the ultimate and the all powerful Mongol State. He dissolved the tribes and formulated them as they could be used in the military wings. He introduced the use of decimal systems for assembling his militia. Discipline was mandatory for the armed forces and a strong code of conduct was introduced by him. By 1204 he had defeated all who stood against him. By 1206, through his outstanding military and leade rship skills, he was assigned the title of Chingis Khan (Genghis Khan), which means a robust and firm person and a remarkable leader. 4 The rise of the Empire At the beginning of the 12th century AD, the huge grasslands of Mongolia were resided by Turkish and Mongol-Tung sic tribes, Mongolian tribe being the most populous and the creative one. In 1130 the Mongols entered the regions that are now part of the People’s Republic of China, defeating the powerful Jin Empire and indulged their area of control. 5 The history of the Empire started from 1218, when an interesting event shaped the empire and more particularly the life of Genghis Khan, from a nomadic person to the conqueror of the world. A trade convoy starting their travel from the Mongol lands, heading towards the Persian area that now lay in modern Uzbekistan, was stopped unexpectedly by the Persian State Ruler. The ruler suspected that the caravan was one of the Mongolian spies, so he mutilated the men, raped women an d seized all the goods that the group was carrying with them. The doubt was not something out of the world; in fact the Mongols were very intelligent people at gathering information from around the world that benefited them. At the Mongolian side, this was a strict violation of the peace treaty that assured that the trade caravans will be safe from any

Managing Organisation Change Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Managing Organisation Change - Essay Example In an organization equipped for complete learning, communication and structures within the company should be flexible and open - and in a way, Sanyo with Nonaka, could be said to be equipped in these aspects. The process for innovation through the changes that had been introduced, at least was steered towards a cyclical process where learning is continuous as opposed to being linear and discontinuous. 2. How did Nonaka try to revolutionize learning and change and how did this relate to incomplete learning Identify the levels of learning if any. Which typology/s of learning best describes the events in Sanyo While Nonaka introduced process and systems-related innovation to Sanyo, the changes that she tried to accomplish was only done on a horizontal plane, and did not account the vertical integration of the new vision for the company. The levels of learning were limited to environmental and behavioral directions or cues for the company. However, the leaning was in a way incomplete because the changes did not seep down to the very purpose of the company, that is specifically charting the unique role of Sanyo which has to do with the identity or mission of the company. A company needs to be rooted to its values and belief systems that it has developed over time - for example Sanyo is proud of its heritage as a maker of refrigerators and batteries as well being known in its markets for this. The learning was incomplete also by which Nonaka's team failed sufficiently to take into account the capabilities of the company or the question of how its core competencies will be aligned with the e nvironmental cues for change. Thus, some stakeholders did not fall into line in supporting Nonaka's vision for Sanyo. The typology of learning that fits within the case of Sanyo may that of the model of organizational change, by which changes are done in the structural level, but not with the culture and the strategy of the company. Learning through organizational change is quite focused through changing from without, and not from within which takes intro consideration the cultural aspects and belief system of an organization. This kind of learning by organizational change, as opposed to deeper levels of learning that comes with organizational development or transformation. 3.What has this case got to do with exploration and exploitation Explain. The case of Sanyo with Nonaka at the helm when she tried to make changes can be called to have made too much of a call for exploration and failing at decisive exploitation. Nonaka was on the right frame of mind when she took into consideration at the way the world has increasingly looked at environmentally conscious products and businesses as the wave of the future, not only because of the projected demise of oil-based fuel systems but because a value-based respect for the environment has been gaining ground with consumers. By aligning Sanyo with the new paradigm, potentially Sanyo was at the leading edge in terms of technology and with its new products. However, exploration needs to be balanced with exploitation or that which has to do with what the company's ability to improve and refine

1 Corinthians 11 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

1 Corinthians 11 - Essay Example Paul’s implications encompassed convincing Christians to shun taking the Lord’s Supper for granted. This is via likening it with the other meals people normally have in their respective houses. Hence, make Corinthians heed his plea of imitating him and exercise what he taught them based on Christ’s principles (Wiersbe 123). Since, it is through contacting themselves in Christ-like manner that they will be heeding to what the Lord’s Supper rules entail. Relationship evident between verses 17-34 and the overall theme encompasses people’s conduct in the church. This is from their respective groupings while in church before communing to take the Lord’s Supper. Since, most of the Corinthians mistook the lord’ supper to be an event to show case their affluence characterized by greediness and unnecessary human regulations (Wiersbe 128). Therefore, the core aspect in this chapter encompasses conduct in church as well as how to relate with other Christians (Wiersbe

On what basis should the presence of mental disorder influence Essay

On what basis should the presence of mental disorder influence decisions in the criminal justice system - Essay Example It should be noted that the latter law was abolished during the nineteen sixties; however some individuals may still be liable to such conditions. (UK government, 2008) In the guilty bust insane verdict provided for in the 1883 Lunatics Act, the law states that when a certain individual was accused of a crime and that sufficient evidence is given in order to support those accusations as to make that respective individual guilty, then that person may be found guilty but insane of it was also proven that that respective individual was insane. The special verdict can be passed even when the person under consideration seems to be in good mental health at the time of the trial but it was affirmed that during the process of committing the criminal Act, this was not the case. (The BBC, 1999) Back in the year 1907, The House of Lords held that there should be no appeal against such cases that an accused had in fact committed the act owing to the fact that the suspect does not posses a guilty mind to carry out that Act. The latter decision was validated during Felstead [1914] AC 534. It should be noted that this law was applicable throughout much of this century until the nineteen sixties. At that time, Northern Ireland passed a law of not guilty on the basis of insanity. This was known as the Mental Health Act. Additionally at that time, the Insanity Act of 1964 was passed in England and Wales where a guilty but inane verdict was changed to one known as the guilty by reason of insanity. In the Criminal Appeal Act of England and Wales (1968) it was put forward that there sections 12 and 14 allowed for appeals. On the other hand, there were of appeals against the guilty but insane verdict within Northern Ireland. (Giddens, 1998) In the Criminal Cases Review Commission, there was a need to look into some of the issues to be

1 Corinthians 11 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

1 Corinthians 11 - Essay Example Paul’s implications encompassed convincing Christians to shun taking the Lord’s Supper for granted. This is via likening it with the other meals people normally have in their respective houses. Hence, make Corinthians heed his plea of imitating him and exercise what he taught them based on Christ’s principles (Wiersbe 123). Since, it is through contacting themselves in Christ-like manner that they will be heeding to what the Lord’s Supper rules entail. Relationship evident between verses 17-34 and the overall theme encompasses people’s conduct in the church. This is from their respective groupings while in church before communing to take the Lord’s Supper. Since, most of the Corinthians mistook the lord’ supper to be an event to show case their affluence characterized by greediness and unnecessary human regulations (Wiersbe 128). Therefore, the core aspect in this chapter encompasses conduct in church as well as how to relate with other Christians (Wiersbe

Family of woodstock Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Family of woodstock - Essay Example It is intriguing that the Family does not discriminate between serious and small problems, but seeks to help people in a positive manner. Any individual seeking help from the Family receives guidelines or services that fix the specific problem presented. Interestingly, the staff and volunteers at the Family of Woodstock are committed to operating during both the day and the night, ensuring that no individual in the society is stranded without any source of help (â€Å"Family of Woodstock celebrates its 40th anniversary†, 2010). Several factors motivated the founders of the Family of Woodstock. In 1970, when the Family was established, the initial services provided were hotlines, which allowed people with problems to call for help. Evidently, the founders recognized that people in the society had certain needs yet no service providers were available to meet those needs. For example, children who had run away from home ended up in the streets without shelter and food. Founders of the Family realized that these children needed help in the form of counselling and the basic needs. Moreover, it was also critical for these children to be reunited with their families. The hotlines operating in 1970 sought to address this need. However, the founders also recognized other needs in the society such as the need for legal assistance, the need for a soft landing machine that would help people get over long journeys. Many of the problems identified surrounded children, teens, parents, and the public. The founders of the Family identified a risk factor for each of these groups of people. Over the years, the Family has focused on identifying the needs of the people as well as the risk factors they face and developing strategies for addressing them (â€Å"Ulster Savings Charitable Foundation gives $5,000 grant to Family of Woodstock†, 2012). Notably, the Family of Woodstock has exhibited a high level of specialization in a bid

The Pearl by John Steinbeck Essay Example for Free

The Pearl by John Steinbeck Essay This Essay will discuss the use of symbols in the novel The Pearl by John Steinbeck. In this novel there are many themes explored. These include the destructiveness of greed, how love can give someone great courage and strength, knowledge is power, but a power which can be abused, and how a dream is good until it starts to destroy the things of value in a person’s life. The destructiveness of greed is shown when the doctor comes to Kinos house and heals Coyotito after Kino has found The Pearl. When Coyotito had been bitten by the scorpion, his father and mother take Kino to the doctor in order to get a treatment. But the doctor refuses to heal Coyotito because Kino is poor. Later On, after Kino owns the pearl, the doctor automatically comes to Kinos house and offers a treatment for Coyotito. After he treats Coyotito, he pretends that he does not know that Kino has found a pearl and asks Kino about the medical expenses. You have a pearl? A good pearl? The doctor asks with curiosity. The reality is that the doctor cares more about Kinos pearl more than giving people treatments. The doctor does this because he values materialistic things more than he cares about others. Although the doctor has a lot of money and he has an abundance of everything he needs and wants in his life, he still wants more and his is dissatisfied. Obviously, the greed had already controlled the doctors mind and the way he acts towards people. Another example of the destructiveness of greed is seen in Kino As Kino tried to find a way to gain wealth and status through the pearl. During this, Kino transforms from a happy, comfortable father to an unhappy criminal. In this quick transition Kino displays the way the ambition of success and greed can destroy innocence. Kino’s desire to gain wealth changes the way we see the pearl. When we first visualize the pearl we see it as a natural beauty and good luck. As the story continues we start seeing it as a symbol of human destruction. Therefore, Kino’s greed leads him to behave violently towards his wife and it also leads to his son’s death. During his mission he loses sight of his cultural traditions and his society. His dreams start to destroy him. This leads the theme of how a dream is good, until it begins to destroy the things of value in a person’s life. Because Kino believes The Pearl will help him achieve all the dreams he has in store for his son Coyotito Kino does not want to give up the pearl. Juana, who is smart enough to figure out that the pearl is going to cause trouble, asks Kino to throw the pearl away multiple times. And even tries to get rid of it herself. Juana says, This pearl is evil. This pearl is like a sin. It will destroy us all! † Even though Juana warns Kino that the pearl will bring great misfortunes to the family and asks him to throw the pearl away, Kino decides not to listen or take the advice his wife is giving because Kinos mind is already overtaken by his dreams he wishes of achieving with The Pearl. He is blinded by the dream of: Juana and Coyotito and himself standing and kneeling at the high alter in the new white clothes holding a Winchester carbine and ‘’Coyotito sitting at a little desk in a school. It is now clear to us that he is slowly starting to become greedy and that his selfish thoughts are suddenly starting to control his actions and what he says. After Kino has found the pearl of the world, everyone is eager to own it and they all begin to start thinking of their own dreams and what they can achieve if they had a pearl like Kino’s, Every man suddenly becomes related to Kino, and Kinos pearl [goes] into the dreams, the schemes mans enemy. And so, the narrator says, For it is said humans are never satisfied, that you give them one thing and they want something more. In the scene where people try to steal Kinos pearl after the pearl is found, they do whatever they can possibly do in order to steal the pearl. Jealousy has grown in the heart of these people and jealousy has turned them into greedy, selfish people. But in the end Kino was only trying to help his family. This relates to the theme of how love can give someone great courage and strength. Kino loves Juana and Coyotito and he wishes to provide them a luxurious and comfortable life style. Through Juanas character we can see the she was chosen to be shown as an â€Å"iron lady† figure. Being a decent wife and the woman behind his man, Juana chose to remain quiet on their long mission. She shares the joy and sorrow with Kino and Coyotito. When Kino acts offensively towards her, she quietly bears the emotional and physical pain she’s being put through. She pledges her loyalty and faithfulness to Kino and her son Coyotito. Her love for Coyotito gave her courage to suck out the venom from her sons shoulder when he was bitten by the scorpion. When Kino is ready to set off to the ocean, Juana insists in following him because she wants to prepare poultice. The traditional cure made of seaweeds. Compared to Kino, her idea of family love is far safer than Kinos ideas of family values. But Kino’s lack of knowledge stops him from being able to provide a luxurious lifestyle for his family. This is linked to the theme of how knowledge is power. Kino believed that if he could afford to give Coyotito an education, Coyotito would move up in social status and he and Juana’s lives would have improved also. â€Å"And my son will make numbers and these things will make us free because he will know-he will know and through him we will know,† Because of his simple lifestyle and their lower social status in life Kino felt powerless against the doctor. Because of his status Kino could not question the doctor’s procedures or his motives. â€Å"Kino felt the rage and hate melting towards fear. He did not know, and perhaps this doctor did. And he could not take the chance of pitting his certain ignorance against this man’s possible knowledge,† Kino knew that if he had a higher social status he wouldn’t have been manipulated. In conclusion there are many symbols in this novel. The symbols are shown through the use of different themes. The symbols help us to realize the main idea of this novel; that materialistic things can change a civilized man.

The Existence of Black Holes Essays -- Concept Essays

The Existence of Black Holes I have always had an interest in science, especially in the sciences regarding outer space. When I was younger I was always fascinated with rockets, and especially in stars. I have often regretted not pursuing this interest at its infancy. I do remember going to the Planetarium, and studying about a topic that I had seen talked about on television. The topic was black holes, and back then all that they knew was that they were black. The idea of a space in the universe that is completely void of light was difficult to imagine. Recently, I have learned more about this topic and a science call cosmology. I had never even heard of this field of science before I was introduced to a scientist by the name of Stephen Hawking. The introduction was very informal. In fact, I have never even seen him. My first introduction to Stephen's theories came when I read a popular book that Stephen wrote called A Brief History of Time, in this book he attempts to explain some of his most complicated theor ies. These include the topics of black holes, imaginary time, and the origin of the universe. Stephen is the front runner in his field. Many of his peers consider his to be the greatest mind since Einstein. (Stone, 27) One of Stephen's areas of specialty that interests me is the topic of small mass exploded in the grandest explosion in history. Scientists today say that ever since the Big Bang the universe has been expanding at the speed of light. Stephen's theory is that eventually the universe will reach an outer limit and will then implode on itself at the speed of light. (A Brief History of Time, 76) The ideas that Stephen has about the lifetime of our universe are very complicated. I will not even pretend to c... ...se and everything in it at one time consisted in a very small mass. This mass contained an incredible amount of energy. The theory is that the Stephen's work in this field regarding blackholes, and imaginary time is unsurpassed by anyone and is truly remarkable. Bibliography Hawking, Stephen. A Brief History of Time. New York: Bantam Books, 1988. Hawking, Stephen. A Reader's Guide to a Brief History of Time. New York: Bantam Books 1992. Hawking, Stephen. Black Holes and Baby Universes and Other Essays. New York: Bantam Books, 1994. Hawking Stephen. An Essay On Time. New York: Bantam Books, 1992. Penrose, Roger. A Thesis on Relativity. New York: Bantam Books, 1990. Stone, Gene. A Reader's Companion to A Brief History of Time. New York: Bantam Books, 1992. Thorne, Kip. A Thesis on Quantum Mechanics. London: Oxford Publishing, 1989.

Street Prostitution in St Kilda, Australia Essay -- Papers

Street Prostitution in St Kilda, Australia Street prostitution. St Kilda has been dogged by its presence and consequences for decades, and is subsequently a major community concern. There have been innumerable attempts to address the problem, however it is only until recently that an extensive and resourced approach, incorporating supporters representing all political parties and many community stakeholders, has come into force. In a report released by the Attorney General's Street Prostitution Advisory Group (established in March 2001 and consisting of parliamentary, government, residential, police, welfare, trade, and sex worker representatives), it has been proposed that tolerance zones and street worker centres should be established in the City of Port Phillip in an attempt to efficiently manage street prostitution in the area. This said proposition has been met with much acclaim, but, inevitably, not without opposition. One of the world's oldest professions, street prostitution first arrived in Australia with the First Fleet in 1788. Initially confined to the penal settlements, the industry changed dramatically in the nineteenth century, with the gold rush attracting many prostitutes to Victoria. Prostitution became densely concentrated in the city, however, the development of Melbourne, the impact of the First and Second World Wars, economic depression and legislative change saw the industry decline and spread into the inner city suburbs, such as St Kilda, Fitzroy and South Melbourne. Reports do exist of prostitution in St Kilda occurring as early as the late nineteenth century, however it was not common in the said are... ...the proposal cannot go ahead in good stead. The issue of street prostitution is not a pretty one, but nor is it uncommon. The only way that the problem can be properly addressed is if all parties involved realise the extreme need for the industry's management. The establishment of tolerance zones and street worker centres, as well as all that is proposed to go hand in hand with them, is an innovative, practical, and much-needed incentive that will undoubtedly reduce, and possibly open the gateway to the eventual eradication of street prostitution. The industry has gotten completely out of hand in the St Kilda area, and needs to be tightly controlled. The report released by the Street Prostitution Advisory Group, of which the government supports, holds the key to ultimately accomplishing this essential goal.

Novel effect Essay

I think Mary Shelley used language to develop lots of atmosphere in chapter five, I think this is because this huge build up of atmosphere makes you read faster and faster, and makes you want to read more. She uses many long, complex sentences, such as â€Å"Delighted and surprised, I embraced her; but as I imprinted the first kiss on her lips, they became livid with the hue of death; her features appeared to change, and I thought that I held the corpse of my dead mother in my arms; a shroud enveloped her form, and I saw the grave-worms crawling in the folds of the flannel,† this creates tension, giving the novel more effect. As she has used so many long complex sentences, many comma’s and semi-colon’s are used, this makes the reader pause a lot whilst reading, giving the effect of many short sentences, embedded into long, complex ones. As well as these sentences, she also uses many short sentences, and all of these changes lead you to read faster, which creates more tension. An example of one of the short sentences used is â€Å"Beautiful!† Another way Mary Shelley may have wanted to create atmosphere is by using many powerful adjectives such as â€Å"dreary,† and â€Å"miserable.† Words like these also give the effect of imagery, as well as creating huge amounts of atmosphere. Many other phrases in the book also help build atmosphere, many of which are things Frankenstein says, often about his monster. Examples of this are â€Å"miserable monster,† and â€Å"wretch.† I think Mary Shelly also created atmosphere another way, without the reader even realising she is trying to. In the novel, many archaic words and phrases are used, like â€Å"lassitude,† and â€Å"I beheld the accomplishment of my toils.† These words and phrases suit the gothic horror style the novel is written in, and help build up atmosphere. They also give the impression something spooky is going on, as they don’t sound like words we would use today. Also, naturally, people are scared of things that are unfamiliar, and Mary Shelley may have used these archaic words to give the book more of a spooky effect. I feel that chapter five links to the key themes in the novel, and I think the main one is the fact that Mary Shelley may have been hinting in her novel, that you can’t play god, and in chapter five, that is what Frankenstein is obsessed with doing. His friend, Henry, also notices this, and states â€Å"I did not before remark how very ill you appear; so thin and pale; you look as if you had been watching for several nights.† This implies that Frankenstein is an extremely obsessive character, and that he will not rest, until he has fulfilled his goal, creating life (playing god). The rest of the novel is about how Frankenstein’s desperation for power, comes back to haunt him. I also feel that chapter five links in with the key theme in the novel in another way. Whilst taking about her novel, Mary Shelley said â€Å"Frightful must it be; for supremely frightful would be the effect of any human endeavour to mock the stupendous mechanism of the Creator of the world. I feel that the meaning of this phrase, is that she is saying only god should have the power over life and death, and anyone who tries to defy him (by creating life), should be scared, as he will not accept it, and punish the person who defied his right. I think that in her story, she was subliminally hinting this, as she constantly refers to god. When Frankenstein is running away from the monster, the night it is created, he sees the steeple, â€Å"its white steeple,† and many other hints are also made. She could be hinting that straight after the monster is created, god has planned what will happen next. Furthermore, this shows that in the 19th century people were extremely religious, and took care about what they did, as they did not want god to punish them for their actions. Also, the phrase â€Å"infuse a spark of being into the lifeless thing that lay at my feet,† is stating that he is going to use electricity of some kind, to bring the â€Å"thing,† to life. This relates to galvanism, which is the process of running charges of electricity through dead animals and trying to bring them back to life, in actual fact, the charges were just making the muscles of the dead animal spasm. So the phrase shows that in the 19th century, many people were trying to bring dead things back to life. Mary Shelley got the idea of using lightning to bring the monster back to life from Luigi Galvani’s idea of galvanism, we know this because as well as overhearing her husband and Lord Byron talking about it, she was also very up to date with scientific experiments at the time. Furthermore, chapter five also gives us a better understanding of 19th century prose. The words and phrases in chapter five, are typical of 19th century language, for example, the phrase â€Å"infinite pain’s and care I had endeavoured to form,† is a phrase we would not use nowadays. Phrases such as this tell us that in the 19th century, writers would write in a much more formal style. I think that this is because in the 19th century, anyone who could read and write would be from an extremely wealthy family, and books were written to suit their style of language, not for the middle class. Another example of a 19th century word is countenance (another word for face), at present time, people are always looking to find abbreviations, so they can communicate faster, however, words like countenance are much longer, and more suited to the formal 19th century style of literature. From chapter five, we can also learn that in the 19th century, writers would use lots of powerful adjectives, and 19th century works would be very descriptive, with lots of imagery. Examples of powerful descriptive phrases, and adjectives are â€Å"grave-worms crawling,† and â€Å"demonical.† These words add lots of atmosphere to the story, and there is a strong use of imagery. The final thing I have learned about 19th century prose from chapter five is the use of colons and semi colons. Mary Shelley uses many semi colons and commas in the novel, and her use of commas and semi colons allows her to build atmosphere using long and complex sentences, and then often rapidly switch to a short one, for example â€Å"I took refuge in the courtyard belonging to the house which I inhabited; where I remained during the rest of the night, walking up and down in the greatest agitation, listening attentively, catching and fearing each sound as if it were to announce the approach of the demoniacal corpse to which I had so miserably given life,† then, the first sentence in the next paragraph is just the word â€Å"Oh!† This shows that in the 19th century, very often, some people would use commas and semi colons often, instead of full stops.

Self Awareness as a Component of Emotional Intelligence

I came to understand self awareness as recognition of our personality, our strengths and weaknesses, our likes and dislikes. Our ability to know ourselves inside out gives us media to be proactive, we know our weaknesses which naturally make us reactive but by being able to identify them, we can work on them and incorporate proactiveness in our dealings. Self awareness which is a personal competence is different from the other of its kind called â€Å"self regulation† because the latter has to do with self control, trustworthiness, conscientiousness, adaptability and innovativeness.Also it differs from the social competences which include empathy and social skill, while empathy is about developing others, being service orientated and cross cultural sensitivity. Social skill cuts across the ability to make influence, conflict management, cooperation and team work. Often times our self awareness can be a pre-requisite for effective communication, building relationships as well a s developing empathy for others, thus making â€Å"self awareness† the main pillar amongst the components of emotional intelligence.A person with excellent self awareness can discover that his ability to relate and communicate in the proper way with people in the morning is never the best; this is because he makes rude and derogatory statements without actually weighing it properly in his mind. Fully acknowledging this, he will be proactive by seeking solutions. The solution can either be scheduling the time he really meet people to be at a time he is fully conscious with his brain working efficiently. He can also deal with the root cause of why he pisses people off in the morning.In improving your self awareness, it is important to note the following, although self awareness can be in-born, it could also be learnt, the process of learning requires time, motivation to change, persistent practice and feed back. This is because no success can be achieved in life without desire and effort. The first skill to learn in developing self awareness is to â€Å"recognize and manage your emotion† it is important to be aware of your emotions and how they influence your thoughts and actions.This is because even if we deny them, we can’t eliminate them, they are still there whether we are aware of them or not. Unfortunately without self awareness we are not able to fully understand our own motivations and needs or to communicate effectively with others. The second skill to learn is â€Å"rapidly reducing stress†. When we’re under high levels of stress, rational thinking and decision making go out of the window. Being able to manage stress in the moment is the key to resilience. Self awareness helps us stay focused and in control-no matter what challenges you face.The third skill to learn is how to use humour to deal with challenges and conflicts, a good sense of humour is an antidote to difficulties. They lighten our burden and help us kee p things in perspective. The belief that learning emotional intelligence was learnt in group is false, rather an individual approach with the help of a coach should be employed. Also the neuro-transmitters of the limbic system and not the neocortex should be targeted when learning, finally it should be known that self awareness can not be learnt by mere reading about it without dedicated practical efforts.

My Path Through Culinary School Essay

The basis of this essay is to explain my planned path through culinary school. I have always loved to cook and found my nitch in the kitchen. I plan to improve my culinary skills and techniques so that I may have a successful career. I have experienced different careers and a significant amount of job experience, but after years of contemplating, my heart has led me to Le Cordon Bleu to further my education and receive an Associate of Arts degree in Occupational Studies. Once I complete my studies at Le Cordon Bleu, I plan to work at a well-established restaurant or hotel and work my way up from a cook to a chef. At the same time, I also plan to cater as a side business. After ten years in a professional environment, I hope to have gained the knowledge and skills it will take to become an executive chef at a high-end restaurant or owning and managing my own restaurant. I have always had a passion for cooking. I would consider my grandmother and grandfather my mentors because I would enjoy watching and helping them prepare meals. Some of my best memories are times when we would have family gatherings and staying up all night to cook for the next day. One Christmas I got an Easy-Bake Oven and since then I could not stay out of the kitchen. While I was in high school, I would always cook for my family and classmates. I excelled in my home economics class. I honestly did not think the food I prepared was as good as they made it out to be, but the more they praised me, the more I start experimenting with different recipes. Now, over ten years later, I am much more confident and ready to pursue a career in culinary arts because of the satisfaction it brings me. When I graduate from Le Cordon Bleu with my Associates degree, my short term goal is to work at a well-established restaurant or hotel. With time and experience, I plan to move up to becoming an Executive Chef. I also plan to cater on the side for special events and for people requiring a personal chef. I am sure that the opportunity of being educated at Le Cordon Bleu will pay off and I will reap the benefits of being a disciplined student.

Production Planning & Quality Management- MGMT430 - 1401A 01 Unit 3 Essay

Production Planning & Quality Management- MGMT430 - 1401A 01 Unit 3 - Essay Example 1-55). Therefore, the lesser defects, the higher the quality. Cost is a crucial metric of production in terms of considering that costs of materials and labor would be an input to the unit price of the products being offered. Thus, the lower the costs of the materials and labor, the lower the unit price that the organization could peg to the consumers. This cost component would be instrumental in the pricing strategy that would be designed to ensure competitive advantage within the specialty memory chip market. Timeliness was described as â€Å"whether a unit of work was done on time† (Section 1: Development Process, n.d., p. 1-55). This metric measures the ability of the organization to produce in the most limited number of time and within the stipulated delivery period. Since there is a noted pre-order of as much as 10 million units of a new cellular phone memory chip, the time element is crucial to ensure that these parts are delivered within the given time frame. Currently, flexibility is a metric that needs evaluation and focus. With the identified six key products and 24 distinct products, customers who might require specialized parts that cater to their distinct needs and requirements. Thus, there is a need to evaluate standardization of products produced using similar machines; or producing more varied products with standardized machines. Productivity is actually defined as â€Å"the amount of a resource used to produce a unit of work† (Section 1: Development Process, n.d., p. 1-55). This is an important metric since it defines the number of output produced using the amount of inputs (raw materials and labor). The organization’s productivity would therefore be measured according to how efficiently the resources are used to produce the needed products. Efficiency is deemed an important metric of production since it ensures that a task (production) is undertaken with the minimum use of resources but that which optimized the outcome. It

Analysis Of The Sir Gawain And The Green Knight Essay

Analysis Of The Sir Gawain And The Green Knight - Essay Example The story of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is based on the challenges that are made against his ethics in terms of being a knight and the changes that come with age that refine those ethical considerations. The heart of the tale begins as Arthur asks for a story to be told that would inspire him to eat his dinner. At this point, the Green Knight appears and wants to talk to Arthur. He comes to challenge the court because he wants to know whether or not the court and its knights can live up to their legend. The challenge is that one of the knights can take one swing of his giant ax and in exactly a year the Green Knight can return that swing. Sir Gawain uses the ax to cut off the Green Knight’s head when the Knight has offered his neck for the blow. For most people, this would be the end of the game, but the Green knight speaks and reminds the assembly of the deal they have struck before taking his head and riding out of the celebration. Use of the word covenant appears frequently throughout the book, creating a sense of obligation between characters in the story. When the Green Knight first faces Sir Gawain who is to be the person with whom he exchanges strokes of the ax he says â€Å"Make we our covenant ere we go further†, suggesting that the agreement is the lynchpin on which the entire ‘game’ is based (Weston 14). This creates a foundation of ethics on which the events that unfold can be examined. It is the ethical and moral character of Sir Gawain, as well as that of Arthurs court, which is being examined through honoring the idea of a covenant. There is a description of the changing of seasons that occurs within the poem. The changing of the seasons can be equated with the idea of the change that occurs over time as a person begins to mature. The seasonal changes are reflective of the cycle of life in which Sir Gawain believes he has come to an end.

Do you have free will or are you determined Essay

Do you have free will or are you determined - Essay Example The paper describes two examples of philosophers (W.T. Stace and Baron d'Holbach), who believe in determinism, but with qualifications. While d'Holbach represents a determinism-only view, Stace offers a view compatible with a free will, and this compatibilist thesis is more correct. Compatibilism, as represented by W.T. Stace, is the view that free will and determinism are compatible without being logically inconsistent. This allows claims about individual autonomy in actions to make sense, whereas under the incompatabilism approach, it is logically inconsistent to speak of the coexistence of free will with determinism. An incompatabilist such as Baron d'Holbach, rules out a kind of metaphysical free will because determinism, the view that all of our actions are the result of antecedent causes, means that no actions are truly free in the sense that the person actually chose to do them. With this foundation, we can differentiate the views of Stace and d'Holbach with respect to freedom of the will. d'Holbach argues that human beings are very similar in nature to a machine, which is created with a very narrow range of functions. In his System of Nature, d'Holbach writes, â€Å"There is no such entity as a soul, but we are simply material objects in motion, having very complicated brains that lead the unreflective to believe that they are free†. In fact, human beings are so complex that they actually believe their actions are free, which is the symptom of religious beliefs, according to d'Holbach. Claiming that all of man’s ideas and senses can be reduced to his physical characteristics, the philosopher believes that these ideas and senses are involuntary and forced upon him. This incompatabilist, hard determinist stance is impossible to prove, which makes it difficult to accept d'Holbach’s arguments (Pojman 335). He argues primarily from analogy to machines and other human artifacts, which seems to undermine the premise that man is incapable o f original, free thoughts. In addition, it is difficult to get past the brute fact that if all of man’s arguments are determined by antecedent causes, then d'Holbach’s claims here are determined and therefore possibly false. In contrast, W.T. Stace offers a compatibilist (or soft determinist) view that upholds the truth of morality. Stace defines an act that was produced from free will as one that is directly caused by a person’s thoughts, emotions, and desires (Roberts). In other words, an act is only free if it is the result of internal mental states, not the outside influences of other antecedent causes. For instance, fasters on hunger strikes do not consume food because it is theoretically within their power to abstain from food, while someone who fasts because he does not have access to food is not doing so according to his free will. Stace defends compatibilism because of how he defines the notion of free will.

Corporate governance for lebanese SMEs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Corporate governance for lebanese SMEs - Essay Example This study hence is an analyzing assessment for whether this model would be, to any extent, applicable to the Lebanese context. It reveals the results of the first phase of an ongoing research aiming at investigating the extent to which the Anglo-Saxon System of Corporate Governance be adopted by companies in Middle-Eastern countries, specifically the case of SMEs in Lebanon?Identifying whether it contributes in improving or hindering their performance? Using a purposeful sampling approach, semi-structured interviews and focus groups technique is applied to 90 owners/shareholders, managers and employees from the trading, hotel and restaurant sectors that dominate Lebanese SMEs (table 1) and comprise 50.40% of the total population.This technique provides the advantage of comparing all participants’ responses to the main question and provides more in-depth information that cannot be obtained through questionnaires. This discussion answers the above mentioned research questions t hrough adopting the interpretive approach and a thematic analysis. Data will be collected and interpreted deeply in order to identify the extent to which socio-cultural factors affect a firm’s corporate governance structure and hence its performance. 1.1 Purpose of the Study According to the literature, there are much more forms of corporate governance, based on different structures of ownership and affected by large variations of cultural background, legal framework, political environment and economic climate (J. Solomon & A. Solomon, 2004). The â€Å"fit† between cultural values and organizational structures resulted from a fusion of human culture with the models of organization; therefore, it is recommended that organizations enter into arrangements that match with our basic cultural perspective (Hofstede (1991). In other terms, the organizational structural elements are shaped by values that are compatible with and suitable to cultural values as a component of the organization’s implicit models (Hambrick & Brandon, 1988). Swidler (1986) argues that organizations can be viewed as social entities integrated into the institutional and value structures constituting the culture of a society; in this view, organizations and societies tend to reflect each other structurally. In particular, national cultural differences influence the shape and functioning of organizations (Hickson & Pugh, 1995; Hofstede, 1991). Besides, literature found that good governance has a positive impact on organizational performance. Gemmill and Thomas (2004) note that good corporate governance and firm value are positively correlated. Corporate governance mechanisms can guarantee for shareholders an adequate return on their investments (Shleifer & Vishny, 1997). Given the culture-structure link and the correlation between good governance and performance, the purpose of this study is to identify the extent to which corporate governance model in Lebanon fits with the A nglo-American model. If it fits, the objective of the study will be how to maintain it? If not, the study will analyze the benefits of proposing a new model of corporate governance or adapting the existing one. 1.2 Nature of the Study The empirical analysis contained herein is of qualitative nature. Qualitative research seeks to understand the social world from the perspectives of research participants and the detailed descriptions of their experiences (Myers, 2000).The richness and depth of explorations and descriptions represent one of the

Assignment-Oppression-Race, Class.And Gender in United States Coursework

Assignment-Oppression-Race, Class.And Gender in United States - Coursework Example The oppressed are treated cruelly and unjustly by those who have authority over them. For example, the poor continue to be oppressed as they have no means of getting out of their predicament. Tatum (2010) defines racism as a system of advantage based on race. Based on their color, the blacks are considered inferior than the whites due to racial prejudice. They are considered as not able to achieve much of the superior race of whites have been able to achieve hence are discriminated in all aspects; they cannot get good jobs, housing, and education among other aspects. Furthermore, the whites claim their privileges and advantages are biological in nature hence not racist; it is not their fault that they are advantaged. The blacks are blamed for their predicament in most cases as they are stereotyped as not willing to improve themselves and lack initiative. According to Hubbard (2010), human sexuality is not natural but a social construction in which children are socialized from birth. Traditionally, family roles were divided according to gender type. Some roles like hunting were solely for men while others like kitchen work was reserved for women and men were regarded as superior than women. Sexism is therefore the belief that one sex (male) is superior to the other (female) hence has the right to dominate almost all aspects of life. Women are discriminated against based on their sex due to gender stereotyping. For example, even with more women acquiring similar education levels as men, women still get absorbed in the lowly paid service sector while men join highly paid sectors such as engineering. Classism refers to the differences that exist between different groups in the society such that the dominant group oppresses the lower classes (Mantiosis 2010). He asserts that the society is divided into the wealthy class, middle class and the poor and acknowledges the fact that a wide gap exists between the rich and the poor in America contrary to a

British Gas Business Essay Example for Free

British Gas Business Essay A review of the British Gas Businesses current approach to collating, storing and using HR data within the organisation. Findings Below you will find an overview of some of the data that the HR function within British Gas Business collects. Within this report I will identify two reasons why British Gas Business needs to collect HR data, and the current methods in which we store the data. I will also briefly touch upon some key legislation which if compliant, will reduce any financial or legal risks to the organisation. Absence Performance – appraisals, Learning and Development (LD) activity Employee Engagement results Equality/Diversity – To meet legal requirements Recruitment – Contractual information Employee Information â€Å"Accurate personnel records will help the organisation in many ways increasing the efficiency of recruitment, training and development, and promotion. They can also provide the raw data to monitor equal opportunities issues and the legal requirements placed on all organisations† [ACAS: Online 30th November 2014]. One of the areas where there is need for collation of data is we are able to track volumes of employees currently being performance managed within the organisation to then further identify whether this is a behavioral or skill issue where further training is required. This then helps us to define our learning programmes moving forward and tailor the content around any shortfalls which may have been identified through Training Needs Analysis (TNA) within performance management. Another area that the HR function collates data for is for Absence. â€Å"This is one of the longest-running causes of serious concern to managers. Unapproved absence from work causes a multitude of problems to managers and involves the organisation in significant extra costs†. (Currie et al, 2010, p.293). All absence data within each business unit (and then business wide across British Gas) is centralised using the data base Absence Manager. This helps us to track against our performance and resourcing for people and establish  whether recruitment or redundancy plans would benefit the long term strategy of the organisation. The Human Resource function currently use an Information System (HRIS) which runs alongside our main billing system called SAP. Within SAP all Line managers have access to view employee information (direct reports only), process secondments or job role changes, and change manage details. The benefit of this is that the data is easily accessible and is consistent in line with any people movements within the business. Alongside this system there is also a requirement for some documentation to be stored manually. This is then kept for 6 years, regardless of whether that individual is still in employment with British Gas Business. This is beneficial for any documentation which requires employee signatures or verification. This could be disciplinary documentation to any learning that has taken place. Using the internal HRIS British Gas Business complies with the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003, which covers the security and confidentiality of the retention of data. We do this by ensuring that access to the HR online system is done only registered through authorised access and then a further password security check. British Gas Business also ensures that it keeps written documentation for no longer than 6 years in line with the Principles of the Data Protection Act 1998 (DPA). Once documentation reaches this age we contract to a disposal company to safely dispose of all confidential waste. The HR function also complies with all Subject Access Requests (SAR’s) which is governed by the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOI Act). Customers are able to place requests in writing to access all information held about them or their business on the organisations systems. The customer pays a one of fee of ten pounds and they are then issued with the information within 40 days of their request. Key Findings British Gas Business is fully compliant with all key legislation in collecting and storing data within the organisation. I see no risk, financially or strategically from the methods we are currently using. Bibliography Web ACAS. (2014). Personnel Data. Available: http://www.acas.org.uk/index.aspx?articleid=717. Last accessed 30th November 2014. Books Currie, D (2010). Introduction to Human Resource Management. 2nd ed. London: Chartered Institute of Personnel Development. 293 Introduction – Activity 2 Analysis of absence data for the Customer Care function of British Gas Business from high level reported case volumes, to understanding the gender split of the absence recorded. Summary By analysing the data collated from our absence records, we can establish trends to enable the organisation to look to implement preventative measures to reduce overall long term absence levels. key findings Absence from the British Gas Business – Customer Care function is currently at its highest levels since 2010. The average number of days taken as absence within the short term sickness (STS) criteria (under 20 consecutive days), has increased from 4.6 to 5.5 days per employee per rolling 52 weeks. The increase in long term sickness (LTS) registered within the organisation has increased by 0.8% over the past 4 years. LTS cases for 2014 are split into the following reasons for absence and then subsequently by gender for all Stress (Work related) / Mental Illness reported absences. Of the 45 LTS stress (Work) related cases registered in 2014, 23 were for male employees. This shows us a change in trend from previous years. For the first time in over 4 years we can see the greater proportion of stress (Work) /mental illness related absences is now reported by the male employee population. conclusions In 2011 British Gas Business began its journey in implementing a new billing system. We can see a noticeable trend in the years following on from the  start of this journey, with the volume of work induced stress related absences reported within the function. Throughout the function we have also seen a high natural attrition in the leadership team in 2014. This means that we now have less experienced leadership population who are progressing our people through their long term sickness absences. Recommendations Identify potential learning gaps through Training Needs Analysis (TNS) â€Å"Test and Play† drop in sessions for all employees Full review of the learning documentation and the online learning environment Wellbeing events throughout the system change timeline to be ran throughout the function i.e. exercise programmes, healthy eating, fitness checks, stop smoking programmes. Engagement temperature checks amongst the employee population Team leader workshops in identifying stress and supporting employees Review the benefits package for the leadership population to reduce churn Validation of the process within the leadership teams from day 1 of absence registered, through the fruition of policy outcomes Wellbeing days across function for all levels to understand support tools references – Data British Gas Business – Absence Manager Data sample from 2010 – 2014. Accessed on the 17th November 2014. British Gas Business – HR Function – Team Leader Exit data – 2014. Accessed on the 19th November 2014.