Perceptions of Childhood Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Perceptions of Childhood - Essay Example The unique criteria of modern early years education gives the impression of being built powerfully on insights and practices honed from the legacy of the Montessori system. Toward the end of the 19th century Maria Montessori built on the work of Jean-Marc Gaspard Itard and Edouard Seguine to develop just such an individualized child-centered approach to education (Kramer, R. 1988:60). Maria created a program for young children in the slums of Rome which became known as the Montessori Method. The incisive outlook that Dr. Montessori brought to early childhood education was her conviction that the education of each child must start from inside the inimitable little person, and that the child must be left free to learn for itself by selecting and using resources with the least amount of adult intrusion for as long as the child is absorbed in the work at hand (Kramer, R. 1988:113). Montessori transformed the role of the educator from a simple trainer to an engaged and attentive guide of children's independent development through the promotion of autonomous activities appropriate to the requirements of each child in the secure setting of the classroom. The rudiments of the Montessori Method and variations of Montessori resources are employed broadly today in early childhood programs world-wide (Kramer, R. 1988:16). Montessori passed on enduring insight into and deep appreciation for the natural aptitude latent in every small person when cultivated judiciously. Public schooling in the wake of the Industrial Revolution centered on passive models for children's learning: the school as a factory and the child as a blank slate. Children were the raw material to be formed forthwith into productive citizens (Lillard, A.S. 2005:7). In the Italy of Maria Montessori's era the family and its social status was the primary determinant of a child's education and profession. The prospects for a young girl of that era were even more firmly determined by convention. A married woman, as wife and mother, was expected first and foremost to be the underlying nucleus in the Italian family (Gutek, G.L.2004:2). Maria's childhood experience in a local primary school adhered to the established practice of a teacher feeding information to the children through dictation, with the child repeating back material learned by rote memory. Italian primary schools generally included all the subjects, reading, writing, arithmetic, history and geography, in a single book. Generally, the educator required the child to stand at attention and correctly repeat responses tediously committed to memory from the text (Gutek, G.L.2004:3). In spite of Italy's 19th-century gender norms, at the age of thirteen in 1883, Maria Montessori opted to study engineering in a state technical school, though by 1890 she had decided to leave engineering to go into medicine (Kramer, R. 1988:34). Through quite resolute persistence she secured admission to the University of Rome as a student of physics, mathematics, and the natural sciences, and passed her final examination with an outstanding grade of eight out of ten points which made her academically eligible to study to be a

Tattooing of Both Sexes in Samoa Essay Example for Free

Tattooing of Both Sexes in Samoa Essay The art of tattooing is widespread throughout Polynesia, and in Samoa the art form has become and remained strong. In Samoa the process of tattooing is known as Tatau . â€Å"Tatau are the tattooed lines and motifs that appear on the body, and the tatau artist is known as the tufuga† (MALLON, 2002). The Samoan tattoo is also known as a traditional mark of adulthood for both men and women. â€Å"Samoans are the only group of Polynesians-and one of the only groups of the Pacific Islanders-who still practice the traditional art of tattooing† (Nicholas Thomas, Anne Cole, and Bonwen Douglas, 2005). Out of the two tattoos for the men and women, the most impressive one is for the men, and the proper term for it is Tatau . â€Å"Tatau has often been recognized as a necessary rite of passage for young men† (MALLON, 2002).After being tattooed, the young man is not only accepted as a full member of the aumaga (the association of young men), but is also allowed to serve the matai. â€Å"The tatau also symbolizes ideas connected with the wrapping, sealing and defense of the body, as well as with decorating it and making it beautiful. So it is seen as both a treasure and a stepping stone for young men to manhood, something that garners respect for the wearer by speaking of his inner strength and resilience† (Marquardt.C, 1984)These values generally remain central to the process and ritual of tatatau today. In some migrant Samoan communities overseas, tatau has also become and identity marker, a way of signifying the Samoan heritage and way of life (Kramer, 1995). Tatau is such a strong image of Samoan identity that it’s symbols and motifs appears on clothing and apparel, and have be re-p resented by artists in the new media and art forms today. Mallon said that an account recorded I the 19th century, it is said that two sisters, Taema and Tilafaiga, who were Siamese twins, bought the first tattooing tools to Samoa. They acquired the tools and the instructions on how to use them from the tattooist Filelei and Tufou in Fiji. They were told to tattoo the women and not the men, and they sang this instruction over and over as they paddled their canoe to Samoa. On the way they saw a large and beautiful shell glistening in the waters below and so they stopped singing in order to swim down and fetch it. On returning to their canoe they tried to remember what they were singing and got the song mixed up. â€Å"Tattoo the men and not the women they sang† and this was the message they took to Samoa. Samoan men received a heavy tatau from the waist to the knee which is known as Pe’a. It is made up of fine parallel lines and areas of shade and wide range of motifs and geometric patterns. The word Pe’a refers to both the tatau and to the fruit-eating bat known as the flying fox. The untitled young men with the tatau are called Sogaimiti and as such they are responsible for serving and performing duties for the matai (Sunia, 2002)A man with no tatau is known as Pala’u. Women’s tatau appeared on the legs, starting at the knee and finishing at the top of the thighs. The women’s tatau is called Malu, and it is less elaborate than the pe’a and its structure is less well defined. The malu perhaps takes its name from the malu motif, which is placed behind the knee, and it is the one of the key motifs not seen on men’s tatau or pe’a. â€Å"The resurgence of tatatau among young men and women began around the time of Western Samoa’s Independence in 1962. At this time people were not allowed into chiefly assemblies unless they were tattooed. â€Å"And more recently, in 1990, one of the village in Savaii made it compulsory for all men to have a pe’a† (MALLON, 2002). This resurgence of the tatau has continued. As Samoans has migrated to other places in the world, they took their culture and custom with them. The tatau is seen as a strong statement of the Samoan heritage and identity (Kramer, 1995) â€Å"The origins of Samoan tatau motifs can be traced back to around 1500 BC, to the early ancestors of the Polynesian people. At this time the people of the Pacific were making the distinctive decorated pottery that archaeologists call Lapita ware. The tattoo and bark cloth decoration† (Kramer, 1995) In Samoan society, the tattooing specialist is known as the tufuga tatatau. â€Å"In the 19th century tufuga tatatau were associated with two family braches, Su’a and Tulouena† (Kramer 1995). The Su’a worked mainly in Upolu and the Sa Tulouena mainly in Savaii. The work asa tufuga tatatau and the skills of tatatau continue to be transferred from generation to generation. The handmade tools used often by the tufuga tatatau of the Sa Su’a and Sa Tuloena comprises a set of tattooing combs, and a short wooden rod or tattooing mallet. The hand tools are especially valued and are finely crafted. The tattooing is very painful, not only because of the body been covered, but also because of the implements employed. In order to cover a large area of the body with dense, intricate designs, the artist hammers the ink into the skin with sharp tattooed combs of different patterns. The combs ae made from flat, polished sections of boar’s tusk, filed into rows of sharps teeth. The combs are bound to a wooden, metal, or turtle shell backing, which in turn is bound at right angles to the end of a short, thin stick. On the day a man is going to have his tatau, he is going to lie down on a mat with a pillow under his stomach to flatten the arch in the small of his back. The tattooist then dips the comb into the ink made from kerosene soot and water, places the comb in position with his left hand and then raps the holding stick smartly with another stick that he holds in his right hand. â€Å"The blow drove the teeth of the comb into the skin where they deposited the ink. The master proceeded quickly along the line of the pattern, tapping out a smooth rhythm while one of the other young subjects wiped away the blood and extra ink with a rag (MALLON, 2002).There will be people stretching the skin tight with their hands to maintain an even pattern and holding him still so that he would not spoil the design by writhing. Others sat by watching, prepared to sing or play the ukulele to distract him from his pain. When the first session has completed, whoever has been tattooed will bath in the cool fresh water. The process goes on until the lower knees were completed successfully, then the tattooist adds a small signature design around the naval, signifying that the tattoo was complete. â€Å"The tattoo ceremony also marks the beginning of adulthood. In addition, it brings a great deal of attention and praise to young men at a time in their lives when they normally get very little or either† (S.Kipeni, 1962).Tattooing also gives the young men’s families an opportunity to show that thy can afford the costly ceremony. The tattoo was formerly a sign chiefly status or impending chiefly status, as no matai was without one (Kramer, 1995).This traditional association must have less force today when none of the older chiefs have tattoos and virtually all of the young men become chiefs, with or without tattoos All of these factors induce young men to endure the pain of tattooing, but the most important factor is the pain of tattooing itself. Young men adorn themselves with full body tattoos primarily to demonstrate that they can withstand the pain. â€Å"Machismo is high on the list of desired traits among Samoan men, and tattooing is an excellent demonstration of courage and endurance† (Marquardt.C, 1984). â€Å"The tattoo is quintessentially Samoan and wearing one is a matter of cultural pride† (MALLON, 2002).Receiving the tatau can be and affirmation of the person and the soul. It can be a public statement of commitment to families, communities, and culture. â€Å"It can speak of many things; such as place, values, memories and origins. It is many things, such as an ornament or garment that once worn, can never be removed (MALLON, 2002).

The Divine Comedy Essays -- essays research papers

During the Middle Ages, the church was a powerful institution. It had its own government, courts, system of taxation, and laws. To live a good Christian life guaranteed access to heaven in the afterlife, and a life of sin was to be sentenced to hell. Dante Alighieri was an Italian poet, who had an admirable depth of spiritual vision and was known for his intelligence (Encarta, 1). Between the years of 1308 and 1321, Dante wrote the epic poem, 'The Divine Comedy,'; which described a journey through the afterlife. It takes place during the three days of Good Friday, when Jesus died, and on Easter Sunday when he rose body and soul to heaven. It is a moral comedy, and was written to make readers evaluate their own morals. The journey was to show readers what could happen if they live a sinful life, or if they live a godlike life. 'In the middle of the journey of our life I came to my senses in a dark forest, for I had lost the straight path. Ah! How hard a thing it is to tell what this wild and rough and difficult wood was, which in thought renews my fear! (Alighieri, 1)'; This passage tells us that Dante is lost in the middle of the woods, and he is in the middle of his life. The reason he gives for being lost is that he had become inattentive and was not paying attention to where he was going. This symbolizes how he has lost his quest for salvation. His laziness, a sin, caused him to stray from the road of salvation. He can't go back the way he came because that is the way o...

Effective Approach for Performance Management a Key for Company’s Existence Essay

In this very challenging world of managing organization, it is just ordinary that for some companies having to maintain their staff is sometimes impossible. Training and other forms of enhancement made people learn from the work assigned to him. But still there are times that these do not give assurance that these people will stay or even serve the service provided with them. As most western countries starting to see potential of eastern manpower due to its low cost of labor, opportunities are also another one that affects most local Asian countries which only mean that most highly skilled professional from this region are starting to see better life ahead if they go for an outside the country job. Countries like the Philippines, India, and China are just some of the top countries that when it comes to dollar gotten by their workers through overseas jobs has proved that it helps even the economy in having jobs from other country. But most of all it creates a different life and future for families who sacrifice their life away from their family, just to find work abroad, but as they said, still the sweetest thing is yet to come. For companies this is one of the biggest challenges and this paper will try to provide some relevant information and well-recommended theories on how to somehow change and how does HR professional foresee it and be able to address the issue before it happen. Human Resource Management Policies Actually, HR management involves many categories, like in terms of general and standard policies, which entails the standard operating procedure used by the company. The second one is the equal opportunity policy, which is gaining more popularity these days because the world has started to experience an increasing number of workers going abroad only to find for better opportunity for the future of their family. Third policy are involving compensation management, while the fourth focuses more on the benefits management policies, then fifth is management development and training and lastly is for record management policies. (Human Resource Policy, n. d. ). Among these lists of policies it will cover most of benefits, compensation related and management side. What are the relevant theories and approaches applied in improving performance of staffs and encourage them to work more efficiently and effectively as well. Understanding Need is an Important Aspect in Managing Performance Employees must always be a main concern in any organization In fact employees or staffs are also customers, which in most business term, that called as â€Å"internal customers. † They must be given extra attention because in true sense they are the ones that perform the duties of true service in the organization. In the modern times, if finding how best corporation and highly productive and big â€Å"bottom lines† companies, it is easy to find out that their priority to people is there like, the company provide better performance incentives, better vacation and even sometimes provided a well structured work scheduling since what the modern company needs is results and not just forcing employees to just come in to the office and waste a lot of resources. In short there should be a well organized process that the HR Management Team must do in addressing the need and concerns of the people within the organization. Importantly, companies must see employees as not just as staff that are being directed to what they need to do, encouraging them and giving them the respect they need and most especially the opportunity that for some and very few people must be given, because that is also what is happening to other company, which eventually brings the company in its downfall, and that is looking at these potentials as threat instead of making used of their abilities as talents and a tool for the success of the company. One of the most accepted initiative that company must do is to provide incentive has been there in the business for many years and even it started during the early years. For employees or staff to be recognized may still be important and needed to be given by companies, but incentive is one factor in the needs of people that really provides an extra boost of energy for many in their way of work. This was also the reason why the theory Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, which has given a clear directive to companies that people, has needs and they should not focus on customer needs but also their employees. Concepts and processes that can be discussed about motivation and how it provides impact to human being, but there is only one and most prominent approach or theory in motivation and that is the Maslow’s Hierarchy of Motivation. In this theory there are five basic needs. The first one and the most basic needs is called the physiological needs which good examples are food, water, and comfort. At this point the company must answer the basic and most important need of the employee and that is they have to be paid accordingly. Second level is the Safety needs, the need for safety and stability. One good example is for them to live in a well secured environment or community where families can be safe and away from harm, or children being send to schools that has enough and well secured environment. Third level, Social needs, this pertains to social affiliation, and good example for this one is joining in an organizational group, which helps to improve better performance. Fourth level is Esteem needs, desire for self-respect, one good example here is for company recognizing best effort on the job rendered, like in terms of award or cash bonus, which adds value for the person and will motivate them more to perform better job. As well as motivating others to perform better in their respective jobs. Lastly, self actualization needs, these are considered to be the desires for self fulfillment. At this point a good example is by company providing task to challenge the skills or knowledge of a potential employee. This is the most critical part because there are other companies that runs a political system in the company and prevents good people to be recognized and be given better challenges in their work. This is exactly what people within the organization are driven for in working their best. (Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, 2007). Performance Management Process  The different parts of performance management are as follows: (1) Establishing Performance Goals, (2) Performance Plans, (3) Observation and Feedback, (4) Evaluating Performance, (5) Rewarding Performance, (6) Recognizing Performance Problems (â€Å"Performance Gaps†), (7) Performance Improvement / Development Plans, and lastly, (8) Firing Employees. In this list, the first one is establishing first the performance goal; this is like the roadmap for the staff. The second one is for the staff to be given the plan which the company thinks in the future whether there are some important changes in his career that may take place. Observation should also be needed in order to provide some follow-ups; the next two is evaluating and of course rewarding, then recognizing them as well through awards and recognition. Find some improvement parts of the task assigned in order to improve and to raise the level of performance. Lastly, there should also be some generated policies in firing employees and should not just removing anyone from the job. (Employee Performance Management, n. d. ). Effective Management of Employee Retention Rate a Reflection of Better performance Management Staff Retention, Employee Engagement and Talent Management Strategies In the US and it might also be common to all industries most especially multi-national companies that retaining a good and highly skilled staff is hard nowadays. Since the growing competition and the usual issue if pirating good stuff from one company to another, which is sometimes, would not even take even days and then the staff, just transfer again to another company is becoming a perennial problem. In the US each day a good staff quits their employers for better job elsewhere, whether it may be better package which is very common or finding better working environment which may cause by too much pressure and demand. Approximately 200 billion USD is spending annually by the business in recruiting and replacing their employees. And this is not a good sign for the business since it incurs cost as well as organizational process dilemma which can affect performance. There are actually some key-points to address these problems and these are seven well applied practice or key factors applied by some of the well known consultancy firm that are being hired to assist companies face problem with retention of employees. First, is Better matching, this is a process on how to find better potentials within the company who maybe best to perform a specific job in the organization. It may also include preparation and training for the staff. Second, is Better Managers, here it will not only teach how managers developed or build teams but also becoming a more personalized type of manager whose main duty is to carefully addressed the issues of the staff for him to perform quality results for the company, typical mentoring and coaching are done. Better integration, at this point, it is more on how to effectively collaborate new staff with existing ones, since there are issues that comes when these types of staff work together. For Better Connection, this is teaching how employees conduct themselves effectively through better relationship from his co-staffs as well as his supervisor or manager. Better Culture, on the other hand is preparing employee in facing multicultural type of customers, how they can be appreciated and can work effectively without experiencing dissatisfaction from their customers or colleagues from other nationalities, which are very common to multi-national companies. Lastly, is Better Accountability for Turnover, this is to teach or guide HR professionals in establishing technically sound approach and best practices in understanding the need of staffs in order to eliminate issues of retaining employees as well as other concerns. High-Turnover to High-Retention, n. d. ). Referral programs can also help employees in their performance because in this way they may not only recommend someone who they know but also they earn extra in every referral they do. The following are the most common reason why these program is being uses: Lessen your recruitment spend, Increase candidate fit your company and teams, capitalize on quality and volume in your talent pipeline, Reduce employee turnover, and lastly, Create a sustainable recruitment strategy by empowering your employees to refer

Benefits of Conducting a Business Online Essay

What benefits do you think Knight Enterprises Ltd and their customers could gain from conducting their business online? An online presence for Knight Enterprises Ltd is a powerful marketing and communication tool, an incredible source of cost-efficiency, an environmentally friendly way to work, a sign of professionalism and pretty much a requirement today. Benefits for the organisation The first benefit identified that organisation have an advantage of from internet marketing is that is it cost effective – this is because using the marketing on the internet can reach a wide range of audience from one and businesses would not need to promote themselves over other marketing mediums that cost more than using the internet. Businesses based only online are able to make profits by saving money on promotions and also just being based online is another way of saving money as they do not need to pay for buildings (includes rent, bills etc). Knights Enterprises Ltd will also be able to save money which they use for other expanding business methods which can attract various customers. The organisation could benefit from an online presence because the opportunity is given to use social networking, emailing, their website, banner ads as their marketing strategy which is much cheaper and also easier than other marketing techniques that does not involve the internet. It is also cheaper to get more customer awareness for their business as their internet marketing (website, ads) can be seen all over the world and now their products will available for international customers as well as national. A website can be changed anytime, so businesses are able to update their online view anytime to stay with the latest trend etc. The business can constantly add more products to their collection and update their business. With internet marketing available the organisation is able to do this anytime making it cheaper and quicker. A forum can also be added to the website for customers where they can comment and give opinion and the organisation will reply to them instantly like an online conversation giving them the advantage of gaining customer awareness; attracting more customers; retaining their customers they have already and gaining their trust Two-Way Communicative Marketing The two way communication is second advantage of online business because they can get their feedback really quickly and also can improve their Customers service and products. Cheap Market Research Market research is information about consumers, competitors and the effectiveness of marketing programs. Small business owners use market research to determine the feasibility of a new business, test interest in new products or services, and improve aspects of their businesses. Improve credibility The website gives the organisation opportunity to tell potential customers what their company is all about and why customers should trust them have confidence when they use website. Growth Opportunity A website serves as a great place to refer potential investors to, to show them what your company is about, this will provided all the information about the company to the customers, how well the company is doing, in terms of profit, revenue total sales etc. We can also guess from their customer’s reply how much better they are than before. Awareness Internet marketing enables businesses to see and compare with other businesses and compete with them more easily. They can view how much customers they have whether they are female or male and can use this to segment their targeted audience and market their business and products in ways that suit their customers. 24/7 Presence One of the biggest advantage of online business is that they don’t have to worry about time because they are available 27/ 7 no risk of losing customer. The website can provide all the information that customers need can see the latest product been offered; it also saves people travel cost they can do shopping anytime with even thinking about day and night. They can gain more customers by this as customers that aren’t able to go to the shops in person at a certain time can access a business website anytime. Benefits for the customers Offer Convenience This is more convenient then going somewhere else to buy or find out something because it’s just one click of a button and all the information will come in front of the screen we need; it’s much better than ringing a company and waiting in the queue talking to or asking them about their product. Some customers prefer website rather than taking or travelling which is quicker and best service. 24/7 Shop One needs not to worry about the closing time of a store as it 24/7 online. They can whenever they feel like. Online business now meets people’s lifestyle. There is no need to worry about leaving work then popping into stores. People now have the opportunity to shop within the comfort of their own home. †¢People with disabilities or other special needs can stay at home and make orders. †¢Discounted prices and voucher savings.

Silkie Sees Joan Essays - The Silkie, Silkie, Chicken, Free Essays

Silkie Sees Joan Essays - The Silkie, Silkie, Chicken, Free Essays Silkie Sees Joan The story "Silkie" by Joyce Carol Oates is a story that is set for today. It is the typical story of a female having unprotected sex with a male. The male then wants no part of this child, and sends the female off to send for herself. Usually the female must raise the child herself. This is not true in Silkie's case. She winds up living happily with the man of her dreams. Silkie realizes that she will have a place to live and a husband to take care of her child. When she comes home after talking with Nathan she tells her mother that, "it's all settled." Another reason why "Silkie" is a happy story is because Joan finally realizes that she can no longer be Silkie. She can not play this charade any more. Joan is getting older and learns the Silkie was a fantasy which she overplayed. "I rest my hand on top of his, like a woman in a movie . . ." Joan realizes that she is doing things that are not part of reality. She is living in a movie world but is trying to change herself for the better. "I shrug my shoulders again in a way I must have picked up from someone. It isn't a habit I like." Joan realized that she does not even like this Silkie person that she has become. She has picked up bad habits that she does not want but has acquired because of who she pretended to be. Realizing the errors of your ways is another part of growing up and realizing who you are. " And, like Mama said, making a hard mouth-mouthed little joke, if I had done some thinking a few weeks back I wouldn't need to be wearing myself out with it now." Joan realizes that getting pregnant was the irresponsible thing to do. By searching out Nathan she is trying to take responsibility for her actions. She does not tell her mother that she is wrong but instead agrees with her. Once again she realizes that Silkie must die. ". . ., but a real person standing here in flat black shoes wore over at the heel and a skirt that already felt too tight even if it is my imagination,..." The skirt that Joan is wearing is something only Silkie would wear. Joan realizes this and this is all part of her growing up. Also, Joans big realization is when she looks into the river. When looking into a river your reflection is usually seen. Joan did not see her reflection but instead saw a dirty creek. She realizes that she really has led a "dirty" life. She has gone out and gotten pregnant with a man who wants no part of her. " When we were little kids the river was always exciting . . ." The problem now is that Joan can not be Silkie the child any longer. Silkie is a dirty woman who can no longer live the way she was living. Silkie must now transform into Joan. Lastly, Silkie understands that if she marries Nathan she will not live an extravagant lifestyle. " I know that I will die in that room, that I will live out my life and die there or in a room just like it somewhere else or in a rented house with three or for rooms just like it, . . ." Nathan is only a gas station attendant who does not seem to be going far. She must live a normal everyday life without any "extras" but does not mind this. Growing up is not something that is easy to do. Going out into the "real world" can be a dangerous thing, especially if you do not know what you are getting into. This was the case with Silkie. Something bad had to happen to her to make her realize that Silkie must leave and Joan must now take over. Luckily there was a compassionate male in order to ease her trouble, and give her and her child a place to live.

Ybarra v. Spangard Case

Ybarra v. Spangard Case Introduction People make mistakes and it is obvious that people forgive, however, when it deals with medical malpractice, the mistakes are forbidden, however, they still occur. Ybarra v. Spangard is a case study which deals with a specific situation when doctor’s mistake has lead to patient’s injury.Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on Ybarra v. Spangard Case specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Clinical negligence is a very serious and one of the most complicated accusing as at one and the same time the fault of a person is difficult to achieve. Having considered the case study Ybarra v. Spangard, the form of negligence that best fits this case is going to be discussed along with the elements for a claim of negligence found there. Which form of negligence best fits this case? The duty of care is one of the clinical negligence which perfectly fits the situation. One of the main reasons for this is the four elements which are included in its definition, which are as follows, â€Å"the medical professional had a DUTY OF CARE owed to the plaintiff†, â€Å"the medical professional BREACHED that DUTY OF CARE†, â€Å"the breach was both the ACTUAL and PROXIMATE CAUSE of the injury†, and â€Å"the injury resulted in DAMAGES to the plaintiff† (Negligence, 2009). In our case, the plaintiff was injured, however, due to anesthesia he is unable to make sure who of the doctors was responsible for it. Being put at the operational table, doctors failed to follow whether the patient is appropriately comforted. Due to anesthesia, a patient was unable to comfort himself as well as he was unable to say about some problems which made him feel pain. Therefore, the doctors failed to take care of a patient while they had such a duty. Are all the elements for a claim of negligence found in the case? Identify each of the four Ds. Before answering a question whether all the element s for a claim of negligence are found in the case or not, it is important to enumerate those elements. Duty, dereliction, direct cause and damages are elements for a claim of negligence (Lynch, Hancox, Happell, Parker, 2009). Duty means the obligation of a person to take care over another one.Advertising Looking for case study on health law? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Doctors had to care for a patient and the inability of them to complete this task makes this element related to the case study. Dereliction of duty means that a doctor did not provided an expected duty of care. This is also a correct statement as in this case doctors are responsible for patient’s welfare, but their actions and dereliction led to patient’s trauma. Doctors’ actions and their dereliction have led to the paralysis of a hand. Finally, damage to patient’s health was made. Summary The case under consideration dwells upon the medical negligence when a duty of care is violated. Having put a patient at the operation desk, no one of the doctors and nurses cared for comfortable and appropriate position of the patient’s body. As a result, a patient got a neck and shoulder injury. The operation was devoted to appendices, therefore, surgeon could not cause such problem. Staying at the hospital a patient received treatment, however, it was useless. After the discharge from the hospital, pain increased and sooner a patient was diagnosed with paralysis of a hand (Ybarra v. Spangard, 1944). Therefore, the violation of the duty of care is the reason of doctors’ negligence. Reference List Lynch, L., Hancox, K., Happell, B., Parker, J. (2009). Clinical Supervision for Nurses. New York: John Wiley Sons. Negligence. (2009). Sitemason Vanderbilt. Web. Ybarra v. Spangard. (1944). 25 Cal.2d 486, 154 P.2d 687.

En Fait French Expression Explained

En Fait French Expression Explained The French expression en fait (pronounced [a(n) feht]) is a statement of contradiction, used when you want to set the record straight. Its the equivalent of saying something like in fact, as a matter of fact or actually in English. Its  register  is normal. Examples   Ã‚  -As-tu faim ? -Non, en fait, jai dà ©j mangà ©.-Are you hungry? -No, actually, Ive already eaten.   Ã‚  -Javais pensà © que nous allions le faire ensemble, mais en fait jà ©tais tout seul.-Id thought we were going to do it together, but, in fact, I was by myself. Confusions There are two potential confusions with the expression en fait: Its really only used to contradict something. In English, theres another meaning of in fact, where you agree with what was just said and want to add some more information, as in Yes, in fact, thats a good idea. In this case, a better translation of in fact is en effet, effectivement, or possibly justement.Though it may sound similar, the expression au fait means something very different.

Vocational Learner's Mathematical Knowledge Essay

Vocational Learner's Mathematical Knowledge - Essay Example Nevertheless, disciplines requiring advance quantitative analysis have often been much more of a challenge for Joe than most other courses. Areas of significant difficulty have traditionally been algebra, chemistry, and statistics. So far, Joe has passed a number of quantitative courses but has expressed that in many of them he did so experiencing significant academic difficulty. During his college career, he has successfully completed a number of such courses including vocational math, college algebra, introductory chemistry, trigonometry, two courses in physics with laboratories, calculus for business and social science, C programming, and finite math. Joe admitted to having taken the prerequisites to some of these courses numerous times. Nevertheless, he maintains certain career goals. Thus, these career goals constitute his need for gaining greater mastery over quantitative challenges. Joe's goals included completion of a master's degree in management information systems by fall of next year. The remainder of this curriculum includes at least four math related courses. Joe also plans to enter medical school by August of 2011. To qualify, he must include four chemistry courses with labs by that time. In all, Joe needs 8 more classes in math and science. Because of the level difficulty in these courses, the plan of action is two-pronged. One prong is to divide up the course evenly throughout the remaining semesters. In this way, a sum of difficulties may be broken down into more manageable chunks. This is one way in which the tasks may become easier for this learner. The other prong in our plan is to have Joe take as many of these classes at night at his local community college as he can. Night classes tend to be less intense and meet less often than day courses, and community colleges usually have fewer students per class than a four year institution. This affords students the opportunity to access the instructor more readily than in the event of serious comprehension trouble. These two ways combined should lend a certain amount of mitigation of the challenges that are inherit in these courses, especially for someone like our subject who needs to develop habits to meet these requirements squarely. Our recommendations mirror his career goal requirements. It is recommended that he takes a course in Financial or Managerial Accounting, Microeconomics, Introductory Finance, Inorganic Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Biochemistry as well as Business and Advanced Statistics to meet these needs. As stated in our plan of action, these classes should be divvied up between summer of 2009, fall of 2009, spring of 2010, summer of 2010, fall of 2010, spring of 2011, and summer of 2011. That would boil down to about one class per semester. One quantitative class per semester should be sufficiently uncomplicated to achieve the ends satisfactorily. There are a number of cognitive skills at play in the practice of quantitative analysis. One is simply counting. All mathematical functions are derived from the rules of the number line. Next is logic, logic constitutes the use of concrete rules to manipulate facts and figures. Another is measure. By measure we mean to apply the counting and its derivatives as well as logic to observe our natural world. Perhaps a more abstract concept is that of extrapolation - where we take our measures and through statistical analysis or algebraic

Short summary of the key industry speakers from the field trip, Essay

Short summary of the key industry speakers from the field trip, drawing conclusions of their overall importance to the developme - Essay Example The Airlines has partnered with the tour operations for catering to the package deals rather than the individual customers because the place is visited mostly for tourism purpose. The company has rendered its services to the government during time of catastrophe of the Tsunami which has provided an additional leverage to popularity of the brand. The company has entered the Chinese market rather than the Singapore market because the market is untapped and there is a lot of scope to enter into alliances with the other Airlines flying to different parts of the world. Since the journeys are longer, the company intends to make the trip an entertaining one and set up sales agencies in China from where the potential customers can be acquired (Fiji Airways, 2013, p. 1). b) A number of areas of consideration are there where the airline intends to improve its services. It includes the frequency of the flights and more accuracy in the timings. The company can add more destinations to its portfo lio which would improve the sales of Fiji Airlines. For the flight services, Fiji Airways would make improvisation of their menu serving a 5 course meal and better wines since the flight timings are longer and the travellers need to be engaged. The Fiji Airways can make the tourism of Fiji popular to the rest of the world with the effective use of the Brand name. Tourism Fiji a) Since Tourism is the main source of income for Fiji Islands, the initiative of the government to promote the Tourism is on various grounds. The Brand Fiji is a composite package of the luxury resorts, the private islands for the tourists, the sun bathed beaches and the adventures that are arranged for the potential customers. Tourism Fiji has attempted at the consolidation of the markets at US, Australia, New Zealand and other places internationally. The country as to move towards a more sustainable tourism by involving more of the local people into the activities through empowerment. The country provides a 4 month Visa option to the customers to encourage their stay in the islands (Official Website of Tourism Fiji, 2013, p.1). b) Tourism Fiji has various challenges lying ahead of it. People only look at the principal islands when they plan their travel but ignore other regions. There are limitations on the facilities that the resorts would provide along with the restrictions on the flexibility of the flights. The government has to continuously invest in the development and up gradation of the facilities in the disaster prone islands. The misperception of the people about the pricing and quality has made several tourists hesitant to opt for the Fiji tour. Since the tourism at the present stage is mostly on the fag ends of the customer continuum, more medium category of tourism facilities has to be arranged so that the number of visitors gets increased. The places which are preferred by the tourists especially the northern parts do not have enough hotel facilities. The establishment of the individual island brands like Denarau have to be encouraged by Tourism Fiji so that they act as catalysts in the tourism development. South Sea Cruises a) Being the leader in the maritime operator services in Fiji this Brand provides the water transportation to various parts of the

Specifying the components to build a PC Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Specifying the components to build a PC - Essay Example Same is the case with other components. Let us consider that we want to buy a computer for our personal use. A personal computer (PC) does not need to have very high performance and costly components. The main components that should be the better ones are the processor and the RAM. Because these two components, if are of best capabilities, ensure the working performance of the whole system. A personal computer should be optimized for multimedia, gaming and application programs like word processors, spreadsheet programs, etc. It should be capable of running programs in parallel as most people like to listen to their favorite music while typing an email to one the best friends, etc. Computer games often contain a lot of transitional effects and animations, so LCD supportive to high resolutions will be a good choice. Budget is always the most important consideration in buying a computer. Always define a proper budget range in which you can easily afford to buy the computer. This will help you to decide the components that will be suitable to purchase within your budget range. After the budget is decided, make a list of the components that you want to be attached to your machine. In our scenario, let us consider that we have $800 budget in total. We will try to get the best possible components within this budget. Now we have to decide the components that are required for our computer. First we have to make a list of those components that are a must for the computer to work. These components are as follows: This is a list of all those components that are necessary for every personal computer to work properly. The system will have built-in VGA, sound card and an internal speaker. Now, we will try to take a look at these components in detail and try to get the best suited components within our budget and as per our requirements. If we look at the quotation given in the above section, it

Organisational Structure and design for a virtual world - Dell case Essay

Organisational Structure and design for a virtual world - Dell case - Essay Example But like every coin has two sides the virtual world also has limitations too (Camarinha-Matos and Afsarmanesh, n.d., p.4-6). This project deal is about the case of Dell who uses the virtual organisation’s model for its operations. The case outlines the opportunities that the virtual organisation’s model has provided to the Dell in improving its operations as well as the limitations the company faces because of using virtual organisation structure. The report includes a detailed study on the virtual organisation including the merits and the demerits of these types of organisational structure. The organisational structure has been analysed in detail to assess compare the different organisational structures with the virtual organisational structure. The case have been critically analysed to assess the strength and weakness of the company on using this type of organisational structure so that solutions can be identified for improving the limitations. Company background Dell Computer Incorporation which began its operations during 1984 as a hardware manufacturing firm under the leadership of Michael Dell is found to diversify its operations to enter the electronic commerce paradigm. The company initially depended greatly on revenues emanating from direct sales operations which were conducted based on orders received out of telephonic contacts. Dell being able to serve orders in an optimal manner became successful to gain huge amount of business profits in a quick span of time. Diversification from the current business and sales strategy was assumed by the company by drifting from direct sales to conducting sales through the help of internet. ... Diversification from the current business and sales strategy was assumed by the company by drifting from direct sales to conducting sales through the help of internet. For the above purpose the company went in to create its own website where different types of products along with relevant information were published which helped the clients of the concern to effectively book them. Operating based on the orders placed in by the clients as during the direct selling period it helped in to maximise the utilisation of is electronic commerce interface. The electronic commerce interface not only helped the company to enhance its sales revenue on a daily basis but also helped the concern to enhance its relation with its clients and customers. Clients of Dell obtained the pleasure of getting their queries addressed online which thereby enhanced the goodwill factor of the company. Enhancement of the electronic commerce paradigm was conducted by the company by engaging its supplier network which helped the company management gain control over its production parameters and deliver ordered products on a timely basis. In this context the company also designed a separate organisational team which mainly started focusing on the electronic commerce process in order to enhance its feasibility (Kraemer and Dedrick, 2001, p.4-6). Literature review Virtual organisation The advance use of information technology helped to create a newer organisational structure which is referred to as virtual in nature. In this regard, Wiesenfeld, Raghuram and Garud (1998) state that the virtual nature of the organisation is enabled owing to the connection of different organisational activities based on an online

Guillermo Furniture Store Concepts Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Guillermo Furniture Store Concepts - Essay Example The labor component in furniture manufacturing, in case of Guillermo, is substantial because all its products are hand-crafted and the company has no way to control its labor cost. On the contrary, it is on increase due to influx of other businesses for the favorable conditions in the region. Financial Concepts Involved Guillermo has to view the whole business scenario from a different perspective. If the company decides to be high-tech just like its competitor to replace its costly labor, then the company needs to estimate the risk-return trade-offs as making the company automated will require huge capital investment. In this process, Guillermo will need to apply numerous financial concepts to arrive at the conclusion whether it is worth investing huge capital to thwart the challenge posed by the competitor. First of all, the company needs to undertake a detailed budgeting exercise to evaluate the viability of high-tech model of manufacturing in its case. The company would need to e stimate the total fund requirement for going high-tech in this business. The company will have option of financing this capital expenditure either through equity or through mix of debt and equity. In the case of later, important thing will be to find appropriate debt-equity ratio for financing the project. Guillermo being a running and profitable company can certainly attract banks and other financial institutions to lend them for this project but leveraging should be within the prevailing norms as applicable for these kinds of businesses. High leveraging (high debt) creates higher business risk and that must be avoided as often occurs during economic slowdown. In a bid to ascertain financial viability of the investment, the company will need to estimate the break-even point in terms of volume (no. of pieces of each product variety) and value both. Break-even volumes will mean all revenue earnings meet all expenses of the company including fixed and variable ones. The break-even cal culations (Break-even analysis, 2012) will also force them to chalk its marketing and sales strategy – the distribution channels, number of retail shops and the geographical reach necessary to achieve those sales. The financial budget formation, capital required, capital structure deciding about equity-debt ratio, break-even volume analysis, cost of capital including weighted average cost of capital (Weighted Average Cost of Capital – WACC, 2012) present value of all expected future streams of revenue (Present value, 2012) until the useful life of machines, internal rate of return (Internal Rate of Return, 2012) will finally decide whether it is worth investing in the automation process so as to compete with the overseas firm effectively. Conclusion It is certain that Guillermo has gone through above mentioned detailed financial viability analysis to ascertain whether the company should go for this new business model or not. Having found the return on investment not lu crative, the company thought of outsourcing entire supply from a second competitor who has similar business model of manufacturing process

Market structures Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Market structures - Essay Example Since the market power is equitably distributed among the sellers in this market who sell homogenous products the markets generally have a downward sloping demand curve. On the other hand the individual firm will face a horizontal demand curve as the price would be set by the market and it will be given to the individual seller. While the market equilibrium of a perfect competition would be at the point of intersection of the demand the supply curve, the individual firm will produce at the point where Marginal Cost curve cuts the Average cost curve from below. In this figure the firm will earn only normal profits as the firm has to supply the products in the market at the price which is equal to the cost of production of the company. Source: Arnold, 2013 Characteristics There is no barrier to entry or exit in this type of market. Any firm may easily come into the competitive scenario and may leave the market without having a major effect on the demand and supply in the market. The fi rms sell homogenous products which mean that the buyers would be indifferent between the sellers who offer the products in the market. ... Each of the firms has a single portion of the market share. The production will take place at the point where ATC curve is tangent to the market demand curve instead of the point where the MC curve cuts the ATC curve from below. Source: Arnold, 2013 Characteristics: The products sold in a monopolistic competition are a differentiated product which means they are not perfect substitutes of one another. The produces have some control over the market price and hence there is excess capacity in the process of production. The quantity produced would be less compared to that of perfectly competitive markets. Monopoly In a monopoly market there is a single seller and a large number of buyers. Since the entire market power is in the hands of the single seller the price is set above the price that is present in the perfectly competitive markets. The monopolist will produce at the point where MR is equal to MC. This is depicted in the diagram below. Source: Varian, 2010 Characteristics In case of a monopolist there is presence of excess capacity and the quantity produced is less than that of the competitive markets. There is high barrier to enter the monopolistic market is very high. Oligopoly An oligopolistic market is that which has a few sellers and a large number of buyers. The market power is distributed among the sellers of the markets. There may be different types of oligopolistic competition. While some firms may be fighting price competition the others would fight the quantity competition. Characteristics The firms in the oligopolistic markets are the price setters. The barriers to entry in this type of market are high. Answer 2 The market for fresh vegetables in the city is an example of perfectly competitive market. In this market there are a large number of

Guillermo Furniture Store Concepts Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Guillermo Furniture Store Concepts - Essay Example The labor component in furniture manufacturing, in case of Guillermo, is substantial because all its products are hand-crafted and the company has no way to control its labor cost. On the contrary, it is on increase due to influx of other businesses for the favorable conditions in the region. Financial Concepts Involved Guillermo has to view the whole business scenario from a different perspective. If the company decides to be high-tech just like its competitor to replace its costly labor, then the company needs to estimate the risk-return trade-offs as making the company automated will require huge capital investment. In this process, Guillermo will need to apply numerous financial concepts to arrive at the conclusion whether it is worth investing huge capital to thwart the challenge posed by the competitor. First of all, the company needs to undertake a detailed budgeting exercise to evaluate the viability of high-tech model of manufacturing in its case. The company would need to e stimate the total fund requirement for going high-tech in this business. The company will have option of financing this capital expenditure either through equity or through mix of debt and equity. In the case of later, important thing will be to find appropriate debt-equity ratio for financing the project. Guillermo being a running and profitable company can certainly attract banks and other financial institutions to lend them for this project but leveraging should be within the prevailing norms as applicable for these kinds of businesses. High leveraging (high debt) creates higher business risk and that must be avoided as often occurs during economic slowdown. In a bid to ascertain financial viability of the investment, the company will need to estimate the break-even point in terms of volume (no. of pieces of each product variety) and value both. Break-even volumes will mean all revenue earnings meet all expenses of the company including fixed and variable ones. The break-even cal culations (Break-even analysis, 2012) will also force them to chalk its marketing and sales strategy – the distribution channels, number of retail shops and the geographical reach necessary to achieve those sales. The financial budget formation, capital required, capital structure deciding about equity-debt ratio, break-even volume analysis, cost of capital including weighted average cost of capital (Weighted Average Cost of Capital – WACC, 2012) present value of all expected future streams of revenue (Present value, 2012) until the useful life of machines, internal rate of return (Internal Rate of Return, 2012) will finally decide whether it is worth investing in the automation process so as to compete with the overseas firm effectively. Conclusion It is certain that Guillermo has gone through above mentioned detailed financial viability analysis to ascertain whether the company should go for this new business model or not. Having found the return on investment not lu crative, the company thought of outsourcing entire supply from a second competitor who has similar business model of manufacturing process

Professional development matrix Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Professional development matrix - Assignment Example I approach the challenging tasks with a ‘can do’ attitude. This increases my credibility among the colleagues and also boosts my own confidence level. Mostly, people favour my ideas and strategies because I am very careful and thoughtful in making decisions. I rarely jump to the conclusions. I opt to make a conclusion only after analyzing the whole scenario. When it comes to team work, my team also benefits a lot from my confidence. My potential area for development will be to manage myself in stressful situations and try to project politeness and calmness when faced with such situations. â€Å"Confidence is your ability to be successful in part as expectation based on past experiences†. Although, the past experiences play an important role in decision making, but still all events are not same. I am slow in making decisions. I step back, ponder and observe others actions and act accordingly. I have learned that people may not always agree to my point of view. Work ing in a diverse environment, my attitude must have essence of self control. I have to significantly develop my skills of communication with others and present them with my point of view. Self Management (Carnegie ,1977) Potential Learning (Schon, 1983) Reflective Thinking (Rodgers 2002) Interpersonal competency selected:- Communication Skills â€Å"Communication skills do not refer to the way in which we communicate with others. It includes the way in which we respond to each an every gestures of other†. The way we speak, our body gestures, facial expressions and tone of the voice, all these are included in the communication skills. Working in a diverse workplace, one has to be very careful about his/her way of communication. For me, the most useful and significant aspect of workplace is the way you communicate with others around you. I am good at listening and assimilating information. I always avoid conflicts and handle emotions well. I am very tactful even with the people that I don’t like. I control myself very well at times when my strategies and approaches are not given importance. On reflection, sometimes my self confidence makes things a bit problematic. My potential area for development will be managing my facial expressions. Often, I have little control over my expressions and that is a huge weak point that I plan to work on. I will start to use more firm and self assured strategies while communicating. Also, I will make it a point to ensure that I remain open and honest in my communication. Communication Skills (Pitceathly & Maguire 2002) Leadership Skills (Hollenbeck & McCall 2006) Self-Development competency selected:- Critical and Analytical Thinking I consciously make an effort to project a positive self image. I critically analyze my decisions and abilities. This helps me in accepting others views and opinion. I analyze my managerial thinking by asking my team members. This helps me in accepting new ways of management and also in changing the behaviour that is unacceptable to my team. My approaches are thorough and methodical and are always supported by my fellows and team. I need to identify my defensive issues. I will have to request for the feedback and should not fear failures. I need to share my failures and successes openly. I need to ensure that I admit my wrong decisions and

Black Men and Public Space Essay Example for Free

Black Men and Public Space Essay In Brent Staples’ personal essay â€Å"Black Men and Public Space†, he tells the readers what happen to a young black man in an urban setting. He pinpointed that people often stereotype you because of color, race, gender, culture or appearance. In addition, the author expresses to us that he notices the space between him and other people, such as women on the street. Some people may disagree that women set a certain amount of space when walking by a black man on the street. This statement is not true and public space is not about race, gender, color, culture, or appearance. Do we as a people stereotype other people because of race or gender? I believe that race plays a big role when viewing other people, either if were walking down the street or walking into the store. We have a specific view of people from other races and even their own. For example, a black businesswoman might stereotype another woman from her own race because she may not have the same attire as her or grew up in a different area. A white businesswoman might look down on another white women who make less money than her like she is no one, which is not true. But back to Staples’, he once said that a woman cast worried glance at Staples when she saw him walking down the street. Staples found this to be a little strange as he walks too close to the women she seems to pick up her pace of speed after a few glimpses of Staples. In this part of the essay, Staples had a sense that a woman who barely knows him was probably stereotyping him. In addition, he stated that when he would walk in front of a car when people were at a stoplight, men and women would lock their car doors. In recent news in the put exact month it happened year 2013, there was a famous story about a young boy named Trayvon Martin. Trayvon’s story can relate well with the author personal essay. Just like Staples, Travyon was a young African American boy who was stereotyped by the way he looked by someone of another race. The person that speculated young Trayvon to be dangerous was a Latino man, name George Zimmerman who was well over Trayvon’s age, and thought the young boy had a gun in his pocket and was going to shoot him. Zimmerman perceived Trayvon to be a dangerous threat to the person of a different race but in reality he was a young boy with a hoodie over his head and skittles in his pocket. Staples personal essay relates to this story because when he walks into a store or down the street people would look at him in a different light. Just because he is young African American man walking down the street or into the store doesn’t mean he will steal, kill, or rape someone. Instead looking down on people of other races than our own, we other need to be optimistic because not everyone is the same. People shouldn’t have to change their demeanor for other people not to be scared of them because of what they look like or their race. Brent Staples believed that the woman in his personal essay thought he was a rapist, mugger, or worse, he noted that there was a certain amount distance between him and women especially at night. This proves to show that when people are being stereotyped they pay close attention to gender as well as race. You’re less likely to be afraid of a black woman, or any woman, walking down the street at night. When the woman saw a black man it seemed as if she felt trapped and that the narrator closing in on her only made her more anxious and ready to run. Would the situation be the same if a black woman were walking behind her? I believe the situation would be nothing similar to what the narrator experienced. Most people see women as less intimidating than a man. I know if a woman was wearing a hoodie and walking behind me I would be less scared and intimidated than if a man was walking behind me. I think part of that is our perception of the opposite sex. I perceive men as stronger than women, no matter what their race is. It’s just the image that we get from the media, our parents, and our surroundings. Either way people are stereotyped everyday, it doesn’t matter if you are black/white or a man/woman. As a whole we need to stop labeling people by the way they look because one day we might mistake the wrong person that appears to be a good a person but in reality they are the rapist or mugger. So before you decide to give off any perception of anyone by the way they look, you should be optimistic and have an open mind towards other people, but still have guard up.

Merger of Cadburys and Kraft | HR Analysis

Merger of Cadburys and Kraft | HR Analysis Cadbury being one of the top lead and almost 200 years old confectionery company having chocolate, gum and candy brands in the portfolio , with a power of making brands like Cadbury, Trident and Halls, that people love. John Cadbury, in 1824 started cocoa and chocolate selling shop in Birmingham. Since then the business kept expanding over time around the world, and today operates in more than 60 countries, with over 35000 direct and indirect suppliers and having more than 45000 employees Cadburys HR department Cadbury operates in more than 60 countries all around the world. Each of the factories has its own HR department that deal with the demand of the workers of the region according to their local situations and demands. Like all other HR departments, it deals with the efficient and effective utilization of resources available. The HR department actively takes care of the following: Recruitment of new staff that must have good skill level or past experience of working at factories of similar kind. Provision of training to new and existing staff so that they are fully equipped with knowledge of any new equipment or procedure brought in and will be able to use it efficiently. Helping the existing workers with problems that they may have at work place. The problems that Cadburys HR department is most likely to face are: Potential employees have in adequate skill or knowledge creating a skill gap. Other factories create competition among staff and creating a deficiency of new staff. Increase in staff turnover in different situation affect production GUEST MODEL: Through statistics and evidences we can easily identify the active management at Cadbury that not only seek betterment of its business but continuously strives for development for the people it holds and for the people that looks forward in joining hands with the company. In this way the Guest model fits in the best with the companys strategies and outcomes. The Cadburys powerful organizational policies can be understood by any good marketer through the managerial decision it takes in the market all over the world. The utmost emphasis on human resource development has helped Cadbury to gain the loyalty of its employees. The employees that are working with the company have created a good will of the company in market such a way that new graduates seek opportunity to work with the company. (Cadbury) The proactive approach of providing equal opportunities to the workers for their development and encouragement packages that the existing employees are enjoying helped to maximum decrease in the turnover and absenteeism percentage. The flexibility employees get during their tenure help them enjoy their work. The organizations communication system is well operated. The management gives a platform to its employees and not only that, they assure the employees that they have a devoted audience that will welcome whatever they place upon that platform. This strategy has helped tremendously that it has not only reduced the grievance level but have also again helped in the reducing the absences. Thus, all the statistics, feedback of employees and consumers and the well known companys market reputation indicates the companys conformance best with the Guest Model. KRAFT: ABOUT KRAFT: A US manufacturer, Kraft, being the second largest food company with approximately $ 50 billions revenue, doing business in more than 160 countries. A company that grew out of cheese whole sale and delivery business started in Chicago in 1903 by James L. Kraft. It later on incorporated as Kraft Bros, Co. in 1909. It acquired Philip Morris Cos in 1988 and later on renamed it as Altira Group Inc., in 2003. THE CULTURE: At Kraft, being open and inclusive a simple concept to follow that has became a part of their core company value in action and that guides their behavior. Being open and inclusive is critical to creating a delicious work experience for our employees and business partners. And its the foundation of our strategy to build a high-performing culture. (Krafts management) Their business style: Two words open and inclusive has become the core code of all the business Kraft do everyday, from training and development programs to the accountability in leadership objectives. THE HR PERSPECTIVE: The Kraft believe in attaining heights through their diverse workforce is one of the modern day technique. Krafts Human resource approach revolves around the same perspective. The management claimed to be providing equal opportunities and rights to different races and color people working at Kraft. At Kraft, following key points are emphasized and are followed religiously: Provision of training for every employee to value the diversity creating a sustainable culture of welcoming differences and values. Their diversity-focused council aligns objectives with the business strategies in order to enhance the impact. HARVARD MODEL: Kraft Foods Company fits in with the Harvard model for HRM. The reviews, feedbacks and statistics indicated that the company emphasis on the company as a whole with respect to its employees. The Kraft management is working with the situations of the worlds market in formulation of policies and making organization wide decision. It works in interest of all the members i.e. stakeholders, of the company. Although the model is weaker than the others and has a fair vulnerability to Unitarianism but it is a much more appropriate model of reference. The decisions the company have made over time had given us the idea that the company works in between constraints and choices that made the company a successful and still growing one. The influence of company itself on the unique contribution within the environmental and organizational parameters not only depicts the management as the real actor but also confirms its conformity with the model. The hr perspective also indicates the active HRM the company has that gives the 4 C outcome that is obvious enough through the employees feedbacks that have been reviewed. In the last the model gives three types of long term consequences i.e. individual based, organization based and societal level. At individual (employee) level, the psychological rewards a worker receives in exchange for efforts. At organizational level, increased effectiveness that ensures the survival and growth of organization. These two levels in turn, enable the societal level as; these two levels make its possible for fully utilization of human resource available and thus, societal goals like employment and growth are easily attained. STRATEGIC HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT: CADBURY: Strategic human resource management aims at the improvement of the way human resources are managed strategically within organizations, with the definitive goal of improving organizational performance, as judged by its impact on the organizations declared corporate strategy, the customer or shareholders. It is a philosophy of people management based on the belief that human resources are uniquely important to sustain the success of a business. It can also be defined as the process of linking the human resource functions with the strategic objectives of the organization in order to improve performance. Strategic human resource management involves the linking of HRM with the strategic goals and objectives of the organization in order to achieve a progressive business performance and achieve an organizational structure that promotes innovation and flexibility. Strategic HRM according to text published in 2004 has emerged as a major approach to improving the competitive advantage of the firm. The strategic management is concerned with policy decisions effecting the entire organization, overall objective being to position the organization to deal effectively with its environment. Strategic HRM aims to provide a sense of direction in an often turbulent environment so that organizational and business needs can be translated into coherent and practical policies and programs. It provides competitive advantage over the others. (Malik, 2009) The goals and objectives of HRM are aligned with the strategic objectives and plans of the organization. The case referred presents a clear picture of an organization that works with clear business objectives i.e. to deliver shareholder performance. The company works with the aim at dividends. The company policy works with the vision that the people it holds are the most important asset that not only works for the company but also integral in achieving the desired goals. Through different papers and journals we saw that the management is managing its human resources in a contingent manner. Thus, we can say that they are following the contingency approach.ÂÂ   Many advocates of the contingency theory of SHRM a company can only be effective if its policies and strategies align with the other key factors and strategies of the firm. According to journal HR must be closely integrated into the planning process of a firm. They also believed that a firm can achieve success if it is able to develop HR policies and practices that complement and support other HR policies and practices and other elements of the organizations strategic plan. (TME) Thus it is evident enough in the case that Cadbury considers its people as a source of competitive advantage and believes that they work as the main contributors to the companys success. The company also seeks and welcomes changes. The goals and objectives are clear and in order to achieve the goals and set objectives it must be aligned with the efforts of its people. The only way to observe such a trend is through Strategic Human Resource. As the company requires active and effective communication with its human resource and it plays the most important role in the companys approach, and in conveying all the policies, plans and strategies so that people at work can synchronize their efforts. The mere fact that Cadbury Schweppes has an HR director on the main board and that HR is represented at every regional business unit make it obvious that the company recognizes the strategic importance of human resources and takes HR issues and concerns seriously. (Cadbury) Cadbury is a resource based company. The company core competencies make it a resource based company. Cadburys unique strategies and policy, the working conditions and the development opportunities it provides to its employees that in turn becomes the key asset or its edge over its competitors. (TME) KRAFT: Kraft unique style of providing training and development opportunities at all level and point of time during an employees tenure makes it a best fit, best practice based company. Through analysis we can see that all the employees from top to bottom have a particular thing to be on that position. The core strategies that are followed at Kraft begin with the aim of building a high-performing organization (Kraft Foods). The provision of best fit entitles an employee for his reward in terms of promotion or training or even other means of rewards and appraisals. It also provides the top management the opportunity of enjoying a decentralized decision making power. The best fit eventually leads to best practice where a good healthy employee who is psychologically satisfied through rewards and encouragements strives to work for better tomorrow. All these practices are observed in Krafts foods operations making it Best Fit, Best Practice based company. LITERATURE REVIEWS: Kraft wins BBC Big Challenge Award for Gloucestershire (Kraft Foods, 2006) Kraft Foods today announced that it has won the BBC Big Challenge Health Works Award for Healthiest Large Employer in the BBC Radio Gloucestershire area. This award is presented to employers who have made health in the workplace one of their top priorities in 2005 and beyond. Kraft won the award for its commitment to creating a working environment that encourages and supports employees in their efforts to lead a balanced, active and healthy lifestyle. Since its launch in July 2004, Krafts employee wellbeing programme has offered advice on living a healthy lifestyle, supported activities that promote wellbeing such as pilates and yoga, provided healthy options in its staff restaurants, and offered all employees the opportunity to obtain periodical health checks through the companys occupational health team. The programme also demonstrates Krafts commitment to being a global leader in Health and Wellness, and its vision to Help people around the world to eat and live better. Christine Harrop, Occupational Health Sister at Kraft Foods won the BBC Big Challenge Unsung Hero Award for Gloucestershire an award presented to employees who have done something to inspire and encourage their colleagues to lead healthier and fitter lives. Christine won the award for her commitment to the health and wellbeing of Kraft employees, and her role over the past 18 years in participating and encouraging Kraft employees to take part in the annual London to Brighton Bike Ride. Christine regularly manages to recruit up to 60 employees to participate in the initiative and has raised thousands of pounds for the events chosen charity, the British Heart Foundation. Commenting on the two awards, Jim Beaty, HR Director stated Its a terrific achievement and recognition for the efforts of all employees who have contributed to the success of the employee wellbeing programme. Kraft Foods Names May to Global Human Resources Post. (Busniess Wire, 2005) NORTHFIELD, Ill. Kraft Foods Inc. (NYSE:KFT), a global leader in branded foods and beverages, announced today that Karen May, 47, is joining the company in October as Executive Vice President, Global Human Resources. May will provide leadership for all of Krafts human resources disciplines, including benefits, compensation, diversity, facilities management, labor and employee relations, human resources strategy, safety and security, and talent management. She will report to Roger Deromedi, Chief Executive Officer of Kraft Foods, and join the Kraft Executive Team. May replaces Terry Faulk, who is retiring after more than 38 years with the company. She will work closely with Faulk to ensure a smooth transition, prior to his retirement at the end of the year. We will truly miss Terrys vast experience and sound judgment, said Deromedi. I want to thank him for his many significant contributions to Kraft throughout his long and distinguished career, and wish him and his family the very best in his retirement. Karens broad range of experiences and thorough understanding of the Human Resources function will serve her well in this role, Deromedi noted. Im confident that shell play a key role in driving Krafts transformation to a more consumer-focused, innovative and nimble company in the years ahead. May joins Kraft from Baxter International, Inc., where she has been Corporate Vice President of Human Resources since 2001. She joined Baxter in 1990 as Director of Corporate Audit and held several positions of increasing responsibility, including Vice President of Corporate Audit and Vice President of International Finance. In 1998, she became Vice President of Global Talent Planning and Staffing at Baxter and, prior to her most recent assignment, was named Vice President of Human Resources in 2000. May began her career in finance, with PricewaterhouseCoopers. She has a BS in accountancy from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana. Kraft Foods markets many of the worlds leading food brands, including Kraft cheese, Maxwell House and Jacobs coffees, Nabisco cookies and crackers, Philadelphia cream cheese, Oscar Mayer meats, Post cereals and Milka chocolates, in more than 155 countries. CONCLUSION: After all the research it can be concluded being key players of same consumer good category companies, and apart from the merger or acquisition, both the companies have their own unique set of competitive advantage over each other. Challenges in Highway Construction | Research Proposal Challenges in Highway Construction | Research Proposal Dissertation Proposal Challenges in Highway Road Construction in Nigeria. Research Questions: Why is there a high number of highway roads in poor conditions especially in the eastern part of the country? Why is there abandoned highway roads across Nigeria despite huge investments in highway construction? Why this there a poor maintenance culture of roads across the country? Hence, this proposed dissertation would aim to address this gap in knowledge by challenges facing the highway road construction, focusing more on the supervision of highway roads of indigenous construction companies. AIM To review and identify the challenges facing the construction of highway roads in Nigeria and to provide relevant recommendations for minimising these problems. The objectives of this research proposal are: To clearly identify the challenges facing highway construction in Nigeria through literature review. To conduct a questionnaire survey and interview of professional bodies and engineers and obtain their perceptions on highway construction challenges in Nigeria (particularly professionals with 30years and over of experience). Analysis of the survey data. To recommend possible changes in the supervision of highway construction in Nigeria. Background Introduction Nigeria is the largest country in Africa in terms of size and population of 174 million with landmass of 923,768 sq. km with diverse ethnic and cultures. It has 36 states with the Federal capital at Abuja with commercial states at Kano, Lagos, and Port Harcourt representing the northern, southern and eastern parts of the country. The Construction industry contributes about 7% of the GDP (Gross Domestic Product) in Nigeria annually and the GDP per capital was about $2,800 in 2013 and is made up of small, medium and large scale companies. It is dominated by foreign companies controlling about 95% of the construction works across the country with top construction companies namely Julius Berger, Dantana Sowoe, Borini Prono, China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation, etc. OVERVIEW OF HIGHWAY CONSTRUCTION IN NIGERIA Nigeria has the largest road network in West Africa with a total of over 193,000km length which is generally funded and managed by government. Road transportation is the major means of movement in Nigeria and it accounts for about 90% of movement of goods and services (Akpogomeh, 2002). In terms of scale and value, the transport infrastructure sector is dominated by the roads and bridges which make up about 17.2% of the total construction industry in 2014. However less than 20% of the road network is paved. With the government’s commitment to development, large investments in highway roads has been awarded across the country and the sector is expected to grow. The road network in the South and eastern part of the country are denser than the other parts owing to the high population densities in the areas (Ubogu et al, 2011). For example, the population in Lagos is about 6 million which was the former capital state and is the commercial and production part of the country and hence the volume of usage of the highway roads to and fro Lagos is quite high. The total highway roads are separately owned with the responsibility for construction, maintenance, and rehabilitation.The Federal roads are about 17%, State owned roads 16%, rural and Local Government Areas (LGAs) about 67%. The funding of the construction of the highway roads comes from the allocation of budget and also revenues from excess crude oil sales. Also, some states generate funds through private partnering which is used in Lagos States. However, only about 27% of Federal roads are reported to be in good condition, of which a major cause is likely to be the instability of the country during the military regime, which later became civilian rule since 1999. Annual loss to the economy is estimated in the region of N175b (N75b due to reduction in asset value; N88b due to increased vehicle operating cost; N12b due to increased turn around and increased travel time). Due to the high cost of construction of highway roads especially in the southern part of the country characterized with poor soils, high cost of labour, the Federal government relies heavily on international aid especially from China and the World Bank. With the World Bank, funding erosion projects across the country worth over $500 million. In October 2012, in the Northern part, Kaduna State approved $176million for 31 rural and township roads, and the World Trade Organization (WTO) agreed a loan of $170million for roads as part of the Nigeria Agriculture Transformation Agenda (NATA), which targets rural development. Also, a 128km road contract in Zamafara state worth $43.47million was awarded in 2013. Over in western part of Nigeria November 2012, in one of the biggest road developments, Ogun state awarded four companies a share of $568million for road contracts. Borini Prono, China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC), Hi Tech and PW Construction will complete eight new roads by 2014, with a second phase of construction worth over $250 million. Also, the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway is one of the major road projects under development. The Infrastructure Bank Plc. is to raise NGN117bn for the reconstruction of the 127km road. Over in the Middle part of Nigeria, Delta where the country gets its crude oil from, a road construction contract worth $1.07 billion has been awarded to China Railway Construction in Nigeria. The Ministry of Delta Affairs of Nigeria awarded the package of works for Section V of the A121 East-West highway to China Civil Engineering Construction, a division of China Railway Construction with a 5 years duration to connect the main North-South highways. ITS route runs from the A1 highway at Shagamu in Ogun State to the A2 highway at Benin City in Edo State. More recently, in 2014, the governments of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) of which Nigeria is strong member approved a $50million six dual lane road projects to link Lagos, Abidjan and Dakar together cutting across Benin, Togo and Ghana. Also, the African Development Bank is expected to provide $16million for the construction and rehabilitation of roads across Africa linking the major cities. In general, the present condition of the Nigerian roads require urgent attention, in terms of rehabilitation and had a negative effect on the cost of production, lengthy travel time and standard of living ((Ubogu et al, 2011). For example, travelling from Benin to Lagos normally should take 5hours, but due to the bad road, the journey takes 8hours. Table 1.0 showing highway construction projects, value in US dollars, capacity, contractors and status. Project Name Value(US$) Capacity/length Companies Status Benin-Sagamu Highway 156 9.93km NA Under construction from 2013 Edepie-Tombia road Reconstruction 63 13km Shell Petroleum Development Company Under construction Niger Delta East- West Highway 2,175.69 338km Setraco Limited Under construction from 2013 Akwa Ibom State roads reconstruction 726 266km NA Planning stage Six lane Rig road in Niger Delta Port Harcourt 1,000 125km Africa Finance Corporation, China Harbor Eng. Company Contract awarded in 2008 East-West Road Project 2,276.3 338km Setraco Nigeria Ltd, Reynolds Construction Company Ltd, Gitto Costruzioni General Nigeria Ltd. Under construction since 2012. 51% of work completed. Ibadan-Ilorin highway upgrade 292 52km Shikin Binui Housing and Construction Under construction awarded 2010 and includes new dual carriage with interchanging bridges. Lagos- Ibadan Expressway 1054 127.6km Julius Berger, Reynolds Construction Company Ltd. Awarded 2013. Concession awarded to Bi-Courtney Highway Services ltd and was terminated and granted to Messrs Julius Berger Plc, Reynolds Construction Company. Gbongan Akoda Omoluuabi Motorway widening 185.8 30km RATON construction Nigeria Awarded May 2013 Magami-Dangulbi Dankurmi, Sabon Birni, Bagega Anka road 94.91 128km Bonny Prono Awarded Nov. 2012 Charanchi Ganuwa-Rawayau road 8.18 17km Mothercat Under construction from Oct 2013 Kaduna roads 178.1 NA NA Project Finance Closure(Funding Approved) NA-Not Available Source- Nigeria Infrastructure Report 2014 (BMI key Projects Database) SUPERVISION IN HIGHWAY CONSTRUCTION IN NIGERIA In Nigeria, supervision of highway construction is done by consultant engineers and middle level supervisors with few highway field experience, for example in the construction of say 10km rehabilitation in rural areas. A major factor affect supervision of highway projects is low knowledge of highway design and construction, understanding and interpretation of drawings, which is impossible to supervise what ones does not have knowledge of. Some processes in highway construction requires proper supervising such as the road alignment, soil tests, laying of asphalts or macadam as the case maybe. Also, the supervision should involve checking of quality of the material used for construction such as sand, laterite in accordance with the specifications in the highway drawings. In the awarding of highway roads contracts, the construction and supervision are awarded separately with competitive biddings. For example, Julius Berger, a foreign based company which specializes in highway construction which major works in Abuja city capital. The major issue is that for some construction works supervision contracts are awarded based on connection instead of actual knowledge of the supervision and hence there are no checks. But in general, most of the construction of highway roads by the foreign companies have stood the test of time. The case is not the same for home based construction companies who have limited resources and technical knowledge are awarded huge highway road contracts, with home based consultants supervising. Another issue is that the bill of the consultants supervising the construction is often times added to the entire contract and hence responsibility rests in the hands of the contractors and hence the consultants are often times forced to cut corners and save costs such as not putting a resident engineer to supervise daily and give reports. LOW KNOWLEDGE BASE. A major problem facing the highway construction is the lack of knowledge passage from the old and experienced engineers to the young, inexperienced engineers. Often times, due to the lack of availability of supervision works, most consulting firms do not employ and train engineers, engaging them in design and interpretation of drawings on site. Often times, when consulting firms get work, they employ contract based engineers to supervision leaving a huge gap of knowledge passage to the younger engineers and hence in Nigeria, most graduate Engineers have little or no construction experience. Also there is a lack of modern method of road construction especially the home based construction companies and hence many highway projects, such as highways and bridges, do not meet cost and time performance requirements. There is a poor maintenance culture of highway roads across the country and with the huge investments in highway construction, the average Nigerian lacks maintenance culture. In some cities across the country, some of the highways are constructed without the side drains and in some other cases only one side of the drains are constructed, which later causes failure of the roads. Also, litters can be seen in some of the highway roads especially in the eastern and western parts of the country which is a very serious issue which should be addressed. In the rural areas, most of the side drains are completely blocked especially in the eastern part which is prone to erosions. Another major issue within the highway construction in Nigeria is the failure of the Federal Government in paying contractors. For example, in the reconstruction of the 125km Lagos-Ibadan Expressway which was re-awarded to Julius Berger and R.C.C in which the construction is due to start due lack of payment by the government which is one of the reasons for abandoned highway projects across the country. Nigeria still uses the traditional contracting approach in which procurement is done through advertisement and bid processes has failed in performance in both the quality of construction and the management of the highways, in many developed countries adopting performance-based contract in road construction and maintenance. The Federal Ministry of Works which has branches across the 36 states with head office in Abuja the capital is responsible for all the federal highways construction which involves planning, design, construction, and rehabilitation. It is responsible for awarding for major highway contracts across the country. It also supervises and monitors construction and maintenance of the federal roads. In terms of quality, the choice of materials used, methodology and supervision are key in improving the quality and life span roads. In this regard, (Arumala 1987; and Akpododje 1986) investigated how the design standards, poor supervision and the failure of highways and found little or no evidence supporting it. Also, studies on road failure caused by use of sub-standard materials and knowledge on the geotechnical properties of the soils in which the roads are built (Ibrahim 1980; and Ola 1978). For example, the cost of road construction in the south and eastern part of the country is higher than that in the northern part mainly on the bad conditions of the soil, high cost of labour and availability of construction materials. The British code of Highway practice (BS codes) are still used in Nigeria for both in highway construction and buildings as it was a former colony of the Britain and currently a member of the Common Wealth. The Federal ministry also supervises the activities of the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) which is responsible for carryout maintenance works on the federal and state highways across the country. Research Method My proposed research method would be a qualitative research (questionnaire and interview survey). Interview survey for consultant engineers who have over 30 years’ experience in highway construction and questionnaire survey for contractors in highway construction in Nigeria. The reason being that the research requires an in depth perspective and in terms of numbers there are few engineers with over 30 years’ experience I can meet. The structure of the interview would be semi structured to allow for flexibility for 3 consultant engineers home based medium scale firms. Possible Problems Potential Solutions Possible limitations to my proposed study is the firstly the time management and a timetable has been drafted as shown below. Also the responsiveness of the interview survey could be challenging finding professional engineers and consultants with over 30 years’ experience. The research limited to home based construction companies and professionals. Conclusion Hopefully, at the end of research work, solutions could be recommended in the highway construction industry in Nigeria especially in the supervision area which would help in future planning of projects. References Alaba Adetola, et.al (2011) A critical appraisal of road transport infrastructure management in Nigeria International council for research and innovation CIB, pp.77-95. Abdulkareem, Y. and Adeoti, K. (2003), Road maintenance and National Development available at unilorin.edu.ng Adams, O. (1995) Indigenous Contractors’ Perceptions of the constraints on Contractors Performance and Development Programmes required in Nigeria. Habitat International, 19(4), pp.599-613. Adetola, A. (2011) A critical appraisal of road transport infrastructure management in Nigeria. International council for research and innovation CIB, pp.77-95. Aibinu, A. and Jagboro, G. (2002) The effects of Construction Industry, international Journal of Project Management. 20(8), pp.593-599. Nigerian Infrastructure report, 2013; 2014. (2014). A.E Okezie (2013) A case for Performance based road maintenance in Nigeria available at www.nseph.org Odeh, A. and Battaineh, H. (2002) Causes of construction delays: traditional contracts. International Journals of Project Management, 20, pp.67-73. Okigbo, N. (2012) Causes of Highway failures in Nigeria. International Journal for Engineering Science and Technology, 4(11).