Does NY stop and frisk reduce crime Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Does NY stop and frisk reduce crime - Term Paper Example believe that the policy on â€Å"stop and frisk† has been quite effective in terms of reducing crime (Mac Donald, 2012). New York is not the only city that has tried to implement the â€Å"stop and frisk† policy. To make the criminals feel apprehended at the time of government election in 2008, the police department of Philadelphia also implemented the same policy. A couple of years after the Mayor’s election, the incidence of murder was significantly reduced by up to 22% (Lamberth, 2012). Answering the question â€Å"Does NY stop and frisk reduce crime?† is not easy to answer due to the fact that the real factor that could increase or decrease in the crime rate is very complex. Although Philadelphia mentioned that there was a 22% reduction in the number of reported murder, this figure does not necessarily mean that the process of implementing the â€Å"stop and frisk† policy was the root cause behind the decreasing trend in murder cases. In fact, Lamberth (2012) mentioned that the state of Philadelphia was already experiencing a decrease in the number of murder cases since 2006. Up to the present time, there is no scientific evidence that can prove that the process of implementing â€Å"stop and frisk† policy is effective in terms of reducing crime. The fact that the "black pedestrians were stopped at a rate that is 50 percent greater than their representation in the residential census" makes this policy develop racism and prejudism in New York (Neumeister, Hays, & Gross, 2012). Gardiner, S., & Saul, M. (2012, June 20). The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved July 22, 2012, from New Panel Examines Police Tactics : http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303703004577476980483677206.html Lamberth, J. (2012). Retrieved July 22, 2012, from The Effectiveness of Stop and Frisk in the United States:

Can War Ever be Justified?

Can War Ever be Justified? It is hard to think about the future of warfare without being terrified. The new weapons of war-nuclear, chemical, biological-will only get more lethal and more widely available. And the testimony of the worlds madmen and mad states suggests that once they possess such weapons, they will soon use them, or try to enslave the worlds free societies with their threats of mass killing. War inevitably brings death, destruction and suffering, which ruin lives and nations. Using, ethical theories religious guidance and general arguments to decide if killing and war can ever be justified. War in self-defence is an attempt to apply the philosophical principles of ethics to warfare seems, on the surface, to be oxymoronic. And yet, ethics do apply not only to the basis on which the conflict is waged but also to the policies that dictate how it is to be fought. The reasons why one nation enters into warfare with another reflect the ethics of the aggressor nation. The means by which a war is prosecuted by each participant is also established through decisions based on the ethics of the cultures of both nations at war.We must understand that a nations ethics in general, and any specific ethical position in particular, are an inescapable result of that nations worldview, of their epistemology (theory of knowledge) and, more specifically, of their understanding of the origin and nature of man. Just as everything else in life is affected by our worldview, our perspective on war and violence in general is likewise affected. A nation with a morality based on the perspective tha t man is made in the image of God would approach conflict differently than a  nation with a humanist worldview. For more than 17 centuries, the church and society in general have argued the validity of any specific conflict on the basis of several moral criteria. This concept, known by the Latin phrase justum bellum, has been debated in secular and religious circles. For instance, four of these criteria   were explored further in The Summa Theologica of St. Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274). Using these criteria, the conflicts purpose is evaluated as to whether it represents a just cause. Wars fought for a just cause are considered valid and moral. Those that fail to meet the criteria are condemned as immoral. The criteria for declaring a just war are many and varied. Several criteria address the treatment of innocent individuals under the regime against which violence is being used. Protecting the lives of innocents is a worthy moral objective. Regimes that commit human rights vi olations of the most flagrant and egregious kinds are generally recognized as being immoral regimes and, consequently, violent conflicts against such regimes being aimed at bringing an end to these atrocities are seen as justifiable. Through related reasoning, wars designed to prevent the future occurrence of atrocities are also considered justified, although not all people agree on the kinds of atrocities that rise to this level of justification. Pre-emptive strikes against a nation on the verge of committing crimes against innocents fall into this area and are also considered just cause actions. This is, of course, as long as there is sufficient compelling evidence of such impending crimes.Causes for war that are considered just also include a nations attempts to protect itself from invasion or warfare declared to reclaim lands and people captured by an enemy through  force. The protection and reclamation of personal property is second only to humanitarian concerns. This inclu des the assisting of a friendly nation in its efforts to protect itself, its people or its property, especially when there is a   preexisting alliance with that nation. As already mentioned, the just nature of conflict involves not only the reasons for which a war is declared (jus ad bellum) but also the means by which it is conducted (jus in bello). A war that is declared for just reasons but is prosecuted by unjust means is still considered an unjust war. A Utilitarian approach is The greatest good for the greatest number. This can be applied to the theory of Just War. For Utilitarians the end justifies the means. In other words, a country would not need a just war cause other than having the right intentions and making sure the war would produce the greatest good for the greatest number (Act rather than Rule). The idea of jus ad bello is to make sure that less evil will come about if the war is fought. Utilitarians would agree with the just war theory as war may be necessary to make the world a better place as long as the war was justified through just war. However can war be justified, you must look ahead to see what the consequences of a war will be if the war will have a greater overall benefit, thinking of future generations. This rule will give a different answer to each case: If a wars outcome will cause more suffering than good, Utilitarianism would say that that war could not be justified; yet if a war, in the long run would bring greater good than harm, Utilitarian thinkers will say that that war and killing can be justified. Of course, there have always been those who feel that all violence is immoral, regardless of its purpose. Some have tried to base this belief on one of the Ten Commandments, Thou shalt not kill (Exodus 20:13). On this basis, several groups have developed convictions leading to a conscientious objection to all war. Others have taken positions against such things as capital punishment on the same basis, while still others have tried to apply this commandment to personal defense, claiming that the use of deadly force is never justified. ,To a large extent, these arguments are based on a misunderstanding of the commandment in question. Hebrew is the language in which the Ten Commandments were originally written. Of the several Hebrew words that communicate the concept of killing, the term used in this commandment refers specifically to the murder of innocents, as demonstrated by its use again in Numbers 35:16-21. There is no biblical prohibition against what we know as justifiable homici de. Capital punishment is not only allowed but specifically affirmed in the Old and New Testaments of the Bible.

Dune-lots Of Errors :: essays research papers

Dune by Frank Herbert is one of the greatest Science Fiction novels of all time. The story is about Paul Atreids as he tries to take back his planet (Arrakis, a.k.a Dune a pure desert world. It is also the only place where spice can be found. Spice is a drug that gives people the ability to see the future, health and long life, (hence the saying, Health and long life are the gifts of the spice, Dune the Sci –Fi mini-series)) from the Harrkonnens the Atreids mortal enemy. The book is based in the year 10,946 B.J (Bielgium Jihad) in the Imperium of man under the rule of Shaddam the IV. The main characters are The Baron and Paul Atreids. Paul Atreids is the son of Duke Leto Atreids and the lady Jessica. He is Muad’Dib the Fremen messiah (The Fremen are the natives of Dune and the greatest fighters in the known universe.). The Baron is the ruler of Giedi prime. He is sadistic and he hates the Atreids because an Atreids had the ruler of House Harrkonnen banished for cowardi ce.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The book starts off with House Atreids moving to Arrakis. Paul father, Leto sends off men to recruit the Fremen to his cause because he believes the Harrkonnens will attack Arrakis (for now on I will call it by it’s Fremen name Dune). The Harrkonnens make an attempt on Paul’s life and a traitor shuts down the Atreids palace’s shield.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Soon Harrkonnen troops and Sardaukar (The emperor’s shock troops) attack dune. Without the Fremen’s aid the Harrkonnens capture dune and kill Leto and send Paul and his mother out into the deep desert to die. After the assault the Sadaukar leave. The Harrkonnens believing Paul dead begin to solidify their hold on Dune.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After killing their captors Paul and Jessica escape. As they run, a worm (A giant worm, Usually about a kilometer long and about thirty feet wide with sharp teeth) tries to eat the pair but they escape into a cave. Later Duncan Idaho, a loyal Lieutenant, picks them up and brings them to a hidden Fremen base. There Sardaukar attacks them again and Duncan dies buying time for Paul and Jessica to get away.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Later they are found by a group of Fremen who think Paul is the Muad’Dib (their messiah). After Paul kills a non-believer the Fremen begin to worship Paul.

Child Labour Essay

Child labour is the practice of having children engage in economic activity, on part or full-time basis. The practice deprives children of their childhood, and is harmful to their physical and mental development. Poverty, lack of good schools and growth of informal economy are considered as the important causes of child labour in India. The 2001 national census of India estimated the total number of child labour, aged 5–14, to be at 12. 6 million. The child labour problem is not unique to India; worldwide, about 217 million children work, many full-time. In 2001, out of a 12. million, about 12 million children in India were in a hazardous job. UNICEF estimates that India with its larger population, has the highest number of labourers in the world under 14 years of age, while sub-saharan African countries have the highest percentage of children who are deployed as child labour. International Labour Organisation estimates that agriculture at 60 percent is the largest employer of child labour in India, while United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organisation estimates 70 % of child labour is deployed in agriculture and related activities. Outside of agriculture, child labour is observed in almost all informal sectors of the Indian economy. Companies including Gap, Primark, Monsanto and others have been criticised for child labour in their products. The companies claim they have strict policies against selling products made by underage kids, but there are many links in a supply chain making it difficult to police them all. In 2011, after three years of Primark’s effort, BBC acknowledged that its award-winning investigative journalism report of Indian child labour use by Primark was a fake. BBC apologized to Primark, to Indian suppliers and all its viewers. Article 24 of India’s constitution prohibits child labour. Additionally, various laws and the Indian Penal Code, such as the Juvenile Justice (care and protection) of Children Act-2000, and the Child Labour (Prohibition and Abolition) Act-1986 provide a basis in law to identify, prosecute and stop child labour in India. The International Labour Organisation (ILO) states that child labour may be defined in a number of different ways, and a different definition yields a different estimate of child labour in India as well as other countries. According to ILO, children or adolescents who participate in work that does not affect their health and personal development or interfere with their schooling, is not child labour; rather it may generally be regarded as being something positive. e is also a man who tiheir parents around the home, assisting family or earning pocket money outside school hours and over holidays. These kinds of activities, suggests ILO, may contribute to children’s developmentlly, socially or morally dangerous and harmful to children, or work whose schedule interferes with their ability to attend regular school, or work that affects in any manner their ability to focus during school or experience healthy childhood. UNICEF defines child labour differently. A child, suggests UNICEF, is involved in child labour activities if between 5 to 11 years of age, he or she did at least one hour of economic activity or at least 28 hours of domestic work in a week, and in case of children between 12 to 14 years of age, he or she did at least 14 hours of economic activity or at least 42 hours of economic activity and domestic work per week. UNICEF in another report suggests, â€Å"Children’s work needs to be seen as happening along a continuum, with destructive or exploitative work at one end and beneficial work – promoting or enhancing children’s development without interfering with their schooling, recreation and rest – at the other. And between these two poles are vast areas of work that need not negatively affect a child’s development. † India’s Census 2001 office defines child labour as participation of a child less than 17 years of age in any economically productive activity with or without compensation, wages or profit. Such participation could be physical or mental or both. This work includes part-time help or unpaid work on the farm, family enterprise or in any other economic activity such as cultivation and milk production for sale or domestic consumption. Indian government classifies child labourers into two groups: Main workers are those who work 6 months or more per year. And marginal child workers are those who work at any time during the year but less than 6 months in a year. Some child rights activists argue that child labour must include every child who is not in school because he or she is a hidden child worker. UNICEF, however, points out that India faces major shortages of schools, classrooms and teachers particularly in rural areas where 90 percent of child labour problem is observed. About 1 in 5 primary schools have just one teacher to teach students across all grades. After its independence from colonial rule, India has passed a number of constitutional protections and laws on child labour. The Constitution of India in the Fundamental Rights and the Directive Principles of State Policy prohibits child labour below the age of 14 years in any factory or mine or castle or engaged in any other hazardous employment (Article 24). The constitution also envisioned that India shall, by 1960, provide infrastructure and resources for free and compulsory education to all children of the age six to 14 years. (Article 21-A and Article 45). India has a federal form of government, and child labour is a matter on which both the central government and country governments can legislate, and have. The major national legislative developments include the following: The Factories Act of 1948: The Act prohibits the employment of children below the age of 14 years in any factory. The law also placed rules on who, when and how long can pre-adults aged 15–18 years be employed in any factory. The Mines Act of 1952: The Act prohibits the employment of children below 18 years of age in a mine. The Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act of 1986: The Act prohibits the employment of children below the age of 14 years in hazardous occupations identified in a list by the law. The list was expanded in 2006, and again in 2008. The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection) of Children Act of 2000: This law made it a crime, punishable with a prison term, for anyone to procure or employ a child in any hazardous employment or in bondage. The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act of 2009: The law mandates free and compulsory education to all children aged 6 to 14 years. This legislation also mandated that 25 percent of seats in every private school must be allocated for children from disadvantaged groups and physically challenged children. India formulated a National Policy on Child Labour in 1987. This Policy seeks to adopt a gradual & sequential approach with a focus on rehabilitation of children working in hazardous occupations. It envisioned strict enforcement of Indian laws on child labour combined with development programs to address the root causes of child labour such as poverty. In 1988, this led to the National Child Labour Project (NCLP) initiative. This legal and development initiative continues, with a current central government funding of 602 crores, targeted solely to eliminate child labour in India. Despite these efforts, child labour remains a major challenge for India. For much of human history and across different cultures, children less than 17 years old have contributed to family welfare in a variety of ways. UNICEF suggests that poverty is the big cause of child labour. The report also notes that in rural and impoverished parts of developing and undeveloped parts of the world, children have no real and meaningful alternative. Schools and teachers are unavailable. Child labour is the unnatural result. A BBC report, similarly, concludes poverty and inadequate public education infrastructure are some of the causes of child labour in India. Between boys and girls, UNICEF finds girls are two times more likely to be out of school and working in a domestic role. Parents with limited resources, claims UNICEF, have to choose whose school costs and fees they can afford when a school is available. Educating girls tends to be a lower priority across the world, including India. Girls are also harassed or bullied at schools, sidelined by prejudice or poor curricula, according to UNICEF. Solely by virtue of their gender, therefore, many girls are kept from school or drop out, then provide child labour. The International Labour Organisation (ILO) and spreading smiles through education organisation(OSSE) suggests poverty is the greatest single force driving children into the workplace. Income from a child’s work is felt to be crucial for his/her own survival or for that of the household. For some families, income from their children’s labour is between 25 to 40% of the household income. According to a 2008 study by ILO, among the most important factors driving children to harmful labour is the lack of availability and quality of schooling. Many communities, particularly rural areas do not possess adequate school facilities. Even when schools are sometimes available, they are too far away, difficult to reach, unaffordable or the quality of education is so poor that parents wonder if going to school is really worth it. In government-run primary schools, even when children show up, government-paid teachers do not show up 25% of the time. The 2008 ILO study suggests that illiteracy resulting from a child going to work, rather than a quality primary and secondary school, limits the child’s ability to get a basic educational grounding which would in normal situations enable them to acquire skills and to improve their prospects for a decent adult working life. An albeit older report published by UNICEF outlines the issues summarized by the ILO report. The UNICEF report claimed that while 90% of child labour in India is in its rural areas, the availability and quality of schools is decrepit; in rural areas of India, claims the old UNICEF report, about 50% of government funded primary schools that exist do not have a building, 40% lack a blackboard, few have books, and 97% of funds for these publicly funded school have been budgeted by the government as salaries for the teacher and administrators. A 2012 Wall Street Journal article reports while the enrollment in India’s school has dramatically increased in recent years to over 96% of all children in the 6-14 year age group, the infrastructure in schools, aimed in part to reduce child labour, remains poor – over 81,000 schools do not have a blackboard and about 42,000 government schools operate without a building with make shift arrangements during monsoons and inclement weather. Biggeri and Mehrotra have studied the macroeconomic factors that encourage child labour. They focus their study on five Asian nations including India, Pakistan, Indonesia, Thailand and Philippines. They suggest that child labour is a serious problem in all five, but it is not a new problem. Macroeconomic causes encouraged widespread child labour across the world, over most of human history. They suggest that the causes for child labour include both the demand and the supply side. While poverty and unavailability of good schools explain the child labour supply side, they suggest that the growth of low paying informal economy rather than higher paying formal economy – called organised economy in India – is amongst the causes of the demand side. India has rigid labour laws and numerous regulations that prevent growth of organised sector where work protections are easier to monitor, and work more productive and higher paying. The unintended effect of Indian complex labour laws is the work has shifted to the unorganised, informal sector. As a result, after the unorganised agriculture sector which employs 60% of child labour, it is the unorganised trade, unorganised assembly and unorganised retail work that is the largest employer of child labour. If macroeconomic factors and laws prevent growth of formal sector, the family owned informal sector grows, deploying low cost, easy to hire, easy to dismiss labour in form of child labour. Even in situations where children are going to school, claim Biggeri and Mehrotra, children engage in routine after-school home-based manufacturing and economic activity. Other scholars too suggest that inflexibility and structure of India’s labour market, size of informal economy, inability of industries to scale up and lack of modern manufacturing technologies are major macroeconomic factors affecting demand and acceptability of child labour. Cigno et al. suggest the government planned and implemented land redistribution programs in India, where poor families were given small plots of land with the idea of enabling economic independence, have had the unintended effect of increased child labour. They find that smallholder plots of land are labour-intensively farmed since small plots cannot productively afford expensive farming equipment. In these cases, a means to increase output from the small plot has been to apply more labour, including child labour.

Carrier Planning Report for Mba Student

CAREER PLANNING ASSIGNMENT DEEPENDRA SINGH A30101911072 Sec- B, Sem-IV A Career has been defined as the sequence of a person's experiences on different jobs over  the period of time. It is viewed as fundamentally a relationship between one or more organizations and the individual. A career is a sequence of positions/jobs held by a person during the course of his workinglife. Many of today's employees have high expectations about their jobs. There has been a generalincrease in the concern of the quality of life.Workers expect more from their jobs than justincome. A further impetus to career planning is the need for organizations to make the best  possible use of their most valuable resources the people in a time of rapid technologicalgrowth and change. Career planning as a concern is of recent origin. The reason for thislack of concern regarding career planning for a long time has been the careless,unrealistic assumption about employees functioning smoothly along the right lines a nd the  belief that the employees guide themselves in their careers.Modern personnel administration has to be futuristic, it has to look beyond the present tasks,since neither the requirements of the organization nor the attitudes and abilities of employeesare constant. It is too costly to leave career to the tyranny of time and casualty of  circumstances, for it is something which requires to be handled carefully through systematization and professional promoting. Fortunately, there has lately been someappreciation of the value of career planning and acceptance of validity of career development as a major input in organizational development.Career Planning aims at identifying personal skills, interest, knowledge and other features;and establishes specific plans to attain specific goals. Aims and Objectives of Career Planning Career Planning aims at matching individual potential for promotion and individualaspirations with organizational needs and opportunities. Career Planning is making sure thatthe organization has the right people with the right skills at the right time. In particular itindicates what training and development would be necessary for advancing in the career  altering the career path or staying in the current position.Its focus is on future needs andopportunities and removal of stagnation, obsolescence & dissatisfaction of the employee. OBJECTIVE OF CAREER PLANNING †¢To attract and retain the right type of person in the organization. †¢To map out career of employees suitable to their ability and their willingness to betrained and developed for higher positions. †¢To have a more stable workforce by reducing labour turnover and absenteeism. †¢It contributes to man power planning as well as organizational development andeffectiveachievement of corporate goals. To increasingly utilize the managerial talent available at all levels within theorganization. †¢It helps employee in thinking of long term involvement with th e organization. †¢To provide guidance and encourage employees to fulfill their potentials. †¢To achieve higher productivity and organizational development. †¢To ensure better use of human resource through more satisfied and productiveemployees. †¢To meet the immediate and future human resource needs of the organization on thetimely basis. NEED FOR CAREER PLANNING †¢Desire to grow and scale new heights. Realize and achieve the goals. †¢Performance measure. †¢High employee turnover. †¢To educate the employees †¢It motivates employees to grow. †¢It motivates employees to avail training and development. †¢It increases employee loyalty as they feel organization care’s about them. ADVANTAGES OF CAREER PLANNING In fact both individuals and the organization are going to benefit from career planning anddevelopment. #For Individuals 1. The process of career planning helps the individual to have the knowledge of variouscareer opport unities, his priorities etc. . This knowledge helps him select the career that is suitable to his life styles, preferences,family environment, scope for self-development etc. 3. It helps the organization identify internal employees who can be promoted. 4. Internal promotions, up gradation and transfers motivate the employees, boost uptheir morale and also result in increased job satisfaction. 5. Increased job satisfaction enhances employee commitment and creates a senseof belongingness and loyalty to the organization. . Employee will await his turn of promotion rather than changing to another organization. This will lower employee turnover. 7. It improves employee’s performance on the job by taping their potential abilities andfurther employee turnover. 8. It satisfies employee esteem needs. #For Organizations A long-term focus of career planning and development will increase the effectiveness of  human resource management. The advantages of career planning anddevelopment f or an organization include: 1.Efficient career planning and development ensures the availability of human resourceswith required skill, knowledge and talent. 2. The efficient policies and practices improve the organization’s ability to attract and retainhighly skilled and talent employees. 3. The proper career planning ensures that the women and people belong to backwardcommunities get opportunities for growth and development. 4. The career plan continuously tries to satisfy the employee expectations and as suchminimizes employee frustration. 5.By attracting and retaining the people from different cultures, enhances cultural diversity. 6. Protecting employee’s interest results in promoting organizational goodwill. CAREER PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT PROCESS 1. Identifying individual needs and aspirations: It’s necessary to identify and communicate the career goals, aspiration and career anchors of  every employee because most individuals may not have a clear idea about these. For this  purpose, a human resource inventory of the organization and employee potential areasconcerned. 2. Analyzing career opportunities:The organizational set up, future plans and career system of the employees are analyzed toidentify the career opportunities available within it. Career paths can be determined for each  position. It can also necessary to analyze career demands in terms of knowledge, skill,experience, aptitude etc. 3. Identifying match and mismatch: A mechanism to identifying congruence between individual current aspirations andorganizational career system is developed to identify and compare specific areas of matchand mismatch for different categories of employees. 4.Formulating and implementing strategies: Alternative action plans and strategies for dealing with the match and mismatch areformulated and implemented. 5. Reviewing career plans: A periodic review of the career plan is necessary to know whether the plan is contributing toeffective ut ilization of human resources by matching employee objectives to job needs. Review will also indicate to employees in which direction the organization is moving, whatchanges are likely to take place and what skills are needed to adapt to the changing needs of  the organization.

Eleanor, Queen of Castile (1162 - 1214)

Eleanor, Queen of Castile (1162 - 1214) Eleanor Plantagenet, born in 1162,   was the wife of Alfonso VIII of Castile, daughter of Henry II of England and  Eleanor of Aquitaine, sister of kings and a queen; mother of several queens and a king. This Eleanor was the first of a long line of Eleanors of Castile. She was also known as  Eleanor Plantagenet, Eleanor of England, Eleanor of Castile, Leonora of Castile, and Leonor of Castile. She died on October 31st, 1214.   Early Life Eleanor was named for her mother, Eleanor of Aquitaine. As a daughter of Henry II of England, her marriage was arranged for political purposes. She was paired with King Alfonso VIII of Castile, betrothed in 1170 and married sometime before September 17, 1177, when she was fourteen. Her full siblings were William IX, Count of Poitiers; Henry the Young King; Matilda, Duchess of Saxony; Richard I of England; Geoffrey II, Duke of Brittany;  Joan of England, Queen of Sicily; and John of England. Her older half-siblings were  Marie of France  and  Alix of France Eleanor as Queen Eleanor was granted control in her marriage treaty of lands and towns so that her own power was nearly as much as her husbands. The marriage of Eleanor and Alfonso produced a number of children. Several sons who were, in turn, expected heirs of their father died in childhood. Their youngest child, Henry or Enrique, survived to succeed his father. Alfonso claimed Gascony as part of Eleanors dowry, invading the duchy in his wifes name in 1205, and abandoning the claim in 1208.    Eleanor wielded considerable power in her new position.   Ã‚  She was also a patron of many religious sites and institutions,  including Santa Maria la Real at Las Huelgas where many in her family became nuns.   She sponsored troubadours to court.  She helped arrange the marriage of their daughter  Berenguela  (or Berengaria) to Leons king. Another daughter, Urraca, was married to the future king of Portugal, Alfonso II; a third daughter, Blanche or Blanca, was married to the future King Louis VIII of France; a fourth daughter, Leonor, married the king of Aragon (though their marriage was later dissolved by the church). Other daughters included Mafalda who married her sister Berenguelas stepson and Constanza who became an  Abbess. Her husband appointed her as ruler with their son upon his death, and also appointed her executor of his estate.   Death Although Eleanor thus became the regent for her son Enrique on her husbands death, in 1214 when Enrique was only ten, Eleanors grief was so great that her daughter Berenguela had to handle the burial of Alfonso. Eleanor died on October 31st, 1214, less than a month after Alfonsos death, leaving Berenguela as her brothers regent. Enrique died at age 13, killed by a falling roof tile. Eleanor was the mother of eleven children, but only six survived her: Berenguela  (1180 - 1246) - she married Conrad II of Swabia but the marriage contract was annulled. She married Alfonso IX of Leon, but that marriage was dissolved on grounds of consanguinity.   She became regent for her brother Enrique (Henry) I, and became Queen of Castile in her own right when he died in 1217. She abdicated right after that, and her son Ferdinand III of Castile brought together Castile and Leon.Sancho (1181 - 1181) - briefly heir to Castile, died at three monthsSancha (1182 - 1185)Enrique (1184 - 1184?) - heir during his very short life - there is some doubt that this child existed.Urraca - Urraca of Castile, Queen of Portugal (1187 - 1220), married to Afonso II of Portugal.Blanca -  Blanche of Castile, Queen of France (1188 - 1252), married the future Louis VIII of France, crowned Queen in 1223. She served as regent of France after Louis died and before their son was of age.Fernando (1189 - 1211). Died of a fever, heir to the throne at that time.Mafalda (11 91 - 1211). Betrothed to Ferdinand of Leon, stepson of her sister Berenguela. Constanza (1195 or 1202 - 1243), became a nun at Santa Maria la Real at Las Huelgas.Leonor - Eleanor of Castile (1200 or 1202 - 1244): married James I of Aragon but separated 8 years later, with consanguinity as the grounds.Enrique I of Castile (1204 - 1217). He became king in 1214 when his father died; he was only 10. He died three years later, struck by a tile that fell from a roof.

Opera Development in Italy essays

Opera Development in Italy essays Although opera did not originate in Venice...it found a most nurturing environment in the Most Serene Republic (Rosand, p. 8). Much of Europes music was dominated by Italian opera during the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries. The wealthier upper class would commission huge works that combined music, drama, and dance for the first time in history. This combination of the fine arts was the birth of opera. Several cities in Italy, Florence, Naples, Rome, and Venice in particular, contributed to the development and perfection of the new genre (Kimbell, p. 26). The entire opera movement was born in Florence, Italy. It all started with Bardi and the Florentine Camerata, which met in an attempt to recreate Greek drama. At the time, it was assumed that early Greek tragedies were sung, and therefore, people wanted to recreate this sound (Sternfeld, p. 56). This camerata influenced the rise of music in Florence, but the city was not eager to support opera. One distinct characteristic of opera that was partially developed in Florence is monody. Monody is an accompanied solo song. It soon became an almost essential part to any opera. Florence also produced such musical geniuses as Cavalieri, Peri, and Caccini. Florences upper-class, wealthy community supported the opera greatly, which helped to establish Italy as one of the centers of opera during the entire Baroque movement. Naples is most known for the opera buffa, or the comic opera. This Neapolitan opera, as it was called at the time, was only successful within the city, though. Its relevance to everyday life and the rise of dialect comedies caused people to fall in love with this different type of opera. The dialect comedies put emphasis on local plot settings, in order to further bring out the humor (Galatopoulos, p. 44). In Rome, the Catholic Church, rather than the wealthy public, gre ...

List College (Jewish Theological Seminary) Admissions

List College (Jewish Theological Seminary) Admissions List College Admissions Overview: With an acceptance rate of 52%, List College (a part of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America) is a somewhat selective school. Students interested in List can apply using the Common Application, which can be submitted online. Other required materials include a personal essay, scores from the SAT or ACT, letters of recommendation, and high school transcripts. For complete application instructions and important deadlines, be sure to visit the schools website. Students are encouraged to visit the campus; contact the admissions office for more information about getting a tour and seeing if List College would be a good fit. Will You Get In? Calculate Your Chances of Getting In  with this free tool from Cappex Admissions Data (2016): List College Acceptance Rate: 57%Test Scores 25th / 75th PercentileSAT Critical Reading: 650 / 725SAT Math: 640 / 690SAT Writing: - / -What these SAT numbers meanACT Composite: 28  / 32ACT English: 29  / 33ACT Math: 30 / 33ACT Writing: - / -What these ACT numbers mean List College Description: The Albert A. List College of Jewish Studies (List College) is the undergraduate school of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America located in New York City. It is closely affiliated with  Columbia University, and almost all List College students are enrolled in a dual-degree program with either Columbia or  Barnard College. The college has a 4 to 1 student faculty ratio and offers 11 bachelor of arts degree programs within the field of Jewish studies, such as ancient Judaism, Jewish history and Jewish gender and women’s studies, with the option to construct an individual interdisciplinary major. Most students choose to pursue a second bachelor of arts or a bachelor of science degree at Columbia or Barnard. Outside of academics, students are active on and off campus, participating in a variety of social, leadership and service activities at List as well as over 500 student clubs and organizations offered by Columbia and Barnard. Enrollment (2016): Total Enrollment: 371 (157 undergraduates)Gender Breakdown: 47% Male / 53% Female100% Full-time Costs (2016  - 17): Tuition and Fees: $52,660Books: $500 (why so much?)Room and Board: $14,460Other Expenses: $4,500Total Cost: $72,120 List College Financial Aid (2015  - 16): Percentage of New Students Receiving Aid: 54%Percentage of New Students Receiving Types of AidGrants: 51%Loans: 28%Average Amount of AidGrants: $26,471Loans: $6,523 Graduation and Retention Rates: First Year Student Retention (full-time students): 97%Transfer-out Rate: 16%4-Year Graduation Rate: 66%6-Year Graduation Rate: 79% Data Source: National Center for Educational Statistics If You Like List College, You May Also Like These Schools: American Jewish University: Profile  New York University: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphBrandeis University: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphBarnard College: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphBinghamton University: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphUniversity of Michigan - Ann Arbor: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphJohns Hopkins University: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphOberlin College: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphCornell University: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT Graph List and the Common Application List College uses the  Common Application. These articles can help guide you: Common Application essay tips and samplesShort answer tips and samplesSupplemental essay tips and samples

Munich Agreement and the Events of the 1930s Essay

Munich Agreement and the Events of the 1930s - Essay Example The nation also remembers the victory and glory that came home to France, but not without a sense of bereavement. Indeed, the victory of 1914 came to France at a very gory price. Today, my dear friends, is the day France refused to repeat history. Today is the day the French refused to pay in the blood of its brothers for another victory. Today is the day France stands up in defiance of injustice and upholds the flag of peace to ensure peace and stability in the region. Today is the day, I, Edouard Daladier stand in front of the French parliament, having signed the historic Munich Agreement. This is a time to be celebrated. The world has learned to resolve its problems without shooting each other to smithereens. Statesmen of the civilized world, namely Britain, France, Germany and Italy, have learned to sit down and talk in peace to seek solutions for world peace, and that, I believe, is one of the greatest successes of the Munich Agreement. I am not blind to the fact that the Munich Agreement is plagued with controversy. Opponents of the agreement are keen to point fingers at the French government for betraying the people of Czechoslovakia and for supporting Germany in its evil designs. I feel that such concerns of the opponents of the Munich Agreement reek more of anti-French propaganda than of justice and truth. Myopic viewpoints would stand in the way of Britain and France, the two nations that are willing to sacrifice a lot in return of peace in Europe. Europe cannot afford another war, and Britain and France are aware of this reality. Germany’s aggressiveness must be appeased to achieve peace in Europe, and the Munich Agreement is a symbol of that very appeasement, which I believe all present in this room must not only appreciate, but acclaim as a remarkable effort on part of the French Government. Mes freres, the French nation has entrusted my office of the prime minister of france to not only represent them, but to give them access to the truth. Today I speak before you to present nothing but that. The state of Czechoslovakia has transgressed. It has denied its Sudeten population the autonomy it has desired for so long. The sacrifices the Sudeten have made and the atrocities the Czechs have committed against them are an open secret. The world has witnessed the cries of help from those who wish to cease their association with Czechoslovakia and join Germany. Why should the wishes of the public be denied? We see the Sudeten demand for autonomy as a justified demand, and one that the Czech government should be keen in advancing to its people. If an ethnic group finds belonging with Germany, it should be allowed to secede with it. The Munich Agreement, my friends, guarantees just that. The Agreement however, is not drawn simply to support the ideology backing the liberation of the Sudeten Germans. On 16th September of this same year, it is known to all that our government, in collaboration with the British government, presented a proposal to the President of Czechoslovakia, Edvard Benes. We presented a very reasonable proposal, which asked the Czech Government to hand over to Germany all those areas that are populated by more than fifty percent Sudeten Germans. In return, Czechoslovakia will be allowed to retain its independence. Such reasonable terms of the treaty were

Pressure Ulcer among Geriatric Pateints in Long Term Care Research Paper

Pressure Ulcer among Geriatric Pateints in Long Term Care - Research Paper Example The attitude of a caring nurse on any condition inflicting patient has either a direct or indirect outcome on the patient. Positive attitude has been given credence of a good outcome of the patient while negative one has had bad outcomes (Maklebust, 2000, pg.292). Knowledge of the nurse on condition of the patients also has been credited to a good outcome and the two (attitude and knowledge) work hand on hand. By knowing the attitude and knowledge, the research will unravel what is the reason beneath bad outcome and almost no sustainable pressure ulcer prevention on geriatric patients. First the literature will have the worldwide view of the title then narrow down my countries view of the subject. The literature review will only be done using scholarly material and journals of many authors of the subject. Then I will contrast and compare many of the scholastic journals authors view on the subject with keen interest on areas in which the authors are in disagreement while at the same time criticizes some aspects of the methodology. In the literature review, I will highlight exemplary studies and the gaps in the research while showing how my study relates to the previous studies and the literature in wholesome. Finally, a conclusion will be drawn by bringing into light what the literature says. This because the internal validity is at the core of inference and the study and is aimed to identify the area of more research, hell in human resource allocation and provide information about the existence of condition inclusion and exclusion

Contemporary Issues in Strategic Management Assignment

Contemporary Issues in Strategic Management - Assignment Example Vodafone reached this enviable position through a series of alliances, joint ventures and acquisitions. Section 2 of this paper analyzes Vodafone’s value chain and elucidates its capabilities and core competencies. The Porter’s generic strategies have been discussed and an explanation of which type of strategy Vodafone pursued has been detailed in Section 3 of the paper. Section 4 of the paper discusses in depth the acquisition strategies of Vodafone. An in-depth analysis of pre-acquisition rationale and steps involved therein like analysis of strategic fit, valuation methods and due diligence has been done. The post integration efforts have also been detailed in this section. An attempt has been made to apply the Haspeslagh and Jemison Framework in the post integration efforts. The discussion in this section extends to gauging the overall effectiveness of the acquisition strategy. Any organization with a global footprint can pursue a global strategy, a multi-domestic strategy or a transnational strategy. Vodafone’s choice of International strategy has been discussed in Section 5 of this paper. An organization is able to compete successfully in the marketplace if it can deliver superior value to its customer vis-Ã  -vis the rival firms. The creation of this value entails a series of activities which have been referred to as the value chain by Michael Porter. The arrangement and completion of various activities and their linkages determine whether the firm will be able to manufacture a product for which the customer is willing to pay a price that is higher than the cost of producing the product. The activities in the value chain are divided into two broad categories namely primary activities and support activities (Grant, 2010, Pg 111) . The primary activities enable the manufacturing of the product that the organization intends to sell in the market. This offering may be goods (tangible products) like

Prince of Hijaz and Ottoman Empire Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Prince of Hijaz and Ottoman Empire - Essay Example Ottoman Empire in Arab peninsula extended over four centuries, and with an authority that fluctuated in terms of strength and weakness. Further, this period also saw the rise of the Saudi Kingdom referred to as Al Saud. The alliances that were later formed in this region resulted in the expansion of Saudi and which provides impetus to the Saudi Arabian dynasty in the present day. The history of the Prince of Hejaz and Ottoman Empire also provides the reader with insight of when the Saudi state was created. However, this state was later destroyed by Mohammed Ali Pasha. This later contributed to the establishment again of a smaller Saudi state that existed in Nejd. However, throughout the 19th century, Al Saud continued to pursue for control of the interior lands and which, later formed Saudi Arabia and ruled by the Al Rashid. Later in the 20th century, the hold on power by Ottoman Empire begun to collapse, this period also marked the rise to power by Ibn Saud who ruled over Riyadh, and specifically Nejd. This led to Al Saud coming back from exile in Kuwait and settled in Nejd. The rise into power enabled Ibn Saud to gain support from the Ikhwan that was a tribal army which, derived influence from Wahhabism. The local army looked upon Ibn Bijad and Faisal Al-Dawish for leadership, this army was founded in 1912 and allowed Ibn Saudi to gain strength over the Ot tomans. Further, a revolt by the unified Arabs around 1916 to 1918 contributed to the demise of Ottoman Empire and their control over Arabia. This article is an important source for this topic in the sense that it describes the history of Ibn Saud also referred to as Abdual Aziz Ibn Saud. Further, this article provides information regarding Nejd which, is considered to be an Ancient land in the Arabian Peninsula. Through this article, the reader is also able to understand where the Islam religion originated. However, later on, this

Motivation - Staying ahead of the competition ( Chapter 6) Essay

Motivation - Staying ahead of the competition ( Chapter 6) - Essay Example Recognition of gaining achievements during work is highly valued by employees and this boosts up the morale level of employees to a very large extent. Employees if motivated tend to remain highly satisfied with their working conditions. The Maslow’s hierarchy theory is a very good tool which is used for deducing the required motivation factors for the employees of the organization. Empowerment towards taking decisions of one’s job is highly motivating factor for the employees. They feel quite satisfied once they are in control of their tasks and have the autonomy to conduct the task accordingly. It is a strong stand point for the organization if they have set their goals in alignment and in consideration with the goals of their employees. If there is a point of interest of the employees towards achieving the goals for the organization, then there are high chances that the employees will be strongly motivated towards accomplishing their tasks. Strong and influential leaders possess the talent of motivating the employees to work harder. Motivated employees tend to produce better results and this in the short run as well as in the long run tend to allow the organization to remain ahead of the competition. In competitive environments, leaders tend to face difficulties in motivating their employees but with a positive attitude and delegating a strong sense of responsibility towards the employees, the organization can take its path towards success by the hard work of employees. While working in the organization, different types of conflicts may arise during working policies or decisions taking by management. Leaders should possess skills so that they can smartly deal with the conflicts that have taken place. If conflicts are resolved on a proper note then this motivates the employees to have a positive image of the organization as well as their management. Instilling a sense of positive humor and fun with

What have I learned during the programme and how can I apply this in Essay

What have I learned during the programme and how can I apply this in my future career A critical reflection - Essay Example , and during the project which will be defined, highlighting the major ones will form the outline and backbone for what this particular response paper attempts to highlight. One of the most important, and perhaps most helpful, skills that I learned during the course of this particular project has to do with the process of developing new ideas. Ultimately, my group, which consisted of four individuals, found it necessary to develop a business plan and seeks to implement this business plan in a virtual setting. As such, many ideas were developed and analyzed within this group prior to one being selected. Whereas it is of course important to underscore the fact that each member of the group provided an essential role and ultimately help to the project towards completion, it was my suggestion that was determined to be the best and provided the basis for the business plan that was eventually developed (Bouma et al., 2014). The development of the business plan serves as an essential complement, and perhaps the most important aspect of learning that was achieved during this particular semester. The underlying reason for this has to do with the fact that the bu siness plan is far more than a rough interpretation for what service or product should be offered. Instead, the business plan must make preliminary projections and considerations with respect to how this will be affected, feasibility, economic issues, potential threats and weaknesses, and a litany of concerns involving finance and the way in which such a project would be initiated, supported, and projected into the market (Meadows & Buckley, 2014). In this way, rather than the development of the business plan only taking a few days or hours to complete, this process was one that instilled a level of respect in me with regard to the importance of carefully crafting the business plan and going about it in a thorough and analytical manner (Goodwin, 2002). In terms of how this particular aspect of the project could

Motivation - Staying ahead of the competition ( Chapter 6) Essay

Motivation - Staying ahead of the competition ( Chapter 6) - Essay Example Recognition of gaining achievements during work is highly valued by employees and this boosts up the morale level of employees to a very large extent. Employees if motivated tend to remain highly satisfied with their working conditions. The Maslow’s hierarchy theory is a very good tool which is used for deducing the required motivation factors for the employees of the organization. Empowerment towards taking decisions of one’s job is highly motivating factor for the employees. They feel quite satisfied once they are in control of their tasks and have the autonomy to conduct the task accordingly. It is a strong stand point for the organization if they have set their goals in alignment and in consideration with the goals of their employees. If there is a point of interest of the employees towards achieving the goals for the organization, then there are high chances that the employees will be strongly motivated towards accomplishing their tasks. Strong and influential leaders possess the talent of motivating the employees to work harder. Motivated employees tend to produce better results and this in the short run as well as in the long run tend to allow the organization to remain ahead of the competition. In competitive environments, leaders tend to face difficulties in motivating their employees but with a positive attitude and delegating a strong sense of responsibility towards the employees, the organization can take its path towards success by the hard work of employees. While working in the organization, different types of conflicts may arise during working policies or decisions taking by management. Leaders should possess skills so that they can smartly deal with the conflicts that have taken place. If conflicts are resolved on a proper note then this motivates the employees to have a positive image of the organization as well as their management. Instilling a sense of positive humor and fun with

London Metropolitan Police Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

London Metropolitan Police - Essay Example Since then, many police agencies with the same mission continued to develop in the United Kingdom. Organization of the London Metropolitan Police The London police force members were known as Bobbies led by two magistrates who later acquired the titles of commissioners. Bobbies underwent many challenges including corruption emanating from the influence of wealthy men - a vice that contributed to the failure in combating crime. As a result, the metropolitan police administrators worked so hard to overcome the Bobbies’ misdeeds which led to loss of jobs for the corrupt Bobbies. The administrators were then authorized to form domestic police forces by another act of parliament that made every district and county in England to form its own police force (Siegel, 1994) Sir Robert operated on several principles which should guide the police force in their work. First, the mission was to end crime and disorder as a relief to the criminals that underwent extensive punishment; same for the legal authorities and military police. The police were required to attend to their duties as expected by the public as well as respect them. In maintaining respect, the police were required to cooperate with the public in abiding by the law. ... To actualize the slogan that the police are the public and the public are the police, the police were urged to maintain good relations with the public at all times. The police were not allowed to abuse powers of the judiciary by committing extra judicial crimes such as judging the accused in an authoritative manner. The police were recommended on the basis of reduced or no cases of crime and disorder in the society and how they generally dealt with crime (Kasper, 2010). Later, the most significant law enforcers known as sheriffs were established. They were involved in peacekeeping activities, collecting taxes, overseeing elections and dealing with other legal businesses in the country. Today, the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) is charged with the responsibility of organizing and dealing with counter terrorism matters as well as protecting the British Loyal Family and senior figures of Her Majesty’s Government. The MPS is headed by the Commissioner of Police of the metropoli s, known as the Commissioner which is divided into numerous Borough Operational Command Units .The police areas are headed by the metropolitan district (MPD). The MPS is headed by the Commander, Deputy Assistant Commissioner, Assistant Commissioner, Deputy Commissioner and Commissioner in order of ranking. The body is also organized into territorial policing, specialist crime directorate, specialist operations, central operations, administration, and support, each headed by An Assistant Commissioner to perform different functions (Loftins,1982). Entry Requirements Key to the performance of the police include: law and order enforcement, prevention of crime and provision of safety to the public. This goal is unachievable if the relationship between the police and

Decline of the United Auto Workers Union (UAW)

Decline of the United Auto Workers Union (UAW) Introduction What does labor want? It wants the earth and the fullness thereof. There is nothing too beautiful, too lofty, and too ennobling unless it is within the scope and aspiration of labors aspirations and wants. We want more schoolhouses and less jails more books and less arsenals more learning and less vice more constant work and less crime more leisure and less greed more justice and less revenge in fact, more of the opportunities to make childhood more joyful womanhood more beautiful and manhood more noble. (Samuel Gompers, 1893) Organizations that deal with corporations, firms and other organization for the benefits of the workers on the behalf of members of union are generally termed as union. There are present different types of unions for example trade union, represent workers who do a specific type of job e.g. the American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO). Then there is industrial union that indicates workers in a specific industry. United Auto Workers (UAW) is a good example of industrial union (Brent Radcliffe, 2011). A large number of economists consider union as monopolies in the labor market. They believe that the rise in the wages of members, at the expense of unorganized labor is the main impact of union. These researchers analyzed the negative impact of unions on the productivity, employment, and the subsequent crowding of the nonunion zone. In addition there are present another group of economist who believe that unions have positive affecting both politically and economically. These skilled analysts noted that unions could increase retention of skills and developments. When a market is national or international, with output produced in one plant competing with that produced in other plants, independent bargaining by individual locals would lose unions their monopoly power, as locals would compete for jobs through lower wages. . . . The result would be a reduction in wages to more or less competitive levels. Unions can help in the achieving higher productivity and better management by increasing morale of workers, reducing labor turnover, and cooperation. Unions also help in providing well-organized workplace for better results. This is very much true that unions reduce profit (Richard B. Freeman and James L. Medoff, 1984). In todays globalized world, there is great need of union for number of reasons e.g. there is great increase in compensation, workers are hired according to their ranks, the gap between labor and management decreases both in terms of wages and in representation. There are present different viewpoints on the necessity and efficiency of unions. The problems faced by UAW at General Motors had raised the issue on the importance of unions in the future and in the modern society. In 1998, a harsh fight raged between the company and union. To remain competitive in the market the companies needed to change their strategies and increase their competence. Lower-cost outsourcing is very usual in the companies. Outsourcing involves the selling off business divisions in order to have a more focused and profitable company. United Auto Workers struggled for the union jobs.UAW were against the outsourcing (Korey Harlyn Coon, 1999). In the United States, the workers who have a stab to make unions are usually fired. If the management saw workers engaged in any collective activities, they are consistently harassed and stressed. The workers are permanently replaced if found in such activities like struggling for their rights (Bronfenbrenner, 1994). Stipend earners or salary earners has started an organization for the protection of their combined interests while dealing with their company and this organization is known as labor union. Generally, in the industrialized countries the unions are widespread. In the last 30-40 years, in most countries, there is large decline in the unions (representing workers). In 1950s, the unions of the United States represented about one-third of all workers but today less than 15 percent of the workforce represents the unions. In the private zone the labor force is less than 10 percent (in the late 90s the unions represented 30-40 percent of public sector workers). In the past decade s the workers union was considered as very strong force in the United States but these days the situations are opposite (Comstock, 1994). The industrial unions of the United States have large number of unionized workers. The workers of the industrial unions have large variety of occupation (within one or more industries). United Automobile Workers (UAW) is an excellent example of industrial union. The most important American automobile companies have both skilled and unskilled workers and in these companies, UAW has separate contract for workers. However, the industrial unions started by arranging workers in the single industry or set of allied industries. In the tractor and earthmoving equipment industry (Caterpillar and John Deere), UAW also represents workers. At the end of 1990s UAW across the country added different groups such as Graphics Artists Guild (3,000 members), the National Writers Union (5,000 members), and various service, technical, and graduate student employees at more than 20 colleges and universities. Decline of Union The history of union membership in the United States has noticeably changed. In US for almost 200 years, the unions (in some forms) have been in existence. Until 1930s, the unions membership did not gained significant position. In 1953, the union membership rose from 3 percent to 26 percent of the labor force in United States and in 1962 declined to 21 percent. The most ingenious and flourishing auto industry, the United Auto Workers (UAW) had faced tremendous decline by losing thousands of members in the 70s and 80s. At that time there were hardly six percent union workers who were engaged in product manufacturing (subtracting non-manufactures like nurses, civil servants, police, teachers, etc) because without base membership is not retained (David Macaray, 2008). In United States (1953), the union membership increased from 3 percent to 26 percent and declined to 21 percent in 1962. The quick expansion in employment in the nonunion organizations (governmental, finance, trade etc) is one of the factors responsible for decline of union. During the great depression, 1929-1933, another half million union members were dropped. The new deal era (1933- 1939) brought new legislation which helped in increasing members. The Auto Workers and the Machinists unions were top ranked that showed largest increase in the members of union during wartime but after the war (Leo Troy, 1965). In shaping the union, the legislation plays a key role. The workers can perform their work without any fear of wages any other problem. UAW played a significant role after World War II, in increasing labor movement, job security, and health care. Many researchers think that cause of decline is both external and internal. In the American economy, there is elementary shift from industrialized to service-based jobs. Globalization has made capital more mobile. Through this, employees got the opportunity to shift from lower to higher wages job. In addition, the political environment favored the economy. Labor law premeditated to protect the rights of labors. Some workers have the thought that by negotiation with the employers they can get better chance of work place. The workers have the feeling that negotiation is better than bargaining. This is because the workers have lost confidence in the ability of unions (Yates, 1998). The internal causes of labors decline are believed to be the willingness of workers to enter into a cooperative relationship with capital in the years following World War II. During the war period, t he unions did their best to establish peace between labor and corporate leaders. The labor also agreed that they would not interfere in the decisions of management. UAW president Bob king said that The UAW was able to win tremendous contracts with employers in the auto, aerospace and agricultural and construction equipment sectors because all three sectors were almost completely unionized, The United Auto Workers Union (UAW) was established in 1935. At this time it had 600,000 members representing the three main auto industries (General motors, Ford and Chrysler). In 1970s, there was great decline in the membership of UAW for some time. The decline indicates that there is great downfall in employment in the automobile and related industries. The UAW was struggling for the jobs of the future generation and not for their own jobs. To achieve their goals they did many strikes. These strikes showed the great decline in the power of the union. UAW chart.png graph1: Decline in UAW membership (source Dale Buss, 2011) The above graph shows the decline in UAW membership from 1979 to 2009. It is very clear that in 1979, the membership was at its peak that is 1.5 million and in 2009; UAW membership fell by 18 percent. According to the annual report submitted by US department of labor the main cause of decline was cut down in jobs (Jerry White, 2010). Union Busting The worlds leading automakers, the General Motors and Delphi (biggest auto parts suppliers of the world) had started union busting attack against the United Auto Workers (UAW). In the past decades, the US workers saw the biggest decline in the actual wages. The Delphi, auto parts supplier to GM, went bankruptcy. The company decided to cut the pays of workers from $27.00 to $10.00 per hour. At the same time, the bosses of GM claimed huge givebacks from UAW. Globalization Globalization is very important in several aspects. Over the past few years, the international competition has been enormously increased due to globalization especially in the economy sector. The higher prices on the imports have been cut down. Also due to increased competition, the domestic competitors were forced to give great benefits to their unionized workers. In unionized sector, the employment declines while in nonunion industries employment expanded. Moreover, the companies shut down or seal their plant, if union attempts to raise the profit of the workers and start new production in other country where costs are less. Globally the auto industry had become very competitive. In the 1980s, UAW responded to Asian and European growing challenges by abandoning any assault on jobs and on the living standards. Job Banks UAW in 1984 started a program called Jobs Banks,. The autoworkers get $31 per hour. Each year $70,000 to $85,000 are paid (for not to work) to UAW members. These workers are getting their full pay and all the benefits without working. They do not care about the loss of the company. This practice of allotting funds to the workers cost billions of dollars (approximately $4.5 billion) to the companies. Health Insurance The Negotiation of the union with the companies for the health benefits of members of union resulted in the decline of UAW, the auto industry. According to the survey of 2002, UAW wasted money as the big three (General Motors, Chrysler LLC, and Ford Motor) spent nearly $10 billion on health insurance. Roughly, each car pays the cost of $1,500 for health insurance. In this way, the money spent on health insurance is greater than the money spent on the steel for the construction of the car. In contrast to UAW, Toyota has less health insurance. Assault of Fund To fill the incursion funds The United Auto Workers (UAW) used nearly $ 1 billion dues of its workers. No other union performs such a pact to fill the strike funds. It was estimated that 30 percent from the pay of UAW member was given to fulfill the assault of fund. Other unions by negotiation with its member full fill this gap (without using the workers dues). Luxurious Resort UAW constructed luxurious resort, The Black Lake Resort and Golf club. The finance for construction was drawn from union dues. The UAW union members are allowed to visit the resort. The labor agreement between UAW and three big automakers In 2007, a historic negotiation took place between the Big Three automakers (General Motors, Chrysler LLC, and Ford Motor) and the United Autoworkers (UAW). Both the parties were aware of the significant of the agreement. They knew that to survive in this technical era and to compete with of global economy this agreement help them a lot. After the decline in membership, the main aim of the agreement was to protect the jobs and healthcare for the members of union. In addition, the big Three automakers (General Motors, Chrysler LLC, and Ford Motor) committed to lower the wages for some workers. To achieve the dynamic auto sales and to boom their market shares the agreement plays an important role. (John J. Lucas, and Jonathan M. Furdek, 2009) The recent economic slump had left bad impact on the US auto industry. The majority of Detroit autoworkers are represented by, United Auto Workers (UAW) union. They give allowances on its pay and benefits package. The UAW negotiates with the company to protect this package (Tony Escobar). The growth of non-union workers in the plant is also a cause of decline in UAW membership. Moreover the cars made by foreign companies (whether in the US or elsewhere) are account for more than half the cars sold in this country. It was analyzed that if UAW and other large unions did not get financial and regulatory support from government they will soon be vanished (Gary Becker and Richard Posner, 2008). A survey showed that only one third of UAW members are autoworkers and large percentage of work force is employed by state (includes colleges, universities and health care organizations (Dale Buss, 2011) Conclusion Union plays a very vital role in both political and business environment. They exit in many forms in industries. Unions help workers in obtaining better wages and working conditions. There are present two types of unions, federal and industrial. A large number of economists consider union as monopolies in the labor market. Unions can help in the achieving higher productivity. In industrialized countries, the unions are widespread. In the last 30-40 years, in most countries, there is large decline in the unions. In the past there was tremendous growth in the union membership but today its growth is not to that extend. The United Auto Workers (UAW) had faced tremendous decline by losing thousands of members in the 70s and 80s. In the beginning, there were 1.5 million members of UAW, which declined to 600,000 in 2009. In the past decades, the US workers saw the biggest decline in the actual wages. In 2007, a historic negotiation took place between the Big Three automakers (General Motors, Chrysler LLC, and Ford Motor) and the United Autoworkers (UAW). The recent economic slump had left bad impact on the US auto industry through the collective bargaining process the unions have reinvented themselves.

Ednas Escape The Awakening Essay -- essays papers

Edna's Escape The Awakening Edna’s Escape The ending of Kate Chopin’s The Awakening is both controversial and thought provoking. Many see Edna Pontellier’s suicide as the final stage of her â€Å"awakening†, and the only way that she will ever be able to truly be free. Edna’s suicide, however, is nothing more than her final attempt to escape from her life. Edna Pontellier’s life has become too much for her to handle, and by committing suicide she is simply escaping the oppression she feels from her marriage, the suppression she feels from her children, and the failure of her relationship with Robert. Edna Pontellier’s marriage is a failure in her own eyes. Although when thinking of other husbands she at one time admits that, â€Å"she knew of none better† than her own, she is in no way happy with her married life. When describing the feelings Edna had regarding her marriage Chopin describes the marriage as, â€Å"An indescribable oppression, which seemed to generate in some unfamiliar part of her consciousness, filled her whole being with a vague anguish. It was like a shadow, like a mist passing across her soul’s summer day†. Throughout the course of this novel Edna is coming to the realization that she is extremely unhappy with her married life, and she wishes to be free from the oppression that she feels with the relationship with her husband. Unfortunately for Edna divorce at this time is unheard of, and would be regarded as a disgrace to Edna as well as her family. Edna’s unhappiness with her marriage leaves her with few choices; she can remain in her marriage and be miserable, or she can leave her husband and face the consequences. Edna, however, does not have the heart for either of these choices, and escapes the pain of he... ...l not result from a new house, or her painting, or even her love for Robert, but instead will be much more difficult for her to obtain. It is this realization, as well as the oppression she feels from her marriage and the suppression she feels from her children that lead Edna to commit suicide, for she realizes that is the only way she will truly be able to escape her troublesome life. Edna Ponteillier’s suicide at the end of The Awakening is a result of her failed attempt at a new life. Edna’s suicide was her last resort, and was simply a way to escape from the troubles that resulted from the unhappiness she felt with her life. Edna’s suicide was not representative of the final stage of her â€Å"awakening†, but was merely an escape from the oppression she felt from her husband, the suppression she felt from her children, and from her failed relationship with Robert. Edna's Escape The Awakening Essay -- essays papers Edna's Escape The Awakening Edna’s Escape The ending of Kate Chopin’s The Awakening is both controversial and thought provoking. Many see Edna Pontellier’s suicide as the final stage of her â€Å"awakening†, and the only way that she will ever be able to truly be free. Edna’s suicide, however, is nothing more than her final attempt to escape from her life. Edna Pontellier’s life has become too much for her to handle, and by committing suicide she is simply escaping the oppression she feels from her marriage, the suppression she feels from her children, and the failure of her relationship with Robert. Edna Pontellier’s marriage is a failure in her own eyes. Although when thinking of other husbands she at one time admits that, â€Å"she knew of none better† than her own, she is in no way happy with her married life. When describing the feelings Edna had regarding her marriage Chopin describes the marriage as, â€Å"An indescribable oppression, which seemed to generate in some unfamiliar part of her consciousness, filled her whole being with a vague anguish. It was like a shadow, like a mist passing across her soul’s summer day†. Throughout the course of this novel Edna is coming to the realization that she is extremely unhappy with her married life, and she wishes to be free from the oppression that she feels with the relationship with her husband. Unfortunately for Edna divorce at this time is unheard of, and would be regarded as a disgrace to Edna as well as her family. Edna’s unhappiness with her marriage leaves her with few choices; she can remain in her marriage and be miserable, or she can leave her husband and face the consequences. Edna, however, does not have the heart for either of these choices, and escapes the pain of he... ...l not result from a new house, or her painting, or even her love for Robert, but instead will be much more difficult for her to obtain. It is this realization, as well as the oppression she feels from her marriage and the suppression she feels from her children that lead Edna to commit suicide, for she realizes that is the only way she will truly be able to escape her troublesome life. Edna Ponteillier’s suicide at the end of The Awakening is a result of her failed attempt at a new life. Edna’s suicide was her last resort, and was simply a way to escape from the troubles that resulted from the unhappiness she felt with her life. Edna’s suicide was not representative of the final stage of her â€Å"awakening†, but was merely an escape from the oppression she felt from her husband, the suppression she felt from her children, and from her failed relationship with Robert.

My Teaching Philosophy Statement :: Educational Philosophy

My Philosophy on Education As an education major at State College, I’ve decided to become a teacher for several reasons. As I progressed through elementary, middle, and high school, many of my teachers were great role models for me. This has inspired me to become a role model for someone in the near future. My love for science and math has also influenced my desire to teach and make a difference in a child’s life. I want to teach students the subjects that I love so much. I want the feeling that I helped a child accomplish or learn something they couldn’t understand. One of the main reasons I want to become an educator is because I feel education has really lost teachers who truly love teaching and those who truly love teaching and those who have the desire to make a difference. I feel I can really help make a difference in the education world and bring back the love to teach. My placement teachers and the teachers I have had throughout my life have definitely influenced my philosophy on education. Although my beliefs concerning education aren’t set in stone, I believe I have more of an Eclectic view on education. My beliefs tend to come from many of the different philosophies rather than one sole philosophy. One of the philosophical approaches I will take during my educational career is Perennialism. This is the traditional and conservative view, and its followers consider school to be an institution designed solely to develop students’ intellect. Perennialists generally follow the beliefs of Aristotle. The perennialist teacher must be a good reader and writer and encourage students to improve both of these skills. Three primary approaches to learning are stresses: didactic teaching of concepts such as, the operations and uses of mathematics; coaching of skills; and seminars in which various topics are discussed in depth t hrough the Socratic method. Along side of Perennialism, I will use Behaviorism. This will allow me to set rules and regulations to better prepare my students. This will benefit them because they will always be aware of circumstances of their behavior.

Impact on the Small Coralline Cay

Experiment Number: 5 Date: December 8,2011. Aim: To assess and analyze man’s impact on the small coralline cay- Lime cay. Apparatus: boat Introduction: Lime cay is a small coralline cay that is mostly used by humans for their personal entertainment. By visiting this cay, man has had detrimental effects on the environment. In the earlier times, man’s impact was not so prevalent, however, overtime it has increased as agricultural practices and technology has been introduced. The effects can rise from pollution to global deforestation, which results in the death of many organisms.This can lead to species and genetic diversity being lost and also gives rise to extinction of some species. The adverse effects will be discussed later in details. Procedure: A small boat was used to travel to lime cay where the students walked around the small coralline cay and recorded all observations, which indicated man’s impact on this environment. Observation: Pictures showing the s mall coraline cay-Lime cay and evidence of the presence of man’s pollution. Picture showing an example of an organism that lives on the cay that is affected by man’s presence (sea urchin).Table showing the organisms present on the cay and their preys Organisms Being Fed On| Organisms Feeding| Flowers| Snails and Bees| Snails and Fish| Turtle| Leaf litter | Earthworm| Phytoplankton| Zooplankton| Algae| Sea Urchin and Fish| Fungi| Crab and Sand Fly| Wood| Wood Boring Beetle| Tree Bark| Termite| Woodlouse and Bees| Spider| Bird| Pelican| Bees and Earthworm | Bird| Discussion Questions: (a) Create a food web of all the organisms present on the cay. Pelican Stingray Shark LizardBird Turtle Spider Fish Wood boring Earthworm Sea urchin Zooplankton Bees Snails Crab Sandfly Beetle Termite Leaf litter Algae Phytoplankton Flowers Fungi Wood Treebark (b) What is the significance of the cay? The significance of the cay is to: (1) provide a habitat for a variety of organisms that we re present on the cay (2) to aid in breaking heavy wave and tidal action and (3) to serve as a recreational ground for humans. c) What are the ways that man affects this habitat? Man affects this habitat by pollution when it is used for recreation, by deforestation/slash and burn method, by causing eutrophication, overfishing, oil spills and exposing unwanted predators. (d) Do you see any animals or evidence of any animals? What organisms are affected by man’s activities and how? Yes, there were animals seen. The animals seen were crabs (their tracks and their holes were spotted) ground lizards, pelicans, birds, fishes, sea urchins, spiders (spider webs were spotted) snails, stingray and a turtle.Generally speaking, with human activities being practiced on the cay, it resulted in habitat destruction. Changes usually take time for the organisms to adjust. However, when changes occur at a fast pace, there is little or no time for individual species to react and adjust to new ci rcumstances. This created disastrous results, and for this reason, the rapid habitat loss causes species to migrate to other areas to live. On the cay there was a lot of garbage left behind from human activities. These consisted of mainly plastic materials such as cups and bags.Trash like plastic, can cause death to fishes as plastics take a while to biodegrade and therefore remain in the water. Fishes sometimes mistake plastic for food and ingest it, which results in a blockage in their digestive systems killing the fish. Plastic can also get wrapped around their necks and choke them or it could get stuck in their mouths, making it unable for the fish to eat and so it might starve and also die. Another observation made was a traveling cargo ship. This activity released pollutants into the water and also made it prone to oil spills.An oil spill has the most hazardous effect on aquatic and terrestrial life. The oil coats the fish’s outer layer and kills it. Also, oil affects s ea birds as it sticks to their wings rendering them flightless. Oil settles on top of water and so forms a thick layer that is opaque, which prevents sunlight from reaching marine plants, so photosynthesis is obstructed. Oil spills may result in eutrophication, which feeds algae blooms. When algae dies they sink to the bottom where they are decomposed. The decomposition process uses oxygen and deprives the deeper waters of oxygen, which can kill fish and other organisms.Also the necessary nutrients are all at the bottom of the aquatic ecosystem and if they are not brought up closer to the surface, where there is more available light allowing for photosynthesis for aquatic plants, a serious strain is placed on algae populations. Growth of algal blooms disrupts normal functioning of the ecosystem, causing a variety of problems such as a lack of oxygen needed for fish and other organisms to survive. Also it may be noted that by human activities, which cause organisms to migrate, makes them more available to predation.Additionally, it can increase competition for food and space between organisms. Another point that was observed was the presence of fishermen. Overfishing decreases the population of fishes in the area, which disrupts the food chain as terrestrial organisms that feed on aquatic life have less food to eat. Also human activities affect turtle nesting, as the turtle was seen moving outwards from the cay. This suggested that based on the exposure to unwanted predators, turtles might see the cay as unsafe to lay their eggs.There may have also been introduction to pests as a result of the garbage and also pests may come to the cay in boats. Lastly, we can look at the effect of the method slash and burn method. Evidence of the burning of wood was seen which resulted in the various plants and animals that lived there being swept away. This could also have been the area where only one particular species is kept and slashing and burning could result in extinct ion for that species. This also affects organisms that live in the soil, like the bacteria, that would result in their death. e) Is the only impact by those who visit the cay? No, the impact is not only by those who visit the cay, the impact of the habitat destruction is also by pests as stated before like rats who come on the cay and create mass destruction to the organisms living there. (f) As a manager, what would you suggest to minimize man’s impact on this environment? There should be provision of proper disposal facilities, where the site can be kept clean of litter and the waste and contaminants are not runoff into the water.Implementing in-situ conversation and management practices to exclude or eliminate pests, so pesticides are unnecessary and the organisms will be protected is another suggestion for minimizing the impact. With the prevention of pollution, eutrophication will decrease. Plastics can be collected in a container for recycling, so recycling bin can also be put into play. And lastly, rules should be implemented against burning of materials on the cay. Conclusion: Man has significantly impacted lime cay and evidence was there to support this theory, which resulted in many detrimental effects to the organism present on this cay.

Great Gatsby and Elizabeth Barrett Browining Essay

The Great Gatsby by F.Scott Fitzgerald and Sonnets from the Portuguese by Elizabeth Barrett Browning are influenced by their varying context in their portrayal of love in their respective texts. Both authors explore the concept of love using various language features such as metaphors the use of irony. The Great Gatsby explores how the desire for the American Dream has taken prevalence over romantic love during post world war 1. This is contrasted with Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s Sonnets from the Portuguese where we are able to visualise her passion towards her lover through linguistic construct and also through the construction of an intimate sonnet. The Great Gatsby is set in what is commonly known as â€Å"The Roaring Twenties† or â€Å"The Jazz Age.† Given the 20s was about opulence, the nihilist attitude is reflected in romantic needs. Fitzgerald dismisses the idea of idealised love and refers to America’s love with the American Dream. Post World War 1 was a period of hedonism that reflected people’s determination to forget the sufferings and loss of the war. It was also a time of moral confusion. There was a mood of superficial optimism as people tried to hide their disillusionment. Fitzgerald explores the difficulty of individuals maintaining moral integrity in a material society that values wealth above all others. It was a time where there was great importance placed on what people had and not what people were. Fitzgerald’s use of Nick as the unreliable narrator is meant to represent cultural mores of the 20s. He represents the voice, failings and cynicism of the time and acts as a filter through which ideas and characters are reflected and mediated. We gain a pessimistic and fragmented insight into the tragic love story of the novel. The fragmentation and complex structure of the novel builds up Gatsby as the paragon of the Jazz Age and epitome of the American Dream. Ultimately, someone who represents the 20s cannot gain true love in the face of Tom’s wealth and riches. At the end of the play, Nick comes to fear that he is living in a loveless and faithful w orld. The narrative structure shows that time is a representation of love. The exploration of love in The Great Gatsby is treated with great ambiguity as Gatsby who is to be admired for his hope and vision, is sadly tragic and is unworthy in a society in which he loves. Fitzgerald is alluding to the fact that in successful America at the time, many were preoccupied with their social standings and wealth. The American Dream took precedence over romantic relationships. He condemns  love to be distrustful and faithless. This is shown through the numerous relationships throughout the novel. The relationship between Daisy and Mr. Gatsby is a clear example. Before Gatsby went to war, Daisy promised to wait for him but instead, married the very wealthy Tom. It becomes clear that Gatsby loves and wants the idea of Daisy rather than the real version. In order to eligible for Daisy’s love, Gatsby recreates himself to become a successful and wealthy man; hence he shows Daisy all his possessions after their meeting at Nick’s house. When Daisy cries over Gatsby’s â€Å"beautiful shirts† it highlights, the materialistic views she possesses and the relationship between love and money at that time. Part of Gatsby’s yearning for Daisy is her link to an exclusive society that he desperately wants to join. Gatsby’s love for Daisy is clear when he takes the blame for the death of Myrtle. We are positioned to see his devotion to Daisy as being foolish. â€Å"I love you now, isn’t that enough?† Although Daisy is unsatisfied with her marriage and enjoys her relationship with Gatsby, she never intended to leave Tom. In the end, it is not enough as Gatsby is not accepted in society or accepted by Daisy. F.Scott Fitzgerald shows the shallowness of love through the relationship of Myrtle and Tom. Their relationship is a symbol of an exploitative relationship. Myrtle is not content with her marriage and vies for a higher position. Myrtle admires ‘breeding’ and the aristocratic society and sees nothing immoral about her position as Tom’s mistress. She feels more superior when walking around New York with Tom and looks down on people who cannot afford materialistic goods although she normally would not be able to afford these products either. Tom provides Myrtle with presents that she normally would not receive. Ironically, Myrtle condemns her husband, George Wilson, for not owning his wedding suit. However, Tom doesn’t want to sustain the relationship with her. It is purely for his sexual needs. Hence, Fitzgerald depicts love to be superficial and is determined by the amount of wealth and social standing of a person. F.Scott Fitzgerald critiques the American Dream. Gatsby is an apparent self-made man who went from almost nothing to extravagance and wealth. However, Gatsby, Myrtle and George are seeking a better life but only achieve humiliation and death. Myrtle dies in the pursuit of the American Dream. Ironically, she is killed by Daisy who represents the idealised woman of her time in terms of wealth and status. Elizabeth  Barrett Browning’s Sonnets from the Portuguese explores love from the perspective of a 19th century women in order to convey the passion she feels for her lover. Barrett Browning ref lects a society where idealised love is admired and where there is faith in the individual. Barrett Browning presents an optimistic view of love. She manipulates the Petrarchan sonnet form, which is traditionally written from a male perspective, by subverting the writing scheme. She subverts the form by writing as the subject and object of the poem. Elizabeth Barrett Browning writes of her personal experience of love and idealised love. She is challenging how the art form challenges woman and celebrates love as a liberating force. By exploring her emotions, she explores her own identity. Elizabeth Barrett Browning believes her love with Robert has elevated so much that they approach transcended beings, â€Å"Our two souls stand up erect and strong.† Barrett browning is suggesting that if they didn’t have a body they would still move towards each other in passion. She captures the intensity of their love and the depth of their love through the line â€Å"Until their lengthening wings break into fire† This reiterates their passion and connection of love. There is a stark contrast with F.Scott Fitzgerald’s bleak view towards idealised love to Barrett Browning’s optimistic representation of love. In each sonnet, Browning portrays the notion of love has empowered her and made her value herself as an individual, â€Å"I love thee with the love I seemed to lose† (sonnet 43) She reveals to us that before she met Robert, her life was characterised by fragmentation and loss. This reinforces how love has transformed her life. She attempts to measure her love for Robert through the line, â€Å"I love thee to the depth & breath & height.† The use of the half-rhyme unifies Sonnet 1 but fractures it at the same time. Half rhymes show the impact of the love she is feeling and the reassessment she is feeling. The half rhymes are created to show how the predictable known ways of seeing the world have led her to innovation. In conclusion, it can be seen that both authors deal with love in their respective texts. However, F.Scott Fitzgerald takes a pessimistic view towards idealised love and rather, comments on the love for the American Dream in his society. Elizabeth Barrett Browning takes a more optimistic view, suggesting that it is a liberating force.

Presentation on the Kimpton Hotel’s Eco-friendly Initiative

The key elements of the Kimpton Hotels Earth Care Program are outlined in its eco-mission statement. These include â€Å"company-wide commitment towards water conservation; reduction of energy usage; reduction of energy usage; elimination of harmful toxins and pollutants; recycling of all reusable waste; building and furnishing hotels with sustainable materials; and purchasing goods and services that directly supports these principles† (Murray and Thomas 2005). It should be noted that all of these elements should be implemented in order to attain the goal of the Earth Care program.However, aside from these direct efforts that the company must engage in, it is also recognize that a key element in embarking in the program is the communication strategy which is used internally and externally. Inside the business organization, it is very essential to align the company’s workforce in this new strategy by letting them know and giving them an active role for the implementation of the program. In the part of the external stakeholders, Kimpton also had to communicate its eco-friendly efforts and their advantages.Is there a `business case` for the Earth Care Program?There is a strong business case for the Earth Care Program. It should be noted that implementing this eco-friendly strategy will benefit Kimpton in the long run. Looking at the current trend in the business environment, it becomes notable that most companies not only in the hotel industry are becoming more and more active in the preservation of the environment by supporting sustainable development efforts and by establishing a â€Å"greener† image.It should be noted that company image is now a more serious issue than the product itself. Consumers are becoming more and more concerned about the influences of a business organization to communities and environment. Also, the Earth Care Program is consistent with the corporate social responsibility effort of Kimpton which is very much importan t in the global business arena nowadays.Can you describe the costs and benefits associated with the Earth Care Program? The Earth Care Program conveys various benefits to Kimpton Hotels. One of the most obvious advantages is the huge potential improvement in the bottom line of the company. The efforts of the company to become more eco-friendly also implies shifting from less energy and resources consuming processes which will definitely push down the level of costs.The company’s effort of eliminating toxic substances will also benefit employees who are handling these chemicals on a daily basis. It should be noted that toxic substances often have detrimental effects to the person handling them and eliminating this can possibly improve the sense of well being of employees and make them more productive. The Earth Care Program also posts opportunities to Kimpton as it will now belong to the list of eco-friendly hotels which are highly preferred by government organizations. In som e ways, customers can perceive the eco-friendly image as a new attraction which can generate more revenue for the company.However, the company also faces the challenges involved in this new strategy. First, the Earth Care Program requires monetary investment which should be financed long before any cost benefit is attained. Kimpton Hotel also needs to align its entire chain with the effort thus necessitating negotiation and giving out the risk of rejection from local managers who feel threatened by the new system. Third, the company needs to pay more for the organic materials which are needed to make hotels eco-friendly. As the case states, these costs are very high compared to the traditional materials.Are there risks to the company with this program?The company is facing a huge risk in implementing the Earth Care Program. First, Kimpton Hotel is not sure whether this program will be perceived by customers as value-adding. Experience of the customers are seen to be indirectly relat ed with the materials or equipments used in delivering services.Since the benefits of the program are not reaped in the short-run, the company also takes in the risk of possible change in consumer taste before cost savings are realized. If in the long run, customers perceive that eco-friendly efforts are not important, then Kimpton runs the risk of not benefiting from its investment. Lastly, the Earth Care Program threatens the autonomy of local branches which can make employees hesitant in implementing changes.What is the weakness of the Kimpton Hotel?The autonomy of the branches of the Kimpton Hotel can be perceived both as a strength and weakness of the organization. On the positive side, the decentralized operation facilitates fast decision making and customization. However, Kimpton Hotel is having difficulty in implementing company-wide strategies because possible rejection from its branches. It should also be noted that as each hotel is unique, integrating them to join the Ear th Care Program is quite hard. The difference in the values of each branch also makes it difficult for them to pursue a single strategy. What might work in a branch might not necessarily have the same effect on another.ReferencesSilverman, M &Thomas, T. 2005, â€Å"Kimpton Hotels: Balancing Strategy and Environmental Sustainability.† San Francisco State University, USA