Political Contention Essay

Solita Collas-Monsod is a professor at the University of the Philippines: Diliman and a writer in the Philippine Daily Inquirer. Solita Collas-Monsod’s article entitled â€Å"The Trillanes Myth† was published or appeared in the Philippine Daily Inquirer and was last updated in September 3, 2007. The author was able to catch the attention of its audience, and she was able to effectively use the title of her article to give a bird’s eye view of what is stored for the readers. She also starts her column through a statement of her stand regarding the issue being discussed. The author wanted to show or inform the audience and or the readers of the Philippine Daily Inquirer about the Trillanes group which started a coup d’ etat in Oakwood Hotel, or the well known â€Å"Oakwood ‘Mutiny†, wherein there were 300 uniformed military officers and men who were guided or led by Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV. Her arguments also state that the Court, led by July 25 order of RTC Judge Oscar B. Pimentel, should continue its firm stand with regards to imposing the necessary law or exercise government authority, without validation of the badges of inequality. She assumed that the world, more specifically the sympathizers of the Trillanes group or the military officers, should not be deranged or persuaded by the â€Å"idealisms and principles† of the Trillanes group. She also states that the audience, we, should not be blinded by the myths or lies which the Trillanes group gives us, and that we should stick or be firm with our government rules about coup d’etats. Solita Collas-Monsod values the truth and in seeking proper justice for such violators of the law. She strongly believes that proper justice or punishment in accordance with the government laws should be imposed on the Trillanes group, and we should do this objectively, not subjectively. Monsod was able to define terms clearly in her article. Solita Collas-Monsod did her assignment or did basic research, thus, she was able to support her arguments with ample and enough facts. The argument for me is successful, and it does convince me. There are facts or sufficient supporting statements used by Monsod in her article and these facts or statements seem really reliable. My beliefs and line of thinking was the same as Monsod with regards to the â€Å"Oakwood ‘Mutiny†, more specifically about the Trillanes group. Monsod’s argument strengthened my former belief about proper government execution of its laws . Politically speaking, this is really an eye-opening article not only to the public but to the government and its officials as well, more specifically to the Judicial Court. There are times when I had small doubts with regards the Judiciary system of the Philippines before, but because of Monsod’s article, and facts that she stated about the actions taken by the Court, led by Judge Pimentel, these doubts are not gone. I believe that indeed, the political world still has its â€Å"impartiality. † Solita Collas-Monsod’s article affects the political process by simply strengthening the implementation of Judicial law and in informing the public about the Trillanes group. The government and the public, or the audience, are at the advantage, whereas the Trillanes group is definitely in the losing end. Work Cited: Collas-Monsod, Solita. â€Å"The Trillanes Myth. † The Philippine Daily Inquirer, 2007.

Supply Chain Drivers

Logistics Drivers Facilities These are physical locations where merchandise is stored, assembled or manufactured. Two major types of facilities are production sites and storage sites. Decisions regarding the role, location, capacity, and flexibility of facilities have a significant impact on the supply chain’s performance. Facilities related metrics include; capacity, utilisation, cycle time of production, cycle time, flow time efficiency, product variety, processing/setup/down/idle time, average production batch size, and production service level.Inventory This includes all unprocessed material, raw materials being processed and completed merchandise. Change in inventory policies can alter the supply chain performance. For instance, a stationery shop can be responsive by stocking large amounts of stationery and satisfy customer demand from stock. However, a large inventory increases costs, rendering it less efficient. Stock reduction would make it more efficient but less resp onsive.Inventory related metrics include; average inventory, products with more than a specified number of days of inventory, average replenishment batch size, average safety inventory, seasonal inventory, fill rate, and fraction of time out of stock. Transportation Transportation involves moving inventory from one supply chain location to another. Transportation can take form with different combination of modes and routes, each with its own performance characteristic.Transportation related metrics include; average inbound and outbound transportation cost, average incoming and outbound shipment size, average inbound and outbound transportation cost per shipment and fraction transported by mode. ? Cross-Functional drivers Information This consists of data and analysis concerning all other drivers, that is, facilities, inventory, transportation, pricing and customers.It is arguably the biggest supply chain driver as it directly affects each of the other drivers. Timely and accurate in formation will enhance coordination and better decision making. Information related metrics include; forecast horizon, frequency of update, forecast error, seasonal factors, variance from plan, and ratio of demand variability to order variability. SourcingSourcing involves choosing partners to perform a particular supply chain activity such as production, transportation, storage, or management of information. This decision variable establishes functions that a company may undertake and those that it may outsource. Sourcing related metrics include; days payable outstanding, average purchase date, range of purchase price, average purchase quantity, fraction on-time deliveries, supply quality, and supply lead time.Pricing Pricing determines the amount a company will charge for goods and services offers in the supply chain. Pricing affects the behaviour of the customer buying a product or accessing a service, thus affecting supply chain performance. Pricing related metrics include; prof it margin , days sales outstanding, incremental fixed cost per order, incremental variable cost per unit, average sale price, average order size, range of sale price, and range of periodic sales.

The Fiftieth Gate

The Fiftieth Gate, understanding the past is represented as a continual and dynamic process. Baker gives a holistic representation of his parent's experience of the Holocaust, demonstrating the complimentary relationship between history and memory. This notion is explored in the autobiographical book through the depiction of his parents', and his own past. The barcarole style of the text aids in portraying the interplay between history and memory, enabling a more cohesive representation of the lasting repercussions of the Holocaust.Due to the traumatic tauter of her past experiences, Genie finds historical accounts of the Holocaust confronting to reconcile with her own memories. This tension is depicted by Baker, when he confirms the date of an Action against the Jewish population in Genie's town, â€Å"It was Yon Kipper. You're right. The Action took place on 21 September 1942. † Baker's pursuit of historical accuracy compromises Genie's personal memories, as she feels that c ompared to her own ordeals, history is an insufficient means of understanding the past. She responds: â€Å"I'm right, he says. What an honor. What do you know about Actions?We were standing there like little lambs. Screams, crying. A massacre of weeping lambs,† here, the imagery of a lamb conveys the destruction of both an entire community and the destruction of Genie's childhood innocence. Baker struggles to unite the non-chronological and unreliable nature of memory with his own fastidious historical research, but gradually understands that the two complement each other to give a more open representation of the past. However, the tension between mother and son and hence, history and memory, is seen in the transcript of Baker's interview of his mother: â€Å"Pitch black.Pitch black, that's how I was for years†¦ What do you mean, do I remember? Stop interrogating me. Stop testing me. What, all these years you thought that because I wasn't in Auschwitz like your father I didn't suffer? † The use of transcripts is integral to the eclectic barcarole structure of the text, as the myriad of textual forms demonstrates the ongoing process of understanding the past. The tension between the two discourses is clearly seen, as Baker often finds his mother's memories impossible to vindicate, despite her vivid recollection of the suffering in her past.Genie feels that ere suffering is overlooked, as she has little historical and physical evidence to represent the effects of the Holocaust on herself. As a barcarole text, The Fiftieth Gate explores the dynamic process of understanding the past, and through the interaction between his mother and himself, he highlights the difficulty and importance of reconciling both history and memory. Baker's father, Yogis is often reluctant to delve into his own memories, and cannot fully reconcile his own past with the reality of the present.Rhetorical question conveys Yokel's inability to entirely accept the past, as he retains a child-like degree of optimism: â€Å"Maybe he's still alive. Could be, you know. Could be. Anything can happen. After the war I met people I thought were dead. Have you ever heard such a thing? † The transcript of Yokel's interviews expresses a direct connection to his personal memories. Whilst Yokel's resilience is an admirable quality, it can lead to an attitude of denial. Through Baker's process of interviewing his parents and ascertaining the history of their Holocaust experiences, the past is re-examined and represented in a more comprehensive manner.This transcript is contrasted with a conversation twine father and son, and displays the diverse barcarole style that is integral to the representation of Baker's parent's memories. Chapter 16 begins with a portrayal of the difficulty in confronting the historical details of Yokel's own past: â€Å"l can show you what your father wore when he arrived in Buchwald. ‘ My father seems angry at this latest dis covery. ‘Do you know when he went to the toilet? The color of the agates he wore under his pants? Maybe you can tell me when I last showered or what I did everyday in Auschwitz? However, the chapter ends with Yogis reluctantly expressing a desire to learn the clothes worn by his father. This expresses the ongoing nature of understanding the past, as the ordeals of one's past retain the potential to cause significant grief. This notion is present throughout the novel, and is particularly significant in Yokel's growth as the result of opening up to a more complete understanding of his own memories. Juxtaposition is used to highlight the mutual dependency of history and memory in the process of effectively comprehending the past. Whilst being interviewed, Yogis begins: â€Å"l was born in Wreaking.Baker's commentary follows: â€Å"Wreaking was born before him. In 1657, founded by Bishop Bogus Readdressed who obtained royal permission to colonies the woodlands along the Seminal River. † The direct and impersonal nature of historical discourse, although important, is directly contrasted with Yokel's memory, which is far easier to empathic with. However, we understand that the two complement each other to give a multi-faceted and progressive understanding of the human experiences of the Holocaust, which results in a certain degree of ‘closure'. Although Mark Barker was born after theHolocaust, the ramifications of the events have profoundly affected his own life, and the process of understanding the past is pertinent to Baker himself. Baker states, of himself and his brother , â€Å"†¦ L knew there was something more deliberate in the names chosen for us, an attempt to obliterate not only my parents' foreignness but the memories attached to it†¦ So I decided to put the past back into my name. I have chosen Raphael, the earliest ancestor I can find on our family tree. † The understanding of the past that has been enabled by learni ng of his parent's personal stories have enabled Baker to reconnect to his cultural heritage.This personal progression is integral to the semi-autobiographical nature of The Fiftieth Gate, and represents a significant level of personal growth that Baker has garnered through the discourses of history and memory. Throughout the text, it becomes apparent that Baker has been profoundly affected not only by his parent's experience of the Holocaust, but also by the suffering inflicted collectively on the Jewish population. This is apparent in the elements of ‘Midribs' – the oral and written exploration of biblical texts – that are inserted intermittently wrought the book.Baker briefly recounts the story of Rabbi Hanna Ben Iteration, who was killed by the Romans due to his faith, and subsequently martyred. Whilst being burned, Iteration is asked by his disciples what he sees. He responds, â€Å"The parchment is burning, but the letters are soaring high above me. † This is followed by a poem, â€Å"My parents remember: the fire/the parchment burning/the bodies buried/ letters soaring high, ‘turned to ashen dust. † This element of Midribs is representative of the barcarole style of the text, and conveys Jewish resilience that has lasted millennia.However, Baker subverts the optimism of the original text to convey the horrors experienced by all the victims of the Holocaust. It becomes apparent that this suffering, whilst not directly inflicted upon himself, resounds in the children of Holocaust survivors. The Fiftieth Gate explores the notion of understanding the past through the complimentary discourses of history and memory. Baker demonstrates the implications of this notion through the depiction of himself and his parents, Yogis and Genie. It becomes apparent that understanding the past is not a fixed process, and that it can at times cause tension.

Health Administration Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Health Administration - Essay Example QI employs the use of many methods in order to ensure that the services being provided to the customers are improved to the customer’s satisfaction. It also ensures that the products being offered and the whole process improves and becomes of such high standards of quality (Hoyle, 126). Quality management employs the use of various principles in order to make the work of management of the services or products easier while quality improvement follows laid down procedures and guidelines that enable it to improve performance and ensure that the improvement is not just a one-time thing but will always be continuous. The guidelines include following the zero-defect program and ISO certification guidelines among other guidelines. The principles used in quality management include focusing on the customer, involving the stakeholders and better leadership among others. When the quality improvement component works smoothly and effectively, quality management also improves and hence the overall performance of the organization

The My Lai Massacre Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The My Lai Massacre - Essay Example In the end people, departments and institutions flew blame from right, left and center with just a handful of people bearing the burden of prosecution despite it being quite clear that many more had been involved. The power structure at the time actually did well to evade harm from the incident not considering that it was the source of the main problem that not only architected the massacre but also tried to sugar coat it in the name of a bigger and justified war in Vietnam that was supposedly being pursued to protect American interests abroad. According to Olson and Roberts, a few days before the My Lai massacre, there were increasing number of heavy losses and casualties on the side of American soldiers (13). These were caused by snipers, booby traps and mines. SGT George Cox is one of the notable soldiers who died from a booby trap while on patrol just two days before the massacre. Those who died or suffered injuries were mostly on patrol and most of these happened near My Lai ham let. These incidents had slowly undermined American forces’ strength and ability to neutralize the Vietcong operating mainly from My Lai hamlet. These Vietcong units had managed to remain intact owing to their continuous execution of small-scale operations (14). The massacre itself took four hours where more than 400 civilians were killed by American forces from 0730hrs. The operation in My Lai hamlet started by aimless shooting around the selected soldiers landing spot and it went on for about three minutes. This was done not to kill anyone in particular but to disburse any enemy within that proximity so as to ease the access towards the hamlet. This however resulted to widespread panic from those inhabiting the hamlet that morning. Soldiers for the next 30 minutes edged towards the hamlet loaded mainly with pistols and M-16s on full automatic. The soldiers split up at around 0800hrs and begun a thorough search for Vietcong and their weaponry. In this instance lack of coordi nation started and resulted in haphazard turn of events. Frustration creped in and soldiers started shooting at anything that moved. â€Å"Soldiers shot old men sitting outside their homes, women carrying water, children searching for places to hide. †¦women were raped at gunpoint†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (22). 1LT Calley is a notable figure and was to blame for a great deal that happened that morning. However, Charlie Company herded Vietnamese in order to guard them and not to kill. Calley testified to have plainly ordered his soldiers to kill the Vietnamese whether armed or otherwise where the latter turned to be the absolute scenario. This resulted in many unarmed civilians grouped up and shot in cold blood while Calley himself was involved in most incidents. At this point an army photographer, Ronald Haeberle was taking all the action as it happened. It is important to note that only a few soldiers in the Charlie Company engaged their arms in the morning slaughter. Another was Hugh T homson Jr. who was a pilot at the time and who tried to intervene and stop a group of soldiers from killing a group of Vietnamese. What had happened all morning was nothing short of a massacre against the people of My Lai. The whole operation resulted to recovery of only three weapons. Reported official figure at that time was the killing of 128 enemies. This immediately followed efforts of cover up starting with Captain Medina. The military was made deeply aware of the incident on 29 March 1969 through a letter by Ronald Ridenhour. This led to deeper investigations which revealed a

Public Relations Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Public Relations Plan - Essay Example What the public thinks of one school carries a weight that could make or break it. To cope with the demand for information, public relations has become an indispensible tool for schools and organizations all over. With this, schools can maintain an aura of trust, credibility, and cooperation with the general public as well as the people inside the school. This is important in many ways because who you know and who knows you really count in any business. A single remark from a parent could ruin a school, not enough exposure to the public could limit the number of students coming to the school, and a bad image could discourage potential students from even considering enrolling to that school. It goes on and on. With proper public relations, all those can be avoided. Communicating with the Community It is imperative that the school maintains contact with the people inside and around it. That means talking and listening to everyone from the staff, the faculty, the administration, the stu dents and their families, and the community in general. The school must strive to empower everyone with information about itself, its current status, and the status of its students. It must also increase the amount of interaction between the school and community, in effect increasing the involvement and support of the community in the school’s affairs. This can be achieved by holding meetings and events that could serve as forums where people can discuss about the important things relevant to the school. For the teachers and staff, Faculty and staff meetings could be held monthly or as needed to keep everyone updated and to provide an outlet for discussion; for parents, Parent-Teacher conferences can be done regularly to bring them up to speed with their children’s performance, any events in school to look out for, and to discuss better ways to help the children have the best education; Giving recognition to the achievers is also a form of feedback. It gives a sense of pride and lets parents know that their child is doing well, while the student gets motivated to study harder; the students should also have a say through student forums and other such activities; to keep the school in the eyes of the community in general, some of the most concrete ways are distributing school publications or newsletters, student ambassador programs, and participating or hosting community events; other ways that are important would be cleaning up the school’s image through an awareness campaign or community outreach program, instructing the teachers to be more open to students’ and parents’ concerns by offering a listening ear to them, or putting up a ‘Questions, comments or suggestion box’ (or any equivalent) wherein anyone can voice a concern at any time. All the while, the school itself provides the information in an open manner with enthusiasm and a visible concern for the proper education of the students. Crisis Management The best way to handle a crisis is preventing it, or failing that, preparing for it. Crisis aversion is the primary focus for crisis management. The school needs to look for possible crises that may occur and take the necessary steps to prepare for it. For incidents beyond the control of the school, steps can also be taken to mitigate the damage that can be caused. First, prevention is the key. Check the safety of

Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 227

Assignment Example Biodiversity and abundance in the same water is also average, relatively lower than site three because of less favorable habitats in agricultural lands. Site two, on the other hand, is an urban area. The Institute for Natural Resources, nd, paragraph 4 describes water from such sites to have the lowest biodiversity and abundance due to less favorable habitats, high concentration of dissolved heavy metals like Lead and Copper from industries as is the case here. The water also has the lowest pH as a result of dissolved acidic gases from the atmosphere, highest conductivity due to high concentrations of dissolved salts picked up by run-off. Furthermore, it has high Biological Oxygen Demand due to high temperatures from rooftops and pavements. Site three is open woodland. Water from this site has the highest biodiversity and abundance due to favorable habitats, low Biological Oxygen Demand because of low temperatures, lowest conductivity due to low concentrations of dissolved salts. In addition, fecal bacteria are high due to uncontrolled wastes. The same has lowest concentrations of nitrates, phosphates, Copper, Lead and dissolves salts due to absence of pollutants (Institute for Natural Resources, nd, par

Annotated list of resources Bibliography Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

List of resources - Annotated Bibliography Example I think that it would be a reliable source for parents or educators seeking such programs. Raz-Kids is, essentially, an online library and reading program all in one, intended for young readers in the range of K through 6. They offer to improve children’s reading through reading for practice, recording the student reading, listening for modeled fluency, and checking comprehension through quizzes assigned to them. Children are encouraged to read, â€Å"†¦The right books for the right students.† ("Raz-kids.com: Online leveled," 2012) This can give the instructors the opportunity to properly track progress. By having the opportunity to have the library of the books in the â€Å"level† with a subscription, children can log in and read from anywhere that they have internet access. This side is adequate in its presentation. It is intended to be kid-friendly with bright colors, but internal access beyond the overview and sample pages is denied without opening an account with the site. This, in my opinion, makes this resource, by no means less credible, but less likely my first choice when reviewing such sites. So with no disrespect intended it is just less essay to give a truly genuine opinion of the overall potential of this particular program The San Diego Zoo website offers a section dedicated to kids, of all ages, that have games, activities, and articles that designed for the young. However, they do not offer a reading program per say, but they have â€Å"kits† available that educators can purchase filled with interactive, hands on activities, as well as, reading and science activities. The overall intention is to teach children those vital skills but, also, inspire children toward science and conservation. The lessons plans provided include skills tests for each section in the form of language arts, arts, and early science skills.("San

Research Designs and Methods Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Research Designs and Methods - Term Paper Example   If we were to not use scientific research, we would have to rely on intuition, guess and whims. All through history, one can see examples of how important decisions can go wrong because the decision maker relied on these. Intuition is often influenced by a few events that are not representative of the norm. The decision maker may not even realize how much weight a particular incident may be given simply because it has had an emotional impact on them; and not because it is really relevant. Statistical studies have shown that any one of a number of guesses has exactly the same chance of being right as any other in the set. Nevertheless, we often make the mistake of believing that a particular guess has a greater probability of being right. This is a fallacy that motivates every gambling situation. The whims and ideas of monarchs have often been their downfall. Major decisions of corporations, countries and even individuals, if taken without the backing of facts and research can oft en lead to costly mistakes – sometimes irreversible... (Baily, 1994; 76-83). A majority of the type of research mentioned is conducted by using mathematical and statistical functions. But when the object of study is a human being, quantitative measurement of phenomena is not always possible. Human experience is inherently qualitative, and often it is best reported thus. A number of researchers have understood this, and choose to study phenomena from a qualitative and descriptive point of view. While such research is often criticized for not being able to present hard data, the insight it provides into the human experience makes it well worth the effort. It is, of course, difficult to generalize from subjective data; a strength of objectively collected data. In some cases, there is no attempt at all to apply the findings in a larger context. Qualitative research is also more fallible in its interpretation. But in spite of all its flaws, qualitative data – especially in the Social Sciences – can provide an understanding and a perspective that empirical data cannot afford.     

Telecom Call Center Research Technology Essay Example for Free

Telecom Call Center Research Technology Essay According to Malhotra (2004: 5-6) interview is defined as an unstructured, direct personal interview to uncover the underlying motivation, beliefs, attitudes and feelings on a topic. Thus if interviews are used in this case the gains will be; quick response from respondents, permits interviewer to delve deep into the topic, there is allowance to discuss confidential, sensitive even embarrassing issues concerning the topic, and good understanding of complicated behavior (consumer behavior). Interviews have also there following limitations; there costly, analysis of real time data is difficult to interpret, respondents bias like personal opinion concerning matter at hand, its generally time consuming. Survey; entail a structured questionnaire given to sample population and designed to elicit specific information from respondents. Three methods exist in survey; i. Telephone interview- involves calling a sample of respondents and asking them a series of questions. ii. Personal interviewing- can be through face to face, mall intercepted, computer assisted interview. iii. Mail interview – questionnaire is mailed to pre selected potential respondents. Through survey: data collection is simpler through administration of questionnaires, data reliability as responses are limited to the alternatives stated, analysis, coding and interpretation is relatively simpler. Its shortcomings include; respondents unwilling to provide desired information, none response to sensitive or personal questions, failure to capture certain types of data as beliefs and attitude due to fixed response alternatives. According to Zbikowski,(2007): there are five KPI`s that determine the performance of a call center and they are; cost per call, customer satisfaction, first contact resolution rate, agent utilization and aggregate call center performance. Thus in a call center, the most effective cost metric is cost per contact, and the best indicator of quality is customer satisfaction. Customer satisfaction is affected by a whole range of other performance variables, including Average Speed of Answer (ASA), Call Quality, and Handle Time, but the single biggest driver of customer satisfaction, by far, is, first contact resolution rate. The KPI`s are effective as they handle customer needs from the time they make first contact to the call center to during the conversation and all the process that lead up to them ending the call. Research design – is a plan according to which research participants are chosen, information collected and data analysis and interpretation done. (Kotler et . al, 2006: 100-105). This case the appropriate design to be used is descriptive study and both qualitative and quantitative approach. According to Malhotra et al (1996: 10-12), a descriptive study has its objective as a description of something in regards to who, what, where and how of a phenomenon which is the concern of the current study. The researcher should use survey method (questionnaires) to collect information from the respondents which will be recorded and findings reported. (Kotler et . al, 1999:20-25) explains that interviews are a technique that is primarily used to gain an understanding of the underlying reasons and motivations for people’s attitudes, preferences or behaviors. He further explains that they are good in that; are completed and immediate, use recording equipment, good response rate, possible in-depth questions, can investigate motives and feelings among others. These qualities of interviews facilitate the accurate collection of needed data as interviewee is on the spotlight thus tendency to relay accurate information. The main limitation of descriptive study is that you cannot identify the cause behind a phenomenon; you can just describe and report the observation. Informal Questions The following sets of questions are to be responded to by a manager of a call center. 1) Are call centers profitable to organizations? This is to establish if call centers are really needed. 2) What are the challenges of running call centers? To get the feel of the every day hustles at the call centers. 3) Are there any frequently asked questions from the customers? To identify if they keep a database of constantly asked questions (record keeping). 4) Is industry competitive? Establish if center is analyses there markets for factors that can affect there profitability 5) What is the level of innovation in the industry? To find out if the centers are constantly looking for better technologies to serve their customers. 6) What is level of regulation from concerned ministries? To establish if there set minimum threshold by the government they are required to abide by. Data Collection Mugenda (1999: 46-58) there exits two broad types of data collection methods; primary and secondary data. Where possible, data should be collected from several sources to crosscheck for errors. Primary data is data originated by the researcher for the purpose of research problem, this could be through; observation, focus groups, depth interview and survey methods. Secondary data is the type collected for other purposes other than the problem at hand. Secondary Data- can be further divided into external and internal data. Internal data is data available within the organization for which research is being conducted. In this case any information gathered from visit of one or numerous call centers is classified internal data. External data is data that originates from sources outside the organization, like from journals, books, newspapers, reports, magazines periodicals. For our case external sources form the backbone of all the data which translates into information regarding this research problem. Data Sampling Malhotra (2004: 20-33) data sampling is a definite plan for obtaining facts from a given population, its normally done so as to reduce number of subjects to be studied. Sampling method can either be probability based or non probability based. Probability based is a random sampling technique where every item of the population has an equal chance of inclusion in sample. Under probability based the researcher can use cluster sampling because it’s used when impossible to obtain a sampling frame because population is either too big or scattered over a large geographical area like collection of data from numerous call centers. Non probability is a method where the chance of selecting a population element is unknown. Under non probability researcher can use purposive sampling because it allows researcher to use cases that have required information with respect to the research problem, or snowball sampling where identified subjects with the desired characteristics help name others that they know have the required characteristics until researcher gets the number of cases he/she wants. Surveys Interviews Orodho (2000:15-18) explains that the choice of method is influenced by the data collection strategy, the type of variable, the accuracy required, the collection point and the skill of the enumerator. Call centers data is constantly changing and thus data collection should be conducted at sufficient intervals. Malhotra (2004: 6-7) For interviews the use of depth interviews will be appropriate which is an unstructured direct, personal interview in which a single respondent is probed by an interviewer to uncover underlying motivation, beliefs, attitudes and feelings on a topic. The use of structured questionnaires assist to collect some other data that interviews could not collect, thus avoidance of redundancy and errors. Research is basically collection of as much relevant raw data as possible and analysis of it to information. Mostly the upside is the personal gain in knowledge; discover findings/statistics, personal/societal recognition and some financial gain. The downside can be possession of information that can be a security risk, financial constrains and time management issues. Research therefore only lays down the facts; the interpretation should on individual basis, â€Å"like the recent study that shows persons are highly likely to contact diseases when taking a shower due to accumulation of micro organisms together with rust at the head of the shower†. (Harriet Copper: February, 2006) References: Donald, K. , and Delno, L. , (2006), Proposal and Thesis writing, Paulines Publications Africa, Nairobi, pp 156-158. Einwiller, S. and Will, M. (2002), â€Å"Towards an integrated approach to corporate branding – an empirical study†, Corporate Communications, Vol. 7 No. 2, p. 100. Kotler, P. , Armstrong, G. , (2002, Principles of marketing, 11th ed. , Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle river. Kotler, P. , Armstrong, G. , Saunders, J. and Wong, V. (1999), Principles of Marketing, 2nd ed. , Prentice Hall, Harlow. Leonard, B. , Parasuraman, A. , and Zeithmal, V. (1993), â€Å"Ten lessons of improving service quality,† MSI report, Cambridge marketing science institute. Malhotra, (1996), Research Methodology, Phoenix Publications, Africa Nairobi. Margulies, W. (1977). Make the most of your Corporate Identity. Harvard Business Review, pp 66-77. Mugenda, O. , and Mugenda, A. , (1999), Research methods: Quantitative and Qualitative Approaches, Acts press, Nairobi. Orodho, John Aluko (2000), Elements of Research Methods, Masola Publishers, Nairobi Kenya. www. cwu. edu/~jefferis www. callcentermagazine. com www. call-center-metrics. com www. metricnet. com www. alive. com

NHS and Community Care Act | Critiques

NHS and Community Care Act | Critiques Community Care is really care by families which is really care by women; and it always will be! Discuss Introduction When Margaret Thatcher came to power in the late 1970s one of her Government’s primary aims was to roll back the welfare state and cut spending on services. They argued that state services, and the health service in particular, were inefficient and costly. They further maintained that the introduction of market principles into welfare provision would increase efficiency, provide better services, and reduce costs. The Conservatives were anti-institutionalisation and began closing geriatric wards and psychiatric hospitals. The 1982 Government White Paper Growing Older emphasised the role of the family and that the role of Government was to enable, rather than replace that care. There was an implicit assumption here that much of this care would be provided by women. Twigg (1993) maintains that the 1988 Griffith Report which advised on more effective use of Government funds for community care also recognised that public services would only have a role where community and family su pport had broken down. Large numbers of the elderly and the disabled have always been cared for in the community, the state took over where this became a burden and the Tories were keen to discourage too much state provision. In 1990 the NHS and Community Care Act was introduced where the state was no longer the sole provider of care. Community care is the term used for both social and health care. Voluntary and Charitable organisations would also play a part and care packages would be organised by local authorities. This might include provision of services in a person’s home, residential care, respite care, day care and family placements, sheltered housing and group homes and hostels. This Act placed a much greater burden of care on those professions associated with healthcare e.g. social work, and at the same time resulted in further inequalities as care provision differed depending on what region of the country a person was in. It was argued that this kind of care would al low individuals to live with dignity and independence in their own communities. This paper therefore, aims to assess the statement that Community Care is really care by families which is really care by women and it always will be. Under the terms of the 1990 Act, responsibility for care in the community became the responsibility of local authority social services. Each authority has a duty to publish its care plans and has a duty to assess all those people who might need care. It is the authority’s responsibility to provide care and to promote the work of voluntary and charitable organisations by purchasing care from them. Local authorities are also bound to establish a complaints procedure and have the responsibility of checking out care packages.[1] There have been a number of problems with the terms of the Act. Since 1993 the number of old people need support has continued to grow while NHS short and long term care has continued to shrink (Filinson, 1997). At the same time it is actually cheaper for social services departments to keep a person in residential care than to support them in their own home. New policies such as the Carers Representations and Services Act 1995 and the introduction of Direc t payments which were intended to empower users and give them greater choice have been implemented without all the additional resources. Thus demands for service have increased while budgets have remained much the same. While there has been a lot of rhetoric about the needs of pensioners the focus has, necessarily been on the user, and carers needs are largely ignored. Unell (1996) points out that changes in community care: †¦simultaneously raised the profile of carers and made their needs more difficult to meet in the short term (Unell, 1996:9). Community Care and Familial Obligation Since the 1970s there has been an increasing emphasis on care in the community and care within the family. This does not always work well and the greatest burden usually falls on those families with the least resources. Familial obligation is defined in law. In the UK it usually refers to the nuclear family of husband and wife, parents and children and benefits and taxes almost always recognise these relationships (Millar and Warman, 1996). The provision of services are intended to support, rather than take the place of the care and support that is expected of the family. Although Britain and most other European countries give some recognition to gender equality much policy making stems from post-war understandings within the welfare state, of the male breadwinner and the female housewife/carer. Community care and familial obligation are based on these hidden gendered assumptions. In Britain these obligations only extend downwards i.e. parental obligation to their children. In some c ountries adult children have familial obligation to their parents but this is not the case in the UK (Millar and Warman, 1996). In spite of this the decreasing number of acute hospital beds means that there are more older people with chronic conditions in the community. They receive care from the local authority in their own homes but in many instances they rely heavily on informal carers, usually members of the family. Informal care involves a number of different activities and relationships and has been explained in the following way. Informal care: †¦normally takes place in the context of family or marital relationships and is provided on an unpaid basis that draws on feelings of love, obligation and duty (Twigg, 1993:2). Thus, this kind of care normally occurs within the family and Kirk (1998) states that data from the General Household Survey tends to suggest that the bulk of this kind of care is undertaken by women. Phillips and Bernard (1995) maintain that the kind of caring that many women give are the difficult tasks of physical and personal care. These carers may also have contact with a range of other community services and district nurses who might be involved in the caring process. The meaning of community care changes over time and during the 1970s and 1980s policy in this area brought changes to services for people with disabilities, people with learning disabilities, and people suffering from the frailties of old age (Kirk, 1998). Cost concerns meant that many institutions were closed and care was focussed on the community. Lewis and Glennerster (1996) maintain that during the 1990a community care was a policy shift to aid spending cuts. There was a change from residential care for older people to care in the community. How successful the shift from residential care to care at home has been is, Wistoe (1995) maintains still unclear. In the 1990s health policies in the UK have focussed on primary care, this has come about because of cost concerns, demographic shifts and changing patterns of illness. Many services that were provided in hospitals are now operating in the primary sector. This has resulted in complex nursing care being undertaken in a domicilary context. Which shifts the burden of care to informal carers, usually female family members with the help of district nurses. In some cases informal carers and the person themselves undertake some tasks such as intravenous injections (Conway, 1996). Costain and Warner (1992) maintain that if this continues then more dependent people with complex, intensive needs will be cared for at home thus increasing the burden on the family and on community care services. Manthorpe (1994) points out that informal carers are gi ven little choice over their caring role and there is little respite as they are not often presented with an acceptable alternative. There has been little research into how this kind of caregiving affects family members although feminists (Abbott and Wallace, 1997) have expressed concern over the hidden assumptions underlying the concept of community care. The Feminist Critique of Community Care Feminists have focused on the informal caring that women do and which is often ignored by the professionals. Caring for an ageing or disabled relative for twenty four hours a day is bound to have an effect on women and yet there is little available help for respite.. Furthermore, the Community Care Act of 1990 has imposed further responsibilities on women in the role of informal carers (Abbott and Wallace, 1997). Based on the gender roles that existed in the welfare state, the discourses of health take it for granted that when members of their family are sick a woman will care for them. It assumes that women will put the needs of their children before their own. Health care is defined as care that is given by doctors, nurses, and other health professionals and the caring that women do in the home is recognised only as a part of the role that a woman plays in the home. Not only is her caring role invisible but the impact of shouldering the burden of caring is also ignored (Graham, 199 3). The Office for National Statistics reports that in 1995 there were three times the number of female informal carers to male carers. Watson et al (1999) maintain women, who are the primary care givers in the family actually negate the view that the responsibility of care should primarily be in institutional structures. This is because as wives and mothers, even if they are employed full time, they still give care to other family members. Walby (1990) contends that women have been oppressed because of their biology and this is evident in the healthcare system. However, patriarchal control of women operates through an inter-related set of structures and practices through which women are oppressed by men, the state is patriarchal in its policies and practices and its interests are biased towards men. Thus it is not surprising that implicit in discourses of care in the community is the view that women will shoulder the burden of care. Abbott and Wallace state that: While it is rarely given official recognition, and the tendency is to see paid health workers as the primary providers of health care, women provide most health care, within the confines of the family (Abbott and Wallace, 1997:170). Conclusion Care in the community is care in the home and feminists are right to suggest that this largely means care by women. The gendered nature of care giving needs to be re-examined if policy continues to shift the greater burden of care to the community. While there are such things as carer’s allowances these are very low and means tested, therefore many people do not claim them. There seems to be a stigma attached to the idea that people should claim allowances for long term care within the family. Perhaps a better option, once a person was assessed as needing long term community care would be an automatic payment for informal carers. It might also be useful if Government debate on care in the community lauded the work undertaken by informal carers and promoted a positive image of care within the family. Those families where men are the informal carers could, perhaps, be promoted as positive models for other men to follow. This might not only bring a shift in the implicit assumptio n that women will do the caring, but might give a broader and less stigmatised view of caring within the family. Assessment packages for long term informal carers should have regular respite care built into them so that carers get a regular break. Free community nursing care and domicilary care should be provided so that informal carers can go on holiday without having to worry about what was happening at home. Government may be keen to establish policies that shift even more care into the community but should also recognise that truly cost effective care takes account of all eventualities. At present it seems as though the notion that problems may arise in informal care settings is ignored, so that when these problems do occur it actually costs more to rectify than if an allowance for such eventualities was made in the first place. Too much strain is placed on many women because of the expectation that they will be informal carers, community care, it would seem needs much more care ful planning than is presently the case. References Abbott and Wallace, 1997 An Introduction to Sociology: Feminist Perspectives. London, Routledge Conway A.1996 Home intravenous therapy for bronchiectasis patients. Nursing Times 92(45), 34 35 Costain D. Warner M.1992From Hospital to Home Care: The Potential for Acute Service Provision in the Home. Kings Fund Centre, London Filinson, R. (1997) ‘Legislating community care: the British experience, with U.S. comparisons’, The Gerontologist, 37,3: 333-140. Giddens, 2001. 4th ed. Sociology. Cambridge, Polity Press Graham, H. 1993 Hardship and Health in Women’s Lives Hemel Hempstead, Harvester Griffiths, R. (1988) Community Care: An Agenda for Action. A Report to the Secretary of State for Social Services, London: HMSO. Kirk, S. 1998 â€Å"Trends in community care and patient participation: Implications for the roles of informal carers and community nurses in the United Kingdom† Journal of Advanced Nursing Vol 28 August 1998 Issue 2 p.370 Lewis J. Glennerster H.1996Implementing the New Community Care. Open University Press, Milton Keynes. Manthorpe J.1994 The family and informal care. In Implementing Community Care (Malin N. ed.), Open University Press, Milton Keynes Millar, J. and Warman A. 1996 Family Obligations in Europe Family Policies Centre in association with Joseph Rowntree Foundation Moore, S. Scourfield, P. Sinclair, S. Burch, S. and Wendon, B. 3rd ed. 2002 Social Welfare Alive Cheltenham, Nelson Thornes. Phillips J. Bernard M.1995 Perspectives on caring. In Working Carers (Phillips J. ed.), Avebury, Aldershot. Twigg, J. (1993) ‘Integrating carers in to the service system: six strategic responses’, Ageing and Society, 13: 141-170. Unell, J. (1996) The Carers Impact Experiment, London: King’s Fund Publishing. . Walby,S. 1990. Theorising Patriarchy. Blackwell, Oxford. Walsh, I ed. 2000 Sociology: Making Sense of Society. Edinburgh, Prentice Hall. 1 [1] http://www.infosci.org/MS-UK-MSSoc/pubcca.html

Wa Municipal Profile

Wa Municipal Profile CHAPTER THREE COMMUNITY PROFILE OF THE WA MUNICIPALITY Location and Size The Upper West Region is located in the north-western part of Ghana and shares borders with the La Cote D’Ivoire to the north,-west, Burkina Faso to the north, Upper East to the East and the Northern Region to the south. The Wa Municipal Assembly was created out of the then Wa District in 2004 with legislative instrument (L1) 1800 in pursuant of the policy of decentralization started in 1988. The Assembly is empowered as the highest political and administrative body in the Municipality charged with the responsibility of facilitating the implementation of national policies. Under section 10 of the Local Government Act 1993 (Act 426), the Assembly exercises deliberative, legislative and executive functions in the District. By this act, the Assembly is responsible for the overall development of the Municipality. The Wa Municipality is therefore tone of the eleven administrative areas (District Assemblies) that make up the Upper West Region (UWR) of Ghana. The Municipality shares administrative boundaries with Nadowli District to the north, the Wa East District to the east and the Wa west district to the west. The Municipality lies between latitudes 9 º50!N to 10 º20!N and between longitudes 9 º40! W and 10 º15!W. It has an area of approximately 234.74 km2, about 6.4% of the area of Upper West Region. The implication of the location of the municipality for development is, enhancing bilateral trade and commerce with Franco phone countries. The Wa town has the potential to grow and be upgraded into both an industrial and commercial hub for the north-western corridor of Ghana. The Figure 1 (map) below shows the location of the Wa Municipality with some of the peri-urban communities that fall victim of the rapidly urbanizing process in the municipality. Demography The Upper West region is the youngest region in Ghana. In 2010, the population of the region stood at 702,110 with a growth rate of 1.9% per annum. According to the 2010 population and Housing census, the Wa Municipality has a total population of 107,214. Currently, the total population of the municipality stands at 127,284 (male: 61,826/female: 65,458) with an urbanized population of 71,051 (GSS, 2012) representing 66.3% compared to the national urbanized share of 50.9% and the regional urbanized share of 16.3%. This also implies the Wa Municipality alone accounts for a 62% share of the region’s urbanized population in the year 2010. The Municipality is also reported as having an urban population growth rate of 4% as compared to the national urban growth rate of 3.4% (Wa Municipal, 2012; GSS, 2005; GSS, 2012). The population structure of the Wa municipality revealed a preponderance of the youth over the aged and females (51%) over males (49%). The youth form 49% of the total population with a potential working population of 47% and 4% aged. This means a high dependency ratio since the economically active population is 47% compared to dependent population of 53%. The population density is 542 persons per square kilometers with its associated development implication in the areas of housing, education and health facilities, environmental sanitation, water supply, pressure on land and socio-economic infrastructure due to the rapidly urbanising township. This raises the issue of population management, specifically, housing, land use planning, streetism, conflict management, to secure the future of the municipality. The gender implication of the above includes programming for women, mother and children to provide for peculiar health, educational and economic needs and strengthening institutions for effective governance and protection of the vulnerable and excluded and also ensure human rights especially for women. A second implication is that the youthfulness of the population requires the provision of social infrastructure especially schools, crà ¨ches, day nursery, primary and junior secondary schools, healthcare services especially family planning, adolescent and reproductive health services. Thirdly, there is the need for skills development programmes that will provide the youth with employable skills to address current and future unemployment problems. These implications are linked to population management issues such as enhancing effective resource mobilization, human, financial and material resources for the provision of basic socio economic infrastructure and services in the educational and health sectors. There is also the need for capacity building and institutional strengthening for the staff of the municipal assembly and other sector departments and the need to embark upon vigorous population management programmes and employment creation for the youth. The existence of educational facilities universities, Polytechnics, long distance learning centers, vocational and technical institutions, availability of electricity, water, banking, telecommunication and transportation facilities employment opportunities and availability of agricultural fertile lands in the Wa town are responsible for the current rural exodus of populations into the city centre leading to the expansion of the urban centre towards the peri-urban communities in response to the influx of populations and developments. Relief, Drainage and Topography The Municipality lies in the Savannah high plains, which generally, is gently undulating with an average height between 160m and 300m above sea level. The gentle rolling nature of the landscape implies that the topography is no barrier to agriculture and other physical development. The low lying areas are found in the following localities; Charia, Zingu, Kperisi to the North and Piisi, Dapouha, Boli, Sing, Biihe and Busa to the South. These manifest in the form of valleys that collect and retain water during the rainy season and are therefore suitable for rice cultivation and livestock rearing. These low lying areas have further given rise to two main drainage systems, the Sing-Bakpong and its tributaries to the South and Billi and its tributaries to the North. The streams are seasonal and thus dry up during the long dry season thereby reducing available of water for agriculture, domestic, industrial and constructional uses. This implies the provision of dams, dugouts and rainwater h arvesting in order to provide adequate water to meet the domestic and agricultural needs of the increasing population in the area. Weather The climate of the Wa Municipality is characterized by long, windy and hot dry season followed by the short and stormy wet season. The dry season occurs between November and April. The north eastern trade winds from the Sahara desert precipitates the cold harmattan winds between November and February which brings with it coughs, cold and other respiratory diseases and also skin diseases. The hot season records high temperatures with a peak of between 400C and 450C in March and April causing dehydration and incidence of cerebral meningitis. The effect of climate change is becoming more manifest of late due to human activities in terms of bush burning, felling of trees, poor farming practices and infrastructural activities. The wet season lasts between April and October. The annual mean rainfall volume of between 840 mm and 1400 mm is sparsely and poorly distributed over the months. The rainfall pattern is erratic and punctuated by spells of long droughts and heavy downpours and floods . This affects humidity levels, soil moisture levels, crop growth and general agricultural productivity. Land use Notwithstanding the fact that the municipality is the commercial hub of the upper west region, agriculture remains main the economic activity. It remains the largest single contributor to the local economy and employs about 70% of the active population. The main staple crops grown are millet, sorghum, maize, rice, cowpea and groundnuts cultivated on subsistence basis. However, soybeans, groundnuts, Bambara beans are produced as cash crops. Economic trees within the municipality are sheanuts, dawadawa, mango, baobab and teak. The vegetation cover of the area is guinea savanna woodland, which is made up of grasses and tree species such as Butylosternum Paradoxum (Shea tree), Parkia biglolosa (Dawadawa), Adansonia Digitata (baobab), Anarcadium occidentale (cashew), Acacia, Ebony, Neem and Mango among others. There is a marked change in the plant life of this vegetation zone during different seasons of the year. The vegetation in this area is thus open and dominated by short grasses. In the wet season, the area looks green and in the dry season, the grass dries and most of the trees shed their leaves and prone to bush fires. Human activities such as firewood harvesting, charcoal burning, farming, quarrying, construction etc. are all combined to modify the natural environment. The Municipality lies in the Savanna high plains, which generally, is undulating with an average height between 160 and 300 m above sea level and has two main drainage systems, Sing-Bakpong and its tributaries to the South and Billi and its tributaries to the North. The streams dry up during the long dry season thereby reducing available water for agriculture, domestic, industrial and construction users. Apart from the Wa central-the capital of the municipality, there are eight peri-urban towns within the municipality. However, the study would focus on the four fast urbanizing communities (Busa, Kpongo, Charia/Loho and Kperisi) located almost equidistance from the municipality. Economy of the Wa Municipality The structure of the economy of the municipality has not changed since 2009. It is still dominated by agriculture (about 70%), followed by commerce (about 9%) and industry (about 3%). Other key sectors of the economy are transport, tourism, communication and energy. Peoples’ sources of income for livelihood depend on the economic activities they undertake, the level of diversity and the technology or know-how used. Comparatively, the diversity of the economy of the municipality is very limited and dominated by agriculture, which is equally not diversified. Wa municipal falls within the Savannah Zone where poverty has been above the national average. Currently, nine (9) out of every ten is said to be poor. Average households incomes are very low and bread winners few. An analysis of household’s expenditure shows that about 80% of their income is spent on food and 20% on rent, education, health, utility charges and funerals. The high level of poverty is attributed to unde rdeveloped social overhead capital. Social overhead capital, which supplies services (power, transport, storage, communication, education) that are indispensable to modern industry are under developed. The under development of this capital base is a constraint or bottleneck to economic growth and development in the Municipality. Agriculture The agriculture sector provides more than 60% of the municipal population sources of jobs, livelihood and business. It is a sector crucial to the local economy, because it is currently the major provider of jobs. Despite its strategic role in fighting poverty, it is under modernized. Traditional technologies still dominates agriculture production, processing, storage and marketing. Programs are therefore required to enhance development of sustainable agriculture production systems e.g. irrigation systems, enhanced farmer education and training, enhanced technology transfer in agriculture production, storage and enhance corporate development for marketing. Agro-Industry is an immense potential waiting development. The investment potentials are many and varied. Cereals flour: processing from Staple food crops like maize, millet and sorghum. About 5,581, 7,113and 5,180 MT of maize, millet and sorghum respectively are produced annually. About 70-80% of the production is processed at grinding mills where the possibility of food contamination is very high. Pito Brewing: A local beverage (Pito) produced from sorghum (Guinea Corn) which enjoys a lot patronage in the municipality and the region faces the challenges of maintaining the quality/standards beyond a day, meeting preferred taste and alcohol level of consumers, packaging and traditional brewing process. Yet it is one of the major sources of livelihoods and income for women. Modernizing pito brewing has a potential of not only augmenting sorghum production but improving women income level. Processing/Packaging: of dairy and meat products (cheese, yoghurt, sausages) for households, catering and hospitality industries: Cattle herds are about 6,696 while small ruminants’ population is about 8,457. Livestock production is still basically open range, while a growing hospitality and catering industry lack the necessary meat product. Edible oil extraction: Shea butter, Groundnut and Cotton seed oil are extracted using traditional methods. About 6,696, 5,154, and 5,303 MT of sheanuts, groundnuts and cotton seed respectively are produced annually in the Municipality. Fruit juice/jam extraction: Yet another emerging business area with great growth potential is fruit juice extraction. Fruits of significant economic importance in the municipality include mango, cashew, shea, â€Å"zumbringa†. Tourism Tourism is one of the fast growing sectors in the Municipality of Wa and awaits a lot of investment. Apart from unique attractions (ranging from natural resources, culture and entertainment), a relative good basic infrastructure, transport and hospitality base promise the municipality a unique tourist destination. These potentials notwithstanding, lodging, food and beverages facilities, and support services are inadequate and substandard. Some of the notable tourists’ attractions include; the Wa-Naa Palace (a symbol of authority of one of the three epical authorities of traditional Wa), a flat roofed magnificent traditional building with rumble stripped walls; the Dzendzen Pool, George E. Ferguson Tomb (the first agent of the Governor of the Gold Coast Colony to reach Wa, May 4th 1894), Western Sudanese style built mosques e.g. the Centenarian Mosque at Nakori, Chegli crocodile pond, indigenous traditions, buildings and culture, dance and music. Transport The transport system in the Municipality is made up of road and very limited air transport. The road network is about 385km comprising 256km latitude roads and 129km, surfaced roads (trunk tarred roads). The Municipality has four (4) trunk road links to Kumasi and Tamale, Dorimon/Burkina Faso, Lawra-Hamile and Tumu/Leo. This is a strong advantage for enhanced trade and tourism. However, the conditions of these are bad and inhibit transport services between Wa and these locations. The absence of a by-pass road for traffic on direct route to neighbouring Burkina Faso, undeveloped arterial roads, poor drainage network, inadequate/substandard travelers and cargo lorry parks, limited pedestrian cross walks, absence of bus stop pavements do retard the progress of the transport sector. Wa Municipality has over 300 commercial/ private vehicles population and experience over 200 Vehicles passage day the services providers are dominantly private operators: GPRTU, Metro Mass transport, STC, OA, DKM, Diamond Winners, EMEKPA and Private alliance transport. Another most predominate means of transport is the use of motorcycle. This lessens traffic situations but however causes accidents in the town. It is incumbent that for the Municipality to tap the full benefits of all sectors, transportation requires a serious development intervention. Housing /Real Estate development As a regional capital the municipality performs political, administrative and commercial services which demand appropriate housing for households, offices/institutions and business. However, compound housing which usual accommodate six to12 households with poor municipal services still dominates the housing sector in the municipality. The housing challenge is aggravated by a floating students’ population which lack accommodation on campuses. Commercial Hub of the Region The Wa Municipality is currently the regional commercial/service centre with average trading/office facilities (infrastructure). It has over 800 SME in tourism, agro business/ processing, Commerce, metal fabrication, construction, banking Finance. The presence of some market facilities (shops), do attract people from all corners of the region to trade in the municipality. A few Modern shopping facilities are also present to ease the congested shopping situation in the municipality. The relatively large number of SMEs opens up opportunities for Partnerships/Joint Ventures The industries in the Municipality are small scale and are categorized into Agro processing, wood, Textile, metal glass, leather hide, clay/sand/stone, art craft. There is a high level of agro-based industries in the Municipality. To finance these industries there are about 15 financial institutions (Banking and Non-banking) in the Municipality. This place the municipality in a better position to assist small and medium scale businesses to grow. Light Industrial Area The Local Authority, Wa Municipal Assembly, has acquired 20 acres of land for light industries. Utilities like electricity and water have been provided. This creates an impetus for a total transformation of the economy. The Municipal Assembly is seeking potential investors to do business with. Beside the Municipal Assembly is ready to front/assist any potential investor to access land for any investment in the municipality. Banking and Financial Institutions The municipality can boost of over 15 banking/non-banking institutions; ADB, SGSSB, Barclays, Stanbic, APEX Bank, GCB, NIB , 1st National bank, Lawra Area Rural Bank and Sonzelle Rural Bank. There also exist Five (5) non-banking financial institutions. There are Two Credit Unions Ghana Financial Services, Comforter, DKM, Line Paradise and Sinapi Aba. They provide the necessary financial services. Infrastructure Infrastructure comprises water systems, communication networks, electricity (power), health care facilities, roads, streets security system among others. The available infrastructure in the Municipality is averagely adequate to promote the growth of other sectors in the region. There is the availability of water systems, communication networks, electricity (power), health care facilities, roads, streets security system that will facilitate development in the municipality. Key Interest Areas to do Business in the Wa Municipality Expanding production and value addition in agriculture, industry, tourism and transport Enhancing institutional competitiveness Effective and efficient and communication system Engaging diversified forms of partnerships Developing and retaining the necessary human capital for hiring and self-employment Facilitating access to financial and non-financial support service

The Use of Symbolism in Goldings Lord of the Flies Essay -- Lord of t

The Use of Symbolism in Golding's Lord of the Flies    "His head opened and stuff came out and turned red. Piggy's arms and legs twitched a bit like a pig after it has been killed" (217). This is what can happen to someone when all signs of civilization, order and power disappear and have no more meaning to members of a group or society. In the writing of William Golding's Lord of the Flies (1954), the symbol of power and civilization is the conch. Once that is lost, all bets are off. When the novel begins, two boys are talking about what has happened and why they are on this island. While walking on the beach, the main character Ralph then proceeds to find a shell which the two boys call the conch. Blowing on this shell Ralph calls a meeting where the boys lay out rules and decide they need a signal fire to be rescued from this island on which there are no adults and no females. During the meeting Jack, a choir boy, decides to organize a group of hunters to hunt for food. As the story progresses, Ralph finds himself and Jack to be enemi es. Then the "lord of the flies" begins to emerge within the group, many of whom begin to take on savage behavior, and end up killing Simon. Jack then decides to go and start his own tribe; he and a lot of the others do so. Even as the conflict increases between the two rivals, there is ongoing respect for the conch. The same savages later kill the character Piggy who was not doing anything to them except trying to get his glasses back that were stolen to make the fire. Then they try to kill Ralph; however, in the end all are rescued before they are ever able to reach Ralph. Throughout the story, civilization is being more and more withdrawn from the boys' consciousness, and yet the conch has th... ...the end the conch is destroyed and all hope seems to be lost for the one called Ralph. The conch is all the power he has, but it is killed along with Piggy. Fortunately for Ralph, the boys don't get to kill anymore, for another symbol of civilization, an adult, arrives to replace the power of the conch on their island. The adult asks what is going on and if there are any dead. The conch, which had the power to unify and civilize this abandoned society for a short while, proved to be ineffective and powerless. Just as it was an empty, lifeless shell, which contained no life, it could not bring life and order to the world of these lost boys. It took a living symbol, another human, to rescue and restore sanity to those who survived this island experience.    Work Cited Golding, William. The Lord of the Flies. New York: Coward, McCann & Geoghegan, Inc., 1962

Should Trade Sanctions Be Stopped Essays -- essays research papers fc

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   SHOULD ALL TRADE SANCTIONS BE STOPPED? To most of the world, sanctions are a mixed blessing. On the one hand, they reinforce trade rules and promote respect for them. On the other hand, they tend to undermine the principles of free trade and provoke a kind of ‘trade envy’(Charnovitz) in other international organizations.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Trade retaliation goes back quite a ways; we see examples of it in much of US law: -Antidumping Act of 1916, which has seen little use.(Charnovitz) -International Labor Organization, from the Treaty of Versailles 1919, which served as an international dispute system, but no economic measures were ever recommended until 2000, against Burma.(Charnovitz) -UN Security Council, which handles breaches of peace, only used sanctions 3 times between 1920-1990, but now uses them much more frequently.(Charnovitz)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  To understand the difficulty I have agreeing with the suggestion that all trade sanctions must be stopped, I feel it is important to discuss some of the good, the bad, and the ugly involved with imposing sanctions. I’ll start my discussion with some of the good that comes from restricting trade, move into some of the negative affects, and summarize with improvements I feel could be made to this defunct system.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The first advantage that comes to mind about imposing trade sanctions would have to be the ability of the sanctioning government to let everyone know how pissed they are, make their own people relatively happy, and then move on. Although this may only be temporary.(Charnovitz)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Individual countries, especially major world powers, like to impose trade sanctions even when the probability of forcing a change in the target country’s policy is small. In addition to indicating a resolution and suggesting their disapproval to the direct wrong doer and to other countries, politicians may also want to pose for their own people.(Library of Economics) If you look at the example of the US, European, and British sanctions against South Africa as well as US, European, and Japanese sanctions against China in the wake of the Tiananmen Square massacre, you can see that these were specifically designed to put their own citizens at ease, to make a moral and historical statement, and to send a warning to f... ...t be a common ground. There are different circumstances for every case brought forth, some where sanctions seem to be the only course of action, and some where they seem to be the worst course of action. We need to learn how to take this effective bargaining tool, and use it to better our global trading community.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   BIBLIOGRAPHY Chanovitz, Steve Rethinking WTO Trade Sanctions Social Science Research Network http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=256952 Elliott, Kimberly Evidence on the Costs and Benefits of Economic Sanctions Institute for International Economics http://www.iie.com/publications/papers/elliott1097.htm Library of Economics Lookup = Sanctions http://www.econlib.org/library/Enc/Sanctions.html Schooland, Ken International Trade and Finance HPU Economics 3400, Lecture/Video on Panama. Weiss, Stanley A. Trade Sanctions are a Misused Tool International Herald Tribune Saturday, June 26, 1999 Yang, Jaiwan; Teegan, Hildy Both are Associate Professors for the Department of International Business at George Washington University US Economic Sanctions and Globalization: Economic Impact and Policy Implications http://www.gwu.edu

Beer and Man Brewing Company Essay

Mountain Man Brewing Company was established in 1925, and since then has come to be known as â€Å"West Virginia’s Beer†. In 2005, despite a 2% drop in annual sales they sold approximately 520,000 barrels and reported revenue close to $50,000,000. Mountain Man Brewing Company’s average consumer is male, above the age of 45 and typically in the middle-to-lower income bracket. With a small number of Mountain Man Brewing Company’s consumers making up a large percent of their sales, it is important for the company to appeal to that small number of consumers, and ensure they are satisfaction to their brand loyal. Competition: Recently, the state of West Virginia repealed the arcane law; allowing retail stores to sell beer at discount prices. This creates pressure on old school regional breweries, like Mountain Man Brewery Company, to try and compete with the â€Å"top-dogs† of the industry. Future of the Beer Industry: As beer sales are not largely affected by economic downturns, Sales are however, affected by change in consumer (taste) demand. Current demand: In 2005 light beer accounted for over 50% of total beer sales; putting pressure on Mountain Man Brewery to introduce a light beer line into the market ( or make some other change), in order to remain profitable. Financial Assumptions 1) Mountain Man Brewing Company will only be able to achieve .15% of the light beer industry market share. 2) Mountain Man Brewing Company will spend $1,500,000 on advertising their new light beer in their first year. 3) In association with producing a light beer, Mountain Man Brewing Company will have an additional $69,000 in fixed expenses per year. 4) Mountain Man Brewing Company will be able to sell their light beer at $0.29 per bottle. 5) Mountain Man Light will not erode sales of Mountain Man Lager anytime in the near future. 6) All else will be help comparable to the current capital structure of Mountain Man Brewing Company.

My Ethical Beliefs in the Light of Popular Ethical Theories

It is certainly of convenience to meditate on one’s ethical beliefs in the light of popular ethical theories such as the awesome Divine Command Theory, which grounds my ethical principles in godly thought; the simplistic Ethical Egoism Theory, which allows my (Freudian) Id-based, self-interests to dictate my behavior in all situations; and the Utilitarian Theory, which compels me to rethink in terms of the long-term good of all people in connection with my personal and/or pontential business practices.   I believe that my ethical concerns rest on a variety of ethical theories.   This belief is founded on the assumption that man’s mind and intentions are perhaps too complex to be understood by means of one ethical theory alone.This is the reason why philosophers have established an entire discipline to study the mind and intentions of man.   The ethical-philosophical area that fascinates me most, however, is one of ‘reason.’   I trust my ethical conc erns to rest on reason.   Apart from the above mentioned theories, therefore, I have observed myself trusting in the Categorical Imperative Theory of Kant at times, the Rights Theory at other times, and the Virtue Theory to boot – but, all in different situations concerned with ethical thought.   Is it possible for man to ever do away with ethics?   And, do I consciously choose which theory of ethics to apply in situations that call for my ethical principles to suddenly become a focus of attention?I believe that ethics are a component of virtually all situations of man, not just ethical issues that are manifest to all.   From sustainable food consumption to the culture of clothing – ethical theories apply in almost all human situations.   Only when the individual is deep asleep in bed, or in deep meditation perhaps, do ethical concerns comfortably vanish into thin air.   Which ethical theories do I trust at the time I wake up each day?   Although I have v aried reasons to believe in the ethical theories mentioned above, the only theory that never  leaves my mind is that of applying reason to all situations that require my ethical concerns to come in the light of my mind.Reason appears before I decide whether God would approve of a certain action of mine, or whether smoking another cigarette with my friends would truly serve my interests, etc.   No doubt, all ethical theories call for reason to be applied before the theories themselves can be applied by an individual.   The theory that I could apply most easily to all my situations, but only after applying reason, is the Divine Command Theory.   I believe that this particular theory incorporates the remaining ethical theories mentioned in this paper as well.God’s commands are often synonymous to all that should be ‘good’ in our world.   Based on an interpretation of the Bible, my own interests should be God’s interests, and the interests of my brot hers and sisters (all people) should also be my short term and long term interests.   Moreover, God’s commands automatically include the concept of ‘Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.’   I must be wishing my business associates and other, well.   I must be ‘loving my neighbor as I love myself.’The Rights Theory and the Virtue Theory must needs be incorporated as well into the Divine Command Theory, seeing that God calls for His vicegerents to protect His sheep (that is, the government should protect the rights of the people, as in the Rights Theory); and He also calls for the teaching of virtues to all people, young and old, and these virtues consist of justice, honesty, goodness, etc.   The virtues taught by the Divine Command Theory also incorporate kindness, compassion, love, and mercy – concepts that are essential to ‘being human,’ but are not touched upon by most ethical theories outside the realm of G od.The question that automatically emerges is: What are God’s commands?   Do they depend upon our whims, or are they based upon a single holy book?   The answers to these questions are  complicated in my case, given that I believe in various interpretations of divine commands that may or may not be mainstream Christian, Muslim, Buddhist or Hindu.   I have learned more from books than from family and my community, which happen to be the main sources of socialization for most people.   This sociological theory has important underpinnings in ethical beliefs, seeing that we learn ethics and principles from the sources of information that exist around us.   I also believe that we learn from a personal source of information, the God of Aristotle and Sir Thomas Aquinas, and therefore, it is important to know books of revelation to learn God’s commands and apply reason to apply the commands of God from myriad scriptures.Now, of course, there are a huge number of sc riptures that may be called forth to understand the commands of God.   Are the illustrious Ten Commandments the only commands, or should I also believe in the New Testament and the Qur’an?   Did Buddha leave any godly commands in the form of scriptures?   Such are the questions I have had to answer in my evolving understanding of God’s commands, even though there is a deep source of information that still exists and tells me what is right and wrong from the Highest Source.   Call it conscience – I believe that morality is ‘knowing right from wrong,’ in the view of everybody including myself and God.   What pleases God and also pleases society must certainly please me.What else are my beliefs in light of the Divine Command Theory, which, in my opinion, should incorporate the remainder of the ethical theories mentioned in this paper, and many more theories like so.   I believe that God is a synonym for the ‘Good’ that Plato ha d referred to.   At the same time, it is quite possible that my interpretation of the Divine Command Theory would be different from the interpretation of another soul.   After all, my understanding of God and His commands is different from the understanding of another soul.   I believe in many scriptures at  the same time; additionally, I feel confident that they come from the same Source.   I have learned about God in a separate way altogether.   I do not necessarily trust all people’s doctrines.   Moreover, I do not compel anybody else to believe in what I believe in.Does this mean that I could easily run into ethical conflicts with people? – Yes.   However, it does not bother me, provided that I understand that their ethical principles are different from mine, and based on separate ethical theories altogether.   Once again, reason comes to the rescue.   Without reason, I, too, would perhaps become as intolerant as the racists and the terrorists ( extreme racists) who cannot tolerate the differences in beliefs among people.   I know that God calls for such tolerance among the children of Adam.Therefore, when extremism (or, extreme racism) leads to bloodshed among people, and those that are responsible for the chaos throw the responsibility back on God by saying that such acts were committed ‘in the name of God’ – it is extremely sad and funny at the same time.   It is sad because the intolerant folks have not understood God’s message of love and tolerance, even if they think that they are killing in the name of God, who is Love.On the other hand, it is funny because they are doing the direct opposite of what they intend to do.   That is why it is of central importance to understand one’s ethical principles, and keep on understanding and improving upon them throughout one’s lifetime.   Furthermore, it is essential to align one’s behavior with one’s ethical principl es.   By saying one thing and doing something else, people can prove to be quite inconsistent and unreliable, if not dangerous to the extent of terrorism and other forms of psychopathy.I believe that ethics call for tolerance and good citizenship, and wherever God’s name is mentioned, as in the U.S. Constitution, there should be peace.   For the state, therefore, the Divine Command Theory mandates peace.   For business in general, and for the economy at large, the  Divine Command Theory entails distribution of wealth with a focus on income generation, economic growth, and prosperous living.   In personal life, I have found this theory to be most appropriate because it does not limit me to one theory.Nevertheless, I have one God, like the Christians and the Jews.   In addition, it is advantageous to me that I do not always have to think about myself and my own interests when the responsibility or the task at hand demands me to sacrifice my interests, at times, for the benefit of society in general.   Ultimately, I may realize that by serving society at the expense of sacrificing my own interests at times, I serve myself better.   I may become a happier person by serving society, and I may also increase in wealth.   God would be pleased with me.   What is most important, still, is the fact that I would be a peaceful person by being aligned with the interests of God, society, and myself.Naturally, in order to align my activities and behavior with the interests of God, society, and myself; I have to think before I leap.   It is of the essence for me to meditate on information that I gather from a huge variety of sources, including books, my professors, friends, parents, etc.   After absorbing the information thus gathered, I enjoy applying the Divine Command Theory to get to the depths of situations that often get me to think in terms of the other ethical theories as well.There are times when self-interests rule my ethical principles , or I think only in terms of the virtues of justice, integrity, trustworthiness, etc.   However, if I were to base my activities solely on the Id-based Ethical Egoism Theory, for example, I would perhaps indulge in misleading thinking, which would eventually be responsible for behavior on my part that is misleading unto others.   I am confident that the ethics of bribery in business rest in the appropriate or inappropriate use of the Ethical Egoism Theory.   The CEO of Enron, and many other corrupt businessmen in modern times, have equally shown extreme self-interest in their  business situations.   In my case, such extreme use of the Ethical Egoism Theory would never occur because I rest my principles on divine commands.   Honesty, in my case, is a virtue of necessity.Thus, I would only apply the Ethical Egoism Theory within the framework of the Divine Command Theory when the situation calls for nothing else except self-interest as a driving force for ethical behavior.    Also, in my case, self-interest would also translate into the good pleasure of God; the long term interests of society (as in the Utilitarian Theory); Kant’s Categorical Imperative or ‘doing unto others as I want others do unto me;’ obedience to the government in return for which I receive protection of my rights, as in the Rights Theory; and honesty, justice, etc., in light of the theory of Virtue.In the ‘Kingdom of God’ – or the businessman who applies the Divine Command Theory to rule his ethical behavior – the Rights Theory occupies a very interesting place, indeed.   The Rights Theory asks for the government to protect my rights.   In return for this favor, I show obedience to the government by following the laws in general.   The businessperson who follows the same laws of the government would not cheat the government as did the Enron CEO.   Neither would such a businessperson return the favor of the government by che ating the investors of his or her company.If a former U.S. Senator were to accept a Rolex from a constituent, the Divine Command Theory would not call this behavior unethical if the Rolex were a gift.   If the former CEO of Tyco were to use company bonuses to host a lavish party for his wife, I would consider it unethical under the Divine Command Theory, seeing that God never asked us to usurp the rights of many people in favor of a few.   Lifting verbatim a news report and presenting it as one’s own is similarly unethical.   Being messaged the answers to exam questions during an examination is  unethical to boot.As far as downloading music without paying a fee is concerned, I would not consider it unethical so long as it serves the interests of society in the long run.   I do not believe that downloading free music off the Internet serves to put the music industry down.   There are countless people around the world who still do download free music off the Interne t, because they do not enjoy the quality of that music as compared to hardy CD’s that music shops would like to sell.   Besides, they do not appreciate yet the technology behind free music and the IPod.   So, even though this ethical issue appears complicated to a huge number of people, I believe that it is simple to understand in the light of Divine Command Theory.I do not think that God would like students to suffer financial hardships because of their love of music.   Hence, it is perfectly ethical, in my opinion, to enjoy free music off the Internet on IPod’s – for those who would like to miss out on the quality of CD’s from BMG, Sony, etc.   Likewise, choosing between ethical theories is always a sacrifice.   Hence, I apply reason to believe that the Divine Command Theory must incorporate all necessary ethical theories for me to conduct myself as a good human being, businessperson, and citizen of my nation.   This theory does not confuse me at times that call for my ethical ‘instincts’ to show up.   I believe in God, and in service to humanity.Additionally, I do not discriminate between black or white, Chinese or Hindu.   At times when people are engaging in what I believe to be incorrect behaviors, I do not intervene unless my self-interests as well as the pleasure of God are at sacrifice.   At all times, however, I have kept to ‘reason’ as the force that leads me to apply the Divine Command Theory, which I believe to be most trustworthy.

Srudent Online Information System

Chapter I Introduction The growth of online system becomes an integral part of people’s daily living. Almost every institution adopted the latest trend of technologies. As the years goes by the number of the users of these ever changing technologies become larger as you could consider as phenomenon. The discovery of online system was a great help from computerized LAN based to WEB-based. It has brought a new level of technology that made every transaction fast, easy, accessible, and reliable. It engaged in a high level knowledge of expertise in term of using technologies.It provides the dissemination of information. Almost every institution adopted online system most especially universities. Online Information system is one of the much needed online systems. It is must in every institution especially in a company and universities. It is the most convenient way of storing, retrieving and viewing information that provides faster inquiry of data. Online student information system is a good example of online information system. This can manage student’s record without exerting much effort in searching and generating student’s data.As a result, student as well as administrative staff will benefit as a whole. Online student information is very essential most especially in a university. The Capiz State University, Dayao Campus, Dayao, Roxas City (CapSU) has a well established set of rules and procedures in disseminating student’s information and retrieving data. It is currently process manually. The administration assigned a staff in every transaction. The cashier’s office, guidance office and the registrar’s office are the offices which the student makes a transaction.The student manually inquires according to the transaction. The cahiers office is responsible for receiving student payment, assessment retrieval and releasing billing statement. The guidance office is for admission test. They gather dmission result and studentà ¢â‚¬â„¢s high school data. The registrar’s office is responsible for student’s enrollment records, grades, schedule, personal information etc. As the population grows conflicts also grow. The school faces difficulties in handling such information. To solve this problem it is about time to convert the manual system into online system.I decided to propose a study of online student information system of Capiz State University (Dayao Campus), in order to provide accurate, fast and more convenient way of storing, retrieving, searching and generating of records for the staff and inquiring, requesting and viewing of records for the student. Objectives of the study The general objective of this study is to design and create a Web- based system of student Information of Capiz State University (Dayao Campus). Specifically this study aims to: 1. Designed to integrate with the current and future system. 2.Create a system that could handle the student’s information such as p ersonal background, Id Number, grades, schedule and student accountabilities. 3. Developed a system that a student cannot manipulate rather can request, inquire and view records though online. 4. Designed a system that the assigned staff can manipulate, update managed and process student’s records. 5. Create a system that only an authorized staff and students or parents of the students of the said universities can access the website. Significance of the Study The proposed system will bring benefit to the following: School.The school will benefit in this system because it is a proof that the school is in progress that all transaction is now online. It will help the school to managed student information. Provide accurate data needed and serve student at its best. Registrars Staff. The staff of the registrars will benefit a lot in the system because of the objective of the system is transaction made in registrars such as grades inquiry, schedule, and personal information. It wil l lessen their workload and over-crowding of the student outside the office. It will lessen the pressure and noise made during transaction. Cashiers Staff.The staff of the cashier’s area will also benefit because it also include in the objective of the study. It will help to optimize the work load. It will help to avoid error in processing assessment and will make the transaction fast. Students. The student’s of the university will also benefit in this system. They can make their transaction fast and easy. They can view their accountabilities through online without falling inline outside the cashier’s area. They can also view their grades and request for printed grades. They can also view their schedule and have knowledge if whatever requirements are still they need to ubmit. Parents. All parents with a student In the said university will also benefit because they can monitor their child through online. They can view the status and accountabilities. They have kn owledge of the happenings of their children inside the campus. Researchers. This study can provide information to future researchers and develop their programming proficiency which can be used in developing other relevant computer programs. Scope and Limitations The main goal of the system is to put up a web based system at Capiz State University (Dayao Campus) preferably an Online Student Information System.The coverage of the said system is that it will be designed using the web technologies for fast, accessible, inquiry and requesting of information. The programming language to be used is Asp. net for web based and SQL server for the databased. The system will concentrate only on the student’s accountabilities records, grades, schedules and list of student’s requirements that need to comply. The study also includes the requesting of grades through online and the staff could automatically generate a printed report card after the student request.The student will be in formed about the requirements need to comply and that update students schedule. The registrar and the clerk will serve as the end user of the system and all official students of Capiz State University (Dayao Campus) as well as their parents will serve as the client of the system. Each of the clerk and registrar will have one computer connecting to an internet. The system will not cover the handling of admission process. Handling of records of examination and accessing records of absence and attendance.