Health Promotion Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Health Promotion - Research Paper Example This is why there are a number of media publications which cater to this particular segment due to seeing an opportunity to serve the seniors and attend to their health and life concerns. There are also many Web sites which cater to this seniors group with the rise of Internet usage. One such site is the magazine of the American Association of Retired Persons (AAR) which can be accessed by anyone with an Internet connection and which has about 37 million members. However, there are a lot of seniors who are not very proficient or familiar with the use of personal computers and do not how to access the Internet, especially for those who have poor eyesight or are not very computer literate. Advancing age brings with it the usual ailments of old age such as arthritis, osteoporosis, failing eyesight, poor hearing, problems with maintaining proper balance when standing and while walking, danger of falling down in the stairs or in the bath room, plus all other health needs like having a good diet and physical fitness. The name of the Web site is itself already indicative of the target market for its products and services (www.aarp.org, 2014). Topics are relevant for seniors people (55+ years) and so the site is effective in its messages like maintaining wellness, on leading healthy lives, and preventing common ailments and in the avoidance of the usual accidents at home (Gullota & Bloom,

Principles of Management Essay Example for Free

Principles of Management Essay The fundamental aim of any given business is to make profits and maximize those profits. Organizations therefore in its day to day business activities will always aim at making the maximum profits at a very low cost of production. This basically means that a company wants to make very high profits without incurring a lot of expenses. In minimizing their cost of production while still ensuring that maximum profits are realized, sometimes companies violate regulations and laws governing them. It is therefore of utmost importance that there are other external bodies charged with the function of carrying out checks and balances to ensure that companies, businesses and organizations in general do not violate laid down regulations as they attempt to maximize their profits at very low costs of production and also that the consumers gets the products at very affordable prices and that the environment is not polluted by the by-products of the manufacturing companies. Therefore the first purpose of regulating companies is to ensure that the consumer on the ground is not shortchanged in terms of prices. This basically means that without regulations a company may charge unreasonably high prices for its products to the disadvantage of the customer. The regulatory bodies therefore ensure that a standard price for every particular product is set and companies are given a limit and extent up to which they are not expected to exceed. Should there be a violation by any company the regulatory body always steps in and takes an immediate action and if the company had no justifications whatsoever to go against the laid down regulations, disciplinary measures against the company are the next step. Business regulation is viewed by many as a way of enhancing better business environment. Regulation is also done to ensure that companies give consumers quality products for their money. It has been observed over the past years that failure to keenly monitor a company’s activities leads to recklessness and negligence by manufacturers so that consumers get very lo0w quality products. The laws governing the regulation of a company therefore provide for a regulatory body whose function is basically to check the kind of products a company produces in terms of quality. The issue of quality is almost synonymous to suitability of a product for use by customers in terms of safety. A product could be of low quality in that it is not up to the standards expected of such a product. For instance, if it is a vehicle it would be said to be of low quality if it fails to cover the mileage a car of a similar make would be expected to make. Quality is also looked at in terms of suitability so that it is important for the regulatory board to establish whether a company is making are suitable for use. For instance, if it is a company that manufactures food stuffs, then the regulatory body must ensure that the foods manufactured are actually edible and safe for human consumption. In case of medical products they must ensure chemicals used in the manufacture of medicines have no side effects on the body of a patient. In case of electronic products it is vital to ensure that the are safe so that they don’t blow up on the user of that product. It is for this reason that every country has regulatory bodies known as bureaus of standards of goods and products in general are maintained by the manufacturers. Regulation by external regulatory bodies is also done to ensure do not carelessly dispose off waste products thereby polluting the environment. Most companies if left to go unregulated would cause a l0ot of harm to the environment. This is because of the kind of waste products they produce. Most of the waste products are not only toxic but also poisonous. The regulatory bodies are therefore very instrumental in ensuring that companies treat their waste products prior to releasing them to the outside world. Better still, they ensure that even with the w3aste products being treated, they are disposed in the right place and manner. A case scenario of a company that used to produce to waste products that were toxic and then carelessly release the waste products into the open air. This in turn caused the surrounding residents great suffering as there was an outbreak of diseases. The regulatory body immediately intervened and the company was closed down indefinitely until they found a lasting solution. It has also been observed that most industries would rather drain their waste products in the water . odies notwithstanding their toxic levels so that they cut down expenses of having to dispose the waste products in the right way. This kills the aquatic animals thus destroying the environment. The regulatory bodies in such cases are very quick to ensure that no life both human and that of animals is put in danger. Regulation is also done to ensure prompt payment of taxes by companies. Every company in business in every country is required to pay taxes to the government of that particular country. This forms a source of income for the government. Most companies as discussed earlier are very evasive because their main goal is to make maximum profits. Thus they sometimes attempt to evasion of payment of taxes in order to make as high profits. It is no secret that even the consumers on the ground who are the back bone of the business field are more often than not treated very unfairly by the businessmen as they attempt to achieve their principal of maximum profit at the lowest possible cost. Manufacturers and owners of companies always want to be beneficiaries of their work at no extra cost thus tax evasion and avoidance is very common in the business field. However, they ignore the fact that by engaging in such malpractices of tax evasion and avoidance the government stands s to lose a lot in terms of revenue and as a result the country’s population suffers as the government is no longer able to sustain their needs due to insufficient revenues. Note that the manufacturers have had nothing to lose as their businesses still go on as desired. It is also important to note that failure of companies to pay taxes automatically means that a lot more will be demanded from the individuals thus suppressing the common citizen. Most people don’t find the importance of paying taxes. Tax is an obvious source from which countries can generate cash to fund human development. It is also one of the means by which they can begin to free themselves from dependence on handouts and the punitive conditions often attached to aid. Tax can also help countries determine their own route out of poverty. How Tax Policies Fleece the Poor, Christian Aid, September 2005, page6) Regulatory bodies therefore ensure that companies pay taxes as they should to avoid suppressing the poor people. Research indicates that evasion and avoidance of taxes by companies has led to a considerable increase in Value Added Tax which is the tax imposed on common goods used by ordinary people therefore placing an unfairly heavy burden on poor people. Regulation of companies is also done to ensure that employers respect labor laws put in place to protect rights of employees at the work place. More often than not employers ignore the rights of their employees thus employees are made to work under very poor conditions. Therefore the regulatory bodies in conjunction with non-governmental bodies come together in defending the rights if the workers and ensuring that companies follow the laws governing the rights of the employees to the letter. The regulatory bodies also ensure that workers are not treated unfairly in terms of wages by ensuring that they are paid above the minimum wage. It also ensures that employees are not overworked in term s of work load and the number of hours that they work. The regulatory bodies are also very keen in terms of the age limit so that companies do not employ underage employees in order to have cheap labor. Another major function of the regulatory bodies is to ensure that companies submit annual returns as they should and within the required time. The annual returns and reports contain the activities of the company for a given period usually one year and include income generated, profits made, expenses incurred and losses made. Most companies default in the submission of these annual reports and returns in order to conceal the profits made and consequently evade being taxed. They also default in submission of the reports as a way of covering up for any activity or activities carried out in the year that contravened any laid down rules. The regulatory bodies therefore step in to ensure that all companies submit their annual returns and reports and that they do so within the required time. Regulatory bodies also play a major role in ensuring that companies comply with the general requirements of operating and running of a company. This is in relation to the formation of a company, who makes the board of governors, who constitutes members of a company, shareholders and all other requirements a company is expected to comply with in its operations. The regulatory bodies are always in the frontline in the protection of investors so that companies do not manipulate them as far as investment is concerned. From the roles discussed earlier, it is very clear that a regulatory body is of great importance in the business field as it ensures that companies operate without the slightest form of flaws. From the discussion, it is very clear. From the discussion, it is clearly spelt out that companies cannot by any means regulate themselves. This is for the obvious reasons that regulations of their operations are obviously incompatible with the fundamental principle with their fundamental purpose, goal and objective of making maximum profits at the lowest possible cost. It is unrealistic and almost impossible to expect that companies will regulate themselves while it is very clear that their main objective in business and the task of regulation totally are not synonymous. It is therefore in order to conclude that if companies are left to be in charge of themselves and asked to regulate themselves while it is very clear that their many objectives in business and the task of regulation totally do no rhyme. It is therefore in order to conclude that if companies are left to be in charge of themselves, they would take advantage, exploit people and the consumer on the ground would be on the losing end. It is therefore correct to state that regulation of companies and other business organizations can only be successfully done by external regulatory bodies separate from the company itself who have no interest whatsoever in either the company or activities. Therefore it is only with the right regulatory measures that a fair playground in the business industry can be achieved. This can be achieved by ensuring that regulatory bodies are established for checks and balances of companies and business organizations at large. Regulation by eternal regulatory bodies has also played a major role in establishing fair and healthy competition among businessmen therefore has a level playground to do their business.

Suppression and Subversion through Walls in Bartleby the Scrivener Es

Suppression and Subversion through Walls in â€Å"Bartleby the Scrivener† In â€Å"Bartleby the Scrivener† an elderly lawyer recounts the tenure of a scrivener, Bartleby, from his office. The progression of this employer/employee relationship depicts disengagement between opposing social classes and its consequences. The presence of the subtitle of â€Å"Bartleby the Scrivener: A Tale of Wall Street† has been given much consideration. The subtitle carries the baggage of the emerging capitalistic culture, but it also alludes to the confinement that walls enable. Melville strategically uses architecture in his short story, â€Å"Bartleby the Scrivener† to demonstrate the disengagement between social classes that capitalism produces. In the story, the narrator, representative of the upper class, controls the actual physical partition separating him and the scriveners, representative of the lower class. In the same way that he controls the sliding doors, the lawyer manipulates religion and economic factors to control the separation betwe en him and Bartleby. Architecture is also a part of Bartleby’s characterization; he is always staring at a brick wall. Melville is acknowledging Bartleby’s inability to conquer the brick wall. Melville demonstrates in the relationship between Bartleby and the lawyer that the walls that each puts up are not without consequence, ultimately leading to the death of Bartleby. Whereas capitalistic culture constructs a sky-lit window of opportunity for the lawyer, Bartleby is bound to a vision of a brick wall. Melville also uses architecture to demonstrate the ways in which each character engages and disengages with the other. Ultimately, the architecture of the social classes that a capitalistic culture produces results ... ...r hand, Bartleby is unable to conquer the confines of the lawyer, but he does find a way to manipulate them in order to subvert the authority of the lawyer. The walls that the lawyer and the scrivener use disguise the bonds of common humanity that Melville is interested in uncovering. Because the lawyer ignored the fraternal bond between them, he refused to recognize Bartleby as an individual, ultimately causing Bartleby’s erasure, through starvation. Works Cited Barnett, Louise K. â€Å"Bartleby as Alienated Worker.† Studies in Short Fiction 6.4 (1974): 379-385. Print. Marx, Karl. The Communist Manifesto. Chicago: Henry Regnery, 1954. Print. Melville, Herman. â€Å"Bartleby, the Scrivener.† Electronic Classics Series. Penn State U, 2002. 1-45. 18 Nov. 2010. Wilson, James C. â€Å" ‘Bartleby’: The Walls of Wall Street.† Arizona Quarterly 37.4 (1981): 335-346. Print.

Analysis of Ryanair

Summary Ryanair, one of the most famous low cost airlines, attracts attentions from people and researchers all over the world. As the financial crisis and the European debt crisis have an obvious negative influence on the global economy, the aircraft industry has experienced some decline for the last few years. However, both the sales and profits of Ryanair have increased during this period. In this essay, we will first analyse the external environment of Ryanair by using PESTEL Analysis Model.Then we will make an in-depth analysis about its strategic capability by SWOT model (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats). In the following part, we will compare Ryanair with its biggest competitor easyJet and critically access the effectiveness of its cost focus strategy. Finally we will give a conclusion of the whole result of our research and give some suggestions for its future development. Introduction Ryanair was first established in 1985 by Christy Ryan, Tony Ryan and Liam L onergan.Its headquarters are located in Ireland, while its primary operational bases are at London Stansted Airports and Dublin. In 1989, Ryanair’s businesses saw a decline. At the same time, Tony Ryan persuaded his financial advisor to assume the CEO. Then, Ryanair began to learn experience from Southwest Airline, and was the first one to introduce the cheap air carriers and mode into Europe. Profitability of consecutive years has made Ryanair to become the most profitable airlines in the world. Findings and Analysis Environmental AnalysisPESTEL Model is used in this report to give an overview of the six different environmental factors that the company has to take into consideration. Firstly, political factors refer to the political organizations and relevant policies, laws, regulations as well as other factors which have the actual and potential impacts on operating activities (Gillespie, 2007). The charge which was raised by airports of different countries has a significan t effect on Ryanair. Indirectly, Ryanair is also insubstantial to extra charges and taxes, for instance, the â‚ ¬10 tourist tax imposed by the Irish government.In addition, EU imposed a regulation on 17 February 2005, which asked airlines to provide standardized and immediate assistance for passengers who stayed at EU airports for delays, cancellations and denied boarding. This regulation led Ryanair to raise at least â‚ ¬200 million in their budget every year. (O’Higgins, 2011) Secondly, economic factors mean the organization's external economic structure, industrial layout, resource situation, the level of economic development and future economic trends (Gillespie, 2007). There are two interrelated economic factors that affect Ryanair. The first one is the recession of 2008/09.It created adverse economic situations such as high unemployment rates and severe credit crisis, which lead to the leisure spending and business passengers declining. Ryanair's planned passenger volume growth has been restricted by this depression. Moreover, the continuing growth of fuel price is the greatest concern to this company. It is hard to control and predict the wide fluctuations of Jet fuel price and its increase demand. According to Pearce (2011, 3), â€Å"However, the developed economies have seen a much slower recovery and levels of output, income and spending remain well below pre-recession levels†.Thirdly, social factor refers to the historical development, cultural traditions, values, education levels, as well as customs and other factors of society where the organization belongs to (Gillespie, 2007). It can be found in Ryanair's own report (2012) that Ryanair as well as other airlines are facing some social changes–threats from terrorist attacks, the continuing acceptance of the security budget suppliers and more price-sensitive business travelers. These factors make up the social factors which affect Ryanair and aviation industry.Fourthly, t echnological factors include not only the revolutionary innovation but also some relative new technologies, new materials and new ways of operating or management (Gillespie, 2007). For airline industry and airline companies, the contributions of technology could be separated in three parts: to ensure aviation safety, to improve the quality of services and to make operations more efficient. Even Ryanair bought some of second-hand planes, these aircraft are all Boeing 737, which could reduce the training fee for pilots and flight attendants (Box, 2005).More important, Boeing's help to make the unitive structures of plants could decrease the possibilities of incorrect operations and the unsuited spare parts of aircrafts. Although Ryanair is widely regarded as a low cost airline, it is also one of the safest airlines. As some of other airlines rely on the tickets agents, Ryanair built its own website and ticketing system. The cost of agency fee is reduced and the company could make cont rol of the ticket service which could lead to some misunderstandings as some operators of tickets agents would treat customers in a worse mood.Furthermore, through operating the ticketing system, Ryanair itself, could make booking tickets and bounce easier and speedily. Fifthly, environmental factors include ecological and environmental aspects. Countries in the world are faced with the enormous challenges of environmental issues, and sustainable development is an important way to solve this problem (Gillespie, 2007). Due to the report of IATA, air transport contributes 2% of global man-made CO2 emissions. Although Boeing 737 helps Ryanair to save fuel of airplane, it is not enough at the moment.New energy sources such as biological energy source are in the experimental stage and should be used in the further, and most airlines have to adapt to the new development. Lastly, legal factors include discrimination law, consumer law, antitrust law, employment law, and health and safety la w (Gillespie, 2007). Ryanair's latest attempt to take over its Irish rival Aer Lingus is investigated by the European Commission over competition worries. Ryanair also has problem with the government. The British government decided to remain the Air Passenger Duty (APD), a ladder-type tax, and raised the tax rate by nearly 10%.This change leads to the increase of cost of daily operation of Ryanair. To cover the costs of the EU's new eco-looney ETS tax, the Ryanair has to raise the prices of tickets, which could make their prices less competitive. Furthermore, BAA, the owner of London's Heathrow airport, is seeking to sell Edinburgh after losing a legal challenge to an order from the UK's antitrust regulator to break up the company, while the bid of Ryanair is rejected by BAA (Rothwell, 2012). Strategic capability analysis SWOT Analysis Model is used to assess the strategic capability of Ryanair by four dimensions: Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats.Strength 1. Low-cost st rategy The most significant strength of Ryanair is its low-cost strategy. It uses a young efficient fleet with low cost of ownership and industry load factors to increase benefit and gain high asset utilization. The following statement from their CEO Michael O’Leary proves that â€Å"These quarterly results are a testimony to the strength of the Ryanair ‘lowest cost’ model which – even during the most difficult trading conditions (including record fuel prices and intense competition) – delivers strong passenger growth and profits. †(Sorensen, 2005) 2. Youngest fleetRyanair only choose to use Boeing 737 planes for easier staff training and also can improve pilot’s familiarity with aircraft operation, in this way to keep customers’ safety. According to O’Higgins Ryanair â€Å"reducing the average age of its aircraft to 2. 4 years† which be the youngest planes in Europe and increased the safety of the flight (2011). 3 . New kinds of marketing strategy Ryanair uses newspaper, radio, television and all the possible methods they can to advise, which are proved to be efficient on increasing the number of customers: â€Å"as a result,Internet bookings account for 99 per cent of all reservations†(O’ Higgins, 2011).Otherwise, some methods might be controversial and audacious, such as using the pictures of Queen Sofia, President Sarkozy and his wife’s on the air slipping. Although the action is without permission and also costs damage, it still made the company become famous rapidly. Weakness 1. Customers’ dissatisfaction Ryanair takes a lot of ancillary revenues from customers, which causes customer’s dissatisfaction, such as payment for using the toilet on plane, charge for check-in luggage and â€Å"fat tax† for overweight passengers. These measures will lead to customer’s bad impression to the company. 2. Overstep in increasing scaleRyanair is too addi cted to increasing scale. This will cause the increasing of operating costs. With the growing of fuel and airport charges, the bigger scale of the company is, the more challenges it will be faced to. 3. Single-handed leader and the controversial acts As Ryanair’s CEO, Michael O’Leary is a controversial leader. The issues he made such as calling thousands of passengers â€Å"idiots† (Huff Post, 2012), using the Italian minister Umberto Bossi abusive gestures picture for advertising caused great repercussion. Most of people think this measure was not suitable and will give a bad impression on Ryanair.Opportunities 1. New markets With the enlargement of the European Union, a lot of new destinations could be opened up. Skies agreement opened by EU could be a source for increased routes and passenger traffic inwards. According to the opinion of Ryanair’s route development director O’Toole, there remains major opportunities in Spain and Italy, as well as Norway, Portugal, Greece, Bulgaria, Cyprus and Russia (Routes Online, 2010). Besides that, future open skies agreements in Turkey, Tunisia and Georgia could make these interesting countries for the carrier, he added. 2. Benefits from economic recession.Though economic slowdown created unfavourable economic conditions with reduced spending by leisure and business passengers which restricts the growth of the whole airline industry, actually, it can help Ryanair to improve corporate culture, and ‘steal’ customers from traditional carriers as they seek lower fares. Mr. O'Leary, Ryanair’s CEO, stated that the rise in profit came â€Å"despite the economic downturn† in Europe (New Europe Online, 2011), and he intended to double the size of the airline over the next decade. Threats 1. Increasing oil price Ryanair’s earning rate highly depends on the oil market because the fuel cost is influenced by it.With the increasing of global oil price, fuel cost cou ld be a burden for Ryanair and its expansion plans will be challenged by the high fuel price. 2. Increase of low fare competition According to Newll (2006, 3), â€Å"Yet perhaps the price tag has become too much the focus of attention†. Value market segment is being catered by an increasing number of competitors, such as easyJet, Air Berlin, Basic Air, BMIBaby. Slots at some primary airports have been established by them (Air Scoop, 2007). Ryanair have to compete directly with other low cost carriers in the near future.At the same time, additional marketing costs and reduced yields from lower fares force Ryanair to promote additional routes. As a result, Ryanair was likely to encounter increased competition, and continue depressing yields, as airlines struggled to fill vacant seats to cover fixed costs. 3. Customers are very price sensitive Because of the low cost strategy, the customers of Ryanair are much more sensitive to price, that means, any kinds of extra fees could ma ke bad influence on its corporate image. As a result, it is difficult for Ryanair to improve unit profit and have to reduce unit costs through scale expansion (O’Higgins). . Introduction of duty for fuel and environmental charges Since Ryanair is powerless to prevent the environmental charges such as the tax on aviation fuel, its growth potential would be reduced as the unit costs would be increased. SO strategies 1. Ryanair should use the low-cost passenger ticker strengths to attract more customers. Nowadays, global economic recession is a serious problem to all over the world, especially for Europe. Ryanair is a company most facing the European market. Customers now are more concern about the price. The company should catch this opportunity to occupy more market share. . Special â€Å"pay by use† service of Ryanair is one of its characteristics and the unusual features compared with other companies which can decrease costs of services. Ryanair can use the financial crisis of competitor’s and capture the opportunity to attract more customers and earn more profit than others. ST Strategies 1. In the next few years, low cost airlines market expansion would probably slow down because new opportunities would be more limited. As growth slows, labor costs for the low-cost carriers will continue to rise as well as the level of oil prices.Ryanair should be prepared for convergence of costs and conditions and make corresponding strategies, but it should still retain the ‘no-frills’ advantage of high seat density, aircraft utilization and lowest fares in any market (Air Scoop, 2007). 2. In order to achieve the aim to be the biggest player and keep its domination in the low-price market segment, Ryanair will have to expand into more popular routes coupled with retaining its differentiation strategy, such as purchasing newer, more fuel-efficient and environmentally friendly aircrafts and offering best customer services compared with its peer grouping in Europe.Strategic Assessment The core strategy of Ryanair Airlines is cost-focus strategy. The company continuously keeps its cost at a low level to offer low-fares services. Actually, cost control is the central strategy of all budget airlines, such as Ryanair’s main competitor in Europe—easyJet. In this part, we are going to assess Ryanair’s competitive strategy through a comparison with the operating performance of easyJet. EasyJet is a Europe's leading airline comes from the United Kingdom, founded in 1995, which has remarkable positions in some key markets: No. in Gatwick, Milan and Geneva; No. 2 in Paris with over 300 million people within a one hour drive of an easyJet carrier (easyJet plc, 2012). And easyJet is one of the leading lights of Europe's budget flight industry. 1. Financial results analysis with business strategy Table 1 Comparison of operating financial results between Ryanair’s & easyJets in 2012 Ryanair(? million)Eas yJet(? million) Scheduled revenues28273794 Ancillary revenues71560 Total operating revenues35423854 Scheduled revenues /total operating revenue79. 8%98. 4% Selected costs Fuel12841149 Maintenance84203 Marketing145104Total operating expenses29883323 Source: Ryanair Annual Report 2012 & easyJet Annual Report 2012 In their own financial year of 2011/12, Ryanair performed better than easyJet by ? 312 million in the total operating revenues (after exchange EURO to GBP with current rate), which mainly due to the high ancillary revenues from various ancillary services and involvement in other activities connected with its core air passenger services, including non-flight scheduled services, Internet-related services, and the in-flight sale of beverages, food, and merchandise (Ryanair annual report, 2012).Michael O’Leary talked previously about their ancillary strategy: â€Å"If you want a quiet flight, use another airline, Ryanair is noisy, full and we are always trying to sell you something† (O’Higgins, 2009). The ancillary strategy has been working well so far. However, the scheduled revenues which should be the primary business revenue of Ryanair were lower than its competitor easyJet. It might be caused by the cutting routes strategy and lower average load factors, especially the cutting routes strategy carried out in 2009, which has already cut down 389 rotes (1000 routes in 2009).In terms of operating costs, Ryanair had a better performance in controlling total operating expenses in 2011/12, which is ? 2988 million, while that of easyJet is ? 3323 million. However, Ryanair spent more on fuel and oil, which occupied nearly 43% of the Ryanair’s total expenses. Jet fuel is always variable and cannot be predicted previously. And jet fuel prices are dependent on crude oil prices, which are quoted in U. S. dollars. As a result, Ryanair’s fuel cost is affected by currency exchange. â€Å"Based on Ryanair’s fuel consumption fo r the year 2011, a change of $1. 0 in the average annual price per metric ton of jet fuel would have caused a change of approximately â‚ ¬1. 5 million in Ryanair’s fuel costs† (Ryanair annual report, 2012). In order to minimize its loss on fuel price change and currency rate, like many other airlines do, such as Southwest Airlines, Ryanair uses forward contracts to protect against fluctuations. Ryanair’s maintenance cost is relatively lower than easyJet. It might be largely due to the aircraft it adopts. Ryanair uses single fleet type—Boeing 737-800, which is considered to be one of the most fuel efficient fleet type, while easyJet has two types—Airbus A320, A319.The single fleet type reduces the number and cost of aircraft components in stock, as well as its maintenance cost. Ryanair’s marketing cost is more than easyJet’s. This may be a result of its promotion for ancillary revenue. In order to earn a widely range of revenue apart from scheduled revenue, Ryanair advertises its services in national and regional newspapers, as well as controversial and topical advertising (Ryanair annual report, 2012). 2. Growth capacity under strategy: Table 2: Ryanair’s financial performance(â‚ ¬Million) 20122011Changes Total revenue4,324. 93,629. +19% Profit before tax560. 4375. 6+50% Adjusted net profit after tax502. 6400. 7+25% Basic earnings per share (in euro cent)38. 0325. 21+51% Adjusted basic EPS (in euro cent)24. 1026. 97+26% Source: Ryanair annual report 2012 Ryanair’s operations have grown rapidly during 2011/12. This year, net profit after tax had a 25% increase after adjusted, total operating revenues increased by 19% to â‚ ¬4,324. 9 million as average fares rose by 16% (Ryanair annual report, 2012). Furthermore, ancillary revenues grew up by 11%, faster than the 5% increase in passenger numbers.Although the average load factor of Ryanair was lower than its competitor, there is still an incre ase of 13% (Ryanair annual report, 2012). In 2012/13, Ryanair plans to develop 330 new routes and intend to continue expanding its navigation, new destinations and new flights, which are expected to increase Ryanair’s booked passenger volumes to approximately 79 million passengers per year. In addition, there is a strategy of transferring operating flights from high cost airports to low cost airports in winter in order to reduce cost in off season.Overall, the company’s growth has been largely dependent on increasing performance and growing capacity. 3. Star rating & customer satisfaction From Low-Cost Airline Ranking in Official SKYTRAX Airline Star Ranking website (2012), the star ranking of Ryanair is two stars while easyJet is three stars. And easyJet ranked 5th in World's Best Low-Cost Airlines award, however, Ryanair wasn’t in this list. Actually, Ryanair always has a worse public image than its competitors due to its marketing strategy by making stunts.An d in some instances, the extra charges imposed on passengers such as check-in charges and booking fees make customers unsatisfied. What is worse, some flying accidents make its statements of punctuality and safety being doubted by the public. Conclusion Overall, Ryanair is successful in planning and performing its cost focus strategy. Facing with the strength, weaknesses, opportunities and threats, it is recommended that: 1. Ryanair should continue using its low fares to attract price-sensitive customers. 2. Ryanair can keep following its â€Å"pay by use† service, which is an effective way to ensure low price.However, when taking extra charges, it should consider the public’s attitudes to the fee. 3. Ryanair should continue controlling its costs to compete with other low fare airlines, especially fuel and oil costs. 4. Ryanair should pay attention to its brand and reputation, and make some efforts to earn a better degree of satisfaction. 5. Ryanair should take measure s to build a good relationship with authorities and governments. Reference List Gillespie, A. (2007), Foundations of Economics, Oxford University Press: Oxford O’Higgins, E. 2011), ‘Ryanair: the low fares airline – future destinations? ’,IN, Johnson,C. (ed. ) Exploring Strategy: Text and Cases, Pearson Education, pp. 618-627 Pearce, B. (2012), ‘The state of air transport markets and the airline industry after the great recession', Journal of Air Transport Management, Volume 21, July 2012, pp. 3-9 Rothwell, S. (2012), Ryanair Deepens Cuts at Edinburgh as BAA Seeks to Complete Sale [Online]. Available: http://www. businessweek. com/news/2012-04-12/ryanair-deepens-cuts-at-edinburgh-as-baa-seeks-to-complete-sale [Accessed: 12th April 2012]Box, T. M. (2005), ‘RYANAIR (2005): successful low cost leadership', Journal of the International Academy for Case Studies, Volume 13, Number 3, pp. 65-67 Air Scoop, (2007), The Low Cost Carriers Analysis Newslett er, [online], Available: http://www. air-scoop. com/pdf/air_scoop_May2007. pdf [Accessed: 10th December 2012]. Huff Post, (2012), Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary Calls Passengers â€Å"Idiots†, [online], Available: http://www. huffingtonpost. com/2012/09/05/ryanair-ceo-michael-oleary-calls-passengers-idiots_n_1857143. html [Accessed: 10th December 2012]New Europe Online, (2011), Ryanair profits rise despite fuel costs and economic downturn, [online], Available: http://www. neurope. eu/article/ryanair-profits-rise-despite-fuel-costs-and-economic-downturn [Accessed: 10th December 2012]. Newll, I. (2006), ‘Is win-win just pie in the sky? ‘, Strategic Direction: The airline industry, Volume 22, Number 6 June 2006, pp, 3-5 O’Higgins, E. , 2011, Ryanair: the low fares airline – future destinations? , IN, Johnson,C. (ed. ) Exploring Strategy: Text and Cases, Pearson Education, pp. 618-627Routes Online, (2010), â€Å"Major opportunities remain in Europeà ¢â‚¬ Ã¢â‚¬â€Ryanair route director,[online], Available: http://www. routesonline. com/news/36/the-hub/97447/amajor-opportunities-remain-in-europea-a-ryanair-route-director/ [Accessed: 10th December 2012]. Sorensen, T. C. , (2005), An analysis of the European low fare airline industry- with focus on Ryanair, Aarhus School of Business. EasyJet Evidence, 2012. AT A GLANCE. [online] Available at: [Accessed 1 December 2012]. Ryanair, 2012. Annual report 2011-2012. [online]Available at: [Accessed 1 December2012]. easyJet plc, 2012. Annual report 2011-2012. online]Available at: [Accessed 1 December2012]. STARTRAX Evidence,2012. Low-Cost Airline Ranking. [online] Available at: [Accessed 1 December 2012 ] Appendix Selected operating data RyanaireasyJet PASSENGERS (JAN’11 – DEC ’11)76. 4million55. 5million AVERAGE LOAD FACTOR82. 2%87. 5% NUMBER OF DAILY FLIGHTS13531260 COUNTRIES SERVED2730 DESTINATIONS162130 ROUTES6111400 PERMANENT EMPLOYEES75719000 NUMBER OF AIRCRAFT27 5202 AVERAGE FLEET AGE3. 03. 9 FLEET TYPE275 Boeing 737-80035 Airbus A320 167 Airbus A319 Sources: European Low Fares Airlines Association (ELFAA), December 2011

Lack of Qualified Teachers Can Impede the Educational Progress

This paper provides information about the requirement of qualified teachers for minorities. The issue of the distribution of knowledgeable and highly skilled teachers is also discussed in this paper. The emphasis is made on the need of highly qualified teachers for minor students to get the equal educational opportunity. Highly qualified teachers are essential for the academic growth of students. Unfortunately, minorities are not receiving high quality education. For example, in California, there are several schools in which number of minor students is very high. These schools are low-income schools. It is also found that approximately 40,000 teachers go to their respective classrooms without doing necessary lecture preparation (Shields et al. 2001). As already known that highly qualified teachers are essential for student learning, there is a major threat towards to access of high quality education and thus the minor students are at greater risk to have equality educational opportunity (Wright, Horn, & Sanders, 1997) California is the state in which the number of students is the maximum among all the states but it is ranked 38th when California is considered in terms of expenditures per student. It is also found that several under qualified teachers were employed in California in schools populated with minorities in 1990s because funding was very less for those schools. The California Postsecondary Education Commission (CPEC) found out in 1998 that The gap in expenditures for education between the high-spending and low-spending school districts in our state . . . has risen to $4,480. . . . Perhaps the most disturbing part of this statewide picture is that many of the disparities noted above are consistently and pervasively related to the socioeconomic and racial-ethnic composition of the student bodies in school as well as the geographical location of schools. That is, schools in our low socioeconomic communities as well as our neighborhoods with a predominance of Black and Latino families often have dilapidated facilities, few or inadequate science laboratories, teachers in secondary schools providing instruction in classes for which they have no credential, curriculum that is unimaginative and boring, and teachers who change schools yearly and lack the professional development to complement their teaching with new instructional strategies and materials. (CPEC, 1998, p. 29) Distinct inequality in progressing in education can be seen in schools populated with majority of minor students. This is due to the employment of under qualified teachers. Minor students are at greater risk to grow. It is also found that most of the schools populated with high-density of minor students have under qualified teachers. In other words, under qualified teachers are employed most to the schools with high density of minor students (Rivkin, Hanushek, & Kain, 2000) Whereas affluent schools do not possess a high number of under qualified teachers. Students with low socioeconomic status are more likely to have under qualified teachers and thus their academic achievements are also low. Pace (2000) did an analysis of this situation and stated: ‘‘Over the past six years, this relationship (between socio-economic measures and achievement scores) has strengthened, not diminished.’’ Conclusion The United States is in great need of highly qualified teachers for minor students too to bring them forward in all the fields of life. References California Postsecondary Education Commission (CPEC). (1998, December). Toward a greater understanding of the state’s educational equity policies, programs, and practices (Commission Report 98-5). Sacramento: Author. Policy Analysis for California Education (PACE). (2000). Crucial issues in California education 2000: Are the reform pieces fitting together? Berkeley: Author. Rivkin, S. G., Hanushek, E. A., & Kain, J. F. (2000). Teachers, schools, and academic achievement (Working paper No. 6691). Cambridge, MA: National Bureau of Economic Research. Shields, P. M., Humphrey, D. C., Wechsler, M. E., Riel, L. M., Tiffany-Morales, J., Woodworth, K., Youg, V. M., & Price, T. (2001). The status of the teaching profession 2001. Santa Cruz, CA: The Center for the Future of Teaching and Learning. Wright, S. P., Horn, S. P., & Sanders, W. L. (1997). Teacher and classroom context effects on student achievement: Implications for teacher evaluation. Journal of Personnel Evaluation in Education, 11, 57–67. Â   Â  

The Hudson River And Pcb Pollution Essays - Monsanto, Pollutants

The Hudson River And Pcb Pollution Essays - Monsanto, Pollutants The Hudson River And Pcb Pollution The Hudson River and PCB Pollution The Hudson River is a body of water that stretches for 315 miles from the Adirondack Mountains to the Battery in Manhattan, reaching its deepest point of 216 feet in the Highlands near Constitution Island and West Point and reaches its widest point of 3 miles across at Havestraw. This river is one of the most beautiful and scenic of the Tri-State area. Unfortunately, it happens to be New Yorks most polluted river. The river has been influenced upon since the early 1600s, when Englishman Henry Hudson commanded the Dutch ship Half Moon on an exploration of the river, certain that he had discovered a trade route to China. It soon dawned that this was no Atlantic-to-Pacific passage but an Edenlike place of awesome potential-a river valley teeming with prospect and spirit that was worth fighting for. In the centuries that followed, the fight for the river and its commerce never stopped, and still continues to the present. Then during the Industrial Revolution, with the advent of hulking m anufacturing plants on the riverbanks, everything changed. The river became a sewer, cut off from the people around it by the electrification of the railroads. The 1825 completion of the Erie Canal instantly opened trade to the Midwest by linking Troy to Buffalo and established the Hudson River as the major commerce channel for New York City. Tycoons transformed the landscape in New York and across the country with the railroad, and the Hudson River valley became a hotbed for iron mining, limestone quarrying and clear-cutting. Toward the 19th century, when dynamite blasting was reducing the face of the Palisades to rubble, conservationists became alarmed that something was being lost to progress. In 1900, New York and New Jersey established the Palisades Interstate Park Commission to preserve the cliffs from further quarrying. Although conservation efforts continued into the 20th century, there was no progress to protect the Hudson River and its banks from industrial pollution. Some of the largest factories in the nation started production on the Hudson River, including Anaconda Wire and Cable in Hastings-on-Hudson and GM in the present day Sleepy Hallow, discharging waste into the river. There are numerous known contaminated sites around the U.S. Among the most dangerous of these, and of particular concern to residents of the Hudson Valley, are the forty hot spots in the Hudson River resulting from the dumping and leakage from General Electric plants at Fort Edward and Hudson Falls. From 1947 to 1977, these two plants legally discharged from 500,000 to 1.5 million pounds of PCBs into the Hudson, and unknowingly saturated the bedrock beneath both sites with at least that much again. There are PCBs in Hudson River water, biota, and sediment from Hudson Falls to New York City - 200 miles that comprise the nations largest Superfund site. Pure PCBs are oozing out of the bedrock to this day, constantly recontaminating the river and over 300,000 pounds remain concentrated in bottom sediments of the river today. The spread of PCBs throughout the Hudson River and the food chain, which it supports, has created one of the most extensive hazardous waste problems in the nation. Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are a group of synthetic oil-like chemicals (therefore insoluble in water) of the organochlorine family. Until their toxic nature was recognized and their use was banned in the 1970s, they were widely used as insulation in electrical equipment, particularly transformers. Reputable chemists have since concluded, it was probably a mistake ever to make or use PCBs. These are serious poisons, which have been shown to cause damage to the reproductive, neurological and immune systems of wildlife and humans and are known to cause cancer. Exposure has also been linked to behavioral damage. Specifically, because PCBs in the body mimic estrogen, women of childbearing age and their infants are particularly susceptible to a variety of development and reproductive disorders. Once in the body, these compounds do one of two things: they block the normal passage of hormones into their receptors, or, mimic the hormone itself and enter the receptor in lieu of the hormo ne. By doing so can irrevocably alter and damage the development of the organism.

11 Fun Toddler Learning Games for Your Preschooler

Fun Toddler Learning Games for Your Preschooler SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Looking for games that your toddler will both enjoy and gain important skills from? We’ve got you covered! In this guide, we go over of the best toddler learning games. These educational games for toddlers can be played with few materials, one or more children, and toddlers of varying age ranges. For each game, we explain what skills it will teach toddlers and give instructions on how to set up and play the game. How Can Learning Games Benefit Toddlers? Toddlers’ minds and bodies are undergoing huge changes during this time of their lives, as they learn to communicate, think, and move in completely new ways as they move out of babyhood. Games are one of the best ways for toddlers to develop these new skills because they’re easy and fun to participate in. Some of the skills toddler learning games can teach include: Gross and fine motor skills Language development Creativity/imagination Critical thinking and analysis Counting Social skills Learning games can help toddlers be prepared for when they start school by giving them a leg up on topics such as numbers, colors, and letters. The social skills they learn from these games, such as sharing and listening to instructions, will also make school, daycare, or even play dates more enjoyable because your toddler will have more experience interacting with other children and being a fair playmate. Examples of Toddler Learning Games Below are examples of educational games for toddlers that can teach everything from counting to motor skills to following directions. For each of these toddler learning games, we give a brief description, an overview of the materials needed, and directions on how to play the game. #1: Car Parking Numbers This counting game takes only a few minutes to set up, but once it’s ready your toddler can play with it over and over again to practice their counting skills. This game also helps toddlers practice fine motor skills when steering the cars into the correct parking spot. Materials: Shallow cardboard box with lid removed Matchbox cars (plastic horses are also a good substitute) Permanent marker Small pieces of paper Tape Directions: Tape a number to the top of each car, then draw the same number of â€Å"parking spaces† in the cardboard box. Label each of the spaces with a number so that each numbered car has a parking spot with a corresponding number. Your toddler can then â€Å"drive† each car into the matching parking spot while you discuss numbers and counting with them. As your toddler’s counting skills grow, add more parking spots and numbered cars to keep them learning. #2: Simon Says A great game for teaching toddlers how to follow instructions, Simon Says can be played with any number of children. You can also tailor it to different areas of learning, such as a Simon Says game that focuses on moving different body parts, identifying different shapes, etc. In fact, studies have shown that young children who play Simon Says go on to have improved math and literacy skills, so this game truly has a whole host of benefits! Materials: None required Directions: To play Simon Says, choose one person to be Simon (it’s best to start off with you or an older child being Simon until younger kids get the hang of the game). â€Å"Simon† then calls out commands such as â€Å"jump up and down† or â€Å"touch your toes.† The key is the other players must listen for the phrase â€Å"Simon says† before each command before they follow it. If they follow a command you didn’t preface with â€Å"Simon says† then they are out. The last person remaining in the game is the winner. #3: Foam Writing Many toddlers still struggle to correctly hold a pencil at this age, but you can help them practice their writing and drawing skills with foam writing. They’ll love playing with foam, and at the same time they can learn how to form different letters and shapes. Materials: Shaving cream Large, flat surface that can be covered with shaving cream Directions: Spread the shaving cream in a thick, even layer across the surface. For younger toddlers you can start with just having them draw any patterns they like in the foam to improve motor skills. For older toddlers, write a number, letter, shape, etc. in the foam and have your toddler copy you. As they get more advanced, you can also have them write out letters or numbers on their own without you writing them first. After you’ve played for a while, the foam can be smoothed over with your hands to create a blank surface again. #4: Sorting Most toddlers love sorting things, from their toys to the food on their plate, and you can use this activity to help them learn. It’s also very easy to customize this game to focus on whatever you want your toddler to learn: colors, shapes, sizes, etc. This game will help your toddler recognize similarities and differences between items and learn the basics of categorization. Materials: Items that have multiple types of whatever characteristic you want your toddler to identify. (ex. If you want your toddler to learn about colors, gather items of several different colors) Directions: For the sorting game, you can either ask your toddler to sort the items based on a specific characteristic (â€Å"show me all your red toys† or â€Å"can you group your toys together by color?†) or you can ask them to sort the items on their own, then ask them to explain how they sorted them. This is a great game for facilitating discussions with your toddler as you talk about the different objects and how they are similar to and different from each other. #5: Board and Card Games Board and card games can be a great way to teach toddlers how to follow rules, wait for their turn, and learn whatever skills the games are promoting. There are board games for toddlers that focus on the alphabet, other focus on counting, colors, etc. Materials: An age-appropriate board game for toddlers. Some of our favorites are: Go Fish Candy Land The Sneaky, Snacky Squirrel Game Chutes and Ladders Directions: Read the directions for the game, and start playing! If you’re looking for other board and card games, search for those meant for ages 2-4, as these will have rules and playing times specifically designed to help toddlers learn the game and have fun. Don’t be surprised if you don’t make it through the entire game, as toddlers have short attention spans and, even if they enjoy the game, they’ll likely want to move onto another activity fairly quickly. You can continue the benefits of the game by bringing it up a short time later. For example, at lunch you can say, â€Å"Remember the board game we played earlier where we counted how many fish you caught? Let’s count how many pieces of fruit are on your plate.† #6: Story Time Toddlers love listening to stories, and you can get them to practice their creativity skills by encouraging them to participate in the story you’re telling, as well as incorporate important lessons you’d like them to know. By age three, many children know roughly 400 words, and they love hearing words they understand, especially when words/phrases are repeated throughout the story so that they’re easier to remember. Materials: Children’s book (or you can make up your own story) Some recommendations: Hand, Hand, Fingers, Thumb. By: Al Perkins Chicka Chicka Boom Boom. By: Bill Martin Jr. One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish. By: Dr. Seuss Dear Zoo. By: Rod Campbell Directions: Read/tell the story, stopping every now and then to ask your toddler questions like, â€Å"What do you think will happen next?† or â€Å"Do you think [character] treated her friend nicely?† then listen to your toddler’s responses and either continue the conversation, continue the story, or alternate between the two. #7: What’s Missing? This memory game can be played in nearly any room of the house, and it helps toddlers work on naming and describing objects as well as improving their memory. Materials: 4-5 objects of any kind A tray to place the objects on Towel to cover the objects Directions: Place the objects (toys, household items, foods, etc.) on the tray and look at them with your toddler. Name each item to help them remember it. Then, cover the items with the towel and ask your toddler to cover their eyes/turn around. Remove one of the items and set it aside in a place the toddler can’t see. Next, remove the towel and have your toddler tell you which item was removed. You can give them hints to help if they’re struggling to remember such as, â€Å"It’s a yellow fruit that’s sour.† To make the game more challenging, add more items to the tray and/or remove more than one item at a time. #8: Hokey-Pokey This classic game is a great way to get toddlers moving, as well as teach them about listening to directions and learning the names of different body parts. Many older kids love the song as well, so it can be used to occupy children of a variety of ages. Materials: None required Directions: Have the children stand in a line or a circle, and start singing! Lyrics are here, but feel free to substitute different body parts for different verses if you desire. Even if kids don’t know the song, they’ll pick it up after a few minutes and join you in the singing. #9: Memory Game Toddler’s memories are beginning to develop at a very rapid rate, and this is a great way to test their growing skills. Any version of the game will help toddlers hone their memory skills, and you can also make your own cards to focus on whatever you want your toddler to learn, whether that’s shapes, colors, animals, etc. Materials: About eight or ten cards with matching pairs. There are memory card sets available to buy, or you can also make your own with images, letters, numbers, colors, etc. you want your toddler to learn. Just make sure you make two of each image/figure. This game can also be played with several two-piece puzzles that children can match together. For an outdoor version, you can make oversized cards out of posterboard and spread them across the lawn, then follow the rest of the directions below. Directions Lay out the cards, face down, in a grid pattern on a flat surface. Each player takes a turn flipping over any two cards they choose. If the cards are a match, they get to remove them from the game. If they aren’t a match, the cards get flipped back over. The trick is to remember where they’ve seen cards from previous turns so they can eventually find all the matching pairs. The person with the most matched pairs wins. Younger toddlers may need some hints to play the game when they first start, and talking about the cards as they’re flipped over can also help children remember them more easily. #10: Indoor Bowling While most toddlers are too young for actual bowling alleys (it can be difficult for them to roll the ball with enough force it needs to make it to the end of the lane), you can set up your own bowling alley in just a few minutes at home. In addition to motor skills, this game can be used to teach toddlers the basics of counting, and even addition and subtraction (ex. If there are ten pins and you knocked four down, how many are left?). Materials: 6 or 10 empty containers of similar size/shape (soda cans work well for this) Tennis ball or small plastic ball Masking tape Directions: Use the masking tape to mark out the bowling lane (a few meters should be long enough). Arrange the containers in a pyramid at the end of the lane, either (if using ten containers) four on the top, then three on the second level, two, then one, or (if using six) three, then two, then one. Your toddler can then roll the ball along the â€Å"lane† and see how many containers they can knock over. #: Count the Flowers A fun springtime activity, Count the Flowers combines some arts and crafts with a counting game that will help toddlers learn their numbers. Materials: Fake flower pieces (about 10-20) Popsicle sticks Hot glue gun Several plastic containers that you can write or stick numbers to Directions: Glue a flower to the top of each popsicle stick, then clearly label each container with a number, going up as high as you’d like to. When you’re ready to play the game, display the containers in a row, with their numbers visible. They can be in numerical or random order, depending on how difficult you’d like the game to be. Have each toddler choose a container, then ask them to put the proper number of â€Å"flowers† in it. So, if they chose the container with a â€Å"3† on it, they’d need to put three flowers inside it. Correct them if they make a mistake and use it as an opportunity to count together with them. Tips for Teaching Toddlers Toddlers aren’t always known for being the easiest people to keep occupied, but these three tips can help playtime remain fun and educational for everyone involved. Keep Games Short Toddlers have notoriously short attention spans, and trying to get them to play a long and involved game is a recipe for disaster. All of the games we discussed in this article can be completed in just a few minutes, which may be all the time your toddler is willing to spend on an activity some days. They can also each be extended if your toddler gets really into the game and is able to focus on it for a longer period of time. When doing these or any other preschool learning games, let your toddler dictate how long (s)he wants to play, and don’t give up on a game if they aren’t that interested in it the first time they play it. Use Repetition Toddlers love repetition, whether it’s a song with a repeating chorus or a game that requires repeated actions to play it. Toddlers experience so many new things each day that they love repetition, both because it gives them a sense of order and because it helps them improve their memory. There aren’t many instances when a toddler can predict what will happen next, so they love when it happens in their games. Ask Them Questions When you’re tired of reading the same book or playing the same game every day for a month, you can change things up by asking questions about the game they’re playing and why they make certain choices. For example, if your toddler is playing with cars, you can ask her which car is her favorite, why she likes that one the best, how it reminds her of the car she rides in, etc. Any question that gets your toddler thinking critically and engaged in conversation will help them develop key skills they’ll use throughout life. Summary: Educational Games for Toddlers Toddler learning games are a great way for young children to learn numerous skills, as well as engage in fun playtime. Each of the activities listed in this article can be modified to suit different ages, group sizes, and time requirements. When playing educational games for toddlers, it’s important to keep the pre k learning games short, use repetition, and ask them questions while they play to ensure they get the most out of these games. What's Next? If you enjoy working with toddlers, then perhaps an early childhood education degree is right for you.Our guide goes over what this degree entails in terms of coursework, and gives you a helpful list of the best online BA in Early Childhood Education degree programs. Pipe cleaner crafts can be a great activity for toddlers.Read our guide for simple instructions for 31 fun pipe cleaner crafts for kids. Looking for games for other age groups?Check out our guides on general learning games, spelling games, and alphabet games. (coming soon) Have friends who also need help with test prep? Share this article! Tweet Christine Sarikas About the Author Christine graduated from Michigan State University with degrees in Environmental Biology and Geography and received her Master's from Duke University. In high school she scored in the 99th percentile on the SAT and was named a National Merit Finalist. She has taught English and biology in several countries. Get Free Guides to Boost Your SAT/ACT Get FREE EXCLUSIVE insider tips on how to ACE THE SAT/ACT. 100% Privacy. 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The Homestead Steel Strike of 1892

The Homestead Steel Strike of 1892 The Homestead Strike, a work stoppage  at Carnegie Steels plant at Homestead, Pennsylvania, turned into one of the most violent episodes in the American labor struggles of the late 1800s. A planned occupation of the plant turned into a bloody battle when hundreds of men from the Pinkerton Detective Agency exchanged gunfire with workers and townspeople along the banks of the Monongahela River. In a surprising twist, strikers captured a number of Pinkertons when the strikebreakers were forced to surrender. The battle on July 6, 1892 ended with a truce, and the release of prisoners. But the state militia arrived a week later to settle things in favor of the company. And two weeks later an anarchist outraged by the behavior of Henry Clay Frick, the vehemently anti-labor manager of Carnegie Steel, tried to assassinate Frick in his office. Though shot twice, Frick survived. Other labor organizations had rallied to the defense of the union at Homestead, the Amalgamated Association of Iron and Steel Workers. And for a time public opinion seemed to side with the workers. But the attempted assassination of Frick, and the involvement of a known anarchist, was used to discredit the labor movement. In the end, the management of Carnegie Steel won. Background of the Homestead Plant Labor Problems In 1883 Andrew Carnegie  bought the Homestead Works, a steel plant in Homestead, Pennsylvania, east of Pittsburgh on the Monongahela River. The plant, which had been focused on producing steel rails for railroads, was changed and modernized under Carnegies ownership to produce steel plate, which could be used for production of armored ships. Carnegie,  known for uncanny business foresight, had become one of the richest men in America, surpassing the wealth of earlier millionaires such as John Jacob Astor and Cornelius Vanderbilt. Under Carnegies direction, the Homestead plant kept expanding, and the town of Homestead, which had about 2,000 residents in 1880, when the plant first opened, grew to a population of about 12,000 in 1892. About 4,000 workers were employed at the steel plant. The union representing workers at the Homestead plant, the Amalgamated Association of Iron and Steel Workers, had signed a contract with Carnegies company in 1889. The contract was set to expire on July 1, 1892. Carnegie, and especially his business partner Henry Clay Frick, wanted to break the union. There has always been considerable  dispute about how much Carnegie knew of the ruthless tactics Frick planned to employ. At the time of the 1892 strike, Carnegie was at a luxurious estate he owned in Scotland. But it seems, based on letters the men exchanged, that Carnegie was fully aware of Fricks tactics. The Beginning of the Homestead Strike In 1891 Carnegie began to think about reducing wages at the Homestead plant, and when his company held meetings with the Amalgamated union in the spring of 1892 the company informed the union that it would be cutting wages at the plant. Carnegie also wrote a letter, before he left for Scotland in April 1892, which indicated that he intended to make Homestead a non-union plant. In late May, Henry Clay Frick instructed the company negotiators to inform the union that wages were being reduced. The union would not accept the proposal, which the company said was non-negotiable. In late June 1892, Frick had public notices posted in  the town of Homestead informing union members that since the union had rejected the companys offer, the company would have nothing to do with the union. And to further provoke the union, Frick began construction of what was being called Fort Frick. Tall fences were constructed around the plant, topped with barbed wire. The intent of the barricades and barbed wire was obvious: Frick intended to lock out the union and bring in scabs, non-union workers. The Pinkertons Attempted to Invade Homestead On the night of July 5, 1892, approximately 300 Pinkerton agents arrived in western Pennsylvania by train and boarded two barges which had been stocked with hundreds of pistols and rifles as well as uniforms. The barges were towed on  the Monongahela River to Homestead, where Frick assumed the Pinkertons  could land undetected in the middle of the night. Lookouts saw the barges coming and alerted the workers in Homestead, who raced to the riverbank. When the Pinkertons tried to land at dawn, hundreds of townspeople, some of them armed with weapons dating back to the Civil War, were waiting. It was never determined who fired the first shot, but a gun battle broke out. Men were killed and wounded on both sides, and the Pinkertons were pinned down on the barges, with no escape possible. Throughout the day of July 6, 1892, townspeople of Homestead tried to attack the barges, even pumping oil into the river in an attempt to set fires atop the water. Finally, late in the afternoon, some of the union leaders convinced the townspeople to let the Pinkertons surrender. As the Pinkertons left the barges to walk to a local opera house, where they would be held until the local sheriff could come and arrest them, townspeople threw bricks at them. Some Pinkertons were beaten. The sheriff arrived that night and removed the Pinkertons, though none of them were arrested or indicted for murder, as the townspeople had demanded. Newspapers had been covering the crisis for weeks, but the news of the violence created a sensation when it moved quickly across the telegraph wires. Newspaper editions were rushed out with startling accounts of the confrontation. The New York Evening World published a special extra edition with the headline: AT WAR: Pinkertons and Workers Fight at Homestead. Six steelworkers had been killed in the fighting, and would be buried in the following days. As the people in Homestead held funerals, Henry Clay Frick, in a newspaper interview, announced that he would have no dealings with the union. Henry Clay Frick Was Shot A month later, Henry Clay Frick was in his office in Pittsburgh and a young man came to see him, claiming to represent an agency that could supply replacement workers. The visitor to Frick was actually a Russian anarchist, Alexander Berkman, who had been living in New York City and who had no connection to the union. Berkman forced his way into Fricks office and shot him twice, nearly killing him. Frick survived the assassination attempt, but the incident was used to discredit the union and the American labor movement in general. The incident became a milestone in U.S. labor history, along with the Haymarket Riot and the 1894 Pullman Strike. Carnegie Succeeded in Keeping the Union Out of His Plants The Pennsylvania militia (similar to todays National Guard) took over the Homestead Plant and non-union strikebreakers were brought in to work. Eventually, with the union broken, many of the original workers returned to the plant. Leaders of the union were prosecuted, but juries in western Pennsylvania failed to convict them. While the violence had been happening in western Pennsylvania, Andrew Carnegie had been off in Scotland, avoiding the press at his estate. Carnegie would later claim that he had little to do with the violence at Homestead, but his claims were met with skepticism, and his reputation as a fair employer and philanthropist was greatly tarnished. And Carnegie did succeed in keeping unions out of his plants.

Does the process of Globalization help or hinder wealth creation in Essay

Does the process of Globalization help or hinder wealth creation in developing countries - Essay Example This is a group that favours activities of by such international institution as the World Bank, IMF and WTO that are seen as creating a level ground for all countries in the world to take part in international trade. However, there is an opposing group of critics of globalization that asserts developed countries have had an unprecedented benefits compared to developing countries. This essay explores how globalization has contributed to the process of wealth creation in developing world by analysis arguments by both proponents and opponents of globalization in order to determine whether globalization has helped or hindered wealth creation. There are a number of areas in which proponents of globalization argue that developing counties have benefited due to wealth creation accrued from doing business with other countries and multinationals. Due to the interconnectedness of the global economy, demand has been created for goods from developing countries therefore increasing the volume of trade. The increased trade has benefited the Newly Industrialized Economies from Asia that have been able to export their manufactured goods. These countries started off as developing countries but it is the access to international markets that resulted creation of wealth from capital inflow into their economies resulting in economic growth. The wealth created from international business has been used to reduce poverty levels by contributing to welfare state in these countries (Lechner, 2009). The level of knowledge and technological exchange that has been brought about by globalization is also an aspect emphasised by proponents of globalization. It is argued by proponents that the benefits of globalization to developing countries are not only in the area of direct foreign investments but the phenomenon has also led to the sharing of technical innovation between developed and

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Euromoney market - Research Paper Example Eurodollars refers to the U.S. dollars deposited in banks outside the United States or these are dollars deposited in European banks (Globalization Financial Markets, n.d.). The major sources of the Eurodollars include foreign governments, dollar reserves, oil exporting countries, multinational corporations and business executives with excess cash balance deposits outside the U.S. The users of Eurodollars include commercial banks and governments. Globalization Financial Markets n.d. states that, â€Å"many commercial banks have been have been relying mostly on the Eurodollars to make loans to the exporters and importers and domestic companies.† Eurodollars instruments can be categorized into two: Eurodollar deposits, which can be negotiable certificates of deposits with floating interest rates and specified maturity time and time deposits, which have a maturity time of less than a year or Eurodollar loans, which range from $500,000-$100 million. The later also forms the major source of finance of Eurodollars among all other sources of finance. Globalization Financial Markets n.d. states, â€Å"The expansion of Euro dollars is enabled by; private and public depositors keeping their money outside the United States banks and private and public borrowers who take the Euro dollar loans.† London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) is one of the world’s widely used benchmark for setting short-term interest rates set by sixteen international member banks. The rates were introduced into the financial markets in the year 1986 after two years of conducting test runs. Today, LIBOR rates published by BBA daily places a rough estimate of about $360 trillion rates of financial instruments globally. LIBOR is important, applauded by many participants of the financial markets because it is inclusive, and considers even the less preferred borrowers of money. Either LIBOR has ability to dilute Fed rate cut effects. The Euro commercial paper is short-term unsecured loan

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Effects of the second war Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

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Ols 252 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Ols 252 - Essay Example What makes me love the profession is my admiration of how pharmacists play a major role in ensuring patients are able to regain their good health. This makes me to have a sight in being the most respected pharmacist of the community (Yukl et al., 76). The type of organization I would like to lead is majorly a retail pharmacy because I would enjoy the direct communication I would be accorded with the patients and also working with my colleagues in completing each task efficiently. One year after graduation, I expect to be a pharmacist in a retail pharmacy. This is useful in me gaining experience by accepting responsibilities as a pharmacist. Five years after graduation, I expect a pharmacy manager in a retail store. This will be achieved through hard work, teamwork and helping new members in adapting to their new environment. Finally, ten years after graduation, I expect to be a regional pharmacist manager or intern coordinator. With experience and proficient in executing my job as a pharmacist, this type of leadership will put me in a position to give back to the profession. As an intern coordinator, I will stand a chance to be able to mentor and lead pharmacy students. Step 2: assessing my leadership qualities There are many assessments that had a greater effect into my life but the six most important assessments to me are self-confidence which entails: generalized self-efficacy, leader-member exchange, motivation to lead, influential tactics, emotional intelligence and participatory leadership attitudes. Generalized self-efficacy is an important attribute which shows the importance of having self-confidence for one to be an effective leader and leader emergence. Self-confidence is important to leaders as they show one’s ability to believe in being successful and be able to influence others to achieve a common desired goal or results. Generalized self-efficacy can be strongly manifested in an individual with high self-confidence which has an end-result of strong and effective leadership. In the assessment, a score of 6 represented a strong sense of generalized self-efficacy and a low score of say 2 shows a weaker sense of generalized self-efficacy. Faced with different situations, I have a capacity to succeed as evidenced by my high score of 5 since it indicates a strong sense of efficacy. I chose this assessment because of the score and I have the belief I have that, I will succeed and whatever am doing will produce a desirable result faced with a situation. Leader-member exchange is another assessment I chose because I it assesses the pros and cons of a follower while being supervised. In this assessment the quality of relationship exchanged between the leader and member is taken into account, a score above 6 shows a high quality and a low-quality relationship is shown by a lower score than 2. I have a score of 5.43 which shows my relationship with a leader was of high-quality. Motivation to lead is the assessment I also valued because it contained dimensions on what motivates one to lead. A high score say above 6 in all the dimensions shows a strong motivation to lead and a weak motivation to lead as indicated by a low score, say below 2. My scores in this assessment were 4.2, 4.11 and 4.7 which were relatively high and indicate that I love the role of a leader and like giving directions to my followers. Since I have a goal of being an intern coordinator, this assessment will be handy since I would like to effective lead my fellow pharmacist students

Effects of the second war Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Effects of the second war - Research Paper Example Such a policy revealed ?an eagerness, a desire, not to hinder the ag- gressors in their nefarious work.? The western powers allowed Germany to have Austria, ?despite the undertaking to defend her independence; they let her have the Sudeten region; they abandoned Czechoslovakia to her fate.? Finally, Stalin enunciated Soviet policy towards its neighbors: We stand for peaceful, close and friendly relations with all neighboring countries which have common frontiers with the U.S.S.R. That is our position; and we shall adhere to this position as long as these countries maintain like relations with the Soviet Union, and as long as they make no attempt to trespass, directly or indirectly, on the integrity and inviola- bility of the frontiers of the Soviet state. He concluded with a warning to the Party ?to be cautious and not to allow our country to be drawn into conflicts by war- mongers who are accustomed to have others pull the chestnuts out of the fire for them.?11 Was Stalin's statemen t a revolution in Soviet foreign policy or was he restating an old hope, agreement with Germany over Eastern Europe? He was probably attempting to warn Britain and France not to leave the Soviet Union to face Germany alone. From Berlin there was silence. Although Ribbentrop brought the speech to Hitler's attention suggesting that he be authorized to learn more about Stalin's intentions, Hitler was uninterested. Alexei Merekalov, the Soviet ambassador, brought a message from the Kremlin to the German Foreign Ministry on April 17. Ostensibly the reason for his visit was the matter of Soviet con- tracts with the Skoda works in Czechoslovakia for war materi- als. However, Merekalov proceeded to lead Ernst von Weizsaecker, the state secretary, into a discussion of German-Polish relations and finally came around to the subject of Russo-German affairs. At last Merekalov got to the point: ideological differences, he suggested, need not be a ?stumbling block? to friendly relations. ?Russia h ad not exploited the present friction between Germany and the western democracies against us [Germany], nor did she wish to do that.?12 There was no reason for Russia and Germany not to enjoy normal relations. In contrast to Weizsaecker's account, according to Soviet doc- uments released in 1990 and 1992, the meeting was not the occasion of a Soviet hint at a possible rapprochement. The signal of detente was coming from the Germans. Merekalov was merely following instructions in presenting Soviet complaints concern- ing Germany's failure to fulfill contracts of the former Czecho- slovak Skoda factories. Merekalov made no plea for improved Russo-German relations. It is quite possible that Weizsaecker's account is the more accurate. Meanwhile, Britain and France embarked on tortuous nego- tiations with the Soviet government. On April 14, the British gov- ernment pressed the Soviet Union to make a public declaration promising to assist any European neighbor of the Soviet Union who resi sted aggression if such assistance was desired. Britain would not be involved in this declaration. France, however, made a different proposal involving France going to war against Germany if Poland or Romania were to be attacked. France would aid the Soviet Union if it were at war as a result of aid- ing Poland or Romania. Litvinov replied on April 17 with a proposal for a triple al- liance in which Britain, France, and the Soviet Union would aid each other in case of aggression against

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Leadership - Essay Example To enhance teams performance one proven approach that helps with this is the GROW model. GROW is an acronym standing for Goal - Current Reality - Options - Will. A useful metaphor for the GROW model is the plan we might make for an important journey. First, it starts with a map: With this, one can help the team member decide where they are going (their Goal) and establish where they currently are (their Current Reality). Then explore the various ways (the Options) of making the journey. In the final step, establishing the Will, leader ensures the team members are committed to making the journey and prepared for the conditions and obstacles they may meet on their way. . Therefore the key is that the team should be viewed as an important resource whose maintenance must be managed just like any other resource and that this management should be undertaken by the team itself so that it forms a normal part of the teams activities. As a collection of people, a group needs to relearn some basic manners and people-management skills. In a study by Peter and William (2004) they concluded that strong organizational support, team leadership, and high levels of interpersonal team skills help quality improvement teams go further. Thus a trained leader and team training can help any service team to act professionally and yield desired results. Peter, M., William, W. (2004). Characteristics of successful quality improvement teams: Lessons from five collaborative projects in the VHA, 30(7), 152-162. Retrieved December 15, 2008 from

Historical Interpretations Role in The of a national or international policy for Cultural Heritage Protection Essay Example for Free

Historical Interpretations Role in The of a national or international policy for Cultural Heritage Protection Essay The main difference between approaches to Cultural Heritage Protection, as discussed by Muller, namely between â€Å"object-centrism† and â€Å"functionalism† is associated with the fact that the first approach regards the cultural object and its protection as a value in its own right, while the latter focuses on the cultural object in the context of its meaning for society and its processes of acculturation and socialization. Object-centrism advocates primacy of the cultural object rather than its value, be it artistic or economic (Muller, 1998). Artworks of the past are seen as valuable treasures, and the integrity of entire set of objects produced by a certain culture has to be protected. Object-centrism scholars â€Å"focus on the primacy of the heritage object, considering that it has a value existing independently of people that should not be susceptible to any change† (Loulanski, 2006, p. 215). This approach also argues for the necessity of protection of information about a given culture, and cultural objects serve as a source of such information. Thus, while archaeology is a typical example of the philosophy of object-centrism, anthropology also fits in the picture by virtue of preserving information and data about cultures. As concerns the answer to the question which is at the heart of the debate on Cultural Heritage Protection, namely whether nation state or international community should be the guardian of cultural heritage, object-centrism only cares about the safety and integrity of the cultural object and not the nature of its stewardship. Proponents of object-centrism argue that practical value of the cultural object is hard to determine, since it might have little utility now but be of great importance for future generations. And in the light of little connection between ancient and modern societies, ancient heritage is worth preservation in it own right. However, this approach has come in for much criticism: â€Å"Although the object-centric approach seems more sensible for guaranteeing the rights of existence for all cultural heritage, and modern because it prioritizes the integrity of cultural heritage, it proves to be somewhat illogical and unrealistic† (Loulanski, 2006, p. 216). Cultural objects are inherently connected to human societies and histories, thus it is unproductive to view them outside of their natural context. Rather than regarding heritage as a set of cultural objects, it should be regarded in the light of public good it is able to create: â€Å"Increasingly cultural heritage is seen as a much broader phenomenon which can contribute to political ideals, to economic prosperity and to social cohesion† (Council of Europe, 2000, p. 3). Cultural heritage has been linked to national unity, citizenship, appreciation of diversity, cultural identity and memory, amenity, sustainable development and quality of life. Graham (2002) suggests â€Å"the concept of heritage as a social construction, imagined, defined and articulated within cultural and economic practice† (p. 1003). In my view, functionalism is a more productive approach to cultural heritage protection. However, it poses dome difficulties for historical interpretation, since it denies the idea that cultural objects have value in their own right. Each nation has its own approach to assigning value to and defining functions of cultural objects. Thus, international community might disagree with interpretations suggested by nation stares. It imperative to separate historical interpretation from other forms of interpretation: â€Å"Historical interpretation must be based on a multidisciplinary archaeological and/or historical study of the site and its surroundings, yet must also indicate clearly and honestly where conjecture, hypothesis or philosophical reflection begin† (Pathways to Cultural Landscapes, 2002 p. 5). The solution to the problem is to engage all interested stakeholders in the process of historical interpretation, be they different groups within one society or different countries in the global community.