Circular Flow Essay

In the textbook, there are two circular flow diagrams. One represents the flows in the macro-economy as a closed system and the other represents the flows as an open system. The circular flow diagrams show how money travels through the economic systems including businesses, households, foreign agents and governments (Editorial Board, 2013). Within the closed and open systems there are two consumers. The first consumers are households that buy goods and services and the second consumers are those businesses that purchase factors to produce. Households enter the goods market while the businesses enter factor markets. The first type of circular flow is that of the closed macro-economy system. This is the circular flow of money. A closed system is an economic model that counts only domestic exchanges but not the foreign agents. This therefore means that without foreign agents, the government or the economy is free of leakages. This system is basically shut off from surrounding environments and is self-contained. An example of a closed system would be the Earth system as a whole. Although energy passes across the Earth’s system boundary, no mass is exchanged throughout the Earth’s system and the rest of the universe (Ritter, M., 2011). The second type of circular flow in the macro-economy is considered the open system. The open system is the opposite of the closed system. It is an economic model that counts goods and services exchanged domestically and between nations (Editorial Board, 2013). In the diagram in the textbook, it indicates the circular flow of money in an open economy system. Open systems allow energy and mass to pass through and across the system boundary. An example of an open system would be the ocean. The ocean is considered an open system because it allows energy and mass to pass through. Energy which is solar radiation, latent heat and mass including water vapor and precipitation all pass across the boundary between the atmosphere and  hydrosphere of the ocean. In the closed system, households spend their money not only on domestic products but also on goods and services. While looking over the diagram should in the textbook, the inner flow of the closed system includes land, labor, and capital given to businesses from households to receive goods and services to the household. Households use the income (wages and salaries) for services offered to business to purchase goods and services from other businesses. On the other hand, businesses use the money received from households to buy factors of production they require. Thus, money flows in a circular motion within the economy. Therefore, the outer flows of a closed system include money from the household to business in order to pay for wages and rent for the houses. In the open system, there are more flow levels to consider. An open system considers the flow of money both domestically and internationally between countries. This system includes the government, households, and businesses. The demand for imports from a foreign economy consists of goods for investment, consumption of government goods. The government however enters the factor market as well as the goods market. It enters the factor market in order to obtain domestic labor, capital, and other factors of production to provide goods and services. The government enters the goods market to purchase these goods and services such as cars, trucks, pens or pencils. After the government lends out public services to the household and businesses, the households sends labor, land and capital to businesses and receive goods and services from those businesses as they pay taxes to the government. The next level flow which is the outer flow consists of money sent from the household to the businesses for wages and rent to be paid for the household. Leakages are taxes, savings, and import expenditures not spend in the economy. There are several leaks in the open system which includes leaks from households to companies, businesses to owners of factors of production and from both households and businesses to the government. Money leakages are created when an American consumer buys imports or when a company in the United States hires someone from India to work as a customer service representative. The households leaks when consumers buy goods and services from foreign businesses, and the money those households save whether in checking accounts or stocking. The business leaks when firms use labor, capital and other resources from foreign households. These leaks then inject money into the system. Injection is considered as things that enter into the households or businesses due to the leaks that were caused in the open system. An injection that comes into the household is that of foreign firms sending wages and rent to US households. An injection that comes into the businesses is that of foreign households purchasing goods produced by US firms. An example of a leakage would be a household buying a foreign car from a foreign company outside the United States. An example of an injection would be households in japan purchasing pens and pencils from firms in the United States. The difference between closed systems and open systems can be defined easily. Getting a better understanding of the two systems and how they work can help us operate throughout our daily lives and the world around us. As we grow we continue to learn about our economy and how the government interacts with households and companies. References Editorial Board (2013). Introduction to Macroeconomics. Web retrieved from http://wow.coursesmart.com/9781934920541/firstsection#X2ludGVybmFsX0J2ZGVwRmxhc2hSZWFkZXI/eG1saWQ9OTc4MTkzNDkyMDU0MS8zMA== Ritter, Michael E. The Physical Environment: an Introduction to Physical Geography. http://www4.uwsp.edu/geo/faculty/ritter/geog101/textbook/earth_system/types_of_systems.html

What did it mean for a man in Ancient Greece to lead a good life Essay

In Ancient Greece, leading a good life is rather more complex than it is in today’s society. It is evidenced in Plato’s four dialogs in The Trial and Death of Socrates. Through the dialogues of Socrates we can learn that in Ancient Greece education, religion, society in general, law and values played a major role on a person’s way of living a good life. In the dialogues of The Trial and Death of Socrates, society condemned those such as Socrates for changing or questioning their way of life. A person in Ancient Greece must be a pious man who conforms to the laws and values of the society. We can learn how a man should lead a good life in Ancient Greece through the dialogues of Socrates in his trial. In order for a man to lead a good life, he must have a good education. In ancient Greek society it is stated that a man shouldn’t think about having kids if he doesn’t plan on giving a good education to them (Plato 45). This signifies that education is the first thing in a man’s life that will make him a good person. In the dialogues of Crito, we can see that music and gymnastics played a major role in education because Socrates’s father trained him in those fields (Plato 51). Education also plays a major role in a man’s life because it not only helps in this life but also the after life. According to Socrates, education and nurture are the only things that you can take with you to the underworld (Plato 106). Your knowledge and education will help you in your next life not your material wealth. Asides from having a good education, a man in Ancient Greece should value and ignore certain actions. As I have stated earlier a man should value education, but asides from that he must be a pious person. We can see in the dialogues between Euthyphro and Socrates that piety should be valued a lot. In other words a man should value his religion and the gods. Both Socrates and Euthyphro come up with their meaning of piety. Being a pious person according to Socrates and Euthyphro is doing things that is dear to the gods and is agreeable to them. Also making offerings to the gods and looking after them (Plato 6-13). Another thing that a man must value is reputation.  We can see example of how Socrates maintains his reputation by refusing to flee Athens because it would tarnish his family name. In the same example Socrates shows us that Athenian Citizenship is valued a lot because he doesn’t escape prison since it would mean his family would lose their citizenship (Plato 52-54). With the events that occurred to Socrates, it shows us that one should ignore questioning or changing the law or religion. The whole reason Socrates is being put to trial because he was charged with not recognizing the gods and inventing new deities and corrupting the youth (Plato 2,5). During the time of Socrates, religion and law should be respected and followed. In Ancient Greece, men who hold a citizenship of a city-state such as Athens must conform to all their laws and religion. Religion at that time was very important and valued. If anyone tried to change it or question it would be doomed to death. This what happened to Socrates because not only did he question the God but he was also corrupting the younger generation according to the courts (Plato 2 and 4). For a man in Ancient Greece he should be a pious person. As I mention earlier one must submit to the gods and make offering to them. From Socrates’s point of view, a person should always question society. Socrates always questions people because he thin that by doing so he can make the society better. He wants to make people think critically (Plato 31). Also question society can lead to wisdom. In Socrates case, he question different authorities outside of their knowledge because they claim to know every thing and admits to not knowing everything (Plato 23). Asides from religion and society a man must conform to the laws of the city-state. The laws of Athens for example shape the life a person living in it. The laws of Athens for example gave Socrates education, citizenship and the option for him to go in exile (Plato 50-52). Socrates signifies that he accepts the laws of Athens because he defends it and ultimately stays in Athens when he had the chance for exile (Plato 51-53). Since Socrates is a well-known figure in his society we can accept that these are the norms of society. According to Socrates, a man should deal with death with ease. He views death as a gateway to join other souls. In his view, he will get to join should that died before such as Homer Ajax and gets to question them to find out who is the wisest (Plato 40). Socrates  also states that suicide is a bad action. The life and souls belongs to the Gods, by committing suicide you can’t summon yourself to the Gods (Plato 59). Socrates suggests that the soul joins the Gods after death. He believes that you can get a better understand of the worl d (Plato 69). In conclusion, for a man to lead a good life in Ancient Greece he must be pious, well educated, and follow the laws of the society. Since Socrates is viewed as a great philosopher today we can use his actions and views in the Trail and Death of Socrates as an example of how a person should lead his life in Ancient Greece. Through his understandings we learned that education plays a major part in the beginning of a mans life. And also the laws and religion must be adhered to for a man to lead a good life.

Writing Narrative

IMPLEMENTING PICTURE SERIES TO IMPROVE TENTH GRADE STUDENTS’ ABILITY IN WRITING NARRATIVE TEXTS AT MABI PROGRAM OF MAN 3 MALANG A Thesis by Fifin Naili Rizkiyah (Nim 20622140128) State University of Malang, Faculty of Letters, English Department, July 2010 Nowadays, English is becoming more and more important. English is a global language which many people all over the world speak English as first or second languages. Many countries include English as the subject taught in educational institution. English is a key to open the door of science, technology, economics and culture.In Indonesia, our government has made a policy on the school curriculum that English is taught as a compulsory subject. As stated in Pusat Pembinaan & Pengembangan Bahasa in 1984 (in Marhum, 2009:3), on December 12, 1967, the Minister of Education issued Decree No 096/1967, stipulating English as the first foreign language to be taught in Indonesian schools. Based on KTSP (Kurikulum Tingkat Satuan Pen didikan= School Based Curriculum), the instructional objective of English is that the mastery of four language skills; they are listening, reading, speaking, and writing.Language skills are classified into receptive and productive skills. Receptive skill includes listening and reading while productive skill includes speaking and writing. Productive skills are obviously more difficult than the receptive. Widiati and Cahyono (2006:139) state that writing is the most complex skill compared to the other three skills. Some students often complained about how difficult it is to write in a foreign language, even Blanchard and Root (2003:1) state that writing can be difficult even in your language.In a new language, writing can be even more difficult. Students often got stuck in expressing their ideas into written texts. They also had problems with the language use. Those problems are faced by students of 10th MABI program MAN 3 Malang which is the subject in this study. To solve the studen ts’ problem in writing, the researcher decided to conduct a classroom action research applying picture series as a strategy to improve the students’ ability in writing narrative texts.The study is to find out how picture series strategy is implemented in improving 10th grade students’ ability in writing narrative text. The writing activities were to giving a model of how to write a paragraph of narratives including teaching students generic structures of narrative and training students to write a paragraph of narrative by using picture series. As the warm-up activity, the researcher did brainstorming in order to raise the students’ readiness and eagerness to write. Then the researcher comes to training stage, which is the process of writing.And the students’ final products are assessed based on the scoring rubrics made. The procedures of implementing picture series in teaching writing are as follows: 1. Brainstorming (asking some questions related to the topic to be discussed to elicit the students’ ideas) 2. Discussing flow-chart text containing communicative purpose, rhetorical structure, and grammatical pattern of the text 3. Distributing the pictures series 4. Prewriting (listing topics, identifying objects and action verbs in the pictures) 5.Outlining (making outline; making sentences representing every picture in the picture series) 6. Drafting 7. Polishing (revising and editing) The research design was a collaborative action research which consisted of two cycles, in where cycle 1 consisted of two meetings and cycle 2 consisted of four meetings. A cycle consisted of four steps namely: planning the action, acting on the plan, observing the action and reflecting on the observation. The subject of the study was the 21 students of X MABI MAN 3 Malang in the academic year of 2009/2010.The instruments used to collect data were observation checklist, field notes, questionnaires, scoring rubrics and the students’ writings. The data from the observation, scoring rubrics and questionnaires were analyzed and the results are presented in the form of tables and description, while the data gained from the field notes and the students’ writings were analyzed and reported descriptively. The result of the study showed that the picture series effectively improved the students’ ability in writing narrative texts.All students had reached the minimum score of 3 in all aspects; organization, diction, and language use. Moreover, the majority of the students gave positive responses towards the implementation of picture series, in the case that 70% of the students showed excitement. Furthermore, they found that picture series is interesting, easy to understand, moreover, it helped them to organize paragraphs and develop ideas in writing narrative texts. Here are the mean scores of the students’ writings in each category. Cycle 2 collaborative Cycle 2 individual Cycle 1 Preliminary study In conclusion, picture series can be implemented to improve the students’ ability in writing narrative text at MABI program of MAN 3 Malang. Picture series was very helpful to develop the students’ ideas and creativity. The students enjoyed the writing activity implementing picture series because it was interesting, fun, and not boring. It is suggested that the teacher use the picture series in teaching writing since it can solve students’ problems in writing. It is also suggested that other researchers conduct other researches that apply picture series in other skills and genres.

Internationalization of Financial Markets Essay - 1

Internationalization of Financial Markets - Essay Example People adopt all these strategies to reduce the risk and allocate the resources in a strategic manner. Â  During the last 20 years, internationalization of financial markets has developed at a very swift pace. This took place due to the amalgamation of goods market leading to the presence of multinational corporations. Imports and exports volumes have increased largely leading to increasing in international transactions. All these elements have increased their presence internationally but the growth of internationalization of financial markets has gone beyond the adjustment of trade. Along with this growth, banks’ existence has also increased internationally with many new branches in new countries to satisfy the needs of customers working for multinational organizations (Horne, 1990). Â  The reason that banks have different packages for different countries is that people have different needs and trends. Some countries might have the trend of saving more and some might have investment trend depending on the current situation of the country. If there is inflation in the country, demand is high but supply is very low because the purchasing power of consumers has increased but output has not increased at the same pace. The government will increase the interest rate so that instead of spending the money people save the money and do not demand much (Welch & Liostarinen, 1993). During this period, foreigners will start saving their money in those countries’ banks. Similarly, when there is deflation in any country government will decrease the rate of interest so that people invest more to stimulate the production and prices. Â  Moreover, different countries confront different kind of natural calamities and other destructions. Insurance companies have great significance in these kinds of countries, they collect premium from people periodically and invest this money in different projects.

HRM2013 Human Resource Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

HRM2013 Human Resource Management - Essay Example The structure of the organization will determine the responsibilities, reporting structure and hierarchy. Organizational structure varies depending on locations, nature of business and people. It helps in arranging people and jobs to meet the requirements of the management. The structure of the organization impacts the workplace culture and employee behavior, motivation, performance, job satisfaction. (About Organizational Structure, n.d) There are 3 different types of organizational structures that are used in fast food companies depending on the size, technology and span of control; they are Bureaucratic Organizational structure: This form is often found rigid and inflexible as they are not accustomed to changes. Network structure Functional Organizational structure (Walter, 2011) Chuck E Cheese is one of the best fast food joints which are not present in the UK. It’s a great place for the kids as there are many attractions such as games and rides. Most of the fast food join ts adopt a very traditional organizational structure to their outlets. To establish Chuck E Cheese in the UK, it is best to have a centralized organizational structure where decisions are made by the top management. For chuck e cheese to enter the UK market, it is important to utilize a multinational strategy which helps the company to develop products that would reach the UK market. It helps the company to adapt to the local trends. If chuck E Cheese is to enter the UK market, it is better it practices a decentralized organizational structure where in decision making can be made by lower level management. This provides an opportunity for the top management to focus on other issues as opposed to looking over subunit level details. (Organizational Issues in Strategy, n.d) II. Employee Relations It is very important to have a good employer employee relationship as it helps in communicating issues, views and other requirements. Managers play a crucial role in maintaining good employee relations. The public sector organization considered is the British Council. This organization has well laid staff policies and procedures which includes the following- The employer employee relationship Industrial relations Grievances Discipline Confidentiality and Integrity The supervisors of the British council are given the primary responsibility in managing staff; recruitment; motivation; health safety and staff welfare; recognition and reward programs. At the British Council, the employee relations are based on equality of opportunity. There is a two way communication between the employees and the management. If there has been any deviation in the British Council policy, the reason must be clearly justified to the human resource department. There are number of factors that affect the relationship between the employees and the supervisors such as- Policies and procedures of the company Company’s internal values and standards Contractual agreement Social norms One of the main important employee policies is to provide equal opportunities to all irrespective of

Marketing Planning Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Marketing Planning - Coursework Example Innocent SWOT Analysis Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats Innocent is the leading smoothie brand in the United Kingdom. The company currently owns 77.5 percent of the smoothie market. Innocent’s premium retails prices are relatively high and this indicates there will be a market segment reluctant to buy their products in favor Innocent’s competitor. Increase in the market share. Innocent operates in a market characterized by continuous growth. The consumers are developing a trend in which they are cautious of the consequences of processed goods. This is a big opportunity for Innocent to take control of the market. The consumer tastes are changing. This is because most of the product variety/range is becoming repetitive. Innocent produces quality products. Each smoothie is prepared from natural fruits supplied by regulated suppliers. This makes sure that the products produced are of premium quality. The company has a low customer base. The consumer base is relati vely small and largely confined in the United Kingdom (HomeInsights 2010, p1). The global market is expanding due to the growth of the emerging markets. Innocent’s success has been largely attributed to language. Cultural differences may create an obstacle to success when the company seeks to expand to other continents. Innocent has been consistently growing since its inception in 1999. Increase in the range of products such as dairy, whole grain, and vegetable products. Brand vulnerability – as Innocent grows, its brand value will be subject to scrutiny based its actions, for instance, its attempts to collaborate with Coca-Cola and McDonalds (HomeInsights 2010, p1). The scale of its sales is high. Each week, the company sells approximately two million smoothies (Tryhorn and Sweney 2009, p1). It also operates in several European nations. It can engage in eco-friendly promotions with organizations such as National Trust (HomeInsights 2010, p1). The distribution channel is huge; over ten thousand retail outlets and supermarket chains stock Innocent. Ethics - The company uses bottles (100 percent recycled) and paper (25 percent recycled) for the labels (Turner 2008, p1). It is also creating better working conditions and increasing resource efficiency in countries it sources the fruits. The premium prices for Innocent’s product make it favourable to the retailers because they are more profitable. Health benefits are actively sponsored by the government and other organizations (HomeInsights 2010, p1). Innocent Competitors and Competitive Advantage The current competitors in the market include Tropicana (PepsiCo), Happy Monkey, Lucozade Sport, Red Bull, Seven Seas (Multibionta), Kellogg’s Cornflakes, Young’s Pink Salmon (HomeInsights 2010, p1), Ella’s Kitchen, Naked, and Odwalla (Cummings 2011, p2). Innocent’s main competitor is Tropicana; Pepsi Company owns Tropicana and it holds 29.3 percent of the market share in t he United Kingdom. Tropicana has vast experience in venturing into new markets, a strong brand image and it is dedicated to offering exemplary fruit selection and excellent blends (Cummings 2011, p2). Tropicana has used marketing strategies such as focusing on the health benefits of the products, attractive artwork on the packaging and strong ethical values just like that of Innocent. Tropicana’s focus in the market segment is the kid’

Definition of Faith Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Definition of Faith - Research Paper Example The Bible describes faith as â€Å"substance of things that are hope for and also as the evidence of things that cannot be seen. The description of the Bible shows that faith entails believing that something will happen and also the fact that there is confidence in something that exists even if it cannot be seen. Faith, therefore, focuses on religious issues and sacred believes that certain things like God exist even if we cannot see Him. This leads to beliefs in the existence of God and the infinite wonders of nature that were created. It also expresses confidence that a certain idea, person or a thing is true and should be trusted without a doubt. The fact that people also have confidence in another human being or a thing reveals acts of faith. There are also principles and doctrines that are held as true especially by believers and the express faith and loyalty towards a certain being, idea or a thing. Thus faith can be described as a strong and unwavering belief that something i s real even without evidence (Deighton 73). Faith is not only based on religious practices but also on scientific explanations and events that affect the lives of human beings. For instance, in science, there are certain things that people believe they exist but they have never seen them. Electricity is one of the examples that can be outlined. People believe in the existence of electricity but they have never seen it. The universe is full of inspiring infinite and complicated phenomena that have been extensively been outlined to people through the use of books and other resources. However, since the knowledge of human beings constitutes a small fraction of the universe’s knowledge, people are made to believe in the existence of various phenomena through the construction of certain perspectives in their minds to form the picture of the  universe.

Operations Management (OM) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Operations Management (OM) - Essay Example Service System. Unlike product systems or manufacturing systems, service systems are unique in that they tend to be based more upon face-to-face customer interaction. In the bank, however, an effective service system will take advantage of the inherent nature of the business of banking. Banks do not manufacture money, but they do interact with individuals and companies to assist them with their financial needs. Accordingly, the branch manager can implement a service system that accommodates customer needs. Even though a banking-based service system will be somewhat intangible, the benefits of a well-designed one will be notable. For example, the branch manager may know that Friday afternoons are high volume time periods for the bank, as the local factory pays its employees on Fridays. Since no person want to stand around waiting on tellers to cash or deposit their checks, the branch manager could study the customer volume data for a month and then implement a service system that focu sed upon scheduling tellers and account managers around the times of highest volume. This OM technique would provide both efficiency in staffing as well as a happier client base. Job Design. Job Design. Job design is a relatively straightforward way of increasing operational efficiency in all organizations, but particularly in the banking industry. Like any other business, a bank has to maintain a productive workforce, and economic efficiencies are very important. Accordingly, our branch manager could spend a little research time on every segmented task within the bank. Looking for areas of overlap or opportunities for cross-training, the manager could design the job descriptions to maximize productivity without sacrificing customer service. For example, the job design of the teller would involve the standard activities of a bank teller; processing deposits, cashing checks, overseeing counter activities, etc. Similarly, the job design of an account manager is very easy to determine; be available to open new accounts for existing and new customers, perform customer service duties by telephone, solicit new accounts through various means, etc. If our branch man ager were to implement an effective job design, she might be able to construct a head teller or other hybrid position that could assist with teller operations during high volume times, and solicit accounts during times of low counter activity. This is an example of effective job design, and such an OM tool is very effective in this application. Quality Management. As we know, modern quality management is not so much about correcting mistakes after they occur, but preventing them from occurring at all. In a bank, customer service quality and the absence of numerical or clerical error is paramount to both the operations and reputation of the institution. The branch manager should place a high emphasis on attention to detail and quality job performance in both the technical (teller) and customer relations (account manager) departments. By utilizing such methods as regular staff meetings, on-going skill training, and written policy manuals, the branch manager can utilize the OM methodology of quality management

The concepts of determinism, compatibilism, and libertarianism Essay

The concepts of determinism, compatibilism, and libertarianism - Essay Example Moreover, it is a difficult theoretical issue with regards to different worldviews that individuals hold. This essay discusses, compares and contrasts, and analyzes the concepts of determinism, libertarianism, and compatibilism. The last section discusses the best perspective among the three. Comparison and Contrast Philosophers have long debated the nature of free will. Three schools of thought have emerged from this debate: determinism, libertarianism, and compatibilism. Determinism is defined as the belief that for every occurrence there are circumstances which guarantee that nothing else could occur. One variety of determinism describes it as the belief that every occurrence is caused by prior occurrences and the important conditions needed for the creation of that occurrence. Every occurrence is the inevitable consequence of a series of occurrences resulting in that occurrence.1 Hard determinism supports libertarianism in claiming that determinism is irreconcilable with free wil l. Hard determinists refute the presence of free will and libertarianists believe in the existence of free will and rejects determinism as regards human freedom. ... Because everything is indispensable, predetermined, and imposed, individuals cannot be held responsible for their behaviors. Hard determinism accepts the intuitive character of free will but claims that it is a false impression.3 The pure impossibility of free will can be viewed in how hard determinism characterizes freedom. According to hard determinists, real freedom cannot have a source. Since everything is an outcome of causation, free will is ruled out. Hard determinists view human beings as physical entities and human behavior is determined by natural laws. In contrast, while taking into account the deterministic nature of some forms of reality, libertarianism fully accepts moral responsibility and the intuitive character of free will. This perspective does not disregard the existence of causation and natural laws in the physical realm but argues that it is not applicable to everything, especially to human actions. Libertarianists believe that free individuals act for reasons. Causes explain human actions but do not determine or create them.4 Libertarianism willingly accepts that some occurrences could be necessitated but refutes the idea that every action is the outcome of an antecedent cause. Therefore, libertarianism recognizes the causation model in the physical realm but argues that human actions should be understood in terms reasons, intentions, or internal conditions. Basically speaking, external forces could influence the action, but in the end it is up to the individual to choose between several available alternatives. Compatibilism, on the other hand, is presented as a way of reconciling the opposing views of determinism and libertarianism. This perspective establishes a totally deterministic view of

Digital technology and Education Research Proposal

Digital technology and Education - Research Proposal Example At the same time, the institutions of higher education learning have been challenged to respond to the needs of globalization, as well as the knowledge economy in order to prepare the competencies and skills of the 21st century which require changes in teaching practices and curriculum. This has created demand for competence and more transparent performance and accountability in research and teaching. Nevertheless, some policy makers perceive digital technology as an effective tool that will help in managing most of the changes and will act as a transformative tool in both teaching and learning. The 20th century has witnessed massive globalization of education. For instance, the total high education enrolment worldwide stood at 100 million in 2000s. This was 200 times higher than the enrolment at the beginning of 20th century. The number is estimated to reach 125 million by 2020. This globalization is normally characterized by huge diversification of the student enrolment since even the student from low economic backgrounds can work as part time students. Internationally, there has been massive enrolment of students especially in UK, US, New Zealand, Canada and Australia. The students normally demand flexibility in teaching and learning processes. The traditional school leavers demand more flexibility in their formal education, hence the name â€Å"digital native† grown and matured with the digital technologies and are still surrounded and immersed in digital technologies in their daily activities. Therefore, the current research will investigate the effects of digit al technology on today’s business. Today’s students have not changed just incrementally from the traditional ones but have changed in slang and styles when compared to the previous generations. There has been a big discontinuity that has fundamentally changed things until it is absolutely impossible to go back. This discontinuity

The five functions of management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The five functions of management - Essay Example The five functions of management This function enables the managers to distribute authority to individual job holders or other employees (Martin and Fellenz 1-75). Controlling can be seen as a four step process of establishing performance standards based on the company’s mission and objectives, measuring and reporting of actual performance, comparing the two and taking of other corrective or preventive actions that may be deemed necessary to solve a particular problem. The main purpose of controlling is to identify deviations from the objectives and taking corrective action (French, Rayner and Rees 12-25). Directing refers to the ability to influence people’s behavior through the motivation, communication, group dynamics, leadership and discipline. The aim of directing is to channel the behavior of all the personnel to accomplish the organization’s mission and objectives while at the same time helping them accomplish their own career objectives (French, Rayner and Rees 12-25). Staffing is fillin g and keeping filled with qualified people all the positions in the business. Some of the specific activities included in this function include recruiting, hiring, training, evaluating and compensating employees. In order to carry out this function properly a manger will liaise with the human resource department. The use of incentives has been seen as advantageous because they encourage and promote appropriate safe behavior among employees at the work place. It is a way that companies are able to demonstrate that they care for their employees and recognizes those who work safely. Secondly long term behavior can be changed through awareness and the provision of financial rewards for proper behavior and this will result in improved morale and reduced worker compensation costs. Third safety incentive programs reduce accidents at the work place as they encourage employees to work in safe conditions (Princhard). The disadvantages of safety incentive programs are that, first they do not o bligate any changes in the existing processes or procedures. Accidents are generally as a combination of some unsafe conditions and therefore by giving employees rewards they try to minimize accidents but the sane processes are still in existence. Incentives also ignore reasons such that they deflect attention from real issues and can disguise genuine deficiencies, flaws or safety management process within the organization. Third incentives are based on a wrong assumption that is unsafe acts. They assume that accidents are intentional acts and that these incentives will cause employees to stop behaving improperly which is wrong (Princhard). Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory is a theory of motivation that is used to explain the spectrum of human behavior. He proposed that motivation is a function of five basic needs – physiological, safety, love, esteem and self-actualization. He said that these categories are arranged in a hierarchy- that human needs emerge in a predictable stair-step fashion. When one need is satisfied another need up in the ladder emerges or is activated. The process continues until the need for self-actualization is activated (Harold Koontz 290-98). Physiological needs include the following: food, water, warmth, rest and shelter. Safety needs include the

Letter to Newspaper Essay Example for Free

Letter to Newspaper Essay Traditionally adult learners are students who are pursuing education in either, college (undergraduate or graduate degrees), vocational or occupational programs, continuing education or noncredit courses, correspondence courses and tutoring, as well as courses and other educational activities provided by employers, community groups, and other providers (Adult Learner, 2012). The average age of an adult learner is 25 years or older, it usually is a diverse group of people (Adult Learner, 2012). These adult learners can be an independent student, employed full time, a person with dependents, a person who as a result of a death or divorce, is now single and wishes to complete a degree program and a veteran of the United States military (Adult Learner, 2012). There also the lifelong learners who generally have additional responsibilities such as family, career, military, or community, and are seeking a degree or other educational offering to enhance their professional and or personal lives (Adult Learner, 2012). Education is any formally structured learning activity in which there are an instructor and curriculum. According to Bringhamton University (2012), the largest and fastest expanding market segment for higher education is the adult learner. Universities and colleges need to adjust their infrastructure to attract better and serve adult learners. There is less high school graduates entering colleges versus the adult learner (Demographics, 2012). With less traditional aged students and more non-traditional or adult learners there will be less public support, political leverage, and legislative support to finance an educational system that is designed primarily to serve the needs of traditional aged students without considering the special needs of a more age diverse student body (Demographics, 2012). There is a push in Washington for more federal dollars in adult training. They believe the  return on investment (ROI) from adult education and training is positive as billions of dollars could be earned, saved, and pumped back into the struggling economy (Gonzalez, 2011). The argument at capital is that adult education actually saves governments money by reducing societal healthcare, public assistance, and incarceration costs. It also improves and expands the nation’s available pool of workers by helping motivated, but undereducated people get jobs (Gonzalez, 2011). The theory of adult learning is the assumptions about how adults learn. Emphasizes the value of the process of learning in adults (Adult Learning Theory, 2007). Malcom Knowles and American practitioner and theorist of adult education defined is as an art and science of helping adults learn (Adult Learning Theory, 2007). Knowles also defined six adult learning principles as adults are internally motivated and self-directed, adults bring life experiences and knowledge to learning experiences and are goal orientated. They also relevancy oriented and are practical learners who like to be respected when in the classroom (Adult Learning Theory, 2007). As educators, we need to foster the adult learner’s internal motivation to learn. Develop a rapport with the adult learner, encourage them to ask questions and explore concepts. Some adult learners come with years of experience and knowledge, with this as an instructor or teacher we need to harvest this information and have them apply it to their new learning experiences. The need to for effective adult education over the past few years have increased. It is important we support adult learners. As with the increasing adult learning population, we are also increasing our nation’s available pool of workers. It is important that we invest in adult education as it nurture’s creativity, imagination and fulfilling lives. Investing in adult education is also important for families, communities and our country as a whole. Education is an important first step for some adult learners as it is a second chance in learning. Adult education is a great way for students that didn’t finish high school to get their high school diploma and continue on with their lives. Adult education is usually at night, so that the adults who attend it may still continue to go to work. This allows theses adults to continue to progress in their lives while adding more education to their resume and mind. References Becoming familiar with adult learning theory and the six principles of adult learning. (2007). Retrieved from http://www.qotfc.edu.au/resource/?page=65375 Gonzalez, J. (2011). Adult-education leaders visit capitol hill to push for more federal dollars. The Chronicle of Higher Education. Retrieved from http://chronicle.com/article/Adult-Education-Leaders-Visit/127448/ The effects of changing demographics on higher education. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.binghamton.edu/cice/documents/NYSTAKeynotePPT.pdf Who is an adult learner? (2012). Retrieved from http://universitycollege.illinoisstate.edu/adult/who.shtml

Violent Video Games in Society

Violent Video Games in Society 53 percent. That is the number received from all adults included in a survey asking their thoughts on whether they thought children got more or less violent after being introduced to violent video games. The majority believed it was fine to let the children play such content as studies have not yet proved violence in youth has a direct correlation to video games. VIdeo gaming is a multi-billion dollar industry bringing in more money than both movies and DvDs young people love getting their hands on a controller and the feeling of being thrown into a whole immersive new world. Some people might compare the feeling to reading a book but a lot better due to the graphics and dialogue. Video games have been shown to be a natural teacher to young people and that fact cannot be diminished, however with the increasing violent nature of our society more and more violent video games can be almost guaranteed in the markets. Although these might spark controversy, seeing real life events unfold in front of a childs face is more likely to make them violent than playing a video game in the comfort of their own home. According to Video Games and Crime Michael R. Ward states Relatedly, it is possible that violent games are particularly attractive to otherwise violent individuals. Independent of whether violent video game play causes a behavioral change in which individuals become more violent, it could substitute for the time spent in violent activities thereby decreasing the total amount of violence. Referring to the idea that people that play video games are so absorbed into the activity that they will spend more time playing than actually going out and pursuing violent activities. Although these facts are quite persuasive, many attempts have still been made by a few parties to reduce violence among children and teens such as the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) which bases gaming content upon alphabetical lettering. Every letter means something different and varies from EC to AO. Games have a small box located on the cases on the bottom left of the front cover. EC referring to games a ppropriate for Early Childhood. E10+ Referring to games appropriate for everyone ages 10 and up. T for teens. M for mature. And finally AO for games only appropriate for adults. Although this system is not foolproof it has been shown to reduce the amount of violence in children since the late 1990s. Reality games have been a huge game changer in the gaming community. Things such as Life Simulator, Job Simulator and so much more have effectively changed the perspectives of most young people. Showing more things about life than they would normally learn in school, Paying Bills. Reading house notes. Getting up and ready for a job and even to the point of having a wife and kid. These have been purposely made to mimic real life events to show people how life can be if they have never experienced something like that before. As the real world evolves, so do the games we play as many of them are based upon true or real world events. War. Theft. Death. Destruction. Many of these things have been included in new and even more realistic video games. Although many can be beneficial, games such as these are very surreal. Imploring the audience to realize how very horrible the world is or even visualize these situations. Even at this point these games are beneficial allowing the community to see and (if the game is immersive enough) feel how heartbreaking the loss of a friend can be. People who have bought new software such as a PlayStation (PS2, PS3, PS4) or XBox (Xbox-360 or Xbox One) have been able to play online with friends from around the world. Whether Youre defending humanitys last hope as a cyborg in the first person alien killing game Halo on XBox, or youre Defending a city with mystical powers against a pack of monsters in the addictive role-playing game known as EverQuest on Playstation. In many ways Video games are a whole new social platform. One of the biggest in fact, According to a state of the industry report by Spil Games about 1.2 billion people around the world play games alone, and over 700 million play online! Finding friends online, meeting new people and helping them out is what we all do on a day to day basis, and with video games you can do all of this in the comfort of your own home. A study, conducted by Tsung-Yen Chuang and Wei-Fan Chen and published in the April 2009 edition of Educational Technology Society concluded that more research needs to be done and that games to enhance learning need to be thoughtfully created, but they also concluded that from the results of this study, computer-based video games could function as powerful tools in assisting childrens cognitive processes. In this world it is important for everyones children to learn as quickly as possible. This is the most technologically advanced the world has ever been and with that being said everyone has unlimited information available at all times. People just have to make it all count for the future of our society, video games can change the future There are many many precautions that come along with the evolution of video games, but the fact remains that although some might be too violent for certain children studies have shown that they still retain important information than they usually would in school. These gaming platforms have become a basis upon which we teach our children the basic concept of imagination. Showing them that anything can be possible as long as you put your mind to it and have the willingness to do something. Instead of getting rid of games altogether, I suggest that we rather provide more information about life into them.. Works Cited Video Games and Children: Playing with Violence. Video Games and Children: Playing with Violence, June 2015, www.aacap.org/AACAP/Families_and_Youth/Facts_for_Families/FFF-Guide/Children-and-Video-Games-Playing-with-Violence-091.aspx. Accessed 2 February 2017. Ward, Michael R. Video Games and Crime. Contemporary Economic Policy, vol. 29, no. 2, 2011, p. 261. Academic OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=AONEsw=wu=j020902v=2.1it=rid=GALE|A254245440asid=d06c35b32a0b773bc5e32d73b8f946dd.ÂÂ   Accessed 5 February 2017 Video Games. Opposing Viewpoints Online Collection, Gale, 2016. Opposing Viewpoints in Context, link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/PC3010999329/OVIC?u=j020902xid=6398fb1e. Accessed 7 Feb. 2017 Video Games. Opposing Viewpoints Online Collection, Gale, 2016. Opposing Viewpoints in Context, link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/PC3010999329/OVIC?u=j020902xid=6398fb1e. Accessed 9 Feb. 2017.

The Role Of Multidisciplinary Working

The Role Of Multidisciplinary Working This essay will relate to an observation of professional social work practice in a Crisis Centre, for people with mental health issues who require support, and short-term accommodation, with the goal of returning home or to a new environment. This essay will focus upon the role of multi disciplinary collaboration regarding the Crisis Centre staff, and Crisis Resolution Home Treatment Team (CRHTT), and to discuss why collaboration appears to play an important and fundamental role within social work practice. The essay will also aim to demonstrate good practice and possible strengths and weaknesses of multidisciplinary working. Within the field of social work practice it does seem evident that multidisciplinary working is work undertaken jointly by workers and professionals from different disciplines or occupations (Pearson Thomas, 2010:342) and has evolved at varying speeds over the past 30 years, in response to imperatives of central government. (What evidence)?Evidence suggests that the area mental health was among the first professions to adopt teams of workers from different professions, and the Community Mental Health Team is widely regarded as the model for multidisciplinary working (Community Care, 2010). It seems that , in relation to social work, the distinctive quality that has to be demonstrated is anti discriminatory practice and a holistic approach, by working with a range of situations and people having an attribute for developing multidisciplinary and partnerships (Higham,2006:). The Crisis Centre that has been observed is run by a Local Council,Can u not say Liverpool and is a National Health Service Trust based in the community. The centre also corresponds (look up meaning in dictionary)does this word apply here.-The centre works within the or to the guidelines set down in the with the 1975 White Paper entitled Better Services for Mentally Ill. This highlights the importance of professions, working together to provide a community based service (Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE), 2010) demonstrating that collaboration is fundamental to social work. The Crisis Centre provides beds for adults suffering from mental health issues who have been referred to them from the CRHTT, for instance by referral from their Doctor or health department. The next step is to complete an assessment in line with local authority guidelines and procedures, then produce a care plan and risk assessment. If they decided the service user is in crisis and cannot return home co ntact will be made to the Crisis Centre. Average sentence length is 15/20 words long.Have a look at yours. CRHTT use numerous ways and methods of contact to inform social workers, such as, E-mail, telephone calls and home visits. This can demonstrate collaboration through good practice and communication which is essential to social work. Effective collaboration between staff at the front-line is a crucial ingredient in delivering the governments broader goals of partnership between services (Whittington, 2003). Also, in the audit commission 2002 it seemed evident that service users who seem to require social workers, will, and can, collaborate with other professionals to provide appropriate service. During this observation multidisciplinary working was witnessed between the Crisis Centre staff, and the CRHTT regarding a service user in the centre through a telephone call. The CRHTT seemed to be following the National Occupational Standards key roles section three, by supporting the individual, representing their needs, views and circumstances by acting as an advocate (Higham 2006: 98) and had been informing the Crisis Centre of what was happening. The Crisis Centre staff asked questions in a way that was treating the service user as an individual, by listening to their individual case, respecting and maintaining dignity by only asking questions relevant to the Crisis Centres needs and criteria. Staff spoke clearly and discussed the dynamics of other service users (respecting confidentiality) already in the centre, declaring any conflict or positive interactions that had arisen since their last visit (General Social Care Centre (GSCC), 2010).These skills are seen as fundamental t o social work practice as they are valuing the individual and provide a holistic approach. This will also ensure the social worker is not using their power in an inappropriate way. Furthermore, in the 1990s the New Labour government recognised that problems cannot be addressed by people and organisations working in isolation. As a result the Department of Health (DH) (1998) intruded the White Paper Modernising Social Services, which had multidisciplinary working as a key objective (Wilson, et al. 2008:388). The DH (2000) No Secrets legislation actively promoted that multidisciplinary teams will empower, and promote, well-being of vulnerable adults through the services they provide and the need to act in a way which supports the rights of the individual to lead independence (DH, 2000). DH No Secrets (2000) legislation was carried out by the service user, Crisis Centre and CRHTT via staff communicating throughout the day, and providing an environment where service users can come and go freely, yet still have support during their crisis. An example of encouraging independence was allowing the service user to cook and clean for them selves. Ryans (2010) evaluation of Crisis Centre and CRHTT asked service users what they valued best about their stay. Their responses included I was on the lowest rung of the ladder in terms of depression and self esteem. Now I can cook and iron. It has restored my get up and go and it is given me a sense of life back and helped me to find myself. I could not have gone on any longer. Staff have taught me to cope better and manage my panic attacks. This seemed to demonstrate partnership working with the service user and multidisciplinary working. The 2006 White Paper Our Health, Our Care, Our Say emphasises the importance of people having more control over their lives and access to responsive, preventative services by working together in multidisciplinary teams (DH, 2006). The Crisis Centre appears to fulfil this.(Empowerment) u could mention this if u think it would help Throughout the day through discussions, and observations, it appeared that the Crisis Centre staff and CRHTT encouraged emancipatory practice by involving the service user in their support. This shows good practice and also that staff were not routinized as each day was different, for example, they discussed how each individual was unique. If social workers become oppressed by working in routines this does not always benefit the service user, it is not good practice and is not fundamental to social work values.Who says this An example of this was observed when a member of the CRHTT came to the Crisis Centre and completed a visit with a service user. During her visit she was contacted from her office through telephone calls, one of which was a new service user needing to be assessed urgently. She had to re-evaluate her cases as the new referral seemed more of a priority. She did this by speaking to her manager on the telephone and re -arranging for another colleague to see her service user, then asked the office to let the service user know about this change showing collaboration, good practice. This commitment demonstrates multidisciplinary working and partnership working with the service users are fundamental and collaboration is needed for social work and the interpretation from the staff involved demonstrates good practice. Collaborative working is required by government. To show partnership working with service users in the Crisis Centre, Ryan (2010) Is this reference in the right place or should it be after-required by Government . asked service users how they felt about staff. Service users responses included any questions or anything you are upset over, you can go and ask the staff and staff are very supportive and helpful. Social work is about working with people to help them sort their own problems out. Kaggs read this highlighted part again, does it sound right, were u sleepy This essay has aimed to demonstrate positive multidisciplinary working through observation at the Crisis Centre. However, it appears that multidisciplinary working can be negative and dysfunctional. When a group of diverse people with varied skills come together into a team, things do not always go accordingly (Community Care, 2010). Cree (2003) cites multidisciplinary working can also be positive, but also frustrating and isolating (Dalrymple Burke, 2006). Wilson, et al. (2008) agrees multidisciplinary working does not always work effectively and as a result failures have been documented, such as, Victoria Climbie enquiry and Baby Peter. In addition Thompson (2005) believes multidisciplinary can also appear to do more harm than good and can make situations worse. During the day it was bought to attention through a staff handover that one of the service users in the Crisis Centre had experienced a negative experience of multidisciplinary working. Consequently, this seemed due to the breakdown of communication between, his social worker, CRHTT, Crisis Centre staff and medical staff. According to Thompson (2009) without effective communication the notion of multidisciplinary becomes unobtainable. Staff at the Crisis Centre believed it was due to lack of budgets and lack of communication. During this handover reflective practice was witnessed and as a team they spoke about what, why and how things had gone wrong for the service user and how they could approach the situation to get the best outcome. Staff at the Crisis Centre spoke about how they valued supervision meetings as it gave them chance to voice any concerns they had and gave the manger chance to deal with any systematic practice that was leading staff to become unfocused (Thompson and T hompson, 2008). Supervision meetings demonstrate good practice and are part of social work codes of practice to develop through opportunities to strengthen skills and knowledge. This essay has demonstrated through observation the important of working with other professionals as one person cannot solve another persons problems alone (Thompson and Thompson, 2008). Also that multidisciplinary working is integral for social workers and many other professionals. This essay has aimed to provide a balanced outlook on multidisciplinary working as it demonstrated positive points, as working with other professionals by pooling skills together is essential. Correct use of legislation and commitment to social work practice can all enrich a service users life. Problems do occur though when multidisciplinary teams do not always communicate effectively and this can be frustrating. Through observation it became apparent that lots of people contributed to multidisciplinary teams and showed that collaboration, good practice and communication were not always ideally used within practice.

Depression in Hamlet Essay -- William Shakespeare

In the playwright Hamlet by William Shakespeare, Hamlet often shows many signs of depression. It is argued whether he is putting on the act, or if he is actually severely depressed. I believe after the death of his father, Hamlet becomes very emotionally unstable. Three things affect Hamlet, the death of his father, the remarriage of his mother, and Ophelia. Hamlet contemplates death, and becomes prepared to die near the end of the play. When Hamlet Senior dies Hamlet seems lost. Depression commonly follows a loved one’s death. He finds no true meaning in life. He wonders if we are only here to eat and sleep. â€Å"What is a man/If his chief good and market of his time/ Be but to sleep and feed? A beast, no more./ Sure He that made us with such large discourse,/Looking before and after, gave us not/ That capability and godlike reason/ To fust in us unused. Now whether it be. Bestial oblivion or some craven scruple/ Of thinking too precisely on th’ event† (4.4 35-43). In the following soliloquy Hamlet contemplates suicide. â€Å"To be or not to be- that is the question:/Whether ‘tis nob...

A Reality In Fiction Essays -- essays research papers

In A Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens contrasts the Manettes’ life during the French Revolution in both London and Paris. The story follows them throughout the trials of the Reign of Terror in Paris, to the safety and security of London. He also compares the cities themselves, one being overrun with poverty and oppression, and the other being safe and economically sound. He shows the differences in the quality of life in both cities, while developing a love story in which the lives of the characters are twisted within the French Revolution. In France before the revolution, many changes had been made to help the country, but the Deficit of Revenue was not one of them. Many of the aristocrats and clergy were exempt from paying taxes, yet the poorer citizens were taxed heavily to make up for it (Carlyle vii). Louis XIV gave the upper class special power and privileges and ultimately caused France to weaken (Wright 31). Soon the common people were poor and starving. France had been suffering inflation for years; therefore, the government tried to tax the upper classes, but they refused to pay since they had been exempt for so long. Soon after, France endured many hardships, including drought and famine, and France became even poorer (Wright 31). In order to reform the financial status of France, Louis summoned the Etates-Generaux, who had not met since 1614. The Etates-Genereaux, or the General States, was a representative assembly that dealt with the matters of the state. It was made up of three groups: the church, the ari stocracy, and the remaining ninety five percent of the population (Wright 33). On July 14, 1789, the French Revolution officially began by the storming of the Bastille. The reason the Bastille was attacked was because it was seen as a symbol of the King’s power (Wright 34). This led to ten years of attacks made upon the privileged because of the abuses the common people felt from the ruling classes. Soon after the Bastille was taken, many other outbursts and riots occurred in France. Many aristocrats’ chateaux were burned, and this era of violence became known as The Great Fear (Wright 33). Many aristocrats and clergy fled the country in fear of being beheaded (Wright 34). Louis was put on trial as a traitor and was executed on January 21, 1793. Many people led revolts and provided the revolutionary ideas that the upper classes feared... ... but his future was clearly in England with his daughter and son-in-law (Kiran-Raw). The harsh conditions of Paris in the story were extremely realistic compared to the actual revolution. The people of Paris were starved and worked to death. They had to work more than they should have had just to pay what the government taxed them. However, in the story, all the revolutionaries were more violent than some of the real revolutionaries. Although there were violent ones, others were also people that had revolutionary ideas and views that could have helped the situation. Those people ended the true revolution.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A Tale of Two Cities is undoubtedly a realistic, yet fictional account of the French Revolution. Dickens compares and contrasts the lives and events of both London and Paris in a very accurate manner. His intentions of writing to enlighten people of the history of the revolution were successful, while also extremely entertaining. Although it has been thought that Dickens created the characters out of people he actually was associated with, they fit the story properly. The story truly digs into the heart of the revolution and the people it affected.

Development of the American Experience, Thomas Jefferson

This passage is found on page 136, left column, fourth paragraph. This passage is used by Thomas Jefferson to argue on the necessity of establishing a government to replace the old structure of governance erected and maintained by the British crown. The passage establishes the basis for the dissolution of the American people’s â€Å"political bands†(Jefferson 136) and affiliation with Great Britain by stating that although changes in the government should never be taken lightly, it is unfortunate that many people are likely to prefer and even tolerate the wrongdoings and evil deeds promoted in the existing system for the sake of familiarity.In general, people are afraid of the disruption brought about by systemic changes because they are afraid of uncertainty. However, they have to realize that it is their right to initiate changes in terms of government when there is enough reason to do so, such as wanton abuse of power of leaders or corrupt practices or â€Å"wheneve r any form of government becomes destructive† or poses a hindrance to the achievement of human rights to â€Å"life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.† (Jefferson 136)Jefferson observes that the prevailing conditions under the governance of the â€Å"present king of Great Britain† points to such circumstance of â€Å"injuries and usurpations† (Jefferson 137) which have severely impeded the political and social life of the American people. Clearly, Jefferson uses this line of argument to convince the people of the morality of self-governance and of declaring independence vis-a-vis the state of being enslaved and virtually dependent on the British for political, social, and economic sustenance.By acknowledging the doubts and difficulties that surround the decision to break the ties with the long time British ruler, Jefferson and his followers wanted to arouse a sense of righteous anger in the face of the historical abuses committed by the king and his g overnment. For instance, he reminds his audience of how the British king has â€Å"plundered our seas, ravaged our coasts, burnt our towns, & destroyed the lives of our people.† (138)In effect, Jefferson encourages his audience to rise up against the tyrannical form of government imposed by a foreign ruler through the systematic use of violence and violation of human rights. In bringing up the general hesitance of the populace, Jefferson mocks and prods them into recognizing the validity of separation and of establishing their own government as a last resort in the face of the continued refusal of the British king to petitions for redress.(139)It is evident from Jefferson’s â€Å"The Declaration of Independence† that the need to form an independent government is made inevitable in order to protect the inherent rights of the American people from another government which is exploitative and tyrannical. Undoubtedly, it is through this concept of tyranny in governan ce that societies are able to form their own distinct ideas of what a government or the state of social relations should be like.Thomas Jefferson would later expound on the meaning of tyranny through religious bigotry and intolerance when he proposes the passage of an act to establish religious freedom as a human right. (141) The necessity of enacting legislation to prevent religious tyranny, which presupposes the superiority of a single religion over others and promotes the propagation of religion through coercion and imposition of religious ideas and opinions over others, shows that the government functions as a regulatory mechanism for guaranteeing human rights, including ensuring that one’s human right does not deprive another of his or her rights.Thomas Paine argues, for instance, thatâ€Å"government, even in its best state, is a necessary evil† (133) to demonstrate that government only becomes a social necessity when the members of society have become too corrup ted and too selfish so that they must be forced to acknowledge and perform their obligations toward others in order to experience peace and security, or when the people experience misery because of the intrusion of the government of another people.In many ways, both Jefferson and Paine’s conception of the role and relevance of the government as a social institution bears resemblance to the concepts explored by Rosseau in his thesis on the Social Contract, wherein he traces the historical roots of the birth of societies and governments, and describes the ideal relationship between the government and the people or the sovereign. Like Rosseau, Jefferson and Paine condemns the impulse towards tyranny that promotes the clash between the minority and majority interest, as represented by the tendency of the few to promote their selfish interests at the expense of others.This is exemplified in Jefferson and Paine’s account of the American experience under British rule, wherein both authors find the American people fully justified in announcing separation and in establishing â€Å"a government of our own† as â€Å"our natural right. † (Paine 135) Rosseau’s influence on the conception of nationalism on American thinkers such as Jefferson and Paine is also evident in the concepts of territory and the boundaries of private and social property that the authors use to justify the call to revolt against British colonization.This is clearly stipulated in the reasons that Jefferson and Paine enumerates, wherein they invoke the inherent human right to self-determination. (Ibid) Indeed, Jefferson’s argument on the right of the people to â€Å"alter or to abolish† a government based on its inability to protect the rights of the citizens and when it becomes an impediment towards the realization of full human development was made at a time when people lacked the confidence to believe that they were capable of governing themselves.How ever, Jefferson’s concept of the right of the people to a government that fully reflects and represents their collective interests and aspirations continues to resound to this day, when new forms of tyranny and new forms of oppression persists, oftentimes under the cloak of democracy or for the pursuit of human security.It is not a stretch of the mind to note the persistence of social problems such as intolerance and discrimination based on religion, gender, or social status, or the continued poverty experienced not only by the American people more so by the rest of the world, that effectively prevents the full realization of human rights and potentials that Jefferson and Paine have so boldly championed, and on which the democratic ideals of American society were built on.

Alternative energy or carbon sequestration

Since the beginning of civilization, man has always tried to resource his surrounding for his own benefits and needs. In the early times, man sufficed his need for energy by using wood in terms of fire for cooking and other purposes.As and when the technology started developing we started venturing into the field of advanced sciences for extracting maximum energy for population needs. Fossil fuels have been the greatest source of energy that has been exploited for a very long time. But in the time of growing population and global warming reaching new peaks every year, the time for alternative process of energy has come.One of the major challenges faced by today’s world is the sequential balancing between the impact on the climate and nature due to global warming and the immediate requirement of sufficing energy needs to vast and demanding population. To wriggle out of this situation, consideration has to be given on alternatives that can balance the equation and be beneficial for a longer term. Carbon sequestration is one of the latest technologies that have been put to use for the very same purpose. It is a process which would greatly reduce the carbon emission from high industrial belts and would to a great extent decelerate the process of global warming.The system or its principle works on two stages; first is capturing the carbon dioxide from the environment and then storing in soil or oceans. However this technology or this scientific innovation is pretty much new and the process of capturing carbon dioxide is on far later stages than the technological advancement on the process of storing it. The primary stage of capturing works on the simple principle of photosynthesis in plants. The carbon dioxide is taken by plants from the environment and it gives out oxygen back to the atmosphere.The carbon that is left within the plant is amalgamated into biomass and is very promptly released into the soil. It is estimated that there is a lot of carbon in the soil compared to the environment and due to which the concept of carbon sequestration seems validated when it transfuses carbon deep in the soil. The following will give evidence on the amount of carbon already existing in the soil, due to natural integration: ‘According to the FAO the carbon content of dry land soils is estimated to be 4 tons/hectare. Carbon content ranges between 7 tons and 24 tons in normal (non-depleted) soils, depending on the climate zone and vegetation’.(Courtesy: Eco preservation society, â€Å"Carbon Sequestration and Storage in Soils Could Solve Global Warming†. June 19, 2008. Retrieved on November 27, 2008 from http://ecopreservationsociety. wordpress. com/2008/06/19/carbon-sequestration-and-storage-in-soils-could-solve-global-warming/? referer=sphere_related_content/) The technology of capturing carbon works on similar principle of photosynthesis where the carbon dioxide is taken into capture by the utilization of the syn gas on reac tors and coal emitting industries. This reaction takes place before the carbon dioxide is mixed with the atmosphere.Capturing of the carbon can also be done in two stages and i. e. pre combustion capture and post combustion capture. The process of carbon capturing is still in its novice stages and has been categorized in forms of storage procedures. Carbon can be stored in oceans in a liquid storage procedure; it can be stored real deep in saline formations and already utilized gas fields. The advantage of storing it in exhausted gas fields is that carbon helps retrieve the little percentage of fossil fuels which was out of reach becomes and due to this sequestration process it very much possible.Also there is a procedure which is minimally used, in which it can just be stored in a solid form. However to survive in this planet with depleting natural energy resources, a cleaner form of energy is very much the immediate necessity. The crisis of fuel can be only understood from the fac t that one of the major reasons of the world today going to recession is because of high fuel prices. Not only we are losing from an energy perspective but this depletion is causing havoc in the financial markets alongside bringing down economies.The most surprising aspect of the world is that even when we had the biggest source of energy no proper advancement is done in the field of solar energy. The sun has the biggest potential to run the entire planet on the energy its providing yet only little development have been done in the field of solar energy. The sun’s energy can be basically converted into photovoltaic energy or can be put in terms of cells where the energy can be stored and then utilized. This technology makes the solar energy more producible in terms of a cleaner energy and gives an edge over all the sources of energy.To add to the advantage, solar tracking devices can be adjusted with the solar panels, so that maximum solar energy can be grasped in terms of in tensity and the solar panels can integrate themselves to a degree where the sun is at its highest. NASA uses this technology for hovering satellites around earth and if this energy is used in more periodic and systematic way, it can challenge any source of energy to its fullest. The following highlights the advantage of solar energy in terms of market and competitive edge over countries rich in oil:‘This would automatically boost the market for renewable energy. Even countries with conventional energy reserves would lose their current cost advantages’ (Courtesy: Hermann Scheer, and Andrew Ketley, â€Å"The Solar Economy: Renewable Energy for a Sustainable Global Future†. Page 307. Retrieved on November 27, 2008. Published by Earthscan, 2004) The wind energy is also another source of clean energy. But this energy gets its limitations as it is suppose to have wind run at least 14 miles per hour for it to produce energy.Also unlike solar energy which can be used in cars, with the help of solar panels, it would become tedious for wind energy to be implemented. For this world to have an alternative it is better first to focus on an alternate form of energy especially in the lines of solar energy over carbon sequestration. The major reason behind it is carbon in the end has to be released in the atmosphere with the cutting of forests and tilling of agricultural land. Also when carbon storing is done in water it increases the chances of acidification of water by a huge margin, making the storage process more vulnerable.Also if carbon sequestration is done on a natural basis by the mean of planting more trees than it becomes a very slow process and the following can shed light on this issue: ‘Trees grow very slowly, although the potential to sequester carbon is very large, the actual carbon sequestration rate on an annual basis is very small especially for temperate climate found in climatic zones like Canada’. (Courtesy: Jagtar S. Bha tti, R Lal, M. J. Apps, M A Price, â€Å"Climate Change and Managed Ecosystems†. Page-99. Retrieved on November 27, 2008.Published by CRC Press, 2006) The fact that solar energy should be more emphasized than carbon sequestration is that both the technologies haven’t reached their required advancement, and the amount of time taken to reach the pinnacle of the technology would approximately take the same time, which makes an alternative form of energy a better and viable option for top recommendation than a technology that is only going to rotate carbon from the atmosphere into soil or ocean, which in the end might get recycled back in the atmosphere.Reference: 1) Eco preservation society, â€Å"Carbon Sequestration and Storage in Soils Could Solve Global Warming†. June 19, 2008. http://ecopreservationsociety. wordpress. com/2008/06/19/carbon-sequestration-and-storage-in-soils-could-solve-global-warming/? referer=sphere_related_content/ 2) Hermann Scheer, and And rew Ketley, â€Å"The Solar Economy: Renewable Energy for a Sustainable Global Future†. Page 307. 2008.Published by Earthscan, 2004 3) Jagtar S. Bhatti, R Lal, M. J. Apps, M A Price, â€Å"Climate Change and Managed Ecosystems†. Page-99. Published by CRC Press, 2006 4) Jeffrey Gordon, â€Å"Solar Energy: The State of the Art†. International Solar Energy Society. Published by Earthscan, 2001 5) Thomas E Lovejoy, Lee Hannah, â€Å"Climate Change and Biodiversity†. Published by TERI Press 6) http://www. fossil. energy. gov/programs/sequestration/

Effectiveness of the criminal justice system Essay

Assess the effectiveness of the criminal justice system when dealing with young offenders The criminal justice system approaches young offenders through unique policies to address the challenges of dealing with juvenile offending. They take special care when dealing with juveniles in order to stop them from repeat offending and stop any potential bad behaviour which could result in future. Juveniles have the highest tendency to rehabilitate and most adopt law-abiding lifestyles as they mature. There are several factors influencing juvenile crime including psychological and social pressures unique to juveniles, which may lead to an increase in juvenile’s risks of contact with the criminal justice system. Firstly, crime committed by persons between the ages of 15 to 19 are more likely to be processed by police more often than any other societal group, making crime rates in this age bracket significantly higher. This is due to the fact that offence rates usually peak during adolescence and will decline with maturity which happens during early adulthood. The processing of these crimes helps to embed the seed of legal knowledge in the mind of a child in hopes of shaping their future actions. In NSW the age of criminal responsibility is defined by statute as 10 years of age (Children’s (Criminal Proceedings) Act 1987 NSW). This means that a child under the age of 10 years cannot be prosecuted for a crime. The basis of this is the recognition of the immaturity and vulnerability of children and, hence, their inability to form the requisite criminal intent known as mens rea which protects a child from being tried at the level of the adult while they are not developed enough to know the difference between right and wrong. Additionally, the common law presumption of doli incapax refers to the presumption that a child is â€Å"incapable of committing a crime† between 10 and 14 years of age which protects a child who was unaware that the act was wrong. Police are entitled to require that a young person provide them with name, address and proof of identity. As with adults, police have no general power to detain a child for the purpose of questioning. A child or young person  cannot be taken to the police station unless they are under arrest. If arrested, the child’s parents or guardian must be contacted. A child cannot be questioned by police for more than two hours at any one time and is entitled to have their parent, guardian or solicitor present during questioning. If the child is younger than 16 years, parental permission must be obtained or another supporting adult to be present during questioning. There are some exceptions to this in relation to, for example, motor vehicles. If a young person is the owner of a motor vehicle, they are required by law to tell police the name and address of the driver of the vehicle if it is alleged that the driver committed a driving offence. The Children’s Court only hears proceedings for offenders under 18 years or those who are still under 21 years and committed or were charged with the crime while under the age of 18. For this reason, it is a closed court and proceedings aim to be less formal so not to intimidate the child and protect them from harsh labeling and indirect defamation by the wider community which could potentially affect their future. The names of children and young people appearing in the Children’s Court are not published; it is an offence for media outlets to do so. Under very special circumstance the court may grant permission for names to be published.The cases are usually presided over by a Magistrate and there is no jury. The primary purpose of sentencing and the entire process is to nullify the situation and come up with a plan of action to rehabilitate the offender more than punish them, for this reason, it is highly effective. The primary aim of a court when imposing a penalty on a child or young person is to rehabilitate them and give them an opportunity to rebuild their lives and hopefully not reoffend. Magistrates will often request that Juvenile Justice prepare a background report on the child or young person to assist them in the sentencing process. If a guilty plea is entered or the young person is found guilty of a crime, the following penalties may be imposed: A caution may be issued The offender may be referred to a Youth Justice Conference Depending on the offender’s ability to pay they may be fined to a maximum of  $1000 Community Service may be ordered; up to 100 hours for offenders under 16 years and up to 250 hours for those older than 16 The may be placed on a good behaviour bond Discuss factors that affect sentencing decisions, including the purposes of punishment and the role of the victim Statutory and judicial guidelines inform the exercise of judicable discretion in the area of sentencing. They aim to provide greater uniformity in sentencing matters and enhance the integrity of the process. Judicial guidelines are set by the NSW Court of Criminal Appeal. They are not binding but their aim is to structure discretion. For example, for the offence of culpable driving the court has indicated that in the normal course a custodial sentence should be imposed unless exceptional circumstances exist. In terms of statutory guidelines a number of acts inform the exercise of judicial discretion. For example, the Crimes Act 1900 NSW prescribes the maximum sentence that may be imposed for various offences. The Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999 NSW also prescribes general guidelines in relation to sentencing. For example it identifies what might constitute a mitigating or aggravating circumstance. However, it is left to the exercise of judicial discretion as to how much weight should be given to such circumstances. The sentence that a Court imposes upon an accused is informed by differing punishment objectives. The objective of deterrence is to discourage people from offending in the future. There are two types of deterrence. Specific deterrence aims to deter an individual offender from re-offending, e.g. a short custodial sentence could be said to have a specific deterrent effect by giving the offender a â€Å"taste† of the prison system in the hope that this will discourage further criminal activity. General deterrence aims to send a message to the community that criminal behaviour is unacceptable and will be punished: for example the imposition of a custodial sentence for a particular crime, whether of short or long duration, could be argued to have a general deterrent effect. This objective is that by making an example of a particular offender, the community will take note and be more willing to  comply with the law. The aim of rehabilitation is to change the behaviour of the offender so that they will not re-offend. Accordingly, rehabilitation is primarily aimed at tackling the problem of recidivism, i.e. repeat offenders. It should be noted that in accordance with the provisions of the Young Offenders Act 1997 NSW, rehabilitation must be the primary focus of any punishment imposed upon a child aged 0 – 15 years, or a young person aged 16 – 18 years. Aggravating factors are factors which increase the offender’s criminal culpability and therefore are likely to result in the offender receiving a more severe punishment e.g. was the crime committed in company? was there gratuitous violence? was the victim a child? was that child under the care of the offender? Mitigating factors are factors which reduce the offender’s criminal culpability and are then likely to result in the offender receiving a less severe punishment, e.g. whether the offender has pleaded guilty or whether the defendant’s actions were in some way provoked by the victim. Since 1996 in NSW, victims are permitted to give a victims impact statement to the Court. This legislative change has arguably been a positive development as the statement gives victims a voice in the judicial process. It is a matter of judicial discretion as to what weight, if any, the judge will give the victim’s impact statement.

Home Depot Essay

It is not common for an enterprise to rise from the level of start-up to market domination in less than 3 decades, but Home Depot has this special distinction. With annual sales in excess of $80 billion from over 2 thousand retail stores (A Portrait of Growth, 2007) this remarkable corporation did not even exist until 1978. This stunning growth, which has an impressive record of profitability as well, has been largely achieved in North America, during the less than dynamic times of the last quadrant of the 20th century. The Home Depot success story is not in mere commercial or financial terms alone, but is also a powerful symbol of the spirit of free enterprise: the company was founded by a team of just 2 entrepreneurs, and has made deep inroads in all the communities it serves (Roush, 1999). This document combines both internal and external views and accounts of the functional histories and accomplishments of Home Depot, and concludes with observations about the possible future prospects of the corporation in the global markets which have begun to unfold. Company Analysis Home Depot has been built on a triad of platforms, which can be used to analyze its performance in qualitative terms (A Portrait of Growth, 2007). The first of these planks has been to build on a core business, which the company has executed with finesse and with impressive results. The corporate brand has become virtually synonymous with all do-it-yourself and do-it-for-me home improvement activities in the United States. The company is present in all 50 States, and has a comprehensive package of products and services for all categories of individual home owners. The company brand is an assurance of quality and value-for-money for an entire generation of U. S. citizens. Easily accessible customer advice (Roush, 1999). and strong cultural roots in the multi-racial values of modern America are inextricably linked with all phases of company operations. A second dimension of Home Depot has been to extend business (A Portrait of Growth, 2007). The management has been relatively conservative in this respect, adding wholesale and electronic business lines, but without the kind of aggressive expansion that was a hall-mark of its early years of store expansion. Indeed, it is also interested to dispose off its wholesale business. It is possible to think of many extensions of the original home improvement business in a retail format, which the company seems to have ignored. However, business extension remains a key stated aim of Home Depot. The third plank of Home Depot is to enter new markets (A Portrait of Growth, 2007). Implementation, being restricted to Canada, Mexico, and China, has been poor. Russia, India, the European Union, Brazil, the Middle East, and South Africa, are some of the potential markets which Home Depot has ignored. There seems to be no systematic effort to exploit the Internet and establish a strong global presence, as many other U. S. based corporations have done. The overall qualitative company analysis of Home Depot shows excellence in and focus on growing the core business, with limited forays in diversification, and weak attempts to extend the business to all available markets. Quantified company analysis leads to the same conclusion: Home Depot yields high short-term cash, but seems to be low on initiatives for new investment. 2005 Gross Profit, at over $27 billion, is more than a third of sales revenue. This is quite extraordinary for a business without proprietary products or technology. It reflects the success of the company’s basic philosophy of achieving economies of scale (Roush, 1999). The 2005 achievement is no ‘flash in the pan’ for the company has an impressive record of 5 years of operating margin expansion. Long term debt is less than 10% of equity, indicating some possible diffidence of company management about future prospects. It does not augur well for investors who look for superior growth opportunities. The 2005 Quick Ration is below 0. indicating efficiency in purchasing and logistics, with due leverage of its commanding market share and brand strength. It is clear that Home Depot is a successful and profitable enterprise, though it is inadequately geared to exploit new opportunities and emergent market trends. The company’s financials and business structure indicate that it may have already crested its best years, especially with respect to the limitations to further growth in North America. Segregated accounts for operations in China are not available in the public domain, but it appears that the company has not matched its historical success in a new continent. The entrepreneurial origins of Home Depot may not be entirely relevant for the professionalism demanded by a global market environment. Economics High volumes at low prices are at the heart of the business model (Roush, 1999). The network of over 2 thousand retail stores, with national spread in the United States, and enviable brand equity, combine to attract a plethora of suppliers with apparent deep discounts for the company’s endorsement. The economics of Home Depot act as an entry barrier, preventing regional competitors from attacking its market share. High cash generation puts Home Depot in a formidable bargaining position, and with the power to sustain predatory pricing offers. The Home Depot economic model has deeper roots in people than in numbers! Decades of intensive training and close interaction between the founders and front-line employees (Roush, 1999) make the company’s stores more than mere warehouses of branded goods. Home Depot emphasizes customer education, which attracts middle-class first time home buyers in sustained and large numbers. The company has carved a large segment in the U.  S. market with such deep footprints that they are almost impossible for newcomers to erase. Accounting Home Depot is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (Home Depot Inc, 2007). It has met all reporting and disclosure requirements without any exceptions on record. Auditor comments on its financial statements show adequate compliance with statutory accounting standards. It is apparent that the company has an adequate accounting system, which is able to capture details of millions of transactions in reliable manner. Though the Management Information Systems of Home Depot are not in the public domain, it is possible to observe that even statutory treasury functions are advantageous for the company. The control of such a large number of sales items spread trans-nationally over such a large number of locations, would itself serve as an entry barrier for a new entrant. The company must excel in systems development, even if some parts are outsourced, to account correctly for such a large number of daily transactions. The Home Depot accounting system is therefore a significant non-financial asset of the corporation. Such systems have large future profit potentials if the company diversifies and enters new markets. Finance Earnings have grown by more than 20% for 4 consecutive years (A Portrait of Growth, 2007). Cash generation exceeds $7 billion. Total assets are about $44 billion. The equity base is stable at just over 2 billion shares, but long term debt is just 9. 9% of equity. The company is amazingly liquid for a business, which on paper should be most vulnerable to the vagaries of customer demand. The Current Ratio is just 1. 7, which is remarkable for so many items on sale across more than 2 thousand depots. Return on Investment in 18. 31, which exceed expected performance for a business without patents and proprietary technologies. Home Depot has a sterling financial performance, and is extremely sound by all financial yardsticks. However, the equity is not adequately leveraged. It appears that the management does not have new ideas about the future, though the business segment in which it operates is full of technological, economic, spatial, and demographic changes. Even the Current and Quick ratios, while admirable from an accountant’s perspective, may be questioned in terms of inventories of scare materials such as wood. Overall, finance has opportunities to excel as a function when a company grows aggressively, makes ambitious expansion plans, and deals in multiple currencies. The financial waters of Home Depot are placid! Marketing The Finance function of Home Depot may be a quiet place, but Marketing is a dynamic function for the company! Excellence in customer service is a founding value of the company (Roush, 1999). Much of this is achieved through intensive training programs, and by innovation in store design. It is hard to match the incomparable product and service combination of Home Depot and it is apparent that the company has a strong understanding of middle-class Americans as a customer segment. All home improvement needs can be met at the company’s stores, and customers have come to rely on the company’s pricing for a wide variety of tools and fixtures. The company brand enjoys top-of-the-mind recall, and has strong associations with the generic product category of retail home improvement. The do-it-yourself product category is very large in most sections of U. S. society, so Home Depot has a durable line of revenue by dominating this market. The business calls for deep understanding of the multi-faceted needs of home owners, and Home Depot has nurtured a special bonding with typical customers ever since its inception. The brand loyalty is extremely strong and has not been broken by any competitor as yet. The company has such a strong hold on the market that new manufacturers of appliances, fittings, and surfaces, are forced to enter the market through Home Depot stores. Customer education is a key consideration at Home Depot (Roush, 1999). This serves to protect the company’s market shares for even the most generic product lines, because no one else matches the information needs of new home owners, or older ones who encounter new problems in their properties. Since the company also offers favorable pricing, customers have little motivation to switch loyalties. Repeat custom is ensured through universal customer satisfaction. There is also plenty of space devoted to do-it-for-me market segments, which combines well with the wholesale business (now on the block for sale) to bring in valuable endorsements from experts in the professional home repair and redecoration businesses. Customers routinely visit Home Depot without any specific product in mind, or even without fully knowing what exactly they need to buy. The friendly advice which is easily and freely available at Home Depot serves to hook customers and has them returning for all home improvement needs. The service also serves to expand the overall market for home improvement, encouraging home owners to take on tasks which they may have left unattended or passed on to service providers, were it not for the guidelines forthcoming from the stores of Home Depot. The encouraging ambience in the stores of Home Depot is reinforced by wise and timely mass media communication. By advertising on a NASCAR theme on television (A Portrait of Growth, 2007) the company shows deep appreciation of its typical customer cluster, and their preferences. Home Depot is also an official NFL sponsor, which is most appropriate considering the profile of the typical customer who shops at Home Depot, and who is responsible for the vast majority of home improvement decisions. Home Depot excels in all aspects of Marketing with sharp focus on a targeted segment. The Marketing Mix is a coordinated mix of product and service elements guaranteed to ensure repeat custom and durable brand loyalties. Though Home Depot has not slackened its intensive marketing efforts to this day, the residual effects of the goodwill it has generated can stand it in good stead for years. It is considered to be one of the best retailers in North America by customers, associates, and peers alike. Management The Chief Executive Officer and senior Legal and Human Resources personnel have left the company in the last 3 months ending February 2007 (A Portrait of Growth, 2007). All the vacancies have been filled by internal promotions. Such moves would indicate strong management resistance to proposed changes of basic direction, and a determination to persist with established business patterns. The implications are even clearer for a company such as Home Depot, with strong traditions for developing and depending on people. The possible power struggle may have left significant sections of the remaining staff in turmoil, and perhaps now actively searching for alternate jobs. The former Chief Executive Officer is bound by a year’s no-compete clause, and cannot solicit employees to leave and join in his other ventures for the next few years: such clauses in separation contracts also suggest that many people in Home Depot may want to search for alternate jobs as soon as they have options. There is no merit in this matter as far as Home Depot’s future prospects are concerned. There is worse conflict with a major share-holder as well, over strategic direction (A Portrait of Growth, 2007). The share-holder entity, which is professionally managed, has merely asked for an independent strategy review, which is not something against the best interests of Home Depot. However, the Board has decided to oppose the constructive resolution. Reviews by outsiders are never binding on clients, so the management’s intransigence in this matter leaves room for doubt about cohesion at the top of the hierarchy. It is apparent that the company is divided between proponents of change, and a powerful group which favors the status-quo-ante. Though Home Depot has a spectacular performance record, it is true that the 21st century global market is quite different from domestic USA towards the end of the last millennium. New demographic segments of the wealthy, and of some immigrants, have emerged even within the strong hold of the home market, so a recasting of strategy seems in order, even if such an exercise were to conclude that the company is already on the right course. Hands on Human Resources Management, with emphasis on training (Roush, 1999) formed the template of the early success of Home Depot. However, a modern corporation cannot survive on breakfast meetings between employees and founders alone! Diversity concerns have certainly altered the composition of the work force, so new ways of managing people and deploying resources are inevitable. The present Home Depot management may have become prisoners of past achievement, preferring to stay with a course which may not be appropriate any longer. While internal promotions are creditable to a certain extent, Boards also need infusion of new perspectives from other successful companies. By filling all the recent vacancies internally, Home Depot may have deprived itself of valuable perspectives from the street. The company’s close association with middle-class America may become a limitation as it is forced to engage with unfamiliar markets and new customer types. Overall, serious discontinuities are evident in the highest echelons of Home Depot.