An Introduction to Geysers and How They Work

Example Audit On Boeing - 5076 Words

Running head: STRATEGIC AUDIT 1 The Boeing Company Strategic Audit MGMT 436 Michael Johnson Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Worldwide STRATEGIC AUDIT 2 Table of Contents Executive Summary 3 Current Situation 4 Corporate Governance 6 External Environment: Opportunities and Threats 11 Internal Environment: Strengths and Weaknesses 12 Analysis of Strategic Factors (SWOT) 16 Strategic Alternatives and Recommended Strategy (TOWS) 18 Implementation of Recommended Strategy 19 Conclusion 20 References 22 STRATEGIC AUDIT 3 The Boeing Company Strategic Audit Executive Summary: This report was developed to analyze the global position of The Boeing Company and how their its current business strategy competes with its†¦show more content†¦Fortunately, Boeing excels in all of these areas as it is a major importer and exporter of raw materials and per assembled parts from their vast group of certified parts suppliers. Boeing is also a major part of the United States Export Control Board as it is a major product exporter with their aircraft and their parts. Boeing’s operations are very structured to provide efficiency and custom tailored to deliver what the needs of the customer are. The service it provides is exceptional in parts and engineering and even overhaul services. Its marketing is an area that is not seen by many; as Boeing is very good at targeting their current audience and they market specifically to those people worldwide (Boeing Edge, 2013). Boeing’s major disadvantage is a limited market as their target customers are usually companies not individuals. Its advantages are that it has a wide variety of services and products to meet its customers’ needs worldwide. Boeing is diversified as it consults operations all over the globe with employees working in the field supporting its customers. Its business strategies that it has been using are working very well for them and it has generated a solid trend of positive financial growth and has aided in the expansion of the company. Boeing’s mission statement is: People working together as a global enterprise for aerospace leadership (Boeing About Us, 2013). Its missionShow MoreRelatedBoeing Case Essay1109 Words   |  5 PagesBoeing 767 Case Study Questions 1. How would you describe Boeing’s approach to project management? What are its strengths and weaknesses? Boeing adopts a very thorough, well planned out process to manage the project. The stages are defined clearly and tasks involved in each stage are carried out sequentially. The first stage of their approach is the project definition phase during which Boeing identified holes in the market not met by existing planes, assessed future airline needs, considered alternativeRead MoreThe Idea Of Eliminating Waste, Also Known As Muda, From1420 Words   |  6 Pagescreativity. Lean may seem somewhat new, considering it was only formally identified in the 1990’s, however, there are now many businesses that put emphasis on the importance of lean. Some companies, such as Boeing, even have organizations focused on the implementation of lean. During the Boeing tour, it was evident that the company has put a lot of effort into incorporating lean systems into many of its internal functions at the Everett plant. In manufacturing, the fuselage automated upright buildRead MoreDynamic Aircraft Case Study : Key Factors1374 Words   |  6 Pagesbusiness procedures and a booming supply chain. Boeing, a manufacturer of large aircrafts, has implemented a multiple step supplier selection and evaluation that allows them to always be aware of their suppliers actions. Boeing regularly audits their suppliers to make sure they are meeting the standards to produce safe and reliable airplanes, assessing their performance, work complexity, and number of failures / quality issues (Boeing 2). An example can be Boeing’s process of inspecting supplier productsRead MoreMarketing Audit Sample3854 Words   |  16 PagesMarketing Audit Sample Marketing Audit: BAE Systems Regional Aircraft Division Overview of BAE Systems Regional Aircraft and Market â€Å"BAE SYSTEMS has a proud heritage that dates back to the early days of manned flight and wireless communications.† (BAE Systems, 2011) BAE Systems Regional Aircraft was a major manufacturer of aircraft such as the Avro family of regional jets including the 146 and the Jetstream 31 and 41 as well as turbo prop aircraft. These aircraft achieved much success especiallyRead MoreBig Dat Large Amount Of Data1222 Words   |  5 Pagesless profit margins, environmental concerns etc.., Airline Industry is largest data generating industry in Information technology. It generates large sets of data which includes weather predictions, customer traffic, and customer behavior. A Boeing 737 generates 240 terabytes of data during a single across US ( Revolution Analytics- 2015).To have insights about its factors it has to analyze its large amount of data from scratch. The technology must analyse and process its unstructural dataRead MoreProject Audit : The Audit1717 Words   |  7 PagesAs noted by Meredith and Mantel (2012) â€Å"The audit life cycle includes audit initiation, project baseline deï ¬ nition, establishing a database, preliminary project analysis, report preparation, and termination† (p. 539). We are going to define what happens in each stage of the audit life cycle: 1. Project audit initiation: This step defines the purpose and the scope of the audit, determines the proper audit methodology to use. 2. Project baseline definition: This step will determine which areas of theRead MoreTime To Rebuild; The Department of Defense Must be Restructured681 Words   |  3 Pagesof dollars. In regards to contracts, all deals should be strictly held to the original price and time frame; While that might seem like an obvious step, it is in fact a great leap forward for the DoD, where most programs go over budget. A Poignant example of this is the F-35 fighter jet, which has cost taxpayers 100 billion more than expected, and is 7 years behind on production. Further more, if regulations on which types of companies could be awarded contracts were relaxed, the Government couldRead MoreAn Investigation Of An Agency Relationship1019 Words   |  5 Pagescompany but do not have the skills, desire, or time to manage the business themselves so they appoint the management as the agent, the agency problem occurs when managers are more interested in their own agenda over the wellbeing of the company. Examples might include: †¢ Managers tend to worry about their benefits. Bonus packages, daily working environment, benefit packages, and position within the company. These concerns many not be in maximize their own benefits, such as bonus packages, workingRead MoreInternal Audit of Ryanair1463 Words   |  6 Pagesexamine the key potential drivers within the present internal environment. Several models would be applied to support the answer and they are Stakeholder Power/Interest Matrix, Cultural Web, Resource audit, Value Chain, and threshold and core competences. With using Ryanair as an industrial example, this essay would talk about how important strengths and weaknesses are to be used in designing strategy. Ryanair was founded in 1985 by Tony Ryan who already died in 2007. It was originally a fullRead MoreCase Study: Internal analysis of Ryanair1196 Words   |  5 PagesCase Study in: Johnson, G. et al., 2005. Exploring Corporate Strategy. 7th ed. Essex: Pearson Education Ltd. 1. Internal audit of tangible, financial and intangible resources Tangible Resources 1. Human Resources * Ryanair currently employs 2000 people (2003) from 25 nations. * The pay is performance related and among the highest in the airline industry (Annual Report 2004, p. 5). Travel concessions and participation in the share option program is granted to all employees. In 2003 over 30% (639

Kung Fu Panda Convergence and Interactivity Free Essays

Convergence means coming together, merging or meeting. Advancement in technology has allowed bringing together different media to a single platform thus providing more functionality and services to the consumers (Convergence, 2004). Interactivity is the â€Å"degree to which users can make choices within an environment† (Web3D Part5: Glossary, 2006). We will write a custom essay sample on Kung Fu Panda: Convergence and Interactivity or any similar topic only for you Order Now   Interactivity has always existed to a degree in one form or another however with the Internet and advancement in media users have more choice and flexibility and they can also modify content to suit their own requirements. This paper presents a critical analysis of a website and assesses how convergence has allowed using old media in new ways and affected user interactivity. Traditionally movies have been advertised through billboards, pamphlets, posters, advertisements on radio, television and in newspapers and also short trailers at cinemas prior to the start of another movie. These advertising methods have been costly, as other than the production cost they also involve high broadcasting costs. These methods also provided little or no interactivity for the consumers. Popularity of the internet, and remarkably lesser production and broadcasting costs have resulted in internet advertising becoming necessary for economic survival in the competitive world of movie distribution. TNS Media Intelligence (Foote, 2007) forecasts increase in US advertisements, with Internet advertising continuing with double digit growth. Kungfupanda.com is an example of a website which has converged, brought together, images, text, audio and video from the traditional mediums of movie advertisement to a single platform, the Internet, providing consumers with enhanced levels of functionality, services and interactivity. On visiting the KungfuPanda website the user is presented with an introductory screen which states the release date of the movie in US and also has a link to the worldwide movie release dates. If the user is interested in viewing the webpage in another language, there is a choice of 8 different languages. The user can simply select the country’s flag and a new KungfuPanda window opens in that language. With traditional medium the movie distribution company would be required to produce advertising material separately for each of the 8 languages which would be costly. With the Internet it is relatively easy to translate a webpage in different languages. If the user is only interested in viewing the trailer for the movie they can click on the link, however, for a user who is interested in finding more about the movie he/she can click on the ‘Enter the Site’ link. In this way KungfuPanda website has provided interactivity and given its customers flexibility and control of how they view the website and how long, or in much detail they view the website. On clicking the ‘Enter the Site’ link the viewer is presented with an array of humorous and colourful animation. The site has very strong visual and auditory impact. The user can scroll back and forth along the linear window through the animated scenery and can choose a character or a building. Upon clicking on an object the user is sent to an additional page dedicated to the chosen character. It gives an account of the various strengths and weaknesses and hopes and aspirations of the character. It also gives the viewer the option to download emoticons, wallpapers, screensavers etc. This functionality of each character breaking apart into a separate page gives the advertiser far more scope to sell the character and to brand it.  Ã‚   To promote the movie and make it more appealing for the children the site also provides activity sheets and colouring pages. The site is not fully complete as on number of links it states ‘coming soon’. The site also assumes that the users have high speed internet connection. A website with such strong visuals and animation would take very long to load with a slow dialup connection which could prove to be very frustrating for the users. The users should have been given a choice to select the kind of internet connection they have and the site then presented accordingly. There are a number of negative social implications that can be associated with this website. The premise of the KungfuPanda website is purely economic gains; it is wrapped up in a colourful product aimed at children.   By having a good understanding of the child psychology, the advertisers have used â€Å"pester power†, â€Å"brand recognition† strategies to target the children. This endeavour of using child psychology for a successful marketing campaign has been deemed unethical by some (How Marketers Target Kids, n.d.). It should be noted that martial arts can be considered a violent sport. KungfuPanda site however depicts martial arts in a comedic light and encourages teachers, parents and martial arts instructors to bring children in groups. The site has an external link for group sales. By giving users free downloads they may be tricked into thinking that these are sincere gifts from the movie distributors/advertisers, but in fact they are being used by the advertiser to broaden their campaign. Being an award winning site, KungfuPanda has succeeded in further spreading its advertising tentacles by being listed on the creative website awards (CWA) and favorite website awards page (FWA). The technical and visual prowess of the site  helps more people to learn about the product it sells, in turn creating a reciprocal  type of advertising to the site that hosts the awards. Kungfupanda.com is a good example of how movie advertisement has converged from the traditional mediums and has had economic effects on distribution costs. All the previous methods of film advertising have converged into a slick portal with the added layer of interactivity and user choice. However, with convergence, increased flexibility and interactivity there are also many social implications that must be given careful consideration. References Convergence, (2004), [Internet], NetTel@Africa. Available from: http://cbdd.wsu.edu/kewlcontent/cdoutput/TR501/page29.htm [Accessed 15th March 2008]. Foote, A. (2007), News, [Internet], TNS Media Intelligence. Available from: http://www.tns-mi.com/news/01082007.htm [Accessed 15th March 2008]. How Marketers Target Kids, (n.d.), [Internet], Media Awareness Network, Available from: http://www.media-awareness.ca/english/parents/marketing/marketers_target_kids.cfm  Ã‚   [Accessed 15th March 2008]. Web3D, Part 5: Glossary, (2006), [Internet], Reality Prime, Available from: http://www.realityprime.com/articles/web-3d-part-5/   [Accessed 15th March 2008]. How to cite Kung Fu Panda: Convergence and Interactivity, Essay examples

Project Planning Helps in Minimizing Risks Case Study

Question: How project planning helps minimize risks, and give examples? Answer: Project planning is very important as simple risks within the business can affect the organization and can put the company out of the business. There are four important processes of project planning that help to minimize the risks. They are: Identification of the risks Quantification of the risks Development of risk response Controlling of risk response The risk management planning process is very important as it helps in identifying the risks within the business (Heagney, 2012). Then the planning process will help in formulating strategies to minimize the desired risks involved. The next will be the development of the risk response or the execution process for the formulated strategies in order to minimize the risks. In the risk identification process, the source of the risk is identified and then the risk breakdown structure will help to organize the risks that are identified (Kerzner, 2013). The example for the project risk management is shown below: Risks Mitigating the risks Probability Impact Insufficient local demand to run the project Group need to create demand in following areas: Running various types useful events for projects Running media campaigning Targeting specific group of people for business process Low Severe Key members leaving the project Making sure that there are incentive schemes in order to retain employees Low Moderate Irregularity or failing of employees to install equipment within the project Proper means of training top the employees by experts Medium Negligible Example Laptop up-gradation The IT section of major International Corporation was engaged in upgrading the workstations of all the employees to new platforms. The project manager eventually decided to issue various new laptops having the new platform, as the old laptops were end towards their lease. The primary motive of the project manager was to reduce the overall cost prices. Unfortunately the schedule got critical and the new software was not compatible with some of the software which was used by the sale divisional unit. This resulted in enormous loss in the production section for the overall organization. This happened due to improper project planning, therefore project planning is important to minimize the desired risks within the business processes. References Heagney, J. (2012).Fundamentals of project management. New York: American Management Association. Kerzner, H. (2013).Project management. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley Sons, Inc.

Rubber, Rise of an Essential Commodity

Origin and exploration or rubber Many times we do not give any thought to rubber with consideration to its origin. It is evident that rubber originates from a variety of plants. Moreover, high-yield plants are found in native Latin America and the most outstanding ones are Castolloa and Hevea. It is worth knowing that, in the pre-Columbian America, people used rubber for different artifacts like shoes, balls and water proofing. Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Rubber, Rise of an Essential Commodity specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This, however, had not been evident anywhere else until after Columbus industrial revolution. Rubber was introduced in Europe in 1492 and used for the manufacture of erasers and balls. Furthermore, there were controversies that it melted in the sun, it also had a bad smell and became brittle in cold temperatures. Nevertheless, it was used for industrial and domestic applications, with Charles Goodyear inventing vulcanization in 1839. The products that were produced from rubber include generators, electrical motors and tires. It is evident that there were contradictions involving rubber as related to its exploitation. As it was considered to be high-tech and crude. The trees were cut with machetes and latex dripped in cups after which they were transferred to industries in North America and Europe industries. Britain experienced a mushroom growth of manufacturing industry. Hardships in rubber exploration Among the first products of rubber in Britain were firestone, Goodyear, BF Goodrich and general tire. Additionally, Poverty and calamities like hunger and death resulted on the course of rubber exploitation. At these early years plantations only flourished in Africa, Asia and Oceania. As a result, Henry Wickham imported hevea seeds via Kew gardens in 1876. The Putumayo valley in Brazil had vast numbers of Castilloa trees; however, there were few trappers someth ing that made importation of Chinese and Japanese an option that never happened. In 2007, anthropologists discovered the lost tribe in Peruvian rainforest this included the Huitotos. Liberian conquest of America after 1492 resulted in slavery, genocide and dispossession. The Portuguese started Atlantic slave trade, whereas the entire Hispaniola population died 50 years after Columbus. Walt Hardenburg crossed the Andes in the late 1970 after working on the Panama Canal. Furthermore, he travelled to London to confront the PACO board about the horrors slaves were undergoing.Advertising Looking for report on other technology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More It is evident from the literature that rubber has come a long way from its discovery, exploitation and use at present. Furthermore, slaves seem to have played a vital role in this process. Rubber was mainly grown in Latin America, Asia and Africa. Thus, the colonialists exploi ted these resources and developed the current brands of rubber. This report on Rubber, Rise of an Essential Commodity was written and submitted by user Tal0n to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

The Transformative Business Model (Additional ar Essays - Economy

The Transformative Business Model (Additional ar Essays - Economy "The Transformative Business Model" (Additional article) According to this article, the occurrence of transformation of industry is usually linked with the adoption of a new technology as well as the current market needs and wants. This article used the example of the revolution from magnetic tapes and CDs to MP3 devices and finally changed to the iPod with iTunes invented by Apple that move music platform from the physical to the virtual world as an illustration to show the technology as a basis for changing the whole audio devices market and how to introduce a new business model in the industry and allow it to transform and eventually change the whole industry. In order to have a comprehensive and clear understanding of how business model work, it is good to start with a good definition of business model. Business model means the way a business generates and gain value and it includes the customer value proposition as well as the pricing mechanism and the way the company organize itself as well as the partnership it has to generate value and the way it structures the supply chain. Business model is an important system to determine the company's success. In the normal market situation without any distortion, the existing business model will normally reflect the most efficient way to allocate and organize resources and there will be a dominant business model in that industry. However, when there is a success of overturning the existed business model that is caused by introducing a new technology, it can successfully replace the existing dominant business model because the new entrant introduces the new business model and hence the compet itors will adopt to it and thus the industry is can eventually transformed because of the new technology. A case in point is the founding of Airbnb in 2008 and it is a new business model which changed the hotel industry. Airbnb, an online platform of technology for people who are looking for accommodation with home owners who is to share a room or house for them and it does not own or manage the property, and it is successful a new business model that has a significant growth and it account for a considerable market share in the hotel industry and challenged the traditional hotel business. For instance, Airbnb accounts for 19.5% of the hotel room supply in New York and operates in 192 countries, has 5.4% of room supply in the world in total. It earns money by taking the percentage of rent. This example shows that Airbnb against the traditional hotel business that need to own and manage a property in order to generate revenue but it can invest smaller amount of money and having lower risks as they are not responsible for the management and maintenance of the property and also the services provide. And this business model can be success as there are financial incentives of cheaper room rate with personal service. Ultimately, the introduction of new business model can be a treat to the original dominant model as it knows what technology enables and what the marketplace wants. There are six keys for successfully making a business model transformative and innovation success. The first factor is to have a more personalized product or service and the models to provide a tailor-made products or services that suits the individual and immediate needs of the customers and it causes more diversity of consumer preferences. The company need to have leverage technology with competitive prices to increase their competitiveness. The second factor is to have a closed-loop process and the original linear consumption process is replaced by the closed-loop process so that the used products can be recycled to reduce the resource costs. And it causes increase in demand for products and services, rise of input costs and greater regulatory pressure. The third factor is to have asset sharing and it is about sharing the costly assets with customers or across a supply chain and it can reduce the barrier to enter different industries as people do not need to own the assets bu t they can be an intermediary. And it causes increase in demand for products and services, rise of input costs and

Benefit Design Report Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Benefit Design Report - Assignment Example The new benefit design will adhere to all legal law constraints governing pay systems such as overtime pay. The common overtime issues to be compensated include compensatory time off, training time, travel time, and non-exempts incentives. In order to ensure fair incentives for performance, the company will be using variable pay system. This means compensation linked to team/group, individual, and organizational performance. Variable pay system will ensure fair compensation because some employees show good working efforts, which are highly productive than others. Therefore, better performing workers should be compensated more. Additionally total compensation need to be linked directly to results and performance. Lastly, certain jobs contribute a lot to the corporation than others and need higher compensation rate. The benefit design avoids use of team/group benefits compensation because rewarding employees in equal rates seems to be â€Å"unfair† since there are employees who work harder or carry out difficult jobs than others. Also team/group members may not be willing to accept co-workers’ incentive decisions. Moreover, most employees expect to receive benefits as per individual

Recycling Literature review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Recycling - Literature review Example Although recycling markets differ in developed and developing countries due to technology, information, and market power, one thing is sure: Government intervention and citizen’s cooperation are proven necessary to make recycling successful. Today, recycling, specifically plastic bag recycling has continually gaining much support. Understanding Recycling Although oftentimes used interchangeably, recycling differs from reuse. Reuse does not involve remanufacturing; whereas recycling, Geiser (2001: 219) defined, is collecting used materials for reprocessing and remanufacturing. Materials are recycled either through primary or secondary recycling, depending on the quality of the product material. Materials minimally degraded go through primary recycling producing similar product – Used aluminium cans can be recycled to make new aluminium cans (Miller & Spoolman 2011: G13). Materials almost wasted go through secondary recycling producing different product of lower quality ( Geiser 2001: 219) – Used tires can be recycled into mats, shoes, safety surfaces, and many more (Saddleback 2009: 54). Recycling is an ancient practice and has continued ever since for almost the same reason – conservation. Though, conservation today is understood from a different framework. Before, people recycle mainly for personal economy (Geiser 2001: 217-218). Today, recycling is no longer a choice but a social responsibility for environmental reasons. The mounting solid waste around us threatens the earth’s life and human existence that recycling and tempering waste generation has to be taken is much needed (Purcell 1998, p. 190). The trend for recycling has started in the ‘70s with the greening of society and has been taken seriously in the ‘90s (D’Souza 2005: 2), seeing it more as an economic activity rather than a moral obligation (Walker & Desrochers 1999: 74) Truly, recycling today is making a big market worldwide, especially in dev eloped and developing countries, perhaps because incentives are given for recycling businesses, since their need for recycling is greater, as consumerism is high and wastes are mounting – Every year the UK alone dumps 24M tonnes of recyclable materials (Birmingham Post 2009: 10). Particularly in OECD countries, recycling has become an important economic sector with more or less 1.5 million workforces, a $160 billion turnover every year, and more than 500 million tonnes physical throughput. (OECD 2006: 16) While in the United States, various states provide financial incentives for recycling businesses to manage wastes profitably (Gordon 1993: 30). Factors differentiating markets for recyclable materials are identified: â€Å"information failures, technological expertise, and market power† (OECD 2006: 15). Recycling newspapers and water bottles is an old practice, but recycling other items like cellphones, batteries, light bulbs, and others is not yet commonly understood (Holmes 2010: 38). Even for used plastic bags, which though have an available market (Koontz 1996: 42), a better technology for its recycling has yet to be seen. Fortunately, the Institute for Mining and Minerals, University of Kentucky claims that waste plastics can be recycled into commercially usable oil in a quick, efficient, environmentally-friendly process. (Society for the Advancement of Education 1994: 12) Importance of Recycling The importance of recycling are identified and ranked as follows: (1) recycling of resources, (2) saving forest resources, (3) preservation of global

Research Paper on Ethical Dilemma Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

On Ethical Dilemma - Research Paper Example , people with work experience, or exposure gained through a Master’s in Business Administration degree frequently find themselves better equipped for the exam (Sterret, 1906). This is because accountancy is the language of business, and pertains to this area of professionalism only. Accountants, once qualified, become part of associations of accountants in their country. For example, in the USA they become part of the American Institute of CPAs. In the UK, they join a different institute, namely the Institute of Chartered Accountants UK. Similarly, different institutes in different countries acknowledge the professional services provided by their accountants (Garber, 2008). Accountants report facing very challenging and rewarding careers, but at the same time, face numerous ethical dilemmas due to the sensitive nature of their work. The reason why an accountant’s work is sensitive is that they are responsible for handling the finances of other people, as well as corresponding to the higher authorities in the government. This level of responsibility binds them to follow a certain code of ethics in their line of work, as professionals. The aforementioned associations, to which these accountants belong, provide this code of ethics. In England and Wales, for instance, accountants follow the code of ethics implemented by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of England and Wales (ICAEW). This code is similar in all countries, and entails five main traits to be present in every accountant’s work. First is integrity, which requires total honesty and straightforwardness from the accountant while engaging in any business relationship. This helps maintain the reliability, of both the accountant and the firm that he or she represents. Next is objectivity, which requires that any professional actions taken by the accountant be uninfluenced from any biases or conflicts of interest. The accountant needs to remain impartial while making decisions, and unhindered by the

Violence In The Flight Novel English Literature Essay

Violence In The Flight Novel English Literature Essay In the current essay I would like to describe the violence, reflected in the novel by Sherman Alexie Flight. it should be noted that violence is an effect without consent in respect of an individual or a group.  As a rule, the degree of violence is measured by the severity of the damage caused to the victim. There are different kinds of violence, among them are: inter- or intra-racial hostility, political violence, terrorism, war, child abuse, or sexual assault. There are numerous classifications of violence depending on the trait, among them are: By the principle of action: physical, psychological, emotional, sexual, etc. On social grounds: political, religious, domestic, gender, violence against minors, animal abuse, etc. On the number of victims: the massive, group, individual. On the shape of the damage: the threat of terrorism, extortion, rape, attacks on property or territory, the promotion of violence through the media, etc. Thesis statement: violence is considered one of the cruelest expressions of physical force against people. The novel describes different situations that reflect violence from different sides, showing hatred, pain and suffering of people, which is the consequence of violence. As a matter of fact, any form of violence is unacceptable. The novel is written in first person, from the perspective of Native American teen who calls himself spots, travel back in time mass murderer. The novel describes the life of  Zit, who is a foster child, and who has spent most of his life, who has faced different negative experiences.  It can be said that in the novel Zit enters a new way of thinking, and the thoughts considering the commitment of various kinds of violence.  During the one of these incidents, Zit represents the body of a stranger, who will be the first of many such incidents.  History confronts feelings of Zits vulnerability, understood as a teenager, orphaned children, as well as Native American people, as described in Sherman Alexie discusses  Flight, his first novel in a decade. For me, there were several aspects that influenced my perception of the violence, first of all it was different transformation of the main character: FBI Agent Hank Storm, Indian boy, Indian tracker, pilot Jimmy, Zits father. In the Flight are present different themes: adolescence, morality, native American, and violence. Theme violence describes: I get into arguments and fights with everyone. I am so angry that I was going blind and deaf and dumb, as stated in Time-Traveling Lessons for a Teenager on the Verge.  Zits starts off as very angry and violent man.  He is so violent, that he expresses his hatred and anger on anyone around him. The boy also became a witness of violence, when he experienced transformations. By going through the events that he can not change anything, he realizes that the violence was severe consequences. And, understanding the way the violence affects people who surround him, he decides that he is living wrong, and he has to change something. As a matter of fact, the origins of violence and destruction in the novel refer to the issues of morality, perception of life and racism. As well, the novel reflects the life of minorities, their views on life and ethnic groups. Also, problems in society can be the origin of violence. This can lead to the serious consequences and sometimes even murder. Considering the Native American issue, the author describes the racism and also stigma that refer to a Native American. He also understands the influence of minority views on life, depending on the background.  As a fact, Zit understood that all people have different views and ideals.  Zit learned a lot about his own people, when he found out that his own story lied to him. As a fact, there are always different sides of the story. In my opinion this thesis is proved by such quote: My father was an Indian. From this or that tribe. From this or that reservation. I never knew himà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Im Irish and Indian, which would be the coolest blend in the world if my parents were around to teach me how to be Irish and Indian. But theyre not here and havent been for years. So, Im not really Irish or Indian. Im a blank sky, a human solar eclipse, as stated in Flight: A Novel. As a rule, readers state that the novel explores vengeance, against both enemies and strangers, and some of the scenes are disturbing, according to Sherman Alexie discusses  Flight, his first novel in a decade. As well, in the book there are described the causes of violence. The positive moment is that there is a protagonists refusal to continue participation in violence. According to the Sherman Alexie, there was following motive to write this novel: So that sense of personal betrayal, when compared to the epic crime, that combination just hit me. So I started writing about that, but then I started thinking about other moments of incredible violence in United States history and what story hadnt been told about that particular act of violence. And so I started writing about other eras, according to Time-Traveling Lessons for a Teenager on the Verge. To sum it up, I would like to say that violence has to be prevented, especially gender, youth and targeted violence. Violence in the modern world leads to self-destructive behavior of people, such as drinking or running away from family or society. Also, violence leads to conflicts escalation and also major problems in humanity.

Essay --

In today’s ever competitive global market, marketers are finding themselves having to grapple with an increasingly difficult issue about branding and their brands. Many marketing managers have to deal with questions of what are the most effective and efficient means to building a strong brand and sustaining it. Pick up any marketing textbook and most will define brands as a name, design, terms, symbol, or any combinative feature that identifies and differentiates one seller’s good or service from those of other sellers. (American Marketing Association) In other words, it is everything that a consumer can retain in their mind about the product or service produced by a particular organization. Brands are often evoked or symbolized using a variety of features belonging to the brand. These features represent all the past experience and expectation a consumer has received about that brand. When we think about brands in the likes of Apple, Bmw, Victoria Secret, and Disney, we not only read into them our experiences with the brand but their features triggers a mental model in our minds. It creates a certain perception of quality, expectations and position in our minds. They connect the products attributes and brand association between the corporations and users. (Biel, 1991) With that said, branding that could create a lasting impression into the minds of its consumers plays an important part for any successful business. It can be used to enhance business performance as brand themselves are used as an implied tool that can positively influence people’s buying behaviors and work as a driving force to convey the business’ message and stay in the customer’s mind. Consequently, studies have been made and the results showed that consumer’s ... ...uality. It was often times like those where it was difficult to measure how good a product is from an unfamiliar brand, hence loyalty was a way of reducing risk. (Simonson & Rosen, 2014). Consumers today are far better informed and likely to investigate the value of products than just to rely on intrinsic values of brands before purchase. Consumers are empowered to do their own research about whatever they want to buy. This trend started with Consumer Reports, which produced reports on objective studies about products and further enhanced with the rise of the internet, which has given ordinary consumers access to expert reviews, user feedback, and details about product data, in an assortment of product categories. A study conducted showed that in 2012, seventy-two per cent of consumers in the U.S look at online reviews before making major purchases (Coopers, 2012).

Learning Journal †Time Management Essay

The learning journal consists of my personal reflections on events in the workplace and on how I have tested new ideas from studying the module materials like Topic Guides in my work. It also consists of implementations of work based objectives or inquiries, plans for development of future work practice, shows how I have applied reflective thinking frameworks as I conducted my work based inquiries. Firstly, I would focus on the cycles of work-based inquiry on Time Management. Currently, I am undertaking trade training and representing the Army Martial Arts team. Adapted from TMA02 Task1(15/12/2013): Time management has always been an ideal topic of interests for me as it is fundamental factor which aids learning process in the workplace. Managing is evidently an effective technique as it maintains time appreciation and resources which aids in the production of positive results. Adapted from TGF Yellow(15/12/2013): (Doran, 1981, p. 35-36)SMART Framework S – I will have respective schedules for studies, work and sports planned out. By doing so, I will be having more time, achieve my set goals with more focus and produce better results too. M – I will reflect daily on my list of schedules and tick them off. If for any reason, I lack behind the schedule, I will ensure prioritising and spending time accordingly. A – If I could  finish my workload as planned out, I would be reasonably well ahead of my assigned date. This would give me more time to spend with my family especially with 2 year old son. R – I would be able to meet my goals set by myself. Not only will there be more family time to spend, I would also be eligible for my next promotion in good time and a step closer to becoming eligible for the Commissioned Officer course in the Army if I complete my OU degree. T – I am planning from the start of week 5 of BU130 till the end of the module. The framework has shown some effective results ever since and I am spending more quality time with family as well as coping with studies and training sports wise.’’ Journal(15/12/2013): Essentially, considering one of my workplace inquiries – Time Management, I am doing an Apprenticeship course plus OU modules, maintaining my fitness and representing the Martial Arts Team too. I have a son to look after at times and sometimes I struggle to make time for anything. (Simmering, 2014)I have been facing difficulties but after reading the article of the Topic Guide on Time Management from Reading 3 (The Open University, 2014a), I used the new ideas in conjunction with the application of the SMART framework. This made my schedule more practical and manageable. Journal(19/01/2014): I needed to outline the problems that I would face manage with my trade training and OU studies. I felt that it is difficult to start out and concentrate to get things done according to the set programme. (Simmering, 2014)Time management is testing as it requires motivation and discipline to work efficiently. It was easy to extend beyond schedule as procrastinating has been difficult to avoid. Adapted from TGF Green(29/01/2014): Introduction Critical Incident At times, I would have a responsibility of looking after my 2 years old son as my wife who works part-time doing her night shifts straight after my work. Just recently, I had to take my son to the A&E Department because he started having breathing problems for 2 days and we are regularly administering his doses at the given timings. The following day, as I  returned to my training, my NVQ course instructor came to me and told me to speed up to catch up with the programme schedule or he would mark the particular practical task a fail if not handed in time. I felt really upset because I thought he was being unreasonable and unfair but I had no choice so I hastily worked on my task and managed to complete it in time with an average score. Journal(21/01/2014): I have completed the introduction and incident section and I will be able to progressively focus. However, it has not turned out as planned on some areas, particularly, in my course where I have been struggling to catch up with my other classmates. Moreover, I will also have to take days off from the vocational course to train for Army Martial Arts Competition. Plus, I know that I will have more workload piled up from the time loss from Martial Arts training as my apprenticeship deadline is on the 18th of March. Unexpected incidents have caused me delays making it difficult to follow the schedule. Ideas(22/01/2014) Using the stages of Kolb’s learning cycle, we could learn to Reflect from Concrete Experience like the incident mentioned above and Generalise to put it in Action. (Kolb, 1984) Journal(25/01/2014): I found that reflecting from ideas tested is a brilliant way of learning as it teaches me to work effectively by generalising and putting it to action. I noticed by using the four stages of Kolb’s learning cycle, it does give a broader view of the learning process. Adapted from TGF Green(29/01/2014): Hi Joyce I have tried the time management schedule as planned out with achievements. However, I have had lagged behind schedule due to unexpected problems that crops up every now and then. Currently, I have cut short my breaks and worked harder to catch up with time by half, which is about an hour, daily. I thought cutting my breaks shorter has worked effectively and I am also able to be a step ahead. Journal(29/01/2014): I thought if I could do it differently, I would change my ways or improve to work quicker and catch up with the programme. It seems to work better each day as I am speeding up progressively in doing other project work and practical assignments. I am able to spend ample time on my TMA03 assignment as well. Framework for evaluation(29/01/2014) I have chosen the Pedler’s framework of bringing our feelings into our reflection According to Pedler et al. 2001 stats that it helps us to rationalise one’s thought and various ideas that could be used to improve their actions and performance in difficult situations. Taking emotions and feelings into account and analysing situations through questioning and response. It is basically learning through reflection. Our feelings – I felt disheartened by the way the instructor who unreasonably told me that I could fail the task. I had no options but to continue my work with speed as I know that arguing with him would not have got me anywhere. I am glad that I managed to pass it though. Our thoughts and ideas – My thoughts are to give a critical review of my schedule and allocate ample time for assignments and project works. I might consider cancelling some Taekwondo classes and start completing tasks faster. This will also give me extra time for my family as well as keeping me ahead of things to come. Our action-tendencies – Following strictly with the deadline will help keep myself on track with everything. I have been struggling to meet the deadline but will persevere to achieve them. As I cannot afford to lose any more time and make it a habit. Journal(20/02/2014): In addition to using the Kolb’s learning cycle, I thought the Pedler’s framework would work together. So far, results have been excellent as I could practise and maintain schedule overall. This supports my Self and Career management well. Journey Reflection(28/02/2014) In summary, I thought the process of reflecting from the beginning was really challenging and a difficult one because lots of changes were made to achieve the result wanted. Sometimes, it is not possible to control everything as planned and adjustments have to be made along the way. I thought that I had  to transform myself doing this module to become better at managing and organising my time. Word count: 1313 References: Arney, E. (2011) BU130 Writing for work and study, Milton Keynes, The Open University. Arney, E. (2012) BU130 Learning Contract Guidance, Milton Keynes, The Open University. Arney, E. (2013) BU130 Study Guide, 7th edn, Milton Keynes, The Open University. Doran, G. T. (1981) There’s A S.M.A.R.T. Way to Write Management’s Goals and Objectives, Management Review, vol 70, no. 11(AMA FORUM), pp. 35-36. Kolb, D. (1984) Experiential Learning, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, Prentice Hall. Pedler, M., Burgoyne, J. and Boydell, T. (2001) A Manager’s Guide to Self Development (4th edn.), Maidenhead, McGraw-Hill. Ramsey, C. (2010) BU130 Introducing Reflective Learning, Milton Keynes, The Open University. Simmering, M. J. (2014) Time Management – Reference for Business, (2nd edn) [Online], Encyclopaedia of Business. Available at http://www.referenceforbusiness.com/management/Str-Ti/Time-Management.html (Accessed 15 December 2013). The Open University (2014a) ‘Reading mate rial 3’, Topic Guide 1: Time management [Online]. Available at https://learn2.open.ac.uk/mod/oucontent/view.php?id=372553 §ion=3 (Accessed 15 December 2013). 2. Reflective Report Introduction Corresponding to the Time Management which gives support to the learning development in the workplace, the Self and Career Management, is fundamental in ensure relevance in the chosen pathway. It has to be made certain that the individual is not being trained or forced into something that is irrelevant. The importance of the Self and Career Management is stressed in the Learning Contract under Section 1 – Possible learning topics: ‘’Likewise, self and career management comes into what the individuals’ capabilities are and how one can establish their aims to achieve their goals. Without learning the appropriate skill or having the relevant qualification, it does not help for the assigned tasks. Hence, I would ensure that the courses and experiences needed are attained according to my  career path.’’ Occurrence Having acquired 8 years of service in the British Army and experienced various dilemmas, the economic and financial constraints have significantly affected the Regular Army Structure as a whole down to the hierarchy of ranks from 102,000 to 82,000 (The Guardian, 2014). Colleagues who were highly professional and skilled are forced into changing their trade skills or made redundant because of the non-availability of the quota and relevance in trade skills required including expenditures. Moreover, with pay freeze and staff retention and cut backs, it has been ever more difficult for serving soldiers. In order to ensure job suitability, one has to be competent with a relevant qualification and experience. Therefore, ideas generated from sources such as Topic Guide 3: Self and Career Management Readings 5 and 6 materials were used to adapt to such changes. (The Open University, 2014b) Discussion Session Action Taken At the moment, I am undertaking a vocational, NVQ level 3 course in order to be more competent and qualified as a senior tradesman with acquired knowledge to secure my profession and develop personally. Ideas (The Open University, 2014b)Additionally, I also obtained several ideas from Readings 5 and 6 materials and they are: – The skilful use of the self Strengths and weaknesses Self-knowledge, self-esteem and self-confidence Managing change Framework for reflection The reading material ideas, utilised in conjunction with the stages of Kolb’s learning cycle, we could learn to Reflect from Concrete Experience like the incident mentioned above and Generalise to put it in Action. (Kolb, 1984) The ‘Kolb’s experiential learning cycle’ is to be used for reflective learning on our own circumstances. This model enables one to breakdown situations into a clearer more structured way. This framework allowsassessment of a particular situation and reflection of oneself and experiences which directs into putting actions to practical adjustments Concrete Experience – I have planned out my vocational pathway to promotion and tried the Self-knowledge, self-esteem and self-confidence to discover my potential capabilities and limitations (Bourner, 1996). However, I realised that sometimes I am not so confident with my given task even though I had the subject knowledge. Reflection – I need hone my weaknesses which will boost my self-esteem and practise with confidence in any given situation. Generalisation – It was because I had a vocational learning gap for 2 years and had few exposures. Therefore, I had to practice more which could obtain me to double promotion if I get a distinction and recommended. Action (Bourner, 1996)Hence, whatever the circumstances, I must manage the changes meaning innovating and improving the standards and quality of work in order to achieve distinction and be capable of reaching my own prospective pathway. Framework for evaluation Adapted from TGF Green: I have chosen the Pedler’s framework of bringing our feelings into our reflection (Pedlar et al., 2001) It is stated on (Pedler et al., 2001) that the framework helps us to rationalise one’s thought and various ideas that could be used to improve their actions and performances in challenging situations. Taking emotions and feelings into account and analysing situations through questioning and response. It is basically learning through reflection. Components Our feelings – I thought that having seen some of my colleagues made redundant, I felt disheartened in some ways. I knew that if I had to secure my job position, I would have to move on with strong mindset and set goals. I managed to be safe as for now plus got myself loaded onto a mandatory  vocational course which will qualify me for next promotion. Our thoughts and ideas – My thoughts are to be more decisive of my qualifications that I strive to acquire and making sure my options are available according to my experiences and knowledge gained. Ideas are taken from as many resources available especially from Reading materials from the Topic Guide 3 of Self and Career Management. This will put me on track that will ensure a stable career and perhaps give me better prospects in the field of business studies (The Open University, 2014b). Our action-tendencies – It is very simple to lose focus and interests during some point of performing on the course or even give up on the qualifications. Therefore, one must have self confidence, strong willed and persevere in order to overcome such weaknesses. One must also learn relevant skills needed. I have learnt that Self and Career Management that the crucial to keep an individual’s competency updated and experiences gained appropriate to my career pathway and also keeping opportunities available. *Adapted from the Learning Contract, under Section 3 Learning Objectives. Self and Career Management (Doran, 1981, p. 35-36)Developing and maintaining records of achievements, qualifications for future planned pathways. S – Gain relevant qualifications and experiences and also recommendations. This will create foundation to secure my current position giving better opportunities too as I will also be completing my Apprenticeship – Fabricator (NVQ Level 3) in 14th of March. M – Every week, I will critically reflect on areas covered and if I am struggling, I will concentrate more to improve my weak areas, and record everything done to date. A – I aiming to achieve a distinction (above 85%) in my Apprenticeship in order to be recommended for Clerk of Works and also pass BU130 module with flying colours at the end of March. R – I would follow the organised path chosen which avoids confusion and distraction plus produce results. T – I started as of 2nd November till the 18th March to acquire as much qualifications and experiences as possible to improve my career. Conclusion In overall, I have been able to adapt ideas from resources such as the reading materials from the Topic Guides and BU130 module books with the help of classmates and Ms Joyce (Tutor) in the TGF discussion forum. Essentially,  I am more confident on dealing with situations and coming up with solutions to tackle daily problems along the way. I am able to gauge my own capabilities and push myself to enhance my personal development and have better job prospects by using the SMART framework for further future development.

Watchmen Seminar Notes Essay Example

Watchmen Seminar Notes Essay Example Watchmen Seminar Notes Paper Watchmen Seminar Notes Paper Essay Topic: Watchmen Summary Chapter one opens with the death of Edward Blake. It becomes apparent that the cause of death had been that he was thrown from his apartment by an unknown suspect. The chapter Is picked up In the point of view of two detectives who are investigating the crime scene and discuss several motives for the burglary/murder. Soon after, the point of view is turned over to Rorschach, a mysterious man who is identified by the police as an outlaw of sorts. After investigating the crime scene, Rorschach uncovers that Edward Blake is the true identity of the masked hero known s the Comedian: a former Minuteman. From there, Rorschach spends the remainder of the chapter going to extreme lengths in order to discover who it was that eliminated the Comedian, as well as his motives for doing so. In this process we get to really glimpse Into Rorschach mindset (with occasional cutaways to Rorschach journal entries) as well as accurately weigh his morals (egg. In one instance, he even goes to extreme lengths as to break a mans fingers In order to uncover the truth of the Comedians death). We are also Introduced to many key characters such as Adrian Veldt, Daniel Dribbler, Dry. Manhattan (the big blue man), and Laurie Jupiter: all retired Minutemen ;death of the Comedian (raises the question of motives and suspects; leads the direction of the novel) Character Analysis Rorschach -Rorschach is a reclusive detective and a former member of the Minutemen. His inner monologue is fairly dark and cynical. He thinks of his city as a gutter (sit hole) and feels that it is his job to clean the streets. Although we dont learn much about Rorschach origin at first, he is first introduced as a sort of vigilante by detectives investigating the murder of Eddie Blake. From the detectives conversation, we learn that he Is crazier than a snakes armpit. They Imply that he Is morbidly fascinated In crime cases, and that he goes through violent means to solve them. When we finally see Rorschach in the novel, we see him as a dark and mysterious man who takes it upon himself to solve Eddie Flakes murder. Upon investigating, Rorschach finds that Eddie Blake is the Comedian, another former member of the Minutemen. This gives Rorschach incentive to keep investigating the murder because he fears for former masked heroes who are his friends (including himself? He shows no superhuman qualities, but through his investigations and his interactions with others we learn that he is very inquisitive and can easily piece things together to get to a final decision. -p. 14-16 breaks a mans fingers trying to find out what happened to the Comedian. Exemplifies the measures heed go through (and hes actually bricklaying INSANE) he doesnt know the man, hes not even a susp ect, but he still broke his fingers In hopes that someone will speak out and tell him what he needs. ;journal entries -?+ snows Nils Inner angst an 3. Page Analysis entreat Tort ten world en lives In -beginning/ending (parallels, adds drama) -p. L dialogue is eerie and unsettling, carries a lot of drama and sets the tone of the novel (focused on button) -final page dialogue is more light hearted, however the presence of the button reminds the audience that there is still a lot of drama taking place despite the fact that they (Derriere and Jupiter) are not at the center of it. Symbols/Themes -Rorschach mask -Comedians button Discussion questions significance of Comedians button? Rorschach mask? Why he wears it? Motivation to kill Eddie?

Friendship honesty Essay Research Paper Example

Friendship honesty Essay Research Paper Example Friendship honesty Essay Paper Friendship honesty Essay Paper Friendship can be defined as the common relationship that occurs between two persons. It is created when one is experiencing comfort and emotionally safe when sharing his/her ideas with the other. For one to be called a friend. so that individual should be in a place of demoing a better apprehension of the other and besides assures him or her to be by his or her side in every emotional crisis. There are many properties that are considered to construct true friendly relationship ; in this essay we consider three properties. First. friendly relationship is based on trust no affair any obstructions on the manner. Friendship means that there exists honestness between the parties. Finally. friendly relationship means that the parties are non self-seekers. When friends trust each other. it means that at any clip that one friend falls in problem the other will assist without holding a 2nd idea. One should be free in the sharing of secrets and emotions without any fright of being betrayed. When friends trust each other. one is able to offer pieces of advice and protection to the other when faced with challenges in hard state of affairss. In friendly relationship. people will be able to portion their exposures with their friends because they believe in each other that no 1 should take advantage of the openness. : Some of the elements associated with trust are good company. love. good resonance. relaxation. and comfort when together in all fortunes. Finally. if friends trust each other. so one will be able to foretell what the other is capable of making when any state of affairs might originate Friendship means that honestness prevails at all times. This means that the friends should be positive to each other and besides should present properties such as truthfulness and downrightness in any state of affairs. Friends should non move in any mode that demonstrates any signifier of misgiving. lying. cheating and even larceny of any sort. Honesty in friendly relationship means that the friends will state the truth about any action taken. being sincere. carnival. honest. and loyal towards the care of their relationship. When friends are honest to each other. one should be able to state another the negative properties possessed by him or her and seek to do the state of affairs better. Honesty in friendly relationship is besides created when there is a bond and trust created between the parties such that there is an unconditioned openness created in every person. Friendship is non based on self-seekers. This means that the friendly relationship is non created for the intent of holding something malicious to derive from the relationship. True friendly relationship fundamentally portrays altruism ; one should non see the other as taking advantage of him or her after set uping a relationship. In true friendly relationship. a relationship is created where people trust and love one another unconditionally. One should non take advantage of the other when problem overcomes another. Opportunists run off when the benefits flicker off. but true friendly relationship does non establish their relationship on stuff facets but on the emotional and psychological foundations. Therefore. friendly relationship is the lone relationship that is able to travel through hard state of affairss and fortunes. It is cemented on neutrality and unconditioned demands. Due to the fondness. trueness. regard. love. trust. honestness. and non-opportunists. friends are able to make a strong bond that brings together people in the society. This will promote the persons to hold good moral behaviour in the society as a consequence of all the specific qualities of friendly relationship.

Summary Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Summary Report - Essay Example Guidance and Counseling plays an important role in an educational institution. "It is a concept that institutions, especially schools, should promote the efficient and happy lives of individuals by helping them adjust to social realities." (Columbia Encyclopedia) During the internship in an educational institution under the Guidance and Counseling, I was tasked to assist the counselors and staffs of the said department. I was exposed to testing and Psychometrics including its administration and interpretation, counseling sessions and seminar programs that is in response to the collective difficulties of the students. The best activity that I have observed and experienced is to assist in a seminar program organized by the department. The program aimed to help students in coping with stress that they encounter in school, with emphasis on how to react and deal with bullies in school. As part of the program organizer, the first step that we have considered before holding the event is to assess the current needs of the students through a survey done to every student. It was embedded to the counseling sessions wherein the students were asked some personal questions related to the problems that they encounter in school, family and other matters. Fr om the survey, the collective experiences and problems encountered by most students is stress related to bullying. After identifying the top most problems, the guidance counselors have designed a program to help address the common problems of students through information dissemination and seminars. Indeed, the program was very helpful to students and I believe that one way of solving a dilemma is through knowing and learning how to solve it. On the other hand, Even though I consider all the tasks relevant to the guidance programs but there are some tasks that I feel less productive. Particularly, I feel less productive whenever I do administration tasks such as photocopying, collating seminar materials, and checking of test papers. I am aware that administration tasks are very important in order to function well as a department. If I will be employed in an institution as a Guidance Director, I would gladly implement specific programs that are certainly useful and beneficial to all. Guidance and Counseling department will aim to serve as the helping hand of each student, parents and school administrators in addressing problems pertaining to the student's welfare. As stated in allaboutcounseling.com, "counseling is any relationship in which one person is helping another person to better understand and solve some problem." Indeed, the department should maintain good professional and personal relationship up to some extent with each client. In order to carry out the goals of the department, as a director, the welfare of the counselors are also given attention. There should be a program wellness that is intended to address the counselors' needs, burnout problems and others. They should also be assessed from time to time in order to check whether they need training for improvements. The programs will have to be congruent with the goals of the Guidance and Counseling center. It will be called "Community Wellness and Enhancement Program" aims to equip students, parents, and school administrators in facing current and future difficulties to encounter. It is going to be more of a

A firm analyzed by principles of microeconomics Research Paper

A firm analyzed by principles of microeconomics - Research Paper Example ixed and variable), the potential for technology to change cost, market failure , the government role on externalities and the existing government policies in connection to microeconomic theory. The Market Structure, Market Power, the Cost of Structure and Competition Wal-Mart Stores Inc. has an oligopoly market structure unlike other retailers all over the world that have monopolistic market structure. Nevertheless, the research shows that Wal-Mart Stores also has a monopolistic competition market structure due to the fact that the number of retailers that they have to deal with is too high. It was first opened by Sam Walton in the year 1962 as a discount store. Being the largest chain store in the US, its success has been as a result of the ability of Sam Walton to establish a basic structure meant for their private business ecosystem thus changing the market structure over time. The business has 40-50 departments and the Store Manager is the top store position. Each store has many Assistance Managers who are also the first to be paid salaries in the organization (Bianco 63). Wal-Mart Stores is also divided in to 41 regions managed by regional Vice President, 6 of them being Sam’s Club regions. Walton had a reasonable conclusion, the conclusion was that by offering many brands that are well known and selling the products at a lower price of about 15% as compared to other retailers, the business would be more powerful in the area of retailing. Wal-Mart made a wise decision of establishing more of its branches on the rural areas and in small towns instead of settling their business only in the large cities. This was mainly done to attract people from the suburbs where there was a lot of money unlike other large scale retailers who only concentrated in large towns. The new system worked well for them since they were able to attract many people from the towns to their premises. In not more than three decades since the business was established, it had made a big step forward because it rose from a single and small discount store to become the largest retailer shop in the whole country of US (Bianco 63). Currently, Wal-Mart Stores runs the largest retailer shops in the whole world with over 2500 branches in US alone. One of the principles of microeconomics states that â€Å"Rational people think at the margin†. According to the economists, people who are rational usually do their best to achieve their goals and objectives when they have the opportunity. Sam Walton borrowed this idea when he made a decision of lowering the price of the products sold by Wal-Mart Store so as to reach a wider market and serve many customers (Lichtenstein 98). Nature of the Demand, the Shape of Demand Curve and Consumer Setting Demand is the total amount of goods and services that a given consumer is able and willing to buy in a certain period of time at various prices. The demand curve is the price-quantity relationship that is normally represented on a graph, the price being on the Y axis while quantity on the X axis. In terms of supply and demand curve, the demand for the goods provided by the Wal-Matt increases as the economy weakens. This is because the consumers continue to demand for goods that are cheap as the currency value weakens

BP (British Petroleum) Refining Strategy in Europe Essay

BP (British Petroleum) Refining Strategy in Europe - Essay Example Many companies that deal in oil refinery use different processes and strategies in order to produce high quality products that can be used in different factory processes and automobiles. In the process of refining (Krippendorff 2013, 82), an oil depot or tank farm has to be located near the oil refinery plant so that storage of the incoming crude stocks can be persevered before being refined as well as the products arising from the refinery process. BP utilises one of the most efficient technology in the refinery field known as Fischer-Tropsch (FT) technology (Singh & Harvey 2010; Hicks &Nelder 2008, 45). According to BP (2013), the technology is crucial in helping the company to convert various feedstocks such as crude residues, heavy crude residues, coal and biomass into clean and quality fuels such as jet fuel, diesel and naphtha. Fischer-Tropsch technology makes refining process efficient and reliable while ensuring production of superior products that passes all performance-related tests used in respective industries (Maitlis & Klerk 2013; Klerk 2011, 17). According to BP (2013), the company is committed to minimising its contribution to greenhouse gases that emanate from its refinery processes. By adopting Fischer-Tropsch technology, the company has greatly minimised pollution arising from poor refining processes (Johansson 1993, 27; Maczulak 2010, 36). The Fischer-Tropsch technology has often been used with much success at BP Refinery in many of the countries that it has been used. The strategy involves various processes like the multi tubular fixed bed reactor. This reactor has various types of tubes that have small diameters with special catalysts surrounded by boiling water that removes the heat of the reaction (Great Britain 2010, 29). This reactor is very suitable when operating at low temperatures with upper limits reaching up to 530 K. The excess temperature arising from the system results in carbon deposition and can block

The water cycle Essay Example for Free

The water cycle Essay Directly relative to the hydrologic cycle is the effect of urbanization in the impervious cover (IC). As mentioned earlier in this paper, the lower the rate of impervious area, the higher will be the rate of water infiltration which means that water run-off is relatively low. Obviously, urbanization requires the construction of more sidewalks, driveways, parking lots and more houses which make the soil impervious. The next chapter of this paper discusses in detail the specific effects of urbanization to the hydrologic cycle. Powered by solar energy and gravity, the movement of water in our environment is a continuous cycle. The water cycle also referred to as the hydrological cycle is just one of the vital natural cycles that typically involves the changing of the states of water from liquid, vapor and ice as it moves on, above and below the surface of the earth (Gore, Pamela 2005). 1Water also transforms through the processes of vaporization or evaporation (liquid to gas), condensation (gas to liquid), melting or fusion (solid to liquid), and sublimation (gas to solid, or the reverse). The cycle involves the soil, the plants, and the bodies of water, the air and the sun. Playing an important role in the climactic patterns, changes in the hydrologic cycle are revealed in the changes in the world’s climate and the seal level. As what researchers and scientists have been claiming decades ago, human intervention of which urbanization is the most evident, has played a great role in the significant changes in the cycle. In order to clearly present the validity of such claim, it is helpful for us to look back at the normal cycle of water. Figure 3. 1 shows the normal hydrologic cycle as presented by the U. S. Geological Survey. At first look, it seems that humans are not directly involved in the cycle but if we are to examine each phase of the cycle, we will be able to extract information that will link human activities to each phase of the cycle. Scientists consider the earth as a â€Å"closed-system† which means that almost its entire elements contained therein just move in different cycles and that the earth neither lose nor gain significant amount of matter (Global Hydrology and Climate Center). In terms of the hydrologic cycle, water is distributed globally and recycled continuously, which is the same cycle way back millions of years ago. Figure 3. 1 The Water Cycle. Source: U. S. Geological Survey The cycle of water involves six major processes: (1) evaporation, (2) transpiration, (3) horizontal transport of water, (5) precipitation and (6) water flowing as run-off. In the process of evaporation, the liquid state of water from the surface of the bodies of water and from the soils transforms into gas or vapor. Water also transforms into gas state through the process of transpiration where a certain amount of water from the plants are released in the air through the leaves of plants. In another phase of the cycle, water also travels in the cycle as atmospheric water in a horizontal direction in forms of water droplets, ice crystals or vapor. The process of precipitation takes place in the air wherein the atmospheric vapor undergoes condensation and sublimation that will then fall to the earth as hail, snow, sleet and rain. In any of these states, 3precipitation that reaches the earth flows through one of four major routes. As suggested by the arrows in figure 1. 1, precipitation may fall down the earth and runs off to the bodies of water like ponds, wetlands and lakes. Precipitation may also follow the route of river and creeks after running off over the land. Water that runs over the land may run through as surface water while some amount will serve as groundwater. Because this amount of water was not able to infiltrate into the ground, the same will return to the atmosphere either through the process of transpiration or evaporation. Scientists define surface water as water that stands or flows on the surface of the earth and also referred to as run-off (White, Iain 2007). Current practice on considers run-off as dangerous to human health and these are usually driven out of the land surface as quickly as possible into sewers or man-made drainage systems. This practice however alters the normal hydrologic cycle as infiltration is lessened which directly affects the processes of transpiration and evaporation. Through the process of infiltration, water sips or absorbed by the ground surface of the earth and so these volume of water is called surface water. On the other hand, groundwater is that volume of run off that sips in the ground and flows through the cracks in the soil, sand and through the spaces between beds of rocks. Depending on the sizes of spaces between rocks and soil, groundwater will be stored in such spaces called aquifers. Aquifers are water-bearing rocks because of their characteristics of high porosity and permeability of which sandstones and gravels are excellent examples (Gore, Pamela 1995). In contrast, rocks, which are not porous like shale, are called aquicludes and so they cannot store water. However, highly jointed aquicludes may also become aquifers because water can also be contained in rock joints. The water that was not absorbed by the plants, or stored in aquifers will eventually into the bodies of water such as the ocean or creeks. The cycle then continues as such water then goes back to the atmosphere through evaporation or transpiration which scientists safely referred to as Evapotranspiration (ET). The amount of water is not well distributed globally as there are areas there are arid lands like Phoenix and Saudi Arabia compared to more permeable areas like some countries of Asia. This is primarily because the types and number of water reservoir of countries varies. Figure 4. 1 will give us the idea that since much of the world’s water is stored in the ocean reservoir, it follows that countries which do have much of such bodies of water have the highest volume of water distribution. If we are to express figures in percentage, we will come up with 97% accounting for water in the ocean and the three percent is distributed among the reservoirs in the soils and the cryosphere in forms of ice caps and glaciers particularly in the areas of Antarctica and Greenland. It is important to note that the total amount of water in the different reservoirs remains nearly constant with the natural landscape and impervious groundcover held in its close original state (NEMO California Partnership, 1997). In the research made by NEMO National Network (California Partnership) in cooperation with the California local government units and the local Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), shallow and deep infiltration of water is 50% while 40% of the water is processed during evapotranspiration. Illustration of the relationship of water run-off and infiltration (NEMO) In this scenario, only 10% of water turns out to be run-off. As the rate of imperviousness increases due to alteration or removal of the natural groundcover, the rate of infiltration consequently decreases. This then results to a higher percentage of run-off water and a lower percentage of water processed during evapotranspiration. The question therefore is: in what ways does infiltration rate increases or decreases and how are human activities relate to this process?

Work Life Balance Programs Cost Or An Investment Management Essay

Work Life Balance Programs Cost Or An Investment Management Essay Work-life balance programs are fast gaining popularity in developed countries, even though they are viewed as novelties in Malaysia. Work-life balance programs can be defined as any benefits, policies or programs that help employees find ways to manage the demands of the workplace and life outside work (Ortega, 2006) or strategies, policies, programs and practices initiated and maintained in workplaces to address flexibility, quality of work and life, and work-family conflict (Bardoel et al, 2008). In other words, work-life balance programs are designed as a two pronged approaches to achieve meaningful achievement and enjoyment in everyday life (Joshi et al, 2002). There are many forms of work-life balance programs such as flex-time, child-care facilities at work, gyms and concierge services and paid vacations. Many reasons are cited for the introduction of work-life balance programs at the workplace, the most common being that it increases productivity as well as employee loyalty. While these are all valid justifications, the costs of having work-life balance programs should not be ignored. Therefore, do the benefits of work-life balance programs outweigh the costs? Going further, should these programs be considered a cost or an investment to the firm? While it may be easier to estimate the returns on investment of a project, it is difficult to financially quantify the impact of work-life balance programs. Thus, companies have to resort to a series of performance measurement tools that are indirectly related to financial return. The best performance indicators are in terms of human resource management. One of the benefits of work-life balance programs can be seen through recruitment. Successful work-life balance programs are powerful marketing tools for attracting new employees who are drawn to the company not just for good remuneration, but other perks too. Work-life balance programs also help to create a better relationship between employer and employee that can be mutually beneficial. One of the main sources of workplace stress is unreasonable demands made on employees time. Thus, programs that assist employees to better manage their time lead to greater job satisfaction. This is evident in the healthcare industry where employees have to work alternative hours in a very stressful and emotionally draining environment. Work-life balance programs in the healthcare industry like wellness programs and child care facilities bring balance and perspective to the lives of employees (Ortego, 2006). This leads to greater productivity, lower job turnover and absenteeism, greater esprit-de-corps and more loyalty towards the employer. In terms of operating costs, retaining employees reduces the cost of training new employees and the time it takes to train new staff to be competent. In fact, there is some evidence to support the argument that compan ies that offered work-life balance programs outperformed those that did not (Joshi et al, 2002). To evaluate if such programs are good investment, we need to examine them from three metrics, which are efficiency, effectiveness and impact (Bardoel et al, 2009). Efficiency metrics are those that measure the cost of work-life balance programs to ascertain the return on investment (ROI). Effectiveness measures are those that indicate how work-life balance programs affect the capacity and actions of employees in targeted talent pools. The third type of measure concentrates on the real impact of work-life balance programs on organizational performance by measuring the value added to an organization by a work-life balance program. Interestingly, research has found that managers often collect data on efficiency, but not on effectiveness and impact factors. This is a major limitation because efficiency measures do not reveal the value added to such programs. The second group of metrics termed effectiveness metrics, assess the outcomes related to the intended effects on individuals of work-life balance programs, for example through employee satisfaction surveys. Again, surveys are useful but they do not gauge whether such programs have positively impacted performance. Though financial ratios such as ROI are typically used to assess core competency, it should be remembered that ROI focuses on financial indicators whereas work-life balance programs use non-financial indicators. Impact metrics measure the ability of work-life balance programs to improve the quality or availability of a particular talent pool, for example to achieve competitive advantage by lowering absenteeism and turnover. To illustrate this cost versus investment dilemma, let us examine three types of work-life balance programs childcare, office gymnasium and flexible work hours. Childcare facilities are provided to entice workers from dual-income households where both parents work. There are many forms of childcare facilities such as in-house child care facilities, after school programs, subsidized child care, and referral services. The main benefit of having such a facility is to help employees cope with the demands of caring for their young children and their jobs and reduce stress among employees as they are assured about the safety of their children (Ortego, 2006). When employees are happy and well-adjusted, it is believed that they become more productive and can contribute more to the company. Other fringe benefits include tax reliefs and exemptions to employers (Deery, 2008), though this is only available in a few countries. On the other hand, the costs of maintaining such childcare facilities are numerous. They include the cost of setting up the facility, the cost of employing qualified staff to care for the children and other operating costs. Also, there is no empirical evidence to support the argument that such facilities promote productivity (Michel et al, 2009). In some cases, the employee might spend more time at the childcare facility instead of at work. In addition, it is almost impossible to quantify the ROI of a childcare facility. Another popular form of work-life balance program is the office gym. A gym is provided because it is believed that exercise promotes good health and reduces job stress. In turn, healthy employees are more productive and there are fewer cases of absenteeism due to poor health (Stimpson, 2008). However, running a gym is potentially expensive. Equipment must be bought, a special room must be prepared and in some cases, physical trainers must be employed. Setting up an office gym must also be done with caution as not all employees would enjoy working out to keep fit. Some may prefer other forms of exercise like swimming, jogging or playing tennis or some may not bother to exercise at all. Hence, it would be a waste of resources to set up a gym when few employees utilize it. There must be proper rules as to when the gym can be used to avoid abuse. In addition, if the gym is open beyond office hours, the cost of operation must also be considered. Finally, the cause and effect relationship of setting up an office gym and increased productivity are largely conjectural. The third type of work-life balance program mentioned earlier is flex-time. This is a form of work schedule that allows employees to select the hours they will work, for example a condensed work week or a shift (Deery, 2008). Flex-time is particularly attractive to those who have to juggle work with other demands like caring for aged parents or looking after young children if childcare facilities are not provided at the workplace. Flex-time is also beneficial for the company in terms of decreasing overhead costs. If employees work different schedules that do not overlap, equipment such as computers and desks can be shared. Companies that do business with firms in different time zones will also benefit as they are able to operate for longer hours and do not have to pay overtime Bourne et al, 2009). Nevertheless, there are some problems associated with flex-time including difficulty of communicating with employees who work outside regular office hours. There are also concerns about sta ff abusing flex-time. If the flex-time schedule is not structured properly, it could lead to the office being staffed sparsely during peak hours (Burke, 2005) and this is unacceptable. In conclusion, from a purely financial perspective, it would appear that work-life balance programs are more of a cost than an investment to the firm. These programs rely on qualitative measures to estimate their success whereas investments rely on quantitative indicators and attempting to reconcile both is problematic to say the least. However, it would be unfair to dismiss work-life balance programs as facile and unprofitable. Just because something cannot be measured with crude financial instruments does not mean it does not exist. The benefits of work-life balance programs on the happiness and well being of employees are well documented. When employees are happy, they become more productive and this ultimately benefits the organization. Therefore, companies should adopt work-life balance programs as long as they are not a severe financial burden. Question 2 Do you think work-life programs can increase retention? Why or why not? How could you assess whether such a program were a good investment? One of the key reasons cited for the proliferation of work-life balance programs is that they contribute to increased retention of employees. Before we answer how work-life balance programs do so, we first need to examine some of the key reasons for employee turnover. It is widely acknowledged that conditions at the workplace affect job turnover. There are many reasons why employees quit because of conditions at the workplace such as long hours, conflict with colleagues and superiors, lack of appreciation shown by employers and unclear job descriptions. For example, long hours at work and increased work intensity both contribute to adverse physical and psychological conditions and lead to negative family functioning (Burke, 2005). Workplace stress can be caused by long working hours, excessive workloads, weekend duties, inadequate physical activity and an unhealthy lifestyle. All these lead to a reduction in the quality of health. When employees are severely overworked and excessively strained, they experience symptoms of fatigue, depression, musculo-skeletal pains, sleeping disorders and an increase in chronic diseases (Tsui, 2008). When the situation becomes too stressful, employees leave their jobs, even opting for those that pay far less but involve less stress. If workplace stress is prolonged, it leads to burnout. Lee and Shin (2005, cited in Deery, 2008) examined the psychological dimensions of job burnout and concluded that it consisted of three components namely emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and diminished personal accomplishment. Burnout is potentially fatal as it increases the risk of coronary diseases, stroke and suicidal tendencies. Employees who lack time to spend with their family or maintain a social life are more likely to be emotionally exhausted, which impact negatively on their job satisfaction and eventually cause them to leave their organizations (Karatepe and Uludag, 2007 cited in Deery, 2008). The following diagram illustrates the relationship between stress and how retention can be improved by work-life balance programs: (Source: Deery, 2008) Also, employees quit their jobs because of dissatisfaction. The top reason why Americans leave their jobs is because they do not feel appreciated (Ortega, 2006). This dissatisfaction may stem from having inadequate job descriptions and unreasonable demands made by employers. Some may be insufficiently trained to perform their jobs or lack sufficient re-training when their job description changes. To compound the matter, there is no assistance for employees when they encounter technical problems when their jobs change and management is indifferent to their plight. All these contribute to stress and increased dissatisfaction with work. Obviously, remuneration is another factor that leads to job dissatisfaction. Employees become unhappy with their jobs when they feel they are inadequately compensated for their efforts based on comparisons of the remuneration of their peers within the organization or within the industry. In the absence of other benefits that work-life balance programs of fer, there is little incentive for employees to remain within a company if they can earn more elsewhere. Female employees are faced with additional problems that their male counterparts do not experience. Despite advances in promoting equal rights for women at the workplace and the gradual acceptance that the traditional roles of both men and women have and need to evolve to reflect the changing times, female employees still feel they have to shoulder the traditional burden of being the perfect housewife and mother, in addition to proving that they are as capable as men at the workplace. Therefore, women are more vulnerable than men to suffer from stress caused by the conflict of managing the roles of employee, wife and mother (Michel et al, 2009). Often, it is because the workplace is inattentive or even hostile to the problems faced by female employees that compel them to leave the workplace when they start a family or when the demands of their family changes. These are some of the primary causes of employee turnover. High turnover is unacceptable, particularly amongst skilled or knowledge-based workers. Particularly in western countries which have declining birth rates and a tendency for job-hopping, the need to retain key staff is essential. Retaining existing internal resources such as good staff, is crucial to maintain an organizations success (Bourne et al, 2009). High employee turnover breaks the continuity of operations and this will adversely affect efficiency. For instance, when an employee leaves, there is bound to be a break in service until a qualified replacement is found and trained. High staff turnover can foster a culture low in morale and loyalty. From a financial viewpoint, there are two major costs associated with turnover which are replacement costs and preventative costs. Replacement costs are the costs of recruiting, selecting and training replacements; loss of output or efficiency during this process; possible wastag e; spoilage and efficiency due to inexperienced staff (Burke, 2005). On the other hand, preventative costs are the costs of retaining staff through pay, benefits and work-life balance programs. Hence, there is greater pressure for employers to strike a balance between eliminating unproductive employees and formulating new and innovative ways to attract and retain talent. There is some evidence to support the postulation that work-life programs can increase retention, provided that the main cause of workplace stress is juggling work-life balance (Osif, 2009 and Joshi et al, 2002). One, work-life balance programs like wellness and physical fitness programs help reduce the symptoms of stress and promote greater physical health. On the other hand, counseling and support groups help employees to manage their stress. While it is impossible and perhaps not desirable to eliminate all forms of stress at the workplace, such programs can contribute a great deal in managing negative stress. When employees are better able to cope with the demands of the workplace, they are less likely to suffer from burnout and less likely to leave. Secondly, work-life balance programs like flex-time are much welcome by working mothers and employees who may want to further their studies and work at the same time. Additional flexibility in terms of working hours will ensure that employees are not compelled to leave because they cannot work the traditional office hours. This will lead to greater retention. Thirdly, in a bid to retain the best and brightest, companies have to resort to novel ways such as work-life balance programs. Assuming that remuneration is similar between two companies, additional perks will go a long way to making a company the desired place to work. Even if a company offers slightly less salary than its competitors, some employees will be enticed to remain there because of the programs and fringe benefits others do not offer. Finally, companies need to show that they value their employees who often have to sacrifice so much for work. While the traditional viewpoint is to provide financial incentives, very often it is the non-financial gestures that make employees feel valued. For example, having office parties or company vacations may be more personal and sincere gestures to show appreciation when the company performs exceptionally well rather than just provide generous bonuses. In that sense, work-life balance programs can be viewed as the minor intangibles that collectively show whether the employee is valued or not. On the other hand, having work-life balance programs does not alleviate an employees woes if they are caused by other stress factors. For instance, if unhappiness at work is because of lack of sufficient training, then overcoming it would be to provide the necessary training. Findings suggest that training quality is positively related to training satisfaction, job satisfaction and the intention to stay in the company. Thus, this type of training is important as a means of retaining employees. In addition, there is no guarantee that such work-life balance programs will increase retention. No substantial longitudinal study has been conducted to ascertain the effectiveness of such programs in leading to long-term retention of staff, and the costs may outstrip the advantages in the long-run, particularly when the economy is bad and the company needs to cut expenses. In conclusion, there is some evidence that supports the notion that work-life balance programs can increase retention (Turner et al, 2009). Introducing flexible working hours and arrangements, providing better training, breaks from work and better work support all enhance employee retention by resolving some of the work-life conflicts faced by employees. Nevertheless, these programs can only be regarded as good investments if they are proven to improve retention of quality staff in the long term and contribute to the overall profitability of the firm. Question 3 Besides flextime arrangements, wellness programs, child-care options and fitness centers, describe three other common mechanisms to improve employees motivation and retention. Present steps to implement such mechanisms in a typical organization. A company can motivate employees through work-life balance programs. Apart from the ones described earlier, other programs like sabbatical leave, paternal leave and work naps are some of the other mechanisms that can improve employees motivation and retention. While sabbatical leave is normally associated with academic institutions, the scope of sabbatical programs is quite extensive, but basically they provide unrestricted time away from work so that the employee can do what he or she wants. For example, the employee can opt to take sabbatical leave to learn how to paint, travel extensively abroad or for further education. Sabbaticals are viewed as a means to allow critical talent time to recharge and people generally return supercharged and more productive than before (Pagano and Pagano, 2009). Basically, there are three defining characteristics of sabbatical leave. One, the time away is planned. Two, it is extended generally for at least four weeks with some firms offering up to three months and three, the employee is expected to return after the break. There is some psychological basis for providing sabbatical leave. Such a work-life balance program is viewed as a form of work motivation. Specifically, it fulfils Maslows Hierarchy of Needs theory. According to Maslow, needs are arranged in a hierarchy from the most basic to the highest level (Baron, 1998). There are five hierarchies of needs which are (in ascending order) physiological needs (the need for food, water and sleep), safety needs (need for security), social needs (need to belong), esteem needs (the need to develop self-respect) and self-actualization needs (the need for self-fulfilment). Therefore taken in this context, taking a sabbatical leave to fulfil a longstanding desire is a form of self-fulfilment that will ultimately benefit the individual. However, employers generally tend to negatively view sabbatical leave of this nature as an indulgent form of fantasy and a waste of both time and money to the company. Yet, harbouring unfulfilled desires will adversely affec t productivity as the employee will feel frustrated. In addition, even the best job can seem monotonous after a while and sabbatical leave should be viewed as a way of gaining fresh perspective and overcoming work fatigue. There are some problems when instituting sabbatical programs which is why companies tend to avoid them. The first problem is lack of top management support. Top management must see the merits of such a program to implement it successfully. Secondly, there is a problem of scheduling. Too many employees taking sabbatical leave at the same time is a serious threat to business, especially during busy seasons. From the employees viewpoint, sabbatical leave can be problematic in two main respects. One, the employee may be worried that if he or she is away for too long, the company may decide that it can do without them. Two, returning to work after a lengthy sabbatical can be very stressful and intense since there will be a lot of unfinished work to attend to (Turner et al, 2009). However, sabbatical programs can be successful if well implemented. First, the company should determine the objectives of such a program, be it to re-energize employees, attract new employees or improve work culture. Two, the company should study the market to see what other companies are offering to come up with better programs. Three, employees should be involved in the decision making process to gain their input and insights. Four, the program should be developed by preparing a sabbatical leave policy. This should include support documents like departure checklists, timelines and scheduling requirements. Five, the program should be piloted to ascertain its effectiveness and adjusted if necessary (Pagano and Pagano, 2009). Frederick Herzberg developed a theory of motivation called the Two-factor theory that is similar to Maslows Hierarchy of Needs. According to Herzberg, job satisfaction and job dissatisfaction acted independently of each other (Baron, 1998). Hence, there are factors at the workplace that cause job satisfaction, whilst there are other factors that cause dissatisfaction. The positive satisfaction factors are collectively termed motivators. These include recognition of a job well done, a sense of achievement and personal growth. Hence, they reflect Maslows hierarchy of needs. However, Herzberg describes another set of factors called hygiene factors. Hygiene factors do not provide positive satisfaction such as company policy, and working conditions, but their absence could cause dissatisfaction. Therefore, work-life programs can be regarded as hygiene factors, the absence of which causes job dissatisfaction. While it is common for most companies to provide paid maternity for their female employees, few in Malaysia extend paternity leave to male employees, though it is common practice in Scandinavian countries. This is a fringe benefit that is being increasingly sought after by more and more employees. As the traditional roles of men and women evolve, more fathers now want to have a more hands-on approach to parenting. This means being with their wives during childbirth and tending to the needs of mother and child during the crucial period following birth. The Family and Medical Leave Act in America allows for a minimum of 12 weeks paid paternity leave while those in Scandinavian countries allow leave to be extended for up to three years (Joshi et al, 2002). While it is unlikely that Malaysian fathers will want to take such a long time off from work, more would like to spend a week or two with their recuperating wives and new infants. Therefore, providing paternity leave acts as a form of motivator to encourage male employees to remain with the company (Robbins and Judge, 2007). Implementing paternal leave at the workplace should not be too difficult as the procedure is similar to maternity leave. Hence the same documents for record keeping can be used. Taking a nap at work would seem extremely unprofessional and unproductive. Yet, some researchers conclude that taking short naps at work, termed power naps may actually increase alertness and productivity. The scientific argument in support of power naps is that it is designed to replenish down time during out circadian rhythm which normally occurs during the afternoon. Some of the benefits of power naps include increased memory, response time and cognitive skills. Taking power naps may be linked to the drive theory which is a theory of motivation that suggests that behavior is pushed from within by drives stemming from basic biological needs like sleep (Baron, 1998). The problems associated with permitting power naps at the workplace include the duration of the nap, scheduling and top management support. It is generally believed that a power nap of fifteen to twenty minutes is sufficient to yield the abovementioned benefits (Robbins and Judge, 2007). Anything longer than that will result in the employee falling into deep sleep which would result in sleeping difficulty at night. However, the company must decide when it is permissible for employees to nap. Some allow employees to nap during their lunch break while others prepare a schedule. While it is not necessary to prepare special sleeping areas since employees are perfectly capable of sleeping at their desks, it is important to ensure that such naps do not interrupt the flow of work. Customers must also not see employees napping as it would create a negative perception of the company. However, if implemented correctly, power naps may be amongst the cheapest and most beneficial forms of work-life balance programs. In conclusions, these are but a few examples of the many work-life balance programs that can be designed to provide motivation and improve retention of employees. Deciding on which to choose will depend on the size and nature of the organization, its work culture and the target benefits of such programs. Top management should keep an open mind about these initiatives for if conducted in the correct manner, the desired results can be obtained.