Alibaba.Com Case Essay

1. Alibaba.com was an early entrant into the B2B portal market in China. In about 100 words, explain how this might have created a lock-in effect, especially given the types of businesses he site attracts. Alibaba.com does translation as well as listings for small to mid-sized businesses who want to do business. In so doing there is a lot of time and effort put into this business venture by these businesses. Once they are established and have spent the money to get there they wouldn’t be looking at changing their site unless this one wasn’t working for them. Since this site really concentrates its efforts towards these businesses and it is working they are pretty much a lock-in. Other businesses startups that would try and gain their business would have to provide something they are not already getting in order to lure them away. 2. Alibaba.com currently charges foreign sellers an annual fee of about $400 for a TrustPass membership, but Chinese companies pay $8000 or more for their annual listings as China Gold Suppliers. In about 200 words, explain why the site has different listing charges for the two types of members and critically evaluate this practice. Foreign sellers are limited to the amount of items they can list on the site. The TrustPass isn’t necessary for them to buy it only pays for a credit check that assures companies wanting to buy for them that they have been checked out. It would be advantageous for companies to pay the fee for a TrustPass in order for the companies wanting to buy from them to know they are someone who can be trusted. Whereas, the money paid by the Chinese companies is paying for the translation and the listing of all their information on the site as well as marketing. Chinese companies are not limited to the amount of items they can list. Alibaba.com is also connecting small and mid-sized businesses from around the world with those small and mid-sized businesses in China who subscribe to them. Alibaba.com is doing marketing for these businesses that might otherwise not have the resources to do this. Most small or mid-sized businesses in China would look to such means as trade fairs and other such avenues to meet other suppliers and to attract customers to their businesses. There is such a wide gap between the pricing that it could be construed the Chinese companies are way over paying for the services. However, when you look at all they are getting for their money and the fact it is opening many more doors for them it seems it isn’t. With the growth of the company and the renewal rate – it seems to be working well for them and they aren’t arguing the price. 3. You learned in Chapter 5 that large companies, such as General Electric and Sears, often require suppliers to follow specific rules if they want to do business (such as using EDI or even a specific EDI VAN). Alibaba.com currently focuses on connecting SMBs with each other. In about 200 words, discuss opportunities that might exist for Alibaba.com to become an intermediary in relationships between Chinese SMBs and large global companies such as General Electric and Sears. Alibaba.com could be the site to use a value-added network (VAN) and have all the software, equipment and skills needed to do transactions with the bigger companies. By having only one EDI translator computer saving each of the SMBs it contracts with from each one of them having to have their own. By hooking up with a VAN provider Alibaba.com would have the advantages of that provider for all of the SMBs it has contacts with. By everyone using the same VAN the costs could be spread out over everyone and not be so costly, thus letting all the SMBs getting the advantages of the VAN. By doing this Alibaba.com becomes a supplier for not only SMBs to SMBs but can now help those SMBs by selling to larger and more retail companies who require that anyone they buy from have an EDI. By Alibaba.com moving to this next step they can up their membership fees to cover the cost of upgrading to this option. It is a win-win situation for both Alibaba.com and all of the SMBs it does business with. Alibaba.com grows and the SMBs are now able to contract with bigger industrial companies and retailers that they would not have the opportunity to do before. With these new contracting opportunities the SMBs also have the opportunity to grow. 4. In 2003, Alibaba.com launched Taobao.com to compete in the general consumer online auction market against eBay in China. After four years of an intensive and expensive battle, eBay withdrew from China completely. In about 200 words, describe the advantages Alibaba.com might have had over eBay in this new market, and then describe the advantages eBay might have had over Alibaba.com. Be sure to discuss lock-in effects where appropriate. Alibaba.com was already a well-known and trusted name in business dealings when it opened Taobao.com. Since Alibaba.com was pretty much a lock-in with its B2B portal for SMBs it would be a natural progression for Taobao.com under the Alibaba.com structure to become a lock-in for another market being the general consumer online auction market. By drawing off of the Alibaba.com name the Taobao.com site would become more valuable to people who already are aware of the company than in investing in a new company such as eBay trying to come in and start from scratch. The trust had already been gained and people are not going to willingly move from a company they already trust to a new company starting out. By being an established company Taobao.com could possibly be able to offer incentives, fairer prices and a larger buyer/seller base than eBay just coming in. People who are buying or selling would want the larger base in order to get what they want to buy or to get a better price for what they are selling. By winning against eBay this would pretty much lock-in Taobao.com and make it rather difficult for any other company wanting to try and compete against them in the future. 5. In 2005, Yahoo! Paid $1 billion for a 40 percent interest in Alibaba.com. Yahoo! was interested in the company’s Taobao.com auction site because Yahoo! had not been as successful as it would have liked in developing its own Chinese auction site. However, Yahoo! was also interested in using Alibaba.com’s strong reputation in China to help I compete with Baidu.com, the top Chinese search engine site. In about 200 words, describe the ways in which Alibaba.com’s reputation could help Yahoo! Compete more effectively as a search engine and Web portal in China. By Alibaba.com being an established business since 1995 and being a lock-in for the, SMB to SMB, B2B market worldwide and then being another lock-in for the general consumer online auction market in 2003 it’s competition in both areas were basically out of luck. By Yahoo! offering to buy into the company showed that they knew they weren’t going to be able to come in as a new company and beat out Alibaba.com or Taobao.com. It had already been tried by eBay and they had failed after spending years and money to do it and not making it. Therefore, by buying an interest in an already established company Yahoo! was able to get its name out there in the public sector and business sectors and start gaining the trust by becoming a part of an already trusted company. When a large company endorses another product or site it lends credibility to that product or site and its followers are more willing to take a chance on the new one. By Alibaba.com and Taobao.com putting their mark on Yahoo! as a reliable search engine and Web portal it was saying to all of their contract businesses and buyers and sellers that this was someone they should use and trust as well. Thus they gave Yahoo! that boost above any of the other search engines out their vying for people to use them.

Womens Life

WOMEN’S LIFE WORLD CIVIALIZATIONS HIS 103 OCTOBER 9,2012 The life of a women has changed in way of improvement. Back in the days women couldn’t really do much but stay home and take care of the kids. In the 1800 Elizabethan era times most people's rights were fairly limited. There was no democracy, and most people had very little say in national politics, though on the parochial level, men and women could be elected to parish councils. What you did with your life was as much influenced by your social class, degree of wealth, etc, as it was by your gender.For instance, few children get a chance of more than a very basic education,and most boys and girls would go to work at an early age. it was taken for granted that people defered to those of a higher social class, and the young were expected to defer to the old. For women specifically, there were married women's property acts which were passed in the 1860s and 1880s. The divroce laws were changed so that a woman could o btain a divorce from an adulterous or abusive spouse, and the Infant Custody Act gave women who were innocent parties in divorce the right to have custody of young children.In Elizabethan times, the role of the midwife in society was an important one, since childbirth was regarded as an exclusively female affair. The midwife had to be a woman of good character, and was licenced by the local bishop, since she was authorised to baptise newborn babies who she thought were unlikely to live long enough to have a proper baptissm. However, in the 18th century, the rise of the male obstetrician meant that the midwife became a marginal figure in the childbirthing process,instead of being at the centre of it.In elizabethan times,when most people lived in the country and were at least partially self-sufficient, being a housewife was a demanding role that involved many specialist skills. A housewife had to be able to brew and bake, spin and weave, preserve food, make home remedies for illness, make other household items like soap and candles, many women even made their own cosmetics and perfume. And they would be in charge of the poultry and the dairy, make their own butter and cheese, and sell their urplus produce at market. Women in the Victorian era . A wife's proper role was to love, honour and obey her husband, as her marriage vows stated. A wife's place in the family hierarchy was secondary to her husband, but far from being considered unimportant, a wife's duties to tend to her husband and properly raise her children were considered crucial cornerstones of social stability by the Victorians. Women seen as falling short of society's expectations were believed to be deserving of harsh criticism.In divorce great changes in the situation of women took place in the 19th century, especially concerning marriage laws and the legal rights of women to divorce and/or gain custody of children. The situation that fathers always received custody of their children, leaving the mo ther without any rights, slowly started to change. husband only had to prove his wife's adultery, a woman had to prove her husband had not only committed adultery but also incest, bigamy, cruelty or desertion. Women could secure a separation on the grounds of cruelty and claim custody of their children.Magistrates even authorised protection orders to wives whose husbands have been convicted of aggravated assault. Victorian morality and sexuality Women were expected to have sex with only one man, their husband. However, it was acceptable for men to have multiple partners in their life. If women did have sexual contact with another man, they were seen as ruined or fallen. In education women were not freely offered the opportunity to study subjects of an extended, classical, and commercial nature. This made it difficult for a woman to break free from the societal constraints to achieve independent economical status.Education was specialised by gender. Women were provided with the oppor tunity to study refined subjects such as history, geography and general literature which would provide them with interesting but noncontroversial topics for discussion. Despite the restrictions and stigmatisation, some women did excel in â€Å"male† subjects such as law, physics, engineering, science and art. These women pioneered the path for the much improved gender equality in modern education in the UK. Women were rarely given the opportunity to attend university. It was even said that studying was against their nature and could make them ill.They were to stay more or less an â€Å"ornament of society. An Egyptian woman could acquire possessions in many ways. She could receive it as gifts or as an inheritance from her parents or husband. Or she could receive it from purchases with goods which she earned either through employment, or which she borrowed. A woman had claims to up to one-third of all the community property in her marriage. For example, the property which acc rued to her husband and her only after they were married. When a woman brought her own private property to a marriage, ( dowry), it remained hers, even though the husband often had the free use of it.In the event of a divorce her property had to be returned to her, in addition to any divorce settlement that might be stipulated in the original marriage contract. A woman was free to bequeath property from her husband to her children or even to her own brothers and sisters (unless there was some stipulation against such in her husband's will). A woman could also freely disinherit children of her private property, i. e. , the property she brought to her marriage or her share of the community property. She could selectively bequeath that property to certain children and not to others.Marrige was a very important part of ancient Egyptian society. Some people say it was almost a duty to get married. Compared to today's world, Egyptian marriages were very different; husbands could marry mor e than one wife, and people of close relations (first cousins, brothers and sisters, ect. ) could also wed one another. As you read you can see that women’s life has changed to better a women’s life. The women now have lots of rights and are very successful in many ways. Reference , Ph. D / Role Of Women In Ancient Egypt The Natural women’s museum

A research paper on the 3 largest minority groups in the U.S Essay

The top three largest minorities in the United States are the Hispanic Americans, African Americans, and Asian Americans. The United States 2000 census indicated the total population as 281. 4 million where the 3 minorities represent approximately 30. 1 percent of the population. The purchasing power for the 3 major minority groups in very important n marketing and is provided in this study (Sfm 2008). African Americans African Americans are the second largest group of minorities and heavily contribute in the national politics, social welfares as well as economy. The population has increased in number within the various government and states welfares. This helps the group to advance financially according to the joint center for economic studies survey (Dana 2007). The total population of African American consumers is approximately 36. 4 million which relates to approximately 12. 9 percent of the total population in the country. As a result, targeting these consumers and studying their growth impacts on the multiplication of wealth and properties in the country. A landmark survey conducted in 2008 illustrates increased growth especially in the â€Å"mortgage originations, medium household income, and small businesses entrepreneurs and obtaining of degrees in higher education levels† (Sfm 2008). According to census bureau, African Americans have the second highest purchasing power in the minorities with turn over of $532 billion which translates to 73 percent growth as compared to 1990. In the education sector, the number of degrees offered in higher education is hitting three times as much as that of general market. African Americans have made use of the mortgage system to own house hold houses and around 50% of the household resides in their own homes (Sfm 2008). On entrepreneurship and ownership of small and medium businesses, the rate of expansion is five times as much as white Americans where revenues according to a business study conducted has experienced a 60 percent growth. The average age for African Americans is 30 and around 15 percent earns a household income of more than $50,000. The average house hold income in 2008 was $34,000 (Dana 2007). Availability of income influences the purchasing power of an individual. A study conducted in 2007 indicate that around 300, 000 African American house holds has a house hold income of above $100,000. This indicates that approximately 1 in every 6 households in the group earns this income (Dana 2007). For the medium households, the group is experiencing 60 percent growth in comparison to the whites’ households. This has helped in offering various opportunities for this minority group with a â€Å"mean portfolio size of $115, 000 for each house hold and approximately $57, 500,000 dollars of investment at hand† (Sfm 2008). With the use of statistics for projection, the investment dollars is expected to multiply to $83,375, 000 in duration of five years and attain a mean of $115,920,000 after a decade (MacInnis 2009). African Americans according to the United States population census represent 12. 1 percent of national citizens. This composes of the of all those who have been born in the country and have resided with their families for more than 300 years as well as those who have immigrated from Africa in the recent past. African Americans represent people from the black race (MacInnis 2009). On the regional demographics, African Americans are not clustered in limited areas with respect to other minorities. However, the group is the main driver for the markets in most of the cities in the United States. Report from the United States census Bureau indicates that â€Å"76 percent of the total population in Detroit, 65 percent in Washington and approximately 62 percent in New Orleans† are African Americans (Sfm 2008). Their population is also evident in various other states including â€Å"New York City, Chicago, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Houston, Baltimore and Memphis. † For the universities in these states, approximately 78 percent of the students are African American (MacInnis 2009). Extensive migration for the African Americans is being experienced mostly to the south. Various states including Atlanta are experiencing massive economic expansion through the group activities. There are also increased employment opportunities mainly in â€Å"Houston, Dallas, Raleigh-Durham and other states from the south† which are attracting the African Americans into the region. The region has also cheap real estate, moderate weather and easily affordable way of live (MacInnis 2009). Successive marketing in the African American society requires clear understanding of their culture. The group according to a survey is discerning shoppers and is very careful on quality and satisfaction. They are loyal customers and remain in the brands they use thus a good relationship is required. Appearance in advertisement is very appreciative for the group in the utilization of their talents (MacInnis 2009). The internet is another media form that is widely used by the African Americans through the on line commerce. In investment, the group mainly engages in real estates business and banking sector as opposed to the bonds and stocks which is popular among the whites (Sfm 2008). Hispanic Americans The Hispanic population in the United States the largest minority group and is increasingly growing and thus affecting various sectors. This might be from political to business view. The population for the Hispanics is currently approximately 35. 3 million, approximately 13% of total population according to census department which translates to a percentage growth of 38 percent in comparison to overall population growth of 9 percent (Dana 2007). The population is projected to reach a high of 96 million by 2050 where they will take a quarter of the total population. Among the Hispanics, approximately 2 million people earn more than $75,000 in every year. The average house hold income in 2008 was $40,800 (Sfm 2008). The population has a huge transactional power of approximately $428 billion. This is expected to reach $600 billion in five years. The Hispanics household income is significant and their mean number of people in every household is 3. 6. This also gives an average age of 26. As a result, there is need to understand the group’s culture for effective marketing (Dana 2007). Majority of the Hispanics originate outside countries. The dominating countries of origin are â€Å"Mexico, Cuba, Puerto Rica, the Dominican republic and various countries in south/central America† (Sfm 2008). The group heavily embarks on their family with much priority hoping to offer the best. Respect of culture with marking of various events is also common with the group. The population like watching sports over the television with professional boxing followed by base ball being the favorite according to a study by MDI (Dana 2007). The United States census bureau indicates that majority Hispanics, approximately 80 percent reside mainly in five states. However, around 59 percent reside in ten states including â€Å"Los Angeles, New York, Miami, San Francisco, Chicago, Houston, San Antonio, McAllen, Dallas, Worth and San Diego† (Sfm 2008). For effective marketing in the group, products relevant to their culture provide a consolidated base and increased number of customers. Products that would address family matters and its importance are also marketable in the Hispanics (Dana 2007). Language is very important for the Hispanics and they prefer the use of mother language thus advertising of products should be done with Spanish speaking media rather than English speaking media (MacInnis 2009). Creation of friendship and one to one contact with the customers is required due to relationship orientation by the group (Dana 2007). This would also call for recruitment of Hispanic personnel. Considering that around 30 percent of Hispanic population is below 18 years of age customization of vehicles is advisable. In the universities, approximately 21 percent of undergraduate students are Hispanic (Sfm 2008). Asian Americans Asians represents various nationalities including â€Å"Japanese, Chinese, Koreans, and Asian Indians. † In the United States, Asian Americans total to 11. 9 million which represents 4. 2 percent of the total population. This is projected to get to 35 million by 2050. The Asian Americans have a high purchasing power of approximately $300 billion annually (Louis 2010). Asian Americans have a mean age of 33 years where more than half of population aged 25 and above are married. The population strongly values their family. The Asians have a multi generational type of house holds with mean of 3. 8 per household (Sfm 2008). Majority speaks their mother language and educate their students on language schools mainly Chinese. Majority of the Asians are entrepreneurs with long working hours with reduced leisure shopping. They are ranked as the lowest group in leisure related activities. Due to their increased hard work, they are the highest income earners in the United States. The average household income for the Asians is was $66,900 in 2008 (Louis 2010). In the education sector, Asians household have the highest education level with comparison to the various other groups. It was reported that 38 percent of the Asians Americans have a degree certificate (Sfm 2008). Effective marketing in the Asian American population require intensive knowledge as well as preparation in addition to staffing from the group. In the advertising a number of agencies have already been established that specializes in the Asian American markets. Ethnic group members play the advertising procedure thus one requires understanding of community as well as language for excellence. The strong language preference has led to the growth of Asian media in the United States with increased Asian language television, radio, newspapers, and magazine (Sfm 2008). Asians reside in a few states and this provides n easier communication program for the population. Among the key states where Asian American resides include â€Å"California, New York, and Texas† (Louis 2010). They also reside in Los Angeles and San Francisco but in reduced numbers. Filipinos are more so concentrated in Los Angeles whereas the Chinese are in New York City. For the case of San Francisco, the two are concentrated. The Asian population is also expanding in â€Å"Washington, Seattle, Houston and Dallas. This is as a result of technological expansion and other investment gains (Louis 2010). References Dana, L. P. (2007). Handbook of research on ethnic minority entrepreneurship: a co- evolutionary. Massachusetts. Edward Elgar Publishers Louis E. Boone, David L. Kurtz. (2010). Contemporary Business 2010 Update. New York. John Wiley & Sons MacInnis, D. J. , Park, C. W. , & Priester, J. W. (2009). Handbook of brand relationships. New York. M. E Sharpe publishers. Sfm. 2008. Article accessed from http://www. sifma. org/services/hrdiversity/pdf/African. pdf

Acceptable Use and Behavior Policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Acceptable Use and Behavior Policy - Essay Example To protect confidential information and its financial interests, the company has adopted a number of acceptable use and behavior policies that not only enable it to mitigate the threats but also allow the employees to flexibly conduct their daily businesses without affecting the productivity. This paper discusses the physical security policy, vulnerabilities, audit policy, log management, system administrator policies as well as the various security incident handling procedures at Firion Company. Firion has implemented a number of physical security policies that are primarily aimed at improving the integrity and confidentiality of the information systems that are used in the company. One of the physical security policies that is the prohibition of the use of devices such as USB drive, FireWire and rewritable CDs/DVDs on company owned assets (Wijayanayake, 2009). Additionally all the company communication systems are only required to be configured by the IT department and no modificat ions are allowed to both the software and hardware without the approval of the IT security team. In this regard, Firion employees, business partners, contractors and vendors are not allowed to install any software applications or hardware into any machines used by the company. Generally some of the main security vulnerabilities that are currently facing Firion include potential leakage of corporate information through removable storage devices, introduction of malicious applications into the information systems of the company and misuse of computer resources. For example, employees participating surfing social network sites may unknowingly bring malicious content to the company systems. Audit Policy Item The audit policy item employed by Firion Corporation is primarily designed to guide the security team to audit the company’s infrastructure system and mitigate the potential vulnerabilities. It is the responsibility of the security team to ensure that all the information rega rding the company which are posted over the internet are properly audited to ensure that they do not compromise the security of the company (Rudolph, 2009). For example the security team is required to constantly monitor and revaluate the system and makes the necessary patches to potential security breaches. Additionally the company also makes regular vulnerability and social engineering tests to detect potential threats to the company websites and online information.   Log Management Policy Item As part of its log management policies, Firion does not allow any employee to lock their workplace computers when not in use or write down their login passwords on paper. The responsibility of creating and maintaining a secure log management infrastructure at Firion is given to the security team. For example, the security team not only performs regular log reviews and access monitoring but they also ensure the privacy of sensitive and confidential information through the use of central au thentication credentials such as user passwords. The company has also designed role based access control regulations which ensures that the access of any employee to facilities and company data is based on their roles and therefore only employees who need particular data will be able to login and access to the data. System Administrator Policy Item   According to Ferion’s system administrator policies, administrative rights are only reserved to the security t

Motivational case assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Motivational case - Assignment Example Another assumption is that people should be treated fairly and this identifies with Joe’s case to suggest that unfair treatment, based on his lack of college degree, explains his loss of motivation. Elements of the model also identify with the case and management’s failure to mitigate Joe’s challenges, such as academic based discrimination, explains his lack of motivation. In addition, the level of discrimination that Joe perceives suggests to him that his promotion opportunities in the organization are limited, and this establishes a barrier between outcomes and satisfaction elements for Joe (Whetten & Cameron 332, 333). Limited availability of rewards to Joe, despite his high performance, is the cause of the problem, and Joe’s expression that identifies focus on his poor academic qualifications explains this. He explains that he is not regarded because of his low qualifications and that he is the lowest paid worker because of the low qualification. This however occurs while he performs as his graduate workmates do and he contributes valuable ideas to the organization even with existence of the graduates. He therefore lacks motivation because of biased reward and recognition system (Whetten & Cameron 362). Elements of reprimand, redirection, and reinforcement can be used to reshape Joe’s behavior. The management should identify the discrimination that Joe suffers, inform other employees of this, and warn against further discrimination. Pointing out effects of the discrimination, such as Joe’s refrain from offering valuable ideas and his declining performance, on organizational objectives will also shape Joe’s behavior by eliminating the cause of low motivation. Similarly, establishing guidelines for non-discriminative actions towards Joe, ensuring that employees are willing to comply, and praising Joe for all his success

Identification Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Identification - Essay Example Politically, socialist parties in the United States began fairing very poorly in the run up to the general elections. For instance, in the year 2008, socialist candidates and their parties received less than two of the three socialist candidates. This is way below what other socialist candidates in other nations receive. In Germany for example, socialist parties gathered close to 50% of the total votes cast in each successive election since the 1970’s. There are several theories, however, that explain this phenomena in United States politics or governance. The United States has never had a feudal system. Other nations had hierarchical systems which was lead from the top by a supreme deity while at the bottom of the system lay the commoner. Such systems were discriminatory in nature since it gave too much power to the person at the top at the expense of the common man at the bottom. A good example of such a system is the United Kingdom which has always been headed by the Royal family members. Since there is no known history of such a system in the history of the United States, it would be difficult to establish one presently. Most United States citizen prefer or think that they live a modest lifestyle therefore can be categorized as living in the middle class. Even the filthy rich would like to believe this fallacy. This means that majority of United States citizens fear class systems since it would make them look different from others. They do not appreciate the fact that some of them may be superior or wealthier than others but would rather be seen as equal to one another. For instance, the head of state from one regime to another have all been seen or reported to be engaging in activities that are considered to be done by the regular person such as collecting firewood or swimming by the sea shores. Unlike other socialist nations, the United States workers were not mandated to from parties so as to be heard in the national elections. Instead, workers we re granted freedom to vote or run for office without necessarily forming a labor party. Additionally, many political parties were ready and willing to welcome any worker who had interest in running for a particular political office. This can be seen in the way presidential candidates woo workers during campaigns by visiting them at their work stations and extending a welcoming arm to anyone who would like to join the campaign as well as searching for potential votes. Absence of socialism in the United States has played greatly to its advantage. It has encouraged equality among its citizens whereby everyone is given a chance to be heard or participate in whichever economic, social or political activity he or she wishes to engage in. This means that everyone has an equal opportunity to battle on a level ground without outside interference or having unfair advantage. It has also brought the government closer to the people and therefore can easily address issues affecting the general po pulation since the government has hands on experience and is accessible to the people. 2. Die Welle It is a German film released in the year 2008 by movie director Denis Gansel. The term ‘Die Welle’ is a German word that translates to ‘The Wave’. Based on a real life story, aims to address the issue of Nazism and potential outbreaks of this group in future. The plot of the story is set in Germany in local German School which is attended by rich and very intelligent students as well as the teaching staff. It all starts when a

Whats wrong with school lunches Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Whats wrong with school lunches - Essay Example The situation has gone so bad that children born in the year 2000 are now likely to have diabetes in their lifetime. It would be one out of every three Caucasians,  one out of every two African-Americans and Hispanics. And unless we change the way we feed our children, this will just get worst. Anne Cooper’s talk is very much related to the documentary of James Brewer â€Å"Food Inc†. They have the same format of being shown in video and almost have the same argument except that Food Inc. included everybody in the equation and not just children. It talked about the shift in America’s eating habit and the way it is produced by big business is more disturbing that we think. The food that is now presented to us by big business is not produced the way that they are presented to us and borrowing from Kenner’s words â€Å"US does not jibe with the pastoral imagery often depicted on the packaging, but rather involves giant firms operating huge factories with brutal conditions† (Brewer, 2010). These brutal conditions meant that food are no longer grown the way they were but became industrialize that it can be likened to a factory. It was detailed in the Food Inc. documentary that chickens never saw daylight in their lifetime where cows are fed with corn and antibiotics standing all day in a cake of manure. The advent of this unhealthy food can be traced back to the idea of selling foods that are cheap, convenient and tasty to respond to the customer’s preference of a delicious and cheap food albeit unhealthy. This materialized when McDonald brothers had a very successful drive-in restaurant and decided to cut cost and simplify. They fired all their carshops and got rid of the things on the menu and mechanized the entire food preparation. This basically brought the factory in the restaurant kitchen and

International Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words - 1

International Business - Essay Example In the year 1995, Amazon.com launched its first online shopping site, while eBay did their web portal in 1996 (Palmer Kimberly, 2007). 1-1 The development of online shopping In this 21st century, the use of the Internet (World Wide Web) has been through a very dramatic growth of ensuring efficiency, proper connectivity, security, usability and cost effectiveness. These achievements have been realized by getting many of its benefits especially for commercial companies’ positions as was the case in 1993. The World Wide Web was initially developed to be used as a commercial tool, by the British scientist Tim Berners-Lee (Berners-Lee, 2000). Instead of using the Internet solely as a technological tool, it quickly became an effective channel used for the commercial outlet purposes by business vendors and customers who are world wide. By late 2000, the total number of immense internet users had risen to more than 450 million because of its conveniences (Nua, 2012). According to esti mates done by Nua (2012), there were already more than 30 million hosted websites as reported by the various server organizations by 2012 (Web update, www.nua.ie/surveys). The estimated number of users have since its invention increased, signifying that online purchasing and transactions have been on the rise as well (Joines, Scherer & Scheufele, 2003). Online transactions such as purchasing of both goods and services have been cited by many of the web prototypes’ users as advantageous over the traditional techniques that were initially used since web portal applications do not commit consumers to shop at any specific times or specific locations .This advantage of web application has created a quantum leap from the traditional ways of shopping. According to (Joines et al. 2003), online shopping is classified as the most convenient method for customers since all commercial websites provide online visitors with advantages of easily browsing through the available goods and servi ces, and effectively purchasing any of their products and or services at any time by just a click of the button. Equally important, online customers are provided with chat and call applications where they are able to discuss their needs with their product providers and get immediate responses at very low or no costs at all. Additionally, customers have been able to benefit profoundly by using the online transaction methods because of the products’ or services’ reduced prices. Online shoppers are therefore able to shop from any vendor who is offering the desired goods/ services around the world at very low prices. Besides purchasing, no transit charges are appended to small items (Oppenheim et al., 2006). Searching through the internet for products/ services and finding more information about them before doing purchases is always very important to avoid false buying/ purchases. Unlike for the traditional method of

Children's Fire Safety Programs in Edinburgh Term Paper - 1

Children's Fire Safety Programs in Edinburgh - Term Paper Example The first level of operational assurance that will be available will be based on the evaluation programs that will be implemented. The surveys that will take place after the programs can be considered and assessed for the short-term goals being met. If the retention levels of the fire hazard programs continue to improve and if the teacher responses are implemented, then it can be seen that the staff are providing the right level for the programs. Continuous innovation and the ability to meet the short-term goals will then provide a stronger basis for the programs and will become a measure of the operational assurance that is a part of the program. This will be furthered by the specific needs that are within the educational areas. Being able to meet these and receiving direct responses from the educational institutions will ensure that there is a higher level of quality that is being met.The operational assurance will then be followed by the understanding that the staff needs to meet the standards that were provided as a main resource in the beginning. Monitoring and mediation will be given to the staff to ensure that they continue to meet the standards that are expected with both the programs and inside the office. By doing this, there will be the ability to ensure that the staff continues to comply with the standards that have been set by past programs. There will also be the ability to ensure that the standards continue to be implemented while raising the standards to current issues that are a part of the community. This will be followed by the ability to create programs that are built from a combination of innovation and basic standards that are in compliance with the expected resources.

Plagiarism and Fraud Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Plagiarism and Fraud - Essay Example Occasionally these cases hit the roof and media pushes them forward. Many academic frauds are never even discovered and pose a threat to the integrity of authors and authenticity. One such case occurred of a professor in India, where he was found guilty of plagiarising above 70 papers and publishing them in his name between the years 2004 to 2007. This fraud was committed by a chemistry professor named Pattium Chiranjeevi he was teaching at Sri Venkateswara University in Tirupati located in India. (Schulz, 2008) Pattium Chiranjeevi had submitted an article on the measurement of Arsenic (III) which was found identical to a published research paper by some Japanese scholars. He was also allegedly involved in charging students for awarding them their respective degrees. This fraud was exposed by Purnendu K. (Sandy) Dasgupta, who was also a chemistry tutor at the University of Texas. The discovery was done using a tool eTBlast. The discovery was initiated by a student of Dasgupta who reviewed the paper by Chiranjeevi. He informed Dasgupta about his suspicion of plagiarism on the professor’s work. Professor Dasgupta first threatened Professor Chiranjeevi about notifying his university of his misconduct. This did not receive a response from Chiranjeevi and he denied all accusation on his work. The notification letter was thus sent by Professor Dasgupta to Duvvuru Gunasekar, head of Chemistry Department of Chiranjeevi University; who did a detailed survey and probed in Chiranjeevi publications including the Arsenic (III) paper along with duplicate papers on selenium. The stakeholders in the mentioned case of plagiarism and fraud are Sri Venkateswara University, its faculty, and administrators, head of department and research journals who published his plagiarised articles and papers. This is because such crime was being committed under their noses.  

Human Resource Management Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Human Resource Management - Research Paper Example ed customer requirements, difference in the cultural values among the people or the workers, an overabundance of stakeholders like customers, investors and so on with varied claims, diverse economic, political as well as legal environments and lastly the assortment of strategies of the competitors (Financial Times, 2007). Cultural Factors Cultural factors are considered to be the slightest substantial factor but for international organizations, they turn out to be one of the most important factors. Culture is perceived to be the features and behavioral structure of the people of a particular society. Cultural factors include religion, customs and approaches, language, values and mind-sets, education, material constituents, social foundations and aesthetics. Culture can also be said to be the complete system of life of the people in a specific society. For organizations to be successful, it is vital that they take into deliberation and adapt to the culture of the country or society. U nderstanding the cultural factors assists in endowing with competitive advantage to some extent to the organizations (Lan & Unhelkar, 2005). For instance, the Indian culture is quite open to new products, ideas and thoughts and accepts change without much hesitance. Thus, the people in India working as employees can adapt to the different working style and ways without much hesitance, whereas the Japanese culture is quite rigid and is not open towards accepting all and every kind of alterations in their society. Thus, organizations branching out in Japan should take it into concern and should be careful to practice their business operations according to the societal ways. Any alteration in the ways of working in the organizations would not be readily accepted by the local employees and... This essay stresses that the growing organizations require complying with the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development or the OECD. This is considered as the developer of rules in case of industrialized countries. The International Labor Organization, involved with the issue of ‘direct investment’ in the developing nations, can also be considered as another developer of code of conduct for globalizing companies. This article makes a conclusion that organizations need to concentrate and focus on multiple factors while planning their global expansion. The success or the failure of organizations is dependent on the proper treatment and understanding of the above mentioned factors. It is quite important for organizations to take these issues into consideration so as to attain competitive advantages along with global success. Successful global expansion would ensure the sustained existence of such organizations in this fiercely competitive age. It should be kept in mind that the adaption of effective human resource management strategies is the most significant aspects to be considered while expanding globally. It can not only minimize the risks associated with environmental and cultural divergences, but can also reward the organization with better productivity and sustainable growth in the market. With this concern, the human resource management practices should be altered according to the cultur e, preference and trends of the host market.

Understanding Your Role As A Teacher Essay Example for Free

Understanding Your Role As A Teacher Essay I have been asked to critically examine and discuss the work of three selected authors and to compare and contrast their views. I will link this theory to my experience of working with children, and give my own views and how this has developed my understanding in my role as a trainee teacher. The readings I have chosen to discuss and compare are: An Introduction to Children’s Learning (Ray Potter), The Significance of Young Children’s Personal, Social and Emotional Development (Dowling M) and How Children Learn (Curtis A, O’Hagan M). Potter discusses how behaviourism and cognitive development are the two most widely regarded theories in the approaches to learning and how these theories have implications for teaching. ‘Behaviourism is a theory of learning focusing on observable behaviours and discounting any mental activity.’ (Pritchard 2008:6). He discusses several theorists and how their theories help children learn, and how teachers manage learning more effectively in the classroom. He talks about behaviourism and how children learn from life experiences. ‘Behaviourist claims that we are what we are, not because of innate intelligence or genetic factors, but solely due to our life experiences’. Potter (cited in Jacques et al 2004:63). Skinner, a pioneer in behaviourism, believed that behaviour could be controlled through ‘conditioning’, the act of rewarding desired behaviour (positive reinforcement) and ignoring undesired behaviour (negative reinforcement). Many of Skinner’s theories branch from his animal experiments, whereby he would reward with food and punish when saw unacceptable behaviour. This is highlighted in An Introduction to Children’s Learning (Potter), as to how this theory has been adapted in today’s schools. â€Å"Conditioning occurs in many schools in the morning when the children first arrive in the playground. They will be playing and talking to each other when they see their teacher come into the playground. The children will immediately line up in front of their teacher ready to go in to school†. This I observe everyday in my school setting. In the Introduction to Children’s Learning (Ray Potter) it states that children achieve well through the â€Å"behaviourist psychology which goes back many years to Pavlov and Skinner, thus children learn by listening carefully to get the correct stimulus and through the repeated reinforcement of correct responses†. This is evident in schools today, whereby teachers encourage children to chant and repeat facts across the curriculum. This is in the hope that repetition will result in the information becoming innate, consequently allowing the children to regurgitate at the drop of a hat, but it could argued do the children lose the meaning. One has to ask however, how successful is this for all children? Biggs (cited in Leask 2009:89) ‘A pupil’s motivation influences the learning strategies they adopt. A pupil with an instrumental motivation is likely to adopt reproducing or rote learning strategies.’ Do children retain this knowledge? We know now after many years of research that not all children benefit from the dated ‘talk and chalk’ style of teaching. The philosopher Confucius cited in Ray Potter’s In the Introduction to Children’s Learning, pondered the theory â€Å"I do and I understand†, this was later developed by Piaget who based his cognitive theories and ‘emphasis on doing, activity and experience children learn through interaction with their environment’. (Kitsen et al 1997:2) ‘Piaget was actually keenly aware of the importance of social factors in children’s learning.’ Bruner believed that children think through three modes, enactive (actions), iconic (pictures), and symbolic (words and numbers). Providing the information is presented in an appropriate way and the information is appropriate to the child’s age, then the child will be able to understand and learn from it. Bruner’s theory is that children’s learning is active and they base concepts on their previous knowledge. The past knowledge helps the learner to process the new information to support decisions in the form of cognitive development. This allows the child to build on past experience and develop further the information given. Like, Vygotsky, Bruner also believed that social interaction and culture played a big role in cognitive development. ‘Bruner felt that children were organised according to their experiences and that they are active in their learning’ (Tassoni, 2005:197). Potter also discusses cognitive theories and how the next generation theorist such as Piaget, Vygostsky and Bruner believe that memory, understanding and thinking are vital in children’s learning. ‘But these are the very stuff of the next generation of theorists, the cognitivists.’ Potter, (cited in Jacques et al 2004:66). The role of social interaction is based on theories from Vygotsky and Bruner. To put the role of social interaction into place at school the pupil and teacher need to work together by the teacher helping to create meaning, rather than dictating what is to be learned. Learning through social interaction does not always occur in school. Children also learn through social interaction with their peers, parents and other adults. A prime example of this social impact that is used in many schools today is the use of the school council. Children regardless of age, economical background, race and gender can voice their views and have their views challenged in a safe environment. ‘Social interaction (particularly those which take place between themselves) may facilitate the course of development by exposing a child to other points of view and to conflicting ideas which may encourage him to re-think or review his ideas’ (Wood 1998:17). Piaget’s theory maintains that children need to overcome a sequence of stages in development. These stages are complex and appear in four main categories. The sensory-motor stage begins from birth to two years, the child learns through sensory experiences and movement. The pre-operational stage from approximately two to seven years of age, when the child begins to develop the skill of using symbols and how things look, yet they are unable to direct logical thinking. By the age of seven to eleven or twelve children have begun to make connections by thinking logically and associating their thoughts to concrete situations, Piaget describes this as the concrete-operational stage. At approximately eleven or twelve the formal operational stage falls into place, by this age to adulthood we begin to use more sophisticated levels of abstract and logical thinking. He believes the development of stages from childhood to adulthood is a consequence of the individual’s experience with the environment around them. They are learnt through assimilation, accommodation and adaptation. ‘Every living thing must adapt to its environment if it is to survive.’ Vygotsky focused on language and communication as a support to a child’s cognitive development. He looked at how children interact with their peers and adults and how it influences their communication and language on a social level. This form of social interaction does not always have to be verbal, gesture and body language is communication learned though peers or adults. Another aspect of Vygotsky’s theory is the zone of proximal development. This is when development is gained through social behaviour. The skills of social interaction can be developed further with guidance from adults and peers. We as facilitators can support learners by scaffolding, gradually reducing support so the child becomes capable of independently completing a task. ‘The ‘zone of proximal development’ seems a vital idea for teachers to have in mind when talking to individual children. Could it be applied to pairs? Or to small groups? Or to a whole class?’ (Kitson et al, 1997:154). Dowling discusses how children’s personal, social and emotional development has a significant factor in children’s learning. Dowling explains that three themes often occur in any debate about early childhood issues, which are -context, continuity and controversy. An ideal example of this in practise is a well managed Foundation Stage classroom. Being an unqualified Reception teacher for the past two years, I have observed and experienced this environmental situation of context, continuity and controversy. For example role play areas are set in line with the topic e.g. Healthy Eating- setting up a restaurant. However the theory of constructivism being the idea that things are the way they are, is socially constructed e.g., boys play with cars, girls play with dolls. This is an integral part of everyday life. Toys are being marketed gender specifically. Children often arrive in a school setting with premeditated views coming from the way they have been brought up and through media advertisement. This can counteract the good practise that is trying to be initiated in foundation Stage settings of today. Cultural assumptions, according to Richardson, the ‘nature’ of girls’ and boys’ behaviour reproduce rather than expose inequality and work against young women in schools while supporting gendered stereotypes in society.’ (1997:25). When the children immerse themselves in the theme, their personal, social and emotional development thrives and their creativity blossoms. The current way the Foundation Stage is run nationally has been very successful in that funding has been given to early year’s education to allow schools to be successful in their early years teaching and development. However the new government has controversially pulled all of this funding and at present we are unsure as educators of which directive we will be undertaking. In contrast Dowling explains that in China children who attend Kindergartens receive homework in literacy and numeracy. The focus is on academic achievement rather than personal, social and emotional development. Therefore it has been found that these children rarely gain these skills in later life. Dowling (2000:17) ‘Asian education methods have valued academic development while damaging other aspects of children’s growth, which help them to live and achieve in society.’ It is similar to the theories of Piaget, Bruner and Skinner but I believe the actual concept that is being modelled is wrong if we are to educate young people to live successfully in today’s society. Similarly Curtis and O’Hagan discuss how factors can affect learning. They introduce the chapter by focusing on ‘What is learning? They discuss several ways children learn and factors which can affect this. These are development, environmental factors, and periods of learning, memory, concentration, cognitive styles, and intelligence. They believe children construct their knowledge and understanding through their experience with the environment, and that learning is active and experience based. They agree that children are not less knowledgeable than adults, that children just see the world differently at their level. In my classroom adults often celebrate when they have learnt something new, especially when the learning has been imparted from the child to an adult. The child just prioritises their learning differently from the adult. Children need this scaffolding in order to develop in many ways. This lending itself to Vygotsky’s theory. (Pollard 1994:13) ‘’they are thus seen as intelligent social actors who, although their knowledge base may be limited in absolute terms, are capable in many ways.’ In conclusion to the theories looked at, are all based around children’s learning and similar in view.. It is possible to learn from each of them and use the theory in practice in a classroom. As a teacher I would be more inclined towards Vygotsky’s theory. This is mainly due to the fact that we can challenge children to go beyond what they already know in our school environment. (Curtis et al 2005:36) ‘Educators began to realise that a stimulating environment could increase intelligence.’ For children to experience a broad and balanced curriculum we as facilitators need to be able to challenge and help children develop further. In order to help them do this we need to scaffold their learning by gradually withdrawing support and guidance so that the child can perform the task independently. I feel scaffolding is a skill that will develop overtime with experience promoting desired behaviour. (Corrie, 2002:174) ‘Teachers scaffold children’s learn ing when they help them to achieve something that they, could not do without the teachers assistance.’ The ability to judge how much and how little support is a difficult notion and varies from child to child. From Piaget, I have learned that for children to work independently and solve problems they need to build on their past experiences. Despite this I believe that with the guidance of a more knowledgeable peer or adult the child can learn through social interaction. Through social interaction a child might learn today what might take them weeks to learn if left to explore individually. I would suggest that if we can help and challenge children to go beyond what they know, they would continuously be learning new knowledge. I am also aware from working in inner city school; social factors have a huge influence in children’s learning. I understand how important it is to promote positive role modelling and give children first hand experiences in order to learn. ‘The context of the school can make a significant difference to children’s behaviour, self concept and self esteem as these accounts testify.’ (Rogers, 2009:13). Bibliography Jacques, K. Hyland, R. (2004) Professional Studies: Primary Phase, London: Learning Matters Ltd. Kitson, N. Merry, R. (1997)Teaching in the Primary School, London: Routledge. Leask, M (2009) Supporting Teaching and Learning in Schools. Oxon: Routledge. Llleris, K. (2007) How We Learn: learning and non learning in school and beyond. London: Routledge Pollard, A. Bourne, J. (1994) Teaching and Learning in the Primary School. London: Sage. Prichard, A. (2008) Ways of Learning: Learning theories and Learning Styles in the Classroom. Oxon: Routledge. Richardson, V (1997) Constructivist Teacher Education: Building New Understandings. Great Britain: Biddles Ltd Rogers, B (2009) Manage Children’s Challenging Behaviour London: Sage Tassoni, P. (2005) Diploma in Child Care and Education. Oxford: Reed Educational Professional Publishing Ltd. Thornton, S. (2008) Understanding Human Development. London: Pelgrave Macmillan Wood , D. (1998) How Children Think and Learn, 2nd ed. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing.

Health and Safety Challenges in the Mining Industry

Health and Safety Challenges in the Mining Industry 1. Outline some of the key health and safety challenges that is faced by a mining company you are familiar with. The industry has experienced both high consequence low frequency events (disasters such as Moura and Gretley) as well as low frequency high events (such as slips, strains and falls) contribute to the industrys high lost time injury rate (LTIR). It has also had its share of occupational diseases. Historically, pneumonocosis (lung disease caused by inhalation of mineral dust), asbestosis and mesothelioma have been key areas of concern. Noise, vibration and fatigue are issues of significant health concerns. The management and control of major hazards associated with structural collapses, fires and explosions are key safety issues of the day. Moura: During the past forty years there have been three mining disasters in the Moura district at a cost of 36 lives. The first occurred at Kianga Mine on 20 September 1975. Thirteen miners died from an explosion which was found to have been initiated by spontaneous combustion. The mine was sealed and the bodies of the men were never recovered. The second occurred on 16 July 1986 at Moura No 4 Mine when twelve miners died from an explosion thought to have been initiated by one of two possible sources, namely frictional ignition or a flame safety lamp. The bodies of the miners, in this case, were recovered. The third of the disasters occurred on 7 August 1994 at Moura No 2 Mine. On this occasion eleven miners died as a result of an explosion. The mine was sealed and, at this time, the bodies have not been recovered. 2. What is the framework of the mine safety legislation in your state/country? Since Australia is a federation of states, each state sets out its own laws, which include its own regulatory standards for occupational health and safety. At beginning, each state was separate and used the old health codes (i.e., legislation) and standards from the British system. This system relied heavily upon very specific (i.e., numbers based) system which was easy to enforce and simple to understand. However problems ensured as time and technology progressed which led to the health and safety reform that began in 1972. The Current Framework for Mine Safety in Australia in 3 ways: Regulations under a general OHS Act (VIC/SA/TAS/NT) In separate Mine Safety Acts and Regulations (WA/QLD) In separate mine Safety Act and Regulations Subordinate to a general OHS Act (NSW) Since Victoria is my state, the following legalisation will be used under 3 main categories given as below. Dangerous Goods Act Environment Protection ACT Occupational Health and Safety Regulations a) As per Occupational Health and Safety Regulations: Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004. Act No. 107/2004: Enabling act. Sets out the key principles, duties and rights in relation to occupational health and safety (OHS). Occupational Health and Safety Regulations 2007,Statutory Rule No. 54/2007: Specifies the way in which a duty imposed by the OHS Act must be performed, or prescribe procedural or administrative matters to support the OHS Act (eg requiring licences for specific activities, the keeping of records or giving notice). WorkSafe Positions: Are guidelines made under section 12 of the OHS Act that state how WorkSafe will apply the OHS Act or Regulations or exercise discretion under a provision of the OHS Act or Regulations. WorkSafe Positions are intended to provide certainty to duty holders and other affected parties b) As per Environment Protection ACT: Version No. 171, Environment Protection Act 1970, No. 8056 of 1970, Version incorporating amendments as at 1 January 2010. This sets out the key principles, duties and rights in relation to Environment Protection Act. c) As per Dangerous Goods Act: This sets out the key principles, duties and rights in relation to Dangerous Goods Act. But here individually they all made for individual categories as mentioned. Version No. 081 Dangerous Goods Act 1985 No. 10189 of 1985 Version incorporating amendments as at 1 January 2010 Version No. 003 Dangerous Goods (HCDG) Regulations 2005 S.R. No. 96/2005 Version as at 14 March 2008 Version No. 005 Dangerous Goods (Storage and Handling) Regulations 2000 S.R. No. 127/2000 Version incorporating amendments as at 1 January 2009 Version No. 001 Dangerous Goods (Transport by Road or Rail) Regulations 2008 S.R. No. 166/2008 Version as at 1 January 2009 Version No. 013 Dangerous Goods (Explosives) Regulations 2000 S.R. No. 61/2000 Version incorporating amendments as at 1 January 2009 3. Robens suggested two key issues were important in achieving high standards of safety. What are these two key issue? Where in the Act (or regulation) are these two issues addressed in the mine safety legislation of your state/country? In 1972, the British Robens report sought to modify the previous codes of practice using two base principals. The first principle recognised the need to unify all the difference OHS laws under one system. It was proposed that this would be accomplished by creating â€Å"general duties† into one ruling (Robens Report, para 41). The second principle observed that a self regulation model be implemented where workers and administrators ‘come together in order increase the standards of health and safety (Robens Report, para 41). The Federal Government in 1985 passed legislation to form the then National Occupational Health and Safety Commission (NOHSC); though, because Australia is a federation, each state/territory has to ratify federal legislation in order to for the commission (NOHSC) to be apart of the Commonwealth and therefore have any legal grounds. Each state reformed OHS laws, based on the Robens model and beyond. In fact, the OHS operates in a three way system. The first is the general duties which cover all employees regardless of job status (ie, contracted or not) and require the employee as practically possible to ensure a safe working environment. The second are the â€Å"provisions in regulations† are mandatory laws that are specific to each state. Finally, codes of practice are used as guidance which set the standards for the general duty of care. These help in setting standards the duty holder is required to identify the hazards and assess and control risks and therefore helps Robens second principle however there remains some critical gaps. 4. What is the main goal of industrial hygiene? List the four key processes that play a role in achieving this goal. Main goal of Industrial hygiene is risk reduction and/or risk elimination wherever possible. Anticipation Recognition Evaluation Control of workplace environmental hazards Define the following terms Hazard Risk Hazard management Risk Assessment Probability Frequency Severity Dose TLV-TWA TLV-STEL Hazard: A hazard is any ‘thing that may cause harm or injury to a person or property. Also this is the potential of any agent or substances to cause harm, usually ill-health or disease. b) Risk: The risk tells how likely an accident (An accident is any unexpected or unintended event that may cause harm or injury to a person or property) will cause harm or injury to a person or property. Risk is a function of the type of hazard times the amount of exposure (Risk = Hazard x Exposure) Hazards management: The process of enacting general duties of care in order to eliminate, substitute, or reduce the likelihood of an accident (i.e. risk) through engineering or administrative solutions, or through applying personal protection equipment (PPE). Risk Assessment: Risk Assessment is the process by which a specific risk is quantified or qualified in order to understand how to manage a specific hazard. It is based upon the effect that a specific hazard may have, the magnitude of the hazard (I,e, how severe it may be), and the duration that the hazard may impact a person or property. The risk assessment helps ascertain how a hazard may be managed and how a risk may be controlled. Probability: the likelihood for an event to occur. One of the factors that serves as the dependant variable for risk (I.e. Risk=Probability * Severity) or It is a way of expressing knowledge or belief that an event will occur or has occurred. In mathematics the concept has been given an exact meaning in probability theory, that is used extensively in such areas of study as mathematics, statistics, finance, gambling, science, and philosophy to draw conclusions about the likelihood of potential events and the underlying mechanics of complex systems. f) Frequency: Frequency is the rate at which a person may come into contact with a hazard over a defined length of time. Or The number of times that a periodic function repeats the same sequence of values during a unit variation of the independent variable Severity: Severity is the magnitude, or intensity, with which a hazardous substance is exposed to a person. It is the dimension for classifying seriousness for Technical support issues. Dose: Is the amount of the hazard which we are exposed. It is defined by the concentration of the hazardous substance times the length of time a person is exposed. Dose is the concept of dose is paramount for occupational hygiene and risk management. Dose refers to the amount of a substance to which we are exposed, and is a combination of the concentration of exposure and duration of exposure. Dose= concentration*duration of exposure i) TLV-TWA: TLV values generally refer to a national exposure standard for a hazard (i.e. chemical, dust, or radiation). It is a means of quantifying the maximum concentrations of a particular substance in an area over a specified length of time, and then applying it as a standard for health and safety inspectors and duty carriers to use as a way of assessing risk. TWA is an acronym for time weighted average. In this case, the duration of contaminant exposure is expressed over an eight hour working day and a five day working week. In this way, this exposure standard incorporates the maximum and minimum exposure rates a person experiences during a regular working day. The emphasis of an exposure free time is implicitly involved (as would be the case for noise) so that certain body thresholds are not passed. j) TLV-STEL: STEL is an acronym for short term exposure limit. For some substances, a short term exposure standard is needed since acute and chronic health affects may result. Instead of an eight hour day, this exposure standard is measure over no more than fifteen minutes. 6. Whatare the main airborne contaminants/pollutants that can cause health-related problems at mine sites? The Dust and particulates (arsenic, lead, mercury and etc); The Toxic gases (carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide and etc); The Carcinogens (asbestos, aromatic hydrocarbons, and etc); The Flammable gases (methane and carbon dioxide and etc); The Radiation poison (radon, uranium, thorium and etc); The Mixture of viruses and bacteria. 7. For a particular legal jurisdiction (state/country) what are the legal requirements for the concentration of the following in the general body of ventilation airflow (maximum or minimum)? According to the HSIS a) Oxygen Pure oxygen: no restrictions Oxygen diflouride: TWA=.05 ppm b) Methane (as a gas) Pure methane: TWA=0, STEL=0 Bromomethane: 5ppm STEL=0 c) Carbon dioxide In coal mines: TWA= 12,500 ppm STEL= 30000 ppm Regular: TWA= 5000 ppm STEL= 30,000 ppm d) Carbon monoxide: TWA= 30 ppm STEL=0 e) Hydrogen sulphide: TWA= 10 ppm STEL= 15ppm f) Respirable dust (no silica) Coal Dust: TWA = 3 mg/ m3 STEL=0 Soapstone: TWA = 3 mg/ m3 STEL=0 Vanadium: TWA = 0.05 mg/ m3 STEL=0 Graphite: TWA = 3 mg/ m3 STEL=0 g) Respirable dust (with silica): TWA= 2 mg/m3 h) Oxides of Nitrogen: Nitrogen Triflouride: TWA= 10 ppm STEL=0 Nitrous Oxide: TWA= 25 ppm STEL=0 Nitric Oxide: TWA=25 ppm STEL=0 Nitrogen dioxide: TWA= 3ppm STEL=0 Nitrogen tetroxide: TWA= 0 STEL=0 8. Define Dust, list and briefly describe the general preventative measures, which can be used to control or prevent exposure to high dust exposures. Dust caused by the mechanical disintegration of material can be defined as a collection of solid particles which: Are dispersed in a gaseous medium (usually air) Are able to remain suspended in the air for a relatively long time Have a high surface area to volume ratio. So briefly, over the entire range of airborne materials, dust generally has the largest particle size although it can exhibit a wide particulate range. In general, dust can be defined an amalgamation of various particulates (solid matter) that can separate and remain in suspension in air. Dust is generally caused by mechanical weathering through, in the case of mines, the use of very large machines (drills and crushers) and blasts. Dust can either pose an immediate hazard (I,e, eye irritation) or long term health effects (radioactive particles that stick to respirable dust which are subsequently inhaled). Whether the effects are long term or short term, there are a number of ways that duty careers can control or even eliminate dust. 1) Preventative measures (Elimination): This is the best way among all. This includes watering to reduce dust formation when cutting and drilling; ensuring that cutting equipment is sharp, and using oils to transport mine cuts to an enclosed area. Under these conditions, â€Å"the means of control† is through elimination. A final piece of equipment is a blind hole borer which traps the dust generated through an enclosure. 2) Ventilation (Engineering): This is an engineering means of control dust through a proper ventilation system. Here the air must be able to be strong enough to pick up the heavy dust particles to reduce the amount of dust concentrating in the air or on the ground. Dust extraction and filtration systems that pump in the ‘dusty air, filter out the particles and then expel ‘cleaner air. 3) Removal of employees (Administrative): This is an administrative approach where the employees are basically removed from the hazard thereby eliminating exposure. This is often not very practical, especially in medium/small operations, or in rural operations where all employees are needed, or working rotation is not an option. 4) Use of respirator (PPE): This is the least way control however we have no other option. Here a worker uses a respirator in order to filter out the dust, thereby minimising risk by reducing exposure. However, many respirators can be too heavy or cumbersome to deal with, especially underground. 9. Discuss how methane is generated in mines. What are the key risks associated with methane, and how can the risks be managed? Methane generation in mines: This is produced by bacterial and chemical action on organic material and is evolved during both the formation of coal and petroleum. One of the most common strata gases. It is not toxic but is dangerous as it can form an explosive mixture with air. A methane/air mixture commonly called firedamp. Methane is commonly associated with coal mines but it is also commonly found in other mines which are over or underlain by carbonaceous formations. Methane is retained within fractures, voids and pores within rock either as a compressed gas or adsorbed on mineral surfaces. When mining disturbs the rock the gas pressure gradient set up between the reservoir of methane and the ventilation system induces flow of methane along natural or mining induced fractures towards the opening. Key Risk: Methane has no odour, but it is often accompanied by traces of heavier hydrocarbons in the paraffin series, which have a characteristic oily smell. The density of methane is a little over half that of air. This gives rise to the danger of methane layering in pools along the roof of underground openings. The buoyancy of methane can also cause problems in inclined workings. Methane burns in air with a pale blue flame. The explosible range for methane in air is generally quoted as 5-15% with maximum explosibility at 9.8%. The lower limit remains fairly constant, the upper limit reduces as the oxygen content of air falls. To track the flammability of methane air mixtures a coward diagram as shown in figure 2 can be used. With relation to figure 1: Figure 1: The coward diagram for methane in air. In zone A the mixture is not flammable but is likely to become so if further methane is added. In zone B the mixture is explosive and has a minimum nose value at 12.2% oxygen Zones C and D illustrate mixtures that may exist in sealed areas. Methane layers have two main hazards associated with them: Layers extend the zones within which ignitions can occur When an ignition occurs the methane layer acts as an effective fuse along which the flame can propagate, sometimes leading to much larger accumulations in roof cavities or in the gob. Methane and Carbon dioxide (mixtures of the two gases) if mixed with nitrogen will make the dangers atmosphere. Because this associated with gas outbursts are: Asphyxiation of miners by gas and dust. Compressed air lifelines may be maintained on or close to faces that are prone to outbursts. The violence of the outburst may damage equipment, causing sparking that may ignite the highly flammable gas/dust mixture. The sudden expansion of a large volume of gas can disrupt the ventilation system of the mine. To control and Manage: To control and manage the risk of Methane, first of all need to know the sources and nature of methane, and how the methane is releasing and migrating. And then understanding of risks can easily lead to learn of the methane risk management. The major systems as follows, In its naturally occurring state in a coal seam, firedamp does not constitute an explosive risk. However, where firedamp released from adjacent seams meets fresh-air in the goaf, the firedamp is diluted and explosive mixtures (around 5% to 15% methane in air) are formed. Effective firedamp control is essential for safe working and involves providing either: Face-End Ventilation and Gas Control :well designed Ventilation flow avoid the risk of methane gas. Firedamp Drainage on Retreat Longwalls: Firedamp capture efficiencies on longwall faces typically lie between 60% and 80% of the total gas on advancing faces and from 30% to 60% of the total gas on retreat faces. Alternatives and Supplements to Firedamp Drainage: There are ventilation options applicable to some retreat longwall coalfaces which can obviate the need for costly firedamp drainage. Such methods (eg. bleeder roads and sewer gate systems) are aimed at diverting gas away from working coalfaces along routes separate from those used to service the face. Goaf Flushing: Goaf flushing has been used for temporarily amelioration of firedamp concentrations in a district return but it is not a recommended gas control solution. The method is generally applied to a fully-developed goaf (ie. where sufficient goaf has been created to form a substantial gas reservoir). The ventilation pressure across a district is reduced, after men have been withdrawn, allowing high gas concentration gas to migrate forward into the return airway. Transport activities in the main return may have to be suspended. Eventually, the equilibrium between gas flow into the waste and gas flow into the return is restored, the gas concentration in the district return being at a higher concentration than before due to the reduced air quantity. On restoring the original airflow, the gas is forced into the goaf, away from the face, thus reducing the emission into the return until equilibrium conditions are once again obtained. This approach is not advised due to the uncontro lled release of elevated firedamp concentrations into airways and across electrical equipment. Methane Drainage:To produce gaseous fuel and/or to reduce methane emissions in to ventilation system its been used. Methane that is drained needs to be transported safely to the point of delivery, the infrastructure that is required to achieve this consists of the following: Pipe ranges, Monitors, Safety devices, Controls, Extractor pumps Other than all above mentioned, in individual countries they are following up rules and regulations to control and manage the risk of Methane. Here is an example UK legislation states, Electrical power must be switched off when the general body concentration of methane exceeds 1.25%. If methane concentration exceeds 2% personnel other than those associated with improving the ventilation in the area should leave the area. 10. Discuss the sources and risks associated with arsenic, mercury and cyanides. How can the risks be managed? A) mercury Sources: Natural sources: Volcanoes Volatilization from oceans Erosion of natural deposits Human Activities: Estimated to be 1/3-2/3 of the total mercury released into the environment. Sources include: Stack losses from cinnabar roasting The working and smelting of metals Coal fired power plants Discharges from mines, refineries and factories Combustion of coal and municipal wastes, industrial wastes and boilers Medical waste incinerators Pesticides Runoff from landfills/croplands B) mercury Risks: Persistence: Can change form, Cannot be destroyed Solubility: Cinnabar (HgS) is insoluble (and resists weathering); Liquid Hg is slightly soluble in water. Bioaccumulation: Hg methylation forms CH3Hg+ which is easily absorbed by organisms and biomagnifies from the bottom to the top of the food chain Bioaccumulates (concentrates) in muscle and tissue of fish and other wildlife CH3Hg+ generally increases by a factor of ten or less with each step up the food chain C) Arsenic Sources: Arsenopyrite (FeAsS) is the most common arsenic mineral in ores and is also a byproduct associated with copper, gold, silver, and lead/zinc mining. Arsenic trioxide (Fe2As3) is present in flue gases from copper ore roasting coal-fired power plants and incinerators also may release As into atmosphere. Water: average concentration is 1 ppb, but can be > 1,000 ppb in mining areas; As+5 most prevalent; many compounds dissolve in water. D) Arsenic Risks: Arsenic is a human carcinogen In humans the primary target organs are the skin and vascular system birds, animals, plants, and freshwater fish can become contaminated Toxicity in water is determined by water temperature, pH, organic content, phosphate concentration, suspended soils, presence of oxidants, and speciation E) Cyanides Sources: Can leach from landfills and cyanide-containing road salts as well as to the atmosphere from car exhaust (hydrogen cyanide gas HCN). Some foods (almonds and lima beans) contain cyanides naturally It can be produced by some bacteria, fungi, and algae Spills: Cyanide and other heavy metal pollutants overflowed a dam at Baia Mare, Romania, contaminating 250 miles of rivers, and killing millions of fish Most persistent in groundwater at higher pH F) Cyanides Risks Oral lethal dose of KCN for an adult is 200 mg Airborne concentrations of 270 ppm is fatal Long term exposure to lower levels results in heart pains, breathing difficulties, vomiting, blood changes, headaches and thyroid gland enlargement CN does not bio-accumulate in fish G) Cyanide risk Control Methods: Production: Encourage responsible cyanide manufacturing by purchasing from manufacturers who operate in a safe and environmentally protective manner. Transportation: Protect communities and the environment during cyanide transport. Handling and Storage: Protect workers and the environment during cyanide handling and storage. Operations: Manage cyanide process solutions and waste streams to protect human health and the environment. Decommissioning: Protect communities and the environment from cyanide through development and implementation of decommissioning plans for cyanide facilities. Worker Safety: Protect workers health and safety from exposure to cyanide Emergency Response: Protect communities and the environment through the development of emergency response strategies and capabilities. Training: Train workers and emergency response personnel to manage cyanide in a safe and environmentally protective manner. Daily inspection of leach residue storage ponds and tailings delivery pipelines; Incident reporting and a system of emergency procedures; Systems for data recording, evaluation, interpretation and reporting; Process technician training and awareness of potential cyanide related problems, including personal safety and impacts on the surrounding natural environment; systematic records management and documentation of animal mortalities; Incorporating cyanide management procedures into the site Environmental Management Plan which is currently being updated. H) Arsenic and mercury risk control methods: The above mentioned methods are suited to adopt Arsenic and mercury as well. However in practical world, it depends upon the harmness, will vary to importances of handling. 11. Define the purpose of ventilation in underground mines. What types of ventilations systems are common? The purpose for ventilation in mines is to dilute various forms of gases. These gases could be either a chemical hazard (as in carbon-monoxide and dust) or explosive physical hazards such as methane accumulation along the roofs of mine shafts. Ventilation systems often come in the form of, fans which control air flow stoppages and seals will seal leakages in particular to older mines Doors and airlocks Regulators which is a door with an appropriate passage to maintain air pressure gradients Aircrossings which allow suction and blowing ventilation systems to easily by pass one another and not allow for cross contamination 12. Electrical power is commonly employed in mines, what work practices would you define for the maintenance of electrical equipment? Always to be Maintained, reviewed and modified mine power supply systems. Make sure Consistently inspect machineraries and carry out tests for faults and hazards Make sure always the electrical equipment is properly viewed, so that arrange some lights near electrical equipment in underground mines to ensure to be visible. Make sure while Create procedures to ensure noise and electrical hazards; over voltages, current regulation, noise level reductions etc., are maintained to appropriate legislative standards. Without too much stress, try to provide machinery that can be moved easily that are also within legislative requirements and can supply adequate electricity Create an alternative power supply source in case of machinery breakdown which allows to do maintenance activities. For the quick identification, install proper mine cables with appropriate colour coding system. And following safety rules and regulations also makes the good work practices for the maintenance of electrical equipment. Failure to exercise caution may result in injury, so caution must be used when operating or repairing electrical equipment When performing electrical work, always use the proper protective equipment, such as: safety glasses, protective gloves, and a properly rated meter. State regulations, Australian Standards and company policies are designed to guard against electrical hazards in the mining industry. So following up those are very essential Wet conditions may corrode metal electrical components and cause their failure. Falling rock may damage an electrical cable or component. So need to avoid those kind of dangerous conditions before installing at specific places or need to take care to avoid those problems. Exercise caution to be used to use proper protective equipment when working with batteries. Because batteries could explode and cause injury or could ignite and cause fires. All have to be aware and especially all electrician properly trained to Be alert and knowledgeable of the hazards of electricity. Make sure always keeping attitude tono electrical work can be performed until the electrical circuit is knocked, locked, and tagged. Always make certain the frame ground is properly connected. No electrical work shall be performed except by a qualified person. Circuit breakers and disconnects shall be marked for identification. Circuit breaking devices or proper fuses, shall be installed to protect against short circuit and overloads. à ¼ Disconnecting devices shall be locked and tagged out. All electrical equipment shall be examined, tested, properly maintained, and results recorded as required 13. Your mine employs pipelines to convey the following: Compressed air Service water Methane Run of mine drainage water How would you ensure that each pipeline can be readily identified by a quick visual inspection? Colouring the pipes with different kind of colours may give solution to this case. Example: Blue colour for service water Red colour for Compressed air Green colour for Methane Yellow colour for mine drainage water This way each pipe is easily visualised in the mine. A sign that demarcates the colour coding system will also be necessary to clarify the colour coding system. 14. Distinguish, with the use of examples, the difference between major, chronic and minor incidents. What are the legal requirements for reporting these different types of

A cultural framework

A cultural framework Abstract This report is about how a cultural framework can affect a project success. What is meant by this is that you need to have a good project manager and project team in order for a project to meet deadlines and stay on budget. This report analysis and critiques what has been found in the article was conducted by Korin Kendra of Detroit and Laura Taplin of Canada. They analysed the data that was found form a Standish Group survey on project successes and failures this was conducted in the year 2000. The survey found that overall there is a project failure rate of 72 percent. Of the 28 percent it was found that 92 percent of these successes were due to assigned project managers, 58 percent used a defined measurement system and 46 percent used a project management methodology. The study concluded that the main reason for failure was due to the lack of good working relationships. Kendra and Taplin conducted their study by collecting data using an interview protocol they explored the organiz ations design elements, social and technical structures in the proposed success model developed in this study. From the information that they gathered they managed to draw out 5 main themes/conclusions these are, Theme 1: Project Management competences exist at the project manger level in the organization. Theme 2: Project success requires the employment of management process from the project management, system development, supplier management and business planning to be successful. Theme 3: Organizational structures at the project team level are the key to project success. The project structure is important to the success of the project because it determines the project manager level of authority, skills and competencies of the team and the dynamics of the group. Theme 4: Performance measurement systems metrics are defined at the individual, project and organizational level to evaluate project success. Theme 5: Organizational culture determines the importance of project manager com petencies, performance measurements, business process that are employed to perform project work and project organization structures to project success. 1. Background The topic for this article is project success in a cultural framework. This article was written by Korin Kendra of Detroit and Laura Taplin of Canada in April 2004. This report main point is how a cultural frame work can affect project success. What is meant by a cultural frame work is the background and the work ethics of the people involved of the project. This article was conducted to analysis the data that was found form a Standish Group survey on project successes and failures this was conducted in the year 2000. The survey found that overall there is a project failure rate of 72 percent. Of the 28 percent it was found that 92 percent of these successes were due to assigned project managers, 58 percent used a defined measurement system and 46 percent used a project management methodology. The study concluded that the main reason for failure was due to the lack of good working relationships. This conclusion left was question of what is required in a good cultural framework to mak e a project successful. Kendra and Taplin choose to investigate this question and wrote this article. The authors definition of a project success in the IT industry is that a project must have numerous success factors that contribute such as the project being on time, within budget and of good quality. 2. Method Data was collected using an interview protocol they explored the organizations design elements, social and technical structures in the proposed success model developed in this study. The inquiry focused on the organizations culture, project manager competencies, organizational structure design, performance measurement systems and the supporting business process employed in the change efforts to adopt project management. All interviews were conducted in the year 2001 and reflected past, present and future change efforts. The data was the analysed qualitatively using a grounded theory approach and inferential coding to identify the common themes and cultural values that form linkages between project manager competencies, performance measurement systems, process and structures. 3. Critique 3.1 Data are gathered in a scientific manner Data was gathered using an interview process to me this is not a very scientific manner although it is still a very good data collecting technique. They still gathered all the information that was required for the study. 3.2 Underlying assumptions are clear From what I had read the authors didnt really have many assumptions. All the data that they used was already gathered so assumptions were not necessary. Although their main assumption would have been that a cultural framework can affect a project success to which this assumption was very clear and easy to understand. 3.3 Overall Conclusions 3.3.1 What conclusions are drawn by the authors In this article the authors describe five main conclusions/themes that they have discovered. In their research, Kendra and Taplin (2004) established Theme 1: Project Management competences exist at the project manger level in the organization Theme 2: Project success requires the employment of management process from the project management, system development, supplier management and business planning to be successful. Theme 3: Organizational structures at the project team level are the key to project success. The project structure is important to the success of the project because it determines the project manager level of authority, skills and competencies of the team and the dynamics of the group. Theme 4: Performance measurement systems metrics are defined at the individual, project and organizational level to evaluate project success. Theme 5: Organizational culture determines the importance of project manager competencies, performance measurements, business process that are employed to perform project work and project organization structures to project success. 3.3.2 Are these conclusions valid Yes in my opinion is think that all these conclusions are valid as they all hold the main requirements for a project to be successful it is important to note that theme one and three are very important as they both hold valid points of how a team need to form together in order for a project to be successful. 3.4 The authors have some academic or professional standing Korin Kendra is a professor in the college of Management at Lawrence Technological University. She has a masters in industrial engineering and information systems, also has a PHD in organizational development. Kendra is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) Laura Taplin has her masters and PHD in organizational development she is also a certified Management Consultant (CMC). In this article both authors are highly qualified and have gained qualifications in relevant fields to their research. 3.5 The writing is clearly and correctly references its sources This article is very easy to read and explains most things in great detail. All information that refers to other persons work its referenced correctly at the bottom of the paragraph or inserted citations. I found that this piece was easier to read due to most information was grouped into topics rather than all together. 4. References Kendra, K., Taplin, L. (2004). Project Success: A Cultural Framework. Project Management Journal, 30-45.

The Anaconda Plan Essay example -- essays research papers

The Anaconda Plan At the onset of the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln met with his generals to devise a strategy by which the rebellious states of the Confederacy could be brought back into the Union. General Winfield Scott, commanding general of the Union army, proposed a plan of battle that became known as the Anaconda Plan. General Winfield Scott, commanding general of the Union Army From the Collections of The Mariners' Museum General Scott, a native Virginian, believed that the majority of Southerners desired a complete union with the United States. In order to restore the Union with as little bloodshed as possible, he favored a relatively nonaggressive policy. The primary strategy of Scott's plan was to create a complete naval blockade of the Southern states. Named for the South American snake that kills its prey by strangulation, Scott's plan was to strangle the South into submission by cutting its supply lines to the outside world. The plan was sound, but ambitious. For the plan to succeed, it would be necessary to blockade more than 3,500 miles of coast from Virginia to Mexico and up the Mississippi from New Orleans to New Madrid Bend. And the Anaconda Plan could only succeed over time: the South would not starve overnight, so patience was an essential part of Scott's strategy. Gideon Welles, Secretary of the Navy, USA From the Collections of The Mariners' Museum By adopting the Anaconda Plan, Lincoln ran the risk of committing diplomatic suicide. Sin...