Issue in Corporate Failure of Bank Essay

It also raised millions of revenue by accounting techniques to show false profits and hided their losses which occur in trading and bad debt. The biggest bank fraud in history According to Manhattan District Attorney Robert M. Morgenthau, the BCCI scandal that came to light in 1991 was ‘the largest bank fraud in world history. ‘ Perhaps no other criminal enterprise has involved or at least embarrassed so many prominent people, from billionaire Arab sheikhs to Third World dictators to present and former leading figures in the U. S. and British governments. Certainly none could match the international web of financial chicanery, political intrigue, and unsavoury figures with which BCCI was said to be associated. (Source: Encyclopaedia Encarta 2007) BCCI was engaged in four major frauds. One was a cover-up of $633m of losses on treasury trading. The second was the illegal acquisition through nominees of several banks in the US, in which it spend $346m. The third was a complex manipulation of accounts to prop up its largest borrower, the gulf shipping group of Pakistan, to which it lent more than $725m, which was over the limit set by banking regulations. The fourth was fundamental fraud by which BCCI allegedly acquire secret control of 56% of its own shares at a cost of over $500m. BCCI was a serpent eating its own tail. These sums add up to more than $2bn. But this is a minimum: it omits the enormous cost to BCCI of financing its secret losses. The manipulation to cover up the fraud involved another $2bn, bringing the grand total to well over $4bn. BCCI frauds were the main reasons for its corporate failure. The scale the fraud is breathtaking enough. But while most frauds involve the disappearance of real money, BCCI did the exact opposite. It manufactured billions of dollars out of nothing to conceal gaping holes in its balance sheet, like a giant game of ‘Double Your Money’. This involved extraordinary financial gymnastics and illegal loans on a huge scale. When BCCI finally came crashing down, it was not with a thud, but in a shower of paper. (Behind Closed Door: FT Publication) BCCI initiated every single route to excel its growth. In a first place its corporate structure was so complicated which involved uses of shell corporations frequently termed as satellites, bank confidentiality and secrecy. BCCI’s top management including nominees which also includes some famous personalities in politics were involved in corruption and made it a supreme atmosphere for crime. BCCI’s criminalities included, †¢Fraud by BCCI and BCCI customers involving billions of dollars; money laundering in Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Americas; †¢BCCI’s bribery of officials in most of those locations, †¢Support of terrorism, arms trafficking, and the sale of nuclear technologies; †¢Management of prostitution; †¢The commission and facilitation of income tax evasion, smuggling, and illegal immigration; †¢Illicit purchases of banks and real estate. Source: Walker, L. 2001) Abdul Basir, head of BCCI Pakistan operation, says: â€Å"We looked after clients in the most efficient, personalised manner. † The diamond market which is home to Lahore’s famous dancing girls, Prostitutes, who for centuries have provided entertainment for emperors and th eir courtiers – and latterly for politicians, Arab Sheikhs and bankers. BCCI used these girls to treat Arabs rich businessmen and major shareholders. BCCI’s Zafar Iqbal, former chief executive, was in charge of managing prostitutes. Corporate Failure of BCCI There were two main reasons of BCCI’s corporate failure apart from their criminal activities. These were high risk loans and trading. A bank’s treasury plays a key role in managing its financial affairs by trading large amounts of money and currencies. Some if this dealing is done on behalf of clients. But bank treasuries also speculate on whether currencies will rise or fall, using their own money. BCCI was no exception. According to Price Waterhouse, the bank combined these two activities by trading huge amounts of clients’ money – but in its own name, and without their knowledge.

Listo system Essay

Introduction and Background: Listo system is one of the leading graphic service agency with long history of success at early 1990s. In early 1090s, the company quickly grew into one of the top graphic service companies in the world Listo system ‘VISION statement is â€Å"To be recognized as a leader in supplying quality graphic design product and services to our customers and to be respected by our clients and staff.† Listo Systems’ MISSION statement is: â€Å"We strive to develop superior graphic design products and services for our users through state-of-the-art technology, innovation, teamwork, and leadership.† (Justanswer.com) Diagnosis: Development of e-commerce in modern competitive commercial world has reduced need of middleman, brokers, and distributor, which radically changed the traditional layer distribution channel .The development of technological infrastructure epically ecommerce trading system not only shifted the power from seller to buyer, but also gave consumer’s the ability to search for best quality, service, term, flexibility and innovation. This gave wide flexibility in consumer buying process. If customer were not pleased with company’s product or service, they feel free to switch brand to other firm. Technologies have allowed Listo Systems to provide quality services and products faster and more efficiently. However, new technology has also been beneficial for Listo Systems’ competitors. The competition has grown significantly in number and in the quality of services and products that they provide. The increase in technology has also led to an increase in customer demands and expectations. Customers want services and products; however Listo’s Management was less concerned with the opinions and was more focused on production and profit. Instead of enlisting employees’ opinions, more directive orders were given. Listo hired a number of new managers and employees and due to lack of training and increased complexity associated with adding new layers to the hierarchy resulted in the organization’s goals and objectives becoming unclear. Analysis and evaluation: Analysis and evaluation can be done using two theories. PEST Analysis: Political: During 1990 various countries were implementing Trade liberalization, and perfect competition market for globalization where Listo also felt its impact both negatively and positively Economic: Europe and rest of the world felt the impact of government policies concerning taxation, labor union, cyber regulation, exchange rate policies . Social: Huge social change due to change in technology like internet media, was felt by listo system. Consumer attitude and opinion, consumer buying pattern , fashion and role model, were serious matter to focus during 1990 which hit listo hard enough to panic. Technological: Competing Technology development, could be handled through research based strategy, research based funding for replacement and solution of technology , information and communication, and consumer buying mechanism vs technology did not get full attention. Recommendation: 1. Listo should have to implement Research based funding for computing technological change should be implemented 2. Proper management strategy should be implemented to cope globalization and political change. 3. The expectancy theory should be implemented to motivate the employee provide them the assurance effort will lead to acceptable performance (expectancy), Performance will be rewarded (instrumentality), and The value of the rewards is highly positive (valence). (Herzberg, 1968) How has Listo Systems felt the impact of power shifting from the seller to the buyer? According to Rosabeth Moss Kanter, a professor at Harvard Business School, â€Å"The major challenge management faces today is living in a world of turbulence and uncertainty where new competitors arrive on the scene daily and competitive conditions change. We can no longer count on a stable world that is unchanging and unvarying and manage accordingly.† This statement implies in the case of Listo System and its overall performance in a competitive market. Regarding its history, Listo was very much concerned about its employee’s needs and their participation in decision making of the company. To operate in a world shaped by globalization and information revolution, the company focused more on the advancement of technologies and improvement in productivity. But the employees were taken as a secondary  importance. They were not provided with proper training of new technology and their views on decision making process were ignored. The significant changes in information flow, created people issues and called out the need for mass training in the organization. The company started giving emphasis to the advancement and was more concentrated on production and profit. Due to the lack of proper training, the employee’s became less motivated. For a better and effective performance, it is necessary for an organization to understand the behavior and needs of the employees. Satisfaction of the needs leads the employees to work more efficiently and effectively. A positive environment should be provided to make them more productive. But Listo ignored the requirement of the employees. And, the employees could not resist the rapid change in the organization. Moreover, new layers of supervisors and employees were added which slowed the pace of decision making. All these changes resulted in lack of employee’s motivation, lack of clearness of goal and a shift of power from seller to the buyer. The demotivation of employees and lack of clearness of the goal in the agency resulted in low quality production. As a result, the company could not cope with the growing and changing need of the customer and started losing them gradually. According to Michael Hammer, customers want more products from less money, more quality and service and more flexibility and convenience and more innovation. While the organization had been expanding in size and competence level, productivity was affected and quality decreased. It was very difficult to fulfill the needs and wants of powerful customers who have the ability to search for best service, quality, technology, innovation, etc. Due to the fast internet technology, customers have become aware of the new quality products with cheaper price and their expectancy level has become higher. They want more products in fewer prices and within a limited time. Directing, changing and influencing behavior of such customers is significant for the sustainability. The company must provide real value to them either by offering strong products and services or lowering the cost or by creating new technologies that is more efficient. Listo ignored the issues of consumer behavior as well as employee’s behavior. Ultimately, the power shifted from the seller to the buyer of the products and services. Customers were aware of the substitute products and services that are quality product at lower price which resulted as benefit to the competitors  of the company. As seller may raise the market price by withholding supply, the buyers may be able to reduce the market price by withholding the demand. To gather the attraction of such a huge market with all the knowledge and information, Listo had to strive hard. It should have focused more on customer’s behavior and their needs along with the employee’s satisfaction at work. There was no other option for the agency but to match the changing and growing need of powerful customers. The management needed to make new strategies to sustain in the changing market. The power shifting from the seller to the buyer had a big impact on the overall performance of the company. Due to this change of power, now the supply of the products and services depend on the satisfaction of the customer’s need and wants. It was now up to those large numbers of buyers to evaluate the products and make radical changes in the supply. Thus, the power shifting from seller to the buyer was an unexpected failure and gradual decrease in the demand of products and services of Listo Systems. What external environmental factors are affecting Listo Systems? An environmental factor plays a crucial role in the development of any organization. There are two types of environmental factors that affect the performance of a company (i.e. internal and external).Internal factors of environment refers to events, factors, people, system and conditions inside the organization that are controllable by the company. Whereas, the external factors of environment are those that occur outside the organization but causes the changes inside and are many times uncontrollable by the management of the organization. Based on Achieve Model, the external factors are the environment that can influence the performance an individual even if he/she has all the ability needed to the job. Listo Systems was also affected by both the internal as well as external factors in the environment. The internal factors included the goal of the organization, company’s rules and regulations along with its aim, organizational culture, and the employees working in the agency. Change in the internal factors of Listo had a great impact on its performance. Similarly, the external factors like customers, competitors, technology, suppliers, the economy, resources, and the regulatory system had a significant influence on its operation, growth, and long term sustainability. As per the information provided in the  websites, Listo being more focused on new technology was losing its employee’s motivation. As a result, the productivity was low and the quality was below the expectation of the economy, the customers, the suppliers, etc. Customers want quality product at cheaper price and if they don’t get it, they walk away for a substitute product that different competitors of the organization provide at lower price. The same thing happens in the case of Listo systems. The customers were taken away by the competitors because of the quality product at a cheaper price. The competitors were aware of the consumer’s behavior and expectancy. But, Listo had ignored the consumer’s behavior along with the other human behavior. It is very essential for an organization to understand the human behavior because it has to deal with human with different understanding, thoughts, needs, values and priorities. Even though the external factors are outside the company, it is important to monitor and adapt the external environment in a continuous manner. Since, Listo didn’t have a continuous monitoring on external environment, it lost its control oven those factors and it was very difficult for the agency to sustain in the market. It could not adapt the changing and varying environment as well as needs of the customers who play a vital role in the success of a company. Customers being dissatisfied with its products and services chose to move on to the substitutes provided by the competitors. And, the competitors having a good understanding of the human behavior made changes with their products to attract the customers of Listo. They were aware that if they provide a quality product at that moment they can win those customers which made Listo to lose its customers and made the demand low. Advancement in technology needs proper training which was not provided by the agency to its employees and thus there was lack of motivation resulting in low productivity. Thus, the suppliers of the materials and resources of the company were not willing to work with Listo systems because of its failure in the market. These external factors affected the overall environment of the graphic design company and changing its great success in the world to failure ultimately. CHAPTER- 2 COGNITIVE DISSONANCE Introduction: Cognitive dissonance deals with the relationship between one’s self-perception and their environment. Leon Festinger analyzed that when two  perceptions relevant to each other are in conflict, it creates the situation of dissonance. Diagnosis / Analysis: Alderfer’s ERG theory states that there are three core needs to motivate people; growth, relatedness and existence. Jackie had been looking for a large organization where she could develop her long-term career goals. Her positive attitude towards recycling was influenced by her observations and experiences that she had during her school life. There she tracked what happened to all the paper put in the trash pail in each classroom. Recommendation: There are many such employers who understand the employee’s behavior and adapt themselves to make them influence for a better performance and predict the future behavior of employees. So, there can be other options and opportunities for the job for Jackie. Because if she stays with Dorf, she might get frustrated if she can’t ignore the company’s choice to recycle and later on get disappointed and it will be harmful to both the company and Jackie herself. 1. Discuss Jackie’s dilemma in terms of cognitive dissonance. Cognitive dissonance deals with the relationship between one’s self-perception and their environment. Leon Festinger analyzed that when two perceptions relevant to each other are in conflict, it creates the situation of dissonance. Jackie Hartnett, an individual with a high technical skills and a strong passion for the well-being for the environment, got job at Dorf Car Factory. Since, she was very much interested and concerned about the well-being of the environment; she could satisfy her job of reducing the harmful effects of wastes and garbage coming from factories by the means of recycling in an effective way and could give an outstanding performance. She had a very positive attitude and behavior towards her job as well as the boss, Charlie Damon. A positive behavior and attitude at his/her job helps a person to achieve the desired goal and satisfaction of physiological, social, safety, esteem and self-actualization needs. Alderfer’s ERG theory states that there are three core needs to motivate people; growth, relatedness and existence. (Managementstudyguide.com) Jackie had been  looking for a large organization where she could develop her long-term career goals. Her positive attitude towards recycling was influenced by her observations and experiences that she had during her school life. There she tracked what happened to all the paper put in the trash pail in each classroom. Jackie implemented a school- wide recycle program where she could apply her learning and experiences to make the environment free from the harmful elements. In this program, all the waste or papers were put in a separate trash pail and sent to a recycling factory to change it in reusable consumer goods. Her boss was finding her very attentive and efficient at work. She was experiencing a job satisfaction which matched her expectancy. Job satisfaction is achieved when needs of an individual is fulfilled. Both attitude and job satisfaction are interrelated. If Jackie had a negative attitude towards her job, she would have never been satisfied. Her needs were satisfied as well. But sometimes needs are blocked in the attempt to accomplish a goal. Frustration occurs when the goal attainment is blocked. Whereas, aggression comes with an aggressive and unfriendly behavior. Rationalization is a situation when a person makes excuses for his/her failure to accomplish a goal and regression is a tendency to react. Moreover, fixation means repeating the same behavior as per Maier. And, resignation relates to a situation when an individual gives up to the situation or move on after a prolonged frustration. All these situations come under cognitive dissonance. 2. How could this new information on Dorf’s actual recycling program affect Jackie’s perception of the company she works for? What impact could this have on her overall performance? Are her personal values around recycling strong enough to determine who she works for? Being experienced for a year in the job of recycling Drof’s performance had improved day by day. At the same time, she came to know about the facts of the recycling program and she then uncovered the actual information showing that several factory shipments of waste material being sold to another company. She made some quick research and came to the point that those other companies didn’t properly dispose the waste products in a hygienic way. The waste products and materials were not disposed in the right way to keep the environment free from the harmful effects of it. And, when she approached her boss, Charlie,  with the facts and information regarding the waste materials recycling, she was taken aback. She was informed about the costs associated with the approaches to ‘greener’. She was dissatisfied with the reply and was disheartened in a way that she started thinking about her personal values which must match with one’s job. Her personal value towards recycling doesn’t allow her to stay in the same job anymore a kind of frustration was created in her attitude as well as behavior. The actual recycling programs changed her attitude and lead her to cognitive dissonance where two perception of her own were moving in her mind. She was in a dilemma whether she should leave the job and break the commitment she had made with the company or she should continue her job instead of knowing the fact of it. But she had to decide and choose between her own perceptions which were a very difficult situation. Her personal values were strong because they were created as an attitude from school life environment. It’s very difficult to change such a strong and positive attitude which is built in years. It could determine what she was actually working for, whether for her personal values or for the achievement of goal. 3. Do you think Jackie should ignore the company’s choice to recycle or not and just keep doing her job? Is she willing to walk away from a good paying job with benefits? Are there other employers who are likely to be more open to recycling programs, and should she pursue opportunities with those companies? The recycling program of Dorf Car Factory created a psychological discomfort in Jackie and she was bound to change her perception to reduce the tension by ignoring the company’s choice to recycle. Cognitive dissonance in her changed her attitude and also affected her performance. Her goal won’t be achieved if she quits from the job. Her needs will be blocked which will lead her to an irrational behavior in a continuous manner. If she is not satisfied at her work place, the environment where she works, she can’t satisfy her job as well as the boss. She will be frustrated and the frustration will develop to the extent that will occur an aggressive behavior. Later on this aggression will take place of rationalization, fixation and resignation if continued for a long period of time. In that situation, she can’t ignore the Dorf’s choice whether to recycle or not because her inner perception and values are very different than her job requirement. But an employee should never ignore the fact that an organization’s achievement of goal is also the responsibility of the employee working there. Their performance and activity can improve or hinder the overall performance and play a crucial role in attainment of the organizational goal. At the same time, job satisfaction motivates one to work better and increase the productivity. One can’t work in a negative environment where employee’s satisfaction is not given any priority. Firstly, she should understand her need. Then, she should try to handle the situation and make herself comfortable with the job and focus on her work and try to change her attitude towards the recycling programs. If her attitude is changed positively, she won’t have any problem at her job at Dorf. Secondly, Jackie should try to find out a job that matches her satisfaction, competence, values and perceptions. And, she should have the broader knowledge of the companies and should also find out whether she’ll get the same type of job environment and employers or there are many more opportunities in the market where she can fit herself and get job satisfaction which won’t hamper her values and ethics. In my opinion, our values and attitude brings a sense of self-confidence and responsibility in us. So, Jackie should stay with her own values and move on for a job that satisfies her motives and needs rather than hanging on for a better payment. There are many such employers who understand the employee’s behavior and adapt themselves to make them influence for a better performance and predict the future behavior of employees. So, there can be other options and opportunities for the job for Jackie. Because if she stays with Dorf, she might get frustrated if she can’t ignore the company’s choice to recycle and later on get disappointed and it will be harmful to both the company and Jackie herself. Definitely, she should pursue to the opportunities of recycling programs with other companies for her better development and achievement of her own goal and should walk away from the Dorf Car Factory where she can’t get a job satisfaction and motivation. Bibliography F, H. (1968). One more time: How do you motivate employees? Harvard. Herzberg. (1968). One more time: How do you motivate employees? Harvard . Justanswer.com. (n.d.). Retrieved from www.justanswer.com: http://www.justanswer.com/homework/5gcht-case-study-listo-systems-challenge-growing-organization-listo.html Managementstudyguide.com. (n.d.). Retrieved

Stepping Out of the Comfort Zone

Stepping Out of the Comfort Zone Communications break boundaries and bring connections between people. In â€Å"Some Friends and I Started Talking: Conversation and Social Change,† Margaret J. Wheatley describes communication as â€Å"a timeless and reliable way for humans to think together† (312). As human, communication is an essential need for everyday survival. It also brings people closer as they have a better understanding of each other through communication.For many cases, it takes people a lot of courage to step out of their own comfort zone and start conversations with others. When I came to the United States, the language barrier was keeping me from communicating with everyone around me. I barely spoke any English at the time. I would avoid talking to everybody. In class, I would sit by myself, putting my head down during lectures and avoid to be called on. But being so quite didn’t mean I was invisible to the bullies. During 8h grade, I was bullied by a group of Hispanic boys.They would throw my books into trashcans, made fun of my accent and pushed me as I walk through hallways. I was so afraid to come to school. My grades were dropping as the semester went by. I knew I needed to talk to somebody about it. Stepped out of my comfort zone, I seek my counselor Jane for help. Our conversation lasted for about two hours, but it changed my life completely. Wheatley mentions, â€Å"a simple conversation gave birth to actions that can change lives,†(312) in her essay.I soon found myself confronting the bullies and stopped them from bullying other people that were just like me. My grades also improved as my social life improved. This proves how communication is a â€Å"powerful tool in society† (Wheatley 313). Communication opens up new points of views and changes life for those who take courage and effort to begin a conversation. â€Å"We are hungry for a chance to talk. People want to tell their stories and willing to li sten to yours†(Wheatley 312). Communication is also the key to friendship and relationships.

Report on various features of the data Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Report on various features of the data - Essay Example Further, some of the sources of revenues are interrelated as they may stimulate one another under their macroeconomic effects in the economy. This paper, based on a data set on United Kingdom government’s borrowing and received taxes, reports the data set’s features to the senior management office. Analysis of borrowings and received tax over the two fiscal years One of the important approaches to understanding the data set is an annual comparison of the data to understand the country’s progress in the period. This involves a comparison of the borrowings over the two fiscal years and a comparison of received tax over the period. The following table summarizes descriptive statists of government borrowings for the two fiscal years. ... The difference between mean and median for the yearly borrowings could also be explained by the negative borrowings in the two years and the borrowings were more dispersed in the year ended 2013 that the year ended 2012. The graph bellow compared the annual borrowings and indicates higher borrowings 2012 Graph 1: Comparison of yearly borrowings The nation’s received tax over the two periods can similarly be compared using descriptive statistics that are shown in the table below. Table 2: Descriptive statistics for the fiscal years ended 2012 and 2013 received taxes Fiscal year ended 2012 Â   Fiscal year ended 2013 Â   Mean 12701.91667 Mean 12716.5 Standard Error 1259.548407 Standard Error 1323.836 Median 11077.5 Median 11057.5 Mode #N/A Mode #N/A Standard Deviation 4363.20367 Standard Deviation 4585.903 Sample Variance 19037546.27 Sample Variance 21030504 Kurtosis 5.931301194 Kurtosis 5.685588 Skewness 2.311375522 Skewness 2.248221 Range 15364 Range 16611 Minimum 9578 Minimu m 8881 Maximum 24942 Maximum 25492 Sum 152423 Sum 152598 Count 12 Count 12 Confidence Level(95.0%) 2772.24735 Confidence Level(95.0%) 2913.744 The two periods reported an almost similar trend in received tax with means that are almost equal, 12701 and 12716. Medians for the two years similarly close with 11077.5 for the year ended 2012 and 11057.5 for the year 2013. Close similarity in standard deviation, Kurtosis, skewdness, minimum and maximum values and sums of received taxes further indicates similarity in the two periods’ trends and suggest consistency in the economic stability. The following graph shows a comparison of tax received in the two years with a similarity. Graph 2: Tax

Humans Are Determined Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Humans Are Determined - Essay Example (Nithyananda, 2007,p. 101) The sage said that free will is something which a man is not born with and it was never something that man had struggled to win over. It has been gifted to man, by God, willingly, so that man can be morally responsible for all his deeds. Thus, in the mortal life, a man has to continuously face ‘prarabdha’ i.e. accumulated fate and only God and Guru have the power to save anyone if they wish. (Sen, 2010). So, if we go by the teachings of Paramhansa and as well as by all other great teachers of life, we tend to ask ourselves one very important question like â€Å"is it impossible for us to be free?† The renowned philosopher, D’Holbach for example has said that a man’s life is completely dictated by Nature and he has no role in it except to draw the line on the surface of the Earth which he has been asked to draw. He considered mythology as a reflection of Nature itself. According to him whatever a man does, whatever he thinks, we wishes for are the reflections of those properties which have been given into him by Nature and of those situations in which Nature has positioned him. Nature sends a man naked on this earth. The man quickly learns to cover himself, find food and shelter for himself and also to take care of other requisites. Each and every step taken by a man to sustain himself on this earth can be perceived as a long series of cause and effect. This can be called as the development of the first impulse given to him by none other than Nature itself. Nature operates through laws which are universal. Man must penetrate the secrets of Nature through his sens es, and must experience Nature to the fullest. Whenever he avoids drawing experience or gets diverted from his path, he falls into the pool of ignorance and suffering. It was the intention of Nature to give man the full happiness of freedom through all the attributes Nature has bestowed man with. However, that required searching

Internet Banking Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Internet Banking - Research Paper Example As to the exposure to the internet is concerned almost all those who said they did have exposure to internet for over a year also said that they had internet banking exposure for over a year which is very welcome since most of the people who are on the internet seem to be more inclined towards using internet for this purpose. Most people (40%) felt that the internet banking enabled them to do their job quickly and only 20% felt that it does not help them do their job quickly. Others felt neither or did not comment. This indicates there is an overall speed increase in the process. This has also resulted in 40% of the people saying that their productivity has gone up and 45% said that their effectiveness in utilizing the services have gone up. The same is not the case with the utilization of banking services, which the respondents seem to feel is more towards disagreeing. 40% said the internet banking has NOT improved their services. Around 35% said they perceived an improvement in the service. Nearly 45% of the respondents also felt that it was not easy to use the internet banking facility. This implies that the sites are not really user friendly and the usability factor of the websites has to be analyzed. The overall banking usefulness as percei... The overall banking usefulness as perceived was checked and was found to be more in favor of yes as shown above. The number of people who perceived that the internet banking is not useful was just 15%. This implies that the overall reaction of the people is towards satisfactory internet banking. The above pie chart shows that there are also undecided people of almost 45% of the surveyed lot who could be turned positive with a little effort. Trust From the analysis of the survey results, it is found that the overall satisfaction levels in the case of trust is also in favor of the bank. However, some of the important questions in this regard, 'I feel trustworthy towards my bank' and 'Using internet banking is secure' has evoked a strong neutral stand from the respondents. This indicates that the majority of them are still in a dilemma as to use the internet banking or not to use it. This dilemma can easily be turned positive by suitable promotion and clarifications for the clients of the bank. Another interesting point to note is the fact that nearly 40% of the people have said they may not trust the bank with their private information. This possibly stems from the idea that the respondents might be getting from the bank that they are sharing their personal information with others merchants. But the overall trust in the bank has not diminished as per the figure below. There are more people who are saying they trust their bank without any holds. There is also 40% of people who say that they are neutral; not saying no but at the same time not saying yes either. This is a group that needs further analysis by the bank as to why this is happening and may be efforts to be taken to set this right. Perceived Ease

Ethical Breakdown and Leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Ethical Breakdown and Leadership - Essay Example Although the vice has changed dramatically in the past decade, consider the past infamous Ford Pinto case which was produced during the 1970s. The car brand became disreputable for its tendency to leak fuel and explode into flames. Many deaths and injuries were recorded due to the manufacturing faults before they were recalled to correct the hitch. Investigations revealed that due to competition from Volkswagen, and other manufacturers the production of the cars was rushed, although the engineers noticed the mishaps during the reproduction crash tests, they went on with the production (Bazerman & Tenbrunsel, 2011). The main reason for the leaders of Ford to go on with the production is mere greed rather than a marketing decision which was highly unethical. US Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel recently commented on the unethical behavior of the military, after it emerged that 30 officers of the US navy cheated on an exam for nuclear reactor instructors. The test in question is expected to gauge knack by launch officers in handling â€Å"emergency war orders†. The Pentagon describes the scandal as an ethical issue, although others may view it differently. Others may see the problem as more of a cultural problem (Ortiz, 2014). Personally, the breakdown mainly occurs due to the high standards that have been put by the system for the officers to achieve. The pressure to get good grades and a zero tolerance for wrong answers can be one of the reasons that the officers decided to cheat during exams. The failure by the authorities to notice the breakdown also raises some questions about their leadership abilities (Ortiz, 2014). This is due to the fact that it took one sailor who saw this as unethical to report the matter to the seniors.

Medications errros Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Medications errros - Essay Example Available literature about medical errors states that emergency department often faces the challenge of medical errors. The intensity of the work conducted in the emergency department is one of the factors that may lead to medical errors. Emergency department is prone to medical errors because of the involvement of the individual medical practitioners . The influx pattern in the emergency department is another factor that influences the number or errors committed in this department. Some arguments about medical errors committed in the emergency department attest to the fact that medical professionals attending to patients on the emergency department often feel bored because of the inconsistent number of patients that the department receives. According to renowned scholar Norman, human beings always err (Schenkel, 2000). Thus, by considering this fact in mind, the medical professionals should be extra vigilant when handling patients. Medical errors such as wrong prescriptions are avoidable if the medical professional pays more attention to the patients. Other errors include over dosage, application of wrong procedures when handling a casualty, excessive and x-ray penetrations among others. First, is to understand the source of the error and develop means of avoiding the causes of errors. Second, create a possibility to undo actions. Third, create an environment, which may lead to tracing of the errors. Fourth, change the trends about errors (Schenkel, 2000). Critics argue that training is essential in eliminating some of the errors committed by medical professionals. Written report, for instance is important when handling a patients. Doctors or nurses may use the written document to identify the requirement of the patient. Personal responsibility is essential in defining the number of errors committed. By exercising care when handling a patient, errors arising from negligence would be avoidable. The safety of the patients is very essential. When

The new york times, the best laws money can buy july 12, 2010 Essay

The new york times, the best laws money can buy july 12, 2010 - Essay Example Lobbyists have been around for decades. There is really not much that the common people know about them, except that they lobby. But what does that really mean and why do they have to flock over in the halls of the very foundations of the nation’s sovereignty, the Senate and the House of Representatives. The most common question deduced is what do they actually do and how do they affect us. It seems at first glance that there are really so little of what they do that directly affects the people or the government. They guise in the fact that their main job is to point out to legislators one or two small details in pending legislations for them to take a second look and reconsider the proposal. The congressman or senator then acts as a mercenary for these interests. Now the succeeding question is what is so important with these minute details that people, groups or corporations have to hire lobbyists to do their bidding. A 1986 article written in Time magazine appropriately titl ed â€Å"Peddling Influence† was an in-depth depiction of the growth of lobbying as a profession. From being a very reticent profession, as specifically pointed out even congressmen back then do not want to be seen talking with a lobbyist, it has blossomed into a very public and media frenzied occupation. As pointed out, â€Å"One man’s loophole is another man’s socially useful allowance, and one man’s lobbyist is another man’s righteous advocate. Nonetheless, the voices most likely to be heard are often the ones that can afford the best-connected access brokers† (par. 4). Steven Brill has painted a clearer picture in how lobbying has affected our nation. As an explicit example he has cited Private Equity Council, a trade group that wants to augment taxes on carried interest. It keeps on its payroll Capitol Tax with a $30, 000 retainer each month ensuring the taxes on its members are kept low. This type of payment is not limited to only Capi tol Tax as there are other firms they employ. It has been reported that they have spent $4.2 million from 2009. Keeping in mind that there are other groups lobbying for the same cause, all in all, according to Brill, this amounts to about $15 million. This already seems like a lot of money but this is small change as it equates to an investment for about $100 billion in taxes in the next 10 years. This will actually save them around $10 billion in taxes. Furthermore, their lobbyists have afforded them the added bonus that it becomes effective this year instead of 2010. Saving them another $2 billion (Brill, par.4-5). In comparison, the $15 million does not sound that much. It is but a mere insignificant percentage compared to what they will be able to save. But what does this really mean to us because so what if they are able to save as much. It is uncomforting to think that this â€Å"payoff is all the more remarkable when you realize that this tax break is going to some of the we althiest Americans and that all the reformers wanted originally was for those folks to pay the same graduated income-tax rate that normal wage earners do† (Brill, par.6). It is but the virtue of equity that this tax policy should have been implemented. As the saying so aptly puts it, ‘absolute power corrupts, absolutely.’ There seems to be no satiation to the hunger that what the rich wants is to be richer while others are

Acculturation of Hispanic Population in the United States Research Paper

Acculturation of Hispanic Population in the United States - Research Paper Example The people from every culture have brought diversity in American culture with the uniqueness of respective culture. The Hispanic culture and community has been diffused all over the country propounding new traditions, trends customs, and cultures and acquired the status of the largest minority group. America’s bilingual educational structure is the impact of the growing Hispanic population as the largest minority. According to Census Bureau of US (2003), â€Å"Young, Diverse, Urban: Hispanic Population Reaches All-time High of 38.8 Million† (Naidoo, 33) These Hispanic groups in the United States have faced certain obstacles from the culture of United States since the time of their arrival. While there has been interchanged of values between the US society and the Hispanics, yet their stay in the United States have brought them certain benefits, which they perhaps could not access back at home. The Hispanic groups are often referred as an â€Å"assimilation-oriented society† (Schaefer, 235) where the problem of language difference has been existent since the time of their arrival in the United States. For a long period of time, the Hispanics witnessed hindrances in schooling for children speaking Spanish. The recognition of the bilingual status and bicultural trend have been accepted and credited in the States only in the recent years. In the current years, Spanish has been recognized as an asset rather than a liability. Variations in accents and pronunciation of the same language have faced resistance from the â€Å"language purity movement† (Schaefer, 235). For the last two to three decades Hispanics were discouraged to speak Spanish. The Hispanic children were differentiated from the Anglos in schools. For the last two to three decades Hispanics were discouraged to speak Spanish. (Schaefer, 242) Children were punished if they were caught speaking in Spanis h within school premises. The ability of a person to adapt to the stressors is refereed as allostasis. This allostatic load factor is important to judge the proper health status. When an individual is exposed to adverse situations for a long time, it is normal for them to become vulnerable to such challenges involving physiological strain and such alterations lead to a deterioration in health conditions.

Cost Benefit Analysis Essay Example for Free

Cost Benefit Analysis Essay When operating a business or managing a project, there are many moving parts that need to be discussed, evaluated, and/or implemented. A very effective tool that can help that can help in a business decision or project is running a cost benefit analysis. Running this analysis will help a project manager determine how well, or how poorly, a planned action will turn out (John Reh, 2014). This type of analysis relies on the addition of positive factors and the subtraction of negative ones to determine a net result (John Reh, 2014). When putting a together a cost benefit analysis for a big production company like Bubble Films, it is a big project to own. Having 150 employees spread out into multiple states makes it difficult to get all the information needed. There are many factors when you are dealing with multiple areas of operation to provide an accurate cost benefit analysis. The cost of networking equipment and the power it takes to operate them. The amount of cloud space and the security used to protect it and the power to operate. Once you start operating outside of the office, conducting an accurate cost benefit analysis. With the employees working at home, are they working the full day or a few hours here and there? Do you have to pay for their use of electricity and internet, per diem? Is it more cost effective to put everyone in an office rather than work at home? Many questions have to be answered to create and effective analysis. Cost benefit analysis is a very important tool to use when pitching a new idea or project. This will show the investor, project manager, or CEO’s exactly where their money is going to go and how they are going to make a return. It also helps identify flaws in the budget and whether a company can expand or downsize. References John Reh, F. (2014). Cost Benefit Analysis. Retrieved from http://management.about.com/cs/money/a/CostBenefit.htm

The Optical Time Domain Reflectometer Essay Example for Free

The Optical Time Domain Reflectometer Essay In fiber optic networks, OTDR (Optical Time Domain Reflectometer) is an opto-electronic instrument used to characterize an optical fiber. Unlike power meters OTDR does not measure loss, but instead implies it by looking at the backscatter signature of the fiber. Generally, OTDR are used to determine the loss of any part of a system, the length of the fiber and the distance between any points of interest. Most of the light which is sent to the fiber can be detected at the other end, but a part of it is always absorbed or scattered. Absorption and scattering are caused by imperfections of fiber, small grains of dirt, for instance. Scattering means that light is not absorbed but it is just sent in different angle after it hits small particles in optical fiber (Figure 1). Some of the light is scattered to the direction it came from. This is called backscattering. Backscattering forms the basis to the use of the optical time domain reflectometry. Figure 1 Rayleigh –scattering in optical fiber Optical time domain reflectometry is based on scattering and reflections. OTDR sends an optical pulse to the fiber and measures the received backscattering. The signal which is received consists naturally only of scattering and reflections of pulse which was sent. By interpreting signal as a function of time OTDR can draw an attenuation of a fiber as a function of distance. Theory of the OTDR Optical time domain reflectometry measures backscattering as a function of time and graph is then drawn as a function of distance (Figure 2). The graph represents the power of signal which the detector of the OTDR receives. The graph of fiber probed by OTDR consists of two spikes with gradually decreasing line between them. The line between spikes is decreasing because the received signal is decreased as a function of distance in accordance with attenuation coefficient of fiber. At the both ends of fiber reflection is large (Fresnel reflection) which creates spikes to the graph. Length of the fiber can therefore be measured from the width of the graph. Figure 2 OTDR signal as a function of distance An OTDR trace is a graphical representation of optical changes or events on a fiber. An event could be a splice, optical connector, a bend, a break, or just normal backscattered light from the fiber itself. In the OTDR trace faults for instance, are shown as a drop in the power of received signal (Figure 3). Size of a drop depends on an amount of power that is lost due to the component. The lost power represents of course the attenuation of component. Components and faults in fiber are either reflective or nonreflective. Reflective components create a spike to the graph of OTDR the same way as the both ends of fiber do. With nonreflective components there are no spikes because no excess light is reflected back. In most cases reflective attenuation is caused by connectors or other passive components and nonreflective attenuation is usually caused by fusion splice or similar fault in fiber. Figure 3 Attenuation of different faults Figure 4 OTDR Trace Information The slope of the OTDR trace shows the attenuation coefficient of the fiber and is calibrated in dB/km by the OTDR (Figure 4). Whereby, The height of that peak will indicate the amount of reflection at the event, unless it is so large that it saturates the OTDR receiver. Then the peak will have a flat top and tail on the far end, indicating the receiver was overloaded. Sometimes, the loss of a good fusion splice will be too small to be seen by the OTDR. Thats good for the system but can be confusing to the operator. It is very important to know the lengths of all fiber in the network so that the operator is not confused by unusual events. Reflective pulses show the resolution of the OTDR. Two events which are closer than the pulse width cannot be seen. Generally longer pulse widths are used to be able to see farther along the cable plant and narrower pulses are used when high resolution is needed, although it limits the distance the OTDR can see. The Dead Zone Dead zones originate from reflective events (connectors, mechanical splices, etc.) along the link, and they affect the OTDR’s ability to accurately measure attenuation on shorter links and differentiate closely spaced events, such as connectors in patch panels, etc. When the strong optical reflection from such an event reaches the OTDR, its detection circuit becomes saturated for a specific amount of time (converted to distance in the OTDR) until it recovers and can once again measure backscattering accurately. As a result of this saturation, there is a part of the fiber link following the reflective event that can not be â€Å"seen† by the OTDR. Analyzing the dead zone is very important to ensure the whole link is measured. Two types of dead zones are usually specified: 1. Event dead zone: This refers to the minimum distance required for consecutive reflective events to be â€Å"resolved†, i.e., to be differentiated from each other. If a reflective event is within the event dead zone of the preceding event, it will not be detected and measured correctly. Industry standard values range from 0.8 m to 5 m for this specification. Figure 5 Common OTDR with 3 m event dead zone 2. Attenuation dead zone: This refers to the minimum distance required, after a reflective event, for the OTDR to measure a reflective or non-reflective event loss. To measure short links and to characterize or find faults in patchcords and leads, the shortest possible attenuation dead zone is best. Industry standard values range from 3 m to 10 m for this specification. To overcome the problem of dead zones, usually a patchcord of about 100 m is added at the beginning of the system. As a result, all lauch dead zone problems have finished before the fiber (which is to be tested) is reached. Ghosts When testing short cables with highly reflective connectors, it is likely to encounter ghosts like in Figure 6. These are caused by the reflected light from the far end connector reflecting back and forth in the fiber until it is attenuated to the noise level. Ghosts are very confusing, as they seem to be real reflective events like connectors, but will not show any loss. If a reflective event in the trace is found at a point where there is not supposed to be any connection, but the connection from the launch cable to the cable under test is highly reflective, look for ghosts at multiples of the length of the launch cable. Figure 6 OTDR Ghosts Resolution of the OTDR Consider that light travels 1 m every 5 ns in the fiber, so a pulsewidth of 100 ns would extend for a distance of 20 m. When the light reaches an event, such as a connector, the light is reflected. The reflection appears to be a 20 m pulse on the OTDR. However, if two events are separated by a distance of 10 m or less (Figure 7), the two reflections will overlap and join up in returning to the OTDR. Figure 7 Thus the OTDR will display the two events as one event and the loss at each event is not detected, instead the sum of losses at both events will be shown on the OTDR. Choosing a shorter pulsewidth may give a better resolution but in turn resulting a low energy content (causing shorter detection range). Besides using a shorter pulse which will provide the required range, a tool that is called a â€Å"visual fault locator† can help too. The visual fault locator injects a bright red laser light into the fiber to find faults. If there is a high loss, such as a bad splice, connector or tight bend stressing the fiber, the light lost may be visible to the naked eye. This will resolve event which is close to the OTDR or close to another event that are not resolvable to the OTDR. The limitation of this tool is about 4 km.

The Importance Of Environmental Risk Assessments Environmental Sciences Essay

The Importance Of Environmental Risk Assessments Environmental Sciences Essay Environmental risk assessment is an integral part of a project. It is important that a project attributes due weight and consideration to the assessments conclusions, although it is just as imperative that an assessment identifies the assessment endpoints in order to determine the application and usefulness of the assessment. Depending on the specific project, an environmental risk assessment can be utilised to assist a project to assess strategic and or tactical uncertainties, as well as assisting in making the best informed decision given the circumstances. (Beer Ziolkowski, 1995, p. 6) Environmental risk assessment is the process (Joint Technical Committee OB/7 Risk Management, 1999) that analyses, considers and then places into a criterion framework the risks to human health, welfare and ecosystems that are the result of adverse developmental impacts on the natural environment. (Beer Ziolkowski, 1995) The placement of the foreseeable risks into a specified criteria, level and/or predetermined standard enables a project to consider, in comparison to the same, what environmental hazards have the greatest potential of occurring, as a result of a specific project, to the selected endpoints and what action (if any) is required. (Joint Technical Committee OB/7 Risk Management, 1999), (Beer Ziolkowski, 1995). The usefulness of environmental risk assessment can depend on what criteria, pre-determined standard and/or level is being utilised as an acceptable comparison. What may be important to one specific environment may not be important to another, therefore, it is important, prior to the commencement of the environmental assessment, that the environmental values to be protected (Stoklosa), the endpoints are agreed. The importance of environmental risk assessment as a necessary component of a project is evidenced in a recent predictive case study commissioned by Alcoa, the worlds largest producer of aluminium (Alcoa Inc.), with respect to an aspect of the construction of its proposed aluminium smelter in East Iceland. (Booth, et al., 2009) (referred to as The Aluminium Smelter Study). The Aluminium Smelter Study is an example of predictive risk assessment. The study was conducted to determine whether there would be a consequential difference in the level of risk to human and ecological receptors from constituents in air emissions from the aluminium smelter (prior to construction), either with or without wet scrubbers. (Booth, et al., 2009, p. 423) Gaseous emissions from the aluminium smelting process are minimized by existing controls, although not all emissions are captured by these basic controls. Prior to the commencement of the study, there was no certainty regarding whether the addition of wet scrubbers to the basic controls would provide any additional benefit as these also introduce an environmental cost. It is necessary for Icelands Permitting Authority, if they are to approve the Smelter without the need for the wet scrubbers, that an environmental risk assessment is conducted with the harm for both scenarios, with and without the wet scrubbers, explored in advance, in order that the authorities can make an informed decision. Although wet scrubbers can in some circumstances control gaseous emissions, the contaminants removed by the scrubbing are transferred into the smelters surrounding water ways, potentially causing harm to the surrounding ecology and humans alike. For the purpose of the assessment, the selection of the emissions/contaminants present in the smelter region, which may be emitted with or without wet scrubbers, were determined on the basis of what the principal constituents of gaseous emissions from primary aluminium production are. (Booth, et al., 2009, p. 429) These include, fluorides, particulates, sulphur dioxide, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, perfluorocarbons and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The design of the smelter and the operational controls already in place were considered prior to identifying the contaminants that may pose a potential risk to the pre-determined endpoints. Whether or not the wet scrubber process will cause substantial harm to the environment requires a risk assessment of weighing the environmental risks of exposure to humans and the environment to the emissions and waste generated with and without the wet scrubbers. . The environmental endpoints for the purpose of this environmental risk assessment were selected on the basis of a number of criteria, including, amongst others, the ecosystems and species that are present in the Hraun industrial tract and surrounding areas in Ewyarfjorour, Fjardabyggd, on the east coast of Iceland (Booth, et al., 2009, p. 425) in close proximity to the aluminium smelter site. In addition, further endpoints were selected by considering terrestrial and marine site studies (which) were conducted (Booth, et al., 2009, p. 425) in the early planning phase and using the information obtained to determine what plants and animals in the surrounding area could be at risk from the wet scrubber emissions. The human environment endpoints were also assessed, utilising studies completed in the planning stage of the smelter site and its surrounding Fjord area. The Aluminium Smelters location in East Iceland presents a unique environment, where there is little development and, due to both the weather and terrain, a relatively stable population level, see Figure 1 of Appendix A . The studies assessed the population of the surrounding area, noting that the terrain restricts much human population, the potential exposure pathways (i.e the drinking water for the residents in the villages is the river Delta and those outside the villages use bore water, neither of which there is any indication the smelter will affect.) and whether the populations source of food will be affected and, in turn, could indirectly expose the human population to harm. The Aluminium Smelter Study measured the harm to both human health and the ecology by developing a number of different conceptual models to assist in identify(ing) the controlling variables that affect exposure and risk, and to focus the risk assessment process on the most important pathways of potential exposure. (Booth, et al., 2009, p. 430) Figure 2, at page 431, is an illustration of a conceptual site model, which assists to identify the exposure pathways from the source, its transport, the media, (i.e air, soil, water) and then the effect on humans and the ecology. In particular, attention is directed when electing the endpoints to those plants, animals and humans that are potentially sensitive, or will be at greater risk of exposure, to the emission contaminants as identified as potentially being present. Further consideration must also be directed to ecologically important species and those species having special regulatory status (if appropriate) or social importance. (Booth, et al., 2009, p. 430) If, after having conducted all of the above and considered all the contributing factors of the models, a pathway was identified as having a potential to be complete, that factor was then assessed as posing a potential risk to the end point Alcoa engaged Earth Tech to conduct the air dispersion modelling, which was required to assess both the human and ecological risk assessments. Air dispersion modelling was chosen as the best method, considering the difficult Fjord landscape and complex wind conditions, to determine the effects on the receptors from the wet scrubber and no wet scrubber smelting scenarios. A copy of Earth Techs report is annexed at Appendix B. A copy of Earth Techs report is annexed at Appendix B.A number of air modelling scenarios were simulated in order to assess exposure to provide the relevant basis for comparison to standards that are protective of human health and the environment (Booth, et al., 2009, p. 434). These scenarios are illustrated in Table 2 and the time frames were chosen in order that the results could be compared to the corresponding regulatory limits that are protective of human health. The different environmental values to be protected require different measures of assessment. For example, in order to measure the harm of the risk to plant species in the Fjord, the model requires modelling for annual mean sulphur dioxide (SO2) (one of the identified emissions) exposure as toxicology-based screening values for plants are expressed as annual averages. The results of the dispersion models were exhibited on a geographic grid. For a more detailed explanation of the grid and a copy of the same, see page 437 (Booth, et al., 2009). (Katie, what does this add?) In order to assess the risk of the estimated air concentrations and deposition rates, with or without the effect of seawater scrubbers, the two scenarios were compared on a point-specific basis or were examined statistically or probabilistically to describe the nature of exposure to each constituent by sensitive receptors. The study not only conducted air modelling exposure modelling, the risk assessment process also utilised previously conducted marine dispersion modelling, which assessed the harm to the Fjord marine ecology, including modelling sediment and the concentration in water of elements such as fluoride, another of the identified end point contaminants. The marine dispersion models were then assessed using data from further previous studies, as well as data collected from other Alcoa facilities, such as those in Canada and Norway as a means of verifying the reasonableness of the predictions at Fjord. (Booth, et al., 2009) In addition to the air dispersion modelling and marine dispersion modelling, the risk assessment also assessed the potential adverse effects from sediment bound substance and dissolved substances (Booth, et al., 2009, p. 438) from the discharge of water into the Fjord in the situation of the seawater scrubber. The constituents, in particular PAHs (emission of which is usually associated with effluent sediment from the wet scrubber), that were hypothesised to be released into the Fjord, were selected to be assessed. The harm of these constituents (see page 438) was measured by comparing modelled concentrations in sediment and water to available toxicity thresholds and screening benchmarks. (Booth, et al., 2009) Similar modelling was utilised to assess the effect of the scrubber discharge to wildlife, including food web modelling for species that forage on items that could potentially accumulate PAHs. (Booth, et al., 2009). Similarly, the harm to plants was measured by comparing the mo delled air emission concentrations of SO2 and fluoride to conservative toxicity thresholds for sensitive plant communities. Further, the risk to vertebrates was determined on the basis of predicted concentrations of fluoride and PAHs (sic) in the diet of herbivorous mammals and birds, based on the EarthTech air modelling results and plant uptake models, and comparing those dietary concentrations to toxicity thresholds developed from the scientific literature. (Booth, et al., 2009, p. 438) There were some limitations in the study on the effect of emissions from the two alternate scrubber scenarios, which are discussed in further detail at page 439. The quantitative results to the identified receptors and the concentration estimates of emission constituents in the air from inhalation exposure were measured to be considered in comparison with all relevant standards, and PAHs (sic) were compared with health-protective screening values for air and soil. In addition to the human risk of inhalation of the emissions, the study also assessed the harm from dermal (skin) contact to humans, one of the identified endpoint pathways. The soil concentrations, in accordance with the model (see page 439), were then compared to well-accepted health-protective soil preliminary remediation goals for BaP and HF developed by USEPA. The potential harm on human health from the discharge of constituents in the air and soil were measured by comparison to elected, accepted benchmarks. Each of the different models required different types of methods to measure the predicted harm. In order that the risk assessment provides the most accurate conclusions that can be relied on for decision making, the different end points required different benchmarks for assessment. For a more detailed assessment of the effect of the identified emission contaminants on the endpoints, see page 439. The results of the modelling predictions on the level of risk to human and ecological receptors indicated that both scenarios produce results that are lower that the identified risk thresholds and, by and large, the risk to all end points was lower for a smelter without wet scrubbers. Alcoa submitted the results of the environmental risk assessment to the Government of Icelands Permitting Authority and, in turn, the Authority approved an operating permit for the facility without the need to install seawater scrubbers. (Booth, et al., 2009, p. 440) It must be noted that some caution must be attributed to the risk assessments findings as it was financed by Alcoa, however a disclaimer appears on page 1 of this study, the opinions expressed are the independent scientific views of the authors (Booth, et al., 2009, p. 423) and it would appear that the Iceland Permitting Authority agrees. The benefit for Alcoa was threefold. Firstly, by successfully obtaining the Iceland Governments permit, they were not required to expend the additional cost of constructing the seawater scrubber. Further, the results of the environmental risk assessment were able to be distributed to the local community, assisting Alcoa in continuing to uphold its duties to the people of the area faithfully. (Alcoa Inc.) Finally, Alcoa have utilised the environmental risk assessment to demonstrate the long-term sustainability of operations, as well as environmental protectiveness. (Booth, et al., 2009, p. 440). The information obtained from the environmental risk assessment process was a necessary component of Alcoas aluminium smelter Iceland project.

Graduation Speech: Dedicated to Our Soldier-Parents :: Graduation Speech, Commencement Address

Eighteen years ago 134 young souls breathed life for the first time. We all have come from different places with no way of knowing that one day we would all end up being on the same stage together. Unlike most of the Class of 2012 in the States none of us here went to elementary school together, or middle school, or even all of high school. We come from a very different life experience than most. Most of us have never been the same place for more than a few years. That's only one of the many differences we have with our peers stateside. Another major one of course is the fact that we have spent most our high school lives in Europe. We live in a foreign country with different laws, a different language, and different customs. Many of us have also had the opportunity to travel to numerous countries around Europe and experience those societies as well. In an increasingly globalized world I believe because of our experiences with foreigners that my classmates and I are much better prepar ed to move out into the real world than any other graduating class anywhere in the States. Some of you may think that that is a bold statement and that's because it is, but it's the truth. My classmates and I have walked a path that has never been walked before. We have been forced to deal with a deployment from a deployment. We are all deployed to Europe and then we are forced to live our lives as normal as possible in this foreign land while we have parents deployed again to Iraq and Afghanistan for at least a year at a time. We have to mature faster and take on greater responsibilities than average teenagers. While a parent is deployed we go day to day trying to make it through school, extra-curricular activities, and community involvement, all while knowing that our parent-soldier could be getting shot at in a combat zone and that today—might be the day we find out we will never hear from them again. Tonight we are in the presence of true heroes, men and women who are willing to put their lives on the line; who are willing to suffer through year away from their family, all to help an oppressed society enjoy the very freedoms that we so often take for granted. These heroes also happen to be our parents, the people who have suffered through us the longest and somehow they still find it in their heart to stick around, I don't know how you do it.

Phoenix Suns :: essays research papers

The History Of The Phoenix Suns   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   I chose to write about the Phoenix Suns basketball History mainly because they have gave me, â€Å"the fan† great memories. The Suns introduced me to a whole new world of sports. When I watch their Basketball games it’s probably different from any other fan’s viewpoint. I tend to analyze their games and try to think what their next move is going to be. Other fans just cheer which is alright. Throughout the Phoenix Suns existence, they have had many great years as well as many down years. When I was introduced to the sport of Basketball, the first team I watched was the Chicago Bulls; I was completely intrigued by this sport. Each member of the team on the court always seemed to be giving it their all. It was only for a year that I was a Chicago Bull fan; this was because I had not yet found out that Arizona had, and â€Å"The Team† of course, is the Phoenix Suns. I was quickly converted to a Suns fan (now I now what you’re thinking; you think I’m one of those people who just moves around cheering the team that wins†¦. well I’m not I was just a little kid who just found out that there was a professional basketball team in the state he lived in, and I just started cheering for them.) This team is great they are always playing their hearts out.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Well before the beginning of the 1968 draft two Teams (the expansion teams) Milwaukee and Phoenix got select players from other teams this is known as the Expansion draft. The other teams were basically giving away low quality players . Before the team was even created there was a contest to see what the teams name was going to be. There were names like: The Moon Shooters, The Nitros, The Hoopsters, The Dudes, The Gransuns, Desert Rats, Desert Cats, The Sun Dials, And how about The Phoenix White Wing Doves?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The eventual winner was Selinda King she acquired $1,000 dollars plus season tickets to the suns first inaugural season. In the expansion draft the Suns selected Dick Van Arsdale, which turned out to be a great pick because he ended up averaging 17.6 points a game for Phoenix. Other players selected by Phoenix were: Gail Goodrich, Neil Johnson, David Latin, Stan McKenzie, McCoy McLemore, Dick Snyder, and George Wilson.

A Feminist Reading of John Updikes A&P Essay -- John Updike A&P

A Feminist Reading of A&P Gone are the days that humans could live impulsively, only taking physical pain and pleasure into account when making decisions. Or so one would like to believe. In a display of sheer innocence and ignorance, Sammy, a grocery clerk at the A & P, managed to revert back to the original behavior patterns of his ape-like ancestors. One cannot possibly predict the future of Sammy, given his own illogical and irrational behavior. But one can, through a careful examination of Sammy's life, determine that Sammy is just a naive, young man whose impulsive acts, partly as a consequence of his upbringing, compel him to participate in a cause not worth fighting for, instead of using his talents for more constructive purposes. No matter how much Sammy tried, he could not transcend the rational barriers of his evolutionary counterpart, the ape. From the moment that Sammy first gazed upon those three young women in bathing suits to his outburst and subsequent resignation, Sammy was not able to separate reason from basic sexual instinct. Sammy first makes the comment, "The longer her neck was, the more of her there was," (Updike 408) and later says, "From the third slot I look straight up this aisle to the meat counter, and I watched them all the way" (Updike 408). After hours--perhaps even years--of being deprived of the sight of a beautiful girl, Sammy gave in to the natural animal tendency to "observe" and pursue a member of the opposite sex. It was of no consequence to Sammy that he did not even know the three girls and had not seen very much of them. Sammy's only overriding desire was, simply put, sex. Sammy made no effort to rationally think about what he was doing; instead, he acted on an impulse stemm in... ...ions were divulged, and Sammy began to really realize what he was doing, his actions became more noble. One can learn from Sammy the importance of not backing down once decisions are made, and to stand up for one's own opinions despite what other people think. If one can disregard Sammy's initial ape-like motives which stressed the importance of the sex drive, there is much to be learned from that now-eminent grocery clerk. If people finally decide to stand up for what they believe, themselves and the world indubitably be bettered. And then, the world would run less rampant with people who appear to have missed their fair share of natural selection, and the world would be a much more spiritually sound place. Works Cited Updike, John. "A & P." The Bedford Introduction to Literature. 2nd Edition. Ed. Michael Meyer. Boston: St. Martin's Press, 1990. 407-411. Â  

Sample work

A postal scale for products weighing up to 2 pounds. Because of the specific words used that sentence they would have to use a direct distribution method. B. Children's toys: (1) radio controlled model airplanes costing $80 or more, (2) small rubber balls. Usually with children toys you are able to use an indirect distribute channel, because you can house all of the supplies for the distribution of those toys. The small rubber balls would be a prime example of this because you would need a facility to house these items for retail.But in the case of the radio controlled airplane hat is a specific item were there would be no need for storage of this item due to not knowing the quantities needed for sale. This would benefit to be a direct distribution method. C. Heavy-duty, rechargeable, battery-powered nut tightness for factory production lines. This would have be an item that would need a storage facility near that production plant; because until they are established and understanding of the demand of this product you would need to know if to stock up on this certain item or is it going to be a product that will sit shelved for a while.D. Fiberglass fabric used in making roofing shingles. Because fiberglass is a product that needs to be handled with care it could become damaged during the shipping and storing of the product even before it would reach the consumer. Since this valued product is need to make the final end product this would have to be a direct method of distribution for the fiberglass. Chapter 12 Question 6: In my community I see with the retailers is also seen across the nation, because the one problem that is developed in these retail stores is taught at all of them.They all use the same approach and utilize the same concept at every store whether it be on the east coast or the west coast. This method is good to cover all spectrums but what now people are doing is seeking out those online retailers to get the specifics for their areas since the r etailers are not adapting their surroundings. I believe that if the retailers want to survive even the cyber wave that is going on now they need to adapt their policy, maybe even reach out their approach into the online markets move With the times and stop trying to fix a broken record.New retailers are developing every day and are becoming just as or more successful than the tradition stores because the online retailers saw the need coming and established the eating for them. Chapter 13 Question 2 The integrated marketing concept will ensure that all forms of communications and messages are carefully linked together; you would need to use all the promotional tools by integrating them all together and making sure they are working are their peak performance.With a good firm that is in their promotional blend there can be certain aspects of the marketing and the selling that can fall through the cracks. So with the consistent and complete use of the communications even during those pr omotional blends there isn't any form of communications that is going unheard or countryside. All the forms of the sales and marketing efforts need to work at their peak performance also to make the thriving sales. Marketing Strategy The HAVE marketing strategy for the veterinary services is used within a 10 mile radius of Wellington.The campaigning objective is to get the information out there about their products and business. There biggest strategy for promotion is the lighted sign right outside their business. The HAVE will have giveaways of smaller items with the company logos on it (I. E. Magnets, business, leashes, bandannas and food bowls). They had even gone as far as appearing the annually parade held in December where everyone in the community was able to see their promotional campaign of the business.

Chapter 14 Outline Ap World History.

Outline Introduction: Every year or al least once in their life, the Muslims must travel to Mecca. This is a holy pilgrim that has been a tradition for the Muslims since Muhammad made the trip. At the beginning the pilgrims to Mecca were made by small amounts of people. However, by the ninth century, thousands of people traveled to Mecca in the 9th lunar month. All these people survived on food and water provided by the government. The Muslim government made a great effort to keep the roads and the cities clean and ready for the travelers.The hajj was not only solemn observance, but it was also an occasion for joy and celebration. The word Islam means â€Å"Submission,† which means obedience to the rule of Allah. If somebody accepts the Islamic faith it means that he/she is a Muslim. Even though this belief started with one man, by the end of the eighth century Islam stood alongside the Byzantine Empire. A Prophet and his World: Islam appeared in the Arabian Peninsula, and thi s religion reflected the cultural conditions of it’s homeland. Living in Arabia has always been hard because of the bad agriculture and the harsh climates.However people have been able to survive for a long time and they built a strong empire that was based upon family and submission. Arabia figured out the trading opportunities and took advantage of them. Arabia became an important trading center for India china and the Mediterranean. Plus they started receiving commodities. With the awake of classical empires, trade routes became insecure. Merchants abandoned the overland routes and they started using sea routes that passed through the Arabian Peninsula. This greatly influenced the economy of the city of Mecca.Muhammad and His Message: The prophet Muhammad was son of nomadic Bedouin herders and merchants. He was born in 570 C. E. and he was son of an honorable merchant family. He had an education, and they cared for him. However, when he was young he worked for a wealthy wi dow that later became his wife. He got some power in the Mecca society, but he didn’t get a high position. By the age 30 Muhammad had established himself as a merchant and he lived a comfortable life. He lived and knew about many other different religions and he knew the cultures of other peoples.According to the stories Muhammad received some messages from the Angel Gabriel which told him to convert his family and the world and to give them the message of god. Muhammad presented oral lessons that he passed to his students and the people. However when he dies, his students compiled his teachings in a book called the Quran. Most important after the Quran itself are traditions known as hadith, which include sayings attributed to Muhammad. Muhammad’s Migration to Medina: He first began for converting his family and then the community.Muhammad became popular and that brought him problems with the ruling elites of Mecca. Muhammad insisted that Allah was the only god and tha t there shouldn’t be any other deities to which we pray. The elite also saw him a treat because he said that Allah was going to punish greed. Because of all the danger in Mecca, Muhammad had to fled. He fled and joined a group of his followers in Yathrib, a rival trading city. Muslims called their new city Medina which also means the city of the prophet. In Medina he organized his followers into a community and he provides it with laws and a social code.He looked after the economic welfare of his community; he did this by trading or by launching expedition. Muhammad started to call himself the final prophet because he was going to at last reveal the message of god to the people. He teach that the Christian god and all the other major gods were the same. All of them were Allah and he also accepted the Jewish and Christian prophets. The Establishment of Islam in Arabia: Even thought they succeeded in Medina, Muhammad and his followers planned on returning to Mecca.In 630 he and his followers attacked Mecca and they conquered the city. They forced the rich to take Allah as their main god and they imposed a government dedicated to Allah. They also destroyed the shrines of other deities and they built mosques. In 632 Muhammad made the first pilgrimage to the Ka’ba. The foundations of Islamic faith as elaborated by Muhammad consist of obligations known as the Five Pillars. Added to the Five Pillars the Islamic people must follow the holy law known as the sharia. Through the Sharia, Islam became more than a religious doctrine.It became a way of life that people must strictly follow. Expansion of Islam: After Muhammad’s dead the religion faced a period of instability because he left no predecessor. Some people that had barely been conquered, broke from Islam, took back their independence and they became free again. However, within a short time, the Islamic community built a strong army that expanded its power and conquered many lands that converte d into Islamic. These conquests lead the foundation of the rapid growth of Islamic society. The Early Caliphs and the Umayyad Dynasty:Since Muhammad said that he was the last prophet when he died, there could not be another prophet to lead the Islamic society. However, they decided to chose Abu Bakr as deputy. He was the closest of Muhammad’s friends and he was one of the most devoted disciples that he had. He was a religious leader, but he was also the Military commander. During the century after Muhammad’s dead they expanded beyond the boundaries of Arabia, carrying with them their religion and their authority. Durig this period of time they conquered Persia and Africa.Because of this rapid expansion, the government had problems with governing and administration. It was just too many people to control. Disagreements over the succession lead to the emergence of the Shia sect, which wanted Ali and his successors to caliphs. The Shia survived because they created differ ent rituals and they appointed different holydays. The Shia Muslims also made changes in the Quran in order to support the party’s views. The Abbasid Dynasty: Rebellion in Persia brought the Umayyad dynasty to an end. The chief leader of the rebellion was Abu, he was a descendant of Muhammad’s uncle.Even though he was a Sunni Muslim, he allied himself with other Muslims in order to convert people from the Mediterranean. The Umayyad didn’t want to surrender to the Abu. One day Abu invited the rich, influential men to a banquet to make peace. However, during the banquet they were arrested and murdered. After they were killed Abu founded the Abbasid dynasty. This dynasty was more cosmopolitan than the previous dynasty. Instead of conquering new lands, the Abbasids largely contented themselves with administering the empire they inherited.The high point of the Abbasid dynasty came during the reign of Harun. This king provided with liberal support for artists and writ er, and he distributed money and wealth to the poor people. After the death of the emperor, the Abbasid Empire declined. This was due to the conflicts of succession. At the end the Mongols extinguished the already weakened empire in 1258. Economy and Society of the Early Islamic World: As in other agricultural societies the farmers worked in the land while the merchants stayed at the city and feed themselves with the food that the farmers produced.The creation of empires had dramatic implications and results. For instance, the Abbasid Empire created a zone of trade, exchange of ideas, and a communicating route. New Crops, Agricultural Experimentation, and Urban Growth: As the soldiers, merchants, administrators and the population traveled to other parts of the world, they encounter different animals, plants and cultures. Then they brought those ideas and teach them to the people of their empire. The introduction of new crops to the west had many positive effects for the economy.New food crops led to a richer and more varied diet. They also increased quantities of food and some plants, such as cotton, were used to make a profit. Travel and communication in the dar al-Islam also encouraged experimentation with agricultural methods. The cultivators copied systems of irrigation and techniques that would help them produce more food. The increase of agricultural production contributed to the rapid growth of the empire. Paper manufacture appeared in the Islamic cities during the Abbasid era. Chinese people made paper since the first century B.C. however with the diffusion, the paper techniques spread to Islamic world around 751 B. C. The Formation of a Hemispheric trading Zone: From its earliest days Islamic society drew much of its prosperity from commerce. Muhammad was a merchant, and he held merchants in high stem. According to early accounts of his life Muhammad said that merchants would stand alongside martyrs to the faith on the Day of Judgment. By the time of the Abbasid Empire, trade networks linked all the regions of the Islamic world and joined it to a larger hemispheric economy.Arab and Persian mariner borrowed the compass from its Chinese inventors and used it to guide them on the high seas. From Southeast Asian and Indian mariners, they borrowed the lateen sail, a triangular sail that increased a ship’s mobility. They established multiple branches that honored letters of credit known as Sakk drawn on the parent bank. Trade benefited also from techniques of business organization. As a result of improved transportation, expanded banking services, and refined techniques of business organization, long-distance trade surged in the early Islamic world.They brought many things such as silk and spices form far away. The Changing Status of Women: There was a patriarchal society even before Muhammad’s time. However, Arab women enjoyed right that women in other parts could never dream of. For instance, they could legally inherit property, divorce husbands, and engage in business ventures. However, in some respects the Quran enhanced the security of women in Arabian society. It portrayed women equal to men in the eyes of Allah. However, the Quran and later the Sharia reinforced male dominance. They recognized descend trough the male line.Even though they teach that women should be treated with delicacy and respect, it allowed men to have up to four wives, whereas women could only have one husband. The veiling of women was not originally a tradition of the Muslims. This tradition came from the Byzantine and Sasanid Empires. At the beginning women had many rights stated in the Quran, however as time passed, the scholars modified the Quran and they took away the rights of women. Islamic Values and cultural Exchanges: The Quran has served as the cornerstone of the Islamic society.The Quran established a flexible and powerful medium of communication. Even today the Muslims believe that the Quran is the only reli able scripture, translations as not as powerful as the original one. Muslims missionaries spread Goad’s message, but they allowed the people to still practice their old religions or beliefs. The foundation of an Islamic Cultural Tradition: The Muslims scholars studied the Quran and stories about Muhammad in order to create moral guidelines appropriate for their society. Formal institutions helped promote Islamic values.Many mosques maintained schools that provided elementary education and religious instruction, and wealthy Muslims sometimes established schools and provided endowments for their support. By the tenth century institutions of higher education known as Madrasas appeared. Muslim rulers supported the Madrasas because they had interest in recruiting literate and learned students with an advanced education in Islamic theology and law for administrative position. Sufis also appeared. Sufis were especially effective as missionaries because they emphasized devotion to Al lah above mastery of doctrine.Islam and the Cultural Traditions of Persia and the Cultural Traditions of Persia, India, and Greece: As the Islamic community expanded, the people started interacting with people from other societies, especially with Persia, India, and Greece. Persian traditions quickly found a place in Islamic society, since the culturally rich land of Persia fell under Islamic rule. Persian Influence was as noticeable in literary works from the Abbasid dynasty. While Arabic served as the language of religion, theology, philosophy, and law, Persian was the principal language of literature, poetry, history, and political reflection.Chapter Summary (taken from AP textbook) The religion of Islam emerged on the Arabian Peninsula in the seventh century  C. E. as a result of the vision and the teachings of Muhammad. His message attracted a rapidly expanding circle of devout believers, known as Muslims. After Muhammad's death, Arab conquerors spread the word of Islam throu ghout a vast territory extending from the Indus River to the Iberian Peninsula within one century. This rapid expansion of Islam contributed to the development of a massive trade and communication network in which goods and ideas spread freely.The realm of Islam became one of the most prosperous and cosmopolitan societies of the postclassical world. This new society was characterized by, strong commitment to the monotheistic belief system, resting on the Five Pillars of Islam, first articulated by Muhammad and later elaborated on by scholars and mystics. Also, the development of overland and maritime trade and communication routes that facilitated the spread of new crops, trade goods, and ideas, from improved techniques in agriculture to the writings of the classical Greek philosophers.Engagement with and sometimes adoption of various cultural traditions encountered by the far-flung realm and its trade contacts, helped the country. Hence elements of Persian, Indian, Christian, and G reek cultures found their place into Islamic society and thought. Muslims believe that God is  one and incomparable  and the  purpose of existence  is to love and serve God. Muslims also believe that Islam is the complete and universal version of a primordial faith that was revealed at many times and places before, including through Abraham,  Moses  and  Jesus, whom they consider  prophets.They maintain that previous messages and revelations have been partially changed or corrupted  over time,  but consider the Qur'an to be both the unaltered and the final revelation of God. Religious concepts and practices include the  five pillars of Islam, which are basic concepts and obligatory acts of  worship, and following  Islamic law, which touches on virtually every aspect of life and society, providing guidance on multifarious topics from  banking  and  welfare, to  warfare  and the  environment.The Pillars of Islam are five basic acts in Islam, consi dered obligatory for all believers. The  Quran  presents them as a framework for worship and a sign of commitment to the faith. They are (1) the  shahadah  (creed), (2) daily prayers (salat), (3) almsgiving (zakah), (4) fasting during  Ramadan  and (5) the pilgrimage to Mecca (hajj) at least once in a lifetime. The  Shia  and  Sunni  sects both agree on the essential details for the performance of these acts.

Algebra in Daily Life Essay

1. Algebra is a method of calculating using simple equations to represent quantity and to show relation between them. Algebra is also a part of our life, we use it on measuring the length of our table,notebooks,doors and other more. Another concept of mine is measuring capacity,In school we always measure the right amount of ingredients that we cook. Because to an culinary student like me we are showing how to measure the exact amount of ingredients that we gonna use.Scientific notation can be used in Chemistry,Chemistry uses equations of algebra. Like adding,subtracting,multiplying and dividing scientific notation. In mixture problems, we are using it to know how many water are on the gallons.We always buy water , in that case we need mixture problems. 2. â€Å"Mathematics is one of the first things you learn in life. Even as a baby you learn to count. Starting from that tiny age you will start to learn how to use building blocks how to count and then move on to drawing objects and figures. All of these things are important preparation to doing algebra.† 3. When writing any assignments the use of graphs, data and math will validate your statements and make it appear more professional. Professionalism is of the essence if you want to move ahead and be taken seriously. Can you see the importance of algebra? Your day can be made a lot easier with planning. In financial decisions this can save you a lot of finances or maybe get you the best price available. It all comes down to planning and using the knowledge and algebraic skills you have to benefit your own life. Use the key you have and make your life a lot smoother. 4. Algebra is one of the most important subjects someone can learn. It is a subject that transfers into daily life, often without anyone even realizing it. Unlike English or History classes, Algebra can be put straight to use once learned. It is one of the most versatile subjects there is. Algebra can be anything from calculating the amount of money you’ve spent on your grocery shopping, keeping track of the calories you have in your diet, and designing structural plans for a building. Going shopping and frequenting stores can often get out of hand and confusing as to how much things cost or to how much you saved on an item. Algebra can help you to configure all of these things and also save you from making any costly mistakes. Many items in grocery stores are often on sale at some point or another whether it be 10% percent to 50% and a lot of times people don’t know how much they are saving on any particular item. Algebra simply allows a person to calculate all of these things. Algebra is also a convenient skill to possess when it comes to dieting and recipes. Counting the number of carbohydrates or calories and keeping track of them can get overwhelming at times and a person can get confused. Algebra can help you to see how many calories you have had and also it can help you calculate how many you are able to have in the future. Cooking is also another skill that is associated with algebra. Adding and subtracting ingredients, figuring out the amount of time something has to cook, and also how to serve a food evenly all have to do with algebra. Architecture is a skill that has a lot to do with numbers as well. It is very important to know exactly how long everything is, how much weight something can take, and the dimensions of every minute detail. If an architect doesn’t know the answers to these, not only will the structure be wrong but the building could also be a safety hazard.