Scenario planning – Industry scenarios

Before embarking on the discussion, there is one question or so we need to ask ourselves. What is a scenario? What is scenario planning all about? What constitutes industry scenario planning? Straight away, a scenario is a story or a descriptive narrative about the future which aims at sketching the boundaries of the probable and it is assembled on a methodical scrutiny of various factors bearing in mind those alternatives which are credible and somewhat measurable. These factors are: – social, political, economic, environmental and technological. Future environment of a given business, region or policy area could be shaped by these very factors. According to the World Economic Forum, the scenarios explore three or four dissimilar eventualities of how the world might look if the most uncertain and important drivers unfold in different ways. The same source elaborates further that good scenarios are not just dry, analytical descriptions of possible future outcomes. No matter how meticulous they are constructed, they should also be well inspired and highly compelling enough to engage the imagination. They challenge postulations wile at the same time raising awareness of fundamental factors and inspire participants into fresh thinking about what could happen and what it would mean for them. They offer both a new perspective on events and a scaffold for positive deliberations. Scenario planning on the other hand can be used by distributors as a tool of management to predict and benefit from change. In this article, we shall briefly introduce scenario planning, its relevance in connection to distributors and we shall also look at its application as a valuable tool in the industrial sense. As we have said above, that when we think of scenario planning, one great point that has to cross our minds is that a range of alternative futures has to be put into consideration, each of which is considerably diverse and varied from the present operating atmosphere. It would be better to compare and contrast alternative views on how the industry may evolve rather than pinning ourselves on a single forecast which we have assumed to be most probable. Scenario planning is externally oriented and therefore very effective at identifying growth strategies for the company as well as impending threats to its market positions. Scenarios can also help us identify the specific external industry changes that might be causing the company to lose market share or margins. In his article, Scenario Planning Basics for Distributors, Fein Adam presents ways in which distributors are using scenario planning to the betterment of the company. Distributors, he says, should make sure that the management of their company does not erroneously presuppose that changes will not place in the future. In other words, they should explore all the possibilities the company can face and, not only that but, come up with viable alternatives. In connection to this point, they should also assist the management to identify and understand possible threats comprehensively. They should point out growth strategies for the company and test the success of its current strategy in various possible futures. Lastly, they should understand and appropriately react to new customer buying behavior since the customer is the basic unit of the industry and the satisfaction of the customer should be the prime objective of any decision made by the company. Facing the Forces of Change has suggestions of four possible scenarios for distributors to consider. The first scenario is that which stretches into the future and here distributors have entirely incorporated technology into their companies. Given the high level of information development, customers expect distributors to work with them impeccably across numerous communication interfaces. Distributors have effectively achieved this due to rapid rates of developments. These distributors still remain the prime route to market for manufacturers. Coordinated Channels is another scenario where customers seek more information directly from manufacturers. Here, manufacturer Web sites give existing product specifications, comprehensive technical data and also appropriate product feature are selected by the customers who want such information. This information can be accessed by the customers both directly and indirectly. Directly they get connected to the manufacturer Web site and indirectly through an allied distributor’s Web site. Product collaboration between manufacturers and distributors is undertaken on the internet with marketing and inventory management also being done in the channel. However, it still remains the role of the distributors to provide information back to the manufacturer and ensure new performance qualifications are met The third scenario is the one describing a world where consumers and producers pay for the specific conduit activities they may be in need of. This Unbundled Supply Chain has distributors competing directly with supply chain organizations and intermediaries in this scenario are rewarded according to their rate of activity performance. That is, what they have done on behalf of their customers and producers. In the fourth scenario, there is a world with a cluster of consumers forming open and non-profit online exchanges. These common platforms handle the data among supply chain partners. Scenario planning requires a few guidelines to be followed. One must establish a core planning team because analysis of the strategic implications is best in groups. Secondly, a cross section of expertise should be availed, and this includes the heads of the all functional areas of the company. Bringing the ideas of the thinkers the company is endowed with is such a feat worth the take. It is worthwhile to include the outside people by incorporating information gathered from them into the whole system. The focus here should be on infusing appealing and challenging perspectives into the discussion. Outsiders include customers, suppliers, consultants and competitors who hold a vital position in the success of the company. There should be great care in selecting the person to facilitate the scenario planning strategy. An employee of the company should not be part of the choice, neither the senior executive officers. This is because the facilitator should be someone who is focused on planning processes and the two do not appear in this category. Implications scenario planning, just as other forms of business planning, needs an extensive spending of resources from all the individuals of the company. Therefore, the support of top management is a very important determinant of success the company’s planning capability. What this implies is that there should be readiness from every corner of the company in order for this planning strategy to work in the success and goodwill of the company. An honest assessment must be carried out to ascertain as to whether the senior decision makers in the company are not only involved but also dedicated to the scenario planning process. Should the company be unready to work with the process, then even the most sophisticated techniques of a manual or outside consultant are destined to fail. In addition, if the company is faced with a threat of financial insolvency, then it must suspend the identification of long-term threats and other prospects until business stabilizes because this kind of planning is not suited with survival planning. Disruptive innovation is one of the revolutionary theories of technological change used to describe the impact of new technologies on firm’s existence. (Nauosa Hirotta). Combining scenario planning with disruptive innovation is unavoidable in this era of high level of technological embrace. It is sure and straight that a company which does not embrace technology in its strategic plan is left behind. Disruptive technology which initiates the advent of disruptive innovations for example e-marketing is a vital tool but has to be fused with industry scenario so that the company does not lose its clients for the companies. Summary There must be clear repercussions for the company and its strategy if at all scenarios planning is intended to be meaningful. Each scenario can be viewed as a playing ground in which the company finds itself competing in the future and this allows us to apply all of the apparatus of competitive analysis within a given industry setting. The same tools can then be applied in a totally different future. For us to have the best out of scenario planning, a scrutiny of the company’s position must be known. The company may be one which can manipulate how the future evolves by virtue of actions and investments of its members. On the other hand, if it is too small or insufficiently influential, it becomes a scenario taker and in this case its must carefully examine its line of trade and customers so that it is prepared to react and adjust quickly to changes. Such scenario takers will find it wise to rapidly imitate and adopt to survive; they must do what good companies do. Bibliography: Olaisen J, A Johannessen, B Olsen, – International Journal of Information Management, 1999 – Elsevier Page 15 Fein Adam. â€Å"Scenario Planning Basics for Distributors† Accessed last on February 27, 2008 from URL: Accessed last on February 27, 2008 from URL: International Journal of Information Management, Volume 19, Issue 4, August 1999, Pages 263-275 Jon-arild Johannessen, Johan Olaisen and Bjà ¸rn Olsen Disruptive Technology May 3, 2007, Accessed on February 28, 2008 from URL:

Release of rare, awe-inspiring John Denver song coincides

Release of rare, awe-inspiring John Denver song coincides with his 70th birthday (1 888 PressRelease) In honor of the 70th birthday of the late and legendary singer/ songwriter John Denver on Dec. 31, acclaimed Indie recording artist Luanne Hunt releases what may have been his greatest musical work, â€Å"The Wandering Soul (Love is the Answer). † Denver did not record the tune. Hunt brings forth an emotional production, passionately delivering the song's timely and awe-inspiring message. Denver, CO – Coinciding with what would have been legendary singer/songwriter John Denver's 70th birthday on Dec. , chart-topping Indie recording artist Luanne Hunt releases his rare and powerful composition, â€Å"The Wandering Soul (Love Is the Answer). † Denver, who died in a plane crash in 1997 off the California coast, delivered perhaps his most profound message through the inspiring and timely ballad. The â€Å"Rocky Mountain High† singer stated In his autobiography that he wrote the tune In Santa Fe, N. M. around 1994. â€Å"l went off on a hike, and midway to where I was headed, the song I was trying to write (â€Å"The Wandering Soul†) Just came to me, fell from the sky,† Denver said In his book, â€Å"Take Me Home.Hunt says she recorded â€Å"The Wandering Soul (Love is the Answer)† to not only showcase what may have been Denver's finest work, but also to help others find healing, wholeness and a deeper meaning on their Journeys. â€Å"The first time I heard ‘The Wandering Soul (Love is the Answerl' I broke down and cried for a very long time,† said Hunt, who resides in Southern California and records on the Star Creek Entertainment label. â€Å"l knew I had to record It and felt certain It was meant for something much greater than I could even fathom. John's song definitely has been life-changing for me.Hunt's own musical Journey has been one of profound personal, creative and spiritual transformation. By focusing on her artistic vision, she found the strength to overcome devastating emotional wounds and follow her authentic path as a singer/ songwriter. Over the years, the Pennsylvania native has bullt an Impressive list of accomplishments and a worldwide fan base with her contemporary folk songs. Her 1 OF2 200/ CD â€Å"Breaking I nrougn† proaucea two nit singles on u s. ana European cnarts The enchanting â€Å"Solace In The Wind† reached No. 1 on the European Country MusicAssociation's chart (Belgium) in July 2010. The song also landed on the 2009 Grammy ballot in two categories: Best Country Song and Best Female Country Performance. In December 2011, Hunt's holiday tune â€Å"Christmas Without You† went to No. 1 on the European Country Music Association charts in France, Denmark and Austria. It also was the second most played song in Europe during that month. â€Å"The Wandering Soul (Love is the Answer)† is being utilized to raise funds for Forest Way Productions, a 501c3 charity dedicated to providing retreat opportunities conducive to spiritual growth.It also promotes creative projects designed to support a unified vision of spirituality in the world. â€Å"l am deeply moved by ‘The Wandering Soul (Love is the Answer),'† said Matthew Flickstein, founder of Forest Way Productions and Telly Award-winning documentary filmmaker of â€Å"With One Voice. † â€Å"The lyrics are exquisite and Luanne's voice and presence profoundly touch my heart. I can see how her voice and music can open people's eyes to the Divine and lovingly transform their hearts.

Explain Descartes skeptical argument according to a prompt Term Paper

Explain Descartes skeptical argument according to a prompt - Term Paper Example This lack of insight forms the basis of the argument as the mediator notices that there are certain instances when he is convinced he is awake and surrounded by real objects but he is in fact sleeping and dreaming. Descartes takes the lack of insight to be an outcome of sense perception and dreams being composed of the same content. This can be noted when the mediator argues that he is awake since everything is clear and distinct then he backtracks and reminds himself that the dreamscape can be deceiving as it always seems as clear and distinct during that moment in time (Descartes 33). The dream argument however accepts that although the present sensations and perceptions could be from a dream, they are however drawn from experiences when awake. The mediator compares this to a painter who creates a fantasy image of a mermaid, which at its basic level is composed of composite parts present in the real world, that is, a woman and a fish. Thus the final important aspect of the dream argument as noted by the mediator is that although he cannot trust composite things, he has to trust the simple and universal parts that make a whole such as size, quantity, shape and time (Descartes 34). This means that studies based on basic things such as geometry and arithmetic are trustworthy while those based on composite items such as medicine and astrology cannot be trusted. From the dream argument we can delineate two important facts. First is that dreams have an inexhaustible ability to mimic the real world and secondly, whether dreaming or awake, the clearest thoughts of intellect remain uncompromised. While Descartes dream argument may have been valid in the 21st century, the current conditions make its applicability suspect. Scientists have developed a sensory module that detects when our sense impressions are caused by objects and how accurately those impressions are.

Evidenced Based Medicine and the EMR Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Evidenced Based Medicine and the EMR - Article Example Clancy (2013) points to the pharmaceutical drug approval process used in the West as one of the best examples of EBM utilized successfully. Although she makes a valid point of saying that increased direct healthcare spending makes very little impact, the monies spent on research and innovations such as Information Technology. With the average of over ten thousand medical studies at any one time in the US alone, the â€Å"evidence† part of EBM is growing sufficiently enough to make a difference. Even though it could be argued the US Government has a somewhat prejudiced attitude toward Health Information Technology (HIT), the NIH (2013) gives a refreshingly critical work on EBM. Of course, it highlights the strides the Department of Veterans’ Affairs in combining EBM and HIT. Yet the article states that HIT could be more successful if the VA had kept better clinical statistics concerning those research criteria such as smoking, cancer and patient obesity. Therefore, the answer concerning facilitation is that HIT and EBM should go hand in hand, especially considering the new technology available. The case of the forty five year old man with the prostate condition gives a very good scenario as to just how confusing the information technology and EHR system can actually be. The person himself would only visit three separate areas of the massive hospital complex (assumed to be admissions, the surgery suite, his room, and discharge and financials area). Yet his records would travel to an astonishing four different places, not including the test results, which travel to still another three places. The IT system seems to be efficient enough but one can quickly see how EHR is a big improvement over paper patient records, which have the chance of being misplaced in each of the different stops along the way. For instance, the

Marine Insurance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Marine Insurance - Essay Example The varied factors of floating policy along with marine open cover policy have been discussed with its conditions and aspects along with their roles in marine insurance. The discussion has provided an understanding that the marine insurance policy can be an extremely valuable component for the manufacturing organization in order to mitigate the risks of damage and loss during transaction of materials through the seas. Marine insurance is considered as a contract of insurance policies that cover up the losses or the damages for a person or a business entity that occurred during the transportation of the cargos or ships through the seas. Moreover, the marine insurance is a contract wherewith the insurer takes on to underwrite the assured with regard to various types of marine losses during acquired or transferred cargos or goods. The Marine Insurance Act 1906 (MIA), conveys certain consistency and uniformity that assures to be accomplished with the appropriate underwriting policies of the losses during the transportation of cargos or ships (Sitigorn n.d.). The â€Å"Floating Policy† is one of the major components that had been formulated under the MIA section 21. The floating policy possesses effective assurance of the goods and insured risks during the deliverance of the transported goods or cargos. The floating policy has been initiated comparatively at a large amount by the regular goods of the suppliers. The policy covers several shipments that are stated subsequently with other details. The floating policy is highly favorable for the exporters to avoid problems of issuing out another policy during every shipment (Insurance 2Day 2012). The floating policy within the MIA 1906 Act 29 depicts the insurance facilities in general terms. The policy makes use of the ship(s) name along with other particulars classified through succeeding statement in order to transport the cargos through the seas. The declaration may be formulated with

International Adoption Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

International Adoption - Essay Example The adoption process brings an influx of emotions for anyone who is remotely involved within the process. This is true whether one is a child awaiting an adoptive family, a family who is desperate for a child or a social worker hoping to find a match between a waiting child and a waiting family. There are as many types of adoption as there are types of families who pursue adoption in order to complete their family. Domestic, international, familial, transracial, special needs and older adoption are just some of the adoption options available for individuals and families to pursue (Adoption.com, 2009). Whether a family is pursuing domestic (within the United States) or international adoption, many of the steps are similar, however international adoptions require an intensive paperwork collection, a knowledge of the sending country's culture and demanding financial costs. In order to understand the adoption process, an individual or family wishing to pursue adoption should conduct extensive research into the adoption process and choose an adoptive agency that is suited to their needs and beliefs. A quick perusal of the internet shows a multitude of agencies available both nationwide and worldwide, many with agency locations throughout the United States. One such agency, Bethany Christian Services, offers extensive services to both birth parents and adoptive parents and has a multitude of locations and support services. "Bethany Christian Services began in 1944 as the fulfillment of a dream shared by two women, Marguerite Bonnema and Mary DeBoer. The agency now employs nearly 900 individuals and is the largest national adoption agency" (Bethany Christian Services, Working at Bethany, 2009). Bethany Christian Services houses its corporate offices in Grand Rapids, Michigan and offers "70 locations nationwide and services in 15 countries" (Bethany Christian Services, Working at Bethany, 2009). One of the countries that Bethany Christian Services participates in international adoption with is China, which they began working with in 1992 and have two programs with. Per Bethany's website, "all adoptions in China are processed through The China Center of Adoption Affairs (CCAA) in Beijing, China (Bethany Christian Services, Working at Bethany, 2009). China is one of 77 countries who participate in the "Hague Convention on the Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Inter-country Adoption (Hague Adoption Convention)" (Intercountry Adoption, 2009)). The agreement was "concluded on May 29th, 1993 in Hague, the Netherlands, and established international standards of practices for intercountry adoptions. The United States signed the convention in 1994, and the Convention entered into force for the United States in April 2008" (Intercountry Adoption, 2009). "Children of Promise is a program that Bethany Christian Services provides for chidlren with speical needs as man y of the children from orphanages may have developmental or oganizational delays" (Bethany Christian Services, Working at Bethany, 2009). In 2001, China reported having "25% of the children adopted by United States citizens" (International Adoption Facts, 2009) and continues to be the top country of choice for international adoptions. Of note, China's adoption to the United States increased three times from 1992 until 2001 while in 2003, there were 4,681 children placed in the United States (travel state Government, 2009). "In October, 2001 the China

Monique and the Mango Rains Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Monique and the Mango Rains - Essay Example The case of the Minianka women of Mali is an example of where society ranks the man above women prior to using stratification to develop a hierarchy of the women. There are several factors that are anthropologically linked to the existence of social stratification in society, and they include the family, division of labor, sex, economy, religion, and gender responsibilities among others. Depending on the nature of the society, the degree of stratification varies; thus communities are classified into hunters and gatherers, horticultural, pastoral, agricultural, job-specific, and industrialized, among others. Gender roles, family, and reproduction are factors that affect social stratification in the social context. Society is responsible for defining the roles and responsibilities of its members. The inequality that stems from the gender roles and responsibilities follows the anthropological view of the man being stronger to the woman. The men are burdened with the responsibilities of provision, security, and management of the family unit in the Malian community, common to most African societies. The society, supported by anatomy, accredits women to the growth of the family, and consequently society. The capability of the female gender to give birth is evaluated in most scenarios, with the blame of infertility being highly alleged as the woman’s fault. Although men have been established, by science, as the sex determinants and equally responsible for infertility, women bear the wrath of society. Conventionally, the woman is inherently responsible for the nurturing role in the famil y unit and society collectively. Beliefs of society, with regards to men versus women, contribute to the establishment of levels where the accomplishment of responsibilities set by society improves one’s position (Holloway & Bidwell 58). Stratification occurs in a social context under gender responsibilities, family, and reproduction, under different social groupings such as girls, ladies, mature women, married women, and mothers, just to mention but a few.

Effect of Social Networking on Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Effect of Social Networking on Education - Essay Example Advantages and disadvantages of social networking are described from the point of view of emotional behavior, attitude, and performance of students and teachers. Apart from this, financial aspect is also described in the paper. In the same way, disadvantages of social networking are also explained in detail by using some examples. The paper also explains that how the involvement of parents in social networking of children affects the education. Since most of the students and teachers are more active in developing their social networks to get good job opportunities, therefore special attention is given to this point in the paper. Not only is this, but in order to give a clear picture of the points discussed in the paper some studies are also incorporated. This paper also describes the impact on the education of those students who are not active in their social networks and the impact of social networking on educational institutions is explained. Some recommendations are provided in th e end, which explains that, how to use social networking positively. Social Networking and Education In this modern era, social networking is spreading everywhere. As in other areas of life, social networking has a large impact on education. According to some theories, interaction increases learning and through social networking students interacts with other students, professionals, teachers, counselors, etc. The interchange of material, social, and informational resources between two individuals is referred as ties between them. This interchange of resources is called relations in the analysis of social networking (Kear, pg 120). Relations in the social networking are both positive as well as negative. According to the researchers, advice and friendship relations have positive impact on education and learning. However, on the other hand, some relations have an adverse impact on education. For instance, through social networking students interacts with different students belonging t o different cultures and races, speaking various languages and believing in their own religion. In this way, these students can share with each other about their cultures, religion, and traditions. This interaction with students of different classes makes the students aware of many things. An English student can learn about the culture of a Hindi student and likewise a Hindi student can learn about an English student. Beside this, they can easily discuss about the job opportunities of their countries, which let them aware about good positions in reputable organizations. Through this interaction, students can also get aware about the educational institutions of different countries and it provides an opportunity to them to gain knowledge about the institutions directly from the students over there. Knowledge about the educational institutions can also be gained through internet, magazines and from different websites, but since all these sources are mostly used for marketing purpose, o nly the positive side of the picture is displayed. However, through social networking true knowledge can be gained. People who misguide others are the exceptional cases (Orey, Branch, & Jones, pg 209). Social networking, on the other han

Negotiation, Ethics and Effective Leadership Essay

Negotiation, Ethics and Effective Leadership - Essay Example The whole notion of negotiation is built on the ethical quicksand. One study found out that 28% of the negotiators lied about at least one issue during the negotiation procedure. Another study found out that 100% of the negotiators either failed to actively lie or reveal a problem during the negotiation process. Although bald faced lies during negotiations are wrong but concealments, omissions and evasions are very necessary for a negotiation process. Negotiations are often treated as an amoral game where ethical concerns are sidelined for substantive gains (Schneider & Honeyman, 2006, P. 178). Ethically ambiguous tactics are common in negotiation. These are tactics that have more than one connotation regarding what is right and appropriate. Again the use of deception is very common in negotiation. It is driven by variety of individual differences and situational factors. It is also driven by negotiators need to increase his power, availability of tactics that are marginally ethical, opportunities for opportunism, competitive orientation to negotiation and variety of situational factors that makes easier for negotiators to act without any detection. He has made a half hearted attempt to reach out to Iran which has been short lived and has actually reverted to Bush`s administration policy towards Iran. The deception is very clear in the negotiation between Iran and President Obama. Iran has been quite unreceptive to Obamas` peaceful approach although President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has always told that he is ready for talks with the US President Barrack Obama. Iran has always attempted towards making nuclear enrichment plants inside the mountain base of Iranian Revolutionary Guards near the religious centre of Qum in spite of receiving several warnings from the US President. Global Nuclear Disarmament treaties have often been violated by rough regimes like Iran. Although Iran claims that it complies with its responsibilities under the Nuclear Non Proliferation Tre aty, it has never resorted to peace. Obamas` administration policy contrasts largely from that of Bush in his dealing with Iran. He has made several attempts to engage Iran in negotiations on the nuclear issues rather than just focusing on increasing sanctions on Iran. This approach was not significantly altered in spite of the Iranian dispute in June 12 2009 over its election. However till date Iran has not agreed to implement it agreement of sending most of its enriched uranium to Russia and France for reprocessing. Negotiation skills help an individual in getting what they want from others. The negotiation skills help in achieving the goals of the leader. Military professionals use negotiation skills at the operational and strategic level. It helps them to maintain control over their jurisdiction. They can also use this skill to avert or successfully counter opposition and to negotiate among conflicting interests. It also helps the leaders to exude a sincere belief in the set of goals by engaging others to invest themselves in attaining these goals by forging a consensus on the desirability and vitality o the goals. Moreover Tehran`s support of the Lebanese terrorism in 1980 which involved airline hijacking also proved that Iran was not interested in creating a peaceful situation. In this incident

Correctional system Essay Example for Free

Correctional system Essay Does the conservative approach or liberal approach improve the correctional system. Please explain and give an example Though conservative approach has been criticized greatly over its dominance and operation in the last two decades, it still forms the best approach for crime control and correctional consideration. Over the last two decades, the conservative zero tolerance to crime has achieved a lot by segregating the criminals and correcting them in isolation. According to the pattern theory, it is clear that once a criminal has been established, it is very hard to prevent latter crime. Notably, keeping the criminals in prisons makes it possible for the administration to mobilize resources towards their correction with ease. To add to that, it is much easier to monitor the criminals reform progress. According to the Oklahoma Board of Corrections, John Lilly Correction Centers criminals are able to refocus on their actions and therefore make lifetime decisions to change. In addition, the desire for revenge by the offended reduces greatly when the individuals who committed crime are away from the community. Justice entails holistic evaluation of the scenario and the general re-evaluation that the offender gets due to punishment from his/her actions. According to criminal analysts, the presence of an offender (like a rapist) can hamper the psychological recovery of the offended. Though this system has been highly effective amidst vast criticism, it has the following disadvantages which should be addressed to perfect it. With the criminal correction system taking place at segregated places, there are high chances of minor offenders mixing with hard criminals which can make the formers to assimilate the traits of latter. Therefore, they should be separated and greater surveillance offered to ensure compliance. To add to that, the approach requires vast resources to maintain and effect the correctional measures to the vast prisoners in the US jails. To borrow from the liberals, it would be important to ensure an outward outlook of the correctional approach as a mode of preparing the inmates to get back to the community after the correctional period (Byrne, 2005). 2: Does the restorative justice approach improve the criminal justice system. Please explain and give an example Recently, criminal justice has taken different considerations that indicate possible future changes in the overall application of the justice system. Restorative justice is a broad term which refers to institutionalization of peaceful approaches to addressing harm, problem-solving, and violations. This system has assisted improved criminal justice greatly by bringing the two parties (offender and the offended) to the same table for reconciliation. Under this system the offender seeks reparation directly or indirectly from the offended. Restorative justice assists in addressing all the underlying issues that hold the offended captive until justice is done. During the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of South Africa after the oppressive regime of apartheid, it was possible for the offended to totally bring out their anger, grief, pain, and sorrow they encountered during apartheid. As indicated by Piagets theory of personal development, what is in ones mind persists for long until such a time that the correct platform for expression is established. Restorative justice therefore gives people the correct chances to forgive one another totally. As indicated by the South Africa Truth and Reconciliation commission, it becomes much easier to develop better relationship between the offender and the offended after the process. In adversarial legal process and civil litigation processes, lawyers simplify reduce the issues between the offenders and the offended to only legally relevant considerations to protect their clients. However, restorative justice is better in that all aspects are addressed holistically and rehabilitation exclusively undertaken to enhance later coexistence and development. Restorative justice therefore assists in achieving the correct balance between the rights of the offenders and the needs of the victims. Besides, it strikes the balance between the need for rehabilitation of the offenders and the main duty to protect the public from such criminals. This system should therefore be encouraged due to its conterminously acceptable ideals at all levels (Jaimie, 2005). Q3: Does community-based correctional options address crime control? Please explain and give an example. Arguably, community based correction options assist in reducing crime in the society by ensuring that the criminals are reformed in a model that prepares them to be assimilated back to the society. Whereas other correction systems emphasis on the need to harshly treat the offenders for them to realize their mistakes and reform with time, this method is considered to be a softer option as it is based in the community. To add to that, it gives more focus to developmental skills attainment that assist offenders prepare for productive lives after their correction time is over. Oriana House is a community based correction unit that operates in Ohio and Akron. In this CBFS, felony offenders are sentenced to undergo substance abuse treatment, job training, educational services, and cognitive skills that can assist them after completing the community service. The offenders usually get time to mix with the community in various activities and educational programs. This system redirects the focus of an individual to constructive thinking as opposed to destructive format that is achieved by the conservative approach. However, it has been criticized for failing to ensure that strict measures are taken by the corrective system (Curt Anne, 2008). About 5% of the people under the system are likely to recidivate back. Reference list Byrne, J. M. (2005). Crime Control Strategies and Community Change-Reforming The Surveillance vs Treatment Debate. Lowell: University of Massachusetts. Curt, R. Anne, B. (2008). Introduction to Forensic Psychology: Research and Application. New York: Sage. Jaimie, B. (2005). ‘Restoration or Renovation: Evaluating Restorative Justice Outcomes’. 12(1) Psychiatry, Psychology and Law 12(1):185-200

Women And The Criminal Justice System

Women And The Criminal Justice System The aim of this work is to define the role factors such as gender, class, familial structure and prior victimization have in the awarding of justice to the female offender. It was found that the criminal justice system has traditionally been more lenient to the female offender based on two factors: gender and class and family structure. However, the criminal justice system finds itself in a legal and moral bind when it comes to prior victimization of the offender, and in differentiating between true victimization leading to a violent crime and the misrepresentation of such a previous state by the defending attorney. These findings should give an overall understanding of the criminal justice system with regards to female offenders and should form a framework within which such inequalities and discrepancies can be discussed. Introduction To better understand the criminal offender, it is necessary to understand the role the backgrounds of the offenders play in their path towards crime. The percentage of female offenders has increased in the recent past, and sociologists, criminal experts and the judiciary have grappled with the damning statistics. Various theories have been put forth to better understand the role race, class, family structure and victimization of the female offender have to play in the rise in crimes by the female gender. While a lot of work had gone into research into these themes individually, a deeper understanding of all these factors and the role they play in the treatment of women by the criminal justice system remains to be analyzed. This essay aims to explain these factors and the role the criminal justice system has to play in offering justice, and support to the female offender. The criminal justice system and the female offender According to sentencing statistics, nearly a third of women sentenced for indictable offences in 2000 received a community sentence compared with just under a quarter of men . It can be seen that the criminal justice system has traditionally been lenient on the female offender. In delivering justice, the background of the defendant, the role factors outside the purview of the crime that have contributed to the psycho-social development of the defendant are considered. However, various social and developmental factors also contribute to the low rates of serious crimes by women . While men are not socially connected and do not traditionally worry about children, women are bound to their home and hearth and thus desist from violent crimes. This difference is important to the jury, who consider previous crimes and delinquent history when considering their judicial stance on the offender. Thus, women tend to have less severe judicial outcomes in the criminal justice system. The role of race and the female offender According to Koons-Witt and Schram: Two findings are notable in terms of offending differences among females: (a) race conditioned the relationship between offending group and victim(s) sex for robbery incidents and (b) race conditioned the relationship between offending group and the social distance between victim(s) and perpetrator(s) for aggravated assaults. The race of a person has a major role to play in the psycho-social development of the female offender. Racial characteristics such as social conditioning, parenting style, opportunities for education and social development and interaction with other races have always played a major role in the development of the offender. The criminal justice system has also traditionally, not only discriminated on the basis of gender, but also on the basis of race when awarding punishment for crimes, both non-lethal, and lethal. However, in the context of the female offender, unlike gender, race has not played a role in the severity of senten ce for a crime, which remains a factor only for the male offender. The effect of race is conditioned by gender while the effect of gender is not conditioned by race. However, the harsher treatment of racial minorities by the criminal justice system is confined more to men, and the lenient treatment of women is found for minorities and whites alike . Class and family structure and the female offender Women from the lower and working class have been a priori been excluded from the middle class in their expectations and prior social programming. While the women from the socially backward classes have never been placed in the good girl category, dissimilar to their middle class counterparts, the criminal justice system considers the class of the women while deciding punishment for a crime. Like race, social conditioning of women offenders depends largely on their social class and existing family structure. Social scientists have long associated class and life-expectations of women in work, at home and in the social context. Delinquency and crime are also associated closely with the class of the offender. The criminal justice system has always considered the class of the female defendant to award punishment. Victimization and the female offender Vieraitis, Kovandzic and Britto state: ..womens absolute status is significantly correlated with female homicide victimization rates by intimate partners.. . The role of victimization leading to crime by the female offender cannot be overemphasized. In many cases, the victim turns criminal and the psychological effects of the crime of the woman are an important parameter in understanding the development of the criminal mindset. In many violent crimes committed by women, the victim is mostly the intimate partner who has, in the past, been violent towards their partner. This progression of crime has a major role to play in the psychological and criminal development of the offender and makes it a tough case for the defending attorney and the criminal justice system. The fine delineation between preexisting conditions that lead to the crime and the absence thereof makes the awarding of justice difficult and at time, morally challenging. Conclusion The female offender is shaped by her gender, class, familial background and prior victimization. These factors have a major role to play in the psycho-social development of the offender. While the criminal justice system has traditionally been lenient to the female offender, the rise in crime by women has brought to light these differences and how justice is served to these offenders. A larger meta-analysis of the problem would yield sociological and psychological constructs that may help streamline the justice system to recognize and eliminate errors in jurisprudence.

Divorce - From Heaven to Hell Essay -- Expository Cause Effect Essays

Divorce - From Heaven to Hell According to recent statistics, there are more divorces now than ever before. At the rate things are going, the divorce rate may soon surpass the marriage rate. There are many reasons for such a high divorce rate, but one of the main ones is that people do not realize what they are getting themselves into when they marry. Couples do not realize that marriage is a job that must be worked at continuously in order for it to go well. Because many couples marry for the wrong reasons, a breakdown in communication results, which leads to a couple's growing apart. This process, all too often, ends in divorce. People marry the wrong people for the wrong reasons. Of course, they seem to be the right people and the right reasons at the time the decision is made, but the trouble really begins here. For example, many couples are too young when they marry. They meet in high school or college, "fall in love," which is really just lust, and know that they have found the person they are going to marry. Further, many young girls think that they are ready to marry, but many times they simply want to get out of their parents' house. The situation may involve abuse in some form or another, or the girl simply may not be getting along with her folks and sees marriage as a way out. She believes that if she can just make a home of her own everything will be fine. She looks on the young man as her salvation, and he begins to see himself in that role. In addition, she may also be pregnant. This situation always makes things worse for the young couple. The coming baby takes many choices away from the pair and adds many responsibilities that they are just not prepared to take on. There are financial... ...t include the spouse. This decision may or may not be made on a conscious level. Sometimes the futility of the situation takes over and the only thing on a person's mind is getting out and away from the spouse. This way of thinking only leads to disaster. The two people either stay together and wind up being miserable, or they separate and divorce. Either way there is unhappiness for everyone involved. Divorce has touched us all either directly or indirectly. There are normally no winners involved; everyone loses something. Things could begin to get a little better, however, if prospective couples would take some time to get to know each other better. When couples learn to communicate with one another and work to keep those lines open, there is growth together, not apart. This process does take a lot of work, but the rewards can be life sustaining.

Journey Of The Magi Essay -- essays research papers

T.S. Eliot’s Journey of the Magi This Christmas poem is about the Epiphany and was created the very year of Eliot’s conversion to Christianity (Fleisner, 66). Therefore the theme of religion is an important one if we are to analyse the poem correctly. In the book of Ephesians in the Bible, Paul describes the rebirth of the world upon Christ’s death, emphasising the Ephesians’ new life (2:4-5). This theme of death and rebirth is present in the poem Journey of the Magi, which, I will argue, is structurally and internally divided into three stages; corresponding to the Sacrament of Penance: contrition (guilt), confession and satisfaction. To understand this poem, one has to understand the impact that Christ had on the World. At the time of his birth, however, the known world was not stable; people worshipped many gods, and we get a full description of the way life was by the Magus who narrates his story of their journey to Bethlehem to witness the end of an era and the birth of a new one. According to the Oxford Dictionary of the Bible, "contrition is a penitent’s spiritual sorrow for the sins he has committed, and it necessarily includes hatred for such sins, as well as the determination to avoid them in the future." In the first stanza, this "spiritual sorrow" is apparent by the contrast Eliot uses, of the Magi’s difficult journey. In fact, the central focus of criticism has been on the journey; the "cold coming" (line 1) during "the worst time of the year" (line 2), emphasising the climatic statement of the stanza: "A hard time we had of it" (line 16). The Magus talks of their sorrowful past life of ease, the times they "regretted†¦the silken girls bringing sherbet" (lines 8-10), and in the same way that they are ‘physically’ moving towards Christ, they feel they are progressing spiritually, putting a personal ban on the sinful lives they have had. This act of contrition see ms genuine because they are pressured by the "voices singing in [their] ears, saying/ That this was all folly" (lines 19-20). These are the voices of the camel men, the hostile cities and the unfriendly towns, voices that tempt the wise men to cease their foolish journey and fall, once again, into spiritual degeneration. In the end, the difficulty of the jour... ...sinful ways; and, second, that the Magi no longer blend with their people, who are now alien to them, "†¦clutching their gods." The final sentence also multiplies in meaning, reiterating the theme of the poem that the search for perfection is a process only ending in death. On one level, the speaker wishes for his own death in order to end this tiring process. On another, higher level, the speaker wishes for the death of Christ, for, ultimately, it is in Christ’s death that true satisfaction can occur. Eliot also emphasises the speaker’s doubt over the Death and Rebirth in the poem, using "should," which suggests both that he indeed "wants" another death in order to bring about spiritual renewal and that he "ought" to be happy with another death, but is not certain that he would be happy after his experience with the first death. To conclude, the poem Journey of the Magi, touches on the journey of human spirit and their endeavour for perfection. It delivers a message: that we are all involved in the process of perfection of self, and sombrely, one can only reach this place of utter satisfaction through death.

Voting Behavior - What Determines Vote Choice? Essay -- Politics Polit

Many political science researchers study the forces that drive the vote. One of the earliest, and most well known, books about election studies is The American Voter. Written in 1960, the book tries to explain a model that describes what drives Americans to vote the way they do. The model suggests that social factors determine ones party identification, which determines one's issue positions and evaluation of candidate's characteristics. These forces all work together to determine how one will vote. This model may or may not still hold true today, as political researchers are not in agreement as to what exactly drives the vote. One thing that does remain true, however, is that factors such as social groups, party identification, issues, and retrospective evaluations all play some part in determining the vote. Although issues play a role in determining vote choice, social forces and retrospective evaluations are the most important factors the American public takes into consideration when deciding who to vote for. Fewer Americans identify with a political party today- in 1992 about 39% of the American public considered themselves as Independents. Before the 1982 election only 35% reported that they were Independents. This suggests that party identification is on the decline despite the American Voter finding that most everyone had a party identification and that their identification did not change much over their lifetime. (Abramson, Aldrich, Rohde, 225) Many people change their opinion about an issue over time, and only feel strongly about a few issues. Because Americans lack the knowledge of politician's positions on issues, and lack opinions of their own for the most part, they rely on other factors when determining who... ...ming. Retrospective evaluations require little knowledge or time and anyone can evaluate the President and the economy fairly quickly. Issues are always going to be important to the few that actively support them, but for the most part we rely on social groups and party identification, or retrospective evaluations when an incumbent is running, to help us decide who to vote for. BIBLIOGRAPHY Abramson, Paul R., John H. Aldrich, David W. Rohde. Change and Continuity in the 1992 Elections. 1995. Washington DC: Congressional Quarterly. Campbell, Angus, Philip E. Converse, Warren E. Miller, and Donald E. Stokes. The American Voter. 1960. New York: Wiley. Erikson, Robert S., Kent L. Tedin. American Public Opinion. 1995. Massachusetts: Allyn and Bacon. Luker, Kristin. Abortion and the Politics of Motherhood. 1984. Los Angeles: University of California Press.

Room 101 Talk Ideas

Arun day 9D1 English (go compare adverts-traffic jams-midges) 20/12/12 the first thing i would put in room 101 would be the most irritating thing probley on TV which of course would be the go compare adverts. now how many people would want to listen to a crazy dancing loony tick running around yelling ‘go compare'. Also to make matters worse at the end of the advert you have probley got a headache from his deafening voice.I bet that quite a few people have literally turned off their TVs because of the adverts. so overall i think that's why the go compare adverts should go in room 101 and fast. ow the second thing i would put in room 101 would be traffic jams. traffic jams in my opinion are just a waste of valuable time where you could be doing something better than sitting in your car somewhere half way down a motorway not moving. but when you do move you commonly move at least 100 yards before stopping again. now for example say you're going to a family get together or meeting up with a old friend you don't want to be late. but guess what there's probley a 3 mile long traffic jam and when you finally reach your destination you get moaned like it was your fault for not being on time.But what really annoys me is when you have your window open in a traffic jam and all of a sudden a midge decides to appear then of course it bites you. Now that brings me onto my third thing i hate. the reason i hate this little bugs are because of their annoying but painful little bites that don't stop hurting for around a week. also i hate it when i walk into Tesco's and see the midge repellents which say they work but trust me they don't. there's nothing at all that can stop these fly's from biting your skin and ruining your summer holidays. I hope you all see why these three things should go into room 101. thank you for listening.

Ramon Charles

Simforian Hello I am Ramon Charles Nadado. I come from a middle class family. I am currently married and have two children. During my days in elementary school I have had to transfer twice. During my first grade I was in New Era University, during the second I went to La Salle Green Hills, and for the rest of my elementary school days I studied in Lourdes School of Mandaluyong till my time in highschool. I went back to New Era University for college. My hobbies are watching movies and animes, reading manga and novels, and listening to music.The Philippines has had a history of many problems which are still happening today and are causing many problems for the Filipino people. One of these problems, and not to mention the biggest one, is corruption which leads to the other problem of poverty. Another one of the problems are the environmental problems which are causing many of us to have diseases that we are not able to treat because we are not able to prevent them these diseases from multiplying. The last problem is about the economy of the community, this problem is also caused by corruption.I plan to conduct projects that will help us rise from these problems step by step. But first I will need the support of you Filipino citizens and God so that I have a reason and an inspiration for doing these things. I can try to stop corruption by having an election for new government officials which the people of the lower and middle class will decide upon to improve their welfare. To improve the situation of the environment which can also improve the situation of the people, I will have cleaning drives to help decrease pollution and have more hospitals built in provinces.

Policy of Appeasement: Good or Bad? Essay

After the Great War, Germany and a couple other countries were greatly punished, having to pay reparations and territorial losses. Hitler, soon to be a dictator, wanted to change that. He believed that Germany had been punished too severely and wanted revenge; because he had such a strong government and military, there were many ways of going about stopping him. During the 1930’s, the policy of appeasement was the most effective response to Hitler’s aggression because of many reason but mainly that it keep peace and didn’t start war, the people did not support the war, and because the British needed more time to prepare for war. First of all, one reason why appeasement was the most effective response because for the time being, it kept peace throughout Europe, and after only 20 years of peace from the Great War, people didn’t want another. While Chamberlain was secretly trying to get more time he claims that he is just trying to keep peace but if necessary, he will take action, â€Å"I shall not give up the hope of a peaceful solution†¦yet if it were sure that any nation had made up its mind to dominate the world by its fear of force, I should feel that it must be resisted†¦but war is a fearful thing† (Document 7). This quote signifies that although Chamberlain said he was a man of peace that if he thought it was necessary he would start a war. One problem with appeasement is that some people think that war could have been totally avoided if Hitler had been stood up, â€Å"because the Czech defenses were very strong†¦ and because the German generals, conscious of Germany’s relative weakness at that moment, were actually prepared to attempt to remove Hitler† (Document 9). So if the British had stood up to Hitler and beat him, the war would have been over and Hitler subdued. Furthermore, appeasement was a good policy because even if Chamberlain had wanted war, the Congress didn’t and after just coming out of a pointless war that killed many lives, nobody was willing to do another. British historian Keith Eubank states: â€Å"Neither the people nor the government of (Britain and France) were conditioned to idea of war†¦Hitler had done nothing that any major power considered dangerous enough to warrant a major European war† (Document 10). Another problem with appeasement is that if you are going to have a trust between people over a controversial topic, you can’t do it with a man like Hitler who is known for backstabbing and disloyalty. Trusting Hitler was a risky thing for Chamberlain because while they are resting in peace, Hitler could sneak attack and take an advantage on a very important war. Lastly and most importantly, Chamberlain made the most effective response of Hitler’s aggression because at that time, the British needed more time to update their weapons and prepare for war. They were not at all ready and Germany was acting very aggressive lately so Chamberlain made the right choice of buying the British time so they could win the war. A British foreign secretary describes his meeting with other governments, â€Å"public opinion was strongly opposed to any action against the Germans†¦most people were saying openly that they did not see why the Germans should not occupy the Rhineland†¦taking almost any risk in order to avoid the situation† (Document 12). It was also believed that if Britain had more time, they would win the war, â€Å"time is in our favor†¦it would be better to fight her in say 6 – 12 months’ time, than to accept the present challenge† (Document 13). The most important reason as to why appeasement was a bad thing is because it gave Hitler more land and freedom. When Hitler received Sudeten territory without having to lift a finger causes him to believe Britain and France don’t want to fight a war (which they didn’t) and makes him think he can get away with more things. Hitler sees their peacefulness and takes his aggression into action, â€Å"Germany toady cast off the last shackles fastened upon her by the Treaty of Versailles when Adolf Hitler, as commander-in-chief of the Reich defense forces, sent his new battalions into the Rhineland’s demilitarized zone† (Document 4). Britain used appeasement to buy precious time to prepare and Hitler thought of this as them backing down and took force, which almost won him the war. The whole idea of appeasement was a controversial topic between politicians. It was a good idea because it kept peace throughout Europe, people wouldn’t have agreed to the war aspect anyways, and that it bought British the time they needed to recover for another war. It was a bad policy because it gave Hitler confidence, Hitler may have been overthrown if a little opposition was expressed, and that Hitler couldn’t be trusted. In conclusion, the policy of appeasement was the most effective way to stop Hitler’s aggression.

The Drugging of our Children

Dr. James Schaller of the Medical College of Pennsylvania (Life Script; James Louis Schaller, MD) believes that one must rule everything out first and then see the actual problem before considering edication. It is common in this day and age for people to accuse the hyperactive child of their parents not knowing how to raise or control them. Dr. Michael D. Fraser states that parenting style is not a cause of ADD and ADHD but that it's hereditary and can even have to do with things like low birth weight, diet, and allergies.Needleman stated that, â€Å"It has also been claimed that exposure to lead can cause delinquent behavior in children†. The number one symptom of ADD or ADHD is â€Å"Often fidgets with hands or feet or squirms in seat†, stated by Peter Breggin, MD. Null only gets facts and stories from people that have been negatively affected by the use of psychotropic medications and doctors that are against the use of them. The audience is only able to wrap the mi nd around tragic situations that'll lead to agreement with the argument presented.It was observed that as children got older, school shootings became more common. The cause of this was claimed to be that into this answering their own questions like â€Å"Weren't guns easy to access in the 1950's and 1960's? † In fact, yes, it was Just as easy, if not easier for children to get heir hands on guns then also. Physicians looked further into the children committing these acts. Miguel Humara, Ph. D states that, â€Å"The most effective form of treatment for ADD and ADHD are cognitive behavioral therapy, and psychotropic medication†.All of the children featured in the film had a history of being on some sort of psychotropic medication, the most common being Ritalin. These drugs are most commonly meant for people ages eighteen years or older, but doctors were being lazy and Just prescribing these drugs to small children also. Comparing an eighteen ear old on Ritalin to a seven year old on it, they had different side effects. While the eighteen year old was experiencing headache and vomiting, the seven year old was hallucinating and unconsciously doing violent acts.Obvious to viewers that these had long term consequences to younger aged children. This information makes sense and is valid from people with first-hand experience, but what about the people with no horrendous side effects? What about the doctors that do rule out everything before trying out medicine? These things should have also been addressed throughout the film for accurate accusation. The argument is strong and makes the audience think about medicating young children and is definitely persuasive in making them agree.This argument makes the audience think more in depth of the side effects of medication on young children in both their short term and long term effects. Null, throughout the entire film, speaks to the audience through the credibility of doctors, educators, and parents that have lived through experiences. This is an effective way to grab the attention of the audience with real life stories of victims. It makes the audience feel as if they know the victim and can have sympathy or their experience and therefore be able to agree with the argument, making the argument effective.In reality, young children are going to be a bit hyper and squirmy in their childhood and shouldn't be look at as diseased or troubled. They need time to grow up and understand acceptable behavior. Though teachers and parents quickly make the assumption that there is something wrong, doctors need to be the ones to make the ultimate decision. Therefore, drugging of young children is the result of self- diagnoses, teacher diagnoses, and lack of medical attention and care for those with ADD and ADHD.

Competitive Advantage Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Competitive Advantage - Case Study Example A closer analysis of the case study of Whole Foods shows that it has adopted a differentiation strategy. According to Harasta & Hoffman (2010), differentiation is a business strategy that seeks to build competitive advantage with its product or service by having it different from the other alternative products. This entails that other competitors may find it difficult to offer the market offering. This is the strategy that has been adopted by Whole Foods explained below. The company has differentiated itself from the other competitors by focussing on quality as excellence and innovation that allows them to charge a premium price for premium products. For instance, health conscious people have begun to realise the importance of consuming organic and natural foods and these are mostly found at Whole Foods Market stores. Whole Foods is the world’s leading retailer of natural and organic foods and has 289 stores, 273 stores in 38 states in the US and 6 stores in Canada and 5 stores in UK (Harasta & Hoffman, 2010). All these stores have sustained a competitive advantage by virtue of being unique. Other retail outlets do not specifically focus on strictly organic and natural products like Whole Foods and this is the reason why it has managed to sustain its competitiveness. Essentially, differentiation strategy requires businesses to have sustainable advantages that enable them to provide the customers with something uniquely valuable to them (Harasta & Hoffman, 2010). In case of Whole Foods, this strategy is justifiable because the products it offers are perceived to be of high value by the buyers and this is the reason why they continue to buy them even though they have premium prices. In most cases, buyers purchase products that are believed to be of great value to them. It can also be seen that differentiated products in the market are unique and they can be hardly imitated by other

Highlights of Human Resource Management Research Paper

Highlights of Human Resource Management - Research Paper Example It is evidently clear from the discussion that Human Resource Management department looks over that people working in the organization are in the right job, this part of HR’s job includes hiring the right people for the job and also the firing process of any organization. It also helps employees in upgrading their skills when necessary, this step involves training of employees. Human Resource departments are usually not paid much attention. Organizations fail to realize their importance and need in the running of any firm. Human Resource Department’s most important task will probably be creating a work-friendly environment in an organization. A better work environment will lead to employees to work at their best which will in turn increase the efficiency of the firm. Since this department is linked with the management o the organization’s workforce it may help bridge the gap between the employer and the employee leading to a better relationship. Absence of Human Resource Management department may lead to poor environment for employees to work in there by discouraging prospective employees to join. This department further helps the organization it is working for in public relations it helps with the image of the organization which may make it attractive for prospective employees which may lead to a better workforce to be interested in working in that particular organization. Sometimes the Human Resource Department plays in active role in making business and marketing plans. Another big highlight to this department is it takes off the responsibility of hiring new employees off the shoulders of the owners and the management. In this the management and the owners will be able to focus more on their core issue than to the process of hiring new employees which in turn will affect the productivity of the organization.

Hexin Toy Co. Ltd Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Hexin Toy Co. Ltd - Case Study Example Selling concept go through in this cycle, that is product to selling & promotion to profit through sales volume. Selling concept was characterized by a heavy reliance on promotional activity to sell the products, the firm wanted to make. The selling stage, unfortunately overly aggressive selling the "the hard sell"--- & unscrupulous tactics was also involved at a stage. 1.3 Product concept: The product concept holds that consumers will favor those products that offer the most quality, performance, or innovative features. Product also included persons, places, organization &ideas. As example; IBM PC they offer faster system, touch stone screen, ms dos operating system, first 3.5 inch floppy drive, 30%wholesale 40% margin, Hewlett- Packard discovers. This concept very the importance of product & the consumers needs & wants. Marketing Concept: The marketing concept is a simple but very important idea. The marketing concept means that an organization aims all its efforts at satisfying its customer -at a profit. Marketing concepts constitutes with four essential elements. Such as understanding customer's need, target market, profitability and above all integrated. Marketing concepts guides the whole company effort through developing long and short term marketing plan. 1.5 Societal Marketing Concept: The societal marketing concept holds that the organization's task is to determine the needs, wants, and interests of target markets and to deliver the desired satisfactions more effectively and efficiently than competitors in a way that preserves or enhances the consumer's and the society's well-being. The societal marketing concept calls upon marketers to build social and ethical considerations into their marketing practices.... The product concept holds that consumers will favor those products that offer the most quality, performance, or innovative features. The product also included persons, places, organization &ideas. As an example; IBM PC they offer faster system, touchstone screen, ms-dos operating system, first 3.5-inch floppy drive, 30%wholesale 40% margin, Hewlett- Packard discovers. This concept very the importance of product & the consumer's needs & wants. Marketing Concept: The marketing concept is a simple but very important idea. The marketing concept means that an organization aims all its efforts at satisfying its customer –at a profit. Marketing concepts constitute with four essential elements. Such as understanding customer’s need, target market, profitability and above all integrated.1.5 Societal Marketing Concept: The societal marketing concept holds that the organization’s task is to determine the needs, wants, and interests of target markets and to deliver the desir ed satisfactions more effectively and efficiently than competitors in a way that preserves or enhances the consumer’s and the society’s well-being.The societal marketing concept calls upon marketers to build social and ethical considerations into their marketing practices. They must balance and juggle the often-conflicting criteria of company profits, the consumer wants satisfaction, and public interest yet a number of companies have achieved notable sales and profit gains by adopting and practicing the societal marketing concept.

Industrialization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Industrialization - Essay Example This paper seeks to highlight industrialization in its entirety paying a closer look at the early and late industrialization. Further, the paper tries to compare the level of industrialization of countries such as the US, Germany, China, Japan, Soviet Union and the UK with special emphasis on the factors that could have brought these countries that far. The present industrial status is also looked at in terms of commerce, education and the general social welfare in these countries. Industrialization may be construed to refer to the process of both social and economic change that sees a society move from a pre-industrial to a fully industrial society. Actually, sometimes modernization is considered as a result of industrialization except that apart from industrialization modernization may be as a result of a synergy between economic development and social change. When these two, economic development and social change, are closely related to innovation, then the result is great modernization often identifiable through industrialization. ... This modernization was represented by not only by high levels of economic authority but also by factors such as functional specialization and general structural differentiation. These factors, especially the autonomy of the economic system from the government contributed greatly to this high level of modernization or industrialization for that matter. Besides the factors highlighted above, there also others that equally led to the prosperity realizes in most countries in the above named region. These factors include: An open trading system enjoying minimal or no import duty greatly stimulated industrialization because of the emerging cost efficiency. Presence of free and flexible labour helped enhance industrialization. It is common knowledge that industrialization, besides energy and raw materials, depend entirely on not only cheap but also skilled and flexible labour. Presence of alternative markets enhanced the general economic performance as a result of highly enabled business opportunities presented by these markets Quick conventional learning capabilities and the affirmative work ethics in the populations equally played a role in encouraging and enhancing industrialization Skills in fast exploitation of the new technologies and scientific findings catapulted industrialization to further and higher grounds Why Industrialization Occurred As mentioned earlier, industrialization is the result of social change and economical development lying proximally to innovations and emerging technologies. Autonomy of social and economic systems from the governments undoubtedly led to industrialization. The process of industrialization occurred almost in every part of the world for particular reasons. For instance, the

Personal statement for an MAB for international student

For an MAB for international student - Personal Statement Example With the guidance of the MBA program of your university, I hope could learn how to manage the business, understand the business environment and learn strategies that are considered important in managing a business. From my personal experience as an assistant manager in our own company and proper education that I will learn from your university, I want to establish also a teaching career in King Saudi University right after graduation. I have completed an undergraduate course of Business management at University of Colorado Denver, and I believe pursuing a Masters Degree in Business Administration in Shenandoah University would help me become successful in business and as an educator. Â  I will not stop with an MBA degree because my long term plan includes a higher degree of learning, and I plan to finish post graduate studies in Human Resources Management. My interest in human resources stemmed from my relations with personnel, clients, suppliers and other personal contacts during m y stint as Assistant Manager of the company.

Significance of imperfect competition models for explaining the Essay

Significance of imperfect competition models for explaining the pattern of international trade - Essay Example The researcher states that international trade is growing day by day as a result of globalization and liberalization policies implemented by different countries at different parts of the world. The major obstacles for the smooth flow of goods and commodities between different countries have been diminished a lot as a result of globalization. At the same time one of the major problems associated with international trade is the fact that the problems happened in one part of the world can have detrimental effect in other parts of the world as well. Competition is growing immensely in the market as a result of the rapid growth of international trade. Ideally, all organizations would like to have some kind of monopoly or some kind of control over the price mechanisms in the market. However, growing competition prevent organizations from controlling the market effectively. Competition in the market can be labelled as perfect competition and imperfect competition. Perfectly competitive mark ets refer to the markets in which the firms do not possess any market power whereas in imperfectly competitive markets, some organizations definitely have control in the market as far as price mechanisms are concerned. â€Å"Competitive markets provide strong incentives for good performance - encouraging firms to improve productivity, to reduce prices and to innovate; whilst rewarding consumers with lower prices, higher quality, and wider choice† whereas imperfect competition denies all these things. ... tition†(Pomphret, 1992, p.1).This paper analyses the significance of imperfect competition in the market as far as international trade is concerned. International trade and imperfect competition â€Å"Imperfect Competition exists when more than one seller competes for sales with other sellers of similar products, each of which has some control over price† (Models of Imperfect Competition, n. d, p.1). In other words, in an imperfectly competitive market, firms may have some power in the market as far the fixing of the prices of its commodities is concerned. Monopoly or oligopoly exists in such markets. For example, Microsoft enjoys monopoly in operating system market. They are capable of fixing the prices of their operating systems like Windows 7 in global market because of lack of competition. Even though Linux and Apple’s Macintosh operating system are raising some kind of competition, still Microsoft is able to maintain their monopoly in the imperfectly competit ive operating system market. Same way, OPEC countries are enjoying oligopoly in the oil market. It should be noted that monopolies or imperfect competition helped Microsoft and OPEC to dictate the market with the help of least efficient products. Consumers forced to pay more than the actual prices of a product in an imperfectly competitive market. In short, â€Å"Firms in a competitive market have very little control over what price they receive for their output†(Perfect Competition, n.d.) whereas â€Å"Monopolies have the most market power, which yields the least efficient outcome† (Monopoly and Perfect Competition Compared, n.d., p.4) According to Krugman et al (2011) â€Å"In a competitive economy, supply decisions are determined by attempts of individuals to maximize their earnings† (Krugman et al, 2011,

CARDIAC ARREST Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

CARDIAC ARREST - Essay Example The heart is an organ working on electrical mechanism, and all the organs of the body receive blood from heart. According to (Medicin net)â€Å"The heart is an electrical pump, where the electricity is generated in special pacemaker cells in the upper chamber, or atrium, of the heart†. When the heart muscles cannot contract and expand, the blood supply from heart stops and the body of an individual dooms to death. The death occurs in cardiac arrest mainly due to the lack of supply in blood and oxygen to the brain. It is unfortunate to know that sudden death mainly happen due to cardiac arrest and many a times people are unaware before hand that their heart functioning is weak. The heart is a muscle and when the blood supplying vessels get narrowed the heart gets irritated .In cardiac arrest the blood vessels completely get blocked due to the clotting of blood and it leads to chest pain. Normally speaking, there are many causes for cardiac arrest and it includes heart attack, c hoking, electrocution and drowning. Heart Conditions that Lead to Sudden Cardiac Arrest. The death by sudden cardiac arrest happens as a result of major abnormality in the heart rhythm. This abnormality of rhythm knows as arrhythmia is a result of malfunctioning in the working pattern of the heart. Unlike other organs in the body, the heart does not depend on nerve system as it has its specific electrical stimulator. The most common cause of cardiac arrest is the arrhythmia or ventricular fibrillation involved in it. Normally, cardiac arrest is not a condition which happens on it own .The following are the heart condition which lead to sudden cardiac arrest. Coronary heart disease: Mostly coronary heart disease occurs to people who suffer from coronary heart problems. These peoples have clogged blood vessels which can create problem for normal heart functioning. Heart attack: If a person encounters with heart attack due to the vermicular fibrillation, the result can be sudden cardia c arrest. Moreover, heart attract creates scars in heart tissue which lead to electrical short circuits interfering with it and causing cardiac arrest. Cardiomyopathy(Enlarged Heart):Once the muscular walls of heart get thickened the result can be cardiac arrest. Since this process makes heart muscles abnormal, the outcome can be cardiac arrest. Valvulart heart illness: The narrowing or leaking of the heart valves can cause thickening of heart muscles which can lead to cardiac arrest. Congenital heart problem :Sometimes the heart condition during birth can lead to cardiac arrest among young children and adolescents Electrical abnormalities in heart: At times the problem in electrical system of heart functioning alone can cause sudden cardiac arrest. Risk Each year more than 3, 00,000 people in America encounters with sudden cardiac arrest and it happen mostly in people who have crossed 30s.It is usually observed that men are at more risk to this disease than women. The main risk fac tor for sudden cardiac arrest is coronary artery disease (CAD), which remains undiagnosed in many people. It is seen that most people who suffered sudden cardiac arrest had a minor history of coronary artery diseases. CAD is a silent disease and can kill people without them being aware of it. There are also many other risk factors which can lead to sudden cardiac arrest which are as follows; a) Family history: A family history and inheritance can be the main risk factor for people to undergo cardiac arrest. With a genetic influence,

Sichuan dumplings with soy sauce caramel Essay Example for Free

Sichuan dumplings with soy sauce caramel Essay Rate this recipe: 2,302207,4,1,0 2,302207,4,2,0 2,302207,4,3,0 2,302207,4,4,0 2,302207,4,5,0 17 votes Recipe by: Rishi Desai Contestant Makes: 20 Ingredients 2 cups (200g) moist coconut flakes or shredded coconut 60g palm sugar, coarsely grated  ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon  ½ teaspoon ground cardamom  ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg 1 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns 125ml ( ½ cup) milk 20 gow gee wrappers Vegetable oil, for frying 110g ( ½ cup) brown sugar 250ml (1 cup) thickened cream 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce Add to Shopping List Method 1. To make the filling, combine coconut, palm sugar, cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, peppercorns and milk in a saucepan set over low heat. Cook for about 5 minutes or until the palm sugar has melted, stirring often. Transfer mixture to a blender and blend to a coarse paste. 2. Place 1 tablespoon of filling into the middle of a wrapper, and lightly brush edges with water. Using your fingers, gently bring the edges of the wrapper together, crimping at intervals to seal, forming dumplings with a flat base. Repeat with remaining filling and wrappers. 3. In batches if necessary, place dumplings in a large steamer basket, sitting over a saucepan or wok barely filled with boiling water. Steam for 10 minutes or until wrappers are tender. Remove and set aside on a tray lined with baking paper. 4. Heat oil in a large frying pan set over medium heat. Cook the base of the dumplings for about 1-2 minutes or until golden brown. 5. Meanwhile, to make the soy caramel, place brown sugar, cream and soy sauce in a saucepan over low heat. Bring to a simmer, and cook for about 10 minutes or until a thick caramel. Transfer caramel to a jug. 6. To serve, place wontons on a plate and serve with soy sauce caramel. Print RecipeRecipe CardCreate PDF.

Experimental in science Essay Example for Free

Experimental in science Essay Experiment One: A researcher wanted to test the effect of caffeine on sleep. Fifty students volunteered to participate in the study and signed up for one of two nights. Thirty-three students participated on Tuesday night. They each were given two cups of regular coffee to drink one hour before going to sleep. Seventeen students participated on Wednesday night. They each were given two cups of decaffeinated coffee to drink one hour before going to sleep. Each student was monitored with an EEG (a test that looks at brain function) to record exactly when they fell asleep. Students in the caffeine group took significantly longer to fall asleep. The researcher concluded that caffeine interferes with the ability to fall asleep. 1. What was the independent variable for Experiment One? 2. What was the dependent variable for Experiment One? 3. What components of the experiment were set up properly? 4. How could Experiment One be improved? Experiment Two: A researcher wanted to determine if a new anti-anxiety drug decreased anxiety levels. Three hundred patients were given the new drug and three hundred patients were given a placebo (also known as a â€Å"sugar pill† that does not contain any medicine). All of the patients were told they were receiving the new drug and were monitored for six months. At the end of the six months, all of the patient information was analyzed and the researcher concluded that because the patients given the placebo indicated the same reduction in anxiety as the patients given the new drug, the new drug was ineffective in decreasing anxiety levels. 5. What was the independent variable for Experiment Two? 6. What was the dependent variable for Experiment Two? 7. What components of the experiment were set up properly? 8. How could Experiment Two be improved? 9. Describe how a variable was NOT controlled in one of the two experiments. How might this have impacted the results?

Impact of Absenteeism on Productivity

Impact of Absenteeism on Productivity Employees of different establishments are entitled to a given number of leaves like sick and local leaves among others according to the law. Therefore, all organisations can expect a certain degree of absence and illness. However, it can be observed that more and more people in organisations are having frequent absences and many cases of illness have been recorded. In 2007, Confederation of British Industry/AXA Absence Survey has set the cost of absence to employers in the UK at more than  £13 billion a year, while cost per employee is  £659 annually. According to Williams (2003), in Canada also billions of dollars are lost each year due to absenteeism. Sickness absenteeism and sickness is therefore a growing major global problem affecting thousands organisations. High level of absenteeism is a serious problem for both large and small organisations, since they are costly to both individual establishments and economy as a whole and adversely affecting efficiency, productivity, and profitability. Sickness absenteeism and sickness can be an indication of fundamental organisational problems. Therefore, it is important to establish the cause and find out solutions through the examination of organisations policies and activities. There are several reasons why employees might be absent or fall sick. These reasons might be poor working conditions and relationship with management, no motivation, and no scope of self-development, a culture within the organisation and no career opportunities, too much stress at work among others. Thus, it is recognised that it is becoming necessary to find social and institutional remedies. When employees are absent and ill, it leads to poor productivity. And therefore, costs of the organisation rises as the goods and services are of poor quality. In the United States according to the Commonwealth Fund, about $260 billion are loss in output due to health-related problems. Hence, it is crucial for an organisation to understand the causes of sickness absenteeism and sickness and their impact on the organisation. Therefore, it is both the legal and morale duties of the employer to prevent people in the organisation from being made ill with their respective jobs. This is because, a healthy worker in both public and private organisations is important, as the corporate objective of organisations largely depends on health and as well non-health issues of its population. That is, happy employees are efficient and productive employees. Problem Statement The problem of high level of sickness absenteeism and sickness at work is an existing problem at Air Mauritius, affecting productivity. These are most frequent among staffs working on shift hours. The sickness absenteeism rate at Air Mauritius is illustrated as follows: Year Sickness Absences (man-days) 2006 12457 2007 14654 2008 17323 2009 15418 Out of the sickness absences recorded, an average of 23.5% is registered on week-end. In addition, a research of the non-communicable screening exercise carried out at the Head Office and the SSR International Airport among 1100 employees illustrates that an average of 50% of the persons are pre-diabetic or diabetic, have high risks of suffering from cardiac arrest and are either obese or overweight. Therefore, the above information gives a clear indication that the prevalence of health problems, absenteeism problem which is quite pronounced among employees of Air Mauritius Ltd. That is why, absenteeism and health issues have to be closely monitored and supported else it would have a serious effect on the performance of employees. Hence, the study will be based on finding the reasons of a high sickness absence rate and find ways to help employees to remain in good health. 1.3 Research Objectives Identify the causes of sickness absenteeism and sickness at Air Mauritius Ltd. Does sickness absenteeism and sickness impact on productivity at Air Mauritius Ltd. Give Air Mauritius Ltd employees incentives to be more productive and regular at work. Establish an absence management policy at Air Mauritius. 1.4 Proposed Methodology Data collection includes primary sources and secondary sources. The primary source includes an interview with the Human Resources department and the Health Safety department to find out the rate of absenteeism and sickness reports in the ground operations, engineering and cabin operations departments. Discuss with employees and collect data through questionnaire which will be administered to a sample of employees. Secondary sources consist of data collected from the companys website, magazine articles, journals records like Emerald, EBSCO among others and various books about human resources absenteeism and productivity. 1.5 The layout of the dissertation The subject under study will be presented as follows: Chapter 2: Literature Review Under this chapter, a literature review has been done concerning the nature of sickness absenteeism, sickness and productivity, their costs, the factors leading to sickness absenteeism and sickness and the possible solutions to reduce sickness absenteeism and sickness and increase productivity at work. Chapter 3: Company Profile This chapter set an overview of the company Air Mauritius Ltd. The business in which it operates, its products and its customers are described. Its work environment, management and staff population and its evolution are as well presented. Chapter 4: Research methodology This chapter explains the methodology that has been used to get an insight in the subject and discuss the limitations of this project. Chapter 5: Survey findings and analysis Here the findings that have been generated from the survey are presented using graphs, charts and they are analysed in relation to this project. Chapter 6: Recommendations and conclusion After the survey findings are analysed the shortcomings in the project are noted and recommendations are made. Annex 1: Sample questionnaire given to employees. 2 Literature Review 2.1 Definitions 2.1.1 Absenteeism In general absenteeism is defined as the failure to show for work or any other habitual duty. This usually disrupts work schedules adding workloads to those who are at work which might lead to low morale among employees. Therefore, absenteeism obstructs the good functioning of production and efficient running of an organisation. Lokke A.K, Eskildsen. J and Jesen. T. W (2007) similarly reported that the traditional definition of absence is about not being physically present at the place and time the employee is expected to be. Davey. M.M, Cummings. G, Newburn-cook. C. V, and Lo. E. A (2009) have defined absenteeism as the failure to appear to work when planned, and according to them absence is measured by frequency or amount of work days missed. The Entrepreneur (http://www.entrepreneur.com/encyclopedia) described absenteeism as an employees deliberate or habitual absence from work. Everybody misses a day of work now and then. But its a problem when an employee misses too many days of work. Not showing up for work can cause serious problems when other employees have to cover for the missing worker or, worse, the work simply doesnt get done. Another definition by Nicholson (1977, p. 237) said that Absence, in the language of economics, is an unpredictable variation in the firms labour supply and in labour-intensive and technologically primitive settings which can produce costly concomitant variations in output. Furthermore, Harvey and Nicholson (1993), p. 841 recognized that absenteeism was the major cause of lost productivity in business and industry. In a similar vein, Buschak. M, Craven. C and Ledman. R (1996) stated that absenteeism is a difficulty that every organisation or business faces creating costs and productivity problems. Thus, leading to a heavier work load on the majority of employees who have shown up for work. This type of situation tends to create dissatisfaction, frustration, stress and fatigue among employees 2.1.2 Types of Absenteeism There are two main types of absence voluntary and involuntary. Hackett and Guion, (1985) have defined voluntary absences as what is in the control of the employee. These can take form of short-term, casual and illegitimate absences which is based on the motivation of the employee. On the other hand, involuntary absences are what are beyond the control of the employee; they are usually due to sickness or family responsibilities. 2.1.2 Sickness Reijenga. F. A. (2006) defined sickness as all types of health problems or disabilities. As mentioned before there are two types of sickness, short term sickness for example influenza and long term sickness such as diabetes which is classified as a chronic disease. Tabaluyan, T., Kuswadji, S (1996) reported that sickness absence is defined as not being able to work due sickness or injury, that is, the incapability to work. In the same way, Employers Organisation, (2005) elaborated that sickness absence should include industrial injury, part days absence, and other self-certificated absence which is not explicitly ascribed to be an acceptable reason other than sickness. However, M. Borritz, R. Rugulies, K. B Christensen, E. Villadsen and T. S Kristensen (2005) indicated that sickness absence is a complex phenomenon that can be caused by individual, work related, organisational, and societal factors. Sickness absence has been discussed as a consequence of ill health,  a coping mechanism, behaviour of social equity, a reaction to organisational injustice, or a consequence of exposure to adverse work-environment factors. Furthermore, Whitaker S. also agreed with the fact that sickness absence is influenced by many factors like social causes other than health issues. 2.1.3 Productivity In an economist point of view productivity is a ratio of some measure of output to some index of input use, according to Eatwell and Newman (1991). Therefore, productivity is nothing more than the arithmetic ratio of amount produced to amount of any resources used in the course of production. An online definition by http://business.yourdictionary.com, stated that productivity is the efficiency with which output is produced by a given set of inputs. Productivity is generally measured by the ratio of output to input. An increase in the ratio indicates an increase in productivity. Conversely, a decrease in the output/input ratio indicates a decline in productivity. However, definitions of productivity in the above context are meant to the manufacturing sector. 2.1.3.1 Productivity in the Service Sector Rutkauskan. J and Paulaviciene. E (2005) have studied the concept of productivity in the service sector and they aroused that productivity, efficiency and effectiveness are terms that should be used together. This is because to be productive one should be both efficient and effective. The analysis of productivity is a difficult task in the service sector. As the productivity concept in the service sector involves both the organisation and the customer. According to Tolentini (2004) productivity depends on the value of the products and services and the efficiency upon which they are produced and distributed to the customers. Similarly in the research work of Maroto-Sanchez. A (2010) productivity is about being both efficient and effective. He described effectiveness as to how an organisation meets the active needs and expectations of its customers. Hence it can be seen that, to be productive in the service sector employees have to be both effective and efficient. Therefore, employers have to ensure that their employees are effective and efficient enough to provide a good service to their customers. 2.2 Causes of sickness absenteeism and sickness There are various factors that affect sickness absence and sickness. Factors affecting sickness absence in the aviation sector can be classified as health related issues such as injury at work such as musculoskeletal pains stress and fatigue and so on, and non-health related issues like organisational commitment, job satisfaction among others since according to Whitaker. S. research, sickness absenteeism is influenced by a variety of factors non-related to health. Testimonials that have been gathered among employees at Air Mauritius have proved that sickness absenteeism is mostly related to the non health-related issues. However, it is only after the analysis of the questionnaires that we will be able to understand the real causes of absenteeism and its impact on productivity. 2.3 Non Health-related issues 2.3.1 Organisational Commitment Organisational Commitment is typically measured by items tapping respondents willingness to work hard to improve their companies, the fit between the firms and the workers values, reluctance to leave, and loyalty toward or pride taken in working for their employers (Maume, 2006, p. 164). Similarly, Boolaky. M and Gokhool. D, p. 73 defines organisational commitment as the degree to which a person is committed to the organisation he or she is working for. The person is proud to be associated to the organisation and is committed to work towards the objectives and goals of the organisation. Many studies have reported that there is a relationship between organisational commitment and absenteeism. Gellatly, 1995 and Somer, 1995 studies have concluded that organisational commitment is negatively related to absenteeism. That is, when an employee is not committed to its organisation, this will tend to impact negatively on absenteeism. A research carried out by Meyer and Allen (1991) reported that commitment comprises three components namely affective, continuance and normative. Where affective commitment refers to the individuals emotional attachment to the organisation her/she is working, that is the individual participates in the organisations activities because he/she wants to. Continuance commitment is when someone realises that too much energy or time have been devoted to leave the organisation or that they would not be able to find another job. And normative commitment is when an individual feels that he/she has an obligation to participate in the activities of the org anisation and that it is the right thing to do. Meyer (1997) found that affective commitment was strongly linked to absence behaviour. However, normative commitment according to Meyer (1993) was negatively related to absenteeism on the other hand Somers (1995) has found no relationship between the two. And at last, Mayer and Schoorman (1992) concluded that continuance commitment did not have a strong relation with absenteeism. 2.3.2 Job Involvement Job involvement commonly includes identifying with the job,   actively participating in the job, and perceiving job performance to be important   to self-image (Blau. G. J, 1985; Rabinowitz Hall, 1977). Robbins (1998) defines job involvement as the degree to which a person identifies with his or her job, actively participates in it, considers his or her performance important to self-work. That is, job involvement refers to the extent to which one is committed and participates in his or her job. The direct relationship of job involvement to absenteeism is very ambiguous. Blau. G. J (1986) review of the studies carried out at that time, found that the studies had different conclusions; this is because there are differences in the measurement and samples taken. Taunton et al. and Cohen (2000) showed that there is a negative relationship between job involvement and absenteeism. However, job involvement and productivity have a positive relationship. That is, as job involvement increases, productivity increases and vice versa. According to W. H. Weiss (2006) employees who are involved in their jobs, that is, they have the know-how of why they need to carry out certain tasks and how does these contribute to the organisations goals are the most productive workers. Therefore, it can be noted that job involvement is necessary to increase productivity of employees. 2.3.3 Job Satisfaction Job satisfaction refers to an emotional state of mind that reflects an affective reaction to the job and the work situation, whereas the focus of organizational commitment is on a more global reaction (emotional or non-emotional) to the entire organization (Dipboye et al., 1994; Farkas and Tetrick, 1989; Lance, 1991; Russell and Price, 1988). (Falkenburg. K and Schyns. B, 2007, p. 710) Job satisfaction is defined as the extent to which people like (satisfaction) or dislike (dissatisfaction) their jobs (Spector, 1997, p. 2). This description implies that job satisfaction is a broad or global emotional reaction that individuals hold about their job. Researchers and practitioners have evaluated different facets or dimensions of satisfaction. Examining these facets is usually useful for assessing employee satisfaction with critical job factors. Traditional job satisfaction facets consist of: co-workers, pay, job conditions, supervision, nature of the work and benefits  (Williams). Studies have found that job satisfaction can also be an independent variable affecting both productivity and absenteeism. (Boolaky. M and Gokhool. D, p. 75). There have had many theories on the relationship between job satisfaction and absenteeism. Most of these studies concluded that as job dissatisfaction increases, self-reported absenteeism increases (Taunton et al. 1885, Drago and Wooden 1992). In 1982, a study made by the Business Roundtable stated that job dissatisfaction affects absenteeism to a great extent. Employers should understand that the companys goals and quality supervision are necessary for job satisfaction. It has also been noted that as size of job increased, job satisfaction decreased. Furthermore Hinze et al. (1985), report that identified the relationship between absenteeism and job satisfaction describe that absenteeism was lower among those who had strong cohesiveness that is, team spirit, and when management criticised workers for being absent it was observed that absenteeism was lower, employees who regarded their work as mentally inspiring had fewer absences. Moreover Hausknecht, Hiller and Vance. (2008), defined job satisfaction as the sense of enjoyment that individuals derive from their experiences on the job and within the team they work with. Therefore, according to this report high attendance is expected in working environment where there is high satisfaction. This is because, the members of the team have this feeling of belonging and support among themselves. Moreover, it can be observed that in a working environment where there is high satisfaction it increases the level of productivity. P. Valdes-Flores and J. A. Campos-Rodriguez (2008) describe job satisfaction as a set of favourable or unfavourable feelings for the employees to perceive their work and that determine the possibility of a major disposition to achieve higher performance, consequently, job satisfaction refers to an individuals general attitude towards his or her job. Link between involvement and commitment Blau (1986) had developed the interaction of job involvement and organisational commitment and how this affected absence behaviour. Moreover, Blau and Boal (1987) refined the idea. The study reported that there are four level of contribution of high and low of job involvement and job commitment. When job involvement and job commitment are high, employees are not likely to be absent and if they happened to be absent this could be due to genuine sickness. This type of employees is called institutional stars. Those who experience a low job commitment but high job involvements are absent because of career prospects or due to working environment, these persons are called lone wolves. Individuals with low job involvement and high organisational commitment called the corporate citizen respect their co-workers and also abide to the norms and goals of the organisation they work for. Those could be absent from work in according to the organisations lawful absence rules. And lastly the apatheti c employees identify themselves having a low job involvement and organisational commitment, they have highest rate of absence. Link between organisational commitment and job satisfaction Many studies have reported the association between organisational commitment and job satisfaction (Meyer et al, 2002). According to Levison and Moser, (1997) employees tend to be lethargy without job satisfaction, which reduces organisational commitment. Furthermore, a study carried out by Steers and Rhodes (1978) stated that job satisfaction and organisational commitment play a big role in determining employee attendance. Griffeth et al (2000), indicated that organisational commitment was a better predictor of absenteeism than job absenteeism. However, as job satisfaction is more about the emotional state of mind, it is influenced by daily events rather than organisational commitment which cover the organisation as a whole and develops over time (Sagie, 1998). Link between job satisfaction and job involvement Wegge. J, Schmidt. K, Parkes. C and Dick. R. V (2007) found that events at work impact on how employees feel at work thus determining job satisfaction. Furthermore, job involvement measures the importance of the job to ones self opinion and therefore represents personality differences. Job satisfaction is situational variable and job involvement personality in our reasoning. Thus, they both interact. That is, if job satisfaction is low, job involvement will negatively affect absenteeism. However, when job satisfaction is high in any situation it will overcome the impact of job involvement on absence behaviour. Job satisfaction therefore has a moderate impact on job involvement and absence. To be more precise, when job satisfaction is low, job involvement is negatively related to absenteeism whereas, when job satisfaction is high, job involvement is not associated to absenteeism. 2.3.4 Organisational Culture Morgan. G has described organizational culture as: The set of the set of beliefs, values, and norms, together with symbols like dramatized events and personalities, that represents the unique character of an organization, and provides the context for action in it and by it. Another definition of organizational culture by Schein. E a pattern of shared basic assumptions that the group learned as it solved its problems that has worked well enough to be considered valid and is passed on to new members as the correct way to perceive, think, and feel in relation to those problems.   Norms influence everyone in an organisation; they are unwritten and usually tell things like they are influencing everyones perception in the organisation and they contribute to the norms and support them. Nowadays, we live in an absenteeism culture. According to Smit (2000), absenteeism and culture are negatively related. That is, employees encouraged and supported by the society to call a sick leave. However, employers do support absenteeism as a cultural phenomenon. That is, when people take sick days when they are not sick, employers accept this as a cost to the organisation. (Allen. R. F, Higgins M. 1979) 2.3.5 Motivation Robbins and Coulter (1999) have defined motivation as the willingness to exert high levels of effort to reach organizational goals as conditioned by that efforts ability to satisfy some individual need. Luthans (1998) stated that motivation is the process that arouses, energizes, directs, and sustains behaviour and performance. That is, it is the process of stimulating people to action and to achieve a desired task. One way of stimulating people is to employ effective motivation, which makes workers more satisfied with and committed to their jobs. Money is not the only motivator. There are other incentives which can also serve as motivators. Steers Rhodes (1978), developed the most common model of absenteeism. They depicted that attendance is determined by the employees motivation to go to work. However, Lee (1989) evaluated the theoretical facts of the Steers Rhodes Model (1978) and found that motivation is not strongly related to attendance. Nevertheless, the study of Burton. J. P, Lee. T. W, Holtom. B. C (2002), claimed that sickness absenteeism was related to ones motivation to attend work. That is, according to some theories sickness absenteeism is not only due to illness but it may be voluntary, Brooke (1986). Employees might use sickness as an excuse not to go to work, where there are other causes of this particular behaviour, Martocchio (1996). Moreover, the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) suggested that in order to reduce absence, the best way was to ensure that employees are well-motivated by their jobs. And to motivate employees, employers have to keep them informed of their behind-the-scenes strategies for survival during recession, Anne Fairweather (2009), head of public policy at an organisation. Motivated employees can be productive employees. Recognition, working environment and work achievement are factors that can keep employees motivated thus highly productive. Employees who achieve the goals directed by their supervisor are usually well-motivated. And expect recognition after the long hours of hard work, for instance an increase in salary, bonuses or promotions. According to a research carried out by Personnel Today (2008), employees were more productive when they received recognition for their work and praise from management. Working environment is another factor to motivate employees in being productive and need to be provided with a pleasant environment to work. Therefore it can be noted that motivation is necessary to increase productivity. Personal Issues Every employee in any organisation has to go through personal issues. It can be observed that facing these issues most of the time and energy of that particular person is focused on their personal issue they are dealing with. Personal issues can take the form of family problems, ill parents or young children to take care of, drug abuse, drinking problems, sexual orientation and many more distracting one from his or her job. According to Ericson (2001) issues like child and eldercare, single-parent families are those characteristics that might lead to an impact on absenteeism at any level in an organisation. Furthermore, Goff et al. (1990) found that when ones work and family issues are conflicting there is a greater frequency of absenteeism. It has also been noted that management in most organisations are lenient, staffs make excuses of being sick so as not to attend work, consequently, recording a sick leave. This is also common in the aviation sector especially among staffs having odd working hours; they find it easier to register for sick leave so as to be able to manage their own issues. Shift work influence the working choices of parents and to be able to retain shift workers child-care services should be offered, P. D. Brandon and J. B. Temple (2007). Employees have to make sure that they do not bring their personal issues into the office. Therefore, organisations must be able to provide a pleasant environment where employees would not think about their personal issues instead of concentrating on their work. Some company might also provide psychological help to their staffs. As personal problems can lead to a fall in productivity. Health Related Issues Health promotion seems to impact positively on employees health, morale, level of sickness absenteeism and productivity. Unfortunately it is noted that the necessary structures and facilities to promote health are not available at Air Mauritius, however, management has shown its intention to change the situation and has establish wellness and fitness centres. Chronic Diseases Chronic diseases do have an impact on employees sickness absence and sicknesses at work, example of chronic diseases are diabetics, cancers among others. The productivity of the organisation is also affected when the employee is ill. For example an employee suffering a particular form of cancer will have various complications and might not be able to attend work for a few days. This will lead to a lack of staff, thus increasing the workload of others. Therefore, organisations can exercise some control over illnesses by ensuring a safe and healthy workplace, proper ergonomic design, health and safety management 27policies/practices to address absenteeism in the workplace (Ericson, 2001). These can facilitate healthier working environments and provide favourable conditions to reduce absenteeism and enhance satisfaction and productivity. Fatigue and Stress According to the New Grolier Webster International Dictionary of English Language fatigue is defined as the tiredness of a persons physical or mental energy. More precisely it is described as a specific reaction of our central nervous system and muscular system due to exertion (S. L. Smith et al., 2009). That is, the exhaustion of strength due to continued stress. Stress on the other hand is identified as factors causing mental or emotional strain or tension to a person (New Grolier Webster International Dictionary of English Language). Khodabakhsh Ahmadi and Kolivand Alireza, (2007) stated that stress is often used to describe the bodys responses to demands placed upon it, whether these demands are favourable or unfavourable. In this context however, stress is related to the work place where due to unsatisfactory work organisation, management, environmental design and differences between the efforts put into work compared to the rewards received (S. L. Smith et al., 2009). The level of work-related stress has increased consequently during the past few years in the aviation sector. C. Kelleher S. McGilloway, 2005, claimed in a research carried out for an Irish airline that the level of work-related stress among stress is high. Khodabakhsh Ahmadi and Kolivand Alireza, 2007, have found that the level of work stress among military pilots has also increased. The report of the ITF 2009, indicated that there has been a serious increase in stress and fatigue since 2000. There are various causes of work-related stress and fatigue in the aviation sector. The odd and long hours of work which usually results in overtime, drain staffs both emotionally and physically. Fatigue and stress is also caused due to the lack of rest. Airline staffs working in different time zones and odd hours are the ones experience chronic sleep deprivation. A rise in the level of flights and passengers has led to uncontrollable work load due to high work demands causing stress and fatigue among staffs. The tradition of overbooking flights in almost all airlines is the cause of various problems. Passengers who find themselves left behind due to the lack of seats on the flights are usually furious and tend to shout at staffs using abusive language thus stressing them. People working in the aviation sector have experience a consequent rise in the stress level at work (S. L. Smith et al., 2009). Hence this impact on sickness absenteeism and sickness thus affecting the productivity level of employees. Injury at work An organisation must make sure that it provides the proper safety equipment to its employees. This is because accidents can happen where employees could be injured. This would cause sickness absenteeism due to the employees inability to attend work, leading to a fall in productivity due to the lack of employees and increased work load on those present at work. Also the costs