Questioning The Effectiveness Of The Revolution - 2439 Words

Questioning the Effectiveness of the Revolution A 25-year struggle came to an end with a crown placed upon a head of yet another king. Was the French Revolution, revolutionary or was it an attempt at democracy that failed rather quickly with a noble Robespierre becoming a decapitating dictator, who himself later became decapitated? The French revolution was a political movement that swept up a nation, and it swept up the nation in such a way that would leave a trail of political fever for centuries to come. So much so that the hushed whispers of revolution would have monarchies fleeing the continent. David Bell s The First Total War argues that The French revolution was the first war that propelled society into modernity. But what is modernity? Modernity is defined in the Merriam-Webster Dictionary as of, relating to, or characteristic of a period extending from a relevant remote past to the present time.† To argue forcefully that the French Revolution is the beginning of modernity is both easy and incredibly difficult. Th e line of what is modern is hazy. A relevant remote past, implies that some person down the line made a declarative statement of when and what the relative past was. Is the time period of this revolution ‘relative because it had technology that allowed for documents to be stored, or is it because this revolution was comprised of angry white men, who felt pressed in some manner? The socially accepted beginning of the French Revolution was withShow MoreRelatedThe Theory Of The Therapy982 Words   |  4 PagesUnlike the transference approach, PCT focuses on the here and now and does not attempt to work with previous trauma/experiences which may affect behaviour (McLeod, 2015). Despite this, the effectiveness of the therapy does not appear to be affected as it has gained strong empirical grounds, remaining very popular amongst therapists and clients (Tudor Worrall, 2006). Because this approach relies heavily on the therapist’s personal qualities to deliver effective ther apy, the approach may not be suitedRead MoreFriedman Vs Head On The Effectiveness1193 Words   |  5 Pagesï » ¿ Friedman vs. Head on the Effectiveness of Online Writing *** ----- ----- The Effectiveness of Online Writing Courses (MOOCs) Massive open online courses (MOOCs) are one of the revolutionary trends in education across the world. Many controversies surround it with some education stakeholders viewing it as very costly but of little value. In addition, other critics consider it a cheaper model of teaching especially in higher education (Vimeo, 2014). Cheaper in the sense manyRead MoreThe Korean War1325 Words   |  6 Pagesre-established order within the People’s Republic of China (PRC). Under Mao’s leadership, the PRC experienced immediate and influential reforms ⎠¯ most notably the Hundred Flowers Campaign, the Great Leap Forward, and the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution ⎠¯ that benefitted the PRC at first, but later steered the nation to unprecedented political, social, and economic turmoil. By 1976, the year of his death, Mao had left China in widespread chaos and civil unrest with millions of Chinese dead, starvingRead MoreInternet Censorship of Child Porngraphy Essay977 Word s   |  4 Pagescompletely from the internet? If this were the case, we would find ourselves in a situation where famous artworks should apparently be prohibited (give examples). Therefore, censorship measures demand complex and nuanced judgments, which is why their effectiveness cannot be complete. As a result, internet surveillance would probably lead to an abuse of control and restriction of some content, even if they are perfectly legal. Moreover, proponents of censorship can be contradictory in their philosophy. ItRead MoreThe Greatest Communication Revolution Of The Internet For Educational Purposes1567 Words   |  7 Pagesthat students nowadays spend a considerable amount of time on the Internet for educational purposes. (Lenhart, Madden Hitlin, 2005) Today, nobody discusses the importance of technology in the actual life; it has become the greatest communication revolution since the invention of printing. Human being uses in their everyday behaviour an immense rage of contributions of technology, it can be refer to the simplest such as mobile phone, clock, books, newspaper that gives an important exchange of informationRead More21st Century Classrooms Essay1377 Words   |  6 Pagesimproved assessment results in the classroom, one must consider the global workforce and responsibility that educators must prepare students to compete and successfully interact in the global technology workforce. Effectiveness of Technology When one is trying to determine the effectiveness of technology in the classroom there are several methodological and practical issues to consider. First technology is only a single part of instructional activities in the classroom. Assessments used to measureRead MoreThe British And Indian War1387 Words   |  6 PagesDuring the mid-1700’s, British American Colonists were questioning their place under the British crown. The Colonists were proud to be part of the British Empire, especially after the recent victories of the French and Indian war, which gave the colonist a sense of pride and patriotism. However, British Parliament began to pass legislation that had laid a burden on the Colonists, as well as oppression. The Colonists began to question the power of the Crown, whether the idea of a Monarchy was a primitiveRead MoreAnimal Testing Is Wrong?1288 Words   |  6 Pages ANIMAL TESTING IS WRONG The words animal testing mean to perform procedures on living animals for the research of basic human biology and diseases, finding out the effectiveness of new medical products, and testing the human health and environmental safety of consumer and industry products like cosmetics, household cleaners, food additives, pharmaceuticals and industrial/agro-chemicals and means using other living organisms except humans for testing. All procedures, even those classifiedRead MoreEssay on The Death Penalty:Social Ethics: Morality and Social Policy1737 Words   |  7 Pagesdefend the author, one can assert that, by evidence of the commonsense, capital punishment does indeed serve as a deterrent; thereby, the argument of the author is sound. In response to this defense, an abolitionist, like Reiman, may counter by questioning the commonsensical-ness of the commonsense. The commonsense in Pojman’s and Ernst van den Haag’s argument assumes a theory about the behavior of idealized rational agents in an economic model. The premise that â€Å"people’s disinclination to act inRead MoreAnalysis Of Malcom Gladwell s Small Change3404 Words   |  14 Pagesstay comfortably separate and avoid impacting meaningful social reform. Gladwell makes it apparent that he believes social media and revolutions are unsuited for each other. His article, written just two months before the beginning of the Arab Spring, was written in response to what some contemporaries have dubbed, â€Å"The Twitter Revolution† in Moldova. This revolution, as well as another in Iran, was heralded as examples of the merits of social media, with some even nominating Twitter for the Nobel

Rabindranath Tagore Contribution Towards Education Free Essays

What are the contributions of Mahatma Gandhi in Education? SWASTIK Historical Development of Basic Edcuation Mahatma Gandhi explained the concept of Basic Education through a series of articles in his Harijan magazine in 1937. In the conference at Wardha after a detailed discussion about Gandhiji’s articles the scheme of Basic Education took shape under the leadership of Dr. Zakir Hussain. We will write a custom essay sample on Rabindranath Tagore Contribution Towards Education or any similar topic only for you Order Now The following four resolutions were passed. (i) Free and compulsory education should be given to all children for a period of seven years. (ii) The medium of instruction should be the mother tongue, iii) The process of education should be centred round some form of manual production work in the shape of a craft. (iv) This education should be self-supporting to some extent. The Central Advisory Board of Education set up a Committee under the Chairmanship of Sri B. G. Kher to suggest measures for implementing these resolutions. Then another Committee was appointed under the same Chairman to recommend action coordinating the Basic Education with higher education. The recommendations of both these Committees were approved by the CABE and included in the Report on Post-war Educational Development in India. Also read: Woman Unknown by Rabindranath Tagore In 1944, although Govts, both at the national and state levels accepted Basic Education as the national pattern, progress in its implementation was not satisfactory. Merits of Basic Education (1) Work as a central place: Since work occupies a central place in life, it had an important place in Basic Education. Dignity of labour was emphasized by him and work was made an integral part of this education. (2) A new method of teaching: Through Basic Education Gandhiji introduced a new method of teaching. This method is to teach all subjects through crafts and taken as activity-centred meant to free children from tyranny of words and cramming. 3) Self-supporting education: As a corollary to craft-centred education, it was visualized by Gandhiji that schools need be self- supporting. The carfts organized scientifically would result in more production and the sale-proceeds must fetch a good income. (4) Socially sound system of education: Basic education was sound sociologically. The then cl ass-labour and chasm between mental and physical labour and the spirit of dependence on others were required to be removed from the society. In short, Basic education was intended to eradicate many ills of the society. 5) Training for Citizenship: Basic education was providing for training students in democratic living and practices. It was aiming at forming positive attitudes, creating interests and appreciation, developing understanding and imparting skills in citizenship. On the whole, it was a training citizenship. Drawbacks in Basic Education (1) Selection of Crafts: Since craft was occupying an important place in Basic school curriculum, selection of a suitable craft was determining the success and efficiency of Basic Education. But most of the schools followed the trodden path or tereotyped process without bothering for the local conditions and needs. For example, in the areas where cotton was not grown and had to be brought from a long distance, weaving was introduced as a c raft even in those areas. (2) The Principles of Correlation: In Basic schools every subject was being taught through a craft. The principle of correlation was tried to be adopted in all subjects, but in real situation it was done as a ritual without any sincerity or seriousness. In fact, correlation was a slogan and fiction. (3) The Idealism of self-sufficiency: It was complained that the schools cannot be made self-sufficient with the production by children. The concept of self-sufficiency was thought to be idealism and was not emphasized by most of the teachers and inspecting officers. Products by unskilled hands were not selling well and fetching adequate income. Rather Basic Schools were more expensive than traditional schools. (4) The Principles of Equality: Although Basic Education was visualized to be socially sound for removing the existing disparities, it was rather aggravating the situation. It was tending to be meant for the children of poor labourers and farmers only and children of high class families were not going to these schools. The gulf between poor and rich classes rather widened due to Basic Education. (5) Proper Orientation and Understanding: Basic schools called for highly qualified and well-equipped teachers for properly teaching subjects through correlation and organizing crafts with efficiency. But in fact many teachers employed in such schools were lacking proper understanding of the Basic Education principles and desired orientation with the idealism or values impregnated in the system. Present Condition Although Basic Education faced a sorry state of affairs many of its principles are still appreciated for their practical value and psychology as well as sociological importance. The Kothari Commission, 1964-66 endorsed a large number of its essential features like work experience, community living, community service, citizenship training, world brotherhood, social and spiritual values and integrating knowledge with experience and so no. After a lapse of more than three decades a National Education conference was convened by Shriman Narayan at Sevagram in 1972 where Basic Education was praised by many. A resolution was passed with consensus of all Education Ministers and Vice Chancellors who attended the conference, â€Å"education at all levels should be imparted through socially useful and productive activity, linked with economic growth and development in both rural and urban areas†. The Iswarbhai Patel Committee supported most of the principles of Basic Education with great stress on work education or socially useful productive work. The UNESCO Commission Report â€Å"Learning to Be† also used the term Basic Education for Primary Education and laid emphasis on many forms of social and economic activities to be organized in the schools. The Basic Education system has been hailed as â€Å"the ideal solution for the reform of teaching methods in Indian Schools† by Dr. Gunnar Myrdal, the celebrated author of â€Å"Asian Drama† and as â€Å"one of the most interesting and promising developments in Indian Education† by Prof. Castle the renowned writer of â€Å"Education for self-help†. It goes without saying that India would have been a happier place at present, if the useful features of Basic Education had been given effect to with sincerity of all concerned. How to cite Rabindranath Tagore Contribution Towards Education, Essay examples

Business IT Ethics Large Statistical Program

Question: Describe about the Business IT Ethics for Large Statistical Program. Answer: Case 1: Jean and the Large Statistical Program Based on the information on the case study, it is quite apparent that Jean is divided between taking time to complete her work on her own and publish the algorithms in the professional journals as required or use other peoples work without acknowledgement and submit it because of the strict deadline that has been set. The fact is that it is quite unethical for Jean to use other peoples work without acknowledgement even though she was stuck because that amounts to plagiarism which is a significant crime in the contemporary world. In essence, it was quite unprofessional and unethical for Jean to submit other peoples work with a view of cheating that it was her own. This will not only affect her, but also affect her organization because she risks losing her job when it is discovered that she submitted another persons work. The reputation of the organization will also become affected because of their employee using other peoples work without acknowledgement. Jean ought to have honestly e xpressed the situation she was in and sought for a time extension to work on the task. This is the best option because it will not only help her avoid the risk of losing her job, but it will also ensure that the reputation of the organization that she works for is safe and protected. Case 1: Andrew and the Health Project Based on the case study, it is quite apparent that Andrew took over the work that had been poorly done because of lack of experience by the former developer. It is quite unfortunate that the instability of the system will cause detrimental loss to the companys client and because of the pressure subjected to him by the Supervisor, Andrew decides to hand over the system knowing well that it has corruptions and may eventually lead to data loss. It was quite unethical for Andrew and the supervisors to agree to hand in the system to the client knowing well that the technologies used were incompatible with the infrastructure used by the department and that it may result in not only corruptions but also loss of organizational financial data on a daily basis. This decision will have a significant negative impact not only on the reputation of the company but also on its client who may suffer significant loss due to loss of financial data. Andrew should explain to the top management on the iss ue at hand and express the fear that the client may suffer irreparable damage should they submit the system with the technology as it is. Case 3: Jane and the Integrated Inventory Control System Based on the information on the case study, it is a legal requirement that all the software must be tested before being released to the final consumer. But however, the situation at hand depicts that some of the functions of the inventory system are not addressed sufficiently and thus may cause quality issues to arise in future. Signing off the software the way it is will have an impact on the software company, its clients, the clients of the company who will use the software and even the employees. Owing to the fact that inventory functions are vital to the effective functioning of the system, Jane should resist the pressure to sign off the software due to the risks involved. Signing off the software the way it is will be quite unethical for Jane and the company as well. Part 3: Essay (i) According to Sisela Bok (2003) whistle blowing concerns an individual who makes revelations meant to call to attention to negligence, abuses or dangers that threatens public interest. Essay topic: Whistle blowing is an unethical activity and employees undertaking such behaviour should lose their jobs. Whistle blowing is defined as being a person who makes revelations which are aimed at calling attention towards abuses, negligence, or dangers which can threaten the interest of the public. Whistle blowing can also be defined as giving information on unethical and illegal practices at the workplace. Whistle blowing has become a common phenomenon as employees speak out regarding their own ethical concerns at their workplace. Hot debate that has always emerged as to whether whistle blowing is an ethical or unethical issue in an organization. On one side, whistle blowing is deemed as being disastrous for the person concerned as well as the organization because it highly threatens the effective organization for a firm which is being complained about. On the other hand, Sissela Bok, a philosopher, affirmed that even though whistle blowing is usually justified, it actually comprises of accusations, dissent, and even a breach of loyalty and respect to employers. On the contrary, other criti cs have argued that attempts aimed at stopping unethical or illegal activities in a company may be termed as being the greatest form of company loyalty that workers can ever depict. According to some people, it has been argued that there is no way that whistle blowing can be justified since workers in an organization possess absolute obligations of loyalty and confidentiality to an organization that they really work for. Such individuals actually see no great difference between workers who openly reveal confidential trade secrets through selling them to third parties or competitors. This is attributed to the fact that whistle blowers similarly disclose harmful organizational activities to other people. Based on this fact, it can truly be asserted that whistle blowing is an illegal activity and thus this calls that employees who are involved in such deeds ought to be punished by losing their jobs. It is important to note regardless of a persons obligations, one should never be exempted from general obligations that they have to their fellow colleagues or human beings. One great fundamental of such obligations is never to harm or hurt other human beings. While some individuals argue that whistle blowing can be justified because of it being an exercise of the right to speech, it is important for all and sundry to note that such a right is not the perfect choice. In essence, it is important to note that even though individuals may have the right of speaking their minds regarding certain issues because they have no laid down contractual agreements that prevent them from doing so, it is morally wrong for them to do so because it may result in harm to other innocent individuals. Through the use of currently available online tools and search facilities, ordinary users can easily acquire personal information about others. In fact, anyone who has Internet access can, via a search engine such as Google, find information about us that we ourselves might have had no idea is publicly available there. Does this use of online tools threaten the privacy of ordinary people? It can truly be ascertained that the use of online tools highly threaten the privacy of ordinary individuals because the rise of the internet platform that is largely unsecured coupled with instantaneous mass communication and big data makes privacy of information held by corporations and governments to become at stake. For instance, some of the Western Activists have not only exposed but also denounced the use of online communications to invade the privacy of private citizens. Alternatively, activists from the developing world have similarly seized similar technologies and techniques and turned them on governments that have been deemed to be authoritarian as a tool of liberation. Unlike before when online communications and the use of technology was used in the achievement of a democratizing potential such as opening up governments, making it easier for social movements to become organized, freeing people from a media which is deemed to be monolithic, and providing chance for voices which had initially been marginalized to become heard, this is not the case in the contemporary world. This is because the broad use of online tools has greatly threatened the privacy of ordinary individuals in various ways. For instance, the use of online tools has endangered the privacy of ordinary individuals in that some of the spy agencies use peoples data to carry out mass surveillance on the majority if not all of the ordinary people. In addition to that, it is now a common fact that some of the organizations across the world now purchase vast tranches of ordinary peoples data and ultimately uses the same information in ways that are known to comprise privacy. The internet is now being used against ordinary individuals because some of the authoritarian regimes or governments use such information to not only censor and monitor ordinary individuals, but they also use the same information in order to persecute dissent. The fact that the use of the internet and more specifically the use of numerous internet tools are absolutely being used against individuals thus causing them more harm than good. Previously, governments across the world were indeed inept in comprehending the use of the internet to specifically further their own interests. As of now, most governments across the world have become well versed in the utilization of the internet in order to further their interests and meet their ends. This confirms the fact that the use of online tools highly threatens the privacy of ordinary individuals. iii. Professions Australia has recognised the members of the Australian Computer Society (ACS) as professionals. What special responsibilities does that imply for ACS members? In your answer you need to distinguish between someone who is a practitioner but not a professional. Members of the Australian Computer Society are termed as being professionals because the important value that is held by such members states that they must have the Primacy of the Public Interest that stipulates that they ought to put the public interests above those of their sectional, business, or personal interests. Unlike practitioners where cultural and legal obligations that the centre stage as opposed to any other professional obligations, this does not apply to professional members belonging to the Australian Computer Society (ACS). This is due to the fact that unlike practitioners who are not professionals, professionals who are also ACS members are mandated to comply with special responsibilities. For instance, they are supposed (ACS members) they can, at their own expense and voluntarily take numerous ACS education subjects such as on professional and ethical conduct and also undertake yearly professional development that is aimed at maintaining a Certified Professional St atus. Unlike practitioners in the computer field, members of the ACS will with time become subjected to an online ethics test that will be founded on the Code of Ethics towards real or actual case studies. This will be aimed at ensuring that such tests are added to the yearly certification requirements for the achievement of professional status. Unlike practitioners who are not subscribed to any ethical code of practice, members of the ACS are supposed to subscribe to the ACS Code of ethics and as a result, they can get disciplined whenever they break any rules in the ethical codes. In addition to that, when the crime is too extreme such members could be kicked out of this professional body or society thus making them become unable to practice. It can truly be asserted that unlike practitioners who are not mandated to subscribe to a given ethical standard, this is not the case for the professionals. This is because professionals are indeed required to adhere to the laid down ethical standards. Such a code of ethics governs the numerous activities of the ACS. As such, the code require practice and behaviour beyond the personal moral responsibilities or obligations of the people concerned. They not only demand, but also define high standards in behaviour especially with regard to services that are provided to the general public and whenever dealing with the general public.

Museums and virtual technology

Introduction Since the advent of civilization, human beings have been interested in collecting, keeping and displaying things hence giving rise to the concept of museums. (Drurie,1997, p. 30). Museums have been termed as having historically been repositories where real physical objects that existed many years ago are kept.Advertising We will write a custom term paper sample on Museums and virtual technology specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More They have taken it upon themselves to collect, preserve and explain these things for the current and future generations to have knowledge of their culture. Museums have perfected this role to the extent that they have been deemed mausoleums. They preserve even the dustiest glasses where they store ancient artifacts (Mareovic,1998,p. 71). Changes Occasioned by Technology However, life today has changed due to technology where everything has been digitized leading to changes in all spheres of life . Technology has taken the centre stage and anybody who does not comply with the current trends of technology is seen as lacking enlightenment. Business organizations and government sectors have embraced technology to solve all problems (Lancaster Reynolds, 1999). Technology is applied everywhere whenever problems arise and forms the illusion that there is no problem that will fail to get a solution. The arrival of virtual technology has led to the perception that in due course, museums will be moribund or worse still be converted into archives. The reason behind this is that people are nowadays looking for information as opposed to materials and other artifacts (Bowen et al, 1998). This proposition is not common among all the people because some people have a feeling that original objects will be in constant demand when internet users discover that they are important as part of the culture of a people. Technology can still help us discover new relations among different things such as information, experience of people and their general reaction to different issues (Teather, 1998). The relationship between the view of a museum as an archive for objects and the same museum as a place where information is available should strike a balance. Such a balance will be important in moderating the debate of the position of museums with the advent of virtual technology. Conclusion Museums have a mandate of displaying collections in an appealing and educational manner if they are to remain relevant. The digital technology can be very useful in enhancing this mission on condition that there is no indiscriminate use and users are aware of their goals.Advertising Looking for term paper on other technology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More They should know what they want to achieve and how they will achieve it (Lancaster Reynolds, 2002; Rentschler, 1999). The internet provides real cultural chances for museums alongside posing other challenges that must be put into consideration before making any decision (Sylvester, 2001). References Bowen, J., Bennett, J., Coh, H. Johnson, J. (1998) ‘Virtual visits to virtual museums’, Proceedings of Museums and the Web Conference, Toronto, Canada [online] Available www.InfoTrac One File. A17976679.. Lancaster, G. Reynolds, P. 1999, Introduction to marketing: a step-by-step guide to all the tools of marketing, London, Elsevier Press. Lancaster, G. Reynolds, P. (2002) Marketing made simple. Oxford, Elsevier Press. Mareovic, I. (1998) Virtual museums: The challenge of Globalization in Musicology and Globalization. University of Canberra Press, Canberra. Rentschler, R. (1999) Innovative arts marketing. St Leonards NSW: Allen Unwin. Sylvester, R. (2001) Creating web-accessible databases: case studies for libraries, museums and other nonprofits Information Today, Medford, N.J.Advertising We will write a custom term paper sample on Museums and vi rtual technology specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Teather, L. (1998) A museum is a museum †¦ or is it? Exploring Musicology and the web, Archives and Museum Informatics [online] available from http://www.archimuse.com/index.html . This term paper on Museums and virtual technology was written and submitted by user L1ndsey to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

The effects of Vitamin D deficiency in pregnant women The WritePass Journal

The effects of Vitamin D deficiency in pregnant women 1. INTRODUCTION The effects of Vitamin D deficiency in pregnant women ).   This shall be considered by undertaking an empirical study into whether or not 10 micrograms of Vitamin D should be taken by women during pregnancy. 2. INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY This study shall be completed by undertaking an empirical study.   This will seek to ascertain if pregnant patients that take the recommended dosage of 10 micrograms attain the benefits, which are stated by the National Health Service (NHS, 2013).   This could help to identify if the recent research, which has been published by the University of Bristol and the University of East Anglia, is correct.   The ‘Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) which is also known as Children of the 90s is a long-term health research project.   More than 14,000 mothers enrolled during pregnancy in 1991 and 1992, and the health and development of their children has been followed in great detail ever since ‘ (ALSPAC, 2013). 3. PROBLEM STATEMENT During pregnancy, many women have been told by medical practitioners that they should take the recommended dosage of 10 micrograms of Vitamin D to ensure that their unborn chid develops strong bones and does not develop rickets (NHS, 2013).   However, results from the ALSPAC longitudinal study shows that the benefits from taking Vitamin D at the recommended dosage of 10 micrograms during pregnancy may not be so beneficial (Lawlor, Wills and Fraser, 2013).   This research seeks to ascertain if these claims are correct and whether or not the recommended dosage of Vitamin D needs to be changed for pregnant women. 4. RESEARCH AIMS AND OBJECTIVES In conjunction with the problem statement above, the following aims have been formulated: To use available and relevant data, to investigate whether the recommended dosage of 10 micrograms for pregnant women is correct To use the findings from the above aim to make recommendations for how the dosage needs to be altered for pregnant women. Additionally, the following objectives have been developed: To evaluate how a dosage of 10 micrograms of Vitamin D benefits pregnant women. To evaluate how changing the dosage of Vitamin D benefits pregnant women. To make recommendations for the appropriate dosage of Vitamin D which should be taken by pregnant women? 5. PROPOSAL STRUCTURE The proposed outline of the dissertation is described in the next section. 6.LITERATURE REVIEW To date, in the United Kingdom the National Health Service has recommended that the effects of a 10 microgram dose of vitamin D is essential to ensure that unborn children develop healthy bones. This is also supported by evidence in the existing academic literature (see as an example: Dror, 2013; Kovacs, 2008; Stephenson, 2006).   Therefore, medical practitioners have advised all pregnant women that this is how what they should take during pregnancy (Bui Christin-Maitre, 2011; NHS, 2013).   However, recent research, which was published in March 2013, has contradicted this information (ALSPAC, 2013: Lawlor, Wills and Fraser, 2013).  Ã‚   These findings need to be explored further as many other research studies have not reached these conclusions.   Therefore, to seek to ensure that the correct advice is given to women who are pregnant, it is important that this study is undertaken. 6.1. RESEARCH QUESTIONS In line with the findings from the literature review above, provisionally, the following research questions have been developed. How does a dosage of 10 micrograms of Vitamin D benefits pregnant women How does changing the dosage of Vitamin D benefit pregnant women? What is the appropriate dosage of Vitamin D, which should be taken by pregnant women? 6.2. METHODOLOGY This study shall be based on a number of patient records, which shall be chosen at random.   In examining the records, it is hoped that a comparison between these pregnant women that took a 10-microgram dosage, those that took other amounts and those that took nothing may be compared.   Form here it will be possible to seek to understand how much Vitamin D pregnant women should be taking during their pregnancy so that new recommendations may be made if necessary. 6.3. RESEARCH PHILOSOPHY The research philosophy, which has been adopted for this study is positivism.   This will allow the empirical investigation to be undertaken and it will be derived from a critical and objective based method (Sundars, 2003). 6.4. RESEARCH APPROACH The research approach, which has chosen for this study is quantitative in nature, as it will be based on a review of existing patient records and undertaking statistical analyses. This will allow the researcher to explore the problem, which was outlined above and to see if any new recommendations should be made to pregnant women. 6.5. RESEARCH STRATEGY The research strategy, which has been chosen for this study is a review of existing patient records.   Therefore, a documentation review shall be undertaken. 6.6. DATA COLLECTION The review of patient records shall be undertaken by contacting medical practitioners and patients to seek to attain permission to their records, once this has been achieved, a number of records shall be chosen at random these shall be used to collect information to investigate the research problem. 6.7. DATA ANALYSIS All analyses shall be based on the patient records, which are used during the data collection phase of this study.   Statistical tools such as, SPSS shall be utilised to undertake analyses of the results from these patient records. 6.8. ACCESS Access to this these records shall be established by contacting medical practitioners and patients, to identify patients who have been pregnant who are willing to take part in tis research. 6.9. RELIABILITY, VALIDITY, AND GENERALISABILITY The findings from this study should be reliable and repeatable, as patient records shall be chosen at random and empirically analysed.   This will ensure that the parameters of the study are net and that the results can be generalised to wider populaces. 6.10. ETHICAL ISSUES Issues such as, patient confidentiality and privacy shall be considered during the design and implementation of this research to seek to ensure that all participants’ details remain confidential and that they are all fully aware of the nature of the research and why it is being conducted. 6.11. RESEARCH LIMITATIONS As this research is based on secondary sources, the data, which is available, may limit the findings.   However, if this is the case then the parameters of the study shall be re-examined to seek to ensure that these limitations are minimised where possible. 7 CONCLUSION In conclusion, this study shall be undertaken by seeking to identify and critically evaluate a number of patient records.   This will enable the researcher to understand how much vitamin D pregnant women should take to help to ensure that their unborn child has healthy bones. Then a number of recommendations may be made where this is appropriate. 8 TIME CHART Tasks Task Lead Start End Literature Review Researcher 01/08/2013 29/01/2013 Write Up Results Researcher 29/08/2013 30/09/2013 Write Methodology Researcher 21/09/2013 21/10/2013 Contact Subjects Researcher 21/10/2013 21/01/2014 Collate Data Researcher 21/01/2014 21/10/2014 Examine Data Researcher 21/10/2014 21/12/2014 Write up results Researcher 21/12/2014 21/02/2015 Write discussion Researcher 21/02/2015 21/04/2015 Write conclusions Researcher 21/04/2015 21/08/2015 REFERENCES ALSPAC (2013). Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children.   Available from bristol.ac.uk/alspac/ (Accessed 01/08/2013) Bui, T., Christin-Maitre, S. (2011, October). Vitamin D and pregnancy]. In Annales dendocrinologie (Vol. 72, p. S23). Dror, D. (2013). Vitamin D in pregnancy. In Handbook of vitamin D in human health (pp. 670-691). Wageningen Academic Publishers. Kovacs, C. S. (2008). Vitamin D in pregnancy and lactation: maternal, fetal, and neonatal outcomes from human and animal studies. The American journal of clinical nutrition, 88(2), 520S-528S. Lawlor DA, Wills AK, Fraser A, (2013) Association of maternal vitamin D status during pregnancy with bone-mineral content in offspring: a prospective cohort study. The Lancet. Published online March 19 2013. NHS (2013) Doubt cast on the benefit of Vitamin D during Pregnancy.   Available from nhs.uk/news/2013/03March/Pages/doubt-cast-on-benefit-of-vitamin-D-in-pregnancy.aspx Accessed (01/08/2013) NICE (2013) Vitamin D and pregnancy. Available from nice.org.uk Accessed 01/08/2013 Saunders, M. (2003) Research Methods for Business Students.   South Africa: Pearson Education. Stephenson, J. (2006). Vitamin D and Pregnancy. JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association, 295(7), 748-748.

An Exploration of the US Bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki

An Exploration of the US Bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki Was the United States Justified in Using the Atomic Bomb? On August 6, 1945 the United States dropped the first atomic bomb on the Japanese city, Hiroshima. To this day, this has been a controversial military strategy. Those who believe that the U.S. was justified in using the atomic bomb argue that more lives were saved, and that the Japanese’s vigor and willingness to fight to the death forced the U.S. to extreme measures. On the other hand, those who thought using the atomic bomb was unjustified argue that the atomic bomb violated the principles of war, that it did not end World War II (WWII) sooner and it was not the ideal choice to use for WWII. Looking at proponents of the United States’ usage of the atomic bomb such as Hugh A. Halliday and Richard Frank, military historians, and Michael Kort, a professor of Social Science at Boston University, as well as opponents including policy analyst, John Siebert, Martin J Sherwin, a professor at George Mason University, and Tsuyoshi Hasegawa, a professor emeritus of History at th e University of California we intend to evaluate and summarize both sides of the discussion as to whether the United States was justified to drop the atomic bomb. Proponents of employing the atomic bomb argue that had the atomic bomb not been dropped and the original ground invasion was implemented more lives from either side would have been lost. Japan’s unwillingness to surrender forced the United States to the point that they did not know what it would take to end the war. To discuss these points, we will look at the arguments from Hugh A. Halliday, a military historian who served in the RCAF’s Air Historian, Canadian Forces Directorate of History, and Canadian War Museum, Michael Kort, a professor of Social Science at Boston University, and Richard B. Frank a military historian who served almost four years in the United States Army. Japan had an ingrained conviction that the purpose of life was to die for the Emperor which was seen in not only her militants but also in her civilians with civilian causalities ranging from 42,000 to 150,000 dead from suicide or battle. Ground invasion of Japanese home islands was an option that the U.S. government considered. However, estimates from General Douglas MacArthur, in favor of ground invasion, curbed the numbers to roughly 130,000 casualties; however, this did not include the 300,000 Allied prisoners of war (PoWs) nor the enemy civilian casualties. In addition to the ground invasion and bombardment, the U.S. planned to utilize a blockade that was projected to cause famine, ensuing thousands of civilian deaths. Though roughly 200,000 people were killed thru the atomic bomb, it was still the morally preferred choice compared to the estimated deaths via an invasion. However, Michael Kort argues that it was never about deciding to use the atomic bomb versus implementing a ground invasion, but rather what it would take to have Japan surrender. The United States had been bombing Japan for three years prior to the Potsdam Declaration. She had already suffered an estimated 806,000 casualties in Okinawa and Tokyo. And yet when the U.S. had the Potsdam Declaration that gave Japan a chance to surrender, she not only chose to ignore it but also sought negotiations with the Soviet Union, to the extent of bargaining alliance benefits. Thus, the United States hoped that the sheer destructive power of the atomic bomb could persuade Japan to surrender and thus put an end to WWII. Advocates against utilizing the atomic bomb contend that it was a violation of the principles of war as well as the Geneva Protocol, which banned the usage of chemical weapons in war. Furthermore, in response to the belief that the atomic bomb lead to the shortening of WWII, the reason that Japan surrender was because of the USSR declaring war against her as well as invading Japanese-occupied land. In addition, had the United States adjusted the Potsdam Declaration, Japan would have been more inclined to agree to its terms. In order to analyze these arguments, we will discuss the points of John Siebert, a policy analyst who served in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Human Rights and Aboriginal Justice with the United Church of Canada as well as a consultant to government and non-governmental organizations, Martin J. Sherwin, a Pulitzer winner and professor of History at George Mason University, and Tsuyoshi Hasegawa, a professor emeritus of History at the University of Californi a. Arguably there are principles of war that are commonly agreed upon such as not directly targeting non-military establishments and non-militants. However, the United States knowingly targeted civilian cities, Hiroshima and Nagasaki. And had Henry L. Stimson, former U.S. Secretary of War, not opposed the Target Committee, they would have chosen Kyoto, the center of Japan’s civilization for over a thousand years. Moreover, after the practice of mustard gas as well as other chemical weapons in World War I, the Geneva Protocol was created and signed by members of the League of Nations, banning the use of chemical weapons in war. But though the United States was aware of the radiation poisoning that would occur from the atomic bomb, it was still deployed. By exploiting the atomic bomb, the U.S. indicated that nuclear arms were valid weapons of war. Aside from the moral discretions of implementing the atomic bomb, the argument that the atomic bomb led to the end of WWII sooner is invalid. Because the USSR declared war against Japan and invaded Japanese-controlled land, Japan could not ensure success in fighting both fronts and thus surrendered. Ward Wilson, Senior Fellow and Director of the Re-thinking Nuclear Weapons, remarked that Japanese leaders said it was the atomic bomb that led to their surrender as it was less embarrassing to lose against a miracle weapon. Not only that but Japan’s military officials argued that they could convince the USSR to negotiate for better surrender terms than the unconditional surrender in the Potsdam Declaration. However, with the declaration of war, they no longer had a case to continue the war. Along with this, had the United States adjusted their Potsdam Declaration to indicate that the Emperor would not be held liable for the war under the unconditional surrender then perhaps Japan would have agreed. This is because her term for surrender was to preserve their imperial system and Japan was already known to hold her Emperor to a high-degree. Though Secretary of War Stimson did recommend this adjustment; unfortunately, Secretary of State, James Byrnes, vetoed it. Though the amendment was attempted yet vetoed, the U.S. could have invited the USSR to sign the Potsdam Declaration in doing so would show Japan that she could not rely on the USSR to aid her. Supporters of using the atomic bomb argue that the bomb saved more lives than the planned ground invasion and because of Japan’s disinclination to surrender the war despite heavily unfavorable odds provoked the U.S. to undergo drastic measures. Japanese people’s disposition to perish for their Emperor was unsettling and led to a high civilian casualty even prior to considerations of dropping the atomic bomb. This temperament to die rather than to be a prisoner is one of the teachings in bushido, a samurai heritage and code of ethics. The Japanese were taught from a young age bushido and to worship the Emperor, a descendent from the Sun Goddess. Because of this contempt of being PoWs, many times the Japanese would fight until they were killed or committed suicide. American soldiers would witness the horror of Japanese mothers holding their children and choosing to jump to their deaths rather than to be taken as prisoners. The U.S. estimated that a ground invasion would not only lead to losses on the Allied powers but also to a high casualty rate due to the extreme devotion the Japanese had to their Emperor. The Joint Chiefs of Staff assessed that the United States would experience 1.2 million casualties for the entire ground invasion operation, while personnel in the Navy Department estimated 1.7-4 million casualties (Trueman). These estimates were significantly larger than the roughly 200,000 people killed by the atomic bomb. Not known at the time, it was later found that the Japanese Army had trained a civilian militia of around 28 million men and women to defend the home islands should a ground invasion occur (Giangreco). A year after the dropping of the atomic bomb, Karl T. Compton, a member of Truman’s Interim Committee — â€Å"a committee to advise the president about matters pertaining to the use of nuclear energy and weapons† (Harry S Truman National Historic Site)  interviewed a Japanese Army officer asking him if they could have repelled Operation Downfall to which the officer responded â€Å"†¦ I do not think we could have stopped you.† When asked what the Japanese would have done, the officer responded â€Å"We would have kept on fighting until all Japanese were killed, but we would not have been defeated,† in which defeat meant the disgrace of surrendering (Compton). Not only that but the Japanese imperial system was corrupted by the influence of military officials who strongly desired to continue fighting despite the extremely detrimental predicament the country was in. Despite suffering 806,000 casualties in Okinawa and Tokyo, when the U.S. issued her Potsdam Declaration, Japan chose to try and invoke the aid of the USSR, who had a delicate relationship with the United States. And after the atomic bomb dropping on Hiroshima and given a three-day grace period to respond, significant Japanese military officials thought it unlikely that the U.S. would have another bomb. Even when Nagasaki was bombed, military officials refused to accept surrendering though the Emperor now suggested to accept the U.S. terms. It was not till days of continuous bombing after the atomic bombs usage that the Emperor firmly declared that Japan would indeed surrender the war. Thus, though there may have been implications of the Japanese surrendering, it was unlikely that they would have surrendered given the military’s obstinacy. That said those against the United States exploitation of the atomic bomb dispute that the United States not only violated the Geneva Protocol and principles of war but also legitimized the usage of the atomic bomb in wars to come. Though the United States targeted civilian cities, Hiroshima and Nagasaki, these cities were chosen because they centered around military production (â€Å"Hiroshima and Nagasaki Death Toll†). And though the Geneva Protocol banned chemical weapons use during war, the atomic bomb is not categorized under chemical weapons but rather as a nuclear weapon. However, in spite of not breaching the Geneva Protocol, the U.S. set the precedence for future countries to use nuclear weapons in future wars. It was also argued that the usage of the atomic bomb was not the reason for Japan’s surrender in its place it was the entry of the USSR into WWII. Japanese military officials used the USSR as a means of stalling Japan from agreeing to the terms of surrender, but when the USSR declared war against Japan, rather than concede and surrender, they came up with a different reason to avoid surrendering. Instead of teaming with the USSR to discuss better terms of surrender, Japanese militant officials argued that the U.S. did not have another atomic bomb and that even if she did she would be under public pressure to not use it. No matter what deleterious situation Japan came under, her military officials refused to surrender, whether it be the entry of the USSR or the dropping of the atomic bombs. However, the catastrophe from the atomic bombs was able to move the Emperor from his onlooker position into actively striving for Japan’s surrender. In addition to this proponents against the usage of the atomic bomb also reasoned that had the U.S. invited the USSR to sign the Potsdam Declaration then Japan military officers could not have tried to incite help from the USSR. However, the relationship of the U.S. and the USSR were already on shaky grounds and President Truman did not want to invite the USSR into the war as her objectives for involvement were unknown. And if the U.S. did add the USSR to the Potsdam Declaration then following Japan’s surrender, the USSR would be allowed to occupy a portion of Japan’s land (Heads of Governments). Robert Frank estimated that roughly 300,000 to 500,000 Japanese people, mostly civilians, would have died or vanished in Soviet captivity. Historians have debated over whether the United States was justified in using the atomic bomb against Japan in World War II. Proponents argue that the ingrained bushido in Japanese citizens led to the risk of substantial civilian casualties as well as the necessity to use catastrophic means to shake their conviction to not capitulate. Opponents assert that the U.S. broke principles of war and allowed a precedence to use nuclear weapons in war. As well as arguing that the atomic bomb was not the reason that WWII ended sooner and thus led to lives being saved, instead it was the entrance of the USSR that forced the Japanese to surrender. After evaluation of both sides of the discussion, the strongest argument for the usage of the atomic bomb is that the bushido in Japanese culture startled the U.S. and led her to believe that extreme measures would be necessary to put an end to the war. While the strongest contention against the usage of the atomic bomb is that it legitimized the usage of nuclear weapons in war. Subsequently, though the United States ethically should not have used the atomic bomb since it established the allowance of nuclear weapons in war, given the situation the U.S. was in it is justifiable that the atomic bomb was implemented. Opponents that argue against the U.S. deploying the atomic bomb are not realizing that hindsight is 20/20. After six years of long, gruesome battle the U.S. would want to put an end to the war as quickly and effectively as possible and it would be unlikely that they would carefully consider what the usage of the atomic bomb would entail in future war policies. The options from those who dissented the usage of the bomb are impractical and unrealistic. Perhaps invitation of the Soviet Union onto the Potsdam Declaration would have led to Japan’s surrender, but without knowing whether the USSR would hold up their promise it would be a risky compromise. And the U.S. was right to think that it would take a significant force to make Japan surrender as the corruption from the military officials would continue to thwart any notions of surrendering. The dropping of the atomic bombs was a necessity to influence the Emperor to take control and finally end WWII.

Reading response 4 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Reading response 4 - Assignment Example However, when a learner is giving a speech, then errors in using language forms can lead to confusion. The authors have also pointed that â€Å"the identity of the researcher has an impact on the speech of second language learners† (Bayley and Tarone, 2013, p.43). For instance, a L2 learner uses more native accent in their second language speech when interviewed by their native people than by foreigners. It has also been stated that people living in a community have the same style of variations in their language. This theory is not clear since each individual may have difference in variation degrees. The authors have also used Liu’s longitudinal study of L2 variation on a five year old Chinese immigrant â€Å"Bob† to Australia (Bayley and Tarone, 2013, p.46). It was observed that in his developmental stage of learning English, Bob used more complex sentences when conversing with friends and peers, and simpler sentences when conversing with teachers. It proved tha t Bob’s L2 acquisition is faster in informal environment. In the fourth chapter which is on sociocultural theory (SCT), the author Lantolf has said that â€Å"although SCT is a general theory of human mental development, it has been productively extended to include the investigation of second language development† (Lantolf, 2013, p.57). The basic concept of this theory, according to the author, is how a speaker masters â€Å"narrative performance through private speech† (Lantolf, 2013, p.57). Therefore, it can be observed that the level of second language acquisition does not depend only on internal ability of the learner, but also the external interactions that have a major impact on the learner’s ability to learn. The major question explored in this chapter is the extent to which an individual uses his second language for cognitive thinking. It has been found from various

Human Resource Case Studies Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Human Resource Studies - Case Study Example The act requires an individual to perform his or her job satisfactorily, and Zimpfer was an employee for over 16 years. 2. In the same year that Zimpfer was rejected, Palm Beach County filled only 4 percent of managerial positions with persons over 55 years of age and only 16 percent with persons over 39. Do these data indicate illegal discrimination using disparate impact theory? Should Zimpfer’s lawyer use disparate impact theory for his claim of age discrimination? The disparate impact guards against employment practices that can be considered illegal and discriminatory to members of a minority group. The employment practices may not be discriminatory on its face, but has discriminatory effects or application (Bernardin and Russell, 2013). In the above case, 84 percent of the employees are below 49 years of age. This makes the employees over 39 years a minority group. This data can serve as an indication of discrimination of a minority group on the basis of age. Zimpferâ₠¬â„¢s lawyers can use disparate impact theory as a claim for his employment due to age discrimination. The hiring of only 16 percent employees over 39 years shows the management was discriminative towards older people. This can be used to explain why Brad was hired instead of Zimpfer. Goebel et al. v. Frank Clothiers 3. Were Mr. Goebel and other African-American applicants victims of racial discrimination because of the hiring policies of Frank Clothiers? Is there evidence of disparate impact against African Americans in the decisions that were made? On what basis did you arrive at this position? (Be explicit and show your math.) The company hired 10 African-Americans for the managerial vacancies, which was about 62 percent of the hired employees. The case was filed because 26 African-Americans out of 51 applicants failed the intelligence test and could not be given an interview. The company employed 38 percent whites out of the 16 applicants who qualified for the job. Therefore, th e African-Americans were not victims of racial discrimination since the results of the intelligence test were used to choose those who would attend the interviews. The Africans had the constituted the highest number of those employed, which indicates that they were not discriminated against. Disparate action affects employees who are discriminated against because they are a minority group. In this case, there is no evidence of disparate impact since the company did not discriminate against the African-Americans. 4. Gordon Howe, a Caucasian male, scored 48 on the WPT and was interviewed but not hired. Does Mr. Howe have a possible Title VII lawsuit? What additional data are relevant to this question? Can â€Å"disparate impact† theory be used in cases involving subjective selection processes like interviews? Title VII protects against discrimination of employees on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, or nationality. Howe can use Title VII in a lawsuit because he is a Cauc asian looking for employment in America. The employer might have discriminated against him due to his race and settled for another employee. The disparate impact guards against discriminatory acts towards a minority group. Caucasians are minorities in America and Howe could have been discriminated against since he was Caucasian (Bernardin and Russell, 2013). Jones v. Purple Cabs (Reverse Discrimination or Legal Affirmative Action?) 5. What

Global Hybrid Electric Vehicle Market Essay Example for Free

Global Hybrid Electric Vehicle Market Essay A hybrid electric vehicle combines two energy sources, one of which is mechanical (ICE) and the other electrical. The size of the gasoline engine in a hybrid electric vehicle is smaller than that in a traditional vehicle. The combination of the two power sources helps to achieve better fuel economy and performance. Hybrid electric vehicles use efficient technologies such as regenerative braking that charges the battery by converting kinetic energy into electric energy. Many hybrid electric vehicles have start-stop systems that shut down the ICE when idle and restart it when needed, thereby reducing idle emissions. Covered in this Report This report covers the present scenario and the growth prospects of the Global Hybrid Electric Vehicle market for the period 2014-2018. To calculate market size, the report considers the unit shipments of the following types of hybrid electric vehicles in the market: †¢HYBRID ELECTRIC CARS †¢HYBRID ELECTRIC TRUCKS †¢OTHER HYBRID ELECTRIC VEHICLES Key Regions †¢JAPAN. †¢NORTH AMERICA †¢EUROPE †¢CHINA †¢ROW Key Vendors †¢FORD MOTOR CO. †¢HONDA MOTOR CO. LTD. †¢HYUNDAI MOTOR CO. †¢TOYOTA MOTOR CORP. †¢VOLKSWAGEN AG Other Prominent Vendors †¢NISSAN MOTORS †¢GENERAL MOTORS †¢DAIMLER †¢VOLVO GROUP Key Market Driver †¢INCREASED POPULARITY OF ELECTRIC VEHICLES †¢FOR A FULL, DETAILED LIST, VIEW OUR REPORT. Key Market Challenge †¢HIGH COST OF HYBRID ELECTRIC VEHICLES †¢FOR A FULL, DETAILED LIST, VIEW OUR REPORT. Key Market Trend †¢INCREASE IN RD INNOVATIONS †¢FOR A FULL, DETAILED LIST, VIEW OUR REPORT. Key Questions Answered in this Report †¢What will the market size be in 2018 and what will the growth rate be? †¢What are the key market trends? †¢What is driving this market? †¢What are the challenges to market growth? †¢Who are the key vendors in this market space? †¢What are the market opportunities and threats faced by the key vendors? †¢What are the strengths and weaknesses of the key vendors? For more insights, view our Global Hybrid Electric Vehicle Market 2014-2018 report.

George Orwells Nineteen Eighty-Four 1984 :: essays research papers fc

1984 is a political parable. While Brave New World describes a future of everyone getting exactly what they want, George Orwell takes this in the opposite direction with a description of how the world most likely will be: mindless, loveless, unfeeling followers of nothing. The first paragraph of the story already foreshadows of what is to come with a description of Victory Mansions, the home of Winston Smith, the protagonist of this story. It tells of the â€Å"swirl of gritty dust†¦ The hallway smelt of boiled cabbage and old rag mats.† Even the names of places are depressing. He lives in the province of Airstrip One, the city of London, and in the country of Oceania. The other two countries are Eastasia and Eurasia. Big Brother, a fictional or real person—no one really knows—is the leader of this miserable system of Ingsoc—English Socialism, that is. No one is allowed to hold ideas different from those of the official propaganda outlet: Minitruth. T o enforce these laws, Big Brother uses many means, the first and foremost of these being the Thought Police, a corps of law officers who monitor the populace through undercover agents, infinite amounts of surveillance cameras and hidden microphones, and a two-way television screen that can be turned down, but never off. A new language is also being introduced to retard thought: Newspeak. This new English dialect uses shortened and compacted forms of modern day words that subconsciously facilitate the assimilation of misinformation through the omission of instances such as â€Å"science†, â€Å"freedom†, and â€Å"religion.† This, obviously, is a very bleak existence, and Winston, the oddball out, realizes it. Two characters besides Winston are brought into the plot. O’Brian is an extremely famous party member who Winston suspects is really a traitor member of the underground â€Å"The Brotherhood† led by the ex-Party member Goldstein. The other is a young girl, Julia, who he hates for her commitment to an Anti-sex league, and suspects of spying on him. And so, depressed, lonely, and ever conscious of the Party’s Minitruth slogan, â€Å"Who controls the past, controls the future: who controls the present controls the past,† he begins to search for the truth of the past, the rise to power of the current system, and, overall, the truth of his existence. The plot develops as he finds Julia is actually in love with him, and O’Brian seems to be making overtures to Winston on the subject of The Brotherhood.

Intro to Evidence Based Practice Nursing

Research is:Formal, rigorous process to discover new knowledge or validate/refine existing knowledge Gathering of data, information, and facts for the advancement of knowledge Type of systematic activity (set of planned activities)Systematic process of investigation Formalized method(s) of obtaining information (data/knowledge) Nursing research is a systematic inquiry designed to develop new knowledge or validate/refine existing knowledge about issues related to nursing (e.g., provision of patient care; administration of nursing and health care services)Nursing Science: Body of knowledge unique to the discipline of nursingScientific method is an approach to gaining new knowledge from a systematic collection of empirical dataWhat is the importance of research in nursing?Nurses are responsible for assuming an active role in developing the body of nursing knowledge Nurses are expected to adopt an evidence-based practice (EPB) – defined as the use of best clinical evidence in maki ng patient care decisions EBP is EVERY nurse’s responsibility, whether you are a user (consumer) of nursing research by reading research reports to keep up-to-date or a nurse who designs and conducts researchEvidence Based PracticeEBP is a problem solving approach to clinical practice that integrates the conscientious use of best evidence in combination with a clinician’s expertise as well as patient preferences and values to make decisions about  the type of care that is provided. Resources must be considered in the decision-making process as well. Significance of EBPCollection, interpretation, and integration of valid, important, and applicable patient reported and research derived evidence Knowledge obtained from research evidence is transformed into clinical practice, culminating in nursing practice that it evidence-based Allows nurses to use the best research evidence in making clinical decisionsChapter Two – Fain TextbookResearch Process Selecting/ defin ing the problem Must be significant to nursing Add to body of existing knowledge Problem areas from practice Review of literature provides background, rationale, and justification for study Develop research questions/hypotheses Selecting a research design Overall plan or structure for planning to answer research questions and/or test hypotheses Identify methods for selecting the sample, testing, and measurement Methods Data collection Organizing data for analysis Data Analysis Analyzing and interpreting results; arriving at conclusion Utilizing the Research Sharing the findings with colleaguesTypes of researchQualitative data:information collected in a narrative form such as transcript of an unstructured interviewQuantitative data:organization and interpretation of narrative data with purpose of discovering important underlying themes, categories, patterns and relationships

Denying human rights the immorality of abortion Essay

Abortion Imagine being ripped away from a chance at life, without even a choice. Abortion brings this awful thought to reality. Abortion disregards fetuses’ human rights to survive, for many different reasons. Abortion is a controversial topic that is debated by many across the United States. Abortion is wrong and should not be practiced in any circumstance, as it is taking away an innocent and helpless life. Abortion is immoral because of the late-term method and dejection of human rights and is a controversial topic conveyed in many different ways by the media. Late-term abortion is aborting a fetus at 20-24 weeks. â€Å"In 1992, Martin Haskell, MD† explained at a convention that â€Å"he â€Å"routinely† used to kill unborn children† (Wills 1).   He called this method of abortion â€Å"D&X†.   Partial-birth abortion is when the skull is crushed after exiting the uterus and the brain is vacuumed out. As violent as that sounds, many judges defend this method of abortion. An argument made is that it is just as gruesome as aborting in the second trimester, saying there is no moral difference between the two. Late-term abortions are â€Å"banned in 30 states†, and that should be enough to prove it is immoral to murder a fetus at childbirth (Wills 4). It was not the American public choice to permit these late abortions, but it is â€Å"the Supreme Court† and the unjust decision that there is â€Å"an arbitrary line between human life and (merely) â€Å"potential† life at the birth canal† (Wills 2). This court decision states that a â€Å"potential† life is not as important as an actual human life, and late-term abortion is permissible because the babies are not considered a human while inside the mother. If this were true, the baby would be a human life once exiting the birth canal. This states the decisions are unjust because the baby is no longer a â€Å"potential† life. Humans are born with basic human rights. Some might say a woman has the right to choose abortion, regardless of the reason.   A common argument pertaining to abortion is if the fetus has basic rights before actual childbirth. It is a choice for the mother to become sexually active in the first place, and a child should not have to pay for the mother’s mistake. In terms of rape cases, adoption allows the best option for both the mother and the baby. A philosopher, Judith Thomson, explains a â€Å"violinist† scenario to justify rape. She states that a woman wakes up strapped to a violinist, who is unconscious. The only way to detach herself is to kill him or wait 9 months and they will both live. Thomson is using the scenario to explain why abortion is permitted during rape cases. The fetus was not invited into the body, therefore was not wanted and can be aborted. She states the only type of immoral abortion is if you were planning on having a child when conceiving. Th is argument would not make sense, because the child would only be able to have rights if invited into the body, and the child cannot control the mother’s actions. A common reason for abortions is the burden a baby would have on a job or someone’s education. â€Å"While pregnancy is a temporary condition, abortion produces a permanent condition- the death of a child.† (Thompson 2).   Restraining from practicing abortions does not devalue the mother, but simply acknowledges a baby’s rights to be more important than pregnancy. A big influence on abortion is the media’s views on the procedure. Many celebrities, politicians, philosophers, and more have stated their views and reasons on why they support or disagree with abortion. A wide-known example of a supporter of late-term abortion is President Barack Obama. Obama has often stated his thoughts on abortion many times during campaigns. â€Å"President Barack Obama’s reelection campaign counterattacked, releasing a television advertisement in which a woman says that it is â€Å"a scary time to be a woman† because Mitt Romney has said he supports outlawing abortion.† (Singer 1). It is common for Republicans to be for the outlaw of abortion, and Democrats to support abortion. Hillary Clinton is for abortions, and even partial-birth abortions and that became a huge part of her campaign.   Whereas on the other side of things president-elect Donald Trump was very strongly against it. Many philosophers state their arguments and reaso ns for their view on abortion. Peter Singer is for abortion, stating if abortion is outlawed it will increase the unsafe abortions people would seek out. Despite the illegal abortions, outlawing abortion would help show society how wrong it is, hence why it is outlawed. Abortion is immoral because it is denying the rights to a human, regardless of it being unborn. A fetus is still of the human species, making it a human itself, even at contraception. A potential child should not have to face death because it is not responsible for the mother’s actions. Each view on abortion has many in-depth arguments, each providing viable points as to why or why not it should be allowed. Abortion should not be practiced early in the pregnancy, or at childbirth. It is the murder of an innocent and defenseless victim.

AOL Goes Far East

AOL Goes Far East INTRODUCTIONQuantum computer service was founded the 24th of May 1985, in United States and was originally providing an online service, the "Q-Link" for one of the first computer: "The Commodore". In October 1989, AOL service launched for Macintosh and Apple II and in 1991 Quantum Computer services adopted a new name: America Online, Inc. Since then they managed to acquire other smaller online business such as ISQ or CompuServe. After four years of service in 1993, AOL was up to 500,000 members providing access to the internet, and offered access to its own online information and services which were aimed at the average American consumer.In 1999, year of the case, AOL service (one of their product) surpassed 20 million members other 9 countries and that was just at the beginning of the phenomenon of Internet. On their home market in 1999, AOL had 21,5% of the market share, but at the same time, on their new Japanese market where 33%of the population had a computer, they only had 3% o f the market share.â€Å"Sanno Park Tower†In 1997, year of the establishment of AOL in Japan, this country was the second most powerful economy in the world, with a GDP per capita of $28600. One reason of this poor market share might have been that American Online add entered this market a bit too late, at a time when Niftyserve, BigGlobe, DTI and other Japanese companies had already been in place for few years. An other fact is that in 1997 Japan was in a period of recession and consummation had slow down, compared to the year 1996.These facts and events are not the only cause of this poor 3% of the market share and bad decisions could be seen as an other cause. Was it a good choice to...

Nursing Manager Skill Inventory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Nursing Manager Skill Inventory - Essay Example My personal growth and development have always been my strongest points during my clinical experience and I would mention this as an expert practice. I am always in process of self-analysis and to work that out properly, I make strong plans for future and try my best to act upon them. To set high standards of ethical and moral behavior has always been my strength. I would rate myself as skillful and competent in the field of professional association involvement. Professional associations for networking and increasing social circle in my field for the better discussion on various topics in on top of my list and I strongly intend to apply that. I have certifications to prove this claim. Career Planning I have always tried my best to keep my professional work above everything else and that is why I am well equipped with tools and requirements that complete my professional abilities and I consider myself expert in this field. I have a strong and well-developed understanding of the professional demands that I have to cater in future I have strong and firm plans as for how I would achieve those goals. In spite of my strength goals, I would consider myself as a flexible person who is receptive to positive change. Personal Journey Disciplines Development of individual leadership qualities and strengthening them has always been a top priority for me in the field of nursing. I have strong leadership qualities and patients, as well as my fellow works, look up to me when they intend to take any suggestions. For me, action learning and reflective practice would be placed as competitive skill. I always work for achieving high ranks in any clinical setting I work in. Reflective Practice Reference Behaviors/Tenets I am not only well equipped with latest and current guidelines but I also put them in action and see their reflection in my professional ability. I always value integrity and truth in my profession and take it to highest possible levels. Diversity is a tool I am skillful at but I would regard myself a complete expert when it comes to holding multiple perspectives without biased opinion, in discovering potentials of life and keeping my commitments to myself. I do however get emotional with my patients and that at times e ffects my professional ability to stay focused. Current Leadership Skills as Method of Improvement I intend to use my leadership to improve workplace on individual and professional grounds for the whole team. I am always in search of knowledge that can help me understand new things so that I can work in a better manner for my patients. I also try to improve the workplace by mutual discussions and problem sharing with other colleagues. I always want to see a positive change in the workplace and I try my best in doing that too.  

Proper oils, proposals to improve in all the segments of their company Essay

Proper oils, proposals to improve in all the segments of their company - Essay Example Key Words Biodiesel, Cooking oil. Introduction A SWOT analysis of the company reveals crucial points regarding the company’s market position. The following is the detailed SWOT analysis. Strengths The company has increased in size which means stronger bargaining power over supplies. The company has employed a strong marketing campaign. The company has a motivated team that comprise of 6 people. The team provides reliable and professional service to the company. The company has also adopted a new database system that will be used to manage customer data. The company has also set to increase awareness through redesigning the company with brand and more involvement in the social media. This will create recognition for the company and its products (Kerin 2012).The company has also made liaison with a local company. This will facilitate exchange of ideas between the two companies. The company has set to increase the fleet of vehicles and hence improve delivery of raw materials and products to the market. Opportunities The world consumption of biodiesel is growing and hence this presents a perfect investment opportunity. According to a world report, this growth has been driven by government mandates, tax incentives and the need for energy independence (Fredrick 2012). Cooking oil consumption is also high. The new database system is set to significantly increase the number of customers. Redesigning and branding is set to win back old customers and improve services. The company is relatively new in the market hence it still have potential for growth as it is yet to maximize production. The company can be able to increase productivity through use of new vehicles. The company has the potential to grow through making acquisitions. Weaknesses The company has placed more focus on production of cooking oil at the expense of biodiesel. If the cooking oil products does not bring in the expected revenue the company may face financial difficulties. Brand failure is also a potential weakness for the company. For example, biodiesel produced by the company does not attract a profitable margin. Increase in price of the raw material is also a major challenge facing the company. The company is currently spending a lot on caterers for oil. Loss of customers is also a weakness for the company. There is lack of a reward system. This may make customers feel less valued (Subramanian & Sanjoy 2003). Security is also a major challenge. Threats Competition from other companies has been identified as a major threat facing the company. The local supply of biodiesel in the European market has tremendously grown. The industry is already suffering from overproduction (Thurmond 2008). There is lack of adequate finances to expand production and carry out promotions. The market for cooking fat is saturated by other brands from rival companies. Low margins from biodiesel sales are also a major threat facing the company. Production is also limited to the available used coo king oil that can be collected. A series of failed advertising attempts has also been a major threat. The company’s current situation may not be termed as severe. However, certain issues are eminent from the above analysis which may negatively affect the performance of the company. Key among these issues is the lack of a proper advertising mechanism that could see the company gain more customers. There is little communication between the customers and the company. This may not be effective in retaining customers and creating loyalty. The company is

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) Research Paper - 7

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) - Research Paper Example Evaluations used for quantitative risk assessment of Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons have not kept pace with the modern analytical methods hence ability of detection is not assured. Therefore, despite the fact that it’s possible to measure these compounds in seafood, there is no sufficient information on the level of toxicity of these compounds known, thus cannot be incorporated in human health risk assessment since there is uncertainty. On the other hand, larger variety of chemically replaced PAHs are naturally happening and may include health risks if human populaces are open to hazardous levels. Therefore as a result of this, future research efforts should aim at filling this toxicological gap, so that in this way, human health risk assessment of PAHs in food can be appropriately determined. This is necessary in the case of petroleum spills. (Simon, 2003) Benzo[a]pyrene(BaP) has been tested in a range of species, among the animals being rats, rabbits, guinea pigs and rhesus monkey. The effect on the animals from this laboratory testing was that, tumours have been observed in all the laboratory experiments carried out on the small animals. Thus the effect of BaP has been seen as carcinogenic, when administered by a variety of routes, including diet, inhalation and intravenous. The carcinogenicity of individual PAH and PAH- containing combinations in experimental animals has been done. This has been carried out with individual PAH in humans but with no virtual data existing. These have indicated increased incidences of cancer to human population exposed. This finding carried out indicating that a number of individual PAH are carcinogenic to experimental animals show potential carcinogenic to humans. (Overton, 2003) Toxicological effect is another outcome which is as a resulted after the experiment on the animals. Severe haematological effects have been detected in animals after oral exposure to high doses of PAHs. In vitro experiments have

Rent Controls In The Big Apple Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Rent Controls In The Big Apple - Essay Example There are different levels of control, however: pre-1947 buildings, rent stabilization buildings, and unregulated apartments. The one section of society that loses out in this arrangement is the poor. Sixty years after the temporary measure of rent constraints were introduced, the state government will discuss the state of this policy soon; it will likely be continued for the foreseeable future. There was, however, an attempt to rid the market of these price restraints back in 1997. A debate ensued between the Republican-dominated Senate and the Democrat-led assembly. The result of this argument was that a compromise was reached—23,000 renters were freed of rent constraints out of a group as large as one million. The â€Å"lucky† people who qualified for this arrangement had to be extremely wealthy—household incomes of more than $175,000 per year for a period of two years, or those renting apartments that cost more than $2,000 per month. The result of this decisi on was that the poor remained under strict price controls. One thing that was hidden in that agreement was that the next date to re-consider rent constraints would change to a year without elections, thus taking politics out of the decision as much as possible. Since 1997, New York’s politics and markets have changed to the extent that not too many people are likely to oppose rent constraints now. Most economic experts do not support rents constraints because it severely affects the supply and demand markets and results in unwanted side effects. Many landlords and tenants do not have the freedom to work out their own deals; they are locked into whatever agreement is decided by the law. One consequence of the ill-nature between landlords and tenants is that the law makes it virtually impossible for a landlord to evict a criminal. Henry Pollakowski, an economist at the MIT Center for Real Estate, says

Massimo Dutti Marketing Analysis

Massimo Dutti Marketing Analysis Massimo Dutti was founded in 1985 as a company whose main activity was the sale of fashionable mens clothing. Ten years later, the commercial format was bought by the Inditex Group (Industria de Diseà ±o Textil S.A.), one of the worlds largest fashion distributors, who owns brands like Bershka, Pull and Bear and Zara. The Inditex Group as a whole has more than 4,530 stores in 74 countries in Europe, the Americas, Asia and Africa. The group also partially and wholly owns more than a hundred companies related with the different activities in the business of textile and fashion design, manufacture and distribution. Its unique management model, based on innovation and flexibility, and its vision of fashion has resulted in fast international expansion and an excellent performance of all its commercial formats. Today, Massimo Dutti has more than 490 stores in 41 countries. The company entered UK in 2003 with its first store in London. The new megastore occupied three floors of a building placed in downtown Regent Street, which had more than 2,000 square meters of business area. Massimo Dutti offers quality international fashion design for men, women and children, with a variety of collections that range from sophisticated urban fashions to casual wear. Its universal design connects with independent urban men and women whose lifestyle portrays an impeccable image. During 2008 Massimo Dutti extended its assortment of complements and accessories to help customers find the small details that mark the difference in style and add the finishing touch to the desired look. Highlights in this product extension are the new line of eye and sunglasses, The Eyewear Collection, with more models for men and women, and the launch of a new womens perfume, En Esencia. The company also added the childrens line in 2008 which includes collections for boys and girls and was launched in Paris. During the same year, the chain entered six new countries: Poland, Romania, Czech Republic, Slovenia, Guatemala and Israel. It also continued its expansion in the Asian Pacific region, opening its second store in Hong Kong, in Harbour City, one of the citys main shopping areas. With this establishment, Massimo Dutti now has three stores in China, where it opened its first store in 2007 in Macao. In total they opened 44 new stores in 38 new countries to develop their international presence. (Appendix B.1, B.2, B.3) This report examines the environment in which the company is situated. The macro environment covers the trends in the changing environment and how they could potentially affect the Massimo Dutti supply chain. It also suggests various opportunities and threats that the company may have to face. The second section of the report analyses the various stakeholders i.e. the suppliers, consumers, competitors etc in under the micro environmental analysis. The third section of the report analyses the internal environment and includes the supply chain analysis, the marketing resources, financial resources and the human resources employed within the organisation. The report concludes by suggesting a strategic direction the company should take in order to reach its full potential. Macro Environment Analysis Massimo Dutti being a global organisation is affected by a number of macro environmental factors. These factors are the basis on which a company develops its understanding of the markets, business position and the strategic direction for its operations. In recent years the macro environment has been increasingly being put into consideration because of higher marker volatility, the global slowdown and the economic recession. These factors not only pose a great threat to businesses but can also create many opportunities which a company can identify and take advantage of. For instance, if a business is able to assess its current environment and predict potential changes, it will be better placed in its marketplace than its competitors to respond to changes in the environment. Thus understanding and operating with the macro environment i.e. the external environment in which the business operates, is increasingly becoming the key to organisational success as it can help to maximise opportunities and minimise threats which the organisation faces. In other words a macro environment scanning can help us to identify various opportunities and threats in the organisation. There are a number of macro environmental factors which affect the UK clothing retail market. These factors are known as the PEST factors or the political, economic, social and technological factors which help the scanning of the environment. (Appendix A.1) (P)olitical Environment The clothing retail sector in the UK has seen a number of changes in their political environment in recent years. The first change is the recent expansion of the EU territory which has facilitated import and export amongst various countries within the EU. As a result of this trade between these countries legal agreements and setting up new operations and stores has become more attractive than ever. For Massimo Dutti it translates to wider markets and a wider consumer base both within and outside the UK. This type of an impact is visible in a long term with a positive and increasing impact to the company. The second change is the change in interest rates and government taxation which is the result of the global economic recession. The government has implemented a range of measures to stabilise the financial markets and stimulate the economy including part-nationalisation of some banks, VAT cuts, and suspending public sector borrowing rules. Also In March 2009, the Bank of England cut interest rates to a record low of just 0.5% where they remain at the time of writing. The government also gave the go-ahead for the more drastic policy of quantitative easing in an effort to kick-start the economy. (Appendix A.2) The impact of this government policy has resulted in a higher degree of disposable income in the hands of the consumer and has thus facilitated the retail sector. On the other hand when interest rates eventually start to rise they could do so quite suddenly and sharply thereby increasing the risk of less spending on mid-market luxury retailers like Massimo Dutti. (Appendix A.3) (E)conomic Environment- Recession the UK Clothing Retail There have been numerous amounts of economic changes since 2007 which are the result of the global economic slowdown and the recession. Until recently the British economy was enjoying the longest period of growth and had outpaced most of the rest of Western Europe. But the global economic downturn, tight credit and falling house prices brought the UK into the recession in the back half of 2008. This economic downturn resulted in a change in the economic factors that affected the UK retail sector as a whole. The fashion industry in particular has been more vulnerable to such a downturn than other retail settings. Due to the recession the economy has shown frequent fluctuations in the currency rates. This change has affected the retailers as they have absorbed these fluctuations. This is because they are situated in a price-led market i.e. have to provide competitive prices in the market to survive further putting more pressure on their profit margins. Also due to the decrease in the disposable income of the consumers only the cheap fashion / fast-fashion sector has benefited. Companies like Pennys, Primark and TK max have recorded highest sales due to the recession. The implications of such a trend are that less money is spent on designer clothes as well as accessorises. Consumers may stop spending on high end luxury brand and accessories and go in for fast-fashion clothing thereby posing a risk to Massimo Dutti. It can also be noted that spending on clothing has reduced than compared to other spending sectors. The global economic slowdown has impacted heavily on clothing retailers as it has hit consumers willingness and ability to spend on discretionary items. Thus companies like Massimo Dutti may face a slowdown in sales volumes. Unemployment has climbed consistently since mid-2008, reaching 7.8% by Q2 2009 and it could rise to over 10% in 2010. Youth unemployment (18-24-year-olds) exceeded 17% by the second quarter of 2009 and in the short term will continue trending upwards. This impacts heavily the purchasing power of those concerned and hence reducing an important market segment for mid-market luxury retailers. (Appendix A.2, A.4) (S)ocial Environment- The Changing Demographics The social environment relates to consumer attitudes and opinions towards different product types and brands in the marketplace. It also relates to changes in consumer behaviour and their demographics i.e. age, sex, gender, family size etc. Changes in social trends can impact on the demand for a firms products and the availability and willingness of individuals to work. Thus it is very important for the firm to identify these factors and translate them into opportunities and get rid of all potential threats. A large number of consumers have changed the way they shop for clothes and in the main those changes involve cutting back in some way by spending less, by mostly buying discounted lines, or by buying from value retailers or less expensive shops. According to a research by Mintel over one in four people have not changed their shopping habits for clothes since the recession started but many consumers have, and the most significant changes are all savings-related i.e. spending less, shopping around more, not buying at full price, buying more from value or less expensive retailers. (Appendix A.5) This cutting back on expenditure by the consumer means that they wish to spend more on value retailers rather than mid-market luxury retailers. According to Mintel the mid-market segment has also squeezed as a result of a price-led consumer market. For instance mid-market players like like-for-like and Dorothy Perkins have gone down in sales. Like-for-like traded down 2.4% in the Q1 of year 2009-10 and Dorothy Perkins was still heavy with summer markdowns when rivals were relatively clean with new autumn ranges. Gaps international quarterly sales to August 2009 dropped by 5% which is an important competitor for Massimo Dutti. Other mid-market players like HM and MS have traded up as they are price-led retailers. (Appendix A.6) On the other hand high-end designer buyers tend to buy more from the mid-market than from the upmarket high street retailers as a result of the ongoing recession. This is because of lack of particular brand loyalty, financial inability to buy everything from designer brands and the tendency of buying basics (i.e. T-shirts, jeans etc) from the mid-market retailers. (Appendix A.9) Another trend in change is that the 25-54s have traded down the most amongst all other consumer age groups. This age band has been among the worst hit by the recession because of their larger financial commitments. This age group is the main target market for Massimo Dutti and hence affect the company sales the most. (Appendix A.7) Because of a combination of various above discussed factors customers are much more likely to now buy more from familiar brands/shops they trust. (Appendix A.8) (T)echnological Environment The technological environment consists of changes in technology related to the manufacture, sourcing, distribution or sales of a various components of products in that industry. A change in technology for various processes in the industry sometimes creates barriers to entry and also leads to innovation. Thus it is very important for firms to adapt to the changing trends of technology. Online fashion has become significantly more popular as choices have improved. These days many consumers prefer to shop online as it not only saves time but also offers a full view of the collection at a single click. Fashion sites are also engaging more effectively with the customers through; better product imagery, establishing online communities; utilising user generated content, introducing virtual changing rooms etc. These types of innovations help the consumers to establish a better three dimensional understanding of the products they want to buy and hence provide a better opportunity for the marketers to capture the consumer. (Appendix A.10) Another trend is M-commerce. It is a potential source of growth for the future, particularly among the young a key demographic for fashion. But it will depend on more retailers launching mobile applications and on consumer ownership of smart phones. (Appendix A.10) Other Factors There are some other factors other than political, social, economic and technological factors that affect the UK clothing retail market. One of them is the environmental concerns facing the fashion industry today. Many environmentalists have raised objections against fast-fashion goods as they not only end up in landfills faster than usual but also because of the time, effort and resources utilized in their production. According to a research it shows that on average in the UK 30kgs of clothes per person are dumped into landfills as a result of the fast-fashion. It accounts for about 1,000kg of CO2 a year roughly half that emitted by a small diesel car. Each year the average person in the UK spends about  £650 on 50 or so items of clothing and accounts for a large part of our carbon footprint. When they are manufactured, when they are transported, when they are washed and even when they are thrown away, clothes are responsible for significant greenhouse gas emissions. 90% of the c lothes people buy in the UK are transported from abroad, mainly from China, India and Bangladesh and it only adds to the environmental impact of clothing. Also, working in the textiles industry often means long hours, low pay, poor safety records and the use of child labour. This it raises environmental and ethical concerns (Appendix A.11). It raises concerns for the Inditex group as a whole as their prime focus recently has been the introduction of fast-fashion products into the markets through their various brands. Massimo Dutti Opportunities With the help of the macro environmental analysis opportunities of the company can be identified. These opportunities can be maximised so the company can be placed ahead of its competitors in the market. These opportunities are: As a result of the EU territory expansion Massimo Dutti is able to reach wider markets both within and outside the UK increasing the scope of operations in the company. It also means that it is easier to source materials from the partner countries, which is an important aspect of Massimo Duttis business strategy. The stimuli provided by the government in 2009 as a result of the economic recession have helped the people to overcome the problems of disposable income and hence has boosted the retail sector. However the impact is very long term and takes time to show signs of recovery. Shoppers of high-end designer clothes tend to buy more from the mid-market than from the upmarket high street retailers as a result of the ongoing recession. This has helped retailers like Massimo Dutti to capture new demographics. As a result of the rising concerns over the recession people have started spending lesser and lesser on clothes but have started to spend more on accessories which help them to look different with the same amount of clothes. Massimo Dutti thus has a competitive advantage because of their recent launch of men and women accessories as an addition to its prior range. Online shopping is one of the recent emerging trends in the fashion industry. This opens up markets for consumers who previously were unable to shop at specific stores. This also reduces the need for a physical location of its stores. This provides a huge opportunity for mid-market retailers whose sales can be boosted in the presence of online sales. M-commerce is another technological factor affecting the industry. It can tap the key demographic i.e. 25-50 year olds and therefore has a great potential for companies like Massimo Dutti whose main target market is this demographic. Massimo Dutti Threats Due to the Economic recession and currency rate fluctuation it has been difficult for retailers to keep up with a price-led market. This impacts the already low profit margins thereby posing a threat to the retailers. As a result of the decreasing disposable income mid-market brands have suffered because people have shifted from them to fast-fashion cheap retailers who provide fashion clothes at a cheaper price. Another trend in change that has impacted Massimo Dutti is that the 25-54s have traded down the most amongst all other consumer age groups. Being the key demographic of the company it has affected sales and may continue to do so in the future. As many environmentalists have raised objections against fast-fashion it poses a threat for companies like Inditex (Massimo Dutti) as their core business model revolves around the concept of fast-fashion goods. Micro Environmental Analysis The micro environmental factors are those which are related with the firms immediate area of operation that affects the performance and decision making in that organisation. These factors also affect the overall costs of the organisation; the quality of products supplied and directly contributes to organisational success. There are 3 major stakeholder groups which affect these factors. These are the suppliers, consumers and the competitors. The Suppliers There are a number of ways in which the suppliers affect the performance of a firm. These may be related to the quality the supplier provides, the quantities that can be sourced from the suppliers, lead-time demands of the market or the ethical and environmental concerns followed by the suppliers. All these factors are responsible for having the right product at the right time to satisfy the demands of a firms consumer. Based on these factors firms must decide on issues such as who to source from, responsibility it takes for these suppliers and on the terms and conditions it adopts. Inditex has over 1,186 suppliers around the globe making it vulnerable to many factors. One of the most important trends in change is the adaptive process of suppliers to operate in low cost regions. This is because the textile industry inherently is a labour intensive industry and hence was the first to move to low labour cost regions. Five years ago, China was the only source for low cost products but now Vietnam is competing against inland China and parts of India for that same position. This is because of the increased internationalisation of the clothing companies in Europe in the past decade. As buyers are forced to spread their volumes across different regions, these regions or countries enter into competition with one another. This led to the creation of special economic zones in many countries, mostly with cheap labour. Besides cheap labour and resources these zones have no other connections to the local economy. On the other hand they are directly influenced by the high deg ree of fluctuations caused due to favourable or unfavourable conditions in foreign markets. China is one of the key suppliers to the European apparel industry but is less competitive than eastern European countries because of added logistics costs. (Appendix B.4, B.5) Another factor that has affected the suppliers is the requirement of buyers for environmental compliance and labour standards. Recently the government has launched a campaign to tackle the environmental and social impact of the fast fashion culture. As a result of this many retailers have introduced changes in their supplier regulations. For example Marks and Spencer, Tesco and Sainsburys have pledged to increase their ranges of Fair-trade and organic clothing, and support fabrics which can be recycled more easily. Also Tesco is banning cotton from countries known to use child labour. All these changes in the buying behaviour of the retailers have forced suppliers to follow stricter guidelines on environmental and ethical issues. (Appendix B.6) The Consumers The customers are a key to sales of all retail formats. An organisation must monitor its consumers and the trends in change that affect the consumers. By gathering data on shopping patterns of the consumers the retailers can identify possible changes required to the marketing strategy. It can be in the form of a changed target market, the change in distribution channels or by responding to the new product or pricing needs of the consumers. The target market for Massimo Dutti is women of 25-45 years old and men of 25-50 years old catering to the upper middle and upper socio economic class and upper middle cultural interests. The customer plays an active role in the Inditex business model. At Inditex production activity begins once customers demand reactions have been analysed. Unlike the traditional fashion company business model which started at the designers drawing table, Inditex activities starts by assessing the customers demands and continues to the store. The economic downturn is helping to boost sales of value clothing retailers. Consumers have been forced to cut back on other categories of spending like holidays abroad and restaurant meals. But consumer research shows that clothing is to be the most vulnerable area of spend amongst adults who have been forced to cut back their expenditure due to the recession, although value clothing appears to be one area of clothing expenditure that is responding positively to the trend. In response to economic worries, consumers are saving more and they appear to be trading down on clothing as a consequence. Specialist fashion discounters or value clothing retailers (led by Primark, TK Maxx and Matalan) are the main beneficiaries of the strong growth in value clothing sales, and have seen their sales rise by 7% to  £5 billion in 2009. (Appendix B.7, B.8) The GfK NOP consumer confidence index, published on 31st March 2010, showed that overall UK consumer confidence fell to -15 in March, from -14 in February. The 2,000 adults interviewed by GfK NOP also took a more negative view of the overall economic situation over next 12 months. The index also indicated that consumers are becoming more cautious about of their own personal financial situation. (Appendix B.9) The Competitors Another important factor which affects the micro-environment of an organisation is its competitors. The success and behaviour of any business will depend on the degree of competition in its market. In the case of fashion retail market the competition is intense because of a large number of players in the market. This puts a downward pressure on the price of the product offerings. Thus it is very important for a organisation to identify and monitor its competitors in order to obtain a competitive advantage. The major competitors to Massimo Dutti as a brand are Gap, Banana Republic, Mango and HM (Hennes Mauritz). Gap Banana Republic (Gap Inc.) Gap Inc. is a clothing retailer from the US that has expanded into Europe via operations in the UK, France and Ireland. Clean, classic, American designs are the words on which the brand was founded and the current offer continues to reflect these values. The commercial formats at Gap Inc. include Gap, Gap Kids, baby Gap, Gap Maternity and Gap body under the brand name Gap. Other brands which do not include the brand name Gap are Banana Republic and Old navy. Gap and Banana Republic have 140 stores in the UK. As a result of the tough trading conditions in all its markets, Gap saw the sales decline by 12% in 2008. However, Gap maintains a mid-market stance and as a result has looked to more muted colours in the current recessionary climate as consumers seek items that will last longer. In August 2009 the company also ventured into the UK e-commerce arena, announcing the availability of Gap branded items on the ASOS website. (Appendix B.10, B.11) Mango Mango is one of Spain largest clothing specialists and has also built up a sizeable international business in Europe, Asia and the Americas. Mango predominantly targets women aged 18 to 30 with a fashionable and sophisticated offer. Mango designs, manufactures and markets womens and mens clothing and accessories. Mango currently has a total of 1,220 stores in 91 countries worldwide. In the UK it operates 42 outlets which are mostly franchised. Mango follows the same multi-brand strategy as of Inditex. Mango has admitted that the global recession has led to a decline in the sales volume in early 2009 in markets such as Spain, Ireland, the UK and Russia. Consumers have been cutting back on their spending, particularly on discretionary items such as clothing. In reaction Mango has launched Think Up, an affordable sub-range for the weaker consumer climate. Recently, the group has expanded into menswear and has also hinted that it may launch a chain that targets younger shoppers. (Appendi x B.12, B.13)