Is there a god? Essay

The justification for the belief in the existence of God has historically evaded the scope of empirical verification. However, extraordinary historic events and profound cultural and political evolutions have taken place due to the influence of religious beliefs. Additionally, religious belief has impacted matters of social justice, economic parity, and moral and ethical beliefs all around the world. Whether or not the existence of a God (or Gods) can be established by modern scientific investigation seems irrelevant to the course of human events, many of which are propelled by religious convictions. Despite the native reluctance and technical inability of contemporary scientists to corroborate the existence of God, philosophical arguments based on psuedo-scientific criteria are numerous; most of these empirical arguments are based in one form or another around the idea-structure of Swinburne’s famous treatise â€Å"Is There a God?,† which purports to prove by rational hypothesis and logic that God exists. Foremost among Swinburne’s arguments is that the natural order of the universe demonstrates intelligent design: â€Å"†It is extraordinary that there should exist anything at all[†¦ ] And so many things. Maybe chance could have thrown up the odd electron. BUT so many particles! [†¦ ] If we can explain the many bits of the universe by one simple being which keeps them in existence, we should do so–even if inevitably we cannot explain the existence of that simple being. † (Swinburne, 1996, p. 48-49) Swinburne’s argument is steeped in formal logic and rhetoric, yet the underlying principles are relatively simple. The idea that the existence of a complex universe which is well-suited to human experience postulates an intelligent creator for both things: the universe and humanity, is based less in rationality than in the emotion of astonished wonder. In other words, because Swinburne finds the universe to be a marvel of curiosities and interestingly designed elements and phenomena does not indicate that the universe is experienced this away by a majority of human beings or in any way that the experience Swinburne records indicates the existence of a God. Basically, the argument for intelligent design is based on analogy: the universe is well-designed as a human made artifact might be well-designed, therefore, the universe must have an intelligent designer. Nonetheless, this â€Å"teleological argument† which is normally â€Å"construed as an argument from analogy: Since the universe is analogous to some human artifact that one knows to be designed, probably the universe itself is designed† breaks down when examined closely. Although Hume and others have described the universe as a â€Å"watch† and argued that † just as we can infer that a watch found on a heath has a designer, so we can infer that the universe has a designer† (Martin, 1990, p. 125) the analogy is specious when taken to its logical conclusions. For example, if the analogy were carried to its logical extreme, one would end up with conclusions not acceptable to the theist. Because â€Å"machines are usually made by many intelligent beings; [†¦ ] some form of polytheism rather than monotheism would be warranted by the argument† as well as the fact that â€Å"the beings who create machines have bodies, so God must have a body. If machines have imperfections, we have grounds for supposing that the creators are not perfect. So since the universe has imperfections, one should conclude that God is not perfect. † (Martin, 1990, p. 127) These analogous conclusion run contrary to demonstrating the existence of God insofar as Swinburne intended his analogy to function. In fact, the deeper one takes the analogy, the closer one comes to the opposite conclusion: that no monotheistic God at all exists. Another of the assertions made by religious pragmatists is that not only the existence of a universe, but the existence of an orderly universe with a complex (and generally hierarchical) system of phenomena, demonstrates the existence of God. Again, because an orderly world is both functional and to some degree pleasurable (according to Swinburne) there must be an intelligence behind the design of the universe. And merely an intelligent designer but an omnipotent creator, who â€Å"is able to produce a world orderly in these respects. And he has good reason to choose to do so: a world containing human persons is a good thing. Persons have experiences, and thoughts, and can make choices, and their choices can make big differences to themselves, to others, and to the inanimate world. God, being perfectly good, is generous He wants to share. † (Swinburne, 1996, p. 52) This latter postulation seems completely out of order in a rational and â€Å"scientific† discussion, but as this discussion will later show, the emotionality of belief is an aspect of religious conviction which enters into not only the so-called logical argument on behalf of their faith, but as the primary emotional and psychological connection with the God or Gods which are believed in by religious devotees. Again, like Swinburne’s assertion that the mere existence of the universe indicates a designer, his likewise analogy that the universe, being â€Å"well-ordered† indicates intelligent design, is easily refuted simply by examining Swinburne’s analogy itself closely. If the universe is wonderfully complex and apparently designed to fulfill humanity’s needs and expectations, modern science accepts the possibility of multi-universes, most of which cannot be meaningfully detected by mankind: â€Å"Although it may be true that the universe is unique, there is no reason to suppose, in the light of our present evidence, that this is relevant in judging whether it is created or not. We have no reason to suppose it cannot be judged by the same criteria we use to judge whether planets, rocks, and gismos are created[†¦] it may be urged that as our technology advances, we may be able to create objects that resemble more and more the natural objects we find in the universe. † (Martin, 1990, p. 332) Obviously, the projected future of science could be extend logically to include the technology which could create geological elements, in fact planets themselves, which would demonstrate not the intelligent design of a God but the intelligent design of mankind, which is among the animal orders. That last assertion is something that Swinburne objects to with great fervor: â€Å"At some time in evolutionary history bodies of complex animals become connected to souls, and this, I shall be arguing, is something utterly beyond the power of science to â€Å"explain. But theism can explain this–for God has the power and reason to join souls to bodies. † (Swinburne, 1996, p. 69-70) Of course, science has no power to â€Å"explain† mystical or supernatural phenomena. The lack of scientific inquiry into these ares comprises another, more dramatically contemporary, argument for the existence of Gid. This argument posits the idea that since science and scientists are reluctant to investigate mystical and supernatural phenomena, proof of the existence of God has evaded science because the proof for God’s existence resides in the supernatural sphere. Those who argue along these lines contend that â€Å"Scientific practice is often contrasted with religious belief in that the former is supposed to be open-minded whereas the latter is said to be close-minded and hence closer to ideology† and these same observers resent being categorized as â€Å"close-minded† instead positing that science is, in fact,narrow-minded for not taking into account the supernatural. (Van Heerden, 2004) Investigation of the supernatural does, in fact, seem to be outside of the preferred scope of scientific investigation, although some noteworthy efforts have been made. In 1882 â€Å"a group of eminent scholars from the humanities and the sciences[†¦ ]founded the Society for Psychical Research, with the stated purpose of investigating so-called ‘paranormal’ phenomena in a scientific manner† but this gesture seems to have been more or less forgotten in contemporary science. The prevailing â€Å"disdain amongst certain scientific atheists regarding religious belief, and their rejection of religion is based not on sound physical/material evidence but on existing prejudices. There is no existing evidence that disproves the existence of a supernatural agent or agents; or which proves conclusively that other mechanisms/agencies are not at work alongside (or working through) ones already identified and canonized in orthodox science† (Van Heerden, 2004) Van Heerden’s argument is one of the most compelling arguments that theists have at their disposal. It must be remembered, though, that this contention is one of distinguishing a lack of evidence which would prove the existence of God; it is not a conformation that such evidence is there to be collected, merely a positing of an area which has not been thoroughly exhausted in the search for possible evidence. Such arguments are, in fact, the province of mysticism rather than science and seem to be an acknowledgment that science cannot â€Å"fulfil this purpose because it extends alienation in the world by driving subject and object ever further apart in its reductive thinking. Mysticism, at the other end of the spectrum, claims the complete elimination of alienation; ; but again this contention has nothing whatsoever to do with establishing evidence for the existence of God; rather it is an emotional appeal, based in human psychology rather than in empirical, objective evidence. (Van Heerden, 2004) In fact, the psychological and hence subjective connection to the idea of a God or Gods is what drives the conviction many believers profess to having in the existence of God. A survey of theists revealed a personal, subjective, rather than empirically phenomenal, vision of God among respondents. Such a distinction from empirical evidence is important because it indicates that even among strong believers, God is viewed more as an internal psychological component rather than an external force which exudes omnipotent power over the created universe: â€Å"God is valued as an end in Himself rather than as a means to other ends. Most people want God for the same reason for which they want friends, and His relation to them is exactly that of a very dear and very lovable and very sympathizing friend. † (Pratt, 1907, p. 264). Theists, as we have seen through our preceding discussion, typically move from an empirical or scientific mode of argument to an emotional mode of argument to a mystical mode of argument and finally to a moral or ethical mode of argument. This final mode is usually articulated, fundamentally, as ana indictment of human moral and ethical character. Without a God, it is posited, the moral and ethical systems of human society would crumble. Or conversely, since humanity is so innately sinful, elaborate ethical and moral systems as handed down from God must be used to restrain our worst tendencies. However, another vision fo a â€Å"Godless† world acn be equally demonstrated, due the lack of any evidence as God as an active force in the universe and not merely as a psychological quantity â€Å"the religious consciousness values God chiefly as a companion. The need of Him is a social need. Religious people would miss Him if they should lose their faith, just as they miss a dead friend† however, society would surely endure. (Pratt, 1907, p. 268) In fact, atheists envision a world which, would in some ways,. be superior to the theistically driven worlds which have inspired wars and intellectual conservatism. Should atheism become the dominant world-view, it is posited, then â€Å"one would anticipate vast changes in many areas. For example, there would probably be fewer wars and less violence than there is now[†¦ ]. The birth rate would also drop in many countries, since religious objections to contraception would no longer prevail[†¦ ]. Church and state would probably become separate in countries in which they have traditionally been interwoven[†¦] This in turn would bring about profound political changes. † But such changes are unlikely to happen in the near future because, despite the lack of any credible scientific or empirical evidence to demonstrate the existence of God, the psychological component of these belief-systems are so endemic and so influential in world-affairs that their functional repudiation, despite the ease with which it can be made from a scientific or philosophical angel, seems destined for a distant future. (Martin, 1990, p. 459) References Martin, M. (1990). Atheism: A Philosophical Justification. Philadelphia: Temple University Press. Pratt, J. B. (1907). The Psychology of Religious Belief. New York: Macmillan. Swinburne, R. (1996). Is There a God?. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Van Heerden, A. (2004, June). Why Atheism Is Unscientific. Contemporary Review, 284, 351+.

The internal stakeholders refer to the employees

The current business environment is characterized by a considerable level of competitive rivalry and as a result businesses have to constantly reengineer their internal operations in order to build and maintain a competitive advantage.In this respect, a business organization has three strategies at its disposal: differentiation, cost minimization and focus. However the effectiveness of these strategies depends on effective communications between the internal stakeholders and the external stakeholders.The internal stakeholders refer to the employees and the top management while the external stakeholders are the channel members such as the customers, the distribution intermediaries and the suppliers. The top management in a business organization has to coordinate between the different stakeholder groups in order to maximize operational efficiency.This is particularly relevant in the case of international business which is characterized by differing customer tastes and preferences acros s political boundaries. As a result, integrated marketing communications are the critical success factors in building and maintaining a competitive advantage.A business organization has three strategies at its disposal: differentiation, cost minimization and focus (cited in Chanaron & Jolly, 1999).In order to make these strategies effective, the management of a business organization has to conduct marketing programs on a periodic basis so that customer tastes and preferences can be tracked. For this reason, marketing is essential to improving business performance.In this respect, the high state of competitive rivalry means that achieving sustainability in competitive advantages is no longer simple. For this reason, organizational structures have to be maintained flexible (cited in Culpan, 1989).This allows the organization to adapt to changing circumstance in the market. However the management must have information about market dynamics in the first place. For this reason marketing metrics must be developed and according to these metrics performance measures must be developed.Marketing shapes consumer needs and wants through efficient application of the 4Ps of marketing. The four Ps are price, product, place and promotion (cited in Hitt, 2007). Marketing managers can make use of the 4 Ps to manipulate consumer needs and wants because consumers are not always aware of their own needs.Therefore it is left to the marketing manager to determine what needs are hidden and then to develop the products that would satisfy those needs (cited in Greenley, 1989). In this manner, the marketing manager creates both fresh needs and wants.For example, computer users did not know that they needed a graphical user interface until Microsoft introduced the concept (cited in Kotler & Armstrong, 2005). In this case the need was user-friendliness in operating computer applications. By identifying this need, Microsoft created Windows which created the consumer want. Consumers wanted Windows to satisfy their need for user-friendly computing experience.This example serves to illustrate that the marketing manager can certainly shape consumer needs and wants. He can do so by collecting information about the market and by forecasting future market demands based on this information.Collecting information about the market takes place through market research. This information enables the marketing manager to conduct market segmentation effectively. Market segmentation facilitates target marketing.The marketing manager shapes consumer needs and wants through the process of target marketing. The four Ps serve as the tools with which to conduct target marketing. In Microsoft’s example, the product was given the features of a graphical user interface in order to enhance user-friendliness of the product.The pricing method followed was the value-in-use pricing. Considerable expenditures were made in promotion in order to illustrate to the consumers how they could bene fit from using the product.Finally, place was attended to in the form of product bundling in which IBM personal computers were packaged with a version of Windows, thus facilitating product availability. The strategy at the heart of Windows’ campaign was product differentiation and through this strategy Microsoft shaped the needs and wants of the IT market.The marketing manager has to monitor the stage of the product lifecycle. He has to maintain the product in the growth stage because either in the maturity or the decline stage, the product will have to be discontinued (cited in Dess, 2007).However the threat of competitive rivalry means that the marketing manager will have to constantly introduce new features into the product in order to maintain it in the growth stage. In this respect, the marketing manager is shaping consumer needs and wants by differentiating product features in line with his reading of unstated needs in the market. However with effective market research, the market manager can also create wants unaccompanied by any needs.This is the phenomenon of consumerism which leads to purchases for the purpose of personal satisfaction and not to satisfy any actual needs (cited in Martin, 1985). Consumerism is an example of the way in which marketing shapes consumer needs and wants.Because of the high state of competitive rivalry, businesses must conduct the continuous improvement program. This means that managing change on a continuous basis becomes a critical success factor (cited in Zineldin, 2000).However, as mentioned before, the challenge in making change work is to maintain alignment with the strategic focus of the company. This alignment cannot be maintained unless employees are involved in the process.Most change management projects fail because of employee resistance (cited in Aaker, 2004). Employees are unwilling to give up traditional practices in which they had built up a considerable level of experience and expertise.For this reas on the top management must involve the employees when it comes to implementing change. However involvement of the employees must depend on external market conditions which will set the direction of change. In other words, the perspectives of learning and growth and internal business processes must be aligned to the customer perspective (cited in Bank, 1993). This illustrates the importance of marketing to the rest of the organization.Because of the fast change in the current business environment, businesses can no longer continue to conduct their operations as before. For this reason they need a forward-looking performance management system which creates an evolving framework of metrics for performance measurement. That is why the balanced scorecard is valuable management tool.However the effectiveness of this tool can only be maintained with marketing because marketing enables the management to assess the future direction of demand patterns according to which internal processes can be reengineered. Even though employees are the most important assets of an organization, they are only relevant to the extent that they are able to satisfy market needs. So marketing is critical to improving business performance.As mentioned before, the current business environment is characterized by a considerable level of competitive rivalry. This means that businesses have to constantly reengineer their internal operations in order to build and maintain a competitive advantage (cited in Grover & Kettinger, 2008). Therefore the process of managing change becomes a critical success factor.When it comes to managing change involving a techno-structural intervention, the strategic alignment process becomes relevant. This alignment process takes place between four areas: IT strategy, business strategy, organizational issues and information systems issues (cited in Stair & Reynolds, 2007). IT strategy is the process of selecting the best software and hardware platform while business s trategy refers to the financing strategy.Organizational issues refer to the employees’ skills sets while the information systems issues refer to the knowledge management system. In this respect, the alignment process cannot be achieved effectively unless there is an efficient and effective communications structure.Employees are the most important assets of an organization and therefore the top management has to focus on creating the best possible working conditions (cited in Armstrong, 2005). In this respect, the critical consideration is to create an efficient and effective performance management system. This is so because the strategic focus of an organization should be to align employee interests to organizational interests.Therefore the management has to build a communications structure which will indicate to the employees as to which behavioral aspects are desired by the top management. In this respect, the learning contract becomes relevant. The learning contract is a d ocument which specifies the activities that will be taken in order to attain a learning goal.The learning contract is an example of integrated marketing communications because it represents an agreement between different stakeholder groups such as the employees, their immediate managers and the external stakeholders (cited in Ross & Perry, 2002). The advantage of this learning process is that the learning goals are aligned to the strategic focus of the organization.Organizations in the current business environment have to maintain a continuous improvement program. As mentioned before, this refers to the process of managing change.However when it comes to managing change, integrated marketing communications become more important than ever because employee resistance is the main reason behind the failures of most change management projects (cited in Hoyle, 2007).Therefore the most important aspect when it comes to managing change is that the top management has to stay in constant comm unications with the employees in order to promote the cause of change. In this respect, the management must determine how the change is aligned to enhancing the strategic focus of the company.Once this alignment has been facilitated, the management can communicate with the employees to promote the potential of higher productivity as a result of the change. The main reason behind employee resistance to change is that the employees will have to learn news ways of conducting the operational processes.Integrated marketing communications are critical when it comes to building a culture based on ownership, responsibility and accountability (cited in Besterfield, 2002). As mentioned before, organizations have the three strategies of differentiation, cost minimization and focus.The problem with implementing these three strategies is that they create competitive advantages that are not sustainable. As mentioned before, the current business environment is characterized by a fast pace of chang e driven by both technological sophistication and managerial developments. Therefore achieving sustainability is the critical success factor (cited in Shannon, 1999).However that objective cannot be met with the aforementioned three strategies because the competitor organizations can copy these strategies quickly in order to create similar operational improvements and thus the competitive advantage is gone quickly.As a result, the management must create an organizational structure which can be the source of a sustainable competitive advantage (cited in Higgins, 1972).This organizational structure is based on a specific cultural orientation which can be built through integrated marketing communications.Integrated marketing communications are critical to building a culture based on innovation and learning. In order to maintain innovations, the management of the company has to conduct training and development programs on a periodic basis.However the problem with formal training and dev elopment programs is that they cannot anticipate all the issues that are likely to arise in the actual business environment. An additional problem is to create a framework which can assess the return on investment in these training and development programs.These problems are avoided with the learning contracts. This is because in the learning contract the learning outcomes are individually negotiated between the learner and the teacher.Therefore the learning outcomes are directly tied to the strategic focus of the organization. In this respect the learner, the employee, is in the best position to determine the training needs while the teacher, the manager, is in the best position to determine whether these needs can be aligned to the strategic focus of the organization.Integrated marketing communications also involve external channel members. This can be illustrated with the case of Dell Inc (cited in Leseure & Brookes, 2004). The computer hardware manufacturer implements the e-comm erce business model.This facilitates the direct distribution model which enables the company to eliminate distribution intermediaries from the value chain. In this manner, the company has managed to implement the cost minimization strategy effectively. However in order to maintain this effectiveness, the company has to coordinate closely with the suppliers in order to ensure that the needed components are delivered timely to the factory floor.In this respect, the integrated marketing communications take place in the form of information sharing. The information sharing network enables the company to share demand forecasts with the suppliers so that they can maintain their own inventory accordingly (cited in Fred, 2006).Implementing this system has enabled Dell to achieve the highest level of inventory turnover in the industry. The success that Dell has had in creating a market leadership position would not have been possible without integrated marketing communications.Integrated mark eting communications become even more important when it comes to international business. When it comes to globalizing operations, a business organization has three strategies at its disposal: acquisitions, joint ventures and Greenfield projects.Depending on the level of cultural differentiation, the international business can select one of these strategies when it comes to globalization. However those companies which focus on maintaining a particular cultural orientation adopt the strategy of Greenfield projects because it allows them to recreate the same organizational structure as there is in the home country.In this respect delegation of authority becomes a critical consideration because companies must customize their strategies to align with the local cultural attributes. In this respect, the issues of standardization and customization become important. However in order to address these issues effectively, integrated marketing communications become critical. In this respect, the management must communicate with different stakeholders.For both public and private sector organizations, adopting the strategy of integrated marketing communications is a vital component of improving operational effectiveness in terms of maximizing the value of each dollar spent. According to the traditional framework, different marketing activities are conducted in separate silos.However there is no need to maintain separate silos as the different marketing programs are communicating with the same target market (cited in Raffee & Kreutzer, 1989). Therefore the result is duplication of efforts and the waste of resources.In order to make the communications process effective, the separate silos have to conduct market research activities. As a result the activities are being duplicated across the organization. In this framework, the strategy of spending is not in alignment with the strategic focus of the organization.In order to create this alignment, the management in both public an d private sector organizations must conduct integrated marketing communications. This means that different departments across the organization are coordinating their marketing efforts and therefore expenditures are not being duplicatedIn conducting integrated marketing communications, the process of internal benchmarking becomes effective (cited in Chandra, 1993).According to the process of internal benchmarking, the different departments within an organization compare internal processes to identify those which are producing the best results. In this respect, a database of best practices is developed and these best practices are implemented throughout the organization, thus organizational effectiveness is maximized.The process is relevant when it comes to conducting integrated marketing communications. In this respect, different departments can compare their success rates in terms of communicating with the public via different promotional media and thus consolidate the operations in terms of focusing only on those media which have been producing the best results.This maximizes operational effectiveness not only in terms of minimizing costs but also in terms of maximizing the effectiveness of promotional messages that are sent to the target market.In order to make the process of integrated marketing communications effective, the management has to conduct market research in order to facilitate the process of market segmentation (cited in Omachonu & Ross, 2004). The process of market segmentation enables a business organization to determine the stakeholders in terms of their demographics and psychographics so that specific needs can be addressed in the communications process.However as the case of Dell Inc. illustrates, the advent of the Internet has changed the communications process fundamentally. The advent of the Internet means that the consumers are inundated with information. Therefore both private and public sector organizations have to work harder in orde r to grip the consumers’ minds.In addressing this difficulty, integrated marketing communications are the critical success factors. This is because the modern business organization has a knowledge management system which maintains information on the different promotional media that are being applied. Integrated marketing communications enable the management to capitalize on this knowledge management system.In order to maximize the effectiveness of integrated marketing communications, both private and public sector organizations have to develop unique positioning strategies. This means identifying the needs of the target market because an effective positioning strategy must address these needs. However because the consumers are inundated with information from all kinds of media, it is difficult for an organization to get their attention.Therefore the organization must broadcast its message in such a manner that it will grab the audience’s attention immediately. This obj ective can only be met through integrated marketing communications because under this framework, the different departments are coordinating their activities so that a variety of promotional strategies can be synergistically combined (cited in George & Weimerskirch, 1998).This maximizes the efficiency of the communications process. Therefore the process has to start with identifying the needs of the audience. Once these needs have been identified, the management can create an effective positioning strategy (cited in Goetsch & Davis, 2003).The effectiveness of integrated marketing communications lies in the fact that consumers are indifferent as to which source of information the message is coming from. They certainly do not discriminate between different promotional media. Yet it is only through broadcasting through different promotional media that a private or a public sector organization can get the message across to its audience (cited in Pearlson & Saunders, 2007).Therefore the d ifferent departments in an organization must coordinate in order to send a consistent message using different promotional media. Therefore the process of integrated marketing communications also ensures that a consistent message is delivered to the audience.This strengthens the positioning strategy of the company. This is a critical consideration in the current business environment which is characterized by a considerable level of competitive rivalry which drowns the market in information in the form of promotional campaigns. This creates a challenge for public sector organizations which must engineer an integrated marketing communication process to cut through the staticFor both private and public sector organizations, marketing communications are the vitals tools of ensuring the viability of their operations. This has been long recognized. Therefore all organizations are conducting the communications process in one form or another. However particularly in public sector organizatio ns the communications process is highly fragmented across different departments.As a result, the same organization may be transmitting different messages to its target audience. These inconsistencies can be eliminated through the integrated marketing communications process which is essentially a process of addressing the needs of the stakeholders by targeting them with the same message across a number of different promotional media. Therefore the process has to be driven by the needs of the audience.Depending on the needs and the segmentation characteristics of the audience, the private or public sector organization has to develop the message and select the right promotional media.ReferencesAaker, David A. (2004). Strategic Market Management. McGraw Hill/Irwin.Armstrong, Michael. (2005). Strategic Human Resource Management. Prentice Hall.Bank, John. (1993). The Essence of Total Quality Management. McGraw Hill.Besterfield, Dale H., et al. (2002). Total Quality Management. McGraw Hill /Irwin.Chanaron, Jean-Jacques & Dominique Jolly 1999, ‘Technological management: expanding the perspective of management of technology ’, Management Decision, 37, pp 23-43.Chandra, Mahesh 1993, ‘Total quality management in management development’, Journal of management development, 12, pp 12-15.Culpan, Refik 1989, ‘Leadership styles and human resource management: a content analysis of popular management writings’ Management Decision, 27, pp 43-54.Dess, Gregory G., et al. (2007). Strategic Management: Creating Competitive Advantage.McGraw Hill/Irwin.Fred, David. (2006). Strategic Management: Concepts and Cases. Prentice Hall.George, Stephen, and Arnold Weimerskirch. (1998). Total quality management:Strategies and Techniques Proven at Today’s Most Successful Companies. South western college pub.Goetsch, David L. and Stanley B. Davis. (2003). Quality Management: Introduction to Total Quality Management for Production, Processing and Service s. Wiley.Greenley, Gordon E 1989, ‘An understanding of marketing strategy’ European Journal of Marketing, 19, pp 12-16.Grover, Varun and William J. Kettinger. (2008). Business Process Change:Reengineering Concepts, Methods and Technologies. Prentice Hall.Higgins, J. C. 1972, ‘Management information systems and the management scientist’,Management Decision, 10, pp 32-35.Hitt, Michael A., et al. (2007). Strategic Management Concepts. Wiley.Hoyle, David. (2007). Quality Management Essentials. Prentice Hall.Kotler, Philip., and Gary Armstrong. (2005). Principles of Marketing. Prentice Hall.Leseure, Michel J & Naomi J Brookes 2004, ‘Knowledge management benchmarks for project management ’, Journal of knowledge management, 8, pp 10-14.Martin, Charles L 1985, ‘Delineating the boundaries of marketing’ European Journal of Marketing, 19, pp 12-16.Omachonu, Vincent K. and Joel E. Ross. (2004). Principles of Total Quality. Prentice Hall.Pearls on, Keri E., and Carol S. Saunders. (2007). Managing & Using Information Systems.South western college pub.Raffee, Hans & Ralf T. Kreutzer 1989, ‘Organizational dimensions of global marketing’, Journal of knowledge management, 23, pp 6-14.Ross, Joel E. and Susan Perry. (2002). Total Quality Management: Text, Cases, Readings. Wiley.Shannon, J Richard 1999, ‘Sports marketing: an examination of academic marketing publication’ Journal of Services Marketing, 13, pp 19-23.Stair, Ralph., and George Reynolds. (2007). Fundamentals of Information Systems.McGraw Hill/Irwin.Zineldin, Mosad 2000, ‘Beyond relationship marketing: technologicalship marketing’Marketing Intelligence & Planning, 18, pp 32-34. Â  

Causes of Religion in the US and Liberalism in Mexico

Causes of Religion in the US and Liberalism in Mexico Religion and Society Final Exam Account for the continuing vigour of religion in the United States. The United States remains the most dominant centre of science and rationalism on the planet today- normally these social factors create a division between religion and people, although, in America, people continue to be highly religious. Religion in America is available to its people as effortlessly as consumer goods are; a market economy. Every possible religious idea is freely available to be practiced within this market economy and their popularity is due to the vast availability of these religions and religious ideology; simply put, Religion in America is based on variety. There is a very large social significance to religious practice in America. There is a connotation in America that one must believe in a higher power, i.e. God. People are looked upon as different and out of the ordinary of American society if some allegiance and devotion is not expressed towards God. Even thoug h devotion to ‘mainstream’ Churches is declining, religion and religious practices remains of high priority to American people. America is in an era that is showing devotion to mega Churches. Mega Churches hold religious services traditionally (within a house of worship), and non-traditionally (through radio and television broadcasts) to very large amounts of people. These non-tradition religious communities are poised to spread the word of their specific beliefs and faith through modern means; this is a very simplistic approach to gaining and maintaining interest in their message of God and God’s will. The modern approach to religious devotion and the social significance that Americans place on religious belief all account for the vigour of religion in America. Although all forms of religion make up the religious right of America, there are still certain religious groups who have a higher percentage of followers compared to others. Religious groups want to ensur e these ‘popular’ religions remain powerful especially when faced with social and political issues within American government and state. Moral Majority is a coalition of religious believers with influence over important people within America with important ties to government, the corporate world, etc. The organization is thought to have influence over American politics in order to preserve religious ideology and influence on American law and way of life. The total integration of religion within all aspects of America is a direct reflection of the importance placed on religious belief and practice by many within the country. Discuss the impact of ‘liberalism’ on the Catholic Church in Mexico. Napoleon’s conquest of the Iberian Peninsula was the first instance where we observe the Catholic Churches attitude toward liberalism. The Catholic Church initially showed supported toward the revolution because in Spain they were seeing radical groups take away the control they had over the regions churches and schools. After the Catholic Churches war in Spain they were faced with severe unrest within their own Church, but also with severe economic turmoil. These hard times opened the doors for political organizations to take shape. A well known group that came about was called the Masonic Lodges. These Masons were historically very Anti-Catholic and worked to eliminate the influence of Church from state; they had planned to disrupt the Catholic Church and its day to day proceedings in anyway necessary. There were many groups like the Masons and eventually they would collude and join forces, thus creating the Liberal Party, thus creating the liberal movement and the revolution had begun.

Macroeconomic - Market Rate of Interest Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Macroeconomic - Market Rate of Interest - Essay Example The cash rate can be changed by the mortgage as well as the rates of business loans. The aggregate economy is often influenced by monetary policy. Suppose the Reserve Bank deals in supplying more money to the commercial banks, those banks will attempt to keep the reserve rate at steady level and launch into lending more cash in the market. This will lead to a fall in the cash rate. The supply of funds can be increased by increasing the average maturity of the repos, expanding the private security ranges. The changes in the monetary policy will shed its effects on the interest rates in the short run and thus the relationship between the cash arte and the interest rates can be easily defined. But it should be kept in mind that the cash rate lacks the potential to determine the level of intermediary’s rates (Campbell, 1997). 2. Analyze the effects of a decrease in the interest rate on consumption and investment expenditures, the level of aggregate demand, the inflation and the un employment rates. Answer: The changes in the interest rates can shed effects on the consumption spending. With increase in the price levels the interest rates tends to increase. ... On the other hand the expenditures on consumption will decrease. Aggregate demand is expressed by AD = C + I + G + (X-M), where C= consumption, I= capital investment, G= government spending, and (X-M) = trade balance. When the interest rate falls, the capital investment rises and therefore the aggregate demand rises. The effect is just the opposite for rise in the level of interest rates. If the interest rates fall, the demand prevailing in the society for the goods as well as services will fall. Therefore the prices of the products will tend to fall being the resultant of fall in price. Decrease in demand will lead to less production and eventually unemployment rises. 3. Explain what is the meant by the credit creation process of the commercial banks and how it may be influenced by the expansionary monetary policy. Answer: The primary functions of banks include acceptance of deposits, remittance of funds, advancing loans, creation of credit and financing foreign trade. Creation of c redit is one of the unique functions of the bank. It is the responsibility of the banks to supply money to the traders as well as to the manufacturers. The banks are also involved in creating or manufacturing money. The deposits of the banks can be regarded as money. Such deposits can be compared with cash. The deposits can be used in purchasing goods as well as services. They can also be used in debt payments. The deposits of the customers are called primary deposits. The banks keep a certain part of the deposits in the form of reserves while the rest is made available for loans advancements. Therefore every deposit has the potential to create loan. The banks do not pay cash to the customer when it grants a loan to them. The bank simply credits the requisite or the loan amount in the

Opportunities and challenges faced by multi-national companies in Essay - 1

Opportunities and challenges faced by multi-national companies in setting an appropriate transfer price - Essay Example This strategy creates both the opportunities and challenges to the multinational companies. One of the major challenge that face multinational companies is complying with transfer pricing rules which is a costly affair itself. However, when times are tough, tax laws are adjusted, an aspect that increases the cost of compliance. With every change in the tax laws, the multinational companies had to interpret the law, apply it effectively and change their internal systems (Kuan,  WorldTrade Executive (Concord, & Mass.) 2005). For instance, they have to automate the processes and hire tax professionals who will track these changes on a regular basis. This requires immense spending by these firms. Managing and producing a detailed trail of audit which involve a step by step of the overall process of transfer pricing is demanding and time-consuming (Wintzer 2007). Therefore, many companies that lack effective internal strategies find it difficult to take up this process. In addition, these companies face a challenge of using a third party because they lack an in-depth understanding of their businesses and operations. In some cases, the top officials use this opportunity to embezzle funds from the organization, thereby affecting their positions in the market. Transfer pricing provides an opportunity for the multinational companies to exercise their â€Å"multinationality† (Bakker & Obuoforibo 2009). In case these transfers do not exist, the concept of multinational companies to exist in different markets would not apply at all. Instead, domestic businesses would dominate each local market in the country. Therefore, transfer pricing plays a significant role in enabling these firms to transfer their resources to other countries some of which are used to support struggling subsidiaries which are located in countries experiencing intense

Discharge for Whistleblower Activity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Discharge for Whistleblower Activity - Essay Example However, Broom and Miller chose not to follow standard procedure and instead of going to the accused employee’s immediate supervisor, they went the medication consultant at the facility. Their reasoning was based on the fact that the accused employee had a close personal friendship with her immediate supervisor, Sarah Dutton. The act that Broom and Miller carried out went against protocol. Because these two employees did not follow the proper chain of command and protocol in choosing to file their complaint, this only gave their employer’s legal position more support.   2. Because Broom and Miller were subject to the employment-at-will doctrine, even if they had been members of a bargaining unit that was connected with union representation, it still would not have provided any advantage to their case.  The reality is that these employees could not be protected under a collective bargaining agreement because Oklahoma common law  gives the right to employees to discharge an at-will employee at any time of their choosing. Broom and Miller attempted to argue their case by citing the three statutory laws that they thought supported their actions. These three laws were the Nursing Home Care Act, the Residential Care Act, and the Uniform Controlled Dangerous Substances Act. This first statutory law governed safeguards and procedures for the storage, safekeeping, monitoring, dispensing, and destruction of patient prescription drugs. The employer argued that this only covered nursing homes within the state and that the employer’s company is legall y a residential care facility and cannot be included in the law. The second statutory law does apply to the employer’s facility because the employer admitted so. However, the employer argued that the language in this law were general and did not cover the Oklahoma employment-at-will doctrine. Finally, the third law makes it a criminal offense to steal controlled and dangerous substances, but Broom and Miller did not make a specific argument to justify their claims. Reaffirming what was said in the previous question, Broom and Miller failed to follow the proper procedures when filing their complaint.

Learning styles journal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Learning styles journal - Essay Example Before that I pretty much procrastinated with the writing.... I started out with a kind of a chronological thing, I mean where I described myself and things that make me unique. Then I went on to describe the actual work and then pull the elements out that contributed to my response. After initial class sessions on genre; plot, and character failed to engage him ("Was I the only one who felt trapped in a class which embarked on discussing genre at 8:10 A.M."), a nineteen-year old man suddenly found the situation changed: "We had a confrontation. The entire class time surrounded a dispute. I readily sat up in my seat to observe what my classmates were anxious about, so I could participate. They were butting heads about their interpretations of the story read for our class assignment." At first he did not feel he could "jump in," but "definitely felt caught in the middle of it," agreeing with each side to some degree. As interpretations continued to "clash . . ., uninformed opinions were corrected by educated ones, and faces blushed due to embarrassment and anger," he found himself anticipating and preparing for class in new ways. I was in awe that the instructor allowed it to continue. ... I carried my excitement with me. I did not mind waking up for class.... I began to review the material read and my class notes. And anticipate the opinion I would promote in class. I had been quiet in class for the first few weeks, but I was coming out of my shell. My opinions were refused as well as accepted by my classmates, and I realized my face felt a bit flushed a few times as I walked out of the classroom door. I began to wonder why I was so anxious and moved by the discussions. Why everything was so heated and sensitive. What came to me most, while I was doing the painting aesthetic response, was how much I now want to become involved with music and do that same thing with musical pieces. [Originally,] I couldn't really make any sense out of [jazz]. I always had the feeling it relaxed me and took me away from the things I thought about during the day, but beyond that it was really hard for me to identify my response and what was going on that caused it. And so now I have a challenge ahead of me, and these last couple of times we have been to [the jazz club] it's been kind of like a little lab for J. Also I'm interested in hearing what some of the music faculty say about jazz because . . . in lots of ways, it's not too conventional . . . , and I'd like to see what they think. A twenty-two-year-old senior was able to make connections between readings and work done in our course and other courses in religious studies. "[This course] has paralleled research I have been doing for other courses, which has been very exciting and useful. I have read Abraham from a feminist perspective in Dr. L.'s course, and discussed Kirkegaard's radical transcending of ethics with Abraham as the model (aaak, gag,

Figurative Language vs. Literal Language Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Figurative Language vs. Literal Language - Essay Example According to Concise Oxford Companion to the English Language, in figurative language â€Å"figures of speech such as metaphors and similes freely occur...they are regarded as embellishments that deviate from the ‘ordinary’ uses of language.† On the other hand, literal language â€Å"suggests the influence of the letter as a measure of strictness and rightness... If something is done literally, a person follows instructions ‘to the letter’, without flexibility or imagination.† (1998) It is common for people to misuse or overly use figurative words in written or spoken language. Consequently, the minds of the readers or listeners start focussing on the language, rather than what it implies. Thus, it hinders the productivity of the thought process by engaging the mind to concentrate on words, or phrases rather than their meanings in a particular context. Following is an attempt to define the meanings and functions of a few words according to Oxford Reference Online that are often used interchangeably in different contexts. 2.Idiom â€Å"A phrase or grammatical construction that cannot be translated literally into another language because it’s meaning is not equivalent to that of its component words. † A simple idiom like ‘bring home the bacon’ means to earn money or success or profit. Consider the confusion it makes in contexts like: We planned to host a sumptuous dinner on Thanksgiving. I decided to prepare a delicious sweet potato, bacon and pomegranate salad, and bacon-roasted turkey. Everyone was looking forward to Thanksgiving as the year had been really tough and both, John and I had to work really hard to bring home the bacon. ... (Vega-Moreno, 2007, p.189) 3. Amphiboly Amphiboly is a â€Å"kind of ambiguity in which the linguistic context allows an expression to be taken in more than one way. There are several types, and writers differ over which to include out of: ambiguous grouping or scope.†2 Consider this statement: I wanted to become a fashion model for eight years. This statement is ambiguous because it implies two meanings: I have wanted for the past eight years to become a fashion model; or I want to be a fashion model for only eight years. 4. Analogy Analogy is the â€Å"respect in which one thing is similar to another. Arguing by analogy is arguing that since things are alike in some ways, they will probably be alike in others.†3 In debates or arguments, analogy is used to prove that if A is equal to B, and if B is equal to C, then by analogy, A is equal to C. While such inference might be true in mathematical domains, it is likely to generalize facts and thus obstruct critical thinkin g. 5. â€Å"Flame-word† Flame words are words that convey expressions like anger, fury, hatred, insults etc. As such words carry emotional meanings; therefore they carry compound impressions. For example: May you burn a million years in hell is based upon figurative language. 6. Metaphor â€Å"The most important figure of speech, in which one subject-matter (sometimes called the tenor) is referred to by a term or sentence (the vehicle), that does not literally describe it: the ship of state, the light of faith, etc.†4 â€Å"...consider the thematic similarity among the metaphoric expressions that are used to describe a love relationship in this fictitious â€Å"break-up† speech: Dearest, we’ve come a long way since we first met, but

Good Corporate Governance and Sustainability Research Paper

Good Corporate Governance and Sustainability - Research Paper Example Under the good corporate governance applied, Ford performed very well in business plan development and compensation, business plan review, special attention review and automotive strategy meeting, corporate policy letters and directives, management systems. That is the main reason why Ford is only one of the auto companies which kept performing during the 2008 global financial crisis in America. Mallin (23) asserts that the element of diversity in companies is one of the things that benefit from corporate governance. Corporate governance promotes diversity by, firstly, ensuring a board of governance or company leadership that respects diversity. Gender diversity in companies’ leadership is one of the crucial issues commentators of corporate governance have emphasized. In the past five years, seven countries have passed legislation mandating female board representation and eight have set non-mandatory targets. A study of Canadian companies showed that boards with three or more women performed much better in terms of governance than companies with all-male boards. The study also found that the more gender-diverse boards were more likely to focus on clear communication to employees, to prioritize customer satisfaction, and to consider diversity and corporate social responsibility. To illustrate the point above, McKinsey & Company, as the world’s leading consulting firm, is a great example in the real world. Mallin (24) attributes the improvement of a company’s economic and financial performance to the varying skills and abilities of diverse groups of people. He argues that the skills of people from different backgrounds outperform homogenous groups. In order for companies to uphold corporate governance to ensure diversity, they invite applications from the public. This helps companies to pool  a variety of skills and abilities from which they can appointable candidates. In addition, corporate leaders use mentorship to educate persons from lower levels with the skills required to handle senior positions.

Constitutional and Administrative Law (question in instructions box) Essay

Constitutional and Administrative Law (question in instructions box) - Essay Example However, in practice most of the UK’s administrations in the recent past have normally initiated parliamentary debate as a way of legitimizing military deployments abroad even if parliament is lacking express war powers. In 2006, British Prime Minister Tony Blair in reassessing his government-initiated parliamentary approval for the 2003 deployment of troops in Iraq recognized that he could not contemplate a circumstance in which an executive could single-handedly declare war, unless they are dealing with situations where the use of military would be urgently needed to restore or preserve the security of the state1. In such situations, convening parliamentary sittings, debate and approval of military deployments would be belated, hence the need to circumvent parliament. Either way, holding a parliamentary debate on pre-deployment of military forces, the schedule and any eventual resolutions are not legally compelling to the executive and the Prime Minister to act in a certain way2. The vote on the 2003 military deployments in Iraq marked a significant part in the history of exercising war powers. The Tony Blair government donated more of its war powers to Parliament by engaging the people’s representatives to approve of its military agendas3. The need to involve parliament in war declarations has been reinforced by subsequent qualms about whether the Prime Minister, as the individual charged with micromanaging the country’s security apparatus had made the right decision(s), considering the vital trade-off between national security and the potentially high costs that overseas deployments normally attract. A parliamentary approval of military deployments would cushion the executive from â€Å"extreme† parliamentary oversight that would follow such deployments, particularly when the military actions exceed the pre-planned budgets limits4. The current Coalition government has sought parliamentary

Australia Should Not Reintroduce Capital Punishment Essay Example for Free

Australia Should Not Reintroduce Capital Punishment Essay Capital punishment or the death penalty as it is also known refers to the legally authorized killing of someone as punishment for a crime. The most common forms of capital punishment include electrocution, gas, firing squads, lethal injections and hanging. Australia abolished the death penalty in 1975 and since then, there have been many debates about whether it should be re-introduced. Capital punishment is uncivilised, represents solely revenge and is commonly a miscarriage of justice. Consequently, Australia should not re-introduce capital punishment. Capital punishment is both uncivilised and barbaric. Firstly, it brutalises witnesses. An example of this is Dr Phillip Opus, the man who defended Ronald Ryan and was present at his execution. He never got over Ryan going to the gallows and says â€Å"Before the Ryan case, I favoured capital punishment†¦ when he died, a little bit of me died too.† Secondly, capital punishment brutalises the executioner. When an execution is carried out through a firing squad, a blindfold is placed over the firing squads eyes. This was done so that the shooters did not know who fired the killing shot, therefore, they didn’t have to live with the guilt and shame of killing someone. Australia believes in justice, but we don’t believe that a brutal hanging is the type of justice that we feel comfortable with as a nation. Capital punishment represents only revenge and we are all human, thus, we don’t have the right to determine who lives and who dies. There is nothing in the world that gives another human being the right to kill another, and when it’s done out of revenge, it’s worse. There is also a human rights issue as capital punishment breaks the declaration of Human Rights. This is like the government breaking its own laws. Capital punishment is stooping to the level of the criminal and killing offenders only lowers us to their standard. Is it right to punish violence with more violence? Killing another human being is wrong; â€Å"he did it first† is not a valid excuse. The worst thing about capital punishment is that it is possible to make tragic mistakes; hence, it is a miscarriage of justice. Executions cannot be reversed or undone. There are atleast 40 confirmed cases of wrongful executions in the US alone. Colin Ross was a wine bar owner executed for the rape and murder of a child despite there being evidence that he was innocent. In the 1990’s, old evidence was re-examined with modern forensic technology which showed that Ross was innocent. This proves that capital punishment is a miscarriage of justice and we should only consider re-introducing Capital punishment in Australia when dead people can be brought back to life after being executed through wrong convictions. Capital punishment is also a miscarriage of justice in being that an execution is sometimes a punishment not fitting the crime. This is shown through Van Nguyen an Australian from Melbourne, Victoria convicted of drug-trafficking in Singapore. Drug trafficking carries the mandatory death sentence in Singapore’s Misuse of Drugs Act and despite pleas of clemency from the Australian government, Nguyen was hanged on the 2nd December 2005. Evidently, capital punishment also raises the issue of disproportionate punishment. 111 countries including Australia have abandoned the death penalty. From 1900 – 1967, 115 criminals were executed in Australia alone and there should never be anymore. Capital punishment is brutal, represents just revenge and is regularly a miscarriage of justice. This clearly shows, that Australia should not re-introduce capital punishment.

Physiological life-long process Essay Example for Free

Physiological life-long process Essay Aging primarily is a physiological life-long process, starting at conception and ending with death (Kart, 1994). Persons grow old whether they like it or not. These changes, both positive and negative, place demands on the aging person’s abilities to cope with and adapt to new life situations. It is a challenge for any given society to assist their aged in coping with the new life situations they are facing. Unfortunately, the rapid social changes taking place in society do not always lend themselves toward helping the elderly meet the demands of their life situations. For one, the attitude toward this population is not helping them cope with it as well. According to historian Fischer, 1977 in Doress-Worters Seigel, 1994), the old is regarded as useless, unattractive, and unwanted especially in the west. Acknowledging these realities of aging, the current research has been undertaken to study the experience of subjective well-being of senior citizens of Gladys Spellan. This shall be from the point of view of their administrators, particularly on their views on well being and the factors that influence it. Objectives / Outcomes This study therefore, will strive to achieve the following objectives: 1) Understand the experiences of the senior citizens of Gladys Spellman in the home for the aged from the perspective of their administrators: a) Their understanding or idea of well-being b) And the components of well being and factors that influence it. I personally chose this topic because I believe that as more and more elderly are placed under institutionalized care in contemporary society, a study such as this is needed to explore this phenomenon. It would shed light into the subjective lives experiences of the aged from an administrators’ view point. This would also contribute to the literature in this area and serve as groundwork for further studies in this area. This study will explore the subjective well-being (SWB) of the elderly in Gladys Spellmen who opted to live in an institutionalized set up or in a home for the aged by choice. The following framework will be used as a guide in the study: Method The first step in the research was the gathering of secondary data that are pertinent to the current topic, collating literature on the concept of well-being, indicators of the cognitive and affective components, and the factors which contribute towards it. A case study will be used in the current study, focusing on Gladys Spellmen Specialty Center. A semi- structured interview guide has been used in gathering primary data from the administrators of the institution. Interviewing. All the interview sessions with administrators will be one-on-one or individual interviews, for which the researcher has jotted down notes. A session with the participants lasted about 45 to 90 minutes,sometimes with a break in between or without it. The personal information sheet will be completed before or after the interview session with them. The researcher will take down notes while interviewing which shall be thematically analyzed. References Kart, C. S. (1994). The realities of aging: An introduction to gerontology (4th ed. ). Boston: Allyn Bacon. Doress-Worters P. B. , Seigel, D. L. (1994). The new ourselves growing older. Women aging with a knowledge and power. New York: Simon Schuster.

Reflective Practice And Risk Social Work Essay

Reflective Practice And Risk Social Work Essay A good risk decision requires both good risk assessment and good risk management (Carson and Bain, 2008: 156). The intention of this assignment is to critically evaluate this statement with reference to my own practice experience. With the focus of this piece of practice being on children, this assignment will predominantly explore risk from the perspective of children. The assignment will start with a brief outline of the practice experience that will be referred to and will explore the social, cultural and political concepts that shape practice in relation to risk. The concepts of risk, risk assessment and risk management will be examined along with what makes them good. The assignment will then explore how Brearleys (1982) risk assessment was used before looking at theoretical frameworks of reflection. The practice experience that I will be referring to throughout this piece of work is the assessment process in preparation for a Full Assessment Report that had been requested from the Childrens Reporter Administration due to concerns for the safety of a child. During a domestic incident between Mr and Mrs Hassan, their son Raj (aged 12) was struck on the side of the face by Mr Hassan. As a result of bail conditions Mr Hassam was not allowed within a certain distance of the family home and he was not present during the first half of the assessment process. However halfway through the assessment process Mr Hassam was charged and convicted a Schedule 1 offender, with bail conditions no longer in place Mr Hassam returned to the family home. Towards the end of the twentieth century risk became a major concern within western society; Beck (1992) argues that we live in a risk society that has an emphasis on uncertainty and blame, and there is no longer a focus on succeeding in doing something good but where we are preventing the worst. Parton (1996) would agree with Beck and believes that globalisation has separated society and in turn created more uncertainty within social and economic life. As a result of the blaming culture professionals are finding themselves avoiding taking risks and feeling that they have to defend their practice and risk decisions (McLaughlin, 2007 and Barry, 2007). The media and public blame practitioners, particularly when there is a child death, and state that they put children at unnecessary high risk as they fail to intervene quickly enough. Examples of high profile child death inquiry cases include Jasmine Beckford (1985), Caleb Ness (2003) and Baby P (2008). Baby P is an excellent example of how the media and public blame practitioners and received high media attention. Media coverage of how risk assessments and risk managements have failed along with demands for minimising risks and organisational and professional accountability has constrained the role of a social worker and The 21st Century Review of Social Work (2006) acknowledges this (Barry, 2007). It implies that social work professionals were lacking in confidence when it came to taking risks in what has become a risk adverse society. One of the main areas highlighted in the report was the need for a new organisational culture and approach to risk assessment and risk management wh ich would promote merit (Scottish Executive, 2006). Official policies and guidance have been developed in recent years with the aim of improving practices and knowledge where high risks can be identified (DOH, 1991 cited in Parton, 1996). This is evident in documents that influenced my practice and I referred to them before making risk decisions, some examples include; Getting it Right for Every Child: Proposal for Action (Scottish Executive, 2005), Every Child Matters: Change for Children (HM Government, 2004) and Its everyones job to make sure Im alright: Report of the Child Protection Audit and Review (Scottish Executive, 2002). The word risk is a complex and comprehensive concept and there is no clear definition when it comes to defining what would be a low, medium or high risk (Stalker, 2003 and Barry, 2007). Many of the problems that arise during risk taking is a result of there being no exact definition of risk (Titterton, 2005). This in turn creates difficulties when defining definitions of risk, risk assessment and risk management. The Oxford English Dictionary (2002) describes the noun risk as a situation that could lead to a bad outcome or the likelihood of something unpleasant happening, and the verb risk as being exposed to danger or loss or act in a way that something bad could happen. All dictionary definitions will give the word risk negative meanings. Alaszewski and Manthorpe (1991) would agree with the negative dictionary definitions of risk and define it as, the possibility that a given course of action will not achieve its desired outcome but instead some undesired and undesirable situation will develop. Similarly Blackburn (2000) views risk as being a loss or cost as a result of uncertainty (cited in Carson and Bain, 2008). Carson and Bain (2008) and Titterton (2005) disagree with negative meanings of the word risk; they argue that such definitions are not good enough as they pose more difficulties when taking risks with peoples lives. They both argue that risk needs to be explained as looking at the potential benefits and also the potential harms. Alberg (1996) provides a useful definition of risk as, the possibility of beneficial and harmful outcomes and the likelihood of their occurrence in a stated timescale (cited in Titterton, 2005:25). Risk assessment is the stage in risk decision making where information on the elements of risk is collated and assessed, they are usually made to inform risk management. Risk assessment is concerned with collecting information on the two key risk elements; these are known as the outcomes (also known as the consequences, harm or damage) and their likelihood (also known as chance or exposure) and to assess a risk we must consider both (Carson and Bain, 2008, Titterton, 2005). The two basic assessment tools used to assess risk are; clinical which involves professional judgement and information from research on risk factors, and actuarial is based upon statistical calculations of risk and is used in the insurance industry (Barry, 2007 and Davies, 2008). Although not exclusively, actuarial data tends to be used during risk assessments and clinical during risk management (Carson and Bain, 2008). In order to undertake a good risk assessment we should include all the outcomes that could occur as a result of the risk decision and which could happen in the period that the risk is being assessed. If an outcome would happen regardless of a risk assessment being made then it did not happen as a result of a risk decision. The risk decision must have made the outcome more likely or serious; both the seriousness of the outcomes and their likelihood must be considered (Carson and Bain, 2008). When assessing the likelihood of a situation it should be based upon the best knowledge available and whether the decision would have been the same had a responsible body (i.e. SSSC) had considered it (Carson and Bain, 2008). A good risk assessment has a purpose and this is to explore the potential benefits over the possible harms. If the value of the likely benefits outweighs the value of the likely harms then we will be able to justify taking a risk decision (Titterton, 2005). We need to be able to justify taking a risk before we can learn whether harm will result. If harm does result then it is not bad risk assessment, similarly if a risk decision leads to successful outcomes we cannot say it is good risk assessment. A risk decision needs to be judged on the risk decision processes and procedures, not by the outcomes (Carson and Bain, 2008). It could be argued that there are no benefits of taking a risk and this would be deemed as bad risk assessment and must be challenged (Carson and Bain, 2008). After a risk assessment has been carried out a decision needs to be made on how to manage the situation. Risk management is discovering and controlling the dimensions of the proposed risk into a plan to manage the risks; it is involved with implementing, monitoring, influencing, controlling and reviewing the risk decision (Carson and Bain, 2008). Risk dimensions are features of risk that could be influenced by the practitioner, for example the available resources to manage the risk and uncertainty (Carson and Bain, 2008). Risk management also means making the most of the potential benefits and including service users in managing risk decisions (Stalker, 2003). In order to have good risk management we must be able to make effective use of all the dimensions of the risk assessment. This includes the time during and the amount of time of a risk decision being made and the time available to intervene if necessary. We need to be able to identify people and their skills as a resource and use their qualities, knowledge and ability to recognise problems and opportunities should they arise. We should identify and consider both positive and negative opportunities that arise at different stages as we go along a risk path. Before making a risk decision we must explore the quality and quantity of available knowledge and its significance. Knowledge is a form of power and this creates degrees of control, this includes recognising our professional, ethical and legal limits to intervene and control a risk. Good risk management is being able to use all of these resources however there is a barrier, they all cost money. Risk management is political as it is about resources, we require adequate resources for a good risk management plan and lack of resources will have an impact on this (Carson and Bain, 2008). Risk decisions are complex and may be based on unreliable or uncertain knowledge. If harm could not occur then it would not be a risk, if harms do occur then decision making and risk management will need to be examined and a risk decision that was justifiable before the event must remain justifiable after the event. The practitioner will also need to show that any decisions they did make were in line with best current practice on risk assessment and risk management. Many risk decisions will be good irrespective of poor risk management. (Carson and Bain, 2008 and Davies, 2008). Risk management is often overshadowed by risk assessment, despite the fact that it can only identify a risk and not lessen it (Stalker, 2003 and Titterton, 2005). It is important to give risk management more credit as it can prevent bad risk assessment. If a poor risk assessment is made then it can result in harm, inquiries and court proceedings. As risk management comes after the risk assessment has been made it can in turn prevent a poor risk assessment from causing harm (Carson and Bain, 2008). Also risk management concerns the implementation of the risk decision and can therefore protect against the consequences of poor risk assessment. In order to make a good risk decision we therefore require good risk assessment and good risk management (Carson and Bain, 2008). Titterton (2005) argues that risk assessment and risk management should be interconnected within the same risk framework. Brearleys (1982) definition of risk focuses on the negative outcomes of risk (i.e. damage and harm) however despite its restrictions it is argued that it is relevant as he has provided a framework that provides a good starting point for understanding and assessing risk, and that helps assist workers to recognise risk factors when faced with risky situations (Watson and West, 2006 and Kemshall and Pritchard, 1996). Brearleys risk assessment framework is interactive and uses concepts of the systems approach, task centred approach to the actuarial assessment of risk. His framework identifies two types of hazards which he refers to as general predictive hazards (background hazards) and situational hazards (current hazards); a hazard is the possibility of loss or damage that will result in danger. These hazards need to be weighed up with the strengths in order to identify if a risk decision has to be made (Kemshall and Pritchard, 1996). I incorporated Brearleys (1982) framework with the assessment triangle (DOH, 2000 and Aldgate and Rose, 2006) during my risk assessment and I identified that identified that there were no general predictive factors for Raj, he was not known to social work prior to this assault and there was no evidence to suggest that there had been any issues in the past. The situational hazards for Raj were; he had been assaulted by Mr Hassam, his behaviour changed and he became withdrawn and angry, poverty and poor housing. His strengths were; he was resilient, he attended and enjoyed school, he openly spoke out about how he felt. The danger for Raj was that he was at risk of further physical and/or emotional abuse for being open and honest with me after his father had warned him not to speak to any professionals. During my risk assessment I had to consider how capable Mr Hassam was of further assaulting Raj and how likely it was to happen. I thought about the severity of the outcomes, for example if I thought there was a chance that the outcome would be death then the likelihood would be lower than if I thought the outcome could be assault. I therefore considered the outcome of my assessment to be that Mr Hassam could assault Raj again and although the outcome could be very serious but I felt that the likelihood of it happening was very low as Mr Hassam had never been violent towards his son before and showed true signs of remorse for his actions. However just because it was extremely unlikely that Mr Hassam would assault Raj again did not mean that I could consider it a low risk. An unlikely event does not become any more likely merely as it could have serious outcomes (Carson and Bain, 2008). During my assessment I referred to The Children (Scotland) Act 1995 as I had a duty to safeguard an d promote the welfare of Raj and his welfare is paramount (SCLC, 1995), and also to the values of the SSSC (2005), particularly codes 4.1 and 4.2. When considering the risk period to work within and how we are basing our assessment we should examine research based upon that period. During my risk assessment I looked at research on domestic violence and child abuse and several studies show that there is a high association between domestic violence and child abuse (physical and emotional); Morely and Mullender (1994) found that between 40-60% of children are physically assaulted by the perpetrator and Epsein and Keep (1994) found that 38% of children who called Childline had been assaulted by the perpetrator. To make the use of the highest knowledge available I also consulted with my practice teacher and PTL and considered their recommendations before making my decision. My risk decision was that it was safe for Raj to remain in the family home with his father, as the potential benefits (e.g. prior to the assault Raj and his father had a good relationship) outweighed the likely harms. I was able to work in partnership with Mr and Mrs Hassan and the school and they were all resources that assisted me with identifying opportunities for Raj. On reflection I felt confident that I had used the resources available to me well, particularly research and knowledge and I could justify my risk decision if harm was to occur and would be able to explain how I came to my risk decision. Reflective practice involves being able to think holistically and in turn this includes exploring facts and feelings, the knowledge and understanding of the situation and being able to look at perspectives subjectively and objectively (Wilson et al, 2008). Schà ¶n (1983), Kolb (1984) and Boud et al (1985) have given reflective practice currency in recent years by developing ideas and using and applying them to reflecting on experience and improving action and practice (Brown and Rutter, 2008). I based my reflective accounts in practice on Kolbs (1984) model of experiential learning. Kolbs model explores having concrete practice experience which we then reflect and observe on, construct new ideas on and then experiment with. His model emphasises the importance of using observation and testing our reflection on what we see and experience and being able to build upon how we experience the real world (Adams et al, 2002). Kolbs model has helped me understand that learning is individual a nd I have to make the connections to existing knowledge, theories and legislation when reflecting on what I have learned. A number of self evaluation questionnaires derived from Kolbs learning cycle with the aim of helping people identify their learning styles. I used Honey and Mumfords (1992) learning style questionnaire to discover that I am a reflective learner; I will watch and reflect, gather relevant data and examine all the possible options available before making a decison. Using my learning style as a reflector and incorporating Kolbs model of learning I was able to confidently make a risk decision for Raj. I used the supervision process to discuss my learning style and how this assisted me when I put plans of action in place with the Hassam family and how I went through the cycle of experience, reflection, conceptualisation and experimentation (Parker, 2006). To conclude this piece of work has proved that in order to have a good risk decision then we must have a good risk assessment along with good risk management and my own practice experience was integrated throughout as an illustrative. Todays risk society has a lack of confidence in professionals and this has an impact when they need to make risk decisions, although after using risk and reflective frameworks along with supervision I was confident to be able to make my risk decision and justify it. With the right policies, procedures and support professionals will be able to make good risk decisions and feel confident when doing so.

Physician-Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia are Moral and Ethical Essay

Euthanasia is Moral and Ethical      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There has been much debate in recent American society over the legality and morality of a patients right-to-die.   Current legal statue prohibits any form of euthanasia, however, there are many moral and ethical dilemmas concerning the controversy.   For the purposes of this essay, I will define euthanasia as the implementation of a decision that a person's life will come to an end before it need stop.   In other words, it is a life ending when it would otherwise be prolonged.   There is an important distinction between voluntary euthanasia where the decision to terminate life coincides with the individuals wishes and involuntary euthanasia where the individual concerned does not know about the decision and has not approved it in advance.   I will be dealing specifically with the concept of voluntary euthanasia, for it seems intuitive that involuntary euthanasia is not only illegal but also profoundly immoral. Opponents arguments against euthanasia which fail to substantiate their claims, many proponents arguments highlighted by the right to autonomy, and empirical examples of legalized euthanasia all prove the moral legitimacy of physician- assisted-suicide.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Opponents of euthanasia generally point to three main arguments which I will mention only for the purposes of refuting them.   First, many cite the Hippocratic oath which reads, "I will give no deadly medicine to anyone if asked, nor suggest any such counsel" as a reason to oppose euthanasia.  Ã‚   Clearly, the Hippocratic oath does condemn the practice, however, I do not find this as reason enough to reject the moral permissi... ...voluntary euthanasia will somehow snowball to involuntary euthanasia.   It is also powerful proof that voluntary euthanasia can be carried out legally and with no great harms to society or individuals.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The unsubstantiated claims of euthanasia opponents, many affirmative arguments supporting the moral permissibility of euthanasia, and the successful Dutch experiment with legalization all prove that euthanasia is a legitimate moral practice.   If we do not allow for individual autonomy in determining the scope and extent of medical treatment, then we are sentencing many terminally ill patients to a final stage of life filled with misery and wracked with unrelenting pain.   Instead, the moral and ethical course of action is to grant patients who request euthanasia the mercy and relief of a death with dignity.   

We Must Stop Legislation to Ban Cell Phone Use While Driving :: Argumentative Persuasive Argument Essays

Cell phones began with only a select few could afford a cell phone. Today with most Americans owning cell phones we must look at the benefits and downfalls of cellular technology. The issue of driving while dialing brings up the most controversy. The legislation in place to govern the use of cellular phones in certain cities is justified, but the benefits far outweigh the disadvantages. The cell phone has been around since the fifties when they first had the idea from using CB radio frequencies. AT&T was the first to bring about the technology back in the late forties and early fifties. The FCC regulated all radio frequencies broadcast and limited AT&T to twenty-three phone calls simultaneously in the same service area. In the seventies the FCC later allowed more use of the radio waves. In the late seventies the first trials were made in Chicago with 2000 initial customers (Bellis 1). In the 1987 cellular customers hit one million. Today one half of the people living in the United States own a cell phone. It is true that drivers can be clearly distracted from the road from cellular phones. Drivers will have them in a purse in the backseat or in an inaccessible pocket that they will be startled to get to when someone calls. Drivers will struggle to get to the phone in a timely manner and that becomes their priority instead of the road in front of them. Drivers may swerve or cut off another driver in while trying to answer a cell phone or trying dialing a ten digit telephone number. An Ohio insurance company took a poll of eight hundred drivers. The results of the poll are as follows: 43% said they had accelerated on at least one occasion while using their mobile phone; 23% said they had tailgated; 18% said they had cut someone off; 10% ran a red light; and 41% said they had accelerated to get away from someone else in another vehicle on a mobile phone (Ropeik 16). It is obvious that cell phones are a distraction but are the distractions caused by cell phones outweighed by the security and added convenience of a cell phone? There are hundreds of benefits from cellular phones. The convenience more than anything is what appeals to most users. Cell phones can be used for work or for personal use. Businessmen and women will use them to call clients and parents will use them to check on the babysitter.

Holdens Mentality in J.D. Salingers The Catcher In The Rye :: Catcher Rye Essays

Holden's Mentality in J.D. Salinger's The Catcher In The Rye A young man going through puberty, not knowing what he is doing or where he is headed, becoming increasingly insane, in a world in which he feels he doesn't belong in, and around a bunch of "phonies." This would describe the position of Holden Caulfield, the controversial protagonist and main character in The Catcher In The Rye (1951) written by J.D. Salinger. The book, all narrated by Holden in first person, in its very unique and humorous style, is about Holden, and all the troubles he has encountered through school, family, friends, and basically life. Holden has been expelled from a private school in Pennsylvania because of failing four classes, and decides to go to New York for three days before going home to his disappointed parents. At the beginning of the novel, Holden seems to be like any other 16-year-old young man. But the novel progressively displays through various examples of symbolism that Holden has many problems coping with the world around him. These symbols represent Salinger's ideas and concepts. Holden likes to reminisce about his childhood and visiting the Museum of Natural History in Central Park. He loved to visit the museum, for many reasons, and he even said that he got very happy when he thought about the museum. He tells us of the symbolic details in the museum, by saying, "The best thing, though in that museum was that everything always stayed right where it was. Nobody'd move. Nobody'd be different. The only thing that would be different would be you"(121). Holden likes this kind of world, and wishes that he lived in it. He wishes things would stay unchanged and simple. Holden is almost scared by change, and can't handle the conflicts in his life. Another very symbolic example in the book is the title itself. On the first night of his three-night excursion, Holden decides to sneak into his house and visit his sister, Phoebe, who he adores very much. Phoebe asks Holden what he would like to do with his life. Holden ponders the question and tells Phoebe about the poem, "Comin' Through The Rye" by Robert Burns. He tells Phoebe," I keep picturing all these little kids playing some game in this big field of rye and all. Thousands of little kids, and nobody's around--nobody big, I mean--except me.

Rubber Manufacturing Industries Need A Large Amount Of Hot Air Environmental Sciences Essay

Latex is the basic natural stuff required to bring forth baseball mitts. The latex is collected from the gum elastic trees and the fresh latex is centrifuged and pre treated at the gum elastic aggregation centres. The quality of the concluding merchandise depends on the quality of latex and the composing of the chemical mixtures used in the fabrication procedure. At the following phase the porcelain formers are immersed in acid and basic solutions, so brushed and rinsed with hot H2O and prohibitionist. The Calorific value of a fuel is a step of heating power which depends on the composing of the fuel. The Calorific value is the sum of energy given out when a known volume of a fuel is wholly combusted under specified conditions. When taking a fuel for the industry the undermentioned factors should be considered. Calorific Value It is better to take a fuel which can give more Calories per unit weight. The fuels which contain O have a lesser calorific value. Ignition Temperature The minimal temperature for which the fuel oxidant mixture should be heated so that the burning reaction would happen is called the ignition temperature. High ignition temperature makes the fuel tougher to light and low ignition temperature makes the fuel easier to light and this makes the fuel potentially risky. When the activation energy is high, the ignition temperature besides will be high. Volatility Volatility is the fuel let go ofing combustible gases ( bluess ) . When the boiling point of the fuel is high the fuel is less volatile. And besides when the vapor force per unit area is high the fuel is more volatile. The volatility of any fuel could be increased by increasing the temperature since the vapor force per unit area besides increases with the temperature. A fuel with high volatility can easy organize a flammable or explosive mixture with air. Liquid fuels are volatile plenty to bring forth combustible bluess such as ethyl alcohol and gasoline or bring forth adequate combustible bluess such as kerosine when heated at room temperature. Solid fuels have a high ignition temperature compared to liquid and gaseous fuels. Flash point The minimal temperature at which a pure liquid fuel should be heated so the vapor force per unit area is high plenty for an explosive mixture to be formed with air when the liquid is so allow to evapourate and is brought to reach with a fire, flicker or hot fiament is called the flash point. The brassy point is lesser than the ignition temperature. A fuel which has a brassy point much above room temperature such as kerosine, can be handled safely at room temperature because it will non detonate when exposed to fires, flickers and hot fibrils. A fuel which has a brassy point below the room temperature such as gasoline and intoxicant, will detonate when exposed to fires, flickers and hot fibrils. Therefore these fuels should be stored in a ice chest topographic point in order to impede the rise of the vapour force per unit area of the fuel due to increase in temperature. The topographic point should besides be good ventilated so that there would be no accretion of any at large vapor. And they must be stored in metal robust metal containers with oral cavities narrow and palpebras sealed tightly to forestall the vapor from get awaying. Ease of Liquefaction Gass take a big volume, but liquids of the same mass take a lesser volume which makes them easier to transport. The temperature at which a gas can be liquefied or condensed by increasing the force per unit area is called the critical temperature. The fuel should incorporate low content of non combustible stuffs, drosss when heated could do pollution and give out risky gases. An ideal fuel must non foul the environment by bring forthing harmful substances. The handiness of fuel The cost of fuels Different fuels used in Boilers Different types of fuels, solids liquid and gases are used in boilers. Combination of certain fuels are used sometimes in order to better the public presentation of the boiler. The fuels normally used in boilers are fossil fuels, RDFs and biomass. Petroleum, coal and natural gases are usually used in ICI boilers. Some common fuels used in boilers are listed below. Coal Coal is a sedimentary stone like substance composed fundamentally of chemically altered works stuffs which grew in prehistoric woods. It is a blackish brown combustible substance. From one topographic point to another the chemical composing of the coal differs depending on the environmental conditions like the force per unit area and temperature. Its major chemical components are C, H, N and O. It besides constitutes of a small sum of H2O and drosss like ash, quicksilver and S chiefly. Coal is one of the cheapest fuels available and quite wantonness. But the disadvantages of utilizing coal are that it is less overall boiler efficient. And the handling and storing of coal should be considered carefully. The storing and disposing of ash besides should be considered. Coal needs a greater intervention of flue gases before dispatching in order to do certain that they do non harm the environment. By merchandise waste Any sort of gaseous or liquid produced at chemical workss or in crude oil refineries except natural gases, residuary oil or distillate oil and are combusted in a steam bring forthing unit to retrieve heat or dispose. Biomass Biomass are organic affair and are non fossil fuels. Wood, rice hulls, bagasse, java evidences, and baccy roots are some biomass stuffs. Coal garbage This is the waste merchandises when coal is mined, cleaned and fixing operations incorporating coal, matrix stuff, clay and other organic or inorganic substances. Distillate oil fuels These are oils which contain 0.05 wt % N or less and comply with the specification for fuel oil. Municipal type solid waste and RDF These are the garbage of which more than 50 % waste incorporating a mixture of paper, wood, yard waste, nutrient wastes, plastics, leather, gum elastic, and other incombustible stuffs such as metal, glass, and stone, that are usually removed before burning. Natural gas It is a mixture of hydrocarbon gases found in geologic formations under the surface of the Earth happening of course with the chief content methane, or LP gas. Oils Crude oil, crude oil or liquid fuel obtained from either rough oil or crude oil, besides including distillation and residuary oil. Propane Propane is a fossil fuel prepared from petroleum crude oil and natural gas and is heavy gaseous. Residual oil Crude oil and fuel oil These are oils which have 0.05 wt % or greater N content. Solvent-derived fuel Any solid, liquid, or gaseous fuel derived from solid fuel to make utile heat. This include solvent-refined coal, liquified coal, and angasified coal. Very low S oil These are Oils which contain no more than 0.5 wt % S and which when has a SO emissions rate that is equal to or less than 215 ng/J ( 0.5 lb/MBtu ) heat end product when burning takes topographic point without SO emanation control. Wood Wood, wood residue, bark, or any derivative fuel or residue. And including, sawdust, sanderdust, wood french friess, garbages, slabs, milling shaves, and processed pellets made from wood or other forest merchandises. Wood residue Bark, sawdust, slabs, french friess, shaves, factory trim, and other wood merchandises derived from wood processing and forest direction operations.1.4Energy has become a really of import standard of advancement today because it facilitates the human life. It is one of the Primary demands of people today. But Energy has become a terrible challenge to adult male today. Energy engineerings have become one of the chief causes for many chief environmental jobs which is a world-wide subject of treatment. The speedy exhaustion of the energy beginnings of the universe has besides become a major job. There are many issues in the universe refering the energy supply. Therefore dendro power could be used as an alternate beginning of energy in order to carry through the energy demands for industrial intents in States like Srilanka. The coevals of electricity utilizing sustainable adult biomass such as fuel wood is known as dendro power. Biomass accounts about more than 55 % of entire energy ingestion of Sri Lanka. Chiefly fuel wood is used for cookery and warming intents in industries. Biomass energy could besides be described as electricity and liquid fuels produced with works affair. The works affair could be harvest residues, particularly from adult harvests, and in some instances from refuse. Electricity could be produced utilizing all these stuffs via advanced methods which are cleaner and more efficient than firing. By chemical processing they besides can be turned into transit fuels like ethyl alcohol. Wood is being used as an industrial fuel to bring forth dendro power for electricity coevals and warming applications in many topographic points of the universe. Industrialized states such as Sweden, the Netherlands, Finland, Denmark, Austria, the USA and the UK in the western universe have been utilizing wood as a fuel to bring forth electricity since many old ages. The distribution of electricity can be done in two ways, as grid connected and off-grid power supply. Dendro power has wider possibility to bring forth power for long term, for grid connexions and off-grid communities. Merely about 15 % to 20 % of the off-grid population in Srilanka can fulfill their energy demands by solar power and small town hydro power. Dendro power can be established to function off-grid communities who can non afford solar power and do non hold the hydro power. Dendro power is a community-based electricity bring forthing engineering which comprises all families in a small town regardless of their income degree. One of the the chief manner to bring forth electricity in Sri Lanka is by utilizing Petroleum in order to get the better of the energy deficit. But this is non an appropriate manner for a underdeveloped state like Srilanka since the cost is really high due to the increasing monetary value of non renewable resources as crude oil will exaust in another 30 to 40 old ages and coal in around 200 old ages. The coevals of Dendro Power in Srilanka has high potency due to the undermentioned grounds, Srilanka already has practical experience in bring forthing dendro power which was started by persons and the private sector for their ain usage. Biomass feedstock can be obtained as a natural stuff for bring forthing electricity. The underutilized, non used and degraded province land could be converted into dendro plantations. The possibility of actuating private landholders to put in dendro plantations is besides considered promising. The generation-long pattern of tree agriculture as a constituent of land-based supports in Sri Lanka is a capital plus when advancing dendro energy. There are potencies to utilize fast turning species, aiming woodfuel production, as good as utilizing coppicing techniques to supply feedstock. The Energy in any state is a major factor that gives a complete thought about the industries of the state. As the energy taken from the Hydro-Power workss is limited, there must be good options for making the of all time increasing power demandQuestion 33.1Sanitation means the hygienic method of insulating the jeopardies that could be caused due to reach of waste with human to advance wellness. Human Beings generate a batch of waste such as body waste, piss, effluent, solid wastes, industrial and agricultural wastes. These wastes could incorporate risky substances like microbic pathogens and risky chemicals, which could be harmful to human wellness. Improper sanitation installations and solid and H2O disposal systems in edifices could make a batch of jobs. Some of them are, There is a high opportunity of distributing infective diseases such as cholera, enteric fever, infective hepatitis, infantile paralysis, cryptosporidiosis, and ascariasis. Peoples are exposed daily to an unpleasant environment. When rivers and other H2O organic structures are contaminated with these wastes, they could impact the other life species excessively which is a menace to the ecological balance of the environment. Discharge of untreated waste pollutes the imbibing H2O. Enters into the nutrient concatenation ( eg: through fruits, veggies, fish etc ) Provides an environment for insects that spread diseases to engender. When industrial waste is sent into the environment heavy metals, toxic organic and inorganic substances can do serious menace to people and the environment. For an illustration, in some parts of China, due to irrigation done with waste H2O contaminated to a great extent with industrial waste for many old ages is reported to hold produced tonss of wellness jobs which includes expansion of the liver, malignant neoplastic diseases and raised rates of inborn deformity rates, compared to countries where effluent was non used for irrigation. When there is a high concentration of Nitrates in waste H2O in belowground beginnings, it associates with methaemoglobinaemia ( bluish babe syndrome ) when this contaminated H2O is used in preparing of infant provender. There could be extra foods in H2O beginnings which will ensue in giantism of algae and harmful cyan bacteriums which produce toxins that cause skin annoyance and liver harm.3.2While planing healthful systems for edifices one should guarantee that safe and adequate drainage from a edifice and suited and equal commissariats of healthful installations are provided. The effluent and surface H2O from the edifice should be carried to an appropriate disposal country. Some constituents in effluent systems are, Septic armored combat vehicles Pipes Manholes Gulley The followers are some factors to be considered when planing a healthful system. Measures should be taken in order to forestall the flight of disgusting air into the environment and command the force per unit area. This could be done by sealing and venting the drainage system in a proper manner. A drainage system should be decently designed and constructed in order to minimise the hazards of obstruction and implosion therapy. A drainage system should be suitably tested in order to guarantee acceptable installing, If any discharge sent into a drainage system functioning a brooding containing silt or grit, equal installations to divide and take those substances must be made. If any discharge sent into a drainage system functioning a edifice, except a home, contains oil, fat, lubricating oil, volatile substances, silt or grit, appropriate installations to adequately separate and take such substances must be made. A drainage system must dispatch the surface H2O by suited techniques by directing it to a soak off, to a public cloaca or to a suited topographic point where there will be minimal hazards of fouling the environment. In Sri Lanka, in general, waste H2O and disgusting H2O articulation together and are disposed to infected armored combat vehicles in rural countries or to foul H2O cloaca in urban countries. The sewage in the disgusting H2O cloaca is discharged to a intervention works where it is settled, filtered and chemically treated. Surface H2O can be discharged into soak off to a river or a lake in rural countries or to the surface H2O drain in urban countries. The surface H2O drain discharges H2O safely to a river or a lake. A separate system of drainage is used where the disgusting H2O and surface H2O are separated at beginning and piped separately to a surface H2O drain or disgusting H2O drain. Private effluent intervention works or infected armored combat vehicles Must be suited for its intent. Must incorporate a suited screen which is sealed and secure. Must have installations to supply entree for inspecting and sampling of the waste H2O discharge. Must be located at a minimal distance from the edifice in order to forestall amendss t the foundation. Should minimise environmental hazards. Must have entree for the procedure of de-sludging. Any commercial or industrial edifices must supply a sufficient figure of healthful installations for their staff and people other than the staff depending on their figure. Sufficient figure of H2O cupboard cells must be provided in edifices to ease the motion within the cells. Suitable healthful installations for the handicapped people must be provided. Every lavatory must be provided with a wash basin within the lavatory or in an next infinite near the lavatory. Blushing cistern and trough, automatic flushing cistern, blushing valve, H2O cupboards, bidets, urinals, are some common healthful contraptions t be fitted. The pipe work and adjustments which carry effluent and surface H2O should be of right size and installed to minimise the opportunities of escape or obstruction. Some of the drainage systems that could be designed are, Separate drainage systems In this system ever the surface and disgusting H2O are separated. In this instance the sewage intervention works would ne'er acquire overloaded during wet conditions. Combined Drain system In this system some or all surface H2O joins the disgusting H2O drainage system. A combined system is non recommended to be used. It joins all or some of the waste H2O with the disgusting H2O system. By and large the cost of installing and running of sewage intervention works could be minimized by put ining a separate system. Because of this ground a separate system is recommended by local governments. Many jobs could happen due to improper installing of drainage systems. They are, Back force per unit area Back force per unit area is the force per unit area which opposes the coveted flow of any fluid in a confined topographic point like a pipe and is caused frequently due to tight decompression sicknesss or hinderance in the confinement vas along which it moves ( pipes or air blowholes ) . Due to bad designing, the H2O fluxing could acquire compressed in the air pipes and force out the trap H2O seal. This could be prevented by non linking waste pipes to the lower 450 millimeter of perpendicular tonss ( when measurings are taken from the underside of the horizontal drain ) . The waste discharged from the lower floors should be connected to the drain individually. mebs6000_1011_05_Drainage_page28_image1.jpg Self-Siphonage Self siponage may happen if a wash basin is excessively steep a gradient. In such state of affairss the contents of in the trap are sucked out into the waste pipe due to fast flow of H2O which empties the trap. This could be avoided by puting limitations on lengths and gradients and besides by venting long or steep gradients. mebs6000_1011_05_Drainage_page26_image1.jpg Two pipe foul H2O system Foul H2O means the waste H2O from baths, basins, showers and etc and dirt H2O discharged from lavatories. The one pipe system contains fewer pipes and is more hygienic. Therefore this system is recommended over the two pipe systems. In the two pipe system there are separate blowholes from each healthful equipments and they are joined into a combined blowhole stack.605.gif3.4Surface H2O means the H2O that is collected on the land, watercourses, lakes, rivers, oceans or any other H2O organic structures which is related to H2O degree Celsius Surface H2O is H2O roll uping on the land or in a watercourse, river, lake, wetland, or ocean ; it is related to H2O roll uping as groundwater or atmospheric H2O. hypertext transfer protocol: //www.bsenotes.com/ hypertext transfer protocol: //phcjam.blogspot.com/ figures hypertext transfer protocol: //www.cibse.org/pdfs/Shouler.pdf hypertext transfer protocol: //www.mech.hku.hk/bse/MEBS6000/mebs6000_1011_05_Drainage.pdf hypertext transfer protocol: //efsl.lk/details.aspx? catid=3