What is Black History Month?

Surprisingly, the answer to that seemingly simple question would have a multitude of different answers, varying in degrees from full support to total outrage, depending on who was asked. The extreme fluctuation in emotional reaction to what appears on the outside to be a month long celebration of heritage lies in the different opinions of some very complex issues. Arguments over the benefits versus harm, and the definition of black history itself are at the core of this heated debate.The month long focus on the history of Black Americans, known as Black History Month, was brought to life by Dr. Carter G. Woodson. Dr. Woodson, â€Å"one of the first black Americans to receive a Ph. D. from Harvard university† (Gearing Up For Black History Month, 2007), was disturbed in the lack of knowledge and availability of Black History in America of any kind. Woodson felt strongly about this lack of history for an entire ethnic group and felt the need to create a forum that would, â€Å"h ighlight the contributions of black Americans to our nation and the world.His goal was to bring to light the â€Å"‘hidden history and culture† of the American people, and through this special observance, help all Americans to appreciate their ethnic roots and develop a mutual respect among the races. † (Gearing Up for Black History Month, 2008) He chose the second week in February because of its association with two great men who had a great impact on the destiny of African Americans: Abraham Lincoln and abolitionist, Frederick Douglas. Today it is even more fitting that this remembrance beobserved in February, as it holds many great achievements for Black Americans including; the birth of a great civil rights leader W. E. B. DuBois, the month that the 15th amendment was passed allowing black’s to vote, the acceptance of the first black senator, and the death of militant leader Malcolm X, naming just a few. (Infoplease, 2009) From the beginning, Woodsonâ⠂¬â„¢s motivation in launching Negro History Week was an, â€Å"initiative to bring national attention to the contributions of black people throughout American history. † (â€Å"Black History Month†, 2000)Prior to that time Black history had been relatively unexplored except for the representation of blacks as slaves or in low and insignificant social positions. (Wikipedia, 2009). However, even from its inception as Negro History Week, this period of remembrance has been a source of contention. Annually, this heated debate over the, â€Å"continued usefulness and fairness of a designated month dedicated to the history of one race† (Wikipedia, 2009) has broken itself down into three major arguments. The first and most hotly debated topic is mainly that of purpose.What is the real underlying purpose of this celebration? One side proposes the benefits of self-identity while the other argues degradation of society. Those who argue on the side of identity feel strong ly that the affects of â€Å"historical amnesia† is the root of the problem. Their position that the long term affects of slavery on the mentality of the people had a more devastating effect than generally understood. (Pitre, 2002) Black History serves the purpose of helping African Americans understand themselves by looking at the uniqueness and origin of their history in relation to the development of world history.Black history would encourage Black Americans to embrace their personal identity as opposed to self-negating one's self (Karenga, 1982). (Pitre, 2002) Connecting with their larger past will give Black Americans the ability to see themselves as part of a repeating cycle of world history that is everchanging and full of opportunity for freedom and productivity. (Pitre, 2002) It is this great power for healing found in our histories that is so indispensable. For history is the substance and mirror of a people's humanity in others' eyes as well as in their own eyes.I t is then, not only what they have done, but also a reflection of who they are, what they can do, and equally important what they can become as a result of the past which reveals their possibilities (Karenga, 1982, 69). (Pitre, 2002) With the desire to let Black Americans have the opportunity to see themselves in a better, broader light and thus inspire all Americans to achieve to become better, proponents of Black History Month encourage schools and educators to enlighten the minds of America’s youth by learning about American history through another ethnic perspective.The aim of a multicultural education is not just an â€Å"appreciation for cultural diversity† (Pitre, 2002) but also a more compassionate perspective that will lead to a more equitable America. It is important to note, however, that in a quest for real multiculturism, learning about Black history is not merely a recitation of a handful of accomplished Black Americans. It is much more than a compilation of inspiring stories, and more of a frank and honest look at the often horrifying realities of the past. It is by looking at history in an unbiased way that truths can be taught, and real lessons learned.For example, one Southern high school committed to multicultural program fought back against the tendency to use a watered down method of inviting speakers with limited knowledge of Black American history or who teach history within the acceptable set framework of the dominant culture. Instead, the high school students chose a non-traditional, Islamic speaker to share historic facts and how they related to the struggles of Black Americans today. The result was outstanding. The reaction of the students was an emotional self-realization that resulted in a life-changing experience. (Pitre, 2002)However, this opportunity to candidly look at the past and see the effects it has had on the present appears to be the root of the problem for those that oppose the observance of Black History Month. Among some of the most ardent fears is the supposition that teaching students the realities of history will color both Europe and the U. S. as bad actors on the world stage. They accuse Black American scholars of having the intention of rewriting history. Disturbingly, at the same time they proffer the weak argument that taking time out for multicultural education takes time away from basic work skills education.(Pitre, 2002) Furthermore, they strongly suggest that teaching Blacks about the â€Å"historical injustices perpetrated against them† (Pitre, 2002) will inspire vengeance against Whites. Any program or curriculum that induces people of African descent to group themselves in opposition to White policies must be squashed in the name of our mutual safety as White people (Kincheloe & Steinberg, 1997, 7). (Pitre, 2002). In addition to these arguments are the attacks that the honoring of Black History Month is nothing more than an opportunity for a marketing device.U nfortunately, this is perfectly illustrated in a flyer encouraging the observance of Black History Month: A community is only as strong as the traditions that hold it together. Procter & Gamble products such as Tide, Bounce and Downy have been a part of the traditions celebrated by African-American families for generations. (Black History Month: Reminds Us of Our Common Experiences and Hopes, 2005) Furthermore, this heated debate over the beneficial versus detrimental perspectives on Black History Month is often subsequently followed by the controversial question of, â€Å"What is Black History?† In one historians point of view, Black History should be understood as Black History that focuses on Black people, their identity, their culture, their social life, their psychology, and the way they have used these ethnic, group, and personal attributes to make history in America and to contribute to histories, countries, and peoples elsewhere on the globe. (Wright, 2002) This very important ideal holds that as Blacks uncover and reveal the truth of their history awareness of White people in American history will also be enlightened.By motivating Black historians to present the truth in a scholarly manner and thus provide the moral guidelines for Black political behavior in America, the racism that scarred the country and the attitudes and beliefs of its people can begin to heal. (Wright, 2002) This ever-present problem of seeking identity through the looking glass of the past is not just an American issue. In the United Kingdom, with large communities of many different ethnic groups the struggle to celebrate Black History Month sheds light on this question of identity in a much clearer way.In an effort to teach Black History and keep school programs alive, they have confronted the issue that their traditional teaching of Black History month focusing on Caribbean Black History is â€Å"failing to connect with the new migrant communities such as the Somalis. T he compelling questions are about making sense of a world whose problems seem dominated by historic questions of identity. †(Hunt, 2006) This search for identity runs deep. As Black Americans struggle to find an acceptable way to identify themselves today and build a stronger foundation for the future, the debate will go on.However, there are still some basic issues with name identity that appear to add to the confusion. For instance, just the identification as Blacks, Black Americans, African Americans, Afro Americans or the orthographical capitalization of the letter â€Å"B† as in black Americans, has caused a strain on the black American community. The suggestion by some black historians that all black Americans are African American became a popular reference even though most Blacks disagreed and saw themselves only as Black Americans, and not identifying themselves in relation to Africa at all.(Wright, 2002) Obviously identity is an important part of viewing not on ly the past, but more importantly, the future. Perhaps this is the reason there is so much disagreement and conjecture. Moreover, it is also obvious that until agreements and decisions can be made, the unity that is necessary to achieve the identity so desperately sought after will remain elusive. Regardless of the debate that forges on, and will one day find a resolution; it seems clear that whether it is black history or white history, it is all American history. ReferencesBlack History Month: Reminds Us of Our Common Experiences and Hopes. (2005, February). Ebony, 60, 46+. Retrieved March 4, 2009, from Questia database: http://www. questia. com/PM. qst? a=o&d=5008550464 â€Å"Black History Month: the History of Black History. † Infoplease.  © 2000–2007 Pearson Education, publishing as Infoplease. 04 Mar. 2009 . Black History Month. (2009, March 3). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 18:05, March 4, 2009, from http://en. wikipedia. org/w/index. php? tit le=Black_History_Month&oldid=274609871Gearing Up for Black History Month in February 2008. (2007, December). Curriculum Review, 47, 14+. Retrieved March 4, 2009, from Questia database: http://www. questia. com/PM. qst? a=o&d=5024613228 Hunt, T. (2006, October). Whose History Is It Anyway? as Part of the Ongoing Debate over Black History Month, Tristram Hunt Asks for Greater Dialogue between Politicians and Academics concerning the Place of History in Modern Britain. History Today, 56, 28+. Retrieved March 4, 2009, from Questia database: http://www. questia. com/PM. qst? a=o&d=5017655596 Pitre, A. , & Ray, R. (2002).The Controversy around Black History. The Western Journal of Black Studies, 26(3), 149+. Retrieved March 4, 2009, from Questia database: http://www. questia. com/PM. qst? a=o&d=5000644111 Wright, W. D. (2002). Black History and Black Identity : A Call for a New Historiography /. Westport, CT: Praeger. Retrieved March 4, 2009, from Questia database: http://www. questia. co m/PM. qst? a=o&d=101983241 Wright, W. D. (2002). Critical Reflections on Black History /. Westport, CT: Praeger. Retrieved March 4, 2009, from Questia database: http://www. questia. com/PM. qst? a=o&d=101985175

Study of the Effect of Lead (Heavy Metal)

A major environmental concern due to dispersal of industrial and urban wastes generated by human activities is the contamination of soil. Controlled and uncontrolled disposal of waste, accidental and process spillage, mining and smelting of metalliferous ores, sewage sludge application to agricultural soils are responsible for the migration of contaminants into non-contaminated sites as dust or leachate and contribute towards contamination of our ecosystem. The present study was undertaken to study the effect of heavy metals on the growth of Brasicca juncea and thereby its utilization for phytoremediation. The minimum amount of lead (0 mg/gm) was found in plant treated in 0 % concentration of lead acetate and maximum amount of lead (0. 0011 mg/gm) was found in plant treated in (0. 6%) concentration of lead acetate. The percentage germination for control, 0. 2, 0. 4, 0. 6 percent lead acetate treated seedling was 89%, 88%, 86. 66% and 83% respectively. The length of shoot was found much less in plant treated in 0. 6% concentration of lead acetate (10 cm), as compared to the length of shoot in plant treated with 0% concentration of lead acetate (8 cm). Length of roots was found maximum in 0. 6% concentration of lead acetate (2 cm), as compared to the length of shoot in plant treated with 0% concentration of lead acetate (0. 5 cm). It was found that Brasica juncea tolerated highest concentration of heavy metals and can accumulate lead. Key Words: leachate, heavy metals, lead, phytoremediation, Brasicca juncea. Introduction Heavy metal contamination of soil, water and air has caused serious environmental hazard in the biosphere due to rapid industrialization and urbanization. Lead is probably one of the most frequently encountered heavy metals in polluted environment. The primary sources of this metal include mining and smelting of metalliferous ores, burning of leaded gasoline, disposal of municipal sewage and industrial wastes enriched in lead as well as using of lead-based paint (Kabata-Pendias and Pendias 1984; Seaward and Richard-son 1990). Relatively high levels of lead concentrations were recorded as high as 7,000 Â µg/ gm in roadside soil (Kabata-Pendias and Pendias 1984) and 13,380 Â µg/gm in mining district soil (Wick land 1990). In recent years it has been reported that some plant species known as hyper accumulator derived from heavy metal-contaminated areas have the ability to accumulate unusually high content of heavy metals without dramatically being impacted in their growth and development. (Reeves, Brooks and Malaises 1985; Baker and Brooks 1989). This raises the suggestion that these hyper accumulators may provide the basis for phytoremediation of heavy metal-contaminated sites (Baker et al. 1991). Phytoremediation potential of a few such species for heavy metal-contaminated soil and water has recently been detected (Brown et al. 994; Kumar et al. 1995; Dushenkov et al. 1995; Huang et al. 1997; Blaylock et al. 1997). Lead as a Heavy metal: Lead (Pb) exists naturally in many forms throughout the world & has a soil retention time of 150-5000 yrs. Lead is among those heavy metals which have no known biological function. Never the less, numerous investigations show that plants can accumulate lead via root and shoot, and that the lead concentrations in plant tissues are significantly related to the lead levels in environment (Kabata-Pendias and Pendias 1984; Nwosu et al. 995; Sawidis et al 1995; Xiong 1998). Excessive lead accumulated in plant tissue can be toxic to most plants, leading to decrease in seed germination, root elongation and biomass, inhibition of chlorophyll biosynthesis, as well as cell disturbance and chromosome lesion (Balsberg Pahlsson 1989; Kumar et al. 1991; Fargasova 1994; Xiong 1997c). In lead and other heavy metal-contaminated sites, the vegetation structure and biodiversity are usually reduced barren patches of soil occurring, and trees are sparse or absent (Wickland 1990). Material and Method Brasicca juncea seeds obtained from nursery were treated with lead acetate solution of concentrations ranging from 0. 0%, 0. 2%, 0. 4% & 0. 6% for control the seed were soaked in distilled water. After 24 hrs the seeds were transferred on wet filter paper (wet by the solutions of respective conc. ) in plastic trays. Seedlings were harvested after twenty days, the germination rate and the length of root and shoot was recorded. The amount of lead accumulated in the seedlings was also calculated. Stock solution of 0. 2%, o. 4% and 0. % was prepared in the following way: 20 mg of lead acetate in 1000 ml distilled water in volumetric flask gave 0. 2% of lead acetate solution. In the same way 40 mg & 60 mg lead acetate salt were dissolved to prepare 0. 4% & 0. 6%. stock solutions respectively. The DNA in control and the treated seedlings was estimated by Diphenylamine reaction. Optical density was read at 595 nm on a photoelectric colorimeter. Standard graph of O. D. on Y-axis and concentration of standard DNA on X-axis was plotted. DNA from sample was estimated with the help of standard graph. The Folin Lowry’s method of protein assay was used for protein estimation in control and treated seedlings. Optical density was read at 625 nm on photoelectric colorimeter. For the estimation of lead from the treated seedlings, 10 gm of the plant material was crushed in mortar and pestle in 40 ml distilled water and the solution was filtered. Another series was made by taking 10 ml sample solution from filtrate of all concentrations from 0. 2%, 0. 4%, 0. 6% and control. 25 ml of freshly prepared Ammonium solution and 0. 5 ml of Sodium sulfide solution was added to all the above test tubes. Similarly for standard graph, varying concentration (0. 25 – 1. 5ml) of working lead solution was prepared. To this 25 ml of freshly prepared Ammonium solution to make it alkaline was added; also 0. 5 ml of Sodium Sulfide was added. The volume of all solutions was equalized with distilled water. A blank was also prepared in the same manner without adding lead solution. Optical density was read at 430 nm on photoelectric colorimeter. The concentration of lead was calculated in terms of mg/litre from standard graph. Result & Discussion The minimum amount of DNA (4. 50 mg/gm) was found in seedlings treated in (0%) concentration of lead acetate after 20 days of treatment, and maximum minimum amount of DNA (4. 675 mg/gm) found in plant treated in (0. 6%) concentration of lead acetate after 20 days of treatment. The graph shows that the amount of DNA increases as the concentration of lead acetate goes on increasing. The minimum amount of Protein (86 mg/gm) was found in plant treated in (0%) concentration of lead acetate after 20 days of treatment, and maximum amount Protein (93. 5 mg/gm) found in plant treated in (0. 6%) concentration of lead acetate after 20 days of treatment 89. mg and 91. 5mg of protein was estimated in the seedlings treated with 0. 4% and 0. 6% lead acetate. From the graph it can be concluded that the amount of protein increased with the increase in the concentration of lead. The graphical representation was done for calculating the concentration of lead in the treated seedlings. The optical density was read at 430 nm for control, 0. 2%, 0. 4% and 0. 6% lead acetate treated seedlings was 0, 0. 013, 0. 016 and 0. 019 respectively. The graph plotted resulted into a straight line, indicating the increased accumulation of lead in the seedlings. The concentration of lead was calculated using graph. In 1gm of control, 0. 2, 0. 4 and 0. 6 percent lead acetate treated seedling sample had 0 mg, 0. 00078 mg, 0. 00094 mg and 0. 0011 mg of lead respectively. The minimum amount of lead (0 mg/gm) was found in plant treated in (0%) concentration of lead acetate and maximum amount of lead (0. 0011 mg/gm) was found in plant treated in (0. 6%) concentration of lead acetate. This suggests that Brasicca juncea could accumulate comparatively high doses lead. The percentage germination for 1 gm each of control, 0. 2, 0. 4, 0. percent lead acetate treated seedling was 89%, 88%, 86. 66% and 83% respectively. The germination with increase in concentration of lead acetate did not show any inhibitory effect on the germination of seeds but a steady decrease in the percentage of germination was observed. Maximum percentage of germination was found in control seeds. Out of 300 seeds soaked in 0. 2%, 0. 4% and 0. 6% solution of lead acetate showed 264, 260 and 249 seeds germinating respectively. When compared to the control the germination percentage of the treated seeds did not differ much. This indicated the capability of Brasicca juncea in tolerating the presence of heavy metals like lead. The shoot length for 1 gm each of control, 0. 2, 0. 4 and 0. 6 percent lead acetate treated seedling was 8 cm, 8. 5 cm, 8. 3cm, and 10 cm respectively; also the root length for 1 gm each of control, 0. 2, 0. 4 and 0. 6 percent lead acetate treated seedling was 0. 5 cm, 0. 8 cm, 1. 0 cm and 2. 0 cm respectively. The length of shoot was found maximum in plant treated in 0. 6% concentration of lead acetate (10 cm), as compared to the length of shoot in plant treated with 0% concentration of lead acetate (8 cm). Length of roots was found maximum in 0. 6% concentration of lead acetate (2 cm), as compared to the length of shoot in plant treated with 0% concentration of lead acetate (0. 5 cm). This indicates that Brasicca juncea was able to utilize the increased amount of lead to its advantage, suggesting the use of Brasicca juncea as a natural alternative for phytoremediation. Conclusion The present study indicates that plant species like Brasicca juncea can tolerate wide range of heavy metals concentration, it utilizes the heavy concentration for its all round growth . It can be used in removal of lead; and hence its use in phytoremediation in future. Phytoremediation is a fast developing field, since last ten years lot of field application were initiated all over the world, it includes Phytoremediation of Organic, Inorganic and Radio nuclides. This sustainable and inexpensive process is fast emerging as a viable alternative to conventional remediation methods and will be most suitable for a developing country like India. Most of the studies have been done in developed countries and knowledge of suitable plants is particularly limited in India. In India commercial application of Phytoremediation of Soil heavy metal or Organic compounds is in its earliest phase. Fast growing plants with high biomass and good metal uptake ability are needed. In most of the contaminated sites hardy, tolerant, weed species exist and phytoremediation through these and other non-edible species can restrict the contaminant from being introduced into the food web. Further studies need to be performed in order to establish the maximum amount of lead that the plants may tolerate, and the ability of Brasicca juncea to germinate and grow in media containing mixtures of heavy metals.

Risk Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 5

Risk Management - Essay Example 1. Strategic CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) is significant in forming economic sustainability for all companies. 2. Applying the impact of CSR and MO (Marketing Orientation) in commercial and noncommercial settings. 3. The successful incorporation of the irrelevant facilitating impact of CSR on the association between MO and company performance. 4. The results of content analyses of 242 Malaysian publicly traded firms for financial years 2006, 2007, and 2008. 5. The evidence is dedicated and region limited, thereby making it debatable in companies in foreign economies and markets. 6. Companies in a setting defined by focused ownership arrangements where the firms might be less market-oriented also find CSR substantial. 7. The evidence does support the deductions made. 8. No clear assumptions are made in the passage. Cosset, J & Suret, J 1995, ‘Political risk and the benefits of international portfolio diversification,’ Journal of International Business Studies, vol. 26, no. 2, pp. 301.

Methodology Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Methodology - Assignment Example 3) The M-Pesa money transfer services offered by the Vodafone Corporation are such an example of an intrapreneurship (Spitzeck, nd, pp.5-9). It is a high-risk venture since mostly the firm funds the projects but it diversifies the firm’s focus and increases innovation approaches and motivational techniques. It is also a shield for the company from risks of failure and a pilot for proposed management and entrepreneurial styles (Asgar and Wigley, 2000, pp. 4). Companies are growing and production has increased with a ready market locally, in the Americas and Africa, which would be attributable to the high rates of innovations that are characterizing these market segments. The way of running companies in Asia is different from the rest of the world in matters of administration and the use of intraprenuership could increase the growth of the companies, their reputation and their production (Antoncic and Hisrich, 2001, pp. 495). Most of the companies in Asia have a top-down adminis tration strategy in matters of organizational culture leading to a form of innovation paralysis, a general lack of new ideas and insight: where the low-level personnel are not empowered and they hardly get things done without approval from the authorities; this approval is hard to get (Yeung, 2002 p. 1-5). Intraprenuership has been adopted by many major firms and has led to creation of major brands and diversification of market (Bosma, Stama and Wennekers, 2010, pp. 4). Therefore, intrapreneurship can be seen to be managerial phenomenon that ought to be taken more seriously and tried widely as the companies will benefit from the concepts of their employees and have them drive the exercise as it enriches management practices (Seshadri and Tripathy, 2006, pp. 17). It allows the adoption of design, creativity and innovation as a strategy for competitiveness, diversification and income generation (Hathway, 2009, pp. 8). Justification The recent development of this management practice (i ntrapreneurship) may imply that it is not widely used across the globe, and hence within the Asian region. This study will therefore will be very instrumental in justifying the presence or lack of this management strategy within this region. It is therefore important that the dissertation reveals how it affects or could affect the running of businesses within this region as being studied. The dissertation will therefore be concerned with developing a hypothesis on the necessity of intraprenureship in Asia and its contribution to organizations. The research question is therefore â€Å"what is the effect of intrapreneurship within Asian based organizations?† Objectives Business management is a field that involves new findings, strategies and re-strategizing on the output of the firm for increased revenue (Sabharwal, nd, 89-90). In the mid 70’s, the world of business management used a method that would later on come to be utilized and revitalized to conform to arising cha llenges of the new era; in the first paper about this method, Gifford and Elizabeth Pinchot in 1978 named it

Mathematical Cognition and Mathematical Learning Difficulties Essay

Mathematical Cognition and Mathematical Learning Difficulties - Essay Example Any difficulties in learning or understanding these skills may result in mathematical learning difficulties. It is imperative that we gather information about arithmetic skills in order to perpetuate our understanding of the root cause of dyscalculia. This can be done with the help of the two main neuropsychological models of numerical abilities which are outlined below. McCloskey, Caramazza, and Basili (1985) have divided arithmetic skills into three main groups: (1) comprehension of number concepts; (2) production of numbers; and (3) calculation. (from Shalev and Gross-Tsur) These skills call for the ability to process verbal and Arabic representations of numbers. Further it requires an understanding of the processed numbers coupled with the ability to transcode numbers from one representation to another. Calculation refers to arithmetic competency in terms of strategies used to solve problems, a keen grasp of the concepts involved and a decent knowledge of the counting principles. The "triple-code model" w... sychological as well as an anatomical basis and its premise is the three basic elements of verbal, visual, and magnitude representation in acquiring arithmetic skills. According to this model verbal processing is done in the left hemisphere of the brain whereas magnitude estimations and visual representations are bilaterally localized. Any deficit or failure in acquiring these skills is bound to manifest itself as a mathematical disability. Normal children use a particular or judicious mix of strategies in using these skills to solve arithmetic problems but studies have shown that "MD children tend to use immature problem-solving strategies" (Geary 1993, 348) MATHEMATICAL DISABILITIES FROM A COGNITIVE PERSPECTIVE MD children presumably have difficulties in the retrieval of basic arithmetic facts from their memories and in the computation or procedures involved in arithmetic processes. According to Geary, "lower order deficits of MD children potentially reside in five component skills: procedural, memory retrieval, conceptual, working memory, and speed of processing." The first two are functional skills and they are important determinants of mathematical performance whereas the latter three skills are underlying components which may influence the output. Studies have shown that MD children are, "characterized by a high frequency of computational and memory-retrieval errors" (Geary 1993, 348) This indicates that these children are not fully cognizant of the tenets of mathematics (poor conception) which is further accentuated by a retrieval deficit memory. Moreover their counting speed is slow and this mars problem- solving ability as the working memory falters and finally decays. MD children ar e unaware of the errors they make and hence there is repetition of errors.

Broadband market (internet services) in u.k Essay

Broadband market (internet services) in u.k - Essay Example It was in 2000 that significant migration to broadband started to occur; initially domestic internet dialup was commonly used in the UK. Business users at that time relied on expensive high speed internet connections through dedicated leased lines. This was traditionally the domain of the large business which never minded setting aside colossal sums of money on connectivity. Since the late nineties, broadband options were around but only very few cable operators availed the service to customers at cost effective rates. Homes and Small businesses at this time had very limited options with only sporadic availability of high speed connections. Broadband connection was more of a lottery of location. Throughout the United Kingdom, demand for high internet connection continues to increase on yearly basis. This increase in demand also sees the increase in number of broadband service providers. The business is known to be highly lucrative with its demand base continuously and significantly expanding to reach businesses and homes. With the burgeoning of DSL supply the service has become commonplace in the buyers’ market. Further, the code of practice makes it very easy for consumers to migrate from one provider to another if they feel dissatisfied with the service of the existing provider. In effect this makes the broadband market highly competitive as witnessed in continuously dropping prices whose effect is the reduction in providers’ profit margins. Several internet service providers exist in the UK among which includes BT (currently having a leading market share of 35%), NTL, Orange, Virgin, Tiscali, Be Broadband and AOL. Broadband services offered include satellite, cable and ADSL. According to a survey conducted in the first quarter of 2005, BT had a market share of 25%, NTL 20%, AOL 12% and Tiscali 7%. The competition has necessitated the provision of free re-grades to higher speed services and offering of free incentives by providers

See the attachment Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

See the attachment - Term Paper Example The Economists Dictionary of Economics defines Microeconomics as "The study of economics at the level of individual consumers, groups of consumers, or firms... The general concern of microeconomics is the efficient allocation of scarce resources between alternative uses but more specifically it involves the determination of price through the optimizing behavior of economic agents, with consumers maximizing utility and firms maximizing profit." Microeconomics is a field of economic study that focuses on how an individuals behavior and decisions affect the supply and demand for goods and services. For the purpose of microeconomics, the actions of individuals, households and businesses are crucial. One key element of microeconomics is price theory. Theoretically, all markets are perfectly competitive, with supply and demand driving prices. However, individuals and groups can directly affect the supply and demand of products and services. Labor economics, for example, is based largely on the analysis of the supply and demand for labor of different types. An economic theory contends that the price for any specific good/service is the relationship between the forces of supply and demand. The theory of price indicates that the point at which the benefit gained from the people that demanded the entity,   meets the sellers  marginal costs is the most optimal market price for the good/service. Labor is a measure of the work done by human beings. Labor economics seeks to understand the functioning and dynamics of the market for labor. Labor markets operate through the interaction of workers and employers. Labor economics looks at the suppliers of labor services (workers), the demands of labor services (employers), and attempts to understand the resulting pattern of wages, employment, and income(Freeman, 72-76). Market failure is a situation in which a market is inefficient in organizing

Market for Ajax Foods Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Market for Ajax Foods - Assignment Example During this test market for Ajax Foods, all the variables in the marketing plan will be tested for the introduction of chicken pies in the grocery stores. We will carry out the test market in â€Å"hot deli† section where there are other variables such as competition with the existing products, the varying prices; package and promotion will be introduced on each section used in order to ascertain customer reaction about the new product. The new product will be left to compete with the existing products. The number of stores we will use will be adequate enough to represent the entire market so that we get actual results on the ground without bias. The customers will be left to make their own decision on purchasing the product (Klan 26).For convenience and efficiency, we will also include internet online tests through the use of surveys in addition to the test branches and sections, when testing the new product. In case customers respond positively to the introduced product, and this will be ascertained by the quantity and quality of sales data that the president requires making an accept or reject decision, then the president can go ahead and introduce other items such as shepherd’s pie and quiche.

The Change of Jem and Scout Essay Example for Free

The Change of Jem and Scout Essay She began to see how cruel the world could be to someone who is a little different or strange. She gained the knowledge of the pure hate that one man can show another. The kid’s relationship with Atticus starts out normal. Though, as the story progresses, they recognized he’s different then other men. This shows when Scout says â€Å"He did not do the things our schoolmates’ fathers did: he never went hunting, did not play poker or fish or drink or smoke. He sat in the livingroom and read† (pg 89). Atticus had the courage to take the case of a black man, Tom Robinson. It was obvious they didn’t stand a chance going against a white man in court but Atticus did it anyways. He did something that no other man would do, not for the glory, but because he can show a great example to his kids and it is the right thing to do. The kids learned not to be prejudice and not be ashamed if they have friends who are a different race then they are, for example Calpurnia. The way the children’s relationship changed about Boo is probably the most interesting part in the book. It went from an obsession to an unconditional love. First the children believed that anything that comes from the Radleys property is poison. Jem yells at Scout once saying about the Radley property: â€Å"Dont you know youre not supposed to even touch the trees over there? Youll get killed if you do! † (pg. 33). The kids didn’t know that Boo admired them, even though he barely knew them. After a while they noticed that Boo was giving them little hidden presents, and they realized that he is the one who folded and sewed together Jem’s pants. He showed an unconditional love that most people his age would not show. When Boo saved the children’s lives, he proved that he loved them. He was so kind that he risked his own life for the children, and that is why Scout grows to loved him, instead of being tremendously scared of him. Jem’s faith in truth and justice is very badly damaged. When the shameful courtroom proceedings are over he retreats into a troubled state of deep disillusionment. Prejudice and racism do not make any sense to Jem, because he never noticed it in his environment. He does not understand why all of this is happening. The kids matured a lot during the course of this book, especially Scout. She went from a six year old child with no knowledge of the real world to an about ten year old who had a lot of life’s most important lessons shown to her at a very young age. They had to learn, very quickly, that life would not always be easy, fun and fare. We cannot let children face the ugliness that they learned. It was too much, to fast, even for Scout who is so smart. We must show love to everyone so that children will show love back.

Strong Social Responsibility Essay Example for Free

Strong Social Responsibility Essay Corporate social responsibility for many corporate bodies means engaging in some philanthropic community ventures like sponsorship, donations or giving in kind programs. However, some companies have been able to build strong relationships and partnerships with the communities and are offering practical solutions to the many social problems. That notwithstanding, most companies and organization consider such ventures as a donor-recipient relationship, rather than a mutually benefiting programs. Success of any such activities is normally considered in terms of financial contribution, the employee satisfaction or the effects on the social issue. As important as they are, such achievements do not convince many companies and shareholders because they believe that a company can only post strong profits so has to benefit everyone. And for that matter, most corporate entities do not have any corporate social responsibility program but would once in a while donate to some charitable activities as a mere window dressing to hoodwink the public that they are committed to such obligations. This paper will provide examples of companies with strong corporate social responsibility programs and have been quite successful in terms of profitability. The scale and forms of benefit strong CSR programs would offer a company can vary and more often depends on the nature of the business. Quantification of the benefits may also be a difficult task; however, there are good reasons why every corporate organization should adopt a CSR programs or policies in its operations (Orlitzky, Frank, Schmidt, Rynes, 2003). Strong social responsibility enables companies to manage risk. Managing risk is an integral part of every corporate strategy. An organization’s reputation which may take years to build may be damage in a matter of hours through accidents and incidents that are manageable. Scandals like corruption or environmental accidents may severely ruin the reputation of the company. Moreover, such incidences may attract unnecessary attention from the media, government, the courts as well as the regulations, damaging the company’s reputation further. However, developing and sticking to certain corporate social responsibilities within the company and the community can work to obstruct some of these risks. IBM has built a strong image as one of the leading companies helping in conservation of energy and environment. This has earned it respect as an environmental friendly company even as reap financial benefits from its businesses (IBM Responsibility n. d). Corporate social responsibility is a great marketing tool for many companies that have been able to exploit its benefits. In crowded and competitive markets, companies seek to have unique selling proposition which may differentiate them from other competitors in the minds of potential costumers (Orlitzky, Frank, Schmidt, Rynes, 2003). Strong corporate social responsibility can play a vital role in helping companies build strong loyal costumer base based on their distinctive ethical values. Some of the major brands like America Apparel and The Body Shop have been built on strong ethical values. Corporate service organizations may also benefit by establishing a strong reputation and best practice. Coca-Cola is one company that has been able to build a strong reputation in the market through its CSR programs. Its latest campaign dubbed Live Positively is geared towards promoting a positive and sustainable living in the world through different initiatives (Coca-Cola Company n. d. ). Although it is a peaceful message to everyone, it would help the company entrench itself as one of the number one leader in global business. A corporate social responsibility program can also be helpful in recruitment and retention of employees, especially in a competitive graduate students market. Young graduates looking for jobs normally ask about a company’s corporate social responsibility policies during interviews and firms with strong and comprehensive policies may have an edge in not only absorbing such recruits but also retaining them for a long time. Corporate social responsibility can aid in enhancing the employees’ perception about the company, especially when they are considered in the company’s CSR programs like fundraising activities and community volunteering. A good example of a company with such programs is the Microsoft Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) which has an Employee Involvement Policy Framework and Program. This program started in 2004 under the joint watch of the Human Resources and Community Affairs, gives support to employees and encourage their participation in community development through voluntary programs (CSR Europe 2010). Every company or corporate body does not welcome external interference like taxation or government regulations in their operations. Having strong corporate social responsibility programs may be the first step towards convincing the government and the general public that the company does not take lightly the social issues like health, safety and environment problems, that affects the public in a community or the country in which it operates (Orlitzky, Frank, Schmidt, Rynes, 2003). This will persuade the government to license a company or organization as good corporate citizens with regards to the labor standards and its impact on the environment. Ecolab which was ranked number two among the world’s most ethical companies in 2009, has been a good example of how strong CSR programs can be beneficial both to the company and the country at large. The company has a strong commitment to help the United States reduced its greenhouse gas emission by 20 percent per every sale made between 2006 and 2012 (Environmental Leader, 2010). This initiative not only enables the company increase its sales but also helps the company build a good reputation among the public and the government. Such company may not face difficulties when it wants to acquire license for new operations either within the US or in any country. In conclusion, strong corporate social responsibility is not only a community development initiative but also a long-term corporate financial investment. The benefits of such a program are mutually good for the existence and operation of any business and for the development of the community and country where businesses operate and are sustained. References IBM Responsibility (n. d). IBM Corporate Responsibility. Retrieved on August 14, 2010, from http://webcache. googleusercontent. com/search? q=cache:obfJZix- yVoJ:www. ibm. com/ibm/responsibility/+ibm+CSR+programscd=1hl=enct=clnkgl=keclient=firefox-a Coca-Cola Company (n. d. ). Sustainability: Corporate Responsibility. Retrieved on August 14, 2010, from http://webcache. googleusercontent. com/search? q=cache:LJLNHF3zpOcJ:www. thecoca-colacompany. com/citizenship/+cocacola+CSR+programcd=1hl=enct=clnkgl=keclient=firefox-a CSR Europe (2010). Employee Involvement Program. Retrieved on August 14, 2010, from http://webcache. googleusercontent. com/search? q=cache:TEaWduxbx68J:www. csreurope. org/solutions. php%3Faction%3Dshow_solution%26solution_id%3D299+microsoft+CSR+programcd=4hl=enct=clnkgl=keclient=firefox-a Environmental Leader (2010 April, 8). Ecolab Sets New Goals for Water Use, Waste and Effluent Water. Retrieved on August 14, 2010, from http://www. environmentalleader. com/2010/04/08/ecolab-sets-new-goals-for-water-use-waste-and-effluent-water/ Orlitzky, M. Frank L. Schmidt, S. Rynes, L. (2003). Corporate Social and Financial Performance: A Meta-analysis. Organization Studies, Vol. 24 (3): 403-441.

Factors that Caused the Financial Crisis

Factors that Caused the Financial Crisis The world had faced two major financial disasters during 20th century. The first crisis happened during 1920-30, which mainly affected the developed countries like Europe and America. Second crisis started in 1997 and stayed till 1999, mainly affected developing economies of Asia pacific. The recent financial crisis which has awakened the whole world mainly resulted from unregulated financial market. It has created serious anxiety because it falls outwards from U.S, the starting point. Alan Greenspan recently called it a once-in-a-century credit tsunami, born of a collapse deep inside the US housing sector. In order to avoid complete meltdown, governments and central banks worked day and night. Trillions of dollars have been allocated to financial institutions by the governments to recover from the crisis in the United States alone Who were the culprits of financial crisis? It is impossible to held just single factor responsible for such a big mass in the absence of other factors. In my research i want to analyse the contribution of each factor but the questions arise in my mind is How did Lehman Brother, the fourth largest investment bank in USA failed? Why majority of financial institutions failed in compare to other institutions? This surly point towards irresponsible activities by financial institutions in their main business LENDING. So focus of my research is to find out the dominant role of easy lending in present crisis along with other factors. The effect of financial crisis 2008 was such sever that even allocating huge amount to address the issues proven insufficient to resolve it. Congress approved $700 billion in response to the problem. Federal reserve spend $1.3 trillion to bail out markets and institution that includes investments in risky assets, loans to bankrupt institutions, sharing such debt which were defaulting at faster rates (Morris, 2008). A further $900 billion were allocated as lending to large corporations (Aversa, 2008), reaching the total of nearly $3 trillion as bailout package so far, without even adding the big amount of corporate debt promised by the U.S government year before the crisis An understanding of the root causes of this colossal failure that has put the entire financial systemà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ at risk (Woellert and Kopecki, 2008) is necessary to avoid such failures in the future. Number of factors can be held responsible for financial crisis which emerged over number of years. Causes propos ed include the following sub-prime mortgages/ easy lending Poor credit rating Failure of regulators Shadow banking Securitization Credit default swap Mortgage backed securities Assets backed commercial paper etc Aims and Objective Aim of this research is to understand the root causes of financial crisis particularly lending practises as a major factor. Objectives To explore the history of financial crisis To evaluate who were the victims and culprits of financial crisis Impact of financial crisis on other countries (UK, USA, India, Japan) What steps are being taken by government to overcome crisis What could be done to prevent repetition of crisis in future? Literature Review: How did we get to this point? Surprisingly it all started from residential mortgages in the U.S. It had become apparent from 2004 that mortgages issued to majority of consumers did not make any rational sense. Situation was more worsted by so called mortgage brokers who issued mortgages to many insolvent consumers in order to generate outsized fees. On other hand new financial vehicles called mortgage-backed securities (MBS) rated by well know credit rating agencies were introduced by Wall Street. These high yielding mortgage-backed securities were bought by investors from all over the world which increased funding for new mortgages. Appraiser ignored all rules to meet the increasing demand of mortgage applications. Federal Reserve board appointed by congress in 1994 to regulate mortgage lenders decided to watch the game from pavilion. Finally as the bubble accelerates, there is necessary reckoning à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" house prices collapsed. This is how greediness and irresponsibility resulted into a biggest financial crisis (Schmudde, 2008). Sub-prime mortgages which are always blamed for financial crisis is only a component of the deeper problem. The value of credit default swaps, which was originally estimated to be $55 trillion by the securities and exchange ( 4 times higher then the actual figure) are totally unregulated and majority of them were contracted over the phone without any verification, is the root cause from which all the problems of crisis started (Simon, 2008). Regulators had forecasted the problem of present crisis years in advance were not taken seriously because of the successful business by the same financial institutions which are either bankrupt or funded by the government (Associated Press, 2008). According to Bernanke (2009) and Portes (2009) global imbalances are the fundamental cause of the crisis and it is not possible to fully understand present crisis without considering the issue of global imbalances. As per Jagannathan, Kapoor, and Schaumberg (2009) imbalances in labour supply can assist to understand the present crisis. Acharya and Richardson(2009), and Acharya and Schnabl (2009) argue that banks were suppose to transfer the risks to end investors while securitising, particularly in the case of asset-backed commercial paper and purchase of AAA-rated tranches but they never did which led them to huge pool of credit risks. Schmudde (2009) documents that no verification of consumers income were done while issuing sub-prime mortgages. Many of them were issued for or close to 100% of the house price. Even borrowers with bad credit history easily managed to get mortgages. This is one of the reasons for huge growth in subprime mortgages which increased from $35 billion to $8 07 billion between1995 to 2005. According to Bartlett (2008) decline of US subprime mortgage triggered the crisis, the impact of the down fall was tremendous; Mark-to-market losses on mortgage backed securities, collateralized debt obligations, and related assets through March 2008 were approximate $945 billion. He further said that it is The largest financial loss in history, in compared to $780 billion of 1990 Japans banking crisis, lost accrued from Asian crisis of 1997-98 about $420 billion. . While explaining the reason how did this crisis turn into a global crisis, Khatiwada and McGirr (2008) stated Many of these Sub-prime mortgages actually never made it on the balance sheets of the lending Institutions that originated them; and such mortgages by rating them high were made attractive to world investors, when sub-prime borrowers failed to repay their mortgages, the originating institution needed to finance the foreclosure with their own money, bringing the asset back on its balance sheet. This left many banks in a financially unviable situation, in a rather short, unmanageable timeframe. According to Mian and Sufi (2008) increased demand for mortgage backed securities led to lending boom which is the root cause of present crisis. Whalen (2008) argues that three main factors are at the root of the problem. First, many companies, banks, and government agencies were encouraged to increase the viability of affordable housing by introducing creative financing techniques. Second, big number of over-the à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å"counter derivatives and securities were issued by majority of financial institutions due to huge support by the regulators, led to a breakdown in safety and soundness at banks and securities lenders. And the last factor is fir value accounting an ill-advised by Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the financial accounting standards board (FASB) to all public company to change the reporting standards. The nations biggest subprime lender, Ameriquest Mortgage co., gave more then US$20 million as a political donation. Other financial institutions like citigroup inc., wells Fargo co., donated huge amount on political side and on lobbying. This donation helped these institutions to persuade legislators to pass predatory-lending laws which might have contributed to present crisis to some extent (Simpson, 2007). According to Shiller (2008) the following factors played very big role in present crisis: Strategy of home ownership which encourage even those who could not afford one. The link between mortgage originator and receiver of payments broke due to mortgage securitization. Because of this there was no reason for mortgage originator to verify the solvency of borrowers. Many loans were issued at low interest rate or even at zero rates with the use of new financial techniques but afterwards rate were increased too high. Research Methodology Methodology plays a very crucial role in how research will be carried out. Methodology is an explanation of why you collected certain data, what data you collected, from where you collected it, when you collected it, how you collected it and how you analysed it (Collins, 2003). The researcher requires an interviewer or observer skills to gather data in the qualitative methods. This method requires collecting and analysing the data and applying the statistical tests (Riley, 2004). Qualitative research interprets opinion of the people in the sample, their way of looking at the subject, what they feel about subject and the dynamic interpret feeling on the subjects (Guari, 2005). The quantitative method mainly uses research instruments to gather, analyse and measure the data. Quantitative approach is more subjective approach. Quantitative approach includes analysing and reflecting on perception to understand social and human activities (Collins, 2003). The main purpose of this chapter is to explain and justify the primary research method which I have chosen to carry out my research. This chapter will also explain the significance of secondary data and state what sources of secondary data i will be using. Source of Acquisition of data Primary data Primary data collection means to collect new data of subjects for specific purpose. The different methods of collecting primary data are questionnaire, interview and sampling (Saunders, 2003). For my research it is very important to get some primary data to understand the topic in practical sense. By taking interview of the head of financial institution, will add extra value to my research and will broaden my understanding of topic as a whole. I will be collecting my primary data through interview with Mr Mitesh Sheth, Deputy Head of Henderson Global Investors. The main focus of interview will be to get their opinion about how did this crisis started, what was there response etc. I am also trying to contact few other key people but too early to mention anything about them yet. Secondary Data Secondary data means data collected previously for some purpose. The main sources of such data are library, internet, articles, business journals, research organization (Saunders, 2003). Methods of data analysis After collecting primary and secondary data the next stage is to evaluate or analyse the collected data. To convert data into graphs will be the easiest way to analyse the data. Hypothesis I will be analysing total amount of lending by US banks to solvent and insolvent borrowers and comparing their rate of default to conclude my research. Work Plan   Proposal submit 21st June literate review 31st July Preparation for interview 5th August Interview of selected person 10th August Analysis of data 20th August Start writing reports 15th September Draft report 10th October Final report October end On successfully completion of my dissertation I hope to come to a positive conclusion. I will utilise all the recourses available to me in order to draw out conclusion. Such as charts, graphs, historical data, interview, questionnaires etc.

Role of Penelope in Homers Odyssey Essays -- Homer Odyssey Essays

The Role of Penelope in Homer's Odyssey The character of Penelope in Homer's Odyssey has served as an archetype of femininity proper. Her physical attributes, while comely by even the most demanding standards, are veiled. Her intellectual attributes are veiled too. She seems more often than not to wear a veil of tears (for her man) or a veil of silence (for her own wishes), or ineptitude (in her dealings with her son). She is certainly no Helen. She is not flaunting or whore-ish. She is not unconcerned with the needs of others, nor flippant about marital bonds, nor the loyalty of her heart. She does not steal the show, as Helen does time and again when she upstages her husband (who, by the way, may be a bumbler in the presence of his wife) in her attempts to control the situations in which she finds herself. Penelope is no Helen. Penelope is the archetype of femininity proper in every western misogynist's dream. However, this archetype is nothing more than fantasy. Penelope's veil does not need to be understood as a sign of her absence, or her impotence, or her archetypal femininity. If it were, how could we explain that Penelope can accomplish against great odds staying married to Odysseus, awaiting his return, reigning over his kingdom in his absence, all the while protecting the well-being of her son? One could argue that Penelope was not responsible for the outcome of these events, but rather merely the recipient of the forces of the universe that existed in her life. If this is the case, namely that Penelope never acted as an agent in the shaping of her own destiny, then why does Homer even bother telling us anything about Penelope as he tells us about Odysseus? To this I would agree, countering only on the grounds... ... the art of reflexive rhetoric acts only on impulse, or fails to act at all. While Penelope certainly has moments of all three (impulse, failure, and deliberate action), her impulse and failure only serve to dilate (not Subjugate) the sense of her freedom and power in her deliberate moments. Moreover, far from dehumanizing Penelope, (casting her away as absent/impotent/feminine), the wide range of her intellectual and emotional responses makes her a more human character than the constant and predictable Odysseus. The purpose of this paper is not to uncover Penelope, stripping her of her veil, leaving her exposed and vulnerable to the cold stare of analysis. Rather, it is to cultivate an imagination that can look upon the veiled Penelope and respect that which is covered so alluringly: her reflexivity, her rhetoric, and the cunning of her feminine deliberation.

Peter Careys The Fat Man In History Essay -- essays research papers

Peter Carey’s The Fat Man in History Entrapment and Isolation are common attributes of characters throughout several of the stories in The Fat Man in History. This comes across in many forms, both physical and mental. In most of the stories both entrapment and isolation often the result of the interaction of both. Stories which this theme is apparent are Crabs, Windmill in the West, and A Report on the Shadow Industry. In all of these stories characters are both entrapped and isolated by their behaviour and environment. They are not totally entrapped or isolated in all situations as they can change their behaviour to avoid this, however some of the stories depicting characters isolated or entrapped by their environment have less choice in their situation. Crabs was one of the stories where the isolation and entrapment were results of behaviour but later involved environment. The setting we are introduced to is one of isolation portrayed by the every man for himself world. Car owners were the prey of both Karboys and Police with support from no one against these forces. Crabs could have avoided this by having car that was less of a target, or not having a car at all, even though this would have been a difficult sacrifice. This isolation was the cause for his physical entrapment in the drive-in. During his entrapment in the drive in a further isolation was endured by Crabs. His choice of solitude was brought on by himself however, as he had become bored with the world ...

Youth Gang Prevention

Youth Gang Prevention EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Gang prevention, intervention and suppression for youth at risk and gang members are strategies for addressing the recent increases in youth and gang related problems in the city of Norfolk, Virginia. State and local policymakers as well as citizens are concerned about public safety and want to avoid a continued increase in gang activity and membership. An effective response to the problems of youth must be built on a thorough understanding of the problem. There is an important role for Norfolk State University (NSU) to assist the City of Norfolk in addressing the problem and designing an effective program built on the strategies of prevention, intervention and suppression. This white paper outlines such a program and related strategies, which we believe will be a successful response to youth at risk and gang members. This program is focused in the six communities adjacent and next to the Norfolk State Campus, and is designed to support and enhance community organizations and families in their effort to address youth at risk and reduce violence. The program includes the strategies of prevention, intervention and suppression, and is highlighted by a five point component structure. These five points are as follows: 1)} build a solid community social network of community organizations, churches, government agencies, police units, local businesses, schools, and so forth,. 2) a range of services/workshops/training and educational opportunities offered and available to the residents of the communities identified by key street workers, clergy, parents, police, and other youth. ) the utilization of key family and ex gang members in working directly with youth and gang members with experience in addressing such problems. 4) the creation of an educational ladder designed to provide alternative patterns of behavior and provide opportunities for the youth and the parents. 5) an evaluation plan focused on determining which aspects of the program are most effective and cost beneficial. ADDRESSING THE PROBLEM This program expands on the di scussions held on campus. It builds on the range of services and workshops provided by NSU and other groups working in this area and directly with NSU. This program is intended to include what is currently available and expands the capability of folks within NSU so as to support and strengthen families and youth in their development. It is very much intended to assist in diverting youth into alternative patterns of behavior and to reduce the need and/or preference for violence. FIRST COMPONENT The proposed project has five components. The first is to build a network of social, economic and religious organizations in the six communities adjacent to Norfolk State University. Such a network is critical so that information, brochures and direct contact can be made with community residents and organizational leaders. We will most likely need to meet with them most likely in their habitat so as to explain the intent of the program and what we would have them to contribute to the overall effort. Most important would be for them to help distribute the information we prepare, be able to answer basic questions or connect residents with key personnel in the project. We would very much like for some to consider holding workshops and/or educational programs in their facilities. The type of locales that we are considering would be the public and private schools, the cChurches, recreation and community centers, hair salons and barbershops, and any other places where people gather. The work on our part would be to meet face to face with the managers/ workers/ owners and discuss our effort. We would show them our brochures and other information and leave them with the names of two or three people to call in case they need to contact us, as well as maintaining consistent contact over a period of time so that they will understand the need to address the youth related problems. SECOND COMPONENT The second component would be the somewhat detailed and clearly spelled out range of services/workshops/training/and educational opportunities available through our project. The set of services we intend to use have been provided for several years by the Virginia Gang Prevention Program, which includes God’s X Gangsters. They are familiar with and have provided some services in the areas we intend to serve. NSU has been partnering with them for a little over three years, have been the site of a couple of conferences, and it is where many meetings of the group have been held all within the School of Social Work and NSU’s Brambleton Center of late. more lately its Brambleton Center. In this context we envision developing a peer mentoring program in the community, such as gang prevention for youth, gang intervention for youth, intensive gang intervention services, group/6-week certificate, gang awareness for parentsparents’ in-home/group, intensive in-home services, train the trainers, and certificate training for trainers. These workshops and training programs have already been provided, but we will need to do it in a consistent, systematic and developmental manner, and make certain that we cover a community. Family Systems Inc is another community based agency which serves the youth and their families. It has some interesting programs already being provided to youth such as an entrepenurialentrepreneurial group and a youth skills group. It has a staff well connected to youth, families, courts and police, and would significantly provide additional services to this program. There are also other treatment opportunities for parents and youth when such services are indicated. We are looking at the risk factors that God’s X Gangsters haves learned are associated with gang involved and youth at risk. These risk factors are failure in school, family problems, substance abuse, pattern behaviors and â€Å"conduct† problems, gang membership and gun possession, and incidents of violence. These are important indicators to make others aware of what the program will address and to make certain that these youngsters need special attention. THIRD COMPONENT One of the most important new services we will embrace is the creation of an educational ladder. This ladder would form the basis of creating opportunities and provide a source of hope for parents, teachers, and youth. In this context, we would work with the youth to determine their needs, whether it be learning to read and write, reading comprehension and literacy, assisting in obtaining a GED, moving into learning a trade, going to community college, or coming to NSU. This opportunity ladder would assist providers of service with a chance for growth in addition to the suppression model and the reinforcement of our treatment model so prevalent in addressing such problems. We envision that this type of service would also be made available to family members, so they can be a source of encouragement for the youth and others. The full range of services we are capable of providing include, anger management/conflict resolution, one-on-one social mentoring, social skills training, goal setting, attitude formation, empathy development, problem solving skills, bully prevention/violence reduction and substance abuse awareness and reduction. These courses/workshops would be addressed in weekly modules in addition to the initial six week training module where the overall program is introduced and discussed. FOURTH COMPONENT In this component we want to make it easy and possible for people to sign up for these services and/or workshops. This will likely be accomplished when the information is distributed in the community organizations and commercial operations. There will be a checklist which we will use to contact those who complete them and indicate what they would like us to addressed. It is likely that we might see several services or courses checked off and we would maintain a list of needed service as well as a mailing list of folks for us to contact for over time. We would also have a blank where one would like for the services to be held, and we would go to those locations. It may be that we would hold some classes in barbershops, which would be an excellent resource because we want to address people in their own back yard and then encourage them to go to other locations when they feel comfortable. It is very likely that we will incorporate the interns in social work and in the Psy. D. programs, under supervision of professional faculty and other treatment professionals. The interns would assist in organizing after school educational and recreational programs as well as assisting in the development and implementation of service learning efforts. They would help in distributing the program information and when indicated would co-lead groups. In other situations, they would help with short- term intervention, make referrals and bring attention to youth at potential for trouble. In another context, we have worked with and used Liberty Counseling services and we would likely use them as a case permits. We intend to use the NSU Counseling Center when appropriate and on a case-by-case basis. The services that NSU uses would be based at the Brambleton Center, where it is envisioned that the project would be housed. It will be necessary and important for the NSU security personnel to work closely with the City of Norfolk Police Department in order to coordinate activities. This collaborative effort is key as we are addressing the six communities surrounding NSU. One important feature of this coordinated effort would be to identify youth at risk and gang members for our own work force to make either the first or follow up contact as we seek to reduce violence, rather than seek arrest and adjudication. In these contacts where an assessment of the problem would be made, it is critical that our work force have the service possibilities and the educational opportunities readily available. FIFTH COMPONENT The fifth component would be evaluation. Such an evaluation would be based on a developmental model where we would constantly usinguse the data to enhance the specific courses, etc. We would work with our Assessment unit to develop evaluative feedback information for the programs provided so that we can make well-informed decisions about our overall effort. We would be particularly interested in determining what works, what is most cost-effective, whatere are the favorable locations, and so forth. This information is critical if we are to show success. use money wisely. One last but not least point is that while a very effective project can be developed and implemented we would need a source of funds. This is not easy to note particularly when the economy is so poor and our University and City are in economic turmoil;, however, we will need to explore funding for the project. To date, Prof. Banks has agreed to work with Prof. S. Lowe and Prof. J. Robinson on developing the educational ladder, Interim Director D. Sanderlin and Mr. Turan Smith from the Brambleton Center is are working on identifying key community resources for the network, and Pastor B. Emory is coordinating the service component of the project. These folks have agreed to work as part of a team to design an effective project associated and driven via NSU. Chief Walker, Dr. Coleman and I will work together to coordinate the overall project. CONCLUSION This project incorporates the strategies of prevention, intervention and suppression in a program designed to deal effectively with youth at risk and gang members in the six communities surrounding Norfolk State University. The program is built on a five point component system which is well integrated so that each contributes to and strengthens the others. It is also community based relying on the strengths and resources of these communities, in addition to the resources of NSU and its educational thrust and extensive community and outreach effort. The evaluation effort is intended to provide continuous feedback to the leadership of NSU, the leadership of the City of Norfolk, and others within the communities, as well as contributing to the understanding of addressing the problems of youth at risk.

Substance Abuse: It’s affect on Individuals, Family, Friends, and Society

The purpose of this essay is to shed light on substance abuse and its effect on individuals, family, friends, and society. This study examined reliable data regarding substance abuse, the effects it has on individuals, families, friends, and society. Included also are the risk and dangers associated with methamphetamines, and the problems associated with the drug trafficking industry worldwide. Treatment programs are available and can be beneficial to the individual as well as society. The preliminary results will show how substance abuse affects all people, businesses, and organizations involved.The conclusion can also be drawn that substance abuse and its effects are problems that, if treated properly, and the correct tactics are used in controlling its supply, can be managed to some extent. Substance abuse effects not only the person abusing drugs but also family, friends, and society as a whole. The costs associated with substance abuse is astonishing; these costs include medical care, court costs, the cost of treatment, court proceedings, and costs associated with crimes involving drugs. Prisons are overcrowded and the battle to keep illegal drugs out of the prison system continues.The problems associated with substance abuse are not only in the United States but Worldwide. New programs and tactics to treat and fight substance abuse have to be implemented to keep up with the ever changing drug industry. Individuals who abuse tobacco or other addictive drugs are at a higher risk illness, injuries, imprisonment, and death. Some of the health risks associated with substance abuse include: dependency, impairments to brain function, cancers, STDs, HIV/AIDS, withdrawals, depression, seizures, liver, lung, and kidney problems, death, and many others (â€Å"Health Risks Associated with Alcohol and Drugs†, n.d. ).The brain can suffer many affects from substance abuse, from addiction, mild anxiety and depression, to extensive manic and other psychopathic resp onses. Severe withdrawal symptoms from â€Å"physiological depressants such as alcohol and benzodiazepines are hyperactivity, elevated blood pressure, agitation and anxiety† (Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, 2005). After withdrawing from stimulants a person will feel depressed, tired, and withdrawn. â€Å"Any substance taken in very large quantities over a long enough period can lead to a psychotic state† (Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, 2005).Cancer is another health problem associated with substance abuse. Intravenous drug use, unprotected sex, and heavy drinking can cause liver damage and result in cirrhosis and cancer of the liver. Diseases such as hepatitis C can be contributed to unprotected sex and intravenous drug use; sometimes leading to liver diseases. According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) (2013) estimates that, â€Å"in 2011 a total of 14. 0 million people injected drugs worldwide, which corresponds to 0. 31 percent o f the population aged 15 – 64† (Extent of health consequences of drug use : injecting drug use.para 1. ).People infected with the hepatitis C virus (HCV) are high among intravenous drug users. The UNODC (2013) â€Å"estimates that the global prevalence of HCV among people who inject drugs is 51. 0 percent, meaning that 7. 2 million people who inject drugs were living with HCV in 2011† (HIV among people who inject drugs. para. 2) HIV/AIDS and STDs are common among drug users and be spread through unprotected sex and intravenous drug use, which is a behavior known to be associated with substance abusers. UNODC (2013) estimates that of the 14.0 million people who inject drugs, â€Å"1. 6 million are living with HIV; that represents a global prevalence of HIV of 11. 5 percent among people who inject drugs† (HIV among people who inject drugs. para. 1).Premature death due to drug overdose has been on the rise. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), ( 2013), â€Å"in 2010, 30,006 (78%) of the 38,329 drug overdose deaths in the United States were unintentional, 5,298 (14%) of suicidal intent, and 2,963 (8%) were of undetermined intent† (The Problem, para. 3).The statistics show that men are more likely to die than women and that â€Å"American Indians/Alaska Natives had the highest death rate, followed by whites and then blacks; the highest death rates among people 45-49 years of age; and the lowest rates among children less than 15 years of age† (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2013, Risk Factors for Drug Overdose). Drugs are now to blame for more deaths than motor vehicle accidents, for the first time (ABC news).According to The National Institute on Drug Abuse (2013),† an estimated 10.3 million people aged 12 or older reported driving under the influence of illicit drugs during the year prior to the survey† (How Many People Take Drugs and Drive). Drugs also play a major role in traffic accid ents; According to Science Daily, â€Å"between 1998 and 2009, there were more than 44,000 fatally injured drivers with drug-test information—one quarter of whom tested positive for drugs†(Deadly Drugged Driving: Drug use tied to fatal car crashes, 2011, para. 11). According to MADD (n. d), â€Å"over 1. 2 million drivers were arrested in 2011 for driving under the influence of alcohol or narcotics† (Statistics, para.2).Death of a loved one affects the family members and friends, not only emotionally but also financially. There are very few states that offer assistance in funerals and those that do only pay a small amount (Funeral Ethics Organization, 2012). Substance abuse can affect families in many ways. Children of parents who abuse drugs are at a higher risk of child abuse and of being born prematurely, low birth weights, and other problems which occur at birth.According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (n. d.), â€Å"there may be as many as 45,000 cocaine-exposed babies born per year† (Magnitude: Addiction Affects Everyone: Prenatal. ). Women who smoke during pregnancy deliver babies that have a lower average birth rate than those of women who do not (NIDA). The risk to children in homes where the parents manufacture drugs is even greater. â€Å"Approximately 50% to 80% of all child abuse and neglect cases substantiated by child protected services involve some degree of substance abuse by the child’s parents†, according to National Institute on Drug Abuse: Magnitude (Addiction Affects Us All: Child Abuse).The emotional and financial burdens of living with a person who has a substance abuse problem can be overwhelming. Some of the other effects include the risk of HIV, increased risk of substance abuse in children born to addicted mothers, conduct problems in children living in homes where there is substance abuse present, marital problems, emotional and physical abuse, and legal problems (â€Å"Substance Abuse Affects Families†, n. d. ).Many times children born to or living in homes where the parents have a substance abuse problem, the children will end up in foster care. According to American Humane Association, † the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University, by the American Humane Organization estimates in a 2005 report states that substance abuse is a factor in at least 70 percent of all reported cases of child maltreatment† (Parental Substance Abuse Can Lead to Child Abuse and Neglect).The number of children living in foster care is a financial burden to society as a whole. Society is affected by substance abuse in a number of ways including increased crime rates, lower property rates in drug infested areas, and financial burdens to federal, state, and local governments, and taxpayers. According to the Drug War Facts Organization (1998-2013), â€Å"of the 1,552,432 arrests for drug law violations in 2012, 82.2% (1,276,099) were f or possession of a controlled substance, and 276,333 were for the sale or manufacturing of a drug† (Basic Data, para. 1).This along with stricter sentencing policies has caused an overcrowding of jails and prisons. Not only are the jails and prisons filled with people convicted of drug possession, sales, and manufacturing, but they also consist of people convicted of crimes committed to support their habits (Drug War Facts Organization Basic Data, section 6).The annual costs per federal inmate according to The Urban Organization (2012), are â€Å"$21,006 for minimum security, $25,378 for low security, $26,247 for medium security, and $33,930 for high security† (Prison is expensive) According to the Vera Institute of Justice,(2012), â€Å"among the 40 states surveyed, representing more than 1. 2 million inmates (of 1. 4 million total people incarcerated in all 50 states prison systems), the total per-inmate costs averaged $31,286 annually†(Total Taxpayer Cost Per Inmate, p. 8, para 1).There are also state and federal costs associated with training within the federal and state law enforcement agencies and prisons. Methamphetamine labs not only put the safety of citizens at risk but they also cost the state, federal, and local government as well as the taxpayers a considerable amount of money. People who live near these labs, law enforcement personnel, and emergency responders are all at risk of being seriously injured or killed. Law enforcement means and allocated expenditures are strained because of the costs associated with disposing of and cleaning up of methamphetamine labs.According to the National Drug Intelligence Center, â€Å"the average cost to clean up a methamphetamine production laboratory is $1,900; given that an average of 9,777 lab seizures were reported to NCLSS each year between 2002 and 2004, the economic impact is obvious† (The Impact of Drugs on Society, para. 6). There was also additional training needed for deali ng with these labs which was not only an added financial burden but increased workloads (National Drug Intelligence Center: The Impact of Drugs on Society, para. 6).The burden felt within the law enforcement system is not the only industry that has been affected by drug use. As of 2009, most drug users aged 18 and over, were employed and admitted to having used drugs while employed. The turnover and absenteeism, according to the Office of National Drug Control Policy (n. d), â€Å"from 2002 to 2004, full-time workers aged 18-64 who reported current illicit drug use were more than twice as likely as those reporting no current illicit drug use to report they had worked for three or more employers in the past year†(Turnover and Absenteeism).Current drug users were also more likely to miss more days of work. According to United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (1998), â€Å"estimates by the United States Department of Labor in the mid1990s suggest that drug use in the workplace may cost American business and industry between $75 billion and $100 billion annually in lost time, accidents and higher health-care and worker’s compensation costs† (Economic consequences of drug abuse and trafficking, p. 17, para. 3). School performance is lower for drug users than for non-drug users according to the whitehouse. gov website.The fight against drug abuse is not only in the workforce, schools, and society in the United States, but worldwide. According to Stein (2012), an author for the Los Angeles Times, in one article out of a series of articles they are doing on addiction states that â€Å"about 200 million people around the world use illegal drugs every year† (Stein, 2012). The study contained information regarding four drug categories; opioids, amphetamines, cocaine, and marijuana. The rates of drug users are higher in developed countries. Social factors and the accessibility of drugs also affect the rates.Drug use fell behind tobacco and alc ohol use in mortality rates, but when considering the lost years of life drugs rated higher at 2. 1 million, according to Stein (Stein, 2012). Drug trafficking is another problem felt worldwide; according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), â€Å"given the large quantities of licit substances that make their way across oceans and continents every day, in containers and even small boats, maritime trafficking poses a particularly knotty challenge for the authorities†(Executive Summary: Maritime trafficking poses challenge to authorities, para.1).Maritime seizures are usually larger than those seizures of trafficking by road or air (Executive Summary: Maritime trafficking poses challenge to authorities, para. 3). New trafficking routes are being looked for as the old ones are being discovered, causing the authorities to have to step up their efforts in controlling the drug trafficking industry. New drugs are being created daily to not only meet with the dema nd for them but to help traffickers avoid detection. With this increase of new drugs the number of new narcotics under international control had be increased.With all the drugs and the drug abuse in the United States as well as around the world the need for treatment programs and tactics to fight drug abuse is on the rise. There are five primary treatment models that professional in the field of substance abuse can use: psychoeducational models are used in educating patients about substance abuse, related behaviors and their consequences; skills development groups basically try to teach individuals the skills they will need to maintain a drug free lifestyle.; cognitive-behavioral groups are designed to change the clients thinking patterns; support groups help reinforce the clients’ efforts regarding their thinking and emotions and help them develop better interpersonal skills while in recovery.There are also relapse prevention treatment groups, communal and culturally specifi c treatment groups, and expressive groups (Center for Substance Abuse Treatment: Group Therapy, 2005). One or all of these types groups may be used in the treatment of substance abuse and in different settings.There are different types of substance abuse facilities available for the treatment of addiction. â€Å"Facilities operated by private, nonprofit organizations account for 58% of treatment facilities. Private, for-profit facilities (29%), and the remaining facilities are operated by local governments (6 percent), state governments (3 percent), Federal Government (2 percent), and tribal governments (1 percent)† (Substance abuse treatment facilities: New data, 2010: Major Findings, para. 1).Programs are also being made available in jails and prisons to help reduce the number of returnees to the prison system. Substance abuse treatments vary in price but can be very expensive although it is believed that the benefits outweigh the costs. The National Institute on Drug Abuse (2012) states that, â€Å"according to several conservative estimates, every dollar invested in addiction treatment programs yields a return of between $4 and $7 in reduced drug-related crime, criminal justice costs, and theft† (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2012: Is drug addiction treatment worth its cost?, para. 2).When healthcare savings are figured in to that savings it can exceed costs by a 12 to 1 ratio, so while the costs may seem great the benefits can be even greater. Family and friends can help addicts find treatment and resources to help pay for the treatment as well as being supportive while they are in treatment (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2012: Is drug addiction treatment worth its cost? ) There are several websites that are available to help obtain the information needed to locate the right treatment facility.The effectiveness of treatment varies depending on the individual and the treatment facility and type. According to NIH, â€Å"research that tracks individuals in treatment over an extended periods, most people who get into and remain in treatment stop using drugs, decrease their criminal activity, and improve their occupational, social, and psychological functioning†(National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2012: How effective is drug addiction treatment? , para 1). Substance abuse affects individuals, family members, friends, and society as a whole.There are astonishing costs related to drug abuse, crimes committed related to drug use and producing drugs, and the cost associated with authorities who fight against drugs. The jails and prisons are overcrowded and the staffs are overworked. Substance abuse is not a problem associated with just the Unites States, but worldwide. There are treatment options and facilities available, although; they can be costly. However, statistics show that the benefits far outweigh the costs in most cases.

Human Resource Management and Personnel Management Essay

Introduction 1. This report discusses the historical development of Human Resource Management (HRM), identifies the role and purposes of HRM, and also to distinguish between personnel management and HRM. The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) defines personnel management as â€Å"the part of management concerned with people at work and with their relationships within an enterprise. It aims to bring together, and develop into an effective organisation, the people within an business, having regard for the welfare of the individual and of working groups, to enable them to make their best contribution to its success.† HRM may be defined as â€Å"a strategic and coherent approach to the management of an organisation’s most valued assets: the people working there who individually and collectively contribute to the achievement of its objectives for sustainable competitive advantage†. The Nature and Development of Personnel management 2. HRM obtained acknowledgment in the late 1970’s in the USA, as a label for the way companies such as IBM were managing their people. These companies applied the principles outlined by David Guest (1989) to gain a competitive edge over their competitors. These four principles are listed below. a) Strategic integration -â€Å"the ability of organisations to integrate HRM issues into their strategic plans, to ensure that the various aspects of HRM cohere and for line managers to incorporate a HRM perspective into their decision making†. b) High commitment – â€Å"people must be managed in a way that ensures both their genuine ‘behavioural’ commitment to pursuing the goals of the organisation and their ‘attitudinal’ commitment, reflected in strong identification with the organisation†. c) Flexibility – â€Å"HRM policies must be structured to allow maximum flexibility for the organisation, so it can respond to ever changing business needs: for example, by encouraging functional versatility in employees and by creating ‘an adaptable organisational structure with the capacity to manage innovation†. d) High Quality – â€Å"The notion of quality must run through everything the organisation does, ‘including the management of employees and investment in high-quality employees, which in turn will bear directly on the quality of the goods and services provided†. Personnel management can be traced back to second half of the nineteenth century when Victorian workers were hit hard by the industrialisation, and urbanisation of Britain. Companies such as Cadbury and Rowntree, initiated programmes for their employees managed on their behalf by ‘industrial welfare workers’, the philosophy behind these people was that in the welfare tradition, the work and responsibilities of the personnel officer was directed to the employees, rather than to the strategic concerns of the organisation and its management. The programmes included facilities such as company housing, health care, education for workers’ families and so on. The motivation for these measures included, that they reflected a wider social reform, led by political and religious groups. In the USA groups like Quakers were abolishing slavery, and striving to increase business performance by the moral and social enhancement of their employees. Moreover, as more motivation to convert to these programmes, improved health and education for the workers and their families meant that these employers would have a better reputation with employees and consumers, employees would be more committed and motivated, also there would always be great demand for a job within the company. This can be linked to Maslow’s theory on the hierarchy of needs, in which he states that workers are motivated by five different needs. Physiological- pay, holidays (lower order need) Safety – Health and safety measures, pensions (lower order need) Social – formal and informal groups, social events (lower order need) Self-esteem – power, promotion (higher order need) Self-actualisation – challenging work, developing new skills (higher order need) These programmes and jobs would provide something for each of the lower order needs, therefore increasing motivation throughout the workforce. Furthermore, consumers would feel morally better as they were buying products that were helping the working classes. This could be considered very similar to the ideas linked with the popularity of fair trade products in modern day society. The demise of the working class was outlined at this time when the British government had problems recruiting troops for the Crimean and Boer wars, as many people failed the medical, and the health of the nations labourers was brought into the limelight. The need for negotiation, conflict resolution and the management of relationships between labour and management occurred in 1871 with the legislation of trade unions. This was recognised politically, with formation of the aptly named Labour Representation Committee in 1900, which was renamed in 1906 as the Labour party, which was largely funded by the trade union development. In 1911, the National Insurance Scheme created the first welfare provisions for workers in the result of illness, or unemployment. The establishment of the Ministry of Labour to address wider issues and representations quickly followed this in 1916. In the 1930’s and 40’s management theorists changed attributes of their theories, as scientific management which was in current use came under scrutiny for dehumanising employees. This is when the HRM approach began to appear, being backed by Maslow, Herzberg, and McGregor who shifted their attention to the higher order needs, as shown above on Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. The new key to motivation of the workforce involved ‘job satisfaction’, which it was then believed, could not be achieved just from ‘maintenance’ factors like pay and working conditions. The governments influence on industrial relations, and the workforces continued until the mid 1970’s in conjunction with social reforms in health and education. After this time the UK government did not interfere in collaborated relationships between the employer and employee, with the exception of trade union reform. In spite of that the latter half of the twentieth century saw extreme legislation in all sectors of employment. It was during this era that the industrial relations tradition suggests that the work and the responsibility of the personnel officer was to mediate and even arbitrate between the sides in industrial disputes, to facilitate collective bargaining, negotiation and compliance with the current industrial relations laws. As a response to the escalating speed of organisational expansion and alterations, the control of labour tradition suggests that the work and responsibility of the personnel officer is to support management by regulating the range of workplace activity. This includes job allocation, performance, absenteeism, pay, communication, training, and so on. The CIPD have endeavoured to establish personnel management as a career, by providing a programme of learning resulting in a qualification. However, many personnel managers do not posses this qualification and this is rarely seen as an obstruction within the career. It is safe to say that all personnel managers will use remnants of the welfare, industrial, and the control of labour traditions to become part of the professional tradition that is occurring today. The Role and Tasks of the Personnel Function 3. Personnel specialists can take various roles like line mangers, advisors, service providers, auditors, Co-ordinators and planners and in today’s modern world of rapidly developing technology, ethics, and growing organisations in any business there is need for specialist advice on personnel matters, whether it is internal or external. This is because the practise of personnel management needs to be consistent, impartial, proficient and on course with organisational goals, as there are constant developments in this field that require expertise in the area of personnel management. The need for this specialist has several contributing factors including the need to comply with changing regulation and legislation, for example the personnel specialist may be used to recruit staff to avoid sex or racial discrimination. Constant changes within the labour market have also meant that policies need to be designed by someone with current knowledge on the matter. Moreover, trade unions, industrial tribunals, and the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS) have a continuous role in employee relations; therefore having some one who is familiar with the legislation amongst other things that is used would be very useful. However, since there the existing role of the personnel manager is so diverse there are different models derived by different theorists. A popular model is that suggested by Tyson and Fell (1986). The three roles that they suggest are: * The clerk of works model – all authority for actions is with line managers. Personnel policies are formed after the actions that created the need. Policies are not integral and are short term and ad hoc. Personnel activities are routine and involve day-to-day administration. * The contracts manager model – Policies are established, often implicit, with heavy industrial relations emphasis. The personnel department will use fairly sophisticated systems especially with regard to employee relations. The personnel manager is likely to be a professional or experienced in industrial relations. They should take on the role of policing the implementation of policies, but does not create them. * The architect model – Explicit corporate personnel policies exist as part of the corporate strategy. HR planning and development are important concepts. The head of the function is likely to be on the Board of Directors, and is therefore seen as a professional, making an important contribution to the business. Policies are often formed to assist in the personnel function to make sure that people are treated equally, and that laws and regulations are met. These can include equal opportunities, disciplinary policies, and safety policies. The policies are based upon legislation put in place by the Government and the EU in certain areas like safety. The values and philosophies of the business about how the employees should be treated and what kind of behaviour will enable them to work most effectively on the organisation’s behalf. The needs and wants of employees, and the organisations need to attract and retain the kind of employees it wants by its reputation of practice as an employer. The Shift in Approach Which Has Led to the Term HRM 4. Throughout history the social change has been reflected in personnel management, and which also changes in conjunction with the social needs. This is shown by the implementation of legislation and rules, to stop discrimination and aid safety measures, as the social climate becomes more morally aware of the workforce. In the late nineteenth century it would not have been unheard of for people to die at work, even into the twentieth century there were still accident that occur to labourers working in primary industries, but this became more shocking, as with the development of technology it was publicised by the media and made safer by improvements, as a company realised that its image was very important. A political and economic change is also evident through out history, for example in the 1970’s when the government would no longer interfere with some matters between employer and employee relations, this is because it was realised that full employment was not as important as controlling inflation and other economic factors. Also HRM has become common through out the business world and is thoroughly integrated into the organisational structure of a business. This is because it has been found that companies use this approach in different strengths to achieve a competitive edge over their rivals. Today companies like Marks & Spencer, McDonalds, and even public sector businesses like British Gas are using various strengths of HRM. Recommendations 5. To draw conclusion, it is my recommendation that Phoenix Tannoy Ltd. consider establishing a HR department as it is shown in history that the use of HRM does give a competitive edge over rivals, by motivating employees. The reality is that by moving to a HR department Phoenix Tannoy will motivate its workforce by implementing policies and procedures that benefit all the staff. Motivated staff are then more committed to the organisation, and motivated into doing the best they can to help the business achieve its goals. Moreover, a HR department would remove the depersonalised face of the personnel department and make the company less bureaucratic.