The Age of Depression Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Age of Depression - Article Example 156). Thus, the authors underline that depression is a term used both too widely and too narrowly. Psychiatrists who use it too widely apply it to diverse normal states, like sadness and grief, and diverse abnormal states, like paranoid paralysis due to fear, and obsessive ambivalent paralysis. "Revolutionary transformations" in psychiatry allow identify new causes and manifestation of emotional and mental disorders classified as depression. The authors give a special attention to strengths and weaknesses of such types as DSM I and DSM II editions. The new edition, DSM III proposed a new approach to psychiatric diagnosis criteria. Thus, the author underline that 'the main drawback of symptom-based criteria was they eliminated the consideration of the context in which the symptoms arose" (Horwitz & Wakefield 2005, p. 157). The authors take into account research studies comparing statistical results obtained during 1980s and 1990s. They found that some psychiatrists who apply the conce pt too narrowly deny depressive dynamics in others to hide them in themselves, from themselves. Or the diagnosis is not made because the patient disguises the illness: (1) as a behavioral symptom; (2) as an attitudinal symptom; (3) as a physical symptom; (4) as another psychological disorder. The authors claim that the main limitation of these studies that they ignored the context of symptoms. As the most important, the traditional symptom-based approach is easy to use but it is less effective. The description of the clinical manifestations of depression is organized according to the parameters of the mental status examination. While the diagnosis of depression is not warranted unless a significant number of the signs and symptoms are present, it should be suspected even in the presence of just a few of them. The authors state that "it is important to make distinction between the normal and sadness responses" in order to provide effective treatment because "medical interference in n ormal sadness can be even harmful" (Horwitz & Wakefield 2005, p. 159). Horwitz & Wakefield come to conclusion that DSM III has many limitations and inadequate criteria which caused 'unintended consequences' for general public and society. The authors of the articles discuss an important problem of criteria applied to the state of depression and negative consequences of misdiagnosis. I agree with the authors that it is crucial to apply both symptom-based and content-based criteria to diagnose mental disorders. According to DSM III, psychiatrists diagnose depression from depressive-like symptoms that are in fact part of another syndrome. Because symptoms characteristic for depression are also characteristic for other disorders, most depressive symptoms have a differential diagnosis. For instance, a patient can be misdiagnosed as "depressed" because he/she is unable to relate to others. In some cases, psychiatrists diagnose depression in the absence of illness. This happens when normal moodiness is misidentified as depression. Here the clinician fails to distinguish getting depressed from having a clinical depression, the symptom from the syndrome. The main limitations of the article are lack of current research and statistical data. The author use statistical information and research studies

Discussion Questions Essay Example for Free

Discussion Questions Essay DQ #1: Select a small business that you may want to start. What is strategic management and planning? Why would a strategic plan be important to the success of this business? How are the four functions of management relative to creating and implementing a strategic plan? I want to start an e-commerce sales business. The strategic management and planning guidelines for this kind of business include the following: Planning As an owner, I will analyze the direction the organization will go and create core objectives for the business. The objectives will help the company stay on track and assist in any unexpected developments that may arise down the road and short-term and long-term goals are designed. Organizing We will analyze our resources and determine the volume of products to purchase and the individual cost to generate profits. We will also review how many employees will be needed. Directing Our managers will be tasked with the responsibility of encouraging positive behavior from employees to create production that leads to higher profitable margins. Managers will implement a reward system for consistent high producers. Controlling The entire team will survey the operation and gauge areas that may require improvements or adjustments to maximize sales volumes. The team will also use the same goals and objectives that were previously established to review any issues or concerns and confirm that any negative feedback that may have been received is addressed. A strategic plan would be very necessary and important for this business to solidify a position in the e-commerce industry where customers can shop for quality products and the company will earn profits, while instilling great customer service. The four functions of management are relative to creating and implementing a strategic plan so all areas are balanced and functioning in conjunction with the expectations of the business. DQ #2: What is the difference between mission and vision statements? What factors must be considered to produce an appropriate mission and vision statement for an organization? Vision and mission statements various phrases that a company uses to describe or state their values, direction, integrity position, beliefs and style. The difference between the vision and mission statement is that the mission statement defines the purpose, goals and objectives of a business. The mission statement also explains the impact the business will have on the community. The vision statement speaks more to the values of the organization, explains the purpose of the achievements, and outlines how things should be done as the goals and objectives are being followed. In order to produce an appropriate mission and vision statement the business should focus on elements that build trust among potential consumers that will help them to understand the primary facets from which the business plans to operate. Some key variables are the quality of products and services that will be delivered, the contribution to the community, and the ethical position that will be the foundation of good business behaviors

Risk Management Of Ambuja Cement Economics Essay

Risk Management Of Ambuja Cement Economics Essay Ambuja Cements was set up in 1986. In the last decade the company has grown tenfold. The total cement capacity of ACL as on CY07 is 18.5 million tonnes. Its plants are some of the most efficient in the world. Its environment protection measures are on par with the finest in the developed world. ACL follows a unique home grown philosophy of giving people the authority to set their own targets, and the freedom to achieve their goals. This simple vision has created an environment where there are no limits to excellence, no limits to efficiency. It has presence in the North, East and Western regions of India. Its domestic market share stands at 10.2% as on CY07. ACL has developed a unique homespun channel management model called Channel Excellence Programme (CEP). Over 7,000 dealerships and 20,000 retailers across India are covered under this model. This program emphasizes the relationship management approach to build strong business ties with the dealers and retailers. ACL largely expor ts to the Middle East. ACL was one of the first companies to be equipped with shipping fleet and make use of sea as a medium to transport cement across the globe. Sea transport costs one-third of road transport. It has a port terminal at Muldwarka, Gujarat that handles ships with 40,000 DWT. It is also equipped to export clinker and cement and import coal and furnace oil. ACL is the one of the most profitable cement companies in India, and one of the lowest cost producers of cement in the world. GACL has bulk cement terminals at Muldwarka (Gujarat), Panvel, Navi Mumbai and Surat. Risks in Company- Demand-supply mismatch could take time to stabilise, thereby putting further pressures on margins- Recently due to Slowdown of the cement demand a mismatch come into effect so due to excess production and supply of the cement company is bearing on the front of lower margins. Cement price / realisations to dip on account of demand slowdown- As mentioned above the demand slowdown impacted the prices to take it lower so company is having less profits which is adversily effecting the future growth projects lead out by GACL. Rise in input costs affecting OPMs- GACLs OPMs were at its peak in Q1CY07 after which it has seen a constant fall due to the rising prices of commodities like fly ash, gypsum, coal, crude oil, etc, rise in power fuel costs and rise in other expenditure. Higher clinker purchase pulls down margin- Higher clinker purchase pulled down the margin of the company. Ambuja is trading at a steep premium to its peers despite the fact that it does not have the best return ratios and best margins in the industry. Thus, we are maintaining our UNDERPERFORMER rating on the stock. Demand-Supply gap, overcapacity: The capacity additions distort the demand-supply equilibrium in the industry  thereby affecting profitability. Risks in Industry- Increased cost of production due to increase in coal prices. High Interest rates on housing: The re-pricing of the interest rates in the last four years from 7% to 12% has resulted in the slowdown in residential property market. Imports from Pakistan affecting markets in Northern India: In 2007, 130000 tonnes in 2008, 173000 Metric tones of  cement  was exported to India. This was done to keep the price of cement  under check. Effect of global recession on real estate: The real estate prices are stabilizing and facing steady slowdown especially in metros. There has been drastic reduction in property prices due to reduced demand and increased supply. Shifting supplies from export market to domestic market: ACL is the largest exporter among the Indian cement players. Its exports account for nearly one-third of the total exports from the country by listed players. ACL witnessed reduction in exports by 28% to 1.3 mn tonnes in CY07 vis-à  -vis 1.8 mn tonnes in CY06 due to diversion of exports to the domestic market on account of more lucrative prices in the domestic markets. The recent lifting of the ban on export of cement in the backdrop of waning demand for this crucial construction input from the real estate sector will have marginal impact on exports from India as the government had allowed export of cement from ports in Gujarat (accounting for 85% of the exports from India) on May 27, 2008. The ban was imposed on April 11 this year to curb the rapidly rising inflation. Competitors:  The Indian cement industry has a large number of fragmented firms. There is also a dearth of new players as incumbents have already procured key raw material sources, like limestone reserves on long-term leases. Further, large firms are continuously consolidating by acquiring smaller ones that find it difficult to attain minimum efficient scale of production. Product: Cement is a bulk commodity and a low value product. It is sold in 50 kg packs as OPC grade 33, 43, and 53. It is used in all construction activities as a primary constituent of concrete. Due to similar raw material inputs and production processes, there is no significant differentiation in the cement produced across firms. Environmental Issues:  Greenhouse gas emissions from cement manufacturing pose a serious environmental threat. Currently, the cement industry generates 5% of Indias total carbon-dioxide emissions.2  With stringent emission norms, the production process needs to be made environmentally sustainable. The cost of implementing new production processes that help reduce emissions can be offset by trading certified emission reductions (CERs). CERs are a component of national and international emissions trading schemes, implemented through Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) projects, in an attempt to mitigate global warming.3  Credits obtained through implementation of such projects can be traded in international markets. Risk Techniques used by Company- Company is expanding its operations by purchasing more units and invreasing the production capacity to further lower down the overall production costs to remain competitive in the industry. It also is reducing costs by making to reach to the Big suppliers which can provide quality materials in less prices. It is how company responded to the challenges. Post Impact of Risk Management techniques- Company has come forward in the industry and increased the operations in many states, also enhanced its exports and has posed a challenge before other companies.

County cork :: essays research papers

Philipps-Università ¤t Marburg  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Fachbereich 10: Fremdsprachliche Philologien Institut fà ¼r Anglistik und Amerikanistik PS: The Landscape of Ireland Leitung: Madeleine Kinsella Hausarbeit von Mathias Weber County Cork County Cork The aim of this term paper is to give an overview of the county Cork, beginning with its geographical location then present some historical events that are relevant to the history of Cork and finally show the places of interest, both of the county Cork and of the city itself. The population amounts to 400,000 inhabitants according to the CSO and the principal city, Cork city, covers an area of 378 hectares with about 120,000 inhabitants. County Cork also includes 640 km of coastline with many beaches, steep cliffs, making the importance of the sea play an even greater importance since Cork has one the principal harbor of Ireland. It connects Ireland to France (Roscoff, Le Havre) and the United Kingdom (Swansea). Until the sixties it used to be the starting point of many steamers for America and also the departure point of three million Irishmen who emigrated to the “new world'; in the 19th. This port has in fact contributed a lot to the economic and commercial development of Cork and the whole of Ireland. The climate is also largely influenced by the ocean: soft, wet and windy thus allowing a great variety in flora and fauna. Cork derives from the Irish ‘Corcah Mor Mumham’ and means the ‘great Marsh of Munster’ and refers to the fact that the center of Cork city is built on islands, surrounded by the River Lee, which were marshy and prone to episodes of flooding. Some of the waterways between the islands were built over to form some of the main streets of present day Cork. The oblong shape of the city center island, bounded by the north and south channel of the Lee give Cork much of its physical charm. Spencer even immortalized the unusual topography of the city when he wrote:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  “The spreading Lee that like an island fayre   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   encloseth Cork with his divided flood'; Even tough a few prehistoric artifacts have been found, the monastery of Cork represents one of the earliest evidence of human settlement in this region. As said earlier the sea played an important role in the history of Cork as the first foreign known settlers came using maritime means: the Vikings frequently raided isolated monasteries. An attack by the Vikings is reported to have taken place around Cork in 802; they raided the abbey and the settlement nearby.

Case Study of Stock Management System

In effect this means getting the correct product to the customer in the right place at the right time. When talking about the customer it is important to distinguish between the customer in the street i.e. general public, and the customer, the trader, who is buying the goods to sell on at any level. The term logistics applies to all customers but we are applying the term to the trader for the benefit of this study. In recent years, focus upon logistics has become of paramount importance at all levels of trade and has become a major emphasis in large-scale retail, especially those with a high and fast turnover i.e. supermarkets. This is reflected in recent reports:  ¡Ã‚ §A prime objective of any business should be constantly to seek ways of reducing the total costs of ownership while lowering their own costs ¡K ¡ Cost of ownership is the costs above those charged, for example, inventory carrying, warehousing and handling, ordering and quality inspection. To minimalise these costs, large-scale retailers have spent great deals of money upon centralized stock distribution and computerized inventory management systems, to try and gain a competitive market advantage. Centralized stock distribution involves using one as opposed to many warehouses to distribute stock for more efficient transportation. Inventory management systems automate many of the tasks involved in the control of stock and reordering. Without effective distribution and effective inventory management systems, other activities and functions carried out within the company may at best, fail to be optimized and, at worst, be rendered a waist of time if time. Therefore no money and (or) time saved in the long term. Leaders of these management systems include the likes of J. Sinsbury, Tesco, Asda, Iceland and Safeway, the case study I shall discuss in this piece of coursework. Safeway has a sales base ordering inventory management system, known as Stock Management III (SMIII), introduced in 1992/3. This was fully implemented to centrally distribute many of their product ranges, including; grocery, beers, wines and spirits and non-food department items. SMIII ¡s aim was to improve the accuracy of stock ordered in the stores, reducing the number of out of stock produce and therefor creating sales maximization. Moreover reducing wastage, reducing backstocks and creating a consistency in merchandising practices. SMIII uses data collected in each store to work out the sales forecast for each product using the store inventory. It then converts these quantities for ordering. These processes rely on data input for accuracy. There are six key concepts involved in this process. Firstly, the sales forecast. Line by line information on sales is built up at the checkout. A forecast of how much more stock is likely to be required is then calculated for future ordering periods. The demand is calculated using specific parameters for each line. The system must take into account: how much stock the store already has; the space allocated for each product; the code life of products (when they become out-of-date); outstanding deliveries; sales opportunities (promotions etc.) and current business policies. The system will then calculate how much stock is needed for sales and the amount needed to fill the shelves. Case Rounding rules are needed to convert the two figures, that of sales and to fill the shelf, for ordering. This is quite simple. The system will always order enough stock to fulfil the sales. It then decides according to the amount of shelf space, whether to round up or down to the nearest case to fill the shelves. It must be noted that the accuracy of the orders generated by the system is only as good as the data input. Data is obtained from a number of sources, therefor it relies upon each department or division getting its part of the process correct. The departments are responsible for entering product and item movement information into SMIII and processing stock as follows: Trading: ranging, space allocation, units per outer (UPO), data integrity. Supply chain: supply to depot, optimum lead times, data integrity. Distribution: delivery of right stock to store at right time. Store: replenishing shelves, scanning, accurate bookstocks. If any one of these items is omitted then the process will fail. These above activities affect the inventory and range, the two key aspects of SMIII. The system relies on accurate inventory data. Most item movement is updated automatically; deliveries through the companies central distribution system and sales captured by scanning at the checkouts. The store though is required to inform SMIII of any stock that enters or leaves the store through other channels. For example: spoilage; inter-store transfers; inter-departmental transfers (e.g. purchases for the staff restaurant); cross-picks (stock delivered but not ordered and vice versa); quality control (damaged stock that is not offered for sale). Moreover stores take a bookstock check.. This is where a check is undertaken for any product out of stock, or where stock levels are exceptionally high or low. If the bookstock is inaccurate, the system is informed, improving the accuracy of the next order. The range refers to the actual range of products the store holds. For instance, a smaller in-town supermarket will not supply the array of products that an out-of-town hypermarket will stock. Stocking plans are determined by the trading division and are transmitted to the store where they are accepted into the store range. Stores are required to carry the full range of products within their plan size. This is an important factor because it shows that stores are not allowed to delete products from the range. They are however allowed to change the space allocated to a product. SMIII calculates the optimum quantity of stock required to cover expected sales, safety stock levels (in cases where sales outstrip forecast) and stock levels required to maintain shelf presentation standards. In the case of groceries and long life products if accurate ‘fill and face ¡ information is not correctly input into the system by the store, shelf presentation may be affected and, moreover, out of stocks or high back-stocks may occur. Through these factors the, sales forecast is achieved. Inaccurate sales forecasts will result in incorrect orders being generated. This could result in out of stocks, excessive back-stocks and/or unnecessary wastage. The above factors must, in tern be undertaken accurately. To achieve this the store must enforce a number of disciplines throughout, from stockroom level i.e. tidy, with stock in correct place to maximize stock level efficiency. Through to daily checks for out-of-date goods, and ensuring shelf space is allotted correctly and displays are correct. A mid-morning inspection of a Safeway supermarket has been undertaken. There were a number of factors that can be seen as unsatisfactory from the stores point of view. I shall undertake to identify theses and solve them with minimum disruption to the store. There were a number of problems with the produce department. Firstly presentation was poor in a number of the commodity groups such as root vegetables and loose apples. If the display does not look good or is not up to a reasonable standard, this can affect the customer ¡s discussion to buy, this could affect forecasting levels especially if it occurred on more than one occasion. If the produce looks bad on a number of occasions it could affect the customers decision to shop at the store in the long term. Moreover, If the displays are not full this may jeopardize the SMIII ¡s calculation of quantities reordered as it runs on the assumption that the shelves are always optimally filled. Therefore sales cannot be maximized as the space allocation is not being followed. Finally it can be seen that if the display is bad this could mean that some of the produce is being caused damage unnecessarily. Creating wastage and again potentially affecting the customers decision to buy. This needs to be sorted out quickly and efficiently, although not at a busy time, as from experience it can be off-putting trying to shop when people are filling the shelves. Moreover it must be noted that blame should not necessarily be rested upon anyone due to it being a mid-morning inspection on a Friday; a popular day for the weekly shop, the morning probably being the busiest time especially just after the school run. It is quite possible and probable that the poor display is due to the morning rush of customers. There was only one item out of stock, cauliflower due to a delivery shortage at the depot. Obviously nothing can be done about this at store level. But this information needs to be input into the SMIII to keep the store inventory updated so that this will be taken into account when forecasting. This reflects well on the produce department as the whole range other than this is shown giving people the most possible choice. There are wider implications for an out of stock item in a situation where there are two competing supermarkets. If a different item on someone ¡s shopping list is out of stock each week, it may be a factor in persuading them to shop elsewhere. The produce delivery was being worked and the shelves were in the process of being stocked. Although this may cause shoppers some inconvenience it shows that the department is keeping the stock rolling, maximizing space used in line with the SMIII ‘thinking ¡. Deliveries though should ideally arive and be sorted before opening to minimise inconvenience for both the shopper and staff, as it is easier to attend to the task in an empty shop. Product quality was generally good, although a number of grapefruit, which were below standard, were now being removed. These grapefruit must then be counted and entered into the system to update the inventory for forecasting. It can be seen as good that the bad fruit were being removed, but bad stock must always be removed as soon as possible as customers will notice and may be put off buying. In a wider aspect though, perhaps stockholding levels should be looked at as they may have been in the store too long due to excess stock. This could also be damage through bad storage or transportation, which would need looking into if it recurred continuously. Overall it can be seen that bad stock, shortages and displays should be checked regularly and sorted out as soon as possible. People look at these factors when making buying decisions. This is concerned with relationship marketing where there should be a twin focus on total quality and service as a source of customer satisfaction. Customer satisfaction ensures better customer retention and therefor greater profitability. The customer can be put off by too many staff filling shelves as it can distract from the pleasure of being able to browse whilst shopping. Therefor a balance must be found. The forecasting potential was good in the produce section as long as out of stock and wastage was entered into the SMIII system. Otherwise stockholding levels could be affected especially with the non-full lines. Moreover the presentation must be kept to a high standard as this may affect peoples opinion of the shop and therefore customer loyalty. The grocery department had three main problem areas. The promotional point of sale was missing from an on-shelf promotion on the tea/coffee section. This is a major problem as it would have a great affect on the forecasting. The store would expect to sell more of this product through the promotion, and therefor have ordered in more to compensate. Sales would not reflect the expected response to the promotion, as people would be unaware of it. This needs to be rectified as soon as possible and the system notified as the anticipated extra demand would not be apparent. This would affect forecasting and therefore future orders; potentially causing a shortage once the promotion was displayed. Loose stock was stacked behind other adjacent products on the soup section and appeared to have been there for several weeks. This reflects bad organization. Stock may not be noticed by the customer and space allocation disrupted. Space for the stock is allocated so that the system can accurately forecast the quantity of goods required to both fill the shelf and for sales. Using the space incorrectly can affect stockholding levels due to the amount predicted to be on the shelves and in storage. Although actual recording of sales will not be affected, it must be noted that sales could be, if the product namely soup couldn ¡t be found. This needs to be sorted out immediately, and could possibly reflect a lack of motivation in store, as the shelves were not stacked correctly. It also reflects badly on myself as acting manger, as this problem appeared to have been so for weeks. Store inspections must be held regularly to ensure this type of problem does not occur.

UN Human Rights Regime Assignment The WritePass Journal

UN Human Rights Regime Assignment Introduction UN Human Rights Regime Assignment :1391) argue on similar lines, stating that if one denies the participation of former leaders (who are also the perpetrators of past offences) in a present government, it may effectively â€Å"obstruct social integration and political stability†. By way of example, Alston and Goodman refer to the undesirable consequences of prosecuting major organisations who were involved in the apartheid regime in South Africa, (2012: 1392). Perhaps the most powerful argument against amnesties involves victims’ rights and tolerance of impunity. Protesters of amnesty measures argue that amnesty infringes states’ obligations to make sure that victims receive means to achieve justice, and seek out the truth in their cases (Mallinder, 2008:7). By imposing an amnesty measure, the perpetrators’ crimes are effectively denied, causing victims to feel alienated from society, which, in turn, increases the likelihood of vigilantism on their part (Mallinder, 2008:10). There are not many who would deny the negative impact that amnesty has on victims and/or their families, and the argument here is that such a negative impact cannot be avoided if one is to achieve common good for the society as a whole. Another point against the statement that justice must sometimes defer to amnesty following gross violations of human rights is that such a deferral, by its very nature, prevents the achievement of the aims of criminal justice, such as prosecution, retribution, stigmatisation and deterrence (Freeman, 2009: 20).   Aston and Goodman take this view and point out that trials can be very important in the promotion of â€Å"norms and expectations of punishment† in the country, (Alston and Goodman, 2012:1392). Moreover, as Freeman points out, the deferral of justice to amnesty in spite of the International Bill of Human Rights’ promissory note, undermines public confidence in the rule of law, (Freeman, 2009: 33). However, even assuming that amnesty is capable of preventing the realisation of some of the criminal justice’s goals, it should not be forgotten that an amnesty measure can take many forms. Freeman states that, more often than not, an amnesty measure would be accompanied by other provisions, such a reparation programme, which may lessen the harm caused by an amnesty, and an amnesty’s potential harm caused is always overestimated, (2009:25). Another argument is that there are many conditional amnesties in existence, which may encompass some of the aims of the criminal justice process, for example, Freeman enumerates a number of temporal and provisions amnesties, (2009:93). Even if one takes into account the need for a trial and all its benefits, it is not altogether clear that a trial or its threat may lead to beneficial results in every case, because as Freeman argues, a threat of a trial may lead to the perpetrators destroying the vital evidence needed in the future for the victims or their relatives to find out the truth about a crime, (2009:24). In support of this argument Alston and Goodman also state that any attempts at prosecution in a state which undergoes the transition from an authoritarian past may threaten a delicate peace-conflict balance between different groups, (2012:1391). Mallinder makes a similar argument when she states that although the trial of leaders may benefit the society by asserting the supremacy of democratic values (as argued by Scharf), there may not be enough evidence to put those leaders on trial in the first place, (2008:18). Here, it is interesting to point out an illuminating point made by Mallinder that there could be an instance where the distinction between victims and perpetrators is not clear, for example, in the case of child soldiers who are part of a rebel group in Uganda, and, therefore, the prosecution and punishment may have to take a back seat, (Mallinder, 2009: 34). Clark also questions the belief that the promotion of individual criminal responsibility is always desirable, (in Lessa and Payne, 2012:13). He draws attention to the criminal prosecutions in Rwanda and Uganda, and argues that by insisting on the prosecutions, the international organisations overlooked â€Å"the specific context and dynamics of these countries†, for example, the absence of   legal procedures and institutions to carry out an effective judicial process, (2012:14). This means that even though the countries may be the signatories of the International Bill of Human Rights, their specific contexts should be taken into account, and may be used to justify the imposition of conditional amnesties. One of other widespread arguments against the idea that amnesty should be granted is that doing so only creates a culture of impunity, encouraging future violence, and prevents accountability. This view has a widespread support from many governments around the world, for example, from the government of Sri Lanka.[5] When academics make this argument they often refer to the offenders who continue violate human rights, and are only stopped when amnesty is granted to them. The clear example of this is Ugandan rebel group ‘The Lord Resistance Army’s public statement that they will only stop the violence if amnesty is granted to its members. Nevertheless, to these arguments it can be replied that it is not necessarily the case that amnesty will produce further violence, and in fact, there may be situations where one must choose a lesser of two evils and invoke an amnesty provision. Freeman supports this argument. Therefore, it seems that although the case for the abolition of amnesty is a strong one, it is not without its weaknesses, and despite the promissory note of the International Bill of Human Rights, there may be circumstances where the imposition of an amnesty provision is not a truly unthinkable course of action. It is clear that there are obvious discrepancies between the theoretical foundations of the International Bill of Human Rights and the practical application of the Bill. There inevitably will be circumstances where it is unwise to follow the literal meaning of the Bill. The reality of an international/domestic political scene is that sometimes compromises must be made in order to safeguard peace in a country and prevent further conflict. In the same vein, Snyder and Vinjamuri maintain that in order to prevent future violations of rights and reinforce the respect for the rule of law it is often necessary to â€Å"strike politically expedient bargains that create effective coalitions to contain the power of potential perpetrators of abuses,† (Snyder and Vinjamuri, 2003:17). Thus, one of the main arguments for the proposition that justice must sometimes defer to amnesty following gross violations of human rights is that such deferral of justice is likely to foster reconciliation and may be necessary to achieve peace in terms of promoting political settlement. Linked to this is an argument that amnesties are needed so that a state can make a break from its past and start from a ‘clean slate’, (Mallinder, 2008:13). Governments often use these reasons to justify the imposition of amnesties when it is necessary to end violence. However, this view is becoming more controversial as the states-signatories to the International Bill of Human Rights move to the implementation of more mechanisms of accountability, and this view is not shared by everyone. For example, in 2007 the ICC Prosecutor, Lois Moreno-Ocampo termed the demands of amnesty made by combatants as being nothing less than pure blackmail. Moreover, the offering of amnesty may appear as t hough a state is showing signs of weakness, which may, in turn, encourage more violations of human rights, (Mallinder, 2008:12). However, despite this, Freeman supports the view that amnesties may sometimes be necessary to achieve peace in a state, (2009:11). He contends that there may not be any other choice for societies which have gone through mass violence and genocide, (2009:7). Freeman asserts that he is against the idea of impunity for serious crime, but he states that there may be situations where the desire for peace and security should stand above any impunity which may result from granting amnesty (2009:6). In particular, he states that if we look at such countries as Burma and Somalia and their particular contexts, one may be forgiven for wishing any kind of amnesty in order to ensure the survival of people by lessening daily violent conflicts, even though this leads to impunity, (2009:24). Another argument against the view that amnesties are needed to achieve peace in a country, and to ensure a smooth transition from an authoritarian regime to a democratic one, is provided by Robinson when he draws on an example of Sierra Leone, (Robinson, 2003:490). In that country, unconditional amnesties were granted to ensure that peace would follow only to discover that the culture of impunity was reinforced and gross violations of human rights continued. However, in reply to all this, it can be pointed out that, regarding the International Bill of Rights in particular, amnesties can be used, because the International Bill encompasses a wide variety of rights, and unlike the Rome Statute, is not primarily concerned with the protection against gross human rights violations. Freeman also makes a relatively convincing argument that amnesties are rarely granted without the imposition of other orders or qualifications, such as a reparation programme or an institutional reform measure, (2009:14). Truth Commissions, which are primarily set up to investigate the causes of death/injury unlawfully perpetrated, often play an important role in offsetting the damage done by amnesty. However, it is questionable whether they are, in fact, as successful as they were initially perceived to be. For example, again using the Sierra Leone example, the Lome Accord 1999 was designed to provide both an amnesty provision and a Truth Commission investigation, but was unsuccessful in its implementation (Alston and Goodman, 2012:1452). Nevertheless, a broad conception of justice usually agrees with the idea that there could be a Truth Commission and a limited amnesty in place to satisfy â€Å"the essential purpose of the right to justice†, (Naqvi, 2003:34). Dugard seems to be of the same view when he states that even though unconditional amnesties should not be permitted, a Truth Commission should still be capable to grant amnesty after an investigation, provided that amnesty contributes to the achievement of peace and justice, and is more effective than prosecution, (Dugard, 1999:1020). Arguably, South Africa’s imposition of a conditional amnesty showed that it was possible to combine an amnesty with an accountability process which culminated in the achievement of truth and social healing. Another argument, which is linked to the argument about the right to remedy discussed above, and which is put forward by Freeman and Pensky (in Lessa and Payne, 2012), is that an amnesty measure will not necessary infringe international law in every instance. This argument rests on the well-known fact that the status of amnesties in international law is unclear, and the practice of its imposition still persists in many countries, including Rwanda, Cambodia, El Salvador and South Africa. This point is supported by Laplante, who argued that the status of an â€Å"outright prohibition on amnesty remains unclear†, (Laplante, 2009:920). To illustrate the point, Mallinder discovered in her research that the number of amnesties which includes different kinds of crimes has increased, and this casts doubt on the proposition that we are living in the age of accountability (Mallinder in Lassa and Payne, 2012:95). Mallinder concludes that this means that there is still a belief that an am nesty measure may be deemed necessary where there is some exceptional situation, (Mallinder in Lassa and Payne, 2012: 96) Liked to this is the idea that amnesties do not necessarily stand in opposition to the spirit of the International Bill of Human Rights, and, in fact, can fulfil some of its provisions by balancing   competing goals, and facilitating long-term peace and security in the nation. One particular example is where a political activist-offender is integrated into a society anew, preventing further disputes. The final point is that some defendants are unlikely to come within the scope of criminal prosecution as defined by the Rome Statute, and some countries’ legal systems may not be sufficiently evolved to prosecute such defendants. In these cases, it may be argued that amnesty could be granted to alleviate the political tension in the country if it exists. Moreover, even the Rome Statute could be said to presuppose the use of amnesties as it gives discretionary powers to prosecutors/judges to take account ‘the interests of justice’, particularly for those defendants which are unlikely to come within the scope of the International Criminal Court’s prosecution.[6] Thus, it seems that it may not be correct to treat all amnesties as being in the opposition to   the principles of justice and truth, and the specific context of a country must be taken into account. Even though amnesties violate the victim’s rights and can potentially create a culture of impunity, it is important to recognise that some amnesties, in some circumstances, may be an effective measure directed at achieving peace and security in a country. This is especially true since it is wrong to think of amnesties as either granting complete impunity or achieving long-term peace. This view fails to take into account the sheer diversity of amnesty measures which a state can employ, and which can be combined with the variety of accountability measures, (Mallinder, 2008:8). Moreover, as Freeman points out, justice may sometimes defer to amnesty because such practice is virtually unavoidable, although it should be maintained as a practice of the last resort (2009:4). Moreover, o ncloser examination, the granting of an amnesty may not be in the direct conflict with the spirit of the International Bill of Human Rights and, therefore, it is fair to say that justice must sometimes defer to amnesty following gross violations of human rights in a state. Word count: 3,228. Bibliography Books/Academic Articles Alston, P. and Goodman, R. (2012) International Human Rights, New York: Oxford University Press Cassese, A. (2008) International Criminal Law, New York: Oxford University Press Cassese, A. (2004) International Law, 2nd Edition, Oxford: Oxford University Press Dugard, J. (1999) ‘Dealing with Crimes of a Past Regime: Is Amnesty Still an Option?’, Leiden Journal of International Law, 12, No. 4, at p. 1001 Freeman, F. (2009) Necessary Evils: Amnesty and the Search for Justice, 1st Edition, New York: Cambridge University Press Griffey, B. (2011) ‘The ‘Reasonableness’ Test: Assessing Violations of State Obligations under the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights’, Human Rights Review, Vol. 11, No. 2 Harris, D., Moeckli, S. and Sivakumaran, S. (2010) International Human Rights Law, 1st Edition, Oxford: Oxford University Press 8.   Joyce, D. (2010) ‘Human Rights and the Mediatization of International Law’, Leiden Journal of International Law, Vol. 23, Issue 3, pp. 507-527 Laplante, L. (2009) ‘Outlawing Amnesty: The Return of Criminal Justice in Transitional Justice Schemes’, Virginia Journal of International Law, 49, at p. 915 Lessa, F. and Payne, L. (2012) Amnesty in the Age of Human Rights Accountability, New York: Cambridge University Press Loucaides, L. (2003) ‘TheDeveloping Case Law  of the  InterAmerican Court  of  Human Rights’, Human Rights Law Review, Vol. 3, No. 1, pp.  1-25 Mallinder, L. (2010) ‘Law, Politics and Fact-Finding: Assessing the Impact of Human Rights Reports’, Journal of Human Rights Practice, 1, No. 4 Mallinder, L. (2009) ‘The Role of Amnesties in Conflict Transformation’, in Ryngaert, C. (ed.) The Effectiveness of International Criminal Justice, Intersentia Publishers Mallinder, L. (2008) Amnesty, Human Rights and Political Transitions: Bridging the Peace and Justice Divide, Hart Publishing Meisenberg, S. (2004) ‘Legality of Amnesties in International Humanitarian Law. The Lomà © Amnesty Decision of the Special Court for Sierra Leone’, International Law Review of the Red Cross, 86, No. 856 Naqvi, Y. (2003) ‘Amnesty for War Crimes: Defining International Recognition’, International Law Review of the Red Cross, Vol. 85, pp. 583-560 (2003); Available: mkkk.org/eng/assets/files/other/irrc_851_naqvi.pdf [10 Dec 2013] Orentlicher, D. (1991) ‘Settling Accounts: The Duty to Prosecute Human Rights Violations of a Prior Regime’, The Yale Law Journal, Vol. 100, at p. 2537 Robinson, D. (2003) ‘Serving the Interests of Justice: Amnesties, Truth Commissions and the International Criminal Court’ European Journal of International Law, Vol. 14, No. 3, pp. 481-500 Snyder, J. and Vinjamuri, L. (2003) ‘Trials and Errors: Principle and Pragmatism in Strategies of International Justice’, International Security, Vol. 28, No. 3, pp. 5-44; Available: http://belfercenter.hks.harvard.edu/publication/343/trials_and_errors.html [ 9 Dec 2013] Weissbrodt, D. Ni Aolin, F., Fitzpatrick, J. and Newman, F. (2009) International Human Rights: Law, Policy, and Process, LexisNexis Publishing; Available: http://www1.umn.edu/humanrts/intlhr2006/chapters/chapter8.html [ 7 Dec 2013] Reports United Nations (2011) Report of the Secretary General’s Panel of Experts on Accountability in Sri Lanka, New York: United Nations Publications; Available: un.org/News/dh/infocus/Sri_Lanka/POE_Report_Full.pdf [10 Dec 2013] Web Materials The International Centre for Transitional Justice (2009) Justice, Truth, Dignity: Amnesty Must Not Equal Impunity [Online]; Available: http://ictj.org/publication/amnesty-must-not-equal-impunity [8 Dec 2013]

Redaing 12am Focus Essay Questions

Redaing 12am Focus Essay Questions Redaing 12am Focus Essay Questions Reading 12AM – focus and essay questions FOCUS QUESTIONS: 1. To what extent is its historical period relevant to a discussion of â€Å"Twelve Angry Men†? 2. What can we conclude about the 8th juror’s personality from pages 1-7 of the play? 3. We never learn the characters’ names. Why does Rose choose to identify the men only by jury number and how does this affect the way we relate to the characters? 4. Read pages 7-15, how are we encouraged to sympathise with the 8th juror? 5. Read [pages 15-19, does 8th juror’s revelation about the second knife change your opinion at this stage about the defendant’s guilt or innocence? 6. On page 31, the characters exit to the washroom. Why? How does this affect the scene? 7. At the end of Act 1, to what extent are the characters presented as being either â€Å"good† or â€Å"bad† and to what extent are they complex and sometimes contradictory? 8. What changes are evident in 3rd and 10th juror’s speech and behaviour when they are in a minority and not safe majority? Ref pages 47-50. 9. Read pg 50 of the play. Why does the 11th juror believe jury duty is such a â€Å"remarkable’ aspect of the democratic process? Consider his personal background in your response 10. In pages51-54, 10th juror’s prejudices are revealed. How does Rose relate prejudice to fear? 11. 12th juror is the only one to change his vote more than once. What does this tell you about his character and how is he different to the others? 12. Why do you think 3rd juror finally change his vote? 13. How does Rose ensure that we judge 3rd juror’s stubbornness as a negative instead of a positive character trait? 14. The relationship between 3rd and 8th jurors is the central one in the play. Identify other important relationships between characters and discuss how they differ from this one. 15. Consider the play’s title. What might be the significance? 16. In what way does the 8th juror prove that democracy must be the responsibility of each and every individual? 17. To what extent is the 3rd juror a sympathetic character? 18. To what extent is the 10th juror the most frightening character in the play? Why? 19. Is it reasonable doubt that leads to the â€Å"not guilty† verdict, simple logic or a combination of both? 20. Does Rose suggest that there can be no such thing as a â€Å"fact,† or does he simply argue that it is difficult to establish the truth of any given â€Å"fact?† 21. In his play, what view does Rose present of the ageing process? Consider not only the 9th juror, but also the elderly witness and the female witness who was wearing â€Å"brand new clothes that should have been worn by a younger woman.† (pg 69) 22. What point do you think the play may be attempting to make about leadership in a democracy? 23. How does the play communicate the idea that democracy is an individual concept? 24. According to the play, what are some of the greatest dangers of allowing personal bias to go unchecked? 25. Are the issues of civic duty and social responsibility explored in Rose’s play relevant in contemporary Australian society? 26. In what ways are images of youth connected to the concept of powerlessness? 27. In what ways is the American justice system portrayed as weak and vulnerable? 28. Does the play privilege any one group of decision-making factors over the others, or suggest that any particular variables are more valid than others? Essay questions: 1. â€Å"12AM is best interpreted as an attack on the jury system.† Do you agree? 2. â€Å"Despite questioning the ultimate fairness and reliability of the jury system, 12AM is, at heart, a tribute to this system.† Discuss. 3. â€Å"We have reasonable doubt and this is a safeguard that has

Clichés Dont Belong in Professional Writing

Clichà ©s Dont Belong in Professional Writing Clichà ©s Don’t Belong in Professional Writing Clichà ©s Don’t Belong in Professional Writing By Mary Some of the common clichà © phrases that we find ourselves using every day do not belong in professional writing. This has become abundantly clear to me as it has become more commonplace for me to work with international clients. As an American, I am familiar with the intended meaning of a number of common sayings that really don’t make much sense when interpreted literally or translated into another language. I was writing an e-mail message to a client in another country, and I found myself typing something to the effect of making sure we were â€Å"on the same page.† I stopped and look at what I wrote, and realized that what I wrote wasn’t really what I meant. The next day, I found myself writing an e-mail to a co-worker that said that I wasn’t â€Å"at the top of my game† that day. Hmm †¦ another phrase that really doesn’t make sense if you don’t know the implied meaning. Someone not familiar with American vernacular would not be likely to understand these phrases. Even if my clients and business associates do know what I mean when I use clichà ©d phrases like these, they might find it not professional. Look at the phrases that you use when you write and see if they make sense when translated literally. If they don’t, replace them with language that is clear and direct, with no room for misunderstanding. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Business Writing category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:100 Mostly Small But Expressive InterjectionsConfused Words #3: Lose, Loose, LossWhen to Spell Out Numbers

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Sociology (Reaction paper 3) - Essay Example The right to free speech, the right to gather with one another to discuss thoughts and ideas, are among the many rights that individuals seek to have for themselves. While many are fortunate and achieve those very rights, some are not as lucky. From the beginning until the era of the feminist movement, the rights of women would pale in comparison to the men around them. Most notably, their ability to vote and also their presence within the work force. Not only the question as to whether or not they would work but also the consideration given, to what placement they would have within the corporate structure. The role of the United States should be as a leader for the cause. The very nation that would not only ensure the rights of its own citizenry but also, seek to ensure the rights of the millions of other people that live throughout the world. To show the other world leaders that, by maintaining a practice of human rights protection, it can only serve to benefit the success of the nation as a whole, rather than it being a hindrance. Thomas Jefferson, one of the most notable founding members of the United States, would speak eloquently about the notion of all men being created equal. With the ability to vote being given to women and later on during the 60s being given to African Americans, the level of credence to the idea of protecting basic human rights, would be placed on the forefront. Seeking to classify both women and African Americans not by gender and/or race but rather, seeing them for the human being that they are. Going below the surface and realizing that, in all reality, every human being remains just that at their core.. a human being. Each and everyone deserving of the same rights as others, no more and no less. To define prejudice, that would be the act of placing judgment upon a person, place and/or thing, without having any personal experience on the matter. Such as, hearing a negative story from another

Teaching and Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Teaching and Education - Essay Example Therefore, more precisely put, reflective practice is an independent approach, which fosters critical thinking and in-depth understanding of concepts and ideas. Reflective practitioners derive their origin from learning proposed by Socrates that emphasizes the importance of asking questions and collecting feedback from one’s own self and others. It also stresses upon the fact that learning eventually comes from individual’s inner self and that no teacher can demonstrate the connections an individual mind makes out of a piece of knowledge and his/her own cognition better than the student him/herself. The notion of reflective practice in education is a product of studies and innovation in constructivist theories and cognitive psychology. According to this modern and much-regarded view, intelligence is a fluid, active thought process and reflection on one’s own learning and life experience proves to be an important landmark of intellectual growth. John Dewey, the pi oneer of this field, remarks that intellectual growth is a product of rebuilding the experience. One of the many proposed models for doing this is problem-solving model that comprises of four steps: the first is to analyze the situation and determine its difficulty level. Second is to come up with alternatives and choosing the best amongst the available ones. Lastly, the final touch comes by applying the solution and checking the results. Experts (Roffey-Barensten & Malthouse, 2008, 23-49) have indicated that most individuals reflect on their practice and actions naturally, while others may take reflection as extra work on top of what they have to do. Reflection helps teachers in not only their lessons but it also benefit... This paper approves that planning is just a phase in the entire process of effective teaching. Classroom management is another important step, invariably the most important one, for the development of an ideal learning setting. Several strategies have proven remarkably excellent in the past studies and they have been known to bring out the best in students. Some of the important ones include, conveying the fact that the teacher is in complete knowledge of students’ behavior. Another important way of eliciting high levels of work involvement by students is that the transition between the activities and classes be made less and less prominent for the students. Often, it happens that students do well till recess after which their energy levels fall drastically, or some kids who were brilliant in the art class sleep in the science class that follows. In this regard, the teacher should ensure that students are on the same page by employing warm-ups and ice-breaking activities. This essay makes a conclusion that training teachers to be reflective practitioners and aiding them with proper classrooms with tools for positive interaction and learning help in effective teaching and lead to better education systems. Conclusively, the paper has analyzed some of the significant aspects of teaching and education. The paper recognized and scrutinized different studies related to the topic; and it is expectation that the discussion will be beneficial for students, teachers, and professionals in comprehensive understanding of the topic.

Mary Midgleys Moral Isolationism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Mary Midgleys Moral Isolationism - Essay Example    To put it simply, because an outsider cannot understand other cultures, he or she does not have the right to make judgments about other cultures. Midgley disapproves of this stance as it creates a moral vacuum that tends to hinder one’s critical thinking faculties, â€Å"man’s main evolutionary asset† (36). Furthermore, moral isolationism is just another form of immoralism as it leans towards moral skepticism and the relativism of moral and ethical truths as it â€Å"lay[s] down a general ban on moral reasoning† (36). Midgley’s argument against moral isolationism is five-fold. First, she presents the contradiction that moral isolationists demonstrate when they ask an outsider to show some respect and stop making judgments of other cultures because they simply cannot understand them due to the fact that they are foreigners. Midgley argues that â€Å"nobody can respect what is entirely unintelligible to them† (35). This poses the question that â€Å"if morals are applicable and legitimate only to one’s own culture as he or she cannot understand cultures other than his or her own, then how can one appropriately respect and tolerate cultures that he or she is not a member of?† Furthermore, it is a known fact that people have the capacity to understand other people, be they from different countries. And because cultures are made up of the people that create them and make them unique from others, how then can people not have the faculties to understand and respect other cultu res; and consequently, to make favorable judgments on these different cultures? Midgley’s second argument arises from the fact that throughout history, intelligent outsiders—anthropologists are a very good example—have made sense out of past civilizations and cultures that they were not members of.  

Is Experience More Preferable over Academic Results Personal Statement

Is Experience More Preferable over Academic Results - Personal Statement Example My major is economics hence working in this environment was both beneficial and eye-opening for me. As a personal assistant I was able to see the CEO go through her day and the different decisions she was required to make for the benefits of the business. Â  Here I learned my first lesson which was that one must adjust in the practical world and must be ready to make on the spot decisions. The CEO was always under a lot of pressure and had to attend to many different things at the same time. However, I was admirable of her capability to keep calm and delegate each requirement in ways which enabled all the requirements to be met.The economic world is also the same in the sense that economies are always changing. In order for one to stay ahead in this field, he or she should be ready to adjust to different markets and different conditions. One can easily be overwhelmed by the constant changes or requirements, however, the internship taught me that it is easier to make decisions with a cooler head and panicking only slows down the thinking and adaptive process. I was also able to see the different business decisions that the company made and the CEO gave me some advice in about business and how one is always required to take risks, however, they must be calculated and not place the integrity of the person or the company in jeopardy.I also learned many things from being part of a working environment. There are many different characters and people in a company and there will naturally be conflicts of interest at some point. This is especially present in fields involving economics as the profession is very competitive. Hence, by being in this environment I was able to learn about teamwork and how working well with others can help one fulfill his or her duties.

Explain and comment on the proposition that the doctrine of the right Essay

Explain and comment on the proposition that the doctrine of the right of self-determination of peoples includes the legal entitl - Essay Example According to Franck (1990), symbolic validation and pedigree provide the cultural and anthropological dimension to legitimacy. Democratic entitlement has to shift to voluntary compliance, which depends on the strength of Reisman’s (1981) â€Å"the authority signal†. The legitimacy of a rule is based on its durability and consistency. Self-determination has a well-established pedigree, because it is the oldest aspect of the democratic entitlement. Self-determination asserts the right of a people in a particular territory â€Å"to determine its collective political destiny in a democratic fashion, and is therefore at the core of the democratic entitlement† (Franck 1992: 52). Thesis Statement: The purpose of this paper is to analyse the proposition that the doctrine of the right for self-determination of people includes the legal entitlement to democratic governance. Self determination among indigenous peoples will be examined on the basis of the United Nations Gene ral Assembly resolutions, and other relevant concepts will be investigated. The Need for Self-Determination in International Law Self determination has developed from its modest beginnings in the United Nations Charter to â€Å"a legal entitlement of decolonization and to a free-standing human right† (Higgins 1995: 115). ... ermination of Jews during the Holocaust, followed by mass killing of gypsies or Romas and other groups, mass deportation to clean out unpopular ethnic groups, the Potsdam Agreement in 1945 between Russia, the United States and the United Kingdom authorizing the expulsion of some fifteen million people of German ethnic origin who had been citizens in different parts of Europe, and other large-scale forced transfers during the same period of turmoil. A new international legal order based on pluralism and tolerance was developed. The International Bill of Human Rights emphasized the equality of all human beings â€Å"irrespective of national or ethnic origin – and also irrespective of race, religion and gender† (Tomuschat 1992: 152). States were responsible for securing human rights in their own domestic system; and their autonomy was understood as popular sovereignty. In article 21 of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights, the authority of government would be based on the will of the people, which they will express through periodic, genuine and fair voting procedures. â€Å"Consequently, democratic governance was an essential component – both a precondition and a right in itself† (Tomuschat 1992: 152). The right of peoples to self-determination was introduced in the Covenants mainly with decolonization as an aim. At the same time, the underlying rationale for self-determination is that of popular sovereignty based on people governing themselves. The most important principle of international law is that of territorial integrity, the maintenance of the inherited State and of the population residing in that State. Changes can be introduced only when there are justified claims of self-determination; and the international community has to clarify for whom the principle

Managing Organisations, People and Self Assignment

Managing Organisations, People and Self - Assignment Example According to the case study, John Barker owns the double-glazing business â€Å"Hole in the Wall† and built it completely on the basis of his own skills and capability. He also employed a small group of people and provided his services on a small scale. The business had registered immense growth in the tenure of its operation over the years. In the recent years, the business had to deal with several key issues that harm its operations and reputation considerably. Contextually, this assignment will analyse the prevailing problems in the business that resulted in its performance decline and certain recommendations will be discussed in solving the same. The suggestions would certainly help the business to improve its performance up to a larger extent. 2.0. Problems / Evaluation John Barker started his double glazing business with employing 20 people in the initial stages of the operation of the business. However, with the retirement of his friend/supplier, Barker occupied the factory of his friend and thus expanded his business operations with the inclusion of more staffs. He also took the approach of making extensive advertisements in the local newspaper and the media in order to target the customers of the local market. The company had experienced considerable growth in recent times in the form of building better business reputation amid the customers. However, the growth of the company had been hindered by certain specific problems in the workplace that are yet to be evaluated. It can be viewed in this similar concern that there was increased number of complaints from the end of the customers about the quality of the services or the products of the company, which further damaged its better reputation amid the customers. Moreover, it has also been observe d that the employees of the business have become quite inefficient and their performance had declined considerably. In addition, a few of the employees had also left the company without providing any notice, which further harmed the operational efficiency of the business up to a larger extent. This aspect can resemble with the problems that prevail in the workplace of the business. From the analysis of the case study, it can be stated that there were problems of motivation that might be impacting the approach of the employees and steering them towards an undesirable direction. Moreover, the leadership and business management abilities of Barker can be questioned with regard to the poor performance of the business. The problems have been further identified and discussed in detail hereunder. 2.1. Motivation Motivation is regarded as one of the imperative aspects, which impacts the behaviour of an individual. It encourages people to conduct their work in an efficient and dedicated mann er (Reem, 2011). In the case study provided, the employees of the business and their conduct were deemed to be affecting the welfare of the business up to an extensive extent. Contextually, it has been observed that the performance of the company owned by Barker in recent years had showed certain inefficient results, which are a matter of concern for the same. Analysis suggests that

Is Experience More Preferable over Academic Results Personal Statement

Is Experience More Preferable over Academic Results - Personal Statement Example My major is economics hence working in this environment was both beneficial and eye-opening for me. As a personal assistant I was able to see the CEO go through her day and the different decisions she was required to make for the benefits of the business. Â  Here I learned my first lesson which was that one must adjust in the practical world and must be ready to make on the spot decisions. The CEO was always under a lot of pressure and had to attend to many different things at the same time. However, I was admirable of her capability to keep calm and delegate each requirement in ways which enabled all the requirements to be met.The economic world is also the same in the sense that economies are always changing. In order for one to stay ahead in this field, he or she should be ready to adjust to different markets and different conditions. One can easily be overwhelmed by the constant changes or requirements, however, the internship taught me that it is easier to make decisions with a cooler head and panicking only slows down the thinking and adaptive process. I was also able to see the different business decisions that the company made and the CEO gave me some advice in about business and how one is always required to take risks, however, they must be calculated and not place the integrity of the person or the company in jeopardy.I also learned many things from being part of a working environment. There are many different characters and people in a company and there will naturally be conflicts of interest at some point. This is especially present in fields involving economics as the profession is very competitive. Hence, by being in this environment I was able to learn about teamwork and how working well with others can help one fulfill his or her duties.

Managing Organisations, People and Self Assignment

Managing Organisations, People and Self - Assignment Example According to the case study, John Barker owns the double-glazing business â€Å"Hole in the Wall† and built it completely on the basis of his own skills and capability. He also employed a small group of people and provided his services on a small scale. The business had registered immense growth in the tenure of its operation over the years. In the recent years, the business had to deal with several key issues that harm its operations and reputation considerably. Contextually, this assignment will analyse the prevailing problems in the business that resulted in its performance decline and certain recommendations will be discussed in solving the same. The suggestions would certainly help the business to improve its performance up to a larger extent. 2.0. Problems / Evaluation John Barker started his double glazing business with employing 20 people in the initial stages of the operation of the business. However, with the retirement of his friend/supplier, Barker occupied the factory of his friend and thus expanded his business operations with the inclusion of more staffs. He also took the approach of making extensive advertisements in the local newspaper and the media in order to target the customers of the local market. The company had experienced considerable growth in recent times in the form of building better business reputation amid the customers. However, the growth of the company had been hindered by certain specific problems in the workplace that are yet to be evaluated. It can be viewed in this similar concern that there was increased number of complaints from the end of the customers about the quality of the services or the products of the company, which further damaged its better reputation amid the customers. Moreover, it has also been observe d that the employees of the business have become quite inefficient and their performance had declined considerably. In addition, a few of the employees had also left the company without providing any notice, which further harmed the operational efficiency of the business up to a larger extent. This aspect can resemble with the problems that prevail in the workplace of the business. From the analysis of the case study, it can be stated that there were problems of motivation that might be impacting the approach of the employees and steering them towards an undesirable direction. Moreover, the leadership and business management abilities of Barker can be questioned with regard to the poor performance of the business. The problems have been further identified and discussed in detail hereunder. 2.1. Motivation Motivation is regarded as one of the imperative aspects, which impacts the behaviour of an individual. It encourages people to conduct their work in an efficient and dedicated mann er (Reem, 2011). In the case study provided, the employees of the business and their conduct were deemed to be affecting the welfare of the business up to an extensive extent. Contextually, it has been observed that the performance of the company owned by Barker in recent years had showed certain inefficient results, which are a matter of concern for the same. Analysis suggests that

Gaps Model of Service Quality Essay Example for Free

Gaps Model of Service Quality Essay Model are knowledge gap, standards gap, delivery gap and communication gap. Knowledge gap is the difference between customers’ expectations and the retailer’s perception of these customer’s expectations. This occurs when a person do not know what the customers expect or want. By applying knowledge gap to Hamp;M retail store, it refers to the salesperson not knowing what their customers expect/want. For example, a customer visiting the Hamp;M store may expect fast checkout at the cashier and shorter queuing time at the fitting rooms. However, the salesperson may think that the customers do not mind queuing for a longer time but would prefer friendly assistance from them and better quality clothes. Hence, such difference between customers’ expectations and retailer’s perception of their customers’ expectations will lead to knowledge gap. In order to reduce the knowledge gap, surveys, interactions and customer complaints can be done. Firstly, Hamp;M can carry out survey after each individual transaction. Hamp;M can conduct their surveys or feedback forms by distributing to every customer after they have made their payment. After they are done filling up the survey on their overall visit at Hamp;M, they can hand up their forms to the salesperson at the counter. Otherwise, Hamp;M can place a feedback box at the side to make things easier for everyone. Secondly, is through interacting with their customers and staffs. Hamp;M can get valuable feedbacks from their store employees on ways to improve on certain areas based on theirs or customer’s suggestions and comments. Apart from that, Hamp;M can actually interact with their customers through social media such as Facebook, Twitter etc. Since social media are widely used nowadays, customers would post constructive comments or feedbacks on social media such as on their Facebook walls. Hamp;M can effectively interact with their customers through such social platforms and better understand what customers expect or want. Lastly, through customer complaints, Hamp;M will then be able to find out their problem and rectify it to further improve on their services, etc. Standards Gap is the difference between the retailer’s perception of customers’ expectations and the service standards it sets. For example, the service standards Hamp;M sets for all their salesperson may be to bring the customer to that specific section when he or she asked where it is. However, the retailer’s perception of customers’ expectations may be just to direct and point out to them which level and which part it is located at instead of bringing them all the way to the area they want. Hence, such difference between the retailer’s perception of customers’ expectations and the service standards it sets will lead to standards gap. In order to reduce the standards gap, strong commitment to service quality by the top management should be done. Top management should give information and training to their service staff so as to provide quality service to their customers. Also, give clear definition of the roles of service providers by setting specific and measurable goals based on customer’s expectations. Lastly, to measure service performance of their service staffs, surveys and mystery shopping could be conducted to see how well their employees fare when they serve a customer. All these would help to set appropriate standards to deliver high quality service to their customers. Delivery gap is the difference between the retailer’s service standards and the actual service provided to customers. In this case, Hamp;M is not applicable to delivery gap as this service quality is immeasurable as there is no specific time a salesperson is given to assist or â€Å"clear† their customers. Communication gap is the difference between the retailer’s actual service and the service that the retailer’s communication programme promises. Likewise, this is also not applicable to Hamp;M as it is a retailer store rather than a transport service that needs to deliver an actual time to the customers.

Murder Manslaughter And Infanticide Philosophy Essay

Murder Manslaughter And Infanticide Philosophy Essay Murder is the crime of intentionally causing the death of another human being, without lawful excuse. The definition of murder was given in the case of Chris Rwakasisi, Elias Wanyama v Uganda (1991) UGSC 2. The appellants where indicted for 16 counts of murder and kidnapping with intent to murder. The justices of the supreme court defined murder thus à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.It consists of the unlawful act or omission of one person, which causes the death of another person with malice aforethought. The elements of the offence are thus (1) the unlawful act or omission; (2) the death being caused as a result of the act or omission; and (3) malice aforethought, that is the intent to cause death or knowledge that the act or omission would, probably cause death (at least serious bodily harm). When an illegal death was not caused intentionally, but was caused by recklessness or negligence (or there is some defense, such as diminished capacity), the crime committed is manslaughter. The first element in murder is causing death. It is impossible to give a precise definition of this, but some legal principles have been developed to help. The penal code act section 196 states that A person is deemed to have caused the death of another person although his or her act is not the immediate or sole cause of death in any of the following cases- (a) If he or she inflicts bodily injury on another person in consequence of which that person undergoes surgical or medical treatment which causes death. In this case it is immaterial whether the treatment was proper or mistaken, if it was employed in good faith and with common knowledge and skill; but the person inflicting the injury is not deemed to have caused the death if the treatment which was its immediate cause was not employed in good faith or was so employed without common knowledge or skill; b) if he or she inflicts a bodily injury on another which would not have caused death if the injured person had submitted to proper surgical or medical treatment or had observed proper precautions as to his or her mode of living; c) if by actual or threatened violence he or she causes such other person to perform an act which causes the death of such person, such act being a means of avoiding such violence which in the circumstances would appear natural to the person whose death is so caused; d) if by any act or omission he or she hastened the death of a person suffering under any disease or injury which apart from such act or omission would have caused death; e) if his or her act or omission would not have caused death unless it had been accompanied by an act or omission of the person killed or of other persons. Many common law jurisdictions abide by the year and a day rule, which provides that one is to be held responsible for a persons death only if they die within a year and a day of the act. Thus, if you seriously injured someone, and they died from their injuries within a year and a day, you would be guilty of murder; but you would not be guilty if they died from their injuries after a year and a day had passed. Malice aforethought is the second ingredient when determining murder. Originally malice aforethought carried its everyday meaning-a deliberate and premeditated killing of another motivated by ill will. It is the intent and knowledge of committing an unlawful act. section 191 of the Penal code Uganda defines malice aforethought as an intention to cause the death of any person, whether such person is the person actually killed or not; or knowledge that the act or omission causing death will probably cause the death of some person, whether such person is the person actually killed or not, although such knowledge is accompanied by indifference whether death is caused or not, or by a wish that it may not be caused Murder necessarily required that an appreciable time pass between the formation and execution of the intent to kill. The courts broadened the scope of murder by eliminating the requirement of actual premeditation and deliberation as well as true malice. All that was required for malice aforethought to exist is that the perpetrator act with one of the four states of mind that constitutes malice. It is not murder to kill someone with lawful excuse; lawful excuses include killing enemy combatants in time of war (but not after they surrendered), killing a person who poses an immediate threat to the lives of ones self or others (i.e., in self-defense), and executing a person in accordance with a sentence of death (in those jurisdictions which use capital punishment). Sometimes extreme provocation or duress can justify killing another as well. Under English law, it is murder to kill another human being for food, even if without doing so one would die of starvation. This originated in a case of R v Dudley and Stephens (1884) 14 QB shipwrecked sailors cast adrift off the coast of South Africa in the 1920s; two of the sailors conspired to kill the other sailor, and having killed him ate his flesh to survive. Most countries allow conditions that affect the balance of the mind to be regarded as mitigating circumstances against murder. This means that a person may be found guilty of manslaughter on the basis of diminished responsibility rather than murder, if it can be proved that they were suffering from a condition that affected their judgment at the time. Depression, Post-traumatic stress disorder and medication side-effects are examples of conditions that may be taken into account when assessing responsibility. Manslaughter is a legal term for the killing of a human being, in a manner considered by law as less culpable than murder. The law generally differentiates between levels of criminal culpability based on the mens rea, or state of mind. This is particularly true within the law of homicide, where murder requires either the intent to kill a state of mind called malice, or malice aforethought or the knowledge that ones actions are likely to result in death; manslaughter, on the other hand, requires a lack of any prior intention to kill or create a deadly situation. Manslaughter is usually broken down into two distinct categories: voluntary manslaughter and involuntary manslaughter. Voluntary manslaughter occurs either when the defendant kills with malice aforethought (intention to kill or cause serious harm), but there are mitigating circumstances which reduce culpability, or when the defendant kills only with an intent to cause serious bodily harm. This can be seen in the case of Francis Masaba v Uganda 1989 UGSC 1. The appellant was a bar tender and was involved in a fight with the deceased after a night of drinking. The appellant is said to have stab the deceased three times in the chest. The learned justices upheld the verdict of manslaughter Voluntary manslaughter in some jurisdictions is a lesser included offense of murder. The Penal code act 1950 sets out three partial defences that reduce murder to voluntary manslaughter; diminished responsibility, provocation and suicide pact. Diminished responsibility. This covers diminished mental responsibility for a crime falling short of the requirements of the complete defence of Insanity. Under Section 194 Penal code Act 19570 there are three requirements for the defendant to raise the defence of diminished responsibility: The defendant suffered from an abnormality of mind at the time of the killing. An abnormality of mind is a state of mind so different from that of ordinary human beings that the reasonable man would term it abnormal. The abnormality was caused by one of the causes specified by the Act: a condition of arrested or retarded development of mind, any inherent cause or a disease or injury. The abnormality substantially impaired the defendants mental responsibility for the killing. Substantial means the lack of control must simply be more than trivial. Under s194 (2) of the Act it is for the defendant to prove he suffered from such a condition on the balance of probabilities. Provocation. Provocation was originally a common law defense to murder, but it was reformed by s3 Homicide Act 1957. There are two limbs to the defence, first the defendant must have actually been provoked, and second the provocation must be such as would have made the reasonable man act as the defendant did. Provocation can come from someone other than the victim and be aimed at someone other than the accused. Further the defense is not defeated by the fact that the defendant induced the provocation. Provocation in fact: It is a question of fact for the judge whether the defendant was in fact provoked. The loss of control must be sudden and temporary; however it can be the result of slow burn with a relatively minor final straw. This can be evidenced the case of John Bisset Stenhouse v Uganda 1972 UGCA 1. In this case the appellant was a school teacher who was attacked by riotous students. The teacher and his wife were attacked by stones. The teacher fired two shoots from his gun killing two students. The learned judges held that the teacher was under provocation and acted in self defence. The reasonable man test: The provocation must be enough to make a reasonable man do as the defendant did. The reasonable man has the same sex and age as the defendant and such characteristics as affect the gravity of the provocation to the defendant, but characteristics irrelevant to the provocation such as unrelated mental disorders are not given to the reasonable man. Finally, the reasonable man always has reasonable powers of self control and is never intoxicated. Suicide pacts. Penal Code 1950 introduced the defence of suicide pact. The intention was to show some compassion for those who had been involved in a suicide pact but failed to die. A suicide pact is a common agreement between two or more persons having for its object the death of all of them, whether or not each is to take his own life. The accused must have had a settled intention of dying in pursuance of the pact to avoid him entering into a supposed pact with the real intention of committing murder. This is in section 195 of the penal code Act It shall be manslaughter and shall not be murder for a person acting in pursuance of a suicide pact between him or her and another to kill the other or be a party to the other killing himself or herself or being killed by a third person Involuntary manslaughter is the unlawful killing of a human being without malice aforethought. It is distinguished from voluntary manslaughter by the absence of intention. It is normally divided into two categories; constructive manslaughter and criminally negligent manslaughter. Constructive manslaughter is also referred to as unlawful act manslaughter. It is based on the doctrine of constructive malice, whereby the malicious intent inherent in the commission of a crime is considered to apply to the consequences of that crime. It occurs when someone kills, without intent, in the course of committing an unlawful act. The malice involved in the crime is transferred to the killing, resulting in a charge of manslaughter. For example, if a person throws a brick off a bridge into vehicular traffic below they could be found to intend or be reckless as to assault or criminal damage DPP v Newbury. There is no intent to kill, and a resulting death would not be considered murder, but would be considered involuntary manslaughter. The accuseds responsibility for causing death is constructed from the fault in committing what might have been a minor criminal act. Criminally negligent manslaughter occurs where death results from serious negligence, or, in some jurisdictions, serious recklessness. A high degree of negligence is required to warrant criminal liability. A related concept is that of willful blindness, which is where a defendant intentionally puts himself in a position where he will be unaware of facts which would render him liable. Infanticide. Another form of voluntary manslaughter is infanticide. This offense is in the Penal Code of Uganda Section 213. Generally, a conviction of infanticide will be made where the court is satisfied that a mother killed her newborn child while the balance of her mind was disturbed as a result of childbirth; for instance, in cases of post-natal depression. It is a form of manslaughter, and carries the same range of sentences as a manslaughter conviction. While infanticide is a separate offense from murder, and not a reductive defense to murder, in practice it works in much the same way as a reductive defense. Such was in the case of Miriam Muthoni Kariuki v Republic (2008) KLR Court of Appeal. The appellant was convicted of murdering her 1year son by strangulation by the high court. On appeal the Justices of the Court of Appeal found her to have been with a disturbed at the time of the act and consequently substituted the conviction of murder with infanticide.

Televisions Impact on Health :: Television Health Eating Essays

Television's Impact on Health In our society, television has become quite the vigorous activity. Sitting up is exhausting so most people lie down while watching television. If you were to eat at a fast food restaurant, and then head home for a bowl of ice cream for desert, oh, and then not to mention that bag of chips while you watch your favorite Reality TV series, you are asking for something that you are not going to be happy with. What is it that you are asking for? It is called obesity. I have found myself eating at McDonald’s on countless occasions. The reason I am not obese, however, is the fact you will only find me at a fast food restaurant when I am pressed for time and I am on my way to a three to four hour practice. Obesity has very little to do with what we eat because the true problem behind obesity is none other than the fact that our society does not do anything after eating unhealthily. In Europe, people eat seven to eight meals a day and somehow, the majority of Europeans look fantastic. There is a reason for this. After dinner, they do not sit down on the couch for the 1,000th episode of Fear Factor. Instead, they go out for a long walk around the park with their families. David Zinczenko’s, â€Å"Don’t Blame the Eater,† proposes a situation where there is nothing else to eat but fast food. He proves this by saying, â€Å"Drive down any thoroughfare in America, and I guarantee you’ll see one of our country’s 13,000 McDonald’s restaurants,† he explains, â€Å"Now drive back up the block and try to find someplace to buy a grapefruit.† It is true that this statement has much truth. I am sorry to say, sadly, that it has no legitimacy. It seems that Zinczenko is using diction that not only parents can understand, but one that the general public, including those that are uneducated can understand. He uses a variety of sentence structures to lure in his readers and to make his research appear striking. The most appealing part of his essay was the way he spoke in a first person perspective and gave hope to those obese teenagers by telling them that to lose the weight form eating at McDonald’s, they are going to need to join the Navy Reserves or a similar program.

Essay --

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic metabolic disease characterized by high blood glucose levels (hyperglycemia) due to absolute (Type 1 diabetes) or relative (Type 2 diabetes) deficiency of insulin hormone (World Health Organization, 1999). Diabetes affects almost every organ system in the body due to metabolic problems caused by hyperglycemia, especially in undiagnosed or uncontrolled individuals (World Health Organization, 1999). Until recently it was believed that diabetes affected mainly developed countries, but recent research reveals an increase in the number of type 2 diabetes cases in developing countries (Chuang, 2002; Kinra, 2010; Narayanappa, 2011). Diabetes is associated with complications such as cardiovascular diseases, renal failure, loss of vision and neurological impairment, which can lead to a chronic disease state and even death (American Diabetes Association, 2004). The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that more than 350 million people worldwide have diabetes. Almost 80% of deaths caused by diabetes occur in countries with low income. According to WHO, India is currently the country most affected by this disease with more than 32 million diabetic patients (Mohan, 2005). Background Insufficient response to insulin in what causes diabetes. The pancreas, an accessory gland of the digestive system, is the organ that produces insulin (ref Human Biology Book). The pancreas has a dual function because it features as both an endocrine and an exocrine gland. The part of the pancreas with endocrine function is organized in cell clusters called islets of Langerhans, which contains four main cell types that can be classified according to their secretion: alpha cells secrete glucagon, beta cells secrete insulin, del... ...cose multiple times each day and dealing with the various highs and lows (both physical and emotional) of life with diabetes can make all the difference. Conclusions To prevent diabetes related morbidity and mortality, there is an immense need of dedicated self-care behaviors in multiple domains, including food choices, physical activity, proper medications intake and blood glucose monitoring from the patients. Though multiple demographic, socio-economic and social support factors can be considered as positive contributors in facilitating self-care activities in diabetic patients, role of clinicians in promoting self-care is vital and has to be emphasized. Realizing the multi-faceted nature of the problem, a systematic, multi-pronged and an integrated approach is required for promoting self-care practices among diabetic patients to avert any long-term complications. Essay -- Diabetes mellitus is a chronic metabolic disease characterized by high blood glucose levels (hyperglycemia) due to absolute (Type 1 diabetes) or relative (Type 2 diabetes) deficiency of insulin hormone (World Health Organization, 1999). Diabetes affects almost every organ system in the body due to metabolic problems caused by hyperglycemia, especially in undiagnosed or uncontrolled individuals (World Health Organization, 1999). Until recently it was believed that diabetes affected mainly developed countries, but recent research reveals an increase in the number of type 2 diabetes cases in developing countries (Chuang, 2002; Kinra, 2010; Narayanappa, 2011). Diabetes is associated with complications such as cardiovascular diseases, renal failure, loss of vision and neurological impairment, which can lead to a chronic disease state and even death (American Diabetes Association, 2004). The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that more than 350 million people worldwide have diabetes. Almost 80% of deaths caused by diabetes occur in countries with low income. According to WHO, India is currently the country most affected by this disease with more than 32 million diabetic patients (Mohan, 2005). Background Insufficient response to insulin in what causes diabetes. The pancreas, an accessory gland of the digestive system, is the organ that produces insulin (ref Human Biology Book). The pancreas has a dual function because it features as both an endocrine and an exocrine gland. The part of the pancreas with endocrine function is organized in cell clusters called islets of Langerhans, which contains four main cell types that can be classified according to their secretion: alpha cells secrete glucagon, beta cells secrete insulin, del... ...cose multiple times each day and dealing with the various highs and lows (both physical and emotional) of life with diabetes can make all the difference. Conclusions To prevent diabetes related morbidity and mortality, there is an immense need of dedicated self-care behaviors in multiple domains, including food choices, physical activity, proper medications intake and blood glucose monitoring from the patients. Though multiple demographic, socio-economic and social support factors can be considered as positive contributors in facilitating self-care activities in diabetic patients, role of clinicians in promoting self-care is vital and has to be emphasized. Realizing the multi-faceted nature of the problem, a systematic, multi-pronged and an integrated approach is required for promoting self-care practices among diabetic patients to avert any long-term complications.

Baxton Technology

Student name: Joseph Maloney Student number: 10391669 Word count: 940 I hereby certify that this project is entirely of my own work and has not been taken from the work of others save to the extent that such work has been cited and acknowledged within the text of the project. Signed: _____________ Alkermes’ human resource (HR) strategy is all about acquiring employees who show personal initiative and who get satisfaction of knowing that they are helping to make a difference in the lives of millions of people every day.Alkermes ultimate goals are to develop medicines that address unmet patient needs, to help its customer’s live happier, healthier lives. The Athlone facility of Elan must choose a strategy that supports the corporate objectives of Alkermes. They must align and prioritise the various activities of the strategy to accomplish their objectives. HR strategies need to simultaneously focus on building skills, motivation and behaviour for a successful business str ategy. In my opinion the generic HR strategy most appropriate to align with Alkermes corporate strategy, is the resource-based view (RBV) model.The RBV model works towards identifying the firm’s potential key resources and developing and manipulating them to build a value-creating strategy. When Alkermes decided to merge with Elan one of their main reasons for doing so was that they could use Elan’s most valuable resource, the Elan drug technologies (EDT) unit. The EDT develops proprietary drug technologies that can be applied to a number of products, improving the effectiveness of the drugs. With Alkermes now having obtained a technological resource with a rarity that will help them gain a competitive advantage over their rivals, they must now focus on their human resources.They look to acquire talented employees who show initiative and feel good about improving people’s health. Combing and developing these resources will help them build a strong RBV model. Whe n Alkermes employees are asked what is the main objective of the organization the reply should always be, â€Å"Excellence in everything we do†. They pursue this excellence because they know they are working towards improving the wellbeing of other people. Alkermes hopes to instil this same hypothesis in the Athlone facility of the organization.They plan to acquire talented employees who show initiative, motivation and know their commitments are ultimately towards improving the health of their customers. They plan to set up a R&D programme where employee engagement is encouraged and rewarded. Most importantly they want to manage performance so that all processes are carried out in the most successful way. If all of these objectives are met the success of the organization should be easily obtained and worthwhile. RBV shows that people are strategically important to a firm’s success and that they are a potential source of sustainable competitive advantage.Alkermes have o btained a rare and valuable organizational capital in the form of the EDT unit; they now must match this with a highly skilled human capital that will get the best out of this technological resource. RBV focuses more on the HR pool, i. e. the employees than on the actual HR practice, so employees should have both a high level of skills and a willingness to achieve. Creating a good HR pool can be hard to imitate by competitors, so it can create a competitive advantage. High pay is always a major pull in attracting the best employees, as is perks, i. . company car and health benefits, as is bonus and new job opportunities for good work. Yet, Alkermes states that their commitments are ultimately towards the wellbeing of the patients that use their products. This will attract employees who feel they have a morale obligation to help people in need. This is an example of attracting potential employees using a non-monetary policy. When trying to create a performance management policy for a n organization you have to look at all the types of capital that affect performance, i. . human, social and organizational capital. RBV looks to integrate all the capital resources of an organization to create the most suited HR policy. Alkermes have already greatly improved their social and organizational capital by merging with Elan and using the EDT unit respectively. Now Alkermes have to look at managing the performance of their human capital. When trying to collect data on performance you cannot completely rely on employee reports via surveys about how they feel the HR strategy is working.You have to collect more quantative data. Collect data on things such as production per hour rate and job turnover rate, this will give you a more in depth idea as to how employees are preforming. You can now use this information to decide on what reward and training systems to put in place to improve performance. Communication must be both upward and downward in an organization to discover ho w employees are performing. It will give you an idea on what employees want and if they are best suited to the post they are in.Good performance management will result in higher operating performance, which will translate into increased profitability. Reward management is concerned with the implementation of strategies and policies that aim to reward people fairly, equally and consistently in accordance with their value to the organization. The objectives of reward management are to recruit and retain, motivate employees and to strengthen psychological contracts. They can be both monetary (bonuses) and non-monetary (esteem, i. e. job title).RBV looks at obtaining and holding onto the best possible employees, and the best way to retain them is through a strong reward system. Overall I believe that if Alkermes adopt the RBV approach and combine all of their resources by carrying out the objectives entailed they should be able to achieve their cooperate strategy. I feel that the inform ation presented in this report is a good guideline as to how they should carry out their objectives. Hopefully the merger between Alkermes and Elan will run smoothly and will be profitable. References: http://www. alkermes. com/ www. shrm. org. digitalcommons. com.