The Social Sciences

Assignment-[4] how the relationships between people and traffic are ordered. In this assignment I will try to compare and contrast two views of how the relationship between people and traffic is ordered. The relationship between people and traffic is then examined in chapter 7 of making social lives. I will be comparing and contrasting the differences and similarities between road traffic engineers Colin Buchanan; and Hans Monderman. Colin Buchanan was commissioned by the UK government in 1961 to start work on the report! Traffic in towns for the Ministry of transport [chapter 7 p. 27] the report was aimed to produce a new design for urban space in order to engineer the efficient distribution and access of a large numbers of vehicles† to a large number of buildings. Achieving a satisfactory standard in our environment for life in towns. [Chapter 7 P. 327] Buchanan had visions of more towns to be organised to the flow of traffic and more roads to be built. The Department of Tran sport reports between the Second World War and 1969 the Numbers of cars on the roads quadrupled: this meant that not only needed more roads needed to be built but also a new way for towns to live with cars. Chapter 7 p. 326 Silva 2009 Cited Ministry of transport 1963]. The future of choking road congestion was feared unless the rapid rise in demand for car travel was matched by an increased supply of roads. Buchanan's concept was built on the explicit principle of segregation, reading from chapter 7 Ordering social life the case of road traffic making social lives: sometimes the strict separation of vehicles and people: cars were afforded their own generously proportioned network and pedestrians were safely tucked away in residential blocks often terminating enquired cul-de-sacs. Silva, Cited Buchanan 2009 p. 329 chapter 7] the whole subject of traffic in towns†¦ Is capable of being put on a rational and quantitative basis. Guesswork and intuition can be largely eliminated: giv en the necessary information, many aspects or precisely culpable: and there is scope for techniques which will greatly ease the burden of decision between alternative courses of action. Now let’s examine another road traffic engineer and compare this to the Buchannan report. Hans Monderman a road traffic engineer from the Netherlands had different ideas on how to organise traffic and people. Mondermans theory was the removal of all traffic obstacles road signs: traffic lights: and use the spaces left for humans to share the space with motorists. In evidence in 1989 the councillors of Drachten voted to remove every single traffic light and abolish road signs and warning signs. [P. 334 Silva 2009 chapter 7] his concept was that when all traffic obstacles were removed, the space left was to be shared by drivers and pedestrians. His theory was to narrow the roads and also put features alongside them. He planted trees and flowers and also Fountains, this was to discourage drivers from speeding the psychology of it was that they would slow down while driving past these features. Drachten is the town of 43,000 people in the Netherlands Monderman shared space approach was known as the Drachten experiment. [Silva2009, cited councillor Koop kerkestra p. 334]. The head of traffic policy at the town hall of Drachten, â€Å"the lights were causing problems; people were for ever waiting to get across junctions. We also had more than 140 casualties a year. It was difficult to know what to do, and we certainly didn't want to ban cars as we loved cars here in Drachten. Fortunately I met traffic engineer who had an unconventional solution. [P. 334 chapter 7 Silva, 2009] cited Monderman]. If you treat drivers like zombies they will behave like zombies: explains Monderman in other words, motorists or taught to blindly follow instructions, they stop thinking for themselves, and accidents follow. The above are a few briefs on traffic engineers Hans Monderman and Colin Buchannan who were both tasked with very difficult assignments and both had completely different views on how to manage the traffic flow, although Buchannan was much earlier than Monderman in years, both had quite revolutionary ideas of their times. Trying to compere the similarities between Monderman and Buchanan is not an easy task to undertake, firstly they were both road traffic engineers which are important I guess, and they were both commissioned by governments even though Mondermans commission was through local government. They were both commissioned to create the use of better space and a way to ease the flow of traffic in towns. They both looked at traffic and humans and how each played a role in creating a design for traffic to move more easily. This was also due to the similarity in statistics of ever increasing car owners on the roads, and I suppose a reason to prevent accidents in the future. What are the differences in both these engineers’ â€Å"ideas† plans and concepts of how to manage road traffic between humans and cars? Firstly Buchanan segregated humans from road traffic and built towns on the edges of motorways. Towns were built such as Milton Keynes and many other places with never ending cul de sacs and housing estates which were hard to get to even using the sign posts as it all looked the same. This isolated the towns from the spacious road networks, resulting in later years ever more traffic lights: calming zones and such like. However Monderman wanted to share this space left behind after the removal of traffic lights and all road signs with pedestrian’s †cyclists† and car drivers. Arguments. Buchanan based is road hierarchy on segregating people in towns from traffic? Did this mean primary roads and street roads were placed before motorways? Which streets and roads were best placed to distribute the traffic flow, do Buchanan’s plans still work in today's modern society, and it seems ever more increasing traffic! We need ever more modern day thinking and new approaches. Buchanan based his road flows from towns: thus the use of the space with segregation from people means many town roads and street roads were cut off from the motorways. Was there enough space left for what we see today in the likes of bus lanes, cycle lanes, did Buchanan foresee this. If he did surely the roads he planned and then subsequently built would be a lot wider. Today we are left with limited amount of space! If you drive down a normal high Street in any town today: you will see that traffic is very crowded and congested, there will be a limited amount of space for cars and vans taxis etc. You will notice that the inside lanes are used specifically for public transport busses. I would certainly argue that the Buchanan report had many flaws using anecdotal evidence put before me. I say anecdotal as I have no evidence to look at as I have to use what is in front of me for this assignment. Now let me turn to Hans Monderman and his vision of the shared space approach. This is very interesting as he relies solely on interaction of the person or persons driving vehicles, with pedestrians: or cyclists. Since all the obstacles of traffic lights and even road kerbs have been removed, this leads all participants having to acknowledge each other and prejudge one another's next movement. This idea seems like what you see on the TV, in places such as India Pakistan and Asia, which all traffic is moving fast around town centre junctions, which seems quite chaotic to one's first instinct. They all in fact seem in a frightful hurry and one has no data to rely on? About how many accidents or crashes they may be in places like this. I don't quite know if this is the same as Hans’s Mondermans shared space theory, but that's all I've got to go on in my argument. What was it Monderman said concerning the use of traffic lights in town centres, with drivers having to obey the instructions given by a set of lights, if you treat people like zombies they will act like zombies [ Silva2009, cited Monderman p. 34] in that this idea is similar to the behavioural social scientist Foucault. Who when studying people and their behaviours: he wrote? People come to see themselves as engaged in â€Å"normal† ways of thinking and behaving through socialisation processes in the family, schools, workplace or public space. In turn, they can contrast themselves with the â€Å"deviant† or abnormal ‘people who lack self-control or self-discipline [and therefore behave b adly]. [P. 321, 2009]. This is very interesting as he is thinking the same as Monderman in the use of people and their control. Conclusion. Both Buchannan and Monderman were modern day thinkers of engineering and planning road traffic, both had relative success in their tasks and both used people and segregation from cars. Monderman with! Buchannan without! Both ideas are very interesting, although I think Buchannan’s is out-dated by now: but he played a major role in United Kingdom’s traffic engineering. Hans Mondermans idea is really fascinating though and I wonder â€Å"greatly† if it is working and how many other nations will take up this idea. References. Silva. Elizabeth, [2009] Making social lives. United Kingdom the Open University. Milton Keynes. Silva. Elizabeth, [2009] making social order, 7 3[1] pp. 326-328,United Kingdom the Open University. Milton Keynes Silva, Elizabeth, [2009] Making social order, Silva cited Buchanan p. 326 7, United Kingdom the Open University. Milton Keynes Silva, Elizabeth, [2009] making social order 7 Silva cited Koop Kerkestra-Monderman p. 334 Making social order. United kingdom the Open University Milton Keynes. The Open University cited Foucault, [2009] pp-319-322. 7, 2. 2. he social sciences and social order. United Kingdom, the Open University Milton Keynes. Self-reflection, although I have a fair way to go yet I am starting to grasp the basics of social science and how they work and order things, this assignment was my most focused yet and although it is frustrating not being able to find other sources for my work especially on the results of how Monderman and Buchannan’s theories have worked out since they started I think my work could be even better in the future. Word count 1696 including references and self-reflection.

Folate Supplementation In Food Essay

Generally, fortification of foods have proven beneficial to people over the past years as it restores the nutrients that may have been lost in food processing and also enhances the vitamins that the food contain. Examples of food fortification include the addition of Vitamin C, to an orange drink, Vitamin D to dairy products, and Vitamins B1 and B2 to bread, among many others. However, while food fortification is generally considered beneficial to consumers, a recent article, Folic Acid Fortification: One Size May Not Fit It All, which was published in Natural News. com, showed that foods fortified with folic acid increase the risk of colon cancer. While I am in generally in favor of the fortification of foods, the article made me think twice before consuming foods that are high in folic acid. Although the article showed that folic acid had a number of benefits, particularly the 20 per cent reduction of birth defects of the spinal cord and the central nervous system, it still had health risks which, for me, should be greatly considered before taking in foods that are high in folic acid. In addition, even though the number of benefits outweigh the risks when consuming food that are fortified with folic acid, I believe that food manufacturers, nutritionists and members of the health sector should further conduct a collaborative and in-depth study on folic acid-fortified foods before they are made available for public consumption. The findings of the study should be then showed to the public so that people are aware of the risks of eating too much of a certain food. Another option which I believe would greatly avoid the risks of consuming food fortified with folic acid is the modification of food labeling. At present, food labeling is mandatory. However, it only shows the amount of nutrients, carbohydrates, calories, cholesterol, and other contents of the food and not the risks associated with it. In this regard, I would recommend that food manufacturers label fortified foods which contain substances that have known health risks in such a way that the people or consumers can see what exactly the risks are. For example, if a food is high in folic acid, which were shown to increase the risks of colon cancer, its label should clearly indicate that too much consumption of this food can lead to the colon cancer or should at least contain a warning. Furthermore, I also believe one way to lessen the risks of consuming foods fortified with folic acid, is for the government to make the public more aware of the exact content of the food and the dangers associated with them. Nevertheless, the article stated that only those who consume too much food fortified with folic acid are at risk for colon cancer, which means that these kinds of food are relatively safe if consumed moderately. The bottom line is people should always be aware of the exact content of the food they are eating in order to avoid possible health risks.

Hrm – Motivation and Performance

2. Why is human resource management in general and employee motivation in particular, critical to performance yet challenging for managers? How can managers ensure that they encourage a motivated workforce? Using articles from literature and practical examples develop comprehensive answers to these questions. In today’s corporate environment, there is little room for managers to become nonchalant about their critical role in an organisations growth and development. Human Resource Management (HRM) is an innovative concept that is being employed by businesses all over the world as a measure to remain competitive, or achieve greater competitive advantage, in their respective industries. This essay will discuss what HRM is generally thought to be and involve, and why it is so essential at this point in time for organisations to adopt as an essential part of their business strategy. Employee motivation is a critical aspect of HRM as it relates to employee performance and therefore overall organisational performance. The hardships faced by managers when trying to implement strategies for employee motivation will be observed, as will the strengths and weaknesses of some possible approaches to obtaining and maintaining a motivated workforce. The Importance of HRM. Many organisations have observed the growing need to implement good HRM practices that are continually updated and improved. Broadly defined, â€Å"HRM refers to activities undertaken to attract, develop and maintain an effective workforce within an organisation† (Samson & Daft, 2005). When we break down this definition into its key elements, it can be seen that HRM is extremely complex and involves many dimensions including, but not limited to, competitive pressure, changing social contract, the labour market, new ways of working and stakeholder engagement (Barsky, 2006, Lecture 7). These elements all play a major role in determining how effective an organisation is in its respective field and how it reacts to changes in its competitive environment. Kramer, McGraw and Schuler (1997) assert that in more recent times, competitive advantage is obtained by how an organisation manages its human esources (HR) as opposed to its management of information technology or ‘strategic positioning’. The Australian Federal Police (AFP) are a prime example of an organisation who have been able to effectively integrate positive HRM practices in order to work towards an organisational goal of having a safer country by reducing heroin intake to the point of a ‘drau ght’, as well as obtaining a high rate of employee satisfaction (91%) recorded in 2003 (Way, 2004). It is organisations who strive to give their employees opportunities to further develop and add to their skills base that are seen as advantageous leaders throughout the economy. Further research has shown that â€Å"effective HRM has a positive impact on organisational performance, including higher employee productivity and stronger financial performance. † (Delaney & Huselid, 1996). Ultimately, by managing HR effectively, employers are able to ensure that employees are reasonably satisfied with their job and will in turn strive to achieve their best for their respective employer. Employee motivation in relation to HRM. Behaviour of any kind is often motivated by some force, be it internal or external. Motivation provokes â€Å"enthusiasm and persistence to pursue a certain course of action† (Samson & Daft, 2005), and is a key aspect of a managers role in ensuring that their workforce continue to do their assigned jobs well and productively. Barsky (2006) emphasises the concept that motivation involves a few key aspects. Individual needs create a desire to realize these needs, behaviour is characterised by such needs, and rewards ultimately gratify individuals. Finally, feedback is used to determine if the actions undertaken to satisfy particular needs were appropriate and can be employed again at another time. Because motivation in the workforce involves employees, it can be directly linked with HRM. Such linkage suggests that all managers, particularly HRM managers, play a vital role in ensuring that their workforce remains motivated. There are several approaches to managing motivation. Samson & Daft focus in particular on four agreed approaches including the traditional, human relations, human resource and contemporary approaches. Traditionally, money was seen as a great form of motivation, whereby workers were paid based on he â€Å"quality and quantity of their work outputs† (Samson & Daft, 2005). The human relations approach regards social factors as more important than monetary values, while human resources is an extension of this approach stating that employees themselves are of great importance to an organisation and can make valued contributions towards performance. More recently, the contemporary approach is divided into content, process and reinforcement theories and tend s to cover all of the above aspects of motivation in greater depth with even more emphasis on employee contribution. If employees are not motivated to perform for their respective employees, an organisation can suffer from poor productivity and an overall despondent atmosphere. ‘Sandstrom Products’, a paints and coatings manufacturer, were faced with such a problem when employees began to feel as if they had little or no say or control within the organisation. Leo Henkelman had started out in the lowest job in the plant but had gradually worked his way up to a higher, more respected position of mill operator. However, when he made suggestions for improvement, his ideas were met with little enthusiasm from higher management. He was no longer motivated to perform productively for Sandstrom and became disinterested in his work, as did many other of the companies employees. Needless to say, productivity and profits declined and Sandstrom were forced to change their managerial processes to allow for a more open, trustworthy relationship between employee and employer. Such a change gave Henkelman the respect he craved and now says â€Å"that it would be difficult to work for another employer† (Whitford, 1995). Challenges of employee motivation for managers. Perhaps one of the most difficult challenges a manager can face when motivating employees is the reality that â€Å"people differ not only in their ability to do but also their ‘will to do’† (Hersey & Blanchard, 1977). It is not easy to define exactly what will motivate different people to do certain jobs, for example some people are motivated by money, power, recognition or other incentives such as extra holidays or sick-leave, whilst others are motivated by a more socially responsible need to help others. It is up to management to determine what those motivations might be for the people they have hired and how they might fairly and adequately utilise them in order to gain trust, reliability and increased productivity from their employees. The main idea is that â€Å"organisations offer ‘inducements’ and employees offer ‘contributions’† (March & Simon, 1958). So by offering employees something that they want or need, employers expect to receive positive inputs from their employees. It is in determining what ‘inducements’ to offer that can ‘make or break’ an organisation. Many organisations are faced at some point in time, with the challenge of changing existing processes and procedures because they are no longer working as effectively as they should. When trying to increase motivation, there are many factors that need to be taken into consideration. Organisational goals are the foundation on which such changes should occur; however a careful look at an organisations HR and motivators is perhaps secondary to this function. Steve and Dianne Warren, co-owners of Katzinger’s Delicatessen, tried to implement a change to open-book management involving sharing financial rewards with employees if performance improved. However, the fact that many of their employees were young and not committed to a long-term career with Katzinger meant that they believed they could do little to change productivity in the short-term. Thus, motivation was low because the Warrens had not clearly looked at their HR to see what their wants and needs were (Hofman, 1998). Ensuring a motivated workforce. There is no set way to ensure that an organisation will have and be able to maintain a motivated and effective workforce. There are however models for prescribing what peoples needs generally are such as physiological, safety, belongingness, esteem and self-actualisation (Samson & Daft, 2005). Abraham Maslow (Wallace & Szilagyi, 1982) placed the above needs in a hierarchical structure with physiological needs at the bottom followed respectively by the four other prescribed needs. It is generally recognised that lower-level needs should be satisfied before higher-order needs. When basic needs are fulfilled, other needs emerge and tend to change the motivation and behaviour of an individual. As we reach the higher-level needs we tend to see a vast difference in a persons motivation to work and achieve well. Physiological needs are perhaps the simplest needs to provide for, as this is directly related to monetary units, or how much a person is paid for their work. As we move higher however, it becomes more difficult for managers to pinpoint exactly what to provide for employees in order to satisfy higher-level needs. For many people there may be a slight skew as to the order of their needs based on personality or the particular field of work they are in. Fortune (1985) discusses several business men and women who are typically motivated by differing desires such as listening to client needs, monetary rewards in the form of commissions, the idea that they are ‘helping’ others, or the need to learn from a current situation that is not particularly idyllic. A good manager needs to be able to tap into such motivators and apply them to their respective workforce. CEO Rob Rodin of Marhsall Industries was highly criticised by colleagues and friends when deciding to remove a commissions based pay program for his electronic distributions company in 1992. Instead, he introduced profit sharing whereby everyone’s salary was the same percentage based on company performance. Rodin says that â€Å"productivity per person has almost tripled, and the system is more right today than it was six years ago. People no longer mask real results by shipping early in order to meet quotas or rearranging costs from quarter to quarter so as to make budget. He also believes trust has developed immensely because everyone is there to help each other, not make a large profit for themselves (Colvin, 1998). Rodin carefully looked at his company and was able to see that there was no sense of teamwork or responsibility within Marshall Industries, and that by pro viding the opportunity of profit sharing he was able to promote a sense of equity and fairness within the organisation. Ultimately, a company’s capability in recruiting, training and keeping top-quality employees is a complex process that involves much analysis and continual assessment. HRM is the field from which motivation stems and relates to any aspect involving people within a workforce, and a motivated workforce is a key strategy in obtaining and keeping elite employees. Motivation must therefore be viewed as highly important by any organisation that wishes to keep productivity high and maintain a strong position in the economy now, and in the future. References: Barsky, A. , (2006). Managing People and Organisations, Lecture 7, The University ofMelbourne. Colvin, G. (Aug 1998). What Money Makes You Do. Fortune. Vol. 138, Iss. 4; p213. Delaney, J. T. , Huselid, M. A. (1996). The Impact of Human Resource Management Practices on Perceptions of Organisational Performance, Academy of Management Journal. Hersey, P. , Blanchard, K. H. (1977). Management of Organisational Behaviour: UtilisingHuman Resources, 3rd ed. , Prentice-Hall. Hofman, M. (1998, July). Everyone’s a Cost Cutter. Inc. , p116. Kramer, R. , McGraw, P. , Schuler, R. S. (1997). Human Resource Management inAustralia, 3rd ed. , Longman. March, J. G. , Simon, H. A. (1958). Organisations. New York: Wiley. Samson, D. , Daft R. L. (2005). Management, 2nd ed. , Thomson. Wallace, M. J. , Szilagyi, A. D. (1982). Managing Behaviour in Organisations, Scott,Foresman and Company. Way, N. , (2004, 2-8 September). Feds Democratic Revolution, Business Review Weekly. Whitford, D. (1995, June). Before & After. Inc. , pp. 44–50.

The French government remains a good European. However, French voters Essay

The French government remains a good European. However, French voters have become increasingly Eurosceptic. Discuss - Essay Example A soft Eurosceptism can be explained as where activists are not against European assimilation or membership in EU and would advocate that national interest should be given primary priority. (Taggart and Szczerbiak 2002:7). The word â€Å"skeptic â€Å"originates from the â€Å"skeptikos† Greek word which connotes inquiring and thoughtful in a normal sense, as contrasted to easy acknowledgement of debates by others. According to Webster’s dictionary, the word ‘skeptic† refers to an individual who normally questions, doubts or argue against the judgment on issues normally accepted. In other words, skepticism reminds of a philosophical canon that the truth of all wisdom must always be in doubt and that post-mortem or inquiry must be a process of doubting. Hence, Euro-skepticism or Eurosceptic can be explained as an everlasting suspicion of â€Å"Europe† as a great project, an opposition about integration of Europe, which is visualised as construction of a powerful and new political mediator in the global arena, a European Europe â€Å"that would establish a new power in a multipolar world as contrasted to the contemporary American- overshadowed unipolar setup. It is to be noted that Eurosceptic concept is not against what they visualise as pragmatic advantageous cooperation among various interests of European nations for greater prosperity and peace. However, mainstream Eurosceptic is antagonistic to the concept of attempting to establish a European –level power, i.e. a â€Å"European Europe â€Å"that would have its own provincial interests. (Tiersky 2001: 3). European Community came into the existence with France being one of the founding members of that community, and it is difficult to visulaise European integration without the presence of France and its leadership. However, France is a nation with vibrant nationalistic feelings, with long annals of

How Poverty Causes Crimes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

How Poverty Causes Crimes - Essay Example Both theories are of great significance for designing social strategies and policies to combat crime. According to the research conducted by the United States Government Accountability Office (2007), individuals living in poverty face an increased risk of adverse outcomes such as poor health and criminal activity. American healthcare system itself can be a factor that makes people vulnerable to poverty. Among the industrial nations, U.S. is the only country that does not have a universal healthcare policy for its citizens. Although American healthcare service is believed to be the best, the dramatic increase in cost, high drug prices, fraudulent activities, healthcare abuse, and unfair coalitions have left the system extremely fragmented. For the majority of the population hospital bills have become unaffordable. According to Marilyn Elias (2009), for some families, just one added stressor is enough to push them over the edge into violence. Although hospitals are highly equipped with the advanced technology and modern facilities, majority of people do not have the access to adequate healthcare service due the escalating cost of drugs and services. To illustrate, the study proves that "as many as 195,000 people may well be dying in American hospitals each year because of avoidable medical errors, and as many as 1.5 million may well be misdiagnosed" (Coates 61-62). The recent economic recession has made the situation more complex. It has contributed to more frequent violence, more violent abuse, and more deadly abuse when the domestic violence already exists. For instance, there has recently been a 25 percent increase in felony-level domestic violence crimes in Rhode Island, and a three-fold increase in domestic violence related homicides in Massachusetts during the same period (Lauby and Else, 2008). Another argument suggests that crime is being promoted by certain social

The main reason couples divorce Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The main reason couples divorce - Essay Example Gender and Society construction play a major role in the occurrence of divorce leading to many reasons why couples end up divorcing. The most considered reasons are a lack of commitment, unrealistic expectations, lack of equality in the relationship, abuse, and infidelity, lack of communication and financial problems. These problems can be prevented or fixed if they happen (Lyngstad, 52). Commitment in a relationship is very essential as it brings a long-term view in the relationship that helps couples not get overwhelmed by challenges and problems they face in their day-to-day life. High commitment in a relationship is very essential as the couple will feel safe and will be willing to give all what it takes the relationship to become a success. Gender and Society construction in regards to the nature and roles the male and female gender plays a key  role in the occurrence of divorce. However, at times divorce is necessary as it helps in preserving the moral boundaries of marriage. According to a study conducted by Amato, the most common reasons, why couples get divorced, is lack of commitment. From the study results, 73 percent of the research participants identified a lack of couple’s commitment as a major reason for divorce. Other reasons given in the study included infidelity 56 percent, too much arguing in the relationship 55 percent, unrealistic and conflicting expectations in the marriage 46 percent, early marriages 45 percent, financial issues 41 percent, male masculinity and lack of equality 44 percent and relationship abuse 29 percent. From the list, it is possible to fix many of the issues raised above and prevent divorce occurrence. It is essential for couples to learn how to avoid their destructive arguments and solve their issues to create greater expectations in their marriage. Even damaging issues such as infidelity affairs in a relationship can be

Final Class Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Final Class Project - Essay Example As noted by his expert witness, the sacral bedsores and the ulcers first appeared while he was immobile in a Minerva bracer and also when he was on the ventilator. In the nursing profession, patients who face high risk for skin breakdown are to be turned every 2 to 3 hours. The turning of the patients helps in blood circulation throughout the body and eases the pressure on the surface of the skin, which is in contact with the bed. In this case, it can be argued that consistent turning didn’t happen. This is because if the actual turning took place, the patient would not have developed such sores and ulcers. The Florida nurse practice act under section [464.018(8) (h)], clearly discourages the nurses from acting inappropriate and unprofessional. The nurses deviated from the standards as stipulated in the above-mentioned legislation and hence are bound to provide compensation to the patient. It is through the negligence and unethical conduct of the nurses that made Mr. Paul contract the skin lesions. As professionals, they were supposed to provide quality care and hence could have prevented the occurrence of skin lesions on the patient. The nurses’ conduct of unprofessionalism is a deviation from the standards and legislations governing all nurses. A good expert witness must be a good public speaker. Due to the demanding nature of the court proceedings, an expert witness must be able to explain ideas in a clear and precise manner. He/she should also be very conversant with the court terminologies and hence represent the client fully. In addition, he/she should show confidence while speaking because confidence shows professionalism and hence the jury builds trust on your witness account. Therefore, good speaking is necessary for a nurse aspiring to be a good expert witness. It is a requirement that an expert witness should be actively involved in his field of specialization. The active involvement in the medical field

Nursing management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Nursing management - Essay Example The prevalence of marijuana use peaked in males and females aged 20–29 years (Maxwell, 2003). In young people aged 14 to 17 years, the drug was used at least once by 28% of persons falling in this group whereas in the elderly people, consumption decreased after the age of 40 years and the rate continued to decrease as age increased thereafter. The consumption of marijuana was much higher in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people (50%) when compared to non-indigenous Australians (33%). Also, there was no difference noted in marijuana intake between those living in urban areas and those in remote and rural areas. The drug abuse was more in those with English speaking background than those with non-English speaking background. Women who were either breast feeding or pregnant or both consumed much less than other women. Marijuana is a mixture of dried parts of the plant hemp including leaves, stems, seeds and flowers. It appears green, brown, or grey depending on the composition. It is referred to by many street names such as herb, weed, grass, boom, Mary Jane, gangster, or chronic. It is usually consumed in the form of cigarette (referred to as ‘joint’ or ‘nail’) or pipe. Most often it is consumed with other illicit drugs like cocaine (called ‘blunts’) or tobacco. It is taken in mainly for the mental effects like altered state of consciousness, perceptual changes like hallucinations and heightened sensory experiences. The main active chemical having psycho-activity in marijuana is THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol) (Astolfi, 1998). Other than euphoria and hallucinations, marijuana has other effects also. The immediate effects are blood shot eyes, dry mouth and throat, sleepiness, paranoia, decreased ability to concentrate, coordinate and react, along with impaired short- term memory, comprehension, speech and learning. There is decreased ability to judge distances and react to signals and sounds on the road causing accidents.

Java Questions Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Java Questions - Coursework Example s where the devices are connected via internet while socket programming connects computers to sockets that enable information sharing (Sharma and Deswal, 2014). It was the idea that I used to seal a client for my parents within no time. Negotiation was smooth as it was direct to the individual concerned and enabled immediate feedback. Indeed, business entities should adopt the system as it will save them a lot majorly in costs that might be incurred due to physical movements. Java provides for server connections majorly from a remote source. But the connections are usually numerous that creates threads and pools (Auer, Dingel and Rudie, 2014). The many overheads lead to slower server operations and even disrupt other sites in progress. I had this problem especially when in the school library where at the server point, everyone tries to have its share. Trust me, it was pathetic and for the first time I contemplated never to go browse at the library. The Java world has provided for the real time and distributive processing that allows for the flow of objects between the systems (Dreibholz, 2014). Since, the modern world requires collaboration; data is easily exchanged between the parties due to long distances. It has been the method that we used to spread information around with classmates. The process is fast and reliable to the exchange of data. I, therefore, find it very helpful since no one had to worry about missing the information. Java provides for various platforms of communication like 2go that enables individuals to send messages at will (Sade and Ofer, 2014). For long now, I have been a fan of 2go and the app generally updated in the latest model of my iphone 6. It is quite interesting on how I can participate in group chats with my friends. All the messages are replied instantly while those offline can also find the text and participate in later stages that bonded us together. Caches are meant to speed up the application of the java (Hu and Santurkar,

Reading Philosophies Essay Example for Free

Reading Philosophies Essay Is the student| |Constructivist |and cultural belief can influence the |along with the teacher a book. |responding or actively participating in class | | |learning along with interactions of other |Teacher will give the student a project on a topic|discussions | | |students in the classroom. and then will present it in front of the class |Mind mapping will have the students list and | | |In a classroom that utilizes the theory of |Have the students watch a clip or a movie and then|categorize new concepts | | |constructivism, there would be: |the teacher will conduct a discussion afterwards |Pre-assessments allows the teacher to know what | | |Vigorous participation |Teacher can take the students on a field trip to |the students know and what topics they will need | | | Small group interactions |relate real world experiences to the concepts |to be taught | | |New concepts shown within context |learned in class |Hands on activities assess how the students can | | |Previous knowledge used to create new | |utilize a particular learning tool | | |knowledge | | | |Questions or activities to lead to new | | | | |concepts | | | | |This theory is based on the teacher defines |Teacher can have the students underline a portion |Assessments though individual work. Is the | |Explicit or Direct |and model the concept, guides the students |of the text on an overhead or on the board to |student completing and doing individual | |Instruction |through application, and creates guided |depict whatever topic is being discussed, like |assignments? | | |practice until there is mastery of the |naming the nouns, proper nouns, prepositions, etc. |Assessment through a test or quiz with an essay | | |concept. Ask the students to check the text on the overhead|writing or project report | | |In this model, the classroom will consists |because you need to prove whatever topic is being |An informal assessment through having the | | |of: |discussed |children do â€Å"thumbs up or thumbs down† | | |Direct instruction of phonemic awareness |Ask the students to read a passage to see if it | | | |Decoding skills |sounds right and makes sense, then ask if there | | | |Rules of language |should be any revisions | | | | |Skill based worksheets, flash cards, or ga me | | | | |relating to the new concept | | Reading Philosophies It is important to know what type of effective teaching strategies you want to have when you step inside the classroom doors. Although there are many different teaching styles, the two most common philosophies are direct/explicit instruction and constructivist. Choosing either method is a matter of preference and what will work best for the teacher and the students. No matter what, the information that is given to the students must be informative and related to their needs as well as their particular grade level. This essay will discuss both approaches and what method I would like to utilize when I become a teacher. â€Å"Teachers can give students ladders that lead to higher understanding, yet the students themselves must climb these ladders† (Slavin, 2009, p. 231) emphasizes the view of a constructivist in which the students are vital roles in their own learning and development. A traditional idea about teaching is comparable to the constructivist method of teaching. This method commonly has the teacher identifying learning objectives, planning learning activities, and creating assessments. However this theory relies on the student’s knowledge and more hands on activities. The teacher’s role is to facilitate personal learning by establishing a community of learners, and by making it clear to the student that he or she is part of the community (Baines Stanley, 2000). Jean Piaget is well known for generally attributing to the formalization of constructivism. Piaget felt that accommodation and assimilation will help students construct new knowledge from their past experiences. When students assimilate, they will digest their new experience into a pre-existing context without altering the new context. It is also important to know that constructivism is not a specific pedagogy. In short, this theory describes how learning happens, despite of whether students are using their past experiences to comprehend the lesson. In a constructivist classroom, there would be (1) vigorous participation (2) small group discussions (3) concepts introduced within context, and (4) authentic literature, (GCU, 2013). Truthfully, many aspects of constructivism are commendable (Baines Stanley, 2000). One component of this theory is small group discussions. The next theory is direct or explicit instruction. This model (1) sets the stage for learning (2) teacher provides clear explanation of what to do (3) modeling the process (4) guided practice, and (4) independent practice. Throughout explicit instruction, teachers are responsible for monitoring the students’ needs and providing them a kind of scaffolding that is appropriate throughout their learning process. Modeling is a key component of scaffolded instruction (Truscott Truscott, 2004). When this strategy is used there will be gradual withdrawal of supportive learning structures to eventually become the sole responsibility of the student (Truscott Truscott, 2004). This concept has been known to improve learning however it may take a long time for the student to master. However once it is mastered, the student feels a sense of accomplishment and self-sufficient. Explicit instructions make the student responsible as well in a different way that constructivism is administered. Students will know and understand what they are expected to perform by themselves and what goals that they will work towards. In the content of reading, studies have shown that direct teaching of word meanings in a reading passage is more effective than an uninstructed vocabulary learning approach (Sanbul Schmitt (2010). There is an allowance for student engagement as well. Learning is an active process. Teachers of this model will maintain the classroom with proper behavior; however students should stay actively involved in the lesson in order to have the greatest impact on their learning. While they are being taught, students will be focused on the lesson as well as try to make sense of the new material. I feel that either theory is the not better than the other. I feel that both theories can work together in a classroom if they are balanced out. A study was conducted at the University of Kansas of 83 students who were targeted in the winter of kindergarten as being high risk for reading failure. Interventions were conducted in small groups of one to six students for thirty minute sessions, three times per week, for a two year period (Kamps, Abbot, Greenwood, Wills, Verrkamp, Kaufman, 2008). Reading comprehension is a very complex skill to teach. In this study, the students worked on comprehension strategies including decoding words, phonological awareness, alphabet knowledge and rapid letter naming. As a result, the findings from this study proved that small group instruction improved in critical early literacy skills. Some students even advanced to grade level performance (Kamps, Abbot, Greenwood, Wills, Verrkamp, Kaufman, 2008). I feel this is a great example of both theories placed into one. The teacher was incorporated by working directly with the students; however the students were placed in smaller groups like in the constructivism theory. In my classroom, I would use constructivism to create a print-rich environment with student’s work posted and a time that students are free and able to discuss classroom topics. I would also relate the content that is being taught to a life experience so the students can understand that specific content area. I would also create high levels of interaction with lots of group work. However there will be a time for explicit instruction. I will monitor the students for understanding to make sure that they are deriving meaning from the instruction. I also think it is important that I model the assignment before I give it, especially for kindergarten because their understanding for directions is still very new. All teaching strategies or theories require some form of assessment to make sure the student understands the given concept. Although both theories are quite different, the assessments are the same. The assessments are either formative or summative. Teachers will use formative assessments through class observations of participation, questioning strategies, and peer or self assessment. Through summative strategies, it is usually benchmark exams or state mandated standardized testing. In conclusion, both theories have been proven to be very successful. Researchers agree that teachers need to be adaptive to meet students’ diverse and individual needs (Parsons, Davis, Scales, Williams, Kear, 2010). No one can clearly state which theory works better. I have observed both theories inside classrooms of today and the students were successful in their learning. I feel that whatever works best for you and your students, then just go for it. Bottom line, we need the students to become successful and proper citizens once they graduate so I hope to do my best when I am teaching and use both theories to make it happen. References Baines, L. A. , Stanley, G. (2000). We Want to See the Teacher. . Phi Delta Kappan, 82(4), 327. Kamps, D. , Abbott, M. , Greenwood, C. , Wills, H. , Veerkamp, M. , Kaufman, J. (2008). Effects of Small-Group Reading Instruction and Curriculum Differences for Students Most at Risk in Kindergarten. Journal Of Learning Disabilities, 41(2), 101-114. Parsons, S. A. , Davis, S. G. , Scales, R. Q. Williams, B. , Kear, K. A. (2010). How AND WHY TEACHERS ADAPT THEIR LITERACY INSTRUCTION. College Reading Association Yearbook, (31), 221-236. Slavin, R. E. (2009). Educational Psychology. In R. E. Slavin, Educational Psychology (pp. 30-44). Upper Saddle River: Pearson Education, Inc. Sonbul, S. , Schmitt, N. (2010). Direct teachi ng of vocabulary after reading: is it worth the effort?. ELT Journal: English Language Teachers Journal, 64(3), 253-260. doi:10. 1093/elt/ccp059 Truscott, D. M. , Truscott, S. D. (2004). A professional development model for the positive practice of school-based reading consultation. Psychology In The Schools, 41(1), 51-65.

Plant Layouts of Production of Isoamyl Alcohol

Plant Layouts of Production of Isoamyl Alcohol PLANT FACILITIES LAYOUT The economic construction and efficient operation of a process unit will depend on how well the plant and equipment specified on the process flow sheet is laid out. A facility is regarded as a building or a precinct. The process units and ancillary buildings should be laid out to give the most economical flow of materials and personnel around the site. Hazardous processes must be located at a safe distance from other buildings. Consideration must also be given to the future expansion of the site. A layout of a building is the map that shows the location of the building around the isoamyl alcohol plant such as car park, cafeteria, mosque, stores, workshop, laboratory and others. The most important place workers need to know is fire assembles point which a designated place where people have been told to wait after evacuating a building in the event of a fire or other emergency. A model facilities layout should be able to provide an ideal relationship between raw materials, equipment, m anpower and final product at minimal cost under safe and comfortable environment. According to Riggs, the overall objective of plant is to design a physical arrangement that most economically meets the requirement output quantity and quality. Irregular plant layout will disturb the flow production and relationship among management and other staff member. The objective of the plant layout is: Provide a systematic process in the plant. Reduce material handling cost. Reduce hazard to personnel. Increase employee morale. Reduce accident in the plant. To provide optimum space to organize equipment and facilitate movements of goods. Figure 1: Plant layout of isoamyl alcohol production plant Figure 1 above shows the plant layouts of production of isoamyl alcohol and the important element in this layout. There is a power station which will be supply power to the whole plant so that there will be enough power to generate the production of plant. If the plant having a sudden loss of power source, the plant can continue to operate normal as there is generator powerful enough to supply electricity as backup source of power source as the main power station is being fix to normal condition. Thus, this will prevent loss in term of time and production rate of company including avoiding from emergency cases such as overheating of equipment as cooling process is being disturbed. There are also facilities for workers such as wide parking area, cafeteria and a room for prayer. Then, maintenance store and workshop facilities provide the spare part and maintenance of the instrument in the plant. The spare part capacity need to be control to avoid any disturb to the process line in case of emergency. The Fire assembly area is to provide the safe location if fire occur in the plant. The fire assembly area is important to check all employees safe from the incident. This location is choose by focus on a safe distance from the building and the space is large enough for all the workers in the plant to gather. Storage store refers to the controls the inflow quantity and quality of the raw material supply which are chlorine, sodium hydroxide and pentane in a high quality. This important to avoid excess amount of raw material in the plant because buying to many raw material will results tremendous space and cost to maintain them. In this section will involve the recording of raw material inflow and outflow in the plant in order to reduce the cost of operation. This storage tanks that containing hazardous materials is sited at least 70m (200 ft) from the site boundary and the main storage areas are placed between the loading and unloading facilities and the main process un it. Laboratories are placed well away from potentially hazardous processes. In order to obtain high quality of the isoamyl alcohol production, the raw material supply needs to achieve the specification level that has been set in this company. This area will running the test for production line and raw material supply. Every raw material that being supply for production area need to be passed a quality test to control the quality of the product. All the analysis equipment will be located in the laboratory. The important part in the plant, this is the production of isoamyl alcohol occur. All the instruments involve in the production of isoamyl acohol will set in this area and systematic arrangement of instrument need to have in order to have efficient production line. The isoamyl alcohol production will undergoes chlorination, fractionation, hydrolysis and distillation process. Cooling towers are sited so that, under the prevailing wind, the plume of condensate spray drifts away from the plant area and adjacent properties.

Facility Operations

Facility Operations Introduction Facility Operations is a discipline of management devoted to provide care, maintenance, development of skills to facility the daily operations public, hospitality, educational and leisure venues. The activities of facility operations include from very basic activity like cleaning to a high skilled and technical jobs like maintenance of air conditioning system. It is the duty of facility operations team to coordinate with the organisation management to oversee the cost effective, safe, secure and environment friendly maintenance of the organisational assets and long term care and preservation of those assets value. The goal of facility operation management is to provide â€Å"end user† satisfaction, and also considered as the success criteria for the evaluation of facility operation team. In this assignment the requirement is to assess the responsibilities of facilities manger in an organisation like hospital, hotel, educational institution or super market etc, what are the legal, health and safety obligations in performing the duties as facilities manger, identification of the strengths in current facilities operations and what are the weak areas to be addressed in the current business and in the new establishment which the management is planning to start. The organisation I have chosen to complete the assignment task is â€Å"Serena Hotels, Islamabad Pakistan†. Serena Hotel The Islamabad Serena Hotel is at a very prominent location at the door step of Margalla hills on fourteen acres of areas with beautiful gardens and near the Rawal Lake in the young and dynamic city of Pakistan â€Å"the Islamabad†, one of the natural beautiful cities of the world. The architectural and interior structure of the hotel is a good combination of the heritage of Pakistani culture equipped with the latest technology. The hotel is having nine cuisine restaurant and roof top swimming pool, providing all the luxury facilities and health clubs. The Serena Hotel Islamabad contain 387 rooms including suite with function halls to accommodate about five thousand people, and all other facilities that of a five star hotel. What is Facilities Operations Facilities operations and maintenance encompasses all that broad spectrum of services required to assure the built environment will perform thefunctionsfor which a facility was designed and constructed. Operations and maintenance typically includes the day-to-day activities necessary for the building and its systems and equipment to perform their intended function. In broad perspective the facility operation is merged with maintenance known as Operations and Maintenance (O M) because facilities cant be provided efficiently without it is properly maintained, therefore these two terms are discussed as one term (Facilities Operation and Maintenance). Facilities Operations at Serena As a five star hotel the Serena Hotel provide all the services to their customers to keep them satisfied and accomplish the organisational goals and objectives. To have good services they have a very structured Facilities Operations and Maintenance system, which involve all the dimensions of facility operations. Some of the major operations of this department in Serena Hotel Islamabad are following. Building Maintenance As described above that Serena is having a very good looking prominent building at a very attract full and expensive location at the city, so the hotel management is very much focused about the maintenance of the building, as this is the main resource of the business. Catering As Serena is having nine restaurants within the complex, each restaurant offer different meals, like South Asian, African and Arabian foods, so this area of the business is also included in the work duties of the facility operational staff. Cleaning Is the one of the core functionality of the operational staff and support staff at every organization, at Serena Hotel this is a separate department for cleaning the hotel premises, the cleaning staff is 24/7 on duty to provide clean and neat environment at hotel. Consultancy continuous improvement Continuous improvement is a very significant area of facilities operations, so at Serena there is proper system of consulting for the operational staff and very structured program for continuous improvement. Gardens Maintenance At Serena there are multiple gardens with beautiful plants and flowers, to maintain the beauty of these gardens there is a well trained team to take care. Procurement Is a key activity in facilities operations, to procure all the requirements of the hotel, maintain sufficient stock of all required items and remain in contact with supplier to have on time delivery of the required items. Projects relocation Facility Operations and Maintenance also look at the areas which need immediate focus and also plain the long terms goals of their department. They start new projects and relocation of current projects like outsourcing some operations of the hotel. Mechanical Electrical Services Mechanical and Electrical services are also the responsibility of families operation management staff, to look after the machineries and electrical devices and supply there is a trained staff available at Serena. Security Services To provide security to customers and staff members the security services are outsourced by Serena, private company guards remain at duty all the time, while there is a latest setup of CCTV which remains in operation all the time to keep eye on any suspected terrorist activity. Waste environmental management To keep environment clean is a very big issue in todays world, so to properly dispose the wastes and remain the hotel environment clean there is a team of cleaners who work on disposing the wastages of the hotel, clean the rooms, gardens and corridors, kitchen and other premises of the hotel. Responsibilities as Facility Manager As facility management is a very vast field, and a diverse range of specialism and responsibilities in different combinations, depending on organizational structure. Facilities managers are involved in both strategic planning and day-to-day operations, particularly in relation to buildings and premises. Some of the main responsibilities and duties of Facility Manger at Serena Hotel Islamabad are stated below Skillful management of administrative activities like procurement, purchase of equipments, housekeeping, safety and health, security, employee induction etc. Maintaining monthly reports for the expenses incurred for maintaining office infrastructure and facilities. Monitoring of budget and cost controlling Provide assistance in project management and cost optimization Managing repair, maintenance replacement of office equipments, appliances, furniture, furnishings, vehicles, building etc. Purchase and implementation of security tools and surveillance cameras. Event Management, organizing meetings, conferences, making travel arrangements and hotel reservations for guests foreign delegates. Acting as info-hub for providing administration related information and supervising administrative activities like general admin, verification of stationery stock, petty cash, courier, florist, pest control, housekeeping, etc. Arranging for relocation of employees from different parts of country which includes arrangement for their home and family related needs such as school admission, transportation and taking care of their household requirements. Arranging accommodation for onsite employees by co-ordination with various companies providing accommodations and to continuously improve the quality of services. Legal, Health and Safety (H S) Obligations Anobligationis a requirement to take some course of action, whetherlegalormoral, so at Serena Hotel there is a proper system of carrying out care of legal, health and safety obligations. It is the responsibility of the organization management and Facility Manager to ensure the health and safety of their employee during their work. Facility Mangers responsibility also include to do risk assessment and analysis, purchasing compulsory employers liability insurance if they dont already have it, ensuring equipment is fit for its purpose, testing, certifying and maintaining electrical equipment, ensuring computers can be used comfortably and easily, making sure the availability of first aid boxes are easily accessible locations at work premises, avoiding the use of trailing electricity cables to reduce the risk of fire and electric shocks, ensuring staff are suitably trained to work safely, keeping records of, and if necessary reporting,any serious accidents, illnesses or injuries experien ced by hotel workers. At Islamabad Serena Hotel to provide the basic healthcare treatments there is a dispensary working round the clock with qualified doctor and other paramedic staff, the hotel has its own ambulance service to shift any casualties to hospitals in case of emergency. Health and Safety at Serena At work place the health and safety obligation is to keep your employees and yourself safe from all of the emergencies like fire, any terrorist activity and safety during work. At Serena Hotel employees of facility staff and operational staff are advised to Follow the instruction given by facility manger regarding health and safety Get trained about using personal protective equipments Not willfully or recklessly interfere with or misuse anything provided for workplace health and safety at the workplace. The manger ensures that the workplace is safe and employee; customers can visit the hotel without any risk. the workplace is safe and without risk of illness or injury from any plant or substance used properly in the course of work The environment of the workplace must be such that it does not put the health of the workpeople at risk. Perform the risk assessment activities to minimize the risk involved in health and safety at the work environment. The facility manger continuously monitors and reviews the health and safety standards at the hotel. Constantly the activates of Safety sampling is done which involves inspecting the whole work area but looking only for particular types of hazard i.e. the sample, and Safety audits which Endeavour to obtain a numerical measure of the number of examples of each hazard found. A key element in achieving and maintaining high levels of safety is knowledge of the hazards, their effects and the techniques to avoid or ameliorate those effects. So at Serena the facility management team and co workers are constantly updated with latest tools and trainings to enhance their skills and capabilities. Administrative Systems at Serena There are two types of administrative computer systems operational at Serena Islamabad. The first one is Management Information System (MIS) and the second one is Security system. Management Information system is a big software system having different modules for each and every department; it includes modules like from room reservation to bill calculations, and dividing staff duties to procurement, recruitment and selection. All the management related activities are done through this software system at Serena. How can Serena improve the Facilities Operations As far as Serena is the best in providing facilities operations at their premises as compare to other competitors at hotels market, but I will suggest Serena that they is possibilities of improvement, as Facility Manager at Serena I will suggest the administration to take the following steps in order to improve the standard of facilities operations. At Serena Hotel there is a computerized system which I will suggest to improve it to Computerized Maintenance System (CMS). Computerized Maintenance Management Systems (CMMS) enable the facility manager, subordinates and customers to track the status of maintenance work on their assets and the associated costs of that work. CMMS are utilized by facilities maintenance organizations to record, manage and communicate their day-to-day operations. The system can provide reports to use in managing the organizations resources, preparing facilitieskey performance indicators (KPIs)/metrics to use in evaluating the effectiveness of the current operations and for making organizational and personnel decisions. In todays maintenance world the CMMS is an essential tool for the modern facilities maintenance organization. I will suggest the administration to keeping in mind the current security situations at Pakistan, instead of having own guards, outsource the security, and also apply to the Govt of Pakistan to provide security commandos during the stay of elite in the hotel. The HR department is required to consult the facility manager in hiring the facility staff and operation staff. The facility manger is required to clearly identify the job descriptions and responsibilities of all manger and staff members in order to streamline the process, and provide the best facilities at the hotel customers and staff. Conclusion Facility managementis aninterdisciplinaryfield primarily devoted to the maintenance and care of commercial or institutional buildings, such ashotels,resorts,schools,office complexes,sports arenasorconvention centers. Duties may include the care ofair conditioning,electric power,plumbingandlightingsystems;cleaning;decoration;groundskeepingandsecurity. Some or all of these duties can be assisted by computer programs. These duties can be thought of as non-core or support services, because they are not the primary business (taken in the broadest sense of the word) of the owner organization. At Serena Hotel Islamabad the Facility Manger and Management of the hotel is very much focused about the facilities operations and maintenance. But some recommendations are provided for the management of the hotel to improve the facilities operations at Serena hotel. References http://www.facilities-management-companies.co.uk/index.php/types-of-facilities-management/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Facility_management http://www.wbdg.org/om/om.php http://www.serenahotels.com/serenaislamabad/default-en.html http://www.citehr.com/99200-admin-facility-management-responsibilities.html http://www.prospects.ac.uk/p/types_of_job/facilities_manager_job_description.jsp http://www.healthandsafety.co.uk/emplyr.htm http://www.businesslink.gov.uk/bdotg/action/detail?r.s=scr.l1=1073858799r.lc=enr.l3=1074402501r.l2=1074402480r.i=1074403745type=RESOURCESitemId=1074403738r.t=RESOURCESlang=_w http://www.deir.qld.gov.au/workplace/rights/yourobligation/who/index.htm

Ancient Rome Essay -- essays research papers

In this report about ancient Rome I will be talking about a lot of different things. One thing is how ancient Rome was different from ancient Greece, their daily life activities and lifestyles, and also about their religion. The ancients Romans were very different from the ancient Greek. â€Å"The ancient Romans were down-to-earth realists, not idealists.†(Donn2) You can see this in their statues. The Greeks made statues of perfect people. The Romans created real life statues. A good example of this is a Roman emperor statue because his nose will be huge and the ancient Greek would have never done that. The Romans were fierce soldiers and wonderful builders. They built roads all over the empire and all led to Rome. The ancient Greeks had roads, but they were not built nearly as well and the Greek’s roads did not connect in any particular order. Each Greek city-state was its own unit, not like Rome because in ancient Rome, Rome was the heart of the empire. Two thousand years ago, Rome was a busy place. â€Å"It was a crowded, noisy, smoky, and dusty city, with beautiful temples and public building.†(Donn2) The rich had gracious homes, each with an entrance atrium, which was the center of the family life. For those who were not quite as rich, there were apartment buildings and for the poor there were shabby tenements. Some people walked around Rome, others were carried in covered litters, with curtained couches carried on poles by slaves. Soldiers strode through town in chain mail or leather armor. Workmen hurried in belted tunics of dark wool. Before daylight, boys hurried to school. Later in the day, Roman citizens strolled around town in white tunics. Even for the poor, life in the city was lively. There was always something going on, like the Great State festival including shows in the theatres, races, and fights in the arenas. Lower class Romans or plebeians lived in apartment houses or flats as they were called, above or behind their shops. (Davis132) Their own apartment might be quite roomy, sanitary and pleasant, occasionally with running water. In these apartment houses, an entire family might all be crowded into one room, without running water. They had to get their water from public facilities. A very real threat was fire because people were cooking meals in crowded places, and many of the apartment houses were made of wood. Upper class Romans or patri... ...ather instructed his sons in Roman law, history, customs, and physical training, to prepare him for war. â€Å"The most important lessons to be taught was reverence for gods, respect for law, obedience to authority, and truthfulness.†(Lee5) Their mother taught the girls. Girls learned to spin, weave, and sew. Early Romans worshipped nature spirits. â€Å"They came to think of these spirits as god and goddesses, while under Etruscan influence.† (McGraw-Hill 157) This god and goddesses were supposed to guide and control the Roman people. Jupiter, Mars, Apollo, Mercury and Neptune were the chief gods. Juno, Vesta, Minerva, Ceres, Diana and Venus were the principal goddesses. The ancient Romans had gods for nearly everything. Every home had a household god, and honoring their gods was a part of ancient Romans everyday life. â€Å"A new religion grew steadily in strength by striking a fresh note, with its teaching of mercy, gentleness, loving-kindness and charity towards others, even towards enemies. Festival and rites with which the motley collection of roman gods and goddesses were worshipped and for all of whom its substituted a faith in one god, the Saviour of mankind.†(Cowell193)

Samuel Becketts Waiting for Godot Essay -- Waiting for Godot Essays

Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot In Waiting for Godot, Samuel Beckett asks what it is that we are really doing on Earth. He feels that God plays a key role in the solution to the human condition, however, since we do not truly know if God exists, life it would seem is simply a quest to search for an alternate explanation. Most of the time we attempt to distract ourselves from the issue and try desperately to bring some sort of meaning into our life while silently waiting for someone or something to come and give us an answer. According to Beckett, the definition of human existence is waiting to ascertain if the possibility of salvation with a possible God exists, or if all that lies ahead is darkness; he feels that all other aspects of life are insignificant and essentially can be reduced to nothing. These ideas are illustrated in a play where time seems to be irrelevant, nothing of importance ever happens, and the main characters are left waiting for someone who may or may not ever come. At the very beginning, Beckett hints at his proposal to the solution to the human condition. Vladimir tells the ignorant Estragon the story from the Bible of the two thieves that were crucified at the same time as Jesus. Apparently, one of the thieves believed in God, the other did not--the one who believed was saved. In Vladimir's opinion, this is not that bad a deal: "One of the thieves was saved. (Pause.) It's a reasonable percentage" (8). It seems that according to the story, reward or punishment is handed out depending on behavior (or at least belief). Vladimir's thoughts are somewhat parallel to those of the French philosopher Pascal who rationalized that given the possible outcomes, one is better to bet that God exists. However, ... ...after waiting so long and nothing positive ever happens (besides a few leaves on a tree) that even the persistence of the 'conscious' seems to begin to fade as well. Beckett poses some interesting questions. If all we are doing on Earth is waiting--waiting for answers whose meanings we may never comprehend--is anything that we do significant at all? As humans, it seems that in a sense we do, somewhere in us, realize our condition. However, we try to remain ignorant of it. We look for distractions; we look for something that seems to have meaning just so the absolute absurdity of our life remains masked. We search for answers--answers that may or may not ever come. In our continued waiting nonetheless, it seems our situation continues to become more hopeless.   Works Cited Beckett, Samuel. Waiting for Godot. Trans. Samuel Beckett. New York: Grove Press, 1982. Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot Essay -- Waiting for Godot Essays Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot In Waiting for Godot, Samuel Beckett asks what it is that we are really doing on Earth. He feels that God plays a key role in the solution to the human condition, however, since we do not truly know if God exists, life it would seem is simply a quest to search for an alternate explanation. Most of the time we attempt to distract ourselves from the issue and try desperately to bring some sort of meaning into our life while silently waiting for someone or something to come and give us an answer. According to Beckett, the definition of human existence is waiting to ascertain if the possibility of salvation with a possible God exists, or if all that lies ahead is darkness; he feels that all other aspects of life are insignificant and essentially can be reduced to nothing. These ideas are illustrated in a play where time seems to be irrelevant, nothing of importance ever happens, and the main characters are left waiting for someone who may or may not ever come. At the very beginning, Beckett hints at his proposal to the solution to the human condition. Vladimir tells the ignorant Estragon the story from the Bible of the two thieves that were crucified at the same time as Jesus. Apparently, one of the thieves believed in God, the other did not--the one who believed was saved. In Vladimir's opinion, this is not that bad a deal: "One of the thieves was saved. (Pause.) It's a reasonable percentage" (8). It seems that according to the story, reward or punishment is handed out depending on behavior (or at least belief). Vladimir's thoughts are somewhat parallel to those of the French philosopher Pascal who rationalized that given the possible outcomes, one is better to bet that God exists. However, ... ...after waiting so long and nothing positive ever happens (besides a few leaves on a tree) that even the persistence of the 'conscious' seems to begin to fade as well. Beckett poses some interesting questions. If all we are doing on Earth is waiting--waiting for answers whose meanings we may never comprehend--is anything that we do significant at all? As humans, it seems that in a sense we do, somewhere in us, realize our condition. However, we try to remain ignorant of it. We look for distractions; we look for something that seems to have meaning just so the absolute absurdity of our life remains masked. We search for answers--answers that may or may not ever come. In our continued waiting nonetheless, it seems our situation continues to become more hopeless.   Works Cited Beckett, Samuel. Waiting for Godot. Trans. Samuel Beckett. New York: Grove Press, 1982.

Girl Number 20

The 19th century witnessed the beginning of queen Victoria’s reign, the industrial revolution, realism as literary movement and realistic novels among other. When we refer to realistic novels, we are not talking about novels being a â€Å"reality† but instead we refer to the creation of fictional stories and characters that are very much like real life people and situations. In other words, authors wrote their novels to critize social unfairness, poverty, struggles, health issues and so forth, as a way to reflect the â€Å"truth† just as it was, and it all was possible because their stories and characters were believable.Charles Dickens was one of the most influential writers of the time, his novel â€Å"Hard Times†, as the rest of his works, is vivid examples of what realistic novels would be like. He portrays his judgement towards society in a very comprehensible and even entertaining way, providing the reader an idea of the time and era he was living in . Furthermore, he lets readers identify with the situation and characters of the story, reflecting through the narrator his social perspectives of the time.Regarding the novel Hard Times, there are several issues and characters we could point out, such as progress, social limitations, poverty, development, educational patterns of the time, Mr. Bounderby, Mr. Gradgrind, Louisa, Tom, Cecilia Jupe (Sissy), Mr. Harthouse, Stephen Blackpool among others. However, the one we identified the most with, was â€Å"Girl Number 20† or Cecilia Jupe (Sissy). Through out the whole story, Dickens shows her as an innocent, unprotected an abandoned child, but at the same time she becomes one of the most important and influential characters of the story.In addition, the author redefines, in a way, the role women had at the time, by giving Sissy the power to be herself and the power to do whatever she thought was right. In order to present Cecilia Jupe as the heroine of the story, we will have t o consider her background, being it, the cornerstone of the principles she will use for the rest of her life. Having mentioned this, we will begin by referring to the way Dickens gave form to Sissy’s childhood. A motherless child, who was raised by her loving and strange father. Even though her ather was a sad and a depressed man, Sissy discovered how to please him by being more than a daughter, a caring friend; the author showed it in this quote: And you were his comfort through everything? ’She nodded, with the tears rolling down her face. ‘I hope so, and father said I was. It was because he grew so scared and trembling, and because he felt himself to be a poor, weak, ignorant, helpless man (those used to be his words), that he wanted me so much to know a great deal and be different from him. I used to read to him to cheer his courage, and he was very fond of that. p. 51) This is one of the reasons for us to give Sissy the heroical part in the story, though she made simple gestures, she made her father happy no matter what situation he was going through. It is easy to understand Sissy’s fairytale life, due to all the elements that surrounded her during her childhood: Her mother a dancer, her father a clown, her readings, most of them fantastic, but nourishing at the same time for both of them, here is one of the moments where she expressed her testimony: â€Å"Your mother? ’ ‘Father says she was quite a scholar. She died when I was born.She was;’ Sissy made the terrible communication nervously; ‘she was a dancer†¦ †Father’s a;’ Sissy whispered the awful word; ‘a clown. ’ ‘To make the people laugh? ’ said Louisa, with a nod of intelligence. ‘Yes. But they wouldn’t laugh sometimes, and then father cried†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬  I used to read to him to cheer his courage, and he was very fond of that. They were wrong books- I am never to speak of th em here- but we didn’t know there was any harm in them. ’ ‘And he liked them? ’ said Louisa, with her searching gaze on Sissy all this time. ‘O very much! They kept him, many times, from what did him real harm.And often and often of a night, he used to forget all his troubles in wondering whether the Sultan would let the lady go on with the story, or would have her head cut off before it was finished. † (Pp. 50-51) Nevertheless, all the elements shown above were used by Dickens as tools in order for us to understand even more Sissy’s personality and character, highlighting her creativity and optimism when facing difficult times. Dickens shows us that her creative, optimistic and attentive attitude was not only present when she was around her father but also through out the rest of her life, even so, most people did not see it as a rilliant attitude; instead they labeled her as an uneducated, an abstract and an unintelligent person. Howev er, the author uses this attitude to demonstrate that life is not only made out of facts but also of reality, logic and common sense. This situation is well illustrated in the following quote: ‘Girl number twenty,’ said the gentleman, smiling in the calm strength of knowledge. Sissy blushed, and stood up. ‘So you would carpet your room- or your husband’s room, if you were a grown woman, and had a husband- with representations of flowers, would you,’ said the gentleman. Why would you? ’ ‘If you please, sir, I am very fond of flowers,’ returned the girl. ‘And is that why you would put tables and chairs upon them, and have people walking over them with heavy boots? ’ ‘It wouldn’t hurt them, sir. They wouldn’t crush and wither if you please, sir.They would be the pictures of what was very pretty and pleasant, and I would fancy-’ ‘Ay, ay, ay! But you mustn’t fancy,’ cried the gentleman, quite elated by coming so happily to his point. ‘That’s it! You are never to fancy. ’ ‘You are not, Cecilia Jupe,’ Thomas Gradgrind solemnly repeated, ‘to do anything of that kind. ‘Fact, fact, fact! ’ said the gentleman. And ‘Fact, fact, fact! ’ repeated Thomas Gradgrind. ‘You are to be in all things regulated and governed,’ said the gentleman, ‘by fact. † (p. 10) Through this lines Dickens was trying to show how reasonable Sissy was in comparison to other characters, she knew that flowers were just an image that people could delight in and not just a simple definition. In addition, there is another important aspect of Sissy’s life which we find interesting to note: her social awareness. A good example to prove this is the following quote: â€Å"†¦ But today, for instance, Mr M’Choakumchild was explaining to us about Natural Prosperity. ’ ‘National, I think it must have been,’ observed Louisa. ‘Yes, it was. – But isn’t it the same? ’ she timidly asked. ‘You had better say, National, as he said so,’ returned Louisa, with her dry reserve. ‘National Prosperity. And he said, Now, this schoolroom is a Nation. And in this nation, there are fifty millions of money. Isn’t this a prosperous nation? Girl number twenty, isn’t this a prosperous nation, and a’n’t you in a thriving state? ’ ‘What did you say? ’ asked Louisa. ‘Miss Louisa, I said I didn’t know.I thought I couldn’t know whether it was a prosperous nation or not, and whether I was in a thriving state or not, unless I knew who had got the money, and whether any of it was mine. But that had nothing to do with it. It was not in the figures at all,’ said Sissy, wiping her eyes†¦. † (p. 48) Through this quote, Dickens gave us a fantastic explanat ion of his thoughts on the economy of the time through Sissy’s opinion; in other words, he was emphasizing his ideal economical pattern for society: everyone having an equal amount of richness in order to be a prosperous nation.One of the remarkable things about Sissy is that throughout the whole story, Dickens presents her as a unique girl with many exceptional traits, for instance, her loyalty and perseverance towards her father’s return, her compassion and attentive spirit towards the Gradgrind family, her respect for others’ opinions and the one thing that make her the heroine of the story: her outstanding personality. Nevertheless, there are several times when the author mentions that just like any human being, Sissy doubted herself and at the same time wished to be someone else (Louisa).Dickens expressed it clearly on this extract: ‘It would be a fine thing to be you, Miss Louisa! ’ she said, one night, when Louisa had endeavored to make her p erplexities for next day something clearer to her. ‘Do you think so? ’ ‘I should know so much, Miss Louisa. All that is difficult to me now, would be so easy then’†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ ‘Have I always hated you so much? ’ ‘I hope not, for I have always loved you, and have always wished that you should know it. But you changed to me a little, shortly before you left home.Not that I wondered at it. You knew so much, and I knew so little, and it was so natural in many ways, going as you were among other friends, that I had nothing to complain of, and was not at all hurt. † (Pp. 48, 182-183) At the same time, letting aside her desires to be like someone else, Cecilia did not let such a thing bring her down, instead she stood up and defended her territory and her â€Å"own†, becoming courageous enough to confront and to send away Louisa’s suitor who stood against everything that was right.The following quote reflects it: ‘Mr Harthouse,’ returned Sissy, with a blending of gentleness and steadiness that quite defeated him, and with a simple confidence in his being bound to do what she required, that held him at a singular disadvantage, ‘the only reparation that remains with you, is to leave here immediately and finally. I am quite sure that you can mitigate in no other way the wrong and harm you have done.I am quite sure that it is the only compensation you have left it in your power to make. I do not say that it is much, or that it is enough; but it is something, and it is necessary. Therefore, though without any other authority than I have given you, and even without the knowledge of any other person than yourself and myself, I ask you to depart from this place tonight, under an obligation never to return to it. † (Pp. 188-189).Nonetheless, this was not the only an unselfish and brave act she performed; the previous action triggered the beginning of Sissy Jupe as the care-taker and th e protector of the Gradgrind family that even the father came to a place where he recognized Cecilia’s help, not only towards him but also towards his wife and son; he finally accepted the fact that without Sissy’s presence they would have succumbed. In the following quote Dickens proves that at last â€Å"Girl Number 20†, the least expected to have the solution to all of the Gradgrind’s problems, became the moral and the grand victor of the story after all. Sissy has effected it, father. ’ He raised his eyes to where she stood, like a good fairy in his house, and said in a tone of softened gratitude and grateful kindness, ‘It is always you, my child! † (p. 222) Lastly, as the story ends our heroine is all we expected her to be, starting by being a great and faithful daughter, a help in time of need for those who surrounded her, and last but not least a good wife, a happy mother and a wonderful friend to her â€Å"humbler fellow-creatu res†.But, happy Sissy’s happy children loving her; all children loving her; she, grown learned in childish lore; thinking no innocent and pretty fancy ever to be despised; trying hard to know her humbler fellow-creatures, and to beautify their lives of machinery and reality with those imaginative graces and delights, without which the heart of infancy will wither up, the sturdiest physical manhood will be morally stark death, and the plainest national prosperity figures can show, will be the Writing on the Wall,- she holding this course as part of no fantastic vow, or bond, or brotherhood, or sisterhood, or pledge, or covenant, or fancy dress, or fancy fair; but simply as a duty to be done,- did Louisa see these things of herself? † (p. 238) As a conclusion, we dare to say that Dickens was the realist novelist far excellence; throughout the whole novel he expressed his criticism in a very audible voice, illustrating his thoughts and opinions on several social conc erns of his time. Additionally, he created a story and characters that were believable due to their resemblance with the real world; he made the reader understand that he was not making the situations up, but he was showing real common life.Nevertheless, it seems as if Dickens broke the pattern with Cecilia Jupe, when giving her the heroic part of the story and at the same time made her as an example of genuineness, boldness and bravery, even when her humble background, her eccentric education and all those things made her the contrary of what a Victorian Lady should be like. All situations she went through were against the idea of her being the heroine of the story, but ironically, Dickens chose her as if taking her from another world and inserting her into Victorian times, in order to make his point clear, which was: the role of the woman in a society like his. References: Dickens, C. (1854). Hard Times. London, England: Editorial Matter.

Outward and inward investment in Mexico and Brazil Essay

This paper compares Brazil and Mexico regarding outward and inward investment, labor costs in both countries and public policies; it also discusses dunning theory in regard to Brazil and Mexico, the comparison between the two countries in terms of investments in which case Brazil is viewed in outward investment while Mexico is viewed in terms of inward investment. The paper also highlights about North America free trade agreement and its relation and effects to both Brazil and Mexico. The J curve: A reduction in the value of a currency as compared to different monetary units varying from one country to the other is what is referred to devaluation. In relation to a country’s trade balance and in which case there is a devaluation this is what is referred to as the J curve. A country’s exchange rate may be lower therefore meaning that exports are much cheaper than the imports. If imports are more expensive it means that the local consumers will find it very hard to buy the imported goods due to their costly prices. Also when the exports are cheaper it means that the foreign consumers will enjoy the affordability of the prices and they will buy more of the exported products and services. In the case of a lower exchange rate it means that the prices of exports are very much lower than those of the imports. Exports sell fore very little foreign currency and hence the foreign consumers buy more due to the low prices. This means that the consumption of the exported goods is higher and hence there is an increase in the exports due to their affordability and also their competitive prices. On the contrary the local consumers cannot afford the imported products since their prices are costlier. It also means that the consumption of imported products by the domestic users will go down due to their being unaffordable though eventually the trade balance may get back to what it was initially. The only reason that may ensure that the imports and exports volumes remain as they were before e is the contracts in a case where there had been an agreement to supply certain products and at a certain price. It means that the both volume and also the reduction in the value of the currency will remain at the same level. However devaluation causes the increase in prices of the imported products, therefore increasing the overall expenses of the imports. It makes the total amount used in imports to increase. For a long period of time devaluation can ensure that the local consumer prefers to buy local products since they are more affordable to them thus keeping away from the imported goods which are much more expensive. Also the demand for exported goods and services goes up. Since the foreign consumers find them more affordable and they find their prices very competitive. Foreign consumers may continue buying the imported goods and keep away from their domestic products since the imported products and services are much cheaper and more affordable to them than their own domestically available products and services. Outward and inward Investment Brazil is an outward investor. Its outward investment has increased over the years although t has also been fluctuating. Brazil practiced foreign direct investment widely, even though it kept fluctuating and sometimes rising sharply. Brazil’s outward investment is directed towards other countries. There has also been a reduction in infrastructure investment, but due to its outward investment it has not affected its company’s labor force. Brazil’s service industries do not require very large investments of capital and still it has managed to provide remarkable services to its foreign clients. It also considers outward investments for financial gains more than anything else. This means that great emphasis is laid on financial transactions other than gains in other services. A large share of Brazils output is through exports. The biggest challenge they face in investing outwardly is inadequate information about markets as well as regulations and rules in those countries where they consider investing. They also face competition from products form other countries and international markets as well as imported products available in their market. In this case they are required to establish key markets of their interests and also create an asset base in order to increase potential for outward foreign direct investment. On the other hand Mexico is open to inward investment. A fall in foreign direct investment prompted Mexico to attract very little international and foreign investments. Domestic investment has also gone down; most of its foreign investment is in ventures held jointly with Mexican firms. Mexico is not as wealthy as Brazil due to its poorly performing public sector but it has been seen to multiply its growth in income. It also has a very authoritative system which was expected to produce high quality public policies with very positive effects. Its policy stability is enhanced by political continuity. Public policies Both Brazil and Mexico are said to be the most attractive in Latin America for foreign investment although Brazil is expected to replace Mexico thus becoming the most attractive while Mexico will fall in the second place. Brazil would like to solidify its position as an emerging country. All rounded in policy making. The country would like to come up with a strategy of development and high level of growth. They have put in place strategies of innovation. Enhanced by agricultural and other fields experts. However thy have faced challenges in trying to implement their innovations. Although their funding for the innovations as well as better legislation has enhanced an improvement achieving the innovations. Major challenges include the lack of clear government guidelines, poor coordination of innovation policies by the government. In Brazil domestic policies are not connected to its international agenda. It’s trying very hard to be domestically innovative which is not the case internationally. Labor costs In Brazil an equivalent job, warrants equal pay. Purchasing power parities determine that equal pay occurs when there is an equal purchasing power. This means that the price levels in different countries are eliminated by the currency conversion. In the year 2003 Mexico and Brazil manufacturing workers earned an hourly wage of $2. 48 and $2. 67 respectively. The cost of living in Mexico is much higher than that of Brazil. Mexico is however considered a middle income country. The North America Free Trade Agreement: The North America free trade agreement is not likely to improve the standards of living and employment in Mexico. Infact it is anticipated to hurt the rural employment in Mexico and prompting worker to migrate to the cities as well as to the united states of America. This is due to the fact that the North America free trade agreement focuses on profits other than wages. However its main focus is investments from the United States of America to Mexico. The investment in manufacturing will not address the issue of unemployment in Mexico since the main focus is not on the employees wages but on profits from the investments. This will cause and increase unemployment due to a reduction in the wages. Conclusion: From the above discussion Brazil is an outward investor. Meaning it participates in direct foreign investment. Its investment is directed to other countries, while Mexico is more open to inward investment, this refers to domestic investments and having shares in both retail and wholesale trade. Most of Mexico’s foreign investment is practiced as joint ventures with other Mexican firms. The cost of living in Mexico is much higher than in Brazil where as the labor costs in Mexico are much lower than those of Brazil. Brazil is the most attractive in foreign investment while Mexico is considered to be a middle income country. The North America free trade agreement favors Brazil since it is more economically liberated than Mexico. Since Mexico is not a rich country, though, it is an upwardly developing income country. Its political system is stable and can manage to come up with agreements to solve its social problems. The reason behind Mexico not being very wealthy or why it is not as economically stable as Brazil, is due to it’s under performing public sector. The political system is authoritarian and is favorable for a good economic growth. It has the approval of North America free trade agreement and has no trade barriers. On the other hand Brazil is seen as an emerging country. More developed than Mexico in terms of strategy of development and innovation. Brazil is all rounded in laying down strategies of development and modes of innovation and it has also been seen to implement its innovations and also it is supported by its government is implementing its innovation strategies. The challenges faced by Mexico is the lack of clear guidelines from its government on development and also a public sector which does not perform very well as well as having experienced a very slow economic growth. As for Brazil the major challenge is lack of information or inadequate information about markets and also the rules and regulations of the foreign countries where they intend to do foreign investment which has to be followed. Another major challenge is the competition faced from other products from other countries and also from the international markets. References: George Grayson (1993) The North American Free Trade Agreement, Foreign Policy Association press,U. S Global alliance (2007) brazil wage gap, retrieved on 11th november, 2008, available at http://74. 125. 113. 104/search? q=cache:UBYFdiNhlXYJ:www. jussemper. org/Resources/Labour%2520Resources/WGC/Resources/WagegapsBra2005. pdf+wage+rate+mexico+and+brazil&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=ke John Sloan (1994) Public Policy in Latin America: A Comparative Survey, University of Pittsburgh Press, Pittsburgh Robert Gwynne (2005) industrialization and urbanization in Latin America, Routledge press, London Paul Krugman and Maurice Obstfeld (1997) International Economics: Theory and Policy, Addison Wesley publishers, New York. Peter Dickens (1992) Global Shift: The Internationalization of Economic Activity, McGraw Hill publishers, New York.