The impact of smarts phones and tablets in the modern busniess Literature review

The impact of smarts phones and tablets in the modern busniess - Literature review Example Some of the mobile technologies available include mobile marketing, location based marketing (LBS), video on demand and social media. These applications are known to increase both distribution and communication channels. The thesis of this paper is that there is a need to access the actual impact of smart phones and tablets in modern businesses, in a holistic way. This shall assist in maximizing on the merits of device mobility and minimizing the setbacks of the same. Leveraging on mobile technologies is helpful in improving efficiency and performance of companies. Quality and affordable cloud based (Saas) software-as –service applications facilitate sales a management and workforce automation (Van Akkeren & Cavaye 1999). Modern businesses are able to reduce cost and save time due to seamless data connectivity (Al-Qirim 2007). This improves their connectivity. Simple and powerful tools have been of help when it comes to connectivity and mobile device applications. The main cha llenge in modern businesses is how to adopt a suitable app or platform in large organizations (Halonen & Melero 2003). According to Henry Blodget, smart phones and tablets must be seen as enablers are vital in the modern business fraternity. ... According to the CEO Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, a luxurious hotel, guests can contact the customer care through an application on their smart phones or tablets. The guest can also comment the process of booking a room through the social media. According to a business week research, small businesses have benefited from smart phones. They have identified that smartphones and tablets are vital in the acquisition and retention of customers. According to Research in Motion, owners of modern small businesses in the United States of America are focusing on new technologies to expand their market share. They have given preference to technologies that enhance mobility. According to the research, most business owners believe wireless or mobile application and communications enhance customer relations. However, the observation falls short of revealing the real impact of smart phones and tablets in the modern businesses. Surprisingly, about 75 per cent of the businesses surveyed are not tapp ed the benefits of using smart phones and tablets. Smart phones, tablets and other portable devices are increasingly becoming powerful, complex and popular (Paelke & Rosenbach 2003). Many knowledge workers prefer to work using personal devices. Personal data and workplace information is converged in one mobile device. Proliferation of portable computing devices has an impact in consumer behavior (Basso 2006). According to Jameson, smart phones and other computing devices have an impact in business practices. Most previous researches tend to suggest that portable computing devices have a significant impact in modern businesses. However, the details

Howard Gardners Theory of Multiple Intelligence Essay Example for Free

Howard Gardners Theory of Multiple Intelligence Essay In 1983 Howard Gardner changed the perception of intelligence and learning with his theory of multiple intelligences. He believed that the traditional view of intelligence that was based on the dimensions of mathematical, logical, and verbal didn’t completely reflect the human ability. Gardner came up with eight intelligences with his theory. Gardner defines â€Å"intelligences† as an ability of the human brain. He believes that the level of ability can grow or recede throughout your life, depending on your efforts and experiences. Gardner’s theory means that there are more than the traditional three ways to learn. It means that people have more ability than what was originally expected. Howard Gardner’s Multiple Intelligence Theory has eight intelligences or area of abilities. These eight intelligences are; verbal-linguistic, logical-mathematical, bodily-kinesthetic, visual-spatial, interpersonal, intrapersonal, musical, and naturalist. Verbal- Linguistic is the ability to communicate through language; reading, writing, speaking, and listening. A few of the skills associated with this ability are; remembering terms easily, mastering a foreign language, and using speech or writing to convince someone to do something or believe something. The following techniques will maximize the ability of verbal-linguistic; use a computer to retype and summarize notes, read text and highlight selectively, outline chapters, and recite information or write scripts/debates. Logical-mathematical is the ability to understand logical reasoning and problem solving; math, science, patterns, and sequences. Recognizing abstract patterns, using facts to support an idea, and generating ideas based on evidence, reasoning scientifically (formulating and testing a hypothesis) are some of the skills of the logical-mathematical intelligence. Organize material logically; if it suits the topic, use a spreadsheet program, explain material sequentially to someone, develop systems and find patterns, and analyze and evaluate information are just a few of the ways to maximize this intelligence. Bodily-kinesthetic is the ability to use the physical body skillfully and to take in knowledge through bodily sensation; coordination, working, with hands. The skills associated with bodily-kinesthetic; strong mind-body connection, controlling and coordinating body movement, and using the body to create products or express emotion. Moving while you learn; pace and recite, rewrite or retype notes engage â€Å"muscle memory†, design and play games to learn material, and act out scripts of material are the techniques to maximize this intelligence. Visual-spatial is the ability to understand spatial relationships and to perceive and create images; visual art, graphic design, charts and maps. A few of the skills for visual-spatial are; recognizing relationships between objects, representing something graphically, and manipulating images. To maximize the intelligence of visual-spatial you can do the following; develop graphic organizers for new material, draw mind maps/think links, use a computer to develop charts and tables, and use color in notes to organize. Interpersonal intelligence has the ability to relate to others, noticing their moods, motivations, and feelings; social activity, cooperative learning, and teamwork are just a few. Skills for the interpersonal intelligence are; seeing things from others’ perspectives, noticing moods, intentions, and temperaments of others, and gauging the most effective way to work with individual group members. The best techniques to maximize this intelligence are; studying in a group, discuss material over the phone or send instant messages, teach someone else the material, and make time to discuss assignments and test with your instructor. With the intrapersonal intelligence you have the ability to understand one’s own behavior and feelings; self-awareness, independence, time spent alone. Skills associated with this intelligence are; accessing one’s internal emotions, understanding feelings and using them to guide behavior, and understanding self in relation to others. To maximize the intrapersonal intelligence use these techniques; reflect on personal meaning of information, keep a journal, study in quiet areas, and imagine essays or experiments before beginning. The musical intelligence has the ability to comprehend and create meaningful sound; sensitivity to music and musical patterns. The skills associated with the musical intelligence are; sensing tonal qualities, being sensitive to sound and rhythms in music and in spoken language, and using an understanding of musical patterns to hear music. To maximize the musical intelligence you need to use these techniques; create rhythms out of words, beat out rhythms with hand or stick while reciting concepts, write songs/raps that help you learn concepts, and chant or sing study material along with a favorite tune as you listen. A naturalist has the ability to identify, distinguish, categorize, and classify species or items, often incorporating high interest in elements of the natural environment. A naturalistic has skills that give them the ability to categorize something as a member of a group or species, understanding of relationships among natural organisms, and deep comfort with, and respect for, the natural world. To maximize the naturalistic intelligence these techniques are best; break down information into categories, look for ways in which items fit or don’t fit together, look for relationships among ideas, events, facts, and study in a natural setting if it helps you to focus. The two intelligences that apply most closely with me are verbal-linguistic and interpersonal. I would say that I have very good people skills, meaning that I can communicate well with and to others. I can remember terms easily because I write them down on index cards and study them that way. I am always taking notes and going back and rewriting them and then highlighting the most important information out of the notes, that gives me the verbal-linguistic intelligence. I relate well to others and feel that I am a good judge on picking up on their feelings and moods, which means that I have very good interpersonal intelligence skills. I work well in teams or alone, and can get along with just about everyone I meet. I’m really good at putting myself in another’s shoes so to speak, and seeing things from their point of view. With all things considered I feel that these are my two best intelligences, verbal-linguistic and interpersonal.

Internet Pornography and Teens Essay -- Cyberporn Essays Research Pape

Internet Pornography and Teens      Ã‚   This essay discusses the social impact of exposing teens to internet pornography.    In a report, "Generation Rx.com: How Young People Use the Internet for Health Information," the Kaiser Family Foundation says that seventy (70%) of teenagers (defined as ages 15-17) "have accidentally come across pornography on the Web." Fifty-seven percent of the teens said "being exposed to pornography would have serious impact on kids under 18," while 41% teens responded that such exposure is "no big deal."(Generation)    Clearly, there is a major failure of adult responsibility when almost three out of four teens report they have accidentally come across pornography on the Web. The biggest failure of responsibility lies with federal and state prosecutors who turn a blind eye to obscenity on the Internet. If obscenity laws were being vigorously enforced, the last thing hardcore pornographers would want to do is draw attention to their vile wares by engaging in reckless marketing methods. If vigorously enforced, there would also be much less pornography to accidentally stumble across.    But prosecutors aren't the only ones at fault. Some ISPs provide parents with an option to filter out the pornography, but they refuse to block access to even illegal pornography unless a parent requests filtering. Some on-line services have rules against pornography, but they refuse to actively monitor use of their services for violations.    Many libraries and schools refuse to install screening technology -- arguing that rules and monitoring computer use can protect children from Internet porn. Even assuming such means discouraged teens from actively seeking pornography, how do they protec... ...icates pornography as precipitating 'a cascade of changes in the body that have an impact on health.' This supports former Surgeon General Everett Koop's diagnosis of pornography as a 'crushing public health problem.' Gary Lynch, University of California at Irvine neurologist corroborates these assessments. Brain research, he explains, reveals that what one sees in three-tenths of a second, 'has produced a structural change that is in some ways as profound as the structural changes one sees in [brain] damage.' It can 'leave a trace that will last for years.'(Psychopharmacology)    WORKS CITED: "Generation rx.com"  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://www.kff.org/content/2001/20011211a/AgendaFINAL.pdf New Jersey Family Policy Council.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://www.njfpc.org/research_papers/ "Psychopharmacology of Pornography"  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://drjudithreisman.org/Michell's%20brain,%20Jan%203,2002.htm

Funeral home visit

Fullerton college students had a privilege to visit Mennonite Memorial Park and Mortuary. When we arrived the park, its beautiful scenery amazed us. The weather was a little chilly and windy. Since there was a scheduled funeral service on the day that we visited, we were escorted to the reception hall where we had a chance to meet the manager. The manager thoroughly went over proper procedures needed to prepare embalming and funerals.Among all the things that we newly learned from this visit, most interesting thing was how the embalming process works. They utilize special chemicals to look the deceased as natural as possible. I thought embalming was a very meaningful work since It is the last time that a family will physically see the deceased and it helps a family create last memories about the deceased. I agreed when the manager said their Job is not to be emotionally involved with a family but to help them figure out the directions ND plans about next steps after a loved on passes away.I cannot imagine how challenging it can be for staff members in Mennonite Memorial Park and Mortuary to deal with families on a daily basis who have loss or about to have loss. I felt that being passionate and dedicated to compassionately embracing families in the community is one of the most important aspects to be part of the mortuary. It was a very meaningful visit and helped me think about how to deal with and death and dying from the lens of a family who had lost a loved one.

External environment of Singh’s Auto Rentals Company Limited Essay

Assignment Find an example of strategic management in an organisation in your country or region, from your own experience or from your reading. The example can relate to either a big or small business, or even to a public sector organisation. Which aspects of the example do you consider to be good or bad examples of some aspects of strategic management, using the principles covered in this subject as your guide? For example, you might discuss the good and bad examples in one or more of these areas: handling stakeholder expectations; communicating organisational purposes; external environment (PESTEL framework, five forces, opportunities and threats); strategic capability (value chain and value network, strengths and weaknesses); SWOT analysis; formulating a business’ strategy (bases of competitive advantage); implementing a business’ strategy (structural types, managing people); and/or corporate strategy (the two main portfolio approaches and extent of corporate diversity). THIS PAGE IS INTENTIONALLY BLANK Executive summary Singh’s Auto Rentals Company Limited (Singh’s) was established in 1972 with a small fleet of only five (5) vehicles for rental. Singh’s hybrid corporate strategy embraces cost and differentiation in a market that is highly competitive, having expanded its customer base to incorporate the corporate society, the international sector and the community sector. The company has grown and is now one of the preferred clients of the Ministry of National Security of Trinidad and Tobago, offering a wide range of high-end vehicles and SUV’s for rental, buses for tours and retreats, executive cars with drivers for wedding parties and seven (7) seater vehicles for the family oriented customer. Business level challenges have over the years forced Singh’s to refocus their objectives on their MOST, with intense market development and penetration orientation, in an aggressive attempt to win market share, increase volume gains and build position quickly. In this assignment the external environment encompassing Porter’s 5 Forces and PESTEL are examined along with its’ impact and influence on Singh’s SWOT and stakeholders expectation. Examples of the good and bad of the external environment will also be highlighted to describe how the company can increase their competitive advantage and profitability. Table of Contents 1.Introduction â€Å"The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting.† ― Sun Tzu, The Art of War In discussing the positive and negative aspects of the external environment, the PESTEL, the SWOT and Porter’s 5 forces will be used to analyse where Singh’s Auto Rentals is at in the industry and where the company can hope to be in the next five (5) years. The car rental industry is a competitive industry and Singh’s competencies and capabilities will definitely keep them in the market and make them into leaders once they follow their objectives and tactics. â€Å"All men can see these tactics whereby I conquer, but what none can see is the strategy out of which victory is evolved†. ― Sun Tzu, The Art of War 2.Company overview: Singh’s 2.1 Vision We aspire to become the leading light in the Auto Rentals industry through continuous service innovation and the expansion of our distribution networks. 2.2 Mission Utilizing our group’s strengths we aim to become a major force in the Car Rentals industry by offering innovative products, effective processes, extensive networks, and the recruitment of the brightest talent, we strive to achieve impressive profitability. 2.3 Objectives From the vision/mission statements given, it would seem that the objective of Singh’s Auto Rentals is to become leaders in the industry. It can also be derived that this company seeks to achieve the following objectives; To increase market share Remain close to its competitors Increase clientele Increase the fleet of vehicles To establish leadership in the market 2.4 Strategies Singh’s strategy for achieving these objectives might be a business strategy. Business strategy is concerned with deciding which markets and activities  the business should be involved in; where it wants to be; and how it is going to get there. Singh’s strategies may include; Satisfying customers (meeting customer needs) Running the business (organising resources in the most efficient and effective way) Beating the competition (strategies and tactics to gain competitive advantage) Achieving corporate objectives 2.5 Tactics Methods this company uses to achieve strategies, as written in the mission, are the introduction of support and complimentary services they provide namely; 24 hr FREE Roadside assistance Guarantee competitive rates and seasonal discounts A wide range of vehicles to choose from including the economy and SUV range. Free maintenance on all vehicles Air conditioned comfort 3. PESTEL analysis of Singh’s Awareness of the external environment and how they impact on the company can be summarised using the PESTEL framework. The PESTEL can define the key drivers of change. These key drivers of change have differential impacts on industries, markets and organisations. 3.1 Political Singh’s is a privately owned company but because the company buys and rents vehicles they would be involved with few governmental organizations for various purposes. Ministry of Transport for licensing of new vehicles For vehicle transfers Ministry of Finance To approve any tariffs Duties or charges for purchases Taxes (including staff salaries) Customs and Excise Importing, duties and clearance of all vehicles Ministry of Legal Affairs To register the company legally To ensure all licenses to operate as a limited liability company 3.2 Economical As a private owned company, Singh’s has to watch for what affect his company financially from the external environment. Key factors can be; Fuel rates – have rates gone increased or decreased, this would determine how to price the rentals. Exchange rates for foreign currency. Salary negotiations in the country- would the employees demand high wages as a result of salary negotiations for government workers. Available and accepted methods of payment – cheque, cash, VISA, MasterCard. Unemployment rates in the country . 3.3 Social These influences the length of time a vehicle would be rented for. Singh’s offers long term rentals (6 months to 3 years) and short term rentals (1 day to 6 months). Social factors include; Changing cultures – peak periods for local rentals (wedding and carnival) and peak periods for foreign rentals (tourists are drawn to the Caribbean during winter and summer). Demographics – age groups of drivers. Community interests – lobby groups, charitable organisations etc†¦ 3.4 Technological In a business such as Singh’s one would encourage technology to play a role in the data collection, storage and distribution of the company’s fleet of vehicles. Technological factors include’ Computerised scanning of vehicles under maintenance. Computerised database systems used for documentation, data collection, billing, accounting and ordering. Communication methods have to be of the highest quality in order to reach out to customers (the business to customer approach). Updated websites, facebook pages or other social search engines used to advertise the company. 3.5 Environmental Influences from the direct environment that may affect Singh’s might be Waste disposal – for waste disposal from the garage (oil, parts etc†¦) Energy consumption –the amount of energy or power used in a process or system. Weather conditions- may only affect the infrastructural aspect of Singh’s in terms of weathering on vehicles which are not kept covered over a long period. 3.6 Legal The legal aspects of the company and how it influences the strategies and objectives. Governmental laws – a law might state that no one under the age of 18 is allowed to drive. Policies – policies put in place by the board of directors and the key shareholders to determine how the business is going to operate. Rental contracts have to be done up and signed by each party for every transaction. Insurance companies vying to insure the fleet of vehicles. 4. Stakeholders Stakeholders can exist both internally and externally. In an industry such as the vehicle rental industry the stakeholders are very important. The expectations of the stakeholders are equally important to the development of Singh’s (see appendix III) 4.1 Internal: Board Of Directors or Management Investors/ Shareholders Employees Suppliers-contractors Service providers – maintenance crews, specialist garage crew 4.2 External: Business to business Clients Domestic Clients International Clients Government and regulatory industries Industry Associations Local Communities 5. SWOT (Internal / External Analysis of Singh’s) In an effort to ascertain its competitive environment a SWOT analysis of Singh’s can assist to devise a sound strategic plan. The intent is to exploit and maximize the strengths and opportunities; avert threatening circumstances through tactical responses and provide institutional upgrade to lessen weaknesses; all these towards a position of profitability and value creation. As defined by (Alzoubi 2004) SWOT Analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) is a general framework for directing and assisting strategic planners to identify the appropriate organizational strategies to achieve their goals. Managers look at SWOT analysis as a technique to help managers to identify and plan the business goals, and draw the strategies to achieve them (Alzoubi 2013 p.126). Internal Analysis Strengths Focused management and staff Location advantage Efficient customer service Skilled car care specialist and technicians. Weaknesses Lack of Human Resource best practices No clear strategic direction Lack of continuous training and development for staff Poor marketing skills External Analysis Opportunities To gain large profits To be a house hold name in the car rental business To serve a large customer group Potential for new services or products to be offered Threats Companies offering similar services coming on stream Turnover due to other companies offering better packages Loss of customers due poor service experience new and existing regulations new and existing competitors new technologies unstable political and legal systems in foreign markets External opportunities and threats can work both ways for the organisation for example new technologies can make one aspect of the company obsolete but enhance another aspect of the company all at the same time. 6. Singh’s Strategic Based Units (SBU’s) SBU’s allow large corporations such as Singh’s and SSS to vary their strategies according to the different needs of the various external markets they serve. For example- Corporate Leasing – leasing to companies on a special contract Short term and long term rental – to both corporate clients and immediate clients Executive driver services – airport to hotel and return, weddings, seminars Pre-owned vehicle sales- new to the company but very effective and brings in more profits Bus and driver tours for tourists 7. The effect of Porter’s 5 Forces on Singh’s Porter’s 5 forces analysis can be applied to Singh’s as a tool to analyse the competitive advantages of the company. According to Porter (1980), rivalry (competition) on the market is result of the five variables or main forces: rivalry level, bargaining power of customers and that of suppliers, the threat from new entrants and substitute products. The following was deduced from the analysis of the five forces: 7.1. Threat of New Entry Due to lack of policies to prevent new entry, the market is open for new entrants. Singh’s will now have to develop and maintain a cost advantage and differentiation of its services, to gain sustainable competitive advantage. Economies of scale – it would be expensive to for new entrants to match Singh’s because of the level the company has reached in the industry, it would be difficult for new entrants to match them. Experience – new entrants would be inexperienced in most of the ‘know how’ of this industry and that lack of experience can give Singh’s the advantage over a new entrant (See Appendix II). 7.2. Threat of Substitution Substitutes can come not only from within the industry but also from outside. Managers often focus on their own industry and neglect the threat posed by substitutes for the product or service. The price/performance ratio is critical. Even if the substitute is more expensive the substitute is still effective (see appendix II). 7.3. Buyer Power Singh’s needs to pay attention to the customers and the price they pay for the service. If the price is too high customers may seek to do business elsewhere which will force the company to drop prices, thus losing revenue (see appendix II). 7.4 Suppliers Power- It was recognised that the business can be adversely affected if suppliers drive up their prices, then the concept of low cost to gain competitive advantage will be affected (see appendix I1) 7.5 Competitive Rivalry- From the analysis it was evident that the company had rivals performing a similar service. To prevent customers from moving from Singh’s to the competitors, the company will need to provide unique services to its customers (see appendix II). 8. Competitors Singh’s entered the market as an entrepreneur in 1972, competitors from then to now would be companies established around or before that time penetrating the same market with similar objectives. One such example would be Southern Sales and Service Company Limited (SSS). Both companies entered the corporate market to try to gain market share. SSS has a larger vehicle fleet than Singh’s but SSS does not provide some of the tour guide services or 25 seat bus retreat services that Singh’s caters for. Even though they are in similar industries, they each cater to a different sector within the market. Refer to Appendix III for a visual on how competitive advantage works in an industry as Singh’s. 9. Competitive advantage Singh’s has over SSS: SSS Caters for company rentals and corporate rentals Provides car and driver services Provides maintenance for some vehicles and outsources the rest Cost- mostly high priced unit rental Energy consumption is high Singh’s Caters for tour groups and tourist transportation Provides car and driver services Provides transportation services from airport to hotel and return Provides rental packages for weddings with a driver Prices are relatively low and are negotiable Various branches throughout the country so customers can do business from any branch Customer service is ranked very high 10. Conclusion A strong networking capability (Strength) has lead to an expansion in the business activities of Singh’s (opportunity) and this has resulted in increased profits due to long term leasing by various ministries (strength). The strength of networking was cultivated over a period of time and once established, it can sustain Singh’s for the next five (5) years. Singh’s  external environment has room for new entrants and a lot of possible threats and opportunities that can arise, however, with proper strategic management and well trained staff this company can continue to push forward in this market and even make a breakthrough in a new one. Recommendations Continue to evaluate Singh’s regularly. Always know where the company is in relation to its competitors. Capitalise on new technologies and trade in old techniques. Monitor staff and their talents, do regular training to update them on the current techniques being used by competitors so that they can be brought up to speed or even one step ahead. Increase profitability by looking into marketing and advertising to the larger companies such as energy companies (BPTT and Atlantic LNG) to try to gain greater market share, this is an opportunity within their SWOT analysis. Consider upgrading the fleet and maybe adding some luxury type vehicles, look at the threat of buyers and see what the customers are asking for. Customers may be willing to spend their money on luxury cars from a rental company they trust. References Johnson, G, Whittington, R and Scholes, K 2011, Exploring Corporate Strategy, 9th edn, Pearson Education, London. Alzoubi, majed R. 2004, Strategic planning and building innovative organizations. Unpublished, PhD thesis, Amman Arab University for Graduate Studies, Jordan. Alzoubi, majed R. 2013, The Impact of Intellectual Capital or SWOT Analysis among Jordanian Banking Industry â€Å"Empirical Study† : International Journal of Business and Social Science, Vol. 4 No. 2 pp. 123-137. Singh’s auto rental company limited, viewed 7 July 2014, http://www.singhs.com/about.html Southern Sales and Service Company Limited, about us, viewed on 7 July 2014, http://www.southernsalestt.com/corp_history.php Tutor2U, viewed on 9july 2014, http://www.tutor2u.net/business/strategy/corporate_objectives_strategy.html Slideshare.com, http://www.slideshare.net/milesweaver/analysing-the-external-environment-of-business-ie-general-competitive, viewed on 12 July 2014

HR 434 STUDY GUIDE FOR FINAL EXAM Essay

HR 434 STUDY GUIDE FOR FINAL EXAM Essay HR 434 STUDY GUIDE FOR FINAL EXAM Essay HR 434 Final Exam Study Guide TRUE/FALSE: 1. Legislation Controls the minimum wage. True 2. The U.S. Department of Labor determines minimum wage, overtime, child labor and garnishment regulations. True 3. A well designed compensation system does not require maintenance. False 4. Income Equivalent Payments are commonly referred to as "Spiffs." False 5. The Poverty Class are individuals who usually hold full or part time jobs that pay a wage equal or close to the government established minimum wage. False 6. Exempt workers usually work on salary. True 7. A metric chart provides a more detailed understanding of the job or work flow process. False (See chapter 9) 8. A job title is the most critical part of the job identification. True 9. Managers are a part of an occupational group which pay can vary dramatically. True 10. Paraprofessionals are normally unionized workers. False 11. A performance appraisal is a formal process in which it identifies and documents an employees contribution. True 12. Central Tendency is a rating of average or around to midpoint. True 13. An IRA is a retirement plan that grows money tax deferred. True 14. Severance Pay is a one-time payment upon termination at no fault of the employee. True 15. Expatriate is an employee working at a foreign work site for a period in excess of 1 year. True SELECT THE BEST ANSWER: Question 16. Which of the following employee benefits are influenced by legislation? (Points : 5) Minimum wage Number of hours worked Retirement, unemployment plans and disability insurance All the above Question 17. Who is the largest employer in the United States? (Points : 5) Federal Government United States Postal Service Exxon Oil Company United Auto Workers Question 18. The development and administration of the human resources/personnel budget is a major responsibility of (Points : 5) U.S President Department of Labor Compensation Specialists Congress Question 19. Geographical locations are (Points : 5) physical places where workers reside. regions where pay can differentiate. places where jobs are plentiful. addresses where companies reside. Question 20. Employers usually offer these plans for retirement. (Points : 5) Deferred Income Vacation Paid Trips Severance Pay Question 21. Which chart shows various relationships among individuals, groups, and departments? (Points : 5) Process Chart Metric Chart Depth Chart Organizational Chart Question 22. Qualifications of a job holder is referred to as (Points : 5) a job requirement. a job specification. a skill set a job need. Question 23. Random sampling is a technique that uses (Points : 5) surveys and interviews. questionnaires. variety of statistical methods that may include an array of data random numbers only. Question 24. Team incentives are plans that (Points : 5) pay little compared to individual incentives. give employees compensation to join groups. pay yearly. are restricted to members with payout based on improvements in productivity, customer satisfaction, and financial performance. Question 25. This plan provides an enhanced option for educational savings. (Points : 5) 529 Plan College Savings Plan Educational Savings Plan 654(b) Plan Question 26. The amount of money paid at regular intervals to an employee who retired from a company. (Points : 5) Salary Pension Golden Parachute Contribution Payments Question 27. A payment made by the state to workers who have temporary lost their job. (Points : 5) Welfare State Assistance Unemployment Insurance Unemployment Benefits Question 28. Provides income to beneficiaries in case of death. (Points : 5)

Representations of the Mixed Race Essays

Representations of the Mixed Race Essays Representations of the Mixed Race Essay Representations of the Mixed Race Essay Name: Course: Tutor: Date: Representations of the Mixed Race The issue of race has been reviewed by many as far as the society is concerned. This is more so where more than one race is in existence especially in the American (United States), Asian and the European countries. Mulattos, who are an outcome of mixed races, have been a point of interest for many decades. The book American Son by Brian Roley and the essay How to Rehabilitate a Mulatto: the Iconography of Tiger Woods by Hiram Perez have depicted the mixed race issue from the offspring born in the United States. From the literal works, the Asian American regional/historical context matters, contentious, and race as a social construct have been depicted. In the novel American Son, Brian Roley tells the story of two brothers who are half Filipino and half American, the mother being from Philippines and the father being from America. Gabe, the narrator in the novel, is an adolescent and the younger of the two brothers who is timid, observant, shy and obedient, suffocating under his older brother’s indifference towards him and his mother’s high expectations of him even though he is going through an identity crisis. On the other hand, Tomas, the elder of the two brothers is arrogant, indifferent to his brothers, disobedient to his mother, a high school drop out, likes to wear Mexican clothes although he runs a legal business of rearing dogs and selling them to the Hollywood celebrities. The novel, divided into three sections, takes the reader through the many challenges the narrator goes through before accepting his identity as a Mulatto. Hiram Perez’s essay is more focused on Tiger Woods who is referred to as a Cablinasia since he as the origin of a Caucasian, African American (black), American India (native) and an Asia (Thai and Chinese). The author argues that, â€Å"the celebrity of a figure such as Tiger Woods functions to rehabilitate the mulatto in order to announce the arrival of a new color-blind era in the U.S history,† (Dave 223). In the essay, Perez, analyses the ways in which the celebrity has been used to advocate a color-blind America. One example given is his advertisement on the Nike products. Since Woods has conquered a sport that was considered to belong to the Caucasians, many children from diverse races are spotted saying that they are Tiger Woods in one particular advertisement. The controversies associated with the existence of the racial mixture of American Asians have taken a different turn. The two works bring forth diversity in the perception of these group people. In most cases, the Asians come to the United States in order to experience the American Dream. They come to the United States to get a better life for themselves. While others view them as intruders waiting to take away the small opportunities available, others view them as disadvantaged who have come to seek refuge in America. These controversies have led to the various depictions of this race. For example, Ika, Tomas and Gabe’s mother, works two jobs that are not well paying in a district (Venice) in California that was once neglected in the 1950s. On the other hand, Perez shows that the children from the diverse races, which include Asia, have backgrounds that look like they are urban poor backgrounds. In most cases, one is not considered as a true American even though he/she might be legally so, as long as he has an origin of one of the other races apart from being a Caucasian. This has led to the mulattos’s own hate of themselves and families. In the novel, Gabe admits that he did not like her mother picking him from schools. He further gives a description of how short and dark she was especially when she wore the giant purple glasses that seemed trendy on everybody else apart from her mother since the glasses did not go well with her brown skin (Roley 30). As earlier noted the poor jobs and the slums seemed to belong to the African Americans, the Mexican Americans, the Asian Americans and every other race considered not American. This regional/historical perception is also depicted by Tomas rebellion of his race. He chose to dress like a Mexican yet he was not one. This part of the novel depicts that he was ashamed of who he was. Similarly, Roley depicts Gabe as one who is afraid to glance at the rear mirror during his encounter with the truck driver. This shows that he was ashamed of looking at his reflection, which was a reflection of an Asian identity. In both cases, historical and regional perceptions of the Asian Americans brought social trauma on these boys thus their rejection of their own identity. Tomas has a dog selling business even though he is a high-school dropout. He rears ordinary dogs, trains them to attack and then sells them Hollywood celebrities. Even though their only evidence of their ability to attack was the fact that they attacked some children, they are sold for thousand of dollars, which is overrated. Tomas gives them German names such as Heinrich and Greta so that they are perceived to be from Germany, yet they are as ordinary as they can be. Naming the dogs German names instead of giving them Asian names shows the power of a race. The dogs are more marketable when given German names than when given Asian names. The Asian were not highly regarded. Perez’s essay brings forth another concept of the American Asia perception, this being in the race context. Perez states that Oprah Winfrey called Tiger Woods â€Å"America’s son† (226). This showed that Tiger Woods is a representation of the diverse races in the United States. He represents the color-blindness in the United States today. He cannot be called an Asian, Native American or an African American, but rather he is a representation of all and he has won a place in a sport that was dominated by one race. Gabe’s encounter with the truck driver also acts as a revelation to the reader and the society in general. The truck driver was not conscious of Gabe’s Filipino origin. He further states that he might have not been an Asian at all. This made Gabe find a place and comfort in the driver’s presence. In other words, the driver showed that there was no major significance in someone’s race. It aided Gabe in his final path of accepting his identity during the last section of the book. Both literal works have brought forth similarities and diversity in the characters. Gabe’s family struggles with self-identity. Ika’s brother is angry with Ika because she refused to go back to her country. She chose to suffer the life imposed by the Americans on the Asians, yet there is a shinier easier life in Philippines. Gabe is avoids looking at the rear mirror in order to avoid looking at his reflection and he is ashamed of his own mother even though she is obedient and respectful to her. Tomas reactions to his brother and his family are an outward depiction of his internal conflicts. He dresses like a Mexican even though there are American and Asian clothing available. Perez’s essay is a contrast of the novel. It shows hopes for the American Asians. The color-blindness adopted by the Americans shows that they are interested in the character rather than the color. The author shows that Wood’s dominance in the golf sport depicts hopes for all races thus the children’s advertisement. His (Woods) mother’s interest in education and his father’s interest in sport shaped Woods greatly. The mulatto’s will acquire their own identity if they choose to look themselves deeper than being American Asians. Works cited Perez, Hiram. â€Å"How to rehabilitate a Mulatto: The Iconography of Tiger Woods†. East Main Street: Asian American Popular Culture, Ed. By Shilpa Dave, Leilani Nishime Tasha G. Oren. New York, NY: New York University Press, 2005. Print. Roley, Brian Ascalon. American Son. New York, NY: WW Norton, 2002. Print.

Political Terms Dominate New Dictionary Entries

Political Terms Dominate New Dictionary Entries Political Terms Dominate New Dictionary Entries Political Terms Dominate New Dictionary Entries By Mark Nichol Dictionary.com’s newest set of entries to its lexicon, and some revised definitions for existing terms, reflect the politically themed discourse that has dominated the media over the past year. This post shares and defines some of those terms. Alt-right, discussed in this DailyWritingTips.com post, is not new to Dictionary.com, but its definition has been extended to clarify that the central tenets of those who espouse extreme right wing ideology are white nationalism and anti-Semitism. Similarly, though far is of course not a new listing, its definition now alludes to the sense of extreme political views when it appears in combination with left and right. Meanwhile, the existing entry for alt refers to the abbreviation’s usage in alt-right, and the one for â€Å"white nationalism† makes a distinction, based on geopolitical focus, between that phrase and â€Å"white supremacy.† The phrase â€Å"fake news† has its own new entry, describing the term as pertaining to sensationalized false journalistic content that serves to boost ad revenue and/or discredit an entity that is the subject of the content. An entry surprising for its late appearance is â€Å"false flag,† which has long referred to the use by marine vessels of a flag of a country the ship doesn’t represent in order to deceive personnel on an enemy vessel. By extension, the term now alludes to events in which a country attacks its own territory or assets and blames the attack on a belligerent nation (or an entity such as a terrorist organization), or to similar operations carried out in civilian contexts, as when a group or individual frames another for a violent act the first group or individual secretly committed in order to discredit the other party. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Bare or Bear With Me?Ten Yiddish Expressions You Should Know10 Tips for Clean, Clear Writing

Economics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 18

Economics - Essay Example Generally, in economics there are mainly four factors required for production: land, labor, capital and resources. Among all these factors, labors are the key assets of an organization, and only they are eligible to obtain the reward for the work being done by them. An earnings means the total outcome or output of a stipulated process. The concept of income is a major component in economics, which is closely related with the demand, supply, and consumer tastes and preferences. But as far the research or the analysis of the economists is taken in to consideration, there is dissimilarity between the concept of earnings and income. The term income inequality indicates that there is an irregular distribution of income among the individuals. Generally, the term income may be of in two ways, such as personal income and house hold income. If there is dissimilarity between earnings and income inequality, it is necessary to analyze the reasons for such difference, and also essential to compare such differences among two nations. Due to the difference in income and earnings potentiality, there should be a chance that it will affect the overall economic impact of the nation also. Besides, there is a close relation between the income inequality and the impact of globalization. While analyzing the point of view of economists, it is necessary to give stress for making comparisons of the variations in income and earnings of different nations, but such comparison should not be fair, if it takes place between developing and developed countries, both are different in their level of economy. Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) is a global entity, giving stress for various economic and social concepts for improving the overall economic development of various countries. It is very clear that the monetary income is some what related to the economic and social well being of both humans as well as the society as a whole. In

External Resource Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

External Resource Management - Essay Example These are some of the points that Silver would want to emphasise to Dr. Spiller. However, these could be hardly understood on Dr. Spiller’s part because he is justifying his points as well. The centralisation procedure may be slow to react to local user’s needs and also may be remote from local user or internal customer. Dr. Spiller may have important specifications of an X-ray processor that he found can only be provided by New Age and he can certainly use this as important justification. On the other hand, in a decentralized purchasing activity, Dr. Spiller can actually enjoy the benefits of addressing the local needs of their department and as user of the newly X-ray processor. Their problems may be easily responded at better quality as well. Regarding this issue, it is therefore clear that Rose Silver is only trying to do its part for the good of the company. Dr. Spiller on the other hand is trying to do its part based on what he believes is right for their patient care. They both have essential points to stand on. However, this would matter depending on the generalised process that should be involved in purchasing activity. The first step is basically sourcing. In this stage, the purchasing department receives requisition and asks or solicits quotations. The next step involves authority and ethics. At this point the purchasing department has to negotiate with suppliers and then place its order. Finally, logistics and payment ensures that the supplies are received and payments are made. Based on the above procedure, Dr. Spiller cannot actually justify his concern with Rose Silver. This is due to the fact that Dr. Spiller’s concerns with their patients are not in line with Silver’s main functions. What is only in line with Dr. Spiller’s concerns with Silver’s role in the company is the issue about receiving requisitions and asking for quotations and supplier’s negotiation. 2. What risks or ethical problems cou ld potentially arise from his approach? In the absence of quotations or requisitions, Dr. Spiller could potentially face problems about dishonesty and untrustworthiness. The main point of having quotations and requisitions is to ensure transparency in the actual purchasing process. This is also to ensure that the right prices and quality standards are obtained. Dr. Spiller needs to understand that when there is money involved, the role of Silver is to provide transparent accounting system in order to justify the actual purchasing experience if it is in line with the organisation’s prevailing purchasing standard. In the absence of this, Dr. Spiller is most likely to be confronted with substantial ethical subjects including fraud as aftermath of the main issues like dishonesty and untrustworthiness. If he would push forward to his stand, Dr. Spiller may potentially be showing disrespect to Silver. Silver is a legitimate authority in the purchasing activity. It is not the concer n of Silver to approve Dr. Spiller’s request because there is a process involved. This process requires that everything should undergo specific approval of an authority. On the other hand, Dr. Spiller does not have much authority involved in the actual purchasing process except however for his specifications and technical know-how of the equipment. However, the final authority of the purchasing process

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

Wealth Management - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that in the context of wealth management, one is able to positively impact the world from a professional working environment.   It is by participating in investment deals that will manage wealth by finding deals and assessing them. It is by way of formulating a strategy that will enable identification of the correct business venture. The first step is to understand ones intended positive contribution and choosing an approach that corresponds to the desired contribution. The understanding will be by way of distinguishing the various impacts and the investment approach that will lead to a positive contribution. From the author’s own professional point of view, he should be in a position to clearly define these possible positive contributions. It is by investing in ways that will attain a positive environmental and social contribution and impact. The investment should avoid any negative any environmental and social impact by using pra ctices that are responsible. The second initiative is to determine ways of relationship building  with the people who might be affected by the investment. It is important because one is able to know their point of view and opinion on the matter. This consultation will enable proper planning on ways of undertaking the investment so that it positively impacts on them. Thirdly is to recognize the risk the investment can cause. It enables identifying an appropriate investment strategy. Knowing the preference and the issues to be targeted is important in assessing the risk the investment has to the people around.

Organizational Culture in Different Countries and Regions Term Paper

Organizational Culture in Different Countries and Regions - Term Paper Example Taken negatively, this culture can be used as a shield and process that people withdraw to when they intend to sideline their common sense. It is a form of groupthink or herd mentality that could be used to shrug responsibility (Savio, 2007). But when properly understood, the barriers of cultural differences can come down and the authenticity of the people emerges transcending the old collective and herd thinking enabling one to find homogeneity and common ground to do business. But understanding the eccentricity or idiosyncrasy of a particular culture can be a challenge and may even take some time to be understood and perhaps after committing some blunders and faux pas that could cost the business itself. Seemingly innocuous behaviors, when not properly understood can be costly to the one doing the business who is unaware of the national culture that is being reflected in the bigger organization. To illustrate, a businessperson attending a dinner by a Chinese host may be aware that he has to be gracious being familiar of guanxi(Hwang, 2009). But knowing the host or Chinese counterpart is not enough (Bedford, 2011). Little things such as not following the nuances of dining protocols may even inadvertently offend the business counterpart. In the example cited, the guest, in his effort to be gracious to his host, ate every food that was served to him (there are 12 courses in a Chinese meal) even if he was full with the hope of getting the impression that he i s an appreciative guest. Only to be confounded that the host’s warmth disappeared and turned cold as the evening ended. It took some time for the guest to realize that in Chinese context, cleaning up your plate meant that the host did not feed you enough and that is quite offensive in doing business in Chinese context (Balderrama, 2010). Another example is the customary bringing of whisky to a Japanese counterpart which can be considered as a thoughtful gift but is offensive to Dubai nationals (Tulshyan, 2010). To better understand particular cultures and how they reflect and differ in the larger culture of an organization in different countries, Hoftstede formulated a cultural assessment tool whereby dimensions of one’s cultural strength can be assessed by assigning a scale ranging from 0 to 100 (Hoftstede, n.d.) . This tool of Hofstede is a popular tool among managers who would like to understand another culture apart from their own. The five cultural dimensions of P ower Distance, Individualism, Masculinity, Uncertainty Avoidance, and Long-Term Orientation; Hofstede’s five dimensions of culture in details are (MCCULLIGH, 2010); Small vs. large power distance – This refers to how a society handles inequalities and the extent to which the less powerful members of organizations and institutions (like family) accept and expect that power is distributed unequally. Individualism vs. collectivism  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Behavior towards community. The degree to which individuals are integrated into groups or are expected to look after themselves and self-actualize. Masculinity vs. femininity)

The 1980s Crisis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The 1980s Crisis - Essay Example This was caused by excessive and continous borrowings even at a negative interest rates and rising commodities which was aggravated by the the Organizationof Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) decision to raise the price of fuel which drove the interest rate of repayment and made the Latin American countries, particularly Mexico unable to service its loans (Buerkle, 2007). II. Background In the 1960s and 1970s, Latin American countries likeArgentina, Brazil and Mexico was experiencing tremendous growth in their respective economies (Swan, 1992). They capitalized on this growth by embarking on an industrialization program and borrowed heavily from foreign creditors to finance their industrialization program particularly their infrastructure projects. Given the performance and the prospect of the economies of these Latin American countries, foreign creditors granted them loans. These loans continued that in the span of seven years (1975 to 1982) of continuous loans, it had a cumulati ve annual rate of 20.4 percent. This translated to the contiunous accumulation of debts. Latin American country’s loans which was only $75 in 1975 rose to a staggering amount of more than $315 in 1983. These loans already amounted half of the region’s GDP or Gross Domestic Product. As a consequence, debt payment, both on the principal and the interest, increased rapidly that it amounted to $66 billion in 1982 when debt service was only $12 billion back in 1975. The Oil Crisis When the Organizationof Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) initiated in October of 1973 the increase of the world price of oil to as much as much as five times and backed by a selective embargo which was directed against the industrialized countries, Latin America and developing countries took the hit because of their vulnerability to external shocks (Street, 1978). Of the 19 countries that has to import oil, they have to pay OPEC’s increased price by an additional amount of $4.8 billion more in 1975 and added $5.2 billion in 1975 (Robichek, 1975:1). To make the matter worst, Latin American countries’ trade fell as a result of the global recession that was aggravated by the OPEC’s decision to increase the price of oil. As a result, the demand for Latin America’s primary products decreased while production cost increased because the price of imported materials from industrial nations also increased due to the increase of price in oil. This resulted to the region’s â€Å"deterioration of balance of payments current accounts of $2.5 billion above their expanded oil import costs in 1974, and of $2.9 billion in 1975† (Robichek, 1975:1). The Effect of the Oil Crisis OPEC’s decision to increase the price of oil contributed to the recession of the US economy in 1974 to 1975. This decreased the demand for loans in the domestic economy. These loans however was availed by Latin American countries which had a tremendous appetite for for eign loans (Hawkins And Maese, 1986). The global economy also slid into recession after the OPEC’s decision to increase its price in oil. The crisis that OPEC precipitated was however unusual as it transmitted even to countries that did not experience the â€Å"stagflation† of matured economies such as United States and Europe. â€Å"Until 1970, 15 Latin American countries enjoyed relative stability in the cost of living, and only 4 experienced price level increases in excess of 15 percent per year† (Inter-American Development Bank, 1977:6). Brazil which had always managed to decreased its inflation rate in the 1960s experienced an increase of 13% inflation in 1973 which increased further in 1976 to as much as 42% (International Financial Statistics, 1977:53). Its annual growth of over 10% from 1968 to 1974 fell dramatically to only 4.2% in 1975.

Symphony Number 6 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Symphony Number 6 - Essay Example There were also periods where the focused instrument was of a low note. This, I think, suggested apathy, boredom or relaxation. The focus on the different instruments, giving each equal times of attention, made a variety of emotions. I liked this part the most because of the roller coaster of emotions. Especially because it captivates you from the slow and soft start to the faster and more forceful finish. The Das Lied von der Erde was of a different flavor. The melody gave a sad, tragic and sometimes scary feeling which was reinforced by the poem Das Trinklied vom Jammer. The harmony, which I observed had longer and more dragging notes, was matched with the sad poem to create despair. The slower tempo I felt was intended to give a sinking feeling. The start was with a more calm yet sad which was slowly built up to give the intense hurt. This hurt was better felt because of the stress the sudden change in dynamics. It was a different feeling than that of Le Matin but I say of equal beauty.

The 1980s Crisis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The 1980s Crisis - Essay Example This was caused by excessive and continous borrowings even at a negative interest rates and rising commodities which was aggravated by the the Organizationof Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) decision to raise the price of fuel which drove the interest rate of repayment and made the Latin American countries, particularly Mexico unable to service its loans (Buerkle, 2007). II. Background In the 1960s and 1970s, Latin American countries likeArgentina, Brazil and Mexico was experiencing tremendous growth in their respective economies (Swan, 1992). They capitalized on this growth by embarking on an industrialization program and borrowed heavily from foreign creditors to finance their industrialization program particularly their infrastructure projects. Given the performance and the prospect of the economies of these Latin American countries, foreign creditors granted them loans. These loans continued that in the span of seven years (1975 to 1982) of continuous loans, it had a cumulati ve annual rate of 20.4 percent. This translated to the contiunous accumulation of debts. Latin American country’s loans which was only $75 in 1975 rose to a staggering amount of more than $315 in 1983. These loans already amounted half of the region’s GDP or Gross Domestic Product. As a consequence, debt payment, both on the principal and the interest, increased rapidly that it amounted to $66 billion in 1982 when debt service was only $12 billion back in 1975. The Oil Crisis When the Organizationof Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) initiated in October of 1973 the increase of the world price of oil to as much as much as five times and backed by a selective embargo which was directed against the industrialized countries, Latin America and developing countries took the hit because of their vulnerability to external shocks (Street, 1978). Of the 19 countries that has to import oil, they have to pay OPEC’s increased price by an additional amount of $4.8 billion more in 1975 and added $5.2 billion in 1975 (Robichek, 1975:1). To make the matter worst, Latin American countries’ trade fell as a result of the global recession that was aggravated by the OPEC’s decision to increase the price of oil. As a result, the demand for Latin America’s primary products decreased while production cost increased because the price of imported materials from industrial nations also increased due to the increase of price in oil. This resulted to the region’s â€Å"deterioration of balance of payments current accounts of $2.5 billion above their expanded oil import costs in 1974, and of $2.9 billion in 1975† (Robichek, 1975:1). The Effect of the Oil Crisis OPEC’s decision to increase the price of oil contributed to the recession of the US economy in 1974 to 1975. This decreased the demand for loans in the domestic economy. These loans however was availed by Latin American countries which had a tremendous appetite for for eign loans (Hawkins And Maese, 1986). The global economy also slid into recession after the OPEC’s decision to increase its price in oil. The crisis that OPEC precipitated was however unusual as it transmitted even to countries that did not experience the â€Å"stagflation† of matured economies such as United States and Europe. â€Å"Until 1970, 15 Latin American countries enjoyed relative stability in the cost of living, and only 4 experienced price level increases in excess of 15 percent per year† (Inter-American Development Bank, 1977:6). Brazil which had always managed to decreased its inflation rate in the 1960s experienced an increase of 13% inflation in 1973 which increased further in 1976 to as much as 42% (International Financial Statistics, 1977:53). Its annual growth of over 10% from 1968 to 1974 fell dramatically to only 4.2% in 1975.

Manufacturing Processes Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Manufacturing Processes - Assignment Example This paper produces a report on the utility and application of these tools to a manufacturing environment specifically bringing out the necessity of applying these principles and also to evaluate the exact reasons why such an analysis need to be done at all. For the purpose of outlining the manufacturing process we take the example of paper production processes. For manufacturing paper wood, bagasse (outer stalk sugar cane), hemp straw etc are used. Normally the paper manufacturing is preceded by the pulping process where the raw material for example wood is made into pulp. Pulping processes are generally classified as chemical, mechanical or semi-chemical. The three chemical pulping methods are known as kraft, sulfite and soda. There are three steps involved the pulping; initial processing, washing the pulp and bleaching the pulp. At the end of the processes several Toxic Air and Water Pollutants like Volatile Organic Compounds causing damages to lungs tissues, Total reduced Sulphur with foul odors, Hazardous Air Pollutants causing respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, Adsorbable Organic Halides Chloroform, Dioxin and Furan are generated. (EPA Fact Sheet 1997) 3.0 Life cycle Analysis (LCA): "LCA is a technique [] compiling an inventory of relevant inputs and outputs of a product system; evaluating the potential environmental impacts associated with those inputs and outputs; and interpreting the results of the inventory and impact phases in relation to the objectives of the study" (ISO 14040:2006) This part of the paper deals with an important tool for assessing the impact of the manufacturing processes on the environment. According to O'Neill (2003) Life Cycle Analysis is a technique used to quantify the environmental impact of products during their entire life cycle. The different parts of the life cycle are examined from raw material extraction, manufacture, transport and use through to waste processing. The publication of Environmental Technology Best Practice Programme envisages that LCA can be used to evaluate the environmental performance of processes, products and services1 from 'cradle to grave' and identify potential cost savings. It is relevant to most, if not all, industrial situations where a product is manufactured or a service provided. The figure below illustrates the life cycle stages: Karolina Flemstrom et al.(2004) opines that the effects of product or services considered in LCA are overall potential environmental impacts e.g. global warming, stratospheric ozone depletion, acidification, photochemical oxidant formation, toxicity and eutrophication, of all resources used and waste generated in a defined technical system. To conduct an LCA it is essential that the following three interrelated components are identified and addressed during the LCA process: Life cycle Inventory: is the process of quantifying energy and raw material requirements, air emissions, waterborne effluents, solid waste

Googles Methods of Motivating Employees Essay Example for Free

Googles Methods of Motivating Employees Essay What is life like at Google? After extensive research I found a wide variety of opinions about life at Google. Google’s website portrays Google as the best of all places to work. They offer many luxuries including on site massages and health clubs in addition to free dining and vending options. The management style of Google is very lackadaisical and far from serious. Their motto is search, search, and search. Googleplex located out of San Jose, California has a unique method of motivating employees vastly different from other corporate America companies. New hires are flabbergasted by Google’s reputation. If they pass the unorganized and exhausting interview process, they will be able to utilize the extravagant perks that attract many to Google initially. Google’s goal is to keep employees focused on work by eliminating anything that might interfere with production. Current employees make use of this concept depending on their length of employment with the company. Ex-employees have a different view of Google’s culture and the driving forces that power it. Many of Google’s old employees feel this atmosphere leads to 24/7 working days with no personal time. They feel overworked and underpaid with little advancement opportunities available. With that being said, my assessment of the working environment at Google is similar to that of former employees. I feel Google is mirroring the college environment by meeting the basic needs of their employees. By making the basic needs readily available within the working environment, they eliminate outside distractions thus hoping to increase production. However, I feel this philosophy is comparable to that of many cults. They entice employees with so-called spectacular benefits and average pay all the while neglecting to tell them how demanding the working environment is at Google. I am surprised that Google does not offer on-site living arrangements too. Robbins and Coulter (2009) state, â€Å"Google has been named the ‘best company to work for’ by Fortune magazine two years running. † I have no doubts they are not a fantastic company to call home, but they are not retaining life time employees. At some point these associates are losing motivation and decide to look for better opportunities. These situations tell me that Google is failing their employees at some point. I believe the break-down begins at the top of the organizational structure within Google. They emphasize their benefits but neglect to explain employee expectations or job demands to their staff. After the orientation phase, employees get the real taste of Google: little time for the perks, exhausting hours, unorganized working environments, lacking management guidance, little advancement opportunities, minimal pay and a child-like atmosphere. This is the perfect recipe for burnout. Sequentially burnout creates Google’s biggest challenge. It has been said that middle management at Google might oversee over 100 people at one time. How can this be effective? Management needs to be involved and become more hands on with their employees. They could start with career plans, training and promotable reviews. Also, I feel Google should balance their perks by offering less on-site and more down time or empathy to their associates on a personal level. The perks offered are great but they are missing the most important factor-a sincere personal touch. If I were managing a team of Google employees I would try to implement a â€Å"hands on† type of approach. I would set up monthly meetings and give my staff appropriate feedback to help them grow and excel. A rewards and recognition program would be beneficial to them as well as a career plan. It would also be helpful to have training sessions when needed. Lastly, I would empathize with my employees by stressing balance between family and working time. Google has a nice platform; however, I feel these few changes could be vital assets to enhancing their working place while keep long term associates.

Labour Education And Extensive Employee Development Schemes Management Essay

Labour Education And Extensive Employee Development Schemes Management Essay I think its possible to examine both perspectives in this paper and then decide where you stand in the debate. In essence the assignment is asking you to consider how the various types of education that happen in unions (labour education tools courses, issues courses, etc.) and employment development schemes empower workers to participate in decision-making processes in the workplace (i.e. democratic systems). Do these types of education within unions facilitate a more equal relationship between employers and employees than the education or learning that happens in non-unionzied organizations? Is it possible for workplaces to be run democratically? How does education contribute to establishing equity, empowerment and democracy in workplaces (if it does at all)? Chapter 5 in Bratton et al. discusses many of types of education that unions offer, not only for stewards. While it might be difficult to go into detail about all these forms of education, the question is asking you to think about labour education broadly for workers and the labour movement. The topic of the strategic relevance of human resource management in organizational strategies and business ideals offers a deep foray into one of the main ingredient that successfully underpins the achievement of leadership and managerial objectives. This insight impels the ongoing scrutiny into one of the key leverage of our current human resource management identified as employee development schemes. This assignment begins with an examination of trade unions and strategic HRM issues, will continue with a snapshot description of labour education and workers empowerment as popular organizational initiative and its objective of combining education as a managements approach to workers empowerment. Trade unions and strategic HRM In the literature the new HRM model is depicted as unitary; it assumes that management and workers share common goals, and differences are treated and resolved rationally. According to the theory, if all workers are fully integrated into the business they will identify with their companys goals and managements problems, so that what is good for the company and management is perceived by workers as also being good for them. Critical to achieving this goal is the notion of worker commitment to the organization. This HRM goal has led writers from both ends of the political spectrum to argue that there is a contradiction between the normative HRM model and trade unions. In the prescriptive management literature, the argument is that the collectivist culture, with its them and us attitude, sits uncomfortably with the HRM goal of high employee commitment and the individualization of the employment relationship including individual contracts, communications, appraisal and rewards. Much of the critical literature also presents the new HRM model as inconsistent with traditional industrial relations and collective bargaining, albeit for very different reasons. Critics argue that HRM policies and practices are designed to provide workers with a false sense of job security and obscure underlying sources of conflict inherent in employment relations. According to Godard, historically a major reason for managers adopting progressive [HRM] practices has been to avoid or weaken unions. However, he does concede that it would also be a mistake to view progressive practices as motivated solely or even primarily by this objective (1994, p. 155). Yet other industrial relations scholars, taking a more traditional orthodox pluralist perspective, have argued that independent trade unions and variants of the HRM model cannot only coexist but are even necessary to its successful implementation and development. They argue that trade unions should become proactive or change champions actively promoting the more positive elements of the soft HRM model. Such a union strategy would create a partnership between management and organized labour which would result in a high-performance workplace with mutual gains for both the organization and workers (Betcherman et al., 1994; Guest, 1995; Verma, 1995). What is clearly apparent from a review of the literature is that this aspect of the HRM discourse has been strongly influenced by political-legal developments and the decline in trade union membership and power in the US and UK over the last two decades. Therefore when you read Chapter 12 and the literature, it is important to remember that the debate is set in the contextual developments in the USA and Britain. The idea of embedding worker commitment in HRM model has led to strong argument among writers, that, there is a contradiction between the HRM normative model and trade unions. In the prescriptive management literature, the argument is the collectivist culture, with them and us attitude, sabotages the HRM goal of high employee commitment and the individualization of the employment relationship. Moreover, critics argue that, high-performance-high-commitment HR strategies provide workers with false sense of job security, by hiding underlying sources of conflict, inherent in employment relations. However, other scholars with pluralist perspective argue that not only do trade unions andhigh-commitment HRM model coexist but are indeed necessary if an HPWS is tosucceed (Bratton and Gold, 2003: 60). In addition, other researchers like Sparrow and Hiltrop (1994: 25) in Morley et al., (2006)identified a shift from the HRM function and its associated terrain to a strategic role in other areas of HRM activity. Thus, the greater emphasis on the integration of the human resource function into strategic decision-making, a decentralization of much activity to line managers, and pre-occupation with industrial relations and collective bargaining, has made way for a more SHRM activities such as communications, human resource development, workplace learning, career management and human capital accumulation EMPOWERMENT Empowerment is a concept that gained immense popularity in the 1990s and looks set to continue as a popular organisational initiative in the twenty-first century. It is a managerial ideology in its own right as well as being used with other initiatives and strategies such as BPR, TQM and the learning organisation. It is strongly associated with culture change initiatives, delayering and restructuring, and usually involves devolving power and responsibilities to teams at workplace or customer level (Arkin, 1995). Defining empowerment Various one-dimensional definitions, of empowerment have emanated from the practitioner literature. Typical of this view is Cook and Macaulays (1997) definition of empowerment as a change-management tool which helps organisations create an environment where every individual can use his or her abilities and energies to satisfy the customer (p. 54). Its all-embracing nature skirts over issues of how employees use their abilities, and whether there are boundaries to responsibilities, the degree and type of power employees enjoy, power relations between employee, managers, individuals, teams, customers and the context of empowerment. Both Wilkinson (1998) and Lashley (1997) have commented that empowerment is influenced by historical, economic, social and political factors, and in attempting a definition the context in which it is practised must be considered. Wilkinson (1998) defines empowerment as a managerially led initiative: Unlike industrial democracy there is no notion of workers having a right to a say: it is employers who decide whether and how to empower employees. While there is a wide range of programmes and initiatives which are titled empowerment and they vary as to the extent of power which employees actually exercise, most are purposefully designed not to give workers a very significant role in decision making but rather to secure an enhanced employee contribution to the organisation. Empowerment takes place within the context of a strict management agenda. (p. 40) Empowerment is thus a managerially controlled phenomenon operating at a workbased rather than a strategic level within the organisation. Honold (1997) implicitly acknowledges this by seeing empowerment as control of ones work, autonomy on the job, variations of teamwork, and pay systems that link pay with performance (p. 202). She further divides empowerment into five groupings: leadership, the individual empowered state, collaborative work, structural or procedural change, and the multidimensional perspective that encompasses the other four categories. Multidimensional perspectives on empowerment Honolds (1997: 206) final category shows that one approach is insufficient for empowerment to be effective. Others believe that combining education, leading, mentoring and supporting, providing and structuring is more likely to enable empowerment systems to be successful. Human resource systems should also be fully supportive of these components, providing a contextual framework within which empowerment systems are able to operate. This means linking the empowerment process to the vision, goals and aims of the organisation, through HRD, reward systems and employee relations systems combined with adequate feedback measures. . Bratton John and Gold Jeffrey (2003) Human Resource Management: Theory andPractice third edition London: Palgrave Macmillan Morley Michael J., Gunnigle Patrick and Sullivan Michelle O, Collings David G. Newdirections in the roles and responsibilities of the HRM function Personnel Review Vol.35 No. 6, 2006, 609-617 Sparrow, P. and Hiltrop J. M. (1994), European Human Resource Management inTransition, Prentice-Hall, Hemel Hempstead https://ulib.derby.ac.uk/ecdu/CourseRes/dbs/manpeopl/hold.pdf

World Flight Essay -- Theology

Throughout life, culture implicitly and explicitly communicates ideas to people. Explicit statements are found in songs and art that clearly exhibit a perspective about life. Implicit messages from culture are discovered when compared to the key tenets of worldviews. An example of this implicit communication is found in the song â€Å"Clocks† by the band Coldplay. Based on analysis of the lyrics, the song â€Å"Clocks† expresses the World Flight worldview. To begin with, the lyrics of â€Å"Clocks† illustrate the World Flight perspective of God. A primary example of this idea is found in the chorus of the song. Specifically, the ancient worldview argues that God can be defined as Forms of ultimate perfection from which the earth was made. Additionally, the perspective’s main philosopher, Plato, argued that all of life must be focused on the world of the Forms. These beliefs are found in the song â€Å"Clocks† when singer Chris Martin announces, â€Å"You are and nothing else compares† (2002). Initially, this lyric seems to be a simple statement of perfection; however, the lyric reflects the worldview’s beliefs about God when compared to the World Flight perspective. The lyric becomes a cry to the world of the Forms and to the seeking of that world. The singer’s words are transformed from a mere emotional rant to a spiritual affirmation that nothing in this world compares to the Forms of the next world, expressing the World Flight perspective. Another expression of the World Flight perspective of God is found in the ending measures of the song. As the instruments cease playing, the singer states, â€Å"You are home, home, where I wanted to go† (2002). Based the ancient perspective of God, this lyric reflects the lifelong search for the world of ... ...ion of the World Flight solution to the song reveals the expression of the worldview through a musical format. Overall, the presentation of humanity’s problem and solution in â€Å"Clocks† allows one to conclude that the work embodies the World Flight perspective. In conclusion, the World Flight worldview is expounded in the Coldplay song â€Å"Clocks.† An analysis of the song illustrates the definition of God and humanity that is characteristic of the World Flight perspective. In addition, the worldview’s problem and solution for humanity are presented through the lyrics of the song. While songs often have simplistic meanings of love or loss, a deep examination of music reveals profound philosophical perspectives that have the power to shape thought and action. Works Cited Coldplay (2002). Clocks. On A Rush of Blood to the Head [CD]. Nashville: Capitol Records.

Bigamy & Alimony Essay

If fact of first marriage was concealed from the spouse – term of imprisonment may extend to 10 years In Sarla Mudgal v UOI AIR 1995 SC 1531, the SC criticized the practice of conversion to Islam for the sake of contracting II bigamous marriage ‘coz that enables them to marry again without getting their first marriage dissolved. The ruling was reaffirmed in the case of Lily Thomas v UOI AIR 2000 SC 1650. Also held: plurality of marriage is not unconditional right conferred on the Muslim husband. There is a precondition that he should have the capacity to do justice between the co-wives. Under Hanafi Law – 5 marriages are not void but merely irregular and can be regularized by divorcing one wife. Exception – a Sunni taking a 5th wife is not guilty of Bigamy u/s 494, 495 of IPC ( Shahumeedu v Subajda ( 1970) But a Shia Husband who takes 5th marriage (where 5th marriage is void) can be prosecuted for bigamy. So, one who marries during the lifetime of his or her spouse commits an offence of bigamy – provided his first marriage is not null & void. In M. M. Malhotra v UOI AIR 2006 SC 80, Husband married a woman whose marriage was in subsistence but was void. Hence, held subsequent marriage would not be bigamous. If former marriage is voidable, then also bigamy is committed. Varadrajan v State of Madras AIR 1965 SC 1964, Bigamy where requisite formalities of marriage have been performed at the time of the solemnization of II marriage. Priya v Suresh AIR 1971 SC 1153, held second marriage cannot be treated to be proved by mere admission of parties. Performance of appropriate ceremonies is to be proved. Dr. D.N. Mukherji v State AIR 1969 All. 486, held: performance of some mock ceremony is not enough and, therefore, prosecution of bigamy will fail. So bigamous marriage is void under H, Christian and Parsi laws. Under SMA – declaration of nullity of marriage can be obtained by either party. The spouse of 1st  marriage has no right to file a petition for nullity. Remedy – is to file a declaratory suit to that effect u/s 34 of the Special Relief Act, 1963. Under Matrimonial law the spouse of 1st marriage may sue for dissolution on the ground that other party is living in adultery u/s 13 (1) (i) of HMA. Law Commission of India In 227th report, given on 5th Aug.’2009, recommended in HMA after S. 17 ( punishment) S. 17 – A be inserted that a married person, who is governed by this Act cannot marry again even after changing religion, unless- i. 1st one is dissolved; or ii. Declared null and void In accordance with law. And if such a marriage is contracted it will be null & void; and Shall attract application of S. 494,495 of IPC. no defense can be taken in the charge of bigamy that it was a – i. in good faith; or ii. mistake of law. Only aggrieved party can complaint But once case is filed State prosecutes the bigamous spouse. Should bigamy be permitted in some limited cases? In Goa, Daman & Diu – during Portuguese rule Hindu Husband was permitted to take II wife during the lifetime of 1st one but – i. in specified cases ii. With the consent of wife Kane – (in History of Dharmashstra) suggested – it should be tolerated for some classes on economic grounds. Derrett also supports (Critique of Modern Hindu Law) Some arguments hold good for polyandry also, but present writers do not support this view. iii.

How Judaism and Christianity Diverged

The origins of Christianity can be originated in Judaism and for that reason it is no surprise that both religions have many beliefs in common. During the earliest beginnings, Christianity was a part of Judaism, but currently they are two distinct communities. However, they are bound together by their belief in one God and to worship any other is to deny Him. The separation between both religions did not happen fast or easy. The entire division took some hundred years and the very complex separation didn’t happen all at once. Christianity began with Jesus Christ and his disciples about 2000 years ago in Judea. Throughout that duration of time, Judea was ruled over the emperor of Rome, Constantine. The Romans were pagan and had polytheistic beliefs that made it difficult for the Jews. Therefore, the Jews began to disgust Romans and wait for their Messiah as was promised. The Jewish law secures that a descendant from the house of David will come to set up God’s Kingdom on earth. Jesus Christ has been known in many names: Son of Man, Son of God and the Word. â€Å"Christ† comes from the Greek word Christos which can be translated of the Hebrew word Messiah. Jesus Christ himself followed the Jewish faith and the Jewish law. From village to village, Jesus began teaching synagogues and healing the suffering. Before long, a group of twelve men followed Jesus after his teachings motivated many people and caused instability that the Jewish authority weren’t pleased of. This had threatened the Jewish people. Jesus commenced on talking about the â€Å"new covenant† that God would bring people through him. It would restore the association between humankind and God that was gone because of sin. It would, also, re-establish the fellowship of forgiveness and love. As a prophet, Jesus knew he would be crucified on the Roman cross to pay for the sins committed by all humanity. As he was saying that he was the Son of God, the Jews weren’t opened to his message. Priests of temples have called Jesus Christ blasphemous because he didn’t fit the mold as the Son of Man, â€Å"Glory of the Heavens†, or the Messiah. He doesn’t look like a king they have imagined and thought of him as pathetic and rejected him. When Jesus first came to Israel, Jesus said publicly, â€Å"I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel. † â€Å"Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One? † a high priest ask him and Jesus replied, ‘I am,' †¦ And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven† (Mark 14:61-62). This haven’t convinced them that Jesus was the Messiah and condemned him to torture and death for lying. â€Å"Eli Eli lama sabachthani! † was Jesus’ last words as he was crucified as stated in the New Testament. After three days, he was resurrected and ascended to the heavens in front of six hundred people. His disciples began to spread his word to various parts of the world. After Paul, one of Jesus’ disciples and his right hand man, failed to convince the Jews, Paul had to resort to converting the Romans. Around 312 A. D. , Emperor Constantine I adopted the Christian faith and, therefore, legalized Christianity. He supported the Christian Church and tried to abandon all the pagan temples. In 325 A. D. , he sent for the Council of Nicaea to establish the Nicene Creed. The emperor wanted to enforce orthodoxy and to eradicate heretics. Christianity began to spread and detached it’s way from Judaism. The Roman government began to acknowledge its independence and the emperor let them go from paying the fiscus judaicus, a tax for Jewish people as a penalty after the revolt of 66 A. D. Finally, the success of Christianity made it the official religion of the Roman Empire in 324 A. D. The main Christian belief was that Jesus was the savior of all people. Those who believed that Jesus was the fulfillment of messianic prophesy of the Old Testament converted to Christianity, including some Jews. Judaism and Christianity both share the Old Testament and the Word of God. However, in Christian teachings Jesus Christ is the Messiah and the Savior and Judaism denies the idea of him being the Messiah. Initially being a Jewish sect in the first century, Christianity stretched into the Greco-Roman areas. During the Middle Ages it spread into Northern Europe and Russia. Currently, Christianity extended to all parts of the world and is now the largest religion in the world with around 2 billion followers. The religion has broaden to many sects such as Roman catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Protestant and so forth. Bibliography: The Bible. N. p. : n. p. , n. d. RSV Bible. Web. 26 Feb. 2010. . â€Å"Christianity. † Religion Facts. N. p. , n. d. Web. 26 Feb. 2010. . Wenner, Sarah. â€Å"History of Christianity. † MNSU. Ed. Salman Hakim. N. p. , 2009. Web. 26 Feb. 2010. . All About Religion. N. p. , n. d. Web. 26 Feb. 2010. .

Racism Research the Case Study of Tuskegee Syphilis Study Essay

Introduction                     The study of Tuskegee Syphilis study case was to find out the extent of the untreated syphilis in urban areas and the way to stop it by carrying out a research on the affected ones which comprised of 400 men in Alabama, especially among the blacks, â€Å"the USPHS conducted studies in the rural South to determine the prevalence of syphilis among blacks and explore the possibilities for mass treatment† (Brandt, 65). The study of Tuskegee syphilis study had it results and consequences. It was misunderstood and therefore it was highly criticized. The results of the research were helpful since they led to finding out the root cause of the intense increase of syphilis in blacks. The consequences were far worse since the participants were not informed of the actual intentions of the research because the doctors believed that they would reject the ideas and therefore violated their human right of consent (Brandt, 66-67). It led to the death of people since the researches knowingly did not treat the patient even after finding out the right antibiotics for Syphilis. The consequences of the study brought about the establishment of boards and legislations to govern research and stipulate its rules for all the research to be carried out. The study also raised issue about the professional ethics since they used human to experiment on their research and used deception to gain their trust and it showed more o f racism than medical issues. The study case of the Tuskegee will not be replicable because it was carried out without the consent of the participants that is, the people being tested and therefore it violated their human rights and it was based on one race that is the blacks creating racism conflicts (Brandt, 66). The research was highly criticized and therefore it would be every hard to replicate due to its extent of withholding medicine and also the regulation that are stated out can only allow it if the research follow them to the end. The study of the case of the Tuskegee was unethical. In each field of professionals there are rules that are set to govern the field and the professors in carrying out their duties in this case the medical ethics was not practice and this made it unethical (Brandt, 67-68). The participants in this lab experiment had the medicine to cure the syphilis but instead their withheld it knowingly from the patient and some died a painful death and others suffered from different ailments. Also it was unethical since the researchers did not ask for the consent of the participants instead they gave promises and did not fulfill them and it was racial based research no whites were involved (Brandt, 27). Sociological perspective tries to explain the impacts of the study in our society today; in the case functional perspective is the need for people to be healthy so that the society will function well. The communities in general should provide health centers to be able to treat people in the society. Sociological perspectives presented in Tuskegee syphilis study sociological conflict as the one raising from the study is based on the ethics since the research was against the ethics of research and also human rights (Brandt, 70-71). It disregarded the right of human beings in terms of withholding the medicine from the patients and also the issue of racism in medicine is also a major problem that needs to be eliminated. The distribution of medical resource should be distributed equally. Interactionists focus on how people learn about an illness and also the role of media and others to spread the awareness of the illness. By interacting with one another the severest of any sickness in the society because they will be able to find a cure. References Brandt, Allan M. â€Å"Racism and research: the case of the Tuskegee Syphilis Study.† Hastings Center Report 8.6 (1978): 21-29. Source document

Biological significance of water Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Biological significance of water - Essay Example Water is found on the earth in three forms: solid, liquid and gas; or ice, liquid water and gas respectively. It is essential for all living things and it is often referred to as a universal solvent because many substances dissolve in it. These unique properties of water result from the ways in which individual H2O molecules interact with each other.Water is the chemical substance with chemical formula H2O: one molecule of water has two hydrogen atoms covalently bonded to a single oxygen atom. Oxygen attracts electrons much more strongly than hydrogen, resulting in a net positive charge on the hydrogen atoms, and a net negative charge on the oxygen atom. The presence of a charge on each of these atoms gives each water molecule a net dipole moment. Electrical attraction between water molecules due to this dipole pulls individual molecules closer together, making it more difficult to separate the molecules and therefore raising the boiling point. This attraction is known as hydrogen bo nding. Water can be described as a polar liquid that dissociates disproportionately into the hydronium ion (H3O+(aq)) and an associated hydroxide ion (OH(aq)). Water is in dynamic equilibrium between the liquid, gas and solid states at standard temperature and pressure, and is the only pure substance found naturally on Earth to be so. Water's has a melting point of zero degrees and boiling point of 100 degrees Celsius respectively. These properties are higher than would be expected based on similar compounds. Thus, water remains a liquid under a higher range of temperature compared to other compounds. As a result, plants and animals do not start freezing at lower temperatures or boiling at higher temperatures. Viscosity Because of its comparatively smaller molecular weight, it is unusually viscous. Water has the ability to act as either an acid or a base depending on the circumstances, and by its nature it is perfectly neutral (it's the standard for balance between acids and alkalines [bases]). Universal Solvent Water is the most universal of solvents and though polar in its make up, it exhibits properties that indicate a sort of polymerizing link between its molecules similar to heavier organic non-polar compounds. Existence in three forms: solid, liquid, gas It exists on earth in all three basic states, solid, liquid, and gas, High Heat capacity Water is also extremely useful due to its high heat capacity. It has an enormous ability to absorb and transmit energy. For example the amount of energy it would take to melt 1 kilogram of ice at zero degrees Celius would be enough to lower the temperature of 1 kilogram of Aluminum over 570 degrees Celsius. While the amount of heat it would take to melt that kilogram of ice, heat it and boil away, 720 Calories, would be enough to raise that same amount of Aluminum to its melting point! This is why water is ideal as a insulation or a heat dissipation source. It holds more heat than just about anything. Easily reacts with other compounds Water reacts with more substances than any other compound. It reacts physically with several compounds to add to their crystal structure. Compounds like copper and magnesium sulfate are two examples of many compounds that almost always found in nature with water molecules physically attached to their crystal structure. These type of compounds are often "dried out" or dehydrated and used to absorb water from their surroundings. Some of these compounds, have water as such an important part of their structure that they will even extract all available moisture from the air. These compound are natural dehumidifiers, dependent on water to complete their structure.