Ethics Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Ethics Paper - Essay Example In the light of these, the following study explains the mandate of social responsibility and ethics in coming up with a strategic plan while considering the demands of stakeholders. Additionally, it provides an example of a company which did not consider ethical considerations and finally recommends the best means of preventing similar occurrences in future. A strategic plan refers to the overall defining term of an organization which highlights its decision-making, directions, and overall modes of operation. The reason why ethics and social responsibility are important when this organizational tool is being constructed is that the organization has to consider the principles of individuals as well as commit to its obligations to the wider society. Failure to meet these demands would mean the integrations of the organization in the society within which it is based would be ineffective. The result of such would be difficult or impossibility of conducting business, since the people would oppose or fail to support the organization’s presence. Ethics go a long way in defining the constituting elements of social responsibilities of an organization. Social responsibility in this term refers to the stakeholders who include clients, suppliers, partners, surrounding societies, and generally anyone who is affected by the organization in one way or another. One key element of social responsibility is that it should treat all the stakeholders equally. Again, the majorly considered aspects of stakeholders are social impacts and environmental effects emerging from the organization’s presence. In a nutshell, ethics should defend against the eruption of any kind of tension or conflict between the organization and all the affected stakeholders (Ferrell & Hartline, 2012). An organization which considers its ethical constitution emphasizes on, and inflicts transparency in all its activities.

The General Prologue Essay Example for Free

The General Prologue Essay Unlike monks, Friars were allowed to leave the monastery but they were supposed to do so to serve the community. The friar should have begged for money and preached to the laity but Chaucers Friar only associates with the wealthy, Ful wel beloved and famulier was he/ With frankelyns over al in his contree. He was not strict on sinners pleasant was his absolutioun instead he took money to absolve sins, immorally taking money from those in poverty For thogh a widwe hadde noght a sho,/ So plesaunt was his In principio,-/ Yet wolde he have a ferthing, er he wente. Chaucer lists the various sins of the Friar: he sells pardon from sin for a price, seduces women who ask for pardons, and frequents bars rather than giving charity to the poor He knew the tavernes wel in every toun Bet than a lazar of a beggestere. Chaucer is deeply sarcastic; he picks out the misdemeanours of the Monk but seyd his opinion was good and that certainly he was a fair prelaat. This sarcasm emphasizes Chaucers contempt of the church as he mocks the Monk and invites the reader to dislike him. Similarly Chaucer uses irony in his portrait of the Friar, as he often does in the use of the word worthy. When he says, This worthy man was cleped Huberd he uses irony to express is distaste; the friar is not worthy in his profession or in his private life which should be dedicated to the church. The Parson, portrayed later in The General Prologue provides a strong contrast with the friar as a man who performs his duties honourably and looks after his congregation. Chaucer obviously respects the Parson; he is a good man also a lerned man benign he was, and wonder diligent,/ And in adversitee ful pacient. All these qualities are highly regarded and admirable, and none are shared with the Friar. The portrait of the Parson increases the impression that the church was corrupt at this time by giving an example of what was expected. Additionally, the parson is the only religious character presented as truly devout which suggests that the majority of the church was corrupt. Chaucer introduces religious characters in The General Prologue as unworthy and dishonest, particularly the Friar who deceived and neglected his people. He uses the religious characters on the pilgrimage to comment on the church, which had great power in his time. Great attention is paid to the appearance of the characters, particularly of the Monk, which highlights the materialism present, a great contrast to the poverty vowed in the religious orders.

Analysis of the Controversial Issue of Capital Punishment Essay

The Controversial Issue of Capital Punishment   Ã‚  Ã‚   Capital punishment is a declining institution as the twentieth century nears its end. At one time capital punishment was a common worldwide practice, but now it is only used for serious violation of laws in 100 of the world's 180 nations (Haines 3 ). It can be traced back to the earliest forms of civilization. The origins of the movement away from capital punishment are difficult to date precisely. The abolition movement can be heard as early as the religious sermons of the Quakers in the 1640's (Masur 4). In the seventeenth century, the Anglo-American world began to rely less on public executions and more in favor of private punishments. The possible decline in popularity of the capital punsihment system is directly related to the many controversial issues it entails such as: the questions of deterrence, morals and ethics, constitutionality, and economics.    The usual justification for capital punsihment is that it deters crime. It is by no means obvious whether capital punishment deters crime more than life imprisonment. However, a legend says that in Victorian, England, at the site of public hangin gs of pickpocketers, other pickpocketers frequently practiced their trade among the crowd. Although the threat of execution was taking place right in front of their eyes, the deterrence in its strongest form was ineffective (Streib 3). On the other hand , in 1970 and 1971 the Los Angeles Police Department surveyed persons whom they arrested for a violent crime, but did not use their weapon, did not carry a weapon, or carried an inoperative weapon. Of the ninety-nine criminals who responded to the questi on about why they had not killed or put themselv... ... remains such a ontroversial iss ue, it may one-day collapse just like the other "invincible" institutions.    Works Cited Bowers, William. Legal Homocide. Boston: Northeastern University Press, 1984. Castberg, Didrick and Victor Rosenblum. Cases on Constitutional Law. Illinois: The Dorsey Press, 1973. Death Sentencing. ACLE Pamphlet #15. Pennsylvania: Nelson Thomas Publishers, 1994. Gibbons, Don. Society, Crime, and Criminal Behavior. New Jersey: Prentice Hall Inc., 1987. Goshgarian, Gary and Kathleen Krueger. Crossfire and Argument. New York: Addision Wesley Longman, 1997. Haines, Herbert. Against Capital Punishment. New York: Oxford University Press, 1996. Masur, Louis. Rites of Execution. New York: Oxford University Press, 1989. Streib, Victor. A Capital Punishment Anthology. Cleveland: Anderson Publishing Co., 1993.

Practicability of Feng Shui

Practicality of Feng Shui by : Ricci Rodriguez Feng Shui is the ancient Chinese art of placement. It is also considered an art that hosts knowledge on how to balance worldly energies, also known as â€Å"Chi† in China. The surrounding landscape as well as the objects, layout and emotions in an environment affect this flow of energy. When a space is filled with positive energy and symbols, an individual will feel happy and motivated. Feng† and â€Å"Shui† means â€Å"wind† and â€Å"water† respectively. Wind and water are, first and foremost, natural elements (two of the five elements that comprise all of nature). Wind is the earth’s breath, and water is the invigorating lifeblood of everything that exists on our planet. Both wind and water have tremendous energy that drives Feng Shui's practices and techniques to fill life with positive energies.Feng Shui, at its very core is a means of arranging the basic elements of life—and all the t hings that an individual surrounds himself with on a daily basis— to create the optimal and harmonious flow of vital life energy, just like the flow of water and wind. Feng Shui is not only popular in China, but also in the Philippines. Teresita Ang See, a Filipino-Chinese leader and scholar, said that relations between the Philippines and China date back to pre-historic times, and many Chinese influences have long been integrated into Philippine culture.See, born and raised in the Philippines, said the impact can be seen in various aspects of Philippine life – from names of common household items and food served during festive celebrations, to business practices and even farming techniques, â€Å"Chinese influences have been embedded into the tapestry of Philippine culture so much so that some often could no longer distinguish it as Chinese, and there's no need to distinguish it as Chinese,† she added. Joy Lim, one of the most sought-after Feng Shui consultants in the Philippines, said Filipinos have become more aware of the usefulness of FengShui – the ancient Chinese practice of placement and arrangement of space to achieve harmony with the environment – and its application in their daily lives. â€Å"Maybe because they see successful Chinese businessmen practicing Feng Shui and they see there's really no harm in trying to have a better life by practicing Feng Shui,† she said. Feng Shui is no magic. It is a collection of practical, time-tested solutions based on the fundamental properties of elements that are used to change the negative aspects and introduce the positive aspects of each element to your living environment—and change your life for the better.I will base the practicality of Feng Shui on three categories: Practicability, Usefulness and Effectiveness. First is practicability, how is something practicable? By definition, something is practicable if it is capable of being done or put into practice. A lot of Feng Shui’s practices commonly involve things we usually do in our everyday life and are easy to follow. For example, merely cleaning our surrounding, such as bedrooms or workplaces and organizing our things are already practices used in Feng Shui.Most of the tips or advices given by Feng Shui are being done in our daily life anyways, so it becomes easy to apply and can be done naturally. So therefore, yes, Feng Shui is practicable. Second is usefulness. Feng Shui is useful since not only does it help improve our surroundings, but also helps improve our health and our environment’s appearance. For instance, throwing out the garbage and things we don’t really need, this itself is already a first-step to maintaining a healthy household.As for the environment’s appearance and well-being, Feng Shui helps improve it through maximizing space, resources and by â€Å"bringing life† into the room. The teachings include how to position the furniture s, how to pick colors to suit the location, which colors go with each other, what lighting to use, and even to incorporate plants in the room. Example of these are that Feng shui followers are encouraged to refrain from having objects on view in their homes which may disturb and unsettle their subconscious.Hence sharp angled objects, like plants with pointed leaves and the corners of square tables, are not suitable for individuals who want to create a harmonious place to live or work. Another feng shui rule that makes sense is to do with clocks and time. If you follow feng shui you’re not supposed to have a clock in your dining room. Being able to see it frequently will spoil the experience of eating and relaxing with your fellow tablemates as you keep checking to see how much time has passed. These practices make a house more livable and healthier to live in.So, in these terms, yes, Feng Shui is useful. Third and the last, effectiveness, Feng Shui can be said to be effective if it has produced the intended or expected effect. So, is it effective? A Feng Shui business consultation may enhance a company's goals, growth, wealth, and prosperity while creating a pleasant working environment that supports staff members. Again, adjustments are usually easy and cost effective. Perhaps a plant or a fountain would be added in the proper locale to increase wealth and prosperity.The location of the CEO's office, positioning of desks and/or cash registers, and the shape of the overall office or building are some factors to evaluate. And according to Ann Bingley Gallops, a Feng Shui consultant and expert, â€Å"I started my Feng Shui career because I wanted to transform other people’s lives as mine had changed over 14 years ago, thanks to Feng Shui. I’d just gotten divorced, wasn’t happy at work, and generally felt that things weren’t going so well in my life.At this critical moment I enrolled in a Feng Shui course at  New York’ s Open Center. It was the first of many synchronicities I was about to experience, thanks to Feng Shui. I made changes like, rearranging furniture, clearing clutter and changing colors and artwork. My apartment looked and felt like a completely different place: nourishing, welcoming, energized. I discovered that the power of Feng Shui is the power of Intention, with visible and physical energies to back it up. And that’s how I arrived at the point I’m at today.Basing on these experiences and many other personal stories, then yes, Feng Shui is effective. Once again, Feng Shui is an old, ancient art that can affect a person’s life whether for the better through applying it’s practices, Feng Shui not only relies its â€Å"powers† on luck, but also on scientific reasoning and common sense and finally, Feng Shui is practical because it is practicable, useful and effective. Reference: Barett, Jayme. â€Å"Feng Shui: What Is It and Where Does It Come Fro m?. †Ã‚  MindBodyGreen. MindBodyGreen, 17/03/2010.Web. 1 Oct 2012. Gallops, Ann. â€Å"How Feng Shui Changed My Life. â€Å"openspacesfengshui. Open Spaces Feng Shui, 07/10/2010. Web. 6 Oct 2012. ;http://openspacesfengshui. com/feng-shui-tips/2010/07/how-feng-shui-changed-my-life/;. Nation, . â€Å"Feng Shui grows among Chinese influences in the Philippines. †Ã‚  The Feng Shui Society. Society News, 01/10/2011. Web. 1 Oct 2012. Ruston, Sheri. â€Å"Feng Shui Will Change Your Life!. â€Å"Healthy Space. N. p. , 07/2001. Web. 6 Oct 2012. Wang, Mike. â€Å"What is Feng Shui?. †Ã‚  The Spiritual Feng Shui.Eternal Sunshine, n. d. Web. 1 Oct 2012. ;http://www. thespiritualfengshui. com/what-is-feng-shui. php;. Webber, Bridget. â€Å"The Psychology of Feng Shui: Is Feng Shui Really an Effective Remedy?. †Ã‚  green-building. Knoji, 05/25/2011. Web. 6 Oct 2012. Yap, Joey. â€Å"What Is Feng Shui – A Science or Belief?. â€Å"ezinearticles. Ezinearticle s, 04/08/2011. Web. 1 Oct 2012. . â€Å"What is Feng Shui?. †Ã‚  Indobase Feng Shui. indobase, n. d. Web. 1 Oct 2012. ;http://www. indobase. com/fengshui/what-is-feng-shui. html;.

The largest bakery

IntroductionGREGGS is the largest bakeshop retail merchant in UK. The historical company foremost founded by John Gregg in 1939, and opened its first store in 1951. After about 60 old ages enlargement, it becomes a nutrient land supplying big scope of fresh nutrient for 5 million clients every hebdomad in over 1,400 net stores. During this period, a little bakeshop store became a nutrient giant with to the full developed distribution centres providing freshness and quality nationally. Meanwhile they besides faced obstruction on their manner to multinational. The failure in Belgium is a warning of their enlargement. As the purpose to decide the impact from economic recession, 10 Belgium stores were resolutely closed in last twelvemonth. The study analysis GEREGGS ‘ public presentation in 2008 from their one-year study, and measure its attraction of investing.Fiscal PerformanceBased on the Amalgamate Income Statement ( line 1 Appx. 1 [ Page 5 ] ) , the entire gross revenues ended 27 December 2008 increased by 7.1 % to & A ; lb ; 628.2 million ( compared to & A ; lb ; 586.3 million in 2007 ) , including a 4.4 % rise of like-for-like gross revenues growing. At the same clip, the distribution and merchandising costs rocketed from & A ; lb ; 278.7 million ( 2007 ) to & A ; lb ; 306.6 million ( 2008 ) , by 10 per centum. On the contrary, the net income before revenue enhancement reduced from & A ; lb ; 49 million to & A ; lb ; 45.1 million ( Line 9 Appx.1 [ Page 5 ] ) , a decrease of 7.8 % excepting belongings additions, restructuring costs and exceeding pension recognition, which is non really satisfactory but still acceptable under such fortunes, the clients are delicate and losing assurance. Meanwhile, the operat ing net income dropped by 2.6 per centum to & A ; lb ; 48.6 million ( 2007: & A ; lb ; 49.9million ) . Partially for the ground of the higher Significant addition in energy and ingredient costs therefore more dearly-won of the distribution and merchandising. From the figures above, 23.6 per centum of its hard currency flow contributed to assets. 41 net stores freshly set up in 2008, which are somewhat more than 34 in 2007. Second, the P/E ratio in 10.5 % is still acceptable during the vulnerable economic period of planetary crisis. Third, as a company supplying fresh nutrient, the stock list turnover was keeping at a typical high degree. What ‘s more, the working capital of company is lower than favourable line, nevertheless it dues to the low stock list and to the full usage of hard currency. Finally, the ROA and ROE ratio were keeping singular at 15.4 % and 23.0 % severally. As a investor, GREGGS is an perfectly attractive pick.PositionHarmonizing to the appraisal of GREGGS ‘ fiscal public presentation, a satisfactory consequence was obtained. The entire gross rocketed above 7 per centum, although the net net income is somewhat declined compared with 2007. The economic crisis created series of concatenation actions to the c ompany ‘s day-to-day operation. Since the significant additions in natural stuffs, a higher cost of gas, electricity and fuel straight impact on production and distribution. Meanwhile indirect effects besides raised the cost throughout the supply concatenation. What ‘s more, the increasing cost of ware affected the cost of its indispensable constituents of merchandises, such as flour, meats, wheat, and so on. In order to cover the impact of planetary rising prices, GREGGS improved their efficiency and made accommodation on selling monetary value. Although it is a manner to keep gross, a hazard of disputing clients ‘ trade name trueness merged from such action. Obviously they conquered it good by effectual work on quality, freshness, gustatory sensation and friendly service. From the figures of last Chapter, the Quick ratio besides named Acid trial is a portion of measuring liquidness in short term. It indicates if a company has adequate short-run buttockss to cover its current liabilities. A favourable figure in most of industries is 1:1, but for a nutrient company running under a tight liquidness ( Acerb trial: 36.7 % ) is besides a common happening. Another portion is long term, which is besides called Gearing ratio, measures the relationship between long term liabilities and stockholders ‘ equity. 19.3 % ( Appx.2, Cal. 19, P12 ) is an acceptable degree for stockholders, the involvements on long term debts is controlled to some extent. The company was besides engaged on betterment of their methods of bring forthing nutrient. For a long clip, GREGGS bakeshop made a bulk of its merchandises under its ain formulas, therefore a considerable regional fluctuation. In the last twelvemonth, they implemented a programme in order to consolidate their merchandises. By the terminal of 2009, 80 per centum of merchandises would be harmonized across the state. At the same clip, they responded effectual on clients ‘ demand. Set repast on lower monetary value and inventions of new spirit were introduced to consumers. Equally good as welcomed pieces such as hot sandwiches and pesto baguette would be expanded into more net stores. Besides the chief service they provided, GREGGS made a singular part on societal duty. Firstly it provided a favourable working environment and competitory intervention to employees. They provide scope of public assistances such as, private medical intervention, psychological advisers, and wagess for people. Second, a scheme named ‘ Making a Difference to Communities ‘ is good performed. The GREGGS ‘ Trust founded in 1987 was still running good on roll uping financess to back up local charity. In 2008, they raised and distributed & A ; lb ; 1.8 million assisting local communities. The GREGGS Breakfast Club is supplying free, healthy nutrient for over 6,000 primary school kids. The activities of bettering their merchandises help GREGGS with its selling place, and the repute from taging a difference to communities helps them with their societal positon. Based on the company ‘s satisfactory public presentation on fiscal place, the sensible mark of following twelvemonth would be good accomplished.Cash FlowTake a glimpse at the Cash Flow statement ( Appx.1 Page 7 ) , ( 49 ) hard currency generated from operations was & A ; lb ; 44 million, a 28.6 % decrease by & A ; lb ; 62 million ( 2007 ) , & A ; lb ; 41 million is contributed to ( 50 ) acquisition of belongings, works and equipment compared with & A ; lb ; 42 million in 2007, and ( 59 ) cyberspace hard currency from funding activities was & A ; lb ; 36 million ( 2007 ) to & A ; lb ; 15 million ( 2008 ) . First of wholly, 56.5 % of financess obtained from operations and finance activities were used in investing. Harmonizing to company ‘s program in 2009, there will be an enlargement of net stores. The proportion will travel up. On the other custodies, 7.1 per centum of its hard currency flows were generated from gross revenues. Compared with 10.5 % ( 2007 ) , the increasing cost of natural stuffs contributed to this difference. Last of all, the operations Cash Flow to Current Liabilities Ratio was 96.8 % in 2007, reveals less hard currency influxs therefore more investing of capital.Decision and RecommendationTo sum up, as the biggest nutrient retail merchant, it suffered a respectable impact from increasing universe rising prices. Without inquiry, the twelvemonth 2008 is a important point at GREGGS flight, where they accomplished an acceptable public presentation. In the following twelvemonth, a program of simplifying operations and doing farther enlargement is good prepared. A s figures mentioned before, GREGGS was keeping a comparatively high volume of stock list to equilibrate the impact of lifting cost of stuffs. Under the economic background is unbending up, it would be better to runing at low stock list. Their first measure of fiscal accomplishment in 2009 is a 3.2 per centum of addition in entire gross revenues and a 1.0 per centum of like-for-like gross revenues growing by 7th March, 2009. Sing the conditions influence on their gross revenues, it is a sensible aim. However they underestimated the recovery of the economic position and consumers ‘ assurance.MentionsGreggs Annual ReportDun & A ; Bradstreet Industry and Financial Consulting Services.Industry Norms and Key Business Ratios. Murray Hill, NJ: Dun & A ; Bradstreet Industry and Financial Consulting Services, 2002.Investopedia Dictionary. 14 May 2003. & A ; lt ; hypertext transfer protocol: //www.investopedia.com & gt ; .How do I measure a company ‘s fiscal public presentation? Rollins College Olin Library. & A ; lt ; hypertext transfer protocol: //tars.rollins.edu/olin/businessresearch/fin_perform/index.shtml & gt ;

Procompsognathus - Facts and Figures

Procompsognathus - Facts and Figures Name: Procompsognathus (Greek for before the elegant jaw); pronounced PRO-comp-SOG-nah-thuss Habitat: Swamps of western Europe Historical Period: Late Triassic (210 million years ago) Size and Weight: About four feet long and 5-10 pounds Diet: Small animals and insects Distinguishing Characteristics: Small size; bipedal posture; long legs and snout About Procompsognathus Despite its namebefore Compsognathusthe evolutionary relationship of Procompsognathus to the later and much-better known Compsognathus is uncertain at best. Because of the poor quality of this dinosaurs fossil remains, the best we can say about Procompsognathus is that it was a carnivorous reptile, but beyond that, its unclear if it was an early theropod dinosaur or a late archosaur akin to the bipedal Marasuchus (and thus not a dinosaur at all). In either event, though, Procompsognathus (and other reptiles like it) certainly lay at the base of later dinosaur evolution, either as direct progenitors of this fearsome breed or great-uncles a few times removes. One of the little known facts about Procompsognathus is that it was this dinosaur, and not Compsognathus, that had cameos in Michael Crichtons novels Jurassic Park and The Lost World. Crichton portrays compies as slightly venomous (in the books, Procompsognathus bites render their victims drowsy and ready for the kill), as well as eager consumers of sauropod poop. Needless to say, both of these attributes are complete inventions; to date, paleontologists have yet to identify any venomous dinosaurs, and there is no fossil evidence that any dinosaurs ate excrement (though its certainly not outside the range of possibility).

How to Become a Cyber-Investigator

How to Become a Cyber-Investigator Cybercrime is one of the fastest-growing crimes in the country, and the need for computer forensics is growing right along with it. Knowledgeable computer professionals who are interested in becoming cybercrime investigators and earning a computer forensics certification have several certification and training problems from which to choose. Some are available only to law enforcement officers, while some are suitable for computer professionals new to the cybercrime field. Computer Forensics Certification Programs FBI Cyber Investigator Certification: The FBI offers a CICP certification to law enforcement first responders. Designed to reduce errors by strengthening the investigative skills specific to cybercrime, this course  increases first responders technical knowledge. The 6 hour course is available online to all federal, state and local first responders.McAfee Institute Certified Cyber Intelligence Professional: The McAfee Institutes CCIP 50-hour online and self-study class covers how to identify persons of interest, conduct timely cyber investigations and prosecute cybercriminals. Classes cover cyber investigations, mobile and digital forensics, e-commerce fraud, hacking, intelligence gathering, and legal fundamentals. This certification was developed in conjunction with the Dept. of Homeland Securitys National Cyber-Security Workforce Framework. Prerequisites: Education requirements and experience in investigations, IT, fraud, law enforcement, forensics, and other topics are listed at the website. EnCE  Certified Examiner Program: The EnCase Certified Examiner Program offers certifications for cybersecurity professionals who want to advance in their specialized fields and who have mastered Guidance Softwares computer forensics software. The certification is recognized by law enforcement agencies and corporate professionals. Prerequisites: 64 hours of authorized computer forensic training (online or classroom) or 12 months work in computer forensics.GIAC Certified Forensics Analyst: The GCFA certification deals directly with incident  scenarios, computer security and forensic investigations of networks. This is useful not only for law enforcement but for corporate incident response teams as well. There are no prerequisites for the certification, but the candidate should have a strong working knowledge of the topic before taking the 3-hour proctored exam. Topics covered in the exam are listed on the website.Q/FE Qualified Forensics Expert: Not so much a traditional certifica tion as a Cyber Security Certificate of Mastery, this Qualified Forensics Expert training from Virginia-based Security University delivers an in-depth training class with an exam and certificate at the end. The materials included prepare participants to find the cause of attack, compile evidence and handle corporate repercussions. Prerequisite: Knowledge of TCPIP protocols. IACIS  CFCE: If you are an active law enforcement officer, the International Associate of Computer Investigative Specialists offers Certified Forensic Computer Examiner. Candidates must be familiar with the IACIS core competencies required for the course, which are listed on the website. The course is intense and takes place in two phases- the peer review phase and the certification phase- over a period of weeks or months.ISFCE  Certified Computer Examiner: Youll get a full dose of the technical side of data recovery and handling, but this certification stresses the importance of following sound evidence handling and storage procedures and following sound examination procedures. Self-study materials are available on the International Society of Forensic Computer Examiners website. The CCE is earned exclusively through online courses.

Should I Take the SAT Essay How to Decide

Should I Take the SAT Essay How to Decide SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips The SAT underwent some major revisions in 2016, and one of the biggest changes is that its previously required essay is now optional.This can be confusing for some students and parents. Should you take the essay? Will colleges require the essay or not? Will taking the essay make your application stronger? Read on for answers to all these questions.This guide will explain what the SAT essay is, what the pros and cons of taking it are, and how you can make the best choicefor you. What Is the SAT Essay? The SAT essay is one of the sectionsof the SAT. After being required since its inception, the College Board has now decided to make the essay optional. This is similar to the ACT, whose essay has always been optional. During this section, students will be given 50 minutes to write an essay.The essay for the new SAT is very different than it was for the previous version of the SAT. You can read all about the changes to the SAT here, but, as a brief overview, the essay will give you a passage by an author who is taking a stance on an issue. Your job will be to analyze how the author built that argument. If you choose to take the essay, it will be its own section of the SAT, and the score you get on the essay will be separate from your score on the rest of the exam. Your main SAT score will be out of 1600 while your essay will be graded across three different categories: Reading, Analysis, and Writing. For each area, your essay will be given a score from 2-8. Below isa sample prompt from one of the official practice tests released by the College Board. Here youcan read the entire prompt, including the passages you would need to analyze. Do Colleges Require the SAT Essay Now That It's Optional? So, the College Board has now made the essay an optional part of the SAT, but does that change how colleges view the essay (or if they even view it at all)?Kind of. Some schools that used the essays before no longer require them now that both the ACT and SAT have made the essays optional, but other schools continue to require the SAT essay. Each school makes this decision individually, so there are no patterns to follow to try and guess who will require the essay and who won’t. Even top schools like the Ivy League are divided on whether to require the essay or not. This can make things confusing if you’re applying to college soon and don’t know if you should take the SAT essay or not.The following sections of this guide will explain the benefits and drawbacks of taking the essay and walk you through different scenarios so you can make an informed decision. The #1 Consideration: Do Any of the Schools You're Interested in Require the Essay? The absolute most important factor, the factor that matters more than anything else in the rest of this guide, is if any of the schools you’re applying to or thinking of applying to require the SAT essay. The best way to get this information is to Googleâ€Å"[school name] SAT essay requirement,† look directly on each school’s admission webpage, orcheck out our list of the schools that require the SAT essay. Find this information for every school you plan on applying to, even schools you’re not sure you want toapply to, but are considering.If even one school you’re interested in requires the SAT essay, then you should take it, regardless of any other factors.There is no way to take just the SAT essay by itself, so if you take the SAT without the essay and then, later on, realize you need anessay score for a school you’re applying to, you will have to retake the entire test. So, if a school you’re interested in requires the SAT essay, your choice is clear: take the essay when you take the SAT. However, what if the schools you’re interested in don’t require the essay? If that’s the case, you have some other factors to consider. Read on! Benefits of Taking the SAT Essay If none of the schools you’re thinking of applying to require the SAT essay, why would you want to take it? The two main reasons are explained below. #1: You're Covered for All Schools Taking the SAT essay means that, no matter which schools you end up applying to, you will absolutely have all their SAT requirements met. If you decide to apply to a new school that requires the SAT essay, that won’t be a problem because you’ll already have taken it. If you already are absolutely certain about which schools you’re applying to and none of them require the essay, then this may not be a big deal to you. However, if you have a tentative list of schools, and you’ve been adding a school or removing a school from that list occasionally, you may want to be better safe than sorry and take the SAT essay, just in case. Taking the SAT essay means you have all your bases covered, no matter which schools you end up applying to. #2: A Good Score May Boost Your Application Slightly While it’s highly unlikely that your SAT essay will be the deciding factor of your college application, there are some cases where it can give you a small leg up on the competition. This is the case if a school recommends, but doesn’t require the essay, and that school is particularly competitive. Having a strong SAT essay score to submit may strengthen your application a bit, especially if you are trying to show strong English/writing skills. Want to learn more about the SAT but tired of reading blog articles? Then you'll love our free, SAT prep livestreams. Designed and led by PrepScholar SAT experts, these live video events are a great resource for students and parents looking to learn more about the SAT and SAT prep. Click on the button below to register for one of our livestreams today! Drawbacks to Taking the SAT Essay There are also costs to taking the SAT essay;here are three of the most common: #1: It's Another Section to Study For If you choose to take the essay, that means you have an entire extra SAT section to study and prepare for. If you already feel like you have a ton of SAT prep to do or have doubts about staying motivated, adding on more work can make you feel stressed and end up hurting your scores in the other SAT sections. #2: It Makes the Exam Longer Taking the essay will, obviously, increase the total time you spend taking the SAT. You’re given 50 minutes to write the essay, and, including time needed for students not taking the essay to leave and things to get settled, that will add about an hour to thetest, increasing your total SAT test time from about three hours to four hours. If you struggle with keeping focused or staying on your A game during long exams (and, let’s be honest, it’s not hard to lose concentration after several hours of answering SAT questions), adding an additional hour of test time can reduce your test-taking enduranceand make you feel tired and distracted during the essay, likely making it hard for you to get your best score. #3: The Essay Costs Extra Taking theSAT with the essay will also cost you a bit more money. Taking the SAT without the essay costs $46, but if you choose to take the essay, it costs $14 extra, raising the total cost of the SAT to $60. However, if you're eligible for an SAT fee waiver, the waiver also applies to this section of the exam, so you still won't have to pay anything if you choose to take the essay. Taking the essay likely means the cost of taking the SAT will be slightly higher for you. Should You Take the SAT Essay? Five Scenarios to Help You Decide Now you know what the SAT essay is and the pros and cons of taking it. So, what should you decide? Five scenarios are listed below; find the one that applies to your situation and follow the advice in order to make the best decision for you. Scenario 1: You're planning on applying to at least one school that requires the essay As mentioned above, if even one school you’re thinking about applying to requires the SAT essay, you should take it in order to avoid retaking the entire SAT again at a later date because you need an essay score. Scenario 2: None of the schools you're applying to look at essay scores If none of the schools you’re thinking about applying to even look at SAT essay scores, then you shouldn’t take it. Even if you get a perfect score, if the schools don’t consider essay scores, then taking it will have no benefits for you. Scenario 3: The schools you're applying to don't require the SAT essay and aren't highly competitive In this case, you don’t need to take the SAT essay, unless you’re trying to make up for weak writing skills in other parts of your application. Scenario 4: The schools you're applying to recommend the SAT essay and are more competitive For this scenario, you should take the SAT essay in order to give your application an extra boost, unless you really think you’d perform poorly or preparing for and taking the essay would cause your scores in other sections to decline. Scenario 5: You aren't sure where you're going to apply yet If you’re not sure which schools you want to apply to, then you should take the SAT essay, just to be safe. This way you’re covered no matter where you end up applying to college. If the thought of figuring out which colleges to apply to has you as confused as this blue panda, your safest option is to take the SAT essay. Conclusion Because of the College Board’s recent decision to make the SAT essay optional, students are now faced with the decision of whether they should take it or not.The best way to decide is to learn the essay policy for each of the collegesyou're interested in applying to.Some schools will still require the essay, some won’t even look at an applicant’s essay scores, and other schools don’t require the essay but will look at your score if you do take it. Use these school policies to help decide whether you should take the essay.Remember, if you end up needing to submit an essay score, you will have to retake the entire SAT, so make sure you have accurate and up-to-date information for each school you are thinking of applying to. What's Next? Have you decided to take the essay and want to know how to start studying? We have a step-by-step guide that explains how to write a great SAT essay. Want more examples of sample prompts? Here are all of thereal SAT essay prompts that have been released by the College Board. Are you aiming fora perfect SAT essay score?Check out our guide on how to get a perfect 8/8/8 on the SAT essay. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points?We've written a guide about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

The impact of smoking amongst 13-19 year old Caucasian boys in the Uk Research Paper

The impact of smoking amongst 13-19 year old Caucasian boys in the Uk - Research Paper Example One of the major problems with the delivery of care and services to this group is that, policy makers view the adolescent group as a part of the wider children’s group, which is completely flawed. The DH/CF & M (2010) explained the case of the teenagers group in the UK, as being a forgotten class in society, caught between childhood and adulthood; the space between the two is filled with professional centers of influence and bureaucratic obstructions. For this group, tobacco smoking is one of the major avoidable causes for untimely death, and further health complications for this group (Warren et al, 2006). The studies done in the area, among developing and also developed countries like the UK have shown that there is a high prevalence of smoking in this group. Many of the adult smokers in society report that they started smoking, during their adolescent years, or later as young adults (Dearden et al., 2007). A report by the office of the national statistics showed that 22 percent of the youths between the ages of 16 and 19 in the UK had started smoking (Fuller, 2011). Through this study, the author will explore the factors that influence the uptake of smoking among the youth, and also discuss the impacts of smoking among the people aged between 13 and 19 in the UK, with the aim of developing solutions to the pressing problems caused by the behavior, among the group. The current research aims to expose the impacts of smoking amon g the Caucasian teenage boys aged between the ages of 13 and 19 years of age, which can help in addressing the factors behind the increasing levels of smoking. The extensiveness of this research project will be hindered by the limited time available for study and also the limited budget allocated for financing it. DH/CF & M (2010) emphasizes that policy makers and health personnel in the UK

Design & Facilities Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Design & Facilities - Essay Example You could further wash it down with a choice of Greek wine or beer served at the well equipped bar. The entrance is a large porch leading to an ambience that portrays Greek goddess in the setting of ancient Athens. The original black and white walls of the French restaurant were redecorated with Murals of Grecian scenes surrounded by grape vines adding to the contemporary look. Flooring was made more contemporary with stone and wood finish. There is an indoor as well as an outdoor dining area. The restaurant can comfortably seat about 90 diners with the bar located near the poolside. The guest are welcomed by the restaurant manger himself who make you feel special as he walks you across the room elegantly adorned with classic Greek paintings are discreetly placed on the walls, with the Parthenon pillars giving the restaurant a look of unexpected grandeur. Colorful checkered cloth is draped on the tables while flowing crystal & brass chandeliers give it an ancient aura. You have a choice of seating indoors in the formal setting or share a drink under the starlit skies. The furniture is comfortable yet elegant complimenting the walls which were in earth tones with brick linings. The waiters know the menu and are in keeping with the Greek hospitality combined with a great attitude. Food is excellent from starters to lamb meatballs served with exotic Greek herbs sauces. The Galaktaboureko is an ovation to end the fine dining experience with. The bar was magically lit with the pool by the side to make it all the more inviting. The surroundings are exotic with climbing grape vines on wrought iron grill work. Greek music lifts the spirits of the diners absorbed the elegance of the surroundings. The Greek aquarium which is the bars back drop is unusual with the great Atlantis Theme amidst which colorful fishes swim in and out. It is not only entertaining for the viewers at the bar but extremely relaxing as well. The high backed chairs at the bar are

How do authoritarianism and sultanism differ, and which type of Essay

How do authoritarianism and sultanism differ, and which type of authoritarianism defines Arab monarchies Give contemporary exam - Essay Example The whole of the twentieth century has gained importance in history for creating more authoritative regimes that include Hitler’s rule of Germany, Stalin’s regime in the then USSR, Pol Pot’s reign in Cambodia and Mao’s brutal rule in China, than for democratic transformations. It is easy to relate non-democratic regimes as historical and political anomalies in the twenty-first century, especially after the collapse of the communist USSR during the late 1980s and the dramatic revolution in the Middle East (also known as the Arab Spring of 2011); however, it would be overly optimistic to view non-democratic authoritative bodies as outdated. Such perspectives fail to take into account the possibilities that forcibly removing one authoritarian leader may simply lead to another one taking his/her place, or it may also lead to foreign invasion, or even a failed state. A study of literature showed that the breakdown of the USSR and the subsequent collapse of comm unism did not bring democracy to countries such as Uzbekistan, neither does the ousting of authoritative heads in Yemen, Tunisia, Libya and Egypt guarantee stable democracies in all these states. In this context, Way claimed that when the collapse of the USSR and the Arab Spring of 2011 are compared, it reveals the likelihood of the survival of authoritative regimes, ‘and that those [Arab] countries which do witness authoritarian collapse will be less likely to democratize than their European counterparts were’ (2011: 17). It is noteworthy that the Middle East has singularly remained steadfast in maintaining a non-democratic authoritative regime in power in the form of monarchy or sultanism. Sultanism is a type of  authoritarian regime, where  a ruler is present in all aspects of governance. Sultanism  is a term derived from the Arabic word sultan, which denotes an absolute monarch in Muslim societies. In the context of authoritative regimes, as seen in the Middle East and North Africa, Belling said: While the number of electoral democracies [in Middle East and North Africa] has nearly doubled since 1972, the number in this region has registered an absolute decline. Today, only two out of twenty-one countries qualify as electoral democracies, down from three observed in 1972. Stagnation is also evident in the guarantee of political rights and civil liberties. While the number of countries designated free by Freedom House has doubled in the Americas and in the Asia-Pacific region, increased tenfold in Africa, and risen exponentially in Central and East Europe over the past thirty years, there has been no overall improvement in the Middle East and North Africa. Aggregate scores in 2002 differ little from 1972. Fifteen countries are designated not free, five partly free, and only one free. While a few countries, notably Morocco, Jordan, Bahrain, and Yemen, have registered noteworthy progress toward political liberalization in the past decade, o verall the vast majority of countries has failed to catch the wave of democratization that has swept nearly every other part of the world (2004: 139). This essay will make a study of the available literature to find out the differences between authoritarianism and sultanism regimes, and the type of authoritarianism that defines Arab monarchies. Discussion Non-democratic regime in the general sense relates to the rule by a political body or a government in a manner that does not

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

Organization Management - Essay Example While he stayed on the job and still grateful to have a job that others wanted, it is still not for everybody as we can see on the rate of turnovers with these kind of jobs. Other’s would prefer a less satisfying professional job for as long as they can fulfill their need for love and belongingness which their family provides. 2) The nature of the job which provides a professional satisfaction to the individual increases the level of job satisfaction. More especially if the work pays well and able to meet the individuals’ other needs such as the need for self-esteem provided by a job, belongingness that is provided by the organization and the self-actualization of work. Every company strives for their employees to be satisfied with their job to avoid turnovers that could be costly for the company. 3) When employees are satisfied with their jobs, they will naturally tend to do a good job which will translate to a positive job performance. They will also identify with the organization which could affect the behavior of their corporate citizenship. As such, they will put on long hours of work with their own initiative knowing that it is required of the job. Employees also who identifies with their organization will tend to do other functions that is beyond their job description for as long as it is good for the over all well-being of the company. In short, they will do the extra mile with the company when they feel belonginess with the organization. Above all, a happy and satisfied customer will stick with the company thus avoiding turnovers. 4) People are motivated differently when they do a particular job. While others are motivated with positive reinforcements as a motivation, there are other employees whose best instinct comes out when they know things are going bad. This is the case of David Clark, the Vice

Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison - Essay Example empts by researchers have also discovered his classy practices of literary work of genius and the extraordinary kinships which are there between Dantes Inferno and Invisible Man, and the two literary creations resonate with each other meaningfully. In the Prologue to Invisible Man, Ellisons protagonist comments that in jazz music he not only entered the music but descended, like Dante, into its depths. The contents of the book can be perceived as the creation of an intricate interaction of values, a journey mentioned by Dante into a nether biosphere and also a jazz concert. Inferno acts for the author as a legendary archetype for Invisible Man relating to its configuration and vision. Ellison may not be a religious man in the strict sense of the term, but he deeply cherishes the positive values of human life. Though he is not a fundamentally religious author, he is intensely impacted by Dante. The general arrangement of Ellisons novel is to detail a number of occurrences which are co mplexly circular in their perspectives. The chapters of human history contain abundant violent incidents related to whites and blacks. When the people of a particular race are discriminated from all ends, they develop acrimonious tendencies. Suitable avenues need to be generated for their ‘reformation’ and ‘rehabilitation’ and for their proper assimilation into the society. This is a tough assignment. The latent grudge of the blacks against the white race for the cruelties inflicted on them, which continued for centuries, has created psychological barriers that are difficult to break. Ralph Ellison in The Invisible Man explains the knotty race relations and its dynamics in the day to day living of the blacks vs. whites. The immediate issue with the protagonist is that he has to give a speech and the audience is the leading white citizens of the town. The â€Å"the battle royal† is an example given by the narrator to explain how such acts are meant to hurt the dignity of

Mayos Theory of Management Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Mayos Theory of Management - Coursework Example At present, ethical issues have evolved as an essential component of corporate responsibility that business houses are not allowed to avoid (Conjecture Corporation, 2011). Mayo’s theory of management and its related issues have been proved to be directly impacting the business’ performances as it helps in satisfying stakeholders’ demands with respect to monetary benefits. On the other hand, keeping the workers unknown about the changes in working environment is not a good idea towards adhering to the ethical practices because workers are also important stakeholders of the businesses (Draper, 2010). Hiding information about the workplace changes by the managers will directly impact upon the relationship of trust between managers and workers. Precision or maintaining transparency with the workers by the managers is probably the best method of building and sustaining the trust. In the case of keeping the workers unknown about changes for increasing their productivity, managers can be accused of not being transparent towards their workers (Sims, 1992). Moreover, the managers can also be accused of not respecting the workers’ work if they hide information about the workplace from the workforce. When the workers come to know about the changes in their working environment after their performances being evaluated, they can develop distrust about their managers as a result of which it might lead to adverse consequences in the future (Huffmon, 2011). Thirdly, the managers can be accused of not following the modern mode of working as team within the organization. The charges against the manger can arise from the workforce who was kept unknown by them about the workplace changes (Huffmon, 2011). The consequences of the above measures toward workers from the part of the managers can ultimately distract the social system, which is believed to be created (evident from the conclusion of the Hawthorne experiment).

Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison - Essay Example empts by researchers have also discovered his classy practices of literary work of genius and the extraordinary kinships which are there between Dantes Inferno and Invisible Man, and the two literary creations resonate with each other meaningfully. In the Prologue to Invisible Man, Ellisons protagonist comments that in jazz music he not only entered the music but descended, like Dante, into its depths. The contents of the book can be perceived as the creation of an intricate interaction of values, a journey mentioned by Dante into a nether biosphere and also a jazz concert. Inferno acts for the author as a legendary archetype for Invisible Man relating to its configuration and vision. Ellison may not be a religious man in the strict sense of the term, but he deeply cherishes the positive values of human life. Though he is not a fundamentally religious author, he is intensely impacted by Dante. The general arrangement of Ellisons novel is to detail a number of occurrences which are co mplexly circular in their perspectives. The chapters of human history contain abundant violent incidents related to whites and blacks. When the people of a particular race are discriminated from all ends, they develop acrimonious tendencies. Suitable avenues need to be generated for their ‘reformation’ and ‘rehabilitation’ and for their proper assimilation into the society. This is a tough assignment. The latent grudge of the blacks against the white race for the cruelties inflicted on them, which continued for centuries, has created psychological barriers that are difficult to break. Ralph Ellison in The Invisible Man explains the knotty race relations and its dynamics in the day to day living of the blacks vs. whites. The immediate issue with the protagonist is that he has to give a speech and the audience is the leading white citizens of the town. The â€Å"the battle royal† is an example given by the narrator to explain how such acts are meant to hurt the dignity of

Spirituality in Nursing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Spirituality in Nursing - Essay Example Pragmatically though it is nurses on the ward, rather than staff who only visit occasionally, and often only when requested, who are best placed to deal with this part of holistic nursing care. This is especially so where life-threatening illness is involved and there is much one to one interaction between nurse and patient. Thompson in 1993 spoke of the way in which by maintaining a bond with a distressed patient   the nurse is making an act   'unconditional love'.Even if their own beliefs are different from those of the patient, by being both good communicators and listeners, nurses can be supportive. They are often providing spiritual care simply be allowing the patient the opportunity to express themselves about beliefs and spiritual matters. Nurses have been encouraged to care for the whole person as a spiritual being,   as well as biological and psychological beings, since the 1970’s and books appeared such those by Roper, Logan and Tierney and their ‘Element s of Nursing’ each edition of which includes a chapter about dying and such things as grief and bereavement.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Spirit is someone's soul, so spirituality would be focused on the self, but focused on the self in a manner in which they can understand it more deeply than just standard cognitive thinking about it, so religion might help you understand yourself in that "higher" manner. That is, it is almost like faith to believe in yourself like that, so it is like religion. ... They are often providing spiritual care simply be allowing the patient the opportunity to express themselves about beliefs and spiritual matters. Nurses have been encouraged to care for the whole person as a spiritual being, as well as biological and psychological beings, since the 1970’s and books appeared such those by Roper, Logan and Tierney and their ‘Elements of Nursing’ each edition of which includes a chapter about dying and such things as grief and bereavement. Definitions of Spirituality Mark Pettinelli – Spirit is someone's soul, so spirituality would be focused on the self, but focused on the self in a manner in which they can understand it more deeply than just standard cognitive thinking about it, so religion might help you understand yourself in that "higher" manner. That is, it is almost like faith To believe in yourself like that, so it is like religion. Laburn ( 1988) 'That which inspires in one the desire to transcend the realm of the material', Living Words of Wisdom:- You are surrounded by spirituality every day. The definition of spirituality is that which relates to or affects the human spirit or soul as opposed to material or physical things. Spirituality touches that part of you that is not dependant on material things or physical comforts Dictionary Definitions of Spirituality There is any number of variations on the subject of spirituality. It is defined most often as the quality or state of being spiritual. this doesn’t get you much further on unless you then look up what spiritual means. This, however, can be defined as simply to do with the spirit. It then follows that one must first of all define spirit.  

Functionalism Presentation Essay Example for Free

Functionalism Presentation Essay Structural Functionalism is simply known as Functionalism; it is defined as a system of parts, all of which serve a function together for an overall effectiveness and efficiency for society. This theory views norms, customs, traditions, and institutions that surround society and society should acknowledge different elements to gain social stability. Failure to do so results in imbalance, negative attitudes, war, and misunderstanding in a community. An example can portray this concept: for instance, the government or state, provides education for the children of the family, which in turn pays taxes on which the state depends to keep itself running. The family is dependent upon the school to help children grow up to have good jobs so that they can raise and support their own families. If it all goes well, parts of the society produce order, stability, and productivity. If it does not go well, parts of the society then must adapt to recapture a new order, stability, and productivity. Functionalists accept the fact that change is sometimes necessary to correct social dysfunctions (the opposite of functions), but it must occur slowly so that people and institutions can adapt without any rapid disorder. A set of theories that differs from Functionalism is the Conflict Theory. Conflict Theory states that society or an organization functions so that each individual participant and its groups struggle to maximize their benefits, which inevitably contributes to social change such as political changes and revolutions (http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry./Conflict_theory). Functionalism makes seven main assumptions which focuses on several level of analysis which are [society, community, individual, social unit (ex. family, organizations, and so forth)]. Functionalism focuses on macro-level (looks at large-scale social institutions like society as a while, government, the labor force, and so forth) (http://structuralfunctionalism.com/). It looks at grand-scale sensation and pays little attention to individual agency and personality development. Though, micro theories like symbolic interactionalism center more on individuals and their everyday interactions with others and small-scale social groups or organizations. There is a metaphor for functionalism which is the human body. Without one or more important organs, the body cannot operate. So saying that functionalists argue: in order for a  society to operate, it has to place and motivate individuals to occupy the necessary positions in the social structure. There are two main ways society does this is through motivation and rewards. A society must instill in the proper individuals the desire (motivation) to fill certain positions. Once the proper individuals are in these positions, society must offer them appropriate (rewards) so that they maintain desire to fulfill their difficult positions (i.e. jobs) (http://structuralfunctionalism.com/). There are two examples that functionalism plays a good role which are education and crime. Structural-functionalists see education as contributing to the smooth functioning of the society. Education helps maintain society by socializing young beings into values of achievement, competition, and equality of opportunity. Education transmits culture such as shared beliefs, values, and train the most qualified individuals for the most socially important positions. It teaches people not only the skills and thinking skills to maximize their potential, but also teaches them to be good citizens and get along with others. They would not see education as  contributing to inequality along with class, race, gender, and so forth but rather as serving the positive function of the overall society. Structural-functionalists view crime as a necessary part of society. Through public outrage and legal punishment, the majority of people in a given society recognize, accept, and adhere to a shared set of moral guidelines and rules. Without crime, there would be no legal system or shared morals in our society. As well as a stable crime rate is a sign of a healthy society. If the crime rates escalate, people will lose trust and solidarity. But, if the rates of crime remain low, people will think that they are living in a state where is no freedom and individuality or no shared moral guidelines that penetrates right, wrong, immoral and moral, normal, and deviance. References Friley, G. (2012). Understanding Human Society . Answers.com http://structuralfunctionalism.com/ http://people.ath.ac.uk/ssxlw/structural%20Functionalism%20lecture%202leah.ppt http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/functionalsim_education.htm

Effectiveness of Para-Transit Transport Services

Effectiveness of Para-Transit Transport Services THE EFFECTIVENESS OF PARA-TRANSIT TRANSPORT SERVICES IN NIGERIAN TOWNS: THE CASE OF MOTORCYCLE TRANSPORT IN ABRAKA ATUBI, AUGUSTUS 0. ABSTRACT The thrust of this article is on the desirability of motorcycles in Abraka region as a means of para-transit transportation. The paper examines the existing mode of para-transportation in Abraka region, and discovers that commuters in Abraka region are increasingly patronizing motorcycles as a mode of transport. Also, with the poor conditions of roads in Abraka, most parts of Abraka are denied access to public transport services. In the light of this, a vast number of commuters have now resorted to the services of motorcycle transport in spite of the social risks and incessant cases of accidents associated with this mode of transport. This study discovers through Pearson’s Product Moment correlation coefficient analysis that there is a high significant relationship between the standard of living of cyclists and motorcycle business in the study area. The paper ends by highlighting issues, which should be incorporated in a comprehensive urban transport policy to make motorcycle transport safe and efficient as a para-transit mode of transport in Abraka region. INTRODUCTION The need for an efficient public transport service to cater for the demands of urban commuters cannot be overstressed. Public transport systems are more efficient means of transporting large numbers of people between and within settlements than private cars (Adeniji, 1983). In contemporary transportation lexicon, two major types of public transport systems are defined. These are the conventional public transport system and the para-transit or intermediate systems of public transport. The para-transit or intermediate systems are so called because they include all systems of urban transport, between the private car on the one hand of the scale and the conventional public transport system on the other (Adeniji, 1983). Para-transit modes of transport in developed countries include such systems as car pools, rental cars, specialized commuter bus services provided on a subscription basis, as well as taxi cab related services like dial-a-bus and motorcycles. In the less developed countries, para-transit modes are usually referred to as intermediate modes of public transport. They include the shared taxi cab, mini buses, modified vehicles such as the jeepneys of Manila in the Philippines (Grava, 1977), silos of Chien Mai in Thailand (Fourcare and Manundes, 1977), Molue of Lagos in Nigeria (Olayemi, 1979), Beenos of Surabaya in Indonesia (Fouracre and Manuder, 1978), the cycle rickshaws community found in most Asian cities (Jacob and Fouracre, 1976) and â€Å"Going† in Nigerian Towns, (Okoko, 1990). In recent years, the prohibitive prices of brand new cars and buses have resulted in the reduction of the number of private cars and commercial vehicles generally on our urban roads. Even the fairly used imported cars and buses (Tukunbo) are beyond the reach of the majority of our people. As a result of these factors, there has been a tremendous demand for public transport in our towns in recent years. It is now a common sight to see hundreds of passengers at bus stations or along road sides waiting for hours for the few buses and taxis on the road (Okoko, 1998), This scenario has necessitated the introduction of motorcycles as a means of para-transit transport in Nigeria towns. It first gained prominence in the Cross River State the l970s where it was variously referred to as â€Å"Aka-Uke† or â€Å"Ala-Olok†. This mode has now diffused to other Nigeria towns including Lagos and Abuja. It is now the dominant mode of transport in most of our urban centres e.g. Uyo Calabar, Nasarawa etc. It is variously referred to â€Å"Okada† in the Mid-West belt regions of Nigeria and â€Å"Abacha† in Northern Nigeria. The motorcycle mode has had the advantage of flexibility and door-to-door service especially in towns where the road network does not permit an efficient operation of taxi service. The major problem associated with it is the high number of accident cases often resulting in the death of both the cyclist and the passenger or commuter. Table 1, shows some para-transit modes and their relative performance characteristics. Most of these modes are very popular in Asian and Latin American countries where they are employed both in rural and urban areas. These modes are recommended for use in our towns and rural areas where conventional mass transit facilities are inadequate. In rural areas where the population is less than 50,000, privately operated para-transit modes are adequate. In settlements where the population is between 50,000-100,000 para-transit and privately operated omnibuses are adequate. Mass transit public transport services are recommended for settlements with a population size of over 100,000 inhabitants (Adeniji, 1986). In recent years, with the aid of motorcycling, Abraka community has experienced an unprecedented general economic boom, which has encouraged the increased diversification of local industries and commercial activities. Atubi and Onokala (2004b) stated that â€Å"in human geography, one of the most fundamental themes is spatial interaction. That spatial interaction involves the movement of goods and services and people between various centres in space. In general, when constructing or improving a road network where economic constraints apply, they said, the most economical solution for one road link may not necessarily be the best solution for the network as a whole. That the cost of implementing one project to high standards may consume resources that would be better spent over the whole network, or in filling other gaps in the network with lower standard roads†. The influence of political policies on the transport facilities in metropolitan Lagos was also examined by Sada (1970) where he maintained that politics had more than desired influence on the city network and this is irrational to objective planning of transport network in such a large city. He further said that until the city was given a new dimension such as planning and reversing same existing policies, the problems of traffic in Lagos would still continue to be in existence. Furthermore, for any meaningful division of labour and specialization in production process to take place in any society such as Abraka, there must be an efficient and effective means of transport (Atubi and Onokala, 2004a). The various feeder roads and paths are constructed to connect the interior parts of the region and this gives room or serve as an advantage to motorcycle transport system in Abraka region. METHODOLOGY Data for this article were collected through questionnaire survey in Abraka region. Questionnaires were administered randomly/systematically on respondents. This article specially aims at examining the influence of motorcycle transportation with emphasis on employment opportunities of respondents. For the purpose of achieving the aim eighty (80) questionnaires were administered. For effective administration of the questionnaires the region was subdivided into three (3) regions or zones Viz: Ekrejeta Road, Kwale Road and Abraka-urban Road. The statistical techniques employed include means and percentages as well as the Pearson’s Product Movement Correlation Coefficient (P.P.M .C.C.) THE RESEARCH FINDINGS Table 1: Basic Para-Transit Modes and their Performance Characteristics Source: Howe, J (1983) Conceptual Framework for Defining and Evaluating Improvements for Local Level Rural Transport in Developing Countries (Geneva, H. 0.) Dept. 1983, Pp. 3 7-39. Table 2: Importance of Motorcycle Transportation Alternatives Response Percentage (%) Yes No 77 3 96 4 Total 80 100 Source: Field Survey, 2004. From the table above, it was clearly shown that the importance of motorcycle as a mode of transportation in Abraka region cannot be over-emphasized. It is observed that 96% of the respondents are of the view that motorcycle transportation has played an important role in Abraka region while only 4% disagreed. Also, the movement of people, goods and information are being facilitated via motorcycle transport. Table 3: Ownership of Motorcycle Alternatives Response Percentage (%) Yes (My own) No (Hired) 29 51 36 64 Total 80 100 Source: Field Survey, 2004. Sixty-four percent (64%) of the respondents agreed that most of the motorcycles in use in Abraka community for transport purposes are hired and thirty-six (3 6%) are of the view that the motorcycle used in Abraka are privately owned. Therefore, the lot of motorcycles in Abraka region are hired meaning that the users (cyclists) are operating on a â€Å"balance and take† basis. That is the motorcyclist pays the owner of the machine certain amount of money depending on the terms of agreement after which the machine becomes that of the cyclist. Table 4: Monthly Income Through Motorcycling Amount Response Percentage (%) Below N2,000 N2,000- N4,000 N4,000-N6000 N6,000- N8,000 Above N8,000 23 24 12 8 13 29 30 15 10 16 Total 80 100 Source: Field Survey, 2004. It could be deduced from the above table that the majority of the cyclists earn between N2,000 and N4,000 monthly. This is followed by those cyclists that earn below N2,000 per month. From the table 30% and 29% earn between N2,000 and N4,000 and below N2,000 monthly respectively. Table 5: Time of Operation/Service Time Response Percentage (%) Below 10 a.m 10a.m-4p.m. 4p.m-7p.m. Above7p.m. Always 23 17 19 11 9 29 21 24 14 11 Total 80 100 Source: Field Survey, 2004. The table above shows that the time of operation is mostly in the morning between 10.00 a.m. and reduces until the evening from 4.00 p.m. to 7.00 p.m. The peak hour of operation being in the morning and evening in Abraka region could be as a result of people going to their various places of work and their return back home. These periods have the highest percentages of 30 and 24 respectively. Following the peak hours are the hours betweens 10.00 a.m. and 4.00 p.m. with a percentage rate of2l. This could be because of parents going on â€Å"school run†. Table 6: Fare/Charge Per-Distance Alternatives Response Percentage (%) Yes No 41 39 51 49 Total 80 100 Source: Field Survey, 2004. The responses from the table above means that the fare per distance is likely determined by the passenger and the cyclist, 51% of the respondents agreed that the charge per distance during operation is constant while 49% disagreed. Meaning that, the charge varies with distance. This could be as a result of the operation hour because the fare at night or during bad weather (rainfall) and even during period of fuel scarcity fare tends to vary with distances. During such period, it is the bargaining power between the passenger and the cyclist that determined the fare. Nevertheless, the charge within Abraka region is relatively constant. Table 7: Standard of living through income Received and Motorcycling (observed Frequency) Alternatives Ekrejeka Rd. Kwale Road Abraka-Urban Road total Strongly Agreed Agreed Partially agreed Disagreed 17 2 7 1 12 4 9 1 19 1 5 2 48 7 21 4 Total 27 26 27 80 Source: Field survey, 2004, From table 7 above, the calculated value of the correlation coefficient is 0.90 approximately (see table 9). It could be deduced therefore, that as income increases through motorcycling, the standard of living of the cyclists also increases at 0.05 level of significance. Table 8: Increase in Motorcycle and the population of Abraka Region Alternatives Ekrejeka Rd. Kwale Road Abraka-Urban Road total Strongly Agreed Agreed Partially agreed Disagreed 2 7 5 13 3 6 3 14 1 1 0 25 6 14 8 52 Total 27 26 27 80 Source: Field survey, 2004. From the calculated values in table 8, (see table 9), the calculated value of the data using the Pearson’s product moment correlation coefficient is approximately 0.89. From table 9, it also implies that 20.79% of the population of Abraka can be explained by increase in motorcycle activities while 79.2 1% cannot be attributed to increase in motorcycle activities which could be due to other reasons. Table 9: A correlation Table of Population and Motorcycle increase in Abraka Region Table 10: Provision of Employment Opportunity and Motorcycle Transportation Source: Computed from Table 8, 2004 The calculated value derived from table 10 above using the Pearson’s Product Movement Correlation Coefficient is appropriately 0.86 (see table 11). Also, 26.04% of the employment opportunity can be explained by motorcycle transport in Abraka region while 73.96% cannot be explained and may be due to other factors. Table 11:. Provision of Employment Opportunity and Motorcycle Transportation From table 11, there was a high and positive correlation between employment opportunity and motorcycle transportation in Abraka region. From this brief and simple analysis, the fact that motorcycle transportation has a role to play in the employment of youths in the study area is incontestable. ISSUES FOR POLICY FORMULATION The time has come for us to accept the indispensability of motorcycle transport in Abraka region. The availability of a comprehensive and up-to-date information on vehicle population in the country makes it difficult to have an accurate car ownership ratio per capita for the country. Recent phenomenal increases in the prices of imported cars, both brand new ones and fairly used cars otherwise known as â€Å"tokunbo†, have made it difficult for the average Nigerian to own a car. Even motorcycles and bicycles are now priced out of the reach of the middle and low income households in the country (Adeniji, 1986). In the light of the poor economic situation in the country, there is need for the government to give an official recognition to the operation of motorcycle transport in Nigeria. The operation of motorcyclists should be streamlined such that it should not be a case of any body just picking up his motorcycle and going into business. Just like the National Road Transport Workers Union that monitors the operation of taxis and buses, a similar body should also be set up to oversee the operation of motorcyclists. Every motorcyclist should be made to register with this body before he is allowed to operate. This body should issue identity cards and uniforms for easy identification by commuters. In addition to this, the procedure for the issuance of driving licenses should be reviewed. Every motorcyclist should have either a license or a permit before he is allowed to operate the motorcycle. The Government should reconsider the idea of introducing crash-helmets for the use of both the cyclist and the passenger. The importance of crash-helmets cannot be over-emphasized s they protect the head from severe injury whenever accidents occur. Urban roads should from now henceforth be designed to accommodate cycle-ways. This will reduce cut throat competition for urban road space by cyclists, motorists and pedestrians thereby reducing the rate of accidents on our roads. Existing traffic bye-laws and regulations should be reviewed to accommodate the motorcycle mode and conscious efforts should be made to ensure their enforcement. CONCLUSION Transport of any kind is concomitant and a prerequisite to the development of any modem society. It is indispensable in the economy of any society hence it has increased the socio-economic development of Abraka region. This research has revealed that motorcycle business has a significant effect in the provision of employment, increase in the standard of living of the cyclists and a corresponding increase in the population of Abraka region. REFERENCES Adeniji, K. (1983): â€Å"Urban Development and Public Transport in Nigeria† Third World Planning Review, Vol.5, No.4, Pp. 383-394. Adeniji, K. (1986) â€Å"Public Transportation in Nigeria: where do we go from here?† Paper delivered at the NISER Seminar Series, University of Ibadan, Nigeria, Pp. 1-22. Atubi, A.O. and Onokala, P.C. (2004a) â€Å"Road Transportation and the Socio-Economic Development of the Niger Delta: A case study of Warn Metropolis†. Journal of Social and Management Sciences Review Vol. 1, No. 1, Pp. 102-113. Atubi, A.O. and Onokala, P.C. (2004b) â€Å"The Accessibility of Centres to the Road Networks: The Case of Lagos Island, Lagos, Nigeria†. International Journal of Ecology and Environmental Dynamics, Vol. 2, Pp. 140-15 1. Fouracre, P.R. and Maunder, D.A.C. (1977): â€Å"Public Transport in Cheng Mai, Thailand† Crowthorne, Transport and Road Research Laboratory, Supplementary Report 285. Fouracre, P.R. and Maunder, D.A.C. (1978) â€Å"Public Transport in Swiabaya, Indonasia† Crawthorne, Transport and Road Research Laboratory, Supplementary Report 370. Grava, S. (1977): â€Å"The Jeepneys of Manila† Traffic Quartet, Vol. 26,No. 4, Pp.465-483. Jacobs, G.D. and Fouracre, P.R. (1976) Further research on road accident rates in developing countries. TRRL complementary Report27O. Crowthorne Okoko, F. (1990) â€Å"For an Effective â€Å"Going System†. The Standard Newspaper, Jos, Nigeria. Wed. July 25, p. 9 Okoko, F. (1998) â€Å"The Demand For Para-Transit Transport Services in Nigerian Towns: The case of Motorcycle Transport in Akure. Journal of Transport Studies, Vol.2, No. 1 Olami, O.A. (1979): â€Å"Intra-city Personal Travel in Metropolitan Lagos† Ibadan, NISER, University of Ibadan, Reprinted Series Number.1 11 Sada, P.O. (1970): â€Å"Political Policies and the Development of Transportation in Metropolitan Lagos. Nigerian Geographical Journal Vol. 13, No.2.

Nurse Practitioner Essay -- Persuasive, Quality Care

In today’s world a big debate that families debate between and spend time trying to research is what the best possible options are for their children and spouses health care. A question often asked is if seeing a nurse practitioner is just as effective and safe as seeing a doctor. Many parents worry if their child will get the full attention needed when seeing a nurse practitioner. Nurse practitioners have the training and time to give children and their families the support and care necessary (Should My Child See a NP 2). A nurse practitioner is a registered nurse who is highly educated and has gone through clinical training in their health care specialty areas (Pediatrician v NP 1). In order for them to practice they must have four to six years of training and pass all their licensing exams to practice (Quality of Care 1). For students to become a prepared registered nurse they must complete an additional master’s level training on top of their baccalaureate prepared classes (Duties and Responsibilities 1). In order for someone to even prepare to go into the field of nurse practitioners a high school student should take challenging classes in English, Math, and Science (Duties and Responsibilities 1). Many nurse practitioners work side by side with a licensed doctor, but that is not always the case. The career of being a nurse practitioner began back in the 1960s (Pediatrician v NP 1). There was a huge shortage of physicians and I need for care to people under served (Pediatrician v NP 1). Nurse practitioners work in manly rural and urban settings such as public health departments, community health centers, hospitals, physicians' offices, nursing homes, HMOs, student health clinics, and home health agencies. Where state law pe... ...e practitioners provide nursing and medical services to not only families, but individuals and groups as well, emphasizing health promotion and disease prevention (Pediatrician v NP 1). Something they also provide for families, individuals and groups is teaching and counseling (NP Services 1). If necessary your nurse can provide you with prescription of pharmacologic agents and treatments. They can also provide non-pharmacologic therapies (NP Services 1). Even though nurse practitioners are a very good idea in many cases it is still very important to have a regular doctor that you can see in certain situations. Nurse practitioners are a great alternative for routine check ups minor visits when sometimes seeing your doctor is hard to do. You can be assured that with a nurse practitioner you will be tended for while receiving a warm and welcoming visit each time.

Franchising †Fast food Essay

Now a days, fast food is becoming a cheap and yet a popular way for people who are too busy to cook. But the cheap price of the fast food is nothing in comparison to the true price that these people are paying. Every 4 out of 10 adults in the USA will become obese in the next 5 years if they keep eating this food the way they are. Eating fast food like this is causing major health risks. Since this food is so cheap, it makes it convenient for people to go out and get food instead of staying home to cook. In addition, fast food companies are trying to target kids. If the companies get to the kids at a young age, they will get hooked on the food. Because of all this, people need to stop eating fast food before it gets out of hand. This fast food world has spread tremendously around the globe, and obesity has shortly followed. In addition to this it has also brought heart disease, arthritis, diabetes and many other types of illnesses. Fast food isn’t only making people fatter, but its also increasing people’s chances of obtaining type two diabetes. People’s muscles and fat cells that have type two diabetes lose the ability to take in a sugar called glucose from their blood. The glucose builds up and reaches very high levels and because of this they get damage to the eyes, neuropath (loss of feeling), kidney disease and heart disease. Most of the people who have type two diabetes are obese or overweight. A long-term study between the link of fast food, obesity and diabetes were tested. It compared the people who would eat fast food at least twice a week to the people who ate it less than once a week. The results showed that the people who are more fast food gained about 10 pounds more then the people who are it less than once a week over a fifteen-year period. Eating fast food can cause many diseases such as Hypertension, Heart Disease, Cancer, Gall Bladder Disease and E. coli, which is one of the worst forms of food poisoning. E. Coli is spread through undercooked burgers and it is very difficult to cure. 4 % of the people who have this poison develop hemolytic uremic syndrome and close to 5 % of the kids who develop this die. E. Coli is now becoming the major reason for renal failure for American kids. People would rather spend their money on a cheap burger that tastes good compared to a burger that tastes just as good for six times the price. The great thing about fast food is that over these many years their products taste hasn’t changed. â€Å"The whole experience of buying fast food, has become so routine, so thoroughly unexceptional and mundane, that it is now taken for granted, like brushing your teeth or stopping for a red light. † Says Eric Schlosser, author of Fast Food Nation. Millions of people a day are buying fast food because it’s so convenient to get to. Today’s economy is also dropping and because of this going out to buy fast food has become easier to feed people’s families. Instead of a family going out to a restaurant to feed the family for 60 dollars, they can go to a fast food restaurant and spend about one third of that. These fast food restaurants are making a lot of money off this cheap food With the money they make, they spend some of it for advertising to grab people’s attention Since most kids watch TV they are the ones that are affected most by this McDonald’s spends billions of dollars on advertising each year. Most of the kids know Ronald McDonald more than they do their own president. Just about 30% of all children each day eat fast food according to a Harvard study. This is part of the reason why America is the fattest country in the world. According to Alan Green, on average, kids who eat fast food gain an extra 6 pounds in weight each year. â€Å" The numbers, though alarming, are not surprising since billions of dollars are spend each year on fast-food advertising directed at kids, â€Å" said lead author Dr. David Ludwig, director of the obesity program at children’s Hospital Boston. Borzekowski says that most people prefer the branded fries compared to unbranded fries and the same results were found about branded chicken nuggets and non-branded chicken nuggets. â€Å" Its no surprise that branding works,† says Borzekowski. In another test done by Borzekowski, they took two burgers from McDonalds and put one in a non branded wrapper, Borzekowski had the kids try both and astonishingly most kids tasted a difference in the two burgers. The majority of the preferred the McDonalds wrapped burger. McDonalds also finds ways of getting to the kids, because in Seminole County, the kids are rewarded with Happy Meals if the have a nearly perfect attendance or it they do well on their report cards. In fact, Stuart Elliot of the New York Times says that the Florida schools are â€Å"using children’s report cards to help stimulate sales { at McDonalds }. † Kids can get a number of Happy meal choices such as four chicken McNuggets, a Hamburger and small fries or a cheeseburger with apple dippers. These kids are being rewarded with fast food, which is part of the reason that they are becoming obese. The concepts of conformity and organizational homogenization, while repugnant in a democratic society, can actually aid big businesses and more specifically franchises in promoting quality assurance and brand loyalty. Large corporations, such as McDonald’s, are able to maintain stability and control by removing any factors that may create unfamiliarity for their customers. The goal of McDonald’s is to create a fast food empire founded on conformity to ensure a common experience. For example, everything from the menu, to the restaurant facade, to the golden arch flag waving proudly beside our American flag, demonstrates their efforts to create a sense of comfort through familiarity. McDonald’s target market expects the same service, experience, and product whenever they enter a franchise location. Large corporations recognize the power of consistency and the importance of conformity within their ranks. When Ray Kroc says, â€Å"We have found out [†¦ ] that we cannot trust some people who are nonconformists. [†¦ ] The organization cannot trust the individual; the individual must trust the organization†, Kroc was trying to emphasize the importance of conformity and need for trust in the organization’s goals. Kroc had created a successful formula and needed his employees to share his vision. The American fast food industry has made a significant impression on our social and economic landscape. The concept of â€Å"flipping burgers† has become synonymous with entry level employment for teens and other unskilled laborers. The industry employs hundreds of thousands of people at all levels. The industry also occupies a prominent place in our popular culture. From commercials on television, to the ads on the side of the bus, to the billboard on the side of highway 95, the fast food industry has made itself a visible force in the American economy and pop culture. The fast food industry’s size also allows it to play a significant role in our political system. Companies such as McDonald’s have a keen interest in labor, tax and trade policy. While Ray Kroc’s vision of conformity and trust in the collective over the individual contradicts our concept of a free society, it is essential to the success of a company using the franchise business model. Consistency and organizational trust are the keys to ensuring customer familiarity and brand loyalty.

Bio-Medical Discourse

Discuss the strengths and limitations of social work practice within an organization, such as a hospital, that operates from a biomedical discourse (give an example)? The biomedical discourse is one of the most influential discourses in the health care profession today (Healy, p. 20). Biomedicine is a dominant and pervasive model in health care settings and there are strengths and limitations in working within the this discourse.One of the strengths of working within this model, it allows you to work within a multidisciplinary team with psychiatrists, doctors, nurses, and other medical staff and this opens up a whole new perspective for social workers. We get to see the medical side of things and how that affects the person. When a medical professional see’s a patient they see the direct problem of that patient and there disease.Using this model and all of our social work skills and approaches will give us a total picture of what is happening in that person’s life by no t only looking at the environment but putting other factors into place such as the biological aspect. We can help out clients navigate through the health care system and can clarify medical terms to help them feel at ease with there illness. The biomedical discourse has its limitations as well.This model works under the belief that disease’s are caused by a specific biological agents or processes and fails to take a deeper look at the individual environment and living factors. It is out job as social workers to look at all of the other factors such as environment, family, culture ect of that individual, not just the focusing on the person and modifying the person. I worked with a social worker on the cardiac rehab unit at the Glenrose Hospital and she worked with a patient that had a heart attack and had bypass surgery and is now in rehab.He was given medications to take after the surgery and most likely will be on for the rest of his life. The doctors tell the patient all ab out the medial procedure they just had, what current medications they are on and how to take them and what the side effects are, nut never talk about all the other factors that come into play. The social worker has to now prepare not only the patient to return home but has to prepare the family as to how there environment will be changing in order to have a safe recovery for the patient.As social workers it can be hard for us to ignore the environmental contributions in an individual’s life. The social worker only had two visits with the patient and the family, the nutritionist had another two visit’s and the physician has on going visits with the patient for as long is needed. The physician was only concerned with the disease and diagnosis of the patient and modifying the person. Another limitation is the focus on medicalization. Not everyone is in need of medical attention and to be put on medication.Our jobs as social workers are to recognize that people’s en vironments really do affect them. Person can come into see there GP and tell them that they are depressed, the first thing they do is put them on med’s for their depression. They don’t look at what has been going on in that person’s life, have they been through a major trauma, what changes have been happening. All they look at are the symptoms and the medications to go along side of them. This determines that the doctor is the expert and knows best.

Environmental Scanning Essay

Everyone in Pakistan well as many sitting thousands of miles away, the business community too is waiting to exhale. And so, all that’s visible in the run up to the precise moment – General Elections 2013 – are lots of breathlessly red faces. Generally, election year produces diametrically opposing reactions within the public and private sectors. While the incumbent seeks to woo fickle voters through last ditch spending (think: poverty alleviation, development projects, etc.), the private sector often buries its head and its wallet in the sand until the storm of unpredictability has passed. Consequently, the business outlook for 2013 will remain depressingly unexciting until the new government settles down. The global recession isn’t going away anytime soon and the IMF recently cut global growth forecasts for 2013 to 3.6%, down from its earlier estimate of 3.9%. Although the Pakistani Government is doing its best to convince anyone who will listen that it i s going to manage ‘four’ percent growth in the coming year, nobody is really convinced. The Government doesn’t really have the money to spend. Public revenues – proposed tax amnesty schemes notwithstanding – are low; the fiscal deficit is 8.2% and, to make ends meet, the Government is borrowing heavily from the banking sector. For decent growth, the Government needs a tax-to-GDP ratio in the vicinity of 16%; all it can muster at present is 9.1%. While inflation has finally been brought into the single digit realm, few are deluded enough to imagine it will last. First, global commodity prices (particularly oil) are still heading upwards. Second, with just enough forex reserves left for three months of imports and no bilateral or multilateral donor rushing to save Pakistan from Islamabad, the rupee is poised to come under serious pressure. (In November alone, Pakistan had to repay a staggering $616 million to the IMF.) Third, the Government has the State Bank printing Rs 1.5 billion a day. All inflationary enough on their own, the combined effect of these three will make for a very painful and prolonged hangover . Further, savings are low and the cash flush banks are too busy throwing rupees at the Government to bother with the few businesses that would be willing to invest in Pakistan prior to elections. Simply put, banks would much rather bolster their profits by lending to an insatiable but dependable Government than lend to the brilliant but risky private sector. Significantly, while the  Central Bank has now cut its policy rate by a cumulative 200 basis points since August, its critics are still unhappy with the decision. Their first bone of contention is that the temporarily low inflation numbers do not merit monetary easing and the State Bank is just making it cheaper for the Government to borrow more rather than hauling it up for doing so. Further, they cite data on private sector credit off take that shows that the same actually declined after the deep cut in August (150 basis points) while Government borrowing increased. Businesses, on the other hand, say that interest rates are st ill too high to consider investing. (Foreign investment, of course, requires a climate unavailable in a frontline state in the war against terrorism.) While the specific merits of this allegation can be argued over, the business environment in the country presents a series of uncontroverted and inescapable realities that dilute the impact of the high cost of borrowing. There are obviously those who cry about energy shortages, the unpredictability of supply and the fear that the dollar-rupee exchange rates will cross Rs 100 by June 2013. There are others who moan about the law and order situation and the fact that extortion levels jump up dramatically in the run-up to an election as political parties gather funds for electioneering. But first and foremost is the fact that the entire country is in a state of political flux and the economy is teetering on the brink of a full blown crisis. Typically, investment – be it the setting up of large projects or just the import of new machines for spinning – has a significant gestation period. An investor, who can’t predict whether his deals with the current Government will be honored by the next or what the duty structure will look like by the time his machines come in, is generally wary and prefers to sit on the sidelines until he gets more clarity. Take the example of the energy sector. The long, sizzling summer of 2012 and the frequency of power riots across the country clearly showed that Pakistan has graduated from being energy insecure to an energy crisis state. Throughout this period, the Government and its ministers frequently spoke of the need for more energy related projects, alternative energy and what not at much touted ‘energy conferences’. At various points during the year, the import of energy from even Iran and India were discussed. Clearly, there is significant unmet demand and correspondingly, great returns in the business. Theoretically then, given that energy infrastructure projects take ages to  mobilise, investors should be queuing up to begin these before the summer of 2013. But while a few canny, deep pocketed investors are making ambitious plans, even they are not committing money to these projects just yet. Clearly, the top priority, for even those investors who are mostly immune to political persecution because of their wealth and/or influence, is political stability. This stability, however, refers not only to the political parties that form governments but also the nature of the economic policies they pursue. If an investor raises $200 million to set up an LNG import business, for example, he needs to know what the returns will be and how long the government intends to buy the product for and in the absence of this certainty; no one will cough up the cash. Key External Factors Business, now-a-days is vitally affected by the economic, social, legal, technological and political factors. These factors collectively form business environment. Business environment, as such, is the total of all external forces, which affect the organization and operations of business. The environment of an organization has got internal, operational and general lives managers must be aware of these three environmental levels and their relationship and importance. The term ‘business environment implies those external forces, factors and institutions that are beyond the control of individual business organizations and their management and affect the business enterprise. Business environment influence the functioning of the business system. Thus, business environment may be defined as all those conditions and forces which are external to the business and are beyond the individual business unit, but it operates within it. These forces are customer, creditors, competitors, government, socio-cultural organizations, political parties national and international organizations etc. some of those forces affect the business directly which some others have indirect effect on the business. 5 Key External Factors: * Economic Forces * Social, Cultural, Demographic and Environmental Forces * Political, Governmental and Legal Forces * Technological Forces * Competitive Forces Economic Forces: Economic environment refers to the aggregate of the nature of economic system of the country, the structural anatomy of the economy to economic policies of the government the organization of the capital market, the nature of factor endowment, business cycles, the socio-economic infrastructure etc. The successful businessman visualizes the external factors affecting the business, anticipating the prospective market situations and makes suitable to get the maximum with minimize cost. Social, Cultural, Demographic and Environmental Forces: The social dimension or environment of a nation determines the value system of the society which, in turn affects the functioning of the business. Sociological factors such as costs structure, customs and conventions, cultural heritage, view toward wealth and income and scientific methods, respect for seniority, mobility of labor etc. have far-reaching impact on the business. These factors determine the work culture and mobility of labor, work groups etc. For instance, the nature of goods and services to be produced depends upon the demand of the people which in turn is affected by their attitudes, customs, so as cultural values fashion etc. Socio-cultural environment determines the code of conduct the business should follow. The social groups such as trade unions or consumer forum will intervene if the business follows the unethical practices. Political, Governmental and Legal Forces: The political environment of a country is influenced by the political organizations such as philosophy of political parties, ideology of government or party in power, nature and extent of bureaucracy influence of primary groups etc. political stability in the country, foreign policy, Defense and military policy, image of the country and its leaders in and outside the country. The political environment of the country influences the business to a great extent. Legal environment includes flexibility and adaptability of law and other legal rules governing the business. It may include the exact rulings and decision of the courts. These affect the business and its managers to a great extent. Technological Forces: The business in a country is greatly influenced by the technological development. The technology adopted by the industries determines the type and quality of goods and services to be produced and the type and quality of plant and equipment to be used. Technological environment influences the business in terms of investment in technology, consistent application of technology and the effects of technology on markets. Competitive Forces: * Globalization of corporations, knowledge, products, consumers, and communication. * Growing competition within and across countries, amongst domestic companies, and between domestic and transnational companies. * Link between international trade and international labor standards and parallel efforts to secure labor market flexibility through relaxation of labor laws and standards for stimulating investment, both domestic and foreign * Speedy flow of information, capital, and innovation throughout the world. * Rising expectations of all stakeholders. * Easy access to the best and the least expensive products and services, worldwide. * Rapid pace of change ( £If the rate of change in our organization/society is slower than the rate of change outside the organization/society, we will be led by others.’) * Faster response time (As Smajda of the World Economic Forum avers, the days of big fish eating small fish are over. It is the fast fish which swallows the small fish.’) * Growing socio-economic inequity. Now, we are going to discuss about different sectors which are affected by these key external factors and take opportunities to it but threats are also exists. * Service Sector * Agriculture Sector * Telecom Industry * Cement Industry Service Sector Services sector is largest and fastest growing sector in the world economy, accounting largest share in total output and employment in most developed countries. In case of Pakistan, the shares of services are increasing in all sectors of economy over the period. In fact, the growth rate of services sector is higher than the growth rate of agriculture and industrial sector. The Services sector has registered a growth rate of 4.0 percent during July-March of the fiscal year 2011 12 against 4.4 percent last year. It is dominated by Finance and Insurance at 6.5 percent, Social and Community Services 6.8 percent and Wholesale and Retail Trade 3.6 percent. I. Distributive Services: Transport, Storage and Communications * Railways * Water Transport * Air Transport * Pipeline Transport * Road Transport * Mechanized * Non- Mechanized * Communications * Storage * Water Transport Wholesale, Retail Trade and Hotels and Restaurants * Wholesale and Retail Trade including * Imports * Purchase and Sale Agents and Brokers * Auctioning II. Producer Services: Financial Institution * State Bank of Pakistan * Commercial Bank * Other Financial Intermediaries * Insurance Corporations and Pension Funds III. Social Services: Public Administration and Defense Social Community and Private Services * Education * Medical and Health Services Environmental Scanning: Economic Forces The Services sector contributes 53.8% to Pakistan’s GDP. Its major sub sectors are Finance and Insurance, Transport and Storage, Wholesale and Retail Trade, Public Administration and Defense. Services contribution to our GDP is gradually increasing. During the current period of financial downturn, the services sector has been a major contributor to growth. Pakistan’s GDP grew at the rate of 2.4%in 2010-11. The services sector grew at the rate of 4.1% as against 2.9% last year. The main contributors to this growth are public admin and defense (13.2%) and social services sector (7.1%) A cursory look on the composition of subsectors that contribute most to the services sector shows that retail trade, wholesale trade, research and educational consultancy services, restaurants and hotels, financial, construction, and some business services, such as computer and information technology (IT) services, and professional services, such as engineering, legal and accounting services, IT and related services have been most significant. Banks, DFIs and insurance companies, account for 98 percent of value added in this sector. The finance and insurance sector comprises State Bank of Pakistan, all scheduled (domestic and foreign banks) development financial institutions (DFIs), all insurance (life and general) companies, Modaraba/leasing companies, moneychangers and stock exchange brokers. The financial sub-sector consists of all resident corporations principally engaged in financial intermediations or in auxiliary financial activities related to finance. Social, Cultural and Demographic Forces Demography and lifestyle changes have the major contribution to increase in the growth of consumer demand of services. Pakistan’s consumption data shows that the demand of services is increasing over the time. During the 1985-86 people spent more of their income on goods then services. A number of factors such as income growth, changing demographic profile due to more urbanization, and the socio-economic environment are having its impact on retail scene. Pakistan retail is currently a virgin territory. This is more important in view of the large number of middle class population and available high-disposable income in the age group 25-35 years. Successful Retail Chains like Hyper star, Metro & Makro has opened the avenues for the upcoming retailers. In Lahore, large numbers of households do the grocery shopping at Hyper star, Jalal sons, Alfatah, HKB, Metro, Makro and CSD. This shows the changing lifestyle and shopping preferences of the urban population of Pakistan. This retail growth is also supported by the increasing literacy rate in Pakistan; current urban population is more educated than their ancestors and has a better understanding of retailer influences on shopping as the larger retailer give quality assurances to consumers. Political, Governmental and Legal Forces Governments around the globe are gradually coming online using processes in which Information and Communications Technology (ICT) play an active and significant role, beyond simple digitalization, or automation of governance  services, or provision of LANs, since it is ultimately a tool for good governance and human development. The main objectives of e-Governance are to increase transparency of government working, increase and diversify public information and its value, and increase the quality of products and services being currently offered. This helps reduce high transaction costs (in terms of time, efforts and opportunities lost) by timely and relevant access to government information, especially for those who are disadvantaged or marginalized or living in remote rural areas. Services are still identified with line ministries and government departments; there is increasing recognition amongst policymakers for improvements in skill levels in many sectors and for a departure from inward-looking policies. In view of the dramatic changes in the services sector, regulatory and policy issues have continued to gain importance in policy-making circles for the last 15 years. Technological Forces Technology allows businesses to do everything faster. Many processes that once required ledgers, checkbooks and journal notations have now moved onto computer systems. Logging in and out, updating inventory information and communicating can now are happening much more swiftly. Technology moves very quickly, constantly evolving and creating new devices and faster systems. Businesses note these changes and attempt to move with technology, adapting it to their present and future needs. Pakistan has seen an explosive growth in the ICT sector in the last few years with deregulation and ending of the monopolies of the state sector. The number of mobile phones achieved their 2007 target two years earlier, and the recent deregulation of long distance (LDI) wireless local loops (WLL), other sections have served to provide faster, better and wide coverage, all at lower costs. Competitive Forces Of the non-factors input used by the services sectors, 61.1 percent were  purchased from commodity producing sectors, suggesting strong backward linkages of services with commodity producing sectors. Of the total purchases from the commodity sectors, 73.9 percent were purchased from manufacturing sector, followed by 14.6 percent from construction, and 7.7 percent from electricity and gas sectors. The service sectors purchases from agriculture sector account for 3.3 percent of total purchases from commodity sectors. About 76.5 percent of services sector (public administration and defiance, 40.6 percent and transport and communications 35.9 percent) made purchases from the commodity producing sectors respectively. Forward linkages the shares of individual service sectors in total purchases from commodity producing sectors are agriculture 28.1 percent, mining and manufacturing 70.2 percent, electricity and gas distribution 1.0 percent, and construction 0.7 percent. Technology also increases the possibility of crime. A tech-savvy employee can embezzle funds and make it difficult for the company to trace. Hackers can access personal and financial data of customers who trust the company to keep their information safe. Agriculture Sector Agriculture: Agriculture, also called farming or husbandry, is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi, and other life forms for food, fiber, biofuel and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the development of civilization. The study of agriculture is known as agricultural science. Agriculture generally speaking refers to human activities, although it is also observed in certain species of ant and termite. The word agriculture is the English adaptation of Latin agricultÃ… «ra, from ager, â€Å"a field†, and  cultÃ… «ra, â€Å"cultivation† in the strict sense of â€Å"tillage of the soil†. Thus, a literal reading of the word yields â€Å"tillage of fields†. Agriculture Sector in Pakistan: Pakistan has a rich and vast natural resource base, covering various ecological and climatic zones; due to which the country has great potential for producing all types of food produce. Agriculture has an important role in generating economic growth. Agriculture affects the economy in three ways namely, first, it provides food to consumers and fibers for domestic industry; second, it is a source of scarce foreign exchange earnings; and third, it provides a market for industrial goods. Agriculture Sector is a key sector of the economy and accounts for 21 percent of GDP. The supportive policies of the government resulted in a growth of 3.1 percent against 2.4 percent last year. Major Crops registered an accelerating growth of 3.2 percent compared to a negative growth of 0.2 percent last year. The major crops including Cotton, Sugarcane and Rice witnessed growth in production of 18.6 percent, 4.9 percent and 27.7 percent respectively. However, preliminary estimates of wheat production showed a negative growth due to late receding of flood waters in lower Sindh which hampered the timely cultivation of the wheat crop. Livestock has witnessed a marginally higher growth of 4.0 percent against the growth of 3.97 percent last year. Fisheries sector showed a growth of 1.8 percent. Forestry recorded a growth of 0.95 percent as compared to the contraction of 0.40 percent last year. The total geographical area of Pakistan is 79.6 million hectares. About 27percent of the area is currently under cultivation. Of this area, 80 percent is irrigated and Pakistan has one of the highest proportions of irrigated cropped area in the world. Most of Pakistan is classified as arid to semi-arid because rainfall is not sufficient to grow agricultural crops, forest and fruit plants and pastures. About 68 percent of the geographical area has annual rainfall of 250 mm, whereas about 24 percent has annual rainfall of251 to 500 mm. Only 8 percent of the geographical area has annual rainfall exceeding 500 mm. Hence supplemental water is required for profitable agricultural production, either from irrigation or through water harvesting. Agriculture is largely dependent on artificial means of  irrigation. Of the total cultivated area, about 82 percent or around 17.58 million hectares is irrigated, while crop production in the remaining 3.96 million hectares depends mainly upon rainfall. The Irrigation Canal Command Area (CCA) has been grouped into classes on the basis of the nature and severity of its limitations water logging, salinity, sodality and texture. At present about one-fifth of the cultivated land in CCA is affected by water logging and salinity to varying degrees. An additional area of 2.8 million hectares suffers from sodality. Notwithstanding huge investments, the water table was 0 to 1.5 m under 2.2 million hectares of irrigated land, 1.5 to 3 m under6 million hectares and 0to 3 m under 8 million hectares. Thus Pakistan needs to overhaul its entire drainage and reclamation strategy reduces its cost and makes it efficient. Environmental Scanning: Economic Forces Flooding in 2011, affected crops like rice, cotton and sugarcane, although in the current year, 2011-12, they performed well and provided support and continued to support food security objectives this year. The agriculture sector recorded a growth of 3.1 percent in 2011-12. The profitability of agriculture sector during 2011-12, remained high because the farmers received good prices for rice, cotton and sugarcane, which allowed for greater financial resources passed on to the rural economy. During 2011-12, the overall performance of agriculture sector exhibited a growth of 3.1 percent mainly due to positive growth in agriculture related subsectors, except minor crops. Major crops accounted for 31.9 percent of agricultural value added and experienced a growth of 3.2 percent in fiscal year 2011-12 with negative growth of 0.2 percent in 2011. The role of credit is instrumental in the agriculture sector where Pakistani farmers often lack finances necessary for carrying out vital farming activities. This issue, if not addressed, can cause a multitude of problems, ranging from the exploitation of poor farmers at the hands of informal sources of credit, to a slowdown in the adoption of modern farming techniques and inputs, resulting in slow development of this chief sector of our economy. Social, Cultural and Demographic Forces Agriculture generates productive employment opportunities for 45 percent of the country’s labor force and 60 percent of the rural population depends upon this sector for its livelihood. * Established 40 surveillance and 66 rapid response units (RRUs). * Processed 0.4 million samples of blood, tissues and swabs for screening against Avian Influenza * Establishment of the Bio security Laboratory-3 is under process * Disbursed Rs. 23.5 million as compensation to Avian Influenza affected farmers Pakistan is maintaining Avian Influenza (bird flu) free status since June 2008 million tons was from marine production and the remaining came from inland waters. In July-March, 2010-11 the production was estimated to be 937,082 million tons, where 672,652 million tons was marine and the remaining was produced by inland fishery sector. Recognizing the vital role the sector plays in ensuring food security, generating overall economic growth, reducing poverty and the transforming towards industrialization. Political, Legal and Governmental Forces The present government is determined to improve the quality of life of the people and to banish hunger and malnutrition from the country by making agriculture an efficient, productive and profitable sector of the economy. In order to improve governance in the public sector the government took bold steps and brought in the 18th Amendment to the Constitution of 1973. Accordingly, Ministries performing tasks which were provincial subjects were devolved from the Federal level, including the Ministry of Food and agriculture. Two major steps in order to solve the food security issues on a permanent basis; The first step is the establishment of the National Food Security Council representing Federal, Provincial and local level Governments. Secondly, through a Letter of Intent the Ministry, in collaboration with World Food Program, is launching the Zero Hunger Program  worth US $ 1.6 billion to address the food security objective. A total of 290 veterinary clinics have been established providing veterinary services at 70 percent reduced costs to rural farmers at their door steps i.e. 100 percent achievement. Technological Forces The Federal Seed Certification and Registration Department (FSC&RD) is engaged in providing seed certification coverage to public and private sector seed companies of the country. It provides seed quality control services through its 28 seed testing laboratories as well as monitoring of seed quality in the market. The activities and achievements of the department during 2011-12 are described below: * During the year 2011-12, forty-five (45) new seed companies were registered, making the total number of registered seed companies in the country 774, which includes four public sector and five multinational companies. * Twenty-two (22) new crop varieties were approved {(5) wheat, (11) cotton, (3) oilseeds, (2) pulses and (1) fodder}. * During 2011-12, different crops offered by the various seed agencies, totaling 502.6 thousand acres, were inspected for certification purposes. * During 2011-12, a total of 13.7 MT of imported seed of various crops and hybrids, with a total value of Rs. 3287.6 million, was tested under the Seed (Truth in Labeling) Rules. 1991 at the port of entries i.e. Lahore and Karachi. * Almost 718 samples of seed and propagating material of various vegetable and fruit crops were tested at the Central Seed Testing Laboratory, Islamabad for detection of fungal and viral disease using latest diagnosis techniques and protocols. The Federal Seed Certification and Registration Department (FSC&RD) is engaged in providing seed certification coverage to public and private sector seed companies of the country. It provides seed quality control services through its 28 seed testing laboratories as well as monitoring of seed quality in the market. Competitive Forces Pakistan is member of the Cairns Group (an alliance of 18 countries looking for ambitious outcome in the Market Access areas), G-20 (group for safeguarding interest of developing countries in agriculture negotiations) and the G-33 (group of developing countries and LDCs aiming to get preferential terms in Market Access and Special and Differential treatment). In negotiations on market access, domestic support and export competition, Pakistan’s stance is supportive of the G-20 collective position. Pakistan strongly supports improvement in market access by reducing tariffs, reducing tariff escalation, and eliminating tariff peaks. Pakistan also works closely with the Cairns Group on tropical products issues. Pakistan has entered into Free Trade Agreements (FTA) with China, Malaysia and Sri Lanka and has exchanged a draft FTA with Singapore which includes an investment protection clause. In addition to WTO membership, Pakistan is party to two agreements for regional trade liberalization. The Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) comprised of Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan; and the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) with India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Nepal and the Maldives. A Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) have been in place between Pakistan and the United States since July 2003. Both countries are now negotiating a Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT). Telecom Industry Telecommunication: Word Telecommunication has two parts. One is Tele and other is Communication. Communication means conveying or disseminating the information. Word Tele is a Latin word which means far off. Telecommunication is the dissemination of signals to a far palace for the purpose of sharing some message or idea. In ancient time codes, smokes, drums or other components were used for conveying information but now a day telephones, fax, emails etc is used. So now the new definition of Telecommunication states sharing of data over a distance, through electric means. Telecom Sector in the World: In this fastest growing world information flows through the signals and cables in form voice or text. Telecommunication is not just bringing the people together but it is also bringing different economies, cultures and countries together. Now we can see the whole world as a Global Village. Now Telecommunication is an essential part of our lives. With the Expansion of this sector, the world has gained about $3.85 trillion in year 2008. And the service revenues have reached about $2 Trillion and Expected to reach the level of $3 Trillion in 2013. And this revenue is about 3% of the World GDP. The major part of telecom sector is internet and Telephones. Telecom Sector in Pakistan: Pakistan is on the verge of Telecom revolution Pakistan continues to be one of the fastest growing telecom markets in the world. Reforms introduced by successive Pakistani governments over the last decade have dramatically changed the nature of telecommunications in the country. The Pakistani telecom sector has attracted more than $9 billion in foreign investments. During 2007-08, the Pakistani Communication sector alone received $ 1.62 billion in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) – about 30% of the country’s total foreign direct investment. By March 2009, Pakistan had 91 million mobile subscribers – 25 million more subscribers than reported in the same period 2008. In addition to 3.1 million fixed lines, while as many as 2.4 million are using Wireless Local Loop connections Pakistan is ranked 4th in terms of broadband Internet growth in the world, as the subscriber base of broadband Internet has been increasing rapidly with the total base crossing 170,000 in the country. The rankings are released by Point Topic Global broadband analysis, a global research centre. Pakistan according to PC World was amongst those top five countries with the highest SMS traffic processed with 763 million SMS during 2008-09. In terms of year-on-year growth, Pakistan traffic volume grew by 253 percent compared to last year during the same period. The contribution of telecom sector to the national exchequer increased to Rs 110 billion in the year 2007-08 on account of general sales tax, activation charges and other steps as compared to Rs 100 billion in the year 2006-07.Pakistan telecom industry is handling the telecom companies  which are operating at this time like Mobilink, Ufone, Warid, Telenor, Zong etc†¦