Barilla & Harvard Business School.

Nowadays, manufacturing and services firms face growing challenges to increase profit margins amidst increasingly fiercer competition. Under such circumstances, industry analysts and supply chain experts suggest manufacturers and service providers to promote more effective supply and demand planning, management, and execution as the means to unlocking significant gains in margins. By definition, Search CIO (2007) defines SCM as the management of information, materials, and finances along a chain of process from suppliers to manufacturers and then from manufacturers to customers.The interests in the discussion of supply chain management occur since it relates to costs reduction in all aspects of business process especially regarding the inventory reduction that suggests manufacturer produce goods when needed. The situation highlights that supply chain management will enhance lead time (time-to-market) of particular products, thus enabling all parties within an organization to manage t heir resources more effectively. Concerning the issue, this paper will describe supply chain management issue in Barilla spA, an Italian manufacturer that sells their products to its retailers mainly via third-party distributors.The competition in the market has caused unfavorable situation for Barilla during late 1980s when the company faced unpredictable demands from its distributors. 2. What are the reasons for the increase in variability in Barilla’s supply chain? Barilla maintains separate supply chain because the company has two general products: fresh and dry products, which required special treatment. In this situation, fresh products is mainly purchased from the two central distribution centers (CDCs) by independent agents who further channeled the products into 70 regional warehouses across Italy.Meanwhile, about two third of dry products are sold at supermarkets. Figure 1 explains the supply chain systems for Barilla. 3. How can Barilla cope with the increase in va riability? In order to succeed the distribution system, Barilla is known to practice the replenishment strategy, which describes an agreement between Barilla and their supplier to share the data about frequency and inventory levels to match Barilla demands (About. com, 2008).By delivering the products under the agreement with suppliers, Barilla is able to support their Just in time (JIT) distribution system, which is considered to be the optimum strategy to accomplish the company’s mission of having increased customers satisfaction. 4. What is the impact of transferring demand information across the supply chain? By sharing information between Barilla and their suppliers, there are positive impacts since the combination of JIT and replenishment strategy supports the demand fluctuations, reduced inventory level at warehouse, decreased stock-out levels etc.5. Can the Vendor Managed Inventory strategy solve the operational problems faced by Barilla? In Vendor Managed Inventory ( VMI) strategy, the suppliers have greater responsibility over the supply since they are required to determine the delivery frequency and inventory levels in order to maintain the agreed stock levels in warehouses. In addition, the practice of this system also helps Barilla to track out-of-stocks and other performance data, previous years’ sales history and trends.Therefore, the practice of Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI) has solved the operational problems at Barilla. 6. How can the supply chain meet conflicting goals of different partners and facilities? In order to avoid the conflict between different partners and suppliers of Barilla, the company must ensure that the implementation of Just in Time system will help the maintenance of satisfaction in services, inventory levels, and stock-out levels and others in which each supplier has taken part of the system.In addition, Barilla must also ensure that within implementation steps, the use of EDI to deliver the inventory infor mation is the same among suppliers so the reliability can be secured and the compatibility level can be reached. Reference: About. com. (2008). Reduce Inventory with these 3 Supplier Partnership Strategies. Retrieved September 7, 2008 from http://logistics. about. com/od/inventoryoptimization/a/supplier_partnr. htm Hammond, Janice H. (2008). Barilla SpA (A). Harvard Business School.O’Brien, Kevin and Brian Springman. (2004). Optimizing Supply Chains, Understanding Demands. Retrieved September 7, 2008 from http://www. crmbuyer. com/story/35892. html Search CIO. (2007). Supply Chain Management. Retrieved September 7, 2008 from http://searchcio. techtarget. com/sDefinition/0,,sid19_gci214546,00. html YAO Kao-hua, LIU Chang-chuan. (2006). An Integrated Approach for Measuring Supply Chain Performance. Journal of Modern Accounting and Auditing. Vol. 2, No. 10

Islam and Islamic Fundamentalism Essay

the lingering fear of terrorist attacks and threats to US homeland security. Indeed, the prejudice against Muslims and Islam adherents has become more pervasive in a post-9/11 America, where the racial stereotyping of Muslims as terrorists or suicide bombers endanger not only those who are cast in such a negative light but also those whose paranoia renders them insensitive and unable to fully grasp the roots of the conflicts based on faith. In his analysis of the roots of Islamic fundamentalism, Hashemi (2004) asserts that there is nothing particularly Islamic about Islamic fundamentalism. Instead, Islamic or any other form of religious fundamentalism for that matter should be examined not from the context of the religious ideology per se but from the social, political, and economic factors that shape and continue to affect the history and current events in Muslim societies. Indeed, Hashemi points to the ongoing social transformation and transition of Islamic societies from the traditional to modern that have been characterized by growing restlessness among the lower ranks of society especially with the connivance between the elite and foreign interests. To be able to understand how and why Islamic fundamentalism thrives and flourishes in a world that is supposedly dominantly democratic therefore requires an examination not only of the inherent characteristics of Islam as a religion and the entire cultural and economic spheres of Muslim life but also the influence of foreign policies of powerful nations on the development of these countries. It also entails an examination of the role of gender and class in the creation of socially acceptable standards for religious adherence and how attitudes and preconceived notions of religiosity affect the individual and collective decision to engage in hostile and violent religious activities. Thus, while religious fundamentalism may superficially appear to be the product of Islam’s teaching, Hashemi argues that it is the general tendency of extremists to take things literally; referring to the latter’s justification of violent actions as the â€Å"holy war† or jihad. Likewise, the rapid urbanization and modernization of these societies owing to the intervention of highly-industrialized economies and the subsequent imposition of foreign development paradigms on their own culture and way of life promotes the feeling of being threatened by the West’s tendency to homogenize cultures, ideologies, and economies, which give rise to the perceived need to defend Islam and the Muslim world in general. It could be, as Hashemi posits, that many individuals in the Muslim countries are attracted to the highly messianic premise of fundamentalist beliefs especially at a time when most of these countries are under attack from neo-liberal interests and the developed world is keen on its pursuit of strategic business interests in these regions. In the end, the motivations and driving force of Islamic Fundamentalism, as Hashemi says, may be likened to the very same social forces that have sparked the conflicts, upheavals, and revolutions at the eve of the birth of every new social order. Only this time, these forces happen to be bonded by their common allegiance to the Islamic faith and their pursuit for self-determination.

Decisions in Paradise Part 2 & 3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Decisions in Paradise Part 2 & 3 - Essay Example These should be planned well. Discuss with the team the estimated effort for each activity and ensure that the person who is assigned the activity is committed to completing it as well within the scheduleâ€Å" (Mariam, 2002). This can be done by implementing a mission statement that every employee is aware of. In turn these employees must know what their job is in relation to this mission statement and must be prepared to do whatever it takes to complete these tasks. In order to come up with this mission statement, brainstorming amongst those at the top of the company is necessary, as this statement will be what drives the future of the company. Once this plan in finalized, it can immediately be placed into action, which will help the company’s growth immensely. After all, it is very difficult to reach a goal when you are unaware of what it is, so a mission statement, along with some organizational planning, should be the company’s first priority. Within this planning , some discussion on how this will affect the country of Kava should be included. This means that jobs should be provided, with as little affect on the environment as possible. Also, steps should be taken to lessen the effects of potential disasters that could ruin business. The goal of human resources in this situation should be to keep a close affiliation with the various ethnic groups in Kava, while give each of them a hand in the company’s future. What this means is that workers can be employed from each ethnic groups, without one ethnic group being allowed superiority over the other. By forcing the different ethnic groups to work together, the company might be able to help support some cohersion between them. This would create a less hostile environment for all involved, as the different ethnic groups would be helping each other to improve their living conditions. By actively recruiting Kava residents, the company would be taking steps towards improving the company’s influence within

Introduction to film 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Introduction to film 2 - Essay Example Compared with other media, the distinctness of film is verisimilitude (Metz, quoted in Lechte 1994: 78) – creating a definite kind of credible resemblance or similarity to the real world (Kuhn 1985: 269). Unlike theatre, which is too real, film obtains its real power from its ability to produce reality by crossing unreality. Ironically, it is on this basis – creating an illusion of reality – that film achieves its realism, because it is this capacity of film, that the attitude of the spectator of ‘suspension of disbelief’ is achieved and where the power of film depends (Lechte 1994: 78). This â€Å"experience of realism in cinema is intricately tied to the impression, that the events and persons depicted are somehow real† (Riis 2002: 93). Here also lies the paradox of films: despite the knowledge that films are only screened, spectators still genuinely felt the portrayed events are genuinely happening (Riis 2002: 93; Kuhn 1985: 268). Also, thi s ‘impression of reality’ – the film’s defining mark, gives film the privilege to challenge analysis (Lechte 1994: 78). Films usually use three different styles in screenwriting: narrative/linear – tells the story chronologically, non-linear – defies chronology for example Quentin Tarantino’s â€Å"Pulp Fiction† (1994) and documentary – presenting reality in real-time (Niche Express.net 2009: 1-2). Fiction usually utilises linear and non-linear, while documentary film the documentary. Although realism principally characterises both fiction and documentary film (Kuhn 1985: 269), they still differ in their notion of representation, verisimilitude, realism, and reality, distinguishing them from each other. Documentary films are â€Å"strictly speaking †¦ non-fictional, ‘slice of life’ factual works of art †¦ [also] known as cinema verite† (Dirks 2009: 1) – in French means ‘cinema truth’ (Niche

Is Fashion important Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Is Fashion important - Essay Example Human nature is such that most people judge others without really caring to know their personality. Just as simple as looking at someone, it is possible to determine if an individual is stylish, neat, trendy, lazy, or disorganized (Evans 32). While one does not need to strive to be perfect every time, basic thought and upkeep into one’s appearance makes a huge difference in how people perceive the individual. Fashion also helps people to be creative. When people create something that they like, which ends up being successful, they feel good about themselves (Kawamura 21). For instance, a person who wears an outfit that he or she has never worn before and is complemented about it will have an increase in self-confidence and self-esteem. This makes the individual more willing to try out new things as he or she knows that it will be appreciated. Once an individual understand that there is no problem with looking different in comparison to the rest of society, they begin to acquire a signature look and style. This makes them less vulnerable to being stressed about their style. They do not feel the pressure of appearing similar as the rest. Through this, people gain confidence in themselves, promoting creativity in their lives and being expressive about

What are the arguments in favour of electoral reform in britain Essay

What are the arguments in favour of electoral reform in britain - Essay Example While people have greater disregard for politicians, many are looking at them with mistrust, as they feel that politicians have no solutions fro the ills that face the country. As, the country needs more aggressive approach towards politics and the requirement to bring the required changes in political culture and conduct of politics, the methods to do so should include expansion of citizenship and voter education programs. However, the greatest need is to change the voting system, without which the above-mentioned goals may not be achieved. Hence, this paper shall discuss on the merits of the desired changes, which are called as electoral reform for Great Britain. In this direction, the effective application of advantages of â€Å"Single Transferable Vote† (STV), would require massive interaction with the politicians and citizens, encouraging younger blood to participate in elections, analyzing electoral results and reporting of election news by media in a mature and responsible manner.....(Electoral Reform Society, 2009) While the liberal parties have always favored a change in the voting system, conservative parties like the labor party and its allies are happy with the present system of voting. However, the adoption of Proportional Representative method of voting would necessarily change the present system of FPTP. As this system is prevalent in UK and USA, we find number of countries in the continent that follow a liberal proportional representative (PR) system of voting. The present system of FPTP allows for demarcation of constituencies, according to their geographical location and demographic characteristics, while the electorate is divided into such constituencies allowing a candidate to contest polls from a particular territory. Under this system, there is no difference in the winning methodology as any candidate is winner, whether he or she

Regulation of Internet Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Regulation of Internet - Essay Example What is imperative here is an understanding that applies in unison for the Internet being a source of inspiration as well as dismay at the same time for a number of people all over the world. Why the Internet is being seen as a deterrent towards inculcating a prosperous society is largely dependent on the people who have used it for their ulterior motives. Then the only discussion to make headlines surrounds the basis of regulating the Internet so that it could be used properly. The kind of audience that visits the Internet daily is somewhat of a confusing scenario as older adults and teenagers hook on to the Internet to seek their own needs and wants. Now how Internet shapes up for them is somewhat of a diabolical question – which leaves many people surprised and confused at the same time. Regulating the usage of the Internet seems to be the best foot forward but then again who is going to decide what should be regulated and in what capacity? There are many questions that req uire adequately sound answers so that the topic of Internet regulation can be materialized further. The manner in which Internet needs to be regulated is a classic case in point. This is because there are certain nuances related with the Internet that deem more regulation than others. This means that the content aspect is one of the more serious pointers which need our attention. Some content on the Internet is illegal to be hosted on certain websites without proper litigation measures taken. Then again, copying data is an infringement which needs to be sorted out (Schwartz 357). There are people out there who would go to any limit to make sure that Internet is used for negative purposes. This does not come out as a major sign of optimism for anyone and the people at large suffer. Also the ones who are doing something worthwhile on the Internet are made to suffer since some websites get regulated and hence they have to face the brunt of it in the long run. Looking at the opposing vi ewpoint is also significant. This is because some of the Internet users are of the view that regulating Internet would mean that the speed will become slow and the servers will have a hard time coping up with similar issues. Therefore it would be in the best interest of the Internet users if they keep doing what they are undertaking without any rules and restrictions whatsoever. It will resolve quite a few issues that engulf the Internet users and amicably resolve many more that are about to crop up in the future. The need is to understand that Internet is an open domain and should be seen as such. These people opine that Internet must not be regulated under any scenario whatsoever since they do not want to miss out on what Internet offers them in entirety. Their viewpoints are generally not appreciated by the ones who believe in having regulations on the Internet. In the end, it would be sound to suggest that the regulation of Internet can be a good omen for keeping away the undesi red stuff on the Internet but there needs to be a proper mechanism for deploying such a nuance. What is even more imperative here is the fact that regulation of Internet must not hurt the people at large. The speed of the Internet should remain as such and if there are any compromising features, these must be taken care of in a quantifiable way. When this happens, people achieve the

Real Estate Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Real Estate Business - Essay Example me scholars gave that the word real property coinage came from a Spanish word real which means a king it puts that all the land belonged to the king and the people using it had to pay taxes to the king for its use either directly or indirectly. Real estate has become one of the biggest aspects in recent times and owing to the ever increasing interests in private property ownership it is known as commercial real estate. The required substantial investment in real estates and the unique nature of each has necessitated the development of key distinct fields in development of its industry (Rees, and Hayward, 2000) some of these are; Valuation and appraisal -services offered by experts in this sector Development -fixing or replacing investments such as buildings on land to increase its utility. Corporate real estate- achieving the goals of a corporation by managing its real estates Property management-controlling and organizing the functions of a real estate for a given party Brokerage- effecting or facilitating real estate business transaction through mediation. Net lease-the tenants of a real estate sharing the property among themselves A business entity can deal with one or more of the above fields in a certain kind of real estate business such as commercial, residential or industrial property. It is clearly evident that almost all businesses in construction relate to real estate (Isaac, 2002). Real estate valuation and appraisal is development of market value opinion of real property in business concept. Different property investments are usually distinctly identical given the fact that even if they are of the same model they can never be in the same location at a time, this situation shows the significance of the need to make appraisals and valuations of real...The author of the research essay "Real Estate Business" begins with short introduction of the subject. He assumes that a real estate that is synonymous to real property or realty is a word used to describe land and or with its developments like buildings or any other development that lay on it. Its aspects are well stipulated in the law of many countries in the world. In law the real property is clearly distinct from personal property. A real property is immobile, that is any investment whose title is only transferable along with the land such as the land itself and any thing that is permanently fixed to it for e xample minerals, buildings trees among others on the other hand personal property is movable with the owner retaining title not necessarily along with the land. Although it is believed to be not true theory some scholars gave that the word real property coinage came from a Spanish word real which means a king it puts that all the land belonged to the king and the people using it had to pay taxes to the king for its use either directly or indirectly. Real estate valuation and appraisal is development of market value opinion of real property in business concept. Different property investments are usually distinctly identical given the fact that even if they are of the same model they can never be in the same location at a time, this situation shows the significance of the need to make appraisals and valuations of real estates to determine their nature as an investment.

Blue Collar Jobs Essay Example for Free

Blue Collar Jobs Essay In the current economic situation in the U.S, graduating high school and going off to college for a degree has pretty much become the goal for most of the students here in the United States. According to the Institute of Education Sciences, studies have shown that between 1999 and 2009, the number of students in the United States perusing a degree in college full time has risen by almost 45% while part time students increased by 28%. With the vast expanding number of students, the number of job openings for these certain fields are simply not enough to provide every graduate with a job. Because of this problem the unemployment rates are staggeringly high here in the United States which includes the 44% those coming out of college. (Rampell) Take Kyle Bishop for example. Currently 24, he has been waiting tables, delivering beer, and working at a bookstore since 2009 when he graduated from the University of Pittsburgh. (Rampell) Stories like this arise every day and only more appear. It will eventually affect future college students pursuing a degree and those who return to study to obtain a degree. Despite these stories however, many companies have been seeking employees to fill up positions for months to years. Many of these jobs have included machinist, welder, and many more in manufacturing, hence blue collar jobs. Now you may be thinking, how can companies not fill up position for manual labor? But with the pace of the advancement of technology in modern society, machinery has become more complicated and requires a higher skill cap to use compared to before while the number of workers with the skill to operate them has been dwindling. In the North Dakota oil fields, there is a 30% shortage of petroleum engineers and a 10% shortage of machinists that the companies simply cannot find enough workers with the skillsets to fill up these positions. According to news article from the Dallas Morning News the workforce is very skilled but they’re mostly people with experience who are soon to retire. It seems like jobs can’t be found without experience and experience can’t be gained without a job however, many say vocational school may become a solution. Students will be able to gain experience by learning about certain jobs in the field and acquiring the skills required without the need of actually finding a job. More people would become qualified to take over the empty positions and those soon to be empty as people begin to retire and more skilled workers join the workforce which could ease the unemployment rates. Every move made can affect the future of the United States economy and the future workers. Education is certainly very important but obtaining skills to work certain jobs is probably one of the most important factors in getting a job.

Frq Apush Farmers vs Industrialization Essay Example for Free

Frq Apush Farmers vs Industrialization Essay The Gilded Age, a time of industrious growth and a surge of new immigrants. Americans had witnessed the death of rural life dominated by farmers and the birth of an urban and industrial America dominated by bankers, industrialists, and city dwellers. Overproduction led farmers into debt leaving them just an overflow of crops due to the repressed prices. Tariff Policies forced farmers to buy manufactured goods for survival. Farmers lost their status and power due to industrialization. Let’s just say farmers felt betrayed by their government and not letting them have voice. Overproduction was the most vexing problem during this time. The American farmer produced too much for their own good. As levels rise, the use of farm machinery increased it allowed the farmer to grow even more, new farming techniques, and the spread of railroads l made markets full of produce. As more and more crops were in the markets, it made the prices fall for the produce. Farmers were growing more and making less money. Of all the problems a farmer faced, overproduction was the gravest. Not making enough to recoup expenses because of depressed crop values, farmers attempted to compensate by producing more. This made the problem worse. The lack of income drove farmers into ever-deepening debt. Farmers fell victim to a tariff policy of the U.S. during the Gilded Age. It forced them to buy all the manufacture goods they needed for survival on a market protected by tariff legislation at high prices while selling what they produced on an unprotected market at reduced prices because of oversupply and foreign competitors. The government put a tax on the manufactured goods being imported into the U.S. by other manufactures. They hoped to make them more expensive than the American goods. For consumers would buy American goods. During this process it made American rapidly industrialized. Famers felt doubly discriminated against because they felt the tariffs were applied primarily to manufactured goods while their interests were left to fend for themselves. One of the hardest impacts due to industrialization for farmers was that they had to deal with the recognition that rural and agricultural America was given way to an urban and industrialized American. Dominated by the interests of big business, and government. Famers found the major political parties during the time unresponsive to their demands that government deal with their problems. Farmers no longer controlled the social, economic, or political systems. Which was a constant struggle for them to be heard, and did not feel appreciated. Farmers were impacted by industrialization in many ways causing many problems. Making a huge amount of them very unhappy during the Gilded Age.

Motivation For Language Learning Among Libyan Students English Language Essay

Motivation For Language Learning Among Libyan Students English Language Essay The motivation to learn a foreign or second language is a subject of some considerable interest nowadays. This has not always been the case. In 1956, Wally and Lambert believed that learning another language involved verbal ability and intelligence but notions like motivation, attitudes and anxiety were not considered to be of significance. Opinions have since changed and one might occasionally think that affective variables are the only influences worthy of consideration. Learning a foreign language can be a difficult and lengthy process and I would not be at all surprised to learn that several variables, so far not considered significant, were found to be of importance in second-language acquisition. Hitherto, research has concentrated on individual difference features of the student such as, language anxiety, attitudes and motivation, self-confidence, personality variables (e.g. risk-taking, desire to succeed, empathy and so on), intelligence, field independence, language learning strategies, and language aptitude. However, there are other variables and other classes of variables that could be considered. This essay will focus on motivation, as I believe that many of these other variables are reliant on motivation for their effects to be realized. For example, language-learning strategies are unlikely to be used if the learner is not motivated to learn the second language and a learner will be disinclined to take risks using the second language if he / she has little intention of learning it. Therefore, motivation is crucial, in the same way that language aptitude is, in determining the success or otherwise of learning a foreign language in a classroom setting. Ellis (1985) states that motivated individuals who integrate both linguistic and non-linguistic outcomes of the learning experience will accomplish desirable attitudes and a higher degree of second-language proficiency. Recent years have seen an increase in the number of Libyan students coming to the UK to study for postgraduate degrees. A major issue for most of these students is their poor command of English, both verbal and written. This naturally has a negative impact on their ability to integrate into life in England, both on and off campus. An examination of their motivation to learn English may highlight the linguistic challenges they face in England and the process of their adaptation to both their degree study and the new society and culture. Therefore, this essay will first undertake a literature review to look at research carried out into motivation for second-language acquisition. It will then describe and examine adult Libyan students instrumental and integrative motivation in learning English as a second language. Secondly, it will introduce a short semi-structured interview with postgraduate Libyan students who have not long been in the UK. The purpose of the interview is to establish whether their goal orientation is mainly instrumental or integrative. Some conclusions will be made before some implications for classroom teaching are drawn. Literature Review According to Dornyei (2009), it is necessary to know what motivation is so as to enhance the motivational intensity of students. He defines motivation as a cluster of factors that energize the behaviour and give it direction. Alkinson (2000: 123) defines motivation as the effort that learners put into learning a second language as a result of their needs or desire to learn it. According to Gardner and Lambert (1972), there are two types of motivation: integrative motivation and instrumental motivation. Gardner and Lambert (1972) state that integrative motivation occurs when learners are interested in learning about the second languages culture and want to communicate with speakers of that language and become integrated into that culture: a more interpersonal quality of learning. On the other hand, Gardner (1996) states that instrumental motivation refers to those students who learn a second language in order to gain some kind of advantage be it economic (better paid job) or social (better status). They are thus more practical and self-oriented. Lamp (2004) finds that most Libyan students who study English as a second language are instrumentally rather than integratively orientated. Dornyei Ushioda (2009: 53) believe that integrative orientation is an essential source of motivation because it is based firmly in learners personalities. As such it is likely to exert its influence over an extended period and to sustain learning efforts over the time which is necessary to achieve language learning success. Also, Skehan (1989) suggests that being integratively oriented leads to greater motivation, which in turn helps to sustain the learner throughout the long process of mastering a second language, particularly when that learner only starts learning the new language in high school. Instrumental motivation on the other hand is less effective because it is not rooted in the learners personality. It is therefore more susceptible to negative external influences and the learner is less likely to put in the effort required to attain cumulative progress. According to Lamb (2004), over the last few years, motivation has nevertheless been reconceptualised. He argues that integrative motivation is becoming increasingly unimportant in a globalizing world in which English is the medium of communication between speakers of many languages, from many cultures, for many purposes. The desire to integrate with the first language community hardly makes sense anymore. Therefore, the debate about the integrative concept has intensified and has taken a new turn. Dornyei Ushioda (2009), ask whether we can apply the concept of integrative orientation when there is no specific target reference group of speaker. In other words, does it makes sense to talk about integrative attitudes when ownership of English does not necessarily rest with a specific community of speaker, whether American English or British English? Moreover, does the notion of integrative motivation of learning English have any real meaning, given the increasing curricular reframing o f English as a universal basic skill to be taught from primary level alongside literacy and numeracy, and given the predicted decline in numbers of English as a foreign language learners by the end of this decade? These questions have led some second-language motivation researchers to rethink the concept of integrative motivation. Yashima (2002: 57), for example, expands the notion of integrativeness to refer to a generalised international outlook or international posture, which she defines with reference to Japanese learners of English who have an interest in foreign or international affairs, willingness to go overseas to stay or work, readiness to interact with intercultural patterns, and openness or a non-ethnocentric attitude toward different culture. Dornyei Ushioda (2009) expand this concept of international posture such that the external reference group moves from being a specific geographic and enthnolinguistic community to being a non-specific global community of English language users. Ushioda (2006) questions whether it is meaningful to conceptualise these points, i.e. is it meaningful to conceptualise the global community as an external reference group or as part of ones internal representation of oneself as a defacto member of that global community? This theoretical shift of focus to the internal domain of self and identity by researchers such as those mentioned above makes this a radical rethink of the original integrative concept. Dornyei and Csizer (2002) speculate that the process of identification theorised to underpin integrativeness might be better explained as an internal process of identification within the persons self-concept, rather than identification with an external reference group. Dornyei (2005: 175) developed this idea further by drawing on the psychological theory of possible selves. According to this theory, possible selves represent individuals ideas of what what they might become, what they would like to become, and what they afraid of becoming, and so provide a conceptual link between the self concept and motivation. Dornyei (2005) also builds on this theory of possible selves to develop a new conceptualisation of second- language motivation, the second language motivational self-system. Its central concept is the idea of self, which refers to the representation of the attributes that someone would ideally like to possess (i.e. a representation of personal hopes, aspirations or desires). In relation to second-language motivation, Breen (2001) argues that second-language aquisition theorists have not developed a comprehensive theory of identity that integrates the language learners and the language-learning context. Breen (2001) uses the term identity to describe how a person understands his/her relationship to the world, how that relationship is constructed across time and space, and how the person understands possibilities for the future. Breen (2001: 45) developed the motivational concept of investment to capture the socially and historically constructed relationship of the learner to the target language, and their often ambivalent desire to learn and practise it. When learners are interested in a language, they do so with the understanding that they will acquire a wider range of symbolic and material resources, which will enhance their culture capital, their identity and their desires for the future. Therefore, an investment in the target language is an investment in the learners own identity. Arnold (2002) proposed that in addition to the current research and theories, there is a need to draw on a wider variety of theoretical viewpoints in order to further our understanding of motivation in second-language learning. Of these, the more important ones that are relevant to this essay include the cognitive perspective of learner goal orientation, the theory of goal-setting and attributional theory, all of which will now be briefly discussed. Firstly, according to Pintrich (1989), the cognitive perspective differentiates two major learner goal orientations: intrinsic and extrinsic. Students demonstrate an extrinsic orientation if their reasons for engaging in a task are to acquire grades, rewards, or approval from others. Conversely, Arnold (2000) maintains that if the rationale for students engaging in a task is curiosity, challenge, mastery, or learning, then they are considered to be intrinsically oriented. Arnold (2000) also adds that there is much evidence in second-language acquisition literature to support the claim that intrinsic motivation is strongly connected to the outcomes of second-language learning. Harmer (2007) suggests, even where the original reason for taking up a language course, for example, is extrinsic, the chance of success will be greatly enhanced if the students come to love the learning process. According to Philips (2005) most Libyan students are extrinsically oriented. For example, all Libyan schools place a strong emphasis on tests, grades and competitiveness, all of which only serve to promote Libyan students extrinsic motivation. The students are only learning the second language to impress their parents and teachers rather than learning it because they love to do so. As a result, adult students who come to study in the UK have been extrinsically motivated to simply do enough to pass exams and get a well-paid job after graduating. Secondly, according to Locke Latham (1994: 55) the theory of goal setting is based on the principle that much human action is purposeful, because it is directed by conscious goals. This theory explains why some people carry out tasks better than others: those who are goal oriented perform better and achieve more. Garden (1985) states that there are two important aspects of goals: goal mechanisms and goal attributes. Content and intensity are the most widely studied goal attributes. However, goal specificity and goal difficulty are aspects of content which are most researched. Dornyei (2005) states that commitment is the most commonly studied feature of intensity and this is the degree to which a person is attracted to the goal, considers it significant, is determined to achieve it, and sticks with it in the face of difficulties. Locke and Latham (1996: 40) propose three direct mechanisms by which goals regulate performance: Firstly, goals direct activity toward actions which are goal appropriate at the expense of actions that are inappropriate. Secondly, goals adjust expenditure in that individuals regulate their effort according to the complexity level of the goal or task. Thirdly, goals influence the perseverance of action in situations where there are no time limits. Finally, Dornyei Ushioda (2009) define the attributional theory of motivation. This portrays human beings as scientists who are motivated to achieve a causal understanding of the world. These strivings for a causal explanation are supposed to have behavioural implications. In an achievement-related context, the chief sets of causes considered responsible for failure and success are: effort, ability, luck and task characteristics. Weiner (1992) states that these are analysed along two dimensions: stability and lack of control. The stability dimension contrasts ability and task difficulty, both of which are thought to be unchangeable, with effort and luck possibly changing on subsequent attempts to carry out a task. The lack of control aspect contrasts ability and effort (both internal factors) with task difficulty and luck (both external factors). In principle, individuals might attribute causes to any one of these four factors. Dont know if this is what you mean also not sure if it s very clear, especially the bit about dimensions and the following couple of sentences Motivation for Language Learning among Adult Libyan students in the UK: Instrumental or Integrative? It has been established that individuals learn a second language in two main ways: they are either instrumentally or integratively motivated. Among Libyan students, it would appear that instrumental motivation is more evident than integrative motivation and that teaching and learning for exams have dominated foreign language teaching in Libya. According to Philips (2005), in Libyan education, English is compulsory. The majority of Libyan language learners do not choose to learn English; consequently, many lack the internal drive for learning English and they have to depend on external driving forces. Philips (2005) adds that because English is compulsory, students see it as a means of improving their social standing. Moreover, the Libyan people think that almost everything can be attained through hard work, even if they take no personal interest in it. So, it is not unusual that Libyan EFL students learn English to qualify for graduate and postgraduate education, to prepare themselve s for the best future employment possible and to pass exams; all of which are external factors and which align with several collective social expectations. Johnson Krug (1980) believe integrative motivation to be more prevalent than instrumental motivation in the learning process, since without external influencing factors, the student becomes unmotivated to learn. This however is not the case in cross-cultural situations. Johnson Krug (1980) find that external driving forces, particularly those nurtured and supported by the exam system and curriculum in formal education, continue to motivate the Libyan EFL student. Many studies have looked at motivation in a Libyan context, and found that instrumental orientation is very common among Libyan EFL students. Kara (1992) maintains that 99% of Libyan students of English are only learning English for reasons of certificate motivation. Philips (2005) argues that most Libyan individuals learn English for utilitarian and patriotic reasons, for personal advancement as well as for national modernization and material gains. Libyan students are motivated to learn English because they believe that they will be financially better off in the future. Interview The aim of this short and semi-structured interview is to prove what has been shown through the research discussed above: namely that adult Libyan students who come to study in the UK exhibit signs of instrumental orientation rather than integrative orientation when it comes to their English learning experiences. This researcher will examine the motivation behind second-language acquisition in an informal setting and will interview postgraduate Libyan students who are undertaking MA and PhD studies in the UK. Research Questions Several questions were considered important for the purposes of this research. These were as follows: What has motivated Libyan students in the UK to learn English? Do you think it is important to learn English, and why? What was your reason for learning English in the UK? What are your attitudes towards British people? And finally what work youll be doing in your country after graduating in the UK? Participants and Data Collection Procedures Two postgraduate Libyan students who are studying for degrees in the UK participated in this study. For both students, this was their first time in the UK and their first time in an English speaking country. Both respondents were found through my own social network and were friends of a friend. See further details in Table (1) below. Name Gender Age Current subject Duration of study in the UK Mohammed Male 26 MA Medicines Three years Laila Female 29 PhD TESOL Four years Table 1 Data were collected from both students separately and at different times. Both students had already been in the UK for 18 months. Each interview took approximately 30 minutes. Both students gave permission for their answers to be taped during the interviews. Discussion Both respondents believe that English is of great importance to their academic education in the UK. Both had come to study at a postgraduate level in the UK in order to improve their career prospects and benefit financially upon graduating. As discussed before, these reasons show a distinct instrumental orientation in their motivation for learning English. Both respondents felt a current and urgent need to further improve their four skills reading, listening, speaking and writing of English despite their achievements in learning English in Libya before they came to the UK. Their experience of learning English in Libya involved particular training programs and / or formal instruction. This meant that they excelled at passing English exams rather than being able to converse in a practical way with English-speaking people. Having recognised that they might have some problems when they got to the UK, both respondents spent a year improving their knowledge of English before applying for their postgraduate courses. They also did this to assist them in their actual postgraduate work as both felt that they needed additional language skills in order to cope with their studies. Mohammed said oral skills are important to me because they help me to communicate with people from different parts of the world and also help me in my academic degree. With good oral skills I can cope more easily with academic activities such as communication or discussions with my supervisor, understanding seminars and talking to other students about their studies. Laila however, said (English) reading and writing skills are particularly significant when it comes to writing my thesis. It was obvious that both respondents tended to be more preoccupied with an instrumental orientation. Kara (1992) found that Libyas motivation for learning English is very job-oriented and certainly very pragmatic. Libyans learn English because learning English provides them with a sense of achievement and helps them secure better-paid jobs. For Mohammed, the practical aspects of the English language seemed to far outweigh the integrative dimension. He said Ill need English for my future career because I desire to work in the UK after graduating. My area of study is popular with the medical field in many countries, particularly in the UK. Working in the UK will be more lucrative for me than working in Libya. However, he added that if I were to find a job as a doctor and live in the UK, maybe I will have intrinsic goal orientations when it comes to learning English then because then I will want to be able to communicate with English people and have a deeper understanding of their comm unity and culture so that I can integrate and adjust to the society. The second interviewee, Laila said Studying English is essential to me since without it, an individual cannot be successful in any respected field, and also for me, studying English can be significant because if I am skilled in English, others will respect me more. In addition, she said, In my country Libya, people who get a good degree in an English speaking country find it easier to find a well-paid job because my country lacks qualified English teachers in higher education. She also added I am interested in using the Internet as a communication tool to help me learn about people from different countries. It is also useful for finding information and learning materials in English. Both respondents had negative attitudes towards British people that they had met. They felt that British people were arrogant, impatient and prejudiced. This could be considered further evidence of instrumental orientation. According to Dornyei Ushioda (2009), negative attitudes towards the target language community, may lead to a lack of interest in interacting with the people of the target language. Mohammed had experience of being treated rudely and impatiently by an English person when he had asked for directions. Having had this experience, he was less willing to interact with English people in case it happened again. Laila said my English landlord treated me less favourably in the allocation of rooms than English tenants who shared the same house. This is a sad example of a negative experience as a result of Lailas aspiration towards integrative motivation. Laila felt that her landlord was prejudiced against individuals from developing countries. She too has had negative experiences when trying to interact with ordinary British people in the street. Laila asked a woman for some directions to the coach station and this woman not only ignored the question but also walked quickly away. As a result, Laila has felt frustrated by some British people who she found to be very arrogant and would have preferred to avoid. Both respondents, despite their negative attitudes toward English people, felt that they were more successful in learning English in the UK than at home. Johnson Krug (1980) suggest that people who rated foreign people negatively were more successful than those who rated them positively and that the expression of negative feeling towards them only spurred them on to overcome and manipulate the people of the target language. Finally, both respondents were able to agree that their motivational goals with regard to learning English were instrumental. Both said that they hoped to get better-paid jobs after graduating and English skills were part of this overall plan. In summary, the interview process has shown that both Libyans were highly motivated to learn English and that they had a higher degree of instrumental motivation than integrative motivation. According to Pintrich (1989) and from his cognitive perspective, the data would indicate that both respondents exhibited extrinsic goal orientations. Both believed that learning English would assist them in their postgraduate studies, enhance their career prospects, improve their English interactions and communications and assist them in integrating into British communities. In other words, learning English was seen to improve their quality of life in the UK. Conclusion Motivation is one of the most significant factors influencing learners second-language proficiency and achievement. Libyan students show signs of being instrumentally motivated rather than integratively motivated. In order to illustrate this, an interview was set up to investigate motivation to learn English among Libyan postgraduate students. Data gathered during the interviews supported the theory that they had been motivated to learn out of the belief in the instrumental or extrinsic value of English, primarily for their studies and future career prospects. Some research showed that current English teaching methods in Libya are targeted towards achieving good grades rather than promoting proficiency. Whilst many Libyan students do well in the English exams in Libya, their ability to use English in an English-speaking environment on a day-to-day basis remains limited. It has been shown that instrumentally motivated EFL students in Libya learn English to increase their employment pr ospects, increase their salary expectations and for social advancement. Instrumental motivation is maintained through the exam system and its attendant teaching environment. Classroom implications According to Dornyei and Csizer (2001), teachers play an important role in maximizing students motivation to learn a second language in the classroom. To this end, there are some teaching and learning strategies, which could be employed in the English-learning classroom. Firstly, Dornyei and Csizer (2001) suggest that teachers should dispense with the traditional teacher-centered teaching methods and instead encourage students to use their initiative. English could be introduced using multi-media examples such as music, film, TV and literature. Once their interest is induced, students will be motivated to take part in classroom activities and so attain the goal of language learning. Teachers need to take on many roles: cooperator, organizer, informant, initiator, guide, participant and advisor. A learner-centered class is a successful class with learners playing the dominant role. Learner-centered dynamic classrooms can help learners to make progress and encourage them to practise the second language. Secondly, Dornyei (2001) states that teachers should create a relaxed atmosphere in the classroom because a tense atmosphere can cause anxiety amongst learners and this hinders their motivation and effectiveness in a foreign language. Additionally, teachers should choose teaching materials that are appropriate for the learners and that create a desire for learning. Authentic and interesting teaching materials enable learners to improve their verbal and oral communication skills in real-life situations. Thirdly, Dornyei (2001) adds that teachers should increase self-confidence among students of English through encouragement rather than scolding or criticising. Finally, Dornyei and Csizer (1998) assert that a teacher can increase students natural curiosity towards the English community and its culture by discussing things like geography, history, lifestyle, political matters, day-to-day living and using written, audio and visual information. Drawing upon the experience of students who have visited English-speaking countries is also a clever way to introduce interesting information. Teachers should help students to realize that they are not just learning English to pass exams. Students should look upon the exercise as a means of learning about other cultures, people and societies. Teachers of English should cultivate positive attitudes among their students towards English speaking people and cultures, thereby promoting integrative motivation for learning English. Check the spellings of the researchers names you quote there were several inconsistencies which Ive corrected (after checking in google) but you might like to check that they are indeed spelled correctly.

Distillation Essay -- Organic Chemistry Distillation Water Essays

Distillation I. Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The process of distillation has been used by humans for years to create alcoholic beverages. Distillation is the process of boiling a pair of liquids with different boiling points and then condensing the vapors above the boiling liquid in an attempt to separate them. One might suspect that the mixed two liquids of different boiling points could be separated simply by raising the temperature to the lower boiling point of the two liquids. However, this is not the case. The two liquids â€Å"boil† together at some temperature between their two boiling points.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Raoult’s law states that the vapor pressure of one liquid is equal to the product of the vapor pressure of the pure liquid and the mole fraction of that liquid in the liquid. The total vapor pressure is simply the sum of the partial pressures of the two liquid components. Dalton’s law states that the mole fraction of one liquid in the vapor is equal to the partial pressure of the liquid divided by the total pressure. These laws can help explain the process of fractional distillation.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When a mixture of ethanol and water is heated, it will boil at a temperature between 78.3 C (the boiling point of pure ethanol) and 100 C (the boiling point of pure water). In fractional distillation, the vapor will condense on a surface. The condensate will then evaporate again and then condense on another surface. This process will continue until the percentage of ethanol in the mixture continues to get larger as the percentage of water decreases. The more â€Å"surfaces† that the vapor settles on, the higher percentage of ethanol one will collect. However, one will never collect pure ethanol. Ethanol and water form an azeotrope at 78.15 C. An azeoptrope is a mixture of liquids of a certain definite composition that distills at a constant temperature without change in composition. The azeoptrope of ethanol and water will be 95% ethanol and 5% water.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The purpose of this experiment is to compare the processes of distillation and fractional distillation to discover which procedure enables a more pure sample of ethanol to be collected from an ethanol/water mixture. II. Procedure   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  For simple distillation, I added 4 mL of a 10-20% ethanol-water mixture to a 5 mL round-bottomed long-necked flask. I joined the flask to a distilling head fitted with a thermometer through... ...iling points will have a constant boiling point. 6. When water is distilled, it does not vaporize all at once when the boiling point is reached. When some water molecules evaporate, the kinetic energy of the remaining liquid goes down and the temperature drops slightly. As a result, the rest of the water needs to be heated again before more molecules of water evaporate. A constant source of heat is needed. 8. It is dangerous to carry out a distillation in a closed apparatus because vapor takes up more space than a liquid. So in a closed apparatus, the vapor pressure would build up, and the apparatus would explode. 9. Slower distillation results in better separation of liquids, because time is needed for the liquids to meet the vapors in the distillation/condensation process. If this is done too fast, then the vapor doesn’t go through as many distillation/condensation cycles, and the final sample will not be separated into its too components as much. 10. A packed fractionating column is more efficient than an unpacked one because a packed column provides more surface area for the vapor to condense on. The more it condenses, the more efficient the separation of the liquids.

A Pattern of Visionary Imagery in W. S. Merwin :: Poem Poet Essays

A Pattern of Visionary Imagery in W. S. Merwin After quoting Blake's own words to establish his work as essentially "'Visionary,'" and then defining that term as the "view of the world . . . as it really is when it is seen by human consciousness at its greatest height and intensity" (143), Northrop Frye suggests an important but largely ignored point for criticism in his essay "Blake After Two Centuries" when he observes that works like Aldous Huxley's The Doors of Perception "seem to show that the formal principles of this heightened vision are constantly latent in the mind," and that it is this constant availability of vision, near at hand but suppressed, which "perhaps explains the communicability of such visions" (143). Frye is right, of course, but there is another reason for his observation's importance to criticism, which is that the imagery and perceptions of visionary experiences, whatever their cause, occur in readily identifiable clusters, the affective nature of which is determined largely by the emotional reaction of the person experiencing them. Because of this, and because there are poets and authors other than Blake whose work is also visionary--that is, concerned to a large extent with the imagery and perceptions of what we now call altered states of consciousness--one can construct from various works and research on these states a visionary schema that will indicate not only when such a writer's subject is the unconscious, but whether his or her emotional reaction to it is positive, negative, or some ambivalent combination of the two. By means of such a schema, for example, it is possible to trace through W. S. Merwin's deep image poetry a pattern of reconciliation with the unconscious: to argue that, in the works published from 1962 through 1977, he moves from a generally negative sense of it to a far more positive one. Though individual poems in the collections ranging from The Moving Target to The Compass Flower reflect varying senses of the unconscious--there are quietly happy poems in his darkest collection The Lice, for instance--the general pattern in these books and those published between is one of a coming-to-terms with the unconscious, a movement visible largely as a coming-to-terms with death. Before arguing that this acceptance of death is no less than a willing (rather than a fearful) acceptance of the self-surrender necessary to any visionary experience or altered state, even one as specialized as the successful writing of deep image poetry, it is first necessary both to provide the general outlines of that schema mentioned above, and to establish that Merwin's work, like Blake's, is in fact visionary.

Arnold Fiend/ No Friend Essay

A protagonist by the name of Connie in the story short story entitled â€Å"Where are you going, Where have you been† by Joyce Carol Oates, soon learns that her trashy daydreams and self-absorbed behavior only leads to disaster by way of a man named Arnold Friend. Arnold Friend character in this story represents the devil. Connie, a horny high school freshman shows a strong disdain for family values but more concern with social reputation and slutty appearances. As the summer approaches she and her high school girlfriends obnoxiously parade the town seeking amusement from boys. Sneaky and scantily clad, Connie deceives her parents on a regular basis. While around her parents Connie dresses conservative and behaves graciously, reversely, in company of her friends she goes for the hooker look and carries herself as if she were a mindless teenage squander. Soon trouble finds it way in this rebellious teen’s life as she become more curious about her developing sexuality. In this exciting short story, Joyce Oates thrilled the reader with an intense built up suspense followed by a promising and thought provoking climax that not even the main character/ Connie could see coming. The story of a young naive and considerably dense girl takes place in a country suburb in a small and slow paced town. The story is told through the eyes of a mature, relaxed elder. The reader recognizes the use of music, as it holds a hypnotizing effect upon the young socialite as she endeavors a journey that leads to disaster. Vain and socially obscure, Connie feels confronted with the constant comparison of her older and more mature sister named June. More accepted and valued by her parents, June assisted in household chores and earnestly saved money. By ontrast, Connie’s friends did not accept June; she was favored more by her parents. â€Å"She sat on the bed, barefoot and listened for an hour and a half to a program called XYZ Sunday Jamboree, record after record of hard fast shrieking songs, she sang along with† (Giota/Oates) Following the need to engage in rebellious and worldly activities, Connie held immature aspirations of seeking thrills, the main character foolishly wastes her time thinking of nothing and listening to music all day, she shows no thought or action of obtaining more substance in her character. Connie’s worldly and promiscuous behavior soon attracts the devil himself. Honestly speaking, with the time Connie spent daydreaming about trash, she could have sought to become enlightened and about anything, be it family or world issues, but instead she chose to be a lofty regular at a local burger joint. Jane Barstow from the Salem press analyzes Connie’s actions: â€Å"For Connie, â€Å"the bright-lit, fly-infested restaurant† is a â€Å"sacred building† and the omnipresent music is like a â€Å"church service† always in the background, something on which she can depend. As if to parody Christian symbolism, Oates describes the â€Å"grinning boy,† holding a hamburger aloft, which caps the bottle-shaped restaurant. It is here that Connie finds the â€Å"haven and blessing† otherwise missing in her life. Barstow, (Jane) M. â€Å"Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?. † Masterplots II: Short Story Series, Revised Edition (2004): 1-3. MagillOnLiterature Plus. Web. 6 June 2012. Sadly, it was Connie’s idle mind attracted the devilish and scheming Arnold Friend. Connie refused to go to a Sunday BBQ with her family and chose instead to idle at home alone. Arnold Friend, a deceitful thirty- something portrays himself as a innocent eighteen year old he approaches Connie and ultimately rapes her. Through his convincing tone and devilish persistence, Arnold friend is viewed by most literary critics as Satan himself, The story has been subject to differing interpretations by various critics. It has been seen as an inverted fairy tale in which Connie is joined not with Prince Charming but with the Prince of Darkness. These readers have pointed out similarities between Arnold Friend and the devil: his disguise, his supernatural knowledge of the whereabouts of Connie’s family, his ability to lure Connie to him against her will, even his very name, which is by no coincidence close to â€Å"Arch Fiend. (Korb) When we take a look at the sinister character of â€Å"Friend† it easy to interpret him as the devil. Take out the â€Å"r† in Arnold Friend’s name and you clearly discern what Arnold represents; an old Fiend. Connie was attracted to Friend’s gold car, a color that is divine and often classified as the color of the gods. Before raping Connie, the satanic Friend inserts a boot in between Connie’s front door, â€Å"One of his boots was strange at an angle, as if his foot wasn’t in it† (592). The ways the reader of this short story can distinguish Friend’s character to be the devil is by noticing through the story Friend has trouble standing in his boots. Surely, Friend, like Satan has Goat leg, Clearly that is why he cannot stand in his boots. Exploring this further, The words scribed on Friends carâ€Å"MAN THE FLYING SAUCER† indeed has the same letters that spells out â€Å"HESATANLUCIFER† . † Through it all, however, she privately harbors innocent dreams of ideal love. One day, while home alone, she is approached by a strange man ominously named Arnold Friend, who is determined to seduce her and take her away. Rather than use force, Friend insinuates his way into Connie’s mind and subdues her vulnerable and emerging sexuality† Mann, Barry, and Alvin K. Benson. â€Å"Joyce Carol Oates. † Critical Survey Of Short Fiction, Second Revised Edition (2001): 1-7. MagillOnLiterature Plus. Web. 6 June 2012 Ultimately, â€Å"Where are you going, where have you been, expresses the need for teens to be conscious and active in positive thoughts and aspirations. The main character had a host of troublesome thoughts and instinctively acted upon them. When people are not present minded they become inhibit dangerous and undesirable lifestyle. The need to be present minded as a young person is great for such as reason as this. Rape and violence not only occurs when you don’t expect it, but it also occurs when are empty minded and not aware. In the perspective of a young person, Cars can represent freedom, popularity and liberty, but In the story, Connie was attracted to Satan through his car and the persuasion. Considering a conscience and active Connie, this rape would not have existed. In closing, Arnold and his secret code that is was scribed on his car 33, 19,17 is also a bible verse that also questions the a character of Where are you going, where have you been. It is clear that the author, Joyce Carol oats his finessed the idea of an eternal presence in this book. Using this story as a warning and as an example of what an idle mind brings can not only spare your life but also your innocence. Citations and sources: * Where are you going, where have you been/Intro to fiction/XJ Kennedy Diana Giota 11th ED. Where are you going,where have you been? , Joyce Carol Oates, Copyright 1970 Ontario review *A summary and analysis of Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?. Barstow, Jane M. Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?. † Masterplots II: Short Story Series, Revised Edition (2004): 1-3. MagillOnLiterature Plus. Web. 6 June 2012. * Korb, Rena. â€Å"An overview of â€Å"Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? †. † Short Stories for Students. Detroit: Gale, 2002. Literature Resource Center. Web. 13 June 2012. ** Where are you going, where have you been/Intro to fiction/XJ Kennedy Diana Giota 11th ED. Where are you going ,where have you been? , Joyce Carol Oates, Copyright 1970 Ontario review(592)

Effect of Mobile Phones on Life

Little's Theorem Little's Theorem (sometimes called Little's Law) is a statement of what was a â€Å"folk theorem† in operations research for many years: N = ? T where N is the random variable for the number of jobs or customers in a system, ? is the arrival rate at which jobs arrive, and T is the random variable for the time a job spends in the system (all of this assuming steady-state). What is remarkable about Little's Theorem is that it applies to any system, regardless of the arrival time process or what the â€Å"system† looks like inside.Proof: Define the following: ? ( t ) ? number of arrivals in the interval (0,t ) ? ( t ) ? number of departures in the interval (0,t ) N ( t ) ? number of jobs in the system at time t = ? (t ) ? ?( t ) ? ( t ) ? accumulated customer – seconds in (0,t ) These functions are graphically shown in the following figure: â‚ ¬ The shaded area between the arrival and departure curves is ? (t ) . ? t = arrival rate over the inter val (0,t ) ? (t ) t Elec 428 Little’s Theorem N t = average # of jobs during the interval (0,t ) = ? (t) t Tt = average time a job spends in the system in (0,t ) â‚ ¬ = ? (t) ? (t) â‚ ¬ ? ? ( t ) = Tt? ( t ) T ? (t ) ? Nt = t = ? t Tt t Assume that the following limits exist: â‚ ¬ lim ? t = ? t >? lim Tt = T t >? Then â‚ ¬ lim N t = N t >? also exists and is given by N = ? T . â‚ ¬ Keywords: Little's Law Little's Theorem Steady state Page 2 of 2

No More Guns

If you could invent something new, what product would you develop? Use specific details to explain why this invention is needed. Nowadays, most of people really need product that made their comfort or entertainment. If I could create something, I would like to invent solar car. It has many benefits to create because if people change a general car to be a solar car, the world would have more fuel; Expense would become less; the world would become a better place. Firstly, solar car does not need a fuel. In the future, if people still drive a general car, fuel would have no to find and then it would disappear to. Hence, solar car will is becoming essential for the future. Moreover, you can use money to pay for another thing instead of refilling a fuel. Thus, money in a bank will have more and more. Then, you can have money to use when the essential time will come. Finally, pollution will be lost because solar car not need a fuel to use. Unlike a general car that made air dirty. Air will become clean. Therefore, people will have a good health. Not only are good for the people but it also made the world become a better place. From the above, it is clear that why solar car will become important for people in the future. It is not use a fuel to be energy. It is saving your money to pay other things. Lastly, it is not too dangerous for human or nature.

Internal Controls Essay

Introduction It has come to the attention of the president of LJB Company that an evaluation is needed to determine the reliability and level of compliance of the company’s internal controls. It is imperative if the company is going public that it follow the regulations set forth by governing bodies. The punishment for violation of these regulations can be up to 20 years in prison. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 helps to ensure that shareholder investments and the general public are protected from fraudulent practices within accounting. According to SOX there are five components: 1) Assessment of Internal Control- An internal control report must be included in the company’s annual report. 2) No Altering of Financial Documents- If anyone falsifies or alters financial documents they are subject to criminal penalties that includes up to 20 year in prison. 3) Must Disclose Periodic Reports- Financial statements are required to be accurate as any items off-balance could be used in a fraudulent manner. 4) Data in a timely manner- Financial data must be presented within a reasonable timely manner. The information must be written in a way that any investor could make an educated decision about investing. 5) Types of disclosure controls- Each company or organization must have policies and procedures set forth that explains guidelines that will ensure proper finan cial disclosure. Internal Controls-Strengths The LJB Company does show some strengths in their internal controls including: 1) Using pre-numbered invoices- This allows for the company to account for all purchases and aide in making sure all purchases are recorded properly. This also enables the company to track any fraudulent cash disbursement in the event that invoices are missing. 2) Retaining employees- It reduces turnover time and the conflicts associated with being under staffed. LJB appears to have long standing commitments with their employees which is great for staff morale. 3) The suggestion of the use of an indelible ink machine for printing checks is a great idea as the ink cannot be erased or altered in any way. This aides in keeping fraudulent activities to a minimum and is a great way to incorporate more checks and balances to ensure compliance. Internal Controls- Opportunities for Improvement There are a few opportunities for improvement that a plan of correction should be put into place quickly to correct. 1) Segregation of Duties: The Treasurer and Controller should have separate duties. There should be at least one more employee to work alongside the account who has specific supervision over the accounts receivables and accounts payable functions. 2) Physical controls- It is required that companies keep physical controls such as documentation related to assets. From a risk management perspective it would be beneficial for the company to immediately place the printed payroll checks in the safe instead of them being left in someone’s office. IT should also set up specific employee log-in and passwords in order to be able to track what is being viewed by each employee and IT guidelines should be given to staff to ensure clarity of what is required of them. It is also recommended that there is a procedure for properly handling petty cash. Employees should not be able to just leave notes but have to request and justify the need for petty cash. A proper tracking mechanism should be put into place- a recommendation would be to use employee numbers to log the expense. 3) Human Resource controls- It is recommended that a thorough background check be completed on all eligible applicants. This will provide and verify information regarding the applicant, as well as confirm/deny any criminal activities. This should be implemented as soon as possible as this is a great way to aide in protecting the company’s assets. In conclusion,  if these recommendations are adhered to and all issues addressed appropriately it is very likely that the LJB Company will be less prone to fraud and reduce errors and mistakes. References Harrison, W.T., Horngren, C.T., Thomas, W. (2013). Financial Accounting, 9th Edition. Pearson Education, Inc. (2006). The Sarbanes-Oxley Act 2002. In A Guide to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Retrieved June 3, 2014 from www.soxlaw.com.

Animal Experimentation Essay examples -- Animal Rights

It is unethical to use the cruel methods of animal experimentation for our own benefit alone. The animals used in research range from birds, dogs, cats, and pigs to name a few. So many innocent creatures put up with the immense pain so that science experiments can be made and new products can be put on the shelves. Many of the animals used in the testing and experiments are blind, severely burned, poisoned, or mutilated (â€Å"Animals in Product Testing.†). Even when a product is labeled â€Å"cruelty free† or â€Å"not tested on animals† the individual ingredients that make up the product are likely to have been tested on animals at some point (Macfarlane et al., 191). Also, anesthesia is not required by law to give to small lab animals such as rats and mice, it is the lab's choice if the animals will receive pain medication or sedatives ("Health Sciences Center Animal Research Facility - Conducting Research with Animals."). The animals are either killed as a re sult of the experiments, or they are injured so severely that they must be euthanized. According to the National Anti-Vivisection Society, animals have had their eyes pried open, their skin burned, and bones broken. The experiments would sometimes result in spinal cord or brain injury (Anderagg et al., 2006). There are two main types of test involved in animal experimentation; the Draize test and the LD-50 test. The Draize test meas... ... middle of paper ... ...98. Web. 19 Nov. 2011. "Health Sciences Center Animal Research Facility - Conducting Research with Animals."UNM Health Sciences Center at the University of New Mexico. 2011. Web. 19 Nov. 2011. "Lab Animal Alternatives - The Three Rs." MSPCA Homepage. 2009. Web. 19 Nov. 2011. MacFarlane, Martin, Penny Jones, Carstin Goebel, Eric Dufour, Joanna Rowland, Daisuke Araki, Margit Costabel-Farkas, Nicola Hewitt, Julila Habatallah, Annette Kirst, Pauline McNamee, Florian Shallauf, and Julia Scheel. "A Tiered Approach to the Use of Alternatives to Animal Testing for the Safety Assessment of Cosmetics: Skin Irritation." Regulatory Toxicology Pharmacology: RTP 54.2 (2009): 188-96.Academic Search Premier. Web. 19 Nov. 2011. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, â€Å"Annual Report Animal Usage by Fiscal Year," 6 Jul. 2010. Web. 19 Nov. 2011.

Modest Proposal-Satire Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Modest Proposal-Satire - Essay Example And even under Obama, the US is still involved in a deadly conflict in Afghanistan, in which many young men and women are dying on a fairly regular basis. Of course, in these situations, it was not just the US presidents who were sending their forces into war: Ho Chi Minh, Saddam Hussein, and Osama Bin Laden have also been there on the other side, sending their own forces (although fewer young women are among them) to die in the name of a politicized, extremist religion. The solution which I propose to the pervasive problem of war between nations is simple and effective, and it is amazing that no one has thought of it before. To fully understand the solution, you must put yourself into the boots of a ground soldier. It is no matter what army they are fighting for; you make take your pick. In every case, they are fighting for someone else. They are fighting because someone is telling them that, for example, Iraq has WMD, or that America is the Great Satan. A lot of them are young men and women with no personal, political, religious, or ideological stake in the war for which they are expected to lay down their lives. My friend Pat from childhood went to Iraq with the Navy; he joined the Navy out of high school as a way to earn extra money for college, and he wanted to buy a sports car, which he was able to do with his signing bonus. Pat did not care about Iraq or WMD: he could not even locate Iraq on a map. He had no personal dealings with, or vendett a against, either Osama Bin Laden or Saddam Hussein. For that matter, he didn’t like Bush; he used him as an example of a person who had a â€Å"free ride.† Now that you know Pat, and how much he didn’t care about the issues before he was sent to Iraq to risk his life, you might wonder who should have been sent, and who should have fought. Here is the simple answer: George W. Bush and Saddam Hussein. They are the

The Applications Biological Concepts Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Applications Biological Concepts - Essay Example As the research declares a woman may seeks the intervention of the court to give orders compelling a man pay for the upkeep of the children, the woman’s claims that a particular man is the father of her child may be refuted by that man. In such cases, the DNA of the child and that of the suspected father will be matched before the court compels the man to take full responsibilities of taking care of the child. From the report it is clear scientist uses the microbial populations to help in recycling of environmental wastes. If microbial life was not evolving, our environment would consist of heaps of wastes that are difficult to recycle using microbes, however, evolution of populations in the microorganisms like Fungi has made it possible to degrade environmental contaminants like lignin. Microbes have important application in the wastewater treatment practices. The microbial life helps in the removal of organic matters from the sewerage system. Such practice makes it safe to return the water to the streams and the rivers. The evolution of microbes is utilized in the treatment of sewerage. The diversity of microbial population in the environment plays a critical role in nutrient recycling. Scientist use microbes in the discovery of essential products through a process called biosynthesis. Examples of biosynthetic products are the vitamins C and vitamin B12, which are obtained from using the fermentation practices of specific bacteria.

Human Resource Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 15000 words

Human Resource Management - Essay Example The Model of Work Stress is a model that is also recommended by The Management Standards, and continuously updated and revised by Palmer and Cooper (2003). It explains the relationship between the main stress-related hazards, the symptoms and outcomes. Qualitative research was conducted on 50 participants taken from a sample of NHS healthcare workers who responded through email and personal interviews. Out of the 60 contacted healthcare workers, 50 responded and answered the questionnaires which became the basis for the Analysis of the Results. Some of the questions asked in the interview and questionnaire involved ‘harmful errors’ and ‘near misses’; i.e., whether the respondents made the mistakes as a result of work related stress. The answers and suggestions of some of the participants in the survey proved intriguing yet worthy of scrutiny and analysis for possible recommendations and future study. Work related stress is on the rise in many occupations but mostly upon health workers. Health workers in the NHS do their job round the clock and the impact has resulted into stress, thereby causing illnesses and sicknesses and subsequent early retirement. It is presumed that many succumb to stress, after a day’s work – or the whole week’s work – of caring for the sick, the emergency victims, the aged and the disabled who always give a call. NHS employees are subjected to a rigorous work; they are out there in the open giving first aid to emergency victims, in hospitals and clinics, providing care and treatment, and even in NHS offices and facilities doing work for health improvement. Varied reasons were provided by nurses who had left NHS, some of which are lack of career progression, limited professional development, resistance to service improvements, non-family-friendly working patterns, bullying, inflexible and hierarchical management, poor morale, dangerous or inadequate

Building Hisense brand equity through selected marketing programmes- A Thesis

Building Hisense brand equity through selected marketing programmes- A study on the relationship among brand equity, marketing mix elements and consumer respons - Thesis Example er to test the defined structural research framework and research hypotheses empirical research was conducted on the sample of Hisense consumers in Johannesburg, South Africa. The Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) and the multiple regression statistical method with the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS 11.0) are used to analyze the data. The concept of brand equity has received significant attention from both scientists and marketing practice, which resulted in a large number of articles and books on the subject (e.g. Aaker, 1991 and 1996; Aaker and Keller, 1990; Farquhar1990; Aaker and Biel, 1993; Keller, 1993; Agarwal and Rao, 1996; Yoo et al., 2000; Morgan, 2000; Rio, et al., 2001; Datta, 2003, Moore et al., 2002; Keller, 2003). The importance of brand equity consists of numerous benefits for companies that own brands. One of the benefits provided by high brand equity is the possibility of brand extension to other product categories. Generally, brand extension is defined as the use of an existing brand name for entry into a new product category (Aaker and Keller, 1990). When compared to new brand names, brand extensions have lower advertising costs and higher sales (Smith and Park, 1992). Successful brand extensions contribute to higher brand equity of the original brand (Dacin and Smith, 1994; Keller and Aaker, 1992); However, unsuccessful extensions may reduce the brand equity of the parent brand (Aaker, 1993; Loken and John, 1993). Aaker and Keller (1990) developed a model for consumer evaluation of brand extensions and a number of authors worked on generalization of this model (Barrett et al., 1999; Bottomley and Doyle, 1996; Sunde and Brodie, 1993). In addition, brand equity increases (1) willingness of consumers to pay premium prices, (2) possibility of brand licensing, (3) efficiency of marketing communication, (4) willingness of stores to collaborate and provide support, (5) elasticity of consumers to price reductions, and (6) inelasticity

Is it right to suggest that Strategies are not worth the Paper they Essay

Is it right to suggest that Strategies are not worth the Paper they are Written On - Essay Example 7 – 8). Strategy innovation that challenges the existing models is the only way for new companies to succeed in the face of competition and enormous resource disadvantages. Without investigating how best to create money, it is unlikely that wealth creation will occur and growth may not necessarily the best way to go for all firms. Although managers may feel that delivering quality at the right price will deliver the desired results, it will be important for them to know how best to do this (Hamel, 1998, Pp. 7 – 8). Even if the competitive environment is changing rapidly, it still makes sense to try to understand the trends to decide how best to take advantage of these. Thus, although a need may exist to reinvent the practice of strategy, it will be wrong to suggest that strategy itself is worthless because deciding about how to achieve an end cannot be useless. Mintzberg (1987, Pp. 25 – 30) suggests that organisations need to set their direction and focus if they are to succeed and even though this idea emerged more than twenty years ago, it is still right today. It is likely that if the grand strategy for an organisation is correct, the performance will be superior compared to the case when no strategy is prepared and performance depends on chance. Although a focus on strategy may blind an organisation to the need for properly managing its operations, without a strategy it will be difficult to have properly focused operations. Strategy presents a focus, which results in a coordination of organisational activity in an attempt to achieve the optimal. Strategy encourages an organisation to appropriately acquire, organise and utilise resources. In addition, strategy... It should be obvious from the discussion presented in the essay that despite the fact that rapid change now presents greater demands on strategy formulation, it will be wrong to suggest that strategies are not worth the paper. However, because information is now readily available, collaboration is far more rapid and the business environment is global with global markets and customers shaping demand, strategy needs leadership, an emphasis on superior processes for formulation, an attention to detail and rigor, participation, inputs from trends and patterns, inputs from organisational learning and experience, optimal implementation and well-considered execution. Without an approach that emphasises the craft in strategy formulation, flawed strategy can present disasters for organisations. Now, strategy is a continuous and never-ending process rather than a one-off plan.

Sleep and consciousness Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Sleep and consciousness - Essay Example Some scientist and philosophers have defined death based on the functioning of the circulatory system as a state when there is irreversible cessation of circulation. Since different definitions have been given to explain death, there are several criteria’s that are used to determine death. In case of whole brain damage complete cessation of all clinical functions is a major criterion which could be demonstrated as coma. Similarly irreversible cessation of brainstem functions with absence of brainstem reflexes. Other criteria include absence of any other confounding factors, absence of motor responses, and apnoea. Neurological and cardiopulmonary tests are done to ascertain the death of an individual. In the neurological tests irretrievable brain stem function is determined, while in the cardiopulmonary test irretrievable absence of heart beat and breathing are determined. However, after much debate it has been decided that the cardiopulmonary criteria of death which declares t hat the heart will not auto-resuscitate and which occurs first is a sufficient enough criterion to declare that a person is dead as it might take some time for the neurological criteria to occur. b) How do brain death and vegetative state differ? Consider a) behavioral, respiratory (â€Å"apnoea†means lack of breathing), b) damage to specific brain structures, and c) brain activity (e.g. EEG, fMRI, PET). The major criterion for a person to be declared brain dead is presence of coma characterized by irreversible brain damage, while in the case of vegetative state; a person is awake but totally unaware of the surroundings. Such a vegetative state can be partially or totally reversed. However persistent vegetative state cannot be reversed. Brain death can be diagnosed more quickly that irreversible vegetative state as it may take any where between 3 to 12 months depending on the extent of injury to the brain to ascertain vegetative state. Brain dead patients require artificial ventilation

History Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 7

History - Assignment Example A. Boxer rebellion is the outcome of a rebellious action from a group called ‘Boxers’ which was a Righteous and harmonist group in china. The main aim of this group was to get rid of all the foreign influence present in china and retain their own cultural heritage. During 1899, this group was battling against Christian foes in which many foreign officials got killed. This group was the reason for weakening the power of chin dynasty and also influenced the republic revolution which made china a republic nation. 4 . Lin Zexu -Lin Zexu was the scholar and official of high moral conduct in the Qing dynasty of china. He was famous for his ardent fight against the opium trade to protect his people from destruction. 5. Pu Yi – the Last Emperor of China – Pu Yi was the youngest Chinese emperor who was given the throne by the empress Dowager cixi in 1908.He was a cruel emperor and often tortured his servants for minor offences and was dethroned during the Chinese revolution. 6. Constitution of 1890 in Japan – The Japanese leaders in 1890 formed a constitution called â€Å"meji constitution† to impress the westerners of their power and strength. In this constitution the supreme power was with the emperor and other had minor rights to vote. 7. Treaty of Shimonoseki – This treaty is also known as Treaty of Maguan and was signed on April 17, 1895 between Japanese Empire and Qing Dynasty of China. According to this treaty the China mainly acknowledged the independence of Korea and renounced any belonging to

Market for Energy Drinks Essay Example for Free

Market for Energy Drinks Essay 3.How is the market for energy drinks, sports drinks and vitamin-enhanced beverages changing? What are the underlying drivers of change and how might those forces individually or collectively make the industry more or less attractive? The market for energy drinks, sports drinks and vitamin-enhanced beverages kept on changing through differentiation from other brands to have a better brand image and also to meet the demands of the consumers as it is said that USA has helped greatly in the growth of the industry. Because of the significance of brand recognition, the sellers kept on building the product and how it to be most familiar. Product innovation, one of the market’s drivers of change, is said to be the most important competitive features of the alternative beverage industry. Alternative beverages competed on the basis of differentiation from traditional drinks (carbonated soft drinks or fruit juices) so for energy drinks, they often changed the taste, the energy boosting of their ingredients, and image. It is also through marketing innovation and efficient distribution systems that the industry kept on changing by always having varied its packaging, clever ads, endorsements from celebrities/athletes and sponsorships. Alternative beverage sellers also need to have efficient distribution systems to be successful in the industry. These forces only made the industry attractive because it can attract first time buyers through product and marketing innovation and offer responsive customer service to large customers which may then lead to an increase in market demand, make competition more intense and lead to a higher industry profitability.

Poverty And Environmental Degradation In Ghana Environmental Sciences Essay

Poverty And Environmental Degradation In Ghana Environmental Sciences Essay The relation between poverty levels and environmental degradation has been widely debated inside academic circles. The theoretical linkage between poverty and environmental degradation has for some time been shroud in ambiguity. Environment degradation and poverty are closely interrelated and inseparable, particularly in developing countries. Awareness and concern about environmental degradation have grown around the world over the last few decades; these concerns are shared by people of different nations, cultures, religions and social classes. In recent years economic researchers have become increasingly aware of the important implications that the state of the environment has for the success of development effort. .(Michael P Todaro, Stephen C Smith, Economic Development) it has been asserted that the interaction between poverty and environmental degradation can lead to a self perpetuating process in which ,as a result of ignorance or economic necessity, communities may in advertently destroy or exhaust the resources on which they depend for survival.(Michael P Todaro, Stephen C Smith, Economic Development) According to Michael P Todaro and Stephen C Smith, environmental degradation can have severe consequences on the poor in developing countries. They further conclude that since the solution to environmental problems involve enhancing the productivity of resources and improving living conditions among the poor, achieving environmentally sustainable growth is synonymous with achieving economic growth. Poverty is considered a great influence on environmental degradation. In many regions of the developing countries, regional overgrazing has resulted in destruction of grazing lands, forest and soil. In addition air and water have been degraded . It has been hypothesized that as people become poorer, they destroy the resources faster . By so doing tend to overuse the natural resources because they dont have any means of survival except through the natural resources. They therefore tend to depend more on natural resources. An increase in poverty gives rise to an equal increase in environmental degradation thereby necessitating the need to improve the quality of living. Ghana is located on the west coast of Africa bordering the Gulf of Guinea with a 539-kilometer stretch of coastline. The capital, Accra, is situated along the coast. The country shares borders with Togo to the east, Cote dIvoire on the west and Burkina Faso to the north. Ghana covers a total area of 238,537 square km (92,100 square miles). Ghana is well endowed with natural resources gold, timber, and cocoa the major sources of foreign exchange, and recently discovered oil in commercial quantities. The domestic economy continues to revolve around subsistence agriculture, which accounts for 34.7 percent of GDP and employs 56 percent of the work force, mainly smallholders. The country has a total of 170 metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies within its ten administrative regions and has approximately 22 million people. Most of the population is concentrated in the southern part of the country, with highest densities occurring in urban and cocoa-producing areas.(USAID) . Ghana is rapidly urbanizing. Despite this, most of Ghanas poor live in rural areas without basic services such as health care and clean water. Small-scale farmers, who are affected most by rural poverty in Ghana, depend on outdated farming tools and lack access to improved seeds and fertilizers to increase crop yields. Since independence Ghana has had a long fight with poverty. There have been six development plans implemented in Ghana since 1951. They have all generally sought to improve upon the growth of GDP and ensuring an acceptable level of social and political life for the country. The most recent and significant have been the Vision 2020 and The Ghana Poverty Reduction Strategy.( Eugene Eluerkeh,2004) Environmental degradation is difficult to define. In simple terms environmental degradation can be said to be the deterioration of the environment through depletion of resources such as air, water and soil, the destruction of the ecosystems and the extinction of wildlife. Poverty is the state of having inadequate access to ones survival needs and basic social amenities which include food, clothing, shelter, education, good health, employment, transport, communication and other basic social services. Poverty breeds frustration, depression, helplessness, carelessness, insecurity, indiscipline, crime and struggle to meet immediate survival needs at the expense of long-term environmental benefits. This struggle for survival has been the major linkage of the poor to environmental degradation such as deforestation, land degradation of coastal habitats and poor urban sanitation that keep perpetual poverty. Poverty can be assessed at the individual, household, community, district, regional and national levels in which case a nations capability to provide the social needs of its people is used as a measure of its poverty status. One out of five people on earth still live with $1 a day, and many coordinated effort and commitment have been targeted to reduce the number of poor people including the socalled Millennium Development Goals: halving extreme poverty by the year 2015 (World Bank, DFID, EC, UNDP, 2002). As part of the conditions to be met for the realization of (HIPC) relief package, Ghana, like its counterpart countries, was to develop a Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) to indicate how monies accrued from joining (HIPC) would be used to alleviate poverty among Ghanaians. The broad strategies outlined in the document included good governance, macro-economic stability, production, employment, vulnerability and exclusion, and human resource development. Unfortunately, however, the environment, which is the primary ingredient for survival, growth and development was not streamlined in the document. Environmental degradation is a result of the dynamic inter play of socio-economic, institutional and technological activities. Environmental changes may be driven by many factors including economic growth, population growth, urbanization, intensification of agriculture, rising energy use and transportation. Poverty still remains a problem at the root of several environmental problems. Poverty is said to be both cause and effect of environmental degradation. The circular link between poverty and environment is an extremely complex phenomenon. Inequality may foster unsustainability because the poor, who rely on natural resources more than the rich, deplete natural resources faster as they have no real prospects of gaining access to other types of resources. Moreover, degraded environment can accelerate the process of impoverishment, again because the poor depend directly on natural assets Environmental sustainability should thus, be a key priority area in our strategic plans towards poverty alleviation. Within this context therefore, the right linkage between the various specific environmental degradation and poverty must be well established to the appreciation of all stakeholders. In search of an explanation of the poverty- environmental degradation linkage, many studies have been done in this regard. In terms of urban poverty, it is suggested that there is little evidence of it being a significant contributor to environmental degradation but strong evidence that urban environ-mental hazards are major contributors to urban poverty (David Satterthwaite). Most of the studies on the poverty-environment linkage have used panel data studies and hence have not been country specific. This study thus aims to explore in detail the poverty-environment linkage with specific reference to the Ghanaian situation. It will thus review the existing literature on the poverty-environment linkage, provide an overview of the poverty and environment profile in Ghana and attempt to provide policy recommendations suitable for the Ghanaian situation. Statement of Problem Poverty in Ghana has for a long been considered an economic problem. Hence economic policies that have been developed haved not considered the environment. It is however useful to consider the interplay between the environment and poverty in formulating policies designed to alleviate poverty. Various studies have established that there exists some kind of dynamic interplay between the state of the environment and poverty levels. Hence it is useful to consider the impact of the various economic policies designed to reduce poverty on the environment. Significance of the study The study will be of immense significance to the economy of Ghana. It will attempt to explain the poverty-environment linkage in Ghana. The study will review the literature on the poverty and environmental profile of Ghana. It will then explore the impact that policy reforms that have been designed to alleviate poverty have had on the environment. Objectives of the study The main objective of the study will be to: explore the poverty-environmental degradation linkage in Ghana. Explore the determinants of environmental degradation im Ghana. Elaborate on steps taken to reduce environmental degradation in Ghana Evaluate the existing economic policies designed to reduce poverty Data and Methodology The study will use macro data on poverty levels and measures on environmental degradation. To achieve the above objectives the study will adopt and modify the model used by Shaista Alam in the study Globalization, Poverty and Environmental Degradation: Sustainable Development in Pakistan . The model is given as: lnEGt= ÃŽÂ ²0+ÃŽÂ ²1lnPVRTt+ÃŽÂ ²2lnFRTt+ÃŽÂ ²3lnURBNt+ÃŽÂ ²4lnPOPt+ÃŽÂ ²5lnEDUt+ÃŽÂ µ where the variables are defined as follows: EG is environmental degradation,FRT is fertilizer consumption (in metric tons), URBN is the rate of urbanization, POP is the population growth, PVRT represents poverty, EDU is the education.