Recording, analysing and using HR information Essay

It is beneficial for a business to collect a variety of data to gain an understating of its performance to satisfy compliance legislation. However the information collected needs to be useful, relevant and selective. Raw data collected can be converted into useful information. It is important for human resources (HR) to collect data to meet legal requirements, keep necessary contact details of employees, records all contractual arrangements and to provide supporting information in the event of a claim that may be made against an organisation. It also supports an organisation when making decisions. Data can be collected in two different types of formats within an organisation. These are quantitative and qualitative. Quantitative is data collected numerically which allows for data to be measured and calculated. Quantitative is a descriptive method of collecting data. This type of data can be observed but not measured. These two different types of data support HR practices in a number of different ways, such as, showing patterns of absence relating to employees, highlighting any learning and development requirements that an individual may require, trends’ in staff turnover and key performance indicators. Customer feedback can also be obtained to allow a business to improve it services and costs can also be easily monitored. HR data can be stored by a number of different methods each having advantages and disadvantages. Data can be stored electronically and non-electronically. Storing data electronically can be beneficial as it is easy to access, can be shared easily and takes up less space. Online HR systems are available to employees where data and information can be added and updated by an individual and also can be accessed by one or more people such as line managers. This is useful for appraisals and monitoring performance. Storing data electronically through databases is also more secure than manual documents. Sorting data manually such as diaries, word processing documents and paper based surveys also has its benefits as it can be more cost effective to a business and cannot be easily lost where electronic data could be. Also employees require less training to store and organise manual data. There is an array of different UK legislations currently enforced relating to data and legislation is in place to enforce correct storing, recording and accessibility of data. One of these UK legislations are The Data Protection Act, The information commissioner has produced a code of conduct relating to the data protection act. This applies to personal data held and the legitimate grounds for this being held, which information is classed as sensitive and cannot be gathered without explicit permission. Another type of current UK legislation is the Human Rights act. This confers the right of respect of privacy on individuals and provides for employees in the public sector to take legal actions against their employer of they consider their rights infringed.

African American Criticism Essay

Lois Tyson in the â€Å"African American Criticism† section of his famous book â€Å"Critical Theory Today† tried to make familiar the readers with the fundamental aspects of African American literary history. In this mission he explained different important and concerning factors which arise in the mind of the reader while reading the book. Actually to satisfy the need of the students who are ignorant or less knowledgeable about different major issues of African American History like the Great Migration, the Civil Rights movement, the Black Power Movement and many others, he wrote this book. Moreover African American being a large population in the United States contributed immensely to the arts and literature of the American society. He also drew the attention of the readers of the book to the unjustified fact of exclusion of the African American history and culture from the authorized description of American history during 1960s. Throughout the section the author called for a major change in the self-identification and self-awareness of the African Americans in the late 1960s. Moreover he also pointed out the fact that then many African Americans were victims of internalized racism which â€Å"results from the psychological programming by which a racist society indoctrinates people of color to believe in white superiority† (Tyson 383). Mentioning some examples the author showed that this internalized racism sometimes led to intra-racial racism by giving birth to severe discriminations to the black people. This intra-racial racism had its own adverse effects on the socio economic structure of the Postcolonial American society. Readers also come to know that apart from being the victims of both internalized racism and intra-racial racism which have devastating psychological effects among the African Americans, they also suffered from â€Å"economic hardship and social marginalization caused by institutionalized racism† (Tyson 383). The story also nicely portrays that how these African Americans experienced â€Å"double consciousness† or â€Å"double vision† in this Postcolonial American society. Actually they have to follow two different cultures. The first is original black culture which is followed at the home and the other is European culture gifted by the white-skinned Americans which is followed at the school or college or workplace. This book also discusses the evolution of American literature and the influence of Afro centric literature on it. Critics often agree that most of the African American literature highlighted different sociological and political issues which greatly influence the lives of African Americans. So far what we have discussed the different aspects of African American Criticism and the much awaited response which came into play to make this artifact a grand success and thus helping the African Americans to get a congenial and favorable environment to live in. Thus the book was able to portray the conditions of African Americans giving much importance to their history and criticized the whole thing with a positive attitude which left a deep impact on a large number of people. Works Cited Tyson, Lois. Critical Theory Today: A User-Friendly Guide. New York: Garland Publishing, Inc. , 1999.

Effects of Child Abuse Essay

Child abuse is a prevailing problem in society that must be addressed at the soonest possible time. However, it is one of the most difficult problems to address as well since there are only certain ways by which it can be monitored. What makes it even harder is the fact that the parents themselves are sometimes the abusers. Thus, it sometimes difficult to help the child since his primary guardian is the abuser himself. Child abuse by parents can be extremely detrimental to children. The effects of such abuse may become evident during their childhood or when the child grows up and enters adulthood. The long-term consequences of child abuse are sometimes grave enough that they ruin the life of the adult. Experiences of child abuse as a child affect not just the personality of the adult but his relationship with his parents as well. For obvious reasons, when parents abuse their children, they strain their relationship with the children. One cannot expect an adult, who was abused by his parent as a child, to maintain a close relationship with them. Child abuse has psychological effects that may hinder the development of the person’s character and identity. This is especially true the abuser is the parent. For instance, the abused child is expected to have low self-esteem that stems from the fact that his own parents do not love him. Abusing him is a clear sign to him that they do not love him. Thus, without his parents’ love, the individual may lack the self confidence and self esteem to function in society.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The abuse causes the child to distance himself from the parent. Later on, as he grows up, this often translates to difficulty in forming attachments with other adults and his peers. The child’s insecurity and lack of self-esteem can extend to his adult life. Thus, when the child becomes an adult, he does not feel secured and more importantly, he lives a restrained life.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   These consequences and effects of child abuse do not only affect the individual’s life. These consequences challenge the very ideals upon which the American way of life is built upon. Americans believe that they have the right to have a family who enjoys security and freedom. However, the mere fact that the children are abused within the confines of their very own homes and within their own families, the idea of being secure is greatly eroded. Moreover, the abuse hinders the freedom of the child. As the child grows up, he does so with such American ideals left in ruins. In a way, the abuse he experienced as a child may reflect on how he treats his own children as he forms a family of his own.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The effects of parental child abuse of any kind exhibit themselves as the child becomes an adult. It is an experience that the individual bears with him long after the acts were committed. Not only does the abuse mold his personality, it affects his ideals in life as well. His ideals on family, society, and relationships are changed and may transfer to his own family. Such transfer may become chain reaction which will be to the detriment of society in general. It is for this reason that the problem must be acted on and must be prevented as much as possible.

Where you sit on a commercial aircraft can determine if you survive an Research Paper

Where you sit on a commercial aircraft can determine if you survive an airplane crash - Research Paper Example Several studies have analyzed plane accidents in the past in an effort to find out which seats can be considered as being safe. Before any passenger tries to locate the safest seat while boarding a plane, it is important to take note of the realization basing on the past accidents that the ratio of a passenger dying in the event of a crash while using one of the top twenty five airlines considered to be the safest is 1 to 5.4 million (Noland 2). This implies that airlines have become safer and safer with time. It is also true that the chances of surviving while using airliners which have a history of crashing is placed at thirty percent. Considering the two facts above, basing of the statistics, the selection of a safer seat can improve your chances of surviving while travelling in commercial aircrafts in case of a ditch or a crash. Ditching refers to the situation where a plane is forced to land in a place that is not a runway. A good example of a ditch is the accident that took place in January 2009 in Hudson River involving a U. S Airways jet. In this accident, no fatalities were recorded. A crash on the other hand refers to the situation where a pilot is helpless hence has no control over the plane or an attempt by the pilot to ditch a plane misfires (Noland 1). The manufacturers of aircrafts, airline companies as well as Federal Aviation Administration have come up with quotes insisting that all seats are safe in a plane. Several studies have been conducted in relation to such quotes with most studies dismissing the quotes. One of such studies is the ‘Popular Mechanic’ magazine which analyzed data on airline crashes from 1971 and examined the seating positions of the survivors. According to its findings, the magazine concluded that in any airline, the safest seats are the rear seats located behind the wing (Noland 1). From the studies, it was observed that passengers sitting at the rear cabin had a forty percent chance of

Fashion as a Culture and Identity Expression Tool Essay

Fashion as a Culture and Identity Expression Tool - Essay Example The essay "Fashion as a Culture and Identity Expression Tool" discovers the culture and identity expression tool of fashion. Travelling and interacting with the outside world exposes individuals to the multicultural nature of the world and the way different people in the globe dress. Through fashion, a Vietnamese is presented with an opportunity to represent his culture through construct and expressive identities in bigger cities across the world where they mingle with strangers. Through fashion, expressive statement about one’s individual culture and identities is enhanced as the accessories and nature of the clothing can only be directly associated with their clothing type. In this essay, the impacts of traditional and cultural wear in representing the identity and culture of a given group of people will be discussed. One example of a traditional wear that has been used to represent identities and make expressive statements about identities is the Indian women swear. Indian women have specific traditional wears such as the sari that is known and associated with the Indian women across the globe. This fashion has enabled the Indian women to make expressive statements about their individual identities and personality. The development of the world fashion can be described as a contemporary and cosmopolitan fashion that is exposed to the dynamics of changes blended by the different cultures. As a result, different new dresses and fashions are created daily and these include the use of the trench coats.

SLP Time Warp 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

SLP Time Warp 2 - Essay Example Using the formula of the volume-cost-profit, the CVP determines the relationship between the three aspects and thus helps in decision-making, and strategy development. One key benefit of utilizing the CVP tool as an analytical tool is in its ability to facilitate making of decisions as pertains the three products under analysis, the X5, X6, and the X7. Further, its benefits include the capability of making decisions for a particular year, not at its start, but at the conclusion of the previous year (Bivainiene, 2010). The utilization of the CVP is diverse and includes, but not limited to the calculation of the point of breakeven, as well as calculations of the possible prices of varied products that would yield a pre-specified profit margin. The main core of this project is to have a better performance as compared to that of Joe Schmoe, determined by the profit margin generated in the three products, X5, X6, and X7. The strategy to be adopted in this case will, therefore, be focused on increased revenue development that surpasses the amount that the company generated under the captainship of Joe Schmoe (Slotegraaf & Pauwels, 2008). Under Joe Schmoe, the amount of revenue generated for the years extending 2012 -2015 was $ 954, 830, 241. This strategic analysis wills thus focuses on the generation of revenues to the tune of $ 1, 000, 000, 000. The manner in which this figure is hoped to be attained is depicted in the table displayed below. The accuracy of this table is guaranteed since any figures have been arrived at after careful analysis of the Time Warp 1 and profits attained by Joe Schmoe. Profit allocation for $1, 000, 000, 000. Product X5: Having been in the market for a period of about 3 years, the developmental stage for the product can be defined as being between maturity and shakeout. The sensitivity of the products price has the consequent affect that to increase in the sale of the various units; a price reduction may come in handy. This, in essence, is the strategy for growth that we plan to implement as concerns product X5. After inputting such variables as the R & D, the price, ands the aspired profit into a CVP calculator, we can confidently calculate the relation between the targeted profit and the sales volume projected. The same procedure was repeated in the year 2013. However, the product line was discontinued since it is evident that the profitability of the product X5 is limited, attributable to its attaining its maturity phase. This table is reflective of the volume of sales required to achieve the $ 1 million in terms of profits, assuming that the product X5 is sold at $ 245, with a 30% R & D, yielding a total value of about 1, 676, 190 units. This figure is arrived at by a calculation of the cumulative revenue as a factor of the unit price. Alternatively, this calculation can be made via the sum of the fixed costs as a ratio of profits, calculated by their contribution margin in each unit. Product X6 The product X6, one of the products in the tablet development, boasts of a 2 year existence in the market. Unlike in the case of the X5, the product X6 reveals that customers look into such issue as performance and quality in making decisions on whether to purchase a specific product or not. The product quality is directly related to the specifications

The most important lessons Catholic school principals should draw from Essay

The most important lessons Catholic school principals should draw from the history of Catholic Church - Essay Example The principals should understand that the most important task of any Catholic School is to maintain continuous strength of the schools. The history of Catholic Church gives out the important lessons that the principals should be aware. Such lessons are; the school should be sustained by gospel witness, have supernatural mission and vision, founded on Christianity, animated by communion and community, and filled with Catholic principals throughout. This essay gives an outline of all these five important lessons that Catholic School Head teachers should be familiar. Supernatural Vision The Catholic Church terms education as the process of transforming children to fix their eyes on heaven. The major purpose of Catholic Church education is to educate students to be good citizens and God-fearing ones. Therefore, the Schools’ Principals should ensure that they produce citizens who have good morals and follow the will of Almighty. Catholic Schools, unlike other institutions such as Government, business, and media, which view education as an instrument for acquisition information to students to improve their living standard and chances of worldly success, Catholic Churches’ vision of education is to help student improve their moral behaviors, be God loving, and become saints of the world to come. Christian Anthropology Foundation The Catholic Churches emphasizes on Supernatural destiny of students meaning that schools should perfect all students to become good images of God. The Catholic history describes that graces depends on the nature of the human beings. Therefore, the Principals should be aware that Catholic School educators should be able to understand the human person. The educators should have both natural and supernatural power of perfection of the students under their care (Stewart, 2008:212). However, the Catholic history emphasizes on schools educational philosophy built on a proper understa nding of what human person is. All the Catholic School educators should teach his lessons with Christianity concept. Therefore, Catholic Schools, unlike other public schools is not a factory of teaching skills to fulfill the skill requirement for business and industry, and must be founded on Christian Anthropology. Animated on Communion and Community According to Catholic History, a school is a community of persons and faith. Due to this emphasis, Catholic Schools are different from public schools and roots to the nature of human being and church reality. Therefore, catholic schools are educational community. Schools' Principals should be aware that Catholic schools are as a community according to the church Council (Stewart, 2008:121). The dimension of this community is a theological perception rather than sociological group. Catholic History defines school in four areas: teamwork of the involved, educators and bishops’ cooperation, teacher-students’ interaction, and physical environment of the school. The principal should ensure that the school adheres to all these aspects for a smooth running of the schools. Schools should be always imbued with Catholic Worldview One of the key factors of a Catholic school is the permeation of Catholicism spirit throughout its curriculum. According to Catholic history, the purpose of education in school is to perfect growth of the students. Education has the main purpose of developing students’ capability by improving his or her physical, psychological, moral standards, and religious capabilities (Stewart, 2008:293). In order for the school to produce integral students, it must have gospel guidance. Therefore, the principals should ensure tha

Logitechs Quality of Strategy Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Logitechs Quality of Strategy - Case Study Example Their product line incorporates Internet video cameras, mice and trackballs, keyboards, audio and telephony products, interactive gaming devices and 3D controller. Logitech's founding stones were kept in Apples, Vaud, Switzerland, in 1981 by two Stanford Masters alumni, Daniel Borel and Pierluigi Zappacosta, Logitech revolutionized the computer peripheral industry by introducing the first mouse ever it now leads the computer industry with a wide range of innovative products that ease the PC navigation. Logitech's specialty is creating an interface between humans and the digital domain. But what started out as a niche market is now a major business operating in more than 150 countries worldwide, maintaining an excellent global brand image with huge shelf space and an extended line of products. "Each year, we roll out 100 new products," claimed Sandro Isteri, Director Swiss Operations Logitech International recognizing the leadership of its company. Logitech's success pivots on a number of factors of which the greatest change was the recruitment of Guerrino De Luca, the current President And CEO of Logitech International, in 1997. Guerrino De Luca had the experience that Logitech needed when he became its president and chief executive officer in 1998: he was an engineer who knew marketing. Under his direction, sales of Logitech products exploded, in less then a span of seven years Logitech's Co-founder and current chairman saw its not so very competent company quadrupling profits every year and leading the charts in NASDAQ and Japanese exchange. De Luca's achievements at Logitech accounted for his outstanding leadership and innovative qualities, firm determination and above his luck, "As our luck always worked for us.." remarked De Luca while discussing he thoughts on company's performance at a quarterly meeting. Logitech's business strategy has centered on efficient pricing and innovation and the major change that De Luca brought to the company was a swing from technology-centered operations to Consumer-centered policies. He realized that despite being in the technology business, the focus should be on successfully marketing the product rather eliminating technological barriers. This is the reason why Logitech's products are efficiently designed and aesthetically developed. "People buy our mouse because it glows", said De Luca emphasizing on the need to lure customer with visual quality and design. The Key factor of De Luca's leadership was a revision of market segmentation strategies which resulted in shift from OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) products to high-margin branded commodities for the retail market. This adjustment to the target market worked wonders for Logitech as it was exposed to the mass market segment and by the Fiscal Year 2006 it generated 89% of its revenues from the retail market. In less then two years, at the brink of the Millennium posed huge threats to its closest competitor Microsoft and it now positioned itself as the company providing accessories to users of PC rather than only novel buyers. Logitech's management soon realized that in order to rule the market it was necessary to concentrate on the basic principle of Marketing and to employee the "You" attitude with the customers and actually finding out what they want rather then mere assumptions. For this purpose a more flat

Multiculturalism in Contemporary Britain Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Multiculturalism in Contemporary Britain - Essay Example On the basis of the essay, it may be noted that the prejudices of the British public may function as fuel for racism and discrimination towards minorities, which legislation has attempted to address. The researcher describes that Government attempts to build cohesion and may be partially beneficial in addressing the divide between the majority and minority groups, to prevent riots and unrest in society. However, underlying causes of inequalities in economic areas must continue to be addressed through policy initiatives. This essay uses Parekh's research of example and states that he believes that in a multicultural society, the common point to build unity among all the people and to promote a sense of belonging is a political foundation, a shared commitment to a political community. A multicultural society would also respect the diversity of its peoples and allow each ethnic, cultural or other group to feel secure through the provisions made in its laws and shared political outlook. As a result of this, the authorities generally tend to consult with several of these minority organizations rather than a few leaders who are said to represent the entire community and as a result, a more democratic society ensures with a more positive image among the police and the community about minority members and their needs and culture which in turn could work towards promoting greater understanding among races and communities and prevent the racial violence that erupts through misunderstanding.

Community Career Interview Activity Research Paper

Community Career Interview Activity - Research Paper Example The interview takes place at the community center on 15th May 2012 at 5 pm. This paper describes the interview process; dealing with the new information gained that is useful in a professional setting, as well as the course. No difficulties were experienced in the conduct of the interview; this is with regard to finding the venue, locating the interviewee, as well as gaining answers. Immense new knowledge was acquired through the interview, which is applicable in the professional sense. However, the program is also instrumental in showing the effects of drug abuse; hence preventing persons from experimenting with drugs. The center manager highlighted some of the critical elements regarding the organization, its services and its overall importance to the community. The organization provides quality prevention, correctional, and intervention programs for persons suffering from drug addiction. The organization is a meeting point for drug addicts and addiction specialists. The organization centers on affording intervention and rehabilitation services to drug addicts within the community. It also serves as a link between drug addicts and government-based treatment centers that run inpatient programs through support groups for persons addicted to alcohol, heroin, cocaine, marijuana, and other drugs (Siegel, 2005). The drug rehabilitation program run by the community center helps the area residents in many ways. This information is quite important as it ensures others gain knowledge of the problem of addiction and how addicts can obtain assistance. Firstly, the program provides necessary treatment for drug addicts in the community, allowing for the rehabilitation of such persons (Siegel, 2005). Through joint efforts with the government, the program provides employment opportunities to rehabilitated drug addicts.

Narrative (fiction) texts Essay Example for Free

Narrative (fiction) texts Essay Children should be able to distinguish narrative texts from expository ones. For a child to be familiar with each type of text means to possess sound communicational, analytical, reading, and writing skills. DQ 14 It is critical that children are able to distinguish expository texts from narrative works of writing. Generally, there are several features which make narrative and expository texts different from each other. Narrative (fiction) texts are filled with numerous sensory details. Personal experience is not a rare subject of fiction stories. Fiction literary works are usually told from a first person’s view. In many instances, the author of a fiction story will refer to personal interpretation of events and phenomena by using â€Å"I† or â€Å"we† pronouns. Expository (non-fiction) texts are primarily aimed at informing, explaining, or persuading the reader. Expository texts are not colored with emotions, being written from a non-personal (often neutrally objective) viewpoint, and carrying no sensory details. Expository texts are never written in the first person (Vacca, 1999). Children should be able to differentiate expository texts from narrative literary works. Children need these skills to read and interpret texts, to be able to search and analyze the required information, to choose a correct writing style according to the specific writing needs and circumstances (Vacca, 1999). The process of education requires using either expository or narrative information as the source of knowledge on various curriculum subjects. To understand the meaning of a word, to communicate with audiences, to acquire new information, and to use this information to achieve personal goals, children need to possess sound knowledge on what a fiction, and what a non-fiction text is. The five examples of fiction books: Louis Ehlert’s Red Leaf, Yellow Leaf; Mary Hoffman’s Amazing Grace; Jerry Stanley’s Children on the Dust Bowl; Harriette Gillem Robinet’s Children of the Fire; Marya Dasef’s Tales of a Texas Boy. The five examples of non-fiction books: DK Publishing’s Children’s History of the 20th century; Delia Ray’s A Nation Torn: The Story of How the Civil War Began; Anne Millard’s Pyramids; Aliki’s Communication; Russell Freedman’s Children of the Wild West. References Vacca, R. T. (1999). Content area reading: Literacy and learning across the curriculum. New York: Longman.

Police Administration Essay Example for Free

Police Administration Essay The role of police in the safety of the community has long been recognized.   It is thus of great importance that the operations behind the police system be well understood in order to identify points that are considered to be exemplary, as well as areas which are in need of further evaluation and reorganization.   This research paper will discuss areas of police administration that are related to the recruitment and hiring process.   A brief review of other related areas of police administration will also be presented in order to provide a holistic overview of the topic. POLICE WORK AND RELATED PROBLEMS The area of police work is an occupation that is strongly associated with misconduct and criminal acts.   The act of performing police work is highly discretionary because it entails a combination of both standard police principles and personal ideologies that influence a police officers values and morale.   Police work also involves coercive activity that regularly occurs in the most private situations which are often not in the presence of their immediate supervisors but in the vicinity of witnesses who, unfortunately, often distort the details of the criminal event when interviewed or asked to testify.   Police work is also strongly associated with corruption through the extreme abuse of police authority for the wrong benefits of other individuals (Klockars, 2000). Corruption is a form of misconduct that has long been a concern of every society.   Several attempts has been made to control the application and use of corruption in police work yet there are several factors that decrease the likelihood of success in controlling this social problem.   One of the factors that hinder the control of corruption is that police officers refuse to report activities that are deemed corrupt to their fellow officers.   Also known as The Code or The Code of Silence, this secret has been with the police force for decades. Another factor that prevents the control of corruption in police work is that police administrators are hesitant in acknowledging that corrupt events do exist in their respective police agencies.   The idea that corrupt activities may benefit the police officers in terms of extra financial income also influences police officers to continue performing or acknowledging corrupt acts.   Another factor that prevents the success in controlling corrupt activities within the police force involves the scarcity of victims of these shameful acts who are willing to report the corrupt incident to federal investigators. For some time, corruption has been viewed by police administrators as a sign of the insufficiency of moral standards among police officers.   To date, the officials of police administration has actively fought the problem of corruption in the police force by meticulously and cautiously screening the new applicants for positions in the police force in order to lessen the probability that newly hired police officers will not succumb to the perennial problem of corruption in their field of work.   In addition, police administrators have also aggressively followed and hunted down any members of the police force that are known to deal with corrupt activities during their line of duty with the police force.   Once these morally delinquent police officers are tracked, they are dismissed from their positions so that any additional cases of corruption will surely be prevented. The removal of these corrupt police officers also assure that the negative influences of these police officers will not spread to the rest of the members of the police force.   The concept of removal of a corrupt police officer from the police force is similar to the bad apple theory in agriculture and this approach has been strongly criticized in the past years.   In order to better understand the problems associated with police work, it is essential that the field of police work first be presented. THE ROLE OF A POLICE OFFICER   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   A police officer pertains to a working employee of the police force who has been trained in special responsibilities such as counterterrorism and surveillance.   A police officer is also equipped with the capabilities for child protection as well as protection of diplomatic individuals.   Police officers are experienced in investigating crimes such as murder, burglary, rape and drug trafficking. It should be understood that the duties of a police officer encompass a wide range of functions.   These officers are expected to be capable of responding to any type of situation that may occur during their time of duty.   Police officers are considered as government officials during investigatory events of crimes.   In specific cities and communities, it is the responsibility of a police officer to maintain peace and conduct in the area, even if they are not on duty.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Society perceives a police officer as a person who is responsible for instilling peace and order in his particular area of duty.   Peace and order can be attained through the enforcement of rules or prohibitions in terms of social interactions.   Police officers are also responsible in discouraging attempts to commit crimes, aside from investigating a crime that has already occurred in a particular area.   In addition, police officers carry the legal role and authority to arrest any suspected individuals that may have played a role in a crime.   They also have the authority to interrogate and detain the suspect, as well as report the incident and the associated suspects to the proper authorities.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Police officers may also help in instilling the safety of the public during large gatherings.   Such role may be similar to an emergency service wherein they could be called on to facilitate in public operations such as town or city programs and parades.   These individuals also serve as a source of immediate response during times of emergency and disasters because they serve as the first person at the scene of an incident. Once a police officer arrives at the particular site and makes a quick survey of the area, he then quickly informs the fire and emergency medical units of the city to respond to the situation.   Depending on the state or country, police officers and firemen have the same line of call, wherein these two groups of government employees may respond to the scene of a disaster at the same time.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Minor offenses are also reported by police officers in the form of citations which generally results in the implementation of fine.   One good example of a minor offense includes the violation in the laws of driving and traffic such as illegal parking or over-speeding.   Other traffic violations may include accosting a driver who has consumed more than the allowable amounts of alcohol drinks.   The detention of drivers that manipulate a vehicle under the influence of alcohol prevents car accidents as well as deaths.   Police officers are also trained in assisting individuals that are caught in the middle of an accident or even a simple car breakdown.   It is interesting to know that police officers are trained in techniques in first aid as well as cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Park rangers are also considered as police officers who man the national parks and other open recreational locations.   These individuals also enforce specific laws in order to instill peace and order in these specific areas.   Police officers are also visible in areas where rallies and political activities are frequently held.   These law enforcers are responsible in suppress overly active protests that hinders the rest of the public from performing their daily functions such as going to work. Police officers make sure that rallies and other kinds of protests are held within the allowable parts of the public area such as sidewalks and the rest of the people and vehicles are not hindered from moving through their usual activities.   There are some cases wherein protesters may be extremely upset regarding a particular political or ethical issue and these individual may start screaming and acting in more violent behavior.   Should this be the case, the police officers are authorized to control such actions to an acceptable level of protest. QUALIFICATION OF A POLICE OFFICER   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The credentials of a police officer often vary in each country, mainly depending on the expectations and roles of the police officer in that part of the world.   However, it is a general requirement that a candidate for a position of police officer must show proof that he has completed some kind of formal education.   Several decades earlier, police officers were not required to finish a college degree yet currently this has changed. Mostly due also to the changing times and the evolution of the society in terms of values and morals, candidates for positions of police officers are now required to carry a tertiary degree.   In addition, the candidate for police officer is required to undergo two to three years of training as a police constable prior to promotion to a position of higher rank such as inspector or sergeant.   It is a common path that a police officer originates from a military or security position.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In addition to carrying a college degree, a candidate for police officer is also required to undergo a physical fitness examination.   In the United States, there are currently laws that vary by state that describe the requirements for candidates for the position of police officer.   The requirements include specific information regarding the applicant’s age and educational level, as well as the criminal records and training.   A police agency is generally similar to that of a semi-military organization that requires particular training and experience before applicants are admitted to the police force.   There are also specific qualifications before a particular police officer can be promoted to a higher position in the police force.   It should be noted that promotion to a higher rank in the police force is not an automatic operation that occurs once a police officer has served for three years. Promotion to a higher rank entails taking additional examinations that serve as tools that will help assess the police officer if he is ready and competent enough to hold a higher ranking position.   An interview is also conducted by the review board that serves as a personal questioning session for the candidate police officer for promotion.   The stringent requirements for promotion of a police officer to a higher rank are commensurate to the responsibilities that this police officer will hold once he is awarded the higher police rank. It is actually normal for a police officer to remain in the same position ranking for some time and it is usually the highly competent officers that are often deserve a higher rank in the police force.   There are some instances when a specific police officer stays at the same position rank for a decade or more because it has been observed through their performance that the particular police officer is not competent to serve from a higher position.   Police officers who have served in the police force for a particular duration may also apply for the position of police specialist.   The specialist positions include the detective, firearms officer or motorcycle officer. TRAINING AT THE POLICE ACADEMY   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   A police academy is a training facility that is generally managed by the police department in order to serve as a venue for the education and development of the new recruits.   These individual recruits were previously hired by the police department yet they are first required to undergo training at the police academy before they are allowed to work with the police force.   The trainees at the police academy are taught essential skills that are expected of a police officer.   The training involves both classroom and actual action training that runs for several months. Full-time training requires that the candidates are present for the entire day at the police academy, with provisions for letting them stay in for several months.   In private police academies, training is conducted during the evenings so that the trainees are able to work during the day time to earn their wages to support themselves.   In police academies that are run by the police department, stipends are given to the trainees because they are already considered as employees of the police force.   Training at the police academy includes the principles of arrest and booking of individuals.   The use of firearms is also taught at the academy. Special driving skills are also taught at the police academy because this is essential is chasing suspects and criminals.   The trainees are also educated in terms of CPR and first aid skills because these capabilities are expected of a competent police officer.   Trainees are also taught skills in writing police reports as well as ethical measures in interacting with individuals that they would likely deal with on a daily basis as a police officer.   Theories of investigation and criminality will also be undertaken during the training of police officers.   Methods in interacting with the community will also be taught at the police academy.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   After several months of training at the police academy, the trainees are required to take written and practical examination to gauge the comprehension of the lessons that have been given to them.   Upon passing the requirements of the written and practical examinations, the trainee is awarded a certification of police academy training and will then be assigned as a member of the police department.   It has been observed that there has been an increase in recruitment of police officers in the past decade and it has been predicted that the number of newly recruited police officers will increase in the coming years.   This is mostly due to the change in the society and politics of the country, as well as the increase in urbanization of cities. THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1964 AND EQUALITY AMONG MEN   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The hiring and recruitment of police officers has been influenced by the Civil Rights Act of 1964.   Years ago, Martin Luther King had a dream that all men and women would be equal.   The laws and progression of civil rights and immigration has changed the United States.   Racial inequality and color prejudice has damaged the United States; affecting the government system through legislation. The differences in culture background and heritage are being traversed. Borders are supposedly being crossed. Educational theories and classroom practices are taking up new forms in order to conform and meet the educational needs of the global societies. Educators and teachers are being expected to share views and recognize values from different cultures, races, societies and ethnic groups. They are expected to move outside the system and custom of the dominant society and incorporate beliefs other than those they are accustomed with. Our laws and progression of Civil Rights and immigration has changed the United States (AARP, 2004). The challenges that face our nation’s children relates to the civil right movements and immigration laws. The 1800’s industrialization expansion and slave trade increased immigration to the United States, bringing around twenty-five million people between 1866 and 1915.   In 1917, the United States began placing and enforcing restrictions on immigration.   The government did have provisions before, however most statutes were requirements for naturalization, government powers, reporting of aliens or items allowed to import. Amid 1875 to 1888, the government wanted to exclude people from coming into the United States that were criminals (whether convicted of crime or misdemeanor), prostitutes, paid or slave laborers, people with contagious diseases, polygamist, anarchist, or any person who wanted or thought it was okay to overthrow a government through forceful violence or assassination of public officials.   On February 5, 1917, a commission set forth by the President Woodrow Wilson, proposed and passed a law that enacted previous exclusions and added to exclude illiterate aliens. The excludable people were â€Å"imbeciles, feeble-minded persons, persons with physical or mental defects which may affect their ability to earn a living, persons afflicted with tuberculosis, children unaccompanied by their parents, persons who admitted the commission of a crime involving moral turpitude, and women coming to the United States for immoral purposes†. The 1920 U.S. census showed that the heaviest immigration prior to that time were from Great Britain, Ireland, Germany, and other countries in northern Europe. In the course of the ending of World War II in 1945, the number of aliens both legal and illegal increased dramatically. Immigrants were trying to escape poverty and oppression from all over the world. Citizens of the United States began feeling the pressure of immigrants taking their jobs and using expensive social services provided by the U.S. government with American tax dollars. The media began to portray evidence of racial inequality and color prejudice, damaging the image of the United States. Therefore, immigration and racial equality became debated hot topics. In 1857, the National Education Association (NEA) was formed to benefit teachers and students, and work to bring attention to educational issues, such as low teacher’s salaries, teacher retirement benefits, student testing and other bureaucratic demands. The NEA became an advocate for students and teachers through curriculum enhancements to both English language arts and history to benefit Immigrants, African Americans, and Indians (Holcomb 2006). The NEA lobbied to encourage laws like The Civil Rights Act of 1964 and The Immigration Nationality Act of 1964, which still affects our laws today, encouraging the idea of multiculturalism, thus expanding subjects such as history and language arts to include viewpoints of historically powerless and oppressed groups. During the civil rights movement, there were two America’s, a black America and a white America. The school, bathrooms, water fountains, restaurants, bus seats, libraries, movie theaters, hospital floors, and even the line to see Santa Clause were all segregated based on the color of skin.   African Americans went to school four months out of the year because they needed to help earn incomes the rest of the months. Their schools had no cafeteria, most with outside bathrooms; and their books were passed down from the white schools so they were all out of date. The school building that contained African American students were falling apart.    The classes were overcrowded with too many students, and not enough room for all the needed classes and materials. For the most part, these students had teachers that were substitutes who didn’t know what they were doing.   The teachers that were in these schools had fixed values for these students and did not provide curriculum that was interesting or pertained to the students who were learning. The assumption of teachers was that these African American students did not deserve â€Å"a great deal in life and that a little, even a very little, (a very little) for a Negro child is a great deal more than he or she has earned†. Complaints were being vocalized with the school districts letting white students ride the bus to attend white schools, and black students had to walk to their school when they lived right next to an â€Å"all white† school. In 1951, the Supreme Court finally had to face and rule on the subject of civil rights. A group called the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), created in 1909 to work towards eliminating segregation and discrimination, came together in a court case Brown versus Board of Education. African Americans had started filing suits against the educational systems as early as 1845, but the Supreme Court combined five cases to hear in 1951. The issues brought before the court was because of school conditions, segregation, deficient curriculum, pupil to teacher ratio, teacher training, extracurricular activity programs offered, transportation deficiencies, and of course teacher salaries. The discriminatory environment derived from civil rights and immigration issues unlocked, and then caused the world to see that human tendencies are to prejudge, discriminate against, and stereotype people based on their ethnic, religious, physical, or cultural characteristics. In 1954, Brown versus Board of Education of Topeka, also called Brown I ruled by Chief Justice Warren, acknowledged learning to be the most significant task of state and local government and repudiated the separate but equal doctrine, deciding that racially segregated schools were inherently unequal (Brown Foundation, 1996). The decision had great impact and important to the civil rights movement. The Supreme Court ruled that school had no place for separate but equal status. A year later the Supreme Court decision in Brown II defined how and when school desegregation would be achieved because there was no standard or deadline set in Brown I.   The legal precedence of this time caused far reaching social and ideological implications that brought about changes in the 1960’s and beyond. On the other hand, the legal wrangling did not make immigration and civil right issues disappear because of the ambiguity of the legal decisions. The 1960’s brought about race riots all over the U.S., deaths because of race, and more laws that declared discrimination illegal. On January 20, 1964, Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson was sworn into the Presidency, after the sudden death of President John F. Kennedy. As America mourned the death of JFK, President Lyndon B. Johnson placed his hand on the Holy Bible that was being held by his wife and took the oath of office. On that particular day, Lyndon B. Johnson launched his new program called the Great Society. The agenda was intended to produce a better quality of life for all Americans.   Reporters knew the Presidency of Lyndon B. Johnson as a legislative miracle.   In fact, Dick West of the Dallas Morning News expressed that Mr. Truman could not get started on a civil rights bill because a rebellious congress passed an immigration law over a veto.   Jack Kennedy took one whirl at federal aid to education, and then backed off. Then he tried to get Congress to set up a Department of Housing and Urban Development with Cabinet Status and was turned down in the House 264 to 150.   On the other hand, West writes that President Johnson was able to get these laws passed exactly the way he wanted them, thus being named The Congressional Magician.   President Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 on July 2, 1964, during a luncheon honoring late President Abraham Lincoln in the East room of the White House. The bill was about discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex or national origin.   The President sat at a small table in the center with racks holding 72 pens, which was an insufficient amount.   He actually used over 100 pens to sign this triumphant bill into law.   Robert F. Kennedy sat in the front row, Martin Luther King sat in the second row, and other senators and cabinet members attended.   President Johnson’s speech was swift but had great emphasis as he called on all Americans to close the springs of racial poison and eliminate the last vestiges of injustice in our beloved America. The President spoke of the challenge that Lincoln bestowed upon America asking for preservation of the union, enlargement of liberties for America and for being true to the Declaration of Independence which gives liberty to all.   The speech was a direct challenge for all Americans to ensure that all people including Black American’s will be a part of a complete and equal society. Immigrants thus have an equal opportunity to apply as police officers.   However, it has been observed that most immigrants do not perform well in the written examination for police officers because the links between illiteracy and illegal immigration is astounding.   Hispanic immigrants come to the United States without having the basic literacy skills needed (Garraty and Carnes, 2001).   Teachers in Texas are finding that their classes are mostly English language learners. Bilingual assistants are there to translate to students and teacher regarding teaching information and notes; they are also there to translate during parent teacher conferences. Each state requires that each police officer candidate establish a language proficiency assessment to show that he passed the proficiency and achievement-level this is required for those individuals whose primary language is not English.   The examining committee classifies the applicant and recommends placement and help to benefit the applicant.  Ã‚   There are now reports that the translator and the English Language Learning programs are now improving.   Most immigrants are visual learners hence English or Spanish languages are no barriers to learning.   The problem is when the Hispanic people take the summers off to return to Mexico. Jackie stated that it seems like they lose the English proficiency learned previously.   While some teachers see the problem improving there are immigrants who have voiced their concern. There are certain citizens who are concerned that teachers are spending more time because of English Language Learners and have even dealt with hearing the American-born individuals in a special class because of observation as a slow reader. Upon further investigation, it was realized the teacher was teaching and reading to the children in Spanish, which English-speaking students did not understand. Because education focus has become multi-cultural teachers use literature to teach about other cultures. Multi-cultural literature develops values and self-concept for students. On the other hand, some say American-born students reading and writing scores are declining and achievement gaps are closing.   Some believe that many linguists and educators focus on the multicultural aspect, degrading the English Language. As of 1992, many states require teachers to have a certification to teach English as a Second Language, also called ESL in order to assist immigrants who are in training.   Teachers must have the appropriate academic background is ESL theory and methodology. While there are some educators who back bilingual education, which is where students learn basic skills in their own language while they are learning to speak English.   English-speaking students will have a chance to learn Spanish. However, we are facing political efforts to make English the United States official language.   Senator Pete Domenci of New Mexico expressed that the inherent shallowness behind ‘English Only’ would deny the United States the opportunity to meet is full market potential. Therefore, he introduced an approach called English Plus.   English-plus, adopted in New Mexico’s constitution requiring those public school teachers must be trained in both English and Spanish so that Spanish-speaking students will be taught English properly.   On the other hand, many believe there is no need to make English the official language of the United States because it limits us from having a world–view.     The English Language is the most multi-cultural language and it celebrates diversity because of the multi-cultural influences from the French, Germans, and African’s, which continually make it powerful and diverse. There is an increase in the need for police officers to establish peace and order in the country.   At the same time, the country is experiencing a rapid immigration increase of Hispanics and African American students. The appeal of the current level and police administration in terms of the hiring and recruitment process is an interesting area to cover. The costs of raising education potential for both African Americans and Latino students in order to provide equal opportunity for hiring immigrants would be high, yet there would be benefits by savings in public peace and order expenditures and increased tax revenues based on higher incomes.   Holding onto our legacy of the past, we are now teaching with a cultural approach attempt to raise the academic and professional achievement of all trainees and students through culturally relevant lessons.    Reference AARP, LCCR, Library of Congress (2004). Save Our History: Voices of Civil Rights. The History Channel: The Hearst Corporation. Brown Foundation (1996). Brown VS Board of Education: About the Case. Retrieved March 9, 2006 from http://brownvboard.org/summary/. Garraty, J.A. Carnes, M.C. (2001). A Short History of the American Nation. (P. 450). New York: Longman Klockars CB (2000):   The measurement of police integrity.   U.S. Department of Justice Research Briefs.   May 2000.

Toyota Business Strategies Analysis

Toyota Business Strategies Analysis The following will focus on identifying and analyzing of Toyotas business strategies which lead them to success, as well as critical comparison and contrast will be provided Toyotas current strategies. Due to the global crisis which is the globalization, Toyota is facing with new opportunities and challenges; according to Porters five forces (2008), threats of rivalry among existing competitors, new entrants, substitutes, power of both consumer and suppliers are making them worried, Therefore, it is necessarily find out the ways to gearing themselves up to cope these crisis. In the end suggestive solution and recommendation will be laid out to improve the business strategies. THE HISTORY OF TOYOTA Toyota Motor is a multinational corporation headquartered in Japan and is the worlds biggest automaker. Toyota now owns and operates Lexus and Scion brands and has a majority shareholding stake in Daihatsu Motors, and minority shareholdings in Fuji Heavy Industries Isuzu Motors, and Yamaha Motors. The company includes 522 subsidiaries. Vehicles were originally sold under the name Toyoda from the family name of the companys founder, Kiichiro Toyoda. (online Accessed on 13-04-2010) TOYOTAS BUSINESS STRATEGY Toyota is the most leading Japanese automobile company. By creating more innovative car design and spending billions dollars in advertisement a year, Toyota has appeared in the eyes of many auto consumers worldwide. By producing high quality vehicles at affordable prices, Toyota has built its reputation globally. Toyota has reduced their prices as compared to other automobile makers. Toyota believes that the role of purchasing should be long term at the lowest price and no compromise on the production of quality products. Normally, companies do not want to cut their targeted return and they follow the strategy which is formulated in to the cost + profit = selling price. But Toyota takes a slightly different strategy which is formulated in to the price-cost=profit. Strategic management has a direct impact on its business in all organizations. Thats why Toyota has become leading company in auto industry because of the attractive strategic management policy. Now, Toyota plans to build t raining centers in different parts of the world, where they can easily train their new workers and managers how to design new cars and assemble them. Toyota is constructing more new factories. Although, it has already plants in 27 countries. When Toyota enters in US, everyone believes that this company will not be able to run a successful business. But, at present Toyota is leading in auto companies worldwide because of its strategic management planning. Solid Foundation As part of Toyota Customer First plan, Toyota is reinforcing our systems for building in excellence that reflects the customers point of view. Toyota is painstakingly getting better design quality by analyzing the causes of inconvenience from the design stage, which is the foundation of quality. Toyota is also honing their capability to analyze quality on manufacture lines by introducing in-line dimension. And, Toyota are reasserting basic assurance that assembly processes fabricate in excellence by introducing a team-leader structure for training production in human resources. Furthermore, in an effort to develop quality from side to side production and development, Toyota is collaborating intimately with suppliers. During this range of initiatives, Toyota is gradually producing results. It can say that, quality improvement never ends. Consequently, to avoid gratification, Toyota will use those initiatives as a starting point for more quality enhancement efforts. Growth Philosophy For the last decade, Toyota has focused on product and supply, sales and marketing and widespread advanced technology strategy, as well as the improvement of conventional hybrid vehicles, battery electric vehicles (BEVs), plug in hybrid vehicles (PHVs) and fuel cell hybrid vehicles (FCHVs). Toyota believes that a transformation of people and technology lies at the heart of a companys competitiveness. As a result, Toyota is moving forward with personnel training based on the beliefs that developing human resources is a key part of manufacturing. These efforts expand ahead of simply having employees obtain knowledge and skills that development, production, or sales divisions need. Internationally, Toyota is implementing programs to facilitate all employees to embrace Toyotas culture and values and be aware of Toyota Way. (Online: accessed on 12/04/2010) Technology For development of an extensive range of technologies and products with focus on market formation, Toyota has determined on a wide-ranging advanced technology strategy, as well as the expansion of conservative hybrid vehicles, battery electric vehicles (BEVs), plug in hybrid vehicles (PHVs) and fuel cell hybrid vehicles (FCHVs). The strategy of sustainable mobility goes further than now the vehicles themselves. Instead it integrates: The vehicles and technologies, as well as their whole life cycle measurementà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.from improvement and production, to vehicle use, to how the vehicle is recycled at end of life. The partnerships that are essential to bring these advanced technologies to market The energy compulsory to power the technology, i.e.) how is the electricity generatedcoal, natural gas, solar? The urban atmosphere in which these products will function, as well as how the personal car fits into a mixed mobility transit strategy, re-charge/ re-fuel infrastructure, car sharing, etc. This wide-ranging strategy acknowledges the fact that there are many considerations when bringing a vehicle to market. By inspiring the discussion above individual technologies, Toyota is working to make parallel the technology and the market to make sure successful introduction and implementation of advanced technology vehicles. Training According to Porter (1980), in the planning stages, it is significant to note that new-product planning emphasizes a product that is as defect-free as achievable. Toyota designs excellence into the automobile. Technical advances, such as Computer-Aided Design (CAD), have helped designers generate and transform their specifications more rapidly than before, at the same time as getting better design quality. Quality is a necessary part of the pre-production process. Quality is the dynamic strength in establishing a system that meets the goals of design, cost and production quantity. The planning segment as well establishes a plan that outlines all particulars of the examination procedure. Quality manage involves close collaboration of numerous production departments. The competitive point of view for Toyota in the mini-car segment of Europe remains good. While competition is strong, Toyota has key competencies that allow the company to succeed in this environment. Recommendations Toyotas management performed well under the crisis they had to face, the problem was identified and think tanks gave the perfect solution of switching to central database and were supported by the decision makers. On the other hand, no praise shall taken away from Toyota by recommending that if the QMS department would have been a bit more affective, the wrongly dispatched tyres for the High Revenue Lexus Customers might had never been approved and customers not had to face the inconvenience or if Toyota would have forecasted the issue before they might have chosen the Central Database approach that would have added some more to the bunch of Toyotas satisfied customer. (Online, accessed on 13/04/10) Conclusion In conclusion, auto industries have to face the challenges of trade barriers nowadays and global competition amongst the auto manufacturers has become intensive. The vision for Toyota and is to become the worlds leading automotive company and achieve great success by adopting different marketing strategies. In addition, the Toyota values are expressed through anticipating consumer needs and delivering outstanding products and services that improve peoples lives, driven by a customer focus, creativity, resourcefulness, and entrepreneurial spirit. The marketing strategies were adopted by Toyota, affect the auto industrys potential for globalization. In order to be successful, major auto suppliers should pay particular attention to market needs and consumer expectations, costs issues within product design and development, and forces within global competition and political/legal environment. It is necessary to reduce costs by global configuration of value-adding as is the most important step towards the globalization of certain industries.

A lost lady :: essays research papers

Once apon a time in the little town of Sweet Water there lived a beautiful women by the name of Mrs. Forrester. Mr. & Mrs. Forrester only came to Sweet Water in the summer. When they could enjoy the grassy slopes, tall thick trees, the cool stream and especially they beautiful roses, that Mr. Forrester loved so much. But when the winter came they would pack up and leave. During the winter months they would stay i Denver or Colorado Springs and socialize with all their well to do friends. The Forresters were very well to do. Being in the railroad business, they were able to travel back and forth and not worry about the expence. All the boys in Sweet Water absolutly loved Mrs. Forrester, because she was a beautiful and fair women. When she spoke to them she treated them with respect and equality, something they weren't use to. One boy named Niel Herbert took a liking to Mrs. Forrester. His uncle, Judge Pommeroy ran the local law practice in town, and the Forresters were his clients. So when ever Judge had to go on business to the Forrester's estate Niel gladly tagged along. One winter Mr. Forrester lay ill at the Antlers in Colorado Springs. He had fallen while on his horse and had been layed up all winter. When spring came Mrs. Forrester brought him back to Sweet Water. But on their return Niel noticed that he still walked with a cane and had grown much heavier. After this accident it became much harder for Mr. Forrester to travel so the Forresters started to stay in Sweet Water all year round. As Niel grew up he started to study law with his uncle. But the more he studied the more he didn't like it, so he decided to go east and sttend a school to become an architect. When Niel came home for the summer he met his old buddy Ivy Peters. Ivy told him he was now practicing law and he had also rented out some of the Forresters land and turned the marsh into a wheat field. Upon his return to Sweet Water Niel found that both Mr.& Mrs. Forrester were failing in health. They had lost their fortune in the railroad and were living by themselves in Sweet Water, they had to let their help go because they couldn't afford to pay them any longer. Now that they no longer had help Mrs.

Essay on The Handmaids Tale as a Warning to Society -- Handmaids Tal

The Handmaid's Tale as a Warning to Society Margaret Atwood's renowned science fiction novel, The Handmaid's Tale, was written in 1986 during the rise of the opposition to the feminist movement. Atwood, a Native American, was a vigorous supporter of this movement. The battle that existed between both sides of the women's rights issue inspired her to write this work. Because it was not clear just what the end result of the feminist movement would be, the author begins at the outset to prod her reader to consider where the story will end. Her purpose in writing this serious satire is to warn women of what the female gender stands to lose if the feminist movement were to fail. Atwood envisions a society of extreme changes in governmental, social, and mental oppression to make her point. Early on it is evident that the authority of this society has been changed from a theocracy to a totalitarian government. The first sentence reveals that the current living quarters of the main character, Offred, are located in "what had once been the gymnasium" (3). The narrator recounts the past fifty years in this place from felt skirts of the fifties to the green spiked hair of the nineties. Then she turns to describe its transformation into what resembles an army barrack but is actually functioning as a kind of prisoner of war camp. In these few short sentences, Atwood has described the conditions of a place called Gilead, which is located in what used to be called the United States. In chapter four the author reveals that the current government is waging a war against the church. This is evidence that this society has shifted away from recognizing God as its supreme authority. The narrator then mentions that church song... ... the past, Offred continues to hope that her husband, Luke, is still alive. She reveals this as she observes the bodies hanging at the wall and comments that she feels relief because, "Luke wasn't a doctor. Isn't" (44). Not only does she defy the system be refusing to accept this society as the end of all things, but she also persists in hoping that she will someday awaken from this nightmare and things will be the way they used to be. The ending of the novel is intentionally lacking direction because the author wants the reader to ponder its ending. Were it not for the fact that we, the readers, know that Offred lives to tell her story, we would be left like the people of Gilead, without hope. However, Margaret Atwood's point is that just as naturally as a caterpillar weaves its cocoon to grow wings and fly free, so to must the wings of women be.

Gilligan’s Perception of Morality in An American Story :: American Story Essays

Gilligan’s Perception of Morality in An American Story Though individuals live by and react similarly to various situations, not all people have the same morals. I can relate to instances where I have supported a belief, regardless of the criticisms that arise, all because my choice is based upon personal morals. The same can be said regarding Debra J. Dickerson as she expresses in her novel, An American Story. In Carol Gilligan’s â€Å"Concepts of Self and Morality,† she states, â€Å"The moral person is one who helps others; goodness in service, meeting one’s obligations and responsibilities to others, if possible without sacrificing oneself† (170). After considering this statement, I strongly feel that Gilligan’s proposal lacks the depth to accurately characterize the moral person, but I am able to accept the argument raised by Joan Didion. Her essay entitled, â€Å"On Morality,† clearly provides a more compelling and acceptable statement in describing the moral person by saying, â€Å"I fo llowed my own conscience, I did what I thought was right† (181). Joan Didion’s proposal is precise and acceptable. It is obvious that as long as people follow what they believe is the right thing to do, and approach the situation maturely, their actions can be considered examples of morality, and they can then be considered moral human beings. A moral person goes beyond the phrase, â€Å"without sacrificing oneself,† provided by Gilligan in her essay. This is clear by looking back at a specific example. I can recall a time when an entire class of mine decided to play a trick on a teacher in high school. They planned on manipulating her by telling lies in regard to what she had assigned and made her feel embarrassed. I wanted not to be part of these hurtful actions, so rather than tagging along as most of the other students, I did something about it. I stood my ground and as the students told one lie after another, I raised my hand and made her aware of the prank that was being executed. Though everyone looked upon me as the one who spoiled everything, the simple gesture of raising my hand revealed my morals to the class. At the time, I followed my conscience and followed through with what I thought was right, whether others agreed with me or not. This clearly supports and exemplifies Didon’s explanation o f the moral person.

Sanitarium Marketing

Assignment 1. 1 Overview and Situation Analysis – Sanitarium evolution of marketing A brand that down any New Zealand supermarket? s breakfast cereal aisle which dominates the shelves†¦ that is Sanitarium! Sanitarium Australia and Sanitarium New Zealand are owned and operated by Australian Health & Nutrition Association and New Zealand Health Association. The company produces over 150 products and employs approximately 1700 people in the manufacturing and distribution sites throughout Australia and New Zealand. The company is leading manufacturer of breakfast cereals, soy beverages plant based meat alternatives, , and yeast spreads.Sanitarium – the maker of Kiwi staples Weet-Bix and Skippy Cornflakes – has evolved into a giant of the local food manufacturing sector over the last century. They are proud to be a group of people who believe passionately in the potential of every New Zealander. The potential to be healthy: physically, mentally and emotionally. T hey believe this journey all begins with good nutrition. â€Å"What you feed your body and your mind, changes the  way you feel. † Sanitarium's range of healthy breakfast options not only includes Weet-Bix, which is New Zealand's favorite cereal, they also offer something for everyone in the family. for example, products like beverages, spreads and another kinds of cereal†¦ all of them focused to sell the idea to be and eat healthy. Following that conception, Sanitarium is always looking at ways of sourcing ingredients and making products on a local level, to help minimize our impact on the environment. They do care about sustainability! The commitment to sustainability don? t stop at the farm gate but covers the entire supply chain and life cycle of foods, from inception, through manufacturing, to minimization of waste and the disposal of any waste, being inclusive of all resources that they control within the supply chain.Sanitarium’s mission is to lead, inspi re and resource the experience of happy health living in the community. For any business, growth is a significant element of being competitive within their industry and as discussed prior Sanitarium holds the largest portion of the market. The ability to create revenue allows Sanitarium the cash flow needed to put into costs such as marketing, advertising, and development of new products and brands. Without this Sanitarium’s life cycle would be short as even the cereal market will not lasts forever. In this segmentation, Sanitarium marketing has been improved.The company promotes events like â€Å"The  Sanitarium Weet-Bix Kids Tryathlon† which  is a community-based event that encourages Kiwi kids, aged from 7 until 15, to participate in a fun day out, to encourage exercises in a healthy life. There is also the program called â€Å"KickStart Breakfast†Ã‚  which was recently established by Sanitarium and has been recognised by Prime Minister John Key with an a ward as the ‘Best New Initiative' at the annual Prime Minister's Social Heroes Awards. These awards acknowledge businesses supporting charitable purposes as well.The company? s advertising has been always inspiring the community to make healthier food and lifestyle choices, with this proposal, Sanitarium invests a significant portion of resources into providing the community with free nutritional information and diet related advice by a team of nutritionists, receipts. All healthy information can be found in the company? s website. One of the recent marketing opportunities for Sanitarium was well done. The company had a perfect time to maximize its decade-long sponsorship in the 2011 Rugby World Cup.Rather than promote the Up;Go and Weet-Bix brands individually, Sanitarium decided on a parent-brand approach for its Game Plan campaign. However, it knew there would be an onslaught of companies jostling for in-store space and consumer attention in such a key year. The solution wa s thinking bigger, so Sanitarium had a display concept in mind that used 3. 2m goalposts in-store. They had used effective displays to demonstrating Sanitarium’s support for the team, and driving the sales required to meet business objectives.Another recent marketing activity, was the return of their Marmite. Sanitarium and their advertising agency Saatchi ; Saatchi made the most of Marmite's long-awaited comeback, with a Facebook countdown. Marmite (brand that is protected by trade mark laws) is back in production and supermarket shelves. A full year after it disappeared, Marmite has returned in a marketing campaign that included free jars sent to politicians and media types, recipes and a midnight supermarket opening that generated queues around the block in some centres.Sanitarium's marketing prowess could yet desert the company, however. One of the risks involved in taking the product off the shelves for a year could be that Kiwis lose the taste for Marmite – possi bly lowering their sodium levels at the same time. Anyway, Sanitarium must continue to provide and create value in the short term and long term future and also focus on three main of areas being: product development with market demands, communication regarding products, operations, services and refocus its attention around charity and community involvement.REFERENCES Sanitarium Game Plan – retrieved 2013 http://www. everythingmarketing. co. nz Christopher Adams article – retrieved Jun,30 2012 http://www. nzherald. co. nz Ben Fay / News – retrieved Mar,20 2013 http://www. stoppress. co. nz/tags/sanitarium Sanitarium News – 2013 http://www. sanitarium. co. nz/about-us/sanitarium-news/2013 Press Release: Weetbix Tryathlon – retrieved Jan,30 2013 http://www. scoop. co. nz

Ethics and Confidentiality Essay

In the nursing profession, keeping patient confidentiality is of the upmost concern. It is an important feature of the nurse -patient relationship and must be maintain as basis of providing care. Confidentiality is described as respecting other people’s secret and keeping security information gathered from individuals in the privileged circumstances of a professional relationship. (Lee and Godbold , 2012). The privacy act offer nurses some flexibility in using professional opinion regarding disclosure of information; however safe guards must be utilized (McGowan 2012). In the following paragraph, implications of breach of confidentiality and application of ethical principles and theories in decision-making in an ethical dilemma with reference to article by Nathanson , (2000)entitled â€Å" Betraying Trust or Providing Good Care? When is it Okay to Break Confidentiality?† will be addressed. Confidentiality is fundamental in the healthcare system. When Confidentiality is breeched, it may deter patients from seeking treatment for fear of disclosure of one’s personal information (Beech 2007). Confidentiality can result in legal and professional problems, distrust, disrespect, and feelings of betrayal and or poor compliance with treatment. The question then arises, when is it okay to breech confidentiality between a patient and the healthcare provider? Confidentiality may be breeched when harm is foreseen for the patient and the society at large. Mark Gowan (2012) suggests that â€Å"Nurses should be aware of some regulations regarding confidentiality as well as situations and when to use; and disclosure of Protected Health Information are permitted. (****). When faced with an ethical dilemma, all possible options should be explored in order to protect the patient’s right of confidentiality and autonomy. While maintaining confidentiality of patient, it is imperative to note that issues might arise that will necessitate the breach of confidentiality as seen in the case of Nurse Hathaway and the teenagers. Nurse Hardaway was involved in an ethical dilemma when two teenagers with serious diagnosis and demanding confidentiality approach her for care. The nurse was confronted with breaking or maintaining confidentiality and let harm come to the patient (Nathanson , 2000). Of either choices, the nurse may be liable for breach of patient confidentiality or neglect when poor decision is made, because the nurse is professionally and personally responsible for their actions. When faced with ethical dilemmas, applications of ethical principles and theories become necessary in making good decisions. It is vital that nurses are familiar with the principles, theories, standard of practice and code of professional ethics. The decision made by Nurse Hathaway to disclose the diagnosis to the teenager’s parents was viewed as the right decision given the circumstances. Failure of the nurse to disclose the diagnosis to the teenager’s parent would consequently jeopardize the health of the teenager. The ethical theory utilized in the scenario reflects Utilitarian and Deontology approach. A utilitarian approach requires identifying and choosing an alternative that would likely produce the most good for all involved (least harm). The positive outcome of breaching confidentiality outweighs the suffering and poor health status foreseen for the teenager. Nurse Hathaway also utilized the theory of Deontology, which focuses on doing ones duty as long as it is universally applied irrespective of the circumstances. Critical thinking and good decision making skill is vital In advocating for the patient; as it is the duty of the nurse to protect, promote, restore, and maintain the health of the individual and the community. The decision to disclose the teenager’s health information to the school authority was considered unethical. The poor judgment and action by the nurse resulted in humiliation and possible suicidal attempt by the teenager (Nathanson 2000). Ethically, this decision proved not to be in the best interest of the patient and defies the principles of nonmaleficence and beneficence. Both principles entail the duty to do good l and cause no harm. Confidentiality was breached because the situation did not require reporting to the school authorities. An alternative way of dealing with such ethical dilemmas would be for the school nurse to conduct health fairs on safe sex education and health practices among teenagers in the school and community. School nurses and authorities should also be notified of the prevalence of sexually transmitted diseases without identifying any particular student. In worst case scenario, the nurse should also consult with the facility or institutional ethical committee for directive. The ethics committee plays several key roles when it comes to making ethical decision because they are able to identifying whether or not an action is justifiable. One of the roles is to assist in revising and developing policies pertaining to clinical ethics ( DCD ETHICS committee). Collaboratively, the ethics committee together with their diverse experiences, educational back grounds, perspective and unique values would produce a well balanced discussion of alternatives (GCU). The ethics committee might also utilize a combination of the ethical principles and theories in making decision. Uustal’s model also assist in identify the following steps to be taken: identifying the problem, stating your values and ethical position related to the problem, considering factors related to the situation, generating alternatives related to the dilemma, categorizing the alternative, developing a plan of action, implementing the plan and evaluating the plan of action taken. The sole aim of the ethics committee is to advocate, protect and promote the right of the patient while making decisions that will benefit all. As in the previous scenario, the ethical committee if consulted would provide necessary guidance in the dissemination of the patient’s information, thereby eliminating the implication of breach of confidentiality. Confidentiality helps to foster a good nurse-patient relationship. However there are times when confidentiality conflicts with ones duty and values. The law of confidentiality is complex, and demands a balance between patient’s right and the nurse’s duties. When faced with an ethical dilemma there’s a need for proper integration of the ethical principles and theories in order to arrive at a descion that promotes and respects the patients autonomy. Nurses should be acquainted with their code of professional conduct and responsibilities frequently. Nurses should employ the use of the ethics committee found in most facilities as needed.

Multiple physics Investigatory Essay

Repulsorlifts as a Method of Stable Magnetic Levitation | Repulsorlifts were used in the study to find out if they can be used to replace the wheels of a conventional car. It was hypothesized that it will be able to lift a car using magnetic repulsion forces. The different magnets were tested individually with the usual tests for magnetic strength, size, and temperature increase, which were done in the preliminary testing. The prototype road and car were then constructed based on the specifications that had been identified after the preliminary testing. The prototype car’s magnets were permanent magnets while the road magnets were electromagnets. They had been oriented so that the magnets would repel each other. | Investigatory Project in Physics Balloon Powered Car When it comes to powering a race car, there are a ton of different options. Some cars are powered by gasoline, diesel, or other combustible fuels, or you can even power miniature race cars using a mousetrap! In the Balloon Powered Car, we’ll show you how to build a racer that uses the power of air pressure to roll across a room. Objectives: a.) to create a balloon powered race car for maximum speed and distance b.) to incorporate Newton’s Laws of Motion Materials: * Foam core or corrugated cardboard * Wooden barbeque skewers * Regular cardboard * Straws * Tape * Balloons * Scissors * Wire cutters Procedure: 1.) Start off by cutting the chassis of your car. We don’t condone the use of blow torches or saws during Sick Science experiments, so you have to create the chassis using scissors and foam core (corrugated cardboard works great, too). Cut a 6Ãâ€"3 inch piece of your chosen material using the scissors. 2.) A car is nothing without axles. Given the size of your car, wooden barbeque skewers will make perfect axles. Use wire cutters to snip two 4†³ pieces of skewer. 3.) You need to mount the axles to your chassis in a way that allows the axles to turn freely. For mounts, cut two 3†³ sections of straw and use tape to fix the mounts to the front and back (3†³ sides) of your chassis. 4.) Now that you have axle mounts, mount your axles! Slide the wooden skewers through the middle of the straws. 5.) Axles are great, but humans invented the wheel for a reason. The wheel was invented for use on the Balloon Powered Car! Use scissors to cut four quarter-sized pieces of regular cardboard. If it helps, you can trace a quarter or circle of similar size to give yourself some guidelines. 6.) Push the cardboard circles onto the skewers, one on each end of both skewers†¦.

Econometrics Chapter Summaries Essay

2) Basic Ideas of Linear Regression: The Two-Variable Model In this chapter we introduced some fundamental ideas of regression analysis. Starting with the key concept of the population regression function (PRF), we developed the concept of linear PRF. This book is primarily concerned with linear PRFs, that is, regressions that are linear in the parameters regardless of whether or not they are linear in the variables. We then introduced the idea of the stochastic PRF and discussed in detail the nature and role of the stochastic error term u. PRF is, of course, a theoretical or idealized construct because, in practice, all we have is a sample(s) from some population. This necessitated the discussion of the sample regression function (SRF). We then considered the question of how we actually go about obtaining the SRF. Here we discussed the popular method of ordinary least squares (OLS) and presented the appropriate formulas to estimate the parameters of the PRF. We illustrated the OLS method with a fully worked-out numerical example as well as with several practical examples. Our next task is to find out how good the SRF obtained by OLS is as an estimator of the true PRF. We undertake this important task in Chapter 3. 3) The Two-Variable Model: Hypothesis Testing In Chapter 2 we showed how to estimate the parameters of the two-variable linear regression model. In this chapter we showed how the estimated model can be used for the purpose of drawing inferences about the true population regression model. Although the two-variable model is the simplest possible linear regression model, the ideas introduced in these two chapters are the foundation of the more involved multiple regression models that we will discuss in ensuing chapters. As we will see, in many ways the multiple regression model is a straightforward extension of the two-variable model. 4) Multiple Regression: Estimation and Hypothesis Testing In this chapter we considered the simplest of the multiple regression models, namely, the three-variable linear regression model—one dependent variable and two explanatory variables. Although in many ways a straightforward extension of the two-variable linear regression model, the three-variable model introduced several new concepts, such as partial regression coefficients, adjusted and unadjusted multiple coefficient of determination,  and multicollinearity. Insofar as estimation of the parameters of the multiple regression coefficients is concerned, we still worked within the framework of the classical linear regression model and used the method of ordinary least squares (OLS). The OLS estimators of multiple regression, like the two-variable model, possess several desirable statistical properties summed up in the Gauss-Markov property of best linear unbiased estimators (BLUE). With the assumption that the disturbance term follows the normal distribution with zero mean and constant variance ÏÆ'2, we saw that, as in the two-variable case, each estimated coefficient in the multiple regression follows the normal distribution with a mean equal to the true population value and the variances given by the formulas developed in the text. Unfortunately, in practice, ÏÆ'2 is not known and has to be estimated. The OLS estimator of this unknown variance is . But if we replace ÏÆ'2 by , then, as in the two-variable case, each estimated coefficient of the multiple regression follows the t distribution, not the normal distribution. The knowledge that each multiple regression coefficient follows the t distribution with d.f. equal to (n – k), where k is the number of parameters estimated (including the intercept), means we can use the t distribution to test statistical hypotheses about each multiple regression coefficient individually. This can be done on the basis of either the t test of significance or the confidence interval based on the t distribution. In this respect, the multiple regression model does not differ much from the two-variable model, except that proper allowance must be made for the d.f., which now depend on the number of parameters estimated. However, when testing the hypothesis that all partial slope coefficients are simultaneously equal to zero, the individual t testing referred to earlier is of no help. Here we should use the analysis of variance (ANOVA) technique and the attendant F test. Incidentally, testing that all partial slope coefficients are simultaneously equal to zero is the same as testing that the multiple coefficient of determination R2 is equal to zero. Therefore, the F test can also be used to test this latter but equivalent hypothesis. We also discussed the question of when to add a variable or a group of variables to a model, using either the t test or the F test. In this context we also discussed the method of restricted least squares. 5) Functional Forms of Regression Models In this chapter we considered models that are linear in parameters, or that can be rendered as such with suitable transformation, but that are not necessarily linear in variables. There are a variety of such models, each having special applications. We considered five major types of nonlinear-in-variable but linear-in-parameter models, namely: 1.The log-linear model, in which both the dependent variable and the explanatory variable are in logarithmic form. 2.The log-lin or growth model, in which the dependent variable is logarithmic but the independent variable is linear. 3.The lin-log model, in which the dependent variable is linear but the independent variable is logarithmic. 4.The reciprocal model, in which the dependent variable is linear but the independent variable is not. 5.The polynominal model, in which the independent variable enters with various powers. Of course, there is nothing that prevents us from combining the features of one or more of these models. Thus, we can have a multiple regression model in which the dependent variable is in log form and some of the X variables are also in log form, but some are in linear form. We studied the properties of these various models in terms of their relevance in applied research, their slope coefficients, and their elasticity coefficients. We also showed with several examples the situations in which the various models could be used. Needless to say, we will come across several more examples in the remainder of the text. In this chapter we also considered the regression-through-the-origin model and discussed some of its features. It cannot be overemphasized that in choosing among the competing models, the overriding objective should be the economic relevance of the various models and not merely the summary statistics, such as R2. Model building requires a proper balance of theory, availability of the appropriate data, a good understanding of the statistical properties of the various models, and the elusive quality that is called practical judgment. Since the theory underlying a topic of interest is never perfect, there is no such thing as a perfect model. What we hope for is a reasonably good model that will balance all these criteria. Whatever model is chosen in practice, we have to pay careful attention to the units in which the dependent and independent variables are expressed, for the interpretation of regression coefficients may hinge upon units of  measurement. 6) Dummy Variable Regression Models In this chapter we showed how qualitative, or dummy, variables taking values of 1 and 0 can be introduced into regression models alongside quantitative variables. As the various examples in the chapter showed, the dummy variables are essentially a data-classifying device in that they divide a sample into various subgroups based on qualities or attributes (sex, marital status, race, religion, etc.) and implicitly run individual regressions for each subgroup. Now if there are differences in the responses of the dependent variable to the variation in the quantitative variables in the various subgroups, they will be reflected in the differences in the intercepts or slope coefficients of the various subgroups, or both. Although it is a versatile tool, the dummy variable technique has to be handled carefully. First, if the regression model contains a constant term (as most models usually do), the number of dummy variables must be one less than the number of classifications of each qualitat ive variable. Second, the coefficient attached to the dummy variables must always be interpreted in relation to the control, or benchmark, group—the group that gets the value of zero. Finally, if a model has several qualitative variables with several classes, introduction of dummy variables can consume a large number of degrees of freedom (d.f.). Therefore, we should weigh the number of dummy variables to be introduced into the model against the total number of observations in the sample. In this chapter we also discussed the possibility of committing a specification error, that is, of fitting the wrong model to the data. If intercepts as well as slopes are expected to differ among groups, we should build a model that incorporates both the differential intercept and slope dummies. In this case a model that introduces only the differential intercepts is likely to lead to a specification error. Of course, it is not always easy a priori to find out which is the true model. Thus, some amount of experimentation is required in a concrete study, especially in situations where theory does not provide much guidance. The topic of specification error is discussed further in Chapter 7. In this chapter we also briefly discussed the linear probability model (LPM) in which the dependent variable is itself binary. Although LPM  can be estimated by ordinary least square (OLS), there are several problems with a routine application of OLS. Some of the problems can be resolved easily and some cannot. Therefore, alternative estimating procedures are needed. We mentioned two such alternatives, the logit and probit models, but we did not discuss them in view of the somewhat advanced nature of these models (but see Chapter 12). 7) Model Selection: Criteria and Tests The major points discussed in this chapter can be summarized as follows: 1.The classical linear regression model assumes that the model used in empirical analysis is â€Å"correctly specified.† 2.The term correct specification of a model can mean several things, including: a.No theoretically relevant variable has been excluded from the model. b.No unnecessary or irrelevant variables are included in the model. c.The functional form of the model is correct. d.There are no errors of measurement. 3.If a theoretically relevant variable(s) has been excluded from the model, the coefficients of the variables retained in the model are generally biased as well as inconsistent, and the error variance and the standard errors of the OLS estimators are biased. As a result, the conventional t and F tests remain of questionable value. 4.Similar consequences ensue if we use the wrong functional form. 5.The consequences of including irrelevant variables(s) in the model are less serious in that estimated coefficients still remain unbiased and consistent, the error variance and standard errors of the estimators are correctly estimated, and the conventional hypothesis-testing procedure is still valid. The major penalty we pay is that estimated standard errors tend to be relatively large, which means parameters of the model are estimated rather imprecisely. As a result, confidence intervals tend to be somewhat wider. 6.In view of the potential seriousness of specification errors, in this chapter we considered several diagnostic tools to help us find out if we have the specification error problem in any concrete situation. These tools include a graphical examination of the residuals and more formal tests, such as MWD and RESET. Since the search for a theoretically correct model can be exasperating, in  this chapter we considered several practical criteria that we should keep in mind in this search, such as (1) parsimony, (2) identifiability, (3) goodness of fit, (4) theoretical consistency, and (5) predictive power. As Granger notes, â€Å"In the ultimate analysis, model building is probably both an art and a science. A sound knowledge of theoretical econometrics and the availability of an efficient computer program are not enough to ensure success.† 8) Multicollinearity: What Happens If Explanatory Variables are Correlated? An important assumption of the classical linear regression model is that there is no exact linear relationship(s), or multicollinearity, among explanatory variables. Although cases of exact multicollinearity are rare in practice, situations of near exact or high multicollinearity occur frequently. In practice, therefore, the term multicollinearity refers to situations where two or more variables can be highly linearly related. The consequences of multicollinearity are as follows. In cases of perfect multicollinearity we cannot estimate the individual regression coefficients or their standard errors. In cases of high multicollinearity individual regression coefficients can be estimated and the OLS estimators retain their BLUE property. But the standard errors of one or more coefficients tend to be large in relation to their coefficient values, thereby reducing t values. As a result, based on estimated t values, we can say that the coefficient with the low t value is not statistically different from zero. In other words, we cannot assess the marginal or individual contribution of the variable whose t value is low. Recall that in a multiple regression the slope coefficient of an X variable is the partial regression coefficient, which measures the (marginal or individual) effect of that variable on the dependent variable, holding all other Xvariables constant. However, if the objective of study is to estimate a group of coefficients fairly accurately, this can be done so long as collinearity is not perfect. In this chapter we considered several methods of detecting multicollinearity, pointing out their pros and cons. We also discussed the various remedies that have been proposed to solve the problem of multicollinearity and noted their strengths and weaknesses. Since multicollinearity is a feature of a given sample, we cannot foretell which method of detecting multicollinearity or which  remedial measure will work in any given concrete situation. 9) Heteroscedasticity: What Happens If the Error Variance Is Nonconstant? A critical assumption of the classical linear regression model is that the disturbances ui all have the same (i.e., homoscedastic) variance. If this assumption is not satisfied, we have heteroscedasticity. Heteroscedasticity does not destroy the unbiasedness property of OLS estimators, but these estimators are no longer efficient. In other words, OLS estimators are no longer BLUE. If heteroscedastic variances ÏÆ'i2 are known, then the method of weighted least squares (WLS) provides BLUE estimators. Despite heteroscedasticity, if we continue to use the usual OLS method not only to estimate the parameters (which remain unbiased) but also to establish confidence intervals and test hypotheses, we are likely to draw misleading conclusions, as in the NYSE Example 9.8. This is because estimated standard errors are likely to be biased and therefore the resulting t ratios are likely to be biased, too. Thus, it is important to find out whether we are faced with the heteroscedasticity problem in a specific application. There are several diagnostic tests of heteroscedasticity, such as plotting the estimated residuals against one or more of the explanatory variables, the Park test, the Glejser test, or the rank correlation test (See Problem 9.13). If one or more diagnostic tests reveal that we have the heteroscedasticity problem, remedial measures are called for. If the true error variance ÏÆ'i2 is known, we can use the method of WLS to obtain BLUE estimators. Unfortunately, knowledge about the true error variance is rarely available in practice. As a result, we are forced to make some plausible assumptions about the nature of heteroscedasticity and to transform our data so that in the transformed model the error term is homoscedastic. We then apply OLS to the transformed data, which amounts to using WLS. Of course, some skill and experience are required to obtain the appropriate transformations. But without such a transformation, the problem of heteroscedasticity is insoluble in practice. However, if the sample size is reasonably large, we can use White’s procedure to obtain heteroscedasticity-corrected standard errors. 10) Autocorrelation: What Happens If Error Terms Are Correlated? The major  points of this chapter are as follows: 1.In the presence of autocorrelation OLS estimators, although unbiased, are not efficient. In short, they are not BLUE. 2.Assuming the Markov first-order autoregressive, the AR(1), scheme, we pointed out that the conventionally computed variances and standard errors of OLS estimators can be seriously biased. 3.As a result, standard t and F tests of significance can be seriously misleading. 4.Therefore, it is important to know whether there is autocorrelation in any given case. We considered three methods of detecting autocorrelation: a.graphical plotting of the residuals b.the runs test c.the Durbin-Watson d test 5.If autocorrelation is found, we suggest that it be corrected by appropriately transforming the model so that in the transformed model there is no autocorrelation. We illustrated the actual mechanics with several examples. 11) Simultaneous Equation Models In contrast to the single equation models discussed in the preceding chapters, in simultaneous equation regression models what is a dependent (endogenous) variable in one equation appears as an explanatory variable in another equation. Thus, there is a feedback relationship between the variables. This feedback creates the simultaneity problem,rendering OLS inappropriate to estimate the parameters of each equation individually. This is because the endogenous variable that appears as an explanatory variable in another equation may be correlated with the stochastic error term of that equation. This violates one of the critical assumptions of OLS that the explanatory variable be either fixed, or nonrandom, or if random, that it be uncorrelated with the error term. Because of this, if we use OLS, the estimates we obtain will be biased as well as inconsistent. Besides the simultaneity problem, a simultaneous equation model may have an identification problem. An identification problem means we cannot uniquely estimate the values of the parameters of an equation. Therefore, before we estimate a simultaneous equation model, we must find out if an equation in  such a model is identified. One cumbersome method of finding out whether an equation is identified is to obtain the reduced form equations of the model. A reduced form equation expresses a dependent (or endogenous) variable solely as a function of exogenous, or predetermined, variables, that is, variables whose values are determined outside the model. If there is a one-to-one correspondence between the reduced form coefficients and the coefficients of the original equation, then the original equation is identified. A shortcut to determining identification is via the order condition of identification. The order condition counts the number of equations in the model and the number of variables in the model (both endogenous and exogenous). Then, based on whether some variables are excluded from an equation but included in other equations of the model, the order condition decides whether an equation in the model is underidentified, exactly identified, or overidentified. An equation in a model is underidentified if we cannot estimate the values of the parameters of that equation. If we can obtain unique values of parameters of an equation, that equation is said to be exactly identified. If, on the other hand, the estimates of one or more parameters of an equation are not unique in the sense that there is more than one value of some parameters, that equation is said to be overidentified. If an equation is underidentified, it is a dead-end case. There is not much we can do, short of changing the specification of the model (i.e., developing another model). If an equation is exactly identified, we can estimate it by the method of indirect least squares (ILS). ILS is a two-step procedure. In step 1, we apply OLS to the reduced form equations of the model, and then we retrieve the original structural coefficients from the reduced form coefficients. ILS estimators are consistent; that is, as the sample size increases indefinitely, the estimators converge to their true values. The parameters of the overidentified equation can be estimated by the method of two-stage least squares (2SLS). The basic idea behind 2SLS is to replace the explanatory variable that is correlated with the error term of the equation in which that variable appears by a variable that is not so correlated. Such a variable is called a proxy, or instrumental, variable.2SLS estimators, like the ILS estimators, are consistent estimators. 12) Selected Topics in Single Equation Regression Models In this chapter we discussed several topics of considerable practical importance. The first topic we discussed was dynamic modeling, in which time or lag explicitly enters into the analysis. In such models the current value of the dependent variable depends upon one or more lagged values of the explanatory variable(s). This dependence can be due to psychological, technological, or institutional reasons. These models are generally known as distributed lag models. Although the inclusion of one or more lagged terms of an explanatory variable does not violate any of the standard CLRM assumptions, the estimation of such models by the usual OLS method is generally not recommended because of the problem of multicollinearity and the fact that every additional coefficient estimated means a loss of degrees of freedom. Therefore, such models are usually estimated by imposing some restrictions on the parameters of the models (e.g., the values of the various lagged coefficients decline from the f irst coefficient onward). This is the approach adopted by the Koyck, the adaptive expectations, and the partial, or stock, adjustment models. A unique feature of all these models is that they replace all lagged values of the explanatory variable by a single lagged value of the dependent variable. Because of the presence of the lagged value of the dependent variable among explanatory variables, the resulting model is called an autoregressive model. Although autoregressive models achieve economy in the estimation of distributed lag coefficients, they are not free from statistical problems. In particular, we have to guard against the possibility of autocorrelation in the error term because in the presence of autocorrelation and the lagged dependent variable as an explanatory variable, the OLS estimators are biased as well as inconsistent. In discussing the dynamic models, we pointed out how they help us to assess the short- and long-run impact of an explanatory variable on the dependent variable. The next topic we discussed related to the phenomenon of spurious, or nonsense, regression. Spurious regression arises when we regress a nonstationary random variable on one or more nonstationary random variables. A time series is said to be (weakly) stationary, if its mean, variance, and covariances at various lags are not time dependent. To find out whether a time series is stationary, we can use the unit root test. If the unit root test (or other tests) shows that the time series of interest is stationary,  then the regression based on such time series may not be spurious. We also introduced the concept of cointegration. Two or more time series are said to be cointegrated if there is a stable, long-term relationship between the two even though individually each may be nonstationary. If this is the case, regression involving such time series may not be spurious. Next we introduced the random walk model, with or without drift. Several financial time series are found to follow a random walk; that is, they are nonstationary either in their mean value or their variance or both. Variables with these characteristics are said to follow stochastic trends. Stock prices are a prime example of a random walk. It is hard to tell what the price of a stock will be tomorrow just by knowing its price today. The best guess about tomorrow’s price is today’s price plus or minus a random error term (or shock, as it is called). If we could predict tomorrow’s price fairly accurately, we would all be millionaires! The next topic we discussed in this chapter was the dummy dependent variable, where the dependent variable can take values of either 1 or 0. Although such models can be estimated by OLS, in which case they are called linear probability models (LPM), this is not the recommended procedure since probabilities estimated from such models can sometimes be negative or greater than 1. Therefore, such models are usually estimated by the logit or probit procedures. In this chapter we illustrated the logit model with concrete examples. Thanks to excellent computer packages, estimation of logit and probit models is no longer a mysterious or forbidding task.