Comparative Employee Relations Essay

Employees relations is those policies and daily practices that are concerned with the regulation and management of individual and team relationships within the organization. Essentially, employee relations are cantered on the ability to resolve and prevent conflicts that involve either an individual or the teams in the organization which directly affect work situations and performance. Efficient communication ensures that information is passed to the employees in order to allow them understand better the company’s goals and objectives. Most employee relations managers uphold the responsibility of handling grievances, individual code of conduct while in the office, evaluation of employee performance and counselling programs. Sound employee relations are based on participation and effective communication for both the management and the employees. There are various management styles that cover the way employee relations must be conducted in order to achieve the best from the employees. These management styles are intended to teach employees the following, –  Ã‚  Applicable regulations and policies – Bargaining agreements – Grievance and appeal rights – Discrimination and protection of whistleblowers Employee relations have broadened its definition from the initial industrial relations to such aspects as employer-employee relations, personal contracts, workplace environmental safety, and socio-emotional factors. In developed countries, there is a growing trend of harmonization in almost all levels of government mainly because of the government commitment to enhance employee relations programs. Comparison of employee relations in Kenya and the United States Employee relations between different countries such as the United States, Japan, Brazil, South Africa, Europe and underdeveloped countries such as Kenya are far much varied because of issues such as; economic status, political will, policy creation and implementation, employee literacy standards, justice systems, type of company and management standards United States and Kenya are two different countries that have different views and perceptions on how they handle employee relations. In some issues however, they agree and others they don’t. Similarities – Both are members of the International Labour Association – They both have federal courts that deal with cases arising from employees – Both countries have trade unions that champion for employee rights – They have health and safety assessment policies – Both value equal treatment, opportunities and rights for the employees – Both countries have created and implemented policies and legal requirements that govern the conduct of both the employer and the employees – In both countries workplace malpractices occur – Both uphold human rights concerning employees – They both have turnover and retention concerns – In both workplace harassment is punishable by law Differences In the U.S, every State i.e. Washington, Texas etc have each Employee Relations Advisory Organization (ERAO) that is concerned with individual organizations dealing with employee relations[1] while in Kenya there is only one central organization that deals with the issues raised by its employees. Also, the U.S has an elaborate system of government that promotes the utilization of its staff members attached to the Employee Relations Advisory Board to monitor employee relations in various companies. In Kenya, the situation is different with no government body that is specifically assigned the duty of overseeing employee relations. In   the   U.S each organization including institutions have the privilege of getting the services of an employee relations officer but in Kenya, the companies find it difficult and expensive to hire an employee relations manager. The U.S also has well trained personnel that have the human resource skills to handle employee relations issues which Kenya does not. In addition, the U.S have a better economy that can support better pay packages, benefits, compensations and other incentives while in   Kenya employers pay poorly thus undermining the morale, motivation and performance of individual employees. Finally, in the U.S, the employees are from different parts of the world speaking different languages and diverse political, social, cultural and religious backgrounds making it difficult and tedious to the companies to ensure smooth harmonization in the company. While in Kenya, only a few internationals work in some companies with the majority being the locals making employee relations very easy to manage Third world countries like Kenya, are not economically capable of handling employee relations effectively. With an unemployment rate of 57%, most employers are arrogant to employees because they know that they can sack one employ another within a very short time frame. Since most companies due to financial weaknesses cannot afford the services of employee relations manager, then the work of handling employee issue are either left with the general manager or the human resources manager who have no skills to handle the sector. This will lead to unfair and costly consequences for the company such as failure to understand individual problems which will in turn affect his or her performance. Because of corruption in Kenya, very few cases of employee relations abuse have been so far settled while in the U.S the case is different with more significant cases being reported each year.

Correspondence

It was a pleasure to meet you at the convention for trial attorneys In New York last week. In addition to the interesting program highlights of the regular sessions, the informal discussions with people like you are an added plus at these meetings. Your contribution to the program was very beneficial and highly Informative.You may recall that I had Just been appointed by the court to defend a woman here n Providence who has been charged with embezzling large sums of money from her previous employer. The defendant had been employed at a large department store for more than 25 years. Because of her valuable years of experience In accounting with the store, she was In charge of accounts receivable at the store. Her previous employer, the plaintiff In the case, claims that she embezzled $18,634 three years ago, $39,072 two years ago, and $27,045 last year.You mentioned that you had represented defendants In similar cases In previous years. Your assistance would be Invaluable as I prepare for this defense. If you are willing to lend your professional expertise In this case, here Is what Is needed: 1 . Within the next week, send the appropriate citations for all similar trials In which you participated. 2. Provide any other case citations that you think might be helpful In this case. 3. Meet with me In approximately two weeks for a case consultation.At hat time we can discuss compensation for your work on this matter. A copy of the formal complaint Is enclosed for your review. I will call you In about a week to arrange a time and place for our meeting. Please let me know If there Is additional Information that would be helpful In preparing for this case. Of experience will be invaluable.

The World's Most Ethical Companies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The World's Most Ethical Companies - Essay Example It will predict the possible effects of these ethical practices to the bottom line of the company. Furthermore, existing policies will be reviewed and recommendations on the areas that need to be improved will be provided. Moral Responsibility to Consumers It has always been the ethical value of L’Oreal to be open-mindedness, wherein it always listens and conforms to the needs and feedback from diverse consumers. Firstly, cultural and racial differences are considered in the development of beauty products to global consumers (L’Oreal, 2013b). The company is committed in providing the best quality beauty products at the most reasonable price to all its consumers for their satisfaction. It always values its consumers from the development to production of beauty products down to marketing and customer relationships. Each product is formulated in conformance to the consumers’ needs of beauty. Secondly, it is active in providing sustainable consumption to consumers ar ound the world by utilising natural ingredients, which bring natural effects to the health of consumers (â€Å"L’Oreal Publishes 2010 Sustainable,† 2011). ... The company has developed a packaging policy in its environmental program in considering the environmental impact of the packaging design. The company makes sure that all its packaging materials are weighed lightly in order to reduce the utilization of cardboard materials from trees. Its packaging design has been forest certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) for the last five years. The company sees to it that the raw materials used have passed under its selection system, which requires meeting its several sustainability standards, such as conformance to biodiversity, consumer safety, and long-term accessibility. The company has also adopted an initiative in minimizing its discharge of greenhouse gases through its participation of the Carbon Disclosure Project since 2003. Its initiative has reduced its discharge of carbon dioxide in the environment by 28% through adopting sustainable raw materials and production processes (L’Oreal, 2013c). Moral Responsibility to Em ployees Aside from its responsibility to consumers and the environment, the company has also been practicing ethical practices for its responsibility to its employees. The company offers personalized programs in inducting new employees to the company, which conform to their personalities, skills, and knowledge through comprehensive trainings. In order to make the transition of a new employee successful in the company, it offers a personalized program that includes training, meetings, and discussions with the right people (L’Oreal, 2013d). All employees are also entitled to all career development opportunities despite of race, color, and

The Fashion Channel Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

The Fashion Channel - Case Study Example The essay "The Fashion Channel Case" concerns The Channel and Fashion. Encouraged from the success of TFC, networks like Lifetime and CNN have begun to add fashion-related programs to their line-ups. Some recent market surveys indicate that Lifetime and CNN perform better than TFC in terms of customer satisfaction, awareness, and perceived value. According to a recently published Alpha research on customer satisfaction with cable networks, TFC achieved a rating of 3.8 (on a scale of 1 to 5) on customer satisfaction whereas CNN scored 4.3 and Lifetime gained 4.5. In terms of awareness, CNN achieved 4.6 and Lifetime a 4.5 while the TFC’s rating was 4.1. In case of perceived value, the scores of TFC, CNN, and Lifetime were respectively 3.7, 4.1, and 4.4. Evidently, TFC’s declining performance adversely affected their two major sources of revenues- advertising revenues and cable affiliate fees. In order to strengthen the TFC’s market position and to improve its compe titiveness, the organization is currently planning some strategy changes. TFC is mainly thinking of increasing the price for a unit of advertising so as to improve its financial stability. In order to increase or hold the advertisement price, it is essential for the organization to make its network’s content appealing to a critical mass of viewers who in turn would attract advertisers. In order to address this market condition, Dana Wheeler, senior vice president of marketing, has framed three alternative solutions.

Obesity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Obesity - Essay Example It has estimated that in the United States of America two third of the population has either increased weight or is suffering from obesity. Furthermore, it has been classified that one third of the population belonging to the age group of above twenty years is suffering from obesity (Weight Control Information Network 2010). There are many underlying factors that have been leading to this problem. Increased consumption of fats and reduced burning of calories through exercise has resulted in obesity. Reduction in physical activities by children leads to increase in obesity amongst the young generation. The advancement of technology has made the person more reliable on machines for all their works and has resulted in reduction of physical activities. Video games and other forms of entertainment has made people more restricted to indoors and has led to decrease in outdoor activities and games and hence resulted in aggravating the problem of obesity (Biddle et al 2009). The epidemic of o besity needs to be tacked with different measures. Physical activity needs to be promoted and awareness should be created amongst the people regarding the problems that may result due to this condition. Children should be trained in schools and sports activities should be encouraged amongst them. The media should also play a role by promotion of activities and measures that can reduce this issue (Boyse 2008, Biddle et al 2009).

Accounting-Audting Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Accounting-Audting - Assignment Example Secondly, the committee has the powers to influence appropriate actions against fraud which aids governance in terms of ethics establishment. Thirdly, they enhance both internal and external audit functions as internal auditors report to them and they have the ability of monitoring external auditors’ activities1. According to ISA (400) the failure of tests of control on the preliminary assessment about control risk has the effect of derailed effectiveness of the specific control, this result into ineffectiveness of the audit conducted according to the audit plan1. There are a variety of the sales system weaknesses derail the sales performance. They include: first; Need for approval, the document and those handling them need to be approved at each stage which has never been the case in this system. Secondly, there is the likelihood that the parties involved in the process may be emotionally involved hence derailing prospective focus that would result into loss of control1. Thirdly, there is self limiting in the manner in which the records of sales are collected and unfairly allocated; this is in the case where the driver handles all the invoices with the management remaining with none. Fourth, the buy cycle is not quite supportive to the sales system since apart from simply making payments of deliveries they do nothing else to support in the audit process therefore the buyers do not at in any way required to support the selling process. Fifth, the sales system in question is quite insensitive to the critical issues that revolve around money wh ether payment or receipt1. Within the entire sales department there is actually non among the salespeople who mentions any issue around budget in terms of whether there is a prospect likely to afford the product offered by John limited or not. The existence for assertion for inventory is verified using numerous processes among which is

Strategic Hospitality Management Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Strategic Hospitality Management - Case Study Example Moreover, it will discover the UK consumer trends, present the variety of backgrounds of investors and give a future outlook along with a forecast which has been urbanized to illustrate the industry and the factors moving its growth and future. In conclusion, it will comment on short-term and long-term investment as well as recommending an outcome for the investor. A Thistle Euston hotel, according to the EU, is defined as 'a communal accommodation enterprise, typified as being prearranged in rooms exceeding a countrywide specified minimum and as providing ordinary services, counting room service'. Usually, the UK definition is made according to the investment of a license to sell liquor. (Lawson, 1998) According to the newest beginning figures from the Hotel Thistle Euston Survey by Deloitte, the UK hotel industry has established to be the strongest entertainer in Europe in the first six months of 2004, by means of revenue per obtainable room (revPAR) rising 11 percent against the similar period in 2003, resulting from a balanced mix of rising occupancies and standard room rates. London, which is the most important performer in the UK, knowledgeable a 6% augment in standard room rate year on year (ACAS 2002). Budget Hotel is on the entire purpose-built, identified lodging unit by a smallest of 50 rooms and standard low prices. Personage units are frequently identified as lodges, inns or - less usually now - motels. Bed and Breakfast is a private house; several rooms of which are set aside for overnight guests whose paid lodging comprise breakfast. (The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language) The competitive environment There is always tough competition amongst the key players inside the UK Hotel Industry: From the Smith Travel Research where the grand insist for the Residence Inn was at 30% and the supply was merely at 8%. The Marriott PLC has urbanized a new group called "Residence Inn" to adapt this great market insist. UK center market hotel brand, Thistle, is initiation a luxury worldwide sister - Guoman, which is set to spread internationally. In order to grow the brand Thistle intends to upgrade some existing properties in the UK and launch an "ambitious acquisition strategy" abroad. Whitbread has made the decision to decrease their experience to (and eventually exit from) the full-service hotels division where they are the UK operators of the Marriott brand, due to the low returns from this franchised commerce. The company also obtain Premier Lodge from Spirit Group for pound; 505 million, and combining Travel Inn and Premier Lodge and marketing them to the UK consumer under on brand (Ackers, P. 2002, 2-19). Thistle Euston has draw round a violent e-commerce policy since

US v Patel Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

US v Patel - Essay Example One of the main purposes of judicial system is to provide the root cause of social problems. As it appears, the court was much concerned with administering punishment rather than finding out why the defendant was engaging in the medical frauds. There is a possibility for instance that Dr. Patel was not the only one engaging in this unscrupulous activities. Secondly, it has not been included in the case what the defendant wanted to achieve though his actions. It is therefore not possible for the court to prevent such acts from occurring in future. In conclusion, the case study concerned a cardiologist by the name of Dr. Panel who was engaging in unscrupulous and unethical activities. He performed operations on his patients without letting them know what he was actually doing. It is through the intervention of the court that this problem was discovered. While the intervention was important, the court failed in establishing the motivation behind the acts. Punishment alone should not be used to address crimes within the

Prompt Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Prompt - Essay Example fluenced significant transformations in ways of life and in validating that this unifying force confirms universality of responsibility with one another. In the United States, a country known to have espoused diversity in culture, one is led to reflect on the arguments presented by Albright in terms of signifying the relevance of religion and faith in resolving political conflicts. More interesting, there seems to be great possibilities that the religious affiliations of members of the United States congress influence the kind of decisions in terms of design of policies and enforcing implementation. In this regard, one strongly believes that religion plays a crucial factor in influencing diplomatic policies and in facilitating resolution of political conflicts within the local and international sphere. When government leaders have signified and acknowledged affiliations to religious groups, as verified and attested within the chambers of the 111th congress, decisions regarding foreign policies, resolution of conflicts, and guiding principles towards governance are most likely to be defined and influenced by the religious teachings and traditions that are imbibed. For example, as cited by Albright, during her 1981 visit in Poland, significant changes were observed regarding the form of government until such time that Pope John Paul’s visit influenced the people to boldly profess their Catholic faith and openly express their intent to be liberated from the bonds of communism. Despite the government’s declaration that Pope John Paul was to be regarded an enemy of the state due to the convictions and threats posed by his teachings, the firm belief and adherence to faith exemplified by the greater majority, remarkably led to the liberate Poland, â€Å"brought down the Be rlin Wall, reunited Europe, and transformed the face of the world† (Albright 4). This fact proves that religion played an instrumental factor in resolving conflicts, regaining human rights, and

Good vs Evil Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Essay Example for Free

Good vs Evil Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Essay The world as we know it is constantly moving and changing; events occur that can affect people’s lives even if they are thousands of miles away. Whether or not these happenings are good or evil can shape one’s mindset and outlook on the actions they take themselves. Both have distinct strengths and weaknesses; however, the real question one must ask is which side of the spectrum is more capable of influencing humanity. In Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde written by Robert Louis Stevenson, a wealthy and well-respected doctor by the name of Henry Jekyll, who believes that man is not one but two separate people, constructs a potion which unearths his inner evil (Mr. Edward Hyde), and in the end is engulfed by the strength of his malevolent persona. Although good is a preferred in society, the power of evil has more ability to spread over a larger scale and influence the minds of many; it is omnipresent, inevitable, and extremely easy to surrender to. As much as people would like to conceal their impure intentions and corrupt ways of life, somehow they are revealed and it is impossible to resist what truly lies inside. What classifies a person as either good or evil depends on what side of their soul they decide to let be in control. Once the bad side takes over it takes an immense amount of effort to get the good back. In Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Dr. Jekyll is consumed by the evil that lies within him. When Jekyll first consumes the potion he feels elated. Edward Hyde provides an alternate life for Jekyll. He is liberated of all cares and expectations. Nearing the end of the book, the reader gets a close look inside Jekyll’s mind and what was occurring when he switched between himself and Hyde. He tells about the early stages of his experiment: â€Å"I felt younger, lighter, happier in body†¦ a solution of the bonds of obligation, an unknown but not an innocent freedom of the soul. I knew myself, at the first breath of this new life, to be more wicked, tenfold more wicked, sold a slave to my original evil; and the thought, in that moment, braced and delighted me like wine† (Stevenson 67). Throughout his life, Henry has always been a man of respect. He is known to have integrity and good ethics. When he rids of his burdens and gives into the side of himself that does whatever it wants, he is rejuvenated. It’s as if he is given two paths, and the easier one to take is the one with â€Å"do not cross† tape across it. The temptation lingers over Jekyll to constantly transform into the devilish version of him. He is aware of the wrongness of the situation because Hyde is a danger to the community, but the feeling of being free is an addiction to him. It takes restraint to hold Hyde inside, and in the end it becomes impossible because he overpowers any will to salvage the morality of Jekyll. It is further explained that the switch between personalities was not caused by the drug, but by a choice that was made. Jekyll explains in his confessions, â€Å"The drug had no discriminating action; it was neither diabolical nor divine; it but shook the doors of the prison-house of my disposition†¦my evil, kept awake by ambition, was alert and swift to seize the occasion; and the thing that was projected was Edward Hyde† (Stevenson 67). It is said that evil is inside of everyone just as much as good is, and depending on what one faces one may be more present than the other. The potion was just a key which opened the lock that held Jekyll’s wicked spirit. The potential was always inside of him, but he needed that push to help him express it. In the real world, there are no potions that can turn one evil; however, certain events can trigger feelings or thoughts that completely go against one’s morality. It is a personal decision to act upon those thoughts, but it is particularly simple to do so, and once it is made a chain reaction occurs that becomes more frightening as it continues. That sparks one to ponder how the evil gets into a soul, and if there is anything to that can prevent the chaos it ensues. The question of where evil comes about is one that has been argued for a long time. Some believe that it is influenced by the world surrounding them, or perhaps by personal experiences. It could be that we are exposed to the concept of it at such an early age that we are given our lives to ponder what we prefer. It is also said that depravity is laced in our genetics, passed on through generations. Whatever the case, the demons inside us can at times be inescapable. If it is true that somewhere in our destiny lies evil, it is impossible to hold back. It is a natural instinct for those who are given that gene to do horrible things, and that overpowers the choice they are given not to. In an article addressing the source of evil which discusses well-known figures such as Adolf Hitler, it is written that recent studies have shown the evidence of behavior and personality in DNA. The author of the article believes that it is impossible to attain such tendencies through inheritance. He states, â€Å"The fact that one child may turn into a bully or become a criminal and another not remains a tantalising mystery, and one that scientists cannot possibly explain in simple terms of DNA† (Masters). Masters is suggesting that the transformation from good to bad is a complicated process that involves many elements. It is an intriguing thought, how a mind can shift from one side to the other. The influence of evil is all around and it becomes a task to ignore what is being so aggressively thrown upon a person. One incident can have the power to spoil a pure soul. Bad behavior is directly linked to selfishness; one can convince themselves that a decision that hurts others is what is right for them. Adolf Hitler can be used as an example of this; his greed for the perfect Germany drove him to do things which are appalling to imagine. With the article being based off of Hitler, it debates, â€Å"Vice is the easy option, whereas virtue denotes difficulty and sweat. As the great Roman philosopher and dramatist Seneca wrote: Nature does not give a man virtue, the process of becoming a good man is an art. † (Masters). Human beings are always searching for an easy way out. It can be applied to everyday life, taking an escalator rather than the stairs for example. When faced with the decision between good and evil, one is swayed towards evil simply because it is the easier decision to make. To be good and pure is to ignore impulses for revenge or selfish acts, which give one a sense of satisfaction and are hard to resist. It is a natural instinct to be bad, and one must work hard to escape the evil of their own self. Once somebody defeats the demons that lie inside of them, it is a whole other battle to face the evil that lay in front of them in their life. No matter where one may try to go, it is near impossible to escape the constant influence of bad people and bad things. No matter age, race, or sex, corrupt people are out there that can hurt and destroy. Evil is something that has the ability to spread like a wildfire, and affect all who crosses its path. In an ABC News article titled â€Å"‘Depraved’ Behavior in Ordinary Life† the subject of wickedness is brought into perspective with real-life situations. It is typical to connect evil to war and politics, but one may be surprised at the small accounts of evil they may encounter on a daily basis. Michael Welner, a psychologist who studies depraved behavior, believes that evil has a broad spectrum which any person can fit inside. He states, â€Å"’The American public regardless of [geographic] state, regardless of opinion, regardless of orientation, in a variety of issues can achieve an agreement about a number of qualities of crimes that make them beyond-the-pale depraved’† (Libaw). Welner challenges that there are standards that must be met for a person to be considered evil; however, it is fairly easy to meet the criteria. Anybody and everybody can do sinister acts; it doesn’t just apply to dictators and murderers. Looking further into the mind of an evil-doer, one may ask what makes a mind hostile. The subject is also addressed in this article, when Welner’s study is revealed to include 14 traits that can define a human as evil. Libaw sums up Welner’s research with this statement, â€Å"The common thread is that evildoers dont just commit bad acts. They choose to make their actions even worse by behaving sadistically and deliberately ignoring or intensifying the damage and suffering they cause† (Libaw). It is one thing to do something that is bad, and another thing to dedicate one’s life to making sure all surrounding them are in misery. Evil people have the power to ruin so many things with the blink of an eye, where it takes an army of good to defeat the power that the wicked ones hold. To make a difference for the better is much more difficult to do than destroying is. It takes too much effort and determination for any average person to accomplish. Evil is something that is all around us; it has the strength to overcome almost everything and destroy many aspects of society, even when there are the few that attempt to maintain the good. Connections can be made extremely easily, from those one might be close to or as far away as a person they learn about in school. Evil is something that carries on throughout the years and can have lasting effects while good deeds can only stay in the spotlight for so long. Humans have the choice to fight for good or to give into evil, and it requires inner strength of an individual to fight against the strength of evil if they wish to attain purity. If that can be achieved then it will stay and one less person will be affected; however if they fail, they may be a victim of the grasp of evil for as long as they shall live. Works Cited Libaw, Oliver. Looking for Evil in Everyday Life. ABC News. ABC News Network, n. d. Web. 09 Apr. 2013. Masters, Brian. Are Some People Born Evil? Mail Online. Associated Newspapers Ltd, 7 Feb. 2007. Web. 26 Apr. 2013. Stevenson, Robert Louis. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. New York: Bantam, 1981. 67-69. Print.

Workplace Citizenship Skills for Organization Function

Workplace Citizenship Skills for Organization Function Workplace citizenship is the perspective that the employees of an institution have where they extend their behaviours beyond the normal duties. Workplace citizenship behaviour in other words means working further than the minimum expected from the individual. The behaviour showcased by the employee can have huge impact on the workplace environment and whole organisation. Good practices at the workplace keeps the workplace positive and it also helps in raising the satisfaction and happiness level in employees. When there is a positive work environment the employees will be more optimistic and less stressed, which in turn helps in better efficiency. This paper discusses about the relevance of social responsibility, communication and team work in nursing framework. It also highlights how nurses display social responsibility and discusses about the significance of communication and teamwork in nursing. This paper establishes the importance of mutually interrelated communication and teamw ork to work with the multidisciplinary team members. The American Nurses Association (ANA, 2010) defines nursing as a healthcare profession where the health of the individual, families and the whole population is optimized, protected and promoted. Nursing is a divine profession where care is given from birth to the last breath of an individual. In addition to the advanced clinical skills and technical knowledge, nurses should integrate workplace attributes to achieve their title role in society and work field. In nursing development of constructive citizenship values and its application in work field enables to achieve a rewarding career. In work field, a professionally competent registered nurse must showcase high degree of social responsibility, work efficiently with teams by communicating effectively. These values produce and empower professionally competent nurses who perform efficiently in their related discipline. Communication is basically the transfer of ideas from sender to the receiver even though, globalization brought great advancements which changed communication channels (Dwyer, 2012). Nurses’ everyday communicate with patients, families, other allied health professionals and administrators. Communication is very important as it promote efficient, safe and high quality care. There are three main components in a successful communication: sender, receiver and message (Dwyer, 2012). In nursing profession there is a great amount of information to be shared in limited time span. There are many factors which influence how the message is interpreted. This include the location where the communication occurred, past experience and personal perceptions of both sender and receiver. Miscommunication refers to lack of clarity in transferring the required information which leads to misinterpretation of the situation. Miscommunication can have drastic effects, even to the death of the patient. Best example will be importance of the patient report at the shift change. The nurse who is relieving the shift have to communicate about the condition of the patient including treatments, medications and anything which happened during the shift to the nurse who is commencing the next shift. Honesty is very important for effective communication in nursing. ()Do not offer anything to a patient unless the nurse can deliver it, if nurse cannot follow it, explain why nurse cannot deliver to the patient. Nurses have to be responsive and available. The patient and the family will be agitated if they feel they are ignored. Sometimes this might be due to faults in the communication process. Implement corrective measures so that, communication process goes though faultlessly and in a timely manner. Verbal component in the communication process is very minute compared to the nonverbal part. ()Study conducted by University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) found that spoken words contributes only seven percent in a communication process. () Facial expression comprised of fifty five percentage and thirty eight percent is from the tone of voice. () The study also claims that, one way or another we are communicating always, even if we are not speaking. ()Nurses have to pay attention to the body language, eye contact and tone of voice when talking to patients, families, co-workers, superiors and virtually everyone. Effective communication plays a pivotal role in promoting integrated flow of information, collaboration between team members and results in immediate patient recovery. SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY Like any other professions, nursing is an essential part of the society and it continues to grow and evolve. Cambridge dictionary defines social responsibility as a practice of producing goods and services in a way that is not harmful to the society or the environment. (http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/business-english/social-responsibility). Social responsibility refers to obligation of a person which is measured by the thoughts and beliefs of an individual. Social responsibility of a nurse refers to the ethical and moral obligations permeating the profession (). Main components of social responsibility are defined in the professional guidelines laid by Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia. (NMBA). These standards cover patient care, integrity, morals, responsibility and collaboration with the other allied healthcare professionals. These code of ethics are very important and these must be abided by each professional. Ethical violations could result on suspension or per manent loss of the professional license. Nurses have integrated roles to play individually and collectively in the society which is rooted in code of ethics and professional guidelines in terms of human dignity, social justice, integrity and altruism(Riley, Beal, 2010). The most important responsibility of a nurse is to abide the interest of a patient above any other concern or bias. Nurse has to support and respect patient’s self-determination regardless of the patient’s sex, age, nationality, race and medical condition. The nurse has to ensure patient safety and protect professional integrity. Nurse has to collaborate fully with other nurses, doctors and multidisciplinary team members. Another important responsibility to be showcased by the nurses is being an advocate for the patients. Nurses should work for the patient’s rights, privacy protection and their choice for being part of a medical research. Nurses are accountable for their judgement and action. Accountability still exists when a duty is delegated to colleague or subordinate. The nurses also have the duty of respect and morality to themselves and others around them including patients. Nurses must maintain lifelong learning commitment and professional growth. They must be moral, express wisdom, courage and honesty. Nurses who have the leadership roles must nurture ethical nursing practices and retain an environment where subordinates can raise complaints. Nurses have a social responsibility for community education. They have to share the knowledge about the health, wellness and ways to resist diseases. Nurses should take part in the community outreach programs and activities related to healthcare. Nurses also must have knowledge about national and global health concerns, outbreaks, epidemics and infectious diseases and vaccines. Nurses should be able to provide equally accessible nursing care. They have to provide accountable, equitable, culturally and socially responsive high quality health care to all the sections of the population. Nurses are responsible for the actions and accountable to the duties they undertake. They must ensure to practice the duty of care through every aspect of work they undertake. A professionally competent registered nurse not only completes the professional registration requirements, but they actively participate in the community settings to provide the best care to the community members. Social responsibility is a skill which must be expanded from the experiences gained in professional life through continuous practice. TEAMWORK In any line of work, effective team work enables to achieve common goal by working together with the group members. Organ defines (as cited in Yun et al., 2007) organizational citizenship behaviour as individual quality which cannot be recognized directly but plays a vital role in the effective functioning of the organization. The leadership typology determines and influences team organizational citizenship behaviour. The roles and responsibilities are allocated to team members by leaders. Aversive, directive, transactional leaderships force the members to work for team so they results in team anti-citizenship behaviour (TACB). On the other hand, transformational and empowering leaderships motivates the members to work with the team which causes team organizational citizenship behaviour (TOCB). TOCB increases job satisfaction and overall productivity. Positive organizational citizenship outcomes are achieved through assertive and efficient communication between the team members. Nurs es must work with people and not for them. This feeling of togetherness and cooperation between team members improve job satisfaction and enhances productivity by immediate patient recovery. CONCLUSION This paper talks about the workplace citizenship skills necessary for the effective functioning of organization. The workplace citizenship skills make a professional part of the organization which increases job satisfaction and hence, the overall productivity of organization. The aspect of public health cannot be separated from care provided by a nurse. Therefore, social service is the integral component of a nurse. Effective communication and team work are both inter related. In a multidisciplinary team, effective communication, collaboration, good team spirit and flexibility between team members improves job satisfaction. In all professional fields, communication is necessary for transferring ideas. Similarly, in nursing verbal as well nonverbal communication has a vital role to play. Miscommunication can interrupt the flow of information and can result in medical errors caused by misinterpretation of the situation. Development and display high degree of social responsibility, tran sfer of effective communication and good spirit of teamwork has profound influence on achieving the organizational citizenship skills. References hanging indent ANA- see American Nurses Association American Nurses Association. (2010). Code of Ethics for Nurses with Interpretive Statements. Washington, USA: Author. http://www.nursingworld.org/mainmenucategories/ethicsstandards/codeofethicsfornurses/code-of-ethics.pdf Dwyer, J. (2012). Communication in today’s workplace. (9th ed.). Frenchs Forest, NSW: Pearson Australia. Riley, J., Beal, J. (2010). Public service: Experienced nurses views on social and civic responsibility.Nursing Outlook, 58(3), 142-147.Retrieved from http://dx.doi.org.ezproxy.cdu.edu.au/10.1016/j.outlook.2010.02.158 Wray-Lake, L., Syvertsen, A.K. (2011). The developmental roots of social responsibility in childhood and adolescence. New Directions for Child and Adolescent Development, 134(1), 11-25. doi: 10.1002/cd.308 Yun, S., Cox, J., Sims, H.P., Salam, S. (2007). Leadership and Teamwork: The effects of leadership and job satisfaction on team citizenship. International Journal of Leadership Studies, 2(3), 171-193. Retrieved from http://www.regentuniversity.org/acad/global/publications/ijls/new/vol2iss3/yun/YunCoxSimsSalam_Vol2Iss3.pdf Mehrabian, A 2012,Nonverbal communication,UCLA, Aldine Atherton, Chicago. References http://www.nursetogether.com/why-communication-in-the-nursing-profession-is-important

Television Programs :: Personal Narrative Media Entertainment Essays

Television Programs Nature. PBS. 2004. Orangutans: Just Hangin’ On. When I was nine years old, my family lived in Ayer, Massachusetts. I was sad to leave my friends in Colorado behind, but luckily lived on a street with a lot of other kids that I became fast friends with. There was a military base located in the town, so it was not unusual for new transplants to come in and out of the school throughout the school year. My teacher was fantastic and helped me catch up when it was clearly evident that this school was way ahead of mine back home. Soon I became one of the top students in my class and had made a best friend in the girl across the street. I began to become accustomed to my quaint small town, with the candy store that still sold nickel candies. There was a bookstore that didn't mind if you read the magazines without paying for them, just as long as your fingers were not sticky from your nickel candy. It was one of those wonderful carefree days as a kid that my whole world changed. I had received a scooter for my birthday and rode up and down the streets with my friends on their bikes after school. The next street over from mine had a long winding hill that the daredevil bike riders liked to coast down at what seemed at the time to be as fast as a car. After riding around my much more level street, my friends became bored and wanted to test it out. I was not the most balanced of creatures on my scooter, and I wimped out. We decided that they would go down the hill and then meet me back at the old school that was next to a large field across the street from my house. The school was from the nineteenth century. There had been a fire there that shut the school down, but amazingly had not caused any structural damage to the outside. It was deemed an historic building so it remained preserved. It was kind of creepy to look in to its abandoned insides, but there was a large asphalt lot behind it and the field next to it, so the former playgrounds received a lot of attention from the kids in the neighborhood. I rode my scooter down towards the back of the school to where a basketball hoop stood and leaned my scooter against the chain link fence.

All Quiet on the Western Front :: essays research papers

Foreign Policy Book Review   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  World War I took place in the early 1900's. The United States entered the war late, trying not to get involved with foreign affairs. In Erich Maria Remarque's WWI novel All Quiet on the Western Front, we see the war through the German point of view of a 19 year-old Paul Baumer.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As more and more young German nationalists are brain-washed into battle, more and more lives are altered forever. Once in the war, the young soldiers realize that war isn't at all as glorious as they had believed. They continuously live in fear and unfathomable doubt.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One thing I liked about this book was that the heroin dies in the end; not because of animosity towards the main character but because it didn't end in an archetypal happy ending. It felt more real than same old story we've seen over and over again where the main character sees all his friends die yet somehow survives every battle.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One thing I learned from was that it really was terrifying to be at war during a militaristic industrial revolution. New weapons were constantly being brought into the war, and no one knew how to defend themselves against them. In modern day we have plans and defense systems for anything and everything, but they hadn't yet seen tanks or machine guns. Conditions were horrible in the trenches and people went mad every other day.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The thing I liked most about the book, however, was that it was written from the point of view of a German soldier. In America we hardly ever see any war through anyone else's eyes other than those of another patriotic American. I thought this feature did well in showing that, no matter what country, each soldier differs little from any other. It is the nation that has the problem, and the soldiers are sent in to settle the dispute sometimes not knowing what that may be. They asked the same questions of their government that we asked of ours.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The only thing I didn't like was it was a little confusing at times because of his writing style. I often confused characters and events, but that can be said of any story.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I would definitely recommend this book in the future because it's different than other novels we read in the same ways I explained that I like it. It brought a new twist tot he average war novel.

The Body Ritual of the Nacirema Essay -- Horace Miner Egocentrism Essa

The Body Ritual of the Nacirema It is human nature to describe one's own culture as the most advanced and most intellectual. Unfortunately, it is also common practice to look down upon the practices of another culture because they are not similar to one's own traditions. The ability to do this can sometimes be a damaging characteristic for society as a whole. Horace Miner realized the implications of egocentric views and wrote a groundbreaking essay to open society's eyes to their biases. 'The Body Ritual of the Nacirema' was written by Horace Miner for shock value. The article describes the rituals of a people which on the surface seem to be barbaric and highly out of date for that time at which the article was written. Some of the rituals described were women voluntarily baking their heads in ovens and visits to a 'holy-mouth man', which were extremely painful and costly, in order to gain social acceptance from their peers. Another unheard of tradition described in this essay was that of the sick people going to a temple where they had to give very large gi...

The Vampire Diaries: The Struggle Chapter Sixteen

Long ago, in the dark side streets of Florence, starving, frightened, and exhausted, Stefan had made himself a vow. Several vows, in fact, about using the Powers he sensed within himself, and about how to treat the weak, blundering, but still-human creatures around him. Now he was going to break them all. As he'd thought, the surge of Power had passed over Bonnie and Meredith and followed him, but it had receded again, and was now drawn back, waiting. He wouldn't let it wait long. Unencumbered by the burden of Elena's body, he broke into a predator's lope on the empty road. The freezing sleet and wind didn't bother him much. His hunter's senses pierced through them. He turned them all to the task of locating the prey he wanted. No thinking of Elena now. Later, when this was over. Tyler and his friends were still in the Quonset hut. Good. They never knew what was coming as the window burst into flying glass shards and the storm blew inside. Stefan meant to kill when he seized Tyler by the neck and sank his fangs in. That had been one of his rules, not to kill, and he wanted to break it. But another of the toughs came at him before he had quite drained Tyler of blood. The guy wasn't trying to protect his fallen leader, only to escape. It was his bad luck that his route took him across Stefan's path. Stefan flipped him to the ground and tapped the new vein eagerly. The hot coppery taste revived him, warmed him, flowed through him like fire. It made him want more. Power. Life. They had it; he needed it. With the glorious rush of strength that came with what he'd already drunk, he stunned them easily. Then he moved from one to another, drinking deep and throwing them away. It was like popping tops on a six-pack. He was on the last when he saw Caroline huddling in the corner. His mouth was dripping as he raised his head to look at her. Those green eyes, usually so narrow, showed white all around like those of a terrified horse. Her lips were pale blurs as she gabbled soundless pleas. He pulled her to her feet by the green sashes at her waist. She was moaning, her eyes rolling up in their sockets. He wound his hand in her auburn hair to position the exposed throat where he wanted it. His head reared back to strike – and Caroline screamed and went limp. He dropped her. He'd had enough anyway. He was bursting with blood, like an overfed tick. He had never felt so strong, so charged with elemental power. Now it was time for Damon. He went out of the Quonset hut the same way he'd come in. But not in human form. A hunting falcon soared out the window and wheeled into the sky. The new shape was wonderful. Strong†¦ and cruel. And its eyes were sharp. It took him where he wanted, skimming over the oak trees of the woods. He was looking for a particular clearing. Stefan ripped bloody strips out of his arms and heard Damon's answering scream of pain and anger. I'm not your weak little brother any more. He sent the thought down to Damon on a stunning blast of Power.And this time I've come for your blood. He felt the backwash of hatred from Damon, but the voice in his mind was mocking.So this is the thanks I get for saving you and your betrothed ? Stefan's wings folded and he dived again, his whole world narrowed to one objective. Killing. He went for Damon's eyes, and the stick Damon had picked up whistled past his new body. His talons tore into Damon's cheek and Damon's blood ran. Good. You shouldn't have left me alive, he told Damon.You should have killed both of us at once. I'll be glad to correct the mistake! Damon had been unprepared before, but now Stefan could feel his drawing Power, arming himself, standing ready.But first you might tell me whom I'm supposed to have killed this time. The falcon's brain could not deal with the riot of emotions the taunting question called up. Screaming wordlessly, it plummeted on Damon again, but this time the heavy stick struck home. Injured, one wing hanging, the falcon dropped behind Damon's back. Stefan changed to his own form at once, scarcely feeling the pain of his broken arm. Before Damon could turn, he grabbed him, the fingers of his good hand digging into his brother's neck and spinning him around. When he spoke, it was almost gently. â€Å"Elena,† he said, whispered, and went for Damon's throat. It was dark, and very cold, and someone was hurt. Someone needed help. But she was terribly tired. Elena's eyelids fluttered and opened and that took care of the darkness. As for the cold†¦ she was bone-cold, freezing, chilled to the marrow. And no wonder; there was ice all over her. Somewhere, deep down, she knew it was more than that. What had happened? She'd been at home, asleep – no, this was Founders' Day. She'd been in the cafeteria, on the stage. Someone's face had looked funny. It was too much to cope with; she couldn't think. Disembodied faces floated before her eyes, fragments And so tired. Better go back to sleep then. The ice wasn't really that bad. She started to lie down, and then the cries came to her again. She heard them, not with her ears, but with her mind. Cries of anger and of pain. Someone was very unhappy. She sat quite still, trying to sort it all out. There was a quiver of movement at the edge of her vision. A squirrel. She could smell it, which was strange because she'd never smelled a squirrel before. It stared at her with one bright black eye and then it scampered up the willow tree. Elena realized she'd made a grab for it only when she came up empty with her fingernails digging into bark. Now that was ridiculous. What onearth did she want a squirrel for? She puzzled over it for a minute, then lay back down, exhausted. The cries were still going on. She tried to cover her ears, but that did nothing to block them out. Someone was hurt, and unhappy, and fighting. That was it. There was a fight going on. All right. She'd figured it out. Now she could sleep. She couldn't, though. The cries beckoned to her, drew her toward them. She felt an irresistible need to follow them to their source. Andthen she could go to sleep. After she saw†¦ him. Oh, yes, it was coming back now. She rememberedhim. He was the one who understood her, who loved her. He was the one she wanted to be with forever. His face appeared out of the mists in her mind. She considered it lovingly. All right, then. Forhim she would get up and walk through this ridiculous sleet until she found the proper clearing. Until she could join him. Then they'd be together. The very thought of him seemed to warm her. There was a fire inside him that few people could see. She saw it, though. It was like the fire inside her. He seemed to be having some sort of trouble at the moment. At least, there was a lot of shouting. She was close enough to hear it with her ears as well as her mind now. There, beyond that grandfather oak tree. That was where the noise was coming from. He was there, with his black, fathomless eyes, and his secret smile. And he needed her help. She would help him. Shaking ice crystals out of her hair, Elena stepped into the clearing in the wood.

Ioi Corporation

IOI Corporation Case Study 1. IOI strong growth was achieved through a. Good plantation management practice * Continues improvements on yields performance * Maximize output from plantation and factories and minimize input to achieve a low-cost supply chain b. Diversified business base in palm oil industry, from downstream sector to upstream sector 2. IOI opportunities and threats c. Opportunity * Continues growth on palm oil in edible oils & fats market globally * Increase in non-food industry demand, like biofuel.Now, market is focus on renewable energy. Palm oil has been identified as one of the efficient and clean biofuel * Crude palm oil price getting higher and stable year-on-year. * Sales of properties at prime area especially in Singapore have been encouraging * Expansion in Indonesia with recent planting permit approval to the group’s directly owned plantations d. Threat * Major revenue is come from export markets to Europe and US. Weak economic situation affect the de mand on palm oil. With limited land bank in Malaysia * Unfavorable weather condition * Shortage of estate workers * Fierce competition from Sime Darby and Indonesia and upcoming markets like Africa and Brazil are catching up 3. Internal organization capabilities and it weakness. e. Top 3 executive directors are family members. Decisions making are among family members, higher chances in power abusing and lack of transparency f. Has operations in many countries, expose to foreign exchange risk 4. Change and unchanged g. Change Family based share holders lack of transparency. Need to maintain good relationship with stakeholders to increase the efficiency of the group h. Unchanged * Tissue culture research, leading to cultivation of clonal palms with superior traits * Continuous improvement in productivity and efficiency of its operations * Sustainable environmental friendly practices IOI Financial Analysis FY2012 1. Current liquidity ratio = Current asset / Current liability 2012 (RMà ¢â‚¬â„¢000)| 2011 (RM’000)| 9,185,620 / 2,202,499= 4. 7| 7,703,105 / 2,288,028= 3. 36| The group ratio increased in year 2012 2. Total debt to total asset = (short term debt + long term debt) / total asset 2012 (RM’000)| 2011 (RM’000)| 10,148,965 / 23,064,868= 0. 44| 7,393,721 / 19,655,119= 0. 37| Total funds that are  provided by creditors is increasing in year  2012 3. Total asset turnover = Sales / total asset 2012 (RM’000)| 2011 (RM’000)| 15,640,272 / 23,064,868= 0. 67| 16,154,251 / 19,655,119= 0. 82| 4. Profitability = net income / sales 2012 (RM’000)| 2011 (RM’000)| ,828,529 / 15,640,272= 0. 11| 2,290,513 / 16,154,251= 0. 14| After tax profits decreased per ringgit of sales 5. Market value * EPS = 0. 2785 * P/E = 18. 2047 * Price per share = 5. 07 * (Current assets – current liabilities) / ordinary shares = (9,185,620 – 2,202,499) / 6,419,174 = 1. 08 * Fair value = (5. 07 / 2) + (1. 08 / 2) = 2. 535 + 0. 54 = 3 . 075 IOI group’s profit is decreased on year 2012. The market fair value is much lower than the actual price per share. The option is to sell the share instead of buying it.

Antigone: Beliefs, Opinions, and Moral Views Essay

Antigone and Creon, from â€Å"Antigone† by Sophocles, encounter a philosophical war based on their moral views. A conflict arose when the principles that backed up their actions disagreed with each other. Antigone’s side of the conflict held a gods’ law is the way approach, as opposed to the â€Å"I am king† approach Creon chose to follow. The variation in the beliefs, opinions, and moral views of Antigone and Creon were constantly disputed through out the play. Antigone felt that Creon was disregarding the laws of gods through his law. After she was captured and brought to Creon, she told him, â€Å"Your edict, King was strong, but all your strength is weakness itself against the immortal unrecorded laws of God. They are not merely now: they were, and shall be, operative for ever, beyond man utterly.† Antigone’s opinion is one that supports the Gods and the laws of heaven. Her view is set by her belief that if someone is not given a proper burial, then that person would not be accepted into heaven. Antigone was a very religious person, and acceptance of her brother by the Gods was very important to her. She felt that â€Å"†¦I will bury him; and if I must die, I say that this crime is holy: I shall lie down with him in death, and I shall be as dear to him as he to me.† Creon’s order was personal to Antigone, as she saw his law as invading her family life as well as offensive to the Gods. In Antigone’s eyes, Creon betrayed the laws of the Gods by not allowing her to properly bury her brother, Polynices. She believed that the burial was a sacred ritual, and Creon did not have the authority to refuse Polynices his entitlement. Antigone’s strong belief towards the burial of her brother is what led her to her death by the hands of Creon. Since Creon was ruler, whatever he said was the law, and since Antigone broke his law, Creon was in a sense to blame, because if that law wasn’t put into effect then Antigone wouldn’t have hung herself. Nevertheless, she did not stop defending what she thought was proper. Right before her death, Antigone exclaimed, â€Å"†¦ you see me now, the last unhappy daughter of a line of kings, your kings, led away to death. You will remember what things I suffer and at what men’s hands, because I would not  transgress the laws of heaven.† She feels that Creon is abusing his power as king and dealing with her task on a personal level. Creon’s actions were based off of the fact that, â€Å"†¦ no ruler can expect complete loyalty from his subjects until he has been tested in office.† Polynices’ body left unburied is a symbol of Creon’s action to achieve the loyalty that he desired. â€Å"As long as I am King, no traitor is going to be honored with the loyal man.† Leaving the body unburied was done to show respect for Thebes, not in spite of the family. After all, how could the ruler of a kingdom honor a man who attempted to invade and conquer what is now his kingdom. This was far from the beliefs of Antigone. She believed that everyone deserved the right to have a proper burial, no matter what wrong doing that person may have done, and that the gods’ are the authorities that judge the afterlife. Due to this belief, Creon turned Antigone into his prisoner, and not the public’s. The general population actually supported Antigone, but though they were too scared to stand against Creon. Haimon knew of this and told his father, â€Å"Died so shameful a death for a generous act: ‘She covered her brother’s body. Is this indecent? She kept him from dogs and vultures. Is this a crime? Death? – She should have all the honor that we can give her!’ This is the way they talk out there in the city.† Creon was exercising complete domination of political power. By not allowing Antigone to perform her religious ceremony of burying her brother is interfering with religious affairs. This act denied Antigone of her religious freedom. Creon had to weigh each factor carefully, and had to decide between his morals and his beliefs. He was torn, trying to choose what was just. â€Å"†¦ Oh it is hard to give in! But it is worse to risk everything for stubborn pride.† The conflict of beliefs was what led to Antigone’s, Haimon’s, and Megareus’ death. Both sides were just, but Creon was forced to decide and determine right from wrong when there was no clear answer. In the end, the Chorus’ opinion was the determining factor and they convinced Creon to set Antigone free, but it was already too late. The conflict between the beliefs of Creon and Antigone are layered throughout the play. Both have logical arguments, but neither dominates the other. Antigone is motivated by her strong religious feelings, while Creon is trying to be lawful and do what’s right for his kingdom. Neither won this battle, as Antigone took her life, the lives of Creon’s wife and son followed, leaving Creon with nothing but his precious kingdom.

Link Crew Leader Essay

As a student, I try to achieve as many goals as possible. I have try to the best the student I could possibly be. I will admit this year wasn’t the best for me. My grades weren’t the greatest. But I don’t grades should be the only thing that determines a high school student. I think who the person is on the inside what makes a high school student. I am a very kind person. I hate injustice done on anyone. I always stand up for what I believe in. I feel everyone should be given a fair chance in anything they do. I love being able to help anyone. I love knowing something I do can change someone’s life. I use to do the Latin Club. I use to do the Earth Club. I use to do Build On. This year I have been more forced on the SATs and college. I want be a lawyer. Being able to someone is what love. The only thing I do outside of school is volunteer at the Norwalk Shelter. One challenge I faced in high school had to do with peer pressure. I was offered the chance to try weed. I knew that so many people at school did it, and I thought this was my chance to be popular. I didn’t do it. I realized those people didn’t want to be my friend. I realized that I didn’t need to be popular. I am happy with my life just the way it is. I know who my friends are and it isn’t those people. I realized I wanted to do it to become something I am not. I learned that day I should never lose my integrity. Someone once said, â€Å"Thoughts become words, words become actions, actions become character, character is everything. † I didn’t want to become that person I would have if I said yes. I wish I knew as a freshman to get involved more. When you are involved, it will help you in the long run, especially for college. Plus it is a great way to meet new people. In the lunch, I sit right across from the girl’s restroom in the cafeteria. I sit with a cool and supportive group of friends. I love them like family. There you have it, I little bit about myself. I really want to do Link Crew because you get to help people. I remember being a freshman and not having this help. I want to make a difference. To know that you can go to a person with anything is very important. I hope to be that person for a group of freshmen. Thanks for the opportunity.

BNSF Railway Transportation Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

BNSF Railway Transportation - Article Example The services offered by the industry are bulk freight, intermodal services, passenger services and switching and terminal railroad services (IBISWorld, 2011). According to statistics from the U.S. Department of Transportation, freight shipments have increased from 27% of the ton-miles of U.S. freight in 1980 to 38% in 2005 (Laurits R. Christensen Associates, Inc., 2009). This increase shows the growing significance of the role of railways in the U.S. economy. Among the cargo being shipped through the railroads, coal represents the largest proportion in terms of tons (Laurits R. Christensen Associates, Inc., 2009). Other commodities transported by railroads include chemicals, farm products, non-metallic minerals and miscellaneous mixed shipments. Over the years, the railway industry has experienced consolidations that have reduced the number of Class I from about 40 railways to the current seven. The seven major players in the railway industry are Union Pacific Corporation (UP), Burli ngton Northern Santa Fe Corporation (BNSF), CSX Corporation, Kansas City Southern (KCS), Canadian National Railway (CN), Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) and Norfolk Southern Corporation (NS). In terms of operating revenues of the major North American railroad, the Union Pacific posted the highest revenue with $15.5 million. It is followed by BNSF with operating revenue of $14.8 million, NS with $9.4 million, CSX with $8.6 million, CN with $6.8 million, CP with $4.1 million and KCS with $0.87 million (Association of American Railroads, 2008) . Porter’s Five Forces Like any other industry, the railway industry is influenced by Porter’s five forces model which shape the strategies of companies, as shown in Figure 1 (Porter, 2008). The first force identified by Porter is the threat of new entrants. This force is the possibility of new companies entering the industry. This force is not very influential in the strategy of a company in the railway industry because of several ba rriers to entry. The barriers to entry in the railroad industry are (1) huge capital requirement needed; (2) restrictive government policy which is being regulated by the Surface Transportation Board; and (3) the availability of the infrastructure needed to compete with existing ones. In the future, it is expected that mergers will continue in the future and may even reduce the present seven companies to two transcontinental railroads because of the uncertainty of the structure of the railroad industry (IRS, 2007). Fig. 1 Porter’s Five Forces Model The second force identified by Porter is the bargaining power of suppliers. Suppliers of the railway industry include the manufacturers of tracks, railway equipment, structural metal products, freight cars, locomotives and construction companies who build the tunnels and bridges. Investors in railway companies can be considered as suppliers of the much needed financing to improve the industry. Recently, billionaire Warren Buffet in vested in BNSF by buying it for $26 billion while Microsoft’s Bill Gates now owns 10% of CN railway. Investment of these two prominent personalities says much of the future of the railway industry (North America's Corridor Coalition, Inc., 2010). To illustrate clearly, the supplier power according to Porter includes (1) charging of high prices; (2) limiting the quality of the

Change management impact on organizational culture with an application Essay

Change management impact on organizational culture with an application on public water utility in Saudi Arabia - Essay Example Globalisation exerts pressure on companies and governments to adopt policies of liberalisation and privatisation, aimed at securing a more efficient use of resources and improving the quality of life (Brittan, 1986; Kay and Thompson, 1986; Micklethwait and Wooldridge, 2000; Stiglitz, 2000 and 2002). Caught amidst these changes are organisations and workers undergoing radical transformations in their cultures and work processes. Unless these changes are managed well, liberalisation and privatisation cause severe human suffering, lead to economic failure, or in its worst case, push a country to turn its back on globalisation (Machovec, 1995; Vickers, 1995; Fischer, 1999; Summers, 2000; Stiglitz, 2000). Our paper investigates the impact of change management on the restructuring and privatisation of the public water utility Ministry of Water and Electricity in Saudi Arabia, (hereafter MOWE) and its transformation into a privately-owned organisation. We examine the importance of reducing staff resistance to change and aligning their behaviours and values with the strategic requirement of the change programme. We also look at measures to elicit targeted behaviour such as making the organisation more customer-orientated. SeResearch Objectives The research study attempts to answer the following questions: How does change management affect the public organisation's culture during the transition period How does change management reduce employee resistance What are the effective tools and methods to change organisational culture What kind of leaders and leadership style are effective in leading change Does change management make any difference in cultural change What dimensions of organisational culture could be changed in the organization Importance of the Study The study will contribute to the existing body of research in two major ways: First, by focusing on an organisation in Saudi Arabia, the research will be an important addition to the body of literature on change management predominantly founded on western models. Second, documentation of change management and their effects on public sector organisational culture in an Arab country act as a useful guide to policy developers and decision makers facing similar challenges in other Arab countries. Relation to Previous Research We look at the key

Health Leadership and Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Health Leadership and Management - Essay Example From the report it is clear that the management concepts of leadership and identification and establishment of a risk management process are to be applied for the ultimate design of a health care process. Such processes are more required at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU)/facilities of any hospital as ICU is one of the most critical services of any hospital and the quality of patients' response is important in determining the success of the entire hospital itself. As the essay highlights low evidence based practices are cleaning insertion site, use of heparin,tunneling,routine catheter change, routine Ab prophylaxis, hand washing compliance and use of Sucralfate; medium level evidence based practices are peri-operative normothermia, continuous oscillation,suprapubic catheters, barrier Precautions and Ab restrictions; high evidence based practices include supplemental perioperative oxygen, semi-recumbent position ,selective decontam- GI tract and silver alloy-coated catheters, to quote a few. While these best practices are indicative of the desirable course of actions in ICU situations ;they perhaps indicate more to the risk perceptions and associated risk bearing events within the ICU environment. There are noticeable gaps in prescription of these best practices and their actual practices which leads to occurrence of adverse events in ICU care. A careful identification and documentation of deviations which have resulted in adverse incidents is the much needed innovation for ICU management.

Social science research Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Social science research - Assignment Example Apparently both methods draw considerable advantages and disadvantages and in this essay, I seek to critically evaluate them and on their application in social science works. The main advantage of the qualitative methodology is that, it employs a descriptive, modest, and inductive techniques of data collection that are compatible with social science works (McRoy, n.d.). It is the most advocated method when social workers are studying issues or topics that do not agree with the quantitative research approach. From a social psychological basis, qualitative method is coherent with person-in-environment of social science professional practice. In dealing with patient’s issues and treatment, doctors, nurses, and clinicians rely on interviews to gather information about a particular client’s illness. Such practitioners, therefore, follow a series of intuitions and working assumptions that are based on observations made through ongoing interaction with the patients. Most training offered to social science practitioner is based on qualitative research, whereby from a qualitative view, they are trained to observe at each case individually (McRoy, n. d.). Unlike quantitative method that focuses on broader social sciences topics; qualitative approach has the advantage of addressing micro-level studies. The micro-level issues include those of small groups, subjects, or organizations and research that are not so much physical, but rather needs a psychological approach. When qualitative research is applied in such topics, it draws a wide range of facets that depict a picture of wholeness in terms of group(s), person (s) or settings of the situation. The depicted picture of a study by a qualitative researcher on micro-level topics is holistic because it pulls all the necessary colours, structures, and textures into the painting(Tewksbury, 2009).The after analysis result is plainly contrasting and can never

What shapes historical development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

What shapes historical development - Essay Example To analyze, since the beginning of time, the nature of man has been disposed to the interest of discoveries which has apparently guided them to establish civilizations and lay foundations for knowledge of various fields. Hence, as humans search for a sense of identity, of humanity, or of the truth in what they are in relation to others of their kind and the environment, in general, they inevitably do tasks or perform activities that create unseen force essential to evolution from one state of nature to the next. The capacity and attitude for quest occurs to be the key which enables men to adapt, make changes, and explore possibilities in order to have a meaningful existence. As a rational being, man thinks and such intrinsic ability to form logical thoughts or ideas is crucial to man’s aim of satisfying a bulk of curiosities and needs, whether concrete or abstract in form. In this manner, thus, men along with their searching nature, skills, vision, deeds, and ways of thinking chiefly shape the course of historical development. Because humans influence each other in a vast number of ways, time after time, early civilizations develop into a more complex system of relations where they have gradually discovered efficient means and tools of sustaining life and addressing different challenges of living. Eventually, there emerged the intertwined concept of ‘progress’ and ‘success’ as men come to understand more deeply the value of human intelligence, of reason, and of persevering act necessary to achieve goals in the study of science, religion, philosophy, arts, music, and literature. The increasing knowledge on these subject areas allows formation of cultures and societies that are distinct from each other and such distinction affects historical context. Moreover, it is through knowledge that men examine themselves as sensible individuals and learn of power and conquest for which economy and politics matter in further structuring the norms of ethics and moral law within a society. When nations march for war against one another, this event would undoubtedly mark a point of development as history exhibits how ideals differ depending on the political and economic position of a country involved compared to the rest. Consequently, the similarities and dissimilarities in beliefs or views of men identify what a nation, culture, or average community is made of and illustrate that differences among human perspectives herein can be vital player in determining specific factors by which historical development proceeds in any part of the world. It turns out that, for as long as men can manage to acquire and apply knowledge, as well as become socio-politically aware, and engage in scientific, literary, or philosophical efforts for the sake of attaining power and progress, then historical development continues to be modified through interactions and the events to which they yield. Does this historical development have a patter n? If so, what is this pattern? Yes. Historical development seems to be patterned after a process in which a civilization or a nation rises in power as an empire then declines or falls weak after sometime due to conflicts originating either from the side of the ruler or that of the subjects or people whose economic or cultural issues have not been settled or dealt with in proper terms. A historically critical person may observe a cycle where the state of economy varies directly as the state of politics so that the principal workers of this system are normally headed to the

Improving the team Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Improving the team - Essay Example Openness was a positive ambiance in the team but the same freedom was taken for granted and the members forgot to empathize with John and Shaun. All the responsibility was overburdened to John and Shaun and it made them weak emotionally and physically. Shaun was yelling and John was cursing himself for what was happening to him which is a perfect reflection of the ineffective team. Shaun could not handle the situation in an emotionally balanced manner and his approach was not constructive. Mutual help was missing among them and frequent discussions on the difficulties they face did not happen. On the whole the team spirit was missing which let the team down. 1) Every team member must be aware of the What is in it factor. Each of them must know their goals and what is the personal benefit they get out of the project. Once this awareness exists, eventually this motivates the team and the team members will show a sense of belongingness and accountability. 2) Instead of forcing responsibilities to members, self delegation is a better approach which makes them accountable. Conduct meetings and ask team members to volunteer to take responsibilities. Ensure that a leader is declared in the same meeting. 3) Organize team meetings frequently and get to discuss problems that the members of the team face. Invite solutions and suggestions from every team member. Appreciate the team members for their smallest

Personal Development Portfolio (Reflective Account) Essay

Personal Development Portfolio (Reflective Account) - Essay Example The actual process of writing the thesis took many twists and turns and there were long hours spent in accessing databases of stock exchanges and finding the reliable ones from the respectable ones; deciding on the methodology to be used, deciding the structure of the document and how information would be presented and so on. At the end of the thesis, I found that more than just a thesis, I was much richer as I had learnt the elements of conducting good research, how to structure the document, how to remain focussed and write so that the words represented my thoughts and analysis and how to conduct analysis of researched data. This document relates my experience as a researcher, learner and a student and my dissertation experience. The journey into conducting research for the thesis led me through various paths such as the very nature of equities, stock exchanges, bonds and debt instruments, share price indices, bourses, credit rating companies and other entities. I am glad to say that other than the 70 odd pages of the thesis, I also learn about many things such as how stock are evaluated, what is the nature of credit rating companies and more so, the intense efforts put in by these companies when they take up a debt instrument for rating. Prior to the thesis, I had very little idea of the methodology use behind rating. But now it is evident that rating agencies conduct very deep research into many aspects of a company such as its history, the nature of the market, history of the promoters, market sentiments and drivers and also variables that act on a debt instrument. The research taken up the teams in rating agencies cover many cross functional areas such as finance, accounts, economics and management and the research can take more than 2 months before a rating is given. When c company or its financial product is rated, it does not end at that as the rating is under regular

Missouri Compromise 1820 Essay Example for Free

Missouri Compromise 1820 Essay Northerners finally were receiving the outcome that they had wished for with slavery slowly declining at the end of the 18th century. Southern economilcal dependancy on slavery was slowly withering away due to the Act of 1808, stating that by that time slavery would not be allowed. Due to this Southerners were forced to change their means of production and the use of slaves. When the 19th century arrived it brought the invention of the Cotton Gin. This invention, created by Eli Whitney, assisted in speeding the picking of cotton by removing the seed. The only flaw in this was that it relied on even more unskilled labor. Slaves were found perfect for the handlying of this machine: it was easy to manufactor and as easy to work.. From this, Southerners found it now more than ever nessesary to hault the abolition of slavery do to the economic prosperity that lied ahead because of the Cotton Gin. In Southern eyes, slavery was a better choice than free labor. IN the case of using free labor Southerners couldnt be totally dependent on the person because they might demand things such as higher wages. If free laborors were refused what they asked, Southerners faced the risk of them stop working. Because you owned a slave Southerners would never have to worry about such a situation. This threat of prolonging slavery enabled the major conflict between The North and South arise. The Southern view of this conflict was that due to the economical advantages that slavery rbought and the economical disadvantages that an abolition with bring to the states, that the issue of slavery should be considered a nessasary evil. Not only this, but some even believed that slavery was doing blacks a favor. They believed that even in Africa balcks had owners, that they are always fed, and are treated better as slaves then they would be as free blacks. Northerners disreguarded any attempt in justifying such a matter and stood by there point that slavery was not right. Northern abolishnists fought back and said that slavery went again the fundamental priciple on which America was built on; Equality and freeddon. Not only immoral and sinful but went again the Declaration of Independece which clearly states that all men were created equal with no exceptions. The Norths morality and Souths Economic self-interest, and both sides refusal to compromise left the issue in a stalemate. By the North fueling the fire with such articles like The Liberator, inspiring slaves to revolt, and other abolitionist moves, the North forced the south to fight back in order to protect themselved from future revolts and incidence fueled by enraged slaves. The Missouri Compromise made the divide between the North and the South more evident that it had ever been. This compromised, proposed by Henry Clay, declared that Missouri would enter the union as a slave state, but every other state that was North of the Ohio river and Mason-Dixon line. Though this did stop slavery it gradually decreased it. In additon to this another factor was the that all states would be admitted into the union in pairs in order to balance the slave states as well as the free states. Still enraged, Northerners demanded the instant abolishment owed to the moral breach that slavery incompassed. They believed that slaves were being treated and stripped of there rights as a humane being. In American Slavery As It Is the author, Theodore Weld, describes his view on how it really is for the slaves of the south and the treatment they are force to endure by their slaveowners. That their ears are often cut off, their eyes knocked out, their bones broken, their flesh branded with red-hot irons; that they are maimed, mutilated and burned to death over slow firesthat self interest would prompt them to treat their slaved with kindness By writing such things, Weld just encouraged abolitionists to fight harder and harder for their cause. Such cases as the ones he mention cant be said never happened but are surely rare if so. Due to the tone in writng that is used though, wel makes his words harsh and strong which justly, the Southerners take their place to fight back at. In actuality most southerners were not as Weld describe because they realized that the better you treated a slave and healthier it was the more work that it could accomplish for you. Not only this, but due to the harsh rigid tone of his words, Weld, gives whoever is reading this no option towards working out some sort of compromise between North and South but instead just relies on getting thing s done. Abolitionist works, such as The Liberato,r aided in aggravating the South. William Loyd Garrisons The Liberator, was printed as a Boston proabolitionist newspaper in which Garrison referrs to Southerners to being sinners and that slaves should do anything to get out of the miserable situation that they are in, even if that means blacks revolting against their. He as well brings up the issue of blacks being equals with whites. : Assenting to the self-evident truth, and endowed by their Creator with certain enalienable rights-among which are life, liberty, and persuit of happiness. Garrison, here, clearly explicates how by having slaves not be free we are going against everything that the declaration stands for and represents. Some say that Garrisons The Liberator might have even sparked the rebellion led by Nat Turner in which Turner gathers up a group of slaves and killed over fifty white southerners. Southerners were so fearful of more rebellion that it led them to create even harsher rules for slaves. In Federick Douglass Independence Day Speech at Rochester Douglass writes of how white southerners are fearful of blacks and that is the reason why there are such harsh laws against them reading and writing. What is this but the awknowledgment that the slave is amoral, itellectual, and responsible being? Douglasss Articular only further depicts that Southerners were in fear or the capability that blacks would have if they were learned. By keeping slaves ignorant they prevented slaves from reading such abolitionist articles which could fuel an angry mob. Due to a fear of angry mobs and revolts Southerners were foreced to lay stricter rules as Civil Codes and the restriction on abolitionist literature. In Thomas Dews Review of the Debate in the Virginia Legislature Dew discusses how the white race and black race could never coencide because if blacks were free there would just be an array of massacres led by angry blacks. Southerners Spent more time on the issue of protecting themselved from a threat of slave rebellions due to abolitionsit literature sparking rebellions than any other matter. In George Fitzhughs Slavery Justified he discusses further on the matter of slave rebellions and how if black werent slaves their anger would just lead to more crimes and violent incidencs. In the matter of slave abuse he stats that its ridiculous; His feeling for his slave never permits him to stint him in old age. The slaves are all well fed, well clas, have plenty of fuel, and are happy. In response to the accusation of slave owners abusing their slaves, other Southerners replied by saying that incidents such as the ones which Weld discusses are isolated and uncommon. In fact it most cases it is the opposite of circumstances. In Solon Robinsons De Bows Review Robinson takes the opposite stance that Weld takes and says on the contrary that slave owners would never do such abuse to there slaves because they were too valuable to them. Robinson says The Two things that are most despised and hated in the South are masters that abuse and starve and ill-treat their slaves, and abolistionists, who sieze upon every isolated case of the kind As stated before, abolitionist kept on exagerateing the slave situation in order to attempt to speed up the process of getting rid of slavery when they were only furthering it because of Southerners needing to defend themselves against false accusations. Finally besides the matter of slave abuse and the morality of the situation, the South argues that due to the mass production of cotton that slaves help produce, if we abolish slavery America would be in an economic crisis. Because of the low production of cotton that there would be after an emacipation, labor woul be inconsistent, because free workers would be inconsistent and require more and we wouldnt be able to forfill our internation al demand for cotton. In William Harpers Source Problems in the United States History Harper says The cultivation of the grat crops cannot be carried on in any portion of our own country where there are no slavesAnd what would be the eefect of putting an end to the cultivationannihilating,at a blow,two thrids or three fourths of our foreign commerce? From this we can see that slavery was no easy matter and that it too more economic thinking to get rid of Slaves. Perhaps more than the North thought. Though both the South and the North make legitimate reason for their not wanting or wanting the emancipation of slaves, it seems that due to the North the process or reaching compromise was delayed unneccesarily. Instead of thinking about the economical blow emancipation would cause the North ruthlessly kept attacking the Souths morality. The South realized that without slaves for a bit longer they wouldnt be able to make a full economic recovery once emancipation was inacted. But because of the attacks and harsh literature being published by abolitionists, the South spent more time in trying to protect themselves from slaves getting ideas from these works than trying to figure out a plan to resolve the issue with the North. It seems as if the issue could have been quickend if the North hadnt made such quick and damaging attacks.

Online Buyology Essay Example for Free

Online Buyology Essay Descriptions of China’s economy are often paired with the best of accolades: promising, miraculous and meteoric, to name a few. But observers rarely use the words â€Å"fair† and â€Å"transparent† to describe the country’s business environment. One need not look far to see why: rampant corruption, preferential policies for state-owned companies, and copious red tape all prevent private enterprises from thriving. Yet out of this unequal playing field, e-commerce giant Alibaba and web portal Sina have created two of the fairest and most transparent business platforms in China. Alibaba allows individuals and companies to sell goods on its Taobao platform, giving vendors a set of standards and leaving everything else to their discretion. Weibo is similarly a free-for-all of Chinese expression, with the notable exception of controversial political topics. Both Taobao and Weibo have exploded since their founding and have maintained commanding leads in their respective fields. Taobao sales were US$58. 7 billion (RMB370 billion) in 2010 while Tmall, a site aimed at more developed brands spun off of Taobao in 2008, currently has about 55,000 vendors. And in the two years since Sina Weibo’s founding, the Twitter-like service has racked up 250 million users. â€Å"If you ask people, ‘Why you want to shop online? ’ I think many people will say that it gives transparency of pricing†¦ people look for convenience, people like more information,† said Phil Wei, China CEO of Export Now, a startup that allows US-based companies to list products on Tmall. â€Å"One thing [Alibaba founder] Jack Ma did is offer freedom to all these consumers and all these business units. † The free market The freedom to compete is giving rise to third-party service providers that could become some of the most dynamic companies in the Chinese economy. As has been the case with US tech giants Twitter and Ebay, Taobao and Weibo have both spawned an eco-system of third-party companies that provide related services, making the platforms practically an economy unto themselves. The type of third-party service providers surrounding the two platforms reflects the different aims of Taobao and Weibo. â€Å"Taobao is doing usiness transaction[s] while Weibo is media spreading information,† said Deco You, a Beijing-based analyst at iResearch, an online market research company. This discrepancy results in very different growth rates, said You. â€Å"The number of Taobao-related companies will increase much faster than those Weibo-related ones. † In addition to opportunities to sell goods, Taobao and Tmall offer business opportunities for subcontractors that provide services to vendors , such as store design, customer service, logistics and marketing. As a media platform, Weibo naturally lends itself to marketing companies, which began to emerge about a year after Weibo’s founding. Yang Xin, founder of marketing firm Weichuanbo, said he knows of at least 10 start-up companies that also specialize in Weibo, not to mention traditional marketing firms which have entered the arena. Despite these differences, doing business centered on either Taobao or Weibo is remarkably similar. The short lead times and relatively limited barriers to entry have resulted in fierce competition among many similar companies. Many of these third-party companies are quick to copy each other’s successes, a common tactic in China where enforcement of intellectual property rights is not as strong as in the West. But instead of knock-offs, the competition seems to foster flexibility. Weichuanbo has upgraded its software platform three times in attempt to stay ahead of copycats, Yang said. The companies also compete for the best online real estate on Weibo and Taobao. Taobao and Tmall sell ad spaces to the right of search results, although search results themselves are organic and depend on sales and consumer ratings. Weibo marketing companies commonly pay influential users to promote their products. Weichuanbo compensates about 200,000 users for their help, and Yang hopes that number will someday grow to 2-3 million. The instant feedback of web analytics also means that companies know immediately if they are falling behind the competition. If a user doesn’t like an attempt at viral marketing on Weibo, they are likely to say so or ignore it altogether. Shoppers on Taobao are just as quick to pass judgment. â€Å"Online, if a client comes to your store, if they stay longer than five seconds your store is not bad,† said Wei of Export Now. That means the chances they become frequent visitors will be significantly higher. But if [they stay] less than five seconds, they probably will not come back again. † Taobao- and Weibo-related companies also compete for unbridled optimism. Weichuanbo aims to have more than 300% in annual revenue growth within the next two years. Export Now expects to have some 300 US manufacturers selling through its service and US$1. 59-3. 18 million (RMB10-20 million) in revenue by the end of the year, up from virtually nothing at the present. The market will keep growing and the trend will continue in the next five to 10 years, and the expansion brings about more opportunities for third-party companies,† said Dong Xu, an analyst at research firm Analysys International. Yet growth in the Weibo community may not be sustainable. The government-led research center China Internet Network Information Center issued a report last month stating that new signups for Weibo began to slow in the second half of 2011. Weibo users nearly quadrupled from the end of 2010 to 250 million. With only 500 million internet users in China, however, continuing at that pace will be impossible. Although user growth will slow, there is still much money to be made. Spending on internet marketing is projected to grow to US$12. 5 billion (RMB79. 1 billion) in 2012, up from an estimated US$8. 1 billion in 2011 and US$5. 2 billion in 2010, according to iResearch. Marketing revenue in China is likely to continue growing quickly, said You of iResearch. Advertisers have only recently begun to shift online, attracted by ad space that is often more targeted and cost-effective than traditional print and TV advertising. Marketing and analytics companies can strive to grab more of that revenue by improving on underdeveloped technology and becoming more efficient, said You. Foreign companies with better technology and efficient operations could also enter the market, though they will still be limited by cultural barriers. Taobao and Weibo could also begin providing additional marketing services themselves. Taobao launched an internet marketing division in April 2010 called the Taobao Alliance, which quickly grew to have US$238 million (RMB1. 5 billion) in revenue, according to iResearch. This potential for new entrants means the market for third-party services is likely to remain highly competitive. Many companies that fail to keep up with the pace of innovation will undoubtedly be pushed out of business or be acquired by more successful competitors. But those that do innovate and survive will probably be among the most dynamic companies in China’s internet sector, regardless of the platform. As Wang Weili of Taobao marketing firm Shenzhen Fangwei E-Commerce puts it: â€Å"There might be other websites driving our business in the future. But where there are clients is where we will be. †