Environmental Planning Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Environmental Planning - Coursework Example Difficulties in the enforcement of planning conditions due to lack of resourceful expertise. The federal government sets policies for environmental planning that help to improve climate adaptation and ecological development strategies within policies set by the government. The local government works hand in hand with the people regarding social issues affecting them as to enable them develop strategies for planning (Rydin & Pennington, 2000). The U.S government has ensured that the necessary tools for planning are available to enhance the smooth flow of this process, such tools include centralized databases and providing an excellent coverage of environmental knowledge. The government has set up policies that favor the environmental planning process; such as discouraging industrial pollution. Politics does not closely handle environmental problems on long term basis as they look at only the short term effects associated with social and economic influence as per their election term. Should an environmental problem arise such as floods that need immediate attention, the government policies to handle it are difficult to come by hence delaying the strategic decision process (Meadowcroft, 2002). The environment is a source of income and ecological factors affecting it affect incomes of the people and the fiscal plan of the government. Environmental planning has an effect on economic activity through things such as infrastructure that play a major role in production (Muthoo,

Case for Repositioning a Bank Essay Example for Free

Case for Repositioning a Bank Essay ANZ bank is over 170 years old providing a range of banking and financial products and services to more than 5.7 million retail customers on a global scale (case). . Offering 817 branches and 2600 automated teller machines (ATMs) all over Australia, ANZ is ranked in the top 4 banks in Australia along with Commonwealth Bank of Australia, National Australia Bank Ltd (NAB) and Westpac Banking Corporation. This report will identify the current position of ANZ, and how they are attempting to reposition themselves in the financial services industry. The case highlights the strengths and weaknesses of ANZ and how effective their current marketing strategy is. The strengths of ANZ which have been identified in the case are their highly customised bankcards, their trustworthy image and reputation, knowledgeable staff and the size of the firm. ANZ’s weaknesses are that their products are quite easy to imitate due to such intangibility, they are at the bottom compared to their competitors, the communication gap occurring through the reposition of their new brand and the inflexibility due to the large structure of the bank. This paper will explore two of ANZ’s main strategic issues which are the communication gap of through the repositioning and rebranding as well as ANZ’s competition in the financial industry. Key Strategic Marketing Issues The banking industry is very well established and has a limited selection of different products. Due to few substitute products, firms in the industry will find it hard to differentiate themselves from their competitors. Chenet, Dagger, OSullivan (2010) state that, differentiation is important because firms uniqueness is linked to target market focus, client-perceived value and competitive advantage. In result of ANZ’s lack of communicating their service quality, limited product diversity and lack of unadaptable strategies they are ranked number four of the top four banks. ANZ needs to address the amount of ATMs it has throughout the country. Compared to its major competitors, ANZ is one of the banks with the least amount of ATMs available to its customers with almost half the amount of ATMs compared to NAB. Theory ANZ is rebranding and repositioning itself it the market to appear more appealing to customers. They are moving from an  outdated brand and position of ‘ANZ Now’ to a new brand identity and positioning strategy of ‘We live in your world’ implying a modern and fresh new feel to the company. Throughout the rebranding and repositioning process, ANZ is using a customer-led marketing approach by trying to find what customers want and giving it to them (Hooley, Piercy Nicoulaud, 2012). However, ANZ is a very large firm which affects rebranding, creating a gap in the communication between the firm and their consumers. The slogan ‘We live in your world’ has been adapted to try and differentiate ANZ from its competitors in terms of customer satisfaction; however it has not been aimed consistently across all ANZ’s communication activities. This has resulted in confusion of the customers as well as a lack of awareness of ANZ’s message. Mayer (1975) found that larger firms can generally find it harder than a smaller firm to implement change across the whole organisation effectively and efficiently. Resources and Capabilities A resource is anything that is considered to be thought of as a strength or weakness of a firm and may be defined as those tangible and intangible assets that are tied to the firm (Wernerfelt, 1984). ANZ’s resources include the products they offer, size of the firm, the knowledgeable staff and the strong trust with their customers. ANZ seeks to â€Å"attract and develop the best connected and most respected people to be a part of the ANZ team† (ANZ, 2014). Having knowledgeable and highly skilled staff allows for a financial institution to create superior returns, thus a competitive advantage (lulow, V., Gerstman, J., Barry, C. 2003). The size of ANZ allows ease of access to funds which will appeal to their customers through providing loans, insurance, small business and corporate. Having a strong brand image and a good reputation, ANZ have had the opportunity to build trust with their customers. The large size of a firm can be a strength; however in turn can be a weakness. Mayer, T. (1975) identified that large banks have the potential to fail if customer service is overlooked. Due to the large amount of customers ANZ has, there is the possibility that relationships with customers may diminish. Furthermore, due to the large size of the firm ANZ may appear as inflexible and changes within the organisation may take a long time, such as the current repositioning of the firm. Creating confusing amongst consumers as the message is not being communicated effectively  across all of ANZ. Competitive Advantage ANZs major competitive advantage over their main competitors is this highly customised bankcards they currently offer to their customers. ANZ have used a customer-led marketing approach with their bankcards, as this approach finds what customers want, and give it to them (Hooley, Piercy Nicoulaud, 2012). This fits in well with their brand image they are trying to communicate; ‘We live in your world’. Rather than just providing bank cards to their customers as the other major banks do ANZ customises their cards allowing their customers to choose what colour card they want and further using their own pictures on their bank cards. This is giving the customers the chance to create their own products. These customised bank cards have given ANZ a first mover advantage allowing them to enjoy the protection of a resource position barrier (Wernerfelt, 1984). However, Barney (1991) states that to have a ‘sustained competitive advantage’ competitors are unable to duplicate the benefits of this strategy. The customised bank cards may not last that long as a major competitive advantage due to other firms being able to easily imitate what ANZ have done. Strategic Fit Skinner (1969) suggested that for a firm to strategically fit, they need to tailor their production systems to perform the tasks that are vital to success and consistent with the firm’s strategy. The current marketing strategy of ‘We live in your world’ is ANZs new an innovative fresh outlook on branding for the organisation. The strategic planning and strategic marketing of this strategy must penetrate the whole market orientation not just small sections (Hooley, Piercy Nicoolaud, 2012). This current strategy although isn’t fitting with the needs and requirements of the market. The failure of communication between ANZs resources and capabilities is causing the new strategy to not be implemented properly to its audience (Narver Slater, 1990). The strategy adapted isn’t connecting with their customers their desired outlook of what they wish to be perceived as. ANZ wants their consumers to focus on them being ‘trustworthy’ and ‘traditional’ but as of now they aren’t practicing what they preach. This is shown with customers feeling confused and unaware of the new adapted strategy. As  Hooley, Piercy Nicoolaud (2012) have found the marketing strategy needs to be aligned with the overall the relevant resources, capabilities so direction can be achieved and then the overall context of corporate strategy will be accomplished. Recommendation To ensure the repositioning of ANZ is effective, they need to communicate to their consumers more effectively. Rust, Moorman, and Dickson, (2002) found that â€Å"customers differentiate between service firms on the basis of service quality†. Therefore, ANZ need to offer superior customer service through the use of their highly skilled and knowledgeable staff. The best way for ANZ to differentiate their selves is through superior quality. Farrell, Hitchens, Moffat (1993) found that, superior quality is an effective management strategy as it helps separate firms from competitive rivalry by creating customer loyalty.

The Jungle Analysis Paper -- essays research papers

The Jungle Analysis Paper   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  America, by the turn of the twentieth century, was regarded as the â€Å"Land of Opportunity,† and lured thousands of immigrants. The foreigners that fled to the United States were in search of new lives; better lives. America was at the age of industrialization, and the economy was shifting from agriculture to factories. There were jobs in the factories available to un-skilled workers, which were the majority of the immigrants. And industrialists had no problem finding a way to exploit the workers lives.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The migration of Americans from farms to cities and the massive amount of immigration provided an abundant supply of cheap labor. Industrialists saw no economic sense in a hazardless workplace; an injured worker was easily replaced by another. Wages were kept low because there was always another worker willing to work for lower wages. The hiring of women and children as well as men created an excess  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  supply of labor; leaving every worker commanding low wages.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Inadequate wages for workers forced all members of the family to work in the factories. Children as young as eight years old worked. Wages were paid hourly and there were few limits as to how many hours workers were allowed to work. A family’s income was still low considering the amount of hours they worked. As a result, multiple families shared small apartments and living con...

Saint Fancis Of Assisi :: essays research papers

Saint Fancis of Assisi Saint Francis was born in 1182, in Assisi Italy. His real name is Giovanni Francesco Bernardone, but his father wanted him to be called Francis. He received very little education as a child, even though his father was a rich merchant. His father, Pietro di Bernardone, was a wealthy merchant, and his mother's name was Pica. Francis always dreamed about riding through the town as a hero. His father wanted Francis to learn about being a silk merchant, but Francis wasn't interested. Later, the city he lived in, Assissi, got into a battle with a neighboring city of Perugia, and Francis fought in the battle. He bought fancy horses, swords, and clothes to impress others. He was captured and put in jail for 1 year, and during this time he came down with a severe illness. After he was released from prison he decided to change his life. Francis visited many places, but lived in Assisi Italy. He had also lived in Mt. Subasio in 1208. There, during mass, he heard a voice saying to him three times to go out into the world and to posses nothing and do good everywhere. He then went to the Holy Land, but on his way his ship was wrecked so he had to return back to Assisi. Then he went to Egypt were he wanted to convert the Sultan but had no success. He again tried to go to the Holy Land and this time succeeded. He lived there until 1220. During this time 5 other Franciscan brothers were martyred. Francis too was willing to die for his faith, but was spared. He returned to Assisi. St. Francis had many accomplishments in his life. He began his religious life after he survived his illness. He lived as a Hermit, and attracted followers. After that, he visited hospitals and gave clothes to the ill. Sometimes he gave the homeless money and food. One time when he was walking back from prison, an old beggar came up to him. The beggar asked Francis for a cloak. Francis thought for a while, he knew he had another cloak at home, but then he wondered if the old man was trying to trick him. Francis decided to give the man his cloak and they traded cloaks. Francis said to the man that mine is warmer than the one you have and I am not cold at all Another act of kindness was when Francis was going to be a knight. His father got the best craftsman in Assisi to make him an outfit, such as armor, a cape, and weapons.

The Perception of Beauty

The Perception of Beauty Today the world we live in is very reliant on the media. The media contributes to us updates on our economy, news on events, the weather, and other important information. The media also dispenses influential images and messages. The media is so intertwined in our lives that we do no truly comprehend how much influence it really has on us. Some of the messages and images we receive from the media can be positive as well as negative.Most often than not, we are exposed to images that are so unrealistic and unattainable by the average person that we become discontent with our lives and with ourselves. This is when the media starts to distort our thoughts on the normal way of life and what true beauty is. The mainstream media’s perception of beauty is thin and glamorous. Most of the people displayed in the media have unrealistic body types. With the constant exhibit of these airbrushed to perfection bodies the audience becomes desensitized, especially the y outh, making people believe that it’s normal.This constant reminder can cause great guilt, making one think they are unattractive and below average. The negative body image being portrayed in the media is on display for everyone and it’s continuously being supported by the rest of the population. With this distorted perception of beauty many people have become unsatisfied with themselves. This persistent image of what you should look like can lead to poor physical and mental health.With people becoming insecure with their body image things like low self-esteem, depression, eating disorders, and even suicide can occur. In source 1 (Effects of the Media on Body Image), it states that the National Eating Disorder Association (2006) reports, â€Å"In the past 70 years national rates of all eating disorders have dramatically increased. † To some, being thin becomes everything. Deception of reality invades people’s lives and with media being just a turn or a cl ick away, the influence of the media starts at an early age.According to The Journal of Adolescent Health, â€Å"Teenagers that are overweight, or believe that they are overweight, appear to have a higher risk of suicide† (This information is stated in source 3: Teen Suicide Attempts Linked to Body weight and Body Image). Each year the models in the media are growing thinner and the advertisement of dieting and exercising is increasing. Beauty is being manipulated again and again. People’s physical and mental health is at serious risk and it’s time for a change.Perfection does not exist and for someone to try to attain such a thing is not healthy. The images in the media have profound effects on our lives and with that in mind, the media should rethink their perception of beauty. Just because someone is not stick thin doesn’t mean they’re not beautiful. Just because someone doesn’t look like the model on the cover of a magazine doesn’ t mean they’re not beautiful, and just because someone doesn’t acquire the characteristic of what the media insights as beautiful, doesn’t mean they’re not beautiful; it just means they are realistic.We continue to take a walk down a dangerous path in our culture. Not enough is being done to deter the false images that are being portrayed. The media’s perception of beauty is both unrealistic and harmful to one’s self. As a collective society, we need to accept our flaws. We need to accept people for how they look, stop trying to live up to an unrealistic image in the media, and just be ourselves. Why do we give the media the right to say what’s beautiful? Their exhibit of beauty is not real. It’s time for a change in media for the sake of society’s health.

Task 3 A Essay Example

Task 3 A Essay Example Task 3 A Essay Task 3 A Essay Task 3 A Name: Course: Date: Task 3A Relationship between Drug Abuse and Academic Performance in the United States of America Quantitative Research Plan Drug abuse can be defined as the destructive constant use of one or more substances leading to problems such as changes in disposition that cause spontaneous behavior. This intake of drugs may be for medical purposes or mental stimulation. Prescriptive drugs are abused only when used for other purposes other than what they were intended or in disparity with the required dosage. Some of the most commonly abused drugs include cocaine, marijuana, tobacco and alcohol. There has been a significant rise in the number of students involved in drug abuse. This figure is set to rise in future if measures are not taken to curb this emerging trend in schools. Many students are either unaware of the consequences of drug abuse or have depreciated to the level of addiction. It is not clear why these students are abusing drugs at such an alarming rate yet the results are detrimental not just to their health but to their performance at school. These youngsters are initiated into drug use at an early age mostly in their teens. It could be attributed to having friends or acquaintances that use drugs, coming from dysfunctional families, or just the desire to experiment. These drugs serve the purpose of entertainment through mental stimulation, enhancement of stamina, done by students engaging in sports or a way of fitting into a certain clique. Hypothesis There is a relationship between drug abuse and academic performance in the United States of America. Null Hypothesis: There is no relationship between drug abuse and academic performance in the United States of America. Literature Review This is a common trend in among American students. The effects of abusing drugs vary with the kind of drug being used. However, some are common to all of them such as alterations in brain functioning, emotional problems such as depression, and behavioral problems. The tendency to engage in risky sexual behavior has affected girls in that they get unwanted pregnancies and they eventually have to drop out of school. Their chance of contracting sexually transmitted illnesses also increases. The worst of it is gradually getting addicted. Bearing this in mind, this research sets out to investigate the extent to which students abuse drugs and how it affects their academic performance. This way, a solution to the problem could be arrived at. Findings The study conducted revealed the reasons for drug abuse among students. It showed that they engage in it due to problems at home, stress caused by difficulty understanding the school curriculum, boredom and pressure from friends. This affects their schoolwork negatively through various ways. For instance, they confessed to skipping classes, not doing their assignments, engaging in bad behavior that got them suspended from school. This has a direct effect on their performance. They lose attention and can therefore not focus on their schoolwork and eventually achieve poor grades. Conclusion From the findings, we can tell that indeed there is a relationship between drug abuse and academic performance. All the above facts point to the reality that students who abuse drugs perform poorly than those who do not. This is because of the effects of the drugs on their ability to function properly. When their minds are stimulated by the drugs, their brain functionality decreases and they can no longer pay relevant attention to their academics. The students who drop out of school because of abusing drugs miss out entirely on education. Therefore, it is important that a solution for this problem be found quickly to prevent further damage.

Find the Inflection Points for the Normal Distribution

Find the Inflection Points for the Normal Distribution One thing that is great about mathematics is the way that seemingly unrelated areas of the subject come together in surprising ways. One instance of this is the application of an idea from calculus to the bell curve. A tool in calculus known as the derivative is used to answer the following question. Where are the inflection points on the graph of the probability density function for the normal distribution? Inflection Points Curves have a variety of features that can be classified and categorized. One item pertaining to curves that we can consider is whether the graph of a function is increasing or decreasing. Another feature pertains to something known as concavity. This can roughly be thought of as the direction that a portion of the curve faces. More formally concavity is the direction of curvature. A portion of a curve is said to be concave up if it is shaped like the letter U. A portion of a curve is concave down if it is shaped like the following ∠©. It is easy to remember what this looks like if we think about a cave opening either upward for concave up or downwards for concave down. An inflection point is where a curve changes concavity. In other words it is a point where a curve goes from concave up to concave down, or vice versa. Second Derivatives In calculus the derivative is a tool that is used in a variety of ways. While the most well-known use of the derivative is to determine the slope of a line tangent to a curve at a given point, there are other applications. One of these applications has to do with finding inflection points of the graph of a function. If the graph of y f( x ) has an inflection point at x a, then the second derivative of f evaluated at a is zero. We write this in mathematical notation as f’’( a ) 0. If the second derivative of a function is zero at a point, this does not automatically imply that we have found an inflection point. However, we can look for potential inflection points by seeing where the second derivative is zero. We will use this method to determine the location of the inflection points of the normal distribution. Inflection Points of the Bell Curve A random variable that is normally distributed with mean ÃŽ ¼ and standard deviation of ÏÆ' has a probability density function of f( x ) 1/ (ÏÆ' √(2 Ï€) )exp[-(x - ÃŽ ¼)2/(2ÏÆ'2)]. Here we use the notation exp[y] ey, where e is the mathematical constant approximated by 2.71828. The first derivative of this probability density function is found by knowing the derivative for ex and applying the chain rule. f’ (x ) -(x - ÃŽ ¼)/ (ÏÆ'3 √(2 Ï€) )exp[-(x -ÃŽ ¼) 2/(2ÏÆ'2)] -(x - ÃŽ ¼) f( x )/ÏÆ'2. We now calculate the second derivative of this probability density function. We use the product rule to see that: f’’( x ) - f( x )/ÏÆ'2 - (x - ÃŽ ¼) f’( x )/ÏÆ'2 Simplifying this expression we have f’’( x ) - f( x )/ÏÆ'2 (x - ÃŽ ¼)2 f( x )/(ÏÆ'4) Now set this expression equal to zero and solve for x. Since f( x ) is a nonzero function we may divide both sides of the equation by this function. 0 - 1/ÏÆ'2 (x - ÃŽ ¼)2 /ÏÆ'4 To eliminate the fractions we may multiply both sides by ÏÆ'4 0 - ÏÆ'2 (x - ÃŽ ¼)2 We are now nearly at our goal. To solve for x we see that ÏÆ'2 (x - ÃŽ ¼)2 By taking a square root of both sides (and remembering to take both the positive and negative values of the root  ±ÃÆ' x - ÃŽ ¼ From this it is easy to see that the inflection points occur where x ÃŽ ¼  ± ÏÆ'. In other words the inflection points are located one standard deviation above the mean and one standard deviation below the mean.

Trends And Issues Related To T essays

Trends And Issues Related To T essays The use of computers in school classrooms has evolved throughout the years, and has become revolutionary in changing the way we teach and learn. Our classrooms should no longer be confined to four walls and a few teachers who are considered to be experts in knowledge. Our classrooms need to keep up with a changing society and a new world that is dependent on technology. As students graduate, they need the technological skills needed to thrive in a world in which technology sets the pace. Society expects the school system to produce functional citizens who have the skills to gain profitable employment, and not be a drain on the system. Computers have been in the schools since the 1960s, but they were not used in the same capacity as they are used today. The use of computers is still expanding, and the future of education is very exciting when the full extent of this revolutionary phenomena is realized. In the 1960s computers were not widespread and most people who were educated during this decade hardly remember them at all. In the 1970s computers became smaller and less expensive, but the schools still did not use them much throughout most of the decade. By the end of the seventies, computer use in the schools started to increase. Students began to have hands-on experience. In less than a decade, computer use progressed from programming classes for a few of the better students, to literacy classes for all students, to the integration of computers and technology into the curriculum. Now, there is a goal for educators to use technology as a tool in efforts to teach more effectively by using a variety of strategies to meet different needs in a diverse classroom. This will take training and commitment to keep up in an area that changes quickly, but the benefits to teachers and students are greater that the effort it will take to stay informed; computers increase productivity of students and make learning a fun experience. They help s...

Public Law Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Public Law - Assignment Example However, this must be done with due regard to the fundamental human rights. Therefore, an Act enacted to provide a regulatory framework must entail forward thinking approaches that incorporate holistic mechanics to safeguard infringement of individual entitlements enshrined in the bill of rights and championed by the international law. Case 1 Understandably, the fictitious Airport Security Act 2009 apparently gives the UK minister of security a free hand in devising and imposing bans on persons deemed to be security threats within the vicinity of the UK airports. As a matter of first principle, the legality of the Security Act 2009 should be operationalized within the guiding framework of the public laws as well as approved international laws. Due to a Ministerial policy of an always imposition of restrictive orders on persons considered threats to the Airport safety, Roger found himself dismissed unfit to serve as a security personnel in the Airports on grounds of assault allegation s on Alexa, his former girlfriend. According to the law, discretionary powers must be exercised within reasonable limits. Article 7 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) prohibits inhuman treatment or punishment. Further, article 3(2) of the same Acts put limitations on imposed restriction orders by requiring precise and clear definition in situations where curtailment of rights are involved. The minister’s directive is no doubt a preservative measure to safeguard â€Å"Human security,† which requires absence of violent conflicts.1 However, minister discretion baring Roger from access to all airports amounts to unreasonable use of powers. In Secretary of State for Education v Tameside M.B.C. case involving the use of discretionary powers, the Secretary of State power to reject applications authorizing the running of grammar school system was under review. Accordingly, the court found the Secretary of State for Education discretion to rejec t the system unreasonable stating that the grammar school system had a proven track record and was therefore a reasonable system of education.2 The basis of the directive in Roger case cannot be ascertained with finality as there is no evidence of criminal record to warrant a label of security threat to all airports. Thus, Roger has legal standing to seek redress in a court of law provided his testimony satisfy the "victim test" stipulated under Article 34 of the Human Rights Act of 1998. According to Section 4 of the Security Act 2009, the Minister of Security has power to issue a restriction order in circumstances he thinks fit. This process regardless of whether the such decisions are ‘right’ or ‘correct’ decision, falls far short of the procedural legal basis in reaching a conclusive decision as set forth under the law. The Act is in contravention of the constitutional right of access to the courts at common law,3 which also involves the right to be hea rd and unimpeded access to a legal expert to offer legal advice and assistance.4 Case 2 One of the fundamental principles of the Geneva Convention Asylum agreements provides for surrogate protection to those failed by their home countries.5 Filling the void of a â€Å"factual breach of bond† between the citizen and the motherland, the law affords protection to the

Media planning and strategy From Audi A1 to the Audi A1 Sportback Essay

Media planning and strategy From Audi A1 to the Audi A1 Sportback - Essay Example Audi’s ‘innovation’ and ‘engineering excellence’ has overtaken BMW and Mercedes in term of reputation. The decisive measure of marketing attainment is the commercial success of the brand. Over the last 25 years, the Audi’s Sales have amplified tremendously. Value sales have increased by 1,325% and Volume sales have gone up by 452% and Audi is the only one to increase its share in the market at this rate. People have become adapted to the repetitive use of the expression, the ‘information society’, to describe the current era. This is the age of information and the rate of access to information is accelerating day by day. Every day people are exposed to a large number of information in the form of advertisement mainly from the television, newspapers and internet. A human brain can manage a certain amount of information, so not all the information humans get exposed to be processed (Kelley, 2004). Different people are attracted to different information; this attraction is based on needs and desires. For this reason every organization targets a special target audience, who are persuaded to buy a product or a service. This is a digitally driven and networked society, media strategies are changing at an accelerating pace, and the internet has become a great tool of media consumption these days. Laptops, Smart phones and continues connectivity to the internet has provided hug e opportunities to the advertisers’ to convey their messages to the masses (Gail, 2007). The above graph is a comparison of brand measure â€Å"innovative models† between Audi, BMW and Mercedes. The graph clearly shows that Audi is increasingly adapting new and innovative techniques resulting in more innovating models. People consume a huge amount of media every day via radio, television, computer and mobile phones. According to a research it is estimated that the flow of information through different media

Lakshmi Mittal and the Growth of Mittal Steel Assignment

Lakshmi Mittal and the Growth of Mittal Steel - Assignment Example This paper discusses the consistent growth of Lakshmi Mittal and all the issues it met, including in the final stages before merging with Arcelor. The strategy it undertook concerning foreign direct investment (merging and acquisition) undoubtedly enabled it reach greater heights. Arcelor Mittal Steel Company is a company that was started as a result of a merger between two steel companies namely Mittal Steel and Arcelor. The origin of the company was in India with Mittal being started in the early 1970s. The company, just like any other investment, faced some key issues and challenges as it developed. However, all these challenges have to be overcome by identifying available opportunities and making use of them. Competition in India was very stiff leading to limited growth opportunities. The main competition came from state and the privately owned companies. This led to the decision of Mittal to expand its borders to other countries, beginning with Indonesia. It is evident that Mittal in its foreign direct investment chose to use the method of merger and acquisition, rather than Greenfield investment. This is so because the merger method offers a lot of advantages. The local companies to be merged to or acquired are already conversant with the local customs and the institutions associated to the acquired firms. Furthermore, there is an advantage of easy access and relations with distribution systems. Mittal company only had to make improvements on what the merged firms had done, so as to establish itself in a competitive position and eliminate the potential competitors. Marinescu and Constantin (2008) say that â€Å"from financial point of view, the acquisition necessitates a smaller initi al investment. Capital is injected step by step, leading to lower market risk as opposed to a Greenfield† (n.p.). In as many countries that Mittal developed, there are a lot of advantages that are achieved by the host nations. Apart

Hedonism in Terms of Philosophy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Hedonism in Terms of Philosophy - Essay Example How can hedonism claim to be a universal philosophy when its foundations are weak and merely transitory at best? An enjoyment of pleasure by the senses is at best temporary and as people age, their enjoyment of such pleasures diminish, in a case of diminishing returns. Is it a valid argument to claim hedonism when a person is already old or infirm? Further, a sense of pleasure is a very subjective matter, and what are the standards by which to measure it in its exact terms or magnitude? Can subjective feelings be accurate measurements when there is a plurality in all kinds of pleasures?. A more basic question is how hedonists can know for certain that there is no afterlife when no person has come back from the dead? Is hedonism able to claim that as an alternative lifestyle or philosophy of life, it is an epistemic normative theory that all people ought to believe in when others doubt its validity? Is pleasure the sole purpose of life or is man destined for other greater things in th e universe?Hedonism commits a so-called naturalistic fallacy. This means the claim of pleasure as something that is natural and therefore is right or morally correct does not always follow in the same line of reasoning of what is moral or ethical. This is the argument put forward by the philosopher George Moore who said that equating pleasure with something good, natural, desired or pleasant is a fallacy; the critics of hedonism had pointed out the senses are not intended for physical pleasures alone.

It's all provided in the instructions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

It's all provided in the instructions - Essay Example Therefore, by 1815 the revolution was not a success, but an ongoing struggle. Rousseau advocated for pure democracy as was practiced in Greek in the ancient period. The idea of democracy enlightened the French people after the effect of American struggle for independence. In 1792 groups of bourgeoisie called the Jacobins agitated for an establishment of a republic and thus abolish a monarchy. They did this by campaigning against the constitutionalists, monarchists and moderates. In this year, 1792, France threatened Austria with war and regarded all government as an enemy of the monarchy because it was threatened and feared the support of the bourgeoisie by external government to instigate another revolt. However, in early 1793, the monarch was overthrow and executed by the French Republic was established (Beeler et al., 2011) In February 1793, the French Republic was engaging in war with most of the countries in Europe. The Edict of Fraternity advocated for all the people of Europe to be in opposition to their leaders of all sphere including spiritual and secular rulers. The French Republic promised to support such liberation because they believed to have found a solution to political, economic and social problems. They believed in practicing equality, liberty and fraternity (Beeler et al., 2011). Therefore, the new Republican leadership foregone reforming France and benefit its people to spread the ideas of republicanism. They also feared on how to conduct domestic reform, which was desperately, needed in the country. By 1799, Europe was in constant fighting one revolution war to another. It was regarded as the fight between the French and the rest of Europe because the ideas of social equality, democracy and nationalism had root in the French Republic. On November, Napoleon captured power and he declared himself the emperor. He was later crowned as the Emperor and ruled

Hedonism in Terms of Philosophy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Hedonism in Terms of Philosophy - Essay Example How can hedonism claim to be a universal philosophy when its foundations are weak and merely transitory at best? An enjoyment of pleasure by the senses is at best temporary and as people age, their enjoyment of such pleasures diminish, in a case of diminishing returns. Is it a valid argument to claim hedonism when a person is already old or infirm? Further, a sense of pleasure is a very subjective matter, and what are the standards by which to measure it in its exact terms or magnitude? Can subjective feelings be accurate measurements when there is a plurality in all kinds of pleasures?. A more basic question is how hedonists can know for certain that there is no afterlife when no person has come back from the dead? Is hedonism able to claim that as an alternative lifestyle or philosophy of life, it is an epistemic normative theory that all people ought to believe in when others doubt its validity? Is pleasure the sole purpose of life or is man destined for other greater things in th e universe?Hedonism commits a so-called naturalistic fallacy. This means the claim of pleasure as something that is natural and therefore is right or morally correct does not always follow in the same line of reasoning of what is moral or ethical. This is the argument put forward by the philosopher George Moore who said that equating pleasure with something good, natural, desired or pleasant is a fallacy; the critics of hedonism had pointed out the senses are not intended for physical pleasures alone.

Immigration law 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Immigration law 2 - Essay Example Even though war may be seen as one of the simplest and commonest examples of scenarios whereby the lives of people are put at risk, there are actually several other means by which people dwelling in a country may be prone to threats to their lives even in the absence of war2. As a way of ensuring that people who live in their own countries are given enough and maximum protection against all forms of practices that possesses threat to their lives in their immediate environments, the Refugee Convention has been put in place to ensure that there is easy movement of all such people cross borders from their countries of residence to seek protection and shelter where they feel their lives will be better protected. The present essay analysis whether the definition of a refugee under the Refugee Convention is sufficient to protect victims of human rights abuses and subsequently protect the lives of these people. ... In R v SSHD4, a clearer and reflection meaning is given to what well-founded fear means when it was concluded that genuine belief cannot be a basis for one to receive any form of protection as long as fear is unfounded. This means that fear must be objective and founded5 and in case it will be subjective, it must be based on reality.6 The second provision, which is premises, defines circumstances under which well-founded fear must exist before they can be regarded as meriting for refugee status. Generally, the fact that there is a premise means that well-founded fear may exist alright but may not be a tangible reason to merit one to be a refugee7. In the definition, there are five clearly listed premises, which are ‘race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion’. Race and nationality generally give a premise of reason, for which a person may suffer acts of persecution, which arises mainly because the fellow is of a race that is different from the race of some other group of people who may be executing the torture, bring about the well-founded fear. Religion also gives its up with instances where there exist forms of controlled and mobilised acts of persecution against an identified religious group for the mere fact that people who are executing persecutions refuse to accept the opinions of the other religious group. Commonly, the aftermath of elections have resulted in situations where people, mostly those in opposition tend to become enemies of those winning power and therefore suffer forms of vendetta and victimisation due to their social and political opinions. In Gomez v SSHD8 we realize that "to qualify as political the

Political Corruption Essay Example for Free

Political Corruption Essay Greetings and good morning to all of you. My speech today will address the topic on corruption and mainly the corrupted political system of India. After many years of ceaseless struggle for freedom, India gained it’s independence in the year 1947 at the cost of some brave and noble lives whom we still remember and pay our tributes to on the memorable days of India’s fight to freedom. Our dignified leaders with a team of members over a series of studies and meetings drafted, the Indian Constitution, in which every citizen has an equal standing before the law and this came into effect on January 26th 1950. After having come so far where does India stand today with relevance to equality for citizens. Everything in this era revolves around the decisions made by powerful people in society, particularly politicians resorting to misuse power for their personal gain and today’s India does not reflect the same spirit of our faithful leaders. The influence of money has crept into our society and corruption has become so common a thing that people have come in terms with this social evil. Be it politics, sports, media, or court, anything seems to be achievable in India if you have fame and money while the less privileged experience the hard hand of law thus depriving citizens of their rights to equality. This kind of fraudulency over a period of time thwarts a person’s morals and ethics, consequently leading to the nation’s intolerance against its leaders and outbursts of mass protests dragging a nation to agitation, confusion, social disorder and on top of these, innocent lives being sacrificed for the wrong deeds of a despotic leader. As we all know Egypt and other countries like Libya and Yemen had witnessed this kind of tumultuous protests and as we all know gruesome fights against the corrupted government are still ongoing in Syria. It’s time that the citizens of India wake up and join hands with anti-corruption crusaders like the 72 year old Gandhian, Anna Hazare, an Indian social activist who led movements to promote rural development, increase government transparency, and investigate and punish official corruption and he pressed to pass the Jan Lokpal Bill. This is a bill that aims to change the way India tackles corruption. We should be determined not to allow corruption cripple our resourceful nation and tamper the economic growth of our country anymore. We children who are India’s future need to strongly value the good morals taught in homes and schools and strongly abide by them and fight towards a clean system and strive in every small way to bring about a change in this social evil. It is not an easy road and we as individuals can participate in this struggle by beginning to say NO to bribes. Dear friends, finally let me encourage you all to live by our motto â€Å"Lead kindly light† and radiate the values of life by our education and who knows we could probably be the future bearers of these offices that will pave way to be an exemplar of an ideal leader.

How Did Field Marshal Erwin Rommel History Essay

How Did Field Marshal Erwin Rommel History Essay Europe 1914, a continent at the brink of total war. The British Empire and France had for long been political allies against the newborn German nation. In 1914, this political unrest escalated into bloody war when the Austrian Prince was murdered in Bosnia. The First World War was triggered. And the young Erwin Rommel was quickly ordered to the front.  [1]   Erwin Johannes Rommel was born in Heidenheim, November 15th 1891. As a boy, Erwin was a bold and athletic character. At age 14, Rommel and a friend built a full-scale glider that was able to fly short distances. Rommel even considered becoming an engineer and throughout his life displayed extraordinary technical aptitude. Acceding to his fathers wishes, Rommel instead joined the local Infantry Regiment as an officer cadet in 1910 and was sent to the Officer Cadet School in Danzig. He graduated in 1911 and was commissioned as a lieutenant in 1912. While at Cadet School, Rommel met his future wife, 17-year-old Lucia Maria Mollin (commonly called Lucie). They married on 27 November 1916 in Danzig and few years later they had a son. Throughout the Second World War he wrote letters to his wife sharing with her his experiences.  [2]   During World War I, Rommel fought in France as well as in Romania and Italy, first in the Infantry Regiment, but through most of the war in the Mountain Battalion of the elite Alpenkorps. He gained a reputation for great courage, making quick tactical decisions and taking advantage of enemy confusion. He was wounded three times and awarded the Iron Cross, First and Second Class. Rommel also received Prussias highest award, the order of Pour le Merite, after fighting in the Battles of the Isonzo in the north-eastern Alps on the Isonzo river front. The award was for the Battle of Longarone and the capture of Mount Matajur and its Italian defenders, which totaled 150 officers, 9 000 men, and 81 artillery pieces. In contrast, Rommels detachment suffered only 6 dead and 30 wounded during the two engagements, a remarkable achievement.  [3]   Germany surrendered in 1918, all the hard fight was over. However, Rommel among most of the German military felt they had been stabbed in the back. Not by someone from outside, but from the inside. The Allied nations (GB, US and France) created the Versailles Treaty, a set of conditions for Germany which limited all their influential powers and to prevent Germany from starting another war in future. Since the defeat in 1918, Germany continued under strict rules from the Versailles Treaty. A dramatic change came, when a nation was forced to become a republic. Versailles Treaty was political humiliation that would continue as long as it existed. It left a mood of anger throughout Germany as it was felt that as a nation Germany had been unfairly treated. Above all else, Germany hated the clause blaming her for the cause of the war and the resultant financial penalties the treaty was bound to impose on Germany. Erwin Rommel continued his career as an instructor in the new German army: Reichwehr. However, it was not easy with anti-military policy the Republic had established. After years with the new Republic the German people wanted change and on January of 1933 that change came in the form Adolf Hitler when he was elected as the new chancellor of Germany. Improvements were immediately performed which made Germany great again. Rommel and the German people cheered happily. Rommel himself was satisfied with the positive economic change that Hitler rule brought. He named Hitler the new Bismarck and soon admired him for his efficiency. When Rommel was promoted, he met this new idol. From 1935 to 1938, Rommel held commands in Potsdam War Academy. Rommel later wrote a book and published about infantry strategy (Infantry attacks) which caught Hitlers greatest attention, and cemented the friendship between the two. However in 1934 Hitler did something that broke with Rommels morals. Night of the Lo ng Knives, Hitler ordered elimination of all political opponents, including communists. Rommels negative reaction told Hitler that he could never inform Erwin about his war crimes in later years. Rommel never joined the Nazi Party and he did not support Nazi ideals, but he supported Hitler as a strong leader.  [4]   In late 30s, Germany became great again with a powerful army, air force and an effective and flourishing industry. In 1938, Adolf Hitler occupied Austria and the German parts of Czechoslovakia to reclaim the lost German lands. Then in 1939 he was ready to attack Poland in order to expand Germany. Great Britain and France immediately told Hitler, that if he attacked Poland, they would declare war on Germany, Hitler ignored their threat continued on with his plans. In Poland, Rommel was one of Hitlers staff officers. Rommel was put in command of Adolf Hitlers personal protection battalion, assigned to protect him during his visits to occupied Czechoslovakia and Memel. It was during this period that he met and befriended Joseph Goebbels, the Reichs minister of propaganda. Goebbels became a fervent admirer of Rommel and later ensured that Rommels exploits were celebrated in the media. The Second World War had begun and within weeks Poland was occupied thanks to the new Blitzkrieg (lighting war) tactic. In 1940, Hitler promoted his new campaign: Invasion of France. Nazi Propaganda claimed that France was the aggressor. Rommel, who was blind to reason due to his admiration to Hitler, believed it. Rommel was put in command of his requested 7th Panzer division. The division later became known as The Ghost Division due to the speed with which it executed attacks. Rommel was first ordered to cross the river Meuse. He led the division with amazing speed and if he encountered any resistance in his way he would order his tanks to charge head on with guns blazing relying on the shock element to break enemy morale and force them to surrender. Once he arrived river Meuse the two bridgeheads were destroyed and the French had entrenched themselves on the other side. Rommel had to find another way to cross the river so he orders his soldiers to use inflatables and cross it during the night. However they were spotted, and were fired upon. The German engineers build ferries which were used to send the tanks over, he then set the French building of fire and used the smoke as cover. When the engineers completed the construction of the bridgeheads, troops were sent over. Rommel succeeded, and continued fighting his way through France with amazing speed.  [5]   On 21 of May, Rommel met tough British tank resistance near Arras. British tanks attacked Rommel to stop the German attempt to trap the Allies near Dunkirk. Rommel, seeing the British counter attack, was able to quickly figure out a plan on how to stop the British tanks. He used unorthodox tactical method. He established two frontlines: one for targeting the light cavalry and one targeting the heavy cavalry. He also used the 88mm to hit tanks instead of airplanes, something that was never done before in World War 2 but later became a very common practice of German commanders. 88s proved to be extremely effective anti-tank weapons, even thou they were designed as anti-air. 88s were destroying British tanks one by one, mostly thanks to the fact that they out ranged the British tanks and were much more powerful. After a while, the British withdrew, and suffered 35 tank casualties. After a brief stop, Rommel continued his advance.  [6]   On 21st of May 1940 the Germans reached the English Channel, and therefore created a pocket in which 400 000 British soldiers and officers were trapped, by June 1940 the French were on their own. After a German offensive, the French front collapsed and so did the army. On June 23 same years, Erwin Rommel walked in the streets of Paris. France was defeated and it is important to note that thanks to Rommels ability to coordinate air and ground power, as well as his skill, the fall of France was so quick. By the late 1940, Rommel had captured 97 650 soldiers, 227 field artillery guns, 450 tanks and more. Goebbels immediately used his success for Nazi Propaganda. Because of this, Rommel was suddenly adored by soldiers. Rommel loved the adoration; he even agreed to let Goebbels make a film, glorifying his actions and battles. Thus making him even more popular among German people and parsing him as a national hero and as a patriot to his country. But his success did not end there, Rommel was about step into a battlefield that would define him for generations to come and make him an important historical figure. Germany was allied to Italy, a nation which wanted to gain domination in the Mediterranean. Mussolini invaded Egypt hoping to throw the British out of North Africa. However the Italian troops were defeated and driven back. In spring 1941, Mussolini called for aid from Hitler, in order to attempt another attack. Hitler plan was to send a German force to Libya only to secure the area from the Allies, not for a demanding campaign. Hitler sent German soldiers south but quickly needed someone to lead them. He had to choose between Manstien and Rommel to command the Afrika korps. He chose Rommel for the task. Rommel was excited and he immediately departed to Tripoli to talk to the Italian commanders. But up his arrival he discovered they were too passive and so he ignored their devices. Meanwhile, the Allies expected Rommel would wait for the rest of his Afrika korps to arrive to Africa, before Rommel goes on offensive. But Rommel had no plans of waiting, with only 5th German division and two Italian, he started his offensive. The British, who had been weakened by troops being withdrawn to fight in the Battle of Greece, fell back to Mersa el Brega and started constructing defensive works. Rommel decided to continue the attack against these positions in order to prevent the British from building up the fortifications. After a day of fierce fighting, the Germans prevailed and the advance continued as Rommel. The British Commander General Archibald Wavell, overestimating the strength of the Axis forces ordered a withdrawal from Benghazi in early to avoid being cut off by Rommels thrust.  [7]   Rommel, seeing the British reluctance to fight a decisive action, decided on a bold move: the seizure of the whole of Cyrenaica despite having only light forces. He ordered the Italian armored division to pursue the retreating British while the 5th Light Division was to move on Benghazi. Divisions commander, protested this order on the grounds of the state of his vehicles, but Rommel brushed the objections aside. Quickly, but after fierce battles, he captured Derna, Benghazi and El Me chili. However the Germans lacked knowledge on how to move in the desert and this caused serious problems for Rommel. Never the less he had shocked the Allies and forced them to retreat to Tobruk. Tobruk was heavily fortified and guarded by a total of 30 000 determined Australians and British. Tobruck was importante to Rommel for two main reasons: One, it had natural, deep harbor and huge airfield, making it ideal for supply. Two, It was strategically placed. The only way to make it to Egypt, was through Tobruck. However, Rommel was convinced that the Allies would flee shortly. There was to be wasted a lot of lives before he would admit his misjudgment. The first major attack on 13-14th April was repulsed and all following attempts to storm Tobruck were unsuccessful as well. Although Rommel didnt succeed in storming Tobruk, he now surrounded it, hopping to force surrender. The siege stalled for almost 8 months with preparations. Meanwhile, the Allies launched Operation Crusader; to liberate Tobruck. It started with German and Allied tanks smashing together in a tank battle. British tanks were quickly outmaneuvered, soon after they quickly retreated. The Rommels forces hurried to finish of the withdrawing British, but were confused and spread due to inexperience in desert combat. Several skirmishes broke out in the desert. Rommel was then informed that supplies would be delayed for many weeks. He couldnt possibly carry on without supplies, so he pulled back. It was a bitter retreat for Rommel. The situation was critical, and morale was low. The Germans left land they really struggled to conquer. However, Rommel would not let it end l ike this. He resumed his desert campaign on January 21, 1942.  [8]   With reinforcements and supplies finally reaching Rommel, he began his new offensive. He hit the Allies hard and recaptured Cyrenaica within days and once again, the road to Tobruck was open. However the Allies had constructed a heavy defense line at Gazala, West of Tobruk. This was Rommels last chance to push in and succeed. As the battle began, German divisions suddenly appeared behind the Allies. Rommel outflanked them the night before the attack. The Allies tried to outmaneuver Rommel in return, but this was unsuccessful. Rommel found a weak point in the enemy line and consecrated his attack there. By the end of June, the British were lost 50 000 men and 1 800 tanks, while as Rommel lost only 3000 men. Days later, Rommel finally captured Tobruck. This was a fantastic victory for the Axis powers. His Afrika korps had succeeded against all odds. Thanks Rommels brilliant generalship, he was able to hit Allies were they least expected. He had been so flexible that Allies gave him a n ickname. A nickname that would come to define him: The Desert Fox.  [9]   By summer of 1942 Rommel had enjoyed successful, although demanding, campaign. As he progressed, he required more supplies. But supplies were constantly delayed due to unending fight in Russia. And if that was not enough, by this point in time Allies had also decoded the German communication systems. This allowed them to further hinder Rommel by bombing German supply routes. Although promoted Field Marshal, Rommel almost begged Hitler for more supplies but Hitler strictly ignored him. If Rommel could reach the Suez Canal, he would have access unlimited amount of oil from Arabia, which was vital at this point. The Allies knew this, and had therefore concentrated their forces near El Alamein. Rommel had to face an Allied force of 220  000 infantry, 1000 tanks, 1500 anti-tank guns, 1000 artillery guns and 530 planes, while he only had 116  000 infantry, 500 tanks, 500 anti-tank guns and 350 planes at his disposal. Expecting an attack he deployed 450  000 mines in front of his line, and backed it up with tanks and 88mm guns, expecting an attack. He then ordered his infantry to dig ditches, similar to those of World War 1. Satisfied with his defenses, Rommel left for Europe due to a bad health. A month later Montgomery, the British Commander, opened his attack.  [10]   On the night of 23rd October 1942, 1000 British artillery guns opened fire at German positions, meanwhile British engineers started clearing a way though the German minefields. Germans troops quickly spotted them and opened fire at British engineers and infantry causing heavy casualties. Despite this British engineers were able to clear mine lanes for thousands of men and hundreds of tanks to advance through but once on the other side they met stiff resistance. At dawn, Montgomerys attack began to waiver, while the German positions remained intact. Montgomery then performed a false attack further south to lure the Axis forces and it was successful. Germans were confused and didnt know where the main attack would be coming from. On the evening of October 26th, a sick Rommel was back on the battlefield. However, Montgomery still didnt manage to break through. Waves of British soldiers were repulsed. On the same day British tanks performed a major attack on the Italian division, Rommel then understood where the Allies were aiming to break through. Dramatic fighting occurred near Kidney Ridge. Rommel sent the best force at his disposal to stop the breakthrough. At this point Rommel was running out of supplies, and so on November 2nd Montgomery launched the final attack with the rest army. This was too much even for Rommel and his Afrika korps. He asked Hitler for permission to retreat so that he can save his army from annihilation. Hitler denied, stating that they must not retreat even if it means death. Rommel refusing to sacrifice his men in a pointless fight retreated from Egypt, thereby directly ignoring Hitler. Rommel had lost 23  000 men and about 350 tanks. Montgomery had lost 13  000 men with 9000 w ounded, and 500 tanks. With minimal forces, supplies and equipment Rommel had no choice than to keep retreating. It is important to note that was not simply retreating but he was retreating with perfection. The British were unable to engage his retreating forces. Due to extreme lack of supplies and fuel Germans had to abandon fully functional tanks and equipment. Rommel pleaded Hitler constantly for permission to evacuate his forces form Africa, but with no luck. Rommel confides increasingly to his wife about his loss of faith in Hitlers sanity. In 1943 the Americans invaded Morocco and Algerie, left without options forced an evacuation despite Hitlers aggression. Make the conclusion! (for conclusion I will just say what Rommel did after, very briefly, and finally finish up with how he died. After I add the usual: this investigation was able to demonstrate and answer the topic question) Quotations, not finished: We have a very daring and skillful opponent against us, and, may I say across the havoc of war, a great general Winston Churchill about Rommel. I chose Rommel because he has the ability to inspire his troops().That is a completely essential ability for a man who is to lead a unit which is going to fight in such special climates as in North Africa.() An incredibly tough commander.. Adolf Hitler Tobruk must be held to the last drop of blood, without a single thought of retreat! Churchill to the British Commander Wavell. Self-restraint, even chivalry distinguished the combatants on both sides throughout the North Africa campaign The leading exemplar of this code was Rommel himself. When orders from Hitler mandated the execution of captured British commandos, Rommel tossed the document in the trash. He insisted that the Allied prisoners receive the same rations he was given. He even wrote a book about the conflict called Krieg ohne Hass (War Without Hate). Memoirs of the North Africa campaign attest that, fierce and brutal as much of the fighting was, relations between individual enemies retained a quality of forbearance that seems, today, almost impossible to imagine. Steven Pressfield, in We have some though days ahead of us. The dead are lucky. For them, it is all finished. Our destiny is in Gods hands now. Good bye to you and our little son. Erwin Rommel in letter to his beloved wife, Lucie Rommel. The war (WW2) is lost.(à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) We have already lost the battle of Stalingrad and now we are going to be defeated in Africa(à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) The only thing Hitler demands is that every soldier either wins or dies. At this moment, there are only one warrior that is able to lead a unified Europe, and that is Churchill. Rommel to his friend Hans von Luck. The experience which I had gained during this advance through Cyrenacia formed the main faundation fo my later operations Erwin Rommel The Rommel Papers (p.120) Text, not finished: Source List, not Finished: YouTube, s. v. Battle of El Alamein | Generals at War | Battlefield Documentary, accessed June 10, 2012, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7cmXUeJMio YouTube, s. v. Clash of Warriors- Rommel v Montgomery (El Alamein), accessed June 17, 2012, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DpAoDhPmYuc YouTube, s. v. Secrets of World War II What Really Happened to Rommel, accessed June 18, 2012, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FC9bDPoiXao Eye Witness to History, s. v. Erwin Rommel, accessed June 22, 2012, http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/rommel.htm Jewish Virtual Library, s. v. Erwin Rommel, accessed June 23, 2012, http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/biography/Rommel.html Military History, s. v. Erwin Rommel, accessed June 26, 2012, http://militaryhistory.about.com/od/1900s/p/rommel.htm Armchair General, s. v. Erwin Rommel, accessed June 12, 2012, http://www.armchairgeneral.com/erwin-rommel-roots-of-victory-seeds-of-defeat.htm Wiki Quote, s. v. Erwin Rommel, accessed June 14, 2012, http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Erwin_Rommel#Quotes_about_Rommel History Learning Site, s. v. Erwin Rommel, accessed June 29, 2012, http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/erwin_rommel.htm Encyclopedia Britannica, s. v. Erwin Rommel, accessed June 9, 2012, http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/508989/Erwin-Rommel

Albert Einstein And His Theories :: essays research papers

Albert Einstein and His Theories Einstein, Albert (1879-1955), German-born American physicist and Nobel laureate, best known as the creator of the special and general theories of relativity and for his bold hypothesis concerning the particle nature of light. He is perhaps the most well-known scientist of the 20th century. Einstein was born in Ulm on March 14, 1879, and spent his youth in Munich, where his family owned a small shop that manufactured electric machinery. He did not talk until the age of three, but even as a youth he showed a brilliant curiosity about nature and an ability to understand difficult mathematical concepts. At the age of 12 he taught himself Euclidean geometry. Einstein hated the dull regimentation and unimaginative spirit of school in Munich. When repeated business failure led the family to leave Germany for Milan, Italy, Einstein, who was then 15 years old, used the opportunity to withdraw from the school. He spent a year with his parents in Milan, and when it became clear that he would have to make his own way in the world, he finished secondary school in Arrau, Switzerland, and entered the Swiss National Polytechnic in Zà ¼rich. Einstein did not enjoy the methods of instruction there. He often cut classes and used the time to study physics on his own or to play his beloved violin. He passed his examinations and graduated in 1900 by studying the notes of a classmate. His professors did not think highly of him and would not recommend him for a university position. For two years Einstein worked as a tutor and substitute teacher. In 1902 he secured a position as an examiner in the Swiss patent office in Bern. In 1903 he married Mileva Marià §, who had been his classmate at the polytechnic. They had two sons but eventually divorced. Einstein later remarried. Early Scientific Publications In 1905 Einstein received his doctorate from the University of Zà ¼rich for a theoretical dissertation on the dimensions of molecules, and he also published three theoretical papers of central importance to the development of 20th-century physics. In the first of these papers, on Brownian motion, he made significant predictions about the motion of particles that are randomly distributed in a fluid. These predictions were later confirmed by experiment. The second paper, on the photoelectric effect, contained a revolutionary hypothesis concerning the nature of light. Einstein not only proposed that under certain circumstances light can be considered as consisting of particles, but he also hypothesized that the energy carried by any light particle, called a photon, is proportional to the frequency of the radiation.

The Great Gatsby in the American Classroom :: Great Gatsby Essays

The Great Gatsby in the American Classroom      Ã‚  Ã‚   In determining why The Great Gatsby is so frequently assigned at various education levels, my thoughts reverted to our discussion on the Vendler text and the premise that teachers may be attempting to seduce their students into learning. In connection to this discussion, I reflected on my own classroom and what I hope to achieve with my students. I find the "seduction" of students to be an integral component in teaching students to appreciate the learning process. Not all learning is "fun," but I attempt to teach my students that it can at least be an interesting process.    Do I teach Gatsby in my own classroom? No. Do I think it is a significant text to be taught? Yes. Do I think Gatsby should be included in the literary canon? I think that question is irrelevant. This is because teachers, if educated well, should be able to determine the needs of the classroom Sometimes these needs go beyond or outside of the literary canon. I understand the relevance of the literary canon to English studies, but I also perceive the canon primarily as a tool or resource for the teaching of English. The canon also helps to preserve works of literature, but mere usage also helps to preserve. If works of literature are continually used in the classroom because of their relevance and usefulness, then there is not truly a need to encapsulate that work of literature in the canon to preserve it. That preservation occurs through popular use. Being exposed daily to the challenge of engaging minds in a discourse on literature, I believe it is possible, and sometimes necessary, for teachers to structure their material to fit the needs of their students. Gatsby is one such novel that appears to be filling this role.    In the preface to The Great Gatsby, Matthew J. Bruccoli asserts that    The Great Gatsby is a classic-a novel that is read spontaneously by pleasure-seekers and and under duress by students. A popular classroom fallacy holds that classics are universal and timeless. Literature has staying power, but it is subject to metamorphosis. (vii)    The Great Gatsby is pushing its way into more and more classrooms, because it is interesting as a literary work and, moreover, because it remains relevant to issues in modern society.

Bad Influence of Television

Television is a bad influence Nowadays, almost each family has at least one television. Even when we grow up, we still have a cartoon in our memories. But we can see, more and more children indulge to TV shows, they pick up bad habits from the programs and they lost a lot of fun because of they spend too much time in watching TV. Not only to the children but also to the adults, watching TV is harmful to people’s health. Too often such cruel behavior can be seen on television programs. The children could not distinguish which behavior is right and which one is wrong.They even think some cruel behaviors are very cool. And when the children watch television programs, their parents do not have time tell them how to do is right. The programs or the films have many fighting and erotic actions to attract their attention. Young children could learn from them and do the same thing in their real life. That’s why young criminal are increasing in recent years. Watching television i s interesting in children’s eyes. This is how things are. Most children like watching TV rather than playing outside.But playing in the sunshine has better influences than staying at home. Because of staying at home, they have less chance to make friends or communicate with others. Social work skills should be learned from a kid. Maybe someone could say some programs are good for children to know more knowledge. But in fact, children are not interested in it. Learn knowledge from their own experiences can let them remember more clearly. For example, take the child to the zoo to see tigers would be better to watch tigers on a television.If you spend too much time in watching television, it’s harmful to your health. Many teens have shortsighted because of this. And it caused the problem like fat. Staying at home will let you become lazier. Our body needs to do sports. When people are watching TV, their brain actually doesn’t need to think, the images and the voice can give enough information to them. So, our brain could be stupid. In a word, television is a bad influence. Let’s read books or go outside to play to kill time. Do not let television to be harmful to us.

Management and Harbin Engineering University

Question1 – Please give a brief summary of your current recreational and leisure activities, including sports and hobbies. * †¢I am a grade eight pianist and play a number of other musical instruments including guitar and drums. I used to be a member of a band for two years and participated in a number of performances. I successfully organized two Christmas parties for the department when I was in Harbin Engineering University. †¢I enjoy playing basketball, swimming, playing pool as the methods of relaxation. Question2 – What clubs and societies are you a member of and in what capacity? * I worked as a team member of the event management section belonging to the student union of University of Strathclyde. â€Å"Battle of Bands† is one of the event I worked for with five team members to deal with the Finance and Marketing parts. Set up the budget and successfully generated funding from companies. Question3 – What factors have influenced your career choice? I am an enthusiastic team player and appreciate the value of working well with others. I have a natural affinity towards problem solving and enjoy reading and researching developments in the financial industry. During my spare time, I found myself reading and researching stock market data and investing in a portfolio of my own. I was frequently asked to completing tasks at short notice, which required me to have great organizing skill and work well under pressure. My general interest and passion for the industry is one of my principal reasons for pursuing a degree in Finance. Question4 – Outline your career ambitions and objectives. * My short-term objective is to work in a fast growing company which can provide me with great opportunities to add value to the company by using my education and variety of experiences and eventually increase its bottom line. My long-term objective is to become a qualified professional and a considerable manager or leader of the company. On the other hand, I will attain the professional qualifications such as CFA, ACCA, etc. Question5 – At KPMG our global values guide the way that we interact with each other and help to create our open, friendly and supportive culture. Please tell us about a situation where you have used two of KPMG's values to achieve a positive outcome. *

Multiple Regression Analysis Statistics Project Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Multiple Regression Analysis - Statistics Project Example Governments’ focus on improving labor force and imports are recommended for economic growth. Economic growth is an important factor to governments, whose responsibilities include availing resources for public utilities and ensuring good living standards that are dependent on economic well being. Governments also have the responsibility of ensuring good macroeconomic environment for economic competitiveness in the international scope. Gross domestic product is one of the indicators of economic growth and its value can be used to understand factors to economic growth and to inform macroeconomic policies in a country. This report analyses factors to economic growth with the aim of identifying significant factors. Human capital is one of the factors that have been associated with economic growth and according to Somashekar (N.d.), is directly proportional to growth. International trade and foreign direct investment inflow have also been associated with effects on a country’s economic growth. Foreign direct investments have diversified indirect and positive effects on economic growth. Imports and exports have also been associated with economic development and the factors have beet correlated with foreign direct investment flows (OECD, 2002). This paper investigate relationships between gross domestic product and employment rate, as an indicator of human capital, foreign direct investments, import, and export. The following hypothesis is tested. A survey design is used in the study with reliance on secondary data. The Central Intelligence Agency library is used as the source of data. Stratified random sampling is used to select countries, the research participants, and respective data identified. Four countries are selected from Europe, Africa, America, and Asia. Descriptive statistics and regression analysis are used to analyze the data. Each of the variables has high standard deviations and this suggest possible variations across other

Barclays Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Barclays Case Study - Essay Example A number of change management theories help explain this shift in the image of the bank. The theory of open systems forms a good starting point. A corporation such as Barclays constitutes a system. Like any other system, the corporation is made of several components that function together as a unit(Kettinger & Grover, 1995). These components take the form of the internal and the external environments. The internal environment refers to those factors that affect the corporation and over which the corporation has considerable control. These factors include the employees of the corporation. The external environment, by contrast, refers to those factors that are external to the corporation in the sense that the corporation has little or no control over them even though they still affect the daily operation of the organization. These include competition and government regulation. An open system is one that exchanges feedback with its external environment on a regular basis. Given that the organization has limited or no control over the external environment, a healthy open system adjusts the internal factors as needed in order to realize the goals of the entire system(Tam, 1999). Several aspects are necessary for a functional open system. These include the external environment, boundaries and equifinality. Of the external environment, government regulation is arguably one of the most important factors in the case of Barclays given that, the world over, governments regulate the banking industry heavily. Every system has boundaries even though these can be difficult to delimit. An open system should have a porous boundary that allows the exchange of information. In the case of Barclays, it is possible that the bank has deliberately made it difficult for the regulator to access information on their activities, thereby creating a conducive environment for busines s malpractice to thrive. The concept of

Executive summary of the Ethical Tabao company Essay

Executive summary of the Ethical Tabao company - Essay Example However, Taobao urges the public to behave responsibly to maximize the wealth of the shareholders. Taobao plans to raise its guarantee and technical charge with an objective of majoring in the B2C model to improve its quality and counterfeit control. The planned raise in fees would decrease the number of sellers operating on Taobao and consequently improve the company’s regulation. The small and medium entrepreneurs launched protests at the Taobao headquarters are opposing the planned policy since it forces them to pay same operation costs as the big sellers. Although the policy might be beneficial to the company, the protests have largely dented the image of Taobao. The small and medium entrepreneurs will face difficulties in continuing with the business and possibly fallout. The decrease in small and medium entrepreneurs would promote improvements in product quality and guarantee customer satisfaction in comfort and reliability. However, this adjustment might decrease customer satisfaction on price and product categories. Because of the mixed interests, the government has come up with regulations governing the online shopping agencies like Taobao. There are self-regulations by a business that allow companies to adopt policies befitting their competitive advantage. In relation to these regulations, the sellers should obey Taobao regulations. Additionally, there exist consumers’ regulations that protect consumers in Taobao. These regulations protect the consumers against counterfeit goods, poor quality goods, and untimely delivery of Taobao

Natural, Herbal, and Vitamin Supplements Research Paper

Natural, Herbal, and Vitamin Supplements - Research Paper Example Each day, online sites are flooded with people looking for every kind of health-related information. Their searches range from information pertaining to remedies for health problems to preventive health care. In order to market their supplements, companies through the media place a wide range of advertisements that are enticing to consumers (Vaskovarzic 1). Each site gives the impression that their product is the ultimate solution to health problems. Given that consumers are desperate for solutions, they are usually easily convinced to purchase these supplements. Sometimes, reviews from people who give testimonies on how some of the supplements are effective to increase people’s urge to purchase. Media has also contributed a lot towards creating an image that is at times deceiving to people (123HelpMe 1). Online photos show pictures of flawless people especially celebrities. In some circumstances, media will highlight specific supplements that these celebrities use to acquire the perfect look. The fact that everyone wants to look good becomes a triggering factor for online shopping for supplements based on judgment from online images. Media has created awareness about the existence of various supplements. If it were not for the media, people would be less knowledgeable. In addition to this, issues such as availability and price have been made possible through the media. From anywhere in the world, people can compare and eventually purchase every kind of supplement they want. The process of placing an order is easy (Teichner and Lesko 1). This convenience encourages online shopping (Teichner and Lesko 1). Moreover, through television talks and interviews, media plays a role in publicizing supplements.  Media is so powerful that it can either help or harm people. In everyday life, people are in connection with media through television, radio and the internet hence accessibility to information. Through the influence of magazine pictorials and television commercials, people are negatively affected. When media is abused, it influences people unconsciously to attempt things that are harmful to their health. Media ofte n presents the picture of a perfect body with the aim of getting attention and in the long run marketing certain products. When people fail to acquire the perfect body after consuming particular supplements, they go for alternative supplements. This process increases dependency on particular products hence creating emotional conflicts in most cases.

Compare and Contrast Alan Paton's Cry, the Beloved Country and Chinua Essay

Compare and Contrast Alan Paton's Cry, the Beloved Country and Chinua Achebe's Thing's Fall Apart - Essay Example Achebe’s narrative signals the first indicator of tribal decline in Africa, exploited by the white colonisers to exert power in their expanding empire. The death toll of tribal life in Africa in Things Fall Apart symbolises the human predisposition towards conflict as the ethnic tensions are replaced with the tensions between the whites and blacks. In contrast, Cry, the Beloved Country takes the reader forward, highlighting the predicament of native blacks under white rule, where the funeral for tribal life prophesised in Things Fall Apart is now a reality, symbolised by the theme of human loss. The industrialisation of Africa and separation of families brought about by white rule is highlighted through the Kumalo’s journey as central protagonist in Cry. Pastor Kumalo loses a brother to the city and his brother in law to the mines. Furthermore, Kumalo’s sister disappears when she goes to the city. Through contrasting perspectives both novels utilise the conflicts between the white rulers and black natives to portray a deeper themes of the complex cycle of human conflict; its resultant impact on the family nucleus and the human need for connection and family relationships particularly driven by loss and fear. Analysed in conjunction, the contrasting spectrums at which both Paton and Achebe begin their narrative effectively takes the reader through the beginning of colonial policies in Things Fall Apart, to the practical impact of white rule in Cry, the Beloved Country. The focus of this analysis is to evaluate through a comparative analysis the authors’ depictions of the conflicts between the white colonisers and the native blacks and consider which, if any depicts the predicament most sympathetically. It is submitted at the outset that both whilst both works are undoubtedly important in highlighting the

Aggressive Parents, Aggressive Children Essay Example for Free

Aggressive Parents, Aggressive Children Essay Growing up, kids have a lot of influences in their life; from television to peers children will always absorb something. With this being said the biggest influence on a child would have to be the people there with the most- their family. Because this is unarguably true, it would then be fair to then assume that parental/ sibling aggression could have a big impact on future relationships caused by development. What is aggression one may ask? Aggression is a hostile, injurious, destructive behaviour or outlook especially when caused by frustration. Human development would be everything that happened from the moment a child thinks for the first time, then. Sigmund Freud was one psychologist who theorizes that those who have experienced trauma from aggression in the home will often use defense mechanisms to disregard unwanted emotions. This leaves a negative effect on the unconscious mind and makes a person act irrationally. By comparing cultures and examining how nature vs. urture, the theme of pies and how the ecological theory all come into play when dealing with the way children treat relationships, it is hoped that one will see that aggression in the home will indeed lead to negative relationships for the child’s near future. One key question many would ask and not for only this topic (but many on the mind in general), would be are these actions and thoughts merely influenced by parents, or are they born with the â€Å"defect† and therefore forced to live with it. The argument of nature vs. nurture is a questi on that has baffled even the most renowned of psychologists. Both sides have strong supporting arguments therefore coming up with an end answer would be impossible for one to do. In Daena’s article, entitled â€Å"Is Aggressive Behaviour Biologically or Environmentally Based? † Daena proposes that aggression is learned. Supporting herself by linking aggression with Skinner’s rat, continuing by saying aggression is caused by positive reinforcement (reward). By calming a kid down with a toy, the child would have received the â€Å"reward†, now the child understands if he does this, then another â€Å"reward† should come. One way this could be seen in a household could be when a father cusses after he hurts himself. The child could subconsciously perceive that the pain and expression on the father going away shortly after was his reward, therefore the child takes on the habit. This does put some weight on the nurture side because the reward is what causes any outcome. But, Professor Richard Tremblay of the University of Montreal says that â€Å"We do not need to learn to aggress, but to not aggress. In this indirect argument with the other article mentioned Tremblay suggests that children are aggressive by nature and learn how to control their aggression at around 4 years old. When linking nature or nurture to aggression one must understand that they really can’t choose an option and be satisfied with their decision. â€Å"PIES† stands for the four kinds of development; physical, intellectual, emotional, social. When children witness aggression at home almost every kind of development a re interrupted. Physical development includes growth of bone muscles, motor skills and senses. Intellectual development includes the maturation of mental process, such as learning, imagination, memory and perception. When a child is used to seeing aggression exhibited by their parents, they will associate that violence will many things they see on a daily basis. For example the first time the child sees adults mating on television, etc. Their first instinct would usually be to believe that the couple is actually fighting. This shows that what they sense would be different from what’s actually happening therefore proving a negative outcome. Emotional development includes the maturation and evolution of emotions, social skills, identity, and morals. If a child grows up witnessing spousal abuse from an early age, and isn’t explained that it’s bad, then would that child not believe that this action is perfectly fine? Seeing the father only do this when he’s angry, the child could perceive that beating somebody is an output of anger for them as well. Social development includes the evolution of knowledge of how people interact, play, share, take turns, or talk socially. From an early stage if the child sees fighting, it is then safe to assume that their ‘evolution of knowledge based on how people interact’ will be evolving off of the witnessed negative action seen in the first place (spousal abuse, swearing parents, etc. ). A child’s development could be positive or negative based solely on the overall environment the child is living in. One may be lead to believe that aggression is taught by others, and then mirrored by the children whom the aggression will eventually attach itself too. Urie Bronfenbrenners Ecological Theory argues that development is influenced by five environmental systems. The theory identifies five environmental systems. The five environmental systems are: Microsystem, Mesosystem, Exosystem, Macrosystem, and Chronosystem. The microsystem is the child’s immediate surroundings i. e. family, neighborhood and friends. This theory suggests that if the child lives in a damaged microsystem, the child’s development could also be damaged. The mesosystem is the connection seen between immediate environments i. e. parents to peers. This directly relates to the topic showing that if a child witness’s abuse, there’s a good chance they will mirror it with their peers. Children need people in order to become human. It is primarily through observing, playing, and working with others both older and younger than he that a child discovers both what he can do and who he can become. †-Urie Bronfenbrenner (quotes. dictionary. com). This quote can be fitted to the topic of aggression in children because she basically explains that without o ther humans, we would have no route for our personality/identity to take. The Macrosystem describes the culture of the child, anywhere from physical geographic, to wealth in the child’s area. Urie suggests that those that are living in lower class are more likely to commit crime. It must also be understood that children influenced by their environment is not conclusive. As children in some African regions see violence every day but learned to adapt with it as opposed to keeping it bottled up in their head. The final system is the Chronosystem. This monitors patterns of environmental events over time. Non-normative events may have a negative psychological effect, e. g. a recent divorce or death in the family. The change is too drastic for the child to cope with. With witnessed aggression, as it starts to become the normal in the child’s life, the child may seek to emulate it later on when the ‘normal’ aggression is missing. Urie Bronfenbenners theory does weigh in favor of the child learning the aggression because it all seems to tie into the child feeling a sense of normal. Based on the theory, children will emulate what they see, because if they didn’t emulate anything, they would have no guidance in their life. Their identity would be 100% their own. Therefore if aggression is their guide, aggression will be what children emulate.

Multi Agency Benefits For Children And Families

Multi Agency Benefits For Children And Families †¦ there appears to be a dearth of evidence to support the notion that multi-agency working in practice brings about actual benefits for children and families The local authority and government agencies have been working together for a long time and not entirely new practice. Jones and Leverett quote However, the drive towards integrated working which includes the entire childrens workforce (that is, every individual who works, on an employed or voluntary basis, with children and their families across sectors such as health, education, early years and childcare, play work, social care, police, youth support and leisure services) under the interagency umbrella is a more recent and ambitious innovation (Jones and Leverett, 2008 pg 123) Multi-agency working can be analysed using three primary policy contexts. First, the context of influence, where policy discourses are constructed and key policy concepts for example, partnership or multi-agency working are established. Second, the context of policy text production, or the documents that represent policy (Jones and Leverett, 2008 pg 125). These are usually expressed in language which claims to be reasonable and for the general public good (Bowe et al., 1992). They include texts such as the SEN Code of Practice (DfES, 2001) or the new Working Together to Safeguard Children guidelines (HM Government, 2010). Such texts are then responded to within the context of practice, or what actually happens on the ground for example, schools, childcare or health settings as a result of a particular policy. (Jones and Leverett, 2008 pg 125) Jones (2000) added a sixth context, the context of hidden values. This means positive effect outcomes on policy; such as, legislation that promotes interagency cooperation in childrens services. They aim to protect childrens welfare and improve wellbeing. However, Jones suggests that there may be a range of hidden meanings and outcomes. At a central level, policy can be cleverly constructed to disguise a particular set of intentions, values and beliefs. Intentionally or otherwise, policy may be a wolf in sheeps clothing (Jones, 2000) There is also evidence that practitioners construct their own meanings related to policy, whether these are intended or not. Commenting on the tendency of policy makers to centrally design forms, e-templates and assessment tools. (Jones and Leverett, 2008 pg 126) Both, Garrett (2006) and Axford et al. (2006) note how these are sometimes resisted by practitioners because they are perceived as exerting central control over hitherto fairly autonomous areas and suspected of being a cost-cutting device (Axford et al., 2006, p. 172). Consequently, policy could actually sustain or create circumstances that maintain or exacerbate problems. Rather than being a solution to the perceived problem, the interaction between policy and practice may cause a new set of problems. (Jones and Leverett, 2008 pg 126) The key point is that policy is at three levels local, front line and central. At central level the ideas are made concrete and then articulated nationally and locally. At the time the policy enters the workforce such as schools, practitioners perceptions can consequently be affected. The question is: to what extent is the vision enshrined in central policy on multi-agency working likely to change as it travels on its journey from central government to individual practitioner? (Jones and Leverett, 2008 pg 126) Governments have a tendency to construct their vision for policy as a statement of aims or intended outcomes. Sometimes the vision is embedded within a wider framework; for example, governments in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland (Jones and Leverett, 2008 pg 126) In England, childrens wellbeing was defined as the five mutually reinforcing outcomes originally presented in the Every Child Matters Green Paper (DfES, 2003, p. 6): SHEEP is an acronym that stands for: S Stay safe H Healthy E Enjoy and achieve E Economic wellbeing P Positive contribution The next steps is to translate these visions into learning which can be implemented into practice by people working in such sectors. The five outcomes were integrated into the development of the common core skills and knowledge for the childrens workforce (DfES, 2005) consisting of: Effective communication and engagement with children, young people and families Child and young person development Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the child Supporting transitions Multi-agency working Sharing information. (DfES, 2005) Despite variations, the UK government agreed that all children will benefit from closer working between practitioners and agencies. The Common Assessment Framework (CAF) is a key part of delivering frontline services that are integrated and focused around the needs of children and young people. The CAF will promote more effective, earlier identification of additional needs, particularly in universal services. It is intended to provide a simple process for a holistic assessment of a childs needs and strengths, taking account of the role of parents, carers and environmental factors on their development (ECM, 2008). The CAF form is designed to record and, where appropriate, share with others, assessments, plans and recommendations for support. Section 11 of the Children Act 2004 places a statutory duty on key people and bodies to make arrangements to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. (HM Government, 2004) The ECM states all agencies are required to have: Senior management commitment to the importance of safeguarding and promoting childrens welfare A clear statement of the agencys responsibilities towards children, available for al staff Safe recruitment procedures in place Effective inter-agency working to safeguard and promote the welfare of children Effective information sharing (ECM, 2008) The rationale for the CAF is to help practitioners develop a shared understanding of children, which avoids families repeating themselves to all other agencies. The CAF helps to develop a common understandings of what needs to be done and how. Do not reassess when the information is already there (Parents in consultation about assessment, in Scottish Executive, 2005b, p. 23) The argument is simple and on the surface persuasive, the impetus based on helping individual children. But the relationship between assessment procedures, their purpose and their outcomes is rarely straightforward (Jones, 2004). Assessment is a lifelong process with social consequences and may be influenced by contextual factors and professional value positions. It is literally a point at which certain children are judged to be different (Tomlinson, 1982, p. 82). Some parents and childrens views of their services have highlighted their wanting a coordinated service that is delivered through a single point of contact, a key worker, named person or link worker (Sloper, 2004, p. 572). Within the CAF, a similar role was produced, the lead professional (LP) who takes responsibility for coordinating the action identified as a result of the CAF process and will support the child and their family as necessary. One of the daunting aspects of the CAF is the number of professionals that practitioners will engage with, such as health, education, social services and voluntary agencies. It can be also quite daunting in finding out who the support services are and their contact details. However, with the CAF process it can be away of overcoming tension previously encountered around multi agency working and sharing information. Just as children and their families have a contribution to make to shape the services they receive through the various forms of partnership discussed in previous chapters, so they can contribute to the development of practice and practitioners. This can happen at many levels through evaluation, feedback, consultation and research, as well as direct involvement in training. Practitioners and the organisations they work for need to recognise that children and their families have specific knowledge that cannot be learnt from anywhere else. (Rixon, 2008) Children are party to the subculture of childhood which gives them a unique insider perspective that is critical to our understanding of childrens worlds. (Kellett, 2005, p. 4) Like many who regularly consult children and young people, we find that their views are always serious, concise, thoughtful and highly relevant and cut through the pre-existing agendas and diplomatic avoidances that beset many consultations with professional adults. We find that even very young children are more than able to analyse and give clear views on many issues within their experience. (Morgan, 2005, pp. 181-182) How is the success of more integrated ways of working to be judged? One element of evaluation might be to consider to what extent integrated teams or new initiatives or structures have overcome obstacles and enabled more positive ways of working. (Stone and Rixon, 2008) As we have discussed, government policy and the literature on childrens services all emphasise the importance of agencies working together and the value of partnership structures, yet: Despite such exhortations, there appears to be a dearth of evidence to support the notion that multi-agency working in practice brings about actual benefits for children and families. (Townsley et al., 2004, p. 6) However, Michelle Warren quotes According to Consultancy 4Children (Policy into practice, 4Children, 2009) consistent evidence indicates that parents and children are best served if the support on offer is joined up and well coordinated. It would be appropriate to recognise that although services may be provided in one setting, there is still a risk of services not being joined up, because of different agencies (and competing interests/perspectives) involved. (Warren, 2010) However, Howell states Previously we actually made it incredibly difficult by making children and parents and carers make their own way through the services all being assessed quite separately and getting very mixed messages. So multi-agency working is essential where a child needs it. We mustnt get confused and think multi-agency working has got to be the only way of working. In some cases its actually the school that will make the difference and thats the agency where the vast majority of children will achieve the best outcomes. (Howell, 2008) However, Townsley highlights the actual benefits for families and children. Howell states There are tensions between agencies, some of them driven by the different starting point that different agencies have. So the nature of the targets that agencies are measured by are actually quite different. The health targets that health services are measured by are significantly different from the kind of targets that schools work to and particularly are quite distant from the outcomes of Every Child Matters. (Howell, 2008) As with any Multi agency working, it is crucial to assess whether any new projects or initiatives have been set targets against criteria that can be measured. This is particularly a reflection for evidence based interventions which have been associated with issues, such as value for money. In relation to this, many have targets which have been set and inevitably raise questions whether it is the correct one to be assigned with a particular target. Practitioners recognise that targets can enable clarity and equity, and focus attention on important areas of practice (Banks, 2004). However, Townsley et al. (2004) states review a number of studies that reveal little evidence of improved outcomes of multi-agency working across a range of services and settings. Their review also makes clear that the task of evaluation itself is a complex one. Inherent problems include: difficulties in generalising from individual case studies; diverse views of different stakeholders as to what counts as success; the length of time needed to evaluate change; and causality and attribution. (Glendinning, 2002, cited in Townsley, 2004, p. 6) Consequently, Howell states Childrens participation and engagement is fundamental to the redesign of services particularly with a multi-agency perspective. Its part of the learning about what makes a difference the whole issue around personalisation puts the client, the person receiving the services, as the co-designer of their solutions. (Howell, 2008) To conclude, A formative approach to evaluation that encourages dialogue and ongoing improvements to both policy and practice would appear to offer a positive way forward. However, this is not without its challenges and there are still issues to be addressed, not least training and clarification of roles and responsibilities. It is up to individual practitioners to promote an inclusive approach to professional difference and to develop a range of different models enabling collaboration, respect, reciprocity, realism and risk-taking. (Leverett and Jones, 2008)