Wednesday, July 31, 2019

On issue of reconstruction of Iraq after war Essay

One year after the war on Iraq was launched; the promise of improved human rights for Iraqi citizens remain far from realized, concludes a new report by Amnesty International. Twelve months on from the invasion of Iraq by the US-led coalition, the Iraqi people still suffer from serious human rights violations. The past year has seen scores of unarmed people killed due to excessive or unnecessary use of lethal force by Coalition forces during public demonstrations, at check points and in house raids. Thousands of people have been detained, often under harsh conditions, and subjected to prolonged and often unacknowledged detention. Many have been tortured or ill-treated and some have died in custody. Violence is endemic, whether in the form of attacks by armed groups or abuses by the occupying forces. Millions of people have suffered the consequences of destroyed or looted infrastructure, mass unemployment and uncertainty about their future. There is little or no confidence that all those responsible for human rights abuses, both past and present, will be brought to justice. After a year of war, lawlessness, spiralling violence and economic hardship, Iraqis face an uncertain future. For the next year to be better than the last, the occupying forces, Iraqi political and religious leaders and the international community must make a real commitment to protecting and promoting human rights in Iraq. A year after the war began Iraqi civilians are still being killed every day. Over 10,000 Iraqi civilians are estimated to have been killed since 18 March 2003 as a direct result of the military intervention in Iraq, either during the war or during the subsequent occupation. The figure is an estimate as the authorities are unwilling or unable to catalogue killings. Scores of civilians have been killed apparently as a result of excessive use of force by US troops, or have been shot dead in disputed circumstances. No US soldier has been prosecuted for illegally killing an Iraqi civilian. Iraqi courts, because of an order issued by the US-led authority in Baghdad in June 2003, are forbidden from hearing cases against US soldiers or any other foreign troops or foreign officials in Iraq. In effect, US soldiers are operating with total impunity. Iraqi civilians have also faced danger in the form of attacks, apparently carried out by armed groups that have been a growing feature of life in Iraq since the occupation began. The attacks have targeted the US military, Iraqi security personnel, Iraqi-controlled police stations, religious leaders and buildings, media workers, non-governmental organizations and UN agencies. They have resulted in the deaths of at least hundreds of civilians. To the extent that these bombings are part of a widespread or systematic attack on the civilian population of Iraq in furtherance of an organization’s policy, they would constitute crimes against humanity. The lack of law and order continues to be a major concern in many areas of Iraq. Ensuring justice is fundamental for the countless victims of human rights violations in Iraq. Iraqis have suffered decades of grave violations by their government as well as abuses committed during the course of several conflicts, including the recent war and its aftermath. Fundamental changes to Iraq’s legal, judicial and penal systems are needed. Human rights must be at the centre of all efforts to rebuild and reconstruct Iraq. A failure to fully protect human rights in the process of change would be a betrayal of the Iraqi people, who have suffered so much in the past. CURRENT RECONSTRUCTION MOVEMENT The hopes to American and British plans of reconstruction of Iraq have cast serious doubts whether it will serve the rights of the Iraqis or the economic ends of US and UK. George Bush and company having a clear idea of the destruction they will unleash on the Iraqi people is beyond doubt. However, that does not deter them from following this disastrous course of action. The US government is prepared to spend around $12bn on attacking Iraq. So far it has only offered $65 million to provide them with the basics of life. This $65 million is expected to last less than 6 months but that is all right according to the calculations of the Bush administration. By then, the world media would have moved on to some new crisis, just as Afghanistan is now relegated to the inner most pages of newspapers. This $65 million should help contain the misery of the Iraqi people within some parameters for the brief period of time that they expect the world to pay attention to Iraq. The real â€Å"reconstruction† of Iraq has the US and UK, along with their cronies, salivating. In the name of reconstruction they will receive lucrative contracts for their respective private sectors. In the case of Iraq, the oil company Halliburton, which incidentally was headed by US Vice President Dick Cheney between 1995-2000, has already been awarded a multi-million dollar contract to clean up the Iraqi oilfields after the devastation of war, especially if a retreating Iraqi army puts them to fire. Other American and British oil companies are likely to exert complete control of Iraqi oilfields. Since the market for oil is relatively price-inelastic, and does not lend itself well to brand differentiation, control of supplies is everything in this industry. The prizes don’t come any bigger than the Iraqi oilfields. Other equally substantial payoffs await these companies in the future. For instance, apart from the immediate profits and control of natural resources, first mover advantages in these markets are bound to be enormous. As Steven Schooner, a George Washington University law professor maintains â€Å"the most sophisticated firms that come in first, and establish good will with the locals obviously will reap huge benefits down the road. These are going to become brand names in Iraq.

Tuesday, July 30, 2019

Sase study on target disaster in Sanada Essay

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Globalisation had an increasingly significant impact on international marketing. As the cost and complexity of operating in overseas market has been reduces by globalisation, more and more markets are now becoming open to international organization. This system has resulted into increased market competition which in turn increasing the importance of effective international marketing. Most of the companies want to explore themselves in international market rather than becoming a player in a long held domestic market. All in all, this paper aims at explaining and defining the strategies through which international organizations can adapt to the ever changing environment, tastes and preferences of customers and policies through which the company can ensure successful business operations in the global market. . In order to capture international market, the Target Corporation also enter into Canada to attract more and more buyers as a result more profits. Despite target being a successful player in neighbour country of America, but fails to attract customers in Canada. Target got so many big competitors in Canada and competes with traditional and off-price general merchandise retailers, apparel retailers, internet retailers, wholesale clubs, category specific retailers, drug stores, supermarkets and other forms of retail commerce. Target fails to explore itself in canada which can be easily seen by understanding the case study of TARGET DISASTER CANADA. BACKGROUND: In 1881, native New Yorker George D. Dayton decides to explore the growing Midwest markets. After many years in banking and real estate, Dayton decides Minneapolis offers the strongest opportunities for growth. He purchases land on Nicollet Avenue and forms the Dayton Dry Goods Company–today, known as Target Corporation. He became a partner in Goodfellow’s Dry Goods Company, the fourth largest department store in Minneapolis, Minn. The following year, showing greater involvement, Dayton took sole ownership of the store and became the first President of the newly named Dayton Dry Goods Company. In 1911 because of the rapid growth, The Dayton Company reflected its wide  assortment of goods and services. It was started to be known as Dayton’s department store. On May 1, 1962, Target’s first store was opened with a grand opening in Roseville, Minn. It was taken as a new idea in discount stores. Target distinguished itself from other retail stores by joining many of the best department store’s features like fashion, quality and services with low prices. By the end of 1962, Target opened its additional locations in St. Louis Park, Crystal and Duluth, Minn. In 1966 Target opened its first stores outside Minnesota in the Denver metro area. In 1969 Dayton Corporation seams forces with the J.L. Hudson Company of Detroit to create the Dayton-Hudson Corporation. The two companies had parallel merchandising values of promise to outstanding corporate governance. After the merger they establishes the corporation as one of the 15 largest non-food retailers in the nation. In 1975 Target Stores becomes the No. 1 revenue manufacturer of the Dayton-Hudson Corporation. In the mid-1980s, manufacturers began to test and implemented the UPC bar-code packaging technology. In 1988, Target became the first form of merchandiser to present UPC scanning at all Target stores and Delivery Centres In July 2001 Target Stores licensed a main landmark as a national retailer after opening its 1,000th store. Guests were having 1000 reasons to celebrate with a greater selection of style and value in more locations. 2004 Associated Merchandising Company is renamed Target Sourcing Services. In 2005 For the first time, Target exceeds $50 billion in annual sales and In 2007 Target Corporation presents the Target Check Card. In 2013 continuing the tradition of Target’s strategy philosophy that great design should be reasonable and reachable to all Target Canada teams up with its first VENTURING IN INTERNATIONAL MARKET There are numerous factors that urged Target to go worldwide and expand its business operations outside the Australia. One factor can be that Target had reached its maximum in U.S and there was no further room for improvement and expansion and competition was very high. Target Canada’s main rival in the  discount store category was Walmart; while there was also competition with supermarket chains such as Loblaw’s, Metro, and Sobeys (despite having an agreement with said grocer), and other retailers such as Costco, Sears Canada, Canadian Tire, and Shoppers Drug Mart. One concept that Target had while going in Canada was that it had winning strategies because of which it succeeded in U.S and it will achieve success in any part of world. Target opened first store in Canada in 2013 and within one year it successfully expanded to 130 stores in all over Canada. The local success factor of Target was its economical prices as cost advantage is the major part of its strategy, Cost advantage strategy is company’s ability to lower its cost base by low-cost labor, low-cost sourcing, economies of scale in production, efficiency (Lasserre, 2012). Large volume sales, and the supply chain was also excellent but this was normal because U.S was the home for target and these factors were easily controllable by Target. But in Canada it was not so efficient in its operations because of transportation costs, distribution costs and the fuel costs were higher, wage rates vary across the country, the tax rates are different, cost of goods are different. The approach of Canadians plus their culture mostly favors the medium, and small sized retailers who know inside out of the complex labor laws, the distribution systems that are multi layered and restricted business hours in the country but even though they have big retailers like K-Mart as well. It was difficult for Target to succeed in Canada because they didn’t study the Canadian preferences and culture in depth and one main factor can be the low commitment of the expatriates. Target usually focus on its low prices and have an edge because of that but in Canada this thing didnà ¢â‚¬â„¢t worked much because of the fact that Canadians when they were buying low priced products they were concerned about the quality of the product they were buying and its also not so easy to trust a new business chain easily. ENTRY IN CANADIAN MARKET Targets entry into Canada became a game changing event for Canadian retailing, and shook the industry to its very foundations. On January 13, 2011, the announcement was made that within two years of time, Target Corporation is entering into Canadian market for the first time. The target corp took over Canadian leases for zellers stores owned by hudson’s bay co,  one of the north America oldest company. The lease agreement was signed between target corporation and hudson’s bay co of leasing up to 220 zellers stores for C$1.825 billion. Target opens its first Canadian store in March 2013 by acquiring the leaseholds of 189 locations with intent to use 125 stores of these sites to open target stores. Further, target management anticipated that by 2017, the Canadian target chain will grew into more than 150 stores. The first store of target was opened in the Toronto area and their entry had change Canadian retail and the Canadian real estate industry, from coast to coast. The strategy of target while entering into Canada was not a unique strategy. It was simply unprecedented for a retailer to come to Canada and open so many stores at once but target successfully executed its strategy correctly. Target management team expected to get more than CAD $6 billion from its annual sales in Canada. Target acquired its warehouse located near Quebec border near Calgary. Target hired eleven points’ logistics and a subsidiary of Pittsburgh based Genco, to run its three warehouses in Canada. Each warehouse covers around 1.5 million square feet which is almost similar to 26 American football fields In Canada, Target main rivals in the discount store category were Walmart and Costco as well as competition with supermarket chains such as Loblaw’s, Metro, and Sobeys. The consumers were pretty excited about target stores coming to Canada but target’s opening disappointed consumers as Canadian shoppers were met with empty shelves, higher prices and different labels. Target acquired existing sites from Canadian discount retailer sellers and since the stores were not built with Target in mind, there were quirks, such as apparel being on the second floor of a store while the dressing room was on the ground floor. (Karabus, 2014) PROBLEMS IN CANADA: Retailers setting up operations in Canada are quickly learning it isn’t as easy as packing a bag and heading north. (G. Krystina, 2014). Following are some major problems pointed out by us, 1 The supply chain disaster When target was opening its first store in Canada, the chief executive, Gregg Steinhafel told its investors that he was happy the way his workers and systems were handling the launch. But things were way different from what  everyone expected. The major problem was found in the supply chain as goods reached the warehouses very quickly but were unable to reach the stores as there was a mismatching between the barcodes on the items and that on the computer system. For instance, when the shirts arrived and checked 12 shirts per box, the system was showing 24. The cause of such errors is not clear. As a result of the inconsistency between the goods and the computer, the goods in the stores were piled up thus leading to a chain reaction of delays. The target canda story will go down in history books as on eof the great supply chain disasters of Canadian history. (M. Allison, H. Solarina & T. Susan, 2014) 2 The adoption of U.S store culture Target Canada has been described as a â€Å"botched† effort to foolishly run a Canadian operation with American executives. A management level employee from target Canada stated in a report that the expatriates or the international assignees were sent by the United States for a limited period to help in the setting up of the stores and how to team for success. On the contrary, the assignees were found as obstacles instead of guides. Canada is demographically and regionally different from United States on a large scale. The expatriates adapted the same U.S store culture rather for team members and customers rather than adapting according to the Canadian tastes and culture. Stores were left with empty shelves; the managers restrained the employees from refilling them. Items which were required could not be found and the items which were in less demand were available in abundance. For example, Barbie SUV’s. basic items like milk, food or consumables which were always in de mand were never available in the stores. 3 The inventory and distribution problem Another major problem was the store inventory and the distribution of the right product required or needed by a store. There were 3 national distribution centres to service the requirement and demands of around 124 stores. The stores had no idea what was loaded in trucks and what was present at the distribution centres. The employees used to open a 54 foot trailer and would be scared whether the product required was present or not in the truck. To their bad luck, the product what was required, was never found in the trucks. Therefore, the stores had to stock and fill the backrooms. 4 Failure to compel to change their habits Target failed to change the shopping habits of the customers. The stores couldn’t compel to attract the customers with the items which were present in the stores. For example, items like milk, eggs and bacon could not be replaced with apparel. The customers got highly dissatisfied as what they were looking for was never found in the stores. 5 Reduction of staff Another major problem faced was the significant reduction in the staff by the target headquarters in U.S around 40% of the staff was said â€Å"goodbye† by the senior leaders. Canadian culture emphasis more on customer service rather then self-service. Slowly and slowly the staff started moving out as they were not satisfied with their jobs and also had a fear of being terminated anytime. Now the requirement for the best retail talent was undertaken. 6 Deadline to open stores Another major problem faced by target was the renovation of 124 stores and that too in one years’ time as all the major landlords did not allow to close the stores for such a long time. With unfurnished stores and stiffed penalties, there was a deadline to make the stores fully operational. Therefore, seed were sown way before even the opening of first store was done. CONCLUSION Target Canada is an unmitigated disaster. From the customers to investors to the company’s executive agree about the wrong strategies followed by Target. In the second quarter, Target lost around US$200 million. Target was having a tough competition with Walmart and Costco. Canadian used to cross the border into the United States on shopping excursions, Target was a prime destination but when it came to Canada the magic somehow vanished. The main reason why customers do not prefer to go into target stores in Canada was the pricing policy as well as supply chain delays by Target. The consumers who had already shopped at target stores in the U.S anticipated the same low price but the prices of the newly open target in Canada outlets were higher than in the U.S target. In justification to pricing policy, the management said that the prices are higher because of higher rates for transformation,  wages, taxes, duties, and cost of goods. Whereas the same goods and products are off ered by the competitor at comparatively low prices. The cause of target’s stumble in its first foreign excursion is the wrong policies of opening 124 stores in a new market within months. Most foreign retailers launch with a smaller number of stores that’s where Target took on a very big challenge which leads to its failure. Inventory problem have often lead to empty shelves and many of the stylish, exclusive brands what Canadian see in target’s American stores did not come to Canada. Moreover, the announcement regarding arrival of the target in Canada was made 2 years before so the competitors had enough time to plan their strategies accordingly. Analysis 1. Unable to understand the Canadian tastes and culture The target failed to understand and appreciate that though Canada and u.s. are closely related but there was a huge difference between the tastes and the culture. This means that the company should have understood the culture, the likes and dislikes and the do’s and don’ts of Canadian people rather than assuming that what tastes and culture is going in U.S, will go the same way in Canada too. It is hard for target to succeed in Canada until and unless it does not understand its culture. This could be seen there was a loss of 1 billion dollars in the very first year. 2. Failed to carry risk analysis The company failed to carry the risk analysis and opened 124 stores in one go. It was a huge risk which it carried. Target should have a different strategy before entering in Canadian markets. The customer demands, pricing polies, differences in the wages, all these factors should have been kept in mind before venturing in Canada. Moreover, the renovation of 124 stores and that too in such a short period of one year was a major risk which the company took. 3. Supply chain failure The company faced a major problem in the supply chain, what was needed was not available. The mismatching of the barcodes and the computer systems, etc, was a major hurdle in letting the products goes to the right place. Demand was more and supply was equally there but of the products which were not required. Tonnes of products were kept in the backrooms with empty shelves in the stores. This led to customer dissatisfaction as the customers never found what they wanted. Target tried to change the customer’s tastes by offering products which could not be used on daily basis but gradually it failed. RECOMMENDATIONS In order to get successful in Canada, the Target corporation has not focus on its new entry strategy in the country. Joint Ventures or Acquisitions One entry strategy that the company can think off in order to capture major share in retail market is joint venture or mergers and acquisition with other retail companies. A joint venture is a business agreement in which different companies deal with each other and agree to come up with new asset or entity by giving mutual equity. It basically means that company will share the assets, expenses and revenues of the company. The other policy is merger and acquisition. Acquisition basically means an act of acquiring an existing company and recognizing its own. On the other hand merger means combining forces with another company and seeing it as one. This strategy can act well for Target as this company’s already exist there and The attitude of Target plus their culture only favours the medium, and small sized retailers who know inside out of the complex labour laws, the distribution systems , the supply chain that are multi layered and restricted business hours in the country. Thi s would limit the risks associated in entering a new environment as the existing company are already familiar with it and can initiate the company in the new environment. Environmental and Strategic Analysis Tools In order to get successful, the other factor that target corporation must consider is to take a complete environmental analysis on the whole country. Studying about the environmental analysis of the country is important as it it helps in analysing, determining the strategies, risk associated in entrering that country, political economical and social well-being of the country. Moreover it also helps in analysing the tastes and preferences of the customers. In Canada, most of the year is cold so demand for warm clothes and warm products will be preferable. The target corporation needs to work out on the pricing strategy. Pricing policy is an act of the company by which they determines the wholesale and retail prices for its product or services. A good pricing strategy is the one which aims at optimise prices for the products typically including overall marketing objectives, consumer demand, product attributes, competitors pricing and market and economic trends. The Target Corporation needs to look on all these issues as the foremost reason of failure of target was higher prices of products in Canada than America. In order to capture market of Canada, the company can make use of strategic analysis tool i.e. PESTEL. Its meaning is analysing the political, economic, social, technological, environmental and legal environmental factors which affect the growth and establishment of the company. Another tool which company can use to get triumphant and to get desired result or profits is using the policy or theory of SWOT. Basically, SWOT recognize the strengths, weaknesse s, opportunities and threats of entering into a new country and identifies both internal and external factors affecting an organization. REFERENCES: Butler, H. N. (1988). Corporation-Specific Anti-Takeover Statutes and the Market for Corporate Charters. Wis. L. Rev., 365 Contemporary strategic management: an Australasian perspective. Brisbane: Wiley. Lasserre, P. (2012). Global strategic management (3rd ed.). New York: Palgrave Macmillian. Oster, S. M. (1999). Danbolt, J. (2004). Target Company Cross†border Effects in Acquisitions into the UK. European Financial Management, 10(1), 83-108. Forsey, M., Davies, S., & Walford, G. (2008). The Globalisation of School Choice?. In Symposium Books. Symposium Books. PO Box 204, Didcot, Oxford, OX11 9ZQ, UK. (G. Krystina, 2014) (Karabus, 2014) (M. Allison, H. Solarina & T. Susan, 2014) Mayrhofer, U. (2004). International market entry: does the home country affect entry-mode decisions?. Journal of International Marketing, 12(4), 71-96.

Monday, July 29, 2019

Importance of Health and Safety in Early Childhood

Importance of Health and safety in early childhood When opening a centre one of the most important things is Health and Safety. Making sure that the children, families and teachers are in a safe and healthy environment is paramount. The centre should ensure that all teachers and management have the same expectations regarding health and safety, that’s why it is important that everyone reads the Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood and Care Centres 2008 which clearly states the high standard that everyone has to abide by.Three really important practices from the Licensing Criteria are â€Å"Providing a Safe Environment†, â€Å"Identifying and responding to childhood illness† and â€Å"Nutrition across the Early Years†. As per the regulations of the licensing criteria premises and facilities standard it is up to the management and teachers to insure the premises that are being used provide sufficient and suitable space for a range of activities, eating, sl eeping, toileting and food preparation to cater for a number and age range of children.With this in mind teachers need to be mindful when setting up the environment to make sure that they are putting out equipment that is safe and will support the child’s development. The environment needs to be set out in a way that is appealing to children and offers a range of activities, a space for quiet activities, room for physical play and spaces for a range of group and individual learning experiences that are age and ability appropriate for all children’s learning, also making sure that the environment does not impact on the supervision of the children.It is up to the teachers to be responsible in keeping the environment safe by doing regular safety checks and noting down any equipment that needs fixing. Being able to Identify and respond to childhood illness is an important part of the teacher’s role. Teachers should be knowledgeable in all illnesses, especially conta gious and infectious illness. When working at a centre all teachers should be familiar with the centres policy on illness and how to deal with it accordingly, also when new families start at the centre the parents should be shown or given a copy of the policy so they are also familiar with the centres policy on illness.It is up to the teachers to unsure that if a child becomes unwell while attending the centre they are kept either in a separate room or a safe distance from other children so as to minimise the spread of the infection. Making sure all linen used by children is hygienically cleaned is one way to stop the spread of infection. In accordance with the licensing criteria teachers must keep a written record of all serious illnesses that occur at the centre.Concentrating on the Healthy side of health and safety it is up to the teachers to promote the importance of healthy and good nutrition to the children. Some fun and interesting ways teachers can teach children about healt hy eating and good nutrition is getting the children involved in setting up and growing a vegetable garden, allowing the children to help with the preparation of meals giving the teacher the opportunity to talk about the different foods and which ones are healthy choices to eat.As teachers we are constantly being observed by the children so therefore we should be role modelling healthy eating by eating fruit with the children and making sure to only drink water around the children, no sugary drinks. By doing this we are also keeping in accordance with the licensing criteria by supervising children while eating and offering water regularly. Children often learn more by observing others then by what they are told so as teachers we need to embrace their way of learning and lead by example.To be successful in implementing the health and safety practices discussed above all teachers and management need to be are aware of the policies regarding all aspects of health and safety, then they will be knowledgeable in implementing it into the centre and will feel comfortable talking to parents about the relevant policies regarding their child’s well-being. With the help and guidance of the Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education and Care Centres 2008 there is no reason why a centre cannot set up a healthy and safe environment for children of all ages and abilities to further the child’s mental and physical development.Reference List Marotz, L. R. , Cross, M. Z. , & Rush, J. M. (2005). Health, safety, and nutrition for the young child (6th ed. ). Clifton Park, NY: Delmar Learning. Ministry of Education. (1996). Te Whariki: He whariki matauranga mo nga mokopuna o Aotearoa/ Early childhood curriculum. Wellington: Learning Media. Ministry of Education. (2008). Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education and Care Centres 2008 And Early Childhood Education Curriculum Framework. Wellington: New Zealand Government. Retrieved 20 March, 2013, from http:/ /www. lead. ece. govt. nz/ServiceTypes/CentreBasedECEServices. aspx.

HPLC analysis of caffeine and benzoic acid in diet coke Lab Report

HPLC analysis of caffeine and benzoic acid in diet coke - Lab Report Example Many beverages contain caffeine and benzoic acid. Caffeine can be classified as a drug and can be extremely addictive. Diet beverages also contain aspartame and saccharin. Aspartame and saccharin can be used to instead of sugar in the diet beverages. Aspartame and saccharin taste more than the normal sugar. The reason that many of these beverages contain aspartame and saccharin is because manufacturers prefer to use aspartame and saccharin instead of sugar. This has been because there are people who cannot take sugar due to health issues. To meet the demand of their customers, the manufacturers of the beverages see it fit to use saccharin and aspartame instead of sugar. Aspartame is the most commonly used more than saccharin. It becomes commonly used because it can be digested. When it gets digested, it breaks down into methanol, aspartic acid and phenylalanine. Aspartame has an effect on brain. It can therefore, cause some mental disorders due to its effect on the brain if taken in excess. Saccharin cannot be digested hence it is not commonly used. To avoid the danger associated with high intake of the two sweeteners, they should be used in small quantity. The function of benzoic acid is to conserve the beverages. Benzoic acid preserves the beverages by making some bacteria and yeast grow. The growth of yeast and bacteria ensures that the beverages last longer without going bad. Therefore, the shelf life of the beverages becomes increased. Companies that produce products that contain benzoic acid should make sure that the concentration level of benzoic acid is standard. Though benzoic acid is essential in preserving the beverages, high concentration of the acid can be dangerous. Concentration of benzoic acid in beverages normally varies from 0.05 percent to 0.10 percent. In a day, a person should take 5mg per kilogram of the body weight. If human beings consume too much of the acid, it can cause destruction to the liver and kidney. Liver and kidney are supremely valuable organs in the human body hence people should observe their intake of benzoic acid. Manufacturers should take into consideration the effects of the benzoic acid and pu t their customers’ life first. Some manufacturers often produce beverages that have a high concentration of benzoic acid because they want their products to stay longer. By doing this, they endanger lives of many people. Even though benzoic acid can be used as a preservative, if beverages stay for longer, they lose the original taste. Caffeine can be classified as a drug. Caffeine can be found in plants. In plants, caffeine may be used as a pesticide. It helps to kill pests in plants. This does not mean that it should not be used as it is beneficial if taken in the right amount. In diet soda and other beverages, caffeine can be used as a taste additive. Because of its bitter taste, caffeine enhances other flavors. Caffeine is also a stimulant. Because of its stimulant effect, many people take products with caffeine so that they can be alert. Also, caffeine decreases tiredness hence many people who are always busy consumes a lot of caffeine. Too much consumption of caffeine ca n cause restlessness and headaches. Normally, a person should consume around 250 milligram of caffeine in a day. More than that amount can be dangerous. It could be noted that individuals who consume much caffeine are likely to suffer hypertension, and other cardiovascular diseases compared to those who take less caffeine. In addition, caffeine can be highly addictive, and that can be one of the reasons that caffeine became classified as a drug. High performance liquid chromatography (hplc

Sunday, July 28, 2019

Negotiation and Conflict Week 4 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Negotiation and Conflict Week 4 - Essay Example The main problem is the isolation of Jerry by other workers due to the aggressive behavior meted against them. There is suspicion of drug usage by Jerry but he has vehemently refused and even stating that the manager is confused Emotions play a significant role in the creation of conflict. People fight because emotions have gotten over them. The evaluation of emotions is vital in the conflict resolution process because it enables the cause of the problem to be identified. Emotions affect how employees relate which may lead to aggression of support. Jerry’s emotional state is not ok leading to regular mood swings and leads to serious challenges for other employees. Positive emotions improve harmony within the teams while also encouraging the development of interpersonal skills. These skills are essential in the communication process because they encourage the development of appropriate working environment. The conflict resolution strategy using the dimensional model To solve th e identified problem, the cognitive and emotional needs, of the team must be evaluated. The major problem with the team is the behavior of a jerry; he has several challenges in personality and communication. The evaluation of the perception of the employees about jerry is vital because negative perception makes a reasonable person incompetent and vice versa. The reasons for the negativity within the employees must be addressed in order to solve the conflict. The main problem with the situation is the perception of the employees in regard to the new changes. The recruitment or the deployment of the sales agents must be evaluated because if the employees feel the Jerry is treated well then, negative perception may develop within the team as a result of the treatment (Bercovitch, Bercovitch, & Jackson, 2009, p. 34). The need for behavior change for Jerry must be addressed in a transparent manner, to ensure the employee understand the change and the reasons for the change. Perception is vital because it affects the emotional balance of the group by influencing the attitude of the employees. During the solution process, any negative perception about Jerry must be countered with the proper data and information, to encourage the development of accommodating environment. The emotional needs of the team must be evaluated in order to develop the necessary support services for the individuals within the team. Unsatisfied team member vent their anger at the each other as such emotional balance within the group is vital. To reduce cases of frustration and anger, delegation and the support of the individual employees is mandatory. Social Styles Model strategy development The social model style approaches conflict resolution using several factors, which include the development of personality and the improvement of the necessary skills. The classification of the team into four groups is essential in the development of the conflict resolution strategy. The concern structure in cludes driving, analytical, expressive and amiable. The model develops ways to which each social style needs to interact thus helping people to adapt each other and ensure harmony. The success of conflict resolution in the case of dispute between Jerry and the employees involves the development of the necessary skills which are vital in the working environment. The model evaluates the responsiveness of the employees to the interaction with others. The model evalua

Saturday, July 27, 2019

Health care marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Health care marketing - Essay Example Each patient wants to receive quality health care services. Quality health care is a priority to every individual because it means life. Marketers in this field should identify the specific needs of the client and design health care products that target to address these needs. Comfort and care prove to be the leading need of the patient. Businesses in this field should seek to persuade the patient with quality in terms of effectiveness, comfort, speed, and specialized care. With many businesses in this field projecting inefficiencies in satisfying the patient and his family, a business that prioritizes these needs is likely to stand out among the competitors. Effective marketing should seek to persuade the patient and family with an assurance of expertise in health care provision, speedy diagnosis, and professional advice from consultants. With such conviction, patients will be able to try out a health care provider. If they derive satisfaction, clients will develop a level of loyalt y that is good for the business. On a different note, healthcare providers should adopt a new business culture. These businesses should give the patient the freedom to make an informed choice. This will only occur if these enterprises disclose the charges of their services prior to delivery of these services. A transparent health care system will enable compare prices between different health care providers. That comparison will enable the clients to choose the one that presents a higher utility worth the price. Majority of health care providers assume that patients do not need to know prices before hand. However, it is reasonable to let the patient make informed health care choices. The health care sector can increase clients through effective marketing and deliverance of quality health services. Understanding the specific needs of clients and designing services that seek to satisfy those needs should be a priority. A patient will visit a health care provider

Friday, July 26, 2019

Should Britain Adopt the Euro Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Should Britain Adopt the Euro - Assignment Example This transformation has been successful in meeting its goal. Greece has since adopted the Euro while Sweden, Denmark, and Britain, the latter of which is not considered a European country, have not. Many legislators and economists have suggested that it is simply a matter of when, not if, the UK will adopt the Euro. This discussion examines the benefits the UK will retain when this eventually happens and answers the legitimate concerns of those opposed to the transformation. Certain indisputable results have occurred following the conversion to the Euro. It has eliminated the costs and risks involved when exchanging foreign currency with other counties of the EU and made more transparent the cost of products. By adopting the Euro, Britain would be allowed a place on the European Central Bank (ECB) board thus being able to participate in the economic policy of the EU.   This would enhance the political influence of the UK which in turn would produce beneficial long-term opportunities for its economy. According to many published studies conducted regarding the effect of the Euro, using a common currency has already proven to augment trade and competitiveness within the countries that use it. One study that measured the influence of the Euro on trade discovered â€Å"countries that share a common currency trade about three times as much as countries without a common currency† (Micco et al, 2003). It is clear that trade between Britain and EU countries would escalate if the same currency was used. Differences in types of money present barriers to trade because of the cost factors involved in converting it. Large corporations would save significant amounts and open up previously unfeasible opportunities of trade to smaller companies. Reducing the cost of trade will make Britain more competitive as companies will be able to charge less for products yet yield.

Thursday, July 25, 2019

The Old Kingdom in Kemetic (Egyptian) History Essay

The Old Kingdom in Kemetic (Egyptian) History - Essay Example Afterwards, the name Misri replaced the name Kemet and the name continues to be in use by the Egyptians until today. The word Misri simply means a country. From then, Egypt prospered for many years as an autonomous country with a culture that is very famous for the great cultural developments in each and every section of human acquaintance right from arts, science, technology and even religion. The great monuments that still Egyptians celebrate influenced numerous early civilizations with a good example being both Greece and Rome (Mark 1). The Sahara desert, which is found in the Northern part of Africa nearly dividing the continent into two, is a good proof of overgrazing of cattle in the area. The Sahara desert, together with the discovery of many artifacts is a good evidence of the ancient agricultural civilization in the area at the time. Well organized agricultural activities both animal keeping and crop growing began in the area around 5000 BCE and the Badari community began to advance along the river Nile. The Amratian, Gerzean and Naqada communities later on joined the Badar and all together contributed to the development of the Egypt early civilization. At some time between 5000 BCE and 3200 BCE the written background of the land began with the development of Hieroglyphic characters by the culture of Naqada. The practice of mummifying the dead body was in place in the city of Hierakonpolis by 3500 BCE. Just like in all other cultures in the history of the world, the diminutive agrarian societies in ancient Eg ypt advanced into big urban areas (Mark 1). The unification of the Northern and the Southern kingdoms by Pharaoh Manes is the common event that took place between 3150 and 2686 BCE. Menes, who originated from the North successfully conquered south and joined it to the North to make one larger kingdom. This account came from Manetho who either lived

Wednesday, July 24, 2019

Human Cognition and the Role of the Internet Essay

Human Cognition and the Role of the Internet - Essay Example These cognition deficiencies are considered attributable to Internet use because the way information presented in the Internet influences human cognition. For instance, in Is Google Making Us Stupid?, Nicholas Carr argues that Internet use affects reading habits, as well as comprehension and retention of information (57). The way Google presents the information affects the way people understand the information, as well. The design of the web pages, which are oftentimes collage-like, divides the attention of readers. Web pages are often full of advertisements with flashing colors that distract the concentration of readers. Additionally, there are also hyperlinks that merely draw the attention of readers, rather than point to sites containing significant information. In addition, advertisements that are put together with information may divert the attention of Internet users. Thus, as the human mind reprograms itself to adapt with the technologies, the human mind also adapts the collag e-like structure of information as projected in the Internet. Relatively, human cognition becomes inclined to prefer shortened information over the detailed, lengthy ones. Considering the effects of the Internet on human cognition, it can be said that Internet users need to be evaluative when gathering information from the Internet. As mentioned by McLuhan, the media, which include the Internet, are not just ways in which information are generated and transferred (qtd. in Carr 57). The media also direct and influence the way people understand the information that is being transferred through them. The complexity and amount of information produced by the media often confuses people hindering them to think and evaluate information critically and contemplatively. Aside from this, the Internet also influences the way people see and use information. In its capacity to transfer and generate information faster, the internet leaves people behind should they fail to cope with the fast inform ation transfer. In addition, the bulk of the information contained in the Internet overwhelms readers in such a way that readers will be trapped in the wide variety of topics in the Internet. The problem of information segregation comes as people get confronted with various hyperlinks that may not point to appropriate and relevant information. As internet users toggle from link to link, internet users may lose their focus and get trapped in another information that are not related to the topic at hand. In this context, it can be said that the fast, complex, and vast information contained in the Internet may decrease concentration that may, in turn, decrease retention of information. Thus, problems related to cognitive deficiencies come when the human mind cannot cope with the complexity and speed of information transfer in the Internet. So, the question as to whether Google (or the internet, in general) had made people stupid is thought-provoking and worthy of critical investigation . While there are evidences that prove the inhibiting effects of internet use, the Internet also provides information that could raise the awareness of people on certain subjects. Accordingly, to resolve the issue, researchers need to investigate whether it is really the internet that causes retention and comprehension gap, or it is merely the changing perspectives of users when it

Why do I think that movies produced from books (Anna Karenina,Dorian Essay

Why do I think that movies produced from books (Anna Karenina,Dorian Grey) are bad - Essay Example The process of converting a textual piece of art into some kind of motion picture requires a great deal of creativity and tedious conceptualization. Novels and films use different mediums in conveying the message to the readers for the novel, and to the viewers for the film adaptation. Nevertheless, and sometimes, the whole idea of film adaptation compromises several things. Movies that are produced from books have more downside in so far as pure art is concerned. First, novels are typically lengthy and requires considerable amount of time to finish reading the whole text. Condensing it into a film would mean an exclusion of some possibly crucial parts of the story, which, as a result, could twist its overall thought. Normally, films last an hour and a half, or about 90 minutes for most Hollywood blockbuster films; hence, in an effort to fit the complete theme and the idea of the novel, scenes that do not really appeal so much to the audience will be omitted. Second, the inspiration of every film adaptation is definitely not merely for art’s sake but ultimately for financial success’ sake. This is the sad truth about film adaptations in that before producers get started to invest in the adaptation rights of a novel, it is a given that the novel is viewed as something with a â€Å"bankable† story. Of course, producers would always look at the economic side of things. Nevertheless, talking about pure art and art alone, film adaptation is not the best option there is for a real artist. Both cannot be consolidated at any point as both have very different afters: films would always go for profit; novels would always go for artistry. Because of the availability of both artworks – novels and film adaptations à ¢â‚¬â€œ people are also able to compare the quality and content of each piece of artwork. Oftentimes, because film adaptations use lavish graphic arts and visual effects, plus the inevitable tweak

Tuesday, July 23, 2019

LOCAL VANCOUVER ISLAND TOURISM - PARTICIPATION AND ITS RELATIONSHIP TO Essay

LOCAL VANCOUVER ISLAND TOURISM - PARTICIPATION AND ITS RELATIONSHIP TO QUALITY OF LIFE - Essay Example The thematic exploration of local tourism with regard to the quality of life becomes significant as its findings could be exploited not only for enhancing the overall well-being of the local people but also in promoting new opportunities of growth across the Island population. The study had focused on the views of women in the age group 30-39 years. The main reason being that women’s outlook is linked to wider community encompassing friends, relatives, children etc. as they are perceived to be the epicenter of family. The thesis questions were very pertinent to explore and identify the factors that link local tourism to the holistic welfare of the people. The questions had focused on three major ideas: How women in 30-39 years perceive local tourism; their perception of ‘quality of life’; and how quality of life is related to local tourism. Local participation and sustainability have underpinned the research objectives which makes the study hugely relevant to the socio-economic development of the Island. The exploratory research has exploited the tenets of descriptive qualitative research methods using semi-structured interview schedule and focus group. Total numbers of participants were nineteen: six from the industry stakeholders; an d thirteen female participants representing diverse community across Vancouver Island. The thesis findings had revealed some very interesting aspects of human relationship that have wide ranging impact on local tourism. The quality of life had varying meanings for different participants but it was unanimously confirmed that it had positive impact on their life and happiness. It could broadly be divided into three categories: being a healthy and happy person and enjoy all amenities of life like good food, good work-life balance and being independent. The second category is linked to better social relations, safe environment, strong sense of pride and lifestyle choices. Lastly, cost effective peaceful

Monday, July 22, 2019

Case Study Wilton Petroleum Jelly Essay Example for Free

Case Study Wilton Petroleum Jelly Essay If you were Morris, and if Taylor had been a conscientious employee in all other areas, would you still have fired Taylor for committing theft? Why or why not? If I were Morris I would fire Taylor regardless if he might have been a conscientious employee within the organization. Even though Taylor had the proper knowledge, skills, and abilities that are associated for Wilton Petroleum Jelly he had a negative employee personality for the company. The fact that Taylor displayed unethical behavior by stealing gas and a ten dollar hammer he should be terminated. As in most companies there is a policy that states the theft of company property is grounds for dismissal. The behavior of Taylor determined that he could not be trusted in the company as an employee. Furthermore, the duty of a manger is to enforce the policy of the organization in relationship to its corporate culture. In addition, the fact that Taylor was a good employee for the company did not justify the reason that he committed a crime. Fortunately, Taylor should be glad that he got terminated from the company instead of facing fine or possible jail time. Also, the ten dollar hammer that was stolen validated the grounds for termination within the organization. Taylor tried to take the a hammer that was worth 10 dollars so he should be charge for the hammer along with the fees of the amount of gas that he stole from the company. There is no reason for Taylor to continue to work for the organization since he is clearly taking advantage of the company for his own personal gain. Employee theft is a problem in which a business can lose thousands of dollars per year. According to the authors Thomas, Kimberly, Jones, et al (2001) there was a relationship associated with employee theft and turnover rates in the restaurant industry. In some cases employees that were likely to steal, would to steal if they were leaving in two weeks than leave within a year of an organization. Equally important, in a company one of roles of an organizational psychologist is to try to understand employee behaviors. The knowledge of employee behaviors may eliminate employees from stealing in the future. Thus, Morris should discuss the incident about the theft to Taylor to find out the reason why Taylor stole from the company before terminating him. Next, do you think Taylor got what was coming to him in this case, or was he set up by Morris and thus was a victim of entrapment? Even though Morris did set him up within the company it did not excuse the fact that Taylor committed a crime at Wilton Petroleum Jelly. As in most companies the security department and managers are not capable of watching employees all the time. In some circumstances it is the employees that are the ones that report thefts that occur in most organizations. In the business Taylor knew he was committing a crime by stealing the gas in the company. Likewise, Taylor was not aware that he was being set up for entrapment which occurs in most companies, and there are notifications of video surveillance on the premises of organizations. Morris may have had an ulterior motive in which he was trying to get Taylor terminated. Equally important, Taylor was not terminated for taking hundreds of dollars’ worth of gas he was terminated for the theft of a hammer. Further, there is a possibility that Taylor might not have been terminated had he not stolen the hammer. Taylor was a victim of entrapment but that does not validate his actions of company theft. Taylor may want to argue that he was setup by Morris and he might have not stolen the hammer in the first place. The problem that Taylor would have to present would be his explanation for stealing company property on his own defense. In reference to the author Dekker (2004) in order to terminate an employee fairly and employer needs to have substantial evidence against the employee. The used of devices such as cameras, telephone tapping, are substantial for employee termination. There are companies that invest thousands of dollars on security systems to reduce employee theft within their organization. Therefore, even though Taylor was entrapped he still violated company policy be stealing from Wilton Petroleum Jelly. Also, do you think that spying on the employees with peepholes and cameras to detect theft or other crime violates an ethical business principle? Why do you feel as you do? The spying of employees with though there knowledge is an invasion privacy. On the other hand, there are circumstances where it might be necessary in order to capture employees that commit corporate crimes. In a company employees need to be aware that they are observed within the company. The process of using cameras is a good theft deterrent to save company cost and create a safer workplace environment. Further, ethics should be considered where to draw the line as far as employee surveillance. Unfortunately, in society there are many crimes that occur in the workplace that are more serious than employee theft. There are some organizations in which employees are searched when they come to work and before they leave the company. The organization should try to take all measures to prevent crimes from occurring ethically. The ethical business principles should be within the legalities of the law when it comes to video surveillance. An employee should not have to be viewed through peepholes without there knowledge. A policy needs to be developed in which all cases of surveillance are covered so the employee is well aware they are being watched. There are places that employees should never be observed such as in restrooms which would be considered unethical. The authors Crossen (1993) in most companies the solution to unethical behaviors is the monitoring of and searches of employees. The strategy may come at the privacy of the employee. Finally, the observation of employees should be ethical so that the employees’ rights are not violated. Too, what effect might Taylors dismissal by the company have on other employees? The effects of Taylor’s dismissals will cause employees to think twice about stealing from the organization. Taylor could be used as an example as to what happens when an employee steals from Wilton Petroleum Jelly. In a sense Morris tried his best to prevent stealing from occurring within the business by reporting the actions that happened. The actions of Morris can create a more ethical business because employees will feel as if their being monitored. Morris was determined to try every way possible to reduce unethical behaviors. There are some companies in which a personality test is given in regards to organizational theft. Unfortunately, there are some employees that have to follow the actions of others within a positive or negative manner. The dismissal of the Taylor would most likely be stated to new hires that they could get caught not matter how hard they try to conceal unethical behavior. According to the authors Victor, Trevino, Shapiro, et al (1993) the reporting of a theft by a peer that may have been associated with organizational responsibility, the interest of group associates, and perceptions of justice. Actual reporting of negative behaviors was more likely to occur when peers with retribution of justice. In conclusion, the example of the employee getting terminated from the company may cause prevention. The employees may feel as if they would get caught since they do not know when their being observed within the business. The example of Taylor is beneficial in the prevention of future employee thefts in Wilton Petroleum Company. References Crossen, B. R. (1993). Managing employee unethical behavior without invading individual privacy. Journal of Business and Psychology, 8(2), 227-243. Dekker, A. (2004). Vices or Devices: Employee Monitoring in the Workplace. S. Afr. Mercantile LJ, 16, 622. Thoms, P., Wolper, P., Scott, K. S., Jones, D. (2001). The relationship between immediate turnover and employee theft in the restaurant industry. Journal of Business and Psychology, 15(4), 561-577. Victor, B., Trevià ±o, L. K., Shapiro, D. L. (1993). Peer reporting of unethical behavior: The influence of justice evaluations and social context factors. Journal of Business Ethics, 12(4), 253-263.

Sunday, July 21, 2019

Water Quality Study of the Semenyih River

Water Quality Study of the Semenyih River Semenyih River is chosen as a sampling site in this study also this river is of particular importance in the study of surface water pollution because effluents from industries, mining, municipal sewage, agricultural and urban run-off are discharged into it bringing about considerable change in the water quality. In addition that, Semenyih River is one of the most important rivers in Selangor because of its importance as resource of water, fishing, and for recreation. B Present Status of the Subject Water is an essential requirement of human and industrial developments and it is one the most delicate part of the environment (Das and Acharya, 2003). In the last few decades, there has been a tremendous increase in the demand for freshwater due to rapid growth of population and the accelerated pace of industrialization (Ramakrishnaiah et al. 2009). Assessment of the quantity and quality of water resources is important in hydro environment. The physical and biological properties of water resources are driven by numerous environmental variables such as climate , water waste effluent (Creek 1999).Water quality indices are intended to provide a simple and understandable tool for managers and decision makers on the quality and possible uses of a given water body. Basically, a (INWQS) attempts to provide a mechanism for presenting a cumulatively derived, numerical expression defining a certain level of water quality (Miller et al.1986). The water quality trends clearly show that the majo rity of water quality parameters were high during wet season compared to dry season(Muhd.Barzani et al. 2008). Anthropogenic activities result in significantly decrease of surface water quality of aquatic systems in watersheds (May et al. 2006). Rivers in a watershed play a major role in assimilating or carrying off municipal and industrial wastewater and runoff from agricultural land. River inflows contribute main pollutants to most rivers in a watershed, thereby tending to induce serious ecological and sanitary problems. On the other hand, rivers constitute the main water resources for domestic, industrial, and irrigation purposes in a watershed. Thus it is imperative to prevent and control river pollution and to have reliable information on the quality of water for effective management. Generally, water-related environmental quality is in bad condition due to a great deal of waste, excessive reclamation, over-fishing, and frequent petroleum spills (Chen et al. 2003). The water quality of rivers is characterized by a high degree of heterogeneity in space and time, due to the variety of land cover around them. This often makes it difficult to identify water conditions and pollution sources, which is necessary for effective pollution control and water resource management (Kunwar et al. 2005). Malaysia Department of Environment (DOE) has stated that agriculture and livestock plays a main role in contributing river water pollution among other polluter. Livestock wastewater contains high concentration of organic and inorganic nitrogen compound, pathogenic bacteria and high concentration of ammonia-nitrogen. In addition, animals waste have been well documented to cause severe environmental damage in rivers which nutrient rich waste runoff will reach surface water, where it depletes oxygen and increase the algae production. Beside serious environmental problem, animal waste also may become a source of various diseases such as infectious worm larvae hatched from the worm eggs passed out with the feces; contamination encrusted with organic matter is an ideal breeding ground of harmful bacteria. (Anon 2001). In Malaysia, the riverine ecosystem is of particular interest since river water provides about 98% of the countrys water requirements (Azhar 2000). Therefore, contamination of river waters poses a serious health risk to the public. The monitoring of river water quality is under the responsibility of the Department of Environment Malaysia (DOE 1998). According to Muhamad Barzani et al (2005), Semenyih River showed increase in pollution levels due to human activities which is associated with urbanization, industrialization, agriculture and mining activities. Researchers studied the water quality in the Semenyih River Basin based on many parameters such as BOD, COD, DO, NH3-N, TSS,TDS and others, they stated that the range of deterioration in water quality in the river varied depending on the percentage of change in land-use. So the land -use activities within the basin must be carefully planned and controlled for protect the water resource and quality status. C The Strength and Significance of the Research The significance of this research is to provide some water quality data based on the degree of contamination of the Semenyih River. The strength of this research lies in its specific focus on creation water management study based on INWQS, that can be used as reference to other researchers who is interested in knowing Semenyih River and for the people to be attentive for the health situations. In addition, this research will be benefit for researchers particularly who want to know information about the river. D References Anon. 2001. Water Effluent From Pig Farms In Sabah-A Preliminary Investigation Of The Key Environmental Issue (Unpublished). State Environmental Conservation Department, Sabah. APHA. 1998. Standard methods for the examination of waterwaste 20th ed, America Public Health Association, Washington, DC. Azhar, M.G. 2000. Managing Malaysian Water Resources Development Special Bulletin on Issues of Citizens Health 2000. Corporate Development, Department of Irrigation and Drainage, Kuala Lumpur,Malaysia, pp: 40-58. Chen, Y .W., Fan, C.X., Katrin,T., et al. 2003. Changes of nutrients and phytoplankton chlorophyll-a in a large shallow lake, Taihu, China: an 8-year investigation. Hydrobiologia,506: 273-279. Creeks.1999.promoting watershed awareness, http://www.aoinstitute.org/sausal.accessed April21,1999. Das, J., Acharya, B.C. 2003. Hydrology and assessment of lotic water quality in Cuttack city, India. Water, Air, Soil Pollut., 150: 163-175. DOE Department of Environment. 1998. Malaysia Environment Quality Report 1998. Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Kunwar, P.S., Amrita, M., Sarita,S. 2005. Water quality assessment and apportionment of pollution sources of Gomti River(India) using multivariate statistical techniques, 538: 355-374. May, A.M., Mutasem, E., Mark, D. S., et al. 2006. Factors influencing development of management strategies for the Abou Ali River in Lebanon. Sci Total Environ, 362: 15-30. Miller,W.W.,Joung, H.M.,Mahannah,C.N.,Garrett.J.R.1986.Identification of water quality differenees in Nevada through index application. J .Environment Quality 15,265-272. Muhd.Barzani Gasim.2008.Water Quality of Several Feeder Rivers between Two Seasons in Tasik Chini ,Pahang .Sains Mal .313-321. Muhd.Barzani,. Ismail, B. S.,Wan, N. A., Muhammad,I.Y,.Marlia,M.H.2005.Water Quality assessment of the Semenyih River basin langor, Malaysia. Jurnal Biosains, 16(1)-95. Nives,S.G.1999.Water Quality Evaluation by Index in Dalmatla, Institute Split,Vukovarska46, 21000Split,Croatia. Okeke, C.O., Igboanua, A.H. 2003. Characteristics and quality assessment of surface water and groundwater recourses of Akwa Town, Southeast, Nigeria. J. Niger. Assoc. Hydrol. Geol., 14: 71-77. Ramakrishnaiah, C.R., Sadashivalah, C. 2009. Assessment of water quality index for the groundwater in Tumkur Taluk, Karnataka State. Indian J. Chem., 6: 523-530. IV RESEARCH APPROACH A Research Methodology This research will be carried out in six stages ,as follows: Stage 1: Literature Review This stage involves a literature review on the status study of water quality in Semenyih River _ level of pollution, spreading, estimation, and the reasons of contamination. Because with the continuous increase of population, the pollutant factors will become increasing. Stage 2: Recognisance survey Based on findings in Stage1, a recognisance survey will be carried out to determine the site of sample stations. The selection will take into consideration the locations that samples will collect from them in Semenyih River. Stage 3: Field work Field work will be carried out at the selected site in Stage 2. Activities will be as the following: the river will be divided into seven stations. In each station two samples will be collected. Water samples will be collected in clean bottles and the samples will be kept in iced store and will be processed at the lab, while the BOD (Biochemical oxygen demand)samples must be collected in black and dark bottles, light can not penetrate it. The following parameters are in-situ parameters that will be measured in the field work. PH. Conductivity. DO (Dissolved Oxygen). Temperature TDS(Total dissolved solids) All these parameters will be carried out in-situ and the equipment must be Calibrated before taking any measurements. Stage 4: Laboratory / Analytical work The following water quality parameters such as (BOD, NO3, NH3-N, PO4, SO4, and E.coli) would be analyzed in the laboratory .all analysis will perform in accordance with standard methods and will conduct within allowable holding times. a- BOD (Biochemical oxygen demand): BOD5 Measures the amount of oxygen used by bacteria and other microorganisms during a five -days period. Water quality samples will be stored in two black bottles .dissolved oxygen in the first bottles will measure in-situ with DO meter and the reading will be recorded as DO1. Second samples will be kept at 20Â °C for five days , dissolved oxygen will measure again as DO5.BOD will be determined from the difference between DO1 and DO5. b- NO3 (Nitrate):Cadmium Reduction Method will use for measurement of nitrate parameter. Fifteen ml water sample will put into measuring cylinder. NitraVer 6 nitrate Reagent Powder Pillow will be added and shaken for three minutes. Then, the solution will be allowed to settle for two minutes. Then, 10 ml water samples will put into cell and added with NitriteVer 3 Nitrite Regent Powder Pillow. Sample cell will recap and shake for 30 seconds. Samples will be analyzed by spectrophotometer HACH 500 with program 351N ,Nitare LR. Ten ml of water will use sample as a blank. c- NH3-N (ammonia nitrogen):Nessler Method will be used for ammonia nitrogen measurement. Water samples (25 ml) and 25 ml deionized water will put in two cylinders and three drops of mineral stabilizer will be added into each cylinder. The cylinders will shake for one minute. Then, three drops of Polyvinyl Alcohol Dispersing Agent will add to the solution. The solution will shake and 1ml of reagent Nessler (K2HgI4) will add and shake again for one minute. All solution will be put into sample cell and analyzed by spectrophotometer HACH DR 500 which is program 380 N, Ammonia, Ness will be selected. Deionized water will use as blank (HACH 2003). d- PO4 (Phosphate): Acid Ascorbic (Phos Ve r 3) Methods will use for measurement of phosphate . Ten ml water sample will be put into cell sample and added with Phos Ver 3 Powder Pillow and shaken for two minutes. Samples will be analyzed by spectrophotometer HACH 500 with program 490 P React, PV. Water sample without treatment will use as a blank. e-SO4 (Sulphate): Sulfa Ver 4 Method will use for sulphate measurement. Ten ml water sample will be put into cell sample and added with Sulfa Ver 4 Powder Pillow and shaken for five minutes. Spectrophotometer HACH DR 500 will use for analysis the sample by program 680 Sulfate. water sample without treatment will use as a blank. . f- Faecal coliform (E. coli) : the membrane filtration technique will be used for the coliforms group, including fecal coliforms. After 24 hours of collection , water samples (10ml)will serially dilute with 90 ml phosphate saline buffer. This method consists of drawing a measured volume of water through a filter membrane fine enough to trap the bacteria, and placing of filter on a growth medium (chromocult coliform agar) in a petri dish. The 0.45Â µm nitro-cellulose membrane will use. After filtration and placing thefilter membrane on the cultural medium. The plates will incubate for 24 hours at 37Â °C. The number of colonies growth at the membrane will be counted and recorded as the colony forming units(CFU) Step-by-step procedures: (1) Collect the sample and make any necessary dilutions. (2) Select the appropriate nutrient or culture medium. Dispense the broth into a sterile Petri dish, evenly saturating the absorbent pad.(3)Flame the Forceps, and remove the membrane from the sterile package. (4) Place the membrane filter into the funnel assembly.(5) Flame the pouring lip of the sample container and pour the sample into the funnel.(6) Turn on the vacuum and allow the sample to draw completely through the filter.(7) Rinse funnel with sterile buffered water. Turn on vacuum and allow the liquid to draw completely through the filter.(8) Flame the forceps and remove the membrane filter from the funnel.(9) Place the membrane filter into the prepared Petri dish.(10) Incubate at the proper temperature and for the appropriate time period.(11) Count the colonies under 10 15 X magnification. (12) Confirm the colonies and report the results. Stage 5: Data compilation and interpretation Data will be compiled as follows: (a) Location of site, (b) Quantity of pollution and expansion in the river, (c) Evaluation of water quality in the river, (d) The reasons of contamination, (e) data will use a suitable statistical analysis programme to process and analyse. Stage 6: Report writing and submission It is anticipated that the project will comprise the following chapters: (a) Introduction, (b) Objectives and rationales of the study, (c) Overview, (d) Methodology and study area description, (e) analysis and discussion of results (f) Conclusion and recommendation for further work. B Research Activities The research activities covering the two-semester period of study are as follows: 1. Literature review (July 2010- October2010) A literature review on the status study of water quality at Semenyih River- level of pollution, spreading, estimation, and the reasons of contamination. Because with the continuous increase of population around the river, the pollutant factors will become increasing. 2. Recognisance survey (July 2010) Based on the literature review, a recognisance survey will be carried out to determine the site of sample stations. The selection will take into consideration the locations that samples will collect from them in Semenyih River. 3. Field work (July and November2010) Field work will be carried out at the selected after the recognisance survey. Activities include: The river will be divided into seven stations. In each station two samples will be collected. Water samples will be collected in clean bottles and the samples will be kept in iced store and will be processed at the lab, while the BOD (Biochemical oxygen demand) samples must be collected in black and dark bottles, light can not penetrate it. The following parameters will be measured in the field work.(1)PH, (2)TDS, (3) Conductivity, (4) DO (Dissolved Oxygen), (5)Temperature. 4. Laboratory / Analytical work (August2010 and December2010) This part constitutes the following activities: (a) The following water quality parameters such as (BOD, NO3, NH3-N, PO4, SO4, E.coli) would be analyzed in the laboratory .all analyses will perform in accordance with standard methods and will conduct within allowable holding times. (a) BOD (Biochemical oxygen demand): BOD5 Measures the amount of oxygen used by bacteria and other microorganisms during a five-days period, (b) NO3 (Nitrate): Cadmium Reduction Method will use for measurement of nitrate parameter, (c) NH3-N (ammonia nitrogen):Nessler Method will be used for ammonia nitrogen measurement, (d) PO4 (Phosphate): Acid Ascorbic (Phos Ve r 3) Methods will use for measurement of phosphate. (e) SO4 (Sulphate): Sulfa Ver 4 Method will use for sulphate measurement (i) Fecal coliform (E. coli) : the membrane filtration technique will be used for the coliforms group, including fecal coliforms. 5. Data compilation and interpretation (December 2010- February 2011) Data will be compiled as follows: (a) Location of site, (b) Quantity of pollution and expansion in the river, (c) Evaluation of water quality in the river, (d) The reasons of contamination, (e) data will use a suitable statistical analysis programme to process and analyse. 6. Report writing and submission (February April 2011) It is anticipated that the project will comprise the following chapters: (a) Introduction, (b) Objectives and rationales of the study, (c) Overview (d) Methodology and study area description, (e) analysis and discussion of results (f) Conclusion and recommendation for further work. C Key Milestones of the Research The progress of the research will be monitored through three key milestones, as follows: August 2010 Completion of major field work, samples are ready to be analysed. March2011 Completion of major laboratory and analytical work, data are ready for interpretation. May 2011 Submission of thesis. The research activities are shown in Appendix. D Risks of the Research Risks Degree of Risks Effect of weather on the sampling programme very Low (Time-related risk) Shortage of time low V BENEFITS OF THE RESEARCH It is anticipated that the findings of this research will benefit the following sectors: Knowledge From this study we will know pollution status at Rompin River and the sources that caused this pollution. In the future, the findings for this research may be benefit for people who live on the two sides of the river. Public and Private Sectors This study could be one of the components to built management control methods that may be more effective and economic.

Saturday, July 20, 2019

Women in the IT Sector

Women in the IT Sector The underrepresentation of women in IT is a research section that has received much attention in recent years. Extant research has examined several factors that contribute to and/or increase the widening gender gap. Information technology abbreviated as (I.T) according to Information Technology association of America can be described as the study, development, implementation, support or management of computer based information systems, particularly software applications and computer hardware (Answer co-oporation, 2012). From the above, it can be deduced that Information technology deals with information handing out and knowledge management processing. In the early 60s and 70s, places like banks and hospitals knew about information technology, and understood then as the procedure used to store information. However, in recent times I.T has now become a familiar name. It is an Industry that uses computers, software programs and communication materials to retrieve, store transmit and secure data. Developing and developed countries rely on I.T to ensure rapid progress. Businesses and organizations also rely on the field for maximum output. Over the years, people have effectively adopted and embraced information technology in all sectors and works of life, and it contributes a significant quota to the development of the economy of most countries. Furthermore, it is quite remarkable to note that the foundation and practise of Information technology around the world is a contribution of both the male and female counterparts, and this is quite evident in most developed countries such as the United Kingdom, The United states of America and China. It is quite the opposite in seemingly developing and under-developed countries as statistics which would be presented in the latter of this report shows that women are significantly under-represented across the field. I have carefully carried out a search of literature on participation of women in the industry; also I have examined the women who had made their mark in Information technology. Moreover, the research points to the fact that womens participation in I.T has drastically dropped over the years across the field, despite efforts to attract and keep them in the field. This information presented is a rigorous social science review which would give the reader in-depth background knowledge of where Women participation in the industry started and provides accurate statistics across the United Kingdom, Europe and Africa gotten during the research on this subject. INTRODUCTION Information Technology is rapidly changing the world; it has significantly changed the way we do, the way we communicate with people all over the world. I.T has also advanced the teaching system used in all learning and teaching institutions as well as the way we protect ourselves. People are better informed, and the method of disseminating quality information across the world has improved. The gradually transforming of the IT industry into a household name has been an labour of both male and the female gender who have worked relentlessly to the acceptance of the field; particularly in high developed countries who support the practise of information technology in all fields of life. However, inequality between women and men has persisted in hiring and retention of women at all levels of information technology (I.T), this accounts from the few number of girls who have had an understanding of computer modules in schools, to the low percentage of women/ females who take up any IT course as an undergraduate level and more visibly the lack of female in excellent organisational and academic positions. What seem to have been a common ground and industry for both gender has now become a seemingly mans world due to the low participation of women in this sector. Gender indifferences in IT careers seem to be affecting the competitiveness of companies globally. It posited that given the current labour shortage in the IT industry, it has become more critical than ever to reduce sources of leakage in the IT career paths of women. Figures so far indicate that the proportion of women in IT has dropped from 40 percent of the IT workforce in 1986 to about 29 percent at the end of 1999 and is still dropping (Andrea Kvasny, 2004). This report presented, suggests that stronger representation by women in technical roles would help to resolve troubling human capital deficit, and will refine and extend the scope of technological applications, products, standards and practices; which will improve the society. It also shows the continuing under-representation of women in the Information technology sector. This report consists of figures and graphs. It will also discuss the contributions of women from 1842 when we had the first female programmer. It also shows the steady decline in female participation and activities over the years. AIMS OF THE REPORT Tell a valid account about the current situation of women participation in the industry. Provide a comprehensive summary of the key barriers to womens participation in technology. Provide promising practices and for addressing these barriers. Suggest ways to evaluate and improve working conditions for women in technology. HISTORY AND CONTRIBUTION An extensive research done on this subject, it is quite obvious that women have been of high repute in this field; it is publicized in an article by Anita Borg: Women participation in Information technology can be traced back to 1842; when the first woman programmer Ada Lovelace who studied mathematics at her young age designed a document that elaborated on her idea that the analytic machine an plan by Charles Babbage, might be used to compose complex music, to produce graphics, and would be used for both practical and scientific use. These notes contained a specification for the first computer program. This note can be described as an algorithm encoded for processing by a machine. She also suggested that the machine that could manipulate symbols in accordance with rules and that numbers could represent entities other than quantities characterize the underlying change from calculation to computation. Years after she wrote her article, her ideas were implemented in developing the firs t computer, which over the years has transformed to the desktop and laptops. With her contribution in helping to analyze Babbages invention, she is referred to the analyst of Charles Babbages analytical engine and the first computer programmer. (Borg, 2002) Furthermore, between the1970 to 1980, Dr Adele Goldberg who has a PhD in Information science combined with Alan Kay in developing the object- oriented programming language Smalltalk-80. This programming language was then used to model the windows, icons, menus and pointers interface at Xerox PARC which is a method for todays graphical user interfaces. With this contribution, she is accredited the co-founder of the Smalltalk-80 programming language. (Borg, 2002) Anita Borg a computer scientist also played a vital role in introducing women into the field of computer technologies by developing Systers in 1987. It was an electronic mailing list exclusively for women in the information technology. It also provided a framework that helped women who were in the field develop themselves, share and solve challenges they faced in their respective organizations/ workplace. In 1997, she later established the Anita Borg Institute for Women and Technology which aimed at encouraging young women to go into the technology industry. Having put all her energy into trying to encourage women into the technology industry, she is highly regarded as the cause of introduction of women to the field and a mentor of young women in the career. (Borg, 2002) STATISTICS Although, science and engineering disciplines such as Mathematics had existed over the years and dominated by men, Computer science can as well be traced far back to 1960 when it started up as a recognized academic discipline. Quite a handful of women had taken up careers in information technology. The report shows that the percentage of women in the field increased to its highest by 36%; 1985 to 1991, but it slowly drops to 25% between 1991 down till 2008; this suggest that there has been a significant difference in the position occupied by women in the industry compared to their male counterparts. Fig 1.0 a chart showing the degradation of women in the industry Image available at: http://www.ncwit.org/sites/default/files/legacy/pdf/NCWIT_TheFacts_rev2010.pdf) Despite the increasing number of computing jobs, interest in these majors and careers has steadily declined over the past decade. Statistics show that more males have attained bachelor degrees and employed in the industry. However, female students who are enrolling in computer science and graduating with computer science degrees in the industry is steadily diminishing with only a few holding top positions in organizations. Mary Lou Roberts suggests that if the current trends continue, by 2018 the industry will only be able to fill half with its available jobs with more male candidates holding bachelor degrees in computing and information sciences (Roberts, 2007). Fig2.0 Graph showing the difference between men and women taking up a level in I.T Image available at: http://www.ncwit.org/sites/default/files/legacy/pdf/NCWIT_TheFacts_rev2010.pdf) Furthermore, the data in this study clearly indicate women are not well represented in the sector that constitutes the growth mechanism of most highly developed and developing countries. Consequently, the Anita Borg foundation relentlessly tries to encourage more young women to take up a career in the industry as well as provide more to make it an fair industry for both the male and female sexes FACTORS AFFECTING WOMEN IN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY An article by J.Cohoon and W. Aspray, argues Information technology/ computing remains a heavily male dominated area even after twenty-five years of extensive efforts to promote female participation (Joanne William, 2012). Most popular discussion and research focuses on the increasing numbers of women as users of information technology with a strong emphasis on their use of the Internet and World Wide Web; several efforts have been geared to attract more women into the industry, so as to reduce the dominance of the male sexes who have taken up more careers in the industry. However, as reported by Cheris Kramarae, these efforts have not brought up the expected result, and specific factors are attributed to be responsible for the gender inequality and large disparity in the industry. ( Cheris, 2003) This section of the report reveals the factors that have been responsible for slow reduction of women representation in the industry. These factors would be discussed in the following sub-headings: LABOUR LAWS AND REGULATION In some of the middle-eastern and north- African countries, such as Jordan and Sudan. The labour laws and regulations which were originally meant to protect women have turned around to have adverse effects on womens participation and contribution to the industry and the willingness of employers to hire females into the industry. Some of the laws and regulations are listed below: Law: Regulation 55 of the Jordan law states that family allowances should not be paid to female employees for her Children if the father is still alive or not retired except in a situation of permanent disabilities Impact: there is unequal treatment of women in the area as well as her dependants and this gives women the notion that women are secondary breadwinners of the family. (Danna, et al., 2010) Law: 1996 Labour Code (Article 69) states that the Ministry of Labour can determine the industries and Job prohibited to women. Impact: this limits the womens freedom of choice of courses to study at the university as well as the careers to take up in the university. It fails to protect women and thus, exposes women to Jobs that may be quite risky. (Danna, et al., 2010) Workplace-PLACE ISOLATION In some workplaces and offices, Women who are chief executives in offices are often separated from other female workers who are under the ladder and require appropriate mentorship or sponsorship, and this affects their retention and advancement. In The Athena Factor, one-third of women in private-sector SET jobs said they felt extremely isolated at work. In the same study, 40 percent of technical women reported lacking role models while nearly half reported lacking mentors, and 84 percent reported lacking sponsors or someone who would help make their accomplishments evident throughout the organization. This particularly leads to feelings of isolation, and these feelings become more pronounced as women move up the corporate or academic ranking (Gibson, 2012). Furthermore, in some I.T industries as well, the job roles of the women are different from that of the male counterparts. This has negative effects on women as they often have no male counterparts to share ideas and problems with; either relating to their career challenges or matters outside the work place experience, hence, forcing them to either quit their job roles or change their direction of career away from the technology industry. Also, Women are left out of board meetings and taking key decision in most organizations as they sometimes are considered as un-important and their ideas or contributions would not count towards the development of the organization. They are left to their offices and only informed about the new policies, Fig3.0 Graph showing the effect of the work-place isolation factor on women. Image available at: http://www.ncwit.org/sites/default/files/legacy/pdf/NCWIT_TheFacts_rev2010.pdf) STEREOTYPING Over the years, women have cultivated fears and anxieties in taking up a career in the technology industry as they often consider it as a highly technical field and complex academic subject. Furthermore, they have developed the notion that Engineering, sciences and technology is a mans field. This therefore has reduced their sense of competence and trust. This can and most times negatively affect performance, confidence, and risk-taking behaviour. Stereotype has been a serious threat, and this majorly has made employers, supervisors, or co-workers incorrectly assume that these behaviours or lack of confidence are the result of personal characteristics of the employees themselves. These senses of un-importance and anxiety have undoubtedly ensured that these employees are not able to live up to their full potential and in most cases make them to leave the office for sense of inferiority. GLASS-CLIFF EFFECT This situation occurs when they seem to be promoted too early or put in charge of tasks they do not yet have the expertise or the ability to carry out. This often happens as supervisors, managers, or organization leaders try to meet diversity requirements. Meeting these requirements in this way, however, unconsciously sets these employees up to fail and is detrimental to the long-term interest of the company, to the employees own interest, and to future efforts for hiring and retaining diverse employees. When these female practitioners fail in the various tasks they have been assigned, it sets them up and gradually reduces their confidence and self-worth, causing them to either resign or choose another career. These factors mentioned are responsible for the decline and reluctance of young women to take up a career in I.T. It has also discouraged those with a degree in computing from taking up a career among the various opportunities in the field. WAYS TO ENCOURAGE WOMEN IN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY A growing body of evidence demonstrates the importance of gender balance in leadership including improvements in organizational performance and corporate governance. Hence, there is the need to establish practices that would attract more women into the industry and increase the overall output from the Technology sector of the economy. This section gives in details specific practices which would increase womens participation in the industry and further enhance the output of the few who are still practicing. These practices are listed in the sub-headings below: Establishing Fair and Clear Promotion Criteria It is necessary to note that the basis on which men and women are judged as successful should be made even during promotion. Both men and women strongly value teamwork and realize that collaboration is essential for success. Providing an balanced working environment and opportunity is critical to retaining women in the industry. This is because in most organizations and industries, the males are quickly promoted to managerial and supervisory positions while the women kept at their primary roles take a longer time before they get promoted to managerial positions. When there is an open framework for promotion for both genders, women would give more efforts into their jobs, and this apparently would bring out the best in them. Introducing effective mentoring Mentoring is a vital practice can help female employees develop the skills and confidence they need to take on more senior roles and give their full potentials at their various place of work. It is not about the mentor teaching a specific skill; it is about creating a reflective learning environment through conversations between mentors and mentees. This would allow the younger staffs gain the confidence and the ideas they need to explore issues and develop solutions. Seeing someone like themselves in a position they pursue, will improve their workplace experience and give them Job satisfaction. Improve workplace culture Another practice most organizations and industries have not paid care to is that of providing a good working condition for the female employees. This can be achieved by providing an on-site child support to carter for nursing mothers, giving them more allowances and defining a good salary payment plan. Furthermore, providing gender specific training in leadership skills for women in the organization would provide tangible benefits. It gives a clear message to them that the industry views them as leaders and is making an investment in them, boosting their confidence and morale. Organizations which practice excellent workplace culture appeal to, and benefit, men and women, employees and manager. CONCLUSION It is quite distinct from this report that Women are relevant and to the industry. Records show that they have contributed immensely to the introduction of information technology and computing in this present age. This information document Ada Lovelace designed an algorithm used to design the first computer and have transformed to the various systems we have today. Furthermore, in 1893, Henrietta Swan Leavitt joined the Harvard computers, a group of women engaged in the making of astronomical data at Harvard. She was instrumental in discovery of the Cepheid variable stars, which are evidence for the expansion of the universe. Hence, it would be a tremendous step if these practices mentioned above implemented as this would boost the overall output from the field and send a message to the young women taking up a degree in universities that a lot awaits them in the field. It would also give them a sense of belonging and support coming into the industry. Bibliography Andrea, T. Kvasny, L., 2004. Recruitment is Never Enough. Retention of Women and Minorities in the IT workplace, 22-24 April. Answer co-oporation, 2012. What is Information Technology. [Online] Available at: http://wiki.answers.com/What_is_information technology [Accessed 24 November 2012]. Borg, A., 2002. Women in Computer Science. [Online] Available at: http://cssu-bg.org/WomenInCS/anita_borg.php [Accessed 04 December 2012]. Danna, p., Ghoshesh, H., Darawazeh, N. Sabaggah, A., 2010. Factors affecting Women participation in the Private Sector. [Online] Available at: http://www.almanar.jo/AlManarWeb/ [Accessed 03 December 2012]. Gibson, R., 2012. Factors affecting online mentoring acceptances by women professionals. [Online] Available at: http://udini.proquest.com/view/factors-affecting-online-mentoring-goid:304819169/ [Accessed 02 December 2012]. Joanne, C. William, A., 2012. Women and Information Technology. [Online] Available at: http://mitpress.mit.edu/books/women-and-information-technology [Accessed 25 November 2012]. Roberts, M. L., 2007. Why the Number of Women in IT Is Decreasing. [Online] Available at: http://www.itjungle.com/tfh/tfh011507-story02.html [Accessed 04 December 2012].

Women Empowerment by Demystification of Motherhood :: Free Essay Writer

Women Empowerment by Demystification of Motherhood Patriarchy has tactfully created a myth that motherhood is the only sphere that is essentially ordained for women. Women as a sex are considered to be the natural reproducers of mankind - naturally supposed to be the child bearers and rearers. Patriarchy celebrates this innate capacity of women as the so called woman – power. It indulges in an exaggeration of the motherly values of nature. Self effacement, unconditional love and devoted service are demanded from women for the perpetuation of patriarchal norms. This results in an idealization of motherhood which confines women to their role as nurturers. Feminists from the West, recognise this vicious trap – that patriarchy elevates motherhood and misleads women is order to exploit and circumscribe them. Feminists maintain that motherhood as constructed by patriarchy is highly oppressive. It is far from being a liberatory and enriching experience for all women. It has been very important to contest the point of patriarchy that happiness comes only through motherhood and attack this myth which denies women their range of possibilities and opportunities. Betty Friedan relates the true essence of motherhood in her book The Feminine Mystique : Motherliness is a way of life. It enables a women to express her total self with the tender feelings, the protective attitudes, the encompassing love of the motherly women (58) But patriarchy misuses it as an instrument to subordinate women as a whole. The experience of maternity has been channelled to serve male interests and to stabilize the patriarchal laws as the universal law for women. In addition, the sanctity of motherhood is accepted only when acknowledged by matrimony. The man made society commands that motherhood is valid only within the bounds of marriage and it desecrates unwed motherhood as a curse for women. Simone de Beauvoir puts this aptly : Maternity in particular is respectable only for married woman; the unwed mother remains an offense to public opinion, and her child is a sever handicap for her in life. (482) The feminists of the West understand the tyranny that goes on behind the glorified label of motherhood. Patriarchy’s motive is always to enslave women and motherhood serves as a powerful way in enabling them to do it. Motherhood, as â€Å"rewarded† to women by men, only serves to hamper the progress of both women and their children. . The social responsibility of the caring of children lies entirely on the mothers and they are expected to devote their time and their entire self on their children.