The RNL company HR management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The RNL company HR management - Essay Example At the same time as this form, the employee's boss writes a review of the employee as well. When all this is complete the employee meets with his or her boss to discuss what is on both of the forms. This is not how RNL has always done things. They asked a consultant how they could improve their company's performance and the consultant suggested this kind of formal review. The results have been good from the change. RNL now is more profitable and efficient and gets much better communication from its employees about how things are done as well as how they complete their own job. Although these reviews are improving the situation, the managers of the company still don't like the fact that when they get the form it is not labeled with a person's name. This is because occasionally the things that the employees write are just mean and don't really serve any sort of constructive purpose to make the company better. If this form was not filled out anonymously the managers think this would sto p because people would not want their names associated with that and so they would only write actual issues down. The feedback that they receive is also usually not specific enough to be really useful. Management would like this to change as well maybe by adding more specific questions on the form.

Film industry in china Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Film industry in china - Essay Example Practically, issues concerning films began back in 1896 when the natives started producing motion pictures in a place called Shanghai. This led to the production of the first film in 1905 name the Beijing Opera: The Battle of Dingjunshan. They were several films produced following the release of the first film but foreigners owned them. This was until 1916 when a Chinese native in Shanghai set up the first production company. As the industries grew, American film producers visited the Shanghai, which was the center for film production. Americans were much ahead in the industry and thus acted a clear guide to the growing industry. This led to the setup of a training center at Shanghai in 1920s (Curtin 45). Under the American patronage, China was able to produce its first true film in 1930s. There were a series of films produced during this period following the increases level of experience and human resource to boost the industry. In late 1940s and early 1950s, the industry grew follo wing the establishment of a substantial Chinese production house named Lianhau Company. There was also an increase the number of movie viewers as they increased from 140 million to 4.5 billion (Nakajima 23). Chinese is currently one of the leading nations in the world in producing films. Practically, Chinese are diligent, and they have taken the industry to international levels despite current hardened censorship placed by the centralized government. Key players in the film industry are using illegal means to sell their products globally especially in USA and Europe. This has popularized their expertise in the field, thus out doing American who was previously thought to have the largest film industry in the world. To enhance globalization of the industry, they have also adopted a trend where they produce films in foreign nations, as this will bar the government from interfering with the proceeding in the industry. China’s film and movie industry is

Home care division at unilever

Home care division at unilever This report tries to analyse a very important situation the Home Care Division at Unilever found itself during the late 1990s in Brazil. Unilever, with an 81% market share is the market leader in the detergent powder business. This report is based on the findings of project Everyman a market research carried out in Brazil in order to understand the regional divide in terms of the income, culture, consumption pattern or usage of detergent powder between the consumers of North East and the South East areas of the country. The research also takes into account the competitors of Unilever in Brazil and also its sales and performance in the detergent market. And finally a recommendation is made on what would be the best marketing strategy which the company should adopt to penetrate into the largely unexplored low-income consumer segment in the Fabric wash business thereby expanding its market share and also increasing the profitability for the company. The economic recovery of 1995-1996 was beneficial for the low-income consumers, which meant that the purchasing power of the poorest 10% of the population grew by 27% per year during the period. Our main focus remains on the two main regions of Brazil, the Northeast and the Southwest, especially the lower income consumers of Northeast of Brazil. Consumer behaviour is the process individuals or groups go through to select, purchase, use and dispose of goods, services, ideas or experience to satisfy their needs and desires. (Solomon, Marshall, Stuart, Barnes, Mitchell, 2009). The Decision to buy the detergent for a consumer in both the regions NE and SE is Habitual and hence lacks complexity. It is seen that the level of involvement of the consumer in the decision making process is very low. Also, the consumer is well aware of various brands of detergent or laundry soap which are on offer in the market. Moreover, considering the fact that the risk associated with the purchase of the detergent or laundry soap is minimal, the consumer spends lesser time in evaluating or deciding the brand of purchase. There are various influences which affect the ultimate choice of a consumer. In this case, the various categories of influences which are affecting the consumers choice while buying the detergent powder or laundry soap are shown in Figure 1: There are various different ways in which a consumer tends to internalise any available information to make an informed decision. The key internal influences which are affecting the decision making of the consumers are: Perception: It can be defined as the process of selection, organising and interpreting any information in form of sensation. The consumers perceive Omo as an ideal detergent having all the qualities required to fulfil their washing needs. According to the consumers as given in Exhibit 5, an ideal detergent should demonstrate the following qualities or aspects: Power of the detergent (its ability to clean and whiten the clothes with small quantity of product). Smell/Fragrance (Strong, pleasant smell associated with softening power and gentleness to fabric and hands). Ability to remove stains without laundry soap or bleach The ease with which the powder dissolves and absence of residue (consistency and granularity of the powder). Interestingly, the perception regarding the usage of bleach also differs between the women of the Recife Northeast, where majority of the women prefers using bleach after washing clothes to remove tough stains, whereas only 18% of the women in Sao Paulo Southeast prefer doing so. Learning: It can be defined as the change in buyer behaviour caused due to available information or experience. The consumers in general are well aware of the various brands of washing detergents and soaps available in the market. From the data given regarding Brand Knowledge, market penetration and Top of the mind awareness in Exhibit 8 it is evident that the consumer across regions in Brazil have either the knowledge or have seen or used one or all washing products at some point in time. Lifestyle: Reflects the value, tastes and preferences of people depending on their pattern of living which is determined by how they choose to spend their money, time and energy. The way the clothes are washed differs in both regions since the women in NE attach great value and take pride in keeping themselves and their families spotlessly clean whereas the women in SE consider it as daily chores, less important for self-esteem and social status. Another factor influencing the choice of detergent or soap is the number of households which owns washing machine 28% in Northeast and 73% in Southeast. Social Class: The rank or the status of the people or group in the society can be defined as a Social Class. People are considered to be in the same class who either work in same occupations, having similar level of incomes, or share similar tastes. Exhibit 2 highlights the social class composition in the Southeast and the Northeast of Brazil. The divide is evident with more than 45% of the population in Southeast forming the top 3 Tiers (A, B, C) as compared to the Northeast where more than 53% of the total population form the bottom 2 Tiers (E+ E-). This is one of the major reasons for the difference in the consumption pattern of the detergent powder and laundry soaps in both the regions, although the penetration of both detergent powder and the laundry soap is almost the same. Majority of the population in the north-eastern region use a lot more soap and less detergent as compared to their counterparts in the southeast. Another very interesting fact to note is the frequency at which the clothes are being washed in both the regions. The washing of clothes in the Northeast happens more frequently as compared to the Southeast since the low income group of Northeast have fewer clothes to wear. In the year 1996, the detergent powder and the washing soap market in the Northeast of Brazil was worth a whopping $208 million and growing. As shown in Figure 2 there are 3 key players in the fabric wash market in Brazil with Unilever, the market leader with an 81% market share, close behind is PG with a 15% share in the market and the remaining 4% of the market is captured by local Brazilian companies. The market can be broadly classified based on the type of washing products offered. The detergent powder industry which sells around 42,000 tons of washing powder in the Northeast is growing at an exceptional rate of 17% per annum. And the dominance of major multinationals like Unilever and PG has been because of the capital intensive nature of the of the manufacturing process requiring massive manufacturing and RD costs. Following are some of the key players in the market. Unilever: Unilever has been a dominant force in the detergent powder market in the Northeast with a 75% market share. With a 52 % market share Omo is the most popular and the most dominant brand of detergent powder in the Unilever stable. Minerva is the only brand offered by Unilever in both the detergent powder and the laundry soap with a market share of 17% and 19.1% respectively. And finally Campeiro holds 6% of the total detergent powder market. PG: Although PG entered the Brazilian market in 1988, it has come a long way in becoming the second most successful manufacturer with a 15% share in the detergent powder market. The primary reason for this success can be given to the large amount spend on making manufacturing improvements in the businesses acquired by PG to develop better products for the Brazilian market and the RD and marketing expertise is a direct threat to Unilever. Ace is its the flagship brand which has 11% market share, a direct competitor of Omo with features like superior whiteness, dirt removing capability and fabric protection is priced at 2.35/Kg. Followed by the other brands offered by PG viz. Bold competing against Minerva and with focus on softness sells at 2.50/Kg and Pop is an alternative for Campeiro selling at 1.70/Kg together occupies 6% of the detergent powder market. Others: Invicto owned by local Brazilian company ASA with 5% share of the market which competes against Campeiro is sold at 1.70/Kg. The remaining 3 % of the detergent powder market is currently being held by local Brazilian companies. The Laundry soap market in the Northeast of Brazil is equally big as compared to the detergent powder industry with revenues of $ 102 million, selling around 8,125 tons per year; however its growth rate at just 6% is far slower than its rival. Unlike the detergent powder market where Unilever and PG were the dominant forces, this market is being dominated by brands manufactured by local Brazilian companies; surprisingly PG offers no products in this segment. As shown in Exhibit 7 the local companies hold a major chunk 69.6% of the market share (including others and Flora). Bem-te-vi is extremely popular and is positioned with emphasis on traditional and regional values targeting the low income consumers of Northeast holding 11.3% of the market. Minerva which is the only Unilever brand is considered to be one of the best laundry soaps with an impressive total share of 19.1%. Marketing Mix Strategies help in identifying how a companys marketing would accomplish the objectives by using the following factors; It is a strategic planning method used in evaluating the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats involved in a business. The details of the SWOT analysis for Unilever are evident in Figure 4. 5.1 Growth Strategy Unilever fabric wash products enjoy immense respect and recognition across different regions of Brazil due to its diverse range of products, dependable in-house marketing capabilities and excellent advertising campaigns. However, the ignorance and indecisiveness in adopting a strategy to tap in the huge potential of the low income group of Northeast has been an area of concern for the company. The Product-market Growth Matrix in Figure 5 helps us analyse various growth strategies and identify the most suitable strategy the company should follow to expand their current market. New Products Existing Products Product Emphasis New Markets Existing Markets MKT Emphasis Extension of the current entry level brand Campeiro is the most ideal strategy and hence we need to adopt the Product development strategy model. The new product would be rightly called Campeiro Dazzle. We will further analyse and discuss the targeting, segmentation and positioning strategy which Unilever should follow to achieve its goals. The STP strategy in Northeast for Campeiro Dazzle would be influenced by the following variables: Segmentation: Demographic: More than 53% of the population, approximately 26 million in the Northeast lives on less than two minimum wages. Illiteracy rate at 40% is very high. Psychographic: Bleach is very important to remove fat stains. Washing clothes has a symbolic value for the women and they take pride in keeping their family clean. Considered to be one of the pleasurable activities of the week, hence washing in public laundry, river or pond is considered to be an opportunity to meet and chat with friends. Behavioural: Clothes are washed frequently (5 times a week in Recife). Target marketing strategy: Since Omo and Minerva is already targeted towards the High and middle income group respectively, the new Campeiro Dazzle will be focusing on the low income consumer segment in the Northeast using Differentiated targeting strategy. Positioning: Success of Target marketing strategy is contingent on the identification and selection of most appropriate market segment. Keeping the current positioning of the 3 detergents (Omo, Minerva and Campeiro) unchanged; our primary focus would be to strategically position the new Campeiro Dazzle. The ideal positioning of Camperio Dazzle should be such that it falls between Minerva and Campeiro which fits it in the top left quadrant above the perceived Quality and Price index 100. Unilever can establish Campeiro Dazzle as one of its most sought after and affordable BRAND of CHOICE for the low income consumers by developing a Marketing Mix as mentioned below; The most important concern internally at Unilever Brazil is the issue of cannibalisation of existing premium brands like Omo or Minerva due to shift in strategy following the introduction of the new brand extension Campeiro Dazzle. The concern I believe is a legitimate one and if things do go wrong as feared by many, the results could be devastating for Unilever and could tarnish its image as being the best and most dependable, inviting competitors like PG to take maximum advantage of the situation and eat into Unilevers market share across regions in Brazil. The level of income, however, is the key factor which would avoid any such adverse situation since our new brand is targeted at the low income consumers of the northeast and is not positioned to compete against Omo and Minerva which is targeted at the high income and middle income consumers respectively. Extension of the entry level brand Campeiro is justifiable considering the time and cost constraints faced by Unilever. The process of creating and introducing a new brand involves immense RD, marketing advertising and distribution costs and will also take a long time to develop and Unilever cannot afford at this point in time since its main rival PG has the potential and the expertise to capture the massive detergent low income consumer market by either extending or repositioning one of its own existing products. Based on the Segmentation, target marketing, positioning and marketing mix strategies discussed earlier, it is strongly recommended that Unilever follows a quick growth strategy (3 year) to capture maximum market share of the low income consumers in the northeast by getting them to use Campeiro Dazzle. The Bottom-up budgeting technique would be most helpful since the new strategy requires Unilever to spend more on the promotion of Campeiro Dazzle Push strategy in the first 3 years of its introduction. This would be gradually reduced in the fourth and fifth year once the product eats into the market share of the competitors and demand for product increases Pull Strategy. Æ’Â   Push strategy: Unilever can follow the same 70/30 ratio for ATL BTL communication which it does currently. Emphasis should be more on ATL because of its high reach and low cost-per-contact especially TV advertisements hoardings (Knowledge about the availability of the new product). On the other hand BTL techniques like in-store promotions and improved visibility of the product in the small stores. The biggest factor that can contribute to an instant success of Campeiro Dazzle is if Unilever builds confidence in its secondary, small local wholesalers and specialized distributors by running a high incentive/commission through sales programme. This is one primary reason why 0.50 cents/k.g has been earmarked towards promotional cost. Resulting in our products reaching 75,000 small outlets where most of the low income consumers shop. Æ’Å ¸ Pull Strategy: Promotion is one of the most important and inseparable part of the marketing mix. However for Unilever, assuming the success and the overwhelming acceptance of Campeiro Dazzle over the first three years by the low income consumers the promotion strategy would then have to shift to improve the profit margin. This would be a challenge considering the fact that reversal of the distribution channels is difficult. However, increasing demand for Campeiro Dazzle amongst low income consumers due to effectiveness, high brand value and recognition (thanks to a new TV promotion/advertisement by a well known celebrity or a popular music band which would act as a stimulant) will force the retailers to respond to this demand by stocking more Campeiro Dazzle in their stores. Conclusion: The aforementioned analysis clearly indicates that the existing detergent products and the strategy adopted by Unilever to capture the market share and satisfy the needs of the low income consumers hasnt been very successful. Project Everyman, however, has come as a ray of hope for the company helping it understand the enormous potential of this group of consumers. The implementation of the new strategies mentioned in this report would certainly help Unilever to expand its market share and profitability and most importantly help them implement this business model to gain success in other developing economies of the world and immense respect in the industry.

physics essay :: essays research papers

What’s wrong with the Detroit Lions?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It is obvious to me that the laws of physics can be applied to the game of football. However, The Detroit Lions may be unaware of this fact. With there current 0-12 record they are on a losing streak that could be placed in the record books. No team has ever lost every single football of their whole season. What an embarrassing way to be placed in the record books. Maybe if they looked at some of the laws of physics they could win a game.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The passing game for the lions is one area that can be examined. Quarterback Charlie Batch has one of the lowest ratings in the league. He completes a little under 60% of his passes. His average passing yardage is approximately ten yards. Using the knowledge of physics to examine the projectile motion we can help Charlie complete more passes.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Let’s look at what we know:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1. Charlie is about 2 meters tall.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  2. His average pass is ten yards or 9 meters.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  3. He’s throwing with parabolic trajectory.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  4. We will use the equations:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The velocity in the horizontal direction (Vx)= The initial velocity (Vi) cos (the angle)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The velocity in the vertical direction (Vy)= The initial velocity (Vi) sin (the angle)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The distance in the horizontal direction (x)= The velocity in the   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  horizontal direction (Vx) multiplied by The time (t).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The gravity is always equal to -9.8m/s squared.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  From the equations we can say that the initial velocity could be Charlie’s problem. Say Charlie always passes with an angle of 20 degrees so that it isn’t easy for the other team to intercept the pass. This kind of pass would usually takes 2 seconds to get the receiver. This means that Charlie’s average pass of 9 meters needs and initial velocity of 11m/s to get to the receiver. If any of these things don’t work out, or say, Charlie changes his passing angle, the pass will probably be incomplete.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Kicking the football can also be an aspect of the game that could improve for the lions. Two weeks ago, Jason Hanson missed 3 field goals. Kicking field goals can be examined from a physics perspective. The football will follow the same parabolic trajectory as passing.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Using the Same Equations we can determine the initial velocity needed to make his average 23 meter kick. He usually kicks with an average 40 degree angle. Also it takes 3 seconds for the kick to go threw the uprights.

How Does Marxism Explain the Role of Education in Society?

How does Marxism explain the role of education in society? The sociology of education is the study of how public institutions and individual experiences affect education and its outcomes. It is most concerned with the public schooling systems of modern industrial societies, including the expansion of higher, further, adult, and continuing education. Education has always been seen as a fundamentally optimistic human endeavour characterised by aspirations for progress and betterment.It is understood by many to be a means of overcoming handicaps, achieving greater equality and acquiring wealth and social status (Education and Sociology 1992). Education is perceived as a place where children can develop according to their unique needs and potential. It is also perceived as one of the best means of achieving greater social equality. Many would say that the purpose of education should be to develop every individual to their full potential and give them a chance to achieve as much in life a s their natural abilities allow (meritocracy).However some take a particularly negative view, arguing that the education system is designed with the intention of causing the social reproduction of inequality and creating a workforce for society. One of the main sociological approaches that use theory to explain the role of education is Marxism. The Marxist perspective is critical of the educational system, arguing that it is unfair, and serves to coerce people into accepting their â€Å"roles† in an unequal society. The concept of the ‘hidden curriculum’ is key in the understanding of the Marxist perspective.The aim of the hidden curriculum is to socialise young people into accepting the role assigned to them by the capitalist class. It is argued the teachers subconsciously deliver this ‘hidden curriculum’ making pupils aware of the respect and obedience that should be given towards the established organisation [Karl Marx, 1983]. As well as this, sub tle skills such as time keeping and organisation are taught. In introducing these skills from a young age, society will accept them as norms and not question there status in society.The correspondence principle is a theory used by Marxists to explain how much of what we learn in school is preparation for our future roles as workers is in capitalist society. Many sociologists who support this principle argue that education is just a means of maintaining social class boundaries. Many argue that schools in capitalistic societies are geared toward giving children different types of education based solely on their social standing rather than by their inherent skills. Under this principle schools are believed to give lower class children a different type of education compared to their upper class counterparts.Typically, it is said that lower class children are put on an educational track that will prepare them for ‘blue collar’ jobs. It is thought that the education of lower class children is different because it prepares them to enter the work force directly after secondary school. Schooling teaches working class children to sit quietly at their desk, obey the teacher’s authority, and also acquaints them with becoming familiar with repetitive tasks. Similarly, the education of upper class children is thought to be geared toward upper class or ‘white collar’ professions.With upper class children, instead of focusing on preparing them to enter the workforce, there is added emphasis is on preparing them to move on to four year colleges and universities after secondary school. Here they are trained to be professionals and capitalists by teaching them how to think critically and instilling in them a sense of responsibility and authority [Frank M Howell 1982] Louis Althusser was a structural Marxist who, through the influences of Karl Marx, introduced the concept of an ‘ideological state apparatus’.He argued that economic rel ations structure education so as to reproduce these same economic values into teaching. He went on to state that education is part of the system of the reproduction of labour power. Schools work to ensure that those who are to do the work will do so co-operatively, out of the belief that the situation is just and reasonable. From this point of view, the failure of so many pupils in schools is not a failing of the system but actually what the schooling system is designed to do. Working class children, who opt out, fail, or find schools alien, are indications that schooling is working successfully.Thus, education is not designed to develop human potential, but to limit it. The correspondence principle (Bowles and Gintis 1976) takes this point further stating that education introduces the acceptance of hierarchy and motivation by external rewards. For example; teacher says, pupil does; boss says worker does. Hierarchy comes into place in the form of the teachers roles e. g. head, deput y head, head of year, head of department etc. Many pupils are not interested in the subject knowledge they are taught are school, the only reason that have for going to school is to get exam passes i. e. an external reward.This prepares us for the world of work where we do not work for the love of the job but for the wage. Thus what happens at school corresponds to what happens at work. There are several examples present in today’s society that support Marxist theories of education. The introduction of the Youth Training Schemes (YTS) in 1983 [online] is one of these. Known as ‘on-the-job training courses’, these YTS represented ‘working class’ and job specific qualifications for the needs of capitalism. Another example of such schemes are General National Vocational Qualification (GNVQ’s) which are now know as NVQ’s.Such courses are said to favour the working classes as the structure is mainly coursework based. Many of the courses invo lve hands on learning which again, teach the hidden disciplines needed to work for the capitalist society and prepare a skilled work force. The Class biased system of education is shown by league tables and examination results and the principle of student loans represents the way in which the disadvantaged (working classes) are ‘priced’ out of the system. In conclusion of the Marxist perspective, it is clear they take a very critical approach on the education system.The promotion of ruling class ideologies through institutions such as the education system is seen to supress the working classes keeping them conformed to the norms and values of society. The teaching of these values at a young age means fewer questions are likely to be asked and the capitalist society can continue to work as it does, for the benefit of the economy. A second sociological perspective that takes a different view on education is that of functionalism. This is, in contrast to Marxism, a non-con flict approach. Functionalists believe that the education system has three main functions.Firstly it socialises young people into key cultural values such as equality of opportunity, competition and religious morality. Education is said by functionalists (especially Durkheim) to emphasise moral responsibilities in society that people should have towards each other [Education and Sociology 1922]. If these norms were not passed down through generations then there would be a tendency for individualism (where people believe that they are more important than social groups). An example of how education goes about promoting these values is through the subjects that are taught.Citizenship and religious education were introduced as compulsory subjects in schools to see that young people did things with thought for the society. The second function is to do with the skills that education teaches children, from literacy and numeracy to more job-specific skills. Occupational jobs are becoming mo re specialised and this in turn will lead to more years in education. The final function of education, according to functionalists is the allocating of roles of young people in society. Examinations and qualifications are said to allocate people for their most suited job.The equality of opportunity took place and so higher talented people are given the most functionally important jobs for the society. Emile Durkheim is one of the main influential and well known functionalists. He stated that ‘society can survive only if there exists among all its members a sufficient degree of homogeneity; education perpetuates and reinforces this homogeneity by fixing in the child, from the very beginning, the essential similarities that collective life demands’ [Education and Sociology 1922]. Homogeneity is defined as the quality or state of being of the same or similar nature having a uniform structure throughout [online].Durkheim saw sociology as a science and concentrated on the st udy of social facts rather than what motivates the actions of individuals. He argued that education has many functions; to reinforce social solidarity in subjects such as history (learning about individuals who have done good things for the many makes an individual feel insignificant) and through the pledge of allegiance in America (making individuals feel part of a group and therefore less likely to break rules); to maintain social role (school is a society in miniature. It has a similar hierarchy, rules, and expectations to the â€Å"outside world. It trains young people to fulfil roles); and to maintain division of labour (school sorts students into skill groups, encouraging students to take up employment in fields best suited to their abilities) [Education and Sociology 1922]. Although many of these points are similar to that of Marxism, the functionalists look at the positives of such class divisions. Two more perspectives that challenge the views of Marxism are Interactionism and Feminism. Interactionists take a micro approach looking at what happens in the classroom environment, specifically pupil and teacher interaction.They also concentrate on the way teacher expectations and perceptions of pupils can affect the life chances and educational chances of pupils. Whereas Marxists and Functionalists tend to focus on the structural sides to society, interactionists examine the relationships between the education system and the individual. This sociological group place a strong emphasis on labelling theology. Hargreaves, Hester and Mellor (Deviance in Classrooms 1975) studied how pupils became typified and classified. They conducted their study in two schools by interviewing teachers and observing in class.They found that teachers have a limited knowledge about their pupils when they first arrive at school, so they speculate, using the information that they already have, such as the pupils’ appearance, how far they conform to discipline, and their en thusiasm for work. This is elaborated over time until the teacher reaches a stage when they feel â€Å"they know† the pupil. It is therefore a gradual process that changes over time. Through this process the teacher can have an important influence on the progress of their pupils.It can affect the attention and encouragement a pupil can receive. The self-fulfilling prophecy follows on from the stereotyping and subsequent labelling of pupils. This theory argues that predictions made by teachers about the future success or failure of their pupils will tend to come true. The teachers’ interaction with their pupils will be influenced by the labels that they have attached. If a pupil has been labelled by their teacher as a potentially bright student they may receive extra encouragement to attain the higher marks.Rosenthal and Jacobson (1968) tested the validity of self-fulfilling prophecy. They discovered that teachers’ expectations could significantly affect their pu pils’ performance The feminist perspectives generally focus on how education promotes patriarchy and a ‘male dominated’ society. There are many different branches within feminism such as liberal, radical and Marxist feminists however they all share the view that the education system is very male orientated and that women are socialised to conform to this dominance thus supressing them.Some of the more radical approaches go as far to say that ‘patriarchy will only end when women are freed from the physical and emotional violence inflicted by men in the classroom and the playground’ [online] In conclusion, the Marxist approach takes a very critical view of the education system arguing that is merely reinforces inequalities in society. They go on to state that in teaching a ‘hidden curriculum’, the system is only in place to create a dominant and trained work force to work for and fit the needs of the capitalist society.From a young age chi ldren begin to be shaped to fit these societal needs and are made to believe that their place in society is already decided for them through norms and values. In conforming to what they believe is normal, societies avoid anomie and complete social collapse as well as keeping the social classes from rising above their stations or asking questions. In contrast to such a negative outlook on the education system, functionalists look at how the teaching of norms and values creates social solidarity where shared beliefs bring together all classes.Interactionists take yet another view exploring the concept of pupil to teacher interaction and how labelling can shape behaviour. Finally, feminists take the view that the education system works in favour of males in giving them a higher status in the economical market thus justifying the suppression of women. References -Bottomore, Tom; Goode, Patrick [1983] ‘Readings in Marxist Sociology’ Clarendon Press (London) -Durkheim, Emile [1895] ‘The Rules of Sociological Method’ 8th edition, trans.Sarah A. Solovay and John M. Mueller, ed. George E. G. Catlin (1938, 1964 edition) -Durkheim, Emile [1956] ‘Education and Sociology’ Macmillan Publishing Co. , inc. & Collier Macmillan Publishers (London) -Howell, Frank M. ; McBroom, Lynn W. (1982), SOCIAL RELATIONS AT HOME AND AT SCHOOL: AN ANALYSIS OF THE CORRESPONDENCE PRINCIPLE, 55, American Sociological Association -http://socyberty. com/education/the-functions-of-education-according-to-functionalists-and-marxists/#ixzz1HN8LoWUv [accessed on 13. 3. 2011] -http://socyberty. com/education/the-functions-of-education-according-to-functionalists-and-marxists/#ixzz1HNLMioDC [accessed on 9. 03. 2011] -http://www. educationforum. co. uk/sociology_2/functionalist. htm [accessed on 9. 03. 2011] -http://www. le. ac. uk/education/resources/SocSci/zoe. html [accessed on 9. 03. 2011] -http://www. marxists. org/glossary/people/a/l. htm [accessed on 9. 03. 2 011] -http://www. thestudentroom. co. uk/showthread. php? t=185151 [accessed on 13. 03. 2011]

Some medical problems

The majority of people have noticed that a lot of diseases are associated with different types of lifestyle. Recently, people begin to be aware from these types of lifestyle because it can cause a lot of diseases, such as heart diseases which are very common in US. There are several causes for this problem. Such as eating fast food, smoking and deficiency of exercise.Consuming fast food is very common in US because the majority of people are very busy and they do not want to west their time by making healthy food because It takes long time to cook it. As a result, the average of having a high rate of cholesterol is increasing which causes the heart disease. Not only does eating fast food cause heart disease, but it also causes obesity Many of people in US smoke which is a very bad habit and causes heart disease.Not only does smoke cause heart disease, but it also is very harmful for people who are close by smokers. The us government works very hard to reduce the number of smokers bec ause there are a lot of effects that smoking make, like polluting the air, increasing the rate of deaths and wasting a lot of money for treatments of heart disease. Deficiency of exercise is a factor in heart disease because a body needs to move recently to keep it active, so everyone should do exercises regularly.In fact, doing exercises In the morning Is the best time because at that time the alarm Is very fresh. Many of organizations in US try to encourage people to do exercise and keep themselves more movable. I have noticed that there are a lot of facilities that is built by the US government to make people walk and do exercises like sides walk and parks. However, in different countries do not have these facilities. Finally, US government works very hard to avoid increasing the rate of heart disease.

How Many Cups Is 4 Quarts A Conversion Guide

How Many Cups Is 4 Quarts A Conversion Guide SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips One of the types of questions you’ll see on both the SAT exam and the ACT exam are word problems. You know, situations where you’re given real-world scenarios, and you have to figure out the answer to a particular question based on the data you’re given. It’s common to see conversions in word problems. Conversions ask you to change a value from one form of measurement into another. In today’s article, we’re going to cover one specific type of measurement conversion: imperial volume conversion. Specifically, we’re going to show you how to figure out how many cups are in 4 quarts. (Spoiler alert: 16 cups are in 4 quarts!) We’ll teach you: The math formula for converting cups to quarts How to figure out how many cups is 4 quarts by figuring out the cups to quarts conversion How to read a chart that explains different imperial volume conversions Ready? Let’s dive in! Measurement Systems: Imperial vs Metric Volume measurements like ounces, cups, and quarts are all part of the imperial system of measurement, which is the primary method of measurement used in the United States. (Most of the world uses the metric system.) The metric system uses a base 10 system, meaning each measurement increases by a factor of 10. That’s why it’s so easy to convert in the metric systemall you have to do is move the decimal point left or right depending on the unit. So for example, it’s easy to convert 320 milliliters to centiliters...you just move the decimal point one position to the left. And voila! You’ve converted 320 milliliters to 32 centiliters! Unfortunately, the imperial system doesn’t use a base 10 system, which means conversions are much more confusing. In order to do imperial conversions correctly, you have to either a) memorize the different conversion values or b) use a conversion chart. That’s the most important factor in figuring out our quarts to cups conversion! But don’t worry. We’ve provided you a handy-dandy conversion chart below, and we recommend bookmarking this article so you’ll always have it handy! Quart to Cup Conversion: The Math Formula Okay, now that you understand how tricky conversions can be, let’s walk through one so you can see how to use a conversion chart to convert imperial measurements. Go ahead and scroll down to the chart. Follow the instructions in that section to figure out how many cups are in a quart. Did you do it? Then you know that four cups equals one quart! To write that as a mathematical formula to solve our conversion problem, we need to think about what we now know. We’ve figured out that there are four cups in one quart, which looks like this as a mathematical expression: 1Q = 4C In this case, â€Å"Q† stands for quarts and â€Å"C† stands for cups. (These aren’t variables you need to solve for.) Now all we have to do is work this equation. How Many Cups Is 4 Quarts? Okay, now that you know how to do the math, let’s figure out how many cups are in four quarts! To start off, let’s go back to our equation: 1Q = 4C Now, let’s think about what we know. We know we have four quarts, so we’ll have to multiply the left side of the equation by four to get the right value. But as you’ve learned, you can never change one side of the equation without doing the same thing to the other side. That means you’ll have to multiply the right side by four, too. Here’s what that looks like: 4 * 1Q = 4 * 4C Once we work that out, the final expression looks like this: 4Q = 16C In other words, we now know there are 16 cups in 4 quarts, and you’ve finished your conversion! How to Find Other Conversions Now that you know how to solve questions like â€Å"how many cups is 4 quarts,† you can do the same for any other imperial conversion on our conversion chart. The fundamental steps are always the same: Figure out what value you have and what value you need. Ask yourself, â€Å"what do I know† to find the value you have, and â€Å"what do I need to know† to find the value you need. Check the chart to get the right factor. You’re trying to figure out the 1 to 1 ratio here. So for our equation, it was four cups in 1 quart...but it could be anything! For example, if you wanted to work backward from quarts to cups, you’d have to multiply both sides of the equation by .25 instead. Set up the conversion as an expression. This is where you set the value you have as equal to the value you need. Multiply, multiply, multiply! Multiply both sides by the correct factor. And that’s it! It’s a little more work to do than metric conversions. But once you understand how conversion works, it’s a piece of cake! Volume Conversion Chart Like we mentioned earlier, the easiest way to figure out imperial conversions is to reference an imperial volume conversion chart. That’s why we’ve included a conversion chart here! Here’s how to use it for a quarts to cups conversion: Find the value that you know in the left column. So, if we’re trying to figure out how many cups is 4 quarts, we know how many quarts we have. That means we want to locate â€Å"quarts† in the left column. Now, find the value you want to convert to in the top row. In this case, we want to find â€Å"cups.† Go ahead and try that for yourself below: Tbsp. Cups Pints Quarts Gallons 1 Tbsp. - 1/16 1/32 1/64 1/256 1 Cup 16 - 1/2 1/4 1/16 1 Pint 32 2 - 1/2 1/8 1 Quart 64 4 2 - 1/4 1 Gallon 256 16 8 4 - You’ve now figured out that there are four cups in one quart, which is what you’ll use to solve our particular problem. But now that you have this chart, you can use the method we outlined above to do almost any conversion! What's Next? Conversions are just one type of math problem you might face. Make sure you’re prepared for the test by reading our Ultimate Guide to SAT Math Prep and our Ultimate Guide to ACT Math Prep! If you’re feeling pretty confident, why not test your skills against the 13 hardest SAT Math questions ever? If you can conquer those, you’ll likely do great on the SAT, too! (Here are the hardest math questions on the ACT, too.) If you need a little extra practice, why not check out some math prep books? Here’s a list of our favorites. Have friends who also need help with test prep? Share this article! Tweet Ashley Robinson About the Author Ashley Sufflà © Robinson has a Ph.D. in 19th Century English Literature. As a content writer for PrepScholar, Ashley is passionate about giving college-bound students the in-depth information they need to get into the school of their dreams. Get Free Guides to Boost Your SAT/ACT Get FREE EXCLUSIVE insider tips on how to ACE THE SAT/ACT. 100% Privacy. No spam ever. hbspt.forms.create({ portalId: '360031', formId: '2167ba30-e68e-4777-b88d-8bf3c84579af', formInstanceId: '2', submitButtonClass: 'btn-red-light btn', target: '#hubspot-container2', redirectUrl: 'http://ww2.prepscholar.com/blog-subscribe-thank-you', css: '.post-bottom .hs-form.stacked label {display:none;} .post-bottom .hs-form.stacked .field div.input {padding-top: 55px; padding-left: 300px;} .post-bottom .hs-input {width: 220px} .post-bottom .btn-primary, .hs-button.primary {margin-top:0px; padding-left:350px} .post-bottom .hs-form-field {margin-bottom:5px}' }); $(function(){ $(".exclusive-tip-form #hubspot-container2 label").hide(); }); function replace_tag(a, b){ $(a).each(function(index) { var thisTD = this; var newElement = $(""); $.each(this.attributes, function(index) { $(newElement).attr(thisTD.attributes[index].name, thisTD.attributes[index].value); }); $(this).after(newElement).remove(); }); } $(function(){ replace_tag($(".posts-by-topic h3"), "h2"); }) Ask a Question BelowHave any questions about this article or other topics? Ask below and we'll reply! Search the Blog Search jQuery(function(){ var $ = jQuery; var url = 'http://google.com/search?q=site:' + location.protocol + '//' + location.hostname + ' '; var $searchModule = $('.hs-search-module.2634435c-2fc9-45cd-9d13-cae276b41482'); var $input = $searchModule.find('input'); var $button = $searchModule.find('.hs-button.primary'); if (false) { $input.val(decodeURIComponent(location.pathname.split('/').join(' ').split('.').join(' ').split('-').join(' ').split('_').join(''))); } $button.click(function(){ var newUrl = url + $input.val(); var win = window.open(newUrl, '_blank'); if (win) { //Browser has allowed it to be opened win.focus(); } else { //Browser has blocked it location.href = newUrl; } }); $input.keypress(function(e){ if (e.keyCode !== 13) return; e.preventDefault(); $button.click(); }); }); Improve With Our Famous Guides SATPrep ACTPrep For All Students The 5 Strategies You Must Be Using to Improve 160+ SAT Points How to Get a Perfect 1600, by a Perfect Scorer Series: How to Get 800 on Each SAT Section: Score 800 on SAT Math Score 800 on SAT Reading Score 800 on SAT Writing Series: How to Get to 600 on Each SAT Section: Score 600 on SAT Math Score 600 on SAT Reading Score 600 on SAT Writing Free Complete Official SAT Practice Tests What SAT Target Score Should You Be Aiming For? 15 Strategies to Improve Your SAT Essay The 5 Strategies You Must Be Using to Improve 4+ ACT Points How to Get a Perfect 36 ACT, by a Perfect Scorer Series: How to Get 36 on Each ACT Section: 36 on ACT English 36 on ACT Math 36 on ACT Reading 36 on ACT Science Series: How to Get to 24 on Each ACT Section: 24 on ACT English 24 on ACT Math 24 on ACT Reading 24 on ACT Science What ACT target score should you be aiming for? ACT Vocabulary You Must Know ACT Writing: 15 Tips to Raise Your Essay Score How to Get Into Harvard and the Ivy League How to Get a Perfect 4.0 GPA How to Write an Amazing College Essay What Exactly Are Colleges Looking For? Is the ACT easier than the SAT? A Comprehensive Guide Should you retake your SAT or ACT? When should you take the SAT or ACT? Michael improved by 370 POINTS! Find Out How Stay Informed Get the latest articles and test prep tips! Looking for Graduate School Test Prep? Check out our top-rated graduate blogs here: GRE Online Prep Blog GMAT Online Prep Blog TOEFL Online Prep Blog

Homers Odyssey Essays

Homers Odyssey Essays Homers Odyssey Paper Homers Odyssey Paper Penelope says â€Å"my heart moves my like never before† this is an typical move by Athene, she indiscreetly places feels and thoughts into the mind of mortals to lead them to carry out tasks or undertakings she deems important, this is a very typical move by Athene. Throughout the Odysseys Athenes interactions with mortal is not very direct, she appears in dreams, thoughts or in the guise of a mortal (Odysseus and Telemachus interaction with her sometimes proving an exception). Telemachuss first meeting with Athene she is in the guise of a foreign prince whilst she appears to Nausciaa in a dream and she takes the semblance of a young girl when helping Odysseus find the palace of Aknioos and Arete. This sort of interaction is typical , she is helping her hero’s to their goal without being too brash or obvious. One significant exception is Athenes conversation with Odysseus after his arrival on Ithaca – the two speak to each other almost as equals showing each mutual respect and friendship The reasoning behind Athenes actions may be two fold, firstly a story where a god/dess who simply gives the protagonist what they desire isnt particularly exciting. Secondly Athenes actions may be due to the relationship the gods have with mortals and each other. Odysseus is hated by Poseidon , Athenes uncle – if she were to openly assist Odysseus she runs the risk of enraging her uncle further. Instead Athene uses her cunning and intelligence to help Odysseus instead, she requests Zeuss help in assisting Odysseus whilst Poseidon is away in Ethiopia. This is typical of Athene throughout the Odyssey she acts discreetly and in-directly to ensure she gets the results she wants using her renowned intelligence and craft.

9 Things You Should Never Reveal About Yourself at Work

9 Things You Should Never Reveal About Yourself at Work You spend an astounding amount of time with your coworkers- even more than your family. You even develop incredibly close relationships with the people you work with day after day week after week. But even so, there are lines you should make sure not to cross. Here’s how to open up to your colleagues enough to build a genuine network but not so much that you drift into TMI. Just follow this list of what never to say.1.  How Much You Hate Your JobIf you say this- even if you mean it- you’ll be branded as a negative person. Or a complainer. Or just someone who can’t engage constructively with the task at hand. No one wants to hang out with a coworker who drags down morale.2. Your Hot Take on World EventsControversial topics like politics, the economy, religion, etc. come up all the time. It’s fine to engage in the topical conversation about current events, but nothing good can come from stirring the pot. If you find you have an even more controversial view point, hold onto it. Best case scenario, you might offend someone deeply. Worst case, you could end up with a lawsuit.3. Your Health ProblemsIt’s fine to let certain coworkers know when you’re going through something. But do spare them the details. Revealing too much personal health information can open you up to discrimination. And droning on about physical details could bore your colleagues to tears.4. Your Personal ProblemsAgain, if something big is going on with your partner or your family, it’s okay to give people a subtle heads up. But keep the details to yourself. Don’t be that person constantly babbling about how much your spouse or boyfriend or girlfriend or family is driving you bananas. You just end up seeming negative and sour.5. Anything About MoneyNo one needs to know how much money you make. And you don’t get to ask how much money they make. Definitely don’t try to get information out of others by blabbing about your salary.6. Your Opinion About That One CoworkerIf you have a negative opinion, however valid, about a coworker- i.e. you think they’re incompetent, or lazy, or dishonest, whatever- you should really not be talking about it with other coworkers. Even if you’re right, you’ll come across as insecure and people will probably side with your incompetent colleague.7. Your Facebook ProfileTry as best as you can to keep LinkedIn as your professional social media platform. Your outside-of-work friends get to see who you’re with and when you did tequila shots in Cabo. Keep your Internet boundaries clear.8. Bedroom TalkKeep the details of your sex life to yourself. And, more importantly, don’t speculate about what other people do in their own bedrooms. It’s just tacky and totally inappropriate.9. That You’re After a Different JobWhether you’re job hunting or you’re secretly angling for another coworker’s job, keep that intel to yoursel f.

Achieving Food Security in Saudi Arabia with Sustainable Foreign Research Paper - 1

Achieving Food Security in Saudi Arabia with Sustainable Foreign Direct Investment - Research Paper Example Food cannot travel from excess to shortage areas across and within a country due to barriers at the border, poor roads, as well as checkpoints along the way (Heady & Fan, 2010). Without adequate food, grownups struggle to work and children, on the other hand, endeavor to learn, making sustainable financial development tough to attain. The global society normally uses the phrase "food security" to explain not just the availability of food, but also the capability of purchasing food. Food security refers to having a dependable source of food and adequate resources to buy it. A family is regarded to be food-secured when its members do not live in fear of starvation or hunger. Guarantying worldwide food security will only become more complex in the future as the need for food is projected to go up by 50% over the next two decades (Heady & Fan, 2010). Increased demand will come mainly from both income and population growth in middle-income nations. Global food prices augmented considerably in 2007, as well as the 1st and the 2nd quarter of 2008, leading to an international crisis and causing an economical, political and social turmoil in both developed and deprived states (Headey, 2012). Even though, the media limelight focused on the riots, which developed in the face of elevated prices, the 2007-08 global food turmoil has been years in the making. Systemic grounds for the global increases in food prices are still the subject of debate up to now. After reaching a peak point in the second quarter of 2008, prices dropped considerably in the Late-2000s recession, but went up again during 2009-10, reaching another peak point in 2011, which was slightly higher when compared to the level the prices reached in 2008 (Headey, 2012). Nevertheless, a replicate of the 2008 food crisis is not anticipated owing to ample stockpiles. Let us look at some of the causes of food insecurity in order to understand how to deal with this matter. The direct

Critically evaluate the major characteristics of the Chinese style of Essay

Critically evaluate the major characteristics of the Chinese style of management and how it differs from traditional western management styles - Essay Example Most people under the Chinese management styles do receive instructions or duties from the managers though their. In the western part people work like managers since of the two –way communication they use while making decisions. While in China people have to be managed together with the managers due to benevolent father system. The Chinese management style is benevolent father where the parent will have to supervise the children on everything that needs to be done. The parent system of management believes in the discipline and the attention to details and manages the people at a micro level. This means that the benevolent manager spends a lot of time caring for the personal welfare of the employees, incase of conflict the benevolent system will have to solve the conflict in amicable manner. The benevolent system is regarded as part of the job to supervise all the employees in the organization. According to Michael (1996), the Chinese style of management is different from the t raditional western management since the western emulates managers who are resourceful democrat. This means that if one is the manager one will set the vision and strategy for the business but the company will have to empower the subordinate to execute. Western style of management encourages two –way communication with the employees and allows bottom decision making. In terms of working hours, the management style of Chinese is still different from the western traditional style of management. Ilan (2003) states that the economy of China is growing at a breakneck pace and long working hours for the employees is normal in business. The attitude towards time management and work is highly considered in China where an employee will have to work for so many hours and expected output should be high. Life balance is very different in China and the traditional western management style. Western

Left-hemisphere CVA Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Left-hemisphere CVA - Case Study Example The effects of the left side of the body may reflect or show damage to other organs of the body including weakening the muscles on the left side (Jacques 01). These effects may lead to a weakening of the mouth and the tongue thereby affecting the victim’s speech. The slurred speech is often referred to dysarthria that might sometimes be caused by decreased coordination in the oral motor muscles. The Kingsville Mayor Sam Fugate is a senior political figure who is ever fighting for the awareness of stroke. Kingsville Mayor Sam Fugate is a member of Christus Spohn Health System for monitoring the stroke campaigns (Staff report 01). Sam Fugate is the mayor of Kingsville. Much has not been written about Fugate to reflect his biography. However, he is married to one wife to whom they have one son. Unfortunately, his graduate wife had died, but before her death, she contributed much to Fugate’s development and political career (Office of Alumni and Development 01). The CVA that occurs on the left side of the brain often affects the right side of the body leading to the right side paralysis, hemiparesis (weakness), language impairment, forgetfulness, and slow and cautious demeanor. A person can be diagnosed to examine  the side of the brain that the stroke has occurred. Such a person must be assessed for weakness in the extremities and bilaterally or both sides of the body including the face (Strokes 26). Thus, if the stroke occurs in the left hemisphere, the person should be diagnosed or checked for weakness, numbness, paralysis, and tingling on the right side of the body. Additionally, for left side CVA, the victim should be further examined for Blindness in the right eye, Irritability, headache, and Decreased the level of consciousness (Strokes 221). The stroke that affected the old man changed his behavior; thus, made him say nonsensical words as well as answering questions in the  form of yes/no. Following the stroke, the old man suffered depression and emotional change.

Schwinn bicycles Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Schwinn bicycles - Case Study Example This research aims to evaluate and present the main strength of the company that lies in its large number of association with the industry segment. The company’s association with the industry dates back to more than a hundred years. Schwinn bicycles was once the market leader in the industry and has a an easy brand recall by the customers. The expertise of manufacturing and other operational aspects also constitute some of the other strngths of the company. A team of deidcated huamn resource base as well as a number of manufacturing units also serve as potential strngths of the company. The major areas of weakness of the company lies in its considerbly degrading market share and its outdated product line that finds very few takers in the market. In addition to this the issue lies with the poor positioning of the company as the customers find the brand and its products outdated and old fashioned that does not meet the expectations of the prospective sutomer segments. The intern al organizational aspects like HR policy and the aspect of sourcing some of the products from Asian nations has also put questions over the aulity aspect of the company’s products. One of the possible alternatives before Schwinn bicycles is a repositioning strategy. Repositioning involves changing the perception about a product or a brand in the minds of the target market audience. The repositioning strategy would involve focusing on innovation and needs of the customers and successfully communicating this change so as to change the perception of the brand and its product in the minds of the target market audience. ... In addition to this scope also exists for the company in unexplored and new markets wherte the company can leverage its association with the industry and its accrued experince to gain customer confidence that can reap benefits for the company. Opportunities also exists for the company in innovating its exiting product line that can help it to make its cash registers ringing and help maintain profitability and sustainability in the long run. Threats Schwinn Bicycles faces threats from its competitors in the market that of late have taken an edge over it in the market by virtue of greater innovation and newer product lines. The company also faces threats from the negative positioning and a poor image among the customers with the brand and its products. The constantly dwinndling market shares along with large number of debt obligations and the extensive levels of competition in the market serves as sources of considerable threats that can generate considerble issues for the organization . Analysis of Alternatives In the light of the issues surrounding the company, it has become imperative for the company to undertake strategic changes in its functioning that can help generate competitive advantage for the organization. Some of the strategic alternatives that can be considered by the company are stated below: One of the possible alternatives before Schwinn bicycles is a repositioning strategy. Repositioning involves changing the perception about a product or a brand in the minds of the target market audience. The repositioning strategy would involve focusing on innovation and needs of the customers and successfully communicating this change so as to change the perception of the brand and its product in the

Application Development and Technology Tools Research Proposal

Application Development and Technology Tools - Research Proposal Example Analysis of the systems - the project team will set criteria for a new application, we would define a set of common questions that will be asked of all partners with respective answers we're looking for that applies to our environment. This will help solidify what parents will move onto the next round. The project team will start researching partners for the application, in this round we are looking to narrow down the first selection of partners with the initial phone interview. We will narrow down the vendor selection to four, it is our intention to set up demos with the remaining partners with respective stakeholders and project sponsors. When this is been completed we will recommend the appropriate phone application. Phase 2: Planning and Development- the project team will start setting up interviews and surveys with various stakeholders for a detailed analysis of current business processes. We'll take the current business process and translate that into a workable document for development team and mobile phone application partners. The document will be a roadmap for the app. We will create a series of flowcharts that relates to all the business processes in each of the stakeholders. This documentation will be used in phase 3 of the implementation of the mobile app. The project management team will coordinate with the infrastructure team to create a common database that is used by all stakeholders so that all information is available. Phase 3: Implementation-the project team will define showstoppers for project rollbacks. Criteria will be put in place to address what a showstopper is. This will be helpful if there is a need to roll the project back to phase 2. The project management team will define the first pilot group, when defining this we need to make sure that all users in the pilot group are fully aware of the anticipated start date. We will also let the pilot group know about the test procedures that will be implemented in phase 4. However, before the implementation is rolled out to the pilot group the developers will be tasked in phase 4 to do the initial testing.

British Airways strategic management Case Study

British Airways strategic management - Case Study Example and Stahl, M.J. (1997, p. 2) that managers of organizations need to anticipate and adapt to change by keeping in touch with the external environment of the organization. The present chapter is focused on British Airways which is one of the world's favourite airlines as it carries more international passengers to more destinations than any other air carriers (Haberberg, A and Rieple, A, 2008:458). Since its establishment in the year 1919, the British Airways has come a long way to be one of the reputed airlines in the world and continuously returning profits at the end of financial years, which most of its competitors are unable to do so. The secret for the success of British airways is attributed to its strategic management decisions (Cole, G.A., 2003:191) and hence the present research is undertaken to study the process of planning, development and implementation of management strategies in order to know the actual success factors like management, human resource, finance, marketing and communication. The British Airways' forerunner company Aircraft Transport and Travel Limited (AT&T) launched the world's first daily international scheduled air service between London and Paris, way back on 25th August, 1919 (www.britishairways.com). Presently it is the world's largest international airline and has global flight network through USAir, Qantas, and TAT European Airlines serving 95 million passengers a year using 441 airports in 86 countries and more than 1000 planes. (www.fundinguniverse.com) British Airways Ltd came into existence with the merger of many smaller airlines to form Imperial Airlines which was later nationalized into the present original form. (www.bizcovering.com) Cole A.G. (2003, p.192) states that the company has been able to achieve considerable rate of success all these years just because of its effective strategic management decisions including maintaining a sustained marketing campaign, focusing on the requirements and preferences of business customers which res ulted into development of brands like Concorde, First Class, etc; focusing on the needs of private passengers and tourists, marketing the excellent reputation of the company's safety and engineering aspect, providing effective customer service through the use of information technology, promoting an extensive programme of staff training ensuring the efficiency, productivity and awareness of the employees. The company adopted a strategy of alliance and mergers which was advantageous to provide service to more

Application Development and Technology Tools Research Proposal

Application Development and Technology Tools - Research Proposal Example Analysis of the systems - the project team will set criteria for a new application, we would define a set of common questions that will be asked of all partners with respective answers we're looking for that applies to our environment. This will help solidify what parents will move onto the next round. The project team will start researching partners for the application, in this round we are looking to narrow down the first selection of partners with the initial phone interview. We will narrow down the vendor selection to four, it is our intention to set up demos with the remaining partners with respective stakeholders and project sponsors. When this is been completed we will recommend the appropriate phone application. Phase 2: Planning and Development- the project team will start setting up interviews and surveys with various stakeholders for a detailed analysis of current business processes. We'll take the current business process and translate that into a workable document for development team and mobile phone application partners. The document will be a roadmap for the app. We will create a series of flowcharts that relates to all the business processes in each of the stakeholders. This documentation will be used in phase 3 of the implementation of the mobile app. The project management team will coordinate with the infrastructure team to create a common database that is used by all stakeholders so that all information is available. Phase 3: Implementation-the project team will define showstoppers for project rollbacks. Criteria will be put in place to address what a showstopper is. This will be helpful if there is a need to roll the project back to phase 2. The project management team will define the first pilot group, when defining this we need to make sure that all users in the pilot group are fully aware of the anticipated start date. We will also let the pilot group know about the test procedures that will be implemented in phase 4. However, before the implementation is rolled out to the pilot group the developers will be tasked in phase 4 to do the initial testing.

Intro speech Essay Example for Free

Intro speech Essay Earth Hour is a worldwide movement for the planet organized by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). Earth Hour engages a massive mainstream community on a broad range of environmental issues. It was first famously started as a lights-off event in Sydney, Australia in 2007. Since then it has grown to engage more than 7000 cities and towns worldwide, and the one-hour event continues to remain the key driver of the now larger movement. The event is held worldwide and held towards the end of March annually, encouraging individuals, communities, households and businesses to turn off their non-essential lights for one hour as a symbol for their commitment to the planet. Earth Hour 2013 was celebrated on March 23, 2013. Earth Hour 2014 is scheduled for Saturday, March 29, from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. during participants local time. -2004: in Sydney not so famous 2007: Become well known -2008: Earth Hour 2008 was held internationally on March 29, 2008 from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. local time, marking the first anniversary of the event. With 35 countries around the world participating as official flagship cities and over 400 cities also supporting, Earth Hour 2008 was celebrated on all seven continents. Landmarks all around the world turned off their non-essential lighting for Earth Hour, including the Sydney Opera House (Sydney, Australia), Empire State Building (New York City, USA), (examples) 2008 participants[edit] Earth Hour 2008 included 26 major cities worldwide and 300 smaller towns shutting off their lights.[6] 2009: Earth Hour 2009 was from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. local time, March 28, 2009. 88 countries and 4,159 cities participated in Earth Hour 2009,[37] ten times more cities than Earth Hour 2008 had (2008 saw 400 cities participate).[38 96 countries on 6 continents participated in the event in 2009. 2010: Earth Hour 2010 was held from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. local time, 27 March.[49] In Israel, the hour was held on 22 April.[50] Earth Hour 2010 was reportedly the biggest Earth Hour yet, aiming to garner more than the one billion participant goal of 2009s Earth Hour.[51] 126 countries participated in Earth Hour 2010.[52] 2011: Earth Hour 2011 was the biggest year in the campaigns five year history, reaffirming it as the largest ever voluntary action for the environment. It took place in a record 5,251 cities and towns in 135 countries and territories in all seven continents.[59] It had an estimated reach of 1.8 billion people across the globe. In addition to this, the campaigns digital footprint grew to 91 million. 2012: Earth Hour 2012 was observed on 31 March 2012 from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. (participants local time).[66] It took place in more than 7000 cities and towns across 152 countries and territories, making it the biggest growth year for the campaign since 2009. In February, Earth Hour launched its 2012 campaign I Will If You Will, with the intention of engaging its growing global community to go beyond the hour and coordinate efforts publicly through Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and e-mail. Using a dedicated YouTube platform,[67] IWIYW asks Earth Hours digital community to inspire people from all corners of the globe to take sustainability actions, and to share their commitment to the environment with their own social media networks. -2013: Earth Hour 2013 was held across the world on Saturday, March 23 at 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. local time[71] to avoid taking place after European Summer Time begins, ensuring the greatest impact of the lights off event. It is also to avoid coinciding wi th Western Christianity Holy Saturday, which falls on March 30 of that year. 2014: Earth Hour 2014 announced the date will schedule on March 29 as seen on the 2013 Earth Hour highlights â€Å"I will if you will† Campaign: I Will If You Will (IWIYW) is an Earth Hour campaign to encourage positive  action for the environment. The actions required are up to the individual or group. They could be big or small and it might be a simple lifestyle change or perhaps something that leads to political change. The campaign intends for people to become the inspiration to their friends, family, colleagues and communities by sharing what they’re willing to do to protect the planet. Challenges can be created or accepted on Earth Hours YouTube channel. Many organization supports and celebrity endorsement The Earth Hour Global FAQ page states: Earth Hour does not purport to be an energy/carbon reduction exercise, it is a symbolic action. Therefore, we do not engage in the measurement of energy/carbon reduction levels for the hour itself. Earth Hour is an initiative to encourage individuals, businesses and governments around the world to take accountability for their ecological footprint and engage in dialogue and resource exchange that provides real solutions to our environmental challenges. Participation in Earth Hour symbolises a commitment to change beyond the hour.[86]

Effectiveness of Fracking Regulations

Effectiveness of Fracking Regulations Overview of Report This report has been prepared by The MSSD for the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Governments. This report will be looking at the effectiveness of the regulatory framework of the fracking industry, it will assess the current framework, evaluating whether the framework is fit for purpose, and if not, propose alternatives considering that a lighter touch to regulation is the approach wanting to be taken. Because we are only at the exploratory phase of drilling in the UK, the main focus will be on pre-drilling regulations. What is Fracking? We will briefly look at what Fracking is and how it works, and looking at this will also allow us to be able to assess the most pressing environmental concerns and the controversies surrounding fracking. Fracking is the process of drilling down into the earth before a high-pressure water mixture is directed at the rock to release the gas inside.  Water, sand and chemicals are injected into the rock at high pressure which allows the gas to flow out to the head of the well.  The process can be carried out vertically or, more commonly, by drilling horizontally to the rock layer and can create new pathways to release gas or can be used to extend existing channels. The term fracking refers to how the rock is fractured apart by the high-pressure mixture.[1] In the UK, drilling is only at an exploratory phase, however, there are plans for this to intensify as shale gas reserves have been identified across the UK. Impacts and Concerns Having looked at what Fracking is, we will identify it’s impacts on the environment and its most pressing concerns. The extraction of shale gas is a topic that is highly controversial in the United Kingdom, this is mainly because of the environmental concerns it raises. One of the major concerns is the water usage in the extraction, the volume of water that is needed. Vast amounts of water are required for the process and this must be transported to the fracking sites[2]. The water tends to be transported to the sites, which has its own environmental impacts, though some sites could use the local water resources and the volume of water that is required could place a strain on local water resources. In addition to the amounts of water, the water is mixed with chemicals, this mixture could escape and could spill or contaminate groundwater in the surrounding areas. Another concern is that fracking could lead to small earthquakes. This was the case in the town of Blackpool, where two tremors struck, one registered a magnitude 2.3 and the other 1.3. Both tremors occurred near the local drilling site. This caused the operation to suspended, the site operators, Cuadrilla, commissioned a report, which found that â€Å"Most likely, the repeated seismicity was induced by direct injection of fluid into the fault zone†[3] The report goes on to question whether further earthquakes are to be expected from fracking, it says â€Å"the earthquakes occurred because of a rare combination of circumstances: the fault was already under stress, was brittle enough to fracture and had space for large amounts of water that could lubricate it†. The report says â€Å"this is unlikely to happen again at the Preese Hall site.†[4] To reduce the risk of earthquakes, it has been proposed that seismic activity monitoring is introduced around fracking sites. Advantages and Disadvantages of Fracking The main advantages of fracking include, an increase in the production of natural gas, some could argue that this would ease the burden on finite resources such as fossil fuels, fracking would thus diversify our energy supplies. A further advantage is that this is a relatively clean energy source, providing environmental benefit. The gas produced emits less carbon per calorie of energy produced than other fossil fuels. It is easy to inject and it can be transported directly, shale gas requires very little infrastructure investment before it can be injected into the national gas grid, thus proving to be an economical benefit. Fracking is also the most natural way to pump gas from the ground. An abundant supply of natural gas makes prices relatively cheap to producers and consumers. The disadvantages of fracking include, Risk of groundwater pollution, Risk of localised earthquakes (probably not a huge risk when well-regulated in the UK), Localised noise and traffic congestion, Loss of amenities, when fracking wells are sited in areas of natural beauty and national parks, A high water demand for the â€Å"process water† needed by the fracking technology used, potentially entailing additional stress on water supplies, Planning blight on local properties, and suffering by those unfortunate enough to live near a proposed site for a fracking well. [5] Environmental Policy Context Fracking also poses wider questions about current thinking on sustainability and the environment. [6] John Allen writes, â€Å"the shale revolution has the potential to provide the UK with local, low cost, clean sources of energy and potential for local energy independence† [7] from a sustainable development viewpoint, this makes for positive reading. If fracking is low cost and a cleaner source of energy, it enables sustainable development. However, looking at the intricacies of fracking, this may not seem the case. For the process to take place, a vast number of resources are needed, and here you look at whether fracking, as an industry, is sustainable. The shale gas industry consumes materials such as water, sand, chemical treatments, drilling fluids, all of which require transport by road and rail. Perhaps one of the biggest challenges is the use of water, the volume required is vast, and to sustain that, there must be an infrastructure in place and policies in place to ensure that whilst providing the water to sites, there is no inconvenience to the water flow in the local area and if being transported via tank to the site, this must be done in a way where the environment is put first. If we are looking at this from the standpoint â€Å"what is best for the environment†, surely the question would be, why does the policy not encourage the use of no oil and gas in the UK, because this would be the best policy for the environment. The answer to this would be several factors, mainly economical and convenience, the ecosystems we live with and in are so adept to using those resources, that to prohibiting use would mean that our systems would fail to exist. A middle ground has been established, whereby the environment is somewhat protected and that human needs are met, and this needs to be the case with fracking, whilst there are signs that there are benefits, economically the policy must promote sustainable development. â€Å"History shows us that whenever we can extract fossil fuels, short term gain, usually trumps long- term consequence. Much has been made, on both sides of the argument, of the US experience, but fracking has not found universal welcome. France, for instance, is in the process of banning it, and Poland is currently deciding whether to develop the industry, or concentrate on other forms of energy.† [8] John Allen If there is regulation and procedures in place to negate the downsides, surely a cleaner alternative is beneficial long term.      Regulation of Fracking Now we will be looking at the regulatory framework that is in place for the industry. This section will be split into three parts: 1) An overview of the regulatory framework, 2) Assess and analyse the strengths and weaknesses of the frameworks, 3) Consider whether any improvements can be made to the framework, looking at different types of regulation.    Overview of Regulation The Environment Agency (EA) in England and Wales, and Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) are the environmental regulators who monitor the environmental aspects of shale gas fracking. The key regulation that governs how shale gas fracking operators comply with environmental laws is the Environmental Permitting Regulations 2010.[9] Figure 2: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/about-shale-gas-and-hydraulic-fracturing-fracking/developing-shale-oil-and-gas-in-the-uk#regulation The framework that surrounds fracking is one that is quite complex. Companies wanting to explore must have permission from a number of regulatory bodies before they can proceed. In order to explore and produce shale gas, operators must pass rigorous health and safety, environmental and planning permission processes.[10] The first stage is obtaining a Petroleum Exploration and Development License, (PEDL), these are issued by the Oil and Gas Authority. The Oil and Gas Authority work closely with other regulatory partners to ensure that the exploration and development is safe and sustainable. [11] A PEDL obligates companies to follow its terms. Key PEDL terms include: conferral of the right to get petroleum, payment of fees in return, parameters of the field licensed to the operator, obligation to obtain written consent prior to drilling, operator’s obligation to work the licensed area in accordance with ‘good oilfield practice’ and termination and surrender provisions. PEDLS are licenses which grant exclusivity to operators in the license area, they do not give immediate consent for drilling an exploration well or any other operation. Briefing paper After a PEDL has been granted, the operator of the proposed site must then obtain local planning permission from the Minerals Planning Authority, as shale gas operations involve the extraction of minerals. The MPA involves local authorities including representatives from districts and county councils.[12]   Planning applications require the submission of a standard application form, supported by plans and drawings, certificates of ownership relating to the application site and design and access statements. An operator must also negotiate access with landowners. A PEDL and planning permission alone do not give operators consent to conduct their operations, access must be secured by the operator, this tends to be through a license or a lease to be taken that are conditional on the grant of satisfactory planning consent. When a decision is made on a planning application, only planning matters called â€Å"material considerations† can be taken into account. There is no exhaustive list of what constitutes a material planning consideration, although there are some â€Å"principal issues† for consideration, shown in Figure 3 [13] MPA’s are screened to determine whether any proposals require an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), the Environment Protection Agency an EIA describe this as â€Å"the process by which the anticipated effects on the environment of a proposed development or project are measured.  If the likely effects are unacceptable, design measures or other relevant mitigation measures can be taken to reduce or avoid those effects.†[14] This, however, is a contentious issue, as it’s not clear whether operators are obliged to conduct and EIA and submit an environmental statement under the EU’s EIA Directive[15] to accompany their application. Under the EU law, all projects require an environmental statement, though those under Annex 2 require a case-by-case examination, and considering certain criteria, it is determined that such a project is likely to have significant effects on the environment. Even if an EIA is not required, environmental and health impacts can be addresses through the conditions of planning permission. Mineral Planning Authorities are responsible for ensuring operators comply with these conditions. The MPA, in determining an application, will consider the advice of a variety of statutory consultees with regards to the protection of the environment and the public. Local planning conditions can address the aesthetic impacts, as well as contributions to local noise, traffic and air pollution. The density of local population may be considered in the local planning permission process. There will also be conditions for when operations finish, the operator would be responsible for safe abandonment of the well and for restoring the well-site to its previous state or a suitable condition for re-use. The authority which granted permission would require suitable restoration as a condition of the planning permission. [16] The next part of the regulatory process is that operators will probably require a number of environmental permits issued by the Environment Agency under the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations to conduct onshore activities.   The environment agency takes a risk-based approach to regulating, thus the regulation of each site is bespoke to that site, as the they take into account local site characteristics and site specific environmental risks.   The Environment Agency  ensures that any shale gas operations are conducted in a way that protects people and the environment. The Environment Agency’s environmental permitting regulations cover: protecting water resources, including groundwater (aquifers) as well as assessing and approving the use of chemicals which form part of the hydraulic fracturing fluid, appropriate treatment and disposal of mining waste produced during the borehole drilling and hydraulic fracturing process, suitable treatment and management of any naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM) and disposal of waste gases through flaring.[17]   With regards to water, if operators are wishing to abstract more than 20 cubic meters per day for operational purposes, they will need to obtain a water abstraction license under section 24/24A of the Water Resources Act 1991[18] The licenses are issues by the Environment Agency. A factor to bear in mind here is the Environment Agency make it clear that water availability at site is not â€Å"guaranteed†, this links back to the planning permission stage, as if the operators are unable to have a pipeline, they will have to transport the water to the site, which is expensive, but also, with regards to the environment, transporting tanks of water would be something they would have to consider. Another element to be considered is the element of â€Å"induced seismicity†. The MPAs should consult the British Geological Survey (BGS) to advise on induced seismicity and help to identify suitable locations for well, drawing on a national and site-specific understanding of geology. [19] Under s.23 of the Mining Industry Act 1926[20] â€Å"firm sinking boreholes greater than 100ft (30m) deep must give written notification to the Natural Environmental Research Council. Operators are under several other continuing obligations, such as keeping records of their operations and retain specimen cores. Once the above has been completed, the operator must notify the Health and Safety Executive at least of 21 days in advance of any drilling operations, The Borehile and Operations Regulations 1995[21] require this. A coordinated regulatory effort is required to ensure that shale gas wells are designed, constructed and operated to standards that protect both people and the environment, it must be noted that it only protects those in proximity of sites. HSE monitors shale gas operations from a well integrity and site safety perspective. We oversee that safe working practices are adopted by onshore operators as required under the Health and Safety at Work Etc. Act 1974, and regulations made under the Act. These specifically are: The Borehole Site and Operations Regulations 1995 (BSOR) applies to shale gas operations.   (These regulations are primarily concerned with the health and safety management of the site). The Offshore Installations and Wells (Design and Construction, etc.) Regulations 1996 (DCR)[22] apply to all wells drilled with a view to the extraction of petroleum regardless of whether they are onshore or offshore. (These regulations are primarily concerned with well integrity). HSE works closely with the Environment Agency (EA) and the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) to share relevant information on such activities and to ensure that there are no material gaps between the safety, environmental protection and planning authorisation considerations, and that all material concerns are addressed. [23] Drilling operations must not be commenced unless a health and safety policy is prepared which demonstrates that adequate measure will be taken to safeguard the health and safety of the persons on the site. Once the HSE step is completed, we arrive at one of the final steps in the regulatory process. This is the Oil and Gas Authorities consent to drill. Operators are obliged to seek the OGAs written consent prior to the start of drilling operations. OGA consent is one of the final, and coordinating consents in the shale gas process. In considering whether to issue consent to drill, the OGA will have regard to the suite of regulatory controls discussed above, including ensuring that planning permission is in place, environmental permits and consents have been obtained, and that the HSE has received notice of intention to drill. Planning permission is one of the approvals required before any activity may start on a site. The planning authority decides whether the activity is acceptable at that particular location, after local communities and other interested people have had the opportunity to set out their view on the benefits and impacts of the proposal. On receipt of OGA’s consent to drill, and subject to the finalisation of a hydraulic fracturing plan and agreed method for monitoring induced seismicity (where fracking is going to be conducted), an operator has in place the requisite consents and may continue its operations. This concludes the pre-drilling regulatory framework, there is a duty in place whilst drilling takes place, and as mentioned, conditions are set out for after the drilling process has been completed. Strengths and Weaknesses One of the main strengths with the framework presented above, in my opinion, is that the process to start drilling is so rigorous. There are many steps an operator must take in order to start drilling, this has a lot of cost and time investment necessary, so these rigorous checks and procedures ensure that the operator is competent and ensuring the environmental protection necessary to offset any negative impacts of fracking in the main. Another strength with the framework is the fact that a condition of granting permission to drill, there must be plans in place on how the site will be restored to ensure that it becomes usable land again, showing that the regulation is offering a protection measure. However, it could be argued that there are more weaknesses with the regulation. One of the major ones that comes across with the regulation framework provided above, is one concerning Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA). An operator may have to carry out an EIA, if the MPA deem necessary when screening the proposal presented, however, there is no obligation to do so, it only has to happen should the MPA feel it is a necessity in this case.   There isn’t a â€Å"one size all fits† approach here, it’s bespoke. Environmental Risk Assessment (ERA) has become best practice in non-shale gas industries[24], however like the EIA, an ERA is not mandatory, an ERA, unlike an EIA would assess not only the impacts of hazards, but also their likelihood. In their report, the Royal Society recommended[25], that to manage environmental risks, an Environmental Risk Assessment should be mandatory for all shale gas operations, involving the participation of local communities at the earliest possible opportunity. I would agree with this statement, an EIA and ERA should be a mandatory step, for all potential operators and cases of fracking, not just some, it should be a universal requirement when applying to drill for shale gas. In her Article, Emily Gosden writes that the Fracking Regulations may inadequate, with regards to climate change[26]. From the regulation mentioned above, it does not tackle issues such as climate change in much depth, whilst it looks at environmental factors, it seems that this isn’t the most pressing matter on the agenda. The article reports that Britain’s fracking regulations may be inadequate to prevent environmentally damaging methane leaks, and that the current regulatory regime fell short of the minimum necessary standards. [27] Prof Jim Skea, one of the report’s authors, said that the law instead gave â€Å"quite a lot of discretion† to the Environment Agency (EA) over what monitoring it would require of future shale gas production. Here, I would agree, the EA can often be quite vague when it comes to these matters, an example mentioned above would be the water abstraction licenses requirement, the EA are very vague when it comes to a definitive answer. This could be something that could be further considered. Another weakness in my opinion is that the current framework at present, isn’t very environment focused, and even if it is, a lot of the environmental factors aren’t factors that are mandatory for operators or regulators to take into account, as already mentioned, the EIA not being mandatory is one part. The regulation does not look at in enough detail issues such as climate change, air pollution, water pollution, and other means of contamination, these factors should be of more importance when coming to regulate the shale gas industry, yes, they may be considered, but even that at best is brief. Alternate Proposals The current framework that has been looked at in this report can be seen to be rigorous in the main, there are a number of steps an operator must take before being able to start the process. The current framework could be seen as being on the â€Å"heavier side† of regulation, and in the brief, a theory was posited that there be a lighter touch on regulation, in this section, we will look at whether this can be the case, and if so, how can it be the case.    With regards to regulation, there are two approaches that can be taken. There is Direct Regulation, which can often be referred to as â€Å"the command and control† regime, this is where standards are set, as are penalties for failing to meet them, there are often several ways of drafting direct regulation. [28] The other approach is Indirect Regulation. Whereas direct regulations focus on the polluting activity itself, indirect regulation tends to centre on economic instruments, the effect of which will be to impose higher burdens on higher polluters, there is also self-regulating, whereby you can apply methods such as voluntary environmental agreements and codes of conducts to regulate. These systems tend to have vague standards and are flexible and non-interventionist in their nature. We will look at whether we stay with a command and control approach adopted, or would a self-regulating approach be more effective in this situation. Before we start that, we will briefly look at whether the current framework we have looked at is effective in its purpose, however looking at the effectiveness of the framework is an area where one struggles as in the UK, we are not at the stages where there is mass production of shale gas, we are merely at the early exploratory stages of the process. The only real working example is the Cuadrilla site as mentioned at the start of this report. Though some regulation, such as the induced seismicity was introduced because of that site. Self-regulating such an industry seems impractical considering the disadvantages mentioned earlier in the report. Simon Sneddon writes that this method of regulation is more flexible than the traditional command and control methods, and this method is non-interventionist in nature and that these methods are criticised for having vague standards and for being unaccountable, and there is no realistic enforcement system. This, as a regulation method would not work with an industry such as fracking. An industry where there are many impacts both environmental and economic and as such a framework of command and control would be better suited, there is a set of rules, or steps put in place and there are penalties and fines for operators should they fail to abide. This is very similar to the current framework in place. The risks that fracking entails, it would be a uncertain approach to have a light touch to regulation. However, when there is more data to analyse once further fracking takes place, it may be the case that we could adopt a self-regulating framework or one that is lighter than the one in place, but until then, the current â€Å"command and control† framework is one that is effective and sufficient for use. Conclusion The regulation in place at present is several steps that an operator must take before they are able to drill for shale gas. The procedure is one that is described as rigorous and upon evaluation this seems to be the case, though as mentioned when looking at alternatives, there is no way of knowing how effective the regulation is in the UK, until there are more working examples of fracking. [i] [1] Bbccouk,  What is fracking and why is it controversial?   (BBC News,  16 December 2015)  Ã‚  accessed 10 May 2017 [2] Bgs,  Potential environmental considerations associated with shale gas  (Bgsacuk,  0)  accessed 10 May 2017 [3] Michael Marshall,  How fracking caused earthquakes in the UK  (New Scientist,  2 November 2011)  Ã‚  accessed 10 May 2017 [4] Ibid 3 [5] Steve Last,  The pros and cons of fracking in the UK and why you need to know about them  (Lowimpactorg,  14 October 2016)  Ã‚  accessed 10 May 2017 [6] DrGareth Evans,  Fracking: Truly Sustainable?  (Sustainablebuildcouk,  16 Dec 2016)  Ã‚  accessed 10 May 2017 [7] Allen John,  Fracking: believe the hype for a sustainable UK energy market  (The Guardian,  22 January 2014 )  Ã‚  accessed 10 May 2017 [8] Ibid 6 [9] Hsegovuk,  The regulation of onshore unconventional oil and gas exploration (shale gas)  (Hsegovuk,  0)  accessed 10 May 2017 [10] Govuk,  Guidance on Fracking: Developing shale gas in the UK  (Wwwgovuk,  13 January 2017)  Ã‚  accessed 10 May 2017 [11] Govuk,  Guidance on Fracking: Developing shale gas in the UK  (Wwwgovuk,  13 January 2017)  Ã‚  accessed 10 May 2017 [12] Society, T. (2012).  Shale gas extraction in the UK: A review of hydraulic fracturing. [13] Briefing Paper Number 6073 on Shale Gas and Fracking – House of Commons Library [14] Wwwepaie,  Environmental Impact Assessment   (Wwwepaie,  0)  Ã‚  accessed 10 May 2017 [15] Directive 2011/92/EU [16] Department of Energy and Climate Change – Fracking UK Shale: Regulation and Monitoring – February 2014 [17] Govuk,  Guidance on Fracking: Developing shale gas in the UK  (Wwwgovuk,  13 January 2017)  Ã‚  accessed 10 May 2017 [18] Water Resources Act 1991 [19] Ibid 7 [20] Mining Industry Act 1926 [21] Borehile and Operations Regulations 1995 [22] The Offshore Installations and Wells (Design and Constructions, etc.) Regulations 1996 [23] Hsegovuk,  The regulation of onshore unconventional oil and gas exploration (shale gas)  (Hsegovuk,  0)  accessed 10 May 2017 [24] Contribution from Professor Simon Pollard, Head of Department, Environmental Science and Technology, Cranfield University [25] Society, T. (2012).  Shale gas extraction in the UK: A review of hydraulic fracturing. [26] E Gosden, ‘Fracking regulations inadequate’ The Telegraph (7 July 2016) accessed 10 May 2017 [27] ibid 20 [28] Simon Sneddon,  Environmental Law  (2ND edn,  Pearson  2015)  54-61 [i] Bibliography Websites http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-14432401 http://www.bgs.ac.uk/research/energy/shaleGas/environmentalImpacts.html https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn21120-how-fracking-caused-earthquakes-in-the-uk/ http://www.hse.gov.uk/offshore/unconventional-gas.htm https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/about-shale-gas-and-hydraulic-fracturing-fracking/developing-shale-oil-and-gas-in-the-uk#regulation https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/about-shale-gas-and-hydraulic-fracturing-fracking/developing-shale-oil-and-gas-in-the-uk#regulation http://www.epa.ie/monitoringassessment/assessment/eia/ http://www.hse.gov.uk/offshore/unconventional-gas.htm Steve Last,  The pros and cons of fracking in the UK and why you need to know about them  (Lowimpactorg,  14 October 2016)  Ã‚  accessed 10 May 2017 DrGareth Evans,  Fracking: Truly Sustainable?  (Sustainablebuildcouk,  16 Dec 2016)  Ã‚  accessed 10 May 2017 Allen John,  Fracking: believe the hype for a sustainable UK energy market  (The Guardian,  22 January 2014 )  Ã‚  accessed 10 May 2017 Directives Directive 2011/92/EU Reports Society, T. (2012).  Shale gas extraction in the UK: A review of hydraulic fracturing. Contribution from Professor Simon Pollard, Head of Department, Environmental Science and Technology, Cranfield University E Gosden, ‘Fracking regulations inadequate’ The Telegraph (7 July 2016) accessed 10 May 2017 Department of Energy and Climate Change – Fracking UK Shale: Regulation and Monitoring – February 2014 Briefing Paper Number 6073 on Shale Gas and Fracking – House of Commons Library Acts Water Resources Act 1991 Mining Industry Act 1926 Borehile and Operations Regulations 1995 The Offshore Installations and Wells (Design and Constructions, etc.) Regulations 1996 Books Simon Sneddon,  Environmental Law  (2ND edn,  Pearson  2015)  54-61 Misc. PowerPoints and Notes from Lectures.