John Deere and Complex Parts

Strengths of the AEP: (Q1. , p. 109) – Evaluation is carried out by Deere personnel from different departments such as supply management, operations, quality engineering etc†¦ This makes the evealuation more transparent and comprehensive since the opinions of diverse personnel from different departments are taken into account – Suppliers were evaluated in five key areas, thus making the evaluation all inclusive – The use of the wavelength rating is an innovative approach to measure the supplier's focus on quality, cost etc†¦ The cost, wavelength and technical ratings are consensus composite ratings, which measures a variety of underlying aspects, rather than provide a brief overview. – Suppliers were classified into 4, making it easy to identify where each supplier stood with regard to others – The annual revision of performance level cutoffs is another strength of the AEP. Periodic revisions make sure that the ratings reflect current chan ges. The supplier performance summary provided each quarter provides suppliers with all pertinent data related to their classification – Training and recognition are only provided to suppliers with high ratings, thereby acting as an incentive to suppliers with low ratings to catch up. Weaknesses of the AEP: – The weakest category tends to skew the overall evaluation, which would work against suppliers providing consistent service with minor glitches. These glitches tend to be amplified in the rating – Training is not provided to conditional suppliers, which is counter productive. A training program for such suppliers is likely to improve performance – The delivery and quality ratings are not composite ratings. Breaking down these ratings into individual components would provide more clarity. For example, the delivery rating makes no mention of the percentage of late, early or over deliveries. Other Criteria to be included: (Chapter 3, page 66) Total cost of Ownership including cost of special handling, cost of defects, rework etc†¦ should be included in the AEP – The financial strength of the supplier should be included, possibly in the form of a credit rating – Responsiveness and flexibilty measured by responsiveness to customers, accuracy of record keeping, changes in delivery schedules, responsiveness to changing situations etc†¦ should be included Performance over the last year: (q. 2, p 109) Complex parts has not performed adequately over the last year. I say this because of the following reasons: – Certain requested price quotes had not reached Deere on time. – Suggestions for cost reduction and elimination of recurrent problems were not forthcoming – Increasing number of deliveries had to be expedited, which cost Deere – Complex parts delivery rating in the last quarter had hit a dismal 155,000- the level of a conditional supplier – Complex parts had not implemented the Deere quality plan at its new facility – Parts supplied for new product programs had not met Deere's cost targets, thus reducing profit Though Complex parts became ISO certified, internalized the Deere Quality plan elements, provided profitable suggestions through its R&D department and had been proactive in its business approach, the above shortcomings overwhelm the positive aspects. Hence, Complex parts has not performed adequately over the past year. Classification: In the absence of adequate data, it is difficult to assign a classification to Complex parts. Over the last quarter, Complex parts' delivery rating was 155,000. The quality, wavelength, technical and cost management ratings have not been provided. Complex parts' delivery rating of 155,000 would make it a ‘conditional' supplier. Therefore a conditional supplier classification is most apt, based on the latest available quarterly data Alternative courses of action (q. 3, p. 109) – The first course of action would be to intimate Complex parts of its shortcomings. Having done this, the next step would be to downgrade its classification. Complex parts should then be provided an ultimatum, failing which it would cease to exist as a supplier. The ultimatum would be to meet certain set standards over the next quarter. This course of action would be taken because of the longstanding relationship with Complex parts, which was proactive – The second and obvious course of action would be to terminate Complex parts as a supplier. Since there are 2 other suppliers who are capable of delivering the needed product, this move would make sense. However this would mean severing a relationship of ten years. – The third alternative would be to reduce the quantity sourced from Complex parts, sourcing the balance on a trial basis from either of the two capable suppliers. This move would provide an objective assessment of the new supplier as well as Complex parts. In addition Complex parts would be provided with an ultimatum, failing which it would cease to exist as a supplier. Recommendation: – Intimate Complex parts of the shortcomings. Provide a set of standards to be adhered to within the next quarter. Make it explicitly clear that any shortfalls in set standards would lead to Complex parts being terminated as a supplier. Short term implications for Deere: (Q4, p. 109) Possibilty of costs increasing due to expedited deliveries – Possibility of increased costs in new product development programs due to Complex parts' failure to meet estimated costs – Cost escalation because of a delay in receiving quotes – Possibility of a further fall in quality of Complex parts because of its not implementing the Deere quality plan at its new facility – Possibility of a frayed relationship as a result of the ultimatum – N eed to keep a continuous watch on Complex parts to make sure standards are met. – A Continuous watch would mean extra costs for Deere Long term implications: ( Chapter 4, p. 95) – Provides an opportunity for Complex parts to get back to its previous high standards – Cost reductions because of continuing with a trusted partner – Early supplier involvement would continue, thereby profiting both. – Value engineering provided by Complex parts through its R team would reduce cost and improve quality – The proactive approach of Complex parts would reduce new product development time – Change management would be easily implemented – Alliance development would be initiated

Fedex External Environment

FedEx External Environment Audit 1. How is the industry structured? The industry is defined by NAICS as the logistics, transportation, and related business services. This is a very broad definition because it doesn’t define the main function of the business, which is express delivery and shipping that includes a wide range of services for both businesses and consumers. FedEx offers express delivery, ground, and freight shipping, in domestic and international markets. The most important dominant economic traits of the express delivery and shipping industry are: Market Size and Growth * The express delivery and shipping industry is $189B with a growth rate of 0. 1% globally. Although there has been a -2% decline in the industry in the U. S. , there is a tremendous amount of potential growth in the developing and international markets. The shipping services industry could be classified as being in the mature stage of the industry life cycle since the main focus is increasing mark et share and increasing cash flow. Future growth is dependent on the penetration and development of new markets. -Degree of Product Differentiation Companies within the industry are differentiated by price, the markets they serve, reliability, and speed. Smaller firms who serve local segments are differentiated by the custom and personalized level of service. Larger firms who serve the global segment are differentiated by price, guaranteed delivery, and service. Price is a major factor for e-commerce businesses relying on the price of shipping and delivery times. Prices for shipping smaller individual packages are similar, but companies who ship in high volume get a break. Although there is some loyalty, price is a determining factor for businesses. Scope of competitive rivalry/number of rivals * A few major players in the shipping industry dominate the world market. FedEx, UPS, DHL, and USPS hold 67% of the market share who ship worldwide and within the U. S. Larger firms have an a dvantage based on brand recognition and the wide range of services they offer. Penetrating into international markets with growing economies will create an opportunity for larger firms to grow. -Number of buyers * Demand for express deliveries is dependent upon the health of the global economy and the growth of e-commerce.As the economy grows, so does the demand for shipment of products to consumers and other businesses. As the economy slows down, so do the number of businesses using shipping and freight services to deliver products. During a recession, businesses shut down, and consumers stop spending buying products online, which directly effects the number of items being shipped. -Economies of scale * Larger firms tend to have more â€Å"hubs,† which are local sorting facilities for packages before reaching their final destinations, which creates efficiency in the delivery process, as well as reaching more locations that smaller companies cannot.Economies of scale also hel ps with various costs, such as fuel, which is a major cost in the shipping and freight industries. 2. What is competition like? What forces are at work? According to Porter’s 5-forces model, express delivery and shipping industry is very competitive. The five forces are listed in order from strongest to weakest. -Intensity of rivalry => Very Strong Intensity of rivalry among current competitors is extremely high to increase market share. The large firms, such as FedEx and UPS, must consistently compete in price, service, reliability, and implement new technologies to improve the efficiency of shipment.Cost of fuel has risen 6. 8% from 2011 which is the main operating expense in the industry and is difficult for firms to pass on the cost to the customers due to low switching costs. Margins remain low making it very competitive to maintain the volume of shipment and avoiding price wars. -Bargaining Power of Suppliers => Strong The main suppliers would be the oil companies who s upply fuel and the suppliers of human resources, which are the employees. Although these are not direct suppliers in the conventional sense, they do have a significant impact on the day-to-day functions.Global supplies and demands of fuel directly impact its cost, which is the main variable effecting margin of the industry. The human capital of its workforce directly affects the efficiency of its daily functions and the reliability that consumers depend on. Employees have power bargaining power by possibly going on strike which could bring deliveries to a halt. In that sense it, employees have a strong bargaining power and could demand higher pay, increase in benefits, and better working conditions. -Bargaining Power of Buyers => StrongLarge shipping companies depend more on businesses that use who ship products in high volume. The switching costs can be very little to practically nothing, causing the industry to lack brand loyalty. Customers can easily switch over to a competitor w ho offers service that’s slightly cheaper or at a faster speed. Firms rely on businesses and e-commerce for their own industry to be profitable. -Threat of New Entrants => Weak Threat of new entrants is low. The cost of fixed assets to be competing in the industry is extremely high. It would cost billions of dollars to obtain the proper number of airplanes, trucks, and software.This would also require billions of dollars in fuel cost, maintenance, and human capital to operate properly. It would also be difficult for a new entrant to gain market share due to the high brand recognition of the industry leaders making it difficult to differentiate them in a substantial way. Even with economies of scale, profit margins are very narrow making it difficult to gain a profit. Distribution and number of â€Å"hubs† would be difficult to match. -Threat of Substitutes => Weak There isn’t really a substitute that can take the place of physically moving products from one plac e to another.In the past, the internet has replaced mail and delivery for the transfer of documents and funds. Value- net analysis reveals various complements could help differentiate firms from one another. Additional services for businesses with marketing materials and packaging would help firms to increase business for their customers. In conclusion, this is an extremely competitive industry. Although there is no threat of substitutes for this type of service, it is a very difficult industry to profit and compete in. 3. What trends are driving changes in the industry? Trends that are causing changes in the industry are: Increased globalization of the industry (+) * Businesses are becoming more globalized and penetrating into international markets will be key to the growth of the industry. There is an increase of businesses in developing countries and there is an increase in e-commerce. -Increasing fuel cost (-) * Fuel is the biggest cost in the express delivery industry and many recent global supply problems have increased the costs. Political uprisings in the Middle East, and threats of war across the region affect supply. Major price fluctuations cut into profits. -Going green (+) Many countries and industries have been pushing the green efforts. Car and truck companies have been producing electric and hybrid vehicles that can significantly reduce the cost of fuel. The long-term savings will outweigh the short-term cost of replacing and updating vehicles to hybrids. -Increased competition and regulation in new markets (-) * Government owned express delivery service providers usually monopolize the industry in the country and can impose regulations to prevent private and foreign companies to do business, or even impose strict customs processes. -Businesses switching to online models (+) More businesses are switching to online models to reduce inventory and overhead costs. With the increase of the number of people with access to computers and the Internet, new markets are appearing with the ability to purchase online. Businesses have increased their online presence, and offer online purchasing and even mobile apps for convenience. This increases the number of shipments direct from warehouses to customers, and creates a dependence on shipping services. The trends are mostly positive suggesting that the future of the expressing shipping services industry is likely to increase, yet will be very competitive.

Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill and the Politics at Play Essay

Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill and the Politics at Play - Essay Example The Associated Press recently published an article on the same, in which they indicated an estimated rate of flow of oil from these Taylor wells at 20 times higher than what previous estimates indicated. In an attempt to estimate the impact of this oil spill, Rice observes that there is a significant decrease in the number of sperm whales seen in this area, which implies that there is no food within this area for the whales to feed on, hence their disappearance. The truth is that this phenomenon points to the fact that the ecosystem within this area is slowly disappearing, and the few whales often seen are just on a hunting spree.The core of this issue is that while the government seems to be passive about tackling this issue, a great chunk of marine life is under threat in the Gulf of Mexico. My concern, as an environmentalist, is not only directed to the ocean life, but to the health of the people whose lives depend on fishing from the water around this place. The economic effects of this pollution are immense. While cleaning this mess would have been cheaper and easier say 10 years ago, the water expanse covered by this spilled oil this far is big, and the value of oil lost to date is also much.Additionally, the studies and results available so far on the effects of this oil spillage is still a fragment of the actual impact. Complete details about the level of environmental degradation may never get to the public very soon, and the long-term effects on the health of the Gulf are still a mystery.

Athletic Affiliation and Violence Against Women Essay

Athletic Affiliation and Violence Against Women - Essay Example I agree with Sunday's findings in that culture plays a large role in determining the frequency of rape. I would argue that females have very little representation in high-level sport, so there is somewhat of a gender imbalance here. Sanday lists the three main causes as violence, male domination, and gender segregation. Sports such as football and hockey are violent enough already, but they also encourage male domination. Finally, females are not equally represented in these environments. If they are, in the case of football, then they are likely to be cheerleaders, which once again fulfill a stereotype that they are only there for entertainment and the pleasure of the players. Although violence against women can occur in all aspects of society, it is more likely to occur in sports because of the pressure.  Females are not equally represented in these environments. If they are, in the case of football, then they are likely to be cheerleaders, which once again fulfill a stereotype t hat they are only there for entertainment and the pleasure of the players. Although violence against women can occur in all aspects of society, it is more likely to occur in sports because of the pressure.

Comparison the education between saudi arabia and usa Essay

Comparison the education between saudi arabia and usa - Essay Example About 90 percent of Saudi nationals are Arabs† (Saudi Arabia). Because of these huge differences between these two countries, the educational system in these two countries is also different. This paper compares the educational system between Saudi Arabia and USA. The education in Saudi Arabia and the USA are similar in terms of government spending on education, freedom to choose the school and education for people with special needs, while differ in terms of attitude towards education, literacy rate, religion in school, gender roles, grading scales, and stages of education (Stevenson) America is one of the most advanced countries in the world which reflected in their educational system also. Historically, Christians are keener in providing better education to their children whereas Muslims are not much keener in providing education to their children, especially to the females. These differences in attitude towards education are reflected in the social life of these two countrie s. While most of the Americans are going to the schools and colleges irrespective of the gender differences, in Saudi Arabia, women are not much interested in getting educated because of the social systems prevailing there. The Saudi Arabian curriculum is mostly dominated by the Religious beliefs and the influence of religion can be witnessed at every corner in Saudi Arabian educational systems.

Cancer Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Cancer - Essay Example Thyroid hormones are essential for the regulation of blood pressure, heart rate, metabolism and temperature of body, influences nervous system, muscular system and other systems as well. Regulation of the hormone produced by this gland may result in hyperthyroidism (Graves' Disease) or hypothyroidism. Thyroid cancer is considered as an uncommon type of cancer. Thyroid cancer is categorized into four groups encompassing papillary, medullary, follicular and anaplastic thyroid cancers. Lumps or masses grow in thyroid which are benign in ninety-five percent of cases. There is always a propensity that they may spread to other body parts if remain untreated (Web. "Thyroid Cancer", n.d.). Epidemiology The American Cancer Society reveals that around 17,200 cases of thyroid cancer appear each year, this number contributes to 1 percent of all the cancer cases prevalent in United States. Women are considered to be three times more prone to display the symptoms of thyroid cancer as compared to m en. Problems related to thyroid hormone is common in teenagers, adolescents and younger individuals, but thyroid cancer is known to develop at the age of over 50 years (Web. "Thyroid Cancer", n.d.). Worldwide estimations reveal that more than 862,000 individuals diagnosed with thyroid cancer in 2003 were alive in 2008 (Web."Thyroid cancer incidence statistics", n.d.). Genetic-associated risk factors: chromosome(s)/gene(s) involved Genes are responsible for the metabolism of the organism, they control the functions of the cells. Cancers initially progress from the normal cells and gradually gain the potential to multiply unusually and ultimately become malignant. These malignant cells proliferate clonally and form tumors which in due course impend to turn metastatic. Cancer, also known as malignant neoplasm, the hallmark characteristic involves uncontrolled proliferation of cells. Under normal conditions cell grow, divide and die, but in cancer cells the defect takes place at the gen e level leading to the formation of an abnormal DNA. As genes are the basic control machine of the cell, alteration of any kind may bring devastating consequences, or malignancy. Autosomal dominance inheritance of mutated gene (only single cope) could lead to thyroid cancer, although its prevalence is only 1 percent. The inheritance of defective gene could be estimated with genetic testing. Medullary thyroid cancer (MTC) contributes to 5 percent of thyroid cancers. Genetic conditions playing role in inheritance of MTC are multiple endocrine neoplasia (MEN) 2A, 2B as well as familial medullary thyroid carcinoma (FMTC). On the other hand, papillary and follicular thyroid cancers contribute to 90 percent of all thyroid cancers (Web. "The Genetics of Thyroid Cancer", 2011). Risk factors other than genetics Risk factors enhances the chance of developing cancer. In most of the cases, thyroid cancers are sporadic. About 10 percent of the thyroid cancers are inherited (5 percent papillary, and follicular, while 25 percent MTC). Other risk factors involve gender (women are more prone), age (2/3 of the cases are reported between 20 and 55 years), while anaplastic thyroid cancer is reported after 60 years of age. Radiation exposure (X-ray treatment to treat tonsillitis), exposure to radioactive iodine in childhood days enhance the chances of papillary and follicular thyroid cancers. Low iodine in diet may also cause thyroid cancer (Web. "Thyroid Cancer- Risk Factors", 2013). Symptoms Typical

Risk Profile for a Hotel Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Risk Profile for a Hotel - Essay Example Basic step to embark upon this issue is to make an inventory of all possible reasons that are directly or indirectly influencing the performance of the business and then try to mitigate them. This essay mainly concentrates on a casino hotel -------------------- (name one hotel nearby your domicile); various risks involved with it and the ways adopted by management to overcome these issues. 1) Structural Risk: It includes risk associated with the firm itself. Security issue is one of the major parts of it. Guests must be secured enough from any sort of criminal activities inside the hotel. A single anti-peace incident may fall down its market. To overcome it to a great extend, casino has its own security employees. They take care of any such violence in the premises and also special weapon checking facility has been implemented. Next comes risk linked with cheating and theft. As it's related to gambling games so, cheating is obvious. Management needs to observe closely whether any of their customer or hotel itself is getting cheated or not. 2) Growth Risk: Risks arising from expected future performance is related to growth risk.

Company Case Notes Payless Shoe Source Assignment

Company Case Notes Payless Shoe Source - Assignment Example The essay "Company Case Notes Payless Shoe Source" talks about the Payless Shoes on the fashion market. It was in 1995 that Payless Shoes made drastic changes in its marketing mix and pricing strategy. With fierce competition from Wal-Mart, Payless focused on collaborating with well known marketing developers and designers to target the young women. As the company launched branded shoes, it shifted from its previous EDLP (everyday low pricing) strategy to offer shoes at prices as high as $60, thus selling at higher prices than Wal-Mart and other low price stores. Psychological pricing is the strategy of taking advantage of customers’ emotional responses to products with different prices. It is a strategy adopted by most retailers who fix their product prices at odd amounts like $1.99. It gives the customers illusion that the price is closer to $1 whereas in reality it is as good as equal to $2. Since Payless has to sustain their market share within growing competition from gia nt retailers like Wal-Mart therefore it has increased their price by collaborating with branded shoes Aerosport, Airwalk, American Eagle, Dexter Comfort, and so on (â€Å"Payless: All Brands†). In order to refrain from shocking the customers with sudden increase of prices, the common tactics could have been the above mentioned psychological pricing strategy. However, Payless did not pay attention to this and did not implement any such strategies. Payless shoes targets the young women to sell stylish and fashionable shoes at affordable prices.

Nonprofit Sports Marketing Plan Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

Nonprofit Sports Marketing Plan - Assignment Example It is evidently clear from the discussion that UBA will be operating mainly for the population of Saipan. However, it plans to continue on its success, of organizing inter-Island tournaments. The main target market will be students of public schools who do not get enough opportunities to play high-quality Basketball. UBA plans to build a reputation and differentiate itself from its customer on the basis of its officials and referees. The capital expenditure is nonexistent for UBA thus risk associated with UBA will be very low. With dedication and expertise, UBA will grow into a nonprofit brand which is the symbol of Basketball in Saipan. With the advent of consumerism, a phenomenon not new to the human race has surfaced once again. As a result of capitalism, we live in a society which doesn’t give equal opportunities to everyone; some of our brightest talents are wasted because of a lack of opportunities. Thus the need arises for organizations which would compensate for this i nequality by providing free services to the young minds of tomorrow. Ventures such as these are not only an act of philanthropy, bringing our society together in an act of charity but also entrepreneurial in nature. They create jobs thus reduce unemployment and add to the GDP. Team sports are the basic tool in the upbringing of any child. They instill the basic sense of loyalty that is necessary to a tribal being such as humans. They provide the basic training in how to live in a society, how to belong to something else outside your own personality and a home. This is a feeling which later develops into nationalism and humanity. A very famous team sport is Basketball. With millions of diehard fans in America now the game is expanding fast to other nations of the world. Recently it became part of the Olympics as well. Basketball requires the players to display accuracy, strength, agility, and guile for success.

The Effect of Non-Financial Compensation Essay Example for Free

The Effect of Non-Financial Compensation Essay The Effect of Financial and Non Financial Compensation to the Employee Performance Arik Prasetya†  and Masanori Kato Graduate School of Asia Pacific Studies, Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University Beppu-shi, Oita-ken, Japan Abstract This study aims (1) to examine the employee responses in terms of their performance to an implementation of the compensation policy that includes both financial and non financial compensations, (2) to analyze the influence of both financial and nonfinancial compensation collectively and individually. This research was conducted at PT. Telkom Malang Regional Office, by a proportional random sampling technique with the sample size of 57 employees. The results of the descriptive statistical analysis of financial and nonfinancial compensation showed that the compensation policy of PT. Telkom Malang Regional Office is in line with expectations of employees. Based on the results of multiple regression analysis, there are significant influences of financial and nonfinancial compensation to the employee performance. However it was noted that promotion did not influence the employee performance in this company. Keywords: financial compensation, salary, incentive, non financial compensation, promotion, employee performance INTRODUCTION Job performance is influenced by many factors. According to Kreitner and Kinicki (2007), performance management is â€Å"continuous cycle of improving job performance with goal setting, feedback and coaching, and rewards and positive reinforcement†. In this study the focus was given to compensation scheme. An investigation was conducted at PT. Telkom Malang Regional Office to see how such factors of compensation scheme affect job performance of the employees. The question that prompted the current investigation was What degrees at which the salary, incentives, benefits, promotion, self-development, and work environment collectively or individually have influence on employee performance? . Compensation Compensation is one of the physical needs that influence motivation which in turn will affect the employee performance. Providing appropriate compensation within the meaning of fair and adequate to meet the requirements is one of the personnel department functions that are difficult to implement. Compensation includes the financial returns to the services renered by employees as part of employment relationships. Compensation is a form of rewards that flow to employees arising from their employment (Dessler, 1995). Compensation has a big influence in the recruitment of employees, motivation, productivity and employee turnover (Bernardin Russell, 1993). The level and magnitude of compensation should be of concern because the level of compensation will determine the lifestyle, self esteem, and the value of the company. Cascio (1991) describes that the principles that must be considered in granting effective compensation are: a. The principle of fairness, taking into account the ratio between the highest and lowest salaries, cost of living, and so forth. b. The principle of justice, where there should be a good element of justice in connection with the element of working time and job performance.

Pulp Fiction By Quentin Tarantino | Analysis

Pulp Fiction By Quentin Tarantino | Analysis If you take no pleasure in popular culture, with all its manic excesses, then you are likely to be bewildered and even offended, by Quentin Tarantinos extraordinary film, Pulp Fiction. Tarantino unapologetically enjoys popular culture at the same time that he satirizes it. Unfortunately, he also seems to specialize in violence. Still, taken on its own terms, Pulp Fiction is a rare accomplishment; it opens a new aesthetic horizon in film. Like Van Goghs sunflowers, the ordinary suddenly takes on a striking vibrancy; from the dazzling title colors on, it is easy to recognize the artist, but almost impossible to imagine how one could imitate him. Tarantino, a one-time video store clerk, now the hottest director in Hollywood, has memory banks packed with movies and he draws on some of the most ordinary to create something brilliantly original. This is no experimental film of intellectual pretensions and high-brow obscurantism. Pulp Fiction has built a cult following, even as its mother-f reaking language and graphic violence offends others. Violence in film is a serious matter, and for some people an inexcusable offense. They can see no justification for the scene in which John Travoltas character accidentally blows a young mans brains out. Even worse for those concerned about film violence, most of the audience laughed despite the spatter of blood and brain tissue and with spontaneous amusement, not the nervous hysteria often heard at horror films. The violence of Pulp Fiction is essential to its aesthetic; though he knew that many would complain, Tarantino meant the audience to laugh. Deliberately violating the conventions of action-violence films, Tarantino re-imagines stylized moments of violence and exaggerates them until they are almost surrealistic. Then he creates dialogue that leads up to the violence and then away from it. When most directors would be building tension and suspense, Tarantino has his killers chatting. When most directors would cut away from the violence, Tarantino stays with the aftermath. And he has achieved something I would have thought impossible; he has made violence humorous by doing it tongue-in-cheek and the tongue has a stud in it. Tarantinos film garnered top honors at the Cannes Film Festival but will probably pay for its punkness at the Oscars. Its box office success, however, should comfort the many aspiring Hollywood directors who dream of doing something different. But they will not find it easy to follow in Tarantinos tracks. His film is put together with touch, spin, and nuance, and then goes off in your face like a letter bomb. What Tarantino has crafted in this film can be best appreciated in the performance he has extracted from John Travolta. In 1977, Travolta gave his unforgettable portrayal of the cock-of-the-walk dancer in Saturday Night Fever. Far from a natural dancer, he nonetheless gave a heart-winning performance. Ever since then, he has been fighting the battle of the bulge and trying with less and less success to prove that he can act. One might have concluded that he was too old, too fat, and too far over the hill for Pulp Fiction. But it turns out that he is brilliantly cast in the film; everything wrong about him is right for this part. In his early-forties he still has a teenagers winning vulnerability. His broad mouth and high cheek bones are now bejowled but there is still a promise of sensuality in that ruined face. His appealing and familiar presence brings just the feel of movie nostalgia Tarantino wanted. Travolta plays a laid back, get-along kind of guy who is living a depraved and drug-addicted life as a paid killer, but has an astonishingly innocent soul, as do most of Tarantinos low-life characters. This innocence in depravity is Pulp Fictions central theme. It keeps the film from being an exercise in sado-masochistic perversity; it is the source of its humor and its creative energy. The film title Pulp Fiction harks back to the 30s and 40s when newsstands featured an array of monthly short story magazines. Among the most popular were those about hard-nosed private investigators. Written by such authors as Dashiell Hammet, Raymond Chandler, and James M. Cain, these stories were the forerunners of dark, city crime movies that became film noir. Pulp fiction stories typically began in the front of the magazine, competing for the readers attention, and were then continued in the back. Tarantino, though not old enough to remember this genre of pulp fiction, has put his film together as if he had that structure in mind. We begin with one short story: a hopped-up British couple (Amanda Plummer and Tim Roth) deciding to rob the coffee shop where they are having breakfast. Before they do, we turn the page a dark screen to the next story of Travolta and Jackson going off to retrieve a mysterious briefcase and to kill some drug dealers who didnt pay off their boss. Then another dark screen to the childhood of the Bruce Willis character who grows up to be the boxer who refuses to throw the fight. Unlike the old pulp fiction magazines, the triptych of stories eventually comes together as the seemingly disparate plots are interwoven by coincidence and by Tarantinos central theme. Because the film is set in Los Angeles, its anthology structure may of course owe much more to Robert Altmans Shortcuts or to his brilliant Nashville than to pulp fiction magazines. But Tarantinos borrowings are no defect. He is winking at his audience; he wants them to be aware of his references. The more they recognize the more they will enjoy the texture of his tapestry. It is because John Travolta carries so much baggage that he is so wonderful in this film. Moreover, everything Tarantino borrows is a clichà © that has been given an original spin. Pulp Fiction takes the dead genre of film noir and gives it new life. Finally, Tarantinos startling humor takes his film beyond anything he has drawn from others. Tarantinos interweaving of his three stories complicates the linear time structure of each plot. The most surprising result is that the Travolta character is killed only to reappear in the final scene of the movie, which took place earlier and is presented out of sequence. Once you figure out the puzzle, it becomes clear that Tarantino is playing with convention rather than rejecting or deconstructing it. Tarantinos entire film is playful, but he is playing with the imaginary world of film, not with reality itself. There can be no doubt that the self-taught Tarantino intends to shock his audience. The many scenes of graphic violence testify to that. European film-makers are concerned that violence in American film is pornography that appeals to the lowest common denominator and, like American fast food, is destroying the taste for better things. Some psychologists believe that film and TV violence teach Americas young people to be violent, or at the very least, inure them to real-life violence. Perhaps most troubling is the idea that graphic violence, like pornography, exploits an appetite in our basest instincts that degrades rather than edifies. Many people are refusing to see this film and a surprising number of my middle-aged friends report that their teenage children love it but have warned them they will hate the film. These reactions to the violence are too important to be dismissed, but I do not believe that Tarantino has dismissed them. His film exploits violence but as the jury at Can nes recognized he is neither lacking in moral sensibility nor, even though he wallows in popular culture, is he a Philistine. If violence is a form of pornography, then like pornography it presents the same problem of line-drawing between exploiting our passions and edifying them. But as our modern courts have recognized, it is necessary to go beyond that simple categorical distinction and ask whether an admittedly exploitive work of art has redeeming social value. When Shakespeare wrote Hamlet and King Lear, he intended to exploit his audiences violent passions as well as to edify them. There is, after all, a great deal of violence, even graphic violence, in Lear remember out vile jelly as Cornwall gouges out Gloucesters eyes on stage. The greatest works of Western Civilization mock those who count graphic violence as ipso facto unredeemable exploitation. This is not to say that Tarantino intends to redeem the violence; if anything, he seems to be mocking the arbiters of good taste with his wicked humor. This is most blatant, not in the scenes of violence, but in the quirky introduction to the Bruce Willis/boxer story. Christopher Walken, an actor who will be remembered for his Oscar-winning performance in Deer Hunter (a Vietnam war-film), makes a brief appearance in Pulp Fiction as a former Vietnam POW. He has come to deliver his dead cellmates gold watch to the young boy who never knew his father. The Walken character begins to tell the boy what happened to his father in standard heroic pulp fiction rhetoric, but then veers perversely into a description of the intestinal orifice where the father hid the watch, and the intestinal disorders that complicated its concealment. It is an account that no sane adult would give a child and a scene right out of a graffiti imagination. Other directors are capable of imagining such graffiti, but Tarantino was brash enough to keep it in his film. Like all toilet graffiti it can be understood as an example of adolescent bad taste and Tarantino knows that. It is gross, it is inappropriate, it is irreverent, and one can understand why the younger generation would be warning off their fuddy-duddy parents. Yet even this heavy-handed moment belongs in the film. The scene begins as a patriotic-die-for-your-country clichà © in which the reality of how the gold watch survived would have been unimagined. Tarantinos script takes up the challenge of an explanation and as he veers into scatology, he gives the finger to the false norm of noble death in all such war clichà ©s. But Tarantino is interested less in making an anti-war gesture than in doing a send-up of a movie clichà ©. Similarly, this is not an anti-violence film . It is a send up of movie violence. One astute teenage critic remarked that Tarantino learned something from his first film, Reservoir Dogs. All the guys in her high school loved the macho violence but there was not much in this male-oriented film for her and her female friends. Despite its violence and male orientation, Pulp Fiction has something for the female gender, particularly the scenes between Travolta and Uma Thurman. This teenage critic and her girl friends especially enjoyed the episode in which the Travolta character is required to entertain the black crime boss white wife (Uma Thurman). The previous man charged with this task had given her a foot massage; the boss took umbrage and had the massager thrown out of a four-story window. The Travolta-Thurman episode quickly turns into an over-the-top parody of a blind date. Travolta prepares himself by going to his drug dealer for a batch of the ultimate hit a mixture of cocaine and heroin that only a seasoned addict could tolerate. Travolta mainlines the stuff the way a nervous guy might take a drink to boost his confidence before a date. Meanwhile, Uma Thurman is sniffing cocaine, not because shes uneasy, but because she is a man-eater whetting her appetite. Thurman takes Travolta to a dance contest where they do the twist, to the delight of Saturday Night Fever fans. Tarantinos elaborate set features vintage 50s convertibles as booths, pop culture look-alikes as servers, top-of-the-charts music, all of it so extravagant in its evocation of nostalgia as to be unreal. The scene is somehow true to the spirit of Pulp Fiction, a film that parodies popular culture without ever condescending to those who take pleasure in it. The Travolta/Thurman blind date has clever dialogue, the twist is a trip, and the sexual tension escalates as they tango back into her home at the end of the evening. But while Travolta is in the toilet (it turns out he is always in the toilet at critical moments) Thurman finds his drug stash, snorts it, and overdoses. Instead of a sexual conclusion, the evening ends with a slapstick resuscitation involving a huge syringe stuck in her sternum. In this funny and surreal scene it becomes clear that Travolta and his low-life friends are playing overaged adolescents. Indeed the whole film has the spirit, energy, and sensibility of adolescence. No wonder teenagers love it. Although Tarantino wants to shock us with violence, his film is politically correct. There is no nudity and no violence directed against women; in fact a man, the crime boss, gets raped and the only essentially evil people in the film are two sadistic honkies straight out of Deliverance who do the raping. The film celebrates interracial friendship and cultural diversity; there are strong women and strong black men, and the director swims against the current of class stereotype. It is the British couple who, out of place in Los Angeles in the very first scene, fill the sound track with British-accented mother fuckers. Amanda Plummer, who was born to play Ophelia, does a crazed Honey Bunny to Tim Roths Pumpkin. They are two waifs holding hands in the storm of their strung-outness on drugs and their hare-brained career of sticking up liquor stores. The juxtaposition of their lost teddy bear attachment to each other with their nervous trigger-finger desperation establishes Tarantinos tone of innocence in depravity. Samuel Jackson, who will best be remembered as the drug-addicted older brother in Spike Lees Jungle Fever, sustains that tone as Travoltas hit-man partner. His presence on the screen is a match for Travolta; he has a face that looks different in every camera angle and he radiates strength. These professional killers engage first in an earnest discussion about the European nomenclature of American fast foods and then a subtle analysis of the sexual si gnificance of the foot massage as they make their way to the apartment where they will kill three men. The Jackson character miraculously eludes a point-blank fusillade of bullets. As they leave, they debate whether he was saved by divine intervention or simple luck. Jackson, who quotes from Ezekiel to spellbinding effect when he kills people, suddenly understands his Biblical text in a quite different way. As it turns out, his life and perhaps if it is possible for a killer his soul will be saved by this epiphany. This theme of redemption is present in each of the three stories. Willis as Butch the boxer rescues his would-be killer, the black crime boss, from the honkey rapists. Butch, who was to be their next victim, has the opportunity to escape, but goes back. Redeemed by this act of solidarity, he is forgiven by the crime boss for not throwing the fight and is sent on his way. The British couple are also saved. They try to rob Jackson who has ended up in the restaurant where the film began. He has drawn his gun under the table and could easily blow them both away. Instead, in the spirit of justice and honor that prevails among the low-lifes in this film, Jackson does the right thing. He stares the amateur criminals down, letting them take his own money but not the mysterious briefcase that he is dutifully returning to the crime boss. We believe that the strung-out British couple are capable of a killing rampage in the restaurant Amanda Plummer is a remarkable sight standing on a restaurant table screaming obscenities and waving a Saturday-night special. We also know that the day before Jackson would have killed them without blinking an eye, and that he will have to kill them today if they try to take the boss briefcase. Instead Jackson sends the couple peacefully out of the restaurant clutching each other and a trash bag filled with stolen money. But the best scenes involve Jackson and Travolta. When they are not killing, they are like college sophomores, one black, one white both amateur philosophers eager to share their ideas and experiences. Tarantinos ingenious dialogue humanizes their homocidal partnership. The improbable juxtaposition of their earnest dialogue and the violence is the stylistic twist that allows us to laugh at the spatter of brains and blood in the backseat of their car. Travolta reacts like a teenager unjustly blamed by his buddy for accidentally spilling the beer. And like children of over-indulgent parents, they have no idea how to clean up the mess. Yes, they seem oblivious to the fact that a person has been killed. In that light their conversation is ludicrous. But this absurd dialogue unexpectedly transforms the meaning of the violence clichà ©. If Tarantino wanted to defend his film, this is where he could make his strongest arguments. Pulp Fiction unmasks the macho myth by making it laughable and deheroicizes the power trip glorified by standard Hollywood violence. But Tarantino is irreverent, not didactic. He goes from Road-Runner cartoon-violence humor in the Bruce Willis segment to whips and chain homosexual rape that silences the laughter. Tarantino will stop at nothing and yet never loses control. He dives into a nightmare and comes up with something funny, taking his audience up and down with him. Though Tarantino thinks his screenplay is funny, and would be disappointed if no one laughed, he doesnt consider Pulp Fiction a comedy. He is quite right; but if you dont get the studded tongue-in-cheek humor, you may not li ke this extraordinary movie.

Euthanasia - An Immoral Act Essay -- Euthanasia, Argumentative Essay

Euthanasia - An Immoral Act Should an individual be allowed to choose assisted suicide with the help of a physician, or be forced to follow their theological beliefs of the dominant religion they practice when life seems pointless? The choice of whether to live or not live is directly influenced by the decision to indulge in a process characterized as â€Å"physician assisted suicide† or simply called Euthanasia. Many people believe it is solely left upon God to determine when death should occur, but some people believe that a doctor has the right to take their life and help the patient destroy it. In this paper I will be discussing what euthanasia is, how it affects the patients life, and the implication it has on the religious community as an unmoral act.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   One may wonder why in the end to choose euthanasia as a means to deliberately end their life. Some individuals live in excessive chronic pain, some due to poverty or lack of health-care coverage and cannot afford pain-killing medication. Others are denied adequate painkillers because of their physician's lack of knowledge and or inadequate training. They have a terminal illness where disease has adversely affected their quality of life to the point where they no longer wish to continue living. Some have lost their independence and must be cared for continually or simply they realize that they will be dying in the near future and simply want to have total control over the process. But whatever the case may be, the people who decide to commit suicide are unable to accomplish the act alone. They need assistance from their physician to assist the suicide and help them die under conditions in which they wish. Euthanasia includes the Passive and Active action of death. Passive Euthanasia can be defined as the hastening death of a person by altering some form of support and letting nature take its course. This can happen either by removing life support equipment, stopping medical procedures, stopping food and water and allowing the person to dehydrate or starve to death. The most common form of passive euthanasia is to give patients large doses of morphine to control pain. Such doses of these painkillers have a dual effect of relieving pain and hastening death and are mostly performed on terminally ill people in a persistent vegetative state.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Another type of euthanasia is Active Euthanasia, wh... ...y hastening the hour of death, should be able to accept it with full responsibility and dignity,†(Declaration of Euthanasia). Works Citied Bohr, David. Catholic Moral Tradition. Indiana: Our Sunday Visitor, (1999): 149- 55., 309-18. â€Å"Catechism of the Catholic Church on Assisted-Suicide.† 2276 – 79., 2280-83 Edmund D. Pellegrino, Evangelium Vitae, â€Å"Euthanasia, and Physician Assisted Suicide.† D.C.: Georgetown University Press, (1997): 240. â€Å"Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide.† International Task Force.  © 1996 – 2004 â€Å"Euthanasia.† The Verbal Battle over Euthanasia.† Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance.  © 1997 to 2001 http://www.religioustolerance.org/ O’Connell, Timothy. Principles For A Catholic Morality. New York: Harper Collins, (1990): 134-36. â€Å"On the Value and Inviolability of Human Life.† A papal encyclical dealing with life and death, also euthanasia. Rachels, James. The End of Life: The Morality of Euthanasia. New York : Oxford University Press, (1986) Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith. Declaration on Euthanasia. Boston: Pauline Books and Media, 1990. The Bible (King James Version). Michigan: Zondervan, 2000.

Dr. Meredith Belbin’s Team Roles Essay -- Business and Management Stud

Dr. Meredith Belbin’s Team Roles Biography of Dr. Meredith Belbin Dr. Meredith Belbin received his first degree in Classics and Psychology at Clare College in Cambridge. He obtained another degree for his doctoral dissertation on Old Workers in Industry. After completing his training at the Institute of Engineering Production at Birmingham and Research Fellowship at Cranfield, Dr. Belbin became a management consultant of many industries. When he came back to Cambridge, Dr. Belbin worked as a Chairman of the Industrial Training Research Unit and Director of the Employment Development Unit. Also, Dr. Belbin became the first lay member in Cambridgeshire of the Lord Chancellor’s Advisory Panel on the Appointment of Magistrates and Senior Associate of the Institute of Management Studies, in Cambridge. For three years he worked as a Visiting Professor in Leadership at Exeter. It was here, where Dr. Belbin produced a short program for entrepreneurs. Later on, he left his job to work at the University of Bristol. He was an External Examiner in Entrepreneurship and Engineering Management for MSc dissertations in that institution. Dr. Belbin wrote a lot of books on Management Teams. This is a list of books which he had written and when they were published:- 1. Why They Succeed Or Fall (1981) 2. The Job Promoters- A Journey To A New Profession (1990) 3. Team Roles At Work (1993) 4. The Coming Shape Of Organisation (1996) 5. Changing The Way We Work (1997) 6. Beyond The Team (2000) 7. Managing Without Power (2002) 8. The Origin and Future of Mind (2004) As a consultant, Dr. Belbin had provided number of advises to the OECD, the United States Department of Labour, the Commission of the EEC, many other manufacturing industries and public service businesses. When he was a lecturer and seminar leader, he had frequently visited various countries. Dr. Belbin became part of his family firm called, Belbin Associates. This is commonly known as producers of INTERPLACE. It is a computer-based Team-Role Advise System which offers advice on Human Resources management issues and it is used throughout the world. Team Roles Dr, Meredith Belbin was the founder of the Team Roles. His definition of a team role is, â€Å"a tendency to behave, contribute and interrelate with others in a particular way.† In 1981, Dr. Be... ...gning successful teams * It facilitates internal placement * It is effectively used for job evaluation Each team needs a leader to reach team goals and achieve the organisation’s objectives. Dr. Belbin identified two types of leaders:- 1. Solo Leader 2. Team Leader Solo Leader 1. Solo leader plays an unlimited role 2. The leader strives for conformity 3. Collects admirers and sycophants 4. Tells subordinate what to do 5. Plays everything and expect everyone to follow the plan Team Leader 1. Team leader plays a limited role 2. Builds on diversity 3. Seeks talent in the team 4. Develops colleagues 5. Creates missions Dr. Belbin reckons that there are two reasons for, why team leadership is becoming very popular throughout the global:- 1. â€Å"We are living in a world of increasing uncertainty where things are changing quite dramatically and often very quickly. One person can no longer understand all of this and provide the direction needed to cover every situation.† 2. â€Å"Team leadership is the only form of leadership that is acceptable in a society where power is shared and so many people are nearly equal.†

What Women Want: Then and Now :: The Wife of Bath’s Tale Essays

What Women Want: Then and Now 1. According to â€Å"The Wife of Bath’s Tale† and the story of Dame Ragnell, what is it that women most desire? Do you agree or disagree? Explain. According to these two tales, women desire sovereignty over their husbands, to be treated as masters over their love. Women wish to be given the ultimate say over whichever decisions might be brought into their household. They wish for their men to behave without arrogance and supremacy, to step to their every move in unison. We women simply ask that a man might think with his head and not with his ego, he should think about the impact his behavior has on us. I would agree to with this statement. However I think that is the nature of HUMAN desire to try to control everything surrounding us, to be able to think and decide on our own how something may affect us, and to decide whether or not our decisions will make our lives better or worse. Humans also like to have control over another and to be able to be so important to someone that no decision is ever made without your consultation. More often than not, even in contemporary culture, men dictate to the household what will be done because they make the money. Then, again as times have changed, this fact becomes fallacy and women have begun to step up to the plate, claiming this right for themselves. Women in the fourteenth century had almost no legal rights and were claimed as their husband’s property for dowry. Presently and thankfully, such tremendous circumstance is uncommon. What men do not understand is that women already have control over everything. They just hide it in subliminal messages so that the man will think any idea his own and find himself brilliant in his pronouncement of resolution. All the while the woman has been furtively planting the idea in his head. It is a matter of arrogance, if you ask me. Men need to feel as though they are the foundation of a family; they are the means by which it might survive. Women are sensible enough to understand this arrogance as a fact, and use it to work in their favor. Women know that so long as they propose the idea as their husband’s, the men will think it great. For example, pretend you need a girl’s night out.

The Advantages of Global Expansion Essay

Recent interviews of top international executives by the Myrddin Group in San Antonio have revealed they thought they could create value by transferring their business model and American style of product and marketing to foreign markets. Many initially treated foreign markets much like the United States but soon found that this was not the correct approach. Many American products drew big yawns in Europe and Asia where most of the successful products were local. These national differences in customer tastes and preferences require a change in approach to marketing. This requires a redefining of the actions managers can take to compete more effectively as an international business. The Advantages of Global Expansion Expanding globally allows a business to increase its profitability in ways not available to purely domestic businesses. Companies that operate internationally are able to: Expand the market for their product offerings by selling those products in international markets. Achieve location economies of scale by distributing value creation activities around the globe to where they can be performed most efficiently. Earn a higher rate of return by leveraging any expertise developed in overseas operations and shifting it to other parts of the company’s global operations. While this sounds simple, it is constrained by the need to customize products, marketing, and business strategy to each of the different national locations. Most multinationals started out by taking their goods or services and selling them internationally. Companies like Toyota for example found out that the small vehicles that were popular in Japan were not as popular in the US as the larger sized autos. They adjust ed their product strategy to the US market and enjoyed the ensuing growth in market share and profitability. McDonald’s adapted likewise in India where cattle are revered and the typical Big Mac was doomed as a product. Location Economies The same principle holds true for location economies. Due to differences in feature costs, certain countries have a comparative advantage in the  production of certain products. As an example, Japan might excel in the production of automobiles, the United States in the production of computer software, and China in the production of clothing. For a company attempting to prosper in a global market this might mean that it would benefit by basing every value creation activity it needs in the country where economic, political, and cost considerations are most conducive for that activity. For example, if the most productive labor force for assembly operations is in China then any assembly operations should be there. If the best marketers are in the US then the marketing plans should be developed in the US. Companies that use a strategy such as this can realize these location economies and in doing so they can lower the costs of value creation and arrive at a low-cost position. Advantages Faster growth: Firms that have operate internationally tend to develop at a much quicker pace than those operating locally Access to cheaper inputs: Operating internationally may enable the firm to source raw materials or labor at lower prices Increased quality and efficiency: Exposure to foreign competition will encourage increased efficiency. Doing business in the international market allows firms to improve the quality of their product in order to gain a competitive advantage. New market opportunities: International business presents firms with new market opportunities. These new markets provide more opportunities for expansion, growth, and income. A bigger market means more customers, increased revenue, a larger profit margin, and allows the business to realize economies of scale. Diversification: As the firm diversifies its market, it becomes less vulnerable to changes in local demand. This reduces wild swings in a company’s sales and profits. Disadvantages Increased costs: There are increased operating expenses including the establishment of facilities abroad, the hiring of additional staff, traveling of personnel, specialized transport networks, information and communication technology. Foreign regulations and standards: The firm may need to conform to new standards. This may require changes such as in the production process, inputs and packaging, incurring additional costs.  Delays in payments: International trade may cause delays in payments, adversely affecting the firm’s cash flow. Complex organizational structure: International business usually requires changes to the firms operating structure. Training/retraining of management may be necessary to facilitate restructuring.

Colonialism and Slavery

Colonialism and Slavery â€Å"l hate imperialism. I detest colonialism. And I fear the consequences of their last bitter struggle for life. We are determined, that our nation, and the world as a whole, shall not be the play thing of one small corner of the world. † (Sukarno) When it comes to taking over another country, the selfish reasons behind it cloud the minds of the colonizers into thinking that what they are doing is to the advantage of the victims.The lived experience of Okonkwo and Linda challenges the argument that defenders of colonialism and slavery made by proving that the colonizers trying to civilize and ring Christianity to the colonized countries worsened their lives instead of improving them by pushing out their culture and religion, and physically and mentally abusing them; through discovering the reasons for colonialism, then comparing them to the stories of Okonkwo and Linda the truth of what colonialism said it was doing and what it actually was doing to a colonized or slave person. There are many reasons why colonialism and slavery have thrived for many years.Westerners wanted to beat the competitor within the Western countries. White upremacy is a major advocate in the onslaught of colonialism. The idea of racial entitlement and genetic inferiority is what pushes the movement of imperialism. Blatantly narcissistic gauges of the worth of non-European peoples – skin color, fashions in or lack of clothing – receded in importance; measurements of cranial capacity, estimates of railway mileage, and the capacity for work, discipline, and marking time became the decisive criteria by which Europeans Judges other cultures and celebrated the superiority of their own. Adas, 146) Europeans considered all ther cultures â€Å"uncivilized† and wanted to bring to them the idea of modernity. No other culture lives up to the mindset of European culture and they know that and use that to their advantage.

Discretionary Fiscal Policy

The effect of time lags in discretionary fiscal policy in the economic growth and development by the congress and the president captures a broad economic phenomenon. A discretionary fiscal policy is the level of legislative parameters which are used as action policies for providing stimulus for the effect of control of economic recession. However, the most adequate system of recession control using discretionary fiscal policy relate to an estimation of the most adequate time period with which such recession period is to operate in so as to provide the most lucrative legislative tools.(http://www. cbo. gov/ftpdocs/89xx/doc8916/MainText. 4. 1. shtml) However, a problem exists in estimating the most appropriate economic periods between the upswings and the downswings which the congress and the president is to apply such policies. Since discretionary tools are only used to wave out the problem founded by economy in recession, the relevant stimulus which is a applied for such control are only time constrained and functional if the estimated states of recession is still in occupation.However, a problem mounts on when other various economic shocks which cause time differential hits the economy leading to subjective sub-optimal controls by the discretionary fiscal policies. Since, the status of the economy is difficult to access in terms of its length/span and the states of capacity and economic implication, the use of discretionary fiscal policy would therefore become difficult. (http://www. cbo. gov/ftpdocs/89xx/doc8916/MainText. 4. 1. shtml) Either, time lags are sensitive variables in defining the scope of economic stability.Generally, time lags may cause preferential economic instability where such tools used to overcome their effects become negatively implicating. Either, economic recession is purely a bad state which would even compromise economic stability. At recession, the state of GDP in terms of aggregate supply and also aggregate demand are usually not at equilibrium. When the tools for economic recession become counteractive, the state economic stability is therefore compromised. Misappropriated time lags lead to disequilibria in the economic markets. Reference Options for Responding to Short-Term Economic Weakness. Retrieved on 11th March 2008 form, http://www.cbo.gov/ftpdocs/89xx/doc8916/MainText.4.1.shtml

Eleven Minutes

‘’Eleven minutes â€Å"– Paulo Coelho It took many years gruelling quest before I found author whose style of writing is natural and real. Paulo Coelho is my favorite writer and like nobody else knows a way how to grab my attention. He is a Brazilian lyricist and novelist. His books have been translated in 71 languages. Critics identify him with phenomenon of mass culture. He is rated among the best writers of all time. For me he became a true authority and I dare say that for many also.I read almost all his works but especially one exerted a huge impression on me. ‘’Eleven minutes’’ originally â€Å"Onze minutos† was published in 2003 in 39 languages and until 2005 sold in 6 million copies. It is one from this books which has a powerful magnetizing effect on me. The novel tells a story about young woman Maria, her beauty attracted to men. She lives in the Brazilian province. We meet her as a child who dreams of a prince from fai ry tale and a quiet house overlooking the sea. Her first innocent contacts with love leave her heartbroken.As a teenager she already knew what suffering is and was living in the belief that love brings only pain and is not worth to worry about. She is confident that will never find true, pure love. After graduating school she found a job in a store with fabrics. Owner fell in love with her but these unpleasant experiences from the past cause that she was only guided by a desire to hold money. This contributed to the fact that Maria has used him and then went to Brazil. There she met a rich guy who offered her a job as a dancer at a nightclub in Switzerland.Excited girl thought that the fortune had smiled upon her and this trip will help her make a career and earn the money she has always dreamed of. But Maria soon discovers that the work is different than she had imagined. The salary was low and working conditions below her expectations. Also, the employer was a completely different man. She decided not to give up because only her stubbornness could help her achieve the desired success. She entered into an affair with a rich Arab. She began to neglect her duties as a dancer, which led to job losses.Unfortunately, as it used to be in the life of Maria her lover dumped the girl and with this left another deep wound in her heart. This unpleasant experience cemented her belief that love is nothing. She wanted to become a model but she didn’t succeed it because the man who had to take care of her career turned out to be only a man seeking a woman for one night. Deprived of all hopes and dreams were not wondered long and with the adoption of a proposal from a stranger a part of Maria’s soul died. After that fateful night she has been meditating on her life.She could not go home with nothing therefore she decided to follow the path she chose. Maria borrowed many books about sex and bought clothes that seemed relevant to her profession. She began looking for work which proved to be very easy. After the first, actually the second night she didn’t feel like her, she hasn’t thought about it and started to do it automatically like someone who is devoid of all feelings. She tried to explain why she was doing but she couldn’t. Maria wanted to become the best in her profession to earn in the short time a lot of money.After six months she was unrivalled. She had high expectations of her customers which helped her keep respect for herself. She wanted only to survive the next 6 months and with a sizeable sum in the account return to Brazil where she will buy a small farm, animals and parents will take under her roof. She moved to a more comfortable dwelling and was careful to not fall in love. One day, when she had free afternoon went for a walk when she met a painter named Ralf Hart. Maria felt by him as the friend whom she had known for a long time.Girl for the first time told someone the whole truth because she felt s afe with him. At all meetings the man showed her true life reminded her that prostitution did not lead to anything besides money that has no value. Maria guided by an impulse decided to abandon the present life and return to the country. She did not intend to ask Ralf to go with her. She was grateful that he made that she was capable to love again. The end of her stay in Geneva was approaching. In two weeks, she had to leave Europe. She decided that the day before departure, she will say her lover about her plans.He tried to persuade her to not leave but she was adamant. Last night they spent together and then she went to the airport. All the time Maria believed that Ralf will show up at the last moment, like in the movies, take her in his arms and never let go. But that has not happened. When she flew to Paris, was still a lot of time until the next plane. She thought about it, or not spend one day in Paris, explore, contemplate about what had happened, but it turned out that the t icket does not allow for departure the next day.Suddenly she heard a voice. It was Ralf. He said that he had seen her at the airport in Geneva and flew to Paris to make her a surprise. She did not care about what will happen in the future, the present was the most important at this time. I stood before choosing to describe the entire book or just a fragment. I decided to describe everything not only a part because a whole novel and its message had a great influence on me. Novel’s language engages the attention – it is specific to the style of Coelho.On the one hand we find a metaphor, rich symbolism, subjectivity and emotion marked by language, which is perfectly adapted to the philosophical sense of the whole work. But this is not a reason to worry about because philosophical doesn’t mean something difficult. Coelho want to get closer to his readers, he isn’t inventing his own, an abstract style. On the contrary – often uses colloquial words and p hrases, so readers can easily identify with this book and its characters as human as he is. Even Maria is close to us – the script of her life could be a scenario, each of our lives.Her reflections are forcing the reader to his own reflection and try to answer questions like: what is for us sex nowadays? Or how much of our lives can change the case, for example the reading of boring books about the science in an exclusive cafe? These and other questions will also find the answer in the discussions of Mary with her customers, Ralf and the librarian. As I already mentioned the book contains many quotations. Especially one is impressive for me: â€Å"Everybody wants absolute love, and is not to be found in someone else, but in ourselves; we simply awaken it.But in order to do that, we need the other person. The universe only makes sense when we have someone to share our feelings with. † With these words comes a great moral, if we will be love ourselves with our shortcomin gs and weaknesses, we will be immensely happy. It's not about loving ourselves unconditionally and did not notice our own faults but try to work on them as far as possible and then keep a distance to ourselves. If we would satisfy our own needs then we will be able to love others, because each of us is dying for love, even if we try to defend against it.And I think that everyone has a moment in your life when he opens up for this feeling, it happens when we meet our true love. This book will inspire you to find the â€Å"light† that Ralf saw in Maria that she didn’t know she have. It awakens your senses and sensual side, allowing passion and love to take you to different heights. The novel not only shows us how to realize our dreams, but also how to follow your heart and love without being selfish because we cannot own anyone. Our love should be free as we want to be free. No words can talk about this book†¦. just wonderful.

Durkheim Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Durkheim - Essay Example For myself, I found out how a functioning community could be formed with a purpose and over a certain moral outlook. I believe Randall Collins helped me to view my experience as stemming from certain concepts in Emile Durkheim and in Erving Goffman's theories of interaction ritual. Discussion Randall Collins outlined several important points of Durkheim in going over the recent history of sociology, its theory, and while also developing the theories of Erving Goffman interaction ritual. I stood as an 'outsider' that one day before walking up the stairs to the meeting room of the organization which I should call here the Volunteer Tutor Society (VTS). The organization had a good track record. It had placed groups of trained volunteers into several elementary schools of the city's African American community to conduct hour long tutoring sessions with groups of African American students who were in need. I saw myself as an 'outsider' who sought to become a member of 'insiders', a group that was already socially functioning. In Collins' words I sought the social situation in which "individuality and egotism are oriented toward socially constructed goals" (p. 22). There was a situational reality that was taking place. It was one VTS had already formed from which they reflected a successful record with over several years of contracts with the city's school administration. I wasn't aware of all the challenges, but I knew there were many in educating the youth. Also I wasn't particularly a racially minded individual, although I had friends who would have questioned my motives and who would have probably criticized me. I wasn't the 'do-goody' type and was actually rather shy. But I have always been a person of purpose and I was intent on doing my so-called part in changing the world. All of these things were going through my mind as I entered the room. The room was filled. There were a few people sitting at long tables at the front facing the audience of about 50 or 60- so people sitting on unfolded metal chairs. I immediately felt a difference as most of the people were African American women of different colors. From the way they dressed, I could see most of them were professionals or middle class. There were also a few African American men, young and old and dressed all kinds of ways. Some seemed to have just come from a good job and some looked as if they had come from the community, dressed plain. One person was dressed in African garb. The ages were from young to what seemed like old and retired age. This wasn't the first time I had been with this group of people, as we had all met a few weeks ago to take tests. The ones present, and myself, had apparently passed the tests. But what was most interesting about the group was that there were other 'outsiders' like myself. There were even a couple of oriental faces, and there were whites, a couple of white men and three white women, me being the fourth. I took a seat, waiting in anticipation for what would happen. I guessed I had gotten there just in time for things to start. People were tossing empty cups of coffee into the trash or setting back into their seats with napkins of cookies. A young woman entered from a side room that had the administrative office and I immediately recognized her as the operating manager. What was strange was that she was white and also I

Foundations of IT- Designing a Computer Architecture Essay

Foundations of IT- Designing a Computer Architecture - Essay Example This will help me to develop and evaluate computer algorithms intended for simulating mathematical models of scientific trends. This area entails core problems in continuous algorithms like fast methods for handling linear algebra as well as solving differential equations. I will also build software for simulating challenging physical problems like turbulence in fluids along with crack propagation in solid materials. The computer will help me build accurate methods for discretizing continuous models even as it preserves physical invariants. In addition, I will carry out optimal estimation in the face of limited information. At the moment, computers are based on the von Neumann architecture. Nonetheless, the von Neumann architecture has its limitations. In order to access the data and program in the memory, the central processing unit (CPU) had one bus. This is called the von Neumann bottleneck, due to the limited data transfer rate between memory and CPU. With just one bus, the data and instructions are accessed in sequence, so the CPU waits until the data loads from memory prior to executing the instruction. With the increase of CPU speed, it was evident that a solution is needed to defeat the bottleneck ("Von Neumann Architecture," n.d.). These problems are connected to the von Neumann architecture. In order to overcome the von Neumann bottleneck, the stack memory is used. The stack is a particular memory region that is competently managed by the CPU. It is used to store up variables employed by functions. As a program calls a function, the function variables are pushed onto the stack. The access of variables is faster on the stack than when they were in the main memory, amounting to better performance. Standing on the doorstep of the fifth generation, we obviously expect a lot from future computers than more speed. Computers have come this far in terms of enhancements to the current architectures and their

Project Management and How it Relates to Purchasing and Supply Research Paper

Project Management and How it Relates to Purchasing and Supply Management - Research Paper Example In this scenario, project management processes are required to perform these operations successfully. The basic purpose of this research is to analyze project management in the context of its use in procurement and supply management. Procurement and Project Management Procurement is the most important element of a business industry. It encompasses a wide variety of aspects of project management such as acquiring material, goods, equipment, and services from external firms. However, procurement does not include other internal departments inside an organization. In view of the fact that procurement is a domain for which a project manager will be responsible for providing information and input, in various and possibly a number of firms, hence it is believed to be an area that the project manager does not own. Though, the project managers generally are not authorized to take part into contracts in support of the business organization, as well as they are not responsible for controlling t he contracts once they are prepared or in process. However, it is still a most important area which an organization must need to have knowledge of. In this scenario, the project Management Institute (PMI)’s Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOKÂ ®) outlines six key processes that deal with certain Project Procurement Management knowledge areas (Mochal, 2007). Plan purchases and acquisitions: This process of project management is concerned with identifying and determining the resources that need to be acquired for a project and when a project needs them. This area of procurement comes directly under the control and authority of the project manager, for the reason that the top management and organization’s purchasing committee do not... This paper has presented a detailed analysis of the project management function in the context of its role in procurement and supply chain management. Project management is a set of well-organized and synchronized processes, and each process is connected with another however the basic purpose remains to achieve a common goal. The research has shown that both the project management and supply chain management are similar disciplines. The research has also shown that if both supply chain management and project management are combined effectively then it can improve the performance and efficiency of a firm. This paper has also discussed various aspects associated with procurement and purchasing. This paper has also presented recommendations on how to use project management to improve procurement and supply chain processes. In short, the survival of successful project management depends seriously on the proper execution of the supply chain process, for the reason that well-timed, accurat e, and well-organized delivery of materials, equipment, supplies and resources are critical to success of project management. In order to make the procurement process a success, there is a need for reliable aftercare and organizational record, which should be carried out by a variety of professionals from the legal and financial settlement of purchases. In addition, even a project is in progress, the performance of the suppliers should be constantly assessed and, where essential, alternatives should be adopted.

How can Bilingualism socially and cognitively benefit children Research Paper

How can Bilingualism socially and cognitively benefit children - Research Paper Example Bilingualism has always been a favorite subject of researchers, educators and policy makers in aspects of the social, cognitive, developmental and learning capabilities that are affected by the bilingual abilities of an individual. It had long been considered by many scholars that bilingualism serves as a barrier to the learning abilities and literacy development of children. They had believed for a long time that bilingualism served as a hindrance and children who were monolingual showed better development and learning abilities as compared to the bilinguals. However, the opinions regarding bilingualism have changed drastically as compared to the notions and myths that prevailed throughout most of the 20th century (Bhattacharjee 2012). Although the brain has to handle both the languages and it might obstruct the development of one lingual capability as compared to other, but the researchers are bringing out the positive picture of this scenario. It is popularly believed now that bil ingualism promotes the cognitive function of children and also enhances their social capabilities in various aspects. Bilingualism is a norm around the world and millions of people are familiar with more than one language and also use them in their everyday lives. However, as mentioned earlier, bilingualism has been associated with lack of learning abilities and lagging behind as compared to the monolinguals. Skills like music and mathematics are considered to strengthen the brain’s function and learning abilities, however, language is considered as something â€Å"that occupies mental space† (Ng & Wigglesworth 2007). It had been considered that the brain only has a finite amount of space for the languages and too much acquisition with various languages causes confusion, lagging behind and slow learning abilities. It was considered that bilingualism has detrimental effects on cognitive abilities of children.

PHY100 Writing Assignment 1 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

PHY100 Writing 1 - Assignment Example Changes in energy occur to the rubber band when it is stretched (application of force) and when it is in unscratched state. Hooke’s Low can be used to demonstrate the changes that take place in a rubber band when it is stretched. Hooke’s law states that â€Å"the amount of force applied to an elastic object is proportional to the amount of deformation (stretch or compression) that the object undergoes† (Breithaupt, 77). This is why when more force is applied on a rubber band, the stretch increases and when a little force is applied, there is little stretch. This principle can be presented in the following equation where F represents the applied force, k represent the force constant of the rubber band and x is the length of the stretch recorded. In the equation below, the force applied is proportional to the amount of deformation on the rubber. Despite the fact that a rubber band is elastic and can stretch when more force is applied, the rubber band only stretches up to a certain limit. Robert Hooke also noted that elastic objects stretches until they reach elastic limit also referred to as yield limit. Beyond this point, the rubber band exhibit plastic deformation and can no longer return to their original shape when the stretch force is removed. Plastic deformation occurs on the rubber band because beyond maximum stretch force, application of extra force results into breaking of limited number of atomic bonds holding together rubber band molecules (Fan & Zhu, 28). This explains why certain parts of the rubber band stretched more than the other parts. These parts that stretched more the other parts must have underwent plastic

Ethnographic and Community Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Ethnographic and Community Analysis - Essay Example However, with the changing nature of the world, education has become a prime reason for which people move from one place to other. Owing to this aspect, cultural and ethnic diversity can be apparently observed to be prevailing in educational institutions (Parvis 120-130). In order to depict their specific identity and main cultural heritage, students in educational institutions form clubs based on culture or ethnicity. The Saudi Students Club (SSC) is one of amid those cultural clubs which exist in various educational institutions. It has been noted that the mission and the vision of the club in Boise State University (BSU) is to promote knowledge along with awareness of culture and historical significance of Saudi Arabia. The sole aim of the group is to remove cultural and ethnic barrier between students from Saudi and students belonging to other community within the university (3Boise State University, â€Å"Enjoy Saudi Culture at Sept. 27 Celebration†). THESIS STATEMENT The principle intent of the paper is to analyze SSC at Boise State University (BSU). Contextually, the paper would present the sameness and the differences that exist between the members of the groups. This would be performed through practical understanding and research. THE SAUDI STUDENTS CLUB (SSC) IN BOISE STATE UNIVERSITY (BSU) As mentioned earlier, almost every university has clubs based on diverse culture or nationality. The Saudi Students Club (SSC) is quite common in this regard in various universities. Usually, these groups aim at promoting the interest and the welfare of the richness of culture and history of Saudi Arabia. Other cultural groups also set similar kind of objectives for their existence. The SSC in various universities also seemed to be inclined towards ensuring formation of greater affiliation amid the students and the faculties. In this regard, the group strongly believes that by forming greater association between the students and the faculties, the students o f Saudi and others belonging to diverse culture along with community can develop their overall performance and career by a considerable level. Apart from that, such cultural and ethnic groups also work towards maintaining understanding between two nations which further impacts beneficially on the welfare of overall community of the university. Correspondingly, the SSC of BSU also depicts their presence with similar kind of objectives. It has been noted that out of 579 international students in BSU, 262 of them are from Saudi Arabia. This aspect depicts the strong presence of Saudi students in the university. The SSC of BSU intends to develop an environment within the university wherein people from different cultures can recognize and respect each other’s culture and ethnicity. Contextually, the group celebrates Independence Day of Saudi Arabia, observe the festival of Eid within the institute and organize various other cultural events wherein each and every member of the univ ersity is heartily welcomed and their valuable ideas are greatly valued. Notably, the group also assists the newly joined Saudi students in the university every year by helping them to get acquainted with the prevailing atmosphere of the university and ensures a better future by forming greater association between them and BSU. In precise, it can be stated that the SSC in BSU intends to develop a strong affiliation between the Saudi students and students of other community in the same campus. The main principle of the club is to assist new and existing students of Saudi community so that they could be able to reap significant benefits both socially and academically. This aspect might permit the Saudi students to succeed in their academic career by a certain degree. Ahmad Almotairi, the President of the SSC

Database Test Plan of NFRCentralDatabase Coursework

Database Test Plan of NFRCentralDatabase - Coursework Example This here is the test plan to be used to test the NFRCentralDatabase. The NFRCentralDatabase is used by the New Forest Retreat Hotel Management System to manage the daily operation of the hotel and its various departments, as well as to generate reports which are used by the administrators of the hotel to perform various functions. The system uses other databases for instance, the database that keep the employee information and data. However, the test will not be on those databases but the NFRCentralDatabase which holds most of the business function data. The other databases would be tested but they are out of this scope of test. It is not always to have all the information required for a testing plan. This is because most of the users or clients are not techno savvy. Therefore, there needs to be time to take them through the process and to train them on what is required. While designing the test plan, I assume that as the designer I know all about the hotel management system the resort is using and all the activities the resort is involved in. this is not possible because the resort has a lot of departments and keeping tabs on all of them is not possible. The system itself has to be maintained from time to time in order to incorporate additional functionality. Justification of the Testing Plan This strategy of testing the database is very important because it reveals all the problems that the system may have and be corrected before the system is actually rolled out for use. It involves a business and therefore mistakes cannot be allowed since that would literally lead to losses because money is involved. Additionally, this test plan implementation is cost effective as it involves a small team of people.

Remember the Titans Essay Example for Free

Remember the Titans Essay Healthy relationships are made not born, and the movie â€Å"Remember the Titans† has proven that. A healthy relationship is a relationship which has respect, honesty, trust, communication, equality and acceptance for who the other person or people may be. On the other hand, an unhealthy relationship is a relationship which has selfish, abusive, irresponsible, aggressive and manipulative behavior. I will be discussing how the relationship of Gerry Bertier and Julius Campbell transformed from an unhealthy relationship to a healthy relationship. As well as a theme from the movie that is equality. â€Å"Listen, I’m Gerry, you’re Julius. Let’s just get some particulars and get this over with,† Gerry said. â€Å"Particulars? Man, no matter what I tell you, you ain’t gonna know nothing about me. † Julius responded. Their relationship started off by not acknowledging one another, they were like enemies. They looked at each other with disgust and intimidation. They both lived their own separate lives with their own race and did not want to bond with the other race. If they did join with another race it was like a crime. But as the movie went on, the characters developed and learned to bond. They learned to appreciate the meaning of trusting a man’s soul rather than the color of their skin. They worked to overcome the racial issues and heal the conflict. I feel that the scene where, Julius had gone to visit Gerry in the hospital after his accident showed most development. Julius walked into the room, â€Å"Only kin’s allowed in here,† said the nurse. â€Å"Alice, are you blind? Don’t you see the family resemblance? That’s my brother. † Gerry indicated. This is where they fought the battle of Gettysburg. Fifty thousand men died right here on this field, fighting the same fight that we are still fighting among ourselves today. This green field right here, painted red, bubblin with the blood of young boys. Smoke and hot lead pouring right through their bodies. Listen to their souls, men. I killed my brother with malice in my heart. Hatred destroyed my family. Yo u listen, and you take a lesson from the dead. If we dont come together right now on this hallowed ground, we too will be destroyed, just like they were. I dont care if you like each other of not, but you will respect each other. And maybe I dont know, maybe well learn to play this game like men. † Coach Boone said to the team. This quote has the most significance to the theme. Coach Boone explained that coming together would be the only option and they had to learn to accept each other no matter what, that they are all equal. From my point of view, the themes are equality and acceptance. No matter what your race is, your gender is or the religion you follow you should not be treated different than any other human. Beneath the skin we are all the same, we all have a heart and that is what truly matters. â€Å"Everywhere we go -Everywhere we go-, people wanna know -people wanna know-, who we are -who we are-, so we tell them -so we tell them- We Are The Titans! -We Are The Titans! The Mighty Mighty Titans! -The Mighty Mighty Titans! † they sang as they came together as a team and brought the entire city of Alexandria together too. The movie taught me about unhealthy relationships and how they can become healthy ones. Also, the movie taught me about acceptance and equality.

University Degree No Guarantee of Employment Essay Example for Free

University Degree No Guarantee of Employment Essay KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 24 (Bernama) Fazren, 29, has a degree in transport management but has been working as an administrative assistant at a government agency over the past four years. I have applied for many jobs, both in the civil and private sectors. When I was offered the post of an administrative assistant (at a government agency) I did not hesitate to accept even though the post is for those with SPM qualification. Getting a job is quite difficult these days, the Pahang-born clerk told this writer here. Amran obtained 7As in the 2009 Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination and is now working as a nurse in a government hospital after obtaining a diploma in nursing from a government nursing college this year. When queried on why he opted for a nursing course despite having good SPM results and the opportunity to study in a university, the 22-year-old Perlis-born Amran replied, It is for economic reasons. I opted not to go to university as I believe getting a job will be difficult even after I graduated with a university degree. But with a nursing diploma, a job will be waiting for me at any government hospital or other private hospitals. It is better to start working at a young age rather than waiting for many years in order to get a job, he said. Both Amran and Fazren (not their real names) are among many Malaysian job seekers who are not particular over the choice of employment as they believe that holding a university qualification does not guarantee them a salaried job. Unemployed graduates Last May, the Deputy Human Resource Minister Datuk Maznah Mazlan told Parliament that some 76,200 graduates in the country were unemployed. She said that the Human Resource Ministry was trying to resolve the growing rate of unemployment in the country. In 2010, the number of unemployed graduates was 42,955 or 24. 62 per cent of 174,439 Malaysian graduates. There are 20 public universities (IPTA) in Malaysia including Universiti Malaya (UM), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) and Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM). The country also has 60 private higher education institutions (IPTS) like Universiti Teknologi Petronass (UTP), Universiti Multi Media (MMU) and Universiti Tenaga Nasional (Uniten). Bachelors degree According to the Higher Education Ministry, universities, university colleges and polytechnics nationwide produced 184,581 graduates last year and 44,391 or 24 per cent of them were unemployed. Based on statistics, Arts and Social Sciences graduates have the highest number of unemployment numbers, constituting 44. 5 per cent or 19,784 from the total number of unemployed graduates. Next were graduates from technical fields where 12,321 were employed, constituting 27. 7 per cent of the total number of unemployed graduates. Science graduates came in third with 7,321 which accounted for 16. 49 per cent of the total number of unemployed graduates. The ministry said that a total of 21,248 bachelors degree holders were still unemployed whereas diploma holders have the lowest unemployment rate at 3 per cent. According to industry sources, many graduates are still unemployed because the courses they studied at university do not have a wide market. Poor communication skills Human science lecturer Amien Iskandar said that one of the reasons why graduates could not secure jobs was that their qualifications do not meet market demands and requirements, thus rendering them not marketable. Another factor is the bad command of English. A good command of the English language could help graduates secure employment, especially in the private sector. To this end, there is a need to ensure that these graduates are equipped with the necessary skills so that they could be hired for employment after graduating, he said. Amien also cited poor communication skills, wrong work attitude and unrealistic expectations as other barriers in gaining employment. If you have a good command of English but cannot communicate with others due to poor attitude, (then) you may also find difficulties in being employed, he explained. Lack of technical training According to the Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers (FMM), the lack of industrial training is also among the factors why graduates are unemployed. Meanwhile, the Higher Education Ministry Student Development and Affairs Director, Prof Dr Mohd Fauzi Ramlan was reported by the media as saying that other factors that compounded the issue are low problem-solving skills, tendency to switch jobs or job-hopping and lack of self-confidence. He called on graduates to improve their command of the English language to boost their communication skills. (Can they expect to be employed) if they fail to convince their prospective employers on their potential, (then) their chances of getting hired are very slim, he was reported as saying. Mohd Fauzi also advised graduates to drop the negative attitude of preferring to gain jobs in their home towns. http://www. mysinchew. com/node/79072.