Cations and Anion Lab Essay

Introduction In this experiment we will be mixing two ionic compounds: potassium chromate and lead nitrate; both are soluble in water. This will be demonstrating a double-replacement reaction/reactions between cations and anions. If a reaction does occur it will form a precipitate due to one of the newly formed compounds not being soluble in water. Once the experiment was completed there was what appears to be a â€Å"solid† substance remaining in the test tube. This shows that a reaction occurred. Procedure 1. Once in the ChemLab-Cations and anion reactions. You will need to obtain a 100mL beaker and 50mL of potassium chromate. This will be done by clicking on the Chemicals section of the toolbar, then selecting 1M Potassium Chromate, change the volume to 50mL, then select to add the Potassium Chromate to a new 100mL beaker. 2. Next, you will need to left click on the beaker, then select Chemicals from the toolbar, select 1M Lead Nitrate, change the volume to 50mL (ensure that the window indicated that it will be placed in the existing beaker. 3. Now you will need to filter the precipitate. Obtain an Erlenmeyer flask and a Buchner funnel. This will be done by selecting from the Equipment section on the toolbar and selecting Erlenmeyer Flask-250mL. Next, right click on the flask and select Buchner Funnel. Right click on the beaker and select Pour/Decant. Move the beaker above the funnel and you will see a white area at the bottom of the flask. 4. Lastly, you will need to record the weight of the precipitate. Right  click on the flask and select Buchner Funnel. A message will appear asking if â€Å"An amount of solid was found present in the filter, what action would you like to take?†, select place solid into 50mL Test Tube. You will now see the Test Tube with the precipitate in the bottom, right click on the Test Tube and click on show weight, the weight of the precipitate will appear, record the weight. Observations and Results There is a small amount of precipitate in the bottom of the test tube that appears yellow in color with some dots in the solution. Weight of filtered precipitate: 16.160g Due to a reaction occurring between the cations and the anions this has caused a reaction, therefore creating a â€Å"solid† that is not water soluble. Discussion When mixing the two ionic compounds: potassium chromate and lead nitrate and then filtering the solution this revealed a â€Å"solid† substance that remained. This substance is not soluble in water hence it was left behind after filtering. This shows that a reaction occurred between the cations and anions. Conclusion This lab represented a double-replacement reaction of the ionic compounds: potassium chromate and lead nitrate. Once these compounds were mixed and then filtered it revealed a â€Å"solid† substance that remained. This confirms that a reaction occurred between the cations and anions, and ultimately formed a new substance.

Junior High School Essay

The K to 12 Program covers Kindergarten and 12 years of basic education (six years of primary education, four years of Junior high school, and two years of Senior high school) to provide sufficient time for tmastery of concepts and skills, develop lifelong learners, and prepare garduaes for the tertiary education, middle-levels skills development, employment, and entreprenuership. The K+12 educational program is perceived by the Aquino administration as the â€Å"long term solution to poverty. † This program aims to give every student a quality education that will make them globally competitive. This will be done by decongesting the curricilum and using quality materials for learning such as textbooks. Aside from this, high quality teacher will be given priority. High standards will also be set in Mathematics, English and Science in all levels. Thus eliminating the perception the highschool education is preparatory for college. ISSUES AND CONCERNS One of the major campaign platform of Pres. Aquino is the K to 12 educational program and it is also one of the most controversial initiatives. On May 15, President Aquino signed into law the program mandating Filipino pupils to attend kindergarten, six years of elementary school education, four years of junior high school and two years of senior high school. The signing officially ended the country’s 10-year basic education cycle, which now exists only in Angola and Djibouti. K to 12 hopes to decongest the curriculum, by spreading lessons over 12 years, instead of cramming them into 10. K to 12 hopes to do away with college remedial classes, by improving the quality of high-school instruction. K to 12 hopes to protect the rights of Filipino children who, at 18, are legally and emotionally still kids, unprepared for work or university.. Some problems that abound with K to 12: Lack of family, school, government resources; the herculean task of implementation; the need to address more urgent concerns such as early and massive dropouts. Many schools are currently not ready for Grades 11 and 12. Aside from lack of classrooms, their teachers are not trained to handle higher-level subjects, like calculus for students who want to major in the sciences in university. K to 12 would be far more difficult to implement in already overcrowded and poorly equipped public schools, where many teachers are insufficiently trained, classes are often held in multiple shifts and most students struggle to make ends meet. The biggest problem of K to 12 has always been, and will always be, the cost. Even if public education is free, families have to spend for transportation and supplies. An additional two years is a burden for most Filipino families, who want their children to finish school quickly so they can work.

The River of Earth

The River of Earth The novel River Of Earth by James Still is a story about life in e Appalachia just before The Great Depression. The story provides a very clear description of the problems and challenges the mountain people faced after the settlement of their land. Even though the novel is shadowed by other writings of the time period dealing with poor southern life, it is still considered a great neglected masterpiece. The story is about a family that considers awkward. They struggle to put enough food on the table for the entire family, most of the time the mother barely eats.They live in a small smoke house that is very cramped and cluttered because of the number of people living in it. The Father is waiting for the coal mines to open so he can work, while the mother takes care of the kids, the family does not complain; they feel blessed for what they have . The father is very proud and doesn’t turn anyone away when they need help. In the book he allowed a group of miners to take most of his beans from the garden to help keep their families feed .The mother is a very strongwilled woman. She never lets anything bring her down; when the family begins to have trouble with food she suggests that they begin growing a garden and providing for themselves. The kids are smart and goodwilled from what they are taught by their parents. They display good moral values in their characters. The garden is a source of life for the family in the book. This is so because as times get harder they grow together and the garden also becomes more and heartier.They begin to have more food for their dinners, this helps the family keep their spirits up and continue to hope for good blessings to be brought to the family such as the mines opening. As the family grows stronger they begin to add to their source of food. Instead of eating only soup and vegetables and potatoes, they add begin to eat meat. They own a guinea Chicken which starts to lay a large amount of eggs they let hatch and raise. The kids are not embarrassed about what they eat, they seem happy for what they have.The father makes the children go to school because he feels that everyone should learn the basics of academics such as reading and writing to help them survive is the world. At first they are scared and don’t want to go because they have never been and feel they are too young. As they continue to grow they start to show improvements and gain confidence in their ability to perform in the classroom. They fear for the teacher being run off because the older kids don’t like him and some of the parents don’t appreciate his teaching methods.The main character and his sister hope he stays so they will continue to learn. The main character is sent by his father to stay with his grandmother. This is where you learn that the strong heart runs in the family. This is true because she is a seventy-eight year old woman and will still patch out two acres of corn and make enou gh bread for the winter to do what she can to keep her family feed. In her old age she hasn’t kept the best health. Some days she is too sick to get out of the bed. The main character takes care of her he cooks all the meals for her and helps her start to feel better.Living with her he hears stories of his father and how he is an honest man. Also his grandmother tells him about his grandfather and all the great things he would do. Living with his grandmother is a great experience for the main character because she brings him history of his family and teaches him many things on how to live a content life. Also being away from home helps himself grow as a person. It teaches to stick up for himself and make his own decisions without the influence of others. When the main character returns to his family he learns that the baby had died from croup.Also the family moves to a farm they rented in Flaxpatch on Little Angus. Here they plant crops and farm together as a family. The fath er has returned from the mines and decides he wishes to move back because he heard they would stay open through the winter. They go and he works there for a while and earns decent money, enough to support his family. During the winter the main characters grandmother dies. It’s a sad moment for the entire family. This is so because she was such a strong figure in the book even with her bad health.After the winter the father decides to stop mining and move the family to a place where he can find a different job or stat a farm. In the end the main character imagines his grandmother talking to him about his baby sibling crying. This story gives great detail to a life lived by the mountain families of the Appalachia. It puts you in the shoes of a young boy who is growing up in the hard time period just before The Great Depression. James Still does a great job of capturing the culture of the time period. Unfortunately, this book will always remain a neglected masterpiece.

Edict the Expulsion of Jews (1492) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Edict the Expulsion of Jews (1492) - Essay Example Some conversos—Jews who converted to Catholicism—flourished in places of learning and commerce. However, many ruling Spanish—both secular and religious—viewed these Jews with deep suspicion heightened by the fact that some conversos were insincere. Some chose to save their social and commercial status by embracing the Catholic faith, but privately adhering to their Jewish practice and faith. The Alhambra Decree, or the Edict of Expulsion, was issued on March 31, 1492 by the joint Catholic Monarchs of Spain—King Ferdinand II of Aragon, and Queen Isabella I of Castile. Ferdinand and Isabella took seriously the reports that some crypto-Jews who were not only privately practicing their former faith, but were secretly trying to draw other conversos back into the Jewish fold. In 1480, the king and queen created the Spanish Inquisition to investigate these suspicions; under the authority of this new institution, thousands of converted Jews were killed within 12 years. It is not known how many, if any, had lapsed from their new Christianity, or were trying to convince others to do the same. The said decree was issued less than three months after the surrender of Granada—a vassal state to Spanish royals for more than two centuries. It was Juan de Coloma, secretary of the king and queen, who wrote it at the royalties’ command. Under the edict, Jews were only given four months and ordered to convert to Christianity or leave the country. However, Jews were promised royal "protection and security" for the effective three-month window before the deadline. They were permitted to take their belongings with them - except "gold or silver or minted money". In the edict, Jews were accused of trying "to subvert their holy Catholic faith and trying to draw faithful Christians away from their beliefs." The punishment for any Jew who did not convert or leave by the deadline was death. The punishment for a non-Jew who sheltered or hid Jews was the

Preliminary Investigation of the Company Assignment

Preliminary Investigation of the Company - Assignment Example The company's target markets include local clients as well as clients from foreign countries. Several concerns and opportunities were mentioned. The first is to establish the company as a household name when it comes to land management software. The company also hopes to establish itself as a big brand name in providing consultancy services, training, and customization in the said field. In order to establish itself as a market leader in the local scene, one should have a lot of customers. To rake in more sales, the company should be visible to potential clients locally as well as abroad. With this end in mind, the company is keen on putting up their own website. This will serve not only as an information center to current and potential clients but will bring in more sales what with the ease of availing products online and within the comforts of one's home. The company, being global in scale has recently felt that the market is too large to maintain strong relationships with all potential buyers. The company has been used to utilizing direct mail to attract new clients. However, this method does not ensure that the brochures and advertisement material are reaching the decision makers of the target companies. The current advertisement setup uses mail-outs to special groups which have been selected based on predefined criteria. These are sent out every 2-3 months. Instead of doing this, focus on the key persons for such companies, send them emails and find out how they will be able to use the software, and if possible, set up presentation meetings over lunch or dinner. This way, with a clear void to fill, the goal is more focused and a strategy to present the product in the best way possible to the potential customer can be formulated. Also, contingency plans can be set up in case the client rejects the first approach. Moreover, if the correspondences would prove that the prospect is a dead end, it should send the signal that it's time to move on to other prospects, thus saving time.     

Security and the Technological Revolution Research Paper

Security and the Technological Revolution - Research Paper Example According to Dulles (2014), one of the greatest threats to the security profession is cybercrime. Security officers are forced to implement new technologies in order to detect any malicious attempts of cybercriminals and undertake counteractive measures to avoid exposing citizens to harm. For instance, cybercriminals are currently using sniffer malware to extract password files from their targeted computers hence using them to gain unauthorized access to critical information within organization’s system. Therefore, the security profession has been forced to implement new technology that would enable security officers to curb such kinds of crime. They have implemented audit trailing technology that enables them detect the log in details that were used to access information within the system during the time of crime. The report generated after performing audit trailing enables the security officers to identify the possible security loopholes that might have been used by the cybercriminals to perpetrate the crime. Technology has also enabled them to track cybercriminals to their exact locations hence making arrests in efforts to curb the vice. The security profession used to face a lot of challenges before establishment of the audit trailing technology because it was hard for them to detect any unauthorized access to organization’s information. Moreover, Back-off Malware has been another cyber threat that forced the security profession to implement new technology in efforts to curb it. Back-off is a Malware program that is installed in the Point of Sale (POS) terminals by cybercriminals in order to collect credit card information and transaction data of the users. The malware uses traditional scraping mechanisms to record critical information from customers and using it to initiate transactions without the account owners’ consent. The

The right of self- defense in international law Essay

The right of self- defense in international law - Essay Example The right to self-defence is specified under Article 51 of the UN Charter. It basically states that â€Å"nothing in the present Charter shall impair the inherent right of collective or individual self-defence if an armed attack occurs against a member of the United Nations, until the Security Council has taken the measures necessary to maintain international peace and security†1. Other details on the exercise of the right are further specified in the article which includes the need for members exercising self-defence to immediately report to the Security Council – actions which do not prevent the Council from taking the necessary action to maintain and restore peace and security. Based on this Charter, this paper shall discuss the following issue: Does international law adequately address the right to self-defence? This paper seeks to provide a critical analysis of the use of this right in international law. This paper is being carried out in order to establish a compr ehensive analysis of this right, as well as its actual applications in relation to nation states. Discussion Article 51 of the UN Charter as cited above provides an acknowledgment of a nation’s right to self-defence. There is however an issue on whether or not, the international laws as a whole adequately addresses such right. The Nicaragua case is one of the landmark cases which set forth a discussion on this matter. In 1909, President Taft ordered that Nicaraguan President Jose Santos Zelaya be deposed from power. This ushered in very unstably times for Nicaragua which saw a huge contingent of marines landing in their country and occupying the railway line to Granada2. During this time, a pro-US government group was formed and in 1914, and the Bryan-Chamorro Treaty was signed. This treaty effectively granted to the US perpetual rights to the canal. This agreement prevented anyone else from building a canal in Nicaragua unless permitted by the US3. A peasant apprising led by Sandino was seen in 1927 against US occupation and against Nicaraguan authorities as well. This prompted the US Marines to withdraw, leaving the National Guard to handle internal security issues and the elections. The head of the Guards, Somoza Garcia ordered his troops to capture Sandino4. Somoza eventually became its President, staying in power as a dictator until 1979. His regime eventually fell with the embezzlement of million in dollars of foreign aid which were directed to the country as a result of the 1972 earthquake5. The Socialist Sandinista (FLSN) movement was against this corruption and started expanding their influence over the country, seeking support from all those interested. The US did not favour this socialist movement and under President Carter’s rule, they established support for the Somocistas, providing material and financial aid to them6. Reagan further continued this aid, also providing support to the Contras or the anti-Sandinista group. Financial an d military support was provided to the group by Reagan, despite protests from Congress. This persisted despite the fact that no Nicaraguan armed attempts against the US were ever reported. Nicaragua argued before the international court that the US essentially supported military and paramilitary actions against Nicaragua, and as such violated Article 2(4) of the UN Charter; Articles 18 and 20 of the Charter of the Organization of American States; Article 8 of the Convention on Rights and Duties of States; Article I, Third of the Convention concerning Duties and Rights of States in the Event of Civil Strife7. Nicaragua demanded reparations for the acts of the US in terms of damage to

Seminar Paper of BOOTS (now Alliance Boots) Case Study

Seminar Paper of BOOTS (now Alliance Boots) - Case Study Example The concept of merger immediately took notice because of the inevitable benefits provided by the strategy. Most mergers have expanded their operations and surpassed the achievements that the observers have predicted. Primarily, Alliance Boots is wholesaler and retailer of pharmaceutical goods. The company controls a wide chain of pharmacy spread all across Europe. At present, the company maintains 17% of its total target market (BBC News, 2005). Moreover, Alliance Boots is the largest pharmaceutical wholesaler in UK covering 40% of the market. Its wholesaling and retailing activities are undertaken by subsidiary UniChem. With its vast operations, the company employs approximately 100,000 workers in more that 3,000 retail stores in which 2,700 have pharmacies. In addition, the firm has established 380 retail depots to boost its operations. This has made Alliance Boots one of the largest retailers in terms of retail space (Alliance Boots, 2006). Boots Group Prior to the merger, Boots is bannered by Boots the Chemist, which was regarded as a dominant retail pharmacy operating in UK. Most of the company's outlets are situated in high streets and in highly urbanised areas. From a traditional pharmacist, the company has expanded its business portfolio and ventured to photo processing, opticians, and selling of home appliances. The increasing pressure caused by competition has limited the chances of Boots to improve its performance. It was evident that the company illustrated signs of stagnation and such weak showing eventually created the drawing board that led to the inevitable merger with Alliance UniChem. Alliance UniChem In terms of operational scope, UniChem was bigger and its more established reputation has enabled the firm to occupy markets in Europe. Its major aim is to deliver healthcare service and improve the health situation in most of the locations. The business primarily thrives on retailing and wholesaling pharmaceutical products. UniChem has been relying on its core strategies built on the aspects of expansion, innovation and performance enhancement. Aside from these concepts, the company valued the satisfaction of the customers and other stakeholders. The Merger Because of Boots' financial conditions, it was speculated by financial analysts that the merger with Alliance UniChem is already at work. It was surprisingly announced in October 2005 that the merger was officially created. Part of the announcement was the financial considerations made by both parties. Both companies were valued at 7 billion British Pounds and a split of 50.2 and 49.8 were divided among Boots and Alliance respectively. Basically, the merger was undertaken with the expected intervention of the Office of Fair Trading (OFT). It was reported that 96 stores were sold to comply with the requirements of OFT. In truth, the merger was pictured as a takeover by Boots, which acquire the whole share capital of Alliance UniChem. This was manifested through the issuance 1,332 Boots Group PLC shares for each Alliance UniChem shares held. After this process, the merging firms adopted the name of Alliance Boots PLC. This was done, accordingly, to reduce the time and paper works needed because of the merger. Most important, both firms remained intact only under the supervision of the parent company (OFT, 2001). Objectives Essentially, the purpose of the merger is to combine a supplier in Alliance UniChem and a customer in Boots. The strategy was

Software Development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Software Development - Essay Example The term software development is defined as a component of the software engineering methodology which involves the structuring, planning, writing, testing, delivery, and maintenance of a software product (Pfleeger & Atlee, 2010). The software development process encompasses procedures that address how the software product will be designed, created, tested, implemented and maintained (Jawadekar, 2004). Furthermore, the software development process involves the following components: (1) activities; (2) resources; and (3) constraints. All major process activities are planned out, sub-processes and their relationships between each other are identified, schedules of activities are plotted with definite start and exit points, objectives of each process is listed, and resources required for each step is allocated and adjusted according to identified constraints (Pfleeger & Atlee, 2010). The first step in the software development process involves the identification and analysis of the variou s system requirements. In this stage, data is gathered regarding client requirements, types of hardware and software needed during development, and manpower requirements (composition of software development team, skills needed, etc.).

ART METAL SCULPTURE Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

ART METAL SCULPTURE - Essay Example The location of this sculpture is outside East Entrance Parking Lot N, a campus setting. Harold’s metal sculpture resembles two joined elliptical forms whose common joint acts as resting base in an ample clearance or setting. On its two sides, these elliptical forms bear a common inclination angle such that from a distance when viewing from its wide side resembles an eagle flying with its outstretched wings but swung in certain equal inclinations at both sides. Joinery of this work encompassed welded steel and Corten before flattened in such a way at the middle. The entire artwork its sculptor has painted it dark brown color, which makes it come out clearly from its settings bearing natural vegetative colors. Specifically, these are green, bright, and blue sky from the background. Hence, inducing a calmness, refreshing and relaxing moods evident in the way these colors as well as settings of the entire sculpture compliment each other. The location of this work is outside East Entrance Parking Lot N, which is a campus setting. Its entire structure rests on a flattened joinery where the two elliptical forms give an impression of meet at the central point; hence, the sculptor here utilizes the aspect of balance to ensure it is upright. Viewing from its four sides, the viewer only manages to see two identical sides. These include the two sides, front side and the rear one. Sculptor in making his work utilized welded and Corten steels with the intention of bringing out machinery effect. This is because many elliptical objects or forms are quite evident in engineering field whereby smooth and well-curved surfaces gives an implication of keenness by the artists and those represented by the object. Its smoothness and side view elevation gives an implication of heightened skill in making fabricated materials. Consequently, this symbolizes a resourceful center characterized with impeccable ways of attaining their

Factors affecting the success of localization strategy of fast food Literature review

Factors affecting the success of localization strategy of fast food companies in Asian countries - Literature review Example Integrating national economy to the global economy calls for sustainable developmental approaches through efficient use of local resources with the underlying cause of welfare to the society with environment friendly processes. According to Bruntland report  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Development that meets the  needs  of the present without compromising the  ability  of future generations to meet their own needs† is called as sustainable development (Business Dictionary.com). This paper seeks to study and analyze the issue with reference to the following questions: 1. Why localization strategy is important for fast food industry in Asian countries?   2. How to use the localization strategy for fast food industry in Asian countries?   3. What are the key factors affecting the success of localization strategy of fast food companies in Asian countries?   Localization strategy in Asian countries Asian markets are highly heterogeneous in nature, especially in the case of food industry with different ethnic groups, languages, vast cultural differences and divergent climatic conditions. The religious mix varies from region to region with a very long history. Food security and alleviation of poverty are the major concerns for the most of the Asian countries which are heavily populated compared to European or American countries. The government policies are oriented towards building a sustainable food economy. Therefore, a successful localization strategy for a sustainable growth has to be in line with the basic objectives of the State taking into account the income levels, local spending choices, nutrition and health, rural bias of the economy, urbanization process at various stages in different countries, employment generation, educational and technological developments of the regions, the use of agricultural lands, climatic conditions, efficient utilization of natural resources and its environmental impact. Business Monitor International (2011, p. 6) states â€Å" Health and hygiene scares continue to be a major concern in China’s food industry, with the government implementing crackdowns on chemical additives in food products†. Adoption of the best industrial and commercial practices by the fast food companies is essential for the desired effect in reshaping the food system and food habits in the communities. Localization efforts go beyond menus and the organization needs to integrate itself with the cultural mainstream of the host country to strike a chord with the consumers. Lee, M. et al (2011) state, â€Å"Yum’s cultural flexibility doesn’t end with the localized menu. While fast-food restaurants in the West often host kids’ birthday parties, KFCs in Urumqi, capital of the Xinjiang autonomous region that’s home to the Muslim Uyghur people, advertise parties for the families of boys who have just undergone the religious ritual of circumcision†.   The Asian markets hold potential for growth in future on account of growing population which provides a huge market coupled with high growth in economy over the period of time in the past which is expected to continue in future. Davies, R. (1996, p. 2) states â€Å"The interest in Asian management is primarily a recent phenomenon, facilitated by the growth in Asian markets within the global economy, and a realization in the West that Asia is both a region that will be central to any serious global business, and also a region that can offer the West much wisdom in management techniques†. The subsequent developments in the continent have justified this

Select Three of the Big Five Personality Traits Essay Example for Free

Select Three of the Big Five Personality Traits Essay Out of the Big Five personality traits, I believe the two that best suit my personality would be agreeableness, and extraversion. Extraversion, according to the text, is a trait includes characteristics such as excitability, sociability, talkativeness, assertiveness and high amounts of emotional expressiveness. I do not believe that this one fits me to a â€Å"T,† but I can be very excitable, and I tend to express myself with my emotions which at times, may not always be the best course of action. I am also not very assertive unless it comes to protecting the people I love. When it comes to agreeableness, this personality dimension includes attributes such as trust, altruism, kindness, affection, and other prosocial behaviors. I think this personality trait is the one that best defines me. I am extremely affectionate, and kind to others, sometimes to the point of being too kind. I would have to say I am at the extreme point on this trait, especially when it comes to the altruism aspects of the personality. Everyday life is filled with small acts of altruism, from the guy at the grocery store who kindly holds the door open as you rush in from the parking lot to the woman who gives twenty dollars to a homeless man. I would have to say that I have a â€Å"soft spot† for others’ feelings and try to be very considerate of others. So, agreeableness would have to be the personality trait I think fits me overall.

Bullying At School: Causes, Effects and Implications

Bullying At School: Causes, Effects and Implications School Bullying has evolved into a worldwide phenomenon that has received very little or no attention at all. In recent years, it has garnered global attention and, although studies have concentrated on the view point from the victims perspective, recent studies are geared towards studying bullying from a social and cultural view. Bullying is defined as a methodical way of demoralizing a person or a group of people who may seem inferior to a potential bully or group of bullies due to many different factors such as race, gender, intellectual ability or just a way to feel better about themselves. Throughout this paper, we will look at the many different areas that have been identified as critical functions in remedying an age old problem that has been a staple in schools across the entire world for many years. Contributing Factors and Family Types Now we have to have a good understanding of some of the contributing factors that makes up the components of the bully, the bullied and the bystander. Although bullying is a learned behavior, a major contributing factor is derived from what is learned in the home. Studies have shown that there three types of families that contribute to bullies. The first one dubbed The Brick Wall family demonstrates the belief that power equals control. This type of environment proves to be a great training ground for a potential bully. Various factors figure into the equation like one parent demonstrates absolute authority, rigid enforcement of rules by use of threats or imagined violence, use of humiliation and being taught What to think, Not how to think (Barbara, Colorosa). The second type of family commonly referred to as The Jellyfish Family tend to promote the virtues of a child to become a bully, a vulnerable target or bystander by not setting boundaries and structure for children, the parent physically and psychologically abandons the children and second chances are routinely given. The last family The Backbone Family is not demanding at all. They do not demand respect; they model and teach it, rules are clear and simply stated and mistakes are viewed as chances to learn. Clearly, family has a decisive advantage in determining a childs course, but society has become a greater teacher than any home can be due to all the advances in technology such as the internet, cell phones, and peer pressure and the lack of parents being home due to dual income families being needed more now during the current recession going on in America today (Barbara, Colorosa). Seven Types of Bullies Briefly we have looked at contributing factors to bullies, but we will take a glance at the several different types of bullies. The Confident Bully often has a hefty ego and sense of dominance; The Social Bully is resentful of the optimistic traits of others; The Fully Armored Bully is calm and isolated; The Hyperactive Bully has trouble making friends; The Bullied Bully is bullied by adults or older kids; The Bunch of Bullies usually perceived as nice kids and last, but not least the Gang of Bullies is a group drawn together in pursuit of control, ascendancy and total absolution of power (Barbara, Colorosa). All have different agendas, but they all use the three basics fundamentals of bullying; verbal, physical, and relational. Verbal bullying accounts for 70% of all reported bullying for mainly two reasons (Barbara, Colorosa); It is easy to get away with and if it is accepted by the majority, it degrades the intended target. Physical bullying is actually only responsible for one-thirds of all reported incidents and the bully whom actually results to this form is more likely to move onto more serious criminal offenses in the future. Racial bullying is an area that we have not ventured into; however it is prevalent taking place in climates where differences are deemed as bad and where common bonds are not celebrated. The Victim or the Bullied The Victim or Bullied can become a target for bullying due to a variety of factors. This can be due to the victim being the new kid on the block, the kid who is smaller and younger in a new school, being submissive, gifted or talented, physical or mental disabilities or simply being in the wrong place at the wrong time (Barbara, Colorosa). In any case the bullied child becomes isolated from their peers and develops survival strategies rather than social skills. Bullies are often successful due to the fact they are ashamed, afraid of retaliation, they dont believe anyone can or wants to help and society has led people to believing ratting is not acceptable. Even though secrecy is a another significant factor to a bullys success, a child who is the victim of bullying will display warning signs and adults whether a teacher or parent must be mindful in observation of the warning signs. Children speak through their body language, facial expressions, eyes, words and the tone of voice when asked certain questions (Barbara, Colorosa). When children display a certain abrupt disinterest in school or refuses to go, is hungry after school, claims to have lost lunch money, stops talking about everyday activities and peers or completely does something out of their normal character, it can be an indicator there may be a problem. In todays society, most of the above mentioned clues almost describes a majority of kids today especially teenagers, but as we will visit later knowing your children and establishing an open line of communication can be vital in ensuring your children chances of being a victim of bullying are minimized. Education of children will help in reducing the potential of a child becoming a bullying victim. It is imperative that children are taught how to react when they are placed in a situation dealing with a bully or a group of bullies; Assurance is a key instrument, letting a child know that they are not alone; affirm that it is not their fault; establish that there are measures that you as a parent can take and immediately inform school personnel of the bullying issues or concerns. Just as easy as you can reassure your children of all the measures that can be implemented, equal caution must be exercised as not to hinder a childs capability to resolve some issues on their own so as not to be shunned by the other children as an individual who cannot function without their parents direct involvement. Justification of a bullys action can be detrimental to your relationship or trust previously established; educate your child, but let they figure out the best way to exist amongst their peers; avoidance should not be a course of action and by all means violence should only be used if they are in imminent danger by the bully or group of bullies. The next group we will explore is the Bystander (s) who more than often not are just caught in the middle and basically are glad that the bully is not targeting them. Bystander (s) tend to think that intervention will cause greater suffering, they simply do not know what actions to take, dont want to become the focal point of the bully or they dont want to get hurt themselves. The victims of bullying have been identified as suffering from various health problems, including diminished levels of psychological well-being, poor social adjustment, psychological distress and physical symptoms (Rigby, 1996, 2003). Victims have a wide range of issues such as social isolation, truancy, suicidal tendencies and depression. Also, experiencing peer harassment has been linked to depression, loneliness and social isolation. Victims often exhibit low self-esteem, have fewer friendships, school absences and even suicide. Relational bullying has also been related to rejection of peers, loneliness, isolation, depression and social anxiety all proved to be directly related to future psychological difficulties, according to Jacobsen, Kristen. The Bystander (s) Bystander (s) abilities or lack thereof, contribute to their fears and the lack of skills to cope with the issues leads to apathy and due to the fact that Bystander (s) witness first hand bullying tactics, they are apt to becoming bullies themselves. Bystander (s) rationalize why they do not take actions when they observe a bully targeting a child or a group of children; they are friends with bully, its not my problem, he/she is a loser or the fact that they dont want to be labeled as a snitch. Another aspect of bystander (s) perpetuating bully tendencies is through the spreading of rumors. Rumors are easy to start, spread and in lament terms hard to confirm or deny and children are not concerned with facts, they believe what everyone else does. Their ability to decipher the truth whether they want to or not is the real issue; simply they just want to fit in regardless of the truth, thus indirectly they are assisting the bully in tormenting the targeted child or children. Three factors that will empower bystander (s) is the ability to recognize, refuse and report are the steps they will need to be taught in order to not help in the bullying process. Social Experience and School Bullying Social Experience and School Bullying studies have shown that these problems extend well beyond the school and that children are exposed to dangerous situations in their own neighbor hoods on a daily basis. These experiences within the very communities that they live in undermine relationships between students and their teachers and bring to light that intervention needs to be extended to the broader community and neighborhood. A vast majority of studies have concentrated on the psychological profiles of bullies and their victims. According to these reports, bullies tend to assume a dominant role in interpersonal relationships and display lack of empathy. They are reported as displaying high self-esteem but also egotistic defensive traits (Salmivalli, Kaukiainen, Kaistaniemi, Lagerpetz, 1999; Smith, 2004). Studies also suggests that like other aggressive individuals, bullies attribute hostile intentions to the people with whom they are interacting and that they are incapable of resolving conflicts without resorting to acts of violence (Crick Dodge, 1999; Dodge, Bates Pettis) . Classroom Management, Bullying and Teacher Practices Teachers play a vital role in the school environment; the enforcement of school policies and ethos and the social interactions within the classroom. The absence of an adult (s) presence often contributes to bullies and their objectives. Studies have revealed that some teachers just dont observe the deviant behavior or they simply do not know how to handle the situation involving bullies. Some cases have illustrated that training is sorely needed in order to help in the ever growing epidemic. In some cases, teachers have intervened in physical bullying cases, but they acknowledge that the aspect of identifying relational bullying is hard to identify. Now teachers and counselors have different roles in the school, but they are inter-related on so many levels. Teachers are primarily educators and have limited experience in counseling, thus enter the counselor. The counselor primary role is to ensure the students success academically, career and socially. Due to the fact that the counselor works with the entire school population, they will have a better understanding on some of the underlying issues that the teacher just may not have time to observe. Teachers can prove to be a valuable asset in the fight against bullies, but training is still required to enhance the readiness of all school staff and administrators. For the most experienced to the novice of all teachers, teaching in todays society has become more challenging than ever. It requires the ability to adapt to new and constant changing demands. Although the issue is not new, a new light was shed on the issue during the Columbine High School shooting in April, 1999 (Vossekuil, Fein, Reddy, Borum, Modzeleski, 2002). In recent years, research has implicated teasing, harassment, and bullying in a number of targeted schools shootings that have taken place in the United States, according to (Kathleen P. Allen). Now in recent years, newer teachers in the profession stated they have felt unprepared for todays classroom management skills when it comes to managing administrative tasks, curriculum and behavior issues. According to (Kathleen P. Allen), additionally, it is a well- established fact that student misbehavior is a factor in teacher burnout and the decision for novice teachers to leave the profession. How Do Teachers Learn Classroom Management and Discipline When you look at this complex issue, classroom management is not what it was in the past. Classroom rules and guidelines were the main points other than course requirements in the past; however in todays culture, teachers have to worry about safety of themselves and other students, being innovative and creative to keep students interested and constantly adapting to changes to the profession. Teachers have to incorporate effective teaching strategies which include meaningful content, powerful teaching strategies and an organizational structure to support productive learning. Successful teachers employ strategies for establishing rules and procedures, organizing groups, monitoring and pacing classroom events, and reacting to misbehavior, according to (Kathleen P Allen). Some teachers may revert back to when they were in school and how their teachers maintained discipline. Although many of these teacher may not be teaching due to retirement, they still may act in a capacity as a mentor to todays generation of younger teachers. Now for up and coming teachers in college, management techniques are being incorporated in the curriculum to help circumvent these issues. Practical experience can only be gained through actual job experience, but they have a foundation to build on. Teachers currently in the business attend working group, field observations, student teaching, seminars and gain valuable experience by sharing ideas and talking with their teacher counterparts. Bullying, Prevalence, Definitions and Issues According to Kathleen P. Allen, in the largest survey of bullying in schools in the United States to date 29.9% of students were found to be involved in bullying demographics: 13% were bullies, 10.6% as victims, 6.3% as bully-victims. This study is a direct indicator that there is a definite problem that must be addressed in the United States school system. In looking into the issue of bullying, it has been discovered that it is a two way street. Now bullying from a teachers perspective in defined as a teacher who uses his or her power to reprimand, control or ridicule a student beyond what would be a reasonable disciplinary course of action. According to Kathleen P. Allen, 45% of 116 teachers surveyed at an elementary school admitted to bullying students. Also, at one intermediate school, 30% of students stated they were bullied by teachers. During another study, it was founded that in the United Kingdom that high school teachers were bullied by 56.4% by students at least once, 35.6% by students sometimes or more and 9.9% by students several times a week. The focal point of this particular part is that this behavior is undermining the sanctity of the education process and promoting reciprocated aggression. In the event, and lack of evidence of adult bullying going on within schools themselves, is probably a direct factor of bullying being perpetuated throughout the masses. Teachers are an intricate part in establishing a positive climate, thus they must maintain a professionalism that is unparallel to none. Teacher Knowledge of Bullying In order for teachers to prevent bullying they have to be educated on how to recognize the signs and most of all they must be aware of what measures to take to reduce this epidemic. What is viewed by most teachers as normal gossip and simply kids being kids is truly the tip of the iceberg. Physical altercations and the communicating of verbal threats is what teachers view as bullying; however through cell phone texting, email and more sophisticated ways of disguising bullying tactics teachers are fighting a losing battle. Students are very manipulative, and due to lack of classroom management abilities and the fact of teachers being overworked, underpaid and stressed beyond the point of no return, some teachers simply just dont care enough to go the extra mile and the ones who do care simply are just out numbered. Some scholars have looked at bullying as a social phenomenon, bullies tend to need an audience and this adds to the bullys powerbase. From an ecological perspective, students tend to be a product of their society. Since they live in neighborhoods where violence and aggressiveness are prevalent, they adapt to what they learn from society. Unfortunately, the school environment is where the aggression is practiced. Emotional distress has been associated with exposure to neighborhood violence often interferes academic performance and escalates the potential risks of peer bullying. Different variables have a definite impact on the bullying epidemic sweeping the globe at an alarming rate. First, we look at the sense of community-the acuity of belonging to a neighborhood, social relationships that implies to the eagerness to help others. Secondly, the exposure to dangerous and violent events where the young people live on a day to day basis. The perceived safety in the neighborhoods in conjunction with the serious nature of social problems. Lastly, different variables such as school climate, relationships with classmates, relationships with teachers and attitudes towards school. Young people who are exposed to neighborhood violence often find it hard to control their feelings of anger and irritability which contributes to poor academic performance. Students who exhibit the lack of self control find it difficult to concentrate on basic school tasks. They are hyperactive, impulsive and easily distracted and find it difficult to sit still long enough to do typical school work. What Can We Do About Bullying Prevention and Intervention are ongoing studies, life experiences, reading materials, workshops and attending presentations dealing with this topic in depth. Teachers are continuing to educate themselves through schools adopting different programs that has proven to be effective in other schools foreign and domestic. These adopted programs require continual updated training, but in every attempt to reduce bullying it is a sacrifice an overwhelming number of teachers is willing to make. Very often these programs advocate policy development as well as well as realignment of the school or classroom code of conduct and behavior management systems. Goals are obvious with these programs, reduction or the complete eradication in the bullying/victim problems in and out of the school setting and to prevent future problems (Dan Olweus). All attention is normally directed toward the direct bully concept. As previously stated, direct bullying involves relatively open attacks on another student and may include words, gestures, facial expressions or physical contact. Indirect bullying must be addressed as well. A student exposed to this indirect bullying has a hard time making friends within his or her class and is excluded from the peer group. There is a direct link between the two types of bullying; direct bullying victims are rejected by their peers and basically isolated. There is also a lot of students who are isolated and lonely without being a target by their fellow students. Awareness and involvement involve two general conditions; Adults at schools and to some measure at home must become aware of what bully/victim problems exist in their childs school and that parents must take an active part in correcting the problem. Bullying has proven to be a considerable problem in many countries across the world and reassures everyone in the teaching profession that no school is bully proof. A reasonable assumption is that when you have several children together and they cant decide who cannot be included in the group, and then bully tendencies will arise. Mapping the extent of the bully/victim problems at a particular school are a good start for an intervention program Dan Olweus). Should there an insignificant amount of bullying at a school, there must be an attempt to correct the problem altogether. By establishing that these problems exist in schools across the nation, parents and teachers must be persuaded to take aggressive action. Parents must understand that this is not an inevitable part of a childs life. Individual measures that can be taken by the teacher is if suspected bullying is taking place then he/she should confront the bully or bullies immediately. The intent is to let these offenders know that this type of behavior will not be tolerated by anyone. Should it be deemed that it is a group of bullies, and then each student should be handled on an individu al basis. Swift action should be taken so as to prevent collaboration between the groups can be established. In most cases, should the group be allowed to conspire, then the victim will be made out to be the villain. Due to the fact that bullies are calculating, devious, persuasive individuals and often possess leadership abilities which entice others to follow them. After all individuals have been interviewed separately, then placing all offenders in a group and reinforcing the facts that bullying will not be tolerated and inform all parties to include parents of possible repercussions should alleged if not proven behavior should continue.

Why did the Bolsheviks Win the Civil War?

Why did the Bolsheviks Win the Civil War? BRIEF OVERVIEW The Soviet Union was one of the world’s two super powers during the second half of the twentieth century. The idea that almost everyone has is that the Soviet state was founded in the year 1917, which was the year of the Bolshevik revolution; the truth is that the state has risen only after the end of the civil war in which the Bolsheviks were the ultimate victorious side. After the establishment of Lenin’s government in 1917, opposition members, especially those who had military positions under the Tsar regime, started to appear. General Alexeyev, who was the imperial chief of staff under the Tsar, started creating an anti-Bolshevik army immediately after the revolution. Soon after that, other leading tsarist military officials joined that group; those included Kornilov, Denikin, and many others. General Lavr Kornilov, who was the Supreme Commander of the Russian Army under the Tsar, created an army of volunteers that reached approximately three thousand men in 1918, and that army was the core of what later became the White Army that fought against the Reds (the Bolsheviks). Even if the White Army managed to control certain regions, for limited periods of time, such as the Ukraine, the Kuban region, Omsk, and Gatchina, and even though it succeeded in winning some battles, such as those at Simbirsk and Kazan, their ultimate fate was defeat. The Red Army prevailed and the Soviet state was finally established. WHY THE BOLSHEVIKS WON Many historians and researchers studied the Russian civil war, and the reasons for the defeat of the Whites they all agreed on were not always identical. According to Lee, the reason of victory laid in the effective handling of the war by the Bolsheviks themselves [The Bolsheviks were] outflanked to the east by Socialist Revolutionary regimes and surrounded by White military offensives. Yet this widespread opposition and apparently vulnerable position both worked in the favour of the Bolsheviks, making it possible for them to secure eventual victory. What made this certain was the effectiveness of their own diplomacy, organisation and military strategy (80) Some other researcher, however, contend that the Reds won the war not because of their exceptional and ingenious handling of the war, but because of reasons related to the mishandling of the war, and its various phases and stages, by the White army and its military chiefs. What must be stated here is that while the Red army was a unified military force under one Bolshevik (communist) leadership, the White army was composed of different groups which had different political views and, most importantly, which did not agree on what concerned the future they wanted for the new Russian state. As explained by Treadgold, the various components of the White army did not have a common efficient war strategy. The Whites had lacked coordination, and were plagued by personal rivalries among their leaders. They denounced Bolshevism, but affirmed nothing. Denikin and Kolchak were moderates, who lacked effective political or economic programs. Their slogan: ‘A united and indivisible Russia’ alienated national minorities, and played into Bolshevik hands. White generals made military blunders, but their political mistakes and disunity proved decisive. (Western New England College) The national minorities formed another factor that the Whites did not succeed in convincing. In fact, those minorities feared the Whites because of their constant call for a united Russia and felt threatened by them, and this was another positive element for the Reds. The above mentioned point of view is presented also by Phillips. He states that the main objective of the various groups that formed the White forces was to stop the victories of the Bolshevik revolution and to put an end to Lenin’s ambitions of creating a new Russian government and, ultimately, a new face for the Russian state. And even though all the fractions of the Whites agreed on that final goal, they did not agree on practically anything else. The Whites did not succeed in presenting a clear vision of what should come after the desired defeat of the Bolsheviks. The Whites were an amalgam of different groups united only by their desire to get rid of the Bolsheviks. On what was to replace the communist regime they were deeply divided. Some wanted a return to the Tsarist regime; others a democratic republic. There was little in common between the Tsarist groups and socialist groups like the Mensheviks. The aims of the national minorities were more limited and often at odds with the White leaders. The slogan ‘Russia One and Indivisible’ did little to keep the minorities fighting for the Whites. (Philips 42) Another factor that worked in the favour of the Reds was the foreign aid that the Whites were receiving. This gave the chance to the Bolsheviks to present their case against the opposition stating that they were tools in the hands of external powers that wanted to interfere in the future of Russia both politically and economically. Treadgold states that Allied intervention was of dubious value: foreign arms and supplies aided the Whites, but were insufficient to insure victory and let the Reds pose as defenders of Mother Russia. Bolshevik propaganda portrayed White generals (wrongly) as reactionary tools of Western imperialism, and (more correctly) as aiming to restore the landlords. (Western New England College) For what concerns the foreign powers, it must be noted that their abandonment of the Whites when the Reds began winning some of the battles was crucial in determining the outcome of that conflict. This was an enormous drawback for the White army that found itself alone and weak. Habeck confirms that the division of the groups that the White army was formed of was certainly an important element, but it was not the only one. The author states that the Allied forces were always offering assistance to the Whites, but they stopped it when the Whites needed it the most. When they were successful on the battlefield, the Allied powers (Britain, France, and the United States) provided critical military assistance, but as the Whites began to lose, the aid disappeared, consigning the Whites to their fate. The fluid nature of the civil war also meant that the Whites never created permanent institutions. Matters were not helped by the officers’ reluctance to involve themselves in political matters, leaving chaos and banditry to reign in much of their territory. (Habeck 1665) This abandonment of the Whites, according to Philips, was the result of the Versailles treaty of 1919. The author suggests that â€Å"the Allied leaders may have had no taste for communism but neither did they desire to carry on fighting.† It is also known that â€Å"the Whites did receive money and military equipment from the Allies although not enough to have an impact on the course of the war† (43). The pure military strategies and realities were not the only direct reason why the Bolsheviks won the war; another aspect was the method in which the Whites conducted their various issues and their personal lifestyle affairs. Corruption was one of the factors; another one was the total dependence on vodka and cocaine among the White soldiers. This even reached a more serious level when an official of the White army stated that his army was composed of members who were ignorant and incompetent (Anderson 22). The nature of the civil war was, just as any war, cruel and brutal, the White army was responsible for many crimes: â€Å"White troops were allowed to commit atrocities during the war, such as pogroms against the Jews who lived in White-occupied lands† (Habeck 1665) The last of the reasons that led the Bolsheviks to victory is purely economic; they were in control of the most important industrial and manufacturing plants in the country, while the Whites simply had far less and, as mentioned earlier, were dependent on foreign aids and on outside help to keep their campaign alive. Laver summarises the reasons by stating that the Reds had many advantages; such as the unified leadership of the communists under Lenin, the skills of Trotsky, and the control of industrial centres which were highly populated areas. The Whites, on the other hand, were divided, they lacked a common strategy, and they did not have popular support. Not to mention the ineffectiveness of the limited foreign support that they received (76-77). Works Cited Lee, Stephen J. Lenin and Revolutionary Russia. London, UK: Routledge, 2003. Treadgold, Donald W. Twentieth Century Russia. 1987. The Russian Civil War. Western New England College. 2000. 21 October 2006.  http://mars.wnec.edu/~grempel/courses/russia/lectures/28civilwar.html>. Philips, Steve. Lenin and the Russian Revolution. London, UK: Heinemann Educational Publishers, 2000. Habeck, Mary R. â€Å"White Army.† Encyclopedia of Russian History. Ed. James Millar. New York, NY: Macmillan Reference-Thomson/Gale, 2004. Anderson, Peter. â€Å"Why did the Bolsheviks Win the Russian Civil War?† History Review 43 (2002): 22 27 Laver, John. The Modernisation of Russia 1856-1985. Oxford, UK: Heinemann Educational Publishers, 2002.

Terrorism and Airport Security Essay -- Exploratory Essays Research Pa

Terrorism and Airport Security The morning of September 11 was like any other. The sun rose from the east, and the day was full of life. People went to work as they were accustomed to, and everybody seemed safe from harms way. In airports across America: planes were taking their passengers to their destinations in record times. People went through airport security as usual, walking through the metal detector and sending their bags through the x-ray machines. Security at the airport was normal. Bags were checked for guns and explosives as they had been doing for many years. This seemingly routine day turned out to be far from normal. A group of people that belonged to Al-Qaeda had different plans for the people of the United States. On September 11th the men of Al Qaeda, a terrorist group that has been the center of attention for some time now, hijacked 4 planes and used them as guided missiles to attack the people and government of America. These attacks were not against military targets or troops, they were aimed at the innocent civilians of everyday life. These cowardly attacks are the reason that the U.S. has devoted more time to national security, specifically airport security (September, 2004). Paul Thompson has compiled a complete timeline of the events that took place, before and after 9/11. Thompson continued, " The scrambling of fighter aircraft at the first sign of trouble is a routine phenomenon. During the year 2000, there where 425 'unknowns' pilots who didn't file or diverted [sic] from flight plans or used the wrong frequency." He went on to say that " such scrambles before 9/11 were about two or three times a week. After 9/11 they went up to three or four times a day" (Thompson, 2002). Paul Bracken,... ...hannel_hsd_story.jsp?id=news/com03244.xml Terrorism. (2004, March 16) Wikipedia. Retrieved March 17, 2004 from the World Wide Web: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terrorism Tyson, J. (2004, February 2). How Airport Security Works. How stuff works. Retrieved March 20, 2004 from the World Wide Web: http://travel.howstuffworks.com/airport-security1.htm style='font-family:Geneva'>Thompson, P. (2002 October 29). Complete 911 Timeline. Center For Corporative Research. Retrieved March 21, 2004 from the World Wide Web: http://www.cooperativeresearch.org/timeline.jsp?timeline=complete_911_timeline&timeperiod=0:10am-11:50pm%2011%20Sept%202001 < style='font-family:Geneva'>United States Department of Homeland Security. (2004, March 16) Wikipedia. Retrieved March 17, 2004 from the World Wide Web: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Department_of_Homeland_Securitypan>

Trainning as a Recruitment Tool :: Free Essay Writer

Trainning as a Recruitment Tool The title of the article is â€Å"Training as a recruitment tool†. It begins by addressing the problem which is that although we are living in a time of good conditions like low unemployment rate, many employers fell so bad. In the last decade employers had a deep and wide pool of new college graduates and recently laid-off, trained workers from which to choose. The workforce was also faithful and had no interest in leaving the security of a paid job to join the unemployed. The article suggests that the cause of this frustration is recruitment and retention problems. In an attempt to solve this problem, many organizations are offering nontraditional benefits, which include training and development opportunities. Training is considered the number 1 attraction and retention tool followed by flexible work schedules and competitive salaries. The author points out that we shouldn’t just believe that more training will improve conditions. He bases his argument on a study that found that high performing organizations provided each employee with an average of only 30 hours of training, compared to the average of 45 hours of training for each employee in other organizations. So as a conclusion, if more training hours do not guarantee improved performance, then there must be other factors that needs fixing. The difference between high performing companies and all other organizations is the degree to which training is integrated into company culture and strategy. Despite less time was given for formal training, the employees were benefiting more. This is due to the environment of continuous learning in which nontraditional training opportunities were offered and encouraged. Another important factor is linking strategy and training. Training is considered an investment for the organization because it is potentially a company’s most critical asset. The author then goes on by providing a list of tools to help managers and employees think about contribution and development in a new way. The first tool is the human capital value chain. This model consists of the opportunities offered to employees in the work environment enabling them to engage in the overall business strategy. The second tool suggested is the value creation continuum. This model helps employers define employee contribution to the organization, independent of job title or position, and define growth through the development of competencies. As employees progress, they begin to contribute more by growing intellectual capacity and leveraging their work and the work of others.

Nationwide Public Health Care in US: The Argument

The right to preserve the mental and physical well-being of a person is inherent to his right to live.   All over the world, this right has been protected and established as one of the basic human rights.   However, there is a disparity among nations on how it is enforced, with most of the developed world having a universal health care system provided to everyone regardless of their ability to pay (Healthcare, par. 2).   The United States is one of those countries in the developed world which does not have a national healthcare system, but rather, healthcare is provided by many separate legal entities (Healthcare in the United States, par. 1). Many critics of the system have described it as inefficient and ineffective. According to the Physicians for a National Health Program (PNHP), the current U.S. healthcare system is â€Å"outrageously expensive, yet inadequate.† (Single-Payer National Health Insurance, par. 2)   The U.S. spends more than twice as much as other developed nations at $7,129 per capita, yet it only ranks 37th out of 191 countries according to its healthcare performance in a World Health Organization (WHO) report in 2000. Where is all the money going to?   The U.S. system is a mixed system where private and public insurers coexist.   Still, according to PNHP, private insurers waste healthcare dollars on things not involving care: â€Å"overhead, underwriting, billing, sales and marketing departments as well as huge profits and exorbitant executive pay.†   Additionally, doctors and hospitals must maintain administrative staff to deal with the bureaucracy.   Combined, this accounts for 31 percent of American's health dollars (Single-Payer National Health Insurance, par. 3) Just by looking at the numbers it seems there should be no debate on establishing a national healthcare system in the U.S., but in fact the argument rages on in the halls of national politics.   There are still several criticisms against a national health care program, mostly stemming from the fact that Americans, by and large, have a tradition of capitalism and for-profit enterprises have most of the time had their way. Cited criticisms include the old adage that introducing the free market into anything, including healthcare, will drive prices and costs down. In fact, the opposite is currently proving true.   The excess payments for care in private for-profit institutions were substantial: 19%. (Himmelstein and Woolhandler, 1814).   The standard â€Å"free market† and does not apply to the healthcare system, where competition is often absent in some areas, and where the average person is very much in the dark on evaluating the â€Å"product† of healthcare.   Add to it the unique inefficiency of the U.S. government insuring 27.3% of the population and so we have them paying these for-profit hospitals a premium on what they could do much more efficiently themselves. Likewise, private insurance have to pay significant overhead, with these costs trickling down to the individual consumer.   Under a single payer system, it is estimated that the overall savings in paperwork would amount to more than $350 billion a year, enough to provide comprehensive coverage to everyone without paying more than we actually do. (Single-Payer National Health Insurance, par. 4) In my case, this mix of private and public insurance makes me and my spouse concerned over our future rates.   Both of us are self-employed, and so have to purchase private health insurance coverage for us and for our two children.   Instead of a nationwide security system that would protect us from the costs of rising rates, I am faced with the fear that, if we make too many claims, our rates could potentially skyrocket that we could no longer afford to carry it. As compared to a country like France, which has the best healthcare in the world according to the WHO (WHO Assesses, par. 1), we are wallowing in a system that is grossly inefficient, especially considering the huge cost we pay for our health compared to these nations.   The existence of organizations like the PNHP shows that there is widespread support among physicians in the country for a universal healthcare system that will protect the right of every American to live his or her life to the fullest.   Implementing a single-payer healthcare system would not only mean better health services for Americans, it will also drive down costs (How Much would a Single-Payer System Cost, par. 1), saving money for the government, and ultimately saving our own money. R E F E R E N C E â€Å"Single-Payer National Health Insurance†. Physicians for a National Health Program. 2006. 12 June 2007. ; http://www.pnhp.org/facts/single_payer_resources.php; Introduction: How Much Would a Single-Payer System Cost?†. Physicians for a National Health Program. 2006. 12 June 2007. < http://www.pnhp.org/single_payer_resources/ introduction_how_much_would_a_singlepayer_system_cost.php> â€Å"Healthcare.† Wikipedia the Free Encyclopedia. 12 June 2007. â€Å"Healthcare in the United States.† Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. 12 June 2007. < http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health_care_in_the_United_States> Himmelstein, David and Woolhandler, Steffie. â€Å"The High Costs of For-Profit Care.† Canadian Medical Association Journal. 8 June 2004. 1814-1815.

Codes of practice and guidance Status Essay

Definitions – equality, equality of opportunity, diversity, different types of discrimination (direct, indirect etc); equality legislation (UK, EU, the international picture); human rights legislation; coverage of legislation: employees, customers, stakeholders; industry requirements eg. public sector; conflicts eg. between law and religious or cultural beliefs Codes of practice and guidance Status of guidance and codes of practice ie. voluntary, required; industry standards or requirements eg. public sector requirements Benefits Benefits of equality and diversity in workforce, benefits of equality and diversity in stakeholder/customer base Needs Needs and expectations of those inside the organisation, needs and expectations of those outside the organisation; fairness and justice, impact of prejudice and discrimination on groups and individuals 2. Understand the dynamics of leading and managing equality and diversity in an organisation Commitment Creating a language and culture of commitment; how the behaviour, actions and words of those within the organisation support commitment to equality and diversity; the importance of showing respect; leading by example Policies and procedures Policies and procedures for legal compliance, policies and procedures to meet organisational aims and commitment, writing equality and diversity policies, how to ensure procedures help to meet policy Communication Importance of communicating commitment, policies and procedures; training staff; raising awareness of staff and stakeholders. Ensuring suppliers are aware of commitment, policies and procedures eg. website designers, printers consider accessibility issues in terms of language, size of text; facilities management consider suitability of premises access and use etc .

Google’s Strategy in 2010 Essay

What is Google’s business model? The answer is complex because it makes up of lots of different factors. The top 10 principles of Google’s corporate philosophy is what keeps them doing what they do best. (Gamble, 2010, pg. C-175). 1.Focus on the user and all else will follow. 2.It’s best to do one thing really, really well. 3.Fast is better than slow. 4.Democracy on the web works. 5.You don’t need to be at your desk to need an answer. 6.You can make money without doing evil. 7.There’s always more information out there. 8.The need for information crosses all borders. 9.You can be serious without a suit. 10.Great just isn’t good enough. Their mission statement is to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful. (www.google.com). These 10 principles have helped them achieve their goal within their mission statement. Google has kept it simple but efficient. These 10 principles have guided them from the beginning and it has work. They don’t need to fix something that is not broken. Examine the financial reports in the case to determine the company’s profitability, liquidity, leverage and activity ratios. Based on these ratios what is your assessment of the company’s performance? Justify your answer? Profitability ratios are measures of performance that indicate what the firm is earning on its sales or assets or equity. There are the operating profit margin, net profit margin, return on total assets, return on equity, and basic earning power ratios. (Mayo, 2007). Operating profit margin = Earnings before interest and taxes/Sales 8,381,189/23,650,563 = 35.4% Net profit margin = Earnings after interest and taxes/Sales 6,520,448/23,650,563 = 27.5% Return on total assets = Earnings after interest and taxes/Total assets 6,520,448/40,496,778 = 16.1% Return on equity = Earnings after interest and taxes/Equity 6,520,448/36,004,224 = 18.1% Basic earning power = earnings before interest and taxes/Total assets 8,381,189/40,496,778 = 20.6% Leverage ratios measure the firm’s use of debt financing. There are two ratios; debt/net worth ratio and debt ratio. (Mayo, 2007). Debt/net worth ratio = Debt/Equity 4,492,554/36,004,224 = 12.4% Debt ratio = Debt/Total assets 4,492,554/40,496,778 = 11.0% Activity ratios measure how rapidly the firm is turning its assets into cash. The two activity ratios are inventory turnover and receivables turnover. Google does not have any inventory so there is no inventory turnover. (Mayo, 2007). Receivables turnover = Annual sales/Accounts receivable 23,650,563/3,178,471 = 7.4% Liquidity ratios measure the ease of which assets may be converted into cash without loss. There are two liquidity ratios; quick and current ratio. (Mayo, 2007). Quick ratio = Current assets – Inventory/Current liabilities 29,166,958-0/2,747,467 = 10.6% Current ratio = Current assets/current liabilities 29,166,958/2,747,467 = 10.6% Since Google does not have any inventory, the quick ratio and current ratio is the same. This shows that Google does have more assets than current liabilities. Overall, Google is doing extremely well all over the board. Their debt ratio is low sitting at 11 percent. They paid their bills on time because their receivables turnover is sitting at 7 percent. Investors know that Google is a good company to buy stock into. Perform a SWOT analysis of Google. Strengths Number one search engine with established name Simple interface-user friendly Their interface has 88 different languages-Global usage Localized search results Infrastructure Weakness Contextual ads targeted by click fraud Can’t expand to offline products Opportunities Acquisitions of other business Increase online advertising Alliances/partnerships with other companies Launched their own operating system Google TV Threats Facebook Click fraud Yahoo, Microsoft, and Amazon Slow economy Describe Google’s value chain. What is the source of the company’s competitive advantage? Since Google does not have any â€Å"raw† materials to process into finished goods like a traditional company, their value chain is different. Ben Morrow (2009) their value chain is more nuanced. Google gathers all the web users it can (the raw material) by enticing them to use its stellar search product with highly relevant results delivered promptly. Then, through assorted â€Å"signs† (text advertisements) it directs these same web users in the form of traffic to its advertising partners who transform the traffic into â€Å"conversions† or sales on their sites (finished good). Their added value is that they know where to direct the users to their sites that they needed to go. The source of Google’s competitive advantage is learning by doing as stated by Hal R. Varian, Google’s chief economist (Lohr, 2008). Basically, they arelearning from their competitors. For example, with Microsoft antitrust problems, they are now making antitrust training is mandatory for Google managers (Lohr, 2008). Some of Google’s competitive advantages are their value, rarity, imitability, and substitutability. Value because it is part of their value chain. Rarity because their user interface is so simple and user friendly. Also, it is hard for competitors to imitate because of the large infrastructure requirements to serve the relevant pages quickly. Google has servers all over the world all synced up and all running on a very large quantity of RAM, fast computer memory. (Morrow, 2009). References Lohr, S. (July, 7, 2008). The New York Times. Google, Zen Master of the Market. Retrieved on April 11, 2012 from http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/07/technology/07google.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1. Mayo, H. (2007). Basic Finance: An Introduction to Financial Institutions, Investments & Management: 9 Edition. Thomson: United States. Morrow, B. (Feb. 22. 2009). Internal Analysis of Google Inc. Retrieved on April 11, 2012 from http://www.benmorrow.info/research/internal-analysis-of-google-inc/. Thomson A., Peteraf, M., Gamble, J., & Strickland, A.J. ( 2012). Crafting & Executing Strategy. McGraw-Hill.

Impact Of Entertainment To The Atmosphere Environmental Sciences Essay

Entertainment has been an of import component in this universe. Peoples seek all sort of amusement such as athleticss and music to pass their clip either entirely or with household and friends. Some people may be willing to travel through a great length, spend monolithic sum of money or even digest some physical challenges every bit long as they get the amusement from the activities that they loved. However, some people might non recognize that some of their activities might be harmful to the ambiance, which in the long-run will finally impact themselves and their households. A individual or an organisation might non recognize how they are damaging the ambiance because largely their activities does non demo any immediate seeable impact, but scientific discipline has shown us how a simple action that seems so harmless might lend to a annihilating impact to the ambiance. One illustration of a popular amusement presents is the music festivals. Music doubtless is one of the biggest beginnings of amusement and is enjoyed by people irrespective of age, profession or cultural difference. Music festivals are the topographic point that could garner 1000s of music lovers to portion their love and compulsions towards music. Festivals such as the Woodstock Festival ( 1969 ) in United States and Glastonbury Festival in United Kingdom can pull more than 100,000 people at a clip. In Australia, some festivals such as the Big Day Out and Soundwave Festival has been organized in about every province of the state and becomes one-year tradition among the music lovers. These are one of the biggest amusement events in the state but without deep consideration to the environment, they can be one of the major grounds of atmospheric pollution. Despite many positive parts of the music festival, there are besides the parts where music festival can be harmful to the environment. Music festivals use immense sum of energy which may comes from non-sustainable beginnings. Two major beginnings of electricity during music festivals came from fuel-burning generators or the electricity grid, in which in Australia they largely came from the combustion of coal ( Solar Point, n.d. ) . These power beginnings release immense sum of C dioxide ( CO2 ) and air pollutants which might lend to the long-run impact to the ambiance such as the planetary heating and acerb rain. Besides that, diesel-powered generators normally used in festivals might besides supply immediate wellness fright as they may let go of really little but risky solid particulate affair which could transport harmful chemicals to peopleis lungs while they breathe. It might non be a common calamity but it is better to fix for the worst and seek to extinguish air pollutants and inordinate nursery gasses from the ambiance. Alternatively, music festivals might besides hold high C footmark that came indirectly from the events. For case, the crowd came to music festival from all across the province and release immense sums of nursery gasses to the ambiance by going in their autos, coachs or any other agencies of transit that require combustion of fossil fuel. This will be worst if the events cause monolithic traffic jams as it will impact even those who are non traveling to the festivals and more fuel burning will takes topographic point on the route. On the other manus, non everyone in the crowd during the event will utilize the proper manner of disposing or recycling their waste, which means more pollutants will be provided to the environment. Furthermore, the corporal energy from the life rhythm of the phases, equipments, vehicles and other stuffs used during the festival might besides add to the C footmark of the event. All these beginnings of pollutants and nursery gasses will so impact the ambiance and lead to lay waste toing environmental jobs. It will be absurd to propose that music festivals should be banned to protect the environment. A more effectual manner to manage this job is by retracing the event to be more environmentally friendly and to cut down the C footmark of the event to the lower limit. The most critical measure towards this solution must get down from the eventis direction squad. The organiser for such event must alter their system and include environmental concern in their policy. Each event must hold a designated environmental coordinator who will be responsible to the degree of environmental sustainability of the event. The coordinator must supply some sustainable guidelines and ensures that the processs are implemented in every facet. In add-on, the attendants of the event should be offered the option to countervail their C footmark in the attempt to cut down nursery consequence. In Queensland, Splendour in the Grass Festival offers Carbon Offset Ticket which will countervail the buyeris travel emanati on for around 350km ( Splendour in the Grass, 2010 ) . Redesigning the whole power supply system to be more environmentally friendly can hold a important consequence to the sustainability of the music festival. Organizers should do certain that their phase uses efficient power supply and utilize energy salvaging equipment. Precious energy demands to be conserved as more electricity generated will do more harmful substances to be released to the ambiance. However, a more reasonable manner of significantly cut downing the emanation is by taking the right beginning for the electricity. Presently, most of the festivals in Australia or any other state in the universe run by trusting on fossil fuels, which burning is a major menace to the ambiance. Therefore, if we want to forestall the inordinate emanation of C dioxide, sulfur dioxide and azotic oxide to the ambiance, so bring forthing electricity from harmless resources should be the precedence. In Australia, there are several companies that have developed the safe engineering and made them portable and simple to be used. Some practical options that may be a good replacing for the dodo fuel based electricity are biodiesel generator and solar photovoltaic ( PV ) system. Unlike petrofuel generator, biodiesel generator used Diesel made from vegetable oils or carnal fats. Biodiesel is a type of renewable energy and is presently emerging as one of the most dependable options to fossil fuel. One advantage of this renewable fuel is that C dioxide will be used during the production of the biodiesel, which is from the photosynthesis of the works. However, although the C ratio of biodiesel is significantly lower than the normal Diesel, the burning of biodiesel besides releases nitrogen oxides every bit good as little sum of sulfur dioxides and methane. Azotic oxide ( NOx ) is the inevitable consequence of any burning procedure, in which the high temperature at the furnaces or engines will change over N from the ambiance to azotic oxide ( Boyle, 2004 ) . Therefore, it might be a more simple solution, but biodiesel generators might non be the smartest pick for power supply. A better pick for power supply could be the solar PV system. Australia is one of the states that receive sufficient sum of sunshine ( Solar Point, n.d. ) so there will be no job of limited resource. Solar PV does non necessitate any burning and is a really clean renewable energy. In add-on, solar faculties do non hold any moving parts which mean it is safe to run and will non necessitate frequent care. PV system can be build at the festivalis site as a base entirely system or grid-connected system. A grid connected system can let the excess power to be fed back to the grid and can utilize some energy from the grid in instance of power deficit. However, it might non hold the portability and flexibleness that the base entirely system will hold. In Australia, there are tonss of companies that specialize in PV panels and plentifulness of picks are available in the market. The lone job will be that the capital cost of the system will be rather high but on the contrary, the running cost wi ll be really low as it does non necessitate intensive care, have long lifetime and it can be recycled. The best portion of utilizing solar PV system is the ifueli is clean, safe and free. One simple but interesting suggestion to better the sustainability of music festival is to revise the catering and menu choice of the events. It might non look as a really notable thought but making so might besides cut down the impact of music festival to the ambiance. Festivals irrespective of their continuances or sizes normally present caterer or peddler who provide or sell nutrients and drinks during the event. Foods and drinks are the biggest beginning of rubbish as can be seen in every festival site after everyone has left the locale. Therefore, it might be a good thought to inquire the caterer, peddler or any parties who are responsible for the nutrient to cut down or wholly extinguish any nutrient or drinks that come in non-biodegradable or non-recyclable wrapper if possible. In add-on, they should besides be reminded to pull off their H2O and energy use expeditiously and cut down their waste. Unnecessary energy use is non merely uneconomical, but some electrical contraption s might besides lend to atmospheric pollution. For case, CFC ( CFC ) from icebox is a immense menace to the ambiance as it is the major cause of stratospheric ozone depletion. Therefore, it will be a great thought to inquire the caterer to hold their ain environmental policy in order to better the sustainability of the event. Besides concentrating on the manner to cut down the emanation of nursery gasses and other atmospheric pollutants by music festivals, organisers should besides take the chance to utilize the events as a medium to advance environmental concerns among the populace. Organizers should show that their events are back uping the attempt to protect the ambiance and involved in the battle to conserve the environment. It will be better if the event will merely accept sponsorship from organisations that besides support the environmental cause and non peculiarly involved in any major environmental job. During the event, environmental messages should besides be displayed or announced several times to stress the importance of a sustainable hereafter. In add-on, well-known eco-friendly sets and instrumentalists should besides be invited to execute to demo that everyone has the duty to protect the planet. Internationally celebrated sets such as Radiohead ( United Kingdom ) and Pearl Jam ( United Stat es ) have publically shown their concern to the environment and these function theoretical accounts have the ability to present the message successfully to the crowd. Another of import component that besides needs to be introduced in a music festival is a sustainability audit. It is really of import to reexamine every facet of the festival and happen a manner to better the event in the hereafter. The event can be assessed by internal member of the festival or with the aid of professional judge. The audit should measure the direct and indirect emanations of nursery gasses, energy efficiency for all electrical devices and systems, physical impact of the event to the environment and the effectivity of the eventis environmental policy. The informations collected could be really utile in bettering the sustainability of the event and can besides be a guideline for any other related event in the hereafter. There might be some other enterprises that could be put into pattern in the attempt to alter music festival to be a greenish event. These attempts will non hold any major impact on the enjoyment and exhilaration that are seek on the event because the satisfaction of the attendants will besides be a precedence. In fact, an environmentally friendly music festival could perchance pull even more support from the music lovers as more people in the universe has started to care for the environment and opt for more green activities. We can see in every province in Australia people have shown their involvement for more sustainable hereafter and the communities took assorted attempts to better the vicinities. In the sustainable music festival, everyone can bask the great music without worrying about how they may harm the ambiance. The Earth is traveling to be a more beautiful planet if we can let go of the love of music into the atmosphere alternatively of the soiled burning fume of the dodo f uel.

Protecting and Preserving Our Environment Essay

At WD, we recognize the need to preserve and protect the earth’s vital natural resources. We believe that part of being a good corporate citizen and a good neighbor is maintaining or improving the cleanliness of the air, water and land of the locations in which we operate. As a result, our facilities throughout the world comply with applicable environmental laws and regulations, and each has developed and implemented a comprehensive set of practices designed to ensure continued compliance. In addition, we continually review our operations and processes to identify opportunities which allow us to reduce or recycle byproducts generated by our activities. We are also concerned about protecting the natural resources of the communities in which our products are sold and used. We review the content of the products we manufacture and have established programs to eliminate or phase out the use of certain materials restricted by international legislation. We have also begun offering fo r sale a line of products specifically designed to reduce the environmental impact resulting from their use. All of our manufacturing facilities in Asia have environmental management systems in place which are ISO 14001 certified. Each facility has a comprehensive policy and set of supporting procedures addressing environmental permits, pollution prevention, hazardous substances, wastewater and solid wastes, airborne emissions and product content. Our policies express a commitment to continued improvement, and to this end, we review the status of our environmental management systems at least annually. All of our manufacturing facilities have environmental specialists onsite, and we provide training programs on environmental practices for employees whose job duties impact our environmental management systems. In addition, all of our facilities provide clear written direction to all employees and workers in languages appropriate to each site regarding requirements and responsibilities for environmental practices in accordance with company policy. Compliance with RoHS and WEEE Directives WD products manufactured and sold worldwide after August 1, 2005, meet or exceed Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) compliance requirements as mandated by the European Union for electrical and electronic products. The RoHS Directive 2002/95/EC of the European Parliament, which was effective in the EU beginning July 1, 2006, aims to protect human health and the environment by restricting the use of certain hazardous substances in new equipment, and consists of restrictions on lead, mercury, cadmium, and other substances. The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) directive was developed to minimize the disposal of electrical and electronic equipment into landfills. WD hard drive products and packaging include the WEEE symbol in support of this directive. Supplier Compliance WD has conducted and continues to conduct very extensive tests regarding use of environmental compliant material on all our components. WD requires all component suppliers meet WD’s environmental Specification, titled â€Å"WD’s Environmental Guidelines for Materials, Components and Products.† This 20-page Specification sets forth the maximum threshold limits for restricted, prohibited and managed substances and requires suppliers to adhere to all applicable laws. In addition, the Specification states that all WD suppliers and sub-suppliers will be expected to complete environmental declaration forms for all new materials and components based on a combination of knowledge of their incoming raw materials, process review and their own analytical testing and certification data. Suppliers are required to maintain documented records, made available to Western Digital, indicating which measures are used to ensure compliance to the Specification. We review all suppliers ’ Declarations of compliance with WD’s environmental Specification during the launch of every new hard drive program and also track this together with a 3rd party Analytical lab data by component in our Environmental Compliance database. In addition, we maintain strict requirements with respect to Supplier Process/Material Change requests. Suppliers are also required to keep records of their in process tests to ensure compliance to the approved Process Management Plan and approved materials. These are regularly audited by WD. Greenhouse Gas Emissions Global climate change, caused by increasing concentrations of atmospheric carbon dioxide, is one of the most significant concerns facing our world today. As a corporate citizen, WD is particularly sensitive to the effects of global climate change. The need to understand the science of climate change and to formulate appropriate policy to address scientific findings is intensifying with each passing day. To view WD’s Greenhouse Gas report, click here. Q&A for Environmental and Hazardous Materials Environmental QDoes Western Digital have management representatives responsible for assuring compliance with respect to environmental laws, regulations and codes? AYes. Western Digital has management representatives at all critical sites whose core responsibility is monitoring, communicating and training employees in all aspects of environmental compliance as related to the specific facility. QDo Western Digital’s facilities receive periodic audits of environmental practices in order to assess conformance with regulatory and other requirements? AYes. Western Digital conducts both internal and external audits to evaluate its compliance with applicable environmental laws and regulations. QWhat types of policies, rules or procedures does Western Digital maintain relative to environmental programs? AWestern Digital maintains environmental polices, rules and/or procedures which address environmental permits, pollution prevention, hazardous substances, liquid waste, solid waste, air emission controls and product content. The substance of these programs is delivered to our employee population utilizing various formats including in-person training, web-based training, face-to-face communications, postings and bulletins. All programs are communicated in various languages appropriate to the employee population of each of our facilities to insure that all employees have a clear understanding of the programs. QDoes Western Digital place contractual requirements on its suppliers to be in compliance with environmental laws, regulations and codes of conduct? AYes. Whenever possible, Western Digital executes contracts with its suppliers which require, among other things, that the suppliers comply with all relevant and applicable environmental laws and regulations. QIs Western Digital required to maintain certain environmental permits in the operations of its facilities? AYes. Western Digital is required to maintain certain environmental permits as related to the operations of its facilities. Based on the geography and the operations, permits may be required for chemical handling and storage, waste treatment, wastewater discharge, air emissions and storage tanks. QDoes Western Digital make available Material Data Safety Sheets (MSDS) to workers that handle chemicals? AYes. Western Digital makes MSDS sheets available to employees onsite at all of its facilities. In addition, Western Digital contracts for OnCall MSDS information domestically. Hazardous Materials QDoes Western Digital use hazardous materials in its manufacturing process? AYes. Western Digital utilizes a variety of hazardous materials in its manufacturing operations. Classifications of hazardous materials include flammables, combustibles, corrosives and toxic gases. QHow does Western Digital store chemicals at its facilities? AWestern Digital stores all hazardous materials in compliance with applicable laws and regulations. Storage areas are secured and covered containing various types of containers including bottles, cylinders, drums and other approved vessels with the appropriate type of labeling and containment as required or recommended by codes, regulations and other authorities. QDoes Western Digital generate wastes that are classified as hazardous wastes? AYes. Western Digital generates various types and quantities of hazardous wastes. All wastes are disposed of in compliance with applicable law, and we regularly audit our hazardous waste haulers and their facilities. QDoes Western Digital have a program or procedures for management of hazardous waste? AYes. Western Digital has a variety of programs and procedures for the management of its hazardous waste. These include monitoring, characterization, treatment, conversion and disposition. All wastes are disposed of in compliance with applicable law, and we regularly audit our hazardous waste haulers and their facilities. QDoes Western Digital have a site specific management system registered to ISO 14001, OSHAS 18001, or other recognized health and safety or environmental management standards? AYes. Western Digital factories in Malaysia and Thailand maintain management systems which have earned the ISO 14001 and OSHAS 18001 designation. QDoes Western Digital have programs or procedures to reduce or eliminate pollution and waste in its operations? AWestern Digital is always looking for ways to eliminate or reduce pollution or waste generated by our operations. Among the programs we consider are solvent re-use or elimination, process waste and emission minimization, packaging reduction, recycling or elimination as well as reductions in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. QDoes Western Digital have programs or procedures to reduce the use of energy, water and other natural resources in its operations? AWestern Digital is always looking for ways to reduce energy and other natural resource consumption in our operations. Among the programs we consider are evaluating product or process design modifications, improvement in energy efficiency of process, and the evaluation of construction, maintenance and land use programs.