WHAT ARE THE PURCHASING ADDING VALUES TO A COMPANY AND WHAT CORE Assignment

WHAT ARE THE PURCHASING ADDING VALUES TO A COMPANY AND WHAT CORE PURCHASING ACTIVITIES CAN BE DONE TO MAXMIZE COMPANY'S PROFITABLITY - Assignment Example In the manufacturing sector, it is generally accepted that the value of inputs materials forms a high percentage of the ultimate product price – to the extent of as much as 60% and even more in highly competitive industries. In companies that execute major construction projects in the different engineering fields like civil, metallurgical/other process plants, power plants etc. the value of inputs will be equally high. In this background, the importance of economizing and strategizing procurement can not be over-emphasized. This essay examines the various aspects of procurement, developments in this professional activity and the scope for maximizing profits. In a regular manufacturing company, depending upon sales forecast, production plans and budgets are drawn up and these help the Procurement to anticipate and plan the routine as well as non-recurring purchases. Purchasing activities can be broadly identified as tendering, bid evaluation, negotiations, vendor selection, ordering and follow up. Make or buy decisions are taken at strategic management meetings and once a decision is taken to procure an item from vendors, Procurement receives the requests for purchase along with quantities and specifications. Tendering for non-standard purchases is more time consuming and involves calling for quotations based on buyer’s specifications and terms like quantities, delivery schedule, supply conditions, payment terms, guarantees and warranties etc. Quotations are evaluated for technical and commercial comparison and to identify the preliminary list of suppliers for further discussions. Negotiations cover the technical specifications as well as other terms that differ from tender documents and to arrive at mutually acceptable terms of supply. Based on the success of such negotiations, one or more suppliers are selected and the purchase orders for going ahead with the supplies are issued. Regular follow up is part of the

Emotional, Behavioral, and Physical Disabilities Essay

Emotional, Behavioral, and Physical Disabilities - Essay Example The current research also looks at a point at which I visited, observed, and participated in an inclusion program serving special education students, and what I observed in terms of behavior modification. students, including students with emotional and behavioral disorders, physical disabilities, health impairments, and traumatic brain injury, are able to have an opportunity for growth and development is dependent on planning and personal execution. Many different people have different styles of planning and shaping the classroom environment, with different results. Overall, â€Å"Classroom environments that work require personal reflection about teachers’ roles, an understanding of what works in classroom organizations, a view of the relationship between management and instructional decisions, and the ability to use multiple methods† (Fine, 2002). At the same time, the teacher must realize that most students are spending most of their time outside of school, and only a fraction of their time in school or after school programs. Therefore it is important to realize the role that parenting, outside environment, and other factors like television and peer group association that also shape the process in the majority of the student’s time, especially when the student has special needs and is disabled. The current research example shows that inclusion programs can be very successful for students with various physical disabilities if teachers have a positive attitude and are willing to increase their levels of teamwork and communication. Teachers need to focus on stressing similarities to their peers and should help them accomplish what is sometimes a difficult social acclimation, as well as focusing on their academic needs. Disabilities are dealt with in the mainstreamed classroom and instructional strategies for helping children with disabilities achieve are tried out. When looking at the

The role of intelligence in aviation security

The role of intelligence in aviation security According to the Centre for the Study of intelligence (A unit under the United States Central Intelligence Agency, CIA), civil aviation, unlike defence (military) aviation, has mostly been in the centre of aviation security concerns for obvious reasons (Raffel, 2007). First, civil aviation has a high-value asset (Human capital, goods, property and wealth) which makes it attractive for criminals and terrorist. Ordinarily, high value asset should not, in itself, constitute a severe security threat, but significant concentration of high value asset attracts crime (Wheeler, 2005:7). In 60s and 70s, some aircraft were hijacked in the united state solely for the purpose of collecting ransom (Poole, 2008:9). Subsequently, an increase s hijacking (for ransom) attack led to the formulation of various aviation security policies and programs especially in America and Europe. So, criminals may seek economic benefit are likely to attack an aviation unit for that reason. On the other hand, terrori st seek economic loss through massive collateral damage. But, not all aviation security attacks are economically motivated. For example, 9/11 attacked was suspected to have been a socio-politically motivated. The severity of the attached is exacerbated by the massive human loss. It can be assumed that Al-qaeda figured the human loss as part of the objectives of their attack. Another example of massive human capital loss was caused by the attacks on Rome and Vienna airport in 1985 (Raffel, 2007). Then, it may be argued that criminals ( especially terrorist) in their bid to make cynical statements and increase the severity of their attacks take advantage of the high human traffic associated with civil aviation to cause massive human loss. The CIA calls this massacre ibid. Moreover, unlike defence aviation, traditional civil aviation systems (aircraft, personnel, airports) are not intrinsically designed with self-defence mechanisms, making them prone to (frequent) attacks. Given the vu lnerability of civil aviation to security attacks, aviation security and intelligence discussion focuses on civil aviation and its complex inter-relations makes multi-perspective discourse. Aviation Security Intelligence: Information Gathering, Sharing and Analysis Combating crimes and averting potential criminal and terrorist attacks is underpinned on well-versed understanding of the goals and resources of criminal and terrorist groups. Wheeler (2005: 37-38 ) explained intelligence procedure as mainly: covert gathering of information related to criminals and terrorist, a deep and broad centralized analysis of the information and a drawing a conclusion against previously known fact about the gang ( terrorist and criminal). Doing this, security operation will not only get a foreknowledge of terrorist but also be able to predict (to a degree of accuracy) their next move. However, there is an ongoing discussion on how to best to deal with security intelligence in civil aviation which according to Raffel CIA, (2007) is drawn-out, confusing and inconclusive. One can quickly associate and gain better understanding of Raffels assertions from the analysis of civil aviation and security threats previously discussed above. The question remains clear: How do we deal with information of a proposed attack? Answering this question requires a system wide, multi-stakeholder analysis which captures the views of the passenger, regulators (government) and the airline operators. Who should know what and when? Airport and airline operators do feel that up to date and appropriate information sharing could help them plan and handle security issues. In practical sense, vigilance can help reduce (if not eliminate) security risks. But in reality, most airline and airport operator do not have access to accurate, meticulously collected and analyzed information. Mostly, the available information or intelligence are too broad that they very difficult (perhaps, impossible) to employ in a specific airport or scheduled flight. This set-back is a flaw of the data capturing process; data is acquired on an informal basis instead of an organized, process driven method (Raffel, 2007). Besides the incongruity of available information and intelligence, there is a caveat on the source of such information. Technology has made all kind of information readily available and as such the accuracy of information and credibility of the source cannot be ordinarily ascertained. This is a dilemma for information analyst , including airport security analyst. Emphasis is placed on the source: general information on the public domain and confidential and sensitive intelligence which stealthy sourced and accumulated. As expected, classified intelligence are restricted, seldom available for open propagation. Security agencies control the dissemination of such information and place a strict need-to know requirement. In a separate argument, Wheeler (2005: 33) described the inhibition of information sharing as a culture, a phenomenon which characterized every human endeavour. How then would airport and airline operator be able access the much needed information (intelligence) given the strict rules on the availability? The absence of an information sharing framework is a potential risk factor in aviation security intelligence. The contest about privacy is another issue with aviation security. In 2004, National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States an inquiry on 9/11 attacks recommended that the US president determines the guideline for information sharing among government agencies, protecting the privacy of the individual of whom they share information about (Wheeler 2005: 132). Perhaps, this recommendation may have been suggested by the Classified Information Procedures Act (CIPA) of 1980 which ensures the protection of protecting national security while also protecting the rights of the suspected individual. (Berman and Flint, 2003:3) Wheeler (2005:32) identified a missing link between information gathering and information sharing which can cause a drawback in effective policing. The covert method of gathering and analyzing intelligence requires that these two phases (information gathering and sharing) makes this interconnection necessary. Terrorist and criminals can capitalize on the difference between knowledge centres in while planning for and executing attacks on their targets. Inquiries into September 11 showed that the incidence can be blamed on the intelligence failure the government failed to make good use of prior information it had gathered and failed to utilize available information sharing framework. Misguided targeting is another weak point of intelligence gathering. Accumulating vast amount of information (of which some could be irrelevant) without exclusive suspicion will not catch terrorists and criminals instead it could make worse this Berman and Flint ( 2003:2) Critique of Aviation Security Intelligence Programs Before September 11, 2001, aviation security intelligence was cantered around baggage screening (Poole, 2008: 17; Raffel 2007). But the 9/11 attack has set up a new atmosphere: The need to identify precarious passengers (on a flight) and persons (within the perimeters of an airport) so as to nip potential attack in the bud before they are hatched. Before now, there have doubts on the effectiveness of these intelligence program (British Medical Journal 2010), increasing the outcry after the failed Christmas day bombing attack. The question is how did the terrorist (Abdul Mutallab) pass through the walls of screening? Clearly, terrorist organizations are keenly abreast of the trends of aviation security and they are in a relentlessly pursuit to circumvent it. KhaleejTimes.com (2010) claimed that the little success of Christmas day attack should be blamed on failure of human side of intelligence, suggesting the need to revisit the framework of intelligence program, if they will ever pro sper. Computer Assisted Passengers Pre-screening System (CAPPS ) CAPPS (also Computer Assisted Passengers Screening CAPS) was first introduced in 1996, by an airline, as temporary measure to assist in passengers bag screening for explosives. Over time, it was reviewed. The later version (CAPPS II) was modified to classify all passengers into various class according to a risk assessment score allotted to the passenger. CAPPS II, depending on experimental data algorithm from various database (government and commercial), has a double sided central focus: scrutinizing high-risk passengers at the same time as reducing the harassment of low risk (innocent) passengers. Like the suspended US Defences Total Information Awareness program, it is designed at profiling innocent people. Should the TSA invest so much on profiling (innocent) people who do not pose any security threat? In addition to initial public scepticism about the effectiveness of this profiling program, there is a growing debate over the appropriateness and the privacy and security risks of such systems (EPIC 2007a). In 2003, TSA started the Aviation Security Records (ASSR) an information database containing financial and transactional data as well as almost limitless data from other public and private information centre which the TSA said it will allow government, public and private entities to access the records. The unrestricted access to the database raises concern about the privacy and the security of the database. Is it possible for criminals and terrorist to obtain seemingly classified information, under false pretence? How passengers can contest and redress risk score is another missing details in the program. Secure Flight Program and the Terrorist Watch list Soon after the TSA discarded the later version Computer Assisted Passenger Pre-screening System (CAPPS II) in August 2004, it started the Secured Flight Program which was aimed to match up passengers information contained in the Passenger Name Record (PNR) data by provided by passenger and the state maintained watch list. The program transcended beyond simply matching names on two list to a complex system of profiling persons in order to estimate the security risk which they pose (DHS, 2004). Although TSA performed test for the Secure Flight Program, the program faced some criticism which lead to its temporary suspension. According to GAO (2006), at point when the secure flight program was scheduled to commence in September 2005, it was faulted with an inconclusive risk assessment and 144 known vulnerabilities. TSA has a United State legislation backed mandate to keep a watch list of names of persons alleged to constitute a risk of air piracy or terrorism or a threat to airlines or passenger safety. The agencys watch list is categorized into two: no fly and selectee lists (EPIC, 2007). The airlines collaborate with TSA on this in that when a passenger checks in for a flight, they match the passengers identity with the record. Should the passengers name matches any on the no fly list, he or she is tagged a threat, and is refused to embark on the flight. Not only that, TSA is notified at once and a law enforcement officer is called to detain and interrogate the person. In case the persons identity is matches any name on the select list, the person is tag S and he or she receives stricter security screening. But, what if there is a case of mistaken identity when a person name is mistakenly matched with those on the watch list? Would an innocent passenger be disallowed from boarding a flight d espite his constitution guaranteed right to travel? There are Tens of thousands of application of persons seeking redress for been wrongly mismatched (EPIC, 2007b) Multi-perspective Evaluation of Aviation Security intelligence Program This section will attempt to provide an analytic and multi-dimensional view of the role of security intelligence in aviation, exploring the economic, technological and social perspectives leaving out the legal and human right issues. Economic (business) perspectives Civil aviation cannot be disconnected from business. This is self evident in that the industry is deregulated to encourage capitalists who seek profits. And the pursuit of profit is determined by the complexities of the aviation industry which include the impact of the aviation security intelligence on industrys economics that cannot be underestimated. An instance is the aftermath of September 11 which led to a down turn of aviation business. The industry recorded a steep decline of passengers booking (of about seventy four percent), several cancelled flights, reduction in route by some airline operator and consequently, loss of jobs, reduced share prices, and other business losses (Morrell and Alamdari, 2002:1). This change in the aviation business atmosphere was caused from the non-fly reaction from passengers. Passengers reaction cannot be overlooked because it is an indication that passengers (like other consumers) are capable of intelligence sourcing and sharing (Haugtvedt et al , 2004: 283) and responding based on their analysis. Whether analysis of passenger is accurate is another subject entirely. Given the extent at which technology have increase the flow of information and the loop holes in information security, one cannot assume that sensitive security information cannot (would not) slip into the hand of the passenger (that is the set of air traveller) and the consequent passengers reaction and its ripple effect on aviation business (and industry in general) cannot be predicted. There is another dimension to this: Terrorist knowing fully that passengers can react to fear factor just as they did after September 11 may explore this scenario and the weakness of existing information sharing framework to pursue an economic combat strategy simply by sparking panic within the system. Another side of the economics of aviation security intelligence is the massive and undisclosed cost of pursing an intelligence system. Poole (2008:2) argued that similar to other similar human endeavour where choices are to be made based resource constraints, aviation security is faced with the challenge of making a decision on how to invest scares resource for maximum benefit. As anticipated, this makes decision making pretty difficult, and decision are characterized with frequent trade-offs. And if such trade -offs are not properly analyzed or hinged on wrong assumptions, the eventual decision may contribute to insecurity (KhaleejTimes.com, 2010). Based on this premise, Poole (2008:2) developed a risk assessment framework for making choices as related to aviation security. Another effect of classified information is that the actual cost of aviation strategy is difficult to determine, especially if the costing model is extended to account to include themes like cost benefit analysis (Poole, 2008:3). Social perspectives Present Focus is emphasized on international flight overlooking (or disregarding the possibility) internally originated threats like those of London bombing. This leaves one to assume that some intelligence campaigns are based on prejudice and ostensible conclusions. Proponent of this view may not be entirely wrong; may not fault the assumption that international flights poses higher degree of aviation risk. Social (racial, and religious) discrimination concerns became more prominent when the United States government announced compulsory screening for all passenger from 14 countries (mostly Islamic) after the failed Christmas day bombing attempt (Zakaria, 2010). One can argue that intelligence efforts are socially biased (Persico, 2002:1472-73; Knowles and Hernandez-Murillo, 2004: 959 -60) Political perspectives Poole (2008:2) insists that changes in aviation security policies are motivated political imperatives to reassure frightened population of that the nations air space is still very safe. For example in the United State, through legislation, the government established the Transportation Security Administration- an institution with complete responsibility for the nations transportation security but a huge part of its budget is committed to aviation security as directed by legislation. In a move to increase intelligence gathering, Attorney General Ashcroft approved security (FBI) agents to attend and monitor political events and religious which might serve as hubs for terrorist activities Berman and Flint (2003 : YY), showing the an interconnect but these themes : Politics and Security Intelligence. Technological Issues: Open access Information and Biometric Data The debate on information sharing is incomplete without examining the impact of technology. One of such argument is the openness of sensitive information to the public. For instance, Airport Law Enforcement Agencies Network (ALEAN) information-sharing groups supporting airports do make available information and open source material which is intended for aviation security personnel (Raffel CIA, 2007). Mindful the fact that terrorist and criminal can take advantage of the easy and open accessibility of electronic information system, the reliability of this method remains shaky. In another campaign, there is an advocacy to leverage on technology to help strengthen the various passengers profiling program through the inclusion of biometric data (KhaleejTimes.com, 2010). Biometric data are so unique so much that incidence of identity mismatch is almost unlikely (if not impossible). Although, how this new method will be adopted remains on clear, but it shows a promise of resolving some o f flaws in existing program. Summary The drawback in information sharing has rendered most aviation security intelligence initiatives less effective. The present demands for intelligence is expected to increase can become more effective information sharing. In spite of the doubts that present regime of security intelligence on the effectiveness, they are building blocks for the future of aviation security). It remains unbeatable that intelligence affects the aviation security and the aviation industry in general, and that the various intelligences actions and inactions can shape the future. This review has attempted to identify various linkages between these arguments and highlight possible path for future discourse.

Roger Williams and his Attack on Puritanism Essay -- American America

Roger Williams and his Attack on Puritanism During the seventeenth century a group of Christians split off from the Anglican Church of England and formed their own theology know as Puritanism. The Puritans were made up of the middle-class teachers, lawyers, merchants, clergy, and parliament members. Joshua Miller explains how the Puritans, "equated the church with the body of Christ;" and further states that, "to admit everyone, even open and unrepentant sinners, to the church was to pollute Christ's body" (Miller 59). The Church of England corruption of this body was the main reason for the great "Puritan Migration" during the seventeenth centry, along with the fact that the King refused to convene parliament at the time causing an uprising against the Throne of England. [1] The Puritans were cast out by King Charles of England and sent to the Americas to start a new colony of their own. The Puritans came to the Americas with a set idea of union between church and state. In the patent given to the Puritans by the King a selct few men were given the power to make laws without consent of the commonwealth and allowed to confiscate lands from the natives. Roger Williams a man who openly opposed these kinds of injustices committed by Puritan leaders like John Cotton and John Winthrop. A Puritan that had turned Separatist, Roger Williams wanted no part of the tainted Church of England. Separatists completely severed ties with the Anglican Church and formed their own denomination with their own theology and system of beliefs. Williams' separatist views did not sit well with the Puritans and as a result he paid the price for his open rebellion against the Puritan acts in New England. The Puritan church and government banis... ... his radical religious beliefs and his liberal political views which now live on in present day society. Works Cited 1.Covey, Cyclone. The Gentle Radical A Biography of Roger Williams. New York: MacMillan Company, 1966. 2. Greene, Theodore P. Roger Williams and the Massachusetts Magistrates. Boston: 1876. -Dexter, Henry M. As to Roger Williams and His 'Banishment' from the Massachusetts Plantation. Boston: 1976. - Knowles, James D. Memoir of Roger Williams. - Williams, Roger. "Mr. Cotton's letter Lately Printed, Examined and Answered." Narragansett Club. Providence: 1866. - Winthrop, John. "Winthrop's Journal." Original Narratives of Early American History. New York: 1908 Vol. 1 3. Miller, Joshua. "Direct Democracy and the Puritan Theory of Membership." Journal of Politics. Vol. 53 Issue1 Feb. 1991 pp. 59. Jstor June 3, 2000.

Energy crisis

An energy crisis Is any great shortfall (or price rise) In the supply of energy resources to an economy. It usually refers to the shortage of oil and additionally to electrlclty or other natural resources. The crlsls often has effects on the rest of the economy, with many recessions being caused by an energy crisis in some form. In particular, the production costs of electricity rise, which raises manufacturing costs.For the consumer, the price of gasoline (petrol) and diesel for cars and other vehicles rises, leading to reduced consumer confidence and spending, higher transportation osts and general price rising. AIM 2. The aim of this assignment is to highlight the crises which Pakistan is facing in terms of energy. MAIN BODY 3. Energy resources have depleted! Whatever resources are available are simply too expensive to buy or already acquired by countries which had planned and acted long time ago.Delayed efforts In the exploration sector have not been able to find sufficient amoun ts of energy resources. Nations of the world which have their own reserves are not supplying energy resources anymore; only the old contracts made decades ago are active. Airplanes, trains, cars, motorbikes, buses and trucks, all odes of transportation are coming to a stand still. Many industries have closed due to insufficient power supply. Price of oil has gone above the ceiling. At domestic level, alternate methods like solar, biogas and other methods are being tried for mere survival 4.The above is a likely scenario of Pakistan and around the globe after 25 years. A pessimistic view, but realistic enough to think about and plan for the future. But are we doing anything about it? Lets have a look at the current energy situation of Pakistan and the world. Pakistan's economy is performing at a very high note with GDP growing at an exceptional rate, touching 8. 5% in 2004-05. 1n its history of 58 years, there has been only a few golden years where the economy grew above 7%.This year official expectations are that GDP growth rate will be around 6. 5 – 7. 0%. For the coming years, the government Is targeting GDP growth rate above With economy growing at such a pace, the energy requirements are likely to increase with a similar rate. For 2004-05, Pakistan's energy consumption touched 55. 5 MTOE (Million Tons of Oil Equivalent). 5. The energy consumption is expected to grow at double digit if the overall economy sustains the targeted GDP growth rate of 6% by the government.Pakistan's energy requirements are expected to double in the next few years, and our energy requirements by 2015 is likely to cross 120MTOE. By 2030, the nation's requirement will be 7 times the current requirement reaching 361 MTOE. Pakistan's energy requirements are fulfilled with more than 80% of energy resources through Imports. 6. Pakistan is most likely to face a major energy crisis in natural gas, power and oll In the next three to four years that could choke the economic growth fo r many years to come, official estimates and energy experts suggest.Pakistan's total energy requirement would Increase by about 48 per cent to 80 million ons of oil equivalent (MTOE) in 2010 from about 54 MTOE currently, but major petroleum minister on condition of anonymity for the simple reason that he had also served the present government. 8. Major shortfall is expected in the natural gas supplies, he said. According to official energy demand forecast, he added, the demand for natural gas, having about 50 per cent share in the countrys energy consumption, would increase by 44 per cent to 39 MTOE from 27 MTOE currently.Partly contributed by gas shortfalls, the power shortage is expected to be little over 5,250MW by 2010, he said, adding that the oil demand would also increase by over 23 er cent to about 21 million tons in 2010 from the current demand of 16. 8 million tons. This would leave a total deficit of about nine million tons of diesel and furnace oil imports, he said. Sinc e the gas shortfalls were expected to be much higher, the country would need to enhance its dependence on imported oil, thus increasing pressure on foreign exchange situation, he added. 7.According to the former minister, the government had planned five major initiatives to meet these energy requirements. They included three gas import pipelines, Gwadar port as energy hub and LNG import. However, four of these measures, including the three import pipeline projects, show no signs of progress for various reasons while concentration on energy facilities in Gwadar would chiefly depend on security situation, besides oil and gas import pipelines. 8. Planning Commission sources said the government had planned to add an overall power generation capacity of about 7,880MW by 2010.Of this, about 4,860MW is to be based on natural gas, accounting for 61 per cent of capacity expansion. However, the gas-based power expansion of about 4,860MW would remain in doubt since these estimates were based o n gas import options for ompletion in 2010, 201 5 and 2020, said the sources. The fifth initiative of LNG import was on schedule and would start delivering about 0. 3 billion cubic feet of gas (BCFD) by 2009 and another 0. 5 BCFD by 201 5, said the sources. 13. Pakistan's gas reserves are 32. TCF at present, with reserve-production ratio in the order of 27 years, considering that domestic production does not grow substantially. Power sector demand represents 41 per cent of total gas consumption, general industries 24 per cent, fertiliser 7. 8 per cent and domestic-commercial 22. 8 per cent, cement 1. 5 per cent and CNG 2. 8 per cent. . Demand growth has been up to 8. 5 per cent in recent years and is expected to be seven per cent with power industries and domestic consumption accounting for 82 per cent.Gas demand already displays seasonal pattern with national demand growing in winter beyond transmission capacity. Therefore, supplies to large users mainly industries and power plants are curtailed during winter months to ensure supplies to domestic, commercial and small industries. Annual production at present is about 1. 16 TCF. 10. The country may plunge into energy crisis by the year 2007 due to rising electricity demand which nters into double digit fgure following increasing sale of electrical and electronic appliances on lease finance, it is reliably learnt Thursday. The country may face energy crisis by the year 2007 following healthy growth of 13 per cent in electricity demand during the last quarter, which will erode surplus production in absence of commissioning of any new power generation project during this financial year,† informed sources told The Nation. 11. As per Pakistan Economic Survey 2003-04, electricity consumption has increased by 8. 6 per cent during first three-quarter of demand surged up to 13 per cent during last quarter. The survey said household sector has been the largest consumer of electricity accounting for 44. per cent of total electricity consumption followed by industries 31. 1 per cent, agriculture 14. 3 per cent, other government sector 7. 4 per cent, commercial 5. 5 per cent and street light 0. 7 per cent. 12. Keeping in view the past trend and the future development, WAPDA has also revised its load forecast to eight per cent per annum as against previous estimates of five per cent on average. Even the revised load forecast has also failed all assessments due to which Authority has left no other option but to start load anagement this year, which may convert into scheduled load shedding over a period of two year, sources maintained.The country needs a quantum Jump in electricity generation in medium-term scenario to revert the possibilities of load shedding in future due to shrinking gap between demand and supply of electricity at peak hours. 13. According to an official report, the gap between firm supply and peak hours demand has already been shrunk to three digit (440 MW) during this fiscal and will slip into negative columns next year (-441 MW) and further intensify to (-1 ,457 MW) during the financial year 2006-07.The report maintained that the difference between firm supply and peak demand is estimated at 5,529 MW by the year 2009-10 when firm electricity supply will stand at 1 5,055 MW against peak demand of 20,584 MW. 14. Chairman WAPDA Tariq Hamid at a Press conference early this year warned about the possible energy crisis and stressed the need for ‘quantum Jump' in power generation. The experts say it could only be possible through a mega project of hydropower generation, otherwise the gap between firm supply and peak demand will remain on the rise.They said the power generation projects, which are due to ommission in coming years are of low capacity and will not be able to exceed the surging demand of the electricity. 15. They say no power generation project will commission during this fiscal year and the total installed capacity of electricity generatio n will remain 19,478 MW to meet 15,082 MW firm supply and 14,642 MW peak demand. Giving details of projects, the sources said Malakand-lll (81 MW), Pehur (18MW) and combined cycle power plant at Faisalabad (450MW) are planned to be commissioned during the year 2007.Mangla Dam raising project would also add 1 50 MW capacity to the national grid by June 2007. Besides this, Khan Khwar (72MW), Allai Khwar (121 MW), Duber Khwar (130MW) and Kayal Khwar (130MW) are expected to be completed in 2008 along with Golan Gol (106MW) and Jinnah (96MW). Moreover, Matiltan (84MW), New Bong Escape (79MW) and RaJdhani (132MW) are expected by 2009 while Taunsa (120MW) is likely to be completed by 2010. Sources say WAPDA has also planned to install a high efficiency combined cycle power plant at Baloki (450MW), which is expected to be completed by 2010.In addition of these, power plant 1 & 2 of 300 MW each at Thar Coal with the assistance of China are also lanned for commissioning in 2009, sources said. Moreover, efforts are also under way with China National Nuclear Corporation for the construction of a third nuclear power plant with a gross capacity of 325 MW at Chashma, they added. 23. RECOMMENDATIONS that is generally considered feasible for tropical and equatorial countries.Even though the accepted standard is 1,000 W/m2 of peak power at sea level, an average solar panel (or photovoltaic † PV † panel), delivers an average of only 19-56W/m2. Solar plants are generally used in cases where smaller amounts of power are required at remote locations. PV is also the most expensive of all options making it less attractive. b. Industrialization around the world has taken place because of the abundance of reliable and cheap electrical power (infrastructure, human resource and government incentives follow).Reliable and cheap availability of electric power in Pakistan will lead to large-scale investment in industry, creation of Jobs, elimination of unemployment and poverty, g reater manufacturing and exports, trade surplus and the reduction of deficits. It will lead toa prosperous Pakistan. c. Smaller windmills are also very feasible for remote villages, and in desert, mountainous and oastal regions, cutting down on the cost of power transmission and distribution networks. In remote farmlands, they have been successfully used for decades in the United States and Europe d.The supply of natural gas in Pakistan has been depleting over the years, and the country is now looking at the option of importing gas from Qatar and Central Asia. This leaves the possibility of exploring nuclear, coal and other alternative energy sources. e. Nuclear energy and coal form the lowest source of power production in Pakistan. On the other hand, the world average for nuclear energy is 16 per cent and for coal 40 per cent. There have been alarming predictions by groups such as the Club of Rome that the world would run out of oil in the late 20th century.CONCLUSION 24. Although technology has made oil extraction more efficient, the world is having to struggle to provide oil by using increasingly costly and less productive methods such as deep sea drilling, and developing environmentally sensitive areas such as the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. The world's population continues to grow at a quarter of a million people per day, increasing the consumption of energy. The per capita energy consumption of China, India and other developing nations continues to ncrease as the people living in these countries adopt western lifestyles.At present a small part of the world's population consumes a large part of its resources, with the United States and its population of 296 million people consuming more oil than China with its population of 1. 3 billion people. Efficiency mechanisms such as Negawatt power can provide significantly increased supply. It is a term used to describe the trading of increased efficiency, using consumption efficiency to increase available ma rket supply rather than by increasing plant generation capacity.

Corporate Responsibility – Starbucks

How does Starbucks’ policy of corporate social responsibility impact the company’s bottom line? According to Porter and Kramer (2006), â€Å"Proponents of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), use four arguments, moral obligation, sustainability, license to operate, and reputation as justification for implementing CSR programs and practices (p. 3). Moral obligation is the duty to be a good citizen and do the right (socially responsible) thing. Sustainability requires responsibility managing both environmental and community needs, by meeting the needs of today without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs.License to operate, every company needs permission from governments, communities and stakeholders to do business and reputation, to ones improve image, strength in brand, increase morale, and raise the value of stock (Porter, 2006). Based on the video â€Å"Starbucks Corporation: Serving more than coffee†, (McGraw Hill, 2011), Starb ucks follows the four Porter points quite closely, and these efforts have had a positive impact on the financial standing and public perception of the company.Starbucks spokesperson, Sue Mecklenberg states â€Å"Social responsibility is a boost to financial well being† (2011). Through the implementation of â€Å"Eco-efficiency†, the company is able to reduce waste and utility costs for water and gas. Additionally, Starbucks offers their employees, referred to as partners, good benefits that include health plans and stock options. These, in turn help to create partner loyalty to the company, leading to low turnover, which helps Starbucks to lower recruiting and training cost.Additionally, the Starbucks customer base appears to be motivated to frequent Starbucks based on their CSR, and also helps to attract socially conscious investors. Corporate social responsibility is also a valuable tool to report and communicate back to company stake holders, what the company is doi ng, and provides accountability by which metrics can be used to measure and monitor progress on these fronts. As Starbucks continues its global expansion, what must it do to ensure that the company maintains its socially conscious focus?Corporate social responsibility encompasses all aspects of the business provides a view into the heart of an organization. In referring to CSR, Sue Mecklenberg quotes the Starbucks CEO as saying, â€Å"We need to hit numbers and live values†, because CRS is no long simply writing a check to a foundation (McGraw Hill, 2011). To effectively maintain the CSR commitment, Starbucks must continue to evolve and improve partner and customer satisfaction, while aligning the business with the mission and guiding principles.This is evident in the way Starbucks encourages and supports those partners who contribution to non-profit organizations, such as â€Å"Make Your Mark†, where Starbucks contributes ten dollars per hour, per hour volunteered by a Starbucks partner. Additionally, on a global scale, Starbucks assures coffee farmers get fair wages, fair prices and maintain good social conditions for their employees. Schools and hospitals are funded for coffee producers who meet social and environmental criteria.In an effort to further monitor vendors, Starbuck is working to develop â€Å"real-time† updates of supply chain information, as well as an information pipeline for awareness and to manage social conditions at the vendors level (McGraw Hill, 2011). As Starbucks expands globally, management must continue to do the things they do so well with the current CRS program. However, to ensure the same responsibility as the company expands, it must have continuous improvement plan in place that is forward looking for both new ways to benefit employees, business partners, community and nations in which it does business.References Porter, M. E. , & Kramer, M. R. (2006). The link between competitive advantage and corporate s ocial responsibility. Harvard business review, 84(12), 78-92. McGraw Hill (2011). Starbucks Corporation: Serving more than coffee [Video recording] Retrieved October from 30, 2012 from https://blackboard. cmich. edu/webapps/portal/frameset. jsp? tab_tab_group_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_58229_1%26url%3D

Film Review-The Haunting essays

Film Review-The Haunting essays The 1963 film "The Haunting," directed by Robert Wise, is a dark, suspense-filled picture from the start. Based on Shirley Jackson's novel The Haunting of Hill House, this film clearly shows the use of a number of important elements in classic horror films. Wise incorporates the use of music, by composer Humphrey Searle, to constantly follow the flow of the plot. The film immediately provokes feelings of suspense and anticipation by retelling the story of the creation of Hill House to give a historical basis to the main character, Dr. Markway, played by Richard Johnson. The main characters of this film embark on a difficult journey, an experiment as described by Dr. Markway. Markway unites 3 other people to explore to psychic phenomenon existing in the Hill House. As they arrive one by one, they are greeted by the expressionless housekeeper, Mrs. Dudley, who is clear to let guests of the house know that she will not stay after dark. First to arrive is Eleanor, a frightened woman who comes at the request of Markway, but believes she does not know why she has been asked to come. Within moments, Mrs. Dudley is busy greeting Theodora, Markway's second guest, a specialist in psychic phenomenon who immediately attempts to calm Eleanor. Markway and his last assistant, Luke arrives shortly thereafter and Markway explains his plan over dinner. Dr. Markway tells the group that they are all there to experience the paranormal activities in the house. Although it is clear why the others have been summoned, Eleanor contends that she has had no paranormal experience. Markway recounts the story of her childhood, when rocks rained on her families house for three days. Eleanor denies the experience, but her reaction to Markway leads the viewer to believe he has found the right person. Although Dr. Markway insists that it is his plan to explore the paranormal in the house, it is clearly his intention to research his "guests" reactions to the horrif...

Energy to a Particular Organization, Charity, or Cause

Why People Should Donate Time/Money/Energy to a Particular Organization, Charity, or Cause Introduction In our day to day lives, people are very busy in their careers or jobs and they tend to concentrate too much on them and a bit of personal lives. This is usually at the expense of giving back to the society through various means that are aimed at making the lives of the less fortunate in the society better.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Why People Should Donate Time/Money/Energy to a Particular Organization, Charity, or Cause specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Corporate social responsibility is a very critical aspect that should be emphasized among individuals, groups and organizations so that the lives of the less privileged or those suffering from a particular problem in our communities could be uplifted. There are various reasons why people should volunteer or donate their energy, time, money and other resources to charities, non-profitable organizations and other causes. This piece of work looks into these reasons with much emphasis being given to why people should invest their energy and resources on Alzheimers Association. Reasons why people should donate time, money and energy to Alzheimers Association Alzheimers Association is a cause whose main aim is to eradicate Alzheimer disease through combined efforts that aim at providing effective care and support to all those suffering from the disease as well as reducing the risk of dementia by enhancing brain health. This is achieved through advanced research. Its vision is to have a world that is free from Alzheimer’s disease. â€Å"The Alzheimers Association is the leading, global voluntary health organization in Alzheimers care and support, and the largest private, nonprofit funder of Alzheimers research† (Anonymous Para 2). Like any other charitable non-profit making organization, Alzheimers Association is a cause that really needs support from well wishers to keep it going, in its efforts to help individuals wh o suffer from Alzheimer disease. Disease is a problem that affects everyone in the society and people should therefore take part in helping out those suffering from Alzheimer disease as a way of appreciating the gift of good health. There are various reasons why people should contribute effortlessly towards the achievement of Alzheimers Association’s goals and mission some of them being for individual satisfaction, the victims’ well being while others are for the good of the society at large. One reason is the fact that there is power in giving.Advertising Looking for essay on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Giving is usually associated with the rich and wealthy but that should not be the case since it is an act that comes from the heart and not the pockets, without any expectations of getting something in return. Time alone is enough for instance sharing with and encouraging the patien ts suffering from Alzheimer disease and people should therefore donate towards Alzheimers Association. This helps people to enjoy the process of helping as they see their efforts making positive impacts like bringing happiness to a person who is hopeless due to some problems for instance pain and suffering like in the case of Alzheimer illness. Donating to a cause helps build purpose in life and also improves ones sense of well-being through allowing for inner satisfaction. It also strengthens a person’s spiritual life and offer contentment and inner peace. This is achieved through knowing that one sacrificed something no matter how little, to help people in need (LaMeaux par 4). People would be motivated to donate towards Alzheimers Association due to the fact that it carries out very essential activities aimed at helping the sick and in taking part in its activities through donation, people will have the inner satisfaction brought about by seeing positive change/impact they make on less fortunate individuals. Donating to various causes also help an individual to be well versed with what happens around people who are less fortunate especially on matters of social injustice. This is so because as people think of engaging in charitable work, they tend to gather more information about the particular group for instance through research. The will for instance know all aspects that surround Alzheimers Association more especially the patients. â€Å"This keep people informed of the social injustice acts carried out upon people and hence be in a better position to make positive moves by effectively challenging those responsible to take positive changes to situations in an effort to save lives and make life worth living for the affected† (LaMeaux Para 5). Another good reason why people should support Alzheimers Association is because the act of volunteering is linked with various physical as well as social benefits. After people engage in charitable acti vities, they tend to have the urge to be more involved including devoting most of their time and skills, for instance in helping the people affected by the Alzheimer disease. This is deemed to help in enhancing ones social networks while at the same time gaining social, physical as well as spiritual benefits. Tax benefit is another reason as to why people should donate to charities and non-profit making organizations such as Alzheimer’s Association. Although this should not be the driving force towards ones decision to donate, it is encouraging. This aspect of tax eviction allow people to pay less for all the monetary and non-monetary contributions and hence they end up providing more and hence helping those involved in a great manner unlike when tax could be imposed (GAO 4).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Why People Should Donate Time/Money/Energy to a Particular Organization, Charity, or Cause specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Conclusion From the above discussion, it is evident that it is worth donating ones time, money or even energy to a given cause for instance the Alzheimer’s association. People should take part in what is going on around them and support as much as they can. This is because these causes, organizations and charities have got positive moves and they aim at uplifting people’s lives in one way or the other, an effort that would not be possible without them. There are also many benefits that are associated with volunteering and donations as stated above and people should therefore participate fully. Saving lives or even making lives of people suffering from Alzheimers disease worth living is a good act that should be encouraged among all individuals in the society to help eliminate the ordeal. Anonymous. â€Å"The Alzheimers Association†. https://www.alz.org/ GAO. Vehicle Donations Benefits To Charities And Donors, But Limited Program Oversight. New York; DIANE Publishing, 2003. Print. LaMeaux E.C. â€Å"5 Reasons to Donate to Charity†. GAIAMlife Web.

These skills are vital for administrative assistants -The JobNetwork

These skills are vital for administrative assistants -The JobNetwork Administrative assistants are some of the most versatile professionals out there. From handling personalities to keeping everything organized to running office operations, it’s a job that requires a lot of different skills at any given time. If you’re thinking about becoming an administrative assistant for the next phase of your career, let’s look at some of the most important skills you’ll need to succeed.Hard SkillsFirst and foremost, you should make sure that your hard skills are in order for a job as an administrative assistant. What are hard skills? They’re the skills that require technical or specific ability. These are easy to list because you can use very specific points. For example:Expert in Microsoft ExcelHTML coding expertiseTyping 100 words per minuteHard skills are the skills you can quantify and show easily (as opposed to â€Å"soft† skills, which are often more subjective and need more specific examples or clarification). Ther e’s no additional context necessary to show that you can use a particular type of accounting software; merely listing the software or app conveys your skill to the reader. And the good news is that hard skills are easier to build, if you want to bulk up your resume. You can take online courses in how to do complex Excel spreadsheet magic, or find tutorials on HTML and other coding languages. Whatever you want to learn, theres surely an opportunity out there to bulk up your resume.Technology SkillsAdministrative assistants need to be pretty tech savvy in today’s world. It’s not enough to be familiar with using computers in general. Your boss may depend on you to be a technical ninja in areas he or she is not. An administrative assistant should have a good grasp on software or apps in these areas:Email. Microsoft Outlook is the most common, but many companies are turning to Gmail and Slack to manage interoffice email.Maintaining a calendar. Again, Outlook’s calendar is the gold standard, but you should be able to schedule meetings, create invitations, and manage calendars. And with a growing focus in the workplace on connecting people remotely via technology, programs like WebEx or GoToMeeting help you set up videoconferences.Word processing. Microsoft Word and Google Docs are most typical, but you should be skilled in using document creation programs to create different kinds of formatted documents (like correspondence or reports).Presentations. Whether you’ll be making presentations or the people you support will be making them, chances are you’ll be expected to either organize information into presentations or create them from scratch. Programs like Microsoft PowerPoint have built-in tools and templates for creating down-and-dirty presentations, but if you want to bump your skills to the next level, you can also learn shortcuts and design elements to create ones that stand out more.Digital databases/filing systems. Pa rt of just about every administrative assistant’s job is maintaining orderly files, whether those are old-fashioned hard copies or digital records.Digital editing. Many administrative assistants are tasked with creating or editing manuals, newsletters, invitations, marketing materials, or other materials for public consumption or within the company. Having expertise in programs like Adobe Acrobat or Photoshop can make you even more valuable and add some designer cred to your resume.Productivity/project management. From project management systems like JIRA to personal organizational tools like Asana, experience using productivity software can be essential to planning, executing, and organizing projects.Administrative Support SkillsAdministrative support skills are also hard skills that help an admin support his or her team. These can include:Answering multi-line phones and routing callsFaxing documentsProcessing timesheetsTranscribing contentAccounting or billing (using progra ms like QuickBooks)Typing with speed and accuracySoft SkillsSoft skills are the skills that aren’t so easily quantified. If you want to show that you’re good at data analysis, you can list specific Excel skills. If you want to show that you’re organized or a good problem solver, it’s a little tougher. Here are the most essential soft skills you’ll need as an admin.Communication SkillsCommunicating well in person and in writing is a key element of the administrative assistant’s job. It’s a service role, which means that you need to be able to talk, email, or otherwise communicate on behalf and/or your boss. Coordination is a huge part of the job, so that means not only getting along with everyone (or fake it if you can’t quite muster genuine â€Å"like† or enthusiasm in dealing with someone), but also making sure everyone has the information they need. Clear and efficient communication, complete with good grammar, is esse ntial.Examples of communication skills:Drafting, editing, and sending correspondenceFielding phone calls and taking messagesResponding clearly and efficiently to emailsTaking notes and sending follow-up requests/summaries as neededAnswering questions or explaining processesPublic speaking or presentingWriting clean, grammatically correct (and always business-appropriate!) emailsPeople SkillsSupporting a boss (or a team of bosses) can be challenging. It often means negotiating different personalities and ensuring that everyone has what they need. As an admin, you may be interacting with all kinds of different people- other employees, executives, the public- so a calm, friendly demeanor is a helpful asset. And if your job includes handling sensitive or confidential information, you’ll need to be sensitive about how to communicate that information.Examples of people skills:Customer serviceManaging client relationshipsWriting email or other correspondence with the whole audience in mindTime Management SkillsAs an admin, you’re likely going to be responsible for other people’s time as much as your own, so being able to coordinate schedules, set reminders, and make sure things are staying on task is a crucial part of the job.Examples of time management skills:Setting deadlinesMeeting deadlinesManaging calendars (potentially multiple ones)Coordinating meeting times among large groupsSending reminders to stakeholders to keep projects or tasks on scheduleOrganizational SkillsAdministrative assistants are usually responsible for not only keeping themselves organized, but also those around them. The admin’s desk should be a calm oasis of order even when everything else is chaotic. These skills are essential, but they can be developed as well, with care and attention to both the tasks at hand and the bigger picture of what needs to be done.Examples of organizational skills:Attention to detailBilling/bookkeepingManaging calendars and appointment sPreparing for meetings, including making room, technology, or logistics arrangementsFilingTaking inventoryMultitaskingMaking travel arrangementsCoordinating and planning eventsPrioritizing tasks and projectsProblem Solving SkillsAdmins are also fixers. That may mean helping your boss troubleshoot issues or helping to solve problems around the office to make sure things are running smoothly. Being able to think calmly and critically about how to approach a situation (even when things are overwhelmingly busy or going wrong) is a skill set highly valued by just about every employer, no matter what industry.Examples of problem solving skills:Training and supervising othersManaging employee relationsProviding technical helpServing as a point person for questions or guidanceOrganizing the necessary people and resources to resolve an issue, and helping to coordinate follow-up actionsComing up with an action plan to resolve issuesAs you can see, administrative assistants need a pretty broa d range of skills in their day-to-day work. If you focus on building your skills in these key areas (or emphasizing the skills you already have), you’ll be in great shape for your career as an admin.

Swax watch Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Swax watch - Essay Example In addition, SWAX Watch has been completely differentiated in the packaging and prices. This will make the product quit conspicuous. The entire market coverage will be divided into various sections where as the demand of each segment is addressed. The first segment will target the youth. The product will be designed to appeal to the young people through coloration and scent. We shall address the concern raised by the young in the market research. Similarly, some product will be manufactured to meet the need of the poor in the society. This product will be designed to be relatively cheaper and within their reach. SWAX Watch will be presented in the best ways that appeal to a large number of audiences. In this case, popular media will be used as advertising platform. Similarly, peak periods of the day will be chosen so as a large number of audience are reached. The best possible method will be used to obtain the largest number of clients. As it has been stated, SWAX watch is targeting the youth. In this case, all its features are identified with the youth. The packaging and distribution is intended to reach to the youths in the society. In some cases, the product is designed to attain expected level of current trends. This is because the youths are attracted to trendy

Compare and Contrast the Virginia and New Jersey Plans Presented at Essay

Compare and Contrast the Virginia and New Jersey Plans Presented at the Constitutional Convention - Essay Example According to the Virginia plan, there should be a national legislature consisting of two branches; the first house would consist of elected representatives of various USA states, and they would serve for a period of three years, and the second branch of legislature would consist of members elected by individual legislatures of the first house, and they would serve for seven years. On the contrary, the New Jersey plan does not address the legislative branch of government for it assumes that the USA national congress is the legislature of USA. For that reason, no details are given for the composition of the legislature, and the terms of service for its members. But the New Jersey plan supports giving more powers to the individual states, so as to be able to make legislation on internal affairs of the states. This, therefore, means that the New Jersey plan supports the creation of federal Congress. The details of how federal legislation was made are not given in the New Jersey plan. The main difference between the Virginian plan and the New Jersey plan on congressional representation is that, while the Virginian congress was composed of representatives of various states, who had equal voting rights, the federal congress supported by the New Jersey plan is composed only of members of the same state. For that reason, the national Congress supported by the Virginian plan had jurisdiction of the whole nation, while the federal congress supported by the New Jersey plan had jurisdiction only over the particular state, where the Congress was found. This was meant to ensure that the state and the nation related well, the federal congress was not supposed to deal with matters outside its power/jurisdiction. According to the Virginia plan, a national executive should be constituted, consisting of a single person, chosen by the members of the national legislature. The head of the executive would serve for a period of seven years.

Waterlife Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Waterlife - Essay Example It depicts some of the most fascinating characters ever. They met various personalities from various places throughout the course of their research for the documentary and came up with this fascinating multimedia based site. The documentary shows its viewers the fascinating Great Lakes as it comes across to the seagulls, to the fish or to water molecules. It has shown a host of other amazing perspectives. It has been filmed during a period of one year, using state of art cameras and techniques. The project presents an epic view of the surrounding eco-system. It is a rare sight for most people living within the vicinity who make the majority of the population living there. The documentary moves from the fountains of Chicago to the clouds on the journey. It was made by one of the most innovative and renowned documentary film makers of all times, Kevin McMahon. The project has been expressed as a multi-media project. It is supported by intense animation, video, audio recordings sounds, flash imaging and a moving canvas. The website opens with a flash graph and a soft music playing in the background. The user on the other end is prompted to enter the site and explore the project further. This is the initial immediate view of the project when it is loading. There is global navigation on the bottom of the page. It is shown in the figure below. There are five options in the menu bar on the bottom left and five options on the bottom right. They are pertaining to Water life home, Resources/Community Action, About the Film, Directors Statement and News Screenings. On the bottom right, there is sharing of the page on various sites. On moving the cursor to the left side of the page after entering the site, the user is shown a huge flash menu carrying the list of things he can walk around and listen to on the site. As shown in the figure below, against â€Å"Water is† there is a list of items that has cropped

The impact of videogames on players especially the violent ones Research Paper

The impact of videogames on players especially the violent ones - Research Paper Example Ever since video games were introduced, the level of violent content in them has been a controversial matter and the major question is whether they result in violent behavior among players. Video games are often seen by older people as childlike thing and do not worry about their negative impacts on behavior. Unfortunately, parents and the older people in society fail to focus on the dark side of some games and their impact on younger players especially the violent ones. Numerous studies have been conducted on the impact on violent video games on the players’ behavior. Emerging literature has focused on â€Å"the benefits rather than perils of video game play† (Blumberg et al. 41). These studies show increasing concern about the impact of video games on young players who play these games (Becker-Olsen and Patricia 84). There are two issues surrounding this discussion. First, is whether players with violent tendencies are more likely to act out violent acts from playing these games? Secondly, is whether video games exacerbate violent behavior among players? In order to understand the debate surrounding this topic, one must get a clear understanding of the concept of violence. Various studies have found that violent behavior in real life is a consequence of the violence that is contained in video games. Others disagree with this as they failed to clearly define violence or why the games being studied were termed as violent. Overall, the definition of violence varies among different individuals. Although video games consist of fictional characters, they are based on the themes of death and battle whereby the winner becomes more powerful. Others can be characterized by a form of blood violence and high gore as the reward system. It can be observed that the definition of violence in video games has evolved over the decades as video games in the modern times are

The Developing Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 1

The Developing Business - Essay Example Many organizations refer to sustainability as corporate social responsibility (CSR). Thus, CSR will be used in the essay to refer to social and environmental sustainability. The terms, sustainability and corporate social responsibility refer to the practical contributions that businesses can make to sustainability. Many companies in recent times have incorporated social and environmental sustainability in their financial statements. (Gray, 2006, p.81) said that reporting social sustainability is crucial because the sustainability apprehensions of individuals, communities and governments facilitate shaping the world in which organizations operate.Sustainability reporting at the enterprise level also intends to represent an organization’ssocial, environmental and economic performance. Social sustainability reporting is aimed at reflecting the external costs and benefits of an organization that are not otherwise identified. Conventionally, ‘labour hires capital’ with the prominence on individual, environmental and social profit. On the contrary, capital hires labour with the superseding prominence on making a ‘profit’ over and beyond any advantage either to the industry itself or the employees (Epstein and Buhovac, 2014, pg. 29). These two differences provide a major contrast to how the accountant views of business operation. Another difference that arises is that of the conflicts created by professional values and managerial logic. Accountants view the firm in professional term, meaning any notion that does not involve accounting principles is rendered irrelevant. The CSR function, on the other hand, is based on managerial logic whereby the businesses engross in broad activities so long as profits are recognized from the business endeavours. Theoretical work on CSR accounting has created different theories as to the motivation of firms to report or release information on their CSR actions, many of

Theoretical Communication Concepts and Its Application in Management Essay

Theoretical Communication Concepts and Its Application in Management - Essay Example Galloway & Thacker 2007 proposed a nonhierarchical structure to organizational communication; the network model, which is an interactive model of communication. SMCR model is a one-way communication model, the sender encodes a message which is then channeled to a receiver through a medium, the receiver then decodes the message. Limitations of this models lie in the fact that there is no feedback display from the receiver, this undermines the core purpose of communication in that it does not reveal the impact of the message on the receiver (Mullins, 2008, 72). It also assumes a one-way mode of communication clearly marking the beginning and end of communication implying the receiver lacks a response. This communication model can only be in a formal organization setting which mainly focuses on structure (top-down structure) whereby the position of the communicator and the recipient is highly considered. This form of communication is mostly written in the form of company magazines, handbooks, and manuals that stipulated organizational requirements, in this case, interactions between the two parties is not necessary, the top level management simply communicates policies and guidelines to employees (Murton, Inman & Osullivan, 2010). This model of communication is efficient as a human resource tool in the sense that it is simple to administer and can generally address all members of the organization. The network model proposed by Galloway and Thacker is a two-way communication model, it encompasses two linear models that enable response from the receiver, hence the receiver acts as the sender as the response message is channeled to the actual sender (Martin & Fellenz, 2010, 45).  

The Developing Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 1

The Developing Business - Essay Example Many organizations refer to sustainability as corporate social responsibility (CSR). Thus, CSR will be used in the essay to refer to social and environmental sustainability. The terms, sustainability and corporate social responsibility refer to the practical contributions that businesses can make to sustainability. Many companies in recent times have incorporated social and environmental sustainability in their financial statements. (Gray, 2006, p.81) said that reporting social sustainability is crucial because the sustainability apprehensions of individuals, communities and governments facilitate shaping the world in which organizations operate.Sustainability reporting at the enterprise level also intends to represent an organization’ssocial, environmental and economic performance. Social sustainability reporting is aimed at reflecting the external costs and benefits of an organization that are not otherwise identified. Conventionally, ‘labour hires capital’ with the prominence on individual, environmental and social profit. On the contrary, capital hires labour with the superseding prominence on making a ‘profit’ over and beyond any advantage either to the industry itself or the employees (Epstein and Buhovac, 2014, pg. 29). These two differences provide a major contrast to how the accountant views of business operation. Another difference that arises is that of the conflicts created by professional values and managerial logic. Accountants view the firm in professional term, meaning any notion that does not involve accounting principles is rendered irrelevant. The CSR function, on the other hand, is based on managerial logic whereby the businesses engross in broad activities so long as profits are recognized from the business endeavours. Theoretical work on CSR accounting has created different theories as to the motivation of firms to report or release information on their CSR actions, many of

Principles of Public International Law Essay Example for Free

Principles of Public International Law Essay â€Å"Law will never really play an effective part in international relations until it can annex to its own sphere some of the matters which at present lie within the domestic jurisdiction of the several states. † Discuss ‘The principles and regulations established in a community by some authority and applicable to its people, whether in the form of legislation or of custom and policies recognised’. The aforementioned is a definition of law as defined by the American Heritage dictionary of the English Language. If we apply this definition of community in its strictest sense it becomes increasingly difficult to subscribe to the view that there is an international community at large. If we begin to analyse statistics that show that there are over 7000 languages in the world, approximately 10,000 distinctly different religions, and a disputably infinite number of ethnic groups across just the 195 countries that comprise our global society, then it becomes patently clear that we would be better off highlighting our divisiveness rather than our prospects as a global community. Our collective history as human beings, however, tells a different story about our common interest and the way in which we have formally raised and torn down barriers to promote the same. We have, on the other hand, been separated on the basis of differing ideologies and the exercise of exclusive nationalism. Since the latter is a sentiment which resides in particular nations which have at their core a set legal framework validating their very existence and their interaction with other nations, it is essential to any study of law’s application to international relations. How does a sovereign nation reconcile its very sovereignty with its growing need to be integrated into a shrinking global society with its concomitant shrinking global economy? It is clear that some compromises must be made. Before we consider any specific cases in which states have decided to relinquish some of their sovereign power, we must consider the implications of the term sovereignty itself, the elements of sovereignty and its importance to a nation-state. Much has been written on the topic of sovereignty. Definitions vary slightly from one text to the other but they all have at their core, when specifically referring to the idea of state sovereignty, the idea of legitimate authority. In Sohail H. Hashmi’s discourse on sovereignty in the book ‘State Sovereignty, Change and Resistance in International Relations’, he asserts, referring to the concept of legitimate authority, that it is â€Å" a broad concept – not a definition but a wide category – that unites most of sovereignty’s tradition. He further notes that authority can be defined as â€Å"The right to command and correlatively, the right to be obeyed† and is only legitimate â€Å"when it is seen as right by those living under it. † It is to be noted that legitimate authority is not simply the idea of more power. R. P. Wolf, the twentieth century political philosopher and individual anarchist, illustrates the difference more sharply in a classical example in which he argues â€Å"if I am forced at gunpoint to hand over my money, I am subject to power; if I pay my taxes even though I think I can cheat I am recognizing legitimate authority. † We must recognize, however, that though legitimate authority is the overarching principle on any discourse on state sovereignty, there are specific elements of state sovereignty that are crucial, which every sovereign state holds dear to it and attempts to retain regardless of seemingly necessary or stipulated concessions of power, influence or authority to the international community. They include International Legal Validation (of a sovereign state), Interdependence Sovereignty and Domestic Sovereignty. International Legal Validation can be viewed as the right of the state to be a sovereign entity as prescribed by ‘international law’. It is legitimate authority as a legal construct or as Hashami puts it â€Å"legitimate authority† that is â€Å"prescribed by the law. † (Hashami, pg 18) The author Stephen D. Krasner in his book ‘Sovereignty, Organised Hypocrisy’ describes this element of sovereignty as international legal sovereignty. He states that it â€Å"refers to the practices associated with mutual recognition, usually between territorial entities that have formal juridical independence. † At its core international legal validation concerns issues of the recognition of states. If one were ignorant about the political climate on the global front, the natural answer to the question ‘how did a state become a state? ’ would be that ‘the would-be state must satisfy the defined stipulations (in international law) for becoming a state. Following this line of reasoning would inevitably lead one to the very first article of the Montevideo Convention on Rights and Duties of States, which since 1933 set out that â€Å"The state, as a person of international law should possess the following qualifications: (a) permanent population; (b) a defined territory; (c) government; and (d) capacity to enter into relations with other states. It does not take much political savvy, however, to understand that the legal criteria for statehood and the actual criteria for being recognized as a state by the international community at large is a de facto and de jure issue. As Krasner postulates â€Å"States have recognized other governments even when they did not h ave control over their claimed territory, such as the German and Italian recognition of the Franco regime in 1936, and the American recognition of the Lon Nol government in Cambodia in 1970. States have continued to recognize governments which have lost power, including Mexican recognition of the Spanish republican regime of 1977, and recognition of the Chinese Nationalist regime by all of the major Western powers until the 1970s. States have refused to recognize new governments even when they have established effective control, such as the British refusal to recognize the July monarch in France until 1832, the US refusal to recognise the Soviet regime until 1934. (Krasner, pg 15) The recognition of states is definitely an area in which the law (as prescribed by the Montevideo Convention and more recently the EU, which has almost identical tenets concerning the recognition of states) has proved ineffective in international relations precisely because of the political agendas and consequently domestic jurisdiction of the several states which reflect the political climate in which they operate. States attempt to hold on to this type of sovereignty because it affords them clout and validation in a global society in which interdependence is not just an ideal but a tool for survival, at the very least and a necessary aid to prosperity at the very most. The point here is not that nonrecognition brings with it a form of absolute isolation which renders the unrecognised state permanently barred from international commerce and diplomatic relations. What is of paramount importance, however, is the fact that nonrecognition brings with it an air of uncertainty concerning the unrecognised state, particularly in the eyes of multinational firms which as a result may be more reluctant to invest. Krasner notes that â€Å"by facilitating accords, international legal sovereignty offers the possibility for rulers to secure external resources that can enhance their ability to stay in power and promote the security, economic, and ideational interest of their constituents. (Krasner, pg 17) Interdependence sovereignty is the ability of a state to regulate the flow of information, goods, ideas and people into and out of its country. States try to hold on to this type of sovereignty because their ability to do this is directly related to their ability to effectively take control and organise their own polity, which in essence is domestic sovereignty which states must hold on to by definition i. e. in order to be a state in the first place. We shall consider reasons which prompt states to relinquish some of their sovereignty later in our discussion. We have thus far acknowledged, via several examples, based on the politics involved in the process of mutual recognition of states, that the issue of international legal sovereignty or international legal validation is a de facto versus de jure consideration. Is this, however, a trend in the legal procedures in international relations? The law, based on our previously defined definition, must be applicable to the actors in the community in hich it is operating. If, in the realm of international relations, the law can be voluntarily and regularly flouted by those who come under its subjection then serious questions arise about the very existence of ‘international law’. It must be duly noted though that states undeniably operate within the workings of a law order which to a large extent regulates their day to day interactions with one another and which is autonomo us in its operations. There are a countless number of international treatises that are steadfastly observed on a day to day basis. Examples include international agreements which facilitate the smooth to and fro transport of letters which are transported to all corners of the globe at fixed rates which are stipulated by the Universal postal union, the establishment of hundreds of football leagues worldwide- the individual countries who oversee them all subscribing to the specific rules and regulation set out by the world governing body in football, F. I. F. A. and the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations which afford diplomats exemption from prosecution within the courts of the country in which they are stationed. It is evident then that there is a legal framework that regulates the goings on of international relations. We have to probe a bit deeper into the workings of this system in order to ascertain whether or not it can accurately be characterised as international law. It can be argued that upon examination of our above examples of situations in which law plays an effective role in international relations, that the circumstances demand that such broad and far-reaching legal action be undertaken. The methods may vary but in order for letters to be transported globally there must be some standardisation procedure. This sort of necessary ‘self-coercion’ can be observed in a slightly different manner in the operations of international trade and commerce. Often times when two countries have a trade dispute they seek to resolve it in the World Trade Organisation (W. T. O. ), the foremost international authority on trade and trade disputes. The country that loses the dispute, in a legal case which is heard before a court of law under the auspices of the W. T. O. , more often that not abides by the decision. This, again, is not necessarily because the losing party has a great respect or reverence for ‘international law’ or the W. T. O. per se, but rather because it is within its interest to do so. As Harris explains, â€Å"The great majority of the rules of international law are generally observed by all nations without actual compulsion, for it is generally in the interest of all nations concerned to honour their obligations under international law. † (Harris pg 8) He further argues that a nation will be â€Å"reluctant to disregard its obligations under a commercial treaty, since the benefits that it expects from the execution of the treaty by the other contracting parties are complimentary to those anticipated by the latter. It may thus stand to loose more than it would gain by not fulfilling its part in the bargain. This is particularly so in the long run since a nation that has the reputation of reneging on its commercial obligations will find it hard to conclude commercial treaties beneficially to itself. † (Harris pg8) There is, evidently then, a law amongst nations, which is effective regardless of the reason for it being so. The problem of defining this law amongst nations as ‘international law’, however, lies in part because of those very cases in which it is flagrantly disregarded. For any legal system to functional optimally it must operate in a community in which there is a legislative system to make laws as it sees fit, a judiciary to implement the administration of justice and an executive body to enforce the law. Now grant it, generally speaking, there is no formal legislative system in international relations, when countries enter into agreements with each other the signing of treaties is usually undertaken and this serves as the source of law that is meant to dictate the terms of their agreement. However, unlike what is the case in municipal law, there is no definite enforceability method. There is no one authority that can guarantee the compliance of states to international treaties or conventions. We have already made the point that in most cases compliance has become second nature – but what of the cases (though they are scarce) in which it is not? Within the domestic law arena there are cases in which the law is glaringly broken. Once there is enough evidence to convict the wrongdoer, he is convicted and punished. The punitive measures that are undertaken would have been pre-determined by the legislative body and subsequently enforced by an executive body. There is no such arrangement in the international domain. As Harris puts forward â€Å"The problem of enforcement becomes acute, however, in that minority of important and generally spectacular cases, particularly important in the context of our discussion, in which compliance with international law and its enforcement have a direct bearing on the relative power of the nations concerned. In those cases†¦considerations of power rather than of law determine compliance and enforcement. † (Harris, pg 9) Therein lies the difficulty in saying that there is a law of nations. Having established the problematic nature of ‘international law’ or a ‘law of nations’, we shall henceforth temporarily ignore our challenges with nomenclature for the purposes of our remaining discussion. That being said, it is of critical importance to analyse the impact of international law on municipal law and vice versa. There is an ongoing dispute between theorist who believe that international law and municipal law are two separate legal orders and theorist who believe that they are part of the same legal order. The formative argument is known as dualism while the latter is known as monism. There is no one argument based on either monism or dualism that comprehensively settles the dispute. â€Å"On the international plane, international law is invoked and applied on a daily basis by states and intergovernmental organisations. With minor exceptions, it is the only law that applies to the conduct of states and international organisations in their relations with one another. Here international law is a distinct legal system, comparable in its scope and function to a national legal system. † (Buergenthal-Murphy, pg 3) The point mentioned above is very valid and gives credence to the dualism argument. Diplomatic relations, as discussed earlier, are dealt with strictly on the international plane. In order to see the appeal of the monism argument however we have to look no further than the argument establishing the Caribbean Court of Justice (C. C. J. ). Article XXIII of this agreement is as follows: 1)Each contracting party should, to the maximum extent possible, encourage and facilitate the use of arbitration and other means of alternative dispute resolution for the settlement of international commercial disputes. )To this end, each contracting party shall provide appropriate procedures to ensure observance of agreements to arbitrate and for the recognition and enforcement of arbitral award in such disputes. The C. C. J. is a court whose aim is to have a â€Å"determinative role in the further development of Caribbean jurisprudence through the juridical process† is thus an international lega l authority. In order for its smooth operation it must nevertheless depend on the domestic jurisdictions of its member states. Monism and dualism can hence be viewed as fluid concepts which exist in varying degrees.

Study On Hand Hygiene In Optometry Nursing Essay

Study On Hand Hygiene In Optometry Nursing Essay Hand hygiene is a term used to describe any act of hand cleansing. There are various methods of decontamination each with their own level of efficacy (Lucet et al., 2002; Kampf, Là ¶ffler and Gastmeier, 2009). It is an essential practice among health care workers (HCWs) to prevent the transmission of microorganisms and spread of nosocomial infections in a clinical setting. Despite this knowledge, compliance among HCWs remains low averaging 40% which increases the risk of patients contracting hospital acquired infections (Boyce and Pittet, 2002). The World Health Organisation (2005) recognise hospital acquired infections as being a major cause of death and mortality in hospital bound patients, averaging 5000 deaths a year in England. Improving hand hygiene practice among HCWs is the cornerstone in reducing nosocomial infections such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcis aureus (MRSA) and Clostridium difficile (C. diff.). However, implementing this change in behaviour is complex and difficult to achieve. An integral factor for improved hand hygiene compliance relies on HCWs educational training and the introduction of motivational programmes designed specifically to influence behaviour. Monitoring and encouragement will be necessary for these procedures to be successful (Boyce, 2008; Saint et al., 2009). 1.2 Hand hygiene in Optometry There is an apparent lack of research into hand hygiene practice in a primary and community care setting; optometric practice included. Currently there are no evidence based studies directly linked with Optometry to support the recommended guidelines set out by The College of Optometrists. Instead these guidelines are based on expert opinion with little conclusive evidence of efficacy in primary care. The importance of effective hand hygiene in the prevention and control of infection is stressed. They have adopted recommendations set by The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE 2003), which are for the use of professionals in primary and community care. A minimum standard of hand hygiene practice would be to decontaminate hands before each and every episode of patient contact and after any procedure or contact that would cause hands to become contaminated. The College of Optometrists (2009) expand upon this stipulating that there is no set regularity in hand was hing episodes and that instead it should be adhered to in circumstances such as contact lens insertion and removal, after going to the toilet, when hands appear visibly unclean, before and after contact with ocular surfaces or the adnexa, before and after administering topical ointments or drops, after any possible microbial contamination, after handling soiled or contaminated materials and before wearing and after removing gloves. Furthermore, an instruction of appropriate hand hygiene technique in clinical practice is suggested: Wet hands under running water. Dispense soap/antiseptic into cupped hand (N.B. bar soap should not be used). Rub hands vigorously and thoroughly for 10-15 seconds without adding more water. Ensure all surfaces of the hands are covered. Rinse hands thoroughly under warm running water. Dry hands with a disposable paper towel. The use of non disposable towels is not good practice. Advisory recommendations for optometrists regarding hand hygiene in the community setting remains at a robust level. To improve standards, further research must be conducted as it is widely regarded that sound clinical practice requires conclusive clinical evidence (Smith, 2009). Optometrists in a primary care setting could benefit from adopting higher standards of hygiene expected in hospital environments. 1.3 Hand hygiene guidelines and technique Due to the clinical and economic implications of health-care associated infection the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have formulated guidelines to promote improved hand hygiene adherence among health care workers (Boyce and Pittet, 2002; Pittet, Allegranzi and Boyce, 2009; Sax et al., 2009). These guidelines include specific indications for hand washing and hand antisepsis episodes. A detailed description of appropriate hand hygiene technique is also included. The recommendations are categorised on the basis of published scientific data, theoretical knowledge, applicability in a clinical setting and economic involvement. The CDC/HICPAC created a system for categorising hand hygiene recommendations. These categories are shown in Table 1 Table 1 showing the CDC/ HICPAC categorisation of guidelines (Boyce and Pittet, 2002) Category Criteria IA Strongly recommended for implementation and strongly supported by well-designed experimental, clinical or epidemiologic studies IB Strongly recommended for implementation and strongly supported by certain experimental, clinical, or epidemiologic studies and a strong theoretical rationale. IC Required for implementation, as mandated by federal or state regulation or standard II Suggested for implementation and supported by suggestive clinical or epidemiological studies or a theoretical rationale or a consensus by a panel of experts. No recommendation Unresolved issue. Practices for which insufficient evidence or no concensus regarding efficicacy exist. Sections 1, 2 and 6 of the CDC/HICPAC recommendations advise specifically on handwashing and hand antisepsis indications, hand-hygiene technique and other aspects of hand hygiene. Each guideline is given a classification category relevant to Table 1. These recommendations are as follows: 1. Indications for handwashing and hand antisepsis A. When hands are visibly dirty or contaminated with proteinaceous material or are visibly soiled with blood or other body fluids, wash hands with either a nonantimicrobial soap and water or an antimicrobial soap and water (IA). B. If hands are not visibly soiled, use an alcohol-based hand rub for routinely decontaminating hands in all other clinical situations described in items 1C-J (IA). Alternatively, wash hands with an antimicrobial soap and water in all clinical situations described in items1C-J (IB). C. Decontaminate hands before having direct contact with patients (IB). D. Decontaminate hands before donning sterile gloves when inserting a central intravascular catheter (IB). E. Decontaminate hands before inserting urinary catheters, peripheral vascular catheters, or other invasive devices that do not require a surgical procedure (IB). F. Decontaminate hands after contact with a patients intact skin (e.g., when taking a pulse or blood pressure, and lifting a patient) (IB). G. Decontaminate hands after contact with body fluids or excretions, mucous membranes, nonintact skin, and wound dressings if hands are not visibly soiled (IA). H. Decontaminate hands if moving from a contaminated-body site to a clean-body site during patient care (II. I. Decontaminate hands after contact with inanimate objects (including medical equipment) in the immediate vicinity of the patient (II). J. Decontaminate hands after removing gloves (IB). K. Before eating and after using a restroom, wash hands with a non-antimicrobial soap and water or with an antimicrobial soap and water (IB). L. Antimicrobial-impregnated wipes (i.e., towelettes) may be considered as an alternative to washing hands with non-antimicrobial soap and water. Because they are not as effective as alcohol-based hand rubs or washing hands with an antimicrobial soap and water for reducing bacterial counts on the hands of HCWs, they are not a substitute for using an alcohol-based hand rub or antimicrobial soap (IB). M. Wash hands with non-antimicrobial soap and water or with antimicrobial soap and water if exposure to Bacillus anthracis is suspected or proven. The physical action of washing and rinsing hands under such circumstances is recommended because alcohols, chlorhexidine, iodophors, and other antiseptic agents have poor activity against spores (II). N. No recommendation can be made regarding the routine use of nonalcohol-based hand rubs for hand hygiene in health-care settings.(Unresolved issue). 2. Hand-hygiene technique A. When decontaminating hands with an alcohol-based hand rub, apply product to palm of one hand and rub hands together, covering all surfaces of hands and fingers, until hands are dry (IB). Follow the manufacturers recommendations regarding the volume of product to use. B. When washing hands with soap and water, wet hands first with water, apply an amount of product recommended by the manufacturer to hands, and rub hands together vigorously for at least 15 seconds, covering all surfaces of the hands and fingers. Rinse hands with water and dry thoroughly with a disposable towel. Use towel to turn off the faucet (IB). Avoid using hot water, because repeated exposure to hot water may increase the risk of dermatitis (IB). C. Liquid, bar, leaflet or powdered forms of plain soap are acceptable when washing hands with a nonantimicrobial soap and water. When bar soap is used, soap racks that facilitate drainage and small bars of soap should be used (II). D. Multiple-use cloth towels of the hanging or roll type are not recommended for use in health-care settings (II). 6. Other Aspects of Hand Hygiene A. Do not wear artificial fingernails or extenders when having direct contact with patients at high risk (e.g., those in intensive-care units or operating rooms) (IA). B. Keep natural nails tips less than 1/4-inch long (II). C. Wear gloves when contact with blood or other potentially infectious materials, mucous membranes, and nonintact skin could occur (IC). D. Remove gloves after caring for a patient. Do not wear the same pair of gloves for the care of more than one patient, and do not was gloves between uses with different patients (IB). E. Change gloves during patient care if moving from a contaminated body site to a clean body site (II). F. No recommendation can be made regarding wearing rings in health-care settings. Unresolved issue. These guidelines were developed for the use of health care professionals in a clinical setting and were not specifically designed with optometric practice in mind. However, many of these recommendations remain highly relevant when adopted to an optometric environment and are strongly supported by The College of Optometrists. The World Health Organisation have extended the recommendations on hand-hygiene technique and produced a visual publication poster detailing the hand hygiene technique for use with alcohol-based formulations and the handwashing technique for use with soap and water. These are shown in Figures 1 and 2 respectively. Figure 1 showing recommended hand hygiene technique with an alcohol-based formulation (World Health Organisation 2006) ***online access reference 2 Figure 2 showing recommended handwashing technique using soap and water (World Health Organisation 2006) **online access reference 1.4 Hand hygiene practices among health care workers Hand hygiene practice among health care workers is poor with many observational studies reporting low compliance rates in a number of indicative areas. Hence, understanding current trends among health care workers is critical in planning and implementing the necessary modification in behaviour (Allegranzi and Pittet, 2009). Hand hygiene adherence can be investigated over a range of parameters such as duration spent cleansing or disinfecting, frequency of hand washing episodes over a given time and observing the variations in performance with regard to clinical setting, physician status and gender (Boyce and Pittet, 2002). Employing the appropriate hand hygiene technique is essential. Consider the situation in which hand hygiene episodes per hour compliance is high. If insufficient hand hygiene technique is being performed e.g. inadequate coverage of hand surfaces and a short cleansing time, then the overall standard of compliance will decrease. This confirms that hand hygiene practic es among health care practitioners involves both multimodal strategies and multidisciplinary approaches to improve adherence (Pittet, 2001; Dierssen-Sotos et al., 2009). Multiple factors are associated with the suboptimal hand hygiene performance among health care practitioners and they vary in relation to resources available and the setting involved. For example, the lack of appropriate infrastructure, equipment and materials will hinder good hand hygiene practice, the cultural background and perhaps even religious beliefs can also affect performance (Ahmed et al., 2006; Allegranzi et al., 2009). The most commonly reported causes of poor hand hygiene compliance are: (i) physician or nursing status, (ii) clinical care setting e.g. ICU, AE, surgery units (iii) understaffing and overcrowding (iv) male (rather than female) gender and (v) inaccessible hand hygiene supplies (Pittet, 2000). (Erasmus et al., 2010) conducted a systematic literature review of studies based on observed or self-reported hand hygiene compliance rates in hospital practice, mainly intensive care units. The median compliance rate was low at 40%. Physician status was found to be a factor affecting adherence, lower among doctors (32%) than nurses (48%). In general, a lower compliance rate was found in physicians reporting a high level of activity in clinical practice. Compliance rates improved in situations whereby physicians or nurses associated the task as being visibly dirty or unhygienic, alcohol-based hand rubs or gels were available, feedback performance was introduced and when materials and facilities were easily accessible. Hand hygiene compliance among optometric practitioners is an area yet to be investigated. Opticians are encouraged to follow the recommended guidelines set by organisational bodies such as the World Health Organisation and The College of Optometrists. 1.5 Hand hygiene behaviour Hand hygiene behaviour can be investigated in relation to factors such as social cognitive determinants. A number of situations trigger a hand cleansing episode to occur and therefore affect compliance e.g. knowledge and perception of the risks associated with cross contamination, social expectations for adequate hygiene, self evaluation of the perceived advantages against the existing hindrances and the initial motivation to perform the hand hygiene action (Pittet, 2004; Whitby et al., 2007). This cognitive behavioural response falls into two categories (Whitby, McLaws and Ross, 2006). Inherent hand hygiene behaviour arises in circumstances when individuals deem hands to be visibly soiled, sticky or gritty. This type of intrinsic hand washing behaviour is initiated when a task is recognised as being unhygienic or has a potential risk factor involved to the individual concerned. The other component of hand hygiene behaviour is denoted as elective hand hygiene behaviour. This type of behaviour is represented in situations such as tactile social contact e.g. shaking hands to greet someone. This will not induce a response for many individuals to wash their hands and instead it becomes an elective response. Similarly, health care workers may partake in non-invasive impersonal contact with patients when taking pulses or touching inanimate objects in their surroundings. This type of social contact is not perceived to be a danger and does not drive a hand cleansing episode to take place. Instead an elective response has to be made. However, hand cleansing or disinfection after such contact in a hospital setting is crucial, because failure to do so may lead to microbial hand contamination, with the increased risk of cross-infection. 1.6 Relation of hand hygiene with the acquisition of nosocomial infections Hand hygiene reduces the transmission of microbial contamination and the spread of health-care associated pathogens from one patient to another via the hands of health care workers (Pessoa-Silva et al., 2007; Pittet et al., 2007; Allegranzi et al., 2010). Hand hygiene is the cornerstone in securing adequate patient safety. Failure to comply with this standard prolongs duration of hospitalisation, causes unnecessary suffering, increases costs as well as mortality rates (World Health Organisation, 2009). Thus, to raise awareness and combat the problem of health care associated infections, (Sax et al., 2007) produced an evidence-based, user-centred design to promote improved hand hygiene adherence termed My Five Moments for Hand Hygiene, shown in Fig.3. This highlights the five most common routes of transmission which HCWs are exposed to in daily clinical practice. The model is based on the World Health Organisations hand hygiene guidelines. It recommends hand washing episodes to occur before touching a patient, before clean/aseptic procedures, after a body fluid exposure risk, after patient contact and after touching patient surroundings. Although designed specifically for HCWs in a clinical setting, this model could be adopted for use in community practice to include an optometric environment. Optometrists should be aware of the risks of cross contamination and demonstrate an understanding of appropriate infection control methods (Lakkis et al., 2007). Figure 3- My 5 moments for hand hygiene model 1.7 Infection control in optometry Modern optometric practitioners are offering an expanding area of services and care with regards to the treatment and management of eye diseases and eye injuries. Therefore, more specialised procedures and techniques are being carried out in the primary care setting which have the potential to spread infection and disease via blood borne and air borne transmission. Hence, practitioners have an obligation to carry out adequate infection control measures to ensure a high standard of patient safety and protection (Tyhurst and Hettler, 2009). The majority of optometric procedures are considered low risk for the spread of disease and infection. However, in a few occasions the risk increases e.g. when instruments come in direct contact with an infected patient and when blood, cuts or abrasions are exposed (AOA Primary Care and Ocular Disease Committee, (1993). Other procedures which have the potential for infection include the collection of eye culture samples, foreign body removal, contac t lens fitting, lacrimal lavage and the treatment of patients exhibiting ocular trauma. 1.7.1 Hand hygiene and protective barriers to infection A basic measure of infection control begins with effective hand hygiene. Many eye diseases and infections are spread manually, and it is the responsibility of the optometrist to minimise this transmission to patients by adhering to appropriate hand washing techniques before and after examinations and procedures. Appropriate hand hygiene technique refers to the standard described in section 1.2. In addition, the use of protective barriers such as disposable medical gloves, gowns, masks and protective eyewear has been suggested in specialised circumstances as a precautionary control to minimise the transmission of microorganisms (Lakkis et al., 2007). 1.7.2 HIV, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C Diseases can be spread by direct contact between individuals, via blood or other bodily fluids and as a result of airborne transmission. Considerable awareness has been directed towards the transmission of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and the Hepatitis B and C viruses, (HBV) and (HBC). HIV has been isolated from tears, contact lenses and ocular tissues, but there is no evidence to support transmission of the disease through these medians (Cantrill et al., 1988; Tillman, Klotz and Maino, 1992). Studies have reported the detection of the hepatitis B surface antigen in tears and aqueous humour, suggesting that optometrists must take all necessary precautions in clinical practice (Temel, Seber and Gunay, 1990; Tsai et al., 2009). Although these are areas of concern, the risk of transmission in an optometric setting is remote. 1.7.3 Influenza A (H1N1) virus In 2009, the emergence of the influenza A (H1N1) virus in humans has led to the first global pandemic in 41 years. It is more commonly referred to as swine flu and is made up of porcine, avian and human genes. Although a potentially fatal disease, the mortality rate is expected to be less than previously known influenza pandemics and is more likely to cause harm to young people and individuals with compromised health (CDC 2009). In order to contain the spread of this infection, health care personnel were advised to heighten infection control measures. (Kiely et al., 2009) discussed specific infection control guidelines applicable in an optometric environment. A basic measure of infection control begins with frequent handwashing. Due to the close proximity to patients throughout the eye examination, in a more extreme guideline, it was recommended that optometrists should wear personal protective equipment such as surgical masks, goggles, gowns and gloves when treating a suspected infe ctious individual. It was indicated that influenza A (H1N1) should be treated like any other form of influenza. 1.7.4 Creutzfeldt Jacob Disease The theoretical transmission of prions, implicated in Creutzfeldt Jacob Disease (CJD) and variant Creutzfeldt Jacob Disease (vCJD) is an area of concern in optometric practice (Lakkis et al., 2007). These diseases are degenerative neurological conditions that are incurable and invariably fatal. Reusing ophthalmic devices such as RGP trial lenses and contact tonometer heads has been identified as a possible risk factor in spreading this disease from one patient to another but has been described as highly improbable (Armstrong, 2006). 1.7.5 Summary of infection control in optometric practice Due to the potential risk factors in an optometric environment, practitioners must abide by the recommended guidelines in order to control the spread of infection and disease. Lack of motivation and insufficient knowledge of expected protocol will lead to non-compliance among optometrists. Hence eye care personnel are advised to develop and implement a suitable infection control policy within practice (Seewoodhary and Stevens, 1999; Stevens, 2008). 2.0 Aim The purpose of this survey was to examine the typical hand hygiene practice among optometrists in a primary care setting. It investigates the level of compliance among practitioners to include the type of hand products used, hand hygiene technique and the hand hygiene facilities available in various optometric environments. 3. 0 Method 3.1 Survey design In order to determine the role of hand hygiene in optometric practice, a questionnaire was designed to gain an insight into hand hygiene product use, hand hygiene technique, facilities and general compliance among practitioners. The questionnaire was split up into three sections, All About You, Facilities and Hand Hygiene Technique. It consisted of 28 questions, the majority being mandatory to answer. The format of questions was either on a yes-no basis, multiple choice, tick box and rating of answers using a scale based response. Questions were designed on the basis of international guidelines regarding hand hygiene. A detailed literature review was conducted to ascertain appropriate hand hygiene technique, hand hygiene facilities and reported barriers to hand washing. The questions from the survey are shown in the Appendix. 3.2 Survey circulation The questionnaire was launched using Bristol Online Surveys. This is a site used by over 200 UK organisations in order to develop, distribute and analyse web-based surveys. It was sent to volunteers via e-mail using a webpage link. 3.3 Volunteers A total of 124 individuals responded to the survey which included optometrists working in university, hospital, multiple, franchise and independent optometric practice around the UK. If an individual worked in a combination of practices, they were instructed to answer questions based on the place they worked most of the time. All participants were asked to answer honestly as the survey would remain anonymous. 3.3 Survey analysis Results were recorded online within the Bristol Online Surveys (BOS) site. Key features of the BOS results section included the option of statistical investigation, cross tabulation of answers, looking at individual responses and the export of data to a spreadsheet document on Microsoft Excel. The data was analysed and arranged into a variety of tables, graphs and pie charts for easier interpretation of results. 4.0 Results 4.1 All about you A total of 124 optometric practitioners took part in the study. An almost even distribution of gender was found totalling 61 males and 63 females, with an average age  ± SD of 41.4  ± 15.5. The majority of individuals who responded to the questionnaire were Cardiff University graduates totalling 26%, followed by City University, Aston University , The University of Bradford , The University of Manchester and Glasgow Caledonian. The remaining sector of individuals were grouped in the category other and included graduates from Auckland University, Bradford College, Dublin Institute of Technology, Northampton Polytechnic, Rand Afrikaans University, Southern College of Optometry, University of Durban and the University of Ulster. This is shown in Figure 4. Figure 4. University attended by each participant The number of years qualified as an optometrist was investigated and is shown in Fig. 5. Most respondents have been qualified for 21-30 years, followed by participants who have been practicing for less than 5 years. A small minority of individuals have been qualified for more than 40 years. Figure 5. Years qualified as an optometrist Over half of respondents work in independent practice, with a smaller proportion working in a variety of practices such as multiples, hospital based settings, a combination of practices and franchises. The minority fall into the category named other e.g. domiciliary practitioners, retired optometrists and University based optometrists who no longer practice. This is shown in Fig. 6. Figure 6. Type of practice participants work in Figure 7. Gender related response regarding hand washing or disinfection between each patient episode Fig. 7 illustrates that more females than males wash or disinfect hands between each patient episode. 71.1% of the male and female optometrists who wash or disinfect hands between each patient episode, do so in front of the client. Table 2. Reasons for not washing or disinfecting hands between each patient episode Reasons Male response as a % Female response as a % Busy clinic 24 57 Forget 20 43 Unnecessary 48 76 Lack of facilities 4 5 Sore skin 8 19 Other 12 14 Practitioners who do not wash or disinfect hands between each patient episode (25 males and 21 females) were asked their reasons for not doing so. More than one answer could be selected and is shown in table 2. The majority of these individuals deemed hand washing or disinfection an unnecessary practise. Twice as many females compared to males report that the busy clinic prevents such behaviour occurring, they forget or blame sore skin as reasons for not washing hand between each patient episode. Refer to Table 3 for Other responses. Table 3. Other reasons for not washing or disinfecting between each patient episode Other responses from optometric practitioners: Never been part of routine Was never stressed during University or Pre-reg Only recently became an issue Wash hands for each contact lens patient, but not all refraction patients Hand wash during the appointment and not between Figure 8. Practitioner response as a percentage regarding patient greeting with a handshake Fig. 8 illustrates that just under half of respondents do not greet patients with a handshake. The remaining individuals answered yes or sometimes to this form of patient contact. 39.5% of male optometrists and 44% of female optometrists who greet patients with a handshake, wash or disinfect their hands after this contact. Figure 9. Satisfaction of hand hygiene practises The vast majority of individuals have a high level of satisfaction with the hand hygiene practices currently employed at the practice where they work. Collectively, 8.9% of individuals are fairly unsatisfied or unsatisfied with current hand hygiene practises. Results are illustrated in Fig. 9. 4.2 Practice facilities and structure The questionnaire investigated the number of staff members in each individual practice to include optometrists, locum optometrists, dispensing opticians, optical assistants and receptionists. These results were calculated as a median function to include the range and are shown in Table 4. The frequency of patient appointments in an average working day were investigated and appointment duration. Practice facilities were reported upon such as number of consulting rooms and number of bathrooms. Results were averaged or calculated as a median function to include the range and are illustrated in Table 5. Table 4. Number of staff members in practice Position held (Median, range) Optometrist (1, 1-20) Locum Optometrist (0, 0-5) Dispensing Optician (1, 0-6) Optical assistant (1, 0-35) Receptionist (2, 0-8) Table 5. General practice statistics and available facilities Average ±SD (Median, range) Number of patients seen per day per optometrist 13.8 ±3.74 (14, 10-25) Appointment length (in minutes) 30.7 ±6.21 (25, 15-60) Number of consulting rooms (2, 1-12) Number of bathrooms (1,1-5) In regard to practice facilities, greater than half of all participants are assigned to their own personal consulting room and report that the hand washing facility is separate from the toilet Three quarters of individuals said that there is at least one wash basin in each consulting room. Fig. 10 illustrates these findings. A large proportion of individuals reported that the practice they worked in did not display a poster detailing official recommendations on the hand washing and hand rubbing technique. Just under half of participants were aware of the poster being displayed in practice. The minority were unsure and this is shown in Fig. 11. Figure 10. Practice facilities Figure 11. Guidance poster detailing the advised handwashing and hand rubbing technique 3.3 Hand hygiene products Figure 12: The gender related practitioner response as a function of hand hygiene product use. A variety of hand hygiene products were listed. Participants rated how often they used each product in relation to the scale provided (always, most of the time, occasionally, very rarely or never). Results were plotted as a function of gender. Fig. 12(a) illustrates that the majority of male