What Does It Mean to Be a Teacher

To Whom It May Concern, Teachers are the facade of a school. They teach students skills that prepare them for their whole life. Teachers are leaders not followers; they are the lyrics to a song. They support the helpless and make frowns into smiles. A teacher is always on time and neatly dressed, not grumpy. Teachers have lost their way now. They miss some school days at a time; they record grades into the computer at the last minute, and they do not care about the students.Teachers have lost their true value. There is a teacher named Mrs. A, she does not do any of her work. She is never at school; her grades are never in on time, and there is always a substitute in her class room. Her students have not learned anything since school started, and it is certainly driving my teacher crazy. My teacher is always covering for her but gets in trouble for no reason. Teachers like Mrs. A have lost the knowledge of what it means to be a teacher.They take it for granted; teaching children is a privilege that is rewarded to those who entirely devote themselves to the job. Not those who abuse the privilege. If a teacher can not meet their full expectations, then he/she should not have the job. Students need the strong to lean on, not the weak. Students need a soaring eagle, not a crawling worm. Teachers have lost their respect; the title does not mean anything anymore. Does anyone know what the definition of a teacher is? Sincerely, Brea Robinson

Beijing EAPS Consulting, Inc.

The case study, â€Å"Beijing EAPS Consulting, Inc. † in the Custom Book, (2011), examines the project management structure of the Beijing EAPS Consulting (BEC) company. This case study also addresses about project plan itself and how the co-workers are struggling with this communication between both mangers. This project plan has demonstrated many strengths and weakness. The one thing that the project plan needs put into action is safeguards to insure that the project is completed on time. BEC has taken on the matrix organizational structure.This type of structure combines functional and divisional organization structure styles. There are advantages and disadvantages in utilizing this type of organizational structure. Advantages include resource utilization, specialization, cross functional areas, communication and flexibility. Resource utilization allows for the project departmental managers to focus on their strengths. Also, it allows for the managers to all the workers to specialize in an area of important for that project. In turn, it uses people across the company who specialize in a field that relates to the project at hand.This matrix structure permits cross departmental communication and flexibility to work on different projects across the company structure. ( Guzman, 2012) However, with advantages come disadvantage with this type of matrix organizational structure. This structure increases complexity within the organization by leading to confusion among both workers and managers. The managers may not know what a certain employee has on their plate. In reverse, the employee will obtain an overload of work because they are receiving work from two different types of managers.Another disadvantage is an increase in overhead cost for the company due to the need for double management. This double management can lead to confusion between managers as to who has the higher priority of work creating a power struggle. (Johnson, 2012) The case study,  "Beijing EAPS Consulting, Inc. † in the Custom Book, (2011), reveals many advantages and disadvantages to this matrix organizational structure. For instance, the project manager, Ms. Song, and the departmental manager, Mr. Yang, are having a problem deciding who makes the final decisions on work to be completed because they are the same level in the management structure.Ms. Song feels like she does not have the authority to give direction to Mr. Yang’s employees. She is also wary about asking Mr. Yang to give his employees work from her because of his temperament. The loud and abrasive attitude of Mr. Yang represents the rational personality type. A rational trait is more forceful and can get angry quickly. (Lewis, 2003) Mr. Yang knows he has this type of personality; however, he does not do anything to curve this problem when he notices that Ms. Song is not communicating with him.Also, the employees do not know which manager to listen to or how to prioritize their work at hand. This causes more conflict between the employees, the project manager and departmental managers. In addition, these employees are not sure if the project manager or the department manager is their direct supervisor. This in turn causes conflict between both managers. There are some strengths and weaknesses that have been made clear about the project plan in the case study, â€Å"Beijing EAPS Consulting, Inc. † in the Custom Book, (2011).These weaknesses include an overload of individual and team projects. The employees need to work extra hours to keep up with tight deadlines. They are also working across department lines meaning they have to meet the demands of more than one manager at a time. When urgent matters arise they are required to add the new work to meet a new deadline on top of the current work load which now causes more stress on the employees and managers. On the other side, some of the strengths include being more efficient and market-oriented. These st rengths will help the company grow in size and profit.Also, being a matrix structure allows for multiple cross functional teams to work together. This helps the company work in a team environment with collaboration across all departmental boarders. Kloppenborg, Shriberg, and Venkattaman in Project Leadership (2003) discuss many factors about working in a team environment and the type of team behavior that is needed to help balance the expansion and management problems facing the Beijing EAPS Consulting company. To begin, the team environment needs a leader that is committed to the company and to them.This leader also needs knowledge of the project at hand, as well as the skills to help facilitated the project completion. Also, within this team environment it is a good idea to bring in the team members to participate in the 5 classical team development steps. These include forming, storming, norming, preforming and adjourning. By bringing in the entire team, a sense of community and rapport is built with the rest of the team. This helps to create a better cohesive and happier team environment. Team behavior is very important for a growing company like BEC. They need to make sure that heir employees have the correct company vision and attitude to expand. One of the big factors in getting a team together is to make sure that they socialize. They need to get to know each other and to understand their team members backgrounds both personally and professionally, along with their skills and behaviors they emanate. This will help lead to respect within the team environment. One of the major factors BEC is missing within its team environment is ground rules and codes of conduct. This helps the team share in understanding and expectations of the team as a whole.This implementation would help promote the correct behavior for any given situation within the team environment. These rules would also let them know who is in charge and who they report to for a specific project or goal they have been assigned. (Exforsys, 2010). Once you have a team in place, the next important goal is to make sure that your projects are completed on time. There are many ways safeguards and project planning can be done to mitigate the risk of being late for a project completion. The first thing that would need to be done is a Work Base Structure (WBS).This would insure that all aspects of the project have been planned out with timelines and schedules of smaller milestones. The WBS would take into account any risk management planning that would need to occur along with any communication planning. Another great safeguard is to build on some time to the end of the project deadline for any unforeseen events but have a set firm deadline. This firm deadline will give the project team a sense of responsibility to get the project done within that timeframe. This is a commitment from, not just the company, but the sponsors, team and project managers.In saying that, the project mana ger would need to track the progress of the work completed and the schedule to make sure that everything is running smoothly. Once milestones are met upper management would be notified as to the progress of the project. (Phillips, 2004) Every company needs a designed structure for communication between employees and management. The employees need to understand the reporting structure up though management and whether they are reporting to a project manager or a department manager However, it is not just the employees that need this definition of reporting structure but the managers need it as well.When the project manager is developing the team they need to create a community type of feeling within the team environment. This will help to insure that there is communication and good rapport with the team. Finally, making sure that a team stays on track and meets deadlines is a major under taking for the project manager. They need to build a WBS and take into account safeguards to insur e that deadlines are met.

Branches of the Criminal Justice

The system of courts, corrections and law enforcement in the criminal justice is directly involved in the supervision, incarceration, sentencing, defense, prosecution, and apprehension of those charged with or suspected of criminal offenses. Law enforcement agencies, in one hand, are governmental agencies or subunits thereof having legal authority to arrest and to carry out crime reduction and control (National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, 2004). For the majority of the time, however, their work is composed of three principal functions which include law enforcement, service and order maintenance.On the contrary, justice is one of the primary aspects of law enforcement; hence the courts are as well of major significance in criminal justice since it encourages freedom and justice, in addition to law and order. Basically, the courts function as the location where justice is governed and disputes are resolved (Answers. com, 2009). From the court system and following the findin gs of guilt, individuals are then turned over to the correctional authorities.The corrections will then administer the sanctions conferred by the court against convicted criminals (Osceola County Clerk of Circuit Court’s Office, 2000). Taken as a whole, the criminal justice system is a fundamental component in the maintenance of social control and order. Efficiency, Conflict and Abuse of Power The criminal justice in general is used by local and national governments, in order to uphold social authority, control, crime deterrence, and to appropriately penalize those who violated the laws.However, there are large numbers of existing specific agencies that carry out the tasks of the criminal justice; each of which has its own extensive functions to act upon. The courts, for instance, despite of their various levels, divisions and specializations, are still experiencing difficulty from the incessant clogging of their court dockets due to the large number of cases that are brought to them everyday. Clearly, the efficiency of services will not be delivered if the branches of criminal justice system are merged, without suffering fairness, impartiality, and social control and administration.Likewise, criminal justice system has several components, and in their functioning, each of which has several stages of process. As such, performance of functions will likely cause conflict if all the branches are merged into one agency. For instance, due to the law enforcement officers’ field experiences and orientations, their perspective of what is culpable may be different from that of the judges’, which possesses more subtle legal qualities than any other individuals in any of the other two branches.Consequently, divergences of standpoints will then arise resulting to constant conflicts. Lastly, the possibility of abuse of power would be more evident if the three branches of the criminal justice system are merged into one single agency that execute the fun ctions of all three. This is because the respective attributes of each branch are different. The law enforcement officers’ task is to basically bring lawbreakers to the criminal justice system (EduDecisions. com, 2009). As such, their duties and responsibilities primarily involve executive function.For a fair trial, law enforcement officers bring the lawbreakers to the courts, and obviously, judicial functions are then performed. However, there would be no fair trial if one agency performs both executive and judicial functions. All the more if the same agency will hand out and administer the offenders’ rehabilitation. These circumstances are clearly vulnerable to abuse in view of the fact that it concentrates broad and significant powers into one agency. Conclusion A criminal justice system that is independent, fair, honest and effective is one of the most indispensable institutions of America.Accordingly, despite the modernization of times, the continued division betw een the law enforcement, courts and corrections is still very necessary. Although the three branches must still cooperate with each other in order to provide justice for victims, criminals and the society; nevertheless, the system still needs to be structurally based in order to maintain effective social control, efficiency, impartiality, goal organization and accountability. References Answers. com. (2009). Criminal Justice. Retrieved March 9, 2009, from http://www. answers. com/topic/criminal-justice#CourtsEduDecisions. com. (2009, March 2). The United States Criminal Justice System. Retrieved March 9, 2009, from http://www. edudecisions. com/articles/criminal-justice-careers/criminal-justice-system. php National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund. (2004, March 17). Adding a Name to the Memorial. Retrieved March 9, 2009, from http://www. nleomf. com/TheMemorial/addname. htm Osceola County Clerk of Circuit Court’s Office. (2000). A Criminal Justice System Overview. Retri eved March 10, 2009, from http://www. osceolaclerk. com/criminal_justice_system_overview. htm

Final exam Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Final exam - Term Paper Example AKTSIONERNY KOMMERCHESKI BANK BANK MOSKVY, OTKRYTOE AKTSIONERNOE OBSCHCHESTVO (a.k.a. BANK OF MOSCOW; a.k.a. JOINT STOCK COMMERCIAL BANK - BANK OF MOSCOW, OPEN JOINT STOCK COMPANY), 8/15 Korp. 3 ul. Rozhdestvenka, Moscow 107996, Russia; Bld 3 8/15, Rozhdestvenka St., Moscow 107996, Russia. 1. If revenues and costs are equally sensitive to exchange rate movements, MNCs may reduce their economic exposure by restructuring their operations to shift the sources of costs or revenues to other locations so that: 1. Coca Cola’s consolidated financial statements are presented in U.S. dollars. Management must translate revenues, income and expenses, as well as assets and liabilities, into U.S. dollars at exchange rates in effect during or at the end of each reporting period. Therefore, increases or decreases in the value of the U.S. dollar against other major currencies affect our net operating revenues, operating income and the value of balance sheet items denominated in foreign currencies. 1. The total currency impact on the operating income of Coca-Cola, including the effect of our hedging activities, was a decrease of approximately 4Â  percent and 5 percent in 2013 and 2012, respectively. 1. An MNC is attempting to reduce its economic exposure by financing a portion of its business with loans in the foreign currency. If the foreign currency weakens, the MNC will need ____ of the foreign currency to cover the loan payment, while the MNCs foreign currency revenues will convert to ____ dollars. 1. Coca-Cola sells concentrate to its bottling partner in Venezuela from outside the country. These sales are denominated in U.S. dollars. If the Venezuelan government devalues its currency or prevents dollars to leave the country Coca-Cola will lose value.. 1. Since Coca-Cola transacts in so many different currencies gains in some currencies are often offset

Philosophy of Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Philosophy of Education - Essay Example It should also teach to students general knowledge and skills that they will be able to broaden later in their higher education as well as apply in everyday life. School should also develop problem-solving and decision-making skills, and educate physical, emotional and social needs. The Purpose of Education Herbert Spencer once said: â€Å"Education has for its object the formation of the character† and â€Å"The great aim of education is not knowledge, but action†. These two quotes reflect my beliefs about education. The purpose of education is to prepare young generations to be able to fully function in the society, to teach them morals and skills to be able to make right decisions that will benefit them and society overall. Another purpose of education is to teach young generations to act upon those decisions and contribute to personal growth and society overall. I believe that education starts with family, in particular parents. They are responsible for raising a ch ild into a rightful citizen. They are the ones who help the child make first steps, say first words, and make first decisions. They provide the direction that determines the lives of their children. The saying goes â€Å"It takes a village to raise a child†. That is where the school community comes in. They help children grow academically, socially, and morally. The education should help reveal the potential of the child. As Jean Piaget believed, intellectual ability is not something that is taught to children, it is something that children develop naturally as they grow. So schools have to provide the framework for that growth. I think schools should provide basic education that is consistent across the country, but at the same time take an individual approach to adjust or add to the curriculum to meet the needs of children of various racial, ethnical, socioeconomic, cultural, and religious backgrounds. For example, children should be able to learn history and geography of t he world to be well-rounded individuals, but at the same time they should have an opportunity to study their cultural and ethnical heritage in more detail. This would help them appreciate their roots as well as respect people of other cultures and backgrounds. I think that currently the system of education is lacking the ability to provide a solid education for children and young people of various backgrounds. Unfortunately, the quality of education youngsters receive is still determined by the amount of money parents have. Even though President George Bush has made an attempt to give the equal opportunities to children of less privileged backgrounds through his landmark legislation â€Å"No Child Left Behind†, still this legislation has failed to achieve its goals in full. President Obama has recently raised the issue of quality of education and the very questions whether the education should be the same for everyone. He advocated for better schools and better education, esp ecially considering the fact that American schools lose to schools in most developed countries in the world. Educational Philosophers: The Power of Logic I believe in logic. I think people who think logically

Brand management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Brand management - Assignment Example A mixture of various marketing media is called branding. Branding tends to give an identity and captures the mind of the customers with the name of the brand. Depending on the brand value and the intended target segment, companies of all sizes are increasingly weighing their options whether to promote their marketing campaigns through the social networking sites, since there are high chances of possible dilution of the brand value as well as backlash coming from negative feedback and comments from disgruntled and unhappy consumers (Smith and Zook, 2011, p. 14). So, companies are increasingly taking a much more conscious step in their effort to promote the brands in the minds of today’s tech savvy consumers by the usage of promotion techniques such as website promotion, email marketing and mobile promotions. Brand Image The current outlook of the customers regarding a brand is called brand image. Brand image can be looked upon as the set of beliefs the target customers hold I r espect of a certain brand. Brand image is constructed in the minds of the customers from all sources. Brand image has the potential to convey emotional value. The basis of an image in the mind of customers depends upon the subjective perceptions that the consumers have in respect of some brands. When a consumer decides to purchase a product, he is not purchasing only the product itself but also the brand. It is the image that drives the consumers to buy that brand. The brand communications can help to strengthen the images. There are four steps by which a certain product can create its brand image. Creating a brand image is essential to sustain in the long run. The product must be uniquely valuable and present itself in front of the customers in such a fashion that customer can have a clear idea of the benefits that the product provides. The product should communicate with the customer in such a manner that is easily understandable and easy to remember. Another important step in ord er to create brand image is to differentiate itself from the already existing competitors. The new brand must analyze the key selling points of the competitors. The brand will have to set a new structure of promises to the customer, which it will be able to deliver. In fact, the promises offered by the new brand may become the selling point for the brand. The marketing strategies of the brand should revolve with a central theme. The theme may consist of a single idea, and this will act as the focus in all external communications. The brand that is willing to penetrate into the market must live up to the promises made. So the first and foremost step to penetrate into the market is not to make fake promises which the brand cannot live up to. If the brand fails to fulfill the expectations, then in spite of many attempts, it will not be able to enter the market according to its desires. Brand image is created only when the brand creates and meets the expectations. Brand Salience The pro pensity of the brand to come into the mind of the customers in the situations of buying is regarded as brand salience. It differs from the concept of awareness. It reflects the quality as well as the quantity of the network that buyers hold in their minds. The ability of an item to stand out from its competitors and create its own identity is regarded as the concept of salience. The concept of brand salience has achieved much prominence in the brand

Personal and Professional Development in Nursing Essay - 1

Personal and Professional Development in Nursing - Essay Example Nurses can use a variety of ways to demonstrate individual accountability; two methods are continued competency and professional development. Professional competency is an empowerment tool in that it enables the nurses to fulfil their responsibilities of care effectively. It is also, therefore, important to understand the factors that influence clinical competency (Memarian et al., 2007, 203-214). Accountability and Ethics: The codes of nursing ethics have focused on accountability as a central moral concept and value. Some national nursing organisations have identified accountability as the key standard of competent practice. The code of professional conduct calls for a high standard of professional behaviour from the nurses, regulating the nursing and midwifery practice in order to ensure standards and providing protection for the clients (Vanlaere and Gastmans, 2007, 758-766). Nursing, in essence, is a care system that springs from safe, caring, and competent and educated decision making, and nurse is a professional who is willing to accept personal and professional accountability for evidence-based practice guided by ethical principles (Wiseman, 2007). Accountability: The code of professional conduct enumerates that the nurse is personally accountable for her practice. Literally, this means the nurse is responsible for actions and omissions, "regardless of advice or directions from another professional." This directly relates to the law of the land and is guided by the duty to deliver safe and competent care. Therefore, this also involves the responsibility of reporting. However, it must be mentioned that accountability for standards of practice is judged by the peers or fellow professionals, and only they are in a position to make decisions about the appropriateness or quality of service. Nursing diagnoses, the first taxonomy created in nursing, have fostered the development of autonomy and accountability in nursing and have helped to delineate the scope of practice. In that sense, professionalism and accountability are inherent in nursing practice (Jos and Tompkins, 2004, 255-281). The nursing profession has traditionally used t hree methods of assuring accountability to the public-licensure examination, continuing education, and certifications, all of which are avenues of professional development that ensures quality and standards of care. The idea of a standard of care evolves from this principle. Standards of care provide a ruler for measuring nursing actions, and therefore, maintenance of accountability promotes both personal and professional development. This behaviour would uphold the profession, and accountability also ensures that the nurse acts quickly to protect the patient and his rights within the limits of contemporary professional competency. Nurses are accountable to their clients and to their colleagues. When providing care to clients, nurses are responsible for their own actions, good and not so good (Griffith and Tengnah, 2005, 339-343). The principle of autonomy has considerable merit and is supported by the Code of Ethics for Nurses. Following this ethical principle

Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 46

Essay Example Thesis statement: Frankenstein, the novel by Mary Shelley represents the emotional problems faced by the monster and these problems originate from isolation or alienation and a sense of not belonging faced by it in the mainstream society. The problem of isolation/alienation faced by the monster in the mainstream society is interconnected with Victor Frankenstein’s (say, the creator of the monster) deep interest in outdated theories and experimentation. To be specific, Frankenstein developed the technique of filling life to dead bodies and it eventually led to the creation of the monster. Besides, he collected bones to create the monster. But Frankenstein failed to create a beautiful human being. Instead, his creation was a monster with yellowish skin and ghost like appearance. This failed experimentation is the grass root level reason behind the isolation/alienation faced by the monster in the mainstream society. From a different angle of view, Frankenstein expected a beautiful human being. But his failure to create a human being horrified him and he totally ignored the monster. Besides, he tried to escape from his responsibility to help the monster to lead a normal life like others. So, one can easily identify that Frankenstein’s attempt to save himself from his responsibility and duty to help his creation eventually led to his untimely death in the end. In the novel Frankenstein, Victor Frankenstein made clear that â€Å"A new species would bless me as its creator and source; many happy and excellent natures would owe their being to me† (89). Moreover, Frankenstein tries to destroy his creation but his attempt did not help him to save his family from it. The monster tries its level best to communicate with its creator, but for vain. So, one can see that Frankenstein’s irresponsible attitude eventually led the monster to be the victim of isolation/ alienation in the soc iety. When the monster faced the sense of not

(pretend) Case Study reading Problem Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

(pretend) Case Study reading Problem - Essay Example Juan’s parents had a little formal education back in their home town. This made Juan’s family unable to read or speak the English language. Although Juan was able to learn the basic English grammar and vocabulary at an elementary school based in El Salvador, this was not enough to enable him to speak the English language. Since the school is very much focused in using Spanish language in teaching, Juan was able to learn and speak the Spanish language fluently but not the English language. Based on the entrance exam, Juan received a good test results in Math but not in Science and English subject. This only shows that Juan’s inability to comprehend with the English language is giving him a hard time to cope with his other subjects that are using purely English instructions. Considering that Juan is an ELL student, he is not qualified to take either a remedial program or be placed in a group of students with hearing or speech problem since these two are totally different teaching-and-learning categories. Since Mrs. Bright can speak fluently not only in English but also in Spanish, she started taking Juan’s case as a challenge. Juan is a fast-learner and a smart student who lives near Mrs. Bright’s residence. This made her not consider Juan’s case as a serious matter. Instead, she decided to give Juan a one-on-one tutorial program as a corrective teaching strategy. Since then, Mrs. Bright had to regularly meet Juan during weekends to improve the student’s ability to speak and read the English language. Upon winning Juan’s trust, Mrs. Bright will start to develop a reading program suitable for his case. Aiming to monitor Juan’s progress and development in reading, the following series of questions will be used to examine Juan’s personal interests and attitude towards in reading. 1. What type of books catches Juan’s interest in reading? Are these books the type with colourful pictures,

The impact to the individual's participation in staff development Essay

The impact to the individual's participation in staff development - Essay Example Finally, two sections examine the theories of Hallinger and Kantamara (2003) and Bolom and Turner (2003). The objective of this literature review is to critically analyze the report whilst keeping the dissertation's objective, identified problems and aim or research questions as a guide. Further, the need for further research from new questions that will arise from this review will justify the need of the dissertation on the subject of why individuals have difficulties participating in staff development. Section I - Quality Education The fundamental question asked concerns education in the 21st century and challenges both future appropriateness of the educational system and its delivery. In reality, the 21st century is something we know very little about, as we are only just 10 years into this century and the new millennium. The future is unknown and therefore one can only forecast, project and extrapolate as to what might be, based on what is already know. Ideology in education is a n evolutionary process. Dominant views on education have influenced teachers for decades. For example, goals to provide equal opportunities and use of young people as a resource for the nation were initiated in from post-war years up to the early 1970s as part of economic expansion. Similarly, the Plowden Report supported child-centred teaching methods to focus on the unique development of each child, becoming known as ‘progressivism’. This ideology is Liberal Romanticism, which also values diversity and individual difference. In the early to mid-1970s, standards were said to have regressed (‘Black Papers’) because curriculum design and organization lacked rigor. In response, the ideology of Educational Conservatism was introduced which emphasized â€Å"the transmission of established social values, knowledge and culture through a subject-orientated approach,† as stated by Pollard & Tann (1990 p 40). The good teacher would reflect on such ideologies and extract ‘the wheat from the chaff’ to improve his own approach to teaching. While such pragmatic values seem promising in theory, the reality of the situation is such that teacher training and curriculum development must develop more objective means of understanding. While the good teacher should have a thirst for continual improvement, this best occurs within an objective framework. As previously mentioned, I personally self-assess my own performance at the end of each lesson. If a lesson has been observed or I have been using classroom assistants, I actively seek their constructive criticism, as I want to be become not only a good teacher but a first class one. Such self-reflexivity is best supplemented with the university model. Pollard & Tann (1990 p 14) state â€Å"practical experience and related discussions at university seem to be more powerful influences for PGCE students on their professional development than their subject studies.† In attempting to become a first class teacher, I found this to be consistently accurate. I am always willing to learn from experienced professionals and lectures. When not teaching, I use the time to observe others to learn valuable experiences. I found my university workshops an excellent source of ideas and an excellent forum to share and learn the best practices. The question to be asked is not â€Å"what is the reason for education?† but â€Å"is it a good education?† A good education should seek to â€Å"

Thought Pieces Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Thought Pieces - Assignment Example Drones have been in used for quite sometimes. Although at the time, they were used solely by the military to spy on rivals in the war field. The use of unmanned aerial vehicles has expanded since then. This is highly attributed to the advancement of technology. Nagelhout, (2013), says that many people are coming up with new and innovative ideas. With each passing day, better machines are being unveiled. It is startling to imagine how much the drones could do. It may even be scary to believe that such innovations could be used to harm people, or to spy on them. Drones carry cameras and can record things taking place. They can even go unnoticed, which makes it scarier. The 21st century is full of innovations, and there is so much to expect. An example of a company that is thinking about using drones is Amazon, which is in the process of experimenting with delivery of packages. Nardo, (2014), says that the drones will be able to deliver within a radius of ten miles, and they are expected to do so in about thirty minutes. This will be a significant boost to the business. What is being debated is that if the drones are allowed to do the delivery, and then what will people do? It means that the workload of the workers will be reduced, and many may even be laid off. Although it is a good idea that saves time and is very attractive to the customers, many considerations have to be made. With the rate in which new technology is being manifested, Nardo, (2014) adds that the future holds so much more. Other than all those uses named above, in the future I know that drones will be able to carry out more than just the simple tasks of delivering small packages. I see a future where unmanned aerial vehicles will be bigger in size and will be able to carry more weight. Drones will have new designs that are both appealing to look at and will have more power, higher speed and more accuracy. With a touch of a button, the machines will be smart enough to do carry out the

Conservatives Placed Their Faith in Pragmatism Essay Example for Free

Conservatives Placed Their Faith in Pragmatism Essay Why, and to what extent, have conservatives placed their faith in pragmatism rather than principle? Pragmatism is the idea that one should take a flexible approach to politics; using an understanding of what is best for the people and what will bring stability, it also is about what is most wanted by the people. An example of this was the post war consensus when consecutive conservative governments didn’t cancel any of the widespread reforms brought in by the labour government of 1945-51. Principle is the complete opposite of pragmatism and is more ideological sticking to a certain view of how society should be and pursuing this. It is a political idea that changes with the times Conservatives have often favoured pragmatic approaches to situations an example being Benjamin Disraeli and his one nation toryism. Prior to this the general consensus about the poor made by early conservatives was that the poor were due to their own mistakes and that it was not the place of others to help them but that they should help themselves. Due to the Disraeli seeing growth of social inequality he came to the conclusion that to ensure social stability and to stem the tide of revolution, the government should take measures to help the poor. This displays conservative pragmatism as it’s a clear example of the conservative thought changing and reacting to events. In Disraeli’s case these events were the French revolution. This shows how pragmatism was held dear to conservative thought. Another Reason conservatives tend to favour the pragmatic approach stems from conservative thinker Michael Oakeshot who argued that societies should not be directed towards certain goals, claiming ideological change is normally radical in nature and can lead tyranny and this should be avoided. However there are cases when ideology has gripped the conservative party, the biggest example could be the new right under Margaret Thatcher. Here the conservative party appeared to break away from just an opposing role and instead began to pursue ideals of a free market; through the selling of national assets such as the railways and the deregulation of the banking system. It also saw a sort of reversal on the post war consensus, reducing the size of the welfare state. Here there was a clear example of principle being the main driving force within the conservative party as many of the actions taken by Thatcher’s government also faced a lot of criticism from many members of the opposition, the public and her own party. However the fact that the government policies of  her day still pursued these principles in the wave of mass public unrest show that these changes weren’t in reaction to any event but simply part of the pursuit of a political ideal. It seemed like the first time the conservative party had actually adopted some form of ideology. This is a clear example of principle being favoured over political ideology. At it’s very nature conservatism changes in regards to the ideology it’s opposing. It’s rooted in the original ideas of Edmund burke and his writings about the French revolution which claimed that radical change is bad and harmful for society. Conservativism right at its origin fears ideology and it’s very nature as it sees ideology and the radical views that tend to follow it as a threat to the balance of society. At it’s heart conservativism isn’t an ideology but simply a political ideas which at it’s very nature is reactive with the main aim of preserving and bringing about gently staggered change rather than radical changes. It could be claimed that the new right weren’t in fact real conservatives and more like classical liberals. But in conclusion it would appear that true conservativism will always favour pragmatism over ideology.

Market position and strategy for KRAFT FOODS INC

Market position and strategy for KRAFT FOODS INC According to Drucker, the vision answers to the question: what do we want to become?Kraft Foods Mission Statement try to describe the firms vision for the future: Helping People Around the World Eat and Live Better. The firm justifies the vision saying that this sentence captures the essence of who the firm is. It shows trough this sentence that the firm cares about customers life and needs facilitating the cook in the daily life in order to offer more time to the customers to do what they want and also to help them to easily eat in a more healthy way. According to Kraft web site: Were constantly looking for fresh ideas to improve our workplace, our partnerships, our communities and our world. To make today delicious, we begin with our consumers. We listen, we watch and we learn. What we do. We make delicious foods you can feel good about. Mission According to Drucker, the mission answers to the question: what is our business? The mission statement consists of three words according to the Kraft Foods Inc. Web site: Make today delicious. Their mission reflects who they are, just like the vision. They refuse to limit the firm to be just a business that sells food and try to meet consumers expectations and making food an easier, healthier, more enjoyable part of life. Kraft Foods underlines the importance of health and wellness and also embodies all the ways we can eat and live better, eating easily and quickly in an environment of safety thanks to the Kraft services. Values and principles: According to Krafts web site, the firm uses values and principles to communicate customers what they can expect of the brand and to demonstrate their leadership, because they want to be recognized as a leading company able to attract customers and workers through ideas like: Innovation   Satisfying real-life needs with unique ideas Quality   Fulfilling a promise to deliver the best Safety   Ensuring high standards in everything we make Respect   Caring for people, communities and the environment Integrity   Doing the right thing Openness   Listening to the ideas of others and encouraging an open dialogue They put consumers first because they want to strength the Brand Value propositions and new product innovations to drive faster top line growth. They work simply, listening to the customers, but act quickly to increase the speed and flexibility in order to reduce costs for reinvesting in making famous the brand finding the right balance between the business and the employees needs to ensure that the work environment is flexible and supportive. Strategies According to Krafts Web site, the firm seeks to become a huge snacks powerhouse  and unrivalled portfolio of brands people love, eat and buy. According to an article of News Bites US Markets, 2010: The brands of the Company span five consumer sectors: snacks, beverages, cheese, grocery and convenient meals As advised by F. David, Kraft focuses its strategy on the complementary nature the companys portfolio which is supposed to lead the brands growth: Delight global snacks consumers.   The worlds Consumers are looking for on-the-go options because they are always in late for something in work or just life. Theyre also looking for simple indulgences and healthier options, which is a paradox because people dont have time to cook in a healthy manner but they have to be healthy for the work and thin in the daily life. Thus, Kraft provides delicious snacks to these consumers, like  LU  biscuits or wellness products in order to meet their expectations. These iconic heritage brands are loved by consumers all around the world, according to a Nexis Source: Roughly 80 percent of these heritage brands hold number one or number two positions in their respective categories and are household names. In a leadership state of mind, the firm considers that, to win the market, the brand has to win on every levels of the chain: from the consumers to the suppliers. So, according to Fred David example pg 104, to succeed, the firm counts on its values (explained in the mission statement) like safety, respect or quality and especially on the fact that the brand acts like an owner, open to the discussion but who decide at the end. Through this image, Kraft also entrust the shareholders, and offers them interesting returns on their investment like: Organic revenues growth of 5 percent or moreà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Mid- to high-teens marginsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ And EPS growth of 9 to 11 percent, according to the Kraft Foods Web site. According to F. David, Krafts Current Strategy for 2009 planned to evolve trough a turn-around process in order to follow the example of the sustainable growth. The result of the operation was that a lot of savings had been made due to the simplification of organisational structure and some closing. The external and internal audit The PESTLE Political The stability of the political environment According to K. Blanchard, 2009, the decrease in companys results is due to foreign currencies, it could also be linked to the inflation and soaring of raw material and petroleum. Local taxation Kraft in based in Switzerland, in Zoug, this area is appreciated for the low rate of taxation. For example the income tax represents less than 16% of the benefits of the company. (F. Therin, 2010) Government involved Irene Rosenfeld declared in an interview of David Lieberman in 2010, I dont think theres any indication that having the government involved will necessarily make that a more effective process or have the desired outcome. Theres ample evidence that we can in fact work together in a productive way, and thats a more effective way to address the issue. This answer illustrate that the government is neither apart from the policies of the company nor influencing strategies. Social welfare policies According to the Right vision news, 2010, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals has been buying shares for seven years and now owns a piece of at least 80 companies, including McDonalds and Kraft Foods. It hopes to influence their animal welfare policies on such things as how chickens are slaughtered or buying pork from suppliers that keep pregnant sows in small crates. That means Kraft should take social policies into consideration as it appears to be relevant in people mind and consumer behaviour. Economic Interest rate According to an article of the Business Wire, 2010, Food companies continue to seek acquisitions and organic growth, particularly in the BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India, and China), to boost their overall growth rates. Proactive refinancing of upcoming debt maturities is likely to continue since companies are able to issue new debt at very low interest rates. Debt reduction is not likely except for Kraft and Ralcorp Holdings, Inc., since both companies increased leverage materially for acquisitions in 2010. Level of inflation Northfield-based Kraft and ConAgra, two big pork producers, have both raised their prices in recent months because of the market increase. Janet Kidd Stewart explains this increase in 1996 by the inflation. As a food, bakeries, and biscuits producer Kraft is very sensible to the rate of raw material, corn, milk, flour, eggs. Employment levels According to Ellen Simon, 2006, when Kraft Foods bought Nabisco, 25% department was laid off on the same day in 2004. Long term prospect In a Just Food article, 2009, The Unite union, which represents Cadbury workers in the UK and Ireland, seems to be concerned that Kraft would not sufficiently invest in the long-term prospects of the business and its brands as it looks to reduce costs to service debt. Exchange rate Adapted from what Timothy McLevish (Chief Financial Officer) said in the Earning conference call in November 2010, Kraft Foods has a very complex portfolio of currencies, which explains why they are less impacted by just a decline in the value of the dollar or an appreciation of the dollar because we have a lot of our input costs. Sociocultural Lifestyle trends In this part we have to take into account the issues of obesity, lack of sport, health, organic products, and natural medicine. According to Kristopher J. Blanchard, 2009, the rate of obesity in Canadians boys increased from 11% in 1980s to over 30% in 1990s, and from 4 to 14 in Brazil. Those trends represent an opportunity for Kraft. Demographics With the current population ageing, seniors represent a huge share of the market, they consume healthy and diet products. Unfortunately children stay the target of Krafts bakeries and biscuits. Consumerism popular attitude Kraft interest is following consumers habits and adapt their products e.g. to get concentrated on food conforming the rules of religions. Work and leisure Managers target new segments like snacks, beverages, convenient meals. This strategy fits with the sociological trend that consists in mixing time for work or leisure with meal time. That allows Kraft Foods to get concentrated into quick and healthy food containing fewer calories or more vitamins to suits to any consumers needs. (K. Blanchard, 2009) Technological Level of research In 2007, Alexis Douglas deals with the new research facility of Kraft Food based in Asia and the following strategies engendered. The research center will : serve as its regional hub for food product and development service for its Asia units include a pilot plant and packaging laboratory for testing new products and packaging materials aimed to make the research facility a center for excellence in developing beverages Environmental Environmental issue Jonathan Horrell, corporate affairs director put forward Krafts implication in environmental issue across the cycle journey, which highlights the fact that we are taking a more active attitude towards environmental issues. Ecological The sustainable strategy of Kraft began with the raw material used, the methods use to produce, the transportation and ends with the packaging and rubbish recycling. Lobbies Danny Fortson, 2010, wrote that Greenpeaces war against Golden Agri has been fierce. () Kraft Foods also said that it will no longer buy its palm oil. This can put forward the influence of Greenpeace over firms. Waste disposal Jordan Ammann, 2009, Fifteen months after its launch, Kraft Foods manufacturing plant in Bahrain is making substantial headway towards its sustainability goals. The plant has achieved reductions of 25% in energy consumption, 50% in water consumption and 16% in waste from 2008. In 2009 the plant has targeted a further 5% reduction based on its 2008 average. Legal Legal protections Due to an Equal Employment Opportunity Commissions affair in which Kraft was sued, the company has agreed to train managers on laws prohibiting age discrimination. (Reuters, 2002) Consumer laws, right to consumers products, components According to Anna May Kinney, 2008, During September 2000, Kraft Foods Inc. scrambled to recall taco shells made from StarLink corn, a type of genetically modified corn unapproved for human consumption. While its true that the EU has approved some GMO crops to be grown and sold, they have stood firm in giving their consumers the right to know what they are eating and the right to choose GMO food or non-GMO. Internet External vendors (European), attracted because of the difference in rates between the dollar and the euro Barriers to entry, low or not The initial investment necessary, entrance fees, patents already in place, standards, protectionist measures, the image Industry and established businesses, U.S are not famous for the wellness of the food, so foreign firms more famous for this type of market like Sweden or China can enter in the market. Cultural barriers, globalization help to erase barriers as food tend to become a more international fashion / trend. Porters five forces model Threat of entry  : POTENTIAL ENTREY OF NEW COMPETITORS Threat of entry  : POTENTIAL ENTREY OF NEW COMPETITORS Environmental sustainability concern Social responsibility Economic viability Many consumers are cutting back on their spending by switching to store-brand products. The power is strong when : The customers are concentrated :a lot of consumers who want he same thing: The suppliers are numerous and dispersed There are alternative sourcing ; (Conagra) The customer changes suppliers, the cost of transfer is low Conagra, same prices, nearly same products There is a threat of upstream integration from the customer. Suppliers  : BARGAINING POWER OF SUPPLIERS Rivalry  among competing firms 1st competitor: Nestlà © with international sales whereas Kraft only sales in North America (CON AGRA in the U.S market) HEINZ SARA LEE Restaurant, vending machines, foodservice providers, are competitors too, even if the brand is not strong/famous. (alternative competitors) Weakness: Krafts dont produce beauty or others types of products like Nestlà © or Conagra, whose are diversified (beauty , petcare, ethanol) Changes appareas in the competitors strategy => Conagra focuses now on food, stop ethanol and fertilizer,this is a new threat because Conagra will be even more competitive in the exactly same market. New CEO since 2005 for Conagra, GARY RODKIN, new force =>like a competitive advantage as a rival to ROSENFELD. Foreign rivals: monopoly con Conagra in the U.S but competitors also outside of the country , moreover, the $ become increasingly high which is not good for the market because external products could be seen as cheaper . The high price of petrol which up the value of raw material, give strengh to the suppliers =>bad thing for the industry which have to face a loss. A low number of suppliers : a strong brand Very speficic / diferenciated products are facts that increases the price of the change of suppliers, so increases the suppliers power too. Buyers  : BARGAINING POWER OF CONSUMERS Substitutes  : POTENTIAL DEVELOPMENT OF SUBSTITUTE PRODUCTS Wellness  and health / obesity Generic produces Retailer brands Wholesalers Cooperatives When the prices are increasing good for the subsitute because it will be more attactive. Porters value chain The support activities Profit MarginAdministration means infrastructure(leadership and management)and concerns the important persons of the structure Human Resources management concerns the decisions made concerning employees Technology development concerns the efforts and money invested for the future of the firm Resource procurement concerns the manner to find a product and supply the firm. According to Fred David, this kind of organisation can be explained by the fact that it took time and efforts to follow the Phillip Morris plans, the firm had to know several changes, for example, the New CEO since June 2006 in Irene Rosenfeld which embodies the beginning of the chances in the firm and she is now the chairman of the Board. This change is relevant because she embodies the head of the firm with her position. Thus, the management team is divided into 10 parts. The primary activities Inbound logistics Operation Outbound logistics Marketing sales Services (Kraf Food Inc, 2009) The primary activities help the support activities to make their completion easier, like for example: Inbound logistics The Technology development managed by the segment of Jean Spence can help the Inbound Logistic by finding new raw material, or, according to the Kraft Munich website, improve new products like in Munich, the responsible for Product and Process development where food, Refreshment Beverages, Salted Snacks, Confectionery, Biscuits are always improved; or discovering an alternative to the problem of the rising price of petroleum which increases the cost of the raw materials and also the cost of transportation. Operation Human Resources managed by Karen May can help the Operations establishing a climate of trust and respect between employees in order not to slow down the production or avoiding the sicki effect of a bad climate at work. Outbound logistics The Resource procurement can helps the Outbound logistics negotiating new or more advantageous contracts, for example group rates can be an idea if several subsidiaries like Oreo, Lu etc will be delivered by the same transports firm. Marketing sales In order to be proactive address the evolution of trends like the dining out trend or health food trend, vitamined drinks trend against the obesity, marketing can be supported by the technology development to develop new products or to help selling these products with the internet, because attracting web sites with games for subsidiaries like Oreo and The recipe Box for Kraft itself help the brand to be more human to sale more. Also, according to a News Bites US Markets document of 2010: thanks to the companys annual week of community service (Delicious Difference Week) organized by the Human Resource segment, Krafts employees were a record numbers to participate as volunteers to help the nonprofit project. This kind of action help the marketing and sale segment showing to the customers how social responsibly the firm is. Services The Services segment Focus on the reputation and perceived value among the consumers, thus, the administration can be helpful taking the crucial decisions they have to be respectful, reasonable and ethic. According to F. David example pg 109, customers want the firm to understand them and accept the social responsibility, thus, when the board temporarily shut down because of a risk of contamination, this action reinsure the consumer, enhance the positive image of the brand and support the Service segment. Trough the web site, Kraft tries to come closer to the customers culture and social identity, to show that as the people, the brand is able to evolve and be concerned by the environmental problems. Internal strengths A developed Strategy followed and understood by the employee, whereas Conagra has a vision, but no strategy and depends on operating companies and functional silos which is really risked and it lacks of internal cohesion. So, more segmentation and prioritization than the competitors. A developed Human resource management segment which aloud trust between employees firm with some concepts like: Policy of non discrimination , responsibility Community Involvement Compliance and Integrity People and Diversity Workplace Safety This climate of respect and trust give to the employees the will to work well and to be the height of the firms expectations. A good and dynamic CEO /Chairman which has chosen a good organization and repartition of the support activities. According to elements of the Krafts web site, Mrs. Rosenfeld also helps to improve the corporate Reputation and Responsibility of the firm and thus aloud the firm to receive some prize like: Worlds Most Respected Companies, Reputation Institute 2009 (third consecutive year) Corporate Reputation Top 10 (Canada), Marketing magazine 2009 (second consecutive year) Ozone Layer Protection Award, US Environmental Protection Agency 2009 Banksia Foundation Agriculture and Food Award for sustainability practices, (Australia) 2009 The New York Academy of Medicine awarded Kraft Foods for our long-standing commitment to health and wellness(2009) Adapted from http://www.zonebourse.com/KRAFT-FOODS-A-13256/actualite-analyse/Un-spin-off-a-surveiller-18414/ : International and Tough brands (Cà ´te dOr, Toblerone, Milka, Maxwell, Carte Noire, Tang, Jacques Vabre) Strong advertisement trough years help Krafts food to maintain the competitive advantage: According to F. Davids historic introduction of the firm, A key to the success of Kraft Foods was James Krafts commitment to using innovative advertising methods. Now, this is steel an asset according to an article from the Lab Business Week, 2008: The Krafts Director of Global Interactive Marketing has leaded some of the world most successful and awarded digital branding campaigns for the likes Altoids, Oreo or Planters. Because of this success the advertising industry has recognized Krafts accomplishment prestigious awards like Gold and Bronze Clio Awards(C), a Webby Award, Silver and Bronze One Show Pencils(R), a Gold EFFIE(R), a Silver ADDY(R), an ANDY Award, and a Cannes Lions. Internal weaknesses A low growth market and the impact of the commodity prices (milk, coffee, cocoa) which made the firm less competitive according to Fred David. The fact that Kraft is a young firm in comparison with the main competitors like ConAgra which was built over several decades and which had made numerous acquisitions. Kraft on the international as a negligible impact in comparison with world competitors like Nestlà ©. More, according to F. David, Kraft is just a food company which is not a competitive advantage in the world market. Strategic capability Because of the current economic conditions, F. David said that some analysts criticized Rosenfeld managerial approach because of the 2008 compensation, however, 2009 results show that she made the good choice. In 2009 the net revenues of the company has soared compared with previous years. Despite the increase of the cost of sales that can be due to the inflation rates, the gross profit is better. To keep and maintain the competitive advantage and moving forward, the firm has to  focus on the coordination. The problem here is that we can notice a lack of connexion between Kraft Foods Europe, Kraft International and Kraft North America. Even if the fact that the support activities are all bounded together is positive, this kind of grouping seems irrelevant if the company is regarded like two separate entities like North America Versus International and not like a single entity. The objectives The generic strategy and competitive advantage Bowmans clock Denise Dollimore, 2010, Slide Business Strategy Generally speaking Kraft Foods is a producer of high value products (organic, healthy and specified). The company is not involved in any low cost strategy. All the brands are well-known and considered as the top of the product on the market. According to Browmans clock the firm is focused on diversification and differentiation. To get concentrated on this diversification Irene Rosenfeld agreed to modify firms strategy, by simplifying the organizational structure. In 2009, savings have been realized, nevertheless it can also be explained by the closing of 36 plants and 19000 positions have been eliminated. Adapted from Kraft Foods Inc., K. Blanchard, 2009. Michael Czinkota, 2010, One can look at Kraft Foods Inc.s recent acquisition of Cadbury PLC as evidence of a U.S. companys recognition that it needs to build both market share and management strength to be successful in global markets. In 2006, approximately one-third of Krafts revenues came from outside North America. Cadbury boosts the international share of the combined companys business more than 50 percent. Otherwise, this strategy illustrates that Kraft intend to differentiate its products and markets to maintain its international presence. We believe scale will be an increasing source of competitive advantage in both the confectionery category and the global food business as a whole, said Rosenfeld, in 2010, who pointed out that the tie-up will allow Kraft to become the worlds leading confectionery company with a market share of 14.8%. (Andrew Clark, 2010) The assess of the strategy As advised by Fred David (108-109), referring to the customer issue, more people are dining out which may adversely affect Kraft Foods as a grocery retailer. Further caused by mobile customers there is less time for preparation of food and therefore declining customer demand. Also the development of health foods e.g. products containing less trans fat or only organic ingredients could be a challenge for the company although Kraft Foods touched on this area in recent years. Whereas there is a paradox between the steady growths of packaged and processed foods because of less time and high demand for healthy foods which is mostly to class with homemade foods. Customers today view food as an expression of their cultural and social identity and therefore asking a lot more from producers than just good quality. David is still talking about that this attitude causes to pay more attention to branding than quality because it can transfer a more emotional positioning, understand your environment and customers unique needs and taste, depending on their culture. Moreover, competition is increasing because the market is attractive and has potential such as the increase of bargain stores or trademarks (Aldi). Therefore it is difficult for Kraft Foods to raise their prices. Further there are strategic issues in the supply chain such as cost efficiency matter. When the costs of petroleum are rising it causes an increase in raw material costs and hence rising production and transportation costs. Furthermore, corporate and brand reputation of a company are gaining more and more in importance which causes raising competition as well. One more strategic issue could be the economic crisis which affects the consumer to spend less money than usually. The issues of rising prices, increasing competition and customers are willing to spend less but want more in health, cultural and social identity cases are difficult to solve. The solution could be to use synergies and identify cost drivers for higher cost efficiency. While offering diverse products, with strong branding fulfilling customer demand and differentiate from competition. Also keeping the brand reputation high by ensuring food safety programs are applied could be a possible approach. The SWOT Matrix of KRAFT FOODS INC. Strengths According to Datamonitor (2010) Kraft Foods has a strong brand image and diversified product portfolio. Additionally, it operates in domestic and international markets. His well recognized brands with operations encompassing five core divisions include snacks with 37.2% of the total revenues during 2009, beverages with 19.9%, grocery with 10.1%, cheese with 16.8% and convenient meals with 16%. Replication of its brands is very difficult and only a few firms are able to imitate these. To maintain market leadership position needs launching new products with innovative ingredients. The brand Alpen Gold is very popular and leading chocolate brands in Russia. Kraft Foods pays a great importance to research and development (RD). The RD is rising year after year and reached in FY2009 an expense of $499 million. In addition the company has about 2400 food scientists, chemists and engineers. Therefore RD supports to maintain a strong market position. According to Datamonitor (2009) Kraft Foods has 316 distribution centers and depots worldwide, 303 in North America and 13 outside America in eight countries. Thereby company ´s multi-category distribution and consumer awareness are its major strengths. This boosts the selling efforts through three principal sets of activities: consumer advertising in broadcast, prints, outdoor and on-line media; consumer incentives such as coupons and contests; and trade promotions for supporting price features, displays and other merchandising. Kraft Foods has two distinct distribution operations as follows: warehouse delivery and direct store delivery. This important strength qualifies the company to manage its inventory in a powerful manner. Weaknesses Refer Datamonitor (2009) Product recalling could be one of Kraft ´s weaknesses which were noticed particularly in march 2009. The voluntary recall in the United States of Planters and Back to Nature products containing pistachio nuts is the latest one. The reason was the potential to be contaminated with the Salmonella organism which can cause serious infections. Kraft Foods operating margins, net margin and net profit margin is decreasing in spite of an increase in revenues since FY2006. Further company ´s operating profit fell from $4,154 million in FY2006 to $3,817 million in FY2008. The reasons for the declining include increase in input costs primarily related to higher raw material cost, unrealized losses in hedging activities, to energy derivates heating oil and natural gas contracts. Kraft Foods decreasing margins caused by inefficient cost structure could be a pressure on the company ´s future financial plans. Refer Datamonitor (2010) additionally unfunded post retirement benefits would cause making periodic cash contributions which would reduce cash available for growth plans. Also because of the Cadbury acquisition Kraft Foods debt burden has increased from $5,556 million to $18, 990 million EBITDA. The increasing debt ratio will be a concern for the company ´s solvency and liquidity position. Opportunities Refer Datamonitor (2010) Kraft Foods new line of low-fat products causes to strengthen the market position of the company. The increased preference for fat-free and healthy food products in the United States drive Kraft Foods tapping into people ´s growing health and wellness concerns by its developing the nutritional profile of its snacks portfolio. For instance, introducing whole-grain versions of snacks, eliminating trans-fat in most of its products, reformulating fat-free cookies (e.g. launching low-fat Oreo) are remarkable opportunities. Moreover the company has four key opportunity areas that meet consumer needs such as weight management, nutrient delivery, performance nutrition, and natural and organic Reducing the sodium in many of his products, launching the South Beach Living line in the US. According to Datamonitor (2010) Kraft Foods tries to strengthen its portfolio recently through acquisitions and divestitures such as the flavored water and juice brand assets and similar trademarks. Furthermore, the company decided to sell the Artiach biscuits business in Spain to Panrico which caused an ongoing focus in Spain to grow its portfolio. (Source 1 Datamonitor) Moreover the US coffee sector grew in the recent years and accounts for 70.8% of the total US drinks. K

Changing Commodity Prices Impact On Common Agricultural Policy Economics Essay

Changing Commodity Prices Impact On Common Agricultural Policy Economics Essay In the wake of an increasingly globalized economy, one that has seen the emergence of large trade blocs and common markets, the nations of the world have been competitively forced into becoming more economically integrated year after year. In light of hundreds of years of consumer theory, this would almost certainly lead one to a conclusion of necessarily lower prices and more efficient production on almost all products. However, as is the case in many nations, the European Union (EU) has succeeded in creating an artificial market for agricultural products through the use of a Common Agricultural Policy (C.A.P). The Common Agricultural Policy is a policy, set forth by the European Union (EU), which is comprised of a set of rules that regulate the production, trade, and processing of agricultural products. The C.A.P currently accounts for almost fifty percent of the EU budget, however, this number continues to decrease over the years. The C.A.P is significant in that it symbolizes Europes switch from sovereignty on a national level to a European level. (McDonald and Dearden, (2005), European Economic Integration, Prentice Hall, 4th edition.) Common Agricultural Policy (C.A.P). The EUs agricultural policy dates back to 1957, when the creators of the Treaty of Rome defined the general objectives of a common agricultural policy, post-war food shortages still fresh in minds. The principles and mechanisms of the Common Agricultural Policy (C.A.P) were adopted by the six founding members of the European Economic Community, and in 1962 C.A.P came into force. C.A.P was designed to secure Europes self-sufficiency in food production. The basic principles of C.A.P remained the same for decades: guaranteed prices for agricultural products, often above world price levels, and subsidies based on the quantity of production, with little concern for the problem of surplus production. C.A.P has been the most fully integrated of EU policies. In the 1970s, nearly 70% of the EU budget went into agriculture. After a series of reforms, agriculture expenditures in the budget have dropped to 35 % for the 2007-2013 financial period. Over the same period, more money (9.7%) has been allocated for rural development and the expansion of EUs other responsibilities. (Common Agricultural Policy (C.A.P).European Journalism Centre (EJC) 2009). Common Agricultural Policys reforms. The C.A.P has had a long history of reform, and is nowhere near perfect. The first attempt at reform came just ten years after its implementation. In 1968, the Mansholt Plan was put into effect in an attempt to reduce the number of people in the agriculture business and to promote more efficient means of agricultural production. In 1972, the extensive food surpluses were targeted through the creation of structural measures designed to modernize European agriculture. This attempt at reform is generally regarded as a failure because many of the problems it tried to fix were still left unchecked. In 1983, a publication was released entitled, The Green Paper, which sought to balance the ongoing disparities between supply and demand through improvements in production. In 1988, the European Council agreed on various reform measures. The most important was the agricultural expenditure guideline, which limited the percentage of C.A.P expenditure in the overall budget. In 1991-92, the future of the C.A.P was addressed through what has been called, the MacSharry Reforms. The key aspects of the reforms included the cutback of agricultural prices to make the products more competitive, compensation for farmers that incurred a loss in income, and environmental protection. The reform of 1992 was generally regarded as successful, with positive effects on European agriculture. However, international trends, the enlargement towards Central and Eastern Europe, the preparation of the single currency causing budget constraints, the increasing competitiveness of products from non-member countries, and a new round of World Trade Organization negotiations forced further adaptation of the C.A.P (europa.eu.int). In July 1997, Agenda 2000 was created to address many of the important issues facing the EU and the C.A.P. The key focuses of this new agenda are the reinforcement of the competitiveness of agricultural commodities in domestic and world markets, the promotion of a fair standard of living, the creation of extra sources of income for farmers, a new rural development policy, revamped environmental considerations, better food quality and safety, and the simplification of C.A.P legislation. The first wave of C.A.P reforms had decreased over-production, brought down butter mountains and emptied the milk lakes. But by 2002, several factors made it a necessity to undertake major review of the EUs farm policy, including several food crises, the EUs planned eastward expansion, World Trade Organizations objections to the C.A.P and the sustainable development strategy defined during the Gothenburg Summit. In 2003, Franz Fischler, then the Commissioner for Agriculture, Fisheries and Rural Development, presented a C.A.P reform package he described as the most radical improvement to the EUs agricultural policy ever. His main proposals included: decoupling of subsidies and production high requirements of environmental, food safety and animal welfare standards as prerequisite for getting subsidies more money to rural development as opposed to direct and market subsidies cuts in intervention prices in many sectors After heated debate, farm ministers agreed to go through with the C.A.P reform. Although, the link between farm subsidies and the amount of production was not totally abolished, as originally proposed, a major shift did take place, with the bulk of farmers income now coming from direct aid, based on the size of their holdings and not production. (Common Agricultural Policy (C.A.P).European Journalism Centre (EJC) 2009). The reform also prepared the EU for the WTO Doha round of international trade liberalization talks, where the EU offered to eliminate export subsidies altogether by 2013. The talks were put on hold in 2006. Whatever the result of the trade talks, the EU remains the worlds largest importer of food, especially from developing countries. A number of sensitive sectors were left out of the 2003 C.A.P reform, including sugar, wine, bananas and other fruits and vegetables. Since then, a profound reform of the sugar sector was agreed on in 2005. In 2006 and early 2007 the Commission also proposed reforms for the wine, banana and fruit and vegetables sectors. (Common Agricultural Policy (C.A.P).European Journalism Centre (EJC) 2009). Under the Barroso Commission, Mariann Fischer Boel took over stewardship of the renamed Agriculture and Rural Development DG. She continues to strive for higher food quality and safety, efficient application of the Rural Development Policy 2007-2013, energy crop schemes and simplification of the C.A.P and cutting of red tape. The enlargement of the EU from 15 to 27 members has brought new challenges to C.A.P the number of farmers in the EU increased by over 70%. Meanwhile, farming organisations have welcomed the EUs decision to set a minimum 10% target for the use of biofuels for transport by 2020. The EU has also created the possibility for agriculture to play a bigger role in the fight against climate change, according to the COPA organisation. A key aim of the 2008 French EU Presidency was to bring the C.A.P up to speed with new global challenges. To this end, with the backing of the Commission and a vast majority of member states, four texts were adopted in November 2008, focusing on rural development, direct aid to farmers, and regulation mechanisms for the single market (dairy quotas, interventions, etc.). (A health check'(CAP)by Europa (European Commission) (2009)). These agreements officially launched the EU debate on the future of the C.A.P post-2013, also taking stock of global food balances, competitiveness, sustainable development, and the economic dynamism of rural areas. The Czech Presidency of the EU, in the first semester 2009, failed to secure an agreement on the future of the C.A.P post-2013. However, the Agriculture Council did agree unanimous conclusions on agricultural product quality and the retargeting of aid in Less Favoured Areas (LFA). (Common Agricultural Policy (C.A.P).European Journalism Centre (EJC) 2009). The quality policy paves the way to clearer labelling and, it is hoped, better communication and understanding among farmers, wholesalers and consumers. The Council also said it would consider national and private food certificates that follow Commission good practice guidelines and pledged to cut red tape for farmers and producers who want to apply for EU schemes like the organic label and geographical indications. The LFA programme is designed to improve the targeting of aid to farmers in areas with natural handiC.A.Ps. Member states have been asked to produce maps by 31 January 2010, including specific details on climate, soil, and terrain. (Common Agricultural Policy (C.A.P).European Journalism Centre (EJC) 2009). Global food prices and C.A.P reform. The European Unions common agricultural policy protects and subsidizes agriculture so heavily as to bring serious social losses to the Economic Union. The policy creates inefficiencies in the agriculture sector as well as other sectors of society such as manufacturing, textiles, and service industries. Furthermore, there have been many economic consequences of the C.A.P, including the high level of protection, the burdens on consumers, taxpayers, and the EU budget, environmental damage, the harm to international trading relations, and the failure to raise farmers incomes (The Common Agricultural Policy:Past, Present and Future. Brain E.Hill. `Metheuen Co. Ltd, London. (page 117). There are a lot factors responsible of the food price rise: speculation in commodity markets, low global food stocks, subsidies, high cost of energy, concentration of important agricultural markets in the hands of a few firms, trade restrictions by important exporters to protect domestic consumers, deprecia tion of the US dollar and lower productivity growth due to low investment in agricultural researchà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ As global prices  hit new highs,  the European Commission had to intervene. First they sold its intervention stocks, removed the obligation to set aside 10% of arable land for the 2008 harvest, increased milk quotas by 2% and suspended import duties on cereals. (Global food prices and CAP reform by Euractiv. (2009). Then, the  Commission  proposed  policy  measures aimed at improving market transparency. It decided to enhance monitoring of  developments in agricultural markets and  analyze the impact of price speculation.  The EU executive also announced plans to  investigate the functioning of the food supply chain for potential unfair commercial practices, which may be holding back competition  and  driving up prices.   Overall, the Commissions  policy to address rising global food prices comprises three  strands of action: Mitigating short and medium-term effects of the food price shock  by monitoring price developments and speculative investments, changing the CAP Increasing agricultural supply and ensuring food security in the longer term  by strengthening the sustainability  of EU and global policies on biofuels, boosting agricultural research  to increase productivity and maintaining an open but vigilant GMO policy,  and;   Contributing to the global effort to help the poor  by promoting an open trade policy and concluding the Doha round of World Trade Organisation (WTO) talks,  offering humanitarian  aid and supporting  agricultural and rural development policy changes in developing countries. (Global food prices and CAP reform by Euractiv. (2009). C.A.P effects upon the environment. The C.A.P has also caused concern for the environment as well as concerns for the economy. Because of the subsidies provided to farmers, they have the incentive to produce more agricultural products because they will receive more money. The C.A.P price policies have encouraged intensive farming and the overuse of antibiotics, pesticides, and nitrates. This has put a strain on the environment and has concerned the people of the European Union. The policy did not foresee farmers overproducing and over using chemicals, but this has become an indirect cost created by the policy. Europeans are also concerned with food safety because of farmers using so many chemicals in production. Farmers have been getting away with using the chemicals and unsafe practices because of the limited food safety regulations. Policymakers believed that high price supports would lead to higher food safety and quality. High support prices do not increase either food safety or quality: indeed, minimum prices and intervention guarantees encourage low quality and standardized produce (The European Community: Economic and Political Aspects. (V.Lintner and S.Mazey. `Mcgraw-Hill, Maidenhead. (page 107) (1991). CCL: C.A.P has been seen as a monument to the determination of politicians, especially in the early years of integration, to work together for a united Community. It has become a symbol of co-operation. C.A.P has economic and social dimensions. There are many reasons put forward to explain  rising  food prices. These range from changing eating habits to trade restrictions and climate change. The  European Commission  insists that there is no connection between EU agricultural subsidies and rising food prices, and  stresses that the C.A.P is  much less trade-distorting than the American policy.  (Global food prices and CAP reform by Euractiv. (2009). ANNEXES: Figure 2: EU agricultural payments, 1963-2013. Source  : Agriculture 2009 revised.ppt Figure 3: EU expenditure: 1988-2006. Source  : Agriculture 2009 revised.ppt Figure 4: Source  : Agriculture 2009 revised.ppt Figure 5 and 6: Source  : Europa. REFERENCES: WEB SITES: Global food prices and CAP reform by Euractiv. (2009) http://www.euractiv.com/en/cap/global-food-prices-cap-reform/article-184329 Accessed 15th February 2010. Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) by European Journalism Centre (EJC). (2009) http://www.eu4journalists.eu/index.php/dossiers/english/C8 Accessed 16th February 2010. Agriculture CAP by Europa (European Commission) (2009) http://europa.eu/pol/agr/index_en.htm accessed 16th February 2010. The Doha Development Round of trade negotiations: understanding the issues by OCDE. (2008). http://www.oecd.org/document/45/0,3343,en_2649_201185_35738477_1_1_1_1,00HYPERLINK http://www.oecd.org/document/45/0,3343,en_2649_201185_35738477_1_1_1_1,00en-USS_01DBC.htmlHYPERLINK http://www.oecd.org/document/45/0,3343,en_2649_201185_35738477_1_1_1_1,00en-USS_01DBC.htmlHYPERLINK http://www.oecd.org/document/45/0,3343,en_2649_201185_35738477_1_1_1_1,00en-USS_01DBC.htmlen-USS_01DBC.html Accessed 17th February 2010. Fortress EuropeOne vision, one market: Europe as a success story? (2008) http://www.groupedebruges.eu/Word docs/manifest_chapter_4_(draft_version_1).doc Accessed 20th February 2010. LECTURE: Lecture 11: Agriculture. SEMINAR: Seminar 11: Agriculture. Agriculture 2009 revised.ppt REPORTS: CAP reform document  : 970 Future CAP.pdf  ; 981 Future CAP.pdf CAP report: Open Europe CAP report.pdf

Ontological Relativism and the Pragmatic Notion of Metaphysical Truth :: Philosophy Metaphysics Research

Ontological Relativism and the Pragmatic Notion of Metaphysical Truth ABSTRACT: I. Introduction The mind body problem resembles a black hole in the universe of philosophy: It takes a lot of energy which could be spent otherwise. Therefore, it would be liberating to show that it is not a problem at all. That is exactly what I shall do in this paper. Roughly, I shall argue as follows: First, I will show that the traditional mind body problem as a logical conflict will not occur if one is more decided in dualism. Then, I shall argue that dualism does not need to be an absurd position. It is absurd only when taken metaphysically, but it is plausible when taken pragmatically. I shall reject the metaphysical presumptions shared by metaphysical dualism and the materialist identity theory in order to develop a metaphysical position compatible with pragmatic dualism. Thus, I shall get rid of the mind body problem, the absurdities associated with dualism and the unintelligibility of the identity theory — all at once. II. Exchanging Logical Conflicts for Metaphysical Questions The traditional logical way of putting the mind body problem is this: (1) Physical events are caused only by other physical events. (2) Mental phenomena play causal roles such that they do cause not only other mental phenomena but also physical events, namely actions and movements. (3) Mental phenomena are not physical. These statements contradict each other, but only for the reason that (3) defends a mental-physical dualism, whereas (2) supposes identity between actions (or behavior) and phyical events. Thus, the logical conflict is constituted by nothing but indecision in dualism. I call it indecision, because the relevant reasons which lead to dualism with regard to mental and physical phenomena do equally well support dualism as to actions (or behavior) and physical events. Both variants of ontological dualism are built upon semantic dualism which is both conceptual and explanatory dualism. As to conceptual dualism, it should be conceded that mental phenomena, behavior, and actions as such can be individuated only as sensed, had, made, and done by someone. This existential dependency on a subject cannot be analysed naturalistically, because it is neither an empirical intrinsic property, nor any kind of empirical relation. It is what the contents of the concepts "sensing", "feeling", "deciding", "believing", and "acting" have in common, concepts, which do not refer to intrinsic properties or relations at all. Thus, the individuation of mental phenomena and actions as such differs essentially from the individuation of physical phenomena and events.

Essay example --

WGSS 514 Final: Conference paper Ching Chih Tseng Vanishing voice: The culture of indigenous people in Taiwan Today, I am going to tell a story, the story of indigenous people in Taiwan. First, I would like to introduce the background of Taiwan. In 1590, the Portuguese explored Taiwan and named ‘Formosa’ which means beautiful island. Now, people called Taiwan, or the officially name the Republic of China is my country. Taiwan has total area around fourteen thousand square miles. We have twenty three million three hundred forty thousand population. Who live in the beautiful island? Today, 98% of Taiwanese are descendants of a mixture of Han Chinese people which includes 70% Hoklo people, 14% Hakka people, and 14% Mainlanders. While 2% are indigenous people. Taiwan indigenous people have lived on this island for perhaps 8,000 years. They are Austronesian-speaking people. Some anthropologists even believe the Austronesian people originated in Taiwan. After the founding of the Republic of China in 1911, the Nationalist government instituted the National Language Movement (NLM); a mass effort to standardize and propagate the National was selected as the supra-dialectal norm. In 1916 the Ministry of Education authorized a system for transcribing alphabets which was renamed the National Phonetic Symbols (NSP) in 1930. Moreover, Taiwan government arbitrary classified the indigenous people as savage people for over fifty years. Finally, the indigenous people lunched the aboriginal movement in 1984 was aimed at fighting for identity and the protection of rights. After almost a decade of the fighting movement, Taiwanese indigenous people finally changed their identity from savage people to the official name ‘indigenous’ people. Now, Tai... ...ginal indigenous name is Abi. Amis people also called each other ‘Pangcah’, in our language, ‘Pangcah’ means people or same tribe. Amis has another meaning which is north, because Amis people live on the northern part of my country. I wish and hope that our voice, our unique culture can be heard and be seen by my country and the rest of the world. Where is the social justice for the indigenous who live in Taiwan? We have fourteen different indigenous tribes in Taiwan; each tribe has their own language and traditional culture which is unique and beautiful. It is sad to consider that one day the indigenous cultures may disappear from Taiwan society. The lift of martial law in 1987 marked a new era for a multi-culture and multi-lingual society in Taiwan. with this political change and worldwide multiculturalism, people stared to view dialects from a new perspective. Essay example -- WGSS 514 Final: Conference paper Ching Chih Tseng Vanishing voice: The culture of indigenous people in Taiwan Today, I am going to tell a story, the story of indigenous people in Taiwan. First, I would like to introduce the background of Taiwan. In 1590, the Portuguese explored Taiwan and named ‘Formosa’ which means beautiful island. Now, people called Taiwan, or the officially name the Republic of China is my country. Taiwan has total area around fourteen thousand square miles. We have twenty three million three hundred forty thousand population. Who live in the beautiful island? Today, 98% of Taiwanese are descendants of a mixture of Han Chinese people which includes 70% Hoklo people, 14% Hakka people, and 14% Mainlanders. While 2% are indigenous people. Taiwan indigenous people have lived on this island for perhaps 8,000 years. They are Austronesian-speaking people. Some anthropologists even believe the Austronesian people originated in Taiwan. After the founding of the Republic of China in 1911, the Nationalist government instituted the National Language Movement (NLM); a mass effort to standardize and propagate the National was selected as the supra-dialectal norm. In 1916 the Ministry of Education authorized a system for transcribing alphabets which was renamed the National Phonetic Symbols (NSP) in 1930. Moreover, Taiwan government arbitrary classified the indigenous people as savage people for over fifty years. Finally, the indigenous people lunched the aboriginal movement in 1984 was aimed at fighting for identity and the protection of rights. After almost a decade of the fighting movement, Taiwanese indigenous people finally changed their identity from savage people to the official name ‘indigenous’ people. Now, Tai... ...ginal indigenous name is Abi. Amis people also called each other ‘Pangcah’, in our language, ‘Pangcah’ means people or same tribe. Amis has another meaning which is north, because Amis people live on the northern part of my country. I wish and hope that our voice, our unique culture can be heard and be seen by my country and the rest of the world. Where is the social justice for the indigenous who live in Taiwan? We have fourteen different indigenous tribes in Taiwan; each tribe has their own language and traditional culture which is unique and beautiful. It is sad to consider that one day the indigenous cultures may disappear from Taiwan society. The lift of martial law in 1987 marked a new era for a multi-culture and multi-lingual society in Taiwan. with this political change and worldwide multiculturalism, people stared to view dialects from a new perspective.

Book Review: Little Girl Lost Essays -- essays research papers

PART A Little Girl Lost is an autobiography of Drew Barrymore co-written with PEOPLE magazine's Todd Gold. Drew Barrymore, a twenty-five year old actress (ET, Never Been Kissed, to-be-released Charlie's Angels) has overcome an addiction, proven herself to be a competent, intelligent woman, and is a major influential role model among today's teenage girls. Her biography begins with her first blockbuster, ET, and her experiences while filming and during post-production, as well as the relationships that were made and have served as basis of support throughout her whole life (Steven Spielberg as her Godfather). From there Drew travels backwards, providing a brief background of her parents, of her role in continuing the Barrymore family legacy within film industry, and then of the Barrymore's tendency to indulge in drugs and alcohol. Drew confronts the tabloids and gossip columns regarding the attention she received at such a young age, acknowledging the belief by many that she was a victim of 'celebrity glamour and fame'. Drew argues that her addiction to mind-altering substances stemmed not from the high profile lifestyle, but from her insecurities as a young girl conquering adolescence. When she was not filming, Drew attempted a normal life by attending a public school, where she was isolated because of her erratic schedules and enormous amounts of public speculation. Unfortunately, Drew longed for a regular life with real friends and a family similar to those of her clas...

Environmental Risk Assessment Of Pipelines Environmental Sciences Essay

The aims of this survey are to analyze the function of ESI for hiting the hazards posed by grapevines to the environment every bit good as to bespeak the hazard tonss in location-based maps. A comparative semi-quantitative attack based on land utilizations and High-Value Areas ( HVAs ) was carried out. A geographical information system ( GIS ) as a tool was employed to make fresh maps related to environmental hazards utilizing rational mathematical equations. The chief logic for utilizing the equations was the distance-based attacks and ESI every bit good as intersections. A hazard geographical map based on the ESIs and concluding hazard mark ( FRS ) is presented with consequences demoing that the most sensitive and bad country is an country comprised of Rhizophora mangle forested flora located in the grapevine locality. It is shown that mapping the hazards of grapevines with the applied method is of more dependability and convenience every bit good as comparative fullness in compari ng to show non-holistic methods for measuring the environmental hazards of grapevines. Hazard is the badness of the effects of a risky activity sing its chance of happening ( Jafari et al. , 2010a, B, degree Celsius, vitamin D ) . Pipeline failures can potentially do terrible amendss. Environmental hazard appraisal ( ERA ) involves the scrutiny of hazards ensuing from natural events ( deluging, utmost conditions events, etc. ) , engineering, patterns, procedures, merchandises, agents ( chemical, biological, radiological, etc. ) and industrial activities that may present menaces to ecosystems, animate beings and people ( Belluck and Sally, 2001 ; Anonymous, 2004 ) . Hazard directors may make up one's mind, for illustration, that estimated hazards are acceptable, and no action is required, or that hazards are excessively high and require redress, extenuation, ordinance, decrease, or prohibition ( Belluck and Sally, 2001 ) .1.2. Environmental sensitiveness index ( ESI )Environmental Sensitivity Indices ( ESI ) composed of many field-data is indispensable for monitoring an d control systems ( Schiller et al. , 2005 ) . Mok Kang ( 2002 ) has carried out a sensitiveness analysis of the Korean composite environmental index ( CEI ) by analyzing the CEIs computed by functional signifiers and those derived from sentiment studies, with a particular accent on the appraisal of weights of environmental indexs and subjects: the CEIs are based on environmental subjects and force per unit area indexs. NOAAaa‚ ¬a„?s ( National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ) Environmental Sensitivity Index ( ESI ) attack consistently compiles information in standard formats for coastal shoreline sensitiveness, biological resources, and human-use resources. ESI maps are utile for placing 47 sensitive resources before a spill occurs so that protection precedences can be established and cleanup schemes designed in progress. Using ESIs in spill response reduces environmental effects of the spill and killing attempts ( NOAA, 2008a ) . Environmental Sensitivity Ind ex ( ESI ) maps have been an built-in constituent of oil-spill eventuality planning and response since 1979, when the first ESI maps were prepared yearss in progress of the reaching of the oil slipperinesss from the IXTOC 1 good blowout in the Gulf of Mexico. Since that clip, ESI Atlass have been prepared for most of the U.S. shoreline, including Alaska and the Great Lakes Before 1989, traditional sensitiveness maps were produced as colour paper maps, with limited distribution ( because of the cost of reproduction ) , and without a agency for ready updating. However, since 1989, ESI Atlass have been generated from digital databases utilizing Geographic Information System ( GIS ) techniques. As the oil-spill response community moves towards development of machine-controlled sensitiveness maps, it is of import to specify what comprises the ESI function system and how this information is being developed and distributed utilizing GIS engineering ( NOAA, 2008b ) .1.3. ESI in grapevine ha zard appraisalFor the initial stages of hazard direction, a rigorous definition of environmentally sensitive countries might non be perfectly necessary. A working definition by which most people would acknowledge a sensitive country might do. Such a on the job definition would necessitate to turn to rare works and animate being home grounds, delicate ecosystems, impacts on biodiversity, and state of affairss where conditions are preponderantly in a natural province, undisturbed by adult male. To more to the full distinguish sensitive countries, the definition should besides turn to the ability of such countries to absorb or retrieve from taint episodes ( Muhlbauer, 2004 ) . In the United States, a definition for high environmental sensitiveness includes intake locations for 70 community H2O systems, wetlands, riverine or estuarial systems, national and province Parkss or woods, wilderness and natural countries, wildlife saving countries and safeties, preservation countries, preceden ce natural heritage countries, wild and scenic rivers, land trust countries designated critical home ground for threatened or endangered species and federal and province lands that are research natural countries ( Stansbeny, 1995 ) . These country labels fit specific definitions in the US regulative universe. In other states, similar countries, possibly labeled otherwise, will no uncertainty be ( Muhlbauer, 2004 ) , as it is so for Iran with more focal point on IUCN classs of protected countries. Shorelines can be particularly sensitive to grapevine spills. Specifically for oil spills, a superior system for impact to shore-line home grounds has been developed for estuarian, lacustrine, and riverian parts ( NOAA, 1994 ) . As an illustration of an appraisal 80 attack, an rating of a gasolene grapevine in the United Kingdom identified, weighted, and scored several critical factors for each grapevine section. The environmental evaluation factors that were portion of the hazard appraisal included ( Muhlbauer, 2004 ) : Land screen type ; Distance to nearest lasting surface H2O ; Required surface H2O quality to prolong current land usage ; Conservation value ; Habitat preserves ; Habitats with longer lived biology ( forests, vineries, groves, gardens ) ; Slope ; Groundwater ; Rock type and likeliness of aquifer ; permeableness and deepness to bedrock every bit good as distance to groundwater extraction points. This appraisal included consideration of costs and troubles associated with reacting to a leak event. Points were assigned for each feature and so grouped into qualitative forms ( low, moderate, high, really high ) ( Morgan, 1995 ) . Schiller et al. , ( 2005 ) presented an algorithm which emulates human expert-decisions on the categorization of sensitiveness categories. This will allow the necessary regular updates of ESI-determination when new field informations become available utilizing automated 92 categorizations processs. Showing a survey on sensitiveness analysis, Hadid and Afra ( 2000 ) carried out a numerical sensitiveness analysis of the site 93 consequence on dynamic response of grapevines embedded in some idealised dirt sedimentations resting on a half infinite covering a broad scope of dirt profiles encountered in pattern and subjected to vertically propagating shear moving ridges. A paper described how HSE has piloted a Geographic Information System ( GIS ) by Brazier and Greenwood ( 1998 ) . To back up the adept determination doing procedure and to help in guaranting consistent responses within statutory deadlines. It considers both the advantages and disadvantages of a GIS over more conventional methods every bit good as possible developments such as the usage of population informations in sing social hazards, biological restraints and 3D terrain function.1.4. Equivalencies of receptorsA trouble in all hazard appraisals is the finding of a harm province on which to establish frequency-of-occurrence estimations. This is far ther complicated by the normal presence of several types of receptors, each with different exposures to a menace such as thermic radiation or taint. The overall trouble is sometimes addressed by running several hazard appraisals in analogue, each matching to a certain receptor or receptor-damage province. In this attack, separate hazard values would be generated for, as an illustration, human deaths, hurts, groundwater taint, belongings harm values, etc. The advantage of this attack is in gauging absolute hazard values. The disadvantage is the extra complexness in mold and subsequent determination devising. Another attack is to allow any particular exposure of any threatened receptor govern the hazard appraisal. There is a protocol for grouping assorted receptor impacts into three sensitiveness countries: normal, sensitive, and allergic. This was developed to execute an environmental appraisal ( EA ) of a proposed gasolene grapevine. Under this classification, an country was judged to be sensitive or allergic if any 116 one of the receptors is defined to be sensitive or allergic. This conservatively uses the worst instance component, but does non see cumulative effectsaa‚ ¬ † when multiple sensitive or allergic elements are present. A 3rd option in uniting assorted receptor types into a hazard appraisal is to set up equivalencies among the receptors: This attack might be more controversial because judgements are made that straight value certain types of receptor amendss more than others. Note, nevertheless, that the other attacks are besides faced with such judgements although they might be pushed to the determination stage instead than the assessment stage of hazard direction. This attack presents another possible marking strategy for some environmental issues and HVAs. In this strategy, the higher tonss represent higher effects. This establishes some equivalencies among assorted environmental and other receptors, including population denseness ( Muhlbauer, 2004 ) .