Wednesday, July 31, 2019

Nature of Morality Essay

Moral Issues in Business Chapter One The Nature of Morality Terminology †¢ What is ethics? †¢ The study of right and wrong †¢ Distinguish between ethics and morality? †¢ Some people distinguish between the two. We will use them interchangeably. †¢ What is business ethics? †¢ The study of what constitutes right and wrong, or good and bad, human conduct in a business context. Non-Moral Standards †¢ Characteristics of moral standards †¢ Concern behavior that is of serious consequence to human welfare †¢ Take priority over other standards, including self-interest †¢ Their soundness depends on the adequacy of the reasons that support or justify them. †¢ Moral Standards vs. Etiquette Rules for socially acceptable behavior are not moral standards Don’t eat with your mouth full. Say please and thank you. †¢ Moral Standards vs. Law An action can be moral but not legal. An action can be legal but not moral. †¢ Moral Standards vs. Professional Codes of Ethics Rules that govern the conduct of members of a given profession. Sources Of Moral Standards †¢ Societal norms-Ethical Relativism The right thing to do is what one’s culture says is right. This keeps culture stagnant – no moral growth It leaves no basis for one culture to pass judgment on another’s actions One’s culture is hard to identify in the modern world. †¢ Role of religion—positive and negative Nearly every religion has a version of the â€Å"Golden Rule† Most theologians disagree with divine command theory. That theory says that something is right or wrong because God says so. Instead, God commands what is right and forbids what is wrong. Saying that something is right because God says so is not persuasive to the atheist. There are differences of opinion about what God commands. The Context of Business Ethics †¢ Business as a game Soccer and pizza party example †¢ Business values in tension with personal values What is my responsibility as an employee? As a person? Social pressures can make it hard to stick with our moral rules. Corporations can bring pressure to bear against our personal values. †¢ Organizational conformity—herd instinct—group norms Being a member of a team can require that people relinquish some of their personal freedom in order to further organization goals. Psychological studies show that people will change their answers to questions to agree with the majority. Groupthink – group members may have the illusion that the group is invulnerable or that because the group is good or right, whatever it does is permissible. Diffusion of Responsibility â€Å"I’m just doing my job†. â€Å"If I don’t do it, someone else will. † â€Å"It’s someone else’s responsibility. † (The Kitty Genovese story) How do Moral Principles Help Us? †¢ The Limits of Conscience Conscience often reflects principles that have not been critically examined. Terrible crimes have occasionally been committed in the name of conscience. †¢ Moral Principles and Self-interest Morality serves to restrain our purely self-interested desires so we can all live together in society Having a moral principle involves having a desire to follow the principle for its own sake Paradox of Selfishness – People who are exclusively concerned with their own interests tend to have less happy and less satisfying lives than those whose desires extend beyond themselves. †¢

Tuesday, July 30, 2019

Crime and the Life Course

Developmental theory is a subfield of criminology and a subfield of psychology sometimes known as â€Å"child† or â€Å"adolescent† psychology. Developmental theory is about normal human development, or growing up. It looks for the causes of crime in the complex mix, or interaction, of various childhoods cognitive deficits (e. g. , low IQ, attention deficit disorder, conduct problems, cognitive â€Å"scripts†) with various situational, or contextual, handicaps (e. g. , school failure, peer rejection, parental abuse or neglect, and gender/ethnic discrimination).The concept of critical criminology is that crime and the present day processes of criminalization are rooted in the core structures of society is of more relevance today than it has been at any other time. American feminism has its origins in the 1848 women's rights convention held at Seneca Falls, New York where a â€Å"Declarations of Sentiments and Resolutions† was passed. This first wave of femi nism was anti-slavery oriented and wished for the emancipation of peoples everywhere who were being usurped and exploited.It ended in 1920 with passage of the 19th Amendment giving women the right to vote. Second-wave feminism started in the late 1960s and was called the â€Å"women's liberation movement†, devoted to greater social, political, and economic equality. It focused on the emancipation of women and liberal correctives to the role of women in society. The third wave of feminism started in the late 1980s, devoted to an analysis of patriarchy, or the pervasiveness of male dominance. It was basically a critical or radical movement that looked into how society could be transformed.How might developmental theories explain the existence of habitual offenders? Jean Piaget (1896-1980) was a biologist who originally studied mollusks (publishing twenty scientific papers on them by the time he was 21) but moved into the study of the development of children's understanding, thr ough observing them and talking and listening to them while they worked on exercises he set. His view of how children's minds work and develop has been enormously influential, particularly in educational theory (Atherton, 2009).His particular insight was the role of maturation (simply growing up) in children's increasing capacity to understand their world: they cannot undertake certain tasks until they are psychologically mature enough to do so. His research has spawned a great deal more, much of which has undermined the detail of his own, but like many other original investigators, his importance comes from his overall vision (Cullen & Agnew, 2003). He proposed that children's thinking does not develop entirely smoothly: instead, there are certain points at which it â€Å"takes off† and moves into completely new areas and capabilities.He saw these transitions as taking place at about 18 months, 7 years and 11 or 12 years. This has been taken to mean that before these ages ch ildren are not capable (no matter how bright) of understanding things in certain ways, and has been used as the basis for scheduling the school curriculum (Blumstein, 2003). Whether or not should be the case is a different matter. Most offenders commit crimes during their teen and early adulthood years, and then desist as they approach or enter their 30s. Those who do not desist, the habitual offenders, frequently come under the psychological research microscope.Developmental and biological factors (e. g. , conduct disorders or deficits in neurological hormones) often can predict habitual offending. Although psychologists should be alert to these factors, they must be careful not to assume that children who demonstrate them will become the criminals of tomorrow (Cullen & Agnew, 2003). According to Lombroso, 1972, the habitual criminal was best described as one who entered a lifestyle of crime by way of a number of circumstances. An example of a habitual criminal would be a member of organized crime.Political criminals were distinguished by their violent nature. Most of these violent acts were based on anger, love, or honor. Although these characters displayed great intellect, altruism, religious ideals, and patriotism, they were also thought to be pathological due to their high rates of suicide (Lombroso, 1972). Lombroso generally used the same techniques to classify female offenders as he did males. Although the amount of crime committed by females was much lower than that of males, he believed that females were more ferocious in their acts.Most of his ideas concerning female criminality were based on the idea that they were more like children than males. He believed that they were vengeful, jealous, morally deficient, and predisposed to cruelty (Einstadter & Henry, 1995). Within the field of criminology, developmental theory is closely related to an effort called â€Å"general† theory (Patterson & Yoerger, 1993), although the difference is that genera l theory implies a policy of selective incapacitation (wicked people exist, and all you can do is lock them away) while developmental theory looks for intervention opportunities (e.g. , tipping and turning points, desistence, life-course changes, pathways).The appeal of criminal psychology, as it is presently dominated by the developmental perspective, has the same appeal as most psychodynamic psychology in that it seems to offer all the answers that any criminal, no matter how bad, can be rehabilitated or reformed and that any delinquent, no matter how bad, can be saved from a lifetime of crime (Cullen & Agnew, 2003). Developmental theories describe humans as evolving through certain stages from birth through adulthood.In each of these stages humans are capable of mastering certain things, such as developing empathy or learning to predict the outcome of their actions. If a person stops development due to a trauma or simply fails to progress from one stage of development to the next , that person may remain in a certain stage of development (Dannefer, 1984). Also, developmental theories believe that during each stage of development people learn to act in the world and react to the world in different ways. Again, if a stage is missed or if development stops, a person may never make up the lost time and master the skills learned at a certain stage.Developmental theories find that if a stage of development is missed then a person cannot return to it at a later point in time, it is gone forever (Patterson & Yoerger, 1993). Possible explanations for why people commit habitual offenses is that they may not learn from their mistakes, cannot predict the consequences of their actions, or do not feel empathy for their victims. This makes sense if one considers that under developmental theories a person who did not naturally progress through a certain stage would not develop empathy, self control, or be able to predict the outcome of their actions (Atherton, 2009).These t hings are learned at a specific point in time in childhood. If a person leaves a stage of development without having mastered empathy, the ability to control behavior, or ability to predict consequences, then that person can be seen to easily fall into the trap of becoming a habitual offender. That person lacks the tools necessary to stop their behavior, just like a two year old cannot stop a tantrum. Habitual offenders, like two year olds, may have failed to progress through the self control or empathy stage (Patterson & Yoerger, 1993). Recent developmental theories strongly support typologies of offending.Typological theories classify offenders into different groups (just as group-based modeling does) with each group having its own history of delinquent behavior (Dannefer, 1984). For example, some theories differentiate between life course persistent offenders who start offending early, offend at a high rate, and persist through the life course, and adolescent limited offenders wh o start offending late, offend at a low rate, and desist by the time they emerge into adulthood. Some theories further suggest that the causes of offending vary across groups (Cullen & Agnew, 2003).Peer pressure, for example, may be more relevant for adolescent limited offenders than for life course persistent offenders. Group-based modeling now provides the opportunity to fully explore these ideas and their implications on theory and practice (Dannefer, 1984). Explain the implications that feminist criminology holds for our legal system In feminist theories, individuals attempt to give another dimension to criminology, in the form of gender. The supporters of these theories are for the most part trying to bring a new form of awareness to the way crime is viewed.Instead of focusing on criminals who are male performing crimes against other males, it is argued that criminologists need to investigate more how the female affects this preconceived approach to crime (French, 2006). Many p arties concerned with this type of critical approach to criminology also try to educate other female criminologists. This is important to this group of individuals because too many times, female criminologists will adopt the male perspective and perpetuate the same cycle of applying male concepts on females in the world of crime (Daly, 1997).Developed in the late 1960s and 1970s, feminist criminology addresses the gender distortions and stereotyping of female violators. Politically, feminist criminology draws from Marxist, Liberal, and Socialist schools of thought†¦ but the main point of feminist criminology is to discuss how women came to be in subservient roles to men and how the criminal justice system can address male-biased control theory as it relates to female violators, their punishment, and imprisonment French, 2006). Feminist criminology contains many branches.Liberal, radical, Marxist, and socialist feminism are widely recognized, although other â€Å"strands† exist such as postmodernism and ecofeminism. Most feminist criminology involves critiques about how women offenders have been ignored, distorted, or stereotyped within traditional criminology, but there is no shortage of separate theories and modifications of existing theories. Almost all women criminologists or criminologists of women who examine gender and crime have addressed the â€Å"gender ratio† problem (why women are less likely, and men more likely, to commit crime).Others study the generalizability problem (whether traditional male theories can modify to explain female offending). Most feminists are quick to point out where stereotypical thinking and theoretical dead ends exist, although the main problem complained about in most criminology is the simple fact that gender matters and should not be ignored (French, 2006). Feminist standpoint theory asserts that human materiality, the biological, physical activities, and possessions, shape the way knowledge is formed and delineates the inequalities of patriarchal thought (Gelsthorpe, 1997).If crime is seen as an act of aggression, and men are biologically characterized for their aggressive nature than not only is criminal theory male centered, so is the criminal practice. If society accepts that men are predisposed to aggression, which leads to crime, then women are socialized as passive actors and consequently many times the victimized. The implications for women are their sense of powerlessness and far reaching dependency upon men (Daly, 1997). The masculinity of the victim as it is depicted through criminal theory and public observation has altered the ways in which particular crimes are addressed.Rape crimes and domestic crimes are predominantly male perpetrated and female inflicted. The victim of assault is viewed by different standards when gender questions are involved. The realists define assault as strictly a coercive act committed in the street, in a public house or any other public ve nue (French, 2006)). Domestic violence, however, is not a form of assault despite the fact that it is the form of assault most likely to occur to a woman (Naffine, 1996).Domestic violence is given a special class of victimization, â€Å"public assault (which a man is most likely to experience) is the standard case; domestic violence is the complication†. Women never appear as more than a special instance of victimization (Naffine, 1996). This sexist interpretation of crime and law is just one example of the discrimination played out against women assumed by fault of women's designation to the private sphere and men's role in the public sphere.The definition of crime related to sexual acts is not consensually agreed on by men and women (Gelsthorpe, 1997). The legal definition of prostitution, pornography, domestic abuse, and rape is not proved by the harm inflicted to women, rather man's understanding of those acts, â€Å"The place of women in realist criminology is deeply tr aditional. Women are there to receive special protection, because they are considered vulnerable to crime, but their experiences are never allowed to set the defining conditions of the realist project†(Naffine, 1996).Liberal feminism operates within the existing social structures to draw attention to women's issues, promote women's rights, increase women's opportunities, and transform women's roles in society. Radical feminism looks at how women came to occupy subservient roles in the first place, what male power consists of, and how societies themselves can be transformed (French, 2006). Marxist feminism ties patriarchy or male privilege into the economic structure of capitalism, as when female offenders are sentenced for property or sexual crimes (by threatening male dominance of property relationships or male control of women's bodies).Socialist feminism offers ideas about more equitable roles for women as sex providers, child bearers, nursemaids, and homemakers, so that th ey can take their rightful place in society (Naffine, 1996). Postmodern feminism substitutes language production for economic production and studies how discourse and male-dominated thinking is used to set women apart (Gelsthorpe, 1997). What are the implications that critical criminology brings to society?While criminology is the scientific study of the interactions that inherently occur between criminals and the public or the criminal elements and society, critical criminology is slightly different. This concept of criminology has a solid foundation in the belief that a singular crime is considered to be criminal due to the historical and social beliefs at the time (Hirschi, 1969). For example, one famous illustration of this is that homosexuality was considered to be illegal for individuals in the United Kingdom. This type of interaction between individuals was declared legal for men over 21, but this was not until 1967.Since there is nothing within the act that changed over the years, the only thing that changed was the judicial government at the time and what they believed was morally right or wrong. Overall, there is nothing deemed inherently wrong about the act itself. One of the main questions that individuals interested in critical criminology need to ask themselves whether or not an act is a crime because it is wrong or whether it is merely a crime because someone with the elected power decided to make it so (Taylor, Walton, & Young, 1973).Critical criminology brings theories and paradigms of understanding about deviance and crime against our society at a particular time. These theories and paradigms are frameworks for understanding why people deviate from societal norms, how our society decides what is deviant and what is not at a particular time, and how individuals, groups, and society might prevent, deter, and/or punish violators based on past, present, and future societal controls (Cloward & Ohlin, 1960).An example would be that prior to the tur n of the 20th century, drugs like opium and cocaine were legal and unregulated in the United States. Critical criminology focuses on how societal norms change, as did attitudes about drugs and the behavior that their use may or may not have caused. Many theorists agree that making most drugs like marijuana and others, illegal in the 1960s, societal attitudes about their use had changed to a point where laws were ratified and enforced as a means of social control of those using the drugs, namely the sub-cultures and Hippies.In this example, certain crimes are considered deviant behavior because certain groups in society say they are. â€Å"Critical criminologists tend to claim that conventional criminology theories fail to ‘lay bare the structural inequalities which underpin the processes through which laws are created and enforced' (Taylor, Walton, & Young, 1973) and that ‘deviancy and criminality' is ‘shaped by society's larger structure of power and institutions ' (Cloward & Ohlin, 1960)Criminologists have long sought to establish causal links between the prevailing economic conditions and the level of criminality in existence in society at any given time and have rightly described how inequality the widening gap between the ‘haves’ and the ‘have-nots’ is probably a significant measure of how criminogenic a society is likely to become.There has, however, been hardly any research conducted in recent years to examine the most obvious criminological reality: namely, that we should see the crime explosion of the past twenty years as the direct outcome of the neoliberal political economy with the reality that much of the crime we are currently experiencing has its origins in business deregulation. Thus, it is not simply a question of how crime might rise in such circumstances, but rather how it is that these circumstances have already created the crimes that have brought devastation to whole swathes of our towns and cit ies (Hall, Winlow & Ancrum, 2008).Within critical criminology, there are a number of theories that have been formed. Conflict theories were never very popular within the United States, in part due to the fact that during the late 1970’s, when critical criminology was more popular, there were many criminology departments that were closed due to political reasons (Taylor, Walton, & Young, 1973). Other critical criminologists were concerned that conflict theories did not properly address the different issues that faced society.Critics of conflict theories that exist in criminology maintain that these individuals ignored some important differences in the level of criminal activities between socialist and capitalist societies. Japan and Switzerland are two countries that are socialist in nature, but they have extremely low rates of crime in their countries, as compared to capitalist societies like the United States of America (Hall, Winlow & Ancrum, 2008). ConclusionCognitive deve lopment typically refers to age-related changes in knowledge and acts of knowing, such as perceiving, remembering, problem solving, reasoning, and understanding. The development of cognition is studied most frequently in infants, children, and adolescents, where changes often are relatively rapid and striking. Many researchers also study cognitive development in aging adults, in children and adults during recovery of function following brain damage, and in a variety of species other than humans.In feminist theories, individuals attempt to allow another dimension to criminology, in the shape of gender. The supporters of those theories are for the foremost half trying to bring a new kind of awareness to the method crime is viewed. Instead of focusing on criminals who are male performing crimes against different males, it is argued that criminologists want to research a lot of how the feminine affects this preconceived approach to crime.Several parties involved with this sort of import ant approach to criminology conjointly strive to educate other female criminologists. This is necessary to the current group of individuals as a result of too many times, feminine criminologists can adopt the male perspective and perpetuate the same cycle of applying male ideas on females in the planet of crime. Critical criminology, also called radical criminology, shares with conflict criminology a debt to Marxism. It came into prominence in the early 1970s and attempted to explain contemporary social upheavals.Critical criminology relies on economic explanations of behavior and argues that economic and social inequalities cause criminal behavior. It focuses less on the study of individual criminals, and advances the belief that existing crime cannot be eliminated within the capitalist system. It also asserts, like the conflict school, that law has an inherent bias in favor of the upper or ruling class, and that the state and its legal system exist to advance the interests of the ruling class.

Monday, July 29, 2019

Carbohydrate Nutrition and Glucose Homeostasis,on Type 2 diabetes Essay

Carbohydrate Nutrition and Glucose Homeostasis,on Type 2 diabetes - Essay Example It has been estimated the risk of developing heart diseases more than doubles within the first few years of the discovery of diabetes in individuals. In addition, more than seventy-five percent of the people who have diabetes are at risk of dying because of heart disease, a situation that is indeed scary for those concerned. Diabetes mellitus Diabetes is a metabolic disorder that is categorized by chronic hyperglycaemia with instabilities of carbohydrate, fat and protein metabolism that come about due to defects in the secretion of insulin, the inaction of insulin or both in the body (Guthrie 2009, p.3). Diabetes mellitus affects people when the pancreas cannot secrete enough insulin, which is the hormone that the body uses to regulate the level of sugar in the blood or when the human body cannot effectively make use of the insulin produced. There are four types of diabetes namely type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes, secondary diabetes that may be due to damage to the pancreas and gesta tional diabetes, which occurs when a person is in pregnancy. Prevalence Estimates show that about 347 million in the world are suffering from diabetes while in the year 2004 alone, 3.4 million people died due to the effects related to diabetes complications mostly in low and middle-income economies. Projections by the World Health Organization indicate that diabetes will be the 7th leading cause of death in the year 2030 (Leroith 2012, p.43). The prevalence of diabetes generally in the world is increasing at a faster rate that can be attributed to the decreased physical activity and poor eating lifestyles. There is however little data on the prevalence of type 2 diabetes as this varies with other factors such as ethnicity and the degree at which a person accesses social amenities. Estimates on prevalence range in the region of 3.5 to 5% for example the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) suggest that 4% of persons in the age group of 20 to 79 years have type 2 diabetes in the US with a further death 4.2% in men who have diabetes and &.7% in women with similar condition. Therefore, type 2 is the most dominant type of diabetes since it accounts for about 90% of persons suffering from diabetic conditions. Diagnosed and Undiagnosed Diabetes among Persons of Age 20 Years and above in United States as at the year 2010 Source: National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse 2011 Diagnosed and Undiagnosed Diabetes Source: National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse 2011 Blood glucose regulation in the body Glucose is the essential source of energy for the body’s cells and tissues. In grownups without diabetes, glucose is maintained at a level of 70-99 mg/dL maintained by hormones, the metabolic requirements of the person and the nervous system. When a person is not eating, the liver stores glucose in the form of glycogen that helps to keep the body at a normal functioning range. At this moment, insulin is not at work and only the hormone glucagon breaks down th e glycogen; moreover, at any given time muscles store glucose that is burnt for energy. When a person eats and food is digested, the pancreas is triggered to release insulin from the beta cells that is used to breakdown the glucose for the cells for energy or to be stored as fat. Any moment that the system that provides glucose to the cells breakdowns or is not regulated in an organized manner, the person is likely to develop diabetes (American Diabetes Association 2004) Type 1 Diabetes The American Diabetes

Sunday, July 28, 2019

Defining Sports Tourism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5750 words

Defining Sports Tourism - Essay Example Daniels also recognizes that sports tourism is a realm to explore to increase an economic situation in a particular location. Adding sports teams or events to a geographic location can increase the local economy and will encourage spending in the area by those who are either participating or are spectators of the particular sporting event. She also adds that though some people like the idea of adding a sports team to their community for the entertainment value, it can be quite costly for the area. This is because a new stadium would have to be built and in turn, it could be publicly financed through taxation in the community. Therefore, this would, in theory, even out the economic status of an area. Though it increases visitors to come to watch a sports team play in a large new arena, it can hinder the local residents by having to deal with additional traffic, having to pay for law enforcement officers to work the events, and even having to contribute to the city through taxation to allow for various roads or whatever means it would take to create a stadium. While it stimulates the local economy, it could also hinder it. Although Daniels acknowledges that many communities host sports events in one way to entertain, it is also to stimulate the local economy. She also concludes that even though sports events hosted in a certain area can boost a local economy, it can also hinder certain areas that are not well equipped to handle as many people as a large scale mega event, for example as the Olympics, the Super Bowl or the World Series. Amateur sporting events, however, have little impact on the existing economy according to Daniels, unless it is an amateur sporting event that lasts over an extended period of days. The sporting events can increase tourism in areas that have offers additional attractions, services, etc and Daniels' central place theory helps predict which geographic locations (primarily based on the size of the city or town) would benefit best from sporting tourism and development due to the resources that are already available within that locale, particularly urban areas. However, there are many other factors that also come into play. The event that Daniels used as an analysis to test this theory is the United States National Softball Association where a youth girls' World Series was held in 2001 in locations of North Carolina and South Carolina that were near to each other. One city, Mecklenburg, was located near Charlotte and had a population of 650,000 people while the other city, York, South Carolina had only 170,000 people. The tournament was centralized in Mecklenburg with the event being held within one facility while in York, the tournament was in four different locations throughout the city. The week-long event had over 300 teams and over 20,000 in attendance between the two cities. Spectators were given questionnaires about how long they were staying, how far they had traveled to get to the tournaments from their ho metown, what their primary reason was for coming as a spectator and what their expense habits were while there. Data were analyzed from the results of these questionnaires and found that expenditures in both cities were approximately the same per person though lodging and dining were significantly higher in Mecklenburg.  Ã‚  

Saturday, July 27, 2019

Compare and contrast disparate treatment and disparate impact Essay

Compare and contrast disparate treatment and disparate impact - Essay Example In all disparate treatment cases, â€Å"whether the issue is the truth or falsity of the employer's reason for its action, or the co-existence of legitimate and illegitimate motives, whether the plaintiff puts on direct or circumstantial evidence, or both, the issue at the liability stage is simply whether the plaintiff has shown, by a preponderance of the evidence, that discrimination was a motivating factor in the employment decision.† (Drachsler, 2005, p.230) The Civil Rights Act of 1991, further extended these provisions and consolidated the list of prohibitions. But the application of Disparate Treatment theory to any given case is never straight-forward, for management decisions are based upon so many factors, with prejudice and discrimination (if any) often playing out in subtle and indirect ways. Judge Magnuson elaborated on 1991 amendments thus: â€Å"Absent from the statute is the requirement that discrimination be a "substantial" factor, a "but-for" factor, or the necessary and sufficient cause of the employment decision. Instead, Congress unambiguously required that discrimination be "a" motivating factor in the employment decision.

Friday, July 26, 2019

Corporate Governance and Finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Corporate Governance and Finance - Essay Example Company Background Apple Inc. was instituted in the year 1977 and is headquartered in California, United States of America. The company along with its subsidiaries designs, produces, and sells mobile communication devices, personal computers, media devices, and handy digital music players among others. Apple Inc. also sells a range of associated services, software, networking solutions, peripherals, digital content and other forms of applications. Apple Inc. caters to a broad array of clients, ranging from individual consumers, to small and mid-sized enterprises and education, corporate and government customers (Apple Inc. (a), 2012). The products as well as services offered by Apple Inc. comprise of iPhone, Mac, iPod, iPad, Apple TV, in addition to a collection of specialized and consumer software applications. Apple Inc. also provides the iOS, iCloud, and Mac OS X operating structure, in addition to an assortment of accessory, service as well as support offerings. Apple Inc. also v ends and distributes digital content as well as applications by means of the App Store, iTunes Store, Mac App Store and iBookstore. The Company markets its products throughout the globe via its stores, both online as well as retail in addition to direct sales force. Apple Inc. also sells via wholesalers, intermediary cellular network carriers, retailers, as well as value-added resellers. Furthermore, Apple Inc. also markets a range of third-party iPhone, Mac, iPad, and iPod attuned products, such as application software, printers, speakers, headphones, storage devices, as well as many other accompaniments and peripherals, via its retail and online stores (Apple Inc.(a), 2012). Company History Apple was founded by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak in the year 1976. Originally, the... This essay stresses that the subject of corporate governance is associated with the jobs and accountabilities of a business organization’s Board of Directors in handling the business and their associations with the organization’s shareholders as well as other stakeholder. Characteristically, in any corporate organization the full time executive directors possess extensive powers with reference to the dealings and matters of the organization they are paid to manage in support of the shareholders. Nevertheless, the executive directors might not always bear the interests of the shareholders in their mind while carrying out their executive responsibilities. Consequently, this had resulted in endeavors to make the directors more liable for their strategies and actions. This paper makes a conclusion that Apple Inc. practices strong corporate governance principles and hence the company has not faced any major instances of conflict of interest. The comprehensive assessment of the corporate governance as well as the code of conduct of Apple Inc. revealed that the Company abides by strict guidelines and always attempts to protect the interests of its stakeholders. This strict abidance to the required market practices have resulted in positive fortune for the Company. The assessment of the financial position of the company illustrated that the position of the company had further fortified since the years and the stock price movements revealed that Apple is provided good value for shareholders’ money.

Criminal Judicial System Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Criminal Judicial System - Essay Example The criminal courts have also being accused of the wrongful conviction, there have been cases where courts have issued unexpected verdicts, and therefore the morale of the people has diminished. In Canada, there have been instances where the people have lodged strong opposition against the ruling of the criminal courts, as a result, 'judges in some jurisdictions being sent on a three days course on avoiding wrongful convictions' (Felix, 2006). The important factor that has to be addressed is the reasons which have been responsible for the corrupt and manipulated verdicts and the proceedings of the courts. The reasons attributed towards the failure of the criminal court in the dispersion of justice have been the over-confident statements and stands of the witnesses, there have been cases where bogus prosecution experts were hired, and therefore the dispensation of justice was halted. ... The domain of the high profile case includes the involvement and participation of the press and the police. The criminal judicial system is also affected by the public opinion. It has been observed that there have been cases where the prominent figures were accused of crimes, but because those prominent figures enjoyed good public opinion, the courts were bound to respect the public opinion, else serious communal riots could have initiated. In past several religious authorities were accused of crimes, and the evidences were strongly against them, but because the government expected that a retaliation from the local population, therefore the criminal courts were influenced and were forced to acquit the accused religious personnel, therefore there is a need to ensure not only internal transparency, but the role of the external forces should be minimal and only then the performance of the criminal judicial system can improve (Lester, 2005). Discussion The criminal justice system has empowered the prosecutor to deplore and condemn the defense, and has the right to inlfuence the verdict, and identifies the nature and severity of the punishment. The particular problem with reference to the criminal justice system has been the 'historical legacy of assimilation' (Felix, 2006), and traces of which are related 'to the impact of European assimilation'. The economic, social and political life of the aboriginal people experienced silent revolution and silent imposition of command and authority deeply influenced their behavior and practices, and therefore their life style and perspective varied greatly. The criminal justice system has failed to incorporate allowances towards such adjustment, and has undertaken ignorant approach

Thursday, July 25, 2019

Chapter 13 discussion questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Chapter 13 discussion questions - Essay Example Cases can be used to develop managerial leadership skills such as analytical decision making skills and increased understanding of situations that managers are commonly faced with. This method is good for demonstrating the fact that different people can react to the same situation in a variety of ways and helps trainees understand that there are multiple ways to approach a problem. Large-Scale Simulations allow trainees to analyze a situation and make decisions, however, unlike previous methods; this procedure allows them to experience the consequences of their actions. These simulations combine features of other training methods such as human relations cases, role-playing, in-basket exercise, and group problem solving exercises. They emphasize interpersonal skills, cognitive skills and decision making. The knowledge gained from this exercise can vary from increased individual self-awareness of strengths and weaknesses when working with strangers to reflecting the overall culture and relationships within a company when working with family or coworkers. Overall this method can be very useful in enhancing leadership skills. 2. Effectiveness of training depends on several key factors: clear learning objectives, clear and meaningful content, appropriate sequencing of content, appropriate mix of training methods, opportunity for active practice, relevant and timely feedback, high trainee self-confidence, and appropriate follow-up activities. Clear learning objectives – trainer should not only identify clear learning objectives, but also explain why training will help people improve their leadership effectiveness. Clear and meaningful content – trainer should focus on important things and include lots of examples to â€Å"facilitate comprehension and memorization of material.† Appropriate sequencing of content – should be organized in a way that will help the learning process, process from simple to more complex ideas and there should be a ppropriate intervals for rest between sessions to prevent trainees being overworked. Appropriate mix of training – Methods of training should be customized to compensate for differences in level of skill and knowledge, and should also take into account class size and time available to train Opportunity for active practice – there should be ample opportunity for trainees to practice new skills in order to aid in the remembrance of important points. Relevant and timely feedback – Feedback should be available from several different resources and should be â€Å"accurate, timely and constructive.† Enhancement of trainee self-confidence – trainers should be supportive of all trainees and encourage success and self-confidence. Praise, encouragement, and patience are necessary qualities for the trainer. Appropriate follow-up activities – A couple of options for this portion of training include holding a follow-up session after the training program has been completed or have trainees turn in projects that require them to utilize their recently learned skills. 3. Learning from experience is generally affected by amount of challenge, variety of tasks, and quality of feedback.

Wednesday, July 24, 2019

Determining the Type of Anemia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 31

Determining the Type of Anemia - Essay Example Anemia is a disease that can strike an individual at any age while others are inherited from parents with the condition. It is also noted that some types of anemia are severe, incurable, and capable of killing while others are mild and can easily be treated. Therefore, it is important for an individual to keep seeking medical attention in case one suspects that he or she is suffering from the disease so that appropriate treatment can be provided.  Garrison (2009) reveals that there are about 400 types of anemia that an individual can suffer. However, the most common types are Iron-deficiency anemia, Pernicious anemia, Plastic anemia, Sickle Cell and Trauma-related anemia. Iron-deficiency anemia is considered the most common and occurs when the body cells cannot manufacture adequate hemoglobin. It is also common among women at the childbearing age and is catalyzed by menstruation and pregnancy (Garrison, 2009). Plastic anemia, on the other hand, occurs due to the inability of intest ines to absorb adequate vitamin B-12. Plastic anemia is mainly caused by the destruction of the born marrow by things like accidents or chemical agents. Sickle Cell is one that is hereditary in which the red cells become crescent-shaped. Trauma anemia is that which occurs when one loses large quantity of red blood cells at a go, especially due to an accident.By looking at the findings and symptoms that Mrs. A is showing, it is evident that Mrs. A is suffering from iron-deficiency anemia, which occurs when the body is not in a position to make adequate hemoglobin that contains oxygen. This is proven by the fact that her hemoglobin level is too low, at 8 g/dl. This resulted from the fact that she has abnormal blood cell as  revealed by physician’s findings which shows that she has microtic and hypochromic cells.   

Tuesday, July 23, 2019

University of California Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

University of California - Personal Statement Example I am part of a learning group that serves as foundation of out of class education. Before knocking at the doors of educational institutions, I ensure that the schools I am interested to enroll have the best standards. Given my skills and inclination to learn further, I have to be in University that embodies credibility and excellence. Moreover, the school needs to emanate its values and disseminate to the students. Among the schools, University of California (UC) satisfies all the criteria. Indeed, UC has the reputation of producing great leaders and difference makers in the society. I believe that the school will serve as the most viable avenue for me to show my capabilities and skills beyond my expertise. It is my tenure at the Long Beach Polytechnic High School is the most noticeable. The high school that I have attended is one of the best in the area offering top notch education. Despite of the challenging environment, I have responded well and delivered in several occasion. The learning schemes offered by the school have given me the opportunity to enhance my potentials and skills. The school also developed a personality in me that is flexible to changes. Undeniably, my possible enrollment in the University will provide several positive outcomes. Academically, I can perform with the best and continue to improve. I have a strong background in engineering and have participated in events related to the course. My experience as a learner has been observed are my previous stints as captain and member of teams playing in contests. In particular, I have participated in events that search for the best team in creating robots and other related innovations. Basically, my superior scholastic record will catapult me to success. Also, my achievements suggest that I am part of the top echelon of freshmen entering to college. Because learning is part of my system, I have been encouraged to join clubs that propagate education. Previously, I have been part of volunteering individuals who serve as facilitators of learning. This experience will be vital for the university as I bring a mentality of learning. Most important, I can be a part of clubs in the University that primarily functions learning organizations. The contributions I can partake to the students and the University are crucial as the school aims to build a reputation of superb learning. Indeed, learning is a collaborative process that demands quality institutions and willing individuals. 2nd prompt I have recognized the need to transfer the success I have experienced the University. Among the accomplishment that I have made, I think that being the President of the Engineering club is one of the most important. Aside from the learning, I have honed my leadership skills guiding the club towards stability and cohesiveness. As the club President, I have represented the organization is competitions and I had my share of victories. Also, I have instilled and learning mentality among my peers and encouraged continuous propagation of teaching programs. I can use this experience to lead an organization in the University that will promote higher causes. Learning embraces different perspectives and fields. Apart from my academic exploits, I have been involved in sports activities. I have been leading the Poly Solar Boat Team in regional and national competitions. Because of this, I can be part of the University boat team and participate in other sports. Aside from academic contributions, I

Monday, July 22, 2019

A play which explores the effect of relationships Essay Example for Free

A play which explores the effect of relationships Essay Task: Choose a play which explores relationships in a family/community. What strengths and/or weaknesses are apparent in these relationships and what is the overall effect on the family/community. A play which explores the effect of relationships in a family and community is â€Å"Romeo and Juliet† by William Shakespeare. The relationship between Romeo and Juliet, themselves, is key to the play and this relationship also embodies the family feud discussed in the play. Shakespeare conveys the lovers’ relationship as one built upon utter trust and devotion. Yet it is ill-fated due to the ancient feud between their families, the Montagues and the Capulets. The family grudge holds great importance and affects the lives of every citizen in the town of Verona. In the beginning of the play we are introduced to both the lovers. Romeo is portrayed as a depressed and melancholic person as the girl he loves does not love him back and Juliet as a girl who is unwilling to be married to a suitor of her parent’s choice. Romeo is in love with a Capulet girl called Rosaline and in order to see her he goes, uninvited, to a Capulet ball. He catches sight of Juliet at the ball and immediately falls in love with her. Much to his disappointment he finds out she is a Capulet: â€Å"Is she a Capulet? O dear account! My life is my foe’s debt. † Although Romeo has fallen in love with Juliet he knows it is not that simple in Verona. He realises that because they are from rival families their relationship would never be permitted. From the very beginning their relationships is said to be â€Å"star-cross’d† as their families have been mortal enemies. There is a major difference shown between Romeos love for Rosaline and his love for Juliet. When he is in love with Rosaline, Romeo is depressed. But, when he sees Juliet, it is a whole different story. He suddenly experiences true love as he had never felt with Rosaline. From the moment Romeo first sees Juliet their bond is very intense. When describing the love between Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare often uses poetic and romantic language: â€Å"O she doth teach the torches to burn bright! † Romeo compares Juliet to a candle’s light and says that she is incredibly beautiful. Shakespeare’s use of this â€Å"love at first sight† scenario emphasises that the young lovers have and instant and deep connection. This emphasises the strength of their devotion to each other. In the balcony scene, although Romeo and Juliet have only known each other for a short while, their love is very intense. Shakespeare uses various images to convey this: â€Å"Two of the fairest stars do entreat her eyes† Juliet’s eyes are being compared to twinkling stars which shows how much Romeo loves her. Romeo believes Juliet to be the most beautiful woman he has ever seen and this image conveys this. This symbolises their strong love for each other. Later on we see that Romeo is overcome by his love for Juliet and he even risks his life to see her. When a fight starts to form in the street Romeo makes it clear that he is not interested in fighting: â€Å"Tybalt, the reason I have to love thee Doth much excuse the appertaining rage† Even though the idea of being loyal to your own family is prominent throughout the play, Romeo is willing to forget the family feud and â€Å"love† his enemies for Juliet’s sake. This is important as is shows their commitment to each other. They are both willing to forget a centuries old family feud that shapes their whole life in order to be committed to each other and this is clearly a strength. Even when Juliet finds out that Romeo has killed her cousin, although she is upset and distraught, she is willing to forgive him as her devotion to him is so strong. Another aspect which shapes Romeo and Juliets relationship is the feud. The feud is the main weakness throughout the play and it has great impact on the community in Verona. When a fight breaks out in the street it is clear where the citizens loyalties are: â€Å"The quarrel is between our masters and us their men† In Verona, everyone is forced to take sides even the employees. It is clear from this why Romeo and Juliet’s relationship would be a problem as the feud has such a strong grip on society that there is no way of them being together other than in secret. Another scene in which the power of the feud comes through is when everyone is discussing what must be the consequence of Romeo’s actions: â€Å"Romeo slew Tybalt. Romeo must not live† Lady Capulet’s harsh words are conveying how the feud makes everyone stand their ground and the idea of forgive and forget is not even considered. The feud is the reason for Romeo and Juliet’s poor relationship as their families are so hostile towards each other. The feud causes the division in their community and the separation of the two families. In the end, it is only after the death of both Romeo and Juliet, a huge sacrifice, that their families reconcile and agree to live in peace. Romeo and Juliet’s relationship is one that is powerful yet it is always plagued by the feud of their families. Shakespeare’s use of imagery and symbolism to convey their relationship is highly powerful and only intensifies the bond between them.

Individual Rights Essay Example for Free

Individual Rights Essay When I am at my placement which is a day care centre for the elderly, I treat patients with respect; I do this by talking politely to the patients, knocking on the door before I entered patient’s room and asking them how they wish to be named (e. g. Mr, Mrs) To be treated as an individual: While I was at placement I treat everyone as an individual, I did this by talking to the patients and finding out about their interests and watching how they act. I did not treat all the patients the same. Just because 2 were diabetic I didn’t stop all patients having sweets. To be treated in a dignified way: I tried to maintain the patient’s dignity by taking them aside if they wanted to tell me something or closing the door behind them if they were going to the toilet. When the patients said or did something laughable, I didn’t laugh at them. To be treated equally and not to be discriminated against: Everyone at placement is different based on their religion, race, sexuality, disabilities or age. But I didn’t not discriminate them against this or treat them unfairly. To be allowed privacy: If the patients wanted privacy when I was with them during my time on placement I would have closed the door which would have blocked other people out from seeing into the room or would have gone outside the room with the patient where they could have privacy to do what they wanted. To be cared for in a way that meets out needs and takes account of preferences and choice: I take it into account what patients say to me and about their choices. If they wish to do a certain activity, I would have gone out of my way to do as they wanted. To be able to communicate using a preferred method: At placement I communicate in which method the patient wanted, if a patient wants to write on a piece of paper and have a conversation this way that is what we would have done. To be allowed access to information about themselves: When at placement patient information is confidential but if the patient asks something about themselves, they were give the information as this may have help them through something. To be safeguarded from danger or harm: Patients should always be in an environment which they feel safe in; they should feel like they are safe in the building and safe with the people caring for them. During my time at placement I have reassured patients when they are feeling unsafe and calmed patients when they are worried about their safety. An example of this; when patients see people entering the centre they worry about who they are and what they are doing here, I then reassure them.

Sunday, July 21, 2019

The Construction Industry Development Board Construction Essay

The Construction Industry Development Board Construction Essay In Malaysia Construction affects a lot of consequence such as noise pollution, dangerous and sometime there is unhygienic to the human being and the environment. From the statistic show, construction is a one of the five most dangerous of work in Malaysia. Construction workers are two to three times more likely to die on the job than workers in other industries while the risk of serious injury is almost three times higher. The industry has not been unresponsive to this state of affairs, recognizing that consistent excellence in worker safety requires a concerted effort on the part of everyone engaged in construction related activities. The facts show that construction is indeed a dangerous industry. The tragic incidents showed that the construction industry only paid lip service to safety. Department of Occupational Health and Safety (DOSH) director-general (Abu Bakar Che Man,2006 ) said that at least 30% of construction sites have safety ratings of unsatisfactory or lower. The number of fatality and permanent disablement cases due to accident at the Malaysia construction sites is one of the highest as compared to the other sector. Construction accident that hazardous worker life. The accidents happen may cause physical injuries or health illness in long term. The Social Security Organisation (SOCSO) paid out RM1.6bil in compensation to 52,639 workers who were involved in accidents at the workplace and while travelling to. If we still ignore this problem, what is the Consequence? For sure, the safety managing is necessary. In this dissertation, we will find out the government agencies such as Construction Industry Development Board Malaysia (CIDB), National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Department of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) and Occu pational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) in enforcing on the construction safety and health. 1.2 Research Background Unsatisfactory safety record of the construction industry has always been emphasize by all social circles because safety management always being ignore part and is not achieve a good implemented systematically in the construction industry in Malaysia. Safety at workplace is an issue affecting all businesses since most companies do not feel that it is vital to the success and are afraid of possibility of prosecution. Government safety and health agencies has imposed a lot of comprehensive safety regulations in the practice of the construction industry but from the level of awareness and practicability of it are generally lower than expected over the period from the announced the safety regulation. According to Abdul Ghani Khalid Construction Site Injuries: The case Of Malaysia, good safety programs would certainly help in reducing injuries at the construction site. It will also minimise construction costs, increase productivity and profitability and more importantly it could save live s of workers (khalid, 1996). Thus, these will consequently contribute positively to the construction industry and nation as a whole. Government agencies such as DOSH, OSHA,NIOSH and CIDB has give their effort to enforcement safety and health in construction sites. However, the efficiency on enforcing is fail to achieve if without the cooperation of the construction site staff and worker. The cooperation by the site staff is important to reduce the accident at construction site and good management also provide a safer working site. The player of the construction should take the responsibilities to the construction safety and health toward from a construction industry that is more stable and sustainable in future. 1.3 Problem Statement Construction is a one of five most dangerous of work in Malaysia. In 2011, the Social Security Organisation (SOCSO) paid out RM1.6bil in compensation to 52,639 workers who were involved in accidents at the workplace and while travelling to. Its increase on 15.63 per cent more than the total amount of compensation to workers involved in accident as compared to 2010 when the amount paid RM1.35bil. In this case, government lunched many program and prevention to minimize and reduce the safety problem in the construction industry. CIDB, NIOSH,DOSH and OSHA has play their role and enforced on the safety and health to prevent and decrease the accident happen in the construction site. However, the enforcement is not perfectly preventing of injuries and fatality in the construction site, by the way its fail to solve the problem because there is a lot barrier when enforcing the rule and regulation by those agencies at last cant fully work by the enforcement. This research is to identity the construction safety problem why many of enforcement or programmes are initiated by government agencies still could not reduce effectively the fatalities and injury rate in the construction industry. 1.4 Research Aims The researchers aim for conducting this research is to analyse the government agencies on the improvement safety in the construction industry and to figure out the difficult and barrier to enforcing by government agencies in the Malaysia construction industry. 1.5 Research Objective The objective of this dissertation is to :- 1.4.1 To identify the rules and regulation enforced by government agencies 1.4.2 To investigate The effectiveness of the implementation and the difficulties during the enforcement of construction safety. 1.4.3 Recommendation to improve the effectiveness of the implementation based on result by questionnaire and barrier of the enforcement of construction safety 1.6 Scope of Study This study will identify the role of government safety and health agencies and also observation worker in the construction site to figure out any improvement can be achieve by the safety and health. Program enforcing by government safety and health agencies will be discussed and the data regarding the efficiency of safety and health will be attached such as accident rate and fatalities in construction. In order to achieve the research objective, questionnaire among construction site staff around peninsular Malaysia will be analyse to acquire the result for this research. The construction site worker such as Contactor, Site Manager, Site Supervisor, Site Engineer, Site QS, and site Worker. 1.7 Research Methodology 1.7.1 Stage 1: Literature review Literature review is an integral part as the preliminary stage of information collection to obtain extra knowledge and understanding of the research. Information and data related collected according the objective of this dissertation normally from internet, book, journal, magazine and article which available in college library. Statistic regarding the construction accident and fatalities will be analysed to find out the barriers of the enforcement. This stage enable to identify the problem and to figure out the solution to solve it in a better way 1.7.2 Stage 2: Data Collection by Questionnaire A set of questionnaire will be prepared to obtain the construction site staff opinion about the safety and health on construction site. Question around 40 to 50 will distribute to the construction site worker such as Contactor, Site Manager, Site Supervisor, Site Engineer , Site QS, and site Worker. The question will designed according to the research objective there is question about rule and regulation of government agencies on site staff opinion and the difficulties among construction site worker to comply with the rules and regulation enforced by government safety and health agencies 1.7.3 Stage 3: Data Analysis and Finding This stage is analysis of the questionnaire to determine the level of responds to each question within the questionnaire by counting the number of respond who answer favourably or unfavourably. The respondent come form different aspect in the construction industry and result to determine the efficiency of the safety and health enforcing by government agencies. With the result get from the questionnaire, graphical format using by SPHH will produce to explain the result with easily. 1.7.4 Stage 4: Conclusion of Research After the data analysis done, all the data will complied into the dissertation in order to amend mistake that contained in the dissertation. Conclusion and report will be carried out in this stage. 1.8 Summaries of Chapter 1.8.1 Chapter 1 Chapter 1 is to understand about the research proposal title and main focus on the sector by a short paragraph. In this stage, also stated the aim and objective of this research from the problem statement. 1.8.2 Chapter 2 This stage is to study the deeply background of the research. Literature review on textbook, journals, article, dissertation will be conduct to collect all secondary data by according to the research aim and objective. 1.8.3 Chapter 3 Chapter 3 Methodology is to study the method of data collection. How to design of the questionnaire, how to collect the data and where the data to be source will be conduct in this stage. The research methodology us important in guiding the researcher to achieve the aim and objective. 1.8.4 Chapter 4 The result get from research methodology will be analyse and discussed. Figure and table will be created to show the analysis of the result. 1.8.5 Chapter 5 This chapter presents finding for the study the will be carried out. A summary or conclusion about this research will be discussed. 1.9 Summary In chapter 1, we have in introduction about Malaysia current Construction Safety situation. The unsatisfactory of accident rate bring a barrier toward from a construction industry that is more stable and sustainable in future. Accident cannot be fully avoided, but it can be minimise with some proper prevention. Although Government have many agencies to promote and enforcing occupational safety and health in construction industry, unfortunately the occupancies safety and health is still under a unsatisfied level. In this research, we able to know some of the rule and regulation or program that enforced by government agencies and also to figure out the barrier that threaten construction safety. Chapter 2: Literature Review 2.1 Introduction Construction industry plays a significant role in the development process of Malaysia development contribute towards the economic growth generating additional demands for construction activities. Undoubtedly construction is a industry which is very active and booming industry with contributing to the Malaysia economy. However, such achievements have also contributed much towards the safety issues where statistics showed that this industry has earned the reputation of being a highly hazardous industry due to its fatality rates.( Dayang and Gloria Chai, 2011) ) Health and safety is a paramount consideration for all construction industry professionals. It impinges upon the work of the planning authorities, client, consultants, contractor- in fact anyone who works on or is in the vicinity of a construction project. Whereas in the past health and safety, management has traditionally been consider as a production site activity, it has now become a comprehensive consideration process. It ha s also become an integral part of the corporate organizational framework and structure as well as the operational management of many organizations who contribute to the construction process. Safety management is the key to ensuring that safety measures are implemented on construction site, thus Malaysia government has been announced many agencies to manage the safety and health and a lot of enforcement or program are launched on construction site.(Steve Rowlinson, 2004) In this stage, the implementation of enforcement or program initiated by the government agencies are reviewed which including the history and function of the government enforcements. The accident rate or fatalities result that simultaneously the efficiency of construction safety enforcement in construction industry. The barrier and difficulties faced by government agencies in enforcement and program launched 2.2 Construction Safety As we know, construction bring a huge contribution to country economic growth but it also bring a impact of construction safety problem threaten construction site worker such as injuries, illnesses even death. According to statistic the Social Security Organisation (Socso) paid out RM1.6bil in compensation to 52,639 workers who were involved in accidents at the workplace and while travelling to.(The Star, 2011) Variety of unexpected accidence occur, the light caused by the loss of equipment and working hours, minor injury, but severe case may ruin and death. The construction safety and health is the process of construction industrial development, which cannot be ignored. Workers are often because of lack of experience caused accidents, the proportion of the damages around 50%, it is very serious case to threated construction site safety. Other reason cause accident on construction site such as high-altitude operation, cross-liquidity operation, long operating time, labor-intensive, monotonous duplication of work and so many, those are the reason an accident occur. For many years operating in this environment, people are likely produce a depressed, irritable mood. When the operating life of job stimulus, the visual and psychological again building site impetuous color and clutter environment, the more intensified the anxiety, depression and un rest will increasing the probability of occurrence of the accident. After a survey of different regions and cultural structures of different ages construction worker, more than 85% agree, long labor in a gray color, and illumination is not enough under the operating environment, it is easy to make people feel stress, resulting in depressed the sense of fear, ideological irritability visual fatigue, physical consumption object recognition energy increases, it tends to cause the d eformation of the job action, affecting labor efficiency, while also increasing the likelihood of potential accidents. The construction safety purpose first is to avoid or reduce causalities and occupational diseases; second is to ensure the equipment tools, and materials from damage and to protect and improve labor productivity, and maintaining social and economic development; the third is to eliminate or reduce the environmental hazards of industrial pollution and living conditions of the people from destruction, and promote the interests of humanity as a whole increases. Safety of construction threaten the safety of construction site worker lives and property of the state, is no longer just the death or injury problem, but the change for real people- oriented and full attention to the construction safety and health of every worker. Worker are requires not only the protection of life, and also comfortable in the workplace and living environment, occupational diseases prevention and control of demand, which is more important part of sustainable human development. A good construction safety will increase the performance of the construction work. It also reduced the probability of accident rate in construction site efficiently and minimize the loss and damage when fatalities occur.à £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€š ¬Thence, its important to have a good safety and health management at construction site and cooperates with government agencies on enforcement of it. http://vectorise.net/logo/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/utamakan-keselamatan.png Figure 2.1 : Poster Safety first by CIDB 2.3 Government agencies in construction safety There is no hundred percent that we can get free accident in construction, but we can minimize the accident rate happen. Safety problem is a serious problem that always concern by the government. Every year around 2 billion are paid for compensation to worker injured at construction site. According to the statistic of occupational accidents by Department of Occupational Safety and Health, 99 case of construction accident occur in 2011 and 50% of the accident involve death and permanently disable. Construction industry bring a big contribute towards the economic growth but stimulatory its also bring a problem to the construction site safety. In this case, Malaysia government has been announced a lot of program or enforcement to improve the safety of construction site through government agencies to manage the program or enforcement. Unfortunately, some of the program is have some improvement but some of them are not. That is wasting time and cost or resources to having such program or enforcement. There is necessary to find out the barrier of enforcing or program therefore enable to achieve a higher level of construction safety. 2.3.1 Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) is strategically important as a regulator body under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Works Malaysia in Construction Industry. CIDB was officially launched in July 1994 by Act 520 of Lembaga Pembangunan Industri Pembinanaan Malaysia Act 1994. The mission of CIDB is To develop the Malaysian construction industry and increase the competitiveness of the Malaysian construction industry. The vision is CIDB to be a distinguished organization in developing world class construction industry.(Wong Sing Ling, 2011) Develop the capacity and capability of the construction industry through the enhancement of quality and productivity by placing great emphasis on professionalism, innovation and knowledge in the endeavor to improve the quality of life is the objective of the board and to achieve the objective, 11 function laid under of Law Of Malaysia Act 520 are follow: To promote and stimulate the development, improvement and expansion of the construction industry; To advise and make recommendations to the Federal Government and the State Governments on matters affecting or connected with the construction industry; To promote, stimulate and undertake research into any matter related to the construction industry; To promote, stimulate and assist in the export of service related to the construction industry; To provide consultancy and advisory services with respect to the construction industry; To promote quality assurance in the construction industry; To initiate and maintain the construction industry information systems; To encourage the standardisation and improvement of construction techniques and materials; To provide, promote, review and coordinate training programmed organized by the public and private construction training centres for skilled construction workers and construction site supervisors; To accredit and register contractors and to cancel, suspend or reinstate the registration of any registered contractor; and To accredit and certify skilled construction workers and construction site supervisors. (source: CIDB,2012) Many program and rules and regulation that have been enforcing to safety and health to minimize the accident happen in construction site by the board. Those program are result in effectiveness to minimize the accident rate in construction site such as safety and health induction and green card program. CIDB also award those well performance construction site worker called Malaysian Construction Industry Excellence Award (MCIEA) every year. 2.3.2 National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health(NIOSH) National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health was established with an endowment fund from SOCSO and from the Government an as a company limited by guarantee under the company Act 1965to promote safety and health culture at the work place in Malaysia. NIOSH was launched in 1 December 1992 and the vision of NIOSH is To be the Leading Centre of Excellence in Occupational Safety and health and the mission is To be the preferred partner in enhancing Occupational Safety and Health.( Fadhil,2010) Objective of NIOSH is to ensure a healthy working environment for all employees, course participates, contractors and visitors. A lot of contribute towards efforts in upgrading Occupational Safety and Health ( OSH) through developing curriculum and training programs for workers and employers to assist industry, commerce and other to solve problem relating to Occupational safety and Health (OSH). NIOSH also conduct primarily applied research and both short term and long term research on OSH and health issues relevant to the country and to disseminate information on research and findings on OSH and health issues in the main and other pertinent activities undertaken by or on behalf of the Institute and to be a centre of reference. (source: All about Safety, 2001) The program indicated by NIOSH such as Contractor Safety Passport to increase the knowledge and awareness about occupational safety and health in construction industry through training or short courses. Participant are receive a certificate by NIOSH after sit for an examination as certify participant is fully understand their responsibility to occupational safety and health in the industry. 2.3.3 Department of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) The Department of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) is a department under the Ministry of Human Resources. This department is renamed from the Department of Factory and Machinery in April, 1994 and it is responsible for ensuring the safety, health and welfare of people at work as well as protecting other people from the safety and health hazards arising from the activities sectors which include: Manufacturing, Mining and Quarrying, Construction, Hotels and Restaurant, Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing, Transport, Storage and Communication, Public Services and Statutory Authorities, Utilities Gas, Electricity, Water and Sanitary Services  ,Finance, Insurance, Real Estate and Business Services and Wholesale and Retail Trades. As a government agency, the department is responsible for the administration and enforcement of legislations related to occupational safety and health of the country, with a vision of becoming an organisation which leads the nation in creating a safe and healthy work culture that contributes towards enhancing the quality of working life. With the corporate values Firm, Fair and Friendly by DOSH, the objective of the Department is to prevent industrial accident and occupational diseases by achieving reducing the rates of fatalities and rate of reported accident up to 20% . Furthermore, increasing enforcement investigations, increasing promotional activities of safety and health and increasing the number of Occupational and health practitioners up to 10,000 people also is one of the objective by DOSH. In order to achieve a higher level performance of safety and health DOSH study and review the policies and legislation of occupational safety and health with enforce legislations such as Occupational Safety and Health Act 1994 and its regulations, Factories and Machinery Act 1967 and its regulations and Part of Petroleum Act 1984 (Safety Measures) and its regulations. DOSH also conduct research and technical analysis related to occupational safety and health at the workplace to carry out promotional and publicity program to employers, workers and the general public to foster and increase the awareness of occupational safety and health and become a secretariat for the National Council regarding occupational safety and health. (Amat, 2008) 2.3.4 National Council for Occupational Safety and Health (NCOSH) The National Council of Occupational Safety and Health (NCOSH) is the highest forum in the Ministry of Human Resources where tripartite discussions are held about issues related to the direction, national policy and the implementation of occupational safety and health in Malaysia. NCOSH was formed by the Ministry of Human Resources in 1995 under Section 8 of the Occupational Safety and Health Act 1994 (Act 514), as a product of the Government continual efforts to make safe and healthy work practices as a part of Malaysian culture.   Furthermore, its purpose is to improve level of awareness of occupational safety and health and to ensure the safety of all workplaces in Malaysia. To become the prime mover in steering the nation through tripartism, forming a safe and healthy work culture as well as raising Malaysians quality of life. NCOSH carries out its functions by conducting discussions, studies and investigations, and subsequently presenting suggestions to the Ministry of Human Resources on matters related to Act 514 in particular the following matters:- Changes deemed appropriate for occupational safety and health legislation Administration and enforcement of occupational safety and health legislation Open communication between management and employees regarding workers safety, health and welfare Adequate control methods for industrial chemicals in the workplace Work-related death and accident statistic analysis Issues dealing with the safety, health and welfare of woman the handicapped and other groups in the community Encouraging the development and acceptance of an industrial codes of practice related to workers safety, health and welfare Development rehabilitation plan and facilities to help those injured in the workplace. (source: OSH,2002) 2.4 Enforcement by Government Agencies in Construction Safety and Health Many of Government Agencies put their biggest afford to enforce the safety and health with a lot of program or rules are initiated on construction site. Implementation of enforcement or program initiated by the government agencies is to increase construction worker knowledge and awareness about occupational safety and health and effectively reduce the fatality or injury rate on construction site. 2.4.1 Contractor Safety Passport (CSPS) Contractor Safety Passport is initiated by NIOSH to provide some basic skill and induction about the knowledge of occupational safety and health. Participant are receive a certificate by NIOSH after sit for an examination as certify participant is fully understand their responsibility to occupational safety and health in the industry. In the past of responsible company may have its own system ascertaining which contractor should be awarded a contract of work based on a number of criteria. One such criterion is that the contractor has workers who are well-versed with the rudiments of occupational safety related to their trade. In this way, the company will be assured that the workers concerned are able to work with minimal supervision without fear of any untoward incidents occurring during the course of package to help contractors and their worker to attain minimum standard of safety. (source: NIOSH 2012) 2.4.2 CIDB Green Card CIDB Green Card initiated by CIDB since August 1997. This is an integrated program that involve the registration and accreditation of Construction Personal to enhance safety level at Construction Sites and ensure that construction workers are aware of the importance a safe and healthy working place and provides a basic knowledge on safety and health at the construction work site. This Program entails a one day Safety and Health Induction Course for construction Workers and provision of personal protective equipment consisting of a safety booklet and helmet. Green Card will be issued to participants of the one day safety and health induction course which also services as proof of registration with CIDB under the category of construction personnel.. Those Construction Personnel who have been registered with CIDB and issued the Green Card are automatically covered by a special Insurance Scheme that insures the Construction Personnel against death and accidents. This insurance scheme is the result of CIDB continuous efforts towards improving construction workers welfare as well as providing security for them and their loved ones. Since August 1997, when this scheme was launched, construction personnel have enjoyed a 24-hr worldwide coverage which is not limited to accidents at work sites alone. Objectives of the Green Card Program divided into 3-fold. First is to ensure that the construction worker is aware of the importance a safe and healthy working place. Second provide a basic knowledge on safety and health at the construction work site and third inform construction worker of the legal requirement is relation to safety and health. ( source: Green Card Program,1997) https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMqMSBPqMPbQWwDSTYoXRrWw9Q7iCQmCSv7gbbgY4OzMEswgOR1dgB__EYo-v9st4Gmq5ruNGJNTo6CbrnXjVc07yFMSIlmuNlpMr_ZBau0XAUmrhUAnN45o-zRWaonBwV2Xgy_lPqW_4/s1600/PA280900.JPG Figure 2.2 CIDB Green Card 2.4.3 Occupational Health and Safety Committee Functions of safety and health committee is keep under review the measures taken to ensure the safety and health of persons at the place of work. According to the Law Of Malaysia Act 514, every employer shall establish a safety and health committee at the place of work in accordance with this section if there are forty or more persons employed at the place of work; or the Director General directs the establishment of such a committee at the place of work. ) The composition of a safety and health committee established under subsection (1), the election or appointment of persons to the committee, the powers of the members of the committee and any other matter relating to the establishment or procedure of the committee shall be as prescribed. Every employer shall consult the safety and health committee with a view to the making and maintenance of arrangements which will enable him and his employees to co-operate effectively in promoting and developing measures to ensure the safety and h ealth at the place of work of the employees, and in checking the effectiveness of such measures. A person who contravenes the provisions of this section shall be guilty of an offence and shall, on conviction, be liable to a fine not exceeding five thousand ringgit or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months or to both. (source: Act 514 OSHA 1994) 2.5 Occupational Accidents and Fatalities Rate According to the statistic of occupational accidents by Department of Occupational Safety and Health, 99 case of construction accident occur in 2011 and 51 people are death and 5 person is permanently disable in the accident, it is over 50 percent out of total accident. C:UsersKitPicturesUntitled.jpg Figure 2.3 Data of Occupational Accident 2011 provided by DOSH Compare to the result in 2010, it is slightly reduce of the amount of victim involve from 100 to 99 people. By the way it is still on a very unsatisfied level of construction occupational safety and health. Figure 2.4 Data of Occupational Accident 2010 provided by DOSH 2.6 Barrier and Difficulties in Enforcing on Safety and Health by Government Agencies Construction industry plays a significant role in the development process of Malaysia development contribute towards the economic growth generating additional demands for construction activities. Undoubtedly construction is a industry which is very active and booming industry with contributing to the Malaysia economy. However, such achievements have also contributed much towards the safety issues where statistics showed that this industry has earned the reputation of being a highly hazardous industry due to its fatality rates.( Dayang and Gloria Chai ) In order to form a construction industry that is more stable and susta

Saturday, July 20, 2019

Write a Letter Requesting a Donation :: Donation Letter Security Safety

October 1, 2002 To Customer List Customer Address Line 2 Customer Address Line 3 Customer Address Line 4 Dear [Customer Name]: Will You Join Me In Protecting Our Community? I am sending this to you as a fellow member of the Rolling Acres community. I'm sure that you value living in a quiet and peaceful neighborhood, just like I do. You know, sometimes in order to keep one's community "quiet and peaceful" one has to take action. That's what this letter is all about - taking action - community action. By now, via media reports and word of mouth you must be aware of the significant increase in house break-ins in this neighborhood over the past couple of years. In fact, the break-in rate has more than doubled over the past three years. According to the police this is just a sign of the times changing as the economic downturn continues and local businesses and factories continue to close their doors for good. As you may know, a local Community Action Committee has been meeting over the past four months to try and find ways to reduce the break-in rate in Rolling Acres. Last week they released their recommendations on how to best combat the problem. Their primary recommendation calls for increased police and security patrols to supplement the local Neighborhood Watch program. They estimate that the extra cost to double nighttime (after dark) security patrols by Security Inc. will be in the range of $14,000 to $19,000 per year. Unfortunately, this amount is not included in this year's municipal budget allocation and there are no additional funds available to us. Therefore, as a concerned member of this community I have decided that my business will take the lead in assisting with this year's security control budget. Accordingly, Bubbas's Hardare will donate $1 for every $2 raised in the community to cover the additional security costs. I urge you to join me today in supporting this worthy cause for the common good of our community.

Friday, July 19, 2019

The Educational Value of Platos Early Socratic Dialogues Essay

The Educational Value of Plato's Early Socratic Dialogues ABSTRACT: When contemplating the origins of philosophical paideia one is tempted to think of Socrates, perhaps because we feel that Socrates has been a philosophical educator to us all. But it is Plato and his literary genius that we have to thank as his dialogues preserve not just Socratic philosophy, but also the Socratic educational experience. Educators would do well to better understand Plato's pedagogical objectives in the Socratic dialogues so that we may appreciate and utilize them in our own educational endeavors, and so that we may adapt the Socratic experience to new interactive educational technologies. Plato designed his Socratic dialogues to arm students for real world challenges and temptations. First, in both form and function the dialogues attempt to replicate the Socratic experience for their audience. They demand from their readers what Socrates demanded from his students: active learning, self-examination, and an appreciation for the complexity and importance of w isdom. Second, the dialogues challenge the conflation of professional and personal excellence, best exemplified by sophists such as Hippias, and exhort their reader to pursue personal aretà ª separately from and alongside practical and professional skills or technai. Third, they aim not to transmit some prepackaged formula for success, but to teach students to learn for themselves; that is to love and pursue wisdom. The Socratic dialogues, and philosophic dialogue itself, are educationally important in that they teach us to be philosophers in the literal sense. It is instructively ironic that scholars look immediately to the Republic when considering Plato's theory of education, yet most of... ...oral sense from being good at a particular skill . (3) I am here reminded of one of my own student's reaction to Socrates. A meek Vietnamese woman who said barely anything in class wrote, "Socrates gives me the courage to stand up for my belief and not to be afraid of others who tell me I'm wrong." (4) For this description I am indebted to Prof. Kostas Michaelides of the University of Cyprus. (5) This image is expressed eloquently in Socrates' elenchos of Agathon in Symposium [199c-201c] and of Menexenus in Lysis [216c-221d] (6) See, for example, Laches 192e ff. and Charmides 164bc. (7) I am indebted for this eloquent distinction to Prof. Gerhard A. Rauche, Professor Emeritus of the University of Durban-Westivile, South Africa. (8) These characteristics of the Platonic telos are advocated by Prof. Apostolos Pierris of the University of Patras, Greece

Religious Faith vs Science and Reason :: Essays Papers

Religious Faith vs Science and Reason Throughout history, conflicts between faith and reason took the forms of religion and free thinking. In the times of the Old Regime, people like Copernicus and Galileo were often punished for having views that contradicted the beliefs of the church. The strict control of the church was severely weakened around the beginning of the nineteenth century when the Old Regime ended. As the church's control decreased, science and intellectual thinking seemed to advance. While the people in the world became more educated, the church worked harder to maintain its influential position in society and keep the Christian faith strong. In the mid-nineteenth century, the church's task to keep people's faith strong became much harder, due to theories published by free thinkers like Charles Darwin, Charles Lyell, David Friedrich Strauss, and others. These men published controversial theories that hammered away at the foundation on which the Christian church was built. As the nineteenth century progres sed, more doubts began to arise about the basic faiths of the Christian church. The impact these men had on religious thought was tremendous. Some of them are the starting points for many of the controversies existing today. Of all the scientists, historians, and philosophers in the nineteenth century, the most influential and controversial was Charles Darwin. Born in 1809, Charles Darwin always had an interest in the nature, so he chose to study botany in college. His strengths in botany led him to become the naturalist on the H.M.S. Beagle. On a trip to South America, he and the rest of the crew visited the near by Galapagos Islands in the Pacific Ocean. It was there he noticed many different variations of the same general plants and birdshe saw previously in South America. He also observed ancient fossils of extinct organisms that closely resembled modern organisms. By 1859, all of these observations inspired him to write down his theories. He wanted to explain how evolution had occurred through a process called natural selection. In his published work, On th e Origin of the Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life, or On the Origin of Species for short, Darwin stated that, "new species have come on the stage slowly and at successive intervals."(1) He also said, "old forms are supplanted by new and improved forms," and all organisms play a part in the "struggle for life. Religious Faith vs Science and Reason :: Essays Papers Religious Faith vs Science and Reason Throughout history, conflicts between faith and reason took the forms of religion and free thinking. In the times of the Old Regime, people like Copernicus and Galileo were often punished for having views that contradicted the beliefs of the church. The strict control of the church was severely weakened around the beginning of the nineteenth century when the Old Regime ended. As the church's control decreased, science and intellectual thinking seemed to advance. While the people in the world became more educated, the church worked harder to maintain its influential position in society and keep the Christian faith strong. In the mid-nineteenth century, the church's task to keep people's faith strong became much harder, due to theories published by free thinkers like Charles Darwin, Charles Lyell, David Friedrich Strauss, and others. These men published controversial theories that hammered away at the foundation on which the Christian church was built. As the nineteenth century progres sed, more doubts began to arise about the basic faiths of the Christian church. The impact these men had on religious thought was tremendous. Some of them are the starting points for many of the controversies existing today. Of all the scientists, historians, and philosophers in the nineteenth century, the most influential and controversial was Charles Darwin. Born in 1809, Charles Darwin always had an interest in the nature, so he chose to study botany in college. His strengths in botany led him to become the naturalist on the H.M.S. Beagle. On a trip to South America, he and the rest of the crew visited the near by Galapagos Islands in the Pacific Ocean. It was there he noticed many different variations of the same general plants and birdshe saw previously in South America. He also observed ancient fossils of extinct organisms that closely resembled modern organisms. By 1859, all of these observations inspired him to write down his theories. He wanted to explain how evolution had occurred through a process called natural selection. In his published work, On th e Origin of the Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life, or On the Origin of Species for short, Darwin stated that, "new species have come on the stage slowly and at successive intervals."(1) He also said, "old forms are supplanted by new and improved forms," and all organisms play a part in the "struggle for life.

Thursday, July 18, 2019

Global Oil Industry Conflict: An Apocalypse End Essay

Abstract Human beings depend on the resources they derive from the environment for their well-being and their very survival. Warfare is a prominent human activity used to gain access to these resources. Oil, gas, and minerals are vital natural resources that meet crucial human needs. Whether for transport, for heating, or for everyday goods and services, these resources constitute essential raw material inputs. Modern civilization would struggle to survive without readily available access to these resources at reasonable and affordable prices. For these reason, these resources are considered to be strategic resources, critical for national and global well-being and prosperity. This study aims to provide detailed information about oil conflicts that have occurred in the past and how they can be solved in future by use of permanent means such as provision of energy through other means apart from oil. Key words: oil industry, global, oil related conflict, apocalypse Introduction Oil forms the largest percentage of energy consumption in the world, ranging from as low as 30% to as high as 60%, depending on the country’s energy consumption. Forming the world’s largest industry in terms of dollar value, the industry which includes production, distribution, refining as well as retailing is the largest in the world (Venn, 2002). Countries as well as companies and organizations are aware of this importance and put up measures that would gain them access to this all too important commodity. In most countries, governments have put up measures that ensure that oil as accessible to them. These include providing major tax breaks to oil companies on almost all oil explorations as well as extractions. These breaks extend to oil field leases as well the equipment used in oil drilling. Governments also provide heavy public subsidiaries to these companies. In exchange for the favors that the governments offer to the companies, they get to access cheaper oil for their countries. However, while oil has managed to form a larger part of relief in industrialization, it has become the source of conflict in many parts of the world, more so in countries where the precious commodity is produced. Oil and conflict The world’s nations interact with each other in their pursuit of external natural resources through governmental and non-governmental avenues in an astonishing variety of bilateral and multilateral ways. These international interactions change with time, ranging from cordial and synergistic to antagonistic and destructive (Cotet & Tsui, 2013, p. 51). For instance, one of the several explicitly enunciated national-security objectives of the USA is to protect U.S. economic interests worldwide by maintaining steady access to energy supplies, other critical resources, and foreign markets. The relations among subdivisions or portions of a nation similarly range in changing patterns from the harmonious to the discordant. At the negative extreme of these spectra of international and domestic interaction are found overt threats of aggression and the actual pursuit of war (Cotet & Tsui,   2013, p. 51). The resort to war by a nation, a group of nations, or a portion of a nation has been a common approach to achieving a policy objective. The half-dozen or more significant wars currently in progress represent a routine human activity that appears in progress represent a routine human activity that appears not to have changed significantly in the recent decades or centuries in either frequency or in intensity. The global shortage, or perceived shortage, of one or more natural resources, especially oil, contributes greatly to the belligerent political behavior and the onset of war (Blomberg, Hess & Jackson, 2009, P. 410). Of the minerals like coal, oil, natural gas, and uranium, the ones considered as possible causes of future wars are oil and uranium (Blomberg, Hess & Jackson, 2009, P. 409). The world has become dependent upon continuing supplies of huge quantities of oil, especially so the industrialized nations. Many nations must depend upon imports to satisfy their demand for this commodity. Among the major powers, Russia, China, and the United Kingdom are self-sufficient, and are also exporters of oil. The USA is at present importing about one-third of its consumption. France, Germany and Japan must import all their oil. The major exporting nations at present are Saudi Arabia, Iran, Russia, and Mexico. The major exporting region is the Middle East (Blomberg, Hess & Jackson, 2009, P. 409). Wars fought over oil control in past centuries A number of wars in the past centuries have been fought over oil[1]. Oil has additionally caused many conflicts in the world in recent years, for example, the war between Sudan and South Sudan (Alexander and Keiger, 2002, p. 26). On 10th April, 2012, the newly sovereign state of South Sudan occupied the oil center of Heglig. This is a town that was granted to Sudan as a peace settlement that enabled Southern Sudan to secede in 2011. In response to this occupation, the northerners mobilized their own forces and drove the southerners out of Heglig (Check and Mdlongwa, 2012, p. 5). This conflict was caused by factors such as economic differences between the two states, and a long-lasting enmity between the southerners and the northerners. The biggest cause of this conflict however is oil, and the revenues produced by oil [2](Johnson, 2003, p. 115). Another evidence of conflicts caused by oil is the naval clash in the South China Sea[3] (Buszynski, 2012, p. 140). Multiple factors drove this conflict, but just like the Sudan situation, energy is the most dominant motive. The area in question is said to be having large deposits of oil and natural gas. All nations around the island, including Philippines and China want exploit these coffers. Manila asserts a 200-nautical mile absolute economic zone stretching into the South China Sea from its western shoreline, a region it named the West Philippine Sea. Beijing has also asserted sovereignty over the whole area, counting the waters petitioned by Manila. Despite years of dialogue, no solution has been found yet further clashes over oil and other resources are likely (Buszynski, 2012, p. 141). Egypt has also had some oil and energy conflicts with Israel. The Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation communicated to the Israeli government that they were going to terminate the gas acquisition accord, in which Egypt had been providing gas to Israel[4]. This announcement caused months of demonstrations in Cairo by the protestors who succeeded in depositing Hosni Mubarak. This followed many attacks on the pipelines transporting gas to Israel, which the Egyptian military was unable to prevent. The cutoff suggests the use of energy as a form of political warfare (Bradley and Mitnick, 2013, p. 1). Argentina has also been involved in oil conflicts. The Argentinean government announced that it would seize a majority stake in YPF, the nation’s largest oil company[5]. This deal would see the Argentinean government lose over one billion dollars a year which was not acceptable. In a nutshell, this particular conflict was mostly fuelled by Argentina’s urge to derive greater economic and political benefits from its energy reserves (Erixon and Brandt, 2013, p.9). Causes of oil conflicts in past decades The western world was shocked by the 1967 embargo by the Arab oil-producing countries and by the following oil crisis of 1973-74 (Blomberg, Hess & Jackson, 2009, P. 410). These events demonstrated the possibility for oil-producing countries to exert an influence on the world oil supply and to use their oil resources for political goals. At the time, many western scholars and politicians expressed the fear over the threat of oil blackmail. Further developments showed that the Organization for Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) had only limited possibilities to disrupt oil supplies and that such fear had been exaggerated (Blomberg, Hess & Jackson, 2009, P. 409). Nevertheless, the Middle East remains the best known center of conflict having a considerable raw-material component (Humphreys, 2005, p. 511). The situation in the Middle East is grave and complex for three reasons. First, there is opposition between the Arab countries plus Palestine and Israel. Second, there are the difficult relations among a number of the Arab countries themselves[6]. Third, there are hostilities within some of the countries based on religious and political differences. The war between Iran and Iraq served to remove these two countries from list of major oil exporters (Humphreys, 2005, p. 512). The numerous and varied levels of conflict within the Middle East are viewed with favor by at least some of the oil-importing countries for they are thought to maintain the region in a dynamic balance (Newton-Small, 2013, p. 39). The foreign policy of the USA and a number of other states is designed to keep these conflicts alive[7]. The USA also let it be known that it did not even exclude the possibility of an armed seizure of the Middle Eastern oil deposits if it looked as if the region would fall into the hands of the then USSR (Humphreys, 2005, p.520). The downfall in 1979 of the pro-US regime in Iran appeared to be an irrevocable loss to the US position there. Following this event, the USA took compensatory steps to prepare for an alternative presence in the Middle East region[8]. In 1980, the USA began to develop rapid deployment forces capable of striking the Middle East. Additionally, a number of NATO countries quartered military units on the Sinai Peninsula. This enabled these forces to have control over the Suez Canal and the Red Sea region. Such action strengthened the Israeli position vis-à  -vis its neighbors (Humphreys, 2005, p. 523). The USA wanted to create the impression that it was acting on behalf of the whole Western world in striving to guarantee oil supplies for its NATO allies. But this was contradicted by the US proclamation that â€Å"An attempt by any outside force to gain control of the Persian Gulf Region will be regarded as an assault on the vital interests of the United States of America, and such an assault will be repelled by any means necessary, including military force†. Furthermore, the allies of USA experienced substantial economic losses as a result of the US and Israeli foreign policies in the Middle East[9]. It was also no coincidence that a number of West European nations were made independent, albeit unsuccessful, initiatives to settle the Arab-Israel conflict (Humphreys, 2005, p. 526). Propensity for war Petro-states, states in which revenues from net oil exports constitute at least ten percent of gross domestic product (GDP), are among the most violent states in the world. Such states show a remarkable propensity for militarized interstate disputes (MIDs). They engage in MIDs at a rate more than fifty percent higher than non-petro-states. This was not always true. Until about 1970, petro-states were just about as likely to get into international conflicts as non-petro-states. Yet the modern age of oil, which began in earnest after the Arab oil embargo on 1973, created a world in which petro-states play an oversized role in global military affairs. The relatively small group of petro-states has accounted for almost a quarter of all of the world’s international conflicts since 1970 (Colgan, 2010, p. 678). Petro-aggression is the idea that, under certain circumstances, oil exporting states are systematically more likely to act aggressively and instigate international conflicts. Rather than being simply a magnet for greed and international competition, oil has multiple effects. Oil creates some incentives to increase a petro-state’s aggressiveness and some incentives to decrease it. The net effect of oil for a petro-state’s foreign policy depends on how the oil income interacts with the state’s domestic politics. Oil income has its most negative consequences for international peace when it flows into a state that is led by a government with aggressive preferences. Such leadership often arises in the wake of a domestic political revolution (Colgan, 2010, p. 679). However, not all petro-states are affected by petro-aggression. A common misperception about oil politics is that it has a uniform, monolithic effect on politics. This is not true because the net political effect of oil varies dramatically depending on the nature of the petrostate. Large-scale oil income generates multiple political incentives that affect a petro-state’s foreign policy. One of the more important but subtle incentives is that oil facilitates risk-taking by petro-state leaders[10]. Consequently, a petro-state leader often faces very little political answerability, and consequently a low threat of being ousted from office for risky and potentially unpopular actions. In non-petro-states, one of the reasons that leaders tend to avoid international conflicts is because they know that if they are defeated, they are incredibly prone to be ousted from office, either peacefully or violently. Yet a leader with huge financial resources to redistribute to purchase political support can afford to take chances, counting those concerned with belligerent foreign policy adventurism (Colgan, 2010, p. 680). The net impact of oil’s multiple effects on a state’s foreign policy depends critically on its domestic politics, especially the preferences of its leaders. Governments that have come to power by way of a domestic revolution are especially significant. Revolutionary governments are more likely to have aggressive preferences for two reasons. First, revolutionary politics tend to select leaders that are systematically more risk-tolerant and ambitious to revise the status quo that non-revolutionary leaders. Second, revolutions tend to eliminate domestic political constraints that might otherwise restrain an aggressive leader from taking a state into conflict or war. Thus, revolutionary states have a higher propensity for aggression than comparable non-revolutionary states, regardless of whether they have oil (Colgan, 2010, p.681). For states in which a revolutionary government has taken power, oil amplifies the state’s propensity to instigate international conflicts. The combination of a risk-tolerant revolutionary leader, financial resources for armed actions, and a lofty scale of political self-sufficiency generated by oil earnings, produces a noxious mix that aids state aggression, which in turn leads to conflict. In non-revolutionary petro-states, the net effect is quite different. Oil still provides incentives for aggression, but these are balanced by the incentives to avoid international conflict, such as the opportunity cost of any potentially disrupted oil exports (Colgan, 2010, p.683). Impact of oil discovery and production Referred to as the worlds ‘black gold’, oil has in the last century or so become a source of hardships and misery in societies where it has been found. Corrupt and authoritarian governments, as well as loop-sided economies, and violent conflict form the order of the day in countries where petroleum producing countries are concerned. Apart from the internal conflict that most of these countries face, there is the fact that huge multinational companies, through military interventions or clandestine operations are able to maneuver for the control of oil fields by using foreign powers (Stoff, 1982, p. 1945). Due to the lucrative nature of the of the oil industry, even within these countries, rebel groups crop up and want to challenge the government hoping that they too would get part of the profits that come from then oil. These rebels are often dissatisfied citizens who have seen the greed that the government is experiencing as well as the greed and corruption that comes with the industry and feel that the government is not giving them their share[11]. The degree of the rebel conflicts depends on the strength of the rebel group as well as the ability of the government to quash the rebellion. Some rebellions have even led to the formation of new countries such as was South Sudan’s case (Keable, 2002, p.178). Oil discovered in the between boundaries of two nations has also been cause for conflicts between the countries. These usually lead to boarder conflicts in the regions as well as international conflicts between the two nations because of the oil reservoirs[12] (Karl, 1997, p. 120). Other then the border conflicts, the damage that oil production causes to the environment has been a course of major demonstrations and strikes that result to lose of lives. Major environmental damages that have resulted either in the production of the oil pr in its transportation such as oil spills have been cause for major uproars all over the world. Finally, there is the fact that oil has become a very expensive commodity. In recent years, the demand for oil has been at an all time high. With high demand comes the need to produce more oil thus more and more oil discoveries are being made all over the world. However, with greater demands comes the rise in the commodities prices. Rise in demand coupled up with rise in prices makes oil a very scarce resource (Heinberg, 2005, p.133). This has created conflict as people all over the world are now fighting to access this scarce commodity.   What is even sadder is the fact that this is likely to be the trend in the next years to come this would mean that is no solution is sought in the nearby future; the likely hood of an escalation in the conflicts both local and international is likely as far as oil as a resource is concerned. Reasons both international and local as to why oil is a source of conflict In the last century or so oil has managed to become a source of conflict in one way or the other. This is more so because of the fact that in recent years oil reservoirs all over the world have dwindled because of too much usage. Studies have found that the connection between oil and conflict generally boils down to two expansive reasons. Its importance in a particular country’s economic as well as military power as well as its irregular geographic distribution in the globe (Saharan). Its economic significance Oil is the primary energy source in the world. It accounts for almost 40% of the world’s energy consumption. It plays an important role in ground, air and water transportation. In the transport sector, oil provides up to 95% of the energy used in the industry all over the world. It is also used in other industries mentioned earlier on in the paper. Due to the critical role played by oil in the running of an economy, any shortage of this commodity has been known to create global economic recessions (Brà ¤tland, 2004, p. 527). There is also the fact that most countries that are able to export oil get good income from this export. Thus, in countries where the leaders may try to tamper with these exports, they are usually met with strong resistance. Its significance to military power Oil provides the energy used to power military equipments including the planes as well as the tanks, missiles, armored vehicles, and any other instrument that may be used in a war situation. Modern combat is very expensive to fuel due to the advancement in technology it is therefore very important that every country secure their military power by ensuring that that particular military has access to all supplies. Due to the important role that fuel plays in the functioning of a military, governments have ranked fuel possession as a matter of ‘national security’[13] (Klare, 2004, p. 132). Its importance to oil geography While oil is important at a global scale, its reservoirs are not simply located in any part of the worlds. In fact, natural petroleum is concentrated in large reservoirs in specific parts of the globe. Studies indicate that the largest reservoir which contributes to a third of the world’s petroleum is situated in the Persian Gulf area. The countries situated in this are provide about 90% of the world’s oil. However, in recent years, there is said to have occurred a gravitation oil shift, thus the oil reservoirs in countries that originally produced oil are depleting and oil is being discovered in countries that originally did not have any (Goodstein, 2005, p. 143). Types of oil conflicts Oil conflicts often occur in either of two stages. The first is may occur before the oil itself is discovered (Basedau & Wegenast, 2009, p. 39). This is where discovery has been made and it has been found that there is a likely hood of oil discovery. The second one may occur where the oil is already being produced. The reasons for this conflict may be divided into three main reasons. Territorial disputes These disputes arise where boarders are involved and where offshore areas that are thought to be insignificant are concerned.   Most of these places are usually considered insignificant until an oil discovery is made (Deffeyes, 2008, p. 79).   Some of the areas considered insignificant until the discovery of oil include the Caspian Sea whose discovery sparked a territorial conflict between Azerbaijan and Iran and the West African Bakassi Peninsula that caused friction between Niger Delta and Cameroon (Ako & Okonmah, 2009, p. 56). Separatist struggles In most countries, oil is produced in areas inhabited by ethnic groups. However, the proceeds of the production go to government officials as well national coffers. In this case, the members of the ethnic communities will feel that given the fact that the oil is on their land, and they are not getting anything from the government, then it would be best if they break away from the parent nation to form their own (Ako & Okonmah, 2009, p. 57). This has been the case in Nigeria, Indonesia, and the southern part of Sudan. South Sudan is a recently independent state because of such a conflict (Alao, 2007, 124). Factional and dynastic struggles Oil brings out the evil as well as the dictatorship in individuals. This is because whoever controls the oil and the revenues it brings in controls the nation and its people. Such people want to continue keeping this power and in fact do anything to be able to retain such power. This includes resorting to brute force as well as suppression of the people (Ross, 2012, p. 110). Those not included in the power on the other hand will resort to any means in order to gain control of that power. These groups will resort to rebellion, terrorism, or coups to wrangle power from the powerful[14]. Dynastic struggles have been a major contributing factor in oil wars at Niger Delta (Frynas, 2001, p. 29). Some of the world’s fuel conflicts as of the last quarter a century While conflict has been brewing all over the world about oil, and who gets to control it, in recent years these conflicts have escalated (Ebel, 2002, p. 162). In fact as of the past years more than two oil conflicts had erupted between nations over oil. Some of the more recent oil conflicts include: The Sudan and South Sudan conflict This conflict is still on going to date. Early 2012, troops from the newly formed South Sudan nation occupied an oil center in Heglig, a town that had been granted to Sudan in a treaty between the two nations. The Sudan government organized its troops which were to drive the Southern Sudan troops from the oil center. Since then, there has been conflict between the two nations (Manaz, 2009, p. 74). The southern China Sea naval clash This particular area is thought to contain large deposits of oil reservoirs. This has elicited a naval clash between the Chinese government and the Filipino government both of who are claiming rights over that particular stretch (Manaz, 2009, p. 72). The Filipino government claims to have discovered the oil and that it would start drilling. On the other hand china claims that the place is their territory. Egypt oil conflict with Israel As of the year 2012, Egypt had announced that it would cut off its oil supply to Israel. This announcement was followed by months of protests and attacks on the main pipeline that took oil to Israel (Manaz, 2009, p. 72). Syrian oil conflict Syria is a country with massive oil reservoirs and more recently rebels have come up and want a piece of the cake. This has resulted in conflict between the Syrian military and the rebel groups which has recently escalated to the use of chemical weapons (Lyall & Wilson, 2009, p. 70). What is worse is the fact that nobody is aware of the extent to which this particular war this war is going to before it can end.   Even worse is the uncertainty that has been brought about by the presence of the US army in this particular conflict ()Lyall & Wilson, 2009, p. 83). Recommendations The only way to reduce conflicts over energy resources such as oil is coming up with new energy sources. These include sources such as solar power. The solar photo-voltaic (PV) is a technology used to convert energy from the sun into electricity. Other alternatives include biogas technology that changes organic waste into power, and micro and pico-hydro technologies, which harness energy from falling water, for example, steep mountain rivers. These new sources of energy can be improved and used globally to reduce dependence on oil, thus reducing oil induced conflicts (Todd, 1982, p. 72). Conclusion Oil related conflict is a phenomena that has taken a toll in the last quarter a century or so. What is sad is the fact that at the rate at which these conflicts are taking place, with more than five conflicts reported in the last year alone. This indicates that the world is headed more and more conflicts in the future. Evidently, there are issues that are ‘fueling’ this rapid movement towards an apocalyptic oil conflict end. Other than greed for power as well as money, the shortage in the commodity is causing a panic in the world. Therefore those with oil want to hoard it and sell it at expensive rates while those without it are fighting to get it. Oil is the most important global resource. It is also responsible for most national and international conflicts in the world for many decades and even today. Most oil importing countries such as the USA instigate foreign policies that cause conflicts in the oil exporting countries, thus enabling the USA to swoop in and control their oil reserves. The Oil exporting countries themselves have a great propensity for instigating national and international conflicts as seen in the above points. With this continuing trend, oil could cause an apocalypse end of the world if other new sources of energy are not found. There is also the fact that geography is changing things. Oil is shifting to places that it was not originally available. Given the fact that the countries that originally had oil reservoirs had that much internal conflict, what would happen to countries that did not have the precious ‘black gold’ but now had access to it? Isn’t this an apocalypse in the making? 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Similarly, Nigeria was reluctant to lose Biafra in the latter’s bid for independence in 1967-70 in large part owing to the local oil deposits, and was able to thwart Biafra’s attempt at secession (Newman, 2004). The Paracel island clash of 1974, in which China routed Viet Nam in re-establishing its claim to this island group in the South China Sea, was apparently motivated chiefly by the presumed offshore oil deposits (Park, 1978). [2] When the country divided in 2011, the most productive oil fields ended up in the South, while the pipeline for transporting the southern oil to international markets remained in the north. They had been demanding much exaggerated fees for the privilege of transporting the southern oil to its markets. The southerners refused to pay such fees, which made the northerners to confiscate money they had already collected from the southern oil exports. This made the southerners to stop producing oil. It made them launch military action against the north. The situation is very explosive to date, caused by the need for oil. [3] This happened when a Philippine warship arrived at Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea and detained Chinese fishing boats. The Chinese fishermen were accused of illegal fishing activities in Filipino sovereign waters. In response to this, china sent two of their naval ships to the area, claiming that the Philippine warship was harassing Chinese ships in Chinese waters. The fishing ships were allowed to depart without further incident [4] This decision to terminate the gas agreement was made as a response to a dispute over the Israeli payments for Egyptian gas. All parties involved interpreted it as part of a drive by Egypt’s new government to demonstrate greater distance from the ousted Mubarak regime and his policy of cooperation with Israel. The Egyptian-Israeli gas link was the most important outcomes of the 1979 treaty between the two countries. Its annulment signals a period of great conflict. This may cause energy shortages in Israel. [5] The government announced that it would take 51% controlling stake in YPF, which was majority-owned by the Repsol YPF, Spain’s largest energy firm. The seizure of its subsidiary was seen in Madrid as a great threat which had to be combated. The Spaniard government retorted that the Argentinean government had broken the climate of cordiality and friendship that presided over the relations between Argentina and Spain. After a few days, the Spaniard government announced that it would stop importing bio fuels from Argentina, its principal supplier. [6] These were between Egypt and Libya; between Syria and Iraq; between the People’s Democratic Republic of Yemen and Saudi Arabia; and between Iran and Iraq. [7] The USA at first actively provided Israel and Iran with military and other assistance inasmuch as these two countries were considered to be stabilizing forces within the region. The USA concomitantly provided similar assistance to Saudi Arabia and other conservative Arab regimes as well as to the nearby states of Somalia and Sudan. One of the justifications put forth by the USA for its military aid to the Middle East and nearby countries was the prevention of Soviet expansion into the region. [8] At the time of the so-called Camp David accords in 1978 among Egypt, Israel, and the USA provision had been made for the USA to be able to construct two military air bases for Israel in the Negev desert. The presence of the USA on the Sinai Peninsula also permitted a continuation of the installation, improvement, and operation of an early warning system. [9] Arab countries For example, were provoked into placing embargos against the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. [10] Oil income is easily controlled by the central government, thereby giving the leader an independent source of financial resources that can be redistributed to buy political support [11] Case examples of conflicts that have been sparked by rebels over oil resources include Nigeria and Sudan to mention but a few. [12] Recently, South Sudan and Sudan have been having a lot of boarder conflict that can be attributed to the existence of oil reservoirs that each state believes belong to them. [13] In countries like the US, terming oil as a matter of national security means that they may resort to military force in order to protect it [14] This is the case in countries such as Nigeria and Saudi Arabia. In other countries such conflict arises in form of political indifferences as is the case in Venezuela.