Civil War in Sierra Leone

I. IntroductionBetween 1991 and 2002, Sierra Leone was heavily damaged by a tremendously violent civil war. This civil war erupted because of the mounting dissatisfaction of the people, especially the youth that were engrossed by the rebellious Revolutionary United Front (RUF), towards the politics of the country that was set apart by its corruption, negligence and electoral violence. It took the lives of over 50,000 individuals, displaced over two million inhabitants and also heavily ruined their national economy.According to Paul Collier and Marguerite Duponchel (2010), Sierra Leone was at the lowest level of the United Nations Development Programme’s (UNDP) Human Development Index (HDI) after the civil war came to an end. The aim of this paper is to draw attention on how this civil war was carried out, the efforts made to resolve the conflict as well as the effects the war brought on its economy and civilians.Therefore, section one of this paper will examine how the resourc es of Sierra Leone contributed to the civil war. Section two will demonstrate the demographics of the parties involved in the war. Section three will focus on the repercussions that the civil war brought on Sierra Leone and the final section will show the efforts made to bring peace into Sierra Leone.II. Section one: How have Sierra Leone’s natural resources contributed to the war?Let’s begin with a background history of the political situations that mainly caused the civil war in Sierra Leone. In the years after the death of Sierra Leone’s first Prime Minister Sir Milton Margai in 1964, the politics of the country was progressively distinguished by several negative factors, such as corruption and mismanagement, that led to the weakening of the civil society resulting in the frustration of a large amount of the youth who engrossed themselves in the unruly message of the RUF. This was because of leaders, such as Albert Mergai, who used Sierra Leone for their own selfish interests rather than in the people’s interest.Mergai, unlike his brother Milton Margai, used the country for his own personal gain by even using the  military to curb multi-party elections which threatened to end his rule. When Siaka Stevens succeeded, there was continued destruction of state institutions.His rule was characterized by corruption and pet projects financed by the treasury, which eventually became bankrupt, only benefiting those closest to him. After turning Sierra Leone into a one-party state, Stevens finally stepped down in 1985. Major General Joseph Momoh received the position of Prime Minister and followed in the footsteps of Stevens by welcoming corruption resulting in complete economic disintegration.The fact that the leaders used the abundant resources of Sierra Leone for their own self-aggrandizement made the country one of the poorest countries in the world by the time the civil war took place in 1991. (Gberie, 1998)The Sierra Leone war began on March 23rd, 1991, when the student-led RUF began its revolt against the Serra Leone government, which commenced in Liberia and spread to the border regions of Kailahun and Pijehun. Several members of this insurgent group were jobless dissatisfied young men who were motivated by Charles Taylor’s rebel National Patriotic Front invasion in Liberia.With the backing of Lybia and Charles Taylor, RUF’s goal was to remove from power the government of the All People’s Congress (APC) that was run by the presidencies of Siaka Stevens and Joseph Momoh which prolonged corruption, among other things. (Humphreys and Weinstein, 2008)Several researches indicate that the presence of alluvial diamonds, found in regions such as Kono and Kenema, ushered in a civil war in many ways. Firstly, during the presidency of Stevens, the highly uneven benefits of the diamond mining frustrated everyday Sierra Leoneans.Profits from the National Diamond Mining Corporation (DIMCO) only enrich ed Stevens, government members, and influential business people that were close with Stevens. Subsequently, the government lost direct control of the diamond mining areas when DeBeers, one of the world’s leading diamond companies, ceased doing business with the Sierra Leonean government in 1984.As a result, there was illegal smuggling and trading of Sierra Leone’s diamonds with the proceeds going into the private investor’s pockets. Although the National Provisional Ruling Council (NPRC) seized power in 1992, with the goal of diminishing corruption and restoring the revenues of the diamonds  back to the state, the RUF acquired control of these abundant alluvial diamond areas to finance the purchase of weapons and ammunition obtained from countries like Liberia and Guinea. The simple availability of these diamonds was an incentive for violence. (Harsch, 2007) Although diamonds were a noteworthy commodity, other ways to fund the Sierra Leone Civil war were also present.A mixture of iron, bauxite, coffee and cocoa were in abundance in the country. There was gold mining in some areas of Sierra Leone as well as cash crop farming which were even more common through forced labor. Along with the high demand of diamonds, several of these minerals financed the fighting in Sierra Leone with exports revenues as high as USD 25 million and USD 125 million a year.Sierra Leoneans who joined the rebel group RUF also ransacked cars, livestock and money which helped them in gaining more energy and force. (Lujala, 2005)III. Section two: The demographics of the parties involved in the warWhen the RUF was first founded by Foday Sankoh, it was popular among several Sierra Leoneans because of the resentment they felt towards the corrupt Freetown elites.It had a slogan that read â€Å"No More Slaves, No more Masters. Power and Wealth to the People† that pledged free education, health care and a fair sharing of the diamond proceeds to the people. It did no t claim to fight for a particular ethnic group or district and did not support any Marxist, Socialist or Communist way of thinking. Its only goal was to remove the corrupt government from power although they provided little insight on what kind of government would follow it. (Denov, 2010) However, as time passed, the RUF developed a reputation for being a massively brutal rebel group during its ten year war.Although there is no precise data to verify the number of children that were involved in the war, it has been found that the RUF were the first to recruit children as soldiers. According to the United Nations Assistance Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL), over 10,000 children of both sexes were involved in the fighting in one way or another. They were kidnapped in their villages and towns during attacks executed by the RUF.With their allies, the African Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC), girls and boys were organized in separate units such as the Small Boys Units (SBUs) and Smal l Girl’s Unit (SGUs) which were commanded by several officers. The difference between how girls and boys were used is that, in addition to being used as fighters, girls were also sex slaves. Younger  girls were primarily used for domestic labor, since they could not properly fight yet, and then became sex slaves as they grew older.The brutality of the war had frozen their senses, which were also damaged by drug abuse. In order to stay alive, they had to frequently become merciless. Most of these children had to either amputate or kill their loved ones to show that they were loyal. (Denov, 2010)An additional feature of the mobilization of children against their will was the â€Å"re-enlistment† of children after the disarmament process took place in 1998. Several children were re-enlisted back into the armed groups. This especially concerned children who did not have families to go back to even before the war started. Children who were let go from centers like the Int erim Care Centre, which was a center created to help displaced children, had no other place to go after demobilization.They eventually got captured by the rebels and were forced to tell them if they had any brothers or sisters that ran away. (Jow, 2004) The Sierra Leone government also followed in enlisting children under Momoh’s rule. Momoh’s government encouraged chiefs and district leaders to arrange civilians into local unofficial groups to add soldiers into the Sierra Leone Army (SLA).When Momoh fled to Guinea, the NPRC government of Valentine Strasser was mainly responsible for the highest recruitment of children into the army to boost the amount of soldiers they previously had. There was an illicit enlistment of children while the income and benefits of the deceased soldiers was stolen by senior officers for whom this war had become a money-making business. (Jow, 2004)When the war was over, many children did not return to their existing families. This was mainly because some of them were abducted so young that they did not even have any recollection of their families. Some were so afraid of being rejected by their families like others have been that they refused to go back home.Girls were especially afraid of rejection for being sex slaves to the rebels especially if they had babies from them. Rather than face shame, a number of these people ended up on the streets with significant health problems since most of them were addicted to the drugs that were initially forcibly administered by the rebels during the civil war. (Kamara, 2004)IV. Section three: Efforts made to stop the civil warIn March 1995, a few years after the war started, a military group known as  Executive Outcomes (EO) entered Sierra Leone. Its mission was to return the diamonds and mineral mines back to the government, obliterate the command centers of the RUF and to organize a program that would persuade ordinary Sierra Leoneans to encourage the Sierra Leone government. EO was a military group that hired Angolans and Namibians that were considerably skillful in operating counter attacks against the RUF.EO joined forced with the Kamajors, another paramilitary group that surfaced against RUF, and the SLA to force the RUF rebels out of the diamonds centers they firmly controlled for several years. After EO took over RUF’s centers of operation near a town called Bo, the RUF had to own up to their losses and sign the Abidjan Peace Accord. This accord, however, demanded that the EO leave the country. EO was told to leave by the Sierra Leone government even before the arrival of another peacekeeping force. (Bellows and Miguel, 2005)The AFRC, supported by members of the RUF, took power after Executive Outcomes left the country causing President Kabbah to flee to Guinea in exile. The AFRC partnered with the RUF rebels naming Foday Sankoh the deputy Chairman of the AFRC. The â€Å"Operation Pay Yourself† introduced a whole new level of violence against the innocent inhabitants who had their limbs chopped off.As a result, many were against the AFRC because their actions violated the civil rights of the people. The AFRC coup of the presiding government was also condemned by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the United Nations and the Organization of African Unity (OAU). Diplomats were sent back to their countries, missions were cancelled, and the country’s membership in the Commonwealth was put on hold. (Olonisakin, 2008)In October 2007, the involvement of the Economic Community of West African States Monitoring Group (ECOMOG) brought the AFRC and RUF insurgents to the negotiating table. The rebels agreed to a ceasefire by signing the Conakry Peace Plan. The fighting, however, still continued. Although ECOMOG forces were able to restore the Kabbah government, they had poor training in counter-insurgency attacks from the RUF.Therefore, the rebels went to Freetown to loot neighborhoods and rape ci tizens without discrimination. This battering of citizens is known as â€Å"Operation No Living Thing†. This  led the Kabbah government consider making considerable compromises in the Lome Peace Agreement. (Wright et al., 2010)The conditions of the Lome Peace Accord, signed on July 7th, 1999, were that Sakoh would be allowed to go unpunished. He would also be appointed as Vice-president of the committee that supervised the diamond mines of the country. In return, the RUF agreed to demobilize and disarm its rebels under the custody of peace keeping forces led by ECOMOG and the United Nations.This agreement led to many Sierra Leonean protests along with other human rights activist because of the fact that Sankoh, the leader of the RUF responsible for unspeakable atrocities, got away scot-free and was also given control over Sierra Leone’s diamond mines.However, this accord was very crucial for the government to regain peace through a process known as Disarmament, Demob ilization and Reintegration (DDR). During this disarmament, demobilization and reintegration process, ex-soldiers were trained to use their skills for a peaceful line of work for six weeks. (Williams and Alfred, 1999)The United Nations Mission to Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) also joined to disarm and implement the conditions that were set up by the Lome Peace Agreement and brought along military personnel, who increased over time, to supervise the diamond mines and the RUF who were still undermining their authority.By March 2001, the number of soldiers present through the UN was up to 17,500. In May 2000, RUF detained UNAMSIL peacekeepers to use their weapons and gain control of Freetown once again which made UNAMSIL avoid getting involved in diamond mining areas controlled by the rebels.This re-armament of the RUF by UNAMSIL called for another military involvement that was made to rescue the peacekeepers and the Sierra Leone government known as Operation Palliser. This operation, which c onsisted of British Royal Marines, helped in stabilizing the country. These marines evacuated foreign citizens out of the country and saved UNAMSIL from collapsing. The rebel forces were repelled from regions further than Freetown, under the command of General David Richards, and power was given back to the government. (Anon, 2000)As awareness spread about the diamonds of Sierra Leone, the Kimberly Process  met to assemble in Kimberly, South Africa. The United Nation took notice of the diamonds, also known as conflict diamonds, and its implications. The United States government followed, under the command of President Bill Clinton, by devising a plan to keep the conflict diamonds out of the market legally.With 49 members representing 75 countries, the Kimberly Process has made diamond industries stop exportations to Liberia, Canada and other leaders in the business. Although there are no diamond-fueled wars any longer, the Kimberly Process is still playing an important role by mai ntaining stability.It helps in developing improved trading centers that are licensed as conflict-free and provides ways to promote legal legislative structures that lead to peace treaties helping those in poverty. (Anon, 1998) V. Section four: The aftermath of the civil war on the economy and the Sierra Leonean peopleThe civil war has had devastating effects on the socio-economic order of Sierra Leone. Agriculture was greatly damaged causing high inflation of goods and unemployment. Sierra Leone’s infrastructure was also heavily destroyed. Roads were ruined and the power supply system depreciated due to lack of maintenance. The public health division was also in a terrible condition because of the looting of the hospitals and clinics during the war.The civil war caused a lot of health professionals to leave the country out of fear instigating an acute shortage of qualified staff members present in hospitals. As living standards fell to the ground, hitting the poorest even har der, many citizens moved from rural areas to the cities and towns hoping for better living conditions. However, access to health services depended on how much one could pay. Others were forced to seek refugee status in other countries while they lived in deplorable conditions moving from one area to another. (Kargbo, 2002)As years went by, several Non Governmental Agencies and the Sierra Leonean government have tracked Sierra Leone’s recovery. The country is recovering well from it civil war scars with the help of the international community and its partners. According to the data collected by the government of Sierra Leone Institutional Reform and Capacity Building (IRCBP) in 2004 and 2005, districts that experienced greater violence have had slightly better  results.To some extent, they seemed to be more politically organized then other areas that were less affected by the violence of the civil war. Voter registration was notably higher in these areas. Community meetings were also considerably elevated statistically. When an IRCBP survey asked people how the war affected their ability to work together, 60% of people declared that it had a positive impact to their society. Theoretically, these changes could have improved the public of Sierra Leone. (Mutwol, 2009)Peace remained in the country with the help of the United Nations peace missions. Four years after the war was over, in 2006, the last group of the 17,500 soldiers flew out of Freetown and left the newly trained police in charge. Nowadays, the country is advertised as a tourist attraction with the help of British travel companies. They want sophisticated and adventurous travelers, who usually visit other more established tourist destinations, to come to Sierra Leone and have cocktails by their beautiful beaches.One example is Lakka beach, which was a luxury destination before the war. It is trying to attract tourists by running several restaurants and organizing fishing excursions for Europea ns tourists. Sierra Leone’s goal is to be recognized for its chocolate coconut bars rather than by the awful civil war that occurred. (Desai, 2010)Although there has been considerable progress over the last ten years, there are still plenty of challenges that Sierra Leone must face. Most of the former child soldiers have returned to their former lives without any education or jobs. Children are still found working in the diamond mines. Work still remains in providing jobs for the massively unemployed youths, shelter for the orphans and rehabilitation for children who were forced to commit a number of crimes along with women of all ages who were also abused in many different ways.Since these women have been ostracized by members of their own community for being sex slaves, there is a need for more counseling and support services to help them get back to their communities. The predicaments of these people can also be decreased by increasing the amount of educational and profess ional training. This country also faces great challenges in restructuring its judicial institutions to fairly bring perpetrators of the war to justice. (Collier and Duponchel, 2010) VI.ConclusionThere are many misconceptions as to why the civil war in Sierra Leone occurred. What needs to be understood about the civil war is that it was not based on economic benefits acquired by the alluvial diamond mines. Although these diamonds have significantly contributed to the war, there was more than twenty years of poor governance, poverty, corruption and oppression that helped in forming the RUF as frustrations against the government increased over the years. This civil war has crippled many people for life, in one way or another.Sierra Leone is still sustaining itself through the help of donors although it is very rich in natural resources. Much work needs to be done to further improve the lives of the people in Sierra Leone who are still living in poverty. It is yet to been seen if peace will remain in the country with the amount of unemployed young people wandering in the streets. Any threat to the stability of the country should be dealt with peacefully as soon as possible.

Educational Underachievement Essay

Some sociologists believe in-school factors are responsible for educational underachievement because of many reasons such as- subcultures, setting and streaming and Interactionism where teachers label a pupils likely performance which have an impact on that individual which can be in the form of racism. In opposition, some sociologists disagree because there out-of-school factors too such as; material deprivation, cultural deprivation and innate explanation theory. I have to discuss if in-school factors are responsible. On the one hand, sociologists agree that in-school factors are the cause for educational underachievement as subcultures within schools change through anti-school students. This is because several individuals in school ethos may experience peer-pressure or feel intimidated from their teachers and pro-students who make them conform a specific culture that doesn’t value education such as; ‘urban’ or ‘street’. Therefore he/she could underachieve; they have anti-learning attitudes and a bad perspective of the school due to the expected code of behaviour from their teachers, which is failure, even know they may be smart. They start to accept their label as failure and displace the schools norms and values with their own where they bunk school, disrupt lessons and argue with teachers. Another reason is the educational system is unfair. Schools may give same test to all students however the test covers a less range of skills; memory, knowledge and logic. Therefore, some pupils have an advantage. Students who have mixed abilities, are shown as less able to achieve good grades as that test is excluding their best skills. The setting and streaming of a school can also be unfair. Some students are just thrown in lower sets (3,4,5) because of their behaviour rather than their smartness. So, teachers have lower expectations for them and may underestimate their abilities which causes them to underachieve even though they may be bright. The Interactionism theory is where school teachers can intentionally or unintentionally label students. They label students which is attached to that individual either as a good or bad stigma. But bad stigma can be very sticky to take off and it may result as a stereotype. Sociologists, Rosenthal and Jacobson experimented with the idea of labelling. They found out students that were told would be successful, achieved the highest by spurting as teachers believed in them more highly. This suggests labelling leads to self-fulfilling prophecy where pupils achievements are as good or bad as they were told. A bad label leads the individual to perform as badly as their teachers anticipated them to. As a result of this, they experience negative self-fulfilling prophecy that causes underachievement. Lastly, some schools can be institutionally racist. Some teachers can talk very slowly to different ethics, for example, African Caribbean boys because they have the sticky stereotype they are naughty and easily distracted. This can lead to African Caribbean boys accepting this therefore those ethnic minority pupils underachieve at school. Moreover, some schools have exams the day after Eid which can be racist as they don’t take into account Muslim students can’t revise for that particular test the day before therefore their self esteem is lowered. On the other hand, sociologists consider that out-of-school factors are responsible for educational underachievement. Sociologists believe that children’s attitudes towards learning begin to develop at an early stage, in their home environment and these attitudes affect success of the child’s education later on in life. Working class or underclass backgrounds, or different ethnics like Afro-Caribbean and Bangladeshi pupils are likely to suffer from cultural deprivation as parents lack interest and expectations in education making the children feel they lack skills, knowledge and feel less confident at school. Middle class and Chinese students achieve more as they have more cultural capital where their parents take interest and have high expectations. So early stages of an individuals life affects their education at school. Sociologists agree that material deprivation impacts on a child’s success. By material deprivation you can experience lack of resources. For example, if you are poor, you have no extra resources such as; revision books, laptop or a private tutor to help enhance knowledge in learning therefore you can underachieve and in the long term in would impact on the individuals career. Bullying can be caused from material deprivation from the lack of appearance in- shoe, clothes, make-up, hair. It can cause the individual to worry so much about that situation that the student couldn’t learn up to her/his full potential. The innate explanation is the theory where some people are genetically less intelligent. This leads to sociologists arguing some students are just not clever as others therefore in-school factors are not at fault for educational underachievement. Gender differences is also an out-of-school factor. It is said girls outperform boys, this is believed to be because girls and boys are socialised differently when young. Their parents put their beliefs on gender stereotypes and encourage girls to read in doors however disprove if boys to read so they send him outside to play. Therefore girls have an advantage as they are learning from a younger age while boys start to learn at school. Moreover, boys are less involved in education and seem casual; this could lead to underachievement. Whereas girls are organized and interested. To conclude, I think sociologists would disagree in-school factors are responsible as out-of-school factors are more the origin of educational underachievement. This is because children education starts in the home environment. Also of cultural and material deprivation. If parents value education more greatly; and the parents educational backgrounds are high-level they take interest in child’s progress and help with homework therefore the students would be achieving confidently at their best potential. However children who suffer cultural deprivation are not motivated from an early stage. Children from poor families have no access to facilities to help them study at home. Yet in-school factors such as- peer groups and the setting and streaming off schools can be very unfair as they don’t test a range of skills.

Legislation and ethics report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Legislation and ethics report - Essay Example There’s even the freckled duck enclosure which is one of the world’s rarest ducks. Given the educational and social experience that the student will experience they will have closer understanding and appreciation of what they have always learnt in class because they will have real life experience of practically interacting with what they have always learnt in class. The focus of excursions is to give learning as well as social experience to the students through interactions with nature and other practical aspects that make the students comprehend more at the work place. Walking along the trails is very educational for the children as they get to explore and learn things that they might just see in books. E.g. live birds and reptiles. Watching animals and birds will make the children comprehend things that they have always seen in books. Through such experience, the students will have better understanding of the aspects through real life experience. On the same note, social welfare of the children would be enhanced through the interactions that the opportunity would accord them as they interact amongst themselves as well as with the adults that accompany them. The ratios between children and adult will be 3: 1. There will be 5 adults coming along; 3 teachers and 2 volunteers. It is always better to have more adults and be able to care for all the children than to have more children and fewer adults. We will be hiring a bus. Children will board the bus from the centre and arrive straight to Hunter Wetlands. They will not be crossing a pedestrian or a set of traffic lights. In course of the journey, there will management that will ensure that the seating capacity stated in the compliance plate is not exceeded. On the same note, the adults who accompany the children will ensure that the children will remain seated all through the journey and that they will be seated near an adult persons

Nurse Facilitated Hospital Discharge Planning in an Elderly Unit Literature review

Nurse Facilitated Hospital Discharge Planning in an Elderly Unit - Literature review Example Patients with complex care needs, including frail and elderly or those with mental problems, may require continuing care in special housing, residential or nursing homes, and need a ‘package of care’ to support them back to good health after hospital discharge (McKenna et al, 2000, p.594-601). Such population demands effective discharge arrangements. Discharge planning is â€Å"a facet of the overall care of the patient, developed through the application of the nursing process† (Watts, 2005). It is a process â€Å"that is dependent on inter-professional collaboration between health and welfare professionals† (Atwal, 2002). Study of problems of discharging patients from hospitals have been in focus during the last two decades, and some of the shortcomings identified are: â€Å"poor communication between hospital and community; inadequate notice of discharge; over-reliance in informed support and lack of support; inattention to patient’s needs before leaving hospital; and wasted or duplicated visits by community nurses† (McKenna et al, 2000, p.594-601). â€Å"Cost effective, coordinated, high-quality discharge planning† is integral to control increasing healthcare costs and hospital personnel must become more adept at preparing patients for discharge as there is a decrease in length of acute hospital stay, and increase in care shift to communities and homes (Lalani & Gulzar, 2001). â€Å"Aged care assessment team (ACAT)† model, operating in Australia, may be helpful in streamlining hospital discharge process in the U.K. (Robinson & Street, 2003). ACAT, a key multidisciplinary group primarily comprising nurses and paramedical staff, is involved in determining the discharge needs of older people Hence, decreasing length of patient stay in hospitals is paramount agenda in every health care planner and eliminating long waiting lists and freeing up of ‘blocked beds’ could be possible with effective an d efficient discharge planning procedures.  

The Outcome of Employee Involvement and Participation Essay

The Outcome of Employee Involvement and Participation - Essay Example The utilization of this management philosophy is proved to positively impact a business organization. First, it has been demonstrated that giving employees the chance to participate in the decision making of business organizations directly and significantly contributes to their job satisfaction. As human beings, employees have this innate desire to enhance their self-worth. Without their participation and involvement, employees are left with the feeling that they are no more than the equipment that the company uses. With these sentiments, employees began to feel dissatisfied with their job, leading to human resource problems like absenteeism and low labor productivity. Thus, employee involvement and participation is a motivational factor that enhances the satisfaction of employees. Employee satisfaction has a positive implication for a firm. For one, employee satisfaction brought about by employee involvement is instrumental in achieving the goals of the company. John Purcell has emphasized that the firm’s human resource should be taken as strategic partners. Employee involvement can be used in order to tap the creativity and skill of the workforce and strategically align according to the goals of the business organization. If the employees are satisfied with their jobs, then doing this will be less tedious. The end result will be higher organizational performance leading to higher profitability. Employee involvement in the decision making of the company gives them the feeling of belongingness to the organization. This also makes them able to identify themselves with the company. They feel that their efforts can strongly contribute to the attainment of organizational success.  

Approach to Smart Transportation & Study of Intelligent Transport Dissertation

Approach to Smart Transportation & Study of Intelligent Transport System in Ireland - Dissertation Example This study looks into Intelligent Transport System, also referred to as ITS, as the inclusion of modern computers and new technologies in transportation. It deploys computer applications, electronic chips, sensors, controllers in transportation to facilitate more efficient, secure and efficient supervision of public roads and public conveyance systems. It is a smart approach to manage road networks. The benefits include improved road safety, mobility, information, productivity and air quality. â€Å"It is also known as telematics, Information Communications Technology (ICT) in transport, e-transport and Information Society Technology†. The advantage includes: †¢ Improved road safety †¢ Mobility †¢ Information †¢ Productivity and air quality The use of ITS are categorized in three parts: 1. Use by the Traveler – electronic tickets , payment for parking vehicle or payment for road usage, †smart card driver license†, †driver card for digital tachnograph†. 2. Use by Vehicles – some vehicle consist of collision avoiding system, system for managing speed, judging the location of the vehicle, judgment of assets. 3. Use by Road – monitoring of traffic, providing information, regulation of rules with the help of â€Å"Variable Message Signs (VMS)†,†inductive loops†, †microwave detectors†, â€Å"ANPR†,†DSRC† etc. ITS collects the data from all the sensors and stores it to a centralized database system. The sensors may be Vehicle Detectors, CCTV cameras, Ice monitoring system, Congestion Monitors or other sensors. Every information from the sensors in given to the â€Å"Back Office Data Processing Facility† ... Transaction of Payments: Payments at Toll booths, parking payments, ticket fare of public transportation, charge for any congestion. Management of Traffic: Proper handling of traffic. As stated, ITS uses various applications; the possible wide range of applications are: Intermodal Transportation System Intelligent Traffic Control System In -Vehicle Technologies Safety Enhancement Technologies Traveler Advisory System 1) Intermodal Transportation System: It uses more than one mode of transport. Through this system, a traveler can change his mode of transfer easily. It is integrates different modes of transport such as trucks, trains and ships to ensure smooth trade operations. It is the movement of goods (in same unit where it was first placed) from one mode to other mode of transport without handling it. 2) Intelligent Traffic Control System: Most of the current systems have pre-determined timing circuits to operate traffic signals. Such systems are inefficient, if the volume of the vehicle is large at the crossing. This system would adjust itself with the flow of traffic, thus reducing the waiting time of drivers at traffic signals. 3) In- Vehicle Technologies: It is the implementation of electronic devices, controllers, and radio transreceivers in the vehicle. The information provided is updated every minute. It gives instantaneous information to the traveler about the best route. 4) Safety Enhancement Technologies: Safety Enhancement Technologies like smart cruise enables the driver to know the location of neighboring vehicles. This avoids any type of accidents on the road. 5) Traveler Advisory System: To provide the information through variable messages and advisory radio. Intelligent Transport System in Ireland: Ireland requires an intelligent

Kaizen and T.Q.M Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Kaizen and T.Q.M - Essay Example Brief History and contribution of Dr Deming: After the Second World War, Dr. Deming who was the expert on statistical procedures and quality management started spreading his expertise in Japan and this gave rise as the foundation brick gave risk to a complete profession in the name of Total Quality Management. Japanese started implementing these principles in the industrial arena and found out its fruits in form of increased yield and customer satisfaction. Deming was assisted in his efforts by Juran and Ishikawa. T.Q.M is acronym for â€Å"Total Quality Management†, as the name implies it takes into account all the factors of organization that can have an impact on the life of organization, its working and its output. T.Q.M is a concept and at the same time a philosophy and hence has a very vast scope. Since, its rules and working mechanism are so flexible which enables this philosophy to be implemented in both the service industry and the manufacturing industry. It is based on the principles of Continuous Quality Improvement (C.Q.I) initiatives which makes improvement and quality maintenance as part of the organizational activities (Roy, 2007). This philosophy is termed as the bench mark towards achieving excellence in the corporate environment since it provides sufficient guidance for all the necessary aspects. T.Q.M can be split into three major parts, totality, quality, and management. Its scope covers all three important areas of an organization and management field. The term totality refers to the coverage scope for all the essential aspects of organization. The totality factor demands participation, commitment from every personnel who is part of the organization. Ranging from top management individuals to supervisors and shop floor workers, each is expected to provide input and contribute in any way possible. Apart from individuals, the totality factor is fully applicable to the teams and departments and divisions within the organizations. The totality factor addresses the human resource management department, marketing, finance, and all other important departments of the network that have can any positive or negative impact on the organization. The totality factor takes into account all the processes that are involved during the manufacturing stages as well the service delivery stage s (kawatra, 2000). Role of Inspectors: Prior to the implementation of T.Q.M, the inspectors were integral part of organizational framework. Their role was to monitor the performance of various departments and individuals associated. This consumed a lot of resources and department had to bear the burden of a special extra department in the name of inspection department. With the advent of Total Quality Management, the inspectors are no more needed, since the system is devised in such a manner which holds each department and individual responsible for their own role and performance. The large amount of resources and time that used to be consumed and wasted by inspection processes is controlled through the implementation of T.Q.M system. The second part of the acronym is â€Å"Q† which stands for quality. Quality is a subjective definition and can be defined in number of ways. However it can have a pretty simple definition which makes work easy both for the organization and the customers. Quality service or product can be defined as that particular service or product which is in accordance with the demand of customer and fulfils the conformance level. In past a small â€Å"q† was used in the field of marketing and organizations. This did not cover all the aspects of organizational structure. With small â€Å"q† in practice, the onus of productivity and responsibility was largely emphasized on

The form and function of Concept Store Literature review

The form and function of Concept Store - Literature review Example The subsequent section provides a detailed overview of concept stores, thus giving insight into the inception of this retail store concept and the principal features that characterize it. This chapter also covers the factors that contribute to the widespread adoption of concept stores in the fashion sector, under the key drivers section. Other factors addressed under this literary analysis segment include the format of a conventional concept store, the potential size and popular locations of these retail stores, as well as, the distribution hierarchy adopted by most concept stores. The latter section provides information on strategic function, design or architectural form of a concept store, and the overall language concept of this category of stores. The concluding part of the literature review chapter identifies research gaps that exist in study information available on concept stores, their design and overall operation. The physical environment of a store is one of the principal issues that retailers are supposed to take into account when launching a business venture. This is because it plays a significant role in affecting consumers’ decision to purchase and experience the entire shopping experience. Management of a store’ retail setting, therefore, affects both parties with the store owners’ enjoying increased revenues from enhanced customer loyalty, and shoppers gaining pleasure from the ambient shopping environs. Referred to as â€Å"atmospherics† the concept of managing the physical environs of a store was initially proposed by Kotler (1973). In this case, management of the atmosphere of a store is delineated as concerted effort to conceptualize a design that evokes certain emotions, which increase purchasing probability. Stimuli spurred by in-store setting directly correlates with the amount of pleasure that customers derive from shopping at the store. Ambient aspects related to the physical background of a store usually

Strategic Management Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Strategic Management - Research Paper Example Thus, according to Balanced Scorecard Institute (2014), strategic planning refers to the organizational management activities which set priorities, focus resources and energy and ensure that stakeholders work towards attaining the organizational goals. On the other hand, strategic management is described as a comprehensive set of continuous activities and processes which an organization uses for systematic coordination and alignment of resources and actions to the vision, mission and values of the organization. Thus, planning typically describes a time-bound practice while strategic management is an ongoing engagement. Furthermore, the institute observes that strategic management would be used to define the procedures, policies and themes of an organization as opposed to planning which entails the organization of how resources would be allocated to various business operations so as to achieve its objectives. Thus, strategic management is different from planning. Evaluating the process of strategic management gives further insights into how better to define strategic management. Thus, Dess, Lumpkin and Taylor (2005) define it as both an art and science of formulation, implementation, and evaluation of functional decisions that make an organization achieve its objectives. With this regard, Clayton (n.d.) gives the 5-step strategic management process in organizations. Goal setting involves clarifying the organizational vision eventually leading to the development of a mission statement which succinctly communicates goals to employees and shareholders. The second stage is analysis where the organization gathers relevant information and data for accomplishing the vision. It involves conducting the SWOT (strengthens, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) analysis of the organization. This would then be followed by strategic formulation which involves the determination of strategy, reflecting upon and making decisions to design plans and strategi es to address the

Terminal Reports Essay Example for Free

Terminal Reports Essay 1.) What was your basis fpr selecting your practicum organization? I chose Office of the Solicitor General because one of our 3rd year professor in Political Dynamics, Atty. Rigor Pascual, was a former intern in OSG. He told us that if we want to learn a lot we should prefer OSG as our OJT destination. 2.) Describe in details your duties and responsibilities in your practicum organization. In the division which I was assigned, they taught the process how to make delegations, file cases, update cases in ECMT, motion and manifestations and others which includes photocopying of files and recording of new cases received by our division. These are my duties and responsibilities everyday during my OJT. 3.) What were your personal, academic and professional expectations from the Practicum Program? I am expecting to learn more about my future career path either in the fields of law or management and to improve and develop not only my skills but also my personality. All of my expectations were all satisfied after 200-hours of quality on-the-job training. 4.) Were your expectation met? Why or why not? I’m proud to say that all of my expectations were met as I have learned a lot of things in my 200 hours or 6 weeks of stay in OSG. They taught me a lot of things in the field of law and give me some advice how to become a good lawyer. All in all, my stay in OSG was a one o a kind experience that I will never forget. 5.) Describe in details your working relationship with your superiors and co-workers/co-trainees. I have a very good relationship with my superiors especially my supervisor Atty. Tadeo as she is very kind and helpful to me. She taught me a lot of things regarding my work to be accomplished and things that might be helpful in my academic training in school. It was a happy workplace as all of the employees in our division were kind and supportive. 6.) Describe in detail three incidents related to your practicum where you were able to fully  utilize your academic training. a. I was able to use my knowledge in persons and family relations when I was given a research about marriage and adoption. b. My legal research class was also useful whenever I was told to get a SCRA or anything from their library. c. Lastly, my knowledge about computers was also utilized as everyday I am in front of the computer for my paper works (delegation, motion and manifestations etc.). 7.) Describe fully any incident(s) which may have proven disturbing during your Practicum. There wasn’t any disturbing incident that happened during my OJT program and honestly it was more of a productive and enjoyable experience than that of a distressing one. 8.) What suggestions can you put forward to further improve the Practicum Program of the Legal Management Department? We should have been given a seminar about our internship program, as it was confusing from the start. We were told first that it is okay to have your OJT outside Metro Manila and then after some of us have chosen our OJT destination from different provinces, we are told the other way around which was very frustrating and hassling. To improve the Practicum Program of the Legal Management Department, student should be properly informed and knowledgeable about the their OJT program.

Oscar Wilde, The Picture Of Dorian Grey

Oscar Wilde, The Picture Of Dorian Grey Content: I give my personal opinion of the picture of Dorian Grey and how the author Oscar Wilde depicted himself in the novel. This essay reads the novel from several aspects include beauty and art point of view of Wilde, the connection between the novel and the social background and how the author lives his own life in the novel. Key words: aestheticism, Victoria era, corruption, responsibility Oscar Wilde was born in 1854, when the Queen Victoria reigned and Victoria literature style was flowering. Wildes parents were successful Dublin intellectuals and when he was young he was tutored at home, where he became fluent in French and German. He was deeply interested in the rising philosophy of aestheticism when he was at Oxford led by his tutors, Walter Pater and John Ruskin, who had a great influence on his writings later in his life. The prosperity in the Victoria era began to decline in the late 19th century. The hegemony of Great Britain was challenged by the rising Germany and domestic dispute with Ireland. Under the superficial vanity of the British society lies the corruption of the aristocracy. They led a dissolute life and their Vitoria values and beliefs began to vanish. Indulgence and hedonism took the place of a decent and respectable life style they used to live. Oscar Wilde was born to be a spokesman of this era in the field of literature. The picture of Dorian Gray is one and the only novel of his and, in my opinion, is a representative oeuvre of both his life and the declining era. The story starts on a beautiful day with Lord Henry Wotton observing the artist Basil Hallward painting the portrait of a handsome young man named Dorian Gray. Dorian arrives later and meets Wotton. After talked with the libertine lord, Dorian begins to believe that beauty is the only thing that deserves to pursue in all his life. Distraught that his beauty will fade, he wishes that the beautiful and ever-lasting portrait can grow old instead of him, which finally comes true in some way. Later in his life, the portrait keep records of whatever he does and the portrait gets older and uglier once he does something criminal or corrupt. In the end, he thinks the only way to absolve him is to destroy the painting with a knife, which ends his horrible life instead. What is ironic is that his painting becomes what it used to be but Dorian himself dies with an aged and withered face. Acknowledged as the spokesman of the philosophy of aestheticism, Wildes doctrine was Art for arts sake. For Wilde, the purpose of art would guide life if beauty alone were its object. The picture of Dorian Gray reveals the belief that beauty on the surface can only exist in tragedies. As Henry said in the story -in the presence of off behind every beautiful thing there is some tragic things are (The picture of Dorian Gray Oscar Wilde 1891), tragedy if the nature of beauty. Wilde, a pursuer of extreme art and beauty, combined the character of both Dorians and Basils. He once said that: Basil Hallward is what I think I am; Lord Henry is what the world thinks me; Dorian gray is what I would like to be-in other ages perhaps. These three main characters in the story are the spirit of the story. Dorian Gray is a handsome young man who accepts Lord Henrys idea of hedonism. He indulges himself in all kinds of pleasure, moral and immoral. Like Oscar Wilde, Dorian thinks that beauty is the only object of life and that is why he would like to trade his conscience for life-long youth and beauty. Dorian is actually an extremist of aestheticism, a person that Wilde admires. Wilde highlights Dorians pleasure of living a double life and being an example of duplicity. Although Dorian is extremely indulgent, he replies take care, Basil. You go too far when Basil accuses him of making Lord Henrys sisters name a by-word. This indicates that Dorian still cares what he looks like in peoples eyes and his image in the Victorian society. 24 hours after committing a murder, he happily attends a party and feels keenly the terrible pleasure of a double life. Dorian enjoys this double life as an integration of good and evil. I think this kind of life is what Wilde dreams of. Actually Wilde is just like Dorian. His life is a paradox because he is both good and evil, both sophisticated and simple, both honest and hypocritical. Different from other writers, he leads a much more real life than others. Being accused of sodomite (gay person) by his lovers father, he has lots of scandals and was imprisoned for two year. He abandons his wife and children for his male lover again after he is released. But he does not get what he pursues at last. Different from other writers, he belongs to the upper-class instead of the impoverished known for his biting wit, flamboyant dress and glittering conversations. Wilde was one of the best known personalities of his day (On Characters in the Picture of Dorian GrayAn Interpretation of Oscar Wilde 2008). He converts to Roman Catholicism on his deathbed. All those experience are the reflections of his motto I want to live rather than survive. He himself is a living character in his own life story. Wilde gives what he wants and what he respects to this person-Dorian Gray. Another character in this story named Basil Hollward is also a reflection of Wilde himself. Wilde says that Basil Hollward is what he thinks he is. I think that is because Basil Hollward is a complete artist. Attracted by Dorians gorgeous face, he paints the portrait of Dorian which proves to be his finest work. Art is the only pursuit of basil and he does not want to believe that Dorian is evil although he was murdered by him at last. He still thinks that he is beautiful yet incomplete. What he commits is just a flaw in an apparently perfect thing. In my opinion, he knows what happened as the painting changes but he just does not want to believe. Once Basil acknowledges all the evil sides of Dorian, his dream of art was destroyed. Dorian is a work of art to Basil as well as a lover deep in his heart. Whod like to admit his or her lover is evil and corrupted? Wilde once said my life as an artist depends on him. This is because basil, as an artist, possesses all the doctrines of what Wilde think an artist should have. He is a perfect reflection of Wildes witticism: all that I desire to point out is the general principle that life imitates art far more than art imitate life. Disappointed to the society, Wilde gives all the social characteristics to this Lord. He tricks Dorian to become a half-human half-evil spirit with his corrupted lifestyle. What he does in the story is to lead Dorian to be destroyed in his ideology. As he says that the purpose of life is self development and the full realization of the nature of their requirements. His position in the story is best described by basil, as never says anything good but never does anything bad.(Aestheticism in the picture of Dorian grey, 2006) Besides the theme of aestheticism, this masterpiece also reveals the social situation and peoples sense of irresponsible at that time. When Dorian visit to the opium dens of London, according to what Lord Henry asserts crime belongs exclusively to the lower ordersà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦I should fancy that crime was to them what art is to us. In Henrys eyes, different social status has different world view and a tainted value must belong to the lower class. What ironic is that Dorian conflates criminal and aesthete. Back in the last stage of the Victoria era, people were crazy about indulgence and corruption but did not want to be responsible for their behavior. This theme is also reflected in the picture of Dorian Grey. In my opinion, Dorian uses his portrait to avoid his responsibility. He also justifies his actions according to the philosophy of the new hedonism. At the end of the novel, he chooses to destroy the painting as a way to confess. All these behavior depicts a spirit which aims to avoid all the commitments and condemnation. Professor John Sutherland once said in his lecture that this writing would have secured Wilde only a minor place in literature, but his status is elevated by his notoriety. I am not totally on board with this statement. Wilde may not be a very successful novelist but he is a successful living human being pursuing what he really wants for all his life. He thinks that it was the artists duty to rebel against precisely sacred orthodoxies. He and his novel are of total success in this sense as a perfect reflection of art and beauty.

I Shall Overcome :: College Admissions Essays

My teacher, my favorite teacher, my source of inspiration and stability, tells me I may wake up tomorrow and be happy. Perhaps so - I've been wondering lately if I'm manic-depressive, and such a drastic shift in temperament would fit the pattern. Â   But today I drift upon an endless, empty sea of despair. Like Blanche Dubois, in A Streetcar Named Desire, I have no cleft in the rock of the world. Â   My family never says I can succeed - my own mother tells me that I never know where I'll end up. When I look around me at home, where I live, all I see is people who have given up. From the group of old men who get drunk every night, to my friend who has the ability, but not the drive, to do her schoolwork so she can attend college, all I see around me is people who have lost the will, the ambition, to do something more than merely exist. Â   Even at school, I see it. Friends who, for no other reason but laziness, choose a community college instead of a four-year university. Teachers satisfied with saving only certain students from the tyranny of other teachers and administration. Â   And within myself. Even as I sit here, lamenting my own anguish, the class swarms busily around me, engaged in a debate I should be involved in, too. Â   I've temporarily conceded to the weakness I despise in others. But I have also realized that being and doing all the things I expect of myself does not guarantee my happiness.

Each Mans Son Essay -- essays Papers

Each Mans Son This story is about a young women named Molly Macneil and her young son Alan. They live in a town called Broughton which is located in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. Broughton is a small town where most of its male inhabitants work at the colliery. Molly is a very lonely women who has been taking on the role of a single mother for the last four years because her husband has been away. Her husband, Archie Macneil, is in the United States following his boxing career. Molly also feels she has to keep this a secret from Alan because she wants him to grow up to be a doctor not a boxer. She will only tell Alan that her father has gone to make money for them and will return when he is finished. She also tells him that his father is a very strong man. Molly has two other men in her life. One is Daniel Ainslie, the town doctor, and Louis Camire, a Frenchman who has just moved to Broughton. Dr Ainslie is a married man who is simply her companion. He is more interested in Alan and his future. But Louis loves Molly ans she has feelings for him even though she denies them. Throughout the book Molly tries her best to make a good life for her and Alan, even though they are both very lonely. Molly misses her husband and Alan misses his father. The two main characters in this book are Molly Macneil and Daniel Ainslie. Molly Macneil is a young women in her early twenties. She is very lonely because she longs for her husband. She is also very troubled. She is fig...

Case 4 I Want My VOIP!!!! Essay

Less cost Digital telephone uses VOIP based on soft switching technology, which is less xpensive to apply and maintain. 2. Multifunctional In addition to equip with all the regular services offered by traditional telephone, digital telephone can convert phone calls into data, the integration of telephone, TV, and data Is extensive. 3. convenience There is no long distance charges and physical location of equipment doesn’t matter. Calls between multiple phone numbers are free. 4. Huge potential Features in the future are out of the reach of the local telephone, such as videophones, video emails. 1 . Relatively poor voice quality The voice quality of digital telephone is not as good as regular telephone service. 2. Power problem Lose of power means loss of telephone service while regular telephone systems still operate when electricity is out. Though batteries work for temporary backup power, but there is nothing would provide telephone service for extensive blackout periods. In view of Rita’s needs, lower cost. convenience and value, if I were her, I would choose digital telephone. However, before subscrlblng to Time warner, I would make a comparison among the digital telephone companies and decide the proper one, Compared with other companies, Time Warner has such Advantages Better service Relatively expensive Therefore, in view of RltaS needs, If I were her, I wont subscribe with Time Warner. #2. Write the first part of a marketing strategy statement for the Time Warner digital telephone offer ? Include the target market and planned product positioning. customer value and achieve profitable customer relationships. This process involves market segmentation, market targeting, differentiation, and positioning. Target market: A set of buyers sharing common needs or characteristics that the company ecides to serve. Positioning: Arranging for a product to occupy a clear, distinctive, and desirable place relative to competing products in the minds of target consumers. marketing strategy statement Target Market People like Rita who want lower costs, convenience and value, such as: People who want to lower their phone call costs, People who are fancy with multiple functions; People who usually make long distance calls, such as businessmen , or families with members far away from home Planned product positioning Low cost, convenient, multifunctional, promising communication product 3. In what stage of the product life cycle is Internet telephony? Does the answer to this question vary across companies such as Vontage, Comcast, Time Warner, and Cox? Product life cycle (PLC): The course ofa product’s sales and profits over its lifetime. It involves five distinct stages: product development, introduction, growth, maturity, and decline. 1 . Product development begins when the company finds and develops a new-product idea. During product development, sales are zero, and the company’s investment costs mount. 2. Introduction is a period of slow sales growth as he product is introduced in the market. Profits are nonexistent in this stage because of the heavy expenses of product introduction. 3. Growth is a period of rapid market acceptance and increasing profits. 4. Maturity is a period of slowdown in sales growth because the product has achieved acceptance by most potential buyers. Profits level off or decline because of increased marketing outlays to defend the product against competition. 5. Decline is the period when sales fall off and profits drop. 1) According to the definition and characteristics above, we can tell that Internet elephony is in the introduction stage. Although analysts expect 16 million subscribers to buy cable telephone services within 5 years. More than 20 companies have entered the market so far. Cable operators have been so slow to introduce the services and the growth of subscribers is even beginning to decline. Most of them still provide basic products. Nowadays they are taking great effort to advertise the product and to attract the customers. But the sales and profits are not so impressing. They all match the characteristics of Introduction stage. 2) The answer varies across ifferent companies. Comcast and Vontage have Just entered introduction stage because they started slower and now moving much more slowly than the other companies. Cox Communications and Time Warner is entering growth stage. Their cost per customer is cutting down and profit is rising. the advantages to both the consumer and the company? 1) Bundling of services work so well for the cable companies is because it meet consumer’s needs perfectly. For one thing, it is cheaper than the telephone company’s service. For another, consumers prefer one company one bill which is more convenient.

Police Legitimacy Notes Essay

Effectiveness of the police ultimately depends on their legitimacy. – 1st b/c the moral paradox underlying the police use of nonnegotiable coercive force can be resolved only if police actions are qualitatively distinct from other actors’ use of force. – 2nd b/c people tend to obey authority out of respect for its legitimacy more than out of fear of its power. Greater police legitimacy decreases the need for nonnegotiable coercive intervention; it also builds active community support for police efforts. -â€Å"Perceptions of legitimacy carry more weight w/ the public than effectiveness of enforcement. †-Tyler, Tom; 88) – Tyler and Huo (2001): perceived legitimacy of the police and perceived fairness/favorability of outcomes carry equal weight in citizens’ acceptance of officers’ decisions. The amazing transformation of LAPD: 76% of Latinos and 68% of blacks now give LAPD positive grades (LA Times, 2009 poll) Weber- Tragedy of Power â⠂¬â€œ At some point, force is inevitably necessary to preserve peace and social order. GRAHAM v. CONNOR * The police use of force is a perennial reminder of the fundamental imperfection of the tragedy of power. * When all else fails, people call the cops (Egon Bittner) ; this is b/c the police role is ultimately define by their monopoly on the right to use nonnegotiable coercive force. We rely on the police precisely because of this monopoly; yet at the same time, we are repulsed by its underlying harsh reality. †¦Leads Us To Mary-Douglas â€Å"Purity and Danger† * We value dirty work as necessary but are repelled by those who do it so there is a moral ambiguity of force, which means that force is sometime necessary, but the decision to use it and judging the extent of its use are inherently unclear.

Authentic Italian dishes.

After gaining enough experience and capital from my previous restaurant employment, I have decided to start my own restaurant offering Authentic Italian dishes. Stated below are the highlights of my idyllic Italian restaurant. My restaurant shall have six large tables complete with basic table amenities such as pepper, salt and a variety of well-picked sauces.   Tables will be large due to the prominence of Italian food and culture for entertaining families or large groups. Another four small tables however will be added for small companies or pairs. In compliment to this, the interior shall be well-ventilated and equally lighted for maximum space utilization. For my restaurant’s menu, I shall adapt the menu of the Via Carducci because they give special importance to pasta dishes, which are the marker s of Italian food.   Their menu, including wine choices are offered at very affordable yet reasonable prices, but not sacrificing the quality and the over-all effect of the products. Their specific cuisine is the Rustic Southern Italian which originated from the owner’s home town, Calabria. Their type of cuisine specializes in organic and fresh ingredients perfect for medium to heavy diets. My Kitchen shall adapt the open G-shaped layout. This consists of four walls, two pair of walls opposite each other; the, the sink, the refrigerator and the cooktop are located at one of the pairs such that creating an imaginary work triangle with the three as points.   This layout enhances the use of the three basic elements of the kitchen mentioned above. It also gives ample space for other cooking equipments to be located at the other pair of walls. The cleverness of the layout allows for even-trafficking in the work triangle. The said layout also makes room for one or two additional cooks for more efficient service.   The kitchen shall be open for the customers to view the brilliance of the cook(s). To add, a large over head mirror shall be ingeniously placed also for maximized viewing. I have only three specific kitchen equipments to mention (1) the World Cuisine’sLillo pasta machine: able to produce different kinds of pasta from any type of flour, with or without the use of eggs. The product comes with four durable pasta attachments for Spaghetti, Tagliatelle, Penne, and Macaroni. The item is ideal for fast-paced kitchens with just enough working space. The lillo pasta machine is also recommended for Italian kitchens serving quality pasta. (2) The Silex line of Knives. Qualities include; purity of metal achieved through the secondary melting process it underwent, unique hardness provided by the strength of the material used, the fineness and precision comparable to a surgical scalpel, special resistance to corrosion, easy to sharpen blades given by the hardness and purity, and the extraordinary length of time it remains sharp. Its handle is designed for comfort in working for long periods of time. It also has a polymer-based handle which is anti-bacterial. This line of cutlery provides proficiency in the work place due to its efficiency, durability and cleanliness in the workplace. This is ideal for busy restaurant kitchens which specialize in salads and fresh sauces. The next item (3) would be the World Cuisine’s Large oval cast-iron grill. This product is ideal for indoor-grilling. The heavy ridged cast iron surface preserves heat which equally and quickly grills. The item is suggested for class gourmet meals. Other kitchen equipments which were not mentioned will also be hand-picked with care. Costs shall also be given much attention. The above mentioned factors and elements were cautiously selected taking into consideration the availability, efficiency, monetary cost, and over-all quality. This, for me, is the ideal kitchen layout together with the visualization of the ideal Italian restaurant. References: Atlanta Home improvement, Kitchen Layouts, August 8 2007 From: http://www.homeimprovementmag.com/Articles/2004/04Dec_k&b_layouts.html      

Understanding the Financial Statements

Submitted By:Salina Thapa Rana Magar (12077697)Sona Limbu (12078108)FINC20018 Managerial FinanceProfessor: Angelique McInnesCentral Queensland UniversityBrisbane Campus Term 1 201821st April 2018Table of ContentsQuestion No. 1: Understanding the Financial Statements (Chapter 3) Answer:Part 1:Financial Statement shows the total financial functioning of the firm. Any business entities can easily assume the financial status of the company by using the financial statement of the company. At the end of specific period, each business prepares Profit and Loss Account (Income Statement), Statement of Financial Position (Balance Sheet), Statement of Cash Flows (Cash flow statement) and Statement of Changes in Equity. Cash flow statement is one of the major financial statement which records all the amount that a business is receiving from its business transactions as well as the amount that it disburses. The cash flow statement is prepared to find out how business is generating cash and how effectively they are utilizing their cash resources in productive sector. Cash flow statement if managed properly would help the firm to skip cash crisis in the business. As a result, business can assure the availability of cash to cover the due expenses. Cash flow statement depicts the position of economic status of the companyThe main objective of preparing cash flow is:To find out the sources and areas of cash incoming and cash outgoing respectively.To allocate the situation on which business might be in the position of cash insufficiency or cash surplus.Cash flow statement is prepared to predict future cash inflows or outflows. To deliver information regarding the capability of firm to pay its liabilities or taxes.To evaluate whether the firm is on the right track or not by measuring the overall financial records of the company at specific time.To deliver information for making capital budgeting decisions. To evaluate the overall performance of the firm by making comparison between their actual performance and future predictions of cash flow. Part 2Cash flow statement shows the mobility cash in three different areas of business activities: Operating activitiesFinancing activitiesInvesting activitiesCash flow statement provides the answer to the following questions:What are the primary sources of cash incoming?What are the basic operating activities of a firm to generate cash? How does the firm manage their extra funds if the business faces shortages?What are the main investment areas of business?What is the reason behind increase or decrease in cash flow?Part 3a) Calculation of Quality of Earnings RatioThe quality of earnings ratio for two firms i.e. Woodside Petroleum Ltd and Origin Energy for the latest three years is calculated as follows:Woodside Petroleum Ltd (WPL.AX)2017 2016 2015Quality of Earning Ratio = Cash flow from operationsNet Profit = 2,400,0001,024,000 = 2.3438 = 2,587,000868,000= 2.9804 = 2,475,00026,000 = 95. 1923Origin Energy (ORG.AX)2017 2016 2015Quality of Earning Ratio = Cash flow from operationsNet Profit = 1,289,000-2,226,000 = – 0.5791 = 1,404,000-628,000= – 2.2357 = 1,833,000-658,000 = -2.7857b)c) Capital Acquisition RatioThe capital acquisition ratio for both firms i.e. Woodside Petroleum Ltd and Origin Energy for the latest three years is calculated in the following tables:Woodside Petroleum Ltd (WPL.AX)2017 2016 2015 Cash Acquisition Ratio= Cash flow from operationsCash paid forcapital expenditure= 2,400,0001,390,000 = 1.7266 = 2,587,0001,860,000= 1.3909 = 2,475,0001,819,000 = 1.3606Origin Energy (ORG.AX)2017 2016 2015Cash AcquisitionRatio= Cash flow from operationsCash paid forcapital expenditure = 1,289,000-419,000 = – 3.0764 = 1,404,000-572,000= – 2.4545 = 1,833,000-1,484,000 = -1.2352 d)After comparing Woodside Petroleum Ltd and Origin Energy's ability to utilize the operating cash flow to finance their capital expenditure, we came to the conclusion that †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.Question No. 2: The Income Statement (Chapter 3)Answer: a.CQU Oil LimitedIncome StatementFor the year ended†¦.Sales $ 2,500,000Cost of Goods Sold (700,000)Gross Profit 1,800,000Operating Expenses Cash Operating Expenses 150,000 Depreciation Expenses 150,000 Total Operating Expenses (300,000)Operating Profit 1,500,000Interest Expenses (200,000)Profit Before Tax 1300,000Tax (390,000)Net Profit 910,000b. From the above income statement, we can see that CQU Oil's taxable Income and Tax Payable for the year are $ 1300,000 and $ 390,000 respectively. d.Question No. 3: Financial Analysis (Chapter 4)Calculation of Financial RatiosThe financial ratios for both firms i.e. West farmers Ltd and Woolworths Ltd for the most recent year i.e. 2017 are calculated as follows:West farmers Ltd (WES) Woolworths Ltd (WOW)1. Liquidity RatioCurrent Ratio = Current AssetsCurrent Liabilities = 9667 / 10417 = 0.928002303 = 0.9280 times Current Ratio = Current AssetsCurrent Liabilities. = 6994.2 / 15921.6 = 0.43929 = 0.4393 timesQuick Ratio= Current Assets –InventoryCurrent Liabilities = (9667 -6530) / 10417 = 3137 / 10417 = 0.3012 times Quick Ratio= Current Assets –InventoryCurrent Liabilities = (6994.2 – 4080.4) / 15921.6 = 2913.80 / 15921.6 = 0.1830 timesInventory Ratio=Cost of Goods SoldInventoryInventory Ratio=Cost of Goods SoldInventory = 39739.7 / 4080.4 = 9.7392 times2. Capital Structure RatioDebt Ratio = Total LiabilitiesTotal Assets = 16174 / 40115 = 0.4032 = 40.32% Debt Ratio = Total LiabilitiesTotal Assets= 13039.7 / 22915.8 = 0.5690= 56.90%Interest Coverage Ratio =EBITInterest Expense = 4402 / 213 = 20.6667 Interest Coverage Ratio =EBITInterest Expense3. Asset Management Efficiency RatioTotal Asset Turnover =SalesTotal Assets = 68444 / 40115 = 1.7062 times Total Asset Turnover =SalesTotal Assets= 55475 / 22915.8 = 2.4208 timesFixed AssetTurnover=SalesNet Property, plan & Equipment = 68444 / 9440 = 7.2504 times Fixed AssetTurnover=SalesNet Property, plan & Equipment = 55475 / 8437.5 = 6.5748 times4. Probability RatioGross Profit Margin= Gross ProfitSales= Gross Profit Margin= Gross ProfitSales = 15928.9 / 55475 = 0.2871 = 28.71%Operating Profit Margin =EBITSales = 4402 / 68444 = 0.0643 = 6.4315% Operating Profit Margin =EBITSales = 2326 / 55475 = 0.0419 = 4.19 %Net Profit Margin=Net ProfitSales = 2873 / 68444 = 0.04197 = 4.1976% Net Profit Margin=Net ProfitSales = 1482 / 55475 = 0.0267 = 2.67%Return on Assets=Operating Profit or EBITTotal Assets = 4402 / 40115 = 0.1097 = 10.97% Return on Assets=Operating Profit or EBITTotal Assets = 2326 / 22915. 8 = 0.1015 = 10.15%Evaluation of Relative Performance of Two Firms in terms of:Liquidity West farmers Ltd (WES) Woolworths Ltd (WOW)Current Ratio 0.9280 times 0.4393 timesQuick Ratio 0.3012 times 0.1830 timesInventory Ratio 9.7392 timesLiquidity Ratio shows the financial status of the company. From the above calculation, we can interpret that West Farmers Limited is more liquid than Woolworths based on its Current Ratio and Quick Ratio. West Farmers had $0.9280 current assets and $0.3012 cash and accounts receivable for every $1 of current liabilities. Whereas Woolworths had $0.1830 current assets and $0.1830 cash and account receivable to pay $1 current liabilities.ii) Asset Management EfficiencyWest farmers Ltd (WES) Woolworths Ltd (WOW)Total Asset Turnover 1.7062 times 2.4208 timesFixed Asset Turnover 7.2504 times 6.5748 timesiii) Financing Practices (Capital Structure)West farmers Ltd (WES) Woolworths Ltd (WOW)Debt Ratio 40.32% 56.90%Interest Coverage Ratio 20.6667 iv) ProfitabilityWest farmers Ltd (WES) Woolworths Ltd (WOW)Gross Profit Margin 28.71%Operating Profit Margin 6.4315% 4.19%Net Profit Margin 4.1976% 2.67%Return on Assets 10.97% 10.15%†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Calculation of Current Price-Earnings Ratio and Market-to-book Ratio:West farmers Ltd (WES) Woolworths Ltd (WOW)Market Value RatiosPrice Earnings Ratio = Market Price Per ShareEarnings Per SharePrice Earnings Ratio = Market Price Per ShareEarnings Per ShareMarket to Book Ratio =Market Price Per ShareBook Value Per ShareMarket to Book Ratio =Market Price Per ShareBook Value Per ShareQuestion no. 4: Time Value of Money (Chapter 5)Solution:Present Value (PV) =$20,000 Time (n) = 40 yearsInterest Rate (i) = 10 % per annum = 0.10 Future Value (FV)=?Timeline i=10% p.a FV=? 0 1 2 3†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ n= 40 years PV=$20,000FV= PV (1+i)n = 20,000(1+0.10)40 = 20,000Ãâ€"45.25925557 = $ 905,185.1114From the above calculation, Emily's investment from her retirement plan will grow to $905,185.1114 after 40 years at 12% annual interest. b)Timeline i=6% p.a FV=$14,000 0 1 2 n= 3 years PMT=?Deposit on Car (PV)= $14,000No of years (n) = 3 years Annual Interest (i)= 6% =0.06Annuity Payment (PMT)=?We have,FV = PMT (1+i)n-1i14000 = PMT 1+0.06)3-10.06 PMT = 140003.1836PMT = $ 4397.5374To cover the cost of deposit on a new car, Emily needs to keep aside $4397.5374 from her bonus this year. Now, If Annual Interest on Saving (i)=10%=0.10PMT=?FVn = PMT (1+i)n-1i14000 = PMT1+0.10)3-10.10PMT = 140003.31PMT = $4229.6073If the annual rate of interest grows to 10%, then the amount of payment will decrease to $4229.6073.c)At the age 60 years, value of Trust Fund (FV)=?Time (n) = 60-30=30 yearsInterest rate =7%= 0.07Timeline i=7% p.a FV=? 0 1 2 3†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ n= 30 years PV=$50,000 FV = PV ((1+i)n = 50,000 (1+0.07)30 = 50,000 Ãâ€"7.612255043 = $ 380,612.7521When Emily turn 60 years, the value of her trust fund will grow to $380,612.7521 at the rateOf 7% government bond. d)Compounding and discounting have inverse relationship. Compounding method is the way of calculating the future value of money with the given current value of investment at certain compound rate. Whereas Discounting method is used to find out the Present Value of future cash flow using discounting rate. Mathematically,In Compounding Method,Future valuein year nFVn= Present Value(PV) Ãâ€"1+ Annual interest rate (i)number of years nIn Discounting Method,Present ValuePV = Future Value in year nFVn 11+ Annual Interest Rate (i)Number of years (n)e)Question no 5: Risk and Return (Chapter 7)a.Given:Share A Share BProbability Return Probability Return0.3 11% 0.2 -5%0.4 15% 0.3 6%0.3 19% 0.3 14%0.2 22% For Share AExpected rateof returnE(r)=rate of return 1 r1Ãâ€"probabilityof return 1Pr(r1)+rate of return 2 r2Ãâ€"probabilityof return 2Pr(r2) +rate of return 3r3Ãâ€"probabilityof return 3Prr3)= 0.3 Ãâ€" 0.11 + 0.4 Ãâ€" 0.15 + 0.3 Ãâ€"0.19= 0.033 + 0.06 + 0.057= 0.15= 15%Variance in rate of return?2 = rate of return 1 r1-expected rate of returnEr2Ãâ€"probabilityof return 1Pr(r1) + rate of return 1 r1-expected rate of returnEr2Ãâ€"probabilityof return 1Pr(r1) + rate of return 3r3-expected rate of returnE(r)2Ãâ€"probabilityof return 3Pr(r3) = [(0.11 – 0.15)2 Ãâ€" 0.3] + [(0.15 – 0.15)2 Ãâ€" 0.4] + [(0.19 – 0.15)2 Ãâ€" 0.3] = 0.00048 + 0 + 0.00048 = 0.00096 Standard Deviation = Variance =0.00096 = 0.030983867 = 3.0984%For Share BExpected rateof returnE(r)=rate of return 1 r1Ãâ€"probabilityof return 1Pr(r1)+rate of return 2 r2Ãâ€"probabilityof return 2Pr(r2) +rate of return 3r3Ãâ€"probabilityof return 3Prr3)+rate of return 4r4Ãâ€"probabilityof return 4Pr(r4)= 0.2 Ãâ€" (-0.05) + 0.3 Ãâ€" 0.06 + 0.3 Ãâ€"0.14 + 0.2 Ãâ€" 0.22= (-0.01) + 0.018 + 0.042 + 0.044= 0.094= 9.4% Now, Variance in rate of return?2 = rate of return 1 r1-expected rate of returnEr2Ãâ€"probabilityof return 1Pr(r1) + rate of return 1 r1-expected rate of returnEr2Ãâ€"probabilityof return 1Pr(r1) + rate of return 3r3-expected rate of returnE(r)2Ãâ€"probabilityof return 3Pr(r3) + rate of return 4r4-expected rate of returnE(r)2Ãâ€"probabilityof return 4Prr4) = [(-0.05 – 0.094)2 Ãâ€" 0.2] + [(0.06 – 0.094)2 Ãâ€" 0.3] + [(0.14 – 0.094)2 Ãâ€" 0.3] + [(0.22 – 0.094)2 Ãâ€" 0.3] = 0.0041472 + 0.0003468 + 0.0006348 + 0.0031752 = 0.008304Standard Deviation = Variance = 0.008304 = 0.091126286 = 9.1126% b)Shareholders or investors of the company always assume to gain certain profit from the investment they made on their business. Such expectation is referred to as Expected Rate of Return. Whereas Realized Rate of Return is the actual amount of profit or loss that that face from their investment in certain duration of time. c) d. Question No 6: Risk and Return (Chapter 8)Answer:Part 1Systematic Risk and Unsystematic RiskSystematic risk refers to those risks that are associated with the overall market or industry (Vasigh, Fleming ; Mackay, 2010) and cannot be diversified away while unsystematic risk refers to those risk that are associated with the single investment or small class of investment and can be diversified away (Swedroe ; Hempen, 2007). Investment beta is the measure of change in investments' return to the change in return of the market portfolio. Johnson (2014) also stated that investment's beta measures the volatility of share relative to volatility of market. Thus, investment's beta helps to measure the systematic risk of an investment. Therefore, it is very useful in the investment decision. For example: if we want to know the systematic risk of particular investments, we can calculate beta and know the volatility and go for that investments with low volatility. In terms of unsystematic risk, it is calculated by deducting the beta scaled by the market volatility from the volatility of the single stock. Part 2Beta of a Portfolio and Betas of the Individual Investments in the PortfolioPart 3Security Market LineSecurity market line is the graphical representation of Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM) i.e. the straight line relationship between expected return and betas that also explains the market price of risk in capital market (Khan, 2004). Return (%)Security Market Liners =rf+rm-rf?rfRisk Beta (?)Figure. Security Market Line. Adapted from â€Å"Investments: An Introduction† by H. B. Mayo, 2013, Boston: Cengage Learning. From the above graph, we can see that risk beta is at the x-axis and expected return on the y-axis. The slope of the security market line is represented by market risk premium which is the difference between expected rate of return on the market portfolio and the risk free rate (i.e.Erm-rf) while the y-intercept of this line represents the risk free interest rate i.e. rf . Part 4Capital Asset Pricing ModelCapital asset pricing model (CAPM) refers to the model that explains the relationship with expected return and the systematic risk of an investment. In a simple word, CAPM is that model which estimates the expected return for any risky assets. According to Mellen (2018), this model helps the business analyst and investor evaluate a suitable rate of return for an investment by giving the general economic, industry and firm's conditions. CAPM helps to inform the investment decision by first of all measuring the fairest price for an investment on the basis of risk, potential return and other factors and then comparing this fair price with the market price.Therefore, this is how the CAPM can be used to inform the investment decision. ReferenceJohnson, R. S. (2014). Equity Markets and Portfolio Analysis. New York: John Wiley ; Sons, Inc.Khan, M. Y., ;Jain, P. K. (2004). Financial Management: Text, Problems and Cases. New Delhi: Tata McGraw Hill Publishing Company Limited.Mayo, H. B. (2013). Investments: An Introduction. Boston: Cengage Learning.Mellen, C. M. (2018). Valuation for M ; A: Building and Measuring Private Company Value. New York: John Wiley ; Sons, Inc.Swedroe, L. E., ;Hempen, J. H. (2007). The only guide to a winning bond strategy you'll ever need: The way smart money preserves wealth today. New York: St. Martin's PressVasigh, B., Fleming, K., ;Mackay, L. (2010). Foundation of Airline Finance: Methodology and Practice. Farnham: Ashgate Publishing, Ltd. Reference

Itm Slp Paper Module

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Modernism and Postmodernism - 20th & 21st Century Visual and Material Essay

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