What are the barriers and success factors for domestic micro

Introduction Domestic micro-generation is gaining popularity in the UK. It means electricity generation by users and household owners. Both the government and the private sector are focusing their resources for its implementation. It is believed that 15% of CO2 emissions will be reduced once micro-generation has been fully implemented by 2050.Advertising We will write a custom proposal sample on What are the barriers and success factors for domestic micro-generation in the UK to gain ground? specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Micro-generation seems to be the hope of environmentalists to save the Earth. It will enhance the role of households in fighting climate change. It will create energy generators out of consumers. And it is a noble idea that will surely benefit people and environment. But there are barriers in its implementation. The question is how and what are the ways. Not that it is impossible or too difficult to implement. As in the usual project implementation, teamwork and collaboration are needed. This project needs the support of all the stakeholders considering that there are many steps and stages that have to be followed to make it successful. There can be various drivers of change for this attractive endeavour. Policy makers and businesses are actively pursuing it. The UK government has initiated moves to make micro-generation a primary undertaking. The Micro-generation Strategy was released in March 2006 with the aim of dealing with barriers and problems. A law was passed, the Climate Change and Sustainable Energy Act 2006, to support government initiatives on micro-generation. Another move was the creation of Energy Review, an information material to outline the aggressive activities of the UK government. (Watson et al., 2008, p. 1) The Energy Saving Trust of the UK said that micro-generation will answer 30-40% of the country’s electricity demand by the year 2050. This will benefit the environment because it will reduce 25% of CO2 emissions. (House of Commons, 2007, p. 39) When it comes to who is getting headway on micro-generation, the UK only has an estimated 100,000 micro-generation installations using solar thermal system, not yet at par with Japan’s 200,000 photovoltaic (PV) rooftop installations and the German government’s subsidized PV installations. (House of Commons, 2007, p. 39)Advertising Looking for proposal on environmental studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The government is also considering tariff exemptions on certain aspects of the micro-generation implementation. Subsidies are also being talked about and to be considered in the British Parliament once a full report of the system implementation in the field is submitted. A report by the Committee on Economic Affairs said that providing subsidies to installation of micro-generation to make sure that low-income households benefit from it, will positively impact on reducing oil consumption and thus reduce fuel poverty. (House of Lords, 2008, p. 296) Methodology The methodology to be used for this study is review of the literature and primary research. Primary research will be conducted on respondents who are working in organizations whose operations involve micro-generation. Sustainable energy generation is attainable but there are many barriers; one of these is the cost of installing micro-generation. Capital cost is one of the problems and determining it will be one of the aims of the study. Data will be collected through questionnaires which will be submitted to participants who will be selected at random from a list of employees or middle-level managers of the various organizations that are involved in micro-generation Questionnaire The questions that will be contained in the questionnaires will run like these: What is your role and responsibility in the organization you are in? If your organizat ion is a private organization, how do you partner with the government in providing micro-generation? If you are from the government, how do you encourage private companies in collaborating with the government? What technology does your organization specialize in? What technology do you apply for micro-generation? How long has your organization been involved in micro-generation? What part of UK, or other countries, has your organization implemented this kind of technology? What are the costs, if you know, in domestic micro-generation? Can you enumerate the costs for the different micro-generation technologies? Where are the sources of funding in micro-generation? What are your critical success factors? After the selection of a random sample, the questionnaires will be emailed to the participants. The email will contain instructions on how to answer the questions and to return back the questionnaires with the corresponding answers. Those who will not return back their questionnaires will be sent again another round of emails.Advertising We will write a custom proposal sample on What are the barriers and success factors for domestic micro-generation in the UK to gain ground? specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Ethical considerations will also be incorporated in the conduct of the survey questions. The prospective participants will be informed that their identity will be kept confidential and that they will not be compelled to answer questions that they feel are oppressive or do not conform to the required ethical standards in conducting surveys. Research Question How can the UK speed up implementation of micro-renewable technology considering the various barriers and problems coming up from its initial stage of implementation? Hypothesis There are a number of barriers to generation of micro energy and micro-renewable technology: high capital costs, people’s lack of understanding of the technology, and lac k of knowledge of where to find source of funding. Rationale of the study Climate change is one of the threats facing our Earth. The deterioration of the environment has become alarming that we should not ignore it. Inhabitants of the Earth never get tired of producing things that result in environmental degradation. Aside from misuse, another term we can apply on the environment is overuse. Much has been utilized from our important ecosystems: the forests, fisheries, wetland, fresh water resources. We move fast to destroy our ecosystem and ecological balance. And we also have to move fast and change course of actions to save the environment and the planet as a whole. Major air pollutants come from transportation, stationary sources such as factories and power plants, and industries. Air pollutants include carbon monoxide, sulphur oxides, nitrogen oxides, particulates, hydrocarbons, and photochemical oxidants. All these harm the environment. If we change them with reusable and susta inable energy, pollutants will be controlled and once again we restore the beauty and freshness of mother Earth.Advertising Looking for proposal on environmental studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Ever since man has ventured into agriculture, he has used deforestation and destruction of the environment for personal needs, impacting climatic and ecological conditions. These irresponsible activities diminish the natural recycling of carbon dioxide gases, and in the process it accelerates and increases the inversion layer that traps the reflected energy of the sun, the so-called ozone layer. The augmented inversion layer has an elevated atmospheric temperature, giving rise to global warming which has caused melting of the polar ice, substantial changes to climatic conditions, and depletion of the ozone layer. Something should be done to replace Earth’s lost glory. The unchecked effects of global warming will not only change the makeup of the global land mass but will affect man’s lifestyle on the planet. It will hasten the rise of seawater levels and cover some habitable coastlines. In view of the rapid expansion of the world’s economies, demand for fossil f uel and construction materials will become severe. Added to this is the demand for water. And the excessive demand for fossil fuel energy, resources will also result in the demise of the ecology of our planet; the effects might be long lasting and cannot be reversed. Scientists say that this is of immediate concern. The deterioration of our planet’s ecosystem and atmosphere cannot be ignored; if we have to act, the right time is now. Our planet’s ozone layer has been depleted by severe coal gas emissions. Worse is the reality that greenhouse gases have altered meteorological conditions. The world’s program of action has not improved these past decades because we still depend on fossil fuel; specifically eighty percent of energy comes from fossil fuels. There will come a time that supply of oil will fall short. In other words, there must be a way to produce a substitute for fossil fuels and coal, something that is not harmful to the ozone layers and the environme nt as a whole. Solar energy and other forms of environmentally friendly energy using the wind, the tidal waves, hydro, and other similar forms, must be tapped. With the increase of consumption in energy and water in the years ahead, surely we have a big problem in our supplies of basic necessities of which only nature can provide. Agriculture will be adversely affected by lower water supplies, and there will be extreme heat and drought. Shifting to renewable energy has been the hope of conservationists and putting micro-generation in the forefront of reducing carbon emissions at the same time freeing ourselves from dependency to fossil fuel is killing two birds in one shot. Everyone should help in providing focus; the government, along with the public and private sectors, must ensure a smooth working model for micro-generation system. The use of micro generation is one intervention to climate change that has been identified as being applicable not just at the industrial level but al so at the individual level (Sauter Watson, 2007). But the target uptake has to be the main aim. Many researches relating to micro generation among domestic users and industries and its role in reducing climate change have been conducted.Such researches have identified its implementation as an expensive undertaking and that therefore requires high capital costs (Keirstead, 2006; Watson, 2004; Wolven, 2001) Very few studies have been done to assess what impact the high capital costs of this implementation would have on domestic users’ uptake and their expected role in reducing climate change (Caird Roy, 2010). The focus for this study will be on domestic users and not industries. By implementing the use of micro generation, communities and individual consumers are likely to contribute in achieving renewable targets as well as reduce carbon emissions. Barriers include too much payback time and high costs. The customers’ lack of understanding, little capital, and â€Å" risk-aversion† with respect to technology are also some of the problems. But Watson et al. (2008) said that this can be remedied through issuance of energy service contracts to the customers to inform them of the intricacies of micro-generation installation. In fact, if plans materialized, by 2050, life in the UK would be much easier than it is today – fresh air and free of pollutants, no worries about fuel, and the environment and our place would be a safer place to live in. But that is easier said than done. Processes and steps to a full implementation of the government’s micro-generation program will encounter problems and barriers. What we should do is to get our move together, define the roles of the public and private sectors in informing and motivating household owners into acquiring their support to be a part of micro-generation system. One of the primary activities or steps that should be undertaken is to provide information and understanding on the avai lability of this technology to household owners. This paper will define the role of micro-generation in saving the environment, how to implement this great endeavour in the domestic areas of the UK, and identify the barriers and problems and find and recommend solutions so that micro-generation will be fully implemented in all households in the UK. It will collect information from vast resources, from online and physical libraries, on the various studies conducted on micro-generation in the UK. General Objective The objective is to determine the impact of domestically implementing micro-energy and micro renewable technology to environment, climate change and people; to define capital costs; and ultimately to enumerate users’ benefits. Specific Aims The aims are: To define the roles of each sector (government, private, and individual households) in the implementation of micro energy and micro renewable technology; To assess the existing relationship between the cost of micro generation and domestic users’ uptake and climate change. To identify sources of funds in the micro-generation implementation. To analyze the various data and information available on the topic of micro-generation and micro renewable technology. To provide a working model of a micro-generation technology. Review of the Literature The literature will focus on studies on micro-generation conducted in the past, background of micro energy and micro generation technology, and the barriers of a successful implementation. Over these past few decades, the world has experienced tremendous changes in our way of life due to technology. To run these technologies, we need electricity. Most of the energy supply is powered by coal-fired generators which produce and release carbon dioxide to the air. (Beith, Burdon Knowles, 2004, p. 1) The principle behind renewable energy is based on the fact that there is a need to reduce carbon emissions in the air in order to reduce climate change. Wha t are the barriers in micro generation in the UK? And what are the strategies to counter these barriers? A statement by the Association for Conservation of Energy said that costs and the spatial planning system are two main barriers to increased uptake for micro-generation. The UK government recognizes this dilemma, adding â€Å"regulatory, information and technical† as some of the barriers to micro-generation. Consumers do not want these up-front costs because it meant micro-generation is only for those with money. Other barriers include confusions over which one to use, wind turbines or solar systems, and the choice over which grants could provide maximum benefits for consumers. (House of Commons, 2007, p. 40) The Sustainable Technologies Programme (STP) of the government aimed to identify and foster sustainable technologies along with the social and economic results from implementing these technologies. The STP studies resulted in some negative implications because of the high cost of micro-generation, but this is only when technology involves a micro-combined heat and power, solar photovoltaic, and wind energy. (Watson et al., 2006 cited in Genus, n.d.) Excessive payback including technical problems, rules and regulations to be carried out in the course of implementation, lack of reliable consultants to advice on technical and other important matters, and many problems in the installation. Micro generation involves technologies used in generation of both heat and power that have a thermal output rating below 45kWt or an electrical output of 50kWt. It includes the generation of heat and power from either the wind, solar photovoltaic (PV), and hydro sources. It also includes heat generation from biomass, solar thermal and heat pumps as well as micro CHP which produces heat and power from renewable or fossil fuels (Clinch et. al., 2001). Increased use of renewable energy, including micro-renewable, can make an important contribution in the efforts to r educe carbon emissions in support of climate change and renewable energy objectives (Wolven, 2001). The government is strongly taking the role of ensuring environmental safety and sustainability through reduction of climate change (Caird Roy, 2010). The Scottish Government has for example set a target to generate 50 per cent of Scotland’s electricity from renewable by the year 2020, with an interim target of 31 per cent by the year 2011. Micro-renewable are expected to play an important role in meeting (or exceeding) these targets and the historic environment which will be a significant contributor. It is evident from various studies that reliance on most renewable energy like solar energy contributes greatly in reducing climate change (Watson, 2004). Hence since most micro energy production technologies are in renewable energy, micro-renewable energy sources are likely to take a vital role in realizing governments’ objectives. (Keirstead, 2006) Watson et al. (2006 ci ted in Genus, n.d., p. 4) conducted studies on three micro-generation technologies: the solar photovoltaic cells, micro CHP (combined heat and power) and micro-wind energy. These three were considered commercially available. The micro CHP was based on computer generated models while the micro-wind was based on computer data of 1.5kw turbine. The shortest payback period was recorded on micro-CHP which was between the years 2-9 and 7-19. The photovoltaic registered the longest payback period, between 35-48 years. The results were applied with calculations and considered were the location and the operating factors including maintenance costs. There were some difficulties recorded in the community-level efforts. This was because of the learning processes that should have been conducted. But the technology itself was not a hindrance; rather it was on some factors like funding, installation difficulties, including other social factors. (Walker et al., 2007) The difficulties to uptake micr o-generation also became a part of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) report. The barriers were on â€Å"distributed† generation and these were: cost, necessary information not properly attained, lack of network structure, and other regulatory and procedural matters. (DTI, 2005) Other barriers included planning, problems related to â€Å"metering†, problems with renewable heat; the cost of the technology, and low level of understanding by consumers or users. Economic Incentives for Micro-generation Household owners who are interested to install micro-generation in their homes can go and consult the Low Carbon Buildings Programme (LCBP) for their source of funding. This agency started in 2006 and was allocated  £28.5 million to help and grant loans to households, community members, including public and commercial establishments.  £6 million went to household micro-generation. During the second phase,  £50m was provided for public sector and charitable orga nizations that were planning to install micro-generation. The programme was a successful project of the government because it was aimed to support more large installations and also bring the costs down. In 2007, money was increased by providing  £6m for household â€Å"stream†. (House of Commons, 2007, p. 41) LCBP grants became popular among many citizens so that the system was modified to â€Å"first come, first served basis† due to the increasing number of applicants. The government then allocated a monthly funding of  £500,000, and was made available every month. The LCBP was suspended by DTI but was reinstated in May of 2007. Budget for households was  £6.4 million. Upon the re-launch of LCBP, more funds were allocated. In May to July 2007, 629 households were given a budget of  £624,316. But the government has not provided the House with the actual monthly expenditure for the Low Carbon Buildings Programme project. (House of Commons, 2007, p. 41) Conclusio n In the UK today, there are some retailers now selling micro-generation technologies; examples are wind turbines and solar panels for the production of electricity and hot water. The point is that micro-generation is gaining ground, but uptake is still slow. There has to be joined efforts among the various stakeholders to be led by the government in collaboration with the private sector. The Micro-generation Strategy implemented by the UK government aimed to provide the conditions wherein micro-generation becomes an alternative source of electricity for local households and even businesses. This agency announced that it was changing the government’s planning system when it came to micro-generation. The changes would make much easier the way homeowners would apply and install their equipment in their homes. Homeowners will now find it easy to install energy related technologies including solar panels, photovoltaic cells, and wind turbines. (House of Commons, 2007, p. 40) But there are always sceptics to any project or activity. An agency known as Micropower Council (House of Commons, 2007, p. 40) commented that the Microgeneration Strategy has no budget for its various programmes, has no staff but only one employee. It further said that the agency launched by the government lacked focus and commitment in order to implement its projects for micro-generation. This goes to show that there are many barriers in the uptake promotion of micro-generation project of the government. The people there still do not know where to get their acts together to make micro-generation a successful endeavour for the people of the UK. The high capital costs of micro energy and micro-renewable technology, lack of understanding of the technology, and lack of knowledge where to find source of funds, are the main barriers to micro energy generation up take and reduction in climate change by domestic users. References Beith, R., Burdon, I. and Knowles, M., 2004. Introduction †“ the changing energy scene and how micro energy can play a part. In: M. Knowles, ed. 2004. Micro energy systems: review of technology, issues of scale and integration. UK: Professional Engineering Publishing. Ch. 1. Caird, S. and Roy, R., 2010. Adoption and use of household micro generation heat technologies. Low Carbon Economy, vol. 1, no. 2, pp.61–70. Clinch, J. P., Healy, J. and King, C., 2001. Modelling improvements in domestic energy efficiency. Environmental Modeling Software, vol. 16, no. 1, pp.87–106. DTI, 2005. Potential for microgeneration: study and analysis. Final Report, London. Genus, A., n.d. Changing the rules? Regimes, niches and the transition to microgeneration. Available at: www.dime-eu.org/files/active/0Genus.pdf House of Commons, 2007. Climate change: the â€Å"citizen’s agenda†, eighth report of session 2006-07, Vol. 1: Report, together with formal minutes. London, UK: The Stationery Office Limited. House of Lords, 2008. The ec onomics of renewable energy: evidence. London, UK: The Stationery Office Limited. Keirstead, J., 2006. Evaluating the applicability of integrated domestic energy consumption frameworks in the UK. Energy Policy, vol. 34, no. 17, pp.3065-77. Sauter, R. and Watson, J., 2007. Strategies for the deployment of micro generation: implications for social acceptance. Energy Policy, vol. 35, no. 5, pp. 2770–79. Walker, G. et al., 2007. Harnessing community energies: explaining and evaluating community-based localism in renewable energy policy in the UK. Global Environmental Politics, 7, 2, pp. 64-82. Watson, J., 2004. Co-provision in sustainable energy systems: the case of micro generation. Energy Policy, vol. 13, no. 3, pp.1981–90. Watson, J. et al., 2008. Domestic micro-generation: economic, regulatory and policy issues for the UK. Energy Policy, Volume 36, Issue 8, Pages 3095. Wolven, L. E., 2001. Life-styles and energy consumption. Energy, 16(6):959. This proposal on What are the barriers and success factors for domestic micro-generation in the UK to gain ground? was written and submitted by user Jaeden C. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Kelsey Long English Voices of Modernism Unit Test Essay Questions 04-1

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Social responsibility

Social responsibility 2.Social responsibilities of an organisation Social responsibility is an ethical or ideological theory that an entity whether it is a government, corporation, organization or individual has a responsibility to society. This responsibility can be negative, in that it is a responsibility to refrain from acting (resistance stance) or it can be positive, meaning there is a responsibility to act (proactive stance). While primarily associated with business and governmental practices, activist groups and local communities can also be associated with social responsibility, not only business or governmental entities. (Wikipedia, 2008) Business is expected to create wealth and employment, while society is expected to provide a favourable environment for the business to flourish. The value and ethical standards that a company adopts are the long-term assets of the organization. There are a number of tasks that a business has to fulfil to the society. These include the financial task, political task, environment task, adaptive task, economic task, and social tasks. Financial tasks include laying down policies and guidelines for the proper functioning of the financial systems. The environmental tasks include the responsibility of an organization towards the environment. With the perceptions of the consumers changing towards products that are harmful to the environment, companies have to show their concern for the environment by producing environmentally friendly products. The maintenance tasks include the involvement of organizations with non-profit organizations in providing service to the society. Social task include providing equal opportunity for all the members of the society by organizations and taking into consideration the basic human rights of an employee. The way an organization responds to its responsibility to the society has been discussed with special reference to the enlightenment matrix. Further the social challenges of an organization have been discussed with community involvement choice flow. It is a process that guides an organization in fulfilling its role to the society. (ICMR Case studies, 2007) The 10 Best Corporate Citizens for the year 2007 in Sri Lanka were (in alphabetical order)  § Aitken Spence  § AMW  § Cargills  § CTC  § Holcim  § JKH  § Nestle Lanka  § Sampath Bank  § HSBC  § Unilever The awards honour the corporate community for their efforts in promoting Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and evaluate its applicants on five categories before selecting the â€Å"Best Corporate Citizen. Leading up to the grand award, best practices in Community Relations, Employee relations, Customer relations, Economic Performance, and Environment will be rewarded with awards to the top three Corporate Citizens. Awards will also be given to the winners of each stakeholder category and to the Top Ten Best Corporate Citizens. (Sunday Times, 2008) 2.1 Code of conduct A statement and description of required behaviours, responsibilities, and actions expected of employees of an organization or of members of a professional body. A code of conduct usually focuses on ethical and socially responsible issues and applies to individuals, providing guidance on how to act in cases of doubt or confusion. In simple its a set of rules to guide behaviour and decisions. (B-Net Business Dictionary, 2008) 2.2 Stakeholders and Business responsibilities towards them A company has responsibilities to a wide range of interested parties, people who have a stake in what the company does. A companys stakeholders so defined include not only its customers, owners, workforce, suppliers and their families, but also those living near its sites, as well as special interest groups, and of course society as a whole, including society in its role as steward of the environment. (Times Newspapers Ltd and MBA Publishing Ltd, 2008) In terms of understanding the objectives of a business or other organisation, there are two traditional views. 1. The Shareholder Concept In the theory of accounting and finance, it is assumed that the objective of the business is to maximise the value of a company. Put simply, this means that the managers of a business should create as much wealth as possible for the shareholders. Given this objective, any financing or investment decision that is expected to improve the value of the shareholders stake in the business is acceptable. In short, the objective for managers running a business should be profit maximisation, both in the short and long-term. 2. The Stakeholder Concept In recent years, a wider variety of goals have been suggested for a business. These include the traditional objective of profit maximisation (in other words the shareholder concept has not been abandoned). However, they also include goals relating to earnings per share, total sales, numbers employed, measures of employee welfare, manager satisfaction, environmental protection and many others. A major reason for increasing adoption of a Stakeholder Concept in setting business objectives is the recognition that businesses are affected by the environment in which they operate. Businesses come into regular contact with customers, suppliers, government agencies, families of employees, special interest groups. (Tutor2u, 2007) Therefore stake holders can be categorized as internal and external. Internal stakeholders Shareholders Employees Management External stakeholders Consumers Suppliers Creditors Competitors Community Shareholders are important to the business, because they have a primary stake in the business. Organizations responsibilities towards the stakeholders are: to provide professional management, fair returns on their investment, disclose relevant information, protect shareholders assets etc. The organizations responsibility towards employees are improving working conditions, maintaining open and honest communications, welcoming suggestions/complaints, providing equal opportunity etc. Management plays a key role in balancing the multiple claims of stakeholders. Therefore the responsibility of management involves maintaining healthy relationships among the stakeholders. The organizations responsibilities towards consumers include offering quality goods, providing prompt services, treating customers fairly etc. Good relations with suppliers will determine the profitability of the company. The company must treat its suppliers with respect. Suppliers /creditors must be paid promptly. Companies must also follow ethical competitive practices. Finally, the responsibilities of the organization are, respecting human rights, improving workplace safety and economic well being etc. (ICMR Case studies, 2007) 2.3 Investors rights As a shareholder in a company, you can enjoy certain rights:  § To receive the share certificates, on allotment or transfer as the case may be, in due time.  § To receive copies of the abridged Annual Report, the Balance Sheet and the PL A/c and the Auditors Report.  § To participate and vote in the general meeting, either in person or in proxy.  § To receive dividends in due time once approved in General Meetings.  § To receive corporate benefits such as rights, bonus, etc. once approved.  § To apply to the Company Law Board (CLB) to call or direct the Annual General Meeting.  § To inspect the minute books of the General Meetings and to receive copies thereof.  § To proceed against the company by way of civil or criminal proceedings.  § To apply for the companys winding-up.  § To receive the residual proceeds. Group rights: Besides these rights you enjoy as an individual shareholder, you also enjoy the following rights as a group:  § To requisition an extra-ordinary general meeting.  § To demand a poll on any resolution.  § To apply to CLB to investigate the companys affairs.  § To apply to CLB for relief in cases of oppression and/or mismanagement. Debenture holder: As a debenture-holder, you have the right to:  § Receive interest/redemption in due time.  § Receive a copy of the trust deed on request.  § Apply for the companys winding up if it fails to pay its debt.  § Approach the Debenture trustee with your grievance. The above mentioned rights may not necessarily be absolute. For instance, the right to transfer securities is subject to the companys right to refuse transfer according to the statutory provisions. Your responsibilities: While you may be happy to learn of your rights as a stakeholder in the company that should not lead you to satisfaction; because you have also certain responsibilities: To remain informed. To be vigilant. To participate and vote in general meetings. To exercise your rights on your own or as a group. (The Hindu Business Line, 2001) 2.4 Ethical and Moral dilemmas face by businesses One of the defining features of an ethical conflict is that it involves being pulled between two or more objectives, values, or ideals which often draw strong emotional reactions. The competing objectives or values may both be ethical in nature, as in the conflict between loyalty to a friend and duty to report that friends unlawful behaviour. Alternately, one of the competing values may be ethical (e.g., the desire to help a person in need or in danger) while the other is pragmatic (e.g., financial prudence or self-protection). In either situation, a moral or ethical conflict more than other conflicts often has a strong emotional component. One of the challenges decision makers face in such situations is the need to integrate their emotional reactions to different choice options with their cognitive evaluations of the possible or expected outcomes of these options. Following this definition of an ethical decision, ethical or moral decisions do not simply constitute a specific conten t domain of decisions that parallels and complements other content domains such as financial decision making or recreational decision making(Weber, Blais, Betz, 2002). Instead, ethical decisions can occur in any substantive content domain; putting it differently, many decisions across content domains include ethical aspects or considerations. The factors that contribute to whether a specific decision is being construed as an ethical issue or a health or financial issue are themselves an important topic of experiential investigation that have implications for the ethical training and education. Morality can be defined as a system of judging acts in light of an ideal or a code of conduct. Moral judgments involve judgments about what somebody (either the decision maker or another person) should do in a certain situation. Haidt (2001) defines moral judgments as judgments about the actions or character of other people, using as a standard of comparison the moral prescriptions and ideals of ones culture or subculture, which are frequently formalized in written or unwritten codes of conduct. Most scholars agree that moral or ethical decisions need to be intentional and in response to a sense of obligation that is shaped by an ideal. (Blasi, 1987) Mainly there are four types of psychological processes when behaving morally. interpret the situation in terms of the actions possible, and the effects of these actions on the self and others; judge which course of action is morally right; give priority to what is morally right over other considerations; demonstrate the strength and skills to follow through on the intention to behave morally. (L.K Trevino, 1992) Here is a good example explaining above facts. A woman called Shani works for a company that treats people simply as a means for making profits. Customers are appreciated and engaged solely for the purpose of adding to the bottom line. She has found it difficult to find other employment, and has a family to provide for one of her highest values. One day Shani is pressured by her boss to increase her performance (get more customers using any means possible) or she will be terminated. The conflicting values for her are: Providing for her family; Providing an honest days work for an honest days pay; Valuing people over profits. At this point she is clearly faced with a moral dilemma. The dilemma was not quickly or easily resolved, but here is what Shani did;  § She made a decision to never violate her second and third values. In her mind people always come before profits. She also wants to be known as a good employee with a strong work ethic who works hard and gets the job done. She made a conscious decision to do her best in fulfilling her bosses instructions (i.e. get more customers) without violating her value of people over profits. Her production improved as she worked harder and she knew she was contributing to the organization in ethical ways.  § She also stepped up her job search. That day she came to the realization that the companys values and hers did not mesh. She knew that she would have to change venues in order for her to be able to feel comfortable in her work while providing for her family. Today she does a similar job for a different company, and loves it. In her job search she made sure she asked important questions about how the companys values would fit with her own. In her new company she is able to be productive, value the customer over company profits, and provide for her family. 2.5 Organisations encourage ethical behaviour As an airline company directors and employees in Jet Airways should attempt to promote ethical behaviour and to encourage employees to report evidence of illegal or unethical behaviour to appropriate Company personnel. It is the policy of the Company to not allow retaliation against any employee who makes a good faith report about a possible violation of this Code. Suspected violations of this Code may be reported to the Chairman of the Board or the Chairman of the Audit Committee. All reported violations will be appropriately investigated. When in doubt of the best course of action in a particular situation, employees are encouraged to talk promptly to their supervisor, managers or the Head of Human Resources. Employees are expected to fully cooperate in internal investigations of misconduct. (Jet Airways Sri Lanka, 2006) Patients, consumers, doctors and governments want to use medicines from companies that they trust. Therefore, ethics policies require all GSK employees to meet the highest standards of ethical and legal compliance in their work. Company has led efforts to create the first marketing code for the Sri Lanka Chamber of the Pharmaceutical Industry based on the IFPMA Code. These are some of the policies they conduct to encourage ethical behaviour; GSKs 12,000 managers completed self-certification confirming that they comply with our Code of Conduct. All new sales and marketing staff in the US completed ethics training and over 9,000 existing staff received two hours of annual refresher training. Employees are encouraged to seek help and to report any concerns or suspected cases of misconduct. They can do this through their line management, our network of compliance officers, or through our confidential Integrity Help lines. (GlaxoSmithKline, 2007) 2.6 Rights and responsibilities of employers and employees Employers and employees have responsibilities to each other where they should also expect their rights to be upheld. These rights and responsibilities relate to areas such as Health and Safety, the provision of Terms and Conditions of Employment, Equal Opportunities and the right to be paid a Minimum Wage. The Health and Safety at Work Acts set out responsibilities and rights for both employees and employers. Employees are expected to carry out their work in a way that has regard to the safety of others. Employers are expected to abide by a range of requirements governing such aspects as providing safe machinery and equipment, carrying out regular health and safety checks, ensuring the training of employees in health and safety issues, and carrying out a risk assessment to assess the dangers of particular work activities. There are also specific regulations about the way in which potentially harmful substances should be used and stored. There are a number of requirements about the mi nimum temperature at work, and other aspects of working conditions. Employees are expected to receive the terms and conditions of their work setting out when their work commences, what their main duties are, who they are accountable to, rates of pay, and other entitlements. Equal Opportunities legislation sets out that all employees should receive the same pay and conditions for carrying out the same or broadly similar work. There are also laws against sexual, racial and disability discrimination. The Minimum Wage Act sets out the Minimum Wage that workers can expect to receive which today is more than a  £5 an hour. The Minimum Wage is regularly reviewed and will increase over time. There is also European Union requirements governing the maximum number of hours that workers will be expected to work in a typical week which is currently set at 48 hours. Employers and employees are expected to meet minimum legal requirements for such areas as Health and Safety at Work, and minimum standards and conditions related to hours, and the treatment of people in the workplace. Along with rights for employees there are corresponding responsibilities such as the expectation to work in a safe way and to have regard for the safety of work colleagues. (Times Newspapers Ltd and MBA Publishing Ltd, 2008) 2.7 Ethical issues caused by information technology Ethics and the Information Revolution, De George (2003) describes his approach to the ethical questions he will discuss. He locates the issues within a common and universal framework of ethical norms. Murder, stealing and other such acts are generally inconsistent with societal norms across societies despite their cultural differences. Within a society, norms exist for many practices that bear certain similarities to new and emerging practices made possible by information technologies. This suggests a two-step method. First, when evaluating a new practices such as monitoring e-mail, one can use analogical reasoning from similar practices and norms; for example, opening and reading private correspondence. He applies his method of analysis to the general system of IT taken as the basis for the information society. Here he argues that core values of an information-centric society are truthfulness, accuracy, information sharing, and trust. While important in other types of society (agricultural, industrial), these values take on greater role in an information economy, in contrast to punctuality, for example, which is critical in an assembly-line industrial economy. Ruth Rikowski (2006) pointed out that computers are changing the face of the work scene. For some people, their jobs are becoming redundant or they have to play quite different roles, and others are suffering increasing levels of stress from work pressures. Others are, obviously, reaping the benefits of having more rewarding jobs, and there is certainly more emphasis on knowledge, information and I.T. skills than ever before. However, this all clearly poses various ethical issues. Should those that lose their jobs be compensated? How can the pressure be eased on those that are suffering stress? Is it acceptable for computer programmers to be made redundant ‘on the spot etc? There are many ethical issues that need to be addressed here. Clearly writing and spreading virus programs are unethical acts. They have very serious consequences, and cause systems to crash and organisations to cease operating for certain periods. One of the most concerning consequences of such actions is when viruses interrupt the smooth functioning of an organisation such as a hospital, which could in extreme cases even cause people to die. Logic bombs are also sometimes planted. There is obviously a lot of anti-virus software on the market now though that helps to deal with this ever-growing problem. Many different computer crimes are committed, which clearly poses ethical questions for society. Various illegal acts are performed on computers, such as fraud and embezzlement. This includes, for example, using imaging and desktop publishing to create, copy or alter official documents and graphic images. There are also various ethical dilemmas, such as whether copying such files is as bad as stealing something. So, this conflict might mean that companies do not, in reality, give enough consideration to the ethical issues in I.T., as the drive to create new products and upgrade products, thereby raising the profit margin, takes precedence over moral considerations. Some of the ethical issues in I.T. are being tackled more effectively though (although there is obviously always room for improvement). Great efforts are being made in regard to finding ways to deal with viruses, for example, and more and more attention is now being given to ergonomic and health issues. 3. Industrial relations 3.1 Trade unions The field of industrial relations (also called labour relations) looks at the relationship between management and workers, particularly groups of workers represented by a union. Sri Lanka has approximately 1000 Trade Unions. Out of these about 20 have more than 100,000 members. Out of these 1000 Trade Unions, 750 are in Government Departments where labour laws do not apply. These workers come under the establishment code. Only 30 per cent of the countrys workforce is organized in Trade Unions. Here are some trade unions in Sri Lanka. All Ceylon United Motor Workers Union Ceylon Federation of Labour Ceylon Mercantile Union GCSU Sri Lanka United Corporations and Mercantile Union (Wikipedia, 2008) 3.2 Enterprise bargaining Enterprise bargaining is an about introducing change in the workplace with everyone sharing the benefits. It is an opportunity for an employer and his/her employees, either directly or through their union representatives, to undertake cooperative negotiations. Enterprise bargaining is a way to discuss how work is performed, conditions and productivity improvements that will benefit both employer and employees. This can foster a culture of change in the workplace which can be a valuable tool in the process of continuous improvement. It can assist in the creation of vital, responsive and flexible enterprises and improve productivity and efficiency. 3.3 Industrial disputes Industrial dispute means any dispute or difference between anemployer and a workman or between employers and workmen orbetween workmen and workmen connected with the employment ornon ­employment,orthetermsofemployment,orwiththeconditionsoflabour, or the termination of the services, or the reinstatement inservice, of any person, and for the purposes of this definitionâ€Å"workmen†includesatradeunionconsistingofworkmen. (BOI, 2008) The Industrial Disputes Act (IDA) provides for the prevention, investigation and settlement of industrial disputes and for connected/incidental matters. The IDA also specifies the methods by which the Commissioner of Labour is empowered to help settle an industrial dispute. These methods are as follows. with reference to a Collective Agreement where such an agreement is in force between employers and workmen; Through conciliation at conference either by the Commissioner himself or an authorized officer (usually attached to the Industrial Relations Branch in the Department of Labour); Through voluntary arbitration. Where the parties to the dispute do not consent to reference of the dispute to an arbitrator, the Minister is empowered to refer the dispute for settlement by arbitration to an arbitrator or to a labour tribunal. The Minister can also refer any industrial dispute to an Industrial Court for settlement. The ideal process would be for a time span to be fixed between the making of a complaint to the Labour Department and a reference to arbitration, tying up the processes of arbitration and conciliation so that the whole dispute could be settled within a reasonable length of time instead of the parties having to wait for years in order to see an end to the dispute. It may also be worth looking at the possibility of establishing an Appeal Court to go into positions of dissatisfied parties within a short period of the arbitrators award so that settlement could be reached speedily. (Globalization and Industrial Relations in Sri Lanka, 2000) 3.4 Awards systems Sri Lanka Institute of Marketing (SLIM) carries out two major award systems in Sri Lanka. Ø Peoples Awards This includes people from all walks of life advocating their favourite personality, brand, company, advertisement, film, teledrama, song etc. Men and women throughout the island, excluding the North and the East, take part enthusiastically. To ensure that the results represent the diverse population of Sri Lanka, the interviews are carried out in all the provinces excluding North and East. SLIM Nielsen Peoples Awards is based on a sample survey conducted by The Nielsen Company encompassing a sample of 5,050, equally split between males and females, and between the ages of 16-65 years living in both urban and rural areas. The survey will go on for a period of 5 consecutive months with a random sample of 1,010 per month conducted through face to face interviews at an all island level (excluding north and East). The Nielsen Company assures quality and clarity of answers given by the respondents. To ensure accurate feedback, its stringent quality control measures adhere to the WatchBuild er standards, a process, globally unique to the Nielsen Company. Ø Brand Excellence The SLIM Brand Excellence Awards is a celebration of brand excellence at national level and rewards the outstanding efforts of outstanding marketers. Through this event, SLIM endeavours to not only encourage best practices in branding, but also to raise local brands to global standards, to enhance the image of marketing in the country and that of SLIM in the region. This event translates as industry recognition of the motivation, dedication and hard work that great marketers have demonstrated in making brand champions. Each year panel of judges evaluates the contenders for each category of award, looking for those elusive qualities which elevate a brand above the sea of nondescript products. For the Brand Excellence Awards to be truly successful there must be industry-wide, representative participation which will ensure healthy competition. (SLIM, 2008) 4. Sri Lanka and international business 4.1 Trends in Sri Lankan trade Sri Lankas exports grew 14.7 percent helped by strong prices for tea, while apparel exports grew by a slow 5.3 percent where the trade deficit expanded 92 percent on higher oil and capital goods imports. The Central Bank said April export earnings increased 14.7 percent to 610 million US dollars with agricultural and industrial exports contributing 59 percent and 37 percent. According to official data, agriculture exports grew 46.5 percent in April 2008 compared with a year ago on the back of increased export prices of tea. The average export price of tea was four US dollars a kilogram, the highest recorded up to then. Industrial exports grew by 6.9 percent supported by increased exports of garments, food, beverages, tobacco, rubber products, petroleum products and ceramics, official data showed. Cumulative exports during January to April 2008 grew 11.3 percent to 2,488 million US dollars. Expenditure on imports in April increased 37 percent to 1,269 million US dollars. The Central Bank said import expenses on consumer goods such as food expanded significantly in April 2008 owing to increased expenditure on rice and sugar. Import expenditure on intermediate goods which increased 38 percent from a year ago contributed 64 percent to the increase in import expenditure in April 2008. The Central Bank said import expenditure increased owing to high crude oil and fertilizer prices. Imports of investment goods such as transport equipment, machinery and building materials have also recorded a growth of 33.5 percent. The cumulative expenditure of imports during the first four months of 2008 amounted to US dollars 4,533 million, an increase of 37.4 percent from a year ago. The Central Bank said higher oil and capital goods imports have widened the trade balance from 394 million US dollars in April 2007 to 659 million US dollars in April 2008. The overall balance of payments recorded a surplus of 320 million US dollars from January to April 2008 increasing the gross official reserves to 3,383.8 million US dollars by endApril2008, which is sufficient to finance around 3.3 months of imports. (LBO, June 16,2008) 4.2 Trading partners Major trading partners;  § Export (% of total, customs basis): US 28.2%, UK 11.5%, India 9.0%, Germany 4.1%. Export Commodities: Textiles garments, tea, diamonds jewellery, petroleum.  § Import (% of total, customs basis): India 18.5%, China 10.5%, Singapore 8.7%, Hong Kong 4.2%. Import Commodities: Mineral products, textiles, machinery transport equipment, base metals. Ø United Kingdom Trade and Investment with the UK UK imports from Sri Lanka have consistently exceeded UK exports to Sri Lanka. Exports have declined during the period 2001 to 2004 from  £142.4 million to  £138.8 million and imports have steadily increased from  £400.8 million to  £466.9 million during the period 2001 to 2004. The UKs net investment in Sri Lanka has averaged some  £50 million per annum over the last 20 years. The UK is the largest European investor in Sri Lanka and second overall in terms of projects. Further progress in the peace process would lead to more opportunities for British companies in Sri Lanka. Cultural Relations with the UK The British Council has English Teaching Centres in Colombo (one of the fastest growing in the network with well over 3000 students) and Kandy, and is involved in English language projects throughout the island. It also runs busy libraries at the teaching centres, and maintains a lively arts programme. The Council runs an education information service that offers detailed information on all aspects of the British education system, and administers exams in Colombo and Kandy. In Sri Lanka the Council also works closely with the Ministry of Education on its education reform agenda, particularly at Primary level. (www.iptu.co.uk) Ø USA The Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA), signed by the USA and Sri Lanka on 25th July 2002 in Washington DC, provides an ideal platform for the two Governments to maintain a closer dialogue on a number of areas / fields that are of mutual interest to them. On the Sri Lankan side: (a

Point Shaving :: essays research papers

I think that it’s a tragedy to see that many collegiate athletes are involved in gambling situations. It’s hard on the athletes too, because they’re not getting paid to play the game so it’s hard to resist thousands of dollars to only win by a few, in cases on point shaving. When I was watching that movie â€Å"Blue Chips†, which is all about illegal college betting and buying athletes to come to their school, there was a scene involving the coach and the point guard regarding a point shaving incident three years ago. After the student was harassed by the coach he finally confessed saying, â€Å"We won the game, we just didn’t beat the spread. That’s only for those gamblers anyway†. He has a point with what he said but that’s not the point. A lot of young athletes do see point shaving as partaking in an illegal and unlawful event or don’t believe that much in it, morally. So people say that if the college players were getting paid none of this would happen. I don’t know if giving the players a stipend is going end this because unless you’re paying the athletes thousands of dollars a week or a game, the stipend won’t be more than what they’re being offered. I do think that it might help but I’m not sure if that help is going to make a big enough difference. On the same note, if you eliminate spreads, can they be sure that it will make a difference when it comes to gambling. Don’t get me wrong, eliminating the spreads would decrease the amounts of point shaving incidents, but it won’t necessarily stop them. Bookies can make up their own spreads and ask players to shave points regardless of the fact that the spread is not publicized. The bookie has an idea by about how much one team may beat another. I understand that they will probably never â€Å"eliminate collegiate gambling† but they’re t rying to limit and reduce it and I’m all for it too. Unfortunately there is the big issue of the politicians and their campaigning for funds and it’s going to be hard to control that too. I can understand why Congress isn’t closing the Nevada loophole or at least delaying it, but I still don’t agree with it.

Indian Festivals Essay

India is a country of colours and festivals. It is said that there are seven days in a week but nine festivals. They mark the grand, gay and happy occasions in the life of Indian people. These are celebrated with gay abandon. Great preparations are made well in advance to observe festivals. These are the occasions of family gatherings, exchange of greetings and sweets, joy, praying, fasting and feasting. People visit temples, holy places, worship gods and invoke their favors. Festivals come round the year and add colour, joy, happiness, variety and spice to life. Man is a celebrating being. He celebrates birth, marriage and even death. In India there are a number of festivals, fairs, and days of celebration. Celebration and festivity is in Indian blood and psyche. These have close links with our religion, myths, changes of season, harvesting and anal events. Most of the Indian festivals follow lunar religious calendar. Festivals in India are of great social, cultural and national value. They help people to forge greater and stronger national and cultural ties with one another. Festivals are a great factor to unite such a large population into one country and nation. Their mass recreational appeal is irresistible. The people are in their best clothes on this occasion. Even the poor get new clothes sewn for festivals. Their enthusiasm and preparations are seen to be believed on festive occasions. There are various communities in India. They have their respective festivals but they all participate in one another’s festivities with much delight and jest. Holy, Deepavali, Janmashtami, Dessert, Christmas, Id, Muharram, Mew Year are the main festivals celebrated on a vast scale. Besides, there are scores of other local and regional festivals. 15th August and 26th January are the national days of celebration and festivity. Holy, the most colorful festival marks the advent of spring and ripening of crops. It is also the most boisterous occasion. During the night bonfires are there, and then the next day there are a lot of singing, dancing and throwing of colours on one another. Sometimes the reveling is too much which turns into hooliganism, mud throwing and singing of obscene songs. However, it is an occasion when people of all classes mix-up with one another freely and enjoy singing and exchange of greetings and sweets. It is a special occasion in Gould, Matura and Barman, the places closely associated with the life of Lord Krishna and his consort Radar. Dessert is another great festival of India. It is celebrated to mark the victory of good over evil. It was on the Vijayadashmi that Rama defeated the ten-headed demon King Ravenna. During these days of festivity, the epic Ramayana is presented in dance-drama form on the stages all over the country. It is popularly called Camilla. On the final day of the festivities, the huge effigies of Ravenna, and his brother Kumbhkarna and son Meghan are burnt and there are fire-works. It is followed by Bharat Mila, an occasion of family reunion. In Mysore, a great royal and colorful procession is taken out on this occasion. In Kula also a special festival is celebrated on this day. In West Bengal it is observed as Durga Puja festival. Next comes the Deepavali, the festival of lights and fireworks. At night, earthen lamps and candles are lit to illumine the dark night of Amanas, the night before the new moon. Greetings and sweets are exchanged and Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth is worshipped. The businessmen close their old accounts and open the new ones. It is believed that Rama was crowned on this day after his triumphant return to Aloha from Lanka, foemen people also indulge in gambling on this occasion. Houses are cleaned, repaired and white-washed, and people wear new and colorful clothes on this day. 26th January is a major national Day when spectacular parade is held in Delhi along the Rajah. In state capitals also the day is celebrated with much enthusiasm and joy. Folk-dances are performed, processions taken out, parades held, and the National Flag is hoisted on this day. Then in the night there are fire-works and illumination of government buildings. It was on this day that our constitution came into being and India became a Republic. It is the most celebrated occasion for the Muslims in India. It comes after the month long fasting and praying of Raman. The Muslims visit mosques and Ideas to offer their prayers in their new and {east clothes. They embrace one another, exchange greetings and sweets, give alms to the poor and enjoy feasts. On Christmas, the Christians celebrate the event with much joy, jest and festivity, and exchange greetings and sweets. Special prayers and Teases are held in the churches on the occasion. New Year is celebrated with much jest, joy and enthusiasm by the people of all communities. Batsakis, Rachis, Roth Yare, Panama, Oman, Ganesha festival are some of the other important festivals of India.

Men Continuous Searching for the New Avenue of the Known and Unknown Reality

The title itself gives a fascinating debate. The â€Å"Known Reality† can be broadly explained because humans already know what it is. It is already known by many people. If we give meaning to the â€Å"Unknown Reality† it is something we haven’t seen yet, went yet or even discovered. How will man find the access to that reality? Will we know if it is the unknown we’ve been searching for? I’ll give my opinion on the â€Å"Unknown†, maybe it is the reality that is already in front of us but we don’t see it because we neglect our understanding for it.Maybe we don’t open our minds and make that reality unknown. The avenue between the known and unknown is being open minded, trying to listen in both sides for us to understand both realities. If we keep tolerating ourselves in neglecting our capability to understand, then man will have an endless search for that avenue. Contradiction to that, if man has the determination and hunger to seek the truth, then they will find what they are looking for that both reality is there, and will realize that the avenue to it is the ability to listen and understand.If man continues to be blind, they will never reach that avenue and the â€Å"Unknown Reality† itself. Both realities are in front of us. But people only pay attention to only one side and brings an effect of ignorance to people. Many people have not yet realized the truth that is being laid down to them for being ignorant. I believe that what they are searching for is easily seen when we give understanding to it. Men Continuous Searching for the New Avenue of the Known and Unknown Reality The title itself gives a fascinating debate. The â€Å"Known Reality† can be broadly explained because humans already know what it is. It is already known by many people. If we give meaning to the â€Å"Unknown Reality† it is something we haven’t seen yet, went yet or even discovered. How will man find the access to that reality? Will we know if it is the unknown we’ve been searching for? I’ll give my opinion on the â€Å"Unknown†, maybe it is the reality that is already in front of us but we don’t see it because we neglect our understanding for it.Maybe we don’t open our minds and make that reality unknown. The avenue between the known and unknown is being open minded, trying to listen in both sides for us to understand both realities. If we keep tolerating ourselves in neglecting our capability to understand, then man will have an endless search for that avenue. Contradiction to that, if man has the determination and hunger to seek the truth, then they will find what they are looking for that both reality is there, and will realize that the avenue to it is the ability to listen and understand.If man continues to be blind, they will never reach that avenue and the â€Å"Unknown Reality† itself. Both realities are in front of us. But people only pay attention to only one side and brings an effect of ignorance to people. Many people have not yet realized the truth that is being laid down to them for being ignorant. I believe that what they are searching for is easily seen when we give understanding to it.

Worse Than Slavery essays

Worse Than Slavery essays In Worse than Slavery, David Oshinsky tells a graphic story of the system adopted after the civil war in the south. He explains in detail how conflict labor was used as a form of replacement slavery against the blacks in Mississippi and throughout the south. Convict leasing and the system inside the Parchman farm were both ways in which white southerners used the criminal justice system to maintain power over newly free blacks. Blacks were easily convicted of crimes and sentenced to long terms with harsh punishments. White southerners relied on the criminal justice system in order to preserve the patterns of race relations and to create new patterns. One way in which they did this was to create black codes. The goal of these codes was to control the labor supply and to keep the higher position of whites in southern society. The codes listed certain crimes for the freed blacks only, such as mischief and cruel treatment of animals. The penalty for intermarriage was life imprisonment. Oshinsky explains to us that for blacks accused of any crime it was basically impossible to be acquitted of their charges. They could not afford lawyers and white word always prevailed over blacks. After the end of the Civil War, southerners were very disrupted by the newly freed slaves. White southerners did not want to accept these people as citizens in their towns and had long viewed criminal behavior as natural to the Negro (pg. 32). Stealing was the most common offense and it was moving past the plantations the slaves once inhabited. Blacks could not afford lawyers and had virtually no chance of winning their case inside a court. They were sentenced to long prison terms with heavy fines they were unable to pay. According to Oshinsky, many jails and penitentiaries in the South had been destroyed by the war and emancipation had placed strains on the prisons. There was no money to replace them or to house the flood of...

The role of Mobile in Education Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

The role of Mobile in Education - Research Paper Example It is evident from the study that mobile devices and technologies are inescapable and ubiquitous in many modern societies, and are progressively altering the nature of information and discourse in these cultures, at the same time becoming themselves the merchandises of numerous social, trade, and industry forces. This, sequentially, modifies both the nature of knowledge (official and casual) and changes in the habits that knowledge can be carried through. Learning that used to be distributed 'just-in-case,' can at the present be transported 'just-in-time,' 'just sufficient,' and 'just-for-me.' Finding statistics relatively and not retaining them turns out to be the defining characteristic of knowledge in general and of mobile learning in particular; and this possibly will take knowledge back into the community. Mobile technologies also change the natural surroundings of work (the powerful force overdue much learning and most training), particularly of knowledge effort. Mobile technol ogies adjust the equilibrium between training and presentation sustenance, particularly for many knowledge staffs. Meaning that 'mobile' is not simply a fresh adjective succeeding the eternal thought of 'learning'– 'mobile learning' is evolving as an exclusively firsthand and different notion combined with the 'mobile workforce' and the 'connected society.' Mobile devices generate not only new formulae of knowledge and innovative methods of retrieving it, but correspondingly fashion new formulas of art and performance, and innovative means of gaining access to them. (for instance 'pop' videos designed and traded for iPods). Mobile devices are generating new systems of buying/selling and economic activities also. Different tutors and disciplines will have different

Employee Training and Development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Employee Training and Development - Essay Example Trainers should understand the impacts of each method and the mode of responsiveness on trainees before training them. According to Aguinis, (2012), training methods can be divided into cognitive and behavioural. Cognitive methods involve offering theoretical information on the basics required by the employees to improve their efficiency in individual assignments. Some services associated with cognitive training include offering verbal directions on how to perform an action, conveying verbal or written information, and demonstration of the relationships between roles. The learning provided through training leads to improvement in the knowledge levels of the trainees. Cognitive training methods include lectures, demonstrations, discussions, Computer-Based Training (CBT), virtual reality, Intelligent Tutorial System (ITS) and Programmed Instructions (PI). Behavioural training methods involve the provision of practical directions to employees. Trainees are allowed to act in a practical way related to the tasks they are supposed to undertake. Behavioural methods are reliable in the development of skills. Such methods include business games, case studies, games and simulations, behaviour modelling, role plays, equipment stimulators and in-basket technique. Training and development encompasses efficient business management. Business management focuses on the future progress and development of employee skills. Organisations yearn to instil sound management practices that are suitable for conforming to the changing technological environment. In this case, training is necessary to ensure that employees enhance the organisational competiveness. The management development methods can be on-the-job training or off-the-job training. The four techniques that encompass on-the-job training include coaching, Job Instruction Technique (JIT), and mentoring and job rotation (Bernas and Piecha, 2009). Off-the-job training includes sensitivity training, simulation exercises, transac tional analysis, sensitivity training and straight lectures/lectures. Application of the computer based training (CBT) is related to the fact that the modern advancement in technology has led to the replacement of the classroom lectures with technological devices (Formaneck and Cozzarin, 2012:459-472). The method is efficient because it does not require any interaction between the human trainer and the trainee which is normally inefficient, tedious and time-consuming. Some of the methods that the pharmaceutical companies can apply when using CBT include Intelligent Tutorial System (ITS) and virtual reality. The system uses artificial intelligence in the provision of information that is relayed to trainees. The organisation feeds informational related to best practises in pharmaceutical industry and programs the ITS to relay the information to the trainees. The programmed instruction is strategically designed to offer reliable and efficient information for efficient learning. The pro gramme is designed to ask a question whereby advancing to the next level is dependent on the trainee’s answer. However, offering wrong answers stalls the learning process as the trainee will be taken to the initial review until correct details are offered. The programmed instruction can occur in the form of tapes, interactive video, and books. The unique characteristic of the programmed inst