Iraq and Kuwait relations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Iraq and Kuwait relations - Essay Example Will Iraq open negotiations?  Will Iraq open negotiations?  The negotiation platform will only be opened by Iraq if there will be any war that may materialize.For now, I don’t see any war emerging.With the good leadership of Iraq, if there need be, negotiations can be open by Iraq.Question to be answered about the specific research question. According to my specific research questions, the type of study is predictive.b. The dependent variable is Iraq open negotiations with Kuwait. No.d. The case study to be investigated is the relationship between Iraq and Kuwait. It should be given the in-depth study to see whether there can be any conflict.e. Yes. Some of the obvious answers are; Iraq will open negotiations due to the good political will and leadership. Its obvious answer because Iraq has got new leadership now which is willing to negotiate.f. NoIt is my concern that Iraq still needs oil for economic superiority and Kuwait has got this oil.So there may need to invade Kuw ait by Iraq to have this oil. This may happen if the Kuwaiti government may be refused to settle the debt they have. What interest me in this research topic is that the human lives are at stake and the conflict should be avoided at all courses.  According to Beverley Milton-Edwards and Peter Hinchcliffe, political figures, particularly in the White House, understood well that â€Å"given the powerful influence of the Zionist (pro-Israel) lobby in US internal politics, it would be a bold or rash administration that took any action that might stimulate its ire.  Ã‚  

Stakeholder theory as an organisational management theory supports good corporate governance Essay Example for Free

Stakeholder theory as an organisational management theory supports good corporate governance Essay ‘Stakeholder Theory’ as an organisational management concept supports good Corporate Governance models. Discuss whether stakeholder theory assists in determining good corporate governance models for a company. The recent increase in awareness surrounding Corporate Governance partly arose from what was considered to be some of the ‘darkest days in business’ during the early 2000’s when numerous multi national corporations unexpectedly collapsed. People the world over were greatly effected by these events, which brought into question the role of good business practice in today’s society. Freeman’s (1984) seminal work â€Å"Strategic Management: A Stakeholder Approach† describes ‘Stakeholder Theory’ as a structure that supports effective Corporate Governance by way of protecting and looking after not just its shareholders, but all stakeholders that have a vested interest in the company. Central to the discipline of Corporate Governance is the ethical behaviour of corporations (Crane, 2004), ‘Stakeholder Theory’ is the most influential and popular theory to emerge thus far that addresses the role of ethics in business (Stark, 1994). This essay builds on the idea that ethics, business, sustainability, responsibility and the environment are no longer separate (Freeman et al., 2010) in today’s global business world. Critics of Stakeholder theory claim that the shareholder’s ability to gain maximum profits are compromised, however recent research has shown that by creating value in a responsible manner whilst taking all constituents into account actually leads to a more profitable company, whilst encouraging long term outcomes (Donaldson, 1995). Critics also claim that stakeholder’s interests are so varied its impossible to give equal fairness to all. Whilst it is impossible to make every stakeholder’s interest equal, three key areas are assessed to determine the attributes and relevence of each stakeholder within the company’s ethical codes; power, legitimacy and urgency (Wickham, 2009). The term ‘Stakeholder Theory’ whilst in use from the 1960’s was further developed by Edward Freeman in the 1980’s and has vastly grown in popularity in recent years. Stakeholders may include but are not limited to employees,  creditors, consumers, suppliers, whilst also incorporating the extrinsic interest of Governments, competitors, the community, environment and society at large (Buchholtz, 2012). Refer to figure 1. Fig 1. A firm and its stakeholders (Polonsky Michael, 1995). The Australian Stock Exchange Corporate Governance Council guidelines (Australian, 2007) identify’s eight key priciples relating to the rules, relationships, systems and processes within and by which authority is exercised and controlled in corporations. By applying the eight principles to monitor and assess risk, optimise performance, create value and provide accountability. ‘Stakeholder Theory’ addresses these principles by concentrating on the moral responsibilities of business organisations in terms of the scope of fiduciary obligations towards their stakeholders. Researchers from Bologna’s University set out to determine whether stakeholder management actions could bring strength to internal legitimacy, thereby creating better working conditions that lead to improved company competitiveness, developed by company employees (Longo, 2008). They began by conducting two surveys on the employees of a leading Italian agricultural company who had been implementing ‘Stakeholder Theory’ for many years and had received numerous awards in recognition for their processes. They were asked a multitude of questions surrounding their roles in the workplace, their feelings toward their colleagues, employers and their work environment in detail. The researchers were then able to define quantitative measures of the system of resources to determine the role of stakeholder policies in the development of the intangible resources (Longo, 2008). Those intangible resources being, â€Å"the capacity to motivate employees† (Donaldson, 1995), â€Å"the capacity to attract and keep professional and qualified personnel in the work market† (Turban, 1997), â€Å"the ability to develop internal and external company relationships† (Post, 2002). The results indicated that the companys social policies had a significant influence particularly when it came to trust, job satisfaction, networking and communication, ability to work in a group and low turnover propensity† (Longo, 2008). Since 1983 Herman Miller the furniture manufacturing company has incorporated an employee as stakeholder program, employees carefully monitor and know how their  roles contribute to the profitability. Employees review the numbers, particularly their EVA performances, an indication of their contributions to the long-term value of the company. â€Å"We are part of the company, we think and act for what’s best for the company, and we share in the fortunes of the business, like owners. We also work hard to understand our opportunities for long-term profitability and growth† (Miller, 2010). Effective corporate governance structures encourage companies to create value, through entrepreneurialism, innovation, development and exploration, and provide accountability and control systems commensurate with the risks involved (Australian, 2007). According to a study conducted by the University of Northern Iowa, effective stakeholder management results in transparent financial reporting (Mattingly, 2009). By ensuring that decision making processes are transparent and the organisation is accountable to all its stakeholders, the effect on financial performance is a direct result of stakeholders having an active role in organisation governance. Additionally, organisations that exhibit stronger commitments to both institutional and technical stakeholders are more conservative in their accounting practices, a direct function of responsive corporate governance (Mattingly, 2009). As part of UPS’s 2011 Sustainability Report, Chairman and CEO Scott Davis spoke of the company’s financial reporting, â€Å"We are disclosing more information than ever before†¦ this process spotlights which issues are at the nexus of UPS’s own business issues with those of external stakeholders, which helps guide us in the future toward creating more sustainable, longer lasting relationships (UPS, 2011). Businesses are contributing to society more than ever before, how they contribute and make decisions raises significant ethical issues, ‘business ethics’ can be said to begin where the law ends (Crane, 2004). Additionally, companies are having to look toward creating not only sustainable organistations but environmentally sound and socially responsible establishments (Wolfe, 2007). The controversial economist Milton Friedman once said, â€Å"the only social responsibility of business is to maximise profits† (Friedman, 1962) . This way of thinking is inline with traditional ‘Agency Theory’, where the manager’s only obligation is to shareholders  (Crane, 2004). However, there is inconsistency with this argument, from a legal perspective and an economic perspective. Firstly, it is simply naà ¯ve to say that the only group who has a legitimate interest in the corporation is the shareholder. There are a multitude of groups that hold a legitimate ‘stake’ in the corporation through legal binding contracts that stipulate certain rights and claims on the corporation (Crane, 2004). For example there is legislation in place that protects workers’ rights in relation to pay and conditions, therefore from an ethical point of view the corporation has an obligation to their employees (Freeman, 2008). Secondly, there are external ramifications when a corporation ceases to consider the broader implications of it stakeholders, for example if a corporation closes down one of its factories in a small community and lays off the employees, the effect on the community is widespread, from the local business owner who loses customers, public services being cut, in turn the whole community is effected (Freeman, 2008). Recognising that the stakeholders interests have intrinsic value (normative approach), it makes not only ethical sense, but economical sense that the company takes responsibility to meet the stakeholders needs (Argandona, 2007). At Fuji Xerox responsibility and responsiveness to stakeholders is a key driver to ensure long term to sustainability. Managing Director at Fuji Xerox Nick Kugenthiran says â€Å"We manage our sustainability performance across seven areas of accountability; Business profitability Longevity, Corporate Governance compliance, Satisfying Customers, Providing a responsible solution, engaging employees, influencing sustainability outcomes and minimizing environmental impact† (Fuji.Xerox, 2011). A transparent disclosure to their stakeholders is evident in their sustainability reporting, and ethics and integrity are key corporate values. Their strong commitment to corporate citizenship demands exemplary legal compliance at a minimum. â€Å"We are working to integrate sustainability more explicitly into our governance and planning frameworks, and see an opportunity to improve our approach to risk management† (Fuji.Xerox, 2011). More and more businesses are recognising and working toward a model that incorporates corporate social responsibilities, which encourages a positive impact through its activities on the environment, consumers, employees,  communities, stakeholders and all other members of the public sphere. Refer to figure 2 Fig 2. Carroll’s four-part model of corporate social responsibility (Crane, 2004). The critics of ‘Stakeholder Theory’ argue correctly that you cannot give all stakeholders equal interest in the business, however the process of ‘Stakeholder Analysis’ is applied as a means of systematically gathering and analyzing qualitative information to determine whose interests should be taken into account. When developing and/or implementing a policy or program, the qualities being assessed are Power, Legitimacy and Urgency, these qualities help distinguish and assign priority to the appropriate stakeholders for any given project (Winkler, 2009). Refer to Figure 3. This method best recommends how management can give due regard to the interests of those groups. In other words, it attempts to address the principle of â€Å"Who or What Really Counts† (Freeman, 1984). Figure 3. Salience Stakeholder Model (Hseih, 2009). In Conclusion ‘Stakeholder Theory’ assists in shaping good Corporate Governance by addressing the ethics of managing an organisation. The companies corporate strategies consider the interests of their stakeholders, groups and indivduals who can affect, or is affected by, the achievement of the organisation’s purpose (Freeman, 1984). Furthermore, businesses are now under more pressure to become sustainable, transparent, ethical, environmentally responsible organisations and the most effective orgainsational management approach is ‘Stakeholder Theory’. By utilising the ‘Stakeholder Analysis’ process, organisations are able to determine which stakeholders interest are a priority. Like many theory’s, Stakeholder theory is not without its flaws, additional research needs to be conducted along with further criticism in order for the theory to evolve and advance the way organisations carry out Business. By creating an holistic framework for which company’s govern and protect not only its shareholders, but the wider constituents of the organisation, namely the stakeholders (Mallin, 2004),  business and society are now forever intrinsically connected, and with ‘Stakeholder Theory’ continuing to take a larger role, businesses will be better off, ultimately society too. REFERENCES: ARGANDONA, A., AYUSO S. 2007. Responsible Corporate Governance: Towards a Stakeholder Board of Directors. Post Doctural Research Fellow. Professor of Economics, University of Navarra. AUSTRALIAN, S., EXCHANGE (ASX) CORPORATE GOVERNANCE COUNCIL. 2007. Coporate Governance Principles and Recommendations [Online]. Available: http://www.asxgroup.com.au/media/PDFs/cg_principles_recommendations_with_2010_amendments.pdf. BUCHHOLTZ, A., K. AND CARROLL, A, B. 2012. Corporate Governance and Social Responsibility Ethics, Sustainability and Stakeholder Management, Australia, Cengage Learning. CRANE, A., MATTEN, D. 2004. Business Ethics, United States, Oxford University Press. DONALDSON, T., LEE, E. PRESTON 1995. The Stakeholder Theory of the Corporation: Concepts, Evidence, and Implications The Academy of Management Review, 20, 65-91. FREEMAN, E., R; HARRIS, J. 2008. The Impossibility of the Seperation Thesis. Business Ethics Quarterly, 18, 541-548. FREEMAN, R. E. 1984. Strategic Management: A Stakeholder Approach, Pitman Boston. FREEMAN, R. E., HARRISON, J. S., WICKS, A. C., PARMAR, B. L. DE COLLE, S. 2010. Stakeholder Theory : The State of the Art. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. FRIEDMAN, M. 1962. Capitalism and freedom, p.x1 FUJI.XEROX. 2011. Sustainability Report [Online]. Available: http://www.fxasustainability.com.au/2011/index.php. HSEIH, M. 2009. Human centric knowledge seeking strategies; stakeholder perspective. Journal of Knowledge Management, 13, 115-133. LONGO, M., MURA, M. 2008. Stakeholder management and human resources: development and implementation of a performance measurement system. Corporate Governance, 8, 191-213. MALLIN, C., A. 2004. Corporate Governance, United States, Oxford University Press. MATTINGLY, J., E., HARRAST, S., OLSEN, L. 2009. Governance implications of the effects of stakeholder management on financial reporting. Corporate Governance, 9, 271-282. MILLER, H. 2010. Herman Miller: A better world  report [Online]. POLONSKY MICHAEL, J. 1995. A stakeholder theory approach to designing marketing strategy. Journal of Business and Industrial Marketing, 10, pp29-46. POST, J. E., PRESTON, L.E., SACHS, S. 2002. Redefining the Corporation: Stakeholder Management and Organisation al Wealth. STARK, A. 1994. Whats the matter with business ethics? Harvard Business Review, pg 38-48. TURBAN, D. B., GREENING, D.W. 1997. Corporate social performance and organisational attrativeness to prospective employees. The Academy of Management Journal, 40, 658-72. UPS. 2011. Logistics at the Core: Corporate Sustainability Report 2011 [Online]. Atlanta Georgia. Available: http://www.responsibility.ups.com/community/Static Files/sustainability/2011_UPS_CSR_Report.pdf. WICKHAM, M., WONG, T. 2009. Stakeholder Management Capability: Exploring the Strategic Management of Dissenting Stakeholder Groups. University of Tasmania. WINKLER, I. 2009. Stakeholder Salienc in Corporate Codes of Ethics [Online]. Available: http://ejbo.jyu.fi/pdf/ejbo_vol14_no1_pages_4-13.pdf [Accessed 1 14]. WOLFE, B., D., SHETH N, J., SISODIA, S R. 2007. Firms of Edearment: How world class companies profit from passion and purspose.

Us airways swot analysis

Us airways swot analysis US Airways SWOT Analysis Mission Statement Customer service has always been a priority at US Airways, and we are committed to making every flight count for our valued customers. Our promise to you, the safety and satisfaction of our customers is a top priority for our airline. Customers first is the result of a joint effort of the airline industry, the US Congress and the US Department of transportation to address the key service elements that affects our customers. New Mission Statement Here at US Airways, we strive to create a modern travelling experience for our passengers. Our young fleet offers passengers the comfort and luxury of 21st century flight. From Wi-Fi, to satellite television to seats that reclines as beds, when u fly with us, youre always connected to the modern world. Strength of US Airways US Airways has much strength as a major airline. After its merger with America West in 2005, it became the 5th largest airline in the US, combining the East Coast prominence of US Airways and the West Coast strengths of America West. US Airways operates more than 3,800 departures a day to 240 destinations in 32 countries and flies nearly 70 million passengers a year. The company has two subsidiaries, US Airways Shuttle and US Airways Express which provide hourly short haul flights in the high demand metropolitan areas of NY, BOS, DC. This in particular is a great strength of US Airways because business flyers frequently travel between those cities on a daily basis and tend to sell out those flights. Below is a picture of the aircraft which provides these short distance flights for the business class. It also operates nonstop flights connecting business and pleasure travelers between Philadelphia and London. One of the biggest strengths that US Airways holds over all the other airlines is that it operates the largest fleet of Airbus aircraft in the world, particularly the Airbus A320 family which is considered the leader in the single-aisle jetliner market. The A320 family consists of four aircrafts (A318, A319, A320, and A321) which responds to airlines needs for optimized cabin layouts, better baggage and cargo handling, maximum operational flexibility on short and medium haul routes and most importantly lower operating costs that only a new-generation aircraft can offer. The Envoy Class and seats that US Airways flights have is strength in attracting business travelers. The Envoy Sleeper seats as they are known are seats on the A330-300 in business class that recline completely flat and form a bed as shown in figure 2 below. Those other airplane models that do not have the envoy seats have an envoy class in which every seat is fitted with a personal on demand screen to watch movies, play games, watch syndicated television, and each seat has an EmPower outlet. Other airlines typically only have one outlet per every 2 seats in coach or have done away with the outlets altogether. US Airways is also adding the Envoy Sleeper seats to its transatlantic B767 models. US Airways also have programs that give it strengths in areas other airlines lack. Dividend Miles is US Airways frequent flyer program which gives passengers who fly a certain amount of preferred miles perks such as upgrades, free checked bags, and early check in options. Many airlines have their own rewards program but US Airways has the advantage as it is part of the Star Alliance which is the largest airline alliance. Star Alliance is made up of 25 airlines and even if you do not fly US Airways as long as you fly one of the alliance airlines, your preferred miles are honored. The Star Alliance has their own premium levels for passengers enrolled in the alliances member programs. So regardless of the airline in the alliance, youre still eligible for the upgrades. Star Alliance makes up 28% of the global market share and was voted best airline alliance in 2007 (the next page demonstrates the members of the star alliance and some key facts which was taken from the Star Alliance webs ite). US Airways airport lounges are called US Airways Clubs and have 19 lounges in 14 airports across the US and can also be used within the Star Alliance. This is another perk that many other airlines have but unlike many including the larger airlines such as Delta, admittance to the US Airways lounge is free with your premium frequent flyer program Star Alliance statistics Member Airlines: 25 Number of aircraft: 3,740 Number of employees: 458,332 Passengers per year: 586.60 million Sales Revenue (in US$): 169.70 billion Daily departures: 19,534 Number of airports: 1,071 Number of lounges: 954 Countries served: 171 The two overall strengths that US Airways has over many of its competitors are its â€Å"Do Crew† and safety rating. The Do Crew is made up of volunteer employees that participate in community based programs to help out the community on a monthly basis. The Do Crews set out through their local chapters which are located in many mainstream cities such as Boston, Las Vegas, New York, Charlotte, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Phoenix, and Washington, DC. Many of the airlines are regarded as only looking to achieve capital, although the ultimate goal of all airlines is to sell seats and make money, US Airways displays a sense of appreciation by giving back to the community each month. The company is a proud sponsor of Reading is Fundamental (RIF) which helps to distribute books and help children achieve literacy. The strongest point that US Airways holds which most passengers would look for is they were considered the safest airline in the US. From January 1, 2002 to January 2, 2007 US Airways had the lowest accident rating of .89 accidents per 1 million take offs. The list below came from the website injury.com which shows the top 5 safest airlines in that period. US Airways (.89 accidents) Southwest Airlines (2.59 accidents) America West Airlines (2.96 accidents) Continental Airlines (3.17 accidents) Alaska Airlines (3.32 accidents) Competition will always exist in the aviation world but these are some of the strengths that set aside US Airways from the other airlines. Weakness of US Airways As many strength US Airways have, it also have their weaknesses that lowers the airline popularity and name. Complaints are a common or daily situation that many customers have during the year. Many luggage claims have been filed by angry passengers. Like customers luggage getting lost and then appearing broken and with missing personnel items. Like in the case of some customers nicknamed â€Å"bigfogie† when he lost his luggage after making connections to another city. When he finally gets his suitcase, he found out that it was broken with all his family gifts and personal stuff damaged. Then after making a complaint and filing their forms for damages, US Airways decision was not to pay for the items. This is a loss of consciousness of the company because after committing the safety and trust of the customers luggage, it ended up like trash. This problem of peoples properties getting damage is very common because he is not the only one complaining for the same problem. People have passed by the same problem, which they end up giving their comments and similar experiences. US Airways safety has been downsized causing a risk to the aircrafts maintenance and peoples lives. Lives haves been in risk because of the safety directives were not met during the period of October 2008 to January 2009. The procedure used was that the mechanics whould stuff shop towels into the aircraft engine, which can cause the engine to fail in any time. In that period there were 1,647 flights that could have been affected, causing any irregularity in the engine performance. This is why U.S Airways was fined 5.4 million dollars by the Federal Aviation Authority. When this was announced it could cause many customers to change to another airline causing losses to the company. This is a clear stage of lack of training and needs to be corrected. â€Å"U.S Airways† will be changing their company structure by concentrating their service in Philadelphia, Charlotte and Phoenix and other cities. Due to the restructuring, the company will let go some markets and fire 1,000 workers and suspend service to Beijing. The restructuring will cause during the next 3 months reducing of 64 to 36 departures in â€Å"Las Vegas† and will be closing operation in Wichita, Kansas and Colorado Springs, Colorado. During the first 6 months of 2010, US Airways will be closing crew bases in Boston, La Guardia and Las Vegas. 25 Business Travel News reported that â€Å"US Airways also pointed to weakness in transatlantic revenue in its plan to cease service from Philadelphia to Birmingham, U.K.; London Gatwick; Milan, Italy; Shannon, Ireland; and Stockholm, Sweden.† This will reduce the customers advantage to get to their destinations directly and will become a hassle were they will have to look for new sources and leave US Airways Services. There is a possibility that revenue will reduce but US Airways will be concentrating in their services which could be neutralized. Other companies will take full advantages of these departures being reduced and bases being closed. These will cause other airlines to gain new customers with less competence. Industry Environment In 2008, US Airways faced an outstanding change in their company. US Passes through significant losses as they confront staggering increases in the price of fuel during that year. The average quarter cost per barrel of oil below in the diagram demonstrates the runaway of fuel prices during 2008: US airways continue with this difficult economical confrontation, they were not able to increase the price of their tickets to at least pay their larger expense which was jet fuel. These factors help other Airlines to take advantage where they increased prices in their tickets and preserve liquidity. US Airways Response As described above, US Airways were profoundly challenged by the economic situation in 2008. They participated in the industrys response to record high fuel prices and take action to operate a strong and competitive airline by implementing the following initiatives. Capacity and Fleet Reductions The company reduced the total mainline capacity by 5.9 percent in the fourth quarter of 2008 and the Express capacity by 1.3 percent on a year-over-year basis. Furthermore, US Airways plans to decrease the total mainline by four to six percent in 2009 and the Express capacity by five to seven percent from 2008. They anticipated that these capacity reductions will enable the company to lower the problem of reduced passenger demand on revenue and reduce costs. US Airways have prepared some strategic methods to obtain their capacity reduction goals: Fleet Reduction: US Airways said that they will be returning 10 aircrafts to leasers, this includes four Airbus A320s that were returned during the first quarter of 2009 and six 737-300 returned in 2008. They further cancelled the leases of two Airbus A330-200 wide-bodies that were planned for delivery in the second quarter of 2009. Even more, US Airways is still planning to reduce additional aircraft in 2010. â€Å"Las Vegas† Flight Reduction: US Airways closed Las Vegas night operation in exception for limited night service to the East Coast in 2008. 141 flights that departed daily from Las Vegas in 2007 were reduced to 77 in 2008. In the end, the revenue produced from the Las Vegas night operation no longer exceeded an increment cost. Opportunities of US Airways While US Airways may not be the best airline in the world, it has the potential to be. Within the company lie many opportunities that it could use to its advantage. The company offers an attractive employee benefit. Within the package lie health insurance, prescription drug coverage, dental insurance, life insurance and many more. We all know that there is a larger population in the eastern United States than the western and currently, US Airways has a large number of destinations and a greater hold on the Eastern coast of the United States. They go to major cities such as New York, Philadelphia, Charleston, Washington DC.etc. These are relatively large cities which could potentially mean more airline seat sales given the right strategies. This is in comparison to Delta Airlines whose eastern city destinations are New York, Boston and Washington DC. The map below shows the routes of the daily 3800 flights carried out by US Airways. The entire eastern seaboard is covered in black which demonstrates the overlaying of multiple flight paths. With fuel efficient airbus aircrafts a large number on their fleet, the company could use this to go towards being a â€Å"green company†. Being a green company has its benefits, especially in the 21st century when many people are conscious of the welfare of the earth. This badge will give the company a good image and might possibly increase passenger enrollments. On January 15, 2009, a US Airways flight bound for Charlotte, North Carolina hit a flock of birds on takeoff from La Guardia airport. The A320 aircraft, captained by Chesley Sullenberger ditched into the Hudson River in an attempt to save the lives of 155 passengers and crews onboard. In the weeks that follow, the media, passengers and government officials all praised captain Sullenberger for his professionalism in handling the situation. The governor was quote calling the event â€Å"a miracle on the Hudson†. Although a traumatic event, this had brought much positive public attention to the highly skilled pilots within US Airways. In 2007, US Airways ranked among the worst in on-time performance; however, a year later, the company went to having one of the best within the major airlines. Airport Business reported that â€Å"US Airways rallied its work force to focus on one goal getting planes pushed back from the gate on-time and began offering financial incentives to workers for better service.† This shows that the company has what it takes to improve on a number of their services and should use this example as a way in making their company more effective. Threats towards US Airways One of US Airways biggest threats is competitive airline tickets, of the three destinations that I have researched; US Airways had the most expensive tickets for two destinations. I visited the website expedia.com and found that from New York City to Boston, US Airways charged a low price of $215, Delta Airlines charge $201 and American Airline charges $202. From New York City to Las Vegas, US Airways charged $248; Delta and American Airlines charged $209. The last destination was from New York City to Miami. US Airways charged $168, Delta Airline charged $163 and American Airlines charged $173. On all three destinations, US Airways biggest threat comes from Delta Airline which offers the lowest airfares. This could be used as a factor which influences customers away from US Airways. US Airways has the worst customer satisfaction out of 19 largest airlines in America. According to Phoenix Business Journal, â€Å"US Airways improves, but still trails in customer satisfaction†. In July 2008, the US department of transportation reported that US Airways had received customer complaints of 2.16 for every 100,000 passengers. The report went further to say 19,400 bags were lost or mishandled in July. Based on these finding, US Airways has more expensive airfares and bad customer satisfaction which is a bad combination for influencing customers to travel with them. For quite some time, Delta airline offered in-flight Wi-Fi access. This had since been a threat towards US Airways which did not offer this service. In todays world many people wanted to stay connected, especially when they are in an aircraft for many hours. However, US Airways has since responded to this threat by introducing Wi-Fi to its aircrafts within the first quarter of 2010. The Pittsburg Business Times reports â€Å"The carrier, which is the No. 1 airline at Pittsburgh International Airport, has hired Aircell to provide Internet access†¦ Customers will be able to choose services from Aircells standard pricing structure, which currently ranges from $5.95 to $12.95.† US Airways international service has a threat amongst the service that is offered at Delta. US Airways currently operates 3,800 daily flights to 240 destinations in 32 countries. This may seem like an impressive figure, however, Delta Airlines has 7,500 daily flights to 567 destinations in 112 countries. This numbers doubles that of US Airways and the company offers cheaper airfares than US Airways. So an expansion into other markets is required, for instance, African and Asian cities. US Airways BCG Matrix Stars for US Airways would include: Airline technology such as Business class reclining seats. The seats US Airways offer comfort ability to its business class passengers making it possible and reasonable for the airline to raise its prices. The Dividend Miles program offers passengers benefits each time they fly with US Airways. This gives much appreciation to loyal customers who would continue to support the airline. Every airline wishes to use less fuel to carry more passengers, with US Airways large fleet of Airbus, they do just that. The fuel efficient aircrafts gives much revenue to the company. The new venture of introducing Wi-Fi technology into US Airways aircrafts will prove to be a question mark. Although it is expected to become a star, there is still some uncertainty to its future in the company. US Airways have a relatively young aircraft fleet. Based on airfleet.net, the average age of the aircrafts are 11.9 years so the dogs in this company could be old unreliable aircrafts. It is always best to buy new aircrafts than try to maintain old ones. It takes too much time and money and there is a high chance it will be out of service again. Unprofitable destinations are another, every airline has this. An airline loses its influence in an area to competition and its just not making money. The only logical thing to do is just to discontinue services to that area. Some cash cows US Airways has are its profitable destinations and shuttle destinations. These destinations are very profitable for the company and although they dont expect much growth, they are still a very good asset for the company. Recommendations On all three destinations from New York that I researched, I found that US Airways had the most expensive airfare. I think more should be done to lower the prices to be cheaper than Delta. Although US Airways has a .89 accident rating which is a significantly low number, they had been publicly fined 5.4 million dollars for lack of safety. This could affect them negatively so it is important that the company keeps up to date with its safety requirements and guidelines. In September 2008, Pittsburg Business Journals reported that US Airways trails behind 18 top Airline companies in America in customer satisfaction. This is because the airline frequently receives complaints about lost luggage and little is done to compensate these passengers. The company needs to be friendlier towards the customer on these matters or face drastic loss in passenger enrollment. The company should start an advertising campaign towards helping to save the environment with their fuel efficient aircrafts. US Airways could use a different image, an image that shows it cares. With the publicity of Captain Sullenberger, US Airways should organize a tour to aeronautical schools for the captain to inspire student pilots. More should be done to open new gates into the international markets. The company does not have much Asian and African destinations and we feel that they should atleast have one major city within these continents. Conclusion US Airways is the fifth largest airline in the United States after its merger with America West Airlines. The companys mission statement gave an impression that it was dedicated to its customers yet the company has much room for improvement towards customer satisfaction to achieve that mission statement. The companys focus is primarily on ways for cutting cost, they sometimes refuse to reimburse customers for their broken luggage and implementing costs to measure up to safety requirements. While they may not have many accidents, the company needs to bear in mind prevention. Overall, the direction the company is going signifies that it has a profitable and bigger future. We expect the company to increase its fleet size and further modernize to the level which it will be competing with the likes of airlines such as Cathay, Air France, etc. Reference A320 Family, Airbus. Retrieved on November 19, 2009 from http://www.airbus.com/en/aircraftfamilies/a320 BCG Growth Share Matrix, Quick MBA. Retrieved November 20, 2009 from http://www.quickmba.com/strategy/matrix/bcg/ Consumer complaints about US Airways, Consumer Affairs. Retrieved on November 19, 2009 from http://www.consumeraffairs.com/travel/us_airways.htm Cutting Flights And Jobs, US Airways Narrows Network, 25 Business travel news. Retrieved on November 7, 2009 from http://www.btnonline.com/businesstravelnews/headlines/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1004031470 Delta Airlines worldwide destinations, Delta Airlines. Retrieved November 19, 2009 from http://www.delta.com/planning_reservations/plan_flight/destinations/travel_getaways/index.jsp Details and Fleet history, Planespotters. Retrieved on November 25, 2009 from http://www.planespotters.net/Airline/US-Airways?show=current#AirlineFleetList Employee Benefits, US Airways. Retrieved November 18, 2009 from http://www.usairways.com/en-US/aboutus/employment/employee_benefits.html Fleet age, US Airways, Airfleets. Retrieved on November 19, 2009 from http://www.airfleets.net/ageflotte/?file=calcopopp=US+Airways Flight Prices, Expedia. Retrieved November 17, 2009 from http://www.expedia.com/pub/agent.dll?qscr=fexpflag=qcity1=JFKcitd1=LASdate1=11/23/2009time1=362date2=11/26/2009time2=362cAdu=1cSen=cChi=cInf=infs=2tktt=trpt=2ecrc=eccn=qryt=8load=1airp1=JFKdair1=LASrdct=1olacid=buttons-meta.cheapflights.cheapflights.buttons.flight.xml.,%20buttons-meta.cheapflights.cheapflights.buttons.flight.xmleapid=12345-1 http://www.expedia.com/pub/agent.dll?qscr=fexpflag=qcity1=JFKcitd1=BOSdate1=12/1/2009time1=362date2=12/8/2009time2=362cAdu=1cSen=cChi=cInf=infs=2tktt=trpt=2ecrc=eccn=qryt=8load=1airp1=JFKdair1=BOSrdct=1olacid=buttons-meta.cheapflights.cheapflights.buttons.flight.xml.,%20buttons-meta.cheapflights.cheapflights.buttons.flight.xmleapid=12345-1 http://www.expedia.com/pub/agent.dll?qscr=fexpflag=qcity1=JFKcitd1=MIAdate1=12/2/2009time1=362date2=12/14/2009time2=362cAdu=1cSen=cChi=cInf=infs=2tktt=trpt=2ecrc=eccn=qryt=8load=1airp1=JFKdair1=MIArdct=1olacid=buttons-meta.cheapflights.cheapflights.buttons.flight.xml.,%20buttons-meta.cheapflights.cheapflights.buttons.flight.xmleapid=12345-1 Form 10-K for US AIRWAYS GROUP INC, Yahoo Finance. Retrieved on November 26, 2009 from http://au.us.biz.yahoo.com/e/090218/lcc10-k.html How US Airways ended up in first to get to the top of the on-time heap, airline focused on pushing back from the gate fast, Airport Business. Retrieved November 27, 2009 from http://www.airportbusiness.com/online/article.jsp?siteSection=1id=21636 LCC Annual Report, EDGAR. Retrieved on November 28, 2009 from http://sec.edgar-online.com/us-airways-group-inc/10-k-annual-report/2009/02/18/section12.aspx N.Y. jet crash called â€Å"miracle on the Hudson, MSNBC. Retrieved November 27, 2009 from http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28678669 Robbins Coulter (2009). Management (10th edition). New Jersey, Pearson Prentice Hall Star Alliance member airlines, Star Alliance. Retrieved on November 18, 2009 from http://www.staralliance.com/en/about/airlines/ Top 5 safest airline, Injury. Retrieved on November 18, 2009 from http://www.injury.com/injuries/2009/02/13/top-five-safest-airlines/ United Airlines, US Airways face millions in FAA fines for safetyviolations, Chicago Tribune. Retrieved on November 17, 2009 from http://archives.chicagotribune.com/2009/oct/15/business/chi-tc-biz-faa-1014-1015oct15 US Airways, United. Retrieved on November 30, 2009 from http://www.united.com/page/article/0,1360,50107,00.html US Airways add Wi-Fi Service, Pittsburg Business Times. Retrieved November 19, 2009 from http://pittsburgh.bizjournals.com/pittsburgh/stories/2009/07/20/daily44.html US Airways airlines information history pictures and facts, Aviation Explorer. Retrieved from December 1, 2009 from http://www.aviationexplorer.com/us_airways_airlines.htm US Airways complaint, My3cents. Retrieved on November 11, 2009 from http://www.my3cents.com/showReview.cgi?id=62769 US Airways flight destinations, US Airways. Retrieved November 17, 2009 from http://www.usairways.com/en-US/routemap.html US Airways improves, but still trails in customer satisfaction, Phoenix Business Journal. Retrieved November 17, 2009 from http://phoenix.bizjournals.com/phoenix/business_travel/story/biz/937.html US Airways mission statement, US Airways Group. Retrieved November 16, 2009 from http://www.company-statements-slogans.info/list-of-companies-u/us-airways-group.htm US Airways on flickr, flickr from Yahoo. Retrieved November 27, 2009 from http://www.flickr.com/photos/egrenouille/3230143574/ US Airways Past and Present, US Airways. Retrieved on November 27, 2009 from http://www2.usairways.com/en-US/aboutus/pressroom/history.html

Flying Essay -- The Event That Changed My Life

A few summers ago, a gentleman I had only just met offered me an afternoon plane ride. He was a retired lawyer and enjoyed any excuse to pilot his small plane. My friend Paul and I had nothing scheduled that day, so figured why not. After some debate about where to fly, north, south, or east, we settled on Mendocino, about halfway up the coast to Oregon. Within minutes we were bundled into a Beechcraft Bonanza and rattling off an absurdly short runway into the open sky. It was a spectacular day even by California standards as we swooped along the pine-clad rocky coastline and buzzed hermits at a hidden Buddhist monastery. After what seemed like only a few minutes we were mingling with the tourists in Mendocino, a colorful seaside village which plays the role of "Cabot Cove, Maine" in "Murder She Wrote." Then we were back in the air, once again hugging the coastline at about 3500 feet. This time (on the basis of a coin toss) I got to sit up front with the pilot. Up to this point the adventure had been pleasant enough, touched even with a bit of magic. After all, it is nothing less than magic to pick a direction at a whim and quickly land hundreds of mil... ...n again to rave amidst my unseeing neighbors. I handed back the controls and we swooped between the towers of the Golden Gate just as the fog was rolling in, skipped across Alcatraz and Angel Island, and landed with a little hop back where we started. And now, months later, I am a changed man. I don't think I'll be signing up for flying lessons anytime soon; I have enough expensive habits as it is. But now, when I look up into the sky, I see it not as a rather extravagant ceiling, but as a conduit to other places. I see that it's easy to get from here to there. All you have to do is fly.

Positive Impact of Internet on Internet Essay

E-government, based on The World Bank definition is â€Å"the use of information technology by government offices for better services to people, business and to facilitate cooperation among government institutions†. The use of E-government has a prospect of empowering the society through public access to information resources available. (Krisna Sen, 2005) For example, a number of American and European sites feature extensive government reports and scientific studies as well as dynamic debates about government and politics. Analogous Indonesian sites usually offer little beyond public relations materials from government agencies and corporations. Krisna Sen, 2005) There are unlimited advantages in the application of e-government. The wide use of e-government provides services and assists in communication between government and communities. It, also, provides services and makes a communication possible between government and business sector. Finally, â€Å"e-government facilitates communication in intergovernmental and among government institutions† (David Lazer, 2007). Basically, it supports the communication between central and local governments and balances their authority. Indonesia could use E-government for other reasons as well. E-government can maintain the government change towards a democratic future. Online E-government services will motivate general public to use internet and transform the society towards an information epoch. There are many factors that, unfortunately, contribute to the low use of Internet. Most of the ICT development has been concentrated in the metropolis centers like Jakarta, Bandung, Bali, and Surabaya, while rural areas lack access to even the most basic telecom infrastructure. Telephone and computer access have gradually increased over the years, but these figures are still very low. Another main aspect contributing to the little use of ICTs is the narrow knowledge and use of English in Indonesia. The national language of Indonesia, a dialect of Malay, is used in education, government, and business. That is why the ability to use the Internet is very limited. However, despite an array of geographical, political, and economic obstacles, progress has been made in the operation and use of the Internet in Indonesia with the support of local communities. Also, a significant steps forward has been made in the distribution of ICT education in the country.

Franny and Zooey essays

Franny and Zooey essays Franny and Zooey is a book is separated into two parts, both which ran as short stories in the New Yorker. Franny Glass, the protagonist of the first section, and Zooey Glass, the protagonist of the second are actually brother and sister. They come from a rather large family of seven children and are the two youngest kids. All of the Glass children were deemed gifted at a young age and all seven appeared regularly on a radio program called Its A Wise Child. Of course, all of them were expected to carry on with this greatness throughout the rest of their lives. Naturally, it was a source of terrible distress to Mrs. Bessie Glass when her very youngest, the baby, grew quite disinterested in college and suffered a breakdown of sorts. Franny was just twenty years old when her emotional breakdown occurred. Mr. and Mrs. Glass tried everything they could to accommodate their daughter when she returned to their New York City apartment, but Zooey was not so kind. A condensed version of thei r story is as follows. Franny is out on a lunch date with her boyfriend Lane when the first signs of the breakdown hit her. It could be said that Lane himself triggers her emotions, simply for the type of man he is. Franny tells Lane she is tired of all the stupidity around her in college along with all the overblown egos. She doesnt feel shes learning anything other than basic knowledge in her classes, nothing that will make her any wiser than she already is; for wisdom is what she yearns for, its what all the great minds she so admires have. At any rate, shes unsatisfied with her teachers, her fellow pupils, and generally anyone else she may happen to run into. On top of that, shes begun to develop a growing interest in the Jesus Prayer that shes read about. Its a prayer that, when repeated over and over, eventually engrains itself into yo ...

Why the Sun Looks Yellow When Its Really Not

Why the Sun Looks Yellow When Its Really Not If you ask a random person to tell you what color the sun is, chances are he will look at you like youre an idiot and tell you the sun is yellow. Would you be surprised to learn the sun is not yellow? Its actually white. If you were to view the sun from the International Space Station or the moon, youd see its true color. Check space photos online. See the true color of the sun? The reason the sun appears yellow during the day from Earth, or orange to red at sunrise and sunset, is because we view our favorite star through the filter of the atmosphere. This is one of the tricky ways in which light and our eyes change the way we perceive colors, as is the case with the so-called impossible colors. The True Color of the Sun If you view sunlight through a prism, you can see the entire range of wavelengths of light. Another example of the visible portion of the solar spectrum is seen in the rainbow. Sunlight isnt a single color of light, but a combination of the emission spectra of all the elements in the star. All of the wavelengths combine to form white light, which is the net color of the sun. The sun emits different amounts of various wavelengths. If you measure them, the peak output in the visible range is actually in the green portion of the spectrum (not yellow). However, visible light isnt the only radiation emitted by the sun. Theres also  blackbody radiation.  The average of the solar spectrum is a color, which indicates the temperature of the sun and other stars. Our sun averages about 5,800 Kelvin, which appears nearly white. Out of the brightest stars in the sky, Rigel appears blue and has a temperature exceeding 100,000K, while Betelguese has a cooler temperature of 35,00K and appears red. How the Atmosphere Affects Solar Color The atmosphere changes the apparent color of the sun by scattering light. The effect is called Rayleigh scattering. As violet and blue light gets scattered away, the average visible wavelength or color of the sun shifts toward red, but the light isnt entirely lost. The scattering of short wavelengths of light by molecules in the atmosphere is what gives the sky its blue color. When viewed through the thicker layer of atmosphere at sunrise and sunset, the sun appears more orange or red. When viewed through the thinnest layer of air at midday, the sun appears closest to its true color, yet still has a yellow tint. Smoke and smog also scatter light and can make the sun appear more orange or red (less blue).  The same effect also makes the moon appear more orange or red when it is close to the horizon, but more yellow or white when it is high in the sky. Why Pictures of the Sun Look Yellow If you view a NASA photo of the sun, or a photo taken from any telescope, youre usually viewing a false color image. Often, the color that is chosen for the image is yellow because its familiar. Sometimes photos taken through green filters are left as-is because the human eye is most sensitive to green light and can readily distinguish detail. If you use a neutral density filter to observe the sun from Earth, either as a protective filter for a telescope or so you can observe a total solar eclipse, the sun will appear yellow because youre reducing the amount of light that reaches your eyes, but not changing the wavelength. Yet, if you used that same filter in space and didnt correct the image to make it prettier, youd see a white sun.

The Restoration of Europes Old Order by 1950 essays

The Restoration of Europes Old Order by 1950 essays Prior to 1914 Europe had particular settled order as regards geographical occupation of territory and also the system of alliances. After 1914 this order was not only unsettled but shattered. In this essay this order will be explored with reference to social, economical, geographical and political features and will also investigate whether or not this order was restored in any way or form by the 1950s. The essay will also investigate the continent in different ways but mainly focusing on the shift in world powers and world domination, the democratic versus communism conflict and the beleaguered and devastated nations across Europe. In the years previous to the beginning of the First World War an order among the European countries developed quite evidently. Apart from the prominent geographical features the order of alliances shaped the continent at this time. Therefore when examining the order the central powers and the allied powers must be examined separately. The central powers namely Germany and Austria-Hungary dominated the vast majority of central and Eastern Europe. Their Triple Alliance agreement aligned to tie the two nations to Italy in the event of warfare completed one part of the bisected old order. Britain, France and Russia combined formed the allied side of the division. Their Triple Entente formed the opposition to the central powers. This alliance created severe advantages particularly geographically as the central powers found themselves sandwiched by the allies. When examining as to whether or not the old order was restored in Europe by 1950 one of the foremost features that should be examined is the geographical changes that occurred in the thirty-six years between the beginning of the First World War and 1950 as Hobsbawm remarked that The Second World War was a lesson in World Geography and true to ...

Employee Participation and Organisational Performance Essay

Employee Participation and Organisational Performance - Essay Example The many forms of employee involvement can be grouped into two basic categories. The first (more common) approach consists of suggestion systems, quality circles, ad-hoc participation groups, and cross-functional task forces. These programs are part of the parallel organization structure and thus can be called supplemental initiatives. The parallel organization co-exists with the formal organization structure and is intended to facilitate communication, coordination, and opportunities for change (Chan & So, 1997). The second employee-involvement approach includes replacement initiatives, which modify or replace the formal organization structure. Essentially, these initiatives become institutionalized; they involve employees in decision making regarding how work is performed and how jobs can be made more effective. An example of a replacement initiative is self-managing work teams, which are different from quality circles and other problem-solving groups in that they make problem solving, decision making, and managing the work process part of the day-to-day job (Chiu, 1998). Let's first take a look at how employee involvement has been defined. ... avid Schweiger's (1979) explanation of participative decision making as "joint decision making." Another definition of employee involvement describes it as a systematic approach to redistributing the responsibility and accountability for problem solving and decision making to the lowest appropriate level. One could also look at the dimensions of participation that have been identified in the literature: the degree to which it is formal, versus informal; the degree to which it is direct, versus indirect; the level of influence that employees have; and the nature of the decisions they make. Clearly, the definitions of participation do not inherently exclude white collar and knowledge workers, although many definitions tend to emphasize involving lower level employees (Chu, 1997). An Affinity Group Model To examine the affinity group process, it's important to begin with a definition. Specifically, an affinity group is a collegial association of peers that meets on a regular basis to share information, capture opportunities, and solve problems that affect the group and the overall organization (Dale, Cooper, & Wilkinson, 1997). Affinity groups are a horizontal, cross-cutting mechanism. Among their key characteristics: Group members have the same job position or title; group-member roles are formalized; group meetings are regular and frequent; the group has a charter stating its mission and domain; and the group is self-managing, in that it is responsible for managing its processes and output. Within an organization's infrastructure, affinity groups are a supplemental initiative, since they are not part of daily production/service responsibilities. The parallel organization structure provides unique problem-solving and improvement opportunities for these groups, whose

City council paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

City council paper - Essay Example In addition, on the south of the property, are single family residential, to the east, are commercial properties. The petitioner has purchased two plots to aid in environmental remediation on the property and the corridor (â€Å"Bloomington Board of Zoning Appeals†). The CSX transportation has been working with an environmental firm to remove the pollution from the site. This is important in terms of providing technical assistance in determining the depth of the pollution. The CSX transportation, has worked on the remediation plan for over 20years and have now moved to the south side of the Country Club drive. Part of work on the site, involve setting up monitoring wells that have been dug for purposes of determine the depth of the pollution. The petitioner further claim to have dug collection well that are essential in bringing creasole deposits from the ground which is part of the environmental clean-up. In this regard, the petitioner is faced with the hurdle of storing crea sole on drums and barrels. This, requires a space within the environmental remediation site to store the stockpile of creasole. The storage is important for the petitioner while waiting for appropriate time to incinerate or transport the creasole to New York. Removing the creasole material means there have to be a place within the site where, they can be stored on a short-time period before the next action is taken. In essence, the storage will allow CSX adequate time to look for trucks to load the containers containing the creasole (â€Å"Bloomington Board of Zoning Appeals†). The petitioner is faced with the problem of restriction for outdoor storage and building of an 8ft fence to secure the environmental remediation site. The request by the petitioner is reasonable when considering such factors as damages to the site, vandalism and easing access and cordoning the site because of the nature of work being done which is environmentally unhealthy to the surrounding neighborho ods. To establish an outdoor storage, the CSX transportation has identified Lot 3 to store the containers, however, the planned unit development does not allow for outdoor storage. The environmental remediation on the site present a unique situation and CSX transportation has a reasonable request for outdoor storage while arranging on how to incinerate or transport the collected creasole to New York. In regard to the construction of an 8ft fence to secure the area, the petitioner faces a problem in the sense that, the zoning code only allows for the construction of 8ft fence where there is a primary structure. As a result the petitioner is faced with the problem of using a 4ft fence that does not secure the environmental remediation site. The high fence is important in securing the site because the nature of work is environmentally unfriendly and securing the area is of utmost importance (â€Å"Bloomington Board of Zoning Appeals†). The other problem that the petitioner faces involves passing through traffic and homeless person in the proximity of the environmental remediation site. Cordoning the area with 8ft fence is essential in securing access to the collection area. Further, the other problem that faced the CSX transportation involved establishing a storage point on a portion of property that is on a flood plain. This is not desirable especially with the outdoor storage of contaminant

How To Build Your Own Computer Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

How To Build Your Own Computer - Term Paper Example For basic operation, minimum hardware configuration is required but for some special purposes hardware must be selected accordingly. This paper contains the procedure of building your computer according to one’s own requirement. How to Build Your Own Computer A personal computer is not only utilized to surf the internet or check email but it is vastly used for other purposes like creating different software, run various programs and for maintain office documents and collecting information. Software is incomplete without hardware and in computers processor is the brain and heart of the system. Some people use a personal computer to play various games. A personal computer contains many parts that help run the processor and perform other functions. Processor and some other hardware components are mounted on a motherboard. All the hardware components are interfaced but utilizing a motherboard. A simple computer has a central processing unit (CPU) also known as processor, a random access memory (RAM), hard disk drive (HDD), compact disk drives (CD ROM) and DVD ROMs. Keyboard, mouse, scanners, camera and microphone are the inputs whereas monitor, printer and speaker are the output devices of a computer (Kitchen Table Computer ,2004). Designing your own computer, or even simply choosing the parts you want included in a custom build from a manufacturer, can prove to be quite difficult, or even impossible for an inexperienced computer user. I will attempt to demystify this process and provide guidance for an average, non-tech savvy person to define the intended purpose for their new computer and then select individual hardware components for purchase. We will start by deciding on the new computer’s intended use and then get right into the heart of the computer: the processor unit, memory (how much is right), hard disk drive (size and access speed), and other hardware components you can include in the computer proper. We will look at basic operating softwar e and then turn our attention to external devices, which can include items such as display devices, input devices (mouse/keyboard), printers, scanners, and external storage devices. I’ll briefly touch on some easy to understand web sites for making your purchase, and finally, take a look at redundancy, or back-up options, you should consider in order to protect all of your precious data created or stored on your new computer. To begin with, let us consider some of the more common uses of computers today. There is a definite need for general-purpose home computers for activities as simple as using email, surfing the internet and storing and viewing pictures. Many people like to have a computer for simple office automation functions while others enjoy developing and hosting web sites for pleasure or small business opportunities. Another quite popular use is gaming, and in some niche communities, extreme gaming, for which expensive processors, graphics cards, maximum memory amou nts, and even special cooling systems are employed. And yet another use is for home entertainment, which may include streaming video directly to a display unit, downloading and storing media for later use, or even producing personal audio and video files for private use or sharing with friends and family. Some may classify the later into graphical arts studio work, but I personally reserve this category for people who use computers

Women in Islam Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Women in Islam - Assignment Example The hijab has become common in the Muslim world and frequently worn conceitedly by the university and college girls as a sign of Islamic identity, liberating them symbolically from western cultural domination and imperialism (Kusha, 2011). Â  In addition, the traditional Muslim culture of male occupational dominance has also changed, and currently, Muslim women hold various positions in the workplaces. The culture of men as the breadwinners does no longer exist, and women raise their children and feed the household just as men. Another important change in the Muslim culture to satisfy the needs of modern women is in marriage. Traditionally, all Muslim marriages were arranged, and women had no say, but in the modern one, women are cherished and treated well. In fact, the mistreatment and beating of women are something of the past in the Muslim marriage. Â  In summary, the Muslim culture has transformed to include the needs of women in the modern society, but there is need to address the miss-emphasis and misrepresentation in Islam. The Muslim leaders should continue to address the problem of gender relations within the Muslim communities and outside to correct the gender imbalances.

Criminal Litigation. Case Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Criminal Litigation. Case Management - Essay Example The inclusion of expert evidence in civil and trial has increased remarkably to encompass, for example, modern and innovative scientific procedures and related assessment reports. This paper critically examines how courts have influenced expert evidence at trial. Common law traditions require that expert witnesses are only sought with the permission of the court and that the principal obligation of the experts is to remain impartial to the court during the course of their submissions. The obligations and conduct of expert witnesses are well stated in both the Practice Direction 35 and the Civil Procedure Rules (CPR) Part 35, with CPR Part 35.3 specifically indicating that: experts are duty-bound to assist the judicial process on the issues within the scope of their respective professions. The obligation surpasses any duty to the party from whom such a professional has received briefing or who is responsible for their earnings (Gans 353). In addition, Practice Direction 35.2 also indicates that expert evidence should be the impartial outcome of the expert who is free from the duress caused by the long-drawn and challenging litigation procedures. However, the fact that there are two different categories of experts raises the controversy of impartiality at trial. As Sonenshein and Fitzpatrick (14) noted, an expert with clear directions to provide evidence at trial and another expert whose evidence is basically advisory may have clearly delineated mandates. However, the provisions of CPR Part 35 and Practice Direction 35 normally apply in factual evidence provision rather than giving opinion evidence at trial. Expert evidence in court processes is regarded as having the potential to shade more light on issues which are beyond the understanding of conventional fact-finding process. However, members of the court are sometimes ill-equipped to tell whether expert

The Rise of African Nationalism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Rise of African Nationalism - Essay Example It is evidently clear from the discussion that the concept of African nationalism rose in the post-war period in Africa. This was a turning moment for a people whom centuries of slavery and colonialism had deprived of humanity. Ideologies centered on the theme of nationalism and the essence of nationalism was anti-imperialism. It was a claim and struggle against something. It was an expression of a struggle against denial of humanity, denial of respect and dignity and denial of the African identity. It was the struggle to bring back African mind to Africa as well as a time to end the historical experience of racial humiliation, political oppression, economic exploitation and cultural domination under European slavery. Three components characterized African nationalism and various emphases, accent and formulations occurred in all African nationalists’ thoughts and consciousness. Pan Africanism, Independence, and Racial Equality dominated the continent in the 1950s. Each country ’s actions were focused in opposition to imperial domination and this basic opposition effort is what constituted nationalism. The objective of the struggle varies across historical periods, but the struggle is a common principle. Therefore, it is not so much that nations were searching or struggling for dignity, identity, and independence, but rather a people facing a common problem of domination and exploitation claiming their freedom. Nationalism can be summed up into three elements namely Unity, Independence, and Equality. The three cannot be separated and together they constitute an express African nationalism. African leaders were on the front line in making sure that elements of African nationalism were instilled in the people. For example, Kwame Nkrumah, who studied in the United States and was heavily influenced by the books of African-American theorists such as C.L.R. James and George Padmore, played a major role in introducing Pan-Africanism and articulating the id entity of the African people both on the continent and abroad. As early as 1963, Nyerere once admitted that basically, Pan-Africanism meant African unity.

Women in Islam Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Women in Islam - Assignment Example The hijab has become common in the Muslim world and frequently worn conceitedly by the university and college girls as a sign of Islamic identity, liberating them symbolically from western cultural domination and imperialism (Kusha, 2011). Â  In addition, the traditional Muslim culture of male occupational dominance has also changed, and currently, Muslim women hold various positions in the workplaces. The culture of men as the breadwinners does no longer exist, and women raise their children and feed the household just as men. Another important change in the Muslim culture to satisfy the needs of modern women is in marriage. Traditionally, all Muslim marriages were arranged, and women had no say, but in the modern one, women are cherished and treated well. In fact, the mistreatment and beating of women are something of the past in the Muslim marriage. Â  In summary, the Muslim culture has transformed to include the needs of women in the modern society, but there is need to address the miss-emphasis and misrepresentation in Islam. The Muslim leaders should continue to address the problem of gender relations within the Muslim communities and outside to correct the gender imbalances.

The Rise of African Nationalism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Rise of African Nationalism - Essay Example It is evidently clear from the discussion that the concept of African nationalism rose in the post-war period in Africa. This was a turning moment for a people whom centuries of slavery and colonialism had deprived of humanity. Ideologies centered on the theme of nationalism and the essence of nationalism was anti-imperialism. It was a claim and struggle against something. It was an expression of a struggle against denial of humanity, denial of respect and dignity and denial of the African identity. It was the struggle to bring back African mind to Africa as well as a time to end the historical experience of racial humiliation, political oppression, economic exploitation and cultural domination under European slavery. Three components characterized African nationalism and various emphases, accent and formulations occurred in all African nationalists’ thoughts and consciousness. Pan Africanism, Independence, and Racial Equality dominated the continent in the 1950s. Each country ’s actions were focused in opposition to imperial domination and this basic opposition effort is what constituted nationalism. The objective of the struggle varies across historical periods, but the struggle is a common principle. Therefore, it is not so much that nations were searching or struggling for dignity, identity, and independence, but rather a people facing a common problem of domination and exploitation claiming their freedom. Nationalism can be summed up into three elements namely Unity, Independence, and Equality. The three cannot be separated and together they constitute an express African nationalism. African leaders were on the front line in making sure that elements of African nationalism were instilled in the people. For example, Kwame Nkrumah, who studied in the United States and was heavily influenced by the books of African-American theorists such as C.L.R. James and George Padmore, played a major role in introducing Pan-Africanism and articulating the id entity of the African people both on the continent and abroad. As early as 1963, Nyerere once admitted that basically, Pan-Africanism meant African unity.

Function of E-Book Essay Example for Free

Function of E-Book Essay Books are no doubt the main element in teaching and learning activities. As we all know printed books have already been used for a very long time. However in this modern era, books in electronic forms (eBooks) are taking place. EBooks had already been introduced not only for adults but children too. Finally, eBooks are already evolving slowly to take place in teaching and learning. A powerful stimulus for the production of a range of electronic instrument for education has been provided by the latest technology inventions. Numerous ideas and educational materials are invented and extensively published electronically to support the field of teaching and learning, however it is still unclear how far all of this is of use among the students and teachers when it comes to the virtual teaching and learning. Suggestions on how to improve the quality of the products and materials that are already available are still in great demand as the existing electronic books have not completely replaced the physical counterpart. The gap between utilitarian and usefulness is quite wide to prove the lack of effectiveness of the first generation of e-books, and the progress of e-books has been led majorly by technology instead of the user’s demand. In the education field, E-books can be found in various type of media instrument like CD-Rom, the internet and in any portable reading materials. Variety types of element are implemented in e-books, for example fiction and non-fiction. A textbook is a source of information on a particular subject. An electronic textbook on the other hand is almost the same but it is more special as e-textbook is an e-book that has a content of educational material for teaching and learning process. E-textbooks are now officially known as educational source that have already published electronically to help in both teaching and learning methods. They are ready to be used within a computer environment, through media such as internet or CD-ROM. In the early 1990s, the spread of educational multimedia was surprisingly very fast and it was proven by the people that it is more beneficial when converting printed publication into electronic form. Apart from that, it has been discussed that e-book is basically implemented to improve the process of studying outside the classroom, and as time goes by, a technological instrument was made where a powerful incentive is created to invent such electronic material for the students. It is better for the people to be updated to any information to learn by using e-book as printed books are always out-of-date and are only replaced with an average of eight years. Limitless and faster access to any latest news and information can be experienced via electronic learning (Hamilton et al., 2001). It was said that electronic education will benefit a lot of people because of its capability to enhance the co-operation and among the students and the teachers (Hambrecht, 2000). Apart from that, higher success rate can be seen. However more effort should be contributed towards promoting e-book among the new generations as financial support plays an important role in this matte (Wilson, 2003). Similar to the ordinary printed books, e-book helps the readers to understand and focus on important messages by underlining them and writing simple notes. In addition, e-books are user-friendly too as it is installed with portable dictionary program which made it easier to look up for unfamiliar words. E-book has definitely made the teaching and learning process to be more interesting than ever because the user get to watch clips and interact with a variety of specialities. It has been proven that the youngsters can gain a lot from the added applications (Maynard and McKnight, 2001). At schools, e-textbooks on the other hand will reduce the number of printed textbooks that not only burden both the teachers and students carrying them to-and-fro around the school compound. This enables the teacher to easily bring the notes including the exercises to be given to the student which thus increases the effectiveness of teaching. With the presence if the electronic book, space can be saved which particularly helps a lot in places mainly the libraries. Decades ago, e-books were not preferred because the prices were too high. In the year 2000, the production of e-books have became larger and the cost of each e-book is lowered (Mayfield, 2000). This indicates that a major procedure in promoting the usage of e-textbooks in school had been done. Another form of e-book, CD-ROM also known as the copy of the encyclopedia is also famous among the students nowadays. They can easily get copies of the syllabus of their subjects in order for them to study back at home and easily bring the topics for discussion among their peers. Another branch of e-book, Hypertextbooks is a famous instrument of interactive studying on the internet in the western country. This electronic file containing the learning materials enables the user to study at their own rhythm and the students will send their assignment to the respective person through email. This concludes that with the upgrading of the process of studying, the students will no longer have the reason not to send their assignments on time. Top of the information, at schools teachers will have no problem to control the class because the students will be more focused and enthusiastic to carry on with their assignments compared to the printed pages. Even though e-textbooks can contribute towards the improvement in assisting the process of teaching and learning, there are still factors that resist their acceptance such as the insufficient number of computers and labs and the low number of publishers. This signifies that e-book can help in the education field but the chance to make it a reality might prove problematic. According to Hambrecht’s theory, it is believed that e-education is potential in bringing the students and teachers to come together as one in order to enhance the class session’s activities (Hambrecht, 2000). The research about CD-ROM clarified that users will be more interested to learn and use their resources. The children especially, find that learning is more fun with the presence of beautiful graphics and sound effects. This thus motivates them to continue to learn more which in return will boost their thinking skills. Teachers on the other hand love this way of teaching as it is both entertaining and educational. The e-book users prefer to use this modern way of learning because of the more presentable format which brings a brand new perspective towards the people to experience a more lively way of reading especially the story book lovers. Children once exposed to the usage of e-book they will be used to electronic devices and in future, they will no longer rely on the old traditional method which is the printed book. Electronic texts are no doubt a passage for the generation to get an easy access in education for further study and analysis. The fertile ground for the improvement of teaching and learning, e-book, can benefit the generations greatly in terms of the enjoyment of interesting studying method. As a conclusion, the educators should look into this matter more clearly and make an effort to add electronic texts in their teachings if they haven’t start doing so. Cooperation among the parents and the educators are the key to success to make a change to the younger generations. This foundation will for sure end the upcoming obstacle in generating intellectual students. Reference Hambrecht, W. (2000), Exploring a New Frontier, Corporate E-Learning. Hamilton, R. , Richards, C. and Sharp, C. (2001), â€Å"An examination of e-learning and e-books†, available at: www. dcs. napier. ac. uk/ , mm/socbytes/jun2001/Jun2001_9. htm (accessed 20 November 2010) Mayfield, K. (2000), â€Å" Read a g ood e-textbook lately? †, Wired News, available at: www. wired. com/news/culture/0,1284,38059,00. html (accessed 12 November 2010). Maynard, S. and McKnight, C. (2001a), â€Å"Children’s comprehension of electronic books: an empirical study†, The New Review of Children’s Literature and Librarianship, Vol. 7, pp. 29-53. Maynard, S. and McKnight, C. (2001b), â€Å"Electronic books for children in UK public libraries†, The Electronic Library, Vol. 19 No. 6, pp. 405-23. Sally Maynard, Emily Cheyne, (2005) Can electronic textbooks help children to learn? , Electronic Library, The, Vol. 23 Iss: 1, pp. 103 – 115. November,25, 2010 http://www. emeraldinsight. com/journals. htm? articleid=1464898 Wilson, R. (2003), â€Å"E-education in the UK†, Journal of Digital Information, Vol. 3 No. 4.

The Importance Of Core Communication Skills Social Work Essay

The Importance Of Core Communication Skills Social Work Essay According to Nelson (1980) social work was one of the first professions to recognise the importance of communications skills and the link to effective practice. Communication skills can be essential to the task of assessment, interviewing and later decision making for social workers. In practice, communication tends to be defined primarily as: The verbal and nonverbal exchange of information, including all the ways in which knowledge is transmitted and received (Barker, 2003: 83 in Trevithick, 2005, p 116). The latter elements of communication, which can often translate the emotional content of the communication, are also referred to as interpersonal skills. According to Thompson (2002) social workers use such skills to communicate ethically sensitive practice (p.307). The purpose of this essay is to highlight the role and importance of verbal and non verbal communication skills involved in social work practice. According to Koprowska (2008) communication is both interactive and context related. Therefore, careful consideration needs to be taken when communicating. There may be several barriers involved in communication, such as: authority; language; ability; personality; gender; age; and class (Thompson, 2009). True communication can only be achieved if the barriers are identified and removed. This can be attained by the practice of an anti oppressive and anti discriminatory approach to communication on the part of the social worker. Verbal Communication In practice good communication skills, practically listening and interview skills, are crucial for establishing efficient and respectful relationships with service users and lie at the heart of best practice in social work (Trevithick, 2005, p116). Social workers must demonstrate several skills while assessing or interviewing a client. Verbal communication is a key skill in social work practice and refers to face to face interactions and involves the impact of the actual words we use in speaking (Thompson, 2009, p100). It is importance for social workers to be aware of how and what they say in certain situations; for example, in regards to the issue of formality. If the social worker does not access the situation correctly they may be conceived as being too formal or informal and thus will inevitable create barriers. Further, many service users tend to come from vulnerable sections of society. It is possible that their involvement with social workers may invoke feelings of shame or f ear. It is likely that this will then leave them vulnerable to feeling misunderstood and not listened to. It is therefore fundamental that social workers treat each client as an individual and assess their situation as a unique case. In order to build a good relationship with each client the social worker must demolish any power or untrusting issues that may be present. This power may be either perceived or real in certain situations. For that reason, congruence plays an important role during the interview process. It may not be completely possible to eradicate the power imbalance but it is a key skill to be aware of the need to achieve congruence. This can be active by using the appropriate language so that the client can fully understand and be listened to. It is through such skills that social workers can convey genuine warmth, respect and non-judgement for the service user. Indeed, verbal communication skills also play a major role when working with other colleagues and professi ons, and are essential for decision making and assessments (Cournoyer, 1991). Non Verbal Communication Non verbal communication is a major component for interpersonal skill repertoire and includes posture, facial expression, proxemics, eye contact, and personal appearance (Kadushin and Kadushin, 1997, in Trevithick, 2005, p120), and it can support or contradict verbal communication. The importance of non-verbal communication is not a new concept in the social work field, in an article by DiMatteo, Hays, and Prince (1986) maintained that there are two dimensions of nonverbal communication, firstly decoding or sensitivity and secondly encoding or expressiveness. According to DiMatteo et al nonverbal decoding refers to the capacity to understand the emotions conveyed through others nonverbal cues such as facial expressions, body movements, and voice tone. Nonverbal encoding refers to the capacity to express emotion through nonverbal cues (p 582).For example, much of the understanding of non verbal communication can be gathered through using observation skills. Observation skills can be v ital for social workers interviewing a client. According to Kadushin and Kadushin (1997) there are five thousand distinctly different hand gestures and one thousand different steady body postures so precise observation of non-verbal behaviour is important(P 315). The client may tell the social worker they are coping fine and dont need any help but by observing their facial expression or lack of eye contact they may contradict this. Sheldon stresses that social workers must be aware of their own capacity for self-observation, although always somewhat limited, provides us with an opportunity to analyse our own role and impact. (Sheldon 1995: 132-3 in Trevithick, 2005, p123). Active listening Research has verified listening as the most utilized form of communication. If frequency is a measure of importance, then listening easily qualifies as the most prominent kind of communication (Adler Rodman, 1997, p. 283). Listening may appear to be straightforward but active listening skills need to be learned, practised in training, developed and refreshed for effective use in real situations. Active listening describes a special and demanding alertness on the part of the social worker involved in interviewing a client. For Egan, active listening is about being present psychologically, socially and emotionally, not just physically (Trevithick 2005,p.123). By using skills such as paraphrasing, reflective questioning and open and closed questioning the social worker can convey full interest and understanding to a vulnerable client. Self awareness The concept of self-awareness is important in social work interviewing. Burnard (1992) defines self awareness as the process of getting to know your feelings, attitudes and values (in Thompson, 2009, p.3). A key aspect of self awareness is being aware how we may be perceived by others. In regards to interviewing the social worker may believe they are being laid back, however for the client it may be conceived as being uncaring. Supervision is therefore an important tool to gain feedback and explored any issues. Further importance of self awareness included understanding how possible external factors may affect social workers. Social workers need to aware of concepts such as transference, triggers and blind spots during interviewing process. Thompson stressed that the worker can be affected by a situation without knowing. Therefore, the use of self is extremely important. Empathy Empathy is another important communication skills involved in social work interviewing. This skill involves understanding or appreciating the feelings of others, but without necessarily experiencing them (Thompson 2009, p111). Social workers must show sensitivity and respect to the feelings of the client. There is however a difference between sympathy and empathy. Therefore there is a fundamental skill to achieving empathy not merely expressing sympathy. It is clear from the above information that the failure to achieve efficient communication between the social worker and client can lead to serious consequences. Poor communication can contributed to the harm and inadequate care clients. For example, in recent times such failures of communication among a range of professionals have been highlighted in the public inquiries into the death of several children known to be in the care of social services.(rewrite) Personal Learning

How does Shelley prepare us for the horror of Frankenstein’s creature? :: English Literature

How does Shelley prepare us for the horror of Frankenstein’s creature? Mary Shelley wrote Frankenstein in 1818. Shelley (the wife of poet Percy Shelley) first got inspiration for her book in Geneva. There she stayed with her husband, Lord Byron and a few others. They were all challenged to write a ghost story during a hellish storm. Though she did write a story it was a forgettable on. The real inspiration came on June 22nd, the night before Shelley’s departure. The group discussed a subject from de Stael’s ‘De L’Allemagne’ where they considered whether the principle of life could be discovered and whether scientists could be discovered and whether scientists could galvanize a corpse of manufactured humanoid. This was the true inspiration for Shelley and the next morning she had found her story and began writing the lines that opened Chapter 5 ‘It was a dreary night in November’ The alternative name for this novel is ‘ the modern day Prometheus’ The original myth written by Aeschylus, was about a man named Prometheus that tried to create life by manipulating a human out of clay. The two variations to myth merged together and fire became the compound used to animate the objects/images. This myth can be compared with Frankenstein because the elements, fire and electricity used to animate were said to me discovered by man. And in both the creators were punished, although god punished Prometheus. This is relevant because the myth points us in the direction the novel Frankenstein will go and Shelley uses this as analogy for her story. Eventually the overreaches trying to defy nature will be punished. Shelley also alludes to Milton’s paradise lost where if Frankenstein is compared to Adam in paradise lost then the reader finds they are quite similar. Both characters have a thirst for knowledge, which end in their downfall. Frankenstein is also like Satan in that both characters wanted to surpass God; Frankenstein may have wanted to become a greater scientist but he wants more power for selfish ambition just like Satan. Frankenstein wants to be the only person that is able to create a human life and he wants to greater than his nature, however Satan is punished in Paradise lost and this hints at Frankenstein’s fate and the direction of the novel. Mary Shelly signed the novel anonymously signifying that in society at that time women weren’t very respected, in fact they were ostracized. Shelley’s novel was shunned, a critic said ‘ the book had no principle or morals and should be dismissed with no further comment’. In science reason and rationality were the biggest genres for the 18th century

Criseyde: Negligence, Manipulation and the Lack of Willpower :: Essays Papers

Criseyde: Negligence, Manipulation and the Lack of Willpower We all know what it is like to be pressured into a relationship. Okay, maybe we don not ALL know what it is like, but most of the general dating population has had this experience. It works in this way: your friend Susan comes to you and tells you that your other friend Jim likes you, you never really thought about Jim in this way—but begin to think that there could be a little chemistry there. Susan loves playing matchmaker. She is persistent and will not stop until she gets what she wants. In the end, you wind up going on a few dates with Jim, but the relationship never really blossoms. This scenario sounds a little like the story about the forced relationship of Troilus and Criseyde, by Pandarus, in Geoffrey Chaucer’s Troilus and Criseyde. The only difference between my real life scenario and the relationship of Troilus and Criseyde is that when Criseyde finally falls for Troilus, which alleviates his ‘lovesickness’, she leaves him for another m an. And, although Susan was persistent, she never stood in the bedroom when you and Jim ‘turned off the lights.’ Criseyde changes her mind just after the reader is informed that Criseyde and Troilus are in love, and Troilus has become a better knight and a better man because of this love. Why would a woman leave after getting so emotionally involved in a relationship? As the text says, â€Å"For she began to turn her shining face/Away from Troilus, took of him no heed,/And cast him clean out of his lady’s grace,/† (st. 2, 179)—Criseyde simply turned her head from Troilus, taking â€Å"of him no heed† and moving on to Diomede. I believe that Criseyde was unjust in her actions, yet she was forced into the relationship due to two weaknesses that she possesses: her own negligence to the importance of the situation and a lack of willpower. Criseyde is (seemingly) manipulative, yet Pandarus very easily manipulates her at the same time. From the beginning, the reader realizes that Criseyde is not interested in a relationship, but her eccentric uncle does not take not ice.

Law Enforcement Budget Process Essay

The economic downturn of the past several years has been devastating to local economies and, by extension, their local law enforcement agencies. According to a report by the National Institute of Justice, the United States is currently experiencing the 10th economic decline since World War II (Wiseman 2011). The impact of this downturn will result in a change of how law enforcement services are delivered. As has been discussed by the COPS Office Director, Bernard Melekian, in a series of recent articles published in the Community Policing Dispatch, expectations will not be lowered just because an agency now has fewer officers, or because the budget is limited. Simply doing less while waiting for local budgets to recover to pre-2008 levels is not a viable option. Law enforcement leaders are faced with budget contractions that are in need to identified in different ways to deliver police services and, perhaps more importantly, articulate what the new public safety models will look like to their communities (Melekian 2011a). The effects of the economic downturn on law enforcement agencies may be felt for the next 5–10 years, or worse, permanently. These changes could be permanently driven not just by the economy, but by local government officials who determined that allocating 30–50 percent of their general fund budgets for public safety costs is no longer a fiscal possibility (Melekian 2011b). While it appears that the economy is beginning to recover on the national level, most economists agree that local jurisdictions are still in decline and will continue to be so, at least in the short term. Due to the decline of tax revenues because of Foreclosures County and municipal budgets tend lagging behind the general economy, which is one of the main source of funding for local agencies. Agencies are also faced with the budget realities, the current model for service delivery—which has been with us for the last 50 years—is already starting to change, and will be forced to continue to change dramatically and rapidly in the next 3–5 years. Police departments have been one of the affected by the current economic climate. Restricting revenues nationwide have forced local governments to make cuts in spending across the board, which has affected everything to include public safety operating budgets. However, while these budget cuts are threatening law enforcement jobs the responsibility to serve and protect remain. There has been no methodical way of measuring the effect the economic downturn has had on police agencies across our nation. A good example is how Nigeria has been experiencing difficulties in Budget implementation. The objective of the article was to present alternative forms of budgeting and after exposition on them, to recommend one that could mitigate budget implementation problem for Nigeria. Two types of budgeting addressed are incremental and zero-base. Under incremental budgeting, a certain percentage is added or subtracted from previous period’s figures to arrive at new period’s budget. Under zero bases, every program is reevaluated for its merits, as if previous budgets never existed. The starting points are the results hoped to achieve, and every debate about budget implementation is done prior to passage. Zero base budgeting is analogous to marketing concept in terms of information requirement and zeroing in on customized needs. To the extent that zero base budgeting plans, executes and controls, it serves as a management tool. Nigeria’s budgeting has been incremental, overly politicized and not carried out by experts, but merely based on benchmark price and quota of daily oil production. Factors militating against proper budgeting in Nigeria are distortions in fiscal transparency. Budget implementation in Nigeria is a critical problem. Many have blamed our poor socio-economic and infrastructural development on low degree of budget implementation, which is a result of incremental budgeting process. The paper therefore recommends zero based budgeting to Nigeria at all levels (GJSS, 2012). Sometimes inefficiencies result due to poor integration of the finance and strategy. â€Å"Budgeting and performance are typically overseen by the finance department, whereas planning s coordinated by strategy department. Often, the two processes aren’t well integrated, resulting in strategies that are often dictated by the budget process instead of vice versa† (Gary 2003). The reason for this could be that everyone involved may be attempting to accomplish the same goals, but also trying to make sure that the outcome will be beneficial to them, such as a substantial bonus or a reward. A budget cycle refers to the whole process from the commencement of developing a budget to the execution of the final charge on the budget. Since the majority of the budgets are prepared for a one year period, budget cycles cover the costs and expenditures for a period of one year. However, there are budget cycles that run for more than one year period. Government budgets have a budget cycle of at least 18 months from the conception of the various departments’ budgets to the time the appropriation bills are signed into law (Hyde, 2001). The initial steps of the budget cycle take place in the various departments and agencies. The program officers in the various departments compile all information that is necessary in the preparation of the budget. The budget cycle culminates with the president’s budget application to the Congress. This often takes place in February (USDOJ, 2011). A budget refers to a list of premeditated revenues and expenses. It represents a tool for savings and expenditure. A budget can also be defined as an organizational plan that is stated in monetary terms. It is used as a road map for conducting the activities, objectives, assumptions, and strategies of an organization. A budget cycle is comprised of various stages. Budget planning for the new fiscal year marks the first step of the budget cycle, while closing and carry forward activities mark the end of a budget cycle (Hyde, 2001). The steps outlined below are steps of a sample government’s budget cycle: Budget submissions: this entails the submission of the budget plans to the respective Budget Offers in various government departments. The budgets are reviewed and approved. Budget approval: this entails the executive committee approving the budget. The Initial Budget Authorizations are then submitted to the respective supervisors who address the respective cost items. Global Changes: the salaries are adjusted so that they reflect salary increases that are permitted by the Salary Subcommittee and the Human Resources Department. Closing: this entails the closure of the budgets at the end of the fiscal year. Carry forwards: it entails carrying forward all the unspent money to the following fiscal year. This marks the last step in the budget cycle. In most instances, law enforcement management prepares master budget for the coming year. The master budget includes the projected expenses and maintenance which is incorporated in the master budget and other smaller budgets such as training, overtime, marketing, administrative, and departmental budgets. By establishing an operating and financial budget for a future period, management can identify problems in advance. This can be maintained by forecasting for future predictions. A forecast is a reflection of the future. When forecasting is taken into account, two key aspects to consider are cash budgets and expenditure forecast. In most instances, budgets are and should be prepared for a future period such as an oncoming accounting or financial year. They are detailed by quarters or months. Typically, annual budgets are not altered once the year begins. However, budgets should not be rigid so as to prevent timely actions if need arises. Instead, budgets should only act as a guide rather than a restriction. However, there are rare circumstances when an annual budget should be revised such as due to a radical change in the business environment. Budgets are also important for obtaining funding since they portray an organization’s capacity to the lending institutions and financiers. Additionally, budgets are important management tools, they aid in setting milestones that need accountability to achieve, and aid an organization in identifying risks and establishing benchmarks. Thus, budgets facilitate the process of making adjustments to avoid risks, and to measure the benchmarks. Understanding the significance of budgeting marks the first step towards successful financial planning. It plays a significant role in the strategic planning process by an organization. It outlines the future financial goals and needs of an organization such as technological needs, overhead needs, financial requirements, and capital improvements. I have a very strong opinion that budgeting should not be scrapped, rather be modified to meet the current business environment. Organizations would have to restructure compensation programs so that managers no longer have an incentive to favors short-term goals over the longer-term. Budgeting will have to be flexible to be able to be adjusted from time to time to reflect changes in organizational goals and the economic environment. Again, accounting department should be responsible for compiling only budget information; they should not determine the budgeting process. Management, through the planning process should determine the budget, and all departments should be included in the process. Budgeting should be both top down and bottom up; i. e. upper level management and middle level management will both work to finalize a budget. We can streamline the budgeting process by developing a financial model. Financial models can facilitate â€Å"what if† analysis so we can assess decisions before they are made. This can dramatically improve the budgeting process. One of the biggest challenges within financial planning and budgeting is how do we make it value-added. Budgeting requires clear channels of communication, support from upper-level management, participation from various personnel, and predictive characteristics. Budgeting should not strive for accuracy, but should strive to support the decision making process. If we focus too much on accuracy, we will end-up with a budgeting process that incurs time and costs in excess of the benefits derived. The challenge is to make financial planning a value-added activity that helps the organization achieve its strategic goals and objectives. In order for department to compensate for dwindling budget, many law enforcement officer have had to learn how to focus on what can they can sacrifice from their normal lifestyle in order to offset the reduction in available spending. Some of these sacrifices have included families foregoing summer vacations, or shopping in discount stores instead of department stores they are accustomed too. However, today law enforcement agencies are faced with the difficult task of maintaining the same service that their communities expect despite the extreme reduction in available resources. And, in order for them to deliver the same high level of protection and emergency responsiveness that the communities depend on, law enforcement agencies must find new and inventive techniques to address those needs in cost-effective and maintainable way. Agencies must have a good understanding of how budgeting marks the first step towards successful financial planning. Budgeting has a significant role in the strategic planning process by any organization. It provides the framework for future financial goals and the needs of an organization such as technical equipment like laptops, radios, and side arms. It also shows the overhead needs, and departmental financial requirements. It can also outline the costs involved in order to get the resources that are required to meet their financial goals. Developing a budget is an important tool for determining the department’s performance, in motivating the upper-management, other members of staff, and measuring the results towards accomplishing the organization’s financial goal. References Gary, L (2003) Breaking the Budget Impasse. Pg 3, Retrieved September 30, 2013, Idio, U. S. (2012). THE BUDGET AS A MANAGEMENT TOOL: ZERO BASE BUDGETING, PANACEA TO BUDGET IMPLEMENTATION IN NIGERIA. Global Journal of Social Sciences, 11(1), 1-7. Retrieved from http://search. proquest. com/docview/1036581432? accountid=32521 http://www. cops. usdoj. gov/files/RIC/Publications/e101113406_Economic%20Impact. pdf Melekian, B. , (2011a). Director’s Message. Community Policing Dispatch vol. 4, no. 3. http://cops. usdoj. gov/html/dispatch/03-2011/DirectorMessage. asp. Melekian, B. , (2011b). Director’s Column: July 2011. Community Policing Dispatch vol. 4, no. 7. http://cops. usdoj. gov/html/dispatch/07-2011/DirectorMessage. asp. Wiseman, J. , (2011). Strategic Cutback Management: Law Enforcement Leadership for Lean Times. Research for Practice, Washington, D. C. : U. S. Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice, NCJ 232077.