1. Whether the arrival of immigrants to Australia have been Research Proposal

1. Whether the arrival of immigrants to Australia have been detrimental or beneficial to Australian - Research Proposal Example The objective of the paper is to discuss the effect witnessed by Australia owing to its increasing immigration rate. Aimed to identify the virtues and the drawbacks of migration with strong affects on the economic stance of Australia, three methods are intended to be implemented in this discussion. The methods are discourse analysis, in depth interview and group discussion. Immigration refers to the act when a person from his/her birthplace i.e. home country attempts to settle in another country for the purpose of education or employment or any other similar reasons. With this regards, Rowthorn (2004) has stated that the study of immigration is a difficult process. However, through the article, the author was able to conclude that it is generally advantageous to welcome immigrants to the country so that the birth rate can be controlled along with encouraging equality in terms of wealth distribution. It is in this context that economic conditions of the host country can be witnessed as developing nature with the entrance of immigrants as they are charged with higher taxes than the locale population (Rowthorn, 2004). Considering the example of Gypsies as the migrating population connecting its roots to no particular nation having different languages and culture, Armillei (2011) had initiated to develop an understanding regarding the pros and the cons of migration. The authors revealed that Gypsies’ culture and different languages create a misunderstanding in the economic environment for the host country encouraging the distinct dimensions of culture as well as economic hierarchy. Even though, this raises the heritage of the socio-cultural significance of the country, it is quite likely that the social institutions of the economy will have to face major conflicts in developing innovative systems and controlling such vibrant dimensions

Business in China Essay Example for Free

Business in China Essay There are many cross cultural differences that would need to be taken into consideration if a US company were to expand into China. Language is an important cultural difference that has to be taken into consideration. It would be wise to consult a native speaker. Due to various dialects and local slang a translation of something would have to be understood by all and to not offend a particular market. An American advertisement in English would be understood by all of the US but a Chinese advertisement in one of the seven Chinese dialects would not be understood by everyone in China. An American advertisement or product info that is mistranslated could make it off putting to consumers or investors. The legal system in China is vastly different than in the US. Corruption is rampant in China when doing business and often times bribes are necessary in order to ensure that your operation runs according to plan. The legal system in China is more difficult to navigate and lacks neutrality as the China Communist Party is in complete control of it. The US legal system has more neutrality, transparency and it is easier to file court cases. Bribes in the US would be completely illegal and never permissible. Gender is another cultural difference between the US and China. Gender inequality in China has existed throughout history and just recently laws are being passed in order to ensure equality but discrimination is still experienced. Women are still expected to do all housework even if they have a job and they normally make less than their male counterparts. Although the situation is improving, males are more favored in business dealings. A US company would need to be hesitant in sending a female executive to China to do any new dealings as Chinese companies might not be as comfortable compared to if they were dealing with a male. B The safety of products in the US is very different as compared to China. China is known for their cheap goods but they come at a health cost as low quality standards often lead to toxic or unsafe products. Many US companies outsource their production in order to lower costs and US products are often  recalled due to lead or other chemicals being found in the products after they have been purchased by the consumer. In the US this would not happen due to high industry quality standards and regulations. In China companies must strictly implement their own safety standards and monitor that they are being followed in order to ensure quality products up to standards. In the US, food and medical related products would need to follow the strict guidelines of the FDA in order to be able to sell the product on the market. In China, a food or medical product by the same company would not have as strict guildelines as compared to the US, but the FDA has been training Chinese companies on how to produce safer products. Products are often cheaper in price in China due to cheaper labor and production. China is able to produce products on such a large scale that it further decreases the price of each individual product. Workers are paid significantly lower wages as compared to the US. Chinese companies often receive the taxes they paid on products back if it is exported and this also keeps prices low. In the US products are not commonly advertised with a price ending in zero such as $10 or $20. Instead the product would be advertised one cent less at $9.99 or $19.99 because having the product price at the lower dollar amount makes the product seem more att ractive. In China there is much emphasis on the luck of certain numbers and 8 is one of the luckiest number in Chinese culture and many companies use this to their advantage by advertising products with prices ending in 8. Products are often promoted very differently between the US and China. Advertisements in the US often make it seem as though a particular product such as vodka will give you the adventurous life of the model in the advertisement. In China, advertisements for luxury products are banned as it doesn’t fit with the China Communist Party’s want to promote thrifty values and not promote extravagance. In China, a company new to the market must advertise its product with an emphasis on affirming its products safety due to the rampant counterfeiting and low product safety in China. In the US, a new company to the market would advertise its product with an emphasis on its distinguishing features or cheaper price as product safety is not an issue in the US. There is a large portion of China’s population that lives in rural areas and products have not normally marketed towards them due to the lack of infrastructure to effectively reach them. Recently, companies are marketing outside of major cities as  infrastructure is improving. This is compared to the US where the USPS can send a package to any address in the country in a few days. In the US businesses utilize large semi trailers to effectively distribute large batches products across the country as all city streets are able to accommodate the large trucks and the US highway system reaches to every part of the country. In China, businesses send out smaller batches to each store as space is often more limited but most major cities limit the use of trucks. Shipments must then be sent by vans or cars which is less efficient. Although the situation is improving, bribes are very common when doing business in China. Bribes are expected in order to cut through bureaucratic red tape. Not giving bribes would put a company at a disadvantage to their competitors. Any sort of bribery or corruption is highly illegal in the US and illegal for all US companies. In the US, workers must normally be at least 16 with permission or 18 to hold a job in order to not exploit children in the workforce. Child labor is a huge problem in China due to lack of enforcement of policies. Due to poverty, families are letting their children which can be as young as 5 years old be exploited by working in extreme conditions and long hours. If a US company was caught hiring child workers not only would it be ethically wrong but it would be a major hit to the companies reputation.

Reply to an Advertisement for an Actor to Play the Character of King Lear :: King Lear Theatre Drama Plays Essays

Reply to an Advertisement for an Actor to Play the Character of King Lear Dear Mr Simon I am writing in reply to your advertisement for an actor to play the character of King Lear in your upcoming production. I have much acting experience and have appeared in many theatre and film performances over the last 40 years. I have previous experience in King Lear, as I starred as King Lear at the New York 'Shakespeare in the park' festival. This production required extreme emotional elements, which I believe I executed with sincerity. My "experienced" appearance closely adheres to Lear's in the play. My 72 years have not yet affected my acting ability, and I must say, it has permitted me to retain the stamina of a younger man. I have thought about what it is you want to see in your production of King Lear. I greatly admire Paul Schofield's performance in the Brook production of King Lear 1962. His portrayal of Lear was angry and unheroic. The audience had no sympathy for Lear in his rage. He was perceived as shamefully boorish when expressing his anger by up-turning tables and implements, and through this performance his madness in Act 3 was deserved. Lear's tyranny as a father contributes greatly to the lesson he learns by the end of the play. It difficult to decide whether Lear does do wrong as a father. This point, however, is not important when evaluating the play as a whole. Richard Eyre's King Lear of the 1990's did focus more so on Lear as a father, than as a king. The delicate balance of power is seen between fathers and their children, between sisters, and between brothers. In Eyre's film version of the play, symbolism is used to create a deeper understanding of the psychoanalytical reading he attempts to convey. Little colour is seen throughout the production. The key colours are black, white and red. This can be interpreted in many ways. I believe that the black and white is to show the alternation between good and evil, and the red is a symbol of anger, betrayal and of family, who of course are only bound by blood. In the first act Lear paces around the family, who are seated at the table, showing domination over the family. The family dynamics of the play are very apparent. This production has a major focus on the characters and their interaction with each other. Lear is seen in this production, standing on the table yelling and all who were seated have stepped back from him. Eyre has incorporated such items as a crown and whip to show Lear's power.

Elephant Man :: essays papers

Elephant Man The Elephant Man, written by Bernard Pomerance, is a play about identity. It is a play about a man who is deformed, but constantly trying to live life as an ordinary person. The play begins with John Merrick, also known as the Elephant Man, performing in a carnival freak show in order to make a minute amount of money for living expenses. In Scene VI, Even on the Niger and Ceylon, Not This, Treves brings in Miss Sandwich to become Merricks nurse. He explains to her that he has been let down so far by the other nurses he has introduced to Merrick. He prepares her for the sight of Merrick so that she will not react harshly when she sees him. Ironically she says, â€Å"Appearances do not daunt me.† Treves then offers her the opportunity to see Merrick for the first time and bring him his lunch. When laying eyes on Merrick, she becomes frazzled and bolts from the room, throwing the lunch tray into Treves arms. When Treves goes to speak to Miss Sandwich she states that no one will do the job. This scene contributes to the other scenes of the play because it is a prime example of how people react when meeting Merrick. Merrick struggles with trying to fit in mostly because of his low self-esteem as a result of the cruel reactions of people. People do not give him a chance and get to know him well enough to see the kind and gentle personality traits of John Merrick, all they see is his physical deformities and that alone scares them away. As the play goes on, people begin to look past his deformities and see that he is a true genuine person who has feelings like themselves. Merrick is given the chance to raise his self-esteem when he meets Mrs. Kendal. She is an actress who walks in with a smile on her face and is capable of sustaining the smile. She talks to him as if he is a human being and not a freak. She introduces many members of the elite class to John Merrick and they all react just as she did, looking beyond physical characteristics to the person he is inside.

Absorbance of light by a transition metal complex investigation Essay

Introduction Commonly known as transition metals, d block elements have partially filled d sublevels in one or more of their oxidation states. It is in the first row of transition elements that the 3d sub-level is incomplete. These d block elements show certain characteristic properties such as multiple oxidation states, ability to form complex ions, coloured compounds and good catalytic properties. In terms of variable oxidation states, d block elements usually have a +2 oxidation number which corresponds to the loss of the two 4s electrons (as it is easier to lose the 4s electrons than the 3d electrons). Transition metals can have variable oxidation states because the ionization energies allow for up to two 3d electrons to be lost. Because transition metals are relatively small in size, the transition metal ions attract species that are rich in electrons – ligands (neutral molecules or negative ions that contain non-bonding pair of electrons – which when covalently bonded with and form complex ions. Because the d orbitals usually split up into two groups (high and low) in transition metal complex ions, the energy required to promote a d electron into the higher split level corresponds with a particular wavelength in the visible region, which is absorbed when light passes through the complex ion. Transition metal usually then exhibits the remaining energy/light – the complementary colour. In this investigation, the different absorbance of these coloured solutions will be investigated by varying the number of moles of the transition metal in the solution. According to the Beer-Lambert law, absorbance is directly proportional to the concentration and that there is a logarithmic dependence between the absorbance and the concentration of the substance, this relationship is as shown in figure 1 and 2. In the graph representation of the Beer-Lambert law, the logarithmic relationship can evidently be seen – as the concentration of the solution increases, the calibration curve becomes less linear and more flat. This is probably due to the saturation of colour of the solution. In addition, the graph also indicates that the relationship starts at the origin and is generally linear at lower concentrations. In this investigation, Nickel (II) Sulphate will be used as the transition metal and H2O will be used as the ligand. The complex ion formed will therefore be a hexaaquanickel(II) complex ion, Ni (H2O) 6 2+. It has a coordination number of 6 and is of an octahedral shape. (Microsoft Encarta, 2007) Aim To investigate how the concentration of hexaaquanickel(II) ions (Ni (H2O) 6 2+) in solution affects the absorbance of red light (660nm) by measuring it with a colorimeter. Hypothesis As the concentration of hexaaquanickel(II) ions increases, the absorbance of red light1 will also increase. This is so because as stated in the Beer-Lambert law, the absorbance of light is directly proportional to the concentration. Furthermore, as the concentration increases, there are more molecules of the complex ions within the solution to interact with the light that is being transmitted – hence an increased absorbance at higher concentrations. In addition, despite the logarithmic relationship, I expect my data to show a linear relationship instead because the number of moles I am measuring red absorbance against is rather low (maximum 0.5 moles), so while it would be insufficient to see the clear logarithmic curve; the linear increase in the beginning would still be evident. Variables Independent – Concentration of hexaaquanickel(II) ions (0.0313mol, 0.0625mol, 0.125mol, 0.250mol, 0.500mol) Dependent – Absorbency of red light (660nm) Controlled – Volume of solution (25cmà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ per different mol solution) Equipment Method 1) Measure 6.57g of nickel sulphate with an electronic balance and place in a 250cmà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ beaker 2) Measure 50cmà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ of deionised water with 50cmà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ measuring cylinder and pour into the 250cmà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ beaker with the nickel sulphate to create a 0.5mol nickel sulphate solution 3) Mix the solution thoroughly with a glass stirring rod, make sure the solution is transparent (not murky) and no remnants of the nickel sulphate should be present in the solution 4) Label the five 50cmà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ volumetric flasks: 0.03125mol, 0.0625mol, 0.125mol, 0.25mol and 0.5mol 5) Pipette 25cmà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ of the previously made nickel sulphate solution from the 250cmà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ beaker and place into volumetric flask labeled â€Å"0.5mol† 6) Pipette another 25cmà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ from the beaker and place into volumetric flask labeled â€Å"0.25mol† 7) Measure and pipette 25cmà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ of deionised water and add into â€Å"0.25mol† 8) Mix thoroughly 9) Measure and pipette 25cmà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ from â€Å"0.25mol† and add into â€Å"0.125mol† 10) Repeat steps 7 to 8 but add the water into â€Å"0.125mol† 11) Measure and pipette 25cmà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ from â€Å"0.125mol† and add into â€Å"0.0625mol† 12) Repeat step 10 but add into the water â€Å"0.0625mol† 13) Measure and pipette 25cmà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ from â€Å"0.0625mol† and add into â€Å"0.0313 mol† 14) Repeat step 10 but add into the water†0.0313mol† 15) Connect the PASPORT colorimeter to the computer 16) Select to measure red (660nm) absorbance 17) After all five solutions have been made, label five cuvettes the same labels as the volumetric flasks (place on lid, careful not to have any of the label on the cuvette itself) 18) Fill each labeled cuvette with its corresponding volumetric flask label with a dropper 19) Fill the remaining unlabeled cuvette with water 20) Place the cuvette with water into the colorimeter and press green button to calibrate, do not do anything until the green light switches off by itself 21) Place the cuvette labeled â€Å"0.03125mol† into the colorimeter – press start and stop after getting a constant reading 22) Record the data 23) Repeat steps 21-22 until all labeled cuvettes have been measured for red absorbance Data Table Concentration / mol dm-à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Red light (660nm) absorbance Uncertainties Uncertainties (cm3) Measuring cylinder à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½1.0cmà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Bulb pipette à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½0.06 cmà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Electronic weigh à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½0.01g Concentration (mol/dmà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½) Uncertainty Graphs Discussion and Conclusion It can be seen from the graph that there is a linear relationship between the amount of red light absorbed and the concentration of hexaaquanickel(II) ions. It can also be deduced that as the concentration increases, the red light absorption increases at twice the rate. However, it is interesting to note that the line of best fit does not start at the origin, but at (0, 0.0623) as the equation derived from the line of best fit states, suggesting that despite showing a clear linear trend, my data is precise but not accurate. This is possibly due to equipment imperfection, for example the cuvette, which will be discussed in the evaluation. However, it is still evident that, as stated in my hypothesis, as the concentration increases, the chances of light interacting with the complex ion molecules also increase, hence yielding a higher light (red, in this case) absorption. While it is true that the Beer-Lambert law states the relationship between concentration of a substance and its absorbency has a logarithmic relationship, my data is linear because the concentrations of my tested solutions were rather low, so if I were to continue my experiment and create more concentrated nickel sulphate solutions, I would expect to see the curve become non-linear as concentration increases because the solution will eventually become saturated. Therefore, in conclusion, my hypothesis corresponds with the results: the relationship between red absorbance and concentration of hexaaquanickel(II) ions is quite clear – as the concentration increases, the red absorbance also increases. Evaluation One aspect I can improve my method is using the same cuvette and in the same direction each time for measuring all the different solutions, as it has been noted that the cuvettes we have been currently using are not perfectly constructed and may differ with the distance as light passes through. This will help improve the accuracy of the results and an important aspect to take into consideration, because also stated in the Beer-Lambert law, the length in which the light passes through also makes a difference in the absorption of light (the longer the container is, the more chances of light interacting with the molecules of the solution). Another aspect was in the preparing the different solutions, because I had diluted each solution using the same solutions from before, so the uncertainty of each would naturally continuously build up (final uncertainty of 4.31%) – for example, if I had accidentally created a 0.052 mol nickel sulphate solution, then the next solution I diluted from that solution would not be 0.025 mol as intended. One way to see through this limitation is to perhaps prepare each solution separately to avoid a build up of uncertainties. In addition, another way to make this investigation more conclusive and detailed could be increasing the different amounts of concentration of the nickel sulphate solution, as I only had 5 different concentrations. Bibliography Clark, J. (2007). The Beer-Lambert law. In Absorption spectra. Retrieved January 15, 2008, from http://www.chemguide.co.uk/analysis/uvvisible/beerlambert.html Microsoft(r) Encarta(r) Online Encyclopedia. (2007). Complex. Retrieved January 17, 2008, from http://au.encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_781538720/Complex.html Neuss, G. (2007). Determining the concentration of an element. In Chemistry course companion (p. 276). Oxford University Press. 1 Because nickel sulphate solution is green in colour, red light will be used to measure the absorbency of the solution as it is the complementary colour.

Einstein1 essays

Einstein1 essays Albert Einstein, the great physicist and philosopher, was born in Germany 1879 in a Jewish family and his life must always be seen within the content of the provincial Swabian-folkways in a rural characteristic. Einsteins character was so simple that people were astonished that he was able to deduce such complex theories. His childhood also shows contradictions about his failure in school and rejection to teachers. The worlds genius, Einstein, never settled down in one country nor admired Hitler as most of German people. Although he was a simple and optimistic character his life doesnt reflect a normal stable attitude. As a child, Alberts parents feared that he might be retarded child since he wasnt able to talk before he was three-year old; he also continued to have trouble in speaking fluently for several years. In elementary school his performance was so bad that his parents were sure that he was mentally retarded. His classmates and teachers used to call him names because of his peculiar attitude such as repeating his own words and observing the ceilings for such a long time. Alberts reaction wasnt positive, he just isolated himself more. May be his failure in elementary school was due to the fact that he rejected to be taught by others. He preferred to teach himself instead. So when he was a teenager he taught himself advanced Mathematics and science. Einstein carried on with this pattern of independent study for the rest of his life. His father, although a merchant, possessed an inclination for technical matters and so he managed an electrical business where he invented and sold equipment such as dynamos and electrical lamps. He introduced Einstein to the mystery of matter when he gave him a compass at the age of four, which seemed to Einstein that it came from another world as it behaved in such a determined way that it didnt fit to his into the nat ...

How Hair Detangler Works and Recipes to Make It

How Hair Detangler Works and Recipes to Make It If you have long hair, chances are youve experienced the pain and frustration of trying to comb out snarls. Hair detangler is like a magical elixir, able to smooth away your cares with the spritz of a pump or wave of your hand. How does it work? Its an example of chemistry in action. Hair Detangler Basics Although there are many possible ingredients in hair detangler, they all work by altering the surface of your hair. Hair detangler is a type of hair conditioner that smooths your hair by coating it with an oil or polymer and/or by acidifying it so that the hairs surface tightens up, smoothing the scales on the hairs outer surface or cuticle and imparting a positive electrical charge to prevent the static that can worsen tangles. Common Chemicals in Hair Detanglers If you check the ingredients list of a hair detangler, youll likely see one or more of these ingredients: Silicone (e.g., dimethicone or Cyclomethicone), a polymer that adds gloss to hair by binding to its surface.Acidifier, a ​chemical that lowers the pH of the detangler, strengthening the hydrogen bonds between keratin molecules in hair, smoothing and tightening each strand.Hydrolyzed Protein helps to repair damaged keratin, smoothing the broken edges so strands of hair dont catch on each other as much.Cationic Surfactants binds to the negatively charged keratin, becoming the new smoother surface of the hair.Oils fill in the pores of dry or damaged hair, making it softer, more pliable, and less likely to tangle. Homemade Hair Detangler If you dont have detangler on hand, you can mix up some yourself. There are several options: Dilute regular hair conditioner. Spritz a mixture of 2 tablespoons conditioner in 16 ounces of water onto damp hair.Fill a spray bottle with the following herbal hair detangler mixture: 8 ounces distilled water1 teaspoon aloe vera gel10-15 drops grapefruit seed extract1-2 drops glycerin1-2 drops essential oil (e.g., lavender, jojoba, chamomile) Rinse hair with rainwater (usually acidic) or make your own acidifying rinse by adding 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar to an empty 20-ounce water bottle. Fill the remainder of the bottle with water and use the mixture to rinse clean hair.Rub tangled dry hair with a dryer sheet prior to combing it out.

Led Zeppelin essays

Led Zeppelin essays Led Zeppelin was one of the greatest rock bands ever. Their biggest hit Stairway to Heaven, is one of the best rock songs of all time, also. There were four members in the band: John Bonham, John Baldwin, Jimmy Page, and Robert Plant. Jimmy Page was born on January 9, 1944 in Heston, Middlesex U.K. His mother was a doctor's secretary and his father was an industrial personnel officer. In his early life he live on his uncles farm in Northamptionshire, then later his family moved to Epsom, Surrey when his was eight. His life was basically normal, then at twelve he heard Elvis Baby Lets Play House and it change his life forever. He picked up a guitar and some lessons and he was set. He continued to play and in 1965 in was asked to join the Yardbirds (later renamed Led Zeppelin), he first declined and then later joined. In 1968 the Yardbirds broke up and Jimmy had it put together a new band and thats how Led Zeppelin was formed. After Led Zeppelin broke up Jimmy Page continue in playing guitar for many years and still today. (led-zeppelin.org) John Bonham was born on May 31, 1948 in Redditch, Worcestershire UK. His parents were Jack and Joan. He also had two other siblings Michael and Debbie. When he was young he would beat on his moms pots and pans. At the age of ten he got his first snare drum and then at fifteen he got his own drum kit. When he was seventeen he married Pat, who he met at a dance. John played in several bands, and then in August of 1968 Jimmy Page and Peter Grant went to see him play and he accepted the position as drummer for Led Zeppelin. After being with Led Zeppelin for twelve years he died on September 25, 1980 in Windsor, England after a night of heavy drinking. (led-zeppelin.org) John Baldwin was born on January 3, 1946 in Sidcup, Kent U.K. Both of his parents were musicians, his dad being a pianist and arranger for big bands and his mothe ...

Trifles Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

Trifles - Essay Example cture, including altering the starting and stopping points to some degree or another to either sharpen or soften the impact of the climax, it is true that most of our most popular stories follow this basic concept. However, Susan Glaspell, author of Trifles, has been accused of completely abandoning this basic structural framework within the play, creating instead a meandering, pointless and climax-less exposition that communicates its power through the very powerlessness of its main characters and the absence of the primary protagonist. A closer understanding of the basic plotline of the story reveals that Glaspell did not abandon this common structure, but instead placed it in an unusual context, purposely de-emphasizing the climax to illustrate the necessary actions of women with little to no power of their own. The play begins with the entrance of two women and three men into a gloomy farm kitchen that turns out to be the former home of John and Mrs. Wright. This is typically where exposition would start as the author begins to set up the story and this is exactly what Glaspell does. She includes some foreshadowing regarding the nature of the relationship between the couple as Mr. Hale continues to drop hints that John was cruelly dominating toward his wife. Telling the story of how he found the couple upon his arrival the morning of John’s death, Mr. Hale indicates that he had hoped to convince John to get a telephone and felt perhaps speaking about it in front of Mrs. Wright might have some positive effect as she was sure to want one as well. â€Å"I thought maybe if I went to the house and talked about it before his wife, though I said to Harry that I didn’t know as what his wife wanted made much difference to John.† This indication of a master/servant relationship is carried throughout this opening segment of the play and deliberately throws emphasis upon the men’s ideas regarding John’s death while allowing the two women to slip almost

Two part paper about the recent financial crisis and Hyman Minsky's Dissertation - 1

Two part paper about the recent financial crisis and Hyman Minsky's theories - Dissertation Example The stationary properties of all the variables are examined using Augmented Dickey Fuller (ADF) unit root tests. To test for stationarity, the unit roots for each of the series are examined using the Augmented Dickey Fuller (ADF) unit root tests developed by Dickey (1976); Fuller (1976); Dickey and Fuller (1979). Here the null hypothesis that the time series belongs to the difference stationary process against the alternative that it belongs to the trend stationary process has been tested using two models, one with constant and the other with constant and trend. The optimum number of lags is selected using Akaike Information Criteria. 45 3.4 Hypothesis Testing 47 3.5.4 Model Limitations 48 3.6. 5 Hyman Minsky’s Articulation 49 Chapter 4 – Statistical Result 55 4.1 Empirical Evidences for Greenspan’s Theories 55 H 63 R 63 D 63 B 63 FRM 63 Constant 63 -1.000 63 0.03(0.56) 63 0.07(0.04) 63 0.09(0.03) 63 -0.002(0.65) 63 -0.23(0.03) 63 0.002(0.15) 63 -1.000 63 0.04(0. 03) 63 0.43(0.04) 63 -0.004(0.21) 63 -0.65(0.76) 63 0.001(0.14) 63 0.002(0.013) 63 -1.000 63 0.32(0.14) 63 -0.001(0.11) 63 -0.43(0.16) 63 4.2 Empirical Evidences for Taylor’s Theory 67 Price Expectations and Housing 70 4.3 Empirical Evidences for Hyman Minsky’s Theory on Financial Crisis 72 Chapter 5 – Data Analysis and Interpretation 75 5.1 Discussion of Greenspan’s Theory 75 5.2 Discussion of Taylor’s Theory 83 5.3 Discussion of Minsky’s Theory 88 Chapter 6- Conclusion 94 References 100 Chapter 1- Introduction 1.1 Background In 2007, a number of leading European and U.S. banks were severely impacted by the collapse of mortgage-backed instruments that were mainly a by-product of their ‘packaging’. To the dismay of financial institutions, these toxic assets comprised a major portion of the bank’s asset base. The high demand in the housing market was triggered by historically low (many would argue below equilibrium) intere st rates. This ‘artificial’ demand led to a bubble in the housing sector that subsequently burst once the Fed raised interest rates, paving the way for a series of delinquencies. Buoyed by the booming housing market, banks granted loans to subprime borrowers who under ‘normal’ conditions, would have been rejected. With the rise in interest rates, these subprime borrowers failed to pay back on their house payments which resulted in a plethora of loan foreclosures. The rising defaults led to a credit crunch because financial institutions suddenly became very wary of lending to each other. For example, a steep rise in liquidity costs resulted in the â€Å"first bank run† in Britain in over 150 years. The enduing credit crisis was the result of a sustained period of global imbalances and bubbles in asset prices. The Federal Reserve continuously kept interest rates at unprecedented low levels for a significant part of the decade, setting the stage for che ap credit. Many business leaders and financiers across the world considered U.S. households

Use of Derivatives in Risk Management Research Paper

Use of Derivatives in Risk Management - Research Paper Example The global economic environment and the financial market have evolved drastically over the past decade. With the advent of information technology at a rapid pace, the financial markets of the world are now closely integrated. Due to this phenomenon of the world being a global village, a turbulence originated in a far distant financial market can have eventual consequences all across the globe. With the revolution in the communication technology, the access to information is instantaneous and thus the subsequent market reactions. It is of prime importance to understand the concept that how does financial risk arises in order to safeguard’s one asset from deteriorating while being exposed to such risks. For any organization or a company, the financial risk arises by entering into a financial transaction such as sales, purchase, investing into securities and bonds, sanctioning of loan and advances, mergers and acquisition transactions, debt financing etc. Financial risk is directly co-related to the prevailing financial prices in the markets, as the fluctuation in these prices causes an increase in the cost to the companies, reduction in the revenues and thus adverse impact on the profitability of the company. These underlying financial prices can be anything ranging from the market interest rates, exchange rates and commodity prices. Other aspects which yield financial risk in the transactions are dealing in derivatives and internal failures of the process and people of any organization. The financial r isk management process mainly copes with the uncertainties resulting from the financial market. The first and foremost step in this process is to identify the current exposure of the company and devise strategies accordingly keeping into consideration the priorities of the company. It depends upon the proactive decision making and the decisiveness of the company on how to cope with the current exposure of the company. In general, companies do realize that avoiding all risk is not possible in order to operate and thus they end up accepting a considerable amount of risk. Risk management is considered to be an ongoing process as the strategies needs to be updated and refined keeping into consideration the market norms and requirements. These changes are primarily brought about by the changes in the expectation about the market rates, business norms and practices and the international financial scenario. The most common strategy practiced by the companies all across the global financial market is to curtail their exposure to risk through the use of derivatives. Risk Management Process Risk management process is a continuous and iterative process which requires analysis of both internal and external risk factors. The

NYPD Stop, Question, and Frisk Policy Term Paper

NYPD Stop, Question, and Frisk Policy - Term Paper Example .. found that the stops were not actually finding or preventing crimes. 97% percent of stops resulted in no conviction at all, although they did still utilize city time and resources to reach those outcomes. â€Å" (Clark, Meredith â€Å"Reports Find 'Stop-and-Frisk' Does Not Cut Crime†). Reports also say that the policy has only served to fuel racial discrimination charges as those stopped are supposedly mostly black and Latino men. A move that according to most, constitutes the violation of a person's constitutional rights. The American public has their right to privacy and has quite strict rules regarding racial discrimination across the country. The New York Stop-and-Frisk policy has chosen to ignore the constitutionally and legally protected rights of the New York citizens in an effort to â€Å"keep peace† within their borders. With an average of 88 percent of â€Å"stop and frisks† resulting in the release of those being stopped without issuing a ticket or resulting in an arrest (â€Å"NY 'Stop and Frisk' Policy Violates Minority Rights, US Constitution - Judge†) , this policy should be seen as nothing but merely a nuisance. Evidence of this constitutional rights violation can be seen in the annals of the New York Attorney General's office as far back as 1999 when it was discovered that â€Å"Black and Latino New Yorkers were stopped at far higher rates than white men and women† (â€Å"NY 'Stop and Frisk' Policy Violates Minority Rights, US Constitution - Judge†). Such acts can be deemed as racial profiling which is a direct violation of the United States Constitution. The Fourth Amendment of the United States Constitution declares that people shall be protected from unreasonable searches. Yet in the state of New York, under the Stop-and-Frisk policy, at least 200,000 stops were made without reasonable suspicion from the year 2002 - 2004. Such a high rate of stops overall makes it quite evident that that there is no crime taking place and that the people being stopped were not in any way acting in a suspicious manner (Hanna, Jason â€Å"Judge Rules NYC's Stop-and-Frisk Policy Unconstitutional; City Vows Appeal). Over the past decade, a total of 5 million stops have occurred involving mostly Black and Hispanic men. The New York Stop-and-Frisk Policy is nothing more than a violation of one's right to privacy according to some people who have been involved in the implementation of the policy. Under the 14th Amendment people, regardless of gender, race, and ethnicity are also protected and given the equal protection of the law (Adelmann, Bob â€Å"Judge Rules New York City's 'Stop and Frisk' Policy Unconstitutional†). This amendment in particular is violated by the stop-and-frisk policy because of the conscious decision of the police force to concentrate their operations on the members of the black, Latino, and Hispanic communities. Due to the existence of the stop-and-frisk policy, New Yorkers are gripped with fear that they can be apprehended on the streets for no apparent reason. It has led people to fear a police state coming into existence in New York City. This is a policy that must be brought to an end because: â€Å"The NYPD's practice of making stops that lack individualized reasonable suspicion has been so pervasive and persistent as to become not only a part of the NYPD's standard operating procedure, but a fact of daily life

Images by Mann, especially her family picture series, and carrell Essay

Images by Mann, especially her family picture series, and carrell - Essay Example He received many awards for his academic achievements in mathematics. He began photography in the year 1856. Photography grew to be his source of inspiration because of the still-life, statues, landscape and trees that his photographs were consisted of. Sally Mann was an American photographer who was born on 1st May 1951 in Virginia, Lexington City. She was married to Larry Mann and they had three children; Virginia, Jessie and Emmet. She did her Bachelor’s degree at Hollins College. And she did her masters in writing at the same college. She began photographing in the 1970s. She mainly took photographs of landscapes across North America. Her works on Man’s children made her popular and also brought a lot of critics on her works (Sally, and Price 2012). In Mann’s picture she exhibited children in naked postures. She exploited their innocence, and at the same time she also depicted and brought out message of solitude, vulnerabilities, and structured behaviour in the childhood. She mainly used black and white photographs. All her works were still photos of her children. Her works allowed the audience to share and appreciate the beauty of the body and the sexuality of the body in the purist mode and form of nature. Carroll photographs were similar to Mann’s as they both mainly involved landscapes still-life and trees (Sally, and Price 2012). He took photos of young girls to bring out different story lines and themes. Carroll mainly used colour in his photographs but other pieces were done in black and white in order to bring out the elegant effect. He also took photos of old men. Socially their pictures were distasteful to the audience as they seemed exploitative to the young girl children. Despite this the photographs e xhibited childhood tendencies that were on the basis of sexual habitation, innocence and adolescence development of feeling, touching and attachment of opposite sex. Their stylistic approaches were

NYPD Stop, Question, and Frisk Policy Term Paper

NYPD Stop, Question, and Frisk Policy - Term Paper Example .. found that the stops were not actually finding or preventing crimes. 97% percent of stops resulted in no conviction at all, although they did still utilize city time and resources to reach those outcomes. â€Å" (Clark, Meredith â€Å"Reports Find 'Stop-and-Frisk' Does Not Cut Crime†). Reports also say that the policy has only served to fuel racial discrimination charges as those stopped are supposedly mostly black and Latino men. A move that according to most, constitutes the violation of a person's constitutional rights. The American public has their right to privacy and has quite strict rules regarding racial discrimination across the country. The New York Stop-and-Frisk policy has chosen to ignore the constitutionally and legally protected rights of the New York citizens in an effort to â€Å"keep peace† within their borders. With an average of 88 percent of â€Å"stop and frisks† resulting in the release of those being stopped without issuing a ticket or resulting in an arrest (â€Å"NY 'Stop and Frisk' Policy Violates Minority Rights, US Constitution - Judge†) , this policy should be seen as nothing but merely a nuisance. Evidence of this constitutional rights violation can be seen in the annals of the New York Attorney General's office as far back as 1999 when it was discovered that â€Å"Black and Latino New Yorkers were stopped at far higher rates than white men and women† (â€Å"NY 'Stop and Frisk' Policy Violates Minority Rights, US Constitution - Judge†). Such acts can be deemed as racial profiling which is a direct violation of the United States Constitution. The Fourth Amendment of the United States Constitution declares that people shall be protected from unreasonable searches. Yet in the state of New York, under the Stop-and-Frisk policy, at least 200,000 stops were made without reasonable suspicion from the year 2002 - 2004. Such a high rate of stops overall makes it quite evident that that there is no crime taking place and that the people being stopped were not in any way acting in a suspicious manner (Hanna, Jason â€Å"Judge Rules NYC's Stop-and-Frisk Policy Unconstitutional; City Vows Appeal). Over the past decade, a total of 5 million stops have occurred involving mostly Black and Hispanic men. The New York Stop-and-Frisk Policy is nothing more than a violation of one's right to privacy according to some people who have been involved in the implementation of the policy. Under the 14th Amendment people, regardless of gender, race, and ethnicity are also protected and given the equal protection of the law (Adelmann, Bob â€Å"Judge Rules New York City's 'Stop and Frisk' Policy Unconstitutional†). This amendment in particular is violated by the stop-and-frisk policy because of the conscious decision of the police force to concentrate their operations on the members of the black, Latino, and Hispanic communities. Due to the existence of the stop-and-frisk policy, New Yorkers are gripped with fear that they can be apprehended on the streets for no apparent reason. It has led people to fear a police state coming into existence in New York City. This is a policy that must be brought to an end because: â€Å"The NYPD's practice of making stops that lack individualized reasonable suspicion has been so pervasive and persistent as to become not only a part of the NYPD's standard operating procedure, but a fact of daily life

Amazon's Kindle Fire Aspects of Consumer Behavior Research Paper

Amazon's Kindle Fire Aspects of Consumer Behavior - Research Paper Example In this paper, we shall elaborate on these aspects and how they affect the marketing of Amazon’s Kindle products. The very first aspect that those marketing the Kindle product should consider is the fact that the product should be built or created to be more efficient than those of rival companies. This is essential for the marketing of the product because consumers tend to consider efficiency when buying a product. Consumers may prefer to go buy a product which is fast and wastes less time when they are using it even if the product is more expensive than similar products from other companies. The company should work on improving the speed of products if it intends to attract more consumers by promoting the efficiency of its products. Another aspect of marketing which should consider consumer behavior is the frequent changing of how the product is packaged. Consumers tend to believe that the products with a look that is new and different from the previous one is better. Amazon should therefore ensure that the look of its Kindle products is changed frequently to ensure that consumers are kept interested in them. New tools should be incorporated into the new forms of the product to make its use easier and this can be made a basis upon which the product is promoted (Poole, 2011). Consumers tend to prefer portable products which they can use anywhere at their own convenience. The Kindle products should be made more portable than they already are so that its marketers can use it as a strategy for marketing the product. Consumers are more likely to want to buy a portable product because of the ability to use them in any situation. They can read an eBook anywhere at any time and this can be used as a marketing strategy when promoting this product. The best marketing strategy which considers consumer behavior is the promotion of the product as being cheaper than those of rival products. The company should ensure that the prices of its products are lower than

Working in groups Essay Example for Free

Working in groups Essay 1) Explain the difference types of groups that suit in the workplace a) FORMAL AND INFORMAL GROUPS. Formal groups can be addressed to the staff as a whole, to selected groups of employees or to an individual in the company; such examples can be job appraisal procedures, reports, consultative document, etc. Informal groups in this way means talking but a two-way communication process in all its forms. These groups serve a counter organizational function, attempting to offset in a business. b) SHORT TERM AND LONG TERM. Short term is when an employee is working for a short period of time where as long term is when an employee is work more then that. Being in a group for a shirt time may not give the group all its best, but this can only change by stay for a long period of time. e) QUALITY CIRCLES Discussion groups that meet regularly to identify problems consider alternative solutions and recommend them to management. This forms an important part of a companys programme of continuous improvement. Quality circles may be summarised as following: * They are small groups of workers who meet voluntarily and appoint their own group leader. * They meet on a regular basis, often after work * They are usually from the same work area * Their purpose is to identify, investigate, analyse and solve- related problems. * They present their solutions the management. 2) Why is it of important to mangers individuals to encourage working in groups or teams? It is important for to mangers individuals to work in groups or teams because this can: * Increase listening skills * Shared work load * Work is completed quick * Increase motivation * Shared ideas * Shared responsibility * Developing team confidence * Problem solving * Specific skills 3) Explain fully Belbins team theory. Belbin team roles describe a pattern of behaviour that characterises one persons behaviour in relationship to another in facilitating the progress of a team. The value of Belbin team-role theory lies in enabling an individual or team to benefit from self-knowledge and adjust according to the demands being made by the external situation. Identifying a persons team Role helps: * Improve self awareness and personal effectiveness. * Foster mutual trust and understanding between work colleagues. * Team selection and team building. * Match people to jobs more effectively. Managers must understand that people bring more than their skills and experience to a team, they bring their personalities as well. Utilizing peoples behavioural strengths to create a balanced team adds greatly to both group and personal performance. It shows that although each team member in an example team has a functional role, they also have team roles. These are critical to the teams success. Belbin explains that teams with fewer members may need people to perform dual roles. He shows how behavioural skills can be assessed and how, with care, teams can be constructed that take account of hierarchies as well as personal interaction. 4) Why is it useful ensuring the success of working groups? Work can be made more efficient. Mistakes are likely to be made which also means more ideas are created. A feeling of belonging can be created which could also lead them to be motivated and this creates a better atmosphere. Extra work can be don which can have a knock on effect on any other groups if any. This may lead to increase of production and therefore increase of profit. 5) How do organizations use groups to achieve? a) Targets Groups are there two create ideas, plans and strategies. They can be part of these in order to achieve the target they are set. Each member of the group can be allocated a particular task, so the target is easier to achieve, this can help moral and motivation. This will then result in increased efficiency of completing the task b) Share Skills The work will be shared which makes it quicker to complete. This will motivate the employees to work quicker and faster and share all ideas amongst the group. Along with this is essential that work is shared with equal responsibility. Team confidence will build and problems which occur amongst the group can also be solved. Some people may have specific skills that others may not have; this can lead to good ideas, which can result of a good quality of work performance c) Ideas Goals Ideas are taken 4rm all individuals in the group and then summarised and put together to make a big discussion or point. Every idea brought up can be widened out or also described as a schema. Employees will be motivated and the business will be come more successful. This will lead the business to become more higher ranked. The business will be getting the best of its ability of the groups ideas, which will associate it to become more successful.

360 Degree Feedback: Analysis

360 Degree Feedback: Analysis 1. Introduction The researcher has highlighted the research question, aim and objectives, before the specific introduction to give a clear picture of the dissertation. 1.1 Research Question To ascertain whether 360 degree feedback could prove to be a promising appraisal mechanism for the staff motivation and development in the current economic crisis and funding cuts? 1.2 Aims and Objectives The research sets out to explore the relevance of 360 degree feedback appraisal system in contrast to the traditional appraisal process currently functional in the library and technical services department of the University. What is 360 degree feedback and in what ways it could prove to be an efficient tool for continuous improvement, development? What is the current functional appraisal technique in the universities library/technical services department and the benefits of introducing 360 degree feedback as an appraisal tool? To analyse the functions/pitfalls of introducing 360 degree feedback within the library/technical services department of the University, with an emphasis on its use for the continuous improvement, development and motivation of the staff. 1.3 Specific Introduction â€Å"University staffs tend to report high levels of stress at the best of times, and academic staffs usually rate their experience of stress as higher than other staff groups in the higher education setting,† (Easton and Laar, 2010). The current funding cuts by the government and the global financial crisis demands a major change in the way various processes function across universities in United Kingdom (UK). The current study is an endeavour to address the numerous limitations in between the traditional appraisal system and the 360 degree tool. The researcher aims to expand the literature that previously exists on the 360 degree appraisal system and to analyse why the gap exists in between both the processes. The researchers primary focus is on the staff motivation and personal development as the key factors that need consideration within the University of Huddersfield. The researcher has given a thorough critical analysis of the 360 degree feedback appraisal system through the review of the academic literature and has focussed on identifying whether or not there are any benefits of using 360 degree feedback over the traditional appraisal systems. As stated by Mason, et.al, (2009), multi-rater feedback is by fa r the best tool for staff development and monitoring effective continuous development in any organisation. Borman, (1997); Javitch and Burke, (1995); Yammarino and Atwater, (1997) state that one of the elementary assumptions of the 360 degree feedback approach is about the employees specific workplace behaviour and when compared to an individuals perception, can act like a catalyst and prove extremely beneficial for enhancing the employees self awareness, self development, motivation and subsequent behavioural change (Church, 2000). Concurrently, Cardy, et.al., (2011), critic that although the evaluation from 360 degree feedback includes feedback from all directions managers, colleagues, customers and the responses from all the point of views propose immense probability for improvement, insight and learning, the feedback from these multiple source seldom agree. On the rating scale, colleagues may rate some characteristics higher while managers may rate those very characteristics lo wer and likewise. The whole prototype of 360 degree feedback interpretation and evaluations can draw a perplexing image of the feedback which will hardly be of any significance to the individual in improving their performance. The underlying rationale of this study has been to evaluate the pros and cons of the traditional appraisal system currently functional in the university, and to analyse by what extent the human resource department, can benefit by introducing 360 degree feedback as their employee appraisal mechanism, especially in relation to the motivation and development of staff. 1.4 Research Plan The below figure (Figure.1) gives a diagrammatic representation of the research plan. The researcher has used the mind mapping technique to construct the research plan (Buzan and Buzan, 2007), which gives a clear picture of how the research task is carried forward as per the time line set by the researcher. The research plan has helped the researcher to carefully pre-plan the actions that needed to be taken during the research. In the following chapters the researcher has critically analysed the 360 degree feedback tool. The literature review covers the latest developments in the 360 degree feedback mechanism along with a thorough comparison with the traditional appraisal system currently functional in the library and technical services department of the University of Huddersfield. The research methodology chapter gives a thorough account of the research design chosen by the researcher, the various techniques used for the research, discussions about the semi structured interviews and questionnaires, followed by the analysis of data, research findings and conclusion. Chapter 2 2 General Literature Review 12-21 2.1 Specific Literature Review 21-27 2.2 Summary of the Literature Review 27 2. General Literature Review â€Å"The way 360 degree feedback is done seems to be critical to successfeedback interventions depend for their effectiveness on the extent to which they augment task motivation and encourage learning, although there are moderating variables such as the nature of the task,† (Kluger and De Nisi, 1996; Tyson and Ward, 2004). 360 degree feedback is an appraisal system used in strategic Human Resource management (HRM) as an intervention and an evaluation technique for personal development of the employees (Cardy, et.al, 2011; Fleenor, 2008; Tyson and Ward, 2004). It has also been referred as the ‘‘vital sign of the modern organization (Fortunato and Smith, 2008; Church and Waclawski, 1998). In this process the employees receive confidential, anonymous response from colleagues, managers, customers, family members etc (Figure 2). About three to five people fill out an anonymous online feedback form that asks questions covering a broad range of workplace competencies. The feedback forms include questions that are measured on a rating scale and also ask raters to provide written comments. The person receiving feedback also fills out a self-rating survey that includes the same survey questions that others receive in their forms. Various authors have outlined that 360 degree feedback is quite effective as it is a non bias process which makes performance management a more objective and fair process (CIPD, 2009), in contrast to the traditional appraisal processes where in a lot depends upon how the appraiser perceives the individual, which can be bias and less transparent. The 360 degree feedback has been used in many organisations for the development of staff members, and the gap in the two appraisal systems is due to the bias nature of the traditional appraisal mechanisms over the transparency of the 360 degree f eedback process. While traditional measures of appraisal systems date back to decades, current literature highlights the multiple developments in the field of appraisal techniques (Dalton, 1996). One among the later developments in the field is the 360 degree feedback appraisal mechanism. This research has explored the relevance of 360 degree feedback appraisal system in contrast to the traditional appraisal process currently functional in the University. Specifically, the author has examined how employee motivation and personal development are affected by 360 degree feedback. The aim throughout the research has been on comparing the traditional appraisal system functional in the University of Huddersfield (UOH) with the 360 degree feedback methodology by exploring how it could contribute in the personal development and motivation of the staff members within the University of Huddersfield. Meyer, (1991); and Folger and Cropanzano, (1998), disagree that evaluations of traditional appraisals are often positively inflated as usually the appraisers are not trained to give negative feedback, and if this is the manner in which the appraisals are conducted then the effectiveness of the performance management process will significantly be undermined (Guangrong, 2010; McCarthy and Garavan, 2001). Therefore one could state that if the tool if used accurately it can provide a non bias and more transparent appraisal system, which may decrease the possibilities of employee dissatisfaction in contrast to the traditional appraisal mechanism, and can emerge as an excellent motivational factor for the employees. As a matter of fact ‘360 degree feedback can significantly enhance the performance management process (Staff360, 2011; CIPD, 2009). However Fleenor, (2008) and Vinson, M.N. (1996) disregards the facts about the effectiveness of 360 degree feedback as people may use their role as a feedback provider as an opportunity to criticize others behaviour at work. According to Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, (2009) if the 360 degree tool is perceived to be in any way threatening, it can seriously damage both commitment and performance. â€Å"It is important that people receive regular honest feedback on their performance. They should understand how their role contributes to overall organisational aims and objectives and how they are performing against agreed criteria. 360 degree feedback can enhance this process by widening the scope for information from the line manager relationship to embrace a wider range of opinion. However, it is important that this is carried out sensitively and fairly,† (Staff360, 2011). Lepsinger and Lucia, (2009); Fleenor, (2008); Tyson and Ward, (2004) comprehend that there are direct evidences of employees performance improvements from 360 degree feedback appraisal mechanism. Various authors research prove that 360 degree feedback also results in improved customer satisfaction, improved management skills and these improvements motivate the employees to work on their identified strengths and use them for advancement in their carrier (Edwards and Ewens, 1996; Hazucha et al. 1993). Hence, the current study is an attempt to deal with the several limitations, and develop the literature that previously exists on the 360 degree appraisal system and to analyse why does the gap exist in between the traditional appraisal system and the 360 degree tool. â€Å"The University of Huddersfield has charitable status as an exempt charity under Schedule 2 to the Charities Act 1993 (amended by the Charities Act 2006). It is therefore subject to charity legislation but is not required to register with the Charity Commission and is not regulated by it. As an exempt charity, the University does not have a registered charity number. In 2010, the Higher Education Funding Council for England took over as the ‘Principal Regulator for the institutions it funds and now has a general duty to promote compliance with charity legislation. This does not affect the Universitys status as an exempt charity,† (hud.ac.uk, 2011). The UK governments educational funding slice and the recession hit economy demands a drastic alteration in the way various processes function across the Universities in UK. However, since the 360 degree feedback is a tool primarily developed and used mainly in the private sector organisations, there is a challenge in its implementation in a public sector or a third sector organisation and as in this case, the University of Huddersfield which is a registered for charity organisation. Brutus et al., (1998) support that the reactions to performance measurements may vary between public and private sector organizations—public sector managers underestimate their achievements compared with private sector managers, for example. Hence, based on these findings one could ascertain that there is a greater need for motivation and development of employees in the public/third sector organisations, and the 360 degree performance appraisal system is an HRs ideal response to combat such issues. As suggested and supported by Lepsinger and Lucia, (2009); Borman, W.C. (1997); Javitch, M.J. and Burke, W.W., (1995); Yammarino, F.J. and Atwater, L.E. (1997), one of the elementary assumptions of the 360 degree feedback approach is about the employees specific workplace behaviour and when compared to an individuals perceptions, can act like a catalyst and prove extremely beneficial for enhancing the employees self awareness, self development, motivation and subsequent behavioural change (Church, 1995, 2000). The researcher has explored the 360 degree appraisals methodology that has become popular in human resource circles over the last few years, wherein the employees performance is assessed by their colleagues, managers and others and has analysed its benefits over the traditional appraisal processes. Brown, (2006) criticizes that while the 360 degree process seems like an interesting idea; it involves more meetings and many forms to be filled out in comparison to the traditional appraisal systems. However Maylett, (2009) and Wiley, (1993) supports that 360 degree feedback can prove to be a good instrument for the staff development as this process gives an individual in-depth performance feedback and hence based on the findings the employee can work on their personal development, by getting trained in the area where there weakness lies and the time lost in filling the extra forms are worth the effort. Arguments from different authors suggest that the feedback systems have always been in to existence in the organisations in some form or the other, but of-late has been developed and given a name ‘360 degree feedback and according to Garavan, et al., (1997) 360 degree feedback process is like an ‘old wine in new a bottle. It is also known as multi-rater feedback and is an appraisal process in which the individual is assessed by themselves, colleagues, managers, stakeholders, customers, etc. The 360 degree instrument can be used to achieve various goals and one aspect of it is the need of continuous measurement of improvement efforts, development of staff and their motivation. Ward, (1997) defined 360 degree feedback as ‘the systematic collection and feedback of performance data on an individual or group derived from a number of the stakeholders in their performance. †Because of their shorter expected tenure, women are less likely to be as motivated by the deferred rewards of career ladders. As a consequence, she argues that employers with large shares of women have historically used shorter-term rewards and undertaken more routine and extensive monitoring,† (Brown and Heywood, 2005; Goldin, 1986). Various authors criticize that traditional appraisal techniques are not that effective in case of female employees and there are many incidences of gender bias in appraisals. Renowned authors, Brown and Heywood, (2005) support that ‘a major and recurrent criticism of the traditional appraisal process is its openness to subjective and discriminatory outcome. The primary goal of this research has been to expand beyond the current literature by analysing the data and results to create suggested policies for the University of Huddersfield, to implement pertaining to the improvement of staff morale and productivity. Furthermore, on reviewing the growing body of literature and the research on 360 degree feedback, the researcher was able to identify the usefulness of having 360 degree feedback over the traditional appraisal processes in the University of Huddersfield; the study has also given ample scope to the researcher in developing more insightful questions. The author has identif ied the various factors on which the success of 360 degree feedback mechanism depends; the literature supports that more effectively the 360 degree instrument is implemented the better are the results. Newbold, (2008) highlights that that if the tool is implemented accurately, with the proper training and the correct resources, a 360-degree appraisal could prove to be a powerful and positive addition to any performance-management system. The 360 degree feedback has been used in many organisations for the development of staff members, and the gap in the two appraisal systems is due to the bias nature of the traditional appraisal mechanisms over the transparency of the 360 degree feedback process. Various authors have outlined that 360 degree feedback is quite effective as it is a non bias process which makes performance management a more objective and fair process (CIPD, 2009), in contrast to the traditional appraisal processes where in a lot depends upon how the appraiser perceives the individual, which can be bias and less transparent. Maylett, (2009); Meyer, (1991); Folger and Cropanzano, (1998), argue that evaluations of traditional appraisals are often positively inflated as usually the appraisers are not trained to give negative feedback, and if this is the manner in which the appraisals are conducted then the effectiveness of the performance management process will significantly be undermined (McCarthy and Garavan, 2001). Therefore one could state that if the tool if used accurately it can provide a non-bias and more transparent appraisal system, which may decrease the possibilities of employee dissatisfaction in contrast with the traditional appraisal mechanism, and can emerge as an excellent motivational factor for the employees. However Vinson, (1996) disregards the facts about the effectiveness of 360 degree feedback as people may use their role as a feedback provider as an opportunity to criticize others behaviour at work. â€Å"Multirater feedback has several significant advantages over single-rater assessment. Rather than relying on the perceptions of one individual, multirater feedback takes into account multiple perspectives. Those working with the employee, along with the supervisor, are generally able to provide a more comprehensive picture of an employees behaviour or performance. This is especially critical when the supervisor does not have the opportunity to observe all areas of an employees performance,† (Maylett, 2009). Maylett, (2009); DeNisi and Kluger, (2000) support that ‘360-degree feedback for decision making affects the actual ratings given to the individual being appraised and these systems should be primarily, if not exclusively for developmental purposes (Figure 3). Furthermore, the conditions in which 360 degree feedback work in an organisation largely depends upon the perception of 360 degree feedbacks potential to enhance human resource management system of the organisation. As suggested by Lepsinger and Lucia, (2009) factors like culture (that supports openness and honest feedback) and systems (that minimise irrational responses and have built in ways to identify people whose ratings are untrustworthy) assess if the organisation is ready to implement the 360 degree feedback process, and the researcher has explored the possibilities of its implication in the University of Huddersfield, based on these grounds. 2.1 Specific Literature Review This section of the dissertation takes a specific critical standpoint on whether 360 ° feedback as strategic Human Resource tool have a profound strategic justification in the University of Huddersfield (UOH) which is a registered for charity organisation (hud.ac.uk, 2011) . The researcher has given a critical account of the 360-degree feedback tool, as an option for performance development appraisals and for motivating the staff in performing better, in the registered for charity organisations. Currently, the 360 degree tool is not very common in the third sector, registered for charity organisations and the investigation could be a scope for a research elsewhere. According to Berk, (2009); and Fortunato and Smith, (2008) 360 degree feedback is an appraisal tool used by approximately 90% of the Fortune 1000 organisations (Fortunato and Smith, 2008; Bracken et al., 2001; Tornow and Tornow, 2001; Edwards and Ewen, 1996, 2001). Cardy, Leonard and Newman, (2011) believe that the incre ased popularity of the 360 degree feedback is unquestionable and that organisations have spent innumerable amount of funds in implementing the feedback system. However, Cardy et.al, (2011) argue that many Fortune 1000 companies have implemented the 360 degree feedback without having considered the purpose, which is not very advisable, as 360 degree feedback is at its best for staff development, motivation, and for administrative use such as in determining performance related salary. The utility of 360 degree feedback, mainly upward feedback, may be constricted when appraisers provide erroneous ratings (Bernardin and Tyler, 2001; Bracken and Timmreck, 2001). Kuvas, (2006) highlighted that the relationship between the performance appraisal and work is interrelated to the employees inherent motivation at work. For an employee to perform in an organisation, job satisfaction and motivation to execute an activity for itself, in order to experience the pleasure and satisfaction inherent in the activity (Kuvas, 2006; Deci et al., 1989; Vallerand, 1997). Cardy et.al. (2011) highlight that when feedback received from too many sources are used for the estimation of an employees performance the diverse sources of feedback seldom agree in their evaluation, although a broader understanding can be attained. Analysis and criticism of traditional appraisal system in contrast with 360 degree feedback The primary principle of appraisals is to put forward an opinion or feedback on how the employee performs in their current job role and to discuss further what could be done to facilitate the employee to perform the expected job, if they are not performing as per the objectives. Prowse and Prowse, (2009); and Randell, (1994) argue that appraisals are the systematic evaluation of an individuals performance linked to the organisations culture and behaviour. The various departments in the University of Huddersfield (UOH) use different appraisal mechanisms. The computing and library services, technical services and other administration departments of the University use a competencies framework for the staff appraisals. The appraisals are conducted half yearly (every 6 months) to follow up on the employees personal development plan. There are three documents that are usually taken in a one on one appraisal, the filled employee preparation form, the filled up competencies framework and the competency framework Role Profiling document which provides a brief idea of which level each role is at (Figure. 4). After the discussion the appraising line manager fills up the appraisal record which both the appraiser and the ‘appraisee sign and get a copy. This process is followed up every 6 months (Please refer to appendix 1 for appraisal documents). The purpose of the process is to facilitate the employees to develop in a systematic way so that university as an organisation functions in the best possible way utilising the optimum talent identified. Various authors support that the appraisal system also offers an opportunity to put across and discuss the employees achievements over the past year with th eir managers to confer their performance in general and make plans for the year ahead. The performance appraisals are potentially a solution for the organisations to get the most out of their employees (Prowse and Prowse, 2009; Armstrong and Baron, 2005). The scheme currently functional in the university is highly participative, with a huge emphasis on appraisal ‘self and making sure that the staffs have a key responsibility in determining their own improvement and personal development (UOH, 2011). â€Å"In order for an appraisal system to be absolutely flawless and effective a number of elements have to be in place, as in the understanding and agreement on performance goals, a process for collecting ongoing performance data and a framework of productive periodic review and formal appraisal discussions,† (Lepsinger and Lucia, 2009). Although the current appraisals seemed to have worked fine till date, the literature provides evidence of the flaws in the traditional appraisal processes. Lepsinger and Lucia, (2009); and Lee, (2006) highlight that disagreement on set performance criterion, the line managers inability as an appraiser to process the bulk of information received and the employees need, while being appraised to defend their self image, are the key factors which act as a barrier in the smooth functioning of the traditional appraisals. It could be argued that the two parties involved in a traditional appraisal usually do not agree with the performance criteria set and it is highly likely that a difference of opinion may crop up between the appraisers and appraisee on what it takes to perform the job effectively. Prowse and Prowse, (2009); and Lee, (2006) argue that that the appraisal practice cannot be executed successfully unless the appraiser has the right interpersonal skills to provide the feedback t o the appraisee. If the appraiser and appraisee do not come to a conclusion on what can mutually be agreed as a requirement for excellent performance, then it is quite evident that both may end up with diverse conclusions about the staffs effectiveness in meeting the set performance criteria. Furthermore, rather than reassessing the actions necessary for a thriving performance at work, if the traditional appraisal attempts to achieve a specific target or result, it hardly does anything to seize the gap in perception or help the appraisee in comprehending what amendments are vital for their advancement and development in performing the job (Lepsinger and Lucia, 2009). â€Å"Traditional performance appraisal systems are flawed in their design, implementation and use. Supervisors seldom are effective in using such systems because the assumptions that guide how we use performance appraisals are unsubstantiated,† (Lee, 2006). Lepsinger and Lucia, (2009); and Lee, (2006) solicit to discontinue the use of the traditional performance appraisal methods and state that the traditional appraisal processes that rely upon ratings should be discontinued and advanced performance management mechanisms should be adopted which are designed to produce ample quantitative and qualitative information. The line managers inability as an appraiser to process the mass information received is another major issue in the traditional appraisal processes. The though process behind an effective appraisal is very complex. Experts break down the intricate process for collecting and processing information used in the appraisal process (Lepsinger and Lucia, 2009). Merits of introducing 360 degree feedback as an appraisal tool in the University of Huddersfield â€Å"Critiques of appraisal have continued as appraisals have increased in use and scope across sectors and occupations. The dominant critique is the management framework using appraisal as an â€Å"orthodox† technique that seeks to remedy the weakness and propose of appraisals as a system to develop performance,† (Bach, 2005). As discussed previously The University of Huddersfield uses competencies framework for the staff appraisals. The competencies framework is a description of the relevant behaviours needed to be competent in the job roles and support the organisation in remaining an exceptional University. The competencies appraisal framework boasts to benefit the employees by providing precision of performance expectations, uniformity and fairness throughout the appraisal, allowing superior identification of individual development requirements and giving a clearer picture of required skills to progress in the career path. In turn the university benefits by a lucid method of continuous development and performance management, enabling the identification and prioritisation of improvement needs to facilitate the improved stipulation of the learning and development courses or other areas of development (Source: HR, 2011). â€Å"360 degree feedback can make a positive contribution to the appraisal system. It can help to gain agreement on expectations, by using a broader range of information, and by facilitating open discussion,† (Lepsinger and Lucia, 2009). There are numerous benefits of introducing 360 degree feedback in the University of Huddersfield. As per the discussions with the human resource staff and the appraising managers it can be argued that the current appraisal system functional in the university is not flawless. The bias nature of the one on one performance appraisals is prone to disputes among the appraising manager and the employees, and although the university has a procedure in place to resolve such conflicts it could still benefit by introducing 360 degree feedback along with the traditional appraisal mechanism to rule out any such possibilities of conflicts. 2.2 Summary of the Literature Review To sum it could be concluded that the 360 degree feedback has a proven record as an excellent tool for staff development and motivation. The researcher has observed that the tool has become increasingly accepted in the organisations worldwide ever since the masses have discovered its value. Since the academic literature supports the research question proposed by the researchers. Chapter 3 3 Introduction to the Research Methodology 29 3.1 Research Design 29-33 3.2 Research Strategy 33-35 3.3 Review of Research Data Collection Methods 35-36 3.3.1 Semi-Structured Interviews Qualitative Data 36 3.3.2. Questionnaires Quantitative Data 37-39 3.4 Pilot Test 39 3.4.1 Questionnaire Pilot Test 1 40 3.4.2 Questionnaire Pilot Test 2 40-41 3.5 Alternate Research Methods considered but 41-42 3.6 Ethical Considerations 42-43 3.7 Methods of Data Analysis 43-44 3.8 Summary of the methodology 44 3. An Introduction of the Research Methodology In this section of the research paper the researcher has explained the various types of research methods and techniques available, and used by the researcher, followed by a justification of why these methods have been considered appropriate for this dissertation and why the other methods have not been considered. The process of data collection and data analysis has also been described in this chapter. 3.1 Research Design The researcher throws light on the research design and gives a general idea of how the researcher has gone about addressing the research question and description of its approach with rationality, followed by an account of the objectives derived from this research, gives an account of the sources which has been used in this research to collect data, and a description of the ethical considerations (Creswell, et.al. 2011; Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, 2009). To quote Saunders, et.al, (2009): â€Å"Combining both quantitative and qualitative analysis ‘the researcher may possibly use the quantitative data and ‘qualitize it that is converting it into narrative that can be analysed qualitatively. Alternately, the researcher may ‘quantitise the qualitative data, converting it into numerical codes so that it could be analysed statistically,† (Saunders et.al, 2009). The author has carried out the research by conducting semi-structured interviews followed by a brief experimental introduction of 360 degree feedback process, and the analysis of the results were done by the careful examination of combination of the mixed methods. Various authors justify that there are diverse rationales for research; however practitioner researchers are faced with queries that demand versatile responses (Creswell, 2003) Hence, a mixed methods approach that uses qualitative and quantitative research can be considered as appropriate for several p

Triangle Shirtwaist Fire Essay -- essays research papers

Triangle Shirtwaist Fire   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Near closing time on Saturday afternoon, March 25, 1911, in New York City a fire broke out on the top floors of the Asch Building in the Triangle Shirtwaist Company. One of the worst tragedies in American history it was know as the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire. It was a disaster that took the lives of 146 young immigrant workers. A fire that broke out in a cramped sweatshop that trapped many inside and killed 146 people. This tragedy pointed out the negatives of sweatshop conditions of the industrialization era. It emphasized the worst part of its times the low wages, long hours, and unsanitary working conditions were what symbolized what sweatshops were all about. These conditions were appalling, and no person should ever be made to work in these conditions. Before this tragedy occurred the suffering of the workers was very evident. Take for instance this first hand account by Sadie Frowne. â€Å"My name is Sadie Frowne. I work in Allen Street (Manhattan) in what they call a sweatshop. I am new at the work and the foreman scolds me a great deal. I get up at half-past five o’clock every morning and make myself a cup of coffee on the oil stove. I eat a bit of bread and perhaps some fruit and then go to work. Often I get there soon after six o’clock so as to be in good time, though the factory does not open till seven. At seven o’clock we all sit down to our machines and the boss brings to each one the pile of work that he or she is to finish during the day—what they call in English their â€Å"stint.† This pile is put down beside the machine and as soon as a garment is done it is laid on the other side of the machine. Sometimes the work is not all finished by six o’clock, and then the one who is behind must work overtime. The machines go like mad all day because the faster you work the more money you get. Sometimes in my haste I get my finger caught and the needle goes right through it. It goes so quick, though, that it does not hurt much. I bind the finger up with a piece of cotton and go on working. We all have accidents like that. All the time we are working the boss walks around examining the finished garments and making us do them over again if they are not just right. So we have to be careful as well as swift. But I am getting so good at the work that within a year I will be making $7 a w... ...being held accountable, the city officials themselves were also held accountable because of improper safety regulations. Showing that the city itself should be at fault for not enforcing safety regulations for such things as fire escapes, that were not in working order. These unprecedented circumstances just lay down the blueprint for what is now the correct way to set regulations for industrial factory conditions. With these commissions in place, tougher legislation, laws, ordinances, and precedents that will be in place working together to rid the world of these horrible sweatshops. As well as the devastating circumstances they can bring in such occurrences as fires or other natural disaster events. Even though almost ninety years later sweatshops still exist. These sweatshops at the present day are almost unheard of here in America, but continue to be in foreign third world countries. As horrible as it is to say the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire turned out to be a very helpful life changing turn around for hundreds of thousands of people, it turns out that many positives have come out of it. Its just too bad that such a tragedy had to come about to make such significant changes.

Buckingham Palace: A Fascinationg Destination Essay -- Royal British M

Buckingham Palace, established in 1703, serves as the home of the royal British monarchy (the Queen and her extended family) and provides the perfect setting for special occasions such as weddings, tea parties, and the Changing of the Guard. One of the world’s most significant buildings is Buckingham Palace. This building has over 50,000 people visit each year for banquets and royal events (NWE 1). Representing the British Empire, the palace symbolizes the British royalty (NWE 1). They constructed it for the Duke of Buckingham (EBP 1). In 1761, George III wanted to buy the house for his wife, Queen Charlotte, to have a home close to St. James Palace. Here, many court occasions took place. Some of these court occasions included official receptions, royal marriages, and christenings. People referred to this house as The Queen’s House (History 1). In 1762, the king wanted the house remodeled according to strict requirements. Work started and they used the designs of Sir William Chambers. As work continued, the king’s decision took a turn. He wanted to transform the house into a grand palace. He did this with the help of John Nash (Palace 1). Many changes occurred in the palace. During the 1800s, they enlarged Buckingham palace. A bomb struck the building during World War 2, stricking a room that became the Queen’s Gallery in 1962 (EBP 1). During the 1820s, the name of the house officially became Buckingham Palace. Queen Victoria, the first resident of the Palace in 1837, lived there during the time of her accession into the Palace (40 facts 1). Buckingham Palace, then, became London’s home of the kingdom in the City of Wesminster. The monarch uses it as a headquarters and for many special occasions. Buckingham... ...e over 20,000 sandwiches and 25,000 cups of tea (BH 2). The Changing of the Guards takes action at the forecourt, added to Buckingham Palace in 1911, along with gates and railings (40 facts 1). Changing of the Guard happens at 11:30 a.m. This ceremony occurs when the â€Å"New Guard† replaces soldiers that have been on duty at Buckingham Palace and St. James Palace (40 facts 3). The guards at Buckingham Palace may remain in battle gear for quite some time (U.S. WR 2). This ceremony also attracts very large crowds at Buckingham Palace (NWE 6). Described as a working building, Buckingham Palace serves as the centerpiece of the British monarchy (Palace 1) and as a home for the Queen. It also serves as an office for the Head of State. Over 800 staff members work at Buckingham Palace. Their jobs include housekeeping, catering, clockmaker, and flagman (40 facts 1).

Discrimination and Young People Essay

1.1 Explain what is meant by * diversity * equality * inclusion Diversity means difference. It means understanding that each individual is unique, and recognizing our individual differences such as race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, age, physical abilities and religious beliefs. Equality means treating everyone the same regardless of their individual differences. It is the discovery of these differences in a safe, positive, and nurturing environment. Everyone has an equal right to be treated with dignity and respect. No one should be denied opportunities because of their race or ethnicity, their disability, their gender or sexual orientation, their age or religion. Inclusion means including people in a way that makes them feel appreciated and respected. Treating individuals fairly and respecting the differences between them makes it easier to include them. 1.2 Describe the potential effects of discrimination Discrimination is treating someone or a group of people in a different way to everyone else based on their individual differences. It involves the behavior towards a child or children such as excluding or restricting children from activities that other children are participating in. Discrimination happens when we fail to respect individuals and their choices. Discrimination affects everybody in different ways: Low self-esteem, depression, withdrawn behaviour, shyness, tearful, fearful etc. When someone is discriminated against, it can exclude them from friends, family, neighbours, and society in general. A child’s self-worth is reduced, as they feel isolated, and alone. Children’s & Young People’s Workforce (2010 page 21) states that â€Å"When children experience prejudiced attitudes, there is a danger of damage to their self-esteem and self-confidence†. Discrimination can limit a child’s right to achieve their potential and objectives, their right to learn, their right to succeed. The most common forms of discrimination are racial remarks, being insulted and being the butt of hurtful jokes. Discrimination, racism and harassment may have significant mental and physical health consequences such as frustration, stress, anxiety and depression. Effects of discrimination physically and emotionally: Depression Anger Low self-esteem Isolation Loss of confidence Low self-worth Feeling stressed or unable to cope Fear of rejection The long-term effects could include: Loss of motivation Missed opportunities that may affect the child’s experiences and development Limited access to services Mental illness caused by stress 1.3 Explain how inclusive practice promotes equality and supports diversity Inclusive practice is about the attitudes, approaches and approaches taken to ensure that people are not excluded or isolated. It means supporting diversity by accepting and welcoming children’s differences, and promoting equality by ensuring equal opportunities for all children. Child care workers show inclusive practice by working in ways that recognise, respect, value and make the most of all aspects of diversity. Children’s & Young People’s Workforce (2010 page 25) states that another type of inclusive practice is to â€Å"offer children equality of opportunity to  participate, develop and learn. This does not mean treating them all the same; we have to acknowledge their diversity and treat children as individuals, with equal concern†. Having a sound awareness of and responding sensitively to an individual’s diverse needs supports them in developing a sense of belonging, well-being and confidence in their identity and capabilities and it helps them to achieve their potential to take their place in society. In addition, inclusive practice involves having an understanding of the impact that discrimination, inequality and social exclusion can have on an individual’s physical and mental health. Having such an understanding ensures appropriate, personalised care and support, thereby enabling an individual to develop self-respect and maintain a valued role in society. Children’s & Young People’s Workforce (2010 page 20) states that â€Å"When children spend time in settings which promote diversity, equality of opportunity and inclusion, they are able to make progress in all areas of development†. Inclusive practice involves reflecting on and challenging one’s own prejudices, behaviours and work practices. It also involves challenging those of colleagues and other service providers with a view to changing ways of thinking and working and changing services to build on good practice and to better support diversity and promote equality. Bibliography Authors:Penny Tassoni, Kate Beith, Kath Bulman, Sue Griffin Year of publication:2010 Title:Children’s & Young People’s Workforce – Early Learning & Childcare Publisher:Heinemann

Pakistan Cng Industry

Compiled by: Mirza Rohail B http://economicpakistan. wordpress. com/2008/02/10/cng-industry/ Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) is a substitute for gasoline (petrol) or diesel fuel. It is considered to be an environmentally â€Å"clean† alternative to those fuels. It is made by compressing methane (CH4) extracted from natural gas. Argentina and Brazil are the two countries with the largest fleets of CNG vehicles. As of 2005, Pakistan is the largest user of CNG in Asia, and third largest in the world. The Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) sector of Pakistan by end of 2007 has attracted over Rs 70 billion investments during the last few years as a result of liberal and encouraging policies of the government. Presently, more than 2,700 CNG stations are operating in the country in 85 cities and towns, and 1000 more would be setup in the next three years. It has provided employment to above 30,000 people in Pakistan. Over 2 million vehicles were converted to CNG as of march 2009, showing an increase of 35 percent yearly. On average 29,167 vehicles are being converted to CNG every month. All Pakistan CNG Association (APA) Sana-ur-Rehman confirms that CNG stakeholders have invested Rs. 90 billion in this sector and another Rs 20 billion investment is in pipeline. The CNG consumers had invested around Rs 60 billion in converting their vehicles to CNG. The CNG was replacing at least 6. 12 billion liters of petrol every year and saving foreign exchange to the tune of billions of dollars. The CNG sector pays 24 percent sales tax and 4 percent withholding tax to the government. Moreover, the CNG is contributing tremendously towards maintaining the air pollution level lower since it emits almost 85 percent less harmful gasses, zero lead and zero particulate matter. Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) is a substitute for gasoline (petrol) or diesel fuel. It is considered to be an CNG has grown into one of the major fuel sources used in car engines in Pakistan, Bangladesh and India. The government of Punjab, Pakistan, the most populous province of that country, has mandated that all public-transport vehicles will use CNG by 2007. CNG conversion 3rd generation environmentally â€Å"clean† alternative to those fuels. It is made by compressing methane (CH4) extracted from natural gas. It is stored and distributed in hard containers, usually cylinders. Conversion has been facilitated by a substantial price differential with liquid fuels, locally-produced conversion equipment and a growing CNG-delivery infrastructure. A ‘Blue-network’ of CNG stations is being developed on the major highways of the Southern Cone (including Chile and Bolivia) to allow for long-haul transportation fuelled by CNG. According to the International Association for Natural Gas Vehicles, Pakistan has the third-largest number of natural gas vehicles. In the Middle East and Africa, Egypt is a top ten country in the world with more than 63000 CNG vehicles and 95 fueling stations nationwide. Egypt was also the first nation in Africa and the Middle East to open a public CNG fuelling station in January 1996. Brisbane Transport and Trans-Perth in Australia have both adopted a policy of only purchasing CNG buses in future; the former purchasing 216 Scania L94UB and 180 MAN 18. 10 models, with the latter purchasing 451 Mercedes-Benz OC500LE buses, including 58 articulated buses. Brisbane Transport has also ordered up to 30 articulated CNG buses on MAN chassis’. During the 1970s and 1980s, CNG was commonly used in New Zealand in the wake of the oil crises, but fell into decline after petrol prices receded. Technology CNG can easily be used in Otto-cycle (gasoline) and modified Diesel cycle engines. Lea n-burn Otto-cycle engines can achieve higher thermal efficiencies when compared with stoichiometric Otto-cycle engines at the expense of higher NOx and hydrocarbon emissions. Electronically-controlled stoichio-metric engines offer the lowest emissions across the board and the highest possible power output, especially when combined with EGR, turbo charging and inter-cooling, and three way catalytic converters. The octane rating of CNG is far greater than Petrol and if handled correctly it can produce same or more power output from an engine provided the Compressed Natural Gas is compressed properly and accurate amounts of BTU Figures attained. CNG cylinders can be made of steel, aluminum, or plastic. Lightweight composite (fiber-wrapped plastic) cylinders are especially beneficial for vehicular use because they offer significant weight reductions when compared with earlier generation steel and aluminum cylinders, which leads to lower fuel consumption. CNG may be refueled from low-pressure or high-pressure systems. The difference lies in the cost of the station vs. the refueling time. There are also some implementations to refuel out of a residential gas line during the night, but this is forbidden in some countries. CNG compared to LNG and LPG CNG is often confused with LNG. While both are stored forms of natural gas, the key difference is that CNG is in compressed form, while LNG is in liquefied form. CNG has a lower cost of production and storage compared to LNG as it does not require an expensive cooling process and cryogenic tanks. CNG requires a much larger volume to store the same mass of natural gas and the use of high pressures. CNG is also often confused with LPG, which is a compressed blend of propane (C3H8) and butane (C4H10). The Advantages of Compressed Natural Gas The Environmentally Clean Advantage Compressed natural gas is the cleanest burning fuel operating today. This means less vehicle maintenance and longer engine life. CNG vehicles produce the fewest emissions of any motor fuel. Dedicated Natural Gas Vehicles (NGV) has little or no emissions during fueling. In gasoline vehicles, fueling emissions account for at least 50% of a vehicle’s total hydrocarbon emissions. CNG produces significantly less pollutants than gasoline. Tailpipe emissions from gasoline operated cars release carbon dioxide, which contributes to global warming. This is greatly reduced with natural gas. The Maintenance Advantage Some fleet operators have reduced maintenance costs by as much as 40% by converting their vehicles to CNG. Intervals between tune-ups for natural gas vehicles are extended 30,000 to 50,000 miles. Intervals between oil changes for natural gas vehicles are dramatically extended–anywhere from 10,000 to 25,000 additional miles depending on how the vehicle is used. Natural gas does not react to metals the way gasoline does, so pipes and mufflers last much longer. The Performance Advantage Natural gas gives the same mileage as gasoline in a converted vehicle. Dedicated CNG engines are superior in performance to gasoline engines. CNG has an octane rating of 130 and has a slight efficiency advantage over gasoline. Because CNG is already in a gaseous state, NGV’s have superior starting and drivability, even under severe hot and cold weather conditions. NGV’s experience less knocking and no vapor locking. The CNG Cost Advantage Natural gas is cheaper per equivalent gallon than gasoline (an average of 15% to 50% less than gasoline). The Safety Advantage Surveys indicate that NGV’s are as safe or safer than those powered by other fuels. A 1992 AGA survey of more than 8,000 vehicles found that with more than 278 million miles traveled, NGV injury rates per vehicle mile traveled were 34% lower than the rate for gasoline vehicles. There were no fatalities reported–even though these vehicles were involved in over 1,800 collisions. The Financial Incentive Advantage Some States offers a 50% investment tax credit for each vehicle converted to natural gas. This 50% credit on state income tax features a three-year, carry-forward option. A federal tax deduction is also available for the cost of conversion. Apprehensions in Industry The CNG Stations Owners Association of Pakistan (CSOAP) in January 2009 demanded the government to introduce a separate tariff for CNG to protect the investment by CNG station owners. An executive committee members meeting of CSOAP Thursday urged the Ministry of Petroleum and OGRA to keep the CNG policy 1992 enforced. The recent steps by the government to increase gas price would damage the CNG industry and would put additional burden on the common man. The current increase of 10 percent in gas prices is unjustified and uncalled for when the fuel prices all over the world have plunged. The 33 percent steep increase of gas prices in July 2008 by SSGCL and SNGPL was fully absorbed by CNG station owners and dealers by reducing their profit margins. He said the CNG sector as a whole consumes less than 6 percent of total gas output from SSGCL and SNGPL. The investments of more than Rs 60 billion of middle and lower middle class people who converted their vehicles to use cheap and environmental friendly CNG would go waste if the government does not revert the recent increase of gas price immediately. The CNG industry’s efforts to reduce government’s burden of foreign exchange payments and huge savings of Forex reserves resulted from shift to CNG use in vehicles. He claimed CNG has resulted in savings of more than $250 million per annum of foreign exchange for Pakistan. The recent increase of gas prices would force the CNG vehicle owners to buy CNG at a higher rate forcing CNG stations to close down their businesses leaving 2. 1 million vehicle owners including rickshaws and taxis prone to inflation. He said if the government did not meet their genuine demands, they would be forced to shut down their businesses and would not be able to pay their leasing payments and other loans. All Pakistan CNG Association (APA) in 2008 had also expressed resentment over the government’s plan to increase CNG prices equalizing petroleum prices so as to resolve ongoing gas crises in the country. The APA has contacted the planning division for holding a meeting on the issue but the concerned officials have refused to meet the stakeholders, he claimed. The APA chairman Sana-ur-Rehman claimed that there is an anti-CNG lobby in the planning division. He said that the CNG stakeholders have invested Rs 90 billion in this sector and another Rs 20 billion investment is in pipeline. He expressed apprehensions that the industry would totally collapse if the CNG prices were equalized with petroleum prices. According to APA Chairman, the CNG sector accounts only for 6 percent of the national gross consumption of the natural gas, where as it is being portrayed as the cause for present gas shortage crisis. The domestic sector consumes 21 percent gas during summer, which rises to 69 percent in winter and that was actually responsible for the gas shortage every winter season. He informed journalists that gas was provided to industrial sector for a contract of 9 month in a year. The industries were required to arrange for alternate energy source during the remaining three months of winter, he maintained. However, he regretted that the government machinery wanted to provide supply of gas to industrial sector throughout the year for the last several years against the contractual obligations. CNG Conversions Converting a gasoline-powered car to CNG requires only minor engine modifications. To learn more about converting your car, please contact a certified CNG conversion company. (c) ECONOMIC PAKISTAN