Finance for Innovation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Finance for Innovation - Essay Example This paper illustrates that financial resources are critically essential in all innovation process aspects and all financial sources are significant. A good financial innovator is Kueski.com, a financial innovator located in Guadalajara in Mexico, which chose a banking platform in Mambu cloud to operate its magnificent and fast-growing lending business. Kueski.com is an innovator that offers online loans through a complicated risk algorithm drawing on several sources of data like a client’s social profile so as to assess his/her creditworthiness. Venture capital industry is regarded as a solution for financial innovation since it addresses most needs for technology startups. Venture capital typically funds innovations through rich investors, university endowment funds, pension funds as well as other institutional investors for a certain period of time. Venture capitalists actively invest and are involved in assisting strategy, operations, marketing, and personnel. Usually, the y restrict give restriction to entrepreneurs from getting funds from other potential investors without explicit permission from the venture capitalists. Venture capital involves specialized funds that are invested and managed in companies by people who best understand the industry that they are investing. The funds offered by venture capital and the equity share kept by managers are sensitive to the ability and experience of the capital providers and how mature the firm that is being funded is. Venture capital usually boosts the value of the funded firms especially if the investors are experienced. There are several stages that venture capital provides funds; Venture capitalists provide finance for research, assessing and developing the initial concept of a business before it reaches the startup stage. It finances businesses that require more funds after the development stage to initiate sales and commercial manufacturing.

My Summer Vacation Essay Example for Free

My Summer Vacation Essay Relaxing out in the sun in the middle of a lake that stretches for miles and miles, is probably one of the most amazing things you could ever see in life. The best part about that, I get to enjoy that every summer. Every summer my family goes to a small cabin on Lake Rainy in Canada. The most memorable time I have ever had with my family was at our family cabin in Canada. It was the summer of 2007 and also one of the hottest trips weve had at our cabin. One of my favorite things about the cabin is that it has no electricity unless we have the generator on. My brothers whined about that for the first couple days! Bubba even tried to convince Aunt Linda to turn on the generator just so he could watch a movie. With no success with my aunt he asked Uncle Tom and got his way. After the kids got the idea that there would be no more turning the generator on for little things like charging their Game Boys, things actually started to get better. With almost all technology set aside we did things unheard of in this day in age. One night we decided we were tired of being bored and I thought my little brother to play Kings Corner, they didn’t like that game very much. I decided it was time for a little easier game; it would have to be easy to catch Bubbas attention. Uno was the game we played most nights. Playing Uno at the cabin was great, the entire family was ordered to play by my Aunt Linda and since she is the boss, no one would have even thought otherwise. Don’t get me wrong we didn’t spend all of our time indoors. We went swimming very frequently, most of the time just to stay cool. It was usually too hot to go fishing, unless you had a death wish. One day when it was cool enough to fish, Kelsey caught the most beautiful Walleye I have ever seen. My little cousin Kimmy wasnt to excited about eating fish so the made her chicken every night we had fish. (This was most nights. ) The only thing I hated about Canada honestly was leaving. On the last day were at the cabin everyone is usually pretty sad to be leaving. It was always nice to get home, but as soon as we would get home we would instantly start to miss watching the sunset on a lake that stretched for miles and miles.

Symptoms And Treatments In Cystic Fibrosis

Symptoms And Treatments In Cystic Fibrosis Abstract Cystic fibrosis (CF) is one of the most common genetically inherited diseases which can cause premature death in western populations, with 1 in 2000-3000 new born babies being found to be affected by Cystic fibrosis in Europe [1]. The disease is caused by defective chloride ion channels along the epithelial membrane of the lungs, pancreas and other organs; although there are several hypotheses as to how this dysfunction specifically gives rise to the typical symptoms. The complications associated with the disease are varied, the most significant being the build up of abnormally thick excess mucus which can cause impaired function of the lungs and other major organs. Fortunately research into new treatments has significantly improved the life expectancy of people suffering from this disease. This essay discusses the causes Introduction The name cystic fibrosis refers to the generation of cysts in the pancreas and the formation of excess fibrous connective tissue in the lungs. The internal organs which suffer the most damage as a result of this disease are the lungs and the pancreas; although a variety of other organs are also affected. The first clinical recognition of cystic fibrosis didnt occur until the 1930s when its symptoms were observed and characterised by Dr. Dorothy Anderson. The recessive nature of the disease was confirmed in the mid-forties after an investigation involving over one hundred families; although the defective gene that causes the disease wasnt isolated for another forty years when it was discovered in 1989 by reverse genetics. After the breakthrough in the forties general understanding of the disease increased steadily over the next couple of decades with a major clinical advancements in diagnostics occurring in the fifties with the development of the sweat test. As cystic fibrosis is the result of an autosomal recessive disorder, the sufferer will have to of inherited two copies of the mutated gene (one from each parent) in order to be affected by the disease. The mutation takes place in a single gene on chromosome 7. This faulty gene leads to the development of a defective cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) protein. In healthy people the CFTR proteins form ion channels to transport chlorine ions across the epithelial membrane of the lungs, pancreas, sweat glands and other organs. It is also thought to regulate the activity of other chlorine-selective channels and some cation-selective (sodium ion) channels. Ions can then pass through these channels thereby maintaining the water potential of the cells. When the fine balance of ion concentration is affected less water is able to pass across the epithelial membrane by osmosis causing excess and highly viscous mucus to build up in the affected organs, resulting in severe long-term respiratory and digestive problems. The human lungs are adapted for use in aerobic respiration by providing a thin, moist surface for gas exchange to take place between the pulmonary arteries and the external environment. For gas exchange to be effective the respiratory surface must comply with Ficks law which requires that the surface area is large, moist and thin to enhance permeability. The resulting fibrosis caused by the disease greatly affects the permeability of the lungs and hence reduces their capacity for gas exchange. Molecular mechanisms There are over 1500 types of mutation which can cause a defect in the CFTR protein, the most common of which is a deletion of phenylalanine at position 508 (à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬  F508) which Is the cause of approximately two-thirds of CF cases. The mutations are categorised into six classes determined by their impact on the resulting functionality of the CFTR channels, ranging from reduced to complete non-function. Class I, II and III mutations all result in the absence or substantial reduction of functional CFTR. Class I mutations cause a complete lack of protein production due to premature stop codons arising in the genetic code whereas class II mutations produce a protein that doesnt fold properly and so is consequently degraded by the cell. In a class III mutation the lack of effective binding with ATP molecules leads to the defective regulation of CFTR and so again is classified as being non-functional. Classes IV and V still permit the development of functional CFTR albeit with reduced capacity for chloride ion transport or with reduced production of functional CFTR in general due to promoter mutations that decrease transcription [2]. Class VI mutations also produce functional CFTR although its degradation is greatly accelerated. The F508 deletion results in a class II mutation. There are four main hypotheses as to how this defective gene causes disease although it is not known whether the disease is caused by one or a combination these hypotheses. Two of these, the low volume and high salt hypotheses, provide a detailed description of the complications that arise as a result of faulty CFTR by taking into account the composition of airway surface liquid (ASL). Low volume hypothesis In the case of the low volume hypothesis it was postulated that there is little to no difference in the salt concentration of ASL between healthy people and those suffering from cystic fibrosis. This hypothesis suggests that the symptoms of cystic fibrosis are caused by a dysfunction of the CFTR gene resulting in damaged or ineffective sodium ion channels. The damage caused is ergogenic and reduces the inhibition of the ion channels leading to the excessive movement of sodium ions from the ASL into the airways. The increased concentration of positively charged sodium ions in the airways then drives the absorption of chlorine ions and water, reducing the volume of ASL and dehydrating mucus. The dehydrated mucus becomes highly viscous and the cilia present on epithelial cells which are used to aid the clearance of mucus and to increase lung surface area become compressed by the mucosal build up. This compression of cilia inhibits the clearance of mucus which then continues to build up, further reducing the lung surface area. The excess mucus can also form hypoxic niches that can harbour colonies of pseudomonas aeruginosa. Build up of mucus physically reduces the lung surface area affecting the efficiency of gas exchange. The mucus build up also increases the compression of cilia on epithelial cells which inhibits clearance by cilia and coughing. High salt hypothesis The high salt hypothesis assumes that the airway surface liquid of healthy individuals has a relatively low salt concentration when compared to the ASL of cystic fibrosis sufferers. It suggests that the symptoms of the disease are caused by the disruption or complete absence of CFTR function which causes excess sodium and chloride ions to be retained in the ASL. This increased retention of chloride ions leads to the ASL having an abnormally negatively charged composition. This abnormality impairs the activity of the bodys natural bactericidal enzymes such as lysozyme which rely on electrostatic interactions to attach to the bacterial cell walls; thus allowing bacterial infection to persist in the hypoxic niches formed within the lungs. Abnormally high inflammation It has been speculated that the defective CFTR itself may be the cause of excessive inflammation in the airways. However there is limited evidence to suggest that the defective CFTR is a cause of excessive inflammation in itself but rather that it interferes with the regulation of autophagy. Autophagy is the process by which defective proteins are degraded in order to maintain the balance between the recycling and synthesis of cellular products, for example the degradation of defective CFTR by the cells own lysosomes. Research indicates that large amounts of defective CFTR inhibits autophagy, leading to an accumulation of aggresomes which can cause inflammation in the lungs [3]. The resulting inflammation is what gives rise to the characteristic scarring of lung tissue. CFTR bind with P. Aeruginosa Chronic bacterial infection is common amongst all cystic fibrosis sufferers, specifically the bacterial species pseudomonas aeruginosa which binds readily to the CFTR protein. In healthy people the body initiates an immune response in order to fight off the infection. In cystic fibrosis suffers there is enhanced binding between p. Aeruginosa and the CFTR protein, the bacterium is also able to bind without initiating an immune response. The compromised immune response combined with reduced ability to clear mucus due to compressed cilia further increases the risk of severe infection. Symptoms Visible characteristics typical amongst suffers include a slightly meagre appearance due to inefficient absorption of nutrients and the famously salty sweat used to confirm CF diagnosis. Low levels of oxygen in the tissues due to impaired gas exchange between the lungs and the bloodstream can cause clubbing of the fingers and toes Salty sweat The salty sweat associated with the disease like so many of its symptoms is again caused by faulty CFTR present on the sweat ducts. As sodium ions leave the sweat ducts through ion channels chloride ions follow through them through the CFTR protein channels. However, in cystic fibrosis patients dysfunctional CFTR channels prevent the outward flow of chloride ions from the sweat ducts. The resulting high chloride ion concentration in sweat ducts creates an electrochemical gradient which pulls more positively charged sodium ions into the ducts where the ions combine to form salt (NaCl). The salt is then secreted through pores in the skin resulting in very salty sweat as very little NaCl is reabsorbed. Salt sweat concentration of greater than 60mEq/L is generally considered significant enough to make a diagnosis, although further test may be required. Although poor growth can pose its own health risks the most severe symptoms are caused by the diseases capacity to cause damage to the internal organs. Endocrine CF is commonly referred to as an exocrine disorder meaning the resulting dysfunction affects glands which secrete their products through a duct to the surface of the body or of an organ, sweat glands and pancreatic ducts being an example of this. However some complications can arise in the bodys endocrine glands, glands which secrete their product directly into the bloodstream. Disorders of the endocrine glands tend to affect the secretion of hormones. Damage to the islets of langerhans within the pancreas can impair the secretion of insulin which can eventually lead to CF related diabetes. Pulmonary Lungs are the predominant source of infection, vulnerable to different species of bacteria although P. Aeruginosa becomes predominant; eventually these bacterial colonies form a biofilm which is difficult to remove with antibiotic treatments. The thickening of mucus creates environmental niches suitable for harbouring bacteria. High levels of infection result in an inflammatory response which often leads to extensive tissue damage and scarring regarded as the characteristic fibrosis of the lungs. The resulting fibrosis damages the epithelium of the lungs, making gas-exchange inefficient. Thick mucus also physically reduces the surface area Implications for other organs The lungs arent the only organs that suffer damage as a result of cystic fibrosis Diverse range of other organs affected, majority of these form a part of the alimentary system Lacking digestive enzymes in the intestines Absence of these digestive enzymes impair patients ability to breakdown and therefore digest their food. This generally results in poor growth but in extreme cases can cause severe malnutrition. Alimentary system all digestive systems The formation of cysts blocks ducts in the liver and pancreas preventing the secretion of essential digestive enzymes and hormones. Blocked ducts prevent secretion of enzymes/hormones? Mainly the pancreas which affects absorption of nutrients and can lead to poor growth in suffers Blockage of ducts in the liver New born babies can suffer from meconium ileus, an inability to pass their first faeces (meconium). The resulting ileus can cause blockages in the intestines that can cause rectal prolapse due to the strain involved in producing a bowel movement. Common associations between cases of meconium ileus and CF led to it being used as a postnatal diagnostic technique. Excess viscous mucus isnt only a problem in the lungs. Organs of the alimentary system can also be affected. Thick mucus can block pancreatic ducts preventing the secretion of vital digestive enzymes into the duodenum. The body is then unable to effectively extract nutrients from the ingested foods. Malabsorption is a common symptom of CF generally resulting in poor growth but in extreme cases can cause severe malnutrition. Fertility problems Fertility problems related to CF usually occur before birth whilst the foetus is still developing. Blocking of or complete absence of the connective tube (vas deferens) between the testes and ejaculatory ducts in males means that although they are not sterile they are unable to conceive children by traditional intercourse. In women thick mucus can cause blockages in the cervix or their ovulation cycle may be disrupted malnutrition as a result of CF related enzyme deficiencies. More than 95% of males with CF are infertile. Percentage of CF infertile source world health organisation Treatments Unfortunately there is currently no cure for CF however there are several treatments that can alleviate some of the symptoms associated with the disease, such as the use of hypertonic saline and enzyme replacement. Treatments such as gene therapy are more geared towards creating a permanent cure for CF, although at this moment in time the technology has not been perfected. Pharmacological treatments Fortunately the CFTRs are not the only chloride ion channels available on lung surface epithelium. Certain drugs can stimulate these other channels. Rcjournal. Stimulate the release of calcium or inhibit sodium channels to offset negative effects of whatever hypothesis. Hypertonic saline Major complications of CF stem from the imbalance in ion concentrations caused by the faulty CFTR gene. From this knowledge a line of treatments were developed in order to restore the ionic imbalance and hence improve the bodys ability to clear thick mucus from the lungs. The answer would need to be a sterile solution; high in salts that could be inhaled to replace the ions which werent being transported across the CFTR channels. The solution, hyper tonic saline, is a cheap and effective treatment for reducing the viscosity of mucus in the lungs. After it is inhaled the solution works by creating an osmotic gradient, drawing water into the airways, rehydrating the mucus causing blockages and reducing its viscosity hence making it easier to cleared and coughed up. Enzyme replacement Enzymes can be *injected* to restore the deficiency created by blockages of pancreatic ducts. Patients undergoing enzyme replacement therapy can expect to see improvements in growth, weight gain and general health as many illnesses arise from poor absorption of nutrients. Nutritional supplements can also be taken to replace those not being absorbed normally. Important short term treatments are giving nutritional supplements to sufferers to relieve malnourishment and promote healthy growth Nutritional plans generally involve high calorie diets rich in vitamins such as vitamin D to develop strong bones and prevent osteoporosis. Gene therapy Soon after the discovery of the defective gene in 1989 efforts were invested in finding a therapy that could target the disease at its genetic roots. Discovery of an effective method of gene therapy would open a virtual goldmine in treating not only cystic fibrosis but also other genetic diseases. One of the current gene therapy techniques for the treatment of CF involves the use of adenoviruses carrying vectors containing corrected copies of the CFTR gene. The adenoviruses carry double stranded DNA which is deposited in the nucleus of the host cell and then transcribed in the same way as the host cells own DNA. However, as this is an example of somatic gene therapy, the DNA of the adenovirus wont integrate with the host genome and the gene will not continue to be expressed after cellular division. This means the effects are not permanent and patients will require subsequent treatments to maintain the effect. There are of course risks associated with the use of viruses to incorporate functional DNA. Even though the viruses being used are non-pathogenic the presence of a foreign body can still initiate an immune response; the resulting inflammation can be dangerous for patients who are already at high risk of excessive inflammation due to immunocomprimisation. An alternative to adenoviruses are adeno-associated viruses (AAV). AAV vectors are non-pathogenic and have been shown to have a lower prevalence to neutralising antibodies when com pared to adenoviruses in vitro [4]. However they do have a relatively small genome of ~4.8 kilobases, with most gene treatments requiring the complete replacement of the viral genome. As a result of this, research is being targeted towards more effective means of gene therapy with tests being carried out with AAV and lipid-vectors. There is a trade off between the effectiveness of the method used to induce the vector. Viral vectors are more effective at integrating the vector into the host DNA compared to lipid vectors, but there is the increased risk of an immune response. Lung transplant In the most severe cases where patients are suffering from chronic infection lung transplants can be carried out where appropriate. In these cases both lungs need to be transplanted in order to prevent the new lung from being contaminated by existing bacterial populations currently present in the patient. Antibiotics Antibiotics tend to be used prophylacticaly as a pre-emptive measure for preventing infection. One common type of drugs used in treatments are macrolide antibiotics can suppress obstructive secretions in airways The macrolide antibiotics work by binding to the 50s subunit of the bacterial ribosome, thereby inhibiting protein synthesis. Conclusion The overall outlook for patients with CF has improved dramatically over the past eighty years since the first clinical recognition in the 1930s. A greater understanding of genetics has enhanced both the fields of clinical diagnostics and treatments. The future of treatments points towards gene therapy, we currently have the technology to do this but further research is needed to overcome the major obstacles such as more efficient transfer and getting the gene expression to last longer. [*http://www.who.int/genomics/public/geneticdiseases/en/index2.html#CF] http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/576200_2 http://www.nature.com/ncb/journal/v12/n9/full/ncb2090.html http://www.nature.com/gt/journal/v6/n9/full/3300994a.html Figure 1. Sweat chloride concentrations related to cystic fibrosis (CF) diagnosis. Revised and reprinted by permission from Davis PB. Cystic fibrosis. Pediatr Rev 2001;22:257-264.Figure 1

Osmosis Experiment :: Papers

Osmosis Experiment Aim: The aim of this experiment is to show how osmosis works in a plant cell. Plan: Method The ways we will do this experiment is firstly by getting a beaker and put a 100ml of water in it, then get a visking tube and put it in the beaker, so we don't block the holes with natural grease on our hands. After, we will get another beaker and pour some 1% sugar solution in it. When we have done this, we get one end of the visking tube and 'ruffle' it, then we get some string and one person will tie the end of the tube, while the other person hold it. The visking tube then will go back in the water, while we get a dropper and the beaker of sugar solution. After we will use the dropper to slowly and neatly pour the 1% sugar solution in the visking tube; we will fill it up  ¾ of the way. Then again one person will tie the other end; while the other person holds the tube, so now we have both end tied- we will make sure they are no leaks. When we have done this, we will take the beaker with water and visking tube to a weighing machine; we will then take the visking tube out and measure the mass of it (in grams). After, we will put the visking tube back in the beaker and leave it there for about 20 minutes. When the time is up, we will measure the mass of the visking tube again (in grams). During the experiment, we will observe the visking tube during the 20 minutes and see if the mass has increased or decreased at the end of the experiment. This experiment could be repeated, but using a 10% sugar solution, which would have helped us differ the different mass increase or decrease in both of them. We were planning to do this one to, but unfortunately-due to fewer supplies of visking tubes we could only

Example Exam Paper

CONFIDENTIAL LG/OCT2008/BEL311 UNIVERSITI TEKNOLOGI MARA FINAL EXAMINATION COURSE COURSE CODE EXAMINATION TIME ENGLISH FOR ACADEMIC PURPOSES BEL311 OCTOBER 2008 3 HOURS INSTRUCTIONS TO CANDIDATES 1. 2. This question paper consists of two (2) parts : PART A (13 Questions) PART B (1 Question) Answer ALL questions from all parts in the Question Paper. 3. Fill in the details below : UiTM STUDENT CARD NO. PROGRAMME/ CODE PART ENGLISH LANGUAGE GROUP NAME OF LECTURER 4. 5. You are allowed to bring in your English-English dictionary.Please check to make sure that this examination pack consists of: i) the Question Paper DO NOT TURN THIS PAGE UNTIL YOU ARE TOLD TO DO SO This examination paper consists of 13 printed pages  © Hak Cipta Universiti Teknologi MARA CONFIDENTIAL CONFIDENTIAL 2 LG/OCT2008/BEL311 PART A: READING COMPREHENSION (20 MARKS) Read the following articles and answer all the questions that follow. Article 1 – Spare the Rod? I Schools in Europe and the United Kingdom st opped using the cane to discipline delinquent youngsters following protests from parents and politicians more than 16 years ago.In Malaysia, however, the practice has never left the school grounds. Caning has always been legal in Malaysian schools. The Education Ordinance 1957 (Amended 1959) allows corporal punishments, such as caning, to be meted out by school authorities, but only to schoolboys. An Education Ministry directive issued in 1994 listed eight offences that could warrant caning: truancy, involvement in criminal activities, obscene and impolite behaviour, loitering, dishonesty, dirty appearance and vandalism. 5 IIA probe on human rights awareness among secondary school teachers, students and administrators conducted by researchers from local universities engaged by the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (or SUHAKAM, its Malay acronym) revealed the regular use of the cane in schools. What the inquiry found was a gross breach of a child's rights committed by teachers and administrators alike. In their findings, out of the 5,754 students who participated in the survey, about 52 per cent of the students surveyed agreed that caning commonly happened in their schools.It took place more often in rural schools than urban ones and almost 80 per cent of the cases occurred at technical schools. 10 15 III Understandably, SUHAKAM is disheartened by the findings of its study. Commissioner and education working group chairman, Professor Chiam Heng Keng said that while SUHAKAM understands the need to discipline and punish wrongdoers, it maintains that caning is not the best corrective measure. She further added that caning only tells the child to stop whatever he has done. In other words, it does not address the underlying problem. She stressed that teachers must work with parents to get to the root of the problem.She added that harsh punishments tend to reinforce a child's negative attitudes. However, 20 25  © Hak Cipta Universiti Teknologi MARA CONFIDENTIAL C ONFIDENTIAL 3 LG/OCT2008/BEL311 she cautioned that we should not confuse upholding the rights of the child with indulging the child. IV Although many experts argue that caning is outdated, even primitive, many educators defended it as a way to stem rising violence in schools. Eighty per cent of teachers agreed that persistent troublemakers in school should be caned. The SUHAKAM probe found that 79. 5 per cent of teachers and 71. per cent of administrators agreed that persistent offenders should be caned though Malaysia had signed the Declaration of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) in 1995. In addition, they also revealed that girls were not spared the rod. Almost seven per cent of female respondents from girl schools had reported this. Under the present Child Act 2001, only boys between the ages of 10 and 18 may be subjected to corporal punishment. 30 35 V Last October, the Ministry of Education allowed teachers other than 40 headmasters, principals and those involved in disciplining students to use the cane.The decision followed the rise in cases of assault on teachers and gangsterism in schools. It was recommended that only certain teachers be empowered to cane students. Ideally, they should have at least 10 years of teaching experience and be married with children. 45 VI The secretary-general of the National Union of the Teaching Profession, Lok Yim Pheng, admitted that there are other ways of disciplining a student. These include imposing fines, sending students to detention class and making parents sign a pledge to ensure that their children do not misbehave.However, if push comes to shove, then principals and headmasters should use the rod professionally and with compassion. She reiterated that even so, caning should be the penalty of last resort, reserved for absolute hardcore cases and should never be done publicly. 50 The Star, July 15, 2007  © Hak Cipta Universiti Teknologi MARA CONFIDENTIAL CONFIDENTIAL 4 LG/OCT2008/BEL311 QUESTION 1 State whether the following statements are TRUE (T) or FALSE (F). a) Caning troublemakers in school is considered a form of maltreatment by most teachers. In the survey carried out by SUHAKAM, both boys and girls were caned.When it comes to caning, the Education Ordinance 1957 clearly contradicts the Child Act 2001. More than half of the respondents in the survey had been caned by their teachers before. (2 marks) QUESTION 2 What do the following words mean as used in the passage? a) ‘breach' (line 14) b) ‘disheartened' (line 20) c) ‘underlying' (line 25) d) ‘stem'(line 31) ___ _ _ _ _ (2 marks) QUESTION 3 Circle your answer for the question below. According to teachers, the following are reasons they support caning in schools except a) Students who repeatedly cause trouble should be caned. b) Caning is one way to prevent violence in schools. ) Caning reduces assault cases and gangsterism in schools. d) Caning has the least negative effect on students. (1 ma rk) b) c) d)  © Hak Cipta Universiti Teknologi MARA CONFIDENTIAL CONFIDENTIAL 5 LG/OCT 2008/BEL311 QUESTION 4 Why is caning not the best corrective measure according to SUHAKAM? Give two (2) reasons. (1 mark) QUESTION 5 According to Professor Chiam Heng Keng, what is the best way to overcome discipline problems in schools? (1 mark) QUESTION 6 What is the main idea of paragraph VI? (1 mark)  © Hak Cipta Universiti Teknologi IMARA CONFIDENTIAL CONFIDENTIAL 6 LG/OCT2008/BEL311QUESTION 7 According to the secretary-general of the National Union of the Teaching Profession, only â€Å"if push comes to shove, then teachers and headmasters should use the rod professionally and with compassion† (lines 49-51). Under what conditions did she recommend this? List two (2) conditions. (2 marks)  © Hak Cipta Universiti Teknologi MARA CONFIDENTIAL CONFIDENTIAL 7 LG/OCT2008/BEL311 Article 2 – Caning Does More Harm Than Good I The Women's Centre for Change Penang (WCC) notes with gr eat concern the recent proposal to extend caning as a method to handle discipline problems involving schoolgirls.We caution against the use of the cane on children regardless of gender. II The caning of a child is in direct contravention of the Convention on the Rights of The Child (CRC), of which Malaysia is a signatory. Caning contravenes Article 19 of the CRC. Under the article, the governments must protect the child from all forms of maltreatment by parents or others responsible for his or her care. Furthermore, corporal punishment is a form of child abuse. There is no evidence to suggest that this method can improve a child's learning ability. 5 10 III Caning may not be the most effective way to deal with problems of indiscipline.While it may bring about the immediate compliance of the child, the issues of physical harm as well as emotional damage to the child need to be taken into consideration. Corporal punishment can lead to increased antisocial behaviour, aggression and chr onic defiance. Furthermore, inflicting severe punishment and using mental humiliation on children have adverse effects such as loss of selfesteem and personality changes with ramifications on adult life. The use of the cane can be abused, especially when frustrations are vented. However, teachers who are fed up with the rising cases of indiscipline in schools may say caning is justified. 0 15 IV The social consequence of caning is that it sends a clear message that violence is an acceptable form of behaviour in society, that is, it is all right to use violence and inflict pain to teach a child something. This goes against all efforts to reduce the level of violence in our society. V Caning may seem to be a quick fix solution to misbehaviour, but it fails to address the root causes of the problem. The causes involve an inability to fit into a rigid, examination-orientated education system, the negative effects of 25  © Hak Cipta Universiti Teknologi MARA CONFIDENTIAL CONFIDENTIAL 8 LG/OCT2008/BEL311 overty, the need to challenge boundaries, insufficient guidance from the home, dysfunctional family situations, negative influences from the neighbourhood environment, among others. 30 VI WCC would therefore urge the Ministry of Education to: 1. Work with other agencies and community groups, for example those dealing with the health, welfare and rights of the child, so as to provide support where needed, to both students and school authorities; 2. Consult with experts in various fields to work out alternative forms of discipline which include behaviour modification programmes that help enhance positive behaviour of students; 5 3. Support school teachers by reducing the number of students per class, having teacher assistants, providing skills training in class control and handling difficult students, having access to highly trained counselors and child psychologists; 40 4. Have a more balanced education system which moves away from an over-emphasis on examinations towards a more holistic education which cultivates the child's other potentials. Prema E. Devaraj, Programme Director, Women's Centre for Change, Penang. The Star, December 3, 2007  © Hak Cipta Universiti Teknologi MARACONFIDENTIAL CONFIDENTIAL 9 LG/OCT2008/BEL311 QUESTION 8 What does Article 19 of the Convention on the Rights of The Child state? (1 mark) QUESTION 9 Caning as a measure of instilling discipline among students can lead to emotional damage. List four (4) kinds of damage. (2 marks) QUESTION 10 â€Å"The social consequence of caning is that it sends a clear message that violence is an acceptable form of behaviour in society, that is, it is all right to use violence and inflict pain to teach a child something. † (lines 21-23) What does Prema Devaraj mean by the above sentence? 2 marks)  © Hak Cipta Universiti Teknologi MARA CONFIDENTIAL CONFIDENTIAL 10 LG/OCT2008/BEL311 QUESTION 11 How can the â€Å"negative influences from the neighbourhood environment† (lines 29-30) cause students to misbehave in school? (2 marks) QUESTION 12 List two (2) recommendations made by the Women's Centre for Change to the Ministry of Education on how to help teachers in the classroom. (1 mark) QUESTION 13 The education system should move away from an over-emphasis on examinations and become more holistic in order to develop the students' other potentials or talents.State two (2) ways the education system can develop the students' other potentials or talents. (2 marks)  © Hak Cipta Universiti Teknologi MARA CONFIDENTIAL CONFIDENTIAL 11 LG/OCT2008/BEL311 PART B : WRITING (20 MARKS) QUESTION 1 You are a school counselor and you are asked to give a talk to a group of teachers. Based on these two articles â€Å"Spare the Rod? † and â€Å"Caning Does More Harm Than Good†, you have developed the following opinion about the issue: â€Å"Caning should not be allowed in schools today† Using the information from the two articles, write a spe ech of about 300 words to support your opinion.Include three main ideas with supporting details for your talk. (You must use information that you have gathered from reading the two articles but marks will be deducted if you copy sentences from the articles). In-text citations and proper acknowledgement of references used must also be included.  © Hak Cipta Universiti Teknologi MARA CONFIDENTIAL CONFIDENTIAL 12 LG/OCT 2008/BEL311  © Hak Cipta Universiti Teknologi MARA CONFIDENTIAL CONFIDENTIAL 13 LG/OCT 2008/BEL311 END OF QUESTION PAPER  © Hak Cipta Universiti Teknologi MARA CONFIDENTIAL

What You Should Know About Travel Writing

What You Should Know About Travel Writing Travel writing is a form of creative nonfiction in which the narrators encounters with foreign places serve as the dominant subject. Also called  travel literature. All travel writing- because it is writing- is made in the sense of being constructed, says Peter Hulme, but travel writing cannot be made up without losing its designation (quoted by  Tim Youngs in  The Cambridge Introduction to Travel Writing, 2013). Notable contemporary travel writers in English include  Paul Theroux, Susan Orlean, Bill Bryson,  Pico Iyer,  Rory MacLean,  Mary Morris, Dennison Berwick,  Jan Morris, Tony Horwitz,  Jeffrey Tayler, and Tom Miller, among countless others. Examples of Travel Writing By the Railway Side by Alice MeynellLists and Anaphora in Bill Brysons Neither Here Nor ThereLists in William Least Heat-Moons Place DescriptionLondon From a Distance by Ford Madox FordNiagara Falls by Rupert BrookeNights in London by Thomas BurkeOf Trave, by Francis BaconOf Travel by Owen FellthamRochester by Nathaniel Hawthorne Examples and Observations The best writers in the field [of travel writing] bring to it an indefatigable curiosity, a fierce intelligence that enables them to interpret, and a generous heart that allows them to connect. Without resorting to invention, they make ample use of their imaginations. . . .The travel book itself has a similar grab bag quality. It incorporates the characters and plot line of a novel, the descriptive power of poetry, the substance of a history lesson, the discursiveness of an essay, and the- often inadvertent- self-revelation of a memoir. It revels in the particular while occasionally illuminating the universal. It colors and shapes and fills in gaps. Because it results from displacement, it is frequently funny. It takes readers for a spin (and shows them, usually, how lucky they are). It humanizes the alien. More often than not it celebrates the unsung. It uncovers truths that are stranger than fiction. It gives eyewitness proof of life’s infinite possibilities.(Thomas Swick, N ot a Tourist. The Wilson Quarterly, Winter 2010) Narrators and NarrativesThere exists at the center of travel books like [Graham] Greenes Journey Without Maps or [V.S.] Naipauls An Area of Darkness a mediating consciousness that monitors the journey, judges, thinks, confesses, changes, and even grows. This narrator, so central to what we have come to expect in modern travel writing, is a relatively new ingredient in travel literature, but it is one that irrevocably changed the genre. . . .Freed from strictly chronological, fact-driven narratives, nearly all contemporary travel writers include their own dreams and memories of childhood as well as chunks of historical data and synopses of other travel books. Self reflexivity and instability, both as theme and style, offer the writer a way to show the effects of his or her own presence in a foreign country and to expose the arbitrariness of truth and the absence of norms.(Casey Blanton, Travel Writing: The Self and the World. Routledge, 2002)V.S. Naipaul on Making InquiriesMy books ha ve to be called travel writing, but that can be misleading because in the old days travel writing was essentially done by men describing the routes they were taking. . . . What I do is quite different. I travel on a theme. I travel to make an inquiry. I am not a journalist. I am taking with me the gifts of sympathy, observation, and curiosity that I developed as an imaginative writer. The books I write now, these inquiries, are really constructed narratives.(V.S. Naipaul, interview with Ahmed Rashid, Death of the Novel. The Observer, Feb. 25, 1996) Paul Theroux on the Travelers Mood- Most travel narratives- perhaps all of them, the classics anyway- describe the miseries and splendors of going from one remote place to another. The quest, the getting there, the difficulty of the road is the story; the journey, not the arrival, matters, and most of the time the traveler- the traveler’s mood, especially- is the subject of the whole business. I have made a career out of this sort of slogging and self-portraiture, travel writing as diffused autobiography; and so have many others in the old, laborious look-at-me way that informs travel writing.(Paul Theroux, The Soul of the South. Smithsonian Magazine, July-August 2014)-  Most visitors to coastal Maine know it in the summer. In the nature of visitation, people show up in the season. The snow and ice are a bleak memory now on the long warm days of early summer, but it seems to me that to understand a place best, the visitor needs to see figures in a landscape in all seasons. M aine is a joy in the summer. But the soul of Maine is more apparent in the winter. You see that the population is actually quite small, the roads are empty, some of the restaurants are closed, the houses of the summer people are dark, their driveways unplowed. But Maine out of season is unmistakably a great destination: hospitable, good-humored, plenty of elbow room, short days, dark nights of crackling ice crystals.Winter is a season of recovery and preparation. Boats are repaired, traps fixed, nets mended. â€Å"I need the winter to rest my body,† my friend the lobsterman told me, speaking of how he suspended his lobstering in December and did not resume until April. . . .(Paul Theroux, The Wicked Coast. The Atlantic, June 2011) Susan Orlean on the Journey- To be honest, I view all stories as journeys. Journeys are the essential text of the human experience- the journey from birth to death, from innocence to wisdom, from ignorance to knowledge, from where we start to where we end. There is almost no piece of important writing- the Bible, the Odyssey, Chaucer, Ulysses- that isnt explicitly or implicitly the story of a journey. Even when I dont actually go anywhere for a particular story, the way I report is to immerse myself in something I usually know very little about, and what I experience is the journey toward a grasp of what Ive seen.(Susan Orlean, Introduction to My Kind of Place: Travel Stories from a Woman Whos Been Everywhere. Random House, 2004)- When I went to Scotland for a friends wedding last summer, I didnt plan on firing a gun. Getting into a fistfight, maybe; hurling insults about badly dressed bridesmaids, of course; but I didnt expect to shoot or get shot at. The wedding was taking place in a medieval castle in a speck of a village called Biggar. There was not a lot to do in Biggar, but the caretaker of the castle had skeet-shooting gear, and the male guests announced that before the rehearsal dinner they were going to give it a go. The women were advised to knit or shop or something. I dont know if any of us women actually wanted to join them, but we didnt want to be left out, so we insisted on coming along. . . .(Susan Orlean, opening paragraph of Shooting Party. The New Yorker, September 29, 1999) Jonathan Raban on the Open House- As a literary form, travel writing is a notoriously raffish open house where different genres are likely to end up in the bed. It accommodates the private diary, the essay, the short story, the prose poem, the rough note and polished table talk with indiscriminate hospitality. It freely mixes narrative and discursive writing.(Jonathan Raban, For Love Money: Writing - Reading - Travelling 1968-1987. Picador, 1988)- Travel in its purest form requires no certain destination, no fixed itinerary, no advance reservation and no return ticket, for you are trying to launch yourself onto the haphazard drift of things, and put yourself in the way of whatever changes the journey may throw up. Its when you miss the one flight of the week, when the expected friend fails to show, when the pre-booked hotel reveals itself as a collection of steel joists stuck into a ravaged hillside, when a stranger asks you to share the cost of a hired car to a town whose name youv e never heard, that you begin to travel in earnest.(Jonathan Raban, Why Travel? Driving Home: An American Journey. Pantheon, 2011) The Joy of Travel WritingSome travel writers can become serious to the point of lapsing into good ol American puritanism. . . . What nonsense! I have traveled much in Concord. Good travel writing can be as much about having a good time as about eating grubs and chasing drug lords. . . . [T]ravel is for learning, for fun, for escape, for personal quests, for challenge, for exploration, for opening the imagination to other lives and languages.(Frances Mayes, Introduction to The Best American Travel Writing 2002. Houghton, 2002)

Ionization Energy Definition and Trend

Ionization Energy Definition and Trend Ionization energy is the energy required to remove an electron from a gaseous atom or ion. The first or initial ionization energy or Ei of an atom or molecule is the energy required to remove one mole of electrons from one mole of isolated gaseous atoms or ions. You may think of ionization energy as a measure of the difficulty of removing electron or the strength by which an electron is bound. The higher the ionization energy, the more difficult it is to remove an electron. Therefore, ionization energy is in indicator of reactivity. Ionization energy is important because it can be used to help predict the strength of chemical bonds. Also Known As: ionization potential, IE, IP, ΔH ° Units: Ionization energy is reported in units of kilojoule per mole (kJ/mol) or electron volts (eV). Ionization Energy Trend in the Periodic Table Ionization, together with atomic and ionic radius, electronegativity, electron affinity, and metallicity, follows a trend on the periodic table of elements. Ionization energy generally increases moving from left to right across an element period (row). This is because the atomic radius generally decreases moving across a period, so there is a greater effective attraction between the negatively charged electrons and positively-charged nucleus. Ionization is at its minimum value for the alkali metal on the left side of the table and a maximum for the noble gas on the far right side of a period. The noble gas has a filled valence shell, so it resists electron removal.Ionization decreases moving top to bottom down an element group (column). This is because the principal quantum number of the outermost electron increases moving down a group. There are more protons in atoms moving down a group (greater positive charge), yet the effect is to pull in the electron shells, making them smaller and screening outer electrons from the attractive force of the nucleus. More electron shells are added moving down a group, so the outermost electron becomes increasingly distance from the nucleus. First, Second, and Subsequent Ionization Energies The energy required to remove the outermost valence electron from a neutral atom is the first ionization energy. The second ionization energy is that required to remove the next electron, and so on. The second ionization energy is always higher than the first ionization energy. Take, for example, an alkali metal atom. Removing the first electron is relatively easy because its loss gives the atom a stable electron shell. Removing the second electron involves a new electron shell that is closer and more tightly bound to the atomic nucleus. The first ionization energy of hydrogen may be represented by the following equation: H(g) → H(g) e- ΔH °Ã‚   -1312.0 kJ/mol Exceptions to the Ionization Energy Trend If you look at a chart of first ionization energies, two exceptions to the trend are readily apparent. The first ionization energy of boron is less than that of beryllium and the first ionization energy of oxygen is less than that of nitrogen. The reason for the discrepancy is due to the electron configuration of these elements and Hunds rule. For beryllium, the first ionization potential electron comes from the 2s orbital, although ionization of boron involves a 2p electron. For both nitrogen and oxygen, the electron comes from the 2p orbital, but the spin is the same for all 2p nitrogen electrons, while there is a set of paired electrons in one of the 2p oxygen orbitals. Key Points Ionization energy is the minimum energy required to remove an electron from an atom or ion in the gas phase.The most common units of ionization energy are kilojoules per mole (kJ/M) or electron volts (eV).Ionization energy exhibits periodicity on the periodic table.The general trend is for ionization energy to increase moving from left to right across an element period. Moving left to right across a period, atomic radius decreases, so electrons are more attracted to the (closer) nucleus.The general trend is for ionization energy to decrease moving from top to bottom down a periodic table group. Moving down a group, a valence shell is added. The outermost electrons are further from the positive-charged nucleus, so they are easier to remove. References F. Albert Cotton and Geoffrey Wilkinson, Advanced Inorganic Chemistry (5th ed., John Wiley 1988) p.1381.Lang, Peter F.; Smith, Barry C. Ionization Energies of Atoms and Atomic Ions. Journal of Chemical Education. 80 (8).

Try These Edible Fake Blood Recipes

Try These Edible Fake Blood Recipes What would Halloween be without blood? Fake blood can be expensive to buy, plus its not exactly edible, much less tasty. If youre going for the vampire look, you want blood you dont mind getting in your mouth. Otherwise, you might just want blood that you know is completely non-toxic. With those goals in mind, here are some recipes for realistic-looking edible fake blood. Please feel free to post a reply if you would like to share additional fake blood recipes. Fake Blood Cherry Flavor can of cherry pie filling8 ounces cream (softened) cheesewater Use a fork or spoon to remove the cherries from the pie filling.Mix together the pie filling gel with the cream cheese.Stir in a little water to achieve the desired consistency. Fake Blood Strawberry Flavor a packet of strawberry glaze8 ounces cream cheese (softened)red and blue food coloring Mix together the strawberry glaze and the cream cheese.Add a drop of red and a smaller amount of blue food coloring to achieve the desired color. Fake BloodSweetened, Unflavored 1/2 cup white corn syrup1 tablespoon cornstarch1/8 to 1/4 cup water15 drops red food coloring1-5 drops blue food coloring In a bowl, mix together the corn syrup and the cornstarch.Add water until the mixture is the consistency of blood.Mix in food coloring until you achieve the color of blood that you want. Note: If you use blue or green food coloring or one of the neon tints, you can make alien or insect blood using this recipe. Fake Blood Chocolate Flavored Sir red food coloring into the corn syrup until you have a deep red mixture.Add some cocoa powder or chocolate syrup to darken and thicken the fake blood.If the color still isnt deep enough, add a drop or more of blue food coloring.Stir in a bit of cornstarch if you want your blood to be thicker. corn syrupred and blue food coloringcocoa powder or chocolate syrupcornstarch (optional)

Organization Theory and Design Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Organization Theory and Design - Assignment Example Symbols used in every organization reflect the culture of people in that organization, the assumptions, emotions, and values of the employees. Some symbols communicate uncomfortable issues in the organization thus linking the emotions of the members with the actions in the organizations. Cultural artifacts and management are also viewed as cultural symbols (Sun, 2005). An organization that has its own culture identifies itself with the members of the organization; they are committed and stable. It is unattainable for an outsider to perfectly discern the cultural values of an organization using some observable aspects such as dress and ceremonies. According to Sun (2008), the outsiders will not identify factors such as absenteeism, high turnover rates, and the member’s level of commitment. Insiders, who have many working experience, are at 60% advantage than outsiders, who are at 40 % advantage. The insiders are in a better position than outsiders are since the insiders of an o rganization realize when the company has low profits, the members are being scarce, any unethical behavior, illegal political contribution, wiretapping, and promotion gifts. An organization that has not achieved the desired results and has failed to be included in the list of the best performers, longs to change their working environment and make it more comfortable to live in. Pressure for change has accumulated from talented employees who are not given a chance to contribute their views (Daft, 2013). Many employees in most working places are demanding to be included as officials and promoted accordingly, which is not the case in most companies. This has left most employees with a great interest to change their working environment. It is after an organization has the right leaders, who are the originators of every organization, have guided the members in the right

Lecture Synthesis Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Lecture Synthesis - Coursework Example This understanding is the central focus of the lecture. Managers in the global environment have to understand the diversity that characterizes both domestic and international markets. The lecture provides relevant information that allows managers and employees in the global environment to understand why business settings vary from one country to another. At a personal level, the lecture is important is important because it brings together different concepts that aid in the understanding of global business operations. For example, the lecture presents cultural differences as a critical factor in business. Cultural variations may not seem that important, but a business enterprise that fails to acknowledge cultural diversity faces a key operational challenge across the globe. In addition, the lecture sheds important insights about entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurship and global economic progress are essentially intertwined, this highlights resonates with my personal drive, goal, and desire to own and operate a successful international enterprise. In this respect, this lecture focuses on central ideas and concepts that I find relevant and informative at a personal level. Additionally, the lecture outlines how the global business environment functions. From the operations of World Trade Organization to the actualization of agreements that promote free trade in America and beyond, such information shows just how complex yet successful global business has become. By understanding global business environment, I find it easy to comprehend the diversity and dynamism of the global political economy. As the lecture maintains, understanding the global environment is critical to the success of today’s management practices. Managing in a global environment is both interesting and challenging. For example, minimum wage continues to elicit mixed reactions in North America today. While some business enterprises in America support the move to increase minimum

Without Strategies It Is Not Possible to Provide Direction for the Research Paper

Without Strategies It Is Not Possible to Provide Direction for the Construction Companies - Research Paper Example Corporate strategies have been divided into Five Ps by Mintzberg and they are Plan, Ploy, Position, Pattern and Perspective. While each is a separate type of strategy with its attendant qualifications, yet they are usually present in all strategies to some degree. The real difference lies in the fact that one of them will be dominant and others will play a supportive role. (Mintzberg). Markets are heterogeneous and companies, irrespective of size and area of operation, need to remain competitive in order to survive and make profits for their owners. Companies need strategies following which competitive advantage can be gained. Environments have a great impact on companies. The strategy is the reaction or response to these external and internal situations. Ansoff et al (1976) state that, amongst other things, responsiveness to the problems is what strategy is all about. The aggressive response to competition, the sublime response to the customers, the firm but fair response to the managers and workers are but a few ingredients of strategy. Minzberg et al (1998) offer another concept of strategy which is that it acts as a mediation force between the organization and the environment. The strategy is the internal and inherent capacity of the organization to meet and face challenges posed by the environment. There are different responses that formulate strategies and they can be divided into three different prescriptive or narrowed down schools of thought. They are the Design, the Planning and the Positioning schools of thought.

Answer the Economic Qustions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Answer the Economic Qustions - Essay Example Organisation of Oil Producing and Exporting Countries which has twelve members in total namely Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Iran, Kuwait, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Venezuela, Ecuador, Libya, Nigeria, Angola and Algeria. It should be pointed out that OPEC countries are among the major oil producing and supplying nations, which enjoy almost over 65 per cent of world’s proven oil reserves, nearly of 40% total production and around 55 per cent in world’s oil exports (Breitenfellner et al, 2009). OPEC, having secretariat in Vienna, is referred to a cartel because of this members mutually decide about changes in their oil production and supply to nations worldwide. In addition, they opt to constrict supply to escalate international oil prices and thus reap additional profits on exports of crude oil. On the other hand, OPEC members, especially Saudi Arabia, have also increased supply in past (1992 Gulf war) to control shortages. Oil demand has very low price elasticity or in other words, the inelastic demand because oil is used for energy generation, industries, transportation and cooking. Indeed, the oil supply also has very low price elasticity because it is difficult to extract, produce and refine as heavy plant machinery and investment is needed to accomplish these objectives. There were, indeed, many factors that led to first peak oil (crises in 2008) and finally in steep reduction in world oil prices. The first major reason was the fact that demand increased heavily due to growth in International trade after elimination of trade barriers and decrease in custom tariffs and duties. This not only led to growth and expansion in advance economies but also in developing nation of Asia, Middle East, Eastern and Central Europe, especially China, India, Pakistan, Malaysia, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Thailand, Hungary and others etc. The world oil demand skyrocketed and touched 85 million barrel mark in 2 007 – 2008. Oil then became expensive because buyers were ready

Bolshevik Biscuit Factory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Bolshevik Biscuit Factory - Essay Example Since 1992, Danone, although holding a majority share (87%) in Bolshevik, has had only consulting status that changes could take place only with the approval of the Russian management. Danone took full managerial control of Bolshevik from 1997. The present staff at Bolshevik are said to be apparently having problems to include the nuances of having a multicultural workforce (ibid.). This report provides some four challenges met in the case and suggests for changes so that Bolshevik may become compatible with the Danone Group, while allowing for Russian cultural context in fulfilling their objectives. These challenges may somehow overlap in some ways. The facts used in the following discussion lean heavily on the de Vries et al. (2004) case study. Challenge 1) Power structure and reaching out to all or integration. A local Russian worker said, 'We need to understand what the priorities are. This is very clear to westerners because they are working in their own system. It's not clear to us because capitalism is very new to us. It is very important to know what the consequences are for certain actions or non-achievement of tasks. We are playing a new game and the rules need to be explained clearly.' (Quoted from Camiah and Hollinshead. In: de Vries 2004). There is a need to reach out to all workers, no matter how subordinate they are in the power structure of the business. Managers must pass on relevant information to all workers in the system. This means providing equally all employees with what they need to know about career advancement, communication, leadership, management, organizational culture, power, networking, interpersonal skills, and all the other unwritten rules, norms, and cues for success (Copeland 2003). The following ideas can help integrate cultures like those of Russians who prefer a more defined corporate structure where leaders lead and employees follow, with other cultures who like much looser exchange of ideas even on coffee shops (Noik-Benet 2004) - Hold season celebrations that encompass several different holidays and observances under one banner. Establish support networks like clubs for specific groups Use multicultural calendars. Allot to staff three or four discretionary days to cover "non-majority" holidays. Hold season celebrations. Hold a diversity month. Challenge 2) Moving from diverse to diversity-aware organization. There is also the need to be trained in cultural diversity. People from a different cultural background have diverse world views based on religion, philosophy, experience. From diversity to diversity-awareness, groupings should not be emphasized but the wholeness of the organization, therefore as much as possible groups should be treated as one without impinging on the rights of subordinate groups. Diversity awareness training (Payne 2003). Diversity is said to be one of the most serious issues for workers today, but employers are not even prepared for it. They are actually "culturally deprived," not having experienced the kinds of situations arising in today's multicultural settings. Russians and Fins and Americans in Bolshevik or Danone may undergo these trainings. Diversity awareness trainings [offered by some organizations for the purpose] provide an understanding of the issues underlying cultural systems, to help improve communication and its effectiveness in distinct multicultural

Bits of Mystery DNA Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Bits of Mystery DNA - Article Example (Kolata) What is also critical to understand that this article has actually focused on the findings which were earlier termed as junk? Scientists have discarded these findings and apparently reduce their role in offering any new insights. However, different research findings indicated in this article has put the onus back on scientists to actually re-evaluate their own opinions and embark on new research. The article has also discussed the 3 dimensional structure of DNA and how this new discovery can actually pose new challenges for scientists to properly encode and decode those DNAs to achieve the health related benefits. This paper will discuss the new research which has been discussed in this article and will specifically focus on discussing dark matter as well as the 3-D structure of DNA. Besides, this paper will also discuss the impact this new research on DNA might have on overall health related outcomes. Biological dark matter actually hints at the fourth domain of the life i.e. bacetria, archea and eukaryotes the other three. It has been now accepted throughout the academic field that most of the genetic material in different parts of the body is the dark matter with relatively no explanation of what it actually is. Historically DNA Dark Matter has been termed as junk DNA because it was not coded for protein and researchers typically knew little about this dark matter. This junk or dark matter resides in millions of switches that is possessed by the smaller bits of DNA. However, new research clearly now indicates that these smaller switches or the dark matter as it is called can play decisive role in determining how different organs and tissues work and how two persons with identical genetic make-up can catch different diseases. DNA is a double Helix and unwinding of the same would actually result into two different strands and both of them are parallel in

Answer the Economic Qustions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Answer the Economic Qustions - Essay Example Organisation of Oil Producing and Exporting Countries which has twelve members in total namely Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Iran, Kuwait, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Venezuela, Ecuador, Libya, Nigeria, Angola and Algeria. It should be pointed out that OPEC countries are among the major oil producing and supplying nations, which enjoy almost over 65 per cent of world’s proven oil reserves, nearly of 40% total production and around 55 per cent in world’s oil exports (Breitenfellner et al, 2009). OPEC, having secretariat in Vienna, is referred to a cartel because of this members mutually decide about changes in their oil production and supply to nations worldwide. In addition, they opt to constrict supply to escalate international oil prices and thus reap additional profits on exports of crude oil. On the other hand, OPEC members, especially Saudi Arabia, have also increased supply in past (1992 Gulf war) to control shortages. Oil demand has very low price elasticity or in other words, the inelastic demand because oil is used for energy generation, industries, transportation and cooking. Indeed, the oil supply also has very low price elasticity because it is difficult to extract, produce and refine as heavy plant machinery and investment is needed to accomplish these objectives. There were, indeed, many factors that led to first peak oil (crises in 2008) and finally in steep reduction in world oil prices. The first major reason was the fact that demand increased heavily due to growth in International trade after elimination of trade barriers and decrease in custom tariffs and duties. This not only led to growth and expansion in advance economies but also in developing nation of Asia, Middle East, Eastern and Central Europe, especially China, India, Pakistan, Malaysia, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Thailand, Hungary and others etc. The world oil demand skyrocketed and touched 85 million barrel mark in 2 007 – 2008. Oil then became expensive because buyers were ready

Bits of Mystery DNA Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Bits of Mystery DNA - Article Example (Kolata) What is also critical to understand that this article has actually focused on the findings which were earlier termed as junk? Scientists have discarded these findings and apparently reduce their role in offering any new insights. However, different research findings indicated in this article has put the onus back on scientists to actually re-evaluate their own opinions and embark on new research. The article has also discussed the 3 dimensional structure of DNA and how this new discovery can actually pose new challenges for scientists to properly encode and decode those DNAs to achieve the health related benefits. This paper will discuss the new research which has been discussed in this article and will specifically focus on discussing dark matter as well as the 3-D structure of DNA. Besides, this paper will also discuss the impact this new research on DNA might have on overall health related outcomes. Biological dark matter actually hints at the fourth domain of the life i.e. bacetria, archea and eukaryotes the other three. It has been now accepted throughout the academic field that most of the genetic material in different parts of the body is the dark matter with relatively no explanation of what it actually is. Historically DNA Dark Matter has been termed as junk DNA because it was not coded for protein and researchers typically knew little about this dark matter. This junk or dark matter resides in millions of switches that is possessed by the smaller bits of DNA. However, new research clearly now indicates that these smaller switches or the dark matter as it is called can play decisive role in determining how different organs and tissues work and how two persons with identical genetic make-up can catch different diseases. DNA is a double Helix and unwinding of the same would actually result into two different strands and both of them are parallel in

Price Discrimination Revised Essay Example for Free

Price Discrimination Revised Essay Jane, thinking that a vacation in San Francisco to visit her parents would provide her with a much-needed rest, bought a ticket two weeks in advance for a weekend flight.   She would be sitting in 11A.   On the day before Janes flight, Freya gets a call from her boss, instructing her to attend the companys meeting in San Francisco.   She booked a flight for the next day immediately upon getting the call.   Freya sat in 11B   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Freya paid $500 more than Jane for basically the same service, occupying adjacent seats. And this is a prime example of price discrimination. * *   *   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Price discrimination is simply the charging of different prices to different customers (Stavins, 1996, p. 3).   It is characterized as price discrimination when the difference in prices are not due to difference in costs.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Scott Woolley writing for Forbes.Com simplified it further, saying that price discrimination is when an airline charge some customers more than other customers for the same (or almost the same) thing (Woolley, 1998.)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Tricia Ellis-Christensen stated that price discrimination is a widespread practice, and it doesnt necessarily imply negative discrimination.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Price discrimination is categorized into degrees depending on the market segmentation, the customers ability to pay or demand elasiticity. (Ellis-Christensen, undated).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   First-degree price discrimination occurs when identical goods are sold at different prices.   This is most evident in the sale of both new and used cars wherein the salesperson gauges the maximum price at which the car can be sold.   This type often includes bargaining, or negotiating for a lower price (Ellis-Christensen, undated).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Second-degree price discrimination is when lower prices are charged for bulk or higher quantities (Ellis-Christensen, undated).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Third degree price discrimination requires understanding the market, and is more prevalent.   This type often plays on segments of the target market.   An example is discounts offered to students. (Ellis-Christensen, undated).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Conditions for Price Discrimination.   Joanna Stavins further explains that for an airline or company to successfully discriminate on price, it must have some market power, to be able to charge prices above the marginal cost. Typically it has monopolized that business.   Another condition is the heterogeneousity of its consumers.   Lastly, product resale should be costly and impossible, to prevent arbitrage. (Stavins, 1996, p. 3)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Stavins also explained that the monopolistically competitive: conditions in air transportation business allows for price discrimination.   (Stavins, 1996, p. 3)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Stavins stated that   airlines differentiate between each other by offering different flight schedules and routes.   Stavins also wrote that airlines attach various restrictions to cheaper tickets, making them more unattractive to consumers who give more importance to time and convenience.   Meaning, a business traveler wouldnt mind paying more to ensure that he arrives on time, as opposed to a passenger on a budget.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Advantages.    In some cases, price discrimination can implement efficient prices (Armstrong, 2006 p. 6).   Arvind Sahay writes that pricing products differently can increase revneues and profits by 8% and 25% (Sahay, 2007, p. 54).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Price discrimination also opens markets, as in offering ones goods at a high value market at a certain price, while giving it at a lower price at a lower value market.   (Armstrong, 2006 p. 8)  Ã‚  Ã‚   This way, a business owner can reallocate demand to more suitable times while supply is limited (Sahay, 2007, p. 54).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   On a more practical level, price discrimination will enable more firms to increase revenue, which can then be used for research and development.   Consumers, on the other hand, will be able to benefit from lower fares (economicshelp.org, undated).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Disadvantages. On the other hand, some consumers will end up paying higher prices.   Price discrimination will also cause a decline in consumer surplus.   There maybe costs associated with segmenting market.   Price discrimination also opens the field for predatory pricing (economicshelp.org, undated). Price Discrimination in Airlines   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The increasing use of price discrimination, in all industries, is due to the new and affordable technology that most companies can install and use.   Recent studies have also shown that consumers will pay different prices if the companies use the right approach (Sahay, 2007, p. 53).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In short, these days, airlines are pulling off price discrimination easily.   On a purely technical level, Airlines are able to practice the third degree of price discrimination (segmentation-based), and even to some respects, the second degree of price discrimination by employing yield management tools.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Cunningham and Brady explains that airlines have been dividing their customers into groups: government vs. business vs. leisure travellers, first or economy class, etc.   With the advent of the computer and I.T., airlines have gained more ability to match fares with their customers demands. (Cunningham and Brady, 2001, p. 10).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Yield Management tools allows the airline to sell the right seat to the right passenger at the right time and price, basically charging various rates for the perceived service benefit (Cunningham and Brady, 2001, p. 11).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Also, yield management allows for Ramsey pricing, which involves varying the prices for fare based on demand elasticity in relation to the marginal cost.   Meaning, the more sensitive the market is to its price, the closer its price will be to the marginal cost.   This explains why business market fares are higher than those who are on vacation (Cunningham and Brady, 2001, p. 11).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Since it is not easy to explain various yield management techniques of airlines, it would be best to look at practical scenarios for airline companies.   Empirically, here are some examples of airline price discrimination.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Joseph Turow, writing for the Washington Posts, cites an example regarding airline Web sites that offer lower fares for first-time customers (Turrow, 2005).   Technology has also made it easier for businesses such as airlines to do customer profiling.   Turrow (2005) and Wooley (1998) insinuates that since businesses can now use computers and databases to store more information about a customer, it can create profiles on that customers and price accordingly. Turrow cited the case when Amazon.Com came under fire for selling the same compact disc album to different customers at varying discounts.   Wooley, on the other hand, says that catalogs sent to somebody who lives in a high-end neighborhood include only one price, while the another version of the catalogs featuring the same products sent to other less-glitzy neighborhoods have discount information on them.   With more and more information about the customer being easily made available, the more airlines know how to push the correct buttons and learn their ability to pay, and their willingness to pay.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Airlines also give early-bird discounts wherein those who book early get lower prices.   This type of price discrimination plays on demand inelasticity.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   People who book late are usually those who needs to be on the plane, and thus would be willing to pay any price just to get to where one wants to be. (Riley, 2006).   Differences in ticket pricing is most reliant on supply and demand (Devlin, 2002).   Fredrik Wallenberg explains that to get an advance purchase discount, one will have to book from one to three weeks in advance. (2000, p. 7)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   On the other hand, SoYouWanna.Com advises that some of the cheapest plane tickets become available at the last minute.   This is due to the fact that airlines typically want to fly with a full plane.   Also, airline seats are seen as a perishable product, in the event that they are not used before expiration it becomes worthless (Sahay, 2007, p. 55)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Other airlines also use Saturday night stay-over as a mechanism for price discrimination.   Airlines set a higher rate for business travelers who are unwilling to spend the weekend away from home (Wallenberg, 2000).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   For some, airlines often reward loyal customers with a lower price on premium tickets if theyve reached a certain number of mile on their frequent-fliers programs.   Keith Devlin said that he was able to buy a round trip ticket from San Francisco to Milan for a bargain price of $1000.   Devlin upgraded it to business class at no cost.   Devlin got the bargain beceause he has earned enough miles on Uniteds Mileage Plus.   Devlin adds that a colleague who will be on the same flight at the same time, was not able to upgrade (Devlin, 2002).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   US Airways has the EZ Savers Club, which is actually an automated mailing list where subscribers can get mails detailing reduced rates on specified travel dates (Bringing market discipline, 1998).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Other programs are age-dependent.   Students and seniors typically get a discount on airlines.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Another form of price discrimination employed by airlines is temporary seasonal discounts for airfares that are meant to increase business. (Ellis-Christensen, undated).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Airlines have a big market with a large number of heterogenous customers, the more disparate their customers are and their behaviors, the more willing their customers would be to pay different prices (Sahay, 2007, p. 56).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Is Price Discrimination Illegal? Price discrimination may be illegal in some cases.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   However, for it to be deemed illegal, it has to be seen in light of anti-competitiveness.   Carl Person said that the Robinson-Patman Act protects victims of unlawful price discrimination.   Persons provided the following example where in a retail store purchases the same thing from the same supplier for a much higher price.   The store who bought the merchandise at a higher price would be unable to compete on price and usually loses business to its competitor (Persons, 1997).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Federal Trade Commission clarifies that price discrimination may be used as a predatory pricing tactic to harm competition at the supplier’s level (Federal Trade Commission, undated).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This whole scenario doesnt apply to airline tickets. Imperfect Information   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In a perfect world or market situation, each consumer should have perfect information about the price of services and goods.   However, information problems are highly ostentatious in complex and opaque markets, where there is infrequent patronage.   Markets with intermediaries or those with a time lag between the time of purchase and the expected benefits are also susceptible to the problem.   The airline industry is also a primary industry for imperfect information due to its complex pricing structures (Lindley, 2007, p. 74).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Imperfect information could harm a customer because it would effectively prevent him from turning to certain potential substitutes (Lande, 2007).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Moreover, some customers might not know of the existence of an option.   Some customers might not even realize that best cost-saving option (Lande, 2007).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In short, as Dominic Lindley writes, the customer may not buy the cheapest or even the most appropriate product or service; may buy a service or product that does not perform as well as planned; or may be unaware of their rights and remedies if something goes wrong (Lindley, 2007, p. 74). Conclusion   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It all boils down to the fact that imperfect information could hinder a customer from making a more informed decision about what hes purchasing.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Determining the cost of an airline ticket is a complicated task.   With price discrimination, it really just an interplay of demand and the customers ability to pay.   Price discrimination allows businesses to optimize their operations for maximum benefits and income on their marginal costs.   Airlines, among other businesses, are in a position to exploit that advantage because they satisfy all conditions needed for price discrimination.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   For consumers and passengers to get the optimum value for their money, they must be vigilant.   They must know their options, and choose accordingly. References    Armstrong, Mark. (2006). Price Discrimination. University College London. Retrieved on 3 April 2008. http://else.econ.ucl.ac.uk/papers/uploaded/222.pdf Brady, Stephen P. and Cunningham, William A . (2001). Exploring predatory pricing in the airline industry. Transportation Journal, 41(1), 5-15.   Retrieved 21 April 2008 from ABI/INFORM Global database. (Document ID: 124411971). Bringing market discipline to pricing. (1998, January). Businessline,1.   21 Retrieved April   2008, from ProQuest Asian Business and Reference database. (Document ID: 25422269). Devlin, Keith. (2002). The crazy math of airline ticket pricing. Retrieved on 3 April 2008. http://www.maa.org/devlin/devlin_09_02.html Ellis-Christensen Tricia. What is Price Discrimination? Retrieved on 3 April 2008. http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-price-discrimination.htm Lande, Robert. (2007). Market Power Without A Large Market Share: The Role of Imperfect Information and other Consumer Protection Market Failures. Retrieved on 3 April 2008. http://www.justice.gov/atr/public/hearings/single_firm/docs/222102.htm Lindley, Dominic. (2007). Imperfect information for consumers. Consumer Policy Review, 17(3), 74-79.   Retrieved 21 April 2008, from ABI/INFORM Global database. (Document ID: 1328552571). Persons, Carl E. (1997). Do You Have an RPA Price Discrimination Claim?   Retrieved on 3 April http://www.lawmall.com/rpa/rpaclaim.html Riley, Geoff. (2006) Price Discrimination. Eton College.   Retrieved on 3 April 2008. http://www.tutor2u.net/economics/revision-notes/a2-micro-price-discrimination.html Stavins, Joanna. (1996). Price Discrimination in the Airline Market: The Effect of Market Concentration. Federal Reserve Bank of Boston. Retrieved on 3 April 2008. http://bosfed.org/economic/wp/wp1996/wp96_7.pdf SOYOUWANNA FIND A CHEAP PLANE TICKET? Retrieved on 3 April 2008. http://www.soyouwanna.com/site/syws/planetix/planetix.html Sahay, Arvind. (2007). How Dynamic Pricing Leads to Higher Profits. MIT Sloan Management Review, 48(4), 53.   Retrieved 21 April 2008, from ABI/INFORM Global database. (Document ID: 1360146151). Turow, Joseph. (2005). Have they got a deal for you. Washington Post. Retrieved on 3 April http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/06/18/AR2005061800070_pf.html Wallenberg, Fredrik. (2000). A study of airline pricing.   School of Information Management Systems, University of California at Berkeley. Retrieved on 3 April 2008. http://people.ischool.berkeley.edu/~fredrik/research/papers/InternetTravel.pdf Wooley, Scott. (1998). Mine was cheaper! Forbes.Com. Retrieved on 3 April 2008. http://www.forbes.com/global/1998/1102/0116058a.html

Culture And Training And Development Management Essay

Culture And Training And Development Management Essay Culture is a group, which shapes a persons values and identity. A single term used to define a particular culture is often exclusive. Cultural identities can stem from the following differences: race, ethnicity, gender, class, religion, country of origin, and geographic region. Culture is the lens through which you view the world. It is central to what you see, how you make sense of what you see, and how you express yourself. It is recognized by all multinational companies that global human resource management is critical for success in todays competitive world. The reasons for this are many including their integral involvement in facilitating the success of expatriate assignments (Bonache and Fernandez, 1999; Scullion, 1999; Stroh and Caligiuri, 1998). The picture comparing to 1990s have changed radically, rapid globalization of companies has brought the need for effective international assignments and relatively increased need of expatriates. There are three major factors that effect this change; first is the changing nature of international companies with joint ventures with global companies and emergence of small and medium size companies as the key industry players. Secondly the change in host locations decreases the number of expatriates that are ready to move with various concerns. Thirdly, the changing nature of international assignment themselves (Bartlett and Ghoshal, 1989) Success and failure of a global assignment is greatly influenced by an expatriates cross cultural adjustment to the host country. For instance cross cultural adjustment is positively related to performance on the employees assignment and negatively related to premature termination of the assignment (Black, 1988; Caligiuri, 1997). There are many companies in this modern and developed technology world that prefer to train the employees prior to assign them an international work. According to Ashamalla (1997) for more than twenty years cross-cultural training had been advocated as a means of facilitating effective cross-cultural interactions and adjustments. Training can be defined as an intervention that is aimed to increase the knowledge and skills of individuals, so as to help them perform better and professionally. There are many types of training practices in todays world; the type of practice in a company depends on the kind of industry and technological needs of the company. Out of many methods the most crucial and important training is intercultural training process (Kealey, D. J, Protheroe, D, 1995) The development of effective international strategies is termed as the major determinant of success of an international business. A research on expatriate management by Harvey (1998) indicates that, any kind of underperformance of an international assignee could be extremely costly for employees in career terms. It is also suggested that companies with global operations need implement sophisticated policies while pre move in certain areas like selection procedures for international assignments and cross-cultural training for both employees and their dependents. Failure in pay enough attention to either of the areas could lead to failure in the expatriation. Training in cross-cultural context can be defined as a procedure that is intended to improve individuals ability to cope up and adjust in a foreign environment (Baliga and Baker, 1985). The reasons given by many companies for not providing proper cross-cultural training to their employees before international move or provide the s tudy on a selective basis is lack of proven effectiveness. Course design using the learning diamond [online image] Tung (1982) has classified the training programs in cross-cultural contexts into six categories that include: Training on factual information about geography, climate, schools etc. Cultural orientation training i.e. information about cultural institutions and country values Cultural assimilation training, with brief episodes of intercultural encounters Language training Sensitivity training Training for managing emotional stress of living and working with people from different cultures. Another essential element to be considered for a cross-cultural training as a process is to understand the regulated steps to be followed in making the process successful. Objectives of training- Why Train? A well planned and tailored goal needs are needed for companies to analyze before setting up the training process (Ronen, 1990; Rhinesmith, 1993). Cross-cultural training should be designed ensuring that the performance, adjustment and development areas are covered. Many training programs these days are primarily focusing on the adjustment factor, that is, any employee with lot of patience and has lot of adjustment nature is considered as qualified for the international move. But adjustment does not necessarily ensure that they adapt to the culture and perform according to the business objectives. Organization need to draw dimensions that require employees to develop trust relationships with people of different backgrounds and values, their ability to communicate well, collaborative approach, ability to negotiate and cultural competence play a key role in setting task objectives (Gerrity, 1993). In the need of success and to avoid failure cross-cultural program objectives should be crafted to help assignees to (1) manage change-personal-professional transition (2) Manage the cultural differences; and (3) Manage their professional responsibilities (Marquardt Engel, 1993). Managing change includes the ability of the assignee in being flexible and adjustments towards culture. The impact of the change on the employee, family and friends includes creation of a personal and professional action plan to manage change. The plan also adds to make the employee aware that repatriation plan is also a part of managing his/her assignment. Managing the cultural differences includes; understanding of culture, shapes of culture, expectations and assumptions, understanding and applying frameworks basing on the cultural interactions and develop skills to reconcile differences, gaining practical information about host country are the important aspects in managing cultural differences Managing professional responsibilities include; applying information and insights required in the program to accomplish the objectives, understanding business objectives and job responsibilities in the host country, adapting the individual style and effective local approach. Trainees-Who should be trained? For any international assignment is very important for the family of the assignee should be trained along with the assignee as a supportive family atmosphere plays a very important role in a successful international assignment. The spouse of the assignee more certainly faces lot of challenges in the host county while the employee usually sustains himself with the routine job functions. The challenges involves in setting up households, negotiation with local shops, transportation, services etc with an unfamiliar language which are basing on the confidence levels of the partner. Duel career issue makes the situation more critical when faced with displacement and uncertainty; the partner may feel ambivalent about the changes and the chances of getting worried to find employment, or acceptable substitutes for employment, in the very likely event that work will not be available abroad. Childrens education and social adaption also effect the familys ability to adjust in the host country (P ascoe, 1992, Osland, 1995). All the above needs of the family to understand the culture makes it important to undergo training prior to the assignment. Program components-Cross-Cultural training programs There are many major key elements to make a successful training program at a cross-cultural context that includes assessment of basic needs, content, design and methodology, duration and timing, trainers and quality of end result. A through need of the employee, spouse, children and HR liaison is suggested requirement for a company to conclude on the training needs (Brislin Yoshida, 1994). It is also required to assess the assignees past international experience, job role and responsibilities, family dynamics, special interests etc. to make the training objective more clearly in both verbal and written forms. The content of the program should include general awareness, planning of placement, transition and stress management, life style adjustment, repatriation process (Kohls Brussow, 1995) A deductive approach to cross cultural training method is preferred as the information can be applier more logically and reasonably to specific situations, whereas with an inductive approach, generalizations made from specific information may be invalid, and lead to inappropriate choices and behaviors on the part of the assignees (Andersen, 1985). A variety of methods can be used to train the assignees and family basing on the needs of assessment like role plays, case studies, presentations, filed work, lectures etc. Immersion approach Assessment centre Field Experiments Simulations Sensitivity training Extensive language training Affective approach Culture assimilator training Role playing Critical incidents Cases Stress reducing training Moderate language training Information-giving approach Area briefing Cultural briefings Films/books/videos Use of interpreters Survival-level language training Low Moderate High Length 1 month 2-12 1-3 of stay or less months years High Level of rigor Low Length of training 1-2 months+ 1-4 weeks Less than a week Training can be provided prior to departure or after the arrival in the destination or both depending on the necessity. Pre departure training allows the family to have a realistic knowledge about the host country with basic understanding of culture and ethics. Post arrival training allows the family to clarify internal, geographical social queries. HR can reduce the possibility of expatriates failures by flying out the employee and family over to location to check out if they would like to stay. Based on the duration of the assignment HR can put up various training schedules based on the tenure of the assignment as shown in figure below, by Mendenhall, E. Dunbar, and G. Oddou, (1987) Studies indicate that the essential components of pre-departure training programs that contribute to a smooth transition to a foreign location include cultural awareness training, preliminary visits, language instruction and assistance with practical day-to-day matters. Trainers and training team include specialists and are experts to develop and deliver a program. The trainer act as the coach, educator, facilitator, counselor, moderator, and cultural role model for the participants. Quality assurance include results and outcomes of the program that include program evaluations, written documentation of results and liaison meeting between employees and trainers to justify the report. Many leading firms recognized that while there existing numbers of good training firms and many excellent training consultants to choose from, it is important to investigate carefully these credentials and capabilities. If the process is competently managed and executed well developed, training will become a key intervention in promoting success to the assignment and increase the return on investment for employees, family members and companies abroad. Training Measurement One of the key important elements of providing an effective learning is the ability to identify the training participants have changed their behavior according to the prescribed course objectives and as a continuation weather they will be able to transfer their behavior to the work environment (Hilary H and Savita K, 2000). A well designed training initiative may enhance the learning process of international assignee and thus facilitate cross-cultural interactions and cross-cultural adjustment (Black Gregersen, 1991; Caligiuri, Phillips, Lazarova, Tarique, Burgi, 2001). To understand a systematic approach in designing cross-cultural training initiatives Tarique and Caligiuri (2003) propose a five-phase process as a general strategy to follow in designing effective cross-cultural training initiatives. The five phases are: Understanding and identifying the type of global assignment for which the training is needed? Determining the cross-cultural training needs from the view of organization, assignment and individual Establishing the training needs basing on the goals and objectives of the organization. Finalizing the training program Ultimate effectiveness of the cross-cultural training program and results. Gudykunst, et al., (1996) proposes that future research on these phases is the important area of investigation when performing a training program. A better understanding on the limits and generalizability across organizational cultural, national and individual context for cross-cultural training is also an important area. The strength of the discussion tightens when the individuals high on openness to global experience, extroversion and agreeableness and early international travel experience adds value for more effective training and development comparing to individuals that are less on these traits. According to the recent review of cross-cultural training evaluation studies Mendenhall et al, (2004) stated that Cross-cultural training seems to be effective in enhancing knowledge and trainee satisfaction but seems to be less effective in changing behaviors and attitudes, or in improving adjustment and performance. Conclusion When going for an overseas assignment there are various considerations to be made. Often seen is that the expatriate receives the training but not the spouse and family. It has to be understood that spouse and family are the major contributors for the assignment success. Some companies do not impart cross culture training for the spouse and family as they think its an added cost and not essential. This is a wrong thinking. Cross-cultural training provides incoming and outgoing expatriate families a chance to study up on what is coming, and how best to approach the new reality. One of the reasons for the expatriate assignment failure is that the family and spouse cannot cope with the new environment. This coping up of the new environment occurs when there is no cross culture training given. From the above scenarios it can be seen or concluded that cross culture training is important for the spouse and family and it leads to the expatriate assignment a success in any part of the world. To sum up Cross Culture Training has to be imparted to the spouse and family for an overseas assignment. Companies need to invest more on cross-cultural training especially in terms of the immersion and affective approaches. The value of providing a comprehensive training program could reduce the failure of assignments or pre-mature assignments. Cross-cultural training enhanced peoples ability to deal with conflicts that arise within multicultural teams. To ensure success in business, many organizations used cross-cultural training to improve their managers cross- cultural effectiveness and enhance their communication skills. From the research it is discovered that crossing cultures is extremely difficult and requires the right kind of training. Cultural diversity in a work group provides both impunities and difficulties. When manages successfully, it brings economic benefits. For organizations that send managers on foreign assignments. The cost can be high, as those managers need to adjust to their new environment. Cross-cultural training is useful and worthy which can deal with conflicts that arise within multicultural.