Economic situation after Emancipation Essay

The Post Emancipation period resulted in most of the ex slaves leaving the estates. Many of them set themselves up as peasant (small) farmers. This resulted in a massive labour shortage which threatened to cause the sugar industry to collapse. The sugar industry was already in a poor state because of (1) shortage of labour and (2) sugar beet competition. To avoid total decline, planters tried to introduce immigration in the form of bringing in laborers from Europe, other Caribbean islands, Asia and other areas. They also tried to introduce technology in order to reduce the cost of sugar production. However, all of these efforts could not stop the changes from sugar monoculture (planting of one crop which was sugar cane) to agricultural diversification (planting of many crops). As a result of this, many crops were produced after emancipation e.g. banana, cocoa and arrowroot. Agricultural diversification also occurred because ex-slaves grew crops other than sugar cane. These peasant farmers grew not only food crops for eating but cash crops to sell. Peasant farming began by ex slaves but was boosted by the East Indians who came through immigration to work on plantations. Therefore the emancipation of slaves and their exodus or mass departure from the plantations led to (1) the development of peasant farming and (2) Immigration. Labour Problems in the Post Emancipation period Before emancipation, all territories in the British West Indies could be classified as the same because they were all plantation economies based on slave labour. After emancipation island separatedness developed as each island began to take different turns to develop. In other words islands developed at different rates. Larger islands had greater labour problems because they had more land and larger numbers of ex slaves but few of them were willing to work on plantations after emancipation. Let’s compare Trinidad and Jamaica after emancipation. Trinidad was  considered a medium sized territory with a large population of freed persons or ex slaves. Jamaica was considered a large island with an even larger population of freed persons. The difference is that Trinidad had a similar labour problem and saw immigration as the solution to this labour shortage. Jamaica had a lot more problem and therefore an even larger labour problem but the government at the time did not want to introduce immigration to solve this problem. Attitudes to estate/ plantation labour after emancipation Attitudes of the ex- slaves (1) Ex-slaves wanted to turn their backs on the plantation which they associated with slavery and cruelty. They had a desire for personal liberty and land ownership. Of the slaves who considered meaning on plantations to work, many were turned off by low wages on plantations. Those who chose to both live and work on plantations were forced to pay high rents on estate houses. (2) Ex slaves longed to acqire an education because it would free them from bondage to the soil. Parents believed that it would have been too late for them to progress through education but not for their children. (3) In general plantation life affected the slaves so much that slaves tried toown land of their own as a means of securing their own property. They felt hopeful that they could succeed if they had their own land because they were familiar with agriculture from working as slaves on the plantations and also there was land available for sale in some territories (e.g. estates which were deserted by owners and state land which was unused) Attitudes of the planters or plantation owners After emancipation, the main concern of the white planters was to ensure that they had labour for their plantations. However, some planters had abandoned their estates because they watched the exodus of ex slaves and were afraid of having to pay high wages to labourers. Most planters tried to convince ex-slaves to stay and work for pay by saying that they would provide good  working and living conditions on their plantations as well as high wages but this was far from the truth. Many planters also tried to prevent freed men from getting land so that they would not be able to make a living planting crops and so they would therefore be forced to return to plantations to work. They did this by making the land too expensive or the ex slaves to buy. What did ex slaves do to survive after emancipation? Some remained on plantations to work for wages Some became peasant farmers farmers and grew crops to sell Female ex slaves would get jobs sewing, making handicraft, peddling items and shop keeping Male ex slaves would get involved in small trading, peddling and shop keeping Ex slaves would get together and combine money to buy large plots of land that were too expensive to buy individually and split the land among them.

Utah Symphony and Utah Opera: a Merger Proposal

Utah Symphony and Utah Opera: A Merger Proposal The Utah Symphony (USO) and the Utah Opera (UOC) Merger was a union that was brought forth by the leadership committee at the USO in Salt Lake City. The proposal was an opportunity to strengthen a struggling symphony with a financially sound opera company. Although mergers between opera and symphony companies in the United States had been successfully in the past, the merging of a two major companies had yet to materialize (Delong & Ager, 2005, p. 2). William Bailey, Chairman of the Board for the Utah Opera Company had motivation to move forward with the merger.Successfully combining the two companies the size of Utah’s Opera and Symphony Orchestra would be a first in the nation, and set precedence for others to follow. If the merger were successful, the proposed name of the new organization would be the Utah Symphony & Opera (USUO), and with its potential draw, it had the power to elevate the Opera to the national stage making i t a tier-one organization, affiliating it with other such powerhouses to the likes of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. In comparison to other major operas, its viability to increase the current combined annual endowment 10 fold was a likely probability.The merger did not come without opposition. Carolyn Abravenal, widow to the longstanding maestro and music director to the USO publicly denounced the new company. Scott Parker, Chairman to the Utah Symphony is best suited to discuss the merger with Mrs. Abravenal to gain her support so that the symphony could achieve the true potential her husband had envisioned. Her husband had given 32 years of his life to the USO building it from a part-time ensemble to a world-class symphony (Delong & Ager, 2005, p. 4). Mrs.Abravenal’s main concern was that the symphony would take a back seat to the opera, conversely, it would lead in name with the new company, the Utah Symphony | Utah Opera. Parker might consider sharing with Mrs. Abravenal t hat the merger was actually his idea and that Anne Ewers was also his choice to take the company into the future. Through Ewers’ leadership, musicians could add variety to their repertoire, giving them access to a broader spectrum of performances. Performing with the Opera would allow for additional productions each year creating rotations for instrumentalists wanting to crossover and perform in oth genres. Combining the two styles could create a pop style opera that could potentially reach the younger demographic, once again increasing revenue. Although Ewers’ experience was primarily in opera, it is her positional power and knack for building fiscally sound companies that made her the easy choice to lead both companies. While the symphony struggled at fundraising, Ewers’ UOC annual budget grew 3X from her predecessor, mainly due to her corporate sponsorships that reached beyond the state of Utah (Delong & Ager, 2005, p. 3).One of Ewers’ first challenges was to get Keith Lockhart, Music Director for the USO onboard with her plan on how to merge the two entities. Lockhart’s concern was the proposed organizational chart that showed him reporting directly to Ewers rather than the Chairman as he had with the USO (Delong & Ager, 2005, p. 14). Ewers personal strengths allowed her to share her vision with Lockhart, however she was dependant on Lockhart’s leadership among the orchestra to help facilitate a smoother transition. The success of the USUO moving forward could only happen with the collaboration of the musicians.It was they who held strength in numbers, and without them the entire merger could collapse. If Lockhart failed to follow along with the proposed plan, Ewers faced an even greater obstacle, dissention amongst the majority of the company. Lockhart expressed concern that had the orchestra not believed in his leadership; they had the ability to render him ineffective as a conductor (Delong & Ager, 2005, p. 9). This exposed a window of opportunity for Ewers to sidestep Lockhart should she feel his efforts were counterproductive.Ewer could meet with the musicians without the presence of Lockhart and share with them that the symphony would not be taking a backseat to the opera, and it was the symphony they depended on for performances due to their year round schedule. The new direction could potentially allow for expansion of the symphony if they were to become the sole orchestra for the opera. This could allow for either growth in headcount, or increased pay from the additional productions. If they were successful in becoming a Group I orchestra, this would give them national exposure and perhaps advancement onto grander stages.This approach for power and affiliation might be the key to motivate. The final obstacle Ewers faced was overcoming the concerns of the opera trustees, full-time staff, along with the artists. What Ewers had in her favor was that the each entity in its own was net po sitive in their income statements for 2000-2001, and both were forecasting the same in 2001-2002 (Delong & Ager, 2005, p. 15). The symphony was operating without a CEO, which made it easy for the opera leadership to take step in and take charge.This would ensure a seat at the helm, and someone that could operate with the opera’s interest in mind. With the positional strengths of Ewer, she could exercise her marketing strategies for the symphony and tap her existing base to increase their annual contributions. If Ewers was successful in pulling all the departments together to support the merger, she will have demonstrated her strengths to overcome obstacles no other symphony and opera had been able to do in the history of our country. It was an opportunity to create precedence and pioneer a process for others to follow.Ewers would eventually complete this venture and lead the USUO for the next five years until her departure to the Kimmel Center for Performing Arts where she be came the President and CEO of Kimmel Center, Inc (Kimmel Center, Inc. 2010). References Delong, T. J & Ager, D. L (2005, August 8). Utah Symphony and Utah Opera: A Merger Proposal. Harvard Business Journal, 9-404-116, 1-16. Kreitner, R. & Kinicki, A. (2010). Organizational Behavior, 9th Edition. New York: McGraw-Hill Higher Education Kimmel Center, Inc. (2010). Anne Ewers. Retrieved from http://www. kimmelcenter. org/about/anne. php

Wbsite Paper on Conflict Resolution for a Graduate Education Class Essay

Wbsite Paper on Conflict Resolution for a Graduate Education Class - Essay Example Description: Peaceful conflict resolution, recognizing the value of cross-disciplinary and cross-cultural connections to enhance conflict resolution choices universally. Conferences, publications, resources, Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), mediators, arbitrators, training programs, career center, academic journal, and events. Description: Community development program dedicated to the establishment of an all-inclusive civilization of peace through assistance for communities to prevent conflict, strengthen inter-group cooperation and apply the principles of unity-in-diversity, equality and justice within sustainable community-building processes. Description: University-based academic center which serves as coordinating mechamism to advance research and innovative program development throughout the City University as well as the New York City metropolitan area. Projects and programs, events, publications, links, resources. New York City Directory of Dispute Resolution Programs. Compensated and Pro-Bono Mediation opportunities. Description: Program aimed at reducing violence and violence related behavior in the schools of the United States. Research and evaluation of schools violence information. Resource center, educational programs. Links arranged by category. Library. Dropout prevention database. Description: Offers low- or no-cost services to K-12 education, in the Commonwealth of Massachussets, in the areas of bullying prevention, cyberbullying education and prevention, and violence prevention. Sections for educators, parents and public. Mailing list. Description: Dedicated to equip, encourage, and support individuals as peacemakers in their personal relationships, families, churches, schools, professions, and communities. Newsletter, mediation services, academic programs, resources, links, and articles

Succession Planning in the Peri-Operative Setting Thesis Proposal

Succession Planning in the Peri-Operative Setting - Thesis Proposal Example Research question/hypothesis: Can new nurses fit the succession plan with adequate training? 4) The benefits of conducting such a study It will lead to development of leadership roles for new nurses and encourage their involvement in shaping the future. 5) Theoretical frame-work appropriate for this study The frame-work would involve sections such as 1) Participants 2) procedures 3) measures 4) Data analysis. 6) Identify how extensive a literature review need to be conducted, note key words and word searches. Is there evidence of for nursing practice for this particular topic. The first step in writing a research proposal would be to read research articles both written and electronic (data base).The first goal is to find one or two articles related to the investigation. No there is not. 7) What would be my sample? Characteristics and special sampling methods The sample is new nurses in their perioperative setting. They are young nurses, married, of ages 30 and above and have a degree in nursing and related fields. 9) What type of approval do you need and from whom? You would need the approval of the university from where the research will be conducted. You would need the approval of the Dean of faculty. 10) The ethical concern in the study? If so for whom? How can they be addressed? Is the study just an exercise at filling up the fat positions left by the retired nurses? How will it stand to benefit the patients?

Criminal Justice Organizations- Assignment 4 Essay

Criminal Justice Organizations- Assignment 4 - Essay Example These techniques that are used have a positive effect when it comes to making and implementation of policing. For most policy makers, they know that implementing such mandatory sentencing laws ensure that repeat offenders are punished which leads to a decrease in the level of crime. The mandatory sentencing laws are effective, but this is dependent on a country or a state. When it comes to principles of organization effectiveness leaders have to motivate employees to change if they want change (Stojkovic, Kalinich & Klofas, 2014). Juries in courts in certain countries such a United States are not involved in determining the mandatory penalties that apply when there people who are convicted. The â€Å"get tough† approach and mandatory sentencing laws are largely not effective because they also lead to populated prisons because the minorities are always disproportionally targeted. As noted on page 425, of Stojkovic, Kalinich and Klofas’ book, there is problem of overcrowding in prisons due to these laws. For mandatory sentencing laws to be effective without leading to overpopulation in prisons, all people should be targeted for crimes and not only the minorities. The effect of these laws on the society is evident, not only in minority societies in United States. The public is now of these effects on families of the poor people, even when the accused they have committed non-violent offenses. Sadly, these are laws affect the poor communities in America and not the upper and middle class societies even when this group can easily change these laws. If I had the power and influence to change these laws I would first ensure that the public, whether these are people in poor, rich or middle-class communities are all educated. The public should be aware that the three-strike laws only contribute to increased rates of homicides and other problems. The rates at which the minority males are imprisoned are extremely high. In addition, there so many

Poerty Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Poerty - Essay Example He cautions that the world is wavering by accepting the pleasures of the technological advancement and the impact of the materialistic civilization on the society. He observes the small experiences of life as the unique gift of Nature and wonders about the play of the pair of opposites. He treats grief as an essential ingredient of human life and he is not overwhelmed by those feelings as such and his poems do not take extreme positions. Thus an ordinary trip to farmer’s market or an incident of suicide does not evoke extreme thought-currents in him. His poems are ever calm and the worst situations do not create any harmful waves in his heart and also in the hearts of the readers. The readers experience the pleasure to follow him, not the compulsion. His voice is friendly with an ingredient of humor and at the same time funny, warm and not disrespectful and he has the strong inclination to connect with others through grim and violent situations or incomprehensible circumstance s. The poet’s drive for empathy is pleasingly positive, as he searches, sometimes frenziedly, for any appearance of hope. Having said this, one important aspect relating to the poetry is, a poet does not have control over his emotions in those inspirational moments, as poetry is hailed as the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings. Nature â€Å"scraps joy† for the poet and that bounty flows through his pen for the benefit of those who have the capacity to accept such simple but profound bounties. Dickman makes his hearty intentions quite clear in â€Å"Slow Dance.† â€Å"There is no one to save us because there is no need to be saved. I’ve hurt you. I’ve loved you. I’ve mowed the front yard.†(38-41) Dickman is the master of the inner world of an individual as such he can correctly express and interpret the different types of emotions generating therein. When one begins reading a poem and reaches up to the end, one feels amply rewar ded as they ooze a sense of fulfillment. Tony Hoagland, in his introduction to All-American Poem, says, â€Å"We turn loose such poets into our culture so that they can provoke the rest of us into saying everything on our minds. They use the bribery of imagination to convince us of the benefits of liberty.† Materialistic civilization and internet revolution have ushered an era of push buttons and a life of hurry. In â€Å"Slow Dance† the author advises the reader to check the momentum, think positively, shun the distractions and enjoy each and every incident of life, as if they are the nature-ordained blessings. Each action, each result, each experience has an element of joy and one has to scrap through it. There are two types of slowing down in life—one you slow down unable to bear the burden of life; second, you willfully and consciously slow down, take time to appreciate life, contemplate on events or developments and try to discover their meanings. In that s ituation you are neither the winner nor the defeatist. What matters is your inquisitiveness to know the reality of that experience. Every moment of life is meaningful, contains new experiences, and you will not be able to experience them for the second occasion in your lifetime, as such they are special. The sights, sounds and events ingrained in that moment are all special. An eternal music is being played and one needs to take note of the notes of music being played at a particular time. Poetry flows

Analyze the companys cost structure (e.g., variable vs. fixed costs, Essay

Analyze the companys cost structure (e.g., variable vs. fixed costs, manufacturing vs. non-manufacturing costs, direct vs. indirect costs, job costing or process costing, etc) for starbucks - Essay Example When allocating the rent of the Starbuck store rent it is advisable to divide the rent by the number of coffee bags sold (Maryanne, 109). Manufacturing and non manufacturing costs: Manufacturing costs are indirect factory related costs that are incurred during the manufacturing process. The cost of manufacturing overhead cost must be assigned to each unit produced so that inventory and cost of goods sold can be valued. For the case of Starbuck Company non manufacturing costs include direct material and direct labor. Again the non manufacturing costs represent manufacturer’s expenses that occur apart from the manufacturing function. These expenses are not product cost and are reported in a financial statement as expenses incurred. They include interest on business loan, marketing and advertising costs, taxes and salaries of the staffs (Maryanne, 110). Job costing and process costing: Job costing is a way of determining the cost to a company for each unit of item. This is done by taking each job as independent and how much each job cost to produce a number of units. This allows manager and executives to calculate the amount of profits made from each job. The Starbuck Company for each type of drink it delivers a certain price. This is an effective way of controlling the price of a product. Process costing is a process in which the company come up with long term statistics to know how the price keep on changing over time (Maryanne, 112). It also simplify record keeping hence allowing the company to when changes need to be made. Direct and Indirect Costs: Material, labor and other expenses which are directly or easily traceable to a product, service or job are known as direct costs. In the production of coffee, materials are purchased, wages are paid to workers and certain other expenses are incurred directly (Wiley & Sons, 34). All these take an active and direct part in the manufacture of a product and are, therefore, called direct

Discuss what is mean by Universal Grammar. How does the process of Essay

Discuss what is mean by Universal Grammar. How does the process of language acquisition provide evidence for Universal Grammar. give concrete examples. What ot - Essay Example As usual, "the company" now has an earlier deadline than they had given me, despite them still not having given me the entire chapter, so I hope you're not late. Best, anon Trask (1995) presented two types of evidence in support of Chomsky's theory that the innate condition of the human brain at birth explained language acquisition, a process that occurs without effort or direct or indirect teaching in children. First, despite the differences in the experiences of children within and across cultures, in deaf and hearing children, and in those who are and are not mentally retarded, the same stages in the same order occur in acquiring language. Second, in support of the role of the human brain at birth, there is evidence that those who have not been exposed to a language past a "critical period" of 12 or 13 years have not been able to learn the rules of a language. Trask (1995) reviewed evidence supporting "universal grammar," a phrase describing Chomsky's revolutionary theory of psycholinguistics, i.e., there are linguistic universals (commonalities among all languages), the human brain is equipped at birth for the acquisition of language, and thus children acquire language without either direct or indirect instruction. ... over the history of human existence, it is disingenuous to describe the demise of the Skinnerian operant-conditioning model (referred to by Trask as the "imitation-and reinforcement model,", p. 140) as occurring "not so many years ago" or, more dramatically, "in recent years" (p. 140). One could provide pages of citations to support recognition of the brief time course of Chomsky's "revolution," but Pinker, himself a giant in psycholinguistic theory (Rondal, 1993), should suffice (interview, Rondal, 1993). Chomsky's theory of language acquisition (beginning in 1959, cited in Pinker's interview, Rondal, 1993) quickly relegated (unusual in the social sciences) to a chapter in the history of psychology the then-accepted Skinnerian operant-conditioning theory that babies learn language by reinforcement of language imitations. Because most humans have observed babies and young children, it is understandable that social scientists, among others, would have recognized the essential correctness of implicating the brain at birth - by comparing, for example, their own struggles in learning a second language, even if in surroundings where the second language was spoken, with the ease with which children not only acquire a first language, but with the ease with which immigrant children, compared to their parents, acquire a second language. Understanding why the theory that language developed as a function only of experience was accepted in the first place requires recognizing the virtual destructi on of experimental psychology caused by the prior "behaviorist revolution" - which virtually outlawed even the thought of innate dispositions (Watson, 1919, as cited in Hunt & Ellis, 2004). In this way, one might think of Chomsky, not to minimize his genius, trained in linguistics,

Leadership in Health Care Organizations Practicum Coursework - 10

Leadership in Health Care Organizations Practicum - Coursework Example Integrity is not always easy to display and especially when it involves ones immediate superior as ripple effects might be dire and not worth it in the end (Huberts, Maesschalck and Jurkiewicz, 2008). This was one of those situations I found myself two years ago in my former employment. I was on off duty and was not supposed to come to work. However, I discovered I had forgotten some personal items and I went back to work around 8pm. I heard voices in the pharmacy but the door was locked which was strange. On investigation, I discovered my superior and another nurse taking drugs and putting them in a bag. This was stealing and I had to report it. I was however fearful of what the repercussions would be if I reported it but I did it anyway. A few months later I had to quit my job as the supervisor made my life impossible but at least I had stood up for my integrity. Integrity demands strength and not emotions. Emotions cloud one’s judgment and hence can prevent one from acting on the integrity. In order to be able to be a person with integrity and uphold it, it is important to remember what is important and that is to make things better and not worse. Separating emotions is therefore the key point in ensuring that one leads by example. In the above mentioned case involving my supervisor, if I had allowed emotions to cloud my judgment, i would not have reported him and hence would not have been displaying my integrity and not leading by example.

To Elsie Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

To Elsie - Essay Example But by the end of the first stanza I realized that Williams was in fact speaking of a different kind of "pure" - that is the inbreeding within families, especially in rural areas, that creates physical and mental monstrosities. I thought of a group of teenagers I had met from West Virginia who clearly were an example of this "purity" gone wrong. The description of Jersey fits in with the same vision. There is obviously a lot of energy among these "devil-may-care men" and the "young slatterns", but it is almost like the energy of pigs rutting in mud. They mate a lot and reproduce; they eat a lot and so grow big - but there is nothing pleasant about either process. The idea of the girls submitting to the physical advances of the men "without emotion save numbed terror" gave me a vision of times in my own life when sex occurred as an accident or through the effect of drink. There is nothing romantic or loving about these people, and Williams made me think about my own life in a way that I usually avoid because of the conclusions that will be drawn from the examination. Throughout the poem I wondered who the "Elsie" was that is referred to in the title, and eventually I discovered that it was the handicapped nursemaid who works in the doctor's house. Once again the woman is a symbol of a kind of disgusting promiscuity, fertility and yet also physical handicap and weakness. As Williams writes of "her great ungainly hips and flopping breasts" I saw numerous women that I have seen and known who fitted this description. Williams does seem somewhat one-dimensional in his dismissal of the physical shape and nature of a pregnant woman or mother. The image of pigs returned again as he wrote of "as if the earth under our feet were an excrement of some sky" and that we are, like the pigs, destined to find food among our own waste products. Yet near the end of the play I was reminded that in fact human beings are more than this, because we do possess "imagination". While the "prisoners" that Williams speaks of may have to "strain" their imagination to make it work, and while the effort seems futile within the world as the poet sees it, the imagination does exist nevertheless. Within imagination there is something positive, hinted at by the "isolate flecks" from which "something is given off". To conclude, To Elsie is a powerful poem that effected me in many different ways. The images that Williams used were often unpleasant, but will remain in my mind for a long time. He reflects a certain reaction at the grossness of the world that exists within all of us at times, including me. Yet near the end of the poem he reminds us that there should be "something" more. It is this "something" that the poem reminded me of.

The Galapagos Island in Ecuador Essay Example for Free

The Galapagos Island in Ecuador Essay Nineteen breathtaking islands stunningly situated in the Pacific Ocean comprise the Galapagos Islands. Aside from the wonderful corporeal attributes of the island, it is also well-known for its â€Å"showcase of evolution. † The island houses different species of sea animals, which were believed to have evolved due to the volcanic activities affecting marine life. In fact, Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution was based on his observations in the Galapagos Island. (UNESCO, 2007) Unique creatures living in the island including land iguanas, giant tortoises, seal colonies, cormorants, bats, rats, and such presents the importance of supporting advocacies to protect and preserve this world heritage site. These animals, also including penguins and other kinds of birds who frequent the island coexist for a balanced marine ecosystem. (The Galapagos Island) Overall, the island boasts of over 1,600 species of various insects, over 800 species of shells, 200 starfishes, 120 crabs, and many more worthy of efforts and support for their conservation and sustained existence. (Explore Galapagos) Animal seclusion in the island was identified to cause nonchalant behavior of animal life in the area. (The Galapagos Island) Imbalance in the existing animal life community in the island is said to be caused by human interference. Human practices that threat the harmony in the Galapagos Island dates for more than two decades ago when explorers hunted animals in the area for personal provisions. Aside from this, people who inhabit the island alter the physical environment affecting the balance in the island’s ecosystem. For instance, some foreign plants set in the area have been identified to damage the life of native plants in the island. To protect the area from further damage brought about by human actions and practices, majority of the area in the Galapagos was transformed into a National Park. Ongoing scientific investigation to sustain preservation is also conducted in the area by the Charles Darwin Station. (Galapagos Conservation) Although the government of Ecuador and other international organizations such as UNESCO are working very hard to continue the protection and preservation of the island, conditions that threaten the unspoiled nature of the Galapagos still exist. Therefore, continuous and intensified support is needed to prevent the destruction of this immaculate heritage site. Primarily, what should be worked on is the growing economy and population in the area, increasing the presence of insidious species of plant and animal life, as well as man-made products that disturb the balanced and harmonious community in the island. Funding and efficient management skills should be a primary concern of everyone involved. To air the call for protection and preservation of the Galapagos, efforts should also be made to educate all people in order to determine the significance of the diverse community existing within the Galapagos and look out for ways on how the advocacy can be supported by all means possible. References Explore Galapagos. (2008). Retrieved October 1, 2008, from Galapagos Conservation Trust.Website: http://www. gct. org/intro. html Galapagos Conservation. (2008). Retrieved October 1, 2008, from Big Five Tours Expedition. Website: http://www. galapagos. com/conservation. php The Galapagos Island. (2006). Retrieved October 1, 2008, from interKnowledge Corp. Website: http://www. geographia. com/ecuador/galislands. htm UNESCO. (2007). Galapagos Island. Retrieved October 1, 2008, from UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Website: http://whc. unesco. org/en/list/1

Impact of Cane Toad Introduction Into Australian Habitat

Impact of Cane Toad Introduction Into Australian Habitat Biology Issue Report: The impact of the introduction of Cane toads into the Australian habitat. Cane toads (Rhinella Marina) were introduced to north-eastern Australia in 1935 in an attempt to control the sugar cane pests damaging the crops of farmers. Cane toads are large toads native to Central and South America. They are voracious predators, eating a diet consisting mainly of arthropods. The main habitat of cane toads was originally thought to be humid, tropical conditions, however it is now thought that they are able to tolerate a much broader range of environments and climates. This has enabled them to quickly thrive in north-eastern Australia. The numbers of cane toads in Australia have increased rapidly since their introduction into the environment and many people are concerned about the threat that they may pose to the native wildlife of Australia. The aim of this report is to examine the nature of the threat to the native wildlife and to explore whether their numbers can be reduced. The spread of cane toads The increasing numbers of cane toads in Australia has led to concern in both the scientific community and amongst the general public about the threat that they pose to Australian ecosystems. The spread of cane toads in north-eastern Australia has occurred at an unprecedented rate however it is difficult to accurately determine the true extent of the species’ dispersal due to the inherent margin of error that exists when attempting to conduct a species census (Shine 2010). In 2010 Jane Elith and her colleagues used the case of the cane toads to explore whether there is an accurate method by which the future distribution of invasive species can be determined, taking into account the shifting range of many invasive species (Elith, et al. 2010). They concluded that an ecophysiological model is the most accurate way to predict the future extent of the spread of an invasive species such as cane toads (Elith et al.2010). This model considers both the species’ characteristics a nd the environment into which it is expanding when determining their possible future spread. This highlights one difficulty with the current suggestions regarding the rate at which cane toads are spreading in Australia. It has been estimated by some researchers that cane toads are spreading at a rate of 5-6km a year in northern Australia; however it can be argued that these suggestions do not take into account the changing climates into which the toads are spreading. Whilst some habitats, such as tropical climates are particularly suited to the cane toads, others, for example dry habitats, are more challenging environments for cane toads. Therefore their spread into different habitats may be more uneven than predicted. Implications of the spread of cane toads Environmental Implications The diet of cane toads consists predominately of invertebrate species, particularly ants, termites and beetles. This has led some to question whether the introduction of cane toads into the Australian habitat may have a damaging effect on the populations of such invertebrates. In 2006 M.J Greenlees and his colleagues carried out experiments to explore the effect that the presence of cane toads in small enclosures had upon native invertebrates (Greenlees et al. 2006). In their experiment they introduced large and small cane toads and the equivalent biomass of native frogs to different controlled enclosures and used pitfall traps to measure the number of invertebrates found in the enclosure after the introduction of both cane toads and native frogs. The results of their experiment suggested that the numbers of invertebrates in the enclosures of both the cane toads and the native frogs decreased by a similar amount, and they concluded that the cane toads had a similar effect to native f rogs on the numbers of invertebrates. This result is displayed in Figure 1.3 which shows that the richness and abundance of invertebrates in both the cane toad’s enclosures and the Cyclorana and Litoria native frogs’ enclosures was of a similar level (Greenlees et al. 2006). This experiment provides some evidence that the perceived threat of cane toads to the Australian native species may not be as great as previously feared. The most serious threat posed by cane toads to the native species of Australia can be argued to come from the possibility of lethal toxic ingestion of cane toad poison by predators. Cane toads are poisonous, to varying degrees, throughout their lifecycle and bufonid poisons are particularly dangerous to some of Australia’s native animals. Previous to the introduction of the cane toad, many native Australian species had no evolutionary exposure to bufonid poisons, and therefore no immunity to them. Many of Australia’s native predators prey on anurans and have not yet learned to distinguish between native frogs and cane toads. When mouthed or ingested the toads secrete a toxin from their shoulder glands which can prove lethal to many predators. There have been many anecdotal reports in Australia about the deaths of predators such as freshwater crocodiles, northern quolls, goannas and northern death adders, due to the ingestion of cane toad poison. These anecdotal reports are hard to quantify however and cannot be used to provide reliable evidence for the effects of cane toads on large predators. The northern quoll (Dasyurus hallucatus) is a marsupial carnivore, native to Australia, and found predominately in western and northern Australia. The northern quoll is a predatory species that is particularly threatened by the invasion of cane toads into their habitat. Under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 the northern quoll is listed as an endangered species and this is the result of the local population extinctions that have occurred as a result of the lethal toxic ingestion of cane toads by this species. Radio tracking of quolls in various studies has shown that the presence of even a few cane toads in the habitat of quolls can decrease the population of quolls in these areas. Without intervention the spread of cane toads could result in the extinction of one of Australia’s smallest mammalian predators. Social Implications Cane toads are disliked by many people because of the perceived threat that they pose to the native wildlife of Australia. This threat has been featured in numerous news reports such as the article in Figure 1.4 and has led to growing concern amongst the general public about the threat that cane toads may pose to humans. In order for cane toad venom to have an effect on humans it needs to be absorbed through the mucous membranes of the mouth, nose or eyes. Cane toad venom is a bufotoxin which contains cardiac glycosides. Cardiac glycosides are compounds which contain the sugar glycoside which has an effect on the force of the cardiac muscle’s contraction (Cohen et al. 2003). When absorbed into the human body the toxin can also cause gastrointestinal problems. Cane toad poisoning has led to the death of some people and because of this many Australians feel threatened by the spread of cane toads into their community. This dislike of cane toads has made community toad-culling eve nts popular amongst the general public. The Australian government has also introduced leaflets aimed at raising awareness about the dangers of cane toads and how to protect families against them (Department of Environment and Conservation, n.d). Can the spread of cane toads be halted? The Australian government has concluded that any attempts to cull cane toads on a large scale would be unfeasible and that there is no prospect for national eradication of cane toads in Australia (Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities, 2011). The Australian government has turned its focus away from preventing the spread of cane toads, and towards the protection of endangered species such as the northern quoll. One program, called the Territory Wildlife Park introduced a captive breeding and research program in 2006 to prevent the species’ extinction (Territory Wildlife Park, n.d). The program has also introduced a project to train their captive quolls to avoid cane toads (O’Donnell et al. 2010). After training the quolls to avoid cane toads through aversion therapy, the ‘toad-smart’ quolls and some ‘toad-naà ¯ve’ quolls were released into the wild wearing radio collars. The survival rates of both types of quoll can be seen in figure 1.6. This table shows that the male and female toad-smart quolls had a much greater mean survival time in the wild, it also suggests that females are less likely to be poisoned by toad ingestion. Male quolls appear to attempt to ingest the toads more fr equently with 7 toad related deaths accumulatively in the males, and the toad-naà ¯ve male quolls had the biggest proportion of toad-related deaths at 5 deaths. Figure 1.7 shows that the toad-smart quolls had a greater daily survival percentage than the toad-naà ¯ve quolls and this provides evidence to support the argument that it is better to invest time and money in projects that aim to help native wildlife live alongside cane toads than to try to eradicate the toads completely. The most recent research on methods that could be used to halt the spread of cane toads has focussed on whether there is a way to prevent the toads reaching specific areas during arid seasons. In 2015 Mike Letnic and his colleagues identified ‘invasion hubs’, areas that cane toads initially colonise and then use as a base from which to expand their population (Letnic et al. 2015). They hypothesised that if the access of cane toads to areas like this was restricted, then they would be unable to establish a successful population in previously unpopulated areas. To test their hypothesis the researchers maintained toad-proof fences around dams where toads had previously been eradicated. They then measured the numbers of dead toads around the fences in both dry and wet seasons and observed the numbers of live toads in the area. The results of their study were encouraging and suggested that toads are attracted to these ‘invasion hubs’ and when their access to thes e is denied their mortality rate rises and population numbers decrease (Letnic et al. 2015). This study is particularly important because it highlights a method that could be used to prevent the invasion of cane toads in areas of particular ecological interest. Review of sources The first source I will review is the paper ‘Effects of an invasive anuran [the cane toad (Bufo marinus)] on the invertebrate fauna of a tropical Australian floodplain’ by M.J. Greenlees et al (2006). This research aims to provide quantitative data exploring the effect that invading cane toads are having upon the native invertebrates of Australia. The authors highlight the fact that the effect of cane toads upon the native ecosystems is poorly understood due to a lack of experimental data. In the light of this they conducted a simple experimental trial that produced data that could be analysed to provide an indication of the ecological effects of this invasive species. The researchers used simple methods such as controlled enclosures and pitfall traps to conduct their experiment. Whilst it can be argued that the controlled enclosures used in this experiment will not accurately reflect the true ecology of natural habitats, the researchers acknowledge this in their paper a nd suggest that their experiment be viewed as the first step towards more detailed research. I found this experiment to be thorough in their control of variables and in their analysis of the results. I believe that because the researchers are from the University of Sydney, a well-respected institution, their experiment can be viewed as trustworthy and their results credible. The second source I will review is the website http://www.canetoadsinoz.com/invasion.html (Cane toads in Oz, 2011). This website was created by Richard Shine and his ‘TEAM BUFO’. Shine is a Professor of Biology at Sydney University and is one of the key scientific figures in the field of cane toad research. The website created by Shine and his team examines all aspects of cane toads and their threat to Australia’s native wildlife. Whilst the website is undoubtedly more informal than a scientific paper, it can still be used as a comprehensive tool with which to gain more information about cane toads. It can be argued that websites such as this are more effective at engaging the public and informing them of environmental issues because, in comparison to scientific papers, the easily accessible website is more likely to be read and used as a source of information by the public. Conclusion The spread of cane toads in Australia is an issue that has concerned many people. The scientific research surrounding this issue is particularly interesting because it gives an insight into how the true reality of a threat from an invasive species may be very different from the original perceived threat. Cane toad poison has undoubtedly had a lethal effect on native predators, causing some to become endangered. However not all species appear to have populations detrimentally effected by the presence of the toads. This shows the extent to which natural selection and adaptation allows organisms to cope with environmental threats. Populations may decrease, but they also increase if natural selection allows a species to recover. The spread of cane toads in Australia is now too great to prevent and so scientists are experimenting with methods that allow Australian ecosystems and native species to be conserved and protected alongside the presence of cane toads. These early studies are beginning to provide positive results that suggest that whilst the spread of cane toads may be lethal to some species, a focus on conservation may limit the danger and help to preserve the unique species living in the Australian ecosystem. BIBLIOGRAPHY Cane Toads in Oz, 2011. Available from: http://www.canetoadsinoz.com/invasion.html. [26 February 2015] Cohen, R.A., Gowda, R.M., Khan, A. ‘Toad venom poisoning: resemblance to digoxin toxicity and therapeutic implications’, Heart, 89:4 (2003): e:14 Department of Environment and Conservation, Protecting children and pets from cane toads, Government of Australia. Available from: http://archive.agric.wa.gov.au/objtwr/imported_assets/content/pw/vp/toad/cane_toads_protect.pdf. [26 February 2015] Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities, 2011. Threat abatement plan for the biological effects, including lethal toxic ingestion, caused by cane toads, Government of Australia. Available from: http://www.environment.gov.au/system/files/resources/2dab3eb9-8b44-45e5-b249-651096ce31f4/files/tap-cane-toads.pdf. [26 February 2015] Elith, J., Kearney, M. and Phillips, S., ‘The art of modelling range-shifting species.’, Methods in Ecology and Evolution, 1(2010): 330–342. Greenlees, M. J., Brown, G. P., Webb, J. K., Phillips, B. L. and Shine, R. ‘Effects of an invasive anuran [the cane toad (Bufo marinus)] on the invertebrate fauna of a tropical Australian floodplain.’, Animal Conservation, 9 (2006): 431–438 Letnic, M., Webb, J. K., Jessop, T. S., Dempster, T. (2015), ‘Restricting access to invasion hubs enables sustained control of an invasive vertebrate’. Journal of Applied Ecology. doi:10.1111/1365-2664.12390 O’Donnell, S., Webb, J.K., Shine, R. ‘Conditioned taste aversion enhances the survival of an endangered predator imperilled by a toxic invader’, Journal of Applied Ecology, 47 (2010): 558-565 Shine, R. ‘The Ecological Impact of Invasive Cane Toads (Bufo Marinus) in Australia’, The Quarterly Review of Biology,85:3, (2010): 253-291 Territory Wildlife Park. Available from: http://www.territorywildlifepark.com.au/about/quoll.shtml. [26 February 2015] Word Count: 2402

Reviewing Retail Stores Service Of The Seven Eleven Malaysia Marketing Essay

Reviewing Retail Stores Service Of The Seven Eleven Malaysia Marketing Essay The main purpose of this report critically reviewing retail stores service of the 7-Eleven Malaysia at last two years and how the main role person respond to those challenges. Concept of 7-Eleven retail stores is, to be best retailer of convenience. 7-Eleven facing two major challenges such as, how factors in the external environment and market forces. The record stores are responding to the challenges in terms of product development an innovation, marketing is being organized in local level and the relationships are developed among consumers. 7-Eleven Malaysia is first franchisor system marketer in Malaysia. 1.0 Objectives: Point out what the challenges faced 7-Eleven retail at last two years. Recommend 7-Eleven retail stores of the Malaysia as best retail marketing among all retails in Malaysia. Ensure in all process 7-Eleven retail shows targets (goals) consumers. Overall of this report only point out challenges faced of the 7-Eleven Malaysia retail at last to years. 2. Overview of the retail 2.01 Retail In April 1984, the first 7-Eleven convenience store in Malaysia was opened in Bukit Bintang Kuala Lumpur pursuant to an Amendment to the Area Service And License Agreement dated 19 April 1983 signed between 7-Eleven, Inc. (USA) (owner of the 7-Eleven branded names and various parties. 7-Eleven focus is in the operation of a chain of conveniences stores and direct selling of consumer durables with installment option schemes. 2.02 7-Eleven product 7-Eleven convenience stores commonly offer a range of grocery and food items including hot food and beverages. In contrast, many of the provision shops and mini markets offer primary grocery items. Also offer services that are usually only available in more specialized store, such as pre-paid mobile phone reload, fax, photocopying services. A selected number of 7-eleven convenience stores also sell automotive supplies and offer access to ATM. These type of products and services provided by 7-Eleven Malaysia. Product: Tobacco product, beverage, confectioneries snack foods, household good, publications, perishables and other foods. Services: Food services and in store services. The numbers of differences increase from year 1984 to year 2010 in product levels. Whichever 7-Eleven stores selling are customers expected product. Need when all shop closed at night because not all shops open 24hours. Price Malaysia 7-Eleven retail currently embarking on a program to franchise a significant proportion of existing 7-Eleven convenience stores. The franchising program will provide 7-Eleven stores with additional income derived mainly from franchising fees and will free up capital for reinvestment in areas. All 7-Eleven stores price level higher then mini market and other retail stores. But customers willing buy for higher price because only 7-Eleven open 24 hours. When the other store closed 7-Eleven open for customer needs. Price differences are RM0.20 to RM1.00. For example: Beverage and snacks normal price between RM1.20 to RM1.40 but in 7-Eleven selling around RM2.00 to RM2.30. However, in price wise 7-Eleven might competitive with other retailers. 2.04 Place 7-Eleven convenience stores are commonly located at high-traffic and easily accessible sites such as along side busy roads, highway rest stops, petrol stations, transportation hubs and shopping centers. This makes it easy and convenient for customer to visit the stores. The 7-Eleven brand names are an established and global brand name that has generated high brand name awareness among consumers. So, 1,127 7-Eleven convenience stores spread throughout to Peninsular and East Malaysia. There is good chance that 7-Eleven stores are located close to most urban customers. Surround Malaysia, 7-Eleven needed when emergency situation for consumers. Easy to purchase food and things whenever client needs. 2.05 Promotion 7-Eleven Malaysia promoted every month such as contest and promote certain products. Pick certain products reduce the price and promote for 1 month or 2 month period. Monthly highlights food and non food parties for promote 7-Eleven among public. 7-Eleven prize certificate is an ideal convenient gift as it is valid at all 7-Eleven Malaysia. 7-Eleven Malaysia visit some handicapped to contribute some foods and non food. Malaysia 7-Eleven retail won number of awarded with a National Franchisee of the Year and Best outlets sales growth categories from YB Dato Tan Lian Hoe, Deputy Minister of Domestic Trade Cooperative and Consumerism. Each month promotes 7-Eleven retails websites like own 7-Eleven websites and Facebook. 7-Eleven retails announce through newsletter as The Star, New Straits Times, See Hua Daily, Oriental Daily, Kosmo and The Sun. 2.06 Process The Retailer Initiative concept, individual 7-Eleven convenience stores prepare a sale fore cast for their goods. Each convenience store has access to 14 weeks of historical sales analysis data to help in preparing the sales fore cast (Appendix- A). Orders for goods are made based on the sales forecast. 7-Eleven stores send their orders for goods to a Business to Business vendor, which is simultaneously notified to 7-Elevens head office and the CDC. The BTB vendor aggregates orders from individual 7-Eleven convenience stores, and places orders to good vendors. A substantial portion of the goods that the group purchases for its 7-Eleven convenience stores are delivered to the groups CDC. In keeping with the flow-through warehouse concept, the CDC acts as a central clearing house that distributes goods from various vendors to individual 7-Eleven convenience stores. Some goods, such as tobacco product, products with short shelf life (such as newspaper and bread) and product that require specialist channels (such as an ice-cream and chocolate) are delivered directly from the vendor to individual 7-Eleven convenience store. The good are received by individual 7-Eleven convenience store, where they are checked to ensure that the order is complete. The goods are then placed on display at the 7-Eleven convenience stores and sold to customers. 2.07 Sales life-cycle 7-Eleven Groups inventory turnover for the year 2009 is 39days. Most of the merchandise are non-perishable with the exception of food and certain health and beauty aids (HABA) products. Such food and certain HABA products are perishable and carry expire dates. Should such products remain unsold or expire and in the event such products are not returnable, the costs of these products would be written off. This will adversely affects the results of the stores. However, 7-Eleven retails has mitigated such risk by having special arrangements with his suppliers where by most unsold or damaged products can be returned to the suppliers at their costs. The costs of these returned products will be set off against the amount owing to the respective suppliers. 3.0 Risk and Challenges 7-Eleven Malaysia faces number of risk and challenges at last two years. Through political, economical and some other retail push some difficulties. However 7-Eleven out from those difficulties become success level. 3.01 Specific Risk 7-Eleven retail affected by political such license risk, competition in the retailing and convenience store industry. Among sales cycle of perishable products return. Security risks and high turnover store operations staff. Finally, 7-Eleven retail recorded low margin among all retail group in Malaysia. 3.02 Employees well train 7-Eleven stores continuously employ and trains staff via its new Employee Training Program and Store Manager Training Program. The training centre is in KL there are also 35 training stores all over Malaysia to ensure the sufficient flow of trained workforce for 7-Eleven outlets new convenience stores. So, 7-Eleven employees know how to impress and serve customers. 3.03 Competition amongst existing retailers Consumers now enjoy a wide choice from spectrum of retail outlets ranging from small private retailers, mini markets, shopping centers to hypermarkets. The entry of foreign retail player into the market has undoubtedly intensified all areas of competition including price, quality, variety and convenience. 7-Eleven retails Group faces competition from various retailers such as 99 Speed mart, Tesco, Carrefour and Giant. Petrol kiosks such as Shell, PETRONAS, and ESSO also have ventured into the operation of convenience stores such as Select, Mesra and Tiger Mart. In terms of operations, 7-Eleven convenience stores have a distinct competitive advantage compared to other retailers because it open 24 hours a day whilst most of the other retailers do not operate on a 24 hours basis. 7-Eleven convenience stores have an advantage over petrol kiosk based convenience stores in terms of location as 7-Eleven convenience stores are not restricted geographically in terms of location where stores may be opened. Petrol kiosks, on the other hand, can only be opened in certain approved locations designated for the purpose. 3.04 Entry of new players 7-Eleven retailers also faces the inherent risk of entry of new player to the convenience change industry in Malaysia, especially established foreign convenience store giants like Circle K, am/pm, Lawson, and Family Mart which are direct competitors of 7-Eleven worldwide. Currently, the aforementioned stores do not have a presence in Malaysia, but their existence in Japan, Taiwan, Hongkong and Thailand are evidence of their interests in the East Asian region. Nonetheless, 7-Eleven convenience stores have been operating in Malaysia for 25 years and have successfully built a strong reputation, thus providing advantages to 7-Eleven retail Malaysia over renew entrants. In addition, 7-Eleven has implemented the market concentration business concept to protect its business by expanding market share and creating a dominant market position to discourage other players from entering the market. 3.05 Security Risk As the 7-Eleven convenience stores operate on a 24 hours basis it is inevitably affected by pilferage, shoplifting theft and robbery. This is a real risk faced by all 24 hours convenience stores. To mitigate such risk, all 7-Eleven convenience stores are filled with closed-circuit television and time delayed safes. In additional, 7-Eleven has taken insurance coverage for theft and robbery. 3.06 Low margins recorded by 7-Eleven However the risk arising from the low margins recorded by the 7-Eleven are mitigated through its efficient cash flow management and usage of trade lines from financial institution to fund its operations. Moving forward, the revenue of the 7-Eleven retail is expected to grow further with the full implementation of its from chaise program. The franchise programs which also aim to provide a sense of ownership to the franchisees, is anticipated to drive revenue and profit of the 7-Eleven retail and B- retail group through increased sales as well as enabling the 7-Eleven group to the free up capital for investment. 4.0 Marketing and distribution channel strategies 4.01 7-Eleven marketing strategies 7-Eleven marketing strategies for the 7-Eleven brand name is to position 7-Eleven as the convenience store of choice. 7-Eleven meet the challenge strives to create strong brand name values to associate shopping at 7-Eleven convenience stores with convenience values and choice. 7-Eleven conduct national advertisement campaigns to promote the 7-Eleven brand name. Advertisements are normally placed on television, radio and in print media such as newspaper and magazines. In addition, 7-Eleven periodically organize events and competitions to encourage customers to shop at 7-Eleven convenience stores. 4.02 Distribution channel Distribution channel strategy for 7- eleven is currently primarily based on direct distribution. 7 Elevens direct distribution strategy is executed through its chain of 7-eleven convenience stores. As at LPO, almost all of the 7-Eleven convenience stores in Malaysia are operated by 7-Eleven and CSSSB, while thirty eight (38) of 7-Eleven stores are operated by franchisees. As part of 7-elevens future plans, has begun to sign up entrepreneurs to operate existing 7-eleven convenience stores on a franchise basis. As at LPO, a total of 142 candidates have paid the deposit and initial franchise fee for the franchise program. In additional, 7-eleven formalized a joint collaboration with Perwira Niaga Malaysia (PERNAMA) in December 2009 to offer at least 100 ex-servicemen resettlement opportunity with job placement at 7-eleven stores within the next two(2) years, with the aim of becoming 7-eleven franchise. 4.03 Place 7-Eleven keep on open new stores wherever 7-eleven dont place. 7- Eleven make new operation system will facilitate to costumers. 7-Eleven will delivery good and branded product. What is consumers expected product will get in 7-Eleven. Will more convenience to consumers. 4.04 Product and Service 7-Eleven is expending food service offering at 7-Eleven convenience stores by offering new premium fresh food and beverage items to customers. 7-Eleven retails plans to work closely with fresh food manufacturers that are located close to 7-Eleven convenience stores to supply freshly prepared food items, including local specialties, for sale at 7-eleven convenience stores. 7-Eleven retails have embarked on a pilot Hot Beverage program which was launched on 19 April 2009. The goal of the Hot Beverage programme is to provide customer with both high quality and freshly brewed specialty coffee at affordable prices, available to customers 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The pilot program was a success, and 7-Eleven expects to roll out the Hot Beverage program to about 100 7-Eleven stores in 2010. 7-Eleven retails efforts to introduce new premium fresh food and beverage items at 7 -eleven convenience stores are ongoing. New items are being progressively introduced at its 7-eleven convenience stores. According to Johansson, J.K (1997), competitor is very important to improve quality of product and service makes more affordable. 5.0 Conclusion 7-Eleven retails of the Malaysia are a basically very outstanding of other retailer because of time wise and service. Since, year 1984 to 1996 growth average 60% only among other retailers. After the year of 1996 7-Eleven retails put some different afford from other retails improved 10% average. 7-Eleven was achieved challenges from difficulties. 7-Eleven growth among other retails in Malaysia and it is in top level. Competitors will continuously open same retails like 7-eleven with different name as well. 7-Eleven retails contest and promotion forward coming year and future. Contribution should forward a year two (2) or three (3) times. This will impressed consumer heart. The future plan may result in 7-Eleven retails facing business and operational risks which may include, inter alia, insufficient cash flow funding capability and inadequate experienced workforce. The mitigate these risks, director will ensure that adequate funding of store growth is available either through internally generated funds and borrowings. 7-Eleven practices stringent selection guideline and review policies before embarking on any decision to open new convenience stores. Additionally, going forward, 7-Eleven retails is not envisaged to record further interest income from its related companies in view that all non- trade debts owing by related companies outside the group have been fully settled.

The Traits of Society in George Orwells Nineteen Eighty-Four (1984) Es

The Traits of Society in 1984 In the novel "1984", by George Orwell, an interesting, thought-provoking scenario is created for the reader to ponder. The totalitarian government which ruled this oppressive world controlled every aspect of the citizens who resided there. Living in a society with limited freedom of expression is not, in any case, enjoyable. Communication, personal beliefs, and individual loyalty to the government are all controlled by the inner Party in several ways. Thought, speech and actions are all monitored by political officials in one way or another. Newspeak is a modified version of language that is enforced upon the people in order to limit their expression. Syme and Winston, two middle-class workers in Oceania, discuss the concept of Newspeak. Syme reveals that he supports the system, demonstrating how he has been brainwashed by the Inner Party who enforces the system. "It's a beautiful thing, the destruction of words... You haven't a real appreciation for Newspeak, Winsto... The Traits of Society in George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four (1984) Es The Traits of Society in 1984 In the novel "1984", by George Orwell, an interesting, thought-provoking scenario is created for the reader to ponder. The totalitarian government which ruled this oppressive world controlled every aspect of the citizens who resided there. Living in a society with limited freedom of expression is not, in any case, enjoyable. Communication, personal beliefs, and individual loyalty to the government are all controlled by the inner Party in several ways. Thought, speech and actions are all monitored by political officials in one way or another. Newspeak is a modified version of language that is enforced upon the people in order to limit their expression. Syme and Winston, two middle-class workers in Oceania, discuss the concept of Newspeak. Syme reveals that he supports the system, demonstrating how he has been brainwashed by the Inner Party who enforces the system. "It's a beautiful thing, the destruction of words... You haven't a real appreciation for Newspeak, Winsto...

Oil Drilling in the Artic National Wildlife Refuge Essay -- Argumentat

Oil Drilling in the Artic National Wildlife Refuge The main issue presented in my research involves the debate between environmentalists and the United States government on whether to open and develop a portion of the Artic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) in the northern coastal plain of Alaska for the purpose of drilling for oil. Environmentalists argue that opening up this region of ANWR to future oil drilling would destroy the current ecosystems, disrupt animal habitats and adversely change the lives of the people in these local communities. Proponents of oil drilling in this region argue that all the issues presented by the environmentalist groups are not valid and they have no scientific facts to support their argument. Proponents of this issue point to the successful Prudhoe Bay oil exploration, which has produced nearly 13 billion barrels, or, 20 to 25 percent of the oil produced in the United States for the last 23 years. President George Bush recently indicated that he is renewing his campaign to open part of the Artic refu ge to oil exploration, contending that oil drilling is essential to the national security of the United States and would create jobs on a national and local level. George Bush supported his campaign by stating in a recent article â€Å"America is already using more energy then our domestic resources can provide and unless we act to increase our energy independence, our reliance of foreign sources of energy will only increase.† (w1) He also indicated from the same article saying â€Å"Alaskans know firsthand that modern technology allows us to bring oil to the surface cleanly and safely, while protecting our environment and wildlife.† (w2) His proposed energy plan also includes modernizing other energy del... ...ANWR based on geologic surveys. This oil discovery would greatly reduce our dependency for foreign oil supply, create jobs on a national and local level and put more money in the local economics by the increase in the tax base for Alaska. It appears based on the data I accumulated that with the newest technology in oil development would allow the oil to be brought to the surface and distributed in a clean and safe manner. If the people of the coastal plain are not affected negatively by oil development and the wildlife can co-exist in a positive manner then I would support future oil development in the Artic National Wildlife Refuge. Bibliography W3 : www.anwr.org www.alaskawild.org Reuters: by Steve Holland â€Å"Bush says U.S. Needs to Drill for oil in Alaska.† Sat. Feb 23,2002 Taken from www.story.news.yahoo.com W1 & W2: www.foxnews.com www.bushnews.com

The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie by Muriel Spark Essay -- Education Educa

The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie by Muriel Spark Miss Brodie fails to be a good teacher because she teaches on her own accord, gives her students wrong impressions, and displays unprofessional behavior towards her staff and pupils. As a schoolteacher in Edinburgh during the 1930’s there were many rules and regulations that teachers had to adhere to in order to successfully feed the minds of their young pupils. Schoolteachers had more of a responsibility during this period than today because school was the only source of information and education that people could receive. Due to this fact, the government set strict policies and curriculums (and still do) that teachers must follow so that students could grow up to become well round individuals. Miss Brodie seemed to side step, insult or simply ignore some of the curriculum that was given, and teach her students on her own conditions. An example of this is when Miss Brodie is telling the girls that she and Miss MacKay have a radical difference in their principals of education. Miss Brodie has told Miss MacKay that the girls will be equipped with the necessary information needed to pass the end of term exams. After she says this to the headmistress, Miss Br odie says to the girls:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I trust you girls to work hard and try to scrape through (the exams), even if you learn the stuff and forget it the next day. This statement is telling the girls that she does not believe in the required curriculum and she wouldn’t care if they have forgot it after their exams. She only wants the girls to study of these exams so that she can have an excuse to boast to Miss MacKay, seeing the girls do well in them is not her primary concern. Another example of Miss Brodie teaching on her own accord was her lesson under the Elm tree where she told her students about her holiday in Egypt. It is evident that Miss Brodie is pretending to teach her students but trying to make it quit believable for all who look upon her shaded class when she says to her students: Hold up your books, prop them up in you hands, in case of any intruders, we are doing out history lesson†¦our poetry†¦English grammar. Although Miss Brodie’s lessons were somewhat educational and her students learnt new concepts and ideas, the schools during that time would not allow â€Å"freestyle teaching† because it made the students too reprehensive. By sett... ...f lust with Mr. Lloyd only creates a poor image for the students to have of her. Miss Brodie’s hostility toward Miss MacKay also demonstrates her inability to maintain a professional manner. She is constantly telling her students indirectly the she does not like Miss MacKay through various tactics. When Miss Brodie lashes out to Miss Mackay for trying to make her resign, she makes matters worse for herself because is only creates more tension and frustration between the two teachers. Miss Brodie unprofessional manner and inability to maintain her lust gives good reason for why she is a poor teacher. As a person, Miss Brodie does have many positive qualities that she seems to have used in the classroom. Her students did take interest in her teaching, but only because they were so different from what they were used to. Miss Brodie was a very smart and well-traveled woman, which was another positive aspect that she brought to her classroom. However her inability to teach the given curriculum, giving her students wrong impressions, and her numerous affairs and arguments with the staff leads one to believe that even though Miss Brodie was in her prime, she was still a poor teacher.

Partnerships working in services for children Essay

Understand partnerships working in services for children and young people Task 2 understands the importance of effective communication and information sharing in services for children and young people. 2.1 – Describe why clear and effective communication between partners is required: Clear and effective communication between partners is required because you have to share information about children’s learning and development, this is particularly important because when sharing information it is crucial that there are no mistakes made as this can then affect the information that has been shared and also you must ensure there are no barriers within the communication; also when working with partners effective communication is also needed so everyone can work towards the same aim and to achieve the best outcomes for the child and the children’s family. Another reason why effective communication between partners is required is because all partners need to plan together to meet children’s learning needs and it is important for all the key people to understand each other. Communication involves sharing information with other partners about the child’s interests and di slikes so they can build on. Lastly many children change their setting so it’s important to get the right information across effectively. 2.2 – Identify policies and procedures in the work setting for information sharing: Polices and procedure give clear messages to staff about their roles and responsibilities and set the boundaries within which they are expected to work. It is also important to remember polices and procedures are there to make sure that the best possible practice is maintained and developed to provide the best care and learning environment for the children or young people. Policy and procedures for sharing information: The data Protection Act 1998 which provides a framework to make sure that information is shared appropriately. The Children Act 2004 which sets out clear expectations for information sharing. The Children’s Plan 2007 which includes information sharing exception’s throughout. Every Child Matters. The Early Years Foundation Stage Framework. 2.3- Explain where there maybe conflicts or dilemmas in relation to share information with partners and maintaining confidentiality: If you are being asked to share information with partners but also to maintain confidentiality, conflicts or dilemmas will arise. This can often relate to a matter of safeguarding the children and young people in your care. You should always talk to your manager if you are placed in a situation. Avoid discussing this with other colleagues as much as you may trust them. The best way to disclose information is to: Only share information with relevant people If a child is any kind of danger, information must be shared Children must come first and be communicated with where possible Record all information and actions Always consult with your line manager! 2.4- Describe why it is important to record information clearly, accurately, legibly, and concisely meeting legal requirements: It is important that information is recorded clearly, accurately and concisely and in a way that meets any legal requirements on you or your setting is under. Settings will require different ways to record information like: Observations Assessments Incidents Injury Medical information Concerns about a child Risk assessment Records of meetings Records of conversations There are also different sorts of report. A factual report is a report that gives information like an accident. It should be only written starting with what has actually happened, only facts. When you record information you  have to: Get support from your manager Make notes at meetings so you can write them up later Write clearly with minimal errors Used correct format Keep to the points Store confidentially Do not use children’s names maintain confidentiality Complete as soon as possible Information has to be clear, accurate, legible and concise so that professionals/ parents/carers are able to read and understand what is written clearly, it is a legible requirement for records to be clear and legible. This ensures that any action that needs to be taken is not delayed. 2.5- Identify how communications and records are recorded and securely stored meeting the data protection requirements: There are different ways that communications and records can be made like: Electronic means Memos A communication book A required format, such as incident form These should be stored in a secure place like a computer with a password on it, or in a locked cupboard. Only necessary people should have access to them like staff dealing with medication information to have access to the medical records. 2.6- Explain why and how referrals are made to different agencies: Sometime children may need additional support from outside their setting and its necessary to make a referral. A child can be referred for: A medical condition like hearing impairment A learning need like dyslexia An emotional need, like bereavement or personal loss A physical condition, like brittle bones Multi-agency panels have been set up to support referrals in between settings, usually they: Are made up of different professional Are organised by local authorities Ensure children’s needs are quickly identified Make sure children are referred to the right setting Monitor the provision between settings Ensure that there is a close partnership between settings Include parents in the process The steps for making referrals: Step 1: find out if the child has additional needs by using the CAF checklist. Step 2: discuss the child’s needs using the CAF checklist. Step 3: a decision is made to seek support.

American mindset Essay

Cheri Register earned a PhD and pursued the career of a professor, yet she cannot get over the fact that she had been raised by parents who belonged to the working class (Register 10). Their work is â€Å"revile[d]† by affluent Americans, including those that belong to the same class as Register, now that she has escaped life in the small town of America that she grew up in (Register 19). Her old town continues to appear as â€Å"working-class in character† (Register 17). Her daughters, who have been raised in a city, miss the presence of the likes of Gap and Contempo in the working class town (Register 17). According to Register, class consciousness is an integral element of the American mindset. Even as those Americans who do not have to provide cheap labor for their children to achieve â€Å"something different and better† find it convenient to look down upon the labor class, Register believes that the services provided by the poor people of America are â€Å"essential† albeit â€Å"unpleasant† (Register 19). Somebody has to work in the packinghouse, just as somebody else is required to work in a food processing plant at the minimum wage rate. Those who escape the working class lifestyle are individuals like Register who find it easy to perform mental labor and obtain the academic degrees required to climb the ladder of material success (Register). As the example of Gap and Contempo shows, people from different socioeconomic backgrounds in the United States must needs have different buying habits. When unemployed people from Register’s small town are invited to a Christmas store, some of them refuse to purchase â€Å"‘anything nice’† (Register 21). A sense of â€Å"deprivation† has been built into their mindsets (Register 21). Yet, those who are able to afford luxuries are conscious of the differences between a â€Å"paper-thin deli turkey† and â€Å"a frozen turkey loaf† (Register 13). What is more, people from the working class, perhaps because they are exposed for long periods of time to disagreeable working conditions, have come to believe that the rich and educated people are amoral. Register writes: â€Å"My dad once paid this great compliment to my brother-in-law: ‘Rog is such a nice guy you’d never even know he was educated’† (13). She further describes the teaching of her father thus: Hadn’t he taught me that rich people aren’t happy, that Republicans will do you in for money, that â€Å"we . . . the little guys . . . the ordinary working people† are little and ordinary precisely because we are too moral to do what it takes to get rich? (Register 6- 7). Of course, the major part of Register’s book is a description of the labor union strike that she observed as a youth in small town America. The working class felt exploited by the rich. Register was confronted by the following question being worked on for a solution: â€Å"Whose rights should prevail, those who supply the money or those who supply the labor that keeps towns like Albert Lea vital† (Register 20)? It was the first time that the author was exposed to the word â€Å"Unfair† being applied â€Å"to weighty questions of justice that may be in dispute forever† (Register 20). This is to say that the poor would continue feeling exploited by the rich, who may or may not be concerned about ethics and equality as they seek greater profits by offering low wages to those that work hard to sustain their families, hoping for their children to have a better life. The author writes about â€Å"powerless workers up against a heartless adversary† (Register 163). On a similar note, her great-grandfather had written about the picturesque landscape being destroyed because of the greed of those that hoped to make money, whether they did so through deforestation or construction of manufacturing plants (Register 18). Thus, people from low socioeconomic backgrounds express themselves as ethical as compared to those who compete against each other to get richer by the day regardless of whether they must usurp the rights of others in the process. As mentioned before, those who are well-off, on the other hand, continue to look down upon the kind of work performed by the working class folks even though their services are equally important, according to the author. Although Register would not like her children to be exposed to unlikable working conditions that her parents had survived, she would not stop respecting the dignity of people from low socioeconomic backgrounds. She understands their mindset better than those individuals from the rich class who have never seen their parents as low wage workers. People who have never seen their loved ones in difficult conditions may continue to exploit the poor. As Register writes, this conflict may be never-ending. In other words, the capitalists of America may continue offering low wages to labor in order to enhance profits. For this reason, Register’s book offers lavish food for thought to educated Americans. Due to their efforts in the right direction, that is, to reverse the plague of inequality, it is possible that in future working class Americans would stop feeling belittled by the capitalists even as the latter would stop usurping their human rights.

Donor services department Essay

The Donor Services Department is an organization that seeks out sponsors to help with the funding of underprivileged families. They must do their best to maintain a constant flow of donors as well as keep track of their work. There are various components that keep this system at bay and it must be kept under control especially since they are planning on expanding. Prior to their expansion, the Executive Director of Donor Services, Sam Wilson, hired a consultant, Joanna Reed, to help him with the restructure of the company internally. There were issues and concerns on who should run the department and how the employees’ work would be delegated. Through Joanna’s observations and the various instances throughout the case analysis it is apparent that there is not a strong leader in the department. The employees’ work is also suffering from lack of supervision and training. The vertical structure that is illustrated for this company is not working for them. Employee morale is also suffering greatly because of this and is causing them to not stay on task. Recommendations on appointing the proper supervisor and the restructuring of this company will surely help it expand. Once there is a clear vision and roles are more defined the Donor Services Department is likely to improve. Employees will be willing to perform their duties assigned with ease and with the proper feedback can excel even more. Problems Identifications The Donor and Community Services Departments are rapidly growing and it is apparent that this is starting to have a large impact on the deterioration of employee morale. The lack of supervision, training and disbursement of work is causing the company to not perform at its best. The many factors that contribute to these issues can easily be solved if proper action takes place. The absence of a strong supervisor in the Donor Services Department is the main reason as to why the department is performing so poorly. The company has a vertical structure, which does not work in their favor. Jose Barriga, who is the head of this department, as well as Community Services, does not spend enough time there. He will occasionally stop in on a weekly basis and check the employees’ daily production figures. He does not give any sort of feedback, which can make the employees feel as though they are performing well, when in reality this is not the case. Jose appointed Elena  as the department supervisor, but she does not have a strong skill set to be a supervisor. She does not enforce any sort of order in the department, which causes the employees to not stay on task. It appears the hierarchy of the company is more vertical, but the linkage is not strong because Elena and Jose do not communicate about the behavior and performance of the employees. They have not come to a problem consensus, which would help out the current situation. The consultant Joanna Reed also observed that the employees have very little training in the various tasks the department performs. They do not have any sort of direction or true knowledge on what they are assigned to do. As mentioned before there is no sort of feedback, which only leads the company to become disorganized. In addition to not having proper training, several of the employees are not even able to use the skills that they were told are vital to their positions. There are six translators in the department, but only one employee named Magdalena is able to use her English speaking skills. The others are busy working on tasks that leave them a lot free time during the day, while others are have an overwhelming workload. One translator is assigned the mundane task of preparing files for new clients and doing the filing for all the departments. She is not able to use her English speaking skills or show any other valuable skills that she may possess. Solutions and Recommendations The donor services needs to better commit themselves to their department. The case touched on how two supervisors both seemed to concentrate more on the community services side of the organization, while leaving Joanna to fend for herself on the supervisor of donor services side of things. The management in this organization needs to be better spread out amongst all sides of the organization. Another idea to consider is that Joanna needs to have her role defined a little more clearly within the company. She is unsure what kind of authority she has over the translators, and the translators don’t respect her very much. If her role was better defined and she was given a range of bureaucratic policies she could enforce on the translators that would make the entire department run more smoothly, and the translators would understand that they need to respect Joanna and if not action will definitely be taken against them. An overhaul in the bureaucratic policies in the donor services department is something the  organization should consider. Right now there is no clear job definition for anyone in the donor services department, so it has become a free for all about what gets accomplished within the department. There needs to be a clear set of visions, goals, rules, and policies to give the department something they can follow, and aim for success. The new bureaucratic policies will also alleviate some of the trouble from the perspective of Joanna. The translators will have a better understanding of what will be expected of them if there is a clear set of goals and policies set in place for the workers to refer to. The donor services organization should also consider establishing a more mechanistic design approach to their department. A mechanistic design is an organization defined by clear goals, rules procedures, a clear authority, and centralized decision making. The donor services department is not succeeding by their existing hands off approach, so they need to change to a mechanistic approach in order to see better results. Mechanistic design has been proven to be successful in other organizations that have a routine job, like the translators do in this case. So this change in the design in something that could bring great success for the entire department. Bringing in a scorecard to the donor services department is an idea the organization should definitely consider. The case touched on how their is now real grade or measurement for the translators, so they don’t have feedback on their work. If there was a quarterly review or scorecard out in place by the management the translators would be able to get feedback and ideas of what they’re doing right and what they can improve on. Feedback is always important to any career and I think in this case it would help out the entire organization if the translators had a clear understanding of the management involved and feedback that would he given. Another recommendation is the possibility of bringing in a new employee who can work with Joanna to supervise the donor services translators. Both of the existing management in place seek to concentrate more on the community side, so if they don’t want to become more involved in this aspect than the organization needs to bring in someone who is bilingual and has management skills. This new person will bring in their skills to establish a bureaucracy amongst the translators, and work with Joanna to teach her the knowledge to become a better supervisor on her own in the future. Right now it seems like Joanna is not equipped enough to run the  department, but if she could learn from someone else she could eventually develop the skills needed. The importance work the workers knowledge and being properly trained is important to any good organization. This organization may also considering retraining their donor services translators. It seems that all of the current employees have started in the organization at different times, and they all have different background training. If the organization dedicates some time to come up with a standard set of training skills for all the translators it will in turn bring a common understanding of what is known and expected from each donor translator. This training will set a standard for the organization that all employees can look to when they have questions or concerns. The donor services department has some bright employees and can be a strong department within the organization. If they become more committed to giving feedback, establish a stronger bureaucracy, and consider adding some additional management in place they could be a very successful and promising department within the organization. Conclusion After the analysis by Joanna it seems like The Donor Services Department is part of a strong organization that is doing a lot of good for the less fortunate, but unfortunately they have come on some tough times. With the supervisors both concentrating more on the community services side of the organization and leaving the donor services department to be run by undertrained Elena it has caused some issues. The organization could bounce back for this successfully by recommiting themselves to the donor services. They can do this by bringing one of the two existing supervisors over to manage the donor services on a more immediate level. They can also establish a bureaucracy amongst the department so everyone has a clear understanding of the standard set of rules and procedures, as well as the vision for the organization. If neither supervisor is willing to move over to the donor services department than they need to consider hiring an outside source to monitor the translators in the depa rtment. They need someone who is bilingual and could give feedback and evaluate the translators. These small changes will go a long way in getting the donor services department back on track to helping the less fortunate.

Childhood Obesity Essay

Childhood obesity is a growing health concern nationwide. Obesity is a disorder in which the body fat content has become so high that it creates health problems and increased risk of health problems (Childhood Obesity: An Overview. Children & Society, 21(5), 390-396). Doctors agree that there are two primary factors in creating obese children. First, the children and teenagers are not eating the right kinds of foods. Second, America’s children are getting less and less exercise on a daily basis. The effects of childhood obesity can be very serious and often include both physical and psychological effects on the lives of the children who are affected. Children that are obese go through a lot of different situations that allow them to become more prone to a mental illness. There are several causes for childhood obesity. Technology plays a big role in childhood obesity in today’s society. The biggest cause of childhood obesity is the lack of parenting. Childhood obesity can be prevented. It is best to prevent it from happening than to have to obtain a treatment for it. Childhood obesity plays a major impact on children up into adulthood and even has a role in the decisions an individual makes. Children that are obese have physical limitations. Most children usually take a liking into some type of physical activity whether it is playing a sport or just running around the yard for fun. Those actions are the normal expected actions of any child by both society and most of all parents. It is very difficult for a child when he or she is excluded from or limited to a certain amount of a physical activity due to weight related issues. Some children do not take rejection very well in any way, shape, or form. Obese children fall subject to a variety of physical and perceived physical barriers. Living an active lifestyle is difficult for an obese child. Obese children often go through a cycle of inactivity and poor health which creates more and more of a problem. Some of these problems that inactivity and poor health cause include asthma, joint pain and increased musculoskeletal stress, orthopedic problems, and psychosocial morbidity. When it comes to physical activity it is common in obese people to have the feeling of being too heavy in order to perform any physical activities. It is almost impossible for an obese child to just jump into heavy doses of high intensity physical activity. It is preferred that an obese child take a slow approach with light low-intensity physical activities in order to reach a better health. Obesity is associated with early mortality and has overtaken smoking as the health problem with the greatest impact on quality of life, mortality, and morbidity (Canadian Journal Of Psychiatry, 57(1), 13-20). The physical effects are often similar to the effects that are faced by adults who are obese, the psychological effects can sometimes be much, much worse because of the negative impact these issues can place on a still developing child. Mental illness is a significant factor that associates with obesity. Most people hear the term obese and mainly think of it as a physical condition. Obesity can be both physical and mental. From a behavioral perspective, mental illness is often characterized by a symptom profile that impacts energy, appetite, and motivation, and is more likely to be associated with unhealthy lifestyle factors, such as smoking, alcohol, and drug use. This makes exercise and healthy nutritional choices more difficult to implement (Canadian Journal Of Psychiatry, 57(1), 13-20). There is on individual on the face of this earth that smokes, drinks, or uses any recreational drugs that can still perform heavy doses of high intensity activities on a regular basis. The most common mental condition that is found it obese children is low self-esteem. Most people do not realize how much detrimental comments affect these children. The majority of children who are obese are faced with constant and persistent ridicule. The sad part about this situation is that the ridicule does not come from just other children but adults as well. The results of constant ridicule may lead a child to believe that they are worth anything which makes them feel as if there is no reason for them to even try to amount to anything. When anyone has that belief in their head it blocks that person from not caring about their life as a whole. This leads to a variety of problems all on its own. Success is something that may never be strived for by a child or adult that loses the mental battle that comes along with obesity. Studies show that children that are obese are at a higher risk of emotional problems that often carry over into adulthood. The study also reported that obese boys and girls with low self-esteem had higher rates of loneliness, sadness and nervousness. These children were more likely to smoke and drink alcohol compared with obese children with normal self-esteem. Depression, often an outcome of low self-esteem, affects as many as 750,000 teens in the U. S. (Source: Pediatrics, â€Å"Childhood Obesity and Self-Esteem,† January 2000. ) Untreated depression is recently passed upon but is a cause and effect of childhood obesity. Technology is at an all-time high. The technological age has resulted in children spending prolonged hours in front of television (TV) and computer screens. Lots of children are more interested in the technology than the usual interest of physical activity. Television shows, the internet, mobile phones, and video games occupy most children’s attention for great amounts of time every day. The rapid growth of technology is grasping the attention of the youth. The new lifestyle that has taken over the lives’ of the youth leaves little time for them to exercise. This lifestyle reduces the amount of physical activity and it is far from the lifestyle that their parents may have enjoyed many years ago. Parks are not as used as they often were and playgrounds are not as busy as they used to be. All of that is replaced with computers, laptops, handheld games, and anything that involves little or no physical movement. Health researchers suggest no television at all for children aged less than two years and not more than two hours of viewing for children aged more than two years. Most importantly it’s unhealthy to provide your child a separate television or computer in his room. More time spent on television and computer playing video games or computer games means less time spent on healthy physical activities. Nintendo did have one breakthrough when they the WII system to the world. This games forces children to get up out of their seats and move in order to play the game. Children are limited to the use of certain technology while at school, but at home the use of technology is at the discretion of the parent. Most children would rather sit inside all day with technology and constantly intake major calories without burning any. On a daily basis this can add some major pounds and create bad habits. Technology is great to have but it must not be abused by any individual. More than 25 million students use the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) daily, while approximately 7 million utilize the National School Breakfast Program (NSBP) daily. The public school systems have started programs that assure that each child is being fed healthy foods and that each child has the required physical activity to go along with an education. School programs that encourage physical activity are important for increasing children’s energy expenditure; because children are less likely to participate in physical activity in the absence of adult supervision (Am J Public Health. 001;91:618-620). The education and health of children are prominent considerations in the 21st century. Schools have always had a traditional focus on increasing literacy and numeracy proficiency in children, but now they are increasingly being tasked with preventing obesity as well. Regular physical activity is directly implicated in the prevention of childhood obesity; there is evidence, however, that it may also benefit cognitive development(American Journal Of Public Health, 102). Physical education (PE) in schools is an ideal vehicle by which to promote physical activity in children because it is available to all children, and teachers have the opportunity to integrate it into the overall education process (American Journal Of Public Health, 102). The public school system has a major impact on the determination of what children are exposed to. Starting the concern for kid’s health at an early age is a head start for the future. The impact on the lives of kids early may be the influence each child needs in order to make healthy decisions in the run of life. Parenting is the best prevention method that exists today for childhood obesity. Parents may miss or just don’t ever think about the actions that they perform around their kids. Children are followers, so most kids are reflections of their parents. Parents can help prevent obesity by having the knowledge of nutritional facts, by the food available in the household, by the parents’ eating habits, encouragement of activity, parents’ activity pattern, the current weight of the parent and by monitoring the time spent with the new age technology that requires little or no physical movement. Old sayings often make people believe that obesity is genetic. This is not a true statement. Every adult has control over what their physical appearance would be. Children need a good role model physically. Parents are the perfect role models for this job. Parents have the biggest and most effect on the lives of their children. Parents should be very concerned with the health of their children at a very early age. Some of the schools are now offering to the parents a few courses that are very direct about proper nutrition and exercise. Also the lunch menu for the week is sent home in advance to inform the parents of what type of foods and snacks that their children are consuming on a daily basis. People are still in belief when it comes to kids that it is ok for them to eat anything. Proper nutrition plays a very big role in the development of a child , both physical and mental. Keeping the kids in the habit of eating healthy has very great benefits in the long run. The mixture of fast food diets along with sedentary lifestyles is creating a generation of children who are facing very adult health issues like high cholesterol, diabetes and heart disease. Preventing obesity, or even slowing the dramatic rate of increase in obesity prevalence, will probably require societal changes which facilitate the modification of diet and physical activity by children and their families (Childhood Obesity: An Overview. Children & Society, 21(5), 390-396). Technology will continue to rise rapidly. Most children are more attracted to prolonged hours of sitting with some type of technology rather than to get up and be active. The society revolves around the use of technology, both mobile and stationary. Public schools are implementing new programs that will reflect the proper nutrition and exercise required for each child. Schools also have the potential to influence students’ beliefs and attitudes regarding nutrition and weight control. Parents are the best prevention method against obesity. Parents have the control over each and every cause of childhood obesity. Every child looks up to their parent and someday may want to follow in their footsteps. The result of the footsteps each child takes is heavily depended upon the parent.