What is the impact of road safety on the design and management of road networks?

Abstract Road transport is the most common type of transportation worldwide, which inevitably means that traffic accidents, and resulting casualties, are a regular occurrence. Further, the manufacture of cars in recent years, which combine high-speed engines with poor road performance, has a direct correlation with the occurrence of accidents. Consequentially, road safety has become a common interest within all countries throughout the world. In my opinion, road safety can be improved by incorporating relevant geometric, climatic and physical considerations in the design of roads. In addition, the application of an awareness program in education and advertising plays a significant role in strengthening road safety and reducing accidents. On the basis of the foregoing, when one is building a safe road, every factor of safety should be taken into consideration and at every stage of the process, including design. The main objective of this report is to show the impact of road safety considerations in the design of roads and the management of the road network, and how the aim of decreasing road traffic accidents and casualties influences geometric design, traffic design and structural design in road construction. In particular, geometric design and traffic design are greatly influenced by road safety standards, as evidenced in the geometric design of roundabouts, junctions, and pedestrian and cyclist highways. By relying on a specific case study, this paper will also investigate roundabout design and its interrelation with road safety; for instance, whilst roundabouts are likely safer than intersections because they encourage a reduction in vehicles speed and conflict points, it has been found that roundabouts with signalisation are safer for both cyclists and pedestrians. For these reasons, it is clear that the improvement of road safety requires the inclusion of safety in road design and man agement procedures. Introduction The road network is a systematic structure, which is constructed on invariable criteria for the purpose of road transportation and designed with certain considerations (such as traffic, climate condition and the environment) in mind. It is used by the majority of people worldwide, which is unsurprising considering the volume of traffic accidents and road related deaths and injuries. Indeed in recent times, this is often seen as a global phenomenon, with the number of road related deaths ranging from between 0.75 and 0.8 million annually[1]. Unfortunately, it also appears that this number is increasingly rising; indeed, a 2008 publication of the World Health Organisation (â€Å"World health statistics†) estimated that the death rate from traffic accidents globally is 2.2%, and that due to the manufacture of car engines capable of higher speeds and the development of the economy in developing countries, it is anticipated that this figure will dramatically increase to about 3.6% by 2030[2]. Likewise, road traffic accident costs are expected to increase. There are three main factors which contribute to road traffic accidents: â€Å"road and engineering deficiencies; road user errors (â€Å"human factors†); and vehicle defects†[3]. Indeed, a UK study from the 1970s demonstrated that the human factor plays an unfavorable role in 95% of accidents, whilst 28% and 8% of accidents are at least partly caused by environmental and vehicle shortcomings[4]. For these reasons, it is not logical to focus solely on one single factor. It is clear that the fact that road user errors feature in the majority of accidents proves that the human factor is the principle cause of traffic accidents; however, if the construction of roads was geometrically improved, this may not be the case. Indeed, according to Restructuring road institutions, finance and management engineering[5], engineering is one of four factors that influence road safety (along with enforcement, education, and climate). By focusing on the impact of the engineering factor o n road safety improvement, the objective of this report is: To demonstrate and define the concept of road safety. To explain the incorporation of safety features in road design and management. This report consists of 6 parts: methodology; an explanation of road safety, road design, and road management; the impact of road safety factors on the geometric design and management of roads; a presentation of a case study on road intersections, cyclists and pedestrian safety at roundabouts; a discussion; and finally, a conclusion 2. Methodology To demonstrate the effect of the road safety considerations on road design and management, this paper will investigate road intersections through a case study linked to geometric design, and then discuss the safety of cyclists and pedestrians in relation to roundabouts. See Figure 1. 3. Road safety According to Oxford Wordpower Dictionary[1], safety is defined as â€Å"the state of being safe; not being dangerous or in danger†, whilst road safety is defined as â€Å"the prevention of road accidents†. The purpose of roads is to provide facilities for safe travel and transport, and improved road safety can be achieved in the design and management of road management by incorporating safety orientated â€Å"design criteria, design values and interventions†[2]. Such an approach could not only lead to a decrease in road related deaths and accidents, but it could also make roads more accessible. Indeed, as outlined in the DTMRQ manual[3], such an outcome can be achieved with the application of certain factors: Improving road network safety using a risk management approach; Designing for safer travel for all road users; Providing safer access to the road system for cyclists and pedestrians; Ensuring work site safety; and Co-ordinating with other government agencies in partnership. As stated above, road users errors is the main factor which contributes to road accidents. However, it has been observed that the enhancement of engineering design and management can influence drivers’ behavior positively and reduce the number of such errors[4]. It should be noted that no road is absolutely safe and that the safety of a road is often measured on the volume of accidents on it. For that reason, it is logical to indicate that the construction of a road involves the use of a nominal safety level[5] 4. Road design: According to Oxford Wordpower Dictionary[6], design is defined as â€Å"to plan and make a drawing of how something will be made†. The three aspects of design that must be considered in the construction of roads are geometric design (which relates to physical elements such as â€Å"vertical and horizontal curves, lane widths, clearances, cross-section dimensions, etc†[7]) traffic design and structural design. Good road design standards involve a combination of these three variable aspects to produce efficient and safer road.4.1 Geometric design:Road geometric design involves horizontal and vertical alignment and road cross-section, with the determination of these elements based on the criteria of road safety[8]. The reduction of the road accident rate is significantly influenced by these elements meaning there is a clear relationship between road design and road safety. For example, it has been found that junctions that are geometrically designed with road safety in min d see a smaller number of road accidents. Sound geometric design can involve a reduction in the number of conflict points (with the construction of channels). Indeed, it has been found that the use of roads with two lanes, which are each 3.7m wide, are safer than roads with one lane that is 2.7m wide[9]. In addition, it is felt that the presence of the median reduces the cross-median accident rate, even where it is narrow, and that the inclusion of safety fences at the outer edge of roads plays a significant role in road safety[10]. Road Management: According to Robinson (2008)[11], road management is defined as â€Å"a process that is attempting to optimise the overall performance of the road network overtime†. This involves action that affects or can affect the road network quality and efficiency during the service lifespan and which facilitates trade, health protection, and education by enhancing accessibility. Further, the improvement of road efficiency, effectiveness and safety can lead to increasing economic well-being as a result of lower commodity prices. Road management is affected by a number of factors, but the dominant is â€Å"accident levels and costs†, which is directly related to road users and economic infrastructure[12]. As a consequence, road management action can involve the policing of vehicle speed in order to improve safety. Additionally, it can also include such activities which are conducted on the road itself and the surrounding environment, such as road maintenance. As Robinson (2008) sta tes, the aim of road maintenance is to make roads safer because it contributes to the geometric factors in the areas of: Pavement and footway surface; Carriageway marking and delineation; and Signs, street lights and furniture.[13] In this way, road safety can be incorporated in road management; for example, the continuous repair of pavements reduces vehicle operating costs to be reduced and the rate of accidents on the road. Road intersections Road intersections are a significant part of the road network structure, and in spite of their simple function, they contributes more than 20% of fatal road accidents in the EU[14]; and even though it has been reported that about 31% of serious accidents occur in non-built-up areas, 65% occurred at built-area junctions in 1984 in the UK[15]. According to the Federal Highway Administration (2006)[16], road intersection safety has become a considerable problem in the USA because more than 45% of approximately 2.7 million crashes that occurred there in 2004 happened at junctions. Unfortunately, despite the fact that junction design and traffic standards have seen a significant improvement generally, it has not caused a significant reduction in the rate of accidents per year. For those reasons, the FHWA supported the concept of converting intersections to roundabouts in order to decrease the rate of accidents and to provide increase safety. Rate of fatal casualties in EU at junctions and other locations of roads Case study A study was carried out in 8 States of the USA in 2004 for 24 junctions before and after conversion to roundabout. It resulted in a 39% reduction of overall crash rates, with a 90% and 76% reduction in the fatal and injury crashes, respectively[1]. See Table 1. Reduction of crashes following roundabout conversions at 24 U.S. junctions In 8 states in USAReduction In Crashes % In 2004OverallFatalInjury -39%-90%-76% Table 1: the information from FHWA, 2006 Discussion The reduction in the level of road traffic accidents in the case study proves that replacing junctions with roundabouts is the logical decision in the USA because it is clear that such a course of action increases overall safety. Unfortunately, the study sample is small as it does not cover all safety aspects, and the safety of the cyclist and pedestrian is not clarified because the crashes categorized are only based on motor vehicles. It should be noted that approximately 75% of cyclist accidents occur at roundabouts[2]. For that reason, the impact of roundabouts on passengers and cyclists is worthy of investigation.8.1 Roundabout and road designAccording to Fortuijn (2003)[3], the majority of cyclist-car accidents occur when a cyclist is circulating in the roundabout and a car either enters or exits from the roundabout. It has also been said that roundabouts that are charactarised with a significant design feature (e.g. a requirement to reduce vehicle speed to 30phm, use of a centr al island, a right angle connection between roadways and circular roadways, or a right of way traffic movement) serve to reduce crash rates and cyclist accidents. Another characteristic that improves road safety at roundabouts is the reduction of conflict points to about a quarter of the number utilised at other junctions.8.2. Roundabout and road managementModern roundabouts are recognised with high capacity, low speed, and non-use of signalisation. The use of roundabout signalisation is typical dependant on traffic volume and safety. Nevertheless, the roundabouts that don’t use signalisation are still safer than junctions[1]. Further, the maintenance of traffic signs, lights and pavement surface serve to increase road life service and safety. The manufacture of vehicles with higher speed engines may serve to reduce the efficiency of roundabouts and increase the safety hazards to cyclists and pedestrians, especially at times of high traffic volume. According to the findings of the London Road Safety Unit (2003)[2], the roundabouts with signalisation are safer for both cyclists and pedestrian, based on a study which was conducted in 2003 for a number of roundabouts, before and after signalisation Conclusion: This report has sought to demonstrate the impact of road safety in design and road management by defining and analysing the relevant concepts, with particular attention paid to cyclist and pedestrian safety. The following points were also concluded: Road accidents occur due to three main factors: road users, environment and engineering. The level of road safety measures that are utilized depend on the volume of accidents. Road safety is incorporated into road design and management through incorporation of safety considerations. Road safety is improved through road maintenance. Roundabouts typically serve to reduce vehicle speed and conflict points, which in turn can reduce the road accident rate, and increase the safety of cyclists and pedestrian. It is believed that the road design and management plays a significant role in road safety enhancement through the interaction of safety criteria with the road efficiency. Signalisation at roundabouts can increase the safety of cyclists and pedestrians, and a cyclist right of way can reduce the rate of car-cyclist accident References: Robinson, R., & Thagesen, B. (2004). Road engineering for development, 2nd ed. Taylor & Francis. London. Moller, M., & Hels, T. (2008). Cyclists’ perception of risk in roundabouts.Accident Analysis & Prevention, 40(3), 1055-1062. [online] https://wiki.cecs.pdx.edu/pub/ItsWeb/BikeBoxes/Moller_Hels_2007.pdf [accessed October 19th 2013] Fortuijn, L. G. H. (2003). Pedestrian and Bicycle-Friendly Roundabouts; Dilemma of Comfort and Safety. [online], Delft University of Technology, The Netherlands. http://www.mnt.ee/failid/SlowTrRoundb.pdf [accessed October 19th 2013] Antoniou, C., Tsakiri, M., & Yannis, G. (2012). ROAD SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS IN JUNCTIONS USING 3D LASER SCANNING. [online] http://www.nrso.ntua.gr/geyannis/images/stories/ge/Publications/Papers-Conferences/geyannis-pc144.pdf [accessed October 16th 2013] DTMRQ, (2010). Road planning and design manual: design philosophy. [online], Brisbane, Department of Transport and Main Roads of Queensland. http://www.tmr.qld.gov.au/~/media/Business%20and%20industry/Technical%20standards%20and%20publications/Road%20planning%20and%20design%20manual/Current%20document/RPDM_Chapter2.pdf[Accessed October 14th 2013]. DTMRQ, (2010). Road planning and design manual: road planning and design fundamentals. [online], Brisbane,Department of Transport and Main Roads of Queensland. http://www.tmr.qld.gov.au/~/media/Business%20and%20industry/Technical%20standards%20and%20publications/Road%20planning%20and%20design%20manual/Current%20document/RPDM_Chapter3.pdf[Accessed October 17th 2013]. FHWA, (2006). Priority market-ready technologies and innovations. Problem: intersection crashes account for more than 45 percent of all crashes nationwide. [online], U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration. http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/resourcecenter/teams/safety/saf_7rnd.pdf [accessed 18th October 2013]. Fouladvand, M. E., Sadjadi, Z., & Shaebani, M. R. (2004). Characteristics of vehicular traffic flow at a roundabout. [online] Physical Review E, 70(4), 046132. http://arxiv.org/pdf/cond-mat/0309560.pdf [accessed October 14th 2013] Grime, G., 1987.Handbook of road safety research.Bodmin: Butterworths. Hauer, E, (1999). Safety in geometric design standards. [online], Toronto. http://portalantigo.cefid.udesc.br/ciclo/workshop/Hauer.Safety.GeoDesign.pdf [Accessed October 17th 2013]. London Street Management-London Road Safety Unit. http://www.tfl.gov.uk/assets/downloads/SignalsatRoundabouts-TransportationProfessiona-Article.pdf Ministry of Transport, (1966). Roads in urban areas. Ministry of transport: Scottish development department. London. Oxford Wordpower Dictionary, (2013). Oxford University press, Persaud, B N and others, (2000). Crash reductions following installation of roundabouts in the United States. [online]. https://www.dot.ny.gov/main/roundabouts/files/insurance_report.pdf [Accessed 21th October 2013]. Robinson, R, 2008. Restructuring road institutions, finance and management, volume 1: concepts and principles.Totton: University of Birmingham, Birmingham. Slinn, M., Matthews, P., & Guest, P. (2005). Traffic engineering design. Principles and practice. 2nd ed. Arnold, London. [online] httpwww.amazon.comTraffic-Engineering-Design-Second-Editiondp0750658657 [accessed 20th October 2013] WHO, (2008).World health statistics. [online], Paris, World Health Organisation. [online]http://www.who.int/gho/publications/world_health_statistics/EN_WHS08_Full.pdf [accessed 14th October 2013].

Land Question and Ethnicity in Darjeeling Hills Essay

ABSTRACT Although economic factors are often considered as essential for augmenting ethnic movements, the analytic relationship between economic issues and ethnicity is far from being clear cut. In an attempt to address the problem of ethnicity in a non-Marxist theoretical plane, most of the studies on ethnic problems inadvertently indulge such logical inconsistencies. Such a critical reading led us to conceptualize ethnicity as a lived-in category – much like the concepts of class or caste – where both the material and cultural domain of routine life congregates. With the help of a case study of the Gorkhaland movement in the Darjeeling Hills (India) and the input of a particular field of material predisposition – namely, the issues related with land and agrarian social formation, this paper attempts to argue that ethnic movements are a dynamic podium wherein the encoded meanings of material and/or economic issues/grievances are decoded in cultural idioms. Even if the discussions on ethnicity have an inbuilt tendency to develop a theoretical plane that criticizes Marxian class analysis and demands an autonomous conceptual frame duly encouraged by post-Marxist and poststructuralist/postmodernist theoretical renditions, literatures on ethnicity for the most part have stressed economic factors, in some way or the other. Hence, finding available studies, which have made considerable advances in understanding the problem of Gorkha ethnicity, that have concentrated their focus on economic factors as the root cause of ethnic antagonism and conflict in the Darjeeling Hills (West Bengal, India) is common. ‘Economic stagnation’ (Dasgupta 1988), ‘uneven implementation of development policies’ (Chakrabarty 1988), ‘economic deprivation and negligence’ (Bura Magar 1994; Lama 1988; McHenry Jr. 2007; Nanda 1987), ‘petty-bourgeoisie aggrandisements against the dominance of monopoly capitalists of the Centre and the State’ (Sarkar 1988), ‘economic negligence, exploitation, and unavailability of white-collar jobs’ (Chadha 2005), ‘growing unemployment and step motherly attitude of the state regarding the overall development of the hill areas’ (Timsina 1992), ‘uneven development’ (Dasgupta 1999; Datta 1991), ‘endemic poverty, underdevelopment, and the perception of being â€Å"malgoverned†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ (Ganguly 2005), are some such factors many scholars put as the root cause of the Gorkhaland movement in the Darjeeling Hills. However, none of these studies have made it abundantly clear how economic conditions – the domain of the material – are linked to the desires of ethnic separatism, which conceptually remained under the rubric of culture – the non-material. Again, if the economic factors remarkably remained so significant, as the studies show, then why ultimately the cultural warpath (i.e., 81 ethnic conflict) and not an economic one (i.e., class conflict) appeared as a suitable remedial strategy? One obvious question arises thus: how the ‘material’ is transposed into ‘cultural’? The present paper is an attempt to answer such questions by analyzing the case of the Gorkha ethnicity and movement as it emerged out of the people’s grievances experienced through their quotidian life processes cloaked in their relative positions within the structural inequality. In fact, ethnic identity much like the issues of class or caste is a lived-in category that emerges out of the perception of reality and receives constant reformulation, since the reality is itself dynamic. In our treatment ethnic identification – much like all other identifications – is overall rooted in the larger canvas of social experience, which determines the processes of framing contending relationships between and among groups based on their varying capacity of possessing the valued and scarce resources available in the society. Instead of pinpointing the causes of the movement, our analysis attempts to show that the assertion of Gorkha ethnic identity has had payoffs with respect to resource access and utilization and that the protracted struggle of the Gorkhas for separate statehood is that trajectory wherein both the cultural and material aspects of routine life coalesce. Sometimes this happens even without an immediate ethnic ‘other’. This is particularly the case, as the study shows, with the hill agrarian sector. It thus becomes imperative that the problem should be studied in a historical plane putting utmost emphasis on the social formation of the Darjeeling Hills, which would help us focus the pattern of resource distribution on an ethnic plane vis-à  -vis the question of structural inequality. The importance of treating the issue of Gorkhaland movement as a historical phenomenon can hardly be ignored, especially when one finds that the Darjeeling Hills has experienced a century long historicity of protest – sometimes accommodative, sometimes violent – to achieve a separate politico-administrative arrangement for self rule. Moreover, the historical perspective is needed to show the fundamental changes that have taken place within the social formation of the region since the colonial days and had corresponding effects for furthering the cause of the movement in the post-colonial period. Therefore, a proper historical analysis of ethnicity can help us understand how the grievances of the masses were articulated and were translated into the courses of violent action, how new equations came up because of state intervention and how the overall dynamics of the movement kept on rolling, putting ethnicity at the center stage. SOCIAL FORMATION AND SOCIAL MOVEMENTS Indeed, there can never be a single cause of an ethnic movement that stretched over a century.1 However, our concern regarding the causes of Gorkhaland movement is not about degree but of kind, by which we mean that Gorkha ethnicity, or for that matter the Gorkhaland movement, is embedded in the social formation of the Darjeeling Hills. It is neither entirely the product of primordial sentiments nor even the result of elite manipulation, but had been the outcome of a dynamic social formation that reproduced its productive forces, relations of production, as well as the relations of subjugation and exploitation meted out by its incumbents. The onus of social formation in augmenting the cause of social movement has been stressed by most of the major theoretical paradigms in some form or the other. For example, functionalism, though lately emerging from its erstwhile position of bracketing social movements as pathological social behavior, became increasingly concerned with the analysis of social movement as a variety of (normal) collective action and showed the necessity of framing a general hypothesis on the social system while analyzing social movements as a collective phenomenon of some sort. Likewise, symbolic interactionism and resource mobilization theory, in their attempts to analyze social movement, put stress on the relational structures and on the complex processes of interaction mediated by certain networks of belonging, respectively. The Marxist tradition, perhaps, has given utmost emphasis on the necessity to view social movements in relation to structural arrangements available in the social formation. Each social formation is rooted in a particular structure of relationship and movement is not the cause but the outcome of the differentially arranged social order in which privileges and rewards are more in possession of some minority groups compared with the majority others. Even the post-Marxist or for that matter the New Social Movement (NSM) perspective in their zeal to study the identity-based movements as manifestations of post-material claims hardly denied the importance of social formation while understanding the so-called post-material claims of the NSMs. In outlining the principles for the analysis of collective action, Melucci (1996:24) – a prominent figure of NSM school – points out that the analytical field of the NSMs depends on the systems of relationships within which such action takes place and toward which it is directed. The recorded history of the Gorkhaland movement suggests that the first spurt of the movement can be marked out in the year 1907 when the hill people submitted a memorandum – for the first time – to the colonial government urging separation from the then Bengal and the need to formulate a separate administrative arrangement for the Darjeeling Hills. ALTHUSSER, SOCIAL FORMATION, AND THE DYNAMICS OF RURAL DARJEELING Taking a cue from the centrality of social formation in the study of social movement as analyzed above, an attempt has been made to focus on the social formation of the Darjeeling Hills2 and its contribution to the development of a protracted ethnic movement in the region. Our treatment of the concept of social formation is Althusserian in inspiration and is viewed as a complex whole composed of concrete economic, political and ideological relations that provide the pretext upon which the consolidation of selfhood of the individual or the group within a given social space becomes feasible. It is worth mentioning here instead of using such terms like ‘social system’, ‘social order’ or for that matter ‘society,’ Althusser (1997) preferred the use of ‘social formation’. Since he believed while terms like ‘social system’ and ‘social order’ presupposes a structure that reduces the form of all its emanations, ‘society’ as a concept is loaded with pre-Marxist humanist conception that treats social life as ultimately the product of individual human beings. Althusser has used the concept of social formation with some broader theoretical appeal. He problematized the so-called base-superstructure module by bringing together the notions of social system, order, and society closer to his postMarxist formulation of social formation. Social formation, for Althusser, is constituted of a complex of concrete economic, political, and ideological relations, bound together and given their particular character as capitalist, feudal or whatever by the fact that economic relations, is the ‘determinant in the last instance.’ Conceived in this manner the concept of social formation presupposes that under this model social reality is neither determined, nor to be explained by a single causal variable but always by the whole structure (a notion that he labels as ‘overdetermination’), which remains amenable to the economic determinant only in the last instance. The uniqueness in Althusser’s concept of social formation lies in the fact that it problematizes the ‘base-superstructure’ relationship (that remains central, almost invariably, to the whole realm of post-Marxist scholarship) to that extreme of Darjeeling has been one of the prominent hill stations developed by the British i n colonial India.

Organizing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Organizing - Essay Example Furthermore, the paper entails valued suggestions, which will assist the company in mitigating the key challenges. Discussion Reorganization is considered to be a major part of any business who files for bankruptcy, as it is considered that reorganization can either dissolve a firm or help the business to attain a leading position in the global platform (United States Court, n.d.). The plan that has been designed with respect to the reorganization proposed by GM is stated here under: Development of a Competitive Product Mix along with a Balanced Cost Structure It is measured that GM is listed among those automobile organization that owes many well reputed automobile brands like Chevrolet, GMC, Cadillac, and Isuzu among others. The first reorganizational plan of the company inculcate to rationalize its vehicle brands by discontinuing well-known automobile brands like Hummer and many others and focusing on its core brands. The company then planned to reduce its name plates by 25% which is estimated to increase around 80% by 2014. GM is considered to be one of the oldest automobile companies in the world, which also implies the same for their dealers. However, it has been found that the dealers of the company are comparatively outdated in comparison to the other competitors resulting in decreased marginal sales of their products. In this regard the company planned to reshape its dealer and expand it dealership in all major part of its operating area. Additionally, the company merged its four product development organization, which was located in diversified part of the globe to foster effectiveness of reorganizational plan and to maximize the cost. Furthermore, these strategies will assist the company to develop better vehicles for its customers. It has also been identified that though the company has reduced its total labor cost by 28% from 2004 till 2008. However, there was no significant outcome of the implemented policies. It is also estimated that the company spends about $100 billion on retiree benefits irrespective of its losses (General Motors Corporation, 2009). The main issue that can act as a barrier for the company is the increasing cost of raw materials. The plan that has been made by the company has been estimated with the current prevailing cost of raw materials which are likely to increase in the future. Additionally the plan of refurnishing the existing dealers may be a challenging task which would require adequate amount of time (Kunze, 2012). Compliance with the Federal Environmental Regulation The second plan that has been proposed by the company i.e. GM is to develop vehicles to meet up the environmental regulation passed by the government of the United States of America. The company also developed plans to manufacture alternative fuel vehicles, adapting the company’s technological aspects in countries like Brazil. The increasing pollution has forced the government of different countries to pass laws that set guid elines for automobile industry to manufacture vehicle accordingly. In this aspect the company has planned to replace some of its higher authorities to maintain an effective structural management in Brazil, as it accounts about 60% of the vehicle sale in the South American region (Higgins, 2013;

Costco case study analysis Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Costco analysis - Case Study Example Because of the low prices, the company covered all the operating expenses and got low operating profits. The method focused more on impressing the customers and increased membership fees and in the financial income, the membership fees were higher than the company’s net income. For the above reasons, the company may fail in the long run (Arthur, p. 195). The problem of pricing can only be solved as explained below. As the membership fees caters for the operating expenses, the company should maintain the prices. Since the goods and services are of high quality and underpriced, it may highly affect the company. To avoid the consequences, the company should use penetration-pricing model to solve the problem. In the model, goods are lowly priced and then are gradually increased to match the market value of the products. By using the penetration-pricing model, they will maintain sales, customers and most importantly increase organization profitability (Arthur,

Managing a small business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Managing a small business - Essay Example In Australia, for a business to be referred to as small, it must have fewer than 15 people employed in it. In addition to the above-mentioned criteria, other classification of businesses also takes into consideration the aspect of total assets, sales or the net profit of the business. All over the world, small businesses forms a substantial number of businesses and it is dependent on the economic system prevailing. Small businesses supplement the ‘big’ businesses in commercial activities as they ensure that products reach the remotest parts of the country. Typically, most small businesses include; convenience stores, restaurants and pubs, hairdressers, tradesmen, and guest houses among others. In this regard, this paper endeavors to find out a number of issues related to small businesses (PUB) in Canterbury by interviewing the proprietors. Methodology The mode of information collection in this research paper was direct interview of the proprietors. Since the information was to be gathered on a single business premises, the proprietors were contacted prior and agreement was reached on the best time and day. In this case, I chose to consider a Pub in Canterbury named Dolphin. Dolphin is a modernized dining pub that provides a range of services to their customers. The information relating to the business was collected using a radio recorder coupled with note taking, the proprietors were found to be six and because of the nature of the question and considering time, all the proprietors were assigned sections of the inquiry to respond to so that the interview could not be skewed to an individual. Interviewing one person on all the areas of concern could lead to inaccurate information from the interviewee given fatigue and boredom. The questioned were then designed separately and spread amongst the six proprietors in Dolphin business from which the information regarding the business was collected. Market Research – Information Gathering Market res earch involves identifying what the people want and conform to it so that you can have a business competitive edge over the competitors. Market research is thus a very important tool in business survival as it enables one to make a determination on how to do marketing of their product. In this case, I interviewed the first proprietor and collected the following information about the market research. I. Primary Research Dolphin realized that they have to cut themselves a niche in the business environment by standing out as the best provider of services to the customers. They decided to do a primary research that was aimed at giving them insights on the taste of the people on varieties of foodstuffs, peak period of the business, and on issues of references. To acquire all these information, the management used questionnaire to source for information, in some instance, they asked the customers to rate their performance on specific issues like hygiene, satisfaction and so on. Rating of Dolphin’s performance was considered against what customers considered the best pub in the area where the business is situated. The information obtained from such responses is to be used for making the necessary improvement on the customer’s satisfaction. II. Secondary Research: A part from primary research for improving the performance of the business, Dolphin also relies on the secondary sources in its effort to understand the management of the business such that customer can be satisfied

Is Justice Scalia Wise Enough in His Supreme Court Rulings Research Paper

Is Justice Scalia Wise Enough in His Supreme Court Rulings - Research Paper Example The jurist is a fervent champion of the authority of the executive arm of government; he believes that the original ideology of the authors of the American constitution was to establish and protect a powerful presidency to ensure stability of the nation. In his rulings the judge rejects double standards in the application of the law such as policies aimed to empower minority groups. Talbot (43) avers that Scalia often files separate minority verdicts in which he criticizes the majority decision. This paper explores the philosophies of Justice Scalia as evident in some of the Supreme Court rulings he has made on discrimination and criminal procedure. Justice Scalia is widely described as a conservative figure on the bench, implying that he offers the Constitutional interpretation in letter and spirit of its key architects of the eighteenth century (Bramwell 370-375). In his rulings, the justice captures the philosophies that inspired the Amendment to the Constitution. Scalia believes various constitutional changes to the US laws should be interpreted with respect to their essence at the period of amendment. Nevertheless, the justice is at pains to explain his judicial approach relative to the verdict of Brown v. Board of Education of 1954, which declared segregated learning facilities illegal. The ruling also cited the Fourteenth Amendment, which the justice interprets otherwise, as a deciding factor in the case. The enactment of the Amendment contradicts Scalia’s observations as it allowed corporations some rights under the constitution (Niose 16-21). It is arguable that the architects of the Fourteenth Amendment wanted to enhance school segregation. Scalia however, says he would have rejected school segregation in America, an opinion which is driven by the need for a real united America. According to Scalia and Ring, the justice enthusiastically rejects the notion of an evolving society guided by an â€Å"adjusting† set of laws (9-11). Scaliaâ₠¬â„¢s ideology implies that it is beyond the mandate of the court to adapt the constitutional interpretation. The justice sounds an alarm that if Americans accepted the fact that constitutionalism should be modified to suit an evolving society, the dangers of evaluating changing standards may be tantamount to believing that the evolution has boiled down into one's personal opinion. Nevertheless, by comparing the Constitution with original statutes, which should be bequeathed future generations in its letter and spirit, the philosophies advanced by the justice may fail to enable the modern American society to manage new cultural trends, some of which may be good and promote peace and stability in the world (Lakin 47). Additionally, due to the fact that laws are crafted to serve justice, the evolution of the values of the American society may turn the people into â€Å"slaves† of their forefathers’ ideologies if Scalia’s philosophies are anything to go by. Plainti ff has an upper hand Scalia’s philosophy on criminal procedures is largely in favor of the plaintiff. For instance, he rejected the Court's landmark ruling in Miranda v. Arizona, which offered guidelines on the treatment of criminal suspects. The ruling held that a testimony by a suspect in police custody who is ignorant of his rights was unconstitutional. Scalia’s verdict to judicially review Miranda in the Dickerson v. United States case of 2000 hit a snag, when he found himself in the minority,

Funeral Oration and Old Oligarch Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Funeral Oration and Old Oligarch - Essay Example In the wake of the Peloponnesian War, scores of Athenian soldiers were pressed into duty who they readily endured the hardships of warfare. Though acknowledging their bravery and sense of duty, Pericles notes that one individual’s words cannot sufficiently capture the magnitude of their feat. Pericles goes on to mention how the very foundation of the Athenian kingdom was based on valour and patriotism. He cites the example of martyrs from previous generations to identify this tradition. Pericles assures the audience that the great courage exhibited and the great human loss thus incurred was not in vain. The city of Athens is a crown jewel of civilization and culture. According to Pericles, the endeavour to protect the sanctity of this great city from marauding invaders was a noble project, for, in consequence, it protects the institutions of democracy within the city. His elogà © then is not just for the recently martyred, but also for their exemplary forbears and the proud democratic traditions that the city stands for. He concludes his speech by exhorting the audience to live up to the standards of the martyrs as well as uphold the spirit of democracy that Athens has become synonymous with. The Old Oligarch takes a totally different view of Athens, especially its Constitution. He reckons that democracy can easily lead to mob-rule. The author believes that the aristocracy is endowed by nature with qualities necessary for leadership. Taking away the reigns from them could so easily lead to disintegration of law and order. Their privilege in acquiring sound education is a valuable asset for statecraft. Likewise, the material abundance into which the aristocracy are born lends them skills for managing the economy of the city. Pseudo-Xenophon worries that if the poor are given a voice in public affairs the natural order of the

Nursing informatics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Nursing informatics - Essay Example The key aspect of integrated clinical systems is that they help health service providers gather and store health care related data as a part of the general workflow. In this scenario, an electronic health record system facilitates the health care service providers to get data for billing, the doctor to perceive developments in the efficiency of treatments, a medical researcher to examine the effectiveness of medicine in patients with co-morbidities and a nurse to report an unfavorable reaction. Additionally, an EHR system puts together data to deal with different requirements. The basic goal is to gather data once, then utilize it numerous times. The majority of commercial electronic health records join together data from the large subsidiary services or departments, such as laboratory, pharmacy and radiology, through a wide variety of health care actions (i.e. medication administration records [MAR], nursing plans and medical physician orders). In other words, the use of an EHR system is the next step in the continuous development of healthcare sector that can reinforce the link between healthcare service providers and patients, because the data, and the appropriate and timely accessibility of it, allow health service providers to provide better care and make better decisions ... personal information that is stored in EHRs can be: (TechTarget, 2011; Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, 2012; National Institutes of Health, 2006) Family history Contact information Allergies Insurance information Information regarding visits to health care specialists Immunization position Information regarding some conditions or diseases A list of medications Records of hospitalization Information regarding some surgeries or procedures performed What are Advantages of EMRs? Healthcare firms can save space by reducing paper work desired for hospitals, medical offices or insurance businesses. One more benefit of electronic health records is that they enable health care groups to organize health care services. In addition, the use of electronic health record systems can save a lot of time. Although faxing and email helps one doctor to obtain data and information from another laboratory or doctor, but for this they had to wait for a long time. But with EHRs, healthcare profess ionals can have immediate access to a patient’s details and data, such as lab tests, x-rays and details of recommendations or allergies, in this way they will be authorized to act right away, as a result saving a lot of precious time (Ellis-Christensen, 2012; Ausmed Education Pty Ltd. , 2012; Outlook Associates, 2010). Given below are some of major advantages of EHRs: (Ausmed Education Pty Ltd. , 2012) Improve communication among healthcare professionals Reduce repetition of information Information is accessible to healthcare professionals remotely All healthcare professionals can access same latest information Improve loyalty and reliability of healthcare Information less likely to be lost or destroyed (as it can happen in case of paperwork) Can more correctly store financial data

Farmer V Pilot Essay Example for Free

Farmer V Pilot Essay Does Farmer have any claim(s) for damages against Pilot based on intentional tort? Discuss. Rule of Law : The essential requirements of intentional torts are the elements of intent, injury, damages and causation. The concept of intention does not require that Defendant (D) know that his/her act will cause harm to the Plaintiff (P), but must know with substantial certainty that their act will result in certain outcomes (landing of the plane on the P’s land). To successfully make a claim against D, P must prove that D acted with purpose when he landed the plane on P’s property, that the act was intentional and it lead to the injury suffered by P (loss of land and crops) and the resulting damages to P’s land and crops. It is clear from the facts that that Pilot had clear intent to land the plane on Farmer’s property, that there was injury, that were damages and that it was the act of the Pilot’s that caused the damages. Farmer (Plaintiff P) may have three claims against the Pilot (Defendant – D) for damages based on intentional tort. The potential claims will be on the basis of : a)Trespass to Land Did Pilot trespass on Farmer’s land ? b)Trespass to Chattel Did Pilot trespass on Farmer’s chattel (property i.e. crops) ? c)Trespass to Conversion Did Pilot commit a conversion of Farmer’s property ? Defenses From the Pilot’s perspective, the potential applicable defense privileges that the courts provide to the Defense such that they are not held responsible for their act, are in the form of i) consent, ii) self defense, iii) defense of others (good samaritan) or iv) necessity. Though there are additional defense privileges available under the rule of law, the facts of this case lean towards exploring the said defenses. i.Consent : In the absence of consent from the property owner, consent can be implied by law (in the cases of emergency, when consent cannot be obtained in person) or consent can be implied in fact (when a consent cannot be obtained, but a reasonable person would believe that the property owner would give consent under the same specific conditions). ii.Self defense as a defense would be applicable in the circumstances when a threat is imminent and the subsequent act is reasonable. It is an affirmative defense, which would absolve D of  all liability. iii. Defense of others is a privilege to act when the ‘other’ person being defended has the right to self-defense and a privilege to act, and the force being used by D is acceptable under the reasonable force rule. iv.Necessity : A necessity defense requires the following elements: (1) D acted to avoid a significant risk of harm; (2) no adequate lawful means could have been used to escape the harm; and (3) the harm avoided was greater than that caused by breaking the law. Some jurisdictions also require that the harm must have been imminent and that the action taken must have been reasonably expected to avoid the imminent danger. The necessity defense could either be a ‘public’ necessity or a ‘private’ necessity. A public necessity is a full defense under the doctrine of ‘public good’ and D is not held liable for any damages. A private necessity is a not a viable defense and maybe considered a limited defense since the act that created t he tort was for the benefit of D or a third party. As a result, D may not be liable for the trespass, but is liable for the damages resulting from the trespass. The fact that the intent was driven from necessity, does not change the fact that the landing of the plane on Farmer’s property was intentional, voluntary and without the consent of the Farmer. However, the based on the facts, Pilot has a potential defense in the form of necessity.[1][2] Analysis a)Did Pilot trespass on Farmer’s land ? Trespass to land is defined as a person’s unlawful entry onto another’s land. There are five elements which the plaintiff must show to make prima facie case : I.Intrusion on P’s land was a volitional act by D. II.D acted with the intent of intruding on the P’s land. III.Physical intrusion on the P’s land by D. IV.P was in possession or was entitled to immediate possession of the land when the trespass took place. V.Trespass was caused by the D’s act. Based on the facts, it is clear that the Pilot has a prima facie case for ‘trespass to land’. The facts are clear that the i) Pilot intended to land on the Farmer’s land; ii) Pilot did land on the Farmer’s land; iii) the Farmer had not expressly authorized the entry. [3] However, as a defense privilege we have to review the law in terms of implied consent (implied in-fact and implied in law) and the application of necessity case law. The urgent nature of the circumstances and the availability of limited options (sub-division of homes, trees of vacant land) provide a basis for implied consent. Implied in-fact consent would be an objective manifestation as a reasonable person would consent under the circumstances especially when taking into account the loss of life against the loss of property. Per case law, the courts have ruled that loss of life over-shadows loss of property. Similarly, implied in-law consent would need to be reviewed under the rule of law and the benefit of the public, considering the options between landing on a housing tract versus landing on a vacant farm where the potential of damages would be significantly lower. The same elements of urgency and limited available options also provide the defense privilege under the rule of law of ‘necessity’. If the defense falls under the preview of ‘public necessity’, then D is not liable for any damages and P will not be able to collect any damages from D. However, if the defense falls under ‘private necessity’, D is liable for limited damages to P. As such a key factor to decide under the rule of law will be ‘was this public necessity versus private necessity ?’. Though D took action to minimize loss to the public, the action was also driven by private necessity as D and D’ clients were less likely to be hurt in the vacant field than in the sub-division and/or trees. In addition, the fact that D was a pilot and was flying a commercially paying client will also play a role in deciding public versus private necessity.[4] b)Did Pilot trespass on Farmer’s Chattel ? Trespass to chattel is the intentional interference with the right of possession of personal property of another. The defendants acts must intentionally damage the chattel, deprive the owner of its use for a period of time, or totally dispossess the chattel from the owner. i.An act by D that intentionally interferes with Ps right of possession in a chattel ii.Causation iii.Damages Based on the facts, it is clear that the Farmer does have a valid claim for ‘trespass to chattel’. The elements of causation and damages to the Farmer’s crops are clear. Even though the facts do state that the Pilot ‘did not see the crops from the air as they had been recently planted’), a the Restatement (Second) of Torts indicates that intention is present when an act is done for the purpose of using or otherwise intermeddling with a chattel or with knowledge that such an intermeddling will, to a substantial certainty, result from the act. Based on the rule of law, the Farmer has a valid prima facie claim for ‘trespass to chattel’. c)Did Pilot commit trespass of conversion on Farmer’s property (land and crops) ? The trespass of conversion is similar to the tort of trespass to chattel. Both require D to interfere with Ps right of possession in personal property. However, defendant must have intended to exercise control over the property in a manner inconsistent with the owners rights. However, conversion claims are brought in cases where the damage done to the property is more severe than in a trespass case. The facts of the case do not indicate the severity of the damages or the length of time for the loss of chattel. In the event, that the land was damaged for the longer term where the Farmer was unable to use the land for farming for the longer term, this claim could be made under the laws for ‘conversion’ Conclusion Trespass to land, Trespass to Chattel and Conversion are acts which were committed by Pilot. The Pilot fully intended to land on the Farmer’s property knowing that it belonged to someone else and knowing that they did not have ‘express’ consent to land. The Pilot’s act of intentionally landing in the Farmer’s field caused damaged to the Farmer’s land and crops. However, the Pilot acted within reason, acted as a reasonable person would under the emergency circumstances and did act on the best viable option i.e. landing on vacant farmland versus, a sub-division of homes or trees. The Pilot did not act with recklessness or negligence. As a result, the defense of necessity is applicable. The defense of ‘necessity’ will limit or fully absolve the Pilot from any damage claims from the Farmer. The distinction between public versus private necessity is the deciding factor on the Pilot’s liability towards the Farmer. Though D took a ction to minimize loss to the public, the action was also driven by private necessity as D and D’s clients were less likely to be hurt in the vacant field than in the sub-division and/or trees. In addition, the fact that D was a pilot and was flying a commercially paying client will play a role in deciding public versus private necessity. I believe that it is an act that is not likely to be defined as a ‘public need’ act under case law and as such, the Pilot would be liable to pay reasonable (non-punitive) damages to the Farmer.[5]

The Launch Of Banyan Tree Hotels Marketing Essay

The Launch Of Banyan Tree Hotels Marketing Essay BTHR first saw a gap in the luxury resort market in Phuket, and sought to tap into this market with a value proposition of a premium but affordable luxury resort. Strategic brand management was thus vital. Having targeted a niche market, Banyan Tree had the first-mover advantage amongst its competitors. But it was its consistency in delivering its brand promise that led to word-of-mouth recommendations on Banyan Tree experience spreading quickly. Also, to guarantee consistency and continuity in brand building, BTHR centralised its long-term marketing strategy and even allocated marketing budget to both its consumers and wholesalers. Likewise, BTHR made an effort to maintain good relationships with the governments and local communities, which contributed to its strong brand in Asia. Within a couple of years, BTHR was awarded numerous international awards and accolades, and it effectively capitalised on these awards and accolades to build its brand equity quickly. Valuable : With its careful brand management and consistent brand delivery to its guests, brand loyalty was created. This enabled a premium charge and made international expansion possible. Moreover, its first-mover advantage made it tough for its rivals to match its success. Rare : Being the first resort to provide a luxury accommodation with romance, intimacy, privacy and rejuvenation, it managed to differentiate itself from its competitors. Furthermore, it can be seen that BTHR has the capability to build strong customer-based brand equity, as not many of its rival firms can relate to this proposition of romance and intimacy. Costly-to-imitate : It is almost impossible to emulate BTHRs brand as numerous capabilities across the value chain contributed to its success its first-mover advantage, strategic brand image/positioning, innovative and exclusive service by Banyan staff, and extensive marketing. Non-substitutable : There is no doubt that many resorts were targeting the luxury premium market, however, none of them are perfect substitutes of Banyan Tree. Likewise, the strong brand equity and human efforts BTHR had put into building it is not easily replicable. II. Innovation Resources : Product Differentiation and High Quality Service BTHRs capacity to innovate led to its ability to create product differentiation and high quality service, which kept customers returning. It differentiated its offering by being the first in Asia to adopt the concept of a non-clinical garden spa with an oriental feel. Also, BTHR placed emphasis on the interior dà ©cor and facilities of the villas to enhance the Banyan Tree experience, with each villa having a private landscaped garden and an open-air sunken bathtub. It offers a variety of spa packages and cuisines tailored to customers likings too. Additionally, Banyan Tree staff were encouraged to give innovative and exclusive service, to make sure its guests feel that they were paid special attention. Unique product offerings such as customised weddings even included a special touch of local culture. Valuable : BTHR was successful in winning the hearts of its customers as its offers them innovative and fresh experiences. This resulted in customer loyalty and word-of-mouth advertising, which generated a sustainable source of revenue. Rare : Such product differentiation and customised services were only available at BTHR. Besides, the fusion of Banyan staff experience and BTHR culture adds on to its exclusivity. Costly-to-imitate : BTHRs innovations were integrations of its culture as well as staffs expertise, making it costly for competitors to duplicate them. Non-substitutable : It is difficult for competitors to replicate the high quality and customised services offered by Banyan Tree. Moreover, the endless innovations and ideas kept its guests amazed and thrilled, making the Banyan Tree experience special and non-substitutable. III. Human Resources : In-house Management Capabilities Banyan Tree sets itself apart by having strong support of in-house management capabilities. As management capabilities are in-house, BTHR could build a resort from scratch within two years. Furthermore, all those involved shared BTHRs corporate culture, were familiar with each other, enabling flexible and rapid decision making. Moreover, with in-house design capabilities, it can tailor its design according to its value proposition of romance and intimacy. To ensure efficiency, BTHR deployed pre-fabrication methods and problems were rectified quickly. Similarly, decision-making process was also hastened by the formation of the GX Group, which consisted of the key personnel and expertise required to make decisions. Besides, local staff were given the liberty to be creative in their service to ensure there was no gap between the level of service and customers expectations. This enhances staffs sense of belonging in BTHR, which explains the low attrition rate of staff. In-house trainings ensure its staff are sufficiently skilled to provide high quality services for its targeted customers too. Valuable : Having in-house management capabilities empowers BTHR with better control over its expenses and product innovations, allowing consistent delivery of its brand promise. Its ability to build a resort faster than its competitors gives it a competitive edge too. Rare : The in-house management capability enables BTHR to control every part of its project development process. This is a rare capability as most hotel owners engage external vendors. Costly-to-imitate : Due to the large outlay of capital required for its construction capabilities and resources, it would be extremely costly for its competitors to imitate. Similarly, it is almost impossible to emulate its staff trainings as they are also conducted in-house. Non-substitutable : Eventhough some of these capabilities and resources can be outsourced, it would not be as value-adding to Banyan Tree as they would lose control of management. In conclusion, the key resources supporting the development and rise of Banyan Tree are highly interdependent. Together, the resources spurred the growth of BTHR as they enabled Banyan Tree to distinguish itself from its rivals. It is also noticed that these are intangible resources as intangibles make it more difficult for competitors to analyse and imitate.

Syntactic Errors in Writing

Syntactic Errors in Writing Introduction When the British colonised the then Malaya, English was used in the colonial administration. English was the national language in Malaya and it was used as medium of instruction in English schools. When Malaya gained independence in 1957, the role of English as the official language dropped and Bahasa Melayu replaced English as the national language and medium of instruction in schools. In schools, English is considered as the second language. The official status of English in Peninsular Malaysia ceased after 31st August 1967, in Sabah was after September 1973 and in Sarawak was after September 1985. (Asmah Haji Omar, 2003) Even though English is the second language in Malaysia and it is still used in mostly urban areas, however, many people feel that the younger generations of Malaysians are not proficient in the language. There is a great difference in English proficiency among urban and rural school students even though they share the same syllabus. This might be because mother tongue and Bahasa Malaysia are widely used in the rural community compared to English. Problem Statement Many teachers and researchers found that many students in Malaysia have problems in writing syntactically correct English sentence. This might be because of their exposure to the language is lesser than the exposure to the national language, Bahasa Malaysia or is due to the influence of the mother tongue and Bahasa Malaysia. Saadiyah Darus and Khor (2009) investigated written English essays of Form 1 Chinese students in a school in Perak and they found that their subjects made numerous syntactic errors in their essays. Errors on tense made up of 121 of errors and subject verb agreement consists of 87 errors. Thus, they believed that the errors made by their subjects are due to the influence of their first language and also due to confusion on the English grammar rules because some rules in English do not exist in their mother tongue or first language. Saadiyah Darus and Kaladevi Subramaniam (2009) examined written English essays of Form 4 students in a school in Semenyih, Selangor and they found that the majority of their subjects made mistakes in singular/plural form followed by verb tense and others. They concluded that their subjects have problems acquiring normal grammatical rules in English. There are two objectives for this study. The first objective is to identify the common syntactic errors in compositions written by upper secondary- specifically Form four students. The second objective is to identify the reasons the subjects committed the errors. Analysis Twenty two essays on Sports injuries and its prevention were collected from 22 form four students from a secondary school in Petaling Jaya. There are 12 Malays, 3 Chinese and 7 Indian students in this class. These students are considered as of high or high intermediate proficiency. The students are all males and they are from the first class of the fourth form and they all came from national type school that uses Bahasa Malaysia as the main medium of instruction. The essays were then marked and analysed for the common errors the subjects committed. Type of Errors Number of Person Subject Verb Agreement 14 Tenses 13 Auxiliary 10 Singular/Plurals 10 Preposition 8 Table 1: Type of Errors Error Correct Form Here some general rules for injury prevention. Here are some general rules for injury prevention. There is a lot of sports in the world. There are a lot of sports in the world. Rules, aside from keeping the games fair, is also to help make the sports safer for everyone. Rules, aside from keeping the games fair, are also to help make the sports safer for everyone. These steps is important in preventing injuries. These steps are important in preventing injuries. There are a few ways to prevent this injuries. There are few ways to prevent these injuries. Table 2: Examples of errors in subject verb agreement According to the findings, the most common error made by the students is the subject verb agreement. Fourteen out of 22 students have problems in subject verb agreements. Most of the students do not know when to use is/are and was/were. For example, These steps is important in preventing injuries. This student used is instead of are might be because he does not know the differences between is and are and when to use the appropriate verb. Students have problems in differentiating the verbs because in Chinese and Mandarin, there is an absence of agreement between subjects and verbs in the languages and this may cause the students to commit errors on subject verb agreement. (Saadiyah Darus Khor, 2009) Maros et al (2007) examined the interference in learning English among form 1 students in Malaysia and they found that most of their subject committed grammatical errors due to the interference of Bahasa Malaysia. In Bahasa Malaysia, there is no such subject verb agreement rule that requires inflections based on the number of subjects. For example when He plays basketball is translated into Bahasa Malaysia, it will be Dia main bola keranjang. Even though dia is a third person singular, in Bahasa Malaysia, there is no need to add the suffix -s after the word main. Hence, the subjects were confused on when to add the suffix -s and this resulted in numerous subject verb agreement errors in their essays. Subject verb agreement errors are very common among second language learners. Even academics make mistakes in subject verb agreement in their academic papers. Flowerdew (2001) mentioned that subject verb agreement as one of the common errors in papers submitted by non-native writers of English. (Ting, Mahanita Mahadhir Chang, 2010) Hence, it is not surprising to find that the most common error made by the students in this study is subject verb agreement. Error Correct Form According to sports injuries statistics of 2009, the highest number of sport injuries reported was soccer which is then followed by rugby and basketball. According to sports injuries statistics of 2009, the highest number of sport injuries reported was soccer which was then followed by rugby and basketball. We can also have serious injuries where we get knocked out like in rugby and end up in the hospital. We can also have serious injuries where we got knocked out like in rugby and ended up in the hospital. Warm muscles are less susceptible to injuries. Warmed muscles are less susceptible to injuries. The table shown the number of sport injuries in soccer is higher than the other sports. The table shows that the number of sport injuries in soccer is higher than the other sports. It follows by rugby that has the second highest percentage. It is followed by rugby that has the second highest percentage. Table 3: Examples of errors on tenses Next is the error on tenses, whereby 13 out of 22 students made errors on tenses. Saadiyah Darus and Khor (2009) examined the four most common errors in writings of form 1 Chinese students and they found that errors on tense are the second highest total number of errors in the study after mechanics of writing. They found that the result is not surprising because the English notion of tense is something confusing to second language learners. This is because, in Chinese and Bahasa Malaysia, there is no indication of time in their verbs as compared to English that has present, past, future and continuous tenses. Besides that, it can also be assumed that some students are not aware of the different rules of tenses application. (Saadiyah Darus Kaladevi Subramaniam, 2009) Another reason might be because in Chinese and Bahasa Malaysia, words are added before the verb to show the time of the action. (Ting, Mahanita Mahadhir Chang, 2010) Hence, students have problems in constructing sentenc es with correct tenses. Wee (2009) found that Asian students tend to use the stem forms of the verbs in all contexts regardless of their tense. This is because Bahasa Malaysia does not have any linguistic device like verb inflections to show past time. So, the Malay students often use the stem of forms of the verbs in order to simplify the target language rules and reduce their linguistic burden or learning load (Wee, 2009). Warmed muscles are less susceptible to injuries in Bahasa Malaysia would be Otot-otot yang telah panas tidak mudah mengalami kecederaan. The word telah shows the tense of the sentence in Bahasa Malaysia whereas in English, we need to add the suffix -ed to show the past tense of the sentence. Therefore, the subjects will usually omit the tense because they do not know when to add the suffix -ed. Error Correct Form We can prevent injuries if we be in a proper physical condition when playing a sport. We can prevent injuries if we are in a proper physical condition when playing a sport. Frequent training and conditioning can prove useful in a long run. Frequent training and conditioning proven to be useful in a long run. The first way to prevent sport injuries is be in proper physical condition to play a sport. The first way to prevent sport injuries is to be in proper physical condition to play a sport. The athletes should had properly train for the sport. The athletes should be trained properly for the sport. Table 4: Examples of errors on auxiliary Results show that many students have problems in using the appropriate auxiliary in their compositions. They often used the wrong form of modals. For example, the majority of the students wrote We can prevent injuries if we be in a proper physical condition when playing a sport instead of We can prevent injuries if we are in a proper physical condition when playing a sport. This shows that many students did not know the proper use of auxiliary verb. Ali Akbar Khansir (2008) investigated syntactic errors in English committed by Indian undergraduates and he found that errors on auxiliary were the second highest error committed by his subjects. His study revealed that there is a lack of knowledge of auxiliary verb rules among his subjects. Error Correct Form For example, in rugby we must wear a mouth guards to prevent our mouth or teeth from injuries. For example, in rugby we must wear a mouth guard to prevent our mouth or teeth from injuries. A sportsmen can do this by doing regular exercises, eating proper food and doing regular practice. A sportsman can do this by doing regular exercises, eating proper food and doing regular practices. These safety gear such as ball guards, helmets and etc are designed to prevent injuries. These safety gears such as ball guards, helmets and etc are designed to prevent injuries. There are many reason they got injured. There are many reasons they got injured. This is because most of the athlete did not warm up before playing. This is because most of the athletes did not warm up before playing. Table 5: Examples of errors on singular/plurals Ten students made errors on singular and plurals. Most of them do not know when to apply the suffix -s when it is a plural noun. This might be due to the absence of plural marker for a noun in Bahasa Malaysia. (Saadiyah Darus Kaladevi Subramaniam, 2009) Some students might be aware of the existence of singular and plural nouns, but probably they are confused on when they should use singular or plural nouns. For example, There are many reasons they got injured when translated into Bahasa Malaysia will be Terdapat banyak punca mereka cedera. In Bahasa Malaysia, the word banyak indicates many, so banyak punca means many reasons. However, in English, we must apply the suffix -s to show that there are many reasons. Error Correct Form During the year 2009, the highest number of sport injuries was soccer. In the year 2009, the highest number of sport injuries was soccer. For the conclusion, there are many ways to prevent injuries when we are playing sports. In conclusion, there are many ways to prevent injuries when we are playing sports. For example, our countrys famous national football player, Mokhtar Dahari, retired in his football career at such a young age because of his calf injury. For example, our countrys famous national football player, Mokhtar Dahari, retired from his football career at such a young age because of his calf injury. Last but not least, avoid playing when you are in tired or in pain. Last but not least, avoid playing when you are tired or in pain. Sports can be divided to many categories such as indoor sports, outdoor sports and aquatic sports. Sports can be divided into many categories such as indoor sports, outdoor sports and aquatic sports. Table 6: Examples of errors on preposition Error on preposition is the least error made by the students. Only eight out of 22 students made errors on preposition. Error on preposition happens might be because of the interference of students L1 and Bahasa Malaysia. This is because some of the prepositions in Mandarin and Bahasa Malaysia have similar meanings and functions with the prepositions in English. Hence, students might be confused on which preposition to be uses in their writing because sometimes a preposition in Bahasa Malaysia can be translated into different English prepositions. (Saadiyah Darus Khor, 2009) Ting and colleagues (2010) examined university students grammatical errors in spoken English and they found that, their subjects made the most mistakes in preposition and this indicates that the subjects are uncertain of the correct usage of the prepositions in the appropriate settings. The same problem occurs in students writings because the students are uncertain of the correct usage of the prepositions. Summary According to the data collected, 14 students made errors on subject verb agreement, 13 on tenses, 10 on auxiliary, 10 on singular/plural verb and 8 on prepositions. The reasons students made these errors might be due to the influence of their mother tongue or first language. Another reason might be because the subjects are confused with the rules of grammar usage. Every Form four student in the Malaysian education system follows the same English language syllabus provided by the Ministry of Education of Malaysia. The current syllabus has been used since 2003. The syllabus is divided into two sections; the first is Learning Outcomes and Specifications and the second section is Language Content. Under the language content, there is a list of grammatical items that the teacher has to teach in class. They are nouns, articles, adjectives, pronouns, verbs, adverbs, prepositions, connectors, sentences and punctuation. So, every grammatical item is covered under the syllabus but the subjects still have problems with the grammar rules. Therefore, students should be made aware of the grammar rules and the teachers should make sure their students know how the grammar rules and apply them in their writings. There are some limitations in this study. First, the students were selected based on their proficiency and not based on ethnicity, so it is not easy to determine whether students mother tongue or first language influence the students command of English. Secondly, students compositions should be marked by more than one marker so that the result will be more reliable. Thirdly, this study was conducted in an urban secondary school where English is used widely in the community. So, the result of the study does not indicate that all students in Malaysia commit the same errors and have the same reasons behind the errors. Thus, this study can be improved by taking these factors into consideration. Conclusion In conclusion, by referring to previous studies and the results of the data collected, most students in Malaysia commit syntactic errors in their written compositions. Hence, teachers play an important role in teaching the students the correct forms of the language. They can incorporate grammar lessons into their English lessons and device interesting games and exercises to teach their students grammar. Many students and teachers acknowledge the fact that grammar lessons are boring and most teachers will try to avoid grammar lessons because the students are not interested in learning them. However, if teachers are able to device interesting lesson plans for their grammar lessons, students will be very interested and will participate actively in class.

Essay examples --

Mass Mmedia is made up of several communications systems that reach millions of people every day. But who owns the media? Actually, through the long history of mergers and acquisitions, few big companies have been controlling what we see, hear, and read by maintaining the ownership of mass media. However, the issue of media conglomeration has produced a significant amount of controversy. Since the media’s power and the control of the communications system have been dominated by a few corporations, media conglomeration has been viewed as an obstruction and limitations of diversified contents. While opponents believe there is a crisis impending due to the perception of increased concentrated ownership and convergence of the media industry that interfere with message pluralism, supporters argue the media system has increased diversity more than before and large companies offer advantages that a small company can never afford . This paper examines the history of media owners hip and the current FCC regulations, and discusses the effects of media conglomeration on our society. In the United States, there are a few corporations that control the mass media. The Free Expression Policy Project (FEPP), founded in 2000 to provides research and advocacy on free speech, copyright, and media democracy issues indicates: there are ten corporations that control the mass media in the United Stets: Viacom, Time Warner, Walt Disney, General Electric, News Corporation, and Vivendi Universal. While media concentrations have been going on for quite some time, there are concerns about how this conspiracy of media monopolies started ? In early 1900, telecommunications markets were not monopolies. After the radio was invented, regulations were ... ...lt Disney Company, Liberty Media Corporation, AT&T Corporation, News Corporation, Bertelsman, Vivendi Universal, and Sony. After several rounds of rulemaking and court challenges, the FCC announced a new â€Å"Broadcast Ownership Rules† in June of 2003. This law raised the ceiling for national market share from 35% to 45%. Responding to widespread protests, Congress overturned this increase as part of its 2003 appropriations bill. However, after President Bush threatened to veto the entire appropriations bill, a compromise was reached at 39%, which allowed Viacom and the News Corporation to keep all of the stations they currently owned. (Miller) For many years, despite the enormous revenues that have been generated by these few big media companies, media conglomeration caused a mutilation of viewers’ thinking and suppression to segments of the communicated message. Essay examples -- Mass Mmedia is made up of several communications systems that reach millions of people every day. But who owns the media? Actually, through the long history of mergers and acquisitions, few big companies have been controlling what we see, hear, and read by maintaining the ownership of mass media. However, the issue of media conglomeration has produced a significant amount of controversy. Since the media’s power and the control of the communications system have been dominated by a few corporations, media conglomeration has been viewed as an obstruction and limitations of diversified contents. While opponents believe there is a crisis impending due to the perception of increased concentrated ownership and convergence of the media industry that interfere with message pluralism, supporters argue the media system has increased diversity more than before and large companies offer advantages that a small company can never afford . This paper examines the history of media owners hip and the current FCC regulations, and discusses the effects of media conglomeration on our society. In the United States, there are a few corporations that control the mass media. The Free Expression Policy Project (FEPP), founded in 2000 to provides research and advocacy on free speech, copyright, and media democracy issues indicates: there are ten corporations that control the mass media in the United Stets: Viacom, Time Warner, Walt Disney, General Electric, News Corporation, and Vivendi Universal. While media concentrations have been going on for quite some time, there are concerns about how this conspiracy of media monopolies started ? In early 1900, telecommunications markets were not monopolies. After the radio was invented, regulations were ... ...lt Disney Company, Liberty Media Corporation, AT&T Corporation, News Corporation, Bertelsman, Vivendi Universal, and Sony. After several rounds of rulemaking and court challenges, the FCC announced a new â€Å"Broadcast Ownership Rules† in June of 2003. This law raised the ceiling for national market share from 35% to 45%. Responding to widespread protests, Congress overturned this increase as part of its 2003 appropriations bill. However, after President Bush threatened to veto the entire appropriations bill, a compromise was reached at 39%, which allowed Viacom and the News Corporation to keep all of the stations they currently owned. (Miller) For many years, despite the enormous revenues that have been generated by these few big media companies, media conglomeration caused a mutilation of viewers’ thinking and suppression to segments of the communicated message.

Biblical Allusions and Imagery in Steinbecks The Grapes of Wrath :: Grapes Wrath essays

Biblical Allusions and Imagery in Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath John Steinbeck always makes it a point to know about his subjects first hand. His stories always have some factual basis behind them. Otherwise, he does not believe that they will be of any value beyond artistic impression. Therefore, most of his novels take place in California, the site of his birth and young life. In preparation for writing his novels, Steinbeck would often travel with people about whom he was going to write. The Grapes of Wrath was no exception to his other works. To prepare for it, he joined migrants in Oklahoma and rode with them to California. When he got to California, he lived with them, joining them in their quest for work. By publishing these experiences and trials of the migrants he achieved an effect that won him the Nobel Prize for literature in 1962. The writing of The Grapes of Wrath coincided with the Great Depression. This time of hardship and struggle for the rest of America gave Steinbeck inspiration for his work. Other peoples' stories of everyday life became issues for Steinbeck. His writings spoke out against those who kept the oppressed in poverty and therefore was branded as a Communist because of his "voice." Although, it did become a bestseller and receive countless awards, his book was banned in many schools and libraries. However, critics never attacked The Grapes of Wrath on the artistic level and they still consider it a beautifully mastered work of art. More than any other American novel, it successfully embodies a contemporary social problem of national scope in an artistically viable expression.1 In The Grapes of Wrath, Steinbeck utilizes Biblical imagery and allusions to illustrate the struggle of the Joad family as a direct parallel with that of the Hebrew people. Steinbeck bolsters the strength of structure and character development in the book through Biblical allusions and imagery. Peter Lisca has noted that the novel reflects the three-part division of the Old Testament exodus account which includes captivity, journey, and the promised land.2 The Joads' story is a direct parallel with that of the Hebrews. Just as the Hebrews were captives of the Pharaoh, the Joads' are captives of their farm. Both make long and arduous journeys until they reach their promised land. Israel is the final destination for the Hebrews and California plays the same role for the Joads. Hunter mentions several of the parallels in the novel. When the Joads embark on their journey, there are twelve members which corresponds to the twelve tribes of Israel who are leaving the old order behind.

Leadership and Learning

In his life, the writer of this paper was able to know several leaders who are both supportive and excellent in their own ways of leadership. As a result, the writer decided to take bits of their styles to learn from and implement into his own eclectic style. Yes, basing from experience, even the bad leaders have something to teach the present learning of the new leaders of this era, certainly, they unintentionally show us what not to do. Looking back to reflect on his learning’s has enlightened the author of this paper to a plethora of areas in which the writer himself incorporated small aspects of how each of the leaders in his past have managed their employees and company. The style that the writer has come up with is one that he intends to use to produce quality management in his workplace. As for a fact, quality leadership is very important in almost any organization. The author of this paper thus defines quality leadership, or effective leadership as the innate ability to consistently motivate a staff of employees towards attaining the objective of an envisioned mission statement. However, several books authored by different leaders have many definitions of the term leadership. Within the content of this paper, the writer will illustrate the key components of quality leadership and the approaches that are taken in order to achieve it, including the different leadership styles and managerial traits. The writer will also elaborate on the plan to implement the knowledge that he has gained from the class and how it will benefit organization as well. Where to begin In order to evaluate what styles to implement, the writer needed to determine what theories and approaches would benefit him in upholding the mission statement in his current position. An organization trying to live up to its mission statement needs individuals who are effective and competent leaders. Thus, in order to have good leaders,   an organization has to have a clear and concise vision as to where it wants to be. As stated in the text, â€Å"like definitions of leadership, conceptions of leadership effectiveness differ from one writer to another† (Yukl, 2006, 9). In the writer’s perspective, an effective leader must recognize what is minor and what needs to be strongly improved within the existing management and leadership systems within an organization. In order to attain the level of quality and effectiveness that the organization deems acceptable, certain behaviors must be displayed. These characteristics should be congruent to being more proficient in pursuing and achieving the objectives of the entire organization. The first behavior to be discussed is the participative leadership. This style of leadership works extremely well in a setting such as the correctional facility that the author of this paper is working with. This approach as indicated by the book, â€Å"participative leadership, delegation and empowerment are subjects that bridge the power and behavior approaches to leadership† (Yukl, 2006, 82). This style can be exercised in particular, through engaging oneself in a constant dialogue with his peers, subordinates, administrators, team members, and outside treatment providers. As an effective leader using participative leadership, the writer would continually ask questions, probing all levels of the facility for input to ensure that everyone feels empowered and involved. This particular approach has worked well for the author thus far; as for a fact, it has earned the respect of his subordinates and peers as well towards his position in the organization. Earning respect has created a record of success that has propelled the author into a new position with higher responsibility in the face of uncertainty. Being a participative leader has allowed him a little breathing room in a period of upheaval at his own facility. Using this approach has instilled self-confidence in the writer’s subordinates, making them effective followers (Yukl, 2006, 137). Having effective followers has led to a decline in late night emergency calls, or calls to deal with otherwise trivial issues with a youth or any client that the organization deals with particularly. The staff now being effective followers will take the initiative and make decisions to deal with these trivial issues. Participative leadership is the main ingredient for the writer’s successful management style. There are other contributing factors as well. Creative visioning and creating a verbal picture of expectations, instilling belief in my abilities, and influencing others to commit to maintaining our mission statement are some of the other factors attributed to my success. All these procedures coupled with a willingness to take risks, especially when faced with adversity is the recipe for an environment conducive to efficiency. Power and influence Another area of concentration to becoming a more effective leader would be the area of power and influence. In order for the writer to continue on his path to a successful career, he certainly needs to be open to new ideas, insights, and revelations that can lead to better ways of accomplishing goals. He also needs to have control over the type of power that the writer chooses and thus exercise in actual leadership performance to employ at different times. There are five base types of power in the French and Raven power model, which includes reward, coercive, legitimate, expert, and referent power. Reward power would work in attempting to maintain fidelity in the use of our evidence based curriculum as it would allow the writer the ability to reward staff members who accept the directives that the leader particularly placed on them. It may take the form of praise, cash, a good review, recommendations, choice of the next assignment, or any number of things that encourage the desired behavior from a staff member. Coercive power could prove useful as it is the opposite of reward power, but would be used differently than discipline because it is personal where discipline may not be much applicable enough to improve the organization’s structure. The subordinate can learn from discipline, where coercive power does not provide an opportunity for employee improvement by learning. Coercive power threatens subordinates with something unpleasant or even stressful so that staff will submit to the directives given. This is a power that would be used as little as possible, due to the detrimental effects it has on the respect for the leader. In the daily milieu at the writer’s facility’s legitimate power is very important because this is in compliance of the social conditioning. Most employees have the notion of rank, which is a designation of who has power over whom. This has advantages because it decreases the second-guessing of assignments and directives because employees feel obligated to comply. The next type of power expert power is one that is frequently employed by the author of this paper. This is the power that comes from knowledge and experience that is appropriate for the current situation. For example, a physician has expert power over patients due to the years and years of education, training, and practice that he or she has completed. This same individual may not have expert power in other areas, such as administration or management. Individuals with expert power may need to adjust their approach in situations where they do not have expertise, but are expected to lead. When a problem arises on the living unit and the author of this paper is called in, to make a decision, he enters a situation where he is in a position to use expert power. This is due to his years of experience, and the many training seminars he has attended over the years. This is the reason why this particular leadership power is one of the most effective preferences of the writer. Last but certainly not least is referent power. As a leader with referent power, that author is the one that others refer to In particularly owing mutual respect. This respect comes from a successful record of accomplishment over a period of time involving common interests between individuals. This is why subordinates according to the text, â€Å"comply because he/she admires or identifies with the agent and wants to gain the agent’s approval† (Yukl, 2006, 148). Having a proven record of achievements carries a tremendous amount of influence with subordinates as well as with colleagues. This mutual respect is paramount in having a positive and productive work environment. Having said all of that, the writer finds himself deciding to implement each of these types of power in order to achieve his goal of having an eclectic style of leadership. Now more than ever the writer needs to employ many different approaches and styles into his daily managerial duties. With all of the recent chaos in the writer’s facility, he has found himself behind the eight ball so to speak. The writer feels that it is important to implement all five of the different kinds of power so that he can be proficient in the appropriate use of power and have a positive influence over his subordinates. Gaining and maintaining influence over employees is a difficult task if the leader is not careful. In this situation the writer would have to first visualize specific, measurable and attainable tasks that when achieved, will allow the writer to feel affecting and appreciated by others as being a positive influence. Next, the writer would need to identify the tools, or resources, that he already possesses as an influential leader. These resources would be the factors that assist in displaying my knowledge or power in a situation. Unfortunately, due to modesty and lack of awareness many leaders do not use or are even aware of the internal tools at their disposal. In this case, the writer is well aware of his internal resources to increase his influence positively over my subordinates. Some of the tools that the writer has at his disposal are intelligence, good judgment, knowledge of the industry, past success in institutional settings, and of course charisma. In order to achieve success in using the internal tools the writer has, he would need to use proactive influence tactics (Yukl, 2006, 166). To do this the author of this paper would implement rational persuasion first. This technique involves managing his subordinates using valid, rational reasoning. When addressing employees, the writer would carefully in a clear, unemotional and orderly manner, explain issues, ideas and protocols. Then he would be sure to solicit their questions and concerns, then explain any uncertainties and proposed discrepancies in a manner that they could easily comprehend. Remaining unemotional about the objectives that need to be achieved, the subordinates would come to regard the writer as an effective leader. The Multiple linkage model gives a great starting point for growth. To be a good leader, the author of this paper must know his subordinates and be aware of their abilities, and knowledge of the task. A clear and concise job description needs to be provided for the employees to ensure clarity. As the leader, the writer would need to define the roles of subordinates and direct them on what, how, when and where to do different duties. The need for a set criterion for employees to follow is essential as Max DePree states in his text, â€Å"at times in business, the congruence of principles and practice-or their incongruence-comes sharply into focus† (DePree, 2004, 113). In laymen’s terms the defined guidelines need to be clearly defined and enforced.  Ã‚   Using this style, writer would influence subordinates to internalize the values and beliefs of the organization. Then over a period of time the subordinates would develop the desired skills and traits through choice and training. This, along with the styles, theories and approaches discussed earlier will help the writer to develop into an effective leader who through learning will have a powerful influence over the subordinates under him. Conclusion This course has given the writer many different tools that he can implement at a moment’s notice, to help him become an effective leader in his own organization.   This will have a tremendous impact on his professional life particularly in helping him in continuously upholding his integrity in his profession. This will also help him maintain congruence and consistency in his personal life. The writer has come to realize that there is no secret recipe or any formula to become an effective leader. It is a process of trial and error, successes and failures. Thus, the author of this paper can never stop trying, and with practice, he will certainly increase his chances of success in leadership by absorbing all the information that is passed on to him by other leaders who ought to inspire him continuously. It is important for the writer to remember that no one style of leadership is appropriate for every occasion or situation. In addition, the author of this paper must ensure his awareness of a situation and how others perceive his approach. There must be readiness to choose the leadership style that is the most appropriate for the occasion. When a leader has the proper tools in place to effectively run a department, or facility they can use these tools for guiding the organization towards its mission statement. Since beginning this class my awareness of how remarkable the art of leadership is has grown immensely. The writer can now say without a doubt that he has chosen the correct career path. References: DePree, Max. (2004) Leadership is an art; New York, NY: Random House Inc. Yukl, Gary. (2006) Leadership in Organizations; Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Education, Inc.