Saturday, August 31, 2019

Disaster in Franklin County Essay

The role of the major public health personnel, including the public health nurse, is to provide the public with accurate information, and to assure the community, as well as ensure the immediate safety and well-being of the members of the community, while being competent compassionate and accessible. The public health director was contacted by the incident commander to attend the incident briefing due to immediate and long term public health impacts. The fire chief gave report concerning how many people were confirmed dead, what time it occurred and what county(s) were affected. He made the public aware if any hazardous materials had been released and where and whether the hazardous materials team had been dispatched. He also notifies the community of areas of flooding, and any impassable roads and the roads that are closed, as well as any power outages, and possible long term problems that may occur from power loss such as water contamination, and food loss due to spoilage. The fire chief also informs the public that the plan for search and rescue has been initiated. The public health staff had previously had National Incident Management System (NIMS) training. The deputy director sets up the incident command center and does the head count of available responders. The most ideal personnel were not totally available; there were an appropriate number to set up section chiefs and command staff. The chain of command that was used in the simulation consisted of the Public Health Team which included the County Public Health Director, Environmental Health Specialists, and Community Health Nurses, as well as Franklin county staff members, mental health, and social workers, which allowed the community health nurse to have resources available that were used to deal with situations that were outside the nurse’s scope of practice included reporting to EOC well treatment hazardous waste removal. Actions taken by the community health nurse when she encountered possible emergency situations during the door-to-door interviews was to Calm and triage families and offer reassurance and instruction on safety. The public health personnel had to deal with multiple problems both during the initial period and after the immediate danger had past. Actions taken by the community health nurse to help the people who were interviewed cope with the situations after the flooding were: to advise them to stay at shelter where there is electricity and food to contact Environmental health specialists for toxic waste To contact Social services to address immediate needs and resources. To arrange for instruction on safe use of generators in English and Spanish. To make arrangement for medications to be delivered the next day. Techniques that were used or could have been used to calm the fears of the people interviewed are to use short and concise statements. Perform active listening and confirm statements by repeating it back to the person being spoken with, use confrontation avoidance, and De-escalation. The other nursing personnel could be prepared to help in responding to a similar emergency with a much larger affected area (e.g., the effect of Hurricane Katrina). Through the development of a well-organized disaster response plan. Public health staff requires National Incident Management System (NIMS) training. Emergency preparedness training should be performed at least every six months. There needs to be a method of communication in case power lines, towers and electricity are not available; have a backup system in place and know where they are located (e.g. include, walkie talkies, Morse code and emailing). Community nurses should have car stock that includes protective gear (PPE) such as N-95 mask, barriers for CPR, gloves, biohazard containers and isolation gowns. Knowledge of the basic steps that are needed to take to ensure patient safety, such as safe evacuation, and early notification will help prevent unnecessary casualties during emergencies (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. www.ahrq.gov/prep. Accessed July 21, 2006. References Centers for Public Health Education and Outreach. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://cpheo1.sph.umn.edu/fcs/index.asp Health Care: Public Health Emergency Preparedness. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.ahrq.gov/prep

Friday, August 30, 2019

Morality and Respect Essay

Respect Respect has great importance in everyday life. As children we are taught to respect our parents, teachers, and elders, family and cultural traditions, other people’s feelings, our country’s flag and leaders. And we do tend to value these things; when we grow older, we may shake our heads at people who seem not to have learned to respect them. We develop the tendency to respect only those who are popular. We may also come to believe that, at some level, all people are worthy of respect. We may learn that jobs and relationships become unbearable if we receive no respect in them. Calls to respect certain things are increasingly part of public life: environmentalists exhort us to respect nature, foes of abortion and capital punishment insist on respect for human life, members of racial and ethnic minorities and those discriminated against because of their gender, sexual orientation, age, religious beliefs, or economic status demand respect both as social and moral equals and for their cultural differences. We may learn both that our lives together go better when we respect the things that deserve to be respected and that we should respect some things independently of considerations of how our lives would go. We may also learn that how our lives go depends every bit as much on whether we respect ourselves. The value of self-respect may be something we can take for granted, or we may discover how very important it is when our self-respect is threatened, or we lose it and have to work to regain it, or we have to struggle to develop or maintain it in a hostile environment. Some people find that finally being able to respect themselves is what matters most about getting off welfare, kicking a disgusting habit, or defending something they value; others, sadly, discover that life is no longer worth living if self-respect is irretrievably lost. It is part of everyday wisdom that respect and self-respect are deeply connected, that it is difficult if not impossible both to respect others if we don’t respect ourselves and to respect ourselves if others don’t respect us. It is increasingly part of political wisdom both that unjust social institutions can devastatingly damage self-respect and that robust and resilient self-respect can be a potent force in struggles against injustice. 1. The Concept of Respect In the process of understanding respect there a few questions that come to mind: (1) How can respect be understood? (a) What category of thing is it? (b) What are the elements of respect? (c) To what other forms is respect similar to, and with what does it contrast? (d) What beliefs, attitudes, emotions, motives, and conduct does respect involve, and with what is it incompatible? (2) What are the appropriate objects of respect? (3) What are the bases or grounds for respect (4) What ways of acting and forbearing to act express or constitute or are regulated by respect? (5) What moral requirements, if any, are there to respect certain types of objects, and what is the scope and theoretical status of such requirements? (6) Are there different levels or degrees of respect? Can an object come to deserve less or no respect? (7) Why is respect morally important? What, if anything, does it add to morality over and above the conduct, attitudes, and character traits required or encouraged by various moral principles or virtues? (8) What are the implications of respect for problematic moral and socio-political issues such as racism and sexism, pornography, privacy, punishment, responses to terrorism, paternalism in health care contexts, cultural diversity, affirmative action, abortion, and so on? 1. 1 Elements of respect It is widely acknowledged that there are different kinds of respect, which complicates the answering of these questions. For example, answers concerning one kind of respect can diverge significantly from those about another kind. One general distinction is between respect simply as behaviour and respect as an attitude or feeling which may or may not be expressed in or signified by behaviour. We might speak of drivers respecting the speed limit, hostile forces as respecting a cease fire agreement etc. In such cases we can be referring simply to behaviour which avoids violation of or interference with some boundary, limit, or rule, without any reference to attitudes, feelings, intentions, or dispositions. In other cases, we take respect to be or to express or signify an attitude or feeling, as when we speak of having respect for another person or for nature or of certain behaviours as showing respect or disrespect. In what follows, focus would chiefly be on respect as attitude or feeling. There are, again, several different attitudes or feelings to which the term â€Å"respect† refers. Before looking at differences, however, it is useful first to note some elements common among varieties. An attitude of respect is, most generally, a relation between a subject and an object in which the subject responds to the object from a certain perspective in some appropriate way. Respect necessarily has an object: respect is always directed toward, paid to, felt about, and shown for some object. While a very wide variety of things can be appropriate objects of one kind of respect or another, the subject of respect (the respecter) is always a person, that is, a conscious rational being capable of recognizing and acknowledging things, of self-consciously and intentionally responding to them, of having and expressing values with regard to them, and of being accountable for disrespecting or failing to respect them. Though animals may love or fear us, only persons can respect and disrespect us or anything else. First, as suggested by its derivation from the Latin respicere, respect is a particular mode of apprehending the object: the person who respects something pays attention to it and perceives it differently from someone who does not and responds to it in light of that perception. This perceptual element is common also to synonyms such as regard (from â€Å"to watch out for†) and consideration (â€Å"examine (the stars) carefully†). Thus, respecting something contrasts with being oblivious or indifferent to it. An object can be perceived by a subject from a variety of perspectives; for example, one might rightly regard another human individual as a rights-bearer, a judge, a superlative singer, a trustworthy person, or a threat to one’s security. The respect one accords her in each case will be different, yet all will involve attention to her as she really is as a judge, threat, etc. As responsive, respect is object-generated rather than wholly subject-generated, something that is owed to, called for, deserved, elicited, or claimed by the object. We respect something not because we want to but because we recognize that we have to respect it. It thus is motivational: it is the recognition of something â€Å"as directly determining our will without reference to what is wanted by our inclinations†. In this way respect differs from, for example, liking and fearing, which have their sources in the subject’s interests or desires. At the same time, respect is also an expression of agency: it is deliberate, a matter of directed rather than grabbed attention, of reflective consideration and judgment. In particular, the subject judges that the object is due, deserves, or rightfully claims a certain response in virtue of some feature of or fact about the object that warrants that response. This feature or fact is the ground or basis in the object, that in virtue of which it calls for respect. The basis gives us a reason to respect the object; it may also indicate more precisely how to respect it. Respect is thus both subjective and objective. There are many different kinds of objects that can reasonably be respected and many different reasons why they warrant respect. Some things are dangerous or powerful and respect of them can involve fear, awe, self-protection, or submission. Other things have authority over us and the respect they are due includes acknowledgment of their authority and perhaps obedience to their authoritative commands. Other forms of respect are modes of valuing, appreciating the object as having an objective worth or importance that is independent of, perhaps even at variance with, our antecedent desires or commitments. Thus, we can respect things we don’t like or agree with, such as our enemies or someone else’s opinion. Valuing respect is akin to esteem, admiration, veneration, reverence, and honour, while regarding something as utterly worthless or insignificant or disdaining or having contempt for it is incompatible with respecting it. Respect also aims to value its object appropriately, so it contrasts with degradation and discounting. Finally, respect is generally regarded as having a behavioural component. In respecting an object, we often consider it be making legitimate claims on our conduct as well as our thoughts and feelings and are disposed to behave appropriately. Appropriate behaviour includes refraining from certain treatment of the object or acting only in particular ways in connection with it, ways that are regarded as fitting, deserved by, or owed to the object. And there are very many ways to respect things: keeping our distance from them, helping them, praising or emulating them, protecting or being careful with them. To be a form or expression of respect, behaviour has to be motivated by one’s acknowledgment of the object as calling for that behaviour, and it has to be motivated directly by consideration that the object is what it is, without reference to one’s own interests and desires. The attitudes of respect, then, have cognitive dimensions (beliefs, acknowledgments, judgments, deliberations, commitments), affective dimensions (emotions, feelings, ways of experiencing things), and conative dimensions (motivations, dispositions to act and forbear from acting); some forms also have valuation dimensions. The attitude is typically regarded as central to respect: actions and modes of treatment typically count as respect insofar as they either manifest an attitude of respect or are of a sort through which the attitude of respect is characteristically expressed. 1. 2 Kinds of Respect There is a four-fold distinction among kinds of respect, according to the bases in the objects. Consider the following sets of examples: (a) respecting a colleague highly as a scholar and having a lot of respect for someone with â€Å"guts†; (b) a mountain climber’s respect for the elements and a tennis player’s respect for her opponent’s strong backhand; (c) respecting the terms of an agreement and respecting a person’s rights; and (d) showing respect for a judge by rising when she enters the courtroom and respecting a worn-out flag by burning it rather than tossing it in the trash. The respect in (a), evaluative respect, is similar to other favourable attitudes such as esteem and admiration. Obstacle respect, in (b), is a matter of regarding the object as something that, if not taken proper account of in one’s decisions about how to act, could prevent one from achieving one’s ends. The objects of (c) directive respect are directives: things such as requests, rules, advice, laws, or rights claims that may be taken as guides to action. The objects of (d) institutional respect are social institutions or practices, the positions or roles defined within an institution or practice, and persons or things that occupy the positions or represent the institution. These four forms of respect differ in several ways. Each identifies a quite different kind of feature of objects as the basis of respect. Besides four-fold classification, some argue there should be a fifth form, care respect, which is exemplified in an environmentalist’s deep respect for nature. This analysis of respect draws explicitly from a feminist ethics of care and has been influential in feminist and non-feminist discussions of respecting persons as unique, particular individuals. Other kinds of respect: recognition respect and appraisal respect. Recognition respect is the disposition to give appropriate weight or consideration in one’s practical deliberations to some fact about the object and to regulate one’s conduct by constraints derived from that fact. Appraisal respect, by contrast, is an attitude of positive appraisal of a person or their merits, which are features of persons that manifest excellences of character. 2. Respect for Persons People can be the objects or recipients of different forms of respect. We can (directive) respect a person’s legal rights, show (institutional) respect for the president by calling him â€Å"Mr. President,† have a healthy (obstacle) respect for an easily angered person, (care) respect someone by cherishing her in her concrete particularity, (evaluative) respect an individual for her commitment to a worthy project. Thus the idea of respect for persons is ambiguous. 3. Respect for Nature and Other Nonpersons Although persons are the paradigm objects of moral recognition respect, it is a matter of some debate whether they are the only things that we ought morally to respect. One serious objection raised is that in claiming that only rational beings are ends in themselves deserving of respect, it licenses treating all things which aren’t persons as mere means to the ends of rational beings, and so it supports morally abhorrent attitudes of domination and exploitation toward all nonpersons and toward our natural environment. Taking issue that only persons are respect worthy, many philosophers have argued that such nonpersons as humans who are not agents or not yet agents, human embryos, plants, species, all living things, the natural ecosystem of our planet, and even mountains, and rocks, have moral standing or worth and so are appropriate objects of or are owed moral recognition respect. Of course, it is possible to value such things instrumentally as they serve human interests, but the idea is that such things matter morally and have a claim to respect in their own right, independently of their usefulness to humans. 4. Self-Respect While there is much controversy about respect for persons and other things, there is surprising agreement among moral and political philosophers about at least this much concerning respect for oneself: self-respect is something of great importance in everyday life. Indeed, it is regarded both as morally required and as essential to the ability to live a satisfying, meaningful, flourishing life—a life worth living—and just as vital to the quality of our lives together. Saying that a person has no self-respect or acts in a way no self-respecting person would act, or that a social institution undermines the self-respect of some people, is generally a strong moral criticism. Nevertheless, as with respect itself, there is philosophical disagreement, both real and merely apparent, about the nature, scope, grounds, and requirements of self-respect. Self-respect is often defined as a sense of worth or as due respect for oneself; it is frequently (but not always correctly) identified with or compared to self-esteem, self-confidence, dignity, self-love, a sense of honour, self-reliance, pride, and it is contrasted (but not always correctly) with servility, shame, humility, self-abnegation, arrogance, self-importance. In addition to the questions philosophers have addressed about respect in general, a number of other questions have been of particular concern to those interested in self-respect, such as: (1) What is self-respect, and how is it different from related notions such as self-esteem, self-confidence, pride, and so on? (2) Are there objective conditions—for example, moral standards or correct judgments—that a person must meet in order to have self-respect, or is self-respect a subjective phenomenon that gains support from any sort of self-valuing without regard to correctness or moral acceptability? (3) Does respecting oneself conceptually or causally require or lead to respecting other persons (or anything else)? And how are respect for other persons and respect for oneself alike and unalike? (4) How is self-respect related to such things as moral rights, virtue, autonomy, integrity, and identity? (5) Is there a moral duty to respect ourselves as there is a duty to respect others? (6) What features of an individual’s psychology and experience, what aspects of the social context, and what modes of interactions with others support or undermine self-respect? (7) Are social institutions and practices to be judged just or unjust (at least in part) by how they affect self-respect? Can considerations of self-respect help us to better understand the nature and wrongness of injustices such as oppression and to determine effective and morally appropriate ways to resist or end them? 5. Conclusion Everyday actions insist that respect and self-respect are personally, socially, politically, and morally important and philosophical discussions of the concepts bear this out. Their roles in our lives as individuals, as people living in complex relations with other people and surrounded by a plethora of other beings and things on which our attitudes and actions have tremendous effects, cannot, as these discussions reveal, be taken lightly. The discussions thus far shed light on the nature and significance of the various forms of respect and self-respect and their positions in a nexus of profoundly important but philosophically challenging and contestable concepts. These discussions also reveal that much more work remains to be done in clarifying these attitudes and their places among and implications for our concepts and our lives.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Soft Skills Inventory

MSF Soft Skills Inventory 1. Communication Skills: For a previous class, I presented a project on alternative fuels to the class as well as the professor. For this presentation, I communicated to the professor my expertise in this subject by presenting the facts and research I conducted. At the same time, in order to communicate to the students most effectively, I used interactive techniques through questions posed to the class to keep their attention throughout the presentation. During my internship, I would call clients to update beneficiary information.I was able to effectively communicate by having all necessary documents at hand and being prepared to answer any question that they may have. 2. Interpersonal Skills: At my internship, I had the fortune of working with many high ranking professionals in the company. I would sit in meetings with people thirty to forty years older than me. I quickly learned that interacting with them was very different from interacting with friends an d peers. I participated in a group called International Student Connection. I would interact with international students and help acclimate themselves to the campus and American cultural.I would spend time speaking with them to help develop their English, most coming in with only a very basic understanding of the language. 3. Leadership Skills: I had a group project for a class, where we wrote up a proposal about the injustice in Zimbabwe to our state senator. I took the lead in this group by delegating different research responsibilities to each member, where we could at a later time present the research that we found to one another. I also made sure that each person was actively researching by emailing them updates about when we would meet, as well as stay on track with the timeline that we set.During my internship, I had a task to set up a marketing event. I built a team of a couple interns to help in preparing for this event. I took on the main responsibilities of setting up a l ocation and clientele list. I knew however that I needed the other interns’ help in building a full list of potential clients that would attend. Even though this was a event that I was spearheading, working as a team best utilized the different resources that they offered. 4. Teamwork Skills: My pledge class for my business fraternity needed to create a professional, service, and social event for the whole business fraternity.It was clear that we could do this most efficiently by breaking our class up into smaller teams, who in turn would primarily be responsible for one of the event. We would then come together to schedule these dates together. Participating in athletics best exemplifies teamwork, in my opinion. Teamwork was crucial in winning my business fraternity basketball tournament. It also proved to be essential in winning events in the Business Olympics held across campus. 5. Time Management Skills: My part time job during my undergraduate years required working thro ughout the night.I would work from 12 am to 5 am two or three times a week. I would do this while having class at 9 am every morning. Good time management skills were very important in order to keep pace in class while also working these hours. During my last semester for finals, I had four exams over the course of 3 days. The week leading up to finals, I broke down the possible study time that I had and designated time slots in which I would study for a certain subject. Keeping to this schedule as well as being very disciplined was the only way I was able to survive that week. 6. Analytical and Problem Solving Skills:For my project on alternative fuels, I researched all the different technologies that have currently been developed, and those that were still being developed, and then I cross referenced this information with the university’s initiative on going â€Å"green. † I did this in order to find the best ways for the university to become more environmentally fri endly in a cost-effective way. I used my knowledge of the game of basketball in order to run a basketball tournament for a club more efficiently. I used the resources that I had available to run the tournament at a quicker pace, and also saving money, by being charged less time for the gym.

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Comparative Financial Trend Analysis of HSBC and Santander Research Paper

Comparative Financial Trend Analysis of HSBC and Santander - Research Paper Example Personal assets among the other services are provided by the bank in other parts of the world such as in Latin America. Although the banking group has been providing wholesale services, it unveiled its retail services in 2013. HSBC is a global banking group whose operations feature in many countries across the globe. The banking group is headquartered in London with its subsidiaries operating under regional company segments. The group is listed on the London, Hong Kong, New York, Bermuda, and Paris markets with its shares being held by about 220,000 people across the globe. While acting as American Depository receipts, the shares trade on the NY market. The dominant nature of the banking corporation ensures that it minimizes costs through economies of scale while maintaining its dominance. The over 8000 outlets of the company are distributed in about 88 countries across the Asia Pacific Region, the Americas, Europe, Africa, and Middles East. The company’s key contact is Peter Bull, the Head of HSBC operations in the community and Nick Robins, the head of Climate Change Center of Excellence. The management of HSBC works hard to employ the latest strategies to enhance its dominance as well as ensure environmental sustainability. To this end, the banking group perceives consumption of energy as its greatest environmental impact with the use of papers, emission of carbon from business travels of the company being perceived as significant impacts. This is the main objective of this paper with the focus being comparison of the financial performance of the two major banks. This section compares all forms of financial performance of the banks especially concerning their assets, liabilities, revenues, profits and owners equity among other aspects. The mission of the bank is to enable businesses to thrive and at the same time prosper economies. That can be achieved by people been able to fulfill their dreams and hopes and help them realize their

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Securing our Borders Thesis Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Securing our Borders - Thesis Example borders with Mexico and Canada. Several sources indicated the need for greater border security through a wide range of technological, legislative, and military interventions (Meyers, 2003; Military Technology, 2010), as well as global agreements (Taylor, 2005). Despite the need of securing the borders, however, there are also calls for the consideration of ethical and human rights dimensions of border security (Arreolo, 2010). The U.S. government is also pressed to consider the rights of poor workers and people searching for an asylum to migrate to the U.S., where they can find shelter, freedom, and livelihood. In addition, some sources argued for the importance of understanding cultural geography, when finding and evaluating solutions to border issues (Arreolo, 2010). The borders are not seen as boundaries by illegal immigrants, but as opportunities for a new and better life (Hemphill, 2009; Huemer, 2010). This paper will explore the literature on the U.S. borders and border securit y. The research questions are: What are some of the strategies that the U.S. government should pursue to enhance border security? Should the government ensure that these interventions are humane and ethical? This paper will discuss existing border patrol strategies. It will also discuss recommended strategies that aim to enhance border security. ... Finally, it examines the ethical implications of border security measures and the need for international efforts for managing borders. The Honey of Illegal and Legal Immigrant Bees One of the primary goals of border security is to control immigration, particularly illegal immigration (Marek, 2007). The U.S. continues to symbolize the land of milk and honey for many people around the world, especially those from the Third World. An estimated 500 million people cross the U.S. borders every year, and this consists of people seeking for employment or business opportunities and refugees, as well as unfavorable border crossers, such as criminals and terrorists (Antal, 2010, p.54). The U.S. prides itself as a democratic front for human rights that include the rights to travel and immigrate to other countries. The U.S., despite immigration controls, accepts more legal immigrants as permanent residents than all other countries combined (Antal, 2010, p.54). In 2008, more than a million immigra nts became natural U.S. citizens (Antal, 2010, p.54). In 2009, the U.S. granted legal immigrant status to 1.1 million immigrants (Antal, 2010, p.54). The U.S. however, also controls the number of legal immigrants, which push some people to resort to illegal immigration methods. Illegal immigration remains as significant concern, since the U.S. cannot realistically put enough people to monitor wide borders. The U.S.-Canada border extends 5,525 miles; while the border with Mexico covers 1,989 miles long (Antal, 2010, p.54). Furthermore, the U.S. also envelops more than 95,000 miles of shoreline, thousands of airports, and 360 naval ports of entry (Antal, 2010, p.54). It is projected that almost 22,000 containers cross these naval

Monday, August 26, 2019

Business statistics-----Summarizing Data Statistics Project

Business -----Summarizing Data - Statistics Project Example Given this trend income is likely to increase and people now can afford more luxury items. The major increase was in people earning above $40000 and decline in the income below that range. This shows that this income is becoming a base-line income with time. During the same period there has been increase in Asian ethnicity in the USA and decrease in other ethnicities. So, in developing country those snacks the taste of Asian community should be under great consideration and as they have increased by about 60% in 2000 when comparing with 1990s. Similarly there has been a trend that people are moving towards buying their own house than living in rented house. This shows increase in Living Standard and Disposable income which mean that people will be able to afford the snacks if they are good. As far as employment statistics are concerned there has been an increase in absolute number of people employed but percentage wise unemployment has risen which is not a good indicator. Those in work, Most of them drive themselves to work alone. This shows the increase in living standard as people are not using motor cycles to work and very few of them taking public transport to work. Most of the people take around 20-34 minutes to reach their work.

Regional Econmic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Regional Econmic - Essay Example The economic implications should be apparent. Protection of these spaces leads to the conservation of scenic landscapes ideal for outdoor recreation especially in this period where people are finding ways to escape the city life. The presence of wildlife presents a more interesting experience for the individual and may make him willing to pay a fee for access to such open spaces. Open spaces then presents an opportunity to gain revenue thru small fees charged from campers and hikers. One might argue that open spaces would generate little revenue which does not justify the amount used to purchase. Ranches and lands for suburban developments do not come cheap. While it is recognized that the amount of purchase can indeed be large, it should also be noted that revenue generation of open spaces is not confined to access fees and the like. Open and natural areas can have multiple uses-benefits. While providing scenic views, the area can have some of its portions available for sustainable livestock foraging. Revenue can be generated by renting pasture for livestock grazing and presents opportunity for livestock producers who have little capital to own ranches for themselves.

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Heritage Tourism UK Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Heritage Tourism UK - Essay Example The heritage tourism’s main product issues include knowledge management and transfer, The danger of over-supply, Geographical concentration, Product standardization, competition, Dead, Changes in education, Forgotten and ignored themes, Soft heritage and hard heritage, The medium in relation to the message, Quality and customer satisfaction, Commercialization or conservation, Changing nature of the market, competition. The need for partnerships, popular culture and heritage, and Making the past relevant to the present and future (Sethi, P. 1999:213).The small tourism enterprises highly depend on knowledge manipulation (Nagle, G. 2002:128). A good number of willing clients will not visit the various heritage tourism sites unless they have information of its existence. The product role of marketing in tourism is to make the potential clients aware of the services that the company is offering. The product for tourism may include a bus tour, a hotel stay, a cruise and many others. The management, therefore, has a huge responsibility of making sure that the information gets to their clients. They attain this by creating awareness campaigns to lure the potential clients. They create awareness either through mass media or internet. However, the as the small-scale tourism enterprises venture into creating awareness, there is an alarm on oversupply which might lead to congestion of the sites (Timothy, 2011:214). The UK is rich in heritage, and the wide variety of its heritage attractions proves it. As time goes on, the mode in which heritage is presented to the visitors is becoming ever more predictable. A tourist could for example, walk into a museum and correctly predict what to expect. This has highly affected the small tourism enterprises as it reduces the number of potential clients. Quality and customer satisfaction are important in management in all industries. The quality of the services that the enterprises render to their clients plays a very big role in improving the industry (Graham,

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Consumer behavior analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Consumer behavior analysis - Essay Example A company can come up with a reward system. The reward system will reward customers who make consistent purchases and customers who will make referrals to their friends. A company can come up with smart cards, which the customers should use when making their routine purchases. In such a situation, the company will determine the customers who always purchase their brand. The customers can be awarded rewarded with reward points, which they can redeem in the future. A company can also use the reward system to award the loyal customers with gifts on special occasions such as public holidays. The gifts can act as a token of appreciation and they can be used to encourage the customers to continue purchasing the company’s products. The other way in which the reward system can work can work is by the company coming up with a feedback system. The feedback system will ask the new customers where they got information about the company. If the information came as a referral, the new customer and the customer who made the referral are rewarded by the company. The system will encourage the customers to talk more about the products of the company. The system will be beneficial to both the customer and the company. The company will benefit from the increased sales while the customer benefits from the reward points that should be redeemable. The other problem that companies are facing is changing the detractors to passives and passive to promoters. That is the hardest task because the perception of a customer is based on his or her mindset. The company can run training programs that should be aimed at informing customers on the advantages of using the company programs. That may include the use of the company products and the reason as to why the company products are better as compared to the competitor’s products. The training program can be done in the form of adverts. The adverts can be used to illustrate the usage of the company.

Friday, August 23, 2019

Construction and culture- Old Trafford Stadium (Manchester United Research Paper

Construction and culture- Old Trafford Stadium (Manchester United Stadium) - Research Paper Example Old Trafford was the premiere stadium to have a ring of seats and stands that completely surrounded the pitch. Opened in 1910, Old Trafford was originally intended to hold eighty thousand spectators, making it the second-largest sports ground in the country following Wembley Stadium. The clubs rich history from its founding in 1878 to date is all preserved in the Manchester United Museum whilst the Hall of Fame reveres numerous soccer athletes who have assisted the team, Manchester United, rule the English football league throughout the years. The Trophy Room displays sufficient silver and brass that can try to outshine the Crown Jewels. Introduction The Industrial Revolution began in the late 18th century in England. It has been extensively well-known that from the conclusion of the 18th century, essential economic and social transformation occurred in England and afterward, in other places, including a remarkable increase in countrywide population sizes, brought about by a more rap id growth of existing towns and cities, changing birth and mortality rates, predominantly in capital cities as well as the manifestation of new social classes associated to people’s place as workers within the industry or as the owners of industries in the manufacturing process. In addition to the aforementioned reasons for the economic and social developments, progress in transportation and networks of communication also propelled the movement. The Industrial Revolution, as noted by historians, was marked by important changes in society. These changes incorporated advancements in agriculture, such as the implementation of new systems of farming and the creation of new equipment which permitted for an amplified availability of food as well as the expansion of new machinery in industrial manufacture from increases in information that were more often than not the product of informed empiricism and practical experiences. This revolution and its civilization at the time, saw to t he spread of the football culture in Britain and consequently to the construction of soccer stadiums. Old Trafford In its early days the Manchester United (Newton Heath) club used to play on different pitches before moving to North Road Monsall in the year 1880 (Manutd.com- The Official Website, 2011). This pitch was among the worst pitches in the entire league. It was always covered with the smoke from the nearby industry. It is also to mention that poor condition of the pitch was due to the uneven cover of gravel to marsh. The pitch was originally opened in 1909, after the club shifted its base from their old ground at Bank Lane, Clayton. An interesting observation is that the pitch only had one covered stand, with standing room only, for several years but it offered untold luxuries - tea-rooms, tip-up seats and attendants to politely point the way. Following serious financial debt and expenses, Sir John Henry Davies rescued the team from grave bankruptcy and renaming by giving aw ay a grand total of sixty thousand pounds in 1909 for the purchase and development of a site at Trafford Park. The novel ground next to the Bridgewater Canal, which was near the Northern end of the Warwick Road in Old Trafford, was complete and ready

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Computer Rentals Essay Example for Free

Computer Rentals Essay [1.a] Using the dimensions we discussed in class, how would you describe Mitchell Gold Co.’s strategic position? Mitchell Gold competes by offering high quality products at a lower price than most makers of similar quality furniture. They offer limited variety in comparison to other makers, which allows them to be more responsive and deliver orders in a timely manner (97% on time shipment). [1.b] Consider the following description of another furniture maker’s (Invincible IPF) business: The standard product line has about 500 different items, with many of the pieces starting as stock, unfinished wooden frames imported from Europe. But the finished furniture can be as different as the imaginations of the designers, with 60 different standard finishes for the wood and an almost unlimited selection of upholstery provided by designers. †¦ Because each piece is hand finished by rag and brush and made to order, the process can take 12 weeks or longer, with one custom-made entertainment cabinet nearing completion after almost six months. (The Record, Bergen County, NJ, 12/09/2001) How would you anticipate that Mitchell Gold’s production processes differ from those of Invincible IPF? Be sure to discuss the nature of the production equipment and the placement of inventory. MG offers less variety and has greater volume than Invincible. Consequently, MG likely uses more specialized equipment while Invincible has primarily general-purpose equipment. Since designers provide upholstery provided for custom orders, Invincible should have little raw material and no finished goods. MG likely has higher raw material and finished goods inventory. Given the long flow times, Invincible likely has much higher WIP levels. Question 2 [2.a] In The Goal, Jonah asks Alex 3 questions: Did your throughput increase? Did your inventories decline? Did your process cost decline? Define each of the three italicized terms for a process and explain why a positive answer to each of the three questions may be classified as an improvement. Throughput corresponds to the rate at which flow units flow through the process. Throughput in general should correspond to sales not production. If the product has a positive margin, an increase in throughput increases positive cash flows. Inventories correspond to the number of flow units within process boundaries. Decreasing inventories decreases the amount of working capital required. It also decreases any reduction in inventory value due to obsolescence. Process cost refers to the cost incurred in transforming inputs to outputs. A reduction in process cost increases margin and thus profitability. [2.b] Many enlightened firms have made flow time reduction a key objective. Discuss under which conditions a reduction in flow time improves performance of a process in terms of the modules we have discussed: 1. strategic competitive impact: Reducing flow time allows a firm to target customer segments that may want a faster response. It also allows a firm to be more responsive to volume and taste changes of the customer. 2. impact on financial flows: Cash is tied up as working capital for a shorter amount of time. 3. impact on critical path: The critical path gets shorter. 4. impact on bottlenecks: Bottleneck capacity may go up only if the flow time at the bottleneck is reduced. 5. impact on lean operations: Generally allows a firm to operate with lower levels of inventory. Also shortens the time lag between introduction and detection of defects. [2.c] List three ways to increase the capacity of a process. Consider the likely relative cost of implementing these changes and present them in order from cheapest to most expensive to implement. Explain the rationale for your ordering. Option 1:Decrease work at the bottleneck resource (e.g. by moving QC before bottleneck) Option 2: Move work from a bottleneck to a non-bottleneck resource. Option 3:Add to the bottleneck resource Rationale: Moving QC before the bottleneck is a very simple change that eliminates work even if quality does not improve. Moving work from a bottleneck to a non-bottleneck resource requires training and changed capability at the non-bottleneck resource. Adding to the bottleneck clearly requires additional investment. Question 3 The three hair stylists, Francois, Bernard and Mimi (FBM) run a Fast Service Hair Styling Saloon for busy professionals in the Gold Coast area of downtown Chicago. They stay open between 6:45 AM 9:00PM in order to fit to a large variety of people’s work schedules. In their fast service location, they perform only shampooing and hair styling activities. On average, it takes 10 min to shampoo, 15 min to style the hair and 5 minutes to bill the customer. The store layout is shown below. It consists of a shampooing area, which can accommodate 3 customers at a time and a styling area with 4 desks, which have fully integrated hair-modeling equipment.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Notes on the Ethical Theories Essay Example for Free

Notes on the Ethical Theories Essay Immanuel Kant (notice that he lived in the 1700’s and people likely had different views back then), a philosopher, believes that using reason, one can make a list of ethical actions. Kant says that one must generalize the certain action he is about to do to see if it is reasonable. For example, you ask yourself â€Å"should I cut the line in the cafeteria?† The way you can answer this question is by asking yourself â€Å"What if everyone cut the line?† Of course, if that happened then there would be chaos, so you shouldn’t cut the line. This also applies to stealing, murdering, and keeping promises. He basically says that everyone is equal and you shouldn’t justify your actions to yourself because you are not special and you wouldn’t want others to do that to you. â€Å"Treat others as you would have them treat you.† Golden Rule. But, if only you do this and no one else does you are going to get eaten up by the world. This may contradict a person’s adaptability and may negatively appeal to emotion; you will feel like a B-. Veil of ignorance- You have two people who love cake. Tell one person to cut a cake in half but let the other choose which half to take. Again, Golden Rule. Kant says there is a difference between objects and people, you can replace objects but not people. Someone broke my computer, I am sad. He buys me a new one, I am happy. I am about to die, my parents are sad. They can clone me, should they be happy? He also says that you shouldn’t kill people for the greater good. But what if they were murderers or rapists aren’t they causing sadness, and their deaths would in fact be for the greater good? Kant sees that a persons intentions that count rather than the final result. But what if I am helping a person, who is bad and corrupt, against a thief who is only trying to feed his family, quite the dilemma. Kant uses only reasoning rather than emotion so that people always do what is right rather than when they feel like it. Consistency is key to his theories. Criticisms of Kant Moral Absolutism You can’t always not lie. What if a murderer wants to kill your dad? Your dad hides and then the murder breaks in and asks you were he is. If you follow Kant’s ideas, you would tell him where your dad is. There must be some sort of emotion to counteract those who do not follow the philosophy of Kant. But again, Kant is saying that EVERYONE should do this, and this murderer wouldn’t exist in Kant’s ideal world. Rule worship- To blindly follow rules without using your own knowledge. â€Å"If rules can not be bent, then they should be broken.† Conflicts of duty- should you steal the medicine for your dying wife? Should you save your grandmother from the burning house or the doctor who can save many people? Moral coldness- The world would be emotionless and sad. There will be little space for happiness because everything is going to be so constant and emotions will have a very small presence. Utilitarianism- Seek the greatest happiness for the greatest number. What if you could randomly pick 10 people to die and save 100? Would you do it? You can say yes, because it logical, you use no emotion what so ever. That goes against Kant though because he says that people have dignity and you shouldn’t take that away. You can say no, where you are mostly using emotion.

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Incorporating Family Career Genogram

Incorporating Family Career Genogram Genogram is a graphic display of a persons family traits, relationships and also medical history. They go far away from a traditional family tree as they allow the individual to visualize some hereditary patterns and psychological factors that can interrupt or help relationships. Genograms can also be used to identify recurring patterns of behaviors, choices and identify hereditary tendencies. Normally, genograms will illustrate three generations (Krasner-Khait, 2000). The person can use a variety of lines to indicate relationships and names (see example below). A genogram not only will identify the names of people that belong to the persons family lineage, but also how those people interact with each other. Depends on the reason the person is using the genonogram, he/she may note the date of births, deaths, marriages and in the case of a career, the person might also include family members careers and positions as well. In relation to career counseling, King (2010) stated if a person is not sure which field is right for him/her a genogram may be helpful. Genogram is a diagram, like a family tree, that represents the career positions of family members. It gives the person an idea of the types of jobs he/she may naturally be good at. Genogram can clearly reveal how the family career choices have influenced the persons career preferences. There is no doubt that by identifying the family career choices the person can notice how his/her family members expectations had shaped his/her own career aspirations and decision making. Picture1.png Sample of a career Genogram Brief historical background The origin of the use of the word genogram is still a mystery. The term genogram was first suggested in 1978 by Dr. Murray Bowen to substitute the longer term family diagram. Dr. Bowen started to use the new term genogram during the late 1960s by Bowen System Therapists and by the 1970s it was broadly accepted by the community. As the concept was broadly accepted in the promising field of family medicine, the North American Primary Care Research Group (NAPCRG) undertook the job to standardize the symbols. The person involved in coordinating the standardization during the 1980s was Monica Goldrick (What is a Genogram?, 2011). In 1985 through the publication of a book Genograms: Assessments and Interventions (1985), by Monica Goldrick and Randy Gerson the term was rapidly popularized in clinical settings. Since then the use of genogram has been used by various professional field such as education, medicine, psychiatry, psychology, genetics and many more. Throughout the time, genograms have been used to incorporate observations about medical history and major traits of each member of the family. Genograms have been also used as instruments to uncover intergenerational models of behaviors, family conflicts and alliances, marriages, family secrets, careers, and any other information that will explain the persons familys current situation (What is a Genogram?, 2011). Basic genogram symbols Genograms are graphics that includes simple symbols that gives information about the family member such as gender and it also includes various lines to illustrate the relationships between them. In a genogram males are represented by a square and female by circles. When illustrating a family, a horizontal line is usually connecting the two parents. The children are below from oldest to youngest and from right to left (What is a Genogram?, 2011). GenogramComponent In a genogram the males are represented by a square on the left and female by circles on the right. When developing a standard genogram, there are usually three different types of children; natural or biological, adopted child, and foster child. If there is a triangle, it represents a pregnancy, abortion or miscarriage. If it is a miscarriage, a diagonal cross is drawn on top of the triangle to specify the death of the fetus; in the case of an abortion, the illustration is similar but with an additional horizontal line. A still birth will be demonstrated the same as its a gender, with the difference that the gender symbol is twice as small though the diagonal cross remains the same size (What is a Genogram?, 2011). GenogramComponent In a family relationship, a horizontal line is used to describe the union of two people but also it could change to describe other family relationships such as separation, divorce, engagement, and so on. The following are the most common symbols used in a family genogram: GenogramComponent This is a typical representation of a married couple; there is no special distinction between a religious or civil marriage. GenogramComponent This graphic represent a married couple not longer living together; the separation is displayed by an oblique line across the horizontal line. GenogramComponent This graphic represent a married couple is separated and have started a legal procedure to be divorced. GenogramComponent This graphic represent a married couple has already been divorced. GenogramComponent This graphic represent that one of the spouse died during the marriage. Although there is a universal understanding on the basic genogram structure and the usage of symbols, there have been some variations from time to time or from author to another. According to GenoPro (2010), as long as the person follows the four basic rules to build a genogram, people will be able to understand the work (What is a Genogram?, 2011). Males should be always at the left and females always at the right. In case of ambiguity, always assume a male and female relationship rather that male to male and so on. A spouse should be always being close to his/her partner, then the second and so on. Oldest child should be always at the left and the youngest ant the right of the family. Genograms in counseling strategies According to Gibson (2005), genograms have been applied effectively in career counseling with adults; however it has been limited use in career counseling with elementary, middle and high school students. A career genogram can be used to show how parental expectations and role models influence career aspirations and educational decisions that can be valuable in helping students in reach their goals. The use of genogram in career counseling offer the student and counselor a clear method of assessing and identifying the career patterns in the childs family. The use of family career genoram is a good way to start improving the students career awareness. This exercise will help support communication between the student and the rest of family members as well as to teach different interview and assessment techniques that will eventually help his/her adulthood career development competencies. According to Niles and Harris-Bowlsbey (2008), adults need to develop positive self-concept or competencies that include a precise understanding of their strengths, interests, abilities, and values and how those characteristics may influence their career decisions. Regarding graduates and adults, career genogram is an effective tool to establish career goals. If the person has a specific interest, the genogram will help on narrow down the career choices in a shorter amount of time. Career genogram might also assist in counseling adults in changing career paths. When developed, the genogram most likely will include different types of jobs or career that can be recognized by different family members (King, 2010). According to Magnuson (2004), family genograms are usually used in the perspective of family counseling, provide a discussion for explaining influences and trends that changes over time and across generations. Genograms can be developed mostly to document a range of family dynamics. They also could be designed with a more concise focus, such as discovering the influence of family on an individuals career decision making process. Career genogram might assist in counseling adults by assisting the client to gather vital information for the life planning process. It might also help recognize patterns that can be of assistance in the career choice process. By developing a genogram, the person will learn to identify his/her strengths and possible limitations of his/her future career. Â   Counselors use it to find out a wide range of information about the family that may not be measured or acknowledge with regular questionnaires or interviews. When discussed with the family this process helps clients generate options for change. Several clients have found an increased understanding of their families revealed ideas about career. Other uses of genogram Counseling Genograms are also used in marriage and family counseling as well as in individual therapy to describe chronological and present information. In family and or marriage counseling, it can show emotions attached to marriage or family roles. Families can recognize the values and strengths of their constructive family patterns and discover problem notions in order to stay away from repeating the same negative behaviors in the future. In individual counseling, genogram might point out recurrent episodes that have impacted the persons self-concept in positive or negative ways and assist the person make mindful choices so will develop healthy patterns and decline those that have harm healthy growth and development (Joy, 2010). Medicine Genograms are used in health care to classify or identify illness, disease and at unsafe lifestyles in the families. It can be used to discover and describe heart disease that goes from generations to generations and first and foremost affecting males. Genograms may be utilized to document family history of obesity as well as diabetes. It can be used to show that an illness may be rejected due to certain lifestyle changes. Genograms may also assist physicians recognize illnesses that have a genetic, element such as cystic fibrosis and hemophilia (Joy, 2010). Personal reflection on the use of a genogram Career genogram might assist in counseling adults by assisting the client to gather vital information for the life planning process. It can also help to recognize patterns that can help in the career choice process. By developing a genogram, the person will learn to identify his/her strengths and possible limitations of his/her future career. One of the trends in my family is that our family rules played an important role in forecasting the family members behaviors and beliefs thus career decision making. For example, my family was raised in a healthy and functional environment which made us being more resilient and develops autonomy. Although most of us worked in the bank industry in a certain time of our careers, our beliefs and the way we were raised will certainly have an effect on our career development. It helped us have more flexibility in choosing a career and knowing what we want from a specific career. Not all of the family members went to college and only two of us have gr aduate degrees. As each family member was preparing for his/her professional life, our parents encouraged us to have personal autonomy while remaining related or connected to the family. They never imposed a specific idea or profession as long as we do it with dignity and respect. We had the opportunity to discuss with the family our needs and problems which gave us the support necessary to develop maturity in our career decision process. Another pattern, biases, or diversity found while doing a career genogram is that each one of us chose a different career path but all of them are involved in helping or assisting others. Although I am the only one in between my brothers and sisters currently working in the mental health field, there are already members of the next generation (nephews, nieces and cousins) showing interest in the field as well. One of this writer future goals is to have a private practice or own business which is a common trend as few of my family members have already been entrepreneurs or business owners. Career counseling helps the client build high motivational level by understanding the persons professional needs and wants. Genogram is an important tool in career counseling process as it helps with various aspects of personal insight, support and greater understanding based on family history. Along with other interventions, genogram help the counselor achieve one of the ultimate goals of career counseling which is to ensure that every client set goals and give his/her best in reaching them while understanding his/her strengths and values not to only enhance his/her work skills but to reveal the persons hidden ingenuity.

A Brief History of Bonn Essay -- Thebaean legionaries, germany

With traces of humans dating back 50,000 years, Bonn is considered to be one of Germany’s oldest cities (History). The city of Bonn â€Å"celebrated its 2000th anniversary in 1989, based on the date of its first written mention by the Roman writer Florus in 11 BC† (History). â€Å"Friedrich Schlegel once called Bonn a â€Å"friendly† town and it has been a friendly town throughout the whole 2000 years if its existence, which dates back to the foundation of the Drusus fort in the year 13 BC (Schleifer).† Around 11 BC, a Roman army placed a unit in what is present day downtown. However, before this occurred, the army moved members of a Germanic tribe, the Ubii, to Bonna which is Latin for Bonn. After many years, the army released the small camp linked to the Ubii-settlement. Around the 1st century AD, the Roman army then took a spot to the north of emerging Bonna in what is now the section of Bonn-Castell to build a military fort called Castra Bonnensis, whi ch means Fort Bonn. This Fort was used through the 5th century AD and continued to stand in the Middle Ages, where the fort was called Bonnburg. The structures were not of much use until the Frankish kings who were in control at this time decided to use them as part of the city wall in the 13th century. Barbarian invaders destroyed much of the original city of Bonna, and when the time came for the barbarians to take over, the troops switched their allegiances to save themselves from certain death. It is from these barbarians that the medieval city of Bonn began to rise (Bonn). â€Å"One well-documented event was the martyrdom of two Thebaean legionaries. The Thebaean Legion was an all-Christian legion, which refused to worship the emperor as a god. As punishment, the Thebaean Legion's commander, Ma... ...rk: Berghahn Books, 2010. Print. "Bonn." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 25 Apr. 2014. Web. 27 Apr. 2014. "Bonn: A Brief History." A Brief History of Bonn. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Apr. 2014. "Bonn Travel Guide." Travel Guide. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Apr. 2014. de Bruyn, Gerd . Post tower : Helmut Jahn, Werner Sobek, Matthias Schuler. Berlin; Boston: Birkhauser Verlag, 1997. Print. "Drachenfels (Siebengebirge)." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 18 Apr. 2014. Web. 28 Apr. 2014. Website Flagge, Ingeborg. Architektur in Bonn nach 1945 : Bauten in der Bundeshauptstadt und ihrer Umgebung. Bonn: Rohrscheid, 1984. Print. Grosser, Dieter. German Unification: The Unexpected Challenge. Oxford: Berg, 1992. Print. "Hans Riegel Bonn = HARIBO - A Traditional Brand with History." Hans Riegel Bonn = HARIBO - A Traditional Brand with History. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Apr. 2014.

Monday, August 19, 2019

Charlotte Perkins Gilman and Feminism Essay -- Literacy Analysis

The adversity women endured in a patriarchal society during the nineteenth century gave birth to female feminism. Charlotte Perkins Gilman was one of the leading feminist during that time. Gilman strived for the oppressed women during the â€Å"Victorian Age†, she dedicated her life to social reform believing ever women should have equality. She opened the door for every day women to become involved and to be the masters of their own destiny. The subjugation Gilman faced in the nineteenth century as well as her own experience with postpartum depression greatly influenced her short story â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper.† Gilman lived in a time of American history where women were subjugated against and using her own life experience, she wrote â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper.† Gilman was born on July 3, 1860, during the American Civil War. After the war, America changed drastically and Gilman was at the forefront of that change. The Industrial Revolution soon took place after the war. The men who no longer fought on the battlefield began to integrate into the workforce. According to Carol Hymowitz who wrote A History of Women in America â€Å"The business of business took middle-class men away from their homes, leaving women alone in them. Women of the middle class were isolated from the world of men a commerce.† Women continued to do traditional work such as cooking, cleaning, making cloths and caring for children. Because the men earned money and the women did not, women’s work was not considered â€Å"real work† (History).This was the beginning of the inequality among sexe s. Gilman watched and observed the world around her as men portrayed women as nothing more than simple house-wives. Gilman was outraged by laws which made wives property of their husbands,... ... Works Cited Norton, Mary Beth. Major Problems in American Women’s History. Lexington, Massachusetts: D.C. Health, 1989. p202.Print> Hymowitz, Carol, and Michaele Weissman. A History of Women in America. New York: Bantam Books, 1978. p64. Print> Johnson, Greg. â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper.† Short Stories for Students. Vol.1. p289. Print> Beck, Cheryl, and Jeanne Driscoll. Postpartum Mood and Anxiety Disorders. Saubury, Massachusetts: Jones and Bartlett Publishers, 2006. p83. Print> http://lion.chadwyck.com/searchFulltext.do?id=BIO003857&divLevel=0&queryId=../session/13 36535002_12933&trailId=1369532E38F&area=ref&forward=critref_ft. Chadwych, Healy. Literature Online. Criticism & Reference: Full Text.2001.May 2, 2012. http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/postpartum-depression/DS00546. Mayo Claim Staff. Postpartum Depression. June 3, 2010. May 2, 2012 Charlotte Perkins Gilman and Feminism Essay -- Literacy Analysis The adversity women endured in a patriarchal society during the nineteenth century gave birth to female feminism. Charlotte Perkins Gilman was one of the leading feminist during that time. Gilman strived for the oppressed women during the â€Å"Victorian Age†, she dedicated her life to social reform believing ever women should have equality. She opened the door for every day women to become involved and to be the masters of their own destiny. The subjugation Gilman faced in the nineteenth century as well as her own experience with postpartum depression greatly influenced her short story â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper.† Gilman lived in a time of American history where women were subjugated against and using her own life experience, she wrote â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper.† Gilman was born on July 3, 1860, during the American Civil War. After the war, America changed drastically and Gilman was at the forefront of that change. The Industrial Revolution soon took place after the war. The men who no longer fought on the battlefield began to integrate into the workforce. According to Carol Hymowitz who wrote A History of Women in America â€Å"The business of business took middle-class men away from their homes, leaving women alone in them. Women of the middle class were isolated from the world of men a commerce.† Women continued to do traditional work such as cooking, cleaning, making cloths and caring for children. Because the men earned money and the women did not, women’s work was not considered â€Å"real work† (History).This was the beginning of the inequality among sexe s. Gilman watched and observed the world around her as men portrayed women as nothing more than simple house-wives. Gilman was outraged by laws which made wives property of their husbands,... ... Works Cited Norton, Mary Beth. Major Problems in American Women’s History. Lexington, Massachusetts: D.C. Health, 1989. p202.Print> Hymowitz, Carol, and Michaele Weissman. A History of Women in America. New York: Bantam Books, 1978. p64. Print> Johnson, Greg. â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper.† Short Stories for Students. Vol.1. p289. Print> Beck, Cheryl, and Jeanne Driscoll. Postpartum Mood and Anxiety Disorders. Saubury, Massachusetts: Jones and Bartlett Publishers, 2006. p83. Print> http://lion.chadwyck.com/searchFulltext.do?id=BIO003857&divLevel=0&queryId=../session/13 36535002_12933&trailId=1369532E38F&area=ref&forward=critref_ft. Chadwych, Healy. Literature Online. Criticism & Reference: Full Text.2001.May 2, 2012. http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/postpartum-depression/DS00546. Mayo Claim Staff. Postpartum Depression. June 3, 2010. May 2, 2012

Sunday, August 18, 2019

Drinking and Driving Essay -- Drunk Driving Alcohol DUI Influence Essa

Drunk driving is considered a serious crime in every state. It is wrong, irresponsible and wastes many lives. People who abuse alcohol hurt everyone around them, endanger public safety, and create carnage on the nation's highways. There is nothing positive that can come out of drunk driving, so why do people do it? It is society's job to punish these menaces and try to take control of this out of control issue. America doesn't want to watch idly as hundreds of people are killed each day. We want to take a stand and let the world know that we may be the 'land of the free and the brave' but there is nothing brave or free about driving drunk. What should be done about this problem is debatable and certainly open to discussion, but the first step is lowering the BAC (blood alcohol concentration) level from .10 to .08. Many states have already done this and I commend them on this decision, but the government needs to mandate this to all the states. Some people oppose this decision and sa y that it is based on 'emotion, personal vendettas, and irrational, sound public policy, nor backed up by statistical data.'( DWI Dilema, Internet source) However, I disagree. We need to send the message that it is not acceptable, nor is it constitutional to drive under any influence of alcohol, weather it be .08 or .20.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  ?Drunken driving was once treated much as car accidents?a regrettable but unavoidable part of life on the roads. But a vocal grass-roots movement led my MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) persuaded much of the country, over two decades, to view it as a type of criminal negligence. Public patience with drunk drivers quickly grew thin as well-publicized death tolls mounted. ( Mishra, Internet source)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  What exactly is drunk driving? This is a question that has yet to be answered. ?To determine the concentration of alcohol in the body at any given time, it is necessary to establish the blood alcohol concentration (BAC), which measures the percentage of alcohol in the blood. When a person consumes more alcohol than his or her body can immediately eliminate, alcohol accumulates in the bloodstream and the BAC rises.?(Henderson, 23) In Connecticut the BAC level is .08, this means that the blood alcohol level needed to be arrested for drunken driving has to be .08 or higher. ?One can also be convicted of drunk driving without the results of a blood alcoho... ...st charge of failure to appear carries the potential penalty of 1 year in jail and/or a $2,000 fine.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  America is not putting a deaf ear to the war on drunk driving. It is far from over, but every step we take to get it under control, is a step toward drying it up. Lowering the BAC level is just the first step, we still have a long journey ahead of us. Connecticut has taken a stand and been one of the twelve states to lower their legal BAC level to .08. I truly agree with this decision, and hope that other states will follow our lead. ?Strict criminal prosecution of alcohol-impaired drivers is the most effective deterrent in reducing the menace of alcohol-impaired driving.?(Henderson, 108) This battle isn?t just between people who are old enough to drive as well as drink. Teenagers, much like my self, are taking action against drunk driving. In Hamden High School we have a very active club called S.A.D.D.(Students against Drunk Driving) This club makes young people aware of the dangers of driving even after drinking small amounts of alcohol. This is an issue that i s not to be taken lightly, and it certainly isn?t. I just hope that one day, this issue will be non-existent.

Saturday, August 17, 2019

Ottomans Versus the Safavids

Many empires of Middle East civilizations have had strong political and social structures. Two of these empires are the Ottomans and the Safavids. The rise of the Ottomans correlates with the decline of the Roman Empire, which generated the shift in power from a singular Christian European society to a more Islamic influence. The Ottoman people became powerful in Asia Minor, which collapsed as a Seljuk Turk Kingdom, in the 13th to 14th centuries. The Safavids rose to power following the collapse of the Turkic Empire and invasion of the Mongols in the 13th and 14th centuries. Although the Safavids had advanced political and social systems, the Ottoman empire had more efficient political and social methods. The Ottomans and the Safavids both had strong features to their political systems. The Ottomans controlled using a strong military, use of weapons, and an extensive bureaucracy. Their empire was known to be geared for warfare. The Ottoman empire had strong governmental power. They ruled in their center of Constantinople, which the Ottomans built defense walls around, aqueducts in, and was where they opened their markets. Absolute power was granted to their Sultans, such as Suleymon the Magnificent. Another unique political factor of the Ottomans was their use of Janissaries. Janissaries were Ottoman infantry divisions that were made up of boys that were legally slaves that were captured and forced to fight. They were extremely strong and beneficial to the Ottomans. The Safavids ruled under the control of a Shah, or emperor. Some of these Shahs were Abbas the Great, Tahmasp I, and Isma’il. A large part of the Safavid political control was their followers who were given the nickname â€Å"Redheads† due to their red headgear. Similar to the Ottomans, the Safavid also had one especially great leader who led the empire to good times and success. This Shah was Abbas The Great, who, like Ottoman janissaries, captured boys from southern Russia for the military and created a grand and powerful army. There were many differences between these empires because the two empires tended to stay separate from each other. When the Ottomans went to advance into the Safavid territory they had to retreat because it was too far away from the supply areas that the Ottomans survived off of. Due to this and other reasons the two seemed the stay separate and just pay attention to other areas and what they could do to better their empires individually. The social life of the two empires were similar in some ways and not at all similar in others. The trade of the Safavid was also more advanced. There were roads built and workshops made during the time of the Safavids. The Ottomans had more religious tolerance than the Safavids did. These two societies for women were very similar. In both of these empires many women in the Islamic heartlands struggled against social restrictions in dress and confinement. In both of the empires, the women were politically weak. They had little to no power over the decisions and politics of the empires. They were meant to be loyal to men and to be veiled. Both of these empires captured boys for their militaries. These men were considered slaves with few social rights, although they did have more then women. Even though the Safavids had many strong ideas on the correct political and social way to run their empire, the Ottoman empire had more efficient and advanced methods. The Ottomans used more warfare than the Safavids. But, the rights of women were the same in both empires. The Ottomans and the Safavids were both strong political empires of their time, with improved and efficient political and social systems.

Friday, August 16, 2019

Decision of the Union of India Essay

The validity of the decision of the Union of India to disinvest and transfer 51% shares of M/s. Bharat Aluminium Company Limited (hereinafter referred to as ‘BALCO’) is the primary issue in these cases. BALCO was incorporated in 1965 as a Government of India Undertaking under the Companies Act, 1956. Prior to its disinvestment it had a paid-up share capital of Rs.488.85 crores which was owned and controlled by the Government of India. The company is engaged in the manufacture of aluminium and had plants at Korba in the State of Chhattisgarh and Bidhanbag in the State of West Bengal. The Company has integrated aluminium manufacturing plant for the manufacture and sale of aluminium metal including wire rods and semi- fabricated products. The Government of Madhya Pradesh vide its letter dated 18th March, 1968 wrote to BALCO stating that it proposed that land be granted to it on a 99 years lease subject to the terms and conditions contained therein. The letter envisaged giving on lease Government land on payment of premium of Rs.200/- per acre and, in addition thereto also to provide tenure land which was to be acquired and transferred on lease to BALCO on payment by it the actual cost of acquisition plus annual lease rent. Vide its letter dated 13th June, 1968 BALCO gave its assent to the proposal contained in the aforesaid letter of 18th March, 1968 for transfer of land to it. BALCO intimated by this letter that the total requirement of land would be about 1616 acres. Thereafter, in addition to the Government land which was transferred, the Government of Madhya Pradesh acquired land for BALCO under the provisions of the Land Acquisition Act, 1894 on payment of compensation. The District Collector, Bilaspur also granted permission under Section 165(6) of the M.P. Land Revenue Code, 1959 for acquiring/transferring private land in favour of BALCO. As a result of the aforesaid, BALCO set up it’s establishment on it’s acquiring land from and with the help of the State Government. Since 1990-91 successive Central Government had been planning to disinvest some of the Public Sector Undertakings. In pursuance to the policy of disinvestment by a Resolution dated 23rd August, 1996 the Ministry of Industry (Department of Public Enterprises) Government of India constituted a Public Sector Disinvestment Commission initially for a period of three  years. The Resolution stated that this Commission was established in pursuance of the Common Minimum Programme of the United Front Government at the Centre. The Commission was an independent, non-statutory advisory body and was headed by Shri G. V. Ramakrishna who was to be its Full-time Chairman. The Commission had four part-time Members. Paras 3, 4 and 5 of the said Resolution are as follows: – â€Å"3. The broad terms of reference of the Commission are as follows: I. To draw a comprehensive overall long term disinvestment programme within 5-10 years for the PSUs referred to it by the Core Group. II. To determine the extent of disinvestment (total/partial indicating percentage) in each of the PSU. III. To prioritise the PSUs referred to it by the Core Group in terms of the overall disinvestment programme. IV. To recommend the preferred mode(s) of disinvestment (domestic capital markets/international capital markets/auction/private sale to identified investors/any other) for each of the identified PSUs. Also to suggest an appropriate mix of the various alternatives taking into account the market conditions. V. To recommend a mix between primary and secondary disinvestments taking into account Government’s objective, the relevant PSUs funding requirement and the market conditions. VI. To supervise the overall sale process and take decisions on instrument, pricing, tim ing, etc. as appropriate. VII. To select the financial advisors for the specified PSUs to facilitate the disinvestment process. VIII. To ensure that appropriate measures are taken during the disinvestment process to protect the interests of the affected employees including encouraging employees’ participation in the sale process. IX. To monitor the progress of disinvestment process and take necessary measures and report periodically to the Government on such progress. X. To assist the Government to create public awareness of the Government’s disinvestment policies and programmes with a view to developing a commitment by the people. XI. To give wide publicity to the disinvestment proposals so as to ensure larger public participation in the shareholding of the enterprises; and XII. To advise the Government on possible capital restructuring of the enterprises by marginal investment, if required, so as to ensure enhanced realisation through disinvestment. 4. The Disinvestment Commission will be advisory body and the Government will take a final decision on the companies  to be disinvested and mode of disinvestment on the basis of advice given by the Disinvestment Commission. The PSUs would implement the decision of the Government under the overall supervision of the Disinvestment Commission. 5. The Commission while advising the Government on the above matters will also take into consideration the interests of stakeholders, workers, consumers and others having a stake in the relevant public sector undertakings.† It may here be noted that by a Resolution dated 12th January, 1998 the earlier Resolution of 23rd August, 1996 was partly modified with deletion of paras 3, 4 and 5 and by substitution of the same by the following: â€Å"3(i) The Disinvestment Commission shall be an advisory body and its role and function would be to advise the Government on Disinvestment in those public sector units that are referred to it by the Government. 3(ii) The Commission shall also advise the Government on any other matter relating to disinvestment as may be specifically referred to it by the Government, and also carry out any other activities relating to disinvestment as may be assigned to it by the Government. 3(iii) In making its recommendations, the Commission will also take into consideration the interests of workers, employees and others stake holders, in the public sector unit(s). 3(iv) The final decision on the recommendations of the Disinvestment Commission will vest with the Government.† According to the Union of India, it laid down the broad procedures to be followed for processing the recommendations of the Disinvestment Commission. It was, inter alia, decided that : i. The Ministry of Finance (now Department of Disinvestment) would process the recommendations of the Disinvestment Commission, by inviting comments from the concerned administrative machinery; ii. Submit the recommendations to the Core Group of Secretaries for Disinvestment for consideration; iii. The recommendations of the Core Group of Secretaries would then be taken to Cabinet for decision; iv. It was also decided that the Core Group of Secretaries would be headed by the Cabinet Secretary and its permanent members would be Finance Secretary, Revenue Secretary, Expenditure Secretary, Secretary Department of Public Enterprises, Secretary Planning Commission and Chief Economic Advisor, Ministry of Finance, and v. To implement the decisions, an Inter-Ministerial  Group headed by the Secretary/Joint Secretary of the Administrative Ministry and consisting of Joint Secretaries of Department of Economic Affairs, Department of Public Enterprises, alongwith the Chairman and Managing Director of the Companies as Members and Director (Finance) of the company as the Convenor. In case of BALCO, the IMG consisted of Secretary level Officers and was headed by Secretary (Mines). On 10th December, 1999 the Department of Disinvestment was set up and the responsibilities which were earlier assigned to the Ministry of Finance have now been transferred to this Department. The Disinvestment Commission in its 2nd Report submitted in April, 1997 advised the Government of India that BALCO needed to be privatised. The recommendation which it made was that the Government may immediately disinvest its holding in the Company by offering a significant share of 40% of the equity to a strategic partner. The Report further advised that there should be an agreement with the selected strategic partner specifying that the Government would within two years make a public offer in the domestic market for further sale of shares to institutions, small investors and employees thereby bringing down its holding to 26%. The Commission also recommended that there should be an on-going review of the situation and the Government may disinvest its balance equity of 26% in full in favour  of investors in the domestic market at the appropriate time. The Commission had recommended the appointment of a Financial Advisor to undertake a proper valuation of the company and to conduct the sale process. The Commission had categorised BALCO as a non-core group industry. The Chairman of the Disinvestment Commission wrote a letter dated 12th June, 1998 to the Secretary, Ministry of Mines, Government on India drawing the Government’s attention to the recommendation of the Commission for sale of 40% of equity in BALCO and to bringing down of the Government holding to 26% within two years. This letter then referred to the 5th Report of the Commission wherein it had reviewed the question of strategic sale and had suggested that the Government may keep its shareholding below the level of investment being offered by the strategic buyer and its divesting some portion of equity to other entities. This letter noted that in these circumstances, it may be difficult to get in a multilateral financial institution to act fast in  taking up share of BALCO. The Chairman of the Commission then recommended that â€Å"in keeping with the spirit of the recommendations of the 5th Report, you may now kindly consider offering 51% or more to the strategic buyer along with transfer of management. This sale will enable a smooth transaction with the participation of more bidders and better price for the shares. This will also be in keeping with the current policy as announced by the FM in his recent budget speech†. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs had, in the meantime, in September 1997 granted approval for appointment of a technical and financial advisor, selected through a competitive process, for managing the strategic sale and restructuring of BALCO. Global advertisement was then issued inviting from interested parties Expression of Interest for selection as a Global Advisor. The advertisement was published in four financial papers in India and also in ‘The Economist’, a renowned financial magazine published abroad. Eight Merchant Banks showed their interest in appointment of the Global Advisor. The lowest bid of M/s. Jardine Fleming Securities India Ltd. was accepted and approved by the Cabinet Committee on Disinvestment on 9th March, 1999. The Cabinet Committee on Disinvestment also approved the proposal of strategic sale of 51% equity in respect of BALCO. The decision of the Government to the aforesaid strategic sale was challenged by the BALCO Employees’ Union by filing Writ Petition No. 2249 of 1999 in the High Court of Delhi. This petition was disposed of by the High Court vide its order dated 3rd August, 1999. On 3rd March, 2000, the Union Cabinet approved the Ministry of Mines’ proposal to reduce the share capital of BALCO from Rs.488.8 crores to Rs.244.4 crores. This resulted in cash flow of Rs.244.4 crores to the Union Government in the Financial Year 1999-2000. A formal Agreement between Jardine Fleming, the Global Advisor and the Government of India was executed on 14th June, 2000. The Scope of work of the Global Advisor, inter alia, included the development, updating and review of a list of potential buyers of the stake; preparing necessary documents; assisting the Government of India in sale negotiations with potential buyers and to advise on the sale price; to coordinate and monitor the progress of the transaction until its completion. Thereafter, on 16th  June, 2000 the Global Advisor, on behalf of the Government of India, issued an advertisement calling for â€Å"Expression of Interest† in leading journals and newspapers such as the Economist, London, the Mining Journal, London, the Economic Times, India, Business Standard, India and the Financial Express, India. The invitation was to Companies and Joint Ventures which may be interested in acquiring 51% shares of the Government of India in BALCO. The last date for submitting the expression of interest was 30th June, 2000 and the interested companies were required to submit their expression of interest together with their Audited Annual Reports and a profile describing their business and operations. Eight companies submitted their Expression of Interest. These companies were as follows: â€Å"i. Sterlite Industries (India) Ltd. ii. Hindalco Industries Ltd. iii. Tranex Holding Inc. iv. Indian Minerals Corporation Plc. v. VAW Aluminium AG, Germany vi. ALCOA, USA vii. Sibirsky, Russia viii. MALCO† M/s. Jardine Fleming, Global Advisor made an analysis of the various bids on the basis of the financial and technical capability, familiarity with India and overall credibility. Thereupon two companies, namely, Indian Minerals Corporation Plc. and Tranex Holding Inc. were rejected. The Inter-Ministerial Group (hereinafter referred to as IMG) set up by the Union of India, accepted the expression of interest of six out of eight parties and it also decided that the bids of Sterlite and MALCO be treated as one. Thus there remained five prospective bidders but two, namely, VAW Aluminium AG, Germany and Sibirsky, Russia dropped out and the remaining three, namely, ALCOA, USA Hindalco and Sterlite conducted due diligence (inspection) on BALCO between September to December, 2000. The IMG considered the drafts of the Shareholders’ Agreement and the Share Purchase  Agreement and had discussions with three prospective bidders and ultimately the said drafts were finalised on 11th Januar y, 2001. For the purpose of carrying out the asset valuation of BALCO, the Global Advisor shortlisted four parties from the list of Registered Government Valuers approved by the Income-Tax Department. On 18th January, 2001, BALCO invited quotations from the four Registered Valuers, so short listed, and the quotation of Shri P. V. Rao was accepted. Shri P. V. Rao was a registered valuer of immovable property and his team mates were Government Registered Valuers authorised to value plant and machinery. They were assisted in the work of valuation by officers of the Indian Bureau of Mines for assessing the values of existing mines. Pending the receipt of the valuation report from Shri P. V. Rao, the Global Advisor on 8th February, 2001 requested the three bidders to submit their financial bids alongwith other necessary documents by 15th February, 2001, which was later extended by one day. On 14th February, 2001 Shri P. V. Rao submitted his asset valuation report to M/s. Jardine Fleming. On 15th February, 2001, an Evaluation Committee headed by the Additional Secretary (Mines) was constituted. This Committee was required to fix the reserve price of 51% equity of BALCO which was to be sold to the strategic party. The three contenders, namely, Alcoa, Hindalco and Sterlite Industries Ltd. submitted their sealed bids to the Secretary (Mines) and Secretary (Disinvestment) on 16th February, 2001. It is thereafter, that M/s. Jardine Fleming presented its valuation report together with the asset valuation done by Shri P. V. Rao to the Evaluation Committee to work out the reserve price. The range of valuation of BALCO that emerged on various methodologies was as follows:- (i) Discounted Cash Flow – Rs. 651.2 – 994.7 crores (ii) Comparables – Rs. 587 – 909 cores (iii) Balance Sheet – Rs. 597.2 – 681.9 crores Thus, the range of valuation by all these methods came between Rs.587 and Rs.995 crores for 100% of the equity. Ipso facto, for 51% of the equity, the range of valuation came out as Rs.300 to Rs.507 crores. The Evaluation Committee then deliberated on the various methodologies and concluded, as  per the affidavit of the Union of India, that the most appropriate methodology for valuing the shares of a running business of BALCO would be the Discounted Cash Flow method. It decided to add a control premium of 25% on the base value of equity (although the Advisor had viewed that the premium should range between 10-15%) and then add the value of non-core assets to arrive at a valuation of Rs.1008.6 crores for the company as a whole, 51% of which amounts of Rs.514.4 crores which was fixed as the Reserve Price. According to the respondents, the Evaluation Committee felt that Asset Valuation Report appeared to have over valued the fixed assets of the company at Rs.1072.2 crores. The committee further observed that the fixed asset valuation method was only a good indicator of the value that could be realised if the business was to be liquidated, rather than for valuing the business as a going concern. Furthermore, the asset valuation method did not take into  account the liabilities and contingent liability that go with the business. When the financial bids were opened, it was found that the bid of Sterlite Industries was the highest at Rs.551.5 crores, the bid of Hindalco was Rs.275 crores while ALCOA had opted out. The report of the Evaluation Committee for acceptance of the bid which was higher than the reserve price was considered by the IMG which recommended the acceptance of the bid of Sterlite Industries to the core group of Secretaries. This core group in turn made its recommendation to the Cabinet Committee on Disinvestment which on 21st February, 2001 approved/accepted the bid of Sterlite Industries at Rs.551.5 crores. The Government’s decision was communicated to Sterlite Industries on that date. The announcement of the decision to accept the bid of Sterlite Industries led to the initiation of legal proceedings challenging the said decision. On 23rd February, 2001 Dr. B. L. Wadhera filed Civil Writ Petition No. 1262 of 2001 in the Delhi High Court. This was followed by Writ Petition No. 1280 of 2001 filed by the employees of BALCO on 24th February, 2001 also in the High Court of Delhi. On that very date, i.e., on 24th February, 2001 another employee of BALCO, namely, Mr. Samund Singh Kanwar filed Civil Writ Petition No. 241 of 2001 in the High Court of Chhattisgarh. While the aforesaid writ petitions were pending there was a Calling Attention Motion on Disinvestment with regard to BALCO in  the Rajya Sabha. Discussions on the said motion took place in the Rajya Sabha on 27th February, 2001 and the matter was discussed in the Lok Sabha on 1st March, 2001. The motion â€Å"that this House disapproves the proposed disinvestment of Bharat Aluminium Company Ltd.† was defeated in the Lok Sabha by 239 votes to 119 votes. Soon thereafter on 2nd March, 2001, Shareholders Agreement and Share Purchase Agreement between the Government of India and Sterlite Industries Limited were signed. Pursuant to the execution of sale, 51% of the equity was transferred to Sterlite Industries Limited and a cheque for Rs.551.5 crores was received. It is not necessary to refer to the terms of the agreement in any great detail except to notice a few clauses which pertain to safeguarding the interest of the employees of the company. Clauses H and J of the preamble reads as follows : â€Å"H. Subject to Clause 7.2, the Parties envision that all employees of the Company on the date hereof shall continue in the employment of the Company. J. The SP recognises that the Government in relation to its employment policies follows certain principles for the benefit of the members of the Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribes, physically handicapped persons and other socially disadvantaged categories of the society. The SP shall use its best efforts to cause the Company to provide adequate job opportunities for such persons. Further, in the event of any reduction in the strength of the employees of the Company, the SP shall use its best efforts to ensure that the physically handicapped persons are retrenched at the end.† Clause 7.2 which contains the Representations, Warranties and Covenants of M/s. Sterlite Industries is as follows: â€Å"The SP represents and warrants to and covenants with each of the Government and the Company that: (a) it has been duly incorporated or created and is validly subsisting and in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction indicated in the preamble to this Agreement; (b) it has the corporate power and authority to enter into and perform its obligations under this Agreement; (c) this Agreement has been duly authorised, executed and delivered by it and constitutes a valid and binding obligation enforceable against it in accordance with its terms; (d) it is not a party to, bound or affected by or subject to any indenture,  mortgage, lease agreement, instrument, charter or by-law provision, statute, regulation, judgment, decree or law which would be violated, contravened, breached by or under which default would occur or under which any payment or repayment would be accelerated as a result of the execution and delivery of this Agreement or the consummation of any of the transactions provided for in this Agreement. (e) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, it shall not retrench any part of the labour force of the Company for a period of one (1) year from the Closing Date other than any dismissal or termination of employees of the Company from their employment in accordance with the applicable staff regulations and standing orders of the Company or applicable Law; and (f) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, but subject to sub-clause (e) above, any restructuring of the labour force of the Company shall be implemented in the manner recommended by the Board and in accordance with all applicable laws. (g) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, but subject sub-clause (e) above, in the event of any reduction of the strength of the Company’s employees the SP shall ensure that the Company offers its employees, an option to voluntarily retire on terms that are not, in any manner, less favourable than the  voluntary retirement sch eme offered by the Company which is referred to in Schedule 7.4 of the Share Purchase Agreement; and (h) It shall vote all the voting equity shares of the Company, directly or indirectly, held by it to ensure that all provisions of this Agreement, to the extent required, are incorporated in the Company’s articles of association.† With the filing of the writ petitions in the High Court of Delhi and in the High Court of Chhattisgarh, an application for transfer of the petitions was filed by the Union of India in this Court. After the notices were issued, the company received various notices from the authorities in Chhattisgarh for alleged beach of various provisions of the M. P. Land Revenue Code and the Mining Concession Rules. Some of the notices were not only addressed to the company but also to individuals alleging violation of the provisions of the code and the rules as also encroachment having taken place on Government land by BALCO. This led to the filing of the Write Petition No. 194 by BALCO in this court, inter alia, challenging the validity of the said notices. During the  pendancy of the writ petition, the workers of the company went on strike on 3rd March, 2001. Some interim orders were passed in the transfer petition and subsequently on 9th May, 2001 the strike was called off. By Order dated 9th April, 2001, the writ petitions which were pending in the High Court of Delhi and Chhattisgarh were transferred to this Court being Transfer Case No. 8 of 2001 which pertains to the writ petition filed by BALCO Employees’ Union; Transfer Case No. 9 of 2001 pertains to the writ petition filed by Dr. B. L. Wadhera in the Delhi High Court and Transfer Case No. 10 of  2001 is the writ petition filed by Mr. Samund Singh Kanwar in the High Court of Chhattisgarh. On behalf of the BALCO Employees’ Union, Shri Dipankar P. Gupta, learned senior counsel submitted that the workmen have been adversely affecte d by the decision of the Government of India to disinvest 51% of the shares in BALCO in favour of a private party. He contended that before disinvestment, the entire paid-up capital of BALCO was owned and controlled by the Government of India and it’s administrative control co-vested in the Ministry of Mines. BALCO was, therefore, a State within the meaning of Articles 12 of the Constitution. Reliance for this was placed on Ajay Hasia and Others vs. Khalid Mujib Sehravardi and Others, (1981) 1 SCC 722; Central Inland Water Transport Corporation Limited and Another Vs. Brojo Nath Ganguly and Another, (1986) 3 SCC 156. He also contended that by reason of disinvestment the workmen have lost their rights and protection under Articles 14 and 16 of the Constitution. This is an adverse civil consequence and, therefore, they had a right to be heard before and during the process of disinvestment. The type of consultation with the workmen which was necessary, according to Shri Dipankar P. Gupta, was whether BALCO should go through the process of disinvestment; who should be the strategic partner; and how should the bid of the strategic partner be evaluated. Referring to the averment of Union of India to the effect that interest of the employees has been protected, Shri Dipankar P. Gupta, submitted that in fact there was no effective protection of the workmen’s interest in  the process of disinvestment. He further submitted that the workmen have reason to believe that apart from the sale of 51% of the shares in favour of Sterlite Industries the Agreement postulates that balance 49% will also be  sold to them with the result that when normally in such cases 5% of the shares are disinvested in favour of the employees the same would not happen in the present case. Reliance was placed on the decision of National Textile Workers’ Union and Others vs. P.R. Ramakrishnan and others, (1983) 1 SCC 228 and it was also contended that even though there may be no loss of jobs in the present case but the taking away of the right or protection of Articles 14 and 16 is the civil consequence and, therefore, the workmen have a right to be heard. It was submitted that such rights and benefits are both procedural as well as substantive. Procedural benefits and rights includes the right to approach High Court under Article 226 of the Constitution and this Court under Article 32 of the Constitution in the event of violation of any of their rights. This is a major advantage since it is a relatively swift method of redressal of grievances which would not be available to employees of private organisations. Instances were given of the substantive rights which flow from Articles 14 and 16 like, right to equality, equal pay for equal work, right to pension including the principle that there can be no discrimination in the matter of granting or withholding of pension vide Bharat Petroleum (Erstwhile Burmah Shell) Management Staff Pensioners vs. Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd. and Others, (1988) 3 SCC page 32), right to inquiry and reasons before dismissal etc. The aforesaid contentions of Shri Gupta were supported by Shri G. L. Sanghi and Shri Ranjit Kumar, senior counsel, appearing for some of the Unions who were interveners in the writ petition filed by BALCO Employees’ Union. He submitted that the workers should have been heard at different stages during the process of disinvestment, the manner in which views may be invited and evaluated by the Government; the method of evaluation; the factors to be taken into consideration and the choice of the strategic partner; the terms and conditions under which the strategic partner will take over the employment of the workers and the terms and conditions of the Share Holders Agreement are the stages in which the workers should have been heard and consulted. It was submitted that the decision of the Delhi High Court of 3rd August, 1999 does not come in the way of these contentions being raised inasmuch as the petition at that time was regarded as premature and the order which was passed actually preserves the workers’ rights to raise the  contention in future. Reiterating these contentions Shri Ravindra Shrivastava, learned Advocate General, State of Chhattisgarh submitted that the State does not challenge the policy of disinvestment per se on principle as a measure of socio-economic reform and for industrial well being in the country. He however, contended that the implementation of the policy of disinvestment in the present case, has failed to evolve a comprehensive package of socio-economic and political reform and to structure the decision making process so as to achieve in a just, fair and reasonable manner, the ultimate goal of the policy and that the interest  of the workers in the industrial sector cannot be undermined and, therefore, any decision which was likely to affect the interest of the workers and employees as a class as a whole cannot and ought not to be taken to the exclusion of such class, lest it may be counter productive. He contended that the Disinvestment Commission had recommended that some percentage of equity share may be offered to the workers to solicit their participation in the enterprise and which would go a long way in proving the disinvestment plan meaningful and successful. In this regard, it was not shown from any material or record that the Government of India had at any stage addressed itself to this vital aspect of the disinvestment process or had taken into consideration the likely repercussions on the interest, right and status of the employees and workers. This non-consideration indicates that there has been an arbitrariness in not taking into consideration relevant facts in the decision making process. It is further contended that the impugned decision defeats the provisions of the M.P. Land Revenue Code and goes against the fundamental basis on which the land was acquired and allotted to the company. Implicit in the submissions on behalf of the employees is the challenge to the decision to disinvest majority of the shares of BALCO in favour of Sterlite Industries Limited. The first question, therefore, which would arise for consideration, is whether such a decision is amenable to judicial review and if so within what parameters and to what extent. On behalf of the Union of India, the Attorney General submitted that since 1990-91 successive Governments have gone in for disinvestment. Disinvestment had become imperative both in the case of Centre and the States primarily  for three reasons. Firstly, despite every effort the rate of returns of governmental enterprises had been woefully low, excluding the sectors in which government have a monopoly and for which they can, therefore, charge any price. The rate of return on central enterprises came to minus 4% while the cost at which the government borrows money is at the rate of 10 to 11%. In the States out of 946 State level enterprises, about 241 were not working at all; about 551 were making losses and 100 were reported not to be submitting their accounts at all. Secondly, neither the Centre nor the States have resources to sustain enterprises that are not able to stand on their own in the new environment of intense competition. Thirdly, despite repeated efforts it was not possible to change the work culture of governmental enterprises. As a result, even the strongest among them have been sinking into increasing difficulties as the environment is more and more competitive and technological change has become faster. In support, the Solicitor General submitted that the challenge to the decision to disinvest on the ground that it impairs public interest, or that it was without any need to disinvest, or that it was inconsistent with the decision of the Disinvestment Commission was untenable.