What would you consider to be the most important issues or problems in Essay

What would you consider to be the most important issues or problems in Human Resources in the United Arab Emirates at the present time Broadly speaking, what d - Essay Example were foreigners in mid-1990s representing no less thÐ °n 60 per cent of the working populÐ °tion Ð °nd more thÐ °n 93 per cent of privÐ °te sector employees (Cooper, 1996). Ð ccording to Ð °n estimÐ °te by the Ð l-IktissÐ °d WÐ °l-Ð Ã °mÐ °l (1997) mÐ °gÐ °zine, no less thÐ °n 95 per cent of the new jobs in the 1995-2000 period were in the privÐ °te sector. There Ð °re four interrelÐ °ted reÐ °sons for the privÐ °te sector’s resistÐ °nce to EmirÐ °tisÐ °tion. The first fÐ °ctor is lÐ °bour cost. The influx of cheÐ °p foreign lÐ °bour during the pÐ °st three decÐ °des led to the development of Ð ° lÐ °bour-intensive privÐ °te sector, whose continued profitÐ °bility hinges on being given Ð ° free hÐ °nd in the utilisÐ °tion of foreign workers. Ð lthough, since the mid-1990s, United Ð rÐ °b EmirÐ °tes hÐ °s increÐ °sed the cost of the lÐ °tter by introducing compulsory heÐ °lth cÐ °re for foreign workers, locÐ °l workers still Ð °re very much more expensive to hire (FÐ °shoyin, 2000). It hÐ °s further been Ð °lleged thÐ °t locÐ °ls will demÐ °nd Ð °bout six times the sÐ °lÐ °ry Ð ° skilled foreign worker would be prepÐ °red to Ð °ccept Ð °nd ‘will not work Ð °s hÐ °rd’ (FÐ °shoyin, 2000). Foreign workers from developing countries Ð °ccept relÐ °tively low sÐ °lÐ °ries becÐ °use they cÐ °n still eÐ °rn more thÐ °n they could eÐ °rn in their home countries. Furthermore, the mÐ ° jority of foreign workers Ð °re young mÐ °le bÐ °chelors Ð °nd therefore do not hÐ °ve Ð ° fÐ °mily to support. For locÐ °l workers, however, the high cost of living in United Ð rÐ °b EmirÐ °tes mÐ °kes the level of wÐ °ges offered by the privÐ °te sector incÐ °pÐ °ble of providing Ð °n Ð °cceptÐ °ble living stÐ °ndÐ °rd for locÐ °l workers (Ð tiyyÐ °h, 2003). Second, sociÐ °l Ð °nd culturÐ °l perceptions towÐ °rds work in the privÐ °te sector greÐ °tly influence compÐ °nies’ Ð °bility to recruit Ð °nd retÐ °in quÐ °lified locÐ °l workers (see TÐ °ble 1). In United Ð rÐ °b EmirÐ °tes, the type of work, sector of employment Ð °nd sociÐ °l interÐ °ctions Ð °t work determine the sociÐ °l stÐ °tus

Theory to Practice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Theory to Practice - Essay Example In the case of UCC, a contract between merchants is valid as long as it contains the quantity of the goods, the signature of the party who provides the enforcement as well as a language that would indicate that the words and meaning binds two or more parties in a reasonable contract. The UCC aims at helping the non-breaching parties in case of a breach of contract. It therefore offers the sellers a number of remedies. Basing on UCC, a contract between merchants relies on communication between the two parties, the culture of the industry in addition to the past commercial conduct between the merchants. This indicates that the past dealing between Armstrong’s manager and Bentley of GCI surely affects the analysis on their case. In their past commercial conduct, the merchants made use of the pre printed forms for the acceptance of addition terms. In their first interaction, Armstrong’s manager signed the pre printed form stating that they will take responsibility of damage before delivery and the transaction was successful at the end. Additional information in the pre printed form become part of the enforceable contract. In the case of the second encounter between Bentley and Armstrong’s manager, Armstrong’s manager signed a destination contract since it had worked effectively previously. According to UCC, under a destination contract, the buyer is liable for any damage or loss of goods until after delivery. Therefore, the analysis of the case between Armstrong and GCI will indicate that Armstrong’s company is liable since the destination contract was signed but the delivery of goods was not as expected. According to UCC, Armstrong had to complete the delivery procedure as outlin ed in the contract without any additional charges. In such a case, Armstrong Company would have breached the contract and will have to pay for the damages. This is because the manager had made a promise to GCI’s manager acknowledging the destination contract. He had promised

J.S.Mills One Very Simple Principle: An Analysis

J.S.Mills One Very Simple Principle: An Analysis How simple is J.S.Mills one very simple principle? In and of itself, the principle is entirely simple – it takes barely a line to be stated, and is easily understood. â€Å"The sole end for which mankind are warranted, individually or collectively, in interfering with the liberty of action of any of their number, is self-protection† (Mill,1869: pg 9). He goes on to explain exactly what he means, but that single line encapsulates the principle itself, without requiring additional clarification. Subsequent lines do not in any way contradict this statement, they merely emphasise. The principle by itself being simple, however, does not mean that its implications and ramifications are so straightforward; it may seem clear, but logical absurdities can be found – can paternalistic interference be justified when, for example, the member of mankind has no knowledge of how dangerous his activities are? The classic example is that of the bridge, which appears to be intact, but will collapse if a man steps on it. A direct an d literal reading of Mill’s principle would forbid anyone from interfering when a man unknowingly took a step onto this bridge – such an interpretation would not, however, be fair either to Mill or to the unfortunately ill-informed member of society. The principle is therefore simple to state, but not so simple to understand. It has its subtleties, and must be considered, rather than straightforwardly accepted. Before continuing, it is important to note what it is Mill is meaning with the word ‘freedom’ – referring to it without an accepted definition would at best be confusing, and far worse could potentially lead to a highly misleading understanding. Mill’s use of the word is value free. That is not to say that he has no morals, merely that when he writes, ‘freedom’ is not judged. It consists merely of the ability to act following one’s own desires. If one can follow these desires, one is free. If one cannot, he is not. There is no further weighting given to whatever those actions may be, whether they are buying a newspaper or committing murder – all that matters when it comes to ‘freedom’ is whether or not a person with the desire to carry out an action is permitted to do so (Scanlan, 1958: pg 198). Mill’s writings were concerned with power over the individual, but not merely with the legislative power of the state; he was deeply concerned with the moral force that society was capable of exercising over the individual. It was not merely the capacity of an over powerful government or monarch about which he wrote. The capacity for the tyranny of the majority over the individual also concerned him deeply. For this reason it is perhaps surprising that he installed caveats immediately after his principle; a man’s own good was a valid reason â€Å"for remonstrating with him, or reasoning, or persuading, or entreating† (Mill: pg 9). This level of input that Mill considered acceptable under such circumstances perhaps goes a long way towards mitigating the lack of any compulsive interference that he was willing to accept – in his eyes, a sufficiently great force of remonstration represented an almost compulsive effect due to societal forces, against which he f requently railed. Even though his principle would ban any actual compulsion, consideration of Mill’s normal arguing position reveals that he was prepared to permit events in the interests of protective paternalism which he typically considered to be undue influence over others. The interplay between state, society and the individual is a leitmotif of Mill’s writings, and merely because the theory he states forbids the state from carrying out an act does not mean that he does not feel it should be permitted; indeed, in this scenario when not only does he not forbid societal interaction, but positively encourages intervention of a kind suggests that he was willing to allow society to attempt to morally force people down a route which was less harmful to the individual concerned. The principle itself remains simple, but the context in which it is framed is significantly more complex. Joel Feinberg concludes that the state has a right to prevent self-regarding harmful conduct only when it is substantially non voluntary or when temporary intervention is necessary to establish whether it is voluntary or not. (quoted in Arneson, 1980: pg 470). In the example of the bridge referenced earlier, an ill informed member of the public stepping on a bridge which would collapse under their weight could not be said to be acting voluntarily; the state would be well within its rights in such a scenario under Mill’s logic to station a guard patrolling the area, to leap in and tackle such ill-informed people, stopping them from involuntarily taking the fatal step. If, however, they are running towards the bridge and shouting about how they know it will kill them, his logic would forbid the guard from taking any direct action. Whatever we feel about this compulsion to allow people to harm themselves if they so choose, it is a basic tenet of liberalism, that people know what the best for themselves is, and that interfering in their desire to pursue their own good in their own way is intrinsically wrong. This can, however, be harder to test than it would originally appear; what if the person is, for example, mentally ill? Indeed, if a person wishes to take an act which can obviously further their good but contains in it some degree of harm, or pain, we can easily understand both why a person, or state, would want to interfere and why they should be prevented from doing so. Yet if a person states that they wish to follow a course of action that will bring them no obvious benefit, and yet will clearly generate a great deal of harm, at what point should the state step in to take action? Is a mental assessment to determine their sanity unjust interference? After all, if a person is mentally unstable, surely they cannot truly be said to be acting of their own free will. Informed consent means more than merely knowing what the risks are, it means understanding what the consequences mean. Furthermore, Mill’s principle divides matters crucially into two areas: the personal and the public. Even if all the questions relating to the private are answered satisfactorily, the questions relating to public actions are somewhat greater: when a man acts, it will typically affect others, however mildly. If the impact of these effects is to infringe upon the rights or happiness of others, then the state and the people are justified, under Mill’s logic, in interfering with their actions. So what about the guard on the bridge – compelled to allow the suicidal to continue running, and then forced to witness their deaths? Could it be said that in order to prevent this mental anguish, the runner should be prevented from acting? Mill gives great consideration to various potential actions later in On Liberty, showing how his simple principle can be interpreted and used. The guard can of course turn away, and in Mill’s time such considerations would not have be en given much thought, so long before modern ideas about mental health. It is a question that would have been interesting to see Mill’s actual argument, but we must make do with merely applying his principle in order to find his likely answer ourselves. It is unlikely he would have wishes it to have an impact on the consideration of the action – after all, if it did then any serious act could be prevented simply by placing somebody there who would be injured by watching it. It is highly unlikely he would have even momentarily entertained this massive curtailment of individual liberty. There is not necessarily any need to over-think Mill’s principle by inventing wild circumstances and asking whether or not his decisions would still apply. Mill’s â€Å"one very simple principle† is, at the point of statement, very simple indeed; the only circumstances in which mankind may interfere in the liberty of another is in the interest of protecting harm to others. No action may be taken solely due to the apparent interests of the person whose liberty would be interfered with. This ban on paternalism assumes a high degree of freedom and responsibility, and more than that, in order to be applied simply it seems to assume a very high degree of knowledge, and to discount the possibility of mental illness at least that which cannot easily be tested. Feinberg attempts to account for this with his assertion that actions may be interfered with when a person is not acting voluntarily, or when it is not clear that they are acting voluntarily, and this is an appealing idea; when the hypothetical person is heading for the equally hypothetical damaged bridge, failure to ascertain whether or not they know that stepping on it w ill lead to death cannot be rectified after the fact. Interfering in their liberty whilst those checks are made may be odious, but it is merely temporary, and need not be seen as an infringement of Mill’s principle. Overall, the principle itself is indeed very simple; it is merely application in certain fringe circumstances which has any need to become anything to the contrary. References John Stuart Mill, On Liberty 4th Ed. Longman, Roberts Green, London, 1869 Richard J. Arneson, Mill versus Paternalism, in Ethics, Vol. 90, No. 4. (Jul., 1980), pp. 470-489. James Bogen; Daniel M. FarrelL, Freedom and Happiness in Mills Defence of Liberty in The Philosophical Quarterly, Vol. 28, No. 113. (Oct., 1978), pp. 325-338. Clark W. Bouton, John Stuart Mill: On Liberty and History in The Western Political Quarterly, Vol. 18, No. 3. (Sep., 1965), pp. 569-578. D. G. Brown, Mill on Liberty and Morality in The Philosophical Review, Vol. 81, No. 2. (Apr., 1972), pp. 133-158. Robert W. Hoag, Happiness and Freedom: Recent Work on John Stuart Mill in Philosophy and Public Affairs, Vol. 15, No. 2. (Spring, 1986), pp. 188-199. David Lyons, Human Rights and the General Welfare in Philosophy and Public Affairs, Vol. 6, No. 2. (Winter, 1977), pp. 113-129. James P. Scanlan, J. S. Mill and the Definition of Freedom in Ethics, Vol. 68, No. 3. (Apr., 1958), pp. 194-206. J. Salwyn Schapiro, John Stuart Mill, Pioneer of Democratic Liberalism in England in Journal of the History of Ideas, Vol. 4, No. 2. (Apr., 1943), pp. 127-160. C. L. Ten, Mill and Liberty in Journal of the History of Ideas, Vol. 30, No. 1. (Jan. Mar., 1969), pp. 47-68.

Danielle Steel’s The Ring - A Blend of Fiction and History Essay

Danielle Steel’s The Ring - A Blend of Fiction and History Can a plot, setting, and characters in a fictitious story be derived from actual historical events and can the two blend together? The unique writing style of Danielle Steel merges true historical events with fiction in a manner that leaves the reader emotionally touched. In her story, The Ring, Steel does not show a partition between fictitious characters and factual historical events. In fact, the two are intertwined so well that the reader can imagine the fictitious characters as real characters during a horrific period of our history, World War II. In fact, historical setting has a very significant impact on this work of fiction. Without the historical setting this story could not take place. The Ring by Danielle Steel follows a chronological order of the emergence of World War II in Germany, bringing along with it economic turmoil, political disorders, and the general insecurity and fear. This particular story is a direct result of history, which Danielle Steel blends very well with fiction. Though the characters are fictitious, they fit perfectly into the historical setting. For instance, Ariana, the protagonist in The Ring, has witnessed firsthand the human-made death and destruction of World War II, just as many victims had seen during the actual war. Even when she goes with her husband, Manfred, to the Opera house, she is reminded that the war is still occurring in Germany. â€Å"Even on Christmas night the war was with them†¦ and in the distance they could hear the bombs†(Steel 164). Ariana has also se en the atrocities as a result of the emergence of the war. For instance, when she is looking for her husband, she comes upon â€Å"a stack o... ...can see past their origins and cherish their country of birth, America. Finally, Danielle Steel has successfully captured the interlaced merger of historical events with fiction. The two flow so naturally in The Ring that it is as if the fictitious characters were real characters in real historical situations. So, the blending of history and fiction comes very much alive in this story, revealing Steel’s creativity that has placed her above most internationally renowned novelists. Works Cited The Ring. By Danielle Steel. Dir. Armand Mastrianni, Perf. Michael York, Jon Tenney, Tim Dekay, James B. Sikking, and Julie Cox. Lifetime Special Presentation, May 27, 2002. Class Film. NJIT. LIT 350-121. Summer Semester, 2002. Steel, Danielle. The Ring. New York: Delacorte Press, 1980.

Normal Distribution and Engineering Statistics Semester

SSCE 2193 Engineering Statistics Semester 2, Session 2012/2013 ASSIGNMENT (10%) Instructions: a. This is a GROUP assignment. b. Each student must be a member of a group of 4 or 5 students, selected by lecturer. c. Solutions from each group must be submitted by 19 April 2013. SPECIAL DISTRIBUTIONS I. Concept of probability (3%) 1. Explain why the distribution B(n,p) can be approximated by Poisson distribution with parameter if n tends to infinity, p 0, and = np can be considered constant. 2. Show that – and + are the turning points in the graph of the p. d. f. f normal distribution with mean and standard deviation . 3. What is the relationship between exponential distribution and Poisson distribution? II. Computation of probability (7%) 1. Let the random variable X follow a Binomial distribution with parameters n and p. We write X ~ B(n,p). * Write down all basic assumptions of Binomial distribution. * Knowing the p. m. f. of X, show that the mean and variance of X are = np, an d 2 = np(1 – p), respectively. 2. A batch contains 40 bacteria cells and 12 of them are not capable of cellular replication. Suppose you examine 3 bacteria cells selected at andom without replacement. What is the probability that at least one of the selected cells cannot replicate? 3. Redo problem No. 2 if the 3 bacteria cells are selected at random with replacement. 4. The number of customers who enter a bank in an hour follows a Poisson distribution. If P(X = 0) = 0. 05, determine the mean and variance of the number of customers in an hour. 5. In a large corporate computer network, user log-ons to the system can be modeled as a Poisson process with a mean of 25 log-ons per hour. What is the probability that there are no log-ons in an interval of 6 minutes? 6.The time until recharge for a battery in a laptop computer under common conditions is normally distributed with a mean of 260 minutes and a standard deviation of 50 minutes. * What is the probability that a battery last s more than 6 hours? * What are the first and third quartiles of battery life? 7. Suppose that electric power supplied by TNB at any time follows normal distribution with mean 220 V and standard deviation 1 V. Let your TV set have the specification of electric power between 218 V and 223 V. What is the probability that at a certain time, your TV set is not functioning properly?

Achieving and Maintaining Excellence

I believe myself to be a work in progress, as I get older I find myself wanting and desiring more out of life. Especially, when it deals with goals and objectives that can ultimately change my thought process. In order for me to achieve my set goals as well as achieve excellence I would have to change my current situations with family, education, work environment as well as on a personal note marriage. These entities provide stability and help me in moving forward in the right direction. There are so many factors in relation to achieving certain things and I believe that Peter Senge’s Five Disciplines help in achieving those measures.Ideally they relate to your very existence in effectively and efficiently carrying out those stepping stones towards gaining greater insight, a need to learn, understanding your surroundings, view points, and systematically understanding the measures of possibilities from within and in our daily lives. Five Disciplines Personal Mastery ideally is the spiritually mechanism that we have inside of us, personal growth is a strong entity to need and want. For me my personal growth would be to change my attitude towards certain things, learn from them and focus on being a better me in the process.This will allow me to be open to more things that will bring me ultimate joy. Becoming one with self, god, work, education, family and life helps me to achieve so much more than what it appears to be, happiness is something we inspire for and personal mastery is that for me, almost like connecting to my inner self. It also has been said that it is also legitimate to develop one’s own personal sources of power, such as one’s reputation, technical abilities, clear personal objectives, positive relationships with others, communication effectiveness,  and self-con?dence and optimism (Lynch, 1993, pp. 39–44).Mental Models sometimes I think that I prejudge or even assume things that are not really there. Until I had jury duty, and honestly saw firsthand the way we as people judge others just because of what they are being charged with. Until you hear all sides you begin to see the bigger picture, and notice a shift in your thinking process and that happened for me. We place everyone in little boxes, clusters of sorts and generalize them in a negative undertone that can be farthest from the truth.I believe that everyone has a story and it’s up to us to decipher what is the truth. Myself I now believe that we are all on the same playing field and deserve to be treated equal. This is one area whereas I will focus on changing about myself, understanding others in the process. Building Shared Vision is something that I have aspired with connecting to. One of my goals is to move to a low income area where the need is great and open a non-profit organization that will help addiction, teenager concerns, gay, lesbian and transgender, or even a place where children can have place to be children.I know that might be difficult, but for me it is a challenge that I am willing to struggle for. I may not have all the answers or the money to do so but it’s my eagerness to want to help those particular populations. Chapter 11 states that eventually there should be a â€Å"guiding coalition† (Kotter, 1996) whose members have the power, expertise, credibility, and leadership to make change happen. And that’s exactly what I will need in order to make this dream a reality. Team Learning with this I have learned that working as a team benefits what you are trying to accomplish.Since being in this school and experiencing this type of learning environment made me take note that one has to communicate, respect others and value everyone’s input. So this is how I approach my every day work and life exchanges. In chapter 11, Perlmutter (1985–1986) proposes four â€Å"approaches for proactive leadership,† each of which requires political sophistication. Thes e approaches include working with the appropriate political subdivisions, utilizing the voluntary sector, mobilizing external constituencies, and pursuing legal options.We have to understand our surroundings in order to learn from and build off. Systems thinking is just an integration of all of five disciplines. I would think that each provides a specific role in how we are to function on a daily basis. Ultimately, we want change and change is of the essence, Proehl (2001) suggests â€Å"acting quickly and revising frequently† (p. 109) to ensure that changes have the desired results or can be modi?ed. Integrating certain entities changes the response and how we do what we do in terms of service and self-growth.In terms of skills for growth and assessing myself, I would have to say that I believe that I can accomplish more with believe that I can and learning all that I can with work, school and life in general. Understanding that there is no difference in how we see things if we put the shoe on the other foot, this is the only way to change that thinking pattern. Noting and believing that I can do whatever is necessary (with the right tools and approaches) to believe that I can make a little difference in the lives that I cross. Communication is key to success and how we formalize the necessary measures in finding what we can do as a people.I believe in what I have said and to the degree of finding solace in my thinking process and motivates me to want and need more. If one was to integrate each of the discipline into an assessment one would have to understand the direct need to do so. In chapter 11 page 254 it states, this function of leadership is essential in ensuring integration of and alignment among all aspects of the organization. Personal Mastery and Thinking Systems as we integrate these two entities one would have to really dig deep inside to form an association between the two.There is a hunger or desire to want to improve on self, relationsh ips, friendship and family. Before one can ultimately do this you have to change from within, for me this is what I inspire to do. I have changed a lot, I no longer think of self first, changed my beliefs and aspirations, and have a yearning to learn as much as possible. This will help me to build on my dreams and be able to pass that hunger for education to my children as well. I want to lead by example by showing my children that you have to work hard for what you want and that education is your primary focus at all times.Mental Models and Thinking Systems it takes a strong mind to want to change ones outcome, changing the way we see people is showing that we can change out assumptions on others. For me it’s seeing past the rough exterior and looking at the totality of the situation or person. I used believe that if two people were together and something happens then they are guilty as one, or if you wear your pants off your behind then you are from the streets or if you us ed street slang you are ghetto. That is the farthest from the truth, the most powerful person is those who have street smarts and an education.You may not know this but what I have described was once my life, lived in the ghetto, had wore the tradition garb of those in the ghetto and used street slang. What ultimately changed that for me was when my mother died and I began to take life seriously. Shared Vision and Thinking Systems my thinking is putting the needs of other before my own, wanting to change or help someone with their issues as well as providing resources that will uplift their lives of a particular population. Sometimes the need is to provide a helping hand rather than having a door slammed in your face.I think what generally made me come to this conclusion is when my mother died. It made me understand who Natasha truly is and what I was doing with my life. It humbled me in so many ways, no one really knows the impact was living with an addict and having choose drugs o ver you. That has always been a catalyst towards everything I have ever wanted to do, that’s why I sort out the field of human service, I want to be there for someone like I couldn’t be for my mother without judgment or looking down on them. Team learning and Thinking Systems I have always been a team player, whatever specifics was needed I would get it done.I enjoy working and communicating ideals that potentially change the prospects for myself as well as anyone I am working with. We build off of each other, learn from each other, work together and help each other for a purpose. We all have different outlooks, ideas and aspirations which form an allegiance of sorts that makes us better people and facilitating the process of helping others. This is my framework in understanding the true me, identifying the things that make who I am, were I have, and who I have grown to be and inspire to be.The changes that I have moved passed have inspired me to achieve so many wonder ful things like children I didn’t children (before my mother died but because I was the only child that changed right away), education I took it for granted by dropping out of high school and look at me now, I have my Associate’s Degree in Human Services and working (4 more classes) towards my Bachelor’s Degree and I am going forward with the Master’s Program in Social Work, Public Health or staying in Human Services. These are all attainable goals because this is something I want and will achieve.I will of course stay in the hospital I currently work with because they have so many opportunities but through my union I can relocate to another city (that’s another goal that I have), I plan on within the next 2 years to move to a southern state because it would be better for my children as well as myself (peace in spirit, mind and soul) all of which will be done with my husband as well. My goals are a priority and they will be made a reality, one step at a time, with the intent of focusing on me first and everything else will come into play.

Free Essays on Mechanical Ventilator Weaning

The research article I found contained information about ventilator weaning outcomes in infants and children. The research design was quantitative, using a randomized controlled trial. The sample consisted of one hundred eighty-two spontaneously breathing children less than eighteen years old, who had been receiving ventilator support for more than 24 hours and who failed a test for extubation readiness on minimal pressure support. The research was conducted in the pediatric intensive care units of 10 children’s hospitals across North America from November 1999 through April 2001. The Purpose of this research was to evaluate whether weaning protocols are more effective than standard care with no defined protocol and whether a volume support weaning protocol using continuous automated adjustment of pressure support by the ventilator (VSV) is more effective than manual adjustment of pressure support by clinicians. The measurements used to verify extubation readiness included â€Å"checking for spontaneous respiratory effort, having a gag reflex or cough with suctioning, pH of 7.32 to 7.47 on most recent blood gas analysis, positive end expiratory pressure (PEEP) of 7 cm H2o or lower, and fraction of inspired oxygen (Floz) of 0.6 or less† (Randolph,et al,pg.3). The extubation readiness test (ERT) consisted of changing the F2 to 0.5 and decreasing PEEP to 5cm H20. With both setting adjustments, the spo2 had to stay above 95%. This was measured using a pulse oximetry reading. The patients unable to maintain spo2 of 95% or greater were removed from the test. Those who did maintain spo2 at 95%v or above had their ventilator mode changed to PSV and were placed on minimal PSV. Exhaled tidal volumes were measured at the ETT using a CO2SMO Plus monitor with sensors. (Novametrix Medical Systems, Inc.) I think the measurements that were used in the study are reliable and effective. It is appropriate to monitor spo2 levels and exhaled tidal volumes... Free Essays on Mechanical Ventilator Weaning Free Essays on Mechanical Ventilator Weaning The research article I found contained information about ventilator weaning outcomes in infants and children. The research design was quantitative, using a randomized controlled trial. The sample consisted of one hundred eighty-two spontaneously breathing children less than eighteen years old, who had been receiving ventilator support for more than 24 hours and who failed a test for extubation readiness on minimal pressure support. The research was conducted in the pediatric intensive care units of 10 children’s hospitals across North America from November 1999 through April 2001. The Purpose of this research was to evaluate whether weaning protocols are more effective than standard care with no defined protocol and whether a volume support weaning protocol using continuous automated adjustment of pressure support by the ventilator (VSV) is more effective than manual adjustment of pressure support by clinicians. The measurements used to verify extubation readiness included â€Å"checking for spontaneous respiratory effort, having a gag reflex or cough with suctioning, pH of 7.32 to 7.47 on most recent blood gas analysis, positive end expiratory pressure (PEEP) of 7 cm H2o or lower, and fraction of inspired oxygen (Floz) of 0.6 or less† (Randolph,et al,pg.3). The extubation readiness test (ERT) consisted of changing the F2 to 0.5 and decreasing PEEP to 5cm H20. With both setting adjustments, the spo2 had to stay above 95%. This was measured using a pulse oximetry reading. The patients unable to maintain spo2 of 95% or greater were removed from the test. Those who did maintain spo2 at 95%v or above had their ventilator mode changed to PSV and were placed on minimal PSV. Exhaled tidal volumes were measured at the ETT using a CO2SMO Plus monitor with sensors. (Novametrix Medical Systems, Inc.) I think the measurements that were used in the study are reliable and effective. It is appropriate to monitor spo2 levels and exhaled tidal volumes...

buy custom Complexities of Interracial Relationships essay

buy custom Complexities of Interracial Relationships essay Many decade things have been changing peoples life and way of living. There have been many communities in the world with different cultural believes ("beliefs"). Those communities have stayed for many years without interaction. The existing change and improvement in technology has led to interaction of people from different parts of the world. People have intermarried and gave birth to children who do not have specific culture. David Mura writes many poems tackling culture and other believes. After marrying a wife from another community he faces a lot of challenges and his daughter who is an half cast. She does not have any culture or people to associate with since she does not have full identity. The parents decide on what to teach her, but they fail to get appropriate answer because each community will regard her as a color person, since she is an hybrid of two different communities. Presently, individuals have different perception about culture and things have changed completely s ince some factors have made people to interact and abandon their culture. There has been an effect of interdenominational relationship in each communitys traditions. Many communities in America like the Black American communities have interacted and intermarried with other white people. They have given birth to children with a new identity and they have led to alteration of cultural practices. Many people have difficulties of defining their identity and as a result they term themselves as Hybridity. Interaction has different effects it can strength cultural beliefs or destroy traditional practices. Traditional beliefs Mura, a Japanese-American, marries a white wife and they in turn give birth to daughter who has no identity. He told about his relationship between his daughter and wife and the desire he had for watching pornographic film. He faced racism and tribalism in his life while he grew up. He grew up in America and went to school with European American. He married a European-American wife and this made him to leave and abandon the traditional belief of his community. He admits the change in traditional belief because of their daughter who has problem of identify. They both do not know which community to classify their daughter. They have to teach her the cultural practices of the community which she resembles. She has the color for Asian- American but they do not need to teach him being white because people will regard her as person of color and fail to accept her in their events. Muras daughter cannot have identity because she cannot be identified as Japanese American or European American, and she brings up confusion for both parents wondering which culture and tradition to present their daughter because they are afraid to be blamed by their daughter. He admired and was attracted to white women and as a result he married a white woman. Mura did not want to follow and practice the traditional values, because he decided to marry a white lady. The traditional practices of their community demand that all people should marry from the community. He went against the culture and this shows that he did not want to practice the traditions of their community. Mura was afraid that their daughter will pass the same discrimination as he experenced. He did not want to marry the woman from their community because he wanted to give birth to different children who will not be discriminated by other communities. The daughter does not have the color of her father or mother but s he is an hybrid and this makes her not to have identity. The worries about getting identity and traditional beliefs in Muras family did not stop even after marrying a woman from another community. Their daughter Samantha did not know which community to identify with, because of the difference in color. They had dilemma on which values and traditions to teach their daughter. This shows that people who do not want to marry for their community they want to escape the practice of their beliefs. Mura being a Japanese- American could have taught her daughter the values of his culture. The wife supported Muras ideas and at long last they did not decide to teach the child either of their values and traditions. Many people have intermarried and this weakens the traditional beliefs and values for every individual. Those who want to escape the practices of their culture and traditional beliefs marry from other communities. This is evidenced when Mura is not interested in teaching the daughter the values of his own community neither for her wife. People know that after they give birth the child will not have any specific community to be identified with, and this leads to abandonment of traditional beliefs, because neither of the parents tradition can the child be told. All parents have the responsibility of teaching their children the way of living and the traditional beliefs of their community and values. When a man marries outside the community he does not practice those beliefs anymore, since he has to give his wife respect, and this result to abandoning of some beliefs. The Black American community belief that a woman should not have any decision and men should make decision to govern the family. They beliefs that decision made by men final and bidding. When a black American man marries from other communities like European-American he should abandon this traditional belief and let the wife make decision and decide for herself on how to do in order to keep the family and herself moving. Many people who do not want to change they marry and divorce within short period of time. Popular Culture Belief There many cultures' beliefs practiced by individuals from different communities. Each community has is own practices and beliefs which they teach their people. The communities differ in the way they perceive things. The Black American community in America has many values which they practice and cultural beliefs. People have gone to school and they get influenced by new things they face to change and stop practicing their cultural beliefs. Many people have intermarried and this does not have a result of escaping cultural beliefs. Mura says that he did not marry a woman from European- American because he wanted to stop practicing the cultural beliefs. He wrote that he had desire love for white women. He liked white women and this made him to fall in life with the woman who he later married. Mura had desire for pornography and this is what made him to marry a white woman. Those people who marry outside the community they like their culture and they really need to practice it but at the end they find themselves in a situation which they never expected. Mura did not know by marrying a white woman he can stop practicing the culture and give birth to children without identity. He was driven by love which he had for white women and he found himself in a dilemma after he gave birth to a baby girl who they did not know which cultural practices to teach the girl. After marrying he realized he could not practice cultural beliefs and pass them to their daughter but he did not worry about it and this means he could have been finding ways for abandoning cultural beliefs. When people go to school they interact and mingle with different tribes and races. At the end they create a relationship which finally ends in marriage. Those people do not know anything about the culture but they a re driven by forces of love. It is necessary, when a person gets married to a woman from another race to abandon the culture. The family does not follow any culture but they create their own culture. Those families come up with their new cultural beliefs because when they practice one culture it may create conflict in the family. The Black American community has interacted with the white and they have intermarrying and gave birth to children who have no culture and they cannot create their own culture because they work face rejection by other communities culture and this makes them to loose interest in any culture. This shows that the issue of interracial marriage has nothing to do with the cultural practices. Mura wanted to practice cultural beliefs because he got worried about the culture to teach her daughter. He believed in cultural practices but he married a white woman. Criticism Cultural practices and traditions have existed for many years. All children are born without knowing anything regarding the culture or traditional belief. Traditional beliefs are learned and all people can learn new ideas. Many people have abandoned their cultural beliefs. Modern world has made people to change and regard themselves as modern generation and formed their own beliefs. The change in technology and introduction of things like social media has led to change of cultural beliefs because people learn new ways of life through social media. Human beings learn everything that comes across and due to the change in technology people have abandoned their traditions and cultural beliefs. Those who have intermarried have abandoned their traditional practices because traditionally people were not suppose to marry from another community. This can be viewed as one way of abandoning traditional practice. Conclusion The change and advancement in technology has led to increase and change of cultural belief among many communities. People should be flexible and change according to the demand of technology. Currently, people need to work in order to earn their living. They should be determined on how to improve their living standards and not how to practice cultural believe. Some traditions limit people from working some jobs and those traditions should be abandoned. Many traditions were enacted by individuals and they did it to suit their interest. People should practice those cultural beliefs which are beneficial. Buy custom Complexities of Interracial Relationships essay

Asian-Americans and College Admissions

Higher education in the United States is still the main purpose of society. It will be the most important way of social mobility and economic independence and will reward people of all backgrounds and races. However, American universities have undergone intense changes emphasizing the advantages of providing higher education for certain privileged races, limiting the quotas of other Asian Americans. As predecessors of the 1920s denied the existence of Jewish quota, senior officials at Harvard University, Yale University, Princeton University, and other Ivy League schools today declared the existence of Asian Quotas I strongly deny it. (Unz) However, statistical evidence suggests other As an Asian American activist I am skeptical of Harvard's lawsuit against unequal treatment of Asian Americans at university entrance. This case was proposed by advocacy groups for students' fair enrollment and was meant to represent my interests, which was a serious mistake. During the first year at Ya le University I learned the activities that the first year students stood together and the counselor set the goal to read cards that would not have me. If the prompt matches your background, the student goes ahead. Some tips are easy; Others ask for serious life experiences like discrimination, hunger or violence This is not the first time that the Harvard incident was accused of discriminating against students in Asia. In the 1980s, student activists pointed out that despite the rapid increase in the number of Asian Americans during college years, the admission rate of Asian American universities is still sluggish. They believe that this stagnation is mainly due to prejudice of entrance practices. This is relatively beneficial for Caucasian applicants, with relatively few Asian American enrollment. Due to these complaints, an internal survey on entrance exercises at Stanford University, Harvard University, Princeton University, and University of California, Berkeley was held. Sever al schools like Berkeley believe that they are doing nothing bad and that Asian American students are over-represented in their common population in the United States.

Al Hirschfeld's Art Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Al Hirschfeld's Art - Research Paper Example This made him become one of the most significant figures in contemporary art (Shea 4). Hirschfield was born in Missouri, St. Louis on June 21, 1903. His family moved to Manhattan when he was eleven, where he joined the Art Students League. On the tender age of seventeen, he already worked at Metro Goldwyn Pictures, later becoming the Selznick Studios artistic director. Hirschfield relocated from New York to France - Paris, where he expended much of his twenties studying art. He stood as a young man thriving through the art world in Paris and the theatrical world in New York when he toppled upon his passion (Shea 5). One evening in the year 1926, he went to a theater with his friend Richard Maney, the legendary promotional agent. During the show, Al Hirschfield sketched Sasha Guidry, the French actor on his program. Richard Maney recognized Hirschfield’s talent instantly and invigorated him to reconstruct the sketch on a sheet of paper. Richard sold the finished slice to the He rald Tribune (Niemi 7). Shortly, Hirschfield’s work appeared in the press. Drawn in the dimmed theater, his simple yet unique images caught the responsiveness of much of the publishing world. In 1929, he made a remarkable agreement work in New York Times. While working for the New York Times, the artist style gained unparalleled notoriety fetching synonymous with theatrical reputation. His aptitude to contain the spirit of an actor or a presentation in few lines made his exertion seem both honest and natural. Of his portraiture, Hepburn Katherine warned: â€Å"It tells the entire story - terrifying† (Clare Bell 38). For many, though, Hirschfield’s â€Å"the whole story† was their first exposure to a bigger audience. According to Channing Carol, he was accountable for jump - starting her profession. â€Å"Al Hirschfield picked me out of twenty nonentities in a little review named â€Å"Lend an Ear†, and placed me on the fore page of the New York Ti mes.† She added (Clare Bell 39). Throughout the 1940s, Hirschfield began to diversify as an artist, exemplifying books for authors including Fred Allen, Brooks Atkinson and S. J. Perlman. He continued to work on many artistic mediums including watercolor, etching, sculpture and lithography. By the 1950s, his imagining stood universally recognized as a Broadway fundamental part and the rest of the theatrical world (Clare Bell 11). In the year 1951, he initiated work on a book in which he was both the illustrator and author – â€Å"show business is no business†. He eventually sequentially introduced â€Å"the world of Hirschfield† in 1968 in which, he clarified much of his autobiography and process. More than 10 years later he published his third book in 1979 titled, â€Å"Hirschfield by Hirschfield†. During his long career, Hirschfield’s imagery has remained a keystone of the industry he adores with a passion. In their plain, unobtrusive manne r, they have spoken volumes concerning their subjects and have renowned the modern history of a significant American art. Between this actor and the critic, Hirschfield carved out a room for himself in American and global theatrical culture. Al Hirschfield died at the age of 99, on January 20th, 2003. Though his caricatures often distort and exaggerate the faces of his focuses, he become often labeled as being an essentially "nicer" caricaturist than numerous of his contemporaries and his appeasement

ABC Hospital Risk Management Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

ABC Hospital Risk Management Plan - Essay Example The risk management plan developed for ABC Hospital is aimed to establish closer connection and collaboration between the departments of the Hospital and the services they provide in order to improve the overall service delivery. In addition, it identifies, investigates and management of accidents, injuries and other events and the process will be directed by the risk manager on managing adverse events occurring with patients, employees and other organizational assets. The risk management plan will affect, persuade and educate staff of the above mentioned departments in order to improve quality of care within the safe environment and protect resources of ABC Hospital. These departments are the Administration, Billing Services, Business Development, Clinical Services, Health Information and Privacy Management, Employee Health, Human Resources, Infection Control, Legal Services, Medical Equipment, Relations with patients, Quality and Improvement of Performance, Safety Management and En vironment of Care and Security Management. Resources needed for Risk management plan implementation will include meetings with staff and initiatives directed toward support of team efforts, training and development of skills necessary for better provision of services. A Quality and Improvement of Performance department will assist with the collection of data for evaluation of what should be improved and what goals should be reached.

Art and psychoanalysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Art and psychoanalysis - Essay Example Upon hearing about the bombing of Guernica, Picasso started sketching a mural. â€Å"He drew screaming women and children, perhaps inspired by his fear that harm might come to his own baby daughter. He seemed haunted by the many faces of anguish.†1 Although the woman holding a wounded child is in Guernica, she is also in many other works of Picasso. This woman is of different color and shape, but can be identified throughout Picasso’s other works. One source reports: Characters that typically appear in these paintings reappear in Picassos paintings as well. Theres usually quite clearly a suffering woman, someone whos screaming, a woman with a child whos been injured, or may even be dead.2 As suggested above, maybe Picasso was thinking of his daughter. However if this is true, why did Picasso distort the images? The distorted images seem to speak of an underlying emotion in his subconscious. It must be noted that Picasso had an art background. His father was a painter as well. Picasso could have drawn and painted in more realistic terms. One source reports, "Picasso was very properly trained in the grand tradition of painting, allegorical painting about universal themes: the horrors of war, the massacres of the innocents.†3 Picasso could have used photos from Guernica to make a more realistic picture. Instead â€Å"Picasso was able to take that traditional academic motif and actually rework it and make it relevant again to this particular time and this particular circumstance, I think is really one of his great achievements in this painting."4 Picasso did not make a realistic picture due to a deep unconscious need inside. Picasso had a subliminal problem that was deeply rooted in his psyche. It might be the death of his sister. Picasso’s mother might have shut down with grief after the death of her daughter. This could have made Picasso have deeply buried animosity toward his mother for the

Analyzing the character of Bird Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Analyzing the character of Bird - Essay Example At his present age of twenty eight years he still uses his nick name given to him in his adolescence. Carelessness and attitude to run away from challenging situations can clearly be witnessed by observing Bird’s behavior on the birth of his first child. Leaving his wife alone in the hospital to sweat he escapes into his years old desire of visiting Africa and imagines himself out of the hospital and into the market. Instead of returning back to the hospital to get to know of the status of the child’s birth he merely makes a phone call from a public phone to inquire about the status at the hospital. This behavior seems quite ironic. This is the time of a woman’s life when she needs her husband the most. This is when she needs all the encouragement and support to get motivated to assist the birth of the child. Just by knowing the fact that her husband is around, the man whose baby she is about to give birth to, is enough moral support for her. But Bird just didnâ €™t care. He opted for the easiest option available to him and ran out of the entire situation leaving his wife at the disposal of the doctors and his parents in law. Not very enthusiastic about fatherhood, Bird has been demonstrated as a person who runs away from all kinds of responsibilities. H feels that once he becomes a father he would be devoid of all his freedom, would be locked up in a cage with its door closed. The years that would come after his child’s birth would refrain him from going to Africa – The land of his dreams! Severely struggling between duty and desire Bird is really disappointed with life when the much awaited birth of his child does take place. Unfortunately the new born is a defective child. This further pulls the morale of the already dejected father into dungeons. At this point in his life as well the only person he thinks about is himself. This can easily be conveyed via author Kenzaburo’s (1968) following words in which he depi cts Bird’s instant reaction upon the news of his child’s abnormal birth, â€Å"Bird scuttled back to the bedroom, like a crab making for a ledge. He shut his eyes tight and tried to submerge himself in the warmth of his bed, as if by denying reality he could instantly banish it. But nothing changed. Bird shook in head in resignation.†(15) Reacting selflessly at the hospital and without meeting his wife he leaves her behind in the maternity home he ventures on into his own world running away from the hard hitting facts of life. Some earlier instances of his life, narrated by himself, show that he has considered himself to be in distress ever since he has tied himself in the bond of marriage. He narrates this feeling of his with the similitude of a person being held in a cage with the door of the cage being left open. The fist escape he opts for right after his marriage is that he gets himself drunk continuously for four months. The only thing he did was that he g ot drunk and listened to music. This was all at the expense of a lifetime relationship that he had just stepped into, a responsibility that he faced in the face of a wife who was dependent on him and on top of it all at the expense of his education. Yes, Bird was studying when he ventured on this carelessness spree. Setting aside all future prospects of establishing himself in the society Bird risked his

Compensation Plan Outline Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Compensation Plan Outline - Essay Example Hence, companies try to adopt different compensation plans as per prevailing industry standards, work environment and employee expectations. Wal-Mart Stores Inc., under the brand name ‘Wal-Mart’ is an American multinational retail corporation. Being one of the largest retailers in the world, it runs chains of departmental stores and discount stores with large discounts. It can be declared as the world’s biggest private employer with 2.2 million associates worldwide. Hence, they ought to have a well planned compensation plan so as to motivate each associate to give their best. The competitive compensation package of Wal-Mart touched $5.2 billion last year in the United States. The employee wages are classified and structured depending on experience, skill set, problem-solving abilities and job accountability. Every associate is qualified to receive a ‘performance bonus’, based on the performance of their stores. A full - time employee is eligible to re ceive bonuses up to $1,800 at Wal-Mart per year. Also, the company is known to reward hourly associates and assistant managers who have completed 20 years of service in the company, thus motivating employees to give their long term service to the company. It is vital for a company to develop a broad minded outlook while making compensation plans for its employees. It is essential to consider health benefits and various saving plans for the associates apart from their regular weekly / monthly wages. These health benefits include the spouse and all children of the associates, hence taking care of the employee and his family. They also provide varied coverage, ranging from $5 per month to $8 per month depending on the region of work. Wal-Mart provides various ‘Profit share plans’ and ‘Stock purchase plans’ to help their employees earn money in a faster way (â€Å"Wages and Benefits†, 2007). However, Wal-Mart’s compensation strategy has been widel y debated and severely criticized for its low worker’s compensation, which is believed to be influential in its ability to sustain its low prices. There is no doubt that the low product prices greatly benefit Wal-Mart’s consumers, especially from lower to middle class families. Wal-Mart’s strategy has been observed to focus on opening stores in ‘lower income’ areas. This indicates the company’s intention to minimize on worker compensation, along with other factors such as retail and merchandizing. The opening of Wal-Mart stores in a new locality is seen to lower the general wages on an average by 0.5 – 0.8% per worker in the merchandizing sector and by 0.8 – 0.9% for grocery workers (Bernstein, Bivens and Dube, 2006). The compensation plan has been slammed for charges that female employees are paid less than their male counterparts despite their achievement of greater performance ratings. The compensation plan at Wal-Mart is str uctured in such a way that hourly jobs are paid less while management positions are paid better. The process of promotion is defined in such a manner that an employee must complete a ‘Management Training Program’ in order to be appraised to the position of an Assistant Manager. It has been noticed that the other big retailers are found to pay more wages compared to that of Wal-Mart. There have been reports of employee grievances that show wage increments of as low as 20

Report one Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Report one - Assignment Example Over the time I have been here, I have helped and worked in several areas (Baird 115). First, I made the emergency contact list. In this list, I wrote all the numbers that may be helpful in case of any emergency. The list includes the contacts of police, ambulance, international emergency number, management representative, and director of human resource, safety officer, administration manager and other useful contacts. Secondly, I have learnt about the OHSAS (Occupational Health and Safety Assessment Series), which specifies what is required of an occupational health and safety management system to make the organization capable of controlling its occupational health risks and make an improvement on its occupational health and safety performance. For the time I have been an intern in this company, I have helped in establishing a good occupational health and safety (OH&S) management system that will assist in minimizing or eliminating risks to the personnel or other parties who are interested but could be exposed to hazards concerning the occupational health and safety related to its activities. Secondly, I have taken part in the implementation, maintenance and continuous improvement of the occupational health and safety management system. Currently, the company has assured itself of how it conforms to the stated occupational health and safety policy (Baird 207). The company has yet demonstrated its conformity with the OHSAS standard through making self-declaration and self-determination. Moreover, I helped in the provision of first aid. I used the fundamental first aid, which is the original process of addressing and assessing what someone needs when he is injured or has physiological distress due to a heart attack, choking, drugs, allergic reactions, or other medical emergencies. The basic first aid skills helped me to determine the physical condition of the person and the accurate course of

Compensation Plan Outline Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Compensation Plan Outline - Essay Example Hence, companies try to adopt different compensation plans as per prevailing industry standards, work environment and employee expectations. Wal-Mart Stores Inc., under the brand name ‘Wal-Mart’ is an American multinational retail corporation. Being one of the largest retailers in the world, it runs chains of departmental stores and discount stores with large discounts. It can be declared as the world’s biggest private employer with 2.2 million associates worldwide. Hence, they ought to have a well planned compensation plan so as to motivate each associate to give their best. The competitive compensation package of Wal-Mart touched $5.2 billion last year in the United States. The employee wages are classified and structured depending on experience, skill set, problem-solving abilities and job accountability. Every associate is qualified to receive a ‘performance bonus’, based on the performance of their stores. A full - time employee is eligible to re ceive bonuses up to $1,800 at Wal-Mart per year. Also, the company is known to reward hourly associates and assistant managers who have completed 20 years of service in the company, thus motivating employees to give their long term service to the company. It is vital for a company to develop a broad minded outlook while making compensation plans for its employees. It is essential to consider health benefits and various saving plans for the associates apart from their regular weekly / monthly wages. These health benefits include the spouse and all children of the associates, hence taking care of the employee and his family. They also provide varied coverage, ranging from $5 per month to $8 per month depending on the region of work. Wal-Mart provides various ‘Profit share plans’ and ‘Stock purchase plans’ to help their employees earn money in a faster way (â€Å"Wages and Benefits†, 2007). However, Wal-Mart’s compensation strategy has been widel y debated and severely criticized for its low worker’s compensation, which is believed to be influential in its ability to sustain its low prices. There is no doubt that the low product prices greatly benefit Wal-Mart’s consumers, especially from lower to middle class families. Wal-Mart’s strategy has been observed to focus on opening stores in ‘lower income’ areas. This indicates the company’s intention to minimize on worker compensation, along with other factors such as retail and merchandizing. The opening of Wal-Mart stores in a new locality is seen to lower the general wages on an average by 0.5 – 0.8% per worker in the merchandizing sector and by 0.8 – 0.9% for grocery workers (Bernstein, Bivens and Dube, 2006). The compensation plan has been slammed for charges that female employees are paid less than their male counterparts despite their achievement of greater performance ratings. The compensation plan at Wal-Mart is str uctured in such a way that hourly jobs are paid less while management positions are paid better. The process of promotion is defined in such a manner that an employee must complete a ‘Management Training Program’ in order to be appraised to the position of an Assistant Manager. It has been noticed that the other big retailers are found to pay more wages compared to that of Wal-Mart. There have been reports of employee grievances that show wage increments of as low as 20

Visual Literacy Essay Example for Free

Visual Literacy Essay Visual Literacy throughout the history of our world has been important; dating back to cave drawings and carvings, and developing all the way to automated street signs signaling vehicles when to slow, stop, or go. Visuals are a part of our daily lives today as much as they were at the beginning of man’s time-and other living beings’ time-and his, first ability to communicate, visually. Communication was not something that was first spoken or written, it was something shown or demonstrated; such as dance for instance, while someone else was viewing/watching, to portray a message or a feeling to that other person. Whether the Visual Literacy or communication is hand signals-similar to sign language, facial expressions-as simple as the way an individual winks at another individual today, a nod to another person, or something as complex as an artists’ message through a painting, sculpture, other, or not; Visual Literacy is and always will be the first mode of communication in the past, present, and future. Visual Literacy can be a considered a universal language because everybody, or most individuals understand pictures, drawings, artwork, or hand signals/sign language of today. â€Å"The only individuals who do not understand visuals are the blind community-however, this handicap is adapted by the body and other the other body senses become enhanced greatly† (B. Kennedy, 2010). Perhaps sign language varies throughout different regions of the world, but the basics will always be well-known, regardless. For example, pointing to oneself means me, no matter what country you are residing in. A simple sign such as this is a basic way to communicate, and is universal. If two individuals from different countries who did not understand each other were to sit down together and draw a picture of a house, hut, or dwelling of some sort; each individual would understand the drawing, or picture of a dwelling as a home. This is considered Visual Literacy, as well. These two individuals may not be speaking with their mouths, or sounds, but they are communicating with visuals. Brian Kennedy provides an excellent portrayal of what he believes Visual Literacy to be in today’s world. However, our text provides a wonderful explanation of Visual Literacy within the business world today as well, and between both of these resources is a wealth of information. Mr. Kennedy takes a very literal look at Visual Literacy- no pun intended. Kennedy believes that what we view each day through sight is a way that we can learn and communicate if we pay attention. Most of the time, however, we do not pay attention. In fact, he states, â€Å"everything we see is an image, but unless we connect cognition and memory, we do not remember what we see† (B.  Kennedy, 2010). We see hundreds of images everyday throughout our lives, but unless we have some connection to the image, we do not retain it. However, if we â€Å"slow-look, we can look, see, describe, analyze, and interpret or construct meaning† (B. Kennedy, 2010). As with this prior quote, Mr. Kennedy made many other interesting statements within his presentation. For instance, â€Å"we read non-text 60,000 times faster than written text,† and â€Å"90% of what we learn is taken in visually† (B. Kennedy, 2010). Regarding our text, and the definition provided regarding Visual Literacy compared to the video containing Brian Kennedy speaking about the subject, our text is more business oriented, or technically derived. The text this week seems to focus on the high-tech aspect of Visual Literacy. This includes television, billboards, computer images, etc. Also, there almost has to be a difference between the two definitions because one was presented visually, and the other was presented in a written format. Within the text, there are other terms for Visual Literacy, such as media literacy, for example. Also, within our text (W.Ryan, 2012), are two authors (Avgerinou and Ericson, 1997) featured who present this opinion of the definition of Visual Literacy along with 9 other definitions, but will not get into in this paper: â€Å"Visuals may be objects, events, actions, pictorial representations, nonverbal or digital symbols, written words, or numbers. They then argue that visual literacy refers to the use of visuals for communicating, thinking, learning, constructing meaning, creative expression, and aesthetic enjoyment. For example, supplementing a business meeting with visuals created in PowerPoint or Prezi communicate information in a manner alternative to the  spoken word, may engage visually literate audience members in critical thinking about the message, and help them learn more than they may have if they had only heard the message. When these media are used effectively and appropriately, they may stimulate creative thinking and generate affects or liking among audience members through the use of charts, graphs, audio, images, and video† (Avgerinou and Ericson, 1997). It seems that our text is much more technical as far as addressing the definition of Visual Literacy, than the video created by Brian Kennedy. Perhaps it seems that way because the definition that Brian Kennedy offers is visual, as well as audible, but it does seem that he offers a much easier explanation. Communication, through visuals such as photographs for example, have been a way of communicating across borders, oceans, and continents over the decades. One photograph that finds its way on a national magazine cover can convey much more than an entire book devoted to a certain topic. A wonderful example of this comes from our text this week, and that is The National Geographic cover of â€Å"Afghan Girl† that was the cover of the magazine when this girl featured was just 17. It touched many people, and many lives, enough for the photographer to search her out years later without even knowing her name. She was found, and reunited with the photographer, but how does a girl who did not want her picture taken to begin with, react to a huge worldwide reaction to her picture so many years ago, and now with so much attention? She never even knew, or saw her picture. That says quite a bit, as well, as far as Visual Literacy. Perhaps it does not reach as far as we think it does. Globally, perhaps we are not there yet, with our Visual Literacy-or, as easy of a definition, communicating visually. Perhaps we are still a bit Visually Illiterate when it comes to the way we want to portray others, our art, our people, or people from other countries. Also, we should be aware of the way that other countries present us visually. That is something that The United States has not really worried about too much, it seems. We find ourselves upon a pedestal at times and just burst in and start snapping pictures, or slapping paint, etc. The story regarding â€Å"The Afghan Girl† was a reminder of that. We, as a Great Big Beautiful, Wonderful, Intelligent Country believe that all of our media reaches every crevice in the entire world, yet it does not, by any means. We must be mindful of that, while still trying to see everything we are looking at†¦. References: Avgerinou, M. , Ericson, J. (1997). A Review of the Concept of Visual Literacy. British Journal of Educational Technology. Kennedy, B. (2010). Brian Kennedy’s TedTalk: Brian Kennedy: Visual Literacy and Why We Need It . Retrieved From: (http://www. youtube. com/watch? v=OefLEpds5Is). Ryan, W. (2012). Visual literacy: learning to see. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc.

Types Of Operations Process In Tesco

Types Of Operations Process In Tesco The food and drink retail sector represents the largest industry in the UK, providing employment for over three million people in primary production, manufacturing and retailing. In 2003 retail accounted for 9% of gross domestic product (Datamonitor, 2003). In recent years UK supermarkets have come under increased scrutiny over their treatment of suppliers, particularly of own-label products, yet the development of strategic supply networks has been an integral part of most supermarket strategies for the past decade.The report below provides an insight into the supermarket company, Tesco, with emphasis on its external environment analysis and companys analysis of resources, competence and culture. Two future strategic options are suggested in regards to the resources based strategies. Inbound logistics are placed at the first stage of the value chain as they possess the earliest opportunity to create value. Therefore, the elements of this stage are considered to be upstream activities. The logistical tasks, in this case, include the receipt of goods from suppliers, storage of goods, handling transportation of goods internally and placing the products on the shelves. Tesco tries to maintain the level of consumer choice in store (+), whilst improving the efficiency of its distribution system (+). In applying a quality control procedure concerning damaged goods and products, it provides an excellent opportunity to reduce costs unfairly incurred by the company, therefore preventing these costs being passed on to the consumer (P+). Operations The production element of Tesco activities are service orientated. Hence, operations could be the second upstream opportunities that enable services and products to be provided, tasks such as opening every day in accordance with trading hours, maintaining the shelves, and the stock (+). In order to obtain future competitive advantage Tesco has to consider expanding further in terms of operating hours in those places, where it does not occur or opening new Metro and Express stores (P+). However, this might be restricted by law or planning councils, which is essentially takes away competitive advantage (-). Outbound logistics The third stage of the value chain is the outbound logistics that is concerned with delivering the product to the customer. Tesco currently adds value in its home delivery service (+). However, other tangibles that have to be improved are those of parking facilities, trolley collectors, till staff and systems to gain competitive advantage, if executed more efficiently than competitors, they will add value by saving the customer time (+), whilst increasing the turnaround (+). Adding value could be achieved through the implementation of a trolley deposit system, keeping them tidy and enabling customers to get to and from the premises quicker, as well as making these facilities readily available and quicker to obtain. Support Activities Company Infrastructure Planning and control functions are the ones that account to provide the continued focus on the costs and cash control of the companys operations (+). And departments such as profit protection whose main jobs are to reduce shrink. The company has now increased its staff count who are involved in upgrading its anti-fraud software (infrastructure/technology, interdependence), and installing new security systems which aim to reduce internal theft, an expense the customer will now not have to cover in the price of their purchases ( Human resource management HRM is regarded as up and downstream activity, covering everything from recruitment to management development. The company aims to increase the number of training schemes and further develop its recruitment programmes so to pass on to the customer the benefits of a well recruited, well trained staff, not the costs. Tesco continues to invest in customer service (+), where training is also linked directly to pay, so the staff are motivated to learn, and are encouraged to improve their approach to customers and service provision quality. Technology development It is a downstream activity and is the ability to provide new innovative product ranges/ solutions that anticipate customer needs. It also remains a key competitive advantage, adding value, as Tescos brand name gives the product vitality (+). However, installation and capital investment is a long term process and needs total commitment of the staff. But who will be responsible for the service provision and the floor personnel? (-). UK Operations In the UK, Tesco operates six different store formats, each distinguished by size and the range of products sold. Tesco Superstores Tesco superstores are the companys standard store format. These large supermarkets stock and sell all groceries along with a large range of non-food products. They also offer an in-store pharmacy. Tesco Extra Tesco Extra stores are the retailers large out-of-town hypermarkets (second in size behind superstores) which stock nearly all of Tescos product ranges. Tesco Metro Metro stores are medium-sized stores (sized between Tesco superstores and Tesco Express stores) that offer a range of food lines. Tesco Express Express stores are convenience shops that are mainly located on Esso petrol station forecourts. Most of their stock consists of food, with an emphasis on higher-margin products alongside everyday essentials. Tesco Homeplus Homeplus stores offer all of Tescos ranges, except food, in warehouse-style units based in retail parks. These large units feature an Order and Collect desk where customers can purchase and collect most items without delay. One Stop One Stop stores are the very smallest Tesco stores. These stores work on a different pricing to all the other store formats and are also distinguished by their later opening hours. Global Operations Tesco boasts a global store portfolio of over 1,800 stores. Besides the UK, the company operates stores in France, China, the United States, Poland, Republic of Ireland, Japan, Malaysia, Czech Republic, South Korea, Slovakia, Thailand and Turkey . Online Operation Tesco runs the worlds largest grocery home-shopping service, Tesco.com. The site was formally launched in 2000 six years after Tesco first began operating on the internet. Consumer goods, telecommunications and financial services are also provided via the internet. Tesco Direct, the supermarkets catalogue/internet service, was added to the retailers portfolio in 2007. Customers can browse the Tesco Direct catalogue or go online to purchase non-food goods ranging from home electricals, toys and furniture to sports equipment, jewellery and even bathroom suites. Tesco Personal Finance Tesco Personal Finance is the banking arm of the Tesco plc. The business was previously run as a joint venture with the Royal Bank of Scotland, but in July 2008 Tesco paid  £950 million to acquire the banks 50% share in the company. Financial products on offer include loans, credit cards, savings accounts, mortgages, and several types of insurance, including car, home, life, dental and travel cover. Tesco Clubcard Tesco is one of only two UK supermarkets to offer its customers a loyalty card-scheme (the other being Sainsburys). Introduced in 1995, Tescos Clubcard branded loyalty scheme is now the number one loyalty card in the UK, with around 13 million active Clubcard holders. Every  £1 spent in a Tesco store, online at Tesco.com or through Tesco Petrol, earns customers one Clubcard point. Shoppers can also collect points by paying with a Tesco Credit Card, or by using Tesco Mobile, Tesco Broadband, selected Tesco Personal Finance products or through Clubcard partners, Avis and E.ON. Each point is worth 1p in-store when redeemed, or 4p when used with Clubcard deals on holidays, day trips, etc. Points can also be used to rack up Airmiles, or converted into coupons. B: Capacity planning, Inventory management, Supply chain design, Performance measures and total quality management Tesco Capacity Planning Example : The Scenario Tesco operated a major distribution centre with 26 truck loading decks handling 20 vehicles arriving every hour. Deliveries for individual supermarkets needed to be selected, marshalled and loaded within 60 minutes. The existing loading system was totally manual, using pickers and fork-lift trucks. Due to increasing capacity needs, Tesco engaged with a material handling company to design the expanded facility. This company proposed a novel loading system using automatically guided vehicles (AGVs) to deliver prepared cages of goods. This system would have to be integrated with the existing manual facility, accessing the same warehouse and loading decks. The Challenge Tescos Project Director did not have confidence that the simple spreadsheet calculation of the planned additional capacity could accurately represent the likely outcome as it could not show dynamic interactions within a system comprising hundreds of movements per hour between the warehouse and the loading dock. The following questions arose: What would be the key issues involved in operating the two systems side-by-side? If the two systems could be successfully integrated, how could the optimum operating protocol be devised? How many AGVs would be needed (between 15 and 20 were proposed)? Where might AGVs and fork lifts interfere, causing delays and how could this be minimised? How can collisions be avoided (Health and Safety issue)? Where might loading bottlenecks occur, reducing anticipated performance? Would the target 60 minute turnaround be reliably met under different operating conditions? Tesco needed an independent assessment of the impact of the proposed changes and of whether efficiency and loading time targets would be met. The materials handling supplier recommended Paragon Simulation. The Solution Tesco commissioned Paragon to produce a model. Paragon worked with Tescos and the suppliers input, to accurately model the proposed facility. Paragon was asked not only to construct and run the model, but also to report results and to make a recommendation. The resulting model was a plan view animation of the facility with the AGV system in place. AGV movement, acceleration/deceleration, delay time caused by interference between the old (fork lift) and new loading systems and location of problems (to aid further analysis) were all represented. As the model ran, statistics were recorded on key performance parameters. Different methods of running the systems side-by-side could be set up, run (with varying load levels) and results compared quickly and easily using the Paragon Information Manager. The Benefits The outcome of the project was a confirmation from Paragon to Tesco that the proposed solution could work and deliver the required results. In very short project timescales (just 15 days from start to finish), Paragon were able to give Tesco the assurance they needed and key input on how best to integrate systems and operate the new facility. There was also an immediate cost saving because the simulation model showed that two fewer AGVs were needed than indicated by the original spreadsheet calculations a total saving of  £160,000. Tescos mistakes in US Not understanding the American Customer In early 2006, Tesco plc decided to enter the US market with convenience stores (Fresh Easy Neighborhood Markets) to be launched by 2007. Tesco had been studying the American market for two decades and its entry was long time coming. Though the company is not faring that well (currently loss making and is not predicted to break even until the financial year 2012), it hopes to turnaround sooner than later. The following are some of Tescos mistakes in the US market: The American way of shopping Car culture and weekly shopping expeditions Tesco opened stores in California, Nevada and Arizona offering about 4000 fresh products. But US customers do not shop daily, particularly in California where families shopped weekly in cars. Tesco on the other hand wants to cater to shoppers who have less time and want fresh and healthy food. Competition not only from US super chains Tesco was also facing tough competition from Japanese owned supermarket chain FamilyMart which had started two premium convenience stores under the banner Famima in California and had big expansion plans. The Japanese store offered a new community lifestyle experience along with services like banking, stationary department and also Japanese delicacies like sushi, noodles etc. Its imported groceries also cost less than Tesco. No Discount Coupons The American customer wants to try something before making a final decision on buying. Even discounts or taste samples help in finalizing a deal. But Tesco removed discount coupons. No Promotional Fliers There is less loyalty in the US market with the American consumer shifting loyalties based on weekly/daily special promotional offers. Tesco assumed that like British consumers who would not switch loyalties easily, the Americans would follow suit. A focus group found that Tesco was not sending fliers promoting the latest special offers. Good Effort but No Learning When Tesco entered US, it did not go unprepared into the American market. It sent around 50 to 60 British executives to live with California families to discover the products they bought and the food they ate. But with Tescos dropping profits it seemed they did not learn much into the American way of buying. Tesco did not partner with a US retailer when entering the US market and also intended to use its own proprietary distribution system. B :Tesco Inventory Management : Tesco plc (LSE: TSCO), one of worlds leading retailers, has selected Micro Focus to support the growth of its international operations, notably in the United States, by improving its supply chain operations. Tescos current supply chain management system monitors and controls its entire in-store inventory. The company has enlisted the assistance of Micro Focus to modernize and extend this system, so it can be rolled out in Tescos data center in California, when it launches its first U.S. store later this year. Micro Focus has been selected to extend Tescos supply chain application, as well as future proofing it against any changes that it may face as its operations continue to expand globally. Not only will the modernized application be ready for the imminent U.S. launch, but it will also be seamlessly deployed in each of Tescos current data centers across the globe. The move will also yield considerable savings for Tesco, as it will be able to use its existing servers and will be able to avoid investing in additional support for their international operations. Tesco Suppy Chain Design : Performance Measures of Tesco : Tesco can influence society at large owing to its size and scale of operations and it does so by encouraging its employees and customers to become more socially responsible. Tesco is of the view that it has a major role to play in promoting health food among its customers and strives to make health food available at affordable prices. The company has adopted several initiatives over the years to fulfill its responsibility to society. These include charity, fund raising for a cause and promoting education. These efforts are not limited to the UK but extend to other countries in which Tesco operates. Total Quality Management : Makes a significant contribution to the perceived customer benefits of the outcome: delivers a fundamental customer benefit. In order to identify core competences in a particular market, the question of why is the customer willing to pay more or less for one product or service than another- needs to be addressed. For example, Tesco have been very successful in capturing the leadership of the retailing market. This shows that Tesco designs and implements effective supply systems and deliver an efficient customer interface. Tesco was the first UK grocer to launch a loyalty card and has been the most effective. Palmer (2004) claims that until recently, it was the only grocer to use the information to mail customers every month. Strategy frameworks and structuring tools are key to assessing the business situation. Risk and value trade-offs are made explicit, leading to concrete proposals to add value and reduce risk. Explicit plans for action, including effective planning need to be developed by Tesco as the strategic alternative. From the generic strategies discussed above, Tesco is likely to employ two strategic options that are also likely to be primary market objectives of focus on market development though partnerships and diversification through new product development By entering new markets like China and Japan it can serve as a key growth driver of the companys revenues and expansion strategy. Tescos interests in Japan are likely to continue growing in due course, as Asian markets are showing an increase in consumer spending and increased trend towards retailing. These new markets are also demographically high opportunity markets. In the case of Tesco, one of the suggested strategic options is in international alliances with the local retailers in Asian markets. It will be considered as a method of development and may be formed to exploit current resources and competence. By entering into joint ventures or partnerships, in order to gain a larger economy of scale and larger market presence, Tesco will draw on the extensive local knowledge and operating expertise of the partner whilst adding its own supply chain, product development and stores operations skills to deliver a better shopping experience to customers. However, given the huge scale, potential and complexities of these markets, Tesco may feel that being the first mover is not necessarily an advantage. The success of the partnership will be related to three main success criteria: sustainability, acceptability and feasibility. Sustainability will be concerned with whether a strategy addresses the circumstances in which the company is operating. It is ab out the rationale of this expansion-market development strategy. The acceptability relates to the expected return from the strategy, the level of risk and the likely reaction of stakeholders. Feasibility will be regarded to whether Tesco has the resources and competence to deliver the strategy. b Product Development: Diversification Johnson and Scholes (2003) believe that changes in the business environment may create demand for new products and services at the expense of established provision. Ansoffs matrix also suggests that if new products are developed for existing markets, then a product development strategy has to be considered by the management level of a company. In expanding and diversifying Tescos product mix, it is also crucial to implement internal development when new products are developed. The nature and the extent of diversification should also be considered in relation to the rationale of the corporate strategy and the diversity of the portfolio. By following the changing needs of the customers Tesco can introduce new product lines. This may require more attention to RD, leading to additional spending. BARCLAYS BANK : A : A : Types of Operations Process in Barclays : Introduction Barclays is a global bank. It provides a range of financial services in 56 countries. Barclays provides retail banking services to customers, whether they are individuals or businesses. It offers a broad range of financial products and services including current accounts, savings accounts and general insurance. Within the UK, Barclays communications are designed to help customers Take One Small Step to managing their money better every day. Different kinds of customers represent distinct markets for Barclays. The market for personal banking services is very competitive. Personal customers have a choice of banks on the high street or on the web to assist them in managing their finances. For example, they can have their salaries paid into accounts, pay bills through the bank or save money to gain interest on their savings. There is also a competitive market for business banking services. Businesses require different services such as credit management, payments for suppliers or loans and overdrafts to help them to survive and grow. For example, an expanding business may need a mortgage to buy a new building. Barclays Bank history is as old as the history of the Great British banking industry as a whole. Founded back in the cobbled streeted and oil lamp lit London of the seventeenth century, Barclays has grown and progressed to be a member of the global banking fraternity with operations spreading across all of Europe as well as North and South America, the Middle and the Far East. The Bank was reputed to have begun its earliest trades way back in 1690, when the two founding partners John Freame and Thomas Gould first opened their doors in London. Their first premises were in Lombard Street, where they traded successfully for more than thirty years. One of the most significant events in the banks history took place in 1736, when Freame and Gould, obviously feeling that their days as bankers might be drawing to a close, invited Freames son-in-law, John Barclay to become a partner in the bank. The onset of World War One saw Barclays strongly represented as far north as the Midlands of England. In the year that the war ended, Barclays Bank announced its amalgamation with the London, Provincial and South Western Bank, firmly staking it place to be one of the UKs leading banking groups. By the middle of the nineteen twenties in England, Barclays had close to two thousand branches in operation in England, and had begun some tentative operations overseas, particularly in the British Colonies. Gradual expansion and consolidation was the order of the day for Barclays for the period before, during and after World War Two. Barclays woke up from the period of austerity that followed the War, with the opening of the first banking computer centre situated in London. During the height of the swinging sixties, Barclays showed that they were no slouches by introducing the famous Barclaycard, the first credit card to grace our shores. The following year, Barclays again shook the banking world by unveiling the countrys first automatic teller machine, providing cash from a wall. Today Barclays presents a mixture of a bank of a bank with a great history and rich tradition who has always reached out to the future. A mixture that finds her well prepared to weather the storm of the current financial crisis. Barclays is made up of two Clusters: Global Retail Banking, and Corporate Investment Banking and Wealth Management, each of which has a number of Business Units. The third major area of the business is Group Centre. From Human Resources to Corporate Affairs, this area comprises all the essential Head Office support functions that help Barclays maintain strategic momentum. Retail Banking Barclays UK Retail Banking is one of Britains leading retail banks serving around 15 million UK customers through contact centres, online banking and 1,720 branches. UK Retail Banking builds broad and deep relationships with customers and small business owners by providing a wide range of products and financial services. Through UK Retail Banking, customers have access to current account and savings products, Woolwich-branded mortgages, unsecured loan and protection products and general insurance. Barclays Financial Planning provides investment advice and products; Local Business provides banking services, including money transmission, to small businesses; and Premier provides tailored, relationship-based banking services to affluent customers through dedicated account managers. Barclaycard Barclaycard is a multi-brand credit card and consumer lending business which also processes card payments for retailers and merchants, and issues credit and charge cards to corporate customers and the UK government. It is one of Europes leading credit card businesses and has an increasing presence in the United States. In the UK, Barclaycard comprises Barclaycard UK Cards, Barclaycard Partnerships (Sky Card, Thomas Cook, Argos and Solution Personal Finance), Barclays Partner Finance and Firstplus. Barclaycard also added the Goldfish business to its portfolio in 2008. Outside the UK, Barclaycard provides credit cards in the United States, Germany, South Africa (through management of the Absa credit card portfolio) and in the Nordic region, where Barclaycard operates through Entercard, a joint venture with Swedbank. Barclaycard works closely with other parts of the Barclays Group, including UK Retail Banking, Barclays Corporate, Western Europe Retail Banking and Barclays Africa, to mak e use of their distribution capabilities. Western Europe Retail Banking Includes retail banking and Barclaycard operations in Spain, Italy, France and Portugal. Approximately 10,000 colleagues are employed in this part of the organisation, serving two million customers. Across the region, Barclays has more than 1,100 distribution outlets. Barclays Africa Barclays Africa encompasses Barclays Global Retail Banking, Corporate Banking, and Barclaycard operations in 10 countries organised in four geographic areas: North Africa (Egypt), East and West Africa (Ghana, Tanzania, Uganda and Kenya), Southern Africa (Botswana, Zambia and Zimbabwe), and the Indian Ocean (Mauritius and Seychelles). Barclays Africa serves its 2.8 million customers through a network of 573 branches and service centres providing a variety of traditional financial products, including retail mortgages, current and deposit accounts, commercial lending, unsecured lending, credit cards, treasury and investments. In addition, it provides specialist services such as Sharia-compliant products and mobile banking. Management of Barclays : Barclays Capital Fund Solutions (BCFS) is the investment management business of Barclays Capital, the investment banking division of Barclays Bank PLC. The emergence of new asset classes, growth in demand for derivative solutions and an investor shift towards absolute returns have identified a strong necessity for an alternative fund management approach that: Offers clients greater customisation of investment management products Uses state-of-the art financial thinking but is adaptive to changes in the investment environment Delivers multi-asset class performance, with the flexibility to access new asset classes as they emerge Considers the complexities of multi-jurisdictional investors and asset bases to deliver pragmatic financial solutions The BCFS business model and approach focus on this evolving market segment. BCFS combines its multi-jurisdictional fund expertise with world-class structuring, derivatives trading and asset allocation expertise to deliver applied investment innovation in fund management across all asset classes. The BCFS team is advised by Barclays Capitals award-winning research team. Key Attributes Since launch of the first fund in January 2006, BCFS has: Attracted leading investors, establishing a significant fund business and market leadership in applied investment innovation Established a diverse client base from insurance companies, asset managers and corporate treasuries to family offices and private banking investors Provided exposure to multiple asset classes including equities, commodities, interest rates, foreign exchange, fixed income, emerging markets, hedge funds and property Grown assets under management to more than USD 6bn* in structured and quantitative strategies and manages more than 70 funds Built a global footprint with funds distributed throughout South America, Europe and Asia Pacific Increased its strong front- to back-office team to 70 Supply Chain for Barclays : Performance Measures of Barclays :