Thursday, November 28, 2019

Globalization in Politics and on the World peace

Introduction Globalization greatly affects both domestic and international politics. There exist different views and ideas on the effects of this complex multifaceted concept on politics. The cross-border economic and technological activities instigated by international relations have resulted into political changes in international politics.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Globalization in Politics and on the World peace specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Globalization has created an environment for economic interaction among different states of the world. It has resulted into freer movement of goods, finances, and ideas across the different corners of the globe. Economists view globalization as a platform for equal economic growth in the world as it encourages fair distribution of resources. Political leaders, especially in the poor countries, oppose globalization on the grounds of preserving the nationa l sovereignty of their states. In social perspective, globalization is a phenomenon for enhancement of world social integration. For realists in general, globalization provides an opportunity for powerful nations to exploit the less powerful and poorest countries. In addition, politicians (in poor countries) view the phenomenon as the great perpetuator of hegemony in the world. Neoliberals and the proponents of globalization argue that, globalization is the means to liberalization of the new world order. Other scholars treat globalization as an emerging form of imperialism, which is likely to ruin governance and the political leadership of the less powerful countries. Although there have been significant studies in politics and globalization, there exists very little work on its impact on peace and unity in the world. As argued in this paper, globalization in politics will result into more conflicts in the world. Globalization in politics and the peace in the world Globalization has led into loss of sovereignty in governments. Through globalization, people, goods, money, and ideas have become freer to move than they were before. The government’s control over people and their businesses has therefore reduced (Neil 2004, 123). As a result, people from different states have migrated into nations with favourable trading policies. The high rates of immigration of people due to trade with little control by the government pose a great threat to the peace and unity in the future. First, with the freedom from the government to carry out businesses anywhere in the world, there is likelihood of exchange of illegal goods such as drugs and arms. Such goods, especially drugs, enhance violent acts. Increase in such goods in a state whose sovereignty is low will lead to more people consuming the goods. Availability of drugs for instance, results into increased number of drug abusers within a country. On contemplation, this retrogressive trend subsequently increases the poverty levels since majority of drug abusers do not or are unable to work. Poverty has direct correlation with violence.Advertising Looking for research paper on political sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In fact, violence characterizes the poverty-stricken nations, with African countries serving exemplarily for this argument. Since the government does not have control in face of globalization, people may engage in violent means such as theft and looting to satisfy their needs. Secondly, the continued loss of sovereignty by most states in the world, due to globalization, may lead to loss of stability of security in the countries. Globalization and the inability to control people may extend to the military forces such that, these forces enjoy freedom analogous to the people in the business world. This phenomenon will expose the state to internal and external attacks such as terrorism. Since globalization enhances fre er mobility of people, it will be difficult to maintain security in such low sovereign states, which would degenerate into conflicts. Thirdly, loss of sovereignty encourages creation of illegal groups, which pose threat to the peace of the world. Political competition within a less sovereign state will result into formation of such groups. In fact, majority of the gangs in the world are results of political competition. These groups further pose threat to the peace in the world. Therefore, through globalization, there is continued loss of sovereignty among states, which exposes nations to more conflicts. The conflicts may further result into violence and therefore destabilizing world peace. Globalization enhances flow of information and ideas. The cross-border flow of economic activities has enhanced the transfer of information across different political states, which affects both the international and domestic politics in a number of ways. First, it influences people in different s tates to demand for transformation of political governance from their states. According to Berger, globalization has enhanced the growth of international media coverage (2000, 47). As a result, it is now easy and cheap for information about the political activities of a particular country or region to flow to the rest of the world. Since the populace make decisions based on the reports from the media, the activities in other countries may instigate actions in other regions of the world. The current unrest in the Muslim countries in Africa and Middle East originated from Tunisia. Given the media coverage, the situation in Tunisia received, other countries such as Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Venezuela, and Yemen became critical to their political leadership. This resulted into mass action to demand for political transformations in these countries. Globalization therefore encourages political liberalism, which may further result into degradation of peace and unity. The political leadership of countries marred by mass actions such as Libya are reluctant to reformation and as a result, these governments initiate counter forces in order to calm the situations.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Globalization in Politics and on the World peace specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Subsequently, this results into conflicts between the activists and the government forces, which leads to violence. Secondly, the spread of information also results into exchange of political strategies among states or politicians. Because of globalization, politicians of different backgrounds, experience, and ideologies are able to mingle and exchange political ideas. While some of the ideas may be for the good of the public, experience evidences that most of them concentrate on maintaining the political supremacy and self-interest of the politicians. Majority of the African countries face peace threats due to the strong p ositions held by their political leaders. Interestingly, such leaders remain applauded by their international counterparts even though they enjoy less support from their citizens. Through the advice, which these leaders get during international meetings, such as the UN, Common Wealth and African Union conferences, they gain confidence to cling to power against the wish of majority, which is the founding principle of democracy. With this trend, the leadership in most African countries will continue to infringe democratic rights of the people and since globalization continues to promote the flow of ideas on ‘people’s liberalization’ in the world, more politically-instigated violent acts are likely to occur in future. Globalization results into loss in community values including cultural and traditional values. Globalization encourages interaction of people of different social and cultural backgrounds. Cross-cultural adoption among people of different spheres of lif e has been vivid since the 20th century. Blend of cultures and traditions has therefore resulted into loss of the community values in different regions of the world. Loss in community values has adverse effects on domestic politics of a country. Constitutional violation by the political leadership is the obvious effect of loss in community values. A constitution upholds the values of the community, which it governs. Therefore, political leadership’s disregard of these values implies a constitutional infringement. This may result into conflicts between those critical to the constitution and the values and the leadership. Conflicts create tension and uncertainty among people and may lead to wars. Another significant impact of loss in community values to politics is the adoption of practices by the public, which threatens security and hence peace of a nation. Due to globalization, people adopt values of other communities at the expense of theirs. Such practices, which include dr ug abuse among others, encourage deviant behaviours among the people. These behaviours threaten the political stability of the state as such people may involve in violent acts. A state, which does not uphold its community values, is subject to malpractices by the leaders. Corruption and dishonesty are among the malpractices experienced in such states. These practices compromise the governance of the state and could result into conflicts between the people and the leadership, thereby threatening peace and unity.Advertising Looking for research paper on political sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Through globalization, corrupt officials conceal their ‘ill-acquired’ properties and funds in other countries. Political theorists attribute the advanced forms of corruption in African countries to globalization. Generally, loss in community values results into loss in confidence among the citizens to their leaders and this may result into more conflicts and hence wars in future. Conflicts in the Muslim world are results of loss of values of Islam. The influx of non-Muslims and the interaction between the region and other non-Muslim regions through trade and international relations has prompted the loss of Islamic values in those regions. The result has been the disregard of the Sharia law, which forms the basics for governance in the Islamic countries. The Egyptian and Libyan situations apparently illustrates the results of loss of community values to politics, peace, and unity of the world. As previously mentioned, globalization encourages freer flow of goods. This ha s considerable impact on politics, especially when dangerous goods come into play. Trading in arms has become easier and convenient with the globalization and the loss of sovereignty in the states. Due to international trade, militia gangs in Somali and other war-torn countries are able to acquire arms. With the freer trade in culmination with less government control of businesses and mobility of people, there is increased accessibility to guns and other arms. If this trend continues, more than 67% of the population in the world will own these arms in the next 3 years (McGrew 2001, 98). Such statistics are alarming and indeed, indicates a threat to peace and unity. Increase in number of people owning guns and other forms of arms poses security threats in that, people will result into use of violence to resolve their disputes. With the increased armament, there is likelihood to increase in terrorism in the world. Terrorism creates tension and results into conflicts. The long lasting conflicts between the United States and the Middle East are results of terrorism. Tension results from mistrust between the perceived terrorists and the target nations. In such conditions, there is likelihood of conflict, which results into violence and therefore destabilizing peace in the world. Countries with free flow of arms experience conflicts and are centres for prospective wars. It further destabilizes the political order of these countries and may subsequently result into collapse of leadership and governments in such countries. Countries marred by political wars have readily available arms. The availability of these arms in most of the politically war-torn countries such as Somalia is a result of globalization. Through inter-border interactions, government rebels acquire weapons and arms to fight the government thereby causing political instability. Countries with political instabilities pose threat to their security and that of their neighbours. Therefore, with the curren t trends in globalization, the world continues to experience spread of arms and growth in armament and the plausible prediction would be the increase in political instabilities in the world. As a result, globalization will perpetuate conflicts and therefore destabilize peace in the world. Globalization enhances migration of people within the cross-border economies. This has considerable impact on the world politics and peace. Because of international trade, business people move freely to favourable regions (target) of their businesses, which results into increase in population in the target regions. Population increase affects the politics within an economy in two ways: first, it presents a challenge to the political leadership with an extra responsibility to plan and provide for the increased citizens; and second, the political responsibility to control such populations is indeed a challenge. The opportunity provided by globalization for freer movement of people across different st ates is subject to exploitation by non-business people (McGrew 2001, 13). The result will be strain in the budget of these states, as some of the immigrants are not involved in production or business and this trend results into poverty in the highly populated areas. For instance, majority of the poor population of the United States compose of the Southern Americans, most of which are immigrants. Poverty poses threat to peace and unity of a country. The migration encouraged by globalization provides a mean for mobility of the terrorists in the world. Since people are free to move around, there is ease in spread and expansion of terrorism in the world. Through globalization, people of different nationalities are able to shift their originalities to other nationalities to become full citizens by right in the new countries. Such individuals have political rights like any other citizen in that state; they can vie for political positions and get involved in decision-making of vital matter s of the country and this transforms the domestic politics of countries as such people introduce novel strategies of political competition. The outcome of the transformation may however be conflict and tension among the competitors. In fact, the Rwandan genocide was a result of conflict between the perceived immigrants, the Tutsis, and the ‘real’ citizens, Hutus. From the Rwandan case, it is imperative to point out that the growing immigration and changes in nationalities due to globalization may lead to replication of such violence in most countries, especially those with political contentions. The migration, as aforementioned, leads into loss in community values and as previously argued, loss in community values creates tension and hence conflicts. Interrelationship, a result of globalization, enhances power struggle among nations. Globalization enhances interrelationship among different nations. The interrelations may be economic, social, or political. In whatever ca se, the member nations must collectively make decisions in the interrelationships. However, it becomes difficult to ensure equal rights in decision-making for situations of rich-poor country relationship. The rich and powerful countries, especially the developed, tend to believe that their views supersede those of the poor and developing countries (Ian 2000, 169). For instance, European countries such as France and Britain enjoy voting rights in the UN unlike their African counterparts. In the Common Wealth, Britain is the most powerful and major decision maker. Political critics impute the inequality to the rich-powerful dominance over the poor-weak countries. Such inequalities pose threat to the peace in the world. First, the poor countries perceive the inequality as a means of oppression by the powerful countries. Since globalization encourages liberalization and freedom, these countries protest against such oppression by the developed countries. The result is a continued tension among the rich and poor countries. This tension may lead into conflicts and wars between the rich and poor countries. Therefore, the struggle for supremacy puts the world peace at stake. Secondly, the inequality among these nations results into imposition of policies to the poor countries by the rich nations. Some of the policies may be practically inapplicable in the politics of the developing countries; the policies may either enhance violence or interfere with the ‘order of politics’ in those countries. Political disorder creates anxiety among the citizens, which is a threat to peace. The power struggle among the rich countries is another factor threatening the peace in the world. Some nations struggle to prove the most powerful over the others. The result is therefore that the decisions made in the international politics do not focus on improving the ‘world order’ rather than a revelation for power and influence by majority of the richest nations. This may lead into competition among these countries to prove their mighty. Lessons of the 1990’s Cold War show that, competition for the mighty may lead to conflicts and wars; it was due to competition for ‘who is powerful’ that led to the infamous Cold War (conflicts) between the former Soviet Union and the United States. As long as globalization bears, power struggle among various nations will continue and the future peace of the world will remain uncertain. Globalization enhances exchange and imposition of policies by the rich countries to the poor countries. Through the international relations and cross-border economic activities, countries are able to exchange policies. However, the exchange has resulted into imposition of policies to the weak nations by the powerful countries (Leo 2006, 500). The colonization of most African, Asian, and South American countries by the European countries during and before the 19th century presents a lesson to the today’s historians and scholars on the intention of the rich and powerful countries to the poor nations. Analogous to the colonial times, the aim of the rich countries is to assimilate the developing countries into their policies. It is important to note that such ‘imported policies’ cannot work in the indigenous countries. Instead, such policies transform the political situations into arenas of conflicts and such conflicts often result into violence. In addition, the imposition of policies results into loss of the sovereignty of the state, which further threatens future peace of the specific country. The contention in the rich-poor relationship is due to the imposition of policies to the poor countries by the rich countries. The current increasing protests to the International Criminal Court by most of the African countries clearly illustrate the effect of policy imposition. Assimilation into other policies interferes with the legal framework of the indigenous countries, ther eby contravening the rights of the citizens in these countries. In the face of globalization, people across the world have become resilient and sensitive to oppression. The result of imposition would therefore be mass actions and political unrest in these countries. Although globalization encourages policy exchange among the rich and poor countries, the rich stresses on the adoption of theirs. To political critics, the imposition is a tool for oppression to the poor countries and its perpetuation presents the cause for prospective conflicts and wars. The imposition is another form of colonization in the 21st century, which is advancement of neo-colonialism. Since developing countries would like to maintain their sovereignty and independence, such impositions receive wide oppositions from these countries. Probably, the opposition may be through mobilization of the public actions, which may interfere with the peace of these nations. Globalization enhances exchange and imposition of po licies among various nations in the world and therefore, transforming the political situations of various countries. The transformation may create tension and thus conflicts. According to international trade theory, globalization is a phenomenon that greatly alters the principles of politics, both the international and world politics. â€Å"It is a further development of a growing interdependence, which further transforms the principles of world politics† (Kapitoneko 2009, 589). Globalization achieves this through â€Å"bringing in non-state actors†¦and shifting their strategies from military and strategic to economic and social needs† (Kapitoneko 2009, 589). As discussed earlier in this paper, these factors have resulted into polarization of the borders of various states. Furthermore, it has led to freer movement of goods and labour. Based on the second factor of shift on focus from military empowerment to economic and social expansion, it is clear that globaliza tion focuses on economic efficiency at the expense of the military. Since the state engages in long-term co-operations in order to achieve the above strategies of globalization, it encourages more people to cross into their borders. This poses great threat to the peace of the state. The opening of the borders for freer accessibility of the country by more people in the name of partners in cooperation provides an opportunity exploitable by people with bad intentions. In addition, since the states’ support to the military has greatly reduced, it becomes easier for such people to enter these states. Such people may be terrorists or other kinds of illegal gangs in the world. The co-operation for economic expansion at the expense of security of the state simply exposes states to the attacks by such gangs. Further contemplation reveals that the diminishing focus on military and security in favour of economic growth through globalization will result into creation of more gang groups like Al Qaeda; a threat to the peace in the world and therefore cause political disarrays in the world. The growth in interdependence due to globalization further makes some governments passive in decision-making. Interdependence promotes collective making of vital decisions and as a result, some states leave some decisions for advice from their international co-operation. Based on the earlier argument, this may result into conflict. Again, due to perception of the rich and powerful countries on the poor states, some decisions may be biased and offensive to the rights of the citizens. Subsequently, this may result into tension and therefore conflicts. Therefore, by altering the principles of the world politics, globalization creates tension and a prospective for future conflicts and wars. The movement of some states to the territories of others facilitated by globalization presents potential causes of conflicts. With the globalization and the international co-operation, states are freer to enter into other states and such entrances influence the politics of the both states in two ways: first, it transforms the politics of these states since the co-operation may involve influencing some key policies. For instance, the entry of the United States into Iraqi government influenced the nation to persecute and execute the former president, Saddam Hussein. The entry may call for constitutional changes and thereby considerably changing the politics of such states. However, some entry of states into others may result into chaos. Although, for instance, the American entry into Middle East in search of terrorists seemed justifiable, it resulted into resistance by majority of the people in that region. This further degenerated into conflict between the citizens and the US soldiers. The entry into other countries, accelerated by globalization, may lead to conflicts and wars. Secondly, the entry interferes with the ‘political order’ of the other nations. When a country enters into the matters of another state, it disrupts the order of the ‘operation of political’ systems in that country. This disruption may be either because of the adjustments required for the issues raised by the other state or due to disorganization, which the entry brings into the other state. Entrance, which disrupts the policies of a state, also creates friction between the states and may result into conflicts. The entrance is more detrimental when it comes into rich states entering into poor states. Critics perceive the entrance as â€Å"hegemony and a means to exploit the poor state† (Monbiot 2001, 45). Again, this results into conflict between the states. While liberals argue that the relationship between such states enhances checks and balances against the states’ governments, to critics, it is an opportunity by the powerful nations to exploit the weak states. The political entrance of states into other states may influence the policies of governance of such states to infringe the rights of the citizens, thereby calling for unrest within those states. Political unrest is a prospective cause of future conflicts and wars and indicates the instability of peace in the future world. Conclusion The globalization effects on politics will result into increase in conflicts in the world. As argued in the preceding discussion, globalization has led to loss of state’s sovereignty in the world. The result of loss in sovereignty is the increased mobility of people, finances, ideas and goods, with little state’s control. The high rates of immigration of people due to trade with little control by the government, pose a great threat to the peace and unity in the future. The freedom by the government to carry out businesses anywhere in the world increases the likelihood of exchange of illegal goods such as drugs and arms. Such goods, especially drugs, enhance violent acts. Increase in such goods in a state whose sover eignty is low, will lead to more people consuming those goods. High number of drug abusers within a state puts the peace and unity of a country at risk. Globalization enhances flow of information and ideas. The cross-border flow of economic activities has enhanced the transfer of information across different political states. The information flow through the liberalized media sensitizes the public, which further enhances violent acts. Loss in community values has adverse effects on domestic politics of a country. Constitutional violation by the political leadership is the obvious effect of loss in community values. A constitution upholds the values of the community, which it governs. Therefore, if the political leadership disregards these values, it implies a constitutional infringement, which may result into conflicts between those critical to the constitution and the values and the leadership. Trading in arms has become easier and convenient with the current globalization and the loss of sovereignty in various governments. In the light of international trade, militia gangs in war-torn countries are able to acquire arms. With the freer trade in culmination with less government control of mobility of people, there is increased accessibility to guns and other arms. In making decisions in international relations, the rich and powerful countries, especially the developed, tend to believe that their views supersede those of their poor and developing countries and this creates tension among the nations thereby causing conflict. The movement of some states to the territories of other states presents potential causes of future conflicts. With the globalization and the international co-operation, states are freer to enter into other states. This, as argued, further results into conflicts. It is therefore justifiable that globalization will promote conflicts in the world. Reference List Berger, Suzanne. 2000. Globalization and Politics. Annual Review 3, no. (August/Sep tember): 43-62. Ian, Holliday. 2000. Is the British State Hollowing Out? The Political Quarterly 71, no.2 (February/ March): 167–176. Kapitonenko, Mykola. 2009. Globalization, nation-state, and global security arrangements. Europolis 6, 586-603. Leo, Christopher. 2006. Deep Federalism: Respecting Community Difference in National Policy. Canadian Journal of Political Science 39, no. 3 (July/August): 481-506. McGrew, Anthony. 2001. Globalization and global politics. Cambridge: Polity Press. Monbiot, George. 2001. Captive State: The Corporate Takeover of Britain. London: Pan Press. Neil, Brenner. 2004. New State Spaces: Urban Governance and the Rescaling of Statehood. New York: Oxford University Press. This research paper on Globalization in Politics and on the World peace was written and submitted by user Chase Stein to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Sunday, November 24, 2019

color purple essays

color purple essays At the tender age of fifteen, Celie, the main character in Alice Walkers The Color Purple is raped by whom she knows as her Pa. Pa forces himself upon Celie and she gets big or pregnant, not once, but twice. When Pa takes the children away, the first a boy and the second a girl, Celie believes that he kills them. The reader gathers from her letters to God, that she is not very educated, and she seems a little on the dumb side. She does not like, or fully understand the idea of her children being taken away from her, but knows that there is nothing she can do about it. This realization is a crucial point in the development of Celies character. She seems to understand that her life will always be rough, and adapts to it by learning to ignore things she doesnt like. She slips into her own world, a happy place, where no harm can enter and she is safe. This adaptation will help her to get through life, since it turns out to be a constant struggle. Celies mother died not too long after sh e had her children. Her mother cursed at her, in her final words, after she was told what her husband had done to Celie. She had thought that Celie was sleeping around, but when she found that the children were her husbands, it killed her. She was not happy about that and instantly blamed Celie. After her mother died, the rape continued and began for Nettie, Celies younger sister. Celie didnt want it to happen to Nettie, for she loved her too much. Celie told Nettie to run far away, and never come back. Fonso (their stepfather) then sold Celie to Mr. _____. He had no need for her anymore, for he thought she was ugly and dumb, while he wanted to keep Nettie, whom he believed to be pretty all to himself. He wouldnt let Mr._____ have Nettie. Mr.______ needed someone to take care of his children and his home, and Celie was dumb, ugly, and helpful around the house. (in his eyes) The conflict between Fo ...

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Description of Project Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

Description of Project Management - Essay Example The first step is for the team and customer to identify set of stories that exhibit the system functionalities that the end product should possess. In the next stage, the project team reads and discusses the stories obtained from the first stage and these stories are ordered according to the estimated duration of story implementation. Here big stories are disintegrated into small stories. There is always difficulty in estimating the effort required for a particular item. It is also difficult to estimate the time that the same may take. To solve this issue, several to-do things are availed so as one can easily make judgments regarding which stories are lengthy and time-consuming. A story may have two to eight points depending on its difficulty. This is done for all the stories in the list. However, the Gantt chart is simple and easy to use since it only includes the drawing and the painting of bars in different colors. Nicholas and Steyn (67) argue that the Gantt chart experiences delays which are especially true when multiple activities that require the same resources are scheduled for the same time. When resources are not sufficient to satisfy the needs of all of them, some activities must be delayed. There are uprising criticisms about the network methods because they incorporate assumptions and yield results that are unrealistic sometimes. The importance of networks is that they show precisely the interdependencies of the project's activities and also the scheduling affects the latter have on each other. I object this suggestion by Nicholas and Steyn (62) on the grounds that the resources are not always available. This, therefore, considers the scheduling of projects with resource constraints and the effects of these constraints on workload fluctuation and project duration. A

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Let them die Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Let them die - Essay Example 500 hundred languages are spoken by less than 100 speakers; another 1500 languages are spoken by less than 1000 speakers. Most of the languages will survive in the next decades. Such disappearances are galvanized into action in increasingly vocal campaign to preserve a linguistic diversity. When a language dies we lose the possibilities of a unique way of describing and perceiving the world. The effect of homogenizing monoculture upon the ways of life, pop ham was afraid of the spread of English by the American culture; it was delivered by Japanese technology and hegemony of a few notable transactional languages. David a linguist echoed the sentiments last year. We care about the dying languages which reduces the diversity of the planets. Vanishing voices, Daniel and Suzanne, link to preserve languages to the campaign for fundamental human rights and protection the minority groups which is regarded as aggressive cultural imperialism and globalization, they argue in a bench mark in cultural diversity. Death of languages is symptomatic cultural death a way life disappears. The point of any language is to enable communication, the translator Miguel Leon and renowned Mexican historian has put it in order to survive, a language must have a functional language spoken by few or a hundred, is not a language. Enriching to learn other languages delve into other cultures, but it is not because different cultures and languages are unique. Making across contact of barriers of culture and languages allows room for expansion of horizons and becomes more universal (Lyons, 148). Human capacity of any language shapes the way of thinking, most linguists long given idea about people perception of the world, and concepts they hold. French speakers view the universe differently from the English speakers; they speak French which is clearly absurd. Biological notions of racial differences have fallen into disfavor, as a result, of the

Sunday, November 17, 2019

How Dell Uses Effective Strategy to Gain Competitive Advantage Dissertation

How Dell Uses Effective Strategy to Gain Competitive Advantage - Dissertation Example Dell being among the primary sellers of computers is what has led to the question of what type of strategy is often utilized. Learning about the type of strategy being initiated by Dell is significant as it enables the reader to understand what it takes to be the best in the market. Therefore, the strategy that is being utilized by Dell Corporation is the direct sales approach. Dell Corporation direct sales approach is one of the most successful strategic innovations of the past that has generated positive results for the company. The firm was able to come up with a model that undercuts its competitors on price, forge closer links with its clients and offer shareholders a return several times as compared to the market price. Significantly, Dell’s direct sales model was initially singularly suited with the intention of maximizing the cash conversion cycle. The firm was able to carry little inventory in the process because it bought components on a just-in-time basis. The signif icance of the approach is customers often paid Dell Corporation more quickly than it paid suppliers, and, as a result, cash flow at Dell was positive. Furthermore, little inventory for Dell led to the reduction in component costs that could easily be passed rapidly to clients. The outcome of the process, therefore, led the firm to improve its competitive position in the market. Furthermore, the direct sales model made Dell an industry and shareholder’s sweetheart, a high-tech pioneer with seemingly limitless growth.

Friday, November 15, 2019

Managing Urban Green Spaces Environmental Sciences Essay

Managing Urban Green Spaces Environmental Sciences Essay In the past recent decades there has been an increase in urbanisation and urban sprawl, which has resulted in a decline of green spaces, especially in urban areas. This has contributed towards a degradation of the natural environment, as developments are overtaking rural areas at an increasingly rapid rate. Furthermore, this has also had an impact on climate change as less green spaces increases the effects of global warming. This also creates other environmental issues as urban areas have a high risk of flooding due to lack of green or open space. This creates social problems as higher pollution levels in urban areas also create health problems. These factors also create economic problems, for example it is expensive to recover from disasters, especially as the impacts of flooding are higher when there is less green space. Therefore careful and sustainable management of urban green spaces is especially important for social, environmental and economic reasons. These processes have le d towards the developed of new techniques and schemes for managing and creating urban green spaces. Urban green spaces are areas of land that consist of permeable surfaces such as grass, trees and soil. Examples include parks, play areas, areas specifically intended for recreational use, private gardens, and urban woodlands (Dunnett et al 2002). The aim of the following essay is to discuss critically the environmental, economic and social aspects of managing urban green spaces. In order to achieve this aim the essay will be split into three main sections. Section one will look at the characteristics of the environmental problem the nature of these problems and who is affected by them, linking this into how environmental problems create economic problems. Section two will look at what is and what could be done to address the environmental problems, such as new forms of green spaces such as green roofs. It will also look at the economic aspects of these courses of action and economic valuation of urban green spaces. It will argue that making a city greener can increase its economic performance, and lead to sustainable economic growth. However, the final part of the essay will challenge this, arguing that creating urban green spaces may not be the best solution for economic sustainability. Finally, the conclusions reached are t hat there needs to be a well managed balance of green and built areas in cities. Market failures in the urban land market Today we realise that we must protect networks of open space (Benedict and McMahon 2002:3). Regarding natural resource use, market forces determine the choices people make. However, resources such as urban green spaces do not have securely enforced property rights which result in a lack of markets. Therefore, environmental resources cannot be directly traded in an open market which leads to externality problems. Thus, due to market failures the full costs are not represented in the private costs (Panayotou 2000). The structure of the market fails to maximise social welfare, and the true cost to society is higher than the private costs to the producer as property rights are neither defined nor enforced, the private costs of using environmental resources is zero (Gwartney et al 2000). Therefore producers have no incentive to protect environmental resources (Cropper and Griffiths 1994). To illustrate this problem of environmental externalities Pigou (1932) used the example of a company who builds a factory in a residential area and thus destroys some of the amenities of the ne ighbouring sites. The result is that the company sells its products at a lower price than the full costs felt by the society. Consequently, as a result of these market failures there has been a rapid increase of urbanisation and urban sprawl without efficient land-use planning, and conservation of environmental resources. Nationally, urban areas consist of approximately 14% green space (Comber et al 2008). However, the United Nations (2001, cited in Tzoulasa et al 2007) estimated that in Europe the level of urbanisation will increase to almost 80% by 2015, which will result in a further loss of urban green spaces. Environmental amenities are usually ignored or underestimated by urban planners, resulting in a shrinking of urban green spaces that have gradually been taken over by urban development (Kong et al 2007). Therefore urban development projects create negative externalities (Tyrvà ¤inen and Và ¤Ãƒ ¤nà ¤nen 1998). This level of urban growth presents numerous environmental challenges for tackling environmental issues such as climate change and biodiversity (Tzoulasa et al 2007). Less green space contributes to global warming, which is especially important in cities where the mean pollution levels are higher. Urbanisation replaces green spaces with impermeable built surfaces which causes negative environmental effects as green spaces provide rainwater interception and infiltration, evaporative cooling, and shading functions (Gill et al 2007). Furthermore, urban areas are more at risk to global warming due to the lack of green spaces, and urban areas are usually hotter than the surrounding countryside. In urban areas, the concentration of buildings and paved surfaces creates higher temperatures, this is known as the heat island effect (Dunnett et al 2002). City centres can be up to 7 °c hotter than the surrounding countryside (Hilliam 2010).Furthermore, build environments restricts wind flow wh ich in turn restricts the dispersal of pollutants, and causes an increase in surface run-off from rainfall. Furthermore, levels of pollution are higher in urban areas as emissions mainly come from the use of private vehicles (Morancho 2003). It is important to tackle these issues as in 2003, during the European summer heat wave, 35,000 lives were lost (Gill et al 2007). Moreover, tackling environmental issues in urban areas is especially important as in 2001 nearly eight of every ten people in the United Kingdom lived in urban areas (Pointer 2005). Therefore due to a higher population and an increase of built surfaces, urban areas are where climate change impacts will be mostly felt in these areas (Gill et al 2007). Therefore as the level of urbanisation increases, this create environmental externalities as urban developers ignore the external environmental costs. This also has economic impacts as a lack of green space can increase the costs of public infrastructure and services such as, flood control and storm water management. Lack of green areas increases a communitys susceptibility to natural disasters, as green spaces tackle climate change through carbon storage, and flood protection (Goode 2006). Furthermore, a lack of green spaces was often seen to be the main motive for people leaving the city, as they moved to the urban fringe for more green space (Van-Herzele and Wiedemann 2003). Therefore this results in economic decline of an area as people move out. This then results in lower property values, which can act as a poverty magnet, attracting less wealthy people. This makes it hard to secure investment or attract and retain business in the area. A lack of green space also has negative impacts on tourism as fewer people will want to visit the area (Crompton 2001). Furthermore, a lack of green space creates health issues which are costly for the economy as an unhealthy society increases the costs of health care to UK tax payers (Mell 2008). Therefore the demand for urban green spaces exceeds supply, which results in consumer shortage. Furthermore a rising concern for environmental and economic impacts of urban green space have resulted in a growing interest in, and a need for more urban green space (Shaw et al 2007). For example, in Greater Manchester the proportion of tree cover is fairly low, with an average of 12% cover, and 16% in urbanised Greater Manchester (Gill et al 2007). The next part of the essay will discuss how to tackle these environmental and economic problems. efforts to preserve natural areas, acquire new greenspace, initiate plantings, and manage existing greenspace resources. Solution to the problem Urban green spaces have many benefits which can be divided into market benefits and non-market benefits. Non-market benefits fall into three categories: use, option and existence value. Option value occurs when the future benefits are uncertain and depletion of the resource is irreversible. Existence value refers to the knowing the resource exists, and use value is from the direct use of the resource. Total value is the sum of all three. Thus, urban green spaces have existence value, and direct use value, such as recreational use. Furthermore, urban green spaces create consumer surplus, which is the difference between what one is willing to pay (WTP) and what one actually pays, as the cost of using urban green spaces is usually free (Goodstein 2010). The issues discussed above raises the need for protection and allocation of urban green spaces. In 2004-2005 local authorities in the UK spent an estimated  £700 million on renovating and maintaining urban green spaces (Comber et al 2008). Furthermore, Londons draft Climate Change Adaptation Strategy in May 2010 (online), proposes that there is a need to increase the citys green spaces by creating small green spaces, which will help to absorb rain on wet days and cool the city on hot days. Therefore, green spaces are multifunctional, which is one the key aspects why urban green space are important for tackling environmental, social and economic issues. For example, regenerating a park may increase tourism and result in fewer medical expenses. Developing green spaces in urban areas is one way to adapt to and mitigate the effects of climate change. Urban green spaces have many environmental functions that provide areas within the built environment where adaptation to climate change c an take place (Gill et al 2007). Therefore making cities greener with parks, more trees and green roofs will provide cooling and ventilation, as well as water storage and infiltration (Bulkeley and Betsill 2003). Urban green spaces can also help to reduce pollution, and act as sinks for carbon dioxide which is a major contributor to global warming (Dunnett et al 2002). In cities, gardens and parks absorb carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, which come from private vehicles in urban transport (Morancho 2003). Vegetation, particularly trees reduce air pollution by absorbing pollutants in the air, and by intercepting particulate matter. Hence 20 trees can offset the pollution from a car driven 60 miles per day. Therefore trees can form a buffer round sources of pollution to control the effects. Plants reduce the urban heat island effect by shading heat absorbing surfaces and through evapotranspirational (ET) cooling, and evidence has shown vegetation lowers wall surface temperatures by 17 °C (McPherson 1994). This has led to the phrase park cool island to contrast urban heat island (Gill et al 2007). This will ensure economic sustainability as less money will be needed to recover from natural disasters, and climate change impacts (Hilliam 2010, Goode 2006). In such a congested environment, existence of greenery along the streets and small parks within residential zones are considered to improve air quality. This creates social benefits from direct use such as recreational use and health benefits as a higher proportion of green space and less air pollution is associated with a better population health (Popham and Mitchel 2007). Health improvements lead to economic benefits, as a healthy community costs less to the economy. There is a growing recognition that green space can increase activity and will ensure a healthy population, which is essential for economic growth, as health benefits from urban green spaces would lower costs of health care to UK tax payers (Mell 2008). This results in economic sustainability as healthier communities work longer hours, take less sick days and cost less money in health benefits (Goode 2006). Bird (2004 cited in Tzoulasa et al 2007) found that if people live closer to green space then they are more likel y to undertake physical activity, which would save the UKs National Health Service up to  £1.8million a year. Moreover, inactivity in children often results in inactive adults, which costs the economy approximately  £8.2billion (Tzoulasa et al 2007). Therefore, protecting and creating green spaces ensures there is economic sustainability through a healthier society (Amati and Taylor 2010). Thus a key feature of green spaces is that they provide multiple benefits to communities and the economy (Dunnett et al 2002). Urban green spaces can act as catalysts for wider economic benefits, such as increase in property prices, attracting and retaining businesses and an important role in attracting tourists to urban areas. This is a key part of the solution for economic growth as urban green spaces makes cities more desirable and this can result in local economic stimulation (Dunnett et al 2002). Green amenities attract the highly skilled, who pursue a higher standard of living and quality of life, Florida (2002) describes how green spaces can attract creative class workers and the businesses that hire them. Moreover, employers locate in areas where the skilled want to live and this further attracts skilled workers, and high-end restaurants and retail stores. Therefore urban green spaces can raise a citys economic growth. Cities with more skilled workers experience an increase in population, house price and wages. Additionally, people who are highly educated will also be more likely to support investmen ts for environmental protection and are usually willing to pay higher prices for environmental quality. Furthermore, a greener city will also have an insurance against recessions as the city remains attractive and people still want to live there. This will pull other industries into the area over time. Therefore it is important to protect existing urban green spaces. Londons Green Belt is an example of an attempt to reduce development in order to improve the environment by restricting housing supply (Kahn 2006). The Mayor of London has set targets to plant 10,000 more street trees by 2012, and enhance up to 1,000 hectares of green space (Environmental Agency 2010). Additionally, new methods, such as green roofs have been developed to increase green space in urban areas. A green roof is the roof of a building that is covered by vegetation, most common are turf roofs. They have several purposes which are similar to urban green space in general such as cooling the heat island effect and absorbing rainwater. They also provide insulation and create habitats for wildlife. The benefits can therefore be divided into private and public benefits. Private economic benefits include saving energy cost and an increase in roof life. Public benefits include storm-water management (Dunnett and Kingsbury 2004). Currently there is only one green roof in Manchester. These trends raise the need for green space protection and allocation, which in turn requires estimates of the value of green spaces (Kong et al 2007). Due to their lack of values, expressed in monetary terms, green spaces are often not considered in cost-benefit analyses of urban planning policies. Therefore, there is a risk they will fall below the social optimum. Furthermore, it is the failure of the market system, as discussed above, which creates the need for economic measures to value environmental services and guide policymaking (Freeman 1993). Environmental quality is an economic good that people are willing to pay (WTP) for. Urban green spaces have non-market benefits and therefore do not have a market price. Thus there is a need for economic measures to values these amenities. Several methods have been developed to value non-market amenities such as the travel cost method, the contingent valuation method (CVM) and the hedonic pricing models. The hedonic pricing method uses house prices to quantify environmental amenities by how much consumers are WTP. The hedonic pricing model is a revealed preference method and is based actual behaviour in the market. Properties have many characteristics which reflect the selling prices such as housing structure, neighbourhood and environmental amenities. The monetary value of each characteristic is calculated by observing the differences in the market price of commodities sharing the same attributes. Once all the characteristics are collected the next step is to measure the portion of the property price that is attributable to each characteristic (Boyle and Kiel 2001) . By using the hedonic pricing method the value of green spaces can be estimated from the prices of related actual market house transactions (Kong et al 2007). This method has been used to show the value of changes in the environment by looking at how the value of the average home changes when the environment changes, for example a new park is created. Therefore the amenity of urban green spaces can be valued in monetary terms according to how much people are willing to pay for such benefits in their housing. The concept of hedonic pricing is that property values can be affected by the presence of urban green spaces. Green spaces can have a positive impact on house prices. There is usually a shortage of land in urban areas, and therefore an increase in green spaces will increase the positive amenity values. proximity to urban green spaces has a positive impact on property values, while proximity to negative impacts such as highways reduces property values, as it is desirable to live close to a park, and people are willing to pay higher prices. Especially in city centres where demand for land is high, open spaces are often subject to develop ment pressures. The demand for a property increases with the creation of new green spaces nearby (Tajima 2003). This then increases the price of those properties as numerous studies have shown that property values are typically 8-20 percent more expensive if they are located near a park (Crompton 2000). The real estate market often reveals that people are willing to pay higher prices for properties located close to parks and open spaces, than for homes that do not (Crompton 2000). The creation of a new park nearby increases the demand for a property, which in turn raises the price of those properties. Therefore, in dense urban areas the value of nearby parks and green space can be one of the key selling points and a stronger feature than lot itself (Tajima 2003). Morancho (2003) did a study in Castellà ³n (Spain) and found there was an inverse relationship between the selling price of the dwelling and its distance from a green urban area. According to the estimates obtained, every 100  m further away from a green area means a drop of approximately à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬1800 in the housing price. Therefore, Green spaces in city centres are also an important aspect of the citys character, such as Royal Parks in London. Urban amenities are becoming increasingly important as cities compete for skilled workers. Help to build a good reputation of an area, which will further increase house prices and encourage people to move there. This enables the community to grow economically, without damaging the environment, and simultaneously create a desirable place to live for present and future generations (Benedict and McMahon 2002). Urban green areas also benefit more people as the city draws more people into the area, such as residents, commuters, and tourists (Tajima 2003). Hedonic valuation can also be applied to retail situations as people are willing to pay about ten percent more for products in greener shopping areas (Miller and Wise 2004). Therefore to reduce the impact of urbanisation, allocation of new and protection of existing urban green spaces is required to ensure economic growth (Kong et al 2007). DeSanto and others ( 1976 ) used the least-cost approach to compare trees and mechanical air pollution control devices to maintain air quality standards for particulates and sulfur dioxide in St. Louis, MO. They determined that open space plantings were over three times as cost-effective for controlling sulphur dioxide as scrubbers located in power plants. Benefits from trees are environmental externalities because these benefits are not reflected in consumer prices we do not pay money to trees for cooling homes. McPherson 1992. Urban green spaces in isolation will not increase economic growth However, not all green spaces are equally beneficial. To ensure that urban green spaces enhance economic growth, they must be well maintained, safe and secure. Over the past recent decades there has been a decline in the quality of urban green spaces in England. This can be linked to the declining budgets for local authorities over the past 20 to 25 years (Dunnett et al 2002). This has a negative economic effect as green spaces that are dangerous or unmanaged are likely to decrease the value of nearby homes, which would lead to economic decline (Crompton 2001). Furthermore if green spaces are perceived to be overgrown or unmanaged this may have a negative effect on peoples well-being by increasing anxiety caused by fear of crime (Tzoulasa et al 2007). Research shows that open spaces which a most highly values are those which enhance the qualities of urban life and offer a variety of opportunities (Burgess et al 1988). If there is a lack of facilities or the area in poor condition the n people are less likely to use it. Evidence suggests that lower-income suburban areas may have a larger proportion of poor-quality green space. Thus even if green spaces are in large quantities, if they are of poor quality then economic and health benefits are not felt by the population (Popham and Mitchel 2007). Additionally, if green spaces are poorly managed so that they become inaccessible, then less people will use them, especially the elderly or people with disabilities. Therefore, quality as well as quantity of green space is a key factor. Moreover, McConnell and Walls (2005) argue for the importance of distinguishing between different types of open space. The value of green spaces depends on its usage for example, whether it is a well managed park or an open field. Barker (2003) also reported that the value of open space depends strongly on its location and use. Green space in the urban core was valued higher than greenbelt land. Anderson and West (2006) show that the value of open space depends on the type of open space, how far away it from the house and the neighbourhood characteristics. They find that benefits from open space range from a low of 0.0035% of sale price for every 1% decrease in the distance to the nearest neighbourhood park, to a high of 0.034% for every 1% decrease in the distance to the nearest lake. Furthermore, the net result of restricting housing supply is that prices are driven up. This results in poverty magnets in areas with low property prices, resulting in a segregation of the poor and urban social problems. For example, Glasgow has lost population over time, and relative poverty has grown. Therefore Londons pursuit to a greener city could further increase house prices and it could be argued that a city can become too green when economic growth is damaged. An upward pressure on house prices could have a negative impact on some residents and first time buyers as it would squeeze out the poorer renters and new immigrants (Kahn 2006). The constraints on housing supply are already high and this will be exacerbated if more green space is created or current green space is not used for development. The result of this limited supply would not lead to economic sustainability as it would limit economic growth. Therefore it will not necessarily lead to a sustained economic growth n ationally, but only benefits certain regions (Kahn 2006). It is often the wealthier people who benefit most, as studies have shown that vegetation and tree cover is lower in residential areas with higher levels of socioeconomic deprivation. Therefore only certain areas benefit as less wealthy areas might not be able to afford to maintain new green spaces (Pauleit et al 2005). Moreover, an increased economic wealth will also increase the values of losses; making the cost to restore damages after a disaster much greater (Shaw et al 2007). Therefore, there are difficulties in coming to a firm conclusion. Therefore, conserving green spaces may restrict the supply of valued goods, such as housing, shops, offices or private open space. This results in distributional effects as those landowners who can build get an increase in their asset value, whereas those unable to develop will experience a reduction in asset values. Part of the market failure associated with urbanisation is the increase in land prices imposed on existing inhabitants by additional workers. Furthermore, policies of containment, such as greenbelts, may increase energy use as commuters move out beyond the greenbelt which results in longer commuter journeys. Therefore it could be argued that policy in the UK restricts urban growth which leads to higher costs and welfare losses. Hence land regulation can have adverse economic effects as it diverts resources from other growth activities. Therefore the solution maybe not regulating land markets but regulating or taxing energy markets (Cheshire). However, the value open space is contextual as it rises with increased income. Open space is a normal good, and therefore has a higher value in richer areas. The value is also higher in high density areas, which suggests that public green areas are a substitute for private open space (Anderson and West 2006). Therefore the willingness to pay for environmental quality is highly elastic with respect to income. literature has also examined the degree to which brown cities have to pay higher wages (i.e. combat pay) to lure high quality workers relative to high quality of life cities. Kahn 2006 having a clear narrative voice, making judgements and interpreting others work and also the data. economic and policy concepts. Conclusion To conclude, this essay has highlighted the environmental problem of urbanisation, explaining how this is a result of market failures. It has also shown how this can lead to economic problems. This essay then goes on to argue that a solution would be preserving, maintaining and developing new green spaces in urban areas. It goes on to explain the environmental, social and economic benefits of urban green spaces. It also highlights the hedonic pricing method, which shows how urban green spaces can be valued. It also argues that green spaces create economic benefits by increasing property values. However, the latter part of the essay challenges this, arguing that not all green spaces is equally beneficial. It also argues that preserving green spaces could also have a negative impact as the cost of land increases further, resulting in large increase in house prices. Therefore, it is important to maintain urban green spaces for the many environmental, economic and social benefits. However, this cannot be in isolation as for green spaces to be beneficial they must be well maintained and managed. Furthermore if too much green space is protected then this could have negative impacts overall. Therefore urban land policies need to be well managed in order to achieve the maximum benefits. Furthermore, methods other than land protections could also be used, such as taxes.

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Effects of Alcoholism and Other Misdiagnosed Ailments on Liver Function

To further expand our knowledge on the frightening topic of Alcoholism and its corresponding effects on the Liver, researchers and interested inquirers alike should make sure they fully understand what the term Alcoholism really means. Alcoholism doesn’t have its own section in DSM-V however, it is considered one of the ten substance related disorders that the manual describes. To be classified as a substance abuse disorder, eleven different criteria need to be met. Alcoholism is further broken down into two different severities as well: dependence and abuse. Directly affected by ingestion of alcohol is the body’s filter; the liver. Not only does the liver filter blood coming from the digestive tract before passing it to the rest of the body but it also converts nutrients into substances that our body can use and stores them. Some noted vitamins that can be affected by a faulty liver include but are not limited to: vitamins B1, B3, B6 (Thiamine, Niacin, Pyridoxine ), folic acid and vitamin A. Complex processes involving alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH), aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) and Glucogenesis will later be broken down more specifically at a cellular level. Thorough research has indicated that an overabundance of alcohol in a body system can decrease the rate of metabolism and chemical detoxification and can adversely affect digestion. With enough alcohol, the liver can fall so behind with its duties that liver tissue can actually die and further shut this vital organ down completely. There is the possibility of misdiagnosis, however. Other diseases such as Chronic Liver Disease, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C have also been linked to liver failure that can mimic symptoms of alcoholism. The goal of this research paper... ... http://widelantern.com/2011/11/drug-alcohol-tobacco-use-broken-down-by- raceethinicity/ Fenway Health (Fenway Health) http://www.fenwayhealth.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=5203&news_iv_ctrl=0&abbr=FCHC_ Fried, D. G. (2001). Liver: Comparative Anatomy. Genetics of Alcohol Use Disorders (National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)) http://www.niaaa.nih.gov/alcohol-health/overview-alcohol-consumption/alcohol- use-disorders/genetics-alcohol-use-disorders Kiefer, D. F., Israel, D. Y., & Martino, D. S. (2003). Alcoholism. NIAAA Publications (NIAAA Publications) http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/combine/FAQs.htm Seitz, H., & Stickel, F. (2006). Biological chemistry: Risk factors and mechanisms of Hepatocarcinogenesis with special emphasis on alcohol and oxidative stress. (4th ed., Vol. 387, pp. 349-360). Effects of Alcoholism and Other Misdiagnosed Ailments on Liver Function To further expand our knowledge on the frightening topic of Alcoholism and its corresponding effects on the Liver, researchers and interested inquirers alike should make sure they fully understand what the term Alcoholism really means. Alcoholism doesn’t have its own section in DSM-V however, it is considered one of the ten substance related disorders that the manual describes. To be classified as a substance abuse disorder, eleven different criteria need to be met. Alcoholism is further broken down into two different severities as well: dependence and abuse. Directly affected by ingestion of alcohol is the body’s filter; the liver. Not only does the liver filter blood coming from the digestive tract before passing it to the rest of the body but it also converts nutrients into substances that our body can use and stores them. Some noted vitamins that can be affected by a faulty liver include but are not limited to: vitamins B1, B3, B6 (Thiamine, Niacin, Pyridoxine ), folic acid and vitamin A. Complex processes involving alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH), aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) and Glucogenesis will later be broken down more specifically at a cellular level. Thorough research has indicated that an overabundance of alcohol in a body system can decrease the rate of metabolism and chemical detoxification and can adversely affect digestion. With enough alcohol, the liver can fall so behind with its duties that liver tissue can actually die and further shut this vital organ down completely. There is the possibility of misdiagnosis, however. Other diseases such as Chronic Liver Disease, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C have also been linked to liver failure that can mimic symptoms of alcoholism. The goal of this research paper... ... http://widelantern.com/2011/11/drug-alcohol-tobacco-use-broken-down-by- raceethinicity/ Fenway Health (Fenway Health) http://www.fenwayhealth.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=5203&news_iv_ctrl=0&abbr=FCHC_ Fried, D. G. (2001). Liver: Comparative Anatomy. Genetics of Alcohol Use Disorders (National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)) http://www.niaaa.nih.gov/alcohol-health/overview-alcohol-consumption/alcohol- use-disorders/genetics-alcohol-use-disorders Kiefer, D. F., Israel, D. Y., & Martino, D. S. (2003). Alcoholism. NIAAA Publications (NIAAA Publications) http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/combine/FAQs.htm Seitz, H., & Stickel, F. (2006). Biological chemistry: Risk factors and mechanisms of Hepatocarcinogenesis with special emphasis on alcohol and oxidative stress. (4th ed., Vol. 387, pp. 349-360).

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Laboratory Management- General Functions of a Laboratory Manager

MEDICAL LABORATORY MANAGEMENT (MLB 2120) BTECH: BIOMEDICAL TECHNOLOGY ASSIGNMENT 2: APPRAISE MANAGEMENT STYLES APPLICABLE TO THE LABORATORY DATE: 19 MARCH 2013 JJ. ROSSOUW S210034297 Contents:page Introduction3 What is expected from a manager? 3-4 What knowledge and skills do they need? 4 What training and qualifications do they need? 4 Five basic functions of a manager5 Roles performed by managers5-7 Skills required by a manager8 Conclusion 9 References10 Introduction In this assignment the general functions of a laboratory manager is being discussed.The laboratory(lab) manager is involved in organizing all aspects of the laboratory environment. They supervise general workflow; to ensure that the staff pertains to professional customer service. They do the maintenance of equipment such as the quality control, pricing, purchasing and the day-to-day functioning of the lab. The lab manager must have excellent customer service skills in order to liaise with photographers and designers. They must set up clear communication channels and develop systems and strategies to deal with fast-moving and sometimes unpredictable workload. Read this  Respiratory ActivityThey are also required to keep up with the latest development in technology and help improve productivity, profitability and client satisfaction (http://www. ceartiveskillset. org). What is expected from a Lab manager? * A lab manager must organize and manage the workflow in the laboratory. * They must co-ordinate activities throughout the laboratory. * It is expected that they delegate work amongst the various technicians and technologists. * They must monitor outputs and keep record of workflow and the usage of supplies. * They must supervise the ordering and delivery of new laboratory supplies. They must test and calibrate equipment to ensure optimum results, monitor chemistry in equipment. * A lab manager must perform quality tests and ensure the company meets its quality assurance standards. * They must oversee customer service to maximize sales. * They must promote the continuing professional development of staff and oversee the training of trai nees. * A lab manager must therefore make risk assessments for the laboratory and ensure that the company’s Health & Safety policy is observed. * The lab manager may also be involved in the development of new products and service to encourage the growth of the business. It is also required that a lab manager work long hours, however they are fairly well paid and enjoy the benefits of a regular salary, holidays and a company pension. What knowledge and skills do the need to have? The lab manager must possess excellent colour vision and have an excellent eye for colour, contrast, density and other graphic effects. They must also possess good analytical, problem solving and decision making skills. They must have a positive, pro-active attitude and pay close attention to detail. They need first class planning and time-management skills.They must also have the ability to motivate staff members. They should be a good listener and have the ability to communicate ideas and instructio ns clear and in a concise manner. They should be able to understand graphs and accounts, maintain accurate records, and put schedules and reports together. Lab managers need to have an excellent all round knowledge of all the equipment and processes used in the laboratory. They must have IT and Digital Imaging skills. They must always stay calm and level headed and be able to make racional decisions under stressful conditions. What training and qualifications do they need?Most laboratory managers first work as a technician or technologist before becoming a lab manager. Therefore it is required that they do some form of management training courses that may be useful. Employers usually place more value on applicants who have training and experience in the operation of most forms of processing, digital imaging and printing equipment. There are five basic functions of a Manager: 1. Planning- this step involves mapping out exactly how to achieve a particular goal. 2. Organizing- After th e plan is in place, a manager needs to organize the employees and assign work and granting authority. . Staffing- After a manager discerns their areas needs, they decide to beef up staffing by recruiting, selecting, training and developing employees. They often work with the Human resource department to approach this goal. 4. Leading- A manger must do more than just plan, organize to achieve their goals but they must also lead. Leading involves motivating, communicating, guiding and encouraging. It requires the manager to coach, assist, and solve problems with the employees. 5. Controlling- After the other elements are in place, a manager’s job is not finished.They need to continuously check results against goals and take any corrective actions necessary to make sure that their areas plans remain on track (http://m. cliffsnotes. com). Roles performed by managers: A manager wears many hats. Not only are they a teamleader but are also involved in planning, organizing coaching, problem-solving and decision-making. Manager’s schedules are usually jam-packed. Henry Mintzberg describes a set of ten roles that a manager fills. These roles fall into three categories: * Interpersonal: this role involves human interaction. * Informational: This role involves the sharing and analyzing of information. Decisional: This role involves decision making. Table 1 explains the category roles that a manager carries out. Table 1: Mintzberg’s set of Ten Roles Category | Role| Activity| Informational| Monitor| Seek and receive information; scan periodicals and reports; maintain personal contacts with clients. | | Disseminator| Forward information to nd phone calls. organization members via memos, reports | | Spokesperson| Transmit information to outsiders via reports, memos and speeches. | Interpersonal| Figurehead| Perform ceremonial and symbolic duties such as greeting visitors and signing legal documents. | Leader| Direct and motivate subordinates; counsel and communicate with subordinates. | | Liaison| Maintain information links both inside and outside the organization via mail, phone calls, and meetings. | Decisional| Entrepreneur| Initiate improvement projects; identify new ideas and delegate idea responsibility to others. | | Disturbance handler| Take corrective action during disputes or crises; resolve conflicts among subordinates; adapt to environment. | | Resource allocator| Decide who gets resources; prepare budgets; set schedules and determine priorities. | Negotiator| Represent department during negotiations of union contracts, sales, purchases, and budgets. | Skills required by a manager Not anyone can be a manager. Certain skills, or abilities to translate knowledge into action that results in desired performance, are requires helping other employees become more productive. These skills fall under the following categories: * Technical: This skill requires the ability to use a special proficiency or expertise to perform partic ular tasks. * Human: This skill demonstrates the ability to work well in cooperation with others.Human skills emerge in the workplace as a spirit of enthusiasm, and genuine involvement in interpersonal relationships. A manager with good human skills has a high degree of self awareness and a capacity to understand or empathize with the feelings of others. * Conceptual: This skill calls for the ability to think analytically. Analytical skills enable managers to break down problems into smaller parts to see the relations among the parts and to recognize the implications of any one problem for others. Although all three categories contain skills essential for managers, their relative mportance tends to vary by level of managerial responsibilities. Conclusion: A laboratory manager/general manager plays an important role in any organization or company. A manager has to have certain characteristics in order to be a successful leader. They are also required to possess certain leadership ski lls, in order to be a great leader. References: Lab manager (n. d). Skillset, viewed 19 February 2013, http://www. creativeskillset. org/uploads/pdf/asset_10118. pdf? 4. Functions of Managers. CliffsNotes. com, viewed from http://m. cliffsnotes. com/study_guide/Functions-of-Managers. topicArticleId-8944,articleId-8848. html.

Friday, November 8, 2019

Sammy The Bull Gravano essays

Sammy The Bull Gravano essays Salvatore Gravano was born on March 12,1945, the son of Caterina and Giorlando, otherwise known as Kay and Gerry, both from Sicily. Kay came over as a child while Gerry came through from Canada as an illegal alien. Salvatore was the last of five children born to the couple. While Salvatore was a child the family dropped the name Salvatore and opted for Sammy because the child reminded everyone of an uncle with the same name. Sammy and his family lived on 78th Street in the Bensonhurst section of Brooklyn, New York. At an early age, Sammy was dyslexic, while attending Public School 186 in Brooklyn Sammy began his hate for authority and love for crime. As Sammy struggled with his problems of reading and writing whenever he was teased he would resort to violence by hitting anyone who teased him. Sammy received a new bicycle for his 10th birthday due to his carelessness it was stolen from him by two older and bigger kids who were noticed riding it a few days later. Sammy angered over his new present being stolen quickly ran up to the boys and beat them both up. Around the corner were a few wise guys of a local mob who witnessed it all and ran over to stop the boys. After Sammy was pulled away and the older beat up boys were demanded to leave one wise guy asked the other if he had noticed how Sammy was acting like a bull in that fight, the other soldier agreed and Sammy was granted his nickname The Bull at an early age of 10. As Sammy grew older he began to help out at his parents small garment factory. The Gravano family did not enjoy union help so they went with only non-union workers. A while after this decision a few men came in to the factory and told Gerry Gravano that if he kept operating without union workers he would need to start making payoffs. Sammy angered by the threat and his hot temper made him restless. Sammys dad tried to calm him down but could only do so much. Gerry Grava...

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

The Prince, MachiavelliS Economy Of Violence Essays - Philosophy

The Prince, MachiavelliS Economy Of Violence Essays - Philosophy The Prince, MachiavelliS Economy Of Violence The Prince, Machiavellis Economy of Violence Machiavelli was an Italian historian, statesman, and political philosopher, whose amoral, but influential writings on power building have turned his name into a synonym for cunning and duplicity. I personally feel he is a genius. Niccolo Machiavelli was born on May 3, 1469, in Florence, Italy. He eventually became a man who lived his life for politics and patriotism. Right now, however, he is associated with corrupt, totalitarian government. The reason for this is a small pamphlet he wrote called The Prince to gain influence with the ruling Medici family in Florence. The political genius of Niccolo Machiavelli was overshadowed by the reputation that was unfairly given to him because of a misunderstanding of his views on politics. Machiavelli's life was very interesting. He lived a nondescript childhood in Florence, and his main political experience in his youth was watching Savanarola from afar. Soon after Savanarola was executed, Machiavelli entered the Florentine government as a secretary. His position quickly rose, however, and was soon engaging in diplomatic missions. He met many of the important politicians of the day, such as the Pope and the King of France, but none had more impact on him than a prince of the Papal States, Cesare Borgia. Borgia was a cunning, cruel man, very much like the one portrayed in The Prince. Machiavelli did not truly like Borgia's policies, but he thought that with a ruler like Borgia the Florentines could unite Italy, which was Machiavelli's goal throughout his life. Unfortunately for Machiavelli, he was dismissed from office when the Medici came to rule Florence and the Republic was overthrown. The lack of a job forced him to switch to writing about politics instead of being active. His diplomatic missions were his last official government positions. When Machiavelli lost his office, he desperately wanted to return to politics. He tried to gain the favor of the Medici by writing an essay of what he thought were the Medici's goals and dedicating it to them. And so The Prince was written for that purpose. Unfortunately, the Medici didn't agree with what the book said, so he was out of a job. But when the public saw the book, they were outraged. The people wondered how cruel a man could be to think evil thoughts like the ones in The Prince, and this would come back to haunt him when he was alive and dead. However, if the people wanted to know what Machiavelli really stood for, they should have read his Discourses on Livy, which explain his full political philosophy. But not enough people had and have, and so the legacy of The Prince continues to define Machiavelli to the general public. A few years later the Medici were kicked out of Florence. The republic was re-established, and Machiavelli ran to retake the office he had left so many years ago. But the reputation that The Prince had established made people think his philosophy was like the Medici, so he was not elected. And here the sharp downhill of his life began. His health began to fail him, and he died months later, in 1527. Machiavelli had been unfairly attacked all of his life because of a bad reputation. But it only got worse after he died. He was continually blasted for his support of corrupt ruling. In fact, Machiavellian now means corrupt government. Only recently has his true personality come to light. The world must change it's vision of the cold, uncaring Machiavelli to the correct view of a patriot and a political genius. Throughout his career Machiavelli sought to establish a state capable of resisting foreign attack. His writings are concerned with the principles on which such a state is founded, and with the means by which they can be implemented and maintained. In, The Prince he describes the method by which a prince can acquire and maintain political power. This study, which has often been regarded as a defense of the despotism and tyranny of such rulers as Cesare Borgia, is based on Machiavelli's belief that a ruler is not bound by traditional ethical norms. In his view, a prince should be concerned only with power

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Emergency Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Emergency Management - Essay Example Safety training is a broad course that encompasses knowledge and use of specialized gear, self-defense techniques, environmental hazard studies, site evaluations, rescue operations and staff health and fitness curriculum. The paper delves into each of these topics explaining how each contributes to the improvement of emergency responder’s rescue capabilities and job performance. To what degree does safety training effectively improve emergency responder’s rescue capabilities and job performance? Disasters and emergencies can occur at any time and this requires the emergency responders to be prepared to handle such emergencies. In the United States, emergencies occur on a daily basis and emergency responders are required to answer the calls for help from citizens and take on jobs which have high potential risks. Emergencies can either be single or a series of incidents which cause disruptions in normal activities or threaten human life, property or assets if they are not immediately put under control, stabilized or contained. Emergency responders deal with a range of emergencies from the small scale everyday incidences that affect individuals and families to the large scale disasters which affect nations such as hurricanes, terrorist attacks and earthquakes (La Tourrette, 2003). The response to disasters over the last decade has raised questions regarding the effectiveness and capabilities of emergency responders. The response to emergencies has been found to be wanting. This has raised the need for emergency responders to be equipped with the necessary skills and knowledge through safety training for them to be effectively prepared for such emergencies. Emergency responders are usually deployed on the scene of a disaster or emergency to assist in rescue efforts. They may also be deployed to these sites to safeguard property, evacuate the victims from buildings, and provide any form of medical assistance to the victims (La Tourrette, 2003). Emergen cy responders who engage in rescue activities during such incidents include fire fighters, emergency medical personnel, and law enforcement agencies. Fire fighters are usually assigned the role of containing substances which are hazardous, putting out fires as well as the search and rescue of disaster victims. Emergency medical personnel usually assist in the rescue operations by providing medical care to injured victims. Law enforcement agencies, on the other hand, are responsible for maintaining law and order in the scene of the disaster, restriction of access to the disaster scene and the removal of injured and contaminated individuals from the scene of the disaster (Beaton, 2002). For emergency responders to perform their functions safely and effectively, safety training is expected. Safety training programs which are administered play a significant role in enhancing the response to emergencies and disasters. They can be broken down into workplace safety practices, safety practi ces in the line of duty and testing of physical wellness and fitness. The safety training helps emergency responders to understand their individual functions and responsibilities at the scene of the disaster. Accordingly, the different categories of emergency r

Friday, November 1, 2019

Diversity Within Organizations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Diversity Within Organizations - Essay Example So this paper is aimed at finding valid answers to many different questions about diversity in the work settings. Globalization is fostering a world of diversity, and this trend presents challenges as opportunities. It is better to be well informed in this area of knowledge in order to make the best decisions when dealing with workplace diversity. Managing diversity within organizations requires tremendous efforts since managing uniformity is relatively easier. There are many tangible benefits of managing diversity in a business world that requires it. More and more diversity is becoming more important due to the globalization process and the diversity in the marketplace of products and services that are aimed at a diverse audience. Hickman (n.d.) stresses that managing diversity is "more challenging, expensive, time consuming, demanding, stressful, and prone to fail". But it is a necessary task to tackle this challenge of managing workplace diversity. Even though uniformity is easier to manage, it has some important drawbacks as Hickman remarks: "an abundance of research and experience shows that organizations and work environments with high levels of required uniformity inevitably stifle creativity and innovation, retard initiative-taking, prevent widespread accountability for results, limit freedom to expand and create value, and weaken individual motivation, commitment and fulfillment." (Hickman, n.d.). On the other hand, a diverse organization can be much more creative and competitive when it is manager through a unified vision. According to Hickman, "Diversity must be carefully and constantly nurtured, because creating an organization is a lot like leveling ground. Both activities create new space where the initial staffing or first species will attempt to dominate and control diversity. The very act of establishing and staffing an organization begins a process of limiting diversity, unless diversity is genuinely valued and vigilantly nurtured." (Hickman, n.d.). So it is extremely important to nurture diversity in order to achieve the desired results of meeting the needs of a diverse marketplace, especially in the context of global markets. 2.- Importance of Workplace Diversity. Technological advances have permitted that many companies can have an international presence, and at the same time this means that new work environments are created with a diverse workforce in those nations. Human Resource departments shouldn't be biased according to gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, physical abilities, or nationality. According to SmallBusinessBible.org (n.d.) "The only apparatus of judgment should be educational background, work experience and expertise. Differences may prevail on an interpersonal level due to inequality in personalities, work styles, communication styles, and organizational skills." Diversity policies should be implemented in an effective and meaningful way in the work environments. An obvious importance of such policies it that it creates synergy among its employees. So creativity can be fostered in a more intelligent and efficacious manner. SmallBusinessBible.org states that "The end result of such diversity is a working environment that is inclusive. It is important for the HR