Impact of U.N. Global Compact on Employment Practices in Gap Inc.

Table of Contents Introduction Stakeholders Lessons Learned Recommendations Conclusion Bibliography Footnotes Introduction Gap Inc. is a retail company that deals with clothing and related accessories. The company was founded in California in the year 1969 and it has expanded to other parts of the world. The major brands for the company are namesake Gap banner, banana republic, old navy and Athleta among others.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Impact of U.N. Global Compact on Employment Practices in Gap Inc. specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The company has more than 140,000 employees and it has many operating stores in and outside the United States of America. The company has had several labor disputes and allegations of bad practices therefore it is important to review its operations with regard to the U.N. Global compact principles.[1] This report will show the lessons Gap Inc can learn from the implementa tion of U. N. Compact principles by Army Navy, which is a competitor to Gap Inc. The U.N. Global compact principles are guidelines developed in order to provide a common understanding of labor issues and give principles to address the labor issues all over the world. These ten U.N. Global Compact principles were developed by the Labor working Group established in 2008. They were developed under extensive consultations with the International Labor Organization.[2] The two principles, which will be discussed in this report, are the Principle 2 and Principle 3. Principle 2 states, â€Å"Businesses should make sure they are not complicit in human rights abuses†[3]. Principle 3 states, â€Å"Businesses should uphold the freedom of association and the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining.†[4] These principles are relevant to Gap Inc. The company is an international organization since it has many stores in many parts of the world. Over the past, the co mpany has been implicated in several violations of human rights in their employment practices. For instance, the company was sued in 2003 for failing to pay their workers their overtime dues and poor working conditions, which are tantamount to violation of human rights. The company has been struggling to effect policies that could help it to improve on human practices. The U.N. Global Practices are therefore very useful to the company.[5] Stakeholders The two U.N. Global Compact principles discussed above affects almost all the stakeholders in an organization. The most affected stakeholders are the customers, employees and the management. The employees are the most affected of the others. The two principles seek to promote labor practices in businesses that are why employees are most affected. Managers are the ones who are responsible for implementing the principles. It is therefore the duty of the managers to ensure that the organization follows the laid down principles.[6] The oth er group of stakeholders affected by these guidelines is the customers. This is because the principles provide against violation of human rights and provides for freedom of association[7]. These principles affect the performance of GAP Inc. both positively and negatively. Compliance with the principles will need some restructuring which will be costly to the organization. After the implementation however, the performance of the company will improve.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Lessons Learned The lessons will be derived from the implementation of the U. N. Global Compat principles by Army and Navy Stores Inc. In order to comply with the Principle 2 and Principle 3 of the U.N. Global Compact, Army Navy Stores Inc has taken some steps from which Gap Inc can learn some lessons. One of the steps is to assess the effect of the activities of the company on human relations an d also to assess its employee decisions. This has enabled the company to improve on its efforts to respect human rights and enhance freedom of association of the employees. As a result, Army Navy stores has been able to increase its productivity since the employees are more motivated. Gap Inc. has learnt the need to assess its practices in order to know any cases of violation of human rights and to know whether the company has prevented freedom of association. From these assessments, the company came to an understanding that there were many cases of human rights violations in the company by the employees, security personnel and even the management. The company had also been making efforts to suppress freedom of association for employees. Because of these actions, the employees of the company were not motivated and their productivity was down. After this, the company has decided to set out clear guidelines on how to adhere to the U.N. Global Compact principles. Up to today, there ha s been no official report on the progress of the process of setting out the guidelines. This has a negative effect to the company since many customers and other stakeholders are not contended with the first step.[8] Recommendations There is need for Gap Inc. to step up its actions to ensure compliance with the U.N. Global Compact principles. In order to comply with Principle 2 on violation of human rights, after assessment of the human rights situation in the company, Gap Inc. should develop and promote policies aimed at ensuring respect of human rights. These policies should be communicated to all stakeholders and posted to all work situations. Gap Inc. should also adhere to any other provisions on human rights such as those by the International Labor Organization (ILO) and other legal provisions. The company should also interact freely with the stakeholders in order to get suggestions and support in upholding human rights in the company.[9] In order to adhere to Principle 3 on fre edom of association, Gap Inc. should encourage its employees to form trade unions in order to enhance their bargaining power. The company should involve the trade union in major decisions and there should be extensive consultations between the company and the trade union in the course of its decision making process.[10]Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Impact of U.N. Global Compact on Employment Practices in Gap Inc. specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The company should ensure adequate representation of employees in the bargaining table and uphold respect for the trade union. The company should preserve the secrets of the trade union and keep distance from the operations of the trade union. By doing so, the company will have ensured full compliance with the two principles of U.N. Global Compact. Full compliance with the guidelines will have several benefits to the concerned stakeholders. To the employees, they wil l have better working conditions and they will be in a good position to bargain for better salaries and better working conditions. The management’s role will be made easier since the employees and other stakeholders will be satisfied and will thus give the management amble time.[11] In order to combat these risks, I would recommend that Gap Inc. should conduct seminars in order to sensitize employees on the changes, their advantages and the risks associated.[12] Conclusion Labor practices around the world have become difficult to manage due to globalization, increasing competition, increase in human rights activism among other factors. This was the prime reason for the development of the 10 principles by the United Nations in 2008. These principles have both negative and positive implications to business organizations. Most organizations have not managed to implement the policies full. For instance, Gap Inc. has a long way to go despite the fact that the company needs the pri nciples guidelines badly to avoid labor issues it had over the past[13]. The benefits of compliance with the principles are many as compared to the associated risks therefore I really encourage the management of Gap Inc. to take the recommendations seriously. Bibliography Cayreyre, Mireille, Filiz Demirayak and Paul Dickson. Global Compact International Yearbook 2009. Geneva: United Nations Publications, 2009. Davila, Anabella. Best human resource management practices in Latin America. London: Taylor Francis, 2009.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Dunning, John and Sarianna Lundan. Multinational enterprises and the global economy. Cheltenham: Edward Edgar Publishing, 2008. Gregoratti, Catia. The UN Global Compact. London: Taylor Francis, 2010. Idowu, Samuel and Celine Louche. Theory and Practice of Corporate Social Responsibility. New Jersey: Springer, 2010. ILO. â€Å"The labour principles of the united nations Global Compact, A guide for business†. Geneva: International Labour Organization: 2008. Web. ILO. The cost of coercion: global report under the follow-up to the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work: International Labour Conference, 98th Session 2009. Geneva: International Labour Organization, 2009. Lawler, John and Greg Hundley. The global diffusion of human resource practices: institutional and cultural limits. Bingley: Emerald Group Publishing, 2008 Pattanaik, Kumar. Human rights and business: perspectives and practices. New Delhi: Icfai University Press, 2008. Perkins, Stephen and Su san Shortland. Strategic international human resource management: choices and consequences in multinational people management. Philadelphia: Kogan Page Publishers, 2006. Rasche, Andreas and Georg Kell. The United Nations Global Compact: Achievements, Trends and Challenges. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2010. United Nations, Global Compact Principle three. United Nations Global Compact, 2009. Web. United Nations, Global Compact Principle two. United Nations Global Compact, 2011.   Web. United Nations. Human Rights Translated: A Business Reference Guide. Geneva: United Nations Publications, 2008. Footnotes ILO. â€Å"The labor principles of the united nations Global Compact, A guide for business†. (Geneva: International Labor Organization: 2008). Catia Gregoratti. The UN Global Compact. London: Taylor Francis, 2010, p. 26. United Nations, Global Compact Principle three. United Nations Global Compact, August 14th 2009. United Nations, Global Compact Principle two. U nited Nations Global Compact, January 10th 2011. John Dunning and Lundan Sarianna. Multinational enterprises and the global economy. Cheltenham: Edward Edgar Publishing, 2008, 133. ILO. The cost of coercion: global report under the follow-up to the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work: International Labour Conference, 98th Session 2009. Geneva: International Labour Organization, 2009, p. 214. United Nations. Human Rights Translated: A Business Reference Guide. Geneva: United Nations Publications, 2008, p. 156. Andreas Rasche and Kell Georg. The United Nations Global Compact: Achievements, Trends and Challenges. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2010, p. 93. John Lawler and Greg Hundley. The global diffusion of human resource practices: institutional and cultural limits. Bingley: Emerald Group Publishing, 2008, p. 103. Kumar Pattanaik. Human rights and business: perspectives and practices. New Delhi: Icfai University Press, 2008, p. 57. Stephen Perkins an d Shortland Susan. Strategic international human resource management: choices and consequences in multinational people management. Philadelphia: Kogan Page Publishers, 2006, p. 291. Mireille Cayreyre, Demirayak Filiz and Dickson Paul. Global Compact International Yearbook 2009. Geneva: United Nations Publications, 2009, p. 212. Anabella, David. Best human resource management practices in Latin America. London: Taylor Francis, 2009, p. 33. This report on Impact of U.N. Global Compact on Employment Practices in Gap Inc. was written and submitted by user Nora Ewing 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.

Are You Willing to Relocate for a Job 5 Questions to Ask Yourself

Are You Willing to Relocate for a Job 5 Questions to Ask Yourself With the internet continually breaking down barriers, the job hunt has gone global. In fact, relocation rates are at their highest since 2009, according to analysis from the outplacement firm Challenger, Gray Christmas. Your perfect job may be hundreds - or even thousands! - of miles away, but while relocating may sound like a no-brainer, the fact is that many more factors go into the decision process than simply salary. Consider these five questions for determining whether relocating is right for you. Is this in your future?1. Can you maintain your standard of living?It’s easy to get carried away by a salary offer, but the truth is that compensation is relative due to cost of living differences.For example, let’s say you’re contemplating a cross-country move from Portland, Maine to San Francisco, California. According to NerdWallet’s handy Cost of Living Calculator, the cost of living is a whopping 54 percent higher in San Francisco than in Maine. More specifically, if your current salary is $50,000, you’d have to make more than $76,000 to maintain your current standard of living. Certain factors vary more than others: while transportation varies by just eight percent between the two cities, the cost of housing differs by a staggering 161 percent.2. Is the position stable?Job security is never guaranteed, but some jobs have more potential than others in terms of security. Before accepting a position and agreeing to uproot your life, do your homework. Has the potential employer been in business for a long time? Are they financial solvent? Sources like the Better Business Bureau, the company’s SEC filings, and even quick Google news search can turn up useful information about whether the benefits of relocating for a prospective company outweigh any accompanying risks.3. Are you prepared to pay steep moving costs?While some companies cover moving costs, this is becoming less common practice in today’s tight econ omy. In some cases relocation expenses are negotiable, so be sure to inquire about the possibility. And keep in mind: a company’s willingness to pay for your move demonstrates an appealing investment on their end.If relocation coverage isn’t possible, don’t underestimate how much you’re likely to spend on the process. While costs vary by family size, distance, and your household goods, the average price tag on a domestic move is nearly $13,000. If you don’t have these funds set aside, it can make or break the possibility of a move.4. How will your family be affected?Let’s face it: moving is no fun. And even the most seamless relocation can place stress on the family unit. Keep in mind that the move isn’t entirely about you, but about all of the members of your household. Are the long-term gains worth any temporary stress and/or upheaval?Be sure to check out everything from academic rankings to college matriculation statistics in advan ce in order to determine whether the schools, programs and resources are good.Also, don’t forget to take into account your partner’s career prospects, as well as your kids’ interests and activities.5. Will you enjoy living there?All cities and towns have their own unique strengths and weakness. Before agreeing to relocate, it’s helpful to first spend some time in the prospective city. Explore everything from neighborhoods and housing to shopping and attractions. This will help you get a sense of the local vibe.Choosing to accept a new job is a momentous decision on its own, let alone when a relocation is involved. By taking time to think through all of the considerations, you can make a decision that will ensure both professional and personal fulfillment. Wondering what jobs are out there waiting to be discovered? Sign up for real-time Job Matching today!

Failure of Real-Time Online Facility Assignment

Failure of Real-Time Online Facility - Assignment Example These major changes and other significant measures require a complete devotion and perfect dedication from the management, administrative department and particularly the Information Technology department to stabilize the performance of our online school and take our pride from good to best in the online school (Linda 1995). Everybody was appreciating and praising the performance of our online school before the advancement of technology introduced by our one of the closest competitor in the online school sector. Ever since this improvement has been presented by the competing firm, a steep decline has been observed in the size and magnitude of the market share of our online school. Profits have stuck somewhere, lowering from 8% to 5.5%. Faculty turnover ratio has increased substantially from 4% per annum to somewhat 16% annum. Increased customer complaints received more than 6% from the previous period. Things are pointing a major problem in our processes and demanding a significant solution to overcome that problem. What actually is that problem? How is it showing its effects and implications on the management and other departments of the business? What are the possible remedies to rescue? What would be the consequences of this operation clean sweep? Who is going to gain and who is going to lose? These all critical questions will be probed in the following discussion. Since the inception, the main focus of our online school has remained on providing the education to our students in a virtually â€Å"real-time† online environment. Students always liked and valued this methodology of teaching as it provided them the core benefits that they always needed. This methodology provided the students with an opportunity to interact with their tutors and mentors live on our online web portal, group forum and other live chat and discussion platforms. This helped the students in tackling with their study curriculum related issues with their tutors and share their problems in an online streaming session conducted via our live web portal.

Unit 1 Critical Thinking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Unit 1 Critical Thinking - Essay Example According to Rawson (2007), death is not the end of all issues and troubles. He explains that if a man had died with a headache or anger, this will continue on even after death until he is able to recognise and learn the truth about the issue (Rawson F. L., 2007). Being unsatisfied with everything that we have is one of the major traits of almost every human being. It is only when everything is taken away from us that we realise and are grateful for what God has given us. Personally we display traits where no matter what we have in life we regret not having other things. This makes us not value life and all the blessing around us instead we crave to gain more and more setting the important things in life aside. This is very similar to a mouse, where the mouse moves around everywhere with aim of getting more food, without realising the dangers involved in its life. If a mouse were to stay content with the food it has, and look only when needed instead of to try and stock up the chances of it being attacked by a cat is relatively lower. However for the mouse to understand this, it would take, for it to be attacked by a cat. Hence the saying ‘the mouse does not know life until it has been into the mouth of the cat’. Irrespective of which culture, caste or creed one belongs, the life that God has given is the same for all. Each of us requires understanding and cherishing every moment of life rather than cribbing and crying in spite of all the blessings we have in life. God has created all of for a reason and has sent us down to Earth to fulfil our responsibilities. It is important that we understand this without having to reach the extreme stage of loss (Katz, 1996). Like the proverb states, the mouse only understands the worth of life when in the cat’s mouth, similarly we only understand the importance of life when we are about to die. That’s the

Questionnaire Design Coursework Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Questionnaire Design Coursework - Essay Example e present research is conducted to determine the role of direct marketing and its potential benefits for the companies to acquire a competitive advantage in the industries. The primary aim of the study is to investigate how direct marketing activities contributes to the creation of competitive advantages. Therefore, primary research is gathering primary data from the (N=20) respondents from the survey questionnaires. The other section of the report presents a brief discussion based on the information and responses obtained. The main objective of this study is to determine the potential advantages of direct marketing techniques and its role in the creation of competitive marketing strategies. On the basis of prose research objectives, the following are the research questions for the study: Keeping in the mind of research questions and objectives, research has conducted a survey to gather information. The questionnaire is a research instrument that contains written set of questions to gather information from the respondents. The researchers make use of questionnaires together information from the respondents about the specific issue or area aims to be investigated. The questionnaires are used to gather information and opinions from the researcher that is cheaper and convenient. The questionnaires developed for this research is based on the research objectives underlay to collect exploratory information to develop understanding of the research questions. The questionnaires is composed of 10 questions in total, in which question 1 and 2 refer to demographic characteristics of the respondents, whereas the rest 8 question are specifically related to the research questions. The questionnaires are composed of closed-ended as well as open-ended questionnaires. It indicates exploratory questionnaires are developed to address and evaluated to gather information. The responses obtained from the close-ended questionnaires are based on Likert scale ranging from 1 to 5. The

Event Management Of Rio Carnival Festival

Event Management Of Rio Carnival Festival Introduction: The event selected in order to complete this piece of work is the Rio Carnival. This is one of the famous festivals and it is held before Lent and it is known as one of the biggest festival where the participant public is more than two million in numbers each day. The festival is one of the oldest one as well. Before going in to further detail of the event and covering the topic as of different required angles the researcher will give a brief account about event management and the advances which has taken place with the passage of time and introduction of latest technologies. (Getz, 2007) Life is full events that are not only interesting but full of attractions and adventure for the public. There has been a lot said and discussed and mostly one might find destinations under tremendous pressure as they are not sure how to deal by means of these events and save them as of becoming a touristic product. In the past, major events have been victim of different unwanted actions which has not only spoiled the image of the destination but in addition the fame of the event has been affected to a great extent. In the present world where technology through media has covered all the entertainment aspects for public and public can enjoy the event as of the confinement of their home just by sitting in front of their television sets, still the real joy is for live entertainment as public want to participate and be part of the colourful environment which cannot be captured or experienced through television no matter how good they are captured. A superior repeatable Event Management method offers an organization with the aptitude to sense Events, recognize them, and then choose on a suitable control commotion or action to avoid an occurrence and/or service disruption. Suitable activities or behaviours can comprise of an action to release an event or to trace an event. Well-organized service procedures base on the well-timed handling of the several activities essential to avoid confrontations and service outages. (Reisinger, 2009) As Event Management offers the capability to sense incidents before time, an association can configure technology to sustain an Event Management procedure to activate an event after it has been mechanically noticed and be automatically allocated to the suitable resolver faction for action before any definite service disruption or outage happens. Employing technology to sustain an Event Management procedure makes it probable for a few activities to be observed by exemption which can assist eradicate the requirement for costly and supply concentrated real time monitoring, whereas at the similar time, dropping unavailability or down time. Inside Event Management there are some altered kinds of events to handle which include: Normal Operation Events: These kinds of events can comprise an automatic announcement that a planned workload job has ended as usual or a consumer has logged into an appliance that they had the right point of admission to, or an email has attained an anticipated receiver. Standard process events are significant to observe since they might stand for a breach of policy or non observance to a development. (Richards et al., 2010) Exception Events: These kinds of events might comprise user endeavours to access an application with an wrong password too many times or, a devices CPU is above an acceptable utilization rate or a PC scan reveals the installation of unlawful software. (Reisinger, 2009) Unusual Events: These kinds of events typically represent something unexpected and require immediate notice such as server memory utilization within 5% of the highest expected performance level, or the conclusion time of a transaction 10% longer than normal. The key point with any of these event kinds is that instant action should occur in order to either raise an incident record or a dismiss and log of the event for further monitoring and trending. The Benefits of Event Management: By officially applying these key activities of an Event Management course, organizations are able to augment effective efficiencies by becoming more practical at managing operations that knowledge faults and service outages. In todays multifaceted IT environments, the degree of data being produced on a daily basis can be irresistible plus uncontrollable devoid of controlled and repeatable processes and the technology to support those processes. Millions of trades deals that rely on IT prop up are conducted every day. Devoid of an accepting of critical business processes, managing events turns out to be an unproductive best guess endeavour. (Getz, 2007) An outline of what the festival/event is: The carnival held once a year in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil is the for the most part well-known party in the world, growing year-on-year and attracting hundreds of thousands of foreign as well as national tourists. In the week about festival 80% of the yearly consumption of beer is drunk plus 70% of the yearly tourist profits are composed, undoubtedly showing the significance of the event inexpensively? To Brazilians festival and dancing are as significant as football, which is really saying something! The roots of festival: The name carnival comes as of the Latin word carnelevare meaning abstinence as of the eating of meat and poultry. Carnival week is held to agree by means of the start of the Roman Catholic period of Lent, 40 days prior to Easter. Lent is conventionally a period of abstinence, prayer and self-evaluation for Christians and represents the 40 days that the Bible tells us Jesus spent in the desert resisting the temptations of Satan. As the dates for Easter vary each year so do those for the main carnival weekend. There are several parades and parties by plus following the main labelled events in the Sambodromo, some of which are free plus held in the street in various districts about the city or as practice weekends in the central site itself. (Dunne L et al., 2002) Carnival as a festivity of music, dancing, misbehaviour as well as extremes plus dates back to the ancient Roman carnival of Saturnalia which was introduced in 217 BC to lift the confidence of battle-weary Romans next overcomes by the Carthaginians. It was classically a week of eating, drinking as well as the deride turnaround of the communal order, slaves being given several further liberties for instance Several Roman Emperors such as Augustus and Caligula tried to shorten the festivities to 3 days but were met by means of such chaos plus were forced to depart the occupants to their social gathering. (Getz, 2007) Rio Carnival today: Even though Rio Carnival may not be the lone party in Brazil, is still expensive well-known. As far as the participants are considered, biggest carnival in terms of member is held in Recife in the North where in 2006 1.5 million people took part. The Rio event has developed repeatedly since its occurring back in the 17th Century furthermore every year it grows in size and more area and samba schools turn out to be mixed up in the spectacle. Blocos (Blocks) are tiny or middle sized congregation of musicians and dancers drawn as of neighbourhoods who parade with a challenging topic, motto and point. They could be clothed in matching T shirts or in extra excessive outfit and there are now over 100 Blocos, numerous of whom do not even go away as of their street or neighbourhood while displaying. Hundreds of local people congregate and escort them in their hard work. (Richards et al., 2010) Over deeply financed samba schools are huge groups of performers which participate in parade competitions in a particularly built Sambodromo. These schools procession held on the 4 major nights of the carnival, along with the title parade person held on the Saturday night. The official opposition can be alienated into 10 categories and a winner picked as of each distribution after being reconsidered on each of the following; drumming band, Samba song, Harmony, Flow and spirit, subject of the year, Overall impression, Floats and props, Costumes, Vanguard group and Flag bearer. There are 4 judges in each group and these people sit in booths along the parade route in the Sambodromo. Great standing is awarded to the winners and the rivalry is taken very critically with massive amounts of attempts, exercise and money invested. (Reisinger, 2009) Entrance tickets for the Sambodromo parades are awarded and as such are costly even in the low-priced bleacher seats which cost some hundred dollars. Places in the VIP boxes run to thousands of dollars as they offer the spectator much more ease and availability of facilities, open bar, 3 course dinner etc. for what is a lengthy of viewing. Tickets and some hotels frequently sell out months in advance so if you want to go ensure a longer way in advance. The stakeholders: Keeping in mind the nature of the event it turns out to be clear that the stakeholders are basically the tourists and local audiences that come as of everywhere to enjoy this event, its colour and the different parade and dances which are the very major part of this festival. (Bichou et al., 2007) Social-cultural benefits and issues linked with festival: The modern world is facing threats like terrorism and target killing and there are many parts of the world where the criminals wait for such mega events so that they can get a chance to cause damage on high scales. The damage can be anything like robbing, killing and even bomb blasts which are normally the key focus for terrorists in todays world. The community may always feel itself at risk during such programs and events as the ratio of crime is higher and its difficult to trace and control due to the size of event. Talking about benefits, festival like Rio brings business to the country and enables the foreigner to understand the culture of the native people. Not only does it attract people for long time but even in the four (Getz, 2007) What tourists might perceive as an attempt to get closer to the authentic and to break through to the back region, hosts will often perceive as a violation, an infringement on private and personal space, and these differing perceptions shape the power relations flanked by hosts and tourists. Just as objects are altered as they are placed in the front and false back regions, the hosts are alienated through their roles in the business: they become anders, someone other than what they once were. This view of how hosts and their culture are changed allows me to locate the central notion of authenticity in the critique of the tourism business in the works in my learning. The three authors portray tourism as making those who live and work in the business anders. Returning to the notion of front and back regions, then, I argue that the artists portray the genuine back region as a space that has been lost or is threatened by tourism, as it is gradually becomes anders and is turned into a false, staged back region. The learning depicts tourism and its impacts as a threat, implicitly noting a failure to protect the authenticity of the back region as of tourism. Discussion on how the festival event can help to foster cultural understanding There are many possible ways in the carnival may help in order to foster cultural understandings. The world has turns out to be small village and as a result people have turns out to be closer to each other with the help of Information technology. That is the main cause behind the fact that people want to know about each others culture values and beliefs as they find knowing about these cultural values very interesting. In order to get the cultural understandings events like The Rio Carnival plays a key role as not only the fact that its is very attractive but at the same time its one of the famous and big festival that automatically attracts the attention of people as of all over the world and they want to know about it, how it started and the other linked cultures with it. (Bichou et al., 2007) People as of all over the world as mentioned earlier fly to Brazil to enjoy this festival. This gives them opportunity to know about the local cultures and the different interesting facts that may be associated with these cultures which may vary after every hundred miles depending on the locals of the country and different cultural beliefs which they may possess. Recommendations for mitigating negative social and cultural impacts of the event festival Contemporary world faces some serious threats. These threats can be terrorism, robberies, killings and other issues. Terrorists are always in search of such festivals and social gatherings where the number of participants irrespective of the fact that they are performer or audience. This simply for the reason that the more big the gathering is the bigger will be the level of destruction which may be caused by these terrorists. Therefore, it turns out to be the responsibility of the event management team and the concerned authorities to make sure that all the available latest tools and other facilities like information technology and managements and security techniques are adopted in order to make sure that the event management is successful at the same time is safe as of any kind terrorist activity which may cause the loss of precious lives. (Getz, 2007) Conclusions: Considering the intricacies of IT organizations at present, there is a strong need of fine Event management practice and the requirement for technology enabled procedures is vital for best possible operational effectiveness. The purpose of an Event Management course is to perceive events of significant service factors and react instantly to direct those events. At present we want data gathered, concurrent, processed and then analyzed as much swiftly and correctly as possible. Effectiveness commence with prior preparation to get an idea that which services are essential and entail supervision along with usual reassess sessions to keep these rules clear, precise and applicable. (Reisinger, 2009) Technology contributes a great deal in enhancing the Event Management process by computerizing the real process actions themselves (for example event recognition, event announcement and automatic incident formation), and through analyzing the results as of some other associated procedures (such as Configuration Management). Incorporation with other practices (particularly Incident Management, crisis Management, Accessibility Management, Configuration Management and Service rank Management) is crucially significant to guarantee that events are handled efficiently and that the maximum levels of accessibility and service are kept. (Getz, 2007)

Climate change system

What is Climate Change?The clime is a complex and dynamic system. Throughout the Earth ‘s being, it has changed many times in response to natural procedures. However within the last 50 old ages, the composing of the planetary ambiance has significantly altered. The bulk of scientists now believe this recent clime alteration can be attributed to human activities. Since the industrial revolution, nursery gas degrees in the ambiance have considerably risen bring forthing an enhanced nursery consequence ( UKCIP 2005 ) . The nursery consequence is a natural procedure ; where a per centum of the thermal infrared radiation emitted by Earth is absorbed by a bed of natural nursery gases which reduces the chilling consequence of the Earth ( Met Office 2009 ) . It is widely accepted that, human activity has led to an addition in the concentration of these nursery gases in the ambiance, doing an enhanced nursery consequence. The increased temperatures produced, as a consequence of greater infrared opacity, are referred to as planetary heating. Current grounds of planetary warming comes from increasing ocean temperatures, lifting sea degrees, runing polar ice caps and decreasing snow screen in the Northern Hemisphere ( IPCC 2007 ) . Climate alteration projections suggest that these will go on to take topographic point and that there will be additions in the frequence and strength of utmost conditions events, such as drouths, inundations and tropical storms. Within the last hundred old ages, the planetary mean temperature of the Earth ‘s surface has risen, with 11 of the warmest old ages on record happening during the past 12 old ages ( IPCC 2007 ) . If the planetary heating continues at the present rate, it is predicted that mean planetary temperatures could lift by up to six grades Celsius by the terminal of this century ( DECC 2009b ) .Carbon DioxideThe chief nursery gas responsible for anthropogenetic ( human-made ) clime alteration is carbon dioxide, accounting for about 85 per cent of entire United Kingdom Ã¢â‚¬Ë œs nursery gas emanations ( Defra 2008 ) . The United Kingdom entirely emits about 555 million metric tons of C dioxide per twelvemonth. The largest known part of C dioxide emanations comes from the combustion of fossil fuels ; coal, oil and gas. The burning of fossil fuels has provided the chief energy beginning for all industries since the industrial revolution. Even with current raising fuel monetary values, it is still considered to be an economical method of bring forthing big measures of energy. The C dioxide is released as a bi-product into the ambiance, when the C nowadays in the dodo fuel reacts with O in the air, as the dodo fuel Burnss. The industrial sector bring forthing largest volume of C dioxide emanations is the energy supply sector. Three quarters of the United Kingdom ‘s electricity comes from coal and gas ( DECC 2009b ) . The largest manufacturer of electric within the United Kingdom is DRAX coal fired power station. It generates about 7 % of the United Kingdom ‘s electricity supply, with its operation bring forthing about 23 million metric tons of C dioxide each twelvemonth.Government TargetsThe Governments worldwide have appreciated the demand to cut down nursery gas emanations to forestall farther anthropogenetic clime alteration. The United Kingdom has a figure of aims, both international and domestic, for cut downing nursery gas emanations. The Climate Change Act became jurisprudence on 26 November 2008. The Act sets out the passage program for the United Kingdom to go a low-carbon economic system ( DECC 2009b ) . It gives curates the powers to present new steps necessary to accomplish the nursery gas decrease marks. Under the Climate Change Act the Government is lawfully required to cut emanations by 80 % of the 1990 degree by 2050 ( DECC 2009a ) . In order to accomplish this several intermediate C budgets have been set. Each C budget covers a five twelvemonth period and provides the maximal degrees of nursery gases that can be emitted into the ambiance during the period. Internationally, the United Kingdom has signed up to the Kyoto Protocol. The protocol commits 37 industrialised states, which have signed up, to undertake the issues of planetary heating and nursery gas emanations. The protocol sets lawfully binding marks for the decrease of nursery gases. The cardinal aim of the Kyoto Protocol is to cut down worldwide nursery gas emanations to 5.2 per centum below 1990 degrees, during the five-year period, between 2008 and 2012. The United Kingdom has agreed to cut down its nursery gas emanations by 12.5 per centum.Renewable Energy ProductionThe debut of Government marks creates a demand for alternate emanation free agencies of energy production. In add-on to undertaking clime alteration, the addition of renewable electric coevals reduces the United Kingdom ‘s dependance on non-renewable beginnings for future coevalss. This has led to a recent addition in the development of renewable energy engineerings. Renewable electricity coevals extracts energy from natural resources. It can be considered as emanation free power coevals. The most prevailing methods are solar energy, hydropower, geothermic energy, air current power, wave power, and tidal power. Presently, renewable energy coevals jointly provides about 5 % of the United Kingdom ‘s one-year electricity demand. The Government intends to bring forth around 30 % of our electricity from renewable beginnings by 2020.

Cosi – Louis Nowra

Cosi by Louis Nowra conveys significant ideas about human nature. Through the play Cosi, the audience witnesses the lives of mentally ill people unfold before them. Central characters Lewis, Doug and Julie each show and express a different view upon the world and work towards their own idea of reality. They each express their individual ideas of the norm and work together to escape reality. Many themes such as love and infidelity as well as change are conveyed throughout the play. Cosi is a comic play written by Australian playwright, Louis Nowra. An interesting feature of the play is the use of the ‘play within a play' device, which gives the play a distinctive quality. This allows the issues and concerns of the play to be reflected and commented upon in he other play as both plays are juxtaposed. The themes of â€Å"Cosi Fan Tutte† deal with love, sex and fidelity are illustrated and commented upon in the modern context as seen through Henry's emotive language â€Å"Free love, women are not to be trusted† His opinion is generated through various experiences and general knowledge. The theme of love and fidelity causes controversy as the characters have different opinions which differ from each other. One of the main themes in Cosi, is the central idea of personal growth. All characters experience growth, however, Lewis' personal growth is the most significant as his simple dialogue states â€Å"no one can sing† exemplifying his negatively towards the patients. This is juxtaposed to his dialogue. â€Å"This comes first† when Lewis begins to see the play as his top prority. His transformation is outlined through Lucy's dialogue â€Å"Working with these people has changed you. showing Lucy's thoughts concering Lewis. Lewis' inner journey has provided him with a new understanding of not only himself but the world around him. Lewis is the protagonist of the play. To begin with, Lewis lacks confidence; the stage directions describe him as â€Å"not knowing what to say,† and talking â€Å"hesitantly† and â€Å"uncertainly. † Puttin g on the play for Lewis is motivated by his need for some quick cash. ‘What if someone forgets to take their medicine and-‘Is one of the many quotes that Lewis says that expresses his uncertainty. The play opens to a dark stage. This darkness is symbolic of many things. Firstly, it represents Lewis entering into a new world- very different from his own. The juxtaposition of light and dark represents his understanding of each world. The second idea represented is the loneliness of the patients within the institution. Like a child pulling the bed covers over his head, afraid of what he can't see and therefore could be lurking in the dark, society feared and misunderstood these people, keeping them locked away. Out of sight and therefore, seemingly out of mind. The final idea is that this opening symbolises Lewis entering into this world and shinning a light into their darkness. That is, coming into a world that he did not understand and therefore feared and offering the patients improvement in their lives and the potential for belonging, understanding and friendship. Doug is a pyromaniac – a firelighter – both in reality and symbolically. His actions threaten to get the show cancelled in its early stages when he sets fire to a toilet. Doug is the most sexually frank character asking questions like: â€Å"Was Lucy a virgin when you first had her? † and â€Å"How many did Lucy have before you? † He comes across as a crass character but his questions serve an important purpose. Like fires, his frank questions tend to spark actions or reactions. They are catalysts for thought. It’s Doug who reveals to Lucy that Julie has â€Å"gone for† Lewis, which leads to the final confrontation between Lucy and Lewis. Julie’s character is significant in a number of ways. Firstly, her views about love seem to be in direct opposition to Lucy’s (Lewis’ girlfriend). Julie has, â€Å"always thought that love was being foolish and stupid. It’s about being on the edge and I like being on the edge. † Whereas Lucy sees love as well down the list of priorities in life: â€Å"After bread, a shelter, equality, health, procreation, money comes maybe love. † However, interestingly, their characters are also similar. Julie says about men and fidelity: â€Å"I don’t like men’s double standards, I guess. Men want women to deceive them because it’ll prove their worst thoughts about women†¦Ã¢â‚¬  While Lucy says that men want women to â€Å"pretend they’re true and faithful† because â€Å"that’s how they want us to be, even if they’re not true and faithful themselves. † Julie, in a way, is an altered version of Lucy in the world of the mental institution. She is the character who completely brings Lewis into this new, strange world. Her kiss with him in the dark marks the full transition of Lewis. † I like the dark,† Julie says; because it’s in the dark that you can be who you really want to be.

Explain The Specific Argument Against Evolutionary Theory Coursework

Explain The Specific Argument Against Evolutionary Theory Coursework Explain The Specific Argument Against Evolutionary Theory – Coursework Example Argument against evolutionary theory Dr. Jerry Coyne is one of the leading evolutionary biologists across the G lobe and has written the book â€Å"why evolution is true† however a closer look of his argument indicates various flaws in his work on the theory of evolution.One of the deficiencies, which come clearly in his arguments of evolution, is the way in which he beat around the bush on the term evolution. There is a lot of equivocation in his work. Equivocation is a tool of dishonest argument whereby a person uses multiple definitions of a term and then uses the same term in another sense that is correct (Coyne 129).Throughout his work, Coyne abuses the meaning of the term evolution and defines it in multiple ways. For instance, he states that evolution is a fact. In some places, he defines evolution as the idea that all life came into existence through naturalistic processes from a single replicating model (Coyne 233).In other places; he defines the term in ways that a c reation scientist would freely acknowledge to be true. Coyne asserts that evolution is a process by which organisms change slightly so as to adapt their surrounding environment. Few creationists if any would believe his argument that animals do not adapt depending on the environment and the genetic flexibility. The idea that animals are able to adapt to a certain level is different from the fact that life started from a single molecule (Shubin 95).Coyne’s use of the fallacy of equivocation shows the inbuilt weakness of the evolutionary theory which he attempts to defend in his book (Coyne 121).No genuine evidence ever been produced to substantiate the idea that human life evolved from a single replicating molecule over a million years ago (Coyne 213). Coyne, J. Written in Rocks. In Why Evolution is True? New York: Penguin Group. 2009.Shubin, N. Your inner fish. New York, NY: Vintage Books. 2008.

10 Facts About the Element Iodine (Atomic Number 53 or I)

10 Facts About the Element Iodine (Atomic Number 53 or I) Iodine is element 53 on the periodic table, with element symbol I. Iodine is an element you encounter in iodized salt and some dyes. A small amount of iodine is essential for nutrition, while too much is toxic. Here are facts about this interesting, colorful element. The Name Iodine comes from the Greek word iodes, which means violet. Iodine vapor is violet-colored. The element was discovered in 1811 by French chemist Bernard Courtois. Courtois discovered iodine by accident while he was making saltpeter for use in the Napoleonic Wars. Making saltpeter required sodium carbonate. To get sodium carbonate, Courtois burned seaweed, washed the ash with water, and added sulfuric acid to remove contaminants. Courtois discovered adding an excess of sulfuric acid produced a cloud of purple vapor. While Courtois believed the vapor was a previously unknown element, he couldnt afford to research it, so he offered samples of the gas to his friends, Charles Bernard Desormes and Nicolas Clement. They characterized the new material and made Courtois discovery public. Isotopes Many isotopes of iodine are known. All of them are radioactive except for I-127, which is the only isotope found in nature. Because there is only one natural isotope of iodine, its atomic weight is precisely known, rather than an average of isotopes like most elements. Color and Other Properties Solid iodine is blue-black in color, with a metallic sheen. At ordinary temperatures and pressures, iodine sublimates into its violet gas, so the liquid form is not seen. The color of iodine follows a trend seen in the halogens: they appear progressively darker as you move down the group of the periodic table. This trend happens because the wavelengths of light absorbed by the elements increases due to the behavior of the electrons. Iodine is slightly soluble in water and more soluble in nonpolar solvents. Its melting point and boiling point are the highest of the halogens. The bond between atoms in the diatomic molecule is the weakest in the element group. Halogen Iodine is a halogen, which is a type of non-metal. It is located beneath fluorine, chlorine, and bromine on the periodic table, making it the heaviest stable element in the halogen group. Thyroid The thyroid gland uses iodine to make the hormones thyroxine and triiodotyronine. Insufficient iodine leads to development of a goiter, which is a swelling of the thyroid gland. Iodine deficiency is believed to be the leading preventable cause of mental retardation. Excessive iodine symptoms are similar to those of iodine insufficiency. Iodine toxicity is more severe if a person has a selenium deficiency. Compounds Iodine occurs in compounds and as the diatomic molecule I2. Medical Purpose Iodine is used extensively in medicine. However, some people develop a chemical sensitivity to iodine. Sensitive individuals may develop a rash when swabbed with tincture of iodine. In rare cases, anaphylactic shock has resulted from medical exposure to iodine. Food Source Natural food sources of iodine are seafood, kelp and plants grown in iodine-rich soil. Potassium iodide often is added to table salt to produce iodized salt. Atomic Number The atomic number of iodine is 53, meaning all atoms of iodine possess 53 protons. Commercial Source Commercially, iodine is mined in Chile and extracted from iodine-rich brine, notably from the oilfields in the US and Japan. Prior to this, iodine was extracted from kelp. Iodine Element Fast Facts Element Name: IodineElement Symbol: IAtomic Number: 53Atomic Weight: 126.904Group: Group 17 (Halogens)Period: Period 5Appearance: Metallic blue-black solid; violet gasElectron Configuration: [Kr] 4d10  5s2  5p5Melting Point: 386.85  K  Ã¢â‚¬â€¹(113.7  Ã‚ °C, ​236.66  Ã‚ °F)Boiling Point: 457.4  K ​(184.3  Ã‚ °C, ​363.7  Ã‚ °F) Sources Davy, Humphry (1 January 1814). Some Experiments and Observations on a New Substance Which Becomes a Violet Coloured Gas by Heat. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. Lond. 104: 74. doi:10.1098/rstl.1814.0007Emsley, John (2001). Natures Building Blocks (Hardcover, First ed.). Oxford University Press. pp. 244–250. ISBN 0-19-850340-7.Greenwood, Norman N.; Earnshaw, Alan (1997). Chemistry of the Elements (2nd ed.). Butterworth-Heinemann. ISBN 0-08-037941-9.Swain, Patricia A. (2005). Bernard Courtois (1777–1838) famed for discovering iodine (1811), and his life in Paris from 1798 (PDF). Bulletin for the History of Chemistry. 30 (2): 103.Weast, Robert (1984). CRC, Handbook of Chemistry and Physics. Boca Raton, Florida: Chemical Rubber Company Publishing. pp. E110. ISBN 0-8493-0464-4.

Week #4 Learning Activity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Week #4 Learning Activity - Essay Example The Lily Ledbetter Act will help abolish pay discrimination because it extends time period for filing claims and expands the application of pay discrimination claims; however, it also has its limitations. The Act reinstates the interpretation of the regulation that a pay discrimination claim accumulates whenever an employee experiences pay discrimination (U.S. Department of Labor, 2014, p.1). The Act overturns the Supreme Court’s decision that stated that people subject to pay discrimination merely have 180 days from the date the employer first chooses to pay them less to file a discrimination claim (U.S. Department of Labor, 2014, p.1). Moreover, the Act allows some courts to interpret "compensation decision or other practice† for broader applications (National Women’s Law Center, 2011). For instance, in Gentry v. Jackson State University, a Mississippi district court ruled that denial of tenure can meet the criteria as a compensation decision or â€Å"other pra ctice,† if it shapes the plaintiffs salary (National Women’s Law Center, 2011). A broad interpretation of the law ensures that pay discrimination does not happen in other indirect forms. On the contrary, narrower interpretations can still lead to pay discrimination, despite the existence of the Act. For instance, some courts do not find â€Å"failure to promote† as part of compensation claims. Promotion directly affects pay discrimination, and yet, some courts may choose to not treat it as important to pay equity. The Lily Ledbetter Act greatly helps in reducing pay discrimination because of broadened filing of claims and interpretations. Nevertheless, it may not be enough to stop employers from applying pay discrimination through other means that the Act does not specifically include. Hence, the Act is only one of the many steps that society must take to ensure the full eradication of pay

Relationship between health & lifestyle and Health & safety Essay

Relationship between health & lifestyle and Health & safety - Essay Example The other relationship is on food. Food can play a significant role in the individual enjoyment of robust health. At the same time, food can be a key factor in influencing ill health. One of the important roles of food is the provision of proper nutrients required by the body (Cooper, Hodges-Mameltzis and Thorpe 4). However, malnutrition may occur due to both under or over-consumption of food. Lack of access to basic nutrients may lead to ill health and poor well-being of the individual. The lack of proper nutrients in parts of the world has led to an increased epidemic of chronic non-communicable diseases (Cooper et al 4). A proper nutrition helps in prevention of some of the major diseases in the body. Nutrition has also been shown to relate to diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, cardiac diseases, and cancer (Ministry of Health 1). Certain lifestyles such as smoking and alcohol taking have a profound impact on health. Excessive indulgence in cigarettes and alcohol may lead to addiction (NHS 1). Addiction is challenging as it affects individual health. Moreover, indulgence in alcohol makes one uncontrollable and most likely to engage in unprotected sex (NHS 1). Therefore, such individuals are at risk of getting sexually transmitted diseases (NHS 1). Such individuals are also likely to get the unwanted pregnancy. Additionally, regular drinking may lead to liver diseases, heart attack and weight gain (NHS 1). Weight gain, on the other hand, may lead to obesity-related to diseases such as diabetes.