Monday, September 30, 2019

Characteristics of nutrients and their benefits to the body Essay

In order to obtain good health everyone must consume a balanced diet. To do this we must eat recommended amounts of food from the five food groups which are, fruit and vegetables, meat, fish & alternatives, bread, cereals & potatoes, milk & dairy and foods which contain fats and sugar. These five food groups contain the seven components of a balanced diet they are, protein, carbohydrates, lipids, vitamins, minerals, fibre and water. Proteins are made up of long chains of amino acids, there are 22 different types of amino acid and the body needs all of them to function properly. There are many forms of protein, which all play an important role in the function of the body. For example, collagen is a protein and is vital for the strength, elasticity and composition of hair and skin. If not consuming enough carbohydrates, the body will look for other sources of energy, such as proteins found in muscle tissue. Proteins, however, are not efficient sources of energy for the body. Proteins are essential nutrients for the human body. They are one of the building blocks of body tissue, and can also serve as a fuel source. Carbohydrates are one of the main types of food. The liver breaks down carbohydrates into glucose which the body uses for sugar. Carbohydrates also protect muscles and help regulate the amount of sugar circulating in the blood so that all the cells get the energy they need. Sugars and starch are the main types of carbohydrates; these carbohydrates provide energy for the body. Lipids in the body store energy and are serving as components of hormones and vitamins. Vitamins are an essential nutrient which the body cannot produce enough of on its own, so it has to get it from food. Minerals help your body grow, develop, and stay healthy. The body uses minerals to perform many different functions such as building strong bones to transmitting nerve impulses. Fibre can’t be digested so it helps clean out the intestines by moving bowel movements along. Water has many functions in the human body. Some of its actions include its use as a solvent, as a lubricant, as a conduction system for moving unnecessary waste, and as a mode of temperature regulation. Macronutrients are also essential for good health; they break down carbohydrates and fats, which provide energy to the body and they assist in the absorption of protein, which provides the building blocks necessary for cell growth and repair. Micronutrients depend on vitamins and minerals to regulate the release of energy from food because they don’t provide energy.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Political context of The Great Gatsby

America during 1920s enjoyed a consummate historical period – so called the ‘Economic Boom'. Consequently, more and more people became wealthy. This resulted in dramatic changes in American social structure as there was a huge increase in the middle classes. People's obsession over their wealth had no limits. There was a big emphasis on individualism as the Republicans enjoyed widespread support due to their achievements. Perhaps this explains the attitude of the characters in the ‘Great Gatsby'. Gatsby's desire for wealth and individualism was certainly boosted by his feelings towards Daisy. Daisy Buchannan – who had a high rank in American society even before she got married, could not belong to Gatsby's world and their relationship in the light of this period of American history was seen as irrational. The gaps in American social structure were undoubtedly large, however Republican's idea of individualism allowed an access to higher rank in society. Characters' traits such as determination, adroitness and hard-work were heavily respected in US during that time. This explains Gatsby's struggle in achieving respected status and wealth. Perhaps, from a political point of view, Gatsby therefore could be seen as a model of a successful American during the ‘Economic Boom'. America – a great social and economic experiment, noble in motive and far-reaching in purpose. Herbert Hoover (1874 – 1964) – Republican president of USA Furthermore, the Americans' position during the 1920s made them think that they are infallible. Certainly, this resulted in racism and over – patriotic attitude. For example, Tom says that ‘Civilisation's going to pieces' referring to ‘The Rise of Colored Empires' and defines Americans as the ‘dominant race' (chapter I). This boundless confidence spread into different countries and the term of an ‘American Dream' (that is – a dream of a total achievement of wealth) became more and more popular. Ironically, America's ‘Economic Boom' was a direct consequence of the First World War when they isolated themselves and achieved a great deal of widespread wealth at the cost of the other suffering countries. In fact, the ‘Economic Boom' was mostly a result of a well-developed trade of military supplies with countries involved in war. Similarly, ‘The Valley of Ashes' (â€Å"a fantastic farm where ashes grow like wheat† – Chapter II) can be seen as the symbol of American's abusing of the lower social classes as the wealthy businessmen dump their ashes on the land belonging to lower ranks. Perhaps in this sense, Fitzgerald hints at his contempt of a Republican idea and despises the order in USA during that time. Therefore the ill-thought through American idea of desire for money descended from the ‘Economic Boom' in 1920s. Having said this, we are not surprised when Gatsby describes Daisy's voice as ‘full of money'. Wealth and competitiveness was considered as the norm because in early 20th century America such values had been seen as essential to become a politically correct ‘American'. To become politically correct one tended, or maybe preferred, to become blind to human suffering. It is best described by Nick that â€Å"Tom and Daisy – smashed up creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness†. Indeed, in this way, Tom and Daisy have managed to brutally achieve their ‘American Dream'.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Analysis of an allocated management practitioner article using Essay - 1

Analysis of an allocated management practitioner article using relevant organisational behaviour theory - Essay Example The organizational behaviour of an organization can also be defined as the values which contribute to the creation of an acceptable psychological and social environment within which to work (Chen & Yang, 2012). These values are based on the previous and existing knowledge of the organization that form the philosophies that hold the organization together. However, there may be different conflicting behaviour within an organization, especially the large ones, due to the different characteristics displayed by the various management teams that work in the organization. Organizational behaviour may have both positive and negative effects on the individuals involved and these among others will be discussed in this paper. While the management of an organization plays a major part in the formulation of an organizational behaviour, the employees of such a body also have a role to play in its formulation. According to the article, â€Å"How to improve staff communication† by Rebecca Clake, the organizational behaviour involves the social expectations and standards that determine the values and beliefs, which hold the people working within an organization together. Furthermore, the signs and symbols that an organization is recognized by heavily influence this behaviour and this determines the way the people who work within this organization behave, thus they are the embodiment of the organization’s behaviour. A shared language is very important in the development of an organization’s behaviour because language is the glue that holds the organization together and without a common means of communication within the organization, then the organization would collapse (Khalid, Jusoff, Othman, Ismail & Rahman, 2010). Organizational behaviour is the single most important thing that determines whether and organization will be successful or not. When one considers the article, one will find that there are four major elements of behaviour, which determine the success of an

Friday, September 27, 2019

Global Water Crisis Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Global Water Crisis - Research Paper Example Each economy in the world is dependent on water for survival. However, for all its significance, few firms, as well as investors, think strategically concerning the intense commercial risks, which will prevail in a globe where climate transformation is possible to intensify already decreasing water supplies. The scarcity of water is increasing worldwide and it is clear that it will decline more in the future. Businesses as well as investors who have always had taken clean, reliable, and cheap water for granted, are significantly affected by the declining accessibility, diminishing quality, as well as, the increasing demand for water. These issues are currently leading to a reduction in firm’s water allocations, shifts toward full-cost pricing, more strict water quality controls, increasing community resistance.Despite Iran having varying climatic conditions, the country has been experiencing a high water shortage with only a few households connected to a reliable source of wat er. Iran experiences arid as well as semi-arid weather conditions thereby exposing the country to extreme water shortage. Currently, this issue has become more evident because of the recent droughts experienced in particular parts of the nation. Government and other stakeholders are doing very little to reverse the condition which instead of water supply increasing, it is decreasing at an alarming rate. This condition is a threat to the peace being experienced in the region.

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Patterns of Italian immigration Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Patterns of Italian immigration - Essay Example In contrary, to the modern Italy primarily united states, immigration has characterized the whole development. Italian immigration the United States has been on the way out and the consistency of these new arrivals has significantly changed in the recent years. For the stabilization of Italy population, there was a continuous immigration from North Africa and Eastern Europe. The present Italian immigrants in America have a good education, driven by the career, and their primary focus is the preserving of their language and culture (Barkan 42). The difference that can be seen in the present and the early immigrants are that those who migrated in the last centuries were poor, no education and they lacked skills. Ignorance of the government to people’s interests and needs is the primary cause that led to the massive immigration of Italians to the United States having in mind that they will be served accordingly. Looking for an advanced better life within a free society that is pr otected by the constitution. The making of the individual rights to be a priority; was also another factor that let the Italians make a move to the new world. The immigration, on the other hand, was driven by the uniqueness of the American civilization features which distinguishes it from other European countries. Influence of the American natural environment and the American culture. The culture was attributed to two fundamental factor; the impulse and the inspirations, this compelled men and women to leave not only in European countries, but also across the Atlantic.

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Why dog food quality matters Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Why dog food quality matters - Research Paper Example Many famous personalities are seen to have publicly endorse the keeping of dogs and other animals. An important part of the care of the dogs is providing them with adequate nutrition and the quality of the food given to them should be maintained. When it comes to the nutritional needs and shelter necessities of the animal, then the crucial task of getting what is best for the dog lies ahead. Different dogs have different needs and not to mention even the same breed of dogs can differ in their demands. Pet owners face difficulty in choosing things that are best for their dog and suit them accordingly. Dog food is another major issue that the owners have to be careful about. In the market there are various sorts of brands and products available that claim to be the best for household dogs but can actually cause more harm than good to the canine kept. The basic key of it all is understanding the needs of the dog and then catering to it accordingly. It is seen that dogs might be different in needs, so it is necessary that the dog in question is not a test subject rather the keepers should know what it wants and why does it want that. Every dog owner faces nutritional need questions and has a hard time figuring out what exactly d oes the pet want to survive and perform at its best. While any dog food can cater to the canine hunger, there are some specific things to be kept in mind that help in establishing a good health. Dogs need proteins, carbohydrates, fatty acids, vitamins and minerals to survive. (National Research Council 2). All of these are needed in the canine system so that it actively performs and does not get ill or is susceptible to illness. The second most important thing is keeping a check of when to feed the dog kept in the household. Most dogs are trained into asking for food when they get hungry and owners usually establish timings for feeding but keep in mind that do not over feed or under feed the canine as it can impact the health and over all

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Write your own Opinion Page Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Write your own Opinion Page - Essay Example It was certainly a dark chapter in the age of enlightenment and for America itself since it was supposed to be the new world where hope and equality could exist. However, as the historical record shows us, the first individuals to be accused of practicing witchcraft were the socially and economically excluded classes of beggars, poor individuals and African American persons. Further, it seems that it was not a few people who engaged in the mass hysteria of witchcraft but the whole village of Salem, neighboring towns and even the larger cities around Salem were caught up in it (Linder, 2008). Of course even at the time there were many who thought the trials to be a farce and could not condone the use of spectral evidence in court to sent individuals to their deaths. However, just because the people were afraid and because many of them had personal motivations to hurt the individuals accused of witchcraft; the process went on unchecked. Perhaps the ones who died were better off since many more had to suffer being put in prison as their families languished for months waiting for their release (Linder, 2008). Over the years, the impact of the sense of shame, the sense of wonder and even a sense of dread associated with the trials has remained strong in American culture. While the trials have been lampooned and even used as the basis of satire by some artists, many have also taken a more serious look at them to understand what can happen when mass hysteria and fear takes over a group of people who have little or no understanding of such matters (Linder, 2008). In fact, even today such problems remain present in society since today we have a new specter to deal with. The colonial Americans had witches, the Americans in the 50s had to deal with communists and we today have to deal with terrorists. Undoubtedly, terrorism and the safety of America are much more real in terms of security concerns as compared to witchcraft but we have to be careful when

Monday, September 23, 2019

Ethics and Social Responsibility Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Ethics and Social Responsibility - Essay Example The insufficiency of research became evident long before 2003; the scandals only highlighted the neglect of the topic. The author of the article believes that the scandal around Enron was a kind of â€Å"crest of an already rising wave of interest†. However, we may say that the scandal, in fact, was a consequence of the inadequate focus on the issue. Indeed, only Arthur Andersen was involved into several court examinations of their fraudulent transactions since the end of 1980s. Those cases turned little attention to the problem. The stir was quickly calmed down, while it was not beneficial for many influential people of the country. There is no surprise that the â€Å"wave of interest† started rising. The Aspen Institute and the Financial Times were among first institutions that started ranking business schools on the basis of their emphasis on the issues of environmental and social responsibility, greeting the introduction of relevant changes in curriculum and the est ablishment of specialized journals. One could also observe an upsurge of academic journals and books, as well as professional societies, dealing with the issues. Business ethics has long become an obligatory component in business schools curriculum. It has been recognized as vital by most of U.S. and European corporations, which would like to develop and prosper in future. Fortune 500 companies are among the most disciplined business institutions, able to present their codes of ethics and ethics officers. The article enumerates the key issues being discussed by corporations, including: sensitive payments abroad, corporate governance, diversity, effectiveness of compliance systems, environmental responsibility, executive pay, and the definition of corporate obligations to stockholders (p. 364). It is high time the scholars took to the advance research in the area of business ethics and corporate responsibility. Yet, in 2003, when the article was published, little was done in

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Process of (research) investigation of geodetic Engineering for the Thesis Proposal - 1

Process of (research) investigation of geodetic Engineering for the designing of high speed (train) main railway line - Thesis Proposal Example In many instances, high speed trains reconsidered cost effective as compared to road transport. This is partially due to the volume of the train, which carries a large number of people at a time. Similarly, trains do not encounter traffic as they have exceptional rail lines. Therefore, use of geodetic railway constitution is a positive approach towards improvement of the railway connection (Torge, 2001). Banking on this system would improve the railway transport to a high notch. In making this a reality, transport engineers have to embark on various activities that are geared towards establishment of an affordable transport system. First, they have to engineer tracks, where the transport system will be based. These tracks are made through all the basic terminals. The issue of making terminals is to ease movement of the people from one place to another. Apparently, terminals are the places where people wait to board the transport system. Therefore, terminals that are centrally placed make it easier to access the transport system. This is followed by analyzing and designing all the models that are required in the transport system. This includes land, air and sea. This will ensure the transport system is not affected by these natural features. For instance, some railway tracks are drilled through mountains, tunnels and rocks (Sansà ², 2006). This is an involving task which requires highly credentialed engineers. Therefore, engineers have to plan, design, and manage and operate the railway system at high standards while offering top notch services. Geodetic engineers have a task in using technology to make an improvement in the railway system. They use various technologies to measure and develop inventory research on land and other resources to ensure each is not affected while constructing rails. However, many of these factors were not considered during the construction of railway lines. As such, many

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Future of Rural Communities Essay Example for Free

Future of Rural Communities Essay Will today’s small rural towns be the ghost towns of tomorrow? Will what’s now a moderately busy main street be overtaken by grasses and tumbleweeds? According to the CEDS â€Å"Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy†, which was compiled in 2003 by the South Central Economic Development District, Franklin County ranks last in housing unit counts, wage and salary income, employer establishments. County population has declined over 34% from 5,449 in 1960 to 3,574 in 2000. Is the future of Franklin, Nebraska a steady decline with an end as a ghost town in the future? Franklin has a chance to reverse this trend with lots of community involvement, and by taking immediate action. There are many obstacles in the way of meeting the goal of making our small communities more livable and desirable. In the case of Franklin, there is a core group that has been in charge for many years and that is not easily convinced of the need to change. â€Å"Why change what has worked for many years? is only one of the questions that are heard many times. People don’t understand that in order to attract new families to move into our community, there has to be something to draw their attention to the area. Resistance to change is one of the greatest obstacles people that try to introduce change to small towns face (Gorman). Here in Franklin, ideas are often turned down, only because they may have come from an â€Å"outsider†. In this small town, everyone that has not been born in the community or in the next few towns up or down the river valley is an outsider. Unfortunately a distrust of strangers and their motives can be a great hindrance when making an effort to encourage growth. Massive change in a community often requires a great financial effort, and funds that are not readily available to communities. Often the city council votes against a project because of lack of money in the community. They are unaware that there may be grant money available for community improvement projects, or that someone in the community may feel strongly enough about a project to finance it with a donation. Problems must be dealt with honestly in order to find solutions that work. To turn ideas into concrete plans, a professional economic planner may be needed. There may be people within the community that are already equipped to do the necessary research and work with the many State-run and private organizations that are available to assist with rural development. Another option is to get together with other towns that may face the same problems, or have already taken forward steps to becoming a thriving community. Another secret to success lies in supporting existing businesses and encouraging entrepreneurs to follow their dreams (Brhel 1). A local bank that is open to working with new and existing businesses can be a great asset in keeping businesses in town and gaining new business ventures. Filling empty storefronts on main-street and keeping existing businesses open is a vital part of keeping downtown alive. Making a plan for business succession is another priority. There needs to be a plan for what happens when owners of existing businesses retire, in order to keep these businesses from permanently closing. Isolated counties may not be able to attract large businesses, due to a lack of skilled workers. It may be wise for small towns in these counties to attract families with an array of recreational opportunities. (Duggan, 12) Many workers are not tied to their office anymore; telecommuting and the internet give them the choice to live where they want to live. Making a community an interesting place with many recreational opportunities and marketing these opportunities can interest new families. The promise of affordable living with a great quality of life could act as a magnet to newcomers. There are many requirements that have to be met in order to turn a small rural town around. It takes people with a vision to see a potential in such a town. The community needs to pull together and find a group of volunteers that are also concerned with the community’s progression (Brhel, 2). It helps to find volunteers that are involved only in a limited amount of activities, since â€Å"professional volunteers† are often stretched so thin that they do not have the necessary time and energy that needs to be invested in community activism. A strong leader is needed to encourage volunteers but who is also able to deal with city and state officials. Franklin has found such a strong leader in Jim Gorman, who only moved to town about three years ago, after marrying Randee Emerson, a longtime Franklin resident. After living here in the community for a while he noticed that there are many individuals within our community that are quite willing to work hard for the community. He also noticed that there are many civic and other organizations in town that are basically idle or inactive. He founded the County Stimulation Initiative for Franklin County (CSI Franklin), an organization that is concerned with stimulating the growth, and improving the health and well being of our community on an economic and quality of life basis (Gorman). Jim Gorman is active in a number of organizations that have the economic growth of rural towns at heart. His activism in this town is strengthened by his being associated with the South Central Nebraska Economic Development District, a consortium of twelve rural Nebraska counties who see improving rural economies as a regional rather than purely local issue(SCEDD). CSI Franklin is what Gorman calls his group. They have already taken action in modernizing some signs at the local museum, and are now working on new museum exhibits and on the preservation of current artifacts. The Franklin Museum now also offers broadband internet access that was made possible with the help from Glenwood Communications. A new community website will help market the city of Franklin, and hopefully instill an interest in people to relocate to this area. Gorman states he hopes that by marketing our fantastic hunting opportunities, and our wonderful quality of life, marketing the modern workplace with broadband internet access for telecommuters and new businesses, people will be attracted to this area, and we will see an influx in people moving to this area. Possible future projects include restoration and renovation of the Dupre Music Hall, a historic building in the middle of the Franklin City Park and the Lincoln Hotel, a three story structure that was built in 1918 and is in dire need of repair. Both buildings are not usable at this time, but would make wonderful community centers. Making either one of them useable would be a great enrichment to this town. It would also instill a sense of pride in the people of this town, which might make them more likely to volunteer for community improvement projects. With a handful of dedicated volunteers, a good leader, and a solid plan, Franklin has a good chance of not only survival, but may even have the opportunity to flourish. There are many resources available to us and we need to make good use of them. Organizations like CSI, SCEDD, the University of Nebraska Rural Initiative are there to assist with these activities, and people like Jim Gorman are essential in reaching our goals.

Friday, September 20, 2019

The labour cost advantage and china

The labour cost advantage and china Introduction China has an emerging economy and therefore, produces many products. On the European market, there is a large demand for these products. China has relatively low production costs, which makes China an interesting country to import from. Chinese wages have risen sharply with globalization, average wages in China have increased every year since 1978. The average wage in urban areas was 21.000 Yuan in 2006, which is four times higher than the average wage in 1995. How will the wages develop in China? The question for this research is: Has China the labour cost advantage? Content Has China the labour cost advantage? 1 Introduction 2 Content 2 Offshoring in general 3 Why are companies outsourcing to China? 3 Employment in China 4 What was Chinas economic reason to enter the WTO? 4 How have wages been developed in China? 6 Wages by Ownership 7 Wages by Region 9 Wages by Sector 10 Wages compared with other countries in Asia 11 Has China the labour cost advantage? 12 Bibliography 13 Offshoring in general Offshoring is defined as the movement of a business process done at a company in one country to the same, or another company, in another country. Most of the movements to lower-costs destinations take place in the own management. Outsourcing is the movement of an internal business process to an external company in the same country and the movement of an internal business process to an external company in another country. Offshore outsourcing occurs most often.  [1]   Why are companies outsourcing to China? There are different reasons why companies outsource to China, but some of these reasons are similar. Several reasons for outsourcing to China are  [2]  : Cheap Labour: China offers savings up to five times compared to the U.S. The labour costs in China are 50 percent lower than in India. Labialization of laws and government policies: Government has passed laws which protect private ownership and intellectual property in the country. It has also embraced public/private partnerships and domestic/foreign partnerships. Existence of offshore manufacturing and physical proximity to major markets: China is the manufacturing plant of the world, which provides sound base for outsourcing, strengthened by risk mitigation and greater stability. Employment in China Although China is still a developing country with a relatively low average income, it has a tremendous economic growth since the seventies (9.1 percent in 2004). This can be related to a great extent of an economic liberalising policy. The Gross National Product raised with 400 percent between 1978 and 1998 and the international investments grew tremendous during the nineties. The agriculture is by far the most important sector. Figures of 2007 show that 41 percent of the total population of China is employed in this sector. Nevertheless, the agricultural land limits to around 11 percent of the total Chinese land surface. Since the seventies, the agriculture is privatised, which yield a tremendous production growth. Figure 1: Economic growth, percentage per year  [1]  4 What was Chinas economic reason to enter the WTO? Joining the WTO is a very important event for the development of China at the beginning of the 21st century. WTO membership opens up Chinas market for more international trade and investment, and opens up the world economy for Chinas exports. Some researchers see it as a positive force for Chinas economic development while others are concerned that the competition of foreign imports and foreign enterprises in China might destroy important domestic enterprises in Chinas agricultural, manufacturing and service sectors. The main motivation of Premier Zhu Rongji in promoting Chinas entry into the WTO was to use foreign competition to speed up economic reform in both the industrial and service sectors. In the late 1990s, reform in both sectors was slow due to the inertia coming from vested interests of a group of formerly appointed managers holding on their positions.  [3]   How have wages been developed in China? Average wages have increased every year since 1978. In 2006, the average wage in urban areas in was 21.000 Yuan, which is four times higher than the average wage in 1995. However, as wage levels increased, so did discrepancies between different sectors, types of ownership and regions. In general, average wages were higher in share-holding, foreign-owned and state-owned enterprises, and were lowest in locally funded enterprises, with wages in enterprises owned by Hong Kong and Taiwanese businesses in the middle. A more significant gap emerged between different occupations and industrial sectors, and especially between low-skilled and high-skilled workers.   In 2006, the average wage of employees in primary industries was only 786 Yuan, which is a quarter of the average wage of employees working in financial services (3.273 Yuan) and one-fifth of those working in the computer industry (3.730 Yuan). Wages by Ownership Between 1995 and 2007, the average annual wage for employees grew more than four times, from 5.600 Yuan to 22.700 Yuan. Figure 2 shows the average annual wages of staff and workers by type of ownership from 1995 until 2007. In China, there were three periods of wage reform. The first period of reform started around 1985. Before this year the average wage growth was around 4.9 percent per year. In the period 1986 until 1997, employment in jointly owned enterprises experienced a tremendous growth. The average wage growth per year was still quite low, with an average of 3.9 percent, which was partly due to a negative growth in 1988 and 1989 (because of inflation and political upheaval). The third period was from 1997 until 2007. From 1999 on, the average wages were rising rapidly with an average of 14 percent per year. This could be because of Chinas preparation for getting into the WTO, as well as the restructuring of state-owned enterprises which started in 1998. Wages in the state sector began to increase in the late 1990s, reaching 14.358 Yuan in 2003, surpassing private sector wages by a narrow margin for the first time since reform began. By 2007, the average wage in the state sector was about 11 percent higher than in the private sector. The state-owned sector has been restructured in the 1990s. In the planned economy, they had low productivity, disguised unemployment (because of Chinas political function of maintaining low unemployment) and limited profits. They had a wage system which was dependent on seniority. In the 1990s, the Chinese government would not include the losses of their enterprises. This is why they began with restructuring. They started by allowing privatisation of small and medium state-owned companies. After that, the government started with a more aggressive restructuring. The objective was to shut down loss-making companies and establish modern forms of corporate governance. These reforms led to many layoffs in state-owned companies. From 1996 to 2002, around 40 million employees were laid off. As can be seen in figure 3, the Chinese government succeeded in downsizing the employees and the productivity in the state-owned sector increased. Figure 2: Annual wages of staff and workers by type of ownership in thousand Yuan Source: China Statistical Yearbook Figure 3: Employment share and labour productivity for state owned enterprises Source: http://www.conference-board.org/economics/workingpapers.cfm?pdf=E-0024-07-WP Wages by Region Figure 4 shows the annual wage of employees divided in different regions in China. The 30 provinces are divided by the National Bureau of Statistics of China in six regions: Bohai (Beijing and surrounding provinces), Southeast (including Shanghai, Guangdong and other coastal provinces), Northeast, Central, Southwest and Northwest China. Tibet is not listed, since there is limited information about this region. Figure 3 presents the real annual wage of employees across the six regions in China, showing the different wage patterns. During the first period of reform, the average wages were grouped. Later on, the wages in the South-eastern and Bohai regions began to rise. As can be seen in figure 4, the wages in the South-eastern and the Bohai regions now have the highest average wages. The difference between these two regions and the other four regions is around 30 to 40 percent. The highest growth in the past 20 years has occurred in the South-eastern and the Bohai regions, the coastal areas where cities as Beijing, Guangzhou, Shanghai and Shenzhen are located. Figure 4: Annual wages by Region in thousand Yuan (Source: China Statistical Yearbook) Wages by Sector The wages by sector have about the same pattern as the wages by regions. In figure 5 the wages across sectors are showed. Remarkable is that the wages across sectors stayed clustered until 1993. After 1993, the average wages for Banking Insurance, Scientific research Polytechnic service increased rapidly. These two sectors are both sectors with skill intensive labour. To make a comparison between the skill intensive sectors and the other sectors (unskilled sectors), the average wage in the construction sector was 5.729 Yuan in 1990, about 14 percent higher than the average wage for the banking Insurance sector. In 2007, the Banking Insurance sector had an average wage of 50.000 Yuan, around 265 percent higher than the wages in the Construction sector. People believed that manufacturing wages grew the fastest because of the increasing volume of exports in China. Actually, these wages grew even below the national average, although manufactured products counted for more than 90 percent of Chinas export. Figure 5: Annual wages by sector in thousand Yuan (Source: China Statistical Yearbook) Wages compared with other countries in Asia Figure 6 shows the manufacturing wages of different Asian countries from 1979 to 2007. The wages of China are comparable with the Philippines and Thailand, plausible is that the wages of Malaysia are much higher than the other countries listed. Figure 6: Annual Manufacturing wages between several Asian countries in USD Source: International Labour Organization Has China the labour cost advantage? Wages have been developed. However, there are differences between skilled and unskilled labour. The wages for skilled labour increased rapidly the past decade. (see page 10)Wages for unskilled labour still remains quite low compared to the skilled intensive sectors. Reasons for the wage growth of unskilled workers are the GDP growth of more than 10 percent per year, and the export growth of almost 30 percent per year since China became part of the WTO in 2001. In contrast to this, employment in manufacturing has increased with 3 percent in recent years. Compared to other developing countries in Asia, China still have the lowest wages on average. However, wages in China have developed rapidly since the late 1990s. Another factor is the large supply of graduated students over the past several years. Due to an increasing demand in skilled labour, the Chinese government expanded the enrolment of students in the late 1990s. In 1998, the total number of admitted students was around 1.08 million, a number that increased to 2.68 million in 2001. This could prevent a rapid increase of the wages in the future.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

The Hutu Tribe :: essays research papers

The Hutu Tribe   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The culture of the Hutu and Tutsi tribes of Rwanda, Africa interests me for many reasons. One reason is that they are so diverse from our American way of life. Another reason is that I have heard a little bit about them in the news and by talking to people. This sparked my interest and made me want to learn more about them. I will cover a wide variety of information in my report. This will include the land where they live, their way of life, their history and ancestry, and what the government is like in Rwanda. I don't expect the reader to become an expert on the Hutus and the Tutsis, but I do hope that the reader gets a general understanding about what is going on in their section of Africa. I have learned lots of new information from doing this report, not only about the Hutus' and the Tutsis' culture, but about the whole continent of Africa.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The first topic that I will cover is about the people that make up the tribes of the Hutu and Tutsi. The total population of the country of Rwanda, where most of their events have taken place is 7,800,000. The population of the Hutus is 3,000,000 and the Tutsis number only 1,000,000. The physical traits of the Hutus and Tutsis are very different from each other. The Hutu have larger noses and larger all around facial features than the Tutsis. Most Tutsis are seldom less than six feet tall, while the Hutu are very short people. The Tutsis are related to the Masai and the people along the Nile, while the Hutus have a Buntu history. As you can see the people that make up the tribes of the Hutus and the Tutsis are a very diverse group of people.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The way of life for the Hutu and the Tutsis is considerably different. Traditionally, the Tutsi were the wealthy, upper class and the Hutu were little more than slaves. Now the power is a little more equally divided, but is still more in favor of the Tutsis. The Hutu are mainly peasant farmers, while the Tutsis are mainly animal stock breeders. One thing that the Hutu and the Tutsi have in common is that they are both a Buntu language speaking group. The basis of the natives' religion is a belief that there is a supreme principle of good known as Imana. Followers of this religion use magical amulets in their rituals. One half of the people in Rwanda are Christian, and most of the Christians are

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

A Comparison of Fierceness in Beowulf and in The Saga of King Hrolf Kra

Fierceness in Beowulf and in The Saga of King Hrolf Kraki      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Is fierceness mentioned only in Beowulf or is it an element common also to this famous Icelandic saga? Is fierceness described the same way as in Beowulf?    The Anglo-Saxons prior to 1000AD were as a race fierce. They possessed great courage. Beowulf reflects their fierceness and courage in a variety of ways. Beowulf complains to Unferth in the Danish court: â€Å"Grendel would never have done such horrors †¦ if you were so fierce as you suppose.† The hero, who had earlier killed nine sea monsters, opted to face Grendel in mortal combat WITHOUT sword or shield or the assistance of others: â€Å"but I shall seize my enemy in my hand grip and fight.† Later when the hero’s sword failed against Grendel’s Mother, he remained â€Å"resolute† and seized her by the shoulder and fought till victory came. Thus â€Å"Beowulf, fierce in war, received the cup from Wealhtheow.† Later, the hero went up against and killed Daghrefin, the Huga champion, without weapons: â€Å"Nor was my sword his death, but my hand grasp broke his bone-house, tore out his surging heart.† After fifty years of kingship, when the fire dragon molested his people, Beowulf, the old man, did not lose his fierceness; he was â€Å"ready to die †¦ life from body parted †¦ I am brave in mind.† In the final battle brave Wiglaf showed his own fierceness and advanced to help his lord who was englulfed in flames: â€Å"With him I will embrace the fire †¦ he doesn’t deserve to suffer alone.†    The Anglo-Saxons were also fierce in the sense that they delighted in slaughter. George Clark in Beowulf states regarding the epic: â€Å"Swords, shields, coats of ring-mail, helmets with sourmounted boar figures . . . all furnish the poem and are ... ... husband King Hjorvard to rebel against King Hrolf. With her magic King Hrolf was killed along with his forces. So the story ends on a sad note due to the fierceness of a diabolical queen.    In conclusion, the type of fierceness mentioned in Beowulf is common also to this famous Icelandic saga, The Saga of King Hrolf Kraki. Additionally, there are other types of fierceness in the latter associated with maiden-warriors and with the use of magic.    BIBLIOGRAPHY    Alexander, Michael, translator. The Earliest English Poems. New York: Penguin Books, 1991.    Chickering, Howell D.. Beowulf A dual-Language Edition. New York: Anchor Books, 1977.    Clark, George. Beowulf. Boston: Twayne Publishers, 1990.    The Saga of King Hrolf Kraki, translated by Jesse L. Byock. New York: Penguin Books, 1998.                  

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Essay --

Technology is becoming an increasingly bigger part of each of our lives. Everything seems to involve some form of technology whether it is a clock, a phone or a car. However, the specific area of technology I am going to be focusing on for my Individual Research is Digital Technology. I have chosen this question because technology plays a big part of my life; I utilize it everyday, whether it is for school, entertainment or current events. However, the more and more I use my computer the more I wonder do the benefits of technology outweigh the disadvantages. Thus, from this query it stemmed into the question for my individual research Do the benefits of Digital Technology Outweigh the Disadvantages? And, through my research, I will be able to gain knowledge on how technology is useful Globally, Nationally and personally, and how it could be more helpful than not. Throughout my individual research the main topic I will cover will be Technology and Economic Divide. However, more specif ically I could also focus on Social Networking, Robotics, and Communication and transportation. If the world were to continuing advancing in terms of technology at the rate that it was today, we could possibly see a major expansion of Robots in our culture. Robots could potentially free us from continuing to do repetitive and tedious jobs. Although it may be true that we require the â€Å"training† from those types of jobs, the discipline and patience. Yet, history has proven that most of these tedious jobs have been allocated to the lower and middle classes and compensation for those jobs is rarely consistent to the desirability of work. With our current advancements in technology continuing to the not-too-distant future, robots will soon be able to take... ...that if governments around the world continue to set up campaigns like â€Å"Be Net-wise† it could reduce the potential chance of abuse online and make people around the world more confident to browse the web without fear from abuse and use it for the greater good in finding information. And also if the rest of the world follows the EU’s example of investing in technology to increase innovation and development, the economies of the world will all benefit through the competition of businesses and will most likely experience an increase in economic growth. Finally, I truly believe that if the world continues on this path, I believe that through the development of technology we could ultimately make my scenario a very real possibility, and we could reduce the gaps between the social classes, and could ultimately benefit in the future through having more freedom and choice.

Monday, September 16, 2019

An Indivisible Peace

It is very inevitable that somewhere in our lives, we have been touched by a special bond called â€Å"friendship†.   That special bond might happen in the most unusual time and place. It might even be connected not just with love, but also with envy and selfishness.A Separate Peace is a timeless novel which depicts a tale of two best friends named Gene and Finny or Phineas who are both away from their homes to attend boarding school during World War II. Since both of them are experiencing the same hardships, pressures and turmoils that come with boarding school, they both create a unique bond and help each other survive tough times. They help each other develop independence and courage while trapped in a boarding school that's full of distressing things.The plot revolves around Devon School which is said to be the most beautiful school in New England because it helps its male students master both scholarly and athletic facets of their lives. Devon School is a boarding schoo l which has an atmosphere of privileged students.The students who are accepted in Devon both possess class and money. It is very usual that a school is just a place for educational achievements and at the same time, personality growth. But Devon isn't just an ordinary   institution for it's a place wherein the boys get the chance to be carefree without worrying about their reputations being ruined.The novel is set on World War II, a very crucial point for the boys because it is the time wherein they'll choose which certain military branch will they enlist in. The boys aren't really forced to enlist in the military but during that time, being involved in the war is truly a great status symbol for it proves the courage of a man. Both Gene and Finny possess contrasting personalities.Gene is a man who excels in his academic and on the other hand, Finny is excellent in sports. The state of being a pacifist also lies in Finny's nature. Although Gene's character isn't that bad, it is Fin ny who   is well-adored by their teachers and schoolmates. He doesn't have enemies and a lot of people look up to him and want to be in his shoes for his extraordinary skills in sports. Gene is the type of man who runs rebellious things inside his head. When they both go to the beach, Finny told Gene that they're now â€Å"best pals† but Gene doesn't respond for a darkness in his heart is already accummulating.He is doubtful of Finny's â€Å"pure† character. He believes that Finny is just showing his sincere side because he is deeply jealous with him and his achievements and that he wants to sabotage him. Since Finny is not doing well academically, Gene doubts that Finny wants to destroy him academically by diverting his attention. With this in mind, Gene decides to get even with Finny. Gene even mentions that â€Å"[Finny] could get away with anything. I couldn't help envying him that a little, which was perfectly normal. There was no harm in envying even your best friend a little.† (Knowles 18).But what Gene thought isn't harmful turns out to be a very critical situation. Gene's grudge towards Finny is unbearable that's why while jumping on a tree during a summer day, he intentionally shook the tree which causes Finny to lose his balance and fall drastically.Although Finny already has a doubt that Gene intentionally did it, he never seriously thinks about it for he believes that his best friend cannot do it. Finny's leg become broken which disabled to him to play sports again. He somehow loses his self-confidence knowing the fact that he cannot engage himself with the one thing he's passionate with which is sports.He returns to Devon in crutches and in a pitiful state, but he never bears a grudge in his heart. Both he and Gene develops their bond more stronger. They willingly share each other's skills. Gene tutors Finny in his academic subjects while Finny teaches Gene about the foundations, tactics and techniques of sports.For a while , they forget about the war in which they are pressured to enlist to. Time comes wherein Gene is put in a mock trial for someone suspects that he's the cause of Finny's injury. Finny then realizes that his best friend actually knocked him off the tree. Fifteen years later, Finny knocked himself again off a marble staircase which causes his recovering leg to become worse again.Gene's conscience undoubtedly bothers him so in the infirmary, he visits Finny and asks for forgiveness for the monstrous crime that he has committed. Finny unconditionally accepts his plea for forgiveness and assures him that nothing will change between them. Finny dies and although Gene is shocked about his death, he still continues to enlist in the Navy. Gene then realizes the misery that he created out of his dark and jealous heart and decides to change his view of the world.The central focus of the heartwarming novel is to depict that each individual in the world is longing for his own separate peace and w ill do anything to attain it. Each individual has his own way of achieving his separate peace. In Gene's case, he attained his separate peace by knocking off Finny in the tree.Gene fears that his bestfriend will sabotage and betray him that's why he chooses to get even with him. Although he doesn't have a concrete evidence that Finny is really set to destroy him, he still continues his plan and thus, satisfying himself with Finny's downfall. Looking at Finny's case, his separate peace is to detach himself from the war and so he uses his excellence in sports to get away from the enlistment. The characters of the novel both have fears that's why they create their own defense mechanisms to hide the truth that is driving their lives.During those times, the boys in Devon also act in conformity. They do things which they think would be acceptable with their friends. Instead of listening to what their hearts really want, they listen to what their friends must say about what is acceptable a nd what is not. Of all the schoolboys, Finny is the only one who enjoys his life using his own standards. His kind-hearted and genuine character sets him apart from his friends including Gene. Finny follows everything that his heart dictates and he always sees that the things that he's doing is a heartwarming reflection of his love for life.A Separate Peace is beautifully woven to show the evils that are lurking inside a human's heart. It depicts that a human has fears and insecurities which cause him to release his â€Å"dark† and â€Å"flawed† side. On the lighter side, it is truly humbling to know that not all humans are indeed evil for there exist some who's love and light for life overpower the evil and greed of human hearts.It's clearly demonstrated in Finny's tale who has always been loving and pure. He forgives his best friend and shows him that it's never too late to change and open up his heart to the world.   Finny's sincere character was proven when he sa id to Gene: â€Å"It was just some kind of blind impulse you had in the tree there . It wasn't anything you really felt against me, it wasn't some kind of hate you've felt all along. It wasn't anything personal.When Finny dies, Gene is left to realize how his conceit killed his best friend. It's a tough time for Gene but he later gives forgiveness to himself and   moves on with his life using a sadder yet wiser perspective. He even recalls his best friend in a heartbeaking way:   â€Å"During the time I was with him, Phineas created an atmosphere in which I continued now to live, a way of sizing up the world with erratic and entirely personal reservations, letting its rocklike facts sift through and be accepted only a little at a time, only as much as he could assimilate without a sense of chaos and loss.No one else I have ever met could do this†¦.When [others] began to feel that there was this overwhelmingly hostile thing in the world with them, then the simplicity and u nity of their characters broke and they were not the same again.† (Knowles 194)A Separate Peace not only chronicles a tale of two best friends but it also has a historical context that lies beneath its story. It is known that the novel was first published in England in 1959, but it doesn't actually mean that the time of the novel is 1959. The novel focuses on the early 1940s wherein United States had proclaimed its participation in World War II. Aside from the country's participation, World War II brought out enormoue valor and patriotism in each citizen's heart.Even though some of them are not actually engaged in combat, each citizen felt When A Separate Peace was first published in the United States in 1960, the Korean War had been over for approximately seven years. Also at that time, the country's participation in Vietnam War had not yet heightened to greater proportions. The United States made it compulsary for men to enroll in the military particularly the draft which is the U.S.'s role in Vietnam in the early 1960s.A small protest happened to diminish the compulsory participation but in the end, the young antiwar protesters were forced to respond by burning their draft notices.It was also in 1960s where the youngest president of United States, John F. Kennedy, was elected. At the age of forty-three, he had defeated Vice President Richard M. Nixon. During Kenndy's term, the population was hugely comprised of adolescents and by the time they have reached college, they greatly became a dominant part of American politics and culture. They have started to doubt and question the authority of their parents' generation. In line with their scrutiny, they have also started to search their own meaning of identity which was also reflected in the novel through Gene's search of his individuality.By the end of 1960s, A Separate Peace   already praised by a wide array of conservative critics. The novel was praised in various ways. Some critics find the book's a ntiwar sentiments very moving, accurate and timely while some deeply admire the book's moral lessons especially the part wherein it showed that a sin's redemption is still possible no matter how great a sin can be.A Separate Peace is not only hailed for its moving historical contexts, but also because itemulates several valuable themes such as war, rivalry, guilt and friendship. On a certain level, the novel emulates the war topic for it concentrates the huge impact World War II has created on the male adolescents.The novel focuses on the dificulty the young men are facing with their decisions about the war. Most of them are in the verge of deciding whether to enlist themselves in the war. Some of them are even preoccupied with the thoughts of their tentative acceptance on their desired military branch.The Word War II caused great implications on Gene's generations especially the fact that most of their young teachers are away to do war-related jobs. Thus, most of the teachers left to instruct them were men between the ages of fifty and seventy. Since a huge age discrepancy lies between them, the teachers cannot directly relate with the students' mind. The students' bond immediately intensified.It is also very evident that the existence of rivalry is very dominant in the novel. All the students in Devon do their best to fit in with the â€Å"society† their friends have created.   If not trying to fit in, some of them are doing implicit things to get even with their friends. It is well portrayed in Gene and Finny's frienship wherein Gene does his best to exceed Finny.Guilt is also a very domineering theme in the novel. In the end, Gene realizes that he's living in his self-contained world which is filled with hatred and disgust for others particulary his best friend Finny.Of the mentioned themes, friendship stands out most for it is the root of everything. It depicts that friendship doesn't just curtain all the good things, but underneath the relations hip lies hidden desires and envy.Gene's experience with Finny depicts to the readers that harbouring false motives towards other people can lead to disastrous things. He also shows that it is impossible for an individual to create complete peace in his heart until he confronts the evil in his heart and let the light shine through it.He realizes that  Ã‚   â€Å"wars were not made by generations and their special stupidities, but that wars were made instead by something ignorant in the human heart.†Ã‚   It's a compelling fact that Gene is able to acknowledge that the real enemy lies within himself. He admits that his false attitude is the cause of the corruption of his entire character .The novel ends with the portrayal that â€Å"separate peace† can only be achieved when an individual learns how to fight his personal evils. What's good in this tale is that it clearly demonstrates that no matter how impure a human's heart is, there's still a chance for him to change a nd put things in its right places.Works CitedBryant, Hallman Bell. A Separate Peace: The War Within. Twayne Publishers: Boston, 1990.Knowles, John. A Separate Peace. Bantam Books: New York, 1959.McDougal-Littell. â€Å"Author Spotlight: John Knowles.† Available online at: http://www.mcdougallittell.com/lit/guest/knowles/

Case Petroil

In one of Its first projects, the OLL exploration company Petrol was engendering two sites for two 011 exploration wells. Only one may be punctured. The cost of drilling the Site Numerous 1 was $ 100,000. Preliminary geological data indicated that the well could be dry, or be of low productivity or be highly productive. He had signed a contract with a development company to buy the site if a well by drilling success you had. The buyer would pay $ 250,000 for a well of low productivity and $ 600,000 for high productivity well.If the well was dry, Petrol lose $ 100,000 of the cost of drilling. By that time, the company geologist,Jane Goodwill, was unsure about the existence of a structural dome that site. A dome structure is a kind of anticlines (geological rock deformation formed as a curved folds as strata tectonic stress resulting from various types) raised to a certain depth by the accumulation of oil and the increase of the pressure produced by the natural gas . Structures are ide al for the accumulation of oil. She assigned a probably of 0. 6 to the existence of a structural dome.Their assessments for dry, low, or high productivity wells were conditioned to geological structure. Table 1 shows the odds by estimated conditions. The geologist would ether give the information in this way though as she said, â€Å"we will never know for sure if there is a structural dome, up to drill. † TABLE 1 Geological structure Well With No Doom Doom Dry 0. 60 0. 85 Low 0. 25 0. 125 High 0. 025 0. 15 1. 00 1. 00 Furthermore, the site No. 2 was quite different, the area had been thoroughly examined using seismic testing and core samples.A core sample Is a method directly by taking witnesses or cores (cores), collect rock samples taken within drill pipe, In which you can perform direct measurements of the petrochemical characteristics of the geological formation. There was almost certainly oil. The geologist assigned a probability of 0. 8 of finding oil there. The drawba ck to this place was that drilling costs were high, $ 200,000, and if oil is found, the well would be low productivity of oil. A contract was also signed with the same development company to buy the well of low production at Site No. 2 for $ 250,000.To help decide between the two sites, each drill site. Using the decision tree diagram A decision tree diagram should be developed for this problem using the concepts and the necessary rules. You must specify the uncertain events that will be revealed eased on each decision. The random variable of interest is the net contribution can be calculated at the end of each alternative or branch of the decision tree. Therefore in the branches of the diagram decision alternatives were presented with their respective probability and net contribution as a gain or loss. The decision alternatives with uncertain probabilities for drilling Site No. Events are available and would be appropriate to show them on the decision tree diagram (see Annex 1). Wh at would be the likely alternatives Drilling Site Number 1? They are not available erectly. We know the odds of having high, low or that the well is dry productivity. However, we can adjust the chart for evaluation inserting another uncertain event as the geological structure (with or without dome). By including this â€Å"extra† node, the description of the branches of the decision tree will expand to calculate the return (you only need dry, low or high to calculate the net contribution). Now include the status of the geological structure.With the expanded tree diagram decision is straightforward to calculate the probabilities required by the president of the many. Therefore, this problem has to insert the â€Å"additional† uncertain event (geological structure) so that the probability can be calculated. The uncertain event should be displayed in the diagram to have an observable result where not only the state of well productivity, but also the state of the underlyin g structure is found. Addition should be included because the geologist of the company wanted to use it as a basis for probabilistic assessments to the president of the company.

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Movie review of Los Mineros

Discuss some of the labor and living condition issue in this film In the film, Mexican miners were living under terrible situation. They had been treated inhumanly. Their living environments were extremely unhygienic, there was no fresh running water or appropriate place to dispose garbage. Because of the unfair treatment between Anglo miners and Mexican miners, most miners and their families were suffering from starvation. Moreover, Mexican miners ‘ working conditions were inconceivable.They were working for 12 hours a day, averagely. Due to â€Å"Duel – wage system†, Mexican miner ‘s pay rate was deducted by half of what an Anglo miner would be paid. 2. What events affected the miners (Mexican Revolution, WWI, Depression, WWII) Mexican Revolution was a changing point for the miners. Some labor organizations began collecting labor forces long before the revolution stared, such as the Obreros Libres (Free Workers), leaded by Praxedis Guerrero. The Obreros Li bres was a major labor union in southeastern Arizona (P. 106).After the revolution, in order o protect the rights of Mexican labors, Mexican government passed the constitution of 1917. Meanwhile, WW I offered another chance for the Mexican labors. Because of most American labors were fighting the war, the whole country was experiencing a productivity impairment. It provided a lot of employment opportunities for Mexicans, such as in mining and agriculture industries. They became an important labor force in the U. S. 3. What were the relationships like between the Anglo miners and Mexican miners? Mexican miners and the company 00b, segregation, ) ?Back then, Anglo communities had some serious racial discriminations on Mexicans. Compare to Mexican miners' living conditions, Anglo miners were living in â€Å"pleasant surroundings†. They received twice as much money as Mexicans. However, as Anglo miners, they did not have to work for 12 hours a day and their Jobs were less dangero us than Mexicans In addition, they had their own â€Å"county club†, where they can relax and socialize. The quality of a Mexican miner ‘s life was far below an Anglo miner's. How did WWII affect the Mexican American miners? Community?

Saturday, September 14, 2019

Bdo Benchmarking Assignment Essay

When considered in general terms Turnbull described it as: â€Å"All influences affecting the institution processes, including those for appointing the controllers and/or regulators involved in organising the production and sale of good and services†¦.. it includes all types of firms whether or not they are incorporated under civil law. † (Turnbull, 2002:181) Factoring in all other definitions, in its simplest terms it can be defined as the â€Å"exercise of power over corporate entities† (Clarke, 2004). It is not the same as the management and the running of the company, it is concerned with how the Board of Directors, who are the governing body of a company, supervise management, because it is they who are responsible for holding the management of a company accountable and ensuring the company is being ran in a way which is favourable towards the shareholders and other stakeholders. It is the Directors’ responsibility to develop strategy and policies for the ompany and to determine the direction the management should take the business in and the Directors have overall responsibility for the performance of the company (Tricker, 2012). While the phrase ‘corporate governance’ wasn’t coined until the 1960’s and not commonly used until the 1980’s, it has really been in a gradual process of evolution since the 16th century and joint venture trading. One of the major developments in world economies which brought the need for corporate governance to the fore was the introduction of limited liability companies in the 19th century. What this meant was when companies were incorporated they became a separate legal entity, separate from their shareholders and with similar legal rights to buy, sell and transfer shares and assets, to employ people and to sue and be sued in the name of the company. This meant the liability for any company debts lay with the shareholders and not the management or the company. Add to this the fact that because of the introduction of the stock market, shares could be easily bought and sold, meaning the shareholders could be vast in numbers and have a large geographical spread. Due to the fact that all corporate entitites need to governed, the implications of this were that the management (executive control) and the shareholders (owners) were often separated (Tricker, 2012). Situations such as these, are where corporate governance is deemed to be most necessary because there is a root assumption, that members of management who do not own the company are likely to be more reckless with someone else’s money, i. e. the company’s, than they would be with their own money (Having Their Cake, 2013). This is known as the agency dilemma, which will be expanded upon later. Electing a Board of Directors who have the interest of the shareholders at the forefront of their mind, allows members to indirectly oversee the actions undertaken by the management, in order to ensure that as agents of the shareholders, the management is performing in line with the best interests of the corporation (Lashgari, 2004). 1. 2. Selection of a Case Company However, as Turnbull pointed out in ‘Corporate Governance: Its scope, concerns and theories’ (2002), having a restriction of only publicly traded corporations in studies of corporate governance, limits the validity of any onclusions drawn about the most efficient arrangements for corporate institutions with regards to good governance practices and the effect they have on a company’s performance. As Jensen said in 1993: â€Å"Privately held entities could provide the most form of enterprise. † (Jensen, 1993, cited in Turnbull, 2002). It was with this in mind that I chose BDO LLP UK (BDO), which is an incorporated partnership company in the UK, which is owned and ran by its members/partners. It is a company which offers financial accounting, audit, tax and business consultancy services (BDO LLP UK website, 2013). . 3. About the UK Financial Accounting and Audit Sector With the ever increasing focus on corporate governance for companies across the World, not just in the UK, audit firms such as BDO, KPMG and Deloitte are becoming more important because it is there job to ensure that companies are adhering to regulations laid out in the UK Corporate Governance Code (2010, revised in 2012). It should naturally follow that audit companies will have extremely good corporate governance practices put in place, however, this is not necessarily the case. Since 2000 there have been a number of high profile scandals within the International Corporate Financial Accounting industry, for example, Enron were found to be inflating revenues and hiding debts and there was also the Bernard Madoff â€Å"Ponzi Scheme†, where the real scandal was that the robbing of millions of pounds worth of people’s money, escaped the attention of auditors and regulators. ). Due to such scandals, many national regulators implemented new corporate governance requirements to improve standards (Mitchell Van der Zahn, 2009). In the UK new regulations with regards specifically to audit companies were also introduced, targeted directly at a certain group of companies. As of January 2010, 95% of the auditing work in the UK was being carried out by 8 firms, BDO being one of them. It was deemed that such companies had built upon their reputation to gain dominance in the UK market and the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) felt it was in the Public’s interest for these companies to be transparent and in order to maintain public trust be exemplars of best corporate governance practice. This led to the introduction of the Audit Firm Governance Code (2010) by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW), which drew from aspects of the 2010 UK Code and established principles such as the appointment of independent non-executives within the governance structure of their company. While such rules did not apply outside of the targeted companies, it was the hope of the ICAEW that it would provide a benchmark of good governance for other companies to follow (ICAEW website, 2013). With such a bold statement being made about the importance of corporate governance in this field of work, it seemed to me to be an obvious choice to choose one of the 8 companies on the ICAEW’s list for my case-study. 1. 4. About BDO LLP UK As detailed earlier BDO LLP UK is an incorporated partnership company in the UK, which is owned and ran by its members/partners and it provides financial accounting, audit, tax and business consultancy services. It is the 6th largest accountancy firm in the UK and is a member of the BDO International Network, which itself is the 5th largest accounting organisation in the World. In an attempt to break into the top 4 big firms in the UK, BDO LLP UK completed a merger with PKF, a rival firm, in April 2013 (Keynote, 2013). After researching BDO LLP UK, it became very clear that corporate governance was of the upmost importance to the company. Not only did it have specific areas on its website dedicated to corporate governance and corporate social responsibility but it also had a number of relevant publications regarding corporate governance. One article for example, ‘Making Internal Audit Relevant’, discussed the high quality of corporate governance in the UK found by studies carried out by the FRC, it went on to say that this was underpinned by the UK Corporate Governance Code and that it was vital in maintaining the attractiveness of the UK market, to encourage new investment (BDO LLP UK website, 2013). My research also found that BDO had carried out a joint study with the Quoted Companies Alliance, which considered the introduction of a mandatory corporate governance code for small and mid-capital audit companies in the UK. Just as a point of fact, this was a proposition that 92% of such companies agreed with. One of the major indications that BDO think corporate governance is vital to the success of a company is that they produce an annual transparency report, which has an appendix of a statement of compliance with the Audit Firm Governance Code (2010). They have also went to great lengths to create a summary report in 2012 for businesses which they audit, detailing any changes to corporate governance regulations and focusing on leadership and effectiveness, reporting, risk, audit, remuneration and investor relations (Corporate Governance for TMT Businesses, 2012). It seems to be an interesting idea to look at a company who places so much emphasis on good corporate governance, not only for itself but also the companies it works for, to see if they do comply completely with the codes and if they are in fact â€Å"exemplars† of good practice. . Theories of Corporate Governance There are various theories and philosophies with regards to corporate governance, all of which, as a collective, have laid a foundation for the development of different corporate governance systems around the world (Lashgari, 2004). This paper will look at a number of these theories and how they relate to BDO, in order to gain a better understanding of th e governance standards at BDO. 2. 1. Agency Theory In the 1930’s, Berle and Means published ‘The Modern Corporation and Private Property’, it provided the first debate about the agency dilemma and set a basis for agency theory. They suggested that where ownership is separated from management or is widely dispersed, it becomes difficult for owners to have an effective check on the autonomy of corporate managers. The agency dilemma was further refined in the 1970’s, when theories were brought to the fore suggesting agents (managers) are likely to be self-interested and will serve their own interest before those of the principle (owners). Such theories also suggested that in order to counter this problem companies have to incur agency costs, for example, to create incentives to align the interest of the agent with the company and the cost of monitoring the conduct of agents. Many other theorists have a problem with agency theory because it does not even attempt to explore the possibility managers are not self-interested and opportunistic. However, they cannot deny that it has een very influential in developing market-based governance mechanisms and board-based governance mechanisms. Due to BDO being an incorporated partnership and their shares not being publicly traded, we will only look at the board-based mechanisms (Having Their Cake, 2013). Agency theory has caused internal reform of boards, there has been an increase in executive share options schemes, meaning that managers are being offered equity in the company they will manage, in order to â€Å"align their interest† (Having Their Cake, 2013). Agency theory has also led to the introduction of independent non-executive directors onto Boards of Directors, in order to ensure the actions of the management are being sufficiently monitored by the board themselves and role of boards have been greatly elaborated, they are becoming more involved with the setting of objectives of companies and monitoring of any actions taken by management and stricter provisions have been put in place to ensure the separation of the roles of chairmen and chief executive (Cadbury Committee, 1999). When applying agency theory to BDO, it is easy to see that there is a situation of agency and principle, with the fact that there are 193 partners in the firm and only 5 partners who are part of the Leadership Team (LT- management) which is responsible for the overall management of the company and is chaired by the Managing Partner. It is also noticeable from their 2012 ‘Transparency Report’ that all members of the LT have been partners in the company for a number of years, with currently the shortest term being 12 years. This could be considered good governance by BDO because in an effort to avoid the agency dilemma, they ensure their management team is made up of partners, whose interest is already aligned with the interests of the business. The transparency report also states that BDO have a Partner Council (equivalent to a Board of Directors) which is independent from the LT and responsible for the overall governance, in particular the oversight and accountability of the LT. They are also responsible for choosing members of the LT and for electing independent non-executive directors, for which there are 2 at BDO. These independent non-executive directors sit on the LT and report to the partner council of any issues of compliance with governance, policies and procedures, for which they are responsible for providing information on to the LT. The Partner Council is chaired by the Senior Partner who performs a client facing role and is responsible for managing all decisions. He also attends LT meetings in a non-executive capacity to facilitate his oversight role of the governance of the company (Transparency Report, 2012). As we can see the management team is subject to a lot of oversight and monitoring by the Partner Council and the roles of the Senior Partner and Managing Partner are completely separate, this is all a way of ensuring the company has a high standard of governance and to also ensure the management is acting in the best interest of the all the owners. BDO goes to a big effort in organising their governance structure in order to avoid the problems arising from the agency dilemma. 2. 2. Resource Dependence Theory This theory originated from studies performed by Pfeffer and Salancik (1978), they suggest that board members and non-executive directors can provide a firm with a vital set of resources. Non-executive directors are appointed with the expectation that they will support the organisation with its problems and to be a source of expertise which executives can draw upon for skills and advice and they can also be a source of contacts and information which they have gained through their past experience (Having Their Cake, 2013). At different stages in the life-cycle of companies, they have very different needs from their non-executive directors. To young entrepreneurial companies, non-executive directors can be a cheap source of legal, financial or operation management skills, while publicly listed companies are in need of network connections such directors can provide, for example, sources of finance. They can also provide the benefit of attaching a good reputation to their company. Mature businesses, with which we are most concerned because BDO falls into that category, can use non-executive directors for their relevant market or managerial experience and from the consumer confidence which can be gained from that person’s good reputation being affiliated to their company (Having Their Cake, 2013). Applying this theory to the independent non-executive directors of BDO, we can clearly see from the Transparency Report (2012) that both have experience of past non-executive director roles and both bring their own experience in a relevant field, Lesley MacDonagh with a high level of experience of law and business management which she gained from being a Managing Partner at Law firm Lovells and Lord David Currie having experience of business management from eing a Dean of Cass Business School and a past Chairman of OFCOM and he also has sound knowledge of the legal system from being a member of the House of Lords. This places them perfectly for their positions of overseeing the governance of and business management of BDO. 2. 3. Stewardship Theory This theory, which originated from the works of Donaldson (1990), suggests that directors can have motives which are ‘pro-organizational’ and counters the assumption by agency theorists that management aims are based in self-in terest and are not aligned with those of the shareholders. Donaldson even goes as far as to suggest that negative investor assumptions of the management will have the opposite effect to what was intended and can actually weaken the leadership of a company by weakening the management’s authority when splitting the decision making power between the board and the management. Donaldson also put forward the theory that inside managers and directors have possibly spent their lives working for the company they govern and because of this not only have a strong understanding of how the company is ran, therefore are able to make superior decisions, but also they will have naturally built a strong affiliation and personal investment in the success of the company. He also points out that decisions made by a board of outsiders could be of a lower quality because they would not be in a position to fully understand the company because they would not have access to the same informal knowledge sources and would lack any information which could inform them of the contextual nature of any business situations. All this in turn could lead to low firm performance (Nicholson and Kiel, 2007). As was stated earlier, BDO has a LT which is made up of partners who have been working for the company in a particular field and have been a partner for a number of years. The field they are responsible for as part of the LT is relevant to the field they have been previously working in, for example the Head of Audit and Tax, Paul Eagland has been a Tax Partner for 17 years. This ensures that any decisions that are being made are informed with the necessary knowledge to make the correct decision for the company. Also, as has been stated previously working for the company has long has built a strong affiliation to the company and its success. With regards to the non-executive director element of the board, it is made up of both independent members who come from outside the company (such as mentioned previously) and Directors such as the Senior Partner who has been with the company for a number of years, this allows for any gaps in the knowledge of the directors to be covered because there is an overlap between the meetings of the LT and the Partner Council when the Senior Partner sits in on LT meetings as an affiliated non-executive director. This ensures that the company is practicing good governance and that the board cannot be misled by the management as to how the company is being ran and if the interests of the other Partners are being looked after (Transparency Report, 2012). 2. 4. Stakeholder Theory Freeman (1980’s) put forward a whole new idea in terms of corporate governance theories, he argued that it should not simply be just the shareholders’ or partners’ interests which should be considered when making business decisions, he suggested that companies should be ran with the interests of all stakeholders in mind. Other stakeholders include employees, who have invested their time and skills in the company and have an invested interest in the company’s success, in order for them to ensure job security. This, Freeman classes as a direct interest in the success of the company, other direct stakeholders include customers and suppliers. What Freeman classed as having an indirect interest in the performance of the company includes the community as a whole and the environment (Having Their Cake, 2013). There is a major problem with this theory, which is that it is hard to operationalize because it is difficult to decide the weight that should be given to different stakeholders but accepting this difficulty, some theorists have suggested that while ultimately they are accountable to the shareholders, they must take into account the interests of other stakeholders when making decisions. This demand for ‘stakeholder value’ is legitimised through a number of examples, take globalisation; the spread of business and corporations across the world has led to environmental damage, an increase in corporate corruption and excessive executive pay has been, for example with RBS, to come hand-in-hand with company downsizing which has a direct impact on employees. In the name of good corporate governance, the increase in the value of stakeholder interests has led to an increase in business ethic codes and heightened corporate practice visibility and corporate reports of social responsibility and environmental matters (Having Their Cake, 2013). According to BDO’s website and their Transparency Report (2012), the company takes the interests of various stakeholders into account when making decisions about how the business is run, in a number of different ways, through policies and procedures: * Ethical Requirements The company has a Professional Services Manual and an Audit Manual, which contain rules relating to ethical conduct of employees, management and Partners. It is easily accessible on the company intranet and is supplemented with training and is designed to comply with International and UK Ethics Standards. The Partners and staff sign annual declarations as to their compliance to the code and the company has an Ethics Partner who is tasked with providing guidance as to correct ethics and also with maintaining compliance. * Client Relationships BDO has 5 core values which all partners and staff are committed to, they are; honesty and integrity, taking personal responsibility, mutual support and strong and personal client relationships. To aid in these values and to help deliver a quality service to clients, the company has robust client and engagement procedures. They carry out risk assessments on every potential client, before signing a contract and this helps to ensure that not only is the company secure but also that they provide the client with the sufficient standard and amount of staff they are in need of. The HR department also has clear policies and procedures when it comes to recruitment in training, to ensure the company has a sufficient number of staff who are competent and meet the required ethical standards, all in the name of providing a quality service to clients. * Employee Relationships BDO have an inclusive culture when it comes to recruitment and training and development, it provides every staff member with the same opportunities to progress regardless of differences. They have strong policies and procedures regarding regular reviews, which are performed bi-annually. They also seek to adopt the most relevant recruitment selection tools, in order to ensure the fit and quality of those joining the company. They also provide employees with ‘learning maps’ and ‘career and performance wheels’, which helps with career development and ensures promotions only occur when the staff member is ready. This all aids in the success of the company. * Corporate Social Responsibility BDO actively support and develop the local community, they have an established network of over 20 champions in the UK, tasked with â€Å"stimulating local ideas and initiatives† to help developing the community. They have a Community Volunteering Policy, allowing employees to take 6 days a year to volunteer, and they are not restricted to volunteer at certain organisations. It can be whatever is important to them. BDO ensure the negative impact their business has on the environment is minimised and have an Environmental Policy which can be accessed at the follow address: http://www. bdo. uk. com/about-us/corporate-social-responsibility/environment. Considering this, it could be said that with regards to ‘stakeholder value’ BDO practices good corporate governance. . BDO Governance in Practice 3. 1. Transparency Report Due to the EU’s 8th Directive on transparency reporting being adopted, in April 2008 the Professional Oversight Board published the Statutory Auditors (Transparency) Instrument (2008), requiring auditors of companies with a public interest to publish annual transparency reports. It also detailed requirements that such reports must meet, including systems of q uality control, independence practices and procedures and information about the company, i. e. he structure and the management. The BDO Transparency Report (2012) is available at: http://static. bdo. uk. com/assets/documents/2012/09/Transparency_Report_for_the_52_weeks_ended_29_June_2012. pdf . Transparency reports are used to demonstrate the quality of audit processes and practices of a company and are also used to encourage a high level of confidence and trust from stakeholders and the business community. BDO also provided a statement of compliance with the Audit Firm Governance Code (2010), which can be seen in Appendix A. The transparency includes details of the Governance Structure of the UK Firm, including the management and implementation of independent non-executive directors, the values of the company, the Internal Quality Control System, the Risk Management Control System and details the policies and procedures regarding independence, whistleblowing, professional development and partner remuneration. 3. 2. Statement of Compliance with the Audit Firm Governance Code One of the most important aspects of the Transparency Report is the Statement of Compliance with the Audit Firm Governance Code. Some of the key aspects of which include compliance with: * the owner accountability principle- the Partnership Council reviews decisions made by the Leadership Team, the management * the management principle- strategic and operational leadership is provided by the LT * the professionalism principle- the whole firm is committed to quality work and professional judgement and values. The firm’s management and the Head of Risk and Quality reinforce the appropriate ‘tone at the top’, instilling professional and ethical values in the firm. BDO employees are expected to comply with an internal code of conduct * the Involvement of independent non-executives principle- BDO appointed Independent Non-Executives in July 2008, comply with the same independence requirements as our partners and employees and they have sufficient experience and expertise to command the respect of the partners * the Compliance Principle- BDO have policies and procedures to ensure they comply with professional standards and applicable legal and regulatory requirements * the whistleblowing policy- all actions arising out of incidents of whistleblowing, are reported to the Head of Risk and Quality who will make an annual report the Internal Reporting Principle- LT, Partnership Council, Audit Committee and Risk Committee are supplied with information in a timely manner and in a form and of a quality which enables them to discharge their duties * the Financial Statements Principle- BDO publish annual audited financial statements in accordance with UK GAAP While BDO provide a very clear statement about how compliant they are with regards to the Audit Firm Governance Code, we must look at the FRC’s ‘BDO LLP- Audit Quality Inspection, 2013’ which considered the corporate governance compliance of BDO in order to get a true understanding of their standard of corporate governance compliance. 3. 3. FRC Annual Review of BDO The FRC found that in most areas there were appropriate policies and procedures in place for its size and client base and they found that all the statements that were made in the Transparency Report were consistent with their understanding of BDO’s policies and procedures of the firm. However, when the FRC reviewed the audits BDO carried out themselves on other companies, they found that a number of governance codes were not being adhered to: * Firstly, they were not always providing a high standard of quality auditing, failing to challenge explanations and inputs from managers, they did not always report the disclosure deficiencies which were identified to the Audit Committee and there was a lack of adequate communication with the Audit Committee with regards to inaccurate information, which led to safeguards that had been put in place not being properly assessed. Secondly, the FRC found that the audits were not always being reviewed thoroughly enough and audit quality issues and omissions in reports were not being identified. * Thirdly, BDO were found to not have complied fully with ethical standards in a number of different ways; * The business plan inferred that fees should be set lower if non-audit fees are likely to be earned, this goes against their own required ethical standards and their own * Performance evaluation criteria including the cross-selling of non-audit services * The list of entities which partners held shares and could generate a conflict of interests was not up to date. A more robust set of procedures was suggested to ensure that this list was kept up to date in future Lastly, the Internal Quality Review was not of a high enough standard, it did not provide a sufficient level of detail and clarity of explanations of significant findings. 4. Conclusion We can see that BDO go to great lengths to try and ensure that they are fully compliant with corporate governance codes and regulations, not only with their policies and procedures a nd the way the company is managed but also with governance structure of the company and the values and focus of the aims and objectives of the company. They also have a strong focus on transparency and ethics within in their business and this is linked to their value of providing great customer client relationships with professionalism, honesty and integrity. They also go to great lengths to aid the companies with which they work, in complying with corporate governance codes, again this is all in the name of developing excellent quality and trustworthy client relationships, in order to maintain and improve the success of their business. However, as we can see from the FRC review, there are gaps in their governance compliance, in particular with internal reporting and ethical standards, but it will have to be seen in the coming years of reviews if the increase in transparency and an even greater focus on corporate governance will lead to BDO closing such gaps. 5. Bibliography * BDO LLP UK, ‘Transparency Report’, 2012, Available Online at: http://static. do. uk. com/assets/documents/2012/09/Transparency_Report_for_the_52_weeks_ended_29_June_2012. pdf [Accessed 02 May 2013]. * BDO LLP UK Website, 2013, ‘About Us’, Available Online at: http://www. bdo. uk. com/about-us/corporate-social-responsibility/environment [Acc essed 02 May 2013]. * BDO LLP UK, 2012, ‘Corporate Governance for TMT Businesses’, Available Online at: http://static. bdo. uk. com/assets/documents/2012/03/Corporate_Governance_for_TMT_Businesses. pdf [Accessed 02 May 2013]. * Crump, R. , May 2012, ‘Mid-cap market calls for mandatory governance code’, Financial Director Website, Available Online at: http://www. financialdirector. co. k/financial-director/news/2180374/mid-cap-market-calls-mandatory-governance-code [Accessed 02 May 2013]. * Financial Reporting Council, 2013, ‘BDO LLP: Audit Quality Inspection’, FRC Website, Available Online at: http://www. frc. org. uk/Our-Work/Publications/Audit-Quality-Review/Public-Report-BDO-LLP. aspx [Accessed 02 May 2013]. * ICAEW, 2013, ‘The Audit Firm Governance Code’, ICAEW Website, Available Online at: http://www. icaew. com/en/technical/corporate-governance/audit-firm-governance-code [Accessed 02 May 2013]. * Keynote, 2013, ‘Account ancy Marketing Report’, Available Online at: https://www. keynote. co. uk/market-intelligence/view/product/10674/accountancy? edium=download [Accessed 02 May 2013]. * Dr Lashgari, M. , 2004, ‘Corporate Governance: Theory and Practice’, The Journal of American Academy of Business, Cambridge, Available Online at: http://tharcisio. com. br/arquivos/textos/13200724. pdf [Accessed 02 May 2013]. * Mitchell Van der Zahn, J-L. W. , 2008, ‘Special Issue on: â€Å"Financial Reporting, Transparency and Corporate Governance: Issues in Volatile International Markets†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢, International Journal of Accounting, Auditing and Performance Evaluation, Vol. 7, Nos 1/2, pp: 61-93, Available Online at: http://www. inderscience. com/info/ingeneral/cfp. php? id=962 [Accessed 02 May 2013]. * Roberts, J. ‘The Theories behind Corporate Governance’, Having Their Cake website, Available Online at: http://www. havingtheircake. com/content/1_Ideas%20that%20shape%20 the%20world/fact%20and%20opinion/The%20theories%20behind%20corporate%20governance. lnk [Accessed 02 May 2013]. * Turnbull, S. , 2002, ‘Corporate Governance: Its scope, concerns and theories’, Corporate Governance: An International Review, Volume 5, Issue 4, Available Online at: http://onlinelibrary. wiley. com/doi/10. 1111/1467-8683. 00061/pdf [Accessed 02 May 2013]. * Tricker, R. I. , 2012, ‘Corporate Governance: Principles, Policies and Practices’, Oxford University Press: London, (2012). *

Friday, September 13, 2019

Approaches to reduce occupational stress Research Paper

Approaches to reduce occupational stress - Research Paper Example We will discuss the stress involved in their work. Moreover, we will analyze the situations in which stress arose among employees in Wal-Mart, the programs they initiated to increase productivity and recommendations will be provided to curb its adverse effects on the individual so that there is a minimum impact on productivity. Wal-Mart Wal-Mart is a multi-national retail corporation, which has numerous chains, departmental stores and warehouses in different parts of the world. This company is owned by Walton Family in the United States of America and is operating in 15 countries. The employees at Wal-Mart in retail sales have been subjected to various issues over a span of time due to which the stress among employees is rising and there is a need to initiate such progressive programs through which the working conditions can become conducive and there is a regulation that promotes and projects a fair treatment among employees. Issues at Wal-Mart Employees who deal with sales at Wal-M art are always required to submit a report at the end of the month regarding the percentage of sales, which have occurred during that time. It was seen that the company faced a weak performance and sales were a total disaster. The factors, which were highlighted, showed that the decrease in sales was due to the fact that the economic condition of the United States is affected. It was seen that there was an increase in the Social Security tax due to which the customers could be facing unemployment issues, rise in price of gas etc. Due to these crises the management in Wal-Mart initiated a plan to increase workload but cut hours of employees who were working as retailers which gave rise to a period of lost sales and lower morale of employees (Boyle). The Composition of Stress at the Workplace In organizations, there are certainly outer fields of risk, uncertainty, and challenges which create the inner field of stress for employees at the workplace. Every organization contains this int ernal influential factor of stress which is described as one state of transaction between individual and environment (Dewe & Cooper, 2012). According to the Lazarus model of stress, employees’ needs and wants make them accept the factor of stress in their working environment. They accept stress because of the formal agreement with their organization or workplace which induces the elements of obligation and responsibility on employees. When employees are to fulfill the obligation and responsibility they inevitably catch the element of stress which is associated to work responsibility and obligation altogether. These are some primary causes of how stress gets involved in employees’ lives (Dewe & Cooper, 2012). The Theory of Work Design by Theorell describes stress as an influencing state that originates from employees’ work designs and more specifically from work demands (Aldwin, 2012, p.73). If demands of work are complex and are of burdening nature, stress is mo re prominent on employees at the work time. Karasek proposes Job Demands-Control model to control the demands of work on employees at the workplace. The author describes two levels of work demands- physiological work demands and psychological demands. If these two levels of work demands are controlled by employees, they can control the affect of stress at the time of work. According to Karasek, moderate stress is optimum for