Globalink Understanding diversity Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Globalink Understanding diversity - Assignment Example It has also discussed the best practices to manage organisational diversity. The micro analysis of organisational behaviour helps any business to understand the potential conflict issues within the individuals of the organisation. Most of the conflicts generate from the diversified work force of any organisation (Robbins and Judge, 2012). The workforce of this organisation is mainly diversified by age, race, and ethnicity. The organisation possesses different generation of workforce such as baby boomer, generation X and generation Y (Ibec, 2015a). The baby boomers of the organisation are mainly the sales managers who are within the age bracket of 45-65 years. Generation X employees or the supervisors fall in the bracket of 28-45 years. On the other hand the generation Y employees who are the call centre operative are aged between 20-27 years. These generation diversity causes difference in work related expectation and characteristics. These differences between these generations can be judged to understand the reasons behind the conflict within the workforce. The study of the differences of these employee generations has provided a clear view about the potential reasons of the conflict. The difference in work ethics, skill sets and attitude towards the jobs are causing conflict between different generations of the employees in the organisation. The different level of tolerance of these groups is creating conflict within the employees of different levels. The absence of proper interaction and communication is also causing problems within the employees and their managers. Another reason behind these conflicts is the cultural and racial diversity of the organisation. The employees of this organisation are from different race, religion and ethnicity across the world. The training procedure and work patterns of the organisation are not well designed as per the language and

Memo Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Memo - Case Study Example s, the amount will not be included in the income statement until the cash payments are made.Under the accrual basis, the $2000 will be included in the income statement immediately after the sale, while the cash payment will be done on a later date(Master Movers 4). Using the accrual basis of accounting, the business expenses are recorded on the income statements in the period when they occur, which is a different period from when the payments are made. In the cash basis, the expenses are only recorded on the income statement after they have been paid out. Ff Master movers, For example, spends $2000 on advertisement under the cash basis, the $2000 will be included in the income statement only when then cash is paid out while under the accrual basis, the $2000 will be recorded on the income statements when they get the bill, and before the amount is actually paid out. The main reason the profits realized in the income statement for the past financial period were lower than expected was because the records were made in line with the cash basis of accounting, thus leaving out most of the transactions. The transactions included in the Master Mover’s record mostly contain the transactions that were already paid up in cash leaving out those that were yet to be paid up. If all the transactions carried out over the financial period were included in the records, the profits would be higher (Master Movers 2). The cash basis of accounting is mostly considered for small businesses and management of personal finances where most sale payments and payment of bills are done immediately. The accrual basis can be considered as the best accounting method for Master Movers because considering the matching principle of the accrual accounting method; the company’s expenses should match with the revenues earned over the same financial period. Income statements prepared under the accrual accounting method include all the revenues earned, and all the expenses incurred over the

A Disorder That Affects The Endocrine System Medical Essay

A Disorder That Affects The Endocrine System Medical Essay The patient chosen to partake in this project is a 54 year old male of Asian origin, diagnosed 8 years ago, at 46 years old suffering from Type II Diabetes. Health Issue Diabetes Mellitus is a disorder that affects the endocrine system, as it is this system that controls and regulates the hormones (chemical messengers) release into their target cells. Therefore, diabetes is caused by irregular levels of insulin in the bloodstream. There are two types of the disease diabetes, type I and type II. Type I diabetes is diabetes that occurs because the beta cells (those that produce insulin), of the pancreas are destroyed. It is known to be an autoimmune disease, initially recognised in patients under the age of 40, however, the disease can develop with age. The only treatment and method of survival for this type of diabetes is to be solely dependent on insulin. Type II diabetes is caused by either insulin deficiency or body resistance to the insulin. As time progresses, extrinsic insulin treatment will be required to ensure the regulation of glucose in the bloodstream. Type II diabetes is most common in older people, especially those people that are obese and are of Asian nationality. In a normal healthy person, when food is eaten it is digested and broken down into molecules of glucose which is absorbed into the bloodstream and into the cells that require it for energy. However to do this, insulin, a chemical messenger produced by the beta cells in the pancreas, is required to act as a key, complementary to the receptors on the plasmalemma of the glucose requiring cells. However, people suffering from diabetes may be producing the insulin required, yet the receptor becomes less responsive to the insulin or resistant to the insulin produced. Additionally, receptor downregulation occurs which is a process whereby, in a patient that eats unhealthily there is extreme levels of glucose in the bloodstream so the body trys to maintain and regulate homeostasis, so in a process of positive feedback, receptor downregulation occurs which increases the amount of glucose in the blood which is toxic. Furthermore, the body may start producing less insulin than required which prevents glucose entering the cells. Therefore, there is an accumulation of glucose in the bloodstream which leads to hyperglycaemia. The main symptoms of the disease are: Fatigue usually occurring because the patient is unable to use the glucose for energy. Polyuria which is passing urine as the body tries to excrete the excess glucose from the body. Nocturia, passing urine at night. Blurry vision or decreased vision. Slow healing of any cuts and wounds. Polydipsia which is increased thirst. Unusual weight loss as the body is unable to use the glucose for energy so the body breaks down the stored fat and proteins instead. Itching, thrush or any urinary tract infections as generally the infection rate will increase as there are high levels of glucose in the blood stream. Walker et al (2002): Clinical Pharmacy and Therapeutics, page 632 describes that the diagnosis of diabetes should not be based solely on one reading on a prick reading as they should be only used to identify people who may be at risk of diabetes such as screening. Diagnosis is usually established via a venous blood sample verified by thorough lab testing. TALK ABOUT NICE GUIDELINES HERE for blood glucose levels for diagnosis of diabetes Treatments The treatments that are generally used to control blood sugar levels are: Lifestyle changes the patient should be advised to introduce an exercise regime and suitable diet (there is no strict diet for diabetic patients, so patients are advised to eat healthily). However, if this cannot control the blood sugar levels then patients require oral antidiabetic drugs. Oral Antidiabetic Drugs Campbell, Ian (Jun 2007) Oral Antidiabetic Drugs: their properties and recommended use, Prescriber Volume 18 Issue 6 page 58 outlines the use of each antidiabetic drug. First-line Drug Therapy Sulfonylureas Types of Sulfonylureas include gliclazide, glibenclamide, glipizide and glimepiride, which work by stimulating the release of insulin into the bloodstream. As stated in the BNF (March 2010), Sulfonylureas must not be given to obese patients or overweight as these drugs can encourage weight gain. Also there is a very high risk of hypoglycaemia as some Sulfonylureas drugs (glibenclamide) are long acting and should NOT be prescribed to the elderly. Side effects include; nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and constipation. Biguanide Types of Biguanide include metformin which improves insulin action. BNF (March 2010) describes that Metformin works differently to the Sulfonylureas drugs as it decreases the action of gluconeogenesis, therefore, limiting the amount of glucose being produced by substrates such as amino acids, glycerol etc. Metformin is usually given first priority to people who are overweight, so unlike Sulfonylureas drugs can be given to the elderly. Another benefit of this drug is that it does not lead to hypoglycaemia but has many more side effects including abdominal pain, anorexia and taste disturbance. Second-line Drug Therapy Glitazones (given with biguanides or sulfonylureas drugs as double therapy) Types of glitazones include pioglitazone and rosiglitazone Glitazone drugs work to reduce the insulin resistance and improve the sensitivity to insulin. However, taking these drugs increases the risk of cardiovascular disease and many other side effects including reports of liver toxicity, alopecia, anaemia etc. Prandial glucose regulators Regulators include repaglinide and nateglinide. These second-line therapy drugs can be used as monotherapy or used with metformin. Sexton, John et.al (2006): Pharmaceutical Care made Easy, page 66 describes how these drugs work differently to the Sulfonylureas drugs, by stimulating the increase of insulin using different receptor sites. Side effects of this drug include abdominal pain, diarrhoea, vomiting, constipation and nausea. Insulin There are three types of insulin that can be administered to treat diabetes. Fast-acting insulin is insulin that is said to be neutral because they are soluble, working to reduce the glucose in as little as ten minutes but only work for a few hours so are suitable for patients that require insulin after a meal. Intermediate-acting insulin is insoluble insulin which takes about one to two hours to work effectively. To cover a whole day this insulin has to be injected twice daily. Long-acting insulin is insulin that lasts a whole day and so does not to be administered more than once each day. Diabetic Complications Diabetes MUST be controlled to prevent serious microvascular and macrovascular complications which deter the health of the patient further. Microvascular Diseases Peripheral Neuropathy this is when there is impairment or damage to the nerves, especially on the feet, leading to vibrations and muscle pain, eventually the patient will not be able to feel the feet at all. Nephropathy this is when the kidneys become swollen and larger than normal, because of excess fluid in the kidney and can be discovered by testing on urine for a certain chemical called albumin. If high amounts of this substance are found in the urine, then the patient is suffering from nephropathy which can lead to kidney failure. Retinopathy blindness in diabetic patients is common, therefore, regular screening is undertaken. Control over blood sugar can prevent retinopathy, and if detected early, the eyesight can be recovered by laser eye surgery. Macrovascular Diseases Cardiovascular Disease Walker, John et.al (2002) page 636 discusses that the risk of someone with diabetes having a myocardial infarction is the same as someone without diabetes having a second myocardial infarction. This highlights the importance of controlling diet and advising patients to stop smoking. Peripheral Vascular Disease this is when the blood vessels near the heart or around the heart are affected which increases the risk of suffering from a myocardial infaction or suffering from cardiovascular problems such as hypertension. Microvascular and Macrovascular Diseases Diabetic Foot Ulcers this is the combined result of having many of the diseases above such as neuropathy, peripheral vascular disease and not controlling the amount of glucose levels in the bloodstream. Therefore, this leads to glucose deposits on the toes of the feet which become prone to infection. Therefore, patient education is of utmost importance to prevent ulcers appearing. Social/Psychological Impairment and Management of the disease The patient found coping with the disease very difficult, soon after diagnosis lost his job, unable to cope with the physical requirements and unable to drive the patient felt vulnerable and insecure, lost confidence and a sense of independence. Therefore, the patient fell in depression and financial worries increased .The family also felt that learning to manage the disease was difficult. However, education available provided the information required to deal with diabetic emergencies most common being hypoglycaemia which could lead to coma. Furthermore, the patient suffered from retinopathy which is a microvascular diabetic complications Therefore, in order to correct the patients eyesight the patient had to undergo a few laser treatments. Medicines/Treatments Role of Pharmacist The pharmacists first and most important priority is the patient; hence the pharmacist initially must follow a certain care cycle and criteria to ensure maximum contribution to proper care of the patient. Therefore the patients care began with a broad assessment, gathering the information to identify symptoms, all problems and complaints and potential problems. This was when many of the symptoms of the patient were recognised as diabetic symptoms such as fatigue, passing urine excessively etc. The pharmacists role at this point is to prioritise the patient and to advise and explain to the patient to see the patient as soon as possible. Once the patient was diagnosed the pharmacist was able to think about the outcomes of care and how to achieve the desirable outcomes. To do this, the pharmacist counselled the patient in accordance to the severity of the diabetes. The pharmacist at this point discussed lifestyle changes, such as moderate alcohol intake, maintaining a healthy diet, and introducing a sufficient exercise regime and the variety of antidiabetic drug therapy treatment options. Once the suitable drug therapy was identified for the patient, the pharmacist was able to provide and support the patient, by creating a rapport with the patient, providing and establishing self-confidence and asking questions. The pharmacist also counselled the patient by discussing each and every drug in an Medicines Use and Review (MUR) service which taught the patient how to administer i nsulin properly and effectively, the most common side effects, how to take medication and when to take medication (such as medication that must be taken with a meal or medications to be taken only in the morning etc.), and generally talking about how the patient is coping with the disease. The patient was also advised to join a diabetic clinic so that the patient and patients family could attend to receive important information about how to identify when a person is in a state of hypoglycaemia (eg. tremors, sweating, palpitations, drowsiness), and also giving details on how to avoid serious diabetic complications. In general, the pharmacist has a duty of professional conduct to act in a way to benefit the patient which is publicised in the seven MEP Guidelines (YEAR). 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Area for Improvement Reflection

Penelope and Alcestis as Ideal Greek Females Essay -- Homers Odyssey

Penelope of the Odyssey and Alcestis of Alcestis as Ideal Greek Females   Ã‚   Although there is some disagreement concerning the Greek’s definition of the ideal female, there is little disagreement that two women represented this Greek ideal. The character of Penelope of Homer's Odyssey 1 and Alcestis of Euripides' Alcestis 2, came to represent the same ideal of female excellence. The Greeks referred to this ideal female as a sophron woman. The qualities possessed by a sophron woman are tangible; she is a good housekeeper, a nurturer of her husband, a child-bearer. She is chaste, graceful and does not like to talk about sex with other women.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   According to Helen F. North in an article regarding the etymology of sophrosyne, the word originated in the Homeric epics as saophrosyne, which implies "soundness of mind" and is used only in relation to men.4 The word implies both "self-knowledge" and "a sense of propriety," putting one in mind of the inscription at Delphi. It is notable that in relation to men, sophrosyne does not carry specific behavioral connotations, as it does when it comes to be applied to women. Penelope's story, set in the time immediately proceeding the Trojan War, is one of strategic waiting. The Odyssey begins with stasis; simultaneously, Odysseus' departure from Ogygia and Telemachos' coming of age set the events of the epic in motion. As a woman, Penelope has no momentum of her own, but must operate on that of her kyrios. This is not to imply that Penelope is by definition powerless, but it is worth noting that the sphere of her effectiveness is actively determined by the wishes of the men responsible for her. In fact, Penelope faces a drastically reduced role whether Odysseus returns or... ...ophrosyne as the Virtue of Women in Antiquity." From Marcovich, Miroslave, ed. Illinois Classical Studies II (1977): 36. 4 Ibid: 37. 5 Ibid: 36.    Works Consulted Diana Buitron-Oliver and Beth Cohen,   "Between Skylla and Penelope: Female Characters of the Odyssey in Archaic and Classical Greek Art," pp. 29-58. "Female Representations and Interpreting the Odyssey," by Seth Schein, pp. 17-27. Richard Brilliant, "Kirke's Men: Swine and Sweethearts," pp. 165-73. Helene Foley, "Penelope as Moral Agent," in Beth Cohen, ed., The Distaff Side (Oxford 1995), pp. 93-115. "The Odyssey, History, and Women," by A. J. Graham, pp. 3-16, and Jennifer Neils, "Les Femmes Fatales: Skylla and the Sirens in Greek Art," pp. 175-84. Lillian Doherty, Siren Songs: Gender, Audiences, and Narrators in the Odyssey (Ann Arbor 1995), esp. chapter 1.

Properties of Hydrates Essay

Purpose: The purpose of the â€Å"Properties of Hydrates† lab is to study hydrates, and be able to identify them. This lab also focuses on observing the reversibility of hydration reactions by hydrolysis, and also testing substances for efflorescence of deliquescence. Procedure: A.Identification 1. Place 0.5 grams of each compound (Nickel Chloride, Potassium Chloride, Sodium Tetraborate, Sucrose, Calcium Carbonate, and Barium Chloride) in a small dry test tube. 2. Heat gently with a burner flame and observe carefully. If droplets of water appear on the test tube it may be a hydrate. Note the nature and color of the residue. 3. Let the tube cool, and try to dissolve the residue in a few cm3 of water, warming if necessary. A true hydrate will dissolve in water, producing a color similar to that of the original hydrate. A carbohydrate will give off water, but tends to char. The residue will also often be a caramel color. B.Reversibility 1. Gently heat a few crystals of about 0.3 grams of hydrated Cobalt(II) Chloride, CoCl2 x 6H2O in an evaporating dish until the color change appears to be complete 2. Dissolve the residue in the evaporating dish in a few cm3 of water from the wash bottle 3. Heat the residue to a boiling and carefully boil it to dryness. Note any color changes. 4. Put the evaporating dish on the lab bench and let it cool. C.Deliquescence and Efflorescence 1. Place a few crystals of Na2CO3 x 10H2O, CaCl2, KAl(SO4)2 x 12 H20, and CuSO4 in an a separate evaporating dish next to the CoCl2 prepared in part B. 2. To see weather the samples gained or lost mass, weigh each of them on a top-loading balance and record to the nearest hundredth. 3. Weight them again after an hour to detect ANY changes in mass. 4. Observe the samples occasionally. Note any structures in color and structure  and degree of wetness. D. Percent of Water in Hydrate 1. Clean crucible and its cover, and also make sure that crucible tongs are clean. Put over fire, and let cool. 2. Weight the crucible to the nearest thousandth. Handel with tongs 3. Obtain a sample of an unknown hydrate, and place about 1 gram in the crucible. 4. Weight the crucible, cover and sample on the balance. 5. Put the crucible on the clay triangle, with the cover off center to allow water vapor to escape. 6. Heat again, gently at first, and then with the bottom red for about 10 minutes. 7. Center the crucible cover, and let it cool to room temperature. 8. Weight the cooled crucible and with its cover and contents. 9. Examine the solid residue. 10. Add water until the crucible it two thirds full. Warm gently if the residue doesn’t readily dissolve. 11. Does the residue appear to be soluble? Waste Disposal: Dispose of the Copper mixture, and the Aluminum mixture in the correct bowl under the waste hood. All of the acids and bases can be disposed of down the sink. If the compound isn’t water soluble put in the organic container. Chemical Principles in the Laboratory: Experiment 6 Conclusion: The purpose of the Properties of Hydrates lab was to be able to identify if a substance was a hydrate or not. In lab, experiments where conducted to see if a compound was a hydrate or not. In order for the compound to be deemed as a hydrate it had to: 1. Release water upon heating 2. The anhydrous residue had to be water soluble 3. Exhibit reversibility If, and only if the compound showed that it could exhibit all three of these  properties, could it be distinguished a hydrate. In part â€Å"A† of the experiment, Nickel Chloride and Sodium Tetraborate were the only two compounds that were true hydrates. Both of these showed water residue when heating, where soluble in water after heating, and converted back to it original color after performing the first two experiments. Some of the other compounds had positive results for one or two test but not all three. For example, Sucrose, when heated, water residue appeared on the test tube, and was soluble in water, but the compound didn’t show reversibility. In part â€Å"B† of the experiment, CoCl2*6H2O was heated, dissolved, and then heated again to show that it was a true hydrate. When the Cobalt Chloride was heated, it turned from the color of fuchsia pink, to a light blue. And then after being dissolved into water, the compound turned back to its original color of fuchsia pink, demonstrating reversibility. The color change in this compound shows that by adding water to the anhydrous residue, that the same bonds that were broken my dehydrating the compound where reformed when adding water. In part â€Å"C†, four compound, plus the Cobalt Chloride mentioned above were tested for deliquescence, and efflorescence. Only one compound turned about to be efflorescent, which means that it lost water, which was Sodium Carbonate. The compounds mass before sitting out was 50.645g, after being exposed to the conditions of the laboratory for an hour, the sample weight 50.603g losing approximately 0.042g over the period of an hour. The Calcium Chloride (gained 0.258g), Copper Sulfate (gained 0.007g) and Cobalt Chloride (gained 0.068g) where all deliquescent, meaning that again mass while sitting in the laboratory. The Potassium Aluminum sulfate, exhibited stability while sitting out for an hour, neither gaining nor losing mass. For part â€Å"D† of the experiment, the percent of water in the unknown hydrate was %12.290. The closet percent of the given facts of the unknown was Barium chloride (BaCl2*2H2O), which has %14.8 water in it. This percent was found by using the formula below: % water in hydrate=(mass of water in hydrate/mass of the entire hydrate) The wide range of difference between the percent of the given and the unknown could have been due to the fact that there was wood debris in the unknown sample . This could have thrown off the amount of water present in the sample, and messed up the amount of water able to evaporate.

Critical Evaluation of Institutional Factors Impact on Outward/Inward

Essay Critical Evaluation of Institutional Factors Impact on Outward/Inward Foreign Direct Investment This aim of this essay is to evaluate the impact of institutional factors on outward and inward FDI. This will be done by determination of the major FDI (Foreign Direct Investment) factors, evaluation of the role of institutional factors and investigation of institutional factors impact on inward and outward FDI flows.Several sources (Aswathappa, 2012; Jensen, 2012) have identified FDI as an investment, made by a company based in one country (home country) into another company, which is based in other country (host country), in order to obtain certain degree of management control over that company. Recent evidence (Ho and Rashid, 2011) has demonstrated that a tendency for a firm to engage in foreign investment depends on a combination of different factors and elements.Dunning (2011) has argued that company has to satisfy three conditions in order to successfully engage in internation al activity, which are ownership (know-how, technologies), localisation (natural resources, low production costs) and internationalisation. This theory is quite unique because it is developed by several important FDI determinants such as natural resources, production efficiency, strategic assets and market size. Nachum (1999) has argued that in accordance with Hymer’s firm’s specific advantages theory, companies are engaging in FDI if they possess specific advantages e. . access to raw materials, economy of scale, marketing advantages, etc. Aswathappa (2010) has suggested another FDI determinant which is ‘follow the client/rival’. If one of the clients builds a foreign facility, it is reasonably for the company to follow the client and also build a foreign facility in order to continue cooperating with the client. If one company goes to the foreign market it draws the attention of other similar companies, that can potentially exploit similar opportunity an d therefore follow the rival.The same source has also stated that market size is another crucial FDI determinant, which play important role for foreign investors. Nevertheless, Seyoum (2011) has argued that FDI inflows cannot be only determined by such variables as qualitative and skilled labour, availability of natural resources, technologies or modern infrastructure. It is essential to highlight the importance of role of institutional factors in attracting foreign investors. It was suggested by Solomon (2007) that foreign investors are seeking for countries with stable political and social institutions.As it was figured out by Benassy-Quere, et al. (2007) the main institutional factors are: efficient protection of civil and property rights, economic and politic freedom and stability and corruption. Moreover, Globerman and Shapiro (2003) have stated that good institutions (well developed financial system, private property protection, government services, etc. ) have positive impact on both inward and outward FDI. Nevertheless, in some cases quality of institutions depends on FDI for instance, Chinese MNE’s value natural resources more than sound legal system or political stability (Kolstag and Wiig, 2012).According to Jensen (2012) host country’s political regime is one of the most important determinants of FDI. It is considered that authoritarian regime is rather more stable than democratic. The same source has assumed that democracy may be influenced by the interests of the particular groups, which can increase tax rates, trade barriers or implement protectionism policies in order to protect domestic companies from foreign MNE’s. A study carried out by (Knutsen, et al. , 2011) has stated that authoritarian regimes can reduce labour costs supressing human or different organisation rights e. g. hild labour and trade unions and therefore decrease costs for foreign investors. Nonetheless, there is counterargument provided by the same source s (Jensen, 2012; Knutsen, et al. 2011) which suggests that democracy has rather more positive effects on FDI that authoritarian regime. It was argued that reduced child labour can increase education level and trade unions can bring more social stability. In some cases MNE’s are able to influence democratic country’s government in their favour. Moreover, investments in non-democratic countries may hurt reputation of the foreign investors and decrease demand for their products at home market.Recent evidence (Hatchondo and Martinez, 2011) has argued that foreign investors enjoy sound legal protection system. Another source (OECD, 2008) has suggested that higher protection standards results in the greater positive impact on FDI. It was also argued that governments with free market economy have more efficient legal protection system than countries where economy is heavily influenced by government e. g. China. Free market economy is based on ownership, therefore MNE’s from such countries value property rights and they tend to select host countries with the same regulations and laws (Hsu, Zhang and Long, 2007).Level of corruption, is quite contradicting aspect of inward FDI. It is mostly assumed to have negative impact on FDI. Firstly, it brings additional costs, if foreign investors have to bribe someone. Secondly, corruption involves more uncertainty and risk because it is done in illegal way. Furthermore bribed contracts cannot be enforced in court. This issue is also able to impact on outward FDI, because investors tend to exclude possible risks and uncertainty (Wei, 2000; Knutsen, et al. , 2011). However, Egger and Winner (2005) have suggested that corruption may be beneficial for the FDI.The authors have described an idea of â€Å"grabbing hand† and â€Å"helping hand†. It was said that, indeed, corruption bring additional costs and uncertainty for foreign investors and acts as the host country’s â€Å"grabbing handâ⠂¬  but it is only in the short run. It was stated that in long run corruption might be attractive for foreign investors. Corruption allows speeding up bureaucratic procedures or can help to avoid regulatory and administrative restrictions and therefore it will act as the â€Å"helping hand†. Ultimately, if the revenue effects are bigger that costs effects corruption is likely to be positive for FDI.In accordance with several studies (Wells, 2001; Azemar and Delios, 2008) it was figured out that taxes have relatively small impact on IFDI (Inward Foreign Direct Investment). The authors have stated that in some cases foreign investors are much likely to focus on large market size with rather high tax rates than on country with small market size and much lower tax rates. Nevertheless, it was suggested that countries with excessive tax rates are much likely to kill IFDI however the countries with reasonable tax rates may exert little or almost no influence on IFDI.Furthermore, i t was also mentioned that tax havens demonstrate that countries (or regions) with extremely low tax rates are important determinant of the IFDI e. g. Delaware in the USA. Peng and Parente (2012) have stated that bureaucratic regulations and heavy taxation on domestic earnings in Brazil have pushed two thirds of the OFDI stock to tax havens. Another interesting idea was proposed by Wells (2001) it was argued that if host countries policymakers have better understanding of how tax policies can affect the foreign investors, they would be more successful in terms of attracting FDI’s.For, example tax holiday policy could stimulate IFDI flows. A number of authors (Kolstag and Wiig, 2012; Kalotay and Sulstarova, 2010) have figured out that OFDI (Outward Foreign Direct Investment) may be heavily influenced by government or political changes. One of the best examples is Chinese â€Å"Open Door† and â€Å"Go Global† policies, it was argued that those changes has increased total Chinese OFDI from 3. 3% in 1996 to 10% in 2006 (Kolstag and Wiig, 2012). However, it was also described that most of the Chinese companies are state owned and their activities reflect political objectives e. . focus on natural resources. Political changes and stability is significant push factor. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, many Russian privately-owned companies were actively engaging in OFDI. The reason of that issue is that they tried to avoid uncertainty and find safe environment with stable political environment (Kalotay and Sulstarova, 2010). As it was figured out by several authors (Levent, 2006; Garcia and Navia, 2003) financial institutions are important ‘Push’ factor of OFDI. Financial conditions of the home country affect the decision to invest abroad.If home country has poor financial system e. g. no access to financial support, unstable deposit base, high interest rates, etc. than the MNE’s are much likely to seek countries with wel l-developed financial institutions. Another finding was proposed by (Kolstag and Wiig, 2012) arguing that in some countries e. g. China, financial institutions are more cooperative with foreign investors that with the domestic companies, therefore companies are pushed to go overseas in order to obtain access to financial institutions.Witt and Lewin (2007) have stated that misalignments between the firms needs and home country institutional conditions are pushing firms to go abroad. The authors have demonstrated that countries with relatively high societal coordination are slowly adapting changes in the extra-institutional environment and results as the misalignments between firms and home institutions. For example, in year 2003 Germany had high social contributions and taxes as well as others rigidities which have impacted on both OFDI and IFDI flows.It was argued that every seventh German entrepreneur was planning to partly move abroad, every ninth was planning to move all producti on abroad and every thirteenth was thinking of relocating HQ (Head Quarter) abroad. Therefore, firms tend to seek the most appropriate for them institutional environment and if there is no such in home country, they are much likely to go abroad. Summarising all of the issues, it was figured out that most of the institutional factors have quite significant impact on IFDI and OFDI. The research has demonstrated that such nstitutional factors as political stability, governmental regime, corruption, legal system, financial institutions, etc. have serious impact on FDI. Nevertheless, there are some situations when other non-institutional factors may be more important, for instance China is focused more on the natural resources more than on the good institutions or market size might be more important for foreign investors than taxation issues. It was also found out that some institutional determinants may have impact on both outward and inward FDI flows.For example, political stability or corruption, these two factors may be applicable for both types of FDI flows. However, some of those institutional factors are better applicable for IFDI rather than OFDI or vice versa. References Aswathappa, K. (2010). ‘Intrernational Business’, 4th Edition, pp. 100-112. New Dehli: McGraw Hill. Azemar, C. and Delious, A. (2008). ’ Tax competition and FDI: The special case of developing countries. Journal of the Japanese and International Economies’. 22 (1), pp. 85-108. Dunning, J (2011). New Challenges for International Business Research: Back TotThe Future, pp. 90-200. UK: Edward Elgar. Egger, P. and Winner, H. (2005). ‘Evidence on corruption as an incentive for foreign direct investment’. European Journal of Political Economy. 21 (4), pp. 932-952. Garcia, A. and Navia, D. , (2003). ‘DETERMINANTS AND IMPACT OF FINANCIAL SECTOR FDI TO EMERGING ECONOMIES: A HOME COUNTRY'S PERSPECTIVE’, pp. 21-23. Spain: Banco de Espana. Globerman, S. and D. Shapiro (2002). ‘Global Foreign Direct Investment Flows: The Role of Governance Infrastructure’, World Development, 30, 11, 1899–919. Hatchondo, J. C. and Martinez, L. (2011). Legal Protection to Foreign Investors. Legal Protection to Foreign Investors’. 97 (2), pp. 175-187. Hsu, C. , Zhang, W. and Lok, L. , (2007). ‘The Business and Investment Environment in Taiwan and Mainland China’, pp. 200-205. Singapore: World Scientific. Jensen, N. , (2012). ‘Politics and Foreign Direct Investment’, pp. 8-14. USA: University of Michigan Press. Kalotay, K. and Sulstarova, A. (2010). ‘Modelling Russian outward FDI’. Journal of International Management. 16 (2), pp. 131-142. Kolstad, I. and Wiig, A. (2012). What determines Chinese outward FDI?.Journal of World Business. 47 (1), pp. 26-34. Knutsen, C. H. , Rygh, A. and Hveem, H. (2011). ‘Does State Ownership Matter? Institutions Effect on Foreign Direct Investment R evisited’. Business and Politics. 13 (1), pp. 1-31. Levent, I. (2006). ‘Global Development Finance 2006: The Development Potential of Surging Capital Flows’, pp. 107-110. Washington: WB Publications. Nachum, L. (1999). â€Å"Home country and firm-specific ownership advantages: A study of US, UK and French advertising agencies†. International Business Review. 8 (5), pp. 633-660. OECD, (2008). Private Sector Development in the Middle East and North Africa Making Reforms Succeed’, pp. 124-126. France: OECD Publishing. Paul, J. (2008). ‘International Business’, 4th Edition, pp. 235-240. New Dehli: PHI. Peng, M. and Parente, R. (2012). ‘Institution-Based Weaknesses Behind Emerging Multinationals’. RAE. 52 (3), pp. 360-364. Quere, A. , Coupet, M. and Mayer, T. (2007). ‘Institutional Determinants of Foreign Direct Investment’. The World Economy. 30 (5), pp. 764-782. Seyoum, B. (2011). ‘Informal Institutions and Foreign Direct Investment’. Journal of Economic Issues. 45 (4), pp. 917-940. Solomon, B (2007).Three Essays on the Impacts of Risk and Uncertainty on Foreign Direct Investment and Remittances Flows into Developing Countries, pp. 53-55. USA: ProQuest. Wei, S. -J. , (2000). ‘How Taxing is Corruption on Internal Investors? ’, Review of Economics and Statistics, 82, 1, 1–11. Wells, L. (2001). ‘Using Tax Incentives to Compete for Foreign Investment: Are They Worth the Costs? ’ pp. 97-100. USA: WB Publications. Witt, M. and Lewin, A. , (2007). ‘Outward foreign direct investment as escape response to home country institutional constraints’. Journal of International Business Studies. 38 (4), 579-594.

Texas Grad essays

Texas Grad essays MAGINE A SCENARIO where hundreds of children cannot attend school because the roads by their homes are impassable. Or that these children are so ill from recurring ailments that they continue to miss school over protracted periods of time. The ailments they suffer, such as dysentery, typhoid, diarrhea, tuberculosis, cholera, and even leprosy, keep them out of school and severely hinder their progress in elementary school. It sounds like a story from the Third World, but it's not. It's happening right here on Texas soil, up and down the 900 miles of the Texas-Mexico border. The children who live in colonias, subdivisions that lack basic infrastructure such as potable water and sewage disposal, live in conditions that most of us would consider a public health menace. Border Attorneys General Meet in El Paso In March, we at the Office of the Texas Attorney General, together with the National Association of Attorneys General, held a conference in El Paso to address the public health issues created by the living conditions in colonias. Also at issue was how to apply legal remedies to quell the proliferation of these illegal subdivisions and solve the economic and public health issues faced by border-area counties with large concentrations of colonias. Conference participants included the attorneys general of New Mexico, Tennessee and Arizona, as well as representatives of the U.S. Department of Justice, Housing and Urban Development, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and local health officials and community leaders. Entitled "Ni ...

Baby Boomer Health, Money and Retirement Concerns

Baby Boomer Health, Money and Retirement Concerns Free Online Research Papers As the Baby Boomer generation continues to grow older, their concerns have shifted to their health, money and retirement. The days of wondering where their next vacation should be and whether their bonus check will be as much as they deserve are passing. Today, Baby Boomer issues are mostly about concerns with maintaining their health and having enough money to live comfortably through their years. As people grow older, they often experience problems with their health. Their bodies grow more fragile and susceptible to diseases. Many people 50 years of age and older are reporting health problems that were not experienced by people in their same age group long ago. This problem is created by rising health care costs. As the Boomer generation begins to require more medical care, the cost of that medical care continues to increase. Health issues and their ability to cope with them and find the proper medical support is a major concern for Baby Boomers. Along with rising health care costs, Baby Boomers also worry about money and retirement. During the last couple years of their careers before retiring, people usually enjoy salaries and bonuses that are larger than at any other point in their career. As a result, money is rarely a major concern. However, many people fail to save that money. Instead, they spend it on vacations, their families and in the pursuit of living fun lives. This can lead to a rude awakening when they retire. Because they have not saved much money during their career, a lot of people discover that they do not have enough money to live comfortably during their retirement years. When they retire, they no longer earn a salary. They no longer receive bonus checks. Instead, they are forced to live off the income that can be generated by the investments they have made throughout their lives. Unfortunately, many have not invested any money that can generate this income. Other Baby Boomer issues complicate this money problem. People live longer lives today. When a Baby Boomer retires, he can expect to live many years in retirement. In the past, a 65-year old man could expect to live 10 years in retirement before passing away. The financial requirements of living comfortably for these 10 years were manageable. Today, people use a life expectancy of 90 to 95 years. That is, when a person retires at 65 years of age, he can expect to live up to 30 years in retirement. With dwindling health, rising health care costs and a lack of savings to generate income, the financial requirements of living 30 years in retirement are out of reach for many people. These health, money and retirement concerns will grow as more of the Baby Boomer generation moves into retirement. Some will choose to work part-time jobs to keep active, stay healthy and generate supplemental income. Others will require the aid of family and friends. Still others may require more help than is available to them. As the Baby Boomer issues are beginning to emerge the Boomers will experience the issues that have been quietly gaining momentum for years, their health, money and retirement concerns will continue to grow. Research Papers on Baby Boomer Health, Money and Retirement ConcernsTwilight of the UAWThe Effects of Illegal ImmigrationPersonal Experience with Teen Pregnancy19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraMarketing of Lifeboy Soap A Unilever ProductInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married MalesGenetic EngineeringQuebec and CanadaThe Masque of the Red Death Room meaningsPETSTEL analysis of India

A Problem Statement Of Quality Services Information Technology Essay

A Problem Statement Of Quality Services Information Technology Essay CHAPTER 1 1.1 INTRODUCTION Library is the important place for the people especially the students since it helps the students in their learning process. As it seems important for the students, library should be able to provide a conducive environment in order to help the students to do their revision for example. In other words, student satisfaction is an important measure of quality while providing the services in libraries. However, students’ perceptions about libraries seem to have been largely ignored by library management in developing countries. So, the assessment of quality while giving the services provides an important feedback for libraries to assess and improve its services to its users (Yrd.Doc.Dr. Zeynep Filiz -2007). Good service delivery to students is one of the primary goals of service organizations like libraries and is the ability of any service provider to provide promised products or services. Libraries are essentially learning organizations stimulating ac ademic and research activities by providing access to world-class information resources. Traditionally, the success of any library is measured in terms of the size of its collection, staff, and budget. But in the present day competitive world, the libraries need to go beyond the traditional modes of assessments and apply marketing techniques for understanding customer requirements. Students focus in services delivery is essential for satisfying the students. The success depends on students’ perceptions or judgment on the quality of products/services provided by the service personnel in libraries and quality is the measure of how well the products/ services delivered meet students expectations (Manjunatha K and Shivalingaiah D-2004). 1.2 PROBLEM STATEMENT Quality services in library are very important aspect in order to satisfy the students through having continuous improvement and the students perception is an important aspect to reveal how satisfied the students towards the library contribution in helping them in learning process. Library must provide a good quality of services, sufficient of collection/information, good activities and staff attitude at the same time solving the challenging faced by them. This can ensure that library can play their role as an academic centre that contributes to a conducive learning environment. If the challenges faced not being solved, it will make students satisfaction become lower and it is hard for the students to find what they want in the library. Therefore, library must find out what kind of solution that needs to be done in order to face the challenges since every year new students come with different needs and expectations. Then, library should do the continuous improvement every time so that they could give focus on quality services which makes the service runs smoothly. For that reason, this research is made to know the quality of services provided by UMS library and any continuous improvement can be done if needed. The issues that arise is in terms of the ability of UMS as a learning places to contribute a conducive learning environment in helping the students to access information sources and University to produce a knowledgeable and successful graduate This is accordance with the mission of UMS library â€Å"Providing comprehensive resources and services to support the university requirements in teaching, learning, research, innovation and publication†. So that, this research can measure whether student satisfaction on UMS library services provided fulfill the students need through examine the ability of UMS library in terms of quality services, collection/information, library activities and staff’s attitude.

Threats to Forest Ecosystems Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Threats to Forest Ecosystems - Assignment Example The Agenda 21 highlighted the need to alleviate poverty, change methods of production and consumption and addressing various issues to promote sustainable development. In this light let us review the efforts of some of the rich and poor countries of the world towards protecting our environment (Earth Summit, 1997). According to the National Atlas of the United States (2000), United States is a country rich with forests. About one-third of the country is covered with forests which comprise about 747 million acres of the land. Fortunately, to some extent, the country has been able to preserve its forests for the past 100 years. This has been primarily due to reversion of marginal farmland in the east, increased plantation in the south and control over forest fires. However, the country has faced problems due to urbanization, increased agriculture, reservoir construction and natural disasters. Approximately 48 lower states of America have experienced deforestation due to human interruption to such an extent that forests have lost their originality. With the increase in the population, there has been a significant loss of the original forest and the current situation shows that the century-old forest covers only 7% of the forest area. In the east, the forest covers about 384 million acres area and includes broadleaf and coniferous forests. In the west, the forest covers an area of 363 million acres of predominantly coniferous trees. A lot of forest area is owned by private people as well. About 10 million people own about 422 million acres of forest area (National Atlas of the United States, 2000). Nogueroun (2002) states that forests in the United States have played a major role in boosting the country’s economy. Forests are used for the production of timber and nontimber products such as medicinal herbs, berries, mushrooms. Timber industry relies totally on Forests.

Re sit assessment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Re sit assessment - Essay Example This issue can be resolved by an examination of the intention of the parties to the contract. Through the landmark case of Heilbut, Symons & Co v Buckleton,1 the House of Lords had established that whether or not a statement is a term of the contract shall be decided by employing the intention of the parties as the overall guide. This intention shall be ascertained under the four tests of timing, importance of the statement, reduction of terms to writing, and possession of special knowledge or skills. First, under the test of timing, the use of cream Welsh slate can be considered as a term of the contract if the reverend’s statement was made within a short interval of time from the writing of the contract. Otherwise, if there was a long lapse of time, then it is a mere representation and not part of the terms of the contract.2 The second test that could be used to determine the true intention of the parties is the importance of the statement. If the court determines that the s tatement was the principal reason for the aggrieved party to enter into the contract in question, then it is a term. Otherwise, if it was not the essential cause for the conclusion of the contract, then it is a mere representation. ... It is established that when a contract is reduced into writing, it contains all the stipulations agreed by the parties and all those not mentioned on paper are deemed not part of the contract. However this rule admits of some exceptions where statements were considered as part of the terms of the contract although they were omitted in the written contract.4 The final test for the intentions of the parties is the possession of special knowledge or skills. If the person who made the disputed statement has special knowledge or skills thus placing him in a better position to know the truth or validity of his claim than the other party, then the statement is a term of the contract. For example, between a veteran car dealer and a first-time car owner, the statements made by the former about the conditions of the car shall be considered as part of the terms of the contract.5 If after applying the foregoing tests it shall be found that the statement about the use of cream Welsh slate is a te rm of contract, it shall then be determined whether the term is one of condition or warranty. A condition is a key term of the contract which is important to its very existence while a warranty is a minor term which does not affect the main purpose for the contract. In addition, a breach of condition entitles the injured party to repudiate the contract and to claim damages6 while a breach of warranty only entitles the injured party to a claim for damages without the remedy of repudiation.7 Moreover, despite the breach of condition, the aggrieved party has the option to simply demand for damages and just proceed with the execution of the contract. Finally, a breach of condition gives rise to a remedy for

National incident based reporting system Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

National incident based reporting system - Essay Example This paper identifies the current challenges of crime reporting as the lack of harmonization on the usage of crime reporting programs used in various states in U.S. It is important to note that some cities have failed to incorporate NIBRS into their crime prevention and detection system. It also addresses the technological opportunity presented by NIBRS in crime reporting technology and its advantages over the UCR. The paper makes some basic recommendation for effective crime reporting system. First, it recommend the need to involve the community and ordinary citizens in the system since they are the one affected by crime and it might be more effective if they know exactly the significance of correctly reporting a crime incident. Secondly, it calls for the crime reporting system to be more alert so as to adapt to the changing society so as to capture immerging new forms of crimes in our society. A crime is an act that violates a political or moral rule. Presently, an act that was considered a crime some years back might no longer be a crime in today's society. It is also true that what a certain community considers to be an antisocial act might mean nothing to another community. Statistical crime rate will directly be affected as culture and political environment changes. This in turn determines the allocation of resources for the enforcement of such laws and also influences public opinion. Public perception of a crime is affected if there are changes in the way the crime data are collected. (Hart, 1961) Law enforcing agencies before used to employ awkward way of crime reporting to know whether crime is increasing or not such as counting the number of people in the people and this made crime data analysis very difficult. Until early 18th century, the data collection on crime incidences was insignificant. (Blythe, 1992) The governments of all nations all over the world have been looking forward to minimizing the occurrence of crime in the society. The incidences of crimes are usually identified by location, gender, nature and race by these crime reporting programs. This has really helped the government in allocating resources by allocating more resources in the areas more prone to crimes to reduce them. The crime incidences reporting have helped the Federal state to plan and redirect resources in fighting crimes since the UCR began its operations according to the data collected by USA government. According to the FBI (2006), there is an overall reduction in crime incidences ranging from violent to simple assaults for the past ten years. Statement of the problem Many crimes that happen every day goes unreported in the UCR crime reporting program. NIBRS in the other hand, as an improvement of UCR, has its own limitations. One, there is no enough resources needed to capture all the crime incidences. This in turn has lead to its failure in giving a proper picture of crime to the law enforcement agencies for it to strategies effective ways of fighting crimes. This has been contributed by failure of some cities to introduce the NIBRS in their systems and lack of harmonization in crime prevention system strategies and partnership between cities. This paper is an effort to address

Microbial disease and immunology Assignment. Writing a scientific Essay

Microbial disease and immunology Assignment. Writing a scientific abstract - Essay Example 7 females), aged between 18-69 years, were divided into three groups based on severity of pulmonary TB infection as mild (infection in single lobe, no visible cavities), moderate (two or more lobes with/without cavities), and advanced (bilateral disease, multiple cavities). 12 healthy volunteers comprised the control group. Cytokine measurements were performed using ELISA. Kruskal-Wallis, Mann-Whitney tests, and Spearmans rank test were employed for statistical analysis. Levels of the four cytokines (Th1 type cytokines – IFN-y and Il-2, and Th2 type cytokines – IL-4 and IL-10) were significant in all the three groups; however, the pattern of circulating cytokines varied. Higher levels of Th1 cell type cytokines were seen in the mild group, while high levels of both Th1 and Th2 type cytokines were seen in the moderate group. Advanced patients had higher levels of Th2 type cytokines and lower levels of Th1 type cytokines. Thus, while cell-mediated immune responses are sig nificant in mild tuberculosis, advanced tuberculosis is characterised by impaired cell-mediated immune responses and enhanced humoral responses. It can be concluded that expansion of IL-4 and IL-10 producing T cells is positively correlated with the severity of pulmonary

The Ethical Aspects of Cloning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Ethical Aspects of Cloning - Essay Example Margaret Talbot embarked on a bold and delicate journey to explore the issues behind human cloning for the purposes of recreating lost loved ones. Beginning with an example of the death of a 10-month-old baby boy caused by something going wrong during a minor operation. The parents of the infant want to clone him, giving the reason that he should have a chance of life. Although they are a healthy, fertile couple with the ability to produce another child, they do not want another child. They want that child.Talbot goes on to wonder if people realize that creating a genetically identical copy of a human does not mean that the clone will be the same person, only a replica.The idea of cloning a human being for the purposes of replacing what was lost is ludicrous in my opinion. First of all, as Talbot’s article states, the clone would not have the same memories or necessarily the same personality as the original.A good case in point to demonstrate a difference in personality betwee n an original human and a clone would be identical twins; they are genetically alike, yet they have different preferences, different personalities and sometimes are so different that they may as well have come from different families.It is easy to become so familiar with a person, a pet or a friend that to associate anyone or anything that looks like them is associated with the original, with expectations of sameness. This is a very basic human reaction and the desire for continuity. Religious or spiritual beliefs aside, everyone and everything is unique, even if similar.

National incident based reporting system Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

National incident based reporting system - Essay Example This paper identifies the current challenges of crime reporting as the lack of harmonization on the usage of crime reporting programs used in various states in U.S. It is important to note that some cities have failed to incorporate NIBRS into their crime prevention and detection system. It also addresses the technological opportunity presented by NIBRS in crime reporting technology and its advantages over the UCR. The paper makes some basic recommendation for effective crime reporting system. First, it recommend the need to involve the community and ordinary citizens in the system since they are the one affected by crime and it might be more effective if they know exactly the significance of correctly reporting a crime incident. Secondly, it calls for the crime reporting system to be more alert so as to adapt to the changing society so as to capture immerging new forms of crimes in our society. A crime is an act that violates a political or moral rule. Presently, an act that was considered a crime some years back might no longer be a crime in today's society. It is also true that what a certain community considers to be an antisocial act might mean nothing to another community. Statistical crime rate will directly be affected as culture and political environment changes. This in turn determines the allocation of resources for the enforcement of such laws and also influences public opinion. Public perception of a crime is affected if there are changes in the way the crime data are collected. (Hart, 1961) Law enforcing agencies before used to employ awkward way of crime reporting to know whether crime is increasing or not such as counting the number of people in the people and this made crime data analysis very difficult. Until early 18th century, the data collection on crime incidences was insignificant. (Blythe, 1992) The governments of all nations all over the world have been looking forward to minimizing the occurrence of crime in the society. The incidences of crimes are usually identified by location, gender, nature and race by these crime reporting programs. This has really helped the government in allocating resources by allocating more resources in the areas more prone to crimes to reduce them. The crime incidences reporting have helped the Federal state to plan and redirect resources in fighting crimes since the UCR began its operations according to the data collected by USA government. According to the FBI (2006), there is an overall reduction in crime incidences ranging from violent to simple assaults for the past ten years. Statement of the problem Many crimes that happen every day goes unreported in the UCR crime reporting program. NIBRS in the other hand, as an improvement of UCR, has its own limitations. One, there is no enough resources needed to capture all the crime incidences. This in turn has lead to its failure in giving a proper picture of crime to the law enforcement agencies for it to strategies effective ways of fighting crimes. This has been contributed by failure of some cities to introduce the NIBRS in their systems and lack of harmonization in crime prevention system strategies and partnership between cities. This paper is an effort to address

The Ethical Aspects of Cloning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Ethical Aspects of Cloning - Essay Example Margaret Talbot embarked on a bold and delicate journey to explore the issues behind human cloning for the purposes of recreating lost loved ones. Beginning with an example of the death of a 10-month-old baby boy caused by something going wrong during a minor operation. The parents of the infant want to clone him, giving the reason that he should have a chance of life. Although they are a healthy, fertile couple with the ability to produce another child, they do not want another child. They want that child.Talbot goes on to wonder if people realize that creating a genetically identical copy of a human does not mean that the clone will be the same person, only a replica.The idea of cloning a human being for the purposes of replacing what was lost is ludicrous in my opinion. First of all, as Talbot’s article states, the clone would not have the same memories or necessarily the same personality as the original.A good case in point to demonstrate a difference in personality betwee n an original human and a clone would be identical twins; they are genetically alike, yet they have different preferences, different personalities and sometimes are so different that they may as well have come from different families.It is easy to become so familiar with a person, a pet or a friend that to associate anyone or anything that looks like them is associated with the original, with expectations of sameness. This is a very basic human reaction and the desire for continuity. Religious or spiritual beliefs aside, everyone and everything is unique, even if similar.

Conversation Starter Essay Example for Free

Conversation Starter Essay Keeping pace with the rapidly growing health care industry has been a challenge for human resource (HR) professionals. Increasing health care costs, aging workforce primed for retirement over the next decade, and regulatory complexity will be prevalent challenges for human resources. (Minton-Eversole, 2011). Responding to the effects of health care reform, and counseling organizations on which actions to take are an unrelenting concern for management in human resources (Minton-Eversole, 2011). Health care providers are feeling the pressure as the industry moves to an accountable care model. With reimbursement contingent on patient satisfaction and safety, cost containment is more important than ever (Aberdeen Group, 2012). Providers are leaning on HR management to ensure their workforce is prepared to meet the challenges. Identifying and promoting talent within the organization, formal succession planning, and leadership programs can give organizations the advantage in an ever-changing industry (Aberdeen Group, 2012). Recruitment and retention of competent, skilled candidates that meet mandatory staffing ratios adds to the list of challenges HR professional will face (Aberdeen Group, 2012). Lacking qualified applicants to fill positions within the organization, human resources have turned to training and development to heighten the skills of current qualified workforce, while offering desirable salary and benefits packages to retain young workers (Minton-Eversole, 2011). Anticipated changes in demographics and social conditions will greatly influence the approach taken by HR professionals with the millions of individuals reaching retirement age. (Minton-Eversole, 2011). Many of these individuals in the workforce are not prepared financially for retirement; eliminating the chances for younger recruits to enter the profession (Minton-Eversole, 2011). Forecasted replacement needs will more than double the job openings  created by economic growth between 2008-2018 (Minton-Eversole, 2011). Knowing where the retirements will occur, and if there will be sufficient resources to replace them, will be the imposing challenge (Minton-Eversole, 2011). Human resource departments are engaged actively in employing and development of the strategies that will influence the health care industry. Reducing costs, improving patient care as well as safety, recruitment and retention of qualified applicants will be unfeasible for health care providers without active HR management in the organization. References Aberdeen Group. (2012). Aberdeen Group. Retrieved from http://htpp://blogs.aberdeengroup.com Minton-Eversole, T. (2011). Society For Human Resources Management. Retrieved from http://www.shrm.org

Impacts of Ecotourism: Singapore Case Study

Impacts of Ecotourism: Singapore Case Study A Case study of: Pulau Ubin Island, Singapore Introduction Background Many developing countries frequently use ecotourism as an excellent tool for promoting sustainable development. In many instance, ecotourism is suitable way to protect natural environment and create socio and economic benefit for the local community. What David Weaver says that interest in ecotourism is rationalized among tourism planners and marketers by number of potential assumption regarding sectors environmental, economic and socio cultural benefits (Weaver 1999). There are some ecotourism projects that support to the local community. On the other hand, many ecotourism projects have failed to address some fundamental issues and dont generate the very benefits that are expected to provide by ecotourism. Economic gain of ecotourism may turn into social and environmental damages when inadequately planned and implemented it. Anyhow, ecotourism has continued to gain popularity over the two decades and has developed into worldwide phenomena that show no signs of slowing down. The fact is that ecotourism is one of the rapid growing sectors in the tourism industry (Sharpley 2003). The demand for ecotourism is increasing at an annual rate of 10 to 30 percent (TIES 2000). In this circumstance, it is important to recognize possible physical environment, socio-cultural and economic impacts and its effectiveness as a strategy for sustainable development. Problem statement There are lot of negative impact on the environment and local community due to unsustainable planning and management of ecotourism (Honey 1999). In rural areas, managing and controlling the development of ecotourism may be somewhat complex because of lack of experiences on the subject of the carrying capacity of the host destination. Therefore, it is necessary to have an assessment of potential physical environmental, socio-cultural, and economic impact of ecotourism for the planning of sustainable ecotourism development in an area. Further Analyzing the potential of ecotourism as a strategy for sustainable development of a particular area is important to carry on development activities in future. In that way, Pulau Ubin doesnt experience rapid urbanization like other parts of Singapore. Still it has its own nature and unspoiled environment. But, Singapore government implements several ecotourism development projects on this small island right now. Those projects are so much problema tic and controversial. There are strong voices regarding environmental protection of the Island. Thus, indentifying potential impacts of ecotourism and its compatibility for sustainable development must be studied in Pulau Ubin Island Singapore. Justification of the study According to available literature, ecotourism is growing rapidly in Singapore (Herbig). At the same time, one of the problems regarding ecotourism is that it is developed without satisfying knowledge of the impacts on local environments. It is a rather new type of tourism and yet there are few clear papers written in this field particularly about Pulau Ubin. Therefore, it is better studying about potential physical environmental, economic and socio-cultural impact of ecotourism and its compatibility for sustainable development in Pulau Ubin Island Singapore. Therefore this research attempts to fulfill these objectives as much as possible. Objectives of the research and research question Objectives of this research are To assess possible physical environmental, economic and socio-cultural impacts of ecotourism To investigate the potential of ecotourism as a strategy for local sustainable development. The following research question will be used to address the purposes of the research What kind of impacts are on the physical environment, economic and socio-cultural due to development of ecotourism? What sort of factors should be taken into account before introducing ecotourism in the Pulau Ubin Island? How ecotourism can be utilized as a tool for local sustainable development Study Area Pulau ubin is the second the largest, first one is Pulau Tekong, offshore island of Singapore. It is located in the strait of johor just opposite to Changi. Pulau Ubin has been described as being boomerang shaped. Pulau Ubin is about 8 Km length and 1.3 to 1.7 Km breadth with the area of 10.3 Km2. It is almost flat land. The highest point is Puaka hill. It is around 74m height from sea level. Pulau Sekudu or Frog Island (opposite Chek Jawa), and Pulau Ketam (opposite Ubin Lagoon Resort) are the two major offshore islets which are very near to the Pulau Ubin. There are several rivers which are meandering through Pulau Ubin in which Sungei Besar and Sungei Mamam are the main rivers. Pulau Ubin is made up mostly of granite. This controls the much of the activities of the island. Especially the name Pulau Ubin arises from this crucial geological structure. Pulau Ubin doesnt experience rapid urbanization and industrialization like main land of Singapore. Still it has its own traditional w ay of living. Most of the people inhabit with the scattered settlement model. Major portion of the population around two third is Chinese and rest is Indians and malays. Major activities of income are subsistence farming, commercial fishing and net-cage fisheries, prawn farming, coconut plantations and so on. This small island is very popular for leisure and recreation activities among local and international tourist. (http://www.wildsingapore.com/ubin/places/geography.htm). Figure 01 Map of the Study Area Methodology Research design Research design helps researcher to decide research approach. That is to say, either qualitative or quantitative or the combination of both. Further, research design put a basic for analyzing the collected data. This will lead the researcher to think of time availability, practical problems and so on (Kitchin and Tate 2000). There are no specific rules and regulations as to how to develop research design. When Kitchin and Tate (2000) point out regarding research design, it is very difficult to give a guideline as to how to design a research. Most of the time, research design is the outcome of the knowledge and imagination of the researcher (Kitchin and Tate 2000). This means, research design comes from researchers own view and judgment. Selection of the research methods will vary according to the nature of the research. Besides, a research method depends on the research problem, research question and experiences of researcher. Accordingly, I adopt qualitative methods in this research to perform well. A literature review will be done to get more information regarding this study. In fact, Secondary data will be used as a supportive data to the primary data. In this research, qualitative methods will be used as key method to get information since this is going to deal with environmental, Economic and socio cultural impact of the ecotourism. Most part of the research may deal with community based activities. Justification of the methodology The qualitative method that I choose in my research is based on the nature of the study. This research partially deals with social aspect. Therefore, qualitative method is considered more suitable to assess possible physical environmental, economic and socio-cultural impacts of ecotourism. Crang (2002) points out that â€Å"Qualitative approaches have enabled the study of, and emphasized the importance of, seeing economic activity as a set of lived practices, assumptions and codes of behavior†. Further, Qualitative method is used to understand the lived experience and to reflect on it and sharing the meaning of everyday social world and realities (Limb and Dwyer 2001). In addition, qualitative method is used to collect about the activities, behavior and problems that the people face in their daily context. Further, qualitative methodology is considered as good to study about the diverse view of the stakeholders in the ecotourism since it involves with many different stakeholde rs interest. When we are more stick on the multiple meaning, representation then qualitative methodology is useful one (Limb and Dwyer 2001). Further, qualitative methods will help me to make sure the date that I am going to obtain from different interview in the field. In fact, qualitative methods have its unique features as I mentioned above. But there are certain limitations in the qualitative methods. For instance, sometimes it may be bias. That is to say, there is possibility to have researchers influence in the finding of the research. When many researchers use qualitative methods in their research, theme may be same, but interpretation of the same theme will be in different point of view according to researchers background. When Kvale (1996) points out regarding researchers bias, he says that, there is lack of objectivity in the qualitative research. Objectivity means here is freedom from being bias. There is another critique about qualitative methods that, information for the research use to collect from very small amount of respondents. Therefore it will not represent whole population or the society. Data Types, Sources and Collection This research will be contained both primary and secondary data. Most of the researches and other articles which are related to the study will be reviewed as secondary data. For instance, previous research about the Pulau Ubin Island. Basically, both primary and secondary data will be used to prove the objective of the research. Secondary data will be functioned as more supportive data to the primary data. Methodology of research Methodologically, this study will be carried out in three phases. Phase I concerns the literature reviews. This will be accomplished through searching literature on tourism and ecotourism to discover the possible impacts of ecotourism on visited destinations. The literature review covers books, articles, and website data which will be systematically assessed to identify the three major areas of economic, socio-cultural, and physical environmental impacts on eco-tourist destinations and ecotourism as a strategy for local sustainable development. Primary factors of above mentioned areas will be identified that influence of ecotourism developments and their impacts on the local levels. Phase II applies the factors elaborated upon in Phase I to assess the Pulau Ubin Island. This will be done by using the data that I am going to collect in Pulau Ubin Island during the summer of 2008. The data collection will include observations, interviews with elected officials and some governmental and private business entities, tourists (if possible both international and national tourist) and some secondary data sources. Phase III these data will be assessed according to the identified factors for two purposes: first, to assess possible physical environment, Economic and Socio-cultural impacts of ecotourism in Pulau Ubin Island; second, to look into the potential of ecotourism as a strategy for local sustainable development. Sample selection Respondents will be selected by using snowball sampling methods to address the research question and objective of the study. Snowball sampling methods will help the researcher understanding of the problem and research question. For example, key informants will be selected based on their professional status to get more and more relevant information. Tourists will be selected randomly including local tourist. This will diminish some kind of inconveniences to the researcher. Primary data will be collected through around 30 semi-structured interviews that will conduct with 30 people from June 15th to August 15th 2008. These interviews include: 14 villagers, 3 owners of restaurant, 2 employees of the restaurant, 4 employees from companies that are working in the study area, a person from central environmental authority of Singapore, a person from Ministry of Environment of Singapore and 5 tourists (both international and local). Therefore a total of 30 interviews will be conducted and analyzed as part of this research. Semi-structured Key informant and individual interviews In this research, primary and data will be gathered by using semi structure interview and direct observation. Semi structured interviews will be used to collect data from both individual and key informants. Semi structured interviews acts as an effective tool for collecting basic information stakeholders regarding ecotourism. â€Å"Qualitative methods are methodologically appealing because they allow a wide range of experiences to be documented, voices to be heard, representations to be made and interpretations to be extracted. Open ended qualitative interviews are, after all, the obvious way of allowing people to speak for themselves about their own view and experiences of the world† (Limb and Dwyer 2001). When we have interviews it generates lots of information very quickly. So it helps researchers to handle lot of topics of the research at a time. Sometimes, qualitative interview helps us to clarify the problems raised by the interviewer. Always interviews are really good f or studying peoples understanding of meaning, describing their experiences, clarifying their own perspective on their day to day live (Kvale 1996). There are certain critiques on the in-depth and semi structured interviews. That is to say, in-depth and semi structured interviews are very much dependent on the skill of the interviewer. This means, amount of the expected data is based on the expression of the interviewer and how interviewer interacts with informant. In many instance, interview may divert into another direction due to the skill of argument or interest of the informant and sometime there is chance to mislead the interviewer by the key informant (Mikkelsen 2005). This is also one of the disadvantages of having interviews. In the in-depth interviews, it is very difficult to keep important question from omitting that can address our research objectives. Always researcher has to be very careful on the topic and related question when he conducts interviews. Good interviews require expertise in both subject matter and interaction (Kvale 1996). In addition, flexibility of researcher in sequences and words of the interview may affect the result of the informant namely there may be different answers from the different perspective (Mikkelsen 2005). All interviews in this research will be carried out with take into account all of these strength and weakness of the interview. Interview guides are formulated to conduct these interviews (see appendix 01). Participant Observation Other than interviews, participant observation will also be engaged. Participant observation activities contain living with a family in the community, working with them and spending time to understand their activities, behaviors and so on (Laurier 2003). In that way there are possibilities to attain in tourism activities, and meetings of local residents in Puau Ubin Singapore. Participant observation will be used to harmonize and support the interview process in three ways; first, it yields insights that assist in the formulation of questions for interviews. Second, it makes easy relationships with local residents. Finally, participant observation offers the opportunity to confirm or question the information gained through interviews. When Smith (2001) points out â€Å"there are lots of thing that can only be obtained through participant observation†. Participant observation and interviews are not separate activities, but mutually informative methods. When Kitchin and Tate (20 00) point out that direct observation is an inductive method to obtain fruitful information. It is important to note, however, that in this research the interviews are the primary source of data, while participant observation plays a supporting role. Data analysis Data of this research will be analyzed according to the theoretical frame work and objective and research questions of this research. The collected data in this study will also be analyzed according to the theoretical framework of the research. The collected date from interviews will be transcribed and coded into theme in relation to the concept, theory and interviewees response and researchers observations. In addition, secondary data will be analyzed by using text analysis. Use of the secondary date will help us to get more understanding of ground situation of the field. Validity and reliability In qualitative research, validity and reliability are two most important factors that should be taken into account when designing, analyzing and evaluating quality of the research. Conclusion of the qualitative research should be very strong and natural to accept it without further doubt or confusion (Kitchin and Tate 2000). There should not be bias in order to get validity and reliability in qualitative research. Validity in qualitative research is a tool to make sure the logical order, foundation, and soundness of the research (Kitchin and Tate 2000). Validity depends on the nature of the theme that we investigated in the field (Kvale 1996). Normally, validity in qualitative research means that true and certain of findings. It can be motioned in anther way that validity measures the truthful of how far reached its intended objectives. Researcher uses series of question to maximize the validity of the research. Each question should be justified in relation to the objectives and rese arch questions of the research to establish validity. Most of the time, validity interlink with empirical knowledge of the subject and area of the research. Reliability is some sort of trustworthiness of the research and findings. Validity and reliability are the two side of a coin because there is no reliability without validity. Presentation of validity will be good enough to reliability later. Patton (2002) says that ability and skill of the researcher in a qualitative research will have major influence on the validity and reliability. In addition reliability will depend on the respondents answer. Form instance, some informant will be reluctant to answer for some sort of question and sometimes they give sort of wrong or biased information. Therefore this will reduce the level of reliability of the study. I have planned to use a combination of qualitative methods to minimize the risk of bias. I will use both semi structured and direct observation to collect primary data. It helps me to crosscheck the data that I am going to collect in the field. I will keep my position as research student and try my best to convince my respondents. And also I will follow the ethical concept of conducting research. Further, snowball sampling method that I am going to use in this research will help me to get more correct or useful informant. This will increase validity and reliability of this research. Besides, there may be some kind of short comes in the date collection and interpretation. It is extremely not easy to avoid some unexpected incidents in the field. I as a researcher will try my best to keep validity and reliability of this research. Limitations Since Ecotourism and sustainable development is a broad topic, it is difficult to include all aspects. Therefore this research has been limited to identifying potential environmental, social and economical impacts of ecotourism and also, analyzing the potential of ecotourism as a strategy for local sustainable development. The study area has been limited to an Island to have in-depth study. Field work period is limited to two months. Researcher (me) may face some kind of language barrier in the field. Most of them speak Chinese. But there are people who speak either Tamil or English. Therefore, I hope that I would be able to manage it. Since the study area is very new for the researcher, it may consume few days to get familiar with the area and people. References Crang, M. (2002) Qualitative methods: the new orthodoxy? Progress in Human Geography 26, 5 pp. 647-655. Honey, M. (1999). Ecotourism and Sustainable Development: Who Owns Paradise? Washington, D.C.: Island Press. Kitchin, R. and Tate, N. J. (2000). Conducting Research in Human Geography: Theory, Methodology and Practice, Pearson Education Limited, Essex. Kvale, S. (1996). Interviews: An Introduction to Qualitative Research Interviewing, Sage Publications, Lund. Legends of Ubin [Online]  // Wildsingapore web site.   2003.   03 15, 2008.   http://www.wildsingapore.com/ubin/places/geography.htm. Limb, M. and Dwyer, C. (2001). Qualitative Methodologies for Geographers: Issues and Debates. Oxford University Press, New York. Mikkelsen, B, (2005). Methods for Development Work and Research: A new guide for practitioners, SAGA Publications, New Delhi. Patton, M.Q. (2002). Qualitative Research and Evaluation Methods (3rd ed.), Sage Publication, London. Paul Herbig, P( ?) CULTURE Influlences ON ECOTOURISM PARTICIPATION Marketing and the Environment Lecture Series Lecture 4: available at www.herbigandsons.com/lecture/Ecotourism.doc reviewed on 2008/04/21. Sharpley, R. (2003). Tourism: Tourists Society, ELM publication,Cambridgeshire. Smith, V. L., and Eadington, W. R. (ed) (1992). Tourism Alternatives: Potentials and Problems in the Development of Tourism, New York, John Wiley. The International Ecotourism Society, (2000) Ecotourism Statistical Fact Sheet, Journal of Travel Research. Available at http://www.ecotourism.org/WebModules/WebMember/MemberApplication/onlineLib/MemberApplication/onlineLib/Uploaded/Ecotourism%20Factsheet%202000.pdf reviewed on 2008/04/21. Weaver, D. B. (1999). Magnitude of Ecotourism in Costa Rica and Kenya, Annals of Tourism Research, 26(4), 792-816. Appendixes Appendix I Interview guide Individual Interview guide 01 Individual questions Your occupation? Your age? How long you are living in this area? What kind of economic benefits you gain from ecotourism in this island? What is your experience with ecotourism? Are you working in the tourism industry in this island? What economic activities are undertaken by your family members? What is your average income per month? How does ecotourism support you to improve standard of living? What is your perception on ecotourism in this island? General questions Is there any impact in this island due to ecotourism? Is there unemployment problem in this island? Could you observe any impacts on local employment in this island after set up ecotourism? How do the economic benefits from ecotourism support the services to the island? Most villagers are involved in which aspects of ecotourism? How do the villagers utilize their natural resources to support tourism? What are the local attitudes about sustainable ecotourism? What does the island still need to support sustainable ecotourism? How has the villagers quality of life been influenced by the advent of tourism? What are the negative impacts caused by tourism on the island? Key informant Interview guide 02 Individual questions When was these hotels established here? Why did you decide to establish ecotourism here? What is your experience with ecotourism? Have you observed any conflict related to community conservation? Do you think local people benefit from Ecotourism? How? General questions Who is the management authority? What is the source of funding for management of these hotels? What are the potential tourist attractions here? Where do visitors come from? International or local? What are the good and bad things about Ecotourism on the Pulau Ubin Island? Who is in charge of Ecotourism activities on the Pulau Ubin Island? What are the benefits and challenges about running ecotourism in this area? Does ecotourism contribute to the economic development on the Pulau Ubin Island? Does ecotourism contribute to conservation in the area? And How? What are the opportunities and constrains on livelihood or job in this area? What kind of challenges and opportunities are there in offering good services to the tourists? What types of outside influences are there in the ecotourism development? For instance political influence or public opinion on environment? Interview guide 03 For administrative officers What are the general objectives towards tourism? What are the specific objectives towards ecotourism development? What strategy (or policy) exists for ecotourism development in the Island? What legal documents exist to regulate tourism/ecotourism activities in the Island? What are the specific rules and regulations in these documents for tourism and ecotourism activities? What monitoring mechanisms have been put in place to monitor ecotourism development? What benefits have been realized in terms of ecotourism revenue (e.g. employment, conservation, services, other) for community development? What measures have been put in place to ensure that the local heritage is not threatened by the development of ecotourism in the area? Who are the major stakeholders involved in the management of the ecotourism in Pulau Ubin Island? What challenges have been faced with regard to ecotourism development in Pulau Ubin Island? What are the major constraints that inhibit ecotourism development in Pulau Ubin Island? What opportunities exist for ecotourism development in Pulau Ubin Island? What future plans exist for ecotourism development in this area? Interview guide for Tourist What are your motivations for visiting to this island? What did you like most during your stay on this island? What did you dislike about the stay here? What kind of gifts, souvenirs and services would you like to have available? What are you expectations from the trips to the island? Which elements of sustainable ecotourism do you believe the Island best meets? How did you travel to the area? What is your length of stay in this island? Number of people in your travel party to the island? How did you learn about the island ecotourism? Where are you from? What is your occupation? Who much money you are going to spend during your stay here? Age? Do you think you will travel to this island again? Do you have any other suggestion and comments of your visit? What do you think about ecotourism on the island? What are good things and bad things about ecotourism on the Pulau Ubin Island? Appendix II Work plan of report writing NO Program May 2008 June July August September October November December January February March April May June 2009 1. Proposal preparation X 2. Field work X X X <

Jesus and Socrates Would Have Difficulty Surviving in America’s Public

Those at the plinth of the socioeconomic hierarchy face both structural constraints and functional impediments, especially people of color. The structural constraints imply socio-historical position of servitude, racial segregation and discrimination, ghettoization, distorted unemployment rates, and inferior health care funneled by deplorable education. The behavioral impediments on upward mobility connote the dwindling of the Protestant ethic an angle taken by Booker T. Washington and many other black Americans. Nonetheless, both categories can be marked as systematic obstacles. In my research paper, I focus on all components of the aforementioned dilemmas, particularly that pertaining to the black or minority experience in the American public education system. In doing so, I will prove that there is no reform or positive revision in America’s public education system. All of the previous listed problems are representative of a vicious cycle born from the lack of qualit y education; moreover, when discussing poor education in America, we are directly speaking to the educational crises of poor colored people – distinctively, blacks and Latinos. To put it clearly, the crux is K-12 public education in America is nowhere near as good as it should be, and it is predominantly the poor who bear the brunt of educational shortcomings. Chiefly, we ought to acknowledge that structures and functional dilemmas are inseparable, that institutions and values coexist as a dyadic function. â€Å"Minorities are more prone to attend high-poverty schools – that is, public schools where greater than seventy-five percent of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, and are less likely to graduate from high school and subsequently atten... ...nt: How Finding Your Passion Changes Everything. New York: Penguin Group USA, 2009. Print. Robinson, Ken. Out of Our Minds: Learning to Be Creative. Oxford: Capstone, 2001. Print. â€Å"The Schott Foundation - 50 State Black Boys Report.† The Schott Foundation - 50 State Black Boys Report. Web. 07 May 2012. . Smith, Dane, and Shawn Lewis. African American Boys: ‘Too Important to Fai’' http://www.growthandjustice.org. 23 Sept. 2011. Web. 7 May 2012. Washington, Harriet A. Medical Apartheid: The Dark History of Medical Experimentation on Black Americans from Colonial times to the Present. New York: Anchor, 2008. Print. West, Cornel. Race Matters. Boston: Beacon, 1993. Print. Whitman, Mark. Removing a Badge of Slavery: The Record of Brown v. Board of Education. Princeton, NJ: Markus Wiener Pub. 1993. Print.

A Walk Through Reality With Stephen Crane Essay -- Biography Biographi

A Walk Through Reality With Stephen Crane      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Seeking and expressing the bare truth is often more difficult than writing stories of fiction.   This truth can be harsher to the reader than works of fiction;   it can make an author's desire to reveal the essence of society through characters the reader relates to risky and unpopular.   Stephen Crane wrote of ordinary people who face difficult circumstances that his readers could relate to (Seaman 148).   Crane sought to debunk the ideas that were inherent in nineteenth-century literature,   which depicted life in a more favorable, but often unrealistic, light.   In Crane's works, Dorothy Nyren Curley says, "There are no false steps, no excesses," (255).   Crane's impoverished background helped him understand the cruelty of life.   Crane's childhood was marred by tragedy.   He was the youngest of fourteen children, but the four children born before Crane died within a year of their birth.   When Crane was seven, his father died; when he was twelve, his sister ,who had nurtured his budding literary interest, died as well, and two years later an older brother was crushed to death by two freight cars.   These misfortunes shaped Crane's insight into human nature; his works emphasized ordinary people facing the evils of war and poverty and other obstacles Crane saw and endured himself. Despite his sister's death, Crane clung onto his literary interest, and at the age of twenty one, he wrote Maggie: A Girl of the Streets.   It is a story of a young woman, Maggie Johnson, who "blossom(s) in a mud puddle" (Maggie 16).   Maggie grows up in the tenements of Manhattan, enduring abusive and alcoholic parents and the filth of povert y.   With no education or money, Maggie takes a job in a cuff ... ...5/3/99). Crane, Stephen. Maggie: Girl of the Streets. New York: Bantam, 1984. _____. Red Badge of Courage.   New York: Bantam, 1983. _____. The Open Boat. New York: Bantam, 1984. Curley, Dorothy Nyren. American Writers A Collection Of Literary Biographies, New York: Ungar, 1960. McClurg, Alexander.   "Red Badge of Courage Critical Reception: Early Reviews" www.xroads.virginia.edu/~HYPER/CRANE/ . (5/7/99). Seaman, David.   "Stephen Crane."   www.extext.lib.virginia.edu/conditions.html (5/7/99). Ungar, Leonard. Modern American Literature, New York: Scribner's, 1974. Vanouse, Donald. "Stephen Crane (1871-1900)." www.etext.lib.virginia.edu/conditions.html. (5/7/99). Wyatt, Edith.   "Stephen Crane." The New Republic, v.4 no.45, 1915. Rpt. On electronic version "Stephen Crane". www.etext.lib.virginia.edu/etcbin/br (5/7/99).