Developmental problems in Algeria

Development activities may be recorded in various sectors in any given country especially in agriculture, transportation and manufacturing depending on how these sectors bring economic benefits to a country it’s easy to determine the Gross Domestic Product. Using Algeria as an example, industrial revolution and human trafficking are the two major factors that help determine the country’s economic level. It’s worth noting that, Algeria highly depends on agriculture and human labor for its development.For this reason, the government has developed several developmental theories to cope with any problems that may affect the major sectors in the country. Industrial revolution Since the early 19th century, Algeria has had significant changes in transport, manufacturing and agricultural sectors. These changes can best be said to be as a result of industrial revolution, which has brought new tools and machines to the country’s economic sector. In addition, industr ial revolution has resulted to new forms of mechanization such as textile industry and introduction of iron making techniques.The tools and machines brought about by industrial revolution have made production to be more efficient and reliable. This is because tools tend to make work easier and reduce production cost. The reason behind reduced production cost is the ability industrial revolution has on reducing human labor on the number of employees in any given production industry. However, industrial revolution has several shortcomings that a country should take note of. Agricultural sector is negatively affected by industrial revolution when pollution issues arise.In most cases, industries tend to cause air, water and land pollutions. Vegetation provides economic advantage and basic food to a nation, pollution caused by industrial revolution tends to damage them hence resulting to an unhealthy nation. Other limitations caused by industrial revolution are unemployment and reduced s ocial activities. In Algeria for example, iron melting has resulted in increased weapons and arms in the country. Researchers such as John Clapham have blamed industrial revolution for change in social activity and increased crime.Unemployment on the other hand has led to increase in the gap between the poor and the rich. Unemployment refers to the microeconomic phenomenon where by people are willing to work but not currently working, this groups of people in clued those with out work, those currently available to work and those seeking work that that particular moment. Unemployment is segmented in terms of age, sex, education, duration of unemployment and kind of work that an individual is seeking. In the United States specifically the common types of unemployment are the frictional structural and cyclically types (G.  den Broeder P 132).Industrial revolution is also leads to minimum wages in some of the jobs or occupation, research has shown that the amount of salary or wages th at employees are paid in some sectors especially the blue collar jobs the payment is too low compared to the amount of job or task performed, the solution to this according to the governmental human rights acts the incorporation of the setting of minimum wage had been suggested as the answer, this has not proven to work since minimum wage set was too low compared to the daily expenses and the expected standards of living of the workers.As a solution to the major problems caused by industrial revolution the government has formulated several developmental theories. A good example is starting up social programs which ensure the citizens are aware of the importance of unity and peace. The assumption behind these theories is that individuals are socially stable, availability of arms and weapons will not affect peace in a country greatly. Another strategy developed by the government to suppress unemployment caused by industrial revolution is reduced tax burden.Human trafficking Human traf ficking refers to harboring, transporting or recruiting people with the aim of slavery. It is quite common in many underdeveloped countries like Algeria where developmental sectors determine the countries economic and social stability. Human trafficking tends to bring about deception and fraud. This is because it’s mostly caused by abuse of power. Campaigns against human trafficking have highly been established since the activity does not comply with human rights in most countries.There are several forms of human trafficking; sexual harassment, forced labor and exploitation and servitude are the most common forms of human trafficking. In Algeria for example, children can be recruited as soldiers, the act tends to weaken the population. The fact that human trafficking brings about social mistrust, the citizens finds it hard to follow the set rules and regulations as they believe the government is dictatorship oriented.Since human trafficking is quite common in Algeria, Smith M cGregor analyzed several causes related to its increase. The most common causes are unemployment, government corruption, regional imbalances, political instability, armed conflicts and structured crimes. Clearly, most of these causes can only be controlled if the government at hand can come in. To begin with, the government should find it their duty to provide security to the public by disarming all the unauthorized persons.For the government to succeed in providing security and peace in the society, proper leadership strategies should be implemented. It is essential to eradicate human trafficking in our country as it affects stability of social and economic sectors. In regions where human trafficking is highly witnessed, essential rife activities are not considered. A good example is low educational levels resulting to high levels of illiteracy. Human trafficking also results to low developmental growth since human labor in that specific country is unavailable.When this happens, it becomes quite difficult to develop agricultural and manufacturing sectors. Human trafficking results to poor health in a society therefore it tends to be quite difficult for any developmental activities to be carried out effectively. The government and several other non governmental organizations have developed developmental theories to cope with human trafficking effects and besides eradicate it. Stating well defined international laws is one major theory developed by the government to reduce power extravagance.The Algerian government has ensured that legal courts do not oversee crimes related to violation of human rights. A counsel has also been developed based on the country’s’ laws to cope with cases related to human trafficking. In conclusion, industrial revolution and human trafficking are the major developmental problems in Algeria and they are associated with most of the financial and social problems in the country. However, in the recent past the government h as developed several developmental theories to eradicate the problems. References Russell Brown, Lester. Eco-Economy, James & James / Earthscan.ISBN 1-85383-904- (2005) Eric Hobsbawm, The Age of Revolution: Europe 1789–1848, Weidenfeld & Nicolson Ltd. ISBN 0-349-10484-0 Hudson, Pat. The Industrial Revolution, Oxford University Press US. ISBN 0-7131-6531-6 1998 Deane, Phyllis. The First Industrial Revolution, Cambridge University Press 1998

Cardiorespiratory Focus On Hypertension Health And Social Care Essay

The scenario concerns the survey of blood force per unit area scientific discipline and ordinance in the content of high blood pressure. Following, each aim is stated and so analyzed. A 31 twelvemonth old adult male goes to his GP because he has started to hold terrible concerns that come on all of a sudden at assorted times during the twenty-four hours. He is a fiscal analyst who works in a bank in Canary Warf. Many of his co-workers have been made redundant but he has kept his occupation, although his line director has made it clear that he may lose it in the following few months if the state of affairs does non better. He says he works at least 15 hours a twenty-four hours and his matrimony is enduring because of this. He is seeking to give up smoke ( 1-2 battalions per twenty-four hours ) but the emphasis of work has made this hard. He goes with friends out to a wine saloon on a regular basis and admits to imbibing to a great extent one time or twice a hebdomad. Further oppugning reveals that his male parent died aged 61 from a shot. On scrutiny he is found to hold a BMI of 34 and a blood force per unit area of 190/125 mmHg. Retinal scrutiny shows some abnorma lcies ( â€Å" silvering † ) in the blood vass. After look intoing the blood force per unit area reading on two farther occasions the GP suggests that his jobs are related to conceal blood force per unit area and refers him to the local high blood pressure clinic. After undergoing farther trials at the clinic he is started on drug therapy and given lifestyle advice. What is blood force per unit area and how is it regulated? Oxford medical dictionary defines blood force per unit area as â€Å" the force per unit area of blood exerted on the walls of blood vass † ( 1 ) . The maximal blood force per unit area exerted during systole when blood enters the aorta is called â€Å" systolic † whereas the minimal force per unit area exerted when aortal valves near during diastole is called â€Å" diastolic † . Figure 1 shows the alterations in force per unit area in aorta during cardiac rhythm bespeaking the systolic and diastolic force per unit areas. Fig. 1 – Systolic and diastolic force per unit areas ( 2 ) Blood force per unit area in the organic structure must be maintained in the normal degrees non merely to keep perfusion of blood to all the organic structure but besides to forestall unwanted complications due to high blood force per unit area. Therefore, the blood force per unit area should stay inside a scope of values. However, blood force per unit area frequently changes. During physical exercising higher force per unit area facilitates greater perfusion in the musculuss providing them with more O. Blood force per unit area depends on two chief parametric quantities: Cardiac end product ( C.O ) : Cardiac end product which is the sum of blood pumped from the bosom per minute depends on the shot volume and the bosom rate. Entire peripheral opposition ( T.P.R ) : It is the entire opposition exerted by the peripheral vasculature. This chiefly depends on the radius of the vass – narrower vass exert greater opposition. The above are linked with the undermentioned equation: M.A.P = C.O x T.P.R From the above relationship it is obvious that by altering the values of C.O or T.P.R the blood force per unit area ( average arterial force per unit area ) can alter every bit good. Based on this, three chief mechanisms are used to modulate blood force per unit area when it lies outside the normal scope: Neuronal system – Baroreceptors This is chiefly used for short term ordinance of blood force per unit area. Baroreceptors are detectors found in the internal carotid arteria ( carotid fistula ) and on the aorta ( aortal fistula ) ( 3 ) . These are detectors that can observe differences in stretch in these arterias bespeaking differences in blood force per unit area. These detectors are innervated by the Vagus ( X ) and glossopharyngeal ( IX ) nervousnesss which travel up to cardioinhibitory and vasomotor centre in the myelin of the encephalon. Increase in blood force per unit area ( high blood pressure ) increases the fire of baroreceptors to the vasomotor centre. This causes a lessening in the sympathetic nervous outflow doing relaxation of the arteriolas, therefore diminishing T.P.R. In add-on, the cardioinhibitory Centre increases the parasympathetic activity decelerating down the bosom rate, therefore cut downing C.O ( 4 ) . Consequently the M.A.P is decreased. The contrary applies when blood force per unit are a is low ( hypotension ) . Figure 2 is a diagrammatic representation of the baroreceptor physiological reaction. Fig. 2 – Baroreceptor physiological reaction ( 5 ) Hormonal system – RAAS system This system is for longer term ordinance of blood force per unit area every bit good as blood volume. Figure 3 presents the Renin Angiotensin Aldosterone System.AldosteroneSecretionAngiotensinogenAngiotensin IIAngiotensin IFig. 3 – RAAS ( 6 ) In the kidneys Low Na concentration in the distal tubing, which indicates low blood force per unit area, is detected by sunspot densa cells. Furthermore, autumn in nephritic perfusion is detected by the juxtaglomerular setup. A bead in either of these two causes the release of renin from the kidney. In the pneumonic circulation renin is used to change over angiotensinogen to Angiotensin I. Angiotensin I is so split into Angiotensin II which is a vasoconstrictive. It besides acts on the adrenal secretory organs to let go of aldosterone. Aldosterone is a endocrine that increases the synthesis of Na+/K+-ATPase, therefore increasing Na and H2O resorption. On the whole, this mechanism increases both the volume of the blood and T.P.R to overall increase the force per unit area ( 7 ) . Atrial Natriuretic peptide ( ANP ) This is once more a hormonal manner of blood ordinance. Specialized atrial myocytes can feel increased stretching of the atrial walls of the bosom due to increased blood volumes. These let go of the ANP endocrine which decreases the release of chymosin in the blood ensuing in a lessening in the activity of RAAS. In add-on, it causes increased force per unit area in the capsule of the kidney by coincident relaxation of the afferent arteriola and bottleneck of the motorial arteriola so as to increase glomerular filtration rate. Define and sort high blood pressure. How is high blood pressure measured? WHO on its ain definition of high blood pressure states the followers: â€Å" Blood force per unit area, like tallness and weight, is a uninterrupted biological variable with no cut-off point dividing normotension from high blood pressure. The uninterrupted relationship between the degree of blood force per unit area and cardiovascular hazard makes any numerical definition and categorization of high blood pressure slightly arbitrary. Therefore, a definition of high blood pressure is normally taken as that degree of arterial blood force per unit area associated with doubling of long-run cardiovascular hazard † ( 8 ) High blood pressure can be classified in different ways harmonizing to the standards of categorization. Depending on the cause high blood pressure is classified in ( 9 ) : Essential – Primary high blood pressure: the cause in unknown. Secondary high blood pressure: there is an underlying obvious cause. Depending on the existent blood force per unit area degrees, British Hypertension Society guidelines sort Hypertension as presented on the tabular array below ( Fig.4 ) : Fig. 4 – British Hypertension Society categorization of blood force per unit area degrees ( 10 ) Sphygmometer is used to mensurate blood force per unit area of the brachial arteria. However, a individual elevated reading on scrutiny does non bespeak high blood pressure. This might be due to anxiousness and addition of sympathetic activity. This state of affairs is called the â€Å" white coat syndrome † . As a consequence, blood force per unit area must be measured more than one time every bit good as measured at place when the patient is relaxed. What are the physiological causes of high blood pressure? To get down with, it is indispensable to understand the scientific discipline behind the haemodynamics in order to be able to understand the physiological causes of high blood pressure: Independently of the cause, high blood pressure develops as a effect of one of the followers: High Intravascular volume: This means that there is a high volume of blood in the circulation that increases the venous return in the bosom. Consequently, this increases the preload and therefore the C.O taking to elevated blood force per unit area as described in the first aim. High intravascular volume may be due to increased H2O and salt keeping because of high angiotonin II and aldosterone concentrations, or nephritic tissue harm. Increased venous return: In this instance the intravascular volume is normal but there is increased venous tone which once more increases the venous return to the bosom. Abnormal arterial wall: This implies either reduced radius of arterial lms or decreased conformity. The first is true in increased sympathetic activity and atheromatous plaques formation. The latter is true in reduced snap and collagen replacing due to increased age or harm due to substances such as smoke. Merely 5-10 % of instances have an underlying obvious cause of high blood pressure. As mentioned earlier high blood pressure is categorized based on cause as follows: Essential In indispensable high blood pressure there is no obvious cause for high blood force per unit area. There is a assortment of hazard factors taking to this type of high blood pressure that will be explained subsequently. Different researches over the old ages have concluded to some theories that might explicate indispensable high blood pressure. These are ( 11 ) : High sympathetic tone: Increased sympathetic tone even when the individual is relaxed causes vasoconstriction of the arteriolas and finally hypertrophy of the smooth musculus in the vass. High salt in diet: High salt in diet has been related to keeping of H2O, increased blood volume and therefore high blood pressure Stress: As in our instance, emphasis increases the activity of sympathetic system. Stress for long periods causes hypertrophy of smooth musculus in arteriolas and contracting of their lms so that high blood pressure remains even in stress free periods. A combination of the above may be. Secondary Secondary high blood pressure may hold several causes as explained below: Nephritic disease: On one manus secondary high blood pressure may be due to stricture of a nephritic arteria. This triggers the RAAS system and increases blood force per unit area. On the other manus there may be devastation of the nephritic tissue taking to inability of kidneys to egest necessary sum of H2O or salt taking once more to high blood pressure. Endocrinological tumors: Tumours of secretory organs that secrete endocrines such as aldosterone. Hyperaldosteroinism ( Conn ‘s syndrome ) can take to hyper-secretion of aldosterone doing greater resorption of H2O and Na than normal ( 12 ) . Congenital aortal deformity: This is constriction of aorta which is fundamentally the narrowing of aorta, ensuing in reduced nephritic perfusion and activation of the RAAS system Combined Oral preventive pills: This is a type of drug induced high blood pressure. In this instance oestrogen administrated as a portion of the preventive pill acts as a vasoconstrictive and besides increases angiotensinogen ( 4 ) . Eclampsia – Pregnancy: Although the grounds behind this are non wholly clear, pre-eclampsia may be due to placental disfunction every bit good as immune response of the female parent against the placental tissue conveying about high blood pressure ( 13 ) . Hazard factors There are a figure of hazard factors responsible for developing high blood pressure which have been supported by a assortment of surveies. A survey published on 2006 based on informations collected on a population of American Indians indicates some of the undermentioned as hazard factors for high blood pressure ( 14 ) . These can be extrapolated for the general population. Hazard factors are non merely familial but besides environmental factors. Most of the below are true in our PBL scenario: African lineage Sexual activity gender – males: A research published late on Hypertension diary provinces that mistake signals in commanding of the sympathetic system exist between the two genders giving differences in the controlling of blood force per unit area ( 15 ) . Increasing age Low societal category High salt consumption, high fat diet Stress Fleshiness Chronic conditions such as diabetes, nephritic diseases, sleep apnoea. High intoxicants intake Smoking No exercising What are the symptoms and what are possible complications of high blood pressure? High blood pressure is known as the â€Å" soundless slayer † as most of the times is symptomless until it develops sudden complications such as shots or bosom onslaughts that can take to decease ( 16 ) . Often, the high blood pressure is non detected until a random look into up modus operandi is taken. However some people may see the followers: Dizziness Blurred vision ( due to damage of the retina of the oculus ) Concern Long-standing high blood pressure will finally do coronary artery disease with all the possible effects of the disease. Furthermore, it causes reconstructing – hypertrophy of the bosom taking to more dangerous state of affairss. Serious complications of high blood pressure are: Nephritic decease ( 17 ) : It can take to weakened or narrowed blood vass in kidney impairing its map. Stroke: Vessels of the encephalon may split or non good perfused taking to stroke. Heart onslaught: The bosom has to work harder to pump blood against greater force per unit area. This may develop bosom failure and inability of the bosom to pump blood to cover organic structure ‘s demands. Aneurysms: May do pouching in arterias taking to tearing them Vision loss: Due to damage of the little fragile vass of the oculus. What are the intervention and lifestyle alterations for the patient? A combination of drug intervention and lifestyle alterations is necessary for bar of the complications listed above ( 18 ) . The following table lists interventions and the mechanism they work. Drug Category Drug name Mechanism ACE inhibitors Enalapril They block the transition of angiotensinogen to Angiotensin I and therefore barricade the RAAS. Diuretic drugs Thiazides They increase the sum of H2O and salts excreted in the piss so that they decrease blood volume. I ±-blockers Doxazosin They work by barricading I ±1-adrenoreceptors on the walls of blood vass so that they cause vasodilatation. I?-blockers Atenolol They block I?1- adrenoreceptors on the bosom diminishing bosom rate and shot strength, therefore diminishing cardiac end product and finally force per unit area. CaC blockers Nifedipine They block the Ca channels forestalling Ca come ining the cell. As a consequence they prevent vasoconstriction. In add-on to the drug therapy the patient has to watch his diet by cut downing the Na and fat consumption. Exercise should go portion of his life and surcease of smoke and restricting intoxicant ingestion are necessary. Patient has to restrict his emphasis every bit much as possible and regular monitoring of blood force per unit area can be life salvaging.

Enzymatic Activity of Salivary Amylase

Enzymatic Activity of Salivary Amylase Ong, Janela Rose I. ; Paguia, Maria Tricia C. ; Placente, Dax Daven A. ; Posadas, Grace Catherine A. 3Bio3-Group 8 Department of Biological Sciences, College of Science University of Santo Tomas, Espana, Manila 1008 Abstract This experiment aims to examine the enzymatic activity and specificity of salivary amylase depending on the changes in pH and temperature; and determine the optimum temperature and pH of the amylase. EXPERIMENTAL In the enzymatic activity of salivary amylase, 1ml saliva, 9ml distilled water and 30ml of 0. % NaCl made up the enzyme solution. One percent starch in phosphate buffer pH 6. 7 was the buffered starch. The experiment was comprised of two parts. For the first part (effect of temperature), 2 ml of the enzyme solution was placed in a large test tube and labelled as 4?. In a separate large test tube, 2 ml of the buffered starch solution was added. Both test tubes were incubated for 10 minutes in an ice bath with a tempe rature of 4?. The two test tubes were IMMEDIATELY mixed after 10 minutes, and three-drops were QUICKLY taken from the mixture. The three-drops of the mixture simultaneously added with two drops of iodine solution were dropped onto the first well of a spot plate and was labelled as the zero minute. Incubation should be continued and after a one-minute interval, three-drops of the mixture simultaneously added with two drops of iodine solution were dropped onto the second well of a spot plate and was labelled as one minute. The test tube of the iodine solution should not be exposed. It should be covered with a cork and wrapped around with aluminium foil. The same step of taking three-drops of the mixture simultaneously added ith two drops of iodine solution was repeated until a light yellow-colored solution was observed. Time should be noted. The first part of the procedure was not only focused on 4? but also other temperatures such as room temperature, 37? , 50? , 60? and 70?. All temperatures were incubated at the desired incubation temperature. The reciprocal of time (1/t, min-1) was plotted versus the tempe rature (T) and the optimum temperature of the amylase was determined. For the second part (effect of pH), 1 ml of acetate buffer with ph 4 and 1 ml of 2% unbuffered starch were mixed in a large test tube. In a separate large test tube, 2ml of the enzyme solution was added. Both test tubes were incubated for 10 minutes in a 37? water bath. The two test tubes were IMMEDIATELY mixed after 10 minutes and three-drops of the mixture were QUICKLY and simultaneously added with two drops of the iodine solution onto the first well of a spot plate. This was labelled as the zero minute. Incubation should be continued and after a one-minute interval, three-drops of the mixture simultaneously added with two drops of iodine solution were dropped onto the second well of a spot plate and was labelled as one minute. The test tube of the iodine solution should not be exposed also and it should be covered with a cork and wrapped around with aluminium foil. The same step of taking three-drops of the mixture simultaneously added with two drops of iodine solution was repeated until a light yellow-colored solution was observed. Time should be noted. The same steps for the second part of the experiment should be followed for other pH such as 5, 6. 7, 8 and 10 — using the appropriate buffer. The reciprocal of time (1/t, min-1) was plotted versus the buffer pH and the optimum pH of the amylase was determined.

Authentically Human Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Authentically Human - Essay Example He suffers from a looped life in which he repeats incomplete actions anxiously. DBS (Deep Brain Stimulation) surgery improves a patients brain and helps their lives. After a patient is diagnosed with OCD, doctors can request a DBS surgery. However, after surgery, patients minds are under the control of doctors. In effect, patients do not have the ability to control their feelings and behaviors. However, patients can be able to control themselves and behaviors, as a basic human being. In the essay "Alone Together" by Sherry Turkle, she explores how robots could engage in intimate relationships with persons, as well as become a better life. People consider the ethical aspects of technological controls. Technology controls people’s feelings and constructs the virtual world, which damages social lives that separate the people from the reality. In essence, overreliance on the technologies cannot do anything on its own. Technologies become intimating with the virtual world rather than an authentic world, which is they drift people away from the real life through controlling their feelings. One of the problems associated with the use of DBS is that people change their emotions very rapidly and unreasonably. Slater expresses that along with the development of medical technology, the use of advanced medical technology brings improvement in the fight against diseases such as OCD. This technique was established on DBS treatment, which can lock off a part of humans feelings in order to treat OCD. Mario, who becomes one of the first American psychiatric patients, explains his experiences. He feels that the diagnosis and treatment process that he received from Dr. Greenberg and Rasmussen benefited him a great deal and saved his life. She says, "When Mario talks about that time now, tears come to his eyes. â€Å"It was like a miracle, I still have some OCD symptoms but way, way less. Dr. Greenberg and Rasm ussen saved my life† (241). However, DBS works to bring

HR problems negatively impacting on the operations of CGMS Case Study

HR problems negatively impacting on the operations of CGMS - Case Study Example Downsizing and reorganizing the structure of the organization have been figured out as the most viable strategies that can salvage the company from these problems. However, the key strategy is to reorganize the structure of the company since this will help it to be in firm control of its operations. Therefore, it has been recommended that the company should reorganize its structure in order for it to regain its waning status. Introduction Consolidated Global Mining Service (CGMS) is a giant company that deals with offering services related to mining as well as manufacturing of mining equipment. This is an industry leader in this sector but of late it has been facing different HR problems which are likely to threaten its viability in the long run. In order to address these problems, a lasting solution ought to be found and implemented in order to save the organization from crumbling. Therefore, the purpose of this report is to identify the critical problems that are affecting CGMS as well as to identify the strategies that can be implemented in order to solve the issues identified. This report will finally attempt to provide necessary strategies and recommendations that may be implemented in order to address the HR problems identified. ... conflict is related to the issue of downsizing since the company is spending a fortune on paying the interests while the revenue generated is not commensurate with the large size of staff members. The operational costs in terms of labour are higher than the revenue generated by the organisation and this is the reason why a holistic approach ought to be implemented in order to deal with the impending problem that is likely to scuttle the viability of the organization. Careel et al (1995) posits to the effect that the operational costs in terms of managing human capital should not exceed the revenue generated by the company. Such negative development requires the organization to downsize or reorganize its workforce. The other problem is that the organization does not have clearly defined structure. The issue in this case is that the organisational structure and the human resources management structures have to be standardized such that they can meet the demands of the organisation. Whe re there is a clearly defined organizational structure, it can be seen that there are less chances of duplication of duties since everyone is aware of what is expected of him or her in the organization. According to Wener (2007), organizational structure helps the company to define the job tasks to be performed so that the number of employees in an organization can be controlled such that they do not impact on the organization in the long run. One implicit problem bedevilling CGMS is that no one really knows his or her particular type of job description. Everything seems to be informal though the company has a very good reputation of producing the best results in its performance. Jobs need to be described and categorised so that the company can be in a position to achieve optimum results

Historical accuracies and inaccuracies of the William Wallace From the Essay

Historical accuracies and inaccuracies of the William Wallace From the movie Braveheart - Essay Example The movie portrays the life of William Wallace. The film premiered in July 1995 and became a spontaneous Box office success. As a film, the developers of the film employed specific film production techniques in order to earn it the reception it acquired soon after its release (Brown, 2007). The film portrayed the Scottish warrior in different perspectives often omitting some fundamental features of his life in an attempt of earning the film an appropriate adaptation. As a brave Scottish warrior, William Wallace led the scots against their first war of independence against the oppressive King Edward the first. The producers set the film in an early Scottish society, it is 1920 and King Edward the first invades Scotland soon after the death of Alexandra the third of Scotland. In the invasion, Wallace witnesses the Longshanks commit atrocities in the inversion. He survives the murder to his mother father and brothers and therefore travels to Rome with the help of his uncle Argyle. After several years, Wallace returns to Scotland as a young man and immediately falls in love with his childhood friend, Murron MacClannough. However, the society is different following the application of King Edward’s selfish legislations (McArthur, 2003). Among the most controversial of the legislations is that granting the English Lord the authority to have sexual relations with all the women in the kingdom on the eve of their wedding night. In oorder to avoid the king sleeping with his fiancee, Wallace and Murron marry in secrecy. Later, Wallace rescues Murron from eminent rape by English soldiers. The soldiers arrest and execute Murron in public. In a revenge attack, Wallace attacks and kills English soldiers. The following is a series of conflicts between Wallace and the English authorities as Edward orders his son Edward the second to use every means possible to stop Wallace. Even in death, Wallace maintains a bold personality and refuses to beg for mercy from the English a uthorities. While facing a public execution, the magistrate pleads with Wallace to beg for mercy from the government and therefore have a quick and painless life. Instead of begging for his life, Wallace shouts freedom to the jubilation of the Scottish people who view him as a hero. As the film ends, a setting in the 1934 Scotland, Robert who is now the king of Scotland leads his army into a fight against the English in the memory of Wallace. The war finds the English unprepared and the scots earn their first freedom from the English rule. The developers of the film employ various film production features including both the setting and the plot in order to earn the story relevance from its contemporary audience. In doing this, the developers either omitted or added specific details to both the characters and the actions. In doing so, the producers foster some accuracies and inaccuracies about Wallace’s life and the society in which he lived. Key among the lacking details in t he film is his background. The producers of the film provide a brief recap of his childhood. The film begins with the English inversion of Scotland with the young Wallace witnessing the murder of his parents and the atrocities the English lord commits. Such are scanty details that do not help build an effective understanding of the legendary Sir William Wallace. However, the scanty details are in line with the information known about his family, Wallace came from a less noble family. Historians do not provide a detailed information about his family. Blind Harry in his poem posits that Wallace’s father was known as Sir Malcom of Elderslie. The discovery of a letter written by Wallace himself and contained his seal provides Wallace’

NGOs and Corporations Literature review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

NGOs and Corporations - Literature review Example He negotiated a partnership between the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) – one of the world’s largest and most influential NGOs, and the IMD, but he is also heavily involved in the corporation side of his research interests. He acts as a consultant for several Fortune 100 companies, including Microsoft and Shell, and has spoken at various think-tanks. Yaziji and Doh adopt a sensible division of their work into four clear sections: understanding NGOs, NGO advocacy campaigns, corporate-NGO engagements, and the future of the latter. This division offers a logical structure for the book’s chapters, and a straightforward framework for analysis. The authors begin by asserting the importance of NGOs in the contemporary world, and on this issue, their arguments can scarcely be contested. By naming just a few of the more prominent organisations, including Amnesty International and Greenpeace – the nature of NGOs as major actors in politics, economics and society is clear. Yaziji and Doh (2009, p.xiii) also provide some staggering statistics for the growth of NGOs in recent years, suggesting a 400% increase in the number of international NGOs. No reader can seriously doubt whether a comprehensive work on this subject was necessary. I would credit the authors’ statement that ‘A fuller understanding of the role of business in society requires a comprehensive understanding of these engagements’ (2009, p.xv). oweHowe And Doh and Yaziji certainly provide a comprehensive account. They apply a logical division of material, and create a work which is easy for any reader to negotiate. However, having set themselves the important task of filling the current gap in the literature, something more than a survey of the field would have been appropriate. In theoretical terms, they have moved on the debate, but to a great extent the book feels like a synthesis rather than a useful new analytical framework. The introductory chapter provides a valu able overview of the current status of NGOs and their influence in society, and sets out a valid framework for the analysis that will be pursued throughout the text. However, beyond the introductory chapter and the logical headings used to divide the work into four main areas, there are some crucial structural weaknesses. In the introductory chapter, the authors describe the ‘hazard-strewn’ nature of relationships between NGOs and corporations, nicely summarise some of the key factors that make them so (2009, p.xxiv). For example, NGOs might recoil from the data discovered on being given access to a corporation’s internal audit, while the media coverage generated by such a collaboration has the potential to harm the legitimacy and reputation of an NGO, sometimes damaging it irreparably. Perhaps most fundamentally, there is a basic value difference between most corporations, and most NGOs. The former are working with markets and their values; the latter with socia l and ethical values. There can be some overlap in their operations, but this fundamental conflict compromises all collaborations. Perhaps this theme could have been developed further, given that it crops up throughout

Troy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Troy - Essay Example Similar to many early writers for whom history was more of the same kind to literature than science, Homer freely included the gods and their perceived assistances alongside real historical figures and actual events. From a certain point of view, it could be said he set an example, not just for future religions but for the movies. He took a true story and added fictional characters where needed. Troy depicts different areas that influenced people, then and now - power, beauty, riches, glory and wisdom. The lust and greed for power have polluted the minds of many "great" people especially those high ranking officials who call themselves servants of people but is not capable of serving them instead they turned to be crooked and corrupt. As the famous saying says, "Nature is enough for humans' need but not enough for humans' greed." Also the movie shows how the fornication committed by Paris to Helen destroys thousands and thousands of lives. The beauty that blinded the heart of the beholder moved him to do a little foolishness that is heavier than wisdom and than honor. An account from the Bible in I Corinthians 6:18 say -"Flee fornication. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits fornication sins against his own body." You only not sin to God but also to your own body.

PSC Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

PSC - Coursework Example SharePoint Foundation can be used to create a number of websites. The web pages on these sites may be enabled with collaboration via webpages, other documents and of course, data etc. This component of the Ms Sharepoint Package is the server in the setup of SharePoint just in accordance with its name. It takes Sharepoint Foundation as its baseline upon which it grounds itself. It is characterized with the property to organize site administration, compiling of lists and libraries and customization of the website concerned. Since SharePoint Server banks on SharePoint Foundation for all its basics it naturally incorporates all it properties along with its own. Significantly its own properties include The Content Management of an Enterprise, Knowledge Management and Business Intelligence, enterprise search, and personal profiles through My Sites. The very latest and the foremost with respect to the most current technological needs of the say, SharePoint Online  is a cloud based solution provided by the Computing giant Microsoft. It is suitable for businesses of all sizes. Instead of having the need of incorporating the entire massive structure of MS SharePoint within its premises any business can now log onto the cloud server of the application package. The only requirement is that subscription needs to be done and the employees of the organization/ business setup can be provided with an enterprise grade solution for creating sites. These sites would enable sharing of documents and information with partners, customers and colleagues.   Ã‚   â€Å"SharePoint Workspace is a desktop program that you can use to take SharePoint site content offline and collaborate on the content with others while you are disconnected from the network. While you and other team members are offline, you can make changes to SharePoint content that will eventually synchronize back to the SharePoint site.† (Microsoft, 2011) With the onset of

Design for change in practice Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Design for change in practice - Research Paper Example Design for change in practice is largely based on the framework proposed by Rossuwurm and Larrabee (1999). According to Rossuwurm and Larrabee (1999), design for change in practice is manifested through protocols, procedures, or standards. In the case with communicating terminal diagnosis to patients in order to improve their quality of life design relies on the mechanism of protocols distributed to medical personnel. Since the overall complexity of design determines the likelihood of change acceptance (Rossuwurm and Larrabee, 1999, p.320), protocols contain only well-structured and detailed information regarding terminal diagnosis disclosure practice and follow up procedures aimed to improve patients' quality of life. Because feedback from patients (stakeholders) is essential when designing a change in practice (Rossuwurm and Larrabee, 1999), design also includes a questionnaire produced to measure changes in patients' quality of life. (1) Practice of terminal diagnosis full disclosure. ... As explained by Fitch (1994) once a word like "cancer" or "terminal" is heard, a mental retreat is often enacted and thus true communication may not take place until the stark essence of the initial message has been absorbed. Similarly, when news of terminality are communicated rapidly, the patient may remember very little of what has been said. Therefore, in order to implement this change in practice some patients should have information about their terminal diagnosis divided into manageable stages so that self-perceptions gradually shift from well, to ill, to dying over a period of days or weeks. The fundamental premise of this change in practice is that physicians should exclusively opt the strategy of full disclosure of terminal diagnosis for their patients. (2) Eliminating avoidance practices. The issue of death and dying like any topic or situation that creates anxiety tends to trigger avoidance responses. In medical practice, two types of avoidance may be seen: physical avoidance, in which an individual makes an effort to avoid being in the presence of persons, places or objects that cause anxiety; and topical avoidance, in which a clinician avoids thinking or talking about an anxiety-producing issue. Physicians and nurses tend to avoid patient feelings (i.e., depression, anger, or anxiety) by focusing on the explicit content of the patients' message (Dilbeck, 1996). Related to this response in medical personnel is the finding that patients report that technological interventions and procedures cause them to feel that their need for support through compassion and caring is being denied (Super & Plutko, 1996). Patients cannot

Assignment Coursera Essay Example for Free

Assignment Coursera Essay Score Explanation 6. 34 Correct 5. 00 Correct. This is where a spreadsheet comes in handy. Total 5. 00 / 5. 00 Question Explanation This is a simple IRR calculation. Drawing a time line helps. Question 3 (5 points) Austin needs to purchase a new heating/cooling system for his home. He is thinking about having a geothermal system installed, but he wants to know how long it will take to recoup the additional cost of the system. The geothermal system will cost $20,000. A conventional system will cost $7,000. Austin is eligible for a 30% tax credit to be applied immediately to the purchase. He estimates that he will save 1 ,500 per year in utility bills with the geothermal system. These cash outflows can be assumed to occur at the end of the year. The cost of capital (or interest rate) for Austin is 7%. How long will Austin have to use the system to Justify the additional expense over the conventional model? ( i. e, What is the DISCOUNTED payback period in years? Discount future cash flows before calculating payback and round to a whole year. ) Answer for Question 3 Your Answer Score 6 Correct. You discounted before calculating payback, but it still is a very myopic measure. Total Simple payback calculation, but with discounting. Question 4 (10 points) In high school Jeff often made money in the summer by mowing lawns in the neighborhood. He Just finished his freshman year of college and, after taking a Business 101 class, he has some ideas about how to scale up his lawn mowing operation. Previously, he had used his fathers push mower, but he is thinking about getting a r101ng mower tnat wlll save tlme ana allow nvm to 00 more lawns. He Touna a used, zero turn, riding mower on Craigslist for $1,200. He will also need a trailer to pull the mower behind his pickup; that will cost him an additional $600. With the new ower he can take on an additional 20 lawns per week at an average cash inflow of $20 per lawn he will receive at the end of each week. He has 14 weeks of summer in which to mow lawns. (For convenience, assume that the mower and trailer will have no value after Jeff is done with his work this summer. ) The discount rate for Jeff is 10% (Keep in mind this is an annual rate). What is the Net Present Value of the mower/trailer project? Your Answer -1147 3117 4320 3720 10. 00 Correct. You know how to set up and calculate wv, at a weekly interval. Total 10. 00 / 10. 00 A fairly common NPV problem, with weekly compounding. Question 5 (10 points) Yassein is looking to refinance his home because rates have gone down from when he bought his house 10 years ago. He started with a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage of $288,000 at an annual rate of 6. 5%. He can now get a 20-year fixed-rate mortgage at an annual rate of 5. 5% on the remaining balance of his initial mortgage. (All loans require monthly payments. ) In order to re-flnance, Yassein will need to pay closing costs of $3,500. These costs are out of pocket and cannot be rolled into the new mortgage. How much will refinancing save Yassein? (i. e. What is the NPV of the refinancing decision? Your Answer 16467 17517 16975 Correct. This is a very common situation we all face all the time. 15463 A problem we saw last week, but I expect you to do this routinely now. It is a value generating opportunity through financing only because interest rates changed. Question 6 (10 points) Chandra has the opportunity to buy a vacant lot next to several commercial properties for $50,000. She plans to buy the property and spend another $60,000 immediately to put in a parking lot. She has talked to the local businesses and has some contracts lined up to fill the parking spaces. The profits from the ontracts will provide $25,000 per year and the contracts will last 10 years. What is the NPV of Chandras plan if the appropriate discount/interest rate is 10%? (Enter Just the number without the $ sign or a comma; round off decimals. ) Answer for Question 43614 Correct. You know how to calculate NPV. Questlon Explanatlon A standard NPV problem. Question 7 (10 points) This question introduces you to the concept of an annuity with growth. The formula is given on p. 3, equation (7), of the Note on Formulae, but I would encourage you to try doing it in Excel as well. (If the first cash flow is C, the next one ill be C(l+g), and so on, where g is the growth rate in cash flow). As an example, the present value of an annuity that starts one year from now at $100, and grows at 5%, with the last cash flow in year 10, when the discount rate is 7%, is $860. Confirm this before attempting the problem using both the formula and excel. What is the NPV of of a new manufacturing project that costs $100,000 today, but has a cash flow of $15,000 in year 1 that grows at 4% per year till year 12? Similar investments earn 7. 5% per year. (Enter Just the number without the $ sign or a comma; round off decimals. ) Answer for Question 7 0486 Correct. Hope you used both methods. This is a set up and calculation problem, nothing new conceptually. Question 8 (1 5 points) Diane has Just 18 and also completed high school and is wondering about the value of a college education. She is pretty good with numbers, and driven by financial considerations only, so she sits down to calculate whether it is worth the large sum of money. She knows that her first year tuition will be $12,000, due at the beginning of the year (that is, right away). Based on historical trends she estimates that tuition will rise at 6% per year for the 4 years she is in school. She also estimates that her living expense above and beyond tuition will be $8,000 per year (assume this occurs at the end of the year) for the first year and will increase $500 each year thereafter to keep up with inflation.

Hazardous Waste and Clean-up Costs Essay Example for Free

Hazardous Waste and Clean-up Costs Essay CERCLA was enacted, along with its sister law RCRA which came before it, to deal with the environmental damage that was being caused by improper waste disposal. CERCLA’s goals are to clean up old dump sites and discourage future illegal dumping. CERCLA imposes few direct regulatory obligations and is designed to force cleanups and allocate the cost of cleaning up via its liability and cleanup provisions. The basic principle is that the potentially responsible parties such as waste generators, transporters, and/or owners operators of facilities that are responsible for hazardous waste pollution should pay for its cleanup. Through CERCLA’s strict liability scheme any company that illegally spills or dumps hazardous substances is liable for the clean-up whether or not the action was negligent. Also, through joint and several liability, each party that contributed waste to a site is responsible for its cleanup. So if Joe Blow is found liable for the clean-up of a site and happens to find any evidence that another company may have contributed as well, Joe Blow can legally pursue them to pay their â€Å"fair share† of the clean-up costs. A perfect example of this was the Girl Scout story told in our environmental law class where a Girl Scout cookie box was found in a site by a company that was fingered for clean-up. The company then tried to accuse the Girl Scouts organization of having to pay the cost of clean-up as well. Furthermore, through retroactive liability, all responsible parties have to clean-up the site even if the damage was done before the law was enacted. CERCLA has criteria for its two types of clean-up procedures which are removal and remedial. Removal actions are generally short term actions such as fencing off an area, studying the soil and removing the hazardous substances to remove the immediate threat from the site. Remedial actions are generally long term actions necessary to clean-up sites to meet final clean-up standards which may include removal or incineration of the contaminated soil to reduce the threat from the site. Through these liability clean-up provisions CERCLA strives to achieve its purpose. CERCLA was later amended in 1980 by SARA (Superfund Amendment Reauthorization Act), enacted to strengthen CERCLA by requiring that site cleanups be permanent and that they use treatments that significantly reduce the volume, toxicity, or mobility of hazardous pollutants. SARA not only increased the size of the Superfund but imposed more stringent requirements when it established more detailed clean-up standards, added new settlement procedures, established mandatory schedules for federal facility compliance, and added provisions to expand the involvement of states and citizen groups in the decision making process. Some major criticisms of CERCLA are that it has been ineffective in cleaning up the nation’s hazardous waste sites, that it has wasted more money on transaction and litigation costs than on clean-up, and that it is unfair to parties that contribute minimally but are liable for the total cost of the clean-up of a site. As for it being ineffective, my opinion is that it is effective because it could be much worse. Craig Collins, a professor of environmental law and the author of â€Å"Toxic Loopholes: Failures and Future Prospects for Environmental Law† points out that â€Å"the dramatic decline in ‘midnight dumping’ since CERCLA became law reveals how effective this liability threat can be† (p. 88). He also has shared within his classroom that mismanaged hazardous waste spills and dumps which used to be commonplace before CERCLA are rare these days. Has the Superfund been wasteful? Clearly you would think this if you’re looking at the percentage of money that has gone into legal fees and litigation costs alone but according to Collins, Superfund has also funded aid for â€Å"toxic terrorism and natural disasters such as the World Trade Center collapse and the devastating Midwest floods of 1993† (p. 99). When looking at it from that lens I can see that it has been just as helpful in many areas as it may have been considered wasteful in others. Regarding unfairness to those who minimally contribute but face the total cost of clean-up, a provision of CERCLA, as addressed by SARA, swiftly settles the liability of those parties through de minimis settlements. Don’t think I don’t understand that just as CERCLA could be worse it could also be better. First of all, it could work a lot better if the people creating laws, such as CERCLA, were actually more concerned about the environment than their powerful colleagues and certain incentives. More specifically, if we continued to allow corporate taxes which supplied money for Superfund clean-ups (which Bush allowed to expire in 1995) we would have money to clean-up many of the orphaned sites that now go uncleaned. Furthermore, if CERCLA forced all companies to use and help promote the â€Å"zero waste† approach, we could then prove that experiences such as the Love Canals, Times Beach Missouri, and Grand Bois actually did mean enough to all of us to do something more unified and serious about it.

The Alignment Of Compensation And Business Strategies Commerce Essay

The Alignment Of Compensation And Business Strategies Commerce Essay Compensation is a key element in the success of any business. Although compensation plans were not always seen as a strategic business initiative, their huge impact on a companys bottom line, recruiting, retaining and motivating people has led to compensation design being considered an important element to achieving success (OConnell, 2007). The alignment of compensation business strategies It is essential that a fair, competitive and attractive compensation plan is created in order to ensure the future success of the company. If the compensation plan is carried out properly it can improve organisational effectiveness, support human capital requirements of a business, and motivate and reward achievement of key corporate strategic and financial goals (OConnell, 2007: 20). It is thus essential that compensation plans are well thought out and effectively designed. Compensation is the answer to attracting, retaining and motivating employees who have the necessary competencies to carry out the business strategy and handle greater responsibilities (Milkovich, Newman Gerhart, 2007). Managers must take note of the rewards that motivate their employees. If this is not done, it may result in a mismatch between the strategies being used by managers to motivate their employees and the motivational rewards that the employees prefer (Arnolds Venter, 2007). This mismatch, as well as failure on the part of managers and employees to reach common ground in the pursuit of organisational objectives, can result in firms failing to successfully implement their business strategies. Employees will perform at a low level, doing only what is least expected of them when the reward systems are not aligned to their needs. They will not be motivated to put in extra effort so that the organisations goals can be achieved (Arnolds Venter, 2007). It is therefore important for all firms to regularly assess the rewards that motivate employees. Different organisations have different compensation policies in place. Matching compensation policies to business strategy leads to greater organisational performance (Montemayor, 1996). Some organisations are quick to introduce a new compensation program based on what they have heard about it. The problem is that it may not fit with their organisations strategic direction. Only programs that can move the organisation further along its strategic path should be identified and implemented (Kaplan, 2007). Ultimately, compensation strategies seek to either decrease costs or increase revenues relative to competitors (Milkovich et al, 2007). Compensation professionals play an important role in helping organisations put their business strategies into effect by introducing appropriate compensation plans. Compensation experts need to be at the focal point where strategy, organisational effectiveness and human capital management converge (OConnell, 2007: 25). It is important that they have a clear understanding of the business, the organisational issues and the direction in which the company is headed. Organisational, employee and business needs must be balanced with the financial and strategic goals of the company. Only then can the right compensation strategy be developed to motivate, reward and sustain high levels of performance. When this balance is found, a company can effectively use compensation to execute and achieve desired business results (OConnell, 2007: 25). For example, if a companys strategy is to be innovative, the strategy will focus on new products and a short response time to market trends. The compensation strategy must be tailored to align with the business strategy. A supporting compensation strategy will thus place less emphasis on evaluating skills and jobs and more emphasis will be placed on incentives designed to encourage innovations (Milkovich et al, 2007). A cost cutting business strategy will focus on efficiency and doing more with less. To support the business strategy, the compensation policy will focus on competitors labour costs, variable pay will be increased and productivity will be emphasised (Milkovich et al, 2007). A company with a customer-focused business strategy will focus on pleasing customers and employees will be paid according to how well they do this. The compensation strategy will thus include customer satisfaction incentives (Milkovich et al, 2007). In order to do better than its competitors, a firm m ust come up with ways in which it can add value by matching its business and pay strategies. When business strategies change, pay systems must also change (Milkovich et al, 2007). Organisations want to see the returns that they are getting from paying incentives, benefits and even base pay. Companies are starting to realise that by sharing in the economic gains of achieving targets, they keep employees motivated to reach increasingly difficult goals. When there is a clear line of sight between work and reward, employees will work harder to achieve the goals and receive the rewards (Ulrich, 1997). It has been suggested that performance-based pay works best when there is success to share (Milkovich et al, 2007: 54). An organisation can pay larger bonuses and stock awards when their profits or market share is on the rise. By paying bonuses fairly, employee attitudes and work behaviours improve, which in turn improves their performance (Milkovich et al, 2007). One of the major challenges in managing total compensation is to understand how the pay system can add value and create a more successful organisation. Internal alignment Internal alignment refers to comparisons among jobs or skill levels inside a single organisation. Jobs and peoples skills are compared in terms of their relative contributions to the organisations business objectives (Milkovich et al, 2007: 19). Internal alignment is not only concerned with the pay rates for employees doing equal work, but also for those employees doing different work. One challenge that managers face is how to determine differences in pay for people doing different work (Milkovich et al, 2007). An employees decision to stay with the organisation, to become more flexible by investing in additional training, or to seek greater responsibility is influenced by the pay that they receive (Milkovich et al, 2007: 19). A compensation system should not stand in the organisations way of retaining talented and productive employees. One of the main causes of employee turnover is inadequate compensation (Grobler, Warnich, Carrell, Elbert Hatfield, 2006). Tensions will result if employees feel that they are not being treated equally and this may cause employees to reduce their future efforts, change their perceptions regarding rewards for their efforts or leave the organisation (Grobler et al, 2006). Managements goal is to minimise turnover and lost production due to feelings among employees that they are not being compensated equitably. In order to ensure greater equity among jobs, a process known as job evaluation may be embarked upon, whereby a systematic relationship between the pay scales for jobs within an organisation is created. Job evaluation is the systematic determination of the relative worth of a job within the organisation that results in an organisations pay system (Grobler et al, 2006: 404). When comparing jobs, the following factors are taken into account: the skills needed to complete the job, the efforts needed to perform the job, the responsibilities of the job holder, and the working conditions of the job (Grobler et al, 2006). Job evaluation is preformed in order to develop a system of compensation that employees will consider to be fair, and in this way internal consistency among jobs is obtained. Internal consistency thus refers to the relationship between the pay structure, the design of the organisation and the work (Grobler et al, 2006). It is important to design a pay system that supports the work flow, is fair to employees and directs their behaviours toward organisation objectives (Grobler et al, 2006: 404). Many organisations are dividing their employees and creating different compensation plans for the different employee groups. For example, the executive team will be compensated one way, while a different approach will be used for the sales team, and yet another set of rules will apply to those working in the admin department. In todays business environment, a one-size-fits-all approach is no longer effectiveness (OConnell, 2007). Compensation methods have undergone a number of changes over the years such as the use of performance pay and other contingent systems of reward, the flattening of pay scales with fewer but broader pay grades and flexible cafeteria-style benefit systems (Brewster, Carey, Grobler, Holland Warnich, 2008). This new approach to compensation is known as strategic pay and is much more suitable to todays changing organisational environments and structures. Strategic pay flows from and implements an organisations business strategy. The old methods of compensation were associated with job-evaluated pay structures, time and seniority (Brewster et al, 2008: 188). These old methods were appropriate for hierarchical organisations who operated in a stable environment. Internal pay structures must be designed in such a way that employees will be motivated to achieve the organisations objectives. There must be a clear line-of-sight between each job and the objectives of the organisation. It is also essential that the structure is fair to all employees (Milkovich et al, 2007). To motivate employees, management can build the following ideas into their strategic pay structure: increase the proportion of pay contingent on performance, increase the potency of variable pay by making base salaries only moderately competitive, broaden the range of incentive schemes to include linking pay to group and organisational performance as well as individual performance, identify new performance measures of business success, and introduce flexibility into compensation plans so that rewards extend beyond monetary ones to include prizes and recognition (Brewster et al, 2008: 188). Pay structures vary among organisations depending on the number of levels within the organisation, the pay differentials between the levels, and the criteria used to determine the levels and differentials i.e. work content and its value. People are usually paid more if their job requires more knowledge or skills than another job, if their working conditions are unpleasant, or if their job adds a great deal of value. One reason for pay differentials is to motivate employees to work towards promotion and a higher-paying level (Milkovich et al, 2007). Internal structures are shaped by both external and organisation factors. External factors include: economic pressures; government policies, laws and regulations; stakeholders; and cultures and customs (Milkovich et al, 2007: 75). Organisation factors include: strategy; technology; human capital; HR policy; employee acceptance; and cost implications (Milkovich et al, 2007: 75). With regards to economic pressures, one job is paid more or less than another because of differences in relative productivity of the job and differences in how much a consumer values the output (Milkovich et al, 2007: 76). It will only be worthwhile to employ an additional worker if they can produce a value equal to the value of their wage. This is referred to as marginal productivity (Milkovich et al, 2007). The supply and demand for labour, products and services all affect internal structures. Organisations are constantly forced to redesign their work flow and employees must continuously learn new skills in order to keep up with changes in competitors products and customers tastes. Unpredictable external conditions require pay structures that support agile organisations and flexible people (Milkovich et al, 2007: 76). Government policies, laws and regulations also have an impact on the internal pay structure. Our law gives everybody the right to fair compensation. This is also known as the right to a living wage. Laws have also been put in place to govern minimum wages (Brewster et al, 2008). Pay-related legislation tries to achieve social welfare objectives by regulating economic forces (Milkovich et al, 2007). The government has influenced compensation by legislating pay levels, hours of work, pay for overtime and holidays and non-discriminatory pay practices (Grobler et al, 2006: 187). The Basic Conditions of Employment Act has a direct impact on a companys compensation strategy. Unions, stockholders and political groups also influence the internal pay structure. In order to promote solidarity among members, unions generally prefer small differences among jobs and seniority-based promotions. Stockholders compare the salaries paid to executives with the salaries paid to others in the organisation. Stockholders are interested in this difference (Milkovich et al, 2007). If the pay structure is not aligned to the organisations strategy it can become an obstacle to the achievement of the organisations goals. Another factor that has an impact on internal structures is human capital. Human capital refers to the education, experience, knowledge, abilities and skills required to perform the work (Milkovich et al, 2007: 78). The technology used will influence the organisational design, the work that needs to be performed, and the skills or knowledge that is needed to perform the work (Milkovich et al, 2007). The organisations other HR policies also have an impact on the internal pay structure. The more levels an organisation has, the more promotions it can offer, but the pay differences between the levels may be smaller. It is believed that when promotions take place often, even if they do not include pay increases, employees develop a sense of career progress (Milkovich et al, 2007). Some companies develop talent from within the organisation. This also se rves to retain top talent. These candidates are promoted when job vacancies arise. The result is that they do not have to employ expensive talent from outside the organisation. It is also easier to manage these individuals as they are already aligned with the culture and business priorities of the organisation. This leads to a greater return on the companys investment (Barnes, 2009). Another important factor influencing the internal pay structure is whether or not the employees involved accept it. In order to assess the fairness of their pay, employees compare the pay that they receive to that which others receive for doing different jobs in the same internal structure. They also look at what others are paid for doing the same job at competing employers (Milkovich et al, 2007). The procedures for determining the pay structure must be fair as well as the pay structure itself. It has been suggested that employees and managers will accept low pay if they believe that the way in which the pay was determined is fair. It is likely that the pay procedures will be considered fair if they are consistently applied to all employees, if employees participated in the process, if appeals procedures are included, and if the data used are accurate (Milkovich et al, 2007: 80). Pay structures do not stay constant. They change in response to external factors. An organisation will achieve much better results if the structure is aligned. The structure must be perceived as fair by the employees and it must motivate them to achieve the organisations goals. If there is a big pay differential between an entry level job and the highest level job in an organisation, it can encourage employees to stay with the employer and increase their training and experience. It can also result in greater co-operation with co-workers and for employees to look for more responsibility within the organisation (Milkovich et al, 2007). External competitiveness External competitiveness refers to the level of pay that an organisation offers in comparison with its competitors (Montemayor, 1996). This has a huge impact on the attraction and retention of talent as well as on labour cost objectives. With a high pay level, the organisation will be better able to acquire a competent workforce. By increasing the pay level, total labour costs will increase but it may also result in improved labour costs per unit (Montemayor, 1996). The efficiency wage theory states that paying above market levels can promote employee motivation that would offset any increment in labour costs (Montemayor, 1996: 891). The pay systems of many organisations are market-driven i.e. based on what competitors pay. In the hope of attracting the best applicants, some organisations set their pay levels above that of their competitors (Milkovich et al, 2007). In order to compete with the external market, organisations must ensure that the pay that they are offering is sufficient to attract and retain employees. Employees are likely to leave an organisation if they believe that their pay is not competitive in comparison to what other employers are offering. Organisations must also ensure that they control their labour costs so that they can supply their products and services at a good price and remain competitive in the global economy (Milkovich et al, 2007). It is essential that when companies prepare their business strategies they decide how they are going to compete in the marketplace. For example, they can choose to compete on price, or they may prefer to differentiate themselves based on products or ser vices, they could even decide to segment the market and only focus on a particular group of buyers. Understanding the competition is key (Kaplan, 2007). Employers can better differentiate themselves from their competition by introducing learning and development programs and creating a fun and flexible work environment. These are also known as relational rewards. These initiatives will enhance employee commitment to the organisation (Kaplan, 2007). Employers that are highly-rated usually receive more employment applications as people want to work for the best organisation. The high ratings also result in improved retention of staff and greater profitability as committed employees usually provide better customer service (Kaplan, 2007). Job applicants who receive more than one offer will compare the offers and the pay scales. More weight is often placed on the salary being offered rather than on the other types of compensation, like benefits and intrinsic rewards (Grobler et al, 2006). In order to remain competitive within the local labour market, employers usually offer salaries that are similar to those offered by competitors. Employers thus need to know what the going rate is for jobs within the local labour market. Wage surveys as well as published market data can be used to determine the average salaries for various positions. These methods assist the organisation in maintaining external consistency with other organisations (Grobler et al, 2006). An important strategic decision must be made as to whether the organisation should mirror what its competitors are paying, or whether it should design its own pay structure that differs from its competitors but is aligned to the business strategy. The pay level can be set above, below or equal to that of competitors. The mix of pay forms must also be determined relative to those of competitors (Milkovich et al, 2007). The following three factors shape external competitiveness: labour market factors, product market factors and organisation factors. Together these factors influence pay-level and pay-mix decisions (Milkovich et al, 2007). As mentioned above, organisations usually claim to be market-driven. Looking at the demand and supply of labour gives one a greater understanding of how the markets work. The demand side deals with the actions of the employer i.e. the number of new employees they require, and what they are willing and able to pay them. The supply side deals with the potential employees i.e. their qualifications and the pay that they are likely to accept (Milkovich et al, 2007). The market rate is found at the point where the demand for labour meets the supply of labour. In the short run, the only way that an organisation can change its level of production is by changing its level of human resources. The other factors of production, such as technology, capital and natural resources are fixed in the short run. The marginal product of labour is the additional output associated with the employment of one additional person (Milkovich et al, 2007: 207). However, each additional employee hired will produce less than the previous employee due to the fact that the factors of production are fixed. Each employee thus has fewer resources to work with. The additional amount that each new employee produces is known as the marginal product (Milkovich et al, 2007). When the marginal product is sold, the money that is generated from the sale is known as marginal revenue. Employers will hire new staff until the marginal revenue generated by the last hire is equal to the costs associated with employing that person (Milkovich et al, 2007: 208). At this point the employ er is maximising their profits. Therefore, in order to determine how many people to employ, a manager must establish two things: the pay level that is set by the market forces and the marginal revenue generated by each new employee (Milkovich et al, 2007). This, however, is not so easy to do in reality. With regards to labour supply, the model assumes that many people are seeking jobs, that they possess accurate information about all job openings and that no barriers to mobility exists (Milkovich et al, 2007: 209). It is not so simple in the real world. For example, the supply curve slopes upward and shows that as pay increases more people will want to take jobs. In the case where unemployment is very low, supply may not increase with offers of higher pay as everybody has a job (Milkovich et al, 2007). The model provides a useful analytical framework but oversimplifies reality. In certain instances employers pay more than the market-rate. For example, if there are negative elements to a job such as very expensive training, small chances of success, weak job security and unpleasant working conditions, employers may decide to pay higher wages in order to compensate for the negative characteristics. This is referred to as compensating differentials (Milkovich et al, 2007). As mentioned above, in terms of the efficiency wage theory, high wages can in fact increase efficiency and lower labour costs. This can be achieved by attracting more qualified applicants and encouraging existing employees to work harder or smarter. It is assumed that the pay level determines effort (Milkovich et al, 2007). An organisations ability to pay is also an important issue. The greater an organisations profits in comparison with its competitors the more it is able to share with its employees. These organisations will usually pay more that their competitors and may even pay bonuses in line with their profitability (Milkovich et al, 2007). Employers can design their pay levels and mix in such a way that a signal is sent to both current and future employees as to the kinds of behaviour that they require. This is known as signaling. For example, if the organisations base pay is below the market-rate but they offer good bonuses, they may be sending a signal that employees who are risk takers are required. If the organisation pays the market wage and offers no performance-based pay, a different signal is sent and different people are attracted. Signaling helps to communicate expectations (Milkovich et al, 2007). There are also two theories that help us to understand employee behaviour. A job seeker will not accept a job offer if the wage is below a certain amount irrespective of the other benefits or job attributes. This is known as the reservation wage. It may be above or below the market-rate (Milkovich et al, 2007). The second theory is the human capital theory. In terms of this theory, those who have improved their productive abilities by investing in themselves through education, training etc will earn higher wages (Milkovich et al, 2007). The next factor that shapes external competitiveness is the product market and ability to pay. To a large extent, product market conditions determine what the organisation can afford to pay its employees. The organisations ability to change what it charges for its products and services is affected by the demand for the product and the amount of competition (Milkovich et al, 2007). An employer who increases their wage level will either choose to increase its prices, thereby passing the higher labour costs on to consumers, or it can choose to keep prices fixed and pay the increased labour costs out of their revenues. If an employer is operating in a very competitive market they will not easily be able to increase prices (Milkovich et al, 2007). Lastly, organisation factors include characteristics that are unique to each organisation and their employees such as: industry and technology, employer size, peoples preferences and organisational strategy (Milkovich et al, 2007). The industry in which an organisation competes influences the technologies used (Milkovich et al, 2007: 216). Lower wages are paid in labour-intensive industries than in technology-intensive industries. When new technology is introduced within an industry, pay levels are also affected (Milkovich et al, 2007). Large organisations generally pay more than small ones. In big organisations, talented people have a greater marginal value as they are able to influence more people and decisions resulting in larger profits for the organisation (Milkovich et al, 2007). Better understanding of employee preferences is increasingly important in determining external competitiveness (Milkovich et al, 2007: 217). It is, however, difficult to measure preferences. It has been found that pay is more important to people than they are willing to admit (Milkovich et al, 2007). With regards to organisation strategy, some employers compete by adopting a low-wage, no services strategy. These organisations, such as Nike and Reebok, often rely on outsourcing to manufacture their products. Other organisations may choose a low-wage, high services strategy or even a high-wage, high services approach (Milkovich et al, 2007). Employers will pay more than their competitors if the job has a direct impact on the success of the organisation. Pay levels will equal that of competitors in jobs that have less of an impact on the success of the organisation. Evidence shows that those organisations with higher-skilled workers who make use of high-performance work practices and computer-based technology also pay higher wages (Milkovich et al, 2007). The integration of internal alignment external competitiveness In order for a compensation strategy to be successful it must blend internal consistency with market competitiveness, and must be structured to recognise the credentials, knowledge and performance of the individuals involved (Martocchio, 2001). An appropriate compensation policy is designed around the organisational structure, competitive position, leadership style and the strategic plan of the organisation (Santone, Sigler Britt, 1993: 86). A mentioned above, one of the main causes of employee turnover is inadequate compensation. The competitiveness of pay will affect the organisations ability to achieve its compensation objectives, and this in turn will affect its performance (Milkovich et al, 2007: 221). It is common for organisations to match the rates paid by their competitors. If organisations fail to do so, the existing employees will be unhappy and the organisations ability to recruit will be limited (Milkovich et al, 2007). Such a policy will result in the organisations wage costs being similar to that of its product competitors and the organisations ability to attract new employees will thus also be similar to its labour market competitors (Milkovich et al, 2007). Job evaluation, whereby the worth of a job within an organisation is determined, is performed in order to develop a system of compensation that employees will find fair. In this way, internal consistency among jobs is obtained (Grobler et al, 2006). However, if a competitor is willing to pay an employee a higher wage to do the same work, the employee will leave their current job to earn better pay elsewhere. An employer must therefore not only consider what they are willing to pay for a particular job but also what the competitors are paying for the same job. This is important if they want to attract and retain quality workers. Conclusion It is important that companies ensure that their reward systems are aligned with their organisational goals, strategy and culture. Strategic compensation allows for employees to earn incentives if they accomplish company goals. Compensation has a huge effect on recruiting, retaining and motivating people. The compensation strategy of an organisation also has a direct impact on its performance. Internal alignment and external competitiveness should be integrated when forming the pay structure. Practical Core strategy details ABSA SARS Objectives -Attract and retain high quality individuals with the optimum mix of skills, competencies and values. -Motivate and reinforce superior performance. -Encourage the development of skills and competencies required to meet current and future objectives. -Employees should share in the success of the business. -Drive productivity, service quality and cost efficiency. -Enable employees to perform at their peak. -Build a skills inflow through the graduate and youth recruitment programme. Internal alignment -Remunerate people fairly and consistently according to their contribution. -Ensure that employees of equal value are remunerated more or less equally. -Parity in the immediate environment is the most important. -Fair remuneration. -Recognition system. -Employee development. -Talent management. Externally competitive -Set cost to company (CTC) at the market median. -Reads the market regularly to strategically position itself at mid-market for fixed remuneration packages with differentiation between employees via variable reward programmes. -Differentiates aggressively between levels of performance. -Emphasis on variable pay i.e. incentive and commission schemes. -Incentive system in place. Employee contributions Direct rewards (standard): Fixed remuneration (CTC), allowances, overtime, leave encashments, variable/ performance based pay (long and short-term incentives). Direct rewards (non-standard): Commission. Indirect reward: Recognition rewards (prestige awards, service heroes, long service awards). Bursaries for employees and employee dependants. Benefits: free banking, staff interest rates, disability support fund, leave. -Fixed remuneration, allowances. -Overtime. -Government subsidies. -Incentive pay. Management -Open and transparent communication. -Objective remuneration decisions. -Show genuine care and concern. -Create an enabling environment. Rewards/ compensation strategic map LOW HIGH Objectives Attraction and retention Superior performance Quality service Please see attachment Internal al

The Watergate Affair :: essays research papers

This analysis of the news media coverage will focus on the Watergate affair which originally began on June 17, 1972 with the break-in of the Democratic National Committee Headquarters at the prestigious Watergate office complex in Washington D.C.. I will primarily concentrate on the negative impact that media coverage had to the publics eye. This media coverage, although justified and appropriate for the situation, ultimately destroyed the credibility of Nixon's administration and the ability to run an effective government which forced the first resignation of an American president.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The history of the events at hand is as follows. The Nixon Administration financed a White House Special Investigative Unit called the plumbers. This unit was initially established under John Erlichmann a top White House aide, to â€Å"plug† leaks from the White House to the press and consisted of former FBI and CIA operatives. It comes to fact that these plumbers were involved in illegal break-ins and wiretapping before the Watergate scandal. On June 17, 1972, the night watchman at the Watergate complex discovered adhesive tape on the basement doors of the complex. Five men were arrested that night and began a series of inquiries and investigations into the possible corruption of White House Officials. (Encyclopedia of the American Presidency, Volume 13, page 1603)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Among those arrested on the night of June 17, 1972 were James McCord Jr., security coordinator for the Committee for the Re-election of the President (CRP also known as CREEP). (New York Times, June 21, 1972, page 1, column 3) Immediately after the arrests, the news media had already began initial accusations and offering possible motives to the public through statements like:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å" There was continuing speculation here and in the Cuban community in Miami that unnamed men, in or out of an anti-Castro organization, had carried out a number of politically sensitive operations to win the Governments sympathy for 30,000 to 40,000 Cuban refugees living in Spain.† (4 Hunted in Inquiry on Democratic Raid, New York Times, June 21, 1972, page 44, column 1)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  On June 20, it came to the attention of President Richard Nixon that there were connections made between the burglars and CRP and various White House personnel. The president, on June 23, recommended that the CIA should prevent a FBI inquiry into the Watergate incident based on national security interests. To no avail, the FBI continued its investigation and eventually sifted through the maze of paper trails and cover up. Evidence began to surface, pointing to the administration itself. Realizing the internal nature of this situation, stories began to look like this:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å" No one was making any accusations yet, but in the midst of a curious

Comparing Immorality in The Rise of Silas Lapham and The Octopus Essay

Motivation of Immorality in The Rise of Silas Lapham and The Octopus      Ã‚  Ã‚   In both William Dean Howells' The Rise of Silas Lapham and The Octopus by Frank Norris, a character is faced with the moral issues involved with operating his business. Howells' character, Silas Lapham (The Colonel) and Norris' Magnus Derrick are both desirous to have a prominent position in their respective societies, but are in the precarious situation of having to deploy immoral methods to achieve this coveted stature during the course of harder times. Each man has aspirations to be powerful, prestigious, famous, and/or wealthy. In combination with their lack of humility for their lofty position in society and their over ambitious definition of success, both are caused great distress on the path and during the fight to reach this egotistic plateau. The image created through their business venture became the primary tool to evaluate their own personal vision of success, and in doing so, the two men's morals and values became tainted, family relations were hurt and even devastated, in addition to creating social debacles that caused incredible harm to many others.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Silas' background consisted of poverty, hardships, and hard work. He acquired his own wealth and that opened doors that were unknown to him or his family. The Colonel's background and attributes led him into an awkward situation of always attempting to appear in society as something that he is not. He is a common, vulgar man, doing his best to appear sophisticated, educated, and knowledgeable, when, in fact, it is only his wealth that connects him to the upper class. His incredible wealth places within him the motivation and false sense of obligation to conform to the tastes and pre... ... or power or fame. The path to attain these goals is often filled with corruption, heartless doings, and unsympathetic forces. To see past material possessions and to crush one's ego and its self-centeredness should be sought. To accept one's lot in life and attempt to not control forces outside of one's power or nature should be admired. Being concerned with one's family as a primary responsibility and acting accordingly should be hailed an accomplishment. To face an evil force sweeping into one's reality and being able to hold onto one's morals and values in spite of it, an achievement.   Works Cited Howells, William Dean. The Rise of Silas Lapham. New York: Signet Classic, 1983.. Marx, Karl. "The Alienation of Labor." Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts of 1844. Richard Hooker, 1996: 1-9. Norris, Frank. The Octopus. New York: Penguin Books, 1986.

The French Revolution Essay -- essays research papers

The French Revolution The years before the French Revolution (which started in 1789 AD.) were ones of vast, unexpected change and confusion. One of the changes was the decline of the power of the nobles, which had a severe impact on the loyalty of some of the nobles to King Louis XVI. Another change was the increasing power of the newly established middle class, which would result in the monarchy becoming obsolete. The angry and easily manipulated peasants, who were used by the bourgeoisie for their own benefit were another significant change, and finally the decline of the traditional monarchy, that for so long had ruled, were all factors to the main point that the French Revolution was caused by a political base, with social disorder and economic instability contributing to the upheaval. All of the sub-factors relate with one-another, but are separate in their own ways. For centuries, the French noble was well set in society. He found prosperity and security in the old regime, and all he had to do was pay homage to the king, and provide the king with his services. This all came to a gradual stop, however beginning with the loss of the noble's power over their own land at the hands of Louis XIV.1 This was the foundation of the revolte nobiliaire in the fact that it formed a basis of mistrust, and anger for the monarch.2 In that time the feudal system was still being practiced, so social status was based on the amount of land you could attain. With no land, the nobles saw themselves to be as common as the common folk. Even in their arrogance they saw that they were losing power. The next blow to the pride of the nobles came from Louis XV, who passed a bill to let wealthy commoners purchase prominent spots in political and social positions. This event shows how corrupt and money hungry the government had become, by letting anyone get high up in the political chain just by feeding the gluttonous king. The next king, Louis XVI saw that the majority of France (75%) was peasants and serfs. Consequently, to try to ensure their happiness (and prevent the Revolution), he had the Estates-General abolish the feudal system, in which they held no ranking.4 This made the nobility extremely unhappy. With no feudal system, they no longer were much higher up politicly than the commoners. The next noble atrocity came with Louis XVI making the nobles pay taxes. Ever since... ...hat the monarch was untouchable. Seeing as how Louis was to get his head chopped off, that resolution may not have been a good idea. To make things even more equal and just, the commoners had one of the three votes his Estates-General. This meant fair representation, but it also meant that the nobles were upset with their decline of power and the commoners wanted more of their new-found power. All of these ideas seem to be good ones, but ones that would, and did harm his position. One evidently bad move was to heavily tax everyone. The peasants were already heavily taxed, so they were then brought to famine, the nobles were never taxed before and consequently disgruntled and the middle class just did not like it. If Louis XVI were alive today he would probably be a good politician-too bad the people were not ready for him in 1789. Historians have argued for centuries over what started the French Revolution: some say economics, some say politics some say the change of social structure. The only logical answer, then is that it was a little (or a lot) of all three, resulting in the decline of nobility, the rise of the middle class, the anger of the peasants and the fall of monarchy.

Bright Light Therapy

Bright Light Therapy, also known as light therapy or phototherapy, is a relatively new treatment method that is still being researched to define its usage and effectiveness. Light therapy is the treatment of certain psychological disorders via exposure to bright fluorescent lights for up to four hours a day or as little as fifteen minutes a day. Light exposure is thought to regulate melatonin levels in the blood and, as such, has been most effective in treating seasonally affective disorder or SAD (Columbia 2).However, the method has been researched to treat other common disorders as well. Sleep insomnia, dementia and some forms of skin cancer are a few of the examples. Just like with any other alternative medical treatment to pharmacological methods, light therapy has come under strong critical review and its implementation has been low compared to drug therapies. History Historically, humans were not thought to be affected by seasonal changes in day length (Rohan et al 491).Because of this, currently accepted seasonal disorders such as SAD were not known in the medical field. It was not until doctors researched specific causes of depression that were known to become onset in late fall and remitted in the spring, was a connection made between time of sun exposure and depression (SLBTR. org). A new disorder, SAD had been defined and continues to be hotly debated today. Although light treatment can be dated all the way back to Aristotle, who suggested treatment for certain diseases by lying in the sun, modern methods began in the 1950’s (slbtr.org) Originally, light was used as a device for the removal of skin acne until research on the subject of light therapy was conducted by Dr Lewy in the 1980’s, the founder of the Society for Light Treatment and Biological Rhythms (slbtr. org). The first documented treatment of a person with SAD was an engineer complaining of depression that came at the same times each year. Two hours of artificial sunlight in both the morning and in the evening were administered at the first onset of depression.The treatment was deemed successful, and since then over 2,500 people have been treated for SAD as well as numerous other conditions with light therapy. Implementation and Use Light therapy is mostly thought to affect the levels of the light-sensitive hormone melatonin in the blood (Columbia. edu). It is this hormone that is responsible for day-night cycles of the body. When subjected to high levels of light the body is stimulated negatively to produce less melatonin or to â€Å"skip ahead† in its cycle. Thus, the effects of depression caused by SAD are avoided.Some of the long term effects of increased melatonin levels have also been studied with mixed results coming from treatment with light therapy. The exact implementation of the treatment varies greatly for different people. Some research has shown the most effective time of treatment to be in the waking hours or just before waking wh ile still others believe the best time to be in the evening hours just before bed. The length of time patients are exposed to the light also changes depending on how much the patient is affected or the severity of the issue.Still again, the intensity of the light can be changed according to personal comfort or need (Skjerve et al 518). The number of variables in the method of light therapy has prevented the successful study of the treatment in many instances. It is difficult to determine the correct level of treatment for conditions that in themselves have not yet been thoroughly documented. While potentially negative side effects in the use of light therapy are minimal they do still exist. Some patients experience nausea, headaches, or eyestrain/irritation. These are generally mild, though, and dissipate after just a few days (Columbia).Another, much more infrequent, effect of light therapy is a state of hyperactivity, called mania. This is typically observed in the late spring or summer months (Cancer. org). It is most easily prevented through constant supervision from the physician and proper light therapy usage. Retinal discomfort has also been reported among some patients. This can be solved through the use of special glare-reducing glasses made exclusively for the purpose of light therapy, but often times those with retinal pathologies, such as glaucoma or cataracts are excluded from studies and are therefore usually excluded from treatment as well (Columbia).Otherwise, with proper medically accepted light therapy devices the side effects are minimal. The acceptance of light therapy has been met with strong opposition. Several factors have affected the widespread use of light therapy as a method for controlling any number of disorders. The cultural stigma attached with any alternative to Western medicine has prevented many people from accepting the treatment as opposed to conventional medicine.Evidence directly linking the method to treating certain cond itions has also been spotty due to the difficulty of finding patients to research and building an experiment that would irrefutably confirm light therapy as a treatment for whatever illness was tested. Finally, the actual treatment itself has kept many people from following through with the recommended dosages. Numerous patients have been reported as quitting treatment because of the length of time commitment necessary or discomfort reported by sitting in front of a bright box for hours on end (Rohan et al, 492).Newer light therapy technologies have been developed that reduce the time required to approximately 15 minutes a day and that have various light spectra that don’t produce glare for the user, but until proper research has been conducted on all of these new methods acceptance of the treatment will remain relatively when compared to modern pharmacological medicines. Applications Numerous studies have been conducted to determine the efficacy of light therapy in treating different disorders. Dementia is a condition that has received the attention of many researchers attempting to discover its root cause and resulting treatment.The irregular sleep patterns observed among patients with dementia has been hypothesized to be corrected with bright light therapy. As explained before, the exact dosage and type of light are yet to be determined but a study by Ancoli-Israel et al measured continuous sleep activity in elderly patients in nursing homes before and after treatments of morning, evening and both morning and evening bright light therapies. A significant change in sleep patterns was exhibited by the morning/evening treatments with no statistically significant changes shown by the singular morning or evening treatments.It was suggested by the authors to increase the ambient levels of light in common areas of the nursing home in order to easily treat the symptoms of sleep disturbance exhibited in patients with mild to severe dementia. Insomnia has also been shown to be treatable with light therapy. It has been documented in treating several types of sleep disorders in patients not afflicted with dementia including delayed sleep phase type patients, advanced sleep phase syndrome and nonentrained sleep and wake disorders (Atwood 53-55).Trials have been more effective in studying the effectiveness of light therapy in patients not suffering from other psychological disorders but the same problems that exist in other studies also exist when studying general sleep disorders. The evidence presented by Ancoli-Israel et al is promising, however a meta-analysis conducted by Skjerve et al has pointed out many of the flaws in the light therapy treated dementia studies and by association many of the other studies conducted by researchers concerning light therapy. First, few of the trials were controlled, inasmuch they can be controlled according to generally accepted standards.All of the studies suffered from a small number of patients in whi ch to research and because of that experienced problems with numerous external variables affecting the results. Practicability of the treatment was not studied in any of the trials. The implementation of light therapy depends largely on the ease of use of the product and a solid body of knowledge associated with it. Proper research, with the exception of the Arconi-Israel et al trial has yet to be conducted on a large scale. Thusly, no conclusive treatment methods can be developed.Before treating for seasonal affective depression and other psychological conditions, light therapy was thought to be effective in treating skin conditions such as psoriasis or skin acne. The treatment is still used to treat patients with psoriasis with limited success but is not as widely used for patients with skin acne. The feasibility of asking people to sit in front of a light box for several hours at a time for a relatively benign issue as skin acne is pointed to as the biggest cause of the ineffecti veness of the treatment. Light therapy is, however, an accepted from of treatment for psoriasis (Psoriasis. org).The type of light in this case involves the use of ultraviolet B rays which can cause skin irritation. Treatment has to be more closely monitored than during light therapy used for SAD. Despite this, UVB rays have been shown to penetrate the skin and affect underlying skin cells, thereby slowing their growth and slowing the process of psoriasis. Light therapy is used more often for the treatment of seasonal affective depression, by far. Research for this type of use far exceeds any other method of treatment. The Society for Light Treatment and Biological Systems advocates the use of light therapy as an effective treatment for the disorder.People suffering from SAD report greatly increased amounts of daily sleep, general state of chronic depression and avoidance of social situations. While many people experience â€Å"the winter blues†, reported to be as much as thr ee times as many people as those with clinical SAD, actual SAD is an extreme level of depression that affects the daily life of those suffering from it (slbtr. org). With the first use of light therapy to treat an engineer suffering from chronic depression on an annual basis to today, light therapy has been used as a significant treatment of the psychological disorder.Unfortunately, despite the use of light therapy for the widespread treatment of SAD, concrete evidence linking it to the effective treatment of the disorder is rare. The same problems afflicting the dementia studies exist in the SAD studies. Development of an acceptable experiment, acquiring suitable patients and the relative difficulty of recording immediate results have all held back the proliferation of the treatment for treating SAD. Conclusion Light therapy, just like most other alternative medical treatments, has had difficulty in developing a solid body of evidence in support of the hypotheses that have been att ached to it.Effective treatment of SAD, some skin disorders and several types of sleep disorders have been shown to be treatable by light therapy. Dementia, other forms of depression and even cancer have been shown to be inconclusively treatable by light therapy. That does not mean, however, that light therapy is not effective in solving issues with anything other than seasonal affective disorder or sleep disorders. Problems of proper experimental method, small amounts of people tested and efficacy of the treatment have impeded light therapy clinical trials.Unfortunately, cultural roadblocks lie in the way of the widespread use of light therapy. Further research of light therapy is necessary in several fields of the subject. First, conclusive evidence of the link between light therapy and its leading treatable syndrome, SAD, is necessary. A proper, supervised and controlled clinical trial must be developed that can be accepted by the peers of those experimenting. Once that is create d, a large number of subjects must be tested in order to prevent external variables from affecting the statistical outcomes of the experiment.Once conclusive evidence is determined on the efficacy of treating SAD with light therapy, further research can be conducted in other treatments such as certain types of skin cancers. As difficult as this may seem by itself, funding is limited for most alternative medical treatments. Funding of the treatment must be acquired in order for light therapy to be proven as a compelling method of treatment. In the meantime, light therapy will continue to be used as a method of treating seasonal affective depression and several types of sleep disorders. References â€Å"ACS :: Light Therapy.† American Cancer Society :: Information and Resources for Cancer: Breast, Colon, Prostate, Lung and Other Forms. N. p. , n. d. Web. 17 May 2010. . Ancoli-Israel S, Gehrman P, Martin JL, et al. 2003a. Increased light exposure consolidated sleep and strengthe ns circadian rhythms in sever Alzheimer’s disease patients. Behav. Sleep Med 1. 22-36. â€Å"Light therapy – MayoClinic. com. † Mayo Clinic medical information and tools for healthy living – MayoClinic. com. N. p. , n. d. Web. 17 May 2010. .â€Å"National Psoriasis Foundation – Phototherapy. † National Psoriasis Foundation – National Psoriasis Foundation: Dedicated to finding a cure. N. p. , n. d. Web. 17 May 2010. . Physicians, American College of Chest. ACCP Sleep Medicine Board Review 2008:Course Syllabus. 1 ed. Basel: S. Karger Publishing, 2008. Print. â€Å"Q&A on Bright Light Therapy. † Columbia University in the City of New York. N. p. , n. d. Web. 17 May 2010. . Rohan, Kelly J. , Kathryn A. Roecklein, Kathryn Tierney Lindsey, Leigh G. Johnson, Robert D.Lippy, Timothy J. Lacy, and Franca B. Barton. â€Å"A Randomized Control Trial of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, Light Therapy and Their Combination for Seasonal Affectiv e Disorder. † Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology 75. 3 (2007): 489-500. Print. Skjerve , Arvid , Bjorn Bjorvatn, and Fred Holsten. â€Å"Light Therapy for Behavioural and Psychological Symptoms of of Dementia. † International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry 19 (2004): 516-522. Print. â€Å"Society for Light Treatment & Biological Rhythms. † Society for Light Treatment & Biological Rhythms. N. p. , n. d. Web. 17 May 2010. .