Thursday, November 28, 2019

Role of Religion in Environmental Conservation Essay Example

Role of Religion in Environmental Conservation Paper Some things may be considered as holy while some may be attributed as unholy. This categorization may also be termed as sacred and profane. There are also certain socio-religious taboos in the societies around the world. Socio- religious taboos exist in most cultures, both Western and non-Western. They are good examples of informal institutions, where norms, rather than governmental juridical laws and rules, determine human behavior. In many traditional societies throughout the world, taboos frequently guide human conduct toward the natural environment. Environment comprises of both the paving and non-living objects around the human beings. This may include natural resources like forests, water, soil, mountains, herbs, air and living organisms. Different religions guide the people to utilize these natural resources as well as these religions put some limitations in the utilization of environment. Religion and Environmental Conservation: The major religions of the world like; Islam, Judaism, Christianity, Hinduism and Buddhism have certain doctrines about the relationship of human being and environment. These religions guide its followers about the utilization Of trial resources and about the conservation of environment. In the Buddhist tradition, environmental responsibility is a result of the natural interaction between humans and nature. One of the misconceptions that prevent humans for reaching happiness is the false consideration of their own importance. As a consequence, humans lose their links with nature, destroying valuable resources as a result of their greed. Overcoming greed will provide a better internal equilibrium, as well as a better preservation of natural resources. We will write a custom essay sample on Role of Religion in Environmental Conservation specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Role of Religion in Environmental Conservation specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Role of Religion in Environmental Conservation specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Humans should be like bees that take the nectar of flowers without destroying them. Buddhist culture also acknowledges a moral communion between humans and nature. The land will produce proper fruits when humans deal properly with her. Human greed causes division and ownership conflicts, which implies violence and destruction. Susan M. Darlington in his article, The Ordination of a Tree: The Buddhist Ecology Movement in Thailand tells about a Buddhist ecology movement which is started by Buddhist Monks. These monks are popularly known as Ecology Monks. This movement is developing in Thailand and other Buddhist countries. It is focusing on the local and national problems of deforestation ND ecological destruction. The Buddhist involved in this movement see their religion as critical for providing practical as well as moral guidelines for ecological conservation. The major aim of Buddhism is to relieve suffering, the root causes of which are greed, ignorance and hatred. The monks who are involved in this movement see the deforestation, pollution of the air and water, and other environmental problems as caused by people acting through these evils, motivated by economic gain and the material benefits Of development and industrialization. These monks forbid the people from imaging the natural resources which have a good impact on the environment of Thailand. Islam has provided different texts that support the environmental responsibility of human beings. Islam has divided the things for human use into hall (lawful or permissible according to Islamic law) and harm (sinful). Many species of organisms are harm according to Islam like; lions, dogs, pigs, monkeys, cats, bear, jackal, parrots, crow, eagle, etc. The Muslims avoid eating these organisms due to which they are protected and constitute a major portion of the environment. Some widths include sayings f Prophet Mohammad prohibiting the wasteful use of resources, most importantly of water, which is a very valuable resource in Arab lands. A significant width in this regard includes an admonition by a God Messenger to a devout Muslim who is wasting water in holy ablutions. This implies a clear condemnation of sumptuous attitudes with regard to natural resources, since the carelessness deserves a reproach even when the water is wasted during worship. Another width emphasizing the plantation of trees says that; to plant a tree is SAA-e-Carla (keep on getting rewarded). Islam also forbids he cutting of trees in graveyards and the use of graveyard trees are harm for Muslims. The Earth is green and beautiful, and Allah has appointed you his stewards over it. The whole earth has been created a place of worship pure and clean. Whoever plants a tree and diligently looks after it until it matures and bears fruit is rewarded. If a Muslim plants a tree or sows a field and humans and beasts and birds eat from it, all of it is counted as charity on his part. (Width) In the Quern, Muslims are taught to look after the environment and not to damage it. Devote thyself single-minded to the Faith, and thus follow the nature designed by Allah, the nature to which he has fashioned mankind. There is no altering the creation of Allah. (Sarah 30 ; 30) Allah is he who raised the Heavens without any pillars that ye can see. It is He who setup the Earth, and set thereon mountains standing firm, and flowing rivers. All this is Gods creation and Muslims should therefore seek to protect and preserve environment. Moreover by doing so they protect Gods creatures. Quern 24 and Quern 17:4) Hinduism is also very relevant to the environmental responsibility of humans, especially in rural communities, which have a strong conviction about caring for the land. Ancient Hindus felt the Supreme Beings presence in everything around them. Since these heavenly forces sustained all living creatures and organic things on this earth, to please God, they felt they must live in harmony with His creation including earth, rivers, forests, sun and air. Hinduism is a way of living according to one understands of principles of Veda and pinheads. Veda is revealed knowledge. The Veda traditionally believed to have been written around 3000 B. C. ( as accepted by German scholar Max Mueller) and considered cared in Hinduism contain one thousand and twenty-eight hymns dedicated to thirty-three different Gods out Of which most Often addressed Gods are nature Gods. Usury (Sun God), Indri (Rain God and King of Heavens), Again (Fire God). Anon Buddha: Critic Yankton Visitations (Prayer in devotion to nature for the fulfillment of mankind. ) Do not cut trees because they remove pollution. (Rig Veda 6:48:1 7) Do not disturb the sky and do not pollute the atmosphere. (Hajji Veda 5:43) We invoke all supporting Earth on which trees, lords of forests, stand ever firm. (Athwart Veda 12:1 :27 ) Dont destroy rest with Tigers and dont make forest devoid of tigers. Forests cant be saved without tigers and tigers cant live without forests because forests protect tigers and tigers protect forests. (Viral Parr 5. 45-46) Humans should avoid any form of pollution and alteration of the natural balance. For instance, when somebody needs to dig the ground, they should fill the hole afterwards to repair the land and keep the original balance. Human care is especially critical with trees, which are the main reservoirs of life. Forests are considered sources of life and protectors of the land against soil degradation. This caring for trees has recently been manifested in two environmental movements, very active in India in the last decades: Chips and Pokka. Both try to protect the forests from industrial exploitation and are a clear manifestation of this close relation with the land. Hindu religion has prohibited the prey and killing Of animals, especially the cow (a sacred animal) and its followers are vegetarians. This results in the protection of biodiversity and conservation of nature. In Hindu culture, the moral relations between humans and nature can be found in some sacred texts. The earth answers as living organism to the humans ways of using its resources, being gentle and fertile when they take proper care of her, and violent and cruel otherwise. Therefore, humans have a moral responsibility not to harm the earth in any way, avoiding pollution and using natural resources properly. Reed L. Waddle and Carol l. Pierce Cooler in their article Sacred Forest, Hunting, and Conservation in West Claimant, Indonesia tell that sacred how forest sites play an important role in conservation and local livelihoods of Ban community. Such sacred sites mark important historical and mythical events, roving the Ban with meaningful connections to the local landscape. They also provide important forest products such as fruit crops and rattan and may function as sources of forest regeneration. Bruce A. Byers, Robert N. Continue, and Andrew T. Had in their article, Linking the Conservation of Culture and Nature: A Case Study of Sacred Forests in Zombie tell about the role of traditional religious beliefs and traditional leaders in conserving remnant patches of a unique type of dry forest in the Zambia Valley of northern Zombie. In these areas forest loss is dramatically less in forests hat are now considered sacred, or were in the past connected to sacred forests. This shows that how religion plays an important role in the preservation of environment. Christian religious doctrines emphasize respect for nature and emphasize that humans are the stewards of Gods creation. Christians imbued with an ethic Of environmental stewardship may have access to religious resources that could facilitate pro-environmental behaviors. Many liberal and moderate Protestant denominations have made explicit statements supporting not only conservation, but even broader social hangs to limit human degradation of the environment. To conclude we can say that the different religions all around the world has certain doctrines which tells about the protection of the biodiversity. These religious teachings have a significant impact on the preservation of environment.

Sunday, November 24, 2019

Quasi, the Queer Qualifier

Quasi, the Queer Qualifier Quasi, the Queer Qualifier Quasi, the Queer Qualifier By Mark Nichol What, exactly, does the prefix quasi mean, and can it stand on its own? The term, from Latin, is used as a qualifier to denote that something resembles or is like something but is not exactly equivalent, and, yes, quasi is an adverb. Quasi often appears in phrasal adjectives as a more formal alternative to â€Å"kind of† or â€Å"sort of†: A quasinomadic culture, for example, is one that has some but not all characteristics of a purely nomadic society. Something quasihistorical is based on fact but partly or mostly fictitious, such as the tales associated with King Arthur. A quasimilitary organization is one that resembles a military organization but does not function under the authority of a formal government, such as a rebel militia, or does not have a military function, such as the Salvation Army. (Words beginning with quasi are often seen hyphenated, but the hyphen is unnecessary.) Quasi may also, on its own, modify a noun, as in â€Å"quasi leader† (such constructions are often unnecessarily hyphenated), or even, rarely, a verb. The name of Quasimodo, the titular protagonist of The Hunchback of Notre Dame, is related. Because, as an infant, the character was abandoned at Notre Dame on Low Sunday, the first Sunday after Easter, he was named after the first words uttered during the Catholic Mass held on that day: â€Å"Quasi modo geniti infants† (â€Å"as newborn babes†). (I had always assumed the name means â€Å"half formed.†) Two words, one common and the other obscure, are based on quasi: Quasar is a contraction of â€Å"quasistellar radio source† (Merriam-Webster hyphenates quasistellar, but for consistency, I’m closing it), and quango is an acronym for â€Å"quasi-non-governmental organization†; it’s also employed as a prefix in quangocracy and quangocrat. Quasi is also seen as the first element in the odd British English term quasihemidemisemiquaver (styled semihemidemisemiquaver in American English), which refers to the extremely short 128th note in music. The shortest named note is the demisemihemidemisemiquaver, or 256th note; hemidemisemiquaver is the name of a 64th note, and demisemiquaver and semiquaver, respectively, denote the two next-shortest notes in British English. (In American English, they are referred to simply as 32nd and 16th notes.) The prefixes semi-, demi-, and hemi- (the first two from Latin, and the last from Greek), meanwhile, all mean â€Å"half† (the first two can also mean â€Å"partly†). Semi is perhaps best known to readers of American English as the abbreviated term for a large tractor truck that hauls freight; the full term is semitrailer, which refers to the trailer with no forward wheels that is attached to such a truck. Demi appears in words such as demigod, the label for a lesser god, and demimonde (French, literally â€Å"half-world†), which denotes the culture outside of polite society. Hemi, among other usages, precedes sphere to refer to one-half of a planet or other globe-shaped object. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Comma After i.e. and e.g.Work of Art Titles10 Terms for the Common People

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Organization Theory, Design and Change Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Organization Theory, Design and Change - Essay Example The process of change occurs when organizations make an attempt to move towards a state of increased profitability and proficiency compared to its present situation. The organizational structure simply illustrates the organization’s chain of command; how and through whom messages/orders/information passes through in order to reach its destination, typically from top to bottom i.e. originating from the CEO. The management comprises of individuals who creates a culture which describes the attitudes, beliefs and values these individuals possess. The organizations culture is a collection of specific norms and values shared by the people in the organization which has a strong impact towards the way they interact internally i.e. with each other, and externally i.e. with the stakeholders. The organizational theory, design, change, culture and structure are various systems of inter-related roles which support each other towards the process of achieving the organization’s goals and success. These elements, through interaction, eventually evolve over time and influence each other as the entire organization grows which means that the organizational theory, design, culture, change and structure are interdependent.

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Facebook Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Facebook - Essay Example Business, marketing, advertising, politics etc are some segments in which facebook contributed heavily to the global public apart from providing instant communication opportunities. The recent political developments in Arab world are believed to be stimulated by facebook. In fact the current Arab revolution is referred as facebook revolution. â€Å"The dictator of Tunisia was overthrown in less than one month after being in power for 23 years. There is no question about how opponents of his regime were able to topple it. Two words describe it: Facebook, Twitter†. In Libya also facebook contributed heavily for the expulsion of Gadhafi. In short, the influence of facebook over human life is growing day by day. â€Å"Facebook was founded in 2004 by a former-Harvard student Mark Zuckerberg†. He has also pointed out that â€Å"facebook and its idea spread across the college campus within months from launching and at present it is the second largest social networking site, s econd only to my space as far as traffic is concerned†. The founding of facebook has raised some controversies about the ownership of the idea of facebook. Mark Zuckerberg was accused of stealing the idea of his college roommates and fellow computer science students. Anyway, it is a fact that in early 2003 itself, the idea of creating a social network was in the mind of Zuckerberg. In fact he has started another social network Buddy Zoo in 2003 itself with the help of some of his close friends. In January 2004, Zuckerberg started writing the source codes of facebook and on February 4, he launched Thefacebook. In 2005, the name Thefacebook has been changed to Facebook. Controversies regarding the founding of facebook Former Harvard classmates Cameron Winklevoss and Tyler Winklevoss claim that Zuckerberg stole their idea for a social networking site whilst he was employed by them to assist with the sites development, the site in question being connectu.com. They filed a lawsuit as early as 2004 but the case was dismissed in March 2007, although it was quickly re-filed in Boston, eventually Facebook settled the case for $65m (Ryankette, 2011). Still there are many stories spreading about the stealing of this idea by Zuckerberg. â€Å"After Facebook announced the settlement, but before the settlement was finalized, lawyers for the Winklevosses suggested that the hard drive from Mark Zuckerberg's computer at Harvard might contain evidence of Mark's fraud†(Carlson, 2010). Critics label him as a cheat. It should be noted that besides Zuckerberg, there three co-founders for facebook; Dustin Moskovitz, Eduardo Saverin, and Chris Hughes. In short, the disputes about the ownership of the idea of facebook created lot of negative publicity to facebook. What made Facebook a success today? According to Shih (2009), â€Å"right this moment at least 150000000 people are interacting with friends and talking about the brands on facebook†(Shih, 2009, p.i). The success of facebook primarily lies in its ability to attract business people towards it. Business has realised the potentials of facebook quickly in conducting its marketing campaigns successfully. Facebook users normally share their ideas and opinions about the new products they might have purchased recently and this type of publicity is even better than word of mouth publicity for business people. So they have shown increased interests in posting marketing ads in facebook which helped facebook to grow considerably. Marketers can make use of targeted ads to reach specific segments of customers using facebook and that also with a minimal spending for advertising. Facebook ads are more effective and cheaper than other

Monday, November 18, 2019

Constitutional and administrative law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Constitutional and administrative law - Essay Example In the United Kingdom, the constitution forms the set of laws and principles from which the Kingdom is governed, the UK constitution is different from other nation‘s because it is not continued in one document, it has a de facto constitution that is embodied in court judgments, treaties and within statues3. One of the cases pointed out by As pointed out by Allen and Thompson, 2008, that gives the rule of law authority over statutory law is that of Malone v. MPC4 ,it was held that it was it is the right of an individual to be protected against arbitrary interference from public authorities in his private life. On the other hand ,administrative law forms part of the law that runs activities within government agencies, a government agency is body that has been mandated to make rules ,adjudication and the enforcement of given regulatory agenda5. Administrative law is directly related to public law, which deals with making decisions in various administrative units of the government such as commissions, boars and tribunals. Administrative law ensures that all the sectors of the economy are well coordinated and that the constitution is upheld in all the procedures in the nation. In the United Kingdom, the Ombudsmen, the judicial review and the tribunals are the bodies that take charge of administrative law, for example the Ombudsman plays the role of investigating complaints that come from maladministration. Both the administrative and constitutional laws are important to the sovereignty of a country, it economic growth, protection of human rights, prevention of mal administration, economic growth among others6. Body One of the roles of the constitution is to stipulate the state’s legal structure; it is the main body that makes rules which governs the excising of power within the government .It governs the relationship between the executive, the legislature and the judiciary bodies under its authority. The constitution defines various hierarchies and thei r relationship to power, in cases where it has established federal states; there will be several levels of government working together with shared or exclusive areas of jurisdiction in relation to lawmaking, its application and enforcement. Protecting of its people also form an important role of the constitution, human rights and civil liberties take care of the individuals rights against that of the state. Constitutional law alongside administrative law should ensure that its citizens are protected against exploitation by any body or organisation, in Prescott v Birmingham Corp, any decisions made in relation to public in interests should be carried with an aim contributing to the overall public good. 7 The Universal declaration of human rights that is found under the UN charter forms the basis of human rights element in most constitutions. In the UK, human rights provisions are provided from the statutes, convection and case law. For example in Entick v. Carrington8, where Entick a ccused Carrington over trespass and abuse of his human rights, in the ruling Lord Camdem declared that every man has the right to secure his property in fact that is the

Friday, November 15, 2019

Operations Management Case Study

Operations Management Case Study Preface: Western Bainoona Group â€Å"WBG† is Transportation, Roads and infrastructure general contracting; it has been established since 1990. It has 5 internal heads sections with 5000 persons. I will implement my company â€Å"WBG† as a study case on every task. Explain the importance of effective operations management in achieving organizational objectives (A.C 1-1) The operations management which is managing the processes to produce and distribute products and services has the big effective on achieving the objectives of the company due to several important factors: Operations management is responsible for short term objectives which considered as milestones to reach the long term objectives, therefore if the operations management is close to company short objectives, definitely the company long term objectives will be targeted. Operations management considered Micro analysis â€Å" SWOT analysis† which help the company to know the strength , weakness, opportunities and threats factors which affect on achieving the goals, so if the operations management doing this analysis in correct way , the company will take the advantage of the strength and opportunities factors and take care from the threats and weakness factors. Operations management depends on detailed level of aggregation so it will be always close to deep details in the company and in the market which helps the company to win chances, to avoid bad surprises and to be prepared always so it will serve the company to achieve its objectives easily without obstructions. Operations management is the balance between company inputs and outputs so if the balance between controlling company resources and achieving customer satisfaction is achieved so the company objectives will be targeted. Evaluate the success of existing operations management processes in meeting an organization’s overall strategic management objectives. (A.C. 1-2) To evaluate WBG operations management, we have to define the operations function. If we go through WBG operations function, easily we could see that operations are supporting the company strategy because WBG capabilities are bigger than the company plan and strategy due to strong capabilities factors such as huge infrastructure, thousands of employees and different procedures comparing with WBG Mission which is providing optimum quality in a timely and cost-effective manner with care to society and the environment. So for WBG operations management evaluation, we could go through 5 factors to compare between operations management performance and WBG mission: Quality : Inside WBG, it’s famous that the things must be done twice to be in proper way so the quality of operations must be enhances to meet the company mission and strategy. Speed : Some departments inside WBG are doing the works quickly like HR and contracting but the other departments are not like Garage and heavy equipments so the speed of operations must be enhanced in some divisions. Dependability : Dependability needs to be enhanced due to double works culture inside the company. Flexibility : The flexibility is strong inside WBG due to huge resources and good leadership. Cost : Doing the things cheaply is the procedure for any work inside WBG but because of double works, the cost is becoming more and more sometimes so the operations management must taking care of the cost and prevent double works. Explain the importance of effective quality management in achieving organizational objectives. (A.C 2-1) The quality management concentrates on the savings and additional revenue that company could realize if it eliminate errors and double works throughout its operations and produce products and services at the optimal level of quality desired by its customers. In case of achieving that, the company objectives will be targeted easily. Also quality management allow the company to meet current quality levels, meet the consumer’s requirement for quality, save employees through competitive training programs, and keep up with the latest technology which help the company to compete inside the market continuously and in same time achieving its objectives. On the other hand, quality management defines the areas which need to be enhanced inside the company, specifies the time of achieving quality results which will serve company goals, makes MACRO and MICRO analysis which help the company to define the market and entire system advantages and disadvantages and deploys the quality in all company divisions in different shapes. . Evaluate the success of existing quality management processes in meeting an organization’s overall strategic management objectives. (A.C 2-2) To evaluate the current quality management of WBG, we have to go through some important elements which affect on quality: Errors and double works : Till today, the existing quality management didn’t control the errors percentages which are high and the double works culture inside the company due to careless of employees, ignoring of the procedures and less knowledge. These things cause loss in money and time always. Desired customers’ optimal level of quality WBG in the recent years has ISO 9000 and special grade approval from municipality after it was 3rd grade. This Paradigm shift is due to customer’s satisfaction, products and services optimal quality. So the existing quality management must continue developing the optimal customer level of quality to be the first line inside market. Competitive training programs for employees Unfortunately, the existing quality management didn’t make any quality training for the employees and because of that a lot of errors and double works still happened. Latest market technology The existing quality management tried to use the latest market technology in its products and services but sometimes it didn’t use this due to cost issue. So it has to reserve special budget for quality developments. The time of achieving quality results Unfortunately, the existing quality management didn’t clear the time of achieving the quality results so the company long term objectives duration are not specified or known. 3.1 Plan a strategic quality change to improve organizational performance. (A.C.3-1) WBG must use the Forced Choice Model in its planning of strategic quality change because it has good description what will be happened in the next couple of years as the construction field could be predicted. The main long term objective is to achieve the company vision which says taking WBG forward as a leading construction company in the region and move on decisively towards a wider existence. Under this vision, we can make strategic quality plan for Contracting Department .the force model can analysis the department position by SWOT and Environmental assessment by PESTE. SWOT analysis can show the following: S: Internal Strengths: Strong budget and cash flow situation, good relations between staff, strong and big structure department, ISO certificates, Professional classification approval from ADM municipality, new IT system. W: Internal weakness: No QA/QC division, Lack of proposition, shortage of discerning skilled employees, Low motivation level, lack of employee’s commitment, some unskilled managers. O: External Opportunities: Excellent relations with authorities, contractors and clients, Banks Finance support, competitors vulnerabilities such as finance issues and authorities approval. T: External Threads: A Labour law, availability of resources, taxation, new legislations, Economic crises, increased trade barriers, competitor intentions PESTE –Macro environment analysis: We will find politically that UAE has stable government. Economically, market had enhanced and developed as the projects are increased due to EXPO2020. Socially, UAE has suitable demographics and good lifestyle trends. Technologically, the infrastructure level is helping too much to establish projects. Environmentally, the climate is suitable for construction and all resources are close. Strategy option : After the Macro and Micro analysis are done, the appropriate strategy for contracting department is â€Å"Competitive tenders pricing, decrease resources wastage and increase products and services quality â€Å". Requirements for implementing strategy option : Doing continuity different Training quality courses for supervisors, staff and engineers. Recruitment of skilled pricing manager, QA/QC manager and project managers. Develop the system and the coordination between contracting division and others. Create quality assurance and quality control divisions. Making known rewards system. Contingency Plans : Asking help from third party consultancy management offices. Joint venture with main contractors. 3.2 Define resources, tools and systems to support business processes in a strategic quality change (AC 3.2) Resources: Human Resources : staff , trainers ,supervisors ,engineers and managers Material Resources: all WBG material in its asphalt plant and crushers. Transportation Resources: Fleet of cars, trucks and six wheels. Tools: Heavy and light equipments. Emails and reports. WBG Garage. WBG office. Meetings. System: Training system. Rewards system. Company systems such as oracle, primavera, etc. HR system. 3.3 Evaluate the wider implications of planned strategic quality change in an organization. (AC 3.3) The evaluation of strategic quality change application in Contracting Department could be observed through some major elements: Cost : Q: Does the cost of the past repeated works and material wastage is more than existing quality training courses cost? If yes, that means the training courses must be proceeded and evaluated monthly by observing the wastage of material on construction site and percentage of repeated works, if the percentage is going to be lower than the past, that means the training courses is doing well, but if not, the company must check the problem either from impropriate courses or employees careless. Productivity : Q: Does Contracting Department win more tenders after strategic quality change application? Q: Does daily progress becomes more than before? If yes, that means the productivity on proper way but if not, it must check the cause either from improper coordination or personnel issues. Profitability : Q: Does Contracting Department specify time to gain the benefits from strategic quality change application? If yes, that means it has to observe the profitability percentage as planed or less. But if not, it must specify planned time to gain benefits otherwise the risk is too high. Products and services Quality : Q: Do suppliers and clients satisfy from products and services? Q: Do new suppliers and clients make agreement with WBG contracting department? If yes, that means the quality in right way. But if not, it must check with QA/QC division to explain the causes. 3.4 Design systems to monitor the implementation of a strategic quality change in an organization (AC 3.4) Monitoring the Training system : After staff, supervisors and engineers are done any training course, the contracting management must measure the percentage of understanding this course by doing small technical test on papers and on sites by daily progress reports to ensure that people got the benefit from the training or not. Monitoring the Daily work system : The seniors and managers of the contracting department must observe cost _items budget and cash flow_, schedule _milestones_ and quality through arranged below steps: Daily progress report from every employee and must handed over officially by internal mail system. All daily reports must be entered to analytical program to know the strong points and problem points for every employee works. Seniors and managers must interfere directly on time to solve any problem or misunderstanding of execution the strategic quality plan or procedures. Weekly feedback report must be given to every employee to show the progress and assess the efforts. Monthly encouraged rewords to the deserved employees who did the max progress works with less mistakes to motivate the employees to use this strategic quality change plan and to be more familiar with it. Weekly progress meeting must be held to discuss about the progress and to maintain the problems. Making seminars every 2 months and show all the employees the results of execution the strategic quality change and promise all employees with good yearly bonus if they doing their best to achieve the targets. 4.1 Implement a strategic quality change in an organization (A.C.4-1) By using of process mapping as below Figure†1† which shows the current system of contracting department Source: WBG Current contracting system So the proposed process mapping which will help to implement strategy quality change is as below Figure†2† Source: WBG Proposed contracting system 4.2 Embed a quality culture in an organization to ensure continuous monitoring and development. (A.C.4-2) To embed the quality in WBG Contracting Department, the management must do the following: Training Courses in different types of quality to teach the staff how to deal with the process in quality way which means low cost, less time and best results. Share the monthly process results to all stakeholders to show them the difference between using strategic quality and without. Encourage stakeholders by giving rewords and holidays. Give the shareholders more benefits in case of they targeted more goals for the company. Use latest technology to observe the process and system inside the deprtment and the company. 4.3 Monitor the implementation of a strategic quality change in an organization (AC 4.3) Daily progress report from every senior to his project manager who is responsible to compare between the actual schedule and the planned one so easily he could mark all the millstones which were delayed or achieved in advance. Also every PM must send this report to the operation manager who will evaluate the status of all projects. Quality Assurance: the QA engineers with managers must ensure that all daily operations and processes which are developed to appropriate the strategic change are on the right way and in case of any violations such as wrong material orders; they have to take action directly. Quality Control: the QC engineers with manager must control Budget, Quality, implementation methods, etc to evaluate the processes status and give the management real feedback about it. Meetings: all the senior management must meet once weekly to discuss about the progress and to maintain the problems. 5.1 Evaluate the outcomes of a strategic quality change in an organization (AC 5.1) Budget Reviews : The Contracting Department Manager must check the budget situation according to actual progress and planned cash flow so easily he could know the all outcomes after implementing the strategic quality change are similar to before situation or going better. Employee Machinery working hours VS Progress: The Contracting Department Manager can compare between the actual employees and machineries working hours and the planned estimated working hours by time sheet. So he could know the projects used extra working hours as before or within the estimated schedule as per the strategic quality planned. Time Schedule: The Contracting Department Manager could compare between the actual schedule and the planned one as per the strategic quality planned. So easily he could mark all the millstones which were delayed or achieved in advance. So by doing Check Sheet for the previous elements in every project, the things will be easier: 5.2 Recommend areas for improvement to a strategic quality change that align with organizational objectives (AC 5.2) Client Satisfaction : The client must be satisfied with WBG projects in all items so the contracting management must be careful to satisfy the clients give more efforts and expenses even if it’s out a little bit of the main scope because if the client is satisfying, sure the company will be in his priority in the next projects. Safe the employees : The contracting management must appreciate the employee’s efforts by sending thanking mails and give some days off to relax before transfer them to the next project. And in case there is no new project, they could send the employees for open vacation without terminate them so the Staff will increase their loyalty to the company. Paper works : The contracting management must ensure that all activities and lesson leaned are registered daily to give good feedback and lessons for the future. Share the benefits : The contracting management must give Bonus to the employees which aims to increase their efforts in implementation of strategic quality plan. References Quality.co.uk, (2015).The Quality Manual Management Network. [online] Available at: http://www.quality.co.uk/ [Accessed 3 Jan. 2015]. Bsigroup.com, (2015).ISO 9001 Quality Management | BSI Group. [online] Available at: http://www.bsigroup.com/en-GB/iso-9001-quality-management/ [Accessed 12 Jan. 2015]. BusinessDictionary.com, (2015).What is total quality management (TQM)? Definition and meaning. [online] Available at: http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/total-quality-management-TQM.html [Accessed 11 Jan. 2015]. Tutorialspoint.com, (2015).Basic Quality Tools. [online] Available at: http://www.tutorialspoint.com/management_concepts/basic_quality_tools.htm [Accessed 13 Jan. 2015]. Bia.ca, (2015).Strategic Quality Planning. [online] Available at: http://www.bia.ca/strategic-quality-planning.htm [Accessed 13 Jan. 2015]. Total Words: 2,992 [1]

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Essay --

Realms of Cognition in Middle Childhood Realms of Cognition in Middle School How has technology impacted cognitive development in middle childhood? What practical advice should helping professionals give to parents who want to protect their children from harm but also proved them with the advantages of technology? â€Å"For children at the start of middle school years, school and its peer group structure represents a new frontier† (Broderick & Blewitt, 2010, p. 176). â€Å"Another problems with children’s very early use of electronic media is that it displaces, or takes time away from, other activities that are more critical for positive development† (Broderick & Blewitt, 2010, p. 182). How has technology impacted cognitive development in middle childhood? Televisions, video games, and computer has impact on cognitive development. Children needs some form of activities outside of the home. Riding bikes, and play with their friends. Playing video games, and watching televisions requires no exercise. Televisions is ok for educational programs to watch. ...

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Luzhin will give Raskolnikov a job Essay

Raskolnikov saw the harsh way in which Katerina treated Marmeladov and the horrible poverty they lived in. When he brought Marmeladov back he left some money for them because of their evident need. Despite, he himself not being financially stable. He also reasoned that Sonya would need the money for her to make herself pretty so customers would come. He had many things in common with Sonya and as their life progressed they began to realize this. Raskolnikov could not relate to anyone after the murder except for Sonya. He felt a connection, which made him trust her and in time confess to her. Lizaveta was a dear friend to Sonya, who gave her a bible and a cross for Sonya to pray to. When Raskolnikov confessed to Sonya, she was not upset for Lizaveta but for his well being, which shows how much she cares for him. Raskolnikov views Sonya in the same circumstance as himself, both sinners. He believes this because she has this great believe in God but in the meantime she is a prostitute, which is ironic. Konstantin Mochulsky portrayed Sonya and Raskolnikov â€Å"as guilty of damning her soul as he. `You have ruined a life†¦ your own (it’s the very same thing). ‘† Konstantin says that the words in parentheses are â€Å"filled with malice and a fiendish lie. To lay down one’s life for one’s fiendish the very same thing as destroying the life of one’s neighbor! † (Miller, 97). Raskolnikov wants to make Sonya feel guilty about herself because he wants to leave with her. He wants to run away from their problems since they both have a dreadful past here, so they can start a new future in a new place. Raskolnikov first has to keep Dunya from marrying Luzhin. Dunya and Pulcheria have come to Raskolnikov so Dunya can get married to Luzhin, who is a businessman. Luzhin is mean, intolerant, and egotistical. He only wishes to marry Dunya because she is attractive, clever, but very poor and this combination he believes will make her indebted to him. Dunya is engaged to this man but she is only suffering this for her brother. Pulcheria and Dunya would suffer and sacrifice anything for Raskolnikov but he doesn’t want such responsibilities on his shoulders. They believe that Raskolnikov has the talent and intellectuality to become a wealthy man but he only needs an opportunity to prove himself, which is why Dunya will marry this self-centered man, Luzhin. Luzhin will give Raskolnikov a job, if Dunya marries him. This agreement would make Dunya suffer and Raskolnikov sees this and will not allow her to put herself on the line for him. Dunya knows that she doesn’t want to marry Luzhin and when he came to visit, he made it clear that he wants to be the superior to her. She and everyone else realized that he is a very arrogant person and since he mistreated her brother, she cancelled the wedding. Luzhin believes that it was all Raskolnikov’s fault and wants him to suffer. He wants to retaliate through Sonya. Luzhin goes to Sonya and gives her hundred rubles. He then goes to Katerina to tell her that Sonya stole the money but Sonya was saved from his allegations when Lebezyatnikov came in and told them that he saw Luzhin give her the hundred rubles. Luzhin not only embarrassed himself but also made himself seem vindictive and unreliable. Luzhin in the end was suffering because of his heartlessness. Raskolnikov is becoming more paranoid and keeps on almost confessing, every time he is questioned. Porfiry Petrovich is an officer and suspects Raskolnikov of the double murder. Every time the officer has a conversation with Raskolnikov, he gets so fearful and anxious that he has to leave in order to get his cool back. This shows that he is on the verge of confessing because guilt is overtaking his mind and soul. Raskolnikov only feels some normality when he is with Sonya. Sonya is vulnerable and he likes her kindness even though she also has a hard life. All the Characters in â€Å"Crime and Punishment† cause suffering upon themselves. It is not done in an intentional way but after they suffer they begin to feel redemption. Marmeladov liked to suffer and only felt human when he got punished. Sonya, Dunya and Pulcheria suffered for the sake of their families because they believed that it was for a better cause. Luzhin suffered because he was too egocentric to realize that he was hurting himself. Raskolnikov believed that he was murdering the pawnbroker for the sake of human kind but instead it ruined his life because he was consumed with guilt. The regret mainly came from killing the innocent sister, which made him isolate himself even more. The state of suffering that they all experienced was an escape. They knew what they were doing and felt bad or wrong about it. Suffering was their way of paying for their sins. Bibliography Dostoyevsky, Fyodor. Crime and Punishment. New York: Penguin Group, 1968. Malamud, Bernard. The Assistant. Oregon: Farrar Strauss Giroux, 1957. Miller, Robin Feur. Critical Essays on Dostoevsky. Boston: G. K. Hall & Co. , 1986; 90-100. http://dictionary. reference. com/search? q=suffering.

Friday, November 8, 2019

Edible Oil Market in India Essays

Edible Oil Market in India Essays Edible Oil Market in India Essay Edible Oil Market in India Essay Edible Oil Market in India BACKGROUND Edible oils constitute an important component of food expenditure in Indian households. Historically, India has been a major importer of edible oils with almost 30-40% of its requirements being imported till 1980s. In 1986, the Government of India established the Technology Mission on Oilseeds and Pulses (TMOP) in order to enhance the production of oilseeds in the country. The TMOP launched special initiatives on several critical fronts such as improvement of oilseed production and processing technology; additional support to oilseed farmers and processors besides enhanced customs duty on the import of edible oils. Consequently, there was a significant increase in oilseeds area, production, and yields until the late-1990s. However, in order to fulfill its obligations towards various international trade agreements and also meet the increasing demand-supply deficits, India began to reduce import restrictions on edible oils in the late 1990s; and it was gradually brought under Open General License. This led to a significant slump in the domestic oil seeds market, as edible oil prices fell sharply in line with the low international prices prevailing at that time. Subsequently, the duty structure was modified so as to maintain a duty differential between crude and refined varieties in order to protect the domestic industry. Nevertheless, due to high import dependence, domestic edible oil prices remain highly correlated to international edible oil price movement, and this has resulted in volatility in the key credit metrics of rated edible oil companies. At the same time, edible oil companies with benefits of large-scale integrated operations, multi-product offerings and recognizable branded presence in retail markets have fared better as compared to small/medium-scale domestic oilseed crushers. The demand for edible oils in India has shown a steady growth at a CAGR of 4. 43% over the period from 2001 to 2011. The growth has been driven by improvement in per capita consumption, which in turn is attributable to rising income levels and living standards. However, the current per capita consumption levels of India (at 13. 3 Kg/year for 2009-10) are lower than global averages (24 kg/year). 1 The Indian edible oils market continues to be underpenetrated and given the positive macro and demographic fundamentals it has a favorable demand growth outlook over the medium-to-long term. In terms of volumes, palm oil, soyabean oil and mustard oil are the three largest consumed edible oils in India, with respective shares of 46%, 16% and 14% in total oil consumption in 2010. Given the high price consciousness and varied taste preferences of Indian consumers, ICRA expects these three oils to continue to account for the bulk of edible oil consumption in the country. There has been a significant gap between demand and supply of edible oil because of limited availability of oil seeds and shifting of acreage to other crops in the domestic market. This gap has been met through imports, which account for almost 45-50% of the total oil consumption. In H1OY2010-11,2 edible oil imports were observed to be the lowest in the last three years in view of improvement in domestic oilseed production. Notwithstanding that, ICRA expects the high dependence on imported oils to continue in the foreseeable future due to anticipated domestic supply constraints and the high cost competitiveness of imported oils. Refined and crude palm oil (CPO) have accounted for the major portion of edible oil imports in India (74% in OY2009-10) mainly due to their relatively low prices and ample availability. ICRA expects the dominance of palm oil in imports to continue in the near-to-medium term. The Indian edible oil industry is highly fragmented, with the presence of a large number of participants in the organized and unorganized sectors. This has resulted in severe competition and inherently thin profitability margins. Further, the profitability of market participants has also been vulnerable to risks emanating from weak harvests; commodity price volatility and forex movements. The Government of India has cut down import duties on edible oil since April 2008. The current duty differential between crude and refined oils stands at 7. 5%, which provides protection to domestic refiners against competition from imported refined oils. Going forward, the industry’s profitability is vulnerable to any reduction in this duty differential. In the recent past, the Indian edible oil industry has witnessed organic and inorganic expansion by some of its major participants. Favorable demand outlook for edible oils; underpenetrated market offers significant growth potential: The demand for edible oils in India has shown a compounded growth of 4. 5% over the last 10 years and is estimated at 16. 2 million tonnes for Oil Year (OY) 2010-11. India plays an important role in the global edible oil market, accounting for approx. 10. 2% share of consumption; 7% share of oilseed production; 5% share of edible oil production and 13. % share of world edible oil imports for OY 2009-10. As per USDA estimates, India is the third largest consumer of edible oils (after China and the EU-27 countries); and will account for 11% of global edible oil demand and 16% of global imports in OY 2010/11F. India’s annual per capita consumption has shown a steadily increasing trend from 4 kg in the 1970s to 10. 2 kg in the late 1990s to current le vels of ~13. 5 14 kg. However, it still ranks well below the world average of around 24 kg (per capita figures including consumption of bio-energy), thereby signifying the high growth potential of the industry. Domestic production lags demand growth, thereby leading to heavy reliance on imports As compared to demand growth for edible oils, the domestic oil and oilseed production has remained largely stagnant on account of low productivity in under-irrigated areas and shifting of acreage from oilseeds to other crops. This has resulted in a significant demand-supply gap, which has been met through imports which have been further incentivised by a sharp cut in import duties. In the period from 2001 to 2008, import duties on crude soyabean oil / palm oil were in a prohibitively high range of 40%-90%. In order to curtail inflation, GoI revised these protectionist tariffs downwards to 7. 5% for refined palm / soybean oil and 0% for crude palm / soyabean oil in April 2008, resulting in a surge in volumes of imported oils that currently meet almost 45-50% of domestic consumption requirements. Reduction in import volumes witnessed for the first time in the last three years during H1OY2010-11; nonetheless, high dependence on imported oils is expected to continue Edible oil imports witnessed a sizeable 21% y-o-y reduction in H1 OY2010-11 (November 2010- April 2011), as can be observed in Chart 4. This has largely been on account of relatively higher domestic oilseed availability (~29-30 MT expected for OY2011 as against 24. 9 MT for OY2010) and consequently higher domestic oil production. The high crude palm oil prices (trading almost at par with soya during December 2010- February 2011), following concerns over production estimates in Malaysia, also resulted in lower imports, as edible oil players resorted to running down of inventory levels. The subsequent improvement in estimates of palm oil roduction has led to some correction in prices, which coupled with forthcoming festive demand is likely to revive import volumes in H2OY2011. Considering the current year domestic edible oil supply of 8. 0-8. 5 million tonnes per annum and factoring a normal growth of 2%-3% (through moderate expansion in cultivated area and yield improvements) in supply, ICRA expects the significant gap between domestic demand and supply to persist; and result in continued import dependence for at leas t 45% of consumption requirements, notwithstanding the dip in imports seen in H1OY2011. Apart from price, consumption is also influenced by regional preferences; palm, soyabean and mustard oil are the three major edible oils An important characteristic of the Indian edible oil consumption pattern is the variation in preferences across regions, driven by taste and availability. For instance, soyabean oil is mainly used in northern and central regions of India due to the local availability of soyabeans. Mustard oil is largely consumed in north-eastern, northern and eastern regions of India, as its pungency is a desired and inherent part of the local cuisine. Palm oil has increasingly become the oil of choice in southern India due to the warmer climate (palm oil gets a cloudy appearance in colder climates) and easy availability from South-east Asia. The increased health awareness also determines the consumption pattern with mustard and soya considered healthier than palm oil, which has higher levels of saturated fats. Oils like rice bran and olive are also gaining popularity due to their superior health properties, although their consumption remains fairly low in absolute terms. Further, price economics also have an important role to play in determining consumer choice, given that expenditure on edible oil constitutes a significant portion of the household budget. In terms of volume, palm, soyabean and mustard/rapeseed oil are the three major edible oils consumed in India and together account for 75% of the total edible oil demand, as indicated in Chart 5. While mustard oil is almost entirely produced within the country, soyabean oil is imported in significant quantities (about 45%-50%). Palm oil is entirely imported in crude form for refining in port-based refineries while some quantities are also imported in the refined form. Given the cost economics and taste preferences of consumers, ICRA expects these three varieties of edible oil to dominate the consumption mix. Accordingly, companies with an exposure to these oil varieties stand to benefit. Given the inherent volatility in prices, ICRA believes that participants with a diversified presence across edible oil categories would be better placed than participants focused on a single variety of oil, due to the flexibility to modify product portfolio in line with market parity and maintain optimum capacity utilisation levels High fragmentation and competition put margins of domestic participants under pressure: The edible oil industry in India is characterised by intense competition and fragmentation, with the presence of a large number of units attributable to low entry barriers such as low capital and low technical requirements of the business and a liberal policy regime (SSI reservation for traditional oilseeds and sales tax incentives by various state governments). While a number of inefficient units closed down after reduction of high import tariffs on imported edible oils, the average capacity utilisation rates of Indian oilseed processors remain very low (at ~30%-40%), with many of them operating only for a part of the year, that is, during the local harvest season of raw materials. As a result of this high competition and fragmentation, margins in the edible oil business tend to be thin. Further, they are exposed to risks of commodity price volatility and forex movements. Notwithstanding the above, the market includes some large industry participants like Marico Limited, Cargill India Private Limited, Adani Wilmar Limited, Ruchi Soya Industries Limited and KS Oils Limited, which have a diversified product portfolio; multiple manufacturing units and operate on a pan India basis mainly in the branded segment. ICRA believes that the larger manufacturers by virtue of their scale enjoy certain advantages like access to cheaper working capital credit and savings in cost of production, which make them relatively better positioned to withstand margin pressures and difficult industry conditions. Strong linkage between domestic and international edible oil prices: The domestic edible prices are directly linked to the prices of imported palm and soyabean oil due to heavy reliance on imports and substitutability amongst oil varieties. Given the high volatility in international edible oil prices, domestic participants are exposed to the risk of unexpected squeeze on margins due to pricing mismatches between raw materials (which are linked to domestic factors) and final product prices (affected by global factors). The nternational prices of edible oils increased sharply and reached their peaks around June 2008, driven by high crude oil prices that led to the diversion of edible oilseeds to bio-fuel usages apart from other shortages in supply. In August 2008, edible oil prices in local and international markets fell by more than 50% (month-on-month) because of a drop in crude oil prices; falling demand on account of global recession and healthy production figures. The prices remai ned volatile during FY10 with only a marginal recovery but remained lower than the peak average of FY09 on an overall basis. In recent months, edible oil prices have shown significant recovery, following increasing crude oil prices; anticipated increase in bio-fuel demand; expected production shortages for CPO production in Malaysia/Indonesia and growing demand. There is also a noticeable trend of reduction in differential between palm oil and other edible oils, especially soyabean and rapeseed oils. Given the likelihood of sustained high crude oil prices in the near term, ICRA believes that edible oil prices would continue to remain firm. Industry remains vulnerable to the risk of narrowing import duty differential: Beginning 2007-08, there has been a progressive reduction in import duties on crude and refined edible oils. Most of these policy changes have been made in order to comply with foreign trade agreements entered by India with other countries and associations such as ASEAN apart from meeting shortfalls in domestic supplies and curtailing inflation. In the last round of changes in duty structure (April 2008), the duty on crude palm oil was made ‘nil’ while that on refined palm oil was made 7. % (7. 7% including education cess), with the net duty differential being maintained at 7. 5% to protect the domestic industry3. Going forward, the reduction of import duty differential remains a key regulatory risk for the industry. Branded oil sales, although currently low in India, are expected to grow due to renewed thrust by major players Given the presence of a large number of unorganised participants in the Indian edible oil market, the share of branded product sales has remained low with most low-income consumers opting for cheaper oils sold in loose form. As per industry data, only about 31% of urban households and about 9% of rural households consume branded edible oils, with the national average at 16%. Given the low penetration of branded oils; increasing affluence levels and quality consciousness of the Indian consumers, there is a significant growth potential in the branded segment. Amongst the major edible oils consumed, palm oil is still largely traded as a commodity and sold mostly in loose form, with packaged sales accounting only for 15%-20% of total sales. Sunflower and soya oil, on the other hand, have a high proportion of packaged sales estimated at around 70% and 55% of total sales. The major participants in the organised sector, namely, Ruchi Soya, Adani Wilmar Limited (AWL) Cargill India, have a strong presence in the branded segment, with branded sales accounting for 38%, 58% and 60% of total edible oil sales of these companies respectively. Moreover, a few mid-sized, regional edible oil companies such as Mantora Oil Products Ltd, Modi Naturals and Tara Health Foods Ltd have also been striving to establish their brands. From a credit perspective, ICRA considers high share of branded sales as a strength, given the favourable outlook for growth; relatively high margins; stability of offtake and better pricing power as compared to the bulk market. Nonetheless, since branding activities entail high upfront outlay while sales volumes may take time to scale up, profitability margins of companies undertaking large-scale branding efforts are likely to come under pressure during the interim gestation period. Some trends of consolidation visible in the industry; large-scale integrated players leading the capacity addition process through expansion as well as acquisition/consolidation The edible oil industry in India in the recent past has witnessed both organic as well as inorganic expansion by some of the major players. AWL has added 1090 TPD of installed capacity for refining and 5050 TPD of installed capacity for seed processing during CY 2010-11 by acquiring five operational plants and undertaking expansion at three out of its four existing plants. AWL has also additionally taken over the operations of other Wilmar associates in India (like Acalmar Oils Foods Limited) so as to consolidate its pan-India presence. Sanwaria Agro Oils Limited has added 1000 TPD crushing capacity in 2009 through acquisition of two plants. KS Oils has set up new facilities at Kota, Ratlam and Guna, totaling 3400-3600 tpd, and acquired a refining unit at Haldia. Further, some edible oil manufacturers have also undertaken backward integration to strengthen their overall business model. KS Oils has acquired 1,38,000 acres of palm plantations in Indonesia while Ruchi Soya has access to 1,75,000 hectares of agricultural land with palm plantations across different Indian states. While ICRA considers this consolidation and capacity expansion trend as a favourable development due to the benefits associated with large scale of operations, on the flip side, the adverse impact of such activities on the capital structure; profitability and return metrics of the concerned companies, particularly during the gestation period, presents a downside risk. Financial Profile of Key Edible Oil Companies Operating margins have been at moderate levels; some brand-focused players have managed slightly superior margins: Due to the low value addition in the business, operating margins (EBITDA level) for edible oil manufacturers have inherently been in a thin to moderate range. However, some brand-focused manufacturers such as Marico and KS Oils have achieved higher margins due to high brand penetration and pricing premium. Refer Chart 7 for EBITDA margin trend. High proportion of trading revenues enhances the business risk of participants: ICRA has observed that many domestic edible oil companies have a high exposure to trading activities (in some cases as high as 30-40% of total sales). Given the low value addition and margins in the processing/refining business, promoters of some companies resort to opportunistic price-based trading in crude edible oils/seeds and maintain high levels of inventory in anticipation of price increases. ICRA notes that this aggressive trait of certain companies exposes them to the risk of losses in the event of sharp price fluctuations such as those seen in 2008-09. RoCE of edible oil players witnessed a downward trend due to capacity additions and sub-optimal utilisation levels: Given the low capital intensity of the business, the return on capital employed for edible oil manufacturers has remained in an adequate range despite thin profitability. Over FY 09- FY 10 (Refer Chart 8), however, some pressure on RoCE was sighted due to a spate of capacity additions, wherein optimal capacity utilisation could not be achieved in the year of commissioning. Business continues to be characterised by high working capital intensity: Working capital intensity (as measured by Net Working Capital/Operating Income) in he edible oil industry tends to be high because of high inventory holdings, given the seasonality in raw materials (that is, availability of oil seeds). Higher prices and higher inventory holdings had an upward effect on the working capital intensity of most participants in 2009-10 (Refer Chart 9) and resulted in higher financial costs, thereby st raining their net margins. Moderately high gearing levels: The gearing levels of edible oil companies remain moderately aggressive due to high working capital intensity and debt-funded capex activities (Refer Chart 10).

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

How Mainbars and Sidebars Are Used in News Coverage

How Mainbars and Sidebars Are Used in News Coverage Youve probably noticed that when an especially big news story happens, newspapers, and news websites dont just produce one story about it but often many different stories, depending on the magnitude of the event. These different kinds of stories are called mainbars and sidebars.   What Is a Mainbar? A mainbar is the main news story about a big news event. Its the story that includes the main points of the event, and it tends to focus on the hard-news aspects of the story. Remember the five Ws and the H  - who, what, where, when, why and how? Those are the things you generally want to include in the mainbar. What Is a Sidebar? A sidebar is a story that accompanies the mainbar. But instead of including all the main points of the event, the sidebar focuses on one aspect of it. Depending on the magnitude of the news event, the mainbar can be accompanied by just one sidebar or by many. An Example Lets say youre covering a story about the dramatic rescue of a boy who has fallen through the ice of a pond in winter. Your mainbar would include the most newsy aspects of the story - how the child fell and was rescued, what his condition is, his name and age and so on. Your sidebar, on the other hand, might be a  profile of the person who rescues the boy. Or you might write about how the neighborhood where the boy lives comes together to help the family. Or you might do a sidebar on the pond itself - have people fallen through the ice here before? Were appropriate warning signs posted, or was the pond an accident waiting to happen? Again, mainbars tend to be longer, hard-news oriented stories, while sidebars tend to be shorter and often focus on a more feature-y, human-interest side of the event. There are exceptions to this rule. A sidebar on the dangers of the pond would be a very hard-news story. But a profile of the rescuer would probably read more like a feature. Why Do Editors Use Mainbars and Sidebars? Newspaper editors like using mainbars and sidebars because for big news events, theres too much information to cram into one article. Its better to separate the coverage into smaller pieces, rather than having just one endless article.   Editors also feel that using mainbars and sidebars is more reader-friendly. Readers who want to get a general sense of what has happened can scan the mainbar. If they want to read about one particular aspect of the event they can find the relevant story. Without the mainbar-sidebar approach, readers would have to plow through one huge article to try to find the details theyre interested in. In the digital age, when readers have less time, shorter attention spans and more news to digest, thats not likely to happen. An Example From The New York Times On this page, youll find The New York Times main news story on the ditching of a U.S. Airways passenger jet into the Hudson River. Then, on the right side of the page, under the heading Related coverage, youll see a series of sidebars on the accident, including stories on the quickness of the rescue effort, the hazard that birds present to jets, ​and the fast reaction of the jets crew in responding to the accident.

Monday, November 4, 2019

Advanced Principles and Practice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Advanced Principles and Practice - Essay Example It is no doubt that the company will undergo a lot of losses due to an injury that could be avoided by simply following the rules. The government has Health and Safety practitioners whose responsibility is to ensure that the organisations adhere to these rules and regulations. They interpret the rules to the employers and ensure that they follow them constantly. It has been argued that the practitioners are interested in preventing law suites against employers of companies rather than protecting the workforce when they ensure that the rules are adhered to. Like all other countries, the UK has not been left behind in ensuring safety for workers and for this reason it has its own Health and Safety legislation. It is also important to look at the competency of the Health and Safety practitioners to know if they have the right skills and knowledge to fully interpret the rules. The United Kingdom has the primary document that set out the health and safety regulations in occupations; Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. The Act ensures that it has fully explained the regulations that all types of companies are expected to follow. It mainly protects people at work according to the activities they are carrying out. It should be noted that not all regulations can be employed by all departments or companies. The regulations depend on the activities each department or company is undertaking. For instance a bank will have an emergency door in case of fire but one can not find protective clothing against emission of dangerous fumes like in a factory that is producing paper or making plastic bags (Colin, 2004, pp. 120-160). Common Health and Safety Regulations There are common rules that every employer despite the kind of company must adhere to. First of all, every employer has the responsibility of ensuring that practicable Health and Safety rules are in existence within the organisation. The rules and regulations should aim at protecting all employees. The employer needs to ensure that there is maintenance of the plant and all working systems or machines. Constant maintenance will prevent accidents that can be caused by break down of various machines. It is important to ensure maintenance such as changing roofs, mending floors to prevent the risk of falling down, pipe leakages and so on (Colin, 2004, pp. 120-160) . Every company needs to have training sessions for their employees on how to employ safety rules as they work. Training is done when employees are just joining the organisation. Employees are trained on how to handle machines and tools within the organisation. They are also trained on where to find protective clothing and how to handle them. There is need to carry out training of employees so that they can know where they can find First Aid tool kits and emergency doors. When a new machine is introduced within the company, then the workforce needs to know how to handle it and its maintenance to prevent accidents that can be brought about by neglecting it. It is the responsibility of the employer to train its employees in First Aid measures to help in case an accident occurs. Employees can be given training on how to behave in case there is a fire. They can be taught how to use fire extinguishers and the emergency water pipes. A drill can be used by Health and Safety practitioners to c heck if a company can respond well in case of fire emergency. It can see if the company has fire sensors that immediately release water when there is emission of smoke, emergency exit doors and fire extinguishers. Sometimes employees can decide not to follow the safety rules employed by the company, thus the employer can decide to appoint a supervisor who understands the

Friday, November 1, 2019

Religion Western Religion Islam Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Religion Western Religion Islam - Essay Example Muslims believe that practicing Islam puts them in a state of righteousness and obedience to the will of God. However, they take it a bit far when they state that it is better for all mankind to become Muslims and submit to the will of God because nothing can be better than this. This presupposes the dominance of Islam over the other religions and its inherent superiority, as every Muslim would like to believe. However, I believe that it is more correct to acknowledge other religions as well, like Christianity and Judaism. In fact all three of these faiths emerged from a common continent and have many similarities of belief. For example, all of them believe in Adam and Eve as being God’s first human creations and the subsequent banishment from the Garden of Eden. Islam recognizes around 124,000 prophets as being sent by God at various times throughout the history of mankind. However Muslims regard the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) as Allah’s last messenger and the founder and first proliferater of Islam. The Muslim faith of Islam is based on five pillars or tenets which are as follows: (1) Shahada or Creed; (2) Salat or Daily Prayers; (3) Sawm or fasting during Ramadan; (4) Zakat or Alms-giving; and (5) Hajj, or the pilgrimage to Mecca, to be undertaken by a Muslim if he has the means, at least once in his lifetime. To a Muslim, these five basic acts are obligatory and a framework around which lies their commitment to their faith (Hooker, 1). The Quran itself presents these tenets as basic signs of commitment to the faith of Islam. They must be observed and practiced by every Muslim. An equivalent would be the observance of the sacraments in Christianity, I guess. Observing the five tenets of Islam and what is applicable to an individual of the seven sacraments in Christianity would keep each believer in a state of grace and strengthen their position with God. While all of us may not agree with it, Muslims believe that Islam is the best