Can a machine have a conscience Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Can a machine have a conscience - Research Paper Example pic indicate that conscience is a complicate matter to be understood even in humans and hence cannot be replicated in machines no matter how intelligent they are or will be made to be. With the new technological innovations of this century that continue to shock even the inventors, there is possibility of them developing a machine that will have a conscience in the future. One of the best brain scientists in the world Christof Koch who works for the Allen Institute for Brain Science located in Seattle is very positive of having a breakthrough in the scientific and technological industry which will lead to development of a conscious machine. He believes that it is only a matter of organizing the machine to work like a mammalian brain and the results will be epic (Regalado 2014). The institute he is working in has dedicated millions of dollars in neuroscience research of the mammalian brain studying its neurons and synapses and trying to find out about consciousness through the Human Genome Project. He vouches for the integrated information theory which will be able to explain about consciousness in detail which would in turn lead to development of a machine with the same components, neurons and synapses to enable it have a conscience. According to the authors Tononi and Koch (2008), the concept of consciousness is as imperfect to understand and explain in detail as the law of physics and other sciences but it is there and can be explored further. If there is a theory to explain about consciousness no matter how complicated or vague it currently is, it means that there is hope that further research, development and expansion of the theory will lead to reproduction of machineries with inbuilt conscious and hence will act, think, feel and make decisions similarly to a human being. Detailed clinical study using sophisticated instruments have provided a basic understanding of the process of consciousness (Tononi and Koch 2008). These results are the basics of the

Adv & Disadvantages of Leadership Development Methods Essay Example for Free

Adv Disadvantages of Leadership Development Methods Essay Professional qualifications that require refreshing will be supported if they are an essential criteria for the post| * Trust induction * Trust Essential Update training * Manual Handling * Professional re-registration training * PRINCE2, MSP, LEAN| * Provides an understanding of how the Trust works * Provides health and safety training * Sends out a clear message that professional registration is recognised, important and is supported| * Trust induction training tends to be very generic and does not necessarily relate to the job role * Training for re-registration is not always timely * Is dependent on funding * Cost implications of ensuring that the training budget can cover training| Elective Learning| Courses that are not part of the essential criteria for the post will be deemed to be elective and will be subject to the trust policy on supported learning| * Courses identified as part of the personal development plan * Influencing skills * Negotiating skills * MS Project/Other IT Skills * Meets specific needs for the individual * Can be delivered by others in the team or by a generic course * Ensures that leaders are given requisite skills| * Some generic courses do not cover specific requirements * Is dependent on funding being available| Work Assignments| Work assignments will be seen as an opportunity to help leaders develop specific competencies or practice key behaviours. * Specific goals will be set as part of personal development plans * Feedback on progress will be done either via formal appraisal or by 1:1 feedback with line managers| * Reiterates the message that lessons can always be learned * Gives leaders the growth opportunities to put theories and models into practice * Learning by doing| * Unless well managed there is a tendency to concentrate on ‘getting the job done’ * Opportunities are not always recognised or used to the full advantage| Special Assignments/Initiatives| Involvement in short-term assignments or initiatives either generated from within the team or as part of a project team| * Attendance at programme or project board meetings * Involvement in assignments/initiatives

Different Types of Harassment in the Work Force and at School Essay exa

Harassment has been an issue in the work force and in many other fields for decades, leading all the way back up to 1964. The United States Congress passed Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, prohibiting discrimination at work on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin and sex. There are many different types of harassment that many do not even know that they can be accused for. Through out my research I will be naming every type of harassment and presenting an article for each topic. One form of harassment that is very common at a young age is bullying. Bullying is occurred manly at school, on the playground but it is also seen in the workforce. To many people bullying is the cause to harassment in the future. By not stopping and putting an end to bullying when people are young may lead to worse things in the future. Physiological harassment is a common type of harassment. This is usually best described as when you bring down ones self esteem. You will not find many accusations on the type of harassment, due to the fact that many people do not even know that they can actually accuse someone for this. Racial harassment is probably the second most commonly known harassment. There is racial harassment every single day in this world. The most commonly known harassment is sexual harassment. Sexual harassment occurs every single day in this world. Whether it is at school, work or even at home, it is happening every day. What I will be mostly researching today is sexual harassment in the work place and how it affects one another. Many people don’t even know what the true meaning of sexual harassment is. Sexual harassment is anything that revolves around gender discrimination. If you are at a work place and some one fr... ...her women to be harassed in this way. It is easier to get harassed under this category due to the fact that women will become vulnerable to men in higher positions to work there way up and/or higher there pay. This type of harassment is seen everywhere everyday. Hostile environment sexual harassment occurs when verbal physical or graphic sexual displays are so pervasive that they interfere with work performance or cause an offensive or intimidating atmosphere in the workplace. This type of harassment is the type that is mentioned early, that women tend to get frightened to act upon. When something verbal physical happens, it is up to the victim to tell he/or she that she is out of line and to please not talk to him/her like that and to please no show her such images. This type of harassment is the type that keeps women from wanting to go into a working environment.

Company Introduction, Market Segmentation, and Product Positioning Essay

The key to successful product implementation in today’s national enterprise system is the effective marketing of a new product with the company’s line of existing products. As stated by Lacobucci (2012), marketing is defined as an exchange between a company and its customers. The customer wants something from the company or firm and vice versa. In previous times, a company would manufacture a product they thought the customer would want or need. The customer purchased that product because of a pending need, which basically meant that marketing used to be product oriented. However, marketing today is more that an advertisement for goods and services in an attempt to attract new business. We live in a customer orientated and empowered marketing environment. We realize the importance and ramifications of having an exchange with our customers and developing a relationship with them. It is this exchange of information between our company and our existing as well as future customers that secures our position in our target market. Our company is a regional tool distributor located in the northeastern section of the United States. Our customer base consists of several major retailers, nationally known in the retail and wholesale tool industry. We used the brand label Blue Steel Tools for marketing and distribution of our products to discuss the implementation of an effective plan to market a new product line, the Illuminated Power Wrench. This paper will analyze market, identify our market segment for sales distribution and discuss the reasoning for the segment. Discussing the target market and why the targeted customers were specifically selected. We will do the SWOT analysis; describe the unique market position and the expected service provided in meeting the needs of the target audience. 1. Identify the marketing segment for the product and provide a rationale for this segment. The definition of a market segment as stated by Lacobucci (2012) is a group of customers that shares similar inclinations towards our brand. To define market segment further for our needs, it is an identifiable group of individuals, professionals or organizations that share one or more characteristics or needs in an otherwise homogenous market. In our case, our product will have a very wide market of consumers and small business owners and employees. Therefore we will need to reduce the market segments to larger chunks. Market segments generally respond in a predictable manner to a marketing or promotion offer. The market segment for the new product will vary widely due to the versatility of our product usage. Our main segment approach will focus on the wholesale distribution to retail repair supply stores who carry lines of tools for resale to the private and business consumer. These market segments will include businesses such as Lowes and Home Depot, retail tool distributors such as Harbor Freight Tools, automobile parts stores such as Advance Auto Parts and tool catalogue companies such as great Northern to name a few. As we analyze this segment we ask the question if this segment is viable and can we profit from using it. Other considerations are accessibility and measurability. This segment is small enough to manage our sales and distribution, but large enough to reach the ultimate user of our product. This market segment possesses the potential and versatility to sell and distribute our product to the target consumer market with a widely diversified audience in the retail industry. The bases for this segmentation include similar demographics, geographical locations, and psychological make-up of customers and behaviors of users/purchasers. In other words, the customer base for our segments meets the desired user of our end product. Anyone who builds or repairs something whether they are a novice or professional is a potential customer. Therefore, by using this method of market segmentation for product distribution, we will successfully sub-divide a large homogenous market into clear identifiable and manageable segments that have similar needs, wants or demand characteristics indicated by Lacobucci (2012). 2. Discuss the target market and provide rationale for this target market. The target market defined is the particular market segment at which a marketing campaign is focused. As stated earlier, this product has been designed for the retail tool industry. We have targeted segments in the industry that will be the most successful in reaching the consumer and generating a demand for our product through steady sales. Lacobucci stated the first perspective in assessing segments target is to have a view of the segments themselves and the primary concern is the segment be profitable. This in turn will become a profitability issue for our company as we continue to hold a place in the small tool market and generate profits with continued sales. The second perspective examined was if the market or segment fit with who we are. In this case the answer is yes. The ultimate target for this product is the consumer. The greater exposure we have, the higher propensity for sales growth. The illuminated ratchet screw driver is a quality tool for use by not only the novice home self repair person; it will also meet the needs of the professional repair person, no matter what the industry. The illumination system in the handle of the wrench will appeal to the vehicle mechanic working in the close quarters of an engine compartment, the electrician repairing the circuit breaker box, the computer repair technician working in between electronic circuitry as well as to the basic consumer performing handy maintenance projects. This tool will come with the standard wrench lugs and have availability to accessories such as wrench tips to enhance its versatility to meet the needs of a wider target audience. The wider target audience is customers of our targeted market segments. Therefore the target market is our pathway to the ultimate user of the product is consumer sales. The strategic sales objective of these retail establishments coincides with our strategic vision of reaching the ultimate user of our products, satisfying their needs and increasing the likelihood of additional product sales. 3. Perform a SWOT (strengths, weakness, opportunities and treats) for the company. As we move forward in the marketing of our product, we need to our own corporate strengths. Lacobucci (2012) suggests the use of a SWOT analysis in identifying our strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. The strengths and weaknesses characterize our company in relation to competitors where the opportunities and threats characterize the broader environment such as the tool industry, suppliers, the government and etc. Our strengths are in our track record in t he tool industry. We have provided quality products at competitive prices. Another perceived strength is in the management of our company. The senior management of Steel City Tools has provided a strategic vision with clearly defined attainable goals for market position and sales. However a perceived threat is in the foreign market. A number of tool company’s efforts have been over shadowed with a cheaper duplication of products from foreign markets. The US has been plagued with a reduction in the manufacturing industry due to globalized markets, elimination of trade barriers and outsourcing. The end result is our market segment (distributor) could purchase a similar product cheaper and increase their gross margin and not purchase our product for resale. Another threat we are not prepared to react to is loss of a major distributing customer. With more and more businesses merging, we could lose a distribution source with no warning. One of our weaknesses is we have focused on sales east of the Mississippi, thus limiting market expansion. However, this could be turned around as a future opportunity for market expansion. An easy way to expand our market is to establish a retail division and use infomercials through the cable television network to accept mail order/telephone order select product sales such as our new illuminated power wrench. However, a marketing effort of this nature would require careful consideration must be given to the geographical area so as not to alienate our primary segment customers. A move of this nature would require additional capital investment and careful analysis of this type of expansion would be necessary to minimize risk of project failure. The SWOT is useful in clarifying our marketing questions. The key is to address our shortcomings so as not to give the competition an upper hand and not raise concerns with our customers and capitalize on our strengths for continued success. 4. Create the market position for your product and service. Explain your rationale. Product positioning, according to the Encyclopedia of Business, involves the tailoring the entire marketing program to include product features, distribution, price, quality and service to meet the needs of the consumer within the specific market segment. In this manner, the product positioning is part of the overall market segmentation. Product position takes place in our distributors store, or target market segment and tells us how we can strive most effectively in that market segment against our competition which are also present on display. The key is to understand the consumer perceptions of the product and the marketing behind it. Quality, reliability, affordability, unique features, benefits to the customer is just a few attributes of product positioning. According to Lacobucci (2012) positioning is often about modifying the four P’s of marketing (position, price, place and promotion). In the case of our company, our reputation is a reflection of the position to provide a quality product at a competitive price while leading the market in innovation. Our company performance is attributed to the quality of our employment staff. Our employees are at the core to our success. We have established core values for our company’s work force by creating a positive work culture with recognition of the whole person concept. The strategic leadership from the top on down to the employee fosters productivity with reward and recognition to enhance their performance in support of the company operations to include our marketing efforts. Thus the positive and proactive personality of our company in meeting its marketing objectives is a direct reflection of the quality of every member of the Blue Steel Tool Team. As we continue to grow and develop products for sale, we position our products at a distribution sales point or market segment with the greatest customer exposure for maximum market penetration. We will service our product to the satisfaction and benefit of the customer so as not to jeopardize customer confidence as well as the business relationship with our market segment. The product we create and the service we provide are a direct reflection of not only our company, but that of our distributors. Our products are designed to meet the working needs of our professional as well as consumer clientele with a level of quality that meet or exceed expectations at the best value. References Lacobucci, D. (2012) Marketing Management: 2012 custom edition. Mason OH Market Segment Defined Retrieved from http://www. businessdictionary. com/definition/market-segment. html Morley R. (2006), Trumpet Print Edition: The Death of American Manufacturing, February 2006 Retrieved from http://www. thetrumpet. com/index. php? page=article&id=1955 Reference for Business Product Positioning: Encyclopedia of Business, 2nd ed. Retrieved from http://www. referenceforbusiness. com/small/Op-Qu/Product-Positioning. html Target Market Defined retrieved from http://www. businessdictionary. com/definition/target-market. html

Art Criticism and Art History Essay

The origins of the practice of assemblage can be traced back to its early twentieth century roots based on ideas presented by Dadaists. The Dada movement was a literary and artistic movement during the First World War and further developed as a non-art movement. The main idea of Dada was to not follow a uniform rule of what an artwork entails in order to be valued. This movement was significant in the development and history of art as it challenged society with new ideas therefore provoking change in our perspective of what can be classified as aesthetically pleasing and all the possibilities of what art is. Also, the emergence of Dadaism occurred when the world was in an affluent, strong, materialistic and consumer oriented mindset and was created out of the frustration and pain felt by young artists provoked by a revolt against the horrors of war. By their governments allowing such barbarism to take place, they then adapted beliefs in opposite to those implemented onto them: For example, in a time where impressionism was celebrated as influenced by realism, romanticism, baroque and renaissance movements, Dadaists disregarded past influences and made their own art from whatever was considered non-artistic. The Dadaists stood for anything that wasn’t classified as art due to criticism of this war and created non art by using Shock Art to capture the attention of viewers at the time. The Dadaists would use vulgar words, scatological humour, visual puns and found objects to create non artistic pieces. This generated reactions of offence and shock by society at the time and therefore achieved its purpose, which was to provoke an emotional reaction from an audience. A clear example of this is represented in Marcel Duchamp’s ‘L. H. O. O. Q’ where the artist has painted moustache on a copy of the Mona Lisa. This became one of the most well known acts of degrading a famous artwork as Duchamp’s postmodern viewpoint challenged what the image originally had to offer and changed its meaning completely. This ‘degrading’ of the Mona Lisa achieved another level of offence through the title of the image being a pun, which, when translated in French, the letters’ pronunciation says â€Å"She has a hot ass† whilst being displayed as post-card size rather than being large and therefore admired as Da Vinci’s masterpiece was as well as many influential artworks of the past. The subjective viewpoint of this artwork is to provoke an emotive response from viewers and is a form of satire against the ‘Mona Lisa†. The Dada movement was a revolt against the â€Å"high cultural† content of the visual arts of the time. To truly act against high content of artwork, the Dadaists elevated ordinary objects into the outlook of the ‘aesthetic’ by forcing viewers to observe everyday objects in new frameworks. Assemblage in the Dada movement varied widely as there was no predominant medium of use in any of these artworks and left the construction of the work to the imagination of the creator rather than implying that only a painting suiting the era is considered art. The Dada movement self destructed when it was in danger of becoming an acceptable art practice in society. Due to use of assemblage, ready made objects and montage of all sorts, these techniques of art gained acceptance from Dadaism and became popular within the upcoming years of the movement. Dada was influential in the creation of surrealism as these works are not only an attempt to express the mechanism of the mysterious subconscious but are also characterized by fantastic imagery and bizarre juxtaposition of subject matter trying to be represented in this form. Another representation of Dada is Marcel Duchamp’s exhibition of a urinal (left) as his sculpture aiming to persuade audiences to view the urinal as a work of art and called it a â€Å"readymade†. Due to Duchamp’s Dada contributions and challenging of the social order of the art world, he is now seen as the originator of conceptual art. Duchamp’s works are both seen as postmodern as they use postmodern conventions such as appropriation and parody (as seen in L. H. O. O. Q) and recontextualisation in ‘Fountain’ (above). The re-emergence of the found object in pop art was significant in the development of the history of art as it reinforced previous ideas presented by the Dada artists of aesthetics and of what society will accept as an artistic work. The re-emergence of the found object in pop art looked at artworks using contemporary theories and knowledge that were established in the 1980s to challenge traditional and modernist ideas, which was exactly the aim of the Dadaists. It is due to the challenging of contemporary perceptions of art in which the found object would be considered a postmodern practice in its time. Found art (also known as Ready-mades) is a description of art created by modified and undisguised objects that are not considered art for the main reason of their non-art function. The art created by these found objects convey meaning through their context, assemblage/composition and by the artists intention and approaches taken to montage pieces together. The use of assemblage and the found object in Pop Art practice became an artistic trend and is exemplified by Robert Rauschenberg where he combines installations with the assemblage of large physical objects and commercial photography to form ‘Combine’ in 1963. Rauschenberg merges various non-traditional materials and objects into innovative combinations and through this process, has combined contemporary art with the found objects. This demonstrates Rauschebergs’ movement from abstract expressionism to pop art. Raschenburg’s process of art making involved entailed walking around a block of area in his studio and collecting junk and rubbish, as demonstrated in â€Å"Combine†. This artmaking practice was seen as a further development of Dada’s use if rubbish and readymades. Raschenburg is now considered to be a neo-Dadaist due to these unconvential traditions. His works such as â€Å"Combine† are subjective as they are personal works expressing thought and imagination. Claes Oldenburg’s â€Å"Giant Hamburger† is another example of the found object’s re-emergence in pop art as it reflects his concerns of making art materials from products of the commercial world and succeeds in showing the everyday complexity of 1960’s American culture, being that of fast food. â€Å"Giant Hamburger† is unconventional in its subject matter and materials as it simply displays a massively oversized American icon at 132 cm high and 213 cm wide. The use of imitating a symbol of American culture enhances the impact of this work and the soft texture of the sculpture also challenges the idea that a sculpture’s form must be solid and hard. This artwork is cultural as it highlights a the American culture that has become fast food and is subjective as Oldenburg sums up his ideas of fast food in hope of provoking a response from audiences, therefore creating a link between the artist and the artwork. Richard Hamilton also represents the re-emergence of the found object in Pop art as he became known for â€Å"Just What Is It that Makes Today’s Homes So Different, So Appealing? † in 1956. This collage consists of various images found from American magazines all within a household environment. The staircase is taken from a model advertisement for a vacuum cleaner and the woman posing is believed to be Jo Baer who had posed for burlesque magazines in her youth. The rug is a blown up photograph once used as a magazine feature and the figure of the Earth cuts into the top of the picture. Features of Pop Art are present in this image through the use of bright colours and collage is used in Hamilton’s artmaking adding a unique and distinguishable factor to his work. The objects that are displayed are also significant and can be related to Hamilton, therefore making the artwork subjective as well as postmodern. These articles and cutouts from around the room are from Hamilton’s collection over time from texts he found to be interesting. Through expression of Hamilton’s experiences, the audience is able to reflect on the artists’ imaginative qualities produced by the above artwork. The conceptual framework is visible in this image as the artists’ ideas are tied in with the world (being current affairs as shown by the media/articles/magazines) to form an artwork for a broad audience. The cultural frame is also portrayed in â€Å"Just What Is It that Makes Today’s Homes So Different, So Appealing? † Through ideological aspects in society such as the medias influence as represented by magazines, celebrities and newspapers. This artwork is therefore significant as it acts as a zeitgeist reflecting the culture of the time when pop art was emerging. This allows audiences to understand the artist’s world at the time and the audience he was presenting to as well as his influences. The earth cutting into the top of the artwork may represent advances in knowledge regarding evolution of Earth that may have influenced Hamilton.

Free Essays on Roselily

ROSELILY The story, Roselily, tells about a woman’s personal feelings whose name is Roselily. Roselily has three children and she is marrying a man, but she has a huge amount of problems with herself. She can not be sure about anything and she does not know if she loves her husband or not. She does not hate him, but nothing is clear in her emotions. She loves his loving of her, because she thinks that nobody loves and cares about her like this. As a conclusion, she has some fears about the future and she can not make a powerful and safe decision about her life. She is living like how her heart wants to. Is she being wise or is she making a mistake by marrying her? I think, she behaves wrongly, because marriage is a very important thing and people have to think about it very carefully before marrying each other. Otherwise, it can be ended with a disaster and this brings unhappiness to both the man and the woman. People should feel the real love and desire by heart before taking this decision. Being not sure in this situation is very dangerous for both side, because, if there is a child or there are children in this relationship, they can also be effected by this negatively. In short, I think, she is making a mistake by marrying her.... Free Essays on Roselily Free Essays on Roselily ROSELILY The story, Roselily, tells about a woman’s personal feelings whose name is Roselily. Roselily has three children and she is marrying a man, but she has a huge amount of problems with herself. She can not be sure about anything and she does not know if she loves her husband or not. She does not hate him, but nothing is clear in her emotions. She loves his loving of her, because she thinks that nobody loves and cares about her like this. As a conclusion, she has some fears about the future and she can not make a powerful and safe decision about her life. She is living like how her heart wants to. Is she being wise or is she making a mistake by marrying her? I think, she behaves wrongly, because marriage is a very important thing and people have to think about it very carefully before marrying each other. Otherwise, it can be ended with a disaster and this brings unhappiness to both the man and the woman. People should feel the real love and desire by heart before taking this decision. Being not sure in this situation is very dangerous for both side, because, if there is a child or there are children in this relationship, they can also be effected by this negatively. In short, I think, she is making a mistake by marrying her....

Swot Analysis of Bank Al-Falah Essays

Swot Analysis of Bank Al-Falah Essays Swot Analysis of Bank Al-Falah Essay Swot Analysis of Bank Al-Falah Essay SWOT Analysis of Bank Al-Falah Here we have applied this very useful technique to identifythe strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats ofBank Al-Falah. Strengths Strengths Strong Financial Position Strong Financial Position As we can see in the financial statements of the bank, the financial position of the organization is very sound and its profitability is in increasing. The Earning per sharehas been increased on a rate of about 50%, which is a verypositive sign. Highly Qualified Employees Highly Qualified Employees The bank has highly qualified and skilled workforceand it has succeeded to attract the best bankingprofessionals from across the country due to its growingpace and sound reputation. Conducive Environment Conducive Environment The management of the bank is very muchconcerned with the development of and improvement of theworking environment. The bank has state of the art andpurpose built branches where all the modern technologiesare provided to get the efficiency of the workforce and thecustomer satisfaction. Govt. Support and Encouragement Govt. Support and Encouragement As the owners of the bank belong to UAE and thetype of their investment in Pakistan is a foreign investment,the govt. is fully supporting the bank management due to itspolicy to maximize the foreign investment in the country, toget the economic prosperity. Fastest Growing Financial Institution Fastest Growing Financial Institution Due to its successful business policies and thestrong financial position the bank has achieved thereputation of fastest growing financial institution in thecountry. It has greatly increased the customers confidencein the bank Huge Expansion Plan Huge Expansion Plan Due to its strong financial position the bank has undergone a huge expansion plan to compete with the existing bank all over the country and with the passage of time the branch network is expanding at a very good pace. Young and Energetic Workforce Young and Energetic Workforce As the bank is a newer one in the country, the bankhas an advantage over its competitors because the majorityof its workforce is young and not very much over aged. Thus the bank is getting maximum out put from its youngand energetic workforce by spending comparatively less ontheir remunerations. Islamic Banking Division Islamic Banking Division The bank is one of the pioneers of the commercialbanks who have started the Islamic Banking along with theirconventional banking. The bank has a separate network ofits Islamic Banking Division which has 16 branches acrossthe country and this network is also expanding at a very good pace. Weaknesses Waiver of charges Waiver of charges Currently the middle management of bank Al-Falah is thebig reason for waiver of charges. Bank Al-Falah loosing alot of its income likes (Cheque book charge, online charges,statement charges, and other things) because ofmanagement. This is a weakness of bank Al-Falah. Inexperienced workforce Inexperienced workforce As the majority of the workforce consists of young professional, they lack in their experience. And sometimes ack of experience becomes a hurdle while serving to thecustomers. It is the point where they feel difficulty whilecompeting the other bank, which have a very experiencedworkforce. Over work Load on Employees Over work Load on Employees It was observed in the branch that as compared tohuge business the bank is dealing in, the no. of employeesis lesser and thus there is an increased workload on theemployees. Due to this the efficiency of the employees isreduced. Employees are not very much Employees are not very much Motivated Motivated As discussed before, the workload is high and theemployees, especially the credit department, have to dolate sittings to complete their tasks. On the other hand thebank has revised its salary increments policy to decreasethe increment rate, as a result a decreased motivation levelof employees is observed Opportunities Rapidly Growing Economy Rapidly Growing Economy At present the Pakistan’s Economy is growing on avery fast pace. The rapid growth of economy has resulted inthe increase in the growth rate of all economic sectorsespecially in the banking sector which is growing at afastest speed than ever and in future the growth is expectedto increase even a higher rate. Increased Interest Rates Increased Interest Rates The SBP has revised the interest policy and theinterest rates have been linked with the KIBOR rates. Dueto which the banks interest rate has been substantiallyincreased which will greatly increase the banks’ profitability. Mega Projects Financing Mega Projects Financing As the increase in overall business activity in thecountry, the investors are launching various types of MegaProjects especially in housing and textile the bank has agreat opportunity to finance these projects at very profitableterm. Huge Demand for Consumer Huge Demand for Consumer Financing Financing The increase in per capita income and overalleconomy has resulted into a great demand for theconsumer financing especially for home finance and carfinancing and it is said that this trend will increase more infuture. The bank can earn a lot by focusing on its consumerfinancing sections. Merger with UBL Merger with UBL After the privatization of United Bank Limited,  themanagement of the BAL has purchased the majority sharesof the UBL, and it is planning to merge these two banks. AsUBL is the second largest bank in the country, this mergercan make the bank the largest bank of the country. Growing Trend of Islamic Banking Growing Trend of Islamic Banking There is a very good growth trend in the Islamicbanking in the country and in the world as well. BAL has theadvantage of having full fledged Islamic Banking networkand the growth in this particular field can be very fruitful forthe bank. Spending Practices of Mass Spending Practices of Mass As the Pakistani’s are known for their extravagantpractices, and to fulfill their funds requirements they don’thesitate from getting loans from banks. Thus there is a verygood scope for the bank to run successful business in suchcircumstances.

Prehistoric Life During the Paleocene Epoch

Prehistoric Life During the Paleocene Epoch Although it didnt boast as wide an array of prehistoric mammals as the epochs that succeeded it, the Paleocene was notable for being the geologic stretch of time immediately following the extinction of the dinosaurswhich opened up vast ecological niches for surviving mammals, birds, reptiles and marine animals. The Paleocene was the first epoch of the Paleogene period (65-23 million years ago), the other two being the Eocene (56-34 million years ago) and Oligocene (34-23 million years ago); all these periods and epochs were themselves part of the Cenozoic Era (65 million years ago to the present). Climate and geography. The first few hundred years of the Paleocene epoch comprised the dark, frigid aftermath of the K/T Extinction, when an astronomical impact on the Yucatan peninsula raised enormous clouds of dust that obscured the sun worldwide. By the end of the Paleocene, however, the global climate had recovered, and was nearly as warm and muggy as it had been during the preceding Cretaceous period. The northern supercontinent of Laurasia had yet to completely break apart into North America and Eurasia, but the giant continent Gondwana in the south was already well on its way to separating into Africa, South America, Antarctica and Australia. Terrestrial Life During the Paleocene Epoch Mammals. Contrary to popular belief, mammals didnt suddenly appear on the planet after the dinosaurs went extinct; small, mouselike mammals coexisted with dinosaurs as far back as the Triassic period (at least one mammalian genus, Cimexomys, actually straddled the Cretaceous/Paleocene boundary). The mammals of the Paleocene epoch werent much larger than their predecessors, and only barely hinted at the forms they would later attain: for example, the distant elephant ancestor Phosphatherium only weighed about 100 pounds, and Plesidadapis was an extremely early, extremely small primate. Frustratingly, most mammals of the Paleocene epoch are known only by their teeth, rather than well-articulated fossils. Birds. If you were somehow transported back in time to the Paleocene epoch, you might be forgiven for concluding that birds, rather than mammals, were destined to inherit the earth. During the late Paleocene, the fearsome predator Gastornis (once known as Diatryma) terrorized the small mammals of Eurasia, while the very first terror birds, equipped with hatchet-like beaks, began to evolve in South America. Perhaps not surprisingly, these birds resembled small meat-eating dinosaurs, as they evolved to fill that suddenly vacant ecological niche. Reptiles. Paleontologists still arent sure why crocodiles managed to survive the K/T Extinction, while their closely related dinosaur brethren bit the dust. In any case, prehistoric crocodiles continued to flourish during the Paleocene epoch, as did snakesas evidenced by the truly enormous Titanoboa, which measured about 50 feet from head to tail and may have weighed more than a ton. Some turtles, too, attained giant sizes, as witness Titanoboas contemporary in the swamps of South America, the one-ton Carbonemys. Marine Life During the Paleocene Epoch Dinosaurs werent the only reptiles that went extinct at the end of the Cretaceous period. Mosasaurs, the fierce, sleek marine predators, also disappeared from the worlds oceans, along with the last straggling remnants of plesiosaurs and pliosaurs. Filling the niches vacated by these voracious reptilian predators were prehistoric sharks, which had existed for hundreds of millions of years but now had the room to evolve to truly impressive sizes. The teeth of the prehistoric shark Otodus, for example, are a common find in Paleocene and Eocene sediments. Plant Life During the Paleocene Epoch A huge number of plants, both terrestrial and aquatic, were destroyed in the K/T Extinction, victims of the enduring lack of sunlight (not only did these plants succumb to darkness, but so did the herbivorous animals that fed on the plants and the carnivorous animals that fed on the herbivorous animals). The Paleocene epoch witnessed the very first cactuses and palm trees, as well as a resurgence of ferns, which were no longer harassed by plant-munching dinosaurs. As in preceding epochs, much of the world was covered by thick, green jungles and forests, which thrived in the heat and humidity of the late Paleocene climate. Next: the Eocene Epoch

What Form Will Domestic Terrorism Take in the Future in the United Research Paper

What Form Will Domestic Terrorism Take in the Future in the United States - Research Paper Example This was a form of domestic terrorism since the perpetrators of the bombing were US citizens. This paper discusses the form that domestic tourism is likely to take in future in the US. It presents a comparison of the right wing comprised of white extremists, left wing, animal and eco terrorists and the influx of radical Islam in to the US. Right vs Left Wing Movements Both right and left wing movements share revolutionary ideologies. According to FBI (2009), the militia movement remains the most recent anti-government right wing movement. These extremist groups have been persistent in the US since the bombing of the federal building in Oklahoma. The extremists comprise people who share anti-government ideologies. They are opposed to taxation by the federal government as well as the regulations imposed on economic activities. The militias also resist the federal government’s involvement in international activities as well as equality with regards to racial and religious minorit ies. In other words, they can be described as white supremacists and anti-government groups. The Ku Klux Klan is one of the renowned white supremacist groups. FBI further notes that right wing terrorist groups such as the Skinheads and the neo-nazis are significant security threats to the US. They engage in activities such as bombing as well as indiscriminate shooting in cities (Mullins and Young, 2010). Bjelopera (2011) argues that leaders of these groups promote the advancement of highly structured conspiracy theories making members to believe and behave in ways that make the group undesirable to the law abiding citizens. Some of them advocate for the removal of the term ‘illegal fire arms’ depicting that they would wish that they be allowed to own weapons. Considering their extremist ideologies and the fact that some have paramilitary organizational structures, the federal government has made concerted efforts to quell any terrorist plans that may cause harm to the p ublic through arresting any person possessing illegal arms. The more the federal government exerts pressure on these extremist groups, the greater their efforts to make their ideologies acknowledgeable among susceptible citizens. According to Lerner (2003), right wing extremists make efforts to affirm the need for pursuant of their goals. Their strategy is focused on indoctrination of the public with false philosophies against the government. Left wing domestic terrorism dates back to the late 19th century in the US. It was associated with anarchist groups who were against capitalism. These groups were backed by revolutionary immigrants from Eastern Europe (FBI 2009). Even though left wing terrorism began to decline in the mid 1980s, they left a trail of destruction, worst of all the killing of President William McKinley in 1901 and several bombings perpetrated on US industrialists and capitalists. The most recent left wing groups include; Weather Underground, SLA and the FALN among others who used strategies that instilled fear among the public such as widespread kidnapping and bombing of populous places such as Chicago’s Haymarket. These were among the strategies that the left wing terrorists used to attract attention to their ideologies. However, according to FBI, the only active left wing extremist group is the Puerto Rican separatist movement (Mullins and Young, 2010). Animal and Eco Terrorists Animal and eco terrorists are groups that focus on special interests such as

PRESENTATION Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

PRESENTATION - Essay Example entation; (2) delegate tasks; (3) integrate group effects in the unified presentation; (4) review and amend, as needed; and (5) present the information to an audience in the most comprehensive and informed manner. When a team member needs more information to clarify concepts or issues to be tackled, those members who are most qualified and competent in terms of knowledge, abilities and skills should share understanding of the concepts as simple, clear and concise as possible. The instructional approaches that could be used could also be in a form of an illustrative visual presentation, using diagrams or charts, or detailing in an outline form. The applicability and importance of presentations are seen in terms of their significant uses in current and future endeavors. Whatever profession one pursues, knowledge in making presentations would be seen as beneficial in assisting understanding of various concepts through a variety of

Functionalist and intentionalist explanations of mass murder cases Essay

Functionalist and intentionalist explanations of mass murder cases - Essay Example Genocide is thus the result of ideology, as opposed to structure. With the functionalism, it is the opposite – the structures – political, environmental, etc. - are what influences the individual to act, or the group to act. A person might have an ideology that Jews are the cause of the problems of the world, and they must be eradicated, and this is what drove the Holocaust, say some historians, along with Hitler's overall mental problems. Others state that the structure is what drove the Holocaust – the recession that Germany was in, which made the people desperate enough to latch onto the ideas of Hitler. The functionalist argument could also be what explained why the individuals under Hitler, and the groups as well, would do what they did in carrying out the orders. With Rwanda, the functionalist argument is almost the entire argument, as no one individual had the ideology to carry out the genocide. However, if group ideology can be considered in the intention alist argument, then this is one way that intentionalism can be used to explain what happened in Rwanda as well. This paper will explore these two theories, as well as explore how they fit into the parameters of these two tragedies. Intentionalism According to Crane (2007), the theory of intentionalism questions whether all mental states are intentional. Thoughts are intentional, in that they have an object (Armstrong, 1968). Or they might have multiple objects (Husserl, 1901). In other words, people who are thinking are thinking about something – there cannot be a thought about nothing. Since thoughts, by definition, are about something, they are said to be intentional thoughts (Chalmers, 2004). Crane (2007) asks the question of whether there are similar objects for emotions, sensations and perceptual experiences. Crane (2007) also explains what intentional objects are, and the intentional states of mind that are focused upon these objects. If one hopes for something, then t his is an intentional mode. If one thinks of the object in different ways – champagne can also be thought of as sparkling wine, for instance – then this would be considered intentional content. The thing in the mind must be represented in one way or another, according to Crane (2007). Therefore, one must have intentional mode and content (Parsons, 1980). Crane (2007) also asks if the contents of all intentional states are true or false, which means that they are propositional. Or, the contents of an intentional state might be conceptual or non-conceptual (Martin, 2002). This means that the â€Å"state of mind has conceptual content when a subject needs to possess the concepts definitive of its content in order to be in that state† (Crane, 2007, p. 8). Nickel (2007) explains intentionalism as visual experiences that have phenomenology and content. Phenomenology is â€Å"what it is like to have it,† and content â€Å"is how the experience represents the wo rld as being† (p. 1). He states that if two experiences differ in phenomenology, then they differ in content. Or, as Byrne (2001) understands it, one has a representation of a thought, and a sensation about the thought. The representation is the intentional part of the thought (Stalnaker, 1998). The intentional part of the thought may become separated from the sensation, according to some philosophers (Robinson, 1994). Nickel gives some helpful examples to compare and contrast when he speaks about the concepts. He explains phenomenology as being â€Å"

Executive Remuneration Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Executive Remuneration - Essay Example These debates on the director’s compensation has been seen in most countries more notably the Royal Bank case involving Stephen Hester and this has led to most companies developing their own measures and procedures to be followed in the remuneration of executives to avoid much pressure from the government and the public interest. The perception that Hester received much remuneration package while the shareholders were rewarded lowly in terms of their performance contribution to the company has raised much debate. According to Lee (2002), the level of executive’s compensation has continued to raise much heat to the public. Therefore the much interest from the public, state regulators, and the media have seen most companies taking more time and paying a lot of attention to investigate, documenting and announcing executive remuneration. In order to cool down the much heated debate, public limited companies should implement the following practices and legal procedures. Coming Up With A Compensation Committee Once a company has a specialized committee that knows her functions is a better way to ensure that the committee has time and devotion to attend matters related to the executive compensation. The compensation committee usually operates within certain regulated legal authority, and resolution that is written by the full board of directors. The legal restrictions are put in place to avoid much conflict between the board and the executive staff over the amount of compensation.

Project Management Methods Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 7000 words

Project Management Methods - Essay Example Project Management has developed into a major area of study. One of the major reasons is the fact that there are numerous factors that are not fully understood in project management. Every project needs three resources: Man, Material and Money. Managing men, material and money might be the easiest thing to do when compared to the software projects or IT projects. What makes IT projects different is the fact that it is mostly virtual and almost uniformly not realized in any physical form until the final moment. The lack of understanding of the expectations of the end user is just one of the bottlenecks. The very fact that every end user has his or her own perception of the requirements makes the IT project a far tougher proposition than what it was conceived to be. Surveys conducted by Robbins – Gioia (2001) concluded that nearly 51% of all software projects fail. They also said that nearly 46% of the companies just did not know where they are going with the IT projects. Most of the projects go over board on cost as well as on time (Brenda Whittaker 1999). Worse still is the fact that most of the companies are not able to identify what is a success and what is a failure. At the same time, Standish Group released a report that compared the performance of IT projects all through the last decade. From 1994 to 2005, the Group indicated that the IT projects have improved in their performance and have been consistently producing better results. The graph below from the Standish Group's CHAOS report (2004) indicates that the success rate has been increasing gradually. Though this is cause for commendation, still majority of the projects, over 71% of the projects, still fail or do not satisfy the customers who are paying for it. This paper studies the numerous causes for the failures. The paper also studies the various methods adopted by the people to forestall failures and how these methods have failed if they have. Also analyzed are the success reasons for some of the projects. Why do some projects succeed And what makes such projects better than the rest of the projects The results of such study are looked at in this paper. 4. Aims and Objectives In order to put in the right perspective the discussions, the following aims and objectives have been set for this project. The aim of the project is to identify why software and IT projects fail and why their failure rates are higher. This will ensure that real issues behind the failures are identified and listed. Once this is done, the objective is easily reachable. The objective is to find the right project management method and the right process that a software development company should adopt so that the failure rate of their project is low. This objective can be met once the problem points are clearly identified. 5. Literature Review 5.1 Introduction The literature review of the project failure would aim at studying the various methods that are available. While doing so, the primary evolutionary path of these project management methods was identified. This would also ensure that the reasons behind such a methodology will also be known. Every development

Executive Remuneration Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Executive Remuneration - Essay Example These debates on the director’s compensation has been seen in most countries more notably the Royal Bank case involving Stephen Hester and this has led to most companies developing their own measures and procedures to be followed in the remuneration of executives to avoid much pressure from the government and the public interest. The perception that Hester received much remuneration package while the shareholders were rewarded lowly in terms of their performance contribution to the company has raised much debate. According to Lee (2002), the level of executive’s compensation has continued to raise much heat to the public. Therefore the much interest from the public, state regulators, and the media have seen most companies taking more time and paying a lot of attention to investigate, documenting and announcing executive remuneration. In order to cool down the much heated debate, public limited companies should implement the following practices and legal procedures. Coming Up With A Compensation Committee Once a company has a specialized committee that knows her functions is a better way to ensure that the committee has time and devotion to attend matters related to the executive compensation. The compensation committee usually operates within certain regulated legal authority, and resolution that is written by the full board of directors. The legal restrictions are put in place to avoid much conflict between the board and the executive staff over the amount of compensation.

American and British System For Regulating Occupational Health and Essay

American and British System For Regulating Occupational Health and Safety - Essay Example But there are times that these basic rights were deprived to them and the government cannot do anything but just simply hurdle the Constitution to anyone who questions them which at some time the Constitution played as a mere paper and those legislators who were to be the advocate of the law where in fact the first to bend the law. That is why the question whether there is enough law to guard the interest of the people should be answered as there is more than enough law, only that compliance is absurd. Many people relied that much on what is written such as an agreement or contract that usually preceded prior to the working periods. While it is true that some workers were aware of the circumstances and their current conditions, they are to some extent lack of the basic knowledge on their rights and privileges that were being draft by the government. Thus there are many workers being exploited especially on the rank and file positions even these days. During the past decades, several workers were regarded as underdog and are brutely exploited by their employers. They were made to suffer as if they were wholly owned by their employers. ... y emerged during the birth of capitalism, where supply and demand gradually increase and where formidable profit can be easily obtain since there is a minimal supervision of the government. This working class began to realize their collective entity. This is the time where their demands began to reap attention to the government. Collective efforts such as strike, collective bargaining agreement trade unions, lockout, and different methods become at first a threat to the capitalist system. (King, 2000). Behind those efforts is the strength to unify the collective entity that can threaten the system that is why many employers began to submit the demand of their workers. To counteract the situation, employers on the other hand assert their foremost right by enforcing their rules and regulations in the working environment. While dissension still is present, it is now the time for the government to do some actions, that is they are either bound to choose among the two parties of whom will they prioritize and given that the capitalists system ensure the financial growth of the nation it is not a doubt that the government will prioritize them, the financial grantees. The complexities of the situation and to add there is assurance that the collective agreement will lasts, several ideas and ideology sprouted out from those tiny seedlings of exploitation. They are on the extreme side creating their new class, the proletarians which figuratively mean the industrial working class selling their labors in payment for wages. They believe that their conditions were permanent and inescapable that as long as the capitalists system reigns, they cannot be emancipated. This system of thinking only lasts for a moment because it disregard the rights and privileges of the employers too which

Nick Djokovic Essay Example for Free

Nick Djokovic Essay In today’s world, there are many sport figures one can look up to. We have chosen the best of the best in the tennis world, Novak Djokovic. Djokovic is a Serbian professional tennis player who is currently ranked world number 1 by the Association of Tennis Professionals. Despite being the underdog during his early years as a professional tennis player, he is now the best professional tennis player overtaking the previous king of tennis Rafael Nadal. Ever since the age of four, he has been interested in tennis. Unlike most children his age, it was not a fleeting interest. He was determined to achieve his dream of becoming the best tennis player in the world. With his steadfast dream, he has won six Grand Slam titles and has brought him to where he is now. This report will cover Djokovic’s personality, values and attitude, motivation and leadership skills that had helped him to achieve his dream. The points highlighted are also the main reason he is worth following as an influential leader. 2.0 Personality The big five model of personality consists of extraversion, neuroticism, agreeableness, conscientiousness and openness to experience. Djokovic can be seen as a person that is highly extrovert as he is fun-loving, expressive and sociable. During his comeback as the winner in the Australian Open, he was so overjoyed that he threw his racket, wristbands and his shirt to his fans (AOL News, 2011). Djokovic is also socially attached to his fans that he created an application known as ‘Nole4You’ that focuses on a direct coverage of Djokovic’s real time games (New Newsworthy, 2012a). On the other hand, Djokovic is low on the neurotism category as he is much balanced and emotionally stable. According to Suttles (2013), Djokovic was â€Å"gracious in defeat† as every defeat he channels it back into better concentration for the next match. Next, Djokovic is rather high on the agreeableness meter as he shows a great deal of care towards others through his charities. Djokovic created the Novak Djokovic Foundation which supports young children from disadvantaged communities especially in native Serbia (New Newsworthy, 2012b). Besides that, he was also elected as the ambassador of The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in Serbia as he was utterly concern in the welfare of the people in his hometown as well as the importance in early childhood education in Native Serbia (Look To The Stars, 2011). He was also keen in participating in fights for the betterment of society such as the fight against acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) which required him to use the Head Red special edition bag collection from Head to the French Open Grand Slam (Look To The Stars, 2013a). Djokovic is also high in conscientiousness as he is responsible for his career and he is well organized after his achievement in the Australian Open. Although being reckless in his previous season, he is where he is now due to his hard work in perfecting his service techniques and getting his diet right (Carter, 2011). According to Djokovic in an interview, he wants to be consistent in his games and to do this, he has to stay fit and take care of his health and physical condition (The National, 2011). Lastly, Djokovic is very open to new experience. One afternoon in year 2010, Djokovic received a phone call from Dr. Igor Cetojevic who said that his fatigue in the 2010 Aussie Open was due to his diet that consists of glutens that caused an accumulation of toxins in his large intestines. Djokovic listened to his advice to practice a gluten-free diet as well as to build him up spiritually. Besides that, Djokovic also took risk to change his serve technique as advised by Marian Vajda. As a result of Djokovic’s openness, he no longer suffers from fatigues and he felt much happier and balanced. In addition, a change in his serve technique enabled him to defeat the former world number one five times consecutively and brought him to the top of the tennis world (Saslow, 2012). 3.0 Values and Attitude As a well-known figure in the world of tennis, Djokovic has certain values that enable him to enjoy the success that he has today. According to George and Jones (2012, p.93), values are defined as personal convictions about what one should strive for in life and how one should behave. Values are further divided into two categories; work values and ethical values. In terms of work values, there are intrinsic and extrinsic work values. In definition, intrinsic work values are values that are related to the nature of the work itself. Some examples of intrinsic work values that are prominent in Djokovic’s work are the ability to make important contributions to the public, the interesting work and the challenging work that can be done. Firstly, in terms of the ability to make important contributions to the public, Djokovic is well known for his philanthropic work. Due to this status as the highest ranked tennis player, he is very well-connected and is able to influence his fans over his beliefs. From this, he has helped to raise awareness for AIDS, human trafficking, poverty, human rights, women’s rights, children’s rights and many more (Look To The Stars, 2013b). Aside from that, his ability to make important contributions to the public and society is further supported by his status as the ambassador of UNICEF in Serbia. Aside from him advertising his beliefs on social media such as Facebook, Twitter and his video blog, UNICEF has also advertised their cause through Djokovic because of his popularity among the younger generation (UNICEF, 2011). Although generating a high pay from his career, he did not choose this career lifestyle because of it. He started playing tennis at the age of four and played professionally when he was 16 years old. This is due to his passion and interest in tennis. He has trained and played in every single tennis tournament to gain the experience he needed. Even though he has been injured quite a number of times in terms of ankle and knee injuries, that has never stopped him from pursuing his dream of being the best tennis player (Mitchell, 2013). However challenging his work may be, Djokovic never gave up. He continuously pursues his dream of being the best. After relentless practice and competitions, he finally replaced Roger Federer as the top ranked tennis player in the world. This attitude of his is admirable and serves as a constant reminder to his fans that nothing is impossible. On the other hand, extrinsic values are values that are related to the consequences of work. One of the more prominent extrinsic values is the high salary. Not only does he get paid for playing tennis, he gets paid through his endorsements deals with well-known companies such as UNIQLO, Fitline and Telekom Srbjia (Badenhausen, 2011). His salary also includes appearance fees, exhibitions and prize money. Besides that, his career as a tennis player provides him with many job benefits. One of the many is fame. Unlike most athletes, Djokovic enjoys being in the limelight and often shares news and funny anecdotes of his life with his fans. Next, his job provides very flexible working hours. He practices his tennis with his coaches at any time he wants. Due to his flexible working hours, he gets to spend more time with his family and to indulge in vacations as well as hobbies. According to George and Jones (2012, p.97), work attitude is defined as the collection of feelings, beliefs and thoughts about how to behave in one’s job and organisation. Although similar to values, work attitudes are more specific and are not as constant as values as work attitudes change over time. In 2008, although he was winning tournaments, Djokovic hired a new fitness coach in hopes that it will help boost his performance. After the change, he was able to defeat the two reigning champions in the tennis world, namely, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. His attitude changed once a new factor was introduced into his life (ESPN, 2010).

Rio De Janeiro Host The Summer 2016 Olympic Games Tourism Essay

Rio De Janeiro Host The Summer 2016 Olympic Games Tourism Essay Rio de Janeiro is the second largest city in Brazil, the third largest urban area in South America and the main tourist destination in the Southern Hemisphere, being the first South American city to ever host the event is a great responsibility. The population of the city of Rio de Janeiro, which has an area of 1,182.3  square kilometers, is about 6,100,000. The population of the greater metropolitan area is estimated at 11 to 13.5  million. It was Brazils capital until 1960. In 2009, Rio was elected to host the summer 2016 Olympic Games, winning the election against Chicago, Madrid and Tokyo. The sports competitions will take place on Barra da Tijuca situated on the west side of the city, Copacabana on the south zone, and Maracanà £ and Deodoro on the north side. It may be considered a great accomplishment for the city, however some may disagree that Rio de Janeiro is not fit and does not have financial and secure conditions to be the main focus of the world in 2016. This essay might be of great interest to the people living in Rio and sports fan all around the world planning on watching the Olympic Games, as it describes mainly the citys geography to host the games. Also this topic might be of interest to people that question if Rio can successfully host such a big event without any casualties and will the city in general benefit from being the center of attention worldwide. The topic is also important for the city which has started planning and making budgets, looking forward for being a successful host, a great amount of money must be invested in long term repair in stadiums and general sports facilities as well as security. Brazilian people are also known for having a great passion for sports and there was a big celebration when Rio was announced to host the games as people want to show the world that Rio is capable of holding such an important event. Controversies regarding Rio being the host for the Olympic Games arise as the city is constantly rega rded as un-safe due to the high rates of criminalities and drug dealing taking place in the favelas or shanty towns. It is also worth writing about how Rio can benefit from all this development and planning as well as tourism generated from the Olympic Games as other controversies state that the money spent in investment for hosting should be instead invested in education and the economy of the city for further development. The topic will be more focused on how will the city invest on long term plans and solutions to problems, how will the event be evenly distributed through Rio and how will it be good for Rio in the future. Rio de Janeiro may be considered then most challenging city to judge and make a prediction if it has the capacity of hosting the biggest sports event in the world. Barcelona, Sydney, Vancouver, and London are considered to be more developed as they are located in More Economically Developed Countries and have more developed infrastructure as well as taking effic ient anti-terrorism methods. Although the city is considered a great tourism tropical destination, studies reveal that the city lacks infra-structure, educational means and is affected by great poverty with a large number of the population living in slums. Due to these facts, a part of the population demanded the money to be invested in those means helping the city develop, instead of building sports facilities. It is also estimated that by 2016, the whole nation is capable of eradicating extreme poverty, however for this to happen Brazil must maintain its developing process shown in the last five years. Counter claims may argue that the Olympic Games will bring an excessive amount of profit due to tourism and sponsoring as well as jobs being generated (the city also show significant amounts of unemployment). The government however states that all security and geographical issues were presented to the Olympic committee and was approved almost unanimously, being confident in the long term plans as seven years of preparation seem enough. Another research, states that Rio will manage to achieve a target made by the UN that states must decrease levels in poverty by 50%. There is a lot of statistical data that implies that Rio de Janeiro will manage to achieve sustainable levels of economy, and poverty by the end of 2016, however measures must be taken and the process of development shown in past years must be maintained. 50% of the events will take place on Barra da Tijuca, which is a developed area, with less poverty and almost no slums as well as a wide space and facilities built from the Pan-American games. The transport system is also well developed with a network of trains, buses and subways linked to other sides of Rio where other events are going to take place. Promises were made to the Olympic committee that the Guanabara Bay and Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon will be cleaned sp water sports can be held. A bullet train linking Rio de Janeiro and Sà £o Paulo was also presented to the commit tee which will play a big role in the transport system if introduced before the Olympic games. Recent researches and statistics show that there are more than one thousand favelas spread through out the city with the majority of them being located on the north side (Zona Norte). Also a statistical map indicates that 20 to 30% of the population living in Brazil, live in a slum. This can be significant data while analyzing the city for hosting the games as each slum is dominated by drug dealers and criminality and safety around them can become an issue for the development of Rio until 2016. For the development to be maintained, the city must invest in a crucial factor which is safety. Safety is considered weak in almost every event held although casualties regarding them are rare. For the games to be hosted in the north zone of the city for example, which is considered to be one of the highest rates of criminality in the world due to drug dealing and poverty, long term measures must be taken. An example of long term plan by the government which already started to be implemented i n 2009 is the UPP (Unidade de Policia Pacificadora) is a unit of the military and civil police designated to eradicate and exterminate drugs and arms. The UPP have been very successful just recently where a total of eight slums have already been pacified and are controlled by the government. The police which also have a history of corruption within the state, trading with dealers have been mobilized to end illegal dealings in the slums, with the intention of offering more safety by 2016. This method seems like the most appropriate measure in increasing the security issues of the city, and if it continues to develop and spread throughout the city a significant increase in safety will be applied to the event. The UPP would greatly help the city in the developing process for hosting the Olympic Games as studies made reveal that if every slum in the city is occupied by the government, an increase in 20% of the PIB (sum of financial production) which would represent 38 billions reais for the development of the city as well as an decrease of about 80% of criminality. This is the most efficient method of violence contingency shown and is the key for offering security during the Olympics, however it is a very hard task and taking into consideration past government activities, it will take probably more than seven years for it to be implemented with success. In almost one year that the UPPs were implemented a huge profit and efficiency was achieved with a significant decrease in violence in the surroundings, so in seven years of preparation for the Olympic Games, the governor of Rio Sergio Cabral guarantees that the project will continue. However the government must not forget a big threat to security of Olympic Games, which is international terrorism. Therefore a certain amount of training is necessary and constant monitoring. Looking at the recent past, Rio de Janeiro has hosted an important event similar to the Olympic Games which was the Rio 2007 Pan-American games, and no problems were faced. The money was well invested and the games were a success by generating jobs ad tourist attractions. However the Olympic Games are a much bigger event with a wider variety of activities therefore more space and planning must be taken into consideration. On the contrary of some people may think, the developing process to host the games can bring even more benefit and help the city show a significant growth internationally, as even more jobs can be generated as well as tourism. However, Rio currently really needs investment in security and education, so how can it benefit by hosting the games? Firstly, the Olympic Games further increase the worlds awareness of the city. In Beijing, China, for example the number of headquarters for multi-national companies and large-scale domestic enterprises has multiplied ever since Beijing started its Olympic preparations. The preparations for the Olympic Games can also help update the functions of the city such as environment, transportation and infrastructure. Taking Beijing as an example, the Olympic introductory work will also ease the citys economic growth. Beijings GDP rose to 102.6 billion dollars in 2006, twice as much as in 2001, as its GDP per capita exceeded 6300 dollars, also twice as much as in 2001. With this significant increase in the economy of the city, the number of tourists in Rio which is already very big may increase by more than 1.5 million. Another good past example, in the Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver, the benefits have been projected to be $10 billion. Another fact which can cause a great impact against Rio for hosting the game is the fact that the city is one of the 12 chosen to host the 2014 FIFA World Cup, and is considered to be not in the right path by the FIFA. Brazilian venues are falling behind schedules and little work has been carried out in the last 25 months after the announcement, constructions and general repairs are late. Inspections have been held and it is proven that Rio along with other cities has not met the deadlines of repairing stadium which are the main attraction of the World Cup. Upgrades in the main stadium are yet to start and are still lingering, which sounded an alert to the FIFA that Brazil is already late. Rio has managed to successfully host a World Cup in 1950 although conditions and requirements were less strict, and maybe with all these upgrades, constructions, jobs and increase in security for 2014, some of it may in fact be useful for the Olympics two years later. The city will gain infra-structure and general increase in security and sports facilities with the world cup in 2014. Generally, not only in the case of Rio, revenue is generated for national companies, the image of the city worldwide is improved and the flow of tourism is improved. But accelerated growth necessary in hosting the Olympic Games disrupts the long term town preparation of the city and cause long term negative effect. On the other side there are the costs for developing facilities necessary to host different sports, as well as the financing for the Olympic village were the athletes must stay, with a significant amount of money being invested in transportation and security. However if the money is invested in schools, hospitals or other public, employment could still be created, sometimes even more and are considered permanent institutions. After the Olympic Games, sports facilities will have obviously less value will be less used and not so significant in helping the city and economy to develop. The employment and part of the benefit brought by the Olympic Games may be considered rather temporary as well as few significant long term growths linked with the games. Although there is a temporary boost in the output of the economy, in the long term there is barely some change. Therefore these temporary and necessary changes to host the Olympic games, can be of great use long term for example security. As the city invest on security and decreasing levels of criminality for the games, it helps to exterminate an old problem of the city which is the criminality. There are counter claims for this argument as all these improvements for changes including the UPPs are temporary and monitoring may decrease shortly after the Olympic Games. In the end, the money spent by tourists during the games might not be sufficient to cover all costs even if they bring benefit to the city. Especially Rio needs to invest in public institutions and education, more than Vancouver and Sydney for example. Although there are major problems and uncertainties a list of benefits can be made such as: with world class facilities built future events may be held, new construction project generating jobs, spectators, sponsors and broadcasting make the city the center of attention worldwide, powerful marketing tool, increase reputation resulting in a long term benefit for economy, international recognition and etc. The country itself still needs to study how to do permanent public policies as no strategic planning happened in the Pan-American games. In the case of Rio, which still faces cases of prejudice and stereotype against low class civilians, jobs being generated can really fix an old problem in which people living in shanty towns face unsuitable living conditions, no access to sewage disposal and clean drinkable water with high levels of crimes, unemployment and low incomes. Just recently, a very serious case of flooding took place in Rio. A natural disaster is a rare however alarming event in which developed cities are supposed to be prepared for. Rio de Janeiro is expected to cope with any sort of situation; however in April 2010 the city faced the biggest flood in the history of Rio with an astonishing 288mm of precipitation in less than twenty four hours. A total of 95 people were confirmed dead mainly as a result of land slide and, of course, became news headline worldwide. It became clear that Rio did not support an appropriate infra-structure and was not prepared for such a disaster. The poverty surrounding the city was also highlighted as land slides in shanty towns killed and injured dozen of people, as well as interrupting several activities during two whole days. The government however states that it is impossible to maintain a controlled situation with such a huge amount of precipitation which was never seen before and especially when Rio is still going through a big process of development. International repercussion is common as it is clearly a matter of safety, and the spectators and athletes waiting so long and traveling so far for such an important event wants safety. Methods of future flood prevention are being studied, such as the creation of flood plains, winding streams and levees. Each method can contain drawbacks and a huge amount of effort however a good way to prevent future accidents. Rios Demographic transition model can be seen above with the central business district in the middle and a large area of Favelas in the surroundings. It is clearly not balanced and the games will be held around the CBD with a few exceptions through B. Below an urban morphology and characteristics map of Rio de Janeiro can be seen as the higher class districts and CBD is concentrated near the coastline with the suburbs in the rural area. As a conclusion, Rio de Janeiro has the conditions to host the summer Olympic Games with success, however it may not bring the expected amount of benefit. Seven years of planning and introducing extreme measures to overcome major problems in the city will not be a problem. Significant increase and development regarding security, and economical growth in Rio de Janeiro has been shown in recent studies. Just recently Rio has hosted a big sports event which was the Pan-American games with great success and no casualties bringing even some benefit. The population in general has been very excited with the decision of the city for the host as it is already a tourist destination and improvement for the games will help the city in the future. However Brazilians in general shows great passion towards sports mainly soccer and shows great enthusiasm and cooperation when the result for Rio being the host was announced, and as a result can forget about some major issues the city need to take care of as a part of its development before making such a big investment for an event such as the Olympic games. In order for a conclusion to be made the goals for the city must be analyzed first. So, is it good for the city to organize the Olympic games? For example Vancouver and London which are already considered developed and share a good outside image, having few ambitions and determination for growth may not achieve such a great improvement in their image and economy, and sports facilities and changes might be made redundant. However cities in development like Rio and Beijing may have the ambition of showing their development and improving their image and showing the world they are competitors to host other future events. Even internationally, it is questioned if Rio can host the Olympic Games, due to security reasons as one week after the announcement, fourteen people were killed and a chopper was shot down on a operation in a favela. However there is the argument that Brazil is not affected by terrorism, like London for example. For a successful prediction to be made if Rio can host the Olympic Games, the past major event hosted must be analyzed, which is the Pan-American games in 2007. The same argument that was used in the Pan-American games were used to convince the Olympic committee, that it was Brazils turn to show what is it capable of, one of the 10th largest economy in the world and a population that have and indefinite passion for sports. The aftermath of the Pan-American games did not quite show any transformation into a more modern, international and safer city. Promises were also made in 2007 that criminality would decrease, a new road system (via light) and 55km of subway lines would be introduced as well as cleaning up the Lagoon located in the centre of the city and finally the Guanabara Bay, whose smell assails visitors driving into town from the international airport. Although hundreds of millions of dollars have been spent, the unpleasant smell persists and the bay remains a foul-smelling spot on the landscape. Chico Alencar, a respected Congressman from Rio and also a researcher for the enormous overspending at the Pan-American games revealed that the games ended up costing much more than the original estimate (about 180 million US dollars) and none of it was used to built the promised infrastructure projects. After the Pan-American games, the city came back to its original mess although a four week celebration was given to the people and athletes, and the same problems faced back in 2007 might be the same in 2016 but the sports event is even bigger. Therefore there is a tendency that Rio will spend even more money on this bigger event, maybe halting the development of other areas in need. Brazil in general needs to learn from its past mistakes and areas of society must unite for no overspending. Finally, other questions rises when analyzing if Rio can host the Summer Olympic Games and can it benefit from it such a s: Can Rio learn from past mistakes (Pan-American games)? Can the city keep its promises for development? Will the infrastructure provided be sufficient for hosting such a big international event? Will current issues such as security be a problem and can the city overcome it? These questions are still left unanswered, but Rio has been given a chance to prove critics wrong after an almost unanimous decision against more developed cities. Read more: http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1926094,00.html#ixzz0k9Ts0zcY http://geographylost.blogspot.com/2007/03/rio-de-janeiro-wish-i-had-found-this.html DTM maps http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2016_Olympics http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rio_de_janeiro#Geography http://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Favela http://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ficheiro:Urban_population_living_in_slums.svg fatos e figures de favela http://www.sober.org.br/palestra/12/11O481.pdf à ndice de Pobreza pode ser erradicado do Brasil em 2016 http://www.ipea.gov.br/sites/000/2/comunicado_presidencia/100112Comunicado38.pdf prediction brazil 2016 vai acabar pobreza http://mercadoetico.terra.com.br/website/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/grafico1.gif meta onu http://mercadoetico.terra.com.br/website/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/grafico2.gif VEJA RIO magazine Operaà §Ãƒ £o Favela Livre http://en.beijing2008.cn/news/official/preparation/n214180326.shtml pequim http://minimaxblog.com/2010/03/costs-and-benefits-of-hosting-the-olympic-games/ costs benefits http://goodpoint.elc.polyu.edu.hk/print_list.php?mapid=2244 list of benefits http://www.rio2016.org.br/pt/Rio2016/ http://oglobo.globo.com/rio/mat/2010/04/06/rio-vive-pior-enchente-da-historia-916261532.asp flood http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/world-cup-2010/teams/brazil/7686639/World-Cup-2014-Fifa-sound-alarm-as-Brazilian-venues-fall-behind-schedule.html world cup

Enemy at the Gates :: essays research papers

Enemy at the Gates Cast: Jude Law, Joseph Fiennes, Rachel Weisz, Bob Hoskins, Ed Harris, Ron Perlman, Gabriel Thomson Written by: Jean-Jacques Annaud and Alain Godard Directed by: Jean-Jacques Annaud Running Time: 131 minutes Synopsis: Enemy at the Gates was inspired by a true story and set against the siege of Stalingrad during World War II. This is the tale of a young Russian sharpshooter, Vassili, who becomes a legend by shooting numerous high-ranking German officials. When his friend, Danilov, a soviet political officer, realizes the propaganda value in Vassili's skill as a sniper and makes him the hero of his propaganda campaign and the hero of Russia with the help of Khrushchev, who was sent by Stalin to oversee the Russian effort. Stalin ordered that the city not fall†¦whatever the cost. It was a battle that the Russians had to win. To not overcome would have meant the complete collapse of Russia and its ultimate takeover by the German forces after Russia had already lost numerous battles to the Germans. So thousands of poorly trained and ill-equipped (many actually unarmed) Soviet troops were poured into battle, motivated by Russian security forces who followed with orders to kill anyone who might try to flee or retreat. Russia was in need for a hero. The Germans outnumbered in men and weapons compared to Russia. Everyday numerous Russians were being killed, either by Germans bullets or Russian. Vassili gave the Soviet troops the courage and bravery to fight despite the overwhelming odds. The friendship between Danilov and Vassili is threatened when Danilov become jealous of the man he created and he too falls in love with an attractive, and intelligent female soldier, Tania. As the battle for the city continues, Vassili faces his ultimate challenge when the Nazi command dispatches its the best marksman of the German army, Major Konig, to hunt down and kill the man who has become the hope of all Russia. Though out the movie they remain in a cat and mouse chase both showing extreme patience and skill and setting traps for each other. While Sasha, a young Russian boy, passes between the Russian and German camps passing information to Major Koenig by bribes and using Sasha as bait and then passes information to the Russians. From this Sasha gets hung by Major Koenig, upsetting Vassili and Tania because Sasha was so close to them. When Tania and Vassili go to tell his mother what has happened Tania is was hit with shrapnel.

A College Degree: What’s the Point?

Nowadays there are many millionaires and even billionaires, who don’t have a college degree. Some of them quit collage while others didn’t even step foot into collage. The entertainment industry is filled with high school dropouts and people who never stepped inside college, yet these people are often millionaires, earning millions of dollars. This leaves one wondering whether a college degree is really necessary or can one do without one.In this era that is riddled with economic recession and unemployment, the world is no longer as friendly to college graduates as it used to be in past decades. More and more fresh graduates are finding themselves unemployed or in jobs without security as the world becomes more and more competitive.John Goes argues that modern education has two purposes; to show that one was smart enough to get into college, and to show a prospective employer that one may be smart enough to learn their job-specific skills. He argues that college degrees have become the modern day IQ tests to determine employability following the ban of IQ testing of job-applicants by the governments (Goes, par4).John Goes further argues that nowadays people have been conditioned to think that anybody can get a college degree. A few decades ago it was accepted that half the people were below average. Only half the people got high school diplomas and only 1 in 20 students managed to obtain a Bachelors degree.Today the statistics indicate that there is an 80% to 90% high school diploma attainment rate (Goes, par5). What is worse is that the cost of acquiring a college degree is now very high. So high that, one Trina Thompson filled a law suite against her alma mater Monroe College for the refund of the $70,000 tuition due to the fact that no one wants to employ someone with a worthless degree. She accused the college for false advertising (Goes, par6).But, to say that college degrees are now worthless is to be shortsighted. The benefits of acquiring a college degree may not be evident in the short-term but are always plenty in the long run. The fact that more people are getting degrees nowadays does not mean that college degrees have lost their value rather it shows that college degrees have become more valuable. Acquiring a college degree definitely puts one ahead in the job market.The recession that hit the world last year resulted in the loss of many jobs. What is to note however is that the majority of the jobs lost were jobs in the manufacturing industry. These jobs were mainly blue collar jobs that were mostly taken by high school graduates and dropouts. Once the recession hit, many companies closed shop, others relocated their operations to more labor economic countries.It was reported that the US economy had shed 131,000 jobs by 6th August this year and that unemployment rates remained stuck at 9.5% (Aljazeera, par1). The private sector only managed to create 71, 000 jobs. Experts say that this rate is too slow for the country to recover its pre-recession employment rate.Blue collar jobs are routine jobs which are more manual and do not require a lot of mental output. Being manual, these jobs can be easily done by other people given the right instructions or by machines which have been programmed to do these tasks. Therefore people who work in blue collar jobs are easily dispensable.However, jobs that are more technical and requiring of high skills are often the kinds that require degrees. Even in the recession many college graduates did not lose their jobs. Even when they lost their jobs it was possible for them to search for telecommute jobs which more and more companies began to offer as alternative employment to laid off employees. High skill jobs like financial jobs and medical jobs continue to pay off in spite of the recession.What’s more college degrees attract higher pay. The acquisition of a college degree in a particular field usually makes the person specialized. Specialization l eads to mastering of ones work and creating high skills which make the person a professional in his field of specialization. College graduates earn an average of $20, 000, far much more than non-college graduates (Milliken, par2). Experts argue that college graduates have significantly lower unemployment rates, rely less on public assistance and enjoy better health making them an asset to any employer and country.Because the current world is still as keen on academic certificates as it was three decades ago, perhaps even more so as competition for jobs continues to go up. It is no wonder then that professionals continue to go back to college to acquire higher degrees in order to improve their skills and therefore their chances of promotion and better pay. In fact when an employee seeks to get a promotion the best tactic would be to get a college degree, because coupled with the person’s work experience a college degree is like having gold in ones possession.Another reason for one to get a college degree would be for the purpose of self fulfillment. All of us are born with the need to excel, for some of us this need is so great that it cannot be ignored. This need is ever present within us so that if we settle for anything less that we ha envisioned for ourselves than we end up miserable.The acquisition of a college degree is one a venue of fulfilling our need to excel. Going to college has become second-nature majority of college educated parents and their children. Jay Mathews defines it as instinctual as tacking an August vacation (Mathews, par4). With so many people dropping out of high school or even never proceeding to college getting a college degree remains an achievement worth acknowledging.So many people are stuck in a job that they may not like, or a job that may not pay them nearly enough to survive and meet their basic needs and the basic needs of their families. Often the acquisition of a college degree is usually the means of achieving the ir desire for a better paying job and a more fulfilling one. A college degree is therefore a means of self fulfillment and acquiring the social and financial status that one dreams of.Some millionaire and billionaires may not have a college degree, but college degrees remain important and valuable. Bill Gates had to go to college in order for him to get the inspiration to start Microsoft. Even though he did not graduate he got knowledge that helped him build his dream. College is a mine of ideas and knowledge, and no one should miss out on an opportunity to acquire either or both of these.ReferencesGoes, John. What Is the Point of a College Education. 24 August 2009. 7 August 2010http://media.www.chicagoflame.com/media/storage/paper519/news/2009/08/24/Opinions/Whats.The.Point.Of.A.College.Education-3755931.shtmlAljazeera. US Employers Shed 131,000 Jobs. 6 August 2010. 7 August 2010. http://english.aljazeera.net/news/americas/2010/08/20108616525186107.htmlMilliken, James. Growing Imp ortance of a College Education. 6 August 2010. 7 August 2010.http://fremonttribune.com/news/opinion/columnists/article_ab479f02-a161-11df-9183-001cc4c03286.htmlMathews, Jay. Patrick Welsh Is Wrong About Too Many Going to College. 29 July 2010. 7 August 2010. http://voices.washingtonpost.com/class-struggle/2010/07/patrick_welsh_is_wrong_about_t.html   

Athletics In MacGregor’s Sporting Landscape Essay

However, using tactics which corroborate teamwork and competitive factors which in theory will motivate students to strive and increase their participation levels. 1. 0 Introduction This report will provide a detailed analysis of the participation of athletics in Macgregor’s microcosm as the societal norm believe that the status quo is â€Å"uncool†, it is known that the position of Australia’s porting landscape is very weak as there is a lack of participation within Australia as a whole This can be answered by a simple formula created to find the reason why some sports have a lack in participation in mainstream society today, Figueroa’s framework, this formula is divided into Levels listed in the following Cultural, Structural, Institutional, interpersonal and individual levels, nonetheless, it Is concluded that it is up to the individual of whether they decide to participate in Athletics or not. 2. 0 Figueroa’s Framework The social factors that influence an individual’s decision to participate in Athletics may indirectly or directly impact them by shaping their values, attitudes and beliefs. Knowing this the individual may find themselves being subjective to the people and also the certain factors they face in society ranging from cultural differences to peers to themselves. Sociologist, Peter Figueroa, develop a framework that analyses the equity of social resources that can also be implemented into the participation of athletics. . 1 Individual Level It can be argued that when it comes to equity and access issues, the individual level is the most important. This is because, while all levels of Figueroa’s Framework can identify how equity and sporting opportunities are presented to an individual, in the end it is the individual’s choice that will determine his or her access and level of participation in physical education. Kiss, 2012) This level is specific to Macgregor’s sporting landscape as it highlights the lack of participation in students; nonetheless, these decisions about sport and physical activity are ultimately made by the individuals Genes, values, attitudes and personalities which are specific to each individual. 3. 0 Action plan In Macgregor’s deteriorating athletics program, the lack of participation in the carnivals can link to many reasons why they don’t compete in such events. Study shows that the majority of students would prefer to sit and chat with their friends instead of competing in athletics, however, to allow students to participate, an action plan was developed to; in theory create a more fun and enjoyable carnival thus increasing participation levels, using successful methods utilized in Australian sports such as Cricket, NRL, AFL, etc. The ideologies used within these sports can be integrated within the society of Macgregor’s microcosm shaping the status quo of Macgregor’s Athletics program in a more positive, enjoyable way. . 1 Justification of Action plan Throughout sporting history there are various techniques to strive for in order to have a successful carnival, the majority of successful sports share many similar techniques to better improve the participation of athletes in Australia such as making it more interactive for the audience thus improving their participation rates; for example, in tennis they implement a board that measures the speed of the serve for each game as well as the Olympics which show the world record for each event. nowing this; a supposed board that lists all the records of each event is shown publically pre-athletics carnival and during for students to observe and in theory become more motivated and strive to train and compete in the events believing they are able to break that record thus improving participation rates. Secondly, the appearance of famous sporting athletes have known to improve the participation of sports for example, NBA players frequently appear in many occasions of street basketball games as it obviously creates publicity, however, also improves the participation due to the fact that this allows the ‘average basketball fanatic’ who normally would watch their idol from the comfort of their own television, but in fact they are able to play side by side with their idol increasing their moral and motivation to play. This can also be implemented in the athletics carnival by having the famous athlete participate and motivate the students to join in and also create a slight sense of competition. Finally, it is a fact that Australians love to play team based sports as listed, AFL, Cricket, Football, NRL, Soccer, Basketball, Rugby League are in the top 10 Australian sports; this is 7 of the 10 sports that are shown. With this in mind, Students would be required to form groups of 3 and compete in the athletics carnival, with a twist; each event would hold a certain amount of points varying on the position the student places, 10points for 1st, 7points for 2nd, 5point for 3rd and participation will be worth 2 points. The team that scores the highest points will be rewarded with a prize, such as vouchers, etc. 4. 2 Links to survey results The action plan created was based on a census of the whole school to observe whether they would participate in athletics and their reasons to not. To justify the particular choices created in the action plan by showing the statistics which have guided the development as the spikes in the statistics assist in improving the participation by surveying the trend. The reason a record chart was implemented as it adds a competitive flair and students receive social rewards within the athletics carnival as 19% of students feel that there is no reward for students if they win the events, this will help students strive for the record instead of just trying to win. A massive 27% of students feel that they are not good enough for the athletics carnival and believe there is no point to participate and simply just socialize with their peers, with the appearance of a famous athlete; students would be motivated to part take in the events as the special guest can provide moral support and advice to improve their technique, etc. during the carnival as they can join in with the students. By creating team based events the 80% of students that prefer team sports are able to participate and at the same time fill the social void according to the 25% as they strive to motivate fellow teammates and allow each other perform better overall, also considering the 66% that would participate in the carnival if their peers were to join in. (Buckley, et al, 2013) 4. Links to research material including the individual level of the framework The research gathered of Figueroa’s framework on the individual level, it is realised that students values and beliefs are to strive for competition and rewards, as these factors have been fulfilled it will allow students to participate in a more enjoyable way, due to the fact that an individual’s values and beliefs reflect directly upon their parents, siblings and peers, however, it is proven that the individual learns to behave through the experience they have accumulated from mainly their peers, also the fact that students view the sports society in a ‘boring’ manner, they often assume they cannot socialise with their peers which majorly affect their participation rates. 5. 0 Conclusion