Effects of Corruption on E-Commerce - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 8 Words: 2407 Downloads: 4 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Economics Essay Type Analytical essay Did you like this example? EFFECTS OF CORRUPTION ON E-COMMERCE (VERSION 1) CORRUPTION: Corruption has crippled Nigeria to fully maximize her potentials, Nigeria has seen drop in educational standard, healthcare, basic and social amenities. This is because most of the funds budgeted for the greater good of the economy have been misused for individual greed by our leaders and people elected in public offices. Corruption is the dishonest and illegal behaviour exhibited especially by people in authority for the personal gain (transparency.org). The growing corruption in Nigeria can be traced to people holding power at the federal, state and local government levels. Ruzindana, (1999) emphasises that corruption in Africa is a problem of routine deviation from established standards and norms by public officials and parties with whom they interact. He further more identified bribery, private gain and non-existent workers (also known as à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"ghost workersà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢) as the di fferent types of corruption facing Africa. Corruption generally in Nigeria is a social problem that has attracted the interest of many scholars. However, corruption and its effect on e-commerce have experienced little attention in the country. E-COMMERCE Until 1998, Nigeria had only few dial-up e-mail providers and a few internet service providers (ISPs) operating on slow links in the country. Present ISPs provide online advertising opportunities, internet banking securities and Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) services. E-commerce growth in Nigeria is slow but steady, the vast improvement in telecommunication services in the country as illustrated by explosion of subscribers and users of Global System for Mobile communications (GSM), it is further underscored by a surge in private telecom operators (PTOs) offering à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"Fixed wireless serviceà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ which offer data and voice transfer. The introduction of e-commerce service is held back by lack of public awareness on how to use the technologies. However, there has been a rapid growth in electronic cash transfer services such as western union, MoneyGram and Travelex in recent years. Electronic banking is one area of e-commerce that has proven successful in Nigeria. Virtually all banks in Nigeria offer online, real-time banking services. Moreover, banks that cannot offer these services are increasingly losing their customers are offered the flexibility of operating an account in any branch of their bankà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s network. Even though the Nigeria government has taken progressive steps in recent years to aid online buying and selling (E-commerce) surmountable challenges still remain that is killing e-commerce in Nigeria. Most of the points to be discussed if critically explored have a link to corruption, in the sense that corruption has eaten so deep in the country ranging from individuals to government officials. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"Yahoo Yahooà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ syndr ome: Many young Nigerians attribute this to lack of employment and tangible jobs to keep them busy, therefore, they involve themselves in the what is known as à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"yahoo yahooà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"Yahoo Yahooà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ is an online type of fraud where mostly young men look for a way of getting hold of peopleà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s master/credit card details to use in purchasing goods online without the ownerà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s consent. The perpetrators of this crime spend long hours at the cyber cafÃÆ' © surfing the net with the aid of a software to crack into peoples accounts. Some even go to the extent of using charm to avoid been caught by the necessary authorities. The most recent one around now is employment fraud. I almost fell for one recently when I saw a job advert online for the Nigerian Navy. After clicking the web link that says à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"click here to applyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ I was taken to another page where I was supposed to pay fo r a voucher/pin to complete the application. However, over the years, the practice of the Military related jobs has always being for job seekers to walk into a bank and pay for the voucher/pin, but for this particular one the instruction was to pay online. I tried it, followed through the whole process, input my card details and pin, fortunately for me the bank I use had network issue so the transaction couldnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t go through, it was later that I found out it was a scam and the Nigerian Navy did not officially advertised the job on its website. We can all imagine how many poor job applicants would have fallen prey of that fraud act. Lack of dependable online payment gateways: while things are getting better as regards e-commerce in Nigeria in the sense that in the last decade a lot of online businesses have been launched (konga, jumia, slot, etc) however, dependable gateways are hard to come by. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"Interswitchà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ and à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"etransa ctà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ are the two major companies used as online payment platform in Nigeria. However, I think some banks are gradually joining the à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"partyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢. Lack of trust: People find it difficult to trust each other; also so many people do not trust new technologies. For example, my mother has never used an Automated Teller Machine (ATM), simply because she believes she cannot hold the poor machine responsible for any error/crime committed. Similarly, I was also having a chat with a friend of recent who narrated her uncleà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s ordeal. While the uncle was in the UK on vacation from Nigeria, he got an alert on his phone from his bank in Nigeria that a transaction was just made (huge amount of money) on is account, immediately he flew back home went straight to the bank for an explanation on how and why such transaction took place on his account without him authorizing it, lo and behold, the bank could not give any reasonable explanation about the transaction, did not of course refund his money back saying it was due to the customerà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s carelessness. What I am trying to say in essence is that lack of trust in people and machines that facilitate e-commerce is a contributing factor to how corruption affects e-commerce in Nigeria. Reliable Power supply: Lack of reliable power supply in the country has contributed greatly to those factors that have crippled so many businesses and e-commerce activities in Nigeria, this is because the people in charge of the power sector are greedy and due to political reason have just decided to neglect the power sector. You can imagine the president of Nigeria making some allocations to fuel and service the generator servicing the à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"presidential villaà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ in the last budget. This is just to show how serious the power issue is. We can all try to imagine the state of a countryà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s e-commerce or businesses in general where power s upply is not stable. The recent presidential pardon granted to Diepreye Alamieyseigha the former governor of the oil-rich state of Bayelsa by President Goodluck Jonathan who was convicted for money laundering and other serious corruption offense in 2007 has questioned the transparency of the President Goodluck Jonathanà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s administration. The decision undermines anti-corruption efforts in Nigeria and encourages impunity. This decision also proves to future companies or individuals looking at investing in Nigeria that the country is still not very safe thereby affecting the growth of e-commerce in country. The problem of e-commerce in Nigeriaà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s is not just corruption, but failure to put in place mechanism or infrastructure that will make life easy for the citizens to work and live well in the society. Nigeria need good energy distribution, good roads, overhaul postal system, good communication networks and other social amenities, Nigeria would ha ve been a good market place for e-commerce activities in Africa but reverse is the case. *************************************************************************** Effects of Corruption on E-commerce (VERSION 2) Introduction: In almost all developing countries of the world, commerce dominates their economic activities. Even the industrial activities are based mostly on commerce. In Nigeria, the productive/manufacturing sector is still highly dependent on import and export. The manufacturing companies rely heavily on raw materials from abroad while the primary productive sector merely produce raw and semi processed materials meant for the overseas market and consumers. Nigeria produces crude oil in abundance and almost about 90% of it is exported with very little meant for the local refineries. In very sharp contrast, more than 80% of the refined petroleum products consumed in Nigeria are imported. From the foregoing, the importance of commerce cannot be over emphasis ed. Commerce is the most vibrant of all the economic activities in Nigeria. In the world today, Information Technology has made trade transactions very easy. At the comfort of oneà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s home or/and office, commercial transaction can take place within the twinkle of an eye. The magnitude of commercial activities taking place in Nigeria and rapid development that has taken place in the field of information technology makes it imperative to probe into the possible effects that corruption can have on e-commerce. Whatever the situation, corruption scandals and allegations of dishonesty have great impact on commercial activities in Nigeria, high level of corruption could also impact upon economic performance in Nigeria, e-commerce inclusive. Corruption has serious effects on e-commerce in many ways. The price and marketability of any product or service is determined significantly by the local cost of production. On the other hand, the cost of production is influenced gr eatly by the level and magnitude of corruption in the system. The level and magnitude of corruption affects the cost of all the factors of production which in turn affects the demand and supply of products and services covered by e-commerce. If the cost of raw materials is increased because of the incidence of over invoicing, the eventual cost of production and selling price of the finished product or service will be high. In the final analysis, the high price will affect the volume of trade involving the product or the service. That being the case, if such product or service is under e-commerce, there will be a major impact. Money laundering is a form of corruption and it affects e-commerce in all manner of ways. Monies that are laundered are not monies worked for or genuinely earned. Such monies are spent in a way that the level of liquidity in the economy will increase and artificially the prices of products and services on which the money is spent will increase. In fact, lose money in the segment of the market dealing in those products or services will give a wrong signal of a high demand which in turn will increase prices. Definitely e-commerce will be affected, since money laundering will have effect on the forces of demand and supply. In most developing countries, goods and services produced, marketed and consumed there are approved or certified. The process of certification or approval is often laden with corrupt practices, such that at the end products or services will affect e-commerce. In most cases because the cost of bribing the officials to grant certification is taken as part of the cost of production and also because the quality of the products and services in the long run will be discovered to be poor, there would be low demand for it. This will lead to a lot of distortions in the e-commerce market. There is also a wide spread of misappropriation of public funds in Nigeria, just like some other countries in Africa. This massive misapp ropriation of public funds affects e-commerce. The demand and supply tilt towards the goods and services consumed by those that have been involved in the misappropriation of public funds. The increased demand will act as an incentive for producer to increase the quantity of such goods and services consumed by the few super rich people while those consumed by people who have no access to this misappropriated public fund as neglected. The poor perception and attitudes of the people generally towards corruption and how poorly the government and all relevant agencies and institutions are handling cases of corruption has eroded peopleà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s confidence and this has serious negative impact on e-commerce. E-commerce is still at very low pace in Nigeria majorly due to the effect of corruption. If one party places an order and expect the other party to mail or supply the goods before payment is effected, the supplying party would be weary that he may just supply goods to an in dividual he may not be able to trace eventually. On the other hand, if the order is backed with payment, the person who places the order will not be sure the supplier would supply to specification and to his/her satisfaction. I was having a chat with my dad recently, and he took me way back into the 60à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s when Nigeria did not have a colour lab for printing pictures. All pictures printed then were all in à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"black and whiteà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢, however, if you want it printed in colour one needed to send the film to the United Kingdom (UK), it will printed in colour and sent back to Nigeria after which you now send the payment over to the UK. Over time, the transaction was stopped/cancelled by the UK government which I reckon was due to fraudulent activity of Nigerians not paying after receiving their pictures back. Also the corruption in the country which does not spare the judiciary makes seeking redress in law court a tortuous exercise. In some cases, j ustice is to the highest bidder and when it is not, the road to justice is long and winding. A simple civil case on a contractual agreement may take years and by the time judgement is delivered, the compensation is not restorative enough. The generality of the people that are involved in e-commerce do not see any reason or have any urge to keep accurate record of all transactions. At times, it can be due to ignorance and at times it is deliberate and intentional. Whatever be the case, the overall effect is to evade paying the required tax revenue to the appropriate government. The government that is in position to develop or encourage e-commerce through enactment of favourable policies and law may then not be interested. On the other hand, if people would pay taxes as appropriate, the government can encourage e-commerce which is still in its infancy in Nigeria. REFERENCE Akintola, K.G., Akinyede, R.O. and Agbonifo, C.O (2011), à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"appraising Nigeria redness for E commerce towards achieving vision 2020à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢, IJRRAS, 9(2) Sherah Kurnia and Fei Peng (2010). Electronic Commerce Readiness in Developing Countries: The Case of the Chinese Grocery Industry, E-commerce, Kyeong Kang (Ed.), ISBN: 978-953-7619-98-5, InTech, Available from: https://www.intechopen.com/books/e-commerce/electronic-commerce-readiness-in-developing-countriesthe-case-of-the-chinese-grocery-industry https://www.transparency.org/news/pressrelease/20130314_transparency_international_calls_on_nigerian_president_to_rescind https://www.transparency.org/whatwedo?gclid=CLDnjKChmbgCFVMbtAod7S0AfA Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Effects of Corruption on E-Commerce" essay for you Create order

The Death Of Janie Crawford Tragedy And The American Dream

The American Psychological Institute states that the current divorce rate is around forty to fifty percent for first marriages and even higher for second and third marriages. The upward trend of divorce rates in America has many Americans concerned about the decreasing emphasis on commitment and family values that often results from divorce. In Zora Neale Hurstons’s Their Eyes Were Watching God, the protagonist, Janie, experiences three marriages, one of which ends in divorce and the other two in death. Many readers may question the values of Janie and her seemingly ‘gold- digger’ Nanny as they both seem to be chasing the unattainable, a perfect marriage with a rich husband. As the novel plays out, the reader goes deeper into Nanny and Janie’s values and how they affect Janie’s three marriages. In the article â€Å"The Death of Janie Crawford: Tragedy and the American Dream in Their Eyes Were Watching God,† Darryl Hattenhauer correctly id entifies Nanny as someone who would want Janie to follow her dreams in Zora Neale Hurston s Their Eyes Were Watching God; meanwhile, Hattenhauer incorrectly believes that Nanny would not want Janie to marry Jody. In Darryl Hattenhauer’s literary criticism article â€Å"The Death of Janie Crawford: Tragedy and the American Dream in Their Eyes Were Watching God†, Hattenhauer explains that Janie leaving Logan Killicks for Joe, Jody, Starks â€Å"affirms Nanny’s advice that Janie have a dream and follow it† (Hattenhauer 7). When Hattenhauer uses theShow MoreRelatedTheir Eyes Were Watching God2014 Words   |  9 Pagesturns his eyes away in resignation, his dreams mocked to death by time.† For women, â€Å"the dream is the truth† (Houston 1), then they act and do things accordingly. Jay Gatsby in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby and Janie Crawford in Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God both have a cherished aspiration unfulfilled that caused a void in their life when that dream was not realized.   Indeed, despite the strong human yearning to fulfill a dream, not everyone can achieve what is hopedRead More â€Å"Ships a t a Distance†: Dreams in Their Eyes Were Watching God1945 Words   |  8 PagesWatching God with an eloquent metaphor regarding dreams: â€Å"Ships at a distance have every man’s wish on board. For some they come in with the tide. For others, they sail forever on the horizon, never out of sight, never landing until the watcher turns his eyes away in resignation, his dreams mocked to death by Time (Hurston 1).† Hurston describes here how some dreams are achieved with time while others lurk out of reach until the dreamer gives up. Janie Crawford, protagonist of Their Eyes Were Watching GodRead More Contrasting Native Son and Their Eyes Were Watching God Essay4128 Words   |  17 Pages  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This paper examines the drastic differences in literary themes and styles of Richard Wright and Zora Neale Hurston, two African--American writers from the early 1900s. The portrayals of African-American women by each author are contrasted based on s pecific examples from their two most prominent novels, Native Son by Wright, and Their Eyes Were Watching God by Hurston. With the intent to explain this divergence, the autobiographies of both authors (Black Boy and Dust Tracks on a Road) areRead MoreEssay about The Growth of Janie in Their Eyes Were Watching God2970 Words   |  12 PagesThe Growth of Janie in Their Eyes Were Watching God      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Human beings love inertia. It is human nature to fear the unknown and to desire stability in life. This need for stability leads to the concept of possessing things, because possession is a measurable and definite idea that all society has agreed upon. Of course, when people begin to rely on what they know to be true, they stop moving forward and simply stand still. Zora Neal Hurston addresses these general human problems in her novelRead More Their Eyes Were Watching God Essay2416 Words   |  10 Pagessolution is simple: quot;Yuh got tuh go there tuh know there.quot; Janie sets out on a quest to make sense of her inner questionings- a void she knew she possessed from the moment she sat under the pear tree. quot;She found an answer seeking her, but where?...where were the shining bees for her (11)?quot; Though tragedy invades her life, it does not cripple her, but strengthens her. Alone at novels end, having loved and lost, Janie sits in her home, banished of the quot;feeling of absence and nothingnessRead More Finding Hope in Their Eyes Were Watching God Essay3095 Words   |  13 Pagessolution is simple: Yuh got tuh go there tuh know there. Janie, like characters in earlier novels, sets out on a quest to make sense of her inner questionings--a void she knew she possessed from the moment she sat under the pear tree. She found an answer seeking her, but where?...where were the shining bees for her (11)? Though tragedy invades her life, it does not cripple her, but strengthens her. Alone at novels end, having loved and lost, Janie sits in her home, banished of the feeling of absence

Existing online ordering systems Free Essays

Introduction In the previous chapter, we have provided the introduction of our project. We have described the background and motivation for the project and the importance of the problem in the previous chapter. After that we have described about the aims and objectives of our proposed solution concisely. We will write a custom essay sample on Existing online ordering systems or any similar topic only for you Order Now In this chapter, we expect to provide the necessary background information of our project. We are going to illustrate some other approaches to the problems that were stated in previous chapter. 2. 2 Prevailing systems In the modern world online food ordering system is a one of popular e-business tactics used all over the world. In those systems restaurant or cafeteria lists their products and other relevant information about the products. Buyers will browse the listed products through internet, and they order some Food , some of them has ordering facilities among those system few of them has facility to order online in other system customer have to give a phone call to order. In few systems customer can pay the money online but in other system customer have to pay money to erson who delivers food. Also they can browse and find any restaurant in the country as they wish and order in there. Except those facilities there is no facility to order online food with ability to book dine-in table. There is no system to get orders from customer without waiter in the restaurant. There is no tabletop and Android application for other systems. Our system support and we develop these applications for our system. EAT 24(Miami food delivery) This is the collections of restaurants all over the world. They get orders from ustomers and deliver the Food to the customer’s door step. Customer can search by neighborhood; zip codes or cuisines then find a restaurant and order whatever he wants. Customer can dine in at any restaurant that he like in Miami. In the web site there are facilities to publish customer’s comments, information about restaurants and their Food and delivery information. The Dons’ Food-Fried Pizza The Dons’ Pizza offers dine-ln( indoor seating outdoor patio), carry out ( front counter or curbside) delivery, catering. Customer has to give a call to order. There is o facility to order online. Dons’ pizza has catering service for customer’s events but other systems. Burger King Burger King is a global area restaurant. They give facility to order Food and deliver Food to place where customer wants. Grub Hub Customer can order Food online from a restaurant around them as they wish. Taco sell Taco Bell is also spread in world wide. Their website only gives the information about food they provide and nutrition, ingredients of the food. KFC Provide the option to rate, comment and share on social networks about your favorite locations. How to cite Existing online ordering systems, Papers

10 Greatest Waterfalls in the World free essay sample

A waterfall is one of the most amazing creations that nature has to offer. There is just something about the sight of thousands of tons of water flowing over a cliff and plunging into the river below. There are many beautiful waterfalls around the world but this list features the 10 greatest and most amazing waterfalls we were able to find. 10 Jog Falls Jog Falls, created by the River Sharavathi, falling from a height of 253 meters (829 feet), is the highest waterfalls in India. Before the rainy season Jog Falls is nearly unrecognizable with only a pair of thin streams of water trickling down the cliff. But during the monsoon season the waterfall comes to life and exceeds even Kaieteur Falls in Guyana in terms of height and volume. 9 Huangguoshu Measuring 77. 8 meters (255 feet) high and 101 meters (330 feet) wide, Huangguoshu is one of the largest waterfalls in Asia and part of a group of 18 waterfalls in the surrounding area. We will write a custom essay sample on 10 Greatest Waterfalls in the World or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page A 134 meter (440 foot) long naturally formed cave in the back of the Huangguoshu allows visitors to view the waterfall from a very close range and one can even touch the water. 8 Gullfoss Gullfoss (â€Å"Golden Falls†) is a magnificient 32 meter high double waterfall on the White River (Hvita). It is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Iceland. The flow of the river from the regular rains and the glacial runoff, particularly in summer, makes it the largest volume falls in Europe. 7 Detian Falls The Detian Falls is situated on the border between China and Vietnam. It is, in fact, the fourth largest cross-border falls in the world after Niagara, Victoria and Iguazu. Due to the various border conflicts between the two countries the area has only recently been opened to tourism. 6 Blue Nile Falls Known as Tis Issat (â€Å"smoking water†) in Amharic, the Blue Nile Falls are located on the Blue Nile river in northern Ethiopia. Although much of the water is now diverted to a power dam, it is still a beautiful sight and one of Ethiopia’s best known tourist attractions. 5 Kaieteur Falls Kaieteur Falls is located on the Potaro River in the centre of Guyana’s rainforest. It is one of the most powerful waterfalls in the world, averaging 663 cubic meters per second (23,400 cubic feet per second). With a free fall height of 226 meters (741 feet) it is about five times higher than Niagara Falls and about two times the height of the Victoria Falls. While there are many higher falls, few have the combination of height and water volume. Angel Falls Angel Falls or Salto Angel is the world’s highest waterfall, dropping a total of 978 meter from the summit of the Auyan Tepuy, and with an 807meter uninterrupted drop. Because the falls are located in an isolated jungle region of Venezuela the only access to Canaima National Park, the gateway to Angel Falls, is by air. 3 Niagara Falls Probably the most famous waterfall in the world, The Niagara Falls are located between the twin cities of Niagara Falls, Ontario, and Niagara Falls, New York. Niagara Falls is actually three different falls, the American Falls, Bridal Veil Falls and Horseshoe Falls. Horseshoe Falls is located on the Canadian side while the other are located in New York. With more than 14 million visitors each year it is one of the most visited tourist attraction in the world. 2 Victoria Falls The Victoria Falls (indigenous name: Mosi-oa-Tunya meaning â€Å"The Smoke That Thunders†) are located on the border between Zimbabwe and Zambia. Victoria Falls is often called the largest waterfall in the world, although it is neither the highest nor the widest. It has a width of 1. 7 kilometers (1 miles) and height of 108 meters (360 ft), roughly twice the height of North America’s Niagara Falls. In combined height and width Victoria Falls is rivaled only by South America’s Iguazu Falls. 1 Iguazu Falls One of the great natural wonders of the world, Iguacu Falls is situated on the border between Brazil and Argentina. The waterfall system consists of 275 falls along the Iguazu River. The majority of the falls are about 64 metres (210 ft) in height. The most impressive of them all is the Devil’s Throat a U-shaped, 82 meter high (269 ft), 150 meter (492 ft) wide and 700 meter (2300 ft) long waterfall.

Macro Environment free essay sample

There are many factors in the macro-environment that will affect the decisions of the managers of any organization. Tax changes, new laws, trade barriers, demographic change and government policy changes are all examples of macro change. To help analyze these factors managers can categories them using the model. This classification distinguishes between: Political factors: These refer to government policy such as the degree of intervention in the economy. What goods and services does a government want to provide? To what extent does it believe in subsidizing firms? What are its priorities in terms of business support? Political decisions can impact on many vital areas for business such as the education of the workforce, the health of the nation and the quality of the infrastructure of the economy such as the road and rail system. Economic factors: These include interest rates, taxation changes, economic growth, inflation and exchange rates. As you will see throughout the Foundations of Economics book economic change can have a major impact on a firms behavior. We will write a custom essay sample on Macro Environment or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page For example: Economic factors: These include interest rates, taxation changes, economic growth, inflation and exchange rates. As you will see throughout the Foundations of Economics book economic change can have a major impact on a firms behavior. For example: * Higher interest rates may deter investment because it costs more to borrow. * A strong currency may make exporting more difficult because it may raise the price in terms of foreign currency. * Inflation may provoke higher wage demands from employees and raise costs. * Higher national income growth may boost demand for a firms products. Social factors: Changes in social trends can impact on the demand for a firms products and the availability and willingness of individuals to work. In the UK, for example, the population has been ageing. This has increased the costs for firms who are committed to pension payments for their employees because their staff is living longer. It also means some firms such as Asda have started to recruit older employees to tap into this growing labour pool. The ageing population also has impact on demand: for example, demand for sheltered accommodation and medicines have increased whereas demand for toys is falling. Technological factors: New technologies create new products and new processes. MP3 players, computer games, online gambling and high definition TVs are all new markets created by technological advances. Online shopping, bar coding and computer aided design are all improvements to the way we do business as a result of better technology. Technology can reduce costs, improve quality and lead to innovation. These developments can benefit consumers as well as the organizations providing the products. Environmental factors: Environmental factors include the weather and climate change. Changes in temperature can impact on many industries including farming, tourism and insurance. With major climate changes occurring due to global warming and with greater environmental awareness this external factor is becoming a significant issue for firms to consider. The growing desire to protect the environment is having an impact on many industries such as the travel and transportation industries (for example, more taxes being placed on air travel and the success of hybrid cars) and the general move towards more environmentally friendly products and processes is affecting demand patterns and creating business opportunities. Legal factors: These are related to the legal environment in which firms operate. In recent years in the UK there have been many significant legal changes that have affected firms behavior. The introduction of age discrimination and disability discrimination legislation, an increase in the minimum wage and greater requirements for firms to recycle are examples of relatively recent laws that affect an organization’s actions. Legal changes can affect a firms costs (e. g. if new systems and procedures have to be developed) and demand (e. g. if the law affects the likelihood of customers buying the good or using the service). Different categories of law include: * consumer laws: these are designed to protect customers against unfair practices such as misleading descriptions of the product * competition laws: these are aimed at protecting small firms against bullying by larger firms and ensuring customers are not exploited by firms with monopoly power * Employment laws: these cover areas such as redundancy, dismissal, working hours and minimum wages. They aim to protect employees against the abuse of power by managers * Health and safety legislation: these laws are aimed at ensuring the workplace is as safe as is reasonably practical.

A Collection of Love Proverbs

A Collection of Love Proverbs They say, Love is all you need. Who is this they? Who are these people who are quoted so often that their quotes acquire the status of proverbs? They are people like us who, having fallen in love, could not help putting their feelings in words. Given below are a few such axioms and proverbs on the subject of love. Ovid To be loved, be lovable. Edmund Spenser Gather the rose of love whilst yet is time. Don Byas You call it madness, but I call it love. Ralph Waldo Emerson All mankind love a lover. Plato At the touch of love, everyone becomes a poet. Barbara de Angelis You never lose by loving. You always lose by holding back. Paul Tillich The first duty of love is to listen. William Shakespeare Love comforteth like sunshine after rain. Woodrow Wyatt A man falls in love through his eyes; a woman through her ears. Torquato Tasso Any time not spent in love is wasted. Anonymous There is no difference between a wise man and a fool when they fall in love. Jean Paul F. Richter Paradise is always where love dwells. Oscar Wilde Who, being loved, is poor? Jeff Zinnert Never have regrets, follow your heart. Christopher Marlowe Whoever loved that loved not at first sight? Latin Proverb A man is not where he lives, but where he loves. Alfred Lord Tennyson Love is the only gold. Jean Anouilh Love is, above all, the gift of oneself.

What are the key issues facing Public Service Broadcasting in the UK Essay

What are the key issues facing Public Service Broadcasting in the UK - Essay Example â€Å"Neither commercial nor state controlled, public broadcasting’s only raison d’à ªtre is public service. It is the public broadcasting organisation...[that] develop knowledge, broaden horizons and enable people to better understand themselves by better understanding the world and others† (World Radio and Television Council, 2002). At present in this highly technological and globalised world, the system of public service broadcasting is facing â€Å"declining budgets, audience fragmentation, and debate over their proper role† (Collins, et al., 2001). In the present context, on examination we will find that the PBS in UK is facing serious challenges from the issue of substantial downgrading of support from the public funds, and the entry of competitors along with new advanced technology into the world of media and communication. We will examine these very issues and explore various subjects to find out logical and workable solutions to these imminent problems, which threat the very existence of modern day UK PBS. In UK by the regulations of the Ofcom it is mandatory for BBC to have public service addresses, for all its television and radio stations, including the ones that have digital transmission. Besides these, other stations that transmit through the terrestrial analogue television like ITV and Channel 4 whose programs are transmitted to all of UK, that includes Scotland, Northern Ireland, England; FIVE and also SC4 in Wales, are bound to transmit programs that fall under the category of public service broadcasting, since these free to air channels are available to all citizens in UK. Under the Community Radio Order 2004, it is also mandatory for the 200 community Radio services to play the role of public service providers; the only exemption in this case are the commercial radios, which are allowed to transmit nominal or

The equality of American public education Essay

The equality of American public education - Essay Example On the other hand, schools which cater to the needs of the influential class students possess and provide abundant opportunities to the students regarding placement in advance courses. Although the immediate effect of such discrimination may not be evident; the long term consequences may be observed in the form of heightened professional success among the privileged students, since such courses prepare them in professional terms (Klugman   1).   Ã¢â‚¬ËœCulture’ as a tool to describe all problems related to achievement gap has become widely accepted among the vast majority of teachers who interact with students of color on daily basis. Although every individual, whether white or black possesses a cultural background; the notion of ‘culture’ is considered associated only with the deprived classes of the society. This may be considered an extension of the teacher’s self-esteem issue, since it is quite common for teachers to associate culture with everythin g that is non-white. So, instead of looking for the real explanation that lies behind the achievement gaps, white teachers are more inclined towards labelling it a ‘culture’ thing which therefore has either ‘no cure’ or needs a ‘prolonged therapy’. It has become extremely common to associate culture of poverty to the achievement gap that is evident among students. Although the reality that lies behind such gaps may be puzzling and in some cases difficult to determine, the common path chosen to explain such gaps is the over-simplistic approach.

Local Community by Volunteering Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Local Community by Volunteering - Lab Report Example These goals and objectives can only be achieved when a company is able to take appropriate decisions to cope with unexpected situations. Moreover, good image among people also plays a key role in the success of a company. A good company or organization is one which not only seeks profits through providing quality products and services to the customers but also stands by their side in case of natural disasters. In this report, we will discuss how Toyota, a Japanese car manufacturing company, can work towards bringing improvement to the lives of people affected due to recent earthquake and tsunami. 2. Importance of the Event The 2011 earthquake and tsunami caused severe damages to Japan’s economy. The earthquake not only affected lives of the people living near the focal point of the earthquake but also adversely affected the car manufacturing industry and Japan’s nuclear system. Being nationals of Japan, it is one of our main responsibilities to work towards bringing imp rovement to the lives of people and to the overall economy of Japan. For this reason, we can plan to organize a function or event that will provide an opportunity for internal clients and community members to network while also raising money. As the community is badly hit by the natural disaster, the funds can go towards disaster relief center of Japan. It will also provide us with the opportunity to raise our company’s profile among the local community. 3. Overview of the Idea Being the advisor to the head of division, I have planned an event which can help us accomplish the above-mentioned tasks. The plan is to organize a car racing event in 10 main cities of Japan, which include Nagoya, Toyohashi, Ichinomiya, Okazaki, Toyota, Inazawa, Inuyama, Kariya, Setyo, and Handa. The event will be organized in December. In the car racing event, we will not use hybrid cars, rather we will introduce our latest electric cars in order to make people aware of our latest developments. We w ill specially invite our internal clients along with the community members in the event. For the collection of funds, we will use the following ways: 1. Funds collected through sale of tickets 2. Funds collected through company’s net profits 3. Funds collected through participation of rich internal clients 3.1 Usage of Funds The main intent of the plan is to collect a good amount of funds through the event in order to use those funds to bring relief to the lives of the affected people. Some part of the collected funds will be given to the Japan disaster management center in order to make our contribution in providing relief to the economy of the county. Our main is to use the collected funds in the benefits of our society. We will help our people stand on their toes once again. The event will be organized in those cities which are not affected by the disaster and where people have strong financial backgrounds. We will educate people regarding the need of their participation i n bringing improvement to the nation’s economy. The event will not only help us collect a high amount of funds but also it will help our company maintain a good image among the local community. 3.2 External Consultant The event will include all those activities which are critically important for the success of any specific event. Along with car racing, some other attractive features of the event will incl

Internal Traceability And External Traceability

Internal Traceability And External Traceability Traceability itself does not make food safe. However it is a risk management tool whenever a food safety problem is concerned. Past experiences have shown that the operation of food or feed market can be jeopardized when it is impossible to trace food or feed. Seafood is a highly perishable food item, increasingly globally traded and many particular conditions have to be taken into account (Schrà ¶der, U. 2008). Therefore a comprehensive system of traceability is targeted to avoid unnecessary wider disruption in food business. According to ISO 8402:1994, traceability is defines as the ability to trace the history, application or location of an entity by means of recoded identification. Starting from 2002, all fishery products in European Union must be labeled with commercial designation of the species, the production method and the catch area or production location according to traceability Requirements for Fish (Regulation EC/2065/2001). E.U. General Food Law Regulation 178/2002 (Article 3) mentioned that traceability means the ability trace and follow a food, feed, food producing animal or substance intended to be, or expected to be incorporated into a food or feed through all stages of production, processing and distribution. Traceability is mentioned in the Food Hygiene Regulation 2009 (Regulation 10) that it should be identified as one step back from where the food came and one step forward where the food went at any specified stage in the food chain 80.5% of fishery production in Malaysia is captured whereas 94.4% of seafood in European Union is capture fisheries. Marine fish landing in Malaysia has been quit consistent around 1300 tonnes per annum (Buku Perangkaan Perikanan Tahunan, 2009; Fisheries statistic, 2011). However, there is a trend of dropping in the capture of fishery products in the European Union from 7253 tonnes in 1998 to 5148 in 2008. Hence, European Union tends to import more fish and has stringent rules and regulations on the import of seafood products. Traceability procedure may seem to be lengthy but its importance and benefits outweigh its all. The main purpose of traceability is to improve safety and quality control and this could boost import potential, market access and lead to better business management and efficiency. In food safety issue, it not only safeguards against bioterrorism, but also enables immediate recall and withdrawal when a risk or hazard is identified. Besides that, it also provides a channel for transparent and fair trading between operators. Accurate information is provided to the public so that consumers will not be misled by inaccurate label and make informed purchasing decisions. Traceability records help control authorities to perform better risk assessment (Regulation (EC) No. 178/2002 (Article 18)). Traceability also helps to increase ones market share or product value. Its importance in the implication of sustainable fishing may be unseen by the society. With traceability record, seafood business ope rators cannot make false claims and we can get rid of the false perception of plentiful seafood supply in the marine ecosystem. 2.0 Internal Traceability and External Traceability Generally, traceability can be divided into two types, which is the internal traceability and external or chain traceability. Internal traceability is the recordkeeping of a product within a particular operation, company or production facility. It relates the data about raw materials and processes to the final product before it is delivered. Many seafood processing companies have effective internal traceability systems as part of their HACCP based quality assurance systems. Internal traceability is aimed at productivity improvement and cost reduction within a production unit such as fish plant. This type of record keeping is already required throughout the seafood industry as it is essential for keeping track of inventory, purchasing and other in house accounting. External traceability refers to traceability the product outside of a business entity, in the entire supply chain. It is between companies and countries and depends on the presence of internal traceability of each entity. Therefore it is a challenge that requires the cooperation of all operators in the supply chain from farm to table. For instances, external traceability allows the tracking of a product and attributes of that product through the successive stages of the distribution chain such as from boat or fish farm to table. One step back and one step forward approach is the simplest model of external traceability. It comprises the capability to track the movement of the product forward through the supply chain to understand where it has gone, what it has gone into and what it has come into contact with. Besides, it enables to trace a product back to understand the custody chain of product, components and ingredients. Under this system, each partner in the supply chain is respons ible to record input and output data but not for information which may be several steps ahead or behind in the supply chain (Can-Trace, 2007). Tracing upstream means looking back along the supply chain towards the harvester or producer steps. Downstream looks forward towards distribution and consumption. External traceability makes use of a set of tools that aids in traceability such as identifiers, carriers (Bar code and RFIDs) and readers. As seafood supply chains become longer and convulated, there is raising demand for external traceability data by both regulators and consumers. Both internal and external traceability system had been used in European Union (EU) and Malaysia. They are used to achieve different purposes or objectives such as for food safety regulatory requirements or to ensure quality and other contractual requirements. Besides a well-developed technological infrastructure, the speed of trace-back and trace-forward (traceability) is influenced by well-functioning and well-organized competent authorities (CAs). Legistlation and the accuracy, efficiency of data exchanges and controls are vital to the functioning of the CAs. The Malaysia food safety system is characterized by its complexity and diversity with different authority entrusted with the task of ensuring food safety at different stages of the food chain such as Ministry Of Health (MOH), Department Of Fisheries (DOF) and Fishery Development Authority Of Malaysia (LKIM). C:[emailprotected] traceability systemexternal and internal.jpg Figure 1: External versus internal traceability. (Source: Petersen and Green, 2007) 3.0 Fishing Scenario in Malaysia: What Causes Malaysia to Change? The introduction of import conditions for seafood and other fishery products by European Union (EU) in year 2002 had been a wakeup call for the Malaysian authorities. In year 2005, the Directorate General of health and Consumers (D.G. Sanco) visited Malaysia after the harmonization of the EU members import condition. Among the main problems identified were (Shahridan and Nagalingam, 2011): No specific legislation was in place to ensure that fishing vessels and landings sites are in line with EU standards, No generic approval of a farm for export, those who wish to export must register with the Animal Health Quarantine Centre of the Department of Fisheries, Laboratories involved in testing were not adequately equipped and staff were not knowledgeable enough, The HACCP programme was not a prerequisite for an establishment to be proposed for the EU export list, and There was a need to implement minimum hygiene standards in processing plants, fishing vessels and landing sites. After the findings, recommendations were made to improve the situation by the next visit in 2008. In year 2008, D.G Sanco found that most of issues from the previous visit have not been addressed and concluded that all official controls put in place by the Malaysian competent authority were not equivalent to the EU requirements for import of live fish and finished products. Therefore, EU contemplated to impose a ban, which would then be gazette into a law which would be harder to reverse. This lead the Malaysian competent authority to immediately impose an unilateral export ban to the EU (Shahridan and Nagalingam, 2011). The impact of unilateral EU export ban caused huge lost to the seafood and fishery products industries and the government. Forty-five processing establishments and one freezer vessel lost their licenses or EU numbers to export to the EU immediately. Processing plants that had their shipment ready for EU and also in process had to appeal for a gestation period to fulfill those orders. The ready stock for the upcoming EU festive seasons had to be reprocessed and repacked for other countries. Half of the processing plants in the country shut down and many lost their jobs overnight (Shahridan and Nagalingam, 2011). Several improvements were implemented to meet the EU requirements. New regulations were enacted (Table 1) and the official controls put in place by the Malaysian competent authorities were reorganized (Figure 2). Details regarding traceability were discussed in detailed in the next subtopic. Table 1: New regulations enacted to improve the food safety regulations. Regulation Content Food Hygiene Regulation 2009 Health certificates need to be issued for all relevant parties involved in finished product heading for the EU. Fisheries Regulations 2009 Fishing vessels and aquaculture farms have to get quality control certification for seafood that would be processed into finished product for the EU. Lembaga Kemajuan Ikan Malaysia Regulations 2010 Hygiene and recognition of fish landing sites approved for raw material heading to the EU. MOH DOF LKIM Central competent authority Directly responsible for public health in this matter. Controls of potable water supply Competent authority directly responsible for animal health matters in this area. Competent authority for issuing the license that allows a company to carry out the activity of import/export of live fish or final product (fishing vessels). MOH DOF LKIM Middlemen/ Transporters Processing plants Sources of imported raw material Water and ice sources Aquaculture farms Fishing vessels Landing sites MOH: Ministry of Health DOF: Department Of Fisheries LKIM: Fishery Development Authority Of Malaysia Figure 2: Reorganization and detailed description of competent authorities framework. (Source: Shahridan and Nagalingam, 2011) Improvements 4.0 Chain Traceability The ability to connect incoming and outgoing goods or one-step backward and one-step forward is a prerequisite for chain traceability to show the relationship between business partners. This requires that the business partners are known to each other and able to cooperate to successfully create traceability graph. This graph is a representation of elements and relationships consisting of knowledge about a traceable unit represented as a directed graph of trace events and relationships to resources, actors and other traceable units (Tracefish, 2009). Before establishing chain traceability, one must decide on what system, method and tracing tool to be used to identify, mark and label his products. It is also necessary to be able to define business partners that are involved in the traceability. The partners should be divided into the following categories which are: suppliers (producers of raw materials, ingredients, finished products and packaging), customers (retailers) and transporters. Types of traceability system and the food supply chain will be further discussed below. 4.1 Paper-based and electronic systems Identification, marking and labelling Paper based system and electronic system are examples of traceability system used throughout the food supply chain. The purpose of both systems is to provide information, recording and linking of the particular food from farm to fork. Most traceability system adopted by companies utilizes the mixture of paper and electronic systems. The key factor in determining the type of traceability system depends on the size of the company. In both European Union (EU) and Malaysian perspectives, there is no definite and singular system to be employed throughout the food supply chain. In EU General Food Law, Article 18 states that the system must simply guarantee a link supplier-product and a link customer-product which allows providing the essential information to the competent authorities upon their request. The same goes for the Malaysia, whereby Regulation 10 in Food Hygiene Regulation 2009 states that a food traceability system shall be provided to be able to identify one step back and one step forward at any specified stage from production to distribution. Although there are differences in approaching traceability and major structural differences between the chains for different types of fish, products and varies among countries, there is also a degree of commonality in information requirements by the respective law and regulations. These information requirements can be categorized as (Tracefish, 2009): Each food business has to collect and record information and make it available to the competent authorities upon request and to other food business operators for the purpose of product withdrawal or recall. Information on the nature of the food and the operations involved is required for particular purposes and must be available to the appropriate authorities. Commercially desirable information on the nature of the food and the operations can be requested by food business for reasons such as, Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP), ethical, environmental, quality assurance records, raw material or product standards and specifications. Paper traceability system is widespread and is the oldest system used throughout the supply chain. Most companies in both EU and Malaysian, who are making small profit and producing limited quantity of products, utilise this system as it is cheap and changes can be easily made. However, its disadvantages are manually intensive, reliant on correct procedural operations, trace-back of information is time consuming and difficult and records are not easily reviewed. A paper traceability system also requires a lot of storage space. Electronic traceability consists of bar code systems and Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) systems. Bar code systems are widely used and are well established in the food industry in both EU and Malaysia. It is inexpensive to implement and use. EAN.UCC system (European Article Number and Uniform Code Council) are the most widely used across EU. The more recent RFID technology uses tags that send identification codes electronically to a receiver when passing through a reading area. RFID identifiers consist of a surface/chip, which can be attached onto or implanted into any surface to provide encoded information of identity. One of the major advantage of RFID is that it is able to scan the whole pallet in seconds while passing through a reader area as many tags can be read simultaneously even when not in-line of sight which is the disadvantage of bar codes. However, RFID is less widely used technology in EU when compared to bar code technology as it is expensive. Thus far, the usage of RFID technology in Malaysia has not been introduced in tracking seafood product. However, RFID technology had been introduced in government-run livestock tracking programme which is funded by the veterinary Department of Malaysias Ministry of Agriculture and Agro-based industries to control disease outbreaks among livestock (RFIDNews, 2009). One major advantage of electronic traceability systems is their ability to handle large amounts of information in a precise manner. Records and reports regarding traceability can be retraced in a short amount of time. Figure 2: Example of bar code (left) and RFID tag (right). In EU, all establishments handling food of animal origin must be approved by the national authority. Establishments here included abattoirs/slaughterhouses, cutting plants, processors etc. All foods produced by the approved establishments must carry an EU identification mark, indicating the approval number. Under Regulation EC 1907/90, identification marks are required for all other products of animal origin except for eggs. This legislation came into force in January 1, 2006 to ensure traceability for products of animal origin. The mark must be in oval shape, legible, indelible and clearly visible for inspection. The first part of the approval number is a two-letter national code (UK for United Kingdom), indicating the country in which the food was produced, followed by a site-specific approval number and ending with the abbreviation (EC) for European Commission (Reily, 2009). This kind of regulation however is not implemented in Malaysia. C:[emailprotected] traceability systemEUeuidentificationmark.jpg Figure 3: EU identification mark comprising country code (UK), establishment code (AZ020), European Commission indication (EC). 4.2 Traceability in fish catching In both EU and in Malaysia, information on vessel name, fishing trip number, time of catch, quantity in haul, batch size, landing area and fishing area are required to be recorded. The method of record keeping could be paper or electronic, depending on individual company. The only difference between EU and Malaysia is that the existence of a central database system for foods in EU (TraceFood) for tracking the movement of products. This allows information to be recorded and registered in each link. In Malaysia, information is managed manually; each organization has their own way of keeping and transferring information. In EU nations, fish are sorted on board according to species and iced in boxes. Each box is labeled with information on fish species, catch, date, vessel name or number and a unique box number, readable as ordinary numbers and in the form of a bar code. The information is registered in a computer onboard the vessel and the data are transmitted via a mobile phone to a computer at the next step in the chain, the collector. This enables the collector to receive all information from the vessel before it enters the harbor. At the collector, each specied of fish is sorted according to size, keeping the fish from each catch date separated to enable fish to be traced according to the same vessel with the same catch date. At the collectors stage, information about the collector name, fish size/weight and a new box number registered at the computer adding this new information to the database (Frederiksen and Gram, 2004). This kind of technology is not implemented in Malaysia due to its high im plementation cost and training cost to the fishermen. Nevertheless, ongoing effort is being conducted by the Malaysian authorities to improve the traceability in both fish catching and aquaculture farms. The introduction of import conditions for seafood and other fishery products by EU in year 2002 was a wakeup call to Malaysian authorities. To enforce traceability in fish catching, all fishermen need to get comply regulations in Fisheries Act 1985 :(i) Fishing license (ii) Fishing vessel permit/license (iii) Permanent marking of ID on fishing vessel. In aquaculture farms, Malaysian Aquaculture Farm Certification Scheme (SPLAM) was introduced which incorporated traceability principles. SPLAM is managed by Department Of Fisheries (DOF) which emphasizes in the implementation of HACCP at source. It is a voluntary scheme to encourage Good Aquaculture Practice to ensure the safety, quality, consistency and competitiveness of the products based on criteria, guidelines and standards determined by DOF. Aquaculture entrepreneurs have to fulfil c ertain requirements and criteria set by the DOF Malaysia, make an application, undergo a review audit and final approval before their farm can be awarded the certificate and logo (Department of Fisheries Malaysia, 2011). 4.3 Traceability in fish processing plant The information generated from the stage of fish being catches on vessel until reaches the end consumer are transmitted from one link to the next unit. In fish processing plant, the raw material received to be processed from its own fishing vessels. The information that may obtain from catching and from production stage are shown in the Table 2. The freshness of fish and fishery products are important along the processing as these products are perishable commodity. It needs to be evaluated frequently. There are several evaluation methods could be chosen from, which included microbiological methods, biochemical and chemical methods, physical methods as well as sensory methods. Table 2: Information registered or generated in fish processing stage. Information from catching Information from production Vessel name Fishing trip number Fishing area Fish species Units per catching day Condition of fish Weight of fish Ratio of ice to fish Other parameters Name of product Origin of raw material Plant number Authorisation number (especially for EU perspective) Product number or code Production date or lot number Best before date Product weight Temperature Quality and processing parameters Sensory evaluation results Microbiological results In Europe, since the European Union (EU) Regulation 178/2002 requires mandatory traceability for all food and feed products in EU countries, there is a comprehensive and complete traceability system implemented in the region. In the fish processing plant, several batches of raw materials may be processed into different finished product in one day. Different batches of raw materials came from different vessels, and graded mechanically. The graded raw materials will be distributed into different containers or tanks according to size. Each container labelled with a grade ID. These graded fishes are ready to be processed, which is also known as in-feed batches. The in-feed batch ID carries the information which able to be tracked back from final product. The information are carried between links of batch number, grade ID and in-feed batch ID, or even final products. The processing manufacturers must also able to identify whom they provide their products to. For Malaysia perspective, the traceability in fish processing plant is adopted from ISO 22005, Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP), Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) and Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures (SSOP). ISO 22005 described a traceability system is influenced by regulations, product characteristics and customer expectations within a feed and food chain. The manufacture company should identify the product or ingredients used, the raw materials suppliers and finished products customers, flows of materials, manufacturing process history and other related information. These information shall be recorded as documentation for traceability data. Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) is aimed to determine whether there is any food safety hazards that are likely to occur on the fish and fishery product processed through the analysis and control of biological, chemical and physical hazards from the raw material, to processing, distribution and consumption of the finished product. At the same time, the hazard analysis is to identify possible preventive steps that may be applied to control those hazards. The general records that required to make included name and location of the processor or importer, date and time of the activity that record reflects, signature or initials of the person performing the operation and identity of the product and its production code. These records should be done at the time that it is observed. All records as well as all plans and procedures required should be available for official review and copying at reasonable time periods, usually 1 year from the processing date for refrigerated p roducts and 2 years for frozen, preserved or shelf-stable products. Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) certification scheme aimed to assist manufactures of food products and food related products to provide assurance to consumers that the products are manufactured in a hygienic manner and the best practices in manufacturing accordingly. GMP is one of the pre-requisite programmes (PRP) required to established prior implementation of HACCP. Records are made along the manufacture process show all the steps required by the defined procedures and instructions were taken to achieve the expected quantity and quality. The documentation may divide into quality manual, operating procedures and support documentation. Support documentation will be the significant element for traceability system. It records how the manufacture company carries out and details of their processing process on materials, procedures, operations and finished products. These records may enable the complete manufacture process of a batch to be traced are retained in a comprehensible and ac cessible form. Meanwhile, Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures (SSOP) emphasize on the sanitation aspect for a fictional seafood company processing a cooked ready-to-eat seafood product. There are several steps in this operating procedure and several records had been made accordingly. Daily Sanitation Control Record is the main document that used in seafood processing monitoring, such as in safety of processing water and ice, condition and cleanliness of food contact surfaces (included utensils, gloves and outer garments), prevention of cross-contamination, protection of food, food-packaging material and food-contact surfaces from adulteration, labelling, storage, employees health and hygiene, toilet facilities as well as pest control. Other documents are included municipal water bill and periodic sanitation record, building plumbing inspection report and periodic sanitation control record. These records will be reviewed and kept on file for two years. 4.4 Traceability during Fish and Seafood Products Transportation and Storage In EU perspective, information needed to be kept during fish transportation and storage includes the name and address of supplier, quantity, batch number and the nature of the supplied fish and seafood products. Other information such as areas and dates of harvesting, location and the date of processing and packaging are also necessary. A more detailed description of the products is recommended such as pre-packed or bulk products, processed or raw fish and seafood products. The conditions of the transportation means should be recorded specifically. This includes the temperature, humidity and the atmosphere of the transport vehicles, length and conditions of handling and also the duration of transportation and storage. The location where the products are stored and the date by which the products should be used are needed to be recorded. Meanwhile, the name and address of the customer (wholesaler or retailer), quantity, batch number and the nature of the fish and seafood products that were delivered to the customer and the date of transaction or delivery should also be recorded. Whereas in Malaysia, basic information such as the name and address of the supplier, quantity and batch number are recorded. Registration and validation of the cold chain maintenance is required. Record keeping of the temperature and time control, GMP records such as the personnel and sanitation is also required. In general, the information recorded in the transportation in Malaysia is similar to the information recorded in EU. 4.5 Traceability in Retailer The record keeping of retailer in EU and Malaysia shares the commonality. The retailer should have the record on the information of the producers name, product name and quantity, pallet number, carriers name, shipment number and also wholesalers name and address. RFID system and bar code can be used upon the arrival of the products and these systems aid in the traceability of the food products. Besides, the temperature and hygiene of storage conditions of the products upon receiving; date and places of arrival should also be recorded. Types of boxes or container used and the weight of the fish and seafood products should also be recorded. In addition, the retailer should have the record on the origin of the products. In general, the commercial documents for these highly perishable products are usually kept for the period of 6 months after the manufactured date or delivery. The legislation of handling and processing of fish and fish products for export to EU are controlled by the Fisheries (Quality Control of Fish for Export to the European Union) Regulations 2009 under Fisheries Act 1985 together Food Export (Issuance of Health Certificate for Export of Fish and Fish Products to the European Union) Regulations 2009 and Food Hygiene Regulations 2009. 4.6 Information available to customers It is important that there is information available about the seafood products sell in the market for consumers. This is to enhance consumer confidence and by confirming the foods that they consume are safe as well as free from any contamination or diseases. Besides, it is also to strengthen the food safety by increase the effectiveness of product recall during the emergency case such as food poisoning. Information on traceability system enables consumers to avoid specific seafood easily due to the allergenicity, food intolerance or even lifestyle choice (ICTSD. 2006). For consumers, traceability system provides a more controllable condition in food chain which meant to deliver a safer and higher quality of food. Thus, traceability system may be an effective system that provides information about the whole process of product, from the production to the distribution among consumers by providing the consumers information of the origin for that particular product and give consumers a gr eater choice in deciding whether to buy or not. Basic information such as species of seafood product, origin of product and suppliers is needed on the package of products as well as Halal certification/ authentication especially in country like Malaysia. With this information, consumers will feel safer in that they will be able to see the detailed information about the origin country and also the farm of the seafood products. Due to the undeveloped and inappropriate management of traceability system, Malaysia is still practicing conventional and manual record keeping. Thus, more detailed information about the product is not available to customers in the market. In developed countries like EU, there are tools to identify the trade and logistics items such as EAN.UCC system. Every item will be given one unique number, and the number will give identity to the products and consists of information concerning the products. Besides, it is capable in providing the locations where the products are assigned and ensure the efficient flow of products. Through the system, information related to the products can be passed from one stage to another until to the end, which is to the consumers. The information available to consumers are such as fish species (Trade/ Latin name), catching area, catching date, production me

Objectivity in Journalism Essay -- Reporter News Reporting Events Essa

Objectivity in Journalism Public journalism has changed much during its existence. Papers are striving to actively involve readers in the news development. It goes beyond telling the news to embrace a broader mission of improving the quality of public life. The American style of journalism is based on objectivity and separates us from the bias found in most European partisan papers. American journalism is becoming too vigilant in being objective that the dedication to investigating stories tends to be missing in the writing. Public journalism works to incorporate concepts from partisan and objective writing to increase the flow of information and improve the quality of public life. The partisan press is presented as an opinion newspaper which generally argues one political point of view or pushes the plan of the party that subsidizes the paper.1 This style is dominantly used in Great Britain. Leonard Doyle, the foreign editor at The Independent in London, feels that this is the best style of delivering news. Partisan journalism strikes at the passion and immediacy of the subjects covered in the news. The reports are based on more narrow discoveries of facts and evidence. The partisan news is very competitive which in turn creates popularity for reading the papers. Doyle says that the British are among the best informed in the world.2 The 20th century American style of news deals with objectivity. This style distinguishes factual reports from opinion columns. Reporters strive to remain neutral towards the issues they cover, and allow readers to make their judgments.3 The Washington Post?s Michael Getler describes that news that is most beneficial should be delivered in a method that is bey... ...se information that is bias and opinionated. The most notable aspect in European partisan papers is that one can sense the desire and interest the writer has in the topic by their opinions and explanations. I feel that if Americans took the European approach, more people would be attracted to reading papers and interacting with the information they are given, and in turn there could be a better informed nation. Works Cited ?Brits vs. Yanks: Who Does Journalism Right 2004. Columbia Journalism Review. Issue 3: May/June. . Campbell, Richard. Media & Culture: an introduction to mass communication. Bedford/St. Martin?s: Boston, N.Y. 2005. Cunningham, Brent. ?Re-thinking Objectivity.? 2003. Columbia Journalism Review. Issue 4: July/August. . Objectivity in Journalism Essay -- Reporter News Reporting Events Essa Objectivity in Journalism Public journalism has changed much during its existence. Papers are striving to actively involve readers in the news development. It goes beyond telling the news to embrace a broader mission of improving the quality of public life. The American style of journalism is based on objectivity and separates us from the bias found in most European partisan papers. American journalism is becoming too vigilant in being objective that the dedication to investigating stories tends to be missing in the writing. Public journalism works to incorporate concepts from partisan and objective writing to increase the flow of information and improve the quality of public life. The partisan press is presented as an opinion newspaper which generally argues one political point of view or pushes the plan of the party that subsidizes the paper.1 This style is dominantly used in Great Britain. Leonard Doyle, the foreign editor at The Independent in London, feels that this is the best style of delivering news. Partisan journalism strikes at the passion and immediacy of the subjects covered in the news. The reports are based on more narrow discoveries of facts and evidence. The partisan news is very competitive which in turn creates popularity for reading the papers. Doyle says that the British are among the best informed in the world.2 The 20th century American style of news deals with objectivity. This style distinguishes factual reports from opinion columns. Reporters strive to remain neutral towards the issues they cover, and allow readers to make their judgments.3 The Washington Post?s Michael Getler describes that news that is most beneficial should be delivered in a method that is bey... ...se information that is bias and opinionated. The most notable aspect in European partisan papers is that one can sense the desire and interest the writer has in the topic by their opinions and explanations. I feel that if Americans took the European approach, more people would be attracted to reading papers and interacting with the information they are given, and in turn there could be a better informed nation. Works Cited ?Brits vs. Yanks: Who Does Journalism Right 2004. Columbia Journalism Review. Issue 3: May/June. . Campbell, Richard. Media & Culture: an introduction to mass communication. Bedford/St. Martin?s: Boston, N.Y. 2005. Cunningham, Brent. ?Re-thinking Objectivity.? 2003. Columbia Journalism Review. Issue 4: July/August. .

Lucretia Mott on Women’s Rights

Lucretia Mott’s Discourse on Women Speech Bibliographical Entry: â€Å"Lucretia Mott Speech. † Lucretia Mott Speech. N. p. , n. d. Web. 13 Mar. 2013. Synopsis of Argument: The general argument made by Lucretia Mott in her speech Discourse on Women, on December 17, 1849, is that women are hidden from certain parts of society. More specifically, she argues that women let their guards down when approached with a decisive man. She writes, â€Å"she needs all the encouragement she can receive. † In this passage, Mott suggests that women need the encouragement to stand up for themselves against men.In conclusion, Mott’s belief is that women should fully be a part of society and should not be afraid of the men to do so. Claims supporting his purpose: * In her speech declaring women in society, Lucretia Mott argues that women need to stand against men. Mott asserts women that men are not the only rulers, women can be too. The women need to â€Å"take a stand,â₠¬  and fight to stay on society and get the freedom they want. Mott used the power of God to motivate the women and get the attention of men, Lucretia Mott Background- Research Bibliographical Entry: â€Å"Lucretia Mott. † History. com.A&E Television Networks, 1996. Web. 13 Mar. 2013. How relevant to the speech: Mott was raised in a Quaker community that provided strong role models for her. Mott advocated antislavery and boycotted all products of slave labor. She helped found the Philadelphia Female Anti-Slavery Society in 1833 and served as its president. This sort of activity in reform groups was immediate departure for women of her era. When denied a seat in 1840 at the World Anti-Slavery Convention in London on account of her sex, Mott preached her feelings of female equality outside the conference hall.During her London visit, she befriended Elizabeth Cady Stanton. During the summer of 1848 she and Stanton organized the meeting at Seneca Falls, New York, where the Ameri can women's rights movement was launched. Mott was elected president of the group in 1852. Mott's feminist philosophy was outlined in her Discourse on Women (1850). She believed women's roles within society reflected limited education rather than innate inferiority. She advocated equal economic opportunity and supported women's equal political status, including suffrage.

Baleful and Baneful

Baleful and Baneful Baleful and Baneful Baleful and Baneful By Maeve Maddox A reader asks, Would you please tell me the difference between baleful and baneful. I know both adjectives relate to evil. Both of these adjectives derive from ancient Old English words. In Beowulf, a bane is a murderer. By extension, bane came to mean anything that causes destruction. In time, bane came to be a synonym for poison. The element appears in the names of several plants that have poisonous properties: henbane (Hyoscyamus niger) dogbane (Apocynum) wolfsbane (Aconitum lycoctonum) A common name for rat poison (especially white arsenic) is ratsbane. In modern usage the meaning of baneful at its strongest is pernicious; at its mildest, harmful. Here are some examples: The authors neglect the baneful effect of the gold standard in their discussion of the Great Depression and other economic periods.   The Baneful Consequences of the U.S. Dietary Guidelines He deplores the general decline of handwriting and the  baneful effect  on communication.   On the one hand, there is persuasive evidence that gender bias, gender segregation, and gender discrimination still exist and still have a baneful effect on access. The Old English word bealu (the source of bale in baleful) may be translated variously as harm, injury, ruin, evil, mischief, and wickedness. A bealu could be a wound or anything unpleasant. In modern usage, the adjective baleful is used in the sense of threatening: And as he spoke his eyes gleamed, and again that  baleful  smile passed over his face. A  baleful  star, come to cause us harm IRS Turning Its Baleful Gaze At Company Cafeterias That Churn Out Free  Food Sometimes the phrase â€Å"a baleful look† seems to be used as the equivalent of â€Å"an accusing look† or â€Å"a dirty look†: I have one-sided conversations with the dog (who at best cocks his head quizzically at me but most often  casts me a baleful look). Kevin sat on my bed  giving me baleful looks. When I called out to her, she turned and gave me what could only be described as a  baleful look.   As the reader suggests, both baneful and baleful carry connotations of evil. Some speakers do use the words interchangeably, but there’s a difference. In the following examples the word baneful (harmful) would be the clearer choice: The baleful effect of computer benchmarks upon applied mathematics, physics and chemistry. (Title of a paper by a mathematics professor). First, since the evidence suggests that computer technologies generally improve student achievement overall, and no baleful results were found, there should be more computer use by students regardless of social class or geographic location. (From an academic paper about technology and education). Bale (evil) is no longer used apart from the adjective baleful, but the word bane continues to be used as a stand-alone noun in the sense of â€Å"a person who makes another completely miserable† or â€Å"the agent or instrument of ruin or woe†: My ex-husband is the bane of my happiness. Edward Snowden continues to be the bane of U.S. government surveillance and spy operations.   Opium had in fact been the bane of the economic and social life of the Assamese people. Bradford pear one of lifes many botanical banes Fleas are the  bane of my existence. Baleful conveys menace, whereas baneful connotes definite harm. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:100 Words for Facial Expressions"Gratitude" or "Gratefulness"?Drama vs. Melodrama

How to Survive Your Upcoming Panel Interview

How to Survive Your Upcoming Panel Interview You’ve just been told your interview won’t be a one-on-one or series of individual interviews, but a panel interview instead. Maybe it’s your first panel interview. Maybe they just freak you out and throw you off your game. It can be intimidating going before the â€Å"firing squad,† so to speak. But don’t be intimidated. Think of this as an opportunity to convince more decision makers of how good a fit you are. Get as many of them on your side as you can. It’s a much more efficient use of time! But if the rapid fire scenario still frightens you and your nerves are daunted by the extra pressure, here are 7 strategies for how to prepare and sail through.1. Do your homework.Think about the preparation required for a normal interview, then multiply that by the number of people on the panel, at least. Figure out, first of all, who is going to be on your panel. You can ask the recruiter or hiring manager for names and titles; this is standard prac tice and will help you better assess what might be most important to each. Find out as much as you can about their roles, successes, career backgrounds. Think about the questions each one might be likely to ask and then prepare great answers.Then, go through your resume to make sure you don’t need to explain away any gaps or oddities. And then rehearse. Have friends or family fire questions at you, so you can practice answering them, and addressing each questioner by name.2. Look smart.Show up 10 minutes early (you should do this anyway, but wasting four or 10 people’s time is much worse than just one). Wear something professional and make sure your appearance is well-groomed and neat. Consult the company’s dress policy and err on the side of caution. Try a dark, smart suit if in doubt.Present yourself with confidence and keep your body language open. Don’t fidget. Sit up straight, smile, and don’t forget to breathe. Remember to make eye contact wi th questioners when answering. And then make sure your confidence level doesn’t spill over into arrogance.3. Build rapport.Once you get a sense of the room, start getting comfortable, and make sure everyone else is comfortable too. Answer each question directly to the person who asked it, but find a way to broaden out your answer at the end and address the group. Show how you can engage the room, build up a sense of teamwork and camaraderie. Put people (i.e. customers/coworkers) at ease. Remember to keep each member of the panel in mind with each answer. Don’t exclude the rest of the panel to answer one question too narrowly or directly.4. Control the pace.The rapid-fire situation only has to be overwhelming if you let it. Remember, you can control the pace of the conversation. You are well within your rights to pause before answering a question. Get to the point quickly, keep your answers brief, and don’t get bogged down. This will help you get your answers out before the next question comes your way.If you get cut off before you finish, immediately ask yourself whether what you were going to say was important enough to persist. If not, move on. If yes, politely say you’d like to just share one final thought on the previous question, then move on.5. Prepare for follow-ups.Just as in a normal interview, you will probably get follow-up questions to your answers in a panel interview situation. Do your best to prepare for this as you usually would, taking into account ways you can broaden your follow-up answers to engage more of the group.6. Make connections.Whenever possible, connect your answers to other questions or other answers during the interview. This shows that you are constantly tracking the bigger picture, and making connections. Don’t underestimate how impressive comments that link back to other comments can be to the panel and its individual members.7. Follow up.Thank each member of the panel individually whenever p ossible, with a firm handshake, eye contact, and a genuine smile. Then send personalized thank you notes- preferably handwritten- to each, and promptly. Gather up as many business cards as possible- this will help with thank yous and with future networking.

You Decide Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

You Decide - Assignment Example This will help to ease the inflationary pressure in the economy, which will reduce aggregate demand. I also agree with Tanney’s recommendation about increasing interest rates and raising the Federal Reserve requirements, since it will help in reducing borrowing rates. This policy will make it more attractive for investors to save their money, since the interest rates are high, which reduce disposable income (Epstein, 2007). In the same case, I disagree with Lopez’s proposition that the government should leave interest rates alone and focus on Federal Reserve requirements. In my opinion, the two factors go together in reducing inflation. I also disagree with Burke’s recommendation that the government should lower interest rates, since it will have a negative effect on the inflation being witnessed. Finally, I would make a recommendation the government should introduce some form of wage control policies, since a sharp growth in wages causes increased inflation (Krugman and Wells, 2009). In this case, the government should focus on wage control which will ensure that the inflation rate is

Pepsi Strategies in 2008 Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Pepsi Strategies in 2008 - Case Study Example There is also emphasis on the use of television advertising that features mainly celebrities. PepsiCo is intending to conduct some major restructuring operation in 2009 by getting its business segments to achieve efficient concentration in the firm's main operations: Pepsi-cola and Frito-Lay. This would support the company in improving its position in the world of consumer packaged products globally and improve its competitiveness in the market of beverages. Pepsi has been in trial to promote it self by attaching its products to some causes of charitable works. In the World water day 2008, for instance, the company was in the front line in trying to help solve the universal crisis of water shortage. This was done mainly to promote the company's products. It achieved more sales through marketing which was intensively ethical and responsible as well as including the products in charitable activities. It has denoted some amount from its sales to support children all over the world to get access to clean and pure drinking water. The firm's slogan states that if the customer decides to take bottled water, then he or she would be making a major difference. The firm intents to move its water brand to out to over 40,000 merchandisers in other parts.

Health Reforms in the U.S. and UK Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Health Reforms in the U.S. and UK - Essay Example The countries’ governments have indeed stated that the marginalised group of the society lacks proper healthcare due to the prevailing economic incapacities. Therefore, the governments feel the need to consider all citizens in offering healthcare services despite their societal status, races, demographic variability and economic variations. As a result, implementation of healthcare reforms in these countries has been given first priority (Weisfield, English & Claiborne 2012, p. 54). The aspects established in the reforms include cost reductions, quality enhancement criteria, patient satisfaction, stimulating ideal information technology approaches and improving overall service delivery in the health sector. Access to Health Care Individuals are entitled to efficient and effective healthcare services. In this case, the US advocates access to insurance cover that will cater for health-related issues. According to Tudor, the government ascertains that the reforms will further sec ure and ease the risk of loss for those with health insurance policies. On the contrary, the UK government advocates fair access to health services through the reforms. This emphasises the stringent measures over the health services delivered by private and public proprietors (Great Britain 2012, p. 78). The United Kingdom further advocates that proper health care systems will put patients into consideration, and to that extent, they will have the rights to express the types of services they seek. Most importantly, the UK reforms target to reshape and restructure the health system by approaching all societal groupings equally. In essence, the country understands the importance of all citizens and upholds their health as being significant to economic propulsion. The reforms consider improving the rate at which people gain access to health by allocating funds to the clinical commissioning groups and the founding of Public Health England. The bodies serve in intensifying health provisi on throughout the UK, thus reaching people in all dimensions nationwide. This aspect contrasts with the United States reforms, which imply that individuals ought to access insurance cover to stand viable to health services. On the other hand, the US government depicts that most of its citizens lack prompt access to health services due to high costs as compared to other nations. The reforms shall implement guaranteed access to the best health care among all citizens, thus enhancing social welfare. Through the reforms, the governments will subsidise the cost of insurance, hence making the policy cheaper and accessible by the marginalised group of the society (Truglio-Londrigan & Lewenson 2011, p. 49). An analytical approach portrayed that the US nation spends much on medical care but denies the citizens access because of the cost constraints. Therefore, suppressing the costs will propel health care throughout the nation. On the contrary, the UK government offers free health care throu ghout the nations, but inhibitions prevail over immigrants, and the time factor also matters since health facilities do not offer prompt services (Great Britain 2012, p. 79). Therefore, the UK reforms contrast with those of the US in accessibility to the extent that while one seeks to surpass costs, the other wishes to improve prompt delivery to all citizens despite their region and ethnicity. Health Quality Criteria A survey conducted upon the uninsured and insured patients inclusive of those

The Relationship between Working Parents and the Socialization of Children Essay Example for Free

The Relationship between Working Parents and the Socialization of Children Essay Western countries family life has undergone so many transformations in recent years that the context within which paternal employment is now occurring is different from in the past. Technological developmentsincluding clothes dryers, no-iron fabrics, disposable diapers, home freezers, and processed foods of good qualityhave enormously diminished the amount of work necessary for operating a household; family size is smaller; marital instability has increased the necessity for women to establish occupational competence; economic pressures in general have increased; womens educational levels have risen; the adult roles for which children are being socialized are different; the prevailing social values have changed. Today full-time mothers as well as employed mothers may feel a need to justify their role, and the role of full-time mother is a less satisfying one according to a number of recent studies. The role of the present-day non employed mothers may be as new as the role of the majority of present-day mothers, who are employed. It is even difficult to know which represents more of continuity with the non employed mother of the past. It is possible that the individual child in todays employed-mother household receives as much attention as the individual child in yesterdays non employed-mother householdwork filling in the time previously spent on the extra household responsibilities and the additional children, while todays non employed mother represents the really new pattern. The non employed mother today may represent a more intense parent-child interaction than we have ever had before. There is no data base that would make testing that hypothesis possible, but it is important to keep in mind as employed-mother families are compared with non employed mother families; neither one represents the traditional pattern. Until recently there were very few studies of the effects of paternal employment on the infant and preschool child, largely because the pattern was unusual. But the pattern is no longer unusual. Hochschild (1997) stated that in 1992, over 48% of the mothers of preschoolers, with a husband present in the home, were employed; over 45% of the mothers of children under 3. For mothers with no current husband, a rapidly increasing group, the comparable figures were 60% and 53%. In fact the rate of increase in employment has been greatest for mothers of preschoolers. The current figure of 48.7% employment among married mothers of preschoolers, for example, is more than double the rate in 1985 (Hochschild, 1997). In 1960 less than 20 percent of mothers with preschool children were employed, but by 1972 this had risen to over 45 percent and by 1990 to over 50 percent. In 1960 less than 40 percent of mothers with school-aged children had employment outside of the home. By 1972 this rose to almost 50 percent and by year 2000 to over 60 percent (Kahn, Kamerman, 1987). A long-standing concern exists in our society about possible problems for young children when their mother works outside of the home (McDonald, 2001). In general, available evidence indicates that children from families with two employed parents are as a group similar to those with housewife mothers in terms of emotional, intellectual and physical development (Hochschild, Machung, 1989). Children with two employed parents generally show as much maternal attachment as those whose mothers are full-time housewives. However, maternal employment can, along with other family circumstances, have either positive or negative ramifications for particular children. Tannen (1991) assert many complex factors are involved in determining the impact of maternal employment including the age of the child, type of day-care arrangements and the amount of time the child is actually separated from the parents. The ways that maternal employment may affect the young child can be influenced greatly by the quality of the fathers involvement in parenting. Under some circumstances, maternal employment can have a quite positive influence on both the parents and the child. Maternal employment often defuses an overly intense parent-child relationship, allowing the woman to develop more generalized feelings of competence. On the other hand, if the mothers employment means an already somewhat neglected child receives even less attention, there can be very negative implications for family functioning (Tannen, 1991). The employed mother can provide the father with an opportunity for a closer one-to-one relationship with his child. In many families before the advent of the employed mother, the father was less likely to be with a young child in individualized situations. More than one-third of all child-care arrangements made to aid employed mothers involve some increased participation by fathers. This can be a great advantage indeed if fathers realize their potential positive influence on children. The child with employed parents may also be able to spend some time, at least occasionally, at each of their workplaces. It can be quite stimulating for even very young children to discover that their mothers and fathers are competent adults outside the home. Unfortunately, most employed mothers in two-parent families still find themselves having much more than their fair share of household and parenting responsibilities (Morris, 1992). Wives often balance employment and parenthood better than their husbands do. Employment does not in itself detract from a womans motherhood. The personal satisfaction derived for the woman who enjoys her career may actually increase her effectiveness as a parent. The fact that the employed mother can be a very competent parent while still spending time away from home should support the contention that more fathers can also combine successful careers with effective child rearing. Among educated middle-class mothers, evidence suggests that many of those who are employed actually spend more quality one-to-one time with their children than do most of those who have no career. Many mothers who are home much of the day feel that simply being there is enough for their children. In contrast, employed mothers may feel that they must positively make up for being away from their children. Fathers, too, can learn a great deal from such mothers (Sassoon, 1987). Working mothers who have highly demanding careers tend to become more focused in their attention to their children when they are at home. Most working mothers realize that their children definitely need a period of close contact with them on a daily basis. They are usually committed to quality after-work time with their children. The child may get even more constructive attention from a working mother than from one who does not have a career. The housewife might not have as much of a need to interact as positively with her child on a one-toone basis. After all, she may feel that she is always at home anyway. When a mother has been the primary parent and then decides to pursue a career, especially before her children reach adolescence, much stress may be put on the marital relationship and the family system. In cases where the mother has assumed traditional responsibilities, the transition of going to work or back to school requires role redefinitions affecting both parents and children. Modification of conceptions of marital and parenting responsibilities is necessary but may be difficult to some extent for all family members. The first year in the familys readjustment to the mothers changing status is crucial. Unfortunately many couples cannot adapt in a successful way, and their marriages may deteriorate, sometimes ending in divorce. However, if they stay together during the difficult transition period, most couples actually seem to develop better relationships than when only the husband was an employed parent (Twigg Atkin, 1994). More than half of the preschool children in the United States spend a considerable part of the work week being cared for by someone other than their parents. Estimates show that even though thirty million children under fourteen years of age have mothers who work, there are only five million places available for them in before and afterschool care centers (Wolcott Glezer, 1995). Few studies have looked at the relationship between child stress and maternal employment. In a study by Tannen (1991), 180 adolescent girls and 92 adolescent boys thirteen to nineteen years of age participated in a study to determine whether their mothers employment status had any consequence on their sense of wellbeing. While no considerable results were found for the boys in the sample, the daughters of women employed full-time outside the home were considerably more likely to feel they could not approach their mothers or peers with personal problems; these girls also reported drastically greater life stress than the daughters of mothers who stayed in the home. The author stated, The sources of stress which female adolescents with working mothers found to be most intense imply that the absence of the mother should leave a substantial void in their lives and It seems that maternal employment can be associated with difficulties in the relationship of the parents and this consecutively created a stressful environment for the adolescents. (Wearing Wearing, 1996) The last two decades has seen a emerging of scholarly interest in work family relationships, but thus far the definition of work and family as a distinctive research domain has proceeded mainly as a search for the fundamental effects of specific working conditions on family life. The emotional edge between parents work experiences and qualities of parent-child relationships has been a mainly intriguing subject, leading some researchers to look at the ways in which a parents work-related stresses (deriving from work overload, for instance, or from lack of job autonomy) spill over into the family domain. Most research has emphasized the negative consequences of job spillover, as evidenced by parents emotional taking out or by their controlling, punitive behavior toward their children (Traustadottir, R. 1991; Wearing, Wearing, 1996). In their efforts to elucidate the causal connections between workplace experiences and family interaction, researchers have leaned to take as self-evident the conceptual distinction between work and family. Yet what describes an activity as work or as family is far from clear-cut. Nearly everyone of us who work outside the home are familiar with the ways in which family responsibilities break in the workplace, for example, in the form of personal phone calls to and from family members throughout working hours or in office conversations with co-workers about family-related subjects (Traustadottir, 1991). The division of labor between men and women stated by economic circumstances, womens adjustment to their economic responsibilities as replicated in their management of their time and delegation of tasks to their children and other family members, and the emergence of social behavior in children as a consequence of different socialization practices. The available evidence supporting the subsistence of an adaptive relationship between the mothers economic responsibilities, child care practices and the childrens behavior includes consequences from the Six Cultures study documenting that women in simple cultures who have considerable economic responsibilities assign more chores to their children and seem to be more despotic in their work assignments than women in complex cultures who have few economic responsibilities (Nolan, Grant, Keady,   1996,   and Moen, Robison, Dempster-McClain, 1995). From a western perspective, assessment of the nature of the relationship between maternal employment and child rearing practices presumes special prominence because of distress over the consequences of womens work outside the home. Speculation as to the impact of maternal employment ranges from commentary on the optimistic aspects of work on womens self esteem to concern over the phenomena of latch key children who come home to an empty house in the afternoon (Twigg Atkin, 1994). To date, the evidence derived from experiential studies of Western families is ambivalent as to the overall positive and negative collision of maternal employment on children (Hochschild, 1997). Working mothers report assignment of more household responsibilities to their children and are stricter disciplinarians than nonworking mothers (Hochschild, 1997, 1989). Survey data on adolescents specify that both sons and daughters are better adjusted while the mothers are employed, although the study was primarily designed to explore the negative consequences of maternal employment on adolescents (Nolan, Grant Keady, 1996). Interviews with working and nonworking mothers of young infants have revealed working mothers to recognize less distress in their infants while separated from them and to be less apprehensive about the capability of other care takers (Morris, J. 1992). It has also been suggested, that some working mothers feel guilty concerning not being instantaneously available to their children and compensate by being generous, overprotective, and lax in discipline (Hoffman, 1974). These conflicting lines of evidence point to the requirement for additional information on the consequences of maternal employment on family functioning. Information on changes in childrens behavior instigating from shifts in socialization practices linked with maternal responsibilities assumes increased significance while considered in conjunction with changes in womens employment behavior. As of 1999, 50% of the mothers of school aged children living with their husbands were employed as almost forty percent of mothers of preschool children were employed (Pocock, 2001). It is generally recognized that economic circumstances and the cost of living will encourage, if not force, women to seek paid employment outside the home. The dramatic increase in number of women, mainly mothers of young children, who are joining the work force suggests the requirement for careful examination of the impact of mothers working status on mother-child interactions and ensuing child development. During the last three decades, particular social concern has been directed at the quality of day care provided for children when mothers have employment outside of the home (Pocock, 2001).. A woman who has had a career may be in a state of indecision about continuing to work after she has had a baby. In most families, availability of day care and economic considerations are the major factors impacting on the familys options. If the couple looks strictly at the economic aspects of work, the situation may seem bleak. The potential income the mother earns may get absorbed by the new expenses of child care. But her job may be a significant source of pride as well as money for her. It is to be hoped that her career provides her with personal satisfaction as well as economic benefits (McDonald, 2001). In most cases, the father and mother can take at least some parental leave from their jobs. If they decide that neither of them will take any extended period of time off from working, both should be involved in planning day care for the baby. If some responsible adult cannot be found to care for the child in the home, the mother and father should visit several alternative settings and talk to other parents using such facilities before making a decision. They may find a day-care situation close to where they work so that they can visit their child during the day. Parents should not feel that they have to settle for an institutional day-care center where babies and children may be treated as little more than parts on an assembly line (Hochschild, 1997). They can form a small baby-care cooperative with other parents-fathers as well as mothersso that their child will be cared for with more personalized attention and commitment. As a general rule, it is best for parents to take primary responsibility for the care of their baby. Ideally, parents should not be reticent about presenting their special needs to their employers. They should explain that they may need some time off or will want to work unconventional hours, or even bring the child to work with them occasionally. Many potential arrangements can be made to minimize the need for day care outside of the family. For example, both parents may work thirty-five hours a week, but if one goes to work two hours earlier than the other and comes home two hours sooner, most of the care of the infant can be managed without including other adults. Also, either or both parents may be able to spend part of their lunch hour with the child. A general consequence of the greater involvement of adult females in positions of social and political leadership is a lessening of the emphasis on women just being mothers (Morris, 1992). This is beneficial in relieving some of the enormous pressure on women to define themselves solely in terms of their parenting responsibilities. However, this redefinition of adult femininity can be destructive to the quality of family life if fathers are not involved partners in parenting. The fathers and mothers attitudes toward the womans role outside the family are crucial. If the mother wants to work, to continue her education, or to become more involved in endeavors outside of the home, it is important that the father views it as his responsibility to be positively involved with his children. Greater flexibility for mothers can benefit fathers in many ways. While the mother is gaining an opportunity to broaden her interests outside of the home, the father can have more of a chance for a one-to-one relationship with his child. On a more general level, men must be sensitized to the enormous need for more constructive paternal influence in our society. The danger of the wife subtly resenting the husbands increased involvement with their child is lessened because she is gaining a greater confidence in herself as a well-rounded person. There is a very low probability that a child will be harmed by spending less time with a previously full-time mother, assuming they still share a regular, ongoing relationship. In fact, the child can be greatly stimulated by periods of time getting to know each parent as an individual as well as by opportunities to function more independently of family influence (Twigg, Atkin 1994). The childs social development can be greatly facilitated by a caring, accessible and dependable father who fosters a sense of closeness, sharing and trust. The fathers positive family involvement assumes special significance in fostering social competence because he is apt to be the only salient male adult the child encounters on a day-to-day basis. Both boys and girls need to develop effective modes of social interaction with males as well as females. Children who have the benefit of being exposed to kind, considerate interactions between their parents are likely to have a solid basis for constructive male-female relationships. By conveying positive values about male-female relationships, the nurturing father can have an especially crucial role in supporting his sons and daughters capacity for intimacy. His encouragement of assertiveness, body pride and basic self-esteem increases the likelihood of his child having constructive relationships both inside and outside of the family. Although many interacting biopsychosocial influences are involved, the quality of fathering that individuals receive during childhood tends to be associated with their social competence, sexual adjustment and life satisfaction in adulthood. The earlier father-mother-child relationship is a significant factor in the adults personality functioning and capacity for success in marriage, parenting and work. 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