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.