Purple Hibiscus - Theme of Religion free essay sample

Religion is the main theme that emerges quite strongly throughout the novel of purple hibiscus. European missionaries took Christianity to Nigeria. They tried to convert local people from their traditional religious practices to follow Christianity, the ‘true’ religion. The novel is divided into 4 distinct sections and they are not in chronological order. The reference to Palm Sunday in part 1 is significant. It refers to what the children are going to go through, just like Palm Sunday was the start of Christ’s passion in order to save us all, Jaja’s rebellion in chapter 1 takes place in order to gain freedom. Kambili and her family are Catholics and she Jaja both attend Catholic schools. Papa uses religion as a form of oppression throughout the novel; he controls rigidly everything they do and punishes them severely to save them from the â€Å"burning fires of hell.† We are aware of Papa’s violence from the opening lines of the book, â€Å"he flung his heavy missal across the room and broke the figurines. We will write a custom essay sample on Purple Hibiscus Theme of Religion or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page † The fact that he throws his missal is significant and we are immediately aware that religion will come to play a very important role in the novel. Papa has a very rigid character and can almost be considered as a religious fanatic. This clear when â€Å"he pressed hard on each forehead to make a perfect cross.† He is a very devout Catholic who dominates his family and imposes religion on them. It is as if he almost does not feel worthy to receive the host, he kneels to receive communion and shuts his eyes, â€Å"so hard hid face tightened into a grimace. † We also learn that he has won a human rights award and modestly did not want to be featured in his own newspaper, this shows his admirable qualities, he is a man of principle and courage. He is also highly respected by the community. Papa is a complex yet contradictory character. He lashes out with his belt when he discovers Kambili eating before mass crying out, â€Å"Has the devil built a tent in my house? † He shows no humanity but afterwards he seems to be ashamed and asks, â€Å"Why do you like sin? † Eugene seems to see Nigeria as ruled by godless men and sees people like his father as â€Å"heathens† who will go to hell. He will not allow his father to enter his house and tells his children not to touch his food or drink. Papa allows to religion to rule his life, â€Å"finally, for twenty minutes, Papa prayed for our protection from ungodly people.† It is as if Kambili is conditioned by her father, everything seems to be a sin in her eyes, â€Å"I had never seen anyone undress; it was sinful to look upon another person’s nakedness. † When she visits Papa Nnukwu she examines him, â€Å"I had examined him that day, too, looking away when his eyes met mine, for signs of difference, of Godlessness. I didn’t see any, but I was sure they were somewhere. † Later on in Nsukka, when Kambili sees Papa Nnukwu praying, it changes her opinion, it is an eye-opener. This episode play an important part in her change, she realises that religions at hearts are all the same. She is touched by what she sees, for Papa Nnukwu religion is something that makes him happy, it does not suffocate him. Kambili’s faith extends beyond the boundaries of one religion as she realises that Papa Nnukwu is a traditionalist who follows the rituals of his ancestors and believes in a pantheistic model of religion. Though both his son and daughter converted to Catholicism, Papa Nnukwu held onto his roots. 20 Back at home, religion plays a key role in their daily routines; prayer time, grace before meals, rosary, mass. This contrasts greatly with the atmosphere of religion at aunty Ifeoma’s house. Kambili is surprised when her aunt prays for â€Å"peace and laughter. † Also whilst praying, they break into Igbo songs which initially makes Kambili and Jaja uncomfortable, â€Å"Morning and night prayers were always peppered with†¦ Igbo praise songs. † Fr. Amadi is young and ‘handsome’ Catholic priest; he is a close friend to Ifeoma and her family. He is the first black priest Kambili has ever known. Kambili develops a passion for Father Amadi because he is kind and gentle to her and takes a personal interest, ‘I looked up to find Father Amadi’s eyes on me. ’ Kambili is, without understanding why she feels as she does, sexually drawn to his pleasant manliness. This of course can never be properly reciprocated because Father Amadi is a Catholic priest, which means he is a celibate. Fr. Amadi is a great contrast to Fr. Benedict, the priest of Enugu who is praised and accepted by Papa. Father Benedict is the cold, white priest at St. Agnes who rigidly hears Kambili’s confessions. He turns a blind eye to Papa’s violence at home because of Papa’s ‘good works’ and cash donations to the Church. He represents the stereotypical type of priest, whereas Father Amadi shows Kambili that religion is not simply a set of rules but rather a way of life. Amaka and Kambili’s faith are challenged. Amaka, after much deliberation and stubbornness, decides to not take an English confirmation name, ‘I told you I am not taking an English name, Father. ’ She does not participate in the ceremony; she is making a statement for Nigerian identity. Like Jaja, she breaks from her faith. When Kambili visits Aokpe, she claims to see the Virgin Mary. She sees her in the tree, in the sun, and in the smile of every man. For Kambili, God is truly everywhere. As she realises with Father Amadi, faith does not only occur in sanctified places. He speaks through nature and goodness. Kambili’s journey of faith comes to a close here, she will always be devout, but not in the same way Papa is. It is significant that when Jaja rebels he uses religion – at the end he turns the weapon round uses it against Papa by not receiving communion as the â€Å"wafer gives me bad breath† and the priest touching his mouth â€Å"nauseates† him. Jaja’s rebellion is continuous, even after his father’s death. He rejects religion as it is linked too closely to his father oppressive rule. Jaja is almost oppressed by his desire to rebel; he is not at peace with himself. Jaja has become bitter to the world – a negative Jaja.

Discuss the role of ideas and ideology with reference to a r essays

Discuss the role of ideas and ideology with reference to a r essays The whole concept of politics and political thought is about how people think, how they perceive society and how they view human nature. It is therefore impossible for a human to not have an ideology, humans automatically have opinions. Even if a person does not express an opinion and say that they do not care, this in itself says a lot. Political ideologies obviously think that they are all right and speak the truth, and attempt to sell this to the public. But the problem is what is knowledge for one person is ideology for another and vice-versa . Now the world is becoming more globalised there are more parties representing peoples ideology many on a single issue. The paradox is the there is more and more choice yet turnout in many countries is steadily declining. It is often difficult to label certain sets of beliefs and ideologies but politicians and political thinkers can often be heard referring to the political spectrum of left and right. The right side being conservative, the left being socialist and the middle ground considered as liberalism. Then there are the extreme right of fascism and the extreme left of communism. There is also a vertical axis to the spectrum being authoritarian down to civil liberties. But the problem is that these labels are not always accurate because politics is much more than labelling a particular person a particular ideology and expecting them to have that ideological stance on every issue. Politics is about human behaviour and it does not work this way. In each party there are always splits that lead to factions of one kind or another, where a group does not agree with the majority party line on an issue. It is also interesting to ask the question, what makes someone have a certain ideology? Marxists wou ld say that it simply depends on which class you belong to, it certainly seems that there are indications of this. Traditionally, for example, rural areas are often conservat...

Analysis Of The History For Ikea Marketing Essay

Analysis Of The History For Ikea Marketing Essay IKEA was founded in 1943 by a Swedish entrepreneur Ingvar Kamprad when he was 17 years old. The name of IKEA is derived from the initial of its founder name Ingvar Kamprad, the farm Elmtaryd and home country Agunnardy where Ingvar Kamprad grew up. IKEA has developed rapidly and known as the largest home furnishing retailer (INTI). The corporate structure mainly divided into two parts which are operation and franchising. Operation covered the management of majority stores, design, purchasing, supply functions and manufacture of furniture, which manage by a private profit Dutch company, INGKA Holding. In 1982, Kamprad established Stichting Ingka Foundation, a non-profit foundation that control over INGKA Holding. Ingka Foundation chaired by Kamprad and five executive committees which included her wife. The IKEA trademark and concept is owned by separate Dutch firm, Inter IKEA Systems based in Luxembourg. Every IKEA stores pay 3% of sales to Inter IKEA as a franchise fees. IKEA consume rs are mainly distributed into four different geographic regions, Europe, America, Middle East and Asia. The vision of IKEA is to provide affordable solutions for better living and its mission statement is to offer low price furniture with stylish functional designs which everyone could afford. 2.2 Company Product and Services IKEA seized retailer chain that sells flat pack furniture, kitchen and bathroom accessories across the world. The furniture designed to be self assembled in order to reduce transportation cost. Besides, the company include traditional Swedish food restaurant in their stores, which serving Swedish meatballs, smoked salmon, lingo berry tarts and cream source. Moreover, thoughtful part of IKEA is many stores have play area for children named Smaland, where parents able to drop their children to playground while shopping and pick them up at another entrance. 2.3 Corporate and Current Business Strategies Globalization is the current trend for most of the companies nowadays. To gain market share in new entry countries especially Asia, IKEA corporate and business strategies determine its sustainability and competitive advantage among competitors in future. For example, IKEA globalization strategy in Asia country, China, comprise of joint venture, localization and pricing strategies. First of all, IKEA joint venture with local companies in China, due to one of the macro-environmental impact which was political policy of Chinese government in order to archive principal of equality and mutual benefits (INTI). Second, IKEA adapt localization strategy to suit local Chinese culture, for example, IKEA provide balcony section due to most of the Chinese population stay in apartment (INTI). Lastly, pricing strategy allow IKEA to compete against rivals, for example, IKEA cut cost for some goods like single-scat Ektorp armchair below standard price which is cheaper than it sold in United States. IKEA distinctive business and corporate level strategy have a llowed the company attains impressive growth 2.5 Current Strengths and Advantages The major strength and driving force that push IKEA expands aggressively is the value chain. Value chain is a tool used to identify value added into a business. Porter illustrates business value chain categories into two activities. The primary activities are directly related to creating and delivering products, while secondary activities are not directly involved in production process but could increase efficiency and effectiveness of business. IKEA modified the value chain to mobilize suppliers and customers assist in further add value to the system by convincing their customer perform the transport and assembly their flat pack products. ()

The Context of Blight Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The Context of Blight - Essay Example In his interview with (Plath), the author revealed his intention to incorporate his experience of the comedy bars, his memories of the stand-up comedians and the daring quality of theater into a poem. But as he was on his way to writing the poem, the anecdotal stories started as formal design originating in something that was more of entertainment than a model of literacy. As the anecdotal characters started to acquire more hold over the poem’s plot, the author had little choice but to convert it into a short story. Blight was meant to be a story irrespective of the author’s plans for it. The characters in the story present a semi-autobiographical story. Had the author originally intended to write it as a story, it would probably have come out of his pen much different than it did otherwise. Therefore, this context is the most important controlling factor in the story of  Blight.  

The role of Internal, External and Forensic Auditors Essay

The role of Internal, External and Forensic Auditors - Essay Example Auditors play a significant role in the deterrence of fraud. They assist in risks detection and monitoring, control and regular testing of internal processes and suitable follow up for the purpose of dealing with weaknesses in the system. There are three types of the audit; these include internal, external and forensic audit (Weightman 2008 p 38). This literature review presents a critical evaluation of the roles of the professionals involved in the three types of audit. An organization’s management decides the role of internal auditors whose objectives are usually different from those of external auditors who are chosen to give an independent report regarding the financial statements (Wholey et al 2004 p 66). They work towards satisfying the requirements of the management. Internal auditing is used by organizations as a strategy to assist the organization to accomplish its objectives. The internal auditors, therefore, are in charge of using the systematic methodology designed by the management to analyze the organizational processes, actions, and events with the main goal of identifying organizational problems and suggesting possible solutions. These are independent authorities that conduct regular checks on an organization’s records and books of accounts depending on the agreed procedures for external auditing. These auditors are usually concerned with attesting that there are no substantial misstatements in the books of accounts (Sawyer et al 2003 p 91). They provide essential information about the efficiency of the in-house controls in regard to financial reports, precision and punctuality in transaction recording, and the precision and wholeness of reports regarding monetary and regulatory issues. They also offer an independent and non-subjective opinion in regard to the activities of an organization, as well as vital information for the maintenance of its risk management processes (Weightman 2008 p 88).

Human Factors in Maintenance Essay Example for Free

Human Factors in Maintenance Essay Nationair DC-8 Flight 2120 took the lives of 247 passengers and 14 crew members; 261 in all; during takeoff on July 11, 1991. The jet was owned by Canadian airline Nolisair, and was being operated by a Nigerian company to transport Nigerian pilgrims in and out of Mecca. The DC- 8 caught fire during take-off from Abdulaziz International Airport, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Pilots noticed problems during early stages of take-off and only made it 671 meters in elevation before attempting to turn around for a emergency landing. It was too late; the under inflated tires had overheated began to catch fire. The fire grew and blew out the hydraulics which made the emergency landing impossible. This was the worst wreck a DC-8 had ever experienced and has held the record for many years following. The NTSB concluded that the fire could have been handled by leaving the landing gear extended and away from the plane. Although the pilots failed to make the right decision, and added just one more human error to the equation, it was the obvious neglect by the maintenance team that caused this horrific accident. There are many human factors which played a vital role in the crash. The maintenance team failed to inflate the #2 and #4 main gear tires after recognizing the pressure during the pre-flight. An attempt to inflate the tires failed because there was no nitrogen available at the location. Further investigation shows later that the maintenance team recognized and had written up the tires during a previous A inspection but was signed off and overlooked more than twice before the incident. Human Factors Involvement There are many human factors that caused the Flight 2120 crash, and most of them are maintenance related. There was a Liveware-Liveware problem with the lack of communication between the lead mechanic and Director of Production. The Director of Production never questioned the lead mechanic and was said to have little contact with the him prior to this happening. Liveware-Hardware issues developed because of lack of qualified personnel amongst the maintenance team. The maintenance team did not have a qualified person to sign off the jet, leaving the task to the flight engineer who was not in tune with the maintenance team. The responsibility should have landed in the lead mechanics hands to sign off the maintenance write ups and the Director of Production should have been more involved by communicating with the lead mechanic and being more involved. There was a break down in maintenance even in the early stages of this TDY. The tires had been already recognized and written up during prior inspections, but pressure from the Project Manager to make the mission influenced the maintenance team to overlook minor maintenance issues at that time. Although seemingly minor at the time, the issues would later be the ultimate downfall and failure of the mission. Lack of communication and pressure caused the maintenance team to not see the importance of inflating the tires to the standard before going on a long mission. The minor task of inflating the tires to the standards before going on the long sortie would have negated the tires overheating and causing the plane to catch on fire and crash. The maintenance team was not the only factor which added to the human factors. The air crew is also responsible for some bad decision making skills also. During take-off one crew member was recorded stating that he thought he heard a main landing gear tire blow. The pilot failed to act upon and acknowledge this and carried on with the task. Pilots failed to recognize warning lights designed to inform the pilot of landing gear issues. While taking off the crew failed to use proper radio procedures regulations that kept them in contact with the tower. The night before the crash the pilots were out shopping and eating and not returning home until hours before take-off. The lack of crew rest could have played a role in decision making abilities amongst the crew. The crew showed up to the aircraft late which pushed maintenance to hurry and complete the pre-flight, giving them no time to perform a good complete inspection. Lack of leadership in the cockpit added to the advancement in takeoff. If the copilot trusted his own judgment and realized there was a problem in the main gear he could have stopped the aircraft from taking off. Safety Nets The crash of flight 2120 could have easily been avoided by simply following standard procedures set by international and local organizations. The maintenance holds the bulk of the responsibility in terms of human factors. The communication between the lead mechanic and AME could have been solved by following the chain of command. The director of production had very poor communication with the lead mechanic. This caused for a lack in communication from the there up the chain. The communication was broken at this given point in the chain of command and gave little information which is vital in aviation. The AME had direct responsibility to sign off the final for flight and it was handed over to the flight engineer whom had little knowledge of the maintenance operations. The maintenance team failed to complete given checklists and follow standards set by the FFA and international organizations. With the lack of communication, personnel, and leadership, along with added pressure, the aircraft was not mission ready and should have been better managed from top to bottom. The maintenance crew has very stringent tire pressure requirements and the responsibility lies in even the lowest level of operations to complete the task. The warning lights indicated to the cockpit flight crew that problems have arouse and they chose to ignore them. By receiving proper crew rest the night before, they might have had better decision making skills and could have made the right decision at the given moment. They also became complacent and did not use the communication procedures with the tower. Conclusion Human factors is the cause of most aircraft accidents and this one is a major example of how many human factors can play such a vital role. Flight 2120 shows the importance and how human factors can directly affect everything involved. The importance of being alert and aware of your environment can come down to one decision which can be the determining factor in any situation. The maintenance and air crew failed to follow written guidelines and standards of operation to protect the lives of those on board. The mission was doomed from the start by the maintenance communication breakdown. The lack of qualified personnel should have been one of the first red flags. The decision to not fix the problem and over look it several times put them in an environment where the tools needed for the job was not present. The lack of leadership from the bottom level of the maintenance crew to the pilot was a major issue. The lowest level maintenance personnel could have stepped up and brought about the problem. The flight of Nigerian Airway 2120 was that caused by human error. The horrific event shows the importance of following set standards and regulations. The crash exposes the vital role in the chain of command and how human error and lack of communication can break down at any level. References Aviationsafetynetwork.com American-bankruptcy.us.gov

Charles Ruff: The Privacy Defense :: Essays Papers

Charles Ruff: The Privacy Defense Privacy was a big issue during the impeachment proceedings and the overall sex scandal. It was introduced as an issue by the House Managers who wanted to discuss how moral and appropriate the actions of the president and Monica Lewinsky were. The defense then used the same topic to argue that he should not be impeached. This was because, as the defense planned to show, a president should not be impeached for something that occurred during his private life. This is mainly based on the fact that impeachment, as defined, applies to the president and his role regarding the state and safety of the country. Privacy was introduced by the House Managers but widely used by the defense team. The defense focused on this so completely because private matters do not fit into the actions of high crimes and misdemeanors, which is required to impeach the president. The main purpose behind focusing on privacy was to show that matters in a personal life to not reach the level of impeachable regardless how immoral they were. The main goal, therefore was to prevent the impeachment of the president. Privacy is also an issue that Charles Ruff seems to live by. He is one of the most powerful attorneys in the country, and was a prosecutor of Richard Nixon during the Watergate scandal. However, it is very difficult to find a lot of information about him personally, or about his career. Typically it seems that there is more information available about someone with a powerful position such as Ruff, than others with less powerful opinions. When it comes to the issue of privacy and the impeachment, there are a few questions that come to mind. In the past, the private life of a president was not reported in the media. What has changed since then making it acceptable for the media to report on Clinton’s private life with such detail? What were some of the turning points? When it comes to the impeachment proceedings, are personal issues a reason to impeach a president? Why is it that Ruff never defends the president or denies Clinton’s activities? Isn’t that how a defense attorney usually proceeds? How does the issue of privacy fit into Ruff’s own life? Clinton is not the first sitting president to have a mistress or an affair. Multiple others have as well, but the media never broke the story to the public. Charles Ruff: The Privacy Defense :: Essays Papers Charles Ruff: The Privacy Defense Privacy was a big issue during the impeachment proceedings and the overall sex scandal. It was introduced as an issue by the House Managers who wanted to discuss how moral and appropriate the actions of the president and Monica Lewinsky were. The defense then used the same topic to argue that he should not be impeached. This was because, as the defense planned to show, a president should not be impeached for something that occurred during his private life. This is mainly based on the fact that impeachment, as defined, applies to the president and his role regarding the state and safety of the country. Privacy was introduced by the House Managers but widely used by the defense team. The defense focused on this so completely because private matters do not fit into the actions of high crimes and misdemeanors, which is required to impeach the president. The main purpose behind focusing on privacy was to show that matters in a personal life to not reach the level of impeachable regardless how immoral they were. The main goal, therefore was to prevent the impeachment of the president. Privacy is also an issue that Charles Ruff seems to live by. He is one of the most powerful attorneys in the country, and was a prosecutor of Richard Nixon during the Watergate scandal. However, it is very difficult to find a lot of information about him personally, or about his career. Typically it seems that there is more information available about someone with a powerful position such as Ruff, than others with less powerful opinions. When it comes to the issue of privacy and the impeachment, there are a few questions that come to mind. In the past, the private life of a president was not reported in the media. What has changed since then making it acceptable for the media to report on Clinton’s private life with such detail? What were some of the turning points? When it comes to the impeachment proceedings, are personal issues a reason to impeach a president? Why is it that Ruff never defends the president or denies Clinton’s activities? Isn’t that how a defense attorney usually proceeds? How does the issue of privacy fit into Ruff’s own life? Clinton is not the first sitting president to have a mistress or an affair. Multiple others have as well, but the media never broke the story to the public.

Energy from Waste

Energy FROM WASTE ( EfW ) Introduction Energy from waste is a construct that is going more relevant to society as the general consciousness of energy efficiency and waste direction additions in the public sphere. It merely means that waste generated from families, industries and commercialism is used to bring forth energy in the signifier of heat, transport fuels like Diesel and electricity. The EfW procedure can make energy from different types of waste utilizing a assortment of engineerings including:Residual waste which is waste which can non be economically or practically reused or recycled and is normally subjected to thermal intervention like incineration, gasification or pyrolysis.Biodegradable waste like nutrient waste and sludge which can be decomposed by the action of microorganism which is normally used in Anaerobic Digestion ( AD ) workss.The Waste Hierarchy The preferable order in which waste must be managed is called the waste hierarchy. The most good option to the environment is to forestall waste, nevertheless, this is barely possible in the current socio-economic context. The following best thing is to recycle, and so recycle. After which other recovery methods like EfW may be applied before eventually any waste is disposed in a landfill. The Waste Hierarchy is a legal demand of the European Union ( EU ) Waste Framework Directive. It means that waste can merely be presented to the EfW procedure if it can non be efficaciously managed through reuse and recycling. In consequence, merely waste edge for the landfill sites can be redirected to any of the EfW procedures. EfW or Landfill? Although both energy generated from waste recovery and landfills release C into the ambiance in the signifier of C dioxide, their possible impact on clime alteration through planetary heating vary greatly. This is because landfill sites besides release methane into the ambiance, of which it has been proven that methane is about 25 times more detrimental than C dioxide. The United Kingdom authorities has established a Climate Change Act to lawfully implement its committedness to cut down its nursery gases ( GHG ) emanations by 80 per centum by 2050, compared to degrees in the basal twelvemonth of 1990. This statute law is now besides one of the drive forces behind the consumption of EfW methodological analysiss, as they have been recognised as feasible agencies of cut downing GHG emanations. Due to less detrimental emanations from EfW procedures, they have been placed higher in the Waste Hierarchy than fain waste in landfill sites. Energy from Residual Waste Residual waste is a mixture of different things including plastics, and from things that are late turning and are biodegradable such as nutrient, paper, wood, etc. This is why residuary waste is sometimes referred to as partly renewable energy beginning or low C energy beginning as opposed to fossil fuels which have been belowground for 1000000s of old ages therefore are regarded as non-renewable energy beginning. The most common thermic method for let go ofing energy from residuary waste is incineration. Although Advanced Thermal Treatments ( ATT ) such as gasification and pyrolysis are in usage, their consumption is more limited due to be and ATTs tend to be used in smaller sites. The incineration method merely allows the hot gases produced to be used to boil H2O which so releases steam to turn a steam turbine that generates electricity and/or heat. However, ATTs can in add-on to bring forthing steam to turn turbines make a mixture of compounds such as gases or oils that can be cleaned and burned straight in gas engines or turbines or converted to man-made natural gas or conveyance fuels. Residual waste may be capable to pre-treatments to pull out more recyclables and better both the calorific value ( CV ) and biogenic content of the waste. The more common types of pre-treatments include mechanical sorting, mechanical biological intervention ( MBT ) and mechanical heat intervention ( MHT ) . Pre-treatments by and large take recyclates, wet and homogenize the waste into what may be termed refuse derived fuel ( RDF ) or solid recovered fuel ( SRF ) . Finally MBT can be used to take biogenic stuff that can be sent to AD works to retrieve energy. The EU Industrial Emissions Directive has set really low degrees of emanations that may be released from EfW workss, and besides encourages environmentally friendly runing conditions within EfW workss such as flue gas clean-up which ensures that gas pollutants and particulates are removed before emanations are released into the ambiance. These have ensured that EfW workss are a low beginning of environmental pollution. Energy from Anaerobic Digestion Anaerobic Digestion ( AD ) is a of course happening procedure where microorganism interrupt down organic affair, in the absence of O to bring forth biogas and digestate. The biogas is a mixture of C dioxide and methane while the digestate is a nitrogen-rich fertilizer. The biogas can be used to raise steam and burned straight in Combined Heat and Power ( CHP ) Plants or Vehicle Combustion Engines ( VCE ) to let go of energy. The digestate provides a renewable beginning of fertilizer which helps to replace lost foods from agricultural lands. It is besides a really good dirt conditioner. AD engineering has been in topographic point for up to one hundred old ages, nevertheless, it is merely late that it has started to utilize non-sewage sludge wastes such as purpose-grown harvests and nutrient waste as feedstock. There are a myriad of AD engineerings including dry or wet ; mesophilic or thermophilic and individual or multi-stage digester. In dry AD, the digestion procedure takes topographic point from waste in its solid signifier while in wet AD, the waste is foremost converted into a mush. Mesophilic AD involves the usage of bacteriums that thrive best at 35C to 40C of temperature while thermophilic method uses bacteriums that can be active at 55C to 60C. A single-stage digester have all biological reactions occur in a individual reactor or armored combat vehicle while a multi-stage digester use several armored combat vehicles to optimize the bacterial reaction. It is more advantageous to divide out biogenic waste and send to an AD works instead than holding it as portion of residuary waste. The ground being that digestate from residuary waste intervention can non be used as fertiliser replacing on agricultural land because it may hold contaminations from assorted waste and it would be wasteful to execute the series of trial required to run into the quality of digestate from an AD works. Crops grown specifically for AD are non considered as waste, therefore merely AD workss that use sewerage sludge and biogenic waste as feedstock are considered as EfW workss. THE PROXIMITY PRINCIPLE This rule supports the thought that waste must be processed every bit near as it is possible to where it was generated. This is to guarantee that one community is non taking on waste produced by another and advance the rules of autonomy in waste direction. However, it may be possible to utilize a more distant works where it is the best operable environmental option ( BPEO ) . Emission FROM EfW Energy from waste workss that use assorted thermic engineerings contribute a really little fraction of particulate and other emanations due to really rigorous bounds imposed by the EU under the Industrial Emissions Directive ( IED ) 2010. In order to run into these bounds such EfW workss must cut down emanations by using the most environmentally friendly burning techniques, take all harmful gases and particulates such as heavy metals before release into the ambiance. Mentions Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs ( Defra ) ( 2013 ) , Energy from Waste: A usher to the argument. Available from hypertext transfer protocol: //www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/284612/pb14130-energy-waste-201402.pdf [ Accessed: 05 March 2014 ] Department of Energy and Climate Change ( n.d ) , Anaerobic Digestion Strategy and Action Plan. Available from: hypertext transfer protocol: //www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/69400/anaerobic-digestion-strat-action-plan.pdf [ Accessed: 05 March 2014 ]

The Ceo’s Decision-Making Process Model on Service Offshore Outsourcing: Using Theory of Reasoned Action (Tra)

THE CEO’S DECISION-MAKING PROCESS MODEL ON SERVICE OFFSHORE OUTSOURCING: USING THEORY OF REASONED ACTION (TRA) Mark Yang Department of Information, Operations and Technology Management College of Business Administration The University of Toledo 2801 W. Bancroft St. Toledo, Ohio, USA 43606 Phone: (419) 787-3453 Fax: (419) 530-2290 E-mail: [email  protected] utoledo. edu Jeen Lim Department of Marketing and International Business College of Business Administration The University of Toledo 2801 W. Bancroft St. Toledo, Ohio, USA 43606 Phone: (419) 530-2922 Fax: (419) 530-4610 E-mail: jeen. [email  protected] du ABSTRACT This present study attempts to fill the gap through providing the CEO’s decision-making process model with regard to service offshore outsourcing activities which becomes important strategy to maintain firm’s competitive advantage. Arguably, the CEO is the main domain of decision making authority on such important agenda of the firm as service off shoring. The research model includes 1) key antecedents of service offshoring deriving from various outsourcing literatures, 2) CEO’s propensity (attitude and subjective norm), intention and behavior, and 3) regulatory environmental factors.As a theoretical base, Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA) will be used. Managerial implication as well as future research direction will be provided. Keywords: Offshore outsourcing, Key Antecedents of Service offshoring, Decision-making process, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA) INTRODUCTION Recently, service offshoring has brought the tremendous increasing attention and concern to both practitioners and researchers due to the rapidly-changing structure of the U. S. mployment and the growing importance of its significant impact on the U. S. economy. This trend has been more and more visible due to â€Å"the rise of globally integrated knowledge economy†, which has both good and bad impact on the U. S. econo my: it may be good because U. S. firms may enjoy the cost benefits, utilizing large best pools with relatively low cost; it may be also bad because they are likely to lose control of their core businesses or lose white-collar jobs of the U. S. counterpart.Up to now, large body of research has addressed the various issues of service offshoring. However, current scholarly works tend to be fragmented and especially, few attempted to examine inside of firm’s decision-making process with regard to service offshore outsourcing. Such decision-making process model may be useful to contribute to the previous – 4491 – body of research on service offshore outsourcing in that to my knowledge, very few papers produced from top management perspective (except [47]) and this process model may help top management, esp.Chief Executive Officer (CEO) avoid to make hasty decision, resulting in saving huge economic losses. This paper is organized as follows. The following section pro vides literature reviews. The third section presents the research model which includes such variables as 1) key antecedents which are major criteria for determining service offshoring drawn from the extant literatures on outsourcing activities; 2) CEO’s propensity; 3) CEO’s Intention and Behavior; and 4) regulatory environment (moderating variable). Series of research propositions are developed.The conclusion section provides the managerial implication as well as future research direction. LITERATURE REVIEW The role of top management on affecting firms’ strategy choices and performance has been well-documented [13] [14] [40] [9] [15]. Quality of leadership of top management, esp. CEO, determines the fate of the firm. For example, under Jack Welch’s leadership General Electric Company (GE) within 20 years has been drastically transformed into one of the largest and most admired company with $ 500 billion’s market value from a market capitalization o f $12 billion.It shows the critical role of CEO in advancing the firm in terms of organizational performance. Excellent outcomes start with wise and prudent decision-making. In that regard, CEO is considered the main domain of decision-making authority on important agenda of the firm such as offshoring service. Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA) [12] [2] is a general model that does not specify the beliefs that are operative for a certain behavior [8]. The TRA postulates that one’s behavior is determined by his /her behavioral intention (BI) to perform the behavior.BI is divided into two conceptually distinct variables: 1) one’s attitude (A) toward performing the behavior, and 2) one’ subjective norm (SN) about performing the behavior. Once attitudes and subjective norms are formed, CEO may have inclination whether or not to make certain choices. Actual behavior is the transmission of such intention into action. Significance of the role of environment on the strate gy formulation and organizational outcome has been extensively examined [25] [29] [16] [24]. The CEO’s decision to offshore services will be greatly contingent on the regulatory environment a firm faces.The regulatory environment can, to some extent, act to facilitate or hinder offshoring. Regulation environment becomes a moderating variable that can weaken or enhance the relationship between (1) the drivers of offshoring and top management’s propensity; and (2) top management’s propensity and intention and actual behavior. RESEARCH MODEL The research model is about the CEO’s decision making process on service offshore outsourcing. It includes four key antecedents (i. e. , decision-criteria) of service offshore outsourcing and the CEO’s propensity, intention and behavior.This model also attempts to examine the moderating role of regulatory environment between (1) the key antecedents and the CEO’s propensity; and (2) the CEO’s propensi ty and the CEO’s intention and behavior. Cost Advantage ([18] [19]) Cost advantage refers to the extent to which a client firm can achieve cost reduction, productivity or profitability through service offshore outsourcing activities. One of the most commonly quoted reasons is that managers feel that they can gain cost advantages by employing – 4492 – outside suppliers to perform certain services and produce certain products.Cost reduction remains the major explanation for the drivers of outsourcing. Some researchers argue that an important foundation of cost reductions is the outsourcing firm’s access to economies of scale and the distinctive know-how or expertise that a large outsourcing vendor (i. e. , supplier) can bring. [4] [32] Nohria and William [30] discovered that to be a steady industry winner, a firm must increase its productivity by around twice above than the industry’s average. There are a number of studies that focus on explaining th e relationship between outsourcing and productivity growth.Today’s knowledge and service-based economy offers numerous opportunities for wellrun companies to increase profits through outsourcing [30]. When used properly, outsourcing can boost profitability to the firm in many ways (i. e. , staffing, capabilities, facilities, and payroll, etc). The most obvious reason why a firm offshores services is also for cost advantage. In regard to offshoring activities, wage differential (i. e. , lower labor cost with comparable quality of work) between U. S. and other developing countries motivates top management to offshore. Risk Control ([17])Risk control refers to the degree to which a client firm control the risk such as amount of involved outsourcing value (i. e. , scale of the contract), outsourcing complexity (i. e. , level of contract difficulty) and outsourcing duration (length of the contract) that might occur through outsourcing. Management needs to assess and evaluate the r isks and their impact at various levels such as strategic, tactical and operational levels [43]. The level of contract complexity also can influence on the level of risk. Complexity refers to the degree to which activities are diversified with the outsourcing function.The more complex a contract is, the more risky its implementation is. Length of contract duration [19] can affect the complexity of an outsourcing relationship. When an outsourcing contract’s duration requires a longer period of time, both diversity of business relationships and complexity of contract management increase. As a result, longer duration contracts expose the outsourcing company to greater level of risk due to managerial uncertainty. Infrastructure Maturity ([17] [23]) Infrastructure maturity refers to the degree to which both firms (i. e. , client and vendor) have developed telecommunications (i. e. Internet and mobile telecommunication) and transportation (i. e. , logistics, 3PLs) infrastructure. T echnology advancement makes organizational and national borders less significant when it comes to the decision regarding relocation of service functions. Telecommunication infrastructure is essential for electronically transmitted services. Lack of telecommunication system will be a hurdle for trade with U. S. Transportation infrastructure refers to the availability of logistics. The increase in competition and growing awareness of the role of logistics lead more companies to exploit the potential of outsourcing.Cultural Compatibility ([20]) Cultural compatibility refers to the degree to which both firms (i. e. , client and vendor) can interchangeably accept cultural dissimilarities including language (i. e. , English), ethnic linkage, or cultural difference. In the context of a firm’s offshoring decision, language similarity between a client and vendor firm is important. Language similarity is measured by the extent to which a vendor firm is exposed to English (i. e. , Engli sh fluency). Ethnic linkage is also important for offshoring outsourcing service activities. Ethnic linkage between the managers of both firms (i. . , client and vendor) in origin and destination countries increases cultural compatibility. Such – 4493 – linkage improves social capital [45]. Cultural difference refers to the degree to which firms may not accept a counterpart’s culture. These cultural differences may increase difficulties associated with managing employees. We propose that four factors that have influenced firms’ outsourcing decision will affect to some extent firms’ service offshoring decision. Therefore, we regard these four factors as the key antecedents of the CEO’s decision for service offshore outsourcing.Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA) In firms’ decision-making for service offshoring, CEO is the key person who actually involves in that process with collaborative effort of top management and board of directors. Ac cording to TRA, attitude toward offshore outsourcing services is generated by the individual’s salient belief about the consequences of adopting service offshoring practices (behavioral beliefs) and evaluation of these consequences (i. e. , positive or negative outcomes). Positive feelings toward offshoring will lead top management to form optimistic attitude, in turn intention to behave (i. e. willingness to offshore outsourcing services). After careful examination of the four key antecedents, i. e. , cost advantage, risk control, infrastructure maturity, and cultural compatibility, the CEO forms positive or negative attitude toward offshoring. Subjective norm is generated by the normative beliefs that the person attributes to what relevant others (i. e. , social referents) expect her to do with respect to adopting offshoring services as well as her motivation to comply with those beliefs. Social referents possibly include firm’s board of directors, stockholders, firm ’s customers, or CIO [47].The strength of social referents’ normative belief and motivations will actually determine the CEO’s final decision to offshore services. Once attitudes and subjective norms are formed, the CEO may have inclination whether or not to make decision for offshoring services. In turn, actual behavior will be transmitted from such intention. The above discussions lead to: Proposition 1: The key antecedents of service offshore outsourcing, (a) Cost Advantage, (b) Risk Control, (c) Infrastructure Maturity, and (d) Cultural Compatibility will have a positive impact on top management’s attitude and subjective norms to offshore outsourcing services.Proposition 2: Top management’s positive attitude and norms that was formed through careful assessing key antecedents of service offshoring will have a positive impact on top management’s actual behavior (i. e. , both intention and decision to offshore services). Moderating Effect: Regulatory Environment ([17] [20]) Regulatory environment refers to explicit regulative processes, existing laws and rules that influence offshoring outsourcing [49]. In this case, government plays a major role.For example, in case of offshoring software industry, government can affect restrict or facilitate the import and export of equipment, software, or data across the country. Government is also the main enforcers of intellectual property laws (i. e. , patent, copyright) 36]. Companies in the U. S. will not choose to offshore key functions if they are concerned about the security of key processes or products [37]. Generally, three types of regulatory factors can be categorized: 1) Tariff/ Non-tariff barriers; 2) privacy laws and 3) rule of law.We propose that above regulatory environment factors will play moderating roles in affecting the relationship between the key antecedents and the CEO’s final decision to offshore outsourcing services. Proposition 3: The relationship between (1) the key antecedents and the CEO’s propensity and (2) CEO’s propensity and intention and behavior for offshore outsourcing services will be moderated by regulatory environment. – 4494 – Table 1: Key constructs (Definitions and Supporting Literatures) Construct Definition Literature Cost Advantage (CA) The degree to which a client firm can achieve cost reduction, operating efficiency (i. . , productivity) or profitability that is related to economic benefit through service offshore outsourcing activities Smith et al. , 1998; Jiang et al. , 2006; Jiang et al. , 2007 Risk Control (RC) The degree to which a client firm controls the risk that might occur through service offshore outsourcing activities, risk such as amount of involved value (i. e. , Scale of the contract), complexity (i. e. , Level of contract difficulty) and duration (Length of the contract). Smith et al. , 1998 Stremersch et al. , 2003; Carson, 2007; Jiang and Qureshi, 2006; Jiang et al. , 2007 Infrastructure Maturity IM) The degree to which both firms (i. e. , client and vendor) have developed telecommunications (i. e. , Internet and mobile telecommunication) and transportation infrastructure. Cultural Compatibility (CC) The degree to which both firms (i. e. , client and vendor) can interchangeably accept different cultural backgrounds including language (i. e. , English), ethnic linkage, or cultural difference. Kshetri, 2007 Regulatory Environment (RE) Explicit regulative processes, existing laws and rules such as trade barriers, privacy laws and rule of law that influence service offshore outsourcing activitiesScott, 1995; Jahns et al. , 2006; Kshetri, 2007 Jahns et al. , 2006; Metters and Verma, 2008 Figure 2: Theoretical Model Key Antecedents Cost Advantage (CA) Risk Control (RC) Infrastructure Maturity (IM) H1 The CEO’s Attitude and Subjective Norms toward offshoring Hservices 3 (PROPENSITY) Cultural Compatibility (CC) H3 Regulatory Environment (RE) – 4495 – H2 The CEO’s DecisionMaking to offshore services (INTENTION) (BEHAVIOR) CONCLUSION Nowadays, outsourcing and offshoring decision is not an alternative option to choose but a mandatory passport to lead firms to sustain competitive advantages over rivals.In this regard, this paper seems to be of less value because many firms offshore service jobs anyway. However, the key antecedents that were shown in present study may help management as useful decision tools and become critical in succeeding to reap the full benefits of the offshoring activities to the firm. This is a meaningful attempt to go inside of firms’ decision-making process though it may not be perfectly useful for managerial decision. It is primarily because through this model, management can rethink before they launch the service offshoring activities, asking themselves â€Å"why we pursue† and â€Å"then, how we can reap the full benefits. This present study attempted to c onsider four key antecedents of service offshoring which are important decision-credentials for top management, esp. CEO to offshore. Although these are not direct determinants of service offshoring decision, they are the ones in which firms need to consider before actual decision is made in that they encompass different aspects. Cost advantage and risk control are considered economic aspects. Since cost elements are always one of the most important reasons for firms’ decision of certain activities, cost advantage and level of risk control needs to be carefully examined before initial launch is kicked off.Infrastructure maturity is considered environmental or infrastructural aspect. Availability and development of telecommunication and transportation infrastructure is critical for service offshoring—its fast and reliable delivery. Lastly, cultural compatibility is considered cultural aspect. Language (i. e. , English) fluency, ethnic linkage, or cultural difference wil l actually determine long-term relationship between a client and vendor firm across the country.These decision-criteria will help top management to consider the different aspects of offshoring activities, which are economic, environmental (infrastructural) and cultural dimensions. This present study also identified three different aspects of regulatory environment which are trade barriers, privacy laws, and rule of law. Trade barriers are associated with a relation-type regulatory factor in that they determine the magnitude of relationship between countries which are involved in offshoring activities.Privacy laws are coupled with a risk-type regulatory factor in that lack of privacy laws will make a client firm to be exposed to information (data) loss. Rule of law such as political institution, court system or sound citizenship is linked with security-type regulatory factor in that poor rule of law (i. e. , vendor firm) is regarded as major obstacles to offshoring and cause to criti cal security problems. For future research, three major works need to be done. First, to make empirical study possible, measurement items for each key antecedent and CEO’s propensity, intention and behavior need to be developed.For operationalization of key variables, more refined work should be continued. In this case, both secondary data and survey method may be appropriately used. Second, for completeness of the model or further analysis, outcome and performance measure might be added. Third, for extension of this paper, it might be an interesting attempt if general decision-making process model which includes other top management teams and board of directors is provided. * References Available Upon Request (Mark Yang: [email  protected] utoledo. edu) – 4496 –

Child Abuse A case for Imposing Harsher Punishments to Child Abusers

Child Abuse A case for Imposing Harsher Punishments to Child Abusers Introduction Children are very important since they represent the community’s hopes, ambitions and its future. As such, they are cherished and most parents try to provide a quality life for them. Even so, some live lives full of hurt as a result of child abuse which is one of the most heinous crimes.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Child Abuse: A case for Imposing Harsher Punishments to Child Abusers specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This crime sometimes leads to children being traumatized for life or physically damaged. It is therefore of great importance to stop it from happening. In an attempt to stop this abuse, forms of punishment have been devised for retribution and deterrence purposes. This paper will argue that harsher punishment should be imposed for perpetrators of child abuse. The paper will reinforce this proposition by delving into the merits of harsher punishments. A case for Harsher Pun ishments The most desirable function of any form of punishment is deterrence. The ideal situation is one where punishments do not have to be executed since their presence causes people to abide by the rules. Harsh punishments provide deterrence since they invoke fear to anyone who intends to engage in this despicable act (Hoffmann-Engl, 2006). For example, giving child abusers harsh punishments such as a life sentence will act as deterrence to people who can easily afford to pay the fines imposed. As such, future offenders would be forced to think twice about the results of their acts. Harsh punishments also have the advantage of protecting the society from child abusers. Cunningham (1999) reveals that child abusers display high levels of impulsivity and aggression. These are attributes that are undesirable and if such persons are given modest punishments such as community service or short prison terms, they will reenter society and continue harming children. By giving long prison s entences or even imposing capital punishments on such offenders, the society will be protected from these child abusers who would reenter society sooner if punishments were lenient. Demerit of Harsh Punishment While harsh punishments appear to offer a solution to the problem, this measure may be detrimental to the welfare of the child in the case where the abuser is its guardian. DfES (2003) reveals that many cases abuses are committed not by strangers but by the people who are closest to the children.Advertising Looking for research paper on family law? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Imposing harsh punishments on these perpetrators will therefore leave the child without a guardian. Children may therefore end up suffering more as a result of the harsh punishments than they would if the punishment were more lenient. While this may be true, leaving the child at the mercy of the abuse just because they provide for its basic needs is the greater wrong. As such, harsh punishments should be imposed at the same time taking care to ensure that the child is provided for after the abuser has been imprisoned. Conclusion This paper has argued that imposition of harsher punishments for child abuse criminals has many advantages and therefore, it should be implemented by our justice system. It has been articulated that through harsh penalties, retribution is served for crimes committed and the offenders are put away from the society for a long time. In addition to this, harsh penalties acts as deterrence to would be offenders since an example is made of those who have already been convicted. By imposing harsh punishment, our society can mitigate or even completely get rid of child abusers therefore guarantying a good life for the children. References Cunningham, A.L. (1999). Suggested Punishment For Child Molesters Based Upon Victim`s Relationship to the Experimenter. Web. DfES, 2003, Every Child Matters. UK Government Green Paper, Cm 5860. London, HMSO. Hoffmann-Engl, L. (2006). A Probabilistic Model on Child Abuse. Chameleon Group.

Juvenile Detainees Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Juvenile Detainees - Research Paper Example It is the officer’s responsibility to ensure that the young detainees are provided with special education and psychological restoration, in order to help them regain their well-being and prevent recidivism. Correctional officers come across many unique situations in their profession, where the detainees require special attention and consideration. Cases of substance abuse, sexual abuse, children suffering from mental disorders, those belonging to minority groups and children with disabilities often come under this purview. Keywords: Juvenile delinquency, deterrence, correctional officers, alcohol, drug and mental disorders (ADMs), detaineesDealing with Juvenile Detainees The role of a juvenile correctional officer is probably one of the most challenging ones, requiring a strong sense of solidarity as well as sensibility towards the juvenile detainees. The responsibilities of a correctional officer extend beyond mere provision of security and supervision. The future of a juveni le detainee often depends on the actions of his/her correctional officer. Such a role can only be fully surmised when the tasks, responsibilities and the tribulations faced by an officer, in relation to the detainees assigned to him, are fully understood. The neurobiological and psychological states of children and adolescents are very fragile, especially in the case of juvenile delinquents. Most juvenile offenders are found to have psychological disorders and mental ailments, which expose them and the correctional officers to dangerous and often life threatening situations. Young detainees are found to have a higher incidence of suicidal tendencies, substance abuse and criminal inclinations that often place correctional officers in unique situations that need to be dealt with meticulous, clever as well as humanitarian approaches. On account of their violent history, juvenile delinquents take a long time to rehabilitate and get back to a normal life. â€Å"Understanding principles of child development and children’s mental health can help guide the design and implementation of more e?ective interventions for youth who have committed minor to moderately severe o?enses† (Arredondo, 2004, p. 135). I. Dealing with Juvenile Delinquents with Disabilities Most juvenile detainees are found to be mentally retarded or possess certain disabilities in learning and cognition, apart from emotional disturbances. These may be regarded as the primary factors that place these juvenile delinquents at their present disposition. In order to ensure their full recovery and rehabilitation, special child development strategies and literacy initiatives are required. Correctional officers may often find themselves in a situation where they have to deal with mentally retarded juvenile offenders, especially when they have a history of substance abuse, mental disturbances and fits due to stress and depression, collectively called as alcohol, drug and mental disorders (ADMs) b y medical health professionals. Such detainees engage in personal as well as public assault, posing a threat to themselves, other juvenile detainees and the correctional officers too. A. Special Education and Child Development Programs Children in juvenile detention centers require special educational programs keeping in mind their requirements and disabilities. It is found that juvenile detainees who are provided with the necessary education and skills find it easier to revert to a normal life with lesser

Working Impression Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

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