Acceptance of family in Western society †Sociology Essay

Acceptance of family in Western society – Sociology Essay Free Online Research Papers Acceptance of family in Western society Sociology Essay The Encyclopaedia Britannica (1995) defines family as a group of persons united by the ties of marriage, blood, or adoption, constituting a single household and interacting with each other in their respective social positions, usually those of spouses, parents, children, and siblings. The family group should be distinguished from a household, which may include boarders and roomers sharing a common residence. This paper will discuss whether all forms of the family are accepted in contemporary Western society by addressing several key questions. What are the forms of the family that we currently have in contemporary Western society? How do these current forms of the family differ from historical familial forms? Why does the family continue and at what point does a form of family become accepted? When looking at these key issues, other factors also need to be taken into consideration. Particularly when addressing forms of the family in contemporary Western society, aspects such as the law, religion and cultural influence are of paramount importance if we are to consider this question in its entirety, as it could be considered that many societies in the West have constructed their own variations or types of familial forms from the various cultural influences that comprise contemporary society. There are several defined forms of families that exist in contemporary society. The Australian Bureau of Statistics Year Book, in the Population- Households and Families analysis of data collected in the 2001 Census, describes significant changes in the types of families in Australia with the following statistical depiction: In 2001, of the 4.9 million families counted in the census there were 2.3 million couple families with children (47.0%). The number of families with this family type was the same at the time of the 1991 census but the proportion has declined, from 53.7%, as the number of all families has grown (from 4.3 million). While families with children remained the most common family type in 2001, other family types have grown significantly in the last 10 years. Couple families without children increased by 30% from 1.4 million in 1991 to 1.8 million in 2001. These are comprised of couples who have not yet had children and also couples whose children have left home. One-parent families also increased, from 552,400 in 1991 to 762,600 in 2001, an increase of 38%. (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2001) In the Encyclopaedia Britannica Online (1995), the forms of family organisation are the nuclear family, â€Å"†¦ the basic unit of family organization in virtually every society. It is generally defined as a married couple and their children (including adopted and fostered children, as well as the couples natural children).† The one-parent family, â€Å"†¦consists of one parent and his or her children. One-parent families may be formed through widowhood, divorce, or separation. They may also be formed when an unmarried person, usually a woman, raises children on her own.† The compound family, â€Å"†¦consists of a central figure (normally the household head), his or her spouses, sometimes concubines, and their children.† The joint family, â€Å"a group of brothers and their wives and children all live together in the same household†, the extended family – a larger and lesser controlled form of the joint family and kin networks, a result of extended families dispersing and government agencies taking over the financial responsibilities customarily looked after by direct family. Recent research has indicated that modern industrial societies are comprised of a â€Å"plurality of household and family types, and the idea of a typical family is misleading†. (Van Krieken, Smith, Habibis, McDonald, Haralambos and Holborn, 2000) In the 1970s, Shorter (1975) described the emerging post-modern family for possibly the first time. The three important characteristics noted by Shorter are: adolescent indifference to the familys identity; instability in the lives of couples, accompanied by rapidly increasing divorce rates; and destruction of the nest notion of nuclear family life with the liberation of women (Zeitlin, Megawangi, Kramer, Colletta, Babatunde and Garman, 1995). In pre-industrial societies, it was argued by Frà ©dà ©ric Le Play, there had been three types of family structure. He first describes the patriarchal family (typical among peasant families), where all sons in the family remained in residence with and under the authority of their father until such a time as an individual heir was appointed. Next, the unstable or nuclear family, where there is no expectation of support to anyone outside the nucleus and the offspring establish themselves as independent from their parents (typical among the wealthy and urban manufacturers) and the stem family, where only one son inherits the property and resides with the parents (again, typical of peasant families) (Van Krieken et al, 2000). This theory was argued against by Peter Laslett (1983; 1984) however, who uncovered evidence that there was a distinctive ‘Western family’ that was typically nuclear in structure, where the children were born relatively late to parents with little age gap and who as a family resided in their own separate households. This type of familial structure was distinct from Eastern Europe and other parts of the world and according to Laslett, possibly helped Western Europe to industrialise first (Van Krieken et al. 2000). One reason for the continuation of the family could be that in society, we have an extensive ideology of familism. Any changes to the familial structure, particularly that of the ‘nuclear family’ could be viewed as threatening the ‘stability of society as a whole’. (Steel and Kidd, 2001) ‘Familia ideology’ it is suggested by Diana Gittins (1993) ‘is often supported by the belief systems of both science and religion’ (Steel and Kidd, 2001). By this it is meant that religious institutions or teachings assert that ‘the most suitable way for humans to live is within a family’ and science asserts that humans have primitive biological urges (specifically sexual reproduction) that can be best fulfilled by existing in familial structures (Steel and Kidd, 2001). Families are viewed not as fixed, static entities, but as living, growing and changing over time (Steel and Kidd, 2001). A central concern to family sociology is diversity. Rhonda and Robert Rapoport (1982) believe that because of societal changes in recent years and the fact that there are various options and choices now giving flexibility to family living, there are five types of diversity that sociologists need to consider (Steel and Kidd, 2001). There is organisational diversity, where there are many structures and ways that families are organised, either both parents or figure heads earn a wage, or only one does and the resulting effects on the roles these parents or figure heads perform. There is cultural diversity, differences in the familial structure of various ethnic and cultural groups. Class or economic diversity, the differences in which middle-class and working class execute familial roles. Life-course diversity, changes in the family structure from early age marriage and children to a late age couple whose children have become independent and cohort diversity, people who may share s imilar family life experiences due to them experiencing similar social and historical events (Steel and Kidd, 2001). As diversity in familial structures and the rise of alternatives to the conventional nuclear family becomes more accepted and prevalent, they are also becoming more legitimate, particularly when dealing with divorce and cohabitation (Steel and Kidd, 2001). In an analysis of research focussed on the family or households carried out in Britain, Jo VanEvery (1995) states that in reference to ‘the precise ways in which family life is changing,’ â€Å"†¦recognisable are the public anxieties and political debates about the causes and consequences of these changes, and the legislative solutions aimed at halting the ‘post-modern family revolution’.† (VanEvery, 1995 in Jagger and Wright, 1999:165) What VanEvery (1995) is bringing to our attention is that with the difficulty of finding a precise definition for family, much of what we as society can classify as ‘research’ in which to base our laws and literature on, does not represent the diversity of family that we have in contemporary Western society. What was found was that only modern nuclear family households existed in the reality constructed by this research, regardless of how the individuals researched chose to organise their lives (VanEvery, 1995 in Jagger and Wright, 1999:166). With the difficulty that comes from defining the forms that ‘family’ takes, the consequent possibility of flaws that may exist in the gathering of data that could show the existing forms of the family in Western society and the constant changing and development of society as a whole, how do we implicitly say are all forms of the family accepted in contemporary Western society? When looking at census data, we can see that the forms of family that could be defined ‘accepted’ are couples with children, couples without children, couples whose children have left home and one-parent families (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2001). Are these the only definable categories of family? Are compound families, with a central figure head and his or her spouses and children or joint families with brothers and sisters, their spouses and children counted as ‘couples with children’ although living in alternative households? What is it that constitutes a coup le to be counted? Are they same sex, married or unmarried? It would appear that the differentiation is not clear in the census data, but one could perhaps assume the absence of this differentiation shows acceptance in our society. If you are a same sex couple with children, you are counted as family – even if there are aspects of society that don’t reflect this acknowledgment. Research Papers on Acceptance of family in Western society - Sociology EssayInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married MalesThe Relationship Between Delinquency and Drug UsePersonal Experience with Teen PregnancyEffects of Television Violence on ChildrenThree Concepts of PsychodynamicRelationship between Media Coverage and Social andMarketing of Lifeboy Soap A Unilever Product19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraComparison: Letter from Birmingham and CritoPETSTEL analysis of India

Natural gas, oil, coal, and Uranium in Russia

Natural gas, oil, coal, and Uranium in Russia Introduction Russia’s economy is ranked 9th in the world in terms of GDP, 6th in terms of purchasing power and 3rd in terms of military spending. The country’s GDP was estimated at around 2.4 trillion dollars (FYE 2011) and a per capita income of 16 736 dollars (Index Mundi, 2012).Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Natural gas, oil, coal, and Uranium in Russia specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More According to the 2012 estimates, the Russian population is believed to be over 140 million with an unemployment rate of 6 percent. An average Russia earns approximately over 640 dollars a month. Mineral fuel, oil, metals and timber represents over 80 percent of the country’s exports. Despite of the increased energy prices, mineral fuel and oil only contributes 4 percent of the country’s GDP and the government expects a further drop in this figure (Index Mundi, 2012). Russia is not only the largest coun ty in the world but also the richest in terms of mineral resources. The country covers over 75 percent of the former Soviet Union territory. The country holds the largest natural gas reserves and is among the top ten in terms of crude oil reserves. In addition, Russia is the fifth producer and the third largest exporter of coal in the world. In terms of coal reserves, the country is second only to the United State of America. Russia’s mineral fuels also include uranium which is used in the local nuclear power plant (Grama, 2012, p. 82). Russia’s mineral fuel According to the U.S department of energy, Russia’s natural gas reserve is about 50 trillion cubic meters. Most of the country’s gas reserves are located in West Siberia. However, Orenburg region and Komi Republic in the North also produces significant amounts of natural gas. Russia is the second largest producer and exporter of natural gas in the world, contributing more than a third of the global na tural gas export. Local consumption of the natural gas is about 70 percent. Therefore, local demand still allows for export. The country’s natural gas is mainly exported to Europe and Central Asia (Grama, 2012, p. 83).Advertising Looking for report on geology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Three natural gas fields, Yamburg and Urengoi and Orenburg, accounts for more than 79 percent of the country’s production. Natural gas production is mainly under the control of Gazprom Company. The Russian government is the main shareholder of the company with 39.89 percent ownership (Grama, 2012, p. 85). With the discovery of new gas fields and increased capacity, Russia’s natural gas production is expected to increase by 890 cubic meters in 2020. The rising trend of natural gas production has enabled the country to meet its domestic demand and increase export (Levine, 2001, p. 11). According to the U.S ener gy department, Russia’s oil reserve is about 7 billion metric tons. Major oil reserves are also based in the West Siberia basin (Tomsk, Tyumen and another 300 field), Ural basin (Volga field) and Pechora Basin (Timam field) (Matthews, 2008, p. 372). In 1980s U.S.S.R was the leading global producer of oil, with Russia accounting for more than 95 percent of the overall production. However, the fall of the Soviet Union and other economic factors including unstable oil prices in the global market and the dominance of U.S dollar saw a sharp decline in the country’s oil production (Grama, 2012, p. 85). Currently, Russia produces about 500 million tons oil per year and some experts argue that the country can afford to maintain the same capacity up to 2050 given their potential reserves. The country’s petroleum export is mainly crude oil. Russia crude oil export was estimated to be about 8.4 million barrels/day in 2011. Major importers of Russia’s crude oil come from central Asia (China and Japan), Europe (former members of the Soviet Union) and North America (U.S and Canada). The country’s total coal reserve is estimated to about 150 billion metric tons which is mostly brown and hard coal. There was a massive decline in coal production in the late 80s and 90s but the situation changed since 2000.The growth of coal production has surpassed the growth of petroleum and natural gas production.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Natural gas, oil, coal, and Uranium in Russia specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Unlike oil and gas whose local consumption is over 70 percent, over half of the coal produced is exported. Ninety percent of Russia’s coal exports go to the European markets (Lawson, 2002, p. 8). Coal production is expected to increase with the depletion of oil and natural gas reserves in the future. Even though the country has more than 20 coal basins, most of th e coal produced comes from 7 basins. The country’s 7 major basins are Donetskii basin, Moscow basin, Pechora basin, Kansk-Achinsk basin, Irkutsk basin, Kuznetski basin, and South Yakutsk basin. The country’s coal is transported through railroad and sea (Rosner, 2010, p. 3). Russia’s nuclear fuel is principally Uranium. However, the country also produces plutonium but in small quantity. According to the London Uranium institute, the country has over 200000 tons of Uranium reserves. The country has only one uranium mining project and all of it is consumed locally. In other words, Russia does not export Uranium instead it imports more. The country has nine nuclear power plants with over 20 million kilowatt capacity (Levine, 2001, p. 9). Russia-Canada trade The bilateral relationship between Russia and Canada has increased significantly over the last decade (Government of Canada, 2012). Canadian exports to Russia have increased by 154.3 percent since 1998. The figur e increased from 180 million dollars to over 1.58 billion dollars in 2011. Most of the Canada’s exports to Russia include automobiles and parts, machineries, aircrafts and parts, and processed food. On the other hand, Russia’s export to Canada totaled about 1.35 billion dollars in 2011. Canada’s imports from Russia mostly include mineral fuels and oil, metals, gem stones, rubber and inorganic chemicals. The trade relationship between these countries also includes service exchange. In 2011, Russia received 500 million dollars for services rendered and spent 260 million dollars for services received (Government of Canada, 2012).Advertising Looking for report on geology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More According to Khondaker (2008, p. 2), Russia and Canada have become significant trade partners, even though trade between these two countries is still low compared with other countries. Russia imports largely manufactured goods from Canada. On the other hand, its exports are mainly coal, crude oil and natural gas. According to Khondaker (2008), if not for mineral fuels, Canada would have registered a surplus of more than 700 million dollars in 2008 (p. 3). Mineral fuel represents 16 percent of the whole Canada’s exports from Russia. Over the last ten years Canada has registered a trade deficit with Russia. The deficit was estimated to be about 1.25 billion dollars in 2008 (Khondaker, 2008, p. 4; Matthews, 2008, p. 372). Conclusion Russia is among the top global producers of petroleum, natural gas, and coal. The country’s mineral fuel and oil reserves are in billions of metric tons. The bilateral trade relations between Russia and Canada have considerably grown over the last one decade. Russia import mainly manufactured goods from Canada and exports mineral fuel and crude oil. The trade balance between these two countries tends to favor Russia. However, mineral fuel and oil only contributes less than ten percent to the GDP. References Government of Canada. (2012). Canada Russia Relations. Web. Grama, Y. (2012). The Analysis of Russian Oil and Gas Reserves. International Journal of Energy Economics and Policy, 2 (2), 82-91. Index Mundi. (2012). Russia Economy Profile 2012. Web. Khondaker, J. (2008). Canada’s Trade with Russia: 1998 to 2007. Canadian Trade Highlights, ISBN: 978-0-662-43652-2. Web. Levine, R.M. (2001). The Mineral Industry of Russia. Journal of Geological Survey, 4 (1), 5-30. Matthews, M.J. (2008). Energy competition and international relations. International Journal of Global Energy Issues, 29 (4), 371-376. Lawson, P. (2002). An Introduction to the Russian Coal Industry. Charleston, West Virginia: Marshall Miller and Associate s. Rosner, K. (2010). Russian Coal: Europe’s New Energy Challenge. Climate Energy Paper Series 2010.

LOVE Chapter 17 Questions Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

LOVE Chapter 17 Questions - Research Paper Example They are separated by space because translation of the RNA occurs in the cytoplasm but DNA is only located in the nucleus so that is the only area where transcription can occur (Ruse 112-150). Question5. Codon is a 3-nucleotide sequence that codes for amino acids. The linear codon sequence and the linear amino acid have a 3-nucleotide to 1 amino acid correspondence. Question 6. The genetic code is redundant in the sense that some amino acids can be specified by more than one codon but Ambiguous in the sense that each codon specifies a particular amino acid and only that amino acid. Question 7.It just means that life appeared only once on Earth and was the basis of DNA into RNA. Question8. Transcription is the process in which DNA is converted into a complementary RNA and Just Before transcription, the splicing of introns occurs. Elongation in transcription occurs when additional RNA nucleotides are added to the growing nucleotide chain by RNA polymerase. Question9. Ribosomal RNA is helpful in constituting the protein synthesis. Question10. mRNA stands for messenger RNA, tRNA stands for transfer RNA, rRNA stands for ribosomal RNA, it is the main component of ribosome that synthesis protein.Question 11. It has ribosome that brings tRNA molecule together with it which then bonds to this mRNA strand and releases the amino acid attached (Morowitz 179). Question12. This a clover shaped, single strand molecule. It has loops formed from the base pairing of complementary bases. Question13. Translation is performed by cytoplasmic ribosomes as well as those bounded to the ER. mRNA associates with the ribosomes and begins with bases that serve as a binding site. Question14. It refers to the sequence of amino acids in a polypeptide and the combination of multiple polypeptides to form a functional protein. Question15. Amino acids found at the start of a protein being coded by the ribosome alerts the ribosome to attach itself to the ER. If the sequence is missing it will

Management of Business System Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Management of Business System - Research Paper Example Thus an optimal product mix consisting of only D, E, F, H, I, J, K, O, P, R has been proposed. Other products can be discontinued. Modular process design and business process management system are recommended to implement along with this revised optimal product mix. This affords flexibility and enhances the capability to handle competition. Grouping of similar products and their standardised production, while maintaining separate production lines for specialised products, is advised as specific standardisation steps. First the proposed product mix of ten items may be tested for a reasonable period, evaluated including demand fluctuations, competition and market share information. Thus a more detailed Pareto analysis can be done. The limitation of the present study is due to the available data lacking in these respects. When a company produces and sells many items, some items may fetch large incomes and some others small incomes. These incomes are related to sale price and sale volume of each product. The company is interested in maximising its total sale income with least cost, so that profit can be maximised. Reducing product mix is one way. In this paper, a situation pertaining to Chelwood Country Products is evaluated for these possibilities. Green & Krieger (1992) used Pareto analysis, sensitivity analysis, optimal product positioning, line extension, segment-based addition and response of competitors. The data provided in the case of Chelwood are not enough for such detailed study. Ordover & Panzar (1980) showed that when user demands are independent, a uniform price higher than marginal cost can be Pareto non-linear outlay schedule. When users compete for products, their demands are inter-related. Then Pareto improvement is not possible. This aspect is not known in the case of Chelwood. We may assume independent user demands. Dudek-Burlikowska & Szewieczek (2007) proposed quality research methods for estimation of sales process with Pareto analysis, Ishikawa diagram and process analysis. Process management approach is to be used in our study when better options are

Corruption and Anti-Corruption in Reform China Essay Example for Free

Corruption and Anti-Corruption in Reform China Essay After 1989 Tiananmen Square event, the new Chinese leaders have giventhe priority to the anti-corruption work on their agenda and strengthened the anti-corruptionefforts. But up to now, the corruption phenomenon is still very rife , and presentlyis seen as the second greatest public concerns(behind unemployment )? The abilityor inability of third generation political leaders to successfully curb corruptionwill play a major role in their political survival. This article will focus on theanalysis of the extent, forms and characters of corruption in current China, itscauses and effects, and the anti-corruption efforts of the Chinese Communist Partyand its government. 2 The extent, forms and characteristics of corruption in current China What is corruption? The notion of corruption varies with time and places. Accordingto Chinese official terminology , the core element of the definition of corruptionin current China is the notion of use of public power and public resources for privateinterests (Yi Quan Mu Si )? This is a very broad definition, which can includea series of phenomenon and behaviours and vary with time. Consequently, it canbe adapted to include new forms of corrupt practice. Corruption in current Chinais often links with negative phenomenon and unhealthy tendency within party andgovernment departments. As a result , anti-corruption effort also includes fightagainst all of these phenomenon and behaviours. This definition has three features. First , the core element of corruptionis not abuse or misuse of public power via-a-via legal norms or social standardsfor private benefits but the very use of public power for private benefits. Onthe one hand, this is a very strict standard for determining what behaviours canbe defined as corrupt since it can includes any behaviour utilising public powerfor private benefits. On the other hand , given that legal norms and moral standardsmay change with time, the definition may take some risks to exaggerate the extentof corruption or arbitrarily label some practice as corrupt. Another feature of this definition is the ambiguous of the term private interestsin contrast to public interests , i. e. the interests of whole nation and partyPrivate benefits include not only personal gains, but also the interests of workunits , departments and regions when they are given priority over public interests. Third , the definition leaves open the question of which the subject of corruptionis. It not only refers to individual public officials , but also can includes therelatives of public officials and retired public officials, and can also refersto some public bodies and their leaders (as legal rather than natural persons)? As mentioned above, in official terminology, corruption , negative phenomenonand unhealthy tendency are linked together. Although government officials andthe public generally agree on some practices as corrupt , there are fewer consensuseson other practices. Heidenheimers three-category classifications system providesa useful framework for understanding both the Chinese categories and the areas ofconsensus and lack of consensus. Heidenheimers framework includes three categories:(1 )? Class A or black corruption:The corrupt practices in this category,including graft , bribe, fraud, embezzlement , extortion, smuggling, tax evasion,etc. , Constitute an important part of economic crimes. Because they are obviouslyillegal and the main purpose of those involved in these practice is to increasetheir personal wealth , government officials and the public generally agree thatsuch practices are corrupt. (2 )? Class B or grey corruption : The key characteristicsof this category, into which more and more practices are being categorised , isleaders of public institutions using their institutional power to increase the oftheir institutions and improve the welfare of their staffs through various legal,semi-legal and illegal ways. Such practices includes public institutions makingprofits by engaging in business activities(such as public bank enter into the stockmarket, the bureau of environment protection selling environment protection facilitiesto their clients), setting up satellite companies , and imposing fines or collectingadministrative fees or charging the so-called service fee and then putting theincome into their own coffers. Class B also includes such unhealthy practicesas the extravagance and waste , e. g., spending public money to support luxuriouswork conditions and/or life style by senior officials. Such extravagance and wasteis manifested in many aspects : expensive entertainment, costly foreign cars forsenior officials, magnificent and tastefully furnished office buildings, domesticor foreign travel in the name of official business, etc. Such unhealthy tendenciesand the associated corruption , both significantly increasing the publics burden,have led to a significant public outcry. This has led Chinese authorities to attemptto stop these practices. However they have met strong resistance from these publicinstitutions which, in turn, justify their practices in terms of the purpose oftheir practice, the legitimacy of their institutional power and the work requirement. (3 )? Class C: or white corruption: Class C practices constitute a kind ofcommon practice of social life. They include the nepotism and favouritism in thepersonnel recruitment and promotion , bending the law in favour of relatives andfriends in law enforcement, preferential treatment in resource-allocations forrelatives and friends , etc. They are characterised by preferential treatment byofficials of relatives, friends, fellow-villager etc. much of which is, in fact,a way of reciprocating previously given favours. Such practices have penetratedwidely into public life , influencing the behaviour of government officials andordinary citizens as well , contributing to the operation and existence of networksof personal ties throughout China. Creating and maintaining the networks of personalties to seek and give favourable treatment is accepted by most people , includinggovernment officials, as a normal practice when they involved in these practice. However , such networks are condemned by those excluded from them although theywill not be hesitate to engage in such practice should they have an opportunityto do so. The late British China scholar Gordon White had also made a similar classification. 3 Inasmuch as the Chinese authorities combine all the above categories togetherin their anti-corruption work , in this paper I will treat them all as corruption. However by so doing , the Chinese authorities have set a difficult goal for themselvessince the limited consensus on white corruption may increase the difficulty of attackingthese practices. On the other hand, the labelling of some common practice falleninto the grey area from the white area and some common(white ) as corruptionmay help to delegitimize them and/or push them into the grey category , thuscontributing to anti-corruption and social and political progress. The extent of corruption has increased dramatically and sharply since 1978 withthe situation becoming even worse after in the 1990s. This tendency is apparentfrom the data on perception of corruption in developing countries provided by TransparencyInternational and summarised in table. The above table demonstrates a clear drop in the scores of corruption in Chinafrom until 1980 until 1995 reflecting the increase of corruption in China in thisperiod. The slight improvement is likely due to the strengthen of anti-corruptionefforts by the third generation political leadership and the deepening of market-orientedreform. But despite these slight improvements , the public and its deputies arestill very dissatisfied with the widespread corruption and the inadequate effortsat fighting corruption. The vote of nearly forty per cent of the deputies in the1997 session of National Peoples Congress against General procuratorators ZhangSiqings Annual work report is an indication of this dissatisfaction. In the 1990s , corruption has worsened and taken new characteristics withinthe above three categories:(1 )? Class A: corruption as a form of economiccrimes has increased with the following manifestations. First , the number of large-scalecorruption cases increased sharply.

What Is the Real Cost Of Employee Turnover Essay -- essays research pa

What Is the Real Cost Of Employee Turnover The employee turnover rate and the retention of skilled employees is a major problem businesses face. â€Å"Conservative estimates put the cost of replacing a lost employee at 25 percent of the annual compensation amount. For the typical full time employee who earns $38,481 and receives $50,025 in total compensation, the total cost of turnover would amount to $12,506 per employee.† This being the case employee turnover is a major cost and can significantly influence the bottom line so it should be avoided if possible. (Bliss) â€Å"Employee turnover is a critical cost driver for American business. The cost of recruiting and filling vacancies, lost productivity from vacant jobs, and the costs of training new employees increase operating costs, reduce output, and cut into profits.† (Orville 5-7) Estimates of the costs of employee turnover vary widely and depend on whether all cost elements are recognized. The three primary elements of turnover cost include: †¢ Staffing – sometimes called cost-per-hire include the costs of exit interviews, recruiting, job applications, screening applicants, relocation expenses and signing bonuses. †¢ Vacancy – While a position is vacant, the productivity of the former employee is lost and the productivity of the overall organization is reduced, as remaining workers have to cope with being short-handed. †¢ Training – No new employee starts work at 100 percent efficiency. The replacement employee’s time, other employee’s time and valuable resources must be expended to train each new employee and to facilitate the transitions. So how do employers retain employees? Many employers try gimmicks, games, and prizes. F. Leigh Branham, author of Keeping the People Who Keep You in Business offers the following advice for retaining employees: †¢ Don’t always hire the best, but hire the â€Å"best fit†. †¢ Have the insight to realize that no matter what the job not just anyone can do it well. †¢ Focus on matching the person’s strengths to the right challenge and the right role, not on improving weaknesses to the point that every employee is well rounded. †¢ Build a culture of trust by giving people free reign to ... ...er off in another company or if your company would be better, off without the employee you are facing a positive situation and the financial impact may be a small sacrifice. However, if the employee is a true asset to your company it may be worth your time to try to sway him or her to rethink their decision to leave. The true cost of employee turnover can only be determined by weighing all the facts and looking at how it impacts your organization. You need to look at all the factors, monetary as well as organizationally to determine if the outcome was negative or positive. Works Cited Bliss, William. â€Å"Cost of Employee Turnover.† The Adivsor. 11 Nov 2004 http://www.isquare.com/turnover.cfm. Branham, Leigh. Keeping the People Who Keep You in Business. : Amacom Books. Javitch, David. "How Much Turnover is OK?." 01 2003. Entrepreneur.com. Entrepreneur.com. 01 Dec. 2004 . McNally, Steven. "Turn Away Turnover." Security Services. September 2004: 16 - 19. Orville, Wilbur. â€Å"Calculating the Cost of Work/Life Turnover.† Workforce March 1997: 5-7 Unknown. "Employee Turnover - A Critical Human Resource Benchmark." hr Benchmarks December 2002: 20 – 23

Effect of Communication Barriers and Overcoming These Barriers

Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you, Mr. Chairman for letting me speak. Let me introduce myself before we go to the topic. My name Mrs. Aida as a Public Speaking Trainer. Firstly, I want to explain to all of you what is communication? Communication is a process beginning with a sender who encodes the message and passes it through some channel to the receiver who decodes the message. Communication is fruitful if and only if the messages sent by the sender is interpreted with same meaning by the receiver. If any kind of disturbance blocks any step of communication, the message will be destroyed.Due to such disturbances, managers in an organization face severe problems. Thus the managers must locate such barriers and take steps to get rid of them. There are several barriers that affects the flow of communication in an organization. These barriers interrupt the flow of communication from the sender to the reciever, thus making communication ineffective. It is essential for ma nagers to overcome these barriers. The main barriers of communication are summarized below. â€Å"Ladies and gentlemen,† Firstly let me explain one of communication barriers is Perceptual and Language Differences.Perception is generally how each individual interprets the world around him. All generally want to receive messages which are significant to them. But any message which is against their values is not accepted. A same event may be taken differently by different individuals. For example : A person is on leave for a month due to personal reasons (family member being critical). The HR Manager might be in confusion whether to retain that employee or not, the immediate manager might think of replacement because his teams productivity is being hampered, the family members might take him as an emotional support.Secondly is Information Overload. Managers are surrounded with a pool of information. It is essential to control this information flow else the information is likely to be misinterpreted or forgotten or overlooked. As a result communication is less effective. The next barriers was Time Pressures:  Often in organization the targets have to be achieved within a specified time period, the failure of which has adverse consequences. In a haste to meet deadlines, the formal channels of communication are shortened, or messages are partially given, i. e. , not completely transferred.Thus sufficient time should be given for effective communication. â€Å"Ladies and gentlemen,† Distraction/Noise:  Communication is also affected a lot by noise to distractions. Physical distractions are also there such as, poor lightning, uncomfortable sitting, unhygienic room also affects communication in a meeting. Similarly use of loud speakers interferes with communication. Emotions:  Emotional state at a particular point of time also affects communication. If the receiver feels that communicator is angry he interprets that the information being sent is ver y bad.While he takes it differently if the communicator is happy and jovial (in that case the message is interpreted to be good and interesting). Complexity in Organizational Structure:  Greater the hierarchy in an organization (i. e. more the number of managerial levels), more is the chances of communication getting destroyed. Only the people at the top level can see the overall picture while the people at low level just have knowledge about their own area and a little knowledge about other areas. Poor retention:  Human memory cannot function beyond a limit.One cant always retain what is being told specially if he is not interested or not attentive. This leads to communication breakdown. So, how we as a manager to overcome these barriers of communicate? There are a lot of communication barriers faced these days by all. The message intended by the sender is not understood by the receiver in the same terms and sense and thus communication breakdown occurs. It is essential to deal and cope up with these communication barriers so as to ensure smooth and effective communication. As, in the previous section we have discussed the major barriers of communication.Let’s talk about  how to overcome these barriers of communication. Eliminating differences in perception:  The organization should ensure that it is recruiting right individuals on the job. It’s the responsibility of the interviewer to ensure that the interviewee has command over the written and spoken language. There should be proper Induction program so that the policies of the company are clear to all the employees. There should be proper trainings conducted for required employees (for eg: Voice and Accent training). Use of Simple Language:  Use of simple and clear words should be emphasized.Use of ambiguous words and jargons should be avoided. Reduction and elimination of noise levels:  Noise is the main communication barrier which must be overcome on priority basis. It is essent ial to identify the source of noise and then eliminate that source. Active Listening:  Listen attentively and carefully. There is a difference between â€Å"listening† and â€Å"hearing†. Active listening means hearing with proper understanding of the message that is heard. By asking questions the speaker can ensure whether his/her message is understood or not by the receiver in the same terms as intended by the speaker.Emotional State:  During communication one should make effective use of body language. He/she should not show their emotions while communication as the receiver might misinterpret the message being delivered. For example, if the conveyer of the message is in a bad mood then the receiver might think that the information being delivered is not good. Simple Organizational Structure:  The organizational structure should not be complex. The number of hierarchical levels should be optimum. There should be a ideal span of control within the organization. Simpler the organizational structure, more effective will be the communication. Avoid Information Overload:  The managers should know how to prioritize their work. They should not overload themselves with the work. They should spend quality time with their subordinates and should listen to their problems and feedbacks actively. Give Constructive Feedback:  Avoid giving negative feedback. The contents of the feedback might be negative, but it should be delivered constructively. Constructive feedback will lead to effective communication between the superior and subordinate.Proper Media Selection:  The managers should properly select the medium of communication. Simple messages should be conveyed orally, like: face to face interaction or meetings. Use of written means of communication should be encouraged for delivering complex messages. For significant messages reminders can be given by using written means of communication such as : Memos, Notices etc. Flexibility in meeting the targets:  For effective communication in an organization the managers should ensure that the individuals are meeting their targets timely without skipping the formal channels of communication.There should not be much pressure on employees to meet their targets. Conclusion Communication is a process of exchange of information between two or more people. Barriers that affect the process of communication can be reduced if the presenter and receiver of information to understand the role and duties of each in securing an effective communication process. By ensuring that the principles of communication clear, concise, accurate, complete and politely complied with, will allow this communication to achieve the desired goals.Hence all obstacles and weaknesses in achieving effective communication should be addressed and improved to enhance the importance of communication in everyday life. Overcome barriers to communication within the organization to ensure the free flow of information betw een sender and receiver and for effective communication among employees. Effective communication reduce error rates, reduce conflict and an understanding of and increase the profits of the organization. And we as managers must try their best to avoid communication barriers within the organization for effective business communication.

Interaction of Ethnic, National or Cultural Influences Essay

All around the world people are organised in societies differentiated ethnically, nationally and culturally. In our mind under the interethnic relations are traditionally understood subjectively experienced relations between people of different nationalities, between ethnic communities, which are manifested in attitudes and orientations of interethnic contacts in various areas of cooperation, national stereotypes, attitudes and behavior, and the actions of people of specific ethnic communities. It is in this area in the first place are projected economic, social and political issues. They acquire an ethnic form and deliver a lot of trouble to society, leading to inter-ethnic tensions, local ethnic conflicts, the growth of ethnic migrations. Ethnic tensions, the state of hostility, distrust, mutual complaints and dissatisfaction arises or may arise from time to time between any nations that are permanently or temporarily in contact with each other. Ethnic tensions depend on several factors: 1) The history of international relations, the historical memory of the nature of relations between the peoples at different stages (often these relationships take the form of ongoing ethnic tension); 2) the level of economic development of the parties, among representatives of different nations’ place in the system of production and property (industrial specialization, predominance of members of certain nationalities in professional and social groups, the dominance of different forms of ownership, quality of life, etc.); 3) the structure of the cultural development of the nation – the predominance of rural or urban population, the level of education and professional qualifications. There are allocated the following phenomena and processes that significantly affect the formation and strengthening of interethnic tension: 1) the lack of a consistent policy of condemnation and suppression of national manifestations of violence; 2) the possibility of negative attitudes towards representatives of the people associated in the eyes of other nations with the administrative-command apparatus; 3) the position of people who have been persecuted and mass deported during the repression, particularly those that have not been returned to their places of origin; 4) a sense of national enmity against those nationalities that, in terms of population in many regions, â€Å"live better than we do. † These representations are caused by a variety of reasons, including the identification of the people with the most frequently identified by its representatives. According to M. Walzer, positive ethnic identity is a balance of tolerance for their own and other ethnic groups, which allows us to consider it, on the one hand, as a condition of an independent and stable existence of an ethnic group, on the other – as a condition of peaceful intercultural multi-ethnic world, interactions, excluding ethnic phobias and confrontation. According to N. M. Lebedeva on ethnic tolerance, defined as the adoption of ethno-cultural differences, and the exclusion of ethnophobia and ethnic confrontations have effects such socio-psychological factors as: 1) the degree of ethnic and cultural competence; 2) psychological readiness for intercultural dialogue; 3) The experience and skills of intercultural understanding and cooperation. All these parameters are amenable to the formation and development and in need of professional development by education and socio-psychological training of intercultural interaction. Violation of a positive image of their own group tends to reduce ethnic tolerance (YA Gayurova, TG Stefanenko, AN Tatarko, FM Malhozova). 9/11 After Twins being attacked Americans stopped helping Irish Republican Army (IRA – Nationalist violent group in Northenr Ireland) when they understood what the terrorism is and what the causes and result are. After the terrorist attacks marked a surge of crimes against people from the Middle East, and other people who looked similar. Suffered even some Sikhs who wear turbans, traditionally associated with Muslims. Reported insults,attacks on mosques and other religious buildings (including the burning of a Hindu temple), and attacks on people, including one murder, September 15, was mortally wounded by Balbir Singh Sodhi, a Sikh who was mistaken for a Muslim. [130] Rating of President Bush after the attacks rose to 86%. [131] September 20, 2001 the President spoke to the nation and a joint session of Congress, regarding the events of 11 September, following the rescue and recovery operations, as well as the response of the U. S. government’s intentions. In addition, the important role played by New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who deserved the appreciation of the public, both in New York and at the national level. Deportations 1941 in USSR. After the publication of the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR â€Å"On the resettlement of Germans living in the Volga region† of 28 August 1941 has been eliminated Autonomous Republic of the Volga Germans and produced total deportation of Germans from ASSR. For this purpose, in advance on the territory of the Autonomous Republic of NP were introduced NKVD troops. Germans were ordered within 24 hours to prepare for resettlement and a limited number of its assets to arrive at the collection points. German inhabitants of the republic were taken to remote areas of Siberia, Kazakhstan and Central Asia. According to this decree in September and October 1941 were deported 446,480 Soviet Germans (according to other sources 438 280). In September 1941, many military service persons of German nationality were sent from the front to the rear. In subsequent months, the deportation has touched almost the entire German population living in European Russia and the Caucasus that were not occupied by the Wehrmacht. The resettlement of Germans made gradually and was completed by May 1942. Totally during the war were moved up to 950 thousand Germans. 367,000 Germans were deported to the east: the republic of Komi, in the Urals, Kazakhstan, Siberia and the Altai. Babi Yar Estimate between 100 and 150 thousands jewish people were killed during WW 2 in Babi yar. There were a lot of interactions in different influences during many different events and specific situation that caused a lot of deaths of innocent people. Sometimes many cultures, nations and ethnoses are discriminated or even eliminated because of misunderstanding. It will happen untill people do not understand that there are more other non-violent ways of solving problems.

The Lead Cup Myth

The Lead Cup Myth Some time ago, a popular email hoax spread misinformation about the use of lead cups in the Middle Ages and The Bad Old Days.   Lead cups were used to drink ale or whisky. The combination would sometimes knock them out for a couple of days. Someone walking along the road would take them for dead and prepare them for burial. They were laid out on the kitchen table for a couple of days and the family would gather around and eat and drink and wait and see if they would wake up - hence the custom of holding a wake. The Facts Lead poisoning is a slow, cumulative process and not a fast-acting toxin. Furthermore, pure lead was not used to make drinking vessels. By the 1500s pewter had, at most, 30 percent lead in its makeup.1  Horn, ceramic, gold, silver, glass and even wood were all used to make cups, goblets, jugs, flagons, tankards, bowls and other items to hold liquid. In less formal situations, people would forgo individual cups and drink straight from the jug, which was usually ceramic. Those who overindulged in liquorto the point of unconsciousnessgenerally recovered within a day. The consumption of alcohol was a popular pastime, and coroners records are filled with reports of accidentsboth minor and fatalthat occurred to the inebriated. Although it was difficult for people in the 16th century to define death, proof of life could typically be determined by whether or not the person was breathing. It was never necessary to lay out hung-over carousers on the kitchen table and wait to see if they woke upespecially since poorer folk often had neither kitchens nor permanent tables. The custom of holding a wake goes back much further than the 1500s. In Britain,  wakes  appear to have origins in Celtic custom, and was a watch over the recently-deceased that may have been intended to protect his body from evil spirits. The Anglo-Saxons called it a lich-wake from the Old English lic, a corpse. When Christianity came to England, prayer was added to the vigil.2 Over time, the event took on a social character, where family and friends of the deceased would gather to bid them farewell and enjoy food and drink in the process. The Church tried to discourage this,3 but the celebration of life in the face of death is not something humans easily relinquish. Notes: 1. pewter   Encyclopà ¦dia Britannica  Accessed April 4, 2002]. 2. wake  Encyclopà ¦dia Britannica[Accessed April 13, 2002]. 3. Hanawalt, Barbara, The Ties that Bound: Peasant Families in Medieval England (Oxford University Press, 1986), p. 240. The text of this document is copyright  ©2002-2015 Melissa Snell. You may download or print this document for personal or school use, as long as the URL below is included. Permission is not granted to reproduce this document on another website.

Top Tips for Observing Mitosis Lab

Top Tips for Observing Mitosis Lab We have all seen illustrations in textbooks of how mitosis works. While these types of diagrams are definitely beneficial for visualizing and understanding the stages of mitosis in eukaryotes and connecting them all together to describe the process of mitosis, it is still a good idea to show students how the stages actually look under a microscope in an actively dividing group of cells. Necessary Equipment for This Lab In this lab, there are some necessary equipment and supplies that would need to be purchased that go beyond what would be found in all classrooms or homes. However, most science classrooms should already have some of the necessary components of this lab and it is worth the time and investment to secure the others for this lab, as they can be used for other things beyond this lab. Onion (or Allum) root tip mitosis slides are fairly inexpensive and easily ordered from various scientific supplies companies. They can also be prepared by the teacher or students on blank slides with coverslips. However, the staining process for homemade slides are not as clean and exact as those that are ordered from a professional scientific supply company, so the visual may be somewhat lost. Microscope Tips Microscopes used in this lab do not have to be expensive or high powered. Any light microscope that can magnify at least 40x is sufficient and can be used to complete this lab. It is recommended that students are familiar with microscopes and how to use them correctly before beginning this experiment, as well as the stages of mitosis and what happens in them. This lab can also be completed in pairs or as individuals as the amount of equipment and skill level of the class allows. Alternatively, photos of onion root tip mitosis can be found and either printed onto paper or put into a slideshow presentation in which the students can do the procedure without the need for microscopes or the actual slides. However, learning to use a microscope properly is an important skill for science students to have. Background and Purpose Mitosis is constantly happening the meristems (or growth regions) of roots in plants. Mitosis occurs in four phases: prophase, metaphase, anaphase, and telophase. In this lab, you will determine the relative length of time each phase of mitosis takes in the meristem of an onion root tip on a prepared slide. This will be determined by observing the onion root tip under the microscope and counting the number of cells in each phase. You will then use mathematical equations to figure out time spent in each phase for any given cell in an onion root tip meristem. Materials Light microscope Prepared Onion Root Tip Mitosis Slide Paper Writing utensil Calculator Procedure 1.  Create a data table with the following headings across the top: Number of Cells, Percentage of all Cells, Time (min.); and the stages of mitosis down the side: Prophase, Metaphase, Anaphase, Telophase. 2.  Carefully put the slide on the microscope and focus it under low power (40x is preferred). 3.  Choose a section of the slide where you can clearly see 50-100 cells in the different stages of mitosis (each â€Å"box† you see is a different cell and the darker stained objects are chromosomes). 4.  For each cell in your sample field of view, determine whether it is in prophase, metaphase, anaphase, or telophase based on the appearance of the chromosomes and what they should be doing in that phase. 5.  Make a tally mark under the â€Å"Number of Cells† column for the correct stage of mitosis in your data table as you count your cells. 6.  Once you have finished counting and classifying all of the cells in your field of view (at least 50), calculate your numbers for â€Å"Percentage of All Cells† column by taking your counted number (from Number of Cells column) divided by the total number of cells you counted. Do this for all stages of mitosis. (Note: you will need to take your decimal you get from this calculation times 100 to make it into a percentage) 7.  Mitosis in an onion cell takes approximately 80 minutes. Use the following equation to calculate data for your â€Å"Time (min.)† column of your data table for each stage of mitosis:  (Percentage/100) x 80 8.  Clean up your lab materials as directed by your teacher and answer the analysis questions. Analysis Questions 1.  Describe how you determined which phase each cell was in. 2.  In which phase of mitosis was the number of cells the greatest? 3.  In which phase of mitosis was the number of cells the fewest? 4.  According to your data table, which phase takes the least amount of time? Why do you think that is the case? 5.  According to your data table, which phase of mitosis lasts the longest? Give reasons as to why this is true. 6.  If you were to give your slide to another lab group to have them repeat your experiment, would you end up with the same cell counts? Why or why not? 7.  What could you do to tweak this experiment in order to get more accurate data? Expansion Activities Have the class compile all of their counts into a class data set and recalculate the times. Lead a class discussion on the accuracy of data and why it is important to use large amounts of data when calculating in science experiments.

Effective Persuasion Skills Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Effective Persuasion Skills - Essay Example However, in order to persuade him effectively, I had to listen to him elucidate the year’s theme for the show and the manner that he wanted me to communicate the theme to the audience using the hairstyle. One important lesson that life has taught me pertains to the importance of listening in order to give a well thought-out response. Allow me to briefly explain my journey towards working with Mr. Clark. I used to be a performer in the show choir directed by Mr. Clark throughout high school. Typically, a show choir has forty performers who can sing and dance at the same time. Nonetheless, I attended Aveda Fredric’s school, a cosmetology school, after my high school graduation and learnt the skills important to a hairstylist. Upon completing the course, I obtained a license with the Ohio State Board of Cosmetology to practice cosmetology and, fair enough, I became the hair stylist for my high schools show choir under Mr. Clark. As the choir’s hairstylist, I have to design a new hairstyle each year r epresenting the year’s theme using my creative skills. In this regard, Mr. Clark approached me with this year’s theme. He explained the idea behind the year’s show, the design and concept of the costumes, all-important aspects that should go with the hairstyles design. Moreover, Mr. Clark informed me that the group would be participating in the World Choir Games this July at Cincinnati. It is important to point out that each year has a new concept and theme for the show and it requires creativity (a skill I have perfected overtime) to incorporate the hairstyle to the show’s theme. In this regard, the theme to this year’s show was â€Å"Around the World in 80 Days† and the hairstyle had to match the theme. Once he explained every detail of the future show, I knew that the time had come to assert my authority and use my creativity in designing the year’s hairstyle. However, I knew this was a herculean task, although not an insurmountable one. I said to him, â€Å"With all due respect, sir, there is need for us to be more creative and think beyond the horizon this year. We need to come up with different hairstyles representative of each country’s cultures and ethnicity where the group will be performing.† Knowing Mr. Clark as a conservative who likes maintaining things in a neat, clean, and uniform approach, I had to ask him to allow changes that will make the group more successful this year. In my previous two years of working in the group, I had noticed that designs have been uniform and easy all through for both groups. This formed my opinion to have a different hairstyle this year. You realized that I mentioned two groups; it is pertinent to point out that Mr. Clark is an accomplished director in charge of another group, known as Pure Elegance, an all-girls high school group well in their fourth year of performances. I had to convince Mr. Clark that we had to ha ve a different hairstyle for this year’s shows. In this regard, I told him that we had two choices to consider. As for option number one, I explained to him that we would have to go with the conservative approach of the usual uniform hairstyle with no changes. However, this was not the ideal situation, since it would be challenging to the audience to understand the relationship between the theme and the hairstyle. The second and the ideal option to my mind, as I explained to him, was a suggestion of moving and thinking

Project proposal ( Information System) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Project proposal ( Information System) - Essay Example As in case of Starbucks, they made their inventory tracking and monitoring easier by the use of RFID tags. RFID-enabled deliveries to Starbucks stores would make after-hours deliveries possible and allow employees to focus on customers, rather than shipments when they are received. (www.rfidgazzette.org) The management of distribution and supplies among various outlets is a problem under manual systems whereas with the use of IT and information systems for managing inventory and distribution, the company can make all distribution decisions and policies in a convenient and efficient manner. Easy tracking facilities and accurate tracing features allow for runtime monitoring and planning of inventories and their distributions in different regions and outlets. The data management and entry is all automated whereas the RFID tags will carry the information which will be updated with the transportation of inventory pack from one place to another. This will provide an updated view of all inventories at any point in time. Keeping track of sales that take place at any outlet is very critical for CharredDregs coffee company.