Good Health Essay

It is common to hear people talking about the state of their health. Some say they are in good health, while others talk about their ill health or that of others. But what exactly is good heath and how do we know when we are experiencing it? This article takes a look at that aspect of our lives and explains it in simple terms. Good Health When we are enjoying good health, we feel good, we look good with a good health image and everything about our lives seems to be going well with no major upsets. It means we have plenty of energy to do the things we want to do and we feel happy and contented with our ability to do those things. There is no pain or feeling of stiffness in our body and we are able to exercise freely every day if we wish. Often, when we are in good health it is common to be more active and exercise forms part of the day’s activities. When we are free of pain, we are able to do a lot more and we feel motivated to do a lot more than when we are experiencing pain. So maintaining a good level of health is important to our lives because it means the absence of pain totally or at least for the majority of the time. Promoting Good Health So what can we do to promote good health? There are lots of things we can do and similarly lots of things we should avoid doing. We should make sure we eat a healthy diet, because we are what we eat and when we only put good things into our bodies, those bodies respond by simply being in better health. That includes healthy meals made up of fresh ingredients as well as any healthy snacks we may want to eat during the day. We should exercise and be active every day, getting plenty of fresh air outdoors and sunshine. Fresh air boosts our energy levels while natural daylight and sunshine boosts our mood, makes us feel happier and also boosts our bodies ability to manufacture its own vitamin D. If we live in a city, we should make a point of getting into the countryside as often as possible to get fresher air and avoid all the pollutants that city air generally tends to have. We should try and be as happy as we can be, facing life with a positive, upbeat attitude and try not to let stress into our lives. We should avoid living a sedentary lifestyle and make sure we get up off the chair as often as we can. Avoiding foods that are processed, contain ligh levels of refined sugar and refined white flour as well as those that contain artificial additives. That usually means eating only fresh produce, fresh fruit and vegetables along with lean meat and fish (if we are not vegetarian), nuts, seeds, legumes and some dairy produce, although this should be kept to a minimum. We should also avoid drinking soda and flavored drinks because of the dangerous levels of refined sugar and/or artificial sweeteners and other additives. Alcohol consumption should be moderate and smoking is a totally bad idea. If we can use our common sense and make sure we live as healthily as we can, then we should enjoy a far better level of health. If we can also keep stress levels down and stay happy, our health will reflect our mood and we will have a longer, happier and healthier life.

Qualification Pre‐Master Course (Business Studies) Assignment title Essay

1.0 Executive Summary PNG Co.Ltd was specialized in supplying Electric Resistance Welded pipes(ERW Pipes), Longitudinally Submerged Arc Welded pipes (LSAW Pipes) and drilling bits mostly from Asia market to oil and gas industries in Myanmar. PNG feared well and generated profits in last two years. Reaching the third year from it started, PNG’s business life cycle is in the declined stage because there was much weakness in all departments. So PNG needs to reform the company to improve the reputation. PNG has to fix this problem by proper vision, mission and objectives. By seeking and grasping business opportunities, PNG will create markets through our synergistic partnership, reputation and reliability. ‘Cordiality, loyalty and sincerity to partners and customers are the most important ingredients of our corporate life’ will become our corporate mantra. 2.0 Company Profile Company Name † Paing Nagar Trading Co.Ltd Looking for the New Next Golden Myanmar Group of Companies 2011 Medium†sized oil and gas equipments trading company Room†8A, Building 99A,Shwe Padaut Condo, Sanchaung Mr.PhyoKyaw Thu Chief Executive Officer,MBA (UK) Director of Golden Myanmar Groups of Companies. Ms.KayZin Han Manager (Sales and Marketing), MBA (UK) Ms.MyatTheingarHtut Manager (Human Resource), MBA (UK) 65 Company Logo & Slogan † Mother of company Established Business Type Company Address Management Team Total Employees † † † † † † Analytical Report on Business Organisation by Group 5 (PMBA†03/2013); PhyoKyawThu,KayZinHan,MyatTheingarHtut Page 3 2.1 Background Paing Nagar Trading Co.Ltd (PNG) is a recognized distribution of high quality products which are widely used in the oil and gas sector of Myanmar since 2011. PNG provides pipes and drilling bits to oil and gas industries both private and government enterprises, especially exist on government tender projects. First of all, PNG Company was started by 3 officers and 10 staffs. Now it is being run with total number of 65 employees. Within a few months after establishment, for the sake of better improvement and better communication with oversea suppliers and manufacturers, PNG opened an oversea branch office in Singapore. PNG did pretty well and reached our target market sales in 2011 and 2012. But nowadays, there are many competitors who are interested in oil and gas field because of many opportunities. At that time, PNG Company’s reputation drops slowly because of internal weakness. 2.2 Vision †¢ †¢ To get innovative, proactive and progressive company culture To be the multi†national professional company by delivering quality products and services to meet our customers’ satisfaction in the future 2.3 Mission †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ To abide by the requirements detailed in the strategic business plan To deliver our services in time To work in a corporate manner with our clients, employees and shareholders and to align clients and company expectations To penetrate global market from local market Analytical Report on Business Organisation by Group 5 (PMBA†03/2013); PhyoKyawThu,KayZinHan,MyatTheingarHtut Page 4 2.4 Objectives †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ To expand our products range at least 20 categories in 2014 To increase at least 30% of market share in O&G equipment sector in 2015 To deliver quality products with fair prices To serve our clients with sincerity and cordiality to achieve strong customer relationship To create a teamwork with employees to get better working environment Analytical Report on Business Organisation by Group 5 (PMBA†03/2013); PhyoKyawThu,KayZinHan,MyatTheingarHtut Page 5 3.0 Situational Analysis PNG has to analyze the current situation of the company to evaluate weak points and to solve the problem effectively by using situational analysis (SWOT and PEST analysis). Strengths † deals with the suppliers that have good reputation mostly from Asia † strong financial resources Weaknesses † faces the high turnover rate of employee, so PNG cannot manage the operational process in time †chooses the quality assurance that can be †previous organization used a centralization acceptable by our customers †has oversea branch office in Singapore to communicate with foreign suppliers more effectively approach alone †managers could not establish a good relationship with staffs †have not adequate skilled workers †the structure of organization was not systematically demonstrated Opportunities †now our country allows many Foreign Direct Investments (FDI), so the market demands in oil and gas field become increase sharply †can deal with many suppliers rather than Asia now Threats †for the time being, our country’s policies have not been stable yet †needs to compete with many competitors because of the development of oil and gas industries so many investors are engrossed to invest 3.2 PEST Analysis When PNG researches about the external environment by PEST analysis, the following impacts effect on PNG Company. Analytical Report on Business Organisation by Group 5 (PMBA†03/2013); PhyoKyawThu,KayZinHan,MyatTheingarHtut Page 6 Political†Legal Now our country steps towards the democracy, economic sanctions are released, so become interested by many foreign investors. But, for the time being, the government is in the transitional state, policies and foreign trade regulations have not been stable yet. Besides, Tax policies are going to release compare to the past. Economic Our country’s economic state becomes improve and growth. But PNG should think about the inflation rates and exchange rates which are closely related with price of inputs. Socio†cultural According to our country’s culture, PNG might to concentrate the attitude to work and leisure of our employees and try to fulfill their desires as much as it can. Simultaneously, PNG should consider the education level based on not only the graduation subject but also additional qualifications such as computing, languages, etc. Technological Techniques associated with oil and gas industry are changing a lot so PNG needs to catch up the technologies continuously. Therefore, PNG ought to update IT technologies to communicate with customers and suppliers smoothly. 4.0 Analysis on Organization Management Previously the old PNG’s management team had not clear organization structure, the practices of commanding, allocating responsibilities and delegation were not managed well suited. Every successful company must have definite organization structure which shows the set of formal tasks and formal reporting relationships. So PNG Company constructs the organization structure well and shown by organization chart, visual representation of an organization’s structure. Analytical Report on Business Organisation by Group 5 (PMBA†03/2013); PhyoKyawThu,KayZinHan,MyatTheingarHtut Figure 1: O Organization n Chart Organization structure m O means the f framework in which th organization defines how he tasks are e divided, re esources are e deployed a and departm ments are co oordinated. Our organization has six m major depart tments. PNG delineates the chart with relative few hier G s ely rarchal level By ls. seeing th he chart, work specializa ation and cha ain of comm mand can be clearly seen n. 4.1 Wo ork speciali ization In order to perform the work more effici m iently, comp pany divides the tasks individually and s y describe clearly wh hich tasks w be resp will ponsible by whom. By doing this employee can s, e emphasiz ze his own d duty. But PNG considers that work specialization n can make employee boring jobs and feel isolatin ng from othe ers. So comp pany plans e employee to o rotate amo ong the separate jobs ever ry three mon nths to enco ounter the g greater challe enges and p perform vario ous jobs by team work. Analytical Re eport on Business Organisation by G Group 5 (PMBA†03 3/2013); PhyoKyaw wThu,KayZinHan,M MyatTheingarHtut t 4.2 Chain of command Every organization must have distinct authority and responsibility for different kinds of tasks. Thus, every employee can know to whom they report and management levels of the whole organization.Chain of command is important for this reason. Each employee should have his own authority and responsibility and how much he can make effort for the job. According to management level, delegation is the useful process for the managers. Good managers should delegate authority to the possible lower levels and give the chances to the subordinates. 4.3 Span of management Span of management means the number of employee reporting to a Supervisor. Our company’s span of management is based on seven subordinates per manager. Controlling level is closely involving with subordinates; it can get better team work form. 4.4 Centralization VS Decentralization To get the correct hierarchical level at which to make decisions,

Government treatment of citizens after an attack of the country Essay

Government treatment of citizens after an attack of the country - Essay Example Alan Schlosser, legal director of the ACLU said discriminating against non-citizen airport screeners would not make us safer or more secure. Infact, it will certainly decrease air travel security by eliminating much of the experienced and trained workforce. This issue was to discriminate immigrants but it was debated out. American human rights law uses much the same terminology to recognize these and a few additional rights of noncitizens. A bill of rights for inspirational and guidance was passed on with the notion that all persons, whatever there legal status, have basic rights and should be treated equally. Eleven days after the terrorist attack, the congress passed the air transportation safety and stabilization Act to protect air carriers from tort lawsuits against the airlines at their pre-existing liability insurance limits. The act established the September 11th compensation fund of 2001 in which victims of the attacks could opt to waive all federal and state tort claims and receive administrative relief through a predetermined formula, under the discretion of the fund administrator. (James, 1970) In centrally, Fifty five years ago in august, the U.S dropped a

Cross-Cultural Transaction Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

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Interactive Language Skills and Communication 2 Essay

Interactive Language Skills and Communication 2 - Essay Example 9). Management is, on the other hand, the process by which organizational goals are achieved. Therefore, the task of accomplishing the achievement of the organizational goals is the assignment of a manager. Fundamentally, important functions that managers employ in this pursuit have been universally identified. They include planning along with budgeting, organizing and staffing, problem-solving and controlling. A necessary disambiguation process will be covered in this paper in the subsequent illustrations provided to contrast the roles played by a leader distinct from those of a manager. In addition, the paper will elaborate on the interrelatedness of the two personnel’s roles in a smooth flowing of an organization. An elaborately well-balanced organization has been observed to be one which has a mix of leaders and managers in the organization’s pursuit of success. Important to note, equilibrium is ideally set when few great leaders influence relatively many first-class managers in the process. Leaders play a significant part in setting a direction, aligning people, inspiring and motivating them. The leader gives the employees (including managers) of a firm a sense of direction, aligns and elicits inspiration and motivation (Crossan, Gandz, Seijts, Stephenson, & Richard Ivey School of Business, 2010, p. 17). By so doing, the managers can take the managerial roles assigned to them with a sense of inspiration, direction, and more importantly motivation to do so. This influence, as passed on by a leader, can be contagious such that the behavior the managers exhibit is characteristically that of the leader. Consequently, managers can develop to become leaders who play a paramount role in the setting of an excellent working environment for their workers. The working together of a manager and a leader can be symbolically represented. For instance, a leader can be perceived as the symbol of passion, creativity and most importantly the

REPRODUCTION Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

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For finance class Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

For finance class - Case Study Example The President had to meet with a few internal control requirements to take the company to the next higher level i.e. to go public. The internal control aspects that need to be considered by the President are planning, controlling and workforce maintenance. Planning is one of the major steps that should be taken in an effective way so that future problems can be identified easily and corrective measures can be taken to deal with bigger issues in the future. Controlling involves certain processes such as departments, policies and activities of the employee. For LJB Company, the entire unit should be segmented in departments with specific tasks assigned to each department to make the operations smoother. The President of LJB should take a strong step towards implementing the company’s terms and policies because they ensure that the employees perform under stipulated guidelines and provide their best as they are able to remain focused towards their responsibilities. 2. Advise the President of what the company is doing right (they are doing some things well) and also recommend to the President whether or not they should buy the indelible ink machine. When you advise the President, please be sure to reference the applicable internal control principle that applies. According to LJB Company’s operational process as a small firm, the President implemented certain appropriate internal controlling measures. In this context, it can be stated that the company has been able to attain certain positive outcomes which has facilitated them to the desire of taking the business to public. The terms and policies applied in LJB were quite strong because an employee was fired by the President when he was found guilty of wrongdoing within the company premises. This shows active involvement and ability to demonstrate proper control by the

Research - Qualitative Methods - Developing a Qualitative Orientation Paper

- Qualitative Methods - Developing a Qualitative Orientation - Research Paper Example Those who could not afford it turned to crime as a way of surviving. Theft and murder were some of the crimes initially done as a way of acquiring these basic needs which were quickly becoming luxuries to the poor and unemployed. Other kinds of crimes emerged thereafter. It is difficult to find out the organization of people involved in crime since this would require me to interact with criminals on a personal basis who may find it difficult to trust me. This may also lead to the suspicion of me being a police officer which may make things for me even more complicated (Strauss & Corbin, 2008). The focus of my inquiry is to try and establish comprehension of the genesis of misdeed and possible ways of solving it. This understanding of the origin should help in a great way to establish a working solution. As per my understanding the origin of crime is not mostly due to industrialization as due to personalization of lifestyles. If people became more responsible towards each other’s wellbeingthen there would be a great reduction in crime rates. The locus of my study is what people think about crime and the areas whereby crime is most prevalent. The areas that are most prone to crime are towns whereby everybody is his/her own self. Most people hate crime.Even the majority of criminals are forced by circumstance to use it for survival (Glaser & Strauss, 1967). Crime is a creation of development which is quickly becoming a drawback to further development. In one hand crime has an almost complete negative reception whereas on the other hand it is not entirely easy to do away with. In conclusion it is a problem facing many who would rather have it solved and at the same time the solution is not as easy as the will to come to it. This is because doing away with crime entirely would mean that people go back to the days of communal wealth but this would bring development to a halt. In

Critique of the article entitled Images of Women in Early Buddhism and Essay

Critique of the article entitled Images of Women in Early Buddhism and Christian Gnosticism - Essay Example The research question for the paper is clearly stated as: â€Å"Why should these negative attitudes towards women persist when we know that women actively supported and participated in the religious life of both Buddhist and Gnostic communities?†. This research question is very important given that it shows that the author has point to prove especially with regards to the way women are treated by their male counterparts in different religions especially the two mentioned above. Lang is also try to portray different views that are held by various scholars with regards to the way women are viewed in different religious sectors. In terms of coverage of the topic, it can be seen that the author used different scholarly studies though they are limited about what Gnostic and Bhuddist religions say about women. For instance, Pagels is one of the most cited scholarly article in this research. The credibility of the literature used becomes doubtful which can negatively impact on the ar ticle’s authenticity. On the other hand, it can be observed that the major problem the author tries to address is that women have been active participants in religious activities but they are labelled as evil and improper. The author suggests that women are sensual and responsible for seducing man. Both religions suggest that the wrong doing of women disrupted the world which was once perfect. This thesis statement seeks to show that the author is of the view that women are responsible for human kind’s disgrace on earth. A critical reading of the article shows that the author restates the thesis throughout the article and she tries to answer the research question identified above in the article. The way she presents her argument is convincing since she is relying on other scholarly articles. The author uses different claims in supporting the myths that both religions mentioned above suggest that human kind fell from God’s grace after eating forbidden fruits. The Buddhist myth posits to the effect that men’s disgrace came after he tasted the food known as ‘female.’ These claims tend to blame women but men are also involved in the commission of this particular sin. They must also be labelled as imperfect just like their male counterparts. This part is not quite convincing to the reader since all the blame is laid on the women while men too are involved. The evidence presented by the author in advancing her argument shows that women are viewed as agents of the devil since they are responsible for driving men into committing sins that have led them to fall from humanity. The argument is supported in â€Å"Temptress† Daughter of Evil (5) where women are portrayed as inferior and temples of the devil by the Bhudhists. Women are viewed as purely sensual with uncontrollable desires in a number of Bhudhist texts. Therefore, it can be argued that women are not evil since they cohabitate with their male counterparts. this i s the view being presented by Lang in her article. The author also says that even Christianity also states that holiness can be fully achieved if men live a life of purity as

The Nature of Demand for Shipping Essay Example for Free

The Nature of Demand for Shipping Essay The shipping industry is engaged in the production of water borne transport of goods and people. This industry can be defined as a group of individual industries or sectors operating within different markets and reacting to different economic conditions. The primary economic function of shipping services is, like all transport, to bridge the gap which exists between producer and consumer. Shipping is an expanding, global business which carries most of the worlds traded goods; it is relatively free of capacity constraints, and less harmful to the environment than other transport modes. The future offers substantial opportunities for the shipping industry, bringing with them the potential for significant inward investment and wider economic benefits for the world. For example if we look in to the economic contribution of shipping in UK we can see Efficient shipping is vital to our economic well-being: 95% of our external trade by weight (77% by value) and 7% of domestic freight tonnage (but around 25% in terms of tonne kilometres), moves by water. So when we will judge the nature of demand for shipping we have to look into the traditional demand supply rules of economic theory. Human wants are the core of all economic activities. This is the core of economic analysis that how people choose what needs they are going to satisfy through the use of which resources. In economics, demand means effective demand or demand that is backed by ability to pay. The demand for shipping is effective demand because it has actually been satisfied by the world fleet. Generally demands for transport results from demand for goods. Without the demand for goods there would be no demand for transport. Here transport itself is not the primary demand, its the secondary one. Where it (the demand for transport) derives from the need of goods to be transported. Thats why the demand of the mode of transport, here shipping, is a derived demand. So shipping demand is determined by the final consumers for the Product. Here the level of sea borne trade determines the number of shipping and cargo space required. For Example, after 02nd world war ,the rapid world wide industrialization, resulted in concentrated centres of production and consumption, which led to rapid growth of world trade and particularly shipping. 3 So Shipping is directly related to world trade. And world trade is directly related to world output or production. Here industrial economic development is the central factor in the volume of sea borne trade, but the volume can also be influenced by technological development and political factors. And this demand for shipping is mainly derived from two sources, the demand for the commodities for industrial utilisation and demand for those commodities for final consumption. As said before that shipping demand is an effective demand because the demand for the quantity of an economic good which can be transported by ships at each and every possible price during a given time period. And also because the shipping of commodities creates utility because it creates user value in a number of ways like 4 1. The Utility of Place and Location : Shipping makes it the availability of goods in a certain place where they are wanted. For example Australian apple or Costarican banana is available in the UK super market. 2. The Utility of Time : Shipping makes the availability of goods when they are required heating oil during the winter. 3. The Utility of Form :Shipping services contribute to make the change in the material or physical form of a good in such a way to increase its ability to satisfy wants. For example ,middle east crude oil converted to gas or petroleum in refineries adjacent to consumer markets. 4. Intangibles: Like other services, shipping service is also intangible in that it does not result in the physical production of a commodity. The growth rates of 1999 had been strongly distorted by the Asian crisis. In 2000 a sound recovery took place. Both world trade growth of 8. 0 per cent and the world output growth of 3. 0 per cent represent favourable values, but did not entirely approach to the higher levels in 1994, 1995 and 1997. For the years 2000 and 2001, OECD and other international organisations expect a growth rate of real world output of 4.3 per cent and 3. 8 per cent, respectively, with clearly higher rates for world trade, namely about 10 per cent and more than 8 per cent, respectively. This will boost especially world container shipping towards even higher growth rates5 Table 01: World Output, World trade and shipping trend 1993 to 2010. (IMF/World Bank ISL-Estimates) Source: ISL Shipping Statistics and Market Review 2000 Table 02: World merchant fleet Annual tonnage changes as of January 1st, 1987-2001 (dwt-% change) Source: ISL Shipping Statistics and Market Review 2000

Investigating the Factors influencing employee engagement

Investigating the Factors influencing employee engagement In today economic downturn situation, organization started to look into its people asset internal employee so that they can utilize the human asset to sustain the competitiveness in the industry. Employees who are engaged in their work and committed to their organizations give companies crucial competitive advantages including higher productivity and lower employee turnover (Robert, 2006). In addition, engaged employees may be more likely to commit to staying with their current organization (Ramsay Finney, 2006). Software giant Intuit, for example, found that highly engaged employees are 1.3 times more likely to be high performers than less engaged employees. They are also five times less likely to voluntarily leave the company (Ramsay Finney, 2006). Thus, it is not surprising that organizations of all sizes and types have invested substantially in policies and practices that foster engagement and commitment in their workforces (Robert, 2006). Indeed, in identifying the three best measures of a companys health, business consultant and former General Electric CEO Jack Welch recently cited employee engagement first, with customer satisfaction and free cash flow coming in second and third, respectively (Welch Welch, 2006) According to (Schaufeli et al. (2002)), work engagement is defined as a positive, fulfilling, work-related state of mind that is characterized by vigor, dedication, and absorption. Rather than a momentary and specific state, engagement refers to a more persistent and pervasive affective-cognitive state that is not focused on any particular object, event, individual, or behavior. Vigor is characterized by high levels of energy and mental resilience while working, the willingness to invest effort in ones work, and persistence even in the face of difficulties. Dedication refers to being strongly involved in ones work and experiencing a sense of significance, enthusiasm, inspiration, pride, and challenge. Absorption is characterized by being fully concentrated and happily engrossed in ones work, whereby time passes quickly and one has difficulties with detaching oneself from work. Employee engagement has been identified as a critical business driver that has the capability to impact an organizations overall success. Furthermore, engagement when understood and assessed gives organizations tremendous power to positively impact numerous areas of the company. Engagement has the potential to significantly affect employee retention, productivity and loyalty (Corporate Executive Board, 2004). 1.2 Study Background This study focuses on the factors affecting employees engagement in the Saudi National Oil Company (Saudi Aramco). Saudi Aramco is the largest oil producing company in the Middle East and invests hundreds of millions of US dollars to maintain its assets in order to ensure the well being of a reliable energy source for the whole world. Saudi Aramco is a leading player in safety and reliability metrics within oil industry sector, which is firmly rooted as the major venue of wealth in Saudi Arabia and recognized as the sustainable support to the national economy. Saudi Aramco is currently pursuing recent and rapid expansions to meet international energy demands. There are different factors that contribute to the employee engagement and can result in a better engagement and organizational commitment. What are the general factors (quote reference), then state that this study focuses on three factors i.e. PSS, POS Reward. Explain why these three has been chosen. The first factor is perceived organizational support (POS) which is defined as the degree to which employees believe that their organization values their contributions and cares about their well-being (Eisenberger, 1986). POS is generally thought to be the organizations contribution to a positive reciprocity dynamic with employees, as employees tend to perform better to pay back POS. Reference A sufficient consideration has been given as to why PSS and POS have both been found to be related to employee engagement. According to organizational support theory, PSS should increase employee engagement by increasing POS. The POS resulting from PSS would strengthen employees felt obligation to help the organization reach its goals and increase affective organizational commitment, with a resultant reduction in turnover and increase in engagement. Reference The second factor is perceived supervisor support (PSS). Just as employees form global perceptions concerning their valuation by the organization, they develop general views concerning the degree to which supervisors value their contributions and care about their well-being (Kottke Sharafinski, 1988). PSS should increase obligations to the supervisor and to the organization. PSS increased extra-role performance beneficial to supervisors, and PSS increased POS, which, in turn, led to greater extra-role performance beneficial to the organization. Concerning employee engagement, when PSS is low, employees would believe that they could deal with the unpleasant situation by switching to a new supervisor or minimizing engagement with the supervisor while continuing to carry out usual job responsibilities. POS would entirely mediate a negative PSS employee engagement relationship. Reference The third factor is rewards and recognition. Having a rewards and recognition program in place lets valued employees know that their contributions are important and their efforts are appreciated. Not only will the employees appreciate it, but customers may appreciate it as well. When employees are happy and satisfied with their work, their attitude will be reflected in the service they provide. When employers go the extra mile to keep employees happy and treat team members well, staff members will often go the extra mile to ensure customers are happy. Treating people well is very often infectious. Reference Kahn (1990) reported that people vary in their engagement as a function of their perceptions of the benefits they receive from a role. Therefore, one might expect that employees will be more likely to engage themselves at work to the extent that they perceive a greater amount of rewards and recognition for their role performances. In another words, while a lack of rewards and recognition can lead to burnout, appropriate recognition and reward is important for engagement. In terms of Social Exchange Theory, when employees receive rewards and recognition from their organization, they will feel obliged to respond with higher levels of engagement (Chapter 2). 1.3 Problem Statement Dramatic changes in the global economy over the past 25 years have had significant implications for commitment and reciprocity between employers and employees and thus for employee engagement. For example, increasing global competition, scarce and costly resources, high labor costs, consumer demands for ever-higher quality and investor pressures for greater returns on equity have prompted organizations to restructure themselves. At some companies, restructuring has meant reductions in staff and in layers of management. A study by YouGovSirajs (2007), the first Gulf People Index, a major employee engagement benchmarking study, designed to help companies improve productivity among staff showed that a fewer than half of Gulf employees think their organization manages to attract the best talent or engage them to perform once they are inside the corporation. Even fewer (just over one third of employees) think their companies are good at holding on to the best talent (YouGovSiraj, 2007). The region also has a weak spot when it comes to companies ability to retain and attract talent. This compounds and confirms the problems surrounding the lack of long-term employee engagement in the Gulf. Only 39% of respondent feel their company manages to keep the best staff. Less than half (47%) believe their organization manages to attract the best talent and manages to engage employees so they perform well (YouGovSiraj, 2007). According to the manager of HR communication department in Saudi Aramco, Mr. Brokaw in 2009, employee engagement is built in Saudi Aramco by giving the employees an opportunity to participate in key decisions, make it easy for all employees to give feedback (good and bad), show how employees feedback is being used, build a feeling of community and involvement, provide up to date information and tools, communicate and reinforce Saudia Aramcos mission and goals, promote employee development programs, communicate and measure employee values and attitudes to promote high performance across Aramco and Recognize good performers. (Halogen software, 2010) reported that Saudi Aramco win employee engagement through a well structured and timed employee orientation and rollout schedule. The above statements requires reference. In the Saudi Aramco, eventhough employee engagement has been recognized for its importance in fostering employee participation, till now there is no any study that examines the employee engagement and the antecedents factors influencing the employee engagement like perceived organizational and supervisor support in this organization. From this point of view, this study aims to examine a three of many factors influencing the employee engagement in one of the largest Saudi organizations which is Sauid Aramco. 1.3 Research Objectives This research will evaluate the current employee engagement and examine which among the variables contributes to employee engagement in Saudi Aramco. Specifically; the objectives of this study are: 1. To examine the extent of employee engagement in Saudi Aramco. 2. To examine the relationship between perceived organization support and employee engagement in Saudi Aramco. 3. To examine the relationship between perceived supervisor support and employee engagement in Saudi Aramco. 4. To examine the relationship between rewards and recognition and employee engagement in Saudi Aramco. 5. To identify which among the three independent variables (perceived organization support, perceived supervisor support, rewards and recognition) is the most important driver relates to employee engagement. 1.4 Research Questions This research will be conducted to find the relationship of the independent variables, which are perceived organization support, perceived supervisor support, rewards and recognition with the dependent variable, which is the employee engagement in Saudi Aramco. The Research questions that this research will try to answer are: 1) What is the level of employee engagement in Saudia Aramco? 2) Does perceived organization support influence the extent of employee engagement in Saudi Aramco? 3) Does perceived supervisor support influence the extent of employee engagement in Saudi Aramco? 4) Do rewards and recognition influence the extent of employee engagement in Saudi Aramco? 5) Which among the three independent variables is the most important driver relates to employee engagement and what are the relationship consequences? Research Significance Theoretical practical significance. The following are practical significance. What is your theortical significance (contribution on the body of knowledge about EE)? The significance of this study can contribute many advantages to many parties such as corporate strategy, business unit level in forming their business strategy and the analytical and empirical researches. This study can provide the management an understanding on which factors that could affect the employee engagement in the context of Saudi Aramco in which ultimately attempting to enhance organization performance and make organization a profitable entity. This research can support different organizational units in correlating employee engagement and performance factors to prove the importance of employee engagement strategy. Researcher hopes that this study will give an idea to the top management of Saudi Aramco on the awareness of employee engagement and also can be useful for them to understand the approaches to be taken in order to enhance the level of its employee engagement. This knowledge is hopefully would be useful as a source of information for the future research regarding this subject. Assumptions This research assumes that Saudi Aramco uses the industry unanimous definition of employee engagement as a standard definition. 1.7 Limitations of the research write in paragraphs This research is limited to one operational unit in Saudi Aramco and will not include any other units and thus results and findings cannot be generalized to the whole organization. This study is limited to three factors which are perceived organization support, perceived supervisor support, rewards and recognition (independent variables) that influence the employee engagement (dependent variable). 1.8 Terms Definitions Is this your operational or conceptual definition. Operational definition (are these your operational definitions?) Employee Engagement: employee engagement here is defined according to the International Survey Research (2003) as a process by which an organization increases commitment and contribution of its employees to achieve superior business results. The International Survey Research resolves that employee engagement is a combination of an employees cognitive, affective and behavioral commitment in the organization. Perceived organization support: is the degree to which employees believe that their organization values their contributions and cares about their well-being (Eisenberger, 1986). Perceived supervisor support: The degree to which employees believe that their supervisors, values their contributions and cares about their well-being. Rewards and Recognition: Employee recognition is a communication tool that reinforces and rewards the most important outcomes people create for your business. When you recognize people effectively, you reinforce, with your chosen means of recognition, the actions and behaviors you most want to see people repeat. Many types of rewards and recognition have direct costs associated with them, such as cash bonuses and stock awards. Other types of rewards and recognition may be non-monetary rewards like formal and informal acknowledgement, assignment of more enjoyable job duties, opportunities for training, and an increased role in decision-making. These are neither yoru operational or conceptual definition 1.9 Research Organization This is the first chapter out of the five chapters of the project paper which has presented the background of the study as an introduction, describes the problem statements, objectives and research questions in addition to the research significance limitations. Chapter 2 will review the employee engagement research findings done by other researchers and also the drivers of employee engagement. Chapter 3 will present the method for the study, which is the research design and procedure. The chapter mentions the selection of the respondents, sample types and size, the development of the questionnaire for the research and data collection procedure. Chapter 4 discusses the interpretation of the research findings and the results presentation. Chapter 5 concludes the whole research with discussion and some suggestions for future research directions.

Leaders in Business Essay -- essays research papers

The business sector in today’s society is increasing rapidly, and with this increase comes the need for more people to manage and lead growing companies. This growing need also raises some potential questions: Can anyone become a leader or a manager? Is there a difference between the two? Can people be trained to become leaders or managers? Just like many other questions that might be asked in business; these questions have no one, definite answer. Let’s begin first by acknowledging the definitions of the two root words; the word â€Å"manage† means to handle, where as the word lead means to go. Similarly as the two words have different definitions, they also have different purposes. To help individuals increase their potentials in business, an internationally recognized motivational speaker by the name of Marc Sanborn has developed certain â€Å"theories† that, much like in science or art, prove some things to be more true than others by providing suppor ting facts to prove the validity of certain ways of thinking. Many of Marc’s theories validate the fact that in general, good managers tend to be good leaders, but good leaders are not always good managers. It is said, "Any company that cannot imagine the future won’t be around to enjoy it." Therefore before any manager or leader can affect changes in their business they have to do what Marc describes as visioning; they must mentally â€Å"look† into what they want to see as the potential outcome of any given situation. Managers are concerned with the problem at hand; they focus on what has to be done. Leaders on the other hand, notice what has to be done, but spend their time figuring out how to get it done. Marc states â€Å"managers vision the destination, leaders vision how to get there†. To be an effective leader it is important to focus on the gritty details of a situation, look for opportunities and how to achieve them. Visioning cannot be taught but can be developed. Marc suggests people start from the end and work backward, or think to themselves â€Å"what will this team accomplish because of me?† Leadership is all about taking an organiza tion to a place it would not have otherwise gone without you, in a value-adding, measurable way. When you vision, you think your way into a situation and it is the approach in visioning that separates managers from leaders. Visioning however is not the only method that separate... ...by now that there indeed is a difference between managers and leaders and it is eventually the approach taken upon certain methods that is the determinant of your leadership role. Marc Sanborn explains that managerial power is positional power; it is power over people whereas leadership is supportive power, and it is power with people. Whether you vision the destination, or the transportation there, whether you try to be efficient or effective, and whether you focus on the speed or the path all come into play as your leadership quality level. These qualities can be improved and developed, if they are all focused on the right things. That is why good managers tend to be good leaders, because they can focus on getting tasks done efficiently and also do it right at the same time. Managers are good disciplinarians; they are able to manage certain objectives while being efficient. However good leaders are more supportive and creative and might sometimes lack the disciplinary quality o f getting the right thing done as efficiently as possible. For the most part, there is a very fine line between good managers and good leaders, but good leaders just aren’t and do not want to be, managers.

The Telephone :: Informative, Technology, Inventions

The Telephone   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The telephone itself is a rather simple appliance. A microphone, called the transmitter, and an earphone, called the receiver, are contained in the handset. The microphone converts speech into its direct electrical analog, which is transmitted as an electrical signal; the earphone converts received electrical signals back to sound. The switch hook determines whether current flows to the telephone, thereby signaling the central office that the telephone is in use. The ringer responds to a signal sent by the central office that causes the telephone to ring. As simple a device as the telephone, had a mighty big impact on society during the 30's. This was due to the fact that, it was during the 30's when telephone service became economically feasible and also reliable.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Men and women alike were captivated by the intrique and fascination of talking to relatives and friends, miles and miles away. Not only did the telephone pamper to individual woes, but it provided a very useful industrial service. It allows commercial companies to expand their horizons infinitely easier than ever before. It became possible to set up meetings and discuss business matters with partners thousands of miles away. Companies that posessed a telephone had a enormous advantage over the rest. And in a time as economically troubled as the 30's depression, everyone was looking for a competitive edge.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The telephone wasn't invented in the thirties, nor was the first transatlantic line built then, but the thirties represents a time in history when the world was changing incredible fast and much of that change was made

Hard Drive Essay

Every industry has to guarantee complete privacy to its clients; everyone’s confidentiality must be protected at all cost. The passage of time makes no difference; regardless of how much time has passed the client still has authority over who is privy to their information. Apart from it being a mere ethical concern, protection of private records is now also a law. This is easy to do when the computers are being used and functioning a hundred percent, but what about when new computers replace the old? Computers aren’t simply sent off to the scrap heap and landfills anymore, instead of that, those computers are being recycled. Old computers are usually replaced because of higher performance demands, so in places such as banks, hospitals and other such organizations, the old computers are located to users with lesser performance demands. FNB Corp in Naples, with $7 billion-assets, does just that and John C. Klumpp, the operations and technology manager verifies it. â€Å"We take several approaches. Newer systems are generally being purchased in areas where newer technology is required to support new functionality and the older systems are moved to areas where there is no demand for new functionality.† (Jones, 2003) Computers are sometimes even given to employees and there are several advantages to giving older computers to employees. It could bring about a certain degree of commitment and loyalty and if documented carefully it could also be used as a tax benefit. Personal computer used at homes are generally sold off or donated to charity. â€Å"According to Gartner Dataquest, about 150 used hard drives were sold via secondary sales market last year. At the same time about 200 new hard drives were shipped. That means for every 10 new hard drives that enter the market, 7 used ones will be sold off. † A notable national organization that people should familiarize themselves with is the National Cristina Foundation). The charity’s motto is â€Å"Machines you can write off. People you can’t. † The Cristina group, started in 1985 by a computer expert and his daughter’s special education teacher, takes in outmoded personal computer technology, checks it out, and places it with training and educational organizations, without charge to donors or recipients. The organization’s website, www. cristina. org, has an extensive question and answer section that covers such issues as tax benefits for donors. Retired computers pose security risks. Computers used at home contain bank statements, utility bills and even pre-approved credit card requests, such vital information if fallen into the wrong hands could lead to identity theft, computers used in the medical industry can contain credit card numbers and medical history and computers used in the finance sector could contain sensitive information which if leaked could lead to a substantial amount of loss. If the information from these computers is simply deleted and even if the hard disk is formatted, there are still ways of retrieving privileged information. Many people believe that formatting completely deletes data from the hard disk, the reason for this range from the message that appears on the screen which states that all data from drive C will be lost to what the word format implies. The data isn’t really wiped off the hard disk; with the proper tools all the data can be recovered. The two certified ways in which information is truly removed from hard drives are disk wiping and actual physical destruction of the hard disk. If a disk has to be wiped clean then the information should first be deleted then the disk should be overwritten with â€Å"1†, then â€Å"0† and then â€Å"1†. This ensures that the software and data is truly unrecoverable. Programs which wipe the disk clean with this method are: Disk Wipe, Eraser, Sure Delete and Norton Ghost. Physical destruction of the disk is not only very costly but also very difficult. It is only necessary when and if the level of data confidentiality required is very high. I is not acceptable to drill holes in a hard drive to physically destroy it, a popular method of physical destruction is degaussing. All these processes require funding and while this could be a good idea for those with computers at home, it is not a very logical decision for large banks and firms. The hours, funds and staff required to do such jobs properly are more often than not, just not available. In such circumstances what is one to do? Many organizations turn to Hard Drive Sanitization Companies, such establishments not only destroy the hardware or software in the hardware completely but also issue a certificate of destruction. â€Å"One company that chose the Hard Drive Crusher was Goodwill Southern California (GSC), which operates 46 retail stores, 39 attended donation centers, three campuses and 18 workforce/training centers in the counties of Los Angeles. The organization was worried about liabilities associated with the information stored in thousands of PCs donated to the charity each month. Goodwill wanted an environmentally friendly solution that also guaranteed data destruction. † The key problem with such organizations is that they have to be extremely trust-worthy, or the purpose of destroying the drives is completely pointless. They have to come recommend by someone who themselves are very reliable and banks and such other organizations hesitate in handing over hard drives with very sensitive information to complete strangers. Retired computers not only pose security risks but are great environmental risk too. â€Å"California, Massachusetts, and Minnesota have already outlawed the disposal of computer waste in landfills; in 2003 alone, 23 states initiated legislation to address the mounting problem of computer waste.† (Meller, Ella, and Young) The nonprofit National Safety Council based in Itasca, Illinois, â€Å"estimates that 20. 6 million desktop computers became obsolete in 1998, and about a quarter were simply thrown away. These dumped electronics can pose environmental hazards†. (http://www. ehponline. org/docs/2000/108-9/forum. html) â€Å"The average CRT (the leaded glass picture tube inside the monitor or television) contains 5-8 pounds of lead. Although the updated regulations focus on CRTs, Massachusetts environmental officials expect people to recycle their entire computers. Recycling the complete unit will eliminate further potential environmental hazards since a computer’s circuit board may contain other metals besides lead, such as cadmium. † (Greene, 2000) Hard Drives been identified by the Environmental Protection Agency as hazardous waste as they contain this metal. â€Å"Some other states are also beginning to consider the problem of electronics dumping. In California, for example, residents of San Jose–the heart of Silicon Valley–are encouraged to dump their outdated hard drives into curbside recycling containers along with the usual plastic milk jugs and metal soup cans†. A proper disposal plan should be made to ensure that organizations don’t find themselves in violation of the RCRA. The main tow facts to be considered when disposing computer are what state laws are in place to deal with the proper disposal of computer equipment in accordance with the Environmental Protection Agency and what are the state laws with regard to the data privacy. (29 states have environmental laws and 20 states have data privacy laws). Organizations should realize that when they store computers to be later used, they are wasting time. Those computers will probably never be used again and in the mean time their market value will probably be diminished. So if they have selling the equipment in mind it should be done as soon as possible and if not the proper methods of recycling should be investigated. Eric Malmgren, the information systems officer for The Bank of Lancaster, ($261 million-assets) in Kilmarnock says, â€Å"The Information Systems Department has disposed of PCs from time to time. When I say â€Å"disposed of,† I mean we’ve just taken them out of circulation. We have not actually thrown them in a dumpster. They are stored at my location until I find a recycler to take them so they don’t wind up in a landfill. † (Jones, 2003) Some recyclers are very environment conscience, they pass the drives through shredders exposing it to very powerful permanent magnets, and then the particles are collected after each shredding. They are weighed and place in large plastic recycling containers, which are then sealed and transferred to metal refineries for smelting, base metal recovery and such.

My Philosophy of Life

My philosophy of life Is quite simple. When I was younger, I would always be more focused on the things that people had. I would look at my other cousins, and since the parents had better jobs than my mom, they would have nicer clothes, or the newest v died games before I did all the time. This would make me feel really self conscious through hoot my childhood, not necessarily because I was worried about not getting as much as they would. When I turned 16 and goat Job, I had decided that I was going to save all my money, and eventually get all the nice things that my cousins had.It was at this same time to o, that I had started to fall In love with the Idea of going to concerts, and finding new music to listen to. I would be spending all my money on concerts, and would never have anything concur et to tangibly have with my money, and my cousins would still have all these nice possess ones they could hold onto. I had the experiences that they didn't, but they were Just embedded in my mind, and they could physically touch and use theirs, it didn't seem fair. When I had decided to move to Florida to visit my step dad for a few months before moving to Boston to go to Emerson College, that was when my perspective changed. Were at a hot spring south of our town of residence Call, called Alexander Springs.

Euthanasia: Death and Life-sustaining Treatment Essay

Physicians are committed to sustaining life and relieving suffering. Where the performance of one duty conflicts with the other; the patient’s wishes should prevail. Physicians are required by the principle of patient autonomy to respect a competent patient’s decision to forgo life-sustaining treatment, which prolongs life without reversing the underlying medical condition. Life-sustaining treatment includes, but is not limited to, mechanical ventilation, renal dialysis, chemotherapy, use of antibiotics, other drugs, and artificial nutrition and hydration. Define euthanasia and identify the difference between the types of euthanasia (passive/active euthanasia) Euthanasia is defined as the administration of a lethal agent by another person to a patient for the purpose of relieving the patient’s intolerable and incurable suffering. Some opponents feel that euthanasia is incompatible with the physician’s role as healer, would be difficult to control if made public policy, and would pose serious societal risks. Instead of practicing euthanasia, physicians should be sensitive to the needs of dying patients. Patients should not be abandoned when cure is impossible and should continue to receive emotional support, comfort care, adequate pain control, respect for autonomy, and effective communication. Discuss your beliefs regarding euthanasia. Are there any circumstances when you feel it is justified? Explain your answer. When it becomes evident that a patient’s disease is incurable and death is imminent, palliative care may serve the dying patient better than curative care. Palliative care is directed toward providing relief to terminally ill patients through symptom and pain management. The goal is not to cure but to provide comfort and maintain the highest possible quality of life. Going beyond relief of disease symptoms, palliative care includes relief of emotional distress and other problems so that a patient’s last months and days may be as comfortable as possible. Traditionally, in educational Define and describe the special populations as presented on the Pro/Con web site, and how this population might be adversely affected by euthanasia. Discuss your beliefs regarding euthanasia and these special populations. Identify and describe the law(s) concerning physician assisted suicide in the state you reside or the state you consider your â€Å"home state.† Compare and contrast laws in your home state against either Oregon’s Death with Dignity Act or another state of your choice.

Good life Essay

At the end of our lives, we all want to be able to feel as though the life that we lived on earth was a good and happy one. This seems like the ultimate goal that we strive for every day. However, the question arises as to how we can meet this goal by the way that we live our daily lives. If you were to ask random people on the street how they live a good and happy life, each person would give you a different answer. This is because everyone has a different perspective of what is important to make this life a good and happy life, and everyone has the control to make this life possible. What would I say if someone asked me how I plan to live a good and happy life? Personally, my answer would be that living a good and happy life would be living virtuously and living a meaningful life through my passion for helping others through nursing and also through my faith. There are many people that have studied these aspects of what a good and happy life would look like and have different views on what really defines what it means to live in a virtuous and meaningful way. According to the Stoics, their idea of virtue was moral goodness, doing what is right, just, honorable and wise, but I believe that being virtuous goes beyond being morally perfect. So, what does being virtuous actually mean to me? Being virtuous means consciously striving to do what is right, and learning from our mistakes, and continually growing to be a better person. In Joel Kupperman’s book, Six Myths About the Good Life, there is a quote that reads â€Å"There has to be a learning process; part of this inevitable will involve moral decisions, made by someone who is still inexperienced and who may be under pressure. I believe that making mistakes is part of our human nature, but that does not mean that we cannot be virtuous people. We can still live a virtuous life by learning from the mistakes that we have made. So, how does this view of virtue ensure that I live a good and happy life? Living a virtuous life require us to do what is right, and feel good about those decisions that we have made. It is important to learn from our mistakes, because in return, we will grow as people, and hopefully not continue to make those same mistakes. A life full of doing bad things, will only leave us with a life full of regrets at the end, but living virtuously will prevent us from living a life of regrets and in return will ensure a good life. Someone might disagree by saying that virtue is not important because anyone could live a good and happy life by doing bad things and stomping on the people around them for their own good. But, what is this person going to think at the end of their lives? What good did they do here on earth? That person would not look back at their lives as a good life and would ultimately not end up happy with it. Yes, I am sure this person was happy at certain points throughout their life, but the ultimate goal here is to end up with a good and happy life. A good and happy life means doing good things, and feeling joy through those good things that we have done. Aristotle believes that the most pleasant life, and presumably the happiest, is a life of virtuous or excellent activity. (Haybron p. 48) This means that a life of just doing good acts is just a part of the big picture. Doing good and also living a life full of meaningful and worthwhile activities is the key to a good and happy life. This leads into my second aspect of a good and happy life, which is living a meaningful life. How does one live a meaningful life? I believe that living a meaningful life means living beyond yourself, working towards something that has value to you and also to other people, and doing something that is worthwhile in the end. It means not just existing on this earth, but living a life that you would be willing to live over again. A quote from Haybron’s book reads â€Å"Any life devoted to worthwhile ends is meaningful. This means that doing something that will have worthwhile end results for not only you but the people around you is doing something meaningful. How does living this meaningful life make our lives good and happy lives? Living a meaningful life is ultimately living an emotionally fulfilling life. We will find pride and happiness in doing things that are valuable and meaningful to us, and will ultimately lead to a good and happy life. Haybron goes as far to say that â€Å"The full measure of happiness requires that we connect, in our lives, with what seems to us to matter. This means that we will not even experience our full potential happiness if we do not engage in meaningful activities. So, if a key part of a good and happy life is just doing something that is meaningful, then someone may argue that any useless activity that someone finds meaningful will lead to a good life. For example, someone who sits on the bathroom floor counting tiles because that is something that they find very meaningful and valuable, would not be viewed as someone who is living a good and happy life to most people. This concept of doing meaningful things then must go farther than just doing things that are meaningful to us personally. This is where Haybron talks about finding something that is not only valuable to oneself but also other people. A quote from his book reads, â€Å"The most meaningful lives will combine subjective and objective meaning: appreciative engagement with what genuinely matters. † The most meaningful life then must mean engaging in activities that have an equal balance between personal meaning and also meaning to others. Through my 20 years of age, I discovered what this meaning is for me. I plan to live a meaningful life by helping others through my nursing practices and also through my faith. Helping others and making a difference in their lives through the nursing skills that I have acquired, and also the knowledge that I share about my faith, is my passion in life. According the studies done my Mihaly Csikszentmehalyi people find the most pride and joy in doing activities that they can get caught up in. He refers to them as flow experiences, and explains that these flow experiences are important to our happiness. I completely agree with what this stands for. I find that my true happiness comes from when I am engaged in situations of helping other people; not only physically but also spiritually. The feeling that I receive by giving others a better life, is a feeling of happiness that I do not find in anything else I do. I could not fill my life with enough pleasures, relationships, or belongings to ever feel as though I would be living as good and happy of a life as I plan on living, without living out my mission and passion for helping others physically and spiritually. Although this is my plan to secure a good and happy life, this may not be applicable for everyone, but living a good and happy life is most definitely achievable. Like it states in our constitution, we have the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. This does not entail that our happiness is given to us, but rather it is something that we have the freedom to strive for, and find the things that will ensure us this good and happy life. In regards to my own life, I find this attainable by living virtuously and by living a meaningful life through my passion for helping others through nursing and also through my faith. By living in such a way, I can live happily knowing that I am doing good and making a difference in people’s lives that will end in something that was worthwhile. Drawing from other readings and other’s opinions, I have been reassured that it is possible to live a good and happy life through just these two aspects of virtue and meaning. I plan to live in this way in hopes that when my life comes to an end I can believe that it was a good and happy life.

Financial Detective

professional users and sells them through its own technical representatives and mobile franchise dealers. The global manufacturer would be company L because they would have higher selling, general and administrative costs, in this case 38. 9 compared to 24. 8. The company with the specialized tools from mobile franchise would have higher cost of goods sold, in this case 61. 0 compared to 51. 6. Retail Both companies are large discount retailers. One company carries a wide variety of nationally advertised general merchandise.The other company is a rapidly growing chain of upscale discount stores and has partnerships with several leading designers. The company with partnerships with the designers is company M because it has intangibles of 9. 0 compared to the general merchandise discount company which has intangibles of 0. 6 making it company N. Newspapers One company is a diversified media company that generates most of its revenues through newspaper sales around the country and aroun d the world.The other company owns a number of newspapers in small communities and this company has significant goodwill on its balance sheet. Company O is the company that owns a number of newspapers as they have intangibles of 76,8 compared to company P, which is the world newspaper company and has intangibles of 37. 1. Health ProductsBeer ABCD Accounts Payable9. 82. 2Stockholders' Equity16. 572. 9 Inventory turnover3. 080. 93Current Assets11. 281. 7 Intangibles22. 246. 1Cost of Good Sold53. 938. 5 SG expense44. 546. 7Cash & ST investments1. 455. 6 SG expense17. 350. ComputersBooks & Music EFGH SG expense9. 723. 1SG expense16. 921. 8 Intangible Assets01. 2Depreciation1. 13. 7 Inventory21. 3Inventory14. 838. 6 Accounts Payable38. 318Cash & ST Investments54. 816. 2 Current Liabilities60. 933. 3Quick Ratio00. 46 Inventory Turnover13. 562. 42 PaperTools IJKL Intangibles14. 61. 9SG Expense3948. 4 Cost of Goods Sold6151. 6 Receivables Turnover18. 923. 7 RetailNewspaper MNOP Intangibles9 0. 6Intangibles76. 837. 1 Receivables Turnover24. 516. 7SG Expense2339. 7 Net Fixed Assets14. 134. 6 Stockholders' Equity62. 535. 5 Financial Detective professional users and sells them through its own technical representatives and mobile franchise dealers. The global manufacturer would be company L because they would have higher selling, general and administrative costs, in this case 38. 9 compared to 24. 8. The company with the specialized tools from mobile franchise would have higher cost of goods sold, in this case 61. 0 compared to 51. 6. Retail Both companies are large discount retailers. One company carries a wide variety of nationally advertised general merchandise.The other company is a rapidly growing chain of upscale discount stores and has partnerships with several leading designers. The company with partnerships with the designers is company M because it has intangibles of 9. 0 compared to the general merchandise discount company which has intangibles of 0. 6 making it company N. Newspapers One company is a diversified media company that generates most of its revenues through newspaper sales around the country and aroun d the world.The other company owns a number of newspapers in small communities and this company has significant goodwill on its balance sheet. Company O is the company that owns a number of newspapers as they have intangibles of 76,8 compared to company P, which is the world newspaper company and has intangibles of 37. 1. Health ProductsBeer ABCD Accounts Payable9. 82. 2Stockholders' Equity16. 572. 9 Inventory turnover3. 080. 93Current Assets11. 281. 7 Intangibles22. 246. 1Cost of Good Sold53. 938. 5 SG expense44. 546. 7Cash & ST investments1. 455. 6 SG expense17. 350. ComputersBooks & Music EFGH SG expense9. 723. 1SG expense16. 921. 8 Intangible Assets01. 2Depreciation1. 13. 7 Inventory21. 3Inventory14. 838. 6 Accounts Payable38. 318Cash & ST Investments54. 816. 2 Current Liabilities60. 933. 3Quick Ratio00. 46 Inventory Turnover13. 562. 42 PaperTools IJKL Intangibles14. 61. 9SG Expense3948. 4 Cost of Goods Sold6151. 6 Receivables Turnover18. 923. 7 RetailNewspaper MNOP Intangibles9 0. 6Intangibles76. 837. 1 Receivables Turnover24. 516. 7SG Expense2339. 7 Net Fixed Assets14. 134. 6 Stockholders' Equity62. 535. 5

Inflation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Inflation - Essay Example There have been cases around the globe known as hyperinflation. Though there is no official definition for it, it is generally accepted as a 50% annual inflation rate. Ecuador suffered through a 96% inflation rate in 2000 ("Background Note: Ecuador"). This was caused by a weak economy, massive debt from El Nino in 1998, and a floating currency. The president was ousted in Jan. 2000 and caused a 75% spike in a one-month period. The new government restructured the debt, privatized state owned industries, and tied the currency to the US dollar. The following years saw lower rates and it had dropped to 1.9% in 2004 ("Background Note: Ecuador"). The war and economic hardships in the former Yugoslavia resulted in inflation rates in the period 1971-91 of 69 percent, with hyperinflation of more than 50 percent per month in 1989 (Hanke). According to experts, Slobodan Milosevic triggered the hyperinflation by granting $1.8 billion in unauthorized credits to Serbian-owned enterprises (Hanke). It was only brought under control when the war ended and a new government was installed. Though the UAE and Dubai have not seen these rates of inflation, it has been on the rise in recent years. It was 2.8% in 2002 and is estimated to hit 20% in 2006. That was up from 10.5% in 2005 ("United Arab Emirates"). The rate was 3.2% and 4.6% in 2003-2004.

Individual project criminal Justice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Individual project criminal Justice - Essay Example Contact is established when an individual comes in contact with a member of law enforcement, generally the police. The individual is, by virtue of the legal construct embedded in the Constitution, presumed innocent of wrongdoing until evidence is given that removes all reasonable doubt as to guilt. Hence, certain conduct is forbidden, including searches of person or property without cause. Although exceptions apply, in general law enforcement must have probable cause to believe that a crime has been (or is being) committed, that the individual has evidence of that crime upon his or her person or property, and that such evidence will show the individual guilty of that crime. Oftentimes, this requires a warrant, sworn to by a member of law enforcement before a member of the judiciary. The next two steps, investigation and arrest, are noted as occasionally reversing places (i.e. an arrest is made and then the investigation occurs). The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia (6th edition, 2003) defines the arrest as the "seizure and detention of a person, either to bring him before a court body or official, or to otherwise secure the administration of the law." Reasonable and justifiable force and restraint are permitted during the arrest; anyone taking such actions in a criminal matter may, however, be forced to defend said actions before the court. Investigation, on the other hand, is the determination and procurement of evidence, including formal identification of the suspect, the cautioning of the suspect prior to questioning as to the rights he or she maintains under law, and the documentation of all evidence and cause. Once complete, the results are released for trial of the accused. The trial phase, or bringing of evidence against one accused of a crime, can be further subdivided into multiple stages. In totality, however, it is the phase in which the accused is permitted to know the evidence collected against him or her, is allowed to cross-examine witnesses that testify against him or her, and is allowed to mount a personal defense against the crime. Depending upon locale, jurisdiction and inclination of the attorneys involved in the case, this presentation may or may not be made before a jury, although the right to trial by jury is available to the accused should he or she desire. Following the trial, the accused is either acquitted or convicted of the crime(s); if convicted, a judge pronounces sentence upon him or her. The accused has the right, in certain cases, to mount an appeal for judicial review, either of the sentence given or of the trial. Although most such appeals derive from procedural errors, some few come from the nature of the sentence imposed (i.e. capital punishment sentences are almost invariably remanded for appellate review). Evidence Evidence is the sum of the matters of fact that a party to a lawsuit offers to prove or disprove an issue in the case; in general, it may be either direct or circumstantial. If direct, it directly indicates the presence of the accused or the action committed; if circumstantial, it relates a portion of the circumstances in which the crime took place and indicates by its totality that the accused committed the crime. However, evidence can also be divided into seven types under the common law: 1) testimony, 2) documentary, 3) physical, 4) exculpatory, 5) scientific,

Misogynistic portrayals of women in Othello Essay

Misogynistic portrayals of women in Othello - Essay Example In Shakespeares celebrated play Othello we find three women who play vital role. Towards the end of the play we find that only one woman survives. All the three women are deprived of an identity in the play. We find that all the three women are either married or maintaining relationship with a male. During the time when the play was written, women exercised no power in the society. The Venetian society maintained a hierarchy in which men possessed all powers and women were considered inferior to men. In Othello we find Bianca, Emilia, and Desdemona being in relation with the male characters Cassio, Iago and Othello. In those days women were considered as creatures with no intellectual power. However we find that the women characters of the play speak sense throughout the play. Women characters are also found trusting other characters. All the women characters of the play represent a specific social level. Desdemona represents the highest social level and Bianca represents the lowest social level. Each sexual relationship initiates some feeling of jealousy between the couple. Bianca is not frequently found in the play like other characters. However, her presence is crucial in the matter of death of Desdemona and other crucial matters. Iago considers her as a prostitute. Even though she fell in love with Cassio, we never find Cassio acknowledging her affection because of his desire for status. He knew that her social standing would highly influence this matter. She is found to be extremely jealous in this relationship. We find Iago using Bianca’s name to trigger the entire confusion in the play. This finally led to the tragedy end of the play. Regarding Emilia we find that she never questions Iago when she gives handkerchief to him. This shows the women’s ability to trust. However she is also found to be ignorant of the whole story till the end of the play. Her life comes to a sudden end, in the hands of her husband. She

Life and Death in Shanghai Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Life and Death in Shanghai - Essay Example It is a tribute to those who suffered while protecting their dignity and ideology. Nien Cheng presents herself as a symbol of sacrifices given by Capitalist China. She showed how people who refused to surrender their believes to those of Mao’s were punished. She praised and made us praise the courage of those who did not bow to undue pressure put imposed by the ruling party. In this memoir the author tries to show an air of terror and insecurity that was then surrounding China. This is written to show how life within Communist China of Mao’s reign was. How Maoists showed their power and their complexes of inferiority by terrorizing those to whom they were once inferior. She showed the unrest and instability which was named Cultural Revolution. Effects of revolution were expressed which made revolution (as opposed to evolution) the worst choice. The novel protests against tyranny and imposition of ideas by Communist party, effectively. It highlights the problems which arise because of preferring revolution as opposed to evolution. It disapproves decisions taken based upon the sole intention of destruction, based upon Mao’s theory â€Å"The old culture must be destroyed to make way for the new Socialist Culture.† But pointing out such behaviors she actually tells the backwardness in Communists. Mao’s quote We must learn swimming from swimming shows a serious tragedy Revolution had, lack of measured judgment. The believe that people minds and loyalties can be changed by force, could be nothing more than serious joke to human nature. And punishing an innocent for the reason that he or she was a relative of apparently guilty person is another bitter slap on the face of

Introduction and methodology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Introduction and methodology - Essay Example The real sign of the â€Å"credit crunch† started in summer 2007 when mortgage borrowers started defaulting on their mortgages and exposing billions of dollars of bad debt. This was when US housing prices started to plunge – 20% to 30% in 12 months (Financial Times 2009). However, this was not something that was being anticipated by the lenders, as bankers thought they held new products that guaranteed never-ending great profits. However, the best performance for the sub-prime market was between 2001 and 2006, when sales essentially boomed. Analysts state that approximately one-third of mortgages issued to subprime borrowers were adjusted rate mortgages. In the early 2000s, interest was at its lowest rate and mortgage lenders started to relax their lending standards, which made many poor credit families creditworthy to qualify for a mortgage. As more people started to buy property, it increased demand in the housing market and caused house prices to rise (Mortgageguideu k 2009). In addition, subprime lending rocketed to trillions of dollars; bankers and lenders bundled up the subprime mortgages with the prime mortgages, â€Å"good and bad apples†, and sold them in a single package to hedge funds and investment banks who initially thought it as a great way to generate high return investments (Terner 2008). These are called â€Å"Collateralised Debt Obligations† (CDOs). Lehman Brothers was the biggest player on this subprime market, making millions of dollars every month; they even offered â€Å"Ninja† (no income, no job or asset) mortgages, basically saying if you can breathe, we will give you a loan (reference). This is what caused the problem; subprime mortgages were mostly given to new homeowners who did not understand the risks behind the scenes (Financial Times 2009). When the demand in the housing reached its peak in the US, the interest rate started to rise from 1% to 5.35%, which caused the housing market to slowdown. As a result, this caused real concern for homeowners who could barely afford their mortgage payments when interest rates were low. Homeowners started to default on their mortgages, sparking trouble for all of us and the entire financial system (Mortgages 2010). When borrowers could no longer afford to pay their loans, the value of these investments started to fall, causing huge losses for banks across the world and many businesses that wholly depended on free fall credit have either collapsed, been taken over by competitors or been nationalised (Parliament 2010). For example, Lehman Brothers, Bear Stearns, Washington Mutual, Northern Rock, Freddie Mac, AIG, Fanny Mae, Bradford and Bingley, RBS Bank of Scotland Group, Wachovia, Halifax Bank of Scotland and many more have been hit hard by the credit crisis. For example, HSBC’s subsidiary Housing Finance Corporation (HFC) was the highest provider of high risk subprime borrowers in the US and was hit hardest by the credit crunch. T his was when US housing prices started to fall in 2006. As a result, provisions for losses on HFC loans increased by almost $3 billion in comparison to the previous year (Financial Times 2009). This dissertation focuses on how the credit crunch has affected the UK population in terms of mortgages and unemployment. Jon Moulton, the British venture capitalist stated that, as Americans and

New world Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

New world - Essay Example According to Christine Rosen, â€Å"The connected screen will replace the disconnected book† (Rosen 278). An individual might be of the understanding that the requirement of e-readers and other forms of technology to connect to the internet in order to access much of the information that might otherwise be printed in books is necessarily a fatal flaw and drawback to this particular medium. However, due to the fact that an internet connection is almost omnipresent in most locations, this particular drawback is not quite as profound as one might first assume. Moreover, whereas the ease of picking up a book is intuitively obvious, the learning curve in order to integrate with an e-reader or any other application that is able to provide a similar experience to reading a book is not quite as high as one might expect; rather, the learning curve for these different applications and hardware has been decreasing the longer that these devices and programs have been around. An added benefit that technology has as compared to the printed word is the fact that printed books are constrained to the fact that they are almost immediately out of date and uninformed with regards to the up to the minute nature of our current world. By means of comparison, e-books and the sources of the printed word that exist within the electronic format are able to be changed and updated with the never ending stream of new information that continually prompts updates and revisions. One need look no further than the way in which traditional newspapers have to issue reprints and former apologies for misquoted or incorrect cited information to realize the damage that this traditional approach can have to the credibility of the news entity. However, with respect to news websites, these entities are readily able to revise, change, and ultimately delete entire news stories if they find that these are not in

Physiology of Organ Systems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Physiology of Organ Systems - Essay Example The blood pressure of the arteries increases and decreases with each cycle or stage where the blood passes through the chambers of the heart. Blood enters the heart with a specific sequence or order (National Aeronautics and Space Administration, 2007). The heart also has four valves which control and manage the entry and exit of the blood into and out of the heart. The blood would enter the right atrium through the superior and inferior vena cavae and the right atrium would contract and the tricuspid valve would open and allow blood to enter the right ventricle (NASA, 2007). As the right ventricle contracts, the tricuspid valve closes and simultaneously, the pulmonary valve opens and blood enters the pulmonary artery which brings the blood to the lungs where it is infused with oxygen and eliminates carbon dioxide (Shibao, et.al., 2007). The blood then exits the lungs and enters the left atrium where it is pumped out into the different parts of the body. The blood vessel walls have l ayers of smooth muscle and such muscles as well as the heart muscles are regulated by the autonomic nervous system (Shibao, et.al., 2007). Where there is a decrease in the diameter of the blood vessel, the flow of the blood would be more difficult. The persistent decrease in diameter would increase the pressure needed to push the blood into the different cells of the body. The greater pressure is imposed on the heart which is forcing the blood into the different parts of the body (Lohmeier, et.al., 2004).... The blood would enter the right atrium through the superior and inferior vena cavae and the right atrium would contract and the tricuspid valve would open and allow blood to enter the right ventricle (NASA, 2007). As the right ventricle contracts, the tricuspid valve closes and simultaneously, the pulmonary valve opens and blood enters the pulmonary artery which brings the blood to the lungs where it is infused with oxygen and eliminates carbon dioxide (Shibao, et.al., 2007). The blood then exits the lungs and enters the left atrium where it is pumped out into the different parts of the body. The blood vessel walls have layers of smooth muscle and such muscles as well as the heart muscles are regulated by the autonomic nervous system (Shibao, et.al., 2007). Where there is a decrease in the diameter of the blood vessel, the flow of the blood would be more difficult. The persistent decrease in diameter would increase the pressure needed to push the blood into the different cells of the body. The greater pressure is imposed on the heart which is forcing the blood into the different parts of the body (Lohmeier, et.al., 2004). As the smooth muscles would relax, there is lesser resistance and therefore less pressure needed to maintain the blood flow rates. The autonomic nervous system regulates the diameter of the blood vessels (Lohmeier, et.al., 2004). It also regulates the heart rate, increasing or decreasing it where necessary. With these processes, the autonomic nervous system is able to manage blood pressure. Maintenance of continuous blood flow to the brain and the cells of the body are carried out by the â€Å"regulation of blood pressure by the autonomic nervous system† (NASA, 2007, p. 104). The brain is the receptor of data related to pressure exerted by the

Cassava Starch Essay Example for Free

Cassava Starch Essay Cassava (Manihot esculenta), also called manioc, tapioca or yuca, is one of the most important food crops in the humid tropics, being particularly suited to conditions of low nutrient availability and able to survive drought (Burrell, 2003). The plant grows to a height of 1 to 3 m and several roots may be found on each plant. Although cassava leaves are sometimes consumed, the major harvested organ is the tuber, which is actually a swollen root. The plant is propagated mostly from stem cuttings. A major limitation of cassava production is the rapid post harvest deterioration of its roots which usually prevents their storage in the fresh state for more than a few days (Okezie and Kosikowski, 1982). Cassava ranks very high among crops that convert the greatest amount of solar energy into soluble carbohydrates per unit of area. Among the starchy staples, cassava gives a carbohydrate production which is about 40% higher than rice and 25% more than maize, with the result that cassava is the cheapest source of calories for both human nutrition and animal feeding. A typical composition of the cassava root is moisture (70%), starch (24%), fiber (2%), protein (1%) and other substances including minerals (3%) Compared to other crops, cassava excels under suboptimal conditions, offering the possibility of using marginal land to increase total agricultural production (Cock, 1982). Plant breeders, agronomists and recently molecular biologists have made substantial improvements in cassava yields during the last two decades. While, genetic characterization and mapping has revealed some insights into the molecular nature of cassava (Tonukari et al. 1997; Fregene et al. 003) Plastics are synthetic substances produced by chemical reactions. Almost all plastics are made from petroleum, except a few experimental resins derived from corn and other organic substances. Plastic has many properties which has made it a raw material of choice for Manufactures of plastic Bags and packing materials. Cost of production, lightweight, strength, easy process of manufac ture, and availability are few of the properties. Man has simply not put the plastic to the right use/ or using it without taking proper care of other related norms of usage. The hazards plastics pose are numerous. The land gets littered by plastic bag garbage presenting an ugly and unhygienic seen. The Throw away culture results in these bags finding their way in to the city drainage system, the resulting blockage cases inconvenience, difficult in maintaining the drainage with increased cost, creates unhygienic environment resulting in health hazard and spreading of water borne diseases. This littering also reduces rate of rain water percolating, resulting in lowering of already low water levels in our cities. The soil fertility deteriorates as the plastic bags form parts of manure remain in the soil for years. People need alternative and effective components of plastic that is safe and biodegradable which will not harm and pollute the earth. Significance: This study is important to be able to help Mother Earth in reducing its pollutants and toxic or harmful wastes. Through this study, the researchers will be able to help other people, the animals and the environment. The researchers would like to stop plastic pollution and be part of the solution. Plastic bags and bottles, like all forms of plastic, create significant environmental and economic burdens. They consume growing amounts of energy and other natural resources, degrading the environment in numerous ways. In addition to using up fossil fuels and other resources, plastic products create litter, hurt marine life, and threaten the basis of life on earth. There is over 45 million tons of plastics per year and nearly every piece of plastic ever made still exists today because of its long-life properties. Biodegradable plastics could be an effective solution to all of these problems. Biodegradable plastics are a much better choice than non biodegradable plastics because they are friendlier to the earth and the environment. Biodegradable plastics break down faster, can be recycled easier and are non-toxic. With these characteristics of biodegradable plastics, we could help save lives and the environment as well and reduce the threat plastics give to marine life. Plastic, the wonder material that we use for everything, is perhaps the most harmful of this trash because it does not readily break down in nature but if it is biodegradable, these plastics break down faster so they have a much shorter effect on the earth, and they will degrade completely. Normal plastics are manufactured using oil, and this process is very harmful to the environment by polluting the air and environment, but this is not the case with green biodegradable plastics. Using biodegradable plastics will minimize the effects that these products have on the earth, and help eliminate their waste much faster. Review of Related Literature: In the past few decades, there has been a marked advance in the development of biodegradable plastics from renewable resources, especially for those derived from starch-based materials. The goal of this development is to obtain biodegradable plastics that perform as well as traditional plastics when in use and which completely biodegrade at disposal. Several starch-based plastics have been introduced into the market, and are used in some applications now. Starch foam is one of the major starch-based packaging materials. It is produced by extrusion or compression/explosion technology. This product has been developed as a replacement for polystyrene which is used to produce loose-fillers and other expanded items. Another type of starch-based plastics is produced by blending or mixing starch with synthetic polyester. For this type of biodegradable plastics, granular starch can be directly blended with polymer, or its granular structure can be destructurized before being incorporated into the polymer matrix. The type of starch and synthetic polymer as well as their relative proportions in the blends influence the properties of the resulting plastics. The last group of starch-based plastics is polyesters that are produced from starch. The major starch-derived polyesters in the market now are polylactic acid and polyhydroxyalkanoate. Experimental studies have demonstrated that cassava starch could be used for making various types of packaging products. As a major source of starch in tropical and subtropical regions, cassava is a promising raw material for the development of biodegradable plastics in these areas. Research has been done on HYPERLINK http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Biodegradable _blank o Biodegradablebiodegradable plastics that break down with exposure to sunlight (e. g. , HYPERLINK http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Ultra-violet_radiation _blank o Ultra-violet radiationultra-violet radiation), water or dampness, bacteria, enzymes, wind abrasion and some instances rodent pest or insect attack are also included as forms of HYPERLINK http://en. ikipedia. org/wiki/Biodegradation _blank o Biodegradationbiodegradation or HYPERLINK http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Environmental_degradation _blank o Environmental degradationenvironmental degradation. It is clear some of these modes of degradation will only work if the plastic is exposed at the surface, while other modes will only be effective if certain conditions exist in landfill or composting systems. HYPERLINK http://en. wikipedia. rg/wiki/Starch _blank o StarchStarch powder has been mixed with plastic as a filler to allow it to degrade more easily, but it still does not lead to complete breakdown of the plastic. Some researchers have actually HYPERLINK http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Genetic_engineering _blank o Genetic engineeringgenetically engineered bacteria that synthesize a completely biodegradable plastic, but this material, such as HYPERLINK http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Biopol _blank o BiopolBiopol, is expensive at present. The diversity and ubiquity of plastic products substantially testify to the versatility of the special class of engineering materials known as polymers. However, the non-biodegradability of these petrochemical-based materials has been a source of environmental concerns and hence, the driving force in the search for ‘green’ alternatives for which starch remains the frontliner. Starch is a natural biopolymer consisting predominantly of two polymer types of glucose namely amylose and amylopectin. The advantages of starch for plastic production include its renewability, good oxygen barrier in the dry state, abundance, low cost and biodegradability. The longstanding quest of developing starch-based biodegradable plastics has witnessed the use of different starches in many forms such as native granular starch, modified starch, plasticized starch and in blends with many synthetic polymers, both biodegradable and non-biodegradable, for the purpose of achieving cost effectiveness and biodegradation respectively. In this regard, starch has been used as fillers in starch-filled polymer blends, thermoplastic starch (TPS) (produced from the combination of starch, plasticizer and thermomechanical energy), in the production of foamed starch and biodegradable synthetic polymer like polylactic acid (PLA) with varying results. However, most starch-based composites exhibit poor material properties such as tensile strength, yield strength, stiffness and elongation at break, and also poor moisture stability. This therefore warranted scientific inquiries towards improving the properties of these promising starch-based biocomposites through starch modification, use of compatibilizers and reinforcements (both organic and inorganic), processing conditions, all in the hope of realizing renewable biodegradable substitutes for the conventional plastics. Definition of Terms Biodegradable able to decompose naturally: made of substances that will decay relatively quickly as a result of the action of bacteria and break down into elements such as carbon that are recycled naturally Starch – a white, granular or powdery, odorless, tasteless and complex carbohydrate found chiefly in seeds, fruits, tubers, roots and stem pith of plants, notably in corn, potatoes, wheat, and rice; an important foodstuff and used otherwise especially in adhesives and as fillers and stiffeners for paper and textiles. Plastics – the word plastic is derived from the words plasticus (Latin for â€Å"capable of molding†) and plastikos (Greek â€Å"to mold,† or â€Å"fit for molding†). Plastics are polymeric, moldable and synthetic materials which are derived from fossil fuels, such as oil, coal or natural gas. Plastics consist of organic (carbon-containing) long molecular chains that give them many of their unique properties. They can be made hard, flexible, strong, transparent, light and elastic. * Polymer – long-chain molecules that repeat their structures over and over * Polyethylene Bags the bags that you will see commonly used, such as plastic grocery bags, are made from petroleum byproducts, which is the root of most all of the environmental problems that they are the source of. Not only do they take substantially longer to break down or degrade, but as they do they release highly toxic chemicals. Resin – It is a hydrocarbon secretion of many HYPERLINK http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Plant o Plantplants, particularly coniferous trees. It is valued for its chemical constituents and uses, such as varnishes and HYPERLINK http://en. wikipedia. rg/wiki/Adhesive o Adhesiveadhesives, as an important source of raw materials for organic synthesis, or for incense and perfume. * Polymer Methyl Ethyl Ketone Peroxide (MEKP) The most popular type of hardener because of its economy and ease of use. * Polyester Resin Polyester resins are the most commonly used matrix in the marine and composite industry. These resins are styrene-based, flammable and cata lyzed when combined with Methyl Ethyl Ketone Peroxide(MEKP). Polyester resins are unsaturated resins formed by the reaction of dibasic organic acids and polyhydric alcohols. Premix Polyester Resin R10-60 – It is a fast gel premix polyester resin used for wood, kapiz, and other lamination with cellophane, â€Å"Lumirror† or â€Å"Mylar† films. It is also used to make decorative jewels and flowers from ceramic molds, to make small coatings from polyethylene amp; silicone rubber molds, and to cast on intrinsic molds such as steel or bass frames. * Plastic Resin Glue – Plastic resins are made by heating hydrocarbons in what is known as the cracking process. The goal here is to break down the larger molecules into ethylene, propylene, and other types of hydrocarbons. The amount of ethylene produced depends on the cracking temperature. Once the cracking process has been completed, the compounds are formed into chains that are known as polymers. Different polymers are combined to make plastic resins that have the characteristics needed for different applications Methodology: A. Materials 2 Cassava Tubers 180 ml of Premix Polyester Resin 300 ml of Polymer MEKP Hardener 100 grams Petroleum Jelly 3 old shirts Measuring cup Grater Plastic Spoon Knife 3 Plastic Containers Chopping board B. Procedure Gather the Cassava Tubers. Ground and squeeze it to extract the starch. Get hold of 240 grams of the starch and divide it into 3 equal parts: 80 grams in trial 1, trial 2 and trial 3. Place 60 ml of the plastic resin glue (Premix Polyester Resin) with 50 grams of flour catalyst for T1, 75 grams for T2 and 125 grams in T3. Mix and stir the components and pour it in the shirt with Petroleum Jelly and let it dry under the sun. To test its capacity to carry weight, use the plastic to carry objects. For its ability to hold water, put water inside the plastic. To test its tensile and bending properties, stretch the plastic as far as you can. Repeat steps 5-7 using T2 and T3.