The topic is to answer the case questions that are in box Coursework

The topic is to answer the case questions that are in box - Coursework Example Therefore, the statement is correct since firms are different and cannot all adopt similar strategies. Multinational firms have many departments and units, and there is a high probability of the organizations operations not being smooth. The international markets are very uncertain and hence there is a need to combine integration and differentiation in order to operate effectively even with the uncertainties. Performance ambiguity occurs when the firm cannot understand the reasons as to why a subunit or a department is experiencing difficulties. It is necessary that a firm predict possible causes and consequences of performance ambiguity before venturing into an international or a transnational strategy. Understanding the causes and consequences leads to designing better performance strategies, and losses are  minimized. The main reason for an expansion is maximization of profits.it is necessary that performance ambiguity is avoided by understanding its possible causes and consequences so that the firm does not fail to achieve its aims. Organization architecture determines how decisions are made, how individuals are and how performance is evaluated (Miles & Snow, 2003). Transnational organizations have complex environmental demands that require flexibility in internal integrative process. There is a tendency to have conflicting domestic and foreign operations, and so each unit should operate individually. An international divisional structure should be  adopted. All units will operate individually but under one overall management. The operations of one unit will not influence the other units. Each unit should be independent and should adapt to its business environment. When each firm operates individually, controlling becomes easy since mistakes can be identified and corrected without affecting the whole organization. Shared decision-making is  avoided. A firm that requires globalizing is subject to operating in diverse forms of business

Symbolic Debate in AI versus Connectionist - Competing or Complementar Essay

Symbolic Debate in AI versus Connectionist - Competing or Complementary - Essay Example If the aim of human-oriented Artificial Intelligence is to develop common sense, an extreme example of the purely symbolic approach is to be seen in the Cyc project. Here, common-sense rules inferred from the everyday world are hard-coded into the system such that it will be able to handle any type of situation. And it is in this â€Å"extremely symbolic† approach that the worst failures of that approach will probably be seen: forget one fact, and the system crashes, with nothing to lean back on.On the other hand, best-suited to the connectionist approach are models of the brain at the micro-level. The brain is, after all, a neural network—literally. The problem here is that we get a working model, but with a very little description of what is actually going on inside, and the question begs to be asked (by connectionists, of course): why model it if it cannot be explained?The natural thought is that there must be some way the two systems can â€Å"co-operate.† Co nsider an interesting problem, one that may seem far-fetched but which is good enough to serve as an example: that of nonsense translation, as in â€Å"English French German Suite,† quoted in Gà ¶del, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid (Douglas Hofstadter, 1979, page 366). Here, a translation into German by Robert Scott of Lewis Carroll’s Jabberwocky is presented. The English stanza’Twas brillig, and the slithy toves†¦All mimsy were the borogoves,And the mome raths outgrabe.†Gets translated into the German asâ€Å"Es Brillig war. Die schlichten Toven†¦Und aller-mà ¼msige BurggovenDie Mà ¶hmen Rà ¤th’ ausgraben.†Consider â€Å"outgrabe†: how would one â€Å"translate† it into German? It turns out that â€Å"out† is â€Å"aus† in German, and â€Å"grab† sounds perfectly German; add to that the common German â€Å"-en† suffix and one gets â€Å"ausgraben.† Similar principles apply to the translation of all the nonsense words here.

Atlas company overview and market analysis

Atlas company overview and market analysis Atlas Sri Lankas favorite stationery brand is the brainchild of Ceylon Pencil. Co. (Pvt.) Ltd. Established in 1959 it has grown from strength to strength and has successfully gained the majority market share in school, corporate and home stationery products. Today the company is the No. 1 manufacturer of ballpoint pens and exercise books. Atlas stands not only for quality but also for innovation. They have manufactured all their products using cutting edge technology, adding sophistry and efficiency to the stationery products. Atlas products are guaranteed to give an enhanced experience; and high value for money. HISTORY The Company started out by producing its maiden product the varsity Pencil, today it manufactures over 300 stationery products and is proud to be the only stationery brand available all over Sri-Lanka. Atlas has even tapped into international markets by forming strategic partnerships with Atlas pencil company UK. During the 80s and the 90s Atlas brought about fruitful change by establishing Atlas Plastics (Pvt.) Ltd. and Care Products (Pvt.) Ltd. ( the former dedicated to the production of adhesive tapes and strapping tapes, the latter for personal care and cleaning items.) Vision, Mission Values Every organization has a main objective or goal, which can also be termed as its end product. All these are merged into a corporate vision and mission. That of Atlas is given below: ATLAS VISION STATEMENT Our vision is to be the most preferred brand for office and school products in south Asia. The vision is simple but strong. It shows that before declaring world domination Atlas would need to take small steps and first try to conquer the South Asian market. The vision of Atlas isnt farfetched, one day in the near future Atlas would be able to fulfill its vision, if it grows in its steady pace. CORPORATE VALUES We at Atlas firmly believe in upholding high moral values and in being an ethical corporate citizen. In doing, so we continuously inculcate high values in our workforce and strive constantly to give them sufficient independence to use their imagination and creativity. The above given values of Atlas clearly states, that it cares not only about giving high quality goods to its customers. But it also focuses on protecting and helping its staff grow and become better employees. The main objective of the Company is to provide quality goods at a reasonable price to its customers while successfully facing competition. To achieve this the company uses technologically advanced means of production and also uses high quality raw-materials, because of all of these steps the company was awarded with ISO 9001:2000 certification for its stationery items manufacture under the Atlas trade name and numerous other social awards like the community leader award. Product Portfolio Along with its subsidiaries Atlas has a wide range of 300 products including stationery items, plastic (tape) and Care products. These products are icons of quality and are used by many students and corporate bodies around Sri Lanka. The product portfolio/line of Atlas company is stated below: Figure: 1 Product portfolio of Atlas (Authors work, based on information receives from SO) Marketing Philosophy Marketing philosophy or marketing concept used by the company should be clearly identified. With the growing importance of society organizations were enforced to act as good corporate citizens. Therefore businesses were made to realize the importance of being socially responsible. That is why Atlas has chosen the Societal Marketing Philosophy, under this philosophy marketing decisions have to be made balancing 3 criteria- à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Consumer needs and wants à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Societies interests à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Profit maximization through customer satisfaction for Company welfare Figure: 2 (lecture notes) As a result of choosing this marketing philosophy Atlas has achieved many awards such as: Ceylon Pencil Company (Pvt) Ltd. was awarded with ISO 9001:2000 certifications for its stationery items manufacture under the Atlas trade name. This proves that Atlas caters to consumer needs by providing quality products. The Community Leader Award from the Chartered Institute of Sri Lanka was awarded to Ceylon Pencil Company (Pvt.) Ltd., for Corporate Social Responsibility activities for the contribution made to education sector. Ceylon Pencil Company (Pvt.) Ltd. received a Merit award for 5S standard by competing with Jastica Society. Market Summary The Ceylon pencil company (pvt) Ltd is the leading stationary manufacturer in Sri Lanka with a wider range of products with the brand of Atlas. The stationary market in Sri Lanka is an Oligopoly Market with few manufacturers offering very similar products. The competitors of Atlas are Richard Veny, Weerodara, Reynolds, Cross, Parker and Pilot. Atlas stationeries mainly focus the customers that school students, and office workers. Customers in stationary market mostly prefer the products that convenient, attractive, affordable, creative and innovative. Introducing this product can lead to trend because Atlas Wiz Maker will attract younger customers due to, Conveniences Attractiveness Innovativeness It is also being noted that younger customers have an attitude of wanting products which includes above criterias. SWOT ANALYSIS SWOT analysis for Atlas Wiz maker. Strengths Brand loyalty of customers Atlas is a well known brand which has been operating in the Sri Lankan market for more than 50 years. Therefore even though its a new product customers will purchase it because of the confidence they have about the brand. Quality Atlas products are known to be of good quality. This will attract customers to purchase this product. Larger market share Atlas is the market leader in the stationary sector therefore it could be a challenge for their competitors to grab that market share from them. Convenience, attractiveness and innovativeness. Atlas wizmaker is a convenient, attractive product using innovative technology, because of the fact that it has a pen , pencil , highlighter and eraser all in one its a convenient product. Also the fact that it comes in a variety of colors makes it attractive to both school children and university students alike. Weaknesses Limited Product assortment The Atlas stationery company is lacking variation in products. The products that Atlas has brought out at present are similar to their competitors, it doesnt draw you away from buying the products which are offered by other competitors Opportunities Because of the busy life style of people they look for convenience. There for coming up with this product will bring opportunities to Atlas since this products main advantage is convenience. Improve Technology Atlas company has recently formed a partnership with Atlas stationeries UK, this partnership allows them to use new technology to produce the best quality products. Export possibilities The recent partnership that Atlas has formed with Atlas stationeries UK, has allowed it to tap into the foreign markets like that in South Asia, UK, US etcà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ because of its ability to provide high quality products at reasonable prices. Threats Substitutes Other competitors might come up with a similar product. Also companies like bic and cross have invented stationeries with pen, pencil and stylus. Importers The Sri-Lankan market is slowly being flooded by imported stationeries, who are slowly capturing the Sri- Lankan market share. Competition for the Atlas Wiz maker Competition could be known as a contest between two companies, individuals, countries etc in order to perform better than its competitors by providing a product or service which will lead to more market share and long term profits. Substitute products There are many substitutes for this product in the market as well as many brands. By the time of the new arrival of the Wiz maker many other established brands such as Weerodara, Richards and Reynolds will come up with a counter product. And also there is a higher possibility of strong competitors being active in the market. When looking at the stationary market there are a few competitors to Atlas who are; Radiant Pilot Rotomac Weerodara Parker Among them the direct competitors of Atlas would be; Rotomac Pilot Parker Barriers to entry into stationary market There are many barriers to entry in this market. These barriers are not common to all companies because of structure, financial strengths etc. Because of high initial investment needed to produce stationary items many companies will avoid coming into the market. Technology of the firms will have to be high tech and updated at all times. For this to proceed much cost will be incurred. Thus many companies will not be able to afford this Many of these stationary items require standards to be met (e.g.-ISO 9001, ISO 14001).For these standards to be checked a payment in different steps must be done. Advertising to promote a product such as the Wiz maker can only be done with a budget which Atlas or a large rival company possess. Different customers have different preferences. Some might find Atlas unique and easy to use but some might prefer other brands. Thus customer loyalty and preference will be a hard factor to fight against for new companies. Market structure of the stationary market By analyzing the stationary market in Sri Lanka it is clear to us that it is of Oligopoly nature. That is where there are only a few large firms in the market. Thus it is dominated by a few interdependent firms. The Wiz maker will thus be competing with only a few items which will be able to substitute its features. MARKETING OBJECTIVES Objectives are building blocks of an organizations marketing plan. It states what a company wishes to achieve in the near future. What objectives a company would have will be determined after carrying out a comprehensive Environment analysis such as SWOT. INFLUENCES ON OBJECTIVES The environment affects the organizations objectives. There are internal and external factors influencing an organizations objectives. Internal Influences Corporate culture- This refers to the values of the company as a whole. The company values of Atlas is to be an ethical corporate citizen and tries to inculcate high values in their workforce by giving them sufficient independence. Staff Aspirations- It differs from department to department and team to team. Atlas wishes to give its staff sufficient independence so that they can grow as an individual and increase satisfaction in the labor force. All this ensures that the workers contribute to the maximum to produce high quality goods. Resource constraint- In the beginning Atlas used to import its raw material, but now in order to help the local market the raw materials used by Atlas comes from Sri-Lanka itself. Atlas has also formed a partnership with Atlas stationery UK which helps them get a hold of modern technology which helps Atlas produce quality products at minimum cost. External Influences Customer/ Market- Atlas stationeries focuses on serving to three main categories in the market- school children, graduates or university students and office worker. Atlas is the only stationery company in Sri-Lanka which has an island wide market. Economies- Atlas has been recognized as a company which provides high quality products at really affordable prices. Thus it has a wide scope in the market. Competitors- Being the only stationery company which is sold island wide Atlas has only a handful a competitors like weerodar, pilot, bicà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ which dont seem to be a threat to Atlass market reach. CORPORATE OBJECTIVE The corporate objectives of a company includes, trying to achieve maximum profitability and market share. Atlas plans on achieving maximum profitability by providing maximum satisfaction to its consumers by using innovative technology to manufacturer high quality good at minimum cost. Atlas can increase its market share by catering to the nees of its consumers by providing quality products at reasonable prices. SMART MARKETING OBJECTIVES A smart marketing objective should be: Specific Measurable Achievable Realistic Time bound Based on the above factors its safe to assume that Atlas plans to achieve the power of branding i.e. Atlas strives to provide high quality goods. So it wants to build a good brand name with its consumer. Segmentation This is dividing a market into distinct groups of buyers with different needs, characteristics, or behavior who might require separate products, services or marketing mixes. In order for market segmentation to be useful they should be measurable, accessible, substantial, differentiable and actionable. Bases in consumer segmentation for Atlas Wiz maker. Geographic segmentation This shows how you divide the market into different geographical segments. Such as countries, cities etc. Atlas focuses on urban areas. Demographic segmentation This includes dividing the market into different demographic segments such as age group, gender etc. Atlas focuses mostly on the younger generation. Psychographic segmentation This is dividing the market into different groups based on social class, life style etc. Atlas mainly focuses on the middle class Behavioral segmentation This is when u divide the market into groups based on attitudes of the consumer , use of the product etc. Atlas mainly caters to the needs of younger students. Targeting The process which evaluates the segments attractiveness and selecting segments to offer their products is called targeting. In this step companies have to decide what is the most suitable segment to achieve their objectives. Its based on the result of ranking the segments. The target market which a set of buyers with common needs and characteristics that company decides to serve is selected by evaluating the followings. Market Attractiveness Competitive Factors Company objectives and resources Evaluating the segments Segments of Evaluation School Students University Students Office Workers Professionals Market Attractiveness Size of the group Growth rate High Average High Relatively Low Average Low Very Low Very Low Competitive Factors Level of competition Competitors High percentage of competition Reynolds, Richard Veny Average percentage of competition Renold Richard Veny Parker Average percentage of competition Renold Bic Cross Pilot High percentage of competition Parker Pilot Bic Cross Company Objectives and resources Contribution to market share High contribution Relatively high contribution Average contribution Low contribution Rank 1 2 3 4 Source : Authors Work Positioning Atlas Wizmaker is the new product. It stands not only for quality but also for innovation. Wiz maker product is a different positioning product .That means it competes for a smaller and less competitive market to locate a brand. wizmaker product check Positioning strategy focuses on, this products differentiation strategy. This new product is unique and will be profitable (for the market).And it also has other distinctive criterias that will differentiate it from the many other products. Points of differentiation Must be important and valued by your customers (for example, being marketed as an economical product in a give you an enhanced experience; and high value for money) Positioning your product needs to be focused on delivering A valued and distinctive product to a specific market and delivering in a way that customers accept (thats the hearts and minds part of the equation).This Atlas Wiz pen Good product positioning will make it easy for intended customers to define why they want to buy the product (they will see the unique benefits). Market leader (first in) This Wiz pen being challenged by market followers, focus the marketing message to reinforce this pen is the first (the real thing, rather than the imitation). Wiz pen positioning to Conduct market segmentation. Define the target market. Identify the product attributes. Determine the products share of heart and mind. Being first in the market usually is a significant benefit in mindshare. Place your product in the right space (e.g. economy market; low volume; Quality etc.) Positioning Map Display the consumer perceptions of their brand versus the competing product on important buying dimensions. This Atlas wiz product we can show like this Price Pilot Atlas wiz Parker H L H Quality L POSITIONING STATEMENT The positioning statement of Atlas Company is Be creative and that of Atlas Wizmaker is Atlas wizmaker- Its All You Need. The reason that it says so is because it has all, the pen, pencil, highlighter and eraser together in one product. Marketing mix Product The product which is being marketed is the Atlas wiz maker which is a stationary item which includes 4 main items important to any student, worker or employer. Several factors must be considered when this product is being marketed. Product levels Source: Core product The core product is a stationary item that includes a pen, pencil, eraser, and a highlighter together. Basic product This includes value for money, affordability and convenience. Expected product The buyer expects a product which is; Affordable Has value for money Convenient Augmented product A product with many features together. Potential product Individual product decisions Source: The Product This is an item which includes different items in one body. Thus it will be more portable and affordable. This is a revolutionary idea which has not been developed in the Sri Lankan market. Due to that special quality the demand will be much higher leading to greater profits. The body of the item has a simple cylinder shape which includes a detachable pencil head in one end. The other end of the cylinder consists of a ball point pen head which can be extended or withdrawn at will. The cylinder shape of the item is infused with an eraser which is mounted to the top of the device. It also has a highlighter included in it which comes in 3 colors which are pink, blue and purple to match the color of the pen. Branding This product is being manufactured by Atlas stationary limited (Pvt) therefore the brand of this produce will be Atlas. The company being a very well reputed brand in the Sri Lankan stationary market, people will be drawn to use the product because of low psychological fear created by strong brand image. Packing Packaging of this product is done with a plastic molding done on top of a cardboard structure (the structure is mainly a simple cylindrical shape). To be eye catching the product is packed in 3 different color schemes which are Blue, white and Pink. (This feature makes it stand out from the rest of the products packaging). Labeling This product will have the name of the product which is Wiz maker written on the body of the product. Availability Atlas has made sure its product is readily available. This product can be found in any book shop or any communication outlet. This includes major supermarket chains as well. Forecasted Product life cycle for Atlas wiz maker Source: Authors work Price The amount of money or the monetary value which is charged for a product can be defined as price. (Kotler 2006, p: 307) Special characteristics of price Most flexible element in marketing mix Only element of marketing mix which generate revenue. Pricing a new product is the most challengeable decision which managers have to take. Because customers buying decisions mostly depend on the price of the product . Therefore taking a successful pricing decision is very important to the company. Factors, influence to price Internal factors Company and marketing objectives With regard to Atlas company maximization long run profit, market share leadership and enhance the positive image of company and its products are main company and marketing objectives. Marketing mix strategy When deciding the price of Wiz Maker it must be matched with its design, distribution and promotion. Cost The cost of the product Wiz Maker will be directly affected to its pricing decision. Costs are mainly divided as fixed cost and variable cost. wiz makers fixed cost includes expenditures such as plant, equipment and executive salaries etc. Variable cost includes labor, material and other direct expenditures. External factors The nature of the market Atles Company has oligopoly market with few manufactures/distributers. The nature of demand There is no direct competitor to wiz maker in existing market. Therefore the demand will be inelastic to a certain extent. Competitors cost, prices and offers Company must consider the cost and prices of the stationeries in local market before setting the price. Customer expectations Customer expects convenience product in affordable fair price. Customer should be satisfied with the price and the value on return. Other external environmental factors Company must consider external environmental factors such as government policies, changes in tax policies and existing economic conditions before setting the price. Pricing Process Source: Authors work Selecting the pricing objectives The first step of pricing process is selecting an overall pricing goal for the company. Mainly the pricing objectives of Atlas company can be summarized as follows. Maximization long-run profit Maintain market share Enhance positive image of company and its products Be regarded as fair by customers. Determining demand Demand is a relationship between two variables which price and quantity. The quantity which customers are willing to buy is depend on the price if other factors are equal. Further demand and price have negative relationship. The result is if price is increased the demand will be decreased. Also Wiz makers demand will mainly depend on price. There are different methods to estimate demand of wiz maker. Conducting product experiments By asking customers that how many units they would buy at different proposed prices Estimating cost Mainly the cost of a product can be divided into two categories as fixed cost and variable cost. With regard to Atlas wiz maker fixed cost includes cost of purchasing needed machineries, equipments and other indirect expenditures such as executive salaries. Direct labor cost and materials such as plastic, ink and rubber will be included in variable cost. Total cost per unit Pen Special Pencil Highlighter Eraser Total cost Source : Authors work Analyzing competitors cost ,price and offers Atles market is a oligopoly market with few manufacturers. Further Atlas wiz maker is a innovative product. There is no same product to this malty task pen in stationery market. But customer will compare the prices of pens, pencils, erasers and highlighters in stationary market before buying wiz maker. Selecting the pricing strategy Considering all the above findings and overall pricing objectives market penetration strategy is the most suitable strategy to Atlas Wiz maker. But because this is a innovative product companys main objectives are maximum long run profit, maintain market share and provide the products in fair prices. This policy stimulates growth of the market for the new product and allows a large market share to be more quickly obtained. ( Hisrich Peters,1991 p:346) Selecting the final price The final step of pricing process is set the final price. After considering all the above facts Atlas Wis maker can be priced as follows. Pen Rs. 10.00 Special Pencil Rs. 20.00 Highlighter Rs. 40.00 Eraser Rs.5.00 Final price of Wiz maker Rs. 75.00 Place Place is the physical space of or virtual location where the product will be made available at the market place for target consumer. (lecture note) Distribution use to get the offering into the hands of the customer. These include: On-premise Sales involves the sale of your offering using a field sales organization that visits the prospects facilities to make the sale. Direct Sales involves the sale of your offering using a direct, in-house sales organization that does all selling through the Internet, telephone or mail order contact. Wholesale Sales involves the sale of your offering using intermediaries or middle-men to distribute your product or service to the retailers. Self-service Retail Sales involves the sale of your offering using self service retail methods of distribution. Full-service Retail Sales involves the sale of your offering through a full service retail distribution channel. Of course, making a decision about pricing, promotion and distribution is heavily influenced by some key factors in the industry and marketplace. These factors should be analyzed initially to create the strategy and then regularly monitored for changes. If any of them change substantially the strategy should be reevaluated Consumer Market Chanel (1Level) Distribution channel Is set of interdepended organization involved in the process of making a product available for customer The Nature of Distribution Channels Most businesses use third parties or intermediaries to bring their products to market. They try to forge a distribution channel which can be defined as All the organizations through which a product must pass between its point of production and consumption Why does a business give the job of selling its products to intermediaries? After all, using intermediaries means giving up some control over how products are sold and who they are sold to. The answer lies in efficiency of distribution costs. Intermediaries are specialists in selling. They have the contacts, experience and scale of operation which means that greater sales can be achieved than if the producing business tried run a sales operation itself. Functions of a Distribution Channel The main function of a distribution channel is to provide a link between production and consumption. Organizations that form any particular distribution channel perform many key functions: Information Gathering and distributing market research and intelligence important for marketing planning Promotion Developing and spreading communications about offers Contact Finding and communicating with prospective buyers Matching Adjusting the offer to fit a buyers needs, including grading, assembling and packaging Negotiation Reaching agreement on price and other terms of the offer Physical distribution Transporting and storing goods Financing Acquiring and using funds to cover the costs of the distribution channel Risk taking Assuming some commercial risks by operating the channel (e.g. holding stock) All of the above functions need to be undertaken in any market. The question is who performs them and how many levels there need to be in the distribution channel in order to make it cost effective. Numbers of Distribution Channel Levels Each layer of marketing intermediaries that performs some work in bringing the product to its final buyer is a channel level. The figure below shows some examples of channel levels for consumer marketing channels: Sale points Book shops, Food Cities (Cagiels, Arpico, Keells) http://tutor2u.net/business/marketing/distribution_introduction.asp

Jane Eyre - Woman as Demon Essay -- Jane Eyre Essays

Jane Eyre - Woman as Demon Missing Works Cited Women in Victorian literature often came to be seen as "the other" or in more direct terms, as somehow demonized. This is certainly true in Jane Eyre. Bertha Mason, Rochester's mad wife, is the epitome of the demon in the attic. By virtue of being the first wife she is in continually compared to Jane. Although there are parallels in plot and language between the two women, they are completely different people. In addition, Bronte also depicts other women throughout the novel as something to be feared. Whereas earlier in English literature, men were typically depicted as monsters, in the nineteenth century women came to be seen as threatening creatures. They entrap men through their sexuality and then reveal their true demon-like natures. Just as Jane is the angel in the house, Bertha represents her opposite--the demon in the house. Jane is a sober, sturdy Englishwoman of scrupulous morals. Bertha Mason, even before she goes mad, is depicted as an excitable foreigner of unacceptable values descended from a family of lunatics and idiots. She is shown as the exotic temptress whom Rochester cannot resist. He tells Jane: She flattered me, and lavishly displayed for my pleasure her charms and accomplishments. All the men in her circle seemed to admire her and envy me. I was dazzled, stimulated my senses were excited; and being ignorant, raw, and inexperienced, I thought I loved her (332; ch. 27) Bertha's behavior is diametrically opposed to Jane's. Jane does not flatter Rochester or over-stimulate his senses. Bronte is presenting readers with an ideal relationship as Jane and Rochester's marriage is not based on flirtation or lust alone. Bertha Mason is depicted as an Eve-li... ...od-tempered, and well-principled" (475; ch. 38). Thus, it is only through Jane's help and a proper English school that Adele ceases to be the exotic seducer. Many women in nineteenth century literature were depicted as demonized or something to be greatly feared either because of their sexuality or their resulting madness. Often times, these women were stereotyped as the "exotic other," such as Adele and Celine Varens. This is also true of Bertha Mason, Rochester's Creole wife, who has become a prisoner in the attic because of her madness. Bertha is often compared with Jane because of similar plot twists, but they are clearly intended as opposite characters. Because of Bertha's lax moral system she becomes prey to her own excesses. She suffers from moral madness which results from her lack of morality, and she is now depicted in all her brutish, vicious nature. Jane Eyre - Woman as Demon Essay -- Jane Eyre Essays Jane Eyre - Woman as Demon Missing Works Cited Women in Victorian literature often came to be seen as "the other" or in more direct terms, as somehow demonized. This is certainly true in Jane Eyre. Bertha Mason, Rochester's mad wife, is the epitome of the demon in the attic. By virtue of being the first wife she is in continually compared to Jane. Although there are parallels in plot and language between the two women, they are completely different people. In addition, Bronte also depicts other women throughout the novel as something to be feared. Whereas earlier in English literature, men were typically depicted as monsters, in the nineteenth century women came to be seen as threatening creatures. They entrap men through their sexuality and then reveal their true demon-like natures. Just as Jane is the angel in the house, Bertha represents her opposite--the demon in the house. Jane is a sober, sturdy Englishwoman of scrupulous morals. Bertha Mason, even before she goes mad, is depicted as an excitable foreigner of unacceptable values descended from a family of lunatics and idiots. She is shown as the exotic temptress whom Rochester cannot resist. He tells Jane: She flattered me, and lavishly displayed for my pleasure her charms and accomplishments. All the men in her circle seemed to admire her and envy me. I was dazzled, stimulated my senses were excited; and being ignorant, raw, and inexperienced, I thought I loved her (332; ch. 27) Bertha's behavior is diametrically opposed to Jane's. Jane does not flatter Rochester or over-stimulate his senses. Bronte is presenting readers with an ideal relationship as Jane and Rochester's marriage is not based on flirtation or lust alone. Bertha Mason is depicted as an Eve-li... ...od-tempered, and well-principled" (475; ch. 38). Thus, it is only through Jane's help and a proper English school that Adele ceases to be the exotic seducer. Many women in nineteenth century literature were depicted as demonized or something to be greatly feared either because of their sexuality or their resulting madness. Often times, these women were stereotyped as the "exotic other," such as Adele and Celine Varens. This is also true of Bertha Mason, Rochester's Creole wife, who has become a prisoner in the attic because of her madness. Bertha is often compared with Jane because of similar plot twists, but they are clearly intended as opposite characters. Because of Bertha's lax moral system she becomes prey to her own excesses. She suffers from moral madness which results from her lack of morality, and she is now depicted in all her brutish, vicious nature.

Organizational Behavior Unit 2 Discussion Essay

Attitudes and Behavior interrelates with each other. Important attitudes such as â€Å"self-interest† (Robbins, S. P., & Judge, T. A.2007) or that identifies with a group that is valued shows a strong relationship to behavior. Job involvement, job satisfaction and organizational commitment are moderating factors that can improve the statistical relationship between employee behavior and attitudes. An employee’s job involvement relates to how strongly they can identify with the work they care about in which they consider â€Å"their perceived work performance level important to self-worth† (Robbins, S. P., & Judge, T. A.2007). This basically means that employees who are deeply involved in their job are mostly satisfied and maintains a high performance in productivity than the employees who are dissatisfied. When an employee is satisfied with their job they are more confident and perform more positively with their productivity and maintains efficiency. Organizational commitment is a job attitude in which an employee identifies with an organization and its goals. Affective commitment (emotional attachment). Continuance commitment (someone remaining with the organization because of the salary and benefits) Normative commitment (when an employee hesitates to leave the organization because they â€Å"don’t want to leave the employer in a lurch†) (Robbins, S. P., & Judge, T. A.2007). Employee attitudes and behavior are important to an organization due to the negative impact that will cause a downfall in revenue and inefficient work flows in the organization. When an employee shows negative attitudes and behaviors towards their work ethics can at times negate the other employees’ behavior and attitudes, especially in a union environment.

Outline how legislation, policies and procedures relating to heath Essay

The Health and Safety at work act is a piece of legislation that is responsible for convering all health and safety in britain. However, the health and safety manager at individual establishments are responsible for carrying out the act and making sure everything is in cohearance with the piece of legislation. HASAWA influences health and social care in many different ways such as the protection it now gives to employers and employees, before this piece of legislation was made people had no legal protection whilst they were at work. HASAWA influences health and social as it tells the owner of a business, or establishment, what they need to be doing to make sure they are working in accordance to the legislation. Everyone has the duty to comply with the act, this includes employers, employees, trainees, self employed, manufacturers, suppliers ect. This legislation keeps people safe as it provides people with the instuctions to make their establishments safe for themselves and their emp loyees. HASAWA tells owners to carry out a risk assessment which points out the hazards that need to be changed and/or fixed. An example of legislation influencing a health and care setting is The Manual Handling Operations regualtion. MHOR is always thought to be the last resort, and only if there is a possibility of injury. Legislation tells emplyers and employees how to move and handle things appropriately and when it is and isn’t appropriate to move and handle things. Employers must carry out risk assessments before opening a business to find if there are any faults or dangers to the customers or employees. There must be a health and safety policy written specifically for that setting and someone must be employed to be in charge of health and safety. Everything in the establishment must be insured incase accidents occur. Employees must take responsibility of your own and other peoples health and  safety and not do anything that could cause someones health and safety to be put at risk. This influences the setting as it keeps people working or entering the setting safe and gives them the appropri ate instructions to keep them as safe as possible. It keeps people safe as it provides instructions and regulations that must be followed to keep everyone safe, and if everyone follows these regulations and instructions then their safety and health will be safe. Food Safety Act 1990 The Food Safety Act 1990 is a frame for all food legislation in Britain. Responsibilities for food businesses include: Ensuring you do not include anything in food or remove anything from food making it a hazard to the health of people consuming it. Advertising food in a way that isn’t misleading or false. The food safety act influences health in many different ways, it gives environmental health the right to inspect the quality of food, the place it is prepared and the place it is served and if it is not up to standard they have the power to close the establishment, in extreme cases. Before the establishment is closed down they are served a notice of improvement or be temporaraly closed until the standards are back up. Without the Food Safety Act food would be able to be served to you in any conditon, and if you became ill from that food you could not retain any form of compensation because there is no legislation telling the establishment how to cook, prepare and serve food safely. Employers and employees must make sure food is safe to eat, make sure they don’t add, remove or treat food in a way that makes it harmful to eat, make sure the quality of the food is the same as it is advertised or expected by the customer, Keep track of where the food was bought, if unsafe food is discovered it needs to be recorded and removed and tell people why the food has been recalled. There must be hand wash at all sinks and hands must be washed before touching food, after touching food, after using the toilet, after touching animals, after touching your own skin and hair, after sneezing or coughing and after touching raw food. Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995 RIDDOR is the piece of legislation that states all injuries, diseases, illnesses need to be reported to either the health and safety executive or  the local council. RIDDOR is put in place so that health and safety executives can look at where the risks occur and can take steps to prevent them. There are of course only certain injuries and dangerous occuurences that need to be reported, things such as violence at work, gas leaks, injuries that have occured during work or in the work place. RIDDOR also benefits people who have been injured at work and want compensation, health and safety executives follow up on the case and evaluate if the acdicent was because of the employee being put at risk or if they didnt follow procedure. The employers responsibility is to maintain the safety of their employees customers and they have the responsibility to report if an employee or customer has been injured whilst at wor k or in the establishment. Without RIDDOR, injuries caused in the workplace could not be claimed upon and the hazard could not be found and removed, if the hazard isn’t removed then people will be continuously be getting injured. The incidents need to be written in an accident book and should inlude the date and time of injury, the name of the worker, a description of the accident, action taken and the result. Slips, Trips, Falls Slips, trips and falls are the most common causes of major injuries in the work place. Most trips are caused by uneven or un-maintained floors, and slips are usually cased by wet floors. However, slips, trips and falls can be prevented if the right preventions and procedures are put into place and followed. The employers responsibilities are to make sure the floors serface is even and maintained, decreasing the risk of trips, all obstructions in hallways and on floors are removed and stored properly, this also decreases the risk of trips. All spillages should be immediately cleaned up using the appropriate method, usually a cloth or mop, and a wet floor sign should be appointed if needed, this decreases the risk of slips. Staffs responsibilities are to wear safe and sensible footwear which have good grip, and they must also keep their work stations clear and tidy, also both staff and service users have the responsibility to report obstructions and spillages if not recognised. The pol icy put in place ifluences health and care as it prevents the risks of slips, trips and falls, without it there would be no procedures to influence staff to remove the risks, such as obsticles that may cause trips. If staff, employees and the service users don’t follow the policies put in place then the risks of accidents will be raised, and if an accident does occur and they haven’t followed the procedures they were responsible to follow then they can’t claim any form of compensation.

Jonathan Pollard Biography

Jonathan Pollard Biography Free Online Research Papers Almost 20 years ago Jonathan Jay Pollard was arrested. Almost everybody here has heard of Jonathan Pollard, maybe you know he was convicted of a crime and has been sitting in jail for the last 20 years. Who is Jonathan Pollard? Born 1954 in Texas. Parents instilled a love of Israel. He became a Naval Intelligence Specialist in 1979 and got clearance to classified data in 1981. Pollard, a Jew, always had a love for the Land of Israel. He got upset when he realized that there was a lot of info that America had regarding specific threats to Israel that they were not forwarding to the Israelis. Later Pollard remarked that Soviet military equipment was â€Å"quietly entering the Middle East unnoticed by the Israelis who were depending upon the U.S. intelligence community for warning of such activity.† Also in 1981 Jay met Anne Henderson. In 1984 he was transferred to Anti-Terrorist Alert Center of the Naval Intelligence. Here was an assignment he heartily welcomed; to deal with potential terrorist threats. In 1983 President Ronald Reagan signed a bilateral intelligence-sharing agreement with Israel. The gist of the agreement was that America would share with Israel and vice-versa to exchange intelligence information pertaining to the security of each nation. Pollard was convinced that NIS officials were ignoring its directives. He claimed that he saw a photograph of a poison gas factory being constructed in Iraq and requested permission to transmit it to Israel. Jay said his superior laughed and said Jews were too sensitive about gas because of their experiences in World War II. All this led to Pollard’s decision to share info with Israel. He turned over thousands of documents that dealt with Israel and gave them over to Israeli Air Force Colonel Aviem Sella. He was put in contact with the colonel through a mutual friend. Before Sella agreed to talk with Pollard he got it cleared with the official Israelis through Yosef Yagur who worked at the Israeli consulate in New York for an intelligence gathering agency called LAKAM. Pollard gave over classified documents for about one year w/o incident. From 1984 until he was caught in the spring of 1985 by U.S. officials. He was caught when one of his superiors, James Agee was looking for info to force Pollard to quit. Pollard had become a slacker at work and seemed not to care about his job and they wanted to force him to quit or be fired. Through this scrutiny Agee realized that Pollard was constantly taking home documents. This led him to suspect him and ultimately realize Pollard was a full-fledged spy. Early on November 9, 1985, a Saturday morning, Agee was examining everything he could find in Pollard’s desk and work area. He had been doing it for several hours when the realization hit him like a bolt of lightning: â€Å"I’ve got a spy here!† When Jonathan realized they were on to him he got in touch with Sella. Now very nervous himself, Sella got in touch with Yagur. The latter gave him bad news. LAKAM had not made any escape plans for those involved in this operation. Sella was baffled. Yagur told him to just get himself out of the U.S. as soon as possible In the meantime Yagur and others were having a conference concerning the fate of the Pollards. â€Å"We’ve got to save them,† Yagur said. His superiors didn’t think so. He told Yagur and the others that they should get their own hides out of the United States as soon as possible. The upshot of their meeting was that Jonathan Jay Pollard would be left as the fall guy. Jay and Anne, of course, were not aware of this decision. Jay was convinced that the Israelis would rescue him. As soon as he could he jumped into his five-year-old green Mustang. The couple was driving to the Israeli embassy in Washington, D. C., believing that they would be given refuge there. When they got within sight of the light beige brick building, they saw its flag, made up of a crisp blue Star of David on a background of purest white, flying proud and high. That flag seemed to beckon them to safety and freedom. The gate of the embassy opened up for the car in front of the Mustang and Pollard zoomed in right behind it. They had made it! But no! The Israeli consulate security guards conferred with their superiors and came relayed the distressing news. The Pollards were not welcome. The Israeli’s would not take responsibility for the spy ring! Finally the anguished Pollard turned the car around and drove it out of the embassy but that was as far as the the couple got. Cars and vans carrying FBI agents surrounded the embassy. As soon as Jay got out of his car, he was arrested on charges of spying, handcuffed, and told his Miranda rights. As we all know Israel is on very-friendly terms with the U.S. That in itself lessens the severity of the crime. Also Pollard claims and it was never proven otherwise, he never gave over any of the American agents’ names. Now we go to the trial. Jonathan Pollard can’t be charged with treason because treason is a legal term reserved for spying for an enemy state usually during wartime. Jonathan Pollard was indicted on only one charge: one count of passing classified information to an ally, without intent to harm the United States. Pollard’s attorneys cut a deal with the prosecution. Their client would plead guilty if the prosecutors would not ask for the maximum sentence life in prison. The deal was accepted. Pollard pled guilty. Jay Pollard sat in the courtroom, visibly trembling, as he made the plea. The judge tried to impress the gravity of the situation upon the spy and make certain he knew that the deal carried no guarantee. â€Å"You realize I could still impose life imprisonment?† Robinson continued. â€Å"Yes,† Jay said. The sentencing took place nine months later. It was March 4, 1987. The day before sentencing then- Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger delivered a 46-page classified memorandum to the sentencing judge. We’ll get back to the document in a minute. At the summation prior to sentencing, the prosecutor, despite the plea agreement made it clear that a heinous crime had been committed. He went so far as to compare it to Soviet spies that had been convicted that year. The judge then passed the sentence; With respect to the defendant Jonathan Jay Pollard, who is being sentenced for violation of Title XVIII United States Code, Section 794c, I commit the defendant to the custody of the Attorney General or his authorized representative for his life.† People gasped at the harsh sentence. Anne Henderson-Pollard let out screams of grief. â€Å"No! No! No!† she cried even as she collapsed in a heap on the floor. Two female bailiffs helped the distraught woman to her feet. She was sobbing as she stood on rubbery legs. Many, perhaps most, observers were shocked that Jonathan Jay Pollard received a life sentence. After all, the government had not even asked for one. Following the plea agreement, they only requested a â€Å"substantial† term. At no point was Pollard formally charged with treason. No one else convicted of spying for an ally has gotten more than 14 years in prison. Several reasons have been suggested for Judge Aubrey Robinson’s unexpectedly severe judgment. The most consistent complaint is in regards to the writings of Caspar Weinberger just prior to sentencing. Weinberger was secretary of defense at the time of the Pollard sentencing. He wrote a 46-page memorandum about the harm caused by the defendant. He also wrote a letter delivered by courier to the judge just the day before sentencing. The memorandum was later released to the public with many sections blacked out for reasons of national security. The letter has never been made public. Exactly why the memorandum was submitted is in dispute. Observers first assumed that it was written and given to the judge at the request of the prosecutor, Joseph DiGenova. Later, DiGenova claimed it had been written at the invitation of the judge himself. Weinberger’s memorandum wrote of Pollard’s actions in the most damning terms. Among many other things, it said, â€Å"It is difficult for me . . . to conceive of a greater harm to national security than that caused by the defendant in view of the breadth, the critical importance to the United States and the high sensitivity of the information he sold to Israel . . . I respectfully submit that any U.S. citizen, and in particular a trusted government official, who sells U.S. secrets to any foreign nation should not be punished merely as a common criminal. Rather the punishment imposed should reflect the perfidy of the individual actions, the magnitude of the treason committed, and the needs of national security.† The word â€Å"any† is underlined in the original, reflecting Weinberger’s belief that Pollard should not be given leniency because he spied for a friend. However, there is an important point overlooked by Weinberger, Hersh, and the many others who call Pollard a â€Å"traitor.† In the United States constitution, treason is defined as â€Å"levying war against them (the United States), or in adhering to their Enemies, giving them Aid and Comfort.† Pollard never acted on behalf of an enemy of the United States. The Jonathan Jay Pollard case remains a political hot potato. The question of anti-Semitism hovers over it. Is Pollard being treated more severely than another spy would because he is Jewish? Some well-informed observers believe so. .† Time for Jonathan Jay Pollard has been among the hardest possible. He is in prison as someone commonly called a â€Å"traitor.† He is a Jew in a prison system in which there are few Jews and many anti-Semites. In an interview with Wolf Blitzer that took place while Pollard was awaiting trial and still in jail, Jay told the writer that he lived in constant fear since both the Aryan Brotherhood and Black Muslims – two groups usually at each others’ throats – have vowed to kill him. Supporters of Jay Pollard believed he stood a good chance of securing his freedom when a lame-duck President Bill Clinton began looking into last minute pardons. Their hopes were dashed for, although Clinton pardoned more than 140 people during his last days as president, Pollard was not among them. The pardoned included Whitewater figure Susan McDougal, Clinton’s half-brother Roger Clinton, and, most famously, financier Marc Rich who had fled the country to avoid facing an array of charges including many counts of tax evasion and racketeering. Many years have gone by since Jay Pollard was a free man. He is now housed at the federal penitentiary in Butner, North Carolina. His receding hairline has become a bald dome. The remaining black hairs have so mixed with white as to make his hair look a dull, dusty brown. He wears it in a longish fashion that, together with beard and mustache, gives him the look of an old-time hippie. Whether awake or asleep, he spends much of each day dreaming, as he has for so much of his life, of living in his dear Israel. Bibliography: Court TV’s Crime Library, by Denise Noe Territory of Lies, by Wolf Blitzer Executive Summary of the Current Legal Proceedings, by CURTIS, MALLET-PREVOST, COLT MOSLE LLP Attorneys for Jonathan Pollard Research Papers on Jonathan Pollard BiographyCanaanite Influence on the Early Israelite ReligionHip-Hop is ArtThe Spring and AutumnQuebec and CanadaStandardized TestingAppeasement Policy Towards the Outbreak of World War 2Analysis of Ebay Expanding into AsiaNever Been Kicked Out of a Place This NiceThe Effects of Illegal ImmigrationOpen Architechture a white paper

Free Essays on Vicenente Aleixandre

like lips in, 1932, Pasà ­on de la Tierra which is Passion for the Earth in 1935 and La Destruccià ³n o el amor which is Destruction of Love, in 1935. However, it is with Aleixan... Free Essays on Vicenente Aleixandre Free Essays on Vicenente Aleixandre Vicente Aleixandre Spainish Poet Aleixandre is one of the most successful Spanish poets to both survive the Civil War and remain in Spain afterwards. A large part of this is due to the fact that his poems were non- political in nature. Aleixandre had a long-suffering struggle with tubercular nephritis, which kept him bed-ridden in a mountain retreat for much of the war. Aleixandre's significant contributions to modern poetry were recognized with the receipt of the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1977, He was 79 years old! Vicente Aleixandre was born in Seville, in 1898. He led a happy childhood. His father was an engineer, and the family was very close-knit. In fact, following their parents deaths, His moms in 1934 and his father in1940, both Vicente and his sister, Conchita, continued to live together in their parent's house. The family moved to Mlaga in 1902, and this scenic, coastal village proved to be a strong inspiration to Aleixandre's early poetry. He often evoked images of the sea and sun. However, he was late in developing as a poet. In college, Aleixandre studied business law and became a University law teacher in Madrid when he was only 22 years old. It was not until a close friend and poet, Dmaso Alonso, gave him a book of poetry by Rubà ©n Darà ­o, that he began writing in secret. Aleixandre did not devote himself to his hidden passion, until his illness forced him to leave his job at the age of 27. His early publications were well regarded and Vicente Aleixandre was rewarded Spain's National Prize for Literature in 1933 for his first four publications: mbito in english it is Ambit in Swords like lips in 1928, Espadas como labios which in english is Swords like lips in, 1932, Pasà ­on de la Tierra which is Passion for the Earth in 1935 and La Destruccià ³n o el amor which is Destruction of Love, in 1935. However, it is with Aleixan...

Hiv / Aids And Aids Essay -- AIDS, Immune system, HIV, South Africa

The entirety of the population of South Africa has been adversely affected by HIV/AIDS both in regards to the health of the people, and the economy of the country (Barks-Ruggles). For a few years now, the GDP of South Africa seems to have peaked in 2010, and has consistently lowered since. While not all of this is the result of HIV/AIDS, some of it is related. HIV/AIDS can affect the economy of South Africa in many ways, one such way is that it can it can lead to the death of many current and potential workers. As of 2015, the percentage of HIV prevalence in the population of population of South Africa is 19.1 (HIV). Another concern for the economy of South Africa comes from how productivity could be... ... middle of paper ... ...s languages of South Africa, who could teach communities about the virus, and could teach them how to treat those with the disease themselves would be a great step forward. I would also advise that we set up more clinics trained to help those with HIV/AIDS in areas of South Africa where it is most prevalent, such as KwaZulu-Natal, where as of 2009 around 39 percent of the adult population are infected (Dugger). If the areas with the highest amount of those with HIV/AIDS are targeted, it could lead to the information being spread out from there. The charity program AVERT based out of Brighton, United Kingdom, has been suggesting similar ideas, and is currently focusing their efforts towards helping those in the hotspots in South Africa. In short, HIV/AIDS must be combated if the world, let alone South Africa, wants to be able to control the rate at which it is spread.

The cultural context Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The cultural context - Essay Example Overview: Topdog/Underdog is a story about two Afro-American brothers in their 30’s racing with life, with each other and with themselves. They were named as Lincoln and Booth by their alcoholic and adulterous father as a practical joke. They were both abandoned by their parents at their early age, thus, they struggled through life with each other’s companion and help. The older brother Lincoln, who was just kicked-out by his ex-wife from their house, lived together with his younger brother Booth in a shabby, lowly and dilapidated boarding house room. He continuously reminisce his past life where he was at his prime with his wife and with a blooming career as a card expert on a con game of three-card monte. He gave up his natural skills and career with cards after he witnessed the death of his street partner. He just settled for a dry and monotonous career posing as President Abraham Lincoln reenacting the final hours of his life. Customers came and shoot him with a cap gun. Because he’s black, he’s supposed to wear a white-face make-up and dress up like the president. Booth on the other hand is an ambitious, impulsive, impatient and arrogant guy. He wanted to gain fortune in an instant, thus, he practiced his brother’s skill in three-card monte quite religiously. ... All throughout the play, the dialogues exchanged by the two brothers reveal their competition with each other. They thrive to control one another where at a given moment one successfully gained control over the other only to have the situation reversed at another moment. They encourage, insult, tease and support each other. The brother’s heavy dialogues reveal the characteristics of the two as misguided, impoverished and illusory yet in all essence showcase very human realities. The play ended quite explosively where the younger brother Booth pulled the trigger against his older brother Lincoln. It was a violent scene but remarked by the play writer as very significant. Their names may have predestined their fate but the play writer has something deeper in the sense of the whole play. There are a lot impacts that the play has touched both in the historical, social, racial and cultural context. Impact of Topdog/Underdog: Topdog/Underdog is a story of life. It reveals the harsh reality of life with a touch of humor. The brothers’ characters are able to captivate the audience with their humor, insults, encouragement and other emotions trailed on the many heavy dialogues exchanged with one another. The story reveals the reality of life as a dog-eat-dog world. It is a story relative to the many stories that have been known throughout history where the race between two fraternal rivals is showcased. There have been many stories about it such as Cain and Abel or Remus and Romulus (Bradford). The two brothers are racing against life. Their dreams in contrast with the real outcome happening in their lives are just but shadows of what is really happening in this harsh world. In fact, the scenarios revealed in their dialogues are just but human and very normal events

FBI case study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

FBI case study - Essay Example FBI only hires the crà ¨me of people who are perfectly capable in all aspects for the job. But for some people, this process might be too rigorous and tough to worth trying for. Another disadvantage is that it does not test the social behaviour of a candidate. For a job that appeals rewarding to me, I will try my utmost to get it irrespective of how long and rigorous the screening process is. FBI agent is a job that some people are highly passionate about. No doubt the long and screening process turn some people off, but if someone is passionate about the job, I believe for that person it will be a positive challenge to pass through all the hurdles and become an FBI special agent. I am a person whose need for achievement is very high. Therefore, passing the process and getting into FBI will help me attain that sense of achievement. FBI can do various things to make people accept the job offers. First of all they should increase salaries, give fringe benefits; give security to the FBI agents’ families. Apart from that, FBI should do good employer branding to attract excellent candidates. When an organization promotes itself for getting employees, and communicates how noble the work is, people naturally get attracted towards the job

Western civilization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 9

Western civilization - Essay Example al sources such as Exodus, Homer’s Odyssey and Herodotus represent a distinctively â€Å"western† perspective not just by having elements which resemble western total way of life, but by actually having generated and shaped western political, social and economic way of life. According to Fanfan (2007), one of the indicators of Homer’s Odyssey being a reflection of western perspective is seen in Agamemnon’s act of assembling his Greek army to invade other kingdoms such as Thessaly, the Messenians, the Arcadians, the Opeians and the Greeks. To Agamemnon the king of Mycenae, his kingdom was to spread through military conquests and treaties. This is in line with the western perspective of international politics and seeking state interests which is deeply hegemonic in nature. The hegemonic nature of the western world is exemplified by the occupation of America by the settlers, once Christopher Columbus discovered it in 1492, the Scramble and Partition for Africa, colonialism, World War I and II. All these were attempts to perpetuate the strength and interests of a state or a nation-state. The same has not changed even presently, since western countries still use neocolonialism to economically and socio-politically subjugate developing

Branding, Pricing and Distribution Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Branding, Pricing and Distribution - Assignment Example Based on psychographic variables, BEVRET offers a drink not just to quench thirst but as a lifestyle beverage. Thus the beverage should be promoted as a drink that stirs imagination. The tagline for the brand should be Drink fresh; Live life! Or, we love to see you live! This is meant to attract people who want to really live and not just exist! Brands are sold through feelings and the brand should be able to create an emotional link between the consumer and the brand (Moorthi, 2004). The logo should be trendy and carry the flavor of the new age and be futuristic. It should feature in all points of communication. Since most popular brands in Europe have been selling for a long time, BEVRET should create a point of differentiation in packaging. This differentiation is essential as the product will sit on the shelf with probably ten other products. It should use neon colors in packaging because color is the first touch point with the customer. Color influences emotion and the first poi nt of interaction is shaped by color. About 60-80% of the purchase decision is based on product color (Markowitz, 2010). Neon colors are bright and attract immediate attention. Apart from color, packaging should also focus on the container in which beer is sold. If the container can be made of a material that can be used to drink beer as well, small package containing one serving of beer, it would serve multi-purpose, benefit the customer, benefit the environment and also be cost-effective for the company. To enhance branding, BEVRET should have strong activity on the social media. Europeans are sport lovers and hence sponsorship of sports can enhance brand value. In addition, as the social media is the most popular promotional tool, BEVRET should invite online discussions on short documentaries created on sports personalities. Its tagline and logo should be included in all its mails that go viral. The tagline should become the point of identification for the brand. In addition, the brand should associate with leading restaurants and pubs, and participate in events such as Valentine’s Day. Promotion material can take the form of messages made viral through the social media. The events should be promoted through the social media and special beer offers should be made for those purchasing coupons through the social media. Promotional brochures should also be placed at all convenience stores, at the local gyms, pubs and social clubs. These brochures can carry limited validity coupons as a market entry strategy, offering discounts. Initially for the first few months, the company can distribute free t-shirts with BEVRET logo and tagline with a certain amount of purchases. Pricing Pricing decision includes profit margins, discounts, margin for retailers and wholesalers. It also has to be based on product demand and competitor pricing. Competition is high and the beer market is concentrated and hence the pricing has to consider competition pricing. When the br and value increases, pricing can be increased but initially to capture a sizeable market, pricing should be kept low. At the same time, discounts can be offered in markets closer to breweries as the transportation costs would be low or negligible. Within Europe beer prices differ across regions and countries. The variation in prices can be considerable and these variations occur because of cost variations as well as the ability of the brewers to price discriminate (EconomicsOnline, 2011). If certain necessary conditions are

Why it is Important for those in the Criminal Justice field to have Research Paper

Why it is Important for those in the Criminal Justice field to have good character - Research Paper Example Various people who assist or serve in distinguished capacities of the criminal justice system include the judges, legislators, prosecutors, prison supervisors, police officers and advocates among others. They are all faced by challenging situations that put to test, their moral conduct, but have to take responsibility and execute their functions ethically. In a way, they hold a special position, which they can exploit to influence citizens, offenders, co-workers, and least themselves into having a sense of what is right and wrong. The public servants The criminal justice system is a central institution which any public member expresses some form of trust in. Citizens call the police for help and have their cases taken t to court because they have the confidence that those in these positions will serve them with loyalty, courage and honesty. According to Pollock, being a public servant in criminal justice field entails performing special duties involving the public trust; and as such they take oaths to be guardians of public interest (6). Their positions are those of leaders with a great impact on the public. The public looks at them with much expectation, to commit themselves to the assigned roles (whether to govern or guard the people) and do the right thing without taking advantage of them. It is a challenging job that requires refraining from unethical compromises in the field. However, despite the being paid from the public funds, some servants do not live to fulfill their promise and have been involved in corrupt acts and intimidation cases while on duty. These are people who have been entrusted with the public interests, but use their positions to enrich and serve themselves, which is an abuse of office. It would be unfair if the public is left to be led or served by servants who harass, deceive, and are unreliable or disloyal to them. As a public member, one would expect the police to arrest criminals and the judges to be available and decide with fairne ss, but not to free a criminal just because he is willing to part with a bundle of cash. Public servants ought to have exemplary standards, be reliable and available when needed, talk and exercise honesty with respect and without compromise. For the purpose of discretional powers The manner in which each one of them can make a decision in duty is fundamental. Those who work in the field have to make official decisions using their reasonable judgment and at least guided by the law in discharging of public duties. The decisions they make are arguably different, but in general, they involve power over others, whom they guard or govern. Good characters would lead them to make right decisions from the acceptable alternatives, instead of abusing the allotted discretional powers. In Article III and section 2of the US constitution, the judiciary is granted broad discretional powers that the jury can use while handling cases. Each is faced with choices; judges can approve or disapprove a cas e, police can arrest or release a suspect, legislators can point to legal or illegal behaviors punishable by law, and the correctional officers can either fail or offer counsel to the inmates, depending on how they use their discretional powers. However, the choices they make have to be within their powers, and free from third party influence, which calls for their good character. The decisions made have to be out of good faith, for proper and logical reasons after considering various issues or evidences (Ombudsman Western Australia â€Å"Guidelines: Exercise of discretion†). The public lies at the risk of being intimidated or even denied freedom by professionals who abuse their discretional powers in the field; to deny people their rights in the areas professionals’

Human Resources Question Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Human Resources Question Paper - Essay Example Therefore, acquiring and training the personnel is the most important aspect in being able to balance the company’s goals and compete with others. This is so, because when you appoint someone to a given position you require from him to posses particular education and work background, so that he can contribute for the developing for the company. So selecting the appropriate candidates is essential for company’s growth and competitiveness. Cohen (1991) states that by raising the corporate training employees are more predisposed to seek self-initiative and demand from their managers broader possibilities in their work liberties. Consequently, employees who have greater freedom to maneuver in their work can bring brighter ideas within the company and aid to its competitiveness. The preparation or training will provide the employees with specific internal competences about the position they hold and the work specificities. So combining the initial training with the already proven previous work experiences, the employee will be able to exceed in his work and instigate towards excellence. The training equips workers to carry out their duties and engage in personal development as well as company’s growth. Therefore, when one strives to grow in his positions, he will come up with clear and innovative ideas to guarantee the higher position. In my opinion, compensating human resources will contribute the least, because when individuals are looking for a career to grow, the amount of salary received is not the moving element. They know that they will be remunerated each month, so unless they are sales representatives and have a target to meet, they will not contribute to the competitive aspirations of the managers. Bonuses and other monetary stimulations are effective to a degree, they can stimulate the employees to come up with new ideas and to engage in the work processes more actively. However, if they do not hold personal

Why it is Important for those in the Criminal Justice field to have Research Paper

Why it is Important for those in the Criminal Justice field to have good character - Research Paper Example Various people who assist or serve in distinguished capacities of the criminal justice system include the judges, legislators, prosecutors, prison supervisors, police officers and advocates among others. They are all faced by challenging situations that put to test, their moral conduct, but have to take responsibility and execute their functions ethically. In a way, they hold a special position, which they can exploit to influence citizens, offenders, co-workers, and least themselves into having a sense of what is right and wrong. The public servants The criminal justice system is a central institution which any public member expresses some form of trust in. Citizens call the police for help and have their cases taken t to court because they have the confidence that those in these positions will serve them with loyalty, courage and honesty. According to Pollock, being a public servant in criminal justice field entails performing special duties involving the public trust; and as such they take oaths to be guardians of public interest (6). Their positions are those of leaders with a great impact on the public. The public looks at them with much expectation, to commit themselves to the assigned roles (whether to govern or guard the people) and do the right thing without taking advantage of them. It is a challenging job that requires refraining from unethical compromises in the field. However, despite the being paid from the public funds, some servants do not live to fulfill their promise and have been involved in corrupt acts and intimidation cases while on duty. These are people who have been entrusted with the public interests, but use their positions to enrich and serve themselves, which is an abuse of office. It would be unfair if the public is left to be led or served by servants who harass, deceive, and are unreliable or disloyal to them. As a public member, one would expect the police to arrest criminals and the judges to be available and decide with fairne ss, but not to free a criminal just because he is willing to part with a bundle of cash. Public servants ought to have exemplary standards, be reliable and available when needed, talk and exercise honesty with respect and without compromise. For the purpose of discretional powers The manner in which each one of them can make a decision in duty is fundamental. Those who work in the field have to make official decisions using their reasonable judgment and at least guided by the law in discharging of public duties. The decisions they make are arguably different, but in general, they involve power over others, whom they guard or govern. Good characters would lead them to make right decisions from the acceptable alternatives, instead of abusing the allotted discretional powers. In Article III and section 2of the US constitution, the judiciary is granted broad discretional powers that the jury can use while handling cases. Each is faced with choices; judges can approve or disapprove a cas e, police can arrest or release a suspect, legislators can point to legal or illegal behaviors punishable by law, and the correctional officers can either fail or offer counsel to the inmates, depending on how they use their discretional powers. However, the choices they make have to be within their powers, and free from third party influence, which calls for their good character. The decisions made have to be out of good faith, for proper and logical reasons after considering various issues or evidences (Ombudsman Western Australia â€Å"Guidelines: Exercise of discretion†). The public lies at the risk of being intimidated or even denied freedom by professionals who abuse their discretional powers in the field; to deny people their rights in the areas professionals’

Use of Visual Aides in the Modern Classroom Essay Example for Free

Use of Visual Aides in the Modern Classroom Essay Visual aides have become important to the learning processes of children in all grades of school. From simple skits to enhanced computer calculations and comparisons, teachers everywhere are learning the power of having their students visualize and take part in what they are expected to learn. This process is a great departure from the classic learning model of reading along and taking notes, so it takes some teachers and faculty a while to accept and learn new styles of teaching. The three articles that I have chosen show the value of visual aides in the classroom, but also note the difficulties of changing long held educational beliefs. â€Å"You Gotta Have Art! †, by Roger Glass and Priscilla Nemeth, describes the impact of visual learning in classes around the United States. For example, in order to visualize â€Å"natural environments found in Florida†, students were prompted to paint a mural on a school wall showing what they had learned in their science class. The mural was a way to learn as well as a point of pride to the children who helped create it (Glass Nemeth, 2003, para. 5). Other schools use â€Å"a print of the city† to teach local history and geography, instead of simply using a plain map. The print allows children to see the buildings and sites that they discuss in class, rather than just have the areas pointed out to them on a basic city map that includes only streets and symbols (Glass Nemeth, 2003, para. 3). The results have been more than anyone could have expected. Attendance and discipline have improved in the schools that promote visuals in the classroom, and scores on standardized tests have risen dramatically (Glass and Nemeth, 2003, para. 2). It is apparent from this article that allowing children to see what is special about a subject, and also take part in projects that they can be proud of, encourages them to come to school interested and ready to learn. â€Å"Talking Science, Modeling Scientists†, by Elizabeth Edmondson, William H. Leonard, Chris Peters, and Anna O. Baldwin, describes a program in place in South Carolina schools that lets the students learn visually in class and then share the knowledge with students in other schools who are learning the same lesson. Students were taught a science unit on electric circuits by such means as â€Å"lighting a bulb with a battery, bulb, and wire, constructing a flashlight using a series or parallel circuit and switch, and designing and wiring a simple cardboard house† (Edmondson, et al. , 2006, p. 29). The learning did not stop there. Students learned to write about what they had visually learned, and then shared the information with student partners over a special system. (Edmondson, et al. , 2006, p. 30). This system allowed students from each school to post questions and answers to each other by means of a dedicated message board (Edmondson, et al, 2006, p. 30). Students were encouraged to â€Å"buddy up† and work on projects together (Edmondson, et al, 2006, p. 30). Also, those having trouble learning were paired with those who had a mastery of the subject, so long distance peer tutoring occurred as well (Edmondson, et al, 2006, pg. 31). Teachers reported that this system of visual and hands on learning much improved the students’ comprehension levels and incidently improved their writing skills due to the reports that they posted (Edmondson, et al. , 2006, p. 31-32). This project not only serves as an interest to children who easily catch on to the lesson, but it also gives them a chance to help fellow students who are struggling. Achievement is possible for all with this method, and it would be especially productive if a â€Å"richer† school district paired up with one that did not have the same luxuries. â€Å"Meet Mr. Shannon†, by Kristin Kearns Jordan, gives a viewpoint from a school in New York that struggles to add visual learning methods to their curriculum. The person in the title, Mr. Frederick Shannon, is considered a â€Å"master teacher† with his own manner of instruction called the â€Å"Shannon Plan† (Jordan, 2003, para. 2). He has used this method of primarily visual learning for twenty-five years, and he helps new teachers put it into place (Jordan, 2003, para. 2). For example, one teacher has picked up the habit of having a student dress as a â€Å"hamburger† to illustrate how a paragraph should be written. The â€Å"bun† simulates a strong opening and closing sentence, and the â€Å"meat† simulates the important information that should be given within the paragraph. She also uses â€Å"hand signals† to teach the components of a plot (Jordan, 2003, para. 4). Unfortunately, this school is plagued by regulations that cause the teachers to have to take classes on theory, which makes them not have time for special learning techniques (Jordan, 2003, para. 56). In this school, visual learning has to fall by the wayside. Considering that children now have to pass competency tests to move to the next grade, and seniors have to pass a graduation exam to receive a diploma, there is often little chance for teachers to vary from the standard program in their classes. It is little wonder that children with no chance for variation from the basic lessons tend to dislike school All three of these articles contain teachers who are ready and willing to use visual learning techniques, but some are much more lucky than others. Consider the South Carolina schools that have an expensive, state of the art visual program, and then think of the New York schools that are so bound in regulation that they can barely manage to fit a few skits in their lessons. Most schools will fall in the middle ground of using art and pictures as visual aides. In every case, though, visual elements enhanced the learning process, which should prove to even the most doubtful person that taking time for special types of learning enhances the educational experience. Notes and readings are not the only way to learn, and our nation’s educational system needs to bear that fact in mind if we are going to produce top caliber graduates.

Good practice: adults

Good practice: adults Good Practice: Adults This assignment will focus on a case from practice, demonstrating the challenges in promoting independence specifically in vulnerable elderly adults while balancing risk and autonomy. Furthermore, this work will demonstrate problem solving skills, drawing on legislation, research and principles of good practice in the context of Adult Services from an inter-professional perspective. The Department Of Health defines a vulnerable person as: Someone who is or may be in need of community care services by reason of mental or other disability, age or illness and who is or may be unable to take care of him or herself against significant harm or exploitation. (DOH 1999). Background of case: Mrs A is eighty two years old, has mild learning difficulties and lives alone in her own home since the death of her husband one year ago. She has a daughter who visits occasionally due to their difficult relationship.   Mrs A was referred by her GP as she had been feeling unwell for some time; she has diabetes and sometimes forgets to take her medication. Mrs A has refused help in the past by various care services due to lack of trust and sees their involvement as an intrusion in her private life. Working within the field of the elderly in adult social services is described as Gerontological Social Work (Nathanson and Tirrito 1998). There are specifics needs that older people experience, the more informed a social worker is about the elderly and their requirements the better chances are that the social worker will provide the right services.It is essential to gain a clear understanding of economic, social and cultural factors and life perspective followed by an understanding of the need for service. The Valuing People policy is the first White Paper in almost forty years since Better Services for the Mentally Handicapped (1971).The aim then was to close large institutions and to integrate people into the community (www.mind.org.uk). Valuing People aimed to transform the lives of adults and children with learning disabilities through a person-centred approach and to enable people to become empowered in order for them to be included in society. This policy is one in a series of policies that are an example of the political driver of change such as the White Paper, Our Health, Our Care, Our Say: A New Direction for Community Services (2006) that are aiming to transform social care and to give service users more choice and to make the system more personalised (Johnson Williams, 2007). The 1989 White Paper, Caring for People states the duties of local health authorities to assess people needing social care and/or support. It is based on the assumption that community care is the best form of care available. The White Paper states that the proposed changes are intended to, first of all, enable people to live as normal a life as possible in their own homes or in a homely environment within the community. This is especially important in the long-term needs of the elderly, whom have long expressed their wish to be able to stay in their homes. Furthermore, local authorities must provide the right amount of care and support to enable people to achieve maximum independence and provide people with a greater say in their lives and the services they need. This is particularly significant with elderly people. Many older people are not in need of 24-hour care that a nursing home would provide they may just need a small amount of help, maybe for a couple of hours a day. Although the majority of people over the age of 65 live independently and have no major care needs, a significant minority do have some problems with physical and mental health. 1 in 10 elderly people suffer from forms of senile dementia. It can be seen that it is simple day-to-day things that most elderly people require assistance with. Their main wish is clear; they simply want to stay in their own homes or in the homes of their family. (HMSO 1989). The Social Worker requires Mrs As consent to an assessment and if eligible, a care plan, while making it clear that she has the right to refuse. When working in partnership with a service user and their family, the worker needs to take account of Trevthicks (2002) fifteen points to effective partnership working. These include explaining to the family their role and power to intervene. A clear mandate is the basis of a partnership-based intervention and sensitivity given to power imbalances involving family consultation and participation in decision-making and problem solving (Bray 2001). The whole team working with Mrs A have a duty to be aware of her individual rights to confidentiality, choice, dignity, respect, autonomy, cultural, and equity. Elderly people need to be active participants rather than active recipients. The task is not to look after, but to motivate, empower and promote self-esteem. (Hughes et al 1995). A number of vulnerable adults are oblivious to the fact that they need any help; therefore it is essential that when a concern is highlighted, it is acted upon instantly to prevent the situation deteriorating. Many adults are also too proud to ask for help and as a result recognition of their vulnerability is only identified as shown in Mrs As case by a GP. Detection of vulnerability may also be triggered by an admission to hospital or a concernedfriend or family member contacting the social services department. During a visit by the social worker, it is clear that Mrs A had been seriously neglecting her needs; she is underweight and neglecting her hygiene. The misuse of medication is in itself a risk of covert self abuse, and could have resulted in her death. Abuse can take place in many different contexts and it is important not to exploit a vulnerable persons civil rights. Mrs A has mistrust with other people becoming involved in her life. Therefore when and how to intervene builds on the concept of significant harm introduced in the Childrens Act. When making an assessment of an individual, many factors need to be considered, for example, the extent of vulnerability and risk of repeated acts that meet the criteria of the Community Care Act 1990. To ignore the assessment of older people can be an example of ageism in its own right, contributing to an elderly person feeling disempowered. Assumptions about older people include older people are poor, lonely, are ill, no longer contributing to the economy and seen as a burden.   When working with older people it is important not to make these stereotypical assumptions and generalise. Not all the elderly have the same characteristics; a sixty five and a ninety year old are classed as one group. Although aging is inevitable, and people experience similar patterns and problems of aging, there are also wide-spread differences in aging patterns (Applewhite 1998:5). Acknowledging that each individual will be at a different stage in his or her life, needs and circumstances will vary, including different ethnic minority groups to avoid making ageist assumptions and avoiding all stereotypes and stigmas. To work effectively with older people, one must develop anti ageist practice. Midwinter (1993) says that old age is like having returned to a second childhood where others will make decisions for you. Working in partnership, the Social Worker and the GP/nurse may encourage Mrs A to engage respite care (enablement) for up to six weeks to avoid being admitted to hospital. During respite care an assessment of her needs will evaluate the level of support that will be required (if any) when Mrs A returns to her home. Mrs As daughter may request that her mother be put into a care home, while Mrs A is adamant that she can care for herself at home with some support. Within the risk assessment process family members may worry about the social workers ability to recognize potential risk for their relatives, therefore a balance between extending barriers in some areas of risk and minimizing risk in others areas needs to be made. Using a utilitarian approach, it is the social workers job to assess the whole situation and work for a solution in the best interests of all concerned. (Banks 2001:28). The Social Workers ultimate aim is to support Mrs As rights to control her life and make informed choices about the services that she receives (GSCC 1.1). Good practice dictates working in partnership with service users to encourage greater trust and empowerment of clients. In turn, they are likely to feel more confident in talking about their fears, and worries and possible abuse. Health and Social care agencies working together is only a part of an overall strategy to protect vulnerable adults from abuse. Enabling service users to recognise abuse and knowing how to alert others to this is another strategy. It also ensures an agreed approach that all involved are aware of and can monitor. Protection is provided by the clarity of the situation. It is important that health and care social workers act as good role models in terms of worker-user relationships as this helps the service user to recognise when the relationship is abusive. In addition, it is important for professionals to enable service users to know how to protect themselves, such as building positive self-esteem through knowing their rights and knowing how to complain. (Pub lic Interest Disclosure Act 1998). An Adult Protection policy will identify and help support Mrs As decisions for her care and help her to understand risks and the services available to her. The social worker has to constantly question their own judgement and ensure they listen to the service users view while assessing if Mrs A is capable of making an informed choice taking into account her rights and the needs of her family. It is a requirement to assess if Mrs A has the capacity to make her own decisions and if she is incapable by reason, for instance, of mental illness under the Mental Capacity Act 2005, the decision will be made for her. If it is deemed that Mrs A has capacity she has the right to live in whatever way she chooses;   should her choice includes staying at home without help from services her health could be at risk and she may enter a revolving door policy in and out of health care provision.   Providing support to Mrs A does not eliminate her susceptibility. If an individual is living alone and receiving services to support their needs, they still have a level of vulnerability. Elderly people at home are more at risk from abuse by strangers than if they were living in supported accommodation. They are at risk from people calling and gaining access through force or intimidation, who either steal from them or charge very expensive rates for minor repairs. They are also at risk from physical and sexual abuse as there is no one there to stop the perpetrator. Mrs A has health and social care needs and is seen to be at risk from self-neglect and possibly neglect by others, including services if insufficient or inappropriate support is provided to adequately support her well being.   (Pritchard, J 2008). Home may be Mrs As choice, however the assessment will consider balancing risk and autonomy. The social worker can identify Mrs As strengths and skills and identify ways in which these can be improved upon. There are services available that can supply security systems to protect from theft, and physical abuse, and other environmental variables, these are implemented with clear guidelines and the coordination of multi agency workers, working together to deliver a programme of care in the best interest of Mrs As needs and individual choices. Parsloe (1999) stresses that there is a strong presumption that older people should exercise choice and be given opportunities to take risks towards maintaining their independence and self-determination unless or until their capacity to do so is seriously impaired. This notion is acceptable, but as seen with Mrs A there is also a high risk of illness due to poor self medication; this is sometimes overlooked as the risk-taking model is more promoted than risk minimisation. People are allowed to take a well-informed risk so long as they do not endanger themselves or others GSCC (2002). A presumption in this case is that Mrs A has capacity: the challenge here is to recognise that service users have the right to take risks and helping them to identify and manage potential and actual risks to themselves and others; (GSCC 4.1). The provision of the practice setting is governed by law which consists of primary and secondary legislation together with government guidance which must be followed by all local authorities. Section 46 of the National Health Service and Community Care Act (1990) sets out community care plans and lists the available services which include laundry services, meals on wheels, social work support and residential care. This act places a duty under section 47 on social workers to conduct a needs-led assessment if it is apparent that a person might need community care service. Once a community care assessment is carried out, the care manager will make a decision about whether to provide support or not to the service user. Fair Access to Care Services (FACS) provides an eligibility framework for adult social care to identify whether or not the duty to provide services is triggered. Should the criteria be met, a multi disciplinary team approach working together to ensure Mrs As choice to stay at home is paramount with regard to her rehabilitation and care plan. The team have a duty to provide a network of support that promotes independence and to monitor Mrs As ability to care for herself in the community. Multi-agency working of care planning and the single assessment process has encouraged greater inter-agency working together, with the clients needs being central to the process. Rather than working separately, and each agency providing their own service without reference to the others, joint working encourages a sharing of approach and less replication of services. A pilot of Individual Budgets was introduced for two years in 2005 to 13 local authorities. Individual Budgets is a system that brings resources together from different funding streams into a single sum that can be spent flexibly in accordance with a service users needs and preferences. Service users are free to choose the money as a direct payment or request the local authority to provide services, or even use a mixture of both A care worker can be sought from the LA or a personal assistant (PA) appointed by Mrs A , paid for with direct payments ensure that her autonomy and choice is maintained. In practice,   an agreement can be   made to review Mrs As care and remove the care if it not required or increase the care package should additional need be identified at a future review. Direct payment stems from the four principles of Valuing People that are rights, inclusion, choice and independence. The Governments vision was that the uptake of direct payments would give people more choice in how they choose to live their lives. However, the uptake of direct payments since the introduction of the Community Care (Direct Payments) Act (1997) had been slow, mainly due to a lack of awareness and people, including professionals, can be very wary of change and taking on the unknown.The government therefore introduced new legislation in 2003 to make it a duty for local authorities to offer direct payments (www.dh.gov.uk), but figures (2006) reveal that out of a possible million people only around 46,000 had taken up direct payments (www.eastern.csip.org.uk). It raised issues that service users experienced and set out eleven objectives which included people facing lack of choice and control, social isolation, housing, health, and poor partnership between professional agen cies, voluntary groups and families. The main stakeholders from the implementation of Valuing People are people with learning disabilities themselves and their families/carers, as they were instrumental in pushing the government to push through the policy.The government is clearly one of the main stakeholders and it could be argued that this was an economic driver of change. Latest figures from the Individual Budgets Pilot study reveal that the costs of people using budgets compared to commissioned services is not much different, but long-term, costs will be reduced as people become more independent and their support hours are reduced (www.dh.gov.uk). The introduction of Putting People First, published by the DH in December 2007is a shared vision and commitment to the transformation of adult social care over a period of three years. Key elements are: prevention, early intervention and re-enablement, personalisation, information, advice and advocacy. This presents change for people who receive services and importantly for social care workers that will need to implement these changes in their work. The changes in social care that have been taking place since the policy have meant that the role of the social worker is changing and the publication of the Local Authority Circular Transforming Social Care (2008:4) described the role of the social worker as being focused on advocacy and brokerage, rather than assessment and gate keeping. This involves improved skills in listening, working in partnership with service users, families and other professionals and empowering people to take control of their lives. The changes are proving chall enging because it means a shift in the balance of power and allowing people to take more risks. A person-centred approach to supporting Mrs A is the method used within this case study, before direct payments this had been more about supporting people in the community. The principles ofrights, inclusion, choice and independence set out as the vision in Valuing People have clearly been achieved in some peoples lives, and is effective for service users such as Mrs A who prefer to maintain their privacy at home and choice of care through direct payment. It can be seen to transform service users lives in that they are living independently and feel included in society.There are many people living in residential care; they spend most of their hours in centres and lead very oppressive lives.McCabe,M. (2006:12) describes the failings of institutional care as having inflexible routine, lack of choice, dependence on others and lack of privacy and community care creating maximum dependency.However, care needs to be taken so that people are still supported when they do live independently, specifically service users who have spent years in residential care and not prepared them to live in their own homes; adequate risk assessments are needed to address any area s that could leave them vulnerable. References Applewhite, S. (1998) Elders and the Twenty-First Century. Issues andChallenges for Culturally Competent Research and Practice.New York: Haworth. Banks, S. (2001). Ethics and Values in Social Work 2nd ed. Basingstoke, Hampshire: Palgrave Publishers. Department of Health (2001) Valuing People. London: Department of Health. Department of Health (2001) National service framework for older people. London: Department of Health General Social Care Council (2002) Codes of Practice General Social Care Council HMSO (1989) Caring for People: Community Care in the Next Decade and Beyond. London, HMSO Johnson, K. Williams, I. (2007). Managing Change and Uncertainty in Social Work and social care. Lyme Regis: Russell House Publishing Ltd. Jones. R. (2005) Mental Capacity Act. Manual, Sweet Maxwell cited in Pritchard, J (2008) Good Practice in the Law and Safeguarding Adults: London, Jessica Kingsley. McCabe,M.(2006) Depression among older people: prevalence and detection. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry 21(7) Thomas, A. (2008) Leadership and Management in Health and Social Care Heinemann Midwinter, E (1993) Encore: Guide to Planning a Celebration of Your Life: Southampton, Third Age Press Nathanson, I. Tirrito, T. (1998) Theory into Practice. Gerontological Social Work. New York: Springer. National Assistance Act 1948 London, HMSO. National Health Service and Community Care Act 1990 London, HMSO. Parsloe P. (1999) Risk Assessment in Social Care and Social Work.   London, Jessica Kingsley. Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998 London, HMSO Shakespeare, T. (2000).   Help. Birmingham: Venture Press Trevithick, P (2002) Social Work Skills a practice handbook, Buckingham, Open University Press