Checks and Balances Essay

This essay will discuss the Constitutional principle of Checks and Balances. It will explain the concept and effectiveness of the separation of power. As an example, the case of Brown v. The Board of Education will be used to explain the concept and effectiveness of the separation of power. Brown v. The Board of Education is a famous case that ended segregation in schools in 1954 during the Civil Rights Movement. First, lets start with what the definition of Checks and Balances is as it pertains to the Constitution. The definition according to Merriam-Webster is: â€Å"a system that allows each branch of a government to amend or veto acts of another branch so as to prevent any one branch from exerting too much power. †. The legislative power is vested in the Congress, the executive power rests with the President and the judicial power is granted to the Supreme Court and other federal courts. Each branch of government has separate and particular powers as listed in the Constitution, each branch is also given the power, duty and ability to control and balance the other(s) in a system of checks and balances. The Constitution grants all legislative power to the Congress. The Congress is bicameral and a bill has to pass both houses: the House of Representatives and the Senate. In this way the houses check and balance each other. Both the executive and the judicial branch check and balance the Congress’ legislative power. Although only the Congress can make laws, the President has the power to veto bills, in which case the bill can only pass with a 2/3 majority in both houses. Finally, if the Congress and the President agree on a law, the Supreme Court has the power of interpreting the laws and a power of review, i. . the Supreme Court can declare a law unconstitutional and therefore void. As chief administrator the President is required to see that laws are carried out, to enforce existing politics and to managing the bureaucracy. The president nominates the heads of the executive branch’s departments, but these appointments are subject to the Congress’ approval. The constitution makes the president and Congress share powers in matters such as foreign policy and the US armed forces. In the case of Brown v.  The Board of Education, the legal defense of Oliver L. Brown stated, â€Å"the discriminatory nature of racial segregation †¦ â€Å"violates the 14th amendment to the U. S. Constitution, which guarantees all citizens equal protection of the laws,†. Because of this Brown v. The Board of Education laid the foundation for shaping future national and international policies regarding human rights. At the time, the state of Kansas had segregated schools, meaning that black and white children could not go to school at the same place. At the end of the case, Brown and his legal defense had argued that it was not fair to the children because they may or may not get the best education if they were segregated. The United States Supreme Court ruled that no state should segregate any child in public schools. White and Black children would go to school together and be offered the same rights. Anything less would be unconstitutional. This is a perfect example of how the state legislature was overturned by the Supreme Court and they were able to keep a check and balance on each other. The state of Kansas did not have a law stating that the schools must be segregated, but they also did not have a law saying that they couldn’t be segregated. The Browns first took their case to the state in 1951. After the case was dismissed, Brown and four other lawsuits made an appeal to the United States Supreme Court were the state ruling was overruled. The Supreme Court had checked and agreed that it was a violation of the Constitution to segregate schools. To this day, a public school can not discriminate against any child, black or white, male or female, smart or special ed. The decision made by the Supreme Court was a unanimous ruling that was issued on May 17, 1954. At that time Chief Justice Earl Warren wrote that â€Å"segregated schools are not equal and cannot be made equal, and hence they are deprived of the equal protection of the laws. † He continued, â€Å"We conclude that in the field of public education the doctrine of ‘separate but equal’ has no place. †. Thank goodness for checks and balances, without them, the country would be a much different place to live.

When Some Cities Tend to Modernize and Others Tend to Conserve Traditionalism?

Introduction It can happen that sometimes you have a personal dispute with a family member, friend or neighbour, or a legal dispute involving business. There are three main ways as alternatives to going to court to resolve a dispute in China: negotiation, mediation and arbitration, they are ADR. ADR means â€Å"Alternative Dispute Resolution† and it refers to various processes, commonly used in civil law tradition, which have in common the aim of a better communication between the parties during a dispute and the saving in managerial and legal time, expense and worry (Bevan, 1992).We can clearly distinguish the advantages of the ADR, comparing to the formal dispute settlement at court. ADR processes are quicker, as they can be arranged within days or weeks rather than months or years (example of one case in litigation). They are also less expensive, as earlier settlements save managerial time and they are confidential. They are voluntary, which means that the parties are free to walk out every time without interfering the legal procedures and their rights (Bevan, 1992). Mediation, one of the most used ADR, involves a neutral third party, called a mediator, to help the disputing parties to reach an agreement.Mediation in China has been existed in China for more than 2,000 years. It was used in the Western Zhou Dynasty (1146 BC-771 BC) and then used during the Qin Dynasty (221 BC-207 BC). There was always a preference for mediation throughout all the history of Imperial China. The mediation system and the legal system were developed together after the establishment of the People's Republic of China in 1949. People's Mediation Committees appeared during this period, helping local people to resolve civil disputes and to preserve harmony in the society.However, the Mao's economic reforms have brought some physical and social changes of the Chinese cities. Reforms have promoted the development of the legal system and other formal legal institutions. They have also permitted more individual freedoms, since the decentralization of the political control. Moreover, the fast-growing economic developments, the modernization and the Westernization have led to the apparition of new cities which advocate the ideas of individualism, competition and private space, ideas totally at the opposite of the Chinese traditional culture which advocates he social harmony in community and society. In my essay, I will try to answer to this question: To what extent the role of the People's mediation committees in China now is still significant when some cities tend to modernize and others tend to conserve traditionalism? First, I will present the evolution of the traditional Chinese legal system to the contemporary Chinese legal system. Second, I will focus on the case of mediation, one Alternative Dispute Resolution, and the People's Mediation Committees.And finally, I will explore the importance of the teachings of Confucianism in the evolution of mediation. I. From traditional Chinese legal system to contemporary Chinese legal system Chinese history, even in the last century, has gone through several events which have affected the development of its judicial system. Conscious that traditional Chinese law was backward and that a Western legal system, more modern, would improve a lot the development of Chinese society, Mao attempted to establish a modern legal system based on rules and law in 1949 (Utter, 1987).The Communist Party recruited first former nationalists, who knew all about the Western legal systems: â€Å"To staff the new legal system, the Communists retained a number of legal specialists who had worked for the Nationalists, primarily because the Communists did not have within their own ranks people with skills and knowledge to run a complex legal system†, but they were completely â€Å"politically unreliable and elitist† (Utter, 1987).The Party then replaced them by â€Å"new cadres† selected for their political allegiance to the Mao government, and not for their abilities in legal system, â€Å"[t]he new cadres lacked legal skills and knowledge† (Utter, 1987). This decision of the Chinese Mao’s government influenced the development of the legal system. They were convinced that complex processes were only burdens to the modernization of the legal system, so they developed a system easily understandable and accessible to the people:During the first few years of the communist party, the â€Å"new cadres† helped to establish law codification commissions, judicial and police structures. Law schools opened and some legal books were published. In 1954, the first Chinese constitution which established a tripartite governmental design consisting of the supreme people’s courts, the supreme people’s procuracy, and the state council, all responsible to the standing committee of the national people’s congress, was introduced (Utter, 1987).However in 1 957, the improvements of the Chinese legal system began to stop: During the anti-rights movement, the communist party’s sentiment towards the need for a â€Å"modern† legal system changed dramatically. Many specialists were removed from their posts and then attacked and denounced for the very policies they were initially retained to develop. Law schools were closed and plans for further codification were terminated. The communist party went as far as to undo and supplant existing laws as well as to replace the role of the courts and procuracy with public security bureaus (Utter, 1987).After Mao’s death in 1978, during the â€Å"Four modernizations† (in industry, agriculture, national defence, science and technology in Chine), the new government of Deng Xiaoping (1904-1997) established the 1978 Constitution, which restored the emergence of lawyers, law schools and legal publications. Finally, with the promulgation of the 1990 Procedural Law of Administrati ve Litigation and the 1991 Civil Procedure Law, Chinese legal system significantly evolved to a more structured system. Even with all these progress, mediation remains the most used dispute resolution process.The 1989 legislation, that placed the people’s mediation committees under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Justice, allowed the modern mediation system to be more independent, professional and efficient. Many cases are diverted from the courts and passed on mediation committees: [T]he mediation committees have settled cases covering a wide variety of topics such as divorce, inheritance, parental and child support, alimony, debts, real property, production, and torts, as well as other civil and economic disputes and criminal misdemeanour cases.They have also played an important role in preventing crime, reducing litigation in the courts, enhancing the people’s unity, and promoting social stability. Over seven million disputes are satisfactorily resolved through the use of mediation each year in China, far surpassing the number of cases brought to Chinese courts (Ge, 1996). However, this support of mediation retarded the development of judicial law and the implement of existing laws because the mediation procedure is based on local beliefs of fairness and communist ideas. The adoption of the 1991 Code of Civil Procedure affirmed the commitment to mediation of China’s government.Mediation and the People’s Mediation Committee In the Chinese legal system, dispute settlements can be classified into two different categories: formal dispute settlement (at courts) and informal dispute settlement or alternative dispute resolution (ADR) (negotiation, mediation and arbitration). ADR has long existed in China and traditionally been preferred to the courts for many reasons. Mediation, as one of the different means of dispute resolution, is widely practised in China. To define it, mediation is â€Å"an effort by a third party to encourage parties to a dispute to voluntarily reach an agreement to resolve their dispute†.There are currently various types of mediation in China: civil mediation, judicial mediation, administrative mediation and arbitration mediation. Civil mediation is also known as the People’s mediation, by People’s Mediation Committees, outside the court. I will focus on it further in the essay. Compared with judicial mediation, People’s mediation offers a more amicable way to resolve disputes and to avoid many disadvantages of judicial mediation, like the rigidity of the judges and mediators in the mediation process. It is used by People’s Mediation Committees which help parties voluntarily reach an agreement.People’s Mediation Committees (PMCs) are, with courts, the most largely known institutions for dispute resolution in China. They are informal mediation institutions, which have been existed in China for centuries, allowing people to avoid a legal system an d court procedures which have always been subjects of fear in the society. Article 111 of the Constitution of the People’s Republic of China states that â€Å"People’s Mediation Committees are a working committee under grassroots autonomous organizations – Residents Committee, Villagers Committee – whose mission is to mediate civil disputes† China’s Judiciary, http://www. china. org. cn). They were established in the early years of the foundation of People’s Republic of China in 1949 and of its legal system and helped to maintain social control, to resolve non-class-struggle disputes and to conserve harmony: Mediation â€Å"serves to articulate and apply the ideological principles, values and programs of the Chinese Communist Party and helps to mobilize China’s people to increase their commitment to party policies and goals.Rather than settling disputes between individuals, mediation also serves to suppress such disputes, whic h are regarded as harmful social conflict that interferes with the construction of a strong socialist China (Utter, 1987). They appeared again in the late 1970s and early 1980s after the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976), with the China's 1982 Constitution, as a way to resolve minor disputes involving families, villages, workplaces and neighbourhoods, or to facilitate parties to find resolution to disputes before reaching court, a process of mediation which still continues today (Clarke, 1991).Excepted the period of the Cultural Revolution, PMCs have traditionally been praised by the press, as we can see in the following citation: The current system of people’s mediation†¦is a great creation in the construction of our country’s socialist legal system, it is a legal system with Chinese characteristics, and it is an important component of our country’s judicial system†¦ [I]t plays an immense role in resolving contradictions among the people, strengthening unity and friendship among the people and promoting socialist material and spiritual civilization†¦[I]t has received praise in international jurisprudential circles and has been called â€Å"the most distinctive system of the Chinese judicial system†. (Mediation Compendium, 1990) People’s Mediation Committees are typical in the contemporary Chinese society in the dispute settlements within neighbourhoods. Their mission, states by the Article 5 of the Regulations for the Organization of People’s Mediation Committees, is â€Å"to mediate civil disputes and, through such mediation, publicize laws, regulations, rules and policies and educate citizens to abide by laws and respect† (China’s Judiciary, http://www. china. org. cn).PMCs are today institutionalized under the direction of the local government department of justice, they are non-governmental organizations and supplement to the judicial system. People’s Mediations Committees are set up by local residential community in villages, workplaces and in regional or professional organizations to handle civil matters and small criminal matters. It is composed of individuals from the community who are believed to be fair and impartial. They are generally selected for 3 years and remunerated by the government for their services as mediator. Mediation by People’s Mediation Committees is completely free of charge. The procedure is more transparent and more institutionalized today. During the mediation, a mediation agreement, which can be in written and/or oral forms, is reached by both parties.This mediation agreement signed by both parties must clearly provide information on facts, resolution methods and enforcement in relation to the dispute. Article 20 of the Several Opinions issued in 2009 states that â€Å"for an agreement in the nature of a civil contract reached through mediation by an administrative organ, a people’s mediation organization, a commerc ial mediation organization, an industrial mediation organization or any other organization with a mediation function, the parties may apply to the people’s court having jurisdiction for confirming validity of such an agreement after the mediation organization and mediator affix their signatures or seals to it†. This judicial confirmation of settlement agreement is a method to improve the enforcement of a mediation agreement.To request this confirmation, parties to the dispute can apply to the people’s court within a period of 30 days by submitting the mediation agreement and a letter of commitment signed by both parties and responded to the two following statements: â€Å"Both parties voluntarily reach the agreement for the purpose of resolving disputes and have no act of malicious collusion or circumvention of law; and if any damage is caused to any other person due to the content of this agreement, both parties are willing to bear the corresponding civil liabi lity and other legal liabilities. † (Wei & Ying, 2011b). If the court validates the mediation agreement, the court can oversee the enforcement of the agreement. If it doesn’t validate the agreement, parties to the dispute can file for lawsuit at the court. The court decision validity of the agreement becomes effective when the court’s decision is communicated to both parties.If a party rejects the decision of the court, the other party may apply to the people’s court for enforcement (Wei & Ying, 2011b). If we take a look at the figures, it is estimated that at the end of 2010, there were 818,100 People’s Mediation Committees, 4,668,900 mediators who resolved more than 8,418,400 cases of mediation, with a success rate of resolution of disputes of 97% (Wei & Ying, 2011a). The teachings of Confucius closely linked to the mediation For decades, Confucian philosophy has been the foundation of the Chinese culture. Its fundamental values structured all the aspects of the Chinese society. Today, the mediation is founded on the principles of Confucian philosophy and Maoist thought. (China Insight issue 2010, http://chinainsight. info/).Two important principles of the Confucianism laid the foundations of the mediation: the principle of Li, which supposes the preservation of natural harmony and the principle of Rang, which supposes the compromise or the yielding to others in resolution of disputes. Moreover, mediation is a mean of â€Å"educating people and implementing Communist party policy†, based on the Maoist principles. China has been one of the world's most committed nations in the use of mediation to resolve disputes. One other reason of that is the troubled court system in China. There are corruption among judges, a lack of meaning qualifications to become a judge and an inaccessibility of published codes and case law. Mediation in China is a natural â€Å"outgrowth of traditional, family-centred support systems and its principles are based on the ethical teachings of Confucius† (Pierce, 1994).The Confucian ethics are based on â€Å"social harmony, moderation, respect for authority, humility, benevolence and so on in contrast to the Western mediation which endorses an individualistic utilitarian value system of fairness, justice, equality, equity and autonomy† (Jia, Ma, Yang, 2009). The respect of the family structures the relations between individuals and the life in community. Therefore, harmony (he), relations among people (guanxi), face (mianzi) and yielding to others (rang), which are major concepts underlying the Confucianism, play an important role in the process of mediation in China and are reflected in Chinese social interaction and conflict resolution. In order to understand how the concepts from the Confucian philosophy are important in the process of mediation in China, I will focus on these different notions.In the Chinese culture, harmony is one of the most important val ues. Chinese people are convinced that harmony is the universal path that everybody should pursue because â€Å"only when harmony is reached and prevails throughout heaven and earth can all things be nourished and flourish† (Legge, 1995). To the Chinese, conflicts are considered more like detractors from harmony rather than problems of communication. Chinese people therefore are only aiming to establish a conflict free interpersonal and social relationship (Chen ; Chung, 1994). The conflict prevention in China is maintained by the principle of li (rites). â€Å"Li refers to norms and rules of proper behaviours in a social context.It is an external means to achieve the ideal state of harmony by showing a feeling of respect or reverence to others† (Chen ; Xiao, 1993). Mediation is mainly based on the li principle. As we know, mediation is an alternative dispute resolution with the priority of a mutual respect and harmony between the two parties during the process. It is also based on the rang principle. Chinese people know how to yield to the other party to end a conflict, in order to keep the relationship â€Å"guanxi†. The harmony pursued in a dispute resolution is supported by two traditional notions: guanxi and mianzi. During the mediation, both parties are trying to reduce the negative impact of conflicts in order to save face and to keep the guanxi.Guanxi means the relationships between two parties. It gives some specific communication rules and patterns in order to avoid an embarrassing encounter or serious dispute. It is deeply connected to the mianzi. Mianzi refers to â€Å"the projected image of ourselves in a relationship network† (Ting-Toomey, 1988). It supposes a mutual respect from the parties to save faces because any conscious act of making the other party to lose face will damage their own image and destruct the relationship. â€Å"It represents our social position and prestige gained from the successful performance of our specific social roles that are well recognized by other members in the society† (Hu, 1944).To conclude, due to the accent heavily put on the harmony, Chinese people have recourse to a mediator to help them to resolve dispute. Conclusion For more than 2,000 years, China has used mediation as its major form of dispute resolution. It has long been recognized that the â€Å"Chinese legal system has been one the world’s most committed institutions in the use of mediation to resolve disputes and a leader in developing ways to maximize its benefits and effectiveness† (Colatrella, 2000). In the traditional China, the popularity of mediation came from the fact that it is grounded on traditional Confucian values, such as social harmony and compromise in resolving disputes. It aims to limit costs and time to resolve civil disputes involving neighbours, families or colleagues.Even during the Maoist period, mediation continued to be largely used in the conflict resolut ion. The Confucian principles and the mediation process were mainly used by the Communist Party as a means of control of the masses and of promotion of social harmony, with the assistance of People's Mediation Committees (Colatrella, 2000). During the many years of economic reform, China has encountered important changes in its culture and society, as well as in its ways of resolve disputes. In Mao era (1949-1976), the dispute resolution institutions were enhanced through reforms which established a code of civil law and officially institutionalized commissions.Because of the weakness of courts in China (costly, inefficient, long and not confidential), institutions like People’s Mediation Committees are extremely important in dispute resolution. Today, while China is entering in an era of modernization, mediation is still largely used in China, as it is usually preferred by the Chinese people over formal dispute settlements for its saving in cost and time and for its deep imp regnation in Confucian and Maoist philosophy. Bibliography Bevan, Alexander, Alternative Dispute Resolution, London Sweet & Maxwell, 1992. Chen G. M. , & Chung, J,  «Ã‚  The impact of Confucianism on organizational communication  Ã‚ ». Communication Quarterly, 1994. Chen, G. M. & Xiao, X-S,  «Ã‚  The impact of â€Å"harmony† on Chinese negotiations  Ã‚ ». Paper presented at the annual convention of the Speech Communication Association, Miami Beach, Florida, November 1993. Clarke, Donald C. ,  «Ã‚  Dispute Resolution In China  Ã‚ » in Journal of Chinese Law, Vol. 5, 1991, 245-296. Colatrella, Michael T , Jr. , â€Å"Court Performed† Mediation in the People’s Republic of China: A Proposed Model to Improve the United States Federal District Courts’ Mediation Programs, Ohio, 2000. Chen, G. M. & Starosta, W. J. , â€Å"Chinese Conflict Management and Resolution: Overview and Implications†, Intercultural Communication Studies VII, N. 1, 1997. http://www. trinity. du/org/ics/ics%20issues/ics%20vii/ics-vii-1-chen. pdf Ge, Jun. Mediation, Arbitration and Litigation: Dispute Resolution in the People’s Republic of China, UCLA, 1996. Gudykunst, Theories in intercultural communication, Newbury Park, CA, 1988. Hu, H. C. , The Chinese concept of â€Å"face. † American Anthropology, 1944. Jia, Wenshan. Ma, Yun & Yang, Libin. â€Å"The Current Status of Mediation in Building and Sustaining Social Harmony in Rural China: A Case Study of Xunyang County, Shaanxi Province, P. R. China†, Paper presented at the annual meeting of the NCA 94th Annual Convention, TBA, San Diego, CA, 2009. Laeuchli, Urs Martin, â€Å"Negotiations and other ADR with the Chinese†, http://www. nadn. rg/articles/Lauechli-NEGOTIATIONSANDADRWITHTHECHINESE. pdf , last accessed 19 May 2012. Legge, J. , The Four Book, Taipei: Wen Yo, 1995. Mealey-Loahmann, Linda.  «Ã‚  Using mediation to resolve disputes – Differences between Chi na and the United States  Ã‚ », issue of China Insight, 28 May 2010. http://chinainsight. info/culture/chinese-3/526-using-mediation-to-resolve-disputes—differences-between-china-and-the-united-states-. html, accessed 20 May 2012. Pierce, L. D. , â€Å"Mediation Prospers in China†, Dispute Resolution Journal, June 1994, Vol. 49 Issue 2, pp. 19-21 Renmin Tiaojie Shiyong Daquan (Practical Compendium of People’s Mediation), Liu Zhitao ed. , 1990. [hereinafter ‘Mediation Compendium’].Several Opinions of the Supreme People's Court on Establishing a Sound Conflict and Dispute Resolution Mechanism that Connects Litigation and Non-litigation, effective from 24 July, 2009 [hereinafter ‘Several Opinions’]. Ting-Toomey, S. , Intercultural conflict style: A face-negotiation theory. Issue from China’s Judiciary, Mediation system, http://www. china. org. cn/english/Judiciary/31185. htm, accessed 19 May 2012. Utter, Justice Robert F. , Tribut e: Dispute Resolution in China, Washington, pp. 387-391, 1987. Wei, He and Ying, Zeng, â€Å"Extra-judicial Mediation System and Practice (Part I of II)†, Issue of King ; Wood China Bulletin, July 2011a

Application of electrical resistivity

Application of electrical resistivity Introduction Electrical resistivity imaging is a widely used tool in near surface geophysical surveys for investigation of various geological, environmental and engineering problems including landslide. In addition, a 2-D synthetic resistivity modelling study was carried out to understand the response of the resistivity method to a landslide problem before the field surveys (Drahor,MahmutG et al, 2006). The relevance of electrical surveys is to identify the subsurface resistivity distribution by making measurements on the ground surface. The true resistivity of the subsurface can be quantified from these measurements (Singh et al 2006). The ground resistivity is related to various geological parameters such as the mineral and fluid content, porosity and degree of water saturation in the rock. Electrical resistivity surveys have been used for many decades in hydrogeological, mining and geotechnical investigations. More recently, it has been used for environmental surveys. The resisti vity measurements are normally made by injecting current into the ground through two current electrodes (C1 and C2), and measuring the resulting voltage difference at two potential electrodes (P1 and P2). From the current (I) and voltage (V) values, an apparent resistivity (pa) value is calculated. pa = k V / I where k is the geometric factor which depends on the arrangement of the four electrodes. Resistivity meters normally give a resistance value, R = V/I, so in practice the apparent resistivity value is calculated by pa = k R The calculated resistivity value is not the true resistivity of the subsurface, but an â€Å"apparent† value which is the resistivity of a homogeneous ground which will give the same resistance value for the same electrode arrangement. The relationship between the â€Å"apparent† resistivity and the â€Å"true† resistivity is a complex relationship. An according to Singh et al (2006), an inversion of the measured apparent resistivity va lues using a computer program must be carried out to determine the true subsurface resistivity. Problem statement Landslide – Jalan Baru Gap ,Fraser Hill A recent problem faced in Malaysia is landslides on hill slopes. This harmful situation always occurred in highland area during wet season. One landslide occurred in km 90,FT055,Kuala Lumpur/Kuala Lipis (Gap Road/Tranum),Fraser Hill starting December 16 2007 until almost recently. This road is the only one that is connecting Kuala Kubu Baru or Fraser Hill to Raub. In recent tragedy on April 5 2008 at 9 pm,sliding of some boulders onto one old bridge in km 38.4,FT055,Kuala Kubu Road-Raub ,Fraser Hill ,Raub district, Pahang had occurred. The landslides are often triggered by water accumulation within part of the slope which leads to weakening of a section of the slope. Thus, it is important to accurately map the zone of ground water accumulation. Landslide is one of natural hazards that are often occur all over the world. In t ropical climate such as Malaysia, the phenomenon is common especially in hilly areas during monsoon season. According to the report by Jamaludin et al, 2006, serious natural landslides in this country normally occur in monsoon seasons where intense precipitation is the main triggering factor. Early indication of the slope stability prone area such as the landslide hazard maps may help planners and developers to choose favorable locations for locating development schemes. Careful engineering and geologic study could then follow before such specific project could be implemented.

The Anterior Tibial Artery Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The Anterior Tibial Artery - Case Study Example It appears that the acute swelling that has resulted may be due to rupture of an artery; most likely the Anterior Tibial Artery. If my friend is not taken to a hospital immediately, there is a possibility of developing a hypotensive shock due to extravasation of blood with the passage of time. Therefore emergency help should be immediately sought. Involvement of an artery should definitely be included in the differential diagnosis of this case. The artery that is most likely to get affected is the anterior tibial artery. Its patency can be evaluated by palpating the pulse of dorsal pedis artery, which is one of the peripheral branches of the anterior tibial artery (Casserly et al.   253). A similar symptom profile consisting of altered sensation in between the first and second toe, pulseless dorsal pedis, swelling, and pain are evident in the condition known as anterior compartment syndrome, which should, therefore, be included in the differential diagnosis of this case (Slobounov 332).â€Æ'

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Green Maps for a More Sustainable Future - Essay Example More tasks carried out by the organization are through partnering with other institution in carrying out projects such as educating the society, feeding the hungry, providing men and women with skills that are aimed at elevating their living status among others. All the projects carried out are geared towards adhering to the mission and vision of the organization. The mission of the organization is geared towards getting people to lose with the aim of impacting positive change while its vision is to catalyze a global market for information, ideas, and money that democratizes philanthropy (Globalgiving, 2015). The funding of this organization is through donors and well-wishers. Some of the organizations that the institution has partnered with are Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, Omidyar Network, USAID (Global Development Alliance), and The Rockefeller Foundation among others (Globalgiving, 2015). It is approximated that since 2002 the number of donors is roughly 421,651 and have carried out approximately 11,669 projects. The projects vary from country to country or region to region depending on situations and needs.Moreover, the projects are of different topics such as finance, education, climate change among other numerous topics ((Globalgiving, 2015). This paper seeks to address a development project being carried out by GlobalGiving on climate change Canada that is currently ongoing. Climate change is one of the major challenging issues in the society today. People have tried modifying the daily weather either by increasing or decreasing heat or temperature of the surrounding. These increase and decrease over a long period of time contribute to climate change. The threat posed by climate change has awakened international community and various governments to start setting up mitigation measures.However, in North America, response to climate change has met several challenges.These challenges are that the public have a conviction and belief

Baroque art Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Baroque art - Essay Example Dutch art is insightful of the Protestant Reformation. Frans Hals was the foremost painter in the seventeenth century Haalem, a city in Dutch whose affluence developed from brewing beer and making extravagance fabrics. Even though Hals painted various scenes of every day’s life, he was essentially a portraitist. His outstanding group portraits of the public guards and administrators of helpful foundations, all of which are in the Netherlands, are particularly famous. To avoid flattery, Hals illustrated his sitters with a dynamic honesty that called for their strong, informal tastes. Winning political freedom from Spain in 1648 and the liberty to devotion in the new protestant belief, the Dutch Republic was as well immensely rich from overseas trade. Dutch burghers, even as they took considerable pride in material ownership, they were still socially traditional, most holding to a reserved and an uncomplicated lifestyle. Some of his paintings illustrated the various strata in th e society. By firm religious rule, the early Protestants dressed in only black and white outfits, despite the cost of the fabrics. Hals revolved the bare clothing to an advantage, making use of the neutral outfits to begin his sitters’ complexions beside light tan or dark gray environment. To evaluate Hals’ varying styles, it is useful to look carefully at fine points, like lace collars, that he handled in a different way during his progress. Two features of hands, separated by almost twenty years, indicate a development in Hals’ technique.

Positive Behavior Intervention Plan Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Positive Behavior Intervention Plan - Case Study Example His mother referred the boy to me after he started portraying a lot of aggressiveness especially towards his friends as well as older brother. Collins is of Asian origin and is extremely attached to his iPad. He is always on his iPad, which he refuses to give or share with anyone. He turns extremely aggressive when anyone gets near him particularly when he is using his iPad. This boy has both parents and one brother who is older than he is. His belligerence is characterized by recurrent verbal outbursts in addition to offensive actions towards his friends, brother, or at times to his parents. Additionally, when the iPad is taken from him, he breaks everything he gets hold of. Collins demonstrates aggressiveness mainly when prevented from doing what other considered wrong or when he wanted to get something forcefully from others, particularly his iPad. To assess Collins, I together with his mother used indirect assessment. A number of strategies were used to assess the boy. One of the strategy entailed cross-examining the mother. Additionally, the mother filled the Functional Behavioral Assessment Screening Form (FBASF). Moreover, the assessment entailed use of Functional Assessment Interview Form (FAIF). The forms helped get information regarding the settings, circumstances, and the extent of aggressiveness displayed by Collins. Additionally, direct behavior observation was done on Collins. Functional Assessment Interview Form (FAIF) results revealed that Collins have a tendency to be more aggressive when bothered specifically when using his iPad. On several occasions, he would go to the extent of breaking anything within his reach especially when anyone tried to take his iPad from him. Direct behavior observation showed that he was more likely to get aggressive when his brother who attempted to take the iPad. On some occasions, he would yell loudly and kick at anyone close to him.

Wireless fan LLD Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Wireless fan LLD - Essay Example This document will also document the hardware and software which will be employed. In this document, the researcher will discuss all the components that will be on the board as well as the software of the microcontroller. The heart of the analysis will be dependent upon the IR remote Controller that involves a transmitter and a receiver circuit operation based on using infrared red rays as a medium of a wireless communication. As such, the device is used for all sorts of electronic devices like televisions air conditioners. The document is intended to capture and convey the significant design decisions which have been made in preparation for the development of the system being discussed in this document. The first process of the system will be the starter mechanism that is made available to the user via the buttons. When the button is pressed, the signal leads up the wire to the PIC. Once there, it is then translated via the logical inputs and given to the microchip unit through the diodes. This output signal is served to the IR LED’s through the current limitation resistors; where the electrical signal is changed to an optical signal. At this point, the motor will start. There are three additional switches which are designed to alternate between fan speeds. The microcontroller is a device that connects to the computer PC. It is incorporated into the electronic board and contains a memory, processor core, and a programmable input/output. This is therefore used to program the PIC of the remote and the receiver by use of the assembly language. The IR Receiver is to receive the infrared (IR). IR receiver detects infrared light that is being projected from the transmitter. By using an infrared signal to maintain a charged capacitor, this in turn keeps the run relay ready. The motor itself is the machine that converts electrical energy into mechanical ability to complete the work; for instance, the electric motors used to run

How can the growth of investments in renewable energy to achieve Dissertation

How can the growth of investments in renewable energy to achieve higher energy efficiency levels impact on world oil prices and - Dissertation Example Therefore, this study aims to determine whether or not the increased investment on renewable energy resources could literally affect the movements of the world market prices of oil. Likewise, this study will determine how massive investments made on the development of renewable energy resources can affect the economic growth of OECD countries. Research Method: A one-on-one personal interview with a couple of experts in finance and economics was conducted to know more about the impact of an increased investment in renewable energy on the world market prices of oil and the economic growth of OECD counties. Research Findings: Due to high market demand for oil, increasing the overall investment on renewable energy resources will not trigger the world market price of oil to decrease. Furthermore, the massive investment on renewable energy resources can somehow create a positive impact on the future economic growth of the OECD countries. However, serious considerations should be made befor e investing a large sum of money on a specific project. Conclusion: To increase the socio-economic benefits and return on investments (ROI) of renewable energy projects, this study concludes that strong support coming from the local people, the government, and the developers of renewable energy resources is essential. ... Table of Contents Acknowledgement ............................................................................................................... 2 Abstract ................................................................................................................................ 3 Table of Contents ................................................................................................................. 5 1. Introduction ............................................................................................................. 7 1.1 Purpose of the Study ................................................................................. 7 1.2 Research Objectives .................................................................................. 7 1.3 Research Questions ................................................................................... 8 1.4 Rationale for Selecting the Research Topic .............................................. 8 1.5 Scope and Limitations of the Study .......................................................... 9 2. Literature Review .................................................................................................... 10 2.1 Renewable Energy Resources ................................................................... 10 2.2 Types of Renewable Energy Resources Available in OECD Countries ....................................................................................... 11 2.3 Impact of Renewable Energy Investment on the Economic Growth of OECD Countries ............................................... 18 2.5 Impact of Renewable Energy Resources on Oil Prices ............................. 22 2.6 Reasons that Make it

Accrual Accounting in Public Sector Essay Example for Free

Accrual Accounting in Public Sector Essay In the present age, accounting seems to be an indispensable tool for modern business activities. However, not only for the profit orientated commercial business, it also plays an important role in the non-profit profit organizations, such as public sectors. Moreover, due to several deficiencies and drawbacks of government accounting and financial-management systems, such as unclear accountability, poorly maintained assets and hided losses and long-term liabilities, reforms in the public sector have been conducted over the last several decades across the word from New Zealand, Australia to England (Ball and et al, 1999). Accounting innovation by implementing accrual accounting in the public sector is one of the major part of the reforms and an important element of the wider concept of the so called New Public Management, and draws much of public concern and debate (Connolly and Hyndman, 2006). Under this background, this essay is going to discuss the implications arising from the process of implementing and actual using of accrual accounting in the public sector in several aspects, and try to put forward some possible solutions. See more:  Perseverance essay Generally, two main accounting methods are use to determine when and how to record income and expenses in the books, namely, cash accounting and accrual accounting. The major difference between these two is the timing of when the transactions are recorded in the account (Tudor and Mutiu, 2006). To be specific, under the cash accounting method, income and payment are not counted until cash is actually received or made; while under the accrual accounting basis, transactions are recorded as soon as they incurred, regardless whether the cash is received or made. Comparing to cash accounting, accruals accounting place more emphasis on how the capital assets used and recorded (Connolly and Hyndman, 2006). More reliable figures of performance based on revenues earned and resources consumed will be achieved through accruals accounting. Owning to this, it is believed that accruals accounting will contribute to better longer-term perspective of governmental policies, resource management and decision making (Ball and et al, 1999); and both internal and external transparency may be enhanced. Moreover, it is also considered that comparability between different government departments will be improved, even between the pre and post privatization (Wynne, 2004 and FEE, 2006). Although several potential advantages are suggested that will be brought by implementing accrual accounting in the public sector, it is still under debate that whether it is really appropriate to use accrual accounting system, which is initially devised for private sector, in the public sector (CESifo, 2007). In the private sector, commonly, accounting tends to be seen as a neutral technology to record past activities and provide financial and other necessary information to operate the business more efficiently and profitable. However, due to the difference in the nature and role of the public sector, this description seems not appropriate. For example, the primary purpose of public sector accounting is not serving to generate more profit but controlling people’s behavior to protect public money (Ellwood and Newberry, 2007), and the ultimate users are electorate instead of stakeholders (CESifo, 2007). Due to the fundamental mismatch of the objects, potential inadaptable problems may emerge during utilization (Carlin, 2005). As for the incurred cost of implementation and operation of an accrual accounting, in the North Ireland (NI) case study conducted by Connolly and Hyndman (2006), almost all the â€Å"overseers† and â€Å"Operational Accountants† believed that the views of cost neutral of the transition process, which came up by the UK HM Treasury, are not conform to the reality. Besides that, another case study based on UK and Republic of Ireland (RoI) , the result also revealed that all the interviewees questioned the value of the changes whether can justify the substantial cost (Connolly and Hyndman, 2010). Usually, the additional introducing cost will occur mainly in four aspects, identifying and valuing existing assets, developing accounting policies, establishing accounting systems (such as computer systems), hiring or providing training for both the preparers and users of financial information; and some of those cost will persist (Wynne, 2004). The amount of the cost is significant, for example, according to the New Zealand Audit Office, there is about NZ$160-180 million expenditure accrued by the financial-management reform during 1987 to 1992 (Ball and et al, 1999). Upon the previous experience and data, special resource should be added to the budget separately to ensure that the normal department services will not be impacted by the implementation of accrual accounting. The actual cost associated with process can also be reckoned more easily by doing this. Through comparing several case studies, the perceptions of usefulness of accruals information and the extent of the information used in reality tend to be very different in different cases. Both of the two researches conducted by Connolly and Hyndman (2006 and 2010), based on UK and RoI, showed that almost all the interviewees agreed that the accrual accounting information was limited used or even not used and helpless for decision making; and several â€Å"Operational Accountant† participants expressed the view that the very complicated process may be one of the leading factors. Nevertheless, the situations seem to be rather dissimilar in Australia and New Zealand, where more comprehensively accrual accounting have been adopted. Especially in New Zealand, a significant decrease, from about 52% of GDP to just above 10%, of net debt could be found after the reforms during 1992 to 2005 (Champoux, 2006). The differences of performance of implementation of accrual accounting may attribute to three main reasons, the extent of the whole reform involved, insufficient implementing time and relevant people lack of professional knowledge. One of the possible reasons for the success of New Zealand is that New Zealand was the first country which had completely implemented accrual accounting system at both national and agency level (Carlin, 2005). According to Lye and et al (2005), the reform process in New Zealand not only occurred in economic level, but also extended to a much broader aspects, such as simplifying the machinery of government and changing industrial relations. In contrast, the extent of reform in the other countries which were also implementing accrual based accounting system, like the UK and the USA, is in a rather surface degree. Furthermore, the politicians who were responsible for the reforms in those two countries were right- wing, and may always hold conservative attitude to the reforms (Lye and et al, 2005). However, a thorough reform could generate many benefits and potential advantages. Turning to the issue of implementing time, â€Å"Overseers† participants in the research of Connolly and Hyndman (2006) also typically emphasized that the ineffectiveness of utilization could be a result of being the early stages of the development, and some â€Å"Operational Accountant† also showed positive attitude to the future through time increasing. The process of implementing accrual accounting in the public sector takes far more than 1 or 2 years until the whole system working effectively and efficiently. According to previous experience, the process of fully implementing the new accounting system and necessary reforms will take about 8 to 10 years; and it may be take even longer in the UK case (Wynne, 2004). Upon this, it can be found that the process may take a relatively longer time than people used to expect before the benefit being realized. One other reason is that relevant staffs and managers are unqualified because of lack of professional accounting knowledge. It is commonly accepted that better insight information, such as more complete financial performance and position, which could reveal the features of operation of public sector may be provided by accrual accounting. However, those characteristics make the statements more difficult to understand, especially for people with inadequate accounting knowledge. Comparing to cash accounting, the information provided by cash accounting seems more easily to understand and more straightforward for the general public (CESifo, 2007 and FEE, 2006). Moreover, in Connolly and Hyndman’ s research (2006), both â€Å"Overseer† and â€Å"Operational Accountant† participants particularly complained that, mostly, their efforts, spending extra time to process the complex information, are useless, because the potential users are lack of relevant accounting skills. Several participates also believed that the majority of senior managers are not equipped with necessary accounting knowledge and do not have a strong desire to learn and adopt the new accounting system. Besides that, in another Connolly and Hyndman’s research (2010), according to reflection of politicians to the new accounting information, the interviewees believed that not only the senior managers, but also the politicians, who are essentially responsible for decision-making, had inadequate accounting knowledge and superficial level of understanding of accrual accounting system. However, if politicians do not have certain level of accounting knowledge, they will not be able to evaluate and act upon accrual statements (FEE, 2006). The following is a case in point. Wynne (2004, p10) states that â€Å"only 20% of ministries had a director of finance who was a professionally qualified accountant and not all these were members of the ministry’s management board† in the UK central government. In order to ensure implementation of accrual accounting more smoothly, several approaches could be taken to achieve that. Firstly, one of the most effective ways is providing more accessible accrual information for the public, for instance, summarizing the important information and presenting it without using specialized vocabulary. Secondly, it is vital to provide more training programmes, which teach practically useful accrual accounting knowledge, for both the staffs and managers. Finally, based on the New Zealand experience, it was found that a strong communication with politicians is an indispensable part in the implementation process. The politicians need to realize the potential value of which the accrual based accounting system can bring. Thus, practical strategies, such as illustrating the core concept and benefit of accrual accounting and providing key figures, which can show the features of accrual information, will be needed. (FEE, 2006) In conclusion, through analyzing and comparing several case studies of implementation of accrual accounting, it can be found that a significant number of countries had already started to implement accrual accounting and use accrual information in practice, and the number is still increasing. However, only minority of them realized the substantial benefits from the new accounting system. The reasons for this status can be vary, such as Insufficient implementing time and relevant people lack of professional knowledge mentioned above. Several possible solutions can be used to tackle those problems, but it can be more complicate in the real case; and some gaps still exist in understanding of the implications of use of accrual accounting in the public sector (Carlin, 2005). For this reason, further research based on each countries own circumstances is still needed. Moreover, it is also quite certain that for many countries there are still a number of barriers to be overcome before accrual accounting can be utilized to its full potential. List of references Ball, I. and et al. (1999). â€Å"Reforming Financial Management in the Public Sector: Lessons U.S. Officials Can Learn from New Zealand.† Policy Study No. 258. Reason Public Policy Institute. Carlin, T, M. (2005), â€Å"Debating the Impact of Accrual Accounting and Reporting in the Public Sector†, Financial Accountability Management, 21(3) Center for Economic Studies., the Ifo Institute. and the CESifo GmbH (CESifo). (2007). â€Å"Accrual Accounting in The Public Sector†, CESifo DICE Report, 5 (3), pp. 43-45 Connolly, C. and Hyndman, N. (2006), â€Å"The actual implementation of accruals accounting: Caveats from a case within the UK public sector†, Accounting, Auditing Accountability Journal, [e-journal] 19 (2), pp. 272 – 290. Available at http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/09513570610656123 [Accessed 1 December 2012] Connolly, C. and Hyndman, N. (2010), â€Å"Accruals accounting in the public sector: A road not always taken†, Management Accountin g Research, 22 (1), pp. 36–45 Ellwood, S. and Newberry, S. (2007), â€Å"Public sector accrual accounting: institutionalising neo-liberal principles ? †. Accounting, Auditing Accountability Journal, [e-journal] 20(4), pp. 549 – 573. Available at http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/09513570710762584 [Accessed 1 December 2012] Federation des Experts des Comtables Europeens (FEE). (2006), â€Å"Accrual Accounting for More Effective Public Policy†, paper of the FEE Public Sector Committee. Lye, J., Perera, H. and Rahman, A. (2005), â€Å"The evolution of accruals-based Crown (government) financial statements in New Zealand†, Accounting, Auditing Accountability Journal, [e-journal] 18(6), pp. 784-815. Available at http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/09513570510627711 [Accessed 1 December 2012] Tiron-Todor, A. and Mutiu, A. (2005), â€Å"Cash versus Accrual Accounting in Public Sector†, Studia Universitatis Babes Bolyai Oeconomica 1990, available at SSRN: http//s srn.com/abstract=906813. [Accessed 1 December 2012] Wynne, A. (2004), â€Å"Is the Move to Accrual Based Accounting a Real Priority for Public Sector Accounting†, Public Fund Digest, [e-journal] 6(1) . Available at SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=1320219 [Accessed 1 December 2012]

Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan Essay Example for Free

Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan Essay In many countries, Teachers Days (or Teachers Day) are intended to be special days for the appreciation of teachers, and may include celebrations to honour them for their special contributions in a particular field area, or the community in general. The date on which Teachers day is celebrated varies from country to country. Teachers days are distinct from World Teachers Day which is officially celebrate* A good teacher is like a candle it consumes itself to light the way for others. Author Unknown * Teaching is not a lost art, but the regard for it is a lost tradition. -Jacques Barzun * Good teachers are costly, but bad teachers cost more. Bob Talbert * The true teacher defends his pupils against his own personal influence. He inspires self-distrust. He guides their eyes from himself to the spirit that quickens him. He will have no disciple. Amos Bronson Alcott * Teaching is leaving a vestige of one self in the development of another. And surely the student is a bank where you can deposit your most precious treasures. Eugene P. Bertin * The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires. William Arthur Ward * A teachers purpose is not to create students in his own image, but to develop students who can create their own image. Author Unknown * What the teacher is, is more important than what he teaches. Karl Menningervv * The dream begins with a teacher who believes in you, who tugs and pushes and leads you to the next plateau, sometimes poking you with a sharp stick called truth. Dan Rather * In teaching you cannot see the fruit of a days work. It is invisible and remains so, maybe for twenty years. Jacques Barzun * Teaching is the profession that teaches all the other professions. Author Unknown * The best teachers teach from the heart, not from the book. Author Unknown * A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops. Henry Brooks Adams * Teachers, I believe, are the most responsible and important members of society because their professional efforts affect the fate of the earth. Helen Caldicott, author and peace activistd across the world on October 5. [1] Better than a thousand days of diligent study is one day with a great teacher. Japanese proverb * The whole art of teaching is only the art of awakening the natural curiosity of young minds for the purpose of satisfying it afterwards. Anatole France * Those who educate children well are more to be honored than parents, for these only gave life, those the art of living well. Aristotle * A gifted teacher is as rare as a gifted doctor, and makes far less money Author unknown September 5th is celebrated as Teachers’ day in India. Ex-President of India Mr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnans birth day (1888-1975) is celebrated as Teachersday. He was a philosopher and statesman. He was the main to interapret of Indias philosophical and religious traditions to west. He was vice president from 1952-1962 and president from 1962-1967. He was born in Tiruttani, then in Andhra pradesh, now in Tamil Nadu. He was the first ambassador to the Soviet Union from 1949-1952. He was very instuemental in Indian politics immediately after the death of Jawaharlal Nehru in 1964. He was in teaching before entering in to politics. That is why the Teachersday is celebrated. Best teachers are awarded on this day. On Teachers day, students across India dress up as their teachers and take lectures in classes that are assigned to the teachers they represent. Sometimes, teachers sit in their classes as students, trying to relive the time when they, themselves, were students. Also, functions are organized in schools on the special day, where students present dance performances, dramas, and various other programs to entertain their teachers. This day provides for a healthy interaction between teachers and students as well. Teachers Day is a tribute to the hard work and devotion of the teachers all year long, to educate a child. In India, teacher’s day is celebrated on 5th of September every year. Indian Teacher’s Day is dedicated to Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, who was a zealous advocate of education and one of the greatest scholars and teachers of all times, apart from being the first Vice President and the second President of India. As a mark of respect to this phenomenal teacher, his birthday came to be observed as Teacher’s Day in the country. A good teacher is like a candle. it consumes itself to light the way for others. Teachers Day is a national function, celebrated only in India. It is held on September 5th of every year which is also the birthday of Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, one of Our former Presidents. Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan was an ideal teacher. It was decided to celebrate his birthday as Teachers Day to honour that noble profession. The main idea is to draw the attention of the society towards this profession. No other profession, either medical or legal, have a day meant to celebrate and honour the best among them. It is a unique honour awarded to the teaching profession in our country. On that day nearly a  hundred teachers selected from primary, upper primary and secondary schools, oriental schools and colleges are invited by the President of India and honoured by giving a certificate of recognition along with some cash prize. The award given by the President is called the National Award for Teachers, which is a great honour to the humble teachers. Selection for these awards is made on the basis of many considerations-teachers personal character and conduct, his professional competence, his sociability, the results he produced, the contribution he made to the profession as a writer, and as a researcher in education., the popularity he enjoys in public, his efforts to eradicate illiteracy, public support he got to build infrastructure for his institution etc. The part he plays in extracurricular activities is also taken into account. So it is not easy to get a national award. Only ideal and worthy teachers can get it. Besides National awards, State awards and awards by National Foundation for Teachers are also given. In some districts, district level awards are also given to encourage ideal teachers. Giving an award is a good incentive. Of late the awards given by government have become mechanical. The original idea of involving the society at large, to recognise this noble profession is missing. Many functions are being arranged by teachers to honour their fellow teachers. The parents are not showing the expected interest. It was true that a teacher enjoyed a place of honour after the mother and father and was only next to them, in our ancient society. Many changes have taken place. A teacher is no longer a selfless Guru. He is a paid employee, just like any other worker in an office or factory. With this social concept, it is difficult to expect society to honour the teachers. But even now there are teachers who are respected and loved for their selfless service, spotless character and unbiased love and affection they show to all their students. All such teachers may not get awards. The social respect they command is itself an award. As Dr. S. Radhakrishnan had himself said, teaching is its own reward. The satisfaction it gives the teacher is not comparable. A good teacher is always remembered by the student wherever he is. Every year Teachers’ Day is celebrated all over India on 5th September. It is because Dr. S. Radhakrishnan was born on this day. Dr. S. Radhakrishnan who later became a great government dignitary, was earlier an outstanding teacher. He taught in India and later in England. He was greatly loved by his pupils for his scholarship and affable manners. Teachers’ day is celebrated in our school every year. On this day, teachers are given a break for their routine job of teaching. In their place, the students of XII class dress smartly as teachers and teach the junior classes for about an hour or so. All the students take them as real teachers for that period. A day earlier, the school hall is tastefully decorated with colourful ribbons and bunting. The main function is held there. All the teachers are invited by the students through artistic invitation cards as our honored guests and the most important persons. A cultural programme especially prepared for the teachers is held. In this programme, skits, songs, dances, mimicry and parodies are presented by the students. The teachers are parodied in a light vein without giving any of them an occasion for being displeased. The student representatives in their speeches praise the teachers for the good work they do as nation-builders. We pray for their prosperity and long life. We even offer apologies for any lapses on our part. Then the teachers are presented beautiful bouquets and gifts, which usually create laughter without malice. Last of all the teachers are invited to a light refreshment programme and we get blessings from them which they give liberally in tune with their general nature of love and generosity.

Theories of Job Satisfaction and Organisational Commitment

Theories of Job Satisfaction and Organisational Commitment Job satisfaction Job satisfaction can be described as a pleasurable or positive emotional state resulting from the individual’s job or job experiences (Locke, 1976). Job satisfaction is a topic of wide interest to both people who work in organisations and people who study them. It is a most frequently studied variable in organisational behaviour research, and also a central variable in both research and theory of organisational phenomena ranging from job design to supervision (Spector, 1997). Traditionally, job satisfaction focuses on the feelings that an individual has about their job. However, what makes a job satisfying or dissatisfying does not depend only on the nature of the job, but also on the expectations that individuals have of what their job should provide (Lu, While Barriball, 2004). Organisational Commitment Organisational commitment has been defined as the degree to which employees believe in and accept organisational goals and desire to remain with the organisation (Mathis Jackson, 2000). Similarly, Wright and Noe (1996) defined organisational commitment as â€Å"the degree or extent to which employees strongly identify with the organisation and feel attached to it.† Although there are a variety of different definitions for organisational commitment, they all share the view that organisational commitment is a psychological state that characterises an employee’s relationship with their organisation and has implications for that employee continuing membership in the organisation (Meyer Allen, 1997). However, what differs among these definitions is the nature of the psychological state being described (Mowday, Steers Porter, 1979; Wiener, 1982). In order to acknowledge the different psychological states,Meyer and Allen (1991)developed a three-component model of organisati onal commitment. The first component is affective commitment, which refers to an employee’s â€Å"emotional attachment to, identification with, and involvement in an organisation† (Meyer Allen, 1991). The second component is continuance commitment, which involves the employee’s perceptions of the costs associated with leaving an organisation. The last component is normative commitment, which refers to an employee’s feelings of obligation to stay in the organisation. Organisational Citizenship Behaviours Organisational citizenship behaviours (OCBs) are voluntary employee behaviours that are not formally rewarded by the organisation, but contribute to either the success of the whole organisation or to the well-being of other employees (Borman Motowidlo, 1993). Examples of OCBs include: helping colleagues with their work, helping new members of staff, talking positively about the organisation to outsiders, and voluntarily going to functions that help the organisation’s image (Lee Allen, 2002). Research on OCB’s have shown that they are important as they improve both individual level (Rotundo Sackett, 2002) and organisational-level performance outcomes (Podsakoff, Whiting, Podsakoff, Blume, 2009). It has been suggested that there are five different categories of OCBs including altruism, courtesy conscientiousness, civic virtue, and sportsmanship (Organ, 1988). Furthermore, OCBs have been divided into two different types. Williams and Anderson (1991) divided up the dime nsions based on who the behaviours were directed towards. If the behaviour was directed towards other individuals in the workplace, there were classified as Organisational citizenship behaviour–individuals (OCBI), while behaviours directed at the organisation as a whole were classified as organisational citizenship behaviour-organisational (OCBO). For example, categories of OCBs such as altruism and courtesy are actions aimed at other employees and would therefore be classified as OCBIs.Whereas, conscientiousness, civic virtue, and sportsmanship are behaviours intended for the benefit of the organisation and would therefore be considered as OCBOs. Core Self-Evaluation sub-traits and their relation to organisational citizenship behaviour, job satisfaction and organisational commitment. There are a lack of studies linking the core self-evaluations factor to organisational citizenship behaviours. However, three of the core traits: self-esteem, locus of control, and emotional stability, are the most widely studied personality traits in personality and applied psychology (Judge Bono, 2001). In total, self-esteem, locus of control, and emotional stability have been the subject of more than 50,000 studies (Judge et al, 2002). Self-esteem is used to describe an individual’s overall self-evaluation of their competencies (Rosenberg, 1965). Simply put, self-esteem is a personal evaluation which reflects what people think of themselves as individuals. For example, Korman (1970) states that self-esteem reflects the degree to which the individual â€Å"sees themselves as a competent, need-satisfying individual†. Therefore, an individual with high self-esteem has a â€Å"sense of personal adequacy and a sense of having achieved need satisfaction in the past† (Korman, 1966). As well as the reflecting component of self-esteem, Pelham and Swann (1989) explain that self-esteem also consists of an affective (liking/disliking) component. For example, individuals with high self-esteem like who and what they are; agreeing with statements such as â€Å"I am a person of worth, on an equal plane with others† and â€Å"I am satisfied with myself† (Rosenberg, 1965). Overall, it is the self-e valuation and descriptive conceptualisation that individuals make and maintain about themselves. Locus of control refers to an individuals’ perception of the main causes of events in life. It can be divided into two categories: internal locus of control and external locus of control. Individuals with an internal locus of control believe that they have control over the events and consequences associated with their lives, such as control over their own destinies. Therefore, they believe that the majority of their life experiences are determined by their own skills, abilities, and efforts. Whereas those with an external locus of control believe that life events are the result of circumstances outside their control. They believe that their destinies are controlled by external forces such as luck, chance, fate, or powerful others (Paulhus, 1983; Rotter, 1966). Emotional stability or neuroticism is perhaps the most enduring personality concept in psychology, as it is one of the dimensions of the widely studied five-factor model of personality. There are thousands of studies on the topic and the entire field of psychoanalysis and clinical psychology might be traced to the study of neurotic symptoms (Freud, 1910). Emotional stability represents individual differences in the tendency to experience distress (McCrae John, 1992). Typical behaviours associated with this factor include being anxious, depressed, angry, embarrassed, emotional, worried, and insecure (Barrick Mount, 1991). Generalised self-efficacy is described as an individual’s estimate of their fundamental ability to cope, perform, and be successful. This can be seen as the ability to persist and a persons ability to succeed with a task. As an example, self-efficacy directly relates to how long someone will stick to a workout regime or a diet. High and low self-efficacy determine whether or not someone will choose to take on a challenging task or write it off as impossible. Relation of Self-Esteem, Locus of Control, Neuroticism, and Generalised Self-Efficacy to Job Satisfaction. Judge et al. (1997) hypothesised that core self-evaluations would be related to job satisfaction through both direct and indirect means. Indeed, Judge et al (1998) found that the four traits, treated as a single latent construct, were significantly related to job satisfaction. This study also found that self-esteem, generalised self-efficacy, locus of control, and neuroticism were each independently significantly correlated with job satisfaction. Therefore, suggesting both direct and indirect links with job satisfaction. Despite the vast amount of research on dispositions and job satisfaction, Judge and Bono (2001) found there were no meta-analysis of the relationship between any of the four traits and job satisfaction. The relationships of these traits to job satisfaction had been discussed in reviews of the literature with respect to self-esteem (Tharenou, 1979), locus of control (Spector, 1982), and emotional stability (Furnham Zacherl, 1986), however the size and extent of these relationships, and the variability in these relationships across studies, had not been established. Therefore, Judge and Bono (2001) conducted a meta-analysis of 169 correlations. The found that the correlations of the core traits with job satisfaction ranged from 0.24 for emotional stability to 0.45 for generalised self-efficacy. All of these correlations generalised across studies (more than 90% of the individual correlations were greater than zero). Other research has also supported these finding, for example, studies have suggested that LOC is a significant predictor of job satisfaction (Judge, Erez, Bono, Thoresen, 2003), whereby individuals with an internal LOC reported higher levels of job satisfaction (Martin, Thomas, Charles, Epitro McNamara, 2005). Furthermore, several studies have shown that direct measures of neuroticism are negatively related to job satisfaction (Furnham Zacherl, 1986; Smith, Organ, Near, 1983; Tokar Subich, 1997), indicating that individuals with high neuroticism have lower job satisfaction. Moreover, there are theoretical reasons to expect a positive relationship between the four sub-traits and job satisfaction. In the case of self-esteem, Locke, McClear and Knight (1996) posited that, A person with a high self-esteem will view a challenging job as a deserved opportunity which he can master and benefit from, whereas a person with low self-esteem is more likely to view it as an undeserved opportunity or a chance to fail. Research has in fact supported this, suggesting that individuals with high self-esteem maintain optimism in the face of failure, which makes future success and future satisfaction more likely (Dodgson Wood, 1998). Another theoretical mechanism linking these traits to job satisfaction is suggested by Kormans (1970) self-consistency theory. Kormans theory predicts that individuals with high self-esteem choose occupations consistent with their interests, which would lead to greater levels of job satisfaction. More generally, Kormans theory predicts that hi gh self-esteem individuals will engage in a broad array of behaviours and cognitions that reinforce their self-concept. Similarly, Spector (1982) suggested that individuals with an internal locus of control should be more job satisfied because they are less likely to stay in a dissatisfying job and are more likely to be successful in organisations. With respect to neuroticism, McCrae and Costa (1991) noted that neuroticism is related to lower well-being because individuals who score high on neuroticism are predisposed to experience negative affects. Negative affect, in turn, is negatively related to job satisfaction (Brief, 1998; Spector, 1997). Finally, Judge et al. (1997) argued that generalised self-efficacy should affect job satisfaction through its association with practical success on the job. Because individuals with high self-efficacy deal more effectively with difficulties and persist in the face of failure (Gist Mitchell, 1992), they are more likely to attain valued outco mes and thus derive satisfaction from their jobs. Relation of Self-Esteem, Locus of Control, Neuroticism, and Generalised Self-Efficacy to Organisational Commitment. The four sub-traits have also been studied independently with regards to their relationship with organisational commitment. In terms of self-esteem, a review of the literature by Pierce Gardner (2004) identified several studies which report a significant and positive relationship between self-esteem and organisational commitment (Gardner Pierce, 1998, 2001; Lee, 2003; Phillips Hall, 2001; Ragins Cornwell, 2000; Riordan, Weatherly, Vandenberg Self, 2001; Tang Ibrahim, 1998; Tang, Kim O’Donald, 2000; Tang, Singer Roberts, 2000; Van Dyne Pierce, 2004). Correlations range between .12 and .64. These findings suggest that employees with high levels of self-esteem are more committed to their organisations than those individuals with low self-esteem. There are also some studies relating an individual’s locus of control to organisational commitment. Coleman, Irving, and Cooper (1999) conducted a study on the relationship between locus of control and organisational commitment. The results revealed that internal locus of control was related to affective commitment, while external locus of control was associated with continuance commitment. Furthermore, a study by Igbeneghu Popool (2011) provides empirical evidence to show that locus of control has a significant inverse relationship with organisational commitment. These findings are similar to research done two decades ago in which organisational commitment was found to be positively related to internal locus of control (Luthans, Baack, Taylor, 1987). Neuroticism has been found to be significantly related to organisational commitment (Erdheim, Wang Zickar, 2006). Cui (2010) found that neuroticism was significantly related to the continuance commitment part of organisational commitment. It has been shown that neurotic individuals tend to experience more negative life events than other individuals (Magnus, Diener, Fujita, Pavot, 1993). These findings directly relate to continuance commitment, which may develop out of an employee’s fear of the costs associated with leaving their current position (Meyer Allen, 1997). This is to the extent that when negative events occur in a highly neurotic individual’s job, the individual may feel more apprehensive about facing a new work environment that could provide even harsher experiences. Therefore, they are more likely to have high levels of continuance commitment. Once again, research found that self-efficacy was a significant predictor of organisational commitment (Bogler Somech, 2004). Saleem, Saba Adnan (2012) explored self-efficacy as a predictor of organisational commitment among bank employees. Correlational and multiple regression analyses indicated that self-efficacy was significantly positively correlated organisational commitment. Wu and Short (1996), who studied the relationship between teacher empowerment and teacher job commitment and job satisfaction, found that among the six subscales that compose the teacher empowerment scale (SPES), professional growth, self-efficacy and status were significant predictors of organisational commitment. Relation of Self-Esteem, Locus of Control, Neuroticism, and Generalised Self-Efficacy to Organisational Citizenship Behaviour. The four sub-traits have also been studied separately in relation to organisational citizenship behaviour. Again, Pierce Gardner’s (2003) review found various studies showing that self-esteem was related to organisational citizenship behaviour. For example, Tang, Davis, Dolinski, Ibrahim, Sutarso Wagner (2002) examined self-esteem and organisational citizenship behaviours with samples in the United States, Taiwan, Poland, and Egypt. In both their US and non-US samples they found significant and positive relationship between self-esteem and organisational citizenship behaviour. Van Dyne and Pierce (2004) who used both supervisor and peer ratings of citizenship behaviour, reported significant relationships between self-esteem and organisational citizenship behaviours. Self-esteem has been found to have significant relationships with both dimensions of organisational citizenship behaviours: altruism and compliance (Tang Ibrahim, 1998). Chattopadhyay (1999) observed a positive and significant relationship between self-esteem and altruism. Chattopadhyay and George (2001) also observed a positive relationship between self-esteem and altruism in their study of employees in a computer manufacturer. Furthermore, studies such as Lee (2003) looked at the five dimensions of citizenship behaviour (i.e., altruism, conscientiousness, courtesy, sportsmanship, and civic virtue) and found significant relationships between self-esteem and acts of good organisational citizenship. Tang, Singer, Roberts (2000) investigated the effect that public (other serving) and private (self-serving) motives on altruistic and conscientiousness acts of organisational citizenship, and found a positive relationship between public motives and self-esteem, and a negative relationship for private motives. They also report a positive relationship between self-esteem and both dimensions (altruism and conscientiousness) of citizenship behaviour. Overall, across this set of studies self-esteem correlated with organisational citizenship behaviour in the range between .23 for compliance and .83 for altruism, indicating that self-esteem has a more significant relationship with the altruistic dimension of OCBs. Two studies have found empirical support for the relationship between locus of control and citizenship performance. Motowidlo and Van Scotter (1994) reported a significant correlation (r = .26) between internal locus of control and organisational citizenship performance. More recently, Funderberg and Levy (1997) found a .33 correlation between locus of control and self-reports on the altruism dimension of OCB, but a negative correlation of .34 with peer ratings on the same OCB dimension. Facteau, Allen, Facteau, Bordas Tears, (2000) found low negative correlations between locus of control and citizenship performance. Neuroticism (emotional instability) has a negative relationship with citizenship behaviour. Those who score high in neuroticism tend to be more preoccupied with their own anxieties and presumably do not have the emotional stamina to concern themselves with others problems or general system requirements unrelated to their own immediate needs (Smith, Organ Near, 1983). Bogler Somech (2004) found that self-efficacy was a significant predictor of OCB. Their results showed that self-efficacy, significantly predicted organisational commitment. The importance of self-efficacy as a predictor of all three outcomes can be understood if we relate to the original concept of self-efficacy developed by Bandura (1977). According to Bandura, self-efficacy is based on two dimensions that he labelled ‘‘outcome expectancy’’ and ‘‘efficacy expectancy’’. ‘‘Outcome expectancy’’ implies that an individual estimates that a given behaviour will result in certain outcomes. ‘‘Efficacy expectations’’ refer to behaviours toward the expected outcomes. Not surprisingly, where teachers report higher levels of self-efficacy, they exhibit more organisational behaviours. Teachers who have high expectations of themselves to perform effectively and successfully in school will car ry out extra functions beyond the formal ones and will feel more committed to their school and to the teaching profession.

Amistad Essay example -- essays research papers

The touchiest subject that a person could bring up in the early 19th century was slavery. Many in the north were wholly against it while many in the south could not live properly without it. The Amistad case intensifies the already bitter feelings between these two parts of the country, and it shows how sectionalist our country had become. On one hand there were the northerners who couldn’t believe that these people were being held for freeing themselves, and on the other hand there were the southerners who said that the Negro’s were animals and should be sent back to Cuba to be hung. There were not only two different attitudes on what should happen to the Africans, but each group also had different opinions on how to handle the story. â€Å"The northern press made much of the story, while the southern press avoided it because they didn’t want to give the slave populations any ideas.† (8)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When the Amistad landed in 1839, most people opposed slavery in the north, but many of them weren’t abolitionists, and others didn’t want to think about the subject at all. The wanted to just save the union, because if that had dispersed, all of the founding fathers work would have gone for none. â€Å"The Abolitionists seized upon the Amistad case as heavensent to abet their cause.† This was what they needed to get more support behind their cause, and to get the people who didn’t want to talk about the subject out and gossiping. On the Spaniards side there was William S. Holabird the District Attorney at that time who thought that it was an â€Å"open and shut case of murder and mutiny, and that Gedney saved the Spaniards from the blacks, and not the blacks from the Spaniards.† (19) The Africans do have many intelligent abolitionists on their side, and Lewis Tappan was one of them. The Africans attorney Roger Baldwin accompanied him, along with an abolitionist named Robert Madden. Madden was a heartfelt abolitionist whose attitude is displayed in this verse: â€Å"We are not always scourging - by the way, Tuesday in common is our flogging day. At other times we only use the whip To stir the drones and make the young ones skip. Then as to food, you may be sure we give Enough to let the wretched creatures live. The diet’s somewhat slender, there’s no doubt It would not do let them grow out.† (60) Tappan was one of the most hated men in the south, and he was the f... ...ery†¦You are great in everything else†¦Your name will descend to the latest posterity with this blot on it: Mr. Adams loves to Negroes too much unconstitutionally.† This was a nicely put hate mail, but it showed the attitude of many. Another thing that he received in the mail from a person in North Carolina was an engraved portrait of himself with a bullet hole through the forehead and the inscription â€Å"to stop the music of John Quincy Adams.† (65) Yet even with all of these dangers lurking around him, he pushed on with much determination to give the Africans their freedom. All of these events and people involved, show what the question of slavery meant to all of them. The Amistad case was a huge event in the 19th century. The verdict not nearly as important as the implications of whom was involved, and how it was taken care of. This case was about the mistreatment of a people who had no right to be looked down upon. This case was about the people who fought for it, and the passions that they shared, and the one passion they didn’t. The men involved in the Amistad case represented to sides to a case, and two philosophy’s of a country separating at a rate too fast for anyone to stop. Amistad Essay example -- essays research papers The touchiest subject that a person could bring up in the early 19th century was slavery. Many in the north were wholly against it while many in the south could not live properly without it. The Amistad case intensifies the already bitter feelings between these two parts of the country, and it shows how sectionalist our country had become. On one hand there were the northerners who couldn’t believe that these people were being held for freeing themselves, and on the other hand there were the southerners who said that the Negro’s were animals and should be sent back to Cuba to be hung. There were not only two different attitudes on what should happen to the Africans, but each group also had different opinions on how to handle the story. â€Å"The northern press made much of the story, while the southern press avoided it because they didn’t want to give the slave populations any ideas.† (8)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When the Amistad landed in 1839, most people opposed slavery in the north, but many of them weren’t abolitionists, and others didn’t want to think about the subject at all. The wanted to just save the union, because if that had dispersed, all of the founding fathers work would have gone for none. â€Å"The Abolitionists seized upon the Amistad case as heavensent to abet their cause.† This was what they needed to get more support behind their cause, and to get the people who didn’t want to talk about the subject out and gossiping. On the Spaniards side there was William S. Holabird the District Attorney at that time who thought that it was an â€Å"open and shut case of murder and mutiny, and that Gedney saved the Spaniards from the blacks, and not the blacks from the Spaniards.† (19) The Africans do have many intelligent abolitionists on their side, and Lewis Tappan was one of them. The Africans attorney Roger Baldwin accompanied him, along with an abolitionist named Robert Madden. Madden was a heartfelt abolitionist whose attitude is displayed in this verse: â€Å"We are not always scourging - by the way, Tuesday in common is our flogging day. At other times we only use the whip To stir the drones and make the young ones skip. Then as to food, you may be sure we give Enough to let the wretched creatures live. The diet’s somewhat slender, there’s no doubt It would not do let them grow out.† (60) Tappan was one of the most hated men in the south, and he was the f... ...ery†¦You are great in everything else†¦Your name will descend to the latest posterity with this blot on it: Mr. Adams loves to Negroes too much unconstitutionally.† This was a nicely put hate mail, but it showed the attitude of many. Another thing that he received in the mail from a person in North Carolina was an engraved portrait of himself with a bullet hole through the forehead and the inscription â€Å"to stop the music of John Quincy Adams.† (65) Yet even with all of these dangers lurking around him, he pushed on with much determination to give the Africans their freedom. All of these events and people involved, show what the question of slavery meant to all of them. The Amistad case was a huge event in the 19th century. The verdict not nearly as important as the implications of whom was involved, and how it was taken care of. This case was about the mistreatment of a people who had no right to be looked down upon. This case was about the people who fought for it, and the passions that they shared, and the one passion they didn’t. The men involved in the Amistad case represented to sides to a case, and two philosophy’s of a country separating at a rate too fast for anyone to stop.

Social Security and Corporate Welfare Essays -- Papers Clinton Medicar

Social Security and Corporate Welfare 'Social Security—the nation's largest, costliest, and most successful domestic program has reached a critical juncture in its development. As its creators anticipated, nearly every wage earner now pays taxes into the system. In principle, all citizens may be eligible for "entitlements" at some point in their lives. Yet...senior citizens worry that their benefits will be cut; younger Americans are skeptical—if not cynical—about their own benefits upon retirement.' — W. Andrew Achenbaum This summation of the state of Social Security was written more than a twenty years ago. Looking back, it seems as though the Social Security system frequently reaches a state of crisis in which predictions of its end arise. Since it was enacted in 1935, Social Security has been amended often, most recently in 1983, when Congress imposed a tax on the benefits of high-income retirees, raised the retirement age, and revised the tax-rate schedule. Today, the future of Social Security is in the news again. The reason Social Security is of such concern is that the extremely large group of citizens born in the post-World War II period—the much-discussed baby-boom generation—is retiring. The generation that will take its place in the workforce is far smaller in proportion to the number of retirees, raising fears about the sustainability of Social Security. In the past, proposed solutions to the various problems facing Social Security aroused great debate. Each time, however, the arguments were stilled, repairs were made, and the system continued to fulfill its mandate. That uncertainty about the future has resulted in suggestions for change that range from minor adjustments to complete privatization of the ... ...6. Fisher Center for Information Technology & Management, University of California in Berkeley. June 1995 3. Mark E. Nissen. Commerce Model & the Intelligent Hub. CommerceNet CALS Working Group Presentation. November 1995 4. Michael Bloch, Yves Pigneur. The extended enterprise, a descriptive framework, some enabling technologies and case studies in the Lotus Notes environment. Ecole des HEC INFORGE, University of Lausanne, Switzerland. 1995. Jun. Report No.: TR-YP-91. 5.Don Tapscott. The digital economy. McGraw Hill, 1995 6.Brian A. Johnson, John H. Ott, Jack M. Stephenson, Paal K. Weberg. Banking on multimedia. The McKinsey Quarterly 1995. 7.Gregory Wester, Stephen Franco. The Internet Shakeout 1996. Interactive Commerce Research Bulletin. the Yankee Group, Boston, MA. December 1995 8. http://www.emarketer.com/eStats/welcome.html