Study skills Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Study skills - Essay Example The leading areas of focus include: Economic development and wealth creation. Social development. Environmental development. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Generally, the main concern that necessitates the upgrade of modern cities is the need to accommodate the ever-growing population especially around the bigger cities. One of the causes for this increase is the rapid rural-urban migration. The main cause for this migration is the pursuit for job opportunities and better housing facilities among others. There is a need to upgrade the existing social amenities to match this rate of migration in order to avert the major social problems that are associated with any unprecedented rise in population. London has been on the fore front in ensuring that the general infrastructure of the city is developed to ensure that the city retains its global position despite the sudden rise in urban dwellers. The other reason for the upgrade is to address recent global areas of concerns associated with the urban ar eas, top among them being the global warming menace. Most authorities have realized that the current global race towards industrialization has led to an upsurge in environmental degradation in levels never seen in the recent past. Keywords: urbanization, global warming, infrastructure, energy, renewable energy, sustainability, waste management. Introduction There has been a high motivation to improve on the development of London over the recent years. The Greater London Authority (GLA) is an authority whose role is to seek development in a brighter future for London. GLA is made up of members such as the Mayor, London Assembly, and staff. Other functionalities existing include London Development Agency, Metropolitan Police Authority, Transport and London Fire and Emergency authority. Therefore, the report seeks to expound on environmental improvement in London Powers and Responsibilities of the GLA and the Mayor: The Mayor of London is a very important figure as he sets the strategy used to focus on development, procedures to be used as well as the policies to be followed to realise the vision of making London the biggest and best city or choice of destination in the world. This involves the areas described above such as economic development and wealth creation, social development and finally environmental development. The work of strategizing the London vision is a responsibility of London’s Mayor. The mayor comes up with the best strategies that will be used to implement and fulfil the vision for the future. The Mayor of London also seeks to establish working relationships with key parties such as organisations. This will see to it that essential lines that will enable London to move easily to the strategized vision for its future can be drawn. According to the Mayor of London, Johnson Boris insists that he wants to bring about the changes that most Londoners have always aspired. Some of these changes include remodelling the general outlook of London so that it reflects a cleaner city with safer streets. There is also a need to introduce modern transport system as well a state-of-the art housing facilities. This will play a crucial part in attracting local, as well as foreign visitors to this great city. The Mayor of Lond

Management Information System Essay Example for Free

Management Information System Essay Organizations and Information Systems * Information technology and organizations influence one another * Complex relationship influenced by organization’s structure, business processes, politics, culture, environment, and management decisions The Two-Way Relationship between Organizations and Information Technology This complex two-way relationship is mediated by many factors, not the least of which are the decisions made—or not made—by managers. Other factors mediating the relationship include the organizational culture, structure, politics, business processes, and environment. What is an organization? * Technical definition: * Stable, formal social structure that takes resources from environment and processes to produce outputs. * A formal legal entity with internal rules and procedures, as well as a social structure * Behavioral definition: * A collection of rights, privileges, obligations, and responsibilities that is delicately balanced over a period of time through conflict and conflict resolution The Technical Microeconomic Definition of the Organization In the microeconomic definition of organizations, capital and labor (the primary production factors provided by the environment) are transformed by the firm through the production process into products and services (outputs to the environment). The products and services are consumed by the environment, which supplies additional capital and labor as inputs in the feedback loop. Figure 3-2 The Behavioral View of Organizations The behavioral view of organizations emphasizes group relationships, values, and structures. Figure 3-3 * Features of organizations * All modern organizations share some characteristics, such as: * Use of hierarchical structure * Accountability, authority in system of impartial decision-making * Adherence to principle of efficiency * Other features include: Routines and business processes and organizational politics, culture, environments and structures * Routines and business processes * Routines (standard operating procedures) Precise rules, procedures, and practices developed to cope with virtually all expected situations * Business processes: Collections of routines * Business firm: Collection of business processes Routines, Business Processes, and Firms All organizations are composed of individual routines and behaviors, a collection of which make up a business process. A collection of business processes make up the business firm. New information system applications require that individual routines and business processes change to achieve high levels of organizational p erformance. Figure 3-4 * Organizational politics * Divergent viewpoints lead to political struggle, competition, and conflict * Political resistance greatly hampers organizational change * Organizational culture: * Encompasses set of assumptions that define goal and product * What products the organization should produce * How and where it should be produced * For whom the products should be produced * May be powerful unifying force as well as restraint on change * Organizational environments: Organizations and environments have a reciprocal relationship * Organizations are open to, and dependent on, the social and physical environment * Organizations can influence their environments * Environments generally change faster than organizations * Information systems can be instrument of environmental scanning, act as a lens Environments and Organizations Have a Reciprocal Relationship Environments shape what organizations can do, but organizations can influence their environments and decide to chang e environments altogether. Information technology plays a critical role in helping organizations perceive environmental change and in helping organizations act on their environment. Figure 3-5 * Organizational structure * Five basic kinds of structure * Entrepreneurial: Small start-up business * Machine bureaucracy: Midsize manufacturing firm * Divisional zed bureaucracy: Fortune 500 firms * Professional bureaucracy: Law firms, school systems, hospitals * Adhocracy: Consulting firms * Other Organizational Features * Goals * Constituencies * Leadership styles * Tasks Surrounding environments How Information Systems Impact Organizations and Business Firms * Economic impacts * IT changes relative costs of capital and the costs of information * Information systems technology is a factor of production, like capital and labor * IT affects the cost and quality of information and changes economics of information * Information technology helps firms contract in size because it can reduce transaction costs (the cost of participating in markets). Outsourcing expands * Transaction cost theory Firms seek to economize on cost of participating in market (transaction costs) * IT lowers market transaction costs for firm, making it worthwhile for firms to transact with other firms rather than grow the number of employees The Transaction Cost Theory of the Impact of Information Technology on the Organization Firms traditionally grew in size to reduce transaction costs. IT potentially reduces the costs for a given size, shifting the transaction cost curve inward, opening up the possibility of revenue growth without increasing size, or even revenue growth accompanied by shrinking size. Figure 3-6 * Agency theory: * Firm is nexus of contracts among self-interested parties requiring supervision * Firms experience agency costs (the cost of managing and supervising) which rise as firm grows * IT can reduce agency costs, making it possible for firms to grow without adding to the costs of supervising, and without adding employees The Agency Cost Theory of the Impact of Information Technology on the Organization As firms grow in size and complexity, traditionally they experience rising agency costs. IT shifts the agency cost curve down and to the right, enabling firms to increase size while lowering agency costs. Figure 3-7 * Organizational and behavioral impacts * IT flattens organizations * Decision-making pushed to lower levels * Fewer managers needed (IT enables faster decision-making and increases span of control) * Postindustrial organizations * Organizations flatten because in postindustrial societies, authority increasingly relies on knowledge and competence rather than formal positions Flattening Organizations Information systems can reduce the number of levels in an organization by providing managers with information to supervise larger numbers of workers and by giving lower-level employees more decision-making authority. Figure 3-8 * Organizational resistance to change * Information systems become bound up in organizational politics because they influence access to a key resource information * Information systems potentially change an organization’s structure, culture, politics, and work * Most common reason for failure of large projects is due to organizational amp; political resistance to change Organizational Resistance and the Mutually Adjusting Relationship between Technology and the Organization Implementing information systems has consequences for task arrangements, structures, and people. According to this model, to implement change, all four components must be changed simultaneously. Figure 3-9 * The Internet and organizations * The Internet increases the accessibility, storage, and distribution of information and knowledge for organizations * The Internet can greatly lower transaction and agency costs * E. g.

Athens VS Sparta Essays -- essays research papers

During the late Archaic Greek and Classical periods, two particular city-states were in existence with significant similarities as well as differences. These two city-states, Sparta and Athens have unique formations of government, histories, goals, as well as societies.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After experiencing the effects of a rising population and shortage of arable land, the Spartans moved through their mountainous western frontier in hope of seeking a new spacious land to live upon. Their decision to change their home grounds put the Spartans in great danger as they found themselves entering into the fertile plain of Messenia. Fearing that they may be overthrown by power by the Messenian resistance and the helot status, the Spartans began to seek protection for their city-state and their citizens. In hope of protecting themselves, the Spartans began a new way of life by introducing a dominant military camp that would keep their community alert and aware at all times. This was the foundation of how the Spartans became a military based society.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  On the other end of the Greek city-states, the Athens chose a relatively different path as their governmental system, a democracy. Although the Athens did not prosper into a democracy over night, each step taken revealed a transition into the new governmental system they were yet to obtain. In hope of avoiding a civil war, a member of the aristocracy, Solon, was appointed as authority to posses ...

How Digital Processes Change Photography Essay -- Essays

How Digital Processes Change Photography New technology is an ever present, always advancing force in today’s world. For this reason it is no surprise that in the last decade we have begin to see the rise of digital imaging in our lives. Put simply, digital imaging is the process of changing a visual imaging into a format that a computer can understand and interpret. Whether or not the image is captured by a digital device, such as a digital camera or camcorder, or it is transformed into a digital file after its development, such as by scanning, digital processes are changing the face of photography and the way we interpret it. However, as with any new change or development, digital imaging comes with its own set of advantages, and its own set of vices. Before the era of digital imaging the process of creating a photographic image had gone on for nearly a century with relatively little advancement. Besides from improvements in film quality and development every few decades, photography was, for the most part, becoming a stable form of art. Not only could people go and get professional photographs taken, but the technology was easy enough to understand that with Kodak’s introduction of a consumer friendly camera in 1888 people could begin producing their own photographs as well. (US News, p49.) Soon followed the 35mm camera, then color film and so- on and so-forth but the primary idea never changed. However, just prior to the 1980’s the world began to see the advancement of digital imaging with the introduction of computer programs that could edit an image after it had been scanned into digital format. This was a dawning of a new era in photography, even though the world would not see the birth of the digital cam. .. ... to the cover of a national press. As fore-mentioned, this brave new world of digital imaging was showing its good and bad side. As time marches on so does the flow of new technology. Even though the old form of analog photography may never become obsolete it is abundantly clear that digital imaging is here to stay. WORKS CITED 1) Curtin, Dennis P. Choosing and Using a Digital Camera. New York: Curtin. 2001 2) Mills, Lara. â€Å"Fast and flexible: digital photography may revolutionize the creative landscape, although not for everyone.† Marketing Magazine 101 (1996): 16-17 3) â€Å"Photography’s Storied History.† US NEWS & WORLD REPORT 131 (2001) : 48-9 4) Webb, Warren. â€Å"A Digital Picture is Worth†¦Ã¢â‚¬  EDN 45 (2000) 71-8 5) Chinnock, Chris â€Å"Low-end Digital Cameras still Poised for Rapid Growth.† Electronic Design 47 (1999) 56

Why Smoking Should be Banned

Smoking is one of the leading causes of preventable deaths in the United States, and doing it in public is even worse because smokers not only harm themselves, but also those around them. I remember how my great uncle would always smoke in his house regardless of his surroundings. When his daughter visited him for a vacation, she brought her three year old daughter with her. The baby was healthy before coming to her grandpa's house, but in less than two weeks, she had developed ear infections and started to cough. When they went to the doctors' office to find out how she had gotten it, the doctor linked it back to the second hand smoke that she was breathing in. When my great uncle found out about it, he finally started to care about where he was smoking and who he was with, and decided that he would smoke in a secluded place where no one but him may be affected. Like my great uncle in the past, many smokers think they could do whatever they want because it is their body, but to me, their right ends where my health begins. I believe that smoking in public places should be banned at a federal level because even the smallest wisp of smoke can do a lot of damage to the people around them and the environment. Smoking has been proven to have many deadly effects on humans and the environment that it would make sense to ban people doing it in public. Cigarettes negatively affect the environment in many ways that not many people seem to realize. According to a study by Tree Hugger â€Å"more than 4. 5 trillion non-biodegradable filter-tipped cigarettes are thrown away annually somewhere in the world† (McLaren). Most cigarette butts are not thrown away properly because many can be easily found on the streets and even near bodies of water. â€Å"It takes about 18 months to 10 years for cigarette butts to decompose† (McLaren). It would make it easier for trash to keep on piling up, making the world a dirtier place. Not only does the trash make the environment look unattractive but it also affects animals. When a cigarette butt is thrown near a water source, it may contaminate an aquatic ecosystem. According to Tree Hugger, cigarette butts have been found inside the stomachs of birds and fishes (McLaren). It is horrible to know that some of the fishes that we have eaten may have been contaminated by cigarette butts. Though many smokers already know of the health risks that come with smoking cigarettes, but what most of them do not, is how secondhand smoking can affect other people. â€Å"Breathing in low doses of secondhand smoke can increase a person’s risk of heart attack† according to a study by Dr. Meyers, a professor of Cardiology and Preventive Medicine at University of Kansas (Sciencedaily. com). Smokers should not risk non-smokers for something that they do. In continuation of Dr. Meyers’ study is that, â€Å"secondhand smoking increases the likelihood of a heart attack by making the blood â€Å"sticky†, making it more prone to clotting, and reducing the amount of good cholesterol in the body† (Sciencedaily. com). Non-smokers should no t be worrying about paying more medical bills, especially in today’s economic situation. Many businesses provide health insurance to their employees. According to a statistical data collected by Live Strong, employers spend an extra $49 million in medical costs for employees who are exposed to secondhand smoking in their jobs (Nelson). Employers would be able to hire more people with the money that is being used to pay for medical bills that could be prevented. Smoking banned in public places may lead to less pollution, non-smokers not getting harmed, and employers saving money from unneeded medical bills that could be used to hire more employees. Whenever I ask a smoker why they smoke, many respond in something like, â€Å"It’s my own body; I can do whatever I want with it. † According to a report by Dr. Stillman, co-director of the Institute for Global Tobacco Control at Johns Hopkins University, says, â€Å"Inhaling the complex mixture of compounds in tobacco smoke can cause cancer, cardiovascular disease and lung disease† (Shrieves). Though it is their own body, we all share the same air, and the smoke that cigarettes produce is contaminating our air, which may also harm a other people. Most people think that smoking and bars go together like two peas in a pod, and many think that by banning smoking in public places will lead to a decrease of revenue in some businesses. According to a report collected by the CDC, â€Å"a smoke-free indoor air ordinance that was passed in El Paso, Texas, proved that there were no statistically significant changes in restaurant and bar revenues after the smoking ban took effect† (CDC. gov). It is more beneficial to people to ban smoking seeing as there is no change in revenues and it would not affect the economy. Ban of smoking in public places in a federal level is much more favorable to non-smokers and makes no significant changes in revenues in businesses. Smoking in public should be banned at a federal level without question. Smoking negatively affects people, the environment and businesses. There are no logical reasons to allow smoking in public places and doing so does not benefit anyone but cigarette makers. Smokers should have secluded areas where they could smoke where no one may be harmed. The government should provide trash cans in these areas so smokers would not just throw their cigarette butts on the floor. Anyone caught smoking in public places and littering their cigarettes should be fined. Smoking endangers people who chose not to engage in the same reckless behavior, like my baby cousin who had gotten so sick because of my great uncle’s smoking. It also dirties our environment and harms other animals that are in search of food. Businesses who provide health insurance to their workers affected by second hand smoking are wasting money that could be used to hire more employees. Banning smoking in public may lead to a better way of life and a healthier place to live.

If Marijuana Were Legalized Essays - Drug Policy, Law, Free Essays

If Marijuana Were Legalized Essays - Drug Policy, Law, Free Essays If Marijuana Were Legalized Drugs are a major influential force in our country today. The problem has gotten so out of hand that many options are being considered to control it or even solve it. Ending the drug war seems to be a bit impossible. The war on drugs seems to be accomplishing a lot but this is not true. Different options need to be considered. Legalization is an option that hasn't gotten a chance but should be given one. Although many people feel that legalizing marijuana would increase the amount of use, marijuana should be legalized because it will reduce the great amounts of money spent on enforcement and it will increase our country?s revenue. There are also many benefits that can be uncovered to help people if legalization of marijuana is given a chance. Legalizing marijuana would increase our economy's revenue. During Prohibition alcohol use was still sold and used, but people were doing it illegally. The 21st amendment repealed prohibition and alcohol taxes were increased. The same thing should happen with drugs. Marijuana should be taxed heavily to increase our revenue. Marijuana and other drugs would be made by the same people who make aspirin so the quality would be assured, containing no poisons or adulterants. Sterile hypodermic needles will be readily available at corner drug stores. These could be taxed heavily because the users will be assured of "clean drugs." Making drugs legal will reduce the great amounts of money spent on enforcement every year. Drug dealers and users are one step ahead on the enforcement process. If one drug lord is caught, another one will show up somewhere else. We cannot win. ?In 1987, 10 billion dollars were spent alone just on enforcing drug laws. Drugs accounted for about 40 percent of all felony indictments in the New York City courts in 1989. This figure is quadruple what it was in 1985. . Forty percent of the people in federal prison are drug law violators? (Long 114). One can only imagine what this figure would be like today. Too much money is wasted on a cause that seems to be no end to. ?In 1989, a Republican county executive of Mercer County N.J. estimated that it would cost him as much as 1 billion dollars to build the jail space needed to house all the hard-core drug users in Trenton alone? (Long 128). All of this money could be used on better things. By lifting the ban on marijuana use and treating it like other drugs such as tobacco and alcohol, the nation would gain immediate and long-term benefits. This change in the law would greatly improve the quality of life for many people. Victims of glaucoma and those needing antinausea treatment, for example, would find marijuana easily available. Also, the cloud of suspicion would disappear, and doctors could get on with investigating marijuana?s medical uses without fear of controversy. In the essay, ?Drugs?, Vidal states, ? Nevertheless many drugs are bad for certain people to take and they should be told why in a sensible way? (321-322). It might become possible to discuss the dangers of marijuana use without getting caught up in a policy debate.. Meanwhile, the black market would disappear overnight. Some arrangement would be made to license the production of marijuana cigarettes. Thousands of dealers would be put out of business, and a secret part of the economy would come into the open. It is difficult to say whether this change would reduce crime because criminals would probably continue to sell other drugs. But it would have an impact on the amount of money flowing through criminal channels, and this might weaken organized crime. The legalization of marijuana would benefit the federal budget in two ways, the federal revenues would increase, because marijuana cigarettes would be taxed at the point of sale. In return, the companies that make the cigarettes would also pay income taxes.. Second, there would be a reduction on the amount spent on law enforcement efforts to apprehend and prosecute users and sellers of marijuana. The drug enforcement authorities might reduce their budget requests, or, more likely, focus more intensely on hard drugs and violent crimes. The courts would

Biography of Chief Massasoit, Native American Hero

Biography of Chief Massasoit, Native American Hero Chief Massasoit (1580–1661), as he was known to the Mayflower Pilgrims, was the leader of the Wampanoag tribe. Also known as The Grand Sachem as well as Ousemequin (sometimes spelled Woosamequen), Massasoit played a major role in the success of the Pilgrims. Conventional narratives of Massasoit paint the picture of a friendly Native American who came to the aid of the starving Pilgrims- even joining them in what is considered the first Thanksgiving feast- for the purpose of maintaining peaceful relationships and harmonious co-existence. Fast Facts: Known For: Leader of the Wampanoag tribe, who helped the Mayflower PilgrimsAlso Known As: The Grand Sachem, Ousemequin (sometimes spelled Woosamequen)Born: 1580 or 1581 in  Montaup, Bristol, Rhode IslandDied: 1661Children: Metacomet,  WamsuttaNotable Quote: What is this you call property? It cannot be the earth, for the land is our mother, nourishing all her children, beasts, birds, fish and all men. The woods, the streams, everything on it belongs to everybody and is for the use of all. How can one man say it belongs only to him? Early Life Not much is known about Massasoits life before his encounters with the European immigrants other than he was born in Montaup (now Bristol, Rhode Island) around 1580 or 1581. Montaup was a village of the Pokanoket people, who later became known as the Wampanoag. By the time of the Mayflower Pilgrims interactions with him, Massasoit had been a great leader whose authority extended throughout the southern New England region, including the territories of the Nipmuck, Quaboag, and Nashaway Algonquin tribes. Colonists Arrival When the Pilgrims landed in Plymouth in 1620, the Wampanoag had suffered devastating population losses due to a plague brought by Europeans in 1616; estimates are that upwards of 45,000, or two-thirds of the entire Wampanoag nation, had perished. Many other tribes had also suffered extensive losses throughout the 15th century due to European diseases. The arrival of the English with their encroachments on Indian territories combined with the depopulation and the Indian slave trade, which had been underway for a century, led to increasing instability in tribal relationships. The Wampanoag were under threat from the powerful Narragansett. By 1621, the Mayflower Pilgrims had lost half of their original population of 102 people as well; it was in this vulnerable state that Massasoit as the Wampanoag leader sought alliances with the equally-as-vulnerable pilgrims. The Pilgrims were impressed with Massasoit. According to MayflowerHIstory.com, Plymouth colonist Edward Winslow described the chief as follows: In his person he is a very lusty man, in his best years, an able body, grave of countenance, and spare of speech. In his attire little or nothing differing from the rest of his followers, only in a great chain of white bone beads about his neck, and at it behind his neck hangs a little bag of tobacco, which he drank and gave us to drink; his face was painted with a sad red like murry, and oiled both head and face, that he looked greasily. Peace, War, and Protection When Massasoit entered into a treaty of mutual peace and protection with the pilgrims in 1621, there was more at stake than a simple desire to make friends with the newcomers. Other tribes in the region were entering into agreements with the English colonies as well. For example, the Shawomet Purchase (todays Warwick, Rhode Island), in which sachems Pumhom and Sucononoco claimed they had been forced to sell under duress a large tract of land to a rogue Puritan group under the leadership of Samuel Gorton in 1643, led to tribes placing themselves under the protection of the Massachusetts colony in 1644. By 1632, the Wampanoags were engaged in a full-scale war with the Narragansett. Thats when Massasoit changed his name to Wassamagoin, which means Yellow Feather. Between 1649 and 1657, under pressure from the English, he sold several large tracts of land in Plymouth Colony. After abdicating his leadership to his eldest son Wamsutta (aka Alexander), Massasoit is said to have gone to live the rest of his days with the Quaboag who maintained the highest respect for the sachem. Later Years and Death Massasoit is often held up in American history as a hero because of his alliance and assumed love for the English, and some of the documentation hints at an overestimation of his esteem for them. For example, in one story when Massasoit contracted an illness in March 1623, Plymouth colonist Winslow is reported to have come to the side of the dying sachem, feeding him comfortable conserves and sassafras tea. Upon his recovery five days later, Winslow wrote that Massasoit said that the English are my friends and love me and that whilst I live I will never forget this kindness they have showed me. However, a critical examination of the relationships and realities casts some doubt over Winslows ability to heal Massasoit, considering the Indians superior knowledge of medicine and likelihood that the sachem was being attended to by the tribes most skilled medicine people. Still, Massasoit lived for many years after this illness, and he remained a friend and ally of the Mayflower Pilgrims until his death in 1661. Legacy Peace between the Wampanoag Nation and the Pilgrims lasted for four decades after the 1621 treaty, and centuries after his death, Massasoit has not been forgotten. For more than 300 years, Massasoit, and many artifacts related to his time as chief were buried in Burr’s Hill Park, which overlooks Narragansett Bay in the present-day town of Warren, Rhode Island. A confederation of Wampanoags, who still live in the area, worked for two decades to secure funding and dig up Massasoits remains and the remains and artifacts of many other Wampanoag tribe members who were buried in Burrs Hill. On May 13, 2017, the confederation re-interred the remains and items in the park in a concrete vault marked with a simple boulder during a solemn ceremony. They hope the burial site will eventually be added to the National Register of Historic Places. Ramona Peters, the repatriation coordinator of the Wampanoag Confederation who led the project, explained shortly before the re-interment: I would hope Americans would be interested too. Massasoit made it possible for the colonization of this continent. Sources Daley, Jason. â€Å"Massasoit, Chief Who Signed Treaty With the Pilgrims, To Be Reburied.†Ã‚  Smithsonian.com, Smithsonian Institution, 21 Apr. 2017.Hayes, Ted. â€Å"Burrs Hill Re-Burial to Be Solemn, Private Affair.†Ã‚  RhodyBeat, 12 May 2017.â€Å"Massasoit.†Ã‚  MayflowerHistory.com.â€Å"Massasoit Quotes. AZ Quotes.

What Is a Good ACT Aspire Score for a Sophomore

What Is a Good ACT Aspire Score for a Sophomore SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Being in 10th grade is a little like walking over a bridge. You're crossing from the less consequential testing of early high school to the world of high-stakes tests, like the SAT andthe ACT – tests that can affect your future. One of the ways you get from one side of this metaphorical divide to the other is by getting the chance to practice. For example, some students take the PSAT, which is meant to be a precursor to the SATthat they will take in their junior or senior year. Others take the ACT Aspire, a national achievement test that assesses how well students from 3rd to 10th grade are measuring up toCommon Core standards. The format, structure, and scoring of the ACT Aspire are all very different from the ACT. But, because it is designed by the same organization that creates the ACT, it can feel like a precursor to the real thing. So what’s a good score on the ACT Aspire for a sophomore? In this article, I’ll talk about different ways to think about what makes a good score, and how to tell where you rank based on the score you got. I’ll also discuss whether your 10th grade ACT Aspire score means for your future ACT score. How is the ACT Aspire Test Scored? Since the ACT Aspire is given in elementary, middle, and high schools, it stands to reason that scoring is a little different depending on your class year. I’ll talk specifically about how the test is scored for the 8th-10th graders who take it. ACT Aspire scores for each subject (English, Math, Reading, Science, and Writing) currently fall between 400 and 460. When you take this test in high school, here's what you’ll get in your score report: Your 5 individual section scores. These are your scores for each subject section of the test. A composite score. This is an unweighted average of your English, Mathematics, Reading and Science sections scores. Note that this composite score doesn't include your ACT Aspire Writing section, which is only scored individually. Several different kinds of reports about your progress. These include humanities and STEM composite scores, as well as a reading ability prognosis. If you'd like to see an example, the ACT publishes a sample of what your report will look like. The report may also include reports about the PSI pressure of your various organs. It's not really vital information, but you can't accuse them of not being thorough. What’s a Good Sophomore Score on ACT Aspire? My assumption is that sophomore year, you’re curious about what a good score is for 2 reasons. First, you’re concerned abouthow you stack up against your peers. And second, you’re wondering how you’ll do when you take the ACT for real junior year. Luckily, ACT provides a pretty thorough data for the one year that this test has been administered. This makes comparing yourself to your peers and finding any academic areas where you are lagging behind very easy. However, this data also shows that the ACT Aspire is not necessarily a great prediction model for your future ACT scores. Now, let’s examine in detail what your ACT Aspire score can show you. Comparing Yourself to the Baseline One of the goals of the ACT Aspire is to give you, your teachers, and your parents a sense of whether you are as prepared for college as you should be at this point in high school. To answer this question, you can compare your ACT Aspire score to your scores from previous years, to make sure you are consistently getting higher scores in each subject. ACT Aspire also provides minimum benchmarks scores for each test section. Each benchmark is the lowest score you need to get to demonstrate that you are on the right track in terms of your on-grade-level learning. Here is a table that shows the ACT Aspire benchmark scores for each subject for the year 2015 for grades 8-10. This table shows that, for example, if you get at least 432 on the ACT Aspire Science section as a sophomore, you’re considered to be on track to have a high probability of future success in first-year college courses. On the other hand, if your score is below the 10th grade numbers on any of the test sections, then this means that you may need outside help to catch up in these academic areas. The important thing is to just keep growingevery year. (Image:Steven Depolo/Flickr) Comparing Yourself to Your Peers Another goal of national tests like the ACT Aspire is to examine how everyone who is taking the test at the same time compares to each other. Since ACT Aspire publishes data about how students taking the test scored, we can go through the data to see how you can tell where you stand when compared to your peers. Using Your Composite Score for Peer Comparisons The composite score that you receive from ACT is a very quick snapshot of how you did on the test. This average of your individual subject scores can give you fast information about how you did relative to your peers overall. One way to evaluate your composite score is to use this table of the composite scores for 9th and 10th graders in the past year: Grade Min 25% Rank 50% Rank 75% Rank 90% Rank 95% Rank Max 9 408 414 418 423 430 435 438 10 409 415 419 426 433 438 440 This table shows rangeof students'scores. The "Min" and "Max" columns show the lowest and highest composite scores. The percentile columns showthe score you'd need to reachthe given percentile, i.e. the score at which you'd be scoringhigher than that percent of other students. In other words, for 10th grade, the lowest composite score anyone got was 409. 25% of students scored below 415. This means that if your score was 415, you did better than 25% of the studentstaking the test. Likewise, 95% of students got below a 438. This means that if your composite score was 438 or higher, you fall into the top 5% of test takers (since you did better than 95% of everyone taking the test). So what do we learn from this table? If your composite score was 419, you would fall into the middle scoring range, the 50th percentile. This means that 50% of 10th graders did worse, and 49% did better, so everyone who scored 419 falls right in the middle. What does this mean for calculating a good ACT Aspire score for a sophomore? Let’s assume that a good score is roughly at or above the 75th percentile, in other words, scoring higher than 75% of your peers. In that case, a good composite score for the ACT Aspire for sophomores is 426 or higher. Many people climb, but not everyone can reach the top. Using Your Individual Test Sectionsfor Peer Comparisons The composite score is a useful way to eyeball your status. But to figure out where you’re strong and where you're weak academically, you need to look at the scores you got on individual test sections. This much more zoomed-in approach will give you a better clue about the subjects you are learning well and the ones you need to work on more. Now, I’ll go through each ACT Aspire test subject individually to see what a good score on it would be. ACT Aspire English Percentile Rankings Score % Rank Score % Rank Score % Rank Score % Rank 400 1 415 9 430 47 445 92 401 1 416 10 431 50 446 94 402 1 417 12 432 53 447 95 403 1 418 14 433 57 448 96 404 1 419 16 434 60 449 98 405 1 420 19 435 63 450 98 406 1 421 21 436 67 451 99 407 1 422 22 437 70 452 99 408 2 423 25 438 72 453 99 409 2 424 28 439 75 454 99 410 3 425 31 440 79 455 99 411 4 426 33 441 81 456 100 412 5 427 37 442 84 413 6 428 40 443 87 414 7 429 43 444 90 You can see that you don’t need to get all the questions right in order to fall into the top 1% of students. Although the exact number will change slightly from year to year, on this version of the ACT Aspire any sophomore who got 451 or above did better than 99% of the other test takers on the English section. The benchmark English section score of 428 would put you in the 40th percentile, which would mean you scored better than 40% of your peers. If we hang on to our assumption that a good score is around the 75th percentile, we can see that a score of 439 is what you need to reach that ranking. ACT Aspire Reading Percentile Rankings Score % Rank Score %Rank Score % Rank Score %Rank 400 1 411 10 422 47 433 92 401 1 412 13 423 51 434 95 402 1 413 14 424 52 435 98 403 1 414 17 425 57 436 98 404 1 415 21 426 62 437 99 405 1 416 24 427 66 438 99 406 1 417 28 428 72 439 99 407 2 418 31 429 77 440 99 408 3 419 35 430 82 441 99 409 4 420 39 431 83 442 100 410 6 421 43 432 87 You can see a similar thing about the Reading section results – quite a few of the top scores would put you in the top 1% of people taking the test. Also, notice how big a difference in the percentile rankings just one point makes. If you earned 424, you scored better than 52% of other sophomores, but if you got 425, you jump 5 percentage points to end up doing better than 57%. The Reading benchmark that ACT determined is 428, in the72nd percentile of test takers, which would also be a good score on this part of the test. ACT Aspire Math Percentile Rankings Score % Rank Score % Rank Score % Rank Score % Rank 400 1 416 15 432 72 448 99 401 1 417 19 433 75 449 99 402 1 418 23 434 79 450 99 403 1 419 26 435 82 451 99 404 1 420 30 436 85 452 99 405 1 421 32 437 87 453 99 406 1 422 36 438 89 454 99 407 1 423 40 439 91 455 99 408 1 424 44 440 93 456 99 409 2 425 48 441 95 457 100 410 2 426 51 442 97 458 100 411 4 427 54 443 98 459 100 412 6 428 58 444 99 460 100 413 6 429 61 445 99 414 9 430 65 446 99 415 12 431 68 447 99 The math section has a huge spread of scores that fall into the top percentile – anyone who scored above 445 did better than 99% of their peers. The ACT Aspire benchmark for this section is 432, or the 72nd percentile. Meanwhile, a good score in the 75th percentile is 433. ACT Aspire Science Percentile Rankings Score % Rank Score % Rank Score % Rank Score % Rank 400 1 413 7 426 50 439 94 401 1 414 9 427 53 440 95 402 1 415 14 428 57 441 97 403 1 416 15 429 61 442 98 404 1 417 19 430 66 443 99 405 1 418 21 431 69 444 99 406 1 419 25 432 73 445 99 407 1 420 29 433 76 446 99 408 2 421 34 434 79 447 99 409 2 422 38 435 83 448 99 410 4 423 39 436 86 449 100 411 4 424 42 437 88 412 6 425 46 438 91 The benchmark for ACT Aspire Science is 432, and this is basically the same as the good score we’ve been discussing, since it falls into the 73rd percentile of test takers. ACT Aspire Writing Percentile Rankings Score % Rank Score % Rank Score % Rank Score % Rank 408 1 419 20 430 66 441 98 409 1 420 24 431 66 442 99 410 4 421 24 432 81 443 99 411 4 422 27 433 81 444 99 412 6 423 27 434 90 445 99 413 6 424 37 435 90 446 99 414 7 425 37 436 92 447 99 415 7 426 55 437 92 448 100 416 10 427 55 438 94 417 10 428 61 439 94 418 20 429 61 440 98 You can immediately see how differently the Writing section is scored from this table. First of all, the lowest score on this section isn’t 400 like it is for all the other sections, but 408. Also, pairs of scores get the same percentile ranking, so for example, both 410 and 411 correlate to doing better than 4% of other sophomores. Here, the benchmark score from ACT is 428, or better than 61% of everyone taking the test at the same time. Meanwhile, a good 10th grade score on Writing is somewhere between 430 and 433, which falls between the 66th and 81st percentiles. Predicting Future Success Now that you’ve seen how your score compares to the scores of all the 10th-graders who took the ACT Aspire last year, you’re probably itching to figure out whether your score on ACT Aspire means anything for the real ACT that you’ll take in your junior year. The truth is thatACT Aspire is not a particularly great predictor of your future accomplishments, though it does give you a very general sense of what you can hope to achieve. But this is fantastic news! It means that the ACT Aspire really does what it’s supposed to do – it shows you where you are now and where you need to improve. And the other great news is that dramatic improvement is clearly possible because as a sophomore, you have 1 or even 2 years in which to do it! Ok, but will the next one tell me my future ACT score? The Relationship Between ACT Aspire and ACT Scores ACT published data on 50 10th grade students – their scores oneach ACT Aspire section, and their scores on theactual ACT when they took it in 11th grade. The problem is that this data is just an unwieldy Excel spreadsheet (you can check it out here:Demonstrating the Student Growth Percentile model for grade 10 ACT Aspire to grade 11 ACT) I used the data to create some scatterplot graphs to show the whatstudents got on each ACT Aspire section and what they ended up getting on the same ACT section. The way each graph works is this: Each blue diamond point stands for one student Ifyou trace straight down from each point, you can see what that student got on ACT Aspire (in this case the Math section) If you trace straight left, you can see what that same student got when taking the ACT for real So what this graph is showing us that in general as scores from ACT Aspire Math increase (x-axis), the scores on ACT Math also tend to get somewhat higher as a group (y-axis). In other words, the swarm of diamonds goes slightly upward as we go from left to right. On a case-by-case basis, we can see that there is significant room to grow, no matter where in the score range students fall. For example, the 3 students who got432 on ACT Aspire Math (our good, 72nd percentilescore), ranged in ACT scores from 16 (approximately in the bottom 25%) to 26 (approximately in the top 15%). In the graph of English scores, we can see that your ACT Aspire score is by no means destiny. For example, look at all the students who ended up with goodACT English scores in the mid-20s. Their ACT Aspire scores ranged from 425 (below benchmark) to 447 (well above the good 75% score of 439). This same general trend of higher ACT Aspire scores leading to higher ACT scores continues when we look at the scatterplot graph for the Reading section. But the relationship is not exact. For example, the two highest scorers on the Aspire Reading section were not the top ACT scorers. Similarly, the person who scored lowest on the ACT did not get the bottom score on the Aspire. The Science section of ACT Aspire probably shows a slightly weaker correlation between high 10th grade ACT Aspire scores and subsequent high 11th grade ACT scores. Incidentally, if you’ve been following along with the visual data presentation in this article’s tables, charts, and graphs, then you’re actually getting in somegood practice for both the ACT Aspire Science section and the real ACT Science section as well! Now that you’ve seen how scatterplot graphs that show correlations look, you can be just as befuddled as I am by what happened to these 50 students on the writing section of these 2 tests. This kind of data may be a part of the reason why ACT Aspire Writing is not factored into the composite score that you get when you take the test in high school. What Does This Mean for What'sa Good Score? I think the best way to think about your scores if you’re worried about what they will eventually for the real ACT is this. First, make sure you’re scoring at least at the 10th grade benchmarks. That’s a pretty good indicator that you’re on trackwith your learning. If you’re below benchmark on any of the sections, that is a warning sign that you need help in that subject, not just to do better on ACT Aspire test but to succeed in your school year as well. Next, compareyour ACT Aspire section scores to each other. Are you scoring in the same percentile range on all 5 subjects? If there is a section (or several) that you are scoring significantly worse in, even if you’re still meeting the benchmark in that area, then this is the time to get extra help with this subject. Talk to your parents and teachers about what resources to improve your learning there are at your school, or maybe even outside of it. Should You Study for the ACT Aspire? For any test to accurately assess what you know and how well you understand when and where to apply that knowledge, the test can't simplythrow you off by its format, question style, or by the way it's administered. So in order for the ACT Aspire to actually measure how you are doing in school, it’s a great idea for you to familiarize yourself with how the test looks and feels.To that end, you should definitely read ourdetailed breakdown of what the ACT Aspire is like and the kinds of questions you’ll face on it. You should also get a sense of what taking the ACT Aspire will be like from their sample questions and computer test simulator. Go to theACT Aspire exemplar page, where you’ll find a link to the simulator and login information for all test sections and grade levels. However, other than getting a general sense of what you will see on test today, I would argue that it goes against the purpose and the benefits of ACT Aspire to study specifically for it. For one thing, this isn’t like the PSAT – no scholarships or awards are resting on the score you get.Also, the point of the test is to see whether you are where you should be in your learning. Spending a lot of effort studying for this test would easily createresults that are meaningless as an indicator of whether you have academic weaknesses that need to be worked on. Finally, there’s the matter of the rest of your class, and the rest of your grade in your school. The ACT Aspire isn’t just a diagnostic test for individual students. It’s also supposed to measure how each classroom is doing as a whole. Imagine, for example, that the ACT Aspire results come back and every single kid in your class bombed the Science section. This is no longer something that an individual student is having trouble with. Instead, this kind of result tells your teacher and school administrators that they really need to beef up how your curriculum addresses science education. And a better grounding in the foundations of science in turn will benefit you down the road when you learn how to do college-level work. Honestly, if you are really very worried about your future testing results, I think you should justtake a practice ACT instead. It’ll more accurately show you how you’d score if you took the ACT now. The one time napping is a better way to prepare for a test thanstudying. The Bottom Line The ACT Aspire tests the same 5 sections as the ACT, but is structured, formatted, and scored very differently. You’ll get scores for each of the sections individually, as well as a composite score that averages English, Reading, Math, and Science. If you aren’t meeting ACT score benchmarks, that’s a serious indicator that you need extra academic help. A good 10th grade ACT Aspire score is one that puts you in the upper 25% of your peers, and is different depending on each ACT Aspire test section. Even if you got a good 10th grade ACT Aspire score, this doesn’t necessarily mean anything in terms of predicting your real ACT score.ACT Aspire is not very good at predicting the ACT because its real purpose is to show you subject areas where you need extra help. There is no need to study for the ACT Aspire, though it would be a good idea to get familiar with the test format by checking out somesample questions. What’s Next? Thinking of jumping into the ACT world early? We have some guidance on whether you should start preparing for the ACT as a 10th grader andwhat a good sophomore ACT score would look like. Thinking about taking the PSAT as a 10th grader as well? Check out our discussion onwhat is a good PSAT score for a sophomore. Planning the rest of your high school academics? Read our articles aboutwhy it’s important to create a rigorous course load for yourself andwhether AP classes are really worth taking. Want to improve your ACT score by 4+ points? Download our free guide to the top 5 strategies you need in your prep to improve your ACT score dramatically.

The Decisions for Miller Lite Brand Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 20

The Decisions for Miller Lite Brand - Essay Example It is observed that with the return of Miller Lite’s original white can design, the sales in the American market immediately increased. That compelled the MillerCoors to make the white cans permanent. The second reason behind the change to the original package is that MillersCoor’s share of the North American beer market has been declining. For instance, in 2005 it reduced from 7.9 percent to 6.2 percent (Wong, 2014). Third, the blue can design makes people think or feel that they are not buying the same old Miller Lite. For instance, it is depicted that diverse people insinuate that the beer tastes better because of the white can. A significant challenge is that light beers are often blue such as Bud Light, which is America’s best-selling beer. Therefore, it would portray wrong publicity that it does not have hence it was proper for the MillerCoor’s marketers to return to the original white can to set a distinction. The decision to back the white can design is justified. It is an economically wise decision to return the Miller’s original packaging. The main reason is to market the product. It is evident that the change of the beer cans from blue to white promoted the sales in America, as there were no more beers remaining on the shelves. The decision to change the packaging has enormously boosted the brand positively. The brand has gained momentum in the market as consumers now view it as taking quality and original beer. The white packaging makes it unique from other drinks hence making the brand to be popular. Besides, the brand has gained recognition and improved sales. In addition, the change of packaging to white design cans has made the brand marketable in tests with a panel of men of ages between 21 and 29. The decision to change the packaging was actually expected as a measure to boost the sales. It is evident that Miller Lite’s blue can design has been in the beer aisles from 2001 with low sales. Therefore, there was a need for a solution to boost the market hence the decision to change the packaging was expected.

Exports and Imports of Kenya's government for the last decade Essay

Exports and Imports of Kenya's government for the last decade - Essay Example The major regional trade blocs for Kenya include EAC (East African Community) and COMESA (Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa) (EÃŒ tats-Unis. 2006, 45). Although Kenya makes large and diverse exports, the economy barely feels the impacts of exports. Between 2000 and 2010, Kenya registered a sharp decrease in its exports and subsequently the relative importance of the same. Due to the economic imbalances during the past decade in the country, Kenya may not easily attain economy growth. Research conducted by World Bank necessitated that Kenya should increase its export competitiveness. In the decade, Kenya’s exports appeared to be below its potential (Aswathappa 2010, 56). Between 2000 and 2010, Kenya registered an average annual growth rate of its export merchandise at only ten percent. Kenya, compared to other developing countries like Vietnam appeared to be underperforming. Vietnam registered higher rates of growth in export merchandise. Kenya is widely identified as a trade deficit nation. This remains to be the case since the major exports from Kenya tend to be vulnerable to weather conditions and international prices. These factors may greatly affect the economy (Greenaway 2010, 78) Agricultural products occur as the main focus on Kenya’s export industry. About seventy-five percent of the population relies on agriculture and its related activities as their main source of income. Additionally, agriculture contributes significantly towards national production at twenty-five percent. Mainly horticultural products as well as tea contribute majorly on exports merchandise for Kenya. In 2006, the collective share of these two products was ten times higher than the share of the other export items. Additionally, Kenya exports petroleum by products to its regional neighbours besides providing internal petroleum consumption. The fact that Kenya is an Agricultural State make it an

Identify essential qualities the Personal security Detail Essay

Identify essential qualities the Personal security Detail professional, past and present, must possess to better achieve his mi - Essay Example In the past, the training took longer periods and more strategies were used to instill the best qualities in aspirant security personnel. The individuals are trained to be obedient, uphold dignity and have the beauty of gentleness. They are trained in knightly exercise, at that age women were weak and submissive and their men were supposed to protect and fight for them. After 5 years of faithfulness in duties and faced anger, they received knighthood sonority and a solemn ceremony conducted. The knight aspirant received a formal that was of baptism sort to symbolized washing away of sins. Clad in white and a red robe that symbolized the blood that he would shed to protect his community or his master. The mailed fist of the emperor is the military’s force threat. The emperor’s mailed fist and shining armor were built in the spirit of self defense and precaution security personnel in the past did not have a vast of activities they would engage in as compared to the presen t personnel. Theirs was mainly protection of their family, community and country. In the present time, there is a diversity of security needs. The security personnel of the present age go through training for a shorter period compared to the past. The training is rigorous just like the past but technological advances have helped in the training process. The best of the security personnel must be in excellent health as this ensures their efficiency. Good health allows them execute their duties with no hitches at all. Good interpersonal skills are relevant to ensure ease of communication between them and any other party. They must have personal integrity with the highest ethical standards as required in the military force. They must have personal ability based on developed self skills and high intellectual capacity. Personal structure is also important as it enables them portray positive self image and self worth. Honesty, sincerity, industrious and cooperation are also very important . They must have a strong will and abiding self confidence because it is essential for them to create and maintain desire and motivation to be security personnel. They should have sound general knowledge or specialized education which gives them an edge in the security field. Imaginatively, creativity and a high foresight in order to develop new angles of approach to security problems are one of the best qualities that they should possess. Good manners reveal a sense of refinement and impulsive mannerisms must be avoided. In recent times security personnel have been known to be rather aggressive, harsh and cruel to members of the public. Even though aggressiveness is partly necessary, being cruel only worsens matters and an innocent public member may fear to mention their security issues for fear of being misunderstood or reprimanded by the security people. They must be loyal, risk takers, well rounded in knowledge, open minded, confident and have eloquence in the language they use depending on the region they are serving as security personnel. They must have tact, i.e. know the right thing to do, at the right time and in the right way. Broad knowledge of the military force is also of essence because without understanding the field one is, it would be difficult to serve as required. They must be aware of the security needs where they are, any risks or uncertainties in providing their services and measures they can take to handle

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) - Essay Example As long as metals that are Ferro magnetic are not in the magnetic field area during use, the radio waves and the magnetic fields are relatively harmless and pose no serious impacts during normal procedures. The scanner for MRI resembles a huge box that is square shaped and with a tunnel-like hole running through the middle. The user requests the child to lie down on a table that is cushioned with aids such as soft traps and foam cushions employed to ensure the child remains still during the process. A unique frame which slightly resembles a helmet is placed on the part of the body of the child that has been earmarked for observation. When the child has been set in a comfortable and appropriate position, the table begins to move by default into the tunnel of the MRI. At this point, it is crucial that the child maintains relative stillness since any movements will cause blurring of the images and hence poor results. The examiner then departs from the room but remains in constant communication with the child using an intercom. Upon starting the process of MRI, the child may experience sounds that are loud, knocking and thumping in nature that may stay for many minutes at times. Therefore, ear protections such as ear plugs or headphones are availed to protect the hearing of the child. A parent/ guardian can come along with the child’s favorite DVD so that they can watch during the process through the video goggles of the MRI or even music CDs that they can listen to during the process. Parents/ guardians who opt to remain with their children in the operation room are also given ear protection devices to lower the noise emanating from the scanner. In order to yield better image details of the MRI, intravenous contrast could be pumped into the vein of the child. Intravenous contrast is often termed a dye but is basically a liquid without color and not similar to the kind utilized in CT scans and X-rays. In case

Business and the Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Business and the Law - Essay Example For example in Carlill v Carbolic Smoke Ball C. [1893] is was held that there would be consideration even if the promise suffered an inconvenience by using the advertised smoke ball under the directions of the promisor and the promisor had not incurred a benefit. As Selwyn LJ noted, â€Å"any act† which either confers upon the promisor a benefit or â€Å"any detriment, or inconvenience† to the promise will amount to consideration.2 Essentially, consideration is an act or exchange of promises or bargains from which a quid pro quo outcome can be inferred.3 There is no consideration where there is a mere gratuitous promise with no exchange of promises.4 Giving the broad meaning of consideration in the law of contract, a collateral contract satisfies the requirement for consideration. It was held in De Lassalle v Guildford [1901] that there is consideration when the promisor promises to enter into the principal contract.5 It therefore follows that not only do collateral con tracts require consideration, they by necessity encompass consideration. ... For instance in relationship based upon the requirement of confidence and trust, there is a presumption of undue influence. However, fiduciary relationships and relationships characterized by inequality in bargaining positions will not automatically give rise to a presumption of undue influence.7 In this regard, it is not likely that ordinary contracts between banks and consumers will give rise to undue influence sufficient for voiding a contract. The specific facts of the case will determine whether there was undue influence. For example in Lloyds v Bundy [1975] QB 326, an aging farmer with no business experience provided the plaintiff with three guarantees in favour of a loan for his son’s failing business. The aging farmer had not been told of the gravity of his son’s business failings and was not the recipient of neutral legal representation. The loan failed to save the son’s business and the plaintiff took action to realize the loan by taking possession of t he aging farmer’s farm. The court ruled that there had been undue influence.8 The inequities between the bank and the elderly farmer in circumstances where there was essentially undue influence on the part of the bank, can give rise to unconsionability under Section 51 of the Trade Practices Act 1974 (as amended). Section 51 of the Trade Practices Act 1974 demonstrates the close relationship between unconscionability and undue influence.9 Essentially, Section 51 permits remedies for the consumer in circumstances where bargaining is conducted with the result that its corresponding agreement or the conduct during bargaining is unconscionable. A contract is unconscionable where one party is stronger than the other and asserts his will on the weaker party so

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) - Essay Example As long as metals that are Ferro magnetic are not in the magnetic field area during use, the radio waves and the magnetic fields are relatively harmless and pose no serious impacts during normal procedures. The scanner for MRI resembles a huge box that is square shaped and with a tunnel-like hole running through the middle. The user requests the child to lie down on a table that is cushioned with aids such as soft traps and foam cushions employed to ensure the child remains still during the process. A unique frame which slightly resembles a helmet is placed on the part of the body of the child that has been earmarked for observation. When the child has been set in a comfortable and appropriate position, the table begins to move by default into the tunnel of the MRI. At this point, it is crucial that the child maintains relative stillness since any movements will cause blurring of the images and hence poor results. The examiner then departs from the room but remains in constant communication with the child using an intercom. Upon starting the process of MRI, the child may experience sounds that are loud, knocking and thumping in nature that may stay for many minutes at times. Therefore, ear protections such as ear plugs or headphones are availed to protect the hearing of the child. A parent/ guardian can come along with the child’s favorite DVD so that they can watch during the process through the video goggles of the MRI or even music CDs that they can listen to during the process. Parents/ guardians who opt to remain with their children in the operation room are also given ear protection devices to lower the noise emanating from the scanner. In order to yield better image details of the MRI, intravenous contrast could be pumped into the vein of the child. Intravenous contrast is often termed a dye but is basically a liquid without color and not similar to the kind utilized in CT scans and X-rays. In case

Advertising Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Advertising - Essay Example In excess, advertising helps in the branding of a product in that it identifies the distinct traits of the manufacturer of the product from the other manufacturers. In effect, it helps to emphasize the brand to which a consumer associates with the product (Trehan 67). It also serves as an informational tool as the price of the product may sometimes reflect in the advertisement. In other instances, an advertisement also serves as an assurance to employees and the company shareholders that the company is still operational. Usually, sponsors pay adverts to run on various media tools, which may be either audio or visual depending with the sponsor preference. They are mainly for commercial purposes as they seek to brand products and services through repetitive showing of an image or product name in their showing. Through the repetition, the consumer is able to familiarize him or herself with the qualities of a product or service through the advert. In contrast, some advertisements may be non-commercial in that their intention is not make any profit but just passing information. Mainly, political parties, faith based and non-governmental organizations explore these commercials by spending money to air them as a public service announcement. In essence, this paper will examine an advertisement placed on a popular magazine to bring out its effectiveness in achieving an anticipated wider market base. How the advertisement functions This product is new to the market. Therefore, this advertisement serves as an introductory approach to the consumer. It gives the product name and an appealing design that instantly attracts the eye. The colors used also reflect the sophistication in that the product is of high quality. Essential, an advertisement can appeal to a consumer in two ways. For one, the information given may have a rational appeal in that it reflects the quality of the product (Trehan 226). This may be in terms of its durability, great performance, and affordability of the product and its location. On the other hand, the product information given in the advert may have an emotional appeal in that it gives a sense of assurance, pride, customer satisfaction levels, and its recognizable ability in the market (Trehan 118). For instance, this advertisement gives the emotional appeal to the market as it portrays all the above-mentioned qualities. In addition, this advertisement has the fear appeal in that it portrays the consequences of not using this product, which would be to go to a dentist (Trehan133). This evokes fear to the readers, thus, they have no option but to buy the product. How the constitutive elements combine to try to sell the product There has been effective color use to try to draw the attention of the reader into taking notice of the advert. Essentially, when dull colors take centre stage the chances of the advert making impact are very low. In addition, the advert portrays the image of the product that is available for retail. T herefore, the reader is able to relate to the product’s appearance. This will be helpful when they go to buy the product, as they will be able to spot it in a store’s shelf. Additionally, the wording involved is one that cannot escape one’s eye, as they are readable and clear. They are visible enough from a distance thus a reader needs not strain to capture what the advert is trying to sell. Moreover, it is the giving of the location where the product is available at makes it easy for the intended consumer to know where to get it. As an additional element, the advert gives all the good attributes associated with the use of their product, which draws a

Religion & society Essay Example for Free

Religion society Essay Religion is a set of beliefs and practices, often centred upon specific supernatural and moral claims about reality. The functionalist, such as Emile Durkhiem sociological perspective about the role of religion in society is that; Religion is exceptionally important because it has a great influence on everything from government to social order and family relationships. They also believe religion maintains social solidarity and value consensus amongst societys population and this helps maintain the well-being of society. Many feminist sociologist such as Armstrong, argue that religious institutions and beliefs help legitimise gender inequality. Like Marxist, feminist argue that religion is a product of patriarchy rather than capitalism. However, religion can maintain mechanism as it maintains the exiting system of exploitation, and reinforces class relationships and inequalities; Religion also diverts peoples attention away from the real sources of oppression the ruling class, creating a false class conscience. This social control is also achieved because the ruling class adopts traditional religious beliefs and these believes legitimate and justifies, theyre social positions e. g. monarchs, ordained by god in modern society. My aim is to find out how important is religion to people in todays society. This is because religion affects different societies in different ways and different forms, causing the forms of society to change. Religion can be a driving force in society, but as a reactionary rather than a radical way. So I am going to find out how different people from different cultures react to religion under different circumstances.

Amines Functionalized Upconversion Nanoparticles Synthesis

Amines Functionalized Upconversion Nanoparticles Synthesis Chapter 1 Introduction Introduction To cure deadly disease such as cancer, significant endeavors have been done in synthesizing nanomaterials (Xue et al., 2011). Ideal nanoparticle system will own multimodality for imaging and therapy. It will carry out as an excellent bioprobes to find disease site and as a carriers to target cells. In biomedical field, they have been demonstrated to be useful in immunoassays, gene assays, and photodynamic therapy. For this application, utilization of upconversion luminescence (UCL) emission is favorable (Zhou et al., 2013). Upconversion luminescence is a process where low energy light is converted to higher energy light through sequential absorption of multiple photons induced by low power continuous wave laser. The utilization of near infrared (NIR) laser to induced the multiple photons energy transfer impart to the minimization of auto-fluorescence, less damage to cells, and larger penetration depth compete with ultraviolet (UV) excitation (Shen et al., 2012). Inorganic rare earth (RE) (lanthanide) nanomaterials lately have been exposed to be most preferred luminescent biolabels, due to the rigid crystal host lattice maintain the emitting RE dopants from environmental effects. Furthermore, lanthanide ions are acknowledged to show efficient upconversion luminescence. Inorganic crystals do not exhibit upconversion luminescence at room temperature. The upconversion phenomena particularly takes place in singly or multiply doped host systems. Therefore, researches focus on materials that composed of a crystalline host and RE dopants attached to the host lattice in low concentration. Behave as multipurpose bioprobes implemented in nanomedicine, upconversion nanoparticles (UCNP) should be come up with uniform size and morphology, water soluble, and appropriate surface functional group for bioconjugation as well as high luminescent efficiency (Sun et al., 2014; Li et al., 2010). To fulfil these requirements, many attempts have been allocated to the controlled synthesis. Previous Study Kramer et al. (2004) reported the successful preparation of hexagonal sodium yttrium fluoride based green and blue emitting upconversion phosphors. The acquired phosphor materials reveal no deterioration under high-power infrared laser excitation. Li et al. (2008) prepared hexagonal phase NaYF4:Yb, Er/Tm nanocrystal with a â€Å"user-friendly† method by constructing small solid-state crystal nuclei and further growth and ripening of the nuclei. All the nanocrystals revealed strong upconversion fluorescence. Li et al. (2008) reported successful preparation of multicolor core/shell-structured upconversion fluorescent nanoparticles. This was the first report in the field using such nanoparticles for bioimaging. In this work, uniform hexagonal-phase NaYF4 nanospheres with strong upconversion fluorescence and core/shell silica/NaYF4 structures are produced, with uniform silica coating on the surface. Jalil et al. (2008) synthesized uniform silica coated hexagonal phase NaYF4 nanocrystal with strong NIR to visible upconversion fluorescence. The results from this study revealed that the silica coated NaYF4 upconversion nanocrystals displayed good in vitro and in vivo biocompatibility, demonstrating their potential applications in both cellular and animal imaging systems. Hu et al. (2009) prepared uniform silica-coated NaYF4: 20 mol% Yb, 2 mol% Er nanocomposites with good dispersibility, containing organic dye incorporated in the silica shell and folic acid conjugated on the surface of the shell. The core–shell nanocomposites are 20–22 nm in size, water soluble, and buffer stable, with good photostability and biocompatibility. Garcia et al. (2012) prepared a novel strategy for the therapeutic delivery of nitric oxide to physiological target. They demonstrated the use of upconverting nanoparticles to facilitate NO uncaging from a well characterized precursor by 980 nm irradiation from a simple NIR diode laser operating in the continuous mode. Chien et al. (2013) formulated upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) as the NIR-triggered targeting and drug delivery vehicles that successfully deliver in vitro and in vivo for near-infrared light photocontrolled targeting, bioimaging, and chemotherapy. Problem Statement As described previously, UCNPs are considered as useful biomaterials in biomedical application. The unique properties of UCNPs have given interest to many researchers to functionalize the surface for biological usage. A sort of method to synthesize UCNPs have been evolved. There are three common methods usually used, co-precipitation (Yi et al., 2004), thermal decomposition (Li et al., 2008), and hydro(solvo)thermal (Liu et al., 2007). Thermal decomposition is the best technique to obtain highly monodisperse UCNPs. In this method, rare earth (RE) trifluoroacetates are heated to attain thermal equilibrium in the presence of oleic acid and octadecene. Here, oleic acid function as a stabilizing agent to terminate particle agglomeration, while octadecene behave as a high boiling point solvent (Boyer et al., 2006). The oleic acid forms a coordinate bond to the surface of particles, so causing it hydrophobic. UCNP prepared via thermal decomposition is well dispersed in organic solvents such as cyclohexane but insoluble in aqueous solution. If employed in biosciences, UCNPs particularly are implemented in aqueous solution. Therefore, they have to be dispersible in water. To make it water dispersible, we need to modify the surface of upconversion nanoparticle. A common method to make it water dispersible is by coating with silica layer (Li et al., 2008). In order to be applicable in affinity assays and bioassays, the surface of UCNPs has to be functionalized to facilitate covalent immobilization of appropriate biomolecules. Such surface chemistry is expected to be versatile to facilitate immobilization of proteins, receptors, enzymes, or nucleic acid oligomers. Therefore, here we studied about the surface functionalization of upconversion nanoparticles for biological usage. Research Objectives In this study, amines functionalized upconversion nanoparticles were synthesized using stober process with hydrothermal treatment to enhance the amines stability on the surface. The size and zeta potential of particles are characterized by using dynamic light scattering in various solvent. The morphology of particles are characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The amines substitution level and amines stability on the surface is characterized by using fluorescamines assay in various solvent.

Shakespeares Hamlet: Who is Gertrude? Essay -- GCSE English Literatu

Hamlet –Who is Gertrude?      Ã‚  Ã‚   Back in 1883 Samuel Taylor Coleridge in Lectures and Notes on Shakspere and Other English Poets comments on what he interprets as a problem or inconsistency in the presentation of the character Gertrude in Shakespeare’s tragedy, Hamlet:      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Ham. A bloody deed;- almost as bad, good mother,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As kill a king, and marry with his brother.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Queen. As kill a king?    I confess that Shakspere has left the character of the Queen in an unpleasant perplexity. Was she, or was she not, conscious of the fratricide? (364-365)    As literary critic, Coleridge’s interpretation is in conflict with others’. After all, the ghost does tell Hamlet not to prosecute the queen, but only Claudius. This essay intends to explore this situation and many others in an attempt to answer many questions about Gertrude, the queen, wife of Claudius and former wife of his deceased brother, King Hamlet.    Prince Hamlet initially appears in the play dressed in solemn black. His mother, Gertrude, is apparently disturbed by this and requests of him:      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Good Hamlet, cast thy nighted colour off,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   And let thine eye look like a friend on Denmark.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Do not for ever with thy vailed lids   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Seek for thy noble father in the dust:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Thou know'st 'tis common; all that lives must die,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Passing through nature to eternity. (1.2)    The queen obviously considers her son’s dejection to result from his father’s demise. Angela Pitt considers Gertrude â€Å"a kindly, slow-witted, rather self-indulgent woman. . . .† (47). She joins in with the king in requesting Hamlet’s stay in Elsinore rather than returning to Wittenberg to study. Respectfully the son re... ...analysis Into' Kenneth Branagh's Hamlet." Early Modern Literary Studies 6.1 (May, 2000): 2.1-24   http://purl.oclc.org/emls/06-1/lehmhaml.htm    Pitt, Angela. â€Å"Women in Shakespeare’s Tragedies.† Readings on The Tragedies. Ed. Clarice Swisher. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1996. Rpt. of Shakespeare’s Women. N.p.: n.p., 1981.    Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 1995. http://www.chemicool.com/Shakespeare/hamlet/full.html    Smith, Rebecca. â€Å"Gertrude: Scheming Adulteress or Loving Mother?† Readings on Hamlet. Ed. Don Nardo. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1999. Rpt. of â€Å"Hamlet†: A User’s Guide. New York: Limelight Editions, 1996.    Wilkie, Brian and James Hurt. â€Å"Shakespeare.† Literature of the Western World. Ed. Brian Wilkie and James Hurt. New York: Macmillan Publish      

corporate culture Essay -- essays research papers

Corporate Culture The culture of an organization is the set of values, beliefs, behaviors, customs, and attitudes that helps its members understand what the organization stands for, how it does things, and what it considers important"(Griffin, 49). In other words, "the way things work around here" (Dr. Williams). In order for any small business or large corporation to be successful, the employees must understand what is expected of them. While things might be slightly different in a large corporation versus a small "mom and pop shop", the goal of both is the same. MAKE THE BUSINESS MONEY. The topic of my paper will be on makes a good corporate culture. Running a business is not so much about the particular business but instead about the "sound business philosophies" that are shared by every level in the organization (Chapin, 1). Fortunately for smaller business's, finding those "business philosophies" are not as hard or have the need to be as complex as big corporations. According to Steven Chapin, author of "Building a Sound Company Culture", there are four basic building blocks that serve as a strong foundation for the company. These four blocks are integrity, leadership, dedication, and service. "Integrity is the keystone" (Chapin, 1). Complete honesty is the ethical way and should be the only way that one does business. Without integrity, there would be no trust between your company and the customers. When clients and consumers trust you, they want to do business with you and will continue to do business with you until they feel as though the integrity has been sacrificed. The second &quo t;building block" for a sound corporate culture is leadership (Chapin 1). Leadership is not only a quality that upper management and managers need to have, but instead it is a quality that all members of a business should develop (Chapin, 1). If a company only had one "leader" then the company would not be very successful because that particular person would be only person to incorporate change in the company. With many employees having leadership qualities, a company is able to better itself with by having multitude of ideas to choose from to better the company. If a company wishes to better leadership qualities then the company should encourage and "active participation in technica... ...enefit the company with a good out flow of energy released. Miler’s next principle is the excellence principle. â€Å"Our culture values comfort, both material and psychological† (Miller, 15). â€Å"We feel as though we should achieve personal satisfaction and fulfillment† from our job (Miller, 15). According to miller the only way to encourage excellence is to provide dissatisfaction (Miller, 15). Miller also states that a workers satisfaction is often in conflict with excellence. The average employee would rather not come under any tests and trials and it is this motivation, in part, that keeps them going (Miller, 15). The consensus principle is Miller’s next idea. â€Å"Managers are stuck in the culture of command† (Miller, 15). An organizations ability to bring ideas together and the challenge of making the employees/managers think creatively will be the success of a company (Miller, 16). It is important, according to this principle, for the employee to share his thoughts and feelings. It is also important for the employee to change his efforts from physical energy to mental energy (Miller, 16). It is â€Å"This change in task† that â€Å"necessitates a change from command to consensus† (Miller, 16).

To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee Analysis

To some extent, the characters in both stories seem to be ruled by fixed ideas, prejudices and limited social values and attitudes. Explain and compare how each writer deals with this aspect. You might like to consider social context and values, time, plot, style and language, as well as the characters themselves. TKAMB and An Imaginative Woman are stories whose plot revolves around the idea of prejudices, social status and the attitudes of the era in which they are based. Both texts deal with these issues but in slightly different ways, because An Imaginative Woman is a short story, there isn't enough space to cover prejudices of all the characters in detail but because TKAMB is a novel, over the story although maybe not directly, the characters, personalities and viewpoints are developed until you can form an fairly solid idea of what they believed in and what they were like. For example, TKAMB is set in the 1920's and 30's at which time the prejudice of whites against blacks was very apparent even though slavery had been abolished years before the blacks we're treated as second class citizens. This is a main factor of the plot and as Scout (Jean Louise Finch) is growing up it started to become apparent to her at an early age when she, Jem and Calpurnia visited Calpurnia's church ‘Lula stopped but she said â€Å"You ain't got no business bringin' white chillun here – they got their own church, we got our'n†Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ Then later in the story of the trial of Tom Robinson Vs Mr. Ewell ‘†Lemme tell you somethin' now, Billy† a third said, â€Å"You know the court appointed him to defend this nigger. â€Å"‘, ‘†Yeah, but Atticus aims to defend him. That's what I don't like about it†Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ Also the use of the offensive term nigger (deriving from Spanish word negro meaning black), which today is politically incorrect, is a sign of the prejudice and social split between blacks and whites at that time. Atticus is an exception to this prejudice as are his children as Aunt Alexandra puts it: – â€Å"I mean this town. They're perfectly prepared to let him do what they are too afraid to do themselves. † In reference to Atticus defending Tom Robinson, a black person. In An Imaginative Woman there isn't such prejudices as between blacks and whites but seeing as it is set in the 1800's there is an element of prejudices as between males and females: – â€Å"†¦ She had never antecedently regarded this occupation of his as any objection to having him for a husband. Indeed, the necessity of getting life-leased at all cost, a cardinal virtue which all good mothers teach† This means, she does not see her husbands job as a reason not to marrying him, after all she needs someone to bring in some money, the idea that women themselves cannot do so because they are not allowed to work. This explains why Ella Marchmill is at home most of the time and has the time to write all the poetry. The fact that she had to pretend to be a man is also a sign of prejudice against women at that time as perhaps because nobody would believe such poetry could come from a woman's hand. In TKAMB Harper Lee deals with social etiquette and ideals and makes them very apparent and openly deals with them as it is the main theme of the plot, in An Imaginative Woman Thomas Hardy does not openly express the social ideas as prejudice, even thought this may be because they were openly and socially acceptable at the time and unlike TKAMB, An Imaginative Woman is not set in a time of change, such as black rights movements and female liberation movements where people became widely familiar with, and accepted prejudice was happening. In TKAMB many people who are examples of different castes in society, Aunt Alexandra being one of them â€Å"†¦ Aunt Alexandra was one of the last of her kind; she had a river boat, boarding school manners; let any moral come along and she would uphold it†¦. † Aunt Alexandra is fixed into society by morals and personal standards that she considers to be very high and this makes herself seem to be upper class society, but she will still gossip She was and incurable gossip† and will still dabble in what would seem to be a lower class of society. You also have examples of people who in contrast are of a lower caste of society for example, the Cunninghams who appear to have no money because they are farmers and when the economic crash happened in America it hit them the hardest â€Å"The Cunningham's never took anything off of anybody, they get along on what they have, they don't have much but they get along on it. † When Jem tries to describe the caste system of Maycomb towards the end of the book the social attitudes of the time are very apparent â€Å"There's four kinds of folk in the world. There's the ordinary folks like us and the neighbors, there's the kind like the Cunninghams out in the woods, the kind like the Ewells down at the dump, and the Negroes† This puts richer white people above poor white people, above white trash and finally above black people. In An Imaginative Woman the idea of social caste is perhaps not so apparent. The main theme of the text is the ideas of marriage, as it was in the 1800's divorce was unthinkable otherwise Ella would have left her husband â€Å"She came to some vague conclusions, and since then had kept her heart alive by pitying her proprietor's obtuseness and want of refinement† Also affairs in marriage was not common place and illegitimate children were prejudiced against, it was a widely conceived thought that if a child was not born to a married couple they were rejects and should be treated thusly. At the end of the book Will Marchmill's imagination leads him to believe that he and Ella's youngest son was actually the son of Robert Trewe's despite the fact that they never met, his final line and the final line in the book sums up the ideas of the time about illegitimate children â€Å"Get away, you poor little brat! You are nothing to me! † The idea that you are rejected from society regardless of class of family if you are illegitimate is perhaps the main issue to do with social class in the text, linking although not completely with the idea of class in TKAMB. I have dealt with some ideas of prejudice and class, prejudice against blacks and women, the social status of people in Maycomb and of the Marchmills and other families like them in the 1800's. I have identified that the authors deal with it in different ways, Harper Lee is more direct and to the point with describing racism and social etiquette whereas Thomas Hardy suggests it but does not openly say that such things are wrong. The reason for this could be because TKAMB is written from the first person viewpoint and individual beliefs and reasons feature much more in the story line, An Imaginative Woman is written from the third person viewpoint and is as such an account rather than a personal experience, you are distanced from the plot and personal beliefs are left for you to decide. The stories differ again, TKAMB is a novel and therefore has more room to describe and show the ideas of the time, whereas An Imaginative Woman is a short story and does not develop as much. The language differs as TKAMB is set in 1920's/30's America and the â€Å"Deep Southern† American colloquial style of speech the text is perhaps more easily interpreted as it is not complex language, the terms used are more up to date and understood today. An Imaginative Woman is written in early modern English and some of the terms are very outdated and hard to comprehend without further help from dictionaries or thesauruses this makes it harder to pick points from it and to see the prejudice or social attitudes. I have explained about the social attitudes and how they govern people within the stories and I think that this is very important to both stories plots, it helps shape the people and gives you a good idea of what life was like at the time, both stories end tragically in someway or another and I believe this is a deliberate move by both authors to suggest that prejudice and ism's (sexism, racism etc) are in the end tragic.

CIPP Diploma in Payroll Management-Work Based Essay

It was concluded that the flexible enefits choices project will benefit from the collaboration between the researcher, the company and the supervisor. The nature of the researcher’s role within the Company will ensure that access to, and the collection of information is within the capacity of the researcher. Aims The aim of this project is to evaluate the existing choices within the workplace and from the findings of the evaluation will conclude whether to keep existing choices or Introduce new choices to the companys flexible benefit scheme. bjectives The objective of this project is to review the existing benefit choices In time for the ext enrolment process for Flexible Benefit and to determine whether the choices are still meeting the personal needs of the employees. A questionnaire will be sent to all employees and based on the answers a focus group will be set up. The questionnaire and focus group feedback wlll provide the data necessary to amend or keep the choices avai lable. The project and the eventual recommendations will be feasible and do have a chance of being implemented. The issue of choices within the flexible benefit scheme is an organisational issue and are reviewed annually in readiness for pen enrolment process. However, the review has not been on the same in-depth scale that this project is proposing. The researcher In collaboration with the HR Manager will have the necessary resources to complete the project. Questionnaires will be devised and given to the employees. Email addresses are available to the researcher and the research Itself is a task that needs to be implemented. The researcher’s current position in the Company will help with the confidential aspect of a research as well as galnlng the trust of the participants Involved. The Gantt chart hows the ideal planning schedule. The renewal process for making flexible benefit choices occur in December, for the January admissions. The researcher proposes that the questionnaires and Focus group are held after the current enrolment process. The researcher also proposes that the write up and analysis occur Immediately after. This will enable the researcher to address any Issues that arises. Content The Company a financial organisation and is a moderately sized company consisting of two hundred and thirty staff on the payroll. The Company can be separated into wo groups 0T employees; DroKers ana non DroKers (aamlnlstratlon/l I ) I ne company HR and payroll is administered by a team of three consisting of the Payroll Administrator, HR Manager and the HR Administrator. Rationale The research for this project will investigate employees’ views on the existing flexible benefit choices. When the scheme was in the initial research stage, the feedbacks from the focus groups were positive and indicated that the most appreciated benefits within flex were; Holiday buy/sell Dental insurance Pension enhancement Medical insurance After two years into the scheme, the most popular flex choice is the Private medical insurance, with only 20% of employees opting for this. This research will try to investigate whether the current flex choices are meeting the personal needs of the employees. Can new choices maximise Income Tax and National Insurance efficiency for both the Company and individual employees? Last year, the change of benefit choices was put forward to the employees via an email questionnaire. However, the responses were very low and so no changes were made. This project ill provide an opportunity for an in-depth questioning of the employees with results that may determine the choices for the next renewal process. Reading The secondary research will include books and articles that are relevant to the project issue. The following Journals have shown key information in regards to flexible benefits; Bradford, S. , 2010. Flexible Benefits.