Thursday, October 31, 2019

Employment Law--Whitakers Fine Wines Limited Essay

Employment Law--Whitakers Fine Wines Limited - Essay Example Some of these mistakes include are discussed herein. Principle and application of law relating to Adam’s employment At the time of his inclusion into the firm, Adam had his job specifically spelled out for him. His job entailed overseeing general sales as a manager. This he has done effectively and is yielding positive returns. According to the Employment Rights Act 1996, before taking up a job, one is normally briefed on his or her scope of operation which to Adam was the state of Surrey. When the sales manager for the Hampshire area eventually falls sick and is not therefore able to respond to his official duties, the company must find a replacement as soon as possible and ensure that the interests of the company are upheld. Some of the known ways of filling such vacancies have been through appointing an assistant to the victim to take over his position or to request assistance from another employee of equal rank. The firm opted for the later but failed to realise that in su ch a circumstance, the solicited services are offered on an interim basis which should not always last more than three weeks (Kidner, 2013). When Collins fails to return to work by the third month, the firm ought to have found a permanent solution to his truancy (United Bank Ltd v. Akhtar [1989] IRLR 507). Adam, being a dedicated employee, does both the tasks diligently despite the fact that he is overwhelmed. When he can bear the strain no longer, he lodges a formal complaint with his bosses. This was a formal and an expected way of handling such issues. His bosses assure him that they will look into the matter and find an amicable solution sooner; this assurance however, is given verbally by an immediate boss. This, according to the Equality Act 2010, is a clear show that the firm treats its employees with a lot of negligence. An employee communicates officially with his employers over very pertinent issues of production and the best the firm does is to device mechanisms of avoidi ng claims by merely failing to respond to the letters sent to them and the responsible officer is left to give an unbinding verbal communication in response. Adam eventually develops a life threatening condition from his employment. Given the nature of the disease, it is clear that he developed it out of the frustrations he experienced out of his work place. In case of a court case, it will be very difficult to exonerate the firm since it is clear that the firm bears all the claims. After admitting responsibility of the above faults, the firm should send a formal invitation to Adam expressing regret in the maltreatment he underwent and offer him an opportunity for talks. The receipt of this letter may prompt Adam to take the case to court since it will be evidence of the laxity shown to him by his employers and an admission of culpability. Conclusion The company has shown a lot of laxity in handling its employees. Issues affecting employees is not amicably looked into and the level of negligence specifically shown to Adam’s case is unacceptable. The company risks facing serious industrial actions should the case be filed in a court of law. The firm must therefore carry out very prudent restructuring strategies to try and convince its employees that in deed it holds their interests at heart and avert any legal tussle. On Adam’s case, a great deal of mistake has taken place, the

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Theory Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Theory - Term Paper Example In considering each claim it is important to look into what democracy actually means. This paper looks into democracy and its claims from both Marxism and Leninism perspectives. Practical use of democracy will form the centre stage in elaborating the meaning of democracy and whether it is an end in itself or a means to an end. Democracy literal meaning is People’s Rule meaning that it is the populace that should bear a nation’s sovereignty. This definition is quite the opposite of autocracy and oligarchy which connote forms of dictatorship perpetuated by one person or a number of people respectively. Therefore, democracy is a situation where people exercise political power through choosing leaders or participating in governance. The latter statement has little strength but its claim is indisputable as an inherent attribute of a democratic establishment. These definitions raise a number of arguments one being that some government systems are more democratic than others ( Lenin 177-215). An absolute democracy will therefore demand that people’s wishes are incorporated in the governance system. Wishes of the people even in the modern democratic institutions are basically achieved through elections. In this case people’s representatives are elected to various levels of government where they are expected to represent the views and wishes of their electorates. Utilitarian theorists hold the belief that democracy offers a channel for people’s will to be done. Elections in the case are an agent of people’s will since electors choose those who are closest to their ideals. Although this is not a strong justification as to the establishment of democracy, it goes further to elaborate the representation of the will of the people in governance. This utilitarian approach to democracy and general will of the people is however not accurate. It is basic fact that a society is comprised of people who hold different views on issues. Consequ ently, it is hard for all to agree on one thing especially on matters pertaining to public policy. This argument of elections as a symbol of democracy does not necessarily bear people’s will (Loo and Peter 45-80). Majoritarianism is used widely in elections debate since those who end up in government are the most popular candidates and this translates into ignorance of the minority’s interests. This loophole in democracies has been overcome by establishing systems that facilitate proportional representation although their viability has proved questionable as factions are forced to join forces to acquire considerable majority. Britain is an example where tyranny of the minority is experienced. This has been the trend after the 2nd World War where only two parties have dominated the political arena. In winning elections these parties need to work hard to woo voters who are indecisive. In so doing the parties find themselves ignoring their ideologically based supporters i n order to appeal to the few undecided ones. This scenario is clearer after looking into democracy as a means to an end. Democracy depicts a situation where people are ruling themselves meaning that a state is incapable of coercing an individual citizen (Lenin 277-313). Freedom is therefore a pillar expected to be upheld by a democratic system more than in others. The degree of equality among people also forms the

Sunday, October 27, 2019

PETRONAS | Employee Health and Safety Case Study

PETRONAS | Employee Health and Safety Case Study 1.0 Introduction The topic that we choose for our assignment in Human Resource Management is employee safety and health. Nowadays, safety and health is a significant issue for an organization to its employees. What is meant by safety and health for employees? Firstly, safety means the condition for employees are being protected from getting any danger, risk or injury in a working environment during the working hour. Meanwhile, health means the organizations efforts to prevent its employees from suffering physical or mental illness. In short, every organization should ensure the safety and health condition in the working environment since employee is the asset of the company. If the employees feel secure in their working environment, they will perform efficiency and effectively to achieve the companys goal. However, if the working environment is not safety and may cause them illness, it will affect the performance quality as the employees will think why should I going to do this, this is not safe for us. Inevitably, it is very important for an organization to ensure that their employees are working in a safe and healthy environment so that it will greatly influence the productivity and overall efficiency in any organizations. Secondly, it will also help to reduce and prevent industrial accidents. Consequently, the enforcement of employee safety and health will definitely help to reduce the absenteeism among employees. Also, it will also boost the morale among the employees inside the organization. Moreover, team spirit could be developed and the sense of belongingness among the employees could be enhanced as they are protected. As a result, the main objective of our topic is to determine the regular review of safety and health performance in an organization. Therefore, the employees can have a better working condition to perform their specific tasks. 2.0 Content: Theory and concept The first theory that we are going to apply for the chosen topic is Bounded Rationality. Bounded Rationality state that a decision maker makes decision at a satisfactory level rather than the maximum level because of the lack of resources and information needed. In order to implement a successful employee safety and health program in an organization, the managements have to well-planned with various choices of alternatives and decide the optimum one. Having said this, when a company intend to install employee safety and health program to replace the existed one, the switching cost involved may be much more higher than expected, that makes it difficult for the company to bear the cost. Therefore, the management shall decide the appropriate method with the sources available to fix the problems, so that both employers and employees could enjoy the benefits from the implementation of the safety and health policy activity. Herzbergs two factor theory is the second theory that we will apply to our topic. The Herzbergs two factor theory is also known as the motivation-hygiene theory. This theory states that there are certain factors in the workplace that can cause employees satisfaction or dissatisfaction with the working environment (NetMBA, 2010). The factors that affect employees to become satisfied are the sense of achievement, recognition for their accomplishment by the top management, meaningfulness of the work, growth and promotional opportunities. On the other hand, the factors that lead employees to become dissatisfied are the strict company policy, no fringe benefits, bad physical work condition and low salary. If employees are not satisfied with the working environment, it will decrease the productivity. In order to maximize the profit in an organization, the company should provide a good working environment for employees so that it can maintain the company production quality. Thus, the motiva tion of employee is the key factor for an organization since it is one of the several factors that significantly affect the productivity which in turns increase the profitability in an organization. In the third place, we are going to apply Maslow hierarchy of needs in our topic. Maslow hierarchy of needs can be categorized in five independent levels of basic human needs which are physiological, safety, love or belonging, esteem and self actualization that must be satisfied in a strict sequence starting from the lowest level. Physiological needs are the lowest level of basic human needs while self actualization is the highest basic human needs. In this topic we will focus on safety level, which safety needs security of body, employment, resources, morality, family, health and property. Furthermore, safety needs for an employee plays a vital role for an organization to take the responsibility because the employees are helping the organization to generate income. In return, the company should provide a proper working environment for the employees. In a nutshell, Bounded Rationality, Herzbergs two factor theory and Maslow hierarchy of needs are the theories that we are going to apply to our topic employee safety and health. Keeping to the adage that safe operations are smooth operations, these theories are extremely important for an organization to follow because it will assist the organization to increase the profit by providing a safety and health working environment to the employees. Significance and contributions In order to utilize individuals to achieve organization objective, we should have five human resource management functions such as staffing, human resource development, compensation, safety and health and employee and labor relations. Consequently, we know that the assignment topic that we choose is pivotal for an organization because this is one of the five human resource management functions. In addition, we know that safety and health not only for the organization to take the responsibility on the employees but also the employees themselves should aware and responsible for their own safety and health. Having said this, when the organization is providing the methods on how to use the machine in a safety way but the employees do not follow the instructions. Therefore, no matter how the organization implement the safety and health policy to employees, it is not effective if the employees do not follow the instructions given. Inevitably, it will cause danger to them and other employee s in the working environment. As a result, the organization and employees should take the obligation together on safety and health. Subsequently, it will assist the organization to increase the productivity by the workers if they are focusing on employee safety and health because employees can have a better satisfaction with the working environment which is safe and secure to perform their task. If the productivity increases, the company tends to sell more products. Thus, it will affect the overall profit of the organization. In addition, it will boost the morale among the employees inside the organization. Team spirit could be developed and the sense of belongingness among the employees could be enhanced as they are protected. As a result, the employees tend to spend more time to perform their task in a safety and health environment to assist the organization to generate income. In short, safety and health is not the only importance HRM function of an organization but also other HRM functions as well. This is because the relationship between these five functions is link together. Without one of them, the organization cannot operate well. Therefore, the organization should focus on all HRM functions areas. 3.0 Case Development (Practice) The company we have chosen to be discussed in our assignment is Petroliam Nasional Bhd (PETRONAS). PETRONAS is the national oil and gas company in Malaysia. It established in 1974 and wholly-owned by the government of Malaysia (Abdul Ghani Pg.Hi.Metusin and Ooi Kee Beng, 2005). Together with 127 direct subsidiaries and 54 associated companies, PETRONAS, a multinational corporation, has fully integrated oil and gas operations in a broad spectrum of the oil and gas value-chain and with global presence in 31 countries (S.A Zainal Abidin, O.Bekri, A.Jalaludin, 1996). In addition, it also conducts a variety of business activities include exploration, development and production of crude oil and natural gas in Malaysia and overseas; the liquefaction, sale and transportation of LNG; the processing and transmission of natural gas and the sale of natural gas products; the refining and marketing of petroleum products; the manufacture and sale of petrochemical products; the trading of crude oil, petroleum products and petrochemical products; and shipping and logistics relating to LNG, crude oil and petroleum products.ÂÂ   Safety issue always is high concern in the oil and gas industry especially since the Gulf of Mexico incident happened in 2010. PETRONAS has around 44,000 of employees. Therefore, it strives to contribute and take care of the well-being of people as well as nations, regardless wherever it operates by developing and adding value to oil and gas resources. It balances the commercial, environmental and social considerations carefully. A report from Social Security Organization shows the construction is one of the highest fatality rate in the accidents among the industry. PETRONAS experiences the worst ever group safety record in 1998 with 31 fatalities and followed by 13 and 17 fatalities in 1999 and 2000 respectively. To ensure the PETRONAS Corporate Policy Statement on Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) is implemented effectively, a proactive approach must be adopted in promoting Occupational Safety and Health (OSH). First of all, company HSE policy is the basis requirement to implement in PETRONAS as well as to any other organization. Thus, the legal liability of projects and the penalties imposed to owners and stakeholders are clearly outlined in the Environmental Quality Act 1974 and the Occupational Safety and Health Act 1994. A good OSH management will be able to prevent and reduce accidents and ill health in the working environment. For example, HSE Management Procedure will be preparing for every project run by PETRONAS. This is to ensure that all phases of the project and the OSH requirements are clearly defined and spelt out. The purpose of this procedure is to helps the management in complying with the related local OSH Acts or rules and regulations, establishing the minimum OSH objectives to be met at the various stages of the project, developing the necessary guidelines to carry out a proactive management of consultants and contractors on OSH matters and ensuring a continuous OSH improvement for all project activities. In addition, with such procedure and policy, the management can make decision more efficiency and effectively. In the meanwhile, it applies the Bounded Rationality theory in which the decision maker or the management makes decision at a satisfactory level with limited resources and i nformation. When problem occur, the management can make decision at a limited time with the best alternative according to the procedure stated. Furthermore, PETRONAS enhance the governance of HSE through the restructuring of Group Health, Safety and Environment Division to enable Business Units to have greater accountability. It also proactively in developing a framework to consolidate the mandatory HSE standards to be implemented Groupwide. The Herzbergs two factor theory can be seen in this practice by developing a safety working environment with pervasive HSE culture. In addition, it can decrease the cost of common infrastructures, management system and services. Employee will feel secure and satisfied with their working condition and environment with international HSE standards. For example, PETRONAS won Gold Award from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) and Grand Award from Malaysian Society for Occupational Safety and Health (MSOSH) in 2010. Such honors definitely will add credit to PETRONAS that lead to the increase of employee confident to company HSE condition. To improve PETRONAS safety performance towards achieving operational excellence, it has carried out a Third Party Process Safety Assessment on its implementation across the Group. The latest external assessment and benchmarking exercise was conducted in August 2010. The assessment recognized that process safety standards and requirements have been adequately established at Group level and translated into site-specific systems and documents at operating units. Action plans have been identified to address implementation issues on specific elements such as management of change, integrity management, work planning and procedures in order to improve process safety performance. As stated before, PETRONAS restructure its Group Health, Safety and Environment Division to enable all Business Units to have greater accountability, the objective is to raise PETRONAS HSE performance, reduce business risks and exposure and maintain consistency in the implementation if HSE standards and requirements. Therefore, defining a clear roles and responsibilities of all personnel involved in OSH activities for those projects are necessary. Workers should and must know their duties and the knowledge that have to apply in their tasks. The effectiveness after the implementation Indeed, PETRONAS has exercised the human resource practices well in ensuring the safety and health of its employees. As above mentioned, PETRONAS obeys and follows the stated laws and regulations. Besides, PETRONAS also conducts an excellent HSE management system. However, there is still room to improve. It is because many fatal accidents have taken place in 2012. First, there are three fire accidents happened at PETRONAS sites, and two of which involved casualties. Second, the most recent incident that related to PETRONAS involved an oil tanker which caught fire and exploded at the jetty of PETRONAS Chemicals Methanol Sdn Bhd on 26 July 2012. This incident follows closely from another fire which blazed at the PETRONAS Caligalis Tukau B Platform offshore Miri on 11 June 2012. Moreover, there was a PETRONAS gas process plant in GPP Complex A in Kerteh was rocked by two explosions. Unfortunately, a worker died on the spot while 23 others were injured. There were 2000 workers at the site when the explosions occurred (Koh, 2012). Again, these accidents have indicated that it is time for PETRONAS to reevaluate the safety standards over again. 4.0 Recommendations Even PETRONAS has exercised its practise well in ensuring its employees are safe and health, but there are still a number of accidents that lead to the injuries and death of its employees. Its strongly to be suggested that PETRONAS might use joint labour-management safety team approach to involve its employees in developing safety program as the employees know the potential problem in their workplace more well compare to the management. A safety programme is launched to identify and minimize the unsafe condition to prevent the accidents that might happen in the workplace. It should contains an extensive training and enable autonomy for the employees who perform dangerous job. For example, PETRONAS might held a meeting for the employees and management to come together in order to evaluate the previous safety program and see if there is anything went wrong. If there is anything should be changed or a new program should be established, employees will be given autonomy in voice out their opinion in the meeting according to their working experience on what should be establish, what training should be provided, and what should be done. (Dessler, 2007) Secondly, top management of PETRONAS is suggested to involve themselves in the safety activities. Instead of just giving instruction from the top to bottom, managers and supervisors in safety and health department of PETRONAS are encouraged to involve themselves directly by going to the workplace and discuss with the employees with the production scheduling before the work of the day. Toolbox meetings are the meetings which held in a workplace involving the supervisors and employees to discuss about the work hazard and safety awareness. Toolbox meetings are suggested to be held in every time before the work at the workplace. The SHELL companies in the same industry with PETRONAS, practise it in this way: the supervisor and other employees will first discuss in the general safety with the employees and after this, employees are grouped into a smaller group to discuss in detail about the job procedure of the day, the hazards of the job, the precautions that should be taken to prevent anything bad happen in the workplace and what should be done in order to protect themselves for the duties that they are going to perform after this. The toolbox meeting is not only being held in each time before the work, but also should be held if there is any changing in hazard found. (Steve Beckett) Evacuation plans should be enhanced in PETRONAS as the accidents happened in the workplace often has caused death and injuries on its employees. An evacuation plan should include the three main things: an early detection of problems, the methods to communicate the emergency externally and the communication plans to initiates an evacuation. For example, an initial alarm to alerts the employees on emergency and following by the instruction given on what to do in next. This minimizes the number of death and injuries cause by fire and exploitation effectively(Dessler, 2007). Furthermore, PETRONAS is recommended to establish behavioural-based safety programme which it is to identify its employees working behaviour, understand the way they work and advice and lastly train them to avoid the working behaviour that might lead to accidents (Dessler, 2007). PETRONAS may use Human Resource Internet-Based System to manage their safety programme for it is more efficient and more effective in the way to communicate the safety and health information to its employees from the whole organization. The HRIS included the material safety data sheets from OSHA which stated the precaution that should be taken by employees when performing their duties and what to do in dealing with the accidents. The data sheet based on the new OSHA information can be uploaded and communicate faster to the employees if HRIS is to be used. In the other hand, PETRONAS might create also its own training websites which will allow the company to communicate the safety issues to its employee in the form of video, PowerPoint presentation sheets and etc. By this, PETRONAS will be able to organize and deliver the individual course to its employees according to their needs in anywhere and anytime (Dessler, 2007). 5.0 Conclusion Employee Safety and Health is a significant issue for every organization because employee consider as asset of the organization. Working environment is very important for every employee. It to ensure that provides a safety place for employee to prevent getting any danger or injury. Organization also need to concern employee health to prevent its employees from suffering physical or mental illness. The employee safety and health is high concern especially in the oil and gas industry. PETRONAS is a multinational corporation that has integrated oil and gas operations in a broad spectrum of the oil and gas value-chain. Employee has safety and health condition can perform the job efficiency and effectively and achieve the companys goal. Safety and health can impact the productivity and overall efficiency in organization. Organizations can put efforts to develop the team spirit among employees and to enhance as they are protected in the working environment. It can help organization to prevent industrial accidents and to reduce the absenteeism among employees. An important theory and concept such as Bounded Rationality, Herzbergs two factor theory and Maslow hierarchy of needs for an organization to apply in order to increase the profit by providing a safety and health working environment to the employees. The organization and employees should take the obligation together on the safety and health. Employees themselves should aware and responsible for their own safety and health in the working environment. PETRONAS conducts a variety of business activities in 31 counties. PETRONAS obeys and follow the stated laws and regulations and conducts an excellent HSE management system to ensure the safety and health of its employees. PETRONAS strives to contribute the commercial, environmental and social considerations carefully. A proactive approach adopted in by Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) to ensure the PETRONAS Corporate Policy Statement on Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) is implemented effectively. HSE policy is the basis requirement to implement in PETRONAS. OSH management can make decision at a limited time with the best alternatives according to the procedure stated. PETRONAS is restructuring the Group Health, Safety and Environment Division to enable Business Units to have greater accountability. It developed a framework to consolidate the mandatory HSE standard to be implemented in a safety working environment. Employee will feel secure and satisfied with their working condition and environment international HSE standards such as Gold Award from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) and Grand Award from Malaysian Society for Occupational Safety and Health (MSOSH) in year 2010. It will lead to increase the employee confident during working time with company HSE conditions. The objective of implementation in HSE performance is to reduce business risks and exposure and maintain consistency. Employees must know their duties and knowledge in order to apply in their tasks. Therefore, PETRONAS enable to have greater accountability.

Friday, October 25, 2019

Toni Morrison and bell hooks Represent Blacks in American Literature :: Biography Biographies Essays

Toni Morrison and bell hooks Represent Blacks in American Literature Two widely known and influential authors, bell hooks and Toni Morrison, share similar beliefs and themes with regards to the black community. One theme in particular that the two writers emphasize is the representation of blacks in American literature today. hooks feels that African Americans are misrepresented, where Morrison believes that blacks are not represented at all. hooks' evidence of this theme is portrayed primarily in the sexist and racist representations the characters exhibit. Overall, both authors feel that the negative portrayal of the black community needs to stop in order for a better understanding of our national literature. Toni Morrison believes that the literature in America has taken as its concern the white man as its character base. Morrison states, "American literature is free of, uniformed by, and unshaped by the four-hundred-year-old presence of the first Africans" (205). She believes the entire history of the African culture has had no important place in the present state of our culture's literature. The American literature evident today tends to depict the white males' views, genius, and power leaving out all concerns for the black race. Morrison is convinced that, "the contemplation of the black presence is central to any understanding of our national literature and should not be relegated to the margins of the literary imagination" (205-06). Morrison's quote stresses the importance of the representation of black presence in today's literature for a better national comprehension of this writing. Two primary reasons Morrison believes that blacks are left out are the writers themselves, and the silence that has historically ruled literature. She believes, "National literatures, like writers, get along as best they can and with what they can. Yet they do seem to end up describing and inscribing what is really on the national mind" (208). This is the interest in the white man. Writers produce, and companies publish what the public wants to read about. According to Morrison, this is not the black presence, rather views and interests in the white man. The other reason she believes blacks are left out are, "that in matters of race, silence and evasion have historically ruled literary discourse" (207).

Thursday, October 24, 2019

How Do You Actually Learn to Love Yourself Essay

5 ways to learn to love yourself more 1-Do something kind: There are lots of different ways to do something kind, but one of the best, long-term ways you can do something for someone else is by volunteering. For example, you could help out at a local swimming club, befriend an elderly person or use your marketing experience to promote a local charity. 2-Become your hero for the day: If you want to try this out for yourself choose someone that you can identify with, but who is also well known for his or her confidence. Then begin to act like them. Although you don’t have to speak in their accent, envisioning your hero can have a surprisingly positive impact upon your own body language and tone of voice. 3-Retrain your thoughts: How many times in a day do you think negatively about yourself? Now ask yourself how many times you compliment yourself during the day.A great way to alter your behaviour and learn to love yourself is to retrain the way you think. You can do this by following up every negative thought you have about yourself with a positive. For example, if you tell yourself that you are ugly, old or overweight, follow this bad thought up with something positive, like: ‘I have great skin, hair and a good smile’. Increasing the number of positive thoughts you have about yourself during the day will hopefully help you to enjoy being you and will help to boost your self-esteem. 4-Admit your flaws and take action: We all have flaws and that’s fine. It is just something that we have to accept. Yet some people’s flaws can interfere with their life and become an obstacle that stands between them and their happiness. If you have a flaw that is becoming a problem it is time to admit that you need to change. 5-Relationship analysis: There are some people in this life that are just no good for us. If you have friends, boyfriends, girlfriends or colleagues who undermine you, belittle you or are just plain mean, you need to have a thinking about confronting them about their behaviour. This can be extremely daunting, especially if they bully you. Remember though that no one has the right to put you down and the only way people will stop acting in this way is if they know you won’t accept it. Be brave, plan what you are going to say so that you can communicate clearly and then sit down and talk through your issue face to face. If the problem continues it might be time to consider cutting them out of your life altogether. Life is too short to waste on people that don’t make you feel good and hanging around with negative people will make it hard for you to love yourself.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Gillette Marketing

Gillette Razor corporation was founded in 1901 by King Camp Gillette as the American Safety Razor Company. In 1895, while working as a salesman for Gillette envisioned an inexpensive, double-edge blade that could be clamped over a handle and simply disposed of when the blade dulled. Gillette spent many years searching for an inventor or engineer that could help him in making the dream a reality. Many people told him it couldn’t be done but in 1901 William Nickerson, a Massachusetts Institute of Technology educated machinist, took on the task aided with the designs provided by Gillette.Production of the razor started in early 1903 and in October of the same year, the newly renamed, Gillette Safety Razor Company began advertising and selling their razor sets for $5 each. Additional blades sold for $1 for twenty As we mentioned earlier King Gillette vision was to make the shaving experience simpler, safer, inexpensive and time saving. The Gillette Company is globally focused on c onsumer products marketer that seeks competitive advantage in quality, personal care and personal use products.On their very beginnings Gillette Company was mainly focus on men’s grooming products; in 1902 they introduced the first safety razor using a disposable blade and they started advertising their product with the first ad appearing in a magazine. By 1908, Gillette Company started operating not only in U. S. but also in Canada, England, France and Germany. Around this time they introduce their second best advertising campaign which was the face of King’s Gillette on each of their razors pack.This advertising campaign was very successful on countries outside of U. S. because people recognized the face of King’s Gillette and they referred to them as â€Å"the king with the man’s face. † During the following twenty years the company kept introducing new products with new technology. By 1939, the company developed a sports advertising campaign an d they purchased the radio broadcast right to the World Series. Later on, in 1942 the company sponsored a group of sport advertising which they called â€Å"Gillette Cavalcade of Sports. This included the orange bowl, the sugar bowl, and the Kentucky Derby; which according to the company history website this â€Å"sports advertising programs, remained an important vehicle for Gillette advertising. Later on, around 1970’s the company developed a new advertising campaign to advertise their product line of Right Guard and soft & dry deodorants and Adorn and white Rain hair sprays. The company continues introducing innovation in shaving technology, and at the same time developing new ad campaigns to emphasize the more profitable shaving systems over disposable shavers.Around 1990, the company decided to change a little bit their target market so they introduce the Gillette Venus Vibrance, which is the female version of the M3 power Venus blades for man. The introduction of fema le razors was very positive for the company, but this was not the only new program development that Gillette Company will have. Around the same year Gillette’s company acquired four successful U. S. divisions, and those were the personal care division (Oral-B product care),the Toiletries Division (right guard deodorant and antiperspirant), the paper Mate Division and The Safety Razor Division.These divisions did help the company’s revenues but most of the company’s revenue was generated by the razors division. The company found sport advertising campaigns to be very successful so around the year of 2005, the company introduce a new advertising campaign featuring sports champions; such as Tiger Woods, Roger Federer and Thierry Henry to announce the new Gillette’s new product line. â€Å"Fusion Gamer Saver† and the line of this campaign was â€Å"prepare to be your best today. † this advertising campaign was very successful not only in U. S. b ut also in many different countries. In addition, to this campaign the company also introduced multimedia advertising, store promotions, direct marketing, sponsorships and celebrity television commercials; for instance Jennifer Lopez, she is the celebrity that advertises the Venus Razor. Another important advertising that Gillette Company introduces is their web page. In this page the company introduces their line as â€Å"Being a G man means taking pride in grooming to help you look, feel and be your best.So here people can find their products, Gillette science (innovations of the product, from then to now), and product coach, for man and women. Product coach is a very interesting feature, because guys can play with this picture and see how they might look with certain type of beard color or hair color; and it is also available for women, so they can also choose how they want to look. One of the most recent successful advertising campaigns that Gillette introduced was the Young Gu ns, with Ray Rice, Kyle Busch, Evan Longoria, Carlos Gonzales, Matt Ryan and Denny Hamlin.This current promotions are focusing on Young man, so this shows that Gillette is not only focus on targeting older man, they are focus on personal care and personal use product for man and women of different ages. Gillette has an incredible amount of the market share of disposable razors. Gillette holds 72% of the market, while their closest competitor, Schick has a mere 18 % and the number 3 company, Bic has 6%. When compared all other brands in the world, through 2010, Gillette is ranked 13th according to Interbrand. com. They currently have a brand value of 23,298,000,000.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Women of ancient greece and egypt essays

Women of ancient greece and egypt essays Equality in the ancient world was not the same as it is today. In ancient Greece women were not looked upon as equals. They were considered to be secondary in relation to men. On the other hand the women of ancient Egypt enjoyed many of the same freedoms as the men did. They, unlike women in most cultures of the time, were considered more or less equals. Ideally this social equality would have been the same for all ancient women. Ancient Greece was the cradle of western civilization. It was a land comprised of small city states. Often in history books, the men of this time are only mentioned and the women are too easily forgotten, but we must not forget the women that lived in this time, for they played just as significant a role in creating and in making this culture inspiring to this day. Women in archaic Greece were prepared for marriage and motherhood through dancing and singing and participating in other religious events. Athenian girls knew how to dance, but music was not something that was considered to be very respectable. In Sparta, and generally among Dorian city-states, women enjoyed more freedom and thus participated in music, dancing and telling stories without being looked down upon. An example of this was the maiden songs which were sung by young women on the brink of adulthood, as rites of passage into adulthood. Women writers, most often, wrote lyric poetry. They tended to focus on emotions, lovers, friendships, and other events in their lives. Their honesty and simplicity conveyed sincerity, thus making these poems very popular. Most poems and songs were accompanied by the playing of a lyre. The lyres sound was considered dignified and soothing, and was often associated with upper class women. Flute music however, was considered to be more exciting and thus was the resort of professional musicians, slaves, and prostitutes. Hetairai used flutes to provide background music at symposiums. Women wrote...

Monday, October 21, 2019

Free Essays on The Pros And Cons Of Technology

Anthony The Pros and Cons of Technology In today’s fast paced world, technological progress, changes, and advances are happening everyday. Occasionally the technological progress, changes, and advances are both good and bad. Certain people, like Dick Armey, in â€Å"How Technology Increases Freedom† feel technology advances are great and will help us now and in the future. Others, like the writers of the article called â€Å"Uncle Sam and the Watching Eye,† think that technology is beginning to invade our privacy. However, what I think is that technology is going to help the world more than is going to hurt it. I believe that one of the most astonishing technological breakthroughs in this world today is the personal computer. If everyone would just think about how much a computer helps us, we would appreciate it more. I can do so many amazing things with a computer. I can do my homework, talk to a friend at a chatline, or play the latest video game, all on a computer. Computers are becoming more smaller, faster, and better everyday. What makes a computer so great is the World Wide Web or the Internet. The Internet is so huge in this day and age. People can do almost everything on a computer. â€Å"People can make a phone call over the Internet† (Armey). The Internet allows people to shop for a new or used car and shoes, plus order a pizza online. The only thing that is wrong with the Internet is people’s privacy is jeopardized. that . Since the terrorist’s attacks on September 11, the government has wanted to shut down terrorism. They say the way of doing that is to check and put surveillance on citizens e-mail accounts. By doing that, the government can look for anything that can stop criminal and terrorist activity. â€Å"Uncle Sam and the Watching Eye,† talks about it. In the article, Cindy Cohn of the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a civil-liberties group based in San Francisco notes that, â€Å"Internet w... Free Essays on The Pros And Cons Of Technology Free Essays on The Pros And Cons Of Technology Anthony The Pros and Cons of Technology In today’s fast paced world, technological progress, changes, and advances are happening everyday. Occasionally the technological progress, changes, and advances are both good and bad. Certain people, like Dick Armey, in â€Å"How Technology Increases Freedom† feel technology advances are great and will help us now and in the future. Others, like the writers of the article called â€Å"Uncle Sam and the Watching Eye,† think that technology is beginning to invade our privacy. However, what I think is that technology is going to help the world more than is going to hurt it. I believe that one of the most astonishing technological breakthroughs in this world today is the personal computer. If everyone would just think about how much a computer helps us, we would appreciate it more. I can do so many amazing things with a computer. I can do my homework, talk to a friend at a chatline, or play the latest video game, all on a computer. Computers are becoming more smaller, faster, and better everyday. What makes a computer so great is the World Wide Web or the Internet. The Internet is so huge in this day and age. People can do almost everything on a computer. â€Å"People can make a phone call over the Internet† (Armey). The Internet allows people to shop for a new or used car and shoes, plus order a pizza online. The only thing that is wrong with the Internet is people’s privacy is jeopardized. that . Since the terrorist’s attacks on September 11, the government has wanted to shut down terrorism. They say the way of doing that is to check and put surveillance on citizens e-mail accounts. By doing that, the government can look for anything that can stop criminal and terrorist activity. â€Å"Uncle Sam and the Watching Eye,† talks about it. In the article, Cindy Cohn of the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a civil-liberties group based in San Francisco notes that, â€Å"Internet w...

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Free sample - The Hilton Concept of Quality. translation missing

The Hilton Concept of Quality. The Hilton Concept of QualityAll   employees and franchisees   follow Brand recognition; offer affordable and agreeable hotels and are part of a multi international network of hotels of one to four stars. The network is growing every day as   Hilton Worldwide acquires hotels all over the world. The network promises a facility of reservations, brand recognition and inner controls that are called the Hilton Way . This was the motto of Conrad Hilton forming the corporation in the 1940's. His first Hilton hotel dates back to 1925 in Texas. Hilton Worldwide runs it's corporations under   Total Quality Management (TQM) as they train only their management and the management of each hotel whether it be corporate or franchised managed   to   brand recognition and to be customer focused. All processes done must be done the "Hilton way" (process thinking, proper environment). The internal running of hotels is the responsibility of the individual hotel. For the purpose of this Paper the Embassy Suites and the Beverly Hilton will be used to show how the Hilton way has not always been sufficient in quality assessment and it has been necessary to add additional controls.. Hilton Worldwide has created a complicated in house program of RevPar index, the Balanced Scorecard and Brand Equity. Millions of dollars have been spent in a data network aligning all hotels so that their financial and statistical data can be part of the Hilton Network. Each hotel pays approximately $70 000 to have the system installed. One cannot be called Hilton without adhering to the network.   Everything is measured, quantified and sent back to corporate to judge their level of service and in terms of revenues. (hiltonworlwide) RevPar index (revenue per available room) is a primary statistic used to test the financial viability of a hotel. Hilton Corporation uses the RevPar Index, brand equity and the balanced scorecard. Every hotel in their system from the 1 star to the 4 stars practices what the Brand Hilton preaches "Deliver value for Money" Revenue per available room or the % of occupancy x the average daily rate is to show the financial viability of a hotel compared to another in the same area at the same time and the same type. (strglobal) A four star Hilton Embassy Suite reserved at 90% occupancy during the Christmas season in Los Angeles compared to a four star Embassy Suite reserved at 85% occupancy at a higher rate in San Francisco will not be doing as well. "What gets measured gets managed" is part of Hilton's strategy (TQM) and tactical processes. The terminology they have developed has become to be known as the   "Balanced Scorecard" Corporate management, corporate owned and managed hotels and franchised hotels are affected. It is part of Hiltons long and short term strategy. All quality assurance is based on the data derived from performance measure data established from the type of work, the objectives achieved and the progress made. Nothing is left out. Anything which can be quantified is used for quality. The Scorecard is put into an intricate reporting data system that each hotel is required to have bought and set up in order to maintain the Hilton image. Depending on the results, each person in the organization has incentives as motivational factors. Their performance and expectations are always an important part of the system. Hilton uses the data and statistics to judge results. TQM is based on inward performance and CEM is based on outward performance. RevPar Index, Balanced Scorecard   and Brand Equity have been measured in the Hiltons across the world to judge customer satisfaction. Hilton started with Brand Equity with the use of Hilton Hotel 50 years ago. One of the earliest hotels was the Beverly Hilton. Brands with customer awareness and association with quality or consistency are effective equity brands. A customer knows in any Hilton hotel in the world, he will get the same type of service.   Now they have grown or expanded in using an additional H with   Hilton Hotel, HHonors program, Homewood Suites, Hampton. All under the umbrella of H. Measurements   of brand equity can be made but they are only approximations. Keller K.L., 1993 "Hilton's balanced scorecard   has enabled to quantify the quality of the daily growth and increased brand equity by quality control of the knowledge that one Hilton is the same from another. And in addition to share-of-market growth, non-financial measures show improvement, as well. Among company-owned and -managed hotels, current customer-satisfaction studies reveal strong increases in customers' opinions on overall satisfaction, their likelihood of recommending Hilton hotels, and their likelihood to return to a given property. The three factors comprise a measure of loyalty Hilton tracks closelyand that score recently reached its highest level ever. Hensdill (2009) The scorecard tests cleanliness and conditions. Service standards are left to the individual hotel. ("News Release", 2003) The hotels are kept to the Hilton Way because of the internal data system of check and balance and statistical controls. Whereas service has become an important part of today's industry to differentiate between hotel chains and establish customer loyalty, it is left out of the testing process of the quality assurance .(beverly) Hilton Worldwide created an additional two section of the Balance Scorecard to include quality assurance and guest satisfaction for the Embassy Suites. They have surprise visits, inspections of kitchens, and guestrooms. Guests are asked to rate different services in the hotel. Everything is still quantified and nothing is dealt with on an emotional level. ("News Release", 2003) This is an indication that they rely on Total Quality Management. Beverly Hilton is a privately owned hotel which only uses the point system of HHonors of the Hilton program. It was important to keep the name and have the brand equity of the "H" as the Beverly Hilton is one of the oldest post war hotels. As a private hotel, they are not required to adhere to TQM nor the Hilton Way. They use an external company for Quality Assurance and are   service oriented. Their managerial team uses customer experience management philosophy. Though they rely heavily on testing and auditing, they question every aspect of their operations. The voice of the customer is the priority of the hotel. The external company has their own quantitative tests of quality: research is done throughout the year in customer experience and motivation of   employees through reward and recognition, tools are established to train staff in customer service (experience); emotional audits, surveys, and surprise visits. Preparing for the yearly quality assurance audit, with LRA Worldw ide, the Beverly Hilton is able to respond quickly and on the spot of   any deficiency found. Statistical studies are done using the CEM (customer experience management).("The Beverly Hilton",2005) 1. Comparison of CEM versus   TQM by Hilton Worldwide. Statistics of the effective on revenues between two types of management - Motivation: services or needs - Fidelity: emotional or location - Emotions: necessity or pleasure Control Chart to compare the fluctuation of RevPar per franchises during the holiday season 2. Though Hilton is top of the list in customer satisfaction, more can be done to change the Henry Ford chain line feeling that everything has to be the same. With a more customer orientated managerial system, Hilton hotels will seem more homely and less industrial. 3.   Hilton keeps up to date with the various national tests. They are at the top of the list of most of its competitors: brand equity: (Equitrend study) Guest satisfaction is the highest for the past three years with the Customer Satisfaction index (ACSI)("Big Gains",June 2010) They have internal testing of the higher end hotels and statistical analysis of the whole network: balance scorecards ( The internal functioning of the hotels are up to the owners of the franchisees. As the expectations of the financial goals are high, the entrepreneurial attitude does not allow for a low level of workers' performance. Motivational compensation in financial awards is given for those who meet set goals. The whole system is based on financial success. Though guest satisfaction is the highest in the industry, it is based on American statistics. Brand recognition is becoming more and more important as globalization is without borders.

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Classical Tradition Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Classical Tradition - Term Paper Example Thus, knowledge for Keats is not only that which one acquires through empirical experience but also what is received from earlier generations. The descent of the narrator into the netherworld speaks also of the poet’s desire to draw from poetic tradition. Keats uses descriptions of hell from earlier works of literature. Prominent among these would of course, be Dante Alighieri’s work, Divine Comedy, where the protagonist descends into hell in order to gain a better understanding of the cosmos. He is led there by his beloved, Beatrice. In the case of The Fall of Hyperion, a character like Moneta may be considered to be a substitute for Beatrice. The interest of the poet here, unlike in the case of Dante’s work, is not sexual love but the love for knowledge. The thirst to create something new draws Keats into the netherworld and he is rewarded not with spiritual bliss or salvation but with knowledge. Another myth that one may read in Keats’s work is that of the Orpheus legend. The legend revolved around Orpheus going to the netherworld to bring his wife, Eurydice back to life. The god of the dead lays down one condition for the success of Orpheus’s mission- he would lead his wife out of hell but would not be allowed to turn back to see whether she was following him. Orpheus, a musician and hence an artist, is unable to contain his curiosity and fails to meet the condition. In a way, one may argue that Orpheus’s inability to do so stemmed from his need to know. The narrator of Keats’s poem too faces a similar problem. The difference, however, is that his/her curiosity is a disinterested one, unlike that of Orpheus’s. He is interested in knowledge and its acquisition for its sake rather than for marital love. Keats’s search, through the narrator, remains of permanence rather than something that would remain, in the final analysis, ephemera l. It is

Friday, October 18, 2019

Practice skills Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Practice skills - Essay Example Despite of his conceptual knowledge, he did not practice anything. He only verbalized the ideas. My best manager recorded a different trend from this. He linked the gap that would exist between knowing and doing. Therefore, this manager would focus on the implementation of his ideologies and strategies within the organization. For example, he ensured resilient performance amongst employees through channeling rewards such as salary increment and promotions. This manager also ensured a hiring process that upheld competence of the recruits. He also organized seminars and team-building activities to enhance affiliation amongst the workforce. The key difference is that the worst manager would only verbalize ideas, while the other would implement them. My best and worst managers also differed in their skills. The technical skills of my worst manager were impaired. He did not use tools and equipment competently to attain desirable objectives within the organization. Consequently, processes implementation within the organization was highly impaired. This manager also had an average performance in his interpersonal and problem solving processes. My best manager possessed an ideal capacity to use tools and equipment to implement processes. His interpersonal and communication skills were outstanding. This nurtured healthy relationships amongst the workforce and himself. He portrayed an elevated degree of analytical capability. This would enable him to make feasible recommendations for organizational

Recent cancer research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Recent cancer research - Essay Example Li C, Heidt DG, Dalerba P et .al (2007) has found that stem cells cause cancer in blood, breast, brain, prostate, ovary .The recent findings on the role of stem cells in causing cancer in pancreas also been stated in the study. In order to determine the mode of therapeutic intervention, it is quite critical to understand and define the specific stem cell where the cancer has originated. The study by Clarke, Michael F., Becker & Michael W (2008) has explained the potential of the stem cells in turning malignant and serves as the root of the cause of cancer. Further it has been stated that the stem cells promotes the growth of new cancer cells, and are considered as the origin of malignancy itself. In this regard these cells are termed as cancer stem cells. The study has also suggested the chances of these cells being normal stem cells at the origin or premature stage and they undergoing a malignant transformation in the growth stage. The authors urge the need for an accurate understanding on the transformation process in order to target the precise cancer stem cells in the process of cancer treatment or prevention. It is quite important to characterize and differentiate the normal human stem cells and the cancer initiating cells in order to have further knowledge on cancer therapy. A number of studies have evaluated the role of a number of antibodies on the Normal Stem Cells and the Malignant cells which is capable of Initiating Cancer. Donald J. Vander Griend, Wouter L. Karthaus, Susan Dalrymple, Alan Meeker, Angelo M. DeMarzo and John T. Isaacs have studied the role of the antibody CD 133 in Cancer. The study suggested that Androgen Receptor expressing prostate Cancer-Initiating Cells (CICs) is derived from malignantly transformed intermediate cells. (Donald J et. al, 2008). The importance of identification of stem cells has been asserted by Tuch, Bernard E. The study summarizes that the

Turner Construction Company Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Turner Construction Company - Essay Example Turner Construction It was founded in the year 1902 by Henry Chandlee Turner with a start-up capital of $25,000 in New York City and one of its first jobs was to build a concrete vault for the Thrift bank in Brooklyn, value of which was only $600. From those humble beginnings, it started carrying out large scale projects both in the private and government sector throughout America, only pausing during the World Wars, when it diverted its focus in the construction of military camps and other government buildings. Tuner and his family members as well as representatives managed the company for close to 90 years, until 1999, when it was acquired by the German construction company HOCHTIEF Germany for $370 million. With the takeover by Hochtief AG, Turner Construction Company got access to majority of Hochtief’s operations in geographical territories like United Kingdom, Australia, etc., as well as to the clients in the heavy construction field. Thus, it is operating as the subsidiary of HOCHTIEF in o ver 40 countries, employing around â€Å"6,000 internal employees and tens of thousands of subcontractors working on up to 1,500 job sites at any given time in 30 states and multiple countries.† (Whitney 2007).... That is, according to some experts, construction industry comes under the manufacturing sector. As Valence (2010) states, as the construction industry provides services like management, coordination and other finances related activities, it has to be classified as a service industry. However, he (2010) further adds that as it also develops and delivers products like buildings and structures, it can be constituted under the manufacturing sector. Langford and Male (2008) validates this confusion by stating that although it is commonly known as a service industry, it is a misnomer to classify so because it comes up physical products in the form of constructions. However at the same time Langford and Male (2008) provides a balanced stance by stating that given the nature and diversity of activities carried out in the construction industry, it can be classified both as a service as well as manufacturing industry. When the service and manufacturing aspect of Turner is focused, it seems tha t Turner Constructions views itself as the service industry. Because, it is stated to offer â€Å"a broad range of construction services, including general contracting, construction management, project management, design-build, multiple building programs, maintenance services, planning and preconstruction and feasibility studies.† (morgan.experience.com). Although, it offers all the above services to clients in all sectors, however, starting from the recessionary period in 2008, it has restricted itself to focusing on certain sectors. That is, the Turner Construction â€Å"learned a tough lesson in diversification during the late 1980s and 1990s, when commercial contractors suffered from the overbuilding in that sector.† (Wood 2011). So, in

Thursday, October 17, 2019

CAREER DEVELOPMENT Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

CAREER DEVELOPMENT - Essay Example GuideStar seeks to strengthen the role of CSOs through â€Å"transparent reporting†, which will serve to make the CSO more visible, and thus, more able to receive a fair contribution of resources for its programs and initiatives. In addition to supporting the growth of individual CSOs, GuideStar strives to create clear communication between the stakeholders involved, including the CSO, donors (governmental bodies and citizens) and supporters. In order to support these objectives, GuideStar has two visions: first, the systems employed by GuideStar will be running in over 30 countries, which will provide a comprehensive database of information that will create global networks, and promote trans-national charity; second, information on the operations and objectives CSOs will become available to its stakeholders, and this transparency will ensure that programs of value will be more likely to receive the funding necessary on a voluntary basis. The central vision involves the  "effective and generous allocation of [society’s] resources† to legitimate and deserving CSOs (GuideStar International, 2011). Background, Management and Supporters GuideStar started in 1994 in the U.S. by founder Buzz Schmidt, and â€Å"has become the US’ premier non-profit database and is used extensively by most philanthropic institutions, non-profit organisations, corporations, individual donors, and government grant making agencies and regulators† (GuideStar International, 2011). After receiving the award of Non-profit Executive of the Year in 2001, the company expanded to the UK, where it launched a web service that provided information about charitable organizations in the UK. This has resulted in generating world interest in implementing the GuideStar system into global CSOs. The central founding figures in GuideStar are Buzz Schmidt, William H. Dietel, Dr. Virginia Hodgkinson, and Lady Hilary Browne-Wilkinson. These individuals are all leading fig ures in the non-profit sector, and have contributed significantly to the development of GuideStar in the US, the UK, and internationally. The current staff at the UK office consists of eight individuals, including Tinsley C. Goad, CEO, and Caroline Neligan, Director of Partnerships and Development. In addition, the supporters of GuideStar and TechSoup Global include: the Ford Foundation, The Philanthropic Collaborative, David and Lucille Packard Foundation, the Eten programme of the European Commission’s Information society and Media DG, pro bono support from Weber Shandwick. Objectives and Issues The central objective of GuideStar is to collect information on CSOs, create a comprehensive report, and provide donors and supporters unrestrained access to this

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Transportation and Facilities Management role in Military Essay

Transportation and Facilities Management role in Military - Essay Example In the proving this commitment, the US Army Force has a well instituted program scale named Optimal Stationing Army Force (OSAF) that has helped in setting and making of viable organizational strategies (Dell 421). OSAF has fundamentally helped the US Army in organizing various installation programs and setting up of operational platform for the US Army Force. The Optimal Stationing Army Force has been significantly applied in the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC). The OSAF provides a significant tool for planning and scheduling the installation and reinforcement of the military forces in manner destined at cutting expenditure and resources spent in maintaining and sustaining the US Army (Dell 421). Every military plan conducted on the basis of the OSAF is done in such way that it will be implemented under the lowest possible cost. OSAF program dictates that every stationing plan for any army unit has to meet particular standards without which the particular unit may be disreg arded. The standards include the availability of field for maneuver training, buildings and various requirements for training a unit. The OSAF also provides strict and explicit mechanism for determining and evaluating every station plan. With the provisions in the OSAF, Army leaders have been able to guide stationing analysts on the appropriate channels and systems to rely upon, those to change and those to ignore in making decisions that meet qualitative and qualitative metrics of Army Stationing. Furthermore, Army has substantially used the OSAF program as a tool for determining appropriate conditioning of various facilities as well as upgrading the underdeveloped and outdated facilities (Dell 423). The Optimal Stationing Army Force (OSAF) is said to cover and perhaps judgmental of only five types of Army installations out of the total thirteen types of the Army installation. The five types of installation stations run by OSAF include the maneuver centers, professional schools con trol and command, major training bases and training schools. As observed by Dell the installation centers operated by OSAF are somewhat different from the other centers not operated by OSAF as determined by the high population of soldiers in the OSAF operated stations (424). In dictating the installation costs, OSAF uses the principles of the Cost of Base Realignment Action (COBRA) Army to arrive at the per-person cost of running particular installation station. The cost of running an individual installation station is calculated in terms of the location, medical costs, repair costs housing operations, modernization costs and the amount of allowances offered. According to Dell the installation programs of various stations face numerous problems and challenges that are however solved and settled by the OSAF (424). One of the noted problems that faces and affects the smooth achievement of the installation programs in various stations is the unpredictability of the actual costs and exp enditures. This results from the variability in the installation costs of different units in particular stations. Another problem faced in the installation program of stations relies upon the high transport costs of the soldiers and their families during their

CAREER DEVELOPMENT Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

CAREER DEVELOPMENT - Essay Example GuideStar seeks to strengthen the role of CSOs through â€Å"transparent reporting†, which will serve to make the CSO more visible, and thus, more able to receive a fair contribution of resources for its programs and initiatives. In addition to supporting the growth of individual CSOs, GuideStar strives to create clear communication between the stakeholders involved, including the CSO, donors (governmental bodies and citizens) and supporters. In order to support these objectives, GuideStar has two visions: first, the systems employed by GuideStar will be running in over 30 countries, which will provide a comprehensive database of information that will create global networks, and promote trans-national charity; second, information on the operations and objectives CSOs will become available to its stakeholders, and this transparency will ensure that programs of value will be more likely to receive the funding necessary on a voluntary basis. The central vision involves the  "effective and generous allocation of [society’s] resources† to legitimate and deserving CSOs (GuideStar International, 2011). Background, Management and Supporters GuideStar started in 1994 in the U.S. by founder Buzz Schmidt, and â€Å"has become the US’ premier non-profit database and is used extensively by most philanthropic institutions, non-profit organisations, corporations, individual donors, and government grant making agencies and regulators† (GuideStar International, 2011). After receiving the award of Non-profit Executive of the Year in 2001, the company expanded to the UK, where it launched a web service that provided information about charitable organizations in the UK. This has resulted in generating world interest in implementing the GuideStar system into global CSOs. The central founding figures in GuideStar are Buzz Schmidt, William H. Dietel, Dr. Virginia Hodgkinson, and Lady Hilary Browne-Wilkinson. These individuals are all leading fig ures in the non-profit sector, and have contributed significantly to the development of GuideStar in the US, the UK, and internationally. The current staff at the UK office consists of eight individuals, including Tinsley C. Goad, CEO, and Caroline Neligan, Director of Partnerships and Development. In addition, the supporters of GuideStar and TechSoup Global include: the Ford Foundation, The Philanthropic Collaborative, David and Lucille Packard Foundation, the Eten programme of the European Commission’s Information society and Media DG, pro bono support from Weber Shandwick. Objectives and Issues The central objective of GuideStar is to collect information on CSOs, create a comprehensive report, and provide donors and supporters unrestrained access to this

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

“Little Warrior” by Lucille O’Neal Essay Example for Free

â€Å"Little Warrior† by Lucille O’Neal Essay Lucille O’Neal wrote â€Å" Little Warrior†. The story is about the way Shaquille O’Neal got his name. A young single mother, strict grandparents house, and it was a racist time. A racist time was happening and Martin Luther King was killed. Giving her child a Muslim name with great meaning. Raising a child by yourself is hard to do and she gave her son the best foundations while growing up. The responsibilities and together in order to survive. Andy Greenberg wrote â€Å" A Step Beyond Human† . The story is about Hugh Herr both Herr’s legs were amputated six inches below the knee after a rock climbing trip ended in severe frostbite. His goal to build artificial limbs that are superior to natural ones. He lost both his legs as an adult and a man died saving his life. This Motivated him to help others by creating better prosthetic limbs. Nearly thousand soldiers who have lost limbs in Iraq and Afghanistan. Paralympics athletes will regularly outperform Olympic athletes. May need special disability laws for humans who decline to have their bodies mechanically enhanced, Herr says. The theme of the short story â€Å" Indian Education† by Sherman Alexie is despair, poverty, and alcoholism amongst the lives of the Native American people. In the beginning of his school, he was weak and always bullied and beaten by higher grade students, and punished by his teacher because of his race. As he was growing up, Victor was demanded by his teacher preparing to be a doctor in the future. However, he knew that all Indians had their own dream. Later, he talked more about his life, about how he learn to obey teachers order, his kiss to a white girl, his poor life, death of another Indian and the lost of football his game. At last, he finished his school year with a good ending, but his most of his former classmates learned almost nothing. Victor education was spend in an poor, tragic and full-of-discrimination life, and ended in a numb stoic. He was not the only one, but one among all the Indian tribe whom were called Indians during the past time. I can imagine that it was hard for the O’Neal family during a racist time and Ms. O’Neal was the only provider for the family. I would have been just like Shaquille by obeying my mother and striving for the best. I can’t relate to Hugh Herr awful mishap of loosing both legs. However, I like how he turned a awful accident into a great invention by inventing prosthetic legs. Victor definitely had a hard-life ass a Native American, He had dreams just like many of us today, however we have a greater chance of fulfilling or dreams.

Monday, October 14, 2019

Personal Characteristics Of Counselors

Personal Characteristics Of Counselors The objective of this research paper is to discuss the personal attributes that are required in a physically and emotionally healthy counselor. A healthy counselor has a positive effect on his or her client. The field of counseling is becoming significant part of peoples life. This paper establishes its basis on the conflict of values of counselor and its effects. Another important aspect of the paper is to research about consequence of counselors-in-training interacting with clients prior to their masters level training. It will highlight the consequences of engaging in practice prior to the training and its effect on capability of handling the clients issues and queries. This could also lead to issues with the credibility of the counselor. These aspects are studied through literature and case studies done by other writers. Different researches conducted in the past are the major source of information. Foundation of this paper is based on the personal characteristics that a counselo r should possess and their values. Personal Characteristic of Counselors Counseling is about giving advice and guiding the clients through their difficult times. It relates to the mental health and emotional state of the client. People seek counseling for their careers, jobs, relationships, addictions and general issues of their lives. Counseling is usually used as a synonym for psychotherapy. When in difficult times family and friends are unable to help someone, they seek for guidance, strength and answers from their counselor. Counseling is practices in sessions of an hour or so for once or twice in a week. Counselor and client both play vital roles in the recovery of client. Counselors expertise will be of no use if client does not fully share his or her problem. So, both have to be supportive and persistent while conducting these sessions. Counseling is a field that requires patience, rational thinking and empathy. Counselors make a difference in the lives of other people. It is important for a counselor to feel empathy for the client. As Guidon (2010)describes, a sympathetic person wants to solve the issue him/herself but a person who feels empathy does not mix clients problem with their own. Counselors lead a demanding life. Their clients require not only their time and advice but also trust and care. Therefore, a counselor needs to have very specific qualities in their personality in order to provide effective service to their clients. Other than the obvious personal abilities like interpersonal skills, counselors require many personality traits to be effective and efficient. Corey (2009) says that there are many characteristics of counselors which seem unrealistic but these are equally essential for any counselor. Before giving advice to clients, a counselor him/herself needs to be sure of their capabilities. Since rity and honesty are very important in this field. A counselor needs to be observant, active listener, interviewing, influential and focused. The effective councilor also requires a sound knowledge of theory and ability to put theory into practice (Gregoire Jungers, 2007). Corey (2009) states that it is very important for effective counselor to maintain healthy boundaries, this way they should be able to maintain a balance between their personal and professional lives. Corey also concluded from his research that counselor should have a good sense of humor in order to lighten the mood. Guindon (2010)believes that clients give a counselor many non-tangible gifts like trust, care and confidence. Corey (2009) also says that the relationship of client and counselor helps both parties. Consolers learn how to admit their mistakes and become open to change in their lives. McLoead (2011)discusses the qualities of people who are drawn to the field of counseling. Usually people who become counselors believe that relationships are the most important aspect of human life. They are also firm believers in the values that prove the worth of people and they are clear about their role in society and their future goals. Another most important personal trait of counselor is to be honest and keep the privacy of patient. It is their moral and professional obligation. Values and its Confilcts Values are the standard held by people about what is desired, proper and acceptable. It gives people a criterion of standards for shaping their lives. Both personal and professional values are important. Personal values affect the way of interaction with the client. Personal values of a consoler are developed as he/she grows up; they depend upon the upbringing and culture in which the counselor spends most of the time. Personal values include honesty, truth, helping others, doing meaningful work and positive influence on others (Corey, 2009). There is always a chance that the personal values of a counselor conflicts with the work values. Busacca (2010) tells that personal values conflict with the work values. If a counselor has a personal belief that a terminally ill person should have the right to end their lives; however, he cannot impose this thinking on anyone else. Studies show that counselors, while training, question their self-concepts with those requires for their field of w ork. Counselors have appeared to be molding themselves in their professional values after certain period of time. They have to create their own boundaries in which they want to practice. Research (Sanders, 2003) shows that cultural difference between client and counselor can have a major impact on the relationship and therapy. The personal biases on either side can result in failure of professional values and ethics. High level of sincerity can reduce the cultural barrier among client and counselor. The counselor has to have a non-judgmental attitude towards the client regardless of his/her personal values. Campbel Christopher (2012)also say that the counselor has to be physically, mentally, emotionally and cognitively on the same level with the client at all times. Mostly, counselors have to deal with grief counseling for their clients. Counselors, who are more self-aware and comfortable in sharing their feelings, are more efficient and effective at their work (Ober, Granello, Wheaton, 2012). Professional values determine the role of a person in organization and the ability of balancing work and family. Work values of counselor include taking responsibility, empathies, develop counseling style, share responsibility with client and tolerate ambiguity. The common issues where conflict of values occurs are religion, sexual orientation and someones right to die. Serious consequences might occur as a result of these conflicts (Guindon, 2010). We can conclude that personal values of counselors can conflict with the professional values. However, strong personal values will work in favor of the counselors. A counselor with strong moral and ethical values will have a positive influence on the clients. Whereas if a counselor doesnt practice honesty, integrity and privacy of others than he or she is more likely to face difficulty in understanding a client with strong moral values. Although a counselor cannot impose their personal values on clients but they can have a very positive effect in influencing and helping the client in their difficult times. If there is a strong disagreement between the values then it might result in referral to another counselor but most of the times this conflict can be resolved with cold-mindedness and rational thinking. Trainee Counselor Survey (Busacca, Beebe, Toman, 2010) shows that practicing counselors show matured level of values than trainee counselors. Yager Tovar-Blank (2007) also comment that counseling is a profession which is very stressful, tiring and with constant threat of fatigue and burn out. Trainee counselors do not completely practice cognitive counseling and usually under their instructors influence. For students of counseling it is very important to learn the wellness of the client and themselves. The curriculum has to be designed in such a way that they are completely aware of this idea and its implications. Grief counseling is a very important aspect of psychotherapy. If the trainees indulge themselves in practice before understanding the importance of wellness, skill and knowledge required for grief counseling, they are bound to miss lead the client. Without the masters level training, the trainee counselors are not fully prepared to help the client and understand the delicate nature of the job. At this level, trainees themselves are in conflict with requirements of their profession and their personal moral and ethical values and beliefs (Ober, Granello, Wheaton, 2012). Statistics by Gaubatz Vera (2006)show that only 4-5% trainees enrolled in master or doctoral program are prevalent than those in undergraduate level. Statistic also shows that only 10% of students enrolled in maters program are suitable for the field of counseling. However, Woodside (2007) says that it is better for trainee counselors to interact with the clients. But, this interaction should be under the guidance of a practicing professional counselor. Internships are a very effective way of learning by example. Yager Tovar-Blank, 2007 (2007) on the other hand is of the opinion that if an emotionally unstable student is enrolled in counseling program then the course should be deigned in such a way that it should enlighten the student and make him self-aware. If such a student practices before being properly trained, he will not be able to understand the client and might make the situation worse of the client. The research (Woodside, Oberman, Cole, Carruth, 2007) shows that the student of undergraduate level is not fully matures and trained. Most of them show signs of anxiety and confusion about converting theory into practice. Those who feel confident are not fully trained and hence experience disanointed clients and they themselves become more confused. There are three basic stages of counselors professional development including the helper, the beginning student and the advanced student. Passing through various techniques and training, trainees reach the next level of their professional development. Another research (Busacca, Beebe, Toman, 2010) shows that at training level counselors-to-be explore their inner values and self-concept. This stage defines who they actually are and what they actually want to be. Being self-aware and knowing personal characteristics is as important as learning the theories of counseling. Once they are clear about their own values, they can determine the b ounties in which they want to work. Not everyone can work in a profession that demands occasional conflicts of personal and professional values and ethics. Hence, keeping the view of the research conducted by various experts, we can say that trainees who start seeing clients before their masters level training are bound to suffer a shock. They will not be able to handle the clients. Their own values will not be in sync with their professional demands. Being not fully self-aware and lack of proper training might lead them not only to a dissatisfied client but they might also add to the misery of their client. If they give advice according to their personal ethics and values rather than professional values, their clients will doubt their sincerity towards them. All in all, it will not be a good decision to practice before having some masters level training. Conclusion Counseling is not only a profession but also a great responsibility. It is a vast field which includes career counseling, grief counseling, behavior therapy, heath counseling and also covers issues like addiction, mental health and relationship issues. Clients confine everything in their therapist and seek their guidance in various aspects of their lives. To become a counselor, one has to possess certain qualities like theoretical knowledge of personality, empathy for clients situation, understanding behavior, attentive listening ability and power of deduction. After studying the literature pertinent to personality and values of a counselor, it can be concluded that both of these are very important for the professional development of a counselor. Their personality not only defines who they are but also determines how efficient they are in their profession. Strong moral and ethical values of a counselor can make the relationship with clients stronger. Clients will rely on the counselor for his/her advice. If in-training counselors try to treat their patients before master level training, they are more likely to have cognitive issues and difficulty in dealing with their own personality and work value conflict. So, it is better to start practicing once you are finished with training so that there is no confusion between personal and work values.

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Drug and Alcohol among College and High School Students Essay -- Drugs

Drug and Alcohol among College and High School Students In an era in which drugs and alcohol has become increasingly easy to obtain, its abuse has proportionally plagued American youth time and time again. In the past few years’ abuse amongst youngsters has reached an all time high. The effects of these substances, on students damage their mind and body; and in addition, has effected their academic performance, not only on the collegiate level but also amongst high school students. Since alcohol is the number one drug problem among young people and Marijuana, which is the most frequently used illicit drug in the United States. These substances are becoming more and more frequent throughout high school students and college students, the bodily harm the abuse causes takes action at a much earlier age. The problem of drug and alcohol abuse starts at a young age, were teenagers start to experiment with different substances. Peer pressure plays an enormous role in teenager’s decision to take a substance. Adolescence’s have almost always started drinking because of peer pressure, in an attempt to be accepted and included in the group. The pressures facing young kids in high school and college face to be â€Å"cool† is unreasonably high. Many people continue with the use of alcohol or drugs because it relaxes them in social situations and makes it easier to communicate with the people around them. In today’s society children are trying substances at earlier ages then before. Drug and alcohol among teenagers starts at the adolescence age; It is common among these teenagers to start trying these different substances. The trying of these substances is where the problem starts; when students take it to the next step toward o... ...the fifteen students we approached, all fifteen of them admitted that they use alcohol or drugs to escape from something. Whether from schoolwork, their friends, boyfriends or girlfriends or plain and simply from reality, they all abuse the substances to feel good for a few hours just to go back to reality and face their troubles the next day. The continued process of this makes it almost a routine for these students to continuously go out and get drunk or high to have fun and not worry about anything else for the night. Drugs and alcohol are going to continue to be used by high school and college students forever but there are many actions to take that can help decrease the numbers. Communities need to begin getting more involved, parents need to be more involved in their children’s lives and laws need to be more strictly enforced before these bad habits break.

Saturday, October 12, 2019

Against Animal Experimentation Essay -- social issues

Against Animal Experimentation Imagine having a headache and not having aspirin to take, or being diabetic and not being able to take certain types of insulin (Williams 3). It seems impossible that these drugs could be unavailable to humans, but they would not be attainable had scientists not tested these drugs on non-animal subjects. Contrary to what many people believe, testing drugs on animals often give defective results. â€Å"More than 205,000 new drugs are marketed worldwide every year, most undergo the most archaic and unreliable testing methods still in use: animal studies† (PETA 1). Although animals may seem the like ideal specimens for testing new drugs, the experiments are untrustworthy and can cause unknown side effects. Research on animals is deemed necessary to develop vaccines, treatments, and cures for diseases and to ensure that new products are safe for humans to use. â€Å"The development of immunization against such diseases as polio, diphtheria, mumps, measles, rubella, pertussis, and hepatitis all involved research on animals [†¦]† (AMPEF 1). Scientists have found many drugs by means of animal experimentation. To some people, animals are viewed as better test subjects than anything else. Scientists can control many aspects in an animal’s life such as their diet, the temperature, lighting, environment, and more. Animals are biologically similar, but not identical to humans and can form some of the same health problems. When these health problems are injected into an animal it can have the same physical reactions as a human could. Brettner -2- Experimenting on animals, to some, is important if humans want to continue with improving our medical advances (AMPEF 1). Although animals have helped form useful medicines for humans like anesthesia, they have also helped put dangerous drugs on the market (AMPEF 1). Practolol, a drug for heart disorders that passed animal test was pulled off the shelves when the drug caused blindness in people. Also, arsenic, which is toxic and causes cancer in humans, has not caused cancer in any animals that were tested (PETA 1). â€Å"According to the General Accounting Office, more than half of the prescription drugs approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) between 1976 and 1985 caused serious side effects that later caused the drugs to be either relabeled or removed from the market. Drugs app... ... are many other ways to get the same results as humans receive from animal experiments. These methods are viewed as more moral, practical, effective, and less expensive, why wouldn’t we use these methods? By using these methods, scientists were able to invent aspirin and certain types of insulin (Williams 3). Although animals may seem like the ideal specimen for experimenting with, these experiments are untrustworthy and can cause unknown side effects. Works Cited AMPEF. â€Å"Point Counterpoint†. Americans For Medical Progress Education Foundation. 1998. 4 May 2002. Best, Lonnie Lee. â€Å"Are Humans Animals?† The Hardcore Truth. 1998. 1 May 2002. British Anti-Vivisection Association. â€Å"Animal Experimentation: No Lie Can Live Forever†. 2 May 2002. Cohen, Et. Al. â€Å"A Critical Look at Animal Experimentation†. 1998. 3 May 2002. People For the Ethical Treatment of Animals. â€Å"Animal Experimentation†. PETA. 2001. 4 May 2002. Thacher, Wendy. â€Å"Chimpanzees: Test Results That Don’t Apply To Humans†. PCRM Animal Experimentation Issues. September 2, 1999. 5 May 2002. Williams, Joy. â€Å"Do Creatures Have The Same Rights That We Do?† Harper’s Magazine. 1997. 6 May 2002.

Friday, October 11, 2019

Appropriateness, Reinforcement, Preferences and Transformation Essay

Question: According to Eunson (2006, p.15) there are four main criteria to be considered when choosing the medium/s of communication to best articulate an argument: Appropriateness, Reinforcement, Preferences and Transformation. Select one of the criteria and discuss its importance to a communication situation. Any successful communication process requires the presence of a message, appropriate medium   and the desired message’s effect on the receiver.   Ã‚  To effect success in communication, it is important to use a suitable medium based on the Preferences criterion. Modern technologies have greatly facilitated human communication. However, as Priestley’s Paradox illustrates, people get to actually communicate less as communication technologies further advance (Eunson 2006, p.4). Hence, for effective communication, it is more important to consider the message and the effect of that message on the receiver (Eunson 2006, p.7). The successful transfer of message and its effect, however, largely depends on the communication mode used or â€Å"preferred†. The medium is crucial to the effect of a message because as emphasized by Marshall McLuhan (Lister 2003), â€Å"societies have always been shaped more by the nature of the media† . In other words, the medium is the message. A case in point would be a Human Resource Department in an office where the HR Manager normally ‘prefers’ communicating with his staff through memos and e-mail notifications. But being a smart manager, he or she will not hesitate to utilize other media as needed, according to the importance of the message and the desired effect to the recipients. He or she may ‘prefer’ to personally discuss an individual’s unsatisfactory ‘Performance Assessment Report’, earlier sent as is via individual e-mail, through   one-on-one review. The richness of media (Daft & Lengel 1986, p.557) effected by direct face-to-face discussion is ‘preferred’ to the e-mail channel, which in this case plays a secondary role as preparatory medium of documentation. Herein, interpersonal communication appropriate to a small group (Baker, Barrett & Roberts 2002, p.11), is considered and selected to amplify the Report’s â€Å"warning† content with the goal of effecting the desired change in the staffer’s behaviour. Exploring â€Å"Preferences† in choosing media is vital to effectively convey the message. Since the medium, which helps shape the content, is mostly the message itself and that the message’s effect on the receiver is affected by the medium, selecting the suitable channel from a range of Preferences becomes crucial to any effective communication.    Bibliography Baker, E. Barrett, M. & Roberts, L 2002, Working Communication, John Wiley & Sons Australia Ltd., Milton Qld. Daft, R. L. and Lengel, R. H. 1986 â€Å"Organizational Information Requirements, Media Richness and Structural Design,† Management Sci., Vol. 32, No.5, pp. 554–571. Eunson, B. 2006, Communicating in the 21st Century, John Wiley & Sons, Australia Ltd., Milton Qld. Lister, M 2003, New Media: A Critical Introduction, Routledge, London.

Thursday, October 10, 2019

Lost Languages

It is a sad but true fact that out of the more than six thousand languages that existed in the world at one time, one disappears every fortnight! Take the example of Patrick Nudjulu of North Australia, one of the three remaining speakers of the dying language Mati Ke. As tradition forbids him to speak to his sister, he does not have anyone he can speak his own language with, and as a consequence, the language is dying out, and will disappear with the death of Patrick. Some of the other languages that will disappear soon and be lost forever are, according to Duncan Walker, Abenaki, Atures, Welsh, and Manx.   (Walker, Duncan 2005) In any culture, land and its language are closely inter connected, and in Aboriginal Australia, this is especially true because the entire continent is divided by its hills and other geographical distinctions, and also because of its languages. The people of Wadeye, who spoke Mati Ke, were forced to move over and start using the Murrinh-Patta. This meant that Mati Ke was no longer being used, and nobody even realized in the beginning that the language of their ancestors was slipping away into oblivion. Patrick Nudjulu, an old man, and one of the few people left in the world who can actually speak Mati Ke still, says, â€Å"I still dream in Mati Ke. See all in the past.† His own daughter and granddaughter do not know how to speak this language, and they use the Murrinh-Patta that they are more familiar with. It is interesting to note that for Patrick Nudjulu, English is his fourth of fifth strongest language. The author of the book Mark Abley, in a quest to gain knowledge of a few words of Mati Ke, learnt that ‘mi warzu’ is the name for fruit in Mati Ke, ‘a dhan gi’ means salt water prawns, ‘a wayelh’ refers to goanna lizard, although it was sadly true that Patrick Nudjulu himself was forced to use the Murrinh-Patta to communicate with his family. Patrick’s story is indeed a tragic but an all too familiar one; he was forced to leave the town in which he had been living after his parents had given up their difficult life in the bush, but had to go back to life in the bush because he could no longer tolerate the destruction of his town. He has in effect returned to the bark and bough shelters that were familiar to him, as he had lived in them through his childhood. However, despite his best efforts, it was obvious that his language would not be saved; although he spoke to his grandchildren in Mati Ke, they chose to reply to him in Murrinh-Patta, thereby leaving no doubt at all that yet another language, Mati Ke, is on its inexorable way to extinction.   Ã‚  (Abley, Mark 2005) Works cited Abley, Mark â€Å"Spoken here, travels among threatened languages† (2005) Google Book Search retrieved on March 11, 2008 from Walker, Duncan â€Å"In defence of ‘lost’ languages† BBC News (2005) Retrieved on March 11, 2008 from    Â