Facebook †Good or Bad? Essay

www.facebook.com is a very popular social network website. Facebook is so popular, that soon it will reach one billion members. There are many things said about Facebook, some good and some bad. The biggest question of all is how does it weigh out in your life. Actually, there are many advantages of using Facebook. The most common reason for people to use Facebook is to keep in contact with their friends and family. Since Facebook is free, it has become more useful than e-mails or telephones. Using the telephones can be costly especially when it comes to long-distance calls. As for e-mails, they seem to take longer for people to respond to. Therefore Facebook seems to be the best option for people to stay in touch with their friends and family, which is done by uploading pictures, posting status and comment, sending private message and so on. Facebook is best for finding old friends. When a friend goes away to another place we often do not get the chance to communicate with him or her. Now, thanks to Facebook, we are able to find and re-connect with our ex-classmates, schoolmates, former teachers, college friends etc. We can share our feelings and what is happening in and around our daily life through Facebook. We can also get feedback from our friends. It is the best medium to share your feelings and thoughts with others. However, Facebook also has its disadvantages. Some people get addicted and spend too much time on Facebook to update their status, comment on other people’s status, uploading pictures and chatting with their friends. Their time can be put to better use by pursuing other hobbies like sports and games, reading, outing with family and so on. Fake profile is another disadvantage of Facebook. Some people created fake profile and use it to insult and harass other people. The victim ended up having to lodge a police report. In some extreme cases, the victim committed  suicide. In conclusion, Facebook is good if it is used wisely. It helps us to meet many friends, old and new, but be careful not to trust all of them. One also needs to be careful on what he or she shares on Facebook to avoid possible blackmailing or sabotage in the future. Facebook – Good or Bad? www.facebook.com is a very popular social network website. Facebook is so popular, that soon it will reach one billion members. There are many things said about Facebook, some good and some bad. The biggest question of all is how does it weigh out in your life. Actually, there are many advantages of using Facebook. The most common reason for people to use Facebook is to keep in contact with their friends and family. Since Facebook is free, it has become more useful than e-mails or telephones. Using the telephones can be costly especially when it comes to long-distance calls. As for e-mails, they seem to take longer for people to respond to. Therefore Facebook seems to be the best option for people to stay in touch with their friends and family, which is done by uploading pictures, posting status and comment, sending private message and so on. Facebook is best for finding old friends. When a friend goes away to another place we often do not get the chance to communicate with him or her. Now, thanks to Facebook, we are able to find and re-connect with our ex-classmates, schoolmates, former teachers, college friends etc. We can share our feelings and what is happening in and around our daily life through Facebook. We can also get feedback from our friends. It is the best medium to share your feelings and thoughts with others. However, Facebook also has its disadvantages. Some people get addicted and spend too much time on Facebook to update their status, comment on other people’s status, uploading pictures and chatting with their friends. Their time can be put to better use by pursuing other hobbies like sports and  games, reading, outing with family and so on. Fake profile is another disadvantage of Facebook. Some people created fake profile and use it to insult and harass other people. The victim ended up having to lodge a police report. In some extreme cases, the victim committed suicide. In conclusion, Facebook is good if it is used wisely. It helps us to meet many friends, old and new, but be careful not to trust all of them. One also needs to be careful on what he or she shares on Facebook to avoid possible blackmailing or sabotage in the future.

Reading Habits

1 Findings FINDINGS 1. English is the most preferred language for reading; Mother tongue claimed the 2nd spot with 48% preferring to read in their mother tongue against 46% preferring Hindi. 2. Preferences of activities (PUMBA Vs Non-PUMBA) [where candidates were asked to rank their preferences on a 1-5 ranking scale] shows that: a. PUMBA candidates rank better on Reading and TV watching over other than PUMBA institutes. b. Other than PUMBA institutes rank higher on Music listening and chatting over the internet. . A large chunk of the sample population rate Chatting as the most preferred activity. d. The least preferred activity of the sample is Shopping. 3. Candidates aged: a. 20-23 are most interested in Entertainment b. 24-27 are most interested in Technology c. 28 + are most interested in Business 4. Areas of Interest (Work experience-wise): a. 80% of Freshers’ areas of interest lie in Entertainment b. 72% of Work experienced candidates’ area of interest lies in Bu siness and Technology both. 5. Intention to read: a. The general trend that is seen is that the candidate either male or female read to learn, to be informed and for academics. b. The data shows that for 15% of females read out of habit as against 5% male candidates. c. 40% males read for news, contrary to female populations’ 5%. Reading Trends Among Students Department of Management Sciences, University of Pune PUMBA 2 Findings 6. The Internet followed by friends/colleagues and Newspapers/magazines form the major sources of information about Reading material. 7. Sources of Reading Material a. 3% of the respondents from Institutes other than PUMBA source their reading material from Websites. b. A majority of candidates from PUMBA i. e. 85% of the candidates consider the Library as their main source of reading material. 8. The most popular strategy adopted to overcome difficult reading material is to ask others for help. 9. The two major hurdles in reading are Time and Surroundings. 10. A whopping 91% of the sample population adm it ‘Strain on the eyes’ as the biggest reason for not preferring E-Reading. 11. Accessibility and Economy are the biggest pros for E-Reading. 12. There are NO differences Graduation stream-wise in the time spent on reading but there are differences Age-wise in the time spent on reading. 13. There are NO differences gender-wise for the reading intention to learn. 14. There are differences gender-wise for the intention of reading to stimulate imagination. 15. There are NO Gender-wise differences in the total time spent on reading. Reading Trends Among Students Department of Management Sciences, University of Pune PUMBA

Movie review (runaway jury) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Movie review (runaway jury) - Essay Example The hearing of any legal case takes place after the process of selecting a jury is successful. In the movie, ‘Runaway Jury, the process of selection is tampered with by a series of manipulations. Most importantly, the jury is asserted if it is discerned to be honest and does not deem of favoring the plaintiff or the defendant. However, the defendant’s attorney makes efforts to tamper with the process of selecting a consortium of jurors who will act in favor of the defendant’s position in the case. The law provides that a manipulated jury does not qualify to foresee or even issue any verdict before it is termed as clear from ill motives (Kovera, Margaret & Brian 35). In the movie, the sobriety and purity of the jury be opposed by the ill motives by one of the jurors, Nick Easter. According to the law, if either of the lawyers representing the plaintiff or defendant believes or speculates feasibility of the jurors to have prejudiced objectives vis-Ã  -vis the case, he or she ought to request the judge to dismiss the jury. In the movie, a similar situation arises. Consequently, the lawyer remains cornered by the challenge posed by Fitch, a jury consultant, concerning the stand to make. However, the law provides that only a manipulation free jury can issue a cognizant and acceptable verdict in a legal

Advantages & Disadvantages of Monsters Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Advantages & Disadvantages of Monsters - Essay Example According to Shaw, in Where Monsters Hide, of all the monsters that are said to exist, demons are factual. Demons refer to spirits, which were previously angels inside paradise, though were à ©migrà © to the under-earth as God’s castigation for their defiant nature. This paper will assess the different beliefs regarding the presence of demons like a class of monsters. Therefore, the thesis statement would be: demons are actual monsters mainly attributed to evil deeds and lies. For many years, the question of the presence of demons as monsters has been posted. Werber in his piece titled Experimental Studies on the Origin of Monsters I. An Etiology and an Analysis of the Morphogenesis of Monsters studies what relates to demonic possession to prove that demons really exits and that the only thing they do is causing humans to suffer. Also, an excerpt by Hillix, A Choice of Monsters, tries to clarify the presence of demons and angels. He explores whether or not demons still possess humans today. In an attempt to clarify his assertions, Werber states that demons do exist and that they possess human beings. In many instances, if demons possess an individual, they pass on their monstrous/evil conducts and appearance to the person. He observed that even throughout the time when Jesus was on earth, he dispossessed demons from individuals. The writer explains that when this kind of monsters known as demons possesses an individual thy torment and torture the body. As such, he offers the case of a female that was possessed by dark spirits. Also, the writer shows that when this kind of spiritual monsters possess an individual, the demerit is that they result in much suffering and agony to their casualties. He provides the instance of a male whose entire body distorted in pain while he was going through the demonic possession.  

Article Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 4

Article Analysis - Essay Example Likewise, the author proceeded with the discourse by expounding on accountability in organizations and emphasizing that it starts on the very top of the hierarchy. Building a framework of accountability was disclosed to require knowing one’s people well and encouraging open communication. Finally, Morris cited author and business thought-leader John Spence’s guidelines and principles for accountability in organization where a culture of accountability must be established to maximize the organization’s full potentials. Conclusions: Morris concluded that there is a need to upgrade the potentials of the organization’s human resources to maximize their strengths and facilitate the achievement of organizational goals. Through the enforcement of cultural norms and harnessing the competencies of people, accountability would be improved. As noted, â€Å"just like people, admired organizations are those that keep their promises- promises to customers, suppliers, employees and shareholders† (Morris, 2012, p. 73). Analysis: The article’s strength lies in the manner by which the author effectively structured his line of thinking and relayed the message intended for the audience. By using simple and straightforward language, Morris was able to assist in enhancing the understanding of readers from various backgrounds regarding the topic of accountability. Likewise, he supported his arguments through citing other review of related literatures and from works of people known to have established credibility on the topic being discussed. In addition, his credibility as a coach, mentor and as president and chief executive officer of an organization, assisted in providing viable arguments based on personal and professional experiences. However, one of the weaknesses noted was the failure to clearly list the authoritative references at the end of the discourse to determine their applicability from the date their respective literary works were published. Also,

Investigate an artists design principles,technique and media -antonio Essay

Investigate an artists design principles,technique and media -antonio canova - Essay Example During his life, Canova gained the reputation of one of the most significant sculptors of his time. His contemporaries did not regret strong epithets to describe their admiration of Canova’s talent. They compared him with the best sculptors of antiquity. Antonio Canova had accomplished a large number of great works and masterpieces of world’s sculpture during his life. His art work can be divided into two different periods that refer to the different art styles. He began to sculpt within the popular tradition of baroque; however, after starting to learn ancient art and sculpture, he refused the baroque style, and began to follow the classical ancient restraint. In this respect, the current paper will contrast Canova’s earlier works of baroque style and later sculptures of classical style. To comprehend the idea of the difference in works of both periods, it is also worth giving a short overview of the baroque and classicist traditions that Canova belonged to. Bar oque sculpture is a style in sculpture characterized by the exaggerated theatricality of the images, dynamic poses, expressive gestures and specific extravagance. The style was formed in the 17th and in the first half of the 18th century, as one of the components of the Baroque culture. The expression of the sculpture developed by the baroque tradition reached the unprecedented level. The element of theatricality was actively implemented by the sculptors. The first innovation introduced by the Baroque sculpture was the interest in the dramatic complexity and diversity of the world. The main attention was paid to the dynamism of the ensemble through the embodiment of scenes depicting the certain moment of the certain action. The sculptors sought to include the audience in the space of sculpture and to intensify the entertainment of the scene. A typical feature of the Baroque sculpture is sharp need for the medium and active interaction with it: water, light, and air. Baroque sculptur es need architectural or landscape frame; therefore, the impression of them can usually be lost in the museum environment. In the Renaissance the painting tended to sculptural principles, but in the era of Baroque sculpture tended to the principles of painting. The masters were proud of their ability to assimilate sculpture to painting. This effect was reached with the help of patches of reflected light, playing on the surface of the sculpture. Sculptor’s ideas were intended to perceive the most delicate transitions of light and shadow on the depicted human body. All in all, the space around the figure played a very important role in the art of the Baroque2. According to all these principles, Canova made his first sculptures. The brightest examples of his works made in the Baroque style were the sculpture groups Orpheus and Eurydice (1776) and Daedalus and Icarus (1779). The statue group Orpheus and Eurydice (1776) tells the story of Orpheus, who, after the death of his wife Eurydice, went down into the underworld of the dead. There, with his playing and singing, he touched the goddess Persephone so much that she gave him his wife back. For that Orpheus had to meet one condition not to turn around to look on his wife Eurydice until they come out of the realm of the dead. Orpheus could not resist, he looked back and forever lost his wife. Sculptor managed to convey complex bending shapes in the significant turn and the horror written on the face of Orpheus, who saw that his wife disappeared in the realm of shadows. In 1779 Canova

Communication Satisfaction in the Virtual Workplace Coursework

Communication Satisfaction in the Virtual Workplace - Coursework Example Such innovations are capable of engaging, encouraging and supporting employees in their commitment to duty, which ultimately improves performance. By facilitating different approaches towards employees, innovations in employee benefits help the organization improve its overall competitive compensation strategy by enabling it to present itself uniquely from other organizations. Organizations can tie innovative benefits to specific jobs by primarily considering factors such as what the job description of each group of employees entails. Age is also a critical factor. This stems from the understanding that a certain innovative plan may be significant to one group and meaningless to another. For instance, fitness group membership would not be considered as a priority for field officers who traverse the width of the state while on duty as it would be for those who spend long hours behind computers. Similarly, young adults below 30 would consider mortgages and car loans or grants to be more significant than healthcare or retirement packages while in contrast, the elderly and less active would be tied to retirement benefits (Swanberg, McKechnie, & James, 2011). Critically assessing the effectiveness of equity-based versus creative-approach reward systems reveals that they both depend on an organization’s communication strategy as well as employees’ personal perceptions. Employees have a right to equity-based rewards since it is basically what they enter into a contract with employers to earn. The effectiveness of equity-based rewards is reflected in the manner in which they incorporate the interests of shareholders, organizations, and employees (Worldatwork, 2010). The key objectives of equity-based rewards include obtaining tax advantages and conserving resources while motivating optimum performance by employees.  

Rhetorical Argument Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Rhetorical Argument - Essay Example Lamar provides suggestions on how a 3-year college degree is efficient in terms of educational and cost. On the other hand, the authors of What’s College for Anyway give similar sentiments. The authors believe that college time should be reduced but they have been keen to point out international students who might be required to take a little longer due to language barrier and acclimatization reasons. James Altucher the author of Skip Diploma, 8 alternatives to college begins with a story on how he used his college fee to buy a car only to return the car and join a college. He regrets this decision and cites reasons such as costs of education and time consumed in college as his reasons for regret. He therefore does not want other students to go through what he went through and provides them with 8 alternatives for college. Ironically, he gives reasons such as travelling around, creating an art, make people laugh, write a book as some of his alternatives. Jacques Steinberg is t he author of Plan B, Skip College. He reviews some of the professors and University presidents regarding this issue. ... The paper reviews their thoughts and offers analytical recommendation and conclusion regarding their debates. Thesis Statement There has been a lot of controversy regarding the time college students should spend in colleges and in the universities. There has also been a major concern regarding the quality of education in American colleges and Universities. Moreover, many critics believe that a four years education career at the university or the college is so expensive. Most of the scholars argue against the traditional 4 years and thinks that this time should be reduced to 3 years. I believe that college and university time should be reduced to three years instead of the traditional and fixed four years. Will this provide America with the fresh, energetic and skilled labor that it is lacking? Skip the Diploma According to the author of Skip the Diploma: 8 alternatives to college, James Altucher, attending college has made him regret his life. He gives 8 alternatives for attaining a diploma in a college. It is quite challenging to realize that most of the scholars are against attending colleges and give options for business as a way of living (James Altucher). The US government has been struggling with a shortage of skilled labor for quite a long time and the country depends on foreign labor in order to meet its demands. For this reason, questions have been raised on whether to shorten colleges and university duration in order to meet this demand. President Obama recently gave a proposal of an extended education a view, which has not been received well and has been criticized by most scholars and policy makers in the US. There have been concerns about the quality of education US has been producing. US is one of the economic giants in the world and

Managing Organizations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Managing Organizations - Essay Example The new policies and procedures will ensure that Sales, manufacturing, and engineering are prepared to accept requests. 3 Review the component inventory supply processes and make changes to ensure that ordering demands can be met. This may include improving planning and introducing an inventory control software to alert the Manufacturing Department when components are running low. This will mitigate customer shipment delays, improve customer satisfaction, and improve production efficiency 4 Conduct a time study to review the tasks within the engineering and manufacturing departments and the workflow between them to improve scheduling efficiency and determine whether any buffers can be achieved. 4 Review the possibility of paralleling tasks within each department or from engineering. The work process of first-come, first served, should be reviewed to determine whether a more efficient process could be created to improve response, and decrease dependency on the existing linear flow. 5 Provide more autonomy and empowerment to Managers to allow for creative thinking and flexibility. It is recommended that a consultant â€Å"executive coach† assist in providing a performance evaluation that reflects on strengths and development opportunities. Think about the alignment between your performance objectives and your actual behavior in how you accomplish your objectives. Ensure that your objectives are aligned to Enerstasis’s key business objectives. Better communication is required with your managers; however, a large span of control makes this difficult 6 Stan must be encouraged and motivated to follow rules and procedures, and to value networking and teamwork. His evaluation or performance appraisal should include specific metrics to reflect these norms and values. The sales compensation policy should also be changed to reflect these metrics and include incentive pays for these behaviors. 7 Ron requires further training of the business operations and its

Shanghai Disney Expansion Project Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Shanghai Disney Expansion Project - Case Study Example That is to say, that even before a strategy is developed; it has to focus on these factors. In essence, it is at this stage that business owners normally analyze the current situation of the business concerning the aforementioned areas. A SWOT analysis is normally created at this point with an aim to give the overview of the company including its competitors, social and legal environment. The second step involves market profiling whereby the owner focuses on a number of issues including the revenues, market-share, and the expected profitability. In order to create this step effectively, a business owner has to be focused primarily on the customer1. Often, business people tend to introduce products in the market with little, if any, regard as to the customer’s need. It is through understanding the need of the customer that the development of a product and its subsequent marketing ought to take place. It is at this level that one sets targets for the products and rolls it out to the intended market, which has already been analyzed. Once market identity is complete and the projections of revenues and profits are set, the business owner has to create a market segment strategy. Here, the business has to decide the mode of making marketing and sales. That is to say, options such as direct or indirect sales ought to be analyzed, mass marketing and so forth. Business owners will have to set up product, pricing, promotional, distribution and marketing strategies. The essence of this step is to ensure that the targeted market has been reached, revenues projected is realized as well as guaranteeing market share. Concerning how this plan could benefit Disney, the company ought to take a few steps in its quest for expansion in the areas of Shanghai. Firstly, Disney has to follow the steps outlined above with the first one being aware of the behaviour of the local people.  

The Role of Human Resources Essay Example for Free

The Role of Human Resources Essay Describe the unique challenges of managing the human resources function for your specific organization As a new Senior Vice-President of Human Resources for Hospital Corporation of America (HCA) Inc are presented many challenge because the size of healthcare organization. HCA owns and operates one hundred and sixty nine hospitals, and one hundred and five surgery centers within twenty-five states, including London England furthermore, the organization and its affiliate employee approximately one hundred and ninety thousand people. Therefore, there is a need for a large qualified staff of human-resource individuals. As the Senior Vice-President of Human Resources, one would report to the CEO of the company as well as have a staff of several vice presidents who would handle all the relevant regions and facilities. The human resources department is broken down into sections and there are vice presidents over each of these respective sections that would report to a senior vice-president of HR groups. This includes, * Division offices that oversee the hospitals and surgery centers. * Operations and recruitment. * Employee relations. * Benefits and compensation. * Information system and executive workforce development. * Human resources ITS. * Community relations and foundations. * Organizational leadership and development. Each one of these groups covers all the various human resources functions within the organization. According to Flynn, Mathis and Jackson (2011), â€Å"HR professionals in all segments of the industry will be faced with the challenge of recruiting and retaining the right number of competent employees for their organizations† (p. 11) The organization like many others has the challenge of recruiting and retaining mostly registered nurses, but HCA cannot forget about retaining the employees which a company presently has. There are human-resource departments at each of these hospitals that handle the hospitals and affiliated surgery centers. These HR directors at the hospitals report to the division offices who then report to the respective corporate human resources vice president. Furthermore, the issue of managing changes, such as costs, governmental compliance, diversity, technology and the quality of work life falls under one of the responsibilities of the vice presidents. All of these items must be handled efficiently and effectively at the same time ensuring that company has happy employees. A person also has to ensure that there is a diverse group of employees within the organization, as well as give employees options so that they will have a good balance between work and family. The company had a very different group of employees, and continues to educate their employees through the Cultural Inclusion series that business offer monthly along with a separate group that manages all of employer accreditations and governmental compliance issues that do not fall within the jurisdiction of human resources. Analyze the competencies required for your specific position and determine in which areas you need to develop. Provide specific examples to support your rationale. According to Flynn, Mathis and Jackson, â€Å"the five core competencies that are critical in a high-performing HR leader are strategic contribution, personal credibility, HR delivery, busi ness knowledge and HR technology (Flynn, Mathis, Jackson, 2011) p. 22. Together with these competencies company a human resources must be emotionally, intelligent, connect to proper procedures and behaviors in their jobs, due to the structure and how businesses are set up. People will feel confident that all of these areas are covered and support the organization successfully. The areas that one needs to develop and have a better understanding are the business knowledge aspect also the technology aspect. Since this Corporation is large and has many different departments, it would be beneficial for leader to have a general and basic understanding of how each department works and interacts between one another and know who reports to whom to give a person a well-rounded picture of each group. The technology is changing so much that it would be advantageous to have a good understanding of how new technology can assist in hiring, training and promoting employees within the organization. In the past the company has tended to hire outside of the organization before promoting within however, it is in the process of changing that with the modern system that allows employees to update their education and skills for the human resources group to review. It is also important in a HR position to be able to communicate effectively with all employees from the top to the bottom and to be approachable and make employees feel comfortable coming to talk with others within our department. Finally, mutual respect is a necessity and a requirement to make everything run smoothly. Determine the role you think the company could play in developing you for the opportunity. What would you need the company to do? How does it benefit the company? In preparing some for this position, the company plays a vital role. One way to prepare for this position would be to have a person work his way through the various HR positions. The training would first start with a corporate overview and the functions HR department. Training at the division level would be the next step, how they handle the HR departments of the hospitals, and finally training at the hospital level itself so that staff could understand their positions and what they deal with daily. In this training, one would get a fundamental understanding of what everyone does from the clerks to the directors. As a present manager, it is very important for management to have a grasp on everything that happens under their leadership. Person should have a basic understanding on how to do every aspect of the job, employees have more respect for a leader when they are not afraid to get in the trenches and help out including understanding what they deal with in their respective jobs. For example, the staff wants the manager to appreciate their job and give them reward for their performance. A Human Resources manager would, need to have a bachelor’s degre e, preferably in human resources along with some work experience for this position. Furthermore, for this position, a graduate degree is preferred; one should enroll in the executive development program and have a mentor. If the company does not have a mentoring program, could check with the American Society for Healthcare Human Resources Administration. â€Å"The ASHHRA Mentoring Program is designed to create a mentorship community for health care HR professionals to enhance and grown knowledge, skills and abilities to excel in their careers† (ASHHRA Mentoring Program). Moving into this position would involve a series of cross training to prepare for this position within the organization. The company would need to outline a training program that would be approximately two years, and within that time frame, all the various human-resource jobs and managerial duties should be reviewed. One would need to ensure that a person had the knowledge, skills and abilities to do the job. Coming from a legal background, training for the labor and employment law section would also be beneficial so that company would have a general knowledge on how employment matters affect the organization when they reach a litigation level. In adequately preparing a self for the role, it would be advantageous to the organization because one would be a well-qualified employee who has understanding of all the areas that fall within arena. Develop a strategic view of human resources that supports your institution’s organizational strategy The strategic plan for the human resources department would incorporate company missions into the organizational mission statement and goals: â€Å"Our organization (HCA) is committed to the care and improvement of human life and strives to deliver high-quality, cost effective healthcare in the communities we serve. With patient first mentality and then the community, the human resources department has to ensure that it recruits competent individuals from hospital employees to the corporate level. The vice presidents who fall under one position would cover the organizational objectives and strategies ensuring that their goals line up and compliment the overall goals. Right now, there is increased focus on recruiting in the registered nurse field due to the shortage of licensed nurses in healthcare. The vice president and group of operations and recruitment deal with the nursing shortage and ensure that business is doing everything possible to get these vacant positions filled so that the patients and communities will not suffer. The organization will pay for any of employees to get their nursing degree along with scholarships for employee children who wish to go into the nursing profession. The vice president of community relations and foundations would ensure that people have a positive presenc e in the communities. Manager oversees projects such as our community day whenever individual work with United Way to serve the community. The company will be sponsoring various events, including performing arts, museums, and school partnerships. Employees will be volunteering in different non-profit agencies. Internal and external assessments and forecasts would be done by the vice president of the human resources information system on both the corporate level and the hospital levels. The development of a Talent Management program helps to guarantee that employer, has the right people in the appropriate jobs. If an employee is not matched up correctly, then that group works on matching them so that they can be relocated to other areas of the company where they will be more beneficial. The vice president of HRIS and his group would be the ones handling these internal and external assessments. A couple of years ago, there were layoffs at the organization in the job, but they were at the corporate level not the hospitals. Some individuals were relocated to other positions due to the Talent Management system, and other people were offered early retirement and others severance packages. The vice presidents of employee relations and the vice president of benefits and compliance would also be involved in the area. They not only want to look within the communities in which company served for employees, but also wants to ensure that person look within the organization to fill positions. These vice presidents would work together to see that the entire employee package is complete and that the employee has everything covered from hours to insurance and stock options. These vice presidents and their groups cover all of employee’s organizations, so they not only have to be concerned with hospital employees. In addition, they have to be concerned with all of our employees, including executive management. According to the American College of Healthcare Executives, â€Å"out of 300 hospitals surveyed, the overall turnover rate for 2010 was 16 percent nationwide† (Modern Healthcare, June 20, 2011, p. 33) Often a company thinks of the employees at the hospitals such as nurses, clinicians, technicians, etc. but doesnt think about the executives that are at the hospital. The company must ensure that they are satisfied employees as well. All the groups of the human resources department work together for the benefit of all employees. There are many things that come into play, such as ensuring a person has competent HR employees who can assist others within the organization. HR wants to recruit the best people it can and to have a diverse workforce within the organization. Once they are recruited, HR wanted them to remain happy and realize that they can have a career and not just a job. Management wants employees to realize that this is an organization where they can grow with the company and that their HR department is pleased to help them do so. Health care HR departments realize the value of healthy employees, and some organizations have even started programs for the employee’s family. â€Å"While most big companies already have employee wellness programs, the newest trend is expanding those efforts to include dependents† (Bloomberg Business Week, January, 21, 2010) If company employees are happy, healthy and their families are the same, business will have a satisfactory employee who will display those duplicate qualities as an employee daily. REFERENCES American College of Healthcare Executives, (2011, February 11) American Society for Healthcare Human Resources Administration – Mentoring Program. Retrieved from www.ashhra.org Flynn, W., Mathis, R., Jackson, J. (2011). Healthcare human resource management. Mason: Cengage Learning Flynn, W., Mathis, R., Jackson, J. (2011). Healthcare human resource management. (2nd ed). Mason,OH: Thomson South-Western/Cengage. HCA – Hospital Corporation of America: About our Company. Retrieved from http://www.hcahealthcare.com Health Care: Human Resources Targets Your Family. Bloomberg BusinessWeek (2010, January 21). Retrieved from http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/10_05/b4165067423261.htm Hospital CEO turnover by state. (2011, June 20). Modern Healthcare p. 33

Corporate Social Responsibility and Human Resource Management

Corporate Social Responsibility and Human Resource Management Corporate social responsibility (CSR), is also known as corporate responsibility, responsible business or corporate social performance, is a form of self regulation for the company. It acts as an autonomous mechanism whereby the business supervises its actions and guarantees adherence to law, ethical standard and international norms. The business is accountable for the results of its actions on the environment, employees, consumers, stakeholders and the community as a whole. CSR is a purposeful addition of public interest into corporate decision making. Managers face pressures to devote the resources of the company towards fulfillment of CSR which is a result of the demands of various stakeholder groups such as customers, suppliers, employees, stockholders and the local community. According to Doane D, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has become the mainstream prescription by business and governments for dealing with social and environmental ills. It is a voluntary form of self-regulation that aims to tackle everything from human rights and labour standards to limiting carbon dioxide emissions that lead to climate change. But because CSR ultimately lies within the framework of markets, and requires market-based incentives for companies to invest in such programmes, it ultimately falls prey to the vagaries of the market. (Doane, 2004, p. 215) Human resource management on the other hand refers to the management of the human resource of the organisation. human resource management plays a major part in training and conditioning the employees to fit into the organisations culture. Employees gain valuable attributes that help them perform effectively and efficiently to benefit the employers. The human resource of the firm when managed properly can prove to be valuable assets and help in gaining competitive advantage over the other firms. The human resource is not substitutable or duplicable and hence gives the company a distinctive edge over its competitors. Companies like to create a public image wherein they are viewed as a responsible part of society. They wish to, in their own way, fulfill the duties and responsibilities of a model citizen. Companies like to refer to themselves as corporate citizens, or even good corporate citizens. A review of company websites and codes of conduct presents examples such as: ABN Amro We are a responsible institution and a good corporate citizen, Boeing Good corporate citizenship is a key Boeing value, Hitachi The Hitachi Company strives to be a responsible corporate citizen in communities worldwide. Shell To conduct business as a responsible corporate member of the society. (Jeurissen, 2004:87) Some examples of CSR actions include going beyond legal requirements in adopting progressive human resource management programs, developing non-animal testing procedures, re-cycling, abating pollution, supporting local businesses, and embodying products with social attributes or characteristics. (McWilliams Siegel, 2001: 117) Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is gradually becoming a leading issue in business. A growing number of companies embraces the concept and feels the need to make clear what it actually means. They take a variety of initiatives all aimed at making sense of CSR. (Cramer, Jonker, van der Heijden, 2004: 215) A company needs to be sensitive to the social, political and legal environment as it is dependent on the elements of each of these in order to be able to survive, let alone flourish. For the better part of 30 years now, corporate executives have struggled with the issue of the firms responsibility to its society. Early on it was argued by some that the corporations sole responsibility was to provide a maximum financial return to shareholders. It became quickly apparent to everyone, however, that this pursuit of financial gain had to take place within the laws of the land. Though social activist groups and others throughout the 1960s advocated a broader notion of corporate responsibility, it was not until the significant social legislation of the early 1970s that this message became indelibly clear as a result of the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), and the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). (Carroll) The pressure on firms to engage in corporate social responsibility (CSR) has increased. Many managers have responded to these pressures, but many have resisted. Those who resist typically have invoked the trade-off between socially responsible behavior and profitability (McWilliams Siegel, Corporate Social Responsibility nad Financial Performance: Correlation or Misspecification?, 2000:607) Expectations of stakeholders not only relate to the direct transactions between parties, they now expect management to participate in the debate on societal problems (e.g. unemployment, poverty, infrastructure) and proactively think about the effects of the business on society at large. (Kok, Van Der Wiele, McKenna, Brown, 2001:285) The economic and social purpose of the corporation is to create and distribute increased wealth and value to all its primary stakeholder groups, without favoring one group at the expense of others. Wealth and value are not defined adequately only in terms of increased share price, dividends, or profits. (Clarkson, 1995, p. 112) Managers can no longer be held responsible for maximizing returns to shareholders at the expense of other primary stakeholder groups. Instead, managers are now accountable for fulfilling the firms responsibilities to its primary stakeholder groups. This means that managers must resolve the inevitable conflicts between primary stakeholder groups over the distribution of the increased wealth and value created by the corporation. Resolving conflicting interests fairly requires ethical judgment and choices. (Clarkson, 1995, p. 112) When it comes to the question whether corporate social responsibility and human resource management are linked they certainly are. One of the major responsibility of the organisation is to keep their employees happy and to treat them in an appropriate manner, the employees in turn perform better and the organisation earns profit. The money earned by the organisation as profits are utilised to carry out responsibility of the organisation towards the employees and the community. The issue of business ethics and social responsibility is thus becoming a theme for organisations which are serious in their approach towards business excellence (Fisscher, 1994; Buban, 1995; Nakano, 1999). Kok mail IMP According to Woods, definition of corporate social performance (CSP) is not entirely satisfactory (wood, 1991). The definition of corporate social responsibility in itself is not well explained and its link to human resource management cannot be confirmed. However, as we know that corporate social responsibility of a firm refers to the firms acknowledment of its responsibility to the community and its members and the society as a whole, it can be said that human resouce management and corporate social responsibility are linked as employees constitute of the integral part of the organisation and also members of the society. Hence, organisations to call themselves responsible corporate citizens they need to focus their attention on the human resource they possess and be sensible to their needs. In the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) guidelines to Multinational Enterprises, it outlines few guidelines in the General Policy for the employees of the organisation in the country they are operating. Few policies relating to the employees for the enterprise are: Respect the human rights of those affected by their activities consistent with the host governments international obligations and commitments. Encourage human capital formation, in particular by creating employment opportunities and facilitating training opportunities for employees. Promote employee awareness of, and compliance with, company policies through appropriate dissemination of these policies, including through training programmes. Refrain from discriminatory or disciplinary action against employees who make bona fide reports to management or, as appropriate, to the competent public authorities, on practices that contravene the law, the Guidelines or the enterprises policies. (OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises) To carry out the policies underlines the Human Resource management should play an active role and these policies should be accepted. The OECD mandates economic, environmental and social issues and for companies to who aspire to be good corporate citizens have to abide by the policies and this implies that there is a link between Corporate Social Responsibility and Human Resource Management. Ethical issues with regard to employment are one of the major elements of corporate social responsibility. The human resources of a company may be internal to the company in theory. However, the employees of a company are a part of the society within which it functions. It is therefore, in the best interest of the company to take into consideration, the needs of its own employees and lay just as much emphasis on the satisfaction of its own human resource as it does on that of its customers. HRM can, therefore, be linked to corporate social responsibility. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is typically defined as actions on the part of the firm that signal their willingness to advance the goals of stakeholder groups. It is the most important issue in this period of time to achieve competence in the changed world to get the dynamic equilibrium. Achieving competitive success through people involves fundamentally altering how managers think about the workforce and the employment relationship. Firms that take this different perspective are often able to successfully outmanoeuvre and outperform their rivals. (Chang, 2009) IS THE LINK BETWEEN CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AND HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT REALISTIC Furthermore, in the current climate of restructuring and redundancies, companies are finding themselves more and more hard pressed for fulfilling and living up to their economic commitments. In such a scenario, companies are cutting costs by downsizing operations. This results in them having to let go of a large number of employees. As simple as it sounds, society as whole has now turned its attention towards how companies treat their employees during times when resources are hard to come by. Companies are viewed as beneficial or detrimental to society based on whether or not they can fulfill their legal and social obligations towards their own employees. It has, in fact, become more important for companies to fulfill their corporate social responsibility with respect to HRM in order to come out of the entire economic crisis with their reputations intact or even enhanced. RESTUCTURING AND REDUNDANCIES Corporate restructuring is defined as a period of multiple divestitures for larger multiproduct firms where at least 10 percent of the asset base of such firms was divested. (Hoskisson Johnson, 1992, p. 625). Restructuring refers to the change in the structure, operations or ownership of the organisation. It a fundamental change in the direction and strategy of the organisation. Restructuring may involve increasing or decreasing the layers of personnel between the top and bottom, or reassigning roles and responsibilities. Corporate restructuring includes mergers, acquisitions, take- over, tender offers etc. an organisation seeks to restructure itself as a consequence of poor performance and this results in closure of many part of the business and the outplacement or letting go of personnel. Three types of corporate restructuring trans-actions occur: (1) financial restructuring including recapitalizations, stock repurchases, and changes in capital structure; (2) portfolio restructuring involving divestment and acquisitions and refocusing on core business(es), resulting in change of the diversity of businesses in the corporate portfolio; and (3) operational restructuring including retrenchment, reorganization, and changes in business level strategies. These three types of restructuring are not mutually exclusive; and in fact, frequently occur together. (Gibbs, 1993, p. 51) Redundancies refer to the dismissal of employee by the employer. Lay- offs and job loss are very frequent in the current economic climate where many countries are hit by recession and organisations are compelled to let go of the major workforce in order to sustain and as business is not good at the current climate having many employees is only increasing costs of the organisation and they are left with no other option than to let go of their employees. When economies face credit crunch and this being an external factor, the organisations are left with no other option than to make some of their employees redundant this is the part of human resource management where companies in order to survive have to adapt very quickly and also act wisely. Recently many organisations had let go of a major part of their workforce, the workers were made redundant by organisation. Although there is a link between Human Resource management and corporate social responsibility, the link does not seem to be realistic in the current climate of restructuring and redundancies. Organisations are becoming leaner and meaner by the day. There are different examples to support this. Companies in order to survive have made a number of employees redundant or they choose another path of restructuring which also results in downsizing the operations of the company which ultimately results in employees losing their jobs. This is an outcome of the economic condition or can also be a result of organisations intension to work on towards becoming HUGE And in this course leave behind the employees who dont seem to be beneficial to the company and are not productive. Organisations change their policies due to external factors, like during the last economic downturn many companies were laying off their staff. Downsizing in companies like Citigroup, the CEO Vikram Pandit announced layoff of 50,000 employees i.e. 7% reduction in the overall workforce as the credit crunch took a toll on the financial giant resulting in panic across the company. The layoffs were due to the economic situation of the country and nothing could be done by the company than to cut off employees to survive in that market situation. Under the same circumstances Jet Airways, one of the leading companies of civil aviation in India, fired 1100 employees after the economic disaster. The employees protested against the insensitive decision taken by the companys Chairman Naresh Goyal. However shortly, the employees were taken back into the company due to political pressure put on him. The survey was conducted among top level and financial managers of Estonian companies. The managers were asked to what extent the company has cut or intend to cut the basic salaries and what other cost- cutting strategies have been implemented in the organisation. According to the results of the express survey AS PricewaterhouseCoopers conducted among the leading Estonian companies and organisations, 2/3 of the surveyed companies have made employees redundant and 1/3 have reduced basic salaries in the last 6 months. Nearly half of the respondents have cut performance pay and other monetary and non-monetary benefits. 2/3 of the companies have reduced or are about to reduce the number of employees, while nearly 1/3 have introduced part-time work or forced leave. (Lehtsaar, 2009) The results of the survey show that 66% of the respondents have made their employees redundant or are planning to do it in the nearest future. 36% of these companies have lain off employees at all levels of the organisation out of which 26% have mostly laid off unskilled employees and 6% specialists and members of management. 34% of the respondents have not reduced and are not planning to significantly reduce the number of employees in the nearest future. According to an article written in November 2008, the month of November have been fierce for the job market, almost 15000 announced job cuts from a number of companies across several industries. Eight companies announced job cuts as a means of cutting cost during desperate times. The industries ranged from retail, finance, leisure, pharmaceutical and toy and automobile manufacturing. The Labour Department reported that the U.S. economy sloughed nearly 1.2 million jobs through October. Just in the month of October, the economy lost 240,000 jobs, raising the unemployment rate to 6.5%. Circuit City (CC, Fortune 500), an electronics retailer based in Richmond, Va., kicked off the week by announcing on Monday that it was reducing its domestic workforce by 17%. The company would not comment on the number of employees that would be affected, but according to a recent 10K filing, Circuit City employs about 43,000 people in the U.S. That would mean roughly 7,300 positions are being lost, the biggest of the cuts in November so far. (Smith, 2008) The Connecticut-based insurer Hartford Financial (HIG, Fortune 500) reported 500 cuts. (Smith, 2008) Ford Motor (F, Fortune 500) was the most recent to announce job cuts, with 2,600 cuts announced on Friday. The battered auto maker said it was trying to hold on to its dwindling cash reserves as it reported a $3 billion operating loss for the third quarter. (Smith, 2008) In November 2008 companies like Circuit city, Hartford Financial, Glaxo, Fidelity, Mattel, Borgata Hotel Casino, La-A-Boy and Ford cut down jobs which summed up to almost 15000. These companies work in different industries and all have laid off their employees this directly shows that the economic downturn has affected these companies and in order to sustain they have opted to let go of a number of employees from their company. According to a study conducted by the human resources consultancy SD Worx, half of the companies located in Belgium expect to undertake restructuring during 2009. The companies expressing this view are mainly large organisations employing more than 500 employees and many are internationally owned. Domestic companies and small and medium-sized enterprises seem to be less concerned by restructuring processes. (Perin, 2009) The global economic crisis led to negative results for the Belgian economy in 2008. Furthermore, the Belgian central bank expects worse result for 2009. Between December 2008 and December 2009, a slowdown of 1.9% of gross domestic product (GDP) is expected, as well as an increase in the unemployment rate from 7.1% to 7.8%. The Central Bank forecasts a loss of 58,000 jobs in 2009. The human resource consultancy SD Worx recently published a study on corporate restructuring in the Belgian market between 2006-2009 and over the last three years 41% of the companies located in Belgium undertook a restructuring process. Unemployment in vulnerable sectors is increasing, with major consequences for qualified and unqualified manual workers. Moreover, the economic crisis also concerns other types of workers. Between the second and third quarters of 2008, the Federal Public Service of Economy, SMEs, Self-employed and Energy noted a 25.3% increase in the total number of unemployed people, while the unemployment rate of workers aged between 15 and 24 years rose substantially by 78.1%. It should be noted that September always leads to an increase in the unemployment rate of young workers as they finish school and enter the labour market. (Perin, 2009) Ciscos second quarter conference call, CEO John Chambers seemed intent on not doing what nearly every big tech company (except Apple) has done in recent weeks: announce layoffs. But while there has been no across-the-board cut, the company has shed up to 1,000 employees through realignment and restructuring efforts over the past six quarters as the company focuses more resources on more promising growth markets. And the company expects 1,500 to 2,000 of its staffers to be similarly dis-employed in this manner in the months ahead. (Burrows, 2004) The distinction the company is making is to realign the people into the best prospect and cutting jobs in bad businesses, the company looks at it as a positive application that will bring out something good for the future. The company says that it has realigned $500 million in resources over the past few years and intends to realign another half a billion in the coming months. The companys total workforce consists of 67,000 people out of which there will be a few hundred job cuts per quarter. And Cisco management is clearly not looking to layoffs as the cost-cutting measure of first resort. Chambers says the company has already achieved a one-year goal to cut expenses by $1 billion (though some as a result of those job reductions), after just two quarters. One example: travel-related expenses per employees have dropped more than 50%.. (Burrows, 2004) In the examples given above, it clearly describes that the last economic downturn left scars on many companies performance and structure. Many companies restructured and redesigned their operations leading on to making many employees redundant. Letting go of employees of a firm is not an easy task to be done but in critical situations like this companies have to make harsh decisions be it downsising their operations and letting go of employees. Companies like Microsoft, Dell, Intel, Proctor and Gamble, Walt Disney, Motorola, IBM, Ford, Boeing and many others have cut off employees. The job cuts were although a tough decision to be made, the companies had to get it done. These companies prove to be good corporate citizens as company like Dell work towards betterment of the society and are sensitive to the environment as they are determined to be greenest technology company and achieved carbon neutrality in their global operations, the company also helps customers significantly increas e energy efficiency. And others like Microsoft, intel, Disney Motorola and other are good corporate citizens and have work towards the betterment of the society in their own ways but recently they all have laid off employees amking them redundant. This clearly shows that the link between Corporate Social Responsibility and Human Resource Management is not realistic in the current climate. CONCLUSION To conclude this, it can be said that there is a link between Corporate Social Responsibility and Human Resource Management. CSR works towards the well being of all the stakeholder of the company and is responsible for the actions taken by it towards them. Employees however being a part of the stakeholder group, the companies are responsible towards them and also because they form the integral part of the organisation. In addition to this the link between them is not realistic in the current climate of restructuring and redundancies. It is crucial for the company to maintain crucial competency and while countries are facing an economic downturn they have to act in the way they are. Holding on to the employees and continuously making loses will take the company nowhere and will do no good to either the company or the employees. However in the long run the company does act sensitive to its employees and works towards the empowerment and betterment of their employees along with the vari ous stakeholder group but in recent times and what the recent research has suggested that the link between Corporate Social Responsibility and Human resource management is not realistic. WORDCOUNT: 3705

Businesses going green with IT

Businesses going green with IT In todays ever changing world, there is an increased amount of pressure to become more environmentally conscious in they we live go about our daily lives. Some examples of environmental impacts on individuals may include trash recycling, choosing eco-friendly consumer products, vehicle purchase, as well as basic house hold energy management. We could also apply this to an industry service. Businesses in the architectural / engineering world perform construction services in the form of site development. Companies in this industry are designing and making decisions on behalf of their client based on the latest regulations to ensure all the environmental requirements are met while striving for sustainability. Sustainabilitys advancement in society has reached a new level for business organizations. Companies are not only providing services externally that need to comply with environmental regulations. They are also assessing their own internal corporate operations and its environmental impact. Maddens (December 2009) article on sustainability software brings attention to the emerging â€Å"green† software market and how companies are looking to apply this technology both internally and externally to comply with the challenging environmental laws while increasing its corporate image and profitability. Software vendors are now developing applications for businesses to track â€Å"greenhouse† gas emissions (GHG), water and other energy usages, paper waste, and improved materials for services among some of the examples. One of the leading software applications in this group is called carbon emissions accounting or Enterprise Carbon Accounting (ECA). ECA software enables a company to perform analysis and reporting of its GHG emissions. According to AMR Research in Maddens (2009) article, the carbon auditing software market has reached $3.6 billion and could see levels as high as $9 billion within the next couple of years. The validity of the market share has grown since being joined by large vendors such as Computer Associates, Microsoft, and recently merged SAP/Clear Standards. California based company, Enviance, is rated as one of the market leaders in this emerging industry. Their environmental enterprise resource planning (ERP) services include web based and on premise automation of tracking and reporting of health and safety, greenhouse gas emissions and other environmental factors. Their mobile platform involves personal digital assistants (PDAs) and tablet PCs for reducing the amount of paper used in meter reading, inspections for hazardous materials and environmental discharges, and auditing. Data is entered on site through the PDAs and uploaded directly to the incorporated environmental ERP system, which yields a seamless flow of information in real-time throughout all levels of an organization. Enterprise resource planning (ERP) software functionality is better known for its sales, production, planning and financial data management that allows the business process to be viewed throughout an organization. It executes its objective typically through a suite of software modules integrated for the business process. One of the challenges sustainability software faces both before and after implementation is whether its verifiable. In Maddens (2009) sustainability software editorial, referring to environmental ERP implementation, Larry Goldenhersh (CEO of Enviance) conveys the detail that accounting for carbon data is not equivalent to financial data on a balance sheet. Regulatory environmental laws can be very complicated. Mr. Goldenhersh states, â€Å"Customers (companies) need to trust that the solutions they have in place will be defensible on many levels regulatory and reputational† (as cited in Madden, December 2009). In contrast to business professionals contribution to (ERP) software development, Mr. Goldenhersh goes on to explain that if sustainability applications are to have any credibility, they will need to be developed with environmental experts in hard sciences such as physics and chemistry as examples. We can also add professionals in other areas such as architectural and engineering with environmental accreditations. Green software users are employed in other sectors within an organization besides executive and management. At the design and production levels, employees can use the applicable data to create improvements for their own facilities management operations or for outside design services. Using the construction trade example mentioned earlier as it relates to the content, Maddens (2009) article explains how CADD (computer aided design and drafting) software vendor Autodesk is providing solutions to their clients enabling them to meet â€Å"green† initiatives. Autodesk has been developing green tools built into their software as well as providing an online web based environmental service. One example of a built-in tool added in their desktop software Inventor is the Sustainable Materials Assistant (SMA), which is applied in manufacturing and process engineering. The SMA application used in digital prototyping focuses on providing feedback for intelligent material selection in the design process with respect to environmental compliance. Their internet based solution is known as the Green Building Studio. This web service uses the Ecotect platform software to enable architects and engineers to perform a building analysis, generating a design that is more energy efficient and account for the overall carbon footprint in the end product (a building system). The information technology applied in this green software service incorporates many factors in this trade including carbon emissions reporting, water usage, amount of daylight, site positioning, and even a detailed weather analysis among several of the examples. Using Enviance CEOs comments on green software creditability as a parallel reference, the Green Building Studio web service was evaluated under ANSI/ASHRAE standards for this genre of computer analysis and is certified by the U.S. Department of Energy, (according to the Autodesk website) making the service verifiable. According to the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), information technology was predicted to create the â€Å"paperless† office but has yet to deliver. Analysts report that companies are still using far more paper than originally predicted for business operations today (stated in Madden, 2009). The consumption of paper contributes to the impacts paper mills and logging have on the environment. Hewlett-Packard one of the leading suppliers of office equipment and supplies has strategically partnered with Capella Technologies to provide an Intelligent Print Management (IPM) software solution. The on demand printing solution allows the company to monitor and track documents and to ensure they are printed on the correct devices thus reducing costs and allow companies to become more eco-friendly. Another example of reducing paper consumption through the use of information technology in Maddens (2009) article is the Quik suite product. Efficient Technologies markets this software to automate forms and incorporate the use of digital signature technology for e-signing. The goal is to have companies fully embrace this technology to reduce its paper consumption by half or greater. There will always be a debate regarding the validity and magnitude in regards to sustainability and other environmental agendas. Maddens (2009) two part editorial suggests these issues are having an impact on information technology and the way organizations are applying them. With the ever increasing environmental regulations and public awareness, companies are becoming more sensitive to their corporate image with the consumer as well as with potential clients. Businesses are utilizing â€Å"green† software technologies enterprise wide in their internal operations as much as they are in their commercial trades to strategically position their public profile while they increase profits and reduce operating costs. References Madden, Ned. (2009, December 1). Sustainability Software, Part 1: Its Easy Being Green. TechNewsWorld. Retrieved from: http://www.technewsworld.com. Madden, Ned. (2009, December 8). Sustainability Software, Part 2: Cutting the Paper Chase. TechNewsWorld. Retrieved from: http://www.technewsworld.com. Enviance ®. http://www.enviance.com. Autodesk ®. http://usa.autodesk.com

Football vs. Soccer Essay -- Comparison Contrast Essays

Football vs. Soccer Athletes who play football share the same goal as athletes who play soccer: score the most goals to win the game. In football, there are two areas on opposite sides of the field where one can score points by bringing the football over the goal line. Soccer shares this same concept by having two nets on opposite sides of the field where one can score a point by kicking the soccer ball into the net. Also, both sports share the concept of having an offense and defense, and both sports each have eleven players on a team on the field at a time. These are only few of many similarities between these two sports, but in actuality, they are significantly different. The rules, rituals, and concepts of both sports distinguish themselves from each other. First of all, the rules of football require one to equip himself with approximately twenty pounds of equipment, including a helmet, shoulder pads, and girdle pads. This is because football has the most contact involved out of all sports. In a football game, the norm is that the home team wears colorful jerseys and the visiting team wears white jerseys. Moreover, if a team’s offense is on the field, their defense is on the sideline. A team’s offense includes a center, who snaps the ball to the quarterback. The â€Å"QB† then has a choice to run with the ball, hand it off to a running back, or throw it to a wide receiver. The quarterback has an offensive line to protect him from the assailing defense. If a teammate happens to score a touchdown, he earns his team six points, which allows for the kicker to kick an extra point, and give his team a total of seven points. However, if the offense fails to travel at least ten yards within four attempts, or â€Å"downs,à ¢â‚¬  they have the opti... ...nd must support both the defense and the offense. In conclusion, football and soccer have their similarities, but these similarities are superficial. There are many fundamental differences, such as the use of one’s hands being illegal in soccer, except for the goalie when he/she is inside his/her respective eighteen-yard boundary. Another example is the alternation of a team’s offense and defense in football as opposed to the simultaneous effort of the offense and defense in soccer. These differences in rules, rituals, and concepts distinguish these two sports from each other. However, there are similarities, such as the fact that both sports allow eleven players on each team to play on the field at a time. Also, the area where one scores is in the same locations in both sports, the end zones of football and the goals of soccer are on opposite sides of the field.

Wireless Network Security Essay -- Wireless Networks Technology Essays

Introduction Wireless networks have grown in popularity. This is largely due to the increase in the value of a network as more users are attached to it. The value added to a network by nature of connecting more devices to it, is summarized in 'Metcalf's law.' Metcalf's law states that if you 'connect any number, 'n,' of machines - whether computers, phones or even cars - and you get 'n' squared potential value.'[1] The incredible growth of the Internet seems to validate Metcalf's law. It then seems reasonable that eliminating physical constraints to connecting to a network would provide value by allowing more devices to be connected to a network regardless of physical location. Wireless networks provide that ability. Wireless networks operate over the full spectrum of network topographies. These topographies include: Personal, Local, Controller, Metropolitan, and Wide area networks. A Personal Area Network (PAN) is the interconnection of information technology devices within the range of an individual person, typically within a range of 10 meters.?[2] A Local Area Network (LAN) is a group of computers and associated devices that share a common communications line or wireless link and typically share the resources of a single processor or server within a small geographic area (for example, within an office building).?[2] A Campus Area Network (CAN) is a fiber-optic network that physically interconnects entire buildings into one giant network. While each building may have several discrete LANs within it, each building represents a single node on the CAN. [3] A Metropolitan Area Network (MAN) is ?a network that interconnects users with computer resources in a geographic area or region larger than t hat covered by even a large [LAN] but smaller than the area covered by a wide area network (WAN [- explained next]).?[2] A Wide Area Network (WAN) is ?a geographically dispersed telecommunications network.?[2] Wireless networks come in many configurations and use many technologies. Figure 1 depicts an example of the wireless technologies and standards used for each of the networks types defined above. The figure indicates two major categories of wireless technologies: fixed and mobile. The figure also indicates 10 technologies in use: Bluetooth, irDA, 802.11, IR LAN, IR Bridge, Ricochet, RF Bridge, Cellular, MCS and Satellite. Virtually all of these tec... ...e issues addressed in the 802.11i standard, third party software vendors are rapidly creating and marketing wireless security services and third-party solutions. As the wireless market matures, it will become increasingly difficult to ?crack? wireless network security. References [1] http://www.seas.upenn.edu/~gaj1/metgg.html - Metcalf?s Law and Legacy [2] http://www.whatis.com - Whatis?com [3] http://www.lib.siu.edu/faq/network1.faq.html - LAN FAQ1 [4] http://local.cips.ca/queencity/Events/archivedEvents/2000-01/SpringSeminar01/kentonjanzen/sld003.htm - Canadian Information Processing Society [5] http://www.tml.hut.fi/Studies/T-110.557/2002/papers/zahed_iqbal.pdf - Wireless LAN Technology: Current State and Future Trends [6] http://www.athenasemi.com/market/index.html - [Wireless] Market Overview [7] http://www.microsoft.com/technet/treeview/default.asp?url=/technet/columns/cableguy/cg0302.asp - Microsoft TechNet [8] http://csrc.ncsl.nist.gov/publications/drafts/draft-sp800-48.pdf - Wireless Network Security [9] http://www.whatis.com (war driving) ? Whatis?com [10] http://www.netgear.com/pdf_docs/10StepsWirelessSecurity.pdf - Ten Easy Steps for Wireless LAN Security Wireless Network Security Essay -- Wireless Networks Technology Essays Introduction Wireless networks have grown in popularity. This is largely due to the increase in the value of a network as more users are attached to it. The value added to a network by nature of connecting more devices to it, is summarized in 'Metcalf's law.' Metcalf's law states that if you 'connect any number, 'n,' of machines - whether computers, phones or even cars - and you get 'n' squared potential value.'[1] The incredible growth of the Internet seems to validate Metcalf's law. It then seems reasonable that eliminating physical constraints to connecting to a network would provide value by allowing more devices to be connected to a network regardless of physical location. Wireless networks provide that ability. Wireless networks operate over the full spectrum of network topographies. These topographies include: Personal, Local, Controller, Metropolitan, and Wide area networks. A Personal Area Network (PAN) is the interconnection of information technology devices within the range of an individual person, typically within a range of 10 meters.?[2] A Local Area Network (LAN) is a group of computers and associated devices that share a common communications line or wireless link and typically share the resources of a single processor or server within a small geographic area (for example, within an office building).?[2] A Campus Area Network (CAN) is a fiber-optic network that physically interconnects entire buildings into one giant network. While each building may have several discrete LANs within it, each building represents a single node on the CAN. [3] A Metropolitan Area Network (MAN) is ?a network that interconnects users with computer resources in a geographic area or region larger than t hat covered by even a large [LAN] but smaller than the area covered by a wide area network (WAN [- explained next]).?[2] A Wide Area Network (WAN) is ?a geographically dispersed telecommunications network.?[2] Wireless networks come in many configurations and use many technologies. Figure 1 depicts an example of the wireless technologies and standards used for each of the networks types defined above. The figure indicates two major categories of wireless technologies: fixed and mobile. The figure also indicates 10 technologies in use: Bluetooth, irDA, 802.11, IR LAN, IR Bridge, Ricochet, RF Bridge, Cellular, MCS and Satellite. Virtually all of these tec... ...e issues addressed in the 802.11i standard, third party software vendors are rapidly creating and marketing wireless security services and third-party solutions. As the wireless market matures, it will become increasingly difficult to ?crack? wireless network security. References [1] http://www.seas.upenn.edu/~gaj1/metgg.html - Metcalf?s Law and Legacy [2] http://www.whatis.com - Whatis?com [3] http://www.lib.siu.edu/faq/network1.faq.html - LAN FAQ1 [4] http://local.cips.ca/queencity/Events/archivedEvents/2000-01/SpringSeminar01/kentonjanzen/sld003.htm - Canadian Information Processing Society [5] http://www.tml.hut.fi/Studies/T-110.557/2002/papers/zahed_iqbal.pdf - Wireless LAN Technology: Current State and Future Trends [6] http://www.athenasemi.com/market/index.html - [Wireless] Market Overview [7] http://www.microsoft.com/technet/treeview/default.asp?url=/technet/columns/cableguy/cg0302.asp - Microsoft TechNet [8] http://csrc.ncsl.nist.gov/publications/drafts/draft-sp800-48.pdf - Wireless Network Security [9] http://www.whatis.com (war driving) ? Whatis?com [10] http://www.netgear.com/pdf_docs/10StepsWirelessSecurity.pdf - Ten Easy Steps for Wireless LAN Security

Raku Ware And Staffordshire Pottery :: essays research papers

Raku Ware was originally from Japan in the town of Kyoto and was named after the Raku family during the 16th Century. At this time, the Emperor Hideyoshi had conquered Korea and the native potters immigrated to Japan bringing with them pottery techniques and knowledge.The pots were produced for the Zan Buddhist tea ceremony and the decorating and firing of the pots were part of the tea ceremony. Bernard Leach introduced Raku into the west after living in Japan and China setting up pottery in St. Ives, England in 1920. It is still popular today, and made almost worldwide. Raku Ware is still produced today by the 14th generation, of the same Japanese family.Staffordshire was a large and important part of Britain for earthenware production. The first known examples of Staffordshire slipware date back to early Seventeenth Century. Even though lead-glazed earthenware seemed to be established before this time, the market generally went beyond Staffordshire. Butter pots made in Staffordshire were well known for their quality by dairy farmers in England and surrounding areas. Slipwares are named for their decoration with liquid clays, usually poured or trailed onto the pot. Although this was a highly developed technique in Staffordshire it was used in other surrounding areas such as London and Wrotham.Staffordshire slipware usually has three categories flatware which are plates, dishes and bowls, jugs and lidded pots are classified as hollow ware, and miscellaneous ware includes money boxes, cradles and candle sticks.Just as tea was important in the development of Raku Ware in Japan, so the Elers brothers who studied salt glazes in Europe and moved to Staffordshire in the 1690s, produced small tea pots, tea canisters, teacups and jugs. They used finely prepared red clay which was thrown on the wheel, and then lathed when leather hard. (Common salt is thrown into the kiln during firing 1200oc to produce a salt glaze)In Raku any clay that copes with the firing technique must be able to withstand heat shock without warping, distorting or cracking. The clay needs to have particles in it to allow water to escape quickly so calcinated China clay or clay with temper (grog, flint or shell) added to it, is successful. This clay occurred naturally in Japan. Many contemporary potters have favourite clay recipes for their clay bodies when making Raku Ware.Staffordshire slipware clays usually have trouble withstanding higher temperatures without distorting and warping while stoneware can.

Protests That Change Teh World – “Weapons Training” by Bruce Dawe, Charlie Chaplin’s Speech “the Great Dictator” and “Where Is the Love” by the Black Eyed Peas.

Good morning publishers of penguin. Today I’m here to present three texts that I believe should be included into the anthology â€Å"Protests that Changed the World† Each of these texts share similar context and are the same in purpose. The power of a speech lies in its ability to persuade an audience successfully. With this in mind the three texts which I believe have shown great ability to as persuading audiences is The poem â€Å"Weapons Training† by Bruce Dawe, Charlie Chaplin’s speech from â€Å"The great dictator† and the song â€Å"Where is the love† by The Black Eyed Peas.Weapons Training is a piece of war poetry written by Burce Dawe in 1970. This poem is considered a dramatic monologue spoken by an aggressive and intimidating sergeant who’s training soldiers that are about to be sent off to war. Bruce Dawe has used rhetorical questions to encourage the reader or listener to consider the message or viewpoint. The rhetorical qu estions ‘what are you looking at? , What are you laughing at? , What are you going to do about it? ’ used in Weapons Training are said in an aggressive tone, clearly used to bully its audience.Love PoemSaying it in an aggressive tone provokes fear through the audience manipulating them into supporting the use of weapons. Although it is an issue one might usually not choose to support, the fact that it is said in such an intimidating tone encourages the listener to support it due to the fear of what the consequences might be if they don’t support what the speaker is promoting. The author also uses repetition of the word â€Å"dead† this is clearly directed towards the soldiers in order to emphasise the officer’s message. This is a form of teaching the soldiers to hate, fear and listen to authority in order for them not to die needlessly.Repetition has also been to install fear into the audience as a way of turning them against weapons; he is emphasiz ing the harsh reality of what happens when weapons are used. The use of onomatopoeia in this poem like ‘click’ and ‘pitter-patter’ has the similar effect as the rhetorical questions. It creates a sense of imagery that is almost deathly and horrifying which is also incredibly intimidating towards its audience giving them an insight into how horrific the use of weapons can actually be. It is clear that the author’s goal was to convince the audience about the harsh effects of using weapons, which he has successfully achieved.The speech evoked immense support against the use of weapons and violence from the general public. Bruce Dawe has used this style of writing to effectively describe the sound of weaponry to show how the soldiers were being turned into weapons themselves. The second text that I have chosen for this anthology is Charlie Chaplin’s speech from the Great Dictator. This speech comes from a satire comedy of Nazi Germany and Adolf Hi tler in which Charlie Chaplin has re-worded Hitler’s speech and instead of saying â€Å"I† all the time he uses â€Å"we† which completely changes the meaning of the speech. We all want to help one another†¦ We all want to live by each other’s happiness†¦ We don’t want to hate and despise one another† this is a form of Inclusive language, which Charlie Chaplin has used in his speech, as it’s a very adequate technique with a very influential meaning, which also allows the audience to feel included. Charlie Chaplin has also used the technique of accumulation: â€Å"Greed has poisoned men’s souls, has barricaded the world with hate; has goose-stepped us into misery and bloodshed† this technique it’s considered to be a very powerful way to demonstrate what greed has not only done to humans but to this world.Repetition is used several times by the author of this speech in order to really get his message throug h to the audience. An example of repetition is â€Å"You people have the power, the power to create machines, the power to create happiness† This is an effective way to persuade the audience as he’s tone of voice is not demanding instead he’s just showing he’s point of view towards war and what it’s turning humans into. â€Å"Where is the love† by Black Eyed Peas is my last chosen text.This song is an anti-war anthem, in which they grieve a variety of worldwide problems and many issues are discussed. â€Å"Negative images is the main criteria Infecting the young minds faster than bacteria† is a metaphor which stands out quite a lot in this song. It refers to how negative images in the media and society affect our youth today. The negativity is what influences young minds today, and is blamed as the result for many acts of crime by young people. The Black Eyed Peas use the repetition of the phrase â€Å"where is the love? to emphasise the message they are trying to deliver through this song, which is asking the audience where the love has gone. It is well known that repetition is a tool of manipulation, which is what they have tried to do through the lyrics. Lastly there’s the use of rhyme. Rhyme is a technique that is used several times through out this song. An example is â€Å"But if you only have love for your own race, then you only have space to discriminate and to discriminate only generates hate†. The use of this rhyme in this song is to alert the audience about how strongly hate effects our world.It is referred to as an ongoing cycle, where if you only have respect and love for your own race, it automatically generates hate for the others. The aim of these lyrics is to highlight how the effects of hate in our world and the use of rhyme certainly accentuate the message. In my opinion these three texts are all very adequate for this future anthology â€Å"Protests that change the world† as the three texts have a great message and have all been effective when persuading it’s audience against the issue of war.

The launch of the BIC

The launch of the BIC women underwear is the best example that it was not. The brand products are known as disposables and have a similar way to distribute and use the same outlets. The new line on disposable underwear had no link with the other products BIC was operating with. There was no link connecting underwear and pens or lighters. So in order to introduce such a different product a huge campaign should had been introduce. This campaign showing more than one product the underwear to show the new line or products the company is going to introduce.The marketing for the underwear was very poor instead and the underwear buyers did not want them at all. BIC was not flexible enough in order to enter a new unrelated product category. The difficulty existing to connect two different categories of products with the same name was not argued by BIC. The powerful existing brand perception for one style of products it is almost impossible to change. The brands name can have a lot of power w here they have credentials.If you take the name of the brand out of these credentials it loses its power. BIC tried to find a new product to sell so desperate that they did not think how to introduce it in the market. The BIC underwear also requires a new distribution channel and ifferent technology in its production. The main BIC products use different materials such as plastic and metal. The BIC underwear needed a new production material. All these made the BIC underwear fail and disappear really fast.I would have done a different campaign to launch this product. First by using the many sources of communication that BIC has. Place in every sell cage of BIC pens and lighters a pre-launch awareness. Market the people that already know the brand and create a perception of a change in the brand. With this source of marketing you could ntroduce them to social media of BIC offering incentives. With this you will have feedback before launching. The underwear must have quality and BIC mai n products do not fulfill this perception.Let the customer tell you what they will like in the underwear's. Place yourself in the street and introduce the product, get feedback and advertise it at the same time. In order to launch the new product place the product and focus in a particular sector. Quality, price and easy to buy must be the main features of this product to get the customer satisfaction. Find the way to distribute the product and promote it. This product cannot be sold in the same distribution channel of the other products BIC has.The women underwear is a product that you want to place in the right stores, the stores where women buy their underwear. In the stores big promotions and easy perception must be place. For the underwear with the other brands. With this BIC underwear will focus in the ages between 14-26 year old women. This age group is more open to changes and convenience. Also a change in the brand logo for this product must be done. With this brand awarene ss exists but also a differentiation from the main products of BIC.

Effects of Human Urine on the Growth of Indian Tree Essay

I. INTRODUCTION Background of the Study Most of the Filipinos earn a living through agriculture. Throughout the years, a lot of fertilizers were improvised, mostly for the comfort of the Filipino farmers. Human urine, for example, is a well-balanced nitrogen-rich quick-reacting liquid fertilizer. It contains nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus and other nutrients depending on the diet. The health risks associated with use of human urine in plant production are generally low, that is why it’s an adequate plant fertilizer. On another note, Indian tree (Polyalthia longifolia) is a small-to-medium-sized evergreen tree growing up to 15 meters. Its leaves are long, narrow and oblanceolate, dark green, glossy and have wavy margins. It is native to India, Sri Lanka and recently introduced in the Philippines and widely cultivated in Metro Manila, planted in parks, garden and roadsides. Studies showed that the seeds of Indian Tree contain amino acids, the barks contain phytochemical, the root extract contains antimicrobial, various solvent extracts contain anti-inflammatory, and the seeds that are extracted contain antifungal. Objectives (major and minor) of the study This study, therefore, endeavors to investigate the effects of human urine on the growth of Polyalthia longifolia also commonly known as Indian Tree. It also endeavors to inform the farmers and the people in the field of agriculture practical guidance of the other uses of human urine. Significance of the Study This investigatory project entitled â€Å"The Effects Of Human Urine On The Growth Of Indian Tree† will be conducted in order to help and inform the people especially the farmers that â€Å"the economical value of the urine can be calculated by comparing with the price of mineral fertilizer on the local market or by calculating the value of the increased yield of the fertilizer.† (Anna Richert, et.al., 2010-2011). We would like it to be one of the aspects that contribute to the progression of our technology especially in the field of agriculture. This can add knowledge to students, teachers and administrators in making a research and improving their experiment especially those who are working on herbal medicine. This project aims to guide the future researchers in making their experiment. Scope and Limitation This study will focus on using the human urine as a fertilizer. Human urine, water and a combination of both will be poured on to the soil of the Indian plant. Using a commercially available Indian plant will make a comparative appraisal. This study, however, will not alter the active compounds of the soil and the seed itself. II. REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE Ricker, A. et.al. (2010) stated that urine is an aqueous solution made up of more than 95 per cent water, with the remaining constituents made up of urea, creatinine, dissolved ions (chloride, sodium, potassium, etc), inorganic and organic compounds or salts. Most of these remain in solution, but there can be a tendency for phosphorus-rich substances to sediment in containers that are stored for hygienization. This substance has a syrupish texture, and if urine is collected in a piping system, this â€Å"urine syrup† can sediment in pipes if the inclination is not sufficient. Differences in composition of excreta between different regions reflect differences in the uptake of consumed crops and thus in the plant nutrient supply needed for maintaining crop fertility in the region. Urine used directly or after storage is a high quality, low cost alternative to the application of N-rich mineral fertilizer in plant production. The nutrients in urine are in ionic form and their plan t-availability compares well with chemical fertilizer (Johansson et al., 2001; Kirchmann and Pettersson, 1995; Simons and Clemens 2004). Urine also contains large amounts of phosphorus, potassium, sulphur and micronutrients, but due to its high content of N, its P/N and K/N ratios are lower than in many mineral fertilizers used for crop production, and lower than what many crops need according to fertilizer recommendations. An advantage of urine in comparison with organic fertilizers is that the phosphorus exists in forms that are plant-available. This means that urine  is quite efficient as a phosphorus fertilizer, which has implications for the future with regard to the concept of Peak Phosphorus and the fact that phosphorus is a finite resource.(p1) The quantity of urine produced by an adult mainly depends on the amount of liquid a person drinks and perspires. Children produce approximately half as much urine as adults. Excessive sweating results in concentrated urine, while consumption of large amounts of liquid dilutes the urine. (p3) Urine use in areas where salinization is an issue should be monitored. Urine is a solution of salts, and salt stress can be a major constraint to plant production in arid areas. When urine is used in these areas, irrigation practices should be adapted, the urine should be watered down, and application of urine should regularly be interchanged with applications of water only. (p5) Grunbaum, M. (2010) cited that urine is chock full of nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus, which are the nutrients plants need to thrive—and the main ingredients in common mineral fertilizers. There is, of course, a steady supply of this man-made plant food: an adult on a typical Western diet urinates about 500 liters a year, enough to fill three standard bathtubs. And despite the gross-out potential, urine is practically sterile when it leaves the body, Heinonen-Tanski pointed out. Unlike feces, which can carry bacteria like salmonella and E. coli, urine poses no health risks—astronauts on the International Space Station even drink the stuff—after it’s purified. Effective fertilization is not the only benefit of recycling urine, Heinonen-Tanski suggested in a review paper in the January 2010 issue of Sustainability. The separating toilets that collect urine use less water than flush toilets, she wrote, and the simplified waste stream requires less energy in sewage treatment. According to Shaw, R. (2010) one reason that urine is an appropriate fertilizer is because the majority of the highly available nutrients in urine exist in a form that plants can use easily. Seventy-five to 90 % of the nitrogen in urine is in the form of urea, which becomes primarily ammonium ions in an aqueous solution of near neutral pH. This ammonium can be biochemically transferred to nitrate (NO3-) in the presence of oxygen (Jonsson et al, 2004: 9). Phosphorus is excreted as phosphate ions (Jonsson et al, 2004: 9). The majority of potassium, sulfur, and most minerals are also present as free ions (Jonsson et al, 2004: 9). These nutrients are directly available to plants in these forms without  processing. As with chemical fertilizers, urine is therefore a dilution of fast-acting plant nutrients that can work quickly to nourish plants (Kvarnstrom et al, 2006: 4). Comparable crop yields have been found when using equivalent amounts of chemical and urine fertilizers on many different crops. (p12) A fast-acting fertilizer like urine fertilizer has several benefits. Assuming the nutrient content can be estimated or measured with reasonable accuracy, the fertilizer can be applied in specific doses to meet known nutrient needs. Fast-acting fertilizers can also be used to rectify some diagnosed nutrient deficiencies, even on specific plants. Nutrients can also be applied at specific times in a plant’s lifespan to optimize nutrient uptake.(p13) As with any fertilizer, urine fertilizer can be applied in excess. Over-fertilization can introduce toxic levels of nutrients into the soil and kill plants. As is often the case with urine fertilizer, the large amount of nitrogen is the main concern. Fortunately, the toxic level of nitrogen is very high. A rule of thumb is that the toxic level of nitrogen is approximately four times the normal fertilization rate (Jonsson et al, 2004:4). This provides a large factor of safety for the use of urine fertilizer. If nitrogen is kept at an acceptable level, it is generally accepted that, except in rare cases, the other nutrients present in urine will stay at an acceptable level as well. (p14) Another concern is the volatility of nitrogen in urine. â€Å"The high pH of the urine in the collection vessel, normally 9-9.3, coupled with its high ammonium concentration, means that there is a risk of losing N in the form of ammonia with the ventilated air† (Jonsson et al, 2004: 11). This volatilization of ammonia occurs rapidly, with increased volatility as temperatures rise, and substantial amounts of valuable nitrogen can be lost to the atmos phere (Glibert et al, 2006: 448). Further, the contact of urine with the atmosphere creates unpleasant odors, as anyone who has smelled urine evaporating on a latrine floorcan attest. Odor does not affect the usefulness of urine fertilizer, but it can dissuade people from use. Urine fertilizer must therefore be collected and applied with as little atmospheric contact as possible, both to conserve nitrogen and to reduce unpleasant odor. (p15) Robinson, D. (2010) said that fresh human urine is sterile and so free from bacteria. In fact it is so sterile that it can be drunk when fresh; it’s only when it is older than 24 hours that the urea turns into ammonia, which is what causes  the ‘wee’ smell. At this stage it will be too strong for use on plants, but poured neat on to the compost heap it makes a fabulous compost accelerator/activator, with the extra benefit of adding more nutrients. Most garden fertilizers for vegetables contain more phosphorus than nitrogen. Phosphorus is valuable for root growth, nitrogen for vegetative growth like leaves and potassium helps the ripening and fruiting process. The great value of urine lies in its universal availability and zero cost. Consequently it has immense potential value and has been used for many generations as a plant food in some countries, notably in the Far East. Because of its high nitrogen content it is particularly useful for feeding leafy vegetables, which enjoy a high nitrogen diet. According to Abington, J.B. (1992) cited that urine as a source of fertilizer has been investigated at Lumle. The effect of 1:1 water: urine mixture top dressing on the marketable yield of leafy vegetable crops was found to be a significant increase of 81.7% over an untreated control, and 23.7% over a top dressing of urea. (p51) III. MATERIALS AND METHODS A. Preparation and Collection of Tree Two Indian Tree seeds will be bought. They will be planted using Loam soil. The specimen will be stored in the garden area at MPC. Controlled variable 1 will be watered using urine (see step 2) and controlled variable 2 will be watered using tap water. B. Preparation and Collection of Urine Human urine will be collected from one of the group members. The contributor’s diet will be strictly observed. The urine sample will be measured upon collection. The color will also be observed. Materials -seeds will be bought or we’ll try to find it for free†¦ -2 pots? -human urine by Mark Figueras -mark’s diet -water Methods -plant the seeds, 2 pots (1 controlled *urine, 1 uncontrolled *water) -water 3 times a day having both urine and water equal in amount IV. BIBLIOGRAPHY Richert, Anna., Gensch, Robert., Jà ¶nsson, Hà ¥kan.,Stenstrà ¶m, Thor-Axel., & Dagerskog, Linus. (2010-1). Practical Guidance on the Use of Urine in Crop Production. [Pdf]. Ttockhollm Environment Institute, Sweden Retrieved December 12, 2012 from EcoSanRes Series. http://www.ecosanres.org/pdf_files/ESR2010-1-Pract icalGuidanceOnTheUseOfUrineInCropProduction.pdf Grunbaum, Mara. (July 23, 2010). Gee Whiz: Human Urine Is Shown to Be an Effective Agricultural Fertilizer. [Webpage]. Retrieved December 12, 2012 from http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=h uman-urine-is-an-effective-fertilizer Shaw, Ryan. (2010). THE USE OF HUMAN URINE AS CROP FERTILIZER IN MALI, WEST AFRICA. [Pdf]. Ryan Shaw, MICHIGAN TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY Retrieved December 12, 2012 from http://cee.eng.usf.edu/peacecorps/5%20-%20Resource s/Theses/Sanitation/2010Shaw.pdf Abington, J.B. (1992). Sustainable livestock production in the mountain agro-ecosystem of Nepal. Reprint, Rome.