Saturday, August 31, 2019

Implementing 5S Concept in Warehouse Management Essay

xThe practice of 5S aims to embed the values of organization, neatness, cleaning, standardization and discipline into the workplace (Osada, 1991). Besides, the 5S concept also widely apply into warehouse management because the 5S concept are emphasize on the effective organize and arrangement of the item in the warehouse in order to eliminate the unnecessary items from the warehouse for improve the efficiency of the storage methods. The implementation of 5S concept also can uncover hidden problems that may have otherwise remained unnoticed. According to Rod Gapp, Ron Fisher and Kaoru Kobayashi (2008), the benefit and advantages of implementing the 5S can be summarize as follow: †¢Orderliness (seiri and seiton) – can maximize the efficiency and effectiveness of the warehouse operation, productivity and cycle time performance by reducing the employees workload and human errors through simplify the process in the material handling in order to reduce the warehouse order cycle time and increase inventory turnover. Cleanliness (seiso and seiketsu) – to maximize effectiveness by contributing to a healthier life, safety and wellbeing as well as enhancing transparency. The comfortable working condition can motivate the employees to work hard for the company that can directly increase the warehouse productivity performance. In addition, the cleanliness of the warehouse can prevent the pollution cases from happening to care for the welfare and right of the employees that working in the warehouse. Moreover, the cleanliness and well arrangement of the inventory can directly increase the transparency because all the inventory are visible for reduce the stealing cases, increase the put away and inventory accuracy. †¢Discipline (shitsuke) – through continuous training and education to the employees can enhance their morale, knowledge, and skills which lead to increased quality of work life and work standards (Osada, 1991). The training program to the employees can directly increase the productivity of he warehouse because the employees are adapted to the effective skills in material handling and they can eliminate the unnecessary step in order to improve the warehouse order cycle time and reach to the cost effectiveness. The well discipline among the employees can increase the unity level among the employees that come from various departments and finally eliminate the communication barrier among them that lead to the well interaction among them. There are 5 elements in the 5S concept that should be implementing by the company in order to improve the performance of the warehouse and achieve costs effectiveness. These 5 elements in 5S concept will be discussed and summarize as follow: †¢Sort – (Seiri) – The first S focused on eliminating unnecessary items from the warehouse to increase the space utilization of the warehouse because the cost space of the warehouse is very expensive that including the utilities, wages of employees, and insurances costs. The products was placed strategically so that heavy products could be picked first and smaller lighter items picked last, in order to eliminate the need to restack pallets and avoid any accident to occur. The walk paths were set up in the warehouse with no loop back during order picking to complete an order. Man up order pickers were used to eliminate the need for ladders, and to assist with order picking from level 2 and 3. †¢Set In Order (Seiton) – The second S focuses on efficient and effective storage methods. Racking was purchased and erected in the warehouse to increase the available space in the warehouse and wide aisles is very important to allow fast movement for picking and replenishment (and use all available space) and to support the ability to use all materials handling equipment in all areas of the warehouse in order to increase put away accuracy and minimize the physical effort during material handling process. †¢Shine (Seiso) – The third S is to thoroughly clean the warehouse and this elements are strongly emphasize that all racking were fixed to the floor and each location was labeled. No product was allowed in the aisles and no product was allowed into the pick face from bulk until all stretch wrap was removed. Pyramid picking was not allowed and the cleanliness of the warehouse is the responsibility of all the staffs in the warehouse. The staffs in the warehouse are requiring cleaning the floor with an electric sweeper and not a broom and everyone takes turns as part of their duties. †¢Standardize (Seiketsu) –The fourth S is standardizing practice in warehouse in order to maintain the first three S’s. Organization, orderliness, and cleanliness are maintained and made habitual by instituting those duties into regular work routines. The methods need to be standardized and followed company-wide. Once the first three S’s are in place, standardize the details and create a plan to maintain and continue improving everything. This plan should include creating procedures and simple daily checklists, which are posted very visibly in each work area. The checklist should serve as a visual reminder to ensure that the daily 5S requirements are being met. Sustain (Shitsuke) – The fifth â€Å"S† (Sustain) allows an organization to sustain the 5S program due to the human nature is to resist change and some companies implement 5S for several months only to find themselves soon back to their previous habits. To make 5S work, it is critical that performance is measured and that top management is committed to ensure that 5S becomes part of the company culture, makes periodic walk through inspections, audits and posts results.

Max

The film, Max, was directed by Menno Meyjes and those who stared included John Cusack (Max Rothman) and Noah Taylor (Adolf Hitler) among others. The major theme in the movie is the aftermath of the First World War where by, after the collapse of the Kaiser Imperial Reich, the Germans entered in to the newly created Weimer Republic and were faced with the problems of unemployment, poverty and great difference between the haves and have-nots. The essence of the essay is to discuss the major theme, how it’s presented in the film and the reasons for the historical/ cultures values presented in them film. After the First World War, though the Germans are defeated they remained defiant after the war and are being humiliated by the unjust treaties. . The writer/ director expose the anger and a rabid young man whose prejudice and passion led to death of millions of Jews. Max, a Jewish that was initially a painter and lost his arm in the war then became an art dealer in Munich streets where eventually he meets Hitler, a war veteran, who is penniless and further confused between joining the politics and or the artistic desires, they become close friends since their future had been shattered by the war. Max tries to guide Hitler in to successful artistic business, on the other hand, Hitler has another Mentor, Captain Myer, who acknowledges that Hitler has another potential in the politics. There is a struggle between the two mentors and eventually Myer wins and directs Hitler in to politics. The discussions between Max and Hitler clearly show how connected were the politics and art in Germany at that particular time, they further display how the art could the future Germany for better. One of the historical event presented in the movies though the major theme is the trearty of Versailles. After the war, the treaty of Versailles is a major concern to many Germans; Myer therefore formed a class which he used to teach propaganda against the Jews. Max tries to divert Hitler’s anger in to art but he does have the idea of how deep is Hitler’s anger, Max further tells Hitler that if could â€Å"pent up the stuff† within him on the canvas, them many possibilities would unfold Innocent Max at one point of moment tells his children about the Jewish world turning upside down in a couple of decades and after an Anti Semitic presentation which angers Hitler and eventually scribbles on his hand that â€Å"politics + arts = power†, where by the people will be the canvas and the politics will be his art.   All these are used to support the major them of the film. This film teaches the evolution of a culture that resulted to horrors of the Nazi leading to the cold war. There are some flaws in the film where by it concentrates too much on Max’s life’ despite good performances by actors like Cusack. Though good, the cinematography and direction does not also display Germany as it would have been   after the First world war but Germany is displayed like it is in the 20th century therefore the discussions between Max and Hitler aren’t in a historical context. Irrespective of the strong connection between politic and art, the idea of Hitler beginning from the road as an art dealer to the man we acknowledge as Hitler is a bit naà ¯ve and too simple and further tries to humanize Hitler despite never excusing his actions occasionally. Hitler though maintained a moustache after the war is presented being clean shaved in the film. Max is a fiction story of one early man who was very evil and the circumstances that led to his evil behavior; it further explains why the German nationalism after the WW1 resulted to genocide and violence. REFRENCE Max (2002/I), retrieved on 20th, October, 2007, available at www.imdb.com/title/tt0290210/

Friday, August 30, 2019

Design of a steel skew cantilever followed by construction and testing to destruction

Design of a steel skew cantilever followed by construction and testing to destruction. Analysis and improvements section included. Aiming for minimum weight and structural costs, while achieving a working load of 1kN and a failure load of 2kN. Statement of the Problem: To design and build a steel skew cantilever that is required to show no visible deformation at a vertical working load of 1000N and to fail at 2000N. The objective is to design a structure that satisfies the loading conditions, while keeping weight to a minimum and maintaining design simplicity; to reduce drawing and fabrication time, and making the structure more predictable through analysis. The load is at a horizontal distance of 815mm from a rigid vertical plate. The line of action of the load is 407mm to the right of the normal to the wall through the centre of the main plate when viewed from the front of the main plate. The load is applied through a rig with a 13mm diameter bolt. The main plate has 4 pairs of M6 tapped holes to which the structure may be attached. Designs Considered: The main design considered apart from the 4 main member triangulated cantilever, was based around a 3 main member design with cross bracing shown in the diagram to the right. The advantage of this structure is a reduction in weight, holes and rivets thus a huge reduction in cost. However, the design that we came up with was too difficult to analyse and predict during in failure, due to the side planes not being vertical. Also, construction would have been quite difficult because all cross braces would have to attach to the main members at an angle, thus additional plates would have be constructed which would have raised the price dramatically. The other design considered was based on the 4 main member design but flipped upside down. However, this would mean that the compression member would be comparatively long, increasing the need for cross bracing due to potential buckling. Thus the structure would be no better than the one we have selected only it would cost more due to the additional cross bracing. The box design was considered, however, it is not very suitable for a skew cantilever as construction would be immensely hard. Design considerations: The rig to which the structure was to be attached was inspected to see whether the load plate would fit and to get a general feel for the vertical constraints of the jack. To prevent a bending moment within the structure, lines of actions of forces in members must cross at a point. Hence in the drawings, lines of actions for every joint are shown to meet at a point within the material. For single cross braces, this line of action is 3/4 of the way in from the edge parallel with the edge. To make members act as though they were in mode B, the struts had to be rivet together. This was done 40mm from the edges of the struts in question and subsequently the remaining length was divided up into 3 sections at which the boundary of each division was riveted. This was performed on all the double angled struts. Where possible, the struts coming into connecting plates were made to touch the plate with their edge so that they would be transferring their load in a more direct manner. We attempted to make the base as wide as possible, for stability hence the connecting plates should go up to the edge of the main plate. Construction Phase: The base was the first thing to be constructed as it was easier than the upper members, thus by the time it had been built, experience had been gained and could applied to a more complex construction step (the upper members). The upper members were then constructed and both sets were fitted to the base plate. An additional plate was put in between the connecting plate and the main plate for the tension members to prevent the bolts from tearing out. The partially completed structure was taken to the measurement deck, where the alignment was checked. It was within 5mm in respect to the horizontal plane, thus we could slightly bias connections so that the alignment became closer to about 3mm. It was then noted that the rig that would connect the load to the load plate needed the load plate to have parallel edges, thus a double bend and an extension of 40mm in the load plate was required to allowed the rig to connect to the load plate. See right hand page for diagram. The load plate was then attached and the structure was checked that it aligned to about 3mm. The cross braces were than fabricated and attached. An attempt was made to work efficiently during construction, my laboratory partner and I finished with 6 hours to spare. Modifications: To M4 bolts were used to help keep the two sections of the load plate in alignment to achieve ease of rig attachment. These are attached as shown on the diagram to the right. A small cross brace was also placed between the two tension members at the top to attempt to prevent rotation of the structure. See right for the diagram. Also there was not enough space for the smallest cross brace connecting the compression members, thus it was not included. Some minor changes in the lengths of some of the members was required to improve alignment. Also some edges of struts had to be cut so that they could rest flat against others to transfer load more effectively. Cost and Mass of Structure: The mass was 2.52kg, which is heavy in comparison to the other groups, but not the heaviest. The material cost was 120.5 and the labour cost was 282 giving a total of 452.5, once again the cost ranked high amongst the other groups. However, considering the magnitude of the mass, if the cost saving strategies had not been applied then the cost would have been about 30 higher. These cost saving techniques consisted of using a hole to not only mount the members to connecting sheet metal but also a cross brace, thus saving a rivet, a hole and some time during fabrication. Depending on the forces, this technique could be slight disadvantage, the joint would now be in double sheer, and the rivet would be under greater loading. However, this effect would be small due to the small forces in the cross braces. Test results and Observations: The structure had a very slight amount of visible deformation at the working load of 1kN, and finally failed at 2.57kN. This was mainly due to the rightmost (looking at the front plate) compression member 5 buckling inwards at a position closer to the wall than the intersection between member 10 and 11. Another noted deformation was that the metal plates (A and B) connecting the main plate to the compression members had been bent inwards towards the main plate as the corners of the A and B were not touching the main plate. This meant that as the compression force in member 10 and 11 grew the force on the corner increased and cause deformation of the connecting plate. If the buckling in the compression member had not occurred, it would be conceivable that this would be the next location for failure. Suggested Modifications to Improve Performance: Using another cross brace in a sense parallel to the main plate between the lower main compression members 10 and 11 would have prevented the buckling that caused the main failure from occurring. The geometry of the proposed cross brace would force the member to become stockier thus its critical stress would be much higher, allowing us to once again us mode A with a 9.5mm by 9.5mm of thickness 0.8mm. If the holes for the bent plates that connects the main compression members 3 and 5 to the main plate were moved such that the corner of the connecting plate lay within the normal of the edge of the main plate, then this would reduce deformation of the connecting plate and hence the structure. If these connecting bent plates were to be the first point of failure, the modifications described would increase the failure load by postponing the tearing of the connecting plates. Conclusions: The main failure as discussed was mode B buckling of the longest compression member due to insufficient cross bracing. It would be interesting to rebuild the cantilever with the improvements and even have an entire redesign. One can learn many things from analyzing a failure. For example how to improve the structure and more importantly how to go about design in the first place.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

American Education Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

American Education - Assignment Example Eastern education is influenced more by spirituality and religion. On the other hand, Native American’s education is more focused on re-educating the students in the Western school of thought. The dominating culture of the West has been a primary focus on American’s education, thus, the culture of the natives are discouraged since the dominant culture believes that their education and knowledge is better or more inclined to the truth than the traditional ways of the natives. Though, there have been programs to re-establish the traditional concepts and schools of thought of the native, more inclined to a balance of nature and self (Demmert, 1994). Another striking difference in the education system of the West and the East is the structure. Eastern education is more teacher-centered, wherein the teacher has the ultimate authority in a classroom setting. Western education, on the other hand, is more student-centered and focus on class participation and interaction. Teacher-centered education gives high expectations and student-centered is more focused on the values that are imparted to its students (LePage and Sockett, 2002). This basically shows that a student-centered setting is more effective in the Western education since it is more focused on individualism and reason. However, the Eastern educational system has learned to strike a balance of these two in order to produce better and more productive

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

The democratic and participative management styles Essay

The democratic and participative management styles - Essay Example When the employees feel that they are being involved in the decision-making process, they tend to give more feedback and ideas that may be beneficial for the management. It is in fact, the employees at the bottom level who are doing most of the hands-on job of the organization. Allowing them to take part in the decision-making process gives them the idea that management is willing to listen to them and to consider them as important members of the organization not just robots that they command to do certain things.  In the consultative style, the management raises the issue with the employees and considers the employees’ ideas and opinions regarding the issue. The employees become part of the decision-making process because the management opens its doors for feedback and opinions of the employees. This is the same for the participative management style. The difference lies in the final decision-making process. In the consultative style, the management takes responsibility and accountability of the final decision. The final decision may be influenced by the employees’ feedback. With this, the management makes the employees feel they are involved in the decision-making process but they do not share the responsibility of the decision. The management is able to create an open environment, however, the downside of this style happens when the management’s decision does not conform to the majority or minority of the group. This might create a feeling of rejection for those who gave.

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Network Security and Growing Problems Protecting your Privacy Research Paper

Network Security and Growing Problems Protecting your Privacy - Research Paper Example In the last decade, federal governments like the FBI and other organizations have supported the Cyber command battling computer intrusions to fend of attacks network systems. The problem with network systems security is how easy a hacker can access your system to gain what the criminal is targeting. The methods can be done from across the globe being sent thru an email to millions of people to entice them to open or allow access from them to the network. This method can be done thru a link posted in the email or it aggressively uploads a file once opened and once opened the malicious software penetrates into the network system loading or unloading data to its requester. Another method used by hackers is to use devices that passively listen to networks by accessing the broadcast being sent between the networks. When the hackers are trying to monitor the nodes or access points in the network the equipment typically used are network hardware typically found in electronic stores. The hardware that is typically used is Wi-Fi modem, laptop and a network analyzing software. The hardware listed can be then used to pick up Wi-Fi signals used in networks and then be managed in the software that is able to interpret its meaning. In Wi-Fi signals, the information being broadcasted is usually "open" since you cannot see what is being sent over the stream. With the information being free a hacker with bad intentions can collect a surplus of information without being detected. The typical hacker that finds ways to steal private information are not industry IT or IS professionals but enthusiast that are technically savvy enough to understand the inner workings of a computer and software language to control them. In current days in the tech industry, it's not out of the normality to hack to jailbreak a smartphone so you don't have to pay the manufactures prices but  instead get it for free. With the same concept, hackers can access networks.

Monday, August 26, 2019

How to Control and Prevent Delinquency Research Paper

How to Control and Prevent Delinquency - Research Paper Example The increasing number of youth offenders does not stem from a single cause nor a single set of causes. Sociologists agree that social disorganization is one of the most important factors that influence the rate of juvenile delinquency. Thus, in slum areas, where families come from different regions of the country or speak different dialects, where people are constantly on the move, and where diverse cultural standards flourish side by side with little interaction and community solidarity, delinquency is most often found. Some researchers suggest that more often delinquents have parents characterized by drunkenness or criminality, ineffective household management, economic difficulties, and low self-respect. Delinquency often indicates that their families are not concerned about their welfare. Most delinquent children do not experience a real home life. They are left to themselves the whole day with any companion they choose to have. Marriage may be temporarily or permanently broken. Temporarily broken homes refer to the separation of husband and wife caused by war, migration, hospitalization, imprisonment, or employment conditions. Permanently broken homes refer to separation caused by desertion, divorce or legal separation, life imprisonment, or death. Behavioral as well as social scientists express the view that broken homes can create far-reaching problems such as juvenile delinquency, unwed mothers, poverty, etc. Many of the juvenile delinquents here and abroad were found to come from broken homes. But it does not follow that broken homes will surely cause young children and adolescents to go wayward and develop into delinquents. Many separated parents have produced offsprings that climbed into fame. Clear knowledge of the causes of the emergence of youth offenders can naturally lead to a better understanding of how to control and prevent delinquency.  Ã‚  

Sunday, August 25, 2019

HW 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

HW 2 - Essay Example Finally, Palestine $6.641 billion, Mauritania$4.183 billion, Somalia $2.372 billion, Djibouti $1.459 billion and Comoros $658 million. The GDP per Capita is equal to $7,364.37 (2668.78billion/362,390,776). France has a GDP per Capita of $35,700 which is almost five times as much as that of the Arab League members. Germany’s GDP per Capita is $39,500 which is more than five times that of the League Members. That of USA is seven times the League’s GDP per Capita at $52,800 while that of Japan is $37,100, and Israel’s is $36,200 both approximately five time the League GDP per Capita. In conclusion, there are disparities in the GDP of the different countries in the Arab League for example Saudi Arabia has the highest GDP at $718.5 billion, and the Comoros has the least at $658 million resulting to a difference of approximately 718 billion. This explains the low GDP per Capita in the League despite different countries like United Arab Emirates having high GDP per

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Maritime Industry Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Maritime Industry - Assignment Example 5). Really, it is somewhat speculative as to who needs who in this situation. With regard to the ship type, a 65.000 tonne deadweight bulk carrier would probably be appropriate for shipping lots of heavy cargo, such as car parts. If car parts for an average car weighed 2 tonnes apiece, at least 32 cars could be assembled in Japan if the cargo were carrying that kind of weight. Japan has indicated that Indonesia is very useful for its employment of cheap labor. However, Japan, on the other hand, has noted that it is not interested in the shipment of natural persons to its country, unless they have state-sponsored tourist visas and/or visas for work or study. In this regard, Japan is very unforgiving in its assessment of who the Japanese are letting into the country and who they will not. The trading patterns eminent in Japanese-Indonesian relations seem to be that Japan, in return for Indonesia’s cheaply-produced, labor-intensive goods—requires energy from Indonesia. Sin ce Indonesia is a larger country, it can produce power because there is more land to build factories and generators and other power-producing and energy-producing structures. There are several limitations on trade which Japan has placed on Indonesia, some of which are not immediately understandable, but which probably would make more sense if one were more informed about Japanese history, culture, and economy. One of these difficult ideas for outsiders to embrace is the idea of Japan’s stricture against leather imports. Dating back from the Edo era, a people called â€Å"†¦[B]uraku-min†¦were engaged in occupations thought to be undesirable, including disposal of the dead, collecting garbage, butchering animals and tanning and crafting leather. The jobs of handling the flesh of four-legged animals, such as butchers and leather artisans, were thought to be something violating Buddhist strictures against killing† (Hisane, 2011, pgh. 32). The type of cargoes that are restricted from being sent to Japan include any tuna or skipjack tuna, which is apparently a big market for the Japanese. Additionally, any type of footwear would be a sensitive issue to be shipped to Japan. Japan also has a variety of grain products which are forbidden or restricted severely—including barley, wheat, corn, and various other foods. Indonesia strictly has limits on the amount of soy, barley, corn, and wheat that they will allow from Japan. Obviously, both countries maintain limits on what types of products they will allow into and allow out of their respective nations. Japan also has no need for textile products from Indonesia, because obviously there are still a lot of textile industries in Japan. These industries are most likely supported by unskilled Japanese workers, and as it stands it seems like Japan does not need any more unskilled workers, as they have all the available jobs being filled right now. Japan said that it will only accept skilled worke rs into its country unless the people have specialized visas for specific purposes. 2- With regard to your vessel's port operation and your answer to question 1, investigate potential ports of call, cargo handling facilities and other services the vessel might require whilst in port. (500 words) Ports of call between Indonesia and Japan

Friday, August 23, 2019

Renal transplants Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Renal transplants - Research Paper Example During this time, approximately one third of potential living donors are unable to donate to their potential recipients due to ABO or antigen incompatibility. Kidney paired donation (KPD) and kidney list donation (KLD) were the alternative options for candidates with incompatible donor (McKay, 2010, 103). The first KPD transplant was performed on South Korea in 1991. The United States performed its first KPD transplant in 2000 in Rhode Island Hospital while the first KLD occurred in England in 2001 (McKay, 2010, 104). The kidney is the most commonly transplanted organ in the world with more than 160,000 persons in the United States living with a transplanted kidney by the end of 2008 (Shoskes, 2011, 154). But despite this number, persons needing kidney transplantation still increases and a relative scarcity in terms of resource arise. A complete array of information about kidney transplantation was included in the databases of U.S. Renal Database System (USRDS), Scientific Registry o f Renal Transplants Recipients (SRTR), United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), and Collaborative Transplant Study (Shoskes, 2011, 154). Procedures Before a patient undergo kidney transplantation, a series of laboratory tests and procedures are needed to perform and complete. Matching is the key tool is successful transplantation. The donor’s organ should match the recipient’s body in terms of ABO and antigen incompatibility to avoid risks of rejection. The patient with end-stage renal disease may choose from treatments such as peritoneal dialysis, hemodialysis, or transplantation. Transplantation is done if the patient wants the treatment or if according to disease severity, requires the transplantation procedure. The surgical team involves the pre-emptive living donor (LD) transplantation to minimize pre-operation transplant list and maximize operative choices. The LD transplantation decreases the risk of acute tubular necrosis due to ischemia, increases potential fo r matching, and offers opportunity to initiate and optimize immunosuppressive therapy, thereby reducing acute rejection episodes (McKay, 2010, 17). Background regarding the quality of the donor’s organ was predetermined and positive outcome was expected. Then, the transplant team prepares the patient for the procedure. However, if the patient has superior vena cava syndrome due to an AV graft in the previous hemodialysis, a different procedure is done by the nephrologists and cardiologists. The organ transplantation is divided into five separate procedures (McKay, 2010, 18) and discussed as follows: 1) Preparation – the surgeon discuss to the patient the surgical procedure. General anesthesia is introduced after and intraoperative measures are implemented. 2) Exposure – after prepping and draping, incision is made in the right or left lower quadrant. 3) Vascular Anastomoses – venous anastomoses first and arterial anastomoses must be last to avoid complica tions of bleeding and thrombosis. The kidney is chilled and topical iced is used liberally. Clamp is placed in the renal vein. 4) Ureteral anastomoses – is the preferred method to establish urologic continuity 5) Closing – wound/skin closure and measures to prevent complications. After completion of all the procedures in kidney transplantation, the patient is placed in the recovery area and post-operative interventions are applied. Health providers monitor for rejection signs post-operative

Industrial Business Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Industrial Business Management - Essay Example Not a cure –all, it has definite limitations- just as it has great possibilities and excellent record of accomplishments. Operations research broadens and formalizes the basic principles of scientific management and uses the methods long applied to problems in physical science. When a business man faced with a marketing problem that involves variables employs algebra to calculate the best time to sell his product, he is using the operations research approach. Instead of studying insects, or atoms, or heart diseases, like most sciences, operations research studies men and machines in action. And it employs the talents of a team of scientists, rather than man. Operations research teams include physicist, political scientist, mathematician, economists, engineers, psychologists, and on down the line of practically every science- physical, biological, social or human. Faced with a problem, an operations research team gathers every piece of information which bears on the situation. These dates are translated into mathematical terms by using the tools of algebra and calculus, differential equations, geometry, statistics, and symbolic logic, among others. What is appalling to layman, however makes good sense to the operations research specialist. ... Operations research does not have to include mathematics however, it can be simple too. Operations research is therefore, is an applied science utilizing all known scientific techniques as tools in solving a specific problem. It is likely however that the operations research should not be classed as a branch of engineering. It is an organized activity with more or less defined methodology of attacking new problems and finding definite solution. The operations research technique is most useful in military operations than in non – military operations. The most important single mathematical tool of operations research is probability and statistical theory. The data upon which the research is based will come, for the most part, from statistical studies of operations. Statistical analysis is part of the observational aspect of operations research. The operations research is successfully practiced in military operations One of the classical example is that of depth setting of a â₠¬Ëœdepth charge’ (a kind of bomb used for underwater explosion at pre – specified depths) to be dropped by an aircraft against submarines. Initially, the attacks were unsuccessful as the submarines were reported sunk. Using available data and simple analysis it became clear that if the depth setting was reduced and the pilots were instructed not to drop the depth charge if the submarines had already submerged for more than half a minute, one would expect the average number of submarine sunk for a given number of attacks by more than two times. Thus there was no need to develop and influence fuze to improve the effectiveness of depth charge. This recommendation was accepted and implemented. Subsequently, enemy intelligence reported that perhaps a

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Discovering Church Membership Essay Example for Free

Discovering Church Membership Essay Superman, Batman and Robin, Wonder Woman, Spiderman, Fantastic four, and The Incredibles are the examples of the popular superheroes that saved people in the hands of evil. Sometimes you’re dreaming to be one of them, strong, fast, flying, invisible and untouchable. But the truth is that all superheroes are not true, they are just a creature and outcome of imaginative mind. They only exist in the world of entertainment. No superhero can save us from death, even a great doctor, or a president, neither a five star general. Certainly, we are all going to leave this world, we will depart from our family, one day we’re going to lose our senses, we cannot talk, we can’t see, our heart will stop pumping and beating, our intelligent mind will be perish, our body will go back to dust. It sounds terrible, terrified, and its scary. But the question is, are you ready for that moment. No one knows what will happen in the future, for next minutes or seconds of our life. For instance, your going to die tonight, where do you think is your destination? Where is your soul heading of? Heaven or hell? Many people are not interested to discuss and disregard this topic because for some of them it is corny, but, we should address this matter properly because life after death is eternal, once you’re there you cannot go back or transfer to the other side. Life is uncertain, that’s why we need the assurance of salvation that we are not going to hell! We have to be saved, we need a savior, even Superman and Zorro needs the Lord, just like a superhero who needs a true Knights and Shining Armor! We need God, The Lord Jesus Christ! The Bible says: I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by me. (John 14:6) God made us as a reflection of His image, we are His masterpiece! He gave us the whole thing we need and allowed us to administer the earth according to His purpose for the reason that God loves us. (Genesis 1:26-30, Jeremiah 31:3, Ephesians 1: 4-5) He wants us to get pleasure from the splendor and goodness of His creation. Yet, we are not contented. And the sins entered! Since man has the natural behavior of being a master to his own self and to do the things that can completely fulfill his desire, despite the wonderful plan of God for us we intend to pursue what we long for, whether it is right or wrong. We are not pleased in Gods amazing loved, we disobeyed Him, subsequently, our own will took place and not the intention of God in our life, what is the significance of having the entire world by our personal power but loses our very own soul. As for what the Bible says: Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: (Romans 5:12) If someone acclaimed that he is a righteous man he’s cheating his own self, and he is condemning God of being a hypocrite. Nobody can say that he doesn’t commit any sin and portray as clean because according to the Bible: â€Å"If we say that we never sin. We are only fooling ourselves, and refuse to accept the truth. † (1 John 1:8). For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; (Romans 3:23) If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. (1 John 1:10) Sins hinder us to see the goodness of God. It ruins our bonding to Him. It makes us afraid the Lord and lives separately from His plan. â€Å"The trouble is that your sins have cut you off from God. † (Isaiah 59:2) Just a simple lie of not telling the truth that you have sinned is a sin or not following the rules and regulations of your school, even not obeying the standard given by the government or by our parents is a sin. Let us say that you are an ordinary teenager at the age of 15 who render a single sin in a day, it makes 7 sins in a week, 30 sins in a month and huge 365 sins for the whole year. If we count your sins when you reached the age of 7 up to now, it has a result of 3,285 sins. What if you are committing more than one sin in a day and you are more than fifteen years of age now? This is the nature of human being to fall into sin and the consequence of this is eternal death in the Hades. â€Å"For the wages of sin is death. † (Romans 6:23a) Whether we like it or not, we can do nothing to save ourselves from the burning hell. The good deeds we’re doing are not enough for us to be saved. Even if we go to church everyday, do a charity works, help the needy, it’s all useless. The key to salvation is only the grace of God and having faith on Him. He is the answer and not the things we’ve trying to impose. We’re just getting tired and stressed of doing something but in the end all of our efforts are in vain. The worst of it is that it leads us to nowhere. â€Å"There are ways that seem right to man, but they only end in death. † (Proverbs 16:25) â€Å"For it is by grace you are saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God not by works so that no one can boast. † (Ephesians 2:8-9) But because God Almighty is faithful and He truly loves us He gave us His only begotten son for us to be saved. (John 3:16) Jesus decided to follow the commandment of His father in Heaven, Jesus came to finish God’s work of salvation. As the Bible says: â€Å"Then Jesus explained: â€Å"My nourishment comes from doing the will of God, who sent me and from finishing his work† (John 4:34) He accepted all the indictments and blasphemies without any regrets. Thousands of years ago Jesus Christ carried all our sins. He picked up the cross to the Calvary. He received hundreds of strips from the whips and shed His precious blood. Nailed on the cross and died for you and me! After three days arose again, resurrected from the grave and fulfilled His promise! (John chapter 19-21) (Matthew chapter 27-28) We needed not to punish ourselves. God didn’t required or told us to also shed our blood for our own salvation because Jesus did it already! It is finished, Jesus said! The words He declared (it is finished) means that our sins are fully paid by Him and paid the full penalty for our sins. With His death, the complex sacrificial system ended because Jesus took all sin upon himself. (John 19:30) Jesus was the absolute and last sacrifice for the transgressions of all the people. Now we can freely approach God because of what Jesus did for us. Those who believe in Jesus’ death and resurrection can live eternally with God and escape the penalty that comes from sin; we only need to do the following: 1. Acknowledge that we are a sinner. Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: (Romans 5:12) If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. (1 John 1:10) 2. Repent in our transgressions. Jesus said: I tell you, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. (Luke 13:5) And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now command all men every where to repent: (Acts 17:30) 3. Accept that Jesus Christ died for you, was buried, and rose from the dead. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16) But God commend his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners. Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8) That if thou shall confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in your heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shall be saved. (Romans 10:9) 4. Request Jesus as personal savior through prayer For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. (Romans 10:10) For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. (Romans 10:13) What to pray: Dear God, I am a sinner and need forgiveness. I believe that Jesus Christ shed His precious blood and died for my sin. I am willing to turn from sin. I now invite Christ to come into my heart and life as my personal Savior. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: John 1:12) Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold all things are become new. (2 Corinthians 5:17) Now is the time that God is knocking in our heart. He wants to put our name in the book of Heaven. Jesus wants us to follow Him. It doesn’t mean that accepting Jesus in our heart makes us weird, but instead it makes us a son of God! We are no longer a gentile but a truly residence of Heaven. Don’t let this opportunity pass away, experience His presence! Original Gods plan was for us to give glory to Him and to join Him in the throne of the Almighty God. Though we sinned, God is so faithful and just to forgive us! Through prayer we can encounter His presence. He will speak to our heart just listen for what His saying, talk to God, just admit that we are a sinner, ask for forgiveness and let Jesus rule our life! Make Him as our personal God and Savior, and experience His amazing love and abundant blessing! After we accepted Christ, read His word (Bible) everyday, find a Christ and Bible centered church. Testify His goodness and show all the people in the world that we already met a true and loving superhero! Superhero of superman and Batman, and can be a superhero of all, Jesus Christ Our Lord and Savior! Works Cited Warren, Rick. â€Å"Discovering Church Membership† Class 101: 3-8 http://www. ccc. org. ph Porter, Robert Ford. â€Å"Gods Simple Plan† (1991) http://www. godssimpleplan. org/gsps-english. html Gods Plan of Salvation (1984-2009) http://www. chick. com/information/general/salvation. asp

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

The Concept of Equitable Globalisation

The Concept of Equitable Globalisation Rebecca Knighton Globalisation Debates: The Concept of Equitable Globalisation and the Offshoring of Jobs ‘One of the fundamental questions of todays world is undoubtedly the question of equitable globalisation’, these were the words of Dr Janez DrnovÃ… ¡ek (2004), then President of the Republic of Slovenia, in a speech addressing members of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe. In order to realise the importance of that sentence, an understanding must be gained of what is meant by globalisation. A word that Godin (2006) described as a buzzword; globalisation is today used to define, justify and legitimise the interconnectedness of the world. Theodore Levitt and his 1983 article The Globalisation of Markets in the Harvard Business Review are accepted by many commentators as the origin of the mainstream use of the term (Mullen, 2006; Abdelal Tedlow, 2006). Equitable globalisation can be defined as an interconnected world in which progress made is fair and development is impartial. When comparing this ambition to how modern day global relationships operate, it’s clear that globalisation today does not possess these qualities. Joshi (2009) explores globalisation and describes it as the increasing economic interdependence of national economies across the world, attributing this interdependence to a rapid increase in the cross-border movements of ‘goods, service, technology, and capital’, while this idea does not contradict the pursuit for fairness, the real and tangible effects of global interconnectedness do not always embody fairness or impartiality. The debate that will be the focus of this discussion, one that routes from the equality – or lack of equality – within global interconnectedness, is centred on offshoring. Offshoring is the process of moving parts of a business’s operations to a different country – this can be either through subcontracting with a contractual agreement or setting up business further premises in another carrying out tasks there. Mankiw (2004) describes the notion as the latest manifestation of the gains from trade ‘that economists have talked about at least since Adam Smith’, his opinion is that this so-called ‘phenomenon’ (Vedder, Guynes and Reilly 2010) is simply the next step businesses can take to profit in many ways in a progressing business environment. The source of the debate leads on from the aforementioned pursuit of equitable globalisation and the contrasting opinions, and justifications of those opinions, between those who support or dis parage offshoring. The debate itself can be separated between the country a business originates from and its chosen destination of offshoring, arguments from both locations identify reasons either for or against. Throughout the debate, the economic, political, social and cultural elements of this element of globalisation will be examined. The first area of the debate to be examined is the contrasting opinions about offshoring in the country of the business’s origin. For the purpose of this discussion, there will be a focus on the USA. A word that seems synonymous with these contrasting opinions is ‘protectionism’ – Mankiw and Swagel look into the term in their insightful 2006 article and conclude that in different arguments it come with entirely different connotations. Members of the American public are looking for some security and consistency in their job and the services they receive, and the term ‘protect’ is tantamount to this, and something they feel the US Government should prioritise. Brothers Ron and Anil Hira are prominent authors within this globalisation debate, and their book Outsouring America (2005) represents the debate well. Their view is that America policy, representative of MEDC’s around the world, is ‘naà ¯ve’ – stating that †˜the formula of free, deregulated markets and faith in American superiority ignores how the international economy has slowly and gradually shifted in the last few decades ‘. Their point follows on from book’s foreword by Lou Dobbs, in which the accusation is made that globalisation and its consequential offshoring have and continue to lead to economic insecurity which is in direct contradiction of the American Dream. This argument is somewhat fuelled by the media (Mankiw Swagel 2006; Amiti Wei 2005). Within the last decade, political events such as the publishing and the controversy surrounding CEA’s February 2004 Economic Report for the President Report in the run up to the 2004 election which mentioned offshoring have coincided with impartial reports and media attention regarding job losses and economic slowdown. These overlapping events have led to the subject of offshoring becoming thought of as a justification for a faltering labour market. In addition to the argument of a loss of American jobs, an element of this debate is about the quality of exported services. A customer survey by American Banker/Gallup (2004) found that of the two thirds of respondent aware of offshore outsourcing, the vast majority (78%) held an unfavourable opinion. Exemplifying this point is the relocation, and consequential return, of a call centre for the computer technology firm Dell due to customers complaining that upon its move to India, standards dropped and customer service quality was reduced, this was discussed by Taylor and Bain (2004). Although this case is not alone it its controversy, may call centres have remained in India and other popular offshoring locations – part of the Asian information technology enabled services (ITES) industry estimated to be worth US$1.5–1.6 trillion in 2020 (NASSCOM 2009a). To refer back to the aforementioned point of varying connotations of protectionism, the opinions found in academic and particularly economic literate are that the notion carries negative implications. This academic literature forms part of the discourse that offshoring is a positive contribution to a country’s economy. In order to justify the concept of outsourcing, economists look into the theory that defines their subject area – a part of this theory is comparative advantage. This is the ability for one party to produce a good or provide a service at a lower marginal cost to its competitor (Baumol Minder 2009) and can also be applied to whole countries. The comparative advantage that, for example, India can offer US companies for elements of their business that can be outsourced, is the driver of offshoring. One view of this concept is that of Bhagwati (2008), who labelled the phenomenon ‘kaleidoscopic comparative advantage’ is recognition of its complex ity. In direct contradiction to the so-called protectionists’ opinion of a negative effect on the economy, McKinsey Consulting (2003) calculate that overall net US income rises by about 12–14 cents for every dollar of outsourcing; this is due to the increased profits of companies being contributed to tax, being used to develop and grow the business – leading to more US employment, and consumers paying lower prices for products and services that have been made cheaper by offshoring. A further point in the debate that this embodiment of globalisation is good for the economy is that these global economic developments could be liken to a third Industrial Revolution. Blinder (2006) explored this idea – he identified that such vast and unsettling adjustments are not unique today as the same repercussions were felt during both the agricultural and the manufacturing industrial revolutions, but added that both of those economic changes are looked back upon as succ essful and relevant steps forward. The article goes on to address the opinion that jobs are risk of being relocated are those that are typically lower paid; using an example of taxi drivers, aeroplane pilots, janitors and crane operators as ‘safe’ jobs, compared with accountants, computer programmers, radiologists and security guards as jobs that could potentially be outsource. The range of jobs that are or are not at risk do not correspond to traditional distinctions between high-end and low-end work. A further point opposed to the argument against the offshoring of job to America is the contest to opinions that it lead to a reduced quality of customer service. Blinder (2006) comments on the constant improvements in technology and global communication, says that due to this there has been little or no degradation in quality. The education of the employees in foreign companies is discussed by Doyle (2012) – he used the example of the recent vast improvements of English Language education in India and puts forward the point that this in turn eliminates a potential language barrier that may have supposed negative effect on the customer service provided by companies that outsource their call centres to country that don’t have English as a first language. Having explored both view of offshoring in the country of the business’ origin, the nest step to gaining an understanding of this globalisation debate is that of the country hosting these outsource jobs. Similarly to the previous arguments, using a case study will allow a more in depth investigation into the opinions and justifications of this debate. India will be the focus of this debate – chosen due to its popularity amongst business as a destination for offshoring jobs. According to the Tholons 2013 report of the top worldwide outsourcing destinations, six Indian cities are within the ten most favourable, including the 1st and 2nd being Bangalore and Mumbai respectively. The offshoring of jobs to India is regarded as the main vendor of offshored jobs, with some estimates that an additional 400 people are employed a day due to jobs that have been offshored (Bergh et al, 2011). This contribution to the economy is the main positive with this globalisation debate in favour of outsourcing jobs to India; a contribution estimate by Nasscom to be growing 19% per year (Nasscom, 2012). Bergh et al (2011) go on to discuss the impacts of this input into the India economy, such as vast improved have been made to infrastructure that has in turn allowed further expansion and an increased quality of life. A further part of the debate is the social side of this embodiment of globalisation: this impacts of increased employment. Despite criticism, that will be explored further into this discussion, there is evidence within academic literature and other publications that improvement are made to the quality of lives of those employed by companies that have offshored their jobs to India, Ball et al (2005) explore this point, their findings indicate that those employed by subsidiaries of the original company that has outsourced the jobs benefit from working conditions better than if they were employed by companies based in India, as well as a better sense of job security. Another point is the claims that these companies recognise the nature of the work, identifying that by working and travelling home overnight employee would be increasingly vulnerable, and by offering security and transport services care is taken of these employees (Messenger and Ghosheh, 2010). Whilst this argument of the positive effects on the vendors’ economy and the satisfactory to good working conditions provided is legitimised by academic papers on the subject, the opposing opinions come from a strong stand point and are very well justified by both academic research and events in the media. One underlying point of this discourse relates back to the point of equitable globalisation and the impartiality of development – a concept which ties in with the opportunity to develop sustainably. A major criticism of the presence of outsourced jobs and the effects of these in India and other vendor nations is the instability of and speed in which changes are being made. Whilst governments, such as in India, have been recognised as paramount in facilitating an inflow of not only foreign capital but also knowledge and technology. Winters and Yusuf (2007) highlight the pressure felt governments by internationally trading companies to aid their overseas operations – attributing this to the fast growth and lack of forward planning when implementing incentive schemes. This potential instability is worsen by claims that India may be losing its popularity amongst multi-national companies leading to a slowdown in investment (Helyah, 2010; The Economist, 2013). A second element to this discourse is explored by Messenger and Ghosheh (2010), and is based on the deep rooted cultural differences between vendor countries, i.e. India, and the companies’ country of origin. This leads to difficulties in integration and segregation between higher management and workers, which is turn can very negatively affect moral. A further point in the issue of cultural difference, is the westernisation of the nation a company is operating – an example of this is demonstrated in a Post-Colonial perspective investigation into recent changes in Indian culture and an example within the paper, by Ravishenkar et al (2013), is the education system in India that is said to ‘mimick’ Western concepts and ignore local stakeholder. Whilst this change would not be considered a negative by all commentators, it exemplifies a potential loss of national identity which has been explored in the wider sense of globalisation by Featherstone (2005). A final point in the discussion of this debate is the working conditions of people employed in offshored jobs. Ghimire (no date) commentates the topic and highlights the following point as issues within the sector: disturbed social and family life due to overbearing work commitments and a lack of flexibility by employers; detachments from local culture and lifestyle; racist abuse from customers abroad. This list is increased by further contributions from Messenger and Ghosheh (2010) who explain that of their sample over 50% have suffered from work related illnesses and conditions including back and neck pain, sleep problems and headaches; they also reveal that many regulations set out by India’s government are not adhered to or are interpreted in the favour of employees: example are having the breaks required by law being dependant on outputs and call levels (in call centres) or breaks cut short due to overloading workloads and missed, sometime considered unattainable, targets . Due to the nature of companies with insufficient working condition, data is not available across the board due to secrecy and strict employee contracts; information in the media gives an insight into how conditions are worse than this, but cannot be relied on to be true and legitimate sources in an academic discussion. By investigating the debate with what can be identified as four separate discourses, a comprehensive understanding can be gained of the opinions, justifications and evidence of each opposing argument. The exploration of such a topical and global debate bring some difficulties – such as contradicting literature and misinterpretation of statistical evidence. The question of the practice of offshoring is a prominent debate within globalisation; and due to its so called ‘kaleidoscopic’ complexity (Bhagwati, 2008) and multiple standpoints it demonstrates the complexity in the global interconnectedness of today’s world. When returning to the initial concept of equitable globalisation, this debate highlights how the pursuit of that ideal is somewhat unattainable; the impartiality of the concept is impossible to obtain due to the nature of the profit driven forces that dominate the global relations and drive globalisation itself. References Abdelal, R and Tedlow, R S (2003) Theodore Levitt’s ‘The Globalization of Markets’: An Evaluation after Two Decades. Harvard NOM Working Paper No. 03-20; Harvard Business School Working Paper No. 03-082. [Online] Last accessed 04/01/14 at http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=383242 American Banker/Gallup (2004), What Americans think about overseas outsourcing? American Banker. 169 (192) 18 Amiti, M and Wei, Shang-Jin (2005) Fear of Service Outsourcing: Is it justified? Economic Policy. 20 (42) 308-347 Anon (2004) Economic Report of the President, 108th Congress, 2nd Session [Online] Last accessed 06/01/14 at http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/ERP-2004/pdf/ERP-2004.pdf Anon (2013) India No Longer Automatic Choice for Services and Back Office Work. The Economist. (Special Report). Bain, P and Taylor, P (2004) Call Centre Offshoring to India: The Revenge of History? Labour and Industry: A Journal of the Social and Economic Relations of Work. 14 (3) Baumol, W and Binder, A (2009) Economics: Principles and Policy. Ohio: South Western Cengage Learning Bergh, A, Israels, R, Mehta, S, Sheychenko, A (2011) A decade of offshore outsourcing to India: Define your strategy for the next decade. [Online] Last accessed 07/01/14 at http://www.quintgroup.com/content/library/A_Decade_of_Offshore_Outsourcing.pdf Bhagwati, J (2008) The selfish hegemon must offer a New Deal on trade. [Online] Last accessed 06/01/14 at http://delong.typepad.com/egregious_moderation/2008/08/jagdish-bhagwat.html Blinder, A (2006) Offshoring: The Next Industrial Revolution? Foreign Affairs. 85 (2) 113-128 DrnovÃ… ¡ek, J (2004) Speech by President DrnovÃ… ¡ek at the opening of the meeting of European Liberals in Ljubljana [Online] Last accessed 04/01/14 at http://www2.gov.si/up-rs/2002-2007/jd-ang.nsf/dokumentiweb/A28B9C6C3EC2ABFEC1256F95002CB360?OpenDocument Farrell, D, Baily, M, Agrawal, V, Bansal, V, Beacom, T, Kaka, N, Kejriwal, M, Kumar, A, Palmade, V, Remes, J, Heinz, T (2003) Offshoring: Is it a Win–Win Game? McKinsey Global Institute Featherstone, M (2005) Undoing Culture: Globalisation, Postmodernism and Identity. London: Sage Publications Ghimire, b (no date) Social Impact of Outsourcing. Understanding Outsourcing. Professional Education, Testing and Certification Organization International [Online] Last accessed 07/01/14 at http://www.peoi.org/Courses/Coursesen/outsrc/outsrc6.html Ghosheh, N and Messenger, J (Eds) (2010) Offshoring and Working Conditions in Remote Work Godin, B (2006) The Knowledge-Based Economy: Conceptual Framework or Buzzword. The Journal of Technology Transfer. 31 (1) 17-30 Guynes, C, Reilly, R and Vedder, R (2010) Offshoring Limitations. Review of Business Information Systems. 14 (1) Helyar, J (2012) Outsourcing: A Passage out of India. Bloomberg Business Week Companies and Industry Hira, A and Hira, R (2005) Outsourcing America: What’s behind our national crisis and how we can reclaim American jobs. New York: AMACON Joshi, R M (2009) International Business. New Delhi and New York: Oxford University Press Levitt, T (1983) Globalization of Markets. Harvard Business Review. May/June. 92-102 Mankiw, G and Swagel, P (2006) The Politics and economics of Offshore Outsourcing. Journal of Monetary Economics. 53 (5). Mullen, J (2006) An ‘Original Mind’ of Marketing Dies. Advertising Ages. 77 (8) NASSCOM. (2009) Gender inclusivity in India: Building an empowered organisation. [Online] Last accessed 06/01/14 at: http://www.nasscom.in Tholons (2013) 2013 Top 100 Outsourcing Destinations: Rankings and Report Overview. p2 Winters, A and Yusuf, S (2007) Dancing with Giants: China, India and the Global Economy. Washington: World Bank Publications

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Factors that influence to increase price of goods

Factors that influence to increase price of goods Introduction Controls the market price of all necessary goods are the prime objective of the government. However, with the price increases of essentials capturing headlines of our national newspaper and TVs almost everyday. This price-hiking problem has become the main social problem in Bangladesh and it has great negative impacts on the people. The poor general mass is suffering most in this problem. Besides, it also hindrance the growth and development of the country. Ultimately, the goals of welfare state hampered due to lack of proper controlling the price of necessary goods. There are many reasons behind this problem. According to the finance and planning adviser, Mizan Azizul Islam, International price hike of essential necessities as being responsible for high domestic prices. In most of the cases, international market price is responsible for domestic inflation. Besides, production and production costing, export and import, preservation system, marketing policies, communication system etc are also responsible for this problem. Moreover, a group of business people are taking the advantages of these and increasing the price of necessary goods. This is unethical and unlawful. Factors that Influence to Increase Price of Goods Some factors are influencing the overall situation of the market to increase the price of necessary goods. They are- Production Production cost Preservation system Marketing strategy Export and Import Unethical business practice tendency Syndication Retail sellers unlawful tendency towards benefit Global market price Lack of government rules and its implementation Production The mass production of goods nationally and globally reduces the price of goods. If it is hampered, then it is impossible to control the price or keep the price of all necessary good in the reach of the poor people. This kind of problem happened when big countries such as China, India, Korea etc fail to produce their necessary goods. Last year due to natural disaster India fail to produce rice as a result demand for rice grows up and a scarcity was arise in the global market and at the same time price for rice goes up at a tremendous rate*. And it had a impacts both in the global and local market. *.Article on the newspaper ( The Daily Star )- Due to natural disaster India fails to produce rice to meet the local demand. So, they are going to buy and preserve rice from the global market. ally recognized levels. Production Cost Production cost depends on availability of production materials such as seed, fertilizer, water, production equipments and the weather. Lack of any of them interrupts the production and increase the production cost. According to the Section 171.1014, 1 taxable entity that elects to subtract cost of goods sold for computing its taxable margin shall determine the amount of that cost of goods sold as provided by this section. Moreover, the cost of goods sold includes all direct costs of acquiring or producing the goods (Labor costs, raw materials costs, handling costs, storage costs, repairing and maintaining costs etc)*. In addition, the cost of goods does not include the following costs in relation to the taxable entitys goods (Renting or leasing costs, selling, distributions, advertising costs etc)*. However, a group of businessperson are not following this rules and regulation and increasing the price of necessary goods for seeking more benefits. On the other hand, the governments are not taking any steps against this group of people though are there rules and regulations to prevent this. The only reason behind is that now a days more than 60% MPs are businessperson. * Section 171.1012. Determination of Cost of Goods Sold. In this section: The cost of goods sold includes all direct costs of acquiring or producing the goods, including: (1) labor costs; (2) cost of materials that are an integral part of specific property produced; (3) cost of materials that are consumed in the ordinary course of performing production activities; (4) handling costs, including costs attributable to processing, assembling, repackaging, and inbound transportation costs; Preservation Lack of proper preservation system has a great impact of the quality of the goods and on its price. Because of this most of the times producer mainly the farmer lose their interest to produce the goods. However, the government tries to make the cold storages in most of the prime cities. Further, it is not sufficient. Moreover, sometimes it is too much costly for the farmers and so on. Every year just for the lack of cold storage, farmers are dropping out their goods in the ponds, rivers. Such as tomato, potato, onion etc. Besides, it is a reason of environment pollution. The government is not taking the necessary steps to prevent this. As a result, the victim farmers are losing their interest for producing this goods and a scarcity is going to rise in the local market. Therefore, price of this goods are going high which is unreachable to the general mass. (5) storage costs, including the costs of carrying, storing, or warehousing property, subject to Subsection (e); (6) depreciation, depletion, and amortization, to the extent associated with and necessary for the production of goods, including recovery described by Section 197, Internal Revenue Code; (7) the cost of renting or leasing equipment, facilities, or real property directly used for the production of the goods, including pollution control equipment and intangible drilling and dry hole costs; (8) the cost of repairing and maintaining equipment, facilities, or real property directly used for the production of the goods, including pollution control devices; (9) costs attributable to research, experimental, engineering, and design activities directly related to the production of the goods, including all research or experimental expenditures described by Section 174, Internal Revenue Code; (10) geological and geophysical costs incurred to identify and locate property that has the potential to produce minerals; (11) taxes paid in relation to acquiring or producing any material, or taxes paid in relation to services that are a direct cost of production; (12) the cost of producing or acquiring electricity sold; and (13) a contribution to a partnership in which the taxable entity owns an interest that is used to fund activities, the costs of which would otherwise be treated as cost of goods sold of the partnership, but only to the extent that those costs are related to goods distributed to the taxable entity as goods-in-kind in the ordinary course of production activ * The cost of goods sold does not include the following costs in relation to the taxable entitys goods: (1) the cost of renting or leasing equipment, facilities, or real property that is not used for the production of the goods; (2) selling costs, including employee expenses related to sales; (3) distribution costs, including outbound transportation costs; (4) advertising costs; (5) idle facility expense; (6) rehandling costs; Marketing Still in our country, there are no proper marketing policies of the government. The lower middle class, middle class and upper class businessperson are controlling the markets. Most of the times the farmers are deprived their due prices. The middle class businessperson is unethically increasing the benefit margins. On the other hand, regarding imported goods, the businessperson are syndicating and increasing the prices of goods very high. As a result, for both of this system nationally produced goods and imported goods the consumers of our country are victims of this unethical business. Most of the times the government are the co-sharer of these unethical activities of the businessperson. In one sense, due to dishonesty and corruption justice is like a golden deer for people of Bangladesh. Therefore, the price controlling is hard to reach without development of the humanity. Besides this in Bangladesh, the business people are not following the perfect marketing strategy. In addition, the government has a lack of control on the over all market condition. Sometimes-due to this many businessperson starts to market their products without testing it and maintaining the quality*. Moreover, they focus on advertisements and start to market the products at a low price. As a result, the reputed companies who are maintaining the quality of the products it becomes tough for them to sustain in the market. Because they cannot able to market the products at a cheaper rate like their competitors. As a result, the general people have to buy the quality products at a higher rate. Communication Problem Communication problem influences to increase the price of necessary goods such as vegetables, imported goods etc. Without proper communication problem, it is tough to distribute the goods properly. It is great problem in Bangladesh and we are suffering this problem year after year. Government is trying to improve the communication problem. However, the steps they are taking are not sufficient for our country. Most of the times in the rainy seasons, prices of goods due to the communication problem. Moreover, every year flood is a common natural disaster for Bangladesh that totally breaks down the transportation system of us. On the other hand, each and every the transportation companies have to face many problems. Our government does not take any steps to secure the communication system. Groups of people take the advantage and collect money from the transportation sectors such as police, Mastans and so on. Due to this types of unethical activities, the cost of goods are incrasing. Export According to the Export Policy 1997-2002 the main objectives are to achieve optimum national growth, narrow down the gaps between export and import, to make the exportable items more attractive, to develop and expand infrastructure and so on*. In the year of 2009-2010, we export $18.36 billion. For Bangladesh the main export items are garments, textiles, jute and jute goods, ships, leather, produce, frozen fish and seafood, pharmaceuticals, ceramics, cement. Our main export partners are US 31.8%, Germany 10.9%, UK 7.9%, France 5.2%, Netherlands 5.2%, Kuwait 4.9%, Japan 4.5%, Italy 4.42% (2000). However, we fail to achieve our export objectives due to political disturbance, economical condition, natural disaster and so on. Every year we are exporting less and importing more. As a result, it create a negative impacts on our economy and price of goods are going up. Because of this unstable economic condition is arising day by day. The economy of Bangladesh is constituted by that of developing country. Its per capital income in 2008 was est. US$1,500. This is lower than India and Pakistan. Bangladesh ranked as the 48th largest economy in the world in 2008. In Bangladesh the economy has grown at the rate of 6-7% p.a. Due to infrastructure problems in transportation, communications, power supply and water distribution Bangladesh can not able to achieve it export objectives. These are the reason, which influence to increase the price of necessary goods. Objectives ( Export policy 1997-2002) The principal objectives of this policy are : 1. To achieve optimum national growth through increase of export in regional and international market; 2.. To narrow down the gap between the countrys export earning and import payment through achievement of the export targets ; 3.. To undertake timely steps for production of exportable goods at a competitive price with a view to exporting and strengthening existing export markets and making dent in new markets; 4.. To take the highest advantage of entering into the post Uruguay liberalized and globalized international market; 5. To make our exportable items more attractive to the market through product diversification and quality improvement; 6.. To establish backward linkage industries and services with a view to using more indigenous raw materials, expand the product base and identify and export higher value added products ; 7. To simplify export procedures and to rationalize and solidify export incentives; 8. To develop and expand infrastructure ; 9. To develop trained human resources in the export sector; 10. To raise the quality and grading of export products to internation Import According to the Import Policy 1997-2002 the main objectives are to make the import policy compatible with the changes in world-market, to ensure the growth of industries and so on*. In the year of 2008 Bangladesh imports$20.205 billion. Our main imported items are machinery and equipment, chemicals, iron and steel, raw cotton, food, crude oil and petroleum products. Our main import partners are China 11.4%, India 9.1%, Singapore 8.5%, Hong Kong 7.1%, Japan 6.5%. Government is sincerely committed to fostering a gradual development of free market economy in the light of GATT agreement. For the interest of export promotion investment in the country, it is necessary to have a long term, stable, facilitative liberal Import Policy. The present government has taken steps to extend the duration of the Import Policy from two years to five years. Efforts have been made to make the Import Policy easier and more liberal by relaxing or rescinding the regulatory provisions of the previous Import Policy. Provisions have already been made to allow import of capital machinery and industrial raw materials on consignment basis without the cover of the Letter of Credit. Main objectives of Import policy a) To make the Import Policy Compatible with the changes in world-market that have occurred as a result of the introduction of market economy and signing of the GATT Agreement. b) To simplify the procedures for import of capital machinery and industrial raw materials with a view to promoting export, and c) To ensure growth of the indigenous industry and availability of high quality goods to the consumers at a reasonable price Government has taken steps for quality control in the import of cement, fertilizer etc. In order to protect the interest of the consumers, steps are afoot to ensure that in future all imported consumer items conform to a specified standard of quality. In the present Import Policy Order, second hand/reconditioned machinery are importable subject to fulfillment of certain conditions. Gradually efforts will be made to classify the machinery under H. S. Code. However, lack of proper management sometimes the import polices are disrupted. As a result, it takes too much time to discharge/unload the goods from sea-port. So, the importers have to increase the price of the goods. Besides, syndicating problem is a great reason to increase the market price of imported goods. Unethical Business Practice Tendency Most of the cases upper class and middle class businessperson are dishonest, selfish and they are acting as the head of the society*. They are controlling the local market price as their own wish. Besides, they are controlling the era of devils and making wealth and property. Moreover, they are also responsible for syndicating and increasing the price of local market goods. Among the politician more than 60% are businessperson*, they deals with the politicians and political parties and using their power in the wrong direction. Besides, corrupting the business sectors as much as they can just to make profits. In words, it is the Kingdom of dishonest, wealthy and powerful persons. The mass people are helpless to control the price of necessary goods. According to a report in *Amar Desh (May 11, 2007), prices of essential food items have increased 25 per cent on an average in the past four months. According to a report in New Age (May 11, 2007), prices rose between five and 50 per cent during the same period- most of it under the military-backed interim government of Fakhruddin Ahmed that assumed office after the proclamation of a state of emergency on January 11. According to the governmentà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸s own statistics, inflation increased from just fewer than six per cent in January this year to almost 7.5 per cent by March. While the government appears to be in denial suggesting that inflation is not really out of control and quite below the danger level, experts fear that it might, in fact, have crossed the double-digit mark driven by the soaring food prices. *According to SLATE magazine (2007), about our very own mafia groups that group has come to be known, and often referred to in the media, as the syndicate. Despite the fact that academics, researchers and even politicians have acknowledged such collusion, its existence is denied upfront, both by government officials and businesspeople, in a manner that can be likened to that regarding the mafia. For the longest time, the existence of the mafia, or rather Cosa Nostra, was denied by insiders as well as government officials till misconceptions and myths were laid to rest by, what came to be known as, the Maxi Trial in a court in Sicily over a hundred years after its existence was officially reported. As for the syndicate, it has proved to be invincible and even immune to a state of emergency, which has not been able to curb Retail Sellers These types of people are also corrupted. They are mainly creating artificial crises of the product in the local market*. As a result, demand for those goods goes up. Moreover, sometimes the retailers offer gift items with the low quality products. As a result, demand for quality products goes down and they take the advantage by stocking the products. After few days later they market the products at a higher price. Global Market Prices It is also one of the prime reasons for increasing the price of necessary goods. We are insufficient to produce the necessary goods. Therefore, we have to depend on importing goods from foreign countries. Moreover, we need to depend on favorable price of goods of the world market. *THE RESTRICTIVE TRADE PRACTICES, MONOPOLIES AND PRICE CONTROL ACT Commencement: 1st Februar, 1989 An Act of Parliament to encourage competition in the economy by prohibiting restrictive trade practices, controlling monopolies, concentrations of economic power and prices and for connected purposes Government Precaution In all the cases the government steps towards controlling the price is also major factor. However, I am disclosing with regret that the every sector in our country are controlled by the corrupted businessperson. Most of the cases the rules of laws are absent and the implementations of laws are in near zero percentage. Those who will implement the law, most of them are highly corrupted. Therefore, the result is a big zero. The mass people with a new hope changing the government every 5 years. However, the result is more disappointed and more distress. In a word, it is a land of all evils and injustice. Without developing, the morality it is absurd to change this hails condition. We have to start a revolution from young generation. Conclusion Due to all of these lacking it is going to be impossible to control the price of necessary goods. The very poor people are suffering most of the cases by this problem. As a result, the major portion of the people are going as burden for the society. Therefore, we have to take precautions to avoid this problem for making a happy, wealthy and prosperous Bangladesh. If we want to achieve this then we have to take serious action and frame effective laws for the elimination of the middle men groups existing various trading circles, by framing effective measure to control bribery between law enforcing agencies and trades. A strong co-ordination efforts and monitoring cells should be formed to observe and check price level of essential commodities in different trade center of the country. Besides, committees should be established for the co-operation, co-ordination and exchange of information in between different Government officials entrusted to check price level, by re-introducing old rationing system by the Government to stable the prices, by identifying syndicate groups and taking appropriate action against them.

Monday, August 19, 2019

The Similarities And Differences Of Batistas And Castros Affects O :: essays research papers fc

Although it is certain that Fidel Castro and Fulgencio Batista would not have been able to peacefully sit in the same room together, they are alike in more ways than either man would ever have liked to admit. When reviewing the effects they had on Cuban history, many similarities could be noted. At the very start of each man's political career, he overthrew his predecessor using some sort of militant force. In Batista's case, this was achieved by staging a coup with military backing. For Castro, he was a main figurehead in the Cuban Revolution who eventually emerged as Cuba's leader for many years to come. At the onset of both leader's career's as Cuba's leader, Batista and Castro were admired by the majority of the public, but they went on to establish dictatorships and suspended the constitution, thus were later disliked by many.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Both Batista and Castro contributed to the extremism of Cuba's military/political history. As many Cuban leaders had done before him, Fulgencio Batista was part of a militant movement that overthrew his predecessor, Carlos Manuel de Cespedes y Quesada. During this movement, Batista was chief staff of the army, which eventually led to his attaining control of Cuba. In a similar manner, Fidel Castro overthrew Batista. Instead of staging a coup, Castro was the leader of the best organized force of anti-Batista groups during the Cuban Revolution. Because of the guerilla warfare that Castro and other groups were waging against Batista, he eventually resigned from office and fled to the country.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Cuba's political history carries a pattern: when the masses are disillusioned by the current ruler, they turn to a young, strong-willed leader-of-the-people as their new ruler, only to become disillusioned to that ruler when he becomes too oppressive. It has seemed a never- ending cycle. Batista and Castro were both well-regarded leaders initially who appealed strongly to the masses and common citizen. Later, both established dictatorships and lost the support of many of those that they governed. Castro and Batista are each guilt of repression and corruption within their governments. For example, at some point under each regime, the constitution was either suspended or not followed at all. Castro did, though, make one very important contribution to Cuba's political system: Socialism. For the first time, Castro and Che Guevara a socialist plan called the New Man theory which called for developing an ideology amongst citizens that would call for working not for pers onal enrichment, but for social betterment.

Sunday, August 18, 2019

East of the Mountains By David Gutterson :: essays research papers

This Book was written by David Guterson. He wrote another book which I don’t know much about called Snow Falling on Cedars. But he wrote this book which I was interested in certain parts of it, such as his ideal of wanting to commit suicide, a drifter who gave him some help on lessening the pain, and when he talked about his pass of when he was recruited from Camp Hale. This was a good book in my opinion.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This book was set in the season of fall and it was around 1997. In the book he talked of his past when he was a little kid with his dad and when he was growing up meeting his wife. The area was a country type place in a rich apple growing region. In the state of Washington were he goes to many mountains in the surrounding area. This was the setting of the book.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There were many characters in this book. The main character of this book was Ben Givens a seventy- three year old retired heart surgeon. The whole story was set around him. Then there was his family which he talked about, Rachel who was his wife which who had pass away before him, Renee his daughter, Chris his grandson, Emma his granddaughter, Aidan his brother, and Wright Givens his father. Also he had two hunting dogs which were brow and white Brittanies named Rex and Tristan. On his hunting trip were he had planed on committing suicide he had met many people. A young couple who really get along with each other, a drifter who gave him some marijuana to ease the pain of his cancer, a veterinarian, a rancher and a migrant worker.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The summary of this story starts when Ben wakes up from another night of suffering from colon cancer. This day he had planned on his hunting trip that would ease his suffering. He had everything ready in the morning and he made it seem like he was just going on a hunting trip. Right when he starts his journey he gets into a car wreck destroying his car. But he is picked up by a couple that takes him to place that Ben thinks he can rent a car from. When he finds he can’t and is trying to hitch a ride he meets a man that give’s him some â€Å"medical† marijuana to help ease his pain. Ben gives up and goes to hunt in the near by mountains.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  He started out hunting the chukars with his hunting dogs.

Saturday, August 17, 2019

Precautionary Measures for Genetically Modified Foods Essay

Genetically modified (GM) foods, a fairly recent development that came about from research in genetic engineering, pose a potential threat to human and environmental health. The basis of genetically modifying foods is the transferal of desirable genetic traits of plants to an agricultural crop. Genetic modification creates crops that are resistant to herbicides or can repel insects. Genetic modification also makes growing crops easier and allows for higher production rates. Anytime genetically altered crops are consumed by humans, the GM crops should be subjected to rigorous testing to assure that it is safe for human consumption and safe for the environment. When it comes to the environment and human safety, one cannot be too cautious. Some say that further safety testing of GM foods is not necessary because there is no evidence of GM foods being unsafe (Cockburn 2002). The truth is that the public does not yet trust that genetically modified foods are completely safe (Harlander 2002). The only way to convince the public that GM foods are safe and to create a market for GM foods is to perform further safety tests, such as a human study or controlled experiments. I propose that you fund this necessary and fundamental testing to ensure that GM foods are safe for the environment and for human consumption in order to help create a market for this life-improving product. Genetically modified crops were first commercially introduced in the United States in 1996; and by 2001 24% of the corn, 63% of the soybeans, and 64% of the cotton being grown in the U. S. were genetically modified varieties (Harlander 2002). Through genetic engineering, scientists have created varieties of crops that are insect-resistant, virus resistant, and herbicide tolerant. These qualities allow for improved yield and reduced use of potentially dangerous pesticides, as well as improved weed control reduced crop injury, reduction in foreign matter, reduced fuel use, and significant reduction in soil erosion. All of these consequences seem to be beneficial for the human race and the environment. It is important to prove to the public that GM foods are safe so that such a beneficial technology will not be under-utilized. In the United States, three government agencies are involved in the approval of genetically modified crops. These three agencies are the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) (Harlander 2002). These agencies are responsible for ensuring that the GM crops are safe for the environment and for human consumption. More specifically, the USDA ensures that the GM crops are safe to grow, the EPA makes sure that the GM crops are safe for the environment, and the FDA ensures that the products are safe to eat (Harlander 2002). The three agencies put the genetically modified crops through rigorous environmental and food safety assessments before they can be commercialized. However, Susan Harlander reminds the scientific community â€Å"an effective food safety evaluation system minimizes risk, but it is important to remember that food is not inherently safe† (2002). Tampering with the genetics of a crop increases the possibility of that crop being dangerous to the environment or to human health. Bettie Sue Masters, PhD, states, â€Å"All evidence to date indicates that any breeding technique that alters a plant or animal, whether by genetic engineering or other methods, has the potential to create unintended changes in the quality or amounts of food components that could harm health† (qtd. in Panasevich 2004). It is highly likely that this lack of inherent safety is a reason why the public is so cautious about the acceptance of GM foods. The key to diminishing the public’s fear of GM foods is to extend the safety evaluation process. Consumers have two main concerns about genetically modified foods: first, that GM foods are unsafe to eat; and second, that their cultivation will harm the environment (Gasson 2001). Currently the most widely used safety evaluation process is called substantial equivalence. Michael Gasson and Derek Burke discuss substantial equivalence: Substantial equivalence recognizes the fact that conventional foods have been eaten by many people over a long period of time and have an established and accepted level of safety. Genetic modification involves the introduction of a limited amount of change and substantial equivalence uses a comparative approach to reveal both intended and unintended differences between a genetically modified (GM) food and its conventional counterpart. (Gasson 2002) If the genetically modified food is substantially equivalent to, or similar to, it’s conventional counterpart, then it is generally regarded as safe. Thus far substantial equivalence has been effective, but as genetically modified foods become more and more complex there is no guarantee that this method will continue its success. More in-depth testing is required to ensure the safety of future GM foods. Genetically modified crops should be tested on living subjects in addition to applying the substantial equivalence method. Animals or human volunteers are essential in proving the safety of the genetically modified crops already approved by the FDA, EPA, and USDA, in addition to the GM crops to be introduced in the future. The risk of harm to a living being would be low as the GM food would have already passed the substantial equivalence test before being consumed. Long term testing would be able to prove that there are no mal-effects resulting from the consumption of GM foods. While long term testing may seem unappealing, it is a small price to pay for improving the quality of life for a nation. The public’s concern extends beyond the effects of GM crops after human consumption all the way to GM crops’ effects on the environment. Many environmentalists as well as non-affiliated persons think that genetically modified crops have a negative effect on the environment. Traits meant only for agricultural crops can be transferred to other plants through pollination; traits, like being herbicide tolerant or virus-resistant, which would diminish natural and artificial checks and balances on plants (Guebert 2004). The best way to ensure that the GM crops will not harm the environment is to perform experiments and further safety assessments. Convincing the public that genetically modified crops are safe for the environment is pivotal towards creating a market for GM foods and in turn improving quality of life. The testing and assessing of the safety of GM foods that I propose will be divided into two categories: the safety of genetically modified crops for the environment; and the safety of GM foods for human consumption. The testing of the safety of GM crops for the environment must be performed under controlled conditions. Our testing will take place in a greenhouse, where any negative effects will be contained and kept away from the environment. All genetically modified crops would be tested for two factors: whether or not the trait is likely to be passed on to other plants; and what nutrients in the soil the GM crop depletes and how fast it does so. These two factors are essential in proving the safety of genetically modified crops for the environment. If a GM crop passed traits, such as herbicide tolerance or virus-resistance, on to other plant species, it could potentially change the ability of that species to survive and thrive and wreak havoc on the delicate balance of the ecosystem. This risk of upsetting the ecosystem frightens would-be GM food consumers from supporting the industry. In order to test the ability of the genetically modified crop to pass on its genes to another species of plant, it would be planted for two growing seasons in the presence of varying plant species found around the agricultural United States. The soil will be tested for nutrients before and after each growing season in order to keep track of the nutrient depletion rate. Any genetically modified crop that depleted the soil of essential nutrients at an abnormally fast rate would be rejected. A genetically modified crop’s failure to pass any of the tests or assessments would not be approved, thereby leaving no reason for the public to fear for the safety of the environment on account of the GM foods on the market. To test the safety of GM foods for human consumption, a comparative study must be performed. In order for the study to be effective and result in usable data, several hundred human volunteers will need to participate. The volunteers will be divided into two groups. The first group will be asked to incorporate a specific genetically modified food into their everyday diet. The second group will be asked to incorporate the conventional counterpart of the same GM food into their diet. The study will last for 2 months with the participants receiving weekly physicals to check for any changes in health. A change in negative change in health in a number participant from group one, the group consuming a GM food, would indicate that the genetically modified food is playing a role in the deterioration. The GM food in question would then either be taken off of the market or subjected to further testing, depending on the extent of the data acquired from the study. With this study in place, consumers would feel much more comfortable purchasing, and creating a market for, genetically modified foods. By proving that genetically modified foods are safe for human consumption and for the environment, we are proving to the public that there is no cause for fear. In the absence of fear, consumers will no longer object to buying GM foods resulting in a market for genetically modified foods. The increase in demand for GM foods will result in more research and development and bring advances in GM technology. Genetically modified foods have the potential to improve the quality of life of people all over the world, and it would be a shame to let this technology go to waste. If you give us this grant, there will be numerous benefits that can come from our work. Please consider the well-being of the people that will be helped by our work while you are making your decision. Thank you. Works Cited Cockburn A. Assuring the safety of genetically modified (GM) foods: the importance of an holistic, integrative approach. J Biotechnol. 2002; 98 (1): 79-106. Harlander SK. Safety assessments and public concern for genetically modified food products: the American view. Toxicol Pathol. 2002; 30 (1): 132-134. Gasson M, Burke D. Scientific perspectives on regulating the safety of genetically modified foods. Nat Rev Genet. 2001; 2 (3): 217-222. Guebert A, Cousins D. Welcome to the world of unintended consequences. Farmers Weekly 2004; 141 (9): 64. Panasevich CL. Risk assessment urged for genetically modified foods. Nation’s Health. 2004; 34 (7): 25.