MPH522 - Public Health Law and Policy, Mod 1 SLP Essay

MPH522 - Public Health Law and Policy, Mod 1 SLP - Essay Example Edward Jenner talked about inoculation in 1796 and diseases like yellow fever, scurvy and other health threats were noted by Public Health in 1798. Edwin Chadwick in 1842 began to talk about the needs of a solid public health system. John Snow handled the cholera epidemic and learned about the Bradstreet pump. Florence Nightingale brought forward the need for hygiene and district nursing. Lillian Wald is known as the mother of public health nursing as she and her teams began to work with the populations. Then there of course was Robert Koch, Louis Pasteur, and many others. The American Public Health Association was founded in 1872 (sphtc.org) This paper will discuss how this historic and honorable organization works with other agencies, in this case the Center for Disease Control and Prevention with Public Health Nursing and the Food and Drug Administration with Pharmacists. The above history gives a picture of how closely Public Health organization really work with other health practitioners as there would be very little of any of the above processes if public health had not gotten involved along the way. Public health nursing provides such services as health promotion, disease prevention, and intervention as well as support services to women, children, and youth. As noted one of the interventions and responsibilities is communicable disease control. In this venue, they work very closely with the Center for Disease Control to assure that what the public needs to know as well as new information is made available. The mission of the CDC is to prevent and control communicable disease using tools that are available for preparedness. CDC works closely with community health nursing in healthcare associated infections such as MRSA and community acquired pneumonia as well as aids and TB, antibiotic resistance studies which keep the nurse updated on what is working and what is not so when they do education with the local nurses and hospitals, it is clear what

Alcoholism Feature Article Essay Example for Free

Alcoholism Feature Article Essay Introduction (Opening facts): Alcohol is the most dangerous drug in Australia, beating crack and heroin into second and third place in the ranking, according to recent studies. The current research used data from the 2012 National Survey on Drug Use and Health found that almost 60% of 18-24 year old current drinkers, who failed to complete high school, began drinking before the age of 16. The survey also revealed that teens are more likely to try alcohol for the first time during the summer months, along with other harmful drugs or cigarettes. Teens are susceptible to alcohol mostly during this time due to more idle time, fewer responsibilities and less adult supervision. Effects and results: With more than 1 in five teens between the ages of 14 and 19 of age, consuming alcohol on a weekly basis, the risk of cancer, digestive diseases and addicted related medical issues are predicted to rise. Those who drink regularly have been proven to have a lower productivity rate than those of unaffected areas. Underage drinking plays a significant role in risky, sexual and often violent behaviour, which can lead to other health issues or injuries. As a result of this, motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death in people ages 15 to 20. Deadly crashes involving alcohol are twice as common in teens compared with people 21 and older. Further more, mixing drinking with swimming or boating can be fatal. Four out of 10 teens that drown have consumed alcohol. Underage drinking has also been linked with deaths and injuries from burns, falls, alcohol poisoning and suicide. Consequently, the total cost attribute to underage drinking includes costs of traffic cras hes, violent crime and injuries and treatment, equates to over $15.2 billion per year. Signs and prevention: From the results of underage drinking proving deadly and most harmful, people in today’s modern society need to wake up to the signs towards alcoholism, especially towards younger victims. Mood changes, irritability and defensiveness are physical signs, which can be easily recognised. Another example is further school problems such as poor attendance, low grades and rebellion against family rules. Although many of the symptoms may seem typical towards an ordinary teenager, parents and carers should still be aware of these as they may reflect on how their child may be suffering from alcoholism. ‘It is critically important to take every opportunity we can, throughout the year to talk to our young people about the real risk of substance abuse and effective measures for avoiding it, so they will be informed and capable of making the right responsible decision.’ Common Experiences: A recent victim who has suffered from alcohol as a result to his death, is Liam Davies (16). As reported after New Years, Davies drank the tainted alcohol while celebrating New Year’s in Sydney with friends. He was rushed to a local hospital where he was in an unstable critical condition from alcohol poisoning. The Davies family released a statement asking for Australians to be careful when holidaying abroad or drinking in general. â€Å"We would like to make people aware of the risks associated with consuming alcohol, especially without appropriate supervision†.

Contributions of Charles Darwin to Science

Contributions of Charles Darwin to Science Title: The contribution to science by a scientist of your choice. 3000 words This paper discusses the contribution to science made by the English scientist Charles Darwin, (1809-1882), author of The Origin of Species (1859), the originator of the Theory of Natural Selection or Evolution. It examines the manner in which the work of Darwin could be related into the existing science curriculum, considering his work as an exemplar of the scientific method. It also sets out to relate the scientific discoveries and principles involved to other aspects of the school curriculum, especially in the area of citizenship. The contentious nature of Darwin’s ‘discovery’ in his own time illustrates the fact that there is a common interest in the discipline: we are, in a sense, stakeholders in scientific facts and methods, since they help to determine the shape of our daily lives. As the House of Lords points out, ‘.this is not confined to scientists; it extends to those who make policy, whether public or commercial, on the basis of scientific opport unities and advice. Policy-makers will find it hard to win public support.on any issue with a science component, unless the publics attitudes and values are recognised, respected and weighed in the balance along with the scientific and other factors.’ (House of Lords, 2000, para 2.66). Despite its age, Darwin’s theory continues to be debated, and can inform us about the importance of observational skills and scientific integrity. It also provides precedents for the way science and society interact, which may be useful in our society. As the Royal Society observes, ‘It is thus not trust in science per se which is of concern but the speed of scientific and technological development, the uses to which science is put, and the ability of regulatory and institutional structures to keep pace with this change.’ (Royal Society, 2004, p.13). Darwin’s work brought him notoriety, but also controversy and personal vitriol. (See illustrations). This is where the link between science and citizenship can be made. How does this contribution map to the science curriculum? As a 2002 Report by House of Lords acknowledges, ‘The foundations of an interest in science are laid at primary school, between the ages of 5 and 11.’ (House of Lords, para. 6.3) The principle benefit which could be obtained through the work of Darwin is a general accessibility, which would itself enable learners to engage with the curriculum. As Meadows points out, ‘Much of cognition and learning depends on identifying the relevant knowledge that the learner already has in existing memory so that this knowledge can be used as a starting point for learning what is new. Having no starting point†¦will hamper learning and reasoning†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ (Meadows, 2006: p.112). A variety of authorities and analysts have noted there that are continuing conceptual problems in the way learners, and the wider community engage with science. These are attributable to a variety of factors. Qualitative (i.e. phenomenological) research commissioned jointly by the DTI and the Well come Trust revealed public support for the idea that ‘Science makes our lives change too fast.’ (Wellcome Trust, 2000, p.23) Beyond this apparently simple picture there lay a more complex picture, with differentiated levels of understanding and interest claimed for different areas of science. Environmental concerns, health issues and medial discoveries held the greatest interest for 82-91 per cent of respondents, whilst new technology was considered more interesting by 74 per cent. Only 48 per cent of those questioned claimed that energy issues were the most significant for them. (Wellcome Trust 2000: p.21) The same research also discovered that it was possible to categorise respondents into different groups, determined by their interest in science, and the degree of trust they felt in science and scientists. Correspondingly, subjects characterised themselves as ‘confident believers’ at the end of the continuum most engaged with science, to ‘supporter s’ half way along the scale, right down to those who stated that science was ‘not for them’. (Wellcome 2000: pp.5-7) Correspondingly, there are several overlapping benefits which could be obtained through an expanded use of Darwin’s work. Firstly, an enhanced understanding of scientific method, secondly, an improved awareness of the operation of natural laws, and thirdly, the means by which research results are validated, interpreted and shared. The benefits of this could start to be felt even at the Primary phase, as Peacock et.al. argue, ‘Primary science is perhaps best regarded†¦as an intellectual, practical, creative and social endeavour which seeks to help children to better understand and make sense of the world in which they live†¦(and)†¦should involve children in thinking and working in particular ways in the pursuit of reliable knowledge.’ ( Peacock et al., 2007: p.1). It is in this way that a rigorous interpretation of the general principles established by Darwin might be very beneficial, in overturning and challenging pre-conceived ideas about identity and value, such as those often attributed to the so-called ‘hidden curriculum.’ As Bishop and Simpson point out, ‘The pressures of the hidden curriculum are also present with regard to structure. The children themselves can be very forceful in structuring science activities with preconceived social frameworks.’ (Bishop and Simpson, 1995: p.7). In thematic terms, Darwin’s work is thoroughly supportive of the Knowledge, Skills and Understanding element of the science curriculum, i.e. , Ideas and evidence in Science, Investigative Skills, and subsidiary disciplines such as planning and presenting evidence. By the time students reach Key Stage 3, these skills are being further developed under the headings of Practical and Enquiry Skills, Critical Understanding of Evidence, and Communication. In practical terms, principles developed from Darwin’s theory could be incorporated into the science curriculum as early as unit 1A, Ourselves, and then continued on through key Stage 2 in Life Processes and Living Things. Within the latter, it would be important to focus on sub-unit 4, Variation and Classification, and 5, Living Things in Their Environment, noting how living organisms vary and change according to their context. This theme could be carried on developmentally in the context of Key Stage Three, which incorporat es two highly relevant modules, Organisms, Behaviour and Health, and The Environment, Earth and Universe. Moving away from the formal curriculum, Darwin’s theory could help by developing the foundations of causal reasoning and also problem solving, contributing to a general improvement in science standards overall, across all units of study. How does the work of the scientist demonstrate the scientific method, or is it a counter example? From an educational and scientific perspective, Darwin’s work is interesting because it is based extensively on observation and deduction, rather than extensive or repeatable physical experimentation. Because of the enormous timescales involved in the evolutionary processes which preoccupied Darwin, it is in effect, impossible to prove, in absolute terms, whether the theory is correct or not. The theory still has its detractors, and direct opponents, who object to it on ideological or theological grounds. Despite this however, it has become a generally accepted scientific principle. Darwin’s work is therefore, in one sense, the purest expression of the scientific method, especially since it was formulated in a vacuum of worthwhile antecedents, and an atmosphere of considerable ideological opposition. The only possible way in which his work might be deemed a ‘counter example’ is the manner in which it ran directly contrary to much mainstream scientific think ing amongst his contemporaries. However, it definitely was a discovery made because of – rather than in spite of – scientific method. Essentially, what Darwin did was to propose an interpretation of events, extrapolated from a vast amount of biological and geological evidence: he then formulated a specific interpretation of causality which, in his analysis, had only one possible scientific outcome. It is this kind of observational model, based on causality, which can tap into the learner’s innate cognitive ability, even from the youngest age. As Meadows observes of children’s interpretative perception, ‘†¦By the beginning of school years, it follows basic causal principles, for example that causes precede effects rather than following effects, that they covary with their effects – the effect regularly and predictably appears after the cause and does not appear without it, and the cause and effect are close, or at least linked, in time and space.’. (Meadows, 2006: p.109) How can the work being discussed be used to address citizenship issues in schools? As Rose and Rose indicate, it has always been possible to take the view that, ‘science appears to advance in a more or less ordered manner, irrespective of the prevailing social environment in which it is performed.’ (Rose and Rose, 1970, p.241) The power of Darwin’s work lays in its ability to bridge the gap between science and the community, and it is here that his relevance to issues of citizenship may be found. Darwin’s contribution to science as mirrored to a great extent by the way his work reinforced other areas of academic, philosophical and social study: all of this makes it directly relevant to citizenship issues. As Wallace points out, ‘A reading of the Origin†¦make it difficult to assert that Darwin’s mind was ‘devoid’ of economic and philosophy. A more sustainable conclusion is that it was permeated by principles of political economy and philosophy in the form of a language which did not differentiate between the political and the biological.’ (Wallace 1995: p.11) In other words, Darwin’s work was implicitly bound up with the values of his host society: it is this which makes it an ideal link between science and citizenship. The only contrast is that we move from a Victorian context, to a present day one. This, it may be argued, has potential benefits for science, education, and society alike. As the Royal Society concluded with regard to the current science curriculum, ‘many students lacked enthusiasm for. the subject, and felt frustrated by a content-heavy curriculum which gave them little room to explore controversial and ethical issues that might interest them.’ (Royal Society, 2004, p.21 ) Darwin’s work, it may be argued, is perfectly adapted to facilitate the latter: it is not remote, or obscure, and on certain levels it is highly accessible. The links between science and citizenship manifest themselves in various ways. Firstly, there is the whole issue of public understanding of, and trust in science. As Meadows points out, ‘†¦understanding cause builds up into what has been called a ‘naà ¯ve physics’, a coherent set of notions about how objects behave; if this gives rise to the formation and testing of hypotheses by observation and experiment, it becomes the basis for a physics which is scientific rather than naà ¯ve.’ (Meadows, 2006: p.109). Darwin’s work teaches us that it is not only the observation of a phenomena, but the cultural capacity to assimilate its meaning, which is important. Scientific matters are not the discrete concern of the scientific community itself, but spill over into the political sphere and eventually concern us all. This is especially true when ethical issues become involved, as they increasingly tend to do in the biological and life-sciences, affecting everything from the air we breathe, the food we eat, the health treatment we can expect, and even the degree of control we might have in determining the health, gender, and character of our children. The important point here is that attitudes vary, from a profound mistrust, to an almost myopic faith in science. As the House of Lords observed, neither position is entirely valid, a situation it attributes sqaurely to schools. ‘In common parlance, scientific is almost synonymous with certain. This perception, which is probably picked up at school, is virtually true of much old and well-established scientific knowledge. In many of the areas of current concern, from climate change to cancer, it is however very wide of the mark.’ (House of Lords, 2000, para. 4.1) It is not the fallibility of science which is useful from a citizenship point of view, but rather the necessity of maintaining an open mind and capacity for objective debate. It is also important to remember that we all share a collective responsibility for the way that society is conducted, and the manner in which scientific affair are run on our behalf. Again, this is not a remote or academic debate, and at its most intense, can demonstrate the relevance of scientific method in our everyday lives. As the Royal Society points out, contemporary crises such as that created by BSE illustrates this. ‘ BSE highlighted profound concerns about the science advice process and the role of scientists and government officials, the effectiveness policy making and action within departments such as the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, the ability of Ministers to both gauge and communicate risk effectively, and fundamentally the relationship between science and politics.’ (Royal Society, 2004, p.17) If we take the Key Stage Three Citizenship curriculum as an example, the continued relevance of Darwin’s ideas becomes apparent. In the sphere of political, legal and human rights, we must take account of the DFES guidance that every child is A unique child.every child is a competent learner from birth who can be resilient, capable, confident and self assured. (DFES, 2007: p.5). The essence of Darwin’s thought is that all people are descended from the same ultimate source, and therefore equality before the law, and of political rights, is a prerequisite of an equitable society and civil polity. This in turn leads into the principles of democracy and the idea everyone should have a voice in determining the legislative conduct of government. The importance of maintaining freedom of speech and allowing a diversity of views are also essential to the principles of citizenship as enshrined in the curriculum. It is important to remember that, without these facilities, Darwin’s scientific ideas might never have received public attention. In Section 2, Key Processes, the KS3 Citizenship curriculum requires that learners ‘†¦engage with and reflect on different ideas, opinions, beliefs and values when exploring topical and controversial issues and problems.’ (QCA 2007: p.30). Darwin knew that publishing his ideas about evolution in Victorian society would draw fierce opposition from many quarters, because of its dissonance with biblical teachings about the Creation. This opposition was likely to be immovable and resistant to logic: As Hull points out, those ‘†¦who rejected evolutionary theory primarily for theological reasons†¦would not have been able to accept it even if all the evidence had been overwhelmingly in its favour – which it was not.’ (Hull 1974: p.450). Similarly, his right to debate his theories with opponents and critics fo rmed an important part of the way in which he fundamentally changed attitudes, way beyond the purely scientific sphere. As Darwin himself wrote of one of his counter-theorists, ‘He will be dead against me, as you prophesied†¦but he is generously civil to me personally. On his standard of proof, natural science would never progress, for without the making of theories I am convinced there would be no observation.’ (Hull 1974: p.229). As can be seen from this, it should be possible, in a tolerant and progressive society, to express and discuss opposed views in a reasonable way: the freedom to do this, and determination to protect such freedoms, are important tenets of contemporary citizenship. As the Key Stage Three citizenship curriculum puts it, responsible citizens should be able to ‘†¦communicate an argument, taking account of different viewpoints and drawing on what they have learnt through research, action and debate†¦justify their argument, givi ng reasons to try to persuade others to think again, change or support them.’ (QCA 2007: p.30). In contemporary UK society, responsible citizenship also requires us to understand diversity of cultures and identities, and that movement of people, either temporarily or permanently, is an intrinsic feature of our society and economy. This is fully reflected in the citizenship curriculum, which states that learners should recognise †¦the hanging nature of UK society, including the diversity of ideas, beliefs, cultures, identities, traditions, perspectives and values that are shared.’ (QCA 2007: p.33) Darwin’s theory of natural selection is supportive of such perspectives in a variety of ways. By teaching us that we all have common origins, his thinking undermines any ideas of intrinsic racial difference, or any barriers erected around such ideas. Since we all developed from the same biological source, there can be no justification for valuing any individual differently: in other words, concepts of ‘biological determinism’ are invalidated. Moreover, a ny attempt to do so can, by Darwin’s teaching, at once be revealed as arbitrary, subjective and unscientific. There are obvious cross-curricular links to be made here, both historically and in terms of contemporary societies, where such conditions still endure. Children are natural observers of the phenomenon around them, and Darwin’s ideas are profoundly supportive of this. Meadows points out that children ‘†¦appear to draw inferences about the causes of events they see, to discriminate between self-caused and other-caused movement, to categorize living things that are agents as different from inanimate objects.’ (Meadows, 2006: p.109). Being citizens also accrues us the responsibility to change things for the better: correspondingly, although we have rights in society, we have a duty to ensure that such rights are exercised responsibly, without impinging on the rights of others. Darwin’s theory also taught us that we are, as social actors, en tirely interdependent upon each other. Bibliography Amigon, D., and Wallace, J., (1995), Charles Darwin’s the Origin of Species: new Interdisciplinary essays. : Manchester University Press, Manchester. Anderson, R.D., (1992), Universities and Elites in Britain since 1800, MacMillan, Basingstoke. Bishop, A., and Simpson, R., (1995), Strategies for Structured Play in Science in the Nursery’, Primary Teaching Studies, Autumn, Vol.9, No.3, pp.5-8. Burgess, R.G., (1989), The Ethics of Educational Research, Falmer Press, Lewes. The Children’s Plan: Building Brighter Futures, (2007), Department for Children, Schools and Families. HMSO, London. DeFalco, J., ‘Trade-Offs, Risks and Regulations in Science and Technology: Implications for STS Education.’, in Kamur, D.D., and Chubin, D.E., (eds), (2000), Science, Technologyand Society: A Sourcebook on Research and Practice, Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers, New York. DFES, (2007), Practice Guidance for the Early Years Foundation Stage: Setting the Standards for Learning, Development and Care for Children from Birth to Five, HMSO, London. House of Lords, (2000) ScienceandTechnology, 3rd Report, downloaded from http://www.parliament.the-stationery-office.co.uk/pa/ld199900/ldselect/ldsctech/38/3801.htm Hull, D.L., (1974), Darwin and his Critics, Harvard University Press, Mass. Kamur, D.D., and Chubin, D.E., (eds), (2000), Science, Technologyand Society: A Sourcebook on Research and Practice, Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers, New York. Lenton and McNeil, (1991), ‘Primary school teachers understanding of the biological concepts in the National Curriculum’ Primary Teaching Studies, Oct., Vol.6, No.2, pp.196-203. Mackenzie, D., and Wacjman,J., (eds), (1994), The Social Shaping of Technology: How the Refrigerator got its Hum, Open University Press, Milton Keynes. Mauther, M., Birch, M., Jessop, J., and Miller, T., (2002), Ethics in Qualitative Research, London, Sage. Meadows, S., (2006), The Child as Thinker: The Development and Acquisition of Cognition in Childhood, Routledge, London. Pursell, C., (1994), White Heat, BBC Books, London. QCA, (2007), Citizenship: Programme of Study for Key Stage 3 and Attainment Target, QCA. Rose, H., and Rose, S., (1970), Science and Society, Penguin, Harmandsworth. The Royal Society, (2004) Excellence in Science: Science in Society, London. Rose, H., and Rose, S., (1970), Science and Society, Penguin, Harmandsworth. Scruton, R., (1982), A Dictionary of Political Thought, MacMillan, London. Science and the Public: A Review of Science Communication and Public Attitudes to Science in Britain, A Joint Report by the Office of Science and Technology and the Wellcome Trust, (2000), HMSO, London. Wakeford, T., and Walters, M., (eds) (1995) Science for the Earth: Can Science Make the World a Better Place? John Wiley and Sons,Chichester. Wallace, J., (1995) ‘Introduction: difficulty and defamiliarisation-language and process in the Origin of Species’, in Amigon, D., and Wallace, J., (1995), Charles Darwin’s the Origin of Species: new Interdisciplinary essays. : Manchester University Press, Manchester, pp.1-46. Winner, L., ‘Do Artefacts Have Politics’, in Mackenzie, D., and Wacjman,J., (eds), (1994), The Social Shaping of Technology: How the Refrigerator got its Hum, Open University Press, Milton Keynes.

My Philosophy of Education :: Essays Papers

My Philosophy of Education I believe first and foremost that all children can learn regardless of age, race, gender, or disabilities. I also believe that all children begin their school career with a desire to learn. In some cases, however, that desire to learn becomes stifled and eventually ruined because of bad experiences with teachers, other students, or both. In those situations, I vow to take it upon myself to rekindle that desire to learn in my students. My classroom will be an enjoyable experience for my students where they will feel safe and respected, and where they will learn to respect others. Ensuring that such an environment exists in my classroom will take a lot of work on my part. From day one I will make sure I develop fair and sensible rules and procedures, and will make these rules clear to all students. I will be fair and consistent in my classroom management procedures as well as in my disciplinary actions. At the same time, I will develop relationships with my students where they understand that I make the rules in the class and that I am also someone in whom they can confide and whom they can trust. Before developing the curriculum for the year, I will make sure I am more than knowledgeable in the subjects I’ll be teaching. In order to teach my students what they need to know, I must be comfortable and confident in myself and my knowledge base. This confidence is also necessary in order to display to my students the love I will have for what I am teaching. Through my enthusiasm, I hope to impart a love and desire for learning into my students. I will strive to think creatively and constantly develop new and interesting ways to present material to my students. I will be aware of the different learning styles and abilities of each student in my class and teach in ways that all students can comprehend, process, and appreciate what they are learning. I will also strive to constantly hold my students’ interest in the material I am teaching.

Attendance Requirement in College Essay

Attending college is supposed to signify freedom to make choices regarding education. However, many students who plans to continue their education realize that college does not give this freedom. In some countries, college students are expected to attend classes that they have register. However, should attendance be mandatory in college? Even though some believe that college attendance should be flexible, I believe that college attendance should be mandatory. The first reason why college attendance should be mandatory is the lack of understanding. For example, Students who attend regularly classes have better opportunity to understand the courses what are done in class, while students who do not attend classes will not understand. Also, because students who attend regularly the classes understand the courses, they have a better chance to have good grades during test. On the contrary, students who do not attend classes, and do not understand the courses; they get bad grades during test. Indeed, college attendance should be mandatory to help all the students understand the courses. Another reason why college attendance should be mandatory is it build relationships. College attendance build relation between students and students. In college, there is many ways to meet friends that you can count on in the future such as joining a club, or in class. Students who do not attend college classes will not have these opportunities. College also build relation between students and teachers. Students who attend classes have the opportunity to know their teachers. Teachers have the same opportunity to know their students, and that relation between them will help the teachers to know the students’ lacks and find ways to help them. On the other hand, students who do not attend school will be stuck with his lacks. Opponents believe that mandatory attendance policies does not go under life lesson categories. If students do not show up at the classes, they register that will not affect them in the real world. However, I believe it does go under life lesson categories. If students get into the habit of not showing at classes, they register that will affect them in the real world. For example, if you do not show at work, you will be fired. College attendance should be mandatory to avoid that habit. In conclusion, College attendance should be mandatory to help students understand their course, to build relationship between students/ students and students/ teacher and to avoid bad habit. Nowadays, many students are skipping classes. In my opinion, college attendance should be mandatory.

Free sample - Should worker be forced to clock out to smoke. translation missing

Should worker be forced to clock out to smoke. Should worker be forced to clock out to smokeIntroduction Smoking happens to be the greatest cause of diseases and premature deaths in the world. The smoke causes a lot of cancer related deaths per year. The economic cost of smokers includes monetary costs, lost workdays and shortened work lives which is a phenomenal to the society. Many countries try to establish and maintain some smoking control programs which are aimed at reducing the use of tobacco. These countries provide education to their citizens to prevent smoking in the future. Also, measures are taken in public places and work places to reduce smoking and the exposure to second hand smoke which is a health hazard to smokers and other people who share the air supply. This essay discusses on whether the workers should be forced to clock out to smoke. Should worker be forced to clock out to smoke? The working places constitutes of different people ranging from smokers to those ones who do not smoke. Sometimes, the smokers clocks out when they nip outside for a cigarette. In Britain, these smoking workers always gather at the foot of their office blocks where they meet and smoke. They are off their work desks for some minutes to go and smoke.   In Scotland, the worker who smoke could gather along the pavements to have their cigarette since the law banned them from smoking in any public place such as offices which is constituted of many people. In the Breckland Council in Norfolk, the workers were allowed to clock in and out for the smoking breaks. This gave them equal rights as the people in the public and private sectors who have allowed the clocking out and in for smoking. â€Å"This all came about when staff contacted our HR team because they were confused about what the policy was on clocking out for smoking breaks. Some of the smokers were concerned because many of them, 54% it turned out, clocked out.† Says Mr. Nunn, the council leader. The council staff had a desire of formalizing the policies that gave the smokers chances to clock out for breaks. The policies were not applied to non smoking worker or those who used coffee as the kitchens are found in the office building unlike to cigarette shops which are outside the office blocks. Since the smokers take some additional breaks from the work places, they should work for the extra time to compensate for the time they spend in smoking. The researches shows that an average smoker spends fifteen minutes in one day for smoking breaks which makes eight full days in one year. These smokers should compensate for the wasted time because the company or the council is sometimes forced to compensate these smokers when they suffer the consequences of smoking. The ban of smoking in all workplace is a positive act. There are some companies that refuse to hire people who smoke. This is because of the increased healthcare insurance and the workers' compensation insurance which is associated with these smokers. The breaks for smoking bring a lot of conflicts in workplaces as the smokers could go out for a fag. This disrupts the team work as he/she is supposed to participate in carrying out a certain group task. In this situation, the non smoking workers feel that their rights are not respected. The workers who smoke also need their rights to be respected by allowing them to smoke whenever they feel like doing so. Simon Clarck says, â€Å"Clocking off is another example of employers making life as difficult as possible for smokers.† He also says, â€Å"There's no evidence that smokers are working fewer hours than non-smokers. They come out with all these statistics but they are based on 'guest mates'. Can non-smokers truthfully say they're not making personal phone calls, browsing the internet or taking coffee breaks? The problem is that when smokers take a break it's very visible because they have to go outside.† Conclusion The smokers should be allowed to please themselves through smoking but the employers should take their time to provide the necessary education to them concerning the risks associated with smoking in various life aspects.    Reference NEWS MAGAZINE. Should workers be forced to clock out to smoke? Retrieved from;

JOHN QUINCY ADAMS essays

JOHN QUINCY ADAMS essays John Quincy Adams was born in Braintree (Quincy), Massachusetts on July 11th, 1767. His ancestry lineage was English. Adams religion was Unitarian. His father, John Adams, was born in Braintree (Quincy), Massachusetts on October 19th, 1735. He died in Quincy, Massachusetts on July 4th, 1826. He had three major occupations. He was a lawyer, a statesman, and the President of the United States. His mother, Abigail Smith Adams, was born in Weymouth Massachusetts on November 11th, 1744. She died in Quincy, Massachusetts on October 28th, 1818. John Quincy Adams had two brothers: Charles Adams who lived between the years 1770 and 1800, and Thomas Boylston Adams who lived between the years 1772 and 1832. He also had two sisters: Abigail Amelia Adams who lived between the years 1765 and 1813, and Susanna Adams who lived between the years 1768 and 1770. Louisa Catherine Johnson was born in London, England on February 12th, 1775 and she died in Washington DC on May 14th, 1852. Louisa was the second daughter of Joshua and Catherine Johnson. John Quincy Adams and Louisa Catherine Johnson were married before eleven a.m. on July 26th, 1767 in London, England at the All Hollows Barking Church. They were married by Mr. Hewlett. The portrait on the next page is of Louisa Catherine Adams at age 43. It was painted by Gilbert Stuart in 1818. John Quincy Adams and Louisa Catherine Adams had four children. Their children were George Washington Adams (1801-1812), John Adams (1803-1834), Charles Francis Adams (1807-1886), and Louisa Catherine Adams (1811-1812). John Quincy Adams had plenty of education, which helped him in his election as President. He studied in Paris, Amsterdam, Leyden, and The Hugue. He received his Bachelor of Arts in 1787 from Harvard and studied law from 1788 to 1790 with Theophilus Parsons. His Pre-presidency occupations consisted of being a lawyer and a professor. These jobs helped Ada...

CPi South Africa Essays

CPi South Africa Essays CPi South Africa Essay CPi South Africa Essay The mission of the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) is the achievement and maintenance of price stability1. The price stability of goods is maintaining a constant price level for goods and services, not essentially at the same price level but rather at a constant level of price increases, i.e. a constant level of price inflation. The SARB attempts to control this price inflation through inflation targeting. Inflation targeting is the attempt to keep the level of inflation within a certain band. In South Africa this band is between 3% -6%. The SARB attempts to use the repo rate to try and affect consumer spending and control the level of spending within the economy and hence control the price inflation of goods.  CPI for all urban areas  The level of inflation is based upon the Consumer Price Inflation (CPI) level which is released by Statistics South Africa. The CPI is based on the price changes over a one year period for a basket of goods and services. This index is based on a number of factors2 which are then weighted based on the estimated total expenditure of all South African households. Stats SA performs an Income and Expenditure Survey (IES) survey to estimated the expenditure of South Africans and hence the weightings of each expenditure3. Prior to 2009 the CPI index was split between a headline CPI and a CPIX (excluding mortgage payments) however a number of changes to the weightings and basket of goods used in 2009 has brought these two in line and now the target for inflation targeting is the CPI for all urban areas.  Alternative Indices  There are a number of alternative CPIs that look at readjusting their weightings of the basket of goods and services to more accurately capture the CPI for specific sectors4 or people5. There are also indices that look at excluding factors of inflation in their calculations6, this can be done for a few reasons, it can help us differentiate between inflation that can be affected by SARB actions and inflation that cannot (i.e. external inflation caused by the price of oil increasing which the SARB has no control over). It can allow us to remove individual areas of inflation to also get a better picture of inflation less these areas. There are also indices based upon income group., this is known as the CPI per expenditure quintile, with quintile 1 being the lowest income and 5 being the highest. According to the IES survey for 2005/2006 the lower income households spent more of their income on food and non alcoholic beverages as well as clothing and footwear.  There are also differences in weightings and inflation make ups depending on the geographical location, there are indices that look at each of the nine provinces; indices that look at rural and urban and secondary urban areas. As expressed by Stats SA in there explanation of how they calculate the weightings for the CPI for all urban areas, not all South Africans consume the same goods or services, nor do they consume them in the same proportion. And later the inflation rate is based on the estimated total expenditure of all South African households It is important to understand that the figure released by Stats SA and ultimately used by SARB to target inflation, most probably will not match your own actual inflation rate. This is of particular importance for a number of reasons, such as workers looking for wage increase usually use the CPI rate announced in there wage increase negotiation discussions; investors looking for a fair rate of return will generally use the announced CPI in assessing their return. Ultimately it is important to assess whether or not the announced CPI is a good figure to use when asses future real returns on an individual level. My Own inflation Rate  If I am to look at a published index to best represent my inflation I would obviously start with the CPI for the City of Cape Town, secondly I would look at an index excluding mortgage payments which would be CPI excluding Housing. And lastly I would look at an index that would roughly cover my income range  Appendix  The CPI rate used by the reserve bank is obviously going to not match my expenditure on goods and services, so I have used the latest CPI realise from Stats SA to try and more accurately see my own CPI and then see if my interest are aligned by the SARBs current inflation targeting policy or if as an individual I would prefer them to act in other ways. There are hundreds of different aspects to each of the main inflation sectors, so it is important to note that this is just done as a quick assessment and is not particularly accurate. I have looked at the additional tables file for December 2009, which goes on to split the CPI per index by each province. So using the CPI for the Western Cape (which totals 6.6%) I attempted to more accurately weight each specified product and service according to my own expenditure. I have created a rough monthly expenditures table, divided up between each different expenditure category. I then looked at my weightings of each of these categories and multiplied it by the Actual CPI amount given. My rough CPI figure is 8.48%, although this is only a rough figure it is interesting to see where my exposure to CPI (insurance and my household maintenance and repair).  1 South African Reserve Bank, reservebank.co.za/ [accessed Feb 2010]  2 Food and non-alcoholic Beverages, Alcoholic beverages and tobacco, Clothing and footwear, Housing and utilities, Household contents and services, Health, Transport, Communication, Recreation and culture, Education, Restaurants and hotels, Miscellaneous goods, and services. 3 Consumer Price Index Key Changes in 2009, Stats SA, statssa.gov.za/cpi/documents/CPI%20booklet%20-%20final%2016%20Oct%2008.pdf [accessed Feb 2010]  4 CPI for Durable , semi durable or non durable goods; CPI for services and CPI for food and non-alcoholic beverages (NAB)  5 CPI for Pensioners  6 CPI excluding petrol, CPI excluding energy, CPI excluding food and NAB, CPI excluding housing; CPI excluding food, NAB, petrol and energy, CPI excluding equivalent rent; CPI excluding administered prices; CPI excluding petrol and paraffin

Team Dynamics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Team Dynamics - Essay Example Teams enable employees to exploit their potential and therefore increase job performance.   A team consists of members with diverse experience, skills and qualification, cultures and business backgrounds.   To an organization, this translates into potential for success.   However, as (Cranny, Smith, & Stone, 1992) notes team building process is a challenging process that can present numerous challenges to the management.However teams have disadvantages such as reduced independence of talented and capable workers, social loafing as well as bureaucracy hence time wastage (Schermerhorn, Hunt, & Osborn, 2005). Tajfel, and Turner, (1979) classifies teams into functional teams which consist only of members drawn from various departments, self-managed teams which are formed to meet some specific goals and objectives and function with little or no supervision, task forces are teams constituted to oversee completion of specific projects, while process improvement teams are comprised of experts as well as technocrats in a given field.Formation of working teams presents the following challenges to leaders; establishing strong team leadership, difficulty in establishing positive interpersonal relationships, fear of the teams failing to meet set goals which translates to wasted resources as well as the possibility of members of the team failing to adopt well into the team. These challenges lead to conflicts in the group.   As (Cote, & Morgan, 2002) notes, conflicts are not necessarily detrimental to the success of the organization.  

Current Challenges Facing IT & Recommendations Essay

Current Challenges Facing IT & Recommendations - Essay Example Failure of a business organization may as well arise due to problems caused by IT failures. These organizations can be used as cases to learn more concerning Information Technology (IT). Failure always comes because of challenges affecting a particular organization. One of the companies in the US that has been facing challenges is Otisline, a company that specialized in the distribution and provision of elevators. The essay will look into details, the overview of Otisline, challenges facing it, as well as, the recommendations required to make Otisline better. Case overview Otisline Company improved the performance of different business organizations. The company, other than the supply and provision of elevators, also provided regional, district and NAO management with the required amount of quality information. When a problem arose, the management was the first to know from the customer complaints. Different managements responded differently to the clients’ callbacks. This dep ended on the number of callback, for instance, district managers handled three or more callbacks in a month. The company made corrections using these callbacks. Otisline had many impacts on NAO’s business including customer service, information service, dispatching, and controlling of mechanics. Otisline had several impacts in NAO in different sectors such as information service, which involved the use of sms database with an IBM 3083 computer (Stoddad & Harvard University 198). This was meant to make response to the clients as fast as possible. An example of a place where the Otisline was applied was in the customer service whereby it recognized buildings in four distinct ways: telephone number, building identification number, building address as well as the building name, state and city. The Otisline service center was also organized in a way that it easily promoted dispatcher efficiency. Otisline software was applied in other areas such as marketing services, and control a nd dispatching of service mechanics. The following describes the factors that brought about the problem in Oisline. The factors explain succinctly the challenges that the IT controlled company is undergoing. The factors are unsatisfactory consumer services, lack of enough human resource, obsolescence, IT complexities, poor marketing and public relations, poor data storage and retrieval methods, and poor budgeting. Challenges Facing IT Customer service: IT is affected by bad reputation when taking customer need satisfaction. As evidenced by the Otisline, there is a high chance of doing the work incorrectly according to the customer’s requirements (Stoddad & Harvard University 218). This is what leads to several callbacks. This is the same in the corporate field. The customer normally wants and expects to be told what they want. The automated recommendation tone always seems arrogant. This may always lead to infusion of negative mentalities and attitudes towards the IT. This ch allenge can be corrected or recommended by listening to customer needs and making them the number one priority; not allowing them to be controlled by the IT system or software like that of Otisline, in this case. It leads to lose of human resource. There is always a normal trend of worker lay off when a new program or software that can replace the employees and do the work efficiently is discovered. The same has affected Otis Corporation whereby six workers were laid off after the realization of the company’

Why we can't wait-martin luther king Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Why we can't wait-martin luther king - Essay Example Martin Luther King Jr represented the African-American community, but in essence, this translates to all minority communities who lived an oppressed life. This oppression came about following colonization and the slave trade where the rights of those perceived to a weak community were subjected to a wide range of discrimination. Segregation and discrimination with regard to race, gender and education were outlawed following advocacy for civil rights. This marks a critical step towards generating independence among communities. This clearly illustrates that even as King fought for the rights of African-Americans, the benefits would be felt across different communities both regionally and nationally. King mounted a challenge to oppression by defying the status quo, which eventually got support from other members of the community other than African-Americans. However, there still exist a wide disparity based on ethnicity, race, religion and gender in modern America. This creates the need for more activism and effective leadership to bridge the gap, eliminating existing disparities. It is the tradition with most advocates of social justice to apply rhetorical strategies to engage their opponents in order to refute their claims beyond reasonable doubts. Martin Luther King is no exception as highlighted in most of his speeches, letters, and books particularly Why We Can’t Wait, which is the subject of this paper. The book was written following the conclusion of the Birmingham campaign and the Washington March in 1963.

Certified fitness trainer (Question6) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Certified fitness trainer (Question6) - Essay Example This idea is supported by the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), and the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA), which all agree that children may participate in resistance training as long as the program is appropriately designed and supervised (Howley and Franks). The usual concern associated with youth resistance training is that this type of stress may harm the developing musculoskeletal system (Stone, Stone and Sands). However, current findings indicate that there is actually no evidence of a height decrease in young people who participate in resistance training in controlled environments (Wilmore, Costill and Kenney). Thus, there is actually nothing to worry about subjecting young children to weight or resistance training. What is important is that strength and conditioning professionals understand the fundamental principles of normal growth and development in order for them to develop and evaluate safe and effective resistance training programs (Earle and

Ross-Cultural Awareness Impacts on Communication Skills Essay

Ross-Cultural Awareness Impacts on Communication Skills - Essay Example One culture might have different meanings than another. In these regards, they are not trying to be disrespectful, yet may be perceived as such. I also believe cultural awareness will help me develop strategies and create much more effective advertisements for my company. Some words and jokes might not be easily translated and sometimes you may need to adapt your marketing policy or modify your product to that region. Trompenaar noted that understanding cultural differences gives clues about how people solve their problems. With proper knowledge you can see opportunities in the area and expand your business. Cross-cultural awareness removes the barriers between people and provides healthier relationships. With knowledge of verbal cultural differences, I hope to communicate with people from different ethnic backgrounds more efficiently. When I’m communicating with people, I need to choose my words more sensibly to not offend them. Another point with this knowledge is that I wil l become more tolerant with people because I will know that they are not trying to be disrespectful or arrogant; it is part of their culture. As communication largely occurs through verbal elements, I believe that gaining an increased understanding of different languages will in-turn contribute to greater amounts of cultural understanding. The improvement of this cultural understanding will then extend to areas that are not simply linked to language, but also will include a more comprehensive recognition of the deep and meaningful elements.

The Roman Empire Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Roman Empire - Research Paper Example Circuses on the other hand were centers that hosted sports such as horse races. The first and perhaps the biggest circus in the Roman Empire was the Circus Maximus. This circus stood between Palatine Hill and the Aventine. The circus had an attractive shape that made it suitable for hosting chariot races while at the same time providing good grounds for spectators to watch the field events while standing on the hillsides. Gill demonstrates that Circus Maximus served important purposes as it hosted yearly celebration of popular and important events in the empire. Circus Maximus in Rome: Courtesy of Gill, About.com As one way of ensuring defense of the empire and protecting it from the barbarian intrusion, the empire constructed big walls along its borders. One such defense walls were in Ostia, a harbor city in Rome. Ostia borders Tiber River, about 30 km to the west of Rome. Gill indicates that the King Ancus Martius was the founder of the wall of Ostia with sole aim of guarding the m outh of Tiber River, which had plenty deposits of salt. Gill reiterates that Ostia also hosted the ancient navy who found it strategically located due to its nearness to the river where training became easy. In the period of the late Republic, the significance of Ostia increased particularly when it became a commercial center of the Empire. The bordering river made it easy for transportation of goods and services in and out of the empire. All the aforementioned advantages of Ostia made it reasonable for the rulers to build the wall to strengthen defense. The remains of the wall of Ostia. Courtesy of Gill (2012). About.com Another wall that surrounded Rome was the Hadrian’s Wall located towards northern England. Gill explains that the Hadrian’s was formed one of the best walls of Rome having been constructed by the Roman Emperor to help prevent the northerners from reaching the Roman Britain. Hadrian’s Wall: Courtesy of Gill (2012). About.com According to Gill, t he Servian Wall constituted one of the defensive walls constructed to protect the Roman Empire. Servius Tullius was the Roman King who initiated building of the wall during the sixth century B.C. The wall stretched from Tiber to Capitol Hill then to Quirinal and extended to the valley Pincian to Esquiline. Gill unveils that the Servian Wall had twelve gates, specifically purposed to promote defense of the emperor. Servian Wall: Courtesy of Gill (2012). About.com As described by Gill, the Roman Empire had good sanitation earmarked by the construction of proper sewer systems. Gill points that one of the most remarkable sewer systems in ancient Roman Empire was the Cloaca Maxima built in the 6th or 7Th century B.C. Tarquinius Priscus was the Roman king who initiated the construction of the Cloaca Maxima. The main purpose for the construction of the sewer was to help drain marshes and house effluents into Tiber River. Gill clarifies that the sewer system drained wastes particularly from Viminal, Esquiline and Quirinal. It was because of this enhanced sewer system that areas surrounding the hills became inhabitable and even offered space for the forum Romanum. Cloaca Maxima (Great Sewer system): Courtesy of Gill (2012). About.com Roman Forum was a space organized to house and hosts various organs of governments and even serves as religious and business centers. The Forum also served as center for holding forums for public politics. The establishment of the forum became easy due to the availability of ridges connecting Quirinal with Capitoline Hill, and the

Certified fitness trainer (Question6) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Certified fitness trainer (Question6) - Essay Example This idea is supported by the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), and the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA), which all agree that children may participate in resistance training as long as the program is appropriately designed and supervised (Howley and Franks). The usual concern associated with youth resistance training is that this type of stress may harm the developing musculoskeletal system (Stone, Stone and Sands). However, current findings indicate that there is actually no evidence of a height decrease in young people who participate in resistance training in controlled environments (Wilmore, Costill and Kenney). Thus, there is actually nothing to worry about subjecting young children to weight or resistance training. What is important is that strength and conditioning professionals understand the fundamental principles of normal growth and development in order for them to develop and evaluate safe and effective resistance training programs (Earle and

The Roman Empire Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Roman Empire - Research Paper Example Circuses on the other hand were centers that hosted sports such as horse races. The first and perhaps the biggest circus in the Roman Empire was the Circus Maximus. This circus stood between Palatine Hill and the Aventine. The circus had an attractive shape that made it suitable for hosting chariot races while at the same time providing good grounds for spectators to watch the field events while standing on the hillsides. Gill demonstrates that Circus Maximus served important purposes as it hosted yearly celebration of popular and important events in the empire. Circus Maximus in Rome: Courtesy of Gill, About.com As one way of ensuring defense of the empire and protecting it from the barbarian intrusion, the empire constructed big walls along its borders. One such defense walls were in Ostia, a harbor city in Rome. Ostia borders Tiber River, about 30 km to the west of Rome. Gill indicates that the King Ancus Martius was the founder of the wall of Ostia with sole aim of guarding the m outh of Tiber River, which had plenty deposits of salt. Gill reiterates that Ostia also hosted the ancient navy who found it strategically located due to its nearness to the river where training became easy. In the period of the late Republic, the significance of Ostia increased particularly when it became a commercial center of the Empire. The bordering river made it easy for transportation of goods and services in and out of the empire. All the aforementioned advantages of Ostia made it reasonable for the rulers to build the wall to strengthen defense. The remains of the wall of Ostia. Courtesy of Gill (2012). About.com Another wall that surrounded Rome was the Hadrian’s Wall located towards northern England. Gill explains that the Hadrian’s was formed one of the best walls of Rome having been constructed by the Roman Emperor to help prevent the northerners from reaching the Roman Britain. Hadrian’s Wall: Courtesy of Gill (2012). About.com According to Gill, t he Servian Wall constituted one of the defensive walls constructed to protect the Roman Empire. Servius Tullius was the Roman King who initiated building of the wall during the sixth century B.C. The wall stretched from Tiber to Capitol Hill then to Quirinal and extended to the valley Pincian to Esquiline. Gill unveils that the Servian Wall had twelve gates, specifically purposed to promote defense of the emperor. Servian Wall: Courtesy of Gill (2012). About.com As described by Gill, the Roman Empire had good sanitation earmarked by the construction of proper sewer systems. Gill points that one of the most remarkable sewer systems in ancient Roman Empire was the Cloaca Maxima built in the 6th or 7Th century B.C. Tarquinius Priscus was the Roman king who initiated the construction of the Cloaca Maxima. The main purpose for the construction of the sewer was to help drain marshes and house effluents into Tiber River. Gill clarifies that the sewer system drained wastes particularly from Viminal, Esquiline and Quirinal. It was because of this enhanced sewer system that areas surrounding the hills became inhabitable and even offered space for the forum Romanum. Cloaca Maxima (Great Sewer system): Courtesy of Gill (2012). About.com Roman Forum was a space organized to house and hosts various organs of governments and even serves as religious and business centers. The Forum also served as center for holding forums for public politics. The establishment of the forum became easy due to the availability of ridges connecting Quirinal with Capitoline Hill, and the

Unemployment Discrimination Essay Example for Free

Unemployment Discrimination Essay The downturn in the economy has resulted in a high percentage of long-term unemployed people. To combat the issue, legislatures are attempting to make it illegal nationwide for employers to post job openings that bar unemployed applicants, and by making unemployment a protected classification. As these proposed laws will impact businesses and how they operate, it is crucial for businesses, human resource professionals, and labor and employment counsel to understand the changing laws and the implications on employers with operations in each affected state. Once a better understanding of the anti-unemployment discrimination issue is gained, employers will be better prepared to comply with the existing and potential laws so as to avoid penalties. Findings will show that there are better ways to deal with the issue as opposed to making unemployed discrimination a protected classification. Research into the issue was derived from the National Conference of State Legislatures, law journals, legal updates, news articles, and statutes. By using these resources, it was discovered that proposed anti-unemployment discrimination laws are failing, that unemployment becomes an issue during times of economic crisis, and that existing federal and state laws already protect people from discrimination with respect to employment-related decisions. Findings from research indicate that there is no one method that can help improve the unemployment rate. Instead of making it illegal for employers to make hiring decisions while considering a person’s unemployment status, the government should work in conjunction with employers by offering incentives and training programs to help reduce the unemployment figures. Shouldn’t employers be able to consider an applicant’s unemployment status without being fearful of accusations of unemployment discrimination? Unfortunately, employers in certain states today can be penalized for refusing to hire job applicants if the hiring decision is based on an applicant’s unemployment status or if a job vacancy advertisement includes language that bars unemployed persons from applying. Within the past two years, New Jersey, Oregon, and Washington, D. C. have enacted legislation that makes it illegal for employers to discriminate against job applicants based upon their unemployment status. Most recently, the State of New York has made unemployment status a protected trait. New York’s law will come into effect on June 11, 2013 (Morea, 2013). The economy and difficulty obtaining gainful employment can be frustrating for a lot of people today, but despite the issue, employers should always be able to select the strongest candidate for a job opening without having to fear allegations of unemployment discrimination. In essence, an employer should be afforded the right to select a candidate with relevant, recent employment history over a candidate that has been out of the workplace for a considerable amount of time, especially where an applicant has an inadequate explanation for gaps in employment. Despite New York’s stringent, pending statute that will authorize an individual to bring a private action for occurrences of joblessness discrimination, similar proposed laws are failing federally and state-wide (NCLS 2013). The failed legislative bills, along with the new anti-unemployment discrimination laws, are discussed at length below. The compelling reason behind the failure of proposed anti-unemployment discrimination laws is that there is strong sentiment that such laws, if passed, may expose companies to lawsuits, which in turn will likely cause employers to become even more selective in inviting candidates for interviews so as to avoid unemployment discrimination suits (Pear, 2011). An employer should always be able to consider a candidate’s length of unemployment as part of its big picture hiring strategy. It just makes business sense. For example, say that Company 2Y, LLP has a job opening in a demographic area where the unemployment figures are staggering. In response to its job posting, thousands of applications are received; however, only one candidate is needed to fill the position. In order to streamline the hiring process, Company 2Y, LLP is going to weed out any applications or resumes where an applicant does not possess recent, relevant experience. In this manner, Company 2Y, LLP is able to cull the staggering numbers of resumes down to those resumes of candidates that are currently employed in the same line of work. By doing this, Company 2Y, LLP will be able to limit the amount of people it invites for an interview, and will be assured it is getting a top-notch employee that is up to par with the latest technological advances and business practices in the given field. In all states aside from Oregon, New Jersey, New York and Washington, D. C. , this hiring scenario would be a legitimate practice so long as the company does not have any protocols in place that set out to disqualify applicants based on a protected characteristic such as race, disability or those candidates that are over age 40. As it stands, people already have laws protecting them from discriminatory practices with respect to employment, so why is there a need to make unemployment a protected characteristic, especially considering that it is a state of being and not a permanent trait such as one’s color, gender, race, national origin, age, or disability. As stated, there are already sufficient laws and administrative agencies such as the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and local state agencies such as the Department of Fair Employment and Housing and the Department of Labor that are charged with combatting discriminatory animus in employment.

Samsung Electronics Company | Analysis

Samsung Electronics Company | Analysis Contents (Jump to) 1. Introduction 2. Samsungs Competitive Advantage 3. Samsungs Management Analysis SWOT Analysis of Samsung 4. Samsungs Corporate Strategy 4.1 The Eco Friendly Competitiveness 4.2 Mutual Development With Business Partners 4.3 Creative Culture 5. Samsungs Competitive Analysis 5.1 Competitive Analysis on Samsung 5.2 Innovations as the Essence of Sustainable Development 5.3 International Production Capabilities 6. Key Drivers for Future Growth 6.1 Samsung Key Drivers for Future Growth 6.2 Samsung Electronic 2011 Sustainability Plan 6.3 Samsung Electronics Sustainability Reports 2012 6.4 The Live Smart Product and Samsung Stakeholders 6.5 Samsung 9 Material Issues as Key Driver for Future Growth 7. Samsung Technology Planning Exhibit 1 1. INTRODUCTION Samsung Electronics Company began doing business in 1969 as a low-cost manufacturer of black and white televisions. In 1970, Samsung acquired a semiconductor business which would be a milestone that initiated the future for SEC. Entering the semiconductor industry would also be the beginning of the shift phase for SEC. In 1980, SEC showed the market its ability to mass production. SEC became a major supplier of commodity products (televisions, microwave ovens and VCRs) in massive quantities to well-known original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). For this reason, Samsung was able to easily transition into a major player in the electronic products and home appliances market (Quelch Harrington, 2008). SEC was mainly focused in manufacturing; therefore, its no surprise that the executives themselves were also focused on their manufacturing plants. Profits that SEC received were soon reinvested into Research Development, manufacturing, and supply chain activities. Unexpectedly, in 1997, a financial crisis hit the Asian market. Even though SECs sales were $16 billion, they still had a negative net profit. SEC executives exercised major restructuring efforts that resulted in the dismissal of 29,000 workers and the sale of billions in corporate assets. SEC was able to ride the Asian Financial Crisis and was able to reduce its debt dramatically to $4.6 billion, from $15 billion, over a 5 year period. Furthermore, SEC was able to increase its net margins from -3% to 13% (Quelch Harrington, 2008). In 2002, SEC posted net profits of $5.9 billion, on $44.6 billion in sales, and as a result in 2003 became the most widely held stock among all emerging market companies. Unlike other companies who chose to outsource their manufacturing process, SEC remained committed to its core competence, manufacturing (Quelch Harrington, 2008). During 1998-2003, SEC invested $19 billion into chip factories and $17 billion into manufacturing facilities for TFT-LCDs, which would be a major component for flat screen TVs and computer screens. Even though SEC was focused in the manufacturing process, it didnt make SEC a rigid company. To cope with supply-chain demands, the company remained flexible by building 12 manufacturing plants in China during 2003 and setting up RD facilities in India (Quelch Harrington, 2008). With 17,000 scientists, engineers and designers, SEC was able to create an endless amount of digital products. Due to its fast decision-making process and focus on a digital future, SEC was able to move a new product from the drawing board to its commercialization phase in only five months. This ability was almost 3 times faster than its competition (Quelch Harrington, 2008). 2. SAMSUNGS COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE Competitive advantage  is defined as the strategic advantage one business entity has over its rival entities within its competitive industry. Achieving competitive advantage strengthens and positions a business better within the business environment. Samsung has always seeks out the opportunities for the company stay ahead of the competitors. In todays fast-paced competitive environment, Samsung face the need to be increasingly competitive and adaptive. Samsung strategic entrepreneurship as the means through which the company simultaneously exploits their current competitive advantages while exploring for future opportunities. Achieving a balance between exploration and exploitation consists of more than merely allocating resources evenly between the two processes. Exploration and exploitation are operationally, structurally, and culturally distinct processes. In order for Samsung to stay gain their competitive advantage; they have utilized their resources to maximize their output or end products. Resources such as human resources, money, machineries and materials are being strategized to stay ahead and be the leader the global market. The first advantage Samsung has created was by developing the human resources. The company acknowledged the need for the employees to work in conducive working environment. Samsung created a family-friend working environment, which allows the team members participate in the developing and improving ideas. Samsung even sponsored their employees for MBAs and PHDs program to develop and enhance their human resources skills. As a result of years of human capital investment, Samsung has a high concentration of skilled engineers and labour. The company are able to management the human resources and knowledge which will directly impacted Samsungs operation by producing a higher productivity and quality of the product s and services. The low cost strategy by Samsung allowed them to be very competitive in the global market. Samsungs ability to negotiate with supplier, gave them the advantage of cost raw material. Samsung won several awards every year since 1995 for their performance, quality and reliability of their products and services. Hence, this gave the advantage for them to negotiate with suppliers to supply them the raw material at the lowest cost possible or even at premium. Samsungs high adaptation cultural to new and fast changing market demand made them an aggressive market reader. As part of their competitive advantage strategy, Samsung setup a centralized research and development (RD) facilities. Most of their competitors have their RD facilities and productions facilities geographically scattered around the globe. The centralization gave them to opportunities to continuous explore and exploit greater products and invention for new technology, as well as innovation for existing technology. The Washington Post on 12 November 2012, in the article Apple vs. Samsung: battle of the Innovation Strategies, was number 4 in the 10 most innovative companies after Apple, Google and 3M. However Samsung was at the number 6 spot in the top 10 RD spender compared to Apple not on the top 20 list. For example, Samsung invested heavily on the new bendable screen technology for smart phone. They planned to launch the new product in 2013, where other competitors are still developing to commercialize the new technology Most of the innovation for the Samsung products shared the same core design. Samsung flexible product line able them to materialize those ideas to end products with minimal cost occurred. For every new invention and innovation, Samsung does not need to set up a new facility. The results, higher yield against the cost of the production. Lower cost of productions allowed Samsung to offer attractive and competitive price for the consumer. The relatively lower cost gives lots of rooms for the pricing strategy to work with. Centralization of the RD facilities and the production facilities, desire Samsung to maximize their resources and machinery. High adaptation to adjust the course of production, able Samsung to produce and broad market their five major products division of Semiconductor, digital technology, telecommunication, LCD and digital appliances. The results, production variety of product mix with lower cost to meet the customer demand. Offering the market with variety or multi product segment, gave Samsung the advantage to other competitors. Example, by providing the varieties of models and product features, Samsung are able to tab to a larger market segment compare to Apple or Nokia. Centralization of RD also gave Samsung the advantage to keep their intellectual property within their boundary and mass produce at the same time. Samsung is an aggressive market reader. They are the early adopters of new technology and innovation, while their competitors still in RD progress or even finding the market niche to commercialize the products. Samsung has an aggressive learning curve, which them an advantage and ability to read the market demand better than other competitors. As the result they are able to produce customized products to meet the customer demand. Samsung stable and strong financial portfolio, gave them the advantage to launch and adopt through aggressive marketing campaign and promotion. Positions themselves before any competitor does by identifying the customers need and demand to enhance their lifestyle. The information and data gathered, along with the close monitoring of the market trend, able Samsung to customize to customer need. Samsung have a large product portfolio, which cover broad market and at all level. Samsung has been in the market since the 60s and has been well established. Acknowledging and creating the competitive advantage ensure their dominant in the industries. The fact that they are in the top 5 in smart phone vendor and shipment for 3rd quarter 2012, with 31.3% market share, proofed that they are the major player in the industry. Continuous exploration and exploitation of market and technology through RD, allow Samsung to be a solution provider for human kind on their daily living. Samsung is a brand name that represents the qualities, technologies, lifestyles and benchmark in the industries. 3. SAMSUNGS MANAGEMENT ANALYSIS The management SWOT analysis covers four dimensions namely; the strengths, weakness, opportunities and threats. By going through a SWOT analysis, you become aware of the most important dimensions that have an impact on the operations of the company. Once a SWOT analysis has been jolted you can come with relevant strategies in order to succeed in the competitive environment. A good SWOT analysis can help the company and competitors place themselves in the market wisely. Therefore, here we look at the SWOT Analysis of Samsung to give you an idea of how the company is operating in the world. 3.1 (S)trengths Samsung has a wide product range, which allows them to grab ample market share from various markets. This allows Samsung to not only earn a high return but it also allows them to diversify their risk and failure. According to many magazines, Samsung holds a significant portion of the market share in nearly all its products. Samsung is a reputed name and many people are familiar with it around the world. It also has won many awards on its high quality products. It has the ability and resources to use the latest technology and offer new and exciting features frequently. It has won many awards due to its ability to make innovative, sleek and slim products. It has set up many production plants in low cost locations, thus they save on cost of production significantly. It also recently has attracted ample positive press, thus its reputation continues to grow and has a positive impact on the operations of the company. 3.2 (W)eaknesses Samsung never introduces a new design on its own; it always waits and sees to its competitors. Thus, it missed the first mover advantages. It does not charge high price for its products, therefore often people relate the low price to begin a supplier of low quality products. General perception supports that the higher the price, the higher the quality of products. Many Samsung products are not user friendly, therefore consumer often hesitate to switch to Samsung products even if the price and quality is exceptional. It does not focus on a specific niche; it offers its products to the mass market only. It does not create its own software therefore it often relies on other sources to complete the products. Samsung faces immense competition from new companies and online companies. High set up and operation cost for such a company. 3.3 (O)pportunities Samsung should make an active effort to offer unique products to customers, in order to grab more market share. It could start creating softwares for their hardware devices and reduce outsourcing. It could launch sub brands to the company, with new and improved strategies. It could open more stores to serve more customers. It could make an effort to launch creative products first, rather than after its competitors. Samsung should participate in product development and attract more customers. It should also consider participating in various events to attract attention. It could offer additional services to retain existing customers and attract new ones. Increase in the need for mobile phones, Samsung could exploit this need well. 3.4 (T)hreats Samsung has linked product lines, which means that if one product line fails due to its own reasons other product lines will also suffer. Samsung production is very scattered; it controls and operates different products while its competitors use their resources and effort on one segment only. Diversification takes a lot of effort and attention. It has set up production plants in low cost areas, which are subject to ample political and economic instability. These instabilities can have an impact overall company it the crisis gets unmanageable. It is facing threats from many other low cost companies. Various companies have realized the importance of advertising, therefore Samsung will be subject to a lot more competition as advertising creates and draws attention of consumers. Countries all over the world are experiencing a high cost due to high inflation rates in most locations. Many government legislations are now active against the innovative technology due to health and mental concerns. The above section clearly reveals the SWOT Analysis of Samsung. By going through the SWOT Analysis of Samsung you can understand and further evaluate the companys performance to your own advantages. However, the above SWOT Analysis of Samsung is limited to certain significant points only. Therefore, when evaluating a company it is best to search online for more SWOT Analysis of Samsung so that you have all the information you need to assess the company. 4. SAMSUNGS CORPORATE STRATEGY 4.1 The Eco Friendly competitiveness The company have shown high concern in develop Eco friendly products in order to reduce environmental impact. A wide range of activities were carrying out by Samsung to deliver an innovative eco friendly products to customers. These activities were guided by their focus on green management, products, workplaces and communities. Samsung green management policy was aim to boost development on greener environment through their business activities. 4.1.1 Eco Products In 2004, Samsung develop a system that manages products compliance with environmental criteria. It was named as Eco Design Assessment System. This system ensure Samsung products comply with environmental criteria such as resource efficiency and eco-friendly materials as what being stated in global environment regulation. (About Samsung 2012). The system than was being upgraded by introduces eco rating system to all developed products. This rating system will rate the product to three categories which are eco product, good eco- product or premium eco product. Recently, Samsung has set a goal to ensure that 100% of their products exceed good eco product by 2013. (About Samsung 2012). In addition, Samsung also believes that its product should have long lifecycles in order to meet environmental care requirement. Therefore, Samsung implemented a strategy that providing reasonable product warranty. Recently, Samsung also come out with innovations that extending the lifecycle of certain product type. Samsung introduce its innovative technology called smart evolution kit. This technology enables customers to simply upgrade television processor or software by plugging the business card size kit at the back of television. This technology encourage customer to upgrading rather than replacing. 4.1.2 Recycling Activity The next strategy take by Samsung is in respond of requirement of recycling laws that increasingly interested by government in Asia and America. Samsung electronics have develop a proper take back systems by collaborate with the government and related industry associations to develop an effective take back system by meeting the obligation. Samsung implement these activities by implement several voluntary take back programs for its product that at the end of their lifecycle. Among them are Samsung Recycle Direct which operates in USA, and India. This program enables people to drop off Samsung products at collection site or Samsung service centre. Samsung also offers take back service for mobile phone and portable products for consumer around the world Samsung also launched in (Samsung Take back And Recycling) STAR in 2005 to ensure proper recycling process. Under this program, all returned printer cartridge will recycle to something useable. The part that cannot be recycled will be disposed and treated in a safe way. (About Samsung,2012) 4.2 Mutual development with business partners Supplier relationship is crucial to any organization. Suppliers can directly impact the financial performance of an organization as they will influence product development cost, manufacturing schedules, inventory levels and timeliness of delivery goods or services. Samsung realize that its worthwhile to have investment focus on this relationship in order to be effective and efficient. 4.2.1 Strengthened relationship with supplier According to Olsen and Ellram (1997), the link between the characteristic between of the relationship such as trust and cooperation need for further research. In order to be a true global leader in industry, Samsung believe it business partners relationship is a key element. Samsung shared it growth with outstanding suppliers by expanded its support programs to become global companies. The support programs were involved in activities that provide training, technological supports and funds. The communication between Samsung and its supplier were being strengthened by listening to voice of their suppliers from a top management visit on a regular basis. Recently, Samsung also are in planning to put more sharing growth activity with their key suppliers such as free use of patented technologies, support for patent registration of new technology developed by supplier. 4.2.2 Corporate Social Responsibility In line with its strategy to support the local communities and its commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), Samsung have come out with the strategy to choose and evaluate their supplier by integrating CSR element in the criteria. CSR activities are growing rapidly in many international organizations. These CSR activities provide Samsung with important opportunities and competitive advantages. Samsung take innovative strategy by conducting annual supplier evaluation including CSR activities and achievement as part of its evaluation. This strategy is aim to give supplier incentives as their participation in CSR activities structure by Samsung to fulfill common code of conduct by Electronic Industry Citizenship Coalitions (EICC). The CSR evaluation criteria consist of 20 different areas including ban of child labor, occupational safety and health and environment management 4.3 Creative Culture Samsung realize that high employees participation in the company growth is essential in order to let them feel sense of dignity, pride and ownership of organizations vision. Samsung strategy to build creative organizational culture in strengthen the competencies of their employees are giving great positive impact on Samsung competitiveness. According to Keyton (2012), organizational culture is not a tangible thing, like an iceberg, it is less to be visual seen but imagined by sets of artifacts, value, and assumption that are designed, managed and exposed by organizational members and through their interactions. Samsung comply with this theory by actively promote creative organizational culture that allows their employees to pursue a healthy work life balance in a creative and challenging work environment. Samsung also are welcoming employees that with different background and facilities. 4.3.1 Diversity Samsung is committed to create work environment that support the diversity of the global market the serve. Every employee in this company regardless of gender, race, and or country of origin should be treating equally in give a voice. Diversity management strategy takes by Samsung is classify into two basic directions. First, it focuses on diversity for minorities which concern the issues on inequality. The strategy are undertakes in upgrade policy and systems to allow people with diverse traits to work creatively. Second, it focuses on diversity perception on all employees. The strategy is aims to foster creative organizational culture that respect diversity by changing the mindset and perception of all employees. These diversity strategies are being demonstrated by offering various programs for female and disabled employees. Female employees are being offered to various programs that supports their commitment to both work and home. It includes parental leave and in house child care facilities. Samsung also have implement separate recruitment program for disabled graduate and internship program for disable students. Samsung continuously support diversity for minors by improving facilities for disabled employees in order to build culture as an ideal workplace. 4.3.2 Talent based recruiting of software and design expert Future creator challenge is a talent based recruiting process designed to hire new employees in software engineering and design which two criteria creativity and expertise are the key factors. The recruitment process were not conventionally ask for written exam but let candidate to proof their talents by submitting application as evidence to their resume or certificate. Selected applicants will undergo interview sessions to test their technical ability and evaluation on their ideas and solution. (Samsung Electronic Sustainability Report 2012) 5. SAMSUNGS COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS 5.1 Competitive analysis on Samsung A competitive advantage is an advantage gain over competitor by offering customers greater values either through extra benefit, value added criteria or price factors. Competitive advantage is essential for a company like Samsung in order to be sustainable and successful over the long term. The sustainability of Samsung today is the result from the effort has been taken to some key elements of their remarkable triumph. 5.2 Innovations as the essence of sustainable development Samsungs sustainable development is backed by innovation to several forces that become key success for Samsung. The innovation take by Samsung to overall business operation are addressing key issues surrounding quality and cost. Samsung strictly focuses in these issues by undergo innovation process to get lower manufacturing costs, high profits and reach the market swiftly. In this section well look on the factors that encourage innovation in Samsung business operation that at the eventually will lead to competitive advantage. 5.2.1 Effective RD system Samsung electronics have developed an effective RD system at headquarters and product divisions. The engineers will work on long term project or multiple division projects at corporate RD lab. The lab used by them also is supported by Headquarter and Product division. In addition, Samsung also develop their RD centers in various locations. This can help RD team to identify or observe future trends and opportunity for their technology capabilities and key technologies. This capability is manage effectively by having extensive training system to develop leadership talent. Sophisticated mechanism and evaluation system also are being used to take calculated risk when exploring new markets. This action shows that Samsung are very careful when explore new product opportunity. The team also needs to develop contingency plans to prepare different scenario that might being happen. 5.2.2 Creative talent Samsung aware that innovation is the main source to being remain competitive in this industry. The only way to improve innovation performance is by employing managers that have right set of skills and always like to experiment and take the risks. This kind of leaders are important in directs the organization in creative work culture. The brave decision take by a leader can encourage new mindset and way of thinking to the subordinates. The awareness of need for innovation has made Samsung implement several actions to demonstrate their focus on it. In four years, Samsung have double up numbers of workers working on design, budget for design were increased by 20 -30 percent annually and more design centers were opened. (Strategic Direction, 2005) 5.3 International production capabilities Recently, Samsung are facing great competition in order to sustain in industry. The competitors have recovered Samsung competitiveness by investing in offshore production. Increased overseas productions are seems to be the key major component in their strategic response. In this section, well discuss on how international production capabilities perform by Samsung lead this company to be competitive in industry by reviewing some major action taken by them. 5.3.1 Expansion of offshore production Starting in 1970s, Samsung have started to look over international linkage to acquire product designs and marketing outlet and focus on its mass production capability. In 1990s, Samsung have shown rapid expansion of offshore production as their major strategy. The strategies followed by improvement of RD capabilities to remain they are still competitive in rapidly changing environment. International production capabilities are important for Samsung in order to reap cost competitiveness by utilizing the low cost resources available in South East Asia. Youngsoo Kim (1998) claimed that Samsung implement this strategy by establishing Singapore based purchasing office in 1991 to speed up the internationalization of production. This key intermediary is aggressively played its role in purchasing and distributes huge amounts of component and its affiliates. Since 1990s, Samsung productions plants in Asia were in several countries ranging from end products to components including China, Vietnam, Malaysia and India. The presence of Samsungs production in Asia was increasingly determining its secure position in the industry by having good connection between production capabilities and marketing objectives. 5.3.2 Well trained employees in Asian affiliates Samsung have to make sure their offshore production sites are producing products that follow the specification decided by them. This is important in order to make Samsung are able to reap cost competitiveness by producing in low cost resource country. Samsung assure this condition by trained the employees in its Asian affiliates or sending Korean trainers to the affiliate. In 1990, technicians from refrigerator plant in Indonesia were sent to South Korea for conducting a training session for 3 months. One third of Samsung Microwave plant in Malaysia was also being trained in Korea. These actions have benefits Samsung when the ratio of component sourced from nearby regional suppliers had risen above 50 percent. (SMM, September 1993) 6. KEY DRIVERS FOR FUTURE GROWTH 6.1 Samsung Key drivers for future growth The involvement of Samsung in electronic and mobile market needs them to survive within the industries for the next 20 years. In the other it means that Samsung have to set their key drivers that can allow them archive as well as a benchmark for the future growth. This key driver also is based on Samsung achievements and capabilities that they have now and then to continue with adding some more new keys to guide them to realize their vision and mission. The keys driver for Samsung future growth is also known as their sustainability in present towards the future. Focusing on Samsung Electronics, Samsung sustainability showed that their performance in surviving the industries and can be also as a benchmark to survive in the future. According to Nidomulu and Prahalad (2009) company that make sustainability a goal will achieve competitive advantage in the future , that mean rethinking business models as well as technologies, products and processes. In 2010, Samsung sustainability perform ance and plan focusing on talent management, integrity management, green management, social contribution, partners collaboration and products/services. For 2011 they set 9 material issues as a guidance to sustainability in future growth; (1) Creative Organizational Culture (2) Employee Health and Safety (3) Integrity Management (4) Increasing Social Contribution (5) Patent (6) Climate Change and Energy (7) Water Management (8) Mutual Growth (9) Supplier CSR(Corporate Social Responsibilities) based on Samsung Electronics Sustainability Report 2012. 6.2 Samsung Electronic 2011 Sustainability Plan For Talent Management plan in 2011, Samsung plan to, introduce telecommuting/ work at home scheme for married employees, increase percentage of female executive, set up idea proposal system at oversea research centers and hire new recruits with disabilities. Samsung plan on Integrity Management was to improve compliance program also related activities, declare compliance management and signing of the compliance agreement by employees. Instead of talent and integrity management Samsung also focus on Green Management plan which the plan to set 96% ratio of Eco-product development, set long/mid-term targets for water management, build a global environmental management system and support for outside country partners environment management system. In developing Social Contribution Samsung plan to introduce new regional social contribution based on global guidelines (Samsung Hope for Children) and to create tools in assessing impact of social contribution programs. Samsung needs a supporti ve partner in o

Adult Learner Retention Essay -- Education Learning Essays

Adult Learner Retention Adult learner retention continues to hold the attention of adult educators in every type of program. Although the reasons students leave and the strategies for keeping them may differ from adult basic education (ABE) to higher education, the goal of retention is the same: to keep learners in programs until they achieve their goals (Tracy-Mumford et al. 1994). In any program, adults are largely voluntary participants, but the student role is just one of many roles and responsibilities competing for their time and attention. In fact, personal reasons such as family problems, lack of child care, and job demands are often cited as the cause of withdrawal. At the same time, adults usually have pragmatic, focused reasons for participating and will leave whenever they feel their goals have been met or if they feel the program will not satisfy their goals. Personal/job factors may seem to be beyond institutional control, whereas program satisfaction is something educators can improve. This D igest provides an updated look at research on retention in adult education and suggests effective practices for different settings. Adult Basic Education Repeatedly, attrition is described as the #1 problem in ABE. Attrition rates as high as 60-70% are reported in state and federal statistics (Quigley 1995). The raw numbers may be alarming, but they do not tell the whole story. Several studies show that noncompleters sometimes leave when they feel their goals were realized (Kambouri and Francis 1994; Perin and Greenberg 1994). The phenomenon of stopping out-one or more cycles of attending, withdrawing, and returning-is typical of adults who must place the student role on the back burner temporarily. Counting them as dr... ...cy. Kent: Ohio Literacy Resource Center, 1995. (ED 378 408) Smith, G., and Bailey, V. Staying the Course. London: Business and Technology Education Council, 1993. (ED 359 356) Towles, D. E.; Ellis, J. R.; and Spencer, J. "Student Persistence in a Distance Education Program." Conference paper, 1993. (ED 360 931) Tracy-Mumford, F. et al. Student Retention: Creating Student Success. Washington, DC: National Adult Education Professional Development Consortium, 1994. (ED 375 299) Vanderpool, N. M., and Brown, W. E. "Implications of a Peer Telephone Network on Adult Learner GPA and Retention." Journal of College Student Development 35, no.2 (March 1994): 125-128. Vann, B. A., and Hinton, B. E. "Workplace Social Networks and Their Relationship to Student Retention in On-Site GED Programs." Human Resource Development Quarterly 5, no. 2 (Summer 1994): 141-151.