Participation or Non-Participation for a Tennis Professional Essay

Participation or Non-Participation for a Tennis Professional - Essay Example Given the magnitude of the tournament, it would present the best platform to sensitize the World and Americans on my stance and to make them join me in fighting this course. Participation is better given that a large number of people gather to watch this tournament and that the competition attracts people from various countries. Further, several broadcasting channels televise the Indianapolis tennis tournament that will enable my position to reach a large number of people (Durst 1). For a professional tennis player, participation presents the best way of putting forth one's opinion. Just like evidenced in other sports activities, best players choose to participate and put forth their stance concerning an occurrence in the course of their participation. For instance, when a police officer shot a teenager named Garner, and people were of the opinion that the Jury’s decision did not provide justice to the deceased. There were increased protests among the public and LeBron James an NBA star sought to oppose the decision in a game scheduled for Brooklyn. Before the game, LeBron wore a T-shirt with inscriptions showing support for young Garner (Bondy 1). A professional tennis player would pass his stance against the Religious Freedom Restoration Acts via pre-match or post-match interviews. In addition, a professional player can bring forth their position by wearing T-shirts with inscriptions of the stand they take concerning the decision. Finally, given the lar ge social media following that professional sports personality have in these media; the professional tennis player can post his stance on his wall. Despite the lack of participation in the Indianapolis Tennis Championships being impactful, participation and making one’s stance known through various means is the best option. Given the large following, that tennis professionals receive worldwide, failure of involvement would not go well with all the fans. Some fans of the professional tennis player would be so devastated by the failure of the occurrence of the event that they would stop focusing on the issue that led to the decision.  Ã‚  

Quality of Care in a Rural Population Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Quality of Care in a Rural Population - Essay Example Rural adults, according to research, state five times more often than urban adults to feel fair or poor about their health status. Most of these rural residents prefer to get their care locally and may not get specialty care because of their reluctance to go elsewhere (Pierce, Foley, Clark, 2006). There are also many other cited barriers to care. Those include lack of financial resources, distance to care, lack of transportation, and a shortage of healthcare professionals that varies by profession, region, and state (Merwin, et.al. 2006). Rates of those healthcare professionals continue to decline in rural areas. There is also difficulty getting appropriate supplies and provides problems for services like home health care and meals on wheels. There are many strategies that have been contemplated for use in improving this rural healthcare problem. It is much more studied now than in the past, with the information given in the Healthy People 2010 study. In the rural communities in Oregon, there is an effort to solve this problem. There are several very rural hospitals in Oregon which are Critical Access Hospitals.

Issues facing european low cost airlines

Issues facing european low cost airlines As predicted in the beginning of the millennium year by the International Air Transport Association, the low cost airline sector has grown at a rapid pace during the last decade from carrying 6.3% of the domestic and international passengers within Europe in 1999 predicting to increase to 16-18% in 2005 and has become the order of day in Europe. Although the European airline sector was dominated by flag carriers such as British Airways, Lufthansa, Air France etc. with a share of 70%, this fact transformed with the deregulations coming into effect, increasing the need for an optimal model of operation. That is, as the average airfares in the low-cost airlines sector account for just 3% of the average monthly EU industrial wage, customers turned towards these airline services (Datta Chakravarty, n.d). 3.0 Ryanair Profile in brief Ryanair Airlines, founded by the Ryan family was initially a full service conventional airline in 1985 which was introduced as an alternative travelling between Ireland and the UK to then state monopoly Aer Lingus. However due to financial issues it successfully restructured itself in early 1990s as the first low-fares, no frills carrier in Europe modeling based on Southwest Airlines. The responsibility of Ryanair was taken over by a management team lead by Michael OLeary and was soon floated on both Dublin and London Stock Exchanges in 1997 and admitted among NASDAQ 100 (OHiggins, 2007). Ryanair as a leading low-fares airline offers cheap flights to 150 destinations up-to-date along 1000 low cost routes and provide its customers with cheap and fast air travel excluding fuel surcharges with 100% possibility for online check-ins (Ryanair website, n.d). Although Ryanair has not published its vision and mission clearly, they look to find the big picture and set a broad direction and OLearys direction is to be the largest Low Cost Leader in the European airline industry. This vision is supported by absolute dedication to low cost performance in every element of the value chain, quick gate turnarounds, nonunion operations, performance-based incentive compensation plans, standardization on one type of aircraft, and flying (in most cases) to secondary airports, which provides significant savings for Ryanair (Box Byus, 2007). 4.0 Internal Analysis 4.1 Organizations Strategic Capability Analysis Ryanair has positioned itself as the largest low-fares carrier in Europe and as a business which returns value for money to its fare-concuious leisure and business customers. That is, as Ryanair explains, At Ryanair we guarantee you the lowest air fares on the internet. However our success is due not just to our low fares but also a winning combination of our No.1 on-time record, our friendly and efficient people and our new Boeing 737-800 series aircraft (Puget, 2003) which all add up to its value. Its ancillary services improve its value which is 13% of the total revenue. Although there are low-fares airline services in the European market due to the effectiveness of Ryanair it has been able to become market leader with 29.9% of market share in 2006. Their competitors have not been able to effectively copy the low cost strategy and usage of secondary and regional airports. Inimitable Organised Ryanair holds its uniqueness in its operating strategy which is based on low-cost. It adopts point-to-point flights to secondary or regional airports which no other service follows and occupies a one-way pricing policy which eliminates direct comparison with competitors (Ryanair, n.d). Ryanair is well organized within its low-cost strategy. It offers 100% online check-ins and flies to 150 European destinations along 1000 routes. There is no physical check in where passenger is required to forward his passport and reference number (Marketing Teacher Ltd, n.d). It has one-way pricing strategy which eliminates minimum stay requirements within airports (Ryanair, n.d). Valuable Rare 4.2 Company Resources The resources of Ryanair could be categorized and explained according to the following. Type Ryanair resources Physical resources Head office at Dublin airport Ireland 202 Boeing 737-800 aircrafts with 189 capacity 150 destinations through 1000 routes (as at 2010 April) Financial resources Total assets worth à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬4,634.2 million Shareholder equity of à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬1,992 million Total operating revenues worth à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬1,693 million (all as at 2006 March) Human Resource Over 6,300 employees (2008) CEO Michel OLeary Intellectual resources Market share of 29.9% (2006) Customer base of 34.9 million (2006) Largest travel website in Europe The fifth most recognized brand on Google Most profitable airline in the world based on operating and net profit margins on a per-airplane and per-passenger basis (2006) 4.3 Company Competencies No frill, low cost leadership could be considered the most significant aspect of Ryanair and thereby cater from low to middle level customers The ancillary revenue methods such as accommodation services, care rental, in-flight sales etc. which add up to 15.3% (2006) which had a 36% increase during 2005-2006 Possessing the preemptive advantage and being the market leader provides opportunity to expand into other markets including USA, Asia and Africa. Allowing internet access to its consumers leads to elevate sales and reduce the per-units cost Point-to-point short haul flights and usage of secondary and regional airports reduce passenger congestion and thereby avoid high airport charges. The personality of Michel OLeary has a great impact on the success of Ryanair where he personally looks into unique marketing strategies. 4.0 Industry Analysis 4.1 Porters Five Forces 4.1.1 Competitor rivalry -High and increasing The direct and main low-cost competitors of Ryanair include easyJet, Air Berlin, Germanwings, Lufthansa and Tranavia and the industry was joined by approximately 60 new low-cost airlines in 2004 (Experience Festival, n.d). A major reason for the development of this sector was the airline deregulation in 1997 due to which many companies were attracted towards the industry. This resulted in full-service airlines adopting the low-cost strategy eg. Aer Lingus 2002. The economical recession increased the aggressiveness of all competitors as they were compelled to survive in the market which resulted in frequent flyer programmes by many competing businesses including Lufthansa, Aer Lingus etc (flyertalk, n.d). However the attractiveness of the industry is high for Ryanair due to its low-cost structure, use of secondary airports and first-mover advantage along with experience of almost 2 decades. 4.1.2 Threat of new entrants Moderate Although it is accepted that the European budget airline industry is healthy with huge potential and incremental growth, the effect on Ryanair from new entrants could be considered as moderate due to its position in the market, its strong brand name and economies of scale achieved with time. For instance, Ryanair saved 42.6% of marketing and distribution costs through direct bookings in 2002 (Brophy George, 2003). Although the deregulation practices minimized the barriers of entering the industry challenging the market leader would consume both time and resources of the new companies. 4.1.3 Bargaining power of suppliers Low to Moderate Types of suppliers of Ryanair would mainly be fuel suppliers, aircraft suppliers, airport authorities and suppliers of support services. Travel agents would not count at present due to on line bookings. Ryanair has no control on fuel prices which is totally governed by world trade and Middle Eastern countries. However it has a very healthy relationship with the main aeroplane supplier, Boeing (Brophy George, 2003) which also provides the company with ancillary goods and services including technical support and training, spare parts support, training of flight crew etc. Accordingly it could be said that the power of suppliers is at low to moderate level. Eg. Ryanair cancelled its contract with OnAir, the supplier of the on board mobile communication service due to financial issues (Robertson, 2010). 4.1.4 Bargaining power of consumers High The passenger base of Ryanair was 34.9 million in 2006 and 58.5 million in 2008 (Ryanair, n.d) and increasing due to recessionary effects and current recovery stage resulting in attraction towards low-cost air travel. As Brophy and George (2003) explain, the power of buyers depends on standardization of product, elasticity of demand, brand identity and the quality of service. The switching cost is very low for customers due to the parity of services and online bookings. Accordingly Ryanair is compelled to practice competitive pricing. 4.1.5 Threat of substitutes Low to Moderate The major substitutes for air travel in Europe are rail, road and to some extent boat travel. With advantages such as ability of localization, easier accessibility along with safety railway is significant but may take longer to reach the destination. Ryanair with its low-fare structure is comparatively cheaper than railway which directly substitutes its services through excellent continental services. Road travel would provide similar benefits but Ryanair could overcome it through emphasizing on effective short haul schedules. Development in communication could also be a threat to some extent as business professionals could communicate through video conference etc. from one corner of the world to the other instantly sitting at their office desks. 5.0 Macro-environmental analysis 5.1 PESTEL analysis 5.1.1 Political Government laws and regulations regarding increase of airport landing charges The law for carbon emissions passed by the government on the aviation industry charging environmental taxes EU regulation to reduce the inconvenience caused to passengers by delays, cancellations and denied boarding where airlines are to provide standardized and immediate assistance to them Severe security measures imposed by UK authorities due to terrorist attacks 5.1.2 Economical Real GDP growth rate of EU at a reducing trend since 2007 -4.2% in 2009 (eurostat, n.d) Reduction in inflation rate of the EU from 3.7% in 2008 to 1.0% in 2009 (eurostat, n.d) Recessionary effects and current practices for recovery and depreciation of the US dollar 5.1.3 Social Increase in numbers of business travellers Negative perceptions on air travel due to safety issues Attraction to low-cost airlines after the economic recession 5.1.4 Technology Internet competition for online bookings Fuel efficiency, low carbon emissions and low noise emissions from Boeing aircrafts Other technological expansions e.g. Web sales 5.1.5 Environmental Cancellation of thousands of flights due to spread of volcanic ash from Iceland Strict regulations on carbon emissions Considerations on global warming and noise pollution 5.1.6 Legal Laws relating to airport charges and route policies Safety measures taken by governments due to terrorism regarding passengers and airline staff Regulation regarding misleading advertising 6.0 SWOT Analysis 6.1 Strengths Brand image and reputation Ryanair possesses the privilege of being the initial company to the low-fare air travel industry in Europe and thereby has the advantage of being the First Mover or preemptive mover. Most importantly as the market leader Ryanair presents its brand as a bundle of functional benefits including punctuality and efficiency (Puget, 2003). Pricing strategy As the first low-fares airline in Europe their pricing strategy was extremely unique where 70% of the seats are sold at lowest two fares and the rest is at higher prices with 6% sold at the highest and customers are ruled out of fuel surcharges (Marketing Teacher Ltd, n.d). Customers are content with the aspect of value for money and best prices compared to other competing airlines. Marketing strategy They utilize adverts which basically communicate the low-fares factor to its customers. Mostly they use controversy as their promotion method where for instance, bidding to purchase Aer Lingus, the Irish rival of Ryanair, charging  £1 per person for the use of washroom on board from 2010 (Crouthamel 2010), publishing controversy calendars with female cabin crew for charity purposes etc. Also another important factor is the ancillary services or non-flight scheduled services such as hotels, car hires, in-flight sales etc. 6.2 Weaknesses Cost Structure Ryanair is at continuous attempt to reduce costs at any possible situation and therefore it has a negative impact on customer satisfaction due to this high cost consciousness. According to a poll by TripAdvisor in 2006 Ryanair was voted as the worlds least favourite airline and Ryanair is ranked as a 2 Star low-cost airline by airlinequality.com (n.d) which also explains the negative perspective of customers about low quality. Also this cost structure is constantly challenged by the fluctuations of fuel prices. Staff issues Ryanair scores low regarding industrial relations where they are alleged of providing poor working conditions. Ryanair recruit young pilots who could work hard and with experience and knowledge gathered at Ryanair they tend to move on as a result of low commitment. 6.3 Opportunities Expansion to the USA The low-fares structure is not common in the US as it is in Europe and therefore Ryanair would be the first mover to the US domestic airline market as it plans to extend itself under a different brand for long haul flights between US and Europe (McGrath, 2007). It is said that Ryanair would be the cheapest USA flights in history and its popularity and success in Europe would spill over to the new brand. Recession Price has become an extremely important factor in making purchase decisions and therefore Ryanair could score due to its low-fares nature during and at the aftermath of the global economic recession. The grid (Appendix B) illustrates the increased demand towards Ryanair where its passenger numbers has grown by 13% from 2007-2008. New aircrafts and focus on business professionals Ryanair currently owns 189 Boeing 737-800 which are more environmental friendly and larger in capacity. Also discussions are underway for an order for 200-300 aircrafts for 2013-2016 requirements (centre for aviation, 2009). Also with changes in the business world and focus on countries such as China and USA the demand for long haul flights have increased. 6.4 Threats Fuel prices and other charges As Ryanair does not pass on fuel surcharges to its customers, the unpredictability in fuel prices and inexperience in effective hedging compared to its competitors it is at risk of continuing with lowering costs. Also increase in airport and handling charges and route charges due to expansion would also threaten its cost structure. Political influence As Ryanair operates in more than one country it is influenced by various legal requirements which are different to one another and therefore faces difficulties in standardizing processes and practices. 7.0 Recommendations Considering a much more structured marketing strategy which does not depend on controversy publicity. Taking measures to reduce negative publicity through practicing CSR projects and demonstrating ethical behaviour moving away from merely being profit conscious Proving customers with benefits of the low-cost structure through effective customer service which would increase numbers and thereby would positively affect profit margins although costs may increase in the process. 8.0 Conclusion Ryanair as the largest low-fares carrier and the market leader of the European budget airline market has been able to succeed due to its unique and out-of-the-box thinking. With a high rate of rivalry within the industry with big players such as easyJet, Lufthansa, Air France practicing competitive strategies time-to-time Ryanair is required to follow the correct strategies in order to remain at its throne. Accordingly effective analysis of its internal, external and industrial aspects would increase its possibilities. Ryanair with its low-cost strategy and powerful brand reputation could match its strengths with the opportunities in the market, especially those which have arisen due to the economical downturn increasing the demand for low-cost travel. Furthermore, due to its capabilities the industry attractiveness is at a high level for Ryanair. However the business is at a spotlight due to its controversy practices which they utilize as a means of publicity could negatively affect its brand in the long run and therefore should take steps to reduce these effects.

Tay-Sachs Essays -- Health Medical Medicine Biology Essays

Tay-Sachs Abstract Tay-Sachs is a disease caused by a mutation to the gene which codes for Hex A. Without Hex A, a cell cannot degrade GM2 ganglioside into GM3 ganglioside. This results in a build up of ganglioside’s in lysosomes of neurons. The result is varying degrees of mental deterioration. New DNA-based screening is currently being developed to replace the enzyme-based screening techniques that have been used since 1969. This will not only speed up the diagnosis, but also allow for earlier detection of Tay-Sachs by using the parents genotypes. Introduction Tay-Sachs disease is one of three autosomal recessive, lysosomal storage disorders, collectively known as the GM2 gangliosidoses. They result from accumulation of GM2 ganglioside in lysosomes, primarily of neurons. The clinical symptoms of Tay-Sachs vary from infantile lethal neurodegenerative disease to less severe adult onset forms. The latter are often characterized by motor neuron impairments. The recognition of the high incidence of this disease among Ashkenazi Jews and the identification of the deficiency of hexosaminidase A as the basic defect were essential findings leading to the establishment of mass carrier screening programs for this disease [2]. Recently, research has focused on the DNA-based diagnostics that are anticipated to play a role in future carrier screening programs [1]. GM2 ganglioside hydrolysis The lysosomal hydrolase, beta-hexosaminidase, occurs predominantly in two forms, hexosaminidase A (Hex A) and hexosaminidase B (Hex B). Hex A is comprised of one alpha and one beta subunit while Hex B is comprised of two beta subunits [3]. While both subunits contain similar active sites, only the alpha subunit can hydrolyze GM2 gan... ... Gravel, R. (1990). The molecular basis of Tay-Sachs disease: mutation identification and diagnosis. Clin. Biochem. 23:409-415. 2. Navon, R., Proia, R. (1991). Tay-Sachs disease in Moroccan Jews deletion of a phenylalanine in the alpha-subunit of beta--hexosaminidase. Am. J. Hum. Genet. 48:412-419. 3. Gray, R.G.F., Green, A., Rabb, L., Broadhead, D.M., Besley, G.T.N. (1990). A case of the B1 variant of GM2-gangliosidosis. J. Inher. Metab. Dis. 13:280-282. 4. Meier, E., Schwarzmann, G., Furst, W., Sandhoff, K. (1991). The human GM2 activator protein. J. Biological Chem. 266:1879-1887. 5. Mahuran, D.J. (1991). The biochemistry of HEXA and HEXB gene mutations causing GM2 gangliosidosis. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta. 1096:87-94. 6. Robbins, S., Ranzi, R., Kumar, V., (Eds). (1984). Pathologic Basis of Disease. Philadelphia, PA: Saunders Co. 142-145.

How important was Berlin to the development and outbreak of the Cold War, 1945-1961?

The first period of time we need to look at is the year of 1945, when the Second World War ended. This was also the year when the Yalta, in February 1945, and the Potsdam Conference, in July 1945, was hold in order to discuss certain problems and plans that occurred or should have been done after the end of war. The tensions, which had lead to the beginning of the Cold War started to emerge more intensively at those two conferences, as there were many areas of disagreement between the USA and the USSR. One of the four main areas of disagreement was Germany. As the Yalta Conference was hold in February 1945 the war against Germany and Japan was still on going but an end of all terror was close. Problems that had emerged from the Tehran Conference, that had been hold in 1943, had to be resolved at that conference. It was agreed that that Germany firstly had to be divided into four zones being occupied by Britain, France, the USA and the USSR. Germany should also pay reparations to the countries it had damaged in the wart earlier, especially huge amounts to Russia as Stalin demanded. However, Stalin also did not like the idea of splitting Germany into two parts.Could Cold War Have Been Avoided? Germany, by paying huge amounts of money to Russia and other countries, should be weakened by that so I would not become a future threat anymore. Also Stalin intended to finance Russia’s rebuild of the destructions, which it has suffered from Nazi Germany in the war. In the year 1952 Stalin still seemed to favour the idea of a united Germany over which the USSR had no control but some influence. However, there were also other factors of disagreement at those conferences, which caused massive problems in the relationship between the USA and the USSR. Poland for example proved to be more difficult than Germany. Eventually, the superpowers agreed that the USSR’s demands over Poland’s border in the east would be met. Furthermore Poland should receive territorial compensation from Germany. Additionally Stalin did believe that the Allies would have accepted Poland’s mainly communist or USSR sympathetic government. However, Churchill was not sure about what Stalin intended to do and returned to his strong anti-communism by 1945. Adding to that also Roosevelt shared this point of view. After Roosevelt’s death in April 1945 a new harsher era towards the Soviet Union started to emerge under Truman in power of the USA. As the free elections, which had been decided to be carried out in the Yalta Conference, had not taken place in Poland yet Truman refused to listen to Molotov’s explanations for that. US suspicions about Soviet motives about a security in Eastern Europe increased. However, at the Potsdam Conference hold in July 1945 the decision for the acceptance of Russian plans for Poland was made although the issue of Poland was very complex. Stalin saw it as an issue influencing the life or the death of the Soviet Union. Churchill however saw it as an act of honour. Roosevelt had always been against the idea of a Soviet sphere of influence in Eastern Europe. In Stalin’s point of view however Russia needed this sphere to provide security for the Soviet Union. He created worries about such a sphere, as the new US call for an â€Å"Open Door† policy was introduced, involving the suggestion of not having such spheres of influence. Roosevelt however suggested that those disagreement should be an issue rather as the war would be ended that during the war. This of course motivated or rather gave Stalin the time to ensure Soviet security interests in Eastern Europe. Apart from disagreements about Poland and Eastern Europe there was also a third issue where the USA and the USSR did not agree with each other. Russia had suffered hugely from horrible destruction in the Second World War. As the Axis forces had retreated between 1944 and 1945, they have left systematic destruction behind, destroying 1,700 towns and 17,000 villages. Due to that Stalin saw economic reconstruction as a priority after the war. However, Truman tried everything to contain the Soviet power whenever it was possible. Due to that, at the Potsdam Conference in July 1945, Truman said that the USA would agree to any reparations being paid to Russia by East Germany. However, in return Russia would have to send 60% of the, from West received, goods in form of goods and raw materials back to the West again. In 1944 Russia however agreed to join the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. But when the USSR asked for a 6 billion dollar loan in January 1945, the USA said she would only agree if the Soviet Union would open its Eastern markets to the US capital. Obviously Russia did not accept these conditions. But at the Yalta Conference it was agreed from both sides that a 10 billion dollar loan from Germany would be accepted as a beginning of the reparations. However, as in August 1945 a request for a 1,000 billion dollar loan was ignored by the US side, the USSR increased reparation payments from it own Eastern sector. A final point of disagreements or rather arguments was the drop of the A-bomb of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945 by the USA. This was a slap in the face of the USSR, as at the Yalta Conference it was agreed that Russia and the USA would end the war with Japan together. It was also seen as a refusal to share new US technology with the USSR. Truman did decide that, in order to prevent any Russian communist influence in Asia. Stalin interpreted that behaviour as demonstration of a strong USA next to a weak USSR. Looking at those different factors overall you can say that the most significant problem in the year of 1945 was the dropping of the A-bomb on Nagasaki and Hiroshima in August 1945. Both the USA and the USSR had shown each other before that they would not work together in certain situations. However, as the USA and the USSR had agreed to finish the war with Japan together after Germany would have been defeated but the USA literally ended that issue on its own it clearly amplified the fact of not wanting to work together. Also it showed that there was a sort of competition going on already and that Truman wanted to prevent any Soviet demands for influence in Asia. He wanted, as far as possible, to contain Soviet power and reduce the Soviet sphere. Secondly we need to look at the time period between the years of 1946 and 1949, which were the years just after the world war when everything was recovering and Germany was split up into different zones. By looking at the end of 1945, we can definitely say, that there were great disputes between the USA and USSR already. The West was also concerned about developments in the Middle East and the eastern Mediterranean, where the US had significant interests. Iran was mainly an area of US concern, as the USSR was feared to spread its influence there. The USSR also replied with saying that they had as much right as the USA to oil. Immediately the Iranian prime minister was urged by the American side, which forced Stalin to back down in order to get a deal of oil concessions. However, Stalin was never really interested in that area which again shows that the competition and tensions were going on and each side tried to use any chance for an argument or a disagreement. The same situation of the Soviet leader backing down happened in the spring and summer of 1946, when concessions from Turkey were opposed and the Russian leader once again backed down. However, the most significant problems of that time period took place in Europe. To start with, we look at Germany and the problem of reparations. Both sides feared during the cold war the country would become part of the opposite camp. At the Potsdam Conference it was agreed that Germany should be divided into four Allied zones and it should act, as one economic unit administered by the ACC. Berlin should also be divvied into four zones and Germany should be demilitarised, de-Nazified, democratised, decentralised and de-industrialised. During there were agreements on that issue, the issue of reparations still seemed to cause problems. Tensions over the political developments in the Soviet Union started to emerge early. The main area was economic, as the USSR supported the idea of a rather agricultural country but the US demanded an industrialised Germany. At the Paris meeting of the Council of foreign ministers, Byrnes decided to test the Soviet co-operation over the Potsdam agreements by the four allies proposing an act that demilitarised Germany for the next 25 years. Russia agreed but still the USA refused to talk about the question of reparations. Further refusals of reparations from the US side were given in July 1945, when Molotov insisted for a 10 billion dollar loan. Additionally demands for reparations were refused again at the Council of Foreign Ministers meeting in Moscow. Furthermore Russia had to accept that there would not be shipping of coal and steel to the USSR anymore and that the USSR would have to give back some of the resources it already received by the West. This proposal however was rejected by the USSR. The Soviet Union saw that as an attempt to build up the Western Germany economy and therefore also saw it as another military, potential threat as it might ally to the more or less enemy USA. The meeting of the Council of Foreign Minister in London in December 1947 was judged to fail even before it took place as Britain and the USA would not agree on any reparations paid to Russia by Germany. However at this meeting the creation of Bizonia was decided, where Britain and the US would join to create a separate West Germany. Then half a year later in 1948, France also decided to join this pact and Trizonia emerged together with the introduction of the Deutschmark, a new currency, which was also introduced in West Berlin a few days later. This of course was a clear statement to the Soviet Union that the USA did not have any intentions to work together with the USSR. Tensions between the two superpowers increased further during the first Berlin Crisis at the Berlin Blockade in 1948. As the USSR did not like the idea of a divided Germany they put pressure on West Berlin by cutting of all road, rail and freight traffics as well as the supply of electricity. This however did not result in a hot war in the Cold War, as the USA replied with a massive airlift delivering food and fuel to West Berlin. It was ended as Stalin also called of the blockade one year later. The USA interpreted that blockade as a statement to drive the Allies out of West Berlin and take over the Western zones of Germany. Therefore in May 1949, the FDR was created. The USSR first did not want accept that division but then in October decided to agree with that division and the GDR was set up in Eastern Germany with the Soviet Control Commission supervising that area. This division of Germany demonstrated the division of whole Europe into two hostile camps. However there were also other events than in Germany at that period of time that further increased the tension between the two superpowers. Firstly Kennan’s Long Telegram where Kennan argued that the USSR was a dangerous and expansionist state due to its security fears, internal politics and leadership as well as its Marxist-Leninist views and ideology. He also said the USA would never be able or willing to co-operate with such a state and therefore this telegram influenced US foreign policy towards the USSR, such as the creation of the policy of containment. Furthermore the Iron Curtain speech by Winston Churchill supported what Kennan’s Long Telegram had already amplified. It argued for an end of compromise and arguing against Roosevelt’s idea at the Yalta Conference to co-operate with the USSR. Stalin saw Churchill as Hitler and immediately interpreted that as a call for war with the USSR. Due to that anti-Western propaganda in the Soviet Union strongly increased. Adding to that Kennan had supported the division of Germany and therefore of Europe before it was even considered at the Council of Foreign Ministers meeting in London. Meanwhile, the USSR pursued a very flexible approach in the years after the war. It might have had expansionist and opportunistic views and parts but after all the Russians were prepared to communicate and co-operate with the US side. But as time developed and tensions increased people with more extreme and harsher views came to power in these hostile camps. John Foster Dulles for example called for military and economic supports for states threatened by communism. Byrnes spent 5,700 billion dollars on stabilising economy outside the Soviet sphere in 1946. If the USSR had wanted economic support all trade barriers should have been called off and the US should have a greater say in economic issues in Eastern Europe. Next to those events that increased the tensions between the USSR and the USA or rather generally events that caused problems we also need to look at the economic crisis in Western Europe between 1946 and 1947. In America, although there was a great media campaign against the communistic Soviet Union, the majority of people were not convinced to give loans to allied countries or to increase the military budget. There was even voted for a cut of Truman’s budget, including military expenditure. However, the bad situation in Western Europe finally seemed to go into the direction of persuading them to change their opinion: Many countries in Europe had suffered horribly in terms of their economy. Furthermore there were bad harvests due to the severe winter in 1946-1947. Additionally communist parties gained more popularity especially in France and in Italy. George Marshall, the secretary of state, said that there would be needed 17 billion dollars to recover Europe’s economy. This was still not enough for the Republican Congress. Only in 1947, when Britain announced that it would not be able anymore to give economic aid to Greece and Turkey everything changed. Acheson linked economic loans to the communist struggle and persuaded people to support Truman’s policy of containment. He argued with the â€Å"rotten apple† theory and the theory of the domino effect. As a response of that the US side set up the Truman Doctrine and the Marshall Plan. As economic aid of 300 million dollars was given to Greece and 100 million dollars to Turkey and military advisors were sent to Greece, Stalin interpreted that as an act to enlarge the US sphere of influence. Coming to the Marshall plan, the US thought it would be able to recover Europe’s economy with a revived German economy. However the agreement about that question failed at the Council of Foreign Ministers meeting in Moscow in April 1947, as the USA still refused to talk about reparations being paid to the USSR and as the USSR was uncompromising about that topic. Then as the Marshall Plan was announced on 5 June 1947 it was clear that the USSR would not accept the conditions and requirements, which the economic aid required to happen. The USA and the USSR saw the Marshall Plan as an attempt to weaken the Soviet control of the East part of Europe. Furthermore the USSR saw it as a statement of â€Å"dollar imperialism† been introduced to establish US influence in Europe. However, the US economic and political domination Europe did not benefit from the Marshall Plan. Tensions between the superpowers increased further as were was a repeated refusal of reparations paid to the USSR by Germany at talks in early June. After that talk it was decided to exclude the USSR from further discussions. Under Andrei Zhdanov the Marshall Plan was even describes as being an act of preparing to extend the US power in order to launch a new world war. In one of his speeches he even describes the world as being divided into two opposing camps, which later was famous as the â€Å"Two-Camps† Doctrine. Furthermore the establishment of Cominform marked the end of the flexible and hesitant foreign policy of the USSR compared to US actions. Finally, as the tension increased more the CIA intervened in Italian and French politics to act against communist influence. This only motivated Stalin’s determination to control Eastern Europe even more and to get rid of those agents in France and Italy. The Soviet Union replied with plans to increase the control of Eastern Europe and also to integrate their economies into the USSRs one. These measure only increased Cold War tensions even more. Now, by looking at all what happened in this time period, we can definitely say that Germany was the biggest problem at that time. The formation of Bizonia and Trizonia clearly amplified that the USA did not want to co-operate with the USSR and that the establishment of two hostile camps was necessary. Furthermore the Berlin blockade showed the same intentions for the USSR, it did not want to work with the USA. Finally he introduction of the Deutschmark symbolised a clear separation between Western Germany/USA and Eastern Europe/USSR. Finally we need to look at the time period between 1954 and 1961 to judge whether Berlin or rather Germany was the biggest problem in the years between 1945 and 1961. After Stalin’s death in 1953 Khrushchev came to power in the USSR. This year marked a development towards better relationships as now Stalin was dead and therefore the extremist views about the US seemed to rest for a certain period of time. The new leader of the Soviet Union seemed to be keen about compromising with the West, as he was less paranoid than Stalin. For Khrushchev Berlin was an embarrassing problem and he wanted to find a solution for that problem. He tried to create better relationships also to avoid a nuclear war. However, as we look at the years between 1958 and 1961 and therefore and the second Berlin crisis we can see that there were also moments of disagreements and argument as there before already. The second Berlin crisis emerged as Khrushchev set up the first Berlin Ultimatum. This meant that the West had to sign a formal peace with Germany and agree that West Berlin should become demilitarised as well as an international area. If that would not be signed there would be a separate peace signed with the GDR handing over the control of the access routes into West Berlin. These moves were firstly done to prevent West Berlin from becoming a nuclear power but also to impress Chinese communist leaders and his own people. Although Khrushchev gave them a time limit of sixth months to sign the Ultimatum neither the act of signing happened nor was a peace signed the GDR. By 1959 however, 200,000 people were moving from East Berlin to West Berlin each year badly affecting the East Berlin economy. Ulbricht wanted to unify Berlin, as he did not want any West be present in East Germany, whereas Khrushchev wanted divisions to occur between the two areas. After the Vienna Summit, Khrushchev gave his OK for Ulbricht the building of a physical Berlin division and set another six months deadline for the West to sign a peace pact. However, as by August 1961 there were 20,00 0 refugees moving to West Berlin Khrushchev approved the Berlin border to be secured between 3 and 5 August. At first a barbed wire was set up and by 13 August the building of a wall was completed. The Berlin Wall remained as Cold War image until the pull down in November 1989 when the Cold War moved away from Germany, Europe. The wall however also solved any problems that had ever existed between West and East Berlin although the US made a shell force in West Berlin after its set up. This and the famous â€Å"face-off† between Russian and American tanks at Checkpoint Charlie finally increased tensions. However, by 1963 the Berlin Crisis was pretty much over. Another incident, where the tensions rose again and relationships became worse was at the Paris Summit and the U-2 incident. At that time West Berlin did not want to make any further concessions of East Berlin. On 1 May 1960 a USSR missile brought down a U-2 spy plane of the USA flying over the USSR. Eisenhower was hugely embarrassed for that but thought he did not apologise for this. As a reaction Khrushchev cancelled Eisenhower’s visit in the USSR and the Paris Summit failed. Additionally the Soviets proposed a confederation between the two German states leaving alliances to the NATO and the Warsaw Pact. West saw that as first moves to wards a unification and German disarmament. This however was resisted due to West Berlin as an espionage base behind the Iron Curtain. This stalemate continued until the free elections in the GDR. However, a first moment of agreement about a certain issue was when the US decided to accept the idea of a neutral Austria and a reduction of direct American influence over Austria. Although Khrushchev followed the theory of â€Å"Peaceful Coexistence† he thought there still could be an international transition to socialism. This was also amplified by his foreign policy, which was established in 1956. It said that in the new nuclear age, peaceful coexistence was possible and necessary. First steps towards that was the establishment of the Warsaw Pact in 1955, which was also a response to Western Germany becoming member of the NATO. The Warsaw Pact was a military alliance between the Soviet Union and all East European countries allied to the USSR, involving East Germany. However, there was one clause in the Pact that said if there was a general European treaty of collective security signed, the Pact should be dissolved. This clearly marked the beginning of better relationships. A second moment of representing and developing friendship between those countries was the Geneva Summit in July 1955. Nuclear weapons and Germany were the main issues that were discussed. The fact that discussions were taking place showed an improvement to the relationship between Stalin and Truman. Although there were made agreements on the need for less confrontation and more co-operations, as well as for a stop of testing nuclear weapons, there was still a disagreement about disarmament, European security and control of nuclear weapons. The idea of a united Germany was also rejected. Eisenhower’s â€Å"Open Skies† proposal was therefore rejected by Khrushchev but U-2 spy planes carried on doing their spy flights anyway. Another moment of friendship and peace was, when Eisenhower invited Khrushchev to Camp David, where he also agreed to withdraw his Ultimatum although the US did not make any concessions. Further discussions should take place at the Paris Summit in May 1960. As a final conclusion, you can definitely say that Germany and especially Berlin was a major factor for the development of the Cold War. The issue if West Berlin being inside the heart of East Germany had always caused huge trouble such as the Berlin Blockade as well as the second Berlin crisis. If a divided Germany had not existed there would not have been that many problems. For example the first Berlin crisis, where Stalin ordered to completely cut off West Berlin from any supplies of the East and the Western part of Germany, nearly a hot war broke out. Furthermore a divided Germany had always represented a divided world at that time. At one side there was communism whereas on the other side there was capitalism.

Sun Tzu Strategic Management

Sun Assignment 2. Strategic Management . School of Strategy. According to Synder and Neil H. (1982) in their journal called ‘Strategic Management Journal’ , The school of strategy definition of strategic planning that are offered by Henry Mintzberg in 1981 concludes that strategic planning is a process involving all components of planning that integrated decision making, structured procedure with articulate results, and specific tactical objectives that should be seen as a whole process. In the school of strategy, there are 10 school of thought, it is divided into two parts which are prescriptive and descriptive.The details of the strategy are shown below. Prescriptive schools : consist of 3 schools which are Design, Planning and Positioning. Descriptive schools : consist of 7 schools which are Entrepreneurial, Cognitive, Learning, Power, Cultural, Environmental and Configuration. Also, Written in article called â€Å" An Overview of Strategy Development Models and the Ward-RIvani Model’ by Dr. David Ward (2005). In year 1977 another guy came along which a set of strategy alongside Mitzberg that called Whittington.He claimed that there are four criteria that will determine a strategy success which are Deterministic or Emergent, Single Goal or Pluralistic, Strategy Style, and Influences. The Link between Prescriptive schools and Descriptive schools. From what i understand from both of this schools, prescriptive schools are the first step of strategy that needed to be done If we would like to do something. For example, If you want to open your own business, the first step would be the prescriptive school where you need to design what kind of business you would like to do, plan how to do your business (business plan) nd also how you position your business(where do you want your business to be). In the other hand , Descriptive schools of strategies are the strategies and skills that are needed to bring forward you prescriptive schools . Where a ll components of this strategy can effect your business. For example, any successful business need to have a leader who can lead the organization forward where what has been designed, plan , and positioned and to be a leader, strategy as entrepreneurship is essential. The Differences between Prescriptive schools and Descriptive schools.In Prescriptive schools, design and planning are the aim of a company â€Å" to fit organizational capability with environmental ability and to best allocate resources to achieve any chosen goals within a specific timeframe† and to make the aim a success, a proper positioning strategy needed to be done. All of theses examples often using strategies such as environmental analysis such as SWOT analysis (design), forecasting (planning), Market segment & five forces (positioning). Therefore, we would understand here that prescriptive schools are used to understand more about the market.For instance, in strategic management, prescriptive schools are often used to determine who is your target market, understanding your competitors, defining your opportunities, and also what kind of strategy that our company would like to execute properly to gain competitive advantage especially if you are doing business globally or growing your business internationally. In the other hand, Descriptive Schools are more of all the things that needed to be in order within a company or organisation to execute the strategy that has been choose.For example, even with a proper planning but without a proper team to execute it, it will be hard for any business to sustain even in the early stage while making business. Its consist of leader needed, networking we have, culture reflects , economic cycle, environmental circumtances, ethics , and also cognitive psychology. Which means that, in descriptive schools , it is all the components that a company or firm need to have in order to execute any strategy perfectly. How to Profeciently Execute any strategy w hen we already understand about the schools of strategy?In the world business nowadays, understanding the theoretical area of a strategy such as schools of strategy would not be enough to execute a perfect strategy. As had been stated by Gamble and Arthur (2009) in their book called ‘ Essentials of Strategic Management’ , They have stated that there are three elements that needed to be have in order to execute any strategy. The elements are shown below : Human Capital – Intangible assets such as skills, knowledge, and values that are required by the strategy. . Information Capital – Intangible assets such as the systems, databases, and networks that support the strategy. 3. Organizational Capital – Strategy supportive intangible assets such as leadership, alignment of goals, and teamwork. Whittington’s Classification of Strategic Perspective. According to Whittington(2002), in his book called ‘ What is Strategy and Does it Matterâ€℠¢ , increasing profits is the highest goal of business and rational planning needed if we want to attain it.Meanwhile, the strategic aim in business would be earning a return on capital, and if in any particular case the return in the long run is not enough, the deficiency should be corrected or the activity should be abandoned. To sum up the idea of whittington : Classical Approach of strategy. – a classical approach to any strategy requires that the manager must be ready and capable of adopting profit maximizing strategies through long term planning. Besides that there are three more example of approach that are shown below : Evolutionaty Approach of strategy. oes not rely on top management skill to plan and act rationally. Instead, it will all depend on the markets which will determine the profit maximization. Also, in evolutionary perspective, the best selected strategy will determine the performance of the company. Processual Approach to strategy. Organizations and marke ts are wrought with confusion and mess. Therefore, the best Processual method is not strive for the ideal, instead, it needed to work with the reality offers where micro-political view has implied that firms are not united towards a single goal such as profit.Besides that, it will be up on the number of individuals with different interest and bring them to the organization. The main strategy for this approach is to simplify all the complex processes. Systemic Approach on Strategy. – The theorist for this approach believe that the organization is capable of planning and acting effectively. All the social factors such as family, state, and religion influences the means and ends of a systemic approach and will define what is the suitable behavior for each of their members.In this approach, the organization are not just made up by an individuals but of social groups with interests. For instance, class and professions, nations and states, families and gender can be determine as th e systemic variables. Hence, the strategy will depends on the social environment of the firm. Based on four approach on strategy by Whittington, these four theories of action in business will offer us an insight into the motivation behind any companies vision and what are the strategies that the companies would like to implement in order to gain competitive advantage in their market.Reference List : Ward, . (2005). An Overview of Strategy Development Models and the Ward-Rivani Model . . 1 (1), pg12-16. Gamble, Arthur,. (2009). Superior Strategy Execution – Another path of competitive advantage. In: Griffin, L. Essential of Strategic Management. America, New York: McGraw-Hill. pg116-136. Synder, Neil H.. (1982). Research Notes and Communications.. Strategic Management Journa. 3 (3), p265-267. Whittington, Richard (2002). What is Strategy- and Does it Matter?. UK: Thomson Learning. pg29-57.

How to Prove De Morgans Laws

How to Prove De Morgan's Laws In mathematical statistics and probability it is important to be familiar with set theory. The elementary operations of set theory have connections with certain rules in the calculation of probabilities. The interactions of these elementary set operations of union, intersection and the complement are explain by two statements known as De Morgan’s Laws. After stating these laws, we will see how to prove them. Statement of De Morgans Laws De Morgan’s Laws relate to the interaction of the union, intersection and complement. Recall that: The intersection of the sets A and B consists of all elements that are common to both A and B. The intersection is denoted by A ∠© B.The union of the sets A and B consists of all elements that in either A or B, including the elements in both sets. The intersection is denoted by A U B.The complement of the set A consists of all elements that are not elements of A. This complement is denoted by AC. Now that we have recalled these elementary operations, we will see the statement of De Morgan’s Laws. For every pair of sets A and B (A  Ã¢Ë† © B)C AC U BC.(A U B)C AC  Ã¢Ë† © BC. Outline of Proof Strategy Before jumping into the proof we will think about how to prove the statements above. We are trying to demonstrate that two sets are equal to one another. The way that this is done in a mathematical proof is by the procedure of double inclusion. The outline of this method of proof is: Show that the set on the left side of our equals sign is a subset of the set on the right.Repeat the process in the opposite direction, showing that the set on the right is a subset of the set on the left.These two steps allow us to say that the sets are in fact equal to one another. They consist of all of the same elements. Proof of One of Laws We will see how to prove the first of De Morgan’s Laws above. We begin by showing that (A  Ã¢Ë† © B)C is a subset of AC U BC. First suppose that x is an element of (A  Ã¢Ë† © B)C.This means that x is not an element of (A  Ã¢Ë† © B).Since the intersection is the set of all elements common to both A and B, the previous step means that x cannot be an element of both A and B.This means that x is must be an element of at least one of the sets AC or BC.By definition this means that x is an element of AC U BCWe have shown the desired subset inclusion. Our proof is now halfway done. To complete it we show the opposite subset inclusion. More specifically we must show AC U BC is a subset of (A  Ã¢Ë† © B)C. We begin with an element x in the set AC U BC.This means that x is an element of AC or that x is an element of BC.Thus x is not an element of at least one of the sets A or B.So x cannot be an element of both A and B. This means that x is an element of (A  Ã¢Ë† © B)C.We have shown the desired subset inclusion. Proof of the Other Law The proof of the other statement is very similar to the proof that we have outlined above. All that must be done is to show a subset inclusion of sets on both sides of the equals sign.

Bus 174 Commentary

Bus 174 Commentary Introduction Directed by Jose Padilha, Bus 174 is a fascinating documentary published in 2002 in Brazil. It includes people like Sandro, Williams, Luciana, among others. Sandro is a street boy who hijacks a bus, demanding to kill the passengers, a case that forces their journey to stand still for four hours. Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Bus 174 Commentary specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The media collect this information. During the event, the police force fails to turn up in time, a situation that gives the street children a good opportunity to harass and steal from the passengers. This movie gives the findings of Padilha’s research on the situation of media and traffic in Rio de Janeiro basing on how the two responds towards the hijacking. Street children are all over the city, some begging and stealing while others are harassing the innocent people. Neither police nor media is interested in assisting . Bus 174 provides a picture of the level of poverty in the city through the street children who had parents and relatives but now are alone to feed and sustain themselves. This on the other hand sets clear the reason as to why the kids have turned to robbers. The documentary aims at portraying the life of those living in slums in Brazil. It also shows mistreats of the poor by the government. Padilha is interested in knowing Sandro’s motives behind the hijacking where he searches the information from the present as well as previous street kids. He also questions the police, family members, not neglecting sociologists to gather clear reasons. This film finds out the background of Sandro as a representative of all Brazilian street children. It explores the kind of police Brazil has, who participate in crimes rather than nurturing peace, love, and harmony. Many people have set out to comment the movie and among them is Soares. This overview tackles the relationship between his ideas and the current global state of street children as well as what is being done to meet their needs.Advertising Looking for essay on art and design? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Soares’s comments Sociologist Luiz Eduardo Soares after seeing and understanding the documentary, goes further to comment it. Based on what Sandro does to the passengers in the bus, Soares views him as an illustration of the kids neglected by their parents. He says that they end up accumulating pain as a result, which later is poured to other people inform of fighting. In response to this comment, Erving (1963) portrays how neglected people, not necessarily street kids, express their pains and how they use it to communicate to those available to cater for their unattended needs. An example from the movie is seen when Sandro points a gun to a pregnant mother shooting her to death. Soares goes on to comment about the reason for their violence (Padilha, 2002). Any sound mind person expects love; he/she needs to be felt by the society and expects no discrimination based on race, religion, or finance. This is what Soares gives as another reason, generally given by all, who end up lacking the aforementioned requirements. He says that they do this because of the stigma attached to them. According to Heatherton, Kleck, Hebl, and Hull (2000) this category of people experience negligence and are prone to attacks, a situation that presses them forcing them to show it through reactions .Soares comments that these children are usually fighting against invisibility. This simply shows how they a treated as if they do not exist. They view the society as feigning blind when they meet them. They pretend not to understand that these are children like any others and ought to be taken care of. Their fight serves to open the eyes of the society to see their sufferings and their need of attention. For instance, in the movie, the young and poor Sandro watched his mother murdered. There was none to see and respond towards the incidence (Brussat Brussat, 2009). Therefore, in retaliation, Sandro engages in violent acts because just like any other neglected child, he believes that it is only through force that the invisibility aspect can be arrested. They have at the back of their minds that they are valuable and important but none seems to realise this and this is what they want to instil to the concerned people. They are hungry, not only for food but for love and social interaction that the society ought to give. They have been quiet hoping common sense will do it all only for them to realise that it is through raising alarms inform of violence that the ears and eyes of the society will be opened for them.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Bus 174 Commentary specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Current global trend of street children Ranselà ¢â‚¬â„¢s research provides the world news about street children. He has given the estimates of the number of the street children in various countries of the world. For instance, Yemen registers an approximate of 30,000 street children (Ransel, 1998). It goes further to give the factors thought to influence the number, not only in Yemen but also through out the entire world. Poverty, lack of jobs, inadequate socialization, government’s failure to intervene the situation of orphans, among others plays a major role in raising the number of these children. Street children have the right of attention by the government but on the contrary, the government views them as sources of embarrassment and pays no attention to them. As poverty increases day by day, the number of those going to the streets also goes up with the children opting to beg in order to sustain their deteriorating lives. This is in accordance with soare’s idea that they feel neglected by the rest, including the government. The current global economy is in crisis. All countries are running short of finance to run their businesses. As a result, retrenchment cases are being reported everywhere with parents of large families leaving jobs. Any home with no source of income is subject to conflicts. Charles (1855) says that these conflicts end up breaking the families and as a result, the children suffer inadequate parental care and guidance. They enter their nearby towns yearning for socialization, food, and parental attention. To take care of these, they venture into businesses like drug trafficking, prostitution, as well as stealing. This happens because people view them as dirty, cannot allow them in their homes, and not worthy of assistance. Soares got it right when he said that these children are stigmatised and suffer a lot as a result. Death of parents though diseases, accidents, or old age has also been viewed by the globe as a major cause of the increasing number of not only stree t children, but also children at large. It has been shown that places prone to diseases register the largest number of children at risk. Impact of the view of invisibility of street children on programme development Following the efforts made by the children in fighting against invisibility, the world has responded through various ways. It has come up with suitable criteria that, if well managed, can help rid the issue of street children. Statistics show that in all the countries, children at risk are the minority but the number is gradually increasing. Advertising Looking for essay on art and design? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This has called for a quick action from the government to curb the matter before it worsens. It has seen the importance of recognising them just like theirs. Organizations, not only governmental but also non-governmental have stood out to address the requirements of street children, some of which have proven effective. Media is one of the key means of responding to the battle. Any scenario that abuses the rights of children is aired immediately and stern actions taken against the abuser boosting respect between other people and the children. This is clear in the movie where the hijacking event channels to televisions, which in turn alerts the police force (Hayden, 2009). Other programmes have been established to prevent the children from adopting the street life. These include family care and free education programmes. Other programmes have set out to specifically deal with those children who had gone through sexual, physical, or drug abuses. These offer rehabilitation services to the children helping them recover from the harassments. Some Non-Governmental-Organizations have set up programmes that assemble the children in homes managed by the organizations. In these homes, the children have people, paid by the organization, who attend to them on a day-to-day basis. These people provide them with food, shelter, clothing, and education, among others. Others extend their services by following up and counselling those who have recovered and gone back to their original homes. Medical programmes have also been set in place to check the health of the children. By so doing, they are able to prescribe the necessary feeding habits of the children. Outreach programmes have not been left out. They aim at maintaining close relationship between the organization and the children. Conclusion Bus 174 is a documentary that is heavy laden with lessons, not only for the Brazilian, but also for all in general. Following the hijacking of the bus by a boy from a poor family bac kground, it is open that the incidence is a way of communicating to the world and applies to the oppressed, neglected, and the stigmatised. It is experienced by all countries and is commonly portrayed by street children. It has been proved effective since it has opened the ears and eyes of a variety of agencies devoted to caring the children. This on the other hand, has lowered cases of theft, drug abuse, and sexual harassments. Reference List Brussat, F., Brussat, M. (2009). Bus 174. New York. Charles, D. (1855). Household Words: Vol. 10, Bradbury press: India. Erving, G. (1963). Stigma: Notes on the Management of Spoiled Identity. Prentice-Hall. Hayden, S. (2009). Factual Documentary Covered Hijacked Bus in Rio de Janeiro. Heatherton, et al, (2000). The Social Psychology of Stigma, The Guilford Press. Padilha, L. (2002). Bus 174. Golden Globes. Ransel, L. (1998). Mothers of Misery: Child Abandonment in Russia. Princeton.

Arpit Essay

One of these slogans are Who controls the past controls the future: who controls the present controls the past. This, as a whole, means that the past has an effect on the future, for previous events that occurred ensure the mindset of the people in the future, and whether or not they want to repeat history. Also, the party controls the people in the present, and can therefore control the past with the authority to go back and modify history on paper to control what is being taught to the masses. Events in the past have a great influence on events in he future.This is an ideal held to be true not only in the society in 1 984, but also in todays society. The past is recorded in history books, and is taught in schools. If the past was ideal, then people will try to re-establish it. However, if the past was horrendous, then people will try to ensure that such events wont happen again. This correlates to the technique used by the party. They created a past of desolation and anguish through altering history records, and claim to have liberated the people of Oceania.As a result, everyone fully bides by the Party, for they dont want to repeat the past. Therefore, who controls the past controls the future. Anagram 2 The Party itself controls the present, therefore it is able to control the past. Their main objective is to remain in total command at all times, and control everyone both physically and mentally. Physically, they use telescopes to monitor their subjects every move, so that they are under constant surveillance and put under pressure of the government. For the mental effect, they rewrite and manipulate the intent of historical resources. This allows them to have power over the way in which its subjects think about the past. This is an advantage, for all of their resources reflect the ideology of the Party itself, and they are able to show themselves in a positive manner so that they can stay in power. In addition, everyone is prohibited from keeping journals and other keepsakes from their pasts. As a result, the citizens of Oceania have an imprecise and fleeting memory, which allows the Party to tell them anything, knowing that they will live it.Thus, the Party controls the past with controlling the present. In 1984 by George Orwell, Party slogans are significant ways to hold their main principles. The slogan, Who controls the past controls the future: who controls the present controls the past is noteworthy for its true meaning. It means that past events are influential on the future, and determines the recurrence of history. Also, it means that the government that controls the present has the ability to control the past, through changing historical records.

Summary and opinion on each article Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Summary and opinion on each article - Essay Example Everything happening in this world has the cause and effect, and if a human being fails to understand it, it is the failure of the human being, not of the eternal system. As Camus reveals through Sisyphus, the acknowledgement of and rebellion against the Absurd, the exercise of free will in self-investment in the performance of life to find intrinsic meaning, despite the incomprehensibility of the world, is to live well. A human being is just a dot in this world. The world cannot run as per the desire of an individual nor the group of individuals. Everything happens in this world as it should. What is important is the process of living, and not complaining about the so-called absurdities. For example, the lotus is born in slush and mud; lives in it, and when in bloom enthralls the viewer. It does not complain, nor does it think of committing suicide. Why complain about the thorns? Think of the beauty and fragrance of the roses. One should not complain about one’s fundamental r elationship with the world. The world cannot run on happiness. ... It is a process that can be experienced instantly and the authentic process of living begins after that experience. One cannot say that the ocean is absurd because there are waves. Waves are the very nature of the ocean and one need to tackle the waves and do the swimming. Similarly, the fulfillment and non-fulfillment of one’s desire is part of the eternal function of nature. So, to invite crisis with the feeling of absurdity is a meaningless exercise. Camus describes â€Å"Suicide like the leap, is an acceptance at its extreme.†(435. n. p.) and art of living is the state exactly opposite to it. Nevertheless, finding the meaning of human existence cannot be a time bound program. Suicide is termination of life; as such it has no meaning. It is the domain of the coward. Suicide is a futile exercise, because one arrives in this world, without taking permission, and one cannot leave it without being permitted. Suffering is not useless; it is the process of renewal of human existence and part of the eternal struggle. Finally, Camus reveals the limitations of Absurd. Participation in action of life to find its true and full meaning is better than renunciation of action. The world is perfect and incomprehensibility is in the state of our mind. The human life is worth living, notwithstanding its trials and tribulations. Moral Luck -- Thomas Nagel What you do is important; but how you do what you do is more important. Thomas Nagel’s â€Å"Moral Luck,† concerns the second part of this sentence. No one knows the level of perfect morals (discipline) in life. As such carry on with the available discipline and perform actions to the best of one’s ability and judgment. Nagel discusses the issue of moral assessment. He

Why Extrinsic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Why Extrinsic - Essay Example The failure of organization to provide perceived equity for employees results in a lot of resentment (especially when there is secrecy and people overestimate each other’s pay) and resulting inefficiencies. The failure of extrinsic rewards is even more obvious in executive positions as incentive systems had very weak or negative correlations to corporate profits as at higher incomes, prospect of more money fails to be a motivator. Locke’s (1960) research suggests a reason for such results – incentives actually discourage risk-taking and people perform easier tasks to complete as much work as possible. Employees look at short-term benefits (monetary rewards) rather than long-term organizational interests. Another research proved that in the long-term, even the removal of a financial incentive system that has been long in place could not drive down productivity. Merit pay has also failed as a motivator of performance as few managers feel that higher pay would make them work harder. Therefore, intrinsic rewards such as training and goal-setting is a much stronger motivator of performance. To treat workers with respect and appreciation is what motivates them to stay at an organization and higher pay has failed to reduce employee turnover in the

Pupils of Learning Difficulties Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Pupils of Learning Difficulties - Essay Example There is a good number of such assessment strategies now available to the classroom teacher in the detection of children's learning difficulties, especially dyslexia. Dyslexia is sometimes defined as an impaired word and non-word reading ability, which problem is often inherited or genetic in origin (Grigorenko, 2001). In these cases, the problems of dyslexia on lack of phonological awareness, balance and automaticity are perceptible at an early age, such that failure to attend to children predisposed to dyslexia is inexcusable. The relevant literature says early palliative measures are most beneficial to society by teaching at-risk children early phonological awareness, motor skills, memory strategies and visualization techniques through games. If dyslexia cannot be prevented, these measures should at least minimize the damage of this learning difficulty on human motivation and self-esteem, whose effects could be permanent (Crombie). The puzzle that drew the scientific and academic community into the study of dyslexia is the "unexplained" reading failure in children. For the most part, the puzzle remains unexplained insofar as scientific certitude and unanimity is concerned. As a result, the education sector is still unsure of how to detect and address dyslexia in a more efficient manner. One of the major difficulties is that children present inconsistent and contradictory profiles, such that there is no single test for dyslexia with a complete measure of certainty and reliability. What is being done is to build up innumerable bits of data until the picture becomes clear (Turner, 1997). With this method, assessment approaches have been developed to help teachers identify dyslexic children. This paper examines each of the available assessment packages to help classroom teachers detect dyslexia with more accuracy and confidence. 2. Learning Difficulties A child is said to be a candidate for dyslexia when he performs poorly in phonetic reading, the most common sign of word reading difficulties in dyslexic children. Most hypotheses on phonological deficit attribute poor reading to an impaired phonological segmentation skill, which is also called phonological awareness deficit. This is because a phonological awareness deficit may affect different aspects of phonological processing. Thus, difficulty with the output and input phonology is apt to delay the acquisition of letter-sound corresponding rules or impair phoneme blending. This accounts for the persistent occurrence of non-word reading deficit in dyslexic children (Rack, et al., 1979). The ability of children to read nonsensical words is more indicative of the ability to read regular than irregular words. This suggests that at certain stages in reading development, a phonological recording strategy may be used to let the child read regular words as well as non-words. When a child's phonological awareness is deficient, his phonological recording process is also likely to be flawed. Phonology refers to the sounds

Philosophy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 13

Philosophy - Essay Example Yet though the senses are faulty the fault lies in the details about the objects of our senses. Therefore such an assessment does not rule out the existence of external objects that our sensed by our faculties. It is in this context that Descartes uses the images seen in dreams to raise the doubt about the existence of external objects. Descartes proposes that images that we see in our dreams quite often cannot be differentiated from external objects, and hence there is no totally reliable manner in which to ascertain whether a given image of an external object is reality or a dream image. In that case Descartes argues that there is no manner to ascertain whether all our images are dream images. In case all the images are dream images, then there are no external objects creating such images. Such being the case then the reliance on the senses to detect the existence of external objects is not without doubt and as such our senses cannot be trusted for such a purpose. This creates a doubt about the existence of external objects. (1) In my opinion Descartes is more successful in proving his own existence of self than in the arguments that he puts forth for the existence of God. In his argument in favor of the use of the faculty of reason, he provides its safe use in the detection of his own existence. If he can think about his own existence the he must exist. Even a malignant God would not be able to subvert this line of reasoning, as for the process of subversion the mind must exist, and so must he. This argument of Descartes in justifying his own existence appears to have been borrowed from similar arguments by St. Augustine several centuries before Descartes. His arguments in favor of the existence of God are more unique. He argues that the idea of God in an individuals mind could have been planted by God alone, and not by any lesser beings including him, with the reasoning that the idea of an infinite perfection could have been

Philosophy of Nursing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Philosophy of Nursing - Essay Example The nurses make sure that caring for human beings, cuts across class divide, status, race and culture. In the fast changing equation of society that has increasingly become multicultural, nursing perspectives towards people or patients, coming from diverse socio-cultural background, becomes vital ingredient of healthcare paradigms. Hence, nurses need to take especial care to understand the cross cultural values to develop better nurse- patient relationship. They should inculcate positive attitude and cheerfulness amongst patients and their family. In the contemporary environment of advancing technology and globalization, health and environment issues need to be redefined to meet the challenges of the time. The biological determinants of health like age and genetic patterns are major factors that can be effectively met through traditional approach of healthcare system. Medical intervention and behavioral changes are effective measures of prevention in such cases barring age related illnesses which the early care and change of lifestyle considerably delays the process or diseases. The socio environmental factors that are hazardous to health have become huge concern for the masses. Smoking, drugs, fast food etc are external factors that are widely observed to contribute towards diseases like cancer, stroke, cardiac diseases and obesity. A holistic approach and collective actions from government and non government agencies must be adopted to create awareness amongst the people. Understanding and change in social attitude towards issues goes a long way to facilitate better health related results. My personal philosophy of nursing is primarily focused towards welfare of the patients implemented through informed choice, understanding and empathy that promotes mutual trust and confidence building with the patients. Nurses represent the high standard of legal, ethical and moral consideration within the precinct of nursing paradigms and are equipped with

Surprise Ending Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Surprise Ending - Essay Example to get rid of unwanted children while solving perpetual poverty due to so many pregnancies and births that cannot be supported by a poor economy but he actually wanted reforms to be introduced. He was an Irish nationalist and patriot (Fox, 2003, p. 70) and saw the sorry state of his country. The surprise ending in Swifts proposal is that after talking at length about the benefits and virtues of cannibalism for unwanted kids, he turned around by saying how repugnant such a move would be. Swift effectively contradicted himself at the point where he hinted such a course is improbable because male kids have tough meat as their flesh are lean from continual exercise and would require boiling for a long time while the female kids would likewise be unsuitable as they are intended to be breeders in the future; that such actions would border on cruelty. The author succeeded supremely in convincing any reader with his alternative solutions as anything short of cannibalism is indeed most welcome than engaging in such abhorrent action. He succeeded by shocking his readers and raising their awareness about over-population; by his extreme proposals, he primed the people to accept his more sensible alternatives by forcing the politicians to take cognizance of a festering problem and implement the appropriate remedies. His satire of the Irish political economy was a challenge to its politicians to find new solutions. A key to delivering his political messages was use of various figures of speech such as metaphor, simile, innuendos and euphemisms to avoid trouble with the English authorities, as Shakespeare had done before him but still managed to engage his audience (Ray, 2008, p. 168) with the use of colorful and rich language. Jonathan Swift despaired at the failure of the feudalistic structure of Ireland to ably support its growing population, with its poor tenants but very rich landlords. This was before the advent of capitalism during the Industrial Revolution (1750-1850)

Philosophy of Nursing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Philosophy of Nursing - Essay Example The nurses make sure that caring for human beings, cuts across class divide, status, race and culture. In the fast changing equation of society that has increasingly become multicultural, nursing perspectives towards people or patients, coming from diverse socio-cultural background, becomes vital ingredient of healthcare paradigms. Hence, nurses need to take especial care to understand the cross cultural values to develop better nurse- patient relationship. They should inculcate positive attitude and cheerfulness amongst patients and their family. In the contemporary environment of advancing technology and globalization, health and environment issues need to be redefined to meet the challenges of the time. The biological determinants of health like age and genetic patterns are major factors that can be effectively met through traditional approach of healthcare system. Medical intervention and behavioral changes are effective measures of prevention in such cases barring age related illnesses which the early care and change of lifestyle considerably delays the process or diseases. The socio environmental factors that are hazardous to health have become huge concern for the masses. Smoking, drugs, fast food etc are external factors that are widely observed to contribute towards diseases like cancer, stroke, cardiac diseases and obesity. A holistic approach and collective actions from government and non government agencies must be adopted to create awareness amongst the people. Understanding and change in social attitude towards issues goes a long way to facilitate better health related results. My personal philosophy of nursing is primarily focused towards welfare of the patients implemented through informed choice, understanding and empathy that promotes mutual trust and confidence building with the patients. Nurses represent the high standard of legal, ethical and moral consideration within the precinct of nursing paradigms and are equipped with

Employee Engagement in the Oil & Gas Sector Essay Example for Free

Employee Engagement in the Oil Gas Sector Essay 1. Introduction According to Aon Hewitt (2012), employee engagement refers to the â€Å"state of emotional and intellectual involvement that motivates employees to do their best work through examination of employees’ level of engagement relative to the organisation’s antecedents† (p.5). Scarlett (2010) defines employee engagement as â€Å"the measurable degree of an employee’s positive or negative emotional attachment to their job, colleagues and organisation that profoundly influences their willingness to learn and perform at the workplace†. White (2011) however states that â€Å"employee engagement represents an alignment of maximum job satisfaction with maximum job contribution† (p. 5). Varied statistics show that employee engagement is a pertinent aspect in enhancing an organisation’s productivity. Beddoes (2011) states that engagement levels are stabilising globally with a 58% increase in 2011 as compared to 56% in 2010, with the greatest levels experienced in Asia Pacific and Europe. After the economic crisis, engagement levels lagged but economic indicators show increasing improvement between 2009 and 2010 around the globe (Aon Hewitt, 2012). Minton (n.d.) states that four out of ten employees are not engaged translating into 58% engaged and 42% partially or totally disengaged, with motivational factors, career development opportunities, employee recognition and the organisation’s reputation playing a major contributory factor to the results. This study has developed the following objectives (1) identification of employee engagement levels/models, (2) identification of employee engagement drivers. (3) Identification of effective ways to engage employees, (4) advantages realised by having an engaged work force. 2. Engagement Model/ Levels Aon Hewitt (2012) define engagement model as â€Å"a model that determines employee engagement levels in the organisation through examining employees’ level of engagement towards the organisation in the relation to the set organisational antecedents† (p.5). This model states that engagement in one’s work or organisation is an individual choice but regularly influenced by group affiliations, developed by the employees, psychological and behavioural capacity regarding the organisation. The management particularly human resource managers should incorporate, encourage and develop the model’s components while relating with the employees. The model incorporates three main components (1) ‘Say component’ that encourages the management and employees to think and speak highly of the organisation and its activities to colleagues, potential employees and clients. (2) ‘Stay component’ that encourages the employees to continually desire to be part of the company through encouraging recognition, appraisal, teamwork and team building activities thus reducing employee turnover and encouraging potential employees and clients (Schneider, White Paul 1998). (3) ‘Strive component’ that encourages growth of an organisational culture that encourages hard work and achievement of success, thus enhancing input of extra effort from employees which in turn enhances commitment and increased productivity. Incorporation of the above model leads to more engaged employees, which lead to increased quality delivery, client satisfaction and sales, which eventually leads to increased efficiency (Organ, Posdako ff Mackenzie 2006). 3. Engagement Drivers Sijts and Crim (2006) define engagement drivers as factors that increase employee engagement in organisation through effective management of engagement levels. These drivers identify potential improvement areas in the organisation pertaining to employee engagement. These drivers are interrelated thus work in unison. Engagement drivers therefore help management identify lacking areas that prohibit employee potential, thus enhancing focus on improvement efforts that enhance productivity through increased employee commitment (Organ, Posdakoff MacKenzie 2006). 3.1 Quality of Work Life Quality of work life refers to creation of a work environment whereby employees’ activities are prioritised through execution of work structure activities that deem the activities less routine thus more rewarding to the employees (Sigy, Efraty, Siegel Lee 2001). It therefore involves creation of a conducive physical environment through availing the required resources necessary for work execution such as proper safety clothing and equipment thus enhancing productivity and engagement. It also involves enhancement of a work-life balance policy, which enables employees to clearly define and separate their work and social lives thus enhancing growth of an all-rounded employee, which enhances engagement leading to increased productivity (Richard Deci 2000). 3.2 Company Practices The organisation’s practices greatly contribute to employee engagement levels. Integration of interactive human resource policies enhances employee involvement in decision making, which in turns motivates them thus enhancing employee engagement (Aon Hewitt 2012). Introduction of effective management performance policies will enhance creation of efficient performance management and appraisal systems, which will recognise employees’ work input thus increasing their engagement leading to increased productivity (Cook, 2008). Extensive brand alignment through increased marketing and advertising will enhance engagement, as employees will view the organisation as a long-term venture as it has demonstrated continuity of operations (Payne 2012). Increasing and developed organisational reputation will enhance engagement, as employees will be more at ease to work in a reputable organisation thus demonstrating its continuity and job security. Development of a diversity culture relating to the organisation’s activities and employment of diverse individuals concerning race or gender, will enhance engagement, as it will eradicate any occurrences or fears of discrimination. According to Hynes (2012), creation of an effective communication system and structure will ensure that any important information pertaining to employees work activities or welfare are timely relayed thus enhancing growth and development of work interrelationships which enhance efficiency and effectiveness of operations. 3.3 Total Rewards Organisations should clearly outline its reward structure, as this will contribute to the engagement or disengagement of employees. Clear definition of employees’ expected pay and benefits package will enhance clear understanding about the pay package thus enhancing engagement (Harter, Schmidt Theodore 2012). The oil and gas sector should also clearly stipulate systems used to determine recognition payments regarding bonus allocation. 3.4 Opportunities To effectively enhance employee engagement, organisations in the oil and gas sector should clearly outline career opportunities available to employees who want to further advance their careers within the organisation regarding promotions and transfers that contribute to career development. Organisations should also outline the available learning and development opportunities within the organisation (Richard Deci 2000). Such opportunities could include sponsorships, study leave and provision of work-study allowances. 3.5 People People involved in the management, operational and end-user aspects of the organisation have a great impact on employees’ engagement. Organisations should therefore enhance creation of a proper work structure and culture that will enhance effective cooperation and communication among management, employees and customers (Aon Hewitt, 2012).This will in turn enhance development of interrelationships, leading to increased efficiency and effectiveness through increased employee engagement. 3.6 Work Activities An organisation’s work structure can contribute to either engagement or disengagement of employees within the organisation. Development of an elaborate and conclusive work structure will enhance clear development of work tasks, work processes, provision of necessary resources, hence providing the employees with a sense of accomplishment through effective and efficient execution of allocated work (Sahoo Mishra 2012). This will therefore lead to increased employee engagement. 4. Ways to Engage Employees Employee engagement is essential to organisations in the oil and gas sector as it enhances efficiency and effectiveness through increased production. Incorporation of various aspects has been identified as potential ways to increase employee engagement. These aspects include (1) Enhancement of employee career opportunities by creating career path for employees through training them in preparation for their next career role by creation of lateral growth opportunities (Aon Hewitt, 2012). (2) Increasing employee recognition through providing them with feedback regarding their work activities and how to improve on them by providing the necessary reinforcements and also rewarding them for work well done (Cook, 2008). (3) Management should strive to engage the employees more with the organisation through its vision, mission and objectives by explaining to them why the employer is the most desirable by offering a compelling proposition, reward and work experience structure thus enhancing the organisation’s reputation as the most preferred employer (Payne, 2012). (4) Creation of an engaging communication structure through enhancement of corporate communication which will appeal to employees emotional, behavioural, psychological and social aspects thus enhancing commitment to the organisation (Hynes, 2012). (5) Increased management of employee performance as employees will be effectively rewarded for their efforts thus enhancing employee engagement. (6) Provision of favourable pay as it will enhance employee engagement through provision of a pay and benefits package that is relative to their work performance (Zablah et al. 2012). 5. Advantages of having Engaged Employees Employee engagement directly relates and affects employee efficiency and effectiveness in relation to performance. Several advantages are extended to organisations in the oil and gas sector, which have employees who are actively engaged in the organisation and its production activities: * Employees exhibit high levels of performance as they are highly motivated leading to increased production that enhances efficiency and effectiveness. * Development of an interrelating link between employee engagement and profits realised thus leading to increased revenues that enhance organisational growth. * Leads to increased employee retention and loyalty, which enhances business success through efficient and effective production. * Enhances creation of a competitive environment which increases production thus enhancing effectiveness and increased profits. * Enhances team-work that provides new ideas that enhance innovation and creativity thus enhancing creation of new and effective products. * Development of brand ambassadors through employees for the organisations products thus enhancing marketing and advertising activities which enhance profit realisation. 6. Recommendations i. Oil and gas companies should encourage employee engagement through creation of an organisational culture that develops engagement, through increased employers, leaders and stakeholders involvement in the process by enhancing team work and being a part of the process. ii. Increasing focus on drivers that provide the greatest impact in organisational improvement such as increasing opportunities for improvement which leads to increased rate of return due to increased profits. iii. Increased recognition of employee efforts through provision of feedback which in turn motivates them thus increasing productivity. iv. Organisations should continually connect with employees through regular communication of organisation’s strategy, which keeps them focussed on achievement of set organisational objectives. v. Creative creation of employee career growth opportunities by re-navigating employees’ expectations towards growth in areas that will satisfy growing business needs such as lateral movements. vi. Selecting employees during recruitment who show aspects that encourage engagement such as loyalty, diversity and work aggressiveness. 7. Conclusion Employee engagement is a pertinent aspect in management of employees in the oil and gas industry. Clear understanding of the aspect regarding its impact on the organisation and application of the findings can lead to increased employee engagement through increased productivity, which increases the overall profits realised thus enhancing the sector’s growth. This has led to the identification and incorporation of various engagement models/ levels by organisations and they include stay and strive components. It has led to the identification of engagement drivers which enhance understanding of the drivers that contribute to increased employee engagement and how they can be incorporated. Engagement drivers include (1) Quality of work life which incorporates physical work environment and work-life balance. (2) Company practices which incorporate human resource policies, performance management, brand alignment, organisational representatives, diversity and communication. (3) Total rewards which incorporate pay, benefits and recognition. (4) Opportunities drive, which incorporates career opportunities, learning and development. (5) People drive, which incorporates management, employees, colleagues, people-focus and clients. (6) Work activities, which incorporate work tasks, work processes, resources and a sense of accomplishment. The study has also identified ways of enhancing employee engagement which include increasing career opportunities, increased recognition, enhancing organisational reputation, enhancing communication, enhancing performance management, and provision of fair remuneration in relation to one’s contribution. Employee engagement extends various advantages to the organisations, which include increased revenues, increased productivity, quality delivery, decreased turnover, increased employee loyalty and enhanced organisational reputation. Employee engagement is therefore a pertinent aspect in the oil and gas industry and should be considered to ensure that the organisations have increased quality delivery, productivity and revenue generation.