Pest Analysis Essay Example for Free

Pest Analysis Essay 3.  (a) Training program Companies who work hard to meet the needs of their employees can cultivate a work atmosphere conducive to productivity. Being able to plan for the needs of employees by thinking ahead can help to improve the rate of skilled employees who chose to remain working for a company. Improving the employee retention rate can reduce the money companies spend on finding and training new employees. It is important to consider employees may want or need and what the company can reasonably supply. Providing specialized on-site training, even if provided by senior members of the company, and offering one-on-one assessment and coaching sessions, can help employees reach peak performance rates. After being hired on, a strong training and mentoring program can help a new member of the staff get up to speed on company policies and any current or ongoing projects they will be working on. To help employees perform at their best, a company can follow up with continual training programs, coaching, and regular assessment. Investing in the development of its employees can allow a company to turn out more consistent products. Incentive system An incentive program represents a substantial investment to most organizations. Engaging all employees to participate in the program will help them receive a sufficient return on their investment. Based on the concept of quality performance, incentive programs will increase an employees perception of themselves in achieving their program goals. In order to properly motivate, programs must be designed to offer a variety of products and services to employees based on their interests and needs. The programs need to have carefully determined their rewards methodology in order to maintain an employees motivation. In addition, successful campaigns require clearly defined rules, aligned rewards, efficient communication strategies and measurable success metrics. By combining each of these elements into the program, companies are better able to engage program participants and enhance the overall program effectiveness. In order to create an effective incentive program, an organization must keep the overall objective in mind when considering program design and implementation. Objectives should be clearly defined based on the companys goals and need to be specific so employees understand their expectations. Objectives can vary depending on the needs of each organization and they should be challenging, yet achievable. If objectives are viewed as unattainable, the program will not be successful. Once the program goals have been defined, all aspects of the program should be measured against this goal in order to ensure the programs success. 3.(b) communication network Communication is the exchange of useful information between and among people and organizations to support decisions and coordinate activities. Within an organization, information should be communicated to management and other employees who need it in a form and within a time frame that helps them to carry out their responsibilities. Communication also takes place with outside parties such as customers, suppliers and regulators. Management should ensure that there are open lines of communication for both staff and management to use. Open communication fosters reporting of both positive and negative results to the appropriate level of management without the fear of reprisal. Management should ensure that it takes the proper actions to address these results. For example, management may decide to: establish new goals and objectives to take advantage of newly identified opportunities; counsel and retrain staff to correct procedural errors; or adjust control act ivities to minimize a change in risk. Hierarchy of objective Objectives are the organizations desired outcomes. They are a product of the planning process and are necessary for coordinating efforts within an organization. Without clearly defined objectives, employees could be working in conflicting directions. Objectives can be organizational or operational. Management derives organizational objectives from the mission and often develops them during the strategic planning process. They are long-range, broad statements, which define the desired outcomes of the organization as a whole. Good organizational objectives can serve as starting points for more specific and detailed objectives within the subunits (i.e., divisions, departments, bureaus and assessable units) of the organization. They also serve as standards for evaluating overall organizational performance. Management derives operational objectives from the broad organizational objectives. Operational objectives are shorter-range, more specific and define the desired outcomes of each of the organizations subunits. They should be structured in a hierarchy so that each subunits accomplishment of its operational objectives helps the next higher level achieve its operational objectives, all of which helps management meet its organizational objectives. All objectives should be in writing. Management should provide employees with written organizational and operational objectives along with the mission statement. Management should ensure that employees understand the objectives and how their work helps to achieve them. Finally, just as changes in the environment can affect the adequacy and relevancy of the mission statement, these same factors also affect an organizations objectives. For an organization to function effectively and grow, it should periodically reassess its organizational and operational objectives. Company’s name: De vest Fashion Berhad Industry: Fashion Industry 3.1 Political Factors To improve consumers spending in the clothing industry, the Malaysian government has implemented the Mega Carnival Sale which is to be held 3 times a year. Its main purpose is to promote Malaysia as a value for money shopping destination. This aggressive approach calls on to the tourist to shop at the local malls, which in turn would increase foreign tourist spending and thus increase the countrys foreign exchange earnings. Furthermore, this approach would encourage the Malaysians to shop locally, which would benefit Elba Holdings Bhd in terms of their sales. Malaysia is a member of the ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA), which aims to reduce trade barriers between the member countries Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines, Brunei, Vietnam, Laos and Myanmar. This has created an opportunity for the domestic companies, like Elba Holdings Bhd to venture into the overseas market, such as Vietnam, where by the retail market there is lucrative for foreign investors. However, with AFTA, foreign investors would be interested in the Malaysian market, and with new foreign entrants, competition becomes fierce for Elba Holdings Bhd. In addition to this, the Malaysian government attempted to stabilize the retail industry after its slump in the 97 crisis by reducing inflationary pressures in the form of tariffs reductions, so that foreign investors would invest in the domestic market. The result of this would transform the retail industry into a competitive market, making it difficult for Elba Holdings Bhd to be a dominant player in the clothing sector as well as a market leader. Under the Eighth Malaysian Plan covering 2001-2005, the retail industry is expected to play a more pressures prominent role in the growth of the economy, due to a sustained economic growth and expansion of the tourism industry. A fair trade policy and law will be formulated to prevent collusion, cartel price fixing, market allocation and the abuse of market power. New distribution modes will be developed such as franchises, direct sales, factory outlets, and e-commerce, to provide the consumers with a variety of choice. 3.2 Economic Factors Malaysias economic growth is to be maintained at 4.5% in 2003 and expand further to 5.5% or 6.0% in 2004, taking into account the external demand conditions and the economic impact of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) in the first half of 2003. The economic growth is expected to be due to the domestic market with growth in the private sector. The private sector makes up the bulk of the Malaysian economy, with private consumption accounting for nearly 44% of GDP. Despite the recovery in the household consumption over the last few years, inflation has remained unchanged. The overall inflation rate is expected to be at 1.5% in 2003 mainly due to mild deflationary from major global economies. Looking at the earlier years, total retail sales in Malaysia amounted to RM46.9 billion in 2001, with a 3.7% increase over2000. Having experienced healthy growth per annum from 1990, the Asian crisis caused total retail sales to plummet by21.2% in 1998. Reduced consumption and increased savings were some of the major causes of the significant decline. Apart from challenging economic conditions, 2001 also had unexceptional events that threatened to have a major impact on retail businesses. The recovery of the retail industry in Malaysia has been gradual, having yet to return to a pre-crisis level. The first quarter of 2001 had a slowdown of the retail industry as a result of the economic crisis in the United States. The September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States had further dampen the potential of economic recovery in the country. Nevertheless, the industry managed to have an overall growth rate of 3.7% in 2001. Retail industry growth rate was above GDP growth rate for the entire year. The fall in consumer confidence resulted in reduced consumption and increased savings. The government subsequently launched a national campaign on wise spending, with the aim to educate consumers on the importance of domestic demand on the GDP growth and economic recovery as a whole. The Love Malaysia, Buy Malaysia campaign was also launched to get Malaysians to buy local products and take local holidays. This effort proved successful. The implications of these economic events had affected the growth of Elba Holdings Bhd, due to a fall in the tourism industry as well as the reduction in consumers spending. The company was adversely affected in terms of its financial position, and it was impossible to have a complete recovery due to unfavourable economic events reoccurring, for instance SARS. 3.3.Social Factors Malaysian is classified as an upper middle-income country, and considered as one of the most developed of developing countries. Middle income households defined as those earning between RM1, 500 and RM3, 500 per month, and has increased from 32.3% of total household population in 1995 to 37% in 1999. The low-income group, categorized by household income of up to RM1, 500 per month, spend a proportion of this amount on food. Meanwhile, the high and middle income households spend most of their money at hypermarkets. A small percentage of about 3.4% of their income is spent on clothing and foot wear. There has been a decrease in consumers spending since 2000, because consumers have begun to realise the values of money especially since the 97crisis took place. It is now slowly picking up in 2003.Malaysias consumers lifestyle has been changing to rising affluence and education levels. High profile retailers as well we global mass media have shaped consumers buying behaviour, resulting in the Malaysians being more westernised. The Malaysians life leisure life revolves around trendy shopping malls, such as one utama, mega mall, and klcc. Thus Elba Holdings Bhd has to me more update and kept abreast with the latest trends. They have to advertise and keep the consumers informed and reminded that they still exist and produce clothing with style and quality. 3.4 Technological Factor With the Internet and e-commerce, retailers can now sell their products on line and deliver it to customers on their door-step. It can make customers life a lot easier as they need to have to go to the city to make a purchase. Furthermore, retailers can also sell their products to the overseas market without the need to physically enter the foreign country. Microsoft (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd and Tradenex.com Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of the Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers(FMM), signed a memorandum of understanding to develop and operate a supply-chain hub for the retail sector, known as the Malaysian Retail Exchange. The Malaysian Retail Exchange is part of FMMs broad e-commerce initiative to assist manufacturers transact electronically with their trading partners as a community. The Exchange will provide the infrastructure and technology to connect manufacturers, distributors and retailers to adopt electronic trading in order to improve speed of communication, reduce transaction costs, better synchronization of supply with consumer demand and significantly improve inventory management. FMMs initiative is in line with the governments call to Malaysian businesses to be empowered with the tools of emerging technologies to improve operational efficiency and hence, competitiveness in amore open economy. The result of this would bring closer ties to the entire retailer in the retail industry, however in the case of Elba Holdings Bhd, the company stills practice the orthodox methods of getting to the consumers, and this has caused them to be laid back with other competitors such as Padini Holdings Bhd.

ELIZABETH AS AN EXAMPLE OF ART CINEMA :: essays research papers

Bordwell and Thompson define the art film as "a film which, while made under commercial circumstances take an approach to form and style influenced by "high art" which offers an alternative to mainstream entertainment" (1). Like avant-garde film making, this style offer the audience with a movie that takes glory in cinemas stance as a modern art form, for art house films are not just intended to be entertaining, they are designed to be imaginative. Shekhar Kapur's 1998 film 'Elizabeth' presents us with a contemporary art film. Although it does offer entertainment through a fascinating narrative, the film as a whole is presented in a creative way, owing to the auteurish vision of Kapur. Indeed, as the film is arguably British, abroad 'Elizabeth' by definition becomes as 'art film', since Bordwell and Thompson also define the term 'art house' as a phrase "used by the U.S film industry to describe imported films of interest to upper -middle class, educated audiences" (2). In America, 'Elizabeth' was packaged solely as an 'art film', or at least an 'art' interpretation of the British Heritage thriller film. This labelling is of course debatable and by comparing the fundamental ideas regarding art films to 'Elizabeth', one can access the validity of its claim to being 'cinematic art'. The characteristics of an 'art cinema' film are best outlined in David Bordwell's article 'The Art Cinema as a Mode of Film Practice' and this text will form the basis of my assessment of 'Elizabeth'. Bordwell suggests that "art cinema defines itself explicitly against the classical narrative" (3), yet 'Elizabeth' is clearly conventional in narrative style. Film analyst Wendy Ide, even suggests that 'Elizabeth' follows the tradition three act narrative set-up precisely, with climaxes at the end of each act. As proof she suggests that Queen Mary's death is the climatic resolution to the first act, "which takes place exactly 30 minutes into the film" following the traditions of narrative ideals (4). Bordwell, goes on to also suggest that the "cause effect linkage of events" is "tenuous in the art film" (5), yet this narrative technique is used continually to advance 'Elizabeth's' narrative. For example, 40 minutes into the film, the royal court debate the danger of an impending "French attack" (6). Queen Elizabeth resolves to send an army, prompting a new narrative strand. The result of this (cause) is shown almost immediately (42 mi nutes into the film) for in a graphic scene the audience comes to realise that English army has been defeated; the resolution to this specific narrative strand has been provided.

Determinants Study Essay

Introduction â€Å"To Be on not to Be, that is the question,† a famous quote from Shakespeare poem Hamlet. My niece is interested in attending medical school and has solicited my professional opinion on whether it would be economical feasible for her to attend medical school and if so, the best location to practice medicine. There are many variables in determining the maximum benefit and/or advantages of medical school. Such variables could include but not limited to, gender, ethnicity, tuition, locations, schools, specialties, etc. This paper will touch on the advantages as well as some barriers which may countersuit some of the advantages to form a concise recommendation to my niece on whether becoming a physician is economically and socially a good profession in which she should pursue. Demand Determinants The demand determinants for this case will feature definition of the market and the availability of close substitutes. These two determinants were chosen because the market for medical school can pose many qu4estions, however, narrowing down the most compatible choice is essential in obtaining the value of becoming a physician. The article â€Å"Is Being a Doctor Worth it Financial? Not as much as you may Think,† will help us break down the demand determinant of availability of close substitutes. This article goes to analyze the author’s question on whether if it is worth becoming a physician. To determine the author’s answer, she compared the salary of a doctor to one of an average college graduate. In real numbers, not to say  that these numbers are of current market value, but for the sake of this paper, the author states that a graduate can earn an income of $40,000.00, minus after-tax deduction; this graduate will take home $30,000.00 a year. A resident af ter medical school and for the next three years can expect to make about $40,000.00 a year. However, after the three years, a doctor can expect to make $150,000.00 a year as a family practitioner, which after taxes (approximately 33%), a take home pay annually for a family practitioner doctor is $100,000.00. To amortize the cost of medical school and the amount of one’s yearly income, it is predicted that to find the financial gain of a physician oppose to someone who received a four-year degree, a person will have to wait 13 years to see the financial advantage of going to medical school after all variables have been computed. In relative to years, a college graduate without medical school will graduate at the age of 22, however, one will not see financial relief until the age of 35 if continued on to a medical degree. To end this assumption of is becoming a doctor is financially feasible, the answer will be yes, however, the return will be much farther in one’s career. But do take into account that a doctor will have to work much harder and longer hours, approximately 60 plus hours a week oppose to someone who generally will work between 35-40 hours a week. The maintenance of a doctor is continuing medical education to stay abreast of the latest and most up-to-date techno logy, inventions, and advancements. If a physician choose a specialty (which in my opinion is highly recommended), one will have to recertify for board exams every 7 -10 years. Lastly, retirement age which is typically 65 years old will not be unit the age of around 75 for a physician. Job security, however, will be in a doctor’s favor because the shortage as of right not for doctors, especially for primary care physicians will keep a doctor employed. This aspect explains the demand determinant of the definition of the market. The market in this text is saying the specialty of a primary care physician is in high demand. The author of the article calculated a $600,000 gain to be a doctor oppose to another profession which only needed a four-year degree. Moreover, the price elasticity for becoming a doctor as this article relates is that to determine the value of a physician’s income/net gain oppose to a four-year degree income is contingent upon one’s specialty. The demand for a physician will increase as the shortage for doctors decrease to help care  for the needs of American’s growing population whom is also living longer. The locations, especially rural areas will demand the need for more physicians. The need for a primary care physician is greater than the need for a family practitioner. To perform the midpoint formula, the following fictional number will exhibit the value of becoming a physician. Midpoint elasticity = (B2-B1)/(B2+B1)/2 à · (A2-A1)/(A2+A1)/2: the number we will use the amount of patients needed for a physician. The average number from the beginning and the ending number of patients needing a physician in a rural area is 75 or (50+100)/2, so if the number of patients increases, the formula will read (100-50)/50 will give us 50/50, or 100%. However, if the patients decrease the formula will read (50-100)/100 which will be -50/100, or -50%. The midpoint value will be (100-50)/75 or 50/75 which will equal to a percent change of 66.67%. Supply Determinants Becoming a doctor while analyzing the supply demands of the profession can be determine by the price the input prices, technology and the expectations. The price can be determined by the cost of medical school. According to the article â€Å"Medical School at $278,000 Means Even Bernanke Son Has Debt,† published by Bloomberg, the average debt of a medical student who finances his or her education through private and government loans is between $207,868 and $278,455. However, the article also states that the supply of doctors will be less than the demand due to a shortage that is forecast to happen by 2025. This makes the supply inelastic because we will face more patients in need of a physician than we have physicians. The shortage is reportedly more than 130,000 physicians to the more than 32 million American that will be receiving healthcare (Bloomberg, 2014). This type of debt can price out minorities and women who have interests in pursuing the idea of attending medical sc hool. Such and enormous debt can discourage someone to think elsewhere as far as becoming a doctor. African Americans typically leave medical school owing loans on the average of $184,125. However, the price of medical school or even a lucrative salary cannot be the sole determinant of why one chooses the profession of a doctor. A study, coming from the article â€Å"African American Female Physicians in South Caroline: Role Models and Career Satisfaction,† outlined results from 132 African  American female physicians with 62 responding answering why they choose to practice medicine. The majority of the respondent stated they went to medical school for altruistic reasons, in addition to having a high interest in the positive challenges and opportunities practicing medicine presence. Another reason the respondents gave in the survey stated that there were other external reasons that influenced their decisions and that was the impact their family, teachers and childhood upbringings. Moreover, the study also revealed that most African American women shared the same desires as white female physicians. Lastly the study stated that the dissatisfying component of the respondents dislikes of being a doctor was managed care, time demands and paper work. (McFarland, F., Smith, J., West, A., & Rhoades, R., 2000). In essence, one’s gender and/or ethnicity one will have to analyze the explicit cost of what it takes to obtain a medical degree. One must incorporate the tuition, room & board, books, practical exams, etc., whereas the implicit cost will be calculating the interest rates of government and private loans. However, becoming a physician even with student loan debt, one can apply the theory of profit maximization because the return over time will far exceed the debt that was incurred. This theory also allows a medical student to actualize that there will be a normal profit as well as an economic profit because one would have covered the implicit and explicit cost to obtain the accounting profit, but will reach far above monetary return to achieve the economic profit once the loans have been repaid. As stated earlier, over a period of time, a physician will make approximately $600,000 over the course of his or her career than a four-year graduate. The below graph is illustrating the supply of physicians to the number of patients that need care. Recommendation In conclusion, my advice to my niece would be to follow her heart and desire as obtaining a medical degree will far exceed the satisfaction of serving people than the income and time spent. However, to quantify the return on the education of a medical degree, will yield a positive return, but not immediately, over time. Through the law of demand she will see that becoming a doctor is in high demand because the American population is living longer and physicians are needed to care for the generations to come  and the ones that are still here who need geriatric care. Another positive component in obtaining a medical degree is because she is a woman; she can be a pioneer of new cures and advancements as it related to terminal illnesses. The concerning questions is what are the best places to practice medicine? According to PR Newswire, â€Å"The Best Places to Practice Medicine are Idaho, Alabama, Texas, Nevada, and South Carolina. The metrics that were used in determining which plac e is best were: low density of practicing physicians per capita, medical malpractice insurance, low rate disciplinary actions, cost of living and tax burden. However, the article also stated that physicians must determine what is most important to them and their family in deciding where to practice medicine. To be or not to be is the question; yes becoming a physician is economically sound and wise because through the theory of supply and demand, physicians will be needed through eternity as long as there is human presence on this planet earth. References Lorin, J. (2013). Bloomberg. Medical School at $278,000 Means Even Bernanke Son Has Debt. Retrieved from http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-04-11/medical-school-at-278-000-means-even-bernanke-son-carries-debt.html Chen, M., & Chevalier, J. A. (2012). Are Women Over investing in Education? Evidence from the Medical Profession. Journal Of Human Capital, 6(2), 124-149. Miqueo, C. (1999). Women and doctors in medicine. Lancet, 354SIV65. Dacre, J., & Shepherd, S. (2010). Women and medicine. Clinical Medicine, 10(6), 544-547. Illinois State University. Department of Economics. Profit Maximinzation. Retrieved from http://www.economics.illinoisstate.edu McFarland, F., Smith, J., West, A., & Rhoades, R. (2000). African American female physicians in South Carolina: role models and career satisfaction. Southern Medical Journal, 93(10), 982-985. Medical School Success (N.D.) Is Being a Doctor Worth It Financially? Not as Much as You May Think http://www.medicalschoolsuccess.com/is-being-a-doctor -worth-it-financially/ PR, N. (2012, October 12). The Best Places to Practice Medicine are Idaho, Alabama, Texas, Nevada, and South Carolina. PR Newswire US. R. Glenn Hubbard, Anthony Patrick O’Brien, Hubbard, O’Brien. Economics. 4th Edition. Pearson Learning Solutions, 2012. Pg. 20. VitalBook file. Bookshelf. Reyes, J. (2008). Gender Preference and Equilibrium in the Imperfectly Competitive Market for Physician Services. Eastern Economic Journal, 34(3), 325-346. doi:10.1057/palgrave.eej.9050033

What is an Art?

In her article â€Å"A Shark in the Mind of One Contemplating Wilderness†, Terry Tempest Williams effectively defines what an â€Å"art† is and what is not. It goes beyond its traditional definition as a product of human creativity in which materials are outlined and selected to convey visually interesting forms. Williams reveals the ongoing battle within the biodiversity – human versus nature – and equates human life to the characters in the wild to create a vivid description of Art. Like a shark suspended in formaldehyde and being viewed as a unique work of art, Williams sees the same scenario for human beings when nature is totally devastated. Who’s to blame? The increased level of extinction that is likely to lead to the disappearance of about two-thirds of all kinds of living organisms by the end of the next century is driven by only one species: human (Raven 4). Human is inseparable from nature. His survival depends inextricably on other life forms. Life is the common force that connects man to animals. Williams recognizes this connection through an encounter with a shark in a tank, â€Å"I press my hands on the glass, waiting for the shark to pass by again, and when it does I feel my own heart beating against the mind of this creature that kills. However, this bond is unfastened little by little by man’s activities that are detrimental to the nature. Civilization overwhelms man that he neglects the reality that his existence rests on the subsistence of the natural world. Rather than protecting his source of life, he becomes the author of its destruction. Logging and mining, whether legal or illegal, are two of the most common damaging human activities. For pharmaceutical companies, â€Å"Wilderness is a cabinet of pharmaceuticals waiting to be discovered. † Taking her own experience where an open space once used by children to lie on their backs was now converted to a food court, Williams realized how fast people can transform something into another thing. Quoting her observation, â€Å"What was never before seen as art, as dance, as a painting in motion, but imagined only through the calculations of biologists, their facts now metamorphosed into designs†¦. † Just imagine how man has gotten so much from the nature and exploited a very huge part of it. As Williams noted, â€Å"The natural world is becoming invisible, appearing only as a backdrop for our own human dramas and catastrophes. Landslides, flashfloods, earthquakes, and tornadoes are signs that nature is too much burdened of man’s destructive activities. Wilderness is a work of art. People shape this natural wasteland just like how an artist makes a mosaic. The development of agricultural lands into subdivisions, the burning of forests to produce industrial m aterials, and even the changing color of water in the rivers from blue to black, reflect how an artist designs and colors his work. â€Å"What is true for wilderness remains true for humans. Human society is the mosaic of field and forest, of city blocks, of subway tiles. It is to this mosaic that we should turn in order to understand what it really means to be human† (Amato-Grill 5). Like humans, other forms of life need a habitat where they can build their own community. â€Å"We are animals, in search of a home, in relationship to Other, an expanding community with a mosaic of habitats, domestic and wild,† Williams explained. In the same way that we have seen performances on stage, we have set our eyes on how the leaves of the trees dance in the wind, how animals hide and catch their prey, how whales and fishes create waves in the oceans, and how flowers patiently wait for its bud to bloom. Wilderness, according to Williams, is a grand piece of performance art that can embody or inspire. To preserve them is to let the next generation witness the grand performance arts of nature. The nature is a work of art itself creatively designed and created by its Artist. It is a spring of inspiration for the artists who are also masterpieces of the One who created the nature. Art, as implicitly described by Williams on her article, is the exploration yet preservation of these natural creations.

Causes and Effects of Land Pollution Essays

Causes and Effects of Land Pollution Essays Causes and Effects of Land Pollution Paper Causes and Effects of Land Pollution Paper Essay Topic: Water pollution Land pollution is one of the gravest kinds of pollutions. Say so because we do not realize when and how we pollute land due to different things we do and decisions we take. We realize the air is getting polluted when we step out of our houses and take a deep breath. We know when our actions cause water pollution, for we can see for ourselves the quality of the water worsening. Similarly noise, light, visual pollution can all be monitored, because we can all see or sense these kinds of pollution. However, land pollution is a hard one to get since we do not understand and we cannot empowered which of our actions cause destruction of land. What is Land Pollution? When the anthropogenic effects Of development adversely affect land (especially in turns of quality of land), it can be termed as land pollution. This brings us to an important question what counts as an adverse effect? The answer is simple anything that reduces the productivity and potential of a piece of land. Here, productivity and potential refers to prospective uses of a piece of land for any of the different purposes for which land is used; including infrastructure, housing, services, agriculture, forestry, etc. If any of the effects of human development reduce the potential of a piece of land to be used for any good purpose, it amounts to land pollution. Causes of Land Pollution Degenerative Actions encompass a lot of human actions, including deforestation, overuse of pesticides and chemical fertilizers, desertification, mining, inefficient and / or inadequate waste treatment, landfill, litter, etc. Many of these are unavoidable; however, definitely the severity of these actions in terms of the effects they have on the land can be reduced by taking appropriate and adequate corrective measure. For example, the amount of litter produced can be hugely reduced if we all strictly say NO to plastic. The key here is to conduct a thorough EIA Environmental Impact Assessment. Misuse of Land mainly refers to felling of trees to clear land for agriculture, as well as processes like desertification and land conversion. Desertification is when anthropogenic effects of human development and / or other actions converts a piece of (essentially) fertile land into desert-land or drywall. Isnt that a scary thought? Land once converted to desert-land can never be reclaimed by any amount of corrective measures. This is also a serious issue because t does not only affect the land, but also the overall biodiversity of a place, specially when land is cleared for agriculture. A lot Of indigenous flora and fauna is lost in the process. Inefficient Use of Land surprised? Does inefficient use of land count as a cause of land pollution? Yes. Why? Due to the consequences of inefficient use of land. Inefficient use of land as such is not going to cause land pollution. However, inefficient use of land amounts to wastage, and hence shortage of land; and it is precisely during such conditions that man has to resort to assure such as deforestation and others to meet his needs. It is an important, albeit an indirect cause of land pollution that is often largely neglected. Soil Pollution is when the top-most soil layer of land is destroyed or polluted. Soil pollution is again another cause of land pollution that affects not only the land, but also a lot of other things such as forest cover of a region, productivity of land in terms of agriculture, grazing etc. Soil pollution is also caused by wrong agricultural practices, such as overuse of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. This causes non-biodegradable chemicals to enter and accumulate in the food-chain a process often referred to as pontification Oaf pollutant. Land Conversion is the process whereby a piece of land is converted from its indigenous form to a form used for either agriculture or infrastructure. Land conversion is especially a growing problem that we possibly do not have a good or a good enough solution for. The best way to avoid land conversion is to make efficient use of the available land. Using a piece of land to its maximum potential is the key to eliminate many of the causes of land elution. Other key causes of land pollution include arbitration, improper waste disposal, industrial activities, nuclear research, chemicals released by all sorts of he. Y industries, coal-fired power plants, metals production industries, etc. Effects of Land Pollution Effects on Climate Land pollution can affect the general environment of the Earth. Land pollutions leads to loss in the forest cover of Earth. This is in turn going to affect the amount of rain. Less rains mean lesser vegetation. The effect of all different kinds of pollution will eventually lead to problems like acid rains, roundhouse effect, global warming. All of these problems have already initiated and need to be curbed before the situation runs out of control. Extinction of Species One of the major causes Of concern is the extinction Of species. Species are pushed towards endangerment and extinction primarily by two processes. Habitat fragmentation is the fragmentation of the natural habitat of an organism; cause primarily by urban sprawl. Habitat destruction, on the other hand, is when land clearing adversely affects animals special such that their natural habitat is lost. Both the actions can cause some species to go extinct ND others to become invasive. Pontification Pontification is the process in which certain non-biodegradable substances go on accumulating in the food-chain (in one or more species). The most common example is of metallurgy in fish and mercury in eagles. Not only does pontification put the particular species at risk, it puts all the species above and below it at risk, and ultimately affects the food pyramid. Effects on Biodiversity Species extinction and pontification is going to overthrow the balance of nature very significantly. The main reason for this is disturbance created in he food chain. TO give you a very simple example on account Of pontification of mercury in eagles, they might go extinct in the subsequent years. However, we know eagles prey on snakes. Less (or no) eagles will then result in more number of snakes! As you may have realized, land pollution is indeed going to affect a lot more things than we though it will. Hence, I leave you with some corrective measure you can take on a personal level to reduce land pollution. Encourage organic farming buy organic food. Proper garbage disposal separate your garbage before you give it to the airbag collector; and strictly say NO to plastic. Encourage recycling buy recycled products, notebooks, paper, etc. Restrict use of herbicides and pesticides they are not only used in farm, but in your own backyard as well. If we reduce our contribution to garbage and litter, therein itself we will be able to significantly reduce land pollution and probably curb it entirely in the near future. Also do realize this isnt only about land pollution; it is about all kinds of pollution. We need to take steps to prevent damaging our Earth. We have no other place to go.

7 Topics You Should Never Talk About At Work

7 Topics You Should Never Talk About At Work It’s great to feel like you have friendly colleagues and even better when they become your friends outside work, but there are a few danger areas to avoid during your 9-5 interactions. 1. [Insert any  political topic here]I am a big offender with this one. I used to have long angry debates with one of my cube neighbors about everything from social welfare programs to LGBT rights. Not only was it unprofessional, it was also distracting for everyone who I now realize could hear us bickering all day. I didn’t change his mind, he didn’t do anything besides offend me with his opinions, and our whole office probably found us annoying. Plus that irritation spilled over into our professional interactions, too.2. â€Å"I’m soooooooooo tired.†I know it’s just small talk, but griping about your exhaustion level, unless you need some legitimate accommodation in your workload, is tedious (and probably self evident if you’re yawning and downing a vat of coffee at your desk every day).3. Office gossip (particularly boss-related)Some experts feel like office confidences build stronger bonds between team members; others see it as divisive and counterproductive since venting rarely actually leads to positive change or resolution of a tense situation.If something bad is coming, you’ve just spent extra time dreading it. If it comes to nothing, you’ve just wasted the time of everyone you spent swapping conspiracy theories with!4. â€Å"You always ______.† and â€Å"You never ______.†Bad for relationships and bad for the workplace, blanket accusations like this rarely have positive results. Try â€Å"I† statements instead- †When you [fail to deliver a report  on time] I [feel frustrated and fall behind on my deadlines].†5. That’s not my job, that’s not in my contract.I have mixed feelings on this one because agreeing to anything asked of you doesn’t usually lend i tself to strong boundary setting. That said, be a team player when you can, since you’ll probably need some help yourself before long.6. â€Å"Well, actually†¦Ã¢â‚¬ I thought only irritating internet commenters employed this one but apparently it’s spread into the outside world. There are more direct ways to voicing your opinion or a differing perspective than this grating correctional phrase. Just leave it out!7. Personal comments on weight, clothing, race, marital status, sexual orientation, etc.Many of these were probably covered in your company orientation, but one that often gets overlooked in many places I’ve worked is weight or eating habits. At my last job I had a well-meaning coworker who could not stop herself from commenting on what I was eating or not eating, characterizing a pizza lunch as â€Å"Oooh, good to you day† or â€Å"You’re so bad!† when I reached for a sweet snack afterwards. She also commented on my weight- bu t only when she thought I’d lost some. Again, she thought she was being sociable, but it made me really uncomfortable and made her somebody I was hesitant to work with in the future.I hate to say it, but sticking to only discussing your job while you’re at work may be the safest way to go.  7 Things You Should NEVER Say to Co-Workers  Read More at Payscale

International corporate reporting issues Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

International corporate reporting issues - Essay Example International corporate reporting issues The objective of this standard is to frame the foundation for the presentation of financial statements. The standard is to ensure the compatibility with the company’s financial performance in previous years as well as with that of its competitors. US GAAP is the framework that offers Generally Accepted Accounting Principles, which are used by United States organisations or the companies listed on Wall Street. This set of standards is developed by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB), the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. The framework is a combination of authoritative standards introduced by the responsible authorities, as well as the accepted ways to carry out accounting and reporting activities. These standards are constructed solely by input of US organisations rather than any outside influences. The key objectives of accounting standards are identification, measurement, and reporting of financial information of the organisational entities to the interested stakeholders. Financial accounting is a process culminating in the preparation of the financial reports of the organisations. These are done for the use of both the internal and external stakeholders. These financial statements include balance sheets, income statements, and statements of the owner’s equity and cash flow situation including assets and expenses. In the United States, the most significant source of influence on accounting standards is politics. The most substantial factor in the political arena is user groups. These groups include the parties most affected by accounting standards, rules, and regulations. â€Å"Accounting standards are as much a product of political action as they are of careful logic or empirical findings† (Wiley, 2002, p.14). These groups of stakeholders require accounts and re ports regarding company finances which are essential to successful business planning and strategizing. Groups know the best way to influence these standards in order to have a more favourable outcome financially is to participate in the framing of those same structures or to try to influence or persuade the authorities more directly responsible for the formulation and amending of the standards. In the US there are many authoritative bodies responsible for the formulation and development of the generally accepted financial standards; FASB is the significant and major contributor in this development. Undoubtedly, the board faces intense amounts of pressure and efforts to incorporate and influence the changes in the present standards and in the development of new ones. Moreover, the situation gets complicated with the involvement of two