Eli Lilly: Developing Cymbalta

Eli Lilly and company is a pharmaceutical company that was established in 1876 by Colonel Eli Lilly, who had served in the union army during the Civil War. One of the products the company developed includes the antidepressant drug Prozac, which has been a legendary product for the company and has generated billions of dollars since its launch. As Prozac’s patent expiration date approached, thereby allowing the sale of generic versions in the U. S. , the company decided to pursue a product to replace Prozac, named Cymbalta. John Kaiser, the marketing director at Eli Lilly and member of a cross-functional R&D team, new anti-depressant team (NAT), has been tasked to lead this effort. Kaiser prepared a presentation about the potential successor, Cymbalta, and convened a meeting with the NAT members to discuss its future potential. The goal of the meeting was to thoroughly analyze and discuss the pros and cons about Cymbalta’s development and strategic opportunities based on the different options of use. This paper will identify the strategic issues and problems the NAT faced in developing the new product. The paper will then analyze and evaluate the industry and market behavior by using a SWOT analysis. Finally, this paper will offer a set of recommendations based on the surrounding circumstances and options available to the Eli Lilly team. Identification of the strategic issues and problems: Eli Lilly and company’s NAT members began the process of searching for a successful replacement to Prozac by looking into the strategic choices, possibilities, and successful launch of a replacement shortly after the expiration of Prozac’s patent. Cymbalta was considered as a viable successor to Prozac because it seemed a) to be as good as or better than existing antidepressants, b) to show no signs of safety precautions or toxicity issues, c) to meet previous unmet patient needs, and d) to show promising signs of development as a product to also treat pain, especially if it did not cause special side effects. However, when Lilly developed Cymbalta back in the early 1990’s, for the major depressive disorder (MDD) market, the product failed to show satisfactory levels of efficacy for treating MDD in phase 2 trials in 1993. Additionally, Lilly had so little experience in the therapeutic area. Moreover, there were variances in the opinions of Neurologists and Psychiatrists related to the symptoms of pain, such as chronic back pain or recurring headache tied to depression. Those variances could peril the decision making process from the top management. Also, since there were no clear guidelines from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), for the development of pain indications associated to depression, the likelihood of FDA approval was very slim. Kaiser and the team also encountered several constraints. The team had to decide how to prioritize the clinical trials for Cymbalta within the range of $25 to $50 million and a time frame of 15 to 18 months to design, enroll patients for trial, and then analyze and document results for the clinical trial. Each study was a major task for the NAT members and the team had the opportunity to submit only one objective to the FDA for marketing approval. On the other hand, since Cymbalta had been tested with twice daily dosages of 20 mg, 30 mg, and 40 mg, NAT members also looked into the option of conducting a new set of clinical trials to establish once-a-day dosage of 60 mg of Cymbalta to treat Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). The new option would provide more expedient dosing for patients and would also put the product on par with the major competitors. Analysis and Evaluation: The U. S. pharmaceutical industry is complex and dynamic. It’s an industry that is characterized by high-tech research and development (R&D) expenditures and extensive regulation of its products, especially in comparison with other manufacturing sectors. The U. S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) oversee policies that produce faster review and approval times for drugs. The agency carefully evaluates the safety of any new drug and its efficacy. Such policies result in extended periods during which companies can exclusively market their pharmaceutical products. Longer periods of market exclusivity for pharmaceuticals then increase sales revenues, and increased sales revenues in turn lead to greater profits and potentially more funding for R&D. Treatment of depression is one area that the U. S. pharmaceutical industry has heavily invested in. The total sales of U. S. antidepressants reached close to $9 billion in the year 2000. Companies such as Eli Lilly capitalized on this opportunity and became a leading force in the antidepressant market with its Prozac drug. Antidepressant product development companies invest heavily in Research and Development (R&D), and patent it. With each successful launch of a product, they enjoy its patent rights for quite a long period of time and enjoy the exclusive rights to produce and sell that product resulting in enormous profits for the company. Thus, drug companies continuously attempt to differentiate their product from competitors and bundle in such a way that is more tailored to segment of the market where they can realize higher profits. SWOT Analysis: Strengths: †¢Potential successor to a highly successful brand – Prozac from a well-established company in the pharmaceutical industry. Part of the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) group of drugs, which is popular and had fewer side effects than tricyclic anti-depressant (TCA) and monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOI). †¢Potential to treat both depression and chronic pain, such as headache and backache caused by depression. Weaknesses: †¢Product that is not different from competitors' brands. †¢Twice-a-day dosing regimen of 20-40 mg. Threats: †¢Serious market competition from competitors' brands such as Paxils and Zoloft with same efficacy. No clear concession amongst physicians as to the nature of link between depression and pain. †¢Attempting to compare Cymbalta to existing SSRI on pain might fail to conclusively separate from competitors, thus giving rival drugs an implicit endorsement for treating pain. Opportunities: †¢Potential development of 60 mg once-a-day dosage with high efficacy. †¢The possibility of pursuing patients with fibromyalgia (severe muscle pain and chronic fatigue) and Diabetic peripheral neuropathic pain or DPNP (a painful and debilitating complication of diabetes). According to the National Studies of Health, over 40 million Americans were unable to find relief from their pain, including patients with fibromyalgia and DPNP. Pros and Cons of Plausible Alternatives: If developed successfully, Cymbalta could be a unique product that has the ability to significantly reduce and improve depression and pain. Patients with fibromyalgia and DPNP could greatly benefit from Cymbalta. The pain relief may also be great for patients who suffer from depression and chronic pain like headache and backache. The NAT’s idea of pursuing the 60 mg daily dosage is also attractive if it delivers the same efficacy of current antidepressant drugs in the market. However, all of this comes with its perils. The company has to evaluate the risks and any potential side effects that the 60 mg per day dosage may have on patients. They also have to assess the feasibility of conducting a clinical trial with a 15 to 18 months’ timeframe and a projected cost of $25 to $50 million. Additionally, they would have to convince the FDA that the new product is ready to market. Failure of any of the aforementioned obstacles could result in loss of the antidepressant market to competitors. Recommendations: Depression and chronic pain diseases, such as fibromyalgia and DPNP, have a profound effect in society at large. Studies in scientific publications have estimated that depression affects 10% to 25% of the population. The antidepressant market in the U. S. in 2000 totaled sales of approximately $9 billion. Eli Lilly has positioned itself well in this market segment. The company has enjoyed a market lead with annual sales of over $2 billion with its antidepressant drug, Prozac. Cymbalta needs to focus on maintaining and increasing that $2 billion dollar revenue Prozac has achieved over the past years, by building on the successful foundations Prozac has already established. It is important to develop an updated product that will undoubtedly outperform its competitors. Cymbalta might be a successful replacement because of its good efficacy or efficacy better than existing antidepressants, Cymbalta also has no apparent safety or toxicity issues, and its possibilities of meeting a previously unmet patient needs, exemplifies why Cymbalta has the potential to total higher record sales than even Prozac.

Future events Essay

Richard here talks of a forthcoming golden era full of glory and hope. Whilst speaking in public, Richard uses this opportunity to defend him from being accused in future events. By praising the running of the country nobody would suspect him of becoming a family murderer. Again, in private Richard reveals his true feelings and again reveals to the audience future plots.  Ã¢â‚¬Å"I am determined to prove a villain and hate the idle pleasures of these days. Plots I have laid, inductions dangerous.† (Act 1 scene 1.Lines 30 +32) When speaking concealed away from the public, Richard provides insight into future events. Although it may appear that the war is over the royal family is about to confront another battle in the eyes of Richard. It is through what is said in private that Richard sheds light on future plots and events and to an extent he draws a relationship with the audience because of this.  The final area in which I will explore appearance and reality will be through the manipulation of religion. Richard of Gloucester is not the only character in the play to use appearance and reality as his two â€Å"partners in crime† prove. Catesby and Buckingham use religion as a weapon of disguising for Richards true personality and intentions. † He is within, with two right reverend fathers, divinely bent to meditation †¦.. To draw him from his holy exercise.† (Act 3 scene 7.Line 60 + 61)  Buckingham endeavors to make Richard appear holy and innocent by portraying him as a devout, holy and religious man. By this point in the play we know that Richard’s life is not based on serving god but rather serving his own desires. His allies continue to do their utmost to mask his evil traits in front of the politicians.  Ã¢â‚¬Å"This prince is not an Edward. He is not lulling on a lewd love-bed, but on his knees at meditation.†(Act 3 scene 7.Line 70-71) Again, religion is manipulated to give a false identification of Richard. Their aim is to get Richard to become king and attain ruler ship thinking that they may get something in return. Buckingham’s language reveals that he; Catesby and Richard are play acting.  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Two props of virtue for a Christian prince †¦.. and see a book of prayer in his hand.† (Act 3 scene 7.Line 95+96)  Buckingham makes it apparent that this is a play within a play and uses the church and the word of god as a prop to make Richard look convincing on stage. Richard also does his part in covering up his true personality. â€Å"I do beseech your grace to pardon me, who, earnest in the service of my god.† (Line 104-105)  Richard once again stresses how devoted he is to god when really he is only devoted to getting himself raised to a godly figure in the form of king. Shakespeare reveals yet another plane to Richard’s ever- changing character through the manipulation of religion as we not only see a deceitful interpretator, a cold-blooded murderer but also a manipulative man. He has no regard for family, women or even god and this manifests the extent that he is willing to go to get what he wants. Shakespeare provides us with another peek into future events through the manipulation of Richard. â€Å"Come, let us to our holy work again.†(Act 3 scene 7.Line 245)  This â€Å"holy† work will in fact not be holy but will rather entail unholy and irreligious dealings. The work will contain further plotting and this braces the audience for further manipulation. This device measures the extent to which Richard will go to change his character. It also reveals that Richard isn’t the only character that utilizes appearance and reality in the play and this reflects the amount of manipulation contained within the play. Appearance and reality is a device that Shakespeare cleverly uses to keep the character Richard of Gloucester running throughout the play. It revitalizes his character and interest in him is always stimulated because of this. To an extent, Richard uses appearance and reality as a stepping stool for further dealings in the future. Richard, the anti-hero, uses his physical appearance as a driving force for evil traits and deceive4s others into thinking that it makes him weaker. His contrasting treatment of women perfectly illustrates how well he can adjust roles when required. He is the master of deception as his opening soliloquy proves. It is what is said in private that reveals to the audience what Richard’s true intentions are and it is what is said in public that reflect lies. Shakespeare makes this link early on so that Richards changing won’t fool the audience. Shakespeare mirrors appearance and reality through the manipulation of religion to show the extent that Richard will go to obtain what he requires. Appearance and reality is important because it shows that Richard is a character of dual interpretations and Shakespeare makes sure Richard uses it continually so that his character continues to fuel interest for the audience. Appearance and reality is a vital tool in the play as it not only plays a huge part in shaping events in the play but it also reveals future events that are to take place.

Paper on Depression

Thresa BigMan University of phoenix PSY270 Week 4 Depression paper Depression is a mental illness that a lot of individuals have in today’s society. According to the University of Phoenix fundamentals of abnormal psychology, describes many different mood disorders that effect many people today, â€Å"Depression is a low, sad state in which life seems dark and its challenges overwhelming.Depression can be an illness that can be manageable to an individual that has mild symptoms there are cases of depression that can be so severe that it can take over someone’s life in the aspect that it is manageable with daily living assistance and treatment plans that include assisted living environment and anti-depressants. Patients can even be misdiagnosed to have other disorders if not have a proper evaluation.Mania, the opposite of depression, is a state of breathless euphoria, or at least frenzied energy, in which people may have an exaggerated belief that the world is theirs for the taking. Most people with a mood disorder suffer only from depression, a pattern called unipolar depression. † When an individual has no history of mania and after the episode return to their normal mood others may experience periods of mania that o back and forth with periods of depression in a somewhat of a pattern is called bipolar disorder. (University of phoenix, 2011).Many individuals of all walks of life suffer from mood disorders according to the University of Phoenix Fundamentals of abnormal psychology (2011), â€Å"Mood disorders also have plagued such writers as Ernest Hemingway, Eugene O’Neill, Virginia Woolf, and Sylvia Plath. † Mood disorders have different stages of symptoms, according to the university of phoenix fundamentals of psychology (2011), â€Å"The symptoms, which often feed upon one another, span five areas of functioning: emotional, motivational, behavioral, cognitive, and physical. Emotional symptoms can have the individual feelin g miserable, humiliated, and sad. In severe cases many individuals can suffer from anhedonia which can cause the patient to have the inability to feel pleasure. They begin to have no self-worth. Motivational symptoms can include according to the University of Phoenix Fundamentals of psychology (2011), â€Å"Depressed people typically lose the desire to pursue their usual activities. Almost all report a lack of drive, initiative, and spontaneity. They may have to force themselves to go to work, talk with friends, eat meals, or have sex. The patient will not have any motivation to get up and get out of bed at times. Motivational symptoms could be that a patient doesn’t want to do anything and has to force one self to do the littlest of things in their daily life. Behavioral symptoms include behaviors where the individual becomes less active productive. Cognitive symptoms people see themselves in a very negative light and do not have a high self-worth when they accomplish somet hing that is very substantial they do not see it in the right regards to see what they did was successful.Physical symptoms can include headaches, nausea, vomiting and sleeping issues. Physical symptoms can vary from person to person when it comes to mood disorders. Many times physical symptoms can often cloud proper diagnoses to mood disorders, according to the University of Phoenix Fundamentals of abnormal psychology (2011), â€Å"In fact, many depressions are misdiagnosed as medical problems at first. Disturbances in appetite and sleep are particularly common (Neckelmann et al. , 2007; Genchi et al. 2004). Most depressed people eat less, sleep less, and feel more fatigued than they did prior to the disorder. Proper diagnoses are often over looked because of all the physical symptoms that a person with a mood disorder can develop. Often the symptoms are treated before depression is diagnosed. When diagnosing unipolar depression, according to the University of Phoenix Fundamentals of abnormal psychology (2011), â€Å"People who experience a major depressive episode without having any history of mania receive a diagnosis of major depressive disorder. Individuals who display a longer-lasting but less disabling pattern of unipolar depression may receive a diagnosis of dysthymic disorder.Bipolar I disorder have full manic and major depressive episodes. Most of them experience an alternation of the episodes; for example, weeks of mania followed by a period of wellness, followed, in turn, by an episode of depression. Some people, however, have mixed episodes, in which they swing from manic to depressive symptoms and back again on the same day. In bipolar II disorder, hypomanic—that is, mildly manic—episodes alternate with major depressive episodes over the course of time.When dysthymic disorder leads to maojr depressive disorder, the sequence is called double depression (Taube-Schiff & Lau, 2008). † Unipolar depression is often triggered when the individual is experiencing extreme stress. Forms of treatment for these types of mood disorders may include antidepressants, individual therapy, and in extreme cases an individual may have to be under constant care as the disorder has caused them to not be able to maintain their normal quality of life and may be harmful to themselves or others.Group and family therapy can be an effective form of treatment for patients. According to the University of Phoenix Fundamentals of abnormal psychology (2011), â€Å"Family-Social Treatments Therapists who use family and social approaches to treat depression help clients change how they deal with the close relationships in their lives. The most effective family-social approaches are interpersonal psychotherapy and couple therapy. † Anti-depressants are commonly given as a part of the treatment plan for a patient.According to the University of Phoenix Fundamentals of abnormal psychology (2011), â€Å"Two kinds of drugs discovered in the 1950s reduce the symptoms of depression: monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors and tricyclic’s. † Proper diagnoses are the most important part about treating any mental disorder. Many times physical symptoms cloud the illness. When treating this disorder it is important to diagnose to be accurate because often these types of disorders are often prescribed antidepressants as a way to treat the illness.After proper accurate diagnoses developing a treatment plan to determine what types of treatments would the patient benefit from. Assisting the patient in a proper evaluation to diagnose correctly is also a way for the patient to learn what is a normal mood or reaction to events or stress that happens in their life time can help determine what the patient is experiencing and often even why. Treatment and proper diagnoses goes hand in hand they are as important to the patient. References University of phoenix. (2011). Fundamentals of psychology. Retrieved from University o f phoenix, PSY270 website.

Anti-politics Sentiments; Analytical and Policy Response Essay

Anti-politics Sentiments; Analytical and Policy Response - Essay Example The concept of political systems was built on the premise of public involvement and participation. The public trades power for protection of their rights. However, the political class over the years has increasingly alienated the electorate from participating in decisions that affect their lives. This has caused the rise of anti-political sentiments and gradual decline of citizenship. The political class has continuously accrued benefits at the expense of the people they claim to represent. To eliminate the rise of anti-political sentiments, the nationalism sentiments must be promoted through equitable distribution of resources. Self-serving politicians have caused the populace to develop a strong dislike for politics. The low political interest and anti-political sentiments can be overcome through intentional steps understand the needs of ordinary people. Therefore, politicians should take time to discuss with their policies with the public even when they are occupying powerful posi tions. It is recommended that politicians make policies through consultative processes. Structured decision making processes ease tension and reduce anti-political sentiments.... People are losing confidence in the democratically established institution. Clearly, the rise of anti-political sentiments should be a major point of concern. The purpose of essay is to discuss the rise of anti-politics sentiments and the potential impacts on governments. People and democracy In many parts of the world, people have been developing disenchantment from politics. The persistence in alienation has been increasing. According to Hansard -Audit of political involvement-, the start of the 21st century assessment indicated the desire of the British people to have meaningful and significant improvement in the government and political systems. Over six out of ten Britons had little or no faith in the political systems. An increasing number of people have lost confidence on the political system. This has been clearly seen through the desire to have an overhaul of the electoral system. The focus has been to make a system that is inclusive and reflective of the needs and desires o f the people. Political participation by citizens is a multidimensional issue. Main argument The rise of anti-political sentiments has been stirred by poor governance and insensitivity from the leadership. There is a dire need to develop policy that encourages inclusiveness and political equity (Hogan 2007: 9). There are calls to increase and develop the political capacity of the citizens and to establish new politics that respect with concerns of the citizens. Globalization has redefined participation. Therefore, there is a crucial need to rethink the political membership and participation (Zittel and Fuchs, 2006: 15). The virtual platform has become an important tool for citizens to express outright resentment to politicians and in extreme cases

Qualities and skills necessary for success in a specific Essay

Qualities and skills necessary for success in a specific career-Business - Essay Example Only through a charismatic character can a person win the attention and interest of the people. Charismatic character is essential for achieving success in one’s personal as well as professional life. Along with this, the ability to communicate well is an essential requirement. This is where the charm of orators lie. The primary weapon of an orator is his/her ability to communicate. Like any other profession a person who wish to be an orator should first have a role model. He/she should read and listen to their speeches and analyze it to determine the factors of their success. There are many common skills and traits which many of the public speakers and orators have in common. But some of the most important skills are: Thorough Research: Telling the same phrases and incidents again and again makes only a good speaker. But researching more on the topic and presenting new ideas build up great speakers. Focus: A good orator should not divert from the message to be conveyed. All a dditions like humor, story, phrases, etc should end in the transfer of message clearly to the audience. This will help your audience to grasp your message. Organized: You need to be organized and present your ideas logically. An organized speech will help the audience to recall it easily. Humor: Humor is an easier and interesting way to convey the message. Also, the timing of the humor is also of utmost importance in a speech. Knowledge about the audience: Awareness about the audience is essential to make the speech successful. An orator should deliver the message that the audience need to hear. Proper feedback: It is very important to understand that no presentation or presenter is perfect. An orator should seek continuous feedback from the audience in order to make continuous self improvement. Act and speak ethically: Ethics and respect for the audience is very important for a good speaker. A good speaker is responsible for his words and statements. Public speaking opportunities s tem right from the play school of a child and the quality mounts high as we mount the ladder of professional success. To be a successful public speaker, the speaker needs to be very interesting. A boring speaker is a bad speaker. A good public speaker needs to be credible. He/she should have strong authority on the statements. Authority on the statements can be achieved only if facts are presented with passion and conviction. They have the direction and ability to provide ideas and direction to solve their problems. They should inspire the audience with a â€Å"Can Do Approach†. The famous speeches of Sir Winston Churchill, Martin Luther King, etc illustrate the key attributes of outstanding public speakers. Bad Public Speakers Bad public speakers are self focused rather than audience focused. Some of the commons things which bad speakers have are as follows: Voice tone: Bad speakers are monotonous in nature. This will lead to loss of interest among the audience. Pace: is imp ortant to speak slowly and clearly. If your words are not clear it is difficult to make any sort of good impression on the audience. Some speakers don’t speak with a conviction. You need to be calm and take the correct pauses. Extroverts vs. introverts: Extroverts are found to be bad public speakers. They are difficult to be trained. At the same time introverts tend to be good speakers as they are better listeners. Conclusion

Private Placements and Public Offerings Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Private Placements and Public Offerings - Essay Example When it comes to securities, two types of basic methods are used by companies to offer those to investors. One of the methods used for this is called Initial Public Offering (IPO) or Public Offering. In this particular method securities are offered for sale to general public. Any one can be an investor in the case of initial public offering. Actually it is the first time when a corporation starts to offer a registered security to public. This practice helps companies to get immediate cash to increase their equity base along with positively affecting the stock value appreciation (Initial Public Offering (IPO). Private Placement is the other method used to offer securities. The basic difference in this particular method as compared to the other one is about selling the shares without the involvement of intermediary of a stockbroker. Both these methods are used in real world to achieve different types of objectives. Actually, the use of a particular method is directly related to the situations being faced by a corporation. By contemplating more on the details related to both these methods, it becomes quite evident that there are quite a few differences, advantages and disadvantages of using a particular method. A critical comparison of both these methods will help you to understand those advantages and disadvantages in a much better way. Let's start off with Public or Initial Public... It is the duty of SEC to set regulations and specific standards for the investment market to function in a right way. Due to these standards and regulations, it is essential for a corporation to reveal a lot of information before making any offering. The information may be about inner workings of a corporation and the plan about using the funds obtained through the offering. Here, a corporation has to wait for the approval of SEC after setting a sales price for the offering along with providing the other necessary information. Now when you will compare this particular aspect of providing extensive information to SEC with the other method of Private Placement, you will understand why this other method is preferred by most of the corporations. Herein, such securities can be offered which may not be registered with SEC. What it means is that there will be no need to provide extensive information to Securities and Exchange Commission, which is unlike IPO. Since companies making use of this method exploits Securities Act of 1933, there remains no need to follow the rule of quarterly reporting. But, it is significant to mention that a Private Placement Memorandum (PPM) is not exempt from Anti-fraud provisions and state law. It implies the fact that though there will be no need to provide as much details as required in Public Offering but you will have to disclose enough information so an investor may become able to make an informed and rational decision. Apart from this particular aspect, it is important to compare the basic way in which both these methods actually work. While comparing the working process of both these methods, it is easy to see few important differences. For Private Placement, it is obligatory for a company to use Private Placement Memorandum which

The Effect of Sildenafil on mouse oocyte development in vivo followed Literature review

The Effect of Sildenafil on mouse oocyte development in vivo followed by in vitro culture until the blastocyst stage - Literature review Example ersity, Belfast, Glenn took samples of sperm from volunteers and bathed them in weak solutions of sildenafil citrate, to produce a dosage, equal to that found in the blood of a male who had consumed a tablet of the drug. The behaviour of the treated sperm was compared with another sample of untreated sperm. The findings indicate that sildenafil citrate increased the activity level of the sperms, but found that it damaged the acrosome of the sperm, which contains enzymes needed to dissolve the membrane of a womans oocyte. This meant that the acrosome breaks down early, and thus, it is not able to act on the womans eggs, and fertilisation does not take place (McKie, 2008). Sildenafil has been used with great success for the treatment of erectile problems in males since 1997 (Sher et al. 2000). The fact that NO synthase is present in the ovarian cells, the endometrium (Hattori and Tabata, 2006) and within the ovarian vascular network (Sher, et al. 2000) combined with the finding that its vasodilatory effects show a positive correlation to its concentration, oriented the researchers (Tamanini, et al., 2002) to use sildenafil as a treatment for hypertension and Intrauterine Growth Restriction (IUGR) during pregnancy (Sasser and Baylis, 2010). A research by Neithardt et al. (2005) studied the process of embryo after loading, by placing the catheter and a dose of sildenafil citrate, applied vaginally for 127 women who had difficulty in conceiving. After some time, the researchers found that the pregnancy rate of women with ET, was 52.4%, and at the same time, it was 34.9% for the group who were not administered the dose. The researchers therefore concluded that sildenafil citrate impacts the success of embryo transplant after loading. In a related research, Zinger et al. (2006) used sildenafil citrate to treat two infertile women, who suffered from the Ashermans syndrome. The women had a thin endometrium, and had subsequently failed to conceive in previous IVF

Wrongful and Unfair Dismissals Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Wrongful and Unfair Dismissals - Essay Example The WTO helps in solving disputes which arise between countries, when there is money involved it becomes quite obvious that there will be disputes between the countries. When so many countries participate in global trade, every country will make sure that they make the most of this opportunity and in doing so they often ignore the interests of the other member countries and this is how a dispute arises. But WTO very efficiently resolves all the disputes. The disputes are solved by arriving at a neutral judgment. This neutral judgment is arrived at based on a legal foundation; this is how an issue is resolved. WTO was found in the year 1995, so it’s relatively a new concept but a concept if capitalized upon can reap sweet results for the countries interested in strengthening their Economy. There is a very strict principle which the WTO adopts which is that it treats every member country equally, no priority of any kind is shown towards any country be it America or Russia or for that matter any other country. WTO as an organization can be better understood with the help of a graph.... However, if the employer breaches any term of the agreement, an employee is at liberty to resign and seek compensation for constructive dismissal. Every contract of employment has an implied mutual duty of trust and confidence. Recently tow cases were considered to determine whether a claim for damages can be pursued in the courts where a dismissed employee claims to have suffered psychiatric injury and consequent financial loss as a result of an employer's behaviour and when the employee has already won a case in employment tribunal for unfair dismissal The House of Lords heard appeals in the cases McCabe v Cornwall County Council and Eastwood and another V. Magnox Electric Plc. There was difficulty in deciding the case given the decision given in earlier cases of Johnson v Unisys Ltd. A Majority of their lordships held that an employee could not use a breach of the implied terms of trust and confidence to claim damages for psychological injury if the damage arose because of the manner of the dismissal itself. The employees in the conjoined appeals claimed that events prior to their actual dismissals were the cause and therefore the basis for their respective legal actions. Looking at the facts of McCabe, she was a teacher at Mounts Bay School in Cornwall. Following complaints of inappropriate behaviour made against him by female pupils, he was suspended. While on suspension he was required to attend a disciplinary hearing. Meanwhile he began to suffer psychiatric illness. Over the next three years there were further disciplinary hearings and in 1996 his dismissal was confirmed. In December the same year Mr. McCabe won a case of unfair dismissal and was awarded

Business Planning and Forecasting Research Paper

Business Planning and Forecasting - Research Paper Example 2008 48 51 21 34 i. Scatter Diagram: As the data describes sales for each season for a particular year, with no sign of any multiplicative or exponential jump, therefore the additive model should be used to analyze the data. The main reason is the progression, which is quite straight-forward, as compared to multiplicative plotting, which is more exponential, with later figures of comparatively much higher values. ii. Moving Average for Calculation of Trend: For the calculation of moving averages, the process is done in a way such that each season's moving average has been calculated with the data provided of the past 3 years. The moving averages for each season are as follows. iii. Seasonal Indices: Year Quarter Original Values(Y) 4 Figures Moving Total 4 Figures Moving Average 2 Figures Moving Total 2 Figures Moving Average(T) Ratio-to-Moving Average(%)(Y)/ (T)*100 (Seasonal Indices) 2006 1 46 2 53 3 18 4 33 150 37.5 2007 1 52 156 39 76.5 38.25 47.05882353 2 47 150 37.5 76.5 38.25 86.2745098 3 20 152 38 75.5 37.75 137.7483444 4 39 158 39.5 77.5 38.75 121.2903226 2008 1 48 154 38.5 78 39 51.28205128 2 51 158 39.5 78 39 100 3 21 159 39.75 79.25 39.625 121.1356467 4 34 154 38.5 78.25 39.125 130.3514377 iv. Trend Extension: The trend for 2009 is calculated by first formulating a regression formula for the new values using the given data. The methodology used is the Method of Least Squares, as follows: Quarter(X) Original...The main reason is the progression, which is quite straight-forward, as compared to multiplicative plotting, which is more exponential, with later figures of comparatively much higher values. For the calculation of moving averages, the process is done in a way such that each season's moving average has been calculated with the data provided of the past 3 years. The moving averages for each season are as follows. The initial scatter plot suggested that the autumn sales are the lowest of all the seasons. Also when we calculated the moving averages the result came that the seasonal variations in sales are smothered in the overall run. On this base the new sales figures for 2009 were calculated which were as given above. When the real values of the sales of the three brothers are seen and compared, taking one year at a time, then its is observed that when we take 2006 as a base year, we find that the sales figures for Dick was higher than his two brothers'. Also Rick's sales were better than Mick's, although the actual figures are lower. Mick's sales real values have been going continuously down, while those of Rick's have gone down only in 2008. For Dick, the real value of sales has been going up continuously.

Total Quality Management (TQM) Survey Paper Essay

Total Quality Management (TQM) Survey Paper - Essay Example However, many businesses make the effort but fail to fully achieve Total Quality Management. TQM incorporates all the vital concepts of product quality, process control, quality assurance, and quality improvement. Consequently, it is the control of all transformation processes of an organization to better satisfy customer needs in the most economical way. TQM is a technique used by manufacturing and service organizations to meet or exceed the expectations of the customer. The focus of TQM is the customer. In order to satisfy customers, organizations attempt to provide them with quality product or service at the right time and at the right place. A quality product or service has the features, characteristics, and attributes to satisfy a given need. The dimensions of quality are performance, features, reliability, conformance, durability, serviceability, and aesthetic All members of TQM organization strive to systematically manage the improvement of the organization through the ongoing participation of all employees in problem solving efforts across functional and hierarchical boundaries in a way to meet the customer's requirements and expectations The organizations that will be studied in this paper represent the manufacturing sector, non-profit sector, and the service sector. Every one of these economic sectors has diverse values in quality of customer relations, and strategies towards TQM based on their customer needs along with their level of development in their sector. Manufacturing Sector: As of today, successful organizations are extremely driven by consumers, which increase customer satisfaction by providing quality products/services, and meeting target expectations (James 2004). The first focal point representing the manufacturing sector will be the Sunny Fresh Foods Company. Sunny Foods is in the food service industry producing primarily value added egg based foods. Their headquarters is located in Monticello, Maine, and other factories in Big Lake, LAKE ODESA, MI, Mason City, IA, and Panora, IA. Sunny Foods has more than 2,000 consumers, including schools, healthcare, military, and quick service restaurants. They produce more than 160 different goods that are labeled under Sunny Fresh Foods, or privately for other retail marketers and food services. Sunny Foods manufacture fat and cholesterol free products, refrigerated and frozen meals, pre cooked frozen diced or scrambled eggs, peeled hard cooked eggs, frozen liquid egg mixes, and pasteurized eggs, SFF received a Baldrige Award in 1999 in the small business category.. Sunny Fresh Foods currently employs 620 people (called stakeholders). Sunny Fresh Foods Location include: Monticello, MN (headquarters, and plant), Big Lake, MN (Plant), Lake Odessa, MI (Plant), Mason City, IA (Plant), Panora, IA (Plant). Sunny Fresh Foods, Inc. was selected as the 2005 Malcolm Baldrige Award Winner for the manufacturing sector. Consumer driven quality is required in order for SFF to retain its large market share in the wholesale and retail food markets. The company's leadership must insure improvement in their

Philosophy - epistemology Essay Example for Free

Philosophy epistemology Essay Descartes is very successful philosophers in 17th century. Rene Descartes is widely accepted as the father of modern philosophy. He tried to create fundamental philosophy for natural sciences. Descartes mainly focus on his philosophical contributions in the theory of knowledge and his famous work focus on the epistemological project, Meditations on First Philosophy. He wants to explain his thought in Meditations on First Philosophy which is as original in philosophical modus as in content. Meditations on First Philosophy examine Descartes’ arguments and opinion. Although there are 6 meditations in this book, this paper points out the search for a foundation of knowledge (the question of truth) and doubt the â€Å"Cogito† (I think; therefore I am). First of all, in the First Meditation, Descartes demonstrates that several arguments for doubting all of his previously basic beliefs. Everything that he thought is the doubt. He has started to doubt from everything and he wanted to find the question of truth with own ideas. Descartes defines knowledge in terms of doubt and he aims ‘to reach certain’. At the same time, we have to use five senses but Descartes believes the senses sometimes deceive us concerning things. Also Descartes is often convinced when he is dreaming that he is sensing real objects. For instance, he said that â€Å"There is the fact that I am here, seated by the fire, and attired in a dressing gown, having this paper in my hands and other similar matters. And how could I deny that these hands and this body are mine (†¦)† (146). Descartes believes that we can achieve certain truth when we will doubt everything. Descartes uses some question to help prove one of his main arguments and ideas to find truth. For example, how we know certain, what is true, what we see, what we hear? As we can see, according to Descartes, the senses are not enough to decide what is real. He believes the truth is in his mind and he must use his mind. Descartes’ Second Meditation discusses some parts. First part explain that how a body can understand things, such as objects. Descartes examined how the mind should know better that human body. Although we need senses for everything, the mind is more important because all knowledge accumulate in our mind. Second part includes Descartes opinion about thinking. According to Descartes, thinking is very significant point because thinking is the ability to doubt, use imagination and reach certain truth. His famous theory is â€Å"Cogito Ergo Sum† which called ‘I think, therefore I am’. Descartes said that, â€Å"I don’t yet know clearly enough what I am. † (151) It means that, sometimes he has convinced himself that there is absolutely nothing in the world such as no sky, no earth also no mind no body. Descartes believes that if people convinced themselves of something then they existed. To conclude, we can infer that Descartes defend the certain truth is our knowledge and thought. These meditations are considered about modern philosophy. At the same time, Descartes wants to create gripping subject to study science.

Civil Rights Movement Essay Example for Free

Civil Rights Movement Essay Gandhi was an Indian civil rights leader. Throughout life he was misunderstood, defied in death and was taken to the point of error. Gandhi took down the British Empire, he improved the governments of the three nations, and he imbued the spirits of a global network of neo-Gandhians, like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. If anyone could be described as the most adequate civil rights movement leader of the 20th century, it would be Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. Gandhi was born on October 2, 1869 and died January 30, 1948. Mohandas Gandhi was the last child of his father and his father’s fourth wife. In his youth years Gandhi was shy, he always spoke in a soft or gentle voice, and wasn’t a neither good nor bad student in school. Although he was an obedient child, one time Gandhi tried eating meat, smoking, and stole a little, which he later regretted. When Gandhi was 13, he married a girl named Kasturba in an arranged marriage. Kasturba and Gandhi had four sons and she supported Gandhis endeavors until her death in 1944. When Gandhi was 23 years old he set-off for South Africa once again, he arrived in British governed Natal in May 1893. Though Gandhi was hoping to earn a little bit of money and gain more knowledge about law, it was in South Africa that Gandhi changed from being a very quiet and shy man to a dedicated leader against discrimination. The beginning of this change happened while he was on a business trip that was taken a little while after he arrived in South Africa. Gandhi was in South Africa for about a week when he was asked to take the long trip from Natal to Transvaal, the province of South Africa for his case. It was supposed to be a several day trip, including transportation by train and by stagecoach. When Gandhi went on the first train of his journey at the Pietermartizburg station, railroad officials told Gandhi that he needed to move to the third-class passenger car. When Gandhi refused to move because he was holding first-class passenger tickets, a policeman came and threw him off the train. That wasn’t the end of the unfair treatment that Gandhi suffered on this trip. Gandhi wen and talked to the other Indians in South Africa. He found out that his experiences with the policemen were not rare mistakes, but instead these types of problems were common. During that first night of his trip, he sat in the cold outside of the railroad station after being thrown off the train, Gandhi debated whether he should go back home to India or fight the discrimination for all people. After thinking it through, Gandhi decided that he could not let the discrimination continue and that he was going to fight so that he could change the discrimination in South Africa forever. Gandhi spent the next twenty years working on improving Indians rights in South Africa. During the first three years, Gandhi learned more about Indian complaints that were made, studied the law, wrote letters to officials, and organized petitions. On May 22, 1894, Gandhi created the Natal Indian Congress (NIC). The NIC started as an organization for rich Indians, Gandhi worked hard and long to expand its membership to all classes and people who were in a high position. Gandhi became known for his activism. His acts were covered by newspapers in England and India. In a few short years, Gandhi had become a leader of the Indian community in South Africa. In 1896, after living three years in South Africa, Gandhi took a trip to India with the intention of bringing his wife and two sons back with him. In India, there was a deadly plague outbreak. Since back then they believed that poor health and hygiene were the cause of the plagues, Gandhi offered to help search for toilets, especially ones on a military base and offer suggestions for better supplies. Others were willing to search the toilets of the wealthy; Gandhi personally searched the toilets of the untouchables as well as the rich. He found that it was the wealthy that had the worst hygiene and health problems. After spending twenty years in South Africa helping fight discrimination, Gandhi finally decided it was time to head back home to India on July 1914. When World War I broke out during his journey, Gandhi decided to stay and help by forming another ambulance corps of Indians to help the British. As World War I reached its finale, it was time for Gandhi to focus on the fight for Indian politics. In 1919, the British gave Gandhi something worth fighting for the Rowlett Act. This Act gave the British in India nearly no restrictions to root out revolutionary elements and to restrain them for sure without trial. In addition to this Act, Gandhi organized a huge protest, which began on March 30, 1919. Even though Gandhi called off the protest, once he heard about the violence, over 300 Indians had died and over 1,100 were injured from British war in the city of Amritsar. The violence that formed from the protest showed Gandhi that the people didn’t fully believe in the power of Satyagraha. On March 1922, Gandhi was jailed for rebellion and was sentenced to six years in prison. After two years, Gandhi was released due to illness and needed surgery to treat his appendicitis. Upon his release, Gandhi found his country mixed up in violent attacks between Muslims and Hindus. As self-punishment for the violence, Gandhi began a 21-day fast, known as the Great Fast of 1924. Still ill from his recent surgery, many people thought he would die on day twelve, but he pulled through. The fast created a temporary peace treaty. Also during this decade, Gandhi began giving support as a way to gain freedom from the British. Unfortunately, not everyone was too happy with this peace plan. There were a few basic Hindu groups who believed that India should never have been divided. They blamed Gandhi for the separation. On January 30, 1948, the 78year old Gandhi spent his last day like all the other days. The majority of the day was spent debating problems with numerous groups and individuals. A few minutes past 5 p.m., when it was time for the prayer meeting, Gandhi started the walk to Birla House. A crowd had surrounded him while he walked; he was helped by two of his grandnieces. In front of him, a young Hindu boy named Nathuram Godse stopped before to greet him by bowing. Gandhi bowed back. Then Godse rushed forward with a gun and shot Gandhi three times with a black, semi-automatic pistol. Although Gandhi had survived five other assassination attempts, this time, Gandhi fell to the ground, dead.

Relationship Of Employee Voice And Employee Performance

Relationship Of Employee Voice And Employee Performance Human resource is a very essential part of any company and the people within the company play a very important role. This paper aims at analyzing the relationship of employee voice in an organization and the employee performance. The paper will firstly deal with the various methods that the employees can express themselves and be heard. This will be followed by the importance of employee voice, and the various views that have been presented by authors about the importance. A thorough analysis of the impact of employee voice on the performance has also been made. Employee Voice: Over the years, there has been a high interest in the notion of employee voice both in terms of higher levels of performance and also better employee representation (Beardwell 1998, Sako 1998, Benson 2000; Roche, 2000). There has been a vast amount of literature that has been set down on the topic of Voice. A study by Professor Margaret has highlighted that collective voice achieves what the lone voice could never do: it humanises and civilises the workplace, arguing that collective representation is the foundation of a partnership relationship that brings positive benefits for business (Prosser, 2001). There have been several different meanings that have been set down for the term Employee voice. Each definition and explanation of the terms has provided a different view on the purpose and underlying meaning of employee voice and the need of one rather than an individual voice. For an organisation to develop and be successful it is essential there is a freedom to speak and participat e for all employees. The twentieth century has seen numerous initiatives to involve employees and has also tried to promote better performance. According to Lavelle, Gunnigle and McDonnell, have defined employee voice as, as any type of mechanism, structure or practice, which provides an employee with an opportunity to express an opinion or participate in decision-making within their organization (Lavelle, Gunnigle and McDonnell, 2010). Employee voice can be distinguished into two main types, Direct Voice: this refers to any mode of mechanism where the employees can directly involve and work with the management in various aspects like their jobs. Work environment, teams, appraisal systems, and even the meetings between the employees and the managers. Here most of the involvement of the employees is through the individual themselves rather than via any other intermediate. Indirect Voice: This form of voice is one where there is a collective employee representation and these include representation like trade unions, non union structures of collective representations like work councils, and consultative committees. There are several different mechanisms that are available for employee voice within an organization. According to the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, the various mechanisms of employee voice can be classified into two main headings, a) Upward Problem Solving and b) Representative Participation. These two also fall into the above categories that have been discussed, i.e. direct and indirect voice. The CIPD has also brought out the various mechanisms that are complementary to employee voice and these are as discussed below: Upward problem-solving or Direct Method: This refers to any technique that is adopted by the managers to gain the ideas of the employees and also to gain an opinion of the employees, This allows for a two way communication and it encourages the employees to participate by setting up through communication systems. Here the communication is more between the individual employee and the managers rather than with any kind of representatives. There are numerous methods and techniques that can be used to allow this form of communication. One of the first methods that can be used is the Electronic media. This allows disseminating and also permits for ideas to be shared and provided using an online medium. Here as compared to the face to face medium, there is very less interaction and all questions and proposals are sent out using emails. The other form of communication is a two way communication, where the staff and managers can get together and discuss their views and opinions on various is sues. These are mostly in the form of regular meeting and these not only allow for improved issue management but also work on the improvement of performance of the team as such. Here employees can suggest problem solving for issues that are faced or even discuss ideas to improve the processes. Another very famous and presently adopted method is the suggestion schemes. These allow the people to discuss and make suggestion and contribute to the growth of the team. Here however there are incentives for the contributors if the suggestions are accepted and implemented. Another very effective form of encouraging the employee voice is using questionnaire surveys. Here the company can discover the levels of satisfaction of the staff particularly in terms of work and work environment. This is a very strong way of increasing the employee voice and being able to reach out to the employees. Another effective manner of direct communication includes the project teams. Here a group of people can b e brought together on a regular basis and the team can work on discussion of the quality of work within the organization. Representative Participation or Indirect Method: This form as mentioned is more of an indirect method. Here there is no interaction between the individual employee and the managers however are more based on the employee representative and the managers. A few of the possible methods that are used in companies include as follows. The partnership scheme is one where an emphasis is made on a mutual gain and a mutual gain and a tackling the issues and problems in a cooperative manner. Another form is referred to as joint consultation. This has been expressed as, to consider issues that are deemed to be of common interest or of key importance to the parties (CIPD, 2010). Also the last form is the collective representation. This is where employees negotiate and work together work towards the pay. Here they act as employee representatives. These mechanisms only permit a better chance for the employees to voice their requirements. There is a high need for the employee voice to be heard and these have a major impact on the performance of the company and the employee themselves. The next section will deal with the impact of providing employees with a chance to have their voice heard and how it would affect the working and performance of the employees. Impact on Employee Performance: As said very rightly by Dulewicz (1989), à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ a basic human tendency to make judgements about those one is working with, as well as about oneself. It is noted that appraisals are inevitable and is universal. People evaluate how well a job is done to set performance standards. The process was linked to the material outcomes, i.e. if an employees performance is to less than ideal then there would be a cut in pay, however if the performance was better than the ideal level set by the supervisor, then there would be a rise in pay. In the current situation the definition of employee contribution is not only dependent on the output i.e. the end results achieved but also depends on the inputs by the employee i.e. what the employee is willing to contribute to the business. Several studies have highlighted that the performance of employees is based not only on the level of pay that they receive but also equally on the level of motivation which in turn is related directly to the level of motivation of the employees. The performance of a company and its relationship with the employee voice has been a topic of high debate over the last decade. The voices of the employees of a company affect the performance of the company directly. Performance here is in terms of two mains aspects, a) the employee performance and b) the company performance. These are inter related in a way that the better the employee performance the better will be the company performance. Human Resource Management mainly aims at ensuring that all aspects of employees from recruitment to retention are taken care of. The HR team would take all necessary steps to ensure that the employee performance is better. The HR has a very clear and very big affect on the performance of the company and t he employees, as they bare in some form a major point of contact for the employees (Boselie, Paauwe and Jansen, 2000). The HR has a direct influence on the performance of the company. Since the HR is responsible for recruitment and selection of the employees, it is completely dependent on the HR teams to select employees who would perform, also they are the ones who need to ensure that the employee needs and voice are heard and met and should also support the managers and the top management to encourage and hear the voices of the employees. This is mainly because employee performance is directly related to the needs of the employees and if an employee is not heard the employee can feel disheartened which would cause levels of distress. According to Beale (1994) employee involvement represents, a significant challenge to the traditional influence of trade unions in the workplace. Employee involvement programmes provide an alternative source of information, ideas and interpretation of workplace experiences, an alternative to that provided by the union. Employee involvement programmes actively promote a new culture in competition with the traditional explanations and culture communicated by the union (Beale, 1994). It is also essential to understand that irrespective of how much the management might try to avoid any form of unions or representative participation, the level of commitment is not seen to have increased. In the current times employees prefer to have a representative participation, i.e. part of unions, and other representative structures. Hence when a company does not allow or pay head to the employee voice through the indirect measures, it is seen that there is also a clear reduced commitment to work and lowered levels of motivation. It has also been explained by Storey and Sisson (1994), highlight the same point and explain that the enhanced worker commitment will reduce directly if the management attempts to overlook the unions and try to go in for a direct form of contact with the employees. Ackers, Marchington, Wilkinson and Dundon (2003) explain, On the other hand, where unions stand outside the EI [Employee involvement] initiative, their indifference or hostility may be a maj or reason for its failure. Social partnership theory suggests that union involvement can make EI [Employee involvement] work better, for both management and employees. The main intension of any firm is to have high performance working within the organization. Having high performance working in an organization is in a number of ways the opposite of the employment practices set down by Taylor. CIPD explain high performance working as, HPW can be characterised as everything that Taylorist employment practices are not. This is an unfair reflection on the substantial influence of F W Taylor on management thinking in the early part of the last century. However, HPW is the diametrical opposite of employment strategies based on short cycle times, skill minimization and one right way. This approach is appropriate to the high volume repetitive working usually associated with products and services sold on the basis of low cost and narrow range. HPW is better suited to product and service sectors that are at least concerned with mass customization and more often designed to meet the needs of individual customers (CIPD, 2010). Several authors over the years have provided several different views and notions on the topic of the relationship between employee voice and employee performance. Several authors also concentrate more on the direct voice effect. It has been studied that direct employee voice is relatively much more effective and than the indirect employee voice and shows higher, better and enhanced performance outcomes. Heller (1998) observed that high degrees of influence sharing are associated with a better quality and effectiveness of decisions and a significant reduction in the underuti ­lization of peoples experience and skills (p. 1439). Also Cotton et.al (1988) explains that in the case of direct voice, the employees tend to feel more satisfied and also gain a feel of involvement in the decision making. They also explain that when the employee influence is high, there is a higher level of group cohesion and the level of commitment to those decisions is noted to be enhanced and improved. In another research conducted by Bryson, Willman, Gomez, and Kretschmer (2007), the hypotheses has highlighted that there is a strong link between employee voice and HRM. This as mentioned earlier also has a direct impact on the employee and the performance of the employees. A research conducted by Freeman and Medoff (1984) and adapted Hirschmans (1970) model. Hirschmans (1970) model of exit voice has been the base of the research by Freeman and Medoff and this has mainly be done to link the union voice, higher levels of productivity and lower quit rates. Kim, MacDuffie Pil, (2009), explain, Without collective voice through the agency of worker representation, employees lack the incentive to pursue public goods, such as enhanced working conditions and workplace policies that affect the well-being of all employees, for example, grievance and arbitration procedures, just cause for discipline and discharge, and seniority clauses (Batt et al., 2002) (Kim, MacDuffie Pil, 2009). Conclusion: Based on the research and the extensive discussion that has been presented above, it is clear that the various researches that have been presented in the past it is clear that the relationship between the employee voice and productivity is ambiguous. Kim, MacDuffie Pil, (2009), explain, Union presence may lower labor productivity via restrictive work practices or lower firm investments due to lower firm profitability. On the other hand, it has also been noted that the union voice can also be associated with the adversarial relations within the industries and the if there is no clear flow of information between the workers and the management, there is also a clear lack of complete diversity in terms of the input of the workers. There have also been other findings from studies by Brown and Medoff, which suggest that the unions have a close relationship with the employee morale, needs, motivation and also cooperation (Metcalf, 2003). There have thus been several positive and negative v iews on this topic and there has not been any clear evidence on the certainty of the effect of employee voice on employee performance.

Cases of Violence in Sports and How They Should Be Handled :: Art

Cases of Violence in Sports and How They Should Be Handled Violence in sports will always be a big issue although I don't think it will ever be truly resolved. In sports there is competition and where there is competition people are striving to be the best. There is a lot of strong emotion when people are trying to win for themselves or for their team. In sports as long as there is competition and high emotion, there will always be the potential for violence. The intense competition that is a part of sports can and often does lead to violence. The violence isn't always among the players of the sports being played. At a nine-year old soccer game in Staten Island parents of opposing teams became engaged in a verbal fight over a call that a referee made and it became a big brawl between parents. This shows the kids at that game that if their parents can engage in a fight with the opposing teams parents then that makes it right to throw an elbow in a game or shove someone. Yet in professional sports it isn't the athletes most of the time. Usually the fans are the ones to cause the riots and fights. Especially in the sport of soccer, the fans take the sport so serious and they aren't even playing in the game. Unhappy Corinthian fans said that the players were slacking off and so the fans gave the team a piece of their own mind by invading the field, cursing at the players and punching their own team. Corinthian fans have been known to turn against there own team in unfavorable times. These are obviously not true fans. A few years ago Latrell Spreewell was in an incident where he choked his coach. This brought major conflict to the NBA; they did not know what to do with Latrell. At the time he was on the Golden State Warriors, they needed to make the playoffs and to do this they needed Latrell. But to let him physically and orally assault his own coach and to get away with it, who knows what type of controversy this could bring to the basketball world. They had to do something with Latrell but what? If they suspended him, the team would have no chance of getting to the playoffs and, without the possibility of winning the basketball championship, which would mean a dramatic decrease of income on the behalf of the Warriors.

Chestnut Blight and American Chestnut Trees Essay -- Ecology Conservat

Chestnut Blight and American Chestnut Trees Since the early 1900's a disease known as Chestnut Blight has infected many American Chestnut trees and causing their removal from forests. A greater look at the history of this fungus as well as the mechanisms of action will allow us to learn on how to preserve the American chestnut. At one point, the American chestnut was virtually eliminated. With the help of government acts and conservation agencies, the American chestnut is slowly growing back in population. Two methods of restoration of the chestnut include a hybridization and the use of hypovirulant strains. This issue shows a variety of interest from ecologists to those in the timber industry who cannot lumber Asian species of chestnut primarily because of their size. In the 1880's a harmful fungus known as blight, inhabited the United States from imported Japanese chestnut trees. Blight quickly spread, killing chestnuts and chinquapins, which is another species of chestnut that produces 1 nut per bur. In 1904, Chestnut blight appeared infecting trees in New York City and spread at a rate of 20-50 miles per year. By 1906, W.A. Murrill reported that this disease is known to occur in New Jersey, Maryland, District of Columbia, and Virginia. In 1912, the Planet Quarantine Act was passed to reduce the chances of plant deterioration or devastation prevention. Chestnut Blight or Chestnut Bark Disease was originally found in 1904 and within 50 years, it spread across the eastern United States, from Maine to Georgia and as far west as the edge of Michigan. By 1950, the American chestnut was essentially eliminated as a forest tree. In 1972, importation from Italy gave a biological control in which a virus helped prevent the blight f... ...thesis does, however, lack experimental evidence of any kind. The American chestnut which was once almost eliminated from existence in the late 1950's has once again emerged thanks to conservation efforts. Chestnut blight, a deadly fungus, has the ability to kill chestnut trees. However, some chestnut species in Asia have resistance to blight. As a result, a method of conservation has been through hybridizing American species with Asian species. Another method of conservation has been through hypovirulence strains in the infection is reduced. Independently, this hypovirulence method may be a reason why some American chestnuts are surviving despite being infested with chestnut blight. This issue remains important to both the timber industry, although that isn't why chestnuts are being restored, and certain ecological organizations including the Nature Conservancy.

Green Knight :: Arthurian Legends

Green Knight One of the most misunderstood characters from the Arthurian Legends is the Green Knight, especially in comparison with Sir Gawain. At first glance, the Green Knight seems to be very overpowering in his challenging of the knights of King Arthur’s court. He even indicates that everyone in the court is weak, and he cannot believe that this is the famous Arthur’s house: â€Å"What, is this Arthur’s house,† said that horseman then. (Norton, 309) The Green Knight knows that he will not die from a strike of an axe, and so he is offering to play this game to mock the knights of the Round Table. But, as it turns out later, the Green Knight is more noble and fair than it seems and is also very kind. He will not kill his challenger but gives him a more fair test, a test of character. The Green Knight, or Bercilak de Hautdesert as he introduces himself, is not such a bad guy and is actually a very good host. He gladly takes Sir Gawain into his home and offers him everything, a nice bath, food, clothing, and ironically, even his wife. He also offers to the Sir Gawain a very good deal, to share everything they both get in a day: Said the good host, 'agree now to this: Whatever I win in the woods I will give you at eve, And all you have earned you must offer to me; Swear now, sweet friend, to swap as I say, Whether hands, in the end, be empty or better.' (Norton, 1105-1109) And, while Sir Gawain just sits at home, sleeps late and enjoys his day with a beautiful lady, Bercilak de Hautdesert goes out to hunt for game. In reality the Green Knight wants to give Sir Gawain an opportunity to show his inner self. The Green Knight tests Sir Gawain by sending his own wife to seduce him, to check first of all, if he’ll bite the bait, and second, if he will be honest about it. The Green Knight realizes that it is not completely fair for him to challenge a mortal person, Sir Gawain, and so he wants to give Sir Gawain another chance to stay alive.

Immigrant Families in the US

1) Immigrant families in the United States Immigrants feel that their roles, beliefs, values, etc. are not as effective as the Unites States’, thus becoming stressful. â€Å"Therefore, in addition to the typical normative (e.g., family transitions) and nonnormitive (e.g., family natural disasters) stressors that families encounter, immigrant families experience unique stress and change relates to migration and acculturation† (Bush et al., 2010, p.287). Immigrants feel that they have to change their ways and it not only becomes stressful to the family members but also to the whole family system. The best way that immigrants have adapted is with integration. By combining their old ways with the new ways of the United States culture, they find comfort. Another common stressor is language barriers. â€Å"The inability to read signs, posted warnings, food labels, job applications, and materials related to children’s schooling is a frustration experience for many immigrants and can lead to increased pressure to learn English† (Bush et al., 2010, p.289). For adults who don’t have English classes to attend or the transportation to get to one, don’t get the social support they need in the United States. A lot of women, especially in Asian cultures, are not prepared for social skills outside of the family. On the up side stressors from the family system can be very positive and increase adaption. â€Å"Religion, spirituality, ethnic communities, and enclaves, shared cultural values, and informal and formal social support can serve as resources that aid immigrant families in adaption† (Bush at el., 2010, p.305). 2) â€Å"The ability to meet debt obligations, credit card use, and frequency of late payments made by credit users are all important factors in assessing subjective economic stress. Financial satisfaction appears to be directly related to credit practices and attitudes† (Bartholomae et al., 2010, p.193). Couples balance their financial differences by coping to deal with these matters. Social support and financial resources help to do so. Couples are also better equipped to deal with economic stress when they have a high self esteem and control over their finances. However some family members lose their job, get divorces, sick, or in debt so bad that bankruptcy takes place. This becomes severe economic stress. 3) I agree 100% that same sex marriages should be able to have legally bound assets, especially if they have children together. â€Å"Widespread legal recognition of LGB-parent families will help foster acceptance of these families, ensure the protection of these via the provision of standard rights and benefits and promote the stability and security of LGB-parent families and their children, thereby contributing to their health and well being† (Goldberg, 2010, p.279).Not granting legal recognition also questions a couples ability to commit and their stability. 4) When immigrants live in an ethnic enclave they find it easier to cope with their surroundings and face less prejudice and discrimination. Women also find it easier to work because most can bring their child to work because most can bring their child to work with them. Although there are a lot of benefits within enclaves I don’t necessarily believe it will completely help a family with their problems. What if their child/children leave the enclave someday? Will they be prepared for the outside world? And what if the enclave was destroyed? I feel that they would have an easier time in the long run if they gradually introduced themselves to the outside world. When children become interpreters for serious matters such as applying for social service benefits, it is stressful for them. â€Å"In such a situation, children are likely to feel the stress of adult responsibilities, whereas their parents may feel the stress of role reversal that comes from relying on children for their survival and well being† (Bush et al., 2010, p.290).When children take on these tasks they are not allowed to mature normally and they can become more dependent than their parents. Children can also misinterpret language. For example, saying â€Å"she fell off a latter† when really meaning â€Å"she fell down the stairs†. Immigrant families adjust to their new home better when living in familiar surroundings. The communities can also give social support by making it easy to meet friends with similar experiences and backgrounds.

Genetically modified organism

Good afternoon Ladles and Gentlemen. Today, the topic for our debate is on whether â€Å"the benefits of transgenic species outweigh the ethical considerations. † We, the negative team, believe that this statement is false. The first affirmative speaker has tried to tell you that transgenic plant species are a revolutionary new way to produce crops with dramatically Increasing yields and as a result, this will Increase the farmlands' productivity. However, this Is wrong.In fact, as evidence suggests, the introduction of transgenic crops are doing very little to increase overall crop yields. The second affirmative speaker spoke to you on how transgenic animals provides a shortcut to the development of animals that have many desired traits and its products can be benefits of mankind. Examples Include animals such as transgenic pigs enriched with omega-3 fatty acids and cows that produce better milk. In our defense, animals do have their own rights.The creation of transgenic anim als is morally wrong and the long-term effect on them and their consumers are questionable. Finally, the third and final speaker from the affirmative team made a point on how rearranges species will herald a new era of food production, Improving animal food quality and productivity. They may not be natural, but not everything natural Is good for us and not everything unnatural is bad for us. She argued that genetically modified foods have been on the market since 1996, we would know by now if they were an immediate health threat.However, this is wrong, Just because you don't know of a problem, who is there to say that it doesn't exist? Most transgenic products are still yet to be tested for safety and it may be most of these that are ending up In our grocery carts without us even knowing. From this, we can also see that more and more possible health risks associated with transgenic species are starting to show. First let us examine one of our case studies. The transgenic plant MOON 810 corn. This is a genetically modified crop developed by an American agricultural biotechnology corporation Monsanto.Bacillus Thirstiness, a bacterium which produces the BET toxin poisonous to insects, Is Inserted as a gene Into the DNA of MOON 81 0 corns. This plant has been purposely modified to combat crop loss due to Insects and Is now rowan on a large scale in USA. Despite it having been claimed that the insecticide will cause no harm to human consumers, However there is compelling evidence that shows the rates of chronic diseases have been increasing drastically since transgenic species products were introduced to public in USA.The chart on this slide show increase in Inflammation rate, such as chronic constipation, gastrointestinal reflux, In April 2009, the Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety of the German government suspended the approval and banned the cultivation of any ore MAMMON maize. It also got banned in other countries around the world including Austria, Greece and France. Since July 12th its cultivation has been banned in Italy, in reaction to a scientific report sent out by the Italian Agricultural Research Council.Another example of a transgenic species is cows being treated with a genetically engineered form of Bovine assimilation, also known as BIG. BIG is a peptide hormone produced by cows that is shown to have kept their metabolic processes regulated, increased their milk yield and beef growth. Yet, while this is all happening, his was also slowly killing the cow. In 1937, the administration of BIG was shown to be increasing the milk yield in lactating cows. Until the sass, there was a very limited use of the compound in agriculture and during this time also, the knowledge of the structure and function of the hormone increased.Later, the gene had been separated, purified and was now being applied to cow through genetic engineering. Since then, it has been immersed in controversy and parts of the concerns were in rega rds to the potential effects this has on the animals' health. A 1991 report by Rural Vermont revealed that BIG cows were suffering from serious health problems, including an alarming rise in the number of deformed calves and in mastitis, a painful bacterial infection of the udder that causes inflammation.Milk taken from these cows also now contained higher levels of GIF-I (Insulin Growth Factor-I). Although we, humans, naturally have GIF-I, elevated levels of it have been linked to the diagnosis of colon and breast cancer. Although there has been no direct connection made as yet between the two, some scientists have expressed concern ever the possibility of this relationship. Our first speaker spoke to you about how transgenic developed plants contains genes that have been artificially introduced into the plant's genetic makeup through several biotechnology techniques.It is highly questionable if Monsanto did, in fact, deliver the crops as they had claimed according to Doug Guarani- grandfather's book â€Å"Failure to yield†. After more than 20 years of research and 13 years of commercialism's in the United States, it can be concluded that transgenic species crops have done little o increase overall crop yields. A report by researchers from the University of Wisconsin also suggest to us that transgenic developed plants have still a â€Å"long way from generating higher crop yields with fewer inputs. Our first speaker also spoke that one of the major factors that led to an estimated 125,000 cotton farmers taking their own life was that of transgenic cotton failing to yield. Our second speaker spoke to you about the ethical issues of animal rights and any value they have to humans and a right to be free of human use, cruelty, confinement and use. She also stated that biotechnology could be bad for animals with them possibly suffering from painful side effects.These include animals such as the broiler chicken, which are being bred to grow too fast for thei r legs to support their way, causing them discomfort. Since â€Å"The Origin of Species† by Charles Darwin was published in 1859, we are gradually starting to understand life better and better. His theory of evolution by natural selection is one of the best-substantiated theories in the history of science, having been supported by evidence from a wide variety of scientific disciplines. Since then, many scientists have contributed to the discovery and understanding of the structure of DNA.The development of powerful laboratory techniques, most of which came in after 1970, have enabled us to study and manipulate genes that have the potential to alter the path of evolution. While we celebrate our achievements on the advancement in scientific understanding and technology, we should ask our selves if we should manipulate the genes of species Just because it can be done. So Ladies and Gentlemen, in conclusion, we believe the ethical considerations outweigh the benefits of transgeni c species especially in a commercial or massive scale to produce food. Genetically modified organism Good afternoon Ladles and Gentlemen. Today, the topic for our debate is on whether â€Å"the benefits of transgenic species outweigh the ethical considerations. † We, the negative team, believe that this statement is false. The first affirmative speaker has tried to tell you that transgenic plant species are a revolutionary new way to produce crops with dramatically Increasing yields and as a result, this will Increase the farmlands' productivity. However, this Is wrong.In fact, as evidence suggests, the introduction of transgenic crops are doing very little to increase overall crop yields. The second affirmative speaker spoke to you on how transgenic animals provides a shortcut to the development of animals that have many desired traits and its products can be benefits of mankind. Examples Include animals such as transgenic pigs enriched with omega-3 fatty acids and cows that produce better milk. In our defense, animals do have their own rights.The creation of transgenic anim als is morally wrong and the long-term effect on them and their consumers are questionable. Finally, the third and final speaker from the affirmative team made a point on how rearranges species will herald a new era of food production, Improving animal food quality and productivity. They may not be natural, but not everything natural Is good for us and not everything unnatural is bad for us. She argued that genetically modified foods have been on the market since 1996, we would know by now if they were an immediate health threat.However, this is wrong, Just because you don't know of a problem, who is there to say that it doesn't exist? Most transgenic products are still yet to be tested for safety and it may be most of these that are ending up In our grocery carts without us even knowing. From this, we can also see that more and more possible health risks associated with transgenic species are starting to show. First let us examine one of our case studies. The transgenic plant MOON 810 corn. This is a genetically modified crop developed by an American agricultural biotechnology corporation Monsanto.Bacillus Thirstiness, a bacterium which produces the BET toxin poisonous to insects, Is Inserted as a gene Into the DNA of MOON 81 0 corns. This plant has been purposely modified to combat crop loss due to Insects and Is now rowan on a large scale in USA. Despite it having been claimed that the insecticide will cause no harm to human consumers, However there is compelling evidence that shows the rates of chronic diseases have been increasing drastically since transgenic species products were introduced to public in USA.The chart on this slide show increase in Inflammation rate, such as chronic constipation, gastrointestinal reflux, In April 2009, the Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety of the German government suspended the approval and banned the cultivation of any ore MAMMON maize. It also got banned in other countries around the world including Austria, Greece and France. Since July 12th its cultivation has been banned in Italy, in reaction to a scientific report sent out by the Italian Agricultural Research Council.Another example of a transgenic species is cows being treated with a genetically engineered form of Bovine assimilation, also known as BIG. BIG is a peptide hormone produced by cows that is shown to have kept their metabolic processes regulated, increased their milk yield and beef growth. Yet, while this is all happening, his was also slowly killing the cow. In 1937, the administration of BIG was shown to be increasing the milk yield in lactating cows. Until the sass, there was a very limited use of the compound in agriculture and during this time also, the knowledge of the structure and function of the hormone increased.Later, the gene had been separated, purified and was now being applied to cow through genetic engineering. Since then, it has been immersed in controversy and parts of the concerns were in rega rds to the potential effects this has on the animals' health. A 1991 report by Rural Vermont revealed that BIG cows were suffering from serious health problems, including an alarming rise in the number of deformed calves and in mastitis, a painful bacterial infection of the udder that causes inflammation.Milk taken from these cows also now contained higher levels of GIF-I (Insulin Growth Factor-I). Although we, humans, naturally have GIF-I, elevated levels of it have been linked to the diagnosis of colon and breast cancer. Although there has been no direct connection made as yet between the two, some scientists have expressed concern ever the possibility of this relationship. Our first speaker spoke to you about how transgenic developed plants contains genes that have been artificially introduced into the plant's genetic makeup through several biotechnology techniques.It is highly questionable if Monsanto did, in fact, deliver the crops as they had claimed according to Doug Guarani- grandfather's book â€Å"Failure to yield†. After more than 20 years of research and 13 years of commercialism's in the United States, it can be concluded that transgenic species crops have done little o increase overall crop yields. A report by researchers from the University of Wisconsin also suggest to us that transgenic developed plants have still a â€Å"long way from generating higher crop yields with fewer inputs. Our first speaker also spoke that one of the major factors that led to an estimated 125,000 cotton farmers taking their own life was that of transgenic cotton failing to yield. Our second speaker spoke to you about the ethical issues of animal rights and any value they have to humans and a right to be free of human use, cruelty, confinement and use. She also stated that biotechnology could be bad for animals with them possibly suffering from painful side effects.These include animals such as the broiler chicken, which are being bred to grow too fast for thei r legs to support their way, causing them discomfort. Since â€Å"The Origin of Species† by Charles Darwin was published in 1859, we are gradually starting to understand life better and better. His theory of evolution by natural selection is one of the best-substantiated theories in the history of science, having been supported by evidence from a wide variety of scientific disciplines. Since then, many scientists have contributed to the discovery and understanding of the structure of DNA.The development of powerful laboratory techniques, most of which came in after 1970, have enabled us to study and manipulate genes that have the potential to alter the path of evolution. While we celebrate our achievements on the advancement in scientific understanding and technology, we should ask our selves if we should manipulate the genes of species Just because it can be done. So Ladies and Gentlemen, in conclusion, we believe the ethical considerations outweigh the benefits of transgeni c species especially in a commercial or massive scale to produce food.

Porter’s Five Forces The Threat of New Entrants (Low) Essay

There is a great amount of economies of learning and scale in the oil industry for Example BP has been searching for oil since 1901. They invest a huge amount in up-to-date technologies making it difficult for new entrants to compete. His obviously requires huge capital investments in R&D as well as start-up cost, for example a truck just to carry the oil costs over $1,000,000. There is a lot of regulation in the industry especially with regards to inter-continental politics which further reduces new entrants although in the USA there is less which allows for small firms (under 10 staff) to enter in areas such as Alaska and Texas. There is also a history of incumbent response; BP were fined jointly with TNK $35,200,000 for price fixing. Overall these factors lead to a very low risk of threat of new entrants. Supplier’s Power (High) A lot of oil in the world which is held in countries which are politically unstable and there is a risk that they may seize oil like Iran did to BP in 1951 or more recently Venezulea seized one of Exxon’s major projects. OPEC is a cartel which controls the amount of oil sold and produced. It controls 40% of the world’s supply of oil and holds a lot of power especially as BP also purchases oil from OPEC countries. Buyer Power (Low) As the good is not perishable oil companies do not need to sell it immediately and can therefore influence the flow of oil and also its price. Customers also have few substitutes so there is always a strong demand for the product. Furthermore individual buyer power is low as there are large amounts of customers who purchase low volumes. Demand is set to rise despite a weakening economy, which is shown by rising energy prices. The saving grace for customers is the low switching costs as products are undifferentiated and customers don’t have to sign a contract when they fill up there tank. Overall the buyer power is low because even though there are low switching costs OPEC affectively controls the price of oil so will increase this for the oil suppliers.

Quiz Computer Forensic & Investigation Essay

Hanley Strappman, 37, was trying to learn about the Computer and Digital Forensics program at Champlain College. He was able to obtain some files, which he put on a floppy disk. To disguise his espionage, he decided to smuggle the floppy back home after altering the files so that they couldn’t be read using the ordinary DOS/Windows file manager. His deception was discovered, however, and the floppy has been recovered. Some of your counterparts have already tried to examine the disk to no avail. Upon discussions with Hanley, he has boasted that there are three files on the disk but that â€Å"You’ll never know what I got!!† You are being provided with a forensically true and accurate copy of Hanley’s floppy disk. You are asked to examine the floppy disk and provide answers to a few questions about the integrity of the data that was recovered (in terms of maintaining the evidentiary chain), the recovery of certain information, and any actions that the suspect may have taken to intentionally delete, hide and/or alter data on the floppy disk. Good Luck! Using the software tools provided to you in class, audit the disk and conduct a full analysis of any artifacts found on the media. The following questions must be completed in the time allotted: The Questions 1. What is the name and address of the person to whom Hanley wrote a letter? Dr. John Watson 8295 Martha Lane Los Alamitos, CA 90720 2. Who is in the picture that Hanley obtained? Lewis Carroll, Edith, Lorina and Alice Lidell 3. What is the information that Hanley supplied in a password-protected form? A file named â€Å"curriculum† in Microsoft Excel format. 4. What are the names of the files on the floppy? Each was hidden or obscured in a different way; indicate how you found the files and how you recovered the information. The file name is cc_stuff.exe Change the format to the .zip format and enter the password to get the information 5. Where did you find the password? By using PRTK software, inside the evidence image at the pwd

Periodic Classification of Elements

Periodic Classification of Elements Classification of Elements according to electron configuration ( type of subshell being filled) *valence electrons –outer electrons of atom which are those involved in chemical bonding ; accounts for similarities in chemical behavior among elemens within each of this groups * Representative elements/ Main Group elements * Group 1A-7A * Incompletely filled s/ p subshells Display a wide range of physical and chemical properties * Most reactive and most predictable with respect to periodic properties * most abundant elements on the earth, in the solar system, and in the universe * Group number equals the number of electrons in the highest / outermost energy level H  Ã‚  Ã‚  1s1| Li  Ã‚  Ã‚  2s1| Na  Ã‚  Ã‚  3s1| * Noble Gases * Group 8A * Completely filled p subshell (exc. He) * Great stability * Except krypton and xenon, elements in noble gases are totally inert chemically * The noble gases are all found in minute quantities in the atmos phere, and are isolated by fractional distillation of liquid air. helium| 1s2| neon| [He]2s22p6| argon| [Ne]3s23p6| * Transition Metals * Group 1B and 3B-8B * Incompletely filled d subshells * Readily produce cations * ductile and malleable, and conduct electricity and heat * exhibit several common oxidation states * Less predictable properties * 2B (Zinc, Mercury etc. )- neither representative elements nor transition metals * Transition metal compounds are  paramagnetic  when they have one or more unpaired  d  electrons. Sc 4s23d1| Ti 4s23d2| V 4s23d3| * Inner Transition Metals Lanthanides/rare earth series- Follow lanthanum Actinides- follow actinium; most of these elements are not found in nature but have been synthesized * Incompletely filled f subshells * Cerium: 1s22s22p63s23p64s23d104p65s24d105p66s24f2 Praseodymium:1s22s22p63s23p64s23d104p65s24d105p66s24f3 Electron Configurations of Cations and Anions Ions derived from Representative Elements Cation- electrons removed Anion- electrons added Isoelectronic – ions or atoms and ions that have the same number of electrons, and hence the same ground state electron configuration Cations derived from transition Metals Prepared By: Monina Te

(a) What are ten small decisions that you as an individual make that Essay

(a) What are ten small decisions that you as an individual make that impacts upon the environment (b) How might you make each decision differently if you took - Essay Example Even though I live 5 minutes away from the university, I still get a ride rather than chose to walk. As a consequence of this decision, I burn a lot more fuel than I need to and in the process release gases like carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds into the atmosphere. A healthier alternative is to chose to walk, cycle, carpool or use the public transportation system more often. This way I can save significantly on fuel consumption. Again, I should plan ahead and schedule my errands such that I can get everything done in one trip. Another decision as a result of which I waste a lot of fuel is not switching the engine off when I am waiting to pick up a friend to go someplace. At times I would have waited for as long as 15 minutes. This decision has a two-fold impact on the environment. Firstly, since the fuel used in the vehicles is fossil fuel, it is a waste of the limited resources that we have and secondly, keeping the engine running would result in the production of dangerous gases including carbon monoxide, which pollutes the atmosphere. As an alternative, I can turn off the engine and start again when all my friends get into the vehicle and we are ready to leave. While driving, I prefer to keep my vehicle’s air conditioner turned on at all times – even in stop-and-go traffic. According to Environment Canada (2003a), air conditioning can increase fuel consumption by as much as 20% (para. 1). This decision again results in the release of dangerous gases into the atmosphere. The solution to reduce fuel consumption is to turn of the air conditioner when I have to drive slowly especially at stop and go traffic. Moeller (2004) emphasizes that an average human being breathes about 20 cubic meters of air each day. This amount of air roughly amounts to about 24 kilograms in weight. Hence lungs are by far the most important pathway for environmental pollutants