Investment Strategy and Portfolio Management Essay

Investment Strategy and Portfolio Management - Essay Example The competition is very tough and the company finds it difficult to compete with others. (Blake 2000).The investment form the customers are the basis for running such institutions. Only if the contributors are more and they get attracted with the institution, they will deposit more funds. To attract the contributors and increase the inflow, the company must follow new policies and strategies. The fund withdrawals must always be less than the fund inflows. If the withdrawals exceed the inflow, then the company will undergo a tough time. It will be difficult for the company to increase the inflow once the level of withdrawals becomes more. To maintain the stability between the inflow and withdrawals they have to adapt to the new management policies and should alter their investment plans accordingly. (Bodie et al 2009). The company must decide the plans and policies on the day of investment committee meeting. The committee must discuss on the future strategic asset allocation and tactical asset allocation ranges. The current scenario in the investment environment is completely different than the one that prevailed earlier. Since there are various other investment institutions that offer other benefits and offers, the company must makes sure that they maintain their investors and the level of their assets. The investment institutions follow various forms of fund operations and investment options. The company provides fund for educational purpose and they cannot change the basic formalities and procedures. The characteristics of a investment institution is to make the public deposit funds and to provide them a time period after which they can withdraw either a part or the specified amount form their contribution.(Buckle, Thompson 2004). These financial institutions concentrate more on providing the investors with a good investment option that will fetch the company a long term investment. The present situation in the financial market is not much

Motivation as a critical success factor Dissertation - 1

Motivation as a critical success factor - Dissertation Example Employee motivation has attracted immense research and debates in the last few decades in the post-modern era of industrial age. Many theories and models have been proposed, and implications of employee motivation on various aspects of organisational development, whether at organisational performance or growth of business, have been profound. Employee motivation has been defined in many different ways by different researchers and management specialists, most of which revolve around employee needs and psychologies. This thesis attempts to explain employee motivation and various dimensions associated with it, as perceived from different motivational theories described in the literature associated with organisational behaviour, leadership and motivation. Further, this proposal describes specific methodology and conceptual framework for carrying out the research, which is aimed at researching the impact of management practices and policies followed by a specific organisation and its perf ormance; in this process, it attempts to illustrate how employee motivation plays a role in organisational performance. ... This plan presents justifiable explanation for attempting the proposed methodology as well as considers all potential limitations. A brief note on tentative time plan for the research has also been drafted, which can help in staying focused and also measure the progress. 2. Aims and Objectives of the study: The main purpose of this study is to focus on the increasing significance of role of employees in an organisation’s success and sustenance in the most competitive global market experienced by the organisations in current scenario. This study strives to evaluate the growing trend of employee motivation as a new way of achieving and sustaining organisational performance against new and changing standards. In particular, this study seeks to analyze and evaluate if employee motivation would continue to hold its importance in future of organisational development. Secondly, this study aims to examine the prominent aspects of employee motivation and its impact on organisational su ccess in comparison with other elements of organisational performance and success. Objectives: Against this background, the dissertation will seek to answer the following questions †¢ What is the place of employee motivation in organisational strategy? †¢ What are the variables that motivate employees? †¢ What is the relationship between employee motivation and organisational goals? How has employee motivation, as a concept, evolved during last two decades? †¢ How is employee motivation related to other organisational elements? 3. Relation to previous research and theory: Motivation in the workplace plays significant role in harnessing the tremendous hidden potential within every employee. However, the factors impacting motivation or arousing motivation may be extrinsic or intrinsic. The

Implementing Green Initiative In Malaysia Environmental Sciences Essay

Implementing Green Initiative In Malaysia Environmental Sciences Essay The main objective of this research proposal is to discuss how the research process will be carried out on the selected topic. The topic for this research is Service Industry (Food and Beverage industry) perceptive on implementing Go Green initiative in Malaysia. This topic is chosen due to the fact that there is a limited research that applies to the Malaysian FB market. The purpose of this proposal is to shows how the actual research will be carried out on the topic. However, due to the limitation of the research, the research content will contain background analysis of green practices in Malaysia as well as in other counties. An other aspects of the research are based on demographic, attitude and behaviour of how the service industry has perceived in implementing such concept from its dimension of awareness, understanding and acceptance. By breaking down and studying these aspects, it will help to provide the actual information that is useful for the service industry players to become a sustainable FB industry and take initiative on such practices. This proposal will later discuss how this concept has been implemented in other countries. This is to develop a theoretical framework of these aspects and form a Go Green framework. This includes comparison of current implementations of Go green initiatives. Moreover, the research will also look into whether the government should enforce regulations on the FB industry for Go Green initiatives as default practices. Introduction Irrespective of industries, a business is governed with the intension of being Profitable, Sustainable, Productive and aims at achieving the highest level of customer loyalty towards their products and services. Achievements of profitability in businesses are focused more on increased revenue, lower cost of operations and higher profits. Long term growth, consistent revenue and profits, low cost of labour and resources, and being self-sufficient is the focus of businesses in terms of sustainability. Optimal usage of resources, Better utilization and optimal usage of assets are the main focus of businesses for productivity. Increased customer loyalty and increase in customer traffic are the focus of businesses for customer loyalty. In the above mentioned context, sustainability and productivity is a major impact to the FB organization to achieve positive profitability. As a result of industrys major impact, Going Green concept focuses service industry to become sustainable and productive with low cost, and optimal utilization of both assets and resources. Research Problem The idea of going green is relatively new to the food service industry in Malaysia compare to other industry sectors. This is due to the fact that there is limited industrial research and government regulations undertaken on green restaurant concept implementation and its practices in Malaysian market context. Malaysian FB industry is not a highly regulated market by the Malaysian government. Licenses to operate a FB outlet is not a combined effort of various agencies but limited to Ministry of Health and other licensing agencies. Department of environment and other agencies are generally not involved. The legislations / rules and laws of Department of environment and other related agencies are more concentrated on environment issues that are generated by commercial establishments in terms of pollution control and not green initiatives. Therefore, this research focuses on understanding and comprehension of various processes, methodologies and best practices for a Go Green framework for the food and beverage industry in Malaysia. There are two reasons that this research has carried out on this specific topic. Green related articles were already published in Malaysia. Environmental concerned green programmes have been implemented in Malaysia since many years ago. And also many articles that related to its programmes has being published in various sectors like waste management, green building, recycle policy, organic food sectors, hospitality and tourism sector, and etc. Especially in service industry perceptive, there are very limited or almost none have been published green related articles. Provided government regulations are not clearly specify for service industry. There available data like environmental education, green building index, green technology guidelines and process, however, there are no clear information that are stated for service industry to follow. Appendix 1 shows that industry commitment in Green initiative has increased from 2008 to 2009, thus research was analyzed by restaurant industry forecast, 2010. However, such kind of focus has not been done in Malaysia restaurant industry. These shows that service industry in Malaysia has very limited research that give clear information on Go green implementation. From this research, industry will benefit the actual information of industry players perceptive and the best suitable framework of Go green implementation in Malaysian market context. Research Objective To measure the degrees of industry awareness towards the green restaurant concept in Malaysia market context. To identify and understand existing knowledge of green restaurant concept among Malaysia market. To discover the market acceptance ability of green restaurant concept. Develop a framework for the industry to accept Go Green concept to be implemented for long term sustainability. Objectives of the research aim to understand the used of Go green concept in service industry. This is due to limited research has not been done in this particular study area in Malaysia. The outcome of the research will not only benefits to the industry players but also will give a clear framework of how industry can sustain by developing this idea. Therefore, the research will carry out to investigate how industry perceived and identify needs of framework to implement the concept. Research Questions How good is the industry player aware of a green restaurant concept? What is their understanding of the Green restaurant concept, and what is their current contribution towards going green? What is their existing methods or processes of having a sustainable business? Is the Malaysian Food and beverage market willing to accept green restaurant concept practises? Is the food and beverage industry acceptable for the Go green initiatives to be a government regulation? Literature Review Definition Go Green or Going Green is a concerned with the protection of the environment (Oxford Advanced learners Dictutionary, 2000); steps to conserve energy, reduce pollution and save money ( The U.S. Chamber of commerce Small Business Nation). Caroline S. Tauxe (2009, Vol.5 No.1) mentioned that green practices as a cost-saving response to the effect of high energy prices on operations and on supply and distribution chains, and these measures are valued first in terms of efficiency gains. In restaurant industry, green restaurants may be defined as new or renovated structures designed, constructed, operated, and demolished in an environmentally friendly and energy-efficient manner (Lorenzini 1994, 119) cited by Hsin-Hui Hu, H.G. Parsa, and Self.J, 2010. In Union for reform Judaism (2010) stated that going green defines as the activity of adding sustainability principles and considerations into the planning process of an event or organizational or personal lifestyle. According to Ministry for the environment of New Zealand defines a sustainable industry as an industry that anticipates economic, environmental and social trends to minimise risk and takes opportunities to improve comparative advantage. A research of Schubert.F (2008) mentioned that companies across all sectors try to develop products and practices with minimized environmental effect as part of social responsible practices, but also in order to establish themselves in a new niche for consumers with environmental concerns this is also true for the hospitality and tourism industry where businesses often rely on the integrity of the environment. Hotels located in natural areas such as mountains or beaches for example, are especially dependent on the healthiness of their sites, and therefore some have been engaging in green practices and eco-tourism for several years. Restaurants however, are often less dependent to such environmental factors and have therefore shown less care for these issues. Areas of green practices Green restaurant association (GRA) explained that fully transformed green restaurant provides a comprehensive and user-friendly method of rewarding existing restaurants foodservices operations, new builds, and events with points in each of the green restaurant associations seven environmental categories. Seven categories which compiled with water efficiency, waste reduction and recycling, sustainable furnishings and building materials, sustainable food, energy, disposables, and chemical and pollution reduction. Hence, the restaurant who are pursuing for becoming fully integrated green restaurant from GRA are also require to use products like- chlorine-free paper products, nontoxic cleaning and chemical products, renewable power, and green building and construction (Wallace.A, 2005). One of the most popular going green concepts is done by practicing the 3R principle which is by reducing, reusing, and recycling the resources used, using organic products, and installing equipments with green technology. In the restaurant industry, small daily savings often make the difference between long-term profit and loss (Restaurant waste minimization guidebook, State of Havaii). In addition, a restaurants costs go up when it installs pricey equipment to make its operation more sustainable and pay extra to source ingredients that meet sustainability standards (Observer,2010). Furthermore, Schubert.F (2008) highlighted that the details of creating an Environmentally Sustainable Restaurant Industry- Green restaurant association (GRA) has also provides guideline for the following areas: Energy Efficiency Conservation: Energy efficient technologies and conservation practices exist for lighting, heating, ventilation, air-conditioning, foodservice appliances, office equipment and transportation. Water Efficiency Conservation: Water efficient technologies and conservation practices exist for foodservice appliances, equipment, and landscaping. Recycling Composting: Recycling services exist for many waste products such as glass, plastic, metal, cardboard, mixed paper, grease, ink toner cartridge. Food waste can be diverted from landfills and made into nutrient-rich soil through the use of a composting service or an on-site system. Sustainable Food: Sustainable food products support the long-term maintenance of ecosystem and agriculture for future generations. Organic agriculture prohibits the use of toxic synthetic pesticides and fertilizers, irradiation, sewage sludge, and genetic engineering. Locally grown food reduce the amount of pollution associated with transportation primarily by fossil fuels. Plant-based food require fewer natural resources and create less pollution per calorie consumed. Pollution Prevention: Pollution prevention is achieved through source reduction, reuse, or improving operational practices. Recycled, Tree-free, Biodegradable Organic Products: Recycled products are made from materials that are collected from post-consumer or post-industrial waste sources. Tree-free products are made from alternative plant sources such as hemp or kenaf. Biodegradable products are capable of being decomposed by biological agents, especially bacterial. Organic products are grown without the use of toxic synthetic pesticides and fertilizers, irradiation, sewage sludge, and genetic engineering. Chlorine-Free Paper Products: Chlorine-free paper products are unbleached or whitened with alternatives such as hydrogen peroxide, oxygen, and ozone. Non-toxic Cleaning Chemical Products: Non-toxic cleaning and chemical products are biodegradable, free of hazardous ingredients, and are safe for people, animals and environment when used properly. Green Power: Electricity and power is available from renewable resources such as wind, solar, geothermal, small hydro and biomass. These energy sources cause dramatically less air pollution and environmental damage compared to fossil fuel, nuclear, and large-scale hydroelectric energy sources. Green Building Construction: Green design and construction practices significantly reduce or eliminate the negative impact of buildings on the environment, occupants, and the local community. Education: Education of staff on the environmental impact of the restaurant industry and a path toward ecological sustainability. Benefit of Go Green Publicity The GRA and its certified green restaurants have been featured in the following media outlets: NBC Nightly News, The Wall Street Journal, Time Magazine, CNN, The Washington Post, The New York Times, National Public Radio (NPR) and etc (cited by dinegreen.com). Cut costs In dine-green website mentioned that some restaurants that are green certified save thousands of dollars each year, and through the help of the GRAs consultants, are able to access rebates, incentives and other money saving programs. Improve staff productivity and morale Staff awareness of going green due to the fact that the industry is currently run by young entrepreneurs who are aware of the environmental issues. GRA have reported that staff productivity and morale increase upon their certification. Restaurant employees have demonstrated that they want to work for businesses that are making real, credible and transparent environmental changes. Being a part of the solution to our worlds environmental problems goes a long way in gaining a restaurant employees loyalty. (Cited in dinegreen.com) Increase in new customers and customer loyalty Eating out has always been considered a splurge or extravagance in the average Americans budget. The growing trend in restaurant dining is that consumers want to feel as if they have done something good, other than just having nice meal. This fact alone can drive in new customers and create loyal ones. (Cited in dinegreen.com) Stay ahead of legislation Environmental legislation for restaurants is sweeping across the world, from plastic bag and Styrofoam bands, to recycling mandates. More and more cities are in the process of either considering or passing legislation relating to matters of restaurants and the environment. Because Certified Green restaurants have already completed these important environmental changes voluntarily, when legislation strikes, the GRAs restaurants are able to continue running their businesses while their competitors are scrambling to comply with the latest mandates. (Cited by dinegreen.com) Industry perception and acceptance of Go Green According to Oxford Dictionary for the Business World (1993), perception is an intuitive recognition of and an aesthetic quality; a way of seeing, understanding. Perception is the terms used to cover those processes, which gives coherence, unity and meaning to a persons sensory input. It involves all those processes we use to select, sort, organise and interpret sensory data to make meaningful and coherent picture of our world (Rice, 1993) cited by Kamal Izzuwan Bin Ramli, Noor Suhaila Binti Yusof, Muharis Bin HJ. Mohamed, 2004). A frequent research by Hu.H.H, Parsa.H.G and Self.J (2010) said that knowledge of sustainable restaurant operation is an important determinant of intention to patronize a green restaurant. Research Conceptual Framework Awareness of going green The following are some points that will be made during the awareness stage. Awareness of the businesses on the green initiatives, Availability of information for these businesses about going green Understating green objectives The following are some points that will be made during the understanding stage. Existing knowledge on going green Knowledge on the impact of the current environment on not going green. Knowledge on how they can be profitable and have a sustainable business by going green Acceptance of going green The following are some points that will be made during the acceptance stage. Weather they are willing to invest in going green initiatives Participation in going green by changing business processes Investments into resources to go green Methodology Methodology of this research will be used base on the primary data and secondary data. Primary data will be collected by using survey questionnaires to the restaurant managers and owners around Kuala Lumpur. Secondary data will be gathered from the relevant academic journals, books, published magazines and articles, and also internet sources. Basically, the survey questionnaires will be distributed to three different types of restaurant such as: fast food restaurants, casual dining restaurants and semi-fine dining or fine dining restaurants. Approximately 30 survey questionnaires will be distributed as sample. The questionnaires will be demonstrated in demographic, attitude and behaviour study on each type of restaurants. This is to ensure there is a balance in different types of service restaurants owner perceptive on Go green concept implementations in Malaysia. The outcome of this survey will give better understanding on how restaurant owners aware and deep analysis of their understanding on this concept. And also it will help to indicate the best options of practices needed for the Malaysian market context. Secondary data will be collected from academic journals, books, relevant magazines and articles, and internet sources. This will enhance the better understanding on theoretical framework of Go green concept practices. In additionally, local government data and non-government organisation data will also include in this research. This is to clarify such concept has been performed in other industry sector as well as to identify the availability of Green supply chain in Malaysia. From above mention data collections, this research will shows industry perceptive on implementing Go green concept and it will also show the best options of practices for Malaysia market which may or may not be an exact practices to compare to other country.

Technology is a Positive Influence in the Education Field :: Teaching Education Essays

Technology is a Positive Influence in the Education Field Everywhere you look there are computer games, but it just isn’t the fun computer games anymore, they are making more and more learning programs. I have seen learning programs from the preschool level all the way up to the college level. I think this is wonderful it gives children or young adults the chance to practice at home or even before the class the starts, it gives you a little introduction. I have a six year old sister who uses those programs all the time, and they help her. When she was in preschool it helped her count and now the levels are getting harder now that she is in first grade. My family, me especially because I am going into the education field think that these programs are very beneficial, they help the students get a good grasp on things. I think technology has positively impacted the education field. When I see my little sister practice and play on the computer I can tell it is helping her in her school work, but at the same time she is enjoying it. Because it is on the computer it doesn’t feel like she is doing homework or school work, but in her mind she is playing on the computer, for fun. I know for the most part many people use these programs as an introduction to a course or for a certain grade level. This helps the student prepare themselves for the up coming tasks. These computer programs allow students to get their feet wet before they go in for the dive. During my senior year I was a student aide for a first grade class, and even in the classroom the teachers were using computer programs as a certain center or station. Students can practice their numbers or letters, their typing, and their work with the computers all at the same time. A lot of the students got a lot of joy from this, you could tell by their facial expressions, and also their excitement that they showed when their name was called to work on the computers. I remember when I was that age and we had a Tandy computer at our house and I never thought computers were that much fun because I never had all these fun learning games.

Succubus on Top CHAPTER 18

â€Å"That's not funny,† I said. â€Å"Seems like a reasonable question.† I looked at him and then wrapped my arms around myself. â€Å"Is that all you're going to say?† â€Å"I†¦I don't really know what else to say.† â€Å"This is the part where you yell at me.† His eyebrows rose. â€Å"Oh, I see. I didn't know this was already scripted out. â€Å" â€Å"That's not what†¦look. I slept with someone else. And not just slept. I didn't have to do it†¦not the way I have to with humans. You get that, right?† â€Å"Yes,† he said, still dead calm. â€Å"And I wasn't drunk or anything. Tipsy maybe, but still in control of my senses.† â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"So aren't you mad?† â€Å"Stunned is the dominant emotion at the moment. Finding out someone impersonated you is almost more troubling than the sex part.† â€Å"He didn't impersonate you, perse†¦I mean, I knew it was him.† â€Å"I know. But it's still weird.† When he fell silent again, I could only stare with incredulity. He caught my look and retuned it. â€Å"What do you want?† This time he did sound annoyed, almost angry. â€Å"Do you want me to be mad? Will that like†¦punish you or something? Is that what you want?† I said nothing and realized that was exactly what I wanted. I had read a book once where a guy accidentally killed a girl while driving drunk. His powerful family had managed to keep him out of jail, and he'd hated it. He'd wanted the cleansing catharsis of real punishment, of paying for his crimes. Right now, I needed the same thing. â€Å"I deserve it,† I told Seth. His voice was cold. â€Å"Well, I'm not going to give it to you right now. You can't dictate what I feel. Sorry.† My mouth started to drop open, unsure what to do with this turn of events. The ringing of my cell phone interrupted my rumination. I glanced at my purse, then let the phone go to voice mail. A moment later, it rang again. â€Å"You should answer it,† Seth told me. I didn't want to talk to anyone. I wanted to crawl into a hole. But I got the phone and read the display. No one I recognized. Sometimes that was Jerome. If I didn't answer, the demon was likely to teleport on over, and that was quite possibly the only thing that could make this scenario worse. â€Å"I'm sorry,† I said softly to Seth, just before I answered. I didn't know if I was apologizing for the interruption or what I'd done with Bastien. â€Å"Hello?† â€Å"Hey, Georgina. This is Wyatt.† It took me a moment. From Doug's band. â€Å"Hey, how's it going?† â€Å"Bad. I didn't know who else to call. I'm at the hospital with Doug. â€Å" My heart stopped. â€Å"Oh my God. What happened?† â€Å"He, uh, took some pills.† â€Å"What kind of pills?† â€Å"Not sure. But he took a whole bottle of them.† Wyatt's news spurred Seth and me to action. It was funny how tragedy could override anger. Whatever unresolved issues ensnared us, we put them on hold as I drove us downtown. Wyatt had briefly told the rest of the story as I'd left my apartment at a run. Alec hadn't come through with his latest shipment. Doug had crashed again, plunging into that frightening darkness I'd observed before. Wyatt didn't entirely know what had triggered the overdose. He blamed everything from a suicidal urge to a desperate attempt at recapturing the high through other means. The emergency room had pumped his stomach, and the doctor said he was okay for now, but he hadn't yet regained consciousness. Wyatt had called me because Doug had no family here, and no one knew how to contact the ones who lived out of town. Corey and Min were there when we arrived. They elaborated a bit more for us and said there was no change in Doug's condition. Seth stayed silent, but I could tell he was as concerned as I was. I asked if I could see Doug, and a nurse told me I could. I entered the room alone and found him asleep, hooked up to tubes and a bleeping machine. I had watched medical technology change over the years, from leeches to defibrillators, but that didn't mean I felt comfortable with any of it. Machines that kept people alive rubbed me the wrong way. They weren't natural, even if they did good. â€Å"Oh, Doug,† I murmured, sitting at his bedside. His skin was pale, his hand cold and clammy. The bleeping machine registered a steady heartbeat, so that was something. None of the other readouts meant anything to me. I watched him, feeling helpless. Mortals, I thought, were fragile things, and there was nothing I could do about that. Many, many years ago, Bastien and I had worked at a dance hall in Paris. Dancers in those days were almost always prostitutes too, but I hadn't minded. The opportunity had provided me with both succubus energy and monetary income. Bastien had been a bouncer and ostensibly my lover. This allowed him to sing my praises, bolstering my reputation and sending me a large clientele. â€Å"There's a young man who shows up every night,† the incubus told me one day. â€Å"He has ‘virgin' stamped all over him, but he's rich too. I've talked to him a few times. He doesn't like the idea of paying for sex, but he's completely obsessed with you.† The news pleased me, and when Bastien pointed out the gentleman, I made a lot of eye contact with him throughout the performance. Sure enough, a manservant of his discretely solicited me on behalf of his employer afterward, and I hurried to prepare myself backstage. â€Å"Josephine,† called a voice beside me. I turned and saw another dancer, an especial friend of mine named Dominique. â€Å"Hey,† I told her, grinning. â€Å"I have a nice prospect I've got to get to.† Her grim face made me pause. â€Å"What's wrong?† Dominique was small and blond, with an almost waifish appearance that made her look like she wasn't getting enough to eat. That wasn't a surprise, however. None of us in that profession ever got enough to eat. â€Å"Josephine†¦Ã¢â‚¬  she murmured, blue eyes wide. â€Å"I need your help. I think†¦I think I'm pregnant.† I stopped in my tracks. â€Å"Are you sure?† â€Å"Pretty sure. I†¦I don't know what to do. I need this job. You know I do.† I nodded. From the wings, Jean – the man who took cuts from our liaisons – yelled at me to hurry up and meet my young man. I gave Dominique a quick hug. â€Å"I have to go do this. I'll find you later, okay? We'll figure something out.† But I never really got a later. The young man, Etienne, proved to be adorable. He was much younger than my apparent age, and engaged to be married. He was torn on the issue of sex. Part of him felt he needed to be pure for his bride; the other part wanted to be experienced on his wedding night. That was the part that won out, the part that brought him to my bed and gave me the succubus bonus of both a moral corruption and an energy yield. He resented me for both my lifestyle and my hold over him, but that didn't stop him from coming back every day for the next few weeks. â€Å"I hate you for this,† he told me one day after we'd been together. He lay back against the sheets, in a sweaty, postcoital repose. I stood near the bed, putting my clothes on while he watched. â€Å"Marry me.† I laughed out loud, tossing my hair – then honey blond and curly – over one shoulder. He flushed angrily. He had dark eyes and hair and a perennially brooding look. â€Å"Is that funny?† â€Å"Only because you hate me in one breath and love me in the other.† I smiled as I laced up my undergarments. â€Å"I suppose there are a lot of marriages like that.† â€Å"Not everything's a joke,† he said. â€Å"Maybe not,† I agreed. â€Å"But this comes pretty close.† â€Å"Are you turning me down?† I pulled my dress over my head. â€Å"Of course I am. You have no idea what you're asking. It's ridiculous.† â€Å"You treat me like I'm a child sometimes,† he declared, sitting up straighten â€Å"You're not that much older than me. You have no right to act so wise†¦especially since you're a†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I grinned at him. â€Å"A whore?† He had the grace to look embarrassed. â€Å"And that, sweeting, is the problem. Never mind your family's scandalized reaction. Even if we managed to pull it off, you'd never get over that. You'd spend the rest of our marriage – which would probably be short-lived – obsessing about all the men I'd been with. Wondering if one of them had been better. Wondering if I'd done something with them that you thought was new and novel with you.† Angry, he stood up and pulled on his pants. â€Å"I would have thought you'd be grateful.† â€Å"Flattered,† I said coldly, â€Å"but nothing more.† That wasn't entirely true. The truth was, despite his youthful certainty and mood swings, I liked Etienne. A lot. Something about him appealed to me. Maybe it was because all that emotionality and pride came from an artistic nature. He painted as a hobby. There it was again, my unfortunate obsession with creative men. Luckily, at that time in my life, I had enough sense to avoid deep entanglements with humans. â€Å"I wish you could choose who you love,† he said bitterly. â€Å"Because I wouldn't choose you, you know. But, here we are. I can't stop thinking about you. I feel like there's some pull to you I can't fight.† â€Å"I'm sorry,† I said gently, surprised at the small ache in my heart. â€Å"Wait until you're married. Your wife will make you forget all about me.† â€Å"No. She doesn't even compare.† â€Å"Plain?† Egotistical of me, perhaps, but I heard it a lot. â€Å"Boring,† he replied. Then I'd heard a scream, a bloodcurdling, horror-filled scream. I forgot all about Etienne and tore out of the small, dank room. Down the hall I ran until I found a congregation of people and the source of distress. It was Dominique. She sprawled over a narrow pallet, lying in blood. â€Å"My God,† I gasped, kneeling beside her. â€Å"What happened?† But I already knew. I didn't need the forthcoming explanation from the other dancers. I had neglected her pleas for help a couple weeks ago, caught up in my own whirlwind romance. So she had sought her own solution, as so many lower-class women often did. Unfortunately, there were no machines or sanitizing in those days. An abortion was a dangerous, often deadly, business. â€Å"Oh God,† I said again. I had never lost the need to appeal to my creator, despite my theoretical renouncement. I clutched her hand, not knowing what to do. A half-dressed Etienne appeared in the crowd. I looked up at him desperately. â€Å"You have to go get a doctor. Please.† Whatever injured pride he harbored over my rejection, he couldn't refuse me in that moment. I saw him make motions to leave, but Bastien grabbed his arm. â€Å"No, it doesn't matter.† To me he said: â€Å"She's gone, Fleur .† I looked at Dominique's young face. Her skin was pale, eyes blank and glazed over as they stared at nothing. I knew I should close them, but suddenly I didn't want to touch her. I dropped her hand, slowly backing up, staring in horror. It was by no means the first time I'd seen a dead body, but something struck me about it then I'd never really considered with such shocking clarity. One moment she was here, the next she wasn't. Oh, the difference one heartbeat could make. The stink of mortality hung in the air, painting the awful truth about humans. How short their lives were. And fragile. They were like paper dolls among us, turning to ash in the blink of an eye. How many had I seen come and go in over a millennium? How many had I seen pass from infancy to a gray-haired death? The stink of mortality. It threatened to overwhelm the room. How could no one else sense it? I hated it†¦and I feared it. Feeling suffocated, I backed up further. Both Bastien and Etienne reached for me in some fumbling attempt at comfort, but I wanted none of it. Dominique, barely out of childhood, had just bled her life away in front of me. What fragile things humans were. I had to get out of there before I became sick. I turned from those who would console me and ran away. â€Å"What fragile things humans are,† I murmured to Doug. The feeling that welled up within me now as I sat beside him was not sorrow or despair. It was anger. White-hot anger. Humans were fragile, but some of them were still in my care. And whether that was foolish or not on my part, I could not shirk my duty. Doug was one of my humans. And someone had nearly cut his time short. I stood up, gave his hand a last squeeze, and strode out of the room. From the shocked glances Corey, Min, and Wyatt gave me, I must have looked terrifying. I hit the pause button on my righteous fury when I noticed something. â€Å"Where's Seth?† â€Å"He said he had to go,† said Corey. â€Å"He left you this.† He handed me a scrap of paper with Seth's scrawled writing. Thetis, I'll talk to you later. I stared at it, suddenly feeling nothing. I went numb. My mind would not allow me to focus on Seth just then. I crumpled the paper up, said good-bye to the band, and left the hospital. When I reached the lobby, I took out my cell phone and dialed. â€Å"Alec? This is Georgina.† â€Å"Hey, Georgina!† I heard the anxious note in his voice. Almost desperate. â€Å"You were right,† I began, hoping I sounded anxious too. â€Å"You were right. I need more. Now. Tonight. Can you do it?† â€Å"Yes,† he said. There was palpable relief in his voice. â€Å"Absolutely I can do it.† We set up a meeting spot immediately. It couldn't be too soon for me. I'd been on an emotional roller coaster in the last twenty-four hours, and I was about to take it out on Alec. I couldn't wait. The fact that he seemed so eager for it was icing on the cake. â€Å"Oh, hey, Georgina?† he asked, just before we disconnected. â€Å"Yeah?† His voice sounded strange; I couldn't decipher the emotion. â€Å"You have no idea how glad I am you called.†

Rethink What You Drink Essay

Between an 8oz glass of orange juice to a 24oz can of soda, one person can drink between six to eighteen teaspoons of sugar. One may not think that a can of soda a day will hurt a person greatly; but that person is wrong. If you consume one non-diet soda, sugary sport or energy drink, even juice, it can increase your risk of heart disease, obesity, diabetes and high blood pressure, even leading to chronic problems down the road. Even drinking a Five-Hour Energy or Monster in the morning everyday can lead to a caffeine related death. Keeping up homework, going to practice after school and maintaining a social life, a day being a teenager can be draining. We stay up late texting or studying for a test at the last minute, and sleep is not our number one priority. Yes, we wake up the next morning wishing we did not stay up so late, but there is always a cure for that. Almost one third of 12 to 24 year olds said they regularly down an energy drink in the morning. There is nothing wrong with consuming a Starbucks coffee or Five-Hour energy shot in the morning if it is the only thing that will keep us going. The sugar and caffeine in juice, energy drinks and coffee is one of the main factors that keep us teens moving at the pace we do. There are juices, diet sodas and energy drinks that have an okay amount of sugar and caffeine in them to where we could have one a day, and never be harmed. The National Health and Nutrition Exanimation Survey and Nutrition Services worker, Cheri Collier states, â€Å"A â€Å"sugary drink† is known as fruit drinks, soda, energy and sport drinks and sweetened bottles of water and also coffee beverages† (Gann) The consumption of sugary drinks remains high today. In fact, over a half of the American population has a sugary drink almost every day. Lisa Cimperman, registered dietitian for University Hospitals Case Medical Center said, â€Å"Many people consume too many calories each day; Liquid calories don’t make you feel full. Causing people to eat and drink more. † (Theiss) When someone has so much sugar in their system, it can lead to obesity and diabetes. It is shown that 25. 8 million Americans have diabetes (8% of population) and 191 million (2/3) are overweight/obese. (Gann) Not to say that a soda a day can lead to this, but when you are consuming mass amounts of sugar, you will become a part of that 25. 8 million. Men and women are both at risk for developing heart disease. Men who drink one sugar-sweetened beverage daily have a 20% higher risk of chronic heart disease then men who drink none. A study put on by the Harvard School of Public Health surveyed 43,000 men throughout 22 years, and results form 18,000 men were demographically similar. Results in American Heart Association journal stated: â€Å"Drinking 12oz of regular soda, fruit drinks and other sugar sweetened beverages daily was associated with higher risk of heart disease. † Dr. Frank Hu, Professor of nutrition and epidemiology at Harvard School of Public Health said that the findings were notable. The same study was put on for a group of 89,000 women, and it was shown that women who drank one or less than two sugary drinks per day had a 23% increased risk of heart attack and it was four times as likely to have a chronic heart problem down the road. (Jaslow) Studying for tests, going out to parties, finishing research papers late into the night, maintaining a social life and working, life of a college student can be draining. Balancing everything usually takes a toll on one of our most critical bodily functions, sleep. So how do these college students wake up in the morning and go to class with energy? A study done by the University of Ohio stated that 74% of undergraduate students turn to energy supplements in the form of drinks or shots. A single Monster contains 14 teaspoons of sugar and a Five-Hour Energy contains over 8,000 percent of the daily-recommended intake of vitamin B12 and over 2,000 percent of vitamin B6. They say that the rush of energy one feels when consuming the drinks is due to the amount of sucralose, an artificial sweetener over 600 times sweeter than sugar and you will also see over 500 milligrams of caffeine in some drinks. So what happens to people who drink these energy drinks and Five-Hour Energy shots? According to Medicine Plus in 2007, almost 6,000 caffeine related deaths occurred in people under the age of 19, and since then, the numbers have continued to rise(Silva). When you come to thinking about drinking a nice cold 8oz soda, remember that you are putting a toxic drug into your body. You could one day have had too many sodas and be sitting at home with heart disease or diabetes. Remember not to over load yourself with a caffeine overloaded energy drink or shot. Try resorting to diet drinks with not as much sugar, or 100% fruit drinks. â€Å"Our soda habit is something we have total control over. There are a lot of things that keep us healthy that are hard work and difficult, but cutting back on sweetened drinks isn’t one of them† Dr. Stacey Rosen said, the chairman of cardiology at Long Island Jewish Medical Center in New Hyde Park, NY. Next time, rethink what you drink. Works Cited Jaslow, Ryan. â€Å"Sugary Drink Each Day Ups Men’s Heart Disease Risk by 20 Percent. â€Å"Www. cbsnews. com. CBS News, 14 Mar. 2012. Web. 3 Dec. 2012. . Gann, Carrie, and Larry Borges. â€Å"Study: One Sugary Drink Per Day Raises Risk of Heart Disease for Men. † Www. abcnews. com. ABC News, 12 Mar. 2012. Web. 3 Dec. 2012. . Reidt, Robert. â€Å"Sugary Drinks Can Be Hard on Heart: Study. â€Å"Www. healthyliving. msn. com. Healthy Day, 2 Mar. 2012. Web. 3 Dec. 2012. . Theiss, Evelyn. â€Å"Consumption of Sugar Drinks in the U. S. Remains High, Study Shows. â€Å"Www. cleveland. com. N. p. , 31 Aug. 2011. Web. 3 Dec. 2012. . Silva, Evan D. â€Å"Monsters v. Students; the Battle for Energy. † Lariat. Multimedia Editor, 22 Oct. 2012. Web. 15 Feb. 2013. .

Labor Management Relations and High Performance Workplace Strategies Essay Example

Labor Management Relations and High Performance Workplace Strategies Essay Example Labor Management Relations and High Performance Workplace Strategies Essay Labor Management Relations and High Performance Workplace Strategies Essay IMPROVING LABOR-MANAGEMENT RELATIONS In today’s highly competitive global economy it is very important for both management and labor to work together to continuously improve the performance of the business as measured by the quality, price, and features of its products, the satisfaction of its customers, and the benefits provided to all its employees. Achieving continuous improvement requires good labormanagement relations, the timely resolution of workplace disputes, the effective use of the collective bargaining process, innovative approaches to workplace organization, mutual sharing of specialized knowledge about the business, and the shared ownership of new ideas. The SEWN program is experienced in working jointly with labor and management to resolve disputes and improve labor management relations both in crisis situations and over the long-term. Resolving Labor-Management Conflict Unresolved disputes between management and labor contribute to many company crises. While some, even sharp, conflict may in fact be a sign of healthy workplace relationships, far too often businesses are put in jeopardy by failing to implement high-performance organizational strategies and improve labormanagement relations. The SEWN program has helped a number of clients resolve crisis situations before they cost the workforce their jobs and the community an important employer. Through these efforts to retain manufacturing in the region we have learned that two key principals are critical for success: 1. The Need to Engage the Workforce To be successful over the long-run, all companies need to engage their workforce in the operation of the business by insuring that workers have the knowledge and skills to do the job as well as the interest and enthusiasm to get things done. In situations in which the workforce is represented by a union, however, management is often ambivalent about the role of the union in the operation of the business. When trust is absent it is especially difficult for both management and labor to separate the workplace situations where they compete or are in conflict from those in which they need to cooperate. Small and middle-market manufacturers, especially privately owned, closely-held firms, suffer the most when workplace relations deteriorate because they lack the resources to effectively manage the business without cooperation. Closely-held family businesses, especially those that try hard to treat their workers fairly, also tend to find it extremely difficult to accept any outside influence over the workplace. 2. The Need to Insure the Businesses’ Success Unions, too, are often ambivalent about cooperating with management and fail to recognize that their long-term interests usually depend on the viability of the business. Union leadership sometimes lack the communication and negotiation skills to broaden the union’s role in supporting the business. In other instances local officials lack the technical or political support of their union to handle the increased responsibilities of attending to not only the compensation and conditions of work but also to the successful use of its member’s talents and abilities. Local elected union officers must also contend with a wide range of local issues as well as cope with their own job and family responsibilities. The SEWN program works hard to stay abreast of the special concerns of organized labor and to maintain good channels of communication. More Than Mediation Both the state and federal government can provide excellent third-party mediation services to help resolve grievances, negotiate contracts, and improve labormanagement relations. When a business is in crisis, however, mediators, are neither able nor responsible for comprehensively examining a businesses’ operating, financial, marketplace, or other problems in order to develop a context in which to quickly bring all of the parties together on what needs to be done. Mediation services also may not be able to respond quickly enough to small distressed manufacturing companies that may be permanently out-of-business within just a few days of a crisis developing. And, mediation services typically are not called in until a problem has become acute. The SEWN program has the responsiveness, skills and resources to provide this kind of comprehensive assessment for its clients. High-Performance Workplaces One of the most critical issues to a businesses’ success is how the workplace is organized to get the job done. In an effort to find new ways to compete effectively in today’s global economy many businesses face hard decisions about what to do on a daily basis. Should the business be downsized, adopt cellular manufacturing techniques, seek wage concessions, adopt progressive workplace practices, utilize ISO 9000 production controls, or expand the role of the labor- management committee process in the operation of the business? Whatever the proper course of action, when both management and labor take ownership of the process of generating and implementing new ideas a much more sustainable process of organizational change can be fostered. Thus, the SEWN program’s approach to improving the productivity, culture, and profitability of a business is client centered. SEWN’s consultants work with all parties to analyze the problems at hand, suggest new ideas, and implement the group’s decisions