Monday, September 30, 2019

Deer Hunting

Few deer live to be more than five years old because of hunting, vehicle accidents and predators. Deer are preyed upon by, wolves, bobcats, bears, coyotes, and humans. Deer hunting is the activity or sport of pursuing or chasing deer. It dates back to tens of thousands of years ago. Approximately one hundred people die in hunting accidents in the United States each year. Therefore, hunting deer is unsuccessful, unfair, pointless, unsafe, and should only be done if the deer will be eaten.Hunting can be very unnecessary especially when sport hunting. Studies show that 11 percent of deer who had been killed by hunters died only after being shot two or more times and that some wounded deer suffered for more than 15 minutes before fully passing away (â€Å"Why Sport Hunting Is Cruel and Unnecessary†, par. 3). It causes the deer to go through great pain and suffering for no very urgent reason and for the sake of mere amusement. It may make you feel stronger, but there is still no re ason to kill innocent deer.What if you were that deer that had to go through all this misery just for your unintelligent, and sickening mistake? In addition, sport hunting causes destroyed properties and injured bystanders. In 2006, former Vice President Dick Cheney accidently shot a close friend while hunting quail on a canned hunting preserve. According to the Hunter Education Association, there are more than dozens and hundreds of deaths caused by hunting in the United States each year. Yet alone those number of deaths are deaths of humans (â€Å"Why hunting is Unnecessary 2†par. 16).This is an ongoing problem that we have to stop. Hunters seem to be unfamiliar with their firearms and do not have a sufficient amount of respect for the damage that they can do. Deer hunting can also be ineffective in more than one way. It is unsuccessful for trying to solve human/deer conflicts. Studies show that throughout hunting season hunters frighten the deer out of the woods and onto t he road increasing the number of car/deer collisions (Lin, Doris, par. 10). People should not bother trying to kill deer if the result would be winding up in a huge mess.If the deer goes onto the street then most likely both the deer and human would die or be seriously injured. Think about all that happened or would happen when going to hunt that deer down . The main reason that deer hunting is ineffective is because they believe that it helps with controlling the deer population. It really depends because if trophy hunting the deer then you would most likely kill the strong male deer or bucks. That wouldn’t help at all because the female deer are the ones who breed (Roos, Dave, par. ). Do not do anything violent or brainless if not urgently necessary in the situation. When extraordinary natural occurrences cause overpopulation, natural processes should work there way back to even out the group. Even though starvation and disease may be two of the tragic ways they may stabili ze although it happens naturally (â€Å"Why Sport Hunting Is Cruel and Unnecessary†par. 9). Shooting deer because he or she might become sick or starve is unreasonable and is destructive.Those who support deer hunting believe that killing them stops all the problems that the deer cause. When hunting deer you will remove a few deer and prevent those from reproducing and prevent the deer from causing chaos on the street (Lin, Doris, and par. 5). Therefore the outcome will be less harmed people in car accidents. However, that is unnecessary because that means the other deer will have more food for themselves. Also, they would not have to fight other deer for food. Since they would have more food, they would be able to give more births to twins and triplets.That also means that the deer will normalize and give birth to fewer fawns when food is scarce (Lin, Doris, par. 10). Before going to hunt those poor creatures maybe you should think to yourself â€Å"Why kill these deer? â⠂¬  â€Å"Is there a reasonable reason? † â€Å"If so, is there better ways to solve this? † There is a better way to solve this, you can let the deer regulate themselves it might be painful but it is life. Killing does not resolve anything at all. It just makes the situation worse. People who believe killing deer helps, sad for you studies show it does not.Hunting deer is meaningless and disastrous in overpopulation and unjust to those who suffer. When citizens do this every single deer counts and will affect the future. â€Å"In which way will it affect the future? † It is not known at the moment all that is known is that we may still have the chance to make a difference in this struggling world that we live in today. However, if this continues without help from you, then believe it or not but deer will become endangered species, or worse extinct.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Nursing Research Utilization Project: Section C Essay

Several articles have been reviewed as a research base for this project. Identification of appropriate research is critical to the successful implementation of nurse-led evidence-based practice protocols. Each article was carefully selected for what it could contribute to the quality of the project. Using the evidence in this research will help with the development of an implementation plan. Article #1 Adams, D., Bucior, H., & Day, G. (2012, January). HOUDINI: make that urinary catheter disappear-nurse-led protocol. Journal of Infection Prevention, 13, 44-48. This article discusses the use of 7 criteria that must exist in order to keep an indwelling urinary catheter in place. According to Adams (2012), the average daily risk of developing a bacteremia with an indwelling urinary catheter increases by 3%-7% for every additional day the catheter remains indwelling. The study uses the acronym HOUDINI to demonstrate the criteria. The acronym stands for Hematuria, Obstruction, Urologic surgery, Decubitus ulcer, Input and output measurement, Nursing end of life care, and Immobility. In the absence of these aforementioned indications, according to the study, the catheter should be removed to decrease the risk of catheter-associated bacteremia. Article #2 Bernard, M. S., Hunter, K. F., & Moore, K. N. (2012). A Review of Strategies to Decrease the Duration of Indwelling Urethral Catheters and Potentially Reduce the Incidence of Catheter- Associated Urinary Tract Infections. Urologic Nursing, 32(1), 29-37. This article discussed different strategies to decrease the incidence of indwelling urinary  catheter times. It was a retrospective study that analyzed data obtained from hospital databases. The study supports nurse-led or electronic chart reminders every 24 hours to assess the need for indwelling urinary catheters on a daily basis. The conclusion lists timely removal as one of the main factors affecting the incidence of CAUTI. Article #3 Clarke, K., Tong, D., Pan, Y., Easley, K., Norrick, B., Ko, C., & †¦ Stein, J. (2013). Reduction in catheter-associated urinary tract infections by bundling interventions. International Journal For Quality In Health Care: Journal Of The International Society For Quality In Health Care / Isqua,25(1), 43-49. doi:10.1093/intqhc/mzs077 This article reviews the affect on incidence of CAUTI by bundling interventions. Also a retrospective study, this research reviewed the effectiveness of bundling four interventions for patients with indwelling urinary catheters. The bundle consisted of 1) Using a silver alloy impregnated catheter 2) Using a securement device to limit the catheter movement 3) Repositioning of the catheter tubing if it was found to be kinked or on the floor 4) Prompt removal of the catheter on post operative day one or two. Implementing this bundle of care for patients resulted in a significant decrease in CAUTI for these study participants. Pre implementation of the bu ndle the CAUTI incidence rate was 5.2/1000. Seven months post implementation the CAUTI incidence rate was 1.5/1000. The authors have proven with statistical significance that the four-intervention bundle will be successful in reducing the incidence rate of CAUTI in indwelling urinary catheter patients. Article #4 Levers, H. (2014). Switching to an antimicrobial solution for skin cleansing before urinary catheterisation. British Journal Of Community Nursing, 19(2), 66-71. This study suggests that switching to an antimicrobial cleaning solution for the area prior to insertion of a urinary catheter will reduce the incidence of CAUTI. The research recommended using Octenilin solution for cleansing the meatus prior to catheterization. The case studies are ongoing and no results were mentioned in the study except for to say the change was cost neutral and the practice change is promising. This study failed to show a statistically significant decrease in CAUTI post  implementation. Article #5 Meddings, J. A., Reichert, H., Rogers, M. M., Saint, S., Stephansky, J., & McMahon Jr., L. F. (2012). Effect of Nonpayment for Hospital-Acquired, Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infection. Annals Of Internal Medicine, 157(5), 305-312. This study reviewed the Centers for Medicare Services (CMS) recent (2008) initiative to hold or eliminate reimbursement for costs associated with hospital acquired CAUTI. This study alluded to the misuse of coding in failing to identify CAUTI when it actually did exist, therefore claiming the financial impact on health care organizations is low for non-payment of hospital acquired CAUTI. Even when the researchers included all urinary tract infections catheter associated and otherwise, the loss of reimbursement to healthcare organizations would have been less than 1% due to improper coding. Conclusion In conclusion, the prevalence and incidence of CAUTI is affected by many factors. First health care workers need to be aware of the significance of CAUTI and be compliant with new practice guidelines to decrease risk. Second, adherence to inclusion criteria for indwelling urinary catheters and their placement using the HOUDINI protocol (Adams, Bucior, & Rimmell, 2012). Lastly, implementation of a bladder bundle to decrease the incidence of hospital acquired CAUTI. Each factor focuses on a unique evidence-based prevention, reduction, or eradication strategy to address the problem of CAUTI. Health care workers, who possess an awareness of the need to decrease this preventable infection, will add to the forward trajectory of solving this problem, and implementing this project. References Adams, D., Bucior, H., & Day, G. (2012, January). HOUDINI: make that urinary catheter disappear-nurse-led protocol. Journal of Infection Prevention, 13, 44-48. Bernard, M. S., Hunter, K. F., & Moore, K. N. (2012). A Review of Strategies to Decrease the Duration of Indwelling Urethral Catheters and Potentially Reduce the Incidence of Catheter- Associated Urinary Tract Infections. Urologic Nursing, 32(1), 29-37. Clarke, K., Tong, D., Pan, Y., Easley, K., Norrick, B., Ko, C., & †¦ Stein, J. (2013). Reduction in catheter-associated urinary tract infections by bundling interventions. International Journal For Quality In Health Care: Journal Of The International Society For Quality In Health Care / Isqua,25(1), 43-49. doi:10.1093/intqhc/mzs077 Levers, H. (2014). Switching to an antimicrobial solution for skin cleansing before urinary catheterisation. British Journal Of Community Nursing, 19(2), 66-71. Meddings, J. A., Reichert, H., Rogers, M. M., Saint, S., Stephansky, J., & McMahon Jr., L. F. (2012). Effect of Nonpayment for Hospital-Acquired, Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infection. Annals Of Internal Medicine, 157(5), 305-312.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Labour markets Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Labour markets - Essay Example The three pillars of the agenda of the organisation include the intension of making the future work satisfactory for the employees, to keep up with the changes in the cultural background and the attitudes of the employees working in the multicultural organisations of the globalised world, as well as to make a free flowing culture in the place of work where the organisation is established. The theme of improving the quality of work life is a widely discussed topic since a long time. This report aims at providing a critical analysis of the various issues that are of concern to the human resource managers. In the initial part of the report a literature review has been done to highlight the issues that have been addressed in the international literature. The main section of the essay deals with multitude of questions including the extent to which the goals are important for the relationships of employer-employee in the different cases, the procedure of achievement of such goals as well a s the problems that may crop up in the scenario of the present day labour market. Scholarly resources like books, journals as well relevant websites have been consulted to conduct a review of the literature that have been written on this topic as well as the critical analysis on this question. Literature Review This section of the literature review is an attempt to link the three main aspects of work life balance which includes the work that the person does the workforce in the organisation and the place of work of the employees involved. It is essential for every organisation to have a proper balance between family and work which otherwise would give rise to issues of conflict according to Greenhaus and Beutell (Greenhaus and Beutell, 1985, pp. 76-88). The environment at work affects the performance health of the employees. There is a high correlation between the work units and the effectiveness of the work systems in which employees perform. Each department in an organisation comp rise of teams and the performance of the teams in a collective manner contributes to the total productivity of the organisations. Thus the performance of the teams is extremely important from the point of view of the organisation. It has been observed through various works of research that the sum of the performances of the individuals would be less than that which would be contributed by an entire team (Parker, 1990, pp. 63-86). Hence the commitment and dedication of the team are important for the growth of the organisation and the progress of the employees. Researchers have made studies regarding the work hours of the individual employees, the level of job satisfaction, the health and the well-being of the employees. It has been found that all these factors have a direct correlation with the level of performance of the employees and the way they are committed to the work they have been assigned. The business processes are directly linked with the work life that the employees have. It has been found that the people who work in organisations which guarantee a good work life balance are more involved in the work at office (Williams and Adam-Smith, 2010, pp. 26-49). The diversity and flexibility in the organisation culture make the workplace conducive for the employees. A flexible workplace has a major role to

Friday, September 27, 2019

The Concept of Volunteering Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Concept of Volunteering - Essay Example It is therefore a common affair for both organizations and individuals to volunteer. In another respect, volunteering is normally practiced as a way of developing skills, making fun or simply socializing. In the job market, many people are normally seen to volunteer their services in order to make contacts that might be crucial in getting a job (Falk, 2004, pp23-29). Volunteering normally involves a number of ways and can be conducted by basically everyone using their own skills or competencies. In most cases, volunteers work in the areas where they are trained. In this regard, it is common to find volunteers in medicine, education, and in the provision of emergency services. In the same way, other volunteers usually serve where their services are needed urgently such as in emergencies. Volunteering will normally take different forms in the present world. Skills-based volunteering is very common and involves improving the specialized skills of individuals and organizations in improvi ng the infrastructure of nonprofits (Field, 2003, pp.78-85). It is basically different from the traditional volunteering which does not really require the use of specialized skills. Volunteering is also quite common in the developing countries whereby needy communities are assisted on various ways in improving their welfare. The third world is a good destination for most volunteers who usually work in the schools, orphanages and other resource centers where they provide some of the basic services needed by the communities. In this regard, volunteering is presently viewed as a form of international community service involving various developmental activities geared towards the needy societies across the world (Matheson, 2004, pp.28). In a world where environmental conservation has become one of the core concerns, much voluntary work is presently targeted towards managing and conserving the environment. Many volunteers are therefore involved in a wide range of activities targeted at e cological restoration, environmental monitoring and other activities geared towards the environment (Maslow, 1970). Voluntary work normally plays major role in addressing some of the common emergencies and situations realized across the world. For instance most of the recovery efforts normally require a lot of labour and personnel which is very difficult to realize. In this regard, voluntary work plays a major role. Disasters such as floods and earthquakes are therefore better addressed through voluntary efforts across the world. There are many non-governmental organizations which are involved in voluntary work and conduct their activities across the world. Most of these non-governmental agencies work in collaboration with government agencies and other UN aid agencies (Halpern, 2004. pp123). The concept of corporate volunteering is very popular with most successful companies across the world. In this case, the companies normally allow their employees to conduct voluntary activities during work hours. Most of these activities are part of the corporate social responsibility programs which are part and parcel of the activities of the organization (Bridge, Murtagh, & O’Neill, 2009. pp 85).  Ã‚  

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Giant Car case Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Giant Car case - Essay Example In the current case the other elements, intention to create legal relations and consideration, are not in question, but the element of offer and acceptance is. In this respect, it is significant to show first that there was a valid offer and secondly that the offer was accepted. In order to form a contract, the parties involved must reach a mutual consent or meeting of minds. This mutual consent is attained through offer and acceptance that does not alter the terms of the offer.1 The rule applicable in determining if there is mutual consent is the application of the mirror image rule. The rule dictates that an offer must be accepted without altering the terms of the offer. An alteration of the terms of the offer amounts to a counter offer and cancels the initial offer. Lord Langdale in Hyde v Wrench2 ruled that a counter offer acts to cancel the initial offer. In this case, Wrench offered to sell Hyde a farm for ?1,000. Hyde in reply to this offer offered ?950 for the farm which Wren ch refused. Hyde thereafter wanted to accept the initial offer of ?1,000. Wrench refused to sell him the land and Hyde brought an action for specific performance. The question before the court was whether a valid contract between Hyde and Wrench existed. In deciding that there was no legally binding contract, the court noted that when a counter offer is made this offer destroys the initial offer such that the initial offer is no longer open to be accepted by the offeree. ... Additionally, these responses may deal with other issues rather than substitute the original terms of the offer.3 Their language can also manifest an intention to retain the initial offer under consideration, and they should not be considered counter offers. A mere inquiry on the offer does not constitute a counter offer Stevenson v McLean4. In this case, McLean wrote to Stevenson on Saturday with an offer to sell iron ore. The letter indicated that McLean would sell the ore for 40s in cash, and the offer was to remain open till Monday. On Monday Stevenson telegraphed McLean asking if he would accept 40 for delivery over two months and if that was not possible the longest period that was acceptable. McLean later sold the iron ore to a third party after receiving the telegram from Stevenson. McLean later sent a telegram to Stevenson that he had sold the Iron ore, but Stevenson had telegraphed Mclean accepting his offer prior to receiving the telegram indicating the ore was already sol d. The question was whether the telegram sent by Stevenson was counter offer or a mere inquiry to the original offer. In arriving at its decision, the court observed that the wording in the communication did not include anything specific to infer a rejection but was a mere inquiry which ought to have been answered and not considered a rejection of the offer.5 It is, therefore, essential to note that in order to distinguish between an inquiry and a counter offer it is prudent to look at the details of the communication. A counter offer varies the terms of the original offer while an inquiry does not vary these terms. In Simon's case, his communication that he would buy the car at ?5,500 was a counter offer to the

The importance of family through crises Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The importance of family through crises - Essay Example Her Graphic novel Persepolis brings out a clear picture of the revolutions that took place in Iran when she was young and how it had negative impact to the population. During the revolution the populations experienced inhuman treatment and torture from the shah regime. As a result, majority of the people lost their lives in their own mother land due to ruthless treatment and persecution that was the order of the day. The narrator of the novel is much interested in history of Iran and what might have led to the persistent wars and struggles. In this case she much concentrates on the revolutions and the main agents of the revolutions. At her tender age, she does not understand the reason why the Iranian women put on veil and the reason why her country does not permit the adoption of western cultures and ideas. This comes at a time whereby the government demands each and every female head should put on a veil as a sign of respect to the Islamic culture (Satrapi, 2007) The story depicts the character trait of people who surround her. For instance, her mother is portrayed as a good advocate for the rights of women and the guardian of the revolution. Through the crises she join strong forces to ban the forcefully imposition of women to put on veil. As an activist she clearly understands her rights and in this case she does not allow to be intimidated by the Islamic laws. Marjane father is portrayed as a caring father. He stands out as a strong contender of the freedom of individuals supporting his family all through. He respects the decisions made by her daughter and promotes her liberty. As the story continues we learn that even though Marjane father comes out to be liberal, she points out that he did not have much influence to her life. In this case she owns much to her uncle and her grandmother. Marjane grandmother is also a caring woman as depicted throughout in the novel. The novel depicts several crises that revolve around Iranian community. Throughout the cris es Marjane family is able to stand up and defend their rights. Her close relation with her parents created in her the ability to air out her voice in tough circumstances. Her ideas and concepts about religion are shaped up by her parents who even give her the freedom to freely participate in social activities with her friends. She attends a school where there is separation of sexes in the essence that girls and boys are not allowed to mingle freely as this is against the Islamic faith. Her parents turn out to be great supporters of liberty and education this is evidently seen when they send their daughter to go and study abroad even after she is expelled from her home school. They place much emphasizes on the importance of education throughout Marijane life, his further supports her idea of marriage even though he knew it was not going to work. In this case they give her liberty to make her own decision so as to learn from her own experience. The family in this concept comes out as a source of comfort and support throughout the life of the narrator. This support is very essential in the sense that it gives an individual the ability to know how to address and deal with conflict. The family has molded her in such a way that she can stand up and defend her rights. In the novel it is depicted that her values clash with the values of the society. For instance, she has a own rules, wears chains to school and even smoke all these are against Iranian religion and culture. Her

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

The bridge Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The bridge - Essay Example Millennium Bridge was designed to carry large load and a degree of structure’s movement was expected and taken into account. However, after about 80Â  000 people crossed it on the opening day, some vibration was detected. The bridge began to sway sideways noticeably, and the movement became so strong that people could not walk steady any more; many had to cling to the sides of the bridge to maintain balance. The phenomenon of bridge sideways movement is not unique to the Millennium Bridge only. There were other structures, completely different from the given bridge that, to a various degree, suffered the same effect. However, those cases have not been widely publicized, thus the phenomenon, known as Synchronous Lateral Excitation, was not anticipated and has not been given enough attention by bridge engineers. When people walk they have a natural sway motion. This very motion causes small regular vibrations, which, as the result of chance correlation, generated slight lateral movement of the bridge. When that happened, pedestrians instinctively adjusted and synchronized their motion with bridge’s movement to counteract the effect and to walk more comfortably.

Monday, September 23, 2019

Awareness movie Solving Educational behaviors problem in intermediate Thesis Proposal

Awareness movie Solving Educational behaviors problem in intermediate schools by using 2d animation - Thesis Proposal Example In essence, if the wrong educational behaviors among students can be dealt with, students will be saved from bad influence. There are some of the educational malpractices that can be alleviated through animation and youtube movies as a tool of demonstration where students are left to make their own conclusions. The impact of new media on the third world countries has been debated for long. Boyd and Straubhaar (1985) established that new media such as video cassettes recorders had a significant behavioral influence on youths in the third world countries, and this hypothesis was supported by a study carried out by Greeson and Williams in 1986. In the same line of thought, Zimam (2008) conducted a study on new communication and established that it has impacted on the education of teenagers. Toda and Ezoe (2008) further established that internet on mobile phones had impacted greatly on female students and on the role of parents in guiding the attitudes of their children. With the proven negative impact on teenagers, this literature sets a background for a call for quick sustainable intervention. On alcohol influence, Sargent et al. (2006) agree that motion pictures encourage schooling teenagers to start drinking early. On smoking and drinking, Dalton et al. (2006), Hanewinkel et al. (2008a) and Hanewinkel et al. (2008b) agree that movie viewing on whatever channel, youtube, cinema and television expose teenagers to smoking and alcohol misuse behavior. On sexual behavior, mass media is analyzed by Brown et al. (2005), Hawk et al (2006) and Brown et al. (2006), and they contend that movies, music and television as the ones viewed from youtube and other channels influence sexual behavior among teenagers. In another study by Hawk et al. (2006), the researchers agree with findings of Calfin et al (1993) where music and video were found to greatly influence teenagers to

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Think and Grow Rich Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Think and Grow Rich - Essay Example According to the research findings general or specialised knowledge cannot be weighed in the scale of monetary achievements. The worth of knowledge should not be quantified in terms of money. For example, let us compare two students who have done post-graduation in Economics that is to say they have specialised knowledge of Economics. Is it correct to assume that they should earn equal amount of money, just because their level of education is equal? One of them may choose to join the banking industry and the other one may prefer the teaching job. There can be substantial difference in their monthly compensation. On this count, it is incorrect to draw the conclusion that the banking job is better than the teaching job. The inclination of an individual to take up the job and one’s internal satisfaction has lots of significance. Acquisition of knowledge, aggrandisement and accumulation of wealth cannot be weighed in the same scale. Hill argues that â€Å"knowledge will not attra ct money, unless it is organised, and intelligently directed, through practical plans of action to the definite end of accumulation of money.† Now, who said knowledge has to attract money? An individual with absolutely no skill may suddenly become a rich on winning a lottery. Acquisition of knowledge and acquisition of wealth need to be understood in the correct perspective. They are two independent propositions and need not have beneficial influence on each other in all contexts. 3. With the second part of the quote, â€Å"An educated man is one who has so developed the faculties of his mind that he may acquire anything he wants, or its equivalent, without violating the rights of others," Hill hits the mark. For example one can earn money with hard work. But this is a limited and restrictive approach. One can earn more money by working intelligently, meaning thereby by directing men under him to work by applying certain methods and procedures of work and just involve in the supervision part of it. Such an individual is working in principle, without actually working, because directing and inspiring others to work and earn profits is also part of the work. Knowledge need not be in the possession of the man who accumulates the fortune. For example a contractor’s knowledge is in getting the assignment of contract done through may be hundreds or thousands of workers he employs for the purpose in view. He does not do the work by himself nor is it possible to do and complete such a herculean task by one’s own physical efforts. Certain candidates are being interviewed for the post of Human Resources Development Manager. Questions like, â€Å"Who is the Finance Minister of Pakistan?† â€Å"Who is the Commander-in-Chief of the Army in Iran?† â€Å"Who is the Governor of Reserve Bank of India† are asked to the candidates and the Chairman of the Board of Selection expresses poor opinion of the candidates when they fail to answer such questions. In fact, why should the candidates know the answer to such silly questions? If by chance, one of the candidates answers one or two questions

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Creative Story Essay Example for Free

Creative Story Essay Invasion is more harmful to a country than we really understand. Occupation or invasion is a foreign concept to all of us. Living on the other side of the world that doesn’t go through such agony, we don’t tend to understand how it feels to live under military occupation. The proper definition of an occupation is when a foreign army occupies your land, physically and controls your life. What are the consequences of this? Well, this leads to the country being ruled by violence rather than a systematic order of government they were promised. People who will oppose this invasion will fight the authorities in the form of protests, bombs etc. This will result in innocence lives being lost both on their side and our soliders . This will also emotionally affect the families of the soldiers. So, we can see that an occupation can affect both the people of that country and the people of the country that invades it. In addition the violence will make every citizen feel unsafe in their own homes. Imagine living everyday with the fear of being bombed any time. In Iraq, a family was forced out of their home by the military. When the husband protested, he was thrown into jail. The wife and the children were left to live on the streets. One of her daughters attempted to hang herself because she couldn’t tolerate living in the sun anymore. These are people just like us, they don’t deserve to live like this. It is selfish to occupy other countries so we can stay safe in ours.

Friday, September 20, 2019

The Low Cost Airline Air Asia

The Low Cost Airline Air Asia The low-cost concept became a moneymaker in the United States, where it was pioneered in the 1970s by Southwest Airlines, the model for budget carriers elsewhere like Ryanair and easyJet in Europe. Definition of low cost airlines A low cost airline generally has many features that differentiate it from the traditional carriers. These features include ticketless travel, online ticket sales, no international offices, no frequent flyer points, no free food and beverages, no inflight magazines, no club lounges, use of secondary city airports. Not all low cost airlines have these features, and not all airlines that have some of these features are low cost airlines. For example, Virgin Express is a low cost airline, but it still offers complimentary coffee and inflight magazine, and they are based at Brussels primary airport. Case Study-AirAsia Story of AirAsia Air Asia, as the second Malaysian National Airline, provides a totally different type of service in line with the nations aspirations to benefit all citizens and worldwide travellers. Such service takes the form of a no frills low airfares flight offering, 40%-60% lower than what is currently offered in this part of Asia. Their vision is Now Everyone Can Fly and their mission is to provide Affordable Airfares without any compromise to Flight Safety Standards. The story of emergence of AirAsia is similar to Ryanair, since both carriers underwent a remarkable transformation from a money-losing regional operator to a profitable, low cost airline. AirAsia was initially launched in 1996 as a full-service regional airline offering slightly cheaper fares than its main competitor, Malaysia Airlines. Before 2001, AirAsia fail to either sufficiently stimulate the market or attract enough passengers from Malaysia Airlines to establish its own niche market. The turnaround point of AisAsia is in 2001, while it was up to sale and bought by Tony Fernandes. Tony Fernandes then enrolled some of the lending low-cost airline experts to restructure AirAsias business model. He invited Connor McCarthy, the former director of group operation of Ryanair, to join the executive team. In late 2001, AirAsia was re-launched in Malaysia as a trendy, no-frills operation with three B737 aircraft as a low-fare, low-cost domestic airline. Opportunities faced by AirAsia in light of external development Low fare of Indonesia-Malaysia trip The fare for a Jakarta-Johor Baru trip costs Rp 100,000 (RM 88.88 one way). And charge Rp 150,000 for a Bandung-Kuala Lumpur flight, and Rp 300,000 for a Surabaya-Kuala Lumpur trip, whereas a Jakarta-Kuala Lumpur air ticket from Malaysia Airlines available at travel agents cost Rp 1.4 million. Meanwhile, Lion Air on the same route, charged Rp 1.05 million. The low fare provided by AirAsia helps it open the Indonesia market. Low fare of Singapore-Bangkok service AirAsia will increase its services between Singapore Bangkok by introducing a 2nd daily flight to its existing schedule. This recent development came barely a month after Thai AirAsia operations started its first international flight to Singapore in early February this year. AirAsia is offering its guests promotional fares to/from Singapore- Bangkok from SGD$23.99 (THB 499) one way from the 28th March to 30th Oct, 2004. It is much lower than the lowest fare SGD$56 offered by full-service carrier. This helps it open the Singapore market. Political connections AirAsia hold 49% of Thai AirAsia with 1% being held by a Thai individual. The remaining 50% is held by Shin Corp. which is owned by the family of Thailands prime minister, Thaksin Shinawatra. Shin Corp. has financial strength, synergy in ingormation technology and telecommunications, which support AirAsia Internet and mobile phone bookings. Shin Corp. allows subscribers of the Shin mobile phone flagship, Advanced Information Service, being able to reserve tickets through its short-messaging service (SMS). AirAsia with its politically powerful backer may well grow up to bite. This helps it open the Thailand market. Malaysian government support The Malaysian government supported the establishment of AirAsia in 2001 to help boost the under-used Kuala Lumpur International Airport. AirAsias flights from Senai are meant to develop Johor into a transport hub to rival Singapore. AirAsia, therefore, can provide an alternative route to travel to Bangkok, by using Senai Airport in Johor Bahru, in southern Malaysia. Opportunities faced by AirAsia in light of internal development Issue of IPO Kamarudin Meranun, AirAsias Executive Director announced the appointment of Credit Suisse First Boston (CSFB) and RHB Sakura Merchant Bankers (RHB) as the bookrunners for the companys upcoming Initial Public Offering (IPO). The IPO strengthens AirAsia balance sheet, further cuts its existing low costs at 2.5 US cents per ASK and accelerates our growth plans throughout Asia. The IPO also allows AirAsia to expand its fleet of 18 Boeing 737-300s. Political connections Thai AirAsia is a join venture established by AirAsia with Shin Corp. Shin Corp. is owned by the family of Thailands prime minister, Thaksin Shinawatra, and about 900 million baht will be invested in Thai AirAsia over a five-year period. Shin Corp. oversees the finance and administration of Thai AirAsia while AirAsia shoulders the responsibility for marketing and operations. Shin Corp. has financial strength and supports AirAsia to grow. AirAsia with its politically powerful backer may well grow up to bite. Challenges faced by AirAsia in light of external development Indonesian habit Preferences of Indonesian passengers are quite different from the concept of cheap air travel without extra service for the passengers (free snacks and drinks), and also their reluctance to bring light baggage. AirAsia prefers passengers with very light and minimum baggage. If this is the case, it may not last long. But Indonesian domestic airline companies are able to provide value-added extras like food and beverages as part of their service to the passengers, although at a relatively higher cost. The comparative edge of Indonesian domestic airline companies compared to AirAsia concerns habit (culture). Furthermore, Indonesian domestic airlines were already trained with the low-cost air travel concept, known as tariff war. They have proved themselves as immune, and managed to survive. Last but not least, the Indonesian government or domestic airline companies had never announced the availability of a low-cost airline company of the country. All these affect AirAsia growth in Indonesia. Singapore government rejection Initially, AirAsia wanted to start flights from the southern state of Johor, near Singapore, it hoped to attract passengers by running a convenient bus service to the city-state. However, Singapore quickly quashed that idea. The Singapore government said it would not approve a bus link for AirAsia because it was not in her national interest, reflecting fears that Singapores Changi airport would lose business to Johors new Senai airport. This makes AirAsia cannot abandon the use of Changi airport, and therefore suffer from a higher cost. This is because AirAsia flying to Singapore needs to suffer from flight congestion of Changi. Changi has drawbacks of flight congestion that could prevent the quick turnarounds essential to keeping down costs. AirAsia finds it stuck between big planes and circling to wait for a slot to open up, which means extra fuel costs. Moreover, the SGD$21 departure and security tax of Changi is too high for AirAsia low-cost operation. AirAsia had asked the Singapore government to waive the fees, however, a request that was not only rejected but also criticized. Besides Singapore Bangkok, AirAsia now provides an alternative route to travel to Bangkok, by using Senai Airport in Johor Bahru, in southern Malaysia. Seeking to cater to the different markets, fares for Johor Bahru- Bangkok are generally 20 % lower in comparison to Singapore Bangkok. AirAsia currently operate daily flights to Bangkok from Johor Bahru. However, the choice proved unpopular, as the route failed to attract Singaporeans because of the additional cost and inconvenience of having to travel in and out of Malaysia by road. All these affect AirAsia external growth. Minimum air-fare rates AirAsia faces challenges finding open takeoff and landing slots at opportune times, and Thailands regulation that sets minimum air-fare rates. Although Transport Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit said the current minimum air-fare regulations will be scrapped to open up the market, he couldnt name a date when this will be done. This seems to be favoritism toward Thai Airways Internationals domestic operations, and affects Thai AirAsia to compete in the Thailand market. External Changes which have impact on AirAsia Asias middle class growth Low cost airlines are anticipated to have greater potential in Asia as there are many Asian cities with a population above one million people each as well as a rising middle class population. This growth of middle class in Asia provides a huge market potential for AirAsia to grow. However, as the market is becoming larger, more airlines or new comers would like to get a piece of the action. For example, Budget airlines, it is estimated, will capture at least 25% of Asias air travel market within next 10 years and a lot of that will be new, not diverted, traffic. Therefore, AirAsia will face more competitions at the same time. Besides the low cost airlines, AirAsia still needs to compete with the conventional carriers. Although extra passengers of the low cost airlines will be coming from the new demand to be created by the low fares, the growth may not be entirely stolen from big flag carriers. Actions of Changi and nearby airports The growth of low cost airlines in south-east Asia has a significant effect on which airports will dominate the regional aviation market. Low cost airlines are seen as helping funnel more passengers to airport hubs. Therefore, there is a realization among regional governments that they need smashing airports and feisty carriers or they are going to miss out big time. Therefore, these governments are more willing to support low cost airlines. For example, the Malaysian government supported the establishment of AirAsian in 2001 to help boost the under-used Kuala Lumpur International Airport, and Thai premiers Shin Corp. forms a join venture with AirAsia that would benefit Bangkoks new airport and create a new hub at Chiang Mai. Therefore, under this situation, it helps AirAsia grow in Asia. Moreover, as there is a growth of several south-east Asian airports, this poses a challenge to the status of Singapores Changi airport as a regional aviation hub. These airports include Johors new Senai airport in southern Malaysia, Bangkoks new Suvarnabhumi airport which will be able to handle 45 million passengers when it opens in 2005, Bangkok Don Muang which recently overtook Changi in passenger numbers, etc. To maintain Changis position as the air hub in the region, Singapore is proposing a budget airline terminal at Changi by 2005 and lower passenger taxes to attract low cost airlines. This helps AirAsia grow and lower the cost. Actions of existing airlines The existing airlines in south-east Asia have several actions to compete with AirAsia, for example, some have launched a low cost airline to fight with AirAsia. Singapore Airlines launched a low cost airline subsidiary, Tiger Airways, in the second half of 2003, only months after the scheduled launch of ValuAir set up by one of its former executives. Orient Thai Airlines launched a new low cost airline subsidiary, One-To-Go. One-To-Go operates with a fleet of six Boeing 757-200s and match any fares that Thai AirAsia offers. Thai Airways have frequency and capacity to offer to their 13 domestic destinations. They also have, during the past two years, worked to improve operational efficiency, slashing unprofitable domestic routes, increasing flights on busy routes, strengthening yield management and controlling costs. All these make AirAsia face a huge competition. Critical success factors in the Low cost airlines in Asia Reduction in operational cost Low cost airlines strive to achieve the lowest possible price for their products and services. Low prices cannot sustain unless the company maximizes its operational efficiency. The success factors of Asian low cost airlines in reducing their operational cost include: Service savings (no frills cabin service and extensive use of outsourcing) NO-frills include: NO drinks, NO food, NO headphones, NO newspapers, NO movies, NO VIP lounges, NO expensive offices, NO mileage programs, NO seat allocation, NO childrens fares, NO paper tickets (Electronic tickets only), NO connecting flights (All flight-legs must be booked independently) Operational savings (point-to-point services and uniform fleet) Overhead savings (internet sales and streamlined bureaucracy) We can compare the operational cost in terms of costs per available seat kilometer (ASK), a measure of the running cost of the airline. For instance, Ryanair in Europe is almost half of the ASK price comparing with the full services airline. The average fare offered by Air Asia in Malaysia is 40-60 % lower than its full-service competitor. Competitive Ticket price against traditional full-service airline Low cost airlines begins with two initial cost advantages arising from the very nature of their operation: higher seating density and higher daily aircraft utilization. By removing business class and reconfiguring their aircraft, low cost airlines can increase the number of seats on their aircraft. Seat pitch of a low cost airline is usually 28 inches, compared to a traditional conventional economy class pitch with 32 inches. Doganis (2001) calculates that should be able to operate at seat cost that are only 40-50 % those of mainline rival. Combining the load factor benefit and beneficial distribution cost, low cost airlines cost per passenger can reduce price by one-third of conventional airline. Flying out of secondary airports Many low-cost airlines keep expenses down by flying out of secondary airports, avoiding major hubs where takeoff and landing fees are much higher while still getting passengers close enough to their destinations. The travel distance is short As the routes offered by low cost airlines are mainly short, domestic routes which may only take one to two hours, travellers might be fine with no amenities on flights Success factors in AirAsia Absolute Cost Advantage Low cost per average seat kilometer AirAsia focused on ensuring a competitive cost structure as its main business strategy. It has been able to achieve a cost per average seat kilometer (ASK) of 2.5 cents, half that of Malaysia Airlines and Ryanair and a third that of EasyJet. AirAsia can lease the B737-300s aircraft at a very competitive market rates due to the harsh global market conditions for the second-hand aircrafts because of the September 11th event in 2001. On the other hand, the operating cost of the company is also dropped drastically. Low distribution cost AirAsia focus on Internet bookings and ticketless travel allowed it to lower the distribution cost. Attractive ticket price With the average fare being 40-60 % lower than its full-service competitor, AirAsia has been able to achieve strong market stimulation in the domestic Malaysian air market (Thomas 2003). For instance, the fare for the trip from Kuala Lumpur to Penang on AirAsia starts from 39 ringgit. Comparing to trip by bus charge 40 ringgit and 80 ringgit by car. The effect of attractive low fare is more travelers switching from bus to air, similar case as Ryanair in Europe. Good Management Team AirAsia value proposition is more sophisticated than Ryanair placing equal emphasis on brand reputation and customer service/people management, by a senior advisor to AisAsias top management team. AirAsia pursue a Ryanair operational strategy, Southwest people strategy and an Easyjet branding strategy. Weakness Fair availability The availability of AirAsia is not good as traditional airline as it only provide unique aircraft. However, it cannot be the cost leader if it offers customized features or comprehensive support which will result in increasing operational cost. However, focus on a specific customer may avoid straddling. Case of straddling A Japanese low cost airline, Skymark, trying to be everything to everyone targeting the broader customer and offering limited special features (satellite TV, Business class and charter operations). The result is failing to both cost efficient and price competitive rendering it vulnerable to market forces and customer demand (porter1996; Lawton 1999). Major strategic directions recommended Open more Asian market Low cost airlines are anticipated to have greater potential in Asia as there are many Asian cities with a population above one million people each as well as a rising middle class population. It is time for AirAsia to exploit the potentials of affordable air travel by Asias growing middle class. Besides starting services to the Pearl River Delta in south China in 2004, AirAsia can expend its services to the coastal cities in China. Besides the growth of Asian middle class, the liberalization of aviation sector of India is another reason for AirAsia to open more Asian market. The Indian government has liberalized the aviation sector long dominated by the national carriers. Now, only a few low cost airlines, e.g. Air Deccan, Airone Feeder Airline Pvt Ltd, Crescent Air, have launched their services there. Moreover, the national carriers, Indian Airlines or Air India, despite their domination of the Indian skies, do not seem to be much interested in operating low-cost services. Therefore, it is a good chance for AirAsia to open the Indian market. Join venture with Virgin Group AirAsia should put more effort to set up a pan-Asian low cost airline with Virgin Blue, which is a low cost carrier of Virgin Group serving Australia and New Zealand mainly. Virgin Blue has suggested it may extend services to south-east Asia. Therefore, setting up a join venture with Virgin Blue can help AirAsia to grow in Asia even further, and help Virgin Blue to extend services to south-east Asia. Recommendations to maximize competitive advandages of AirAsia 1. Enforce Political advantages AirAsia established a join venture, Thai AirAsia with Shin Corp. Shin Corp. is owned by the family of Thailands prime minister, Thaksin Shinawatra, and about 900 million baht will be invested in Thai AirAsia over a five-year period. Shin Corp. has financial strength, synergy in ingormation technology and telecommunications, which support AirAsia to grow in Thailand. AirAsia with its politically powerful backer can well grow up to bite, and therefore it should enforce such political advantages in order to extend the growth in Thailand. Furthermore, AirAsia should use its Thai subsidiary, Thai AirAsia, to claim the use of Thailands open skies agreements to fly to Singapore, Brunei and Cambodia, overcoming the barrier of bilateral aviation pacts that threatened to limit its growth. Induction of smart cards AirAsia can issue a smart card which is compatible with the existing ticketless booking. It can offer 2 kinds of smart cards. The first kind of smart card, aimed at ordinary travellers, will offer instant rewards when topped up, offering greater value than its purchase price. For example a Bt5,000 card may be worth Bt5,500. The card can also be used by other people with the same family name as the cardholder. The second kind of smart card will offer unlimited travel for frequent flyers. Priced provisionally at Bt20,000, cardholders will be allowed make as many trips as they want within a specified period. Conclusion A study by the Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation (2002) confirms that Asia continues to offer attractive conditions for the air transportation industry. With thirteen out of worlds top twenty-five major urban centres located in the Asia Pacific region and a rapidly increasing urbanization trends, the Asian air travel market is bound to continue to grow. Urbanization is highlighted as one of the key drivers for the growth in air travel. It is estimated that Asia would account for 30% of the world market by 2019, or one third of growth between now and then. While the impact of SARS is going to slow down the growth of Asian regional demand, the long-run forecast continues to be very positive. These enable low cost airlines to grow even further.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Burnout, contributing factor and how it relates to job performance Essa

In the recent years, organizations have paid extra attention to employee stress and its effect on job performance. Burnout, an outcome of stress is known to cause individual, family and organizational problems and health conditions such as insomnia and hypertension. The question many ask is where does it originate from? And, how supported are the employees by the organization? Researchers have attempted to link stress and burnout and its effect on job performance. This research analysis includes different scholarly studies done and that found many contributing factors such as job satisfaction, work and family demands, work environment, and culture. Ivancevich, Konopaske, & Matteson, 2011 defines burnout as a psychological process, brought about by unrelieved work stress that results in emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and feeling of decreased accomplishment. Examples of emotional exhaustion includes; feeling drained by work, fatigue in the morning, frustrated, and do not want to work with others. Depersonalization is when a person has become emotionally hardened by their job, treat others like objects, do not care what happens to them, and feel others blame them. A low feeling of accomplishment also results from burnout. A person is unable to deal with problems effectively, identify or understand others problems, and no longer feel excited by their job. (Ivancevich et al., 2011). Researchers have linked burnout as a contributing factor health conditions such as sleep disturbances, decreased immune system. Professions that are prone to burnout are those who require a great deal of contact and responsibility of other people. Among those professions are teachers, nurses, physicians, social workers, therapists, police, an... ...the country. (Hamwi, et al., 2010). In conclusion, the above research analysis explained many contributing factors to stress and burnout and its effect on performance. As expected from prior studies, job satisfaction has an effect on productivity and/or burnout. Burnout in US nurses has been linked to Philippine nurses, despite a difference in health-care systems. Gender has also proven to be a contributing factor to stress. Women have a significant level of stress compared to men due to additional work of housework and childcare. Women also are linked to low levels of emotional exhaustion with co-worker support. Finally, perception organizational support has been linked to emotional exhaustion, but not solely due to the organization. Hopefully, organizations will continue to adopt stress reducing programs and recognize that it has many contributing factors.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Count Alessandro Volta :: essays research papers

Count Alessandro Volta (1742-1827) Count Alessandro Volta was born in 1745 at Como, Italy. He was educated in public schools and in 1774, he became professor of Physics at the Royal School in Como. The following year he devised the electrophorus, an instrument that produced charges of static electricity. In 1776-1777 he applied himself to chemistry, studying atmospheric electricity and devising experiments such as the ignition of gases by an electric spark in a closed vessel. In 1779 he became professor of physics at the University of Pavia, a chair he occupied for 25 years.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In 1800, Volta discovered the battery by studying earlier experiments. He believed that metals that are different could create electricity when in contact with each other. In his experiment, he stacked copper, zinc and cardboard, which was soaked in salt water. When both ends of the stack were touched, electricity flowed. This was the first battery.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There is not a lot of information on Count Alessandro Volta’s life, but there are records of Napoleon giving him the title of Count in 1801 in gratitude for his inventions that have revolutionized the world of today. The Electric Battery Electricity has fascinated human kind since our ancestors first witnessed lightning. In ancient Greece, Thales observed that an electric charge could be generated by rubbing amber, for which the Greek word is electron. The German physicist Otto von Guericke experimented with generating electricity in 1650, the English physicist Stephen Gray discovered electrical conductivity in 1729, and the American statesman and inventor Benjamin Franklin studied the properties of electricity by conducting his famous experiment of flying a kite with a key attached during electrical storms. However, the first workable device for generating a consistent flow of electricity was invented around 1799 by the Italian inventor Alessandro Volta. Volta’s discovery of a means of converting chemical energy into electrical energy formed the basis for nearly all modern batteries. Beginning his work in 1793, Volta observed the electrical interaction between two different metals submerged near each other in an acidic solution. Count Alessandro Volta :: essays research papers Count Alessandro Volta (1742-1827) Count Alessandro Volta was born in 1745 at Como, Italy. He was educated in public schools and in 1774, he became professor of Physics at the Royal School in Como. The following year he devised the electrophorus, an instrument that produced charges of static electricity. In 1776-1777 he applied himself to chemistry, studying atmospheric electricity and devising experiments such as the ignition of gases by an electric spark in a closed vessel. In 1779 he became professor of physics at the University of Pavia, a chair he occupied for 25 years.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In 1800, Volta discovered the battery by studying earlier experiments. He believed that metals that are different could create electricity when in contact with each other. In his experiment, he stacked copper, zinc and cardboard, which was soaked in salt water. When both ends of the stack were touched, electricity flowed. This was the first battery.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There is not a lot of information on Count Alessandro Volta’s life, but there are records of Napoleon giving him the title of Count in 1801 in gratitude for his inventions that have revolutionized the world of today. The Electric Battery Electricity has fascinated human kind since our ancestors first witnessed lightning. In ancient Greece, Thales observed that an electric charge could be generated by rubbing amber, for which the Greek word is electron. The German physicist Otto von Guericke experimented with generating electricity in 1650, the English physicist Stephen Gray discovered electrical conductivity in 1729, and the American statesman and inventor Benjamin Franklin studied the properties of electricity by conducting his famous experiment of flying a kite with a key attached during electrical storms. However, the first workable device for generating a consistent flow of electricity was invented around 1799 by the Italian inventor Alessandro Volta. Volta’s discovery of a means of converting chemical energy into electrical energy formed the basis for nearly all modern batteries. Beginning his work in 1793, Volta observed the electrical interaction between two different metals submerged near each other in an acidic solution.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, the author, James Thurber, contrasts E

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, the author, James Thurber, contrasts that real life of the character, Walter Mitty, to the fantasy world he has created. Mr. Dykes ========= In the story, "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty," the author, James Thurber, contrasts that real life of the character, Walter Mitty, to the fantasy world he has created. Walter Mitty, unhappy with his everyday life and his nit-picking wife, fades in and out of reality. To escape reality, he envisions himself as a brave, strong hero who is admired by others. His fantasies allow him to escape the boring life he lives. Sparked by events in his real life, his fantasies take him to World War II as a pilot who saves his crew from a severe storm to being a world famous surgeon. The more his wife nags, the more he becomes a victim in his fantasies. He even dreams of being on trial for murder and standing in front of a firing squad, and Walter still stands tall and proud (Thurber). I identify with the character of Walter Mitty very much. I find myself daydreaming all the time. Mitty feels like he...

Major Challenges Before Indian Economy Essay

This report  has been an honest and dedicated attempt to make the analysis on marketing material as authentic as it could. And I earnestly hope that it provides useful and workable information and knowledge to any person reading it. During this period, I had the pleasure of working closely with accomplished organization people who shared with me their experience and helped me in completion of my research. I express my sincere thanks to my project guide Mr. Pranav Nagpurkar Lastly I am grateful to my parents who been my mentors and motivators. I am also thankful to all my batch mates who have been directly or indirectly involved in successful completion of this project. Indian economy is the tenth largest economy in the world by nominal GDP and third largest by purchasing power. India is one of the G-20 major economies and member of BRICS. According to IMF India ranked 134th by nominal GDP on the basis of per capita income in 2012. Its GDP is about $1. 824 trillion and per capita income is about $1491. Its GDP contribution by sector wise is agriculture 17. %, industry 26. 4% and services 56. 4% in 2011. Its population is about 1. 2 billion and labour force is 498. 4 million in 2012. Labour force by occupation: agriculture 52%, industry 14% and services 34%. Unemployement rate in India is 9. 9%. Its investment is about 30% of GDP. Revenue of India is $171. 5 billion and expenditure over $281 billion. It has deficit budget of 5. 6% of the GDP. Main industries are textiles, chemicals, food processing, steel, transportation eq uipment, cement, mining, petroleum, machinery, software, and pharmaceuticals. Its export is about 309. 1 billion and import is about 500. 3 billion. The independence-era Indian economy (from 1947 to 1991) was based on a mixed economy combining features of capitalism and socialism, resulting in an inward-looking, interventionist policies and import-substituting economy that failed to take advantage of the post-war expansion of trade. This model contributed to widespread inefficiencies and corruption, and the failings of this system were due largely to its poor implementation. In 1991, India adopted liberal and free-market oriented principles and liberalized its economy to international trade under the guidance of Manmohan Singh, who then was the Finance Minister of India under the leadership of P. V. Narasimha Rao the then Prime Minister who eliminated License Raj a pre- and post-British Era mechanism of strict government control on setting up new industry. By 2008, India had established itself as one of the world’s fastest growing economies. Growth significantly slowed to 6. % in 2008–09, but subsequently recovered to 7. 4% in 2009–10, while the fiscal deficit rose from 5. 9% to a high 6. 5% during the same period. India’s current account deficit urged to 4. 1% of GDP during Q2 FY11 against 3. 2% the previous quarter. India’s public debt stood at 68. 05% of GDP which is highest among the emerging economies. However, inflation remains stubbornly high with 7. 55% in August 2012, the highest amotrade (counting exports and imports) stands at $ 606. 7 billion and is currently the 9th largest in the world. During 2011–12, India’s foreign trade grew by an impressive 30. 6% to reach $ 792. 3 billion (Exports-38. 33% & Imports-61. 67%). India has the world’s third largest road network, covering more than 4. 3 million kilometers and carrying 60% of freight and 87% of passenger traffic. Indian Railways is the fourth largest rail network in the world, with a track length of 114,500 kilometers. India has 13 major ports, handling a cargo volume of 850 million tonnes in 2010. India has a national teledensity rate of 74. 15% with 926. 3 million telephone subscribers, two-thirds of them in urban areas. But Internet use is rare, with around 13. 3 million broadband lines in India in December 2011. However, this is growing and is expected to boom following the expansion of 3G. * India’s current account deficit- The deficit has increased to a record 5. 6 percent of GDP in 2011-12, far above what the Reserve Bank of India considers to be a sustainable level, namely 2. 5 per cent of GDP. The key reason for the large current account deficit is the trade deficit increasing due to India’s relatively poor competitiveness and high dependence on oil and gold imports, which alone account for virtually half of total imports. Boosting merchandise exports through greater diversification across destinations and products are essential to bridge the trade deficit but this cannot be achieved without boosting labour productivity and enhancing transportation infrastructure, especially ports. With regards to gold, dematerialization, and introduction of inflation linked bonds would help reduce its physical imports of gold. Meanwhile, for oil, achieving greater energy efficiency, aligning domestic oil prices to international ones are a key or to find out different alternative/ substitute for it. * Qualitative and quantitative fiscal consolidation: Together with the current account deficit, the stubbornly high fiscal deficit (5. 8 percent of GDP in 2011-12) makes the Indian economy more vulnerable to shocks than most emerging markets. India’s twin deficits have adversely affected macro stability by pushing up inflation, undermining growth and leaving limited room for monetary accommodation. India’s fiscal policy has been too loose for too long. The government must focus on quality spending by channeling resources towards infrastructure and human capital investments while reducing unproductive spending, particularly on food, fertilizer and fuel subsidies. Furthermore, the government must implement revenue enhancing reforms by making the tax system more efficient and improving compliance. * Lowering high and sticky inflation- India’s persistently high inflation is fallout of myriad factors that are both cyclical and structural in nature. These include supply side bottlenecks, very high reliance on imported energy and lax fiscal policy. While a loose fiscal policy has boosted aggregate demand, particularly across rural areas, an enabling environment to enhance supply response is missing, thus aggravating inflation pressures. Containing inflation near the RBI’s comfort zone of 4 to 5 percent is crucial to facilitate sustainable growth. * Rebalancing the growth mix in favor of investment: India’s GDP growth is mainly consumption driven in good part due to consumption subsidies. Eliminating such subsidies will, thus, actually have three positive outcomes: reducing the fiscal deficit as well as excessive consumption which should also help reignite a virtuous savings investment cycle. In fact, since the global financial crisis of 2008-09, India’s savings rate has declined (to near 29 percent from a peak of 37 percent in 2009) amid high inflation and fiscal slippages. Given that India’s investment upturn during the golden years between 2004-2008 was largely financed by domestic savings, a revival in India’s domestic savings is critical for aiding a sustainable upturn in investment. In this regard, the Indian government needs to improve further on reforms execution and policy clarity so as to underpin foreign investor confidence. * Manufacturing sector- Being a primarily services driven economy, the share of manufacturing has been stagnant at a mere 16 percent of total GDP. India’s Asian peers, such as China, South Korea and Taiwan, have immensely benefited from a strong manufacturing sector, which enables greater employment creation, attracts higher and stable foreign direct investment and bolsters infrastructure development. However, bottlenecks in land acquisition, archaic labor laws, poor physical infrastructure, less favorable tax rules and tight regulations deter manufacturing sector growth in India. Reassuringly, the Indian government has approved a national manufacturing policy aimed to increase the manufacturing’s share in GDP from the current 16 to 22 percent in a decade and in turn create millions of jobs and add capacity to sustain the pace of economic growth. That said, effective implementation of such policy drive will clearly prove difficult given past records. Population- India’s population is about 1. 2 billion in 2012 which is a major challenge for the economy of India. For the developing countries like India, population explosion is a curse and is damaging to the development of the country and it’s society. The developing countries already facing a lack in their resources, and with the rapidly increasing population, the resources available per person are reduced further, leading to increased poverty, lack of food, malnutrition, and other large population-related problems. The literal meaning of population is â€Å"the whole number of people or inhabitants in a country or region† , and the literal meaning of population explosion is â€Å"a pyramiding of numbers of a biological population†. As the number of people in a pyramid increases, so do the problems related to the increased population. The main factors affecting the population change are the birth rate, death rate and migration. The birth rate is the ratio between births and individuals in a specified population and time. The death rate is the ratio between the number of deaths and individuals in a specified population and time. Migration is the number of people moving in (immigration) or out (emigration) of a country, place or locality. Immigration from the neighboring countries of Bangladesh and Nepal is also one of the causes of increasing population in India. The Population density (people per sq. km) in India was last reported at 411. 89 in 2010, according to a World Bank report published in 2012 which is very high. Measures to overcome from it. For limiting the population increase and we have to spend money on controlling the birth rate. Some of the programs have been successful, and the rate of increase has also reduced, but has still to reach the sustainable rate. The major factors affecting the population increase of India are the rapidly increasing birth rate and decreasing death rates. We can follow strict birth control measures like China to decrease the birth rate, but we cannot go and decrease our technological advancements to decrease the death rate. Thus, our main emphasis falls on decreasing the birth rate. Several government-funded agencies like the Family Planning Association of India spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on promoting family planning. These organizations aim to promote family planning as a basic human right and the norm of a two-child family on a voluntary basis, to achieve a balance between the population size and resources, to prepare young people for responsible attitudes in human sexuality, and to provide education and services to all. The family planning methods provided by the family planning program are vasectomy, tubectomy, IUD, conventional contraceptives(that is condoms, diaphragms, jelly/cream tubes, foam tables) and oral pills. In addition, induced abortion is available, free of charge, in institutions recognized by the government for this purpose. However, the success of the family planning program in India depends on several factors like literacy, religion and the region where the couple live. * Poverty- It is a situation in which a person is unable to get minimum basic necessities of life, i. e.. food, clothing and shelter for his or her living. In economic terms they are called poverty ridden and are people living below poverty line (BPL). MASS POVERTY: When a large section of the people in an economy is deprived of the basic necessities, that economy is said to be in mass poverty. Since it is the responsibility of the state to remove poverty, it has to take certain steps. -Developing an appropriate mechanism to identify the poverty – ridden people. -Estimate the total number of poverty-ridden persons with the help of that mechanism. In the first approach, expenditure incurred by a family on various items is used. In the second, the income earned by a family is used.

Monday, September 16, 2019

Five Phases of Project Management

Assignment – Five Phases Project Management Strategy November 5, 2012 Five Phases of Project Management Life cycle management is a business management approach that can be used by all types of businesses (and other organizations) to improve their products and thus the sustainability, employing the principles of project life cycle – the five phases of project management, which consists of, initiation, planning, execution, monitoring, and closure. Iniation PhaseThe first phase of a project is the initiation phase. During this phase, a business problem or opportunity is identified and a business case providing various solution options is defined. Once the recommended solution is approved, a project is initiated to deliver the approved solution. Terms of reference are completed outlining the objectives, scope and structure of the new project and a project manager is appointed. The project manager begins recruiting a project team and establishes a project office environment. Within the initiation phase, the business problem or opportunity is identified, a solution is defined, a project is formed and a project team is appointed to build and deliver the solution to the customer (Barkley, 2005). Planning Phase Often the most time-consuming of the phases of project management, the Planning phase is where you lay your project groundwork and is critical for a successful implementation of the subsequent Execution phase (Reynolds, 2009).Additionally, in this phase Project Planning builds on the work done in Project Initiation, refining and augmenting Cost, Scope, Schedule and Quality (CSSQ) and Project Plan deliverables. Usually, additional members join the Project Team, and they assist the Project Manager in further elaborating the details of the Cost, Scope, Schedule and Quality (Macek, 2010). The planning phase produces a project plan, project charter and/or project scope outlining the work to be performed. During this phase, a team should prioritize the pro ject, calculate a budget and schedule, and determine what resources are needed0 (LaBrosse, 2008).This phase is the basis for the successful execution of the subsequent Executing phase. The planning phase is also the phase where, definition of work packages, detailed planning, clarification of responsibilities, risk analysis, and interfaces are defined. Project Planning marks the completion of the Project Plan –i. e. , no work is left uncovered. Execution Phase Execution. This is where the project team does the work to crate the final deliverables of the project. It is the largest part of most projects and it goes far better if adequate time was taken to properly plan the work of the project (Reynolds, 2009).Resources' tasks are distributed and teams are informed of responsibilities. This is a good time to bring up important project related information (Project Plan Execution, 2009). During the Execution phase, the project manager spends a considerable amount of time in commun ication making sure the resources (people, equipment and materials) are available to do their work and know what work needs to be completed. There is a significant amount of work in this phase, as a project manager works to juggle many aspects of the project.During this phase, you'll use all of your management skills to implement and manage cost and quality, risks and change, and several other factors (Reynolds, 2009). Monitoring The next phase of the Project management life cycle is monitoring. Successful Project Management Principles & Controls are summarized as three main methods; continual focus on the Project Plan, constant update of the Project Plan (especially the triple restraints, and most importantly, measure status and project progress against the Project Plan -making adjustments to get back on track, if necessary (Project Plan Execution, 2009) .Closure In Project Closeout, the Project Team assesses the outcome of the project, as well as the performance of the Project Team and the Performing Organization. This is accomplished primarily through soliciting and evaluating feedback from Customers, Project Team members, Consumers and other stakeholders. The primary purpose of this assessment is to document best practices and lessons learned for use on future projects. In addition, key project metrics are also captured to enable the Performing Organization to compare and evaluate erformance measurements across projects. Project completion is signified by accomplishments such as (1) all tasks finished, (2) agreed deliverables completed, (3) testing completed, and (4) training materials prepared. The project benefits should be measured and compared with the final business case. Not all the benefits of the project are immediately apparent. The results must be compared with the cost-benefit analysis along with all the other forecast benefits that the project was planned to provide the organisation.Analyzes how each phase could support the organizationâ₠¬â„¢s business strategy. There is a dramatic rise in the use of project management as organizations shift to provide customer driven results and systems solutions. Some implementations of project management have been successful, while others are incredible failures. A common occurrence in many organizations is too many projects being attempted by too few people with no apparent link to strategy or organizational goals.Unfortunately, this is why the organization I currently work in is struggling to successfully complete the EMR, too few resources and too many projects being implemented simultaneously and most not align with the strategic plan. Experience indicates that the support of upper management is critical to project success, upper management was absent as participants of the project until the decision was made to delay the go-live. In our case, Upper management did not take action to create an environment for more successful projects in their organizations.Project management m ust be regarded as a company-wide project management competency designed to benefit the entire company (Kerzner, 2005). It also includes developing a corporate culture that is based upon effective organizational behavior and creating a well-developed project management methodology, accompanied by the proper supporting tools, which is vital to achieving organizational goals. Once the organization recognizes that project management is a core competency, the organization can convert this competency into a sustainable competitive advantage.The ultimate purpose is for the sustainable competitive advantage to become the pathway for a strategic competency that becomes a primary drive during strategic planning activities (Kerzner, 2005. As the project management strategy matures, the business value derived from each phase increases. Increased value subsequent to increase project portfolio leads to the alignment of project management and organizational strategy across the organization/enterp rise. Keeping each phase of the project on track yields a successful project, which means managing the triple constraints and strict management of metrics (monitoring phase).The project goals then extend throughout the team to the suppliers, contractors, and stakeholders. The five phases of project management assists the organization in creating a strategic value chain that gives companies a competitive edge. References Kerzner, H. (2005). Using the Project Management Maturity Model: Strategic planning for project management (2nd ed. ). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley and Sons, Inc. LaBrosse, M. (2008). Key principles of project management. Food Management, 43(5), 27-27. Retrieved from http://search. proquest. com/docview/215900222? ccountid=32521 Macek, W. (2010). Methodologies of project management. Wspolczesna Ekonomia, 4(4), 267. Retrieved from http://search. proquest. com/docview/1115291842? accountid=32521 Project Plan Execution – where you â€Å"walk the walk† as the Pr oject Manager. (2009). Retrieved from URL Managerhttp://www. mastering-project-management. com/project-plan-execution. html Reynolds, D. (2009, May 13). Phases of project management: Initiation. Bright Hub weblog. Retrieved from www. brighthub. com/office/project-management/articles/1672. aspx Reynolds, D. (2009, May 13).Phases of project management: Planning. Bright Hub weblog. Retrieved from www. brighthub. com/office/project-management/articles/1673. aspx Reynolds, D. (2009, July 28). Phases of project management: Execution. Bright Hub weblog. Retrieved from www. brighthub. com/office/project-management/articles/1674. aspx Reynolds, D. (2009, May 13). Phases of project management: Monitoring. Bright Hub weblog. Retrieved from www. brighthub. com/office/project-management/articles/1675. aspx Reynolds, D. (2009, May 13). Phases of project management: Closing. Bright Hub weblog.

Sunday, September 15, 2019

POVERTY IN JAMAICA Essay

Poverty is generally accepted as an undesirable condition. However, defining poverty is extremely difficult and several definitions exist. According to Dennis brown (1995), He defined poverty as a state in which an ‘‘individual or group possesses less than some standard which has been defined as acceptable†. In the world we live it is generally accepted that there are two kinds of poverty, public and private poverty, however, the focus on poverty in this paper relates to Jamaica and its struggle to vanquish poverty. Poverty has been a persistent feature of Jamaica’s environment from the post-emancipation period, and from their, it has been a subject of continuing concern and analysis for Caribbean academics and welfare practitioners. It is mainly in the past decade the notion of poverty and poverty reduction come to occupy the central position in both local and international policy. With boldness, Jamaica promulgates policy statements that poverty will be era dicated. With this continuing dance around the crisis of poverty, the distinction between cause and consequence has become increasingly blurred, with the result that poverty reduction policies have little chance of reducing the extreme risks and hardships that Jamaicans face on a regular basis. In both national and international dialogue, the assumption remains unchallenged that poverty can be reduced if only one could correctly and channel the assistance directly to the deserving poor. The deserving poor are considered the vulnerable because of their demographic of physical characteristics, which may predispose them to health risk situations. Even though every individual will gladly accept any help they can get it is considered unfair to the real less fortunate’s of society According to the Planning Institute of Jamaica, over the past decade, the percentage of the Jamaican population classified as poor fell from 30.5 percent in 1989 to 16.9 percent in 1999. With an estimated population of 2.58 million persons, this was equivalent to approximately 400,000 persons who were unable to meet their basic needs. Assuming that three-quarters of the poor were located in rural areas, as in 1998, an estimated 300,000 rural persons lived below the poverty line. The methodology o fficially used in calculating the number of those who fall below the poverty line follows international practice and is built around the cost of feeding a low income family. It is therefore highly insensitive to the changes in food cost. Most basic foods were imported; the effect of 1991 deregulation of the foreign  exchange was immediately reflected in the poverty level, which soared to 44.6 percent. Since 1992 the poverty level has followed a steady downward path, until 1998 when it was estimated at 15.9 percent. One of the reasons why poverty permeates Jamaica’s environment is due to a number of factors that needs immediate attention which is still present in the 21st century today. Rural households are large and includes more children than in KMA( Kingston metropolitan area) households, rural area contains larger proportions of elderly and small proportions of persons in the prime working ages, as well as they can only afford to spend only two-thirds of what (KMA) counterparts spend on food beverages for each household member and their members a more likely to report being ill and less likely able to seek medical care. The question pertaining to who are considered as the poor is generally taken as sufficient justification for the heavy emphasis of current poverty reduction programs on the two target groups of children and the elderly. However in an article named (â€Å"A Rose by any other name†). A woman by Rose Morgan has been sitting outside the villa medical centre in Mandeville who came from Westmoreland in her early 20s seeking job opportunities. According to rose she came to Mandeville and she was pursued by a man that accommodated her at his home, but eventually he died. Now Rose lives off the sincerity of those that pass her by the street. Poverty receives considerable less attention, particularly because of the inadequacy of employment. If rose had a job which she said was impossible to get, she would be else where rather than begging on the streets. From 1995 the government has been trying to get rid of living conditions such as these. The formulation of the program called (NPEP) N ational Poverty Eradication Progamme, coordinated by the Office of the Prime Minister was design to improve the state of the country. This Programme serves as an umbrella for existing programs today such as the Human Employment and Resource Training, (HEART), Microenterprise credit programs; poor relief; public assistance; and food stamp Programmes. Social and economic support Programmes were also developed to promote the employment rate. Employment is seen as one of the major influences on poverty. On November 28, 2012 a Gleaner article entitle, (â€Å"Youth Unemployment still triples national average†), shows that in spite of the government trying to eliminate poverty from Jamaica’s landscape it has some how still manages to inhabit the air we breathe. According to  Director Dr Gladstone Hutchinson, he states that STATIN data during a review of the quarterly economic performance, Jamaica’s labour force increases by 20,600 in the past year (2011). The youth unemployment has consistently run two or three times the national average. The percentage of unemployed youths was 28.7%. The only improvement in jobless rate was on April 2012 (14.3%). The back of poverty is hard to brake, and I insist because majority of those without jobs are unqualified and it is either difficult at their age to pursue any form of higher education or they have no source of funding to do so. These groups of people falls w ithin the poverty category called the consumption group. For operational purposes, the Government of Jamaica (GOJ) has enunciated three categories of poverty which are: Chronic Poverty, which exists when an individual is incapacitated and incapable of independently procuring the requisite means of sustenance. This category includes persons who are unable to work because of chronic physical and mental infirmity or old age and children without parents or with parents who are incapacitated. Those in this category of poverty are the primary beneficiaries of the welfare Programmes that fall under the (NPEP). Consumption Poverty, which refers to able-bodied adults who are unable to meet their basic consumption requirements. This means, they fall below the poverty line as determined by mean per capita consumption expenditure. This category may include both the employed and unemployed. Resource/capability Poverty, which refers to those who are deprived of access to private and public resources such as a basic education, basic health care, basic housing, transportation, healthy environment, water and employment. This deprivation of these basic resources in turns results in impoverishment. Categorizing poverty in this format allows the government to allocate the necessary assistance to the right persons. Hence they will not give those who need help less more than what they deserve. One of the most diverse Programmes, aiming at breaking the back of poverty is the PATH Programme. It is said often times that the children are the future, it is clear that the aim of the Programme of Advancement Through Health is to break the generational struggle starting with the future of the country. Even though Path assists the elderly and the incapable, most of the focus is placed on the school which is essential for anyone’s country. On February the 4th, 2007. The Sunday Glea ner had an article about PATH, (â€Å"Out of Poverty†) emphasizing the 1.2 million spent on  path beneficiaries which 70% were to school children. PATH is a conditional cash transfer (CCT) Programme funded by the Government of Jamaica and the World Bank and is aimed at delivering benefits by way of cash grants to the most needy and vulnerable in the society. In the article the Programme is being questioned why everyone is not benefited from Path. However it was stated that it is not because of budget limitations, but path is working on improving the attendance and performance rate in schools. In essence it justifies my point that Path is attacking poverty at the roots. It was introduced Island wide in 2002. With PATH helping to assist in the elimination of poverty, it still does not conclude that path alone can do it. On the 6th of October 2006 in the Daily observer an editorial comment was made where the writer was in favor of the (PIOJ) and (STATIN) survey on November to the month of May in 2005. It states that poverty fell by 12.7 percent. On the contrary though he states that, â€Å"While we recognize that each intervention by the necessary Programmes are important, we are convinced that they do not provide the long-term basis for the eradication of poverty. For the real solution to poverty is sustained and sustainable economic growth†. In correlation to the writers comment, the (NPEP) comprises of the Micro Invest ment Development Agency (MIDA) which was set up to support the microenterprise as mentioned earlier. It provides persons with the opportunity to gain employment through the establishment of their own businesses (2003). To date (MIDA) remains among the single largest providers of microcredit in the island. MIDA alone has been responsible for providing well over one billion Jamaican dollars to the micro-enterprise community between 1992 up until this very day. Hundreds of student graduates from HEART yearly with a skill and is now contributing to Jamaica’s economic growth. For that it seems as though the country’s quest to illuminate poverty is gradually taking place. The literature on poverty in Jamaica dearly indicates that it is a phenomenon associated with low educational attainment and often affects those who are unemployed or self-employed. Other contributing factors to poverty in Jamaica can be traced back to the increasing birthrate, delinquency in schools, child abuse and possibly drug abuse. It is each individual responsibility to profile their actions into actions that will in turn benefit them and the society they reside in. http://www.mlss.gov.jm/pub/index.php?artid=23 2006 ministry of labour and security: Planning institute of Jamaica, survey of living conditions 1998 FUNDING ENTREPRENEURSHIP AMONG THE POOR IN JAMAICA Social & Economic Studies. Jun2008, Vol. 57 Issue 2, p119-148. FFRENCH, SEAN30phttp://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/results?sid=7145 THE DYNAMICS OF POVERTY IN JAMAICA, 1969-1999. Social & Economic Studies. Mar2001, Vol. 50 Issue 1, p199-228. 30p. Henry-Lee, Aldriehttp://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/results?sid=7145 Friday October 6,2006, (â€Å"don’t just alleviate poverty†) the observer (â€Å"out of poverty†) February 4, 2007 the Sunday gleaner The gleaner june 18, 2009 (â€Å"A rose by another name†) Thompson Mepherse (â€Å"Youth unemployment still triples national average†), November the 28, 2012

Saturday, September 14, 2019

Challenges of Living in a Mega City

Describe the challenges of living in mega cities and evaluate the responses to these challenges A Mega City is defined as a city home to more than 8 million people, the urban sprawl of these cities is continuing to dominate the landscapes of these major cities. These cities have been unable to cope with the rapid increase of people moving to these urban areas, in some mega cities this is up to 1 million people per day, leading to a lack of supplies and services, becoming a major characteristic of these cities. The challenges that they face include the lack of water, power supply, sanitation, transport and employment.The responses to these problems from the governments vary in the successfulness and based on the sustainability of social, economical, political and environmental; we can see the downfall and the accomplishment of some solutions the governments have implemented. Transport is one of the main challenges of mega cities where traffic jams take up as much as 4 working hours si tting in traffic causing major problems for businesses and these cities economies. Lack of water within these mega cities is another problem which affects a vast amount of people.The third challenge is housing within these mega cities. Transport is a major challenge for people who live in these mega cities. The lack of efficient public transport and the growing number of personal cars on the roads cause major traffic jams which hold people up for hours trying to get to and from work. There are many issues associated with the problem of transport, including growing health concerns for people dwelling in the cities. Loss of working hours has become a consequence because of the overwhelming time spent sitting in traffic jams.Bangkok sees traffic jams which cause a loss of 2 working hours every day leading to financial loss. This issue of transport continues to grow due to the lack of maintenance on the roads, lack of space allocated to roads, poor modes of public transport and the lack of financial resources that the government has to provide infrastructure for improvement of these roads. There have been many different attempts in mega cities to improve their infrastructure and transport modes, some have been more successful than others, depending on their sustainability.The Metrobus, created in Mexico City by a non government organisation called CEIBA, partnered with the Mexico City government, this system was developed to provide a more efficient and safer public transport. The development of the MetroBus allows the bus to run from North to South Mexico City in a separate lane to other traffic, with its own stations for people to get on and off at various stops this method of public transport has been seen as a great success, now moving 450 000 passengers per day, replacing 300 micro busses which were highly polluting.The use of the MetroBus has resulted in $306,000 for reduction in carbon emissions by the Spanish carbon fund, boosting the economy for Mexico Ci ty, having taken 144 tonnes of hydrocarbons associated with cancer and other health problems out of the atmosphere, and 2. 8 tonnes of bio-particulate matter know to cause asthmas, chronic bronchitis and lung disease. The environmental factors of the Metro bus prove the success of this infrastructure.The new employment opportunities that the MetroBus has created and the shift of 6% from private to public use of transport, providing a clean, safe and comfortable way to use public transport, proving a social benefit to this project. The increase in international recongnition due to the increasing sustainability and the increase in political stability due to the boost in trust and investment in infrastructure has proven the political success of the MetroBus. Mexico City has implemented a successful and sustainable method of transport which has proven to be a good response to the challenge of transport that mega cities all face.The second challenge that mega cities face with their growi ng population is housing within these cities. With the rapid increase of people coming into these cities everyday, it is impossible to keep track of the housing and provide people with land ownership. This problem extenuates the gap being made between the people who have and the people who don’t. The continued expanse of the slums being built around these cities creates the informal economy and account for mass amounts of the population. For example, 50% of the population in Mexico City lives in these conditions.This form of housing leads to lack of tenure and a lack of utilities available for these people to use, including basic needs such as food and water, rubbish collection, provision of sewerage and the lack of services and utilities. These houses have unsafe infrastructure as the building materials used are all makeshift and unstable, making their living environments hazardous. This challenge exists in mega cities because of the rapidly increasing population, the govern ment cannot provide for these people and cannot maintain housing standards.A response to this housing challenge in mega cities was the Dharavi redevelopment. Dharavi is India’s largest slum, located in the middle of India’s financial capital Mumbai. This slum covers an area of only 2 km2 yet is home to up to a million people with 86, 000 slum structures. The housing in this slum is cheap and affordable and it is estimated that it generates $650 million a year. The challenges within this slum are the extreme overcrowding and uncontrolled construction of makeshift housing.As well as the lack of basic amenities, there is no clean water supply, no waste collection, spread of disease is very high and with the constant threat of eviction by authorities, this slum has become a major challenge in this mega city. The slum redevelopment project has divided Dharavi into 5 sectors and requested proposals from real estate investors around the world to provide a 300 sqf flat to each family that can prove they have been settled in Dharavi before the year 2000, in exchange for their re housing, the builders get construction rights in Dharavi.The Dharavi project has not yet been completed although there are social, economical and environmental factors that can be seen in an evaluation of its sustainability and success. The Dharavi project creates social problems for the families who will be displaced, having failed to prove their residence before 2000, this deadline will make many people homeless, and with no place to go, sending thousands of people out of the city.Although this development will make Dharavi a safer place to be, building stable structures and developing better access to water and food supplies as well as developing a sewerage system and rubbish disposal. This will stop the vast spreading of disease through the slum, creating a healthier and safer living environment. The economy would suffer from their redevelopment of the Dharavi slum as they bri ng in millions of dollars to the economy, the loss of this would be detrimental to the cities economy.There would be few political benefits to this development as there would be a loss in trust of the government, after displacing so many people. The response to this housing challenge in Dharavi can be seen as both successful and unsuccessful, due to the many positives and negatives of this project. In conclusion, we can see that mega cities face many challenges which affect their economy, politics, culture and environment. The governments are implementing many strategies and projects which they hope will solve the challenges that their cities face.The challenge of housing and transport are both big challenges which impact enormously on the mega cities. As 3 million person working hours are lost per day, due to the constant transport battle and the extreme over crowing of the slum housing, we can see that there are major challenges that these cities face, although some strategies imp lemented for these challenges have been dubbed unsuccessful, there are a few which have proved to be doing well for example, the MetroBus in Mexico City. There are many challenges being faced in Megacities.