Organization of Buddhism Essay

Buddhism is the religion founded by Siddhartha Gautama Buddha in Indian about 500 B.C.   Buddhism is the chief religion of Burma, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Japan, Korea, Mongolia, Kampuchea, Laos and China. Buddhism is one of the oldest and biggest religions of the world. Its central deity was Buddha, â€Å"the Enlightened One†. It was founded by Siddhartha Gautama who was born 563 B.C. in Kapilavastu, just inside the borders of what is now Nepal. Buddhism beganin India as a revolt against Hinduism. The origin of the religion is described in the article Buddha. Buddha himself did not leave any writings, and his teachings were not written down until several hundred years afte rhis death. Like Christianity and Islam, Buddhism is a missionary religion. Within 300 years after Buddha’s death, it had spread throughout India and reached Ceylon (Sri Lanka).   Monks and travellers carried it to other parts of Asia. Japan adopted it about the seventh century A.D. About the same time the religion reached Tibet. Here it was combined with native religions. The two major divisiobs of Buddhism probably developed in Indian monasteries before 100 A.D. A. The Life of Buddha Siddhartha Gautama was born in Kapilavastu, India (now Nepal) in about 563 BCE. At his birth, legend says, a wise man told his father that Siddhartha would either become a great ruler or a great holy man, depending on what he saw of life. Determined that his son should rule after him, his father did all he could to shield Siddhartha from the problems of the outside world. Siddhartha grew up in great luxury in his father’s palace. He married a beautiful princess and had a son. Despite this, he felt that something was missing from his life. At the age of 29, Siddhartha had an experience that changed his life. On a secret chariot ride outside the palace, he saw a sick man, an old man and a dead man. It was the first time that he had seen people suffering. Then he saw a holy man who was happy and content, despite being poor. Siddhartha vowed to give up his luxurious life and become like the holy man. That night, he left the palace and began his search for the answer to the suffering he had seen. After many years of fasting and hardship, Siddhartha came to the village of Bodh Gaya. Sitting under a great tree, he closed his eyes and began to meditate. There, at last, he gained enlightenment and became the Buddha. He realized that people suffered because they always wanted more than they had. The Buddha spent the rest of his life as a monk. He traveled around India with a group of followers, teaching people how to overcome suffering. He died, aged 80, in the town of Kushinagara in India. B. Its History –  Buddhism Buddhism began in India as a revolt against Hinduism. The origin of the religion is described in the article Buddha. Buddha himself did not leave any writings, and his teachings were not written down until several hundred years after his death. Like Christianity and Islam, Buddhism is a missionary religion. With 300 years after Buddha’s death, it had spread throughout India and reached Ceylon (Sri Lanka). Monks and travelers carried it to other parts of Asia. Japan adopted it about the seventh century A.D. About the same time the religion reached Tibet. Here it was combined with native religions and developed into Lamaism o  Ã‚   Buddhism According to Buddhism, liberation is attained through understanding and practice of the Four Noble Truths: 1. There is suffering in life. 2. Suffering is caused by desire for pleasure, existence, and prosperity. Suffering and rebirth cease when one ceases such desires, leading to enlightenment, or Nirvana, a blessed state in which peace, harmony, and joy are attained. 4. The way, or path, to Nirvana is the Eightfold Path, summarized as: –  Right understanding – Right thoughts – Right speech – Right conduct – Right occupation – Right meditation – Right mindfulness – Right effort The Eightfold Path is also called the Middle Way—because of its emphasis on avoiding such extremes as following sensuous pleasures on the one hand, and self-punishment on the other. The Buddhist must at all times observe the high moral principles described in the Eightfold path, which emphasizes nonviolence and the brotherhood of all. Perhaps the best-known Buddhist scriptures are the Tripitaka (â€Å"Three Baskets†), first written down in Ceylon (Sri Lanka) in authoritative edition was prepared by the Sixth Buddhist Council at Rangoon, Burma, in 1954-56. The three Pitakas are about four times as long as the Bible. C. Other Beliefs of Buddhism Buddhism’s beliefs and teachings are derived from Hinduism although there may be some slight variations in some concepts. Karma is a Sanskrit word of â€Å"action†. The action refers to volitional acts (thoughts, deeds or spoken words that are in the control of a person) as well as the forces that arise resulting form these acts. The law of Karma describes the connection between actions and the resulting forces, like good action results to good Karma while bad action results to bad Karma. Good actions are described in a Buddhist belief in the Noble Eightfold Path. A Noble Eightfold Path is a path of life that has eight stages or phases. This path consists of the right views, right aspiration, right speech, right conduct, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness and right concentration. Furthermore, the law of Karma states that there is a connection between the moral quality of man’s action to the resulting condition or states. The life he has now is largely dictated by what he said and did in his past life while his next life will be determined by what he is doing and saying now. In other words, the Karma of past, present and future events are connected by the law of cause and effect. For example, if one does something wrong like hurting or killing another human being; he will have to suffer the negative consequences of these actions in his present life or another lifetime. Similarly, if he does something right he will enjoy the positive consequences of that deed in his present or subsequent lifetimes.   It is important to note that the law of Karma is final. No one (including divine intervention) or nothing can stop the law of Karma from operating in a person’s life. In other words, man’s destiny is dictated only by the law of Karma itself. Rebirth as the name implies, is a process of being born over and over again (unless a person attained Nirvana or release from the cycles of birth). In simpler terms, rebirth is nothing more than a movement from one’s old body at death to a new body at birth or conception. Rebirth is necessary for the execution of Karma which needs more than one lifetime to be completed so that it can be rightly said that rebirth is nothing more than the transmission of one’s karma. Only when all accumulated karma is paid for and craving is rooted out from a person’s life that one can enter the stream that leads to Nirvana. But as long as there is delusion, greed, and aversion, which consequently fuels the desire to live, man generate karma. The Buddhists idea of Rebirth, like Karma, is derived from an Indian philosophy of Hinduism. However, the Buddhist concept of rebirth is different from Hinduism because in the Hinduism theory of rebirth there is a transmigration of souls while the Buddhist denies the existence of self or soul (the immortal version of self).   In Buddhism the idea of self or soul is merely an illusion for perceptions, consciousness, mind and body that makes up â€Å"self† is changing. The Buddhists argue that how can there be a self when in fact its composition is not permanent. Furthermore, Buddhists explained that the body is mortal and when it dies, consciousness and all mental activities cease, hence there is no more self and consequently there is no soul. According to Buddhism, liberation is attained through understanding and practice of the Four Noble Truths. First, is that there is suffering in life; Second, suffering is caused by desire for pleasure, existence and prosperity; Third, suffering and rebirth cease when one ceases such desires, leading to enlightenment, or Nirvana, and joy are attained; Fourth, the way or path, to Nirvana is the Eightfold Path summarized as; right understanding, right thoughts, right speech, right conduct, right occupation, right effort, right mindfulness and right meditation.

Effects of globalisation case study- China Essay

China is the world’s seventh largest economy and the largest country in terms of population size. It has also become the 8th largest world exporter of manufactured goods and the second largest economy in the world, after the United States, on the basis of purchasing power parity. The impact of globalisation on China has been profound, having an impact in a number of different areas. Government Strategies to promote economic growth and development Between 1978 to 1994 China abandoned agricultural collectivisation, replacing it with a system of household responsibility, allowing individuals to make their own production decisions. Individuals could sell their surplus output in free markets after the state quota was met. This lead to dramatic increases in food production and incomes. Surplus income was invested into privately run town and village enterprises responsible for light manufacturing. The government also increased the authority of local officials and plant managers in industry and permitted a wide variety of small-scale enterprises in services designed to increase productivity with the ‘profit incentive’. Today, non-state economies account for 40% of China’s gross domestic product (GDP). In 1980 Special Economic Zones were established in the southern coastal provinces of China as a result of its ‘Open Door’ policy, adopted towards foreign trade and investment. These zones attracted foreign investment through incentives offered such as low tax rates, exemption from import duties, cheap labour and power, and less stringent regulations. This resulted in an increase in trade from 10% of Gross National Product (GNP) in 1978 to 36% of GNP by 1996. In 1992 tariff rates were reduced from 32% to 19%, supporting China’s drive for foreign investment. Economic growth, development and quality of life China has been experiencing a high rate of economic growth above 10% per annum. It uses foreign investment funds to finance export industries, enabling it to maintain large foreign currency reserves and receive  technology transfers from industrial countries. Higher productivity and the increased flow of money entering China as a result of globalisation have been increasing development and the quality of life, reducing the number of people below the poverty line. Although incomes in China are very low, the poverty line reflects absolute poverty based on the minimum subsistence necessary to maintain life. Higher incomes have allowed for more investment for further development in the country and living standards. The life expectancy at birth has also dramatically increased from 35 in 1950 to 72 in 2002. The Human Development Index is a number less than 1 (1 being the highest) calculated to enable the comparison of standards of living across different countries. It is based on life expectancy at birth, levels of educational attainment and gross domestic product per capita. China has a Human Development Index of .721, making it a medium developed country. Global Trade, Investment and Transnational Corporations Globalisation and trade have had a great impact on China.. Nearly 400 of the top 500 Transnational Corporations (TNC’s) have opened business or invested in China. By July 1999, China had 334000 overseas-invested enterprises with actual investment of US$288.94 billion. China ranks as the top exporter of many labour intensive products such as garments, shoes, clocks and bicycles and over the past few years many TNC’s such as ‘Streets’ ice cream have moved their operations to China to take advantage of low production costs. These low costs are due to the tens of millions of young job seekers ready to work for even less than the official minimum monthly wage of 700 yuan. Although they provide employment, workers are often forced to do long shifts often under poor conditions in order to support themselves and their families. TNC’s have affected the development of local businesses that are unable to update their technology as often as large, overseas companies. Outdated  technology means that their resources are not used as efficiently, reducing productivity and forcing wages to remain low. Unable to compete with large multinational firms and wealthy nations, small businesses have been forced to do business locally, never growing and reaching their full potential. Larger businesses that have been able to keep up with changing technology, however, have greatly benefited through increased productivity as a result of the increased level of technology brought about by globalisation. Distribution of Income and Wealth Despite average incomes rising, income and social inequality in China have grown between rural and urban populations. China’s growth and development are very dependent on the Special Economic Zones in the southern provinces which are dominated by foreign investment and technology. People living in these areas earn approximately 20000 yuan a year. In contrast, the northern provinces that rely more on agricultural production for the generation of income and employment opportunities earn an average of less than 6000 yuan per year. This is the major cause for inequality in the distribution of income. The top 20% of income earners receive 42.5% of the countries GDP. By international standards, China has entered â€Å"a zone of income distribution inequity.† Environmental Consequences Globalisation has contributed to the deterioration of the environment in China due to a loss of arable land as a result of economic development. An increased population growth in urban areas as people move to be closer to factories results in the clearing of large areas of land and a strain on resources. China, unlike many developed countries does not have extremely strict standards on the disposal of waste. Factories set up by overseas companies often create a lot of pollution and dangerous waste product not always properly disposed of in order to cut production costs. Persistent organic pollutants and the exploitation of fisheries pose major threats to the environment. High levels of energy use bear a large responsibility for man made greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere. These factors contribute to  larger problems such as global warming and ozone depletion. The integration of financial markets and trade relationships has also increased the risk of ‘contagion’. Global Financial Markets and The International Business Cycle With more large businesses moving to China, there was a large demand on funds from the financial markets. China, however, does not have a financial market competitive with overseas markets. Many Chinese financial institutions are also required to lend money, under government policy, to government businesses, which are often inefficient, depleting the supply of funds. For this reason, most of the money is generally borrowed from overseas institutions. Like all economies, China acts as a part of the International Business Cycle, moving through booms and recessions. This connection to global movements is heightened as a result of globalisation. The Asian Crisis of 1997 is an example of this. As people lost confidence in Asian economies and withdrew money from investments affecting economies through lost output, rising unemployment, higher inflation and poverty. China was not as badly affected in this crisis as other Asian countries. This was because foreign investment was in the form of assets rather than shares. This meant that investors were not able to withdraw their money quickly as they were in other Asian countries.

Debut Speech Essay

During my 18 years, I’ve learned how important family is. Your family will always be there for you no matter what. My family supports me in everything I do. All their time and money cannot express how much they love me because love is more than any of that. Love between families is a special bond of time, laughs, smiles and memories. Love is something that family doesn’t have to say to each other because we already know and I am blessed to have a family that loves me in every way possible. As for friends, I’ve learned something important about friends. You will meet many people throughout your days and for a moment in time you will be that person’s friend or more. Friends are the ones that stay by your sides during the bad and will never intentionally stab you in the back. To all my friends here tonight, thank you for everything; I hope we’ll continue our friendship for many more years to come. Ahead is a new journey, not only for me but for all of us. And what I have to say to that, â€Å"Challenge accepted. I can only imagine the way my parents are going to feel watching me grow up more and more and having to let go little by little each day but even then my imagination cannot comparable to the feelings they feel. Even then, I willingly accept this new chapter of my life which I wouldn’t have been able to reach without every single one of you. No matter how small to how big of an impact you’ve had in my life, I thank you all equall y. So now I will end my speech with a thank you. Thank you for joining me in celebrating my 18th birthday. Thank you Mc Three McQueens for taking those beautiful pictures for this debut especially to kuya Michael and Kuya Chieboy. Thank you Kuya Elvin Sagun and Kuya Jervyn for coming over countless times to help with all the planning. Thank you cousins and Leo for helping me. Thank you kuya Frederic Rodriguez for making my dream dress. To my friends, classmates titas, ninongs and ninangs for sharing this special day that I will cherish forever. And a special thank you to my Mama and Papa for making this all possible. I love all of you very much!

Motivation children and our selves to learn Essay

Motivation children and our selves to learn - Essay Example Therefore, motivation plays a very vital role from a very early age since it determines the future. Research has revealed that motivation makes the children do well at schools. Similarly, motivation also enables the individuals working at organizations perform well. This is because they feel that they have to be the best, and therefore, they try for the best. Motivation is the driving force that makes an individual achieve the desired goals in an effective manner. In the past years a lot of research work has been done on the topic of motivation, and this is because only if a person is willing to perform any task, he will be motivated to do it. As depicted by the saying that one â€Å"can take his horse to the water but cannot force him to drink it unless he wants to.† Such is the phenomenon of motivation (Wells, 1999). In order to boost learning, one must expect the children and the individuals to succeed, because this belief greatly improves the success of improvement. Children are aware of the way in which their parents see them because they tailor their actions with regards to the views of their parents. Therefore, parents and teachers must have high expectations from the children because this boosts learning. However, it is also essential to communicate the expectations to the children but during this, it should be ensured that the expectations are designed with regards to the strengths and the weaknesses of every child and individual. Re-evaluation should also be done especially of the children because the habits change quiet frequently (Lonka, et.al., 2001). The goals of learning that are defined turn expectations into reality. Therefore, the children and we should know what is expected in order to accomplish goals. Some ways that can be opted to set meaningful goals include the following. 1. Writing down goals – Research has shown that the goals which are written have a higher probability to be achieved which will enable learning to take place.

M8A1 Corporate Social Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

M8A1 Corporate Social - Essay Example One of the current trends in CSR is the emergency of green manufacturing through energy efficient technologies and reduction of raw material wastage in the manufacturing process (Mullerat, 2010). Corporations have undertaken measures to re-engineer the operations in order to make them more eco-friendly and sustainable. May, Cheney & Roper (2007) asserts that a majority of the multinational companies use recyclable packaging, renewable energy sources and have minimized pollution levels occasioned by their operations. In addition, many corporations have contributed heavily to social causes such as disease prevention, education and sanitation in order to ensure positive social impact in the communities. (Amao, 2011). The corporations have encouraged employees to volunteer in social causes of their choice. Another common trend that is evident is the increase in CRS reporting and engagement. Many companies have created CSR departments that are supposed to collect data and prepare annual CSR reports and the impact on the company activities on the social environment (Amao, 2011). CSR has been integrated in the non-financial reporting in order to create awareness that the business is a responsible company that caters for the needs of all stakeholders. Many companies have implemented the ISO 14000 environmental management standard and Global Pact standards that aim at ensuring social sustainability (Asongu, 2007). There is increasing use of the social media in CSR activities of the companies. Many businesses have formed online blogs and discussion forums that are used to understand the ideas and suggestions of the stakeholders (Mullerat, 2010). The thirsty for information and environmental activism has forced companies to report their CSR activities through the social media in order to maintain the regular engagement with the stakeholders (May, Cheney & Roper, 2007). However, it is worthy noting that the government has increased its oversight and regulatory

China's Stocks Head for Weekly Gain on Policy Outlook, Europe Article

China's Stocks Head for Weekly Gain on Policy Outlook, Europe - Article Example According to the article, the stocks experience the biggest gain during the week in question influenced by signs that the Greek debt problem will be resolved and speculation and rumors about expected policy changes by the government (Shidong, 2011). The European Union has been reeling under a string of debt crisis in several of its members the most notable being Greece, Portugal, Ireland and recently Italy. This crisis has had effect on stocks across the globe. Although Europe’s problems may seem less of a concern to China, the truth is that what happens in Europe affects China in a big way. This is because the EU is the largest export market for China’s goods. The EU accounts for 25% of China’s exports. In the first nine months of 2011, trade between China and Europe rose 21.8% year-on-year to stand at $372.12 billion according to statistics from Chinese authorities (Banerjee, 2011). The EU debt crisis has a direct bearing on China’s economy because a red uction in demand here means a reduction in China’s export. Since China’s economy is export-based (Czinkota, Ronkainen, & Moffett, 2011), any reductions in the amount of exports have the net effect of slowing down the country’s economic growth. This is exactly what the crisis in Greece, Spain, Portugal and most recent Italy has done. This paper is going to evaluate the relationship between the EU debt crisis and the performance of China’s stock exchanges. The paper will find that when there is a crisis in Europe, the demand of China’s goods in these region goes down which affects the performance of the exporting companies leading to lower export earnings. The lower earnings drive the prices of the stocks involved down. On the contrary, positive indicators on the EU economic performance drive up the value of the stock in the market as people become more optimistic. As per the article, the value of the stock of major companies in China rose after the recent progress on the Greek debt problems. This is because the said progress increases investors’ confidence in taking more risks. A solution to the debt crisis will also stabilize the EU which is the biggest export market for China. This stability increases the confidence of investors considering that a stable EU will buy more from China and therefore increase the earnings of Chinese companies. It is this expected increase that drives up the prices of stock as investors expect improved dividend payments. The stock increases were also supported by speculation that the Chinese authorities will undertake more measures to boost growth. For instance, the shares of China Petroleum and Chemical Corporation and of PetroChina Co. increased by at least 1.5% due to speculation that the government may give refiners the freedom of adjusting prices on their own (Shidong, 2011). The increase in the price of stock is also aided by the government’s announcement that it will step up m easures to help small business to have easier access to bank loans. The government is further expected to cut banks’ reserve requirements to boost manufacturing industry as reports of a slowdown in manufacturing emerge and inflation eases. The case highlights the challenges the Chinese face as they do business on the global scene. On one hand the Chinese economy is too dependent on exports. This means the economy is very much affected by what happens on the global sc

International business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words - 2

International business - Essay Example general manager of Lincoln Electric (Shanghai) Welding Company, Ltd., Jeffrey Kundrach sensed that the right time has come to evaluated the circumstances and start concentration on the management and labour practices of the corporation (Sparrow, Brewster & Harris 2004). The objective of this study is to review and analyse Lincoln Electric’s international human resources (HR) practices as are affected by the decision to establish a subsidiary in China. Early outcomes and future issues or problems will be discussed. Lincoln initiated a new attempt at expanding in Asia in the mid-1990s, after the shutting down of the Japanese company. This followed the 1995 opening of a new management organisation for the company involving new executive positions and complementary personnel to supervise each of the five major strategic locations: Asia, Latin America, Russia-Africa-Middle East, Europe, and North America (Business Week 2003). Michael Gillespie, being a British national and having associated with Lincoln from ESAB, the major competitor of Lincoln in Europe and Asia, was assigned head for the Asian region. Asia was at present a primary target of the company and Gillespie was summoned by Massaro to develop an innovative and competitive approach for the region (Business Week 2003). The plan of Gillespie was to build regional competencies and create a unified manufacturing business and sales with Asia (Briscoe & Schuler 2004: 428): The intention was to stop regarding Asia Pacific as a market to which we could export, to which we could sell our surplus production. So what we tried to do was to bring Lincoln to Asia rather than just sending American or Australian products into Asia, and decided that the right thing to do was to produce within the region for the region, products that were appropriate to the region, rather than simply trying to sell products that were right for the US or Europe. A regional administrative centre was launched in Singapore. The regional

Consultancy Skill and Organisational Change Essay

Consultancy Skill and Organisational Change - Essay Example The vitally of change is evident in the adjustments made by organisations in their goals. There are several elements that contribute to this observation. External and internal changes are usually the classification maintained by organisations. Categorising change according to impact allows firms to use appropriate measures and techniques. There are important considerations specified by firms in implementing policies for change. Most of these programmes are studied and deliberated before infused in an organisation. It is imperative for companies to assess the strategy before making adjustments. This will prevent the entities involved from acting differently. The versatility of firms is also a critical aspect when dealing with change. In most instances, organisations that are open to change succeed in the industry. Moreover, the preparation of contingency strategies is also needed when dealing with changes. Firms that resist change have experienced difficulties in dealing with problems and opportunities. It is important for organisations to understand that change is both inevitable and intrusive. There will come a period in a business cycle when a company has to make radical changes. Change also affects the manner in which the general policies of organisations are made. Success in the current global setup is dependent on how firms manage change. The succeeding discussions will tackle organisational changes that have transpired in British Airways. The Company is viewed as a classic case where culture was changed because of demand both within the organisation and outside market forces. II. Organisational Change The stages of change, as derived from the study of Booth-Butterfield (1996) start with pre-contemplation. In this stage the supposed change has yet to gain the awareness of involved entities. Contemplation is a stage shows that the employees are aware of the change. But the focus of the personnel is on different concerns. Then, the employees are prepared for the implementation of changes. In addition, the employees are tasked to perform the modification and provided with maintenance programmes. Prochaska, et al (2001) devised a process that prepares involved entities to change. The cycle starts with the raising of consciousness among the employees. In addition, employees are given with proper tools to handle the change . This is more than just compliments but actual benefits in the growth of the personnel. Moreover, employees are given opportunities to let go of their emotional contentions. This is usually done when the change starts to take effect within an organisation. The employees are then subjected to further evaluation. This is more of a comparison of behaviour before and after the change. Since the problems are identified, the management needs to eliminate stressful components of change. It means that negative stimuli stalling good behaviour will be removed. The company also needs to emphasise on the commitment of the employees to change. This is like a renewed assurance to accept change. The last phase of the process involves finding the proper behaviour for expected changes. This also includes the elimination of bad behaviours that were observed. Schein (1999) created a model that describes change. This method was called cognitive definition. The first stage involved motivation to change . This process is more of a self-evaluation that employees need to determine. The stage includes acceptance that previous actions failed. The second part of the model asserts changes in needed areas. Most firms are concerned about the extensive resources which will be devoted for the activity. But the benefits of this initiative will alter the cost. It is critical for

Hepatitis B Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Hepatitis B - Essay Example Besides, the infant vaccination after birth would serve as a safety net against infection for infants whose mothers are not tested. Although the majority of infants receive the vaccination during one of their routine visits to health care, the strategy does not exist for adolescents and adults. Since a majority of Philadelphia residents contract the disease through irresponsible sexual behavior, it would be imperative to take care of the groups that engage in sex. Adolescents are known to engage in unprotected sex for lack of knowledge while infidelity among adults is an irresponsible sexual behavior that can to the disease. It is important to note that about 62 percent of HBV cases diagnosed in 2013 resulted from engaging in unprotected sex (Delaney 2013). In the US, for example, vaccination among adults reduced the infection rate by more than 90 percent (â€Å"MMWR† 2013). The same positive statics would be observed in the Philadelphia local

The History of Real Estate in Dubai Research Paper

The History of Real Estate in Dubai - Research Paper Example There are close to 2, 50,000 employees who are mostly south Asian working in real estate projects across Dubai. (Dubai History. n.d) In 1990, under Sheikh Mohammed governance, some very interesting real estate projects were designed and executed like the seven star Burj Al Arab Hotel which became the tallest free standing building in the world. The emirates towers became the tallest commercial building in Asia, Europe and Middle East. During the same time, other notable buildings, world class ideas, mega projects were designed and executed to make a mark in the international arena. Sheikh Mohammed wanted Dubai to be the hub and the location for international investment. The rentals and the return on investment far exceeded the expectation with greater benefits. Sheikh Mohammed also helped in promoting the development of real estate through Emaar properties which is the largest real estate company in Dubai. (Cooper, 2004) One of the turning points in the history of Dubai real estate w as on May 2002 when the government had declared freehold property on land. It was also during this period that the government had also familiarized foreigners to buy freehold property. Prior to this, only UAE nationals were allowed to buy and own property in Dubai which was only on a 99 year lease and this was not very popular with the public. It was only after the adoption of the freehold property and foreign investment that the real estate in Dubai had a boom in the residential property. Dubai then became a city which was built on good ethical practice, foreign investment and good projects. (Cooper, 2004) Foreign Investment in Dubai Real Estate Sector Until 2002, the UAE law had strict rules and policies and did not allow expatriates from owning any property. They were allowed only to rent property or own the property on a lease period approved by the federal law. It was only during this year that the Dubai government had permitted the expats to buy and sell property and this revo lutionized the real estate sector. This decision was taken after understanding that the petrol and the oil reserves which form the main economy booster might perish in 10 years. One of the main strategies of the government was to improve the service sector and the local real estate market in Dubai. (Foreign Investment in Dubai, n.d) The demand for both commercial and residential property market increased rapidly because of the change in government policy. The expatriates from non GCC countries were also allowed to hold properties in the country and this was regarded as a great leap in Dubai as this was not imposed in any other emirate country. There was a sudden increase in foreign investment especially from UK and Europe in the Dubai real estate market. (9) In the recent years the city has been a constant attraction for expat investors. The real estate market in Dubai is largely driven by foreign investment especially the non- Arab companies and individuals, their freehold investme nts total around 60-70% of the entire real estate market. Statistics state that every 3rd property is held by expatiates or foreign companies who live outside Dubai. The portfolios of the investors range from Pakistan, India and other emerging markets such as S. Korea and Brazil. (Foreign Investments Spurs Dubai Real Estate Growth, n.d) Iran is one of the leading and the major partners for Dubai and forms at least 30% of the total business done in Dubai. The

A Case Study of Southwest Airline Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

A of Southwest Airline - Case Study Example Southwest Airline has been one of the companies with highest growth rate for the last more than forty years since it was found (Bundgaard, Bejjani & Helmer, 2006). This has been due to its ability to sustain growth and maintain profitability despite the challenges of the aviation industry and has resulted mainly due to increase in the demand of its low price structures and high quality services. According to Keller (2010), it is always the objective of this company to meet the customer demand. Since the customer demand has been increasing, Southwest airline has been forced to increase its number of flights and to even acquire other Airline companies. One recent acquisition is acquiring of Air Tran Holding, which it used to expand its operation (Keller, 2011). According to Drake (1998), Southwest Airline has been experiencing growth on annual bases since it was found. The airline started with three aircraft operating in three planes only. Since then, the airline has grown to the capacity of operating more than 400 planes throughout the United States. This growth has been because of the increase in demand that has resulted to Southwest airline increasing number of flights in each of the airport hubs. This has led to presence of more aircrafts and more schedule flights in all the airport hubs selected by Southwest Airline. Another cause of this congestion is increase in competition in the aviation industry and emergence of new companies. In the recent years, there has been emergence of other low cost companies in the airport hubs selected by Southwest Airline.

Economics School-Based Assessment Essay Example for Free

Economics School-Based Assessment Essay Introduction LIME, an acronym for Landline, Internet, Mobile, Entertainment, is owned by the British based Cable Wireless Communications. The company formed from the integrated businesses of Cable Wireless in the Caribbean which adopted the LIME name on 3rd of November 2008. With people spending a lot of time accomplishing tasks and doing researches, the internet has becomevery important to individuals nowadays. Without the internet some individuals think that they cannot survive because of how it is used to provide a variety of information and communication facilities in order to get the work done quickly and/or enjoy one’s self with family and friends. People are becoming very lazy and find it difficult to open a book to find information, so instead they use the internet to gather the information quickly. Businesses also use the internet to do market researches and many other activities. The internet has basically any and every thing. More than 50% of homes in Jamaica has internet and for those that cannot afford the internet, the Government has provided facilities to them. With people wanting to send or receive emails, use search engine to gather information, looking for hobby or interest on the web.I have decided to do an investigationof the Internet Service industry within Jamaica with reference specifically to LIME . Acknowledgement I would like to thank everyone who would have contributed to the completion of this School-Based Assessment. First of all I would like to thank God firstly for the opportunity to do such a project and also for the wisdom, strength and understanding to complete this assignment. Other people who I would like to thank are: My Economics teacher for her constant advices and willingness to help. All those who answered the questionnaires distributed. My family for helping and supporting me during the execution of this project. Objectives of research The aims of this investigation are: 1. To establish the type of relationship there is between price and quantity demanded for internet service at LIME. 2. To examine of the principal factors affecting the demand of LIME and Flow 3. To examine the price elasticity of demand of internet service at LIME and Flow 4. To determine whose internet service can mainly be found in form 5 of the St. Martins secondary school. 5. To briefly examinethe market structure for internet service in Jamaica. 6. To briefly examine the market conditions affecting the supply of internet service at LIME and Flow in Jamaica. Methodology:The SBA was conducted in my community. Primary Sources: 1. Questionnaire: Twenty questionnaires were shared out to students in form 5 of the St. Martin’s secondary school. 2. Interview:The managers of LIME and Karib Cable were interviewed to obtain information such as how they attract customers to their business. Secondary Sources: 1. Textbooks: Economics textbooks were used to have a clear understanding of the Laws of Demand and Supply. 2. Internet: The websites listed in the bibliography were used to further clarify economic concepts to enhance the school-based assessment. 20 questionnaires were given to the students of form 5 in the Community of. Two interviews were conducted with the managers of LIME and Flow outlets inOchi rios. The internet service industry in Jamaica is one of an Oligopoly market structure. Thus, there are only a few large firms, Homogeneous or differentiated products, imperfect knowledge of the market, they are price makers with price rigidity and also have many buyers. As such, there are little competition levels which ideally lead to the producers satisfaction and welfare. After the data were collected from the questionnaire, I discovered that all the participants were between the ages of 16-17. The study as shown that LIME’s internet service was the most  demanded internet service in Guys hill. Question 1 )10 of the students who were given questionnaires had access to the internet at their homes. This may due to the addiction to social networking or the need of having the internet to gather information. Since the internet is the quickest way of gathering information and communicating with others the demand for internet would be high. Question 2: In question (2) 60% of the students said that they have LIME’s internet service while 40% have Flow internet service. The fact that more students preferred LIME’s internet service shows that some method of attracting customers that Flow is lacking. Based on the supply information gained from the interviews, these methods include the sponsoring of events and other methods. Effective use of these methods can increase the demand for internet, lower production cost, will result in a decrease cost price and lead to an extension of demand, all of which increases a firm’s profits. Question 3: The question â€Å"Who pays for the internet you have access to† was asked in question 3. Majority (80%) of the students said that they parents pays for the internet while the other 20% said that their grandparents pays for the internet. This shows that even students may have the desire and the willingness to pay for the internet service; they are not backed by t he ability to pay for it. Question 4: All (20) of the students said that the person who pays for the internet at their home currently has a job. This shows that persons who have jobs are the ones who have ability to pay for internet service at their homes. Question 5: In relation to question 5 responses, 16 of the persons who pay for the internet are full-time employees while the other 4 are part-time. The 16 full-time employees who might be eligible for benefitshave LIME’s internet service and this might be so maybe because of personal preference and wanting top quality service. Question 6: 16 students said that the person who pays for their internet occupational classification is white collar while the other 4 said its blue collar.The 4 blue collar workers internet service provider is Flow, which shows that people who receive less income prefers Karib Cables internet service maybe because of the price of the service. Question 7: In relation to question 8, 18 of the students use the internet mostly for social networking while the other 2 uses it for information. Sites like facebook  and twitter are social networking sites that enable users to communicate with each other by posting information, comments, messages, images, ect and these sites have become the most popular website on the internet. So therefore students may have a deep desire to have internet service to use these sites. Question 8: According to question 7 90% of the students use the internet on a daily basis. Based on the questionnaire this is due to addiction to social networking by these students. The other 10% uses it weekly and this is due to the need of gathering information. Question 9: In question 9 the question was asked â€Å"What is the main factor of choosing your internet service provider?† Many factors affect the demand for a specific internet service such as preference, price of the internet and advertisement. 60% of the students said that it’s because of preference while the other 40% said that it’s because of price of the internet service. This may be so because people may have a greater liking for a certain internet service because of its reliability. No onewants to be experiencing difficulties with the internet while surfing. Question 10: 8 persons said that they pay a price range of $800-$1000 while12 persons said that they pay from $1300-$1500 According to the information on the questionnaires the 12 persons who pays at the price range of $1300-$1500 internet service provider is Lime, which shows that flows rates are a little cheaper than LIME’s rates. Question 11: All of the students internet speed is 1 megabyte per sec. Although LIME and flow provides 4mbps, which is a lot faster than 1mbps shows that people only have the ability to pay for 1mbps a month. Question 12: According to question 12, 60% of these students don’t experience any problems at times, while the other 40% experiences problems. The 60% of students who don’t experience any problems internet service provider is LIME. This means that even though LIME’s rates are a little more expensive, they provide better service than Flow and that is why LIME attracts more customers to their services. The fact that LIME’s internet service is more expensive may due to the cost of production. Question 13: 6 of the students who experience problems said that they experience slow internet at times, while the other 2 students said that at times they don’t have internet at times. Question 14: In relation to question 14 these problems were experienced daily by 25% of these student, 25% weekly and 50% of the students who experience problems experiences monthly. Question 15: The question â€Å"If the price for your internet was $1000 a month for 1MBPS (Mega Bytes per Second), you would purchase â€Å"20% of the students said that they would purchase 2mbps at $1500 per month. This shows that persons have the desire and willingness to purchase 2mbps but they don’t have the ability to do so. Question 16: 50 % of the students showed willingness to purchase 2mbps at $1500 per month. As price increases from $1500 to $2000 for 2mbps, the quantity demanded decreased thus, the law of demand stands (as prices increase, demand decreases). The P.E.D was calculated as -0.15, indicating price inelasticity. As the price increases from $1500to $2000, demand also decreases and the Law of demand is also obeyed. The P.E.D. in this case was -0.3, thus indicating in another price inelasticity. Findings 1. There is a negative relationship between the prices of internet service and the quantity demanded. This simply means as price increases, quantity demanded decreases and as price decreases, the quantity demanded increases. 2. The principal factor affecting for internet service is one’s preference. 3. Internet service is price inelastic, therefore the quantity demanded is unresponsive to changes in price. 4. The existence of foreign firms (LIME) in the local economy can create good competition and result in higher consumer satisfaction. Recommendations Both LIME and Flow can endeavor into improving in the following areas if they haven’t already done so in order to boost sales and have a better competitive stance: Flow should use suggestion boxes to get feedback from customers about problems they face. Increase advertising to make the customers to have a greater liking for their internet service since preference is the factor affecting demand. The government should open up the market for internet service further. This would add to competition. Competition would lower prices and also keep money in the country since LIME is owned by the British base money is most likely exported out of the country. Sponsor more events that are taken place in the country. Sell 2MBPS at cheaper rates since more people are demanding 2MBPS. Conclusion In this investigation between LIME and Flow, I have come to realize the major role that economics plays in the operation of a business. It was deduced that LIME is a better internet service provider than Flow since bigger consumer market and their customers experience no problems. Bibliography Book: Websites: http://www.time4lime.com/vc/internet.jsp http://www.Flow.com

How Guide Books Help Construct The Tourist Gaze Tourism Essay

How Guide Books Help Construct The Tourist Gaze Tourism Essay How guide books help to construct the tourist gaze and constrain the way tourists see the city. If you really want your life to pass like a movie in front of you, just travel, you can forget your life. Andy Warhol (1975). Tourism is an important aspect in 21st century living as it represents a type of escapism an individual can experience to add spontaneity in ones mundane routine. With mass globalization posing as an ever-growing epidemic, most tourist spots are highly advertised in the media creating what has been known as the tourist gaze. The tourist gaze is summarized very neatly by John Urry (1990), as the process when places are chosen to be gazed upon because there is an anticipation, especially through daydreaming and fantasy, of intense pleasures, either on a different scale or involving different senses from those customarily encountered. Such anticipation is constructed and sustained through a variety of non-tourist practices, such as film, TV, literature, magazines, records and videos, which construct and reinforce that gaze This paper will attempt to explore the different factors of how guidebooks in particular help to construct the tourist gaze and also how it may limit the experience one would have of the city. Urry (1990) introduces a wide variety of themes of which will be closely examined in the process of this essay. To be specific to the question the analysis will be closely related to how guide books and therefore, literature as well as magazines, evoke the different senses that help in instilling th e tourist gaze particularly in contemporary London. The tourist experience is very closely mediated by sight, and by the practices of representation that are part and parcel of travel (Crang, 1997). The city of London represents a region full of history, culture, authentic architecture and modern marvels all of which can easily be beautifully captured as a still image and has been greatly advertised in travel guides. london_mix001.jpg Figure 1: Introductory depiction of multiple aspects in London. The Informative Travelers Guide To London introduced the city of London by means of an image, Figure 1. Spots to visit are chosen because of their value as photographic landmarks. A walk through a city or rather tourism in general becomes in effect a search for the photogenic. (Kubalek, 2008) Photography is a powerful means of evoking ones senses. Figure 1 depicts history, culture, and architecture as well as conveys a sense of patriotism all in one effectively edited shot. The tourist gaze is created as the viewer, most likely foreign to the British culture, is thrust into such an exotic world mentally without even having cross the boarder. Tourism is often about the body-as-seen, displaying, performing and seducing visitors with skill, charm, strength, sexuality and so on. (Urry, 2001) Clearly evident in Figure 1 is a depiction of a British guard in the iconic uniform, which forces the on-looker to envision the ceremony of the changing of the guards. The Changing the Guard at Buckingham Palace is a comprehensive guide book that entails history of the ceremony as well as dissects the facts from the different ranks of the soldiers to the intricacies of his uniform. This example involve what MacCannell(1992, 1999) calls a reconstructed ethnicity as well as a staged authenticity clearly because this ceremony is a major tourist attraction for visitors alike. Not only will they experience an act of British nationalism but also catch a glimpse of a national landmark, Buckingham Palace. National histories tell a story, of a people passing through history, a story often beginning in the mists of time (Bhabha, 1990) Included in the aforementioned guide book is a list of places of attraction within a close vicinity to Buckingham Palace, Houses of Parliament, Big Ben, Piccadilly Circus, St James Palace, 10 Downing Street, The Thames, Trafalgar Square and even Hard Rock Cafe, to name just a few of the great London sights that are a stones throw from Buckingham Palace! (Changing of the Guard, 1990) This is an example in how the tourist gaze can pose as a constraint to the visitors experience of the city. Part of the motive for travelling is to experience the photographs on site, in the real (Dyer, 1995). The book subconsciously guides the tourist and therefore his/her liberty to explore the land is controlled. union-jack-333.jpg Figure 2: The 2012 Olympic Games logo International events, premised upon mass tourism and cosmopolitanism, means that national identity is increasingly conceived of in terms of a location within, and on, a global stage. (Urry, 2001). Visit Britain 2012 is synonymous with images such as that depicted in figure 2 and highly advertised with articles relating to the highly anticipated 2012 Olympic games. The visit London 2012 homepage opens with a description of the Olympic Park, The London 2012 Games are the catalyst for transforming 2.5sq km of land in east London. What was once industrial, contaminated land has been rapidly transformed over the past three years.. Rochee (2000) describes these areas as having the power to transform themselves from being mundane placesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ into being there special host city sites that come to occupy a distinct niche within global tourism. The reconstruction of what was once an industrial area into what is portrayed as a place of interest is another way tourist organizations crea te the tourist gaze, by stressing this in tourist manuals they represent the tool that conveys the message. Liberated from the real-world burdens of stores and product manufacturing, brands are free to soar, less as the dissemination of goods and services than as collective hallucinations (Klein, 2000: 22) Product advertising is evident in many travel magazines; one brand in particular that is greatly linked to tourism is the Rimmel franchise. Get the London look! Rimmel claims to be authentic, experimental, fun, accessible to all and uniquely British, offering value for money, with a dash of London glamour. (Rimmel London) By hiring American talent such as actor, Zooey Deschanel as well as musician, Solange Knowles, they represent brand ambassadors who in turn help in the creation of the tourist gaze especially since the advertising has them set in very stereotypical London scenarios, creating again an idealized and stereotypical representations of the place we are visiting (Martwick, 2001) Young aristocrats took Grand Tours in the 17th century primarily for educational reasons, but only since the 1840s did travel start to be of greater interest for a wider part of European society. (Kubalek, 2008) History plays an important part of tourism in general as Roche (2000) explains with the example of the 1851 Great Exhibition at Londons Crystal Palace, the first-ever national tourist event. Although the British population was only 18m, 6m visits were made to the Exhibition, many using the new railways to visit the national capital for the first time. Timeout London. The best of London (2010), has a comprehensive display of the different museums and attractions of which claim to hold great historical and cultural significance to the country. Particularly important in the genealogy of nationalism have also been the founding of national museums and the development of national artists, architects, musicians, playwrights, novelists, historians and archaeologists (McCrone, 1998; K irshenblatt-Giblett, 1998) Also highly publicized in the guide book mentioned earlier is the ever so popular, London Eye observation wheel. The static forms of the tourist gaze, such as that from the balcony vantage point, focuses on the two-dimensional shape, colours and details of the view that is laid out before one and can be moved around with ones eyes (Pratt, 1992: 222) On the wheel the viewer is able to observe Londons other landmarks, for instance the Houses of Parliament, St Pauls Cathedral even The Gherkin. In a sense it gives the viewer the feeling of having some kind of an overview of the city he/she has traveled to (Kubalek, 2008). Although this feeling may be quite rewarding Osborne (2000) explains that the tourist never quite arrives, never completely connects. The significance of other sights interrupts each sight. Every sight signifies all other sights, most still lacking our visit. Kubalek (2008) gives an example to the previous quote by introducing the Southbank, which is the stage for stree t performers. Being right next to the wheel does the static image of watching the view from the wheel contrast to the more interactive experience of walking down the iconic Southbank? Similarly the view through the car windscreen (like the view from one of the rotating glass pods) has also had significant consequences for the nature of the visual glance, enabling the materiality of the city or the landscape to be clearly appreciated (Larsen, 2001) The touristic experience reflects, magnifies and distils everyday life, it infuses the mundane, and vice versa, in relation to the developing and maintaining of an individuals social identities. (McCabe, S., 2002) Consumer psychology, geography and business management studies are essential in the planning of tourism. It is an intentional play by tourist organizations, to make the person believe that their holiday is made by choice, when holiday packages have been planned with great intricacy to benefit the countrys economy. Urry (1990) has found that leisure travel is motivated by a desire to escape ordinary, normal life. The meaningful experiences through travel (MacCannell, 1976) is garnered by a carefully planned plot that guides the tourist in question on a journey that may seem to be of great spontaneity, but is in actual fact carefully planned by greater powers and hence there is clear constraint to the true experience that the tourist encounters. In conclusion, there are many ways tourist guide books create the tourist gaze, be it in ways that may not be seemingly apparent. It is an intricately planned affair of which tourist companies greatly weigh the economic aspects with the environmental as well as the political as so to produce an experience that will create a symbiotic relationship between the visitor, the locals as well as the environment. In order to achieve this, as I have explained in the process if this paper, there are apparent constraints that is embedded psychologically in the minds of the tourist by the way the guide book is presented. They are cumulatively lead to places of interest of which due to careful planning will come to benefit the area economically, socially and sustainably. Tourism is a game, or rather a whole series of games with multiple texts and no single, authentic experience (Urry, 1990) Total words: 1720 words

Social Media In The Business World

Social Media In The Business World It is hard to believe that there once was a time when horses were the latest thing in media technology. Horses were a means of communication over large amounts of land, which as a technological innovation changed the course of history (AMTEC). Media and technology has come an incredibly long way since that time. The rate in which technology is advancing makes it hard to keep up. Todays society revolves around the latest technology and what is current in the mediam everyone wants the latest and the greatest. Technology today gives people endless possibilities at the touch of their fingers at any time of day. A study done by The Nielsen Company projects that by the end of 2011 Smartphones will overtake feature phones in the United States. They also believe that one in two Americans will own a smartphone by Christmas of 2011. Smartphones, which are mobile phones that offer more computing ability and connectivity than feature phones, make it possible to communicate with and connected to anywhere in the world at any time. Smartphones are just one example of the technological revolution we are experiencing today. Social media is a part of the obsession people have with media and technology today. As stated above, technology makes it extremely easy to communicate with people and social media makes it even easier. It is no longer required for someone to be at a computer in order to long onto their favorite social media sites. Smartphones have teamed up with these sites to create applications that allow you to access your social media profile right from your mobile phone. This makes it possible to be literally connected and able to communicate with people twenty-four hours a day. The popularity of social media sites is unbelievable. Is social media a fad? Or is it the biggest shift since the Industrial Revolution? asks Erik Qualman, founder of Socialnomics, which works to provide social and mobile statistics. One of the most popular social media sites, facebook, has attracted more than 500 million active users since it was created in February of 2004. Facebook added 100 million users in less than nine months (Qualman). In contrast, it took the television thirteen years and the internet four years to reach 100 million users. Facebook is not only used by people in the United States. About 70% of its users are outside of the United States and it is available in over 70 different translations, as stated on facebook.com. Also, people spend over 700 billion minutes per month of facebook. A survey done in a College Writing II class at Marist College showed that 100% of the students in the class have a profile on a social media site. The business world is certainly not being left behind by the social media revolution. Contrary to popular belief social media is not solely used for social purposes. As the popularity of these social media sites continue to grow at a rapid rate, businesses are starting to jump on the bandwagon. Businesses can certainly benefit and also be harmed in a number of ways by social media sites. As a result, Social Media is becoming a big factor in employment, affecting both job seekers and employers. People are mistaken when they believe that socializing is the only purpose of social media sites. Besides facebook, twitter and youtube, which are mainly used for social purposes, there are also sites that are used for professional business purposes. These sites are benefitial and present opportunities to both job seekers and businesses looking to hire new employees. One of the more popular professional social media sites is known as LinkedIn. The site defines itself as, A networking tool to find connections to recommended job candidates, industry experts and business partners. With nearly 25 million users LinkedIn serves almost any industry and professions explains Jake Swearingen a reporter for BNET. On LinkedIn users simply make a profile including all their professional information, and start searching and networking. In his article for the CBS Interactive Business Network, Swearingen states that it is easy to create a profile but it takes work to make it as useful as possible. In the article he outlines steps to making a LinkedIn profile that will benefit the user the most. He says before a user connects with other users they must first create a profile with their detailed professional history. Simply copying and pasting their resume on the site will not cut it. A successful LinkedIn profile should reflect professional interests, passions and ambitions (Swearingen). The site is helpful in making sure that the user fills in all areas of their profile but, Swearingen believes there are two specific areas that are crucial in making a profile as effective as possible. The first is the section located right under the users name on their profile. This section is a short headline which is usually four or five words. This will be the first thing people see on a LinkedIn profile besides the users name. In other words, this will be the first impression made on all viewers. This section should be a simple explanatory headline that contains keywords that will help users find eachother, for example, Senior Project Manager at MacDonnell-Douglas or, High-Performing Aeronautical Engineering Projects. The second section contain past job experiences and ambitions for the future. Swearingen informs that when listing past job experiences users should make sure to use verbs as much as possible. It shows that passion about what the user learned from each job. Also, non-jobs can also be listed here. These include positions such as leading a group project. Mrinal Desai, a former LinkedIn evangelist and current vice president at CrossLoop, Inc recommends including what you want to do in the future in this section. After creating the best profile possible on LinkedIn, the user can get and receive recommendations. People who are happy with someones work can write a brief description of their experiences on that persons profile. These recommendations can be seen by anyone who views that specific profile. Recommendations serve a similar purpose as references someone would use when filling out a job application. Having recommendations from past and present colleagues and, or bosses shows that this particular person has good working habits, trustworthy and reliable. All of which are qualities companies look for in employees. As well as being helpful to people looking for jobs, LinkedIn is also extremely beneficial to companies looking to hire new employees. 40% of Fortune 100 companies are using LinkedIn recruiting solutions as of August 2009 (Srinvasen). Businesses can post open positions right on LinkedIn and users can search through the jobs posted for the ones that apply. Then companies can use the LinkedIn Recruiter which searches the entire site for the best possible candidates based on what the company is specifically looking for. The company can then contact the candidates directly through LinkedIn mail. This process is quick, easy and saves companies money. Social media used for pre-employment purposes poses many benefits for people who utilize its tools; however it also can be harmful. The popularity of social media sites makes it extremely easy to acquire information about almost anyone. For example, there are 500 million people on facebook anyone could get to know by poking around their profiles. As a result of this popularity, businesses are beginning to use social media as a part of the hiring process. The purpose of a job interview is to learn something about the candidates personality but that person tries to make the best possible impression on the interviewer. This impression may not depict the persons true personality. Employers want to make sure they are making the best choice before hiring someone and content on social media sites can tell a lot about someones true personality. CEO Max Drucker believes, I personally think were moving away from the one-page resume. I think were moving toward where your online history is your resume. Do you have content on your profile you would not want a possible employer to see? 45% of companies use social media sites to research potential job candidates according to a survey of more than 2,000 HR professionals which was commissioned by CareerBuilder.com. That is nearly half of all companies. In addition, another 11% are planning to start similar practices in the near future. Out of the companies who admitted to using social media as a hiring tool 35% said they had actually rejected a candidate based on content they found during their research. But what exactly do companies find to cause such decisions? Having provocative pictures or information was the main reason employers opted out of hiring someone. Sharing content that involved alcohol and drugs was not far behind. Also, companies dismissed candidates for bad-mouthing previous employers, co-workers, or clients on social media sites. Even the use emoticons or smiley faces that have become very common when communicating technologically are seen as a negative to companies. This does not mean job seekers can no longer reminisce with their friends about the party they went to last weekend on social media sites. Facebook, as well as other social media sites, have made it possible to make your profile private. There are many different settings that can be changed in order to make sure only desired people can see a full facebook profile. The settings can either be set to everyone, which means everyone can see everything on that specific profile, friends of friends, friends only, or custom. Custom makes it possible to block certain friends, but not all friends. Each of these settings can be applied to each aspect of a facebook profile separately. For example, say someone wants everyone on facebook to be able to see their profile pictures, but only wants their friends to be able to see their posts. The everyone setting can be applied specifically to profile pictures, while the friends only setting can be applied to all posts. Also, say someone is friends with their Aunt Joan on facebook, but does not want her to see pictures of what they do on the weekends. Aunt Joan can specifically be blocked from all pictures, still be able to see other sections of the profile and still remain friends with her family member. Users can also make themselves unsearchable, which means if someone types their name in the search bar, at the top of the facebook homepage, their profile will not come up. This assures extra safety from employers looking to do some online research. Researching job candidates online sounds like a convienient way for employers to find out about their personality, but theres a catch. Companies need to be aware of legal issues when doing online research. Michelle Sherman described which information about job candidates is off limits in her article for the Social Media Law Update Blog. She described that under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act prohibits discrimination based on race, color, national origin, religion and gender when making employment related decisions such as, hiring, discipline and termination. The Age Discrimination Act prohibits discrimination against people who are 40 years or older, and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 prohibits discrimination against those who are qualified disabled. Many states add other factors to the list of information that is off limit. For example, the state of California adds sexual orientation, marital status, pregnancy, cancer, political affiliation, genetic characteristics, and gender identity to the list. Companies can easily gain information about the factors stated above by investigating social media sites. Michelle Sherman said, The challenge for employers who are researching job applicants, or monitoring the social media activity of their employees, is to not let this protected status information bleed into their employment decisions. On the other hand, Renee M. Jackson of the National Law Journal believes, Employers should consider whether the benefits of using social media to research applicants outweigh the risks. She also states certain guidelines employers should consider if they decide to screen social media sites. One guideline describes that companies should have a neutral party screen social media sites and filter out any information that is considered off limits under federal law. This neutral party can then pass on acceptable information to the individuals making the hiring decisions. Whoever is doing the online research should never friend a candidate in order to gain access to information. Finally, employers must be able to state a legitimate and nondiscriminatory reason for the decisions they make with documentation to support their claim. CEO of Social Intelligence Corp. Max Drucker says, Look, the employer is damned if they do, and damned if they dont. If they do screening themselves, its a legal landmine. If they dont, they open themselves up to negligent hiring. The presence of social media in the business world does not disappear after the hiring process is complete. People believe that employees who use social media sites while at work can actually benefit the business. It is said to result in external business generation. Considering the popularity of social media today it is the fastest way to advertise to the public. In 2009, Sodexo, a food company, got a lot of buzz because they had their employees tweet under the company name (Welstead). To put this into perspective, if 100 employees get involved, each employee has an average of 100 friends on their social media profile, and they post one company-related status per week that status will reach 10,000 or more people per week. In a matter of minutes a company can advertise to tens of thousands of people they may not be able to reach otherwise. Companies dont always have to rely on their employees to advertise on social media sites. Facebook has made it possible for businesses to create business accounts. Business accounts are different than personal accounts and are designed mainly to as a place for companies to advertise. Once a business creates a business account on facebook it can edit the businesses profile and add photos, videos and events. For example, Honda has its very own facebook page. The page contains information about the company, pictures and videos of the different types of cars, links to pages dedicated to one specific type of car, and promotions of their latest products and campaigns. In addition, businesses can also create ads that will show up on the side of the facebook homepage when the user logs on. Each company can choose their audience by location, age and interests when displaying their ad on facebook. Although, using social media for advertising creates a lot on benefits, it also may harm companies. It is obvious that if employees spend their entire day on social media sites production may decrease, but that is a small speed bump compared to the damage that could be done. The biggest risk is the unauthorized disclosure of confidential company information (Jackson). Leaking confidential company information can cause the company embarrassment, public relations issues and damage to the employers brand or reputation. As a result it is suggested that each company have a social media policy that all employees must follow. It is unrealistic to ban social media as a whole considering the amount of people who own smart phones. In other words, if social media sites are blocked on the company computers, employees can still log on using their mobile phones. Renee Jackson outlined some possible guidelines in her article for the National Law Journal. She described that companies should make it clear that the misuse of social media can be grounds for discipline and even termination. After that is made clear, it should be prohibited for employees to disclose confidential company information, trade secrets or proprietary information. Employees should keep company logos off their personal profiles and bring work-related complaints to human resources before writing about it on the internet. Also, employees should be prohibited from using their company e-mail address to register for social media sites. These are just a few suggested policies companies should consider there are many more additions to this that can insure further protection to the company. Social media has been and can be a source of friendships, which can carry over to the work place. Renee Jackson believes, Employee use of social media can result in an internal creation of a collegial atmosphere through less formal interaction and shared experiences between co-workers. In other words, social media allows co-workers to interact in a less formal manner. They can communicate online in addition to having face-to-face conversations while at work. This strengthens the relationships between co-workers creating a pleasant and strong work environment. The closer employees are the better they work together in a team atmosphere. In contrast to the quote stated above, Renee Jackson also states, On the other hand, employee use of social media can create awkward and potentially harassing situations when such use turns inappropriate. An example of this is if a supervisor wants to be a subordinates friend on a social media site. If the subordinate accepts the request the supervisor now has access to all the information on their profile. On the other hand, if the subordinate decides not to accept it may create an awkward situation in the work place because the supervisor may be offended. Misuse of such sites can cause sexual harassment or create a hostile work environment in more extreme cases (Jackson). Social media is not just a fad. Since facebook first launched in 2004 it has gained over 500 million users. The rate in which it gained popularity was faster than that of any other technological innovation. Social media is beginning to permeate the business world. It can be extremely beneficial to business, but also very harmful. If social media is going to continue to be used in the business world, it needs to be used correctly. For job seekers, site used strictly for socializing should be protected from professionals looking to gain insight into personalities. Professional social media sites make job hunting and networking quick and easy, but in order for them to be successful they need to be developed fully. For companies, social media sites are a convenient want to research possible employees, but they need to make sure they stay clear of all legal issues. Facebook has made it easy for companies to advertise on the site, and they can use their employees to reach more possible cus tomers. However, companies should have a social media policy that all employees must follow in order to make sure all problems are avoided. The concept of professional social media can be extremely beneficial to Generation Y when they being the career search, since they are the majority of the users on social media sites. If they learn how to use social media properly it will put them in a better place for the rest of their lives. They can use social media as a tool to get them a good job. Once they are hired they can use it to make business better. The key to successful and safe social media use is know how to use it safely and to the best of its ability.

Gift Giving in the Medical Industry Essay -- Healthcare

In a recent article from St. Paul Pioneer Press (http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505245_162-57348681/drug-company-money-on-rise-for-2-minn-clinics/), the University of Minnesota and the Mayo Clinic came under public scrutiny after it was revealed that they received $650,000 between them in 2010. Gift giving has always been a touchy subject in the medical industry. Various articles have been written regarding the subject exploring the benefits and its disadvantages. But the tug of war between ethics and the effects of commercialism has yet to be seen in the stand of medical institutions and health care providers. In 2008, Fortune 500 magazine reported the Pharmaceutical Industry as one of the top three most profitable industries in America. This should not come as a surprise since there will always be sickness and disease and as a necessary consequent there will be patients who will need medicine for these illnesses. â€Å"It is a lucrative industry that utilizes different strategies to gain revenue.† said James Rhee, a professor in the Department of Physician Assistants Studies of Eastern Virginia Medical School, when he described the industry in his article in the Internet Journal of Academic Physician Assistants(http://www.ispub.com/journal/the-internet-journal-of-academic-physician-assistants/volume-7-number-1/the-influence-of-the-pharmaceutical-industry-on healthcare-practitioners-prescribing-habits.html). Business is business for these large pharmaceutical industries and they employ marketing techniques that will ensure their profitability. In realizing these gains, Pharmaceutic al companies employ variations on the tried and tested theme of gift giving. GIFT GIVING, IS IT APPROPRIATE? As early as 2003, Arnold Relman a Harvard ... ...dress conflict of interest issues, key people in strategic position like the director of the office of institutional compliance at the University of Minnesota, Lynn Zentner had this to say: â€Å"An unmanaged conflict is a problem,† â€Å"Having a conflict of interest is not.† # # # Works Cited (http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505245_162-57348681/drug-company-money-on-rise-for-2-minn-clinics/),(http://www.ispub.com/journal/the-internet-journal-of-academic-physician-assistants/volume-7-number-1/the-influence-of-the-pharmaceutical-industry-on healthcare-practitioners-prescribing-habits.html),(http://www.bmj.com/content/326/7400/1189.extract),(http://www.twincities.com/ci_19619583?source=pkg),http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45796673/ns/technology_and_science-science/t/drug-company-money-rise-minn-clinics/#.TwFJtDX9Mlc)

stats :: essays research papers

Homework Assignment # 4 Problem MBS-2. Rush Hour Traffic in ActivStats (Tests for a Mean Homework) In order to reduce the average number of vehicles that use the Lincoln Tunnel, the Port Authority in New York is experimenting a peak-hour pricing,. The mean number of cars waiting in a queue is 1220 (population mean: m = 1220). A random sample of 10 days (n = 10) is drawn and the data representing the number of cars is analyzed. The Data Desk tool in ActivStats reports that the sample mean is 989.8 cars (sample mean: y = 989.8) and the sample standard deviation is 160.676 cars (s = 160.676). In order to determine whether the peak-hour pricing has contributed for reducing the number of cars using the tunnel, we have to assume that the numerical data are independently drawn and represent a random sample from a population that is normally distributed. Therefore, as the sampling distribution of the mean is normally distributed and the population standard deviation (s) is not known, it is appropriate to use the t-test. The null and the alternative hypothesis for this test are: Ho: m=1220 (or less) and Ha: m > 1220. For this problem we can use 1% level of significance (a = 0.01). Because s is not known, we chose a t-test with a test statistic t, given by the formula:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  t = (y - m) / sx t = (y - m) / (s / √n) This test is one-sided and a critical value (t*) is needed for identifying the value of the test statistic that is required to reject the null hypothesis.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  t* (df = n-1, a)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  t* (df = 10-1, a = 0.01)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  t* (df = 9, a = 0.01) The critical value t*, which I obtained from the t-distribution table in Kazmier, and corresponds to 9 degrees of freedom and 0.01 level of significance is t* = 2.821 On the basis of the collected data, we can compute the t-test statistic: t = (y - m) / (s / √n)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  t = (989.8 – 1220) / (160.676/√10) (after replacing for y, m, s and n)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  t = - 4.5306 Therefore, in order to reject the null hypothesis the sample mean must have a value that is bigger than the critical value ( reject Ho if t > t*, otherwise do not reject Ho). Because t = -4,5306 falls within the non-rejection region (Fig. 1) below the critical value t* = 2.

Coordinate Activities And To Use The Available Resources

A formal national EE scheme or policy though has every bit yet non been set up due to miss of political will ( Mayo et al. , 2008 ) , even though the National Environment Education Strategy Action Group was set up in early 1996 ( Department of Health Policy and Planning, 1997 ) . Research shows that EE has ingrained its roots in the primary educational field ( Pace, 1997 ) , where it is reasonably easy to incorporate cross-curricular EE in the schoolroom since most of the clip there is merely one instructor responsible for the instruction of all the topics. In the secondary educational field, it is less easy, since different topics are thought by different instructors and therefore acquisition is more disconnected. Pace ( 1997 ) argued that there are three obstructions which limit the extract of EE in secondary school course of study: stiff capable compartmentalization deficiency of preparation for learning forces stiff timetables and direction constructions Environmental surveies was introduced as a topic in the secondary course of study, but it is non implemented in public schools where they still have separate lessons and instructors for geographics, history and societal surveies. Still environmental issues are normally tackled in scientific topics such as incorporate scientific discipline, biological science, chemical science, natural philosophies and geographics. The EkoSkola programme though, in both primary and secondary schools, has successfully driven multidisciplinary EE in schools. The programme supports a whole school attack and weaves EE rules within a school ‘s direction policy and the mundane running of the school. In post-secondary schools acquisition is even more disconnected with different instructors learning non merely different topics, but besides different subjects within the same topic. Like in secondary schools environmental issues are normally addressed in science-related topics. In 1994, an intermediate degree certification in Environmental Science was launched. However, the class does non supply a holistic overview of environmental issues because the syllabus panel regarded the debut of socio-cultural facets as an effort to chant down the course of study ( Pace, 1997 ) . Students taking to inscribe into university, have to follow a Systems of Knowledge class which consists of four faculties. Module 4 is called ‘Sustainable Development and Environment ‘ and apart from taking to further cognition on local and international sustainable development issues, it besides aims to further pro-environmental attitudes and values such as: The value of sustainable development as a merely method of covering with environmental issues Concern and duty for the environment Committedness to actively take part in enterprises aimed at protecting the environment ( Matsec, Syllabus 2011 ) The job with this class though is that it involves a concluding scrutiny and at least a base on balls is a demand for university registration. Harmonizing to Pace ( 1997 ) , the class ‘s purposes are non wholly fulfilled as the scholars ‘ chief concern is to obtain a certification in the topic instead than widening their cognition.2.2.2 Problems with Education for Sustainable DevelopmentHave pedagogues responded to the demand, values and methods of ESD? Harmonizing to Bybee ( 1991 ) , pedagogues have responded neither ap ­propriately nor sufficiently, but they have reacted chiefly by concentrating on modern-day jobs individually, such as the energy crisis, acerb rain or population growing, and the consequence has been uncoordinated, unconnected educa ­tional stuffs. Sterling ( 2001 ) suggests that a ground why educational systems across the Earth have hardly responded to the challenge of reorientation may be that there has been deficient elucidation of the alterations in instruction that would be necessary for the ends of EE to be fulfilled. What has been losing is lucidity about the vision of the instruction that is needed, and besides a scheme of how to come on towards such a vision, bearing in head the power of the dominant societal and educational paradigms. Harmonizing to Pace ( 2005 ) , though, the major job is the inclination of educational establishments to take the easiest manner out – the relabeling of traditional patterns such as Nature Study, as EE, instead than the restructuring of educational constructions. This might stem from the failure of policy-makers to understand what is needed to accomplish proper EE ( Pace, 1992 ) . Leal Filho ( 1996 ) suggests that this deficiency of apprehension, confusion and slow acceptance of proper EE has been aggravated by academic arguments about nomenclature. At this point, it is of import to separate between instruction about the environment and instruction for the environment. The first refers to geting cognition and consciousness about issues and roll uping informations on these issues ; the 2nd refers to utilizing instruction to construct a more sustainable hereafter. Education for the environment is more than cognition edifice. It includes new attitudes, positions and values that usher and tip people towards more sustainable life styles. Barriers to EE are non merely present on a national and institutional degree but besides on a schoolroom degree. Some barriers are external and logistic in nature such every bit such as deficiency of clip ( Ko and Lee, 2003, as cited by Kim and Fortner, 2006 ) . However, there are besides barriers that act more on a personal degree, such as instructors ‘ attitude, content cognition, and pedagogical cognition ( Kim and Fortner, 2006 ) . Harmonizing to Makki et al. , ( 2003 ) , it is besides non plenty to develop and implement a course of study in which EE is conspicuously represented. They continue to reason that even though an improved course of study may supply instructors and pupils with tonss of information, if it does non surrogate creativeness, involvement, and pupil engagement, the consequence will be deficiency of meaningful acquisition and motive. A critical, but by and large disregarded facet of EE is environmental political instruction, which teaches how alterations can be achieved via political activism directed at Governments, international administrations, and even corporations ( United Nations, 2004 ) . In other words, EE should be aimed at bring forthing environmentally responsible citizens, non merely green consumers.2.3 Young personEnvironmental issues affect immature people in a disproportional manner since they are the 1s who have to populate for a longer period of clip in a deteriorating environment handed down to them by old coevalss. Young people are the 1s that will decidedly necessitate to supply extremist solutions to the environmental jobs caused by contemporary actions ( Bradley et al. , 1999 ) . Young people should therefore be compelled to prosecute in new signifiers of action and activism that will bring forth effectual consequences in the field of environmental protection ( United Nations, 2004 ) . The h ereafter of the universe is, after all, their hereafter. The universe ‘s 1.2 billion immature people aged 15-24 constitute 18 per cent of the planetary population ( United Nations, 2007 ) . Young people play many functions in society. They are non merely scholars but besides consumers of many things including energy. They are intelligibly besides concerned by societal, cultural, economic and environmental issues. Young people therefore have a cardinal function to play in determining the hereafter, including in finding forms of energy ingestion, and other factors taking to climate alteration. The development of pro-environmental attitudes and behavior in young person is therefore seen as really of import for a sustainable hereafter ( Eagles and Demare, 1999 ) . The United Nations ( UNCED, 1992 ) identified young persons as cardinal stakeholders that have a alone part to do towards sustainable development, and dedicated Chapter 25 in Agenda 21 to the importance of kids and immature people in the engagement in determination devising to make their ain hereafter. Agenda 21 promotes the function of immature people in decision-making by withstanding the popular discourse that since immature people are inexperienced and unqualified, they should non be considered ( De Lucca, 2004 ) . Young people have a right to be listened to and involved in the issues and determinations that affect their lives, non merely today but besides in the hereafter. Besides, the experience of immature people populating in the modern universe, conveying alone positions that need to be taken into history, and their creativeness, open-mindedness, and energy enable them to seek out the alteration that they want to see and force for it. Therefore the engagement of immature peo ple in determination devising procedures will decidedly act upon the long-run success of sustainable development. The Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, frequently shortened to Rio Declaration, is a short papers that was produced at the same conference ( Earth Summit ) . The Rio Declaration consists of 27 rules intended to steer future sustainable development around the universe. Principle 21 concerns youth, and suggests that the creativeness, ideals and bravery of immature people should be mobilised to make a planetary partnership that will vouch a better hereafter for everyone through sustainable development ( United Nations, 1992 ) . These two paperss ( Agenda 21 and the Rio Declaration ) highlight the importance of young person to the future sustainability of our environment both in Malta and throughout the universe. The National Youth Policy ( Parliamentary Secretariat for Youth and Sport, 2010 ) affirms that the State recognises ‘that young person engagement in preserving and protecting the environment is an of import part towards the attainment of sustainability ‘ ( 3.8.1.2 ) , and that it should seek schemes that promote and promote ‘the active function of immature people and their administrations in recommending steps to battle clime alteration, conserve bio-cultural diverseness and better the quality of human life ‘ ( 3.8.2.2 ) . ESD is truly the key to enabling young persons to accomplish a sustainable hereafter. Agenda 21 expects authoritiess to set up task-forces that include young persons and young person NGOs to develop ESD programmes specifically aiming young persons on relevant critical issues ( UNCED, 1992 ) . This is because ESD is the best tool to inform and call up all immature people, to take part actively in community activities that contribute to planet ary sustainable development, therefore authorising them to take part in social transmutation ( UNESCO, 2004 ) . One of the purposes of this research stems from the demand to do ESD more available to immature people, and is therefore to place some factors that encourage a alteration in behavior in immature people so that more effectual programmes could be developed. It is hoped that more immature people take the lead in sustainable development. Young person have a major function in political relations and they can utilize their influence as a long-run constituency to name upon political leaders to take more pro-environmental determinations ( United Nations, 2003 ) since they are the 1 that will confront the effects of bad determinations, for the longest period of clip. Today ‘s immature people have more power and possible to make alteration on planetary and local degrees than they have had in any old coevals ( Corriero, 2004 ) . This addition is due both to the increased attempts at inclusion by determination shapers who recognise the importance of the parts of immature people to determination devising and to the easiness of treatment and information exchange as a consequence of the Internet ( Arnold et al. , 2009 ) . In general, immature people are frequently more open to information about the environment than do people from older coevalss. In portion this is due to the handiness of more EE in schools, at least in the developed universe and possibly more periodically elsewhere ( United Nations, 2004 ) . Besides holding been more open to environmental issues by agencies of formal, non-formal and informal instruction, youth have lived all their lives in an epoch in which these issues have become rather seeable. Because young person have a stronger consciousness of the issues and a greater interest in sustainable development, this should be an country in which they ought to take the lead to advance more consciousness and to convey about concrete alterations. Young people surely rose to the challenge at the COP-15 of the UNFCCC in Copenhagen, Denmark, in December 2009. At COP-15, universe leaders met to negociate the protocol that will follow the Kyoto Protocol, upon its termination. The end was to hold on new adhering understandings to extenuate clime alteration. As those with the most to lose, 1000000s of young person from around the Earth gathered forces and campaigned, lobbied and protested to allow their leaders know that they care for their hereafter and that it must be protected. Despite the importance of young person battle in sustainable development, there has been small research conducted on immature people who are leaders in environmental action ( Arnold et al. , 2009 ) . This type of research will enable informed attempts to prosecute immature people in environmental issues. Such battle could hold deductions for their involvement and engagement in environmental action throughout their lives. The immature people involved in this survey have, for a figure of grounds, developed a deep concern for the natural environment, so much so that they have become portion of an administration that speaks out for the environment. They strive for the capacity to do alterations in those procedures of society which they consider to be impeding its sustainability.2.4 Research into Attitudes and BehaviourIt is clear that the attitudes, cognition, and concerns that immature people have about the environment will straight and indirectly affect nowadays and future determinations refering the environment and sustainable development. Therefore, if we examine immature peoples ‘ attitudes, cognition, and concerns about the environment around them, we can hold a better apprehension of the way we are headed. It is besides of import to larn about the direct parts that they are doing to prolong and back up the environment, and to observe the illustrations of good pattern. Young leaders of altera tion can move as function theoretical accounts for other immature people. Human behavior is seen as an of import subscriber to environmental jobs and their solutions ( Gardner and Stern, 2002 ; Nickerson, 2003 ) , and instruction purposes to determine human behavior ( Hungerford and Volk, 1990 ) . Therefore behavioral theories have been widely used to inform and develop EE. Ajzen and Fishbein ‘s ( 1980 ) theoretical account of sound action is one of the most often cited. Harmonizing to their theory, purpose to move has a direct consequence on behavior, and can be predicted by attitude. Attitude is formed by subjective norms and beliefs. From its origin EE sought to promote pro-environmental behaviors and in the beginning this was based on a behavioral alteration theoretical account that hypothesised a additive relationship among cognition, attitude, and action ( Hines et al. , 1986-1987 ; Hungerford and Volk, 1990 ) . Environmental pedagogues and research workers therefore thought that any cognition gained about the environment and environmental issues would ensue in the development of a pro-environmental attitude, which in bend would take to pro-environmental behavior. This premise is still present to some extent in the instruction community. Working under this premise, early EE research workers sought to happen out what cognition and experiences characterised people that held pro-environmental attitudes. The implicit in premise was that if this cognition and these experiences could be replicated through EE, pro-environmental attitudes would be fostered amongst the general populace, and pro-environmental behaviors would so ensue. Corraliza and Berenguer ( 2000 ) specify pro-environmental attitudes as people ‘s sensitivities, to pay attending to, be concerned about, and, finally, to move in the name of environmental protection. Harmonizing to Kraus ( 1995 ) , attitude is one of the most of import determiners of behavior. Therefore, understanding the footing of an attitude is of import if one is to seek and ease behaviors alteration. Since a clear end of EE is to alter behavior, Pooley and O'Connor ( 2002 ) suggest that it would be advantageous to first understand the footing of environmental attitudes and so utilize that understanding to ease altering environmental behavior. Attitude research could therefore besides be a utile vehicle for finally planing EE plans ( Newhouse, 1990 ) . Some surveies support the relationship between pro-environmental attitudes and behaviors ( Dunlap and Van Liere, 1978 ; Kaiser et al. , 1999 ; Meinhold and Malkus, 2005 ; Oskamp et al. , 1991 ) . Assorted other surveies though, have concluded that the environmental attitude-behaviour association is flimsy ( Axelrod and Lehman, 1993 ; Barrett and Kuroda, 2002 ; Kaplowitz and Levine, 2005 ; Kraus, 1995 ; Mogensen, and Nielsen, 2001 ; Newhouse, 1990 ; Schultz and Oskamp, 1996 ; Tuncer et al. , 2005 ) . Even though these surveies report a high degree of cognition and positive environmental attitude, behavior is reported to be non so positive. This was confirmed to be true to the Maltese islands every bit good. Mifsud ( 2008 ) studies that the overall attitude towards the environment, of pupils in post-secondary instruction appears to be strongly positive, but pupils by and large seem to execute small positive action towards the environment. Similar consequences were found in other surveies ( Grima, 2008 ) . So, even though many people view themselves as ‘environmentalists ‘ ( Pieters et al. , 1998 ) , they do non interpret their attitudes into pro-environmental behavi or. One ground may be pro-environmental behaviors frequently does non ensue in an immediate single net income but in a long-run corporate net income, which is frequently non appreciated by the person. The single benefits obtained from going by auto and devouring endlessly, without consideration of negative environmental impacts, non dividing waste, and non conserving energy, are immediate, whereas the negative environmental effects of such behaviors are frequently unsure effects in the hereafter. Another ground for this spread between attitudes and behavior might be the manner in which we are presenting EE. The formal instruction system is strongly knowledge based and it is clearly non taking to the desired result. This clashes strongly with the proper purposes of EE which focus strongly on a alteration in behavior and life style. What is the benefit of EE if there is no action? Environmental jobs jeopardizing ecosystems and societies are due to human activities. To be reduced, they therefore require alterations in human behavior ( Pawlik, 1991 ) . It is therefore really of import to analyze other factors instead than knowledge that Foster a alteration in behavior. This will assist us to rethink instruction and happen new avenues of affecting immature people in positive environmental actions. There is in fact a big and invariably turning sum of literature that trades with the inquiry of how human behaviours that impact the natural environment can be explained and fostered. To successfully advance pro-environmental behavior, a better apprehension of the assorted factors that influence people to prosecute in such behavior is of import. Future EE attempts will definately profit from a closer consideration of hindrances to and incentives of pro-environmental behavior. It is non ever easy though to find such factors as sometimes, even if the behavior has a positive impact on the environment, it might be performed for other grounds than to protect the environment, for illustration, conserving energy in the family to salvage money or utilizing a bike alternatively of a auto to acquire some exercising. On the other manus, possibly we should non seek to extinguish these factors but see them at the same time with the ‘purely ‘ environmental grounds. After all to underst and and pattern sustainable development we need to incorporate environmental, economic and societal facets.2.5 Research on the Factors that Foster Pro-environmental Behaviour2.5.1 ValuessIt is frequently suggested that environmental attitudes and environmental behaviors are related to people ‘s values ( Poortinga et al. , 2004 ; Schultz and Zelezny, 1999 ; Stern, 2000a ) . Valuess are ingrained personal criterions that guide us through decision-making in life. Valuess are hence at the root of our attitudes and behavior. It has been argued that environmental jobs are mostly ingrained into the traditional values, attitudes, and beliefs of a given society ( Deng et al. , 2006 ) . Harmonizing to Johnson et Al. ( 2004 ) different populations with specific societal patterns and cultural traits are likely to keep different values