Chemistry Research Part 1 Acids Essay

Ethanoic acid is non-toxic and is a weak acid [4], meaning it will not do any damage to most surfaces as it does not corrode or bind to other metals, therefore can be easily removed through washing or rinsing it [2]. Disadvantages: Ethanoic Acid is the slowest de-scaler of the three acids, and is therefore the least effective. It also may cause an unpleasant smell, and can have a negative effect on the taste of coffee [6] meaning one would need to spend longer time rinsing and cleaning the machine thoroughly to ensure that the taste of the coffee is not affected. Citric Acid Advantages: Citric acid leaves behind zero toxic residues and has just enough acidic concentration to descale without etching or damaging household surfaces in any way and there are no volatile compounds or products that harm the environment. Disadvantages: Because citric acid is a weak acid, it won’t remove heavy build-up of scale very quickly. It is also a powder hence it must be dissolved for use. It also works best with hot water meaning there will be higher energy consumption. Even when used with hot water, citric acid is not as effective at descaling as Sulfamic acid. Sulfamic Acid Advantages: Sulfamic acid is the fastest de-scaler – It dissociates into hydroxonium ions more readily in aqueous solution than the others, therefore giving a greater concentration of atoms that are able to react with the calcium in lime scale. It is safe to use because it does not produce chlorine gas [5], which can be toxic. Sulfamic acid also has a low volatility. Disadvantages: Sulfamic Acid can be an irritant to eyes or skin and is the most expensive of the de-scalers. Q2) How these de-scalers remove limescale Limescale forms when hard water is heated above 61Â °C or when it is left to evaporate on surfaces such as taps and showerheads. Hard water is water that contains high quantities of calcium and magnesium ions. These hardness minerals, in the form of calcium carbonate and magnesium carbonate, precipitate out of hard water to form limescale [1]. Therefore, to clean or remove limescale, something needs to dissolve or soften calcium carbonate and/or magnesium carbonate, so it can easily wash away. Acids cause mineral deposits such as rust to oxidise, thereby weakening them and making it possible to simply wash them away. Lime scale removers work by chemically reacting with the lime scale to form safe chemicals and ions. Lime scale is Calcium Carbonate, and when broken down by strong acids, produces Calcium Chloride, Water and CO2. These are much safer, and can be washed away with water, to remove the CaCl from the area. Bibliography [1] http://www.dynapipe.co.uk/how-to-remove-limescale.htm [2] http://www.coffeehomedirect.com/how/to/clean/a/coffee/maker/with/vinegar [3] http://www.ehow.co.uk/how_7404899_delime-coffee-maker.html [4] http://incarinsurance.org/advantages/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-using-ethanoic-acid-as-a-descaler-.html [5] http://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20130123013345AA71LkB [6] http://www.p4c.philips.com/cgi-bin/dcbint/cpindex.pl?scy=ZA;slg=ENG;ctn=HD5405/60;dct=FAQ;refnr=0092154;view=aa12_view_partial.html;session=20120502004843_66.249.71.242;faqview=1

Celta assignment 1 focus on the learner Essay

Part 1: Background a) There was a reasonably wide range of ability in this intermediate level group, although the majority of students were able to form coherent sentences. Some students were more confident in answering questions aloud, while some needed to use their dictionaries regularly during lessons, and were less assured with speaking in front of the class. The age ranged anywhere between mid-20’s and late 50’s. The most common interests of the group were listening to music and watching TV. Three students listed some kind of sport (such as football or swimming) as their main hobbies, while two students put reading as their main interest. Other hobbies included cooking, going to the theatre and travelling. Most students have been learning English for somewhere between 1 year and 2 years. The most inexperienced student said she’d only been learning for 2 months, whereas the most experienced had been learning for nearly 3 years. There was a very wide range of cultural backgrounds. About half the students were from somewhere in Asia such as Iraq, South Korea and Afghanistan. There were also many students from Europe, and some from South America and Africa. While their reasons for learning English varied from student to student, the most common reasons included wanting to further their careers and being able to interact with other people more comfortably. In the questionnaire handed to the students, the most commonly preferred activity was speaking, either in groups or pairs. This was probably inherent to the fact that the vast majority of students wanted to achieve a general increase in their conversational ability in English. No students listed writing as a preferred activity, and upon further conversation with students it seems that reading and writing are seen as a means of achieving better speaking and listening. With regards to learning styles, it seems that visual learning activities initiated the best response, with things like photos and pictures inducing the most class participation. However, there were also some students who preferred either listening or kinesthetic activities. b) The group’s communicative ability was generally OK, and almost all the students had the ability to get their point across. However, there were often mistakes in spoken sentences, the most common of which being the omission of auxiliary verbs and the confusion of tenses. With respect to dealing with not understanding, some of the more confident students would ask the teacher about certain words or concepts, whilst others had a tendency to look up words in their dictionary or ask their neighbour. c) Arsen has quite strong receptive skills. This was clear from the outset, as he was able to respond to most concept checking questions well. On a listening exercise on the subject of family relations, he was able to distinguish that a character had previously lived upstairs, but now he lives with his aunt and uncle. This was a question that many other students tripped up on due to not understanding the context of the past tense. In addition, Arsen handled a reading exercise well. Upon being given time to read a body of text concerning how English people spend their time at work, he was able to correctly answer questions on how much of this is actually spent working, so this indicates good general comprehension. Conversely, Avtar has relatively poor listening skills. He often confuses words and misunderstands instructions, which as a result leads to sometimes trying to carry out tasks in an incorrect way. This was evident in one exercise where the teacher asked him where the past participle was in the sentence. This induced a flurry of (incorrect) responses including ‘window’ and ‘steam train.’ His reading is also quite poor; one example of this was during a comprehension task where students had a list of statements and they had to simply tick which ones were true for them, but he instead began by underlining various words in the statements. Avtar would therefore benefit from being asked plenty of concept and instruction checking questions to clarify his understanding, and this might make his frequent contributions to the lesson more relevant. Part 2: Strengths and Weaknesses a) He met her while he was working in a bar. (Grammar) The majority of British people read a newspaper regularly. (Vocabulary) He used to live in Australia. (Pronunciation) b) 1) The student (Avtar) said â€Å"Do you read a good book at the moment?† (Grammar) This is incorrect because he used the present simple form instead of the continuous form, so it should be â€Å"are you reading a good book at the moment?† This mistake was probably made because the student assumed that since he was referring to the present tense, the verb was of the present simple form. However, this is incorrect as in this context, the act of reading is a continuous action. 2) The student (Agneska) wrote that â€Å"At least twice a week is different to two times a week or more† (Vocab) This is incorrect because these phrases are actually identical in meaning. The misunderstanding here has come from not realizing that â€Å"at least† in this context means â€Å"a minimum of†. 3) The student (Marwha) said â€Å"The average men does†¦.† (Pronounciation) Marwha meant to say â€Å"the average man† but pronounced, â€Å"man† with a /e/ sound rather than a /à ¦/ sound. Part 3: Helping the learner 1. For Avtar, the problem lies in identifying which tense and verb form to use. For this reason, I would suggest that he completes a ‘missing words’ type task, where he must choose the correct form of a verb in the context of a short body of text. The exercise could also have the base infinitive form of the required verb next to the empty space so that students are clear which verb to apply. This type of exercise could really benefit Avtar, especially since he sometimes confuses instructions, and in this task the process is very clear. (See next page for example of task.) 2. Agneska has been confused due to the fact that there are so many ways to compare things in English. She needs practice using comparatives, so I have designed a short task (see back page) where she must match up phrases that mean the same in English. This task might be particularly suitable for Agneska due to the fact that she said she was learning English to further her career and make her more employable, and having a range of comparatives and being able to use them correctly is common practice in any kind of office job.

Fossil Fuels – discovery, utilisation and future

As industry developed and increased, as did the need for reliable and efficient fuels to power the new machinery developed. It did not take long before fossil fuels were discovered, with their innate ability to provide high amounts of energy at seemingly low costs. Fossil fuels are found deposited in rock formations. They were formed between 350 million and 50 million years ago, and so, although are technically renewable, it would take this long to remake them, which does not really help us today, it is due to the fact we need this long to make them that they are considered nonrenewable, and therefore will at some point run out. The processes by which they formed are not totally understood, other than that sediments buried decayed remains of ancient plants and/or animals. This is then effectively baked over millions of years under conditions of very high temperature and pressure, creating coal, oil, and natural gas, which consist of roughly 90% carbon Fossil fuels are used widely in all forms of industry, in fact, coal, petroleum and gas provides over 90% of the energy used in most industrialized countries, compared with just 9% which hydroelectricity and nuclear power provide together. You can read also Waves When looking at the properties of a good fuel, it is easy to see why fossil fuels are used: * A fuel should react with an oxidiser to release large amounts of energy – carbon based fuels release over 30000 kJ per kilogram * A fuel must be oxidised fairly easily, ignite quickly and sustain burning without further intervention – gaseous or easily vaporized fuels (such as oil) usually perform well here as the mix easily and continuously with oxygen which speeds up the reaction. Coal is often crushed to form small powders to make it ignite easier, however it is evident from steam the reliability of steam trains that carbon is easily burnt. * A fuel should be readily available, in large quantities and at a reasonable price – initially this could be said to be true about fossil fuels, but now, as people become more aware of their cons, and of other fuels' pros, they are becoming more expensive and less available. Still, the price of oil is so heavily depended upon by the economy, that even the slight fluctuation in price can cause a country to go to war or a government to fall. * A fuel should not burn to give products that are difficult to dispose of, unpleasant or harmful – fossil fuels definitely do not fall under this category, but the only fuel that does fall under this category is hydrogen. * A fuel should be convenient to store and transport safely and with out loss – fossil fuels are the only type of fuel that people are currently comfortable with storing, hydrogen and methane are so flammable that people get nervous about using them for cars, and until a safe way of storing them is developed, fossil fuels will have to continue to be used You may then wonder what the problem with fossil fuels is as they are obviously good at their job. What we must consider is the fact that they are non-renewable, and that we are consuming them at an incredible rate. It is predicted that most of the Earth's oil sources will be depleted over the century. Also, fossil fuels are used in many important chemical industries, such as making plastics, medicines, and solvents, and by burning them, we are decreasing our the feedstock for these vital products. Fossil fuels such as oil are made into these products through a series of different processes. First the oil is fractionally distilled then the different sections join together to make polymers. These synthetic plastics and solvents are used largely in everyday life, such as polystyrene cups and PVC plastic. Secondly, the burning of carbon based fuels produces large amounts of carbon dioxide that is one of the main contributors to the â€Å"greenhouse effect†. There are such drastically high levels of carbon dioxide in the air that the only real solution would be to ban all use of fossil fuels, but countries have become so dependant upon them that is not feasible. Thirdly, spillages of fossil fuels cause serious damages to local environments. When an oil tanker crashes, immense amounts of sea life and birds die, and the effects are disastrous. Fourthly, inefficient burning of fossil fuels results in the production of carbon monoxide, which is a very harmful and poisonous gas. Inhalation of this gas is likely to cause death as it interferes with the transport of oxygen in the blood stream. Fifthly, combustion of fossil fuels also produces gases such as nitrogen oxides, which cause acid rain. In particular we can look at oil. Numerous countries' entire economies now rely on the price of oil, as their entire wealth is in the drilling, extracting, and trading in it. This is cause for great concern as oil is non-renewable, and we are consuming it so quickly, it will inevitably run out, and counties will no longer be able to rely on it. We have seen in the past that countries' entire economies' have collapsed due to minor fluctuations in the oil market, therefore total collapse of the market would be devastating for many of the world's major and influential countries. Also, there would be immense amounts of job losses that would inevitably affect the society; this can be seen by looking at the destruction caused when the coalmines closed. There are few ways which can be seen to overcome this imminent problem, however, one, most likely solution would be to investigate alternatives to fossil fuels, but all of the possible alternatives have their advantages and disadvantages which must be taken into account before making any changes. * Biofuels (plants can be grown specifically for fuel or the production of fuel, such as wood or sugar cane. Biogas and biomass created by the growing and decaying of plants already produce usable fuel so this could easily be exploited to create a fuel source.) Advantages – renewable, reduces waste, simple technology. Disadvantages – not a large enough supply to totally replace fossil fuels * Methanol CH3OH (this is a simple alcohol which can be made from methane.) Advantages – burns cleanly and completely Disadvantages – more toxic than ethanol, provides less energy per litre than petrol, can cause corrosion of car engines. * Nuclear fission (energy is released when the nuclei of atoms of isotopes of uranium U-35 are split. The energy created can be used to heat water to turn steam turbines.) Advantages – no carbon, sulphur, or nitrogen oxides produces. Disadvantages – radioactive waste, safety systems needed are very expensive. * Nuclear fusion (energy is released when deuterium and tritium â€Å"fuse† to create helium) Advantages – potentially almost limitless as an energy supply as the reactants come from water. Disadvantages – very costly, cannot currently be produced at economic rates. * Moving air (wind turns windmills and wind turbines. Lots of research is already being carried out and soon may provide 10% of the UK's energy) Advantages – renewable, pollution and waste free, can be used in locality to where the energy is needed. Disadvantages – high initial expense, not reliable in calm weather, noise and visual environmental impact * Moving water (Hydroelectricity – water stored behind dams can be released through turbines to generate electricity. Waves – The motion of waves is used to create oscillating motion. Tides – incoming tides in river estuaries fill up large water stores behind barrages, which is then released through turbines.) Advantages – renewable, predictable, pollution and waste free, large scale. Disadvantages – costly to install, environmental impact. * Sunlight (Solar panels – collect solar heat and are used to heat water. Photovoltaic cells – convert light into electricity). Advantages – renewable, pollution and waste free. Disadvantages – Not good for places of low sunlight levels, high initial costs, not very practical for large-scale use. * Geothermal energy (heat from rocks under the Earth's surface can be used to heat water which can, in turn, be used to heat houses). Advantages – practically unlimited. Disadvantages – not widely available, large initial costs * Hydrogen (extracted from water by electrolysis, many things are capable of running on hydrogen). Advantages – no pollution. Disadvantages – people are nervous about using such a dangerously explosive gas, difficult to store and transport. If some of these possibilities were researched further, they could replace fossil fuels and help many of the previously discussed issues.

Why abortion should not be legal in the U.S Research Paper - 1

Why abortion should not be legal in the U.S - Research Paper Example Secondly, the basic fundamentals of how the law is interpreted in favor of abortion and how this is incorrect will be briefly discussed. Firstly, one must understand that the process of an abortion is a rather violent act. For purposes of this author’s response, the violence that is associated with this procedure will not focus upon the particular manner in which the embryo is deconstructed and removed; rather, the focus will be upon the long-term effects that such a procedure portends for the mother (Emery 1). Whereas many women have abortions for different reasons, the fact of the matter is that healthcare decisions and procedures are usually implemented only at times in which no other alternative is readily available. As such, risking the current and future fertile health of the mother in such an unnecessary process is both foolish and shortsighted. Due to the fact that alternatives exist, one is left to answer a rhetorical question revolving around why someone would willfully put their body through such a process (Rothsgrove 1). Although many other factors play into the choice of whether or not to receive an abortion, the one that is concentric upon the health, well-being, and future fertility of the mother is of primal importance to this author. Due to the fact that the damages sustained during an abortion are oftentimes non-reversible and life-altering, such a course of action may well need to be outlawed until a method that is not nearly so harmful to a woman’s health is able to be produced. Rothsgrove, Carl. "9 Reasons Why Abortions Should Be Illegal." 9 Reasons Why Abortions Should Be Illegal. N.p., 15 Nov. 2012. Web. 15 Nov. 2012.

Fire Engineering Design Project Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Fire Engineering Design Project - Assignment Example The perspectives of a variety of experts in the field of fire engineering will be explored. Appendix One Fire engineering may be better classified as the implementation of engineering regulations, laws and professional assessments. These elements may be based upon a cognitive evaluation of human motivation and an empirical comprehension of fire related effects in order to: Preserve life property, environmental resources and national heritages. Assess the dangers and potentials of fire related incidents. Methodologically assess the maximum protective and preventative requisites which are necessary to minimize the results of fire events. The endeavor of fire engineering is to reduce the consequences of fire in the vicinity of adjoining edifices and structures. This is required by national codification and convention. During the past thirty years, edifice related legislation has deviated from complete prescriptive mandates to more flexible rules as demonstrated by research and developme nt in the field. Many experts agree that the presently accepted regulatory documents which are designated Approved Document B (ADB) are not adapted to large open and more intricately constructed structures. In addition, the Approved Document B is not adapted to rehabilitated structures. Many of the requisites recommended in Approved Document B are non existent in edifices which were constructed prior to its inception. An example of this would be a structure with one staircase and one conspicuous egress point (Cooke 2011). The evaluation of the methods of escape inside of a structure, notwithstanding new or rehabilitated structures is reliant upon the aspects of the structure. The perspective for such a structure would be different if the structure were an office, a shop or an institution of higher education. The accepted conventions require that the structure or edifice be erected in agreement with the design recommendations that are within the parameters of Approved Document B. In accordance with this perspective, a compliant solution is implemented. This compliant solution requires strict adherence the design criteria. These criteria are not restricted to the Building Regulations and Approved Document B. There are roughly 120 documents which are currently set as criteria which may be applied as a design matrix for fire engineering (Lawrence Webster Forrest 2012). As a point of reference, the designer must consider the number of occupants who will occupy a structure at a predetermined moment. Subsequently, as architects plan and implement the required endeavors in order to ascertain various requisites, the fire engineer endeavors to calculate the planning of a structure's means of egress. Approved Document B accepts two techniques which may be applied to fire engineering. The primary technique is founded upon linear area abstractions. These abstractions may apply a value of six square meters per person in the case of an office environment or seven meters per person in the situation of a library. The Approved Document B table may be applied in order to provide a comparative analysis with similar structures with parallel applications. The Approved Document B, Table 4 suggests the application of the following standards: Optimal Occupancy of Persons Minimum number of egresses 60 1 600 2 Greater than 600 3 The coordinates of egress routes and the final exit doors are required to be accessible and recognizable by all occupants. The number of egresses

Health Care Policy in the United States Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Health Care Policy in the United States - Essay Example Health care in the United States has evolved considerably since its inception. Prior to 1990s, people rarely spoke about health care coverage issues, as health care was considered exclusively for the upper middle class of the society (Kronenfeld, 2002). Over the years of economic development in the United States, the health care policies came to include the middle and lower income classes of society. Over the course of 50 years, the United States has transformed the health care system into a billion-dollar industry. The companies, shareholders, and stakeholders associated with the health care system experienced huge gains and rapid growth throughout the period. The general health care was viewed important by each and every American; they took pride in the development of the system within the country, the increasing use of ever-evolving technologies, and the growth of modernized hospitals located throughout the country (Kronenfeld, 2002). Americans across the nation started believing that health care system was one of the contributing factors behind the enormous economic growth. A series of statistical studies regarding the health care system of the country revealed that they system was collapsing. Several independent researchers within the system concluded that the health care system was in a position of providing proper health care to only 60% of the chronically ill of the country. One of the main reasons supporting this theory was that about 15.8% of Americans were not covered by health insurance despite the United States spending 12% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 1990 on health care (Patel & Rushefsky, 2006). The other industrialized countries of the world – mainly Canada, West Germany, and Japan – spent much less on the health care of the country, yet were still able to provide comprehensive coverage to a greater portion of their populations. Use of the most advanced techniques for improving health care thus did not translate into a h ealthy population (Kronenfeld, 2002). Key amongst the problems with the health care system of the United States was the existence of more than one health care system. According to the study made by Torrens in the year, 1988 there were four different health care systems in the country. The first system covered the middle and the high-income group of the country – those were regularly employed and possessed comprehensive health insurance policies. The second system covered the poor population – those without any insurance coverage. The third and the fourth system of health insurance covered the working military personnels and their dependents and the retired military people, respectively (Kronenfeld, 2002). The health care system of the United States in essence had most of the population covered by private insurance and the government providing insurance mainly for the backward section of the society. To overcome the loopholes of the system of health care of the country and to alleviate the problems relating to the presence of more than one health care system in the country, one option is to form a nationalized health care system with the government of the country acting as the single player of the health care system. The total spending of the system of health care would be done from the government budget. Hence the government

International business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 8

International business - Essay Example Unilever is regarded as the one of the leading fast moving consumer products suppliers. The business environment of Unilever has been transformed in to a more complex and diverse phenomenon with its independent approach to managing an internationally diverse strategic operational environment, supply chain (logistics) and value chain (www.unilever.com). It owns over 400 world’s popular consumer brands of foods, beverages, personal care and cleaning agents thus offering richness and variety to a global customer base in different countries. Its overall business strategy encompasses a series of other segmental operations. Unilever has adopted a functionality-based approach to its logistic operations, value chain management and decision making in the larger context of corporate expansion, both within the UK market and other regions (Boyle, & Ottensmeyer, 2005). It sells packaged consumer goods to captive consumers who have rarely abandoned the company in preference for another. The logic behind its success is to be found in its mission statement – â€Å"meeting the everyday needs of people everywhere†. Thus out of every two households in the world one uses Unilever products. It controls roughly 90 subsidiaries in the world. It’s the second largest packaged food company in the world just behind Procter & Gamb le (www.unilever.com). Its global network of logistics and value chain has little parallel elsewhere. The current global logistic operations strategy at Unilever is largely determined by its Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) strategy, Balanced Score Card (BSC) Framework and Value, Rarity, Inimitability, Organization (VRIO) framework. In ERP the top-down perspective has helped to map out strategic partnerships with a diverse network of suppliers (Jacobs, & Chase, 2010). Thus its ERP techniques have facilitated Unilever’s value chain management functions to a greater extent by doing away with tedious and time

For the Research Assignment, you will compose a research project that Proposal

For the Assignment, you will compose a project that can be used as a springboard for your Capstone projects. Y - Research Proposal Example On the contrary, it has been widely been cited that oversees field experience encourages brain drain given that most managers and students get absorbed oversees after completing their studies given that there are better working conditions and better pay than it is the case in their home countries. This way, home countries end up losing skilled persons. This shows that international field experience does not add value on the overall managerial skills of managers as earlier thought but instead encourages brain drain. Conclusively, international filed experience has heavy financial impacts to students, as well as the company involved, it causes brain drain, and alters the overall character traits of good managers, therefore, it should be discouraged. In this context, this paper seeks to oppose the practice of sending managers and students oversees with a view that it impacts negatively rather than positively on business management. Introduction. The thesis indicates that there is a rela tionship between International Field Experience and Business Management. In this context, International Field Experience refers to situations in which students, or those in management positions explore studies oversees with a view to gain knowledge, skills and experience. ... Contrary to what is believed by many who apparently have been arm twisted to incline towards believing such studies, international field experience have more disadvantages than advantages and, therefore, they should not be encouraged. As research would have it, international field studies practically bear heavy burden to business organizations than it is thought. With, limited research conducted in support of discouraging international field experience on business management, it is an issue worth subjecting to scrutiny. For this reason, this paper proposes a study to investigate the pros and cons of international field experience with a view to oppose the practice of business organizations sending students oversees for studies. The thesis of this investigation is, therefore, that the International Field Experience bears heavy negative impacts on business management and it should be discouraged. Purpose of international field experience. This subject is of great importance in business management. Its main purpose has always been to enlighten managers a better view than it has erroneously been thought. Although, in the business students’ academic program, field experience plays a crucial role as it gives students a room for application of the knowledge gained while in the classroom, as well as giving students a chance to continue learning under a professional supervisor during the field work. It bears heavy cost to an organization and it encourages brain drain. The objective of the research. This is a research work that is set out to among other things achieve one key objective. Thus, the overarching objective was to find out supportive evidence for the negative impacts of international

Naval Ground Strategy Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Naval Ground Strategy - Assignment Example t, the security of a large and expanding system of international trade in the 20th century would depend on the creation of a transnational consortium of naval power (i.e., the U.S. and Britain).2 Mahan advocated for application of sea power through a big navy which according to him was significant in commerce and economic warfare. He believed that the nation or a group of nations that commanded the sea could be in a good position to draw trade, wealth, and economic resources of the world and was most likely to win wars3. During the civil war, naval weaknesses of the southern states led to seaborne assault. In the course of the four years of conflict, the territorial integrity and economic vivacity of the south were compromised by the union army and navy.4 In this regard, Mahan’s view of navy power could be seen as accounts of truth that were to happen. On the case of Britain, Mahan believed that in late 18th and 19th centuries, Britain had been better placed because parliament had been dominated by men with close ties to maritime commerce. In his view of naval supremacy in the 20th century, he believed that not a single democratized nation would be capable of commanding such supremacy and that this would only be exercised by a transnational group of navies.5 However, he insisted that the basis of such an arrangement would not be formal agreement but absence of political conflict. In his view, he believed that Britain and the United States would constitute such cooperation. However, in quest for superpower supremacy, the US has predominantly set its programs and doctrines to enable it attain this dream. In September 2002, the bush administration issued its national security strategy, which advocated for use of force to get rid of any apparent challenge to US global hegemony.6 This could be analyzed as grand strategy by the US to maintain its world dominance. However, in many situations, the US mission can be termed as a failed one. In fact, due to its dominance

Developing as a hr practitioner Essay Example for Free

Developing as a hr practitioner Essay The CIPD Profession map is a strategic tool used to help ensure HR is fully utilised in the organisation it operate in. It is used to add value to the organisation and define the highest level of professional competency required. The Profession Map is made up of 2 core professional areas, 8 specialist areas, 8 behaviours and 4 level Insights, strategy and solutions is the first core professional area, which helps the organisation to make informed choices about the direction of business. It allows decisions to be made about how the business will operate and identifies opportunities for improvement and development. Leading HR is the second professional area, which focuses on ensuring HR own, shape and drive themselves and the development of others within the organisation. They cover 3 key leadership areas, Personal leadership, leading others and leading issues. HR are seen as proactive rather than observational. Organisation design This ensures that the organisation is correctly setup to deliver it objectives in the short, medium and long term and a robust plan is in place to deal with restructuring.

Strategy And Operations Management At Dell

Strategy And Operations Management At Dell Dell Computer Corporation was started in 1984 by Michael Dell, who had the simplistic view that personal computers could be built and sold directly to customers (Suite 101, 2009) alongside this ideology that Dell, could best understand consumer needs and efficiently provide the most effective computing solution to tailor those needs (Information Systems Management, unknown date). So Dells mission is to be The most successful computer company in the world at delivering the best customer experience in markets we serve (Dell, 2010(a)).In doing so, Dell aim to meet customer expectations of: So, Dell, since the last 26 years, has become a mass producer of standardised products and has evolved dramatically since they were first formed in 1984. The company, at first, merely took orders on the phone to help fulfil their policy of building custom built personal computers (PCs) (Dell,2010, (b)).However, the company then gained first-mover advantage in the mid 1990s, when it became one of the first companies to offer PCs online (Chaffey, 2007, p.239).In 2008, Dell was one of the market leaders in the worldwide PC market with sales around US$41 billion (lynch, 2009, p.789) and since their evolution, Dell, have diversified their product range and scope from small desktop computers to large server computers-to individuals, businesses and other organisations (Schneider, 2006, p.108). In 2009 in they owned a global market share of 12.4% in the number of PCs shipped worldwide, with only Hewlett Packard (21%)and Acer (13.4%) preceding them during this period (Bloomberg, 2010). Notably, this was the first time Dell had fell behind Acer in the second spot as the worlds largest computer-maker and this was primarily due to Acer producing low-cost net books and other inexpensive home computers at a reduced operating margin (Bloomberg, 2010).However, recently, in 2010,they did move back into second place in the global PC manufacturing market ahead of Acer but only slightly as they had a 12.8% market share compared to Acers 12.4% (Afterdawn, 2010).So this level of competition has been intense since 2006 as companies such as HP and Acer were vastly reducing the cost of their global network suppliers, which forced Dell to enter into new global markets such as in China ( George and Jones, 2009,p.195). However, Dell, see their strengths in the commercial and corporate market ( Techeye, 2010), as this is still their dominant market, even though home consumers are an ever growing element of their strategy. So, Dells competitors now include both, domestic manufacturers of PCs such as Apple and HP as well as, overseas competitors such as Sony, Acer and Lenovo in Asia (Jones George, 2009, p.195). This essay will therefore explore Dells generic hybrid strategy and the activities which constitute this strategy. This will then lead to a value chain analysis of the company, which can be used as a tool to emphasise the linkage between the primary and support activities which are used to create value within Dell. This will then pave show how these added values create a distinctive competence within Dell, which, overall, have lead to competitive advantage since the company began to aggressively cut its costs and prices to increase their global market share in the 2000s (Jones and George, 2009,p.195). Dells Generic Strategy Michael Porters Generic Strategy Model (1980) was created to specify how companies use generic business strategies, to gain a competitive advantage over their competitors. This encompasses how companies use cost reduction and/or differentiation within their product and services to appeal to a particular broad or narrow segment of the market, in order to gain this competitive advantage. Overall Dell, operate a hybrid broad focus strategy and this can derived be from Porters Generic Strategy Model obtained from the Mind Tools website (2010): In order to understand Dells generic strategy we must explain the different segments of this model Firstly, cost leadership occurs when a company achieves lower costs than its rivals and competes across a broad range of segment (Ogden and Wersun, 2007, p.282). On the other hand, differentiation is when a company has a range of clearly differentiated products which appeal to different segments of the market (Ogden and Wersun, 2007, p.282). However, Dell, appear to operate on a hybrid strategy, similarly to the car manufacturing industry, which incorporates both the cost leadership and differentiation elements of Porters model. A hybrid strategy, overall, seeks simultaneously to achieve differentiation and a price lower than that of competitors (Johnson et al, 2008, p.230). So, Dell, use both of these aspects, but in a broad focus since they offer their products on a wide scale, as explained earlier, as they offer both corporate and commercial solutions to small, medium and large sized enterprises but also satisfy the needs of users within different spectrums such as within the public sector right down to the home user. This is explained by on their homepage when they state: For more than 26 years, Dell has empowered countries, communities, customers and people everywhere to use technology to realize their dreams. Customers trust us to deliver technology solutions that help them do and achieve more, whether theyre at home, work, school or anywhere in their world (Dell, 2010(c)). So the focus is very much broad, but Dell has this direct business model which involves gathering customer needs and tailoring that solution to meet their requirements For instance, Premier Dell.com offers technological solutions to businesses which helps them manage all phases of computer ownership such as purchasing, asset management and product support(Chaffey, 2007, p.97) So their broad direct focus helps simultaneously create both cost leadership and differentiation strategies and helps explain why, perhaps they have been one of the most successful PC manufacturing corporations in the world. So how does Dell use both of these strategic elements of Porters model? Firstly, with cost leadership, Dells direct business model involves purchasing standardised components which ultimately minimises the need for expensive research and development and sales are then made direct over the Internet to customers (Ogden Wersun, 2007) thus eliminating retailers that add necessary time and cost, or/who can diminish Dells understanding of customer expectations. (Information Systems Management, unknown date). So this results in low costs and is a very aggressive pricing policy which helps gain market share from any competitor whom has taken their eye of the ball and has let their costs increase (Ogden Wersun, 2007, p.60). Consequently, Dell have lower manufacturing and distribution costs than most of their competitors, thus they have achieved a cost leadership strategy over their rivals. However, another school of though can equally argue that within Dells generic strategy lies a differentiation strategy. This also exists within their direct business model as consumers can design their own computers which tailor their own unique needs and specifications. This is differentiation as Dell not only offers differentiated products to specific users, but also to specific markets(small, medium, large-sized, public sector, businesses, etc), thus reinstating this concept of the company having a broad focus. Hence, Dells direct sales model has allowed it to differentiate its PC products by allowing customers to design their own computer system and offering complementary services such as online customer support, three-year-on-site warranty, web hosting, installation and configuration of customers hardware and software (Grant, R.M, 2005, p272).Furthermore, Timmers (1999, p.227) stated how Dell, on their website, dont merely offer the best PC offer of the month approach but rather an approach which offers discounts for large purchases which are tailored to that particular individual or company, as well as having support which is customised to users needs (Dell, 2010 (c)). However this whole concept could be challenged as many people would be reluctant to buy a Dell PC without testing it in store first, however this argument becomes less relevant as more and more of us know people who have bought a Dell computer, since we can inspect theirs (Ogden Wersun, 2007, p.61). Notably, Schneider (2005,p.305) also argued that because Dell made most of their sales online, they often unintentionally left themselves exposed to the laws and ethics of the banking industry and in this case, in1999, they had offered monthly payment setups to customers without disclosing the full details of the lease plan associated with this payment scheme. So, this pinpoints how despite Dell having a successful online strategy, they could be left vulnerable to changes in the legal environment, which could clash with their online customisation policy. Nevertheless, Dells hybrid strategy was a clever one; not only did it conjunctively produce cost effective manufacturing policies and customised products, but it also overcame the barrier of having access to new suppliers or distributers which can be arduous for companies gaining and sustaining success within an online market. This factor can be analysed in more depth from the companys value chain activities. The Value Chain of Dell Overall, the following value chain model by Michael Porter helps analyse the type of activities within Dells value chain and how they interlink with one another, to fulfil their generic strategy. Dells customisation policy of tailoring technological solutions to satisfy individual or company needs, has provided the company with the two main advantages of being able to reduce marketing and sales costs by eliminating their intermediaries and building to order which, overall, reduces inventory costs (suite 101, 2009). This originally led to soaring profits, as the internet has, ultimately, allowed Dell to extend the scope of their sales at a reasonably low marginal cost This following diagram allows a more definitive insight into how Dells value chain operates: (Dedrick and Kraemer, 2001) Dell, unlike their competitors, actually eliminates the need for distributors and retailers to sell their product, which as mentioned earlier creates cost leadership. Hence, this direct PC value chain, works around this built to order (BTO) strategy. The BTO process begins with the customer placing an order through the internet, phone or email and then it takes approximately one day to process the order (Turban et al, 2006, p.506). This then corresponds to this concept of just-in-time management as here Dell, only purchase the necessary parts which are needed for that particular order with the result being that inventories are kept to a minimum. Michael Dell emphasised this whole idea when he stated: We tell our suppliers exactly what our daily production requirements are. So its not, well every two week deliver 5,000 to this warehouse and well put them on the shelf, and then well take them off the shelf. Its tomorrow morning we need 8.562 and deliver them to door number seven by 7am. (Mhhe,1997). So, in the Dell manufacturing process, parts come into their factory to fulfil actual customer orders hence no PCs are made for stock, so there is no cost of hiding stock (Lynch, 2009, p.789). This also has the advantage that if a supplier such as Intel, launches a new computer chip, then Dell is not caught with high stocks of the old chip (Lynch, 2009, p.789), allowing the company to efficiently keep up with changes in technology. Therefore Dells procurement support activities i.e. purchasing of stock, play a pivotal role in executing these strategies of BTO and JIT, both, before and after the product has been sold. So what are the exact support and primary activities that Dell has used, in conjunction with one another, which has lead to them adding value to their activities? A traditional firm usually incorporates a make-to-forecast strategy in which products are produced from long-term demands of consumers. Hence, when considering Porters value chain activities, here the primary activities of the value chain move from inbound logistics to operations to outbound logistics and then to marketing and sales (Turban et al, 2006, p.506). However, since Dell manufactures the product only after an order has been given, then the marketing and sales support activity is moved to the front of the value chain (Turban et al, 2006, p506). Notably the inbound logistics element is important since the correct parts have to be delivered but since the holding of stock isnt necessary with Dell due to their JIT system, then it becomes less meaningful. Therefore the operations segment which transfers the supplies into the finished customised product and the service segment which Dell exemplifies to help the end-user(s) maintain their products i.e. the PCs value after the PC ha s been delivered, are the key primary elements of Porters Value Chain in which Dell uses. However, without the marketing and sales aspect these primary activities couldnt be executed since customised orders wouldnt be known and this has a direct link to the support activities of technology and procurement, as technology i.e. the internet allows Dell to sell their products to their customers and without it, it would be arduous to establish their hybrid strategy and procurement mechanisms are pivotal in maintaining their BTO and JIT policies since this deals with the acquisition of supplies in the more efficient way. There are though some criticisms of Dells value chain activities. Such as, the BTO strategy is sensitive to short term changes in demand. For example if a particular computer component suddenly becomes wildly popular or temporary unavailable, the standard supply in inventory may diminish fast, and customer orders will not be completed on time (Turban et al, 2006, p.507). Also, in terms of their service function. Orman (2007) argued that despite Dell providing one of the most effective support systems to its customers the company, fails to provide comparisons to the products of other vendors such as HP and also fails to compare products from one class to another such as desktops in relation to notebooks., Nevertheless though, Turban et al (2006, p.507) highlighted that by using key value chain activities such as operations and technology, Dell showed the world that when these are used effectively and efficiently, they can be used to gain a competitive advantage creates a distinctive c ompetence and therefore leads to competitive advantage.

Food Policy in Malaysia

Food Policy in Malaysia Introduction Malaysia is a multilingual and multicultural society. The original culture of Malaysia is come from the indigenous tribes that is been staying in the peninsular and east of Malaysia since century ago. Not long after, the Malays were moved to Malaysia from Indonesia and followed by the Chinese and Indian due to the substantial influence. Dating back to old days Malaysia used to be a colonization of British. Due to that, Peninsular Malaysia has become a foreign trading port for the British and cultural influences start to gather. The culture include Persian, Arabic and British and etc. Due to being part of the ancient spice route in Asia and becoming a foreign trading port for the British, Malaysia’s cuisine reflects on the multi-ethnic makeup of its population. Besides that, the cuisine also is greatly influenced within itself or by the surrounding countries. For example the influences are from the Malays, Chinese, Indian, Thai and etc. In addition, it is very common to find a similar versions of the dish within Singapore or across Malaysia regardless of place of origin because Singapore used to be part of Malaysia. What is Food Policy? According to Wikipedia, food policy are the area of publics concerning how the food is produced, processed, distributed and what kind of chemical ingredient are used when processing the food. Food policies system is designed to guide producer in operating of food and agriculture related product. This commonly include in decision-making of production and processing techniques of food, marketing of food, utilizing and consuming of food in the interest of meeting or furthering social objectives. Food policies can be develop in any level, such as from local to global, by government agency, business cooperation or food related organization. Makers of food policy are often engage in activities such as setting regulation related to food industries and establishing food standards for assistance programs for the poor and ensuring safety of food supplies, food labeling and even the qualification of a specific product to be considered as organic or not. Most of the food pol icy is initiated at the domestic level for the purpose of ensuring a safe and satisfactory level of food supply to the citizenry. Food Policy in Malaysia Malaysia is a multilingual and multicultural society country that mainly consists of the Malays, which is the biggest community group in Malaysia and followed by the Chinese, Indian, and the indigenous tribe. Even though Malaysia has many different cultures and races, it is consider as a Muslim Country due to the Parliament is govern by mainly the Malays followed by the Chinese and Indian. Due to this, Malaysia is very strict when comes to thing such as laws and etc. Food policy is one of it, for example the food that found within the country is mainly Halal even though there is consumers who are Non-Muslim. In Malaysia, Food policy decision and food related law is made between the Ministry of Health Department Malaysia and Ministry of Agriculture Malaysia. Both of the departments worked closely together for public health safety and to provide awareness of what kind of food the consumer are eating. The Ministry of Health Department is the one who has a higher authority when comes to food related because the areas that they involved in are wider such as nutrition assistance, food safety, dietary guidance, and labeling of consumable product. As for Agriculture side such as plantation of corn and etc are govern by the Ministry of Agriculture Malaysia. Most of the food policies are increasingly developing and changed due to the needs of citizens, political climates and circumstances changes. Halal According to Halal Malaysia, Halal are define as a lawful, permitted, pure, wholesome and recommended under Islamic Law. As in food service terms, Halal will affect the quality and hygiene policy in food manufacturing practices as well as food services in restaurant. With the growing of population around the world, the production, food safety, trade and consumption in food chained restaurant are increasingly demanding for Halal Food. Due to this, Halal food in Malaysia is coming from both Muslim and Non-Muslims country or producer because the local Halal food manufacturer did not have the ability to follow up the increasing of local community anymore. Based on Islamic Dietary Laws in the Trade Description Order 1975 of Malaysia, there are three main food categories for Muslims which are Halal, Haram, and Syubba. Halal is a word used for describing food that is lawful for Muslims to consume according to the Al-Quran. As for Haram, it is a term used to describe a subject that is unlawful and prohibited for the Muslims to do or consume. For example, Muslims are not allowed to consume pork and alcohol. The third and the last one is Syubba, it means the ingredient or the process of the food is made are questionable and therefore should be avoided for the Muslims if it is possible. In addition, The Al-Quran stresses that Muslims must eat food that is pure and clean as stated in the Islamic Dietary laws. The trust that is build-in among Muslim customers on Halal Certification is potentially increasing when it comes to deciding to visit an eating premise or a specific product. Malaysia Halal Certification Since the 1970s, JAKIM also known as the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia, has been emphasizing its structures to ensure the Halal certification process in Malaysia provide Muslims Community with quality assurance of the products and services which is purchased or used by them.(JAKIM,2010). On the other hand, Malaysia Halal Certification also remarked as â€Å"a total quality health and sanitary system that involve in adopting the procedure for killing, processing and other related operations as drafted by Islamic rules†. Besides that, JAKIM also certifies raw materials, ingredients and products based on the quality of the product, hygiene perspectives and consideration of consumption safety of a specific product. (JAKIM,2008) There are few agencies that develop the standard of Halal food in Malaysia which as JAKIM is one of them and followed by Department of Standards Malaysia, Malaysia Institute of Industrial Research and standard which also known as SIRIM, and Institute of Islamic Understanding Malaysia. As a result, the four departments developed a comprehensive guideline in Halal food standard called MS1500 in 2004. The general guideline of Malaysian Standard MS1500 is focus on the production, preparation, handling and storing of Halal food. MS1500 also act as a manual for the food industry on preparing and handling halal food. In the other hand, it served as a basic food trade in Malaysia. (Mohd Daud,2004) The practice of Halal system should apply to all processing stages which from farm to table. Halal certification provide consumer a greater confidence and informed choice on what they have purchased (Wan Hassan Hall,2003). According to the Muslim Council of Britain, a statistic of up to 90% of meat and poultry that are sold in the United Kingdom as Halal are illegally sold to consumer and it is not slaughtered based on Shariah Law. In addition, this proved that Halal certification is clearly a potentially useful marketing and branding tools to attract customer to dine in a restaurant or to buy a product. This is an important examples for the Malaysian government to strengthen the Halal Certification in order to prevent the malpractice in the supply of meat to consumers and restaurant. The Demand of Halal Food In Malaysia Based on the research done by Muhammad in 2007, the needs for Halal foods and product within the countries itself and around the world has remarkable increasing. Majority of the Muslim Countries in the world which include Malaysia used to get their Halal product with the local suppliers or imported from other Muslim Countries. Due to the increasing of population and standard of living, it has drives the Muslim Countries to import Halal food from Non-Muslims countries such as Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Singapore. These countries with comparatively small or even don’t have Muslim Population has became a valid contributors to the world Halal Trade. (Trade Mart,2006) According to Wan Omar, Muhammad, Che Omar (2008), the world has a total of 1.8billion of estimated Muslim Population and the market for Halal product is worth over US$560 billion annually. With the increasing interested in Halal food, this shows that there is a very huge market segment for food manufacturer. On the other hand, due to the increasing of international trade, cultural globalization and tourism, the â€Å"Halal† label has progressively recognized by non-Muslim and countries such as Europe and America also in demand for it which they don’t really needed it at old times. It also initiate further pressure on emphasizing importance of goods certification and has become the core in food industry. (Al-harrn Low, 2008). Based on Riaz Chaudry(2004), Malaysia was the leader in implementing Halal Laws in the early 1980s and remains in force globally when comes to Halal Certification circumstances. On the other hand, according to Chang(2006), Muslim population of 60% in Malaysia has increased their interest for Halal foods and products over the years. Due to this, Halal standard in food related goods has been widen from meat item to item such as confectionery, bakery and dairy goods. Chang also said that Halal Certification is become known as a standard criteria for food quality, safety and hygiene. It also helped to increase the market value of the product that has Halal label on it. Restaurant In Malaysia Based on the research done by Chang,2006, Malaysia is consider as one of the most advance nations in Southeast Asia after Singapore. As a result, Malaysian lifestyle has been dramatically evolving due to increasing of income and education levels. Besides that, majority of the restaurant that is located within the country have a clear halal logo in front of the restaurant entrance. With the logo sticked at the restaurant, it proves that the restaurant not only the food is halal but also the entire process of processing food is halal. In addition to that, the halal restaurant in Malaysia is not allowed to sell pork and alcohol related product. Based on the survey that made by Shamsudin Selamat 2005, they found that Malaysians are regarded as adventurous espeiclally the young peers in their consuming manner. Malaysian whose median age of 22 years old love to explore new eating places as suggested by friends and relatives because eating out in nowadays is very common and is somewhat not expensive compare to other country in the world. Based on Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia in 2008, Malaysian students who came back after staying abroad also devote to the demand for various food styles as well as eating in a restaurant. According to research done by Chang,2006, Malaysian regularly choose to dine in an open air dining area or street stalls. In addition to that, International cuisines such as Japanese and Korean cuisine were exceptionally demanding awfully over the years. Research done by Shamsudin and Selamat(2005), 172,252 food service matters including stalls and restaurants exited in Malaysia in 2001. In overall, the food service industry in Malaysia can be divided into five main section which is dine-in restaurant (including hotel coffee houses), coffee shops, hawker centers, fast food stalls, food courts and roadside stalls. As for Kueh and Voon(2007), they give a bit different categories and said that foodservice premises in Malaysia consists of Pubs/bars , street hawkers, and dine-in restaurant. According to undertaken by Josiam, Sohail and Monteiro(2007) on curry cuisine and perceptions of Indian Restaurnt in Malaysia, they found that restaurant in Malaysia serve standard and actual food that suit the local customers and tourists taste bud. They also proposed that consumers are keen in term of accepting new foods and explore new tastes. The findings that done by them also shows that general hygiene such as cleanliness of restaurant and restroom and the quality of foods will determine the restaurant weather is value for money or not. The main interest of foods for Malaysian are spiciness of the food, appearance of the food, the taste of the food and last by not least the availability of vegetarian choices and followed by the food with Halal Certification. Conclusion Food served as one of the basic needs for humans needs in the hierarchy of Mashlow. It just that some people religions view and beliefs in regarding food consumption and has dietary constraint. As an example, the most familiar one is the Muslims with Halal, Hindus and a minority of Chinese population constraint themselves from eating beef and some of them being as a vegetarian, and lastly the Jews people with Kosher restriction. As a conclusion, Halal food in Malaysia is not just constraint to the surrounding of the way the animal is killed, it goes deeper than that. It started from the first steps of preparing to handling, distributing, storing, displaying, packaging, labeling, preparation and serving it. In another words, the whole food supply chain must follow the Islamic dietary laws in order it to be Halal. The practice of Islamic dietary laws in Malaysia has educated Muslim and non-Muslims community to eat food that is pure and good based on the Quran and Haditb. As a addition to it, Halal certification that is provided by Malaysia organization is seen as a source of potential to create trust among the Muslims that the foods with the certification are safe to be consume or used. Bibliography (Jakim), T. M. G. a. t. D. o. I. D. M., 2011. Halal Malaysia. [Online] Available at: http://www.halal.gov.my/v3/index.php/en/about-halal-certification/halal-definition [Accessed 1 November 2014]. Abdul Latif, M., 2006. afmaasia Malaysia. [Online] Available at: http://www.afmaasia.org/malaysia_2006/Annex-4.pdf [Accessed 5 11 2014]. Abdul Manaf Bohari, C. W. H. N. F., 2014. The competitiveness of Halal food industry in Malaysia: A SWOT ICT Analysis. Malaysia Journal of Society and Space, 9(1), pp. 1-8. Abdul Talib, H. M. A. K. . J., 2008. Quality assurance in halal food manufacturing in Malaysia. Johor Bahru, Malaysia: ICME. Anon., 2004. Agriculture and Consumer Protection Department. [Online] Available at: http://www.fao.org/docrep/MEETING/006/AD698E.HTM [Accessed 20 November 2014]. Anon., 2013. A Food Labelling Guide. [Online] Available at: http://www.fda.gov/downloads/Food/GuidanceRegulation/UCM265446.pdf [Accessed 19 November 2014]. Bonne, K. . V., 2008. Religious values informing halal meat production and the control and delivery of halal credence quality. Agriculture and Human Values, Volume 25, pp. 35-47. Chang, 2008. Malaysia Exporter guide annual 2006. USDA Foreign Agricultural Service. JAKIM, 2010. Pengurusan pensijilan halal Malaysia [The management of Malaysia halal certification]. Putrajaya: JAKIM. Josiam, B. S. S. . M., 2007. Curry cuisine: Perceptions of Indian restaurants in Malaysia. Tourismos:An International Multidisciplinary Journal Of Tourism, 2(2), pp. 25-37. Loong, C., 2013. Information on Food Labelling in Malaysia. [Online] Available at: http://www.mfca.org.my/articles/Information on Food Labeling Requirements in Malaysia.pdf [Accessed 19 November 2014]. Malaysia, D. o. S., 2008. [Online] Available at: http://www.statistics.gov.my/portal/index.php?option=com_contentview=articleid=54:population-updated-31072009catid=35:key-statisticsItemid=53lang=en [Accessed 2 November 2014]. Malaysia, M. o. H. E., 2008. Statiscs of Malaysian students studying abroad. [Online] Available at: http://www.mohe.gov.my/web_statistik/statistik_pdf_2008_05/msd_5-1.pdf [Accessed 30 October 2014]. Mart, T., 2006. Export opportunities: Processed food beverages. 2006 ed. Kuala Lumpur: Trade mart. Muhammad, R., 2007. Re-Branding halal. The Halal Journal, pp. 32-34. Riaz, M. . C. M., 2004. Halal food production. Florida, CRC Press. Saeed, M. ,. J. B. . I., 2000. Marketing Malaysia to International Tourists. Journal of International Business and Entrepreneurship, Issue 8(1), pp. 41-61. Sharifah Zannierah Syed Marzuki, M. H. P. W., 2012. Restaurant Manager and Halal Certificate, Malaysia: academia.edu. Toh, P. F. ., 2008. Hawker food industry. Food safety Public health strategies in Malaysia, Issue 38(1), pp. 41-51. Voon, K. K. ., 2007. Culture and service quality expectations: Evidence from generation Y consumers in Malaysia. Managing Service Quality, Issue 17(6), pp. 656-680. 1

The Life Journey of an Artist :: Personal Narrative, Autobiographical Essay

The Life Journey of an Artist Throughout history the role of the artist has changed greatly. Looking through the annals of Art History, the time that we are in now is very different than any other. A profession that has always been looked at as just that, a profession, has become more of a life mission, of sorts. Very gradually the artist began working for his or her own benefit instead of for a benefactor or commission. Is this a good change or a bad one? Is this the inevitable evolution of art? Is life as an artist in this society worth the effort? These question are what face many young people like myself. Someone once said to me "mindless programmable beings the choices would be easy. We would all be doctors and lawyers. Those are obviously the most easily attained and most rewarded in our society. Going to college for medical or law for a few years seems to predestine you for, if nothing else, a fairly large paycheck and a nice house in the suburbs. The culmination of the American dream. So why, one would ask would anyone choose to be an (gasp!) artist? This is the dilemma that most art students face today. Should they be true to their personal and artistic values or should they assure their the ability to survive in a capitalist American society. A profession that, throughout history, has been considered that of an artisan, has changed. Artist were once respected for their talent and rewarded for their accomplishments. The artists of yesteryear were content to be commissioned to showcase their patron's visions. An artist who bows to a patron today is considered an artistic whore. They are said to not be true to themselves or their profession. People like designers and performing artists thus face a problem. In the artistic community they are not doing anything of value because they are buying into the system. But in the rest of the world they are grouped into 'artist' for their talents. And so they are left to float in the middle. But the point stands that they have a better chance of attaining the great American dream of happiness through monetary accomplishments. The artist who does not take into account the system in which we live, however does not have as good of a chance. Of course there are artists who have been true to themselves and are considered successes in our society.

Computer Viruses :: essays research papers fc

Computer Viruses   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A computer virus is an illegal and potentially damaging computer program designed to infect other software by attaching itself to any software it contacts. In many cases, virus programs are designed to damage computer systems maliciously by destroying of corrupting data. If the infected software is transferred to or accessed by another computer system, the virus spreads to the other system. Viruses have become a serious problem in recent years, and currently, thousands of known virus programs exist (Reed 85-102)b.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Three types of viruses are a boot sector virus, file virus, and Trojan horse virus. A boot sector virus infects the. When the infected boot program executes, the virus is loaded into the computer’s memory. Once the Virus is in memory, it can spread to any floppy disk inserted into the computer. A file virus inserts virus codes into program files†¦ The virus then spreads to any program that accesses the infected file. A Trogan horse virus (named after the Greek myth) hides within or is designed to look like s legitimate program.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Some viruses interrupt processing by freezing a computer system temporarily and then displaying sounds or messages. Other viruses contain time bombs or logic bombs. A time bomb is a program that performs an activity on a particular date. A logic bomb is a program that performs an activity when a certain action occurs, such as an employee being terminated. A worm, which is similar to a virus, copies itself repeatedly until no more memory of disk space remains.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  To find computer viruses, anti-virus programs have been developed. Besides detecting viruses, anti-virus programs also have utilities to remove or repair infected programs and files. Some damaged files cannot be repaired and must be replaced with uninfected archive files. The table below outlines some techniques used to protect computer systems. Table Techniques for virus Protection and System Archive Using Virus Protection Software  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Backing Up Your System Install virus protection software on every computer system  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Develop a regular plan for copying and storing important data and program files. Before use, scan every floppy disk with a virus scan program to check for viruses.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Implement a backup plan and adhere to its guidelines.

Programmed costs

The following definition of terms with corresponding examples will help us fully understand the meaning of costs. A cost may be broadly defined as being the sacrifice required to obtain a given object or objective. If costs are to be identified with some relevant unit, such as a department, product line or given amount of service, it is necessary to determine how costs can be expected to behave under different conditions. For example, which costs can be expected to remain constant when there are increases or decreases in the amount of work done?Also, which costs increase as more work is performed? If costs are to be estimated and controlled properly, it is necessary to know whether or not the cost can be expected to change under given conditions and, if so, by what amount. In accounting, fixed costs refer to the costs that do not change in total amount with changes in volume of output or activity over an established or relevant range. Such items as salary of plant of a plant superint endent, depreciation, insurance, taxes, and rent usually remain the same regardless of whether the plant is above or below its normal operating capacity.However, a fixed cost, like any cost, is subject to certain variations. Rent may increase or insurance rates go up, but these changes are caused by factors independent of the firm’s operating level. Fixed costs are sometimes classified as being either committed costs or programmed costs. Management, in making long-range decisions, may commit a company to a cost pattern that extends several years in the future. For example, when a building is acquired, future years have to absorb the depreciation cost and the related property tax, insurance, repairs, and maintenance.These fixed costs are committed costs. Programmed costs, also referred to as managed costs or discretionary costs, are determined as a part of general management policy. A budget for product research and development, for example, may be established each year; or su pervisory salaries are set each year by management decisions. These costs are established at a certain fixed amount, but the amount is determined by management. Variable costs are costs that vary in direct proportion, or in a one-to-one relationship, to changes in productive output or activity.For example, direct material cost is usually a variable cost with each unit manufactured requiring a certain quantity of material. Thus, the materials cost changes in direct proportion to the number of units manufactured. Irrelevant cost is a cost that will not be changed by a decision. Because an irrelevant cost will not be affected, it may be disregarded in the decision-making process. The cost may be variable cost or a fixed cost . The important point is that the cost is not changed by the decision.If the decision involves the production of more units of product, variable are increased and are not irrelevant costs. On the other hand, if no change in productive output or hours of activity is involved in the decision, the variable cost may not be affected, in which case they are disregarded with respect to the decision. Costs can also be classified as being direct or indirect with respect to an activity, a department, or a product. The distinction depends upon whether or not the cost can be identified with the activity or other relevant unit without allocation.A cost such as the plant superintendent’s salary can be readily identified with the plant and hence is a direct cost of the plant. However, it is an indirect cost of any department within the plant or of any line of product manufactured. The plant superintendent’s salary cannot be identified with any unit within the plant except by allocation. A sunk cost is a cost that has already been incurred in the past whose total will not be affected by any decision made now or in the future.Example, an individual may regret having made a purchase but, after the purchase have been made, cannot avoid the cost by taking subsequent action. Perhaps the property can be sold, in which case the cost of the property is matched against the proceeds from the sale in the determination of gain or loss. Or the person may decide to keep the property, in which case the cost is matched against revenue over the time that it is used in operations. In any event, the cost has been incurred and cannot be avoided.It is sunk cost with respect to present and future decisions. Another important aspect of cost to be considered is the distinction between cost that can be controlled by a given person and those that cannot be controlled by that person. Cost are incurred upon the authorization of some member of the management group. If a manager is responsible for a given cost, that cost is said to be controllable with respect to that person. If the manager does not authorize that cost, the cost is uncontrollable with respect to that manager.For example, top management can increase or decrease executive salaries and c an initiate or abandon major projects. At intermediate or at lower management levels, such cost are beyond their authority and are uncontrollable. Costs that can be authorized at a certain managerial level are said to be controllable at that level. REFERENCES : Blocher, E†¦ et al. (2005). Cost Management: A strategic emphasis. Boston : Mcgraw-Hill/ Irwin. Edmonds T†¦et al. (2006). Fundamental managerial accounting concepts. (3rd ed). New York: Mcgraw-Hill/ Irwin.

Life in the Trenches Essay

Today, we were once again heavily bombarding the German lines. It was a routine thing nowadays. Some of the more experienced soldiers didn’t even notice the heavy German response bombardments that were every second posing a threat to their lives. As we heard a shell landing, we heard attentively just to make sure it wasn’t coming direct on us and then, the colossal roar burst from the ground. Life here was getting rather monotonous, always the same routine, four days on the frontline then four days behind lines and then the same thing the following week or so. It wasn’t what the papers said up in England, they were written to hide the truth of the massacring that occurred at the battle of the Sommes for one example. Hundreds and thousands of corps lay motionless on the ground. General Haig believed that with heavy bombardments we could break through their lines. He was mistaken. Men were crushed by the machine-gun fire as if dry leaves and they lay there, untouched, rotting away in the muddy earth which emitted an incredibly pungent smell. The mud made it almost impossible to live in these trenches. The water was right up to my knees and there was nothing I could do about it. A lot of my comrades managed to get trench foot which was a disease which made your feet rot due to the fact that they remained submerged for hours if not days. Life was incredibly tough in the trenches, nothing like I had imagined it to be. I thought I’d come back as a war hero but from the English articles we read, it seemed to me as if none of our letters had been dispatched or if they had been intercepted in some way, to not allow our families know the real truth. They are made to believe that all is well and that the heroes that saved the French are close to victory. This was not true. Although General Haig did believe he made some progress today, it was nowhere near what we had hopes. The Germans knew about the attack and had built very effective means to defend themselves. They had built dig outs that were up to 12 metres deep underground. This was to protect from any sort of shell attack that the English and the French had. They also had very effective barbed wire that the English didn’t completely manage to destroy before the 200,000 men were sent over the top on a suicide mission. The weather was also very unpredictable some days it would be boiling hot and we would die of thirst waiting for something remotely interesting to happen and other times, we would fear for our lives when we could hear a shell whistling like a train in a tunnel, at which point, we would sink our head right into the mud and not rise until we heard a relatively near explosion. The dig-outs were a good initiative seeing as it has always been a fact that the best way to absorb shell shock is with earth. We heard that some of the accommodations for officers were rather nice in the dig-outs. They were full complete with a bed, a pump, and sometimes even some different food that they manage to bring along with them and place it in the cupboards. Everyday, there was fear of the new methods that the Germans had developed of attacking us. There was late news that gas attack was in use. Now it was regulation that we had to carry a mask with us at all times otherwise we could be gassed with new inventions such as the mustard gas which apparently burned right through your skin and you suffered a horrible and painful death. We were all worried about this new gas. We didn’t know what it actually smelt like. Apparently, it had a pungent smell hence the name, mustard gas but most of my fellow soldiers feel that they would fall into panic if a gas attack was to take place One of the very few things which I feel is very positive about the whole trench warfare is the comradeship. I had made some pals that would risk their lives if it would mean saving mine. I had never experienced such a feeling until I came to the trenches. It was truly unique. Knowing that you would have to live with these people twenty four hours a day, seven days a week was a way of knowing that somebody would always be there for you. You would seriously bond with someone and would do anything to accomplish the promise you made them. This was particularly moving when one of your closest comrades dies in action and you feel you should have died with him or for him. The danger in the trenches was as dangerous on the front line as to get there. We would be exposed to heavy artillery fire in these measly little trenches that compared to the front line looked as if they were built for dwarves. When our men died, we buried them behind the trenches. It was a petty funeral, no service no nothing, just whoever wanted to attend to dig up a ditch and place his friends in there to rest in piece. It was up to you if you wanted to help seeing as there was always the chance of a stray bullet or a sniper hitting you as you were working. Most were left to rot. After a while, the trenches, with the wet weather deteriorated. There was no more a 4†³ thick bullet-proof parapet to save your life; the walls of the trench had collapsed to make the trench into a mud bath with water which was to reach your knees. During the wet weather it was truly disgusting. Overall life in the trenches is pretty gross and unhygienic although, some officers did get treated rather well and the food that the English were given which was usually bully beef and jam was of a much higher quality than any other front line army. Diseases spread and people suffer of lack of sleep without forgetting the fact that everyone was homesick and wishing to see their families so basically, apart from making good friends and fighting for your country, the trenches must have been a rather appalling experience.

Is the Basque Language an Endangered Language?

A language is a repository of the riches of highly specialised cultural experiences. When a language is lost, all of us lose the knowledge contained in that language's words and grammar, knowledge that can never be recovered if the language has not been studied or recorded.Not all of this knowledge is of immediate practical benefit, of course, but all of it is vital in teaching us different ways of thinking about life, of approaching our day-to-day existence on planet earth (Daniel L Everett, From Threatened Languages to Threatened Lives, Online Article, 2007).According to the Unesco Red Book on Endangered Languages, there are 13 languages that were once spoken in Europe that are now extinct; 9 languages that are almost extinct; 26 languages that are seriously endangered, and 38 that are in danger. This last list includes the Basque language (Unesco Red Book on Endangered Languages, Online document, 1999).Due to an increasing concern amongst linguists regarding ethnolinguistic groups , in-depth research, and a number of studies, have been undertaken to explain the extinction of languages, the reasons why certain languages become endangered, and how to ensure that languages are not lost in the future. The results of these studies signify several representing factors that explain why languages become endangered. One aspect is due to the fact that often a people group, or language group, moves towards another language because of increased earning and power opportunities (Daniel L.Everett, Online Article, 2007), something that is putting several European languages under threat (Unesco Red Book on Endangered Languages, Online document, 1999). And another is when there are so few people speaking the language that it becomes impossible to continue with its usage (SIL International, Endangered Language Groups, Online Article, 2007). Or, as was the case with the Basque language, it can be partly due to the prohibition of its usage. But these are not the only dictating fa ctors; existing social, political, economic and religious factors, all play their part.This paper will be looking at Euskera, which is the name of the Basque language; a language that dates as far back as the 7th century, and which is considered to be under threat. An Historical Overlook of Euskera. Since the beginning of mankind, new languages have been continually emerging, while others disappear forever; and while the loss of a language may not seem to be of great importance, according to professional linguists ‘each loss is a great tragedy’ (Daniel L Everett, From Threatened Languages to Threatened Lives, Online Article, 2007).Euskera, the Basque language, is spoken by approximately 890,000 people in Northern Spain, and 80,000, mostly elderly people in the South-West of the Pyrenees in the South of France (Unesco Red Book on Endangered Languages, Online document, 1999). However, although the Basque Community shares the same language, it is comprised of three Basque areas, which are governed by different political and administrative bodies: Iparraldea, which belongs to France; Navarra, which belongs to the Spanish State, and the BAC (Basque Autonomous Community), which governs only this particular area of the Basque Community.Once far larger in terms of geographical boundaries, research has shown that Euskera was once spoken in Aragon and West Catalonia, as far back as the 7th century (Tover, 1959). Then in the 9th and 10th centuries, through mass migration, it reached south of Alava (University of Deusto, Bilbao, Online Document, 2007). Although records show that geographical language loss can be traced as far back as the Roman period (University of Deusto, Online Document, 2007), it was really when Prince Bonaparte drew his map recording where the Basque dialect was spoken that evidence of massive language loss could be seen. By 1863, ‘†¦..Basque had been lost in west Biscay, most of Alava, south of Pamplona†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. and the Baiona area of northern Basque Country’ (University of Deusto, 2007). The decline was partly due to decisions made concerning the supremacy of Spanish during the Bourbon period of the 18th Century, and the way the language was stigmatized as inferior, only being considered as suitable for farmers and peasants (University of Deusto, 2007). Spanish was used exclusively in education and instruction, and children who attempted speaking Basque were punished, resulting in illiteracy amongst the children of Basque speakers (University of Deusto, 2007).Industrialization also played its part during the 19th century. The need for workers resulted in mass immigration, and saw the arrival of so many monolingual Spanish speakers that their numbers far outweighed those of the Basque speakers. The fact that the Spanish speakers moved into several areas where the language had already been lost, and the fact that the Franco government prohibited the use of Euskera, both helped to ensured tha t the language would become endangered (University of Deusto, 2007). Spanish and French Attitudes Concerning the Basque Language.The use of Basque by Basque-speakers is only partial during the day. With the exception of a few areas in the Basque Country, it is almost impossible to live speaking only Basque. However, living speaking only French or Spanish is possible and frequent. The Basque-speaker must use French or Spanish at least in part, not only because of the legal imperative but also because of the social relegation of Basque (Euskal Herria Journal, The Basque Language at Home, Online Article, 2007). It was during the Franco dictatorship period, through cultural and language oppression, that the majority of loss occurred.And it was only when democracy was restored that the Basque movement, whose aim was to restore their language and culture, came into being. Both the Spanish and French governments have, historically, been instrumental in the loss of the Basque language by en forcing the exclusive use of their nation’s respective languages. The results of the prohibition concerning the usage of Euskera, is believed to have resulted in half of the Basque population being more comfortable when speaking Euskera, and the other half more comfortable speaking either French or Spanish (Daniel L. Everett, Online Article, 2007).However in recent years, or at least in Spain, there have been efforts to ensure the future of the Basque language; these are mainly through educational choices. In Southern Basque Country, which is under Spanish administration, there are three types of education available to students, and which are chosen according to language choice. 1. Education in Spanish only. 2. Education in both Spanish and Basque. 3. Education in Basque only. In 1991-1992, the figures given for students attending all public, private and religious schools were as follows: The Spanish-only education system totalled 58.3% of students; Spanish and Basque totalle d 19. 5% students; and the Basque-only, totalled some 22. 2% of students (Euskal Herria Journal, Online Article, 2007). In France, however, there have been no attempts at such integration, where the only recognised language is French, and where there is little support for the Basque State. In Northern Basque Country, just 1. 4% of children who attend compulsory full-time education, are able to learn Basque; but that is through Ikastolas, which are nationalist, private schools (Euskal Herria Journal, Online Article, 2007).Protecting Euskera. The language and culture oppression that the Basque’s suffered during the dictatorship of Franco was probably instrumental in the massive resurge of people’s interest in their cultural and language identity. Emphasising language as the symbol that gave a group its uniqueness, and; against the political and social situation of the time, Basque was perceived as the central element in a process of cultural renovation. Distinguishing fr om previous rural cultural manifestations, urban youngsters wanted to show their urban voice and they wanted to do it in Basque.They proved that Basque did not have to be linked only to the rural environment, that Basque was not just â€Å"the farmers’ language,† but rather that it could occupy an important place in the manifestation of modern urban Basque culture’ (University of Deusto, 2007). With recent memories of the Franco Regime, Spain was just coming to terms with her own political, social and culture freedom, and Spanish world views and opinions would have probably been far different from than that of neighbouring France.The introduction of new laws concerning minority languages paved the way for not only Euskera, but also other ethnic tongues. The Basque language was officially recognized in Spain after the Spanish Constitution (1978), and declared in 1979 at the Basque Parliament (BAC) in the Statue of Autonomy. Education was quickly recognised as one of the major ways of protecting and spreading Euskera, and human, legal and financial resources were all, and still are being, used to this effect (Euskal Herria Journal, Online Article, 2007).More than forty years have passed since the start of the program to promote the Basque language, and it is evident that efforts are having positive results. There are reported increases in the amount of bilingual speakers, ‘especially within the younger generations, and due mostly to the introduction of Basque in the education system’ (University of Deusto, 2007), and successful results in adult literacy programs. Achieving such results, when faced with the difficulties of re-introducing a minority language, stand as evidence of the Basque’s determination concerning the continuation of their heritage, language and culture.Conclusion An endangered language is a language headed for extinction. It is a language without monolingual speakers, people who speak only that language (Your Dictionary, Online Article, 2007). If taking the above criteria and applying it to the title of this paper, ‘Is the Basque Language an Endangered Language? ’ the answer would undeniably have to be yes. This is mainly due to the fact that the Basque language is almost without monolingual speakers – but whether the Basque language is headed for extinction, or not, is debatable.At present the Basque language is growing, rather than reducing, due to the effort that has been made be the Basque community, and that does not show any sign of changing. In today’s climate the conservation of heritage, cultures and languages are recognised as vitally important for man, and more effort is being made to ensure their protection – although this still needs to increase. However, globalization is a modern reality and our world is shrinking.Europe is enlarging her boarders, frontiers are opening, and people are crossing in to other countries in the hope of fin ding better situations. As was stated earlier in this paper, immigration is one of the causes of language loss, which in some respects is a natural outcome of a changing world. References Daniel L. Everett, From Threatened Languages to Threatened Lives, Online Article, 2007. http://www. yourdictionary. com/elr/everett. html Euskal Herria Journal, The Basque Language at Home, Online Article, 2007 http://www. ehj-navarre.org/blessons/blt(2). html SIL International, Endangered Language Groups, Online Article, 2007 www. sil. org/sociolx/ndg-lg-home. html Tovar, Antonio (1959). El euskera y sus parientes, p. 144-98, Madrid: Ediciones Minotauro. Unesco Red Book on Endangered Languages: Europe, 1999. http://www. helsinki. fi/~tasalmin/europe_index. html University of Deusto, Bilbao, Online Document, 2007 www. rci. rutgers. edu/~jcamacho/363/amorrortu. pdf Your Dictionary, Endangered Languages, Online Article, 2007 www. yourdictionary. com/elr/index. html

English language communication Essay

By learning English, we can develop four important skills like listening, speaking, reading and writing. Advantages of learning English language communication is an endless list, creating possibilities each day to connect with people worldwide. With command over English language you can get jobs easily and can participate in interviews and discuss with people in a group about any particular important topic or aspect. English communication gains us wisdom and we can also gain lots of knowledge by reading online magazines, newspapers, story books, essays, websites and journals and any of the greatest and famous writing written in English by poets, authors or leaders. Apart from being most important, widely used and useful, English is considered to be one of the easiest languages to learn and speak. With daily practice, you can communicate-well with others and improve your skills, show-off or expose your skills before others to impress and motivate them to come up with their English language communications skills. Hence, English even-though being a foreign language to many is now most commonly used language worldwide. Advantages of learning English language communication is an endless list, creating possibilities each day to connect with people worldwide. With command over English language you can get jobs easily and can participate in interviews and discuss with people in a group about any particular important topic or aspect. English communication gains us wisdom and we can also gain lots & lots of knowledge by reading online magazines, newspapers, story books, essays, websites and journals and any of the greatest and famous writing written in English by poets, authors or leaders. Apart from being most important, widely used and useful, English is considered to be one of the easiest languages to learn and speak. With daily practice, you can communicate-well with others and improve your skills, show-off or expose your skills before others to impress and motivate them to come up with their English language communications skills. Hence, English even-though being a foreign language to many is now most commonly used language worldwide especially in British dominion later became Independent republican countries like India and Pakistan. Proud to be an Indian, speaking foreign language, so people around you can’t understand. Knowledge of English is important as we can get to know how to frame sentences, how to use words in dialogues while speaking to others. As every word has a particular context where it fits right, using words in such a manner in English is an art that can only be mastered by practice. And with such command, we can easily communicate with others on any level. Mostly, listening and speaking improves our command on English language. Daily listening to English speakers and trying speaking in English, helps you to know how to use the language, where to use each word and when to use it in a correct manner.

Reducing and Managing stress Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Reducing and Managing stress - Research Paper Example Relaxation can be provided to body and mind and it does not need extra time. Addition of extra hours in a day does not reduce stress and enhance relaxation. Even sleeping or being lazy excessively cannot reduce the level of stress. The best way to reduce stress and fresh up one’s body and mind is to increase the physical activities. The cheapest and easiest physical exercise is walking. it can be done any place any time. It even does not require machines or tools for exercising. Walking is far better than lying down on bed for a long time in order to get relaxed. It makes a person more dull, tired and stressed. This is because our body does not accept sedentary life style. It requires movement. Therefore, walking involves the movement of all parts of body and makes the body and mind fresh, active and happy. As, I myself am quite stressed these days, therefore, I intend to set up a plan to change my health behavior and achieve my goal within 4 weeks of time, starting from secon d week and ending up at the sixth week. Plan: My plan is to daily walk for a while twice a day. Early in the morning before going for work and then in the evening after coming back from work. I plan to start from few minutes of walking and day by day increase the time to walk. Goal: My body is not used to walk and perform physical activities. ... I fell and got hurt on my foot. My foot had twisted and was immensely aching. This acted as a potential barrier and I was not able to walk for four days. Potential Enabler: After I was hurt and could not walk for constant four days, my determination became a bit shaky. As it was just the beginning, I became lazier. I would not even have started walking on the fifth day of my injury of a neighborhood friend of mine had not encouraged me. He had also started walking along me and was to achieve the same goal like me. The thought that he will achieve his goal and I won’t also boosted me up and enabled me to start walking again as soon as possible. Week Distance Walked Potential Barrier Potential Enabler Week 2 0.5 km Hurt on foot Competitor friend Week 3 1 km None None Week 4 1.75 km Work load Self motivation Week 5 3 km None Increment in stamina Week 6 3 km None Will of maintenance In the second week I targeted to walk 1 kilometer but could not do so due to a potential barrier th at was a hurt on foot. But very soon I recovered and managed to walk again due to the motivation by a friend who also acted as my competitor as he had started the same plan along with me. In the third week I again walked half a kilometer as I had become slow. But, as there was neither a potential barrier nor a potential enabler, therefore I was neither able to increase the distance nor decrease it, just managed to maintain it. The fourth week introduced new potential barrier as well as potential enabler. The barrier was that I had excessive work load that resulted in fatigue and lack of time and I was not able to walk much. Yet, despite of being tired, my determination and self motivation encouraged and enabled me to