Outline the argument supermarket power is a zero -sum game Free Essays

Outline the argument supermarket power is a zero -sum game BY bluebell Outline the argument that supermarket power Is a â€Å"zero-sum†game Before we discuss the argument let us understand first what the terms â€Å"power† and â€Å"zero-sum† mean. Power is a complex term used denote influence, control and domination, (Taylor, et al. 2009,p. We will write a custom essay sample on Outline the argument supermarket power is a zero -sum game or any similar topic only for you Order Now 59). The power used by supermarkets includes buying and market power. The big four supermarkets in the U. K. Account for approximately 75% of the food and groceries market therefore giving them significant market power. Their buying power Is the ability they have to negotiate prices with suppliers and the rage chains thus being able to demand discounts when buying In such large quantities. This gives them the ability to influence things such as pricing, for example offering goods at below cost prices. The term zero-sum game is used when one party’s gain will be another’s loss therefore equaling a zero sum. A good example of this is slicing a pie, if one person takes a large slice there is less for everyone else. The pro supermarket campaigners argue that the supermarkets use their power for good and all parties Involved benefit to some extent creating a positive sum gain but he the following argues to the contrary__ As shoppers they offer us a wide variety of products at affordable prices, in accessible locations. Additionally they offer employment, boosting local skills and helping to draw in other businesses such as restaurants and retailers to sometimes failing local economies but at what cost to others? Do the low prices mean that somewhere down the supply chain someone else’s profits are being squeezed? Has the out of town retail park been a catalyst In the decline of Britain’s high streets? In 2006 retail commentator Judi Bean reported hat the big four operated around 3900 stores with Tests alone taking one pound at the tills for every three we spend. Since then they have continued to grow branching out into the corner shop concept and opening an additional 1500 stores in a bid to capture even more trade. In years gone by our towns would have a variety of independent shops made up of butchers, bakers and fishmongers, but these are in decline and we are now dominated by by big chain stores offering us practically Identical goods at very similar prices. If this Is the case are they really offering us any hospice at all? Across the country they monopolies towns and areas where small local businesses are unable to compete on pricing being forced to shut down. Food writer Joann Blackman, (2005) uses Dundee as an example and recalls that in the sass the town had ten bakers; now there are two left, five fishmongers with one remaining and eight or nine butchers only one of which has survived and six grocers where again only one has survived.. In their place are four Testes, two Sad, a Morrison and a Kingsbury. In her pollen there Is a distinct correlation between the arrival of the gig chains and the demise of the small independents, thus implying a zero-sum game. The supermarkets have an immense buying power and their supply chain stretches across the globe. When dealing with the large conglomerates like Proctor and Gamble, Milliner and Nestle the balance of power is pretty much even, as their global muscle puts them in a strong position to negotiate. However the farmers, such a fortunate position. Small suppliers claim that the supermarkets are continually putting pressure on them, coercing them into prices cuts that push them to the point that there economic livelihood is in doubt. This relationship between the suppliers and supermarkets can be depicted as a David and Goliath affair, with the small independents up against the big multiples Just as the small independent stores on the high street are up against the big chain stores as previously mentioned. With this pressure being applied to suppliers to keep costs down they in turn pass this on to their employees. Here in the I-J we have low paid often migrant workers cutting, sorting and packing vegetables and salads for the big stores. Felicity Lawrence has written about the exploitation of these workers in her book Not on the Label (2004) and in newspaper investigations. She highlights how agency workers, often from eastern European countries such as Romania, Poland and Bulgaria, are employed by â€Å"gang masters† to work on farms and in processing and packing plants and are frequently paid hourly rates below the minimum wage, are subjected to illegal deductions and are bussed from Job to Job at their employers will. These people are not directly employed by the supermarkets but, she claims, that they are aware of the practices and turn a blind eye to it so they can continue to benefit from he situation. Additionally she points out that you will not see any such evidence of this on labels of the packets of salad or bags of chicken pieces which line their shelves. Lawrence implies that we as consumers can indulge in cheap products at the expense of those exploited and often vulnerable workers. You could therefore infer that the supermarkets are using their power or dominance to control the labor market. For us to gain from the low prices at the checkout someone else must lose out in the case it is the suppliers and their workforce. With this in mind let us look rather field at the workers in such places as Bangladesh. In 2006 and 2007 The War on Want, a U. K. Based non-governmental organization, made accusations against Sad and Tests that they were boosting profits and the expense of the workers in the sweatshops of Bangladesh. They carried out a survey in six large facilities in Dacha, each employing between 500-1200 workers. The results of the survey showed that the worker, of which the majority are female, had been subjected to overcrowding and unhygienic work conditions along with forced overtime and verbal intimidation, tit access to trade unions being refused. All the factories surveyed were known to be supplying cheap clothing to the I-J market, specifically Tests and Sad and all were paying wages below that needed to provide for themselves and their family. The pressure applied by the stores on the factory owners to keep costs down means that they have no room to maneuver. The war on want claim that it the absence of a living wage in such places that keep our Jeans, shoes and other clothing at such low prices. Taking all of the above into account we can conclude that although we as nonusers benefit from low pricing and abundance of choice and the supermarkets continue to increase their profits, there are many within the chain that don’t benefit so greatly. We can therefore say that supermarket power is definitely a zero sum game. Word count – 1134 Bean, J. (2006) Trolley Wars: The Battle of the Supermarkets, London, Profile Books Blackman, J (2005): Shopped: The shocking Power of British Supermarkets, London, Profile Books Lawrence, F (2004) Not on the Label, London, Penguin War on Want (2006), fashion Victims: The true cost of cheap clothes at Primary. Sad and Tests, London, How to cite Outline the argument supermarket power is a zero -sum game, Essays

Journal Of Accounting And Economics Studies-Myassignmenthelp.Com

Question: Discuss About The Journal Of Accounting And Economics Studies? Answer: Introducation IAS-38 is an intangible asset outline that lists the requirements for managing intangible assets. It helps a business recognize, make use of and allocate any intangible assets into the businesss production system. Intangible assets are those without physical or material touch, i.e. they are non-monetary. The IAS enable a business evaluate the assets according to its policies and rules. The introduction and adoption of the IAS into the accounting practices of a business will certainly cause changes. Adoption of the IAS is one of the most significant practice in the modern business world. Recently, most companies have started using the IAS policies and rules in managing and modifying their accounting operations. The reason for this is the fact that the accounting policies change with improvement in technology and desire for general business development and growth (Achim and Chi?, 2014). This means that with the improvement in the worlds aspects, the business world also desires improvem ent. Most businesses expect the adoption to cause more positive changes or effects than negative effects. For instance, the businesses expect positive effects in their productivity, their decision making processes, management methods and techniques, their investments activities, their performance measures or performance indicators, increase in productivity, financial statements reports to name just but a few. On the external world, the businesses anticipate an improvement in economic change, increase business value, better business brand and name value among other things (Beke, 2011). However, the main issue that makes businesses adopt the IAS system is to improve its financial management practices. This is simply because most of the policies and rules governing IAS relate to financial control and management. They are likely to affect a businesss financial status that any other aspect of the business. Therefore, this is the main purpose for using IAS in a business (to manage financi al status of a business, i.e. either tangible or intangible financial factors or assets. Discussion Impacts of adoption of AIS- 38 around the World The use of IAS-38 is the same for many countries but the impacts are different in each country as well as in every organization. However, the impacts lie entirely along the accounting or financial status of a business organization. The following are some of the impacts: Impact on the analysis of the companys financial statements Journal of Contemporary Accounting Economics ISSN 1815?5669 The application of intangible assets in any business organization leads to interference and causes disruption to the financial statement records analysis. The adoption of these rules is set to change issues like the shareholders equity, goodwill value or measure and the organizations net income (Nicoleta et al, 2011). These aspects include most business intangible assets. The financial statements should be present and show the value and status of a businesss financial position. These statements include the financial position statement, the profit and loss account statement, and the cash flow statement. According to Hung and Subramanyam, 2007, all of the above statements change but the statement of financial position change more than the rest. It is supposed to indicate the value of the tangible and intangible assets of the business. However, due to the adoption of the IAS rules in the business, these assets values change. In most cases, the total assets and the book value of equity i s higher when done using the IAS. On the other hand, when in normal case or other rules, the total assets are mostly less than their value. In addition to that, most researchers have found that the use of IAS can lead to a change in the economy indirectly. Apparently, even though the impact on financial statement is direct that of economic change is indirect. In general, it is clear that the IAS insists on fair values as well as on valuation of a businesss balance sheet. Effect of Organizational Management and Decision Making Process JournalofSmallBusinessManagement 0047?2778 1540?627X When businesses adopt the IAS rules and regulation, they management team usually has more control and power over the organization in general. This means that the managers become more responsible and accountable for the business operations (Zghalet al, 2011). The adoption encourages the management to improve its communication techniques because in case of any change, there must be an explanation offered by the managers to the owners or stakeholders. The fact that there is clear, relevant, understandable and reliable information for the managers to use, they are then able to make very wise and effective decisions especially those that relate with the organizations financial status (Renkas et al, 2015). This is simply because the adoption encourages the documenting of actual, correct and valid data on all business aspects for future use (Palea, 2013). For instance, with the IAS adoption, the business can report reliable data on business profit or revenue levels, expenses, asset value, b usiness liability position and its equity status. The management gets the opportunity to do an excellent job with the adoption of the IAS that leads to better investments opportunities as well. The adoption can take part in creation partnerships and mergers for businesses. Most business organizations do not value partnership and not gaining anything from any process, especially when businesses are in partnership with another (Renkas et al, 2015). Therefore, the adoption of the IAS creates an opportunity for both businesses to come together and learn from each other. Through the adoption, a business is capable of widening and expanding its business operations further in the future. Effect on organizations productivity JournalofInternationalAccountingAuditingTaxation ISSN 1879?1603 A businesss productivity levels influenced by the use of IAS: When businesses make use of the IAS effectively and efficiently, its productivity becomes hence better economy and wealth as well. The businesses that use IAS have an effect on a countries economic change in an indirect way. The relationship between IAS and productivity considered as the relationship between IT and Productivity. The IAS involves the use of professional accounting rules and techniques that ensure good quality, effective and efficient information for the business (Csebfalvi, 2012). In that case, the use of IAS ensures clear, reliable and valid information documentation especially the financial information that helps the investors, financiers, business partners, creditors and suppliers among others. The use of IAS will ensure effective use, utilization and allocation of the businesses finances. This includes in operations like investment opportunities, human resource hiring or employee rewarding, technologica l improvements among other things. This kind of business operations are the ones in charge of contributing to business productivity. On the other, they make use of the organizations resources and finances, i.e. the assets and revenues. Therefore, when a business uses the IAS rules and regulations effectively, it will be simply be increasing its productivity. In addition, any business that is productive indicates that its incomes or revenues are also high and investments productive. IAS policies control these incomes, revenues and investment levels and values. Therefore, with the use of IAS, a business will certainly be able to control and manage all of its finances (Fera, 2016). With that in mind, it is clear that the use of IAS in a business can affect its productivity. In other words, it can increase its productivity if used in the right manner or decrease its productivity when used in the wrong manner. Effect of Business Performance Measures and Practices Journal of Accounting Auditing and Finance ISSN 0148?558X There is a positive relationship between the impact of IAS use and a businesss performance and strategic practices. The performance measures of a business are the indicators that businesses use to determine their performance levels. The performance measures are responsible for evaluating the effectiveness and efficiency of every managers action (objective and goal set). Therefore, it is comparing what a business achieves with its originally set goals and objectives, which means that the performance measures are the control and guiding aspects (Plka et al, 2011). This comparison is the one that assess the financial and non-financial performance of the organization. Therefore, the use of IAS will certainly affect the both the financial and non-financial practices and performances of a business organization. Then measuring business performance, a budget is one the key aspects to consider. Every business makes an annual financial plan for the operations of the business in the next year. This plan is composed of both the asset and financial valuation, which are the aspects that change caused by the use of IAS (Yurisandi and Puspitasari, 2015). In addition to that, the adoption of IAS affects the performance measures of a business because they change the characteristics of recording, analyzing, evaluating and valuing the aspects used in determining business performance (Lara et al, 2008). To be specific, the use of IAS affects the management accounting of a. organization. This is an important issue and practice in measuring business performance. Furthermore, IAS modifies the characteristics of these measures to fitting into its rules and policies. It is clear that adoption of IAS can affect the performance measures of a business by changing their characteristics and policies and makes them fit into its own policies. Conclusion From the research and the information found in the journals, the adoption of IAS in business accounting operations can bring great effect. This is simply because the policies and rules listed by the IAS at most times are different from those that guide business operations. However, the main effects relate to operations that depend on an organizations financial support. The IAS policies mostly change the techniques and methods of handling a businesss assets and finances. On the other hand, other impacts include aspects like, productivity increment, Increase in business performance, changes in the management methods and processes, change of an organizations performance measures. Therefore, when the IAS policies involved in a business in an effective and efficient manner, it will certainly bring positive change to the business and vice versa. References Achim, A.M. and Chi?, A.O., 2014. FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING QUALITY AND ITS DEFINING CHARACTERISTICS.SEA: Practical Application of Science,2(3). Beke, J., 2011. International Accounting Standards Effects on Business Management.Business Management and Strategy,2(1), p.1. Csebfalvi, G., 2012. The Effects of International Accounting Standardization on Business Performance: Evidence from Hungary.International Journal of Business and Management,7(9), p.20. Fera, P., 2016. The Impact of Voluntary and Mandatory IAS/IFRS Adoption: A Review.International Journal of Business and Management,11(10), p.69. Hung, M. and Subramanyam, K.R., 2007. Financial statement effects of adopting international accounting standards: the case of Germany.Review of accounting studies,12(4), pp.623-657. Lara, J.M.G., Torres, J.A.R. and Veira, P.J.V., 2008. Conservatism of earnings reported under International Accounting Standards: A comparative study.Spanish Journal of Finance and Accounting/Revista Espaola de Financiacin y Contabilidad,37(138), pp.197-210. Nicoleta, P.D., M?rioara, B. and Teodora, M.I., 2011. An investigative study regarding SMES specific accounting policies.EUROPEAN INTEGRATIONNEW CHALLENGES, p.1529. Palea, V., 2013. IAS/IFRS and financial reporting quality: lessons from the European experienDiscussione.China Journal of Accounting Research,6(4), pp.247-263. Plka, P., Svitkov, B. and Kub?kov, D., 2011. Implementation of IFRS for SMEs and its Impact on Performance Indicators.Finance and the Performance of Firms in Science, Education and Practice 2011. Renkas, J., Goncharenko, O. and Lukianets, O., 2015. Quality of financial reporting: approaches to measuring.International Journal of Accounting and Economics Studies,4(1), pp.1-5. Zghal, D., Chtourou, S. and Sellami, Y.M., 2011. An analysis of the effect of mandatory adoption of IAS/IFRS on earnings management.Journal of international accounting, auditing and taxation,20(2), pp.61-72. Yurisandi, T. and Puspitasari, E., 2015. Financial Reporting Quality-Before and After IFRS Adoption Using NiCE Qualitative Characteristics Measurement.Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences,211, pp.644-652.

Hey Nutrition Essay Example

Hey Nutrition Paper 1. PROTEIN is composed of amino acids. It is required to synthesize and repair muscle and other tissues and maintain fluid and acid-base balance in the body. Proteins also function as enzymes, hormones, and transporters. If necessary, the body uses protein to meet energy needs (4 kcals per gram). Excess kcals from protein are stored as body fat. If you consumed 60 grams of protein in a day, how many kcals would this convert to? (Choose your answer and delete the rest). (1 point) b) 240 kcals 2. The AMDR (Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Range) for daily intake of protein is 10% 35% of an adult’s calorie needs (see Chapter 2, page 50-51. If Jessie requires 2000 kcals per day, how much should be coming from protein? (Choose your answer and delete the rest). (2 points) b) 200 700 kcals (50 175 grams) For the remaining questions, determine how YOUR average intake of protein compares to the recommendations. 3. What was your daily AVERAGE intake of protein in GRAMS? (See Actual Intakes vs. Recommended Intakes Bar Graph , Actual Intake Column). Example: 57. 31 grams. (1 point) Answer:83. 89 4. Refer to your All Nutrients Spreadsheet and determine which DAY (1, 2, or 3) had the LOWEST intake of protein. List the DAY and the total amount of protein in GRAMS (See â€Å"Day Total† in bold at the end of each day in the Prot (g) column). Example: Day 2 = 39. 4 grams. (1 point) Answer: Day 1= 76 grams 5. The RDA for protein is based on an individual’s body weight. Most healthy adults need 0. 8 grams of protein for every kilogram (kg) of body weight (see Chapter 6, pages 242 243). In general, Americans are either meeting or exceeding their protein needs. We will write a custom essay sample on Hey Nutrition specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Hey Nutrition specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Hey Nutrition specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Determine YOUR protein requirements by converting your body weight from pounds to kilograms and multiplying by 0. 8. There are 2. 2 kilograms in a pound (so your weight in kg should be a LOWER number than your weight in lbs). SHOW YOUR WORK for full credit. Example: 120 lbs / 2. 2 = 54. 54 kg x 0. 8 grams = 43. 63 grams of protein. (2 points) Answer:154lbs/2. 2=70kg x 0. 8 grams = 56 grams of protein 6. Look at your answers on the two previous questions. How did your protein intake on your â€Å"lowest day† compare to the protein RDA you calculated? (Choose your answer and delete the rest). (1 point) MET or EXCEEDED Calculated Protein RDA 7. Determine what PERCENTAGE of your daily kcals came from protein by EITHER listing the number listed on your Calorie and Fat Sources Report (Sources of CaloriesBox)OR by dividing your ACTUAL intake of protein (in kcals) by your TOTAL daily kcals. Example: ? 57. 3 g Protein x 4 kcals/g = 229 kcals from Protein /1333 total kcals = 17%. (1 point) Answer: 26% 8. How did your intake compare to the Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Range (AMDR) for Protein? (Choose your answer and delete the rest). (1 point) MET the Recommendation (10% 35% of kcals) 9. Which meal (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, or Snack) represented your HIGHEST intake of protein (see Meal Assessment Report )? List the MEAL and the PERCENTAGE of total protein it accounted for. Example: Breakfast, 43%. (1 point) Answer: Dinner 36% 10. A) Explain why plant proteins (other than soy) are considered â€Å"incomplete† and why animal proteins (from meat, dairy, and eggs) are considered and â€Å"complete†. Refer to your textbook if necessary (Chapter 6, pages 239 242). B) List your 2 BEST sources of protein (see All Nutrients Spreadsheet (Prot (g) Column). Indicate whether they are complete or incomplete. (2 points) Part A: A complete protein (animal protein) is a source of protein that contains an adequate proportion of all nine of the necessary for the dietary needs of humans or other animals. Some incomplete protein (plant protein) sources may contain all essential amino acids, but a complete protein contains them in correct proportions for supporting biological functions in the human body. Part B: Fish Chicken 11. VEGETARIAN CASE STUDY. Erin is a 26-year-old college student. She weighs 145 pounds and is moderately active. She is also a lacto-ovo vegetarian. On a typical day, Erin eats at least 3 meals, meets her energy needs, and includes a variety of foods in her diet. Two of the following statements below are CORRECT. Choose your answers and delete the rest. (1 point) b) She includes milk and eggs in her diet but restricts meatd) The quality and amount of protein in her diet is probably adequate 12. VEGAN CASE STUDY. Randi is 18-years-old and has recently decided to become a vegan. She weighs 124 pounds, tends to be a rigid eater, and doesn’t do very well at including complementary proteins in her diet. Although there are certainly benefits to a plant-based diet, she’s been told that vegans are at a higher risk for certain nutrient deficiencies and other health problems. Refer to Chapter 6 in your textbook (pages 248 255). A) List at least 4 nutrients that are more likely to be missing or insufficient in a vegan diet AND B) List at least 4 health problems or conditions that can result from an insufficient intake of protein. (2 points) Part A: Vit-D, Vit-B12, protein, calcium Part B: marasmus, kwashiorkor, low energy, poor immune system, bone health issues 13. ATHLETE CASE STUDY. Landon is a 34-year-old athlete. He weighs 165 pounds and competes in marathons and other high-endurance sports. The protein requirement for athletes is typically 1. 0 1. 5 grams per kilogram of body weight. For high-endurance and/or competitive athletes, up to 2. 0 grams per kilogram of body weight is recommended. Assume that Landon needs 1. 5 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. A) Determine Landon’s protein needs (in grams). Assume that he needs 1. 5 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. SHOW YOUR WORK for full credit. B) List at least 4 health problems or conditions that can result from excessive intake of protein (Chapter 6, pages 248 255). (2 points) Part A: 165lbs/2. 2=75kgx1. 5grams=112. 5 grams Part B: cardiovascular disease, kidney stones, osteoporosis, some types of cancer 14. A) Evaluate your intake of protein. Are you consuming more or less than you realized? What food sources of protein are most common in your diet (plant or animal sources)? Are you getting enough or too much? Is this something you’re concerned about? Why or why not? B) Identify at least one SPECIFIC and measurable improvement in regards to your protein intake that you’re willing to make starting this week. A measurable goal usually has numbers and/or a time frame in it (i. e. â€Å"Right now, most of my protein is coming from animal sources that are also high in fat. This week, I’m going to replace at least ONE high-fat animal product PER DAY with a healthier choice (like fish, yogurt, low-fat milk, nuts, beans, seeds, an egg sandwich, etc†). (2 points) Personal Evaluation: I am ok with the amount of protein in my diet. I think most of my sources of protein are healthy sources like fish and yogurt. I feel like I am pretty aware of the protein in my diet and am satisfied with the ratio. Specific Goal: Right now, most of my protein is coming from animal sources that are also low in fat. This week, I’m going to experiment and try to eat a Lacto-Ovo-Vegetarian diet an see how I feel as well as measure my protein intake vs. fat intake. 15. APPLICATION QUESTION Select and complete an Application Activity from the list of options (also linked on the homepage). List the NUMBER and DESCRIPTION (in bold lettering on the list). Report on what you did and what you learned. Your answer should be at least 4 lines long and demonstrate that you took this assignment seriously. Alternatively, you can read Fighting Inflammation (Published in the Nutrition Action Health Letter, Nov 2011) and write a synopsis of the article. Your summary needs to be at least 6 lines long and include specific content from the article. Please also include what you learned and how you plan to apply this information. (5 points) Application Activity ___Fighting Inflammation_ (or Read â€Å"Fighting Inflammation† Article) Answer: â€Å"Heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, the metabolic syndrome, physical disability. That’s just a partial list of the illnesses that have been linked to chronic inflammation. It’s different from the classic, red, swelling, white-cell kind of inflammation that we’re used to thinking of, explains Walter Willett, chair of the Nutrition Department at the Harvard School of Public Health. Instead, it’s more of a slow burn that’s detected only by a rise in inflammatory signals, or markers—proteins produced by the immune system to fight infection or heal an injury (though not the kind of injury you can necessarily see or feel). The question is: how can you douse the flames? So far, only one thing is clear, says Willett. The most powerful way to reduce your inflammatory factors is to lose excess weight. †(Nutrition Action Health Letter, November 2011) This very first portion of the article had me hooked. But my mind instantly thought inflammation, like cut your finger accidentally and the area will swell, redden, and heat up. I then learned this type of acute inflammatory response is the bodys reaction to trauma, and its an essential part of the healing process. But inflammation can be harmful when it hangs around too long and refuses to leave. When the inflammation switch refuses to turn off, the body operates as if it is always under attack and the older we get, the more likely this is to happen. White blood cells flood the system for weeks, months, and even years. While anti-inflammatory drugs do exist, they can injure the stomach or suppress the immune system. Fortunately, the situation can be remedied by a change in diet, specifically by altering the kinds of fats you eat. Omega-3 fatty acids tend to decrease inflammation while omega-6 fats and trans-fats increase inflammation. Most of all the small statement ? ose excess weight? Left the bells in my head ringing. I want to monitor my diet more closely and implement some of these eating habits and increase healthy foods like, fish, nuts, seeds, oils, lean grass-fed meats, fruits, vegetables and spices such as turmeric, cloves, and ginger to see if I notice a difference in the way I feel.

Growth of Austin, TX essays

Growth of Austin, TX essays Throughout the past 20 years, the city population of Austin has nearly doubled causing an increasing demand in the needs of its residents. Due to incredible growth rate that this city endures, it is important to realize the horrific effects that can occur when a population reaches its ultimate peak. The way of living has already been threatened and may meet its untimely death in the near future if action is not taken immediately. Like the various other highly growing cities in America, Austin is seeing the expected effects of its growth. Of these are the increased numbers in crimes committed and reported throughout the city. Situations such as this are reminiscent of other larger Texas cities such as Houston and Dallas. Thanks to the urban growth in Houston, it is now recognized as one of the leading crime related cities in the country. The crimes that will be more often seen in Austin are theft, assault, and murder. No one wants to see these numbers rise in anyway. Austins beauty and uniqueness cant save it from the rising criminal action and drug traffic that would take place if the city grew too large. One reason why Austin is growing so rapidly is the availability of high-tech jobs and the diversity of cultures this city consumes. This presents itself as a highly desired place to work and live. But even the vast number of jobs cannot protect its inhabitants from unexpected hazards. The beginning of 2000 started off poorly for the city of Austin and even more poorly for the Dell Computer Company. Due to the fear of computer related failure of Y2K issues and earthquakes in foreign manufacturing countries that destroyed numerous of quantities of highly demanded hardware, the Dell Company was forced to lay off between 1000 2000 employees to compensate for their losses. This and the layoff of employees from other computer companies resulted in an increase of unemployment for Austin. When a sligh...

World of work silver-organisational awareness Essay - 1

World of work silver-organisational awareness - Essay Example From the feedback, I have learnt that it is easier to use culture and factors as the key guiding principles for the external analysis of the organization. Thus, using a SWOT analysis facilitates in determining the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and the threats that an organization has towards the social based factors. Further, having a well-developed topic for research will assist to make it easy to achieve success in the research process. This occurs because the answering of the topic comprises of the details essential for the achievement of success. I will use the experience to create a chance for identification and evaluation of the organization that I need to work in the future. Such is because entering into an organization without knowing the functions and activities of such organization may prove challenging to me. Hence, having awareness on the organization activities will create an effective opportunity of understanding the nature of the organization and the need for ensuring that it is easy to achieve organization success. It also ensures that I am able to identify the right organization based on personal dream and

Data Center Design Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Data Center Design - Research Paper Example Before designing the air cooled system, the amount of heat produced must be quantified. This is either in calories, joules, Tons or BTU. To determine the heat output of the system, the total quantity of heat produced by the hardware and their components when fully functional must be quantified. This hardware components include the Uninterruptable Power Supplies (UPS), the Information Technology Equipment, lighting and people working in the data center building. As it had been stated earlier, some of the hardware equipment to be used in the data center are NetApp 2050, HP C7000 Blade enclosure, and KVM. Each of this equipment has different minimum ventilation requirements. To install HP C7000 Blade enclosure, there are several minimum requirements. For good efficiency of HP C7000 Blade enclosure, there are different rack requirements. According to HP C7000 Blade enclosure documentation (Hewlett-Packard Development Company, 2010), HP C7000 Blade enclosure is optimized to work with 1000 0 series racks. Thus to facilitate adequate airflow and to allow for servicing, the spatial requirements below are considered. †¢Ã‚  A clearance of approximately 0.635 meters is left at the front part of the rack†¢Ã‚  At the back, a clearance of 0.762 meters is left to facilitate †¢Ã‚  In case of multiple racks, approximately 1.219 meters is left between the back of one rack and the rear of the adjacent racks. The design of HP C7000 Blade enclosure is in such a way that cool air is drawn into the system from the front part to cool the system.... Room ventilation The data center is composed of servers, routers, switches, among other hardware. All this are electronic devices which produces heat. This heat if not well eliminated, can destroy the electronic components in the hardware contained in the data center. Air – cooled systems are mostly used in data centers since most of the equipment are air – cooled. In this project, considering the number of hardware used and the software run on the systems, an air cooled system will be efficient. Before designing the air cooled system, the amount of heat produced must be quantified. This is either in calories, joules, Tons or BTU. To determine the heat output of the system, the total quantity of heat produced by the hardware and their components when fully functional must be quantified. This hardware components include the Uninterruptable Power Supplies (UPS), the Information Technology Equipment, lighting and people working in the data center building. As it had been s tated earlier, some of the hardware equipment to be used in the data center are NetApp 2050, HP C7000 Blade enclosure, and KVM. Each of this equipment has different minimum ventilation requirements. To install HP C7000 Blade enclosure, there are several minimum requirements. For good efficiency of HP C7000 Blade enclosure, there are different rack requirements. According to HP C7000 Blade enclosure documentation (Hewlett-Packard Development Company, 2010), HP C7000 Blade enclosure is optimized to work with 10000 series racks. Thus to facilitate adequate airflow and to allow for servicing, the spatial requirements below are considered. A clearance of approximately 0.635 meters is left at the front part of the rack At the back, a clearance of 0.762 meters is left to facilitate

Terrorist Attacks Causes and Effects

Terrorist Attacks Causes and Effects Introduction In recent years, terrorist attacks have increased enormously. According to Paul Wilkinson in his book â€Å"Terrorism Versus Democracy: The Liberal State Response† (2011), terrorism still remains a serious problem for the international community; during the years 2006 to 2009 over 60% of the countries in the world experienced terrorist attacks. Defining terrorism has been an intimidating task to do, over hundreds of definitions were made across a number of academic fields, and still there has been no progress in providing an internationally accepted definition. Terrorism can be defined as the threat or usage of violence for political, religious or ethical purposes that influence the attitudes and behavior of a certain group of people to accomplish their objectives (Rapoport and Alexander, eds.1982). This definition was generated by David Rapoport and Yonah Alexander in their book â€Å"The Rationalization of Terrorism† which was published in the year 1982 as a simple definition of terrorism. Throughout the years, terrorism has been a highly complex phenomenon that is constantly changing, and that is affected by many factors, as the word itself is a very broad topic which is associated with a wide variety of groups, and I believe that this is the reason why the international community was unable to come up with a com bined definition. Wilkinson (2011) writes that some people ban the word terrorism and would rather call people who use terrorism as a weapon as â€Å"freedom fighters†, â€Å"holy warriors† or â€Å"revolutionaries†, depending on the cause they are fighting for. Even according to the Scholar Dr.Dipak Gupta, terrorism is nearly impossible to define. In this literature review, I will first present an overview of the existing literature on the topic of causes of terrorist attacks, underlining the main positions and sources of disagreement. Building on this, I will then identify gaps in the literature on the topic in order to see how my future research could have an added value. Finally, after narrowing down the topic, I will present specific research questions that I believe would be fruitful to explore further. Overview of research by key scholars I aim to investigate and analyze the root and trigger causes of terrorism, by providing an overview of the main literature on this topic, and based on this literature review, a comprehensive list of concrete factors is presented to demonstrate the causes of terrorism. It is always a necessity to search for the causes and causality in every social science, because of the need to understand a particular phenomenon. Moreover, when we deal with undesirable occurrences and incidents, we usually seek to understand the why and how questions in order to develop appropriate measures and variables. In this section, I will try to differentiate between root causes and trigger causes, which according to Martha Crenshaw (1981) root causes (or preconditions) are the factors that occur over the long run, and trigger causes (or precipitants) are factors that occur immediately in a specific event. Terrorism is a study that has extended across several fields including political science, sociology, crim inology, psychology and history, and what researchers have tried to do is to build our awareness to further develop our understanding of this phenomena. Unfortunately, the only outcome of this awareness was to raise more questions than to provide answers. The root causes of terrorism Although studies of this phenomenon have been taking place since the 1960’s, the number of publications that directly talk about the root causes or the preconditions are very limited. In his book â€Å"Terrorists, Victims and Society: Psychological Perspectives on Terrorism and its Consequences† (2003), Andrew Silke states that although there have been numerous publications about terrorism, its research has not reflected any improvements in quality, and despite proliferation of academic studies in the field, there have been no improvement or progress in this area. Andrew Silke (2001) also pointed out that although there has been recent research on terrorism, only 20% of the published articles provide new knowledge on the subject, while the rest of the published articles are repeating and reworking old data. It is said that countries with intermediate range of political freedom are usually more prone to terrorism than countries that have high levels of political freedom (Alberto Abadie, 2004). Many geographic factors also affect and are important to endure terrorist activities. According to Abadie’s dataset on terrorist risk and attacks worldwide, it has been estimated that political freedom has a non-monotonic effect on terrorism. He therefore observed that there is an increase in terrorism for countries in transition from authoritarian regimes to democracies (Alberto Abadie, 2004:11). One of the most cited publications on the causes of terrorism is the article written by Martha Crenshaw under the title of â€Å"The causes of terrorism† (1981), highlighting the difficulties of finding general explanations for terrorism and distinguishing different types of variables. Crenshaw distinguishes and separates the variables into 3 groups: strategic, structural and psychological, and she emphasizes that the main idea of terrorism is an invention of rational political choice. According to Crenshaw, terrorism is the result of a decision made by an organization to oppose a government; it is seen as a logical way to fulfill desires (Crenshaw, 1981: 385). Despite the fact that Crenshaw’s article offers a lot of ideas to further research, and that her article was cited by others, only few scholars have been challenged to bring our main understanding of the causes of terrorism to a more advanced and higher level. Twelve years after Crenshaw’s article, Jeffrey Ian Ross wrote another influential article under the name: â€Å"Structural Causes of Oppositional Political Terrorism: Towards a Causal Model† (1993), he also identified three variables that causes terrorism similar to the ones of Crenshaw, namely structural and psychological causes, and rational choice. Another scholar, Dipak Gupta (2005), has tried to understand and research why people engage in terrorist actions in the name of groups that represent a certain ethnicity, ideology, religion or nationalism. His arguments are basically rooted in economic and socio-psychological dimensions of human motivations, where he states that the link between economic factors and socio-political factors such as poverty†¦etc and terrorism is weak. Gupta also states that â€Å"political violence takes place when a leader gives voice to the frustration by formulating a well-defined social construction of collective identity and paints in vivid colour the image of ‘us’ and ‘them’† (2005:19). This means in other words that the political, economic and religious frustration are not alone the causes that lead to terrorism, there must have been root causes that remain hidden until a trigger mechanism is activated, which then leads to outbreak of violence and terrorist attacks. We have seen that scholars have expanded the research on root causes to terrorism, building on what Crenshaw has found, but yet not produced any new approaches towards terrorism, but expanded the elements of socio-economic causation and other factors, especially Gupta. After giving an overview for some of the scholars about theoretical approaches, I will be listing here some of the concrete root causes of terrorism. The list that I am about to present is not an inclusive list of the root causes, and is not to represent a comprehensive set of the root causes, but to identify the multiplicity of causal factors that usually contribute to terrorism. The causes are derived from the publication by Randy Borum (2003) under the title Psychology of Terrorism. First cause could be that lack of democracy, rule of law and civil liberties are conditions for many forms of domestic terrorism. We therefore identify that the most democratic states and societies have the lowest level of oppositional violence. As Crenshaw states â€Å"Democracy and terrorism are not polar opposites: saying yes to democracy, unfortunately, does not mean saying no to terrorism† (Club de Madrid, 2005: 14) Second cause is rapid modernization and urbanization in the form of high economic growth has also been found to correlate strongly with the emergence of ideological terrorism, but not with the ethno-nationalist terrorism. An example of this cause given by Borum is when a country faces sudden wealth, e.g. from oil, and they experience changes from tribal to high-tech societies during one generation or even less sometimes (Borum, 2003:5). Third cause is historical antecedents of political violence, revolutions, civil wars, dictatorships or even occupation may lower the threshold for acceptance of political violence and terrorism and obstruct the development of non-violent norms among all the segments of the society.an example of this could be, when children are brought up in a society that believes in and celebrates martyrdom, revenge and hatred of other ethnic groups, then it is likely to increase their willingness to commit or support a terrorist act when they grow up (Borum, 2003:5). Fourth cause is the repression by foreign occupation or by colonial powers; this has given rise to many national liberation movements that have pursued recourse in terrorist strategies and other political means (Borum, 2003:5). Last but not least, the fifth cause is the experience of discriminating people on the basis of their ethnic origins or religious backgrounds, is the chief root cause of ethno-nationalist terrorism. When minority people are being deprived from their basic social and economic rights, such as not allowing them to use their language or practice their religion, this can make them commit terrorism and other forms of violence. Psychological research on the causes of terrorism Many scholars have tried to identify different causes of terrorist attacks by focusing on the psychological factor of each individual or the groups itself. A researcher named Jerrold Post was one of the few who analysed the psycho-logic thinking of the individuals who were involved in terrorist attacks, in his article under the title â€Å"The Radical Group in Context: 1. An integrated framework for the analysis of group risk of terrorism† (2002). Post was able to criticize those who think of terrorism as a course of action, and he also argued that the political terrorists commit terrorist crimes or acts of violence because of psychological factors, and that their psycho-logic is created to justify acts they commit psychologically (1990:25). The scholar Marc Sagemen also contributes to the research on psychological causes in his book â€Å"Understanding terror networks† (2004). Sagemen contests the conventional causes often given to explain why a person participates in terrorism, such as poverty, trauma and ignorance, and highlights the importance of social bonds and networks in inspiring individuals’ terrorist activities. His research is unique as such as it is based on personal meetings with Islamic fundamentalists and it therefore brings some new understanding to the field. If we want to talk about empirical analyses of the causes of terrorism, we can refer to a very interesting study by Alan Krueger and Jitka Maleckova under the title â€Å"Education, Poverty and Terrorism: Is there a Causal Connection?† (2003). Based on their article, Krueger and Maleckova disprove the presence of a causal link between poverty or low education and terrorism in Israel/Palestine and in Lebanon. They also state that although the rational choice of participating in a terrorist attack can produce valuable insights, it does not produce a clear answer to the question whether more education and higher income would reduce participating in terrorist attacks (2003:120), their results that were tentative and exploratory, suggest that neither poverty nor education has a direct, causal impact on terrorism. Moreover, the study shows that the level of education of the individuals involved in terrorist attacks is higher than average, those who are wealthier and more educated ma y generate such feelings more intensely. Additionally, the background of the suicide terrorists covers all socio-economic layers of society, further reiterating that â€Å"economic theory is unlikely to give a very convincing answer one way or the other as to whether poverty or low education are important root causes of terrorism† (2003:123). The Trigger Causes of Terrorism We spoke earlier about the root causes of terrorism; in this section we will discuss the trigger causes of terrorism. The very first condition that could be considered as a direct cause of terrorism is the existence of concrete grievances among an identifiable subgroup of a larger population, example is ethnic minority discriminated against by the majority. Second cause terrorism is the lack of opportunity for being engaged politically (Borum, 2003:41). The trigger causes are usually unpredictable; it is usually due to certain government actions that a common pattern emerges for terrorism. Terrorist revenges can thus occur as a result of unexpected use of force by the government, a so-called â€Å"action-reaction syndrome† (Crenshaw 1981: 385). Generally speaking, some provocative events that call for revenge or action may trigger terrorist action, such as contested elections, peace talks, and police violence. The root and trigger causes I have mentioned above are just the most relevant causes that were based on scholarly literature, and with what we mentioned have been ranked from the most general or broad aspects to more specific factors. Gaps in literature on the topic In this section, I will try to identify some gaps that scholars have failed to discuss or identify, and that was missing in the past research on terrorism. One of the main and most important gaps to start with is the definition of the word terrorism, as I mentioned in the introduction, scholars have failed up to this date to come up with an international definition of terrorism, failure to develop a universally acceptable definition. I believe that if scholars fail to have a definition used by all, this will cause other scholars and countries to define terrorism according to the acts and violence attacks they experience. One other unsolved dilemma is whether the concept of political violence should be reserved for destructive harm intended to influence politics, or whether the concept should include any violence that has a political impact.