Edit Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Edit - Essay Example The second step was that he brought forth early wins which were evident and visible to all employees of the company. This included reduction in number of hierarchies and introduction of two initiatives which particularly aimed at bringing openness, simplicity, self-confidence, and increasing operational speed. The next step was to develop ownership amongst the employees. For this he developed an initiative called â€Å"work out† which created space for open interaction with different level of employees. Thus he ensured that the company had a strong foundation before further global expansion. Moreover, every employee felt connected with every management policy and action. Fourthly, Welch incorporated wins easy to achieve with least capital. This included the policy that every GE initiative must acquire a number one or 2 positions in the market or else fix it, sell it, or close it. The sale of non-performing initiatives created capital for further investment amounting upto $21billion. He abolished strategic planning system and established a real time planning process which involved fourteen key business heads occasionally developing competitiveness strategies. These served as wins that speak to powerful players to receive their

Joint Power Agreement Essay Example for Free

Joint Power Agreement Essay The concept joint powers agreement can be defined under the following fields. The first one is custom lease agreement which implies creation of a custom lease in agreement for commercial, residential or property. The commercial lease entails all the terms necessary when the tenant plans to lease anything either from low land for office suite when transacting any kind of business. Residential rental agreement applies when renting apartments and houses whereby the lease creates a binding agreement between tenant and the land. Fro the case of a property, it can perfectly apply to lease of agricultural lands for farming or ranching. The concept can also be defined through analyzing partnership which implies the documentary agreement that governs the management and control of partnership for instance in corporations. A Service level agreement (SLAs) is another form of defining the concept of joint powers agreement which is applicable in information technology. The engine machine monitors the availability and performance of critical business applications. World examples of joint powers agreement include; business in contract between two counties. For instance, a certain country may have mineral deposits like gold and due to inadequate machinery and skills; it decides to give the tender to another country which is done in documentary form. It can also be applicable in service level agreements for applications in business thus providing out of the box report of performance which is used in effective IT utilization of resources and in capacity planning. Incident commander is a person who is responsible for commanding the incident response. He is the decision making final authority. At the scene of critical incidents, the incident commander has the authority to conduct the command staff immediately. The command staff which has different sections seeks for information directly from the scene seas to organize on how to handle the matter. The incident commander then attents the scene for assessment. He then orders his entire staff to attend the incident where he manages the incident operation. He should ensure that the persons involved in rescue process are well protected and are using devices which are efficient. After the incident is rescued, he later follows up the compensation measures (Arakelian 1950). Unified management refers to a system whereby the business activities operate with a consistency and overall framework. Such operations and practices in business include budget plans, managed marketing strategies and plans for business managements, services management, people, assets and technology, objective of management, problems and issued and also performance plans. Though unified management, many of the business operational practices should be defined. All these segments should not be left to the general manager by departmental managers should join hands together in a certain firm to address issue affecting their firm jointly. Some of the scenarios where unified management team would effectively work include; establishment of unified management framework governance with dimensions to provide the processes of management for directions, development and delivering the business which can also be called the 3Ds across its suppliers, consumer capabilities and services, and also products so as both to fulfill the requirements of consumer and the objective of the business. Another scenario where unified management can be applied effectively is the value of network dimensions which give a structure for process in business around the value streams which through the service, products, suppliers, government dimensions and capabilities of the business. Another scenario of unified management application is ensuring control and facilitating Processes which happen to be standard to every manager wherever they operate business and whatever they manage it ensures unified management processes. References. Arakelian A, (1950). Industrial Management in the USSR. New York.

Design Phases in High Rise Building Foundation

Design Phases in High Rise Building Foundation Problems in foundation engineering are the selection of suitable beds and foundation for high rise building is one of the known problems in high rise building. In no of cases it has been discovered that the designing of building foundations goes beyond the limits of normative documents and their construction. As per requirement to ultimate strength bearing capacity especially for high rise building designs are extremely strict. Beds and foundations are quite important phenomena in design and construction of high rise building foundation. There are currently recommended foundation types where piles, combined pile-raft foundations and mat foundations are considered. Ground engineering known as geo-technical design procedures consists on several stages to gain the design of a foundation which is carried out from feasibility study to final geo-technical design followed by concept realisation and soil investigation. Researches has been carried out in accordance to design of high rise building foundation and no of ideas has been brought forward in which anchored slab foundations, raft piled foundations, mat foundations and group of piles or piles can be used for high rise buildings. Typically for high rise building foundations normally piles or group of piles are used for less than thirty floors with the diameter of 0-8 meters having length of 1-40 meters in the case of using wall in the soil ground assuming a parameter structure wall with reinforcement concrete having thickness of 60-1.5 meter which includes basement walls. While considering foundations for high rise building a major part is to aim the reduction of settlement in the new built structure to ensure the safety and sustainability with subject to long life of foundation. In most cases there can be possibilities that the soil type and ground conditions may lead to deep foundations with respect to transfer the high ultimate loads to the soil with the high bearing capacities. In case of bearing capacity of foundation which depends upon soil type, in case of high rise building foundation piles or combined piled-raft foundations are used to accommodate the allowable bearing capacity with subject to soil type and site conditions. In some cases ground water improvement is also necessary especially in urban areas to improve the volume of voids in the soil in order to built high rise building foundation to get the allowable bearing capacity and allowable foundation settlement to resist the failure of foundation. The literature review shows that a very little research work has been carried out to understand the types of foundation with subject to settlement and bearing capacity of soils effect on high rise building foundations. In view of foregoing ,by using the advance computer modelling techniques by considering case study, a no of numerical model based on standard finite-element method will be developed to investigate the behaviours of high rise building foundation by proposing a reliable foundation for high rise building with subject to settlement of foundation considering the simplified hand calculations comparing with the finite element which will be gained from computer modelling with accordance to load and other factors affecting on proposed foundation. Further in case study investigation will be carried out to examine sensitivity and limits of foundation settlements, factors affecting on settlement of foundation in accordance to load and displacement finally, a set of suggestions will be framed for future improvements of design criteria for foundations. Project proposal The selected topic of the project modelling and design of high rise building foundation is based on advanced computer based numerical modelling and a case study. Aim and objective of the project The selected project aims to understand the behaviour of foundations for high rise building Construction. The factor of settlement with respect to load and how the displacement occurs. How the ground improvements can take place. Bearing capacity of soils in case study with respect to the foundation type. Application of advanced computer based numerical modelling techniques will be utilised to compare the hand calculated results. The comparison of experimental results (case study) versus numerical modelling will be carried out to analysis the degree of agreement of both results. The scope of this project is to study the behaviour of foundations which can be used for high rise building structures. Deliverables The effect of load and displacement will be carried out with subject to settlement, bearing capacity of soils and ground water improvement The trend of modes of failure will be carried out on the performance of designed foundation Based on investigation and previous carried out a conceptual model will be developed with the help of case study. Potential Risk The potential risks of this research work are given below. A very limited time to complete the project The complexity of software and its usage. The risk of self learning of computer modelling techniques within scheduled period of time. The short of knowledge and intensive understanding of the topic. The limitation of simulating and modelling the natural site condition and interaction of soil with the pile foundation subject to corrosion induced cracking. The production of invalid results. The following steps will be taken to mitigate or avoid the above noted risks The appropriate work plan under the guidance of project supervisor will be revised. The selection of appropriate and user friendly computer package will be discussed with the supervisor. In view of complexity of usage of computer package and difficulty of self learning, an appropriate help of supervisor will be sought. A confident user of software will be identified and an additional help will be requested. In order to avoid the production of invalid results, close liaison and the scheduled meeting will be held with the project supervisor. Work Plan The stipulated completion period for this research project is three and half months. A number of tasks under various phases have been scheduled to accomplish the research project within fixed time scheduled. Phase I (Task 1 2): A comprehensive literature review will be carried out. The gaps and possible direction for research project will be outlined. The capabilities and limitations of campus based available software will be explored. And the most appropriate software available at campus will be selected and learnt to accomplish the project work. Deliverable: A report comprises the gaps and possible direction for the project will be prepared and submitted to the supervisor for correction and further guidance. Phase II (Task 3): A numerical calculation will be carried out to determine the behaviour and mechanism of propagation of corrosion product. The rate of corrosion propagation subject to various environmental factors will be investigated and quantified. Deliverable: A detail report of numerical calculation, tabular and graphical representation of results will be prepared and submitted to the supervisor for correction and further guidance. Phase III (Task 4): The procedure of computer based modelling will be outlined and model development process based on advance computer application will be carried out. The behaviour of pile foundation under the composite influence of corrosion induced cracking and soil conditions will be modelled. (Task 5 6): A parametric metric study will be undertaken to quantify the effects of various factors on propagation of cracks in concrete cover of pile foundation. An intensive analysis of data and post-processing and detailed examination will be carried out. Deliverable: A detail report of results and analysis will be prepared and submitted to project supervisor for guidance. Phase IV (Task 7, 8 9); the comparison of final results and case study will be made. The compilation of analysis of results, summary of conclusions and recommendation for possible future research work will be carried out. A draft of dissertation report will be written. The same will be submitted to supervisor for review and necessary correction and modification. Research Methodology and approach The project is principally concerned with modelling and design of high rise building foundations with subject to uses of foundations for high rise. A case study will be carried out in terms of design and model which will be appropriate for high rise in literature review the types of foundations will be investigated with subject to high rise. By applying the previous techniques and formulae for the design of foundation the results will be recorded and a comparison will be carried out with the computer software package in case study. The comparison will be carried out in terms of load versus deflection, settlement calculations by using previous methods and finite element with the choosed case study using computer modelling programme. The exploratory and quantitative methodology for the behaviour analysis of high rise building foundation will be adopted .In view of which a comprehensive model will be adopted and explored the results will be extracted from computer modelling of the problems and will be compared with the results gathered from case study results .a range of results will be produced in terms of graphical and in tabular form. The results will be analysed and compared with the results obtained from case study. The behaviour of foundation for high rise used in case study will be explored in terms of numerical modelling based on finite element. Literature survey ANCHORED-SLAB FOUNDATIONS FOR HIGH-RISE BUILDINGS Reference: Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering, Vol. 42, No. 4, 2005 pg; 127-130 E. A. Sorochan and D. S. Konyukhov.Scientific-Research Institute of Foundations and Underground. Structures and, Moscow State Civil-Engineering University. According to Sorochan Konyukhov; It is proposed to use foundations with anchors for the construction of high-rise buildings. Friction piles rigidly fixed to a monolithic reinforced-concrete slab are used as anchors. A 70-story 210-m-high building is analyzed for different types of foundations. Settlements and Tilts based on mathematical modelling are compared with reliable values established by the Construction Rules and Regulations. Design of piled raft foundation on soft ground Reference: report from; Y.C.Tan director, Gue partners Sdn Bhd, Kuala Lampur,Malaysia. C.M.Chow Senior Geo-technical Engineer, Gue Partners Sdn Bhd, Kuala Lampur,Malaysia. According to Y.C.Tan C.M.Chow; A design approach for piled-raft foundation system using settlement reducing piles on soft ground is presented. The design approach is divided in to two categories, i.e for low rise and medium high rise the piled raft system is generally based on the concept of settlement reducing piles to control local deformation where piles of short length are strategically located beneath concentrated loads. for medium rise buildings, piles of varying lengths with the longest piles in the middle and progressively shorter piles towards the edge are adopted to control differential settlement within allowable limits. Various design cases must be considered for the design of piled-raft using settlement reducing piles to ensure adequate provisions of pile and design of strip raft for low rise buildings while an interactive analysis to model pile -soil-structure is proposed to analyse medium-rise buildings. BEDS AND FOUNDATIONS OF HIGH-RISE BUILDINGS Reference: Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering, Vol. 40, No. 5, 2003 pg; 173-175 by S. B. Ukhov, Scientific-Research Institute of Foundations and Underground Structures. According to Ukhov; Bed and foundation problems occupy a special place in the design and construction of high-rise buildings. This results from the fact that the average pressures over the footprints of the buildings reach 0.5-0.8 MPa, and occasionally more. For the relatively deep bedrock in Moscow, these pressures are frequently transmitted onto soils of Quaternary deposits possessing elevated compressibility. At the same time, requirements for limiting deformations of the beds, especially for their non uniformity and tilting of the buildings remain extremely rigid. The following are currently recommended as basic types of foundations for high-rise buildings: pile, combined piled-raft, and slab, including foundations with increased stiffness (box foundations). Deep foundations, which are supported on fissured limestones, as has occurred, for example, in the construction of the underground bridge in the zone where the third transportation beltway intersects the Lenin Avenue metro station in the area of Gargarin Square, can be used for heavily loaded foundations in particularly complex cases. GEOTECHNICAL PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITHTHE CONSTRUCTION OF HIGH-RISE BUILDINGS. FOREIGN EXPERIENCE AND DOMESTIC PRACTICE Reference; Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering, Vol. 40, No. 5, 2003,pg 176-184 V. M. Ulitskii, A. G. Shashkin, and K. G. Shashkin Saint Petersburg State University for means of Communication; and, Scientific-Production Union Georekonstruktsiya Fundamentproekt. According to V. M. Ulitskii, A. G. Shashkin, and K. G. Shashkin; The concept of the piled-raft foundation assumes the transfer of some of the load from the building through the lower surface of the slab grillage . Here, the fraction of the load taken up by the slab grillage plays a basic role in the design. According to experience gained with the design of pile foundations at the Institute of Geo-technics in Darmstadt, the portion of the load taken up by the grillage slab is assigned by the designer. It is assumed that during deformation, excess loads from the piles will be transmitted onto the grillage slab; this will, as a result, also lead to an assumed distribution of pressure. Here, of course, it is considered that the settlements of the piled-raft foundation may be appreciably higher than those of a pile foundation, and may approach the settlements of a building on a slab in terms of value. It is precisely this situation that has obviously prohibited application of the concept of the piled-raft foundation to the building housing Commerce Bank II for which the requirements regarding settlements were extremely stringent. Observations made with respect to pressure transducers indicated that a slab grillage does not transmit pressures to the bed soil. On the whole, worldwide experience gained with the design and construction of high-rise buildings indicates that only high technologies of work production combined with profound analytical drafting of the design, and detailed investigations of interaction between the bed soils and building structures will make it possible to erect high-rise buildings in a fail-safe manner, including those constructed under the complex geotechnical conditions of Saint Petersburg. There is no doubt that beyond the dependence on the construction site, the erection and subsequent occupancy of high-rise buildings should be accompanied by a set of scientific measures, including a system of observations on the interaction between the basic bearing structures and bed soils. USING SETTLEMENT-CONTROL PILES TO ENHANCE MAT FOUNDATION OF A HIGH-RISE BUILDING IN ORLANDO Reference; Amr M. Sallam, Ph.D., P.E., M. ASCE, Associate Vice President, Nodarse Associates, Inc., Winter Park, Florida, USA:[emailprotected] S.E. Jim Jammal, P.E., M. ASCE, Executive Vice President, Nodarse Associates, Inc., Winter Park, Florida, USA:[emailprotected] According to Amr M Sallam Jim Jammal ; A piled raft foundation is a system in which the total structural load is supported partially by the raft (mat) through contact with the soil and the piles usually by friction. A piled raft foundation is economical because the utilized piles are usually short since they do not have to extend to a sound bearing layer. The piled raft foundation undergoes settlement that is more than that of pile foundations and less than that of mat foundations. Piled raft foundations were used to support bridges, high rise buildings, and heavy industrial plants. Most of the piled raft research concentrated on the load distribution between that mat and the piles. Analytical solutions as well as linear and nonlinear two and three dimensional Finite Element Analysis are available to optimize the piled raft design. Although a pronounced piled raft foundation was not utilized in the presented case history, the authors utilized the idea of using short frictional piles to control settlement of the mat foundation. A peer review and additional exploration study was performed by the authors to evaluate the most economical foundation system for a Downtown Orlando mixed-use building. Original design called for deep foundations in the form of Augered-Cast-In-Place piles. An alternative foundation system that consisted of solid mat foundations with settlement-control piles was recommended. The settlement-control piles were utilized below the heavily loaded column, where higher contact pressure were observed. This foundation system required continuous coordination between the geotechnical and structural engineer. The settlement-control piles was modeled in the mat structural analysis program as points of higher stiffness than the mat. The results of two static pile load tests were used to estimate the actual pile stiffness within the design load of the pile. A number of columns were monitored for settlement during and after construction. The measured settlement were substantially lower than the predi cted settlement, which proved the efficiency of the recommended mat foundation with settlement-control piles. SLAB-PILE FOUNDATION FOR A HIGH-RISE BUILDING Reference: Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering, Vol. 45, No. 1, 2008 pg; 17-22. R.A.Mangushev, A.V.Igoshin, N.V.Oshurkov, and A.B. Fadeev Saint Petersburg State Architectural and Civil Engineering University. According to R.A.Mangushev, A.V.Igoshin, N.V.Oshurkov, and A.B. Fadeev; A slab-pile foundation (SPF) belongs to that group of floating piles with a low slab grillage, which provides for the transfer of a portion of the load onto the soil directly through the lower surface of the grillage. SPF had become popular after several high-rise buildings had been erected on them in Frankfurt (Germany) on a thick stratum of indigenous clay. As compared with a purely slab foundation, an SPF has insignificant settlement and a lower probability of tilting. At the same time, it is more economical than a purely pile foundation where the entire load is transferred onto the piles. SPF hold promise for widespread use in the construction of tower buildings, large tanks, and other similar entities. According to author; It is difficult to analyze the causes of significant deviations in computed SPF settlements from the actual settlement based on one-time analyses. More probably, settlements on the high side, which were obtained by layer-by-layer summation even with a limitation placed on the depth of the compressible stratum with respect to a criterion of 0.5, are caused by data presented by survey organizations, where the compression modulus of the soils had been appreciably underestimated. The experience gained with installation of the SPF has therefore been successful. The actual settlement of the building is lower than the computed value, and lower than the limiting allowable settlement. There is virtually no tilt. The iteration method used to analyze the settlement of the SPF is guaranteed devoid of gross errors, and yields a cautious and, not-underestimated assessment of expected settlement.

Nature of Power in Shakespeares Julius Caesar :: William Shakespeare

Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare is a political drama which examines the nature of power and leadership in Rome. A conspiracy of eight men, headed by Cassius and Brutus, plan the assignation of their leader, Julius Caesar. However while Cassius is driven by envy, Brutus on the other hand believes he is acting for the good of Rome. In Rome at the start of the play there is a vibrant atmosphere. As Caesar overthrows Pompey for the crown the crowd erupt into delight. In spite of the overwhelming support he still has a few doubters still lurking around. One of the discontented few, Brutus, opposes the idea of Caesar becoming King and gaining further power. ''I do fear the people who choose Caesar for their King.'' Brutus is heedful that this decision may effect the welfare of Rome by shattering the republic. Brutus is adamant that Rome's success was built on the fact that they had no ruler with his only line of thought being to weigh up what will benefit Rome and it's people the most. Cassius viewpoint on the issue is we shouldn't ever even contemplated offering Caesar this position.'' I was born free of Caesar and so were you.'' Cassius is saying that it was the rash of us to offer him power as this will harm Rome and take away. However Caesar has done very little wrong. The spite for Caesar erects from the view that he may gain too much power which illustrates the envy felt towards him. Another argument he compiled from him was that he found to his knowledge that Caesar couldn't handle pressure.''And when the fit was on him I did mark how he did shake''. He is mentioning at how he thinks this `unkingly` attribute he possesses hardly makes him fit for the job. It furthermore shows the extent of his envy by scrapping for little details like this. Brutus doesn't seem to agree with this.''Be any further moved by what you have said, I will consider what you have to say.'' The word ''consider'' reveals his caution as he attempts to decide in due course rather than to rush into the decision. It outlines him showing a sign of weakness by considering something he disagrees with. If he wasn't so open minded then the pairing of Brutus and Cassius may not of lasted.

Generation Gap Essay

Life styles, rapid changes in Science and Technology has transformed our outlook towards life, increasing the divide, much more than it has ever happened in the past. The divide has always been there but never before has it been so wide. Life style changes with the passage of time and with a changing life style, attitudes and values also undergo a transformation. No two generations have shared the same views and options. However, there has never been a greater divide between two generations than in modern times. With rapid changes in science and technology, the exposure, which today’s teenager is getting, is enormous. Value systems have gradually degenerated and the youth is assimilating a new culture. The result is confused parents who are unable to reconcile with the views of their children. There is a great divide between the perception of both, the young people and the adults. One finds that both are unable to communicate with each other, quite often. One of the reasons could be that neither knows what the other is interested in though they may be living under the same roof. This gap results in direct confrontation between the young and the old. This is a universal truth which is applicable to all times be it the past or future. Shakespeare King Lear beautifully depicts this confrontation between the young and the old. King Lear represents the older generation and the younger generation is represented by his daughters. Generation gap is not only reflected in the choice of dresses but also in music, opinions and other behavior patterns. The younger generation which has acquired a different set of values rebels against the older generation as they wish to impose their own value system on them. They resist this forceful intrusion as they are unable to reconcile with the thought of accepting what they think has become outdated. The parent’s displeasure is obviously natural as it is a defiance of their authority and the right way to lead one’s life. Parents fail to realize that the wheel of change irreversible and those, who do not move with it, tend to become disillusion aggravating conflict. The kids are moving much faster on the technologic track, as well as in daily life, than the parents. Children, today, are capable using complicated gadgets and this phenomenon of superior knowledge children as compared to adults has never happened as much as now in 13 societies. The conflict arises when adults stick to their old ways and refuse accept any change while the world rapidly moves ahead. In short, Generation Gap is nothing but the resistance in adults to adapt| change – They forget that the only thing constant in life is ‘change’. The realization requires a lot of patience and understanding of change perceptions. The adults need to look back, introspect and think also the differences they had with their parents. No doubt, memory is she lived and one tends to forget the past which they are fond of referring to ‘Good old days’, where they as children were obedient, respectful

How To Write An E-Book And Publish It On Amazon KDP

How To Write An E-Book And Publish It On Amazon KDP Want to get more mileage out of the content youve already created?  Ever thought of writing an ebook and getting it published on Amazon? If so, youve come to the right place! In this post, I will walk you through how to write an ebook by  repurposing content  youve already written, how to fill in the blanks that you havent written yet (while also getting more content to publish on your blog), and finally how to publish your book on Amazon via Kindle Direct Publishing. How To Create An E-Book And Publish It On AmazonMake Sure You Get Your E-book Publishing Kit In order to apply the information in this post, you’ll need this free e-book publishing kit. This will make it easy to follow each step we’re about to walk through. This is your chance to get a whole e-book publishing kit that comes with a book launching checklist, a content audit form for planning your blog/book content, and a topic/angle form for you to write all your ideas on. Youll also get your  very own 3-month launch calendar. So, How Do You  Write An E-book And Get It Published On Amazon? Writing and publishing a professional e-book is split into different phases such as: writing, editing, design, and publishing it to Amazon. The exercises below will walk you through the steps to get more mileage out of your  existing content. Are you ready to write and publish your book? Want to #write an e-book and get it published on #AmazonExercise #1: What Do You Want To Write About? Maybe you already know what you want to write about, or at least have an idea of what you'd like to write, or maybe you have no idea at all. 1. Get your  notebook and pen out. Or open a word processor of your choice. 2. Set the timer for 5 minutes and get all of your ideas out.  Write down notes for what kind of a book your ideas are for. Example: Are they self-help, how-to, or something informative? 3. Pick the top four ideas that make you most excited to write  the book and keep in mind which would be most relevant to your audience. 4. If you want to know what your audience wants, do a Twitter poll.  List your book topics as the options. You'll be able to find out what your audience wants to read. Set the poll for how long you want it to run. Then press Tweet and pin your tweet to the top of your Twitter account. When #writing your book, think about what is in it for your reader. #contentmarketingExercise #2:   What Is Your Book Angle? This next exercise will help you figure out what the  angle is. Keep your pen and paper on hand. You'll want to jot down your ideas. You can also use this exercise when it comes to determining blog post angles as well. Figure out and write down your  WIIFM statement, which means "What's in it for me?"  This should be a brief paragraph explaining  the benefit a reader will receive from reading your book. You have to constantly think about what your audience wants. People want information and help with their problems. So if you have the answers they need, then you are in luck. Get inside your reader's head by asking yourself "What's in it for them?What are going to be the three main benefits for your audience when reading this book? Once you have your answer you'll have the  framework to begin. It'll help narrow your focus so your book isn't full of a bunch  of awesome ideas, but no focus. For example, our last ebook's topic was social media strategy. The angle was: Get organized as you build a regular schedule of relevant, engaging content that will build your social media following. Know where to start and how to focus your time to get the most engagement. Cut out the noise by reading one book that will help you  make the most of your time. Then just make sure that you mix what your audience wants to read about  (Topic) with the unique perspective you'll bring to that topic  (Angle).   Exercise #3: What Does Your Audience Want To Learn About That Topic? Write up a list of the things you think your audience would like to learn about the said topic and angle from above. Say my topic was: "how to blog consistently." And my angle was:  "You'll learn how to organize your ideas, write brilliant blog posts that capture your audience's attention,  and save you plenty of time." With that topic and angle in mind, I thought up a list something like this for what my audience wants to read. Here's what I came up with (in  chronological order): How to get blog ideas when you have no ideas? How to captivate your audience in the first few sentences? How to outline a blog post once you have an idea? What kinds of things you should look out for when editing? How to design graphics and images to go with your content? I could go on, but you get the point. This is the same process that we have  for our blog outlines here at . Break out each sub-point underneath your topic into chapters. If you think of each chapter in your book as a blog post, then that works perfectly. Take a look at your list. How many of the topics have you already written blog posts about? More on that in the next exercise. Exercise #4: Audit Your Existing Blog Content  And Find The Gaps First off, do a quick content audit of your blog to see what  you've already written around those topics within the angle and topic for the book. What if you've never done a content audit? No worries. Here's a simplified process to follow: Go to your blog  and look at the categorized pages. Here I am looking at the "Content" category posts on our website: Recommended Reading: How To Choose The Perfect Blog Categories To find your categories in WordPress, go to the black sidebar on the left side.  Click Posts in the black sidebar on the left and then click Categories. Which will open the Categories page. Your categories will be listed and to the far right you'll see how many blog posts are categorized under that category: If you click on the count under one of the categories like this: Then you'll be brought to a page like this with all of the blog posts under that category, which means some are published posts and others are drafts. Go through all of the blog posts and add any to your list that would fit well with the book's angle and topic. Add a star next to it on the list so you remember you already wrote it. Repurpose your blog content and turn it into an e-book. Find out how here:Is Your Book  Going To Have Chapters Or Sections? Or Both? Are you going to have sections and chapters in your book? Or, just one or the other? You could have sections to divide the book up into different chapters.  Make sure they fall under your topic and angle. Write up a list of the different sections you'd include in your book: Section  #1 Section #2 Section #3 Then under each of those sections  you could set up your chapters something like: Section #1 Chapter #1 Chapter #2 Chapter #3 Section #2 Chapter #1 Chapter #2 Chapter #3 Chapter #4This isn't a  complete outline of sections up  above but you get the idea. Try to do all of this in chronological order. Pro Tip: The great thing about writing all of this is that you'll have a lot of content. Why not use some of the new content you've written as blog posts? Kill two birds with one stone. Exercise #5: What Is Your Deadline? Start with your e-book launch date. You are going to need to know the best days to publish an e-book on the Kindle Amazon store in order to launch your e-book successfully. The best day to publish to the Kindle store is  Tuesday. It's good practice, to publish your book  it two to five days before you launch it.  Then you can do any last-minute changes. Get A Launch Team When writing and publishing a book it's a great thing to have a launch team on your side. They help you launch a successful book. Here is an example of what Jeff Goins did with his launch team. One way to keep your launch team information all together is to send out a Google Form with your "interview questions". Open Google Forms and start a new form. The great thing about writing up a launch team application is that you can write any questions you'd like. This all has to do with what is important to you when it comes to having a launch team. Once you are done with your form go to the upper right side and click on Send. From there, you'll be able to send it to anyone. Pop it in an email update to your subscribers. You can even share your Google Form  on social media. Pro Tip: Think of a way you can thank your readers for reading your book and also for leaving a review. You can have your launch team: Read through the book and give you last-minute thoughts. Share about your book on social. Keep them updated on anything around your book. Filling The Gap When you have your launch date set,  work back from there in one-week  increments. Start with your e-book launch date and work back from there!Here are some questions you'll want to figure out: How many blog posts do you write a week? How fast can you write a well put together blog post? How many weeks will it take you to finish your content writing? And while you are working on the writing, who will design your book cover? You can hire a book cover designer at 99designs, freelancer.com, or contact a cover designer online. Recommended Reading For Writing: This Is The Ultimate Blog Writing Process To Create Killer Posts How To Write More Content To Increase Your Blogging Schedule This Is What Happens When You Say Good-Bye To Writer’s Block Recommended Reading For Design: How To Work With Designers With Authentic Advice From ’s Designer The Ultimate Guide To Using Color Psychology In Marketing + Free Color Schemes How To Attract An Audience With The Best Blog Photography Tips (+128 Free Images) If you have to publish four posts a month, how many do you have to finish writing before the ship date? Exercise #6: Get Your Book Out Of Your Mind You know what you want to write about and you've also weeded through all your blog  content for blog posts that relate to the angle and topic of your book. Now you just have to fill in the gaps and write the chapters that aren't written yet. Remember, once you finish each of the chapters you can also use those for blog posts. Here are a couple of ways to brainstorm your ideas before you sit down to write: Use A Mind Map To Brainstorm This is a pretty simple brainstorming method, but it really works.  It’s a great way to get your ideas out visually in front of you. Set your timer for about 5 minutes. Write your chapter idea (problem you want to solve in that chapter) in the center of the page. Draw a bubble around it. What will solve that problem? Write the solutions to the problem and then connect the bubbles with lines. For each bubble with a solution, come up with at least 3-5 actionable bullet points to walk your readers through the solution. Here are some great mind mapping tools: Coggle MindMapple Recommended Reading: 4 Simple Brainstorming Techniques That Will Help You Write Killer Content Use Content Mapping To Keep Your Blog Moving Forward Brainstorm With A One Sheet  Brain Dump Get all of your ideas and thoughts out in front of you. After you get all your ideas out and in front of you, you can  make it into an outline. How To Do A 1-Sheet Brain Dump: Set your timer for 5 minutes. Write your ideas on a  sheet. This is a massive brain dump. Recommended Reading: The 10-Minute, 10-Step Solution For The Best Blog Outline How To Plan A Blog Post In 10 Minutes So You Can Write It Better And Faster Exercise #7: Now Start Writing Your Book Writing your book is the funnest part of all of this, especially when you start to see some progress. It's super exciting when you have a stack of pages that you wrote. I recommend you start writing your book in Word format, since that is something we learned would have saved us a lot of time. Use styles to format your e-book in Word. Here is a great video to walk you through styling format: Pro Tips From Our Content Marketing Lead: Use word styles. Edit everything with the "Show all nonprinting characters"  view on. You don't want extra paragraphs. Use page breaks instead of hard returns. Make the images and graphics as big as you can. This is how to format an e-book in Word.Edit With Nonprinting Characters On And Don't Use Hard Returns? First off, when editing your book  it's going to be important to watch out for nonprinting characters. To look for those, click on the paragraph symbol:  ¶. Then you'll be able to see the nonprinting characters. Use Page Breaks You'll also want to avoid using hard returns because they'll show up as white space when you upload your book to Amazon. Use page breaks instead. In order to find these,  click on Insert and then Break. Click  Page Breaks. You'll see this Page Break symbol. Make A Clickable Table Of Contents This video will walk you through the steps to create a clickable table of contents: Biggest Takeaway: Use headings in your styles panel for your chapter titles. It will make the process easy as cake. Alternative to Word: Scrivener For my personal book writing, I use an awesome paid program called Scrivener. I love it because it makes it easy to write a long form book. You can set up each of the chapters in their own files within the main book file. If you've never heard of Scrivener, be sure to check it out. It allows you to organize and write your content all in one place. Speak Your Ideas Before You Write Them This really helps me get my ideas out and in front of me. Sometimes you need a break away from the computer screen when writing. Get your smart phone recorder or recorder. Talk  about what you want to write about in the chapter. When you’re done, listen to your recording. Type everything you said out. You’ll probably want to press pause a lot since other ideas will rush back to you when you write it down. The Different Sections That Make Up Your Book Book Copyright Page: This is a page that is normally used for writing down all the important information that helped your content get published. Your name, the publisher's name, the editor's name, designer's name, the website name, your copyright, and the year of publish. Here is a great guide on how to build a copyright page. Dedication:   This is a great place to dedicate the book to someone. It usually shows up in the first few pages. Foreword:  Once you've written your book reach out to someone you'd like to write a foreword for your book.   It helps if you've gotten to know them.  Like for us, we reached out to Jay Baer with our rough draft to see if he'd be interested in writing a foreword. When you are writing your book work on building connections with people who you might want to write the foreword. Intro:  The intro is what hooks your readers. You should incorporate some of that into your book description on Amazon. Conclusion:  Your conclusion is what rounds it all up and ties everything together. You show your readers what they learned throughout the entire book or at least a glimpse of the most important things you want them to remember. Acknowledgments/Thank You Page: This is a great place to share thank you’s with the people who helped your book become possible. Think editors, designers, and other writers. At The End Of Each Chapter:  Make sure you write a couple of sentences that will lead your readers into the next chapter. Your goal is to make your readers keep reading. Exercise #8: Final Design And Editing Touches For Your Book There are plenty of things that go into creating a professional looking book. You have to know that when you upload your book to Amazon that you are playing against millions of authors and writers. You are going to want to make sure that your book can compete against them professionally. First off, take a look at least 5-10 other books that your book is similar to. What things did they do with their book? Look at and compare these things: What is their cover like? What's the font on the cover like? What is the size of their font? Small or Big? What colors are more popular? Make sure your title and subtitle font is big enough to read. The font will look a lot smaller when you are seeing the thumbnail images in the Kindle store. A bigger font will make it easier for your readers to see what your book is about. If they have to wonder and guess about what the book is about, they probably won't click on it. You can see from this example which books stand out more than others. To find books that are comparable to your book go to the Amazon homepage: Then you'll see this page. You can check out the Kindle Best Sellers to  see  what other people have done. When you are in there you will be able to see the best sellers in the free Kindle ebooks as well. Make it easy for your readers and don't give them a reason to not click on your book. Do you know why self-publishing has gotten such a bad rap? Because people do shoddy work - both in writing and design.- Jeff Goins Make sure your book is comparable to the professionally edited and designed books put out by traditional publishers. Want  An Editor? If your team has an editor, have your editor look over your book and make changes. It's important to catch typos, grammar flops, and punctuation mishaps as well as areas that don't really make sense. Having your editor or hiring an editor to edit through your book will save you from embarrassment later. You can find editors on Freelancer.com  and Upwork  (formerly known as Elance). Need A Designer? Want to have any images, graphics, or artwork throughout your book? But don't have the time or skills to create your own? You can find a designer  on the same sites where  you can find an editor. You may also want to try Dribbble. If you'd like to design your own graphics here are some helpful blog posts you should read. Most of them have to do with designing graphics for blog posts, but they can also be used for designing graphics for your book: The Ultimate Guide To Using Color Psychology In Marketing + Free Color Schemes How To Work With Designers With Authentic Advice From 's Designer How To Attract An Audience With The Best Blog Photography Tips (+128 Free Images) 10 Stunning Examples Of Visual Content Marketing Should You Use Stock Or Free Images For Blog Posts? 5 Super Easy Ways To Create Images For Your Blog Posts How To Design The Best Blog Graphics With Free Tools And Design Theory How To Make The Best Blog Graphics (For Non-Designers) If you don't even want to have to struggle with formatting your book, you can hire someone to format the entire thing for you at one of the outsourcing sites that I listed above. Exercise #9: Uploading And Publishing Your Book On Amazon Getting into Amazon can be a bit tricky if you don't know your way around in KDP. But never fear, for I am here, and I am going to walk you through how to publish your book on Amazon. Want to publish your book in the Amazon Kindle store? Here's how:First off, you are going to want to have a KDP Amazon account. Once you sign in, you are going to want to put in all of your bank details so your money will go into your account. Once you click there you'll be brought to a page like this where you can enter your address, tax information, and also your bank details. After you are done filling all of that out, scroll to the bottom and press the yellow save button. To upload a book to Amazon click on the Bookshelf and then click on Create new title. You will be brought to this page: Remember if you click to enroll your book in KDP Select that your book must not be available anywhere else online for 90 days. That even means on your own blog or website. Amazon wants to have exclusivity with you. After those 90 days are up, you can put it elsewhere online. Scroll down and you will find: Type in your book name and your subtitle. If you have a publisher name, put it in as well. If you don't, some people just put their blog name or a made up publisher name that they use for all of their books. Your book description is your Amazon book description. It will be what encourages or discourages people from buying your book. What Goes Into Your Book Description? First off, take a look at 5 other writers who have published books that you look up to. How did they format their description? How'd they hook you to read the entire description? Here are some book description writing tips: 1. Start your book description with an intro. Ask your readers a few questions. The questions should show what problem your book is going to solve. Here is an example from the intro of our book description:  Have you been staring at a blank slate without any inspiration for your social media marketing? Do you struggle to find time and keep up with a consistent social media schedule? If you’ve answered yes to any of these questions, then you’ve come to the right place. 2. Show your unique solution to your readers problems. Here is our example:  This actionable book will help you get organized as you build a regular schedule of relevant, engaging content that will build your social media following. 3. Speak to the reader. Call them out by their job title or something similar. Example:  Maybe you're a marketer, a social media manager, or a blogger who wants to cut out the noise by reading one book that will show you how to make the most of your time. 4. Show your credibility. Why are you an expert and why should your audience learn this from you? Example:  As the content marketers at , we’ve personally used every piece of advice in this book. It’s helped us get around 60K followers across our social platforms- and you can experience the same success. 5. What will they find in your book? Share what they'll learn from reading your book. Example:  In this guide, you'll learn how to: - Get organized and take control of your social media strategy. - Listen to and connect with your audience’s needs to create content that’ll boost engagement. - Figure out a social media editorial calendar that will quadruple your traffic. 6. A quote from an influencer.   7. A closing question. Example:  What’s stopping you from finding more time, being more efficient, and rocking your social media content sharing strategy? What's An ISBN Number? An ISBN number  is a  13-digit number that identifies the book published internationally.  If you have an ISBN number you can fill it into your book information in KDP. For an e-book, an ISBN isn't really needed, but If you don't have one and want one, you can find out how to purchase one here. Okay, let's move onward. When you scroll down you'll see this: When you are done with that scroll to the bottom and press Save and Continue. This  will bring you to the Rights And Pricing page: If you want the book to be available everywhere click Worldwide rights. You can set your royalties to either 35% or 70%. KDP has a whole list of what the differences are between the two. If you'd like to spread the word about your book by allowing lending it will allow  your readers share the book with a friend for a certain amount of time. Why not? When you've made it to the bottom you'll see this: Click the check box at the bottom of this page and then click Save and Publish. If you have any problems in KDP, Amazon is really helpful and will call you to help solve your problems. Bonus Section: The Mistakes We Made That You'll Want To Miss There are quite a few things that we messed up on while writing, creating, and launching our e-book. Learn from the  mistakes we've made  and avoid them at all costs. It'll save you a ton of time. We didn’t take advantage of a launch team early enough. This is something I definitely recommend, especially if you want your e-book to perform well. The reviews are needed in the first few weeks that it's on Amazon. We will do this will our next book. There really isn't a FREE e-book on Amazon unless you sign up for KDP Select. But with that, Amazon wants to have exclusivity with you for 90-days. KDP Select would allow you to give your book away for free so many days of the year. We didn't sign up for KDP Select because we had the book elsewhere online. It's really up to you whether you choose KDP Select or not. Make sure your cover is comparable to the other books that your book will be competing with. The bigger the font the better and brighter colors seem to do better. This is something we will improve with our next book. The table of contents in our book  don’t link to the pages they are supposed to link to. Make the Amazon e-book into a PDF and give it away for free along with a bundle of free stuff. Gait it to get more subscribers. And then use the preview of the book in Amazon as a landing page that directs people to your other landing page where they can get the PDF e-book and the bundle. We learned a bunch, but overall the book was a success. What If It Could Be Easier? You have all the steps it takes to write and publish an e-book on Amazon's Kindle store. If you'd like to make  the entire process to easier, then  consider signing up for 's 14-day free trial. You'll be able to schedule your e-book launch calendar along with the goals you want to meet before your book publishes. Here is an example of how you could schedule out your book launch on : Ready... Set... Write... And Launch Your E-book You now have everything that you'll need to plan, write, edit, design, and launch your e-book in the Amazon store. Are you ready to become a published author?

Free Essays on Accident Investigation

MAS 608 Aircraft Accident Investigation Accident Investigation: Key Players and Their Recommendations For some time I have known that I don’t know everything. Granted, there was a time when I thought I did and I couldn’t be told wrong if you had the reference sitting in my face. Thankfully that has all changed. In life you begin to learn that there are people out there who know things you don’t and you start to realize that in some areas of life you might just need a helping hand. The same can be said on a bigger scale. When companies don’t have the resources to get something done, they get outside help. If there are problems with their efficiency, they hire an efficiency expert to come and look at the problem. When an aircraft accident is being investigated there are a lot of factors that come into play. This raises the need for many experts on many aspects. In this paper I intend to discuss aspects of a few key players in accident investigations, their recent recommendations for safety improvements, and what they can bring to the table to try and reduce the number of accident investigations that take place. The most prominent organizations dealing with accident investigation are the National Transportation and Safety Board (NTSB), the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). These are the three powerhouses’ associated with accident investigation and aviation safety. While each organization has its own regulations, most of their â€Å"inspiration† comes from the ICAO Annex 13 and the FAA regulation 8020.11b. Both documents lay groundwork on how to do an accident investigation. There are however smaller organizations and independent firms who do all the foot work. These are the people who gather data, analyze it, and make recommendations as well as those who help in ways that might not initially seem important. One of the big players in an accide... Free Essays on Accident Investigation Free Essays on Accident Investigation MAS 608 Aircraft Accident Investigation Accident Investigation: Key Players and Their Recommendations For some time I have known that I don’t know everything. Granted, there was a time when I thought I did and I couldn’t be told wrong if you had the reference sitting in my face. Thankfully that has all changed. In life you begin to learn that there are people out there who know things you don’t and you start to realize that in some areas of life you might just need a helping hand. The same can be said on a bigger scale. When companies don’t have the resources to get something done, they get outside help. If there are problems with their efficiency, they hire an efficiency expert to come and look at the problem. When an aircraft accident is being investigated there are a lot of factors that come into play. This raises the need for many experts on many aspects. In this paper I intend to discuss aspects of a few key players in accident investigations, their recent recommendations for safety improvements, and what they can bring to the table to try and reduce the number of accident investigations that take place. The most prominent organizations dealing with accident investigation are the National Transportation and Safety Board (NTSB), the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). These are the three powerhouses’ associated with accident investigation and aviation safety. While each organization has its own regulations, most of their â€Å"inspiration† comes from the ICAO Annex 13 and the FAA regulation 8020.11b. Both documents lay groundwork on how to do an accident investigation. There are however smaller organizations and independent firms who do all the foot work. These are the people who gather data, analyze it, and make recommendations as well as those who help in ways that might not initially seem important. One of the big players in an accide...

Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) Conversion Kits

Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) Conversion Kits Compressed natural gas (CNG) conversion kits  allow a mechanic to convert a conventional gasoline car to one that runs on the CNG. Although the process is complex, it is not necessarily difficult and quite doable. And if you are mechanically inclined, it could feasibly be done in your own garage. The other option is to find a willing mechanic that will install a CNG kit for you! This type of alternative fuel also comes with its fair share of advantages including more engine power, better fuel efficiency and longer engine life overall. However, there are also several concerns you should address before committing to fully converting your vehicle. You should consult a trusted mechanic for more information regarding the logic of making this change. Common Concerns One potential hoop to jump through could be emissions certification for your particular state - some states require special conditions since youd be changing the vehicles engineered fuel type. They all differ, and some are easier to work with than others. The U.S. Department of Energy offers this emissions certification information and CSA America offers a searchable database of compressed natural gas cylinder inspectors. Another be-aware-before-you-do-it-item is to locate the CNG fueling stations in your area to be sure you’ll have regular access to the fuel. This station finder for CNG and alternative fuels includes pricing for the United States. Another alternative, if you have natural gas in your home, is to install a Phill home refueling appliance. These devices compress and dispense a tank of fuel in about 8 hours. They are designed to be attached overnight, delivering a full tank by morning. Another option could be to install a CNG compressor at your house, which typically runs upwards of $4,500. Where to Get the Kits Fortunately, there is no shortage of vendors for these CNG conversion kits. Websites like  CNG Interstate  which not only offers a bi-fuel CNG/gasoline conversion kit and CNG cylinders but also a plethora of information related to understanding how they work.   Grimhall Vehicle Upfitters also offers CNG conversion advice for home installation and is a valuable reference for regulatory and safety information. Although their online store is still relatively new, they offer plenty of products for CNG conversion. Speaking of, chances are your local mechanic will also be able to get the right tools for the job, but if you live in the Denver Metro area, Redmark CNG Services offers alternative fuel conversions for a variety of American vehicle makes and models with installations available directly at their facility. Similarly,  Tulsa Gas Technologies  offers full conversions in Tulsa, OK, and Dallas, TX.

Concept to Full Production Contract Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 2

Concept to Full Production Contract - Essay Example Strategic staffing process includes defining the type and number of employees needed at a particular period. These ensure that the business plans of the organization are effectively implemented. The process also helps in identifying the staffing resources at present. In addition, the organization periodically reviews its performance in long and short term periods. New employees are trained, recruitments take place, and promotions to the old staff are effectively implemented (Bachet, 2002). Job analysis is often a procedure by which relevant information is acquired about a job. It is a systematic and comprehensive study of information concerning the operations and responsibilities of a job. A vital concept job scrutiny is that the analysis is directed on the job, not the person. Job analysis is often carried out to establish ‘job relatedness’ of the employment procedures. The target procedures contain training, performance appraisals, selection and compensation. It spells out what the employee does the level of education, skills, and training requirements. In addition, the incumbent acquires a simple questionnaire to pinpoint job duties, equipment used, work environments and relationships. This helps in conducting effective interviews on the incumbents. The performance review of job analysis is often used to develop evaluation criteria, goals and objectives, length of probationary periods, and performance standards among others. Organizations should clearl y define duties and responsibilities assigned to the employees to avoid confusion that can result to poor performance. When conducting a job analysis, one has to follow certain procedures. First and foremost, identify the specific purpose of job analysis and select the method to be used. One can review expels of other similar jobs in order to select an appropriate method of a job analysis. The organization should train the analyst

Strategy in Strategic Planning with Biblical Principles Assignment

Strategy in Strategic Planning with Biblical Principles - Assignment Example e one that imposes order inside a firm, and in case the strategy proves to be a useless one, then the managers should take their time to know why it failed. Additionally, a company should lay emphasis on its major strengths, look out for new prospects and manage its change process in an aggressive manner (Burgelman, 2002). From a biblical perspective, various questions have been raised as to whether a Christian is capable of adding value to an organization, and whether the strategic plans that a Christian proposes are different from those of non-Christians. It is not yet clear whether Christians adopt their own strategies or whether they make their decisions out of the influence of the secular business models. However, from the perspective of faith-based models, it is evident that a Christian strategic leader is different from a non-Christian counterpart since he is believed to be called upon by God to play his role. A Christian manager is unique since the motives and assumptions that he makes are driven by the different overview that he has regarding the world (Haskins & Smith, 2004). Therefore, based on the different worldviews that the two parties portray, then these people are expected to make decisions that differ from each other in an

Case study 'THE CALL CENTRE AT TENGO LTD' Essay

Case study 'THE CALL CENTRE AT TENGO LTD' - Essay Example To facilitate customers, Tengo has customer center that provide various services to its customers such contact centre for spare parts, accessories and for extended product warranties etc. The customer center also provides technical support service for their existing customers; and point for customer complaints. Tengo customer service centre also conducts field enquiries about Tengo products. Tengo contact centre is situated in green-field site situated in the outskirts of large town in the Midlands. This location also has other customer service centre that exerts considerable pressure on labor market. Tengo holds good reputation for paying appreciable monetary compensation to its employees; however, it does not have positive remarks regarding its employment policies terms and conditions. In recent past, Tengo on evaluation of HR mainly in customer centre concluded that centre is overstaffed conduced rationalization and restructuring. Year-end customer feedback has reflected a decline in service quality and HR manager is concerned to explore the element of people and process in this poor performance. According to Marr & Neely (2004, p.7) nowadays the customers of call center are looking for more effective and efficient customer service. ... The report will also conclude with overall remarks on restructuring at Tengo customer centre. THE CHANGES AT TENGO CUSTOMER CENTRE In the periodic HR planning exercise in head-office, HR manager concluded customer centre being overstaffed with respect to its overall growth. For the purpose, staff rationalization and restructuring was conducted. The restructuring move resulted in many changes in the customer centre; broadly can be defined under following three heads (Coucke, Pennings, and Sleuwaegen, 2007): Reduction in the number of jobs Strict demarcation of boundaries of jobs Cost incurred on automated product support system for customer. Interactive systems automated systems aimed to get two benefits of improved quality of service and reduced training and development of employees. Under new structure, entire staff of customer centre was categorized into levels; Level 1 constituted entry-level positions dealing with customer complaints. Majority of advisors were categorized under L evel 2 across various departments. Level 3 advisors accounted those employees assigned task of dealing with detailed technical problems CONSEQUENTIAL IMPACT Consequential impact of the HR move understudy resulted negatively. This new structure that defined boundaries ended the employees’ movement across the departments; resulted in ending up of learning and development opportunities available to employees with rotation across department. Overall, call centre job has low intrinsic value (Sako, 2006). Call centre jobs are classified into two groups of ‘quality oriented and ‘quantity oriented. As the name implies, former is characterized with more multifaceted and individualized interaction of call agent with customer

Critquing the movie Mahhattan by Woody Allen Thesis

Critquing the movie Mahhattan by Woody Allen - Thesis Example The bustling of the city exemplifies the same intensity and restlessness of the people that flock its streets. Woody Allen’s ‘Manhattan’ is not a romantic comedy, it is not a drama or a theme film, it is by the very epitome a homage to New York City. Anyone who would watch this film would begin to realize by the first ten seconds that what you are watching is not limited to a peek at the lives of New Yorker’s because you realize by the very beginning that the main character is the city and the characters are just breathing in the very life of the Big Apple. It is easy to fathom that the film, as written and directed by Woody Allen, contemplated of Manhattan through his perspective and idealization. Seen through the eyes of twice divorced 42-year-old Isaac Davies, it is imperative that Allen categorically played himself and the natural register of many of the character’s quirks are his own. At the outset, Isaac was not a complex character because he was above all adjectives deeply neurotic. But this was not far removed from all the other characters of the film. They just mostly vary in degree but all of them are destructive and broken and easily subjects of Freudian psychoanalysis that one could figure them out it in a matter of moments. His ex-wife narrowed him down in her book by saying that â€Å"He was given to fits of rage, Jewish male paranoia, male chauvinism, self-righteous misanthropy and nihilistic moods of despair† (Manhattan). But this of course would be a delineation and reduction of the entirety of a human being which is impossible and derogatory. The same must be taken in the context that the book that she wrote titled ‘Marriage, Divorce and Selfhood’ was her subjective attempt to encapsulate their relationship most geared to her advantage and led to his infamy. This book was mostly the cause of his neurosis as portrayed in the film a nd perhaps his wariness in the beginning of the film was most justified

Interview question Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Interview question - Essay Example Areas that have improvements over the national average will be highlighted along with weaknesses from observation as compared to the achievement scores. Development of goals begins with the production of a time management plan that consists of the required curriculum elements and how best to incorporate psychological principles of learning (such as social learning theory) into the classroom environment. Proper planning for social and cognitive learning must be developed into a goal-attainment plan. 2. Three month goals include an introduction of youth psychology into the learning plan that includes role modeling of teacher and high performing students so as to incorporate them into the classroom teaching structure. Previous primary research studies that found success in motivating youths in the concrete operational stage of development will be used as the foundation for teaching style in the first three months. The goal is to promote more group learning for the younger children to re duce egocentric behaviors common to this stage of development to improve the social environment and motivate retention. Students will be delivered a survey or questionnaire instrument with language developed appropriate for youths of these age brackets to identify key needs.

The Function of International Marketing Strategies Assignment

The Function of International Marketing Strategies - Assignment Example The Freitag enterprise is now a booming success, selling bags from 350 locations across the world in Berlin, Cologne, Davos, New York, Hamburg, and Zurich (FREITAG, 2011). They also have an online shop, which adds to their revenue massively. The factory in which these bags are made is situated in Switzerland, near the cross-city highway, which was part of the initial inspiration for the first bag in 1993. This brand has become well known and loved in several locations across the world, especially Japan and England, all in a span of just a few years. The main headquarters is in Zurich, in the country to which it not only belongs but also one with one of its highest number of consumers. Like every business, Freitag has had its setbacks and shocks during periods of recession. The solution it chose to such problems was diversification and expansion in geographical markets, rather than reducing the existing operations. For such expansion, the board of directors is currently searching for the right locations. As a Freitag employee, I would like to suggest the Brazilian market to them. There would be several benefits of entering this market, of example the high population and further expected growth rate, the free market economy, their exchange rate, highly developed telecom sector, and finally, Brazil’s elevated purchasing power parity.Initially, Freitag will capture 8 to 9 percent of the market, a goal that it plans to achieve by the time their second year-ends. After this is achieved, it will move on to establishing itself as a fashion brand. The cities it will initially be introducing its product to will be the large cities of Brazil, for example, Brasilia, Sao Paulo, Salvador, Rio de Janerio, Manaus, Curitiba, Belo Horizonte and Rio de Janerio. It will offer these new customers a retail price of 100 Brazilian real and will present its product as being innovative, refreshing, and tailored according to the specifications

Critquing the movie Mahhattan by Woody Allen Thesis

Critquing the movie Mahhattan by Woody Allen - Thesis Example The bustling of the city exemplifies the same intensity and restlessness of the people that flock its streets. Woody Allen’s ‘Manhattan’ is not a romantic comedy, it is not a drama or a theme film, it is by the very epitome a homage to New York City. Anyone who would watch this film would begin to realize by the first ten seconds that what you are watching is not limited to a peek at the lives of New Yorker’s because you realize by the very beginning that the main character is the city and the characters are just breathing in the very life of the Big Apple. It is easy to fathom that the film, as written and directed by Woody Allen, contemplated of Manhattan through his perspective and idealization. Seen through the eyes of twice divorced 42-year-old Isaac Davies, it is imperative that Allen categorically played himself and the natural register of many of the character’s quirks are his own. At the outset, Isaac was not a complex character because he was above all adjectives deeply neurotic. But this was not far removed from all the other characters of the film. They just mostly vary in degree but all of them are destructive and broken and easily subjects of Freudian psychoanalysis that one could figure them out it in a matter of moments. His ex-wife narrowed him down in her book by saying that â€Å"He was given to fits of rage, Jewish male paranoia, male chauvinism, self-righteous misanthropy and nihilistic moods of despair† (Manhattan). But this of course would be a delineation and reduction of the entirety of a human being which is impossible and derogatory. The same must be taken in the context that the book that she wrote titled ‘Marriage, Divorce and Selfhood’ was her subjective attempt to encapsulate their relationship most geared to her advantage and led to his infamy. This book was mostly the cause of his neurosis as portrayed in the film a nd perhaps his wariness in the beginning of the film was most justified

The Function of International Marketing Strategies Assignment

The Function of International Marketing Strategies - Assignment Example The Freitag enterprise is now a booming success, selling bags from 350 locations across the world in Berlin, Cologne, Davos, New York, Hamburg, and Zurich (FREITAG, 2011). They also have an online shop, which adds to their revenue massively. The factory in which these bags are made is situated in Switzerland, near the cross-city highway, which was part of the initial inspiration for the first bag in 1993. This brand has become well known and loved in several locations across the world, especially Japan and England, all in a span of just a few years. The main headquarters is in Zurich, in the country to which it not only belongs but also one with one of its highest number of consumers. Like every business, Freitag has had its setbacks and shocks during periods of recession. The solution it chose to such problems was diversification and expansion in geographical markets, rather than reducing the existing operations. For such expansion, the board of directors is currently searching for the right locations. As a Freitag employee, I would like to suggest the Brazilian market to them. There would be several benefits of entering this market, of example the high population and further expected growth rate, the free market economy, their exchange rate, highly developed telecom sector, and finally, Brazil’s elevated purchasing power parity.Initially, Freitag will capture 8 to 9 percent of the market, a goal that it plans to achieve by the time their second year-ends. After this is achieved, it will move on to establishing itself as a fashion brand. The cities it will initially be introducing its product to will be the large cities of Brazil, for example, Brasilia, Sao Paulo, Salvador, Rio de Janerio, Manaus, Curitiba, Belo Horizonte and Rio de Janerio. It will offer these new customers a retail price of 100 Brazilian real and will present its product as being innovative, refreshing, and tailored according to the specifications

Brigade system Essay Example for Free

Brigade system Essay The next time a restaurant kitchen delivers a complex meal to the dining room, deftly timed and executed, consider the fact that this military precision is no accident. The traditional system of kitchen structure the brigade led by the chef has venerable roots in European military organizations. From the 14th century on, traveling armies had to be fed; cooks were selected from among the ranks. During peacetime, rulers set up tournaments to keep their warriors prepared for future battles; the military cooks followed knights to castles and ultimately became the cooks to kings and nobility, orchestrating huge and complicated meals and feasts for vast entourages. Trade guilds soon developed; these were carefully controlled monopolies for cooks that ensured the membership steady employment. Expensive and exclusive, these guilds adopted uniforms, rigid hierarchies, and systems of exhaustive apprenticeship. Until after the French Revolution and the subsequent rise of restaurants, this caste of cooks continued to work exclusively for the aristocracy. The classic double-breasted white jacket is vestigial it originated when chefs were servants of the king and presumably might be called upon to serve in battle as well as in noble households. By the 1820s, chefs were wearing uniforms purportedly based on those worn by soldiers in the Turkish army. White eventually became the standard to emphasize cleanliness and good sanitation. There are numerous unsubstantiated legends about the origins of the chefs tall white toque; one version attributes it to the tubular black hats worn by Greek Orthodox priests. Antonin Carà ªme, the 18th-century chef to Tallyrand and various Rothschilds, is also credited with bringing the toque into the kitchen. Supposedly inspired by a womans hat, he inserted a snappy cardboard tube into his cap, and the style caught on. Traditional stiff, pleated toques are about 8 inches tall, but executive chefs wear them up to 12 inches. The story told in my culinary school is that the extra-tall headgear enables subordinates in need of guidance to quickly spot the chef in a crowded kitchen. (Of course, the women students circulated an alternate theory.) Late in the 19th century, following a French army career, gifted chef Georges-Auguste Escoffier developed the modern brigade system in Londons Savoy Hotel. For maximum efficiency, he organized the kitchen into a strict hierarchy of authority, responsibility, and function. In the brigade, widely adopted by fine-dining establishments, the general is the executive chef, or chef de cuisine, assisted by asous chef. Subordinate are the chefs de partie, each in charge of a production station and assisted by demi-chefs and commis(apprentices). The number of station chefs can get exhaustive, including the saucier (sauces),poissionier (fish), grillardin (grilled items),fritteurier (fried items), rotissier (roasts), garde manger (cold food), patissier (pastries), andtournant (roundsman, station relief). Today, most restaurants use some simplified variation of Escoffiers kitchen brigade. Typically, the executive chef coordinates kitchen activities, sets standards, manages costs, and directs training and work efforts. The sous chef sees that the food is prepared, portioned, and presented according to the executive chefs standards. The line cooks run the stations and prepare menu items according to specifications, aided by assistants and apprentices.

Psychological Perspectives in Health and Social Care

Psychological Perspectives in Health and Social Care Behaviourist theories might say Katya has turned out the way she has due to the way she has been treated by her father. Katya did not get the love or attention she needed as a child, and because of this when her father sexually abused her, she saw it as a reward by showing her love. Her father also had a drug problem, and as a reward could have possibly given them to her, and is why she deals class A drugs. Ivan Pavlov, a Russian psychologist came up with the classical conditioning theory. This involves putting an unconditioned response with a conditioned stimulus, which is the new learnt behaviour from putting the response and stimulus together. As Katya has been sexually abused at such a young age, she thinks that being sexually active is a normal thing to do at her age. This possibly has lead her to become a prostitute, which is extremely dangerous fro a girl of her age, due to catching STDs and not knowing the people she is sleeping with. Katya has never gone past the psychosexual stage of the 3-5 year olds. This is when children start to realise about sex. During peoples life stages, there are different psychosexual stages they go through. If they dont go through those stages, problems will occur in a change in personality. Sigmund Freud came up with this theory. He believed the mind can be divided into 2 main parts; the conscious mind, which is everything we are aware of, and memory is a part of this as we can retrieve information once it is made aware of again. This is also known as the preconscious mind is unpleasant, such as feelings, thoughts, urges. Most of the unconscious mind is unpleasant, such as feeling of pai n, conflict, anxiety. It influences behaviour even though we are unaware of it. Erik Erikson agreed with Freuds theory, but Erikson also believed that we move through a series of psychosocial crises with a different social focus at each stage, e.g. between the age of 0-1 the life crisis concerns developing thrust or mistrust in self or others. The social focus in this stage is the mother. The biological approach can make us understand how Katya has developed due to the environment she has been brought up in, (nurture) and her genes/behaviour (nature). Nature may have made Katya the way she is from the genes that have been passed on to her. Therefore, Katya may have got her fathers tendencies towards drinking and drug taking. Arnold Gesell (1880-1961) believed children went through development norms, which meant at a certain age they should be able to learn and understand certain things. Nurture could have influenced the way Katya behaves, as she does not really understand about certain things in life from not being told by role models, e.g. father, and does not know what her boundaries are. She also has not had any proper love, so that has leaded her to do other things, and from seeing what her father does, influences her to do things she should not. Task 2 The Social Learning Theory was developed by an American psychologist called Albert Bandura. He recognised that we learn things by observing people, also known as observational learning. Katyas assessment will be based on the impact in has on her life. Katyas emotional development has been because of seeing what her father has done to her as a child. Her father has been violent, and has locked her in the bathroom, so has not had good visible care, and does not understand how important it is and reacts against what people see. This is because she has seen her father act in this way and has copied him, as she sees him as a role model. For Katyas care plan, it would involve looking at different role models, as it can affect behaviour, as shown by Katya. In health and social care provisions, in order to promote anti-discrimination practices and behaviour, messages must be put forward which maximise attention. This can be done by using positive images, for example, people we admire like celebrities with messages which help promote anti discriminatory behaviour, so we copy what they do. The humanistic approach focuses on the idea of free will and the belief that we are capable of making choices. The 2 psychologists that approached this theory were Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow. Abraham Maslow believed that every human being require certain basic needs before they can approach the next level. This can be shown on the hierarchy of needs. Firstly, basic physical needs have to be met before progressing further, for example, food and water, well housed, and once those have been met, we then focus on our emotional needs. These are things such as feeling loved, high self-esteem and feeling or belong. Once all the needs are met, we strive to self actualise, which means reaching full potential in life. Carl Rogers was more interested in the concept of self. This is how we view ourselves. If children get praised, encouraged to succeed, and told they are valued, their self-concept will be positive and see themselves as someone who is worthwhile and competent. If they are told they are naughty or no good, it will have a negative affect and will affect part of their self-concept aspects. For Kaytas assessment, the humanistic approach can be applied on how it affects her life. Katya got treated badly as a child, making her feel not wanted by her father and un-loved. He would often shout violently at her, and if she cried or complained, and once Katyas father calmed down he would sexually abuse them. This will affect her self-concept as she has not been valued enough, and also it has affected her self-esteem as she has not had the love from others and does not know how to look after her appearance due to not being taught. On Maslows hierarchy of needs, Katya has not been able to progress further from the basic physical needs. This is because she has not been cared from properly, and is unable to move to the safety and security needs due to her father not being there for her. The humanistic approach can be applied for to health and social care provisions to help the problem. Unconditioned positive regard refers to a totally judgemental way of being with or viewing a client. The therapist supports clients feelings, beliefs and emotions un-conditioning. This means without judging whether their emotions are good or bad. Empathy is also used in helping others. It requires care workers to listen to clients, and respect them for whom they are and any emotions they have had to deal with. Jean Piaget came up with the cognitive theory, saying that cognition develops through a series of stages building on the previous stage, and so on. He believed we can only achieve certain things in certain stages in life, for example, a baby is only able to experience the world through sense perceptions (smell, touch, sight) and motor activity. This will then develop into the next stage which involves language, memory and thought and so on. For Katyas assessment, this theory has an impact on her life as she grew up to fast. This means that she has to cope with things at a certain age which her brain could not deal with. Am example of this would be her fathers behaviour towards Katya, not allowed to have any creative play by making things or decorating a dolls face and playing with its hair. In health and social care provisions, keeping a diary or record of negative thoughts and feelings can help to identify why they are feeling like the way they are. By identifying why they are feeling like that, care workers can help support the individuals through their problem. Task 3 The psychological perspectives I have chosen to analyse are the behavioural theory, biological theory and social learning theory. I have chosen these theories because they apply more for the way Katya is behaving. Psychological Perspectives Katyas Challenging Behaviour Behaviourist Theory Ivan Pavlov-reward good behaviour Ignore her bad behaviour that she shows. Is used to being rewarded for bad behaviour so when shouts and screams walk away. Make sticker reward chart, so when Katya shows good behaviour gets a sticker and when completes chart gets a reward, e.g. money. Biological Theory Arnold Gesell Nature/Nurture Katya may possibly be more sensitive to drugs because if her mum took drugs whilst she was pregnant with Katya, she may have been born a crack baby Could put Katya into rehab to get her weaned of the drugs and alcohol. Social Learning Theory Albert Bandura Observational Learning Remove or separate Katya away from those who are a bad influence towards her, e.g. father. This is the responsibility of a social worker. Arrange for Katya to see/meet a person who experienced and went through the same issues as her, and speak to her about how they have dealt with it and how they have turned out today- can be seen as a role model for Katya to help her deal with the problem she went through Health and Social care organisations can help Katyas behaviour through different types of therapies. The therapies that will help Katya come under the Psychodynamic theory (child psychotherapist), humanistic theory (child therapist), and cognitive theory (CBT-cognitive behavioural therapy). Psychological Therapies How it will help Katya Psychodynamic theory Child psychotherapist Help her to manage her difficulties with behaviour Help Katya develop new skills Help resolve her issue that she has dealt with Boost communication skills Lets her play and do activities and then once comfortable help her problems Humanistic theory Child Therapist Form strong relationships with the therapist- mode of communication and type of relationship facilitates change and growth in children experiencing emotional distress http://www.bapt.info/playtherapycareers.htm Cognitive Theory CBT Helps Katya make sense of overwhelming problems by breaking them down into smaller parts Focuses on the cause of her distress or symptoms in the past, it looks for ways to improve her state of mind now. Identify Katyas individual patterns of thoughts, emotions, bodily feelings and actions and keep a diary record Help Katya to work out how to change her unhelpful thoughts and behaviours Helps Katya to replace unhappy thoughts with positive thoughts

Smoking Should Be Outlawed and Tobacco Profit Applied to Medical Resear

Smoking Should Be Outlawed and Tobacco Profit Applied to Medical Research "Scientists know what makes tobacco so deadly. It's the more than 4,000 different chemicals that cigarettes contain. And the more than 400 different poisons that scientists have found in cigarette smoke" (LeTourneau). Does that statement appeal to you? Funny how the public hears this phrase and knows what tobacco is made from, yet they still smoke knowing that tobacco kills more than 440,000 people a year in America alone. "That's more people than die from AIDS, alcohol, car accidents, fires, illegal drugs, murders, and suicides all added together"(LeTourneau). Tobacco is made from all kind of harmful things. Things that give little children asthma, give adults emphysema, cancer of the lungs, throat, mouth, tongue, and can cause many other awful occurrences with people's health. I believe that tobacco should be taken off the market completely. I believe that tobacco companies should not have to pay for rehabilitation for those people who are addicted to tobacco because it is t heir own choice. Inste...

The Stranger Cultural Analysis Essay -- Literary Analysis

This Novel, by Albert Camus, traces a year in the life of a young clerk, Meursault, in the 1940s who works for a shipping company in Algiers. The first thing that happens to Meursault is that he gets a telegram that his mother has departed. He takes a bus to see her and they hold the vigil. He shows no expression of remorse or sadness. Once back in Algiers Meursault goes to the public beach for a swim. There, he runs into Marie Cardona, his former co-worker. They decide to go on a date and they see a comedy movie, which is ironic after his mother’s death, and they sleep together during the night. The next day he spends just watching people in the street. That next day Meursault returns to work and works all day and while at his apartment Meursault runs into Salamano, an old man who lives in his building and owns a mangy dog. He also runs into his neighbor Raymond, who is suspected to be a pimp. Raymond invites Meursault to dinner and asks Meursault to write a nasty letter to t his girl who cheated on Raymond, and Meursault complies. The next Saturday Marie comes over and asks if Meursault loves her, he doesn’t love her and doesn’t show it, and at night Meursault runs into Salamano who is crying over his dog who ran away. The following Sunday Meursault, Marie, and Raymond go to a beach house owned by Masson, one of Raymonds friends. They run into the girl’s, of whom they wrote the letter to, brothers and a knife is pulled on Raymond and cuts him. They both go different ways and later Meursault shoots one of the girl’s brothers. Meursault is then sent to jail and put on trial. He shows no remorse and over time he goes through more trials after being in prison for over a year and he is sentenced to death by the guillotine. The setting... ... has done, and to free him from his entanglement. Works Cited Bufacchi, Vittorio, and Laura Fairrie. "Execution as Torture." Peace Review 13.4 (2001): 511-517. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 26 Apr. 2011. Camus, Albert, and Matthew Ward. The Stranger. New York: Knopf, 1993. Print. 24 Apr. 2011. de Cavarlay, Bruno Aubusson. "Can criminal statistics still be of scientific use? The French criminal justice system 1813-1980." Historical Methods 26.2 (1993): 69. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 26 Apr. 2011. Scherr, Arthur. "Camus's THE STRANGER." Explicator 59.3 (2001): 149. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 24 Apr. 2011. Scott, Nathan A. Albert Camus. New York: Hillary House, 1962. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 24 Apr. 2011. Strange, Alice J. "Camus' The Stranger." Explicator 56.1 (1997): 36. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 24 Apr. 2011.

A Case Study of Afghan Women’s Rights Essay

Afghanistan has experienced almost three decades of continuous conflict, which has undermined the physical and sexual security of Afghan women in rural as well as urban environments. In a historical analysis, rape prevalence and sexual violence are directly related to ethnic conflict and warring factions. The International Coalition has exacerbated the problem of warlord-dominance in the countryside by utilizing Northern Alliance militias in the â€Å"War on Terror.† These militias have records of extensive human rights abuses and war crimes, including the perpetration of systemic rape campaigns for ethnic-cleansing. Human rights abuses force Afghan women to live in terror.1 Sixteen-year-old Nazia’s family wedded her to a forty-year-old man, Mumtaz, in September 2007.2 Two weeks later, her husband beat her for no obvious reason. 3 Mumtaz had become suspicious that Nazia met other men secretly, so he beat her until she fainted See more: Ethnic groups and racism essay .4 He tied her down and broke her teeth with a stone.5 He poured boiling water on her feet.6 When Nazia subsequently did not cook dinner for him because she could not stand, he tied her up and beat her again.7 While enduring the violence, she felt an excruciating pain in her left and right ears and tasted blood flowing down her face.8 Mumtaz had cut off her ears and her nose with hisknife.9 Nazia’s story, told from her hospital bed in Qalat,Afghanistan, 10 serves as an example of the plight of women in Afghanistan11 and the human rights violations targeted atwomen.12 Human rights abuses against Afghan women occur daily.13 Women face punishment such as public whippings, stonings, and imprisonment for inadvertently exposing their ankles or for wearing brightly colored shoes.’ 14 Although Afghanistan’s current constitution,15 and the international treaties 16 to which Afghanistan is a signatory, enumerate equal rights for women and men, 17 poor law enforcement, lack of awareness about women’s rights,and conservative traditions 18 prevent the promise of equal rights from becoming a reality.19 Despite these guarantees of women’s fundamental rights, significant challenges remain for Afghan women in terms of implementing the constitutional provisions, and reconciling the more conservative and male-dominated aspects of Afghan society with culturally pragmatic conceptions of gender equality.20 The 2003 Constitution also requires that Afghanistan abide by international conventions that it has signed,21 including the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (â€Å"CEDAW†),22 yet Afghan women and girls continue to suffer from entrenched discrimination throughout the country. 23 As a result, Afghanistan is currently a haven for severe human rights abuses against women and girls.24 Women are the victims of discrimination and human rights abuses because Islamic societies often interpret human rights for women to conflict with Islamic law. 25 Afghanistan is one of these societies.26 Despite equal rights for women and men written in the 2003 Constitution, Afghan women are not afforded rights equal to men in practice, and they presently live in terror. 27 This comment addresses gender rights in Afghanistan, focusing on continuing human rights violations28 despite Afghanistan’s international treaty obligations 29 and prohibitions against discrimination in the 200 3 Afghan Constitution. A member of the Bamyan Provincial Council, Wahidi Beheshti, is accused of killing a young girl named Shakila on January 22 this year in his own house in Bamyan province. She had been raped by Beheshti and then killed with a gun of his bodyguard. Beheshti’s family claimed Shakila had committed suicide; however forensics proved that she had been killed. Wahidi Beheshti denied any involvement in the matter but the police had also said that Shakila had been killed with a gun of Beheshti’s bodyguard Qurban. Also the forensics who performed the postmortem said they had found evidence that Shakila had been raped by Beheshti before she was killed. According to Mohammad Alam, Shakila’s brother, both Beheshti and his nephew Abdul Wahab were present at the scene of the murder but both denied their presence. He had told Bokhdi News Agency, â€Å"Wahidi Beheshti threatened my family by phone several times and demanded that we cooperate with them so that the matter is resolve d quietly. He promised in his phone calls that he will pay the court money to free Qurban (accused of murder) and wrap up the matter in whatever way possible.† Wahidi Beheshti’s brother Fokori Beheshti is a member of the parliament and his father was a strongman in the area during the 1990s. The case is under deliberation in a court in Bamyan province but Beheshti’s powerful brother and friends are trying to free him by any means possible. According to sources Fokori Beheshti, Said Hussain Anwari and Said Alimi Balkhi (all members of the national assembly) have pressurized the police forensics not to present evidence of Shakila’s rape by Wahidi Beheshti to the court. In a country where so-called lawmakers rape and kill an innocent girl, it is only natural to expect obstruction of justice. There are thousands of Shakilas who die victims or live a life of pain and sufferings, and hundreds of Beheshtis who roam about freely thanks to the impunity given to them by cruel local commanders, misogynist lawmakers and judges, and ultimately the corrupt mafia government.30 During the consultations, a majority of women expressed that they have not meaningfully participated in planning for the Security Transition. In the provinces where Transition has yet to officially start, women do not believe they will be involved in consultations to determine future plans, steps, and activities associated with the transfer of security authority. Recent consultations also revealed that women do not feel that Afghan National Security Forces are responsive to women’s needs and do not uphold human rights standards. Women perceive Afghan National Security Forces as not having the full capacity and expertise necessary to address the security needs of Afghan citizens, especially women and children. They also believe that in recent years, little attention has been given to build the capacity of ANSF to improve civilian adherence to existing laws and advance rule of law by demonstrating that people who violate laws will be punished. However, women still expressed a strong interest in the international community continuing to work to build the capacity and adequately resource the ANSF. Policy makers in Afghanistan reiterate again and again that transition is not about military and security matters alone, however practical experience on the ground shows that there isn’t adequate attention paid to improving rule of law, governance, and access to justice. Similarly, it is unclear how such processes are impacting women’s security. Transition should start from a citizen-articulated vision in which women and men of Afghanistan take responsibility for their better future. The road map for the exit of international forces is necessary; however, an accelerated withdrawal will jeopardize the investments of human life and material resources generously contributed by more than 40 nations, not to mention the numerous casualties of Afghan National Security Forces and enormous sacrifice by the this country’s women, men and children. Women organizations and activists have better access to local communities and are aware about the challenges and causes of insecurity in their communities; therefore they should be consulted and included to ensure that security and transition plans are implemented successfully. BACKGROUND A. Treatment of Women in Afghanistan from the Rule of the Soviet Union to the Present Following civil war in Afghanistan in 1978, the Soviet Union took control of Afghanistan and created many opportunities for women,including aggressive literacy programs.31 Under the Soviet Union’s Communist regimefrom 1979 to 1992, Afghan women enjoyed equal rights and social, economic, and political freedom.32 In the 1980s, the Communists enforced equal rights for women and men in a civil-war-torn Afghanistan.33 As a result, women held a greater number of business, law enforcement, and Parliament positions than they did prior to the civil war. 34 Furthermore, education and employment became more socially acceptable for women.35 As a result, women assumed positions as lawyers, entertainers, and doctors.36 As part of this greater freedom, women saw more educational, employment, and professional opportunities. 37 In 1979, female students even outnumbered male students at universities.38In 1992, 39 the Communist regime fell and the Islamic State of Afghanistan assumed control.40 Subsequently, the â€Å"rights and dignity of women went out the window 41 The 1977 constitution that guaranteed equal rights for women and men was â€Å"thrown out 42 The Islamic State of Afghanistan began to remove women’s rights systematically, and institutionalized various violations against women.43 In 1993, the Islamic State of Afghanistan ruled women must be completely covered, women could not wear perfume or makeup, and women’s freedom and mobility would be restricted.44The justification for these rulings was that men become too excited by women and are tempted to stray from the Islamic way of life, and the restrictions on women reduce this temptation.45 In addition, other, more violent human rights abuses towards women occurred under the Islamic State of Afghanistan, such as torture, rape, and sexual abuse.46 Interestingly, also in 1993, as part of the Vienna Declaration,47 Afghanistan formally reaffirmed its â€Å"faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person, and in the equal rights of men and women 48 The Vienna Declaration also stressed the importance of eliminating violence against women and â€Å"any conflicts that may arise between the rights of women and the harmful effects of certain traditional or customary practices, cultural prejudices and religious extremism.49 Despite Afghanistan’s part in the Vienna Declaration, human rights abuses against women continued as the Taliban 50 emerged as a volatile presence in Afghanistan.51 Taliban rule, which lasted from 1996 to 2001,52 resulted in major setbacks for women.53 The Taliban developed as a political-religious force,54 and eventually seized the cities of Kandahar in 1994, Herat in 1995, and Kabul, Afghanistan’s capital, in 1996.55 Before the Taliban captured Kabul, women made up seventy percent of teachers, forty percent of doctors, and generally worked in all areas of employment.56 After the Taliban fully seized power, it severely oppressed women’s rights. 57 The oppressive Taliban policies violated United Nations treaties, but the Taliban asserted that the treaties’ duties were inconsistent with religious law and cultural practices.58 The Taliban began by closing all schools for girls and forbidding women to work outside the house. 59 The Taliban imposed rules on women, restricting their freedom of movement, dress, education, and employment.60 The women and girls who violated these rules received punishments, including beatings on the streets, amputation of limbs, and public executions.61 The Taliban justified its practices in accordance with its interpretation of the Quran,62claiming to follow a pure, fundamentalist Islamic ideology.63 Taliban leaders enforced the law as they saw fit and prohibited differing interpretation. 64 The plight of Afghan women living under the Taliban regime became an issue of global concern. 65 After the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on September 11, 2001, and the subsequent United States military invasion of Afghanistan in October 2001, the Taliban regime collapsed.66 This development presented women with the opportunity to fight for gender equality.67On December 5, 2001, the Bonn Agreements 68 mandated that the Transitional Administration of Afghanistan set up a Constitutional Commission to draft a new constitution.69 The Constitutional Commission’s mandate was to ascertain the Afghan people’s desires, both within the country and abroad, regarding their new constitution.70 The thirty-five member commission drafted the new constitution. 71 Seven of the thirty-five commission members were women, 72 which ensured the â€Å"participation of women in the constitution making process73 As part of the drafting commission, Afghan women w ere finally able to play a role in addressing women’s fundamental rights in the 2003 Constitution.74 INTERNATIONAL POLICY: REVIW AND RECOMMENDATIONS War and political insecurity in Afghanistan are directly related to rape incidence and sexual violence, especially under a free reign of ethnically divided militia factions. By empowering the Northern Alliance militias, the international community has created a long-term institutional problem that will undermine the democratic transition. Not only do these warlords have the military capacity to affect the electoral processes in their localities, but their de facto rule of the countryside also incapacitates the central authority in maintaining effective governance. The preponderance of warlords has also been legitimized through the democratic process, which offers militia commanders an opportunity to engage the political process in an official capacity while secretly maintaining their criminal and military powers. As a result, the international community has made the long-term presence of coalition military forces necessary for maintaining law and order. Because the international community empowered these militias in the War on Terror, the presence of international forces is required to keep the commanders under control, in order to avoid the brutality and violence of the civil war period. The recent decision by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to increase the number of International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) troops to expand the international mission into the unstable countryside is the most recent attempt to bolster the central government’s effectiveness in the rural regions.75 The expanded mission has been hailed as the solution to transition from warlord rule to democratic self-governance. The Canadian military recently announced that its new troop contingent expects to remain in Kandahar province for up to 20 years to help restore the country and prevent another collapse into civil war. These forces are expected to act as a stabilizing force to keep warlords in check. However, a long-term international presence might be alarming to Afghans who have a history of deep xenophobia and hostility towards occupying forces. Furthermore, regional and international power struggles between Pakistan and India, and the USA and Russia have exacerbated Afghanistan’s internal fragmentation, as international military forces continue to mobilize paramilitary groups against their rivals. Afghan people have also grown suspicious of the international humanitarian agenda in Afghanistan, which diverts a majority percentage of international funds to private security and foreign salaries, rather than food, medicine, or other vitally needed supplies for Afghan people. There are four key actions that the International Coalition and civil society actors must consider in order to correct the political chaos that has emerged in the post-Taliban period, which undermines the rights and protection of Afghan women. First, American forces must stop financing militias for use against the Taliban and al-Qaeda in the War on Terror. By utilizing these proxy militias, the international community has disempowered Afghan people and undermined the capacity of the central government to protect its citizens and enforce its laws. The resulting political instability and preponderance of foreign-backed warlords and militia groups in the countryside also directly threatens both the physical and sexual security of rural Afghan women. Second, the warlords that the US-led coalition co-opted during the offensive against the Taliban, who now hold official Parliamentary and Cabinet positions in the central government, must be stripped of their political power in the new democ racy. Furthermore, those warlords accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity, including sexual abuse, must be brought before both local courts and international tribunals. In order to establish a culture of social reconciliation and peace-building, all human rights violations committed during the four war periods must be resolved through legal and social mechanisms that provide rape victims with the opportunity to seek justice for atrocities perpetrated against them. Traditional values, especially those pertaining to women, the family, and social justice, must be considered in the development of laws that address violence against women. Third, in order to address the survival needs of the majority of Afghan women, international civil society actors must invest in rural development, health, and education, and co-operate with local partner organizations. Currently, international funding for humanitarian assistance is directed primarily towards the more stable and accessible urban envi ronments, where international organizations have developed isolated communities of wealthy ex-patriots. Rampant accusations that non-governmental organizations have squandered Afghanistan’s international funding through dubious projects and lofty salaries for foreign workers must also be investigated, in order to establish legitimacy and accountability within the civil society network. The creation of an internationally-sponsored, government-monitored, socially responsible, and grassroots civil society in rural Afghanistan would empower rural women in their communities and increase the capacity of the central government in the lawless countryside. Fourth, the traditional Islamic culture and values of Afghans must be respected in the development of women’s rights policies. Historically, Afghans have opposed radical changes in women’s social and legal status, especially those that they perceived violated the principles of Islamic law. In order to maintain a semblance of legitimacy with rural peoples, the international community must demonstrate an understanding of and respect for traditional norms and Islamic religious values, including those pertaining to women. By operating within culturally sensitive frameworks, the international community would avoid hostile backlash and better address the needs of Afghan women. The failure of the state of Afghanistan remains the most fundamental obstacle in the promotion of gender equality, as without the strength to enforce domestic legal and political reforms in rural areas, the government is ineffectual in most of the country. The International Coalition in Afghanistan must cease empowering and enabling warlords and militia commanders for convenient military purposes, which fundamentally impedes efforts to bring rapists and human rights violators to justice in local and international arenas. Coalition forces and the international community must also remain conscious of the deep Islamic character of the Afghan people, as it pertains to cultural norms that apply to women, sex, and family relations. The recommendations listed above build upon and supplement the concrete recommendations developed by Afghan women who have advocated for their inclusion in peace and security processes over many years. Each time, women have worked to develop solutions for what needs to be done to improve their situation. AWN brings a number of these recommendations back to the memory of policy makers who may have read Afghan Women Position Paper toward Bonn and Beyond. This is a reflection to evaluate the level of seriousness and attention that might have been put towards the demands of women since September 2011. 1. Women’s organization should be included in designing, monitoring and evaluating indicators that measure the impact of transition on women. Transition decisions should be based, in part, on results of this monitoring. 2. The recruitment of Afghan Local Police (ALP) and other security alternative needs to include a transparent vetting process so that former and current warlords with previous record of human rights violations do not automatically become part of the national forces. A portion of the vetting process should be community based, allowing women’s groups and women from communities to report on the background of the newly enrolled security forces 3. Women leaders in government and civil society are under constant attack, while it is necessary to ensure women’s protection in general, women leaders’ protection needs to be a priority as per their critical role as agents of change in society against conservative elements taking Afghanistan back to 199 0. 4. The Afghan government should have a clear reporting process for the human rights instruments and international laws that it has signed and needs to demonstrate that Afghan laws are not in contradiction with its international legal commitments for women. 5. A joint International Afghanistan War Memory Commission should be created so that the past 30 years of war violations are identified and there is a documentation process as a matter of conflict prevention. Such an investigation does not have to conclude in a legal trial but a memory of war and the beginning of a healing process. Otherwise, the practice of impunity will not unite Afghans towards a rule of law culture. CONCLUSION Afghanistan is still a haven for gender violence and discrimination despite equal rights enumerated in the Afghan Constitution. 76The Afghan Constitution requires that Afghanistan abide by the UDHR, the U.N. Charter, and other international treaties to which Afghanistan is a signatory. 77 However, these rights are unrealized in practice due to problems with the judiciary, such as lack of training and corruption,78 and the lack of awareness among the Afghan people of the law.79 To remedy these problems, Afghanistan should interpret its Constitution in accordance with Islamic laws following the examples of Iran80 and Egypt81 Afghanistan should train the judiciary not only on secular law, but on how to interpret the Constitution and international law in accordance with Sharia. If feasible, respected Islamic judges from Egypt should provide guidance to Afghanistan’s judges.Furthermore, Afghanistan should simultaneously disseminate information like the Bench Book 82 to increase women’s awareness and understanding of their rights and the procedural mechanisms to report infringement upon their rights. As Afghanistan continues to develop and strengthen its legal infrastructure within the framework of Islamic law, progressive interpretation of the Sharia is necessary in order for constitutional laws to be accepted and followed by Muslims.83 As the people of Afghanistan become more aware of the laws that govern their state and as they accept that women’s rights principles can co-exist with Islamic principles, women’s participation in society and politics will improve. This would be a large and overdue step for Afghanistan. References: 1. See Jessica Nash, Editorial, Afghan Women Forced to Live in Terror, W. GEORGIAN, Oct. 17, 2007, http://media.www.thewestgeorgian.com/media/storage/paper523/news/2007/10/1 7/Opinion/Afghan.Women.Forced.To.Live.In.Terror-3035567-page2.shtml. 2. Nazia Afghanistan: â€Å"My Husband Cut off My Ears and Nose and Broke My Teeth,† IRIN NEWS, Dec. 26, 2007, http://www.irinnews.org/HOVReport.aspx?ReportId=76003. 3. Id. 4. Id. 5. Id. 6. Id. 7. Id. 8. Nazia Afghanistan: â€Å"My Husband Cut off My Ears and Nose and Broke My Teeth,† supra note 2. 9. Id. (showing pictures of the mutilation). 10. Id. 11. Michael Stittle, Warlords No Better Than Taliban, Says Afghan MP, CTV NEWS, Nov. 8. 2007, http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20071107/Malalai-Joya 071107/20071107/. 12. See Nash, supra note 1. 13. See id. 14. Id. 15. The 502 delegate Loya Jirga (â€Å"Grand Council†) passed the 2003 Afghan Constitution on January 4, 2004, which governs Afghanistan today. JAMES INGALUS, THE NEW AFGHAN CONSTITUTION: A STEP BACKWARDS FOR DEMOCRACY 1-2 (2004), http://www.fpif.org/papers/2004afghanconst.html. 16. See infra notes 105-09 and accompanying text. 17. See infra notes 87-90. 18. Women Workers Exposed to Health Risks in Herat Factories, IRIN NEWS, Oct. 30, 2007, http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=75048. 19. See, e.g., Nash, supra note 1 (explaining that women’s freedoms are restricted every day in Afghanistan). 20. Horia Mosadiq, The New Afghan Constitution: How Women Succeeded in Ensuring Certain Rights and What Challenges Remain, 3 CRITICAL HALF 28, 28 (2005), available at http://www. womenforwomen.org/news-women-forwomen/ files/crit-half/CHJournalv3.pdf. 21. AFG. CONST. art. 7, available at http://afghanland.com/history/constitution.html. 22. United Nations Division for the Advancement of Women, Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women: States Parties, http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/cedaw/states.htm (last visited Oct. 18, 2008) [hereinafter CEDAW: States Parties]. 23. Human Rights Watch, More Business Than Usual: The Work Which Awaits the Human Rights Council, Mar. 12, 2007, http://hrw.org/englisb/docs/2007/03/12/sudanl5471.htm [hereinafter HRW, More Business Than Usual]. 24. Id. 25. Katherine M. Weaver, Comment, Women’s Rights and Shari’a Law: A Workable Reality? An Examination of Possible International Human Rights Approaches through the Continuing Reform of the Pakistani Hudood Ordinance, 17 DUKE J. COMP. & INT’L L. 483, 483 (2007). 26. See supra notes 15-21 and accompanying text.27. See Nash, supra note 1. 28. HRW, More Business Than Usual, supra note 23 (â€Å"Afghan women and girls continue to suffer from entrenched discrimination throughout the country.†). 29. CEDAW: States Parties, supra note 22. Afghanistan acceded the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women on March 5, 2003. Id. 30. See http://www.rawa.org/temp/runews/2012/07/18/a-member-of-bamyan-s-provincial-council-accused-of-raping-and-murdering-a-teenage-girl.html .