What is succession planning?

Succession planning can be considered a company’s passport to ensuring its sustainability and business continuity. Organisations, big or small, have their competent and hardworking people as their backbone. Without them, their success will not be possible even if they put in a lot of investment in high technology and advanced machineries. It’s one thing, though, to have a pool of qualified and high-potential talent; it’s another thing to ensure that they are in the right positions to maximise their talents and sustain their motivation. The problem comes in when an employee who is currently occupying a critical function becomes unable to perform his or her duties for whatever reason. The company must then be able to identify a key talent from within the organisation who can fill up the void, and this is where succession planning comes into play. Succession planning is an exercise that companies do to ascertain that they have strong, experienced and knowledgeable senior managers who can serve as mentors to promising junior officers who can (and will one day) take on more critical roles and hopefully lead the company to greater success. Succession planning is about making sure that there is a qualified and competent manager who can assume greater responsibilities as the need arises and at any given time. Like in any sports team, the coach relies on a deep bench of â€Å"second team† members to replace a â€Å"starter† player when necessary. In addition, succession planning is anchored on the company’s strategic goals. For instance, if the company decides to expand its business beyond its current service area, top management needs to identify qualified talents who can occupy new posts as a result of a new deal closed or replace senior managers in the parent company who will be seconded to the subsidiary. This means that top management must constantly be on the lookout for possible changes within the organisation and quickly identify the manpower implications of these developments. Organisations that have successfully institutionalised succession planning in their organisation have integrated it into their day-to-day business operations. Succession planning is a continuous activity and not just a periodic thing. Key Elements of Succession Planning The first step to a successful succession planning is having a comprehensive and effective talent mapping and assessment system. Here, the company needs to define the skills set and competencies required for a particular rank and / or function in order to evaluate if all its employees are placed in the position that is most suited for them. Moreover, the company should be able to identify and provide development opportunities and growth areas for each key employee. Furthermore, the company should classify an employee as a high-potential talent, average performer or one that is unreliable and unmotivated. This is to make sure that the company allots more time and resources to develop the right people for the job. This means that a high-potential talent will be given more training and development programs and will be exposed to more growth opportunities compared with an average performer. Another key element in succession planning is to ensure that there is a regular performance evaluation system in place especially for key and emerging talents in the organisation. For most companies, this is done annually; for some semi-annually or even quarterly. Whatever the case is, the company should set clear, quantifiable, measurable and realistic targets against which an employee will be evaluated. Through this, top management will be able to see who among their employees are performing well against their deliverables. If there is a nonperforming employee, the company should find out the underlying cause for this because it might be a case of mismatch between the employee’s skills set and the role that he or she is being asked to perform. The company then should be quick to rectify this problem by moving that employee to a more appropriate position for him and find a more suitable talent who can take his or her place. Companies should also establish a mentoring mechanism and encourage their senior managers to always have an understudy who they think can assume their roles in the future. This understudy or apprentice will shadow the senior manager and help him or her perform critical tasks to develop the needed leadership and management skills. Moreover, companies should foster a working environment where there is flow of information from senior to junior managers and vice-versa. Talent retention is also an important element in succession planning. Companies should invest in making their employees happy and satisfied by providing financial (e. g. rewards and incentives) and non-financial â€Å"gifts† (e. g. employee recognition programs, good healthcare plan, training and development programs, safe and healthy working environment, etc. ). This, then, allows more time for seasoned managers to transfer their knowledge and share their experience to their younger colleagues so that when the time comes, junior officers can step up to the challenge. Benefits of Effective Succession Planning An effective succession planning can bring about benefits both to the company and the employees. First, the company can be assured of a stable business anchored on a strong senior management team and an equally-reliable pool of second stringers composed of trained and groomed junior employees. This, in turn, will make investors and shareholders more confident about the future of the company, which hopefully leads to increased shareholder value. On the part of the customers, they will also be assured that their service provider is in good hands and will be able to cater to their long-term needs. Moreover, good succession planning will save the company time and money in externally sourcing the talent who can best fill in the vacant position. External talents, no matter how brilliant they are, need ample time to understand the business and blend with the organisation. In the same manner, employees will benefit from an effective succession planning system as this will meet their career development requirements and make their existing and future roles clearer. High-potential employees will also appreciate the company’s taking notice of them and providing them with more top-level training and development programs. They will surely feel that they are given importance to by the company. Finally, succession planning gives employees a sense of stability, knowing that they have a long-term career path with the company. This, in turn, will make the employees more motivated, optimistic and forward-looking.

The Major Profitability Ratios

The major profitability ratios are: 1. 1. 1. 1RETURN ON CAPITAL: Describes the earning capacity of the enterprise and it is measured by the following ratio: Profit before interest and taxation Average operating Assets The Return On Capital ratio measures how well the average operating assets (assets such as debtors, cash, fixed assets, stock) are generating the company s income, and is indicative of the management techniques applied by the company to utilise its assets. A poor income rate of return could indicate that valuable assets are under utilised.As a result of this problem, an enterprise, which shows a negative Return on capital could be under the influence of poor management. The earning capacity of XYZ Limited for 1998 and 1999 |Ratio|2000|1999|1998|Comments| |||||| Return on|||||| Capital|NPBT|100|88|70|| |Av. OA|(286 + 230) 2|(230 + 162) 2|(162 + 144)|Industry ave| ||100 x 100|88 x 100| 2|| ||258|196|70 x 100|| ||38, 76%|44, 9%|153|| ||||45. 7%|| |||||| I N T E R P R E T A T I O N : XYZ Limited s return on capital declined from 45. 7% in 1998 to 44. 9% in 1999.This decrease is mainly due to the increase in assets, but further investigation is required to analyse the extent of this decrease. The decrease continued further from 44. 9% in 1999 to 38. 76% in 2000. Again this decrease is due to an increase in assets. The question that arises therefor is: â€Å"Is this phenomena as a result of mismanagement of assets, or just because XYZ Limited is starting up and still growing? † Additional investigation would be required to analyse the extent of the decrease. 1. 1. 1. 2NET PROFIT RATIO: The primary objective of an enterprise is to make a profit.Profit is earned from sales and serves as an important measure of return of capital. The Net Profit percentage can be measured by the following ratio: Net Profit Sales This Net Profit Ratio measures the overall effectiveness of the enterprise s operations, before interest, tax and other non-â€Å"operati ng† items. The shortfall of this ratio in terms of its effectiveness is perhaps the fact that its usefulness is limited to comparisons with other companies. In addition, there is no guideline as to what the ideal absolute value should be. Changes to the Net Profit % can be influenced by one of two components, viz. – Gross Profit Percentage Operating Expenditure In addition, the percentage of sales consumed by operating expenses (i. e. Gross Profit % – Net Profit %) is often indicative of management efficiency in controlling operating costs. Disciplined management techniques, for example, by cutting costs can lead to two consequences, viz. : – A more profitable enterprise An efficiently operating enterprise The Net Profit % of XYZ Limited is as follows: – Net Profit % Margin|2000|1999|1998| Net Operating Income|100|88|70| Net Sales|900|800|700| |11. 11%|11. 00%|10. 00%| |||| I N T E R P R E T A T I O N :The Net Profit Percentage Margin increased steadily in proportion to the Gross Profit percentage during the horizon of 1998 to 1999 (10% to 11%). This improvement in the enterprise s return on capital indicates that a proportionately greater profit was earned from sales in 1999 that in 1998. The crux of the matter, however, is not yet known whether this improvement is as a result of larger Gross Profit or lower expenses. Further analysis would be required. During the period of 1999 to 2000 the Net Profit Percentage Margin increased by a further 0. 11% (11% in 1999 to 11,11% in 2000).Again this improvement can be ascribe to an improvement in the enterprise s return on capital. And as noted in the previous horizon, it cannot be determined whether this improvement is as a result of larger Gross Profit or lower expenses. Further analysis would be required. 1. 1. 1. 3Gross Profit % Margin Gross Profit % is an indication of the return of the enterprise s core business. The Gross Profit percentage can be measured by the following r atio: Gross Profit Sales The Gross Profit percentage ratio may be difficult to calculate, as many companies do not disclose their Gross Profit figures.This ratio measures the overall profit margin the enterprise is making on the goods it sells. Perhaps a weakness of this ratio is that by disclosing this type of information a company could potentially expose itself to its competitors. Changes in the Gross Profit % can be influenced by the following factors: Change in markup – changes in the selling prices of goods, or possibly trade discounts will have a direct impact on the GP margin. Sales Mix – an enterprise may deal with numerous different products, which have different mark-ups, and as a result, the sales mix will have an influence on Gross Profit % margin.A changing sales mix should be ascertainable from the segment report (if prepared) by the enterprise. Inventory theft – the theft of inventories would cause unequal quantities of inventories to be reflec ted as sales and cost of sales, and will definitely have a negative impact of the GP margin. The Gross Profit % of XYZ Limited is as follows: – Gross Profit Margin|2000|1999|1998| Gross Profit X 100%|300|256|210| Sales|900|800|700| |33. 33%|32. 00%|30. 00%| |||| I N T E R P R E T A T I O N : During the period 1998 to 1999, XYZ Limited s Gross Profit percentage margin increased from 30. 3% in 1998 to 32. 9% in 1999.Changes in Gross Profit from one period to the next may be influenced by an increase in sales volume, but further analysis would be required. During the period 1999 to 2000, XYZ Limited s Gross Profit percentage margin increased by 1,1% (from 32. 0% in 1999 to 33. 3% in 1999). A closer look into the enterprise would be required to analyse the following factors: – Higher selling prices Lower purchasing prices Incorrect inventory counts Stricter prevention or loss control policies For obvious reasons, this type of analysis is only possible if the unit selli ng price and the costs are known. 1. 1. 1. Return on Equity (ROE) Return on Equity is measured by the following ratio: Net Profit After Tax Total Equity Return On Equity (ROE) is an indication of good or bad the shareholders prospered during the year. The objective of any enterprise must be to yield sufficient returns in line with the risks taken on by the owner. In addition, the Return on Equity ratio also gives the investor an idea of the sort of return of investment he/she is achieving. This can be compared with returns on alternative investment opportunities such as savings accounts, gilts, and fixed properties. The ROE of XYZ Limited is as follows: –Return on Equity200019991998 Net Profit After Tax|56|48|33| Total equity|186|154|102| |30. 11%|31. 17%|32. 35%| |||| I N T E R P R E T A T I O N : During 1998 the Return on Equity ratio, as calculated above, indicated that for every rand in equity XYZ Limited generated 32. 35 cents in profit. Also noticeable is that during 19 99 and 2000 this profit was measured as 31,17 and 30. 11 respectively. Apart from the fact that there was a mediocre decline in percentage over the three-year period, nothing signifies that the company is undergoing stress in terms of the ROE figures. Thus no further analysis would be required. . 1. 1. 5Earnings Per Share Describes the earning per share of the entity and it is measured by the following ratio: Earnings Per Share Total Equity Earnings Per Share indicates the value of the company s share as perceived by the market. The higher increase in value, the higher the favourable perception of the enterprise. The EPS of XYZ Limited is as follows: – Earnings Per Share|2000|1999|1998| Net Profit After Tax|56|48|33| Number of Shares Issued|10|10|8| |R5. 60|R4. 80|R4. 13| |||| I N T E R P R E T A T I O N : XYZ Limited s earnings per share favourably increased over the three horizons from R4. 3 (1998), to R4. 80 (1999), to R5. 60 (2000). This steady increase in share value ove r the three-year period is indicative of the higher favourable perception of XYZ Limited s 1. 1. 1. 6P/E Ratio Describes Price/Earnings per share capacity of the entity and it is measured by the following ratio: Price Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Per Share indicates the internal growth of an enterprise. The P/E ratio also signifies how much investors are willing to pay per rand of current earnings. Furthermore, an increase in P/E usually indicates that an enterprise shows potential for future growth.The P/E Ratio of XYZ Limited is as follows: – P/E ratio|2000|1999|1998| Price per Share|28|20|16| Earnings Per Share|6|5|4| |5. 00|4. 17|3. 90| I N T E R P R E T A T I O N : The Price/Earnings per share for XYZ Limited steadily increased over the horizons of 1998 (3. 90) to 1999 (4. 17); an increase of 0. 27. This increase is healthy for the company as it reflects it as a growing capability. However, since XYZ Limited is in its start-up phase this increase is understandable. The Price/Earnings per share for XYZ Limited, again, steadily increased over the horizons of 1999 (4. 17) to 2000 (5. 00); an increase of 0. 3. What is interesting to note is that this internal growth suggests that perhaps it is one of the contributory factors, which influenced the negative trend in the return of capital and since the company is relative new, growth is inevitable. 1. 1. 2 Liquidity Ratios Liquidity ratios, in essence, measure the ability of the enterprise to pay its bills on time. In other words, the more liquid an enterprise possesses, the more able it would be in terms of paying its bills. In addition, Liquidity ratios also measure the management of a firm s ability to employ working capital. The major liquidity ratios are: Current Ratio Acid-test Ratio Stock Turnover days Creditors payment ratio 1. 1. 2. 1Current Ratio The Current ratio measures the amount of times the company s assets cover its liabilities. Current liabilities consist of creditors who must be paid in cash in the short term. Current assets mainly consist of stock, debtors, and cash. The calculation of the current ratio is as follows: Current Assets Current Liabilities There is no generic rule of thumb about what the figure should be, but generally speaking, an acceptable ratio usually computes between 1 and 2, even though this may vary from industry to industry.The significant thing about the current ratio is that it is used to make comparisons, rather than an absolute measure of liquidity. As a short-term ratio, it makes sense, due to the fact the company s liquidity in the short term depends upon whether it has enough current assets to pay its current liabilities. Another important aspect of the Current Ratio is that it is an important tool for creditors and bank managers (in the case of overdrafts) as signifies that the company can make the commitment to its lenders. The current ratio could also be used in terms of risk management in the event of a negative trend in t his ratio.For example, if the rate at which the company s assets are converted into cash is slower than that of the repayment of the company s creditors, there would be liquidity problems in that enterprise. The Current ratio of XYZ Limited is as follows: – Current Ratio|2000|1999|1998| Current Assets|186|110|22| Current Liabilities|70|36|20| |2. 66 : 1. 0|3. 06:1. 0|1. 10:1. 0| |||| I N T E R P R E T A T I O N : The Current ratio for XYZ Limited during the period 1998 to 1999 increased considerably from 1. 10:1. 0 to 3. 06:1. 0. The poor acid-test ratio in 1998 indicated that the company had experienced problems.This is obviously not the case due to the fact that the enterprise was just starting up. Another observation of this particular horizon is that it signifies that in 1999 the company expanded (grew) substantially since its inception – which contributed to the enormity of the gap. During the period of 1999 to 2000 the current ratio of XYZ Limited expectedly â₠¬Å"levelled-out† from (3. 06: 1. 0) to (2. 66:1. 0); and even though it is still above the industry norm (2:1). Even though this horizon indicates that XYZ Limited has the capabilities of servicing long-term debt and current liabilities, it must still be viewed with caution. 1. 1. 2. Acid Test Ratio The Acid-Test ratio (or sometimes referred to as the Quick ratio) is a more severe form of the current ratio where current assets are readily converted to cash are calculated as a proportion of the current liabilities. The calculation of the Acid-test ratio is as follows: Current Assets – Stock Current Liabilities The Acid-test ratio also compares current assets to current liabilities, but removes stock from the assets, since stock is usually the least liquid of all the assets and the most difficult to convert into cash. This ratio, in fact, gives us a more accurate assessment of the liquidity of the enterprise.A quick ratio of 1:1 would be considered as the norm , but may v ary from industry to industry. The Quick ratio of XYZ Limited is as follows: – Acid Test Ratio|2000|1999|1998| Current assets – Stock|120|70|7| Current Liabilities|70|36|20| |1. 71:1. 0|1. 94:1. 0|0. 35:1. 0| |||| I N T E R P R E T A T I O N : The Current ratio for XYZ Limited during the period 1998 to 1999 increased considerably from 0. 35:1. 0 to 1. 94:1. 0 respectively. The poor acid-test ratio in 1998 is indicative of the fact that the company was in its infancy stage and was probably committed to its lenders.XYZ Limited then somewhat leap-frogged in 1999 to a more favourable position due its debtors recovery. During the period of 1999 to 2000 the quick ratio of XYZ Limited declined marginally from (3. 06: 1. 0) to (2. 66:1. 0) respectively; and even though it is still above the industry norm (1:1). The decrease in XYZ Limited s quick ratio could be ascribed to expansion in operations and growth and even though was still able to meet its short-term commitments. 1. 1. 2. 3Stock turnover days The calculation of the stock turnover days is as follows: Average inventory X 365 Cost of salesThe inventory stock days calculates the sales an enterprise contains in its year-end inventory. The most efficient scenario would be to have no inventory holding, but is impractical, as it would make an enterprise inoperable. It would therefor be considered as a management inventory control policy. The Stock turnover days ratio of XYZ Limited is as follows: – Stock Inventory Turnover Days|2000|1999|1998| Ave inventory X 365|66|40|15| Cost of sales|600|544|490| |40. 15|26. 84|11. 17| I N T E R P R E T A T I O N : It is interesting to note that during the period 1998 and 1999 this figure for the stock turnover days seemingly increased by 25. 7 days (from 11. 17 days in 1998 to 26. 84 days in 1999). This increase in the number of days could be as a result of growth or due to stock holding. XYZ Limited showed an increase in the number of days for the horizon 1 999 (26 days) and 2000 (40 days). This negative trend over this period and the previous horizon could be misleading and potentially indicates that stock piling occurs. It is difficult to assess this condition as the company could be in the process of delivering a huge order or has over stocked in anticipation of sales projection. 1. 1. 2. 4Creditors PaymentsThe calculation of the creditors payments is as follows: Average Creditors X 365 Cost of sales The creditors payments days indicates the period an enterprise uses to pay it s trade collectors. This can potentially give rise to cash discounts by suppliers. The Creditors Payments ratio of XYZ Limited is as follows: – Stock Inventory Turnover Days|2000|1999|1998| Ave Creditor X 365|40|26|20| Cost of sales|600|544|490| |24 days|17days|14days| I N T E R P R E T A T I O N : XYZ Limited showed an increase in the number of days for the horizon 1998 (14 days) and 1999 (17 days). And again during 2000 (24 days).This, however, does n ot signify anything as the company is still able to pay its suppliers in less that 30 days, which suggests an efficient payment process. 1. 1. 3 Leverage Ratios Leverage (Gearing) ratios, in essence, gives the analyst an indication of the sort of debt an enterprise has and how the operations is financed. All leverage ratios will contain long-term debts and short-term debts. This is usually compared with the total assets of the company. Financial institutions and banks are usually keen to know the company s leverage as they are keen to find out how much an enterprise has borrowed and what it can afford to borrow.The major leverage ratios are: 1. 1. 3. 1Debt Ratio The debt ratio is an indicator of all the debt that the company has , to its total assets. The calculation of the debt ratio is as follows: Total liabilities Total assets Due to the accounting equation, it can be generally assumed that the company has financed its assets by the above proportion of â€Å"non-owner† fun ds. â€Å"Owner funds† refers to share capital and retained earnings. Lenders generally stipulate that this ratio should not exceed a certain percentage because it is usually more risky to lend to a company who lacks owners funds (i. . share capital + retained earnings) as apposed to its â€Å"non-owners† funds. Again, the desirable value of this ratio is difficult to evaluate and its usefulness lies in how it compares to the same ratio in other similar companies. The debt ratio of XYZ Limited is as follows: – Debt ratio|2000|1999|1998| Total liabilities|100|76|60| Total assets|286|230|162| |34. 97%|33. 04%|37. 04%| |||| I N T E R P R E T A T I O N : The debt ratio for XYZ Limited during the period 1998 to 1999 decreased marginally from 37. 04% to 33. 04%. this was mainly due to an increase in assets.Due to this effect on leverage, the debt equity ratio caused the return on shareholder s equity to remain fairly constant even though an increase in return on capit al was encountered. During the period of 1999 to 2000 the debt ratio of XYZ Limited increased marginally, suggesting that the company did not have the same profitability as the previous horizon. 1. 1. 3. 2Long-term Debt Ratio The long-term debt ratio is an indicator of only the long-term debt that the company has, to its total assets. The calculation of the long-term debt ratio is as follows: Long-term Debt Total assetsLong term debt is fairly static. Generally lenders do not like to give long-term loans to finance short-term (current assets). They prefer to lend on a long-term basis for items such as fixed assets. The ratio therefor indicates what proportion of the assets has been financed by long-term debt. The debt ratio of XYZ Limited is as follows: – Long-term debt ratio|2000|1999|1998| Long-term debt|30|40|40| Total assets|286|230|162| |10. 49%|17. 39%|24. 69%| |||| I N T E R P R E T A T I O N : The debt ratio for XYZ Limited during the period 1998 to 1999 decreased mar ginally from 24. 9% to 17. 39%. This was mainly due to an increase in total assets. Due to this effect on leverage, the debt equity ratio caused the return on shareholder s equity to remain fairly constant even though an increase in return on capital was encountered. During the period of 1999 to 2000 the debt ratio of XYZ Limited increased significantly mainly due to an increase in total assets and a decrease in long-term debt. What is noticeable in this ratio is that XYZ Limited is not particularly bad for the company. In fact, the company is seemingly doing very well.

How significant was urban life to medieval society Essay

How significant was urban life to medieval society - Essay Example Furthermore, growth in trade and more attention was paid to literacy along with migration from rural areas that reshaped the outlook of cities and towns. The dynamic culture which emerged after urban development in Middle Ages laid down a foundation of development in economy, society, religion, arts and politics. Urban areas in medieval society comprised of small colonies having a very small population as compared to cities and towns of present day. It is also important to note that these medieval cities were also not as civilized as modern cities are today. Territorial expansion, increase in population, development of trade and migration in urban areas are some of the major traits of urbanization in middle ages. Due to increased employment and business opportunities, merchant class emerged as an important social and demographic segment which reshaped overall social hierarchy in mediaeval society. Since earlier social segregation comprised of aristocracy, peasants and clergy, the soc ial hierarchical system had no place for merchants which further lead to migration of merchants to other towns and cities. Earlier residential areas and cities comprised of undersized housing units with very small cover areas with narrow confined streets. It was after the development in trade when requirement of bigger streets for transportation and warehousing increased causing construction of bigger housing units and acquisition of more land leading to expansion in territories. Since urban population was not mainly involved in direct labour, they had more opportunities to pay attention to education which lead to increased in literacy in medieval Europe. This was also precisely the time when new genres and writing styles emerged1. In the late tenth century, many cities and towns were founded followed by settlements of merchants near these areas. The lords of these cities and towns also offered protection to these merchants. Since inhabitants of towns were largely dependent on the l ords for mobility required for trade and continuous food supply from other territories, the groups of merchants and artisans filled this gap of transportation. According to Spielvogel, â€Å"since the townspeople were profiting from the growth of trade and sale of their products, they were willing to pay for the right to make their own laws and govern themselves2†. Therefore, towns began to gain their rights in exchange of certain amount of revenues paid to the King and lords. In addition to that, burghers also obtained charters of liberties from these lords which granted them â€Å"rights to bequeath and sell property, freedom from ,military obligation to the lord, written urban law and right to become a free person after residing a year and a day in a town3†. After gaining rights of governing themselves, another important part of development of medieval society was formation of Guilds. Guilds were formal business associations of merchants, artisans, bankers etc. Thes e institutions were established earlier for religious and social purposes; â€Å"Merchant or craft guilds came slightly later. They arose when guilds dominated by merchants, like the Trinity Guild of Coventry, began to regulate conditions of manufacture and trade4.† Out of all the guilds, merchant and craft guilds are of immense importance as they formed the nucleus of new civil society. These organizations not only provided protection for

A Briefer on The Right to Protest and Police Powers Assignment

A Briefer on The Right to Protest and Police Powers - Assignment Example The paper tells that pertinent legal provision that applies to the right to public protest is in Article 11 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), which states as follows: â€Å"Everyone has the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and to freedom of association with others, including the right to form and to join trade unions for the protection of his interests.† The second paragraph qualifies the scope of the freedom of peaceful assembly and the freedom of association, by laying down the limitations to this right and reiterating the power of agents of the state, such as the police and armed forces, to impose lawful restrictions. The restrictions to this right are as follows: (1) interests of national security or public safety, (2) for the prevention of disorder or crime, (3) for the protection of health or morals or for the protection of the rights and freedoms of others. Article 11 should be seen alongside the right guaranteed in Article 10 of the ECHR, on which is enshrined the right of â€Å"freedom of opinion† which â€Å"shall include freedom to hold opinions and to receive and impart information and ideas without interference by public authority and regardless of frontiers.† It is important to note that these provisions carry both a negative and positive obligation for the state: the negative obligation is the obligation not to interfere in the exercise of the right to peaceful assembly and freedom of opinion, and the positive obligation is to take positive measures towards the free and meaningful exercise of these rights. 3. The operative word in the provision would be the word â€Å"peaceful† and there has been some debate over whether or not a particular form of protest may

How to use marketing mix buile Chiang Rai province as a destination Assignment

How to use marketing mix buile Chiang Rai province as a destination during winter season - Assignment Example 116,664 + 18.90 119,450 + 2.39 YEMEN 3,469 - 2.88 2,993 - 13.72 MIDDLE EAST 282,879 + 6.62 298,076 + 5.37 Source- (Ambhanwong 2010) International Tourist Arrival in Thailand in 2009 -14,149,841 International Tourist from Middle East alone 298,076 (5.37%) Source - (Ambhanwong 2010) Marketing Mix According to Kotler et al (2006), marketing mix connotes the elements that a business owner or a manager can manage to influence the consumers in decision- making on the tourist visit to Chiang Rai province, especially in winter. As per Shoemaker, Lewis and Yesawich (2007), Professor Neil Borden of Harvard can be said as the father of the concept namely â€Å"marketing mix.† Borden developed the â€Å"four Ps† principles namely â€Å"product, place (distribution), price and promotion. (Kotler et al, 2006) The term product connotes to features like the business range of services or products, the novelty of those services or products, their distinctiveness from the products of the ir rivals, or their excellence to the competitors’ services or products with reference to quality. Price connotes to the services / or product’s prices enumerated in the price list or any incentive offered for the promotions of such services or products, and if there is any price incentive available for the peak season or offseason period. Place connotes to the delivery of the services or products gauged by the elements like availability, distribution and convenience. The term promotion connotes to informative sales campaign like displays, features and discount, detailing and advertising. McCarthy is of the view that marketing of tourism industry is different from that of marketing of products and thus, needs a varied approach to the marketing mix – that is – the concept of the marketing mix to... This essay discusses that Chiang Rai has large potential to offer medical tourism, adventure tourism and golf tourism to the foreign tourist at the affordable cost with the world-class luxury. In the last decade, tourism industry is one of the major revenue earners for the Thailand economy, and tourism accounted about 7% of its GDP (Gross Domestic Product). Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has launched various programs to promote the tourist industry both domestic and inbound one with attractive slogans like â€Å" Unseen Thailand â€Å", & â€Å" Amazing Thailand.† The revenues generated through tourism industry are mainly meant for income distribution to various regions of Thailand and for economic growth, including Chiang Rai province. According to TAT, about 14,584,226 international tourists arrived in Thailand in 2008 14,149,841 international tourists arrived in Thailand in 2009 alone. Goeldner & Ritchie , in their empirical research study ,have found that respondent s in a survey who visited Baan Phangam province in Thailand gave the highest mean positive feedback (3.99) on the service/product aspects for adventure tourism. This is trailed by place (3.43), and then, the price and then promotion. Further, the tourists also gave more weight to natural beauty of the surrounding or scenic beauty, daring adventure movements and a mixture of adventure activities. As regards to tourist’s demeanours , positive feedback given by colleagues / friends who visited Thailand already scored high mean score of 56% for a tourist to decide as Thailand as their favourite tourist destination.

A Short Story Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

A Short Story - Essay Example Living in such a secluded location made it hard for the doctor and his family to freely mingle with the other sections of this society. In this forest, was Mwaibale, his wife Lucy and their children, Johanna, Markus and Naomi. One thing that remains clear from this kind of life is the fact that Mwaibale, right from his childhood, lived not to understand and to a worse extent, appreciate the role of education. To this family, live revolved around food, livestock and hunting. This made it for their children not be lucky to acquire formal education. In fact, Mwaibale’s children did not even get an opportunity to see the doors of a classroom. The only thing in this compound was a heap of herbs that were being used by this professional to handle any type of ailment, be it superstition or anything that anyone would imagine. As a result of claims to be knowledgeable in all the diseases, people had to flock in to this compound to seek for treatment for any thing they believed could be treatable. Even if he did not obtain any form of formal education, most of his customers were educated people from the city. Whenever they visited him, they could be attended to by Mwaibale with assistance from his eldest son, Markus to whom he was to descend the mantle he got from his late mother who died when he was nine in the last century. All the visitors would be directed to his small mud wall thatched house in the middle of his compound. Here, they would be diagnosed and prepared for what was now awaiting them- examination and further treatment. Since there was no formal injection of drugs, the doctor would use a razor blade to pierce their bodies to put this injection. So, each and every one of them was to bring a quarter a dollar to use for the purchase of this important gadget. A typical doctor’s day would begin right before sunset when preparing to receive his patients. At this time, he would assemble all his paraphernalia believing that

ETHICAL ISSUES IN LAW ENFORCEMENT Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

ETHICAL ISSUES IN LAW ENFORCEMENT - Essay Example The case presented says that on being a police officer and being sent to an accident spot, I discover that my car is involved in the accident. It appears that my spouse is involved in the accident. However, moving closer, I learn to my shock, that my spouse is badly hurt; and her illegitimate lover is also in the car. I am devastated on learning that I have been cheated upon. Both of them lay in badly tattered conditions and are literally on their death beds, begging for help and treatment. Now, both the individuals----my spouse and her lover---are on their death beds and I can save only one, since at least one of them would bleed to death. At this juncture, I need to take the call as to whom I would like to save; since time is a constraint and we could lose them any minute. This is certainly one of the most testing times, in my personal and professional lives intertwined together and I need to prove my mettle in this testing time. My objectivity is questioned at this point, since I need to play the role of a police professional and a husband, who is cheated upon and whose spouse and her lover are on their death beds. Besides this, I also need to act at the nick of the moment and take the decision fast.At this moment of uncertainty and chaos, hurt and confusion, I decide that I would save my spouse. This is because I still love her unconditionally and would not allow any deception or other causes to hamper my love and devotion. However, here, I would have to also retain my objectivity and humanity. Therefore, I hand over my phone to a passerby and ask the person to call up the emergency ambulance. This would ensure the safety of the other individual as well. The passengers-by assure to help me out and cater to his needs. I hand over my walkie-talkie to one of them and rush to the hospital with my spouse. I stay in touch with him, with regard to the progress at the other end. This way, I am certain thta the other individual would recoup soon.Meanwhile, I take up all the necessary steps to ensure that my spouse gets treatment. I rush her to the hospital, and perform small first aid steps on the way. I offer moral support. In spite of her guilt, I try to make her feel safe and secure. The wrong-doings can be sorted out later. However, life is more important at the moment.Meanwhile, I also correspond with individuals and deputy officers at the spot, about the health of the other individual. I see to it that both emerge safe. However, I would definitely confront the individual and m y spouse once they get better and would demand an explanation. Legally, I would take up the necessary action and find out the root cause for the accident. A case would be booked under the law concerned, for instance, speed driving. This would be in accordance to the laws and

Accounting issues research and analysis Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Accounting issues and analysis - Research Paper Example Section 14 indicates that during transition, an entity should disclose the immediate status in financial reporting in accordance with estimates made in accordance with the previous standard (national standard). R&D costs for prior years should thus be recognized under the US GAAP, and clearly indicated that they are reported under US GAAP in the first IFRS opening balances (IFRS 1, P28). Prior R&D costs should thus be expensed in accordance with SFAS 2, which limits capitalization of R&D costs. In regard to tracking future R&D costs, there is need for our entity to adopt IFRS. Just like in US GAAP, IFRS expenses all costs incurred in the research phase of a project. Nevertheless, it will be good for our entity to clearly separate research phase costs and development phase costs. In cases where a distinction does not exist, IFRS requires expensing of such costs, eroding the entity’s R&D assets. Tracking R&D costs under IFRS ensures that cost of materials incurred in development, employee costs during development, fees and patent amortizations are recognized as an asset, enhancing the balance sheet worth of the entity. This is outlined in section (IAS 38, p66). To account for the current project’s research and development costs, all development costs are capitalized and recognized as an asset in the balance sheet as per IAS 38R.57. On the other hand, all research phase costs are expensed. For the development costs to be capitalized there must be proof that there is intention to complete such products and sell or use them and the entity has the right and ability to use or sell such products. These costs should equally be in a position to generate future economic benefits to the organization. The entity should equally be in a position to measure costs incurred in development in a reliable manner. This will be different from US GAAP, which limits capitalization of development costs (FASB, P1). If recognition

Introductory chapter needs some more info Essay

Introductory chapter needs some more info - Essay Example rop Frye discusses it in his essay, refers simply to a special kind of narrative.1 The special nature of this narrative is that it is devised to reflect the beliefs of a particular culture, especially as it uses the concept of the supernatural to explore and explain natural events and the essence of human nature. Frye’s argument is that this mythic narrative is included in almost all of the archetypes used in literature and that these concepts are also found within our most sacred ritual events as we continue to seek the true nature of the order of life. Considering Frye’s discussion of myth, ritual and the natural cycle as it is presented in The Archetypes of Literature, it can be seen that there are several rituals and beliefs that we experience in modern life that we are perhaps not even aware of as being a voluntary affirmation of the natural order of life, such as the beliefs we associate with the concept of darkness. An examination into the traditional values asso ciated with darkness helps to inform the shift in focus seen as the world began to shift into its more modern configuration. Generally acknowledged to have started with the publication of Horace Walpole’s novel The Castle of Otranto in 1764, the Gothic genre represents a fundamental shift in thinking from one dominated by ideals and reason to one of imagination and emotion.2 Gothic literature is characterized by its unique way of combining horror and romance to create a completely new genre that, particularly after the advent of Sigmund Freud and his psychoanalytic theory,3 focused more and more on the power of the mind to terrify itself. Common elements found within Gothic literature include terror, the supernatural, ghosts, haunted houses with a particular type of architecture, castles, darkness, death, madness, secrets and hereditary curses. Characters typically fall into stereotypical personas such as the femmes fatales, flawed heroes, monsters of various types and flawed individuals.

Goal of My Life Essay Example for Free

Goal of My Life Essay There are many goals in life that I have planned to accomplish. When I was in high school the most important goal was to finish the school with a G. P. A. 3. 0 or higher so that I could get into prestigious colleges. I have accomplished that goal, I graduated high school with a 3. 2 G. P. A. However, when I got into college people start asking me, â€Å"What are you planning to do after you finish college? † This is one of the toughest questions for a college student. Since I have been a student for all my life, I would have a hard time to answer the question. For every typical graduates would do is to find a job that suits with the field that they have learnt or help with their family business. People said that if you don’t have any idea on what you really want to do in your life, start with the things that interests you, things that you enjoy doing. Therefore, my goals in life are to take care of my parents when they are old, marry the best man, help the community, get a good job that makes me happy and gives me enough money to support my family. The first major goal in my life is to take care of my parents because in the Buddhist world, taught me that to take care of your parents is the most virtuous thing in life. Parents are the people that give birth and raise me to be a good person in the society, therefore I have to give back what they have given me for all their lives. The second goal in my life would be every girls’ dream that is to marry the best man (on earth). These days to find the right guy is very difficult thing to do because it is almost impossible. From the research of 100 guys, found that at least 50 guys are gay, 20 guys are married, 10 are in jail, 5 became monks, 5 are unattractive, 5 are disabled, 3 have HIV, 1 is in asylum(27 August 2012). However, I still believe that every person are destine to be with someone, and I will find my best man someday. Another goal in my life is to help others. I believe that every people should learn how to give and take, it’s the only way to make this world a better place. When you make more then you should give back more. By that I mean helping the community. I may not be able to donate tons of money to the people in need but I started off with little things such as littering in proper places and donate essentials to the orphanage. And in the future I would promote education for children that are in need. My last important goal is to get a good job with ood money. In this life I don’t expected to be a millionaire, I just want a job that makes me happy and gives me enough money to support my family. The reason why I don’t want to be a millionaire is because when you make more money, money will consume more of your time and you won’t be able to enjoy your happiness. I have set these goals to remind me that these are the reasons why I am here. And everyday that I live, everything that I do more or less would help me to accomplish these goals.

Measurements of Universal Health in Ethiopia

Measurements of Universal Health in Ethiopia TASK The UK Department for International Development (UK-DFID) has recently decided to allocate funds for establishing universal health coverage in low income countries. The Director of the Global Health Division of the UK-DFID invites you to submit a scoping report with a critical assessment of the type of indicators needed to evaluate and monitor universal health coverage in a low income country of your choice. Your report will be judged on the basis of the following criteria: Illustration and critical assessment of at least 5 relevant direct or indirect indicators (statistics), their sources and overall quality of data. The sources (online) and any other supporting references cited should be numbered either in the footnote or in the Bibliography at the end of the document. Use and reliability of those selected indicators for planning and programme interventions Potential country-specific barriers, where applicable, in implementing the universal health coverage Clarity of presentation, independent critical thinking and creativity One of the main aims of the UK department for international development is to promote the development and eradication of poverty through the establishment of Universal Global Health coverage in low in come countries. As a result this scoping report focuses on Ethiopia a low income region which has a history of high birth rates, famine, war and the second highest population in Africa (91million) [1]. The regions health care system as consequence is among one the poorest in Africa, making it an ideal region in assigning the types indictors needed to provide UGH [2]. In order to monitor and evaluate UGH it is important to firstly acknowledge that there is no one metric measurement or indicator of health, as health differs from one individual to another and as a outcome an average or optimum is often defined to monitor the overall health of the population [3]. The World Health Report 2013 has provided a widely used framework in order to successfully monitor UGH [4]. Figure 1 illustrates the framework which focuses on three main areas of health. Service coverage: the vital health care services that are needed, Financial coverage: Ability to acquire these services without financial difficulty and Population coverage: the number people that have access to these services. The indictors used in this report aim to cover these three dimensions while also being tailored specifically to Ethiopia’s health requirements. Table 1: Statistics adapted from WHO data repository [8] Population using improved drinking-water sources (%) Year Rural Urban 1990 4% 80% 2000 19% 87% 2011 39% 97% Adequate access to clean water is a basic human right and the seventh Millennium Development Goal [5]. Clean water is essential to ample quality of life and is used in a diverse range of fields from basic hydration, irrigation, sanitation to complex health care institutions such as hospitals making it a vital component of health [6]. This indicator is categorised into ether improved or unimproved source with improved sources indicating clean water. This classification makes it a simple indicator allowing identification of areas where safe water sources are abundant and areas that need improved water source access, perhaps through water aid programs. This indicator is particularly useful as it can show the range of human impacts on the quality of water through the presence of nitrate as well as compounds and bacteria which can indicate waterborne pathogens the common cause of disease. [7]. Data is provided through national household surveys, the demographic health surveys (DHS) and RA DW (Rapid assessment of drinking water quality project) which is carried out by both the WHO and UNICEF with the DHS often providing high quality statistics [4]. Table 1 illustrates that the percentage of improved water sources is disproportionate from 97% users in urban area in 2011 compared to just 39% in rural areas in 2011. This suggests that water sanitation programs should be focused in rural areas where there are less people using improved drinking sources. The results also illustrate that although there are far more users of improved sources in urban areas, the number of users in rural area over three decades have seen a greater increase from just 4% in 1990 to over 39% in 2011 which could be attribute to better surveying in these areas in recent times. The indicator however is a proxy to number of people that have access to clean water as it shows the percentage of users of improved sources and not the amount people that have access to safe drinking water, meaning some soci al-economic groups such as the isolated poor or elderly are not accounted for as they are less likely to have â€Å"access† to these improved sources [7]. The indictor is limited only showing percentages for rural and urban areas; an indication of sub-urban regions would provide are more in-depth analysis of overall water quality in the region. Recognition of which gender the improved water source is mainly being used by i.e. men, women or children is also unaccounted for which could be crucial indicator as children are highly impacted from waterborne pathogens [2]. Furthermore even though water is being used from an improved source, this water still needs to be obtained from larger sources leading to possible contamination during transportation or even storage invalidating the indicator. Guidelines presented by WHO for safe drinking water is also assumed constant over time by indictor limiting it accuracy [9], overall this indicator can provide an overview of water quality b ut accuracy of the indicator can be skewed to urban areas. The overall health of the population is often measured by life expectancy, this indicator is widely used and data regarding this indictor is readily available. Life expectancy is a longer term measure of health and an overall indication of health over the years. Life expectancy in Ethiopia has been improving over the years from around 55 years at birth in 2004 to 62 years in 2011[8]. It is an important indicator in reflecting the overall mortality of the population; this is helpful for the governmental as it illustrates the trend through time of the overall population and improvements in life expectancy can reflect better nutrition, hygiene and effective medical intervention within the nation [10]. However unless a comprehensive cohort/period life table is developed, life expectancy at birth assumes that health conditions remain constant throughout the lifespan of the individual, an inaccurate assumption given the higher mortality rates in the first year of life and lower mortality a t around middle age. Table 3: Data adapted from WHO, World Bank and DHS. [8], [10],[11] BCG among 1 year’s olds (%) [8] Under 5 mortality rate per 1000 births [10] Children Fully Immunised (%) [11] Year: 1980 0 240 N/A 2000 51% 146 14.3% 2011 80% 68 24% Vaccination is an essential component of health in many low-income countries with the fourth MDG main aim being the reduction of child morbidity and mortality [5]. Immunisation can help reduce mortality and usually is cost effective while also being an excellent indictor of the health among children. BCG is the best indicator of full immunisation coverage as the WHO states children can be classified full immunised once they have received a tuberculosis vaccination (BCG) [9] therefore a BCG indicator is vital in monitoring health of children. Table 3 illustrates the importance of BCG vaccination with the percentage of coverage improving over the years from no vaccination in 1980 to over 80% of 1 year olds having being immunised in 2012 suggesting an improvement in the protection of children against TB, this is further reinforced by the decline in under five mortality rate. The validity of the indictor can be backed up by it its correlation to under 5 mortality rate; Table 3 illustrate s a linear relationship in increasing immunisation and declining child mortality, showing the success of the indictor in monitoring UGH among children. However universal health through immunisation in reality is hindered by a delay in diagnosis of tuberculosis in Ethiopia which can exacerbate the disease [12], combined with the majority of children and citizens being concentrated in rural areas where there is no real means of transportation available to attend a hospital for vaccination, [2] making the indicator biased to people who can access vaccination facilities. The BCG indicator is effectively used in TB prevention, treatment and psychological suffering through basic programmes such as stop TB strategy programme [4]. Data provides estimations between the accurately reported immunisation figures by national authorities and those where data may present misleading figures [8]. This means the data may not be fully accurate as it is a estimation of actual and misclassified figures. However this indicator is vital for monitoring and guiding disease and eradication programmes and efforts in Ethiopia. Although BCG percentage shows a high coverage over tuberculosis it does to provide accurate analysis of UGH in terms of other diseases such as malaria. The percentage of full immunised children is a better indictor for UGH as it indicates children which are protected against all diseases. However only 24% of children are fully immunised which suggest that although 80% of children are immunised this is misleading as this 80% are only immunised against TB and not other deadly diseases. Although the WHO suggests children are not fully covered against diseases until they are immunised from TB, the immunisation of other diseases prior to the TB vaccination needs to be considered. Anaemia is defined as a condition which is characterised by low levels of haemoglobin in our blood, in the case of Ethiopia anaemia is a major concern with low come groups being among highest at risk [13]. This is an important indicator in children as anaemia is associated with impaired mental and physical development and increasing morbidity and mortality. This indicator is particularly helpful because it has allowed a number of preventions programmes to be put into place such as enhanced outreach Strategy and Targeted supplementary foods intervention programme which aim to improve nutrient in among children. More than 44% of population in 2011 is still anaemic with 21% percent of children having moderate anaemia illustrating the importance of this indicator in monitoring UGH in children and future programme intervention development. However this indicator is constraint to children limiting its capability, it is also misleading as there are also other factors related to anaemia such iron deficiency, and Vitamin A levels which this indictor does not account for providing inaccurate assessment [9]. Table 3: Indicators adapted from WHO, DHS and UN [8],[11],[14] Maternal Mortality Ratio MMR per 100,000 live births [8] Live Births Delivered at Health Facility (%) [11] Births attended by skilled heath Personnel (%) [15] Year: 1990 950 N/A NA 2005 700 5.3% 5.7% 2011 350 9.9% 10.0% Maternal mortality in Ethiopia is among the highest in the world and it is the biggest killer of women in Sub-Saharan Africa with the fifth MDG aiming for a reduction of 75% from 1990 to 2015 [5]. Maternal health is often measured by the maternal mortality ratio which is expected to be useful in indicating the deaths among women, the risk associated with pregnancy, monitoring achievement towards MDG 5 and the capacity of health systems within Ethiopia to provide effective health care [14]. Table 1 illustrates the maternal mortality ratio, illustrating initially that there is reduction in maternal morality in Ethiopia and an improvement over the years with some considerable progress towards MDG 5. However the MMR ratio does not take into consideration several key factors that can impact women during her pregnancy. The indictor is irrespective of the duration of pregnancy and also where the birth took place giving an inaccurate assumption how amount of mortalities. The relationship bet ween the MMR to percentages of live births that took place in health facility shows a poor correlation because although there has been a significant reduction in mortality from 1990 to 2011 this is misleading as only 9.9% of these births took place in adequate well equipped hospitals suggesting MMR should be higher. Measuring mortality is difficult and inaccurate as it is a ratio based on estimations between the total maternal deaths and total live births which does not account for women which have died during the pregnancy. The ratio also fails to show the factors which lead to high or low level of mortality which could prove vital to reducing mortality as an indication of this would allow a focus in future planning to reduce the MMR. Sources of data are varied with different methods being used to derive country estimates, with many rural areas having no data at all making results biased [14]. A more accurate indictor of UGH of maternal health is number of live births in health fac ilities and births attended by skills personal, both indictors show low percentages suggesting and poor health care service as an increase in number births at hospital and with better equipped personnel is likely to reduce maternal deaths. These two indictors also show why maternal death rates are so high as apposed just showing number of deaths. The MMR indictor used is not a reliable indictor of UGH among pregnant women and more focused indictors such one shown in table 3 are recommended for UGH. As stated in the introduction there is no one measure of universal health among a country, individual, or the world. Each indicator has it own weakness and strengths as illustrated above. All the indictors in this report have been chosen as they are most suited to Ethiopia and it requirements, this report suggests that some indictors i.e. Immunisation and percentage population using improved water sources may be better indictors than other such as life expectancy and maternal health in monitoring UGH. However any indictors used to monitor UGH should be chosen for future policy planning, MDG assessments and intervention schemes. Bibliography: 1: The World Bank, working for a world free of poverty. http://www.worldbank.org/en/country/ethiopia (Accessed 15 February 2014). 2: Murray, J.S., Moonan, M. Recognizing the healthcare needs of Ethiopia’s children. Journal for Specialists in Pediatric Nursing 2012; 17(4):339-343. 10.1111/j.1744-6155.2012.00328.x (Accessed 15th February 2014). 3: Abraha, M.W., Nigatu, T.H. Modeling trends of health and health related indicators in Ethiopia (1995-2008): a time-series study. Health Research Policy and Systems 2009;7(1)1-17 http://www.health-policy-systems.com/content/7/1/29/abstract (Accessed 12 February 2014). 4: World Health Organization, research for universal health coverage: world health report 2013. The World Health organisation 2013. 5: United Nations Millennium Development Goals: We can end poverty http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/ (Accessed 12 February 2014). 6: Onda, K., LoBuglio, J., Bartram, J. Global Access to Safe Water: Accounting for Water Quality and the Resulting Impact on MDG Progress. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 2012;9(3)880–894. 10.3390/ijerph9030880 (Accessed 12 February 2014). 7: Bain, R., Gundry, S., Wright, J., Yang, H., Pedley, S., Bartram, J.. Accounting for water quality in monitoring access to safe drinking-water as part of the Millennium Development Goals: lessons from five countries. Bulletin of the World Health Organization 2012;90(3),228–235. 8: The World Health Organisation, Global Health Observatory. http://www.who.int/gho/database/en/ (Accessed 15 February 2014). 9: Central Statistical Agency [Ethiopia] and ICF International. 2012. Ethiopia Demographic and Health Survey 2011. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and Calverton, Maryland, USA: Central Statistical Agency and ICF International. 10: The World Bank, Indicators. http://data.worldbank.org/indicator (Accessed 13 February 2014). 11: Demographic and Health Surveys, Country Quickstats. http://www.measuredhs.com/Where-We-Work/Country-Main.cfm?ctry_id=65c=EthiopiaCountry=Ethiopiacn=r=1 (Accessed 15th February 2014). 12: Demissie, M., Lindtjorn, B., Berhane, Y. Patient and health service delay in the diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis in Ethiopia. BMC Public Health 2002; 2(1) 1-7 http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2458/2/23/abstract (Accessed 13th February 2014). 13: Balarajan, Y., Ramakrishnan, U., Ozaltin, E., Shankar, A.H., Subramanian, S.V. Anaemia in low-income and middle-income countries. Lancet 2011;378(9809) 2123–2135 10.1016/S0140-6736(10)62304-5 (Accessed 16Th February 2014). 14: The World Health Organisation, Indicator and measurement registry. http://apps.who.int/gho/indicatorregistry/App_Main/view_indicator.aspx?iid=26 (Accessed 19th February 2014). 15: UN Data, Statistics. http://data.un.org/Data.aspx?d=MDGf=seriesRowID:570 (Accessed 19 February 2014).

Loyalty Conflicts between Family and State in Homer’s Odyssey, and Soph

Loyalty Conflicts between Family and State in Homer’s Odyssey, and Sophocles’ Oedipus the King and Antigone Everyday we are faced with hundreds of decisions. Some of the decisions take very little time and are made without a second thought. Other decisions hold more at stake and can tear a person in two while trying to make the final decision. The basis of many of the hardest decisions is the conflict between family and state. The decision between pursuing a career and starting a family first is an example. Once a family is started, there are endless decisions about daycare, office meetings, and school activities to decide which will take priority. These decisions can become harder during a time of war. People are forced to choose between their personal lives including education, family and careers, and their duties as a citizen. Some of the earliest recorded literature presents this conflict between family and state. Homer’s novel, The Odyssey, deals with the issue at a time of war. Sophocles also addresses the conflict in two of his famous plays, Oedipus the King and Antigone. In the Greek language, this is a conflict between oikos1 and polis. 2 This essay will present the separation of loyalty between oikos and polis as is evident in early literature and in decisions of today. A modern example of the conflict between oikos and polis at a time of war can be seen in one National Guard soldier, Ryan. In February, 2003, Ryan was twenty-one years old and had just received a degree from a two-year college. He had met the woman he wanted to marry and had recently proposed to her. The couple had not set a date, but was looking at the spring of 2004. Everything was headed towards a bright f... ... New York: Penguin, 1979. Homer. The Odyssey. Trans. Robert Fagles. New York: Penguin, 1996. Sophocles. The Three Theban Plays Antigone, Oedipus the King, Oedipus at Colonus. Trans. Robert Fagles. New York: Penguin, 1984. Notes 1 Oikos is the Greek word meaning the family. 2 Polis is the Greek word meaning the government. 3 The Greek word for assembly is agora, which is the place of the meeting and the meeting itself. 4 Greek word for tradition, custom. 5 Greek word for multitudes. 6 Finley. 7 Greek word for king. 8 Greek word showing the might that the king has. 9 Finley, 91. 10 Homer, 228. 11 Finley, 120. 12 Auge. 13 Auge. 14 Sophocles, pg 63, lines 85 – 92. 15 Sophocles, pg 97, line 824. 16 Sophocles. pg 97, line 825. 17 Sophocles, pg 82, lines 503- 508. 18 Sophocles, pg 94, lines 756-761.

Violent media Images and video games results in violent behavior Essay

Violent Media Images and Video Games Results In Violent Behavior Can violent media images and video games result in violent behavior? The answer is yes. For a few decades now hundreds of researchers have take time to research the relationship of media images and video games to violent behavior in children. In the next few paragraphs I will discuss why media images and video games result in violent behavior in children. This paper will also provide some important factors that adults should know about media images and video game violence. It has been researched that media images and video games can be harmful and damaging to children’s minds. Most children watch 21-23 hours of television per week (Media Violence 1). Within the 21-23 hours of watching TV a week children are looking at 3-5 violent acts per hour (Media Violence 1). â€Å"By the age of 18, the average American child will have viewed about 200,000 acts of violence on television alone† (American Academy). Now imagine being a child and watching 200,000 acts of violence, and not being able tell the difference between real life and fantasy. There are many media images and video games that seem real to young children. Not only are these children confused but they are being traumatized by viewing these images. Media images and video games affect children in many ways. One of the first signs that children begin to depict is aggressiveness. Children begin to portray the acts of violence that they have observed from watc...

Original Writing Coursework on Prince Escalus

As I was walking through the dark, shadowed streets of Legnago, I noticed something strange about the man standing against the wall. He was dressed in an all black doublet covered in gold embroidery partially hidden by his fur lined cloak. There was something odd yet so familiar about him but I just couldn't get my hand on it. No matter how hard I tried the thought kept on eating away at me. I walked past him and recognized him as Frederick, one of the Partisans, our rival family for the past 10 years. It began with a little argument about who got the last piece of fruit from a vendor in the street. Over the years this developed into a feud with the several meetings that they had between them in the streets. Words were spoken, fists had been blazing with rage, but nothing had been done to stop this. He had a history of a hot-headed temper that no-one would have liked to set off so I carried on my journey home. I was nearly home when I heard a noise behind me. But it was only a strayed cat that had just knocked over the bin. Then I heard a different noise from behind but I ignored it that time. I had a feeling that I was being followed. Soon, I could hear footsteps which were rapidly increasing. In a matter of moments the person was on my heels. I turned around and saw that the mysterious person was Frederick. He had drawn his sword with a devilish grin on his face. I evaded his first attack and drew out my sword quick enough to parry the second. Some of his attacks tore my doublet and my shirt. Some were more serious and wounded me. I saw an opening in his attacks and struck him down to the ground. This was my opportunity to escape and I took it. Struggling to the door, with no strength left in me, I collapsed right at the doorstep. Luckily my parents were waiting for me to return and they heard the noise outside. They were shocked when they saw me and they helped me inside. First they got me fresh clothes and got me cleaned up before they said anything. â€Å"What happened to you?† said Lady Torrington. Then I explained to my parents how I saw one of the Partisans and how we fought each other until I fled. They were furious and they went on and on about how atrocious the Partisans were and how they had the nerve to attack their son. All I wanted was for the family feud to end so that our families could have peaceful and normal lives. I tried many times in the past to encourage them to stop this ridiculous feud. My parents loved me but sometimes I felt that they just ignored what I said. After a full night rest I regained my vigour, so I set out to see my friend Lucentio. Lucentio was a courteous, friendly and pleasant person, but his parents were a whole different story. They used to beat him and they didn't care for him at all. I was playing in the street when I saw him huddled up outside a shop. My first instinct was to just ignore him but my heart told me better. I walked up to him, asked him what was wrong and comforted him. We've been friends ever since. He wasn't the sort of person that would get into fights. In fact, even if it had nothing to do with him he would try and stop it. On the way to his house, I saw a big crowd gathered together in the street and I was curious to see what it was about. I pushed and shoved my way through to the front of the crowd. The expression of my face went blank. My good friend Lucentio was lying on the hard, concrete ground desperately struggling for words. â€Å"Who did this to you Lucentio†, I asked impatiently. He didn't answer straight away but he got there in the end. â€Å"It†¦was†¦Fred†¦er†¦.rick†, he replied. â€Å"How did he know Lucentio was my friend? Had he been spying on me?† I thought to myself. These were his last words before he stopped moving and died. I swore to avenge the death of my friend and that I would get Frederick back for what he did to Lucentio. I went looking for Frederick but I had no luck at all in finding him. He was probably keeping a low profile so as not to attract any attention. I asked the local people if they had seen a man dressed in a black doublet and a fur lined cloak but they had no information to provide me with. This had me so frustrated that I was about to give up my search when I came to a poorly dressed man on the street that I recognized. He was the very same vendor from ten years ago. I didn't think he would know, but I asked him anyway. It was just my luck that he saw him walk past a few minutes ago and he pointed me in his direction. I thanked him and I was on my way. It wasn't long before I found him wandering through one of the alleyways. I shouted at him to stop but as soon as he turned around and saw my face he ran away quickly. But, he didn't get far. I caught up to him and got my breath back. When he didn't expect it, I pulled out my sword and slashed at him, but I missed. This enraged me even more than I already was. He also drew his sword and tried blocking my attacks but I kept on slicing at him wildly. I was out of control. But then, he got the better of me and I was forced to the ground. I was crawling backwards and desperately trying to get up but with no success. All the while Frederick was advancing on me ready to strike. He thrust his sword toward me and I stuck my sword out in front of me with my eyes closed, fearing for the worst. I opened my eyes and nothing had happened to me. I was completely fine but Frederick on the other hand was lying on the ground motionless in a pool of blood. My sword had pierced him through his heart and he had died almost immediately. â€Å"What have I done†, I was thinking, â€Å"I've been a complete fool not to realise that all this thirst for revenge has driven me mad and caused me to kill another human being.† I knew that I couldn't keep on standing there gazing at the motionless Frederick otherwise I would be caught. So I left and went home contemplating about what just happened. There was nothing left for me there in Legnago except the consequences I would have to face. This family feud caused me to cross the line and commit a felony which was not worth it at all. I couldn't stay there anymore I thought to myself. I didn't want to be a part of this feud any longer than I already had been. I had to run away. But where could I go? Then it struck me that I could go to Verona to live with my relatives. I wanted to forget whatever had happened but I even knew that the guilt will stay with me forever. Nevertheless I packed up all my important belongings and I set off on my journey to Verona, a fresh start.

L’Oréal And It’s Strategy Analysis Essay

Introduction L’Orà ©al is the company that I choose to be discussed. The reason why I choose this company is because they are the world leading cosmetic and beauty product’s company and they have a strong strategy for me to discuss on. L’Orà ©al is a cosmetics and beauty products’ company and it was founded at Clichy, France in 1909. Eugà ¨ne Schueller is the founder of the company, who became an instructor at the Sorbonne after completed his study in the Institute for Applied Chemistry in Paris. L’Orà ©al was primarily named as Socià ©tà © Francaise des Teintures Inoffensives pour Cheveux which means French Society for Inoffensive Tincture of Hair. It is a French based company which headquartered in Paris. There are over 130 countries operating this company like South and North America, Africa and Middle East, Europe, Asia and others, with up to 25 international brands. The international brands under L’Orà ©al include L’Orà ©al Professiona l, Lancà ´me Paris, Kiehl’s, Shu Uemura, Kà ©rastase and others. Production and marketing is the main scopes that focus by the company beside the dermatological and pharmaceutical fields. They are more concentrate on hair colours, skin care, fragrances and perfumes, cosmetic products and styling products which are specially created for individual and professional customers. They also came out with kids’ products which are known as L’Orà ©al Kids. The research team of L’Orà ©al was first started with only 3 chemists but it is now expanded to nearly 2000 chemists. Now, there are five research and development centre of L’Orà ©al globally. L’Orà ©al have a slogan of â€Å"Because we’re worth it†, which is also their vision statement. The reason why they have this vision is because of building a good customer relationship is what the company priority concern. This is to provide consumers with more satisfied products by the company’s lifestyle and philosophy. L’Orà ©al believes that everyone aspires to beauty. This is where they come out with their mission statement and made the business more meaningful and valuable. They wish to help everyone in the world, no matter male or female, get knows to their own aspiration and fully acquit their personalities. L’Orà ©al is the world’s leading cosmetics and beauty products’ company. Previously, Procter & Gamble was at the top ranking in this industry. By the substantive focus in L’Orà ©al, they are capable in targeting on more investment in Research and Development as well as advertising. Through the investment, it also enables the company become a  powerful force within the industry. In additional, L’Orà ©al also became the world’s biggest supplier for cosmetic products which hold over 19% market shares. By contrast, the company that ranked second, which is the Està ©e Lauder was quite far distant from L’Orà ©al as it occupied only 8%. With the help of cutting-edge technology, L’Orà ©al also took a strong pace in the introduction of their skin care products. Strategic Analysis SWOT Analysis of L’Orà ©al Strengths The main strength of L’Orà ©al is to offer the best products to their customers by continually conducting strong and new research, innovation and development in the concept of beauty. They are also leading the beauty and cosmetic industry with this type of research strategy, even in the competition market. Besides, L’Orà ©al situated more consideration in their specific actions and events. Their actions and events basically will be divided into five groups and the consumer product division as the main. In consumer product division, all their scopes are published through a gigantic market. Secondly is their luxury product division that included international brands. These products can get it through perfumeries, department outlet and duty free outlets. The next is their expert hair care items utilized by the expert beauticians and market through hair salon. This has been categorized into the professional product division and this division helps to keep up the nature of L’oreal Group. Other than that, another ability of L’Orà ©al is about their advertising strategy that being the key element toward the growth of the company. Throughout accomplishing the nature of their target market promotes through advertisement is the most ideal way. Weaknesses Dispersible of the hierarchical structure within a company is the greatest shortcoming which is usually faced by most of the organization including L’Orà ©al. On account of the numerous subdivisions of L’Orà ©al make it harder to run and control by the company. Thus, as a result of this, the manufactures of organization become more inefficient. Another weakness which the organization confronts is that their profits. The margin between their  cost price and offering cost is relatively lower than their other minor rivals. Thus, the profit they earn is different from their expectation. This is likewise happening in extensive advertisement and marketing. Last but not least, L’Orà ©al’s multinational promoting strategy is also their weakness. The reason why is become their shortcoming is mainly due to a few distinctions happened in the promotion and campaign of L’Orà ©al products, in the matter of what kind of image they are trying to present. Opportunities L’Orà ©al Group targeted on providing beauty and makeup products for different age levels of ladies. The constant market demand on these beauty products had allow L’Orà ©al to take the opportunity to focus on their areas of expertise, especially on their hair styling and colour, fragrance and perfume, cosmetics and skin cares. L’Orà ©al appeared with a famous and familiar image around the world even in those developing countries. This company acts as the pioneer brand in the industry as well. Another open door for the organization is that they obtained a lot of market share because of numerous registered patents by L’Orà ©al. Threats For L’Orà ©al, the greatest threat they commonly meet is that they need to confront with competitions among the same industry. Because their products continue to increase with, and therefore this may cause other brands took L’Orà ©al advantage of their profits. Besides, different economic conditions can also pose a threat to L’Orà ©al. Since the greater parts of the products are just inside the range of the populace of developed nations yet in some way L’Orà ©al takes care of this issue. Moreover, they produce products for the populace of under developed nations. In this manner, although the public do not think that L’Orà ©al’s products are daily needs, and it may be accompanied rejection, but the company is still in the best production lines to produce their products. Porter’s Five Force Model of L’Orà ©al Rivalry among the competitive firms (High) Various companies’ competitiveness, for example Proctor and Gamble, Avon, Estee Lauder and Shiseido push L’Orà ©al into the more elevated amount of rivalry in the current business of cosmetic and skin care products. These  contenders attempt to increase more market shares by keeping implement various strategies. L’Orà ©al needs nonstop quality enhancements for every production line in order to guarantee survival of this company in the industry. They must enhance their marketing channels with the assistance of highest technology and innovation to obtain more market share and globally targeted their market. Potential Entrants (Low) It can be considered very low in the participation of potential entrants into this moderate industry. The market already exists with strong company like Estee Lauder, Avon, Olay, Proctor and Gamble, as well as L’Orà ©al. This is very obvious that, there will be no serious threat or maybe little threat from any beginner of the business. L’Orà ©al does not appear to have such a tremendous risk from any potential entrants. Potential Developments of Substitutes (Low) Aging is the main reason why people around the world need skin cares. As a leader in cosmetic and beauty sector, L’Orà ©al seem like does not disturb by any potential substitute that come into the market. In additional, there is less substitution in the anti-aging products and so, it brings less threat to the market. Bargaining Power of Suppliers (LOW) L’Orà ©al in the profession is a giant, has the huge capacity that their production is exceeding 45 billion units every year, and therefore the supplier will have little opportunity to pose the enormous threat to L’Orà ©al. It is huge in world the quantity of supplier. Therefore the supplier has few or simply does not have the ability to bargain with L’Orà ©al. Therefore, L’Orà ©al not faced with too many threats from its supplier. Bargaining Power of Customers (High) The appearances of numerous powerful competitors like Procter & Gamble, Shiseido, Avon and other companies cause higher bargaining power of customer in the market. Because the usability of different company’s different products are high, the potential customer has the choice to go for other companies. Therefore, L’Orà ©al faced with threat of lack of customer. In this situation, L’Orà ©al must deal with this threat earnestly, as to maintain the  market share of this company in profession.

How will emiratization succeed? Essay

The UAE government is struggling to encourage more Emiratis to work in the private sector. But they will first have to change the educational and labor conditions in the country, say analysts. Shifa Salem, an Emirati pursuing her Masters in Educational Leadership at Zayed University, is extremely ambitious, has high aspirations, and wants to develop her professional career. But when asked if she would work in the public sector or the private sector, her response is immediate. â€Å"The public sector,† she says, arguing that working for the government offers better pay and job security. But what if a private sector role is more tailored to Salem’s qualifications, and will give her a chance to achieve her dreams better? â€Å" If I am stable in my financial status, and I find something that will really develop my career path in the private sector, then I might go for it,† she says. Salem’s opinion, mirrored by many other young Emiratis like her, is one of the reasons that the government’s emiratization program has still not significantly boosted the number of UAE nationals entering the private sector. According to recent figures, 80 percent of the UAE nationals work in public sector. The reasons for this are obvious: the salaries are better (the UAE cabinet recently granted a 70 percent pay rise for nationals working in the federal government), the hours are usually shorter, and the jobs are secure. An estimated 12 percent of the Emiratis are unemployed, according to the International Council on Security and Development. A primary reason for this is that UAE nationals tend to pursue employment in the public sector, rather than the more diverse private sector. â€Å"They know that they will have a chance in the public sector,† says Salem. â€Å"I think they have hope, and they are given hope. I think that as an Emirati, the message that I get is that there is a space for me in the governmental sector.† Salem points out that Emiratis who are choosy about finding a particular kind of job could face a long search – but those who broaden their criteria have many jobs to choose from.

Design Thinking and Innovation at Ideo

IDEO QUESTIONS. Juan Pallares 1. What is the role of prototyping in IDEO? Is it central to their process? For IDEO, prototyping is the core of its design process, and how they use it is one of their competitive advantages. IDEO believes in explaining anyt design idea with prototypes, which helps people to focus on the same idea, or to find improvements of a single design easily. Prototyping is also a better way to show the customers the design your are thinking of, and helps them to get involved with the design process, aligning both designers and customers mindsets. . Should IDEO accept the Visor Project? Why? Like everything, it depends of the needs of IDEO. Initially I would recommend not accepting the project, unless they were in need of cash. Visor project would require a design process much more tight that the one employed in IDEO, with almost no barriers to creativity and the free flow of ideas. The time and cost requirements would imply designers and brainstormers would have their ideas enclosed to the requirements, that would â€Å"orient† the ideas in one specific direction since the beginning.In a design process, that could kill the project. 3. In case they will accept, what challenges and risks are they facing? First of all, in a company where communication of ideas is key (show and tell is an example), having a secret project would reduce the source of ideas just to the ones involved in it, reducing the possible outcomes. More over, in a company where people involved in a project are the ones that are most passionate about it, forcing some people to work in a project without telling to anyone else reduce the motivation of the design team.Another challenge is the lack of testers. One of the success of the Palm V was the marketing research done by Boyle, which opened their â€Å"designers minds† to different users with broader needs, thus avoiding insider`s egocentric point of view. This would not be possible in this secret project, unl ess considering an outside marketing company for developping the research, with the increase in costs associated. Related to the project specifications, one of the big challenges would be to work with only existing and tested technologies.IDEO design process starts with product designers and engineers, and after the product is designed on its basic form, costs are considered. Working with actual technologies would reduce the â€Å"innovative† spirit of the team, and could possible lead to just a product make-up, a product similar to the existing ones but with a different shape. And the innovative image of IDEO could be damaged because of that. 4. In which cases will you outsource the product development of your company? Only in two situations I would outsource the product development of my company. First, if product design is not a crucial aspect of my industry.If I? m a manufacturer of golf balls, even if there is always room for competitive advantage through innovation, it is not a crucial fact for everyday business. Second, if the company which I will outsource my product development to, is known for its quality in terms of design/ innovation. In this case outsourcing would be a perfect strategy for my company, leaving the design to people with more expertise and recognition (it can be also a marketing tactic). Always of course, with constant monitoring of the aligning between the design and the values/image of my company.

Itt221 Week 1 Research Assignment Part 1

Research Assignment, Part One Brandon Kelly IT221 – E-2 Fall 2011 Instructor: Stephen Todd 12-17-2011 Question 1 – Why does Windows Server 2008 come in different versions? What is the significance of each version? Most editions of Windows Server 2008 are available in x86-64 and IA-32 versions. Windows Server 2008 for Itanium-based Systems supports IA-64 processors. Microsoft has optimized the IA-64 version for high-workload scenarios like database servers and Line of Business (LOB) applications. As such it is not optimized for use as a file server or media server. Microsoft has announced that Windows Server 2008 is the last 32-bit Windows server operating system. Windows Server 2008 is available in the editions listed below, similar to Windows Server 2003. †¢ Windows Server 2008 Standard (IA-32 and x86-64) Windows Server 2008 Standard is one of Microsoft's entry level server offerings (alongside Windows Web Server 2008) and is one of the least expensive of the various editions available. Both 32-bit and 64-bit versions are available, and in terms of hardware Standard Edition supports up to 4GB of RAM and 4 processors. Windows Server 2008 is primarily targeted and small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs) and is ideal for providing domain, web, DNS, remote access, print, file and application services. Support for clustering, however, is notably absent from this edition. An upgrade path to Windows Server 2008 Standard is available from Windows 2000 Server and Windows Server 2003 Standard Edition. †¢ Windows Server 2008 Enterprise (IA-32 and x86-64) Windows Server 2008 Enterprise Edition provides greater functionality and scalability than the Standard Edition. As with Standard Edition both 32-bit and 64-bit versions are available. Enhancements include support for as many as 8 processors and up to 64GB of RAM on 32-bit systems and 2TB of RAM on 64-bit systems. Additional features of the Enterprise edition include support for clusters of up to 8 nodes and Active Directory Federated Services (AD FS). Windows Server 2000, Windows 2000 Advanced Server, Windows Server 2003 Standard Edition and Windows Server 2003 Enterprise Edition may all be upgraded to Windows Server 2008 Enterprise Edition. †¢ Windows Server 2008 Datacenter (IA-32 and x86-64) The Datacenter edition represents the top end of the Windows Server 2008 product range and is targeted at mission critical enterprises requiring stability and high uptime levels. Windows Server 2008 Datacenter edition is tied closely to the underlying hardware through the implementation of custom Hardware Abstraction Layers (HAL). As such, it is currently only possible to obtain Datacenter edition as part of a hardware purchase. As with other versions, the Datacenter edition is available in 32-bit and 64-bit versions and supports 64GB of RAM on 32-bit systems and up to 2TB of RAM on 64-bit systems. In addition, this edition supports a minimum of 8 processors up to a maximum of 64. Upgrade paths to Windows Server 2008 Datacenter Edition are available from the Datacenter editions of Windows 2000 and 2003. †¢ Windows HPC Server 2008 (Codenamed â€Å"Socrates†) (replacing Windows Compute Cluster Server 2003) Windows HPC Server 2008 R2, the Microsoft third-generation HPC solution, provides a comprehensive and cost-effective solution for harnessing the power of high-performance computing. Out-of-the-box, world-class performance, and scalability enable organizations of all sizes to rapidly deploy solutions ranging from personal HPC workstations to large clusters spanning thousands of nodes. Customers can lower both their operating and capital costs. Windows HPC Server 2008 R2 integrates easily with existing IT infrastructure to enable end users to access HPC resources using familiar Windows-based technologies. With a tightly integrated set of dedicated cluster and parallel development tools, anchored around Visual Studio 2010, developers can build robust and scalable HPC applications easily and quickly. Windows HPC Server 2008 R2 is complemented by a rich ecosystem of SI, ISV, and OEM partners to ensure that customers have access to the applications of their choice and the resources required to successfully run them. †¢ Windows Web Server 2008 (IA-32 and x86-64) Windows Web Server 2008 is essentially a version of Windows Server 2008 designed primarily for the purpose of providing web services. It includes Internet Information Services (IIS) 7. 0 along with associated services such as Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) and Telnet. It is available in 32-bit and 64-bit versions and supports up to 4 processors. RAM is limited to 4GB and 32GB on 32-bit and 64-bit systems respectively. Windows Web Server 2008 lacks many of the features present in other editions such as clustering, BitLocker drive encryption, multipath I/O, Windows Internet Naming Service (WINS), Removable Storage Management and SAN Management †¢ Windows Storage Server 2008 (Codenamed â€Å"Magni†) (IA-32 and x86-64) Minimal information found. †¢ Windows Small Business Server 2008 (Codenamed â€Å"Cougar†) (x86-64) for small businesses Minimal information found. Windows Server 2008 for Itanium-based Systems Windows Server 2008 R2 for Itanium-Based Systems delivers an enterprise-class platform for deploying business-critical applications. Scale database, line-of-business, and custom applications to meet growing business needs. Windows Server 2008 R2, SQL Server 2008 R2 and the current 2010 line-up of our Developer Tools, plus associated . NET frameworks, will be the last iterations in each product line t o support the Intel Itanium processor and associated OEM server platforms. Windows Server 2008 Foundation (Codenamed â€Å"Lima†) Windows Server 2008 R2 Foundation is a cost-effective, entry-level technology foundation targeted at small business owners and IT generalists supporting small businesses. Foundation is an inexpensive, easy-to-deploy, proven, and reliable technology that provides organizations with the foundation to run the most prevalent business applications as well as share information and resources. Server Core is available in the Web, Standard, Enterprise and Datacenter editions. It is not available in the Itanium edition. Server Core is simply an alternate installation option supported by some of the editions, and not a separate edition by itself. Each architecture has a separate installation DVD. The 32-bit version of Windows Server 2008 Standard Edition is available to verified students for free through Microsoft's DreamSpark program. Question 2 – What are the new features or enhancements made to Windows Server 2008? How is Windows Server 2008 different from Windows Server 2003? Core OS improvements †¢ Fully multi-componentized operating system. †¢ Improved hot patching, a feature that allows non-kernel patches to occur without the need for a reboot. Support for being booted from Extensible Firmware Interface (EFI)-compliant firmware on x86-64 systems. †¢ Dynamic Hardware Partitioning o Support for the hot-addition or replacement of processors and memory, on capable hardware. Active Directory improvements †¢ Read-only domain controllers (RODCs) in Active Directory, intende d for use in branch office or other scenarios where a domain controller may reside in a low physical security environment. The RODC holds a non-writeable copy of Active Directory, and redirects all write attempts to a Full Domain Controller. It replicates all accounts except sensitive ones. citation needed][clarification needed] In RODC mode, credentials are not cached by default. Moreover, only the replication partner of the RODC needs to run Windows Server 2008. [clarification needed] Also, local administrators can log on to the machine to perform maintenance tasks without requiring administrative rights on the domain. †¢ Restartable Active Directory allows ADDS to be stopped and restarted from the Management Console or the command-line without rebooting the domain controller. This reduces downtime for offline operations and reduces overall DC servicing requirements with Server Core. ADDS is implemented as a Domain Controller Service in Windows Server 2008. Policy related improvements †¢ All of the Group Policy improvements from Windows Vista are included. Group Policy Management Console (GPMC) is built-in. The Group Policy objects are indexed for search and can be commented on. †¢ Policy-based networking with Network Access Protection, improved branch management and enhanced end user collaboration. Policies can be created to ensure greater Quality of Service for certain applications or services that require prioritization of network bandwidth between client and server. Granular password settings within a single domain – ability to implement different password policies for administrative accounts on a â€Å"group† and â€Å"user† basis, instead of a single set of password settings to the whole domain. Disk management and file storage improvements †¢ The ability to resize hard disk partitions without stopping the server, even th e system partition. This applies only to simple and spanned volumes, not to striped volumes. †¢ Shadow Copy based block-level backup which supports optical media, network shares and Windows Recovery Environment. DFS enhancements – SYSVOL on DFS-R, Read-only Folder Replication Member. There is also support for domain-based DFS namespaces that exceed the previous size recommendation of 5,000 folders with targets in a namespace. †¢ Several improvements to Failover Clustering (High-availability clusters). †¢ Internet Storage Naming Server (iSNS) enables central registration, deregistration and queries for iSCSI hard drives. Protocol and cryptography improvements †¢ Support for 128- and 256-bit AES encryption for the Kerberos authentication protocol. New cryptography (CNG) API which supports elliptic curve cryptography and improved certificate management. †¢ Secure Socket Tunneling Protocol, a new Microsoft proprietary VPN protocol. †¢ AuthIP, a Micro soft proprietary extension of the IKE cryptographic protocol used in IPsec VPN networks. †¢ Server Message Block 2. 0 protocol in the new TCP/IP stack provides a number of communication enhancements, including greater performance when connecting to file shares over high-latency links and better security through the use of mutual authentication and message signing. Miscellaneous improvements Windows Deployment Services replacing Automated Deployment Services and Remote Installation Services. Windows Deployment Services (WDS) support an enhanced multicast feature when deploying operating system images. †¢ Internet Information Services 7 – Increased security, Robocopy deployment, improved diagnostic tools, delegated administration. †¢ Windows Internal Database, a variant of SQL Server Express 2005, which serves as a common storage back-end for several other components such as Windows System Resource Manager, Windows SharePoint Services and Windows Server Update Se rvices. It is not intended to be used by third-party applications. †¢ An optional â€Å"Desktop Experience† component provides the same Windows Aero user interface as Windows Vista, both for local users, as well as remote users connecting through Remote Desktop. Question 3 – Why is 64-bit architecture an advantage? Advantages of 64-bit hardware and software Memory addressability Physical memory A 32-bit system architecture can directly address only a 4-GB address space. A 64-bit system architecture that is running a 64-bit edition of Windows Server can support up to 1,024 GB of both physical and addressable memory. Virtual memory The 64-bit editions of Windows Server can address 16 terabytes of virtual memory by using a flat addressing model. Virtual memory is divided equally between virtual address space for applications and the operating system. Even 32-bit applications can benefit from increased virtual memory address space when they are running in a 64-bit environment. For example, although a 32-bit application is still restricted to 4 GB of virtual memory, it no longer has to share that memory space with the operating system. As a result, it receives an effective increase in available virtual memory. Continuous memory Poor performance in 32-bit systems is often not the result of a lack of available memory, but the unavailability of large enough blocks of continuous memory. In a typical Windows SharePoint Services 3. 0 deployment, Windows, Internet Information Services (IIS), common language runtime (CLR), ASP. NET, SharePoint Products and Technologies, SSPs, and MDACs can all claim a portion of a server’s available virtual memory and can leave a 32-bit address space quite fragmented. When the CLR or SharePoint services request new memory blocks, it can be difficult to find a 64-MB segment in the crowded 32-bit address space. A 64-bit system offers practically unlimited address space for user mode processes. Better parallel processing A server that is using 32-bit architecture is limited to 32 CPUs. Improvements in parallel processing and bus architectures enable 64-bit environments to support as many as 64 processors and provide almost linear scalability with each additional processor. Faster bus architecture A 64-bit architecture provides more and wider general-purpose registers, which contribute to greater overall application speed. When there are more registers, there is less need to write persistent data to memory and then have to read it back just a few instructions later. Function calls are also faster in a 64-bit environment because as many as four arguments at a time can be passed in registers to a function. More secure The 64-bit editions of Windows Server offer the following enhanced security features: Buffer overflow protection A buffer overflow occurs when a data buffer is congested with more data than it is designed to handle. In 64-bit editions of Windows Server, the first parameters of a procedure call are passed in registers. As a result, it is less likely that the buffer will overflow, because the correct values have to be set up in registers and the variables and addresses have to be aligned on the stack. Data execution protection The 64-bit processors made by AMD and Intel include hardware support for data execution prevention (DEP). Windows Server uses DEP to prevent malicious code from being able to execute, even when a buffer overrun occurs. Even without a processor that supports DEP, Windows Server can detect code that is running in memory locations where it should not be. Patch Guard Microsoft Patch Guard technology prevents non-Microsoft programs from patching the Windows kernel. This technology prevents kernel mode drivers from extending or replacing kernel services, including system service dispatch tables, the interrupt descriptor table (IDT), and the global descriptor table (GDT). Third-party software is also prevented from allocating kernel stacks or patching any part of the kernel. Better scalability In a 64-bit environment, not only can database servers gain nearly unlimited virtual memory address space, but they also gain support for more physical memory. It is possible for a 64-bit server that is running 64-bit editions of Windows Server and SQL Server to get very large working data sets entirely into RAM, thereby improving performance and scalability. In addition, the number of application servers that are required to support a given user base can be substantially reduced because a 64-bit environment does not require worker processes to cycle as often. This reduced cycling results in fewer lost connections, improved I/O handling, and a better user experience. Lower total cost of ownership All the benefits of 64-bit operation that are listed in the previous sections enable you to do more with less. A 64-bit environment allows you to manage more data, serve more users, and run more applications while using less hardware. By reducing hardware, you are also able to reduce license, operations, and infrastructure costs. It takes up less floor space in your data center and costs less to maintain. Finally, because a Windows SharePoint Services 3. 0 farm that uses 64-bit hardware and software provides more room for growth, you can spend less over time on equipment because the life cycle of your equipment is likely to be longer. Question 4 – Explain the new features of Windows Server 2008, such as Server Core, Virtualization, and PowerShell. What is the role of these features and how will they improve efficiency in administering Windows? Server Core Windows Server 2008 includes a variation of installation called Server Core. Server Core is a significantly scaled-back installation where no Windows Explorer shell is installed. All configuration and maintenance is done entirely through command line interface windows, or by connecting to the machine remotely using Microsoft Management Console. However, Notepad and some control panel applets, such as Regional Settings, are available. Server Core does not include the . NET Framework, Internet Explorer, Windows PowerShell or many other features not related to core server features. A Server Core machine can be configured for several basic roles: Domain controller/Active Directory Domain Services, ADLDS (ADAM), DNS Server, DHCP Server, file server, print server, Windows Media Server, IIS 7 Web server and Hyper-V virtual server. Server Core can also be used to create a cluster with high availability using failover clustering or network load balancing. Andrew Mason, a program manager on the Windows Server team, noted that a primary motivation for producing a Server Core variant of Windows Server 2008 was to reduce the attack surface of the operating system, and that about 70% of the security vulnerabilities in Microsoft Windows from the prior five years would not have affected Server Core. Hyper-V Hyper-V is hypervisor-based virtualization software, forming a core part of Microsoft's virtualization strategy. It virtualizes servers on an operating system's kernel layer. It can be thought of as partitioning a single physical server into multiple small computational partitions. Hyper-V includes the ability to act as a Xen virtualization hypervisor host allowing Xen-enabled guest operating systems to run virtualized. A beta version of Hyper-V shipped with certain x86-64 editions of Windows Server 2008, prior to Microsoft's release of the final version of Hyper-V on 26 June 2008 as a free download. Also, a standalone version of Hyper-V exists; this version only supports the x86-64 architecture. While the IA-32 editions of Windows Server 2008 cannot run or install Hyper-V, they can run the MMC snap-in for managing Hyper-V. Server Manager Server Manager is a new roles-based management tool for Windows Server 2008. It is a combination of Manage Your Server and Security Configuration Wizard from Windows Server 2003. Server Manager is an improvement of the Configure my server dialog that launches by default on Windows Server 2003 machines. However, rather than serve only as a starting point to configuring new roles, Server Manager gathers together all of the operations users would want to conduct on the server, such as, getting a remote deployment method set up, adding more server roles etc. , and provides a consolidated, portal-like view about the status of each role. Windows Powershell Windows PowerShell is Microsoft's task automation framework, consisting of a command-line shell and associated scripting language built on top of, and integrated with the . NET Framework. PowerShell provides full access to COM and WMI, enabling administrators to perform administrative tasks on both local and remote Windows systems. Question 5 – What is a Read Only Domain Controller (RODC) and what are its advantages? What are the security and administrative issues addressed by a RODC? A read-only domain controller (RODC) is a new type of domain controller in the Windows  Server  2008 operating system. With an RODC, organizations can easily deploy a domain controller in locations where physical security cannot be guaranteed. An RODC hosts read-only partitions of the Active  Directory  Domain  Services (AD  DS) database. Before the release of Windows Server  2008, if users had to authenticate with a domain controller over a wide area network (WAN), there was no real alternative. In many cases, this was not an efficient solution. Branch offices often cannot provide the adequate physical security that is required for a writable domain controller. Furthermore, branch offices often have poor network bandwidth when they are connected to a hub site. This can increase the amount of time that is required to log on. It can also hamper access to network resources. Beginning with Windows Server  2008, an organization can deploy an RODC to address these problems. As a result, users in this situation can receive the following benefits: †¢ Improved security †¢ Faster logon times †¢ More efficient access to resources on the network Inadequate physical security is the most common reason to consider deploying an RODC. An RODC provides a way to deploy a domain controller more securely in locations that require fast and reliable authentication services but cannot ensure physical security for a writable domain controller. However, your organization may also choose to deploy an RODC for special administrative requirements. For example, a line-of-business (LOB) application may run successfully only if it is installed on a domain controller. Or, the domain controller might be the only server in the branch office, and it may have to host server applications. In such cases, the LOB application owner must often log on to the domain controller interactively or use Terminal Services to configure and manage the application. This situation creates a security risk that may be unacceptable on a writable domain controller. An RODC provides a more secure mechanism for deploying a domain controller in this scenario. You can grant a non-administrative domain user the right to log on to an RODC while minimizing the security risk to the Active  Directory forest. You might also deploy an RODC in other scenarios where local storage of all domain user passwords is a primary threat, for example, in an extranet or application-facing role. References – Works Cited â€Å"AD DS: Read-Only Domain Controllers. † Microsoft TechNet: Resources for IT Professionals. Web. 7 Dec. 2011. â€Å"Windows Server 2008. † Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 12 Dec. 2011. Ward10/08/2007, Keith. â€Å"Top 10 Overlooked Windows Server 2008 Features, Part 2 — Redmond Developer News. † Powering the Windows Software Revolution — Redmond Developer News. Web. 03 Jan. 2012 â€Å"Windows Server 2008 Editions and System Requirements – Techotopia. † Main Page – Techotopia. We b. 05 Jan. 2012. â€Å"Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2 Editions. † Web. 03 Jan. 2012. â€Å"Windows PowerShell. † Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 01 Jan. 2012.