The Office Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Office - Movie Review Example The Office is a documentary on the day-to-day undertakings of the employees the Scranton, Pennsylvania branch of a fictitious firm Dunder-Mifflin Paper Company. The show is presented as a humorous look at the different issues and foolishness that happens in the workplace. The branch is run by the single, middle-aged and boastful Regional Director Michael Scott who also serves as the host in the documentary. With his huge passion for business, Scott sees himself as the "office funnyman, a fountain of business wisdom and his employees' cool friend" (About the Office 4). However, his painstaking effort to be liked by his colleagues is in vain as he only appears pathetic and absurd. Other notable main characters are: Pam Beesly, the office receptionist; Jim Halpert, a sales representative; Dwight Schrute, the assistant to the regional manager; and Ryan Howard, a temporary employee. Economically speaking, opportunity cost is defined as "the cost of something in terms of an opportunity forgone or the most valuable forgone alternative" (Opportunity Costs 1). In The Office it is apparent that Jim Halpert foregoes the opportunity of securing better working alternatives when he continued working for Dunder-Mifflin Paper Company. The economic hegemony of the United States is currently being tain... It is estimated that the budget allocated to the war reaches $1 trillion which could have been used to finance economic and social projects such as livelihood, housing, and education. Thus, the opportunity cost of going to war can be stated as the social and economic benefit which could have been derived from the investments in socio-economic projects. 2. Law of Supply and Demand The issue of downsizing has been recurring in the episodes of the TV show. It should be noted that downsizing stems from the fact that the supply of labor in the economy is much higher than the actual demand requiring some adjustments through employee lay-offs. The same issue is faced by employees in the nation. The trade liberalization has eliminated national boundaries facilitating the mobility of job and investments. Business process outsourcing has become a trend channeling jobs to other countries where the cost of labor is lower like China, India, and Philippines thereby lowering the demand for labor in the United States. Recently, the customer service department of large business organizations like Dell, HP, and IBM has been deployed in these countries lowering the demand for US labor. This movement in demand changes the equilibrium by decreasing supply through downsizing. Works Cited "About the Office." NBC Website. 2007. April 18, 2007 "The Office." Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. 2007. April 18, 2007 "Opportunity Costs." Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. 2007. April 18, 2007

Marine Phytoplankton Essay Example for Free

Marine Phytoplankton Essay Phytoplankton From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation, search Diatoms are one of the most common types of phytoplankton. Phytoplankton are the autotrophic component of the plankton community. The name comes from the Greek words cpur?v (phyton), meaning plant, and TIXay? «?q (planktos), meaning wanderer or drifter. [l] Most phytoplankton are too small to be individually seen with the unaided eye. However, when present in high enough numbers, they may appear as a green discoloration of the water due to the presence f chlorophyll within their cells (although the actual color may vary with the species of phytoplankton present due to varying levels of chlorophyll or the presence of accessory pigments such as phycobiliproteins, xanthophylls, etc. ). Contents [hide] * 1 Ecology * 2 Aquaculture * 3 Blooms * 4 See also * 5 References * 6 External links [edit] Ecology Phytoplankton are the foundation of the oceanic food chain. Of these, the best known are dinoflagellate genera such as Noctiluca and Dinophysis, that obtain organic carbon by ingesting other organisms or detrital material. The term phytoplankton encompasses all photoautotrophic microorganisms in quatic food webs. Phytoplankton serve as the base of the aquatic food web, providing an essential ecological function for all aquatic life. However, unlike terrestrial communities, where most autotrophs are plants, phytoplankton are a diverse group, incorporating protistan eukaryotes and both eubacterial and archaebacterial prokaryotes. There are about 5,000 species of marine phytoplankton. [8] There is uncertainty in how such diversity has evolved in an environment where competition for only a few resources would suggest limited potential for niche differentiation. [9] In terms of numbers, the most important groups of phytoplankton include the diatoms, cyanobacteria and dinoflagellates, although many other groups of algae are represented. One group, the coccolithophorids, is responsible (in part) for the release of significant amounts of dimethyl sulfide (DMS) into the atmosphere. DMS is converted to sulfate and these sulfate molecules act as cloud condensation nuclei, increasing general cloud cover. In oligotrophic oceanic regions such as the Sargasso Sea or the South Pacific Gyre, phytoplankton is dominated by the small sized cells, alled picoplankton, mostly composed of cyanobacteria (Prochlorococcus, Synechococcus) and picoeucaryotes such as Micromonas. [edit] Aquaculture Diagrams of some typical phytoplankton. Main article: Algaculture Phytoplankton are a key food item in both aquaculture and mariculture. Both utilize phytoplankton for the feeding of the animals being farmed. In mariculture, the phytoplankton is naturally occurring and is introduced into enclosures with the normal circulation of seawater. In aquaculture, phytoplankton must be obtained and introduced directly. The plankton can either be collected from a body of water or foodstock for the production of rotifers[10], which are in turn used to feed other organisms. Phytoplankton is also used to feed many varieties of aquacultured molluscs, including pearl oysters and giant clams. The production of phytoplankton under artificial conditions is itself a form of aquaculture. Phytoplankton is cultured for a variety of purposes, including foodstock for other aquacultured organisms[10], a nutritional supplement for captive invertebrates in aquaria. Culture sizes range from small-scale laboratory cultures of ess than 1 L to several tens of thousands of liters for commercial aquaculture[10]. Regardless of the size of the culture, certain conditions must be provided for efficient growth of plankton. The majority of cultured plankton is marine, and seawater of a specific gravity of 1. 010 to 1. 026 may be used as a culture medium. This water must be sterilized, usually by either high temperatures in an autoclave or by exposure to ultraviolet radiation, to prevent biological contamination of the culture. Various fertilizers are added to the culture medium to facilitate the growth of plankton. A culture must be aerated or agitated in some way to keep plankton suspended, as well as to provide dissolved carbon dioxide for photosynthesis. In addition to constant aeration, most cultures are manually mixed or stirred on a regular basis. Light must be provided for the growth of phytoplankton. The colour temperature of illumination should be approximately 6,500 K, but values from 4,000 K to upwards of 20,000 K have been used successfully. The duration of light exposure should be approximately 16 hours daily; this is the most efficient artificial day length[10]

Effects of Austerity Measures on Communities

Effects of Austerity Measures on Communities Socio-economic and political factors identified in the community of Croydon and the links to key concepts and theories from sociology and social policy. Introduction This essay focuses on the socio-economic and political factors identified in the community of Croydon. It sets out to explain how these factors link with key concepts and theories from sociology and social policy and how this impacts on the community. The main focus here is on the factors that have exacerbated the issues faced by the community. Social capital will form the base for most of the arguments and points. The Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary (2008) defines socio-economic as related to the differences between groups of people caused by, mainly their financial situation. It can therefore be argued that these are factors and experiences that form and define these groups of people and also these are the factors that decide whether these groups are condemned to a life of poverty or not. The Community: Croydon (see definition of a community above) Croydon, with a population of three hundred and eighty two thousand (382k) people (www.london.gov.uk) has the second largest population of all the London Boroughs. It also has the largest number of people aged under fifteen numbering 84k. According to Councillor Tony Newman, also the Chair of the Local Strategic Partnership, Croydon is undergoing transformation to become a modern European city and can do better without bad publicity such as knife crime. It is a diverse community with a diverse ethnicity, faiths, sexual orientation and academic standing all working in different jobs to serve various needs of the community. Knife Crime: A bane for the local community The Community of Croydon has been named one of the worst five amongst London Boroughs for knife crime across London. The community is facing unprecedented levels of knife crime which is attributed to budgetary cuts to services that provide social capital to young people and other services such as policing. When the people who police and monitor crime say so, it is difficult to ignore the issue. The Association of Police and Crime Commissioners argues that with reductions in staff levels and support services already made, further budget constraints will lead to difficult questions on how best to structure police forces to respond to changes in crime, and what this would mean for the local service provided to the public. In the month of February 2017 alone, the Mayors Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC) reported 94 knife injuries committed by teenagers under the age of 15. While the Home Office has no precise definition of knife crime, however knife enabled crime includes a variety o f other offences involving a bladed weapon, for example it is an offence to cause or threaten harm with a knife and if used in a robbery or assault, it aggravates the offence. How the Council Gets Its Information on Knife Crime: But before delving deeper into this issue, it is very important to put into perspective how the community of Croydon and local authority gather information on this bane of knife crime and also give a backdrop to the motivating factors that influence the compilation of this information. In 2008 a teenage boy named Shakilus Townsend was stabbed several times by other teenagers in Thornton Heath, a district of Croydon. This culminated in the council instituting an investigation named Scrutiny on Knife Crime to focus on teenagers, perpetrators and victims alike. (Available at Croydon.gov.uk) The Croydon council gathers and obtains information about knife crime through public meetings held with the UK Youth Parliament, vulnerable young people, Metropolitan Police Authority, the Croydon Youth Crime Prevention Strategy and other stakeholders. Meetings are also held with secondary schools, Pupil Referral Units, Head Teachers and the British Broadcasting Corporation. Social Capital: Social Capital has many definitions, but to put into social work context, the simplest definitions that fit in well with social work are used here. Coleman (1990) argues that social capital is defined by its function as it is not a single entity, but a variety of different entities having two characteristics in common: They all consist of some aspect of social structure, and they facilitate certain actions of individuals who are within the structure. However, Brehm and Rahn (1997, p. 999) put it in another way arguing that social capital is the web of cooperative relationships between citizens that facilitate resolution of collective action problems. It can therefore be argued that social capital has an economical value in it and that this value increases the competitive advantage of individuals through networking through organisations like the local authority provided facilities. The World Bank defines social capital as institutions, relationships, and norms that shape the quality and quantity of a societys social interactions. The World Bank goes on to elaborate by stating that social cohesion is critical for societies to prosper economically and for development to be sustainable. Social capital is not just the sum of the institutions which underpin a society it is the glue that holds them together. While knife crime is one of the major social problems facing this community, this essay seeks to highlight why budgetary cuts, which are a consequence of social capital deprivation, are an indirect consequence of the knife crime coupled with other social issues The Poisoned Chalice of Neo-Liberalism: As social capital has already been defined above, it is important to put it into perspective so that there is an understanding that the reduction in services that provide social capital for the young has come about as a result of neo-liberalism, so there is a link between The Liberal Democrats whose ideological tradition is liberalism, an ideology that favours privatisation, and the contraction of the public sector/services, reinforced by its ideology of neo liberalism on the coat tails of a book titled the Orange Book: Reclaiming Liberalism. Thomson and Thomson (2008) argue that politics plays a fundamentally important role in shaping social work and therefore it could be argued that it is important to buttress some points with an understanding of the role therefore political processes play in social work. Now back to the Liberal Democrats. Nick Clegg later became leader and he would later use his presence and influence in the Coalition to oversee the shutting down of some Sure Star ts childrens centres and Connexions in the name of economic liberalism. This policy also oversaw the privatisation of job seeking being contracted to a private individual operating as if it was under the auspices of the Department of Works and Pension (DWP) using a website under the name Universal Jobmatch where thousands of fake jobs were advertised by a private contractor who was paid for roles which should have been performed by the DWP. Incredibly the scandal which left jobseekers at the mercy of this government approved scam, fizzled out without much fanfare. A lot of jobseekers who were already being deprived of services such as the Connexions had to face the frustration of applying for nonexistent jobs. To put it into context, Connexions was a support service for young people, a service that was meant to help them with advice on topics including education, housing, health, relationships, drugs, and finance. Now these are young people who were most in need. An argument may be developed that says these young people, through a policy of neo-liberalism are likely to develop personal problems and that these personal problems will overlap into a societal problem. These are the apparent knock on effects. Political Austerity, a function of neo-liberalism affecting social capital: Battle and Lewis argue that a persons education is closely linked to their life chances, income and well being. When the Conservative and Liberal coalition government came into power, they made tackling our record debts, as they called it then, one of their cornerstones in dealing with debt. The Liberal Democrats are well remembered by most students for reneging on a policy to scrap university fees altogether. Not only did they renege on this policy, but they went on and signed up to an agreement to actually allow institutions to charge fees up to nine thousand pounds. Now a prospective student from a deprived background would have seen the prospect of finishing university with a debt of over thirty thousand pounds not such an attractive prospect. The Croydon Guardian newspaper interviewed 4 teenagers aged 16 to 18 to try and get to the bottom of the scourge of knife crime in their community. One of the teenagers had this to say: Adults should give children more job opportunities and training. This will attract other teenagers too. We need to ask what they like doing so they have the chance to do what they want. I was part of a gang, but for what? Sometimes there is no explanation. Unquote. The other three teenagers also had more or less the same to say. Another major point of concern that came out of the interviews was that young people carry knifes as a form of defence due to the large numbers of gangs dominating the community. They feel they have to protect themselves. Mills (1959) links what happens to an individuals life with social structures of the wider world. Mills states that the private troubles of men/women effectively trapped them in their lives as they understood only their immediate personal difficulties rather than understanding what was happening to them particularly in reference to historic and histories of their surroundings. These young men and women feel trapped. It can therefore be argued that if it were not for cuts that affect the number of police in the streets, these teenagers would not feel the need to carry knifes as the police would be there to protect them. Unfortunately this policy of austerity does not affect teenagers only.   Some Sure Starts were at the receiving end of these cuts as real spending fell, so states the Nuffield report. To put it into context again there is a need to understand the core purpose of Sure Starts. They were actually developed in consultation with the Childcare Act 2006 and therefore it could be argued that their closure indirectly impinges on the development of children. Their core purpose, as the government states, is to make available universal and targeted early childhood services either by providing the services at the centre itself or by providing advice and assistance to parents, mothers and fathers, and prospective parents in accessing services provided elsewhere. Local authorities must ensure that childrens centres provide some activities for young children on site. What can be argued here is that a child who was nine in 2010 when the coalition government took power is now a teenager and poorer i n terms of education and social capital due to the austerity which affected the number of these centres made available. The knock on effect is that this cycle is being repeated. If society is going to deprive young people of socialisation at an early age surely what can be expected of the this generation in terms of what they contribute to the well being of a community and the society at large? Cunningham and Cunningham (2009) observe that troubles of individuals are inherently personal and unique however they happen as a result of specific set of socio-economic and political circumstances. Again the Nuffield report, already mentioned above, goes on to state that the issues that are the principal concern of its inquiry are social outcomes, poverty and inequality and argue that the Coalition had inherited a better situation than its predecessor Labour whose social programmes had delivered expanded public services. Socio-economic gaps in access to services had decreased. Economic and social outcomes, such as pupil achievements and child poverty, had also generally not improved, while differences between the most and least deprived social groups narrowed, the report goes on to   state. The Deprivation of Social Capital: It can be argued, taking in all the information above, that the exercise of shutting down some Sure Starts and Connexions branches deprived teenagers and other young adults opportunities that could have prepared them better industry leaders of tomorrow. It deprived them of opportunities to socialise and share ideas with like minded peers. The legislations attempt to stop people from carrying knives has not been that successful due to the fact that knife crime is still prevalent in Croydon. Government has imposed penalties of up to 4 years maximum for carrying a knife however this legislation is evidently not a deterrent as knife crime is still prevalent in that community. The law allows for pressure groups to work in collaboration with the society and the police in tackling the crime. However according to Hill and Irving (2009) choices of what pressure groups can work on are dictated by local interests. One can see how the weakness of an individual voter is strengthened through belonging to an influential group. Hill and Irving go on to argue that direct interventions in elections motivated by local issues are rare. This essentially means come election time the issues that really matter to the community are put in the back burner hence the cycle of these social problems still persist unabated. Charities and the MET: Campaigns such as No Knifes Better Lives look at the individual, putting pressure on the family to change with very little change in the role of the state in improving the economic circumstances of the victims. The No Knifes Better Lives approachs challenge is that it focuses on the implement used to commit the crime ignoring the causes or underlying socio economic circumstances. One can argue that if their campaign was focused on getting rid of poverty, access to equal opportunities and education, in the long run this might reduce knife crime. Another organisation helping young people refrain from using knife is the Turnaround centre. This is a place where young people can drop in and ask for advice and support. Incredibly these organisations rely on the magnanimity of well wishers for funding which actually limits their scope of how much they can do. According to the census figures, Croydon has one of the largest Afro/Caribbean populations. This makes it very difficult for the police to enforce the Stop and Search due to the McPherson reports branding of the Metropolitan Police (MET) being institutionally racist, something the MET actually admitted. To compound that, when the practice was in use it disproportionately targeted Black males. So this dilemma has made the police lose out on an otherwise valuable crime fighting tool. The police are currently working together with many stakeholders in addressing problems in the community. In the same breath they should have a social worker working with them and becoming an acceptable face of the solution to the community. One can argue that social workers are always at arms length dealing with issues, rather should be on the frontline instead of being reactive in dealing with societal issues. According to the Health and Care Professions Councils (HCPC) standards of proficiency (SoP), social workers must be able to recognise and respond appropriately to unexpected situations and manage uncertainty. It could be argued that this might just be possible in an idealistic world but not in a profession that faces so much austerity cuts. Social workers, by the nature of their profession, have the unique advantage of seeing and understanding how poverty and discrimination affect lives and thereby communities. So it is a big ask for them to strike a balance between meeting SoP and at the same time lawfully practice. It is therefore imperative that social work should be a protected profession, protected from cuts forever. The social work profession, according to the International Federation of Social Workers, expects the practitioners to promote social change, help to foster human relationships and in the process liberate people through empowerment. Again it becomes very difficult, o ne may argue, that you can operate in an environment that prioritises money above the welfare of human beings. Recommendations: The Croydon council has recommended the continuous review of developing a range of services for all young people in Croydon. Specifically, investment in expanded opening hours for places where young people can be into the late afternoon and late at night during summer months should be explored and future opportunities for younger children actively considered. Another important recommendation was that the local authority should give consideration to the creation of a Croydon Youth Council as this could be used as a vehicle or channel for the youth to influence the decisions that affect them. Policing along with social work should and must be protected from budgetary cuts as they are at the forefront of fighting crime. Conclusion: Eliot Spitzer the former American Democratic politician once remarked The world has conducted a macro-economic experiment since the cataclysm of 2008. In Europe, the fans of austerity have had their chance, and the results have been a disaster. Unquote. This essay has stated the case why austerity measures, in other words, social and economic policies are impacting on the day to day lives of people mostly young people. The current government and its predecessor the Conservative/Liberal coalition continue to deprive young people of opportunities that could have made them better people or leaders of tomorrow and unfortunately their policies will continue to impact badly on how social workers deliver their duties in the communities they serve, as they restrict their ability to practice. People are losing services essential to their well being and that cannot be good for the well being of their mental state. The British Association of Social Workers Code of Ethics states that principles of human rights and social justice are fundamental to the work of a social worker; it can therefore be argued, how can social workers foster a just environment when they have to work under an austerity environment which is unjust and cannot support them. This essay argues that austerity is state sponsored human rights abuse. Words: 2985 A  reflective summary response to the feedback from peers on the formative presentation Bruce (2013) argues that the process of reflection can be described as the detailed thinking you may undertake about an event or experience, and the new perspective or knowledge you gain as a result of this process. The compliments my group received from peers about how well we worked together as a unit resonated well with and reinforced the theoretical framework stages of group development described by Tuckman (1965) as norming, forming, storming and performing. Our group was not that difficult to form as we already had developed interpersonal relations through meeting in the canteen and lectures. Interestingly, due to being the eldest in the group, I seemed to command respect from group members as they presumed being older made me wiser. However some members felt age should not be a criterion for choosing a group leader. As I had already studied each group members strengths and weaknesses, I simply told them the reasons why they should choose me, at the same time delegating duties for the presentation. Everyone seemed happy with the delegated duties and so the team structure took shape.   At the norming stage we set up a collaborative strategy through a whatsapp group. A member would post their idea of the delegated role then we would all look at it and have our input. We found this to be an excellent medium of communication and sharing of ideas. At this stage we also lost our sixth group member due to pregnancy. Our performance stage appeared to be the easiest as each member wanted the group to succeed. Great and not so great ideas flowed from members as we worked hard to meet the deadline. We complimented each other where it was deserved. It can therefore be argued that the group formation process of our team was an event I have just reflected about. Words: 339 A  short evaluation of an interview undertaken with a professional about their role and experiences of providing services in a community-based organisation. Interviewing a Nurse Assessor When planning for my interview I thought about Egans (2014, pg.136.) use of probes to explore and clarify points of view, decisions and proposals. This gave me an idea about how I was going to probe the nurse so she could engage and tell me in detail the scope of her role and challenges she faces in her role. I was very interested in the direct positive impact she was having on the community hospital too. This community hospital is what could be described, as, argued by   Cunningham and Cunningham (2008) a traditional geographic community due to its location and shared space, proximity and years of shared experience which are seen to have inculcated certain common values and norms and there is a sense of permanence, shared responsibility, duty and mutual support. Adams et al in Brint (1994) argue that an organisation should have valued professionals who combine expertise with the technical capacity to solve problems, particularly major global problems such as health and the environment. My interview was with a Nurse Assessor for an intermediate care services (IMC) in a community hospital. She stated that her role sometimes included working in front of the house, Accident and Emergency (A and E) admissions avoidance and stated that she found this quite overwhelming. I asked why she had to perform a role which appeared to be outside her remit and her response was that even though she had been trained for the role, there was a serious lack of qualified personnel so she and her colleagues had to rotate and share duties. She does not specifically do social care but because they work as a team, she tends to sign post to social care if patients do not fit the IMC criteria for rehabilitation. This role is currently evolving as they are working as an integrated discharge team that is, working in teams with social workers and hospital discharge coordinators to facilitate early and timely discharges. It was quite interesting how her role processes are not that dissimilar to those of a social worker, starting with assessment, moving through to planning, intervention finally monitoring, evaluation and review. Adams et al (2009). Presently the team is transitioning from using social care policies towards what is called a Trusted Assessor who can do all three roles, meaning that they will have to work within social care policies and legislation while assimilating the trusted assessor concept. It is a work in progress. The challenges related to her role are mainly friction in teams working collaboratively and no clear cut boundaries, hence blurring the roles. Above all, keeping up with the pace of the changing face and needs in Health and Social Care and the aging population was another challenge they had to deal with as a team on a regular basis. Demand outstrips supply and the need for services has been outstripped by lack of growth in infrastructure. She felt that her professional values were being compromised by the pressures of work. Reflecting on what she had told me, I referred to Hertzberg et al (2010) who argued that work motivation is intrinsic to the job and that conditions of employment and relations in the workplace have the capacity to demotivate. In this new structure of collaborative care (integrated discharge teams) she works with three social workers in the team. They work together to facilitate.   She refers and discusses relevant cases with them and they in turn will discuss and refer some patients to her if they feel that their needs can be met in intermediate care even if it means accessing IMC to reduce the care package. After the interview I was left with a myriad of dilemmas, but the one that stuck to my mind was how the generality of healthcare professionals are victims of legislation probably designed by people who spend most of their time looking for mistakes than solutions, as can be seen by the bad press that they usually get. Healthcare workers are supposed to abide by and adhere to certain statutes yet their professional competencies are being hindered by a lack of resources. (Adams, et al. pg 92 2009) Compared to its peers in the G7, a group of large developed economies, the UK is ranked sixth on healthcare expenditure. (Office of National Statistics, 2017) Words: 743 References: Adams, R. Dominelli, L. and Payne, M. (2009) Social work: themes, issues and critical debates. 3RD edn. Basingstoke: Palgrave. Bruce, L.   (2013) Reflective practice for social workers: a handbook for developing professional confidence.   Maidenhead: McGraw Hill Open University Press Coleman, James S. 1990. Foundations of social theory. Cambridge: Harvard University Press Cunningham, J. and Cunningham, S. (2008) Sociology and social work. Exeter: Learning Matters. Egan, G. (2002) The skilled helper: a problem-management and opportunity-development approach to helping   7th edn. Pacific Grove: Brooks Cole Hertzberg, F., Mausner, B., and Snyder, B. B. (2010) The motivation to work. 12th edn. London: Transaction Publishers. Hill, M. and Irving, Z. (2009) Understanding social policy. 8th edn. Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell https://www.basw.co.uk/ (Accessed: 15 March 2017) https://www.london.gov.uk/in-my-area/croydon (Accessed: 18 March 2017) http://www.croydonguardian.co.uk/news/knifecrime/ (Accessed: 15 March 2017) https://www.croydon.gov.uk/sites/default/files/articles/downloads/knife1.pdf   (Accessed: 21 March 2017). https://www.croydon.gov.uk/sites/default/files/articles/downloads/demographics.pdf (Accessed 15 March 2017) https://www.croydon.gov.uk/community/equality/lovecroydon/facts (Accessed 12 March 2017) https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/273768/childrens_centre_stat_guidance_april_2013.pdf (Accessed: 15 March 2017) http://ifsw.org/get-involved/global-definition-of-social-work/ (Accessed: 14 March 2017 https://www.london.gov.uk/in-my-area/croydon (Accessed: 18 March 2017) http://noknivesbetterlives.com/parents (Accessed: 15 March 2017) http://www.nuffieldfoundation.org/sites/default/files/files/RR04_SUMMARY.pdf (Accessed: 21 March 2017) https://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200809/cmselect/cmhaff/112/11204.htm (Accessed: 20 March 2017) https://www.london.gov.uk/what-we-do/mayors-office-policing-and-crime-mopac/data-and-research/crime%20/gangs-dashboard Office for National Statistics (2017) Available at: https://www.ons.gov.uk/ (Accessed: 20 March 2017). https://www.worldbank.org/ (Accessed: 20 March 2017)

Asian American Stereotypes Essay -- essays research papers

Pertaining to Tracy Lai’s article titled, â€Å"Asian American Women†, Lai discusses how stereotypes dehumanize people while turning them into objects to be manipulated. Lai touches on the topic of how Asian people and cultures are stereotyped as being inferior and exotic. The problem that Lai brings to our attention is that it is a struggle to be an Asian in America due to the fact that Asians have been denied political, economic and social equality in America. Lai also brings to our attention the die hard myth that Asians have made it in America, which is far from the truth. I sense that Lai’s argument is extremely effective due to the fact that stereotypes are not only seen among Asians, they are also seen in many other cultures and genders. For instance, women for years were battling for woman’s equality to be able to vote, and today women are still battling for equality in political and economic areas. In addition, African American’s are still trying to be accepted into certain political roles throughout our society. Since Tracy Lai is a Asian in America I feel that her argument holds great validity due to the fact that Lai shared her own personal experiences. By reading Lai’s personal feelings, it allowed me to understand her beliefs to a greater extent because I was able to see where she was coming from. Certainly I agree with Lai’s views because I have noticed that Asians are depicted as being inferior. For example, if you have ever seen a movie or a television show that...

Production and Operation Managemne, Case of Mcdonald

This paper aims at examining the use of teams in production and operations management. Boone and Kurtz (2011) reported that ’’the purpose of production and operations management is to oversee the application of people and machinery in converting materials into finished goods and services’’ (p. 356). Dr. Deming has developed fourteen principles for production and operations management, originally presented in Out of the Crisis, that serve as management guidelines. Organizations that follow that guideline should have more efficient workplace, higher profits, and increased productivity. According to Zupanc ( 2007) ,Dr. Deming’s principles are: Create constancy of purpose, Adopt the new philosophy, cease inspection and require evidence,End the practice of awarding business on the basis of price tag, Improve constantly and forever the system and of production and service , Institute training on the job , Institute leadership , Drive out fear , Break down barriers between departments , Eliminate slogans, exhortations, and targets for the work force , Eliminate work standards (quotas) on the factory floor , Remove barriers to pride of workmanship , Institute a vigorous program of education and self-improvement, Everyone must undergo transformation continuously and indefinitely. (Total Quality Management, para. 5). This paper will focus on Dr. Deming 9th principle. He has advised his client to:’’ break down barriers between departments and staff area’’. In other words, he is encouraging organizations to use team work in production and operations management. It is very important for a company to use team work. Most organizations divide themselves to several departments so that work would end faster upon splitting up and distributing to several departments. This takes the organization to better management in quality and also other profit with better planning. Thesis Statement: In discussing the use of team work in production and operation management, we shall start by describing a major global corporation ( McDonald) , next we shall describe its production or operations management, then we will describe and evaluate the company’s use of teams in production and operations management, and finally we will analyze and evaluate the company’s ability to adjust to a major economic, environmental, or natural crisis (such as the real estate crash, financial crisis, nuclear meltdown, hurricane, flood, oil spill, etc. and communicate effectively with their employees and customers about issues caused by the crisis 1. Describe a major global corporation: (1) a leading manufacturer or (2) a major retail or restaurant business. Describe the type of business, market share, financials, size, and global presence. McDonald's is the world's # 1 fast-food company by sales, with more than 32,500 restaurants serving burgers and fries in 117 countries. (McDonald Corporation , 2009). Svoboda (2007) argued that, in 1991, McDonald owned $13 billion of the $93 billion fast food industry. The popular chain is well-known for its Big Macs, Quarter Pounders, and Chicken McNuggets. Most of the outlets are free-standing units offering dine-in and drive-through service, but McDonald's also has many eateries located in airports, retail areas, and other high-traffic locations. About 80% of the restaurants are run by franchisees or affiliates (p. 1). The sales increased by 5% in 2010, Operating income grew by 9% and the company is continuing to gain market share around the world. In addition, McDonald has returned $5. 1 billion to shareholders through share repurchases and dividends paid, and has provided a 27% return to investors for the year, ranking it third among the companies comprising the Dow Jones Industrial Average (McDonald, 2011). 2. Describe the company’s production or operations management. Operations management can be defined as the planning, scheduling, and control of the activities that transform inputs into finished goods and services (Sloan School of management, 2009). Production and operation managers oversee the work of people and machinery to convert inputs into finished goods and services. Boone and Kurtz (2011) argued that operation managers execute four majors task, first they plan the overall production process, next they determine the best layout for the firm facilities, then they implement the production plan, and finally they control the manufacturing process to maintain the highest possible quality( p . 365). The following paragraphs will have a look at how McDonald executes those four major operation management tasks. PRODUCT PLANNING: Production planning begins by choosing what goods or services to offer to customers. The main operation In McDonald’s Restaurants is product planning. In order to meet the needs of the customers, that are constantly changing, McDonald has to keep on adding new products to its menu. For instance, the increasing preference of consumers towards healthy food made the restaurant add healthier food items to its menu. Similarly it has to add new products for different seasons, for examples hot coffee in winter and milkshakes in summer. LAYOUT DESIGN: Boone and Kurtz (2011) believed that an efficient facility layout can reduce material handling, decrease cost, and improve product flow through facility layout (p. 366). In McDonalds Restaurant layout designing is a very important operation. A proper layout of the equipment in the kitchen is very essential to ensure preparation of quality food in less time. It also designs its layout keeping in mind the health and safety issues. McDonald layoutis design in such a way that needs of supervision is minimised. McDonalds also sets its premises in proper manner to handle any number of customers easily. The building design is standard worldwide but it may be havesome difference in size or in exterior according to the location. It enables them tosave time, satisfy their customers, comfortable environment for both employees and customers. McDonalds uses the same interior pattern as it’s used internationally. Itmay vary according to the premises size (Gondal, 2008, p. 8). IMPLEMENTING THE PRODUCTION PLAN: After planning the production process and determining the best layout. Organization starts implementing the production plan. According to Boone and Kurtz (2011), this activity involves; selecting the best suppliers, and controlling inventor (p. 367). Selecting best suppliers: When an organization has decided what input to purchase, it must choose the best vendors for it needs. Their choice of a vendor will be based on the quality, the price, the delivery, and the services offered. The McDonald’s supply chain is a complex web of direct and indirect suppliers. It manages this complex system by working with direct suppliers who share their values and their vision for sustainable supply. McDonald holds them to clear standards for quality, safety, efficiency and sustainability (McDonald, 2010). It expects them to extend those requirements to their suppliers. McDonald also partner with them to identify, understand and address industry-wide sustainability challenges and achieve continuous improvement. Svoboda (2007) argued that, McDonald often holds seminars and conference for suppliers to discuss their need (p. 3). Overall, McDonald’s and its suppliers are collectively focused on three responsibility areas: ethical, environmental and economic. Controlling Inventory According to Boone and Kurtz (2011) , production and operations managers’ responsibility for inventory control require them to balance the need to keep stocks on hand to meet the demand against the costs of carrying inventory ( p . 369 ). At McDonalds the inventory is managed on the basis of First-In-First-Out basis. This is because most of the inventory consists of perishable items. Therefore delivery of inventory happens twice or more times a week depending on the business of the restaurant. Moreover inventory is stored in freezer with proper packaging so as to ensure freshness of the food items. All this activities comes under inventory management of the organisation. According to Kennon (2007), between 1999 and 2000, McDonald's had an inventory turn rate of 96. 1549, incredible for even a high-turn industry such as fast food. This means that every 3. 79 days, McDonald's goes through its entire inventory. By tying up as little capital as possible in inventory, McDonald's can use the cash on hand to open more stores, increase its advertising budget, or buy back shares. It eases the strain on cash flow considerably, allowing management much more flexibility in planning for the long term (McDonald vs. Wendy’s, para. ) Just in time system seek to eliminate anything that does not add value in operations activities by providing the right part at the right place at just the right time (Boone and Kurtz, 2011, p. 370). McDonald's is also uses JIT system in the sense that it doesn’t begin to cook its orders until a customer has placed a specific order. CONTROLLING THE PRODUCTION PROCESS: The final task of production and operation management is controlling the production process to maintain the highest possible quality. McDonalds put an emphasis on themaintenance of the product quality, the human resources used within the organization, its location and layout designs. They train their employees of all departments regarding their job, so they can handletheir customer and work as well which helps to maintain their status quotas (Gondal, 2008, p. 10). McDonalds is among the companies which are partially involved in the production of goods and services, so a proper maintenance system within the organization strengthens the goodwill and reputation. In McDonalds restaurant , the operations manager develop and establishes the process of cooking food items so that food is prepared using that method which helps them to maintain the speed and the quality of the food. Moreover it also designs processes so that the health, safety and hygiene issues are taken into consideration. Also the managers keep on introducing latest equipment’s with the advancement of technology so as to bring pace, perfection and quality in the product. Overall operations management is very important for any organisations; it contributes to the strategy and therefore helps the organisation to gain competitive advantage. 3. Describe and evaluate the company’s use of teams in production and operations management. A team is a group of people with complementary skills who are committed to a common purpose, approach, and set of performance goal (Boone and Kurtz, 2011, p. 329). A good team is said to be one where the whole of the team is greater than the sum of its parts; and this signifies that the team members are working in teamwork with each other. Many teams have worked together and the output has been lesser than teams made up of less intelligent minds. So while a team does move towards a common goal, how well it achieves this goal depends solely on how well the team members work in collaboration with each other. According to Goldman (2008), McDonald’s owes is success to its team functionality rather than the efforts of one individual. McDonald’s does not have very highly integrated teamwork, but they would be unable to deliver their products and service without sufficient team unity and cooperation (Observation of Leadership, para . 5). Team members have one area that they focus on during their shift. If they leave their post or are not productive, other line members will not be able to accomplish their jobs and the production line will suffer. For example, when a customer enters the restaurant places an order with the cashier, the later inputs the order into the computer and the information is displayed in the kitchen at the sandwich and grill stations. The grill worker prepares the meat and then places the burger on a bun. The sandwich maker then assembles the sandwich according to the type of sandwich and any additional requests the customer has. If the sandwich maker leaves his post, another worker has to cover for him or the entire product delivery process shuts down. Without everyone working together and having sufficient motivation to provide good and quick quality service, all members of the team fail. As a result of one person losing motivation or failing to adequately perform his duties, customers may complain and business can be lost. Even though most employees are trained to perform multiple tasks at various stations, they are not usually able to perform all of these tasks simultaneously. 4. Analyze and evaluate the company’s ability to adjust to a major economic, environmental, or natural crisis (such as the real estate crash, financial crisis, nuclear meltdown, hurricane, flood, oil spill, etc. ) and communicate effectively with their employees and customers about issues caused by the crisis. Every major corporation faces external and internal challenges. External challenges faced by organizations can be economic, environmental, or natural. We will take a look at the environmental challenges that McDonald has encountered and how it has been able to find solutions to those challenges. Svoboda (2007) argued that, in 1989 McDonald was facing environmental protests in the form of demonstrations, letters, and customers mailing their polystyrene clamshells back to the company. In order to take care of those protest McDonald stepped up its recycling effort by creating a joint task force with the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) (p . 5 ). Developing a strong company-wide environmental policy, declaring that McDonald is committed to protecting the environment for future generation, was one of the first result of the task force. McDonald has also been active in educating its customers about the company’s environmental activities and positions. There are brochures available in restaurants informing customers about McDonald position on such as ozone depletion, the rain forest, and packaging. McDonald has realized that in order to achieve its waste reduction goals, it must collaborate with its suppliers. In order to promote collaboration McDonald has developed an annual environmental conference intended to train suppliers and has included environmental issues in its annual supplier reviews and evaluations. According to Svoboda the following initiatives were proposed by the task force and had since been followed by McDonald: Source Reduction, Reuse, Recycling, and composting. Section 40196 of the California Public Resources Code defines source reduction as any action which causes a net reduction in the generation of solid waste. â€Å"Source Reduction† includes, but is not limited to, reducing the use of non-recyclable materials, replacing disposable materials and products with reusable materials and products, reducing packaging, reducing the amount of yard wastes generated, establishing garbage rate structures with incentives to reduce the amount of wastes that generators produce, and increasing the efficiency of the use of paper, cardboard, glass, metal, plastic, and other materials (Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery, 2010 ) . Over the past twenty years , McDonald has made substantial progress in its source reduction efforts. Svoboda (2007) believed that, McDonald’s â€Å"average meal† in the 1970s — a Big Mac, fries and a shake — required 46 grams of packaging. Today, it requires 25 grams, a 46 percent reduction. McDonald’s has also reduced the weight of packaging in its sandwich wraps, hot cups, and napkins, removed corrugated dividers in some shipping cases, and switched to bulk containers wherever possible ( p . 4 ) . Re-use is using an object or material again, either for its original purpose or for a similar purpose, without significantly altering the physical form of the object or material (Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery, 2010). McDonald reuse options include the reuse of plastic (rather than cardboard) disposables, shipping trays for bakery items, and plastic shipping pallets that last at least three times longer than wooden pallets (Svoboda, 2007, p. 5). Recycling can be defined as using waste as material to manufacture a new product. Recycling involves altering the physical form of an object or material and making a new object from the altered material. McDonald’s tries to use recycled materials whenever possible . According to Svoboda (2007), in April 1990, McDonald’s announced the McRecycle Program, a commitment to spend $100 million annually on the use of recycled materials, especially in the building and renovation of its restaurants. In 1991, it surpassed its goal, purchasing more than $200 million of recycled materials (p. 6). McDonald’s continued to work with suppliers to develop packaging that was consistent with curbside recycling programs, to support the recycling of material that leaves the restaurant via takeout orders. Composting is the biological decomposition of organic materials such as leaves, grass clippings, brush, and food waste into a soil amendment. Almost 50 percent of McDonald’s waste stream consists of paper packaging and food organics that could be composted. McDonald’s is reviewing the compostability of its packaging and studying materials such as the coatings used on its paper-based packaging to determine if they impair compostability. Where possible, it will replace materials that are not compostable with materials designed for compostability. Conclusion This paper has discussed the use of team work in production and operation management, we started by describing a major global corporation ( McDonald) , next described Macdonald’s production or operations management, then described and evaluate the MacDonald’s use of teams in production and operations management, and finally we analyzed and evaluate the McDonald’s ability to adjust to a major economic, environmental, or natural crisis (such as the real estate crash, financial crisis, nuclear meltdown, hurricane, flood, oil spill, etc. ) and communicate effectively with their employees and customers about issues caused by the crisis. References Department of Resources, Recycling and Recovery. (2010). Waste Prevention Terms and Definitions. Retrieved from Department of Resources, Recycling and Recovery website: http://www. calrecycle. ca. gov/reducewaste/define. htm Goldman. E. (2008, November) . Observation of Leadership ; Organizational Behavior at McDonald’s. Retrieved from: http://www. ericgoldman. name/non-technical/28-leadership/34-observation-of-leadership-a-organizational-behavior-at-mcdonalds Gondal. N. (2008). Operation Management Strategies ; Total Quality Management Strategies . Retrieved from: http://www. scribd. com/doc/17407126/POM-REPORT-on-McDonalds McDonald Corporation. ( n. d. ) . McDonald’s 2010 annual report . Retrieved from http://www. aboutmcdonalds. com/etc/medialib/aboutMcDonalds/investor_relations3. Par. 56096. File. at/2010%20Annual%20Report%20(print). pdf Kennon . J. (2007). McDonald's vs. Wendy's – A Case Study in Inventory on the Balance Sheet . Retrieved from: http://beginnersinvest. about. com/od/analyzingabalancesheet/a/mcdonalds-vs-wendys. htm Zupanc . H . ( 2007 ) . Total quality management. Retrieved from: http://www. qualitysolutions. ca/tqm. htm Sloan school of Management. ( n . d . ) What is operation management? Retrieved from the Sloan school of management website :http://sloan. mit. edu/omg/om-definition. php Svoboda . S . ( 2007 ). McDonald’s environment strategy. Retrieved from: http://www. umich. edu/~nppcpub/resources/compendia/CORPpdfs/CORPcaseA. pdf

Free Essays on Rosa Louise Parks

Parks, Rosa Louise (1913- ), civil rights leader, born in Tuskegee, Alabama. She attended Alabama State College, worked as a seamstress and housekeeper, and was active in the Montgomery Voters League and the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) Youth Council. In 1943 she was elected secretary of the Montgomery branch of the NAACP. In a celebrated incident in 1955 she was arrested for violating segregation laws when she refused to give up her bus seat to a white passenger. This resulted in a boycott of the bus system by blacks, with Martin Luther King, Jr. leading the movement. In spite of harassment the boycott continued, and in 1956 segregated seating was challenged in a federal lawsuit. Within a few months bus segregation was ruled unconstitutional, and the buses were officially desegregated in December 1956. Parks, who had lost her job because of the boycott, moved to Detroit, Michigan, the following year, and again took in sewing. She also worked as a fundraiser for the NAACP. In 1965 she was hired by Congressman John Conyers, Jr., also a civil rights leader, to manage his Detroit office. She remained active in the NAACP and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). In 1987 she founded the Rosa and Raymond Parks Institute for Self-Development, offering guidance to young blacks. She won the NAACP's Spingarn Medal (1970) and the Martin Luther King Jr. Award (1980), as well as an honorary degree from Shaw College.... Free Essays on Rosa Louise Parks Free Essays on Rosa Louise Parks Parks, Rosa Louise (1913- ), civil rights leader, born in Tuskegee, Alabama. She attended Alabama State College, worked as a seamstress and housekeeper, and was active in the Montgomery Voters League and the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) Youth Council. In 1943 she was elected secretary of the Montgomery branch of the NAACP. In a celebrated incident in 1955 she was arrested for violating segregation laws when she refused to give up her bus seat to a white passenger. This resulted in a boycott of the bus system by blacks, with Martin Luther King, Jr. leading the movement. In spite of harassment the boycott continued, and in 1956 segregated seating was challenged in a federal lawsuit. Within a few months bus segregation was ruled unconstitutional, and the buses were officially desegregated in December 1956. Parks, who had lost her job because of the boycott, moved to Detroit, Michigan, the following year, and again took in sewing. She also worked as a fundraiser for the NAACP. In 1965 she was hired by Congressman John Conyers, Jr., also a civil rights leader, to manage his Detroit office. She remained active in the NAACP and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). In 1987 she founded the Rosa and Raymond Parks Institute for Self-Development, offering guidance to young blacks. She won the NAACP's Spingarn Medal (1970) and the Martin Luther King Jr. Award (1980), as well as an honorary degree from Shaw College....