SWOT of Mercedes Essay Example for Free

SWOT of Mercedes Essay Strengths Due to Mercedes is a leading of automobile companies and lead other manufacturer around the world. It is well established, provides high quality vehicles, and enjoys very good branding, earning itself plenty of respect and prestige. It is a well-known provider of luxury, offering solid design and expertly tuned ride comfort, making them one the most comfortable cars to ride. The company is also market savvy, with good access to global distribution with an array of agreements and alliances. Weaknesses The great quality means that they are price is very expensive, with much of the cost as a result fashion. The strong branding which promotes this has positives and negatives consumers like a good brand, but high prices can also be an issue. Promotion is one clear source of weakness. The companys promotional campaigns are rare, and the cars take a long time to make, which can lead to impatient customers. Recently, UAW contracts have cast the company under a negative light. Mercedes Benz should not lose sight of the ever changing market base. And keep a keen eye on the needs of the consumer, and the competitors. Opportunity There will always be plenty of opportunities for Mercedes-Benz, which can lead to higher profits and future expansion. The new clean energy cars will be the future, and will be a major new opportunity for the company if they can secure the right technology. Booming car markets in the world offer new places to sell, and the honing of already established features will ensure that new customers will want to purchase from Mercedes-Benz. Threats Competition is increasing, as new and dominating Asian car markets move towards the global stage. Japan and America have increased car tax for large luxury cars, which makes them less desirable. There are also more subtle social and cultural factors which could have consequences for profitability in the future.

Case Study: Audit Processes of a Computer Company

Case Study: Audit Processes of a Computer Company Introduction Internal auditing is a consulting activity on a company that is independent. It aims at helping a company/ form evaluate its managerial system, identify issues in the firm and control the process of governance. Therefore an internal audit helps in supporting the board in their duties of completing important businesses in the company. The main issues faced by the auditor is whether research and development costs expensed in establishing technological feasibility were properly expensed or capitalized when appropriate. A good audit plan when implemented improves business performances and increases sales in a company. Definitions An internal audit is a tool used in firms to evaluate how effective its management system is and its quality. An internal auditor is any person who is qualified enough to have a responsibility of performing the audit process Nonconformance is the situation where the practice of a company is in disagreement with the standard practices KCN Analysis of the Audit Strategies Section Purpose Audit Strategy OBJECTIVES OF THE ENGAGEMENT This lists the services to be provided by the audit firm to KCN. The aim of this process is to define Keyton Computers Networks Inks internal audit for the purpose of evaluating the companys effectiveness.This is the audit of KCNs financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2015, and the issuance of a letter of engagement. BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY CONDITIONS To evaluate KCNs business and the industry it operates in KCN sells and services micro-computers, networking hardware and software to different businesses. PLANNING MEETINGS Shows the meetings that have been made with the clients and CPA team One meeting so far held with client and one with engagement team OWNERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT Shows/ indicates who owns and manages the company. Owners: Terry Keystone, Mark Keystone, John Keystone, Keith Young, and Rita Young. Managers: Terry and Mark Keystone OBJECTIVES, STRATEGIES AND BUSINESS RISKS This establishes clients goals, how they planned to achieve it, and the commensurate risks, and how they planned to overcome these risks. The main aim is to increase revenues 110% and increase net income to112% for each of the next 3 years.   To achieve this there will be need to: (1) advertise aggressively, sell to customers with higher risk profiles, and to develop new software.    The primary risks involved are not being able to produce the desired results and exceeding increased sales with credit losses. Another possible risk is not producing products in the software development. MEASUREMENT AND REVIEW OF FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE These are the ways used for performance evaluation. The procedures include inventory and receivables turnover, aging of accounts receivable, and the total inventory balance. PROCEDURES TO ATTAIN AN UNDERSTANDING OF CLIENT AND CLIENTS OPERATING ENVIRONMENT This tells the procedures to be done so the auditors can understand the client and the clients environment. For this audit strategy, the auditor needs to 1) review the prior years audit, 2) make inquiries from management, 3) analyze KCNs minutes of its board of directors meetings, 4) evaluate performance reports, 5) analyze company website, 6) appraise industry reports, and 7) assess business newspapers including the Wall Street Journal. AUDIT APPROACH This defines the general plan to be taken. Just like last years audit, the accountants assigned to KCNs audit have to make a plan about the companys tests of controls to gauge whether its control risks are below the maximum for the identified assertions. SIGNIFICANT RISKS Primary risks identified by the auditors. The primary risks involved are not being able to produce the desired results and exceeding increased sales with credit losses. Another possible risk is not producing products in the software development, and analysis of the quarterly results showed significant bonuses awarded to officers. SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING AND AUDITING MATTERS This are matters of concern in accounting and auditing Two primary concerns exist: whether accounting for extended warranties is done properly and cost of software. PLANNING MATERIALITY The auditor computes the materiality threshold. Review of sales, total assets, and pretax net income, to plan for materiality, $70,000 was established as the measure. SCHEDULING AND STAFFING PLAN This is the audits schedule. It also identifies the human resources assigned to the engagement. This includes the target dates for each major section of the audit starting from the interim audit work up to the updating of the management letter.The firm budgeted 118 hours for the engagement. KCN Risks RiskImplications and Response The primary risks involved are not being able to produce the desired results and exceeding increased sales with credit lossesthrough the extension of credits to high risk customers This increases the risk of bad debt expense misstatement and the corresponding allowance. The auditors can revise their estimates on the value of an account, and ignore the procedures previously done. Bonuses for the clients officers There could be an increase in the risk of quarterly results misstatement to extract the maximum bonus for officers.Also this motivates the officers to work more for more bonuses. The auditors may respond by reducing the number of the staff as long as they can handle their duties, to reduce number of people receiving bonuses. KCN Capitalization of Software Development Costs For KCN, the auditor has to determine whether research and development costs including those expended to establish technological feasibility have been properly booked as expenses or capitalized wherever appropriate.The audit firm will then identify the point of feasibility for the software product.The primary risks involved are not being able to produce the desired results and exceeding increased sales with credit losses by selling to high risk customers. The implication of this factor is that it creates a chance for misstatement of bad debt expense and the allowance for bad debts. Moreover, auditors will either increase or decrease their evaluation of the worthiness of the accounts receivable and avoid relying on previously done procedures. KCN Ratio Analysis Keystone Computers Networks, Inc. Analytical Review of Financial Ratios For the Period Ended December 31, 20X5 Details of Computations of 2005 ratios Ratio analysis may be difficult when there are no major changes in ratios.   However, the following might be considered: Number of Sales in Accounts per day Changes in credit policy and customer mix Improved economic conditions Exaggerations of sales Understatement of purchases Turnover of Inventory Change in the policy of the inventory exaggeration of inventory Understatement of the commodities bought by the company As KCN competes with companies that are much larger than itself and some even older in the computer and software business, the economic pressure is a lot. Whether bor not the company succeeds depends on how it handles the competition, for example, being able to attain and maintain a qualified market. This may increase its growth in the software sector by up to 6%. Conclusion The audit process is an important part of a company. Using the ratios and factors above, the Keyton company auditing process was carried out.   The increased profitability level resulted to a number of ratios with significant changes.As mentioned in the first part of this discussion paper, the auditor needs to determine whether research and development costs are properly expenses or capitalized when appropriate. The auditors determined that accounting for research and development was followed and all it needs to do is to identify when the software product became technologically feasible. As stated above, implementing these policies from the auditors reports will increase the sales for example, up to 6% in software alone. This supports our thesis statement. References Chesler, L. (1981). Baseline audit plan. Santa Monica, Calif. Kagermann, H. (2008). Internal audit handbook: Management with the SAP-Audit Roadmap. Berlin: Springer. Pickett, K. H. S. (2006). Audit planning: A risk-based approach. Hoboken, N.J: Wiley. Why did the Compromise Fall in 1860? Why did the Compromise Fall in 1860? During the beginning of the nineteenth century, the relationship between North and South deteriorated over the issue of territorial expansion. In 1850, the issue of slavery was slowly dividing the North and South sections of the United States; both factions were of similar origins and had a myriad of common bonds. Frantic efforts at compromise were launched such as the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854 and The Missouri Compromise of 1820. However, the sectional rift only increased with the Brooks-Sumner incident and any chances of compromise were terminated with the Supreme Court decision of the Dred Scott case in 1859. The two powerful parties of the Second American Party System, the Democrats and the Whigs, were dumbfounded and could not find a solution to the slave question, which ultimately lead to their destruction. From their remains rose two new political parties, the Republican Party and a southern party devoted to the defense of slavery. Their battle in the election of 1860 would decide the future and fate of the United States. By 1860 all attempts at compromise had failed, and within a year the nation was in the midst of a bloody Civil War that would cost over 600,000 American lives and divided many families in the process. The types of economies that developed in the three regions of the United States in the first half of the nineteenth century had a powerful impact on political goals and decisions. The South grew important cash crops such as cotton, tobacco, sugar, and rice. The North was far more industrialized than the South or even the West, having shifted from mercantile capitalism. At the same time the West shifted from subsistence farming to commercial agriculture and produced more foodstuffs, such as corn and wheat, than the other two regions. The North came to rely more and more on western foodstuffs and in return, westerners became consumers of northern industrial and commercial products. By the 1850s the North and West were economically joined, and the Norths economy was rapidly evolving into a modern-day industrial and commercial system. In the South, cash crops such as rice and tobacco were grown extensively. Yet no commodity was more important to the South than cotton. One southern politi cal leader was so certain that the rest of the nation depended on the Souths cotton production that he declared, Cotton is King! Cotton was one of the most important commodities in the world in the nineteenth century; many factories in the Northern states as well as European countries such as Great Britain and France needed cotton for their important and prosperous textile industries. Yet this was all done on the backs of abused slaves who worked tirelessly night and day to pick the cotton of their masters plantations. In the early 1800s Northerners were content to allow slavery to reside in Southern states. Only when Southern leaders sought to expand slavery did many Northerners become concerned. The Missouri Compromise of 1820 was an attempt to maintain the balance in the Senate between slave and Free states. Senator Henry Clay, known as the Great Compromiser, worked out a compromise in which Maine would enter the Union as a free state while Missouri would be admitted into the Union as the northernmost slave state. As a result of the compromise, slavery was then prohibited north of the 36 °30 parallel making a clear distinction between the northern and southern states. This boundary would then later be challenged by events such as the Dred Scott case, yet it marvelously managed to avert war for forty years, and thus set it aside for a later generation to fight, but the damage to American nationalism helped to erode the so-called Era of Good Feelings in which the popular James Monroe presided as president. During 1828, Congress passed a tariff that protected Northern industries but had the unwanted consequence of driving up domestic prices. This, while beneficial to the growing industry in the North, greatly crippled the South who suffered as their economy largely depended on the import and export of domestic goods. As a result, this new bill outraged Southerners who began calling it the Tariff of Abominations. South Carolina spearheaded Southern concerns by citing the doctrine of nullification, which allowed individual states to nullify proclamations of the federal government that would be found to be unconstitutional or inhibit the states rights. The issue of nullification was taken up in the Senate in the famous Webster-Hayne debate in which Daniel Webster of Massachusetts, the Senates leading orator, responded by challenging the Souths apparent willingness to subvert the Union for regional economic gain. In doing so, he broadened the debate beyond land, tariffs, and slavery to a co nsideration of the very nature of the federal republic. In 1832 Congress modified the tariff of 1828 by retaining high duties on some goods, but lowering others to rates held before the treaty. A South Carolina convention, under the leadership of current vice-president John Calhoun, later that year adopted an Ordinance of Nullification, voiding the tariffs of 1828 and 1832 in the state. The claim was that because the South tended to export food and import manufactured goods these tariffs were abusive and unfair; this new Ordinance supported free trade and generally opposed protective tariffs. The South Carolina state legislature funded a volunteer army and threatened secession if the federal government tried to force the state to comply with the tariffs. President Jackson, though an advocate of states rights, responded forcefully and threatened to invade South Carolina if its leaders refused to participate in the collection of tariff duties. To the ambitious malcontents in South Car olina, he proclaimed emphatically, the laws of the United States must be executed. . . . The Union will be preserved and treason and rebellion promptly put down. Jacksons proclamation stimulated an outburst of patriotism all over the country, isolating South Carolina from the rest of the Union. President Andrew Jackson asked Congress to grant him the authority to use military force to collect tax revenues and to subdue South Carolina. Congress complied by passing the Force Bill of 1833; the bill gave the President the authority to close ports or harbors at his will. This in turn would require opponents to the tariff to travel a distance to carry out any threats or insurrection against federal facilities. Hostile acts against government facilities or personnel would then be considered pre-meditated and blatant. Fortunately, however, the president never had to resort to military action. The crisis was averted when Congress passed a bill that reduced the productive tariff the following year. These events were dubbed the Nullification Crisis and the Compromise of 1833. Though war was averted, South Carolina now became the hotbed of southern dissent. The crisis of 1850 may never have occurred if a more common resource was discovered in California. But since gold was so rare, and therefore very valuable, Californias population skyrocketed. By 1850 over 100,000 hoping-to-strike-it-rich settlers, also known as forty-niners, flocked to California in hopes of attaining vast wealth in the gold that was said to be so abundant there. Without waiting for federal approval, the inhabitants of California called a convention, framed a constitution that prohibited slavery, and applied to Congress for admission as a state without first becoming a territory, this was made possible due to the vast influx of people who had emigrated there from the east of the United States as well as those who had immigrated from other countries. California had become very populous. The questions of whether California should be admitted as a free state and slavery should be allowed in New Mexico and Utah, two other territories asking to be allowed into the Union a t the time, generated a great deal of controversy both within Congress and throughout the nation. President Taylor supported Californias admission. Though the slaveholding president supported the proposal, other slaveholders throughout the country did not follow suit. Many southerners quickly threatened that they would secede from the Union if California was admitted as a free state. The Great Compromiser Henry Clay then once again stepped into the fray and proposed a compromise to this problem; this would be known as the Compromise of 1850. The compromise itself was more a series of bills than an actual compromise, these bills included among other things, that California would enter the Union as a free state; a more stringent Fugitive Slave Law of 1850 was guaranteed to be rigidly enforced. The law itself was already present, but it was rarely followed due to it being so poorly enforced as well as fierce opposition from Northerners who refused to hand in runaway slaves to the ever unpopular slave hunters; a settlement of the boundary between Texas and New Mexico; an indemnity to be paid to Texas for the relinquishment of its claims to a large portion of New Mexico; the slave trade would be banned in Washington D.C. (District of Columbia) though the ownership of slaves would not be abolished in the capital. This idea arose mainly because in this time period many European nations, with which the United States of America did business with, had already abolished slavery throughout their country, and it would leave an unfavorable impression on a foreign diplomat to see slaves which were no longer allowed in their own country, still present in another with whom they were considering associating themselves with ; the Mexican Cession, or the land taken from Mexico as a result of Americas victory in the Mexican-American War, would be divided into two new territories, New Mexico and Utah. Both territories would determine the status of slavery in their areas by popular sovereignty. Popular sovereignty was a system that would determine whether the state or territory would be free or would allow slavery by mean of holding local elections in said state or territory, Democrats would advocate popular sovereignty during the election of 1860. The compromise was made official with the signing of President Millard Fillmore. This passage by Congress delayed the onset of the Civil War for more than eleven years. The Bleeding Kansas period came about due to the Kansas-Nebraska Act. Democrat and Illinois Senator Stephen Douglas introduced the Kansas-Nebraska Act to further the construction of a Transcontinental Railroad to Chicago despite being warned by Frederick Douglass that the bill was an open invitation to a fierce and bitter strife. For the Bill to pass he needed the votes of southern Democrats, who were unwilling to support him unless the new Territories needed to accomplish it were open to slavery. Douglas thought that by proposing that the status of slavery in the new territories be governed by the principle of popular sovereignty, he would satisfy both pro and anti slavery factions. However, his bill in effect, repealed the Missouri Compromise of 1820, which barred slavery north of latitude 36à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ° 30. This brought as consequence that the Southern Whigs voted with southern Democrats in favor of the measure, and the northern Whigs rejected it, creating an irreconcilable spl it that left Whigs unable to field a presidential candidate in 1856. In the congressional elections of 1854, the southern Democrats became the dominant voice both in congress and within the party due to the split with the northern Democrats. The Cotton Whigs, who had economic ties with southern slave owners, were convinced that the bill would encourage antislavery feelings in the north. They urged southern politicians to vote against the bill, but were utterly ignored. This convinced them that compromise with the South was impossible and the nation watched horrified as the residents of Kansas slaughtered each other in pursuit of sectional goals that increasingly seemed to represent the divisions of the country. Since popular sovereignty would decide Kansass fate, it seemed that the majority of Kansas antislavery farmers would align Kansas with the Free states. Proslavery sympathizers in neighboring Missouri were not about to stand by while their neighbor cast its lot with the free s tates on account of its land being fertile and perfect for growing and farming cotton, the white gold of the South. Soon, border ruffians crossed into Kansas with the intention of making it a slave state. Border ruffians terrorized Kansas and intimidated others to vote proslavery with vicious threats and cast fraud ballots during elections to help elect their candidates into office. In response, Northern opponents of slavery like the New England Emigrant Society began sending supporters to Kansas. Fighting soon erupted as advocates of slavery created a government in Lecompton, Kansas and their opponents established an antislavery government in Topeka. Shortly thereafter, proslavery forces massacred citizens of the antislavery town of Lawrence. In retaliation, a violent abolitionist named John Brown organized his own massacre of five suspected proslavery advocates at Pottawatomie Creek in 1856. The Democratic President Pierces decision to remain aloof from the events in Kansas furthe r damaged what was left of his partys cohesion. In the ensuing months it seemed as if Kansas would enter as a free state, but a new problem arose; enter President James Buchanan. The newly elected President Buchanan accepted the proslavery Lecompton Constitution, which would admit Kansas as a slave state. Certain democrats then agreed to unite with the young Republican Party in 1858 to oppose the Lecompton Constitution, their efforts were not in vain and Kansas was ultimately accepted into the Union as a free state. The election of 1856 attracted one of the highest voter turnouts in American history. Ordinary citizens were sharing the politicians concerns about the growing sectional rifts in the nation. The northern turnout also showed that the threat posed by expansion of slavery was greater than that posed by new immigrants. In 1856 the people of the United States heard about the looting and burning in Kansas, about John Browns massacre at Pottawatomie, and about the Sumner-Brooks incident on the senate floor, ostensibly causing the unprecedented voters outpour. In the latter incident, Senator Charles Sumner of Massachusetts suffered permanent injuries from an attack by Congressman Preston Brooks of South Carolina. Using abusive and accusatory language in his The Crime Against Kansas speech, Sumner had singled out for ridicule Senator Andrew Butler of South Carolina. Sumners rude and personal attack suggested that the senator was drooling. South Carolina, Sumner cried, had sent to the Senate a Don Quixote who had chosen a mistress who, though polluted in the sight of the world, is chaste in his sight- I mean the harlot, Slavery. Talk of sexual connection between white Southerners and slaves was always explosive. Senator Butlers nephew, Preston Brooks, did not bother to challenge Sumner to a duel. Brooks said that the Yankee would never give satisfaction and would therefore refuse or flee from the challenge. Instead, Brooks strode into the Senate chamber and, finding the Massachusetts lawmaker alone, brutally beat Sumner with his cane, nearly ending his life. In Brooks mind, he was simply avenging an intolerable affront to his uncles honor. Each man found his action perfectly justifiable and the action of the other outrageous. So far had the behavioral codes of the North and the South diverged, and their attitudes were mirrored by their respective sections. The nation lay as divided as the senators. President-elect James Buchanans support for a pro-southern decision by the Supreme Court further aggravated sectional differences. In Dred Scott vs. Sandford, a southern-dominated Supreme attempted, in vain, to solve the political controversy over slavery. Scott, a slave, had been taken by his owner to Illinois, a Free State, and Wisconsin Territory north of the Missouri Compromise line. During that time, Scott married another slave and had a daughter who was born in free territory, then returned to Missouri, a slave state. Once in Missouri Scott sued for his freedom and that of his wife and daughter on the grounds that residence in free lands had made them free. Chief Justice Roger B. Taney declared the Missouri Compromise unconstitutional asserting that the federal government had no right to interfere with the free movement of property throughout the territories. Taney dismissed the Dred Scott case on the grounds that only citizens could bring suits before federal courts and that b lack people were not citizens. The five southern members of the Supreme Court concurred with the decision along with one Northerner, Robert Grier. President-elect Buchanan had pressured Justice Grier into supporting the majority. Clearly as a sectional decision, Southerners expressed satisfaction and support for the Court, Northerners disagreed. They found themselves questioning the power of the Supreme Court to establish the law of the land. The racist attitude of the Supreme Court was a bitter blow to the free blacks in the North. The South was overjoyed with the Courts ruling. The North was outraged; Northern Democrats like Senator Steven Douglas of Illinois found it increasingly difficult to reconcile their support of popular sovereignty in the Dred Scott decision. Under Douglass definition of popular sovereignty, it was always the white majority that would make decisions about black mens freedom. Lincoln responded to this definition by stating that for a man to rule another man without his consent was tyranny. Lincoln succeeded in pressing Douglas on the issue of slavery in the territories after Chief Justice Taneys Dred Scott decision. Lincoln used this opportunity to attack Douglass popular sovereignty idea. For how could the people of a territory vote against slavery, if Chief Justice Taney said that every American had a right to carry his property with him? In response, Douglas introduced his Freeport Doctrine. The doctrine was dubbed after the Illinois town where Lincoln and Douglas had met for one of their debates. The doctrine said slavery could not exist without friendly legislation to support it. Anti-slavery voters could simply refuse to pass such laws and slavery would effectively be kept out of the territory. Douglas concluded then that popular sovereignty was entirely consistent with Chief Justice Taneys ruling. However, the Freeport Doctrine alienated many Southern Democrats. Douglas had actually stated the essence of the doctrine previous t o the debate at Freeport, but its prominent public assertion at Freeport contributed, along with other political disputes, to antagonizing those in the Southern United States who were demanding ever-increasing protections for slavery, and who subsequently insisted on the repudiation of the Freeport Doctrine in order to block Douglas presidential bid in 1860. Containing slavery became important to Northerners, who believed that as slavery expanded, Northern industrial capitalism would become limited. To fight this fear a new political party emerged in the 1850s, the Republicans, whose political goals were free labor, free soil, free men. The industrial capitalists, owners of the Norths factories and workshops had the most to gain by containing the spread of slavery and expanding capitalism. For example, as capitalism expanded, they hoped to expand the labor pool, by supporting a loose immigration policy, which in turn would drive down the wages that they would have to pay for workers. Just as the planters dominated the South, the industrial capitalists profoundly influenced the Norths political, economic and cultural system. In addition, their political and economic objectives often clashed with those of the Souths planter class. In the South, militant political leaders, referred to as fire-eaters due to their adamant nature to raise cont roversial disputes, especially with their northern counterparts. These fire-eaters chafed at the notion of containing slavery, let alone abolishing it entirely, naturally bringing about disputes between the two. These clashes were mostly due to slavery as the industrial capitalists wanted to expand the white labor pool and southern plantation owners wanted to keep their slave force. Though compromises such as the Missouri Compromise, the Kansas-Nebraska Act, and the myriad of bills proposed by Henry Clay in the Compromise of 1850, it helped to divert attention from the topic and to try and appease both sides, but conflict was inevitable. As discussed earlier, both the North and the South consisted of entirely different ideals and culture by the nineteenth century. These divisions were brought to light in both the violence of the Brooks-Sumner incident and the racist decision of the South-dominated Supreme Court during the Dred Scott case. By the time Abraham Lincoln, the sixteen pre sident of the United States of America, took office the southern had already seceded from the Union. There was no longer room for compromise, Lincoln was given two options; to allow the Union to crumble or fight to preserve it. They thought themselves to be to economically powerful, politically influential, and the North and the rest of Europe too dependent on their White Gold for slavery to be abolished. They were wrong.

Personal Leadership Skills Analysis

Personal Leadership Skills Analysis For this essay I have audited my leadership skills using theoretical models and referred to specific situations and experiences. This encompasses personal, academic and professional reflections and explores opportunities for my career paths and personal development with an Action Plan for the future. This has required critical evaluation of my own development needs in light of my own aspirations, establishing an understanding of my transferrable skills and how these can be enhanced. For this I have considered situations in which my leadership traits, styles and skills have been utilised to help create successful outcomes. Background My career path has involved working closely with and taking an interest in people, both clients and colleagues alike. In developing my management skills, I am continually pursuing further ways of improving the effectiveness of these interactions which is immensely rewarding for me. On leaving school, my first employment was within the travel industry. From the outset, I sought to improve skills and enjoyed the challenge of meeting the needs of customers, budgetary targets, training of staff, problem solving, through to the opening and management of a travel agency branch several years later. Apart from the GCSE qualifications gained at school, any further academic or professional learning has been gained whilst in employment. The skills and achievements in my personal life are equally transferrable to my work life. For example, as Chairman of a genealogical society for several years and public speaking engagements both serve as reminders that I have organisational, research and presentation abilities which I can and should be utilising and developing along my career path. I am a prison officer and, three years ago, I learnt that my establishment was funding a Foundation Degree in Offender Management. My initial reaction was one of excitement as I had, for several years, considered some form of Higher Education by way of personal and professional development, but had never explored the options. It was a source of immense satisfaction to pass the course and achieve Distinction grade. My learning journey, experiences and personal developments, undertaken in the last three years, would take more than the word count of this essay allows, yet there are key points to reflect on in order to analyse my own leadership skills and continue their development. Theoretical Models and Personal Experience of Reflection in my Professional Development: From my earliest days in retail employment, then Care Work and on to prison officer, I have been fascinated by people and behaviour. Working alongside others, as well as empowering and training gives me great personal and professional satisfaction. Using reflective models such as Gibbs (1998), shown in Appendix III, I came to realise that how I interpret situations influences my interactions with others. As I will illustrate, this relates directly to my personality style and how I manage people and situations. Linked to this is the importance I place on how I am viewed by others and naturally seek collaborative and open relationships. Many of these values are found in Carnegie (1938), listed in Appendix I. The Study Skills Self-Assessment which I completed on 23 October 2007 (Appendix II) highlighted three main employability skills I need to develop as: Improving own learning and performance Application of number (data collection and interpretation) Information and technology proficiency Alongside these, to develop, are my personal attributes of Self confidence Flexibility and adaptability Judgement In this assessment I also reflected on my own specific weaknesses which include being too self-critical and not praising my own achievements enough which can affect my ability to be objective about my performance. I have a strong underpinning need to defend others and leap to their rescue which I have come to see as a hindrance to my own development and of those I seek to help. This is a particularly important area for me to address as future management roles will require me to allow others to take their own personal responsibility and only offer guidance as appropriate. This rescuer style is schema-related and I have considered schema theory and how this applies to me. Beck, (1967:233), described a schema as ..a cognitive structure for screening, coding, and evaluating the stimuli that impinge  on the organism. In short, schemas are the filters or core beliefs we have about ourselves or the world around us which influence how we interpret different situations in our lives. The nature of the work I do in offender rehabilitation requires me to undertake regular de-briefing, supervision, yearly health reviews and bi-monthly counselling. This, together with schema theory and other therapy models I use with prisoners, which I have also applied to myself, means I spend a lot of time being introspective and sharing reflections with colleagues. This helps define practical steps for a successful future but also enables me to gain wider perspectives in understanding, leading and managing others with a range of resources and situational analysis capabilities. Whereas, in the past and even recently, I have questioned the decision making processes of management, this has reshaped into a desire to gain a holistic overview of the work environment. Understanding the way we think and manage ourselves and others has been an important facet of my learning over the last three years. Straker (2008) who expands on the work of Gardner (2006) was helpful in appreciating that how we interact with people, at all levels, and is crucial for self development. Overcoming objections to understanding others, for fear that this might disprove our own theories about ourselves and the world are key hurdles of which I must continually be mindful. Negative experiences in this have resulted in an unhealthy view of the workplace but, as I said earlier, the benefits of a more engaging view have proved beneficial in my work and personal well being. As well as using Gibbs Reflective Cycle (1998), Kolb (1984) also helped me to evaluate experiences and test hypotheses but I did not find it took me to the point of action whereas Gibbs sets out the plan for ongoing development which is crucial for me so as not to remain procrastinating. Moon (2004) has been a useful resource on reflective practice, reminding me that reflection is not just important in itself, but must also lead to positive change, In observing what gets in the way, rather than being stuck in analysis, to move beyond and set goals for positive development has been essential learning for me and has been a surprising benefit which I had not expected several years ago. Leadership Employability Skills I recently completed an Employability Skills self assessment exercise which we first undertook in the first semester of the Foundation Degree. On doing this, I compared the results from the two. It was encouraging that one of my main developments appears to have been in problem solving and I consider my Higher Education studies over the last three years as contributing to my deeper analysing abilities. In light of earlier descriptions of my learning journey and reflective logs, it is gratifying to see that I have come a long way in, not only overcoming my own obstacles to learning, but making measured and significant achievement which then enables me to guide others in their roles. Among the key learning experiences for me, alongside the above, are a recognition of the roles of others, networking and effective communication. My career path has involved working closely with and taking an interest in people, both clients and colleagues alike. This was particularly apparent when I recently updated my Curriculum Vitae (Appendix IV), which was last compiled almost fifteen years ago. In developing my management skills throughout my degree studies, I have discovered further ways of improving the effectiveness of these interactions which is immensely rewarding for me. Through networking with management and departments for resources on researching prison policy, security and management skills, I am now feeling positive and motivated to succeed in career development. Not only is this important from a practical, self-development perspective, but also the fulfilling sense of achievement this will bring. Until recently, I was Supervisor of the Core Sex Offender Treatment Programme which was an important role in developing my leadership skills, promoting staff well-being as well as guiding staffs professional development. Another important aspect of this was to remain flexible yet consistent in balancing these needs whilst focussing on the goals of the establishment Business Plan and Key Performance Target (KPT) priorities. This mirrors Handy (1987) who argues for such flexibility in his Trust Control Theory. I find myself taking the opportunity to develop the skills of others very seriously and is personally rewarding and empowering. The values I attribute to this mirror those of Kandola and Fullerton (1994) in their Mosaic Vision which I have included in Appendix V. In Transactional Analysis Theory (Bern, 1961), every individuals personality is made up of three parts Parent, Adult and Child. An assessment of my own revealed a predominantly Nurturing Parent relationship style which is immensely rewarding personally, but can prove emotionally draining and is not without its practical problems. However, developing assertiveness skills in establishing my own identity and skills base has the benefit of overcoming any negative rumination and keeps lines of communication open. An example of achieving this was in challenging my line manager over my yearly performance review where I was rated Achieved and not Exceeded which I felt was deserved. I could have overlooked this and ruminated unhelpfully, believing him to be responsible for not recognising my achievements, but chose instead to manage my manager and argued my case. I found the www.h2training.com website interesting which had useful strategies for reminding me how to maintain my own degree of self-determination. Quoting from this site: Its unreasonable to expect your manager to be entirely responsible for accelerating your career: ultimately, its your own responsibility. Remember that an expectation is also resentment waiting to happen, and it is very difficult to hide resentment. http://h2training.com/managing_manager_tips.html [accessed November 2010] Suffice to say, my performance record was amended accordingly. I recently had to step down from Sex Offender Treatment work which I found difficult to accept. I, therefore, reappraised my personal development and used reflective skills (Kolb, 1984 and Beck 1967) to help evaluate the experiences and to understand how I was interpreting them. By doing this, I was able to negotiate a role within the drugs support team after originally being offered an office based assessment position which I would have found unfulfilling. Indeed, on reflection, assertiveness and negotiation are two core management attributes which are now part of my skills set. Drawing together the range of experience and interests I have enjoyed over successive years keeps me, first and foremost, actively engaged in working for and alongside others. My role as a drugs support worker requires the key skills I possess with the realisation and expectation that they can be further developed with a particular emphasis on evaluating the management requirements of this work. This is encouraging and, in this period of change, I have come to realise the importance of job satisfaction as a key motivator for me. An important element of my professional life is to uphold personal and corporate values of decency and ethical practice including cultural diversity. I was pleased to be able to highlight these values in my Diversity Foundation Degree project from January 2009 where I made recommendations for valuing the diversity of staff and prisoners and improving ethical practice in Programmes Awareness training at Full Sutton. This was well received by the treatment management team resulting in the training being strengthened in this area. On sharing the findings of my Transactional Analysis with a work colleague, my nurturing parent style was acknowledged and confirmed through my perceived empathic nature. In looking at my management style, it is important that I maintain a balance between this and being careful not to go into White Knight schema-driven mode, where I need to defend others at all costs. Developing a style which cares for others yet enables them to function on their own merits allows me to function better as a genuinely caring person in my work and as a leader. Maslows Hierarchy of Needs theory (1943), reminds me that my own needs count as well as those of other people. In other words, putting other people first all the time is detrimental to my own well-being and valuing myself is, in itself, a key assertiveness skill. I continually remind myself of the announcements on aircraft during safety briefings where, in the event of oxygen masks being deployed, you are instructed to put your own on first before aiding anyone else. If you dont, you might pass out beforehand and then no one is saved. Critically evaluating My Leadership and Management Style Some years ago, a colleague of mine who has since retired, told me his thoughts on a particular Senior Manager. He used a phrase which, though meant in a derogatory sense, I have never forgotten. He said ..as a leader of men, I would only follow him out of curiosity. This colleague had spent many distinguished years in the Armed Services as a Regimental Sergeant Major and had been in the Prison Service for around 15 years. He had, therefore, some considerable experience of different management and leadership styles. Using established theory I continually analyse my own strengths and weaknesses in areas of leadership and management. Fayol (1916) highlighted five commons elements of management which are essential to the role. These include the ability to look to the future, to be organised and co-ordinate the organisational objectives, leading (though he defined it as commanding which is unhelpfully autocratic) and, finally, to control the above elements using all means at his or her disposal. Whilst this was written at the beginning of the last century, the basic tenets of management Fayol lists are still valid though ones own personality also engenders an effective workforce which can achieve results. The latter is personally important as I seek to have followers rather than delegates and makes me, as a manager, more of a leader. I recently completed the Myers Briggs Personality Type Questionnaire. Having done this a couple of years ago, I decided to redo this using an internet-based assessment resource (www.teamtechnology.co.uk) [accessed 15 September 2010], which produced a comprehensive 200 page report. Summary in Appendix VI The results proved very interesting and formed a cohesive assessment which affirmed the beliefs about my personality and leadership attributes gained over the last few years. This was confirmed through the initial questionnaire together with a separate subtest which had similar outcomes and, interestingly, the results were very similar to my previous assessment two years previously. Essentially, I have a strong focus on values, feelings, compassion and important beliefs where current experiences hold great learning importance. Team values are high and my role in ensuring the well-being of those with whom I work is important to me. There are, however, elements of this personality type which I am aware can be problematic if not managed appropriately. I do have a tendency to avoid conflict yet can be stubborn where my own values come into conflict with corporate ideals in which I run the risk of failing in objectivity. These are negative traits which I have been consciously working on over the last few years and serve to remind me that, whilst having a default style, this does not preclude effective working on these to the benefit of all concerned. Interestingly, the top two best matches of jobs for me based on enjoyment are actor and musician; for match came out as counsellor and customer care and a combination of match and enjoyment came out as counsellor and actor. All of these I have both experience and interest in and the traits from these have indeed shaped my leadership style. The Humanist approach described by McGregor (1964) looked at how individual attitudes can affect behaviour. He purported that there are 2 types of leader (using an X and Y continuum ranging from a negative to positive view of subordinates respectively). The latter, he showed, have a greater chance of effective performance from the workforce through a nurturing approach which I can identify with. A reflective log from December 2009 is included in Appendix VII. Again, as with most models, there is a typical style for each individual manager but even the most open and supportive one can revert on occasions to X-typical strategies and responses. This can be somewhat confusing and lacking in continuity for the workforce and, potentially unsettling as I will illustrate later in this essay. The model is similar to Tannenbaum and Schmidt (1958) who use the continuum from Authoritarian Task Orientation to Democratic Relationship Orientation where I operate towards the latter and Goleman (2000) on which I identify with the Affiliative (people come first) stage. Operational leaders, as covered by Maxwell (2002) have great value to an organisation in providing stability, devising systems and solving problems with positive engagement. However, because of their focus on detail they can overlook the bigger picture, sometimes lack motivation and are not effective in dealing with conflict. Very often, paraphrasing Maxwell here, operational leaders are not very good at getting their hands dirty but readily raise the flag at the moment of achievement. Thankfully, whilst viewing myself as an operational leader, I do like to share in tasks as well as delegate. John Adair (2002) in his range of leadership treatises, (which, incidently, build on the previous models of Maslow (1943), Herzberg (1964) and Fayol (1916) highlights three key management responsibilities under his banner of Action Centred leadership. Achieving the task Managing the team or group Managing individuals Whilst advocating a shared responsibility between the individual and external factors, it does not, however, take stock of the individual in the leadership role which I view as crucial. A similar but more complex model I have become interested in, is known as Crew Resource Management (CRM) which was originally devised by NASA to explore the human factors in civil aviation accidents in the 1970s. Several industries have adopted and adapted their own models accordingly and my interest will culminate in a dissertation for my Degree on the benefits of adopting a CRM approach to Prison Service critical incidents. Tasks or people? Workforce or Team ? It is clear that leadership is different to management though a good leader will have good management skills. In considering whether I impose myself as leader to focus on task or allow the team to flourish utilising their own skills, I completed the T-P leadership questionnaire (Appendix VIII). This scored exactly midway between the two, highlighting my awareness and flexibility to respond to both important aspects. How we respond to a leader gives some indication of our own skills and that of the one in the supervisory role. As one who aims to lead by inspiration, I am more inclined to follow Kolbs (1984) model of learning and encourage people to adapt concrete way of doing things to update their skills base and find more effective ways of working (feeling, watching, thinking, doing). An autocratic leader would be less inclined to allow such flexibility and attempt to ensure compliance from those who might be more inclined to kick and scream in and against the process. An effective leader should also take individual learning styles into account as no one method fits all. Honey and Mumfords Learning Style Inventory (1982), highlights the differences that exist, as I have found even within small teams, yet we all work together and effectively, notwithstanding that everyones experience of being under the same leadership will be different. One of the most important sources of reflection in considering my own style of leadership, plus a reinforcement of my own beliefs and values, is represented in the Style Theory of Leadership developed by Blake and Mouton (1964). This, essentially, follows on from McGregors X-Y theory and is more relevant to those predominantly on the Y axis and where a level of trust in management structure exists in the workplace. However, Blake and Mouton explored the benefits of those that put tasks before people and vice versa. Ultimately they considered whether concern for people or concern for production was more important for leaders. As with other models, the day to day style of individuals in leadership roles can vary but everyone has their own default mode. Where productivity appears more important than the maintenance and well-being of the staff, I can find myself at odds with the management and perceived ethos of the establishment at which I work. With the Blake Mouton model, I was relieved to have my default leadership style confirmed as Team Leader. This is indicative of high concern for both people and production where emphasis is placed on a spirit of teamwork and mutual co-operation. This also engenders a safe environment in which commitment from all sides is more readily forthcoming. However, in completing a recent practical assessment for a promotion board I failed to attain the required grade. I knew this as soon as the assessment was over, though I had to wait two months for the official result. In fact, I knew during the assessment, I was reacting totally contrary to my normal sense of priorities when faced with a constant stream of problems to solve. I found myself focussing primarily on the tasks and not enough on the personnel. For example, when faced with a member of staff who was emotionally upset at a domestic issue, I asked if he was okay to continue to get his landing unlocked and would look to help him with his problem later. Afterwards I learnt that the assessors were looking for Utopian responses in all scenarios assuming all needs could be immediately provided so I could have put staff welfare first, getting his role covered immediately so he could then get home to sort his issues. However, I reverted to my current work role where the pressure to meet deadlines sometimes overrides well-being. As this was completely at odds with how I believed I would normally have reacted, I was left feeling ill at ease and questioned why I persisted in this way when I am naturally Y (using McGregors model, 1960) and more team focused than task orientated (Blake Mouton, 1964). Whilst I may not fully understand why, at least it is a recognised trait à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦..theory X managers (or indeed theory Y managers displaying theory X are primarily results oriented Internet source http://www.businessballs.com/mcgregor.htm [October 2010] On reflection, I am convinced that the culture and environment of the higher management structure (which demands and focuses on results and targets) filters down and, no matter how much one tries to resist or even kick against it, it permeates ones own work practice after a while. The climate in which I work consistently places emphasis on the meeting of Key Performance Targets (KPTs) and now, the Service Level Agreement (SLA). In meeting these as well as ever increasing budgetary constraints, every facet of work culture is placed under the microscope and, wherever possible, cut, yet the targets must be met regardless. However, no matter the circumstances in which we find ourselves or expectations laid at our office door, it is how we respond that is important and the acceptance of our personal responsibility to be channelled into effective working. An important element of relationships, at all levels including personal and business, is trust. Where one perceives this to be eroded or not present due to conflict in aims or values, it can have a destructive affect on effective co-working. As can be seen above, this is something I am struggling with in the corporate ethos where I am constantly second-guessing the motives behind management decision-making. However, to be an effective manager, I am mindful of maintaining a healthy approach to embracing the mission of the workplace even though I may not fully understand or have access to the full rationale behind the decision making processes from Higher Management. As a leader, I have to convey to those I wish to work effectively under me, that this mission is achievable and in the common interest despite my own such uncertainties. Maintaining personal integrity and establishing trust are essential in my personal, professional and leadership identity. Straker (2008:208) talks of transaction cost and trust boundaries. Essentially he argues that trust, if allowed to erode or not fostered within an organisation can impact on delivery and there has to be a cost on both sides to re-establish this. As he says .. the overall cost can be minimised with up-front investment in, and subsequent maintenance of, trust. If one does not have that sense of belonging within the trust group then there is something wrong with the work relationship and part of effective management and leadership performance is to be pro-active in fostering trust and encouraging people to enter the trust boundary. It begs the question, therefore, who and under what conditions will we follow? Should we be expected to lead and expect blind faith? What criteria and principles should be presented in order for others to set out on the journey with us ? Handy (1987) suggests that in order for an outcome to remain constant, the Trust-Control balance might need to shift between leader and subordinates and I can see merits in this as relationships, as well as work pressures, are fluid in nature. There are three established styles of leadership: autocratic, paternalistic and democratic. History records successful leaders who have exhibited all of the above. Each style can work and produce results but demands a flexibility on the part of the workforce to fit in with the style and it is that response which can be acknowledged and worked with or not as the case may be, As for my own style, confirmed as a nurturing parental approach, this has immense benefits for myself and for those who work under me as they feel supported and, more importantly in my opinion, affirmed in their roles with their own skills base recognised and developed. As with any style there are costs and, as I am finding, where my own sense of values conflicts with the demands laid upon me, this can have a detrimental effect to my own sense of purpose within the organisation. It is important, therefore, that structures and lines of communication are open which allow for that expression of view. However, this, in itself, is not without the potential cost. As I found when raising my head above the parapet on several occasions, to express concern and personal frustration with the direction expected by senior managers, it can blot ones copybook. Again, it is important for me to consider how much of this is down to my own personal perception and how able I am to see my subordinates perspective and, crucially, the aims and focus of the establishment delivery objectives. Conclusion In terms of future roles, I am best placed to consider managerial positions. The Foundation Degree and BA(Hons) are regarded as valuable qualifications both for their content relevant to the Criminal Justice System and Leadership and Management but also symbolising the desire and commitment I have and have shown for continued self development (Appendix IX). In the final analysis, the human dynamic is the most beneficial resource in the workplace but it is also the most fickle and, at times, fragile. To lead is a privilege and to follow is an opportunity. I can only strive to make myself worthy of the trust placed in me to, not only get the job done, but to enable others to be the very best they can be and, in the process, ensure I am followed out of respect and not coercion or, indeed, curiosity. Appendices: I. Excerpt from Carnegie (1938) II. Study Skills Self Assessment III. Gibbs (1998) Reflective Cycle IV. Curriculum Vitae V. Kandola and Fullerton (1994) Mosaic Vision VI. Myers Briggs Personality Type Questionnaire VII. Reflective Log on McGregor X,Y Theory VIII. T-P Leadership Questionnaire IX. Professional Development Plan Appendix I Excerpts from How To Win Friends and Influence People Carnegie (1938) Fundamental Techniques in Handling People Dont criticize, condemn, or complain. Give honest and sincere appreciation. Arouse in the other person an eager want. Six Ways to Make People Like You Become genuinely interested in other people. Smile. Remember that a mans Name is to him the sweetest and most important sound in any language. Be a good listener. Encourage others to talk about themselves. Talk in the terms of the other mans interest. Make the other person feel important and do it sincerely Twelve Ways to Win People to Your Way of Thinking Avoid arguments. Show respect for the other persons opinions. Never tell someone they are wrong. If youre wrong, admit it quickly and emphatically. Begin in a friendly way. Start with questions the other person will answer yes to. Let the other person do the talking. Let the other person feel the idea is his/hers. Try honestly to see things from the other persons point of view. Sympathize with the other person. Appeal to noble motives. Dramatize your ideas. Throw down a challenge. Be a Leader: How to Change People Without Giving Offense or Arousing Resentment Begin with praise and honest appreciation. Call attention to other peoples mistakes indirectly. Talk about your own mistakes first. Ask questions instead of directly giving orders. Let the other person save face. Praise every improvement. Give them a fine reputation to live up to. Encourage them by making their faults seem easy to correct. Make the other person happy about doing what you suggest. Appendix II. Study Skills Self Assessment Appendix III. Gibbs (1998) Reflective Cycle Appendix IV. Curriculum Vitae Appendix V My Personal and Professional Values Related to The Mosaic Vision (Kandola and Fullerton, 1994) Mission and values (I tend to have a rescuer style in

Lying from the Tip of Our Tongues Essays -- Essays Papers

Lying from the Tip of Our Tongues Tell the truth, live the truth, do the truth, or there will be terrible consequences. -Gwen Rice Clark You come through the door and you see that look in their eyes, they know. All this time, all those lies; all of it just to make sure that they didn’t have to know, all so they didn’t get that look in their eyes. Now you enter further into the room and there’s no stopping the inevitable, one fact remained. You lied. For whatever reason, whatever excuse you hoped was logical enough in your mind so that it didn’t seem as wrong as it truly was, that doesn’t matter. Because the motives and the analyzing were and are in the end moot points, as it is said, through it all â€Å"the end does not justify the means†, Eluki bes Shahar. Like it or not, that’s what lying is, a means to an end. Why should people care about it? That’s too broad an enigma to tackle so impulsively. First one must challenge the nature of the problem; because it is a problem. For no matter who you are, how honest you might think yourself or how many lies you have told, at the end of the day, not even you know the answer to this question: Why do people lie? Lying is being deceitful. It is construed in more cases than not, as the opposite of being truthful. Yet, there’s more to it than that. A person can lie without actually saying anything false. There’s such a thing as ‘lying by omission’ and little ‘white lies’ to keep people baffled as to what dishonesty is. In reality, mendaciousness is a sickness that haunts its nurturers without letting go. Then, after a while, a person can get so good at this ‘skill’ that they even begin to lie to themselves. What’s the i... ...ork.org/index.php?loc=kb&id=8322> Schreiber, Lisa. The Nonverbal Cues of Deception. 20 May. 2002. 7 April. 2004. Schweitzer, Maurice E. and Christopher K. â€Å"Stretching the Truth: Elastic Justification and Motivated Communication of Uncertain Information†. 2002. Journal of Risk and Uncertainty. 8 April. 2004. Vrij, Aldert, Lucy Akehurst, Stavroula Soukara, and Ray Bull. â€Å"Detecting Deceit Via Analyses of Verbal and Nonverbal Behavior in Children and Adults.† January 2004. Ohiolink. 7 April, 2004. Willer, Jeremy. Interpersonal Deception Theory. 7 April. 2004.

Slaughterhouse Industry Essay -- essays research papers

TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction Industry Study Project Description A.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Basic Project Information B.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Project Location C.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Project Rationale D.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Alternative E.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Description of Project Phases F.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Baseline Environment Condition G.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Impact Assessment and Mitigation H.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Environment Management Plan I.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Proposal for an Environmental Monitoring and Guarantee Fund Attachment of Annexes A.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Photos or Plates of Proposed Project B.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Impact Areas, Affected and Communities C.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Maps of the following Scale D.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Permit to Operate Certificate E.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  E. Result of Physical and Chemical Analysis of Water and Wastewater PROJECT DESCRIPTION Davao City slaughterhouse is located at Ma-a, Davao City. The operations are limited to the night shift. The delivery of animals will start at 1:00 to 4:30 in the afternoon. The whole morning will be utilized for cleaning the area. The 2nd shift will start at 9:00 in the evening up to 5:30 in the morning. It employs 48 workers of which 25 are regulars and 23 are contractual. This contractual will do the maintenance and the manual slaughtering of animals. Currently the number of hogs, cattles and other animals slaughtered are as follows Hogs   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   200 to 250 heads Cattle  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   30 to 40 heads Chicken  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   none ( chicken slaughterhouse is out of order) Goat  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   20 to 25 heads The number of heads slaughtered everyday does not level of with the number of kilos meat sold in the public market. In short there are hogs and cattle slaughtered privately. The following are the charges per head for the service rendered: Hogs  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  P91.11 per head Cattle&nbs... ...ication Plan †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Organize and conduct information, education and communication ( IEC ) activities on integrated Solid Waste Management Program such as recycling, Re-use, composting, sanitation, proper collection and disposal of solid. †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Properly brief or orient the Project Administrator and beneficiaries about the EEC conditions, commitment and agreements made about the project. †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Support continuing government efforts to promote environmental sound Slaughter House project. I.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Proposal for an Environmental Monitoring and Guarantee Fund A slaughterhouse of this size requires regular environmental monitoring. To do this, it has to undergo environmental impact assessment to determine whether there is violation of the mitigating measures. To achieve this, a respectable budget should be included in the maintenance and operating cost to answer for many defects that may result to environmental disaster, this budget should be on regular basis to include hiring in contractual basis environmental engineer.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  

Labor and Delivery Assessment Essay

Internal fetal monitoring is accomplished with a fetal scalp electrode that is a direct electrocardiogram of the FHR and therefore produces the most accurate FHR tracing having an advantage over the external monitoring. The FSE is attached to the fetus during a vaginal exam and then connected to a fetal monitor. Because the risk of transmission to the fetus is increased by the small puncture in the fetal scalp, use of internal scalp electrodes should be avoided if at all possible in the presence of known maternal infections such as HIV, hepatitis or GBS. Fetal scalp monitors are also avoided in preterm infants because of the increased risk of ventricular hemorrhage. Electronic monitoring of UCs can be done internally by using an intrauterine pressure catheter (IUPC). It is inserted into the uterine cavity through the cervical os. It reflects the pressure inside the uterine cavity. As the pressure changes, it traces on the graph paper. The IUPC can measure the resting tone of the uterus between contractions, referred to as intensity. An advantage of an IUPC is that it provides a near-exact pressure measurement for contraction intensity and uterine resting tone. The sensitivity of the IUPC allows for very accurate timing of UCs, thus making it extremely useful when closer uterine monitoring is needed. A disadvantage for both internal monitoring methods is that membranes must be ruptured and adequate cervical dilation must be achieved for insertion. The procedure is invasive and increases the risk of uterine infection or perforation or trauma. It can also cause a placenta rupture if the placenta is low-lying. Electronic FHR monitoring can be done externally by using an ultrasound (US) transducer. The transducer is placed on the maternal abdomen over the fetal back and held by an elastic belt. The US transducer can be more beneficial than auscultating the FHR because it provides a continuous graphic recording. It can show the baseline variability and changes in the FHR. It is noninvasive and doesn’t require the rupture of membranes or minimal cervical dilation. FHR monitoring by US transducer is limited because it is susceptible to interference from maternal or fetal movement and may produce a weak signal. The tracing may become sketchy and difficult to interpret. Telemetry is another type external monitoring. It can monitor both FHR and uterine activity. This system can be worn on a shoulder strap by the mother, which allows the woman to ambulate, helping her ambulate while continuously monitoring. Electric monitoring of UCs can be done externally using a tocodynamometer or tocotransducer (toco). The toco is placed on the maternal abdomen at or near the fundus and held in place by an elastic belt. As the uterus contracts, pressure exerted against the toco is transmitted and recorded on to graph paper. The toco can assess UCs for frequency and duration, but not intensity. The advantages are that it is non-invasive, easy to place, and may be used both before and following rupture of membranes. It also provides a permanent, continuous recording of the duration and frequency of contractions. Explain what Pitocin is used for: Pitocin is used for the induction and/or augmentation of labor at term, facilitation of threatened abortion, and in postpartum to control bleeding and prevent hemorrhage and uterine atony after expulsion of the placenta. PELVIC ASSESSMENT FINDINGS:Give normal findings and measurements Diagonal conjugate – extends from the suprapubic angle to the middle of the sacral promontory. – 12.5 cm Ischial Spines – arise near the junction of the ileum and ischium and jut into the pelvic cavity They serve as a reference point during labor to elevate the descent of the fetal head into the birth canal. 10.5 cm Pubic Arch – triangular space below the symphysis pubis. The head passes under this arch during birth. 1.5 – 2 c from diagonal conjugal Coccyx -small triangular bone that articulates with the sacrum. It usually moves backward during labor to provide more room for the fetus. > 8cm in diameter Sacrum – wedge-shaped bone formed by the fusion of five vertebrae. On the anterior upper portion of the sacrum is the sacral promontory which is another guide in determining pelvic measurements. Types of Pelvis Gynecoid -The most common female pelvis is the gynecoid type. The inlet is rounded, with the anteroposterior diameter a little shorter than the transverse diameter. This is the most favorable for a vaginal delivery. Android – The normal male pelvis is the android type; however, it occasionally is seen in females. The inlet is heart-shaped. Anthropoid – The inlet of an anthropoid pelvis is oval, with a long anteroposterior diameter and an adequate but rather short transverse diameter. This is the second most favorable for vaginal delivery.

Compare and Contrast: New England and the Mid Atlantic

Compare and Contrast: New England and the Mid Atlantic Colonists began arriving in the Americas in the early 1600’s. Some were seeking wealth and opportunity in the New World, others fleeing from persecution in their native country. Two distinct regions of the 13 British colonies were New England and the Mid Atlantic and though the two areas were governed by the British, in some ways they were quite different. Though they share similar backgrounds, the New England and Mid Atlantic regions differed in the structure of their economy, their tolerance of religions, and the structure of their self-government.The North American colonies were all rich with resources; as part of the mercantilist system, raw materials were what the colonists sold to England for profit. Each region had their own specific contribution to this system; colonists in the Mid Atlantic region grew crops such as wheat, rye and flax. The climate and soil of the Mid Atlantic region was well suited for the cultiva tion of grains, and the Mid Atlantic colonies became known as the â€Å"bread basket colonies†. By contrast, the New England region experienced long, cold winters and had rocky soil unsuitable for an economy based on farming.The New England region mainly traded furs, timber, and fish. Religion was a very important aspect of colonial life; many people came to America in search of religious freedom. The New England colonies were predominantly Puritan, and the Puritans wanted everyone to worship as they did. In order to ensure the Puritan way of worship was practiced, punishments were given to those who did not oblige. There was greater religious diversity in the Mid Atlantic region, including Quakers, Catholics, and Protestants.The Mid Atlantic colonies were the most diverse in America, and such an assortment made the dominance of one religion difficult. Finally, the colonial regions all had forms of self-government as they sought to assert local control. In the different regio ns, the priority of the colonies was very important in the formation of the governments. In the New England colonies, strict democratic law was practiced. Only men in good standing with the church were allowed to voice their opinions at the town hall meetings which decided laws.By contrast, in the Mid Atlantic colonies landowning men were represented, and political power was in the hands of the wealthy. The colonies of North America have similar origins and purposes, but are quite different in many ways. The New England and Mid Atlantic regions of colonial America were similar because of their role to England, the importance of religion and the fact that they were self-governing, but were different because of the resources found in each region, religious tolerance, and how one received the right to take part in politics.