Departures (2008) Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Departures (2008) - Movie Review Example His boss at this new job was Sasaki, who acted more forcefully towards Daigo when he showed up for the interview. He first lied to his wife about the job who later discovered and despised the job. While almost all people despised the job, Daigo took pride in his work and perfected the profession acting as a gatekeeper between the deceased and their families. The film follows a profound but comical journey as Daigo uncovers the joy, the wonder, and the absolute meaning of life, family and love. The music in this film is balanced. Here, the music balances with the tones of the actors and balanced with the scene being depicted. In addition, the sound effects were also in accordance with the mood of the scene. The overall sound track was analytical in that it had details that could take the audience in an instantaneous mood according to the intended mood of the scene. Overall, the editing of the film was carefully done to bring the intended view and perception for the

Crime and Punishment in Various Countries Essay Example for Free

Crime and Punishment in Various Countries Essay Five Works Cited The effectiveness of the United States criminal legal system has been questioned and scrutinized by the media and legal analysts for decades. Even with laws to lengthen sentences and to try younger offenders as adults, the overall crime rate in the nation is still on the rise. But why is it that in places like Iceland and Singapore crime rates are so low yet both countries have very contrasting criminal laws? It has been brought to my attention that Congress will attempt to create an entire new criminal legal system for the states to adopt in an effort to finally make the streets of America safer for its citizens. Assuming that all states will forfeit their own policies to take up the system Congress builds, it is my duty to shed light on the criminal legal system and differing views of the United States and other countries legal systems and differing views of the United States and other countries of different governments, geographies, and legal systems. I will also explore the common ground they share when prosecuting criminal offenders. The information I will discover will be taken into consideration by legislators when designing a new and improved criminal justice system. It is first important to take a close look at the crime rate occurring in America. The United States has more citizens in prison than any other country. The incarceration rate of the U.S. is second only to Russia with 666 incarcerated per 100,000. The U.S. constitutes one third of the worlds population that is imprisoned while it only makes up five percent population. (Fathers Manifesto) The criminal legal system is slightly different in every state. For example, only thirty eight states practice capital punishment while the other twelve employ life imprisonment with no parole as an alternative to putting serious offenders to death. The death penalty in the United states is one of the most criticized policies in American society. Under the Constitutions eighth amendment, Americas are protected against cruel and unusual punishment. While it does not clearly define what punishment is deemed cruel and unusual, several campaigns argue that capital punishment is cruel and unusual and is a direct violation of human rights. Organizations like Amnesty International, a worldwide human rights group, claims that capital punishment is not only inhumane, but it does not deter crime more effectively in comparison to other punishments notinvolving death. (Amnesty International) Other studies have proven that it in fact costs up to three times more to put a person to death that it does to sentence life in prison with no parole. A Texas death penalty case costs an average of $2.3 million, about three times the cost of imprisoning someone in a single cell at the highest security level for forty years.(Hoppe 1A) Yet, with all the polls, statistics, and studies conducted to discourage the practice of the death penalty in the United States, other nations have found the death penalty, as well as other harsh punishments, is not a violation to human and civil rights, but an effective tool in keeping public safety. Singapores criminal laws are some of the most extreme and consistent laws found in all of the world. Its government still employs the use of corporal punishment for some offenses that would receive a mere parole sentence in the U.S. Singapores citizens have stated that even though its punishments are severe and outrageous to some, their streets are safer, cleaner, and the quality of life in Singapore is valued more because of these punishments. In this country the punishments that undergo heavy crossfire in the U.S. are swiftly carried out and as a result, crime in Singapore is significantly lower in comparison to the U.S. crime rates. (Fathers Manifesto) There is a consistent mandatory death sentence for narcotic offenders. A death sentence is also immediately carried out for anyone who opens fire while committing an unlawful act whether or not you shoot anyone or anything is not taken into consideration. (Singapore Law FAQ) Caning is another form of punishment carried out for crimes such as vandalism and sex offenses. Convicts are strapped to a trestle and the exposed buttocks of the offender are flogged by a martial arts expert. The caning is usually coupled with a prison sentence. Singapores officials argue that its strict laws and swift, severe punishment are what sets it aside from a crime-ridden place like New York City. (Fathers Manifesto)Of course, opponents to CP (corporal punishment) argue that this is also a cruel and unusual way to deter crime. However, those that argue this only need to compare the crime rates of Singapore to those of the United States. Whipping or caning is indeed stressful and painful but it is Singapores alternative to costly long-term confinement. This way criminals are quickly reformed and released back into society as  law abiding citizen. Another factor to be considered in Singapores low crime rate is its geography and its size. The country is located northeast of Indonesia just south of Malaysia. It is roughly 3.5 times the size of Washington D.C. It is arguable to say that the reason Singapores crime rates are low compared to the U.S. is because of its small, controllable area. But is the size of a nation or governed land a factor in determining its crime rate? Take into consideration the territory of Puerto Rico. It is a small island in the Atlantic Ocean; considerably smaller than Singapore. However, Puerto Ricos murder rate is more than three times higher than that of the U.S. (National Center) The sharp contrast between a place like Puerto Rico and Singapore and the U.S. is that while citizens of the U.S. and Singapore enjoy a high standard of living, over half of Puerto Ricos population earns less than US$ 11,000 a year. This brings us to another question in this research. Does a socioeconomic factor playa role in a countrys crime rate? Another interesting tidbit is that capital punishment does not exist in Puerto Rico. Their courts are set up similar to those of Singapore. A magistrate judge is the one who hears the case, decides the verdict and delivers the sentence. The prisons in Puerto Ricoare, for the most part, run by gangs, dilapidated, infested with insects and pose a serious health threat to inmates. (Penal Lexicon) The prison system has been under the watchful eye for the drastic and costly changes not only for the prisons, but for juvenile treatment centers, discipline measures and improvements in mental health care. The brutality of violence and disease in prisons seem like enough to prevent anyone from committing a crime that would result in jail time. Unfortunately, even with the abolishment of capital punishment and the anarchy in prisons, Puerto Rico is notorious for holding one of the worlds highest murder rate. (Penal Lexicon) After completing the criminal legal system of three random governments, it is interesting to see how each handles the ever- present demon called crime. When will there be a system that can effectively prevent crime and correct offenders without severe, barbaric tactics and without corruption and anarchy? When researching the topic on criminal legal systems, Ive found  that different countries have very different beliefs in which they value the life of a human. One country, the United States, will go the extra mile to find the best possible defense for its accused. Another, Singapore, will torture and beat confessions from its suspects while the other, Puerto Rico, casts its criminals into a hell practically operated by those society has thrown away. The common ground all three nations share is their never-ending struggle to provide its citizens with the means to live a life that is safe, meaningful and without fear of danger. Back in America, our government will continue to brainstorm ideas to eliminate crime in our streets and neighborhoods.

Lady Macbeth - A Wife in Support of Her Husband :: Macbeth essays

Lady Macbeth: A Wife in Support of Her Husband One of the main characters in Macbeth, Lady Macbeth, has been an object of intense criticism. Although sometimes regarded as cruel and vile, evidence exists that Shakespeare did not intend for her to be judged so harshly. By evaluating her character in relation to her actions, her overall relationship with Macbeth, and her death, we can see that Shakespeare quite possibly wanted Lady Macbeth to be judged in association with the actions of Macbeth. What appears to others as ruthlessness and ambition, is really her loyalty and love for him. Just as Macbeth is ambitious for the throne, so is Lady Macbeth driven to assist him. All of her actions are done out of devotion and allegiance to Macbeth. Throughout the play, the character of Lady Macbeth is developed through her actions, which reveal her inner cravings. She plays the important role of one who gives incentive to Macbeth, as well as one who supports him through difficult times. She is the catalyst who starts Macbeth's thinking. She possesses an aspect which cares for the future of her husband, and therefore inspires him to pursue the possibilities. More important than advocating actions to take the kingship, Lady Macbeth encourages Macbeth to remain strong. When his weaknesses appear, she remains firm. Because of Lady Macbeth, Macbeth achieves success. Once set on attaining the crown, Lady Macbeth pushes Macbeth to remain valiant and assists him in his pursuits. The goals of Macbeth become her aspirations as well. When Macbeth informs Lady Macbeth of his new found glory, she immediately begins thinking of the possibilities that lie in the future. Her initial desire to help Macbeth take the crown becomes clear when she speaks, "That I may pour my spirits in thine ear,/And chastise with the valor of my tongue/ All that impedes thee from the golden round/ Which fate and metaphysical aid doth seem/ To have thee crowned withal" (I.v.26-30). Although it appears that she is monstrous, she is expressing her care for Macbeth by wanting to assist him. She continues on to say, "Come, you spirits/ That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here,/ And fill me, from the crown to the toe, top-full/ Of direst cruelty!" (I.v.40-43). This quote is voiced with the intention to become strong to help murder Duncan for her husband's grandeur. Upon Macbeth's arrival to see her, she expresses her plan to kill Duncan, and then utters, "Only look up clear./ To alter favor ever is to fear./ Leave all the rest to me" (I.

Eu Enlargement

EU Enlargement Background The European Union (EU) is an economic and political union of 27 member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) and the European Economic Community (EEC), formed by six countries in 1958. In 1967 they merged into European Community. The Maastricht Treaty established the EU under its current name in 1993. The EU has grown its size by the accession of new member states. For example, on May 1st 2004, 10 new members joined the EU and EU-15 became EU-25. In 2007 it became EU-27 when Romania and Bulgaria joined.It seems that the enlargement will continue and many people begin to consider whether the EU should admit more members. Countries should obey the accession rules if they want to join the EU. According to the ‘Copenhagen Criteria’, a member state must be a stable democracy, respect human rights and have the rules of law and the protection of minority. In terms of t he economic aspect, it should have a functioning market economy. In addition, the country needs to adopt the common rules, standards and policies that make up the body of EU law. Body Commission: regarded enlargement as the â€Å"Union’s most successful foreign policy instrument. Following? the? enlargements? of? 2004? and? 2007,? the? EU? is? now? the? largest? integrated? economic? area? in? the? world,? accounting? for? more? than? 30%? of? world? GDP? and? more? than? 17%? of? world? trade. New members can benefit more from enlargement than existing member states (Neuder, 2003) * Benefit of new members * Strong economic growth: * Benefit from the EU budget and access? to? EU? funds? * The 10 new members can expect to receive up to 4% per annum of their GDP from the EU’s structural and cohesion funds for projects aimed at improving their economic tructures. * e. g.? net? inflow? of? structural? funds? to? help? finance? infrastructure? projects and? environmental? projects. * Increase in GDP from 3. 7% to 5% on average in the first two years since accession. * In the long time, the acceding states could enjoy a rate of growth some 2% higher than that of the existing states (Neueder, 2003). * East slowly catch up with the west. * Increase in trade * Most? of? the? new? EU? countries? were? already? closely? linked? in? trade? and? investment? terms? with? their? western? European? neighbors.? Joining? the? single? market? as? deepened? this in? 2007,? almost? 80%? of? exports? of? the? new? EU? states? went to? the? rest? of? the? EU. * Increase in Foreign Direct Investment * For the new member states, FDI is a key factor in the process of economic modernization. New members can receive funds from foreign countries and use the money to boost economy. * Enlargementlarger market and openness to trade. * Baldwin, Francois and Portes (1997) argue that joining the EU will make the region substantially less risky from the point of view of domestic a nd foreign investors. * 191 billion euro by 2004 However, they seem to over rely on FDI. FDI accounts for too large part (e. g. Hungary: 70%). Once there is something wrong with some investors and do not invest them, for instance the financial crisis, they will suffer tremendously. * The? 2009? crisis? may? persuade? Central and East European? Countries? to? reduce? their? dependence? on? foreign? direct? investments and? build? an? economic? growth? model? on? different? grounds. * Welfare * Farmers began to receive agricultural subsidies * Structural funds directed towards poorer regions (investment in infrastructure) * Benefit of existing members Enlargementmore people more consumersobtain more than 450 million consumers from Single European Marketcompanies could expand their businesses and benefit from experience and location economies scale * Larger labor market fill labor shortage in existing states with low-cost and highly-skilled workforce, for example, UK and Ireland Howeve r, these skilled workers may replace the indigenous employeesincrease the unemployment * High growthincrease the purchasing powerstimulate the import demand of acceding states and export of member states * Imports and exports between new and existing members have increased considerablethe EU15 share of total EU12 trade increased from 56% in 1993 to 62% in 2005 * Because of theseGDP increase * Costs of enlargement * Drawback for new member state * Difficulties in complying with EU law restrict development of business especially Small and Medium-size Entrepreneurs * Push many producers out of business due to their incompliance with EU environment policies * Tax harmonization e. g.Estonia: was forced to introduce new tariff against imports from outside of the EU, adopt a number of non-tariff barrierssuch protectionisms increase the food price and lowered Estonians’ standard of living * High unemployment still exists in many new member states (8% EU-15; 14% EU-10, 2005) * Some hi gh skilled workers or people with higher degree will move from east to the west, this brain drain damages the host countries. * Drawback for EU-15 * Volume of enlargement costs will amount to about 15% of the EU budget (Germany: 2. 3bn from its federal budget) * Migration: Concern about too much migration from east to west social problems and pressure on social/medical/educational services. (e. g. ome countries even carried out policies to limit the volume of migration) * Actually: the percentage of EU-12 nationals and the resident population of each EU-15 Member state were relatively stable before and after enlargement. * Too many countries will decrease the efficiency of EU. * Conclusion Enlargement of EU has been the most successful policy. Although it has some negative effects on both existing and new member states, its positive influences far outweigh its negative aspects. Process EFTA (European Free Trade Association) afraid that the Single Market Program would increase compet itioncreate EEA (European Economic Area)1995, Austria, Sweden, Finland opted for European Accession, joined (growth+, unemployment-, inflation- Finland(1991-2000, 2006,%): growth 2. 0-5. 0; unemployment 12. 5-7. 7; inflation 2. 1-1. 3 †¦

Pprf

Professional Project Handbook and Guidance 2011/12 The Professional Project Handbook and Guidance Booklet – 2011/12 Page 2 The Professional Project Foreword Please may I extend a warm welcome to those students studying the Professional Project (PP). We intend the Project to be a rewarding experience and one which encourages and supports you in your time at Newcastle Business School. This is a demanding element of your programme but one which we hope you will find engaging and helps focus on your future career. Wishing you well in your studies. Regards Dr. Simon Lillystone Module Tutor NX0315 – The Professional Project Handbook and Guidance Booklet – 2011/12 Page 3 The Professional Project Handbook and Guidance Booklet – 2011/12 Page 4 The Professional Project CONTENTS PAGE Page SECTION 1 – Introduction 7 SECTION 2 – Section A of Project 10 SECTION 3 – Section B of Project 11 SECTION 4 – Reflective Statement 12 SECTION 5 – Written Presentation Format 13 SECTION 6 – Reference Specifications and Format 18 SECTION 7 – Project Submission Information 20 APPENDIX A – Specimen Title page 3 APPENDIX B – Specimen Declarations Page 22 APPENDIX C – Specimen Contents Page 24 APPENDIX D – Ethics in Research & Consultancy (Guidelines & Procedures for Students Undertaking UG Projects) 25 Handbook and Guidance Booklet – 2011/12 Page 5 The Professional Project Handbook and Guidance Booklet – 2011/12 Page 6 The Professional Project SECTION 1 – INTRODUCTION Module Background Information The Professional Project is a 30 point module which will be taken by all direct entry final year students to an undergraduate programme of study at NBS. It counts for 25% of the marks on the final year of the Honours degree and its importance should not be underestimated. The module provides an opportunity to explore the key study competences required to achieve academic success and develop these into employment competences to promote career success. These competences will be developed, practised and written up as part of the Project and applied to an investigation of a business issue/problem. To support this individual investigation into an applied business problem or issue the student will be given a defined topic to research and relevant information relating to the topic. The information will be set in the context of an appropriate academic framework and the student will be expected to draw relevant conclusions, write up and submit the work in an approved format. The target length of the whole project will be 8,000 to 10,000 words. A workshop programme and eLearning Portal will support the process. Learning Outcomes This module is intended to be taken by direct entry final year students to an undergraduate programme of study at NBS. At the end of the module students will be able to: 1. Apply key intellectual competences at level six and critically appraise their employment competences to support continuing professional/career development 2. Conduct a literature review involving the critical evaluation of appropriate theories, models, frameworks and principles and apply those principles to a particular business problem or issue drawing appropriate inferences and conclusions. Aims The Professional Project promotes the development of key competences required to achieve academic and professional career success. These competences will be developed, practised, written up and applied to an investigation of a business issue/problem. The student will be supported in their learning by an eLearning Portal and a workshop programme. The student will be given guidance as to the nature of work to be undertaken in the workshop programme. The module will make use of current research activity related to the chosen subject and, where appropriate, to that specifically carried out by staff of Newcastle Business School. Formative assessment will take place within the contact sessions and may take place through tasks set and theory/practice related discussions including Handbook and Guidance Booklet – 2011/12 Page 7 The Professional Project research into career paths. Approaches to Teaching and Learning and Formative Assessment The module is intended to deliver knowledge of and attendance to the competences and abilities for effective study at level six together with entry to and participation within the graduate labour market. It provides an opportunity to undertake a major piece of academic research into a specific business related problem. The module necessitates a broad syllabus where much use will be made of directed study supported by the facilities of the Careers Service, Study Skills Centre and Library. This approach will facilitate the development of students as independent learners. The creation of Learning Sets will be encouraged to facilitate understanding of the issues and problems associated with the completion of the project. The process leading to the completion of the project will include reading, reflection and research. This will be incorporated into the workshop programme which will support the student throughout the process. It is intended that the project will be closely allied to their preferred field of employment. Through the project and workshop activities it is envisaged that students will appreciate the importance of active engagement in competences and career development to improve NBS graduate success in securing appropriate careers or future study opportunities The module is supported by a Learning and Teaching Plan that outlines the formal sessions and by an elearning Portal. The assessment for this module will be an individual project, incorporating the writing up of the student's understanding of personal and professional competence development and an investigation into an applied business problem or issue. The student will be given a defined topic to research and relevant information relating to the topic. The information will be set in the context of an appropriate academic framework and the student will be expected to draw relevant conclusions, write up and submit the work in an approved format. The target length of the whole project will be 8,000 to 10,000 words. The learning outcomes will be achieved through the lecture/workshop programme and will culminate in the completion of the final project. The project will demonstrate the student's understanding of the above learning outcomes. Formative assessment will take place within the workshop sessions and may take place through tasks set and theory/practice related discussions. Workshop Support Programme This is a taught programme with weekly workshops during the first semester followed by six workshops in the second semester. The Project will not be individually supervised. Instead the students will be expected to work in learning sets. However, it must be noted that the final project is to be an individual piece of work. Handbook and Guidance Booklet – 2011/12 Page 8 The Professional Project Recommended Reading List for Module Cottrell, S (2008) The Study Skills Handbook 3rd Edn Palgrave MacMillan Basingstoke Armstrong (2005) A Handbook for Leadership and Management: a guide to managing for results. Kogan London Toplis, J. Dulewicz, V. and Fletcher, W. (2005) Psychological Testing – a Manager's guide. CIPD London Cameron (2007) The Business Student's Handbook: learning skills for study and employment (available as an e-book) Bolles, RN (2008) What colour is your parachute? A practical manual for job hunters. Ten Speed Publishing Walliman, N (2001) Your Research Project Sage Publications Bell, J (2005) Doing your research project Open University Press Cottrell, S. (2008) Critical Thinking Skills Palgrave Basingstoke Jankowicz,A. D (2005) Business Research Projects Thompson Business Press Remenyi,D, Williams,B, Money,A & Swatz,E (2007) Doing Research in Business and Management Sage Publications Bryman,A & Bell E (2003) Business Research Methods Oxford University Press Price, G. & Maier, P. (2007) Effective Study skills – unlock your potential. Pearson Education McMillan, K. Weyers, J. (2009) The Smarter Student Prentice Hall / Pearson London McMillan, K. & Weyers, J. (2007) How to write dissertations & project reports Prentice Hall/ Pearson London Additional Learning Resources (e. g. websites, CD Roms) Blackboard Site The module is supported by the e-learning portal. It is imperative that the site is fully utilised by the students. Certain links t o psychological tests are available under the site which will be used to support the learning process. eLearning platform at Northumbria http://elearning. unn. ac. uk/ Handbook and Guidance Booklet – 2011/12 Page 9 The Professional Project SECTION 2 – SECTION A OF THE PROJECT The Project is intended to link personal and professional career development with an academic piece of work in the form of a literature review. The appreciation of professional, career and personal development should not be underestimated. It should provide evidence to support that development with critical reflection by the student. A series of psychometric tests are available via BlackBoard to support your self-analysis. The outline of Section A of the project should take the form seen below with supporting evidence shown in the appendices. Part 1: Who I am as a learner? †¢ †¢ Implications for your learning Family & friends to comment Discuss the implications of the questionnaire findings and show how these relate to how you learn. Appendix A – VARK, Myers Briggs, Belbin Inventory Part 2: Implications for career choice †¢ †¢ †¢ Lifelong learning Transferable skills Justify chosen career choice Discuss how your personality type and how you learn affect your choice of career Appendix B – curriculum vitae, two job adverts, a standard application form Appendix C – PowerPoint Presentation Handbook and Guidance Booklet – 2011/12 Page 10 The Professional Project SECTION 3 – TOPIC SELECTION (SECTION B) General topic areas will be defined by the nature of the programme e. g. , those students studying finance would be expected to focus their topic on this area. However, the selection of a final suitable question or issue for Section B of the Project rests with the student. In some cases ideas can be gleaned from many sources. Work placement experiences, aspired career paths, tutor research interests, course work and readings are just a few. Copies of recent projects may suggest ideas as well. Normally projects that are available for inspection have achieved a mark of 60% or more. It is intended that suitable projects will be made available on the Blackboard site. Originality The question or issue needs to be related to business or management or to the specific named degree the student is studying. It is the student's responsibility to verify that the title and the approach of the project are original. However, a student may not claim exclusive rights to a topic area. Guidelines for Suitable Questions The student can assume that the question as initially conceived will evolve as the project progresses. By evolve it is meant that the particular aspect of the question which becomes centred to the project may well change in one direction or another as the project progresses. This evolution or â€Å"fine tuning† of a question is quite usual and should be expected. The goal is to find a question which is general enough to be significant, but specific enough to become focused. In any event, the final title as established should not be changed without consent of the Project Supervisor. Handbook and Guidance Booklet – 2011/12 Page 11 The Professional Project SECTION 4 – REFLECTIVE STATEMENT A vital element of the project is critical reflection by the student. It is important therefore to produce a reflective statement which will link the two sections of the project together. This is a very important area of the project and should be a considered and well thought out element of the final piece of work. The workshops will provide guidance and support on critical reflection as part of the programme. Handbook and Guidance Booklet – 2011/12 Page 12 The Professional Project SECTION 5 – WRITTEN PRESENTATION FORMAT Length The total length of the project should not exceed 10,000 words. As a general guide Section A of the project should be between 3,000 and 4,000 words while Section B of the project should be between 5,000 and 6,000 words. The word count is to be declared (Appendix B). Summarising and compressing the information in your project into 10,000 words is one of the skills that students are expected to acquire, and demonstrate as part of the project process. The word count does not include abstract, title page, contents page, glossary, tables, appendices and end material. If the project is to be very much shorter (i. e. ess than 8,000 words), it is necessary to clear this in advance of the final deadline with your tutor. Some slippage is acceptable but anything in excess of 11,000 words will be penalised. Referencing It is the student's responsibility to see to it that all ideas, opinions, conclusions, specific wordings, quotations, conceptual structures and data taken directly or indirectly from the work of others and used in the project are appropriately cited and referenced. (THE IMPORTANCE OF PROPER REFERENCING – SEE SECTION 7 – CANNOT BE OVER EMPHASISED). Structure and Components TABLE OF CONTENTS Title page Declaration and Word Count Abstract (to cover both sections) Acknowledgements Contents Page List of figures Glossary (if appropriate) Section A Part 1: Who I am as a learner? Implications for your learning Family & friends to comment Part 2: Implications for career choice Lifelong learning Transferable skills Handbook and Guidance Booklet – 2011/12 Page 13 The Professional Project Justify chosen career choice Appendix A – VARK, Myers Briggs, Belbin Inventory Appendix B – Curriculum vitae, two job adverts, a standard application form Appendix C – PowerPoint Presentation Section B Part 1 Introduction Reason for choice of topic Academic objectives of Project Outline of sections Part 2 Setting the Scene – (if required) Part 3 Literature Review Rationale for literature reviewed Critical review of literature relating to academic objectives Part 4 References Bibliography Appendices A B C Reflective Statement Last Page o o It is useful to specify the last page so that the reader may ensure that no pages have been omitted in error. Summary and Conclusions Title – The title should be succinct yet clearly specify the content of the report. This should be descriptive and explicit rather than poetic or implicit. Twelve words is normally the maximum length. It should be agreed and finalised as part of the final draft. It may be different from the original proposed title. Acknowledgements – The student may wish to thank those people who have been particularly helpful in the preparation of the project. Consideration of persons external to the NBS is particularly appropriate. Facetious acknowledgements are not acceptable. Abstract – The purpose of the abstract is to summarise the entire project, including a description of the problem, the student's contributions, and conclusions. Four keywords are required. (See sample Appendix C. ) Handbook and Guidance Booklet – 2011/12 Page 14 The Professional Project Declarations and Word Count – To be included (See sample Appendix B). Do not forget to sign. No signature: No Mark. Introduction – The purpose of this section is to contextualise the study. This means that the significance or importance of the subject is set out. If there is no apparent importance to the study to any external reader, the topic may not be appropriate. Personal interest may inspire selection of the project topic, but ultimately, its mportance to others should be specified. This can often be done by positioning the project in relation to other work that has been published, either as an advancement, continuation, compilation or verification. This part should also tell the reader how the topic will be unfolded and the order of forthcoming material. Literature Review – A review of the current literature surrounding the q uestion or issue should provide a clear understanding. It should be up-to-date and relevant. Conclusion – This section explains the relationship between the body of knowledge and the question. It should present the case for the project's success in meeting its goals, as well as any shortcomings and limitations that apply. It may suggest further work or study needed on the question or issue, as well as ways the new work can be used or applied in other cases. It is not meant to be a summary or restatement of the entire project, which belongs in the abstract. If the student has developed any strong personal opinions about the subject which seem appropriate to relate, this is the place where such content is appropriate. Appendices – Often the concepts of the study can be clarified in graphic form, or data presented in tabular form. Normally, this material should be entered into the text at or near the place it is referred to in the text. Where such material would be inconvenient to include in the text itself, it can be included in an appendix. As a general rule, if figures, tables, charts or quotes are less than a full page and can be conveniently included in the text, you will want to do so, since reference to appendices is awkward for the reader. All such material, in the text or at the end, should be titled and sequentially numbered. Tabular material which is presented in landscape format should be bound with the top of the table to the spine. Appendices are labelled alphabetically, although if there is little such material and it is all of a similar nature, it may all be included in one Appendix. Appendices are referenced in text in parentheses (Appendix A) not (see appendix A). Writing Style The level of writing must be appropriate to the level of the Bachelor's degree. Specifically, acute attention should be paid to correct spelling, grammar, punctuation, sentence structure and clarity of style. Also, it is the student's responsibility to edit the text for typing errors, uncover all spelling errors even if the document is, typed by another party. Note that a spell-check programme does not uncover all spelling errors, e. g. principal v principle. Normally, there should be no first person references (I, we, us) in Section B of the project. If self-reference is required, reference may be made to â€Å"the present author† Handbook and Guidance Booklet – 2011/12 Page 15 The Professional Project or â€Å"this study†. The exception to this is in the conclusion section B and Section A, where personal comments may be appropriate. Students from overseas who wish to develop their English style and grammar may wish to make use of the Study Skills Centre. Page Layout Pages should be numbered in sequence at the top right hand corner, starting with and including the title page (Appendix A). Margins and headings: the specifications are 1? † left margin, 1? † on the other three sides. The page number should be above the top margin line. The right margin should be unjustified (left ragged), since the spacing between words used to make the right margin even inhibits readability greatly, while adding little aesthetically. Headers and footers are to be used with discretion. Please do NOT include your name in any header or footer. Tables and charts should be numbered in sequence by chapter, e. g. Table 3. 1 is the first table in Chapter 3. Each figure should be properly referenced and accompanied by a descriptive title which completely explains the contents of the figure. It is not acceptable to insert photocopies of tables into the body of the project. Tables should be word processed into the project. In broad terms this principle also applies to diagrams – no photocopies from books etc. There will, of course, be occasions when a photocopy of a table or a diagram is specifically required in order to illustrate points peculiar to the original. Use of such photocopies must be cleared with the supervisor. Similar principles apply to the appendices with regard to tables and diagrams. It is recognised that there will be circumstances (e. . a project on advertising) where photocopies are necessary. The project must be word-processed, and final copy must be printed single sided on A4 paper. Spacing may either be set at double or one and a half line spacing, depending on the machine used. Spacing greater than double spacing is not acceptable. The body of the project should be in Font size 12 (This is written Font Size 12) or similar. Arial is the pref erred font face. Legibility Both the draft and final copies of the project must be produced in such a manner that the text is entirely legible. This means an image suitable for good reproduction from a photocopier. Colour Printing Handbook and Guidance Booklet – 2011/12 Page 16 The Professional Project Black printing is the norm. Colour printing must be used with discretion. There are no extra marks for colour. The University makes no guarantee as to the provision of colour printing facilities. Retention of Working Papers The working documents (e. g. notes, any photocopies of articles used, drafts etc) used for your project MUST be retained by the student until formally notified of the award of their degree. As part of the NBS quality control a stratified sample of students will be asked by letter (after projects have been handed in) to submit their working papers. Please ensure you keep you working papers so that if called for they can be produced. The University tries to be reasonable over this. We do not expect you to keep every scrap of paper. We do expect you to keep the bulk of the important working papers. Thus students would normally (for example) be expected to include in their working papers some (but not necessarily all) successive drafts of the project. Any photocopies of library material etc you use should also be kept. Working Papers MUST be accessible. i. e. DO NOT pack them away in some inaccessible place such as luggage you are shipping home. If your project includes calculations, the working papers for those would be expected. And if your project includes a survey or questionnaire the original papers for those should be kept – along with names and addresses of any firms or individuals involved. Keep all computer based material in digital format, CD, etc. Production of â€Å"working papers† includes being able to produce the discs. Do not keep material on the hard drive. Failure to produce working papers when requested by the University to do so constitutes an Academic Irregularity, which may adversely affect the awarding of the students' degree. If it is not possible to establish, by inspection of the working papers, the sources of material in the project the award of the degree will be delayed until the matter is resolved. Handbook and Guidance Booklet – 2011/12 Page 17 The Professional Project SECTION 6 REFERENCE SPECIFICATIONS AND FORMAT Plagiarism and Citation The intellectual work of others which is being summarised in the report must be attributed to its source. It is assumed that all ideas, opinions, conclusions, specific wordings, quotations, conceptual structures and data, whether reproduced exactly or in paraphrase, which are not referenced to another source is the work of the student. If this is not the case, an act of plagiarism may have occurred, which is cause for disciplinary action at the course or University level. Plagiarism Please pay particular attention to originality and the proper acknowledgement of your sources. It is important that the work you submit: †¢ Is original in as far as the Project constraints allow †¢ Gives proper acknowledgement to any work by others which is used in completing your project Originality means that the project subject is presented in a way which differs from any other: †¢ Published works †¢ Study guides †¢ Projects/Projects of other students, past or present This does not preclude the use of the same material from wider reading (to support it with examples, or relevant opinions and ideas, or to place it within the context of existing knowledge). In fact, credit is specifically given for references in the assessment scheme. It does mean, however, that the sources of any such material MUST be identified. You should ensure that: †¢ Words or phrases taken verbatim from published works are placed in quotation marks and the source acknowledged. †¢ Quotations take the form of brief relevant extracts (only exceptionally exceeding 100 words in length). Where lengthier use of a published work is appropriate, you may summarise or paraphrase an author’s words, but the source of the summary or paraphrase must again be fully acknowledged by textual reference. Unacknowledged use of the work of others (plagiarism) is regarded as dishonest practice and will be dealt with on that basis, as per the University’s Regulations. Format in Text The format for reference styles is laid out in the Northumbria University Library publication Cite Them Right and is available on the UNN Website. Two styles of Handbook and Guidance Booklet – 2011/12 Page 18 The Professional Project referencing are defined, the British Standard (Numeric) System and the Harvard System. Please use the Harvard System for your project. A comprehensive discussion on referencing is laid out in the library's publication, which must be followed in detail. The following is a brief sample for illustration only: The Harvard (Name/Date) System uses name and year in text, e. g. According to Steinman (2003) there are three parts†¦ or A recent study (Steinman 2003) states there are three parts†¦ Direct quotes should have author, year and page number. This should be done as (Steinman, 2003:6) or Steinman (2003:6). If a quote crosses over pages you would write (Steinman, 2003:6-7). The purpose of the page reference is to enable the reader to find easily your source material. Particular points should also have page references whereas general themes from a complete article do not require the precise page number. Format in References Section The Harvard (Name/Date) System is listed at the end of the text in alphabetical order by author and date, e. g. Lafferty, B. A and Hult, M. T. (2001) A Synthesis of Contemporary Market Orientation Perspectives, European Journal of Marketing. Vol. 35:no. 12:pp. 2-109 Full specifications and examples are illustrated in the library's monograph. Referencing Electronic sources: e. g. from the World Wide Web should be as follows: PC MAGAZINE. URL: http//www. ziff. com/~ PC Mag/(date of downloading/viewing) (Name, Date (of article), Title) (i. e. as well as any date attached to a document on the web, electronic references should also include the date on which the web was read for the particular source). The citation for non English w orks should follow the same order as English works. For books: author, date, title of book, publisher. For articles: author, date, title of article, title of journal, volume and page numbers. Further details for other electronic referencing are in the Library's monograph â€Å"Cite them Right† Handbook and Guidance Booklet – 2011/12 Page 19 The Professional Project SECTION 7 – PROJECT SUBMISSION INFORMATION Projects are to be submitted to SHAPE UNN Office (room 309C) by no later than 4. 00 PM Friday 23rd March 2012. You must NOT exceed the deadlines given without an approved PEC. In exceptional circumstances late submission of the Project, up to a maximum of 2 weeks, may be sought. These must be approved in advance, with appropriate evidence, and are not meant to cover administrative difficulties. INCLUSION OF A DISK COPY OF THE PROJECT THREE CDs containing a complete copy of the body of the Project (appendices may be omitted as may diagrams within the body of the Project) is to be submitted along with the Project. The title page of the Project must be the first page on the disk. Non submission of a disk, or submission of a corrupt or blank disk will be regarded as an Academic Irregularity. Computer programmes are available which detect changes in grammar and style. The University uses such programmes as an aid in detecting plagiarism. Evidence from such programmes will be used in any disciplinary action taken by the University in cases of alleged plagiarism. Confidentiality This is regarded as an exceptional procedure and this must be agreed by the Tutor [who must be asked to the confidentiality form available on the blackboard site] and declared by the student to Reception on submission. The confidential Project will be pulped. If the confidentiality form is not submitted at hand in the Project will be regarded as non-confidential. It would be prudent to also state that the Project is confidential in footer on each page of the Project. Binding Requirements for Undergraduate Projects All Projects are bound in standard Business School covers. Students are required to submit TWO copies of the completed project. Newcastle Campus Projects submitted at Newcastle campus are submitted bound in standard Business School format. Handbook and Guidance Booklet – 2011/12 Page 20 The Professional Project Please note the Declarations statement must be signed and all pages in the correct order before taking the copies of the Project for binding. The procedure is: †¢ †¢ †¢ Pick up binding materials from SHAPE UNN office. Take the binded copies and CDs along to SHAPE UNN office by no later than 4. 00 pm on or before your hand in date with your Disc. Sign on the submission log sheet at the Reception to signify you had submitted the Project on time. Failed Projects A failed Project may or may not, depending upon the student's overall performance, be re-submitted. That decision is made by the Examination Board. If a student's performance merits a re-submitted Project according to the assessment regulations such that it would enable a student to improve upon the class of degree awarded the University (i. e. Examination Board) will invite the student to re-submit their Project. The student may accept or reject this offer. The Examination Board may direct that a new and unrelated topic be investigated. Any student whose Project falls into this category is so advised via the standard University Examination results letter sent at the end of the summer term. That letter will state whether re-submission is invited or not. Re-submitted Projects are submitted following the same process as described for first submission. The fees payable will be notified to students in their offer to retrieve and students should note that they will need to pay for the binding of this resubmission. Supervision is limited to one 20 minute meeting with the original tutor who will review the problems with the original submission. Mark Disclosure It is impossible for the prospective mark which a Project might achieve to be accurately estimated before a Project is formally marked. Every Project is marked and a sample is moderated. Some are marked a third (or more) time(s) either by External or Internal Examiners. The mark attached to a Project is a result of this process. It is therefore simply not possible for a tutor to give a definitive view as to exactly what standard a Project might reach. This does not, of course, preclude a tutor giving general guidance as to the calibre of the students work, but such guidance should be given and taken with due consideration to the above and can not be considered a binding assurance . Students will receive a copy of the completed assessment sheet following the conclusion of the examination boards. Handbook and Guidance Booklet – 2011/12 Page 21 The Professional Project APPENDIX A Proforma Note: This information must fit within the outline shown so that it will be visible through the window in the front cover. Please ensure your family name is in BLOCK CAPITALS NAME This is the position of the window in the front cover sheet Thomas JONES BA (Hons) Business Administration Helen Smith The Ethics of Advertising April 2009 Newcastle DEGREE TUTOR TITLE DATE O CAMPUS STUDENT No: 00/123456 Project submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements of the BA (HONS) BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION of Northumbria University Handbook and Guidance Booklet – 2011/12 Page 22 The Professional Project Appendix B DECLARATIONS I declare the following:(1) that the material contained in this Project is the end result of my own work and that due acknowledgement has been given in the bibliography and references to ALL sources be they printed, electronic or personal. (2) the Word Count of this Project is: Section A: †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. Section B: †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. Reflective Statement: †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. Total Word Count: †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. (3) that unless this Project has been confirmed as confidential, I agree to an entire electronic copy or sections of the Project to being placed on Blackboard, if deemed appropriate, to allow future students the opportunity to see examples of past Projects. I understand that if displayed on Blackboard it would be made available for no longer than five years and that students would be able to print off copies or download. The authorship would remain anonymous. 4) I agree to my Project being submitted to a plagiarism detection service, where it will be stored in a database and compared against work submitted from this or any other School or from other institutions using the service. In the event of the service detecting a high degree of similarity between content within the service this will be reported back to my supervisor and second marker, who may decide to undertake further investi gation which may ultimately lead to disciplinary actions, should instances of plagiarism be detected. 5) I have read the University Policy Statement on Ethics in Research and Consultancy and the Policy for Informed Consent in Research and Consultancy and I declare that ethical issues have been considered and taken into account in this research. SIGNED: 1 †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. DATE: †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 1 Handbook and Guidance Booklet – 2011/12 Please remember to sign the declaration before submitting your Project. Page 23 The Professional Project Appendix C TABLE OF CONTENTS Title page Declaration and Word Count Abstract (to cover both sections) Acknowledgements Contents Page List of figures Glossary (if appropriate) Section A Part 1: Who I am as a learner? Implications for your learning Family & friends to comment Part 2: Implications for career choice Lifelong learning Transferable skills Justify chosen career choice Appendix A – VARK, Myers Briggs, Belbin Inventory Appendix B – Curriculum vitae, two job adverts, a standard application form Appendix C – PowerPoint Presentation Section B Part 1 Introduction Reason for choice of topic Academic objectives of the Project Outline of each part Part 2 Part 3 Setting the Scene – if required Literature Review Rationale for literature reviewed Critical review of literature relating to academic objectives Part 4 References Bibliography Appendices: Reflective statement Last Page o o It is useful to specify the last page so that the reader may ensure that no pages have been omitted in error. Handbook and Guidance Booklet – 2011/12 Page 24 Summary and Conclusions The Professional Project Appendix D Ethics in Research The Northumbria University policy for ethics in research is to be found on the NBS Research Group Blackboard site. Checklist for NBS Students designing and conducting primary research Completely based on secondary data which has previously been published, is desk based and does not involve people in data collection? NO Does your research involve engagement with people in primary data collection? e. g. interview, focus group, questionnaire etc. YES YES There are not normally ethical issues to address. However you should remain ethically aware. Please ensure that you have not breached plagiarism or copyright regulations and have adequately referenced your material Handbook and Guidance Booklet – 2011/12 You should not involve children or vulnerable adults in your research (other than authorised exceptions with CRB checks) If researching in an NHS context, please discuss ethical approval with a representative from your workplace and gain advice from your supervisor/School Ethics Sub Committee before proceeding Read the policy on informed consent: http://northumbria. c. uk/static/worddocuments/informe dconsent and gain consent from the organisation and people involved. Use implied, verbal or written consent and complete, where appropriate, an informed consent form (available on Blackboard) Read guidelines and address anonymity/confidentiality in research design and writing up: http://northumbria. ac. uk/static/worddocuments/ethicsp olicy. doc Read guidelines on data protection : http://northumbria. ac. uk/sd/central/uso/ndp/nudpp Ensure that you have NOT used inducements to obtain participants Page 25

2012 Hurricane Names

2012 Hurricane Names 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 Below you will find the listing of hurricane names for the Atlantic Ocean for the year 2012. For every year, there is a pre-approved list of tropical storm and hurricane names. These lists have been generated by the National Hurricane Center since 1953. At first, the lists consisted of only female names; however, since 1979, the lists alternate between male and female. Hurricanes are named alphabetically from the list in chronological order. Thus the first tropical storm or hurricane of the year has a name that begins with A and the second is given the name that begins with B. The lists contain hurricane names that begin from A to W, but exclude names that begin with a Q or U. There are six lists that continue to rotate. The lists only change when there is a hurricane that is so devastating, the name is retired and another hurricane name replaces it. As there were no significant hurricanes in 2006, the 2012 hurricane name list is the same as the 2006 hurricane name list. 2012 Hurricane Names AlbertoBerylChrisDebbyErnestoFlorenceGordonHeleneIsaacJoyceKirkLeslieMichaelNadineOscarPattyRafaelSandyTonyValerieWilliam Join Me on Facebook | Follow Me on Twitter mrgeog

The Overview of Accounting

The Overview of Accounting IntroductionAccounting provides information that is useful and relevant for interested parities when making decisions regarding the company and its operations. In order to do that effectively, a specific language and subsequent rules have been developed for users of the information. Accounting is a specialized language that describes the financial position of a company. Accounting, a required component of most companies is composed of three main categories; Operating information, financial accounting information, and managerial accounting information.Operating information describes what is needed on a daily basis to conduct business in an organization. It encompasses employee payroll, sales, debts, credits, and inventory to name a few functions. Collectively these functions can be identified as financial statements. Operating information is what comprises the maximum amount of accounting information and is the basis for financial accounting information and managerial accounting opera ting information, also called financial statements, addresses specific audiences and has a purpose and a nature.English: BoT and BoE financial statement 2010 meet...PurposeFinancial statements provide information about a company's financial status. It examines where the money originated from, where it is being spent and the current status and balance. A financial statement has four components; balance sheets, income statements cash flow statements and statements of shareholders' equity. Balance sheets show what a company owns and what it owes at a fixed point in time. Income statements show how much money a company made and spent over a period of time. Cash flow statements show the exchange of money between a company and counterparts over a period of time. The fourth financial statement, called a "statement of shareholders' equity," shows changes in the interests of the company's shareholders over time. Accounting has been defined as "the process of identifying, measuring, recording and communicating economic information to permit informed judgments and economic decisions ( Accounting, 1) ". The primary purpose of accounting...

A list of good problem solution essay topics for students

A list of good problem solution essay topics for students When writing problem solution essays, the primary concern of every student is to pick an interesting theme after careful thinking. Choose an issue and an effective way to solve it. Look for the one you’re enthusiastic about. Consider excellent problem solution essay topics and pick the one that comes with its practical solution or significant action plan. This choice may seem easy, but many students of every academic level face a number of challenges when making it. Keep reading this guide because it will provide helpful ways. ORDER SOLUTION ESSAY A list of useful examples If you find it hard to choose good problem solution essay topics, pay attention to such areas as sports, politics, family life, environment issues, government, technology, media school, and others. There’s a lot of information about them over the Internet. Use the following ideas  of essay writing for your inspiration. Themes for your problem solution paper about relationships How to stop bullying on social media platforms, Effective methods to deal with overbearing individuals, Face-to-face relationships vs texting in the world today, Understanding existing differences in cultures and races, How people can make a difference as a whole society. Transportation and driving Smoking while driving: quieting this bad habit, Training to be careful drivers: the necessary changes in current laws, How to encourage the inhabitants of your town to take public transportation, The best strategy to prevent deaths and DUI because of drunk driving, What is the fastest way to find the right route to a new place? Family life How parents should help teens avoid eating disorders and have a positive body image, Effective ways to increase the number of adopted kids, How families can teach money management to a child, Parents are responsible for their children’s obesity: what to do about that, Helping young people create a healthy family. Topics for a problem solution essay on poverty and social matters Address the need for support for homeless people in your community, How to put a stop to high teen pregnancy rates, Experiments with illegal drugs in high schools: ways to make it hard for teenagers to get their drug access, Rehabilitation process for prisoners to be functional members of the society, How to help victims of gun or family violence? Sports Children tend to train   hard at their young age: what to do about that, How colleges can get a good balance of athletics and education, How to increase attendance at sporting events, What to do to make your local sports team more effective, What games should sports networks cover? Other interesting problem solution essay topics for college students Effective tips that can help you improve your grades, How a long-distance relationship can work if you’re in different colleges, Simple ways for international education to become more affordable, How parents can give their kids freedom and let them show that they’re independent, How to stay in shape and balance your class studies? Find a solution to any issue Feel free to make a difference with this type of paper and write about something that really means to you. It should force readers to make a change. The call for action starts with your idea. That’s why you should for the problem solution essay topics that you feel passionate about (it’s a sure way to make a difference). Picking the subject you like is not the only factor that determines the future success of your piece of writing. Consider a few other pointers. Select a specific issue and stick to it. There are many themes to choose from, including terrorism, human rights, sexual trafficking, or unemployment, but your subject should neither be very narrow or too broad. Take a word count into consideration. Sticking to one specific question is a good idea. Your next step is stating a strong thesis that should be present in a final part of the introductory paragraph. It’s an assumption that you’ll further analyze in your paper. Look for reliable sources and make sure that you can find enough data to support and prove your thesis statement. The main body usually contains 3-5 paragraphs. Their number depends on your paper size. Every paragraph should analyze a separate point and all of your ideas must connect to each other in a logical manner. Avoid a common mistake of many students in the conclusion. You may find it logical to sum up everything in a concluding section to earn high grades and impress your teachers  with academic paper writing, but it’s necessary to try harder. The main thing that you should do when wrapping up your paper is to restate a thesis and prove that it’s right. It’s the whole point of writing it. Top characteristics of a good problem solution essay topic When looking for a perfect topic for your problem solution paper, consider these important characteristics: Providing an accurate indication of what you’ll say in the rest of your paper, Containing a controlling idea, Being easy and clear to follow, Not including any supporting details or evidence, Engaging target readers by using original vocabulary. Do you need additional help? Use the above-mentioned problem solution paper ideas as your helpful suggestions because they’ll inspire you while searching for a perfect subject. If you feel that this undertaking is difficult, don’t worry about anything because you can count on the online services of professional writers. It’s easy to contact them and place your order. ORDER SOLUTION ESSAY HERE Get expert assistance and turn to qualified specialists to be confident that your assignment and academic performance are in good hands. Let them relieve your workload and regular stress. The best part is that their high-quality services are affordable for every student.

Strategic Business Plan Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Strategic Business Plan - Case Study Example Having started in the year 1988, this company started out as a small unit with four tailors and has now gone ahead to become one of the most prestigious names in interior decoration in the state of Orissa. This company employs people locally and can thus capture the local market in a better way through increased motivation within the work space through which employees will come up with better suggestions. Before laying down the formal plan of action, it is necessary to understand the elements that will be involved in the strategy that has been developed later in the paper, from the perspective of the company. This will help us understand the exact application of the theories through the length and breadth of the paper. A major part of Dipti's plan of action must include following a strategy based on gaining competitive advantage as well as achieving sustainable entrepreneurial growth. Let us first examine competitive advantage to see how and where it will fit in with the overall growth and expansion of the Anukul group. We are concerned with the fact that Porter's essentially ahistorical approach cannot provide a full account of either a nation's competitive advantage and corporate strategies or the growth and development of industrial clusters. For this, let us first understand competitive advantage. Competitive advantage is the response o... Opportunities: This company employs people locally and can thus capture the local market in a better way through increased motivation within the work space through which employees will come up with better suggestions. Threats: The company follows a very informal structure within its work culture which might pose a threat in the entrepreneurial control structure. It does not follow a formal structure of performance management. Competitive Advantage and Sustainable Entrepreneurial Growth: Internal and Technological Environment Before laying down the formal plan of action, it is necessary to understand the elements that will be involved in the strategy that has been developed later in the paper, from the perspective of the company. This will help us understand the exact application of the theories through the length and breadth of the paper. A major part of Dipti's plan of action must include following a strategy based on gaining competitive advantage as well as achieving sustainable entrepreneurial growth. Let us first examine competitive advantage to see how and where it will fit in with the overall growth and expansion of the Anukul group. Source: Alan Chapman 2005 We are concerned with the fact that Porter's essentially ahistorical approach cannot provide a full account of either a nation's competitive advantage and corporate strategies or the growth and development of industrial clusters. For this, let us first understand competitive advantage. This has special relevance for the Anukul Group, owing to the following reasons: The company needs to launch a full fledged expansion policy. It needs to zero in on resources which can be procured on easy and regular terms. The company needs to study

Resource Environmental Economics Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Resource Environmental Economics - Assignment Example Nevertheless, the opposite situation is also possible. NOX variable reflects the pollution level in the area. The 'dirtier' in terms of pollution a town is, the less would the demand for housing in it be. Therefore, I expect nitric oxides concentration variable to be negatively correlated with price of houses and the corresponding coefficient to have negative sign. For the CHARLES variable which takes only two possible values of 0 and 1 calculation and interpretation of mean and standard deviation would be misleading. Count and frequency describe this particular variable better. Out of 506 entries, 471 (93.08% of total) correspond to 0-value of CHARLES variable and houses that do not bound the river. CHARLES is equal to 1 for 35 entries (6.92% of total). LSTAT variable demonstrates absence of correlation with CHARLES. Position of houses near a river and percentage of the lower status population in the area do not depend on each other. It is quite logical because the former is determined by the geographical factors while the latter is more of social nature. LSTAT is moderately correlated with PTRATIO, CRIME, RAD (positive correlation), and DIS (negative correlation). Based on the correlation coefficient it cannot be determined which variable influences which. For example, we can assume that high percentage of lower status of the population leads to increase in crime rates because of high poverty levels. However, it can also be argued that the relationship between variables goes in the opposite direction and

Vulnerable Population in the Rehabilitation Hospital Essay

Vulnerable Population in the Rehabilitation Hospital - Essay Example It is closely identified with spinal cord injury patients with spinal lesions above the T6 (6th thoracic vertebral) spinal cord level. It is a result of reaction the involuntary nervous system to overstimulation. It can be treated with anti-hypertensive and removal of the triggering stimuli. The condition can at most times be managed successfully (Lynne C. Weaver, Canio Polosa, 12). Casa Colina Centers for Rehabilitation is an acute medical and rehabilitation hospital. It is designed to provide an optimal environment to regain physical and cognitive function and reclaim the ability to live again. It has specialized physicians in physical medicine and rehabilitation, specialists therapists, and nurses. Here, spinal cord injury patients are given closely monitored attention until full recovery. It provides these victims with the opportunity to maximize their medical recovery and rehabilitation potential efficiently through dignity and self-esteem as they strive to enhance the dignity a nd quality of life of every patient. (Casa Colina Hospital for Rehabilitative Medicine Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation Program, 2) There are barriers to decreasing health disparity in every vulnerable population naturally and this is not different in the case of spinal cord injury patients in Casa Colina at the risk of the AD. The most evident barriers are physician actions and attitudes. This was well documented in the Institute of Medicine (IOM) report â€Å"To Err is Human† by Kohn L.T Corrigan J.M., Donaldson M.S. It highlighted the problem of medical errors in the U.S. hospitals, focusing its attention on reducing error rates. It estimated that between 44,000 to 98,000 people pass on each year due to medical errors. From the report, too often errors go unreported due to the stigma such events would carry. Naturally, house officers will jitter towards confronting their errors and instead try to cover them up hence creating a bigger problem. In the report by Wu and colle agues, only 54% of the house officers interviewed in an anonymous questionnaire had discussed a mistake with their attending physician. Only a meager 24% had told patients and family (Kohn L. T. et al, 4). With this in mind, there are definitely instances where mistakes have been swept under the carpet in Casa Colina leading to the AD. Medical officers of all levels at Casa Colina have high expectations for themselves and are well trained hence it is not surprising to find that it is difficult for them to acknowledge their errors openly. There are other numerous factors that lead to hospital staff failing to report their mistakes and errors. Legal concerns are among reasons why physician attitudes and actions are barriers decreasing the health disparity in spinal cord cases hence risking AD.

Political Kuwait before & after oil Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Political Kuwait before & after oil - Essay Example A look into the performance of the country in the eighteenth and nineteenth century shows that Kuwait was a key link between trading partners of the Mediterranean region and India. The location of the country in the Middle East allowed effective access to seaports and desert land, where merchants engaged in successful trade activities. With trade taking place all around Kuwait, mercantilism best defines Kuwait in the period prior to oil discovery and subsequent exploration. The economic condition of this city-state was subject to the influence of massive trade activities both within and outside Kuwaiti borders. Following trade developments and increase in the number of merchants in Kuwait, social and political practices became evident in the country. This realization would eventually set developmental pace for an oil rich nation. In the social context, merchants were influential people in Kuwait until after oil was commercialized. The primary social organizations in Kuwait comprised of Mariners and Bedouin. These groups closely related with the merchants and rulers of the nation. Politically, Kuwait was ruled under traditional practices until the post oil period, which saw the promulgation of the state’s constitution. Politically, Sheikhs worked closely with merchants in governing Kuwait before the oil era. Following oil discovery and subsequent exploration, Kuwait joined the richest producers of oil in the world. The commercialization of oil meant economic transformation through oil revenues and social organization in terms of the positive impacts of oil wealth. In the post oil era, Kuwait significantly shifted from trade to oil exploration in the 1950s. Government revenues, under the Sheikh-based rule, increased significantly. Political activities further heightened, thereby depicting reduced leadership collaboration between rulers and merchants/trade partners. Most importantly, mariners became organized

Three short essays Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Three short essays - Essay Example This will indeed reflect on the performance of the firm as growing, startling or diminishing. Managerial capitalism as Chandler suggests, is a structure where an enterprise is controlled with managerial skills (Chandler and Alfred, 1984:476). This is a system that has been used by a number of organisations and firms since the nineteenth century, especially in the United States and Great Britain. As a fact, the stakeholders and owners are not in control of their enterprise. Therefore, the performance of an enterprise will solely depend on the managers. The administration of all activities in an enterprise is the work of the managers, which is reflected on the end results. Managers that have apt managerial skills are on the forefront of recording success in an enterprise. As such, they will give adorable results in each financial year. However, managers that do not have the required skills are likely to reflect negative results. On the other hand, Taylorism is a form of management wher e main objectives of an enterprise or firm are stipulated for economic efficiency (Dunning and Boyd, 2003:129). In this type of management, labour productivity is instilled by using scientific forms which have analysed ways of flowing activities. In such a manner, most of the activities of a firm are done according to the laid out criterion. Similarly, some organisations chose to use Fordism and bureaucracy in management. Fordism involves industrialised forms of production, which are geared towards making a massive production. These forms are mostly industrialised to make work easier. However, bureaucracy in management involves an administration that executes legal rules and enforces them to make an achievement in the organisation. These administration rules are socially organised by the administration. All these managerial administrations are core concepts in controlling and managing an enterprise, which reflects on the performance. These are historical concepts that have been used by many organisations. Some organisations encompass several managerial concepts depending on how they work and the success of each one of them. Therefore, it is in the best interests of a firm to choose on the best concept to use, especially when they need to amass resources for their development (Ryrvik, 2011:62). For instance, in managerial capitalism, all the managers have the right to make decisions in a firm. The stakeholders do not have to change such decisions as they do not have a right. On the other hand, in bureaucracy management, all the stakeholders and mangers have to settle down for a unanimous decision. As such, all the people that are in the firm have to make decisions for the firm. On the other hand, Taylorism and Fordism involves scientific ways of management. These are structured ways that ensure a firm is developing accordingly. Changes are only made with reference to these scientific ways. As Hall and Soskice state, each of these methods is fundamental in makin g a firm or enterprise progress. As much as firms continue to conduct their business, some problems may occur. In such instances, there should be generations of solutions. For instance, when there is a problem in a firm that embraces Fordism and Taylorism, they have to look for structured ways that will help avert the situation. However, in a firm that embraces bureaucracy and managerial capitalism, the management is the core subject to structure the solution. Topic

Business management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Business management - Essay Example mportant when assessing the potential success of a business partnership prior to implementation since it gives a general overview of the market situation in relation to the goals of the alliance hence makes it easier to draft business strategies. The main variables analysed are the resources available to the alliance, the marketplace competitive advantage and prospective financial performance superiority. According to the model, competition typically consists of the continuous struggle among organizations for comparative advantages in their amount and quality of resources that will result to better marketplace positions (also competitive advantage) and, in so doing, superior financial performance. An analysis of these two partnerships using the resource-advantage theory shows that the partnerships put all partners involved at an advantage over their competitors, promising increased revenue returns on the venture through several avenues such as an expanded market segment, production o f high quality products and also expansion of the resource base (including funding, staff expertise and infrastructure). Google (derived from ‘googol’ meaning 10100) began as a thesis of two Ph.D. students at Stanford University who later became its founders (Google Inc. 2014: Para 1). Over the years, it has made enormous progress, made possible through a chain of acquisitions and partnerships with the aim of constantly improving customer experience through creativity and innovation. Some of the major alliances that Google has undertaken include the partnership with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and more recently, an alliance with carmakers called the Open Auto Alliance. Below is a schematic diagram of the resource-advantage model adapted from Hunt and Morgan (1997) Alliance with NASA has got very promising prospects. The main intent of this partnership is to increase innovation in the use of the internet to make it more productive and accessible. The

Three short essays Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Three short essays - Essay Example This will indeed reflect on the performance of the firm as growing, startling or diminishing. Managerial capitalism as Chandler suggests, is a structure where an enterprise is controlled with managerial skills (Chandler and Alfred, 1984:476). This is a system that has been used by a number of organisations and firms since the nineteenth century, especially in the United States and Great Britain. As a fact, the stakeholders and owners are not in control of their enterprise. Therefore, the performance of an enterprise will solely depend on the managers. The administration of all activities in an enterprise is the work of the managers, which is reflected on the end results. Managers that have apt managerial skills are on the forefront of recording success in an enterprise. As such, they will give adorable results in each financial year. However, managers that do not have the required skills are likely to reflect negative results. On the other hand, Taylorism is a form of management wher e main objectives of an enterprise or firm are stipulated for economic efficiency (Dunning and Boyd, 2003:129). In this type of management, labour productivity is instilled by using scientific forms which have analysed ways of flowing activities. In such a manner, most of the activities of a firm are done according to the laid out criterion. Similarly, some organisations chose to use Fordism and bureaucracy in management. Fordism involves industrialised forms of production, which are geared towards making a massive production. These forms are mostly industrialised to make work easier. However, bureaucracy in management involves an administration that executes legal rules and enforces them to make an achievement in the organisation. These administration rules are socially organised by the administration. All these managerial administrations are core concepts in controlling and managing an enterprise, which reflects on the performance. These are historical concepts that have been used by many organisations. Some organisations encompass several managerial concepts depending on how they work and the success of each one of them. Therefore, it is in the best interests of a firm to choose on the best concept to use, especially when they need to amass resources for their development (Ryrvik, 2011:62). For instance, in managerial capitalism, all the managers have the right to make decisions in a firm. The stakeholders do not have to change such decisions as they do not have a right. On the other hand, in bureaucracy management, all the stakeholders and mangers have to settle down for a unanimous decision. As such, all the people that are in the firm have to make decisions for the firm. On the other hand, Taylorism and Fordism involves scientific ways of management. These are structured ways that ensure a firm is developing accordingly. Changes are only made with reference to these scientific ways. As Hall and Soskice state, each of these methods is fundamental in makin g a firm or enterprise progress. As much as firms continue to conduct their business, some problems may occur. In such instances, there should be generations of solutions. For instance, when there is a problem in a firm that embraces Fordism and Taylorism, they have to look for structured ways that will help avert the situation. However, in a firm that embraces bureaucracy and managerial capitalism, the management is the core subject to structure the solution. Topic

Answer Fences Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Answer Fences - Essay Example This is a clear indication of the racial discrimination that exists between the black community and whites in the US. It is for this reason that Troy prevents his son from participating in sports. He approaches the school team coach and warns him about his son’s involvement in the team. In addition to this, he cancels the white man’s trip from North Carolina to recruit his son. Cory is extremely furious about his dad’s resistance and insists that he will not leave the school team. It is a clear indication that Troy has some experience with discrimination. Rose Cory’s mother pleads with him to allow their son to participate in sports. She says, â€Å"Why don’t you let the boy go ahead play football, Troy? Ain’t no harm in that. He’s just trying to be like you with the sports†. Bono depicts racial discrimination when he says â€Å"†¦my granddaddy used to pull his teeth with plier. They ain’t had no dentists for the co lored folks back then†. Elements of corruption also exist in the play when Troy sets a man free buy paying

Religious Education Coursework Assignment Essay Example for Free

Religious Education Coursework Assignment Essay COURSEWORK QUESTION: a) (i) What is Hajj? (ii) Describe and explain why a Muslim would take part in Hajj and what this involves [40] b) (i) Explain the meaning and significance of the events of Hajj for a Muslim. (ii) What difficulties might there be for a Muslim performing Hajj? (iii) How might participating in Hajj affect the life of a believer? [35] c) â€Å"A true pilgrimage is really a journey within.† Do you agree with this statement? Give reasons to support your answer and show that you have thought about different points of view. You must refer to Islam in your answer. [25] A (i)Hajj is the pilgrimage to Makkah, a Muslim-only city. Tourists aren’t welcome to Makkah; Hajj is for Muslims to get closer to God and isn’t meant to be a tourist attraction. It is the duty of every healthy and financially stable Muslim to complete Hajj once in their lifetime. It is a deeply spiritual journey for the millions of Muslims who complete Hajj every Muslim year, between 8 and 13 Dhul-Hijjah – the final month. Some Muslims may prefer to visit Makkah on a pilgrimage at another time in the year, but this is not considered as important as Hajj, and is called Umrah. Because so many Muslims want to experience Hajj for the first time, those who have done it before often do Umrah instead. Hajj is the fifth of the five pillars of Islam; the basis of the religion. It is meant for the sane and mature Muslim mind, and it is usually considered an honour to die during one’s Hajj, as it is widely believed burial in the city of Makkah will bring Muslims clo ser to their God, and is a good indication of their dedication to Islam. A (ii)Hajj is widely considered essential in order to be a devout Muslim. It is one of the five pillars of Islam which are the biggest and main requirements of the religion. It is considered that Hajj is something of a ticket to heaven in the afterlife. The pilgrimage is to show ones self to Allah, and let him be the judge of character. With a good Hajj comes a peaceful afterlife and paradise. It is not just a physical practice, for true meaning a pilgrim must enter a whole new mindset and way of living, at least for the days of Hajj. This was of living is called Ihram, and is the first obligatory rite of Hajj. All men must wear two white unhemmed sheets so that all look alike, and wealth, age and status in general is not even considered. Whilst in Ihram, Muslims should not argue, swear, kill (even insects!) or participate in a sexual relationship even accompanied by husband or wife. Ihram creates an equilibrium and purity for Hajj. It unites every pilgrim and crates a pure mental canvas solely ready to think about nothing but God. The physical part of Hajj is all about recreating significant and very old events in Islam. First the pilgrims all run or walk quickly around the Ka’bah seven times, if close enough they will touch or kiss it. They then pray close to the Ka’bah, near Maqam Ibrahim. Next the Muslims rush between Marwah and Safa, two hills; seven times. The hills are linked now by a corridor for convenience and safety. After doing this, the pilgrims must make their way to the plain of Arafat, around 20km from Makkah. The pilgrims stand under the sun from midday until sunset praying to Allah, and asking for forgiveness. After this the pilgrims go to Muzdalifah to pray, collect stones and camp overnight. In the morning the pilgrims go to Mina to throw seven stones at three walls. After stoning the walls pilgrims make a sacrifice, often through companies nowadays. The sacrificed animal is the either frozen for future use or given to the poor Muslim community to eat. Men then shave their heads, and women cut off a lock of hair, usually a small amount; a few centimetres or a quarter. Muslims are then allowed to exit Ihram, changing into their normal clothes. They camp at Mina for three nights, and then return to Makkah to walk around the Kabah once again. They then drink water from the ZamZam well and their Hajj is complete. They are then a male Hajji, or a female Hajjah. B (i)Carrying out the actions of Hajj is not meaningful without a proper understanding for the ideas behind each procedure. It is all about representing the past and having empathy for Muhammad (PBUH), Ibrahim his son Ismah’il and others. The Kabah is a cube-shaped building supposedly first constructed for God by the first man Adam. It was washed away in Noah’s time, but Ibrahim and his son Ismahil rebuilt it. It is covered in a black cloth called kiswah with verses of the Qu’ran stitched into it. The Kabah is rebuilt on the same foundations by the same method when it needs to be, and the cover is re-made every year, after it is cut up and given to some lucky pilgrims as a memento of their journey. The Ka’bah is the very first house of God and many prophets have visited it. It is for this reason that pilgrims feel such closeness and representation to God when they visit it during Hajj. Tawaf is the circling of the Ka’bah seven times. To begin, the pilgrims can kiss the Black Stone al-hajar-al-aswad or just raise their hands towards it (on the east corner of the courtyard) and recite a prayer. After this the Pilgrims rush around the Ka’bah seven times to represent the fact that their lives revolve around God. It is the first thing that the pilgrims do when they arrive in Makkah. Tawaf is the second rite of Hajj, after Ihram, mentioned earlier. The second event is called the sa’i, where pilgrims rush between the hills Marwah and Safa, to show perseverance and patience. This is what Ibrahim’s wife Hajar did as she desperately searched for aid as her and her thirsty son came close to death in the desert. This part of Hajj can be very tiring and difficult under the blazing sun, despite there being a modern corridor built especially for sa’i. Hajar’s patience was rewarded by God with a spring of water that appeared at her son Ismahil’s feet, which was named the ZamZam well; today it is in the courtyard of the great Mosque in Makkah. Sa’i is not a compulsory part of Hajj but is usually included in the pilgrimage, and has a deep meaning. The pilgrims travel to Mina, a city of tents near the plain of Arafat. In Ihram, the Muslims are united and equal; they sleep side by side often grouped only by language if anything. All of the pilgrims sleep in tents in their Ihram clothes, poor and rich sleep aside each other as the devout, proud and fellow Muslims of Hajj. The following day the pilgrims travel to Mount Arafat for the most important part of Hajj, where they stand before Allah and ask forgiveness for all of their sins. This is the third obligatory rite of Haj j. Mount Arafat is also known as the ‘Mount of Mercy’ and is supposed to be where God forgave Adam and Eve for their sins and reunited them, after previously separating them for wrongdoing. Here the Muslims stand before God, the wuquf. The pilgrims stand from midday to sunset praying, weeping and meditating, all under the searing Saudi sun. The afternoon of wuquf is purely concentrated on Allah, and some pilgrims have to rush to make the stand, as without it their Hajj is invalid. Everyone is expected to stand alone and analyse every wrong doing individually, and pray to Allah for forgiveness for their sins. In this rite, repent is essential, and if pilgrims are truly sorry for their sins, it is said they will be completely purified and forgiven by Allah, and can start again, as pure as the day they were born. It is an unforgettable experience and is savoured by every pilgrim. After wuquf, pilgrims travel to camp in Muzdalifah in time for prayers in the evening. Here they usually collect 49 pebbles for the ramy al-jamarat (stoning of the devil) the following day. In 2004 Saudi authorities got rid of the pillars and replaced them with long walls, to make the stoning the devil process easier and therefore safer. Hund reds of people have died in the large crowds all trying to get a good shot at the pillars. On the first day of the process, after a night in Muzdalifah, the first wall is stoned 7 times. The following days each of the three walls has to be stoned 7 times for two consecutive days. This means 49 pebbles are required, but if the pilgrims miss any shots they may need at least 21 extra pebbles to stone all three walls 7 times the following day. This seems like a strange ritual when no background is supporting it, but there is good meaning. Ibrahim was told by God one day he had to sacrifice his son Ismah’il. Ibrahim made his way to the place of sacrifice, abiding Allah’s instruction, after consulting his son who told him to do what he had to. On the way the devil appeared before him first to try and tempt him not to sacrifice his son, and the angel Gabriel, the messenger of God told him to â€Å"pelt him†. Ibrahim threw 7 pebbles at the devil and it disappeared. It soon reappeared along the way, this time representing the temptation of Hajar to stop her husband sacrificing her son to God, and Gabriel told Ibrahim to â€Å"pelt him† again. He did what he was told and threw 7 stones at the devil who once again disappeared. The devil appeared a third time along the road, to tempt Ismahil to avoid being sacrificed. Gabriel’s order to â€Å"pelt him† was followed by Ibrahim, and the devil then disappeared for the final time. Ibrahim’s loyalty and resistance to the devil was rewarded by God when Ibrahim was told to stop as he prepared to kill his son. He was told by God to sacrifice a ram instead, and Ibrahim’s resistance to temptation paid off. Ramy al-jamarat shows the pilgrim’ s dedication to God’s wishes, and rejection to the temptations of the devil. Most Muslims make a sacrifice after stoning the devil, to recreate Ibrahim’s experience as closely as possible. Because there are so many pilgrims who want to make a sacrifice, there are special companies, who make it on their behalf and feed the poor. What cannot be used immediately to feed the poor Muslim community is frozen and used later. After making a sacrifice, male pilgrims have their heads shaven by a person who is not in Ihram and women have usually around an inch cut off. Pilgrims usually change into their normal clothes and do a single Tawaf; this is the fourth obligatory rite of Hajj. After doing this single Tawaf the Muslims are now officially Hajjis or Hajjahs as a female. They can then return home but most choose to stay and visit other places such as Medina, where the prophet Muhammad (PBUH) was buried. B (ii)There are many factors to prevent Muslims going to Hajj. It is said Allah excuses these factors. It is intention or niyyah that counts with the pilgrimage, and when there is something to prevent Muslims from attending it, they will be excused by Allah. The most common circumstance is poverty. There are around 1.4 billion Muslims in the world, and many live in poverty. Lots of Muslims will save up most of their life to do Hajj, and by the time they have enough money to go, they are of old age and aren’t physically able. In this case the Muslim can pay another existing Hajji to attend on their behalf, or donate their savings for Hajj to charity. If they do this they will be blessed as fully as if they had completed Hajj themselves. For those who can’t afford Hajj, they can donate their available savings for Hajj to charity. They will receive the full Hajj benefits also. If a Muslim passes away on their way to carry out Hajj, they will receive the full blessing also, they have died making a commitment to their religion, this shows devotion and niyyah if anything does! Of course there are difficulties that could occur during Hajj. Because around two million pilgrims undergo Hajj every year, and are all dressed in near identical garments, it is very likely that groups will be separated for the period of Hajj. This may seem like a panicking time but Muslims in Ihram will be very sympathetic and helpful with each other in such circumstances, and probably take on new members into their travel groups. The overwhelming feeling of closeness to God on Hajj is enough to eliminate any feelings of worry for the meantime anyhow, so separation doesn’t cause much of a fright. Those unfortunate enough to die during Hajj are proud. It is a blessing to be buried in or near Makkah, close to God. Passing away making commitments to Islam is an honour, and a will is usually written before leaving for Hajj anyway. For those who fear the physical strain of Hajj, or are encouraged not to repeat the journey if they have already, Umrah is the lesser pilgrimage which can be carried out all year round. It involves the seven rotations of the Ka’bah (Tawaf), the Sa’i (Between Marwah and Safa) and a halq or taqsir; which is to cut the hair. Taqsir is shortening hair; halqis the complete head shave. B (iii)Hajj creates equilibrium, and a sympathetic atmosphere among the pilgrims who share the highs and lows of the journey. For most, the journey strengthens and confirms their commitment to Islam. After Hajj, a Muslim is more likely to be more courteous to people in general, and more at ease with life. Once a good Hajj is completed, the afterlife should be more peaceful and happy. Some Muslims like the experience of the pilgrimage so much they move to a Muslim country if they do not live in one already, as they like the convenience and feeling of togetherness and empathy. Hajj strengthens the belief of many Muslims, and if they weren’t a very good Muslim before Hajj, they might feel the need to be more committed to their faith, and practice Islam more regularly. Although for most the pilgrimage of Hajj is a blessing experience, some may have felt let down and disengaged during the journey. For those who could not get into a good Ihram, or feel true belief in God on the mount of mercy; their belief in Islam and Allah may have been hindered. C To me, this statement means that although all of the processes of a pilgrimage are physical, the true idea is the thoughts within the pilgrim’s mind and the intention, empathy and symbolism of what they are doing in the pilgrimage. The vast majority of Hajjis find the sacred journey to Makkah nourishing and feel they have found forgiveness from Allah. As they travel around the different rites of Hajj they cherish the experience and remember the meaning of each process, going back as far as the time of Adam and Eve. They enter a new realm as they stand before God on the Mount of Mercy, are unable to hold in their tears and are swept with emotion. On the other hand, Hajj is purely a physical process for some pilgrims. It isn’t supposed to be, but some can’t get into the frame of mind which is intended during the pilgrimage. The journey is supposed to be emotional, deeply thoughtful and soul cleansing. To some Muslims, their belief may be slightly hampered by the fact they struggle to get into a real Ihram. They will get their money’s worth on the trip and see people from all different cultures following the same rituals, but not feel truly engaged in the experience. Some people might argue that if you go on Hajj, and carry out the same processes as the prophets did, that is adequate in displaying your devotion to Allah and Islam. Some may say the fact that so much is physically required of them in Hajj, that alone shows they are a devout Muslim. Personally, I fully agree with the statement, because I would say that Hajj is a journey to Makkah to carry out the rites, and a true Hajj is a deep and thoughtful journey not only to Makkah, but to the bottom of a pilgrim’s heart. Although carrying out Hajj is a blessing experience cherished by Muslims, it is not truly meaningful unless they feel a certain dedication and spiritual enrichment on their journey.