Individual Assignment 6 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Individual 6 - Assignment Example Societies with a collectivist culture also shares the same ideals, especially since people in a collectivist culture pay particular attention to the relationship between certain objects, such as developing their trust in the brand depending on the overall reputation of the parent company and how their products contain the values and characteristics they promote (113). The idea of standing out is rather unheard of in feminist and collectivist cultures. On the other hand, highly-individualistic and masculine cultures are much more impacted by humorous and unruly advertisements, and this is mainly due to the common belief of having the need to belong to the strongest, and the desire to rise above everyone else, as well as wanting to shape all individuals into the same winning image (79). Brands become separate entities that are relatively detached from the parent company, and each brand competes for the top of the product category, which is a characteristic that every person can relate to, especially those wanting to be recognized as the best. Also, because there is much more importance in standing out rather than blending in, thus using strong and hard approaches in advertising and directly going straight to the point works far better in masculine and individualist cultures than subtlety and modesty (82). Thus it is more effective to show individual strengths than to elucidate on the

IS TAX-SUPPORTED HIGHER EDUCATION JUSTIFIED Term Paper

IS TAX-SUPPORTED HIGHER EDUCATION JUSTIFIED - Term Paper Example This paper seeks to establish arguments and reasons why tax-supported higher education is justified based on Immanuel Kant’s principle. Immanuel Kant: On Good Will, Moral Worth and Duty According to this philosopher, the term â€Å"good will† is characterized by the ideas of â€Å"person with good will.† To understand this, it is better to take a deeper analysis on what makes a person good (Johnson, 2008). Kant states that a person is good because of his possession of a good will, in a way, that his decisions are determined by on the basis of the moral law. In addition, he believes that anyone would say that his actions are morally clean and and  considered  it as reasons for guiding his  behaviors. Further, he points out that a good will is a will whose decisions are determined entirely by what he called as the Moral Law. There must be no circumstance in which moral goodness would be regarded as worth forfeiting just to exchange it for something desirable. Say for example, desirable qualities like courage or cleverness would be demeaned and sacrificed as to lay it aside if injustice requires, or, will be discarded if cruelty demands, thus, making good will not be good at all. Further, he explains that duty, has moral worth if the actions are not derived with motivations, in particular, self-interest, self-preservation, sympathy and happiness. However, it may be dutiful but does not express a good will. For instance, the government has the main duty, according the law of the land--the Constitution to serve and protect its constituents, and abide to the norms and standards, for the welfare of all. Also, duty performed out of motivations like love and friendship is a duty of good will. Furthermore, if a duty is done in the respect for moral law, then it is a motivation of respect. For instance, Maria in her being a member of an organization, by which rules and regulations are strictly implemented, would follow the said policies because it is her duty. To that effect, Maria thinks that she is respecting laws pertaining to her. The Categorical and Hypothetical Imperatives Kant formulated the Categorical Imperative in which he explains, â€Å"ought never to act except in such a way that I could also will that my maxim should become a universal law.† According to him, this motivates a good will. It is imperative because it is a command. For example, â€Å"Take me away from him.† This shows that Categorical Imperative, exactly, commands us to act on our wills. It is not conditional and does not have willed ends. Unlike Hypothetical Imperative, it requires a certain degree of condition. Hence, it is imperative but to the extent that in doing a particular action or duty, there is an underlying motivation such as condition. Hypothetical imperative is one that requires an exercise of wills, only, to certain degree of condition--a command of unconditional form. For example, â€Å"If you want to pass from this subject, then buy me a pair of shoes.† This shows a conditional imperative. The Formula of the Universal Law of Nature As stated above, categorical imperative denotes that an act done in accordance to this maxim can and will become a universal law. Suppose, in a democratic country, the legislator made a law prohibiting all constituents from getting an education. Such law is invalid because it simply violates the principle of freedom

Dynamic Systems Theory and Psychodynamic World View

Dynamic Systems Theory and Psychodynamic World View Emma Levey Psychodynamic world view The psychodynamic view focuses on underlying subconscious and unconscious processes, as well as the conscious. Emphasis is placed on stage progression, overcoming conflicts, and emotions (Miller, 2011, p. 106/134) with the most famous psychodynamic theory being that of Freud (Miller, 2011, p.110). Four criteria will be outlined and illustrated with Freudian examples, before considering whether an article fits within the world view. The first criterion is that of human nature, of which humans are passive and active. Humans are passive due to the role underlying forces play in driving humans to act and they are active through coping with these forces and attempting to obtain and maintain equilibrium through reducing conflict. The ego is the most active personality structure as it self-organises through regulating stimulation arising from the self and the environment, actively deciding the behaviour to exhibit and continuously processing information (Miller, 2011, p. 134). The second criteria concerns qualitative or quantitative development, with both being used in this world view. Qualitative development is shown through in two ways, with the first being that the world view advocates stage development, for example the stages of sexual drive dominance in Freud’s theory. The second way is through acquisition of defence mechanisms and new structures, such as the superego (Miller, 2011, p. 134). However, quantitative change is also possible, as the strength of defence mechanisms and of the structures (such as the ego), can differ which results in potential for quantitative change (Miller, 2011, p. 134). With regards to nature and nurture, the psychodynamic view takes an interactionist stance. Nature is evident via a focus on biological maturation through changes in hormones and biological, unconscious and powerful drives. These drives motivate (e.g. via the Id, Ego and Superego structures) children’s development and behaviour to achieve drive satisfaction (Miller, 2011, p. 111-112). However, nurture-based influences (e.g. parents) also play a part by affecting expression of these nature-based drives. This interaction of nature-based drives and nurture-based constraints dictates drive expression within the environment, with interaction at a young age setting the pattern for learning and coping in later life (Miller, 2011, p. 120, 134-135). Nurture effects are seen to be more important in the first five years of life than later life as the child is particularly impressionable at this time (Miller, 2011, p. 135). The final criteria is teleology. Development is seen to have an endpoint (Dixon Lerner, 1999), which in Freud’s theory is maturation, and is unidirectional as it progresses towards this endpoint. Regression through stages is possible and often frequent, occurring when anxieties become too difficult to cope with (Dixon Lerner, 1999; Miller, 2011, p. 115). Finally, causality is multidirectional due to the interactional effects of nature and nurture resulting in a causal effect on development. Salvatore, S., Eleonora, L. P., Marco, L. (2013). Trauma and the Father Image: Fantasies and Complexes in the Rorschach Test. The Open Psychology Journal, 6, 1-5 doi: 10.2174/1874350101306010001. In the interpretation of the Rorschach test, the features of the table IV inkblot evoke a dimension of authority, morals and related emotions. Interestingly, the father figure is related to ego development and also guides towards maturity via more evolved emotions such as feelings of shame and guilt. In some cases these feelings are found to be lacking in adults experiencing depression. The aim of this work is to analyze the relationship between the representational world in relation to the father figure and depressive mood disorders. The group of subjects is composed of 25 patients who had a psychiatric diagnosis of Depressive episode. The presence of specific phenomena brings out the complexes, the uneasy and conflictual relationship with the father figure submerged in the unconscious thus emerges. Shock is thereby manifested in relation to the black in which the large, dark, and blurred stimulus is perceived as sinister, threatening and dangerous. The trauma emerges in the result of a relationship with a father who has not allowed the child to manage similarities and differences. From the nature of the answers of the Rorschach protocols, it emerges that the symbolic abilities of subjects are not fully developed or have been attacked by an early trauma. Human nature in this article was both active and passive. Passive nature is shown by the example of the unconscious drives as â€Å"The presence of specific phenomena brings out the complexes, the uneasy and conflictual relationship with the father figure submerged in the unconscious thus emerges† (Salvatore, Eleoniora Marco 2013, p. 1); with the â€Å"specific phenomena† in this case being the inkblot used to elicit an underlying response concerning the father. Human nature is active through participants â€Å"subjectively organizing the content and form of the stimuli presented to him† (2013, p. 1). Active self-organization is shown through dealing with the self (e.g. father anxiety) and the external inkblot stimulus which enables participants too actively â€Å"express his feelings and give shapes and meaning to what he sees† (2013, p. 1). The active environment can be seen in the Rorschach test which â€Å"prompts the translation of things and feelin gs into words† and due to the external father’s negative influences on â€Å"space for the imagination† resulting in the statement that â€Å"symbolic abilities of subjects are not fully developed† (2013, p. 1-2). In this retrospective study, neither qualitative nor quantitative change was considered, so speculation into both should be done. Potential evidence for qualitative change concerns the inkblot used, which requires a developed imagination ability due to its intensity. Thus, use of this inkblot is linked with â€Å"the emergence of a new level of mental functioning† and the acquisition of a new qualitative skill, â€Å"the ability to imagine† (Salvatore et al., 2013, p. 1). Other qualitative change could be the development of a new defence mechanism to aid coping with negative father experience. Quantitative change could concern an increase or decrease in ego strength, as a result of the father being â€Å"related to ego development† (2013, p. 2). Thirdly, Salvatore and colleagues (2013) emphasize nurture through their focus on father influence. The inkblot used evokes â€Å"father figure symbolization† with the father’s importance shown as he becomes â€Å"the receptacle holding the feeling of omnipotence† (Salvatore et al., 2013, p. 1). The importance of early nurture experience is shown as the â€Å"compromised paternal representation, formulated in the inner world at an early age† influences adulthood as it exists timelessly in the â€Å"perpetuated unconscious† (2013, p. 5). Also, participants lacked symbolic ability due to â€Å"an early trauma† emerging as â€Å"the result of a relationship with a father† (2013, p. 1). As nature is not directly considered, one potential way in which its effects could be seen concerns the participants with depression and the fathers relation to ego development via more evolved emotions, which are â€Å"lacking in adults experiencing depre ssion† (2013, p. 2). As depression is a chemical imbalance, this could be seen as a mediation effect of nature (via depression), upon evolved emotions influenced by the father (nurture) resulting in less advanced development due to this interaction. Concerning teleology, it can be implied that maturity is considered to be the developmental endpoint as the father figure and his relationship with the ego â€Å"guides towards maturity† (Salvatore et al., 2013, p. 2). This also implies unidirectional development, as development proceeds towards maturity. In contrast with the criterion, the article advocates unidirectional causality as it focuses on early father impact upon progression towards maturity â€Å"as the father figure (†¦) guides towards maturity via more evolved emotions such as feelings of shame and guilt,† and no mention is made of causality derived from the person (2013, p. 1). This may be due to the retrospective nature of the study as participants are purely reflecting on their relationships with their fathers. Also, no explicit mention of regression is made. In conclusion, the article of Salvatore and colleagues (2013) is psychodynamic due to its acknowledgement of various required criteria, such as human nature. However, for it to completely fit in the world view it also should have considered, multidirectional causality, regression and explicitly considered qualitative and quantitative change within the study. Dynamic Systems Theory Dynamic systems theory (DST) is a holistic view due to behaviour only being understood through considering the multiple and mutual interaction of all system levels in self-organizing systems, with the organism-in-context as the unit of analysis (Miller, 2011, p. 414). Four DST criteria will be presented and an article which fits within DST presented and discussed. In DST, human nature is active and inseparable from the active environment, and thus the person and environment should not be considered separate due to their constant interaction within the developmental system. The active individual is shown through its ability to construct behaviour through experience within a part of the larger system (Miller, 2011, p. 421) and also through self-organisation (change through the organisms own activities) (Thelen Smith, 2006, p. 259 cited in Lerner, Lewin-Bizan Warren, 2011, p. 28). The environment is active through the role of experience and its participation with the organism in mutual interaction. This interaction is important in determining development as the environmental task and the motivations and skills of a person both control and influence the developing factor at a certain time and situation, within the larger system. The second criteria concerns change, which is constant, given and based upon the continuous interaction of the individual and the environment. Change can be on a small or large scale, with smaller scale change having the potential to cause large scale system changes. It is also considered on a moment-to-moment time scale or over a longer period (Miller, 2011, p. 417). Change can be quantitative and qualitative, although qualitative change often results due to an accumulation of underlying quantitative change until a critical threshold is passed, resulting in a novel qualitative skill emerging (Miller, 2011, p. 417, 421). The third criteria concerns the nature nurture distinction, which is redundant due to DST’s interactionist stance (Thelen Smith n.d, cited in Lerner et al., 2011, p. 28; Miller, 2011, p. 418). As such, nature and nurture are equally important in development as change occurs due to the organism-context relation. Developmental diversity is the result of differences in the timing of this interaction (Lerner et al., 2011, p. 29). The final criteria is teleology. Regression is seen as possible because the system can regress to a previous attractor state if required. Multiple possible endpoints exist due to the infinite ways in which system parts can combine and result in developmental paths (Thelen Smith, 1998, 2006 cited in Lerner et al., 2011, p. 30). Both the ability to regress and the concept of multiple end points suggests multidirectional development. Finally, causality is configural as development concerns bidirectional relationships â€Å"within and across fused levels of organisation† which change over time (Lerner et al., 2011, p. 29). Granic, I., O’Hara, A., Pepler, D., Lewis, M. D., (2007). A Dynamic Systems analysis of parent-child changes associated with successful â€Å"real-world† interventions for aggressive children. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 35, 845-857. doi:10.1007/s10802-007-9133-4. Studies have shown that improved parenting mediates treatment outcomes for aggressive children, but we lack fine-grained descriptions of how parent–child interactions change with treatment. The current study addresses this gap by applying new dynamic systems methods to study parent–child emotional behavior patterns. These methods tap moment-to-moment changes in interaction processes within and across sessions and quantify previously unmeasured processes of change related to treatment success. Aggressive children and their parents were recruited from combined Parent Management Training and Cognitive-behavioral programs in â€Å"real world† clinical settings. Behavioral outcomes were assessed by reports from parents and clinicians. At pre- and post-treatment, home visits were videotaped while parents and children discussed consecutively: a positive topic, a mutually unresolved problem, and another positive topic. Results showed that significant improvements in chil dren’s externalizing behavior were associated with increases in parent–child emotional flexibility during the problem-solving discussion. Also, dyads who improved still expressed negative emotions, but they acquired the skills to repair conflicts, shifting out of their negative interactions to mutually positive patterns. The article fits in with the criteria of human nature as it constantly considers the parent (environmental influence)-child interactions throughout the study, with â€Å"The parent-child interactions of children who showed clinically significant improvements (IMPs) were compared to those of children who did not improve (NIMPs)† (Granic et al., 2007, p. 847). This therefore shows parent and child to be equally important and inseparable as the analysis focuses on their interaction instead of separate effects. Another example of the environment and the child as inseparable and active is flexibility, â€Å"the ability to shift from one emotional state to another according to contextual demands (2007, p. 846). This shows the active child’s role in shifting emotional states and the environment’s role as a trigger. One way in which the article adheres to DST’s concept of change concerns real-time interactions, which are â€Å"the proximal engines of development† (Granic et al., 2007, p. 846), showing this moment-to-moment change to be important. This is further supported by tmeasurement of â€Å"moment-to-moment changes in interaction processes with and across sessions† (2007, p. 845). Granic and colleagues used multiple time scales by also focusing on a longer twelve week period, showing a focus on continuous change (2007). Both qualitative and quantitative change are evident. Quantitative change can be seen in the measurement of increases or decreases in anti-social behaviour across pre- to post- treatment. Qualitative differences were shown as â€Å"children were classified as â€Å"Improvers† (IMPs) or â€Å"Non-Improvers† (NIMPs) based on a combination of the information† from the two quantitative measures (2007, p. 850). Thus, children’s qu alitative improvement status in anti-social behaviour was determined by quantitative changed in measure scores passing a threshold (e.g. 20 points reduction in one measure) to determine which group they were classified as. The interaction of nature and nurture, required for the third criteria of DST, is also shown in this article, as it focuses upon â€Å"how parent-child interactions change with treatment† (Granic et al., 2007, p. 845) thus showing an integration of child and environment (in the form of the mother and the effect on the treatment). These interactions were the main focus in the study, showing there to be an interaction between nature and nurture in explaining the behaviour targeted in the article (anti-social behaviour) as the researchers applied â€Å"dynamic systems methods to study parent-child emotional behavioural patterns† (2007, p. 845), as â€Å"parent-child interactions were observed and videotaped† (2007, p. 848). The final criteria is teleology. Despite there being no specific reference to multiple end points, it was suggested that of an infinite number of combinations of system parts is possible, as â€Å"the dyad’s trajectory(†¦) is plotted in real time on a grid representing all possible behavioral combinations†, suggesting multiple developmental paths with different endpoints (Granic et al., 2007, p. 850). Regression was considered as whilst IMPs showed increased flexibility from baseline, NIMPs showed a â€Å"decrease in flexibility†(2007, p. 854). Multidirectionality of development is also seen due to the ability to regress and also because state-space grids â€Å"were constructed separately for each dyad†, showing different trajectories (2007, p. 850). Finally, bidirectional, configural causality was shown as behaviour improvements were â€Å"associated with increases in parent-child emotional flexibility† with the consideration that â€Å"recip rocal parent-child warmth and affection may be a cause of improvements in children’s aggressive behaviour† (2007, p. 845/854). This showed parent (environment) and child to exert an interactional causal effect on externalizing behaviour. In conclusion, the above article fits within the DST world view due to its consideration of the environment and a child as a constant interaction, its focus on multiple change time scales, nature-nurture interaction, and its multidirectional view on causality and development. References Dixon, R. A., Lerner, R. M. (1999). A history of systems in developmental psychology. In M.H. Bornstein, M.E. Lamb (Eds.) Developmental Psychology: An advanced textbook. Fourth Edition. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Granic, I., O’Hara, A., Pepler, D., Lewis, M. D., (2007). A Dynamic Systems analysis of parent-child changes associated with successful â€Å"real-world† interventions for aggressive children. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 35, 845-857. doi:10.1007/s10802-007-9133-4 Lerner, R.M., Lewin-Bizan, S., Warren, A.E.A. (2011). Concepts and theories of human development. In M.H. Bornstein, M.E. Lamb, (Eds.) Developmental Science: An advanced textbook. Sixth Edition. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Publishers. Miller, P. H. (2011). Theories of Developmental Psychology. New York, NY : Worth. Salvatore, S., Eleonora, L. P., Marco, L. (2013). Trauma and the Father Image: Fantasies and Complexes in the Rorschach Test. The Open Psychology Journal, 6, 1-5 doi:10.2174/1874350101306010001

The Details of Human Sexuality and Society Essay -- Sexuality, gender,

This is a definition of from someone who has studied human sexuality †human sexuality is the way in which we experience and express ourselves as sexual beings (Rathus et al., 1993). There are many factors that help develop our sexuality, arguably one of the most important, is our actual gender. Whether, I am a male or female will likely have a major influence on the development of my individual sexuality. Furthermore, sexuality is an integral part of our personalities whether we are aware of it or not.† Ludwin Molina. Here is my definition to me it is just the attraction to someone. The way you feel towards them mainly sexual feelings. Every culture has a different belief or value when it comes to making sexual decisions. I would say it mainly depends on how you are raised. For me and my family we have been taught to wait until marriage, although sometimes things may not work out that way it is still how we have been raised Also I think it depends on the generation. The generation now is a lot more accepting to sex before marriage. Kids think of it as â€Å"it’s going to happen anyway†. There for sexual attraction is shown a lot more often at a younger age. Now if you’re talking about older generations it is not as accepted. You were looked down upon if you had a child before marriage in some generations. This caused people to not be as affection and show there attraction for each other in the public eye because they didn’t want people to assume things and be looked down upon. Human Sexuality is a tough topic to talk about because it is so general. It is basically what attracts one to another and how they show there feelings. What brings them together and keeps them together. It also related to sexual attraction because it is ho... ...th anthropology because anthropology relates to genetics. Human sexuality works very closely with genetics and how you are made and what you consist of as well as personality and culture traits. It also relates to parents because your parents are what make you and raise you how to act. This relates to genetics because it makes you part of your parents. Which we are learning about in class. In conclusion human sexuality just depends on how comfortable you are with your self, how you were raised and what you believe. It is not really just pushed on you. You develop it your self with your own opinions and views. As long as help with the ones around you. For example the way kids I know and I am friends with show there human sexuality is very different then the way our parents did because it is our culture, as well as how we rate situations and how we look at things.

Votes For Women c1900-28

Question 1 From Source A – a poster produced in 1912 by the Suffragettes – it can tell us one of the reasons why the Suffragettes were demanding the vote for women. On the top row, it shows women in highly educated, well paid jobs like a mayor or a nurse, while below it a row of â€Å"low-level† men such as a convict and a drunkard. Already here we see a stark contrast in their class. It shows us that women of such quality were not allowed to vote, while men of such low integrity were. A reason why women were not enfranchised was because people deemed them to be inferior and less intelligent to men. However, what this posters shows us is that women can be more educated, and better respected, yet still not get the vote, unlike the men who didn't accomplish anything good in life, yet still got the vote. Also, people criticised the Suffragettes with their violent methods – which failed, and accused of being crazy lunatics. What the poster also shows is that men could be lunatics, and still gain the votes, but why can't women do so to. Question 2 Source B is an extract from a book written in 1907 called â€Å"Woman or Suffragette†. Its main view is that women should not be voting, but in fact were â€Å"destined to make voters†. It disagrees with the whole movement, both the Suffragists and the Suffragettes. It also has a reference to the Suffragettes movement, with its â€Å"shrill cry†. Source C on the other hand is a cartoon drawn in 1906 by Bernard Partridge. It shows two campaigners, one – portrayed as a calm, sensible, upper-class woman – a Suffragist, and the other – shown as a crazy and violet woman – a Suffragette. It also shows the Suffragette brandishing her fist, showing her violence and the basis if the Suffragette's movement. The cartoon criticises the Suffragette movement, with its â€Å"shrieking sister†, and shows the Suffragist saying to the Suffragette â€Å"YOU help our cause? Why, you're its worst enemy!† There is also a reference here, like Source B, to the Suffragettes movement, referring to their â€Å"shrieking†. This shows us that the artist doesn't support the Suffragette's violent movement, but does support the Suffragist's peaceful movement. This tells me that Source C doesn't support Source B fully about the disagreement of the women's movement, but rather that the women's movement was acceptable when it took a more peaceful approach. Question 3 Despite the Suffragette campaign, women still had not gained the vote by the outbreak of the war. Source D – an extract of a book written by Emmeline Pankhurst in 1912 – shows us that because of the failure to have woman enfranchised, the Suffragettes wanted the matter to be more widely noticed by the public. Emmeline said that it succeeded in this because the â€Å"newspapers are full of us†. This is like a reason for why the Suffragettes were ‘allowed' to be violent. Source E on the other hand is a speech given by a Member of the Parliament just a year after Emmeline Pankhurst's book was written. It is opposing the idea of women gaining the vote, saying that it will â€Å"ultimately put the control of the government of this country into female hands†. This shows us that some members of Parliament opposed the idea of having women in Parliament. Already the sources show us two of the different reasons why women were not given the vote. Another is that the Prime Minister at the time – Herbert Asquith – also opposed women's rights to the vote. This would have influenced Parliament. Another reason is the public and their opinion. With the Suffragists before, and their peaceful campaign, it got them the vote in local elections. With the Suffragettes, they got people to be scared of them and threatened the welfare of the others. This I think is the most important reason. To be enfranchised, they needed the public's support, because without this, no-one would support their campaign. Question 4 Both Sources F and G are useful to find out the contribution of women to the war, both in different ways. Source F is an example of propaganda, made at the time by the government, to try and get women to work in munitions factories, and consequently in the war effort. What this poster doesn't tell us is the number of women who were working in the munitions factories, but rather that the government allowed women to help in the war effort. In fact, this poster could be telling us that women were vital to the war, and that without women, the war could not have been won. With the women working in factories and doing the jobs that the men did enabled the men to go to war and fight. Also, the poster, with the words â€Å"Enrol At Once† is suggesting that women should do just that. At the forefront of the poster shows a very healthy looking woman, looking like she enjoyed working in the factories. Most women at the time would be working in poor conditions, with little pay and so a poor standard of life. The woman contradicts this, and so makes women want to join up. Also, it shows us that the government wanted to persuade women to work at the factories, and so needed them to be participating in the war. There's however, no way to know if the poster succeeded or not. Source F, on the other hand, is a table of statistics, written in the 1980s. This could mean that the data could have been compiled after years of research. Furthermore, as it is published in a school text book, it would mean that it should be an unbiased piece of evidence, unlike the government poster. Although it is a secondary piece of evidence, you can still find out about the contribution to the war done by women, but not fully. The table only shows us the number of women employed in certain industries in 1914 and 1918. There s no other information telling us about before, during, or after the war. We cannot tell if the number of women working in industries fell or rose during these times. Also, this positive trend may not have happened across all the industries. It also doesn't show us the facts, but, when compared to the start of the war, there was a significant increase in women working in industries, and so the war effort. Overall, I think that Source G is more useful. It provides actual statistics, which enables you to make a conclusion about the amount women did contribute to the war. Source F is merely a poster designed to enrol women into munitions factories and shows the government's need for female contribution to the war effort. It doesn't give any indication about the number of women working in munitions factories, let alone the industries. Question 5 ‘It was the work that women did during the war during the war that earned them the vote'. Personally I do not agree with this statement. I feel that it is a multiple of reasons, not just the war, which enabled women to be enfranchised. One of the reasons was due to their war effort. In helping out in the war, they earned people's respect, both the public and politicians. Also, they should people that there were not crazy, violent women as they were seen before, but in fact sane people. Source H partially agrees with this, as it says that â€Å"†¦women workers received a warm welcome† but not

A Business Case for an ISO 14001 Certification Essay

A Business Case for an ISO 14001 Certification A Final Project Presented to the Faculty of the School of Business In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Masters of Science in Business Administration By Abstract of Thesis A Business Case for an ISO 14001 Certification By Problem In response to the raising awareness of damage to the environment, a series of standards for environmental management systems called The ISO 14000 was introduced in 1996. It provides guidelines on the ingredients that an environmental management should necessarily posses and also on the supporting technologies. These standards were not so specific as regards to how it should be done rather it more emphasizes on what should be done. ISO 14000 is an environmental management standards designed to guarantee products and services to cover the minimum environmental impact. The ISO 14000 series takes the international standards system to the field of environmental concerns. ISO 14001 focuses on the development and maintenance of an Environmental Management System, within the ISO 14000 series. The ISO 14000 series is of relatively recent origin, having been instituted in 1991. However, it has emerged as a significant force within a short time. The ISO 14000 series is relevant for the world of business, for governments and regulators, for organizations that work not-for-profit and for entities of all types and sizes, wherever they may be. Its universal nature makes it a unique and dominant system for all people who are concerned with pollution, waste and about the consumption of resources that are limited and which cannot be renewed. ISO 14000 promotes professional conduct. Training people and involving them in key processes lie at the heart of the ISO 14000 system. The rigors of certification serve to develop human resources. It can serve to motivate people at all levels of the hierarchy, and to foster team spirit. The ISO 14000 system is not limited to altruism and to noble intentions. It is worth hard cash. ISO 14001 puts great pressure to bear on achieving productivity improvements that translate to valuable cost savings. Major international corporations enjoy impressive profit growth through the ISO 14000 series. All ISO certifications carry the benefits of independent and international recognition. ISO extension in to the field of environmental concerns through the 14000 series brings desirable pressure on companies that produce hazardous substances and which generate enormous amounts of waste. Customers everywhere have the choice to insist on ISO 14000 certifications. Companies may find themselves excluded from significant market segments if they continue to ignore or to avoid ISO 14000. Some organizations may find themselves out of business if they do not secure ISO 14000 certification. Apple leads a galaxy of the world’s most respected enterprises in using ISO 14001 certification as a cornerstone of competitive strategy. Lithium ion battery technology is an example of innovation that a commitment to environmental conservation can present. Solutions inspired by ISO 14001 can have welcome economic benefits, apart from noble achievements in terms of environmental conservation. Reduction in energy consumption is an outstanding example, since power generation can be both expensive as well as polluting. ISO 14000 calls for abiding commitment on the part of all entities that seek certification. The system consumes major portions of employee time. ISO 14000 becomes a major element of cost, though it does produce handsome returns. The ISO 14000 series follows a highly structured implementation procedure. There is comprehensive documentation widely available that any organization can use to enter the system. Most organizations find it expedient to use consultants to guide them through the process. Independent auditors are inevitable. External auditors must be knowledgeable, experienced and accredited. ISO 14000 has important weaknesses. Loss of proprietary information is the most serious risk. Certified companies may find that their defenses have been compromised in the event of litigation. This arises from the documentation and management reviews that are integral to ISO 14000. ISO 14000 leaves organizations free to choose their own goals, priorities and standards. It therefore lends itself to potential abuse by organizations that may push important social concerns to the background, or to prevaricate about deleterious aspects of environmental degradation. Some organizations may not be able to fund the investments in time and money that ISO 14000 requires. The benefits may therefore evade small enterprises. ISO 14000 documentation needs can also duplicate documentation that other systems and some regulations require. Training and audit infrastructure is inadequate for widespread and global application of ISO 14000. Some organizations, especially in remote regions can find themselves excluded though they may wish to enlist. ISO 14000 confines itself to the environment. It does not consider issues of human wellness. There are many community concerns that ISO 14000 does not address. It is not a guarantee of ethical performance of an organization on all fronts. Business interests may be served best if companies were to use ISO 14000 for internal review, without going in for certification or even registration. It would then be an effective tool of risk management without opening the firm to unwelcome public scrutiny. As stated ISO 14000 can prove to be a significant undertaking that can task the resources of any size organization, if the task is undertaken correctly and managed well the benefits will outweigh the costs in many ways, from financial to organizational image. Method The Historical/Case study method is used in this thesis. The study consists of real life cases gathered from, various sources. These cases are evaluated for relevance as well as content. Cases used will be from varying sizes and types of organizations, public and private as well as local and international. Further research analysis by overview of the statistical research methods, selection of the sample and descriptive statistics is also used in this thesis as a corroborative evidence to substantiate the findings of this thesis. Conclusion This study has shown that ISO 14000 certification can tax the resources of organizations, but in the majority of cases the end result has proven that the benefits of certification exceed the costs. The study of the data presented has demonstrated that, for most organizations, not implementing ISO 14000 can be much more costly than implementation. Recently several universities, including the University of Michigan, suspended contracts with Coca Cola on campuses (Dump Coke at U of M, 2005). While several reasons are given for the suspension of contacts at the campuses including human rights violations, specifically mentioned is â€Å"Environmental Devastation† in India. Perception is key for business in today’s global economy, being able to prove environmental responsibility as stewardship on the organizations behalf can result in the loss or gain of business. Table of Contents Chapter No Headings Page No Chapter 1 IMPORTANCE OF THE STUDY AND INTRODUCTION 6 Statement of the Problem 7 Purpose of the Study 10 Scope of the Study 11 Rationale of the Study 12 Definition of Terms 12. Overview of the Study 17 Chapter 2 REVIEW OF THE RELATED LITERATURE 2. 1 Introduction 21 2. 2 The Sustainability Imperative for Environmental Management 23 2. 3 Image Incentives for Environmental Management 25 2. 4 The Lines of Business 30 2. 5 Implemental aspects 31 2. 6 ISO 14000 and Global Trends 31 2. 7 ISO 14001 and Profits 34 2. 8 ISO 14001 and Seasonal Business 37 2. 9 ISO 14001 and Building Projects 39 2. 10 ISO 14001 and Equator Principles 40 2. 11 SME Experience with ISO 14001 41 2. 12 Summary of Benefits of Environmental Management Systems 44 2. 13 What is it? 46 2. 14 Environmental Labeling and ISO 14000 50 2. 15 ISO 14001 for International Corporations 53 2. 16 ISO 14001 in Mergers and Acquisitions 58 2. 17 Detailing Product Life Cycles 58 2. 18 Specific Benefits That Business Can Expect From ISO 63 2. 19 ISO 9000 AND ISO 14000 65 Chapter 3 METHODOLOGY Approach 66 Data Gathering Method 67 Data Base of Study 68 Validity of Data 68 Originality and Limitation of Data 69 Summary 70 Chapter 4 DATA ANALYSIS 4. 1 BAXTER INTERNATIONAL INC 71 4. 2 ELI LILLY 72 4. 3 Beyond Compliance by Baxter and Eli Lilly. 74 4. 3. 1 EPA ‘s 33 / 50 program 74. 4. 3. 2 Responsible Care Compliance 75 4. 3. 3 Green Products 75 4. 3. 4 Environment Audits 76 4. 4 An analysis of Environment compliance by Baxter and Lilly. 76 4. 5 Policy Dynamics 76 4. 6 Baxter International Inc and Environment Compliance 77 4. 6. 1 Baxter’s Environment Performance –At a glance. 78 4. 6. 2 Green House Gas Emission 80 4. 63 Reduction in Emissions in Carbon Di Oxide 81 4. 6. 4 Baxter Historical Performance as reported in 1997 81 4. 6. 5 Baxter’s Environment Program through year 2010 81 4. 6. 6 Baxter’s Cost Savings due to Environmental initiatives 82 4. 6. 7 Environment Performance Data of Baxter 83 4. 6. 8 Baxter’s Cost Reduction Data’s 84 4. 6. 9 The Toxic Release Inventory and the 33/50 Program by Baxter and Lilly. 85 4. 7 Baxter and Lilly ISO 14000 -Response 86 4. 8 Blue Scope Steel and ISO 14000 86 4. 9 ISO 14000 & Rockwell Automation, Twinsburg –Ohio 87 4. 10 Plasti Color -Ohio 88 4. 11 Xerox Corporation 88 4. 12 IBM 88 4. 13 Carter Holt Harvey Tissue –New Zealand 89 4. 14 3M Corporation 89 4. 15 Case studies of ISO 14001 Companies 91 4. 16 Coca-Cola 95 4. 17 Research Approach Methodological of Sample Collection 98 4. 18 Methods of Resources 98 4. 19 Description of dependent and Independent variables –Table -1 99 4. 20 Table 2- Entity Type 101 4. 21 Table 3 – Categories of NED 102 4. 22 Table 4-Multiple Regression results for test Of H1 through H 4. 103 Chapter 5 SUMMARY , RECOMMENDATION AND CONCLUSIONS 105 REFERENCES 118 List of Table and Charts Chapter No Headings Page No Chapter 4 4. 6. 1 Baxter’s Environment Performance –At a glance. 78 4. 6. 2 Green House Gas Emission 80 4. 63 Reduction in Emissions in Carbon Di Oxide 81 4. 6. 6 Baxter’s Cost Savings due to Environmental initiatives 82. 4. 6. 7 Environment Performance Data of Baxter 83 4. 6. 8 Baxter’s Cost Reduction Data’s 84 4. 15 Case studies of ISO 14001 Companies 91 4. 19 Description of dependent and Independent variables –Table -1 99 4. 20 Table 2- Entity Type 101 4. 21 Table 3 – Categories of NED 102 4. 22 Table 4-Multiple Regression results for test Of H1 through H 4. 103 A Business Case for an ISO 14001 Certification A Case Study Chapter 1 Importance of the study and Introduction Several industries are trying very hard to change their public image as environmentally â€Å"unfriendly†. The oil industry with its need to seek more sources, often in wilderness areas, chemical companies which have in the past legally dumped toxic waste, the timber industries and the automotive industry which continues to produce large gas guzzling SUV’s and trucks are all very sensitive to public perception. Perception is very powerful and a company does not want to be perceived as harmful to the environment or not environmentally friendly. Frequency of industrial accidents and media publicities such as the publication of Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring (1962) highlighted the environmental consequences of unfettered industrialization . Respecting the public concerns; the United States Congress has made several laws stipulating environmental standards and technologies for manufacturing companies. Only after Rio Summit in 1992, the policy makers seem to have acceded the fact that the governmental coercion alone will not bring any success and right incentives must be provided to the industries. In recent years, United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has launched voluntary beyond –compliance programs such as Green Lights, Project XL and 33/50. The ISO 14000 certification system can be used as a tool to not just say that are concerned about the environment, but to show what you have been doing, are doing and will be doing to improve your performance. In doing so you should be able to add to your bottom line, both direct and indirect. As more and more of these companies will seek and obtain the ISO 14000 certification and they require suppliers to do so as well. This study seeks to contribute to the on-going debate within some sections of industry about the economics of ISO 14001. It is known that large corporations invest in registrations, often under duress from social activists. But is there money to be gained by following the system? Can there be purely business reasons for seeking ISO 14001 certification? Can smaller enterprises participate? These are some of the questions that this study seeks to answer. Statement of the Problem The problem; organizations have a need to show environmental stewardship but what is the cost of doing so and how so they justify the cost to management and/or shareholders. Today companies and organizations face many financial challenges and to survive in the global economy they must be fiscally responsible. There is also a need to be considered environmentally responsible and perceived as such. The ISO 14OOO series specifies beyond –compliance management systems . These standards have been sponsored by the International Organization for Standardization, a Geneva -based non governmental organization . ISO 14000 could be viewed as an industrial code of practice that needs to be certified by external auditors. Currently such certification costs about $ 20000 per facility. The cost has acted as a barrier for many financially weak corporations to have the ISO 14000 Certification for their facilities. Recently several universities, including the University of Michigan and New York University, suspended contracts with Coca Cola on campuses (Dump Coke at U of M, 2005). While several reasons are given for the suspension of contacts at the campuses including human rights violations, specifically mentioned is â€Å"Environmental Devastation† in India. Perception is key for business in today’s global economy, being able to prove environmental responsibility and stewardship on the organizations behalf can result in the loss or gain of business. Most companies still have a choice whether to obtain certification or not and the best illustration for this is Baxter International Inc and Eli Lilly , a U. S based multinational Companies , the details are discussed in the Research Analysis chapter in this thesis. However, more and more must obtain certification to maintain their status in the supply chains of other companies. To ensure suppliers are meeting environmental benchmarks, manufacturers such as General Motors Corp, Ford Motor Co, DaimlerChrysler, IBM, Xerox, Honda Corporation, Toyota are requiring suppliers to be ISO 14001 certified. Generating environmentally damaging emissions and waste is often an indication of an un-optimized production process, and manufacturers that implement ISO 14001 requirements can realize improvements in efficiency and profitability — and retain their positions in OEM supply chains†. (Susan Gilbert-Miller n. d). It is very likely that both public and private demand for environmental responsibility will continue to fuel the shift towards certification as proof of doing so. In the global economy today an ISO 14000 certification could become as important, to show a company’s environmental responsibility, as ISO or QS 9000 is to show a commitment to quality. It may become a prerequisite to doing business with some companies and in more industries as it has in the automotive industry. The direct cost of certification can range from a few thousand dollars for a small facility to hundreds of thousands for larger companies and millions for international companies. Presenting the business case for certification will be much easier if the benefits and cost reduction are included as part of the presentation. Purpose of the Study There are a number of excellent consulting services and other resources available at a cost, to help companies through the process of achieving certification. The key is the element of cost. In order to receive funds for consulting services or any other resources, you may have to justify your endeavor financially prior receiving any funding. Even if your company is capable of going through the process without any outside resources there are still direct and indirect costs associated with the process, prior to hiring a certification company to conduct an audit. You will have to buy materials, pull people in full time and part time, audit and update records. Training will be required for employees and management. The purpose is to show that the costs associated with obtaining and maintaining an ISO 14000 certification as part of an Environmental Management System, can be exceeded by the benefits of doing so. The benefits are not just monetary, but also how the company is viewed in the public eye as well, which is increasingly important in today’s global economy. Scope of the Study The majority of the top 100 companies in the United States have already achieved ISO 14000 certification. The same trend exists in the European Union. The research will look at what is driving the movement towards certification. It will also look at what is required to become certified and to maintain that certification. This will be done through case studies of companies that have already achieved certification, how it has affected their companies and in what ways. The main focus being that it makes good business sense, and the justification thereof. The study concentrates on the business and profit reasons for ISO 14000 registrations, with tertiary scans of ethical issues and applicability of not-for-profit organizations. The study includes brief descriptions of all phases of the ISO 14001 process, with outlines of the various sections of the manual that is an integral part of the process. Rationale of the Study While a lot companies have already achieved ISO 14000 certification many more have not. One of the biggest factors in failure to achieve or to get the company to attempt certification, especially in small and medium size companies, is that often the appointed SME (subject matter expert) has little knowledge as to what is required. It is a task that is added to their current â€Å"to do† list and they are not given the proper resources or time to conduct a thorough study as to what needs to be done, the resources it will require and what is most important in some cases, R. O. I. (Return On Investment). This study will help to explain what is required, where to look for information and through case studies show that a positive R. O. I. can be achieved through ISO 14000 certification and the maintenance of the certification. Definition of Terms Climate change: An alteration to measured quantities (e. g. precipitation, temperature, radiation, wind and cloudiness) within the climate system that departs significantly from previous average conditions and is seen to endure, bringing about corresponding changes to ecosystems and socio-economic activity. Associated with greenhouse gas emissions, of which fossil fuel combustion and forest decline are contributors. Code of Federal Regulations: United Stated Code of Regulations, commonly referred to as CFR is a publication established by and Act of Congress. It documents all regulations issued by federal administrative agencies that have â€Å"general applicability and legal effect. † Ecological or Environmental sustainability: This entails maintaining an ecosystem an adjacent ecosystem at the same or higher levels as the ecosystem in question to be able to maintain its productivity, adaptability and capacity for renewal. It requires that forest management respects, and builds on, natural processes. EMAS: Eco-Management and Audit Scheme, In Europe the Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS) was created and many European countries made implementation of EMAS mandatory for many large manufacturing facilities. EMAS and ISO 14001 are not very different; EMAS has two significant elements more than ISO 14001, namely a baseline environmental assessment and a public environmental performance report. Environmental Aspect: An element of an organization’s activities, products or services that can interact with the environment, whether it be in a positive of negative manner. Environmental Impact: Any change to the environment, whether adverse or beneficial, wholly or partially resulting from an organization’s activities, products or services. Gap Analysis: One of the initial steps in successful implementation of ISO 14000 is gap analysis. The gap analysis looks at a facility’s written programs, policies, and procedures to see how they compare to the requirements of ISO 14000. Once this analysis is complete a guideline will be established to bring them into compliance to prepare for certification Global Warming: The term Global Warming refers to the observation that the atmosphere near the Earth’s surface is warming, without any implications for the cause or magnitude. This warming is one of many kinds of climate change that the Earth has gone through in the past and will continue to go through in the future. ISO 14000: ISO 14000 is a series of environmental management standards developed and published by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) for organizations. The ISO 14000 standards provide a guideline or framework for organizations that need to systematize and improve their environmental management efforts. The ISO 14000 standards are not designed to aid the enforcement of environmental laws and do not regulate the environmental activities of organizations. Adherence to these standards is voluntary. The ISO 14001 standard is the most important standard within the ISO 14000 series. ISO 14001 specifies the requirements of an environmental management system (EMS) for small to large organizations. An EMS is a systemic approach to handling environmental issues within an organization. The ISO 14001 standard is based on the Plan-Check-Do-Review-Improve cycle. The Plan cycle deals with the beginning stages of an organization becoming ISO 14001-compliant. The Check cycle deals with checking and correcting errors. The Do cycle is the implementation and operation of the ISO 14001 standard within an organization. The Review cycle is a review of the entire process by the organization’s top management. And the Improve cycle is a cycle that never ends as an organization continually finds ways to improve their EMS. The entire process can take several months to several years depending on the size of the organization. If an organization is already ISO 9000-certified, the implementation of ISO 14001 does not take as long. When an organization is compliant, they can either register with a third-party registrar or self-declare their compliance. The ISO 14001 standard is the only ISO 14000 standard that allows an organization to be registered. ISO 9000: ISO 9000 is a series of standards, developed and published by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), that define, establish, and maintain an effective quality assurance system for manufacturing and service industries. The ISO 9000 standard is the most widely known and has perhaps had the most impact of the 13,000 standards published by the ISO. It serves many different industries and organizations as a guide to quality products, service, and management. Kyoto Protocol: It is a pact agreed on by governments at a United Nations Conference in Kyoto, Japan 1997 to reduce the amount of greenhouse gases emitted by developed countries by 5. 2 percent of 1990 levels during the five-year period 2008-2012. Eighty-four countries have signed the pact and 40 of have ratified it, according to U. N. data. Only one country, which has an emissions target, Romania, has ratified to date. LCA: Life-Cycle Assessment is a systematic approach used to manage the environmental impacts of products and service systems, and it is applied at several levels. It tracks the entire life cycle of a product from inception to disposal and looks for environmental impact throughout and how that can be reduced. Lean Manufacturing: Lean Manufacturing is an operational strategy oriented toward achieving the shortest possible cycle time by eliminating waste. It is derived from the Toyota Production System and its key thrust is to increase the value-added work by eliminating waste and reducing incidental work. The technique often decreases the time between a customer order and shipment, and it is designed to radically improve profitability, customer satisfaction, throughput time, and employee morale (Lean Manufacturing, n. d). Overview of the Study The study will consider the attributes of ISO 14000 as an Environmental Management System. In this paper the main focus will be to define the quantitative as well as qualitative benefits for employing an EMS, in our case ISO 14000. While ISO 14000 will be the primary focus, other EMS systems will also be discussed as alternatives and for relative comparisons. The procedures for and the costs of implementation will also be looked at as part of the study. In the process case studies will be studied and discussed through the use of Internet searches, relevant case studies and publications as well as personal experience and interviews with others in the field. This study will attempt to provide methods for justification of perusing certification. It will also try to give an overview of the process for obtaining certification from the planning stage, through implementation, certification as well as the follow up and continuous improvement required to maintain certification. The Ethical Rationale for Environmental Management Standards Concern for the environment is one of the hallmarks of social concerns during our times. Awareness has been growing since the last quarter of the 20th century. It has snowballed in to a major force. There are signs that countries and people will become increasingly demanding of all organizations with which to deal, in this respect. Though the first world is more influenced by concern for the environment, developing economies are also dragged in to the vortex of global opinion, as electronic media and desire for market access drive even poorer people to conform to conservation standards. Pollution, use of hazardous substances, non-degradable waste and consumption of limited natural resources are the four principal corners of environmental concerns. Pollution of air and water are most perceptible for lay people, but the effects of landfills can be equally devastating. Pesticides and organic solvents lead a series of chemicals with both acute and chronic effects. Mesothelioma is an example of a consequence of exposure to a hazardous substance, the fatal implications of which can surface after decades. Organochlorine pesticides persist in nature almost indefinitely. People at large have become very concerned about such residues and threats that surround them. Women and children are especially vulnerable. The awareness among the public regarding pollution and hazardous material is of high now-a-days. There was protest in India during January, 2006 against the French government’s decision to send a decommissioned battleship and military air craft carrier† Clemenceau â€Å"allegedly containing toxic wastes to a ship-breaking yard at Alang on the Coast of Gujarat ,in India. Green peace activists claimed the ship was loaded with hundreds of tones of toxic wastes, including 500 tones of asbestos alone and it was a violation of international Basel convention on trade of hazardous materials. Greenpeace activists claimed that â€Å"Clemenceau† is French property containing hazardous waste on ship and can not allowed to dump this hazardous waste in India . Yielding to the pressure , the French Government finally recalled its decision to scrap the ship in India . The concept of supply chains has spurred thoughts about life cycle analysis. Exhaustive labeling requirements have made people more generally aware that an innocuous finished product may involve the use of hazardous substances. Processed foods are common examples of convenience products that may contain harmful ingredients and sources of infection and contamination. This matter also leads to consideration of packaging materials that have been traditionally taken for granted. Consumers are now aware that products made from paper can involve the destruction of forest cover, while plastic has acquired a notorious image for its persistence. This applies to tin and other metals as well. Mercury and other heavy metals in batteries and electronic products are also causes of concern. Clean water has been in acute shortage in many parts of the third world for some time now, but even developed economies have begun to worry about large-scale use of this precious resource, Ground water contamination and depletion of the ozone layer are other matters that engage much popular attention. Large corporations that generate profits are prime targets for pressures to develop environmental management standards. Companies, whose operations transcend national boundaries, have to be especially careful of their environmental footprints. However, government, social service organizations and small business may all affect the environment in serious and indelible ways. Hence it is possible that environmental management programs may become increasingly universal with the passage of time. It may be concluded that there is a strong ethical foundation for environmental concerns. All organizations regardless of their size, nature and location, will be subject to pressures to monitor their environmental impacts, and to find ways of reducing or even eliminating all harmful implications of their transactions. The ethical rationale has a firm linkage with business reasons for ISO 14000 certifications, as there are societal trends that it soon become a pre-requisite for continuing to be in business. Chapter 2 Review of Related Literature 2. 1 Introduction Business survival in today’s global economy is difficult at best. Today business’ look for advantage in every possible area and lean manufacturing programs like Six Sigma with its belts levels to parallel karate, Kaizen, 5S and many others have become not just popular but an integral part of maintaining and doing business. How does an Environmental Management System fit into the â€Å"Lean Culture† of business? That is the question that will be studied in this paper through the review of related literature, case studies, interviews, technical periodicals and Internet sources. An overview of lean manufacturing concepts will be given with the focus on integrating an E. M. S. into a companies existing lean program or as part of the implementation of a lean program. While other Environmental Management Systems will be referenced, I. S. O 14000 case studies and statistics will be used in this study. In the United States and the rest of the world I. S. O. 14000 is a recognized standard for Environmental Management Systems, much the same as ISO 9000 is for quality systems. The literature reviewed in this paper was selected for relevance to either a single topic, Lean Manufacturing, I. S. O. 14000 or the integration of the EMS into the lean manufacturing system and will be reviewed in that order. By the process of lean manufacturing, Toyota, the world greatest manufacturer, consistently makes the highest quality cars with the fewest defects of any competing manufacturer by using fewer man-hours, less on-hand inventory and half the floor space of its competitors.

Free Essays on Philosphy In Action

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. had an ultimate vision of the future. His philosophy in life was that all men are created equal and so all men should be treated equally just the same. That justice can and will be done. That all men are not filled with hate but can have compassion for their fellow human. His vision was for children of future generation not to know the hatred and the segregation of his time. He wanted for everyone to have the same freedoms and liberties. To be treated as equals, not as second class citizens. His ultimate goal is for everyone on Earth to walk side by side and not see each other as races or colors but as equal human beings. For hate to be non existent and for a unity in mankind. Dr. King strongly believed in non violent direct action to achieve his goals. He and his fellow activists would hold self purification workshops to help them deal with the anger of those who did not see his goals of equality. Dr. King would have marches and large gatherings of people to spread his message of peace. Occasionally minors laws where broken and he was put in jail but he still kept peaceful. He would write to politicians and other people of importance to spread his message, and to explain why his actions where and are completely necessary. He brought forth his message by speaking publicly, marching for miles at a time to unite those who where oppressed, and gathered forth a massive voice to speak up so the whole nation could here it.... Free Essays on Philosphy In Action Free Essays on Philosphy In Action Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. had an ultimate vision of the future. His philosophy in life was that all men are created equal and so all men should be treated equally just the same. That justice can and will be done. That all men are not filled with hate but can have compassion for their fellow human. His vision was for children of future generation not to know the hatred and the segregation of his time. He wanted for everyone to have the same freedoms and liberties. To be treated as equals, not as second class citizens. His ultimate goal is for everyone on Earth to walk side by side and not see each other as races or colors but as equal human beings. For hate to be non existent and for a unity in mankind. Dr. King strongly believed in non violent direct action to achieve his goals. He and his fellow activists would hold self purification workshops to help them deal with the anger of those who did not see his goals of equality. Dr. King would have marches and large gatherings of people to spread his message of peace. Occasionally minors laws where broken and he was put in jail but he still kept peaceful. He would write to politicians and other people of importance to spread his message, and to explain why his actions where and are completely necessary. He brought forth his message by speaking publicly, marching for miles at a time to unite those who where oppressed, and gathered forth a massive voice to speak up so the whole nation could here it....

Comparison of US Supreme Court Decisions

Comparison of US Supreme Court Decisions Introduction The purpose of this essay is to compare the various court decisions made by the Supreme Court before and after 1937. The United States Supreme Court is the highest federal court in the United States and it is charged with the mandate of deciding cases based on a majority vote by the various judiciaries who make up the court. The Supreme Court faced a re-organization in 1937 with the introduction of the Judiciary Reorganization Bill by President Franklin Roosevelt to add more court justices to the US Supreme Court and to also obtain more favourable rulings in court cases and decisions (Mckenna 413). As part of his election campaign, President Roosevelt launched his New Deal initiative that was meant to promote economic recovery within the United States following the Wall Street Crash in 1929 as well as the Great Depression in 1932. President Roosevelt introduced the Reorganization Bill to deal with discrepancies in court rulings that existed in the US Supreme Court (Epste in Thomas 451).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Comparison of US Supreme Court Decisions specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Case 1 In the analysis of court decisions made by the Supreme Court before 1937, a case that stands out is the Panama Refining Co. Vs Ryan which took place in 1935. The major contention in this case was the National Industrial Recovery Act where the US Congress gave authority to the President of the United States to prohibit the transportation of petroleum within and outside the country in the event the petrol was produced from storage and also to regulate the oil industry within the United States. However Panama Refining and Amazon Petroleum filed a law suit that was meant to stop the enforcement of the National industrial Recovery Act after it was passed by the US Congress granting the president the overall authority in the oil industry (Findlaw par.1). The case was taken to the Supreme Court who ruled in favour of Amazon Petroleum and Panama Refining. The court based its ruling on the fact that the US Congress had delegated a lot of authority and power to the President without providing any clear guidelines or statements as to how they reached their decision. Congress also failed to provide clearly established standards that would be used to empower the President under the NIRA act. This court ruling was seen to be a major blow to President Roosevelt’s New Deal initiative and he contested the Supreme Court’s decision by stating that the ruling had been made based on the narrowness of the court’s opinion as it did not deny Congress the authority to regulate the oil industry (Findlaw par.5). Case 2 In the case of Employers Reinsurance Corporation vs. Bryant-1937, a citizen of Texas had sued a corporate citizen in Missouri for the recovery of a sum of $3,000 that was meant for workmen’s compensation insurance. The defendant of the case caused th e suit to be removed because of the diverse citizenship of the various parties involved in law suit. The process was issued out of the Gregg County court and served upon an agent of the defendant on the Western District of Texas. The defendant challenged this move by stating that it was outside of the court’s territorial jurisdiction to move the law suit to another state. The plaintiff moved that the law suit should be remanded to the state court as the federal court was unable to obtain the personal jurisdiction of the defendant (Justia par.11).Advertising Looking for essay on common law? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The defendant of the case petitioned the Supreme Court begging them to vacate the order of the state court for the case to remain there. The Supreme Court took in the petition by ordering the state judge to show just cause why the requested writs of the case could not be issued. After an analy sis of the various facts of the case, the ruling of the Supreme Court was to deny the defendant a petition based on the grounds that the service of process against the defendant to remove cause to the federal court was invalid as the defendant declined to appear voluntarily before the court. The court also based its ruling on the fact that the defendant did not have an agent on which service could have been had with the Western Texas District where the law suit was pending (Justia par.17). Comparison of the Supreme Court’s Decision The ruling of the Supreme Court in the Employer’s Reinsurance Corporation vs Bryant demonstrates that the Supreme Court expanded its judicial reviews of court cases when compared to the first case. The court rejected the defendant’s appeal because the order made by the state court was done with the proper exercise of lawful authority which was suitable for the situation in which the decision was made. This court ruling demonstrated th at the Supreme Court exercised its rulings based on the various circumstances that existed in the court case. In the first case, the court’s ruling was based on US Congress acts and legislation which stipulated that the US Congress had supreme authority over the interstate oil commerce in the United States and the President therefore did not have the authority to regulate the oil industry. While this ruling was made in accordance with Congress legislation, it affected the new Deal initiative established by President Roosevelt to spur economic growth in the country (Brown 1942). The courts power based on the two cases has expanded as the US Congress continued to grant the Supreme Court more powers and authority that would ensure appropriate rulings in both the state and federal courts. The general view that has been held by the Supreme Court is in ensuring that there is an equitable distribution of justice and management of the country’s legal system through the three b ranches of government that include the President, the US Congress and judicial bodies which include the state and federal courts. The implementation of justice within the court is based on set out legislation and laws that are meant to govern the justice and legal system in the United States (Brown 1942).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Comparison of US Supreme Court Decisions specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Brown, Claude H. Some problems concerning motions under federal rule 12(b). Minnesota Law Review, 27(5), 1942-1943, 1943. Epstein, Lee, and Thomas, Walker. Constitutional Law for a Changing America: Institutional Powers and Constraints (6th Ed.). Washington, D.C.: CQ Press, 2007. Print. Findlaw. US Supreme Court: Panama Refining Co. Vs Ryan, 293 U.S. 388 (135). N.d. Web. https://caselaw.findlaw.com/us-supreme-court/293/388.html Justia. Employers reinsurance corporation vs. Bryant, 299, US 374(1937). N.d. Web. https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/299/374/ McKenna, Marian. Franklin Roosevelt and the Great Constitutional War: The Court-packing Crisis of 1937. New York: Fordham University Press, 2002. Print.

Women Are Less Engaged in Criminal Activity Than Men

Women Are Less Engaged in Criminal Activity Than Men On Crime: Women Take the High Road Historically Women Are Less Engaged in Crimes Who knows why people commit crimes – maybe because they think they can get away with it. Maybe they’re just desperate, hard up for money, or doing it for the sheer thrill of taking the risk. In any case, people commit crimes every day: an ex-con robbing a convenience store, a businessman giving a client a much-needed, doctor-prescribed painkiller. It’s so easy to commit a crime that they go unnoticed and often without consequence. And if you look at human nature, you see how most of the ruthless criminals of ancient history have mostly always been men. Sure there’s been some women, but women are just less engaged in criminal activity than men. It comes down to anatomy and psychology, parental instincts and statistics. Male and Female Brains Let’s look at brain development for more insight into this argument, that women are less engaged in criminal activity than men. It has been documented that female’s brains develop about an average two years earlier than male brains, so that means a male’s brain develops much later than the female’s brain. It is also common knowledge that the male brain is not fully developed until the age of 25, especially the prefrontal cortex of the brain responsible for impulse control and decision-making. Why is this important? Because it shows how men – especially young men – are more likely to make bad life decisions, ones that most certainly lead to, or involve crime, even if only petty crimes. This is certainly an indication of how women are less engaged in criminal activity than men. With this said, women are also more likely to experience, and pursue, their parental instincts when compared to men – especially young men, 18 to 25, the age when too many young men are arrested for committing various crimes – underage drinking, drinking, and driving, drug possession, assault and battery, etc.; though some of the men being convicted are of course innocent, a majority of them were involved in a crime or crimes. Females – well, teenage girls – reach puberty before males (adolescent boys) do, and females mature much faster than men. While young women are looking for life partners, creating a future, a family, and a life, men their age certainly are not. Young men in their late teens, early 20s, are drinking and driving, doing drugs, taking risks – and frequently break the law. They are not thinking of these things – life partners, their future. Some are, of course, but until they are in their mid-20s, the brains of males are not fully developed like females, which illustrates how males may be more likely to engage in criminal activity than females. Speaking Statistics All you have to do to see that women are less engaged in criminal activity than men is look at the numbers of inmates in the American prison system. A graph on prisonpolicy.org shows the American prison population by gender, â€Å"United States Incarceration Rates By Sex, 2010.† The graph shows the number of people incarcerated per 100,000 people of that sex; it shows 126 females to 1,352 males. If more men are serving time in a penitentiary than women, clearly this is an indication of how more men are engaging in criminal activity than women. In conclusion, women do less crime than men. Consider the evidence – it comes down to anatomy, biology, and psychology; then there’s instincts, sexual vs. parental; and top of that, there are the numbers: there are many more men in prison than women; so men are more likely to engage in criminal activity. Or consider this notion – what if women are just better at hiding their criminal activity than men? It’s a very objective question to consider, and it is always important to consider the alternate school of thought, the other side of things. After all, things aren’t so black and white, more of a gray color, when mixed together. Nonetheless, the evidence illustrates that men are more engaged than women, in criminal activity. This is a problem our society must face with objectivity and compassion. Why is this so? It doesn’t have to be this way, however. There is always a better way to reach and teach young males and get them to steer away from drugs, alcohol abuse – crimes, essentially. There is a problem if the men of your community are in jail and not at home or at work providing for their families.

Entrepreneurship Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Entrepreneurship - Case Study Example Donella Parker, Steve Allen and Reg Price though common in terms of leaving the same company because of their personal frustrations at work had diversified skills to manage the new venture i.e. R Cubed had different profiles in terms of contrasting backgrounds and expertise they brought to the business. Steve had sales and marketing background with analytical abilities and the administrative domain; Reg was a total marketer having relationship oriented skills; whereas, Donella's prime asset was her expertise in research and which was also backed by a considerable amount of experience both in terms of number of years she worked and the client base she had established. The three started of with the 35 old clients and as a part of the financial strategy did not opt for long term debt to leverage profits instead focused on utilizing the bank overdraft facility which they learned from their past experiences. The three divided the work according to the functional proficiency that each possessed. Initially they limited themselves to serving the needs of the business themselves rather than hiring a large amount of the work force because they knew the pressures of growth would lead them to another hassle rather than focusing on their customers' needs well. An important part of business planning was that it was relatively shorter term and was done every four months; a benefit of this type of approach was to focus on the quick changes that were occurring the environment and affecting the business in any of its development. The business was designed and structured to be as customer friendly as possible by making use of available technology by guiding clients, making use of visual summaries, reports etc. The processes employed are quite transparent and employees at all time are welcome to analyze the processes and point out employees' strengths and weaknesses, visit the website for any polls that reflect and critically evaluate the company and the employee potential. The company rewards its employees that are very much compatible with the industry benchmarks and provides them with bonus shares for their above par performance. The evaluation criteria is set on the basis of value addition the employee has made to the company and towards the serving of the customer needs. The company's organogram was structured to foster efficiency and a climate to motivate the people working. As the company moves forward and faces the compounding pressures of growth in size and the changes in the environment, it has to reconsider its strategic direction and align itself with the environment; move into new areas by market development like moving into Australian market and also focus on product development such as moving from tactical level research to helping organizations with their strategic planning also as a part of its growth strategy. Its not only the pressure of business but what matter is successful rebalancing of the family and the business life too. Case 2: Otila Williams: Positive Career Solutions Otila Williams is into the recruitment business which she set up because she was value driven and was motivated by the fact

Tax Refund for Nonresident Aliens Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Tax Refund for Nonresident Aliens - Case Study Example Very few are aware that they are overpaying the taxes. Credits and deductions that they are eligible for either under a bipartite international treaty or under US laws are not being properly utilized. The main reason is their limited understanding regarding US tax laws and secondly, many of them do not file the returns. No filing of the returns means no possibility of any refunds. The endeavour has been to understand these complexities, which has piled up unclaimed overpaid taxes with IRS. It would be appropriate to note that in view of the vastness of the subject effort has been put toward depicting the main issues in a generalized way rather than any specifics to the issue involved. Dates of Co-op Assignment: August 30 -December 9, 2010 On interaction with many non-resident aliens, I came to know that many of them were not very clear on the various tax-related matter, on personal income taxes. They belonged to the varied nationalities. They were not aware of some important US tax requirements. At times, they do not file tax returns or filed them incorrectly, which results in a lot of overpaid tax and the substantial amount goes unclaimed in the refund. †¢ Those people who have come under non-resident visa (J, F, Q or M category) in the US they are statutorily required to file a 1040NR Tax Return in physical form. These are known as US non-resident income tax return. They cannot file e-return or online returns. H1B visa falls in the category of non-immigrant visa. If H1B visa holder is recognized as Resident alien then he is required to file the tax return like any other US citizen, otherwise, they are required to file 1040NR tax return form only. It has been found that most nonresidents miss to file a return or file it incorrectly. It has been further noted that there is a large amount of unclaimed taxes by nonresidents who refrain from filing tax returns. They are under the impression that since the employer has withheld tax amount their obligations are over and they are not aware that they have paid more than what is required by the law.  Ã‚  

Criminal Justice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 9

Criminal Justice - Essay Example In the United States, the criminal justice provides justice to the people of this country. This is because the law is subjected equally to all people. The law is supreme, and people are required to exercise their rights in accordance with the law. The impartiality of the system makes it acceptable to the people of the United States. The justice system plays an imperative role in the American society (Barkan and Bryjak 9). However, just like many systems across the globe, the United States legal system has its strengths as well as weaknesses. This implies that, although the system offers justice to the public, there exist some faults that should be addressed. Justice is best served by the system in that the Supreme Court is independent from other arms of the government. For instance, the president may hold a particular opinion or even the Congress, but the interpretation of issues concerning the Constitution is left to the Supreme Court. The power given to this court ensures that justice is best served to the people of the United States without prejudices from other areas such as political issues (Barkan and Bryjak 11). Nevertheless, the system fails to provide justice in some cases. Economic biasness, racial bias, and over taxation are some of the weaknesses associated with the justice system. For instance, there are a number of life sentences that have been made by the court of law. However, only few are implemented. This raises concerns about how the selection is done. These issues taint the image of the justice

Protection of Mail-Order Brides Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Protection of Mail-Order Brides - Essay Example From this study it is clear that there has been an increase in the establishment of mechanisms through which mail-order brides can be protected from husbands who are abusive and fro other dehumanizing arrangements such as human trafficking. Nevertheless, after the mail-order brides enter into their new homes, most of the legal protections lose their impact as a result of the marriage’s private nature as a domestic realm and the inability of the brides to navigate the landscape of their new homes, which are mostly in foreign an unfamiliar countries. This study discusses that it is important to note that due to the increasing demand of the mail-order wife as a replacement for the local women who have developed a career culture and are deemed as less â€Å"family oriented†, mail-order bride websites have developed advertisement terms that meet the expectations of the subscribers (Kusel, 2014). Nevertheless, upon interaction with the foreign culture, after marriage, such women get oriented to the foreign culture and thus tend to develop contrasting views with those of their husband concerning gender roles. This is an aspect that leads to increased disagreements and subjects the women to the increased risk of domestic violence. In addition, most of the websites that advertise such women tend to use attractive pictures that portray them as sex commodities. This exposes such women to men who pose as husbands yet they end up enslaving them sexually and abusing them upon marriage. As such, it is clear that most of the women who p ursue a better life through seeking husbands via the mail-order bride sites are commoditized as sex toys and subjected to abuse amidst legislations that are aimed at protecting them. Various countries have developed legislation to protect mail-order brides and other immigrants who are at risk of exploitation.  

Accounting Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Accounting Report - Essay Example diversity, because of the fact that it is one of the few sectors which have remained resilient during financial downturns and because it plays a vital role in the communities for the provision of employment opportunities and as a result acts as a driving force necessary for social cohesion. Three companies are selected for the analyses which are J D Sport Fashion Plc., Sports Direct International Plc. and Next Plc. These companies are selected because they are three renowned players in this specific segment. J D Sports Fashion Plc. is a leading retail company based in England in the segment of sport retail. Next Plc. is a British clothing, home products and footwear retail company. It is the largest retailer of clothes in the United Kingdom as measured by sales. The company has more than 700 stores across the UK and 200 across other geographical locations in Asia. The stocks of the company are listed in the London Stock Exchange. Sports Direct International Plc. is also a giant sports retail company in the United Kingdom. It is a multinational retailer with over 500 stores across the globe. All the three companies also have their respective electronic commerce stores. The general information of the three companies is summarized in Table 1. This research is aimed at answering the question as to what is the situation of the external and internal retail industry of the United Kingdom. The research question is to be answered by considering three main retail companies operating in the country which are J D Sport Fashion PLC, Sports Direct International PLC and Next Plc. The aim of the research is to provide an analysis of the retail industry through the consideration of the various influential factors that are affecting the industry. This is done by using different management and analysis tools like the Porters five forces model, PEST analysis, Critical Success Factor (CSF) evaluation and financial analysis including financial and non financial ration

Money Management Midterm-1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Money Management Midterm-1 - Essay Example It is imperative to note that, the insurance companies are obliged to make regular and lifelong payments until the holder dies (Brealey & Myers, 1997). Consider the formula of calculating life annuity returns Payout= P*R*(1+R) exponent N/ (1+R) Whereby P is the principal, R interest rate and payout refers to the periodic payment. Take a percentage interest of 6% and use the annuity calculator for easy calculation. For a single life annuity, fixed amount to be paid is 3,333 per month. This adds up to EUR 39,996 annually. Therefore, annual periodic payment would be: A = EUR 39,996 Now I believe that I would need more money than EUR 39,996 annually. There would be different factors that would reduce the value of EUR 39,996 at that time like inflation. Therefore, when I retire and I think EUR 45,000 should be a valuable amount that I would need every year to spend my life happily. In order to have this amount every year, the interest rate should be 7% as calculated using Goal Seek option in Microsoft Excel. The life expectancy and retirement age considered in this context is 70 and 55 years respectively. PART II- SHARE ANALYSIS This part intends to examine and analyze two companies from the investment analysis. Various financial ratios will be applied to analyze the performances of the company. The implication created by the ratios will be used to recommend a suitable company for investors to invest. The two companies intended for analysis for this report are Lockheed Martin Corporation and Altera Corporation. Lockheed Martin Corporation Background information about the company Lockheed Martin is a global leader in providing aeronautics and defense security services. The company is the world’s largest federal contractor of the agency with unique product portfolio. Headquarter of the company is situated in Bethesda, Maryland in Washington Metropolitan Area. The company is present in more than 75 countries. The company has partnership with more than 300 indust ry players across the globe. It employs around 120,000 employees worldwide who include 80,000 scientists, engineers and IT professionals. This research establishes that, Lockheed reported $46.5 billion revenue in 2011 through its portfolio that includes aeronautics, electronics system, IT and global services, and space system. Net Income of the company is $2.65 billion in 2011. Presently, its share price is $93. Financial Ratios of Lockheed Martin Earnings per Share The Earnings per share shows how much return a shareholder is earning for each share (Friedlob and Plewa, 1996). The earnings per share of the Lockheed Martin were 7.81 in 2011. However, the average 3-year EPS growth rate of the stock is zero. Price Earnings Ratio Price Earnings ratio is the calculated by the following formula. Price earnings ratio = the market price per share/ annual earnings per share. A higher P/E of the stock implies that, investors are paying more for earning every dollar consequently; the share bec omes more expensive compared to the

Accounting Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Accounting Report - Essay Example diversity, because of the fact that it is one of the few sectors which have remained resilient during financial downturns and because it plays a vital role in the communities for the provision of employment opportunities and as a result acts as a driving force necessary for social cohesion. Three companies are selected for the analyses which are J D Sport Fashion Plc., Sports Direct International Plc. and Next Plc. These companies are selected because they are three renowned players in this specific segment. J D Sports Fashion Plc. is a leading retail company based in England in the segment of sport retail. Next Plc. is a British clothing, home products and footwear retail company. It is the largest retailer of clothes in the United Kingdom as measured by sales. The company has more than 700 stores across the UK and 200 across other geographical locations in Asia. The stocks of the company are listed in the London Stock Exchange. Sports Direct International Plc. is also a giant sports retail company in the United Kingdom. It is a multinational retailer with over 500 stores across the globe. All the three companies also have their respective electronic commerce stores. The general information of the three companies is summarized in Table 1. This research is aimed at answering the question as to what is the situation of the external and internal retail industry of the United Kingdom. The research question is to be answered by considering three main retail companies operating in the country which are J D Sport Fashion PLC, Sports Direct International PLC and Next Plc. The aim of the research is to provide an analysis of the retail industry through the consideration of the various influential factors that are affecting the industry. This is done by using different management and analysis tools like the Porters five forces model, PEST analysis, Critical Success Factor (CSF) evaluation and financial analysis including financial and non financial ration

Modernization of NTUC Income Essay Example for Free

Modernization of NTUC Income Essay 1.)  WHAT WERE THE PROBLEMS FACED BY INCOME IN THIS CASE? HOW WERE THE PROBLEMS SOLVED BY THENEW DIGITAL SYSTEM? Income ·s insurance processes were very tedious and paper-based. This resulted to humongousIncome also experienced frequent breakdown of the HP 3000 mainframe which hosted the coreinsurance applications and the accounting and management information systems. In addition tothis, HP 3000 back-up system only allowed restoration to the previous day ·s back-up data.Hardware failures caused six days of complete downtime. COBOL programs also encounteredfrequent breakdowns that halted the systems and caused temporary interruptions. At the sametime, development of new products using the COBOL is quite cumbersome and took weeks, evenmonths, to accomplish. They also lost opportunities to cross-sell because transaction processingfor policy underwriting was still a batch process and information is not available to agents andadvisors in real-time. Through the new digital systems, these problems were addressed. The paper-based insurance processes were replaced by a paperless platform. Under the new system, alldocuments are scanned and stored on  ´trusted µ storage devices. Frequent breakdowns wereaddressed by the high-availability platform. Multiple servers are hosted and connected to morecommunication lines that are  ´load balanced µ. The new system also addressed downtimes dueto breakdowns by its hot back-up disaster-recovery centers. The new digital system alsoaddressed the slow development of new products by COBOL through the straight throughprocessing workflow capabilities of the new system. 2.) WHAT TYPES OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS AND BUSINESS PROCESSES WERE USED BY INCOME BEFORE MIGRATINGTO THE FULLY DIGITAL SYSTEM? The insurance process of Income was very manual and paper/file intensive. Filled-up applicationforms of clients were sent by agents through courier. Their collection schedule causes delays oftwo to three days. The Office Services log, sort, and send documents to underwriting. Proposalswere allocated to staff randomly. No system was in place for proper assignment of tasks per staff.Voluminous documents are manually sorted and stored by a number of staff at their warehouse.Since there was no clear document management system, retrieval of documents take days toaccomplish. Income also made use of HP 3000 mainframes which were very unreliable due tofrequent breakdowns that resulted to downtime, decreased productivity and wasted manpower hours. COBOL programs were also used which also encountered technical failures. At the sametime, COBOL programs were very slow in developing new products for the company resulting tolost sale opportunities. 3.) DESCRIBE THE INFORMATION SYSTEMS AND IT INFRASTRUCTURE AT INCOME AFTER MIGRATING TO THE FULLY DIGITALSYSTEM. According to James Kang, CIO of Income, the Java based eBao LifeSystem from eBaoTechnology is very customer-centric. It provided seamless integration with imaging and bar codetechnology. It also contains a product definition module that supports new products, newchannels and changes in business process. Data migration of Income ·s individual and groupbusinesses was successfully implemented and customized. The new system was operational onhigh-quality platform with multiple servers and communication lines. The new system alsorevamped business continuity and the company ·s disaster recovery plan. A real-time hot back-updisaster recovery center was implemented. Business processes went from paper intensive to  paperless through digital storage and records. Many users can access the system at one time,any time, and anywhere. 4.) WHAT BENEFITS DID INCOME REAP FROM THE NEW SYSTEM? The robust architecture of the servers minimized downtime occurrence. This is made possible withthe use of two or more servers connected by two or more communication lines. Income alsoreduced and eventually eliminated the use of paper. Under the new system, all documents werescanned and stored on  ´trusted µ storage devices  ² secured, reliable digital vaults that enabledstrict compliance with stringent statutory requirements. Staff members also enjoyed faster accessto information. With the use of the straight through processing workflow capabilities of the newsystem, Income saved as much as 50 percent on time and costs in processing policies. Time indesigning and launching new products were also reduced from weeks to days using the table-driven-rule-based product-definition module. 5.) HOW WELL IS INCOME PREPARED FOR THE FUTURE? ARE THE PROBLEMS DESCRIBED IN THE CASE LIKELY TO BEREPEATED? In the insurance industry, information systems are very important in ensuring product and services ·competitiveness. Customer queries should be addressed accurately and promptly. Productsshould be constantly improved and new designs should always be made available. With the newinformation system, Income is now equipped to face the challenges of the industry. To ensure thesuccess of the new system, proper implementation and control should be done. Continuoustraining should be given to the staff to ensure proper use of the system and to maximize thepotential of the system. The system should also be continuously improved through the proper management of feedback from  users. Upgrades should also be done periodically to cope withthe changes in the demand of the industry and the market.