Taxes or tariffs on imports in Saudi Arabia Essay

Taxes or tariffs on imports in Saudi Arabia - Essay Example However, Saudi Arabia imposes 5 percent duty of customs upon majority of imports that are dutiable. Although 5 percent customs duty is charged on majority of dutiable goods, certain imports attract a higher duty of 12 percent ad valorem on cost, insurance and freight value commonly known as C.I.F while other imported commodities are charged 20 percent customs duty so as to protect the national infant industries. Commodities covered by customs duties of 20 percent include; Bottles and flasks, Ice cream without cocoa, Chocolates, Chewing gum, Aluminium barrels and cans among others. This is among the government’s undertakings to ensure growth of industries in this nation of Saudi Arabia. (www.the-saudi.net) Contractors in Saudi Arabia are required to purchase materials and equipments locally but if the materials are not available then they can import from foreign countries at zero to 4 percent tariff rates. Tobacco is charged the highest rate duty of 1 percent. This high duty is meant for discouraging its smoking and other ways of consumption in the nation since it is harmful to humans. It is therefore evident that the government of Saudi Arabia has, to a great extent, used tariffs and taxes on imports as a control measure in the country. In addition to the above taxes, 5 percent common external tariff which was established by the gulf cooperation council (GCC) forms part of tariffs charged in Saudi Arabia. GCC is formed by six states in membership which are Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Oman and Qatar. All imports coming from GCC’s states are usually exempt from any duties. Originality of these goods requires that 40 percent of value be added internally. In addition, special concessions are given to members of the Arab league since they are happen to be signatories to the agreement that is meant to facilitate trade as well as exchange and also to organize transit of commodities between the Arab league states. Further duty red uctions are given on commodity imports from the Arab states which have entered bilateral agreements with this nation of Saudi Arabia. It is worth noting that only a few items have their customs duties calculated based on metric weight and capacity as opposed to ad valorem. However, the rates for such limited commodities are relatively low. (www.cgijeddah.com) SYSTEM USED The Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System (HS) of the international Brussels agreement of 14 June 1983 have been in use in Saudi Arabia since 1991. This system came into being after authorization by the Royal Decree Number M/56 and that is dated 19/10/1407 H., and it was ordered to be put into function by the Minister for Finance and national Economy in Order No. 3/1805 dated 19/10/1410 H. This is the main system used by the customs department of Saudi Arabia In determining the rates of taxes applicable to different imported commodities. It gives provisions of classification for entirely every commodity that has a possibly of being imported. (www.the-saudi.net) SAUDI ARABIA’S ECONOMY. Saudi Arabia, being an oil rich kingdom has one of the most vibrant economies in the Gulf region. Buoyed by clear focus on economic diversification and record oil prices, the kingdom of Saudi represents exciting

British Airways Flying into a Storm Essay Example for Free

British Airways Flying into a Storm Essay Introduction 3 1. A brand new company management 4 1.1- Major evolutions in the corporate strategy 4 a) Several breaking points in the policy statement 4 b) Actions implemented 5 1.2- A less people-oriented leadership 7 a) Before Ayling: a severe but participative management 7 b) After Aylings coming: a management centred on administrative and financial objectives 7 2. A failure due to the negligence of three key factors: culture, leadership and structure 9 2.1- An unsuitable management to BAs culture and identity 9 2.2- Bob Ayling : an ambitious but self-centred leader 11 2.3- A structure which does not square enough with the company 12 3. What should be Eddingtons main concerns for the future? 14 3.1- Increase the level of service thanks to structure and culture 14 3.2- Maintain and improve internal cohesion through a better communication 15 3.3- Go on improving rentability through organization and new values 15 Conclusion 16 Introduction London, March 2000. The reign of Bob Ayling as chief executive of the airline British Airways (BA) is over. The crisis reflects the economic difficulties the company has been experiencing for the last three years. In order to set the outlines of our study, let us define in a few words BAs field of activity. As airline, BAs basic function is to carry passengers. This is a customer service industry, which implies that BA also supplies in-flight services/products (various cabin classes, meal supplies, entertainment facilities) and out-flight-services (luggage retrieval, e-sale of tickets). This field of activity is characterized by a tough concurrence, a real sensitivity to economic cycles, thin margins available as well as increasingly demanding clients. In such a context, Bob Ayling didnt manage to reach his strategic objectives. As one of Aylings predecessors puts it: the airlines strategy remained the right one but Mr Ayling was the wrong man to execute it. This comes down to say that Ayling did not implement the strategy the right way. To which extent do we agree with this statement? We will first examine the major changes that were operated in BAs strategy with Ayling. Then we will try to understand why he didnt manage to implement completely his strategy and thus why he didnt target his objectives. To end with, we will look into what Rod Eddington should do after Bob Aylings dismissal to implement the strategy of the company. 1. A brand new company management 1.1- Major evolutions in the corporate strategy a) Several breaking points in the policy statement Since Sir John King came over BA in 1981, strategic speeches followed each other, translating the leader priorities in a given environment. Nevertheless, we can easily notice a change in communication of the corporate strategy with Aylings arrival. At the beginning of the 1980s, Lord Kings first preoccupation was to make as long as he could BA a customer service oriented company, with high standards of quality. He had to take the company out of its public sector approach. All along his reign as the companys leader, and later within Lord Marshall too, the policy statement kept a focus on the customers without changing the priorities for 15 years. During Bob Aylings four years mandate as chief executive, yet really shorter than his predecessors, we can distinguish three very different phases in the announced strategic choices. Read more:  Swot Analysis of British Airways His first concern when he came to power in 1996 was to make costs cuts. He introduced the Business Efficiency Programme in 1996, requiring the company to take heavy structural decisions that were -according to him- vital to ensure BA competitiveness for the future. Costs reduction has always been a concern for BAs managers, but to put it on the top of the agenda was a new kind of strategic vision. After that one-year quite painful period, he decided the company had to combine customer service excellence with cost competitiveness, with a target of doubling its operating margin during the next five years. This mix policy included concentrating on four key issues: * Customers, by providing the highest levels of service and innovative products * People, with an ambitious target: becoming the best managed company in the UK * Costs efficiency, by keeping a high level of profitability * New alliances (particularly with American Airlines), by using the potential of a global airline industry. This policy had the disadvantage to divide the attention on several problems in opposition to King and Marshall management that kept focused on one main objective. Soon after, Bob Ayling was confronted to a phenomenon of large strikes, and he decided to put people back on BA top agenda. His predecessors used human resources as a means to achieve their target of a high customer service but Bob Ayling was obliged to take it as a whole stake. Finally, we can observe that Bob Aylings policy statement changed quite often under the pressure of the environment; such a thing had never happened for the 15 years before his arrival. b) Actions implemented Audacious actions to assert BA as a leader Soon after he had been nominated chief executive, Bob Ayling started to implement a large panel of audacious actions to assert BA as a world leader company. First of all, he dared to cut the top executive team from 25 to 14, to improve its efficiency and limit its cost. One of his first concerns was an alliance with American Airlines, to ensure the two companies to control 60 % of flights between the UK and the US, the worlds most lucrative airlines routes. In 1997, he decided to make an identity change because the airline, carrying 60% of foreign passengers, had to show off as a citizen of the world rather than a national company. The challenge of the new visual identity consisted in weakening the British nature of the company and modernising it. He chose 50 ethnic designs from artists across the world. Bob Ayling also decided the acquisition of 43 new aircrafts, as well as the building of a new head office. In 1998, to face the emergence of low costs airlines and the increased competition on short haul routes, Bob Ayling decided to launch Go, its own budget airline. Later in 1999, he innovated again with the concept of the Lounges in the sky, a high-standard new service, and some investment in e-commerce. Whatever are the results, we must concede that Bob Ayling did a lot on a short period to put BA as a world leader. An anticipative approach of cost competitiveness Cost cut is a very unpopular practice. Consequently, managers usually do it only when it becomes an emergency. Bob Ayling did not take it like that. He anticipated the future and he kept an unwavering stance to impose the BEP measures while a record profit was announced for the year: he sold sensible activities, relocated the accounting department He asked for volunteers to leave the firm not because he could not afford to pay them, but to replace them with flexible people having more appropriate skills. At last he decided to concentrate BA strategy on high margins activities, and implemented a rationalisation program, paring down unprofitable routes and cutting excess capacity. This anticipative approach triggered the admiration of financial analysts, but the consequences inside the company were not so positive. A changing concern on HR Unlike his predecessors, he did not invest a lot in human resources programs at the beginning of his mandate as far as he was too much involved in cost competitiveness. Eventually, people were affected by this low concern on them. The consequences were a decrease in the customer service level, and a strong mobilisation for a strike. After those events, Bob Ayling was strained to re-involve the company in people matters. He promoted an intensive drive to lift staff morale, actions to involve people in the company. He even decided, as a pendant to the construction of the head office, to build a hotel in Heathrow just for the staff. Bob Ayling set up many changes in the corporate strategy, but let us now see how his management style was different from his predecessors. 1.2- A less people-oriented leadership a) Before Ayling: a severe but participative management Lord King decided to restart from scratch in 1981, when he became the chief executive of BA, and he transformed the airline with Lord Marshall in fifteen years into one of the best carriers in the world. The two leaders helped their employees to turn the corner of privatisation in 1987; they achieved to manage the change slowly. They started to instil a customer service culture into the staff with two large training programs, and always involved their people in the improvement of the airline. Those participative management methods made people proud to work for BA. Thus, Lord Marshall created a new human resources system, a kind of competency-based management, built on the promotion for the best employees. Therefore, they had a real willing to do always better, and their chief executive progressively replaced the State as a strict but kindly father in their collective mind. Lord King and Lord Marshall always did what they said; they were regarded as strong leaders, but they knew how to inspire the whole staff with confidence and how to command their respect. With that support they could explain that drastic maybe painful measures were the only means to improve BAs results and reputation. b) After Aylings coming: a management centred on administrative and financial objectives Everyone expected Robert Ayling to follow the footsteps of his predecessors. However, just before his taking over as chief executive, he clearly announced he would throw off for all time the attributes and attitudes of public sector. That simple first sentence is the symbol of the big change in BAs management in 1996: Bob Ayling thought that people were ready to accept all the constraints of a private company, in terms of adaptability and competitiveness. First we can notice that Bob Ayling didnt take so many precautions in his declarations: for example he directly announced in September 1996 that BA would replace 5000 employees by new recruits, supposed to be more efficient and flexible. He thought that internal training was not enough; competences were out of the firm. Eventually some people felt afraid by this new vision. Then, Bob Ayling decided an unexpected relooking of the aircrafts. That was an important symbol of what he intended to do: make BA forget its British identity, to become an international carrier. At the same time, one of the parts of Aylings Business Efficiency Plan concerned the freezing of wages. As he took that kind of decisions without consulting the employees and their unions, cabin staff, which had the habit of being well treated, felt deceived and went on strike. During his reign, Bob Ayling was the only leader, he was supposed to have the right solutions, he looked forward and his employees had to follow. He did not listen to them and seemed to believe that nobody could understand his long-term vision anyway. This new leadership did not include the human resources and the culture in the decisions; it was an economic management. These major changes in BAs management had unexpected impacts ; let us explain the reasons of Aylings failure. 2. A failure due to the negligence of three key factors: culture, leadership and structure 2.1- An unsuitable management to BAs culture and identity There is no denying that culture is often neglected in the field of firms and business in general. However, culture has to be considered as a real success key in so far as people need to feel all right and involved to be efficient. If the gap between the firms culture (that is to say employees culture) and the top-managers vision is too deep, it leads to huge damages for either the firm, managers and employees as we are going to discover it in the case of BA. In the mid 1980s, BA was considered as a state-owned company with a dire reputation for customer service. Aylings two predecessors succeeded in turning it into a high-quality and cost-efficient company, voted from 1989 to 1996 worlds best airline in the independent Business Traveller survey (voted airline to be avoided at all costs in 1980). Focusing on marketing and innovation / technology, both King and Marshall still put emphasis on human resources. They took care of people in the first place, involving and training employees (Putting People First and Managing People First), encouraging brains trusts and putting customers first. People were of course aware of that attention and were confident, loyal and devoted. In 1996, Bob Ayling stepped up as chief executive with challenging and radical changes in mind. The sentence mentioned above he pronounced in one of his first speeches meant that the very first thing Ayling did was to attack the firm culture and identity, thus disturbing and chocking people unwillingly. In June 1997, Ayling praised a striking new visual identity supposed to be based on market research but that generated emotionally charged controversy. The change was radical; symbols were simply scrapped (new design, new colours, new motto, denial of the psychological national belonging) as if it was possible to start from scratch with new company identity and culture. As strikes immediately showed it, BAs culture was still one of a public sector company. Instead of trying to negotiate, Ayling harshly condemned strikers without taking in account this public sector company background. In spite of Aylings desire to eradicate Britishness from BA, employees and people in general (customers, the press, Margaret Thatcher) were not ready to accept it. Strikes were also the result of incomprehension from employees: were the new salary scheme (part and parcel of the efforts to reduce area costs) and the à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½60 million identity change coherent? Was it possible for employees to stay motivated and involved in BA under those conditions? Furthermore, 160 planes stayed with the Union flag instead of the new design in 1999 because BA lacked time to repaint it. The identity change was as a consequence first of all badly accepted and in addition badly implemented. However, Ayling began to understand after the strikes the high necessity of human resources as part of cultural background in a customer-facing business. He launched a campaign to raise staff moral in October 1997 and started to think about focusing on people on the front-line through interviews and speeches praising communication between management and staff. He built a hotel and developed a new concept for BAs headquarter (no permanent desk-space). Again, in 1999, an opinion survey was sent to all employees, results were alarming, and Ayling introduced training and motivational programmes. We can not say if the improvement of BAs results in 1999-2000 was linked to those efforts from Ayling concerning people but there is no denying that it was a little late anyway People had indeed a hard time with him, describing his management as a macho-management thats destroying peoples feeling for the airline, threatening and intimidating. His vision of change was so ambitious (doing better and better, never enough for him) that he broke the firm culture and identity, introducing fear into staffs feelings and breaking confidence that staff had always shown to management, in cutting jobs and financial bonus with no evident reason (for employees) or restructuring top-management. He questioned and modified too much symbols, values, norms, he disturbed employees in destroying their marks. Ayling justified himself in saying that he had a long-term vision and staff a day-to-day one, but he should at least have better explained and communicated around his decisions. It is however striking and surprising to notice that BAs culture and identity was about the same from BAs beginning to the start of Bob Aylings reign. Privatisation, higher competitiveness, globalisation do not seem to have modified anything. This can also explain why the gap between BAs culture and what Ayling wanted was so deep. His new identity implementation may not have been irrelevant but just inadequate. 2.2- Bob Ayling : an ambitious but self-centred leader Lord Marshall explained in March 2000 that the airlines strategy remained the right one but that Mr Ayling was the wrong man to execute it. We are going to study why below. Bob Ayling first dealt with BA in the early 1980s. He began working for the firm in 1985 as legal director, became group managing director in 1993 and chief executive in January 1996. He was well-waited and had a rather good reputation. Following King and Marshall was quite challenging but he seemed to have strengths on his own such as strategic understanding, sharp mind, diplomatic skills or legal training. However, his first official act was to slim down the companys top executive team of 25 to 14. Again, in September 1999 this executive team was reduced from 14 to 6. Those measures were aimed at getting to a degree of unanimity quite fast. It can also be noticed that at the end of Aylings reign, there is no realistic successor to him. Those two facts mean above all in our mind that Ayling can be considered as a narcissistic and authoritarian leader who wants to keep as much power and decisions liberty as possible. It seems that he does and decides what he wants to without really thinking of all it involves and implies. As a consequence, he needs to change his mind often, and he forgets to focus on important things, he is distracted from the real job of keeping passengers on seats (his attention is for example consumed by trips between the UK, Europe and America to settle an alliance with American Airlines) which is not a good thing at all for his credibility. His credibility seems also to be affected by the gap between his speeches and his actions. He described for example his second objective for BA as improving customer service in a more demanding environment. Few months after this announcement, the Marketplace Performance Unit (responsible for generating information on customer preferences and perceptions) was scrapped. In 1997, a task group was created and responsible for missions including that of getting the basics of customer service right; but basics are supposed to be mastered if customer service belongs to the four main objectives specified one year ago. The same illogical thing can be noticed concerning putting people first or not. Ayling pretends to put people first and a little bit later states he is going to put people first now. His credibility can also be damaged when he promises staff, concerning the value of their BAs share, we are never going back to that price again and when three months later the share loses 14p. He should not make promises on something he does not master. A leader needs of course to make decisions but needs also to listen to people and especially staff. Ayling thinks he takes employees in account in building a new hotel, create an open concept in the new headquarter but is it really what employees want and need? Several opinion surveys are mentioned but analysis or corrective measures do not seem to be done and taken, which means that those surveys did not match their targets and resulted in losing time, money, frustrating staff and enabling managers to have good conscience. Ayling also wants people to do exactly what he wants them to: People have got to be theyve got to do. Often worn thin, revealing an intensely ambitious and stubborn individual who is only happy when he gets his way. He is excessively exigent maybe with himself but also with others, he seems to be never satisfied and demands a constant improvement. Even when a good news is announced (BA: second most admired company in Europe according to the Financial Time for example), Aylings ambition looms (he asks on the same days 5000 volunteers to leave the company), which reveals a huge lack of diplomatic skills. As a conclusion, we could say that Bob Ayling did not take enough people in account and that his vision was blurred by his ambition. 2.3- A structure which does not square enough with the company Firstly, actions on BAs structure did not correspond to Aylings strategy. Indeed, the second objective of Ayling for building on BAs existing success was to improve customer service. However, his actions on the structure did not match with this objective. For example, Ayling sold BAs in-flight catering operations, BAs ground fleet services, which were both significant aspects of BA customer service. By selling them, Ayling loosed any possibility of controlling the quality of this customer services. It was only after the strike of June 1997 that Ayling decided to set up a task force to ensure the airline gets the basics of customer service right. The words used clearly reflect a discrepancy with the initial objective. Thus, it appears that the structure did not emphasis enough the necessary development of customer service. Secondly, BAs structure did not favour employees effectiveness and involvement. As we already pointed it, BAs staff morale was at a time low. Employees needed to be motivated, to identify themselves to the company. The typically centralized structure of BA (the tasks of BAs board were not divided into many units) did not foster employees motivation and employees feeling of identification to the firm. Consequently, the structure did not seem adapted to BAs culture. In the same way, the centralized structure of BA did not square with environment and activitys field: environment is characterized with an extreme sensitivity of airlines to economic cycles, which requires the necessity of reducing any risks the company could run, as well as a certain reactivity of the companies of this field. More and more demanding clients characterize the field of activity, what requires a non-negligible adaptability of the company to the market. In that context, BAs centralized structure did not facilitate the reduction of risks (compared to a more decentralized structure) and did not enable a great adaptability to the market. For these reasons, the structure did not match with the environment. Having analysed the reasons of Aylings management failure, we will now consider how Eddington should manage BA internal factors to implement the strategy. 3. What should be Eddingtons main concerns for the future? It seems that Bob Ayling often tried to reach many objectives, which were not completely compatible. For example, he could not at the same time improve the level of service and constantly reduce costs. Now that he is gone, his successor has to focus on his strategy and on a few objectives, so that he can reach all of them before defining new ones. That means he probably will have to define some priorities between all his targets. He will also have to make sure they really are well matched so that they do not cancel each other. Rod Eddington claims that he wants to concentrate on people in the front-line, and to work hard with each level of responsibility. He seems to be conscious that an airline is a very particular type of company, where quality of customer service is decisive. Let us see how he can work and which tools he can use to meet his objectives. 3.1- Increase the level of service thanks to structure and culture Improving quality of service means two things: employing an obliging staff and making new fitting-outs in aircrafts. To achieve a high level of service, BA can use two main tools: First of all, he can act on structure and organisation. BA could create for instance a marketing department, which could play two roles: studying clients satisfaction and dealing with complains; and searching far in amount the likings of the customers to offer them what they expect. Thus, they will feel they really are BAs priority. Then, company culture could also help reaching objectives. If managers constantly praised the idea of the client king, everyone and especially front-line employees will take as an evidence that clients must be treated as stars. BA could also set up training programs so that everyone has the skills to deal with customers: for instance languages trainings for front-line employees who have to be able to answer any question asked by a client, wherever he may come from. 3.2- Maintain and improve internal cohesion through a better communication As Human Resources represent a precious asset for a company providing services, and especially for airlines for which the prestation is barely differentiating, BAs managers have decided to focus on their staff. Therefore, they will have to enhance internal cohesion, thanks to structure. Indeed, an internal communication department could be created in order to update and communicate to everyone decisions taken by the CEO and the executive committee. Thus, employees would maybe understand more easily where the company is going and would certainly feel more concerned with the objectives. We can not reach objectives that we are not aware of. Then BAs managers could use their speeches as a means to reach their objectives. If they let know while officially speaking (annual report, to journalists or directly to staff during trainings periods for example) that staffs well-being is on top of agenda, and if they prove to be themselves coherent in doing exactly what they promise, then they will probably enter a new era of social relationships. 3.3- Go on improving rentability through organization and new values Since BA has to preserve its margins, it will have to go on saving money. But as one of Bob Aylings former co-worker explains, all the easy savings are already achieved at the beginning of the year 2000: it means that there are not many possibilities to cut purely costs any more. Thus, the challenge consists in finding new ways of saving money that would not injure service quality. Here again, structure can be used: a new service could be created, that would immediately adapt tickets prices to demand: if many seats have been sold for a flight, then prices should maybe increase. However, if a little part of available seats has been sold, then the prices should decrease until all seats are sold. Such an initiative would avoid half-empty flights, and would eventually lead to savings. Then a work could be done on internal culture: an economy-awareness could be implemented, encouraging everyone in the company to make savings. For instance, managers could show the example in booking middle-class hotels instead of four-stars ones when they have to travel. At last, BA could go on focusing on rentable activities, providing higher margins, as for instance North Routes and First Class flights. Conclusion British Airways needed a charismatic leader; Bob Ayling was just an economic manager. He overestimated the ability of his people to change the way they considered their company and their implication in its evolution. Although he had got indisputable skills to deal with external constraints and to anticipate the environment evolutions, he forgot to take in account the importance of internal factors, such as the firm history and what it involved. Rod Eddingtons first reaction as he came over was to express his respect and his will to make BAs employees happy. It is very likely that the new chief executive had drawn the lessons of his predecessors experience, and that he wanted to start from new bases. Maybe he is the right man for the job

What Are you Really Learning at School?

What Are you Really Learning at School? What Are You Really Learning at School? You sit in math class while the teacher drone on about basic math such as how to add, subtract, divide, and multiply. You think to yourself, Why I am still learning this, I learned this like in elementary school? Youre afraid raised your hand knowing what the other kids will say, Whyd you have run your mouth, we could of being doing the easy stuff instead of this hard math. I actually could have passed math for once in my life since elementary school. You as this unpopular person sure doesnt want to get more unpopular than you were before. Instead, you sit back listen to sounds of kids rustling their notebook paper or homework to form spitballs to shoot at peoples heads or the endless beeps of text messages being sent to each other or the mini screams of girls after they receive a request for prom date. Parents wonder why their childrens report card is so amiss and unacceptable when they receive them but parents really dont know what teachers are teaching their children in school and something needs to be done about it and change for once and for all. Many reasons lead up to what are we really learning in school such as unacceptable scores on MSA and HSA, not enough skills to succeed, and not being able to use their own imagination. When parents receive the childs MSA or HSA report, the results are shocking. Children come to their parents with scores of low average and average but on their regular school tests, they would get above 90% never below 80%. Scores taken from elementary schools since the MSA have plummet, The Baltimore Sun states, The percentage of third-graders at the school who passed the state reading test plummeted from 100 last year to 50 this year. The percentage of fourth-graders reading at proficient or advanced levels dropped nearly 43 points, from 100 percent to 57 percent. Fourth-grade pass rates in math fell from 100 percent to 68 percent, and fifth-graders pass rates in reading dropped from 100 percent to 80 percent at Abbottston Elementary. From Abbottston Elementary School in Baltimore City, MD to Baltimore Liberation Diploma Plus High School, MSA and HSA test scores have dropped leaving other schools ahead of them and putting them behind in the dust. In this particular elementary schoo l, scores were higher last year than this year, their schools scores overall decline more than 50% . Which means what are those teachers teaching that made those children do worse than before. Or maybe teachers had the books altered last year to cheat for the students because they knew their students werent prepared. Now, this year maybe they decided forgot the cheating part because they knew they would eventually get caught and probably prayed that their students would be able to pass with the same high standards. But they didnt happen so, the school is now under speculation. First of all, The Baltimore Sun also states, Baltimore City schools results on this years Maryland School Assessment tests are a terrible disappointment. Although the overall declines in reading (3.3 percentage points) and math (4.9 percentage points) are not catastrophic, the results from individual schools paint a more troubling picture. Of the 50 schools that showed the largest combined drops on math and re ading scores since 2010, 45 were in Baltimore, including 19 of the bottom 20 and all of the bottom 10.† Reading averages and math averages are decreasing steadily unlikely in smarter schools but what are the teachers teaching that’s making test scores drop. Parents, have you checked your child’s regular school tests coming home, aren’t they passing with high B’s and A’s but now, you receive your child’s MSA scores. They unacceptably low actually below average especially in reading and math. You think what are these so called teachers teaching my child. If they are pass in regular grades, why couldn’t they pass this MSA? Are the teachers making test easier for their job or what? Maybe they just do it for the money or is the principal checking up on their students and teachers’ progress making sure no one is slacking? Do you seem to find that your child or now full-grown teenager doesnt have the right skills to help them succeed in life to able them to get a high-paying job? Do they find themselves working a local store as bagger not as a manager? Well, not having the right skills to succeed in life being taught in school is a problem too. teachers don’t understand what a child goes through or doesnt understand. In an article called, Cultural Diversity and Academic Achievement†, The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NEAP) reported that, â€Å"Students from low socioeconomic backgrounds and many children of color consistently achieve below the national average in mathematics and language skills, with the gap widening as children continue through their school years.† Teachers aren’t focusing on that one child that needs help, they’re too worried about how they class is going to react to something. Studies show that, â€Å"1 out of 10 children are afraid to raise their hand, ask questions, and seek help because they’re afraid of what they’re classmates will say.† It’s not always the child’s fault either because if a teacher sees a child failing, they need to help by being more encouraging. This one of skills that needs to be successful in life, other skills are leadership, honesty, imaginative, and trust. Secondly, a psychologist, Jean Piaget did research about child development said, â€Å"Over the past half-century, child development research has provided an increasingly comprehensive knowledge base to explain how young children acquire skills and knowledge and define the environmental supports needed to stimulate and sustain development.† Schools have ignored or rejected different cultural expressions of development that are normal and adequate and on which school skills and knowledge can be built. Consequently, children from poor families have been judged to be inadequate because they do not already know nor do they easily learn the school curriculum. . The world needs more and more compassionate creativity to solve difficult problems confronting us. Creative students do not have answers, but they habitually question the status quo and think about alternatives and improvements. They discover and invent possible answers. A Doctor of Education, Marvin Bartel Ed.D.speaks out and says, â€Å"As teachers, we are often partly to blame for the diminished inclination to be creative as children become socialized and aware of their own limitations.† In creative teaching, assignment limitations can provide a way to change the students habits of work. However, the student needs to be given autonomy to make choices about what seems important. Otherwise, the motivation to be creative is lost. Third and most final, Marvin Bartel Ed.D. also says, â€Å"Teachers abandon their imaginative and creative curiosity about life in favor of a more secure, but imposed and programmed kind of thinking habits.† The accept answers from the Interne t as correct (without enough thought). When this happens we miss many good ideas as well as risk injustice by manipulation. You sit in math class while the teacher drone on about basic math such as how to add, subtract, divide, and multiply. You think to yourself, Why I am still learning this, I learned this like in elementary school? Youre afraid raised your hand knowing what the other kids will say, Whyd you have run your mouth, we could of being doing the easy stuff instead of this hard math. I actually could have passed math for once in my life since elementary school. Some child development experts are concerned that schools today are unacceptable scores on MSA and HSA, aren’t teaching kids the skills they need to succeed, not being able to use their own imagination.A culture of testing, they say, is inhibiting the development of â€Å"life skills.† Curricular content aside, what do you think you are really learning at school? Are you developing skills that will carry you through life.

The Selfishness of Oedipus in Oedipus the King :: Oedipus Rex, Sophocles

"Selfishness is the greatest curse of the human race,† as quoted by William E. Gladstone, supports my thought that selfishness is what causes most of our problems in the modern world. Currently, we are living in an era that is filled with much gluttony and selfishness. However, selfishness is a trait that all of us possess, but the amount of selfishness that we have can determine the type of person we are. For instance, parents should always put their children’s needs before their own. Selfish parents would rather buy materialistic items for themselves than anything useful for their children. In Sophocles’s â€Å"Oedipus Rex,† the protagonist is literally blinded by his own arrogance. This attitude begins before he even travels to Thebes, and that is apparent due to the circumstances of his father’s death. Oedipus seals his own fate with his egotistical attitude and he cannot change his destiny after everything is set into motion. During his jo urney on the road to enlightenment, Oedipus’s selfishness causes him to transcend from being completely ignorant of his fate to holding on to the last shreds of denial to having an overwhelming sense of realization. The selfishness that Oedipus possesses causes him to have abundance of ignorance. This combination is what leads to his father’s death. After fleeing Corinth and his foster family, Oedipus gets into a skirmish with an older man. The reason for the fight was because, â€Å"The groom leading the horses forced me off the road at his lord’s command† (1336). Oedipus is filled with a rage after being insulted by the lord and feels the need to act. The two men fight, but Oedipus ends up being too much for the older man, and he kills him. What Oedipus is unaware of is that the man was actually his birth father and by killing him, Oedipus has started on the path of his own destruction. Not only does Oedipus kill his father, but also everyone else, â€Å"I killed them all† (1336). The other men had no part in the scuffle, but in his rage, he did not care who he was killing. As Oedipus becomes king, his selfishness only grows, as does his denial. As the king, he gained the burden of Thebes whenever a problem arose. To find a way to rid his city of the plague, he sent Kreon so that he would have some answers and be able to place the blame on something or someone.

Bible and Biblical/Christian Worldview

A worldview is how an individual looks at the world and how it works. It is how an individual views and interprets the world they live in. It is an individual’s attitude and ideas about the world that they live in. The biblical/Christian worldview The biblical/Christian worldview of Origin is basically that everything originated from and by God. Everything that exist is because of God and it is God that created everyone and everything. In the beginning was God, therefore he is the ultimate originator. Genesis 1:1, and Colossians 1:16-17. The biblical/Christian worldview of Identity is that men and women were created in the image of God. Our identity is based off God’s creation of us. We are God’s unique creation including all of the animals on earth. The biblical/Christian worldview of meaning/purpose is that our purpose is to get to know God, and have a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ. The biblical/Christian worldview of morality is through revelation from God and by reading the bible. Through morality we follow God’s standard as how to live and behave as God’s children. The biblical/Christian worldview of destiny is that, we as Christians believing in heaven and hell. When we leave our bodies our soul will carry on to live with God in heaven or with Satan in hell. Those who have not accepted Christ as their personal savior and lived their lives as how we should in the body of Christ will not be welcomed into heaven. How you lived your life on earth will determine your destiny. A Biblical Worldview Influence. A biblical worldview should influence the way I think about, treat and speak to others on a daily basis in that God is love. The way I think about others should be the way Christ thinks of us. The way I treat others should be the same way in which I would want to be treated. The way in which I speak to others should also be in how I would want others to speak to me, with kindness, love and understanding. Referring to the biblical worldview, as Christians, we should treat, speak and think about others as Christ would to us. We were all created in God’s image, therefore we are to try our best to be like him, in our speaking, hearing, reasoning, loving and caring, just as Weider and Gutierrez stated in the reading. Following the Bible as our instruction and the example of Christ, our daily walk with others should be based on love and the teachings of Christ. A biblical worldview should influence the way I treat/interact with the environment and non-human creation in a way that I should treat the environment as God would. God created the environment for us so we should appreciate and value it. Genesis 2:15 states, â€Å"The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it†, just as Weider and Gutierrez pointed out in the reading. We should treat non-human creation with care and love. God has given us the authority of taking care of non-human creation and we should do exactly as God would do. We are to care for, love and supply for non-human creation, just as we would human creation.

Africa’s growing concern Essay

Whoever ignites the flames of hate has succeeded considerably. Hatred has become a way of life for many people around the world. People envy other people and create hatred to those of better lives. But no human being is prepared for what the African continent actually reveals. The persecution of unwanted individuals is prevalent in this part of the earth. Poverty hounds Africa no end. The life there is very hard and disturbing. The place is filled with chaos and turmoil. No stability is in sight. The entire world is currently alarmed over the high incidence of death within its population. Countries over the years have pledged support to the stagnant economy of the African nation. All means of contribution have been given to the poor continent. But in spite of the continued aid, there seems to be no hope of rising within the nation. Africa has shoved itself into a hole so deep that the possibility of becoming buried is never a remote idea in the future. Men, women and children agonize over their situations. Food and resources are hard to come by. Thousands die of starvation annually. But more than that, countless people become victims of unnecessary violence. World leaders and governments around the globe have, time and again, met and discuss the events in Africa numerous times. Like a disease, the social demise of its population has been a primary concern for many nationalities worldwide. People are dying every minute. The media has played a vital role in revealing the abuses and brutalities of people. All eyes are focused on this place where individuals have disregarded the value of human life. The carnage continues, and will continue unless a swift and effective solution will be unveiled. There is a sense of urgency for the world’s leading governments to address the destruction of human dignity in Africa. However, in spite of the launching of countless humanitarian missions to solve the nation’s woes, death and suffering lingers on. Billions have been spent on relief operations but the social problem remains undefeated. The casualty toll piles up. The killing spree goes unsuppressed. And the rest of the world watches dumbfounded. It only shows that governments and its people are not doing enough to find answers to the African problem. Although food and the lack of basic needs is the primary concern among the African people, it is violence that must be silenced. Several decades of gun running and smuggling within the continent have only brought death to many citizens. As long as the armaments keep on coming, peace will remain to be an elusive and distant dream. The social instability in the African nation is about power. Individuals and their clans grapple for control. Gaining that momentum to hold every move in the tumultuous society means having the arms and weapons to subject everyone to their every word. The world is stretching its influence into every corner of the continent. But sadly, the troubled nation drives off the chance and rare opportunity to rebuild its communities. It is ironic that a very poor place can summon the strength to annihilate all intervening parties out of their motherland. Events are bleak. The panic button has been set. But with all the dangers and the deaths, Africans have little regard for the needs of their nation. Women and children go elsewhere to find peace. War escalates and the streets are stained with blood. If the world is keen on finding the answers to the growing social menace in Africa, analysts should dig deeper to gain a full and total understanding of the situation among its people. The United Nations must be aware to the motives and intentions of the African people. All along, the entire globe has only addressed the needs of the poor continent. The real reason for the chaos remains undetermined, and therefore, unsolved. Turmoil will continue to rob the African nation of its dream of peace and stability. With a disorganized crowd and a selfish government, senseless killings and looting will be around for a long time.

Medieval Instruments essays

Medieval Instruments essays The More Popular Instruments of the Medieval to Renaissance Period Music plays a vital role in human society. It provides entertainment and emotional release, and it accompanies activities ranging from dance to religious ceremonies. Music is heard everywhere: in auditoriums, churches, homes, elevators, sports arenas, and on the street. Recorded music, through our technology, can be heard almost anywhere at anytime. Although we have the technology to listen to whatever kind of music we desire, there is still an exciting sensation for people to watch music performed live. The musicians on stage use their skills with their instruments to produce music that stimulates the mind, excites the heart, and takes the breath away. Through the course of life, humans develop the ability to identify most instruments either by being played or just seen up close. What most people don't know is the history behind the more popular instruments of the world. Some instruments can be traced back in some form to as early as 4000 B.C. This paper will not discuss the history of instruments from the dawn of man, just the late Middle Ages to the Renaissance. Of all the instruments of the Middle Ages, the most popular had to be what is called the lute. Specifically, the lute is a stringed instrument widely played in the 14th to 18th centuries that actually had a revival in the 20th century. Generically, the lute is any stringed instrument having strings that run in a parallel plane to the soundboard and along a protruding neck (see figure one). The modern guitar is basically the descendant of the classical lute. The lute entered medieval Europe from Arabic culture as an instrument plucked by a plectrum, or pick, with four pairs of strings. It was a version of the Arabic 'ud (spelled oud by its modern Balkan players), which today is an unfretted, plectrum-plucked instrument with four to seven double courses. The lute developed i...

Family Delphinidae

Family Delphinidae Delphinidae is the family of animals commonly known as the dolphins. This is the largest family of cetaceans.Members of this family are commonly called dolphins or delphinids. The Family Delphinidae includes such recognizable species as the bottlenose dolphin, the killer whale (orca), the  Atlantic white-sided dolphin,  Pacific white-sided dolphin, spinner dolphin,  common dolphin, and pilot whales. Dolphins are vertebrates and marine mammals. Origin of the Word Delphinidae The word Delphinidae comes from the Latin word delphinus, meaning dolphin. Delphinidae Species Cetaceans in the Family Delphinidae are  Odontocetes or  toothed whales. There are  38 species  in this family.   Characteristics of Delphinidae The Delphinidae are generally fast, streamlined animals with a pronounced beak, or rostrum.   Dolphins have cone-shaped teeth, an important characteristic that distinguishes them from porpoises. They have one blowhole, which distinguishes them from baleen whales, which have a pair of blowholes.   Dolphins also use echolocation to find their prey. They have an organ in their head called a melon which they use to focus clicking sounds which they produce. The sounds bounce off objects around them, including prey. In addition to its use in finding prey, delphinids also use echolocation to communicate with other dolphins and to navigate. How Big Are Dolphins? According to the Encyclopedia of Marine Mammals, the Delphinidae can range in size from about 4 or 5 feet (e.g., Hectors dolphin and the spinner dolphin) to about 30 feet in length (the killer whale, or orca). Where Do Dolphins Live? Delphinids live in a wide range of habitats, from coastal to pelagic areas.   Dolphins in Captivity Dolphins, especially bottlenose dolphins, are kept in captivity in aquaria and marine parks. They are also kept in some facilities for research. Some of these animals are once-wild animals that came into a rehabilitation center and were unable to be released. The first marine park in the U.S. was  Marine Studios, now known as Marineland. This park began exhibiting bottlenose dolphins in the 1930s. Since dolphins were first displayed in aquaria, the practice has become more controversial, with activists and animal welfare advocates especially concerned about the stress levels and health of captive cetaceans, especially orcas. Dolphin Conservation Dolphins are also sometimes the victims of drive hunts, which have grown more widely known and controversial. In these hunts, dolphins are killed for their meat and to be sent to aquariums and marine parks. Even before that, people advocated for the protection of dolphins, who were dying by the thousands in nets used to catch tuna. This led to the development and marketing of dolphin-safe tuna. In the U.S., all dolphins are protected by the Marine Mammal Protection Act.   References and Further Information Committee on Taxonomy. 2014. List of marine mammal species and subspecies. Society for Marine Mammalogy, Accessed October 31, 2015.Perrin, W. F., Wursig, B., and J.G.M. Thewissen, editors. Encyclopedia of Marine Mammals. Academic Press.

A Narrative of My Goals in My Bucket List

A Narrative of My Goals in My Bucket List Having bucket list that we want to accomplish before we die, is basically showing that we have goals that might seem impossible to accomplish. These goals show how much we appreciate what we see around us. Theres a movie called The Bucket List in which the actors decided that their bucket list items were so important that they needed to find people to help them achieve their goals. Items such as climbing Mount Everest, going skydiving. I am pretty sure that we all have thought of or made a bucket list at some point in our lives, these items could also be described as goals that we want to achieve in our personal lives. For example mine are to travel around the world, perform a kind deed without expecting anything in return, and to become a criminal profiler. My goals go anywhere from economical pleasure, career of choice, and even an opportunity to become a better human. I believe that bucket list items dont necessarily have to be activities that we want to complete before we die, bu t also, life improvements that are necessary but at the moment are difficult to obtain. First, Traveling all around the world has always been my goal since I was little. I grew up in a tiny town I had a difficult time envisioning much else outside my comfortable country bubble. When you travel to other countries and see the amazing beauty of sunsets over seas, rain forests, waterfalls, you realize the world is full of more beauty that you are capable of seeing in a lifetime. But, you still have the intense passion to try. Not seeing this when I was younger, I would of have less desire to venture out when I’m older and have job and family constraints in play. I would have less of a desire to put the effort into taking the time to travel. Secondly, Performing a kind deed without expecting anything in return, has always touched my heart. Since I was in Puerto Rico I used to see people at the traffic lights asking for money, food, coats anything they could ask for. Seeing people in those conditions have made me go and give food or at least five dollars. Its hard to see them struggling and not do anything for them. When you do a good deed you helping someone. The homeless person now has food to eat, thanks to the kindness of these generous people. The person who is the receiver of a good deed or random act of kindness has gotten some help. However, he received more than just a meal or two. In addition to getting food, he also received the message that he is important and worth helping. This good deed warms his heart as well as fills his stomach. Third, Becoming a Criminal Profiler has always been my dream. Since I started to watch Lie to me that show has inspired me to become someone who can help other find justice for our world. Lie to me it is based on a scientist whose expertise is detecting and interpreting micro expressions, involuntary facial expressions that last just a moment. A useful skill if you want to figure out whether someones lying, and why. Dr.Lightman runs a consulting firm from which he and three supporting characters traverse the Washington, D.C., area solving mysteries for the police, FBI and pretty much any other client who needs a lie detector. Criminal Profiler has Law Enforcement agencies rely to help them identify suspects in an investigation. Profilers use the details of a crime, including evidence and witness testimony, to determine a behavior pattern as well as develop a psychological portrait of the suspect. This allows law enforcement officials to focus their search on suspects who fit this p rofile. Individuals who work as profilers typically have a degree in criminal justice, psychology or behavioral science. Finally, Accomplishing these three things before I die would make me feel good about myself, because I got to where I wanted to be. I really liked the movie because to me it was about dealing with what life gives you and dealing with it the best you can and with the best attitude you can have. I like that even though they were old and dying that they still had goals that they wanted to do and they still got out there and did it even though they may not have felt great all the time. It tells you that you should live life to the fullest everyday and to always have a goal to keep yourself going and looking forward. It gives you something to look forward to.

A rose for Emily research paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

A rose for Emily research paper - Essay Example The readers were told that Emily bought arsenic and that a strange odor appeared around the house for a few weeks and then disappeared. During the years Miss Emily isolated herself from the society in town and only after she dead did they discovered in a locked room the decomposed body of her alleged fiancà ©. The grey hair they found signified that Miss Emily had been laying near the dead body of her partner for years. Barnet et al. (1997) consider that we live in a world filled with symbolism. Symbols do not have a clear meaning and possesÃ'  a deep spiritual structure embedded in society and culture. Meanings intermingle with expressions and create ambiguities. Symbols are fragmented and present different pictures, evoke different senses and stand for different situations (Barnet et al). Every moment is written or spoken sign and in order to grasp its meaning we have to decode its symbols. The same is with stories and literature. They stand for past, present and future experiences which we have to carefully decipher. Many different interpretations can be represented in analyzing the social, economic and historical contexts of Faulkner’s short story. Fetterly (1999) justifies Faulkner’s use of the grotesque to describe his story. She proposes that one looks at the story from a feminist perspective. Then â€Å"one notices that the grotesque aspects of the story are a result of its violation of the expectations generated by the conventions of sexual politics (Fetterly 50).† Fetterly (1999) continues that the end shocks not only by the suggestion of necrophilia, but also by the fact that a woman is capable of committing a murder of a men. This story is not about the conflict between the old and the new, the change of social order, or the competition between the South and the North. This is a story of the sexual conflict below the surface (Fetterly). The locked rook found after Emily’s death is a mirror image of the world that

Valuation of Biodiversity in Economics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Valuation of Biodiversity in Economics - Essay Example Genetic biodiversity associates with the level of inconsistency within the species. It involves the information signified by genes in the DNA of individual living things. Species diversity is concerned with a range of species.On ecosystem point of view, a low degree of ecosystem flexibility can lead to a sudden degrade in the biological output, which in turn cause a loss that cannot be reversed of roles for both the present and the expected generations. Functional diversity articulates a variety of roles produced by ecosystems, including the roles that support the life of ecosystem such as management of nature’s basic phases. Given these four levels of diversity, there are different perspectives in which the value of biodiversity can be understood. Some of these ways are instrumental and intrinsic values, the monetary and the biological indicators, the direct and the indirect values, biodiversity and the biological resources among others. The assigning value to biodiversity be gins from the hypothesis that social values are asserted on values of the individuals.When a person takes part in the conservation of the environment, he or she immediately discovers that it is sincerely an activity involving several disciplines. There are changes that have been experienced in the function and the significance of conservation. These changes are caused by the fast rise in environmental issues, and the realization that biological diversity is an important resource for the survival of human beings.

Development of a Quality Management System and implementation of a Essay

Development of a Quality Management System and implementation of a Quality Management Plan in your organisation, according to the ISO 9000-2000+ Quality Management Standard series - Essay Example As we know that today’s business world is rapidly changing, it has become extremely important and crucial for any company or business to implement ISO 9000 in the business. Quality means to provide product satisfaction to the customers. Any organization or a company can satisfy the stakeholders and the customers only if it provides them with quality in the products that they use. Quality is the key to organizational success as it leads the organization towards market domination through delivering quality products and services to the public. Quality also means to seek continuous improvement in the products and services provided by any organization. It is essential for any organization to implement a well developed quality management system because it not only helps an organization attracting and retaining customers but also helps gain competitive advantage in the market. The two most important tasks of a quality management system include quality control and quality assurance. If we talk about quality control, we can say that quality control is a process which is employed in order to ensure a required level of excellence, superiority, and quality in a product or service delivered by a company. Quality control is a process within an organization designed to ensure a set level of quality for the products or services offered by a company. Quality assurance is a process in which products and services provided by a company are checked in order to know whether those products and services meet customers’ expectations or not. All aspects of a product are examined and tested, and if it some part or whole of a product is not found able to meet the quality standards properly; appropriate steps are taken by the quality assurance department to improve the quality of the product. Quality management system is implemented in a company or an organization in order to ensure the quality of the products and services that it manufactures and delivers

Democracy In The Network Age Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Democracy In The Network Age - Term Paper Example Some users will download it â€Å"crack† it and have access to premium features. While they undoubtedly know this is illegal they are also aware it is almost impossible to be prosecuted due to the anonymity the internet allows. This is not to mention the many that download such content and share it. They are also part to the crime but, unfortunately, not very many users are cognizant of the extent to which they should use some of the software and file sharing facilities. Moreover, while there exist laws against pirating of content; for example, peer to peer violations attract fines of up to 500,000 dollars; a survey showed that 93 percent of the respondents illegally download material nevertheless (Liberacki). The music and movie industries are some of the casualties of the lack of restrictive policies and /or enforcing of the same. With the availability of high speed digital duplication software and hardware, pirated content can be reproduced with no degradation from the auth entic material (Intellectual Property Rights). Most of this occurs through file sharing or peer to peer networks, here, the content is availed free of charge. Companies like YouTube are forced to remove some of the content uploaded by users due to copyright issues, for instance a just as someone may buy an original copy of a newly released movie and upload it on YouTube. While YouTube will remove this, there are hundreds of websites that specialize in selling or giving way this content. Publishers and software manufactures stood to make a killing from the online market through selling of premium software and EBooks. Nevertheless, due to the technology of file sharing, when someone downloads any premium content, they can give it out or resell it at will, notwithstanding copyright issues. Currently, the existing policies and legislation are not capable of dealing with these issues because they latter are changing so fast and new concepts developed every day leaving a lot of grey areas , which cyber criminals exploit to the maximum. Former French president Nicholas Zarkozy is on record having said that governments are duty bound to set rules limiting misusing of the internet more so in issue of privacy and piracy. Besides, even when policies do exist inside the USA the same may be unheard of or lax in other countries where the software may end up. As such, new and updated policies need to be formulated, and they should be explicit pertaining to the crimes, furthermore; governments should have the ability to enforce this legislation. Democracy, while benefiting from the internet and social networking especially from an action has also suffered major blows. Take for instance the situations in Egypt and Syria. The internet was used bring about democracy through a peoples’ revolution mostly planned online through social networks. While recognizing the crucial role played by social networks in this, the danger therein must also be considered. In Liberia, the sam e was done, but there was a plethora of emerging issues including that it may have been politically instigated by western powers that had interests in the countries resources. Thousands died in the ensuing protests, and what started as online activism lead to civil war. Thus, while justifying the need to give people a chance for self expression online. It is incumbent of us to examine the extent to which the internet can be used in the quest to obtain democracy without disregarding the

Conflict Management and Negotiation Critical Thinking Essay

Conflict Management and Negotiation Critical Thinking - Essay Example The essay "Conflict Management and Negotiation Critical Thinking" discovers the Negotiation Critical Thinking and Conflict Management. In the modern world, handling of conflicts constructively is one of the paramount challenges. Even with maturing humanities, technology and scientific knowledge understanding, not to mention a more educated population, damaging conflicts are still prevalent. When conflicts intensify, the parties reach impasses, and gradually end up hurting each other in the conflict progression. This may lead to psychological problems, personal relations break down and group fights. Nevertheless, even with such adverse effects, conflict management academics still hold that many conflicts are potential to integrative resolution means. As such, parties can reach a mutual satisfactory settlement if they determinedly search for it. In order to handle conflicts constructively, the conflicting parties must be willing undertake an integrative approach. Hence, they must look for evidence in relation to facts and interests. Accordingly, they should be able to creatively exploit that information to breed mutually satisfactory settlements. As a consequence, integration is a significant concept in the conflict management methodologies. It is used in relation to numerous features of the conflict management practice such as integrative potential, integrative outcome, integrative procedure and integrative purpose conduct and helps both parties to arrive at a win-win situation. Case Facts In the case at hand Peter Smith and his wife Catherine Smith became involved in contemporary art in the 1970s. Subsequently, Peter was invited to become a member of the MCA board of trustees which he agreed to and was prepared to donate more money to the $10000 the organization had earlier requested. In 1989, Peter was elected as the chairman of the board. On the other hand, Keith Schmidt was hired by the board to hold the post of executive director at the start of the same ye ar and this was because of his wide knowledge on matters related to museum management. However, these two executives were in constant conflicts mainly in regards to expansion and fund management. Peter was more conservative especially when it came to expansion while Keith was objected towards growth and he viewed Peter as a barrier. The peak of their conflict reached in November 1991 when the board chose to vote for Schmidt’s projects to rapidly expand the MCA against Peter opinion. After this eventuality, Peter and Catherine disappeared from the Chicago art community. In 1997 MCA was under the leadership of Peggy Fischer as the chairperson of the board while Schmidt was still the executive director of MCA. It came to the realization that MCA was under financial constraint since it

Development of a Quality Management System and implementation of a Essay

Development of a Quality Management System and implementation of a Quality Management Plan in your organisation, according to the ISO 9000-2000+ Quality Management Standard series - Essay Example As we know that today’s business world is rapidly changing, it has become extremely important and crucial for any company or business to implement ISO 9000 in the business. Quality means to provide product satisfaction to the customers. Any organization or a company can satisfy the stakeholders and the customers only if it provides them with quality in the products that they use. Quality is the key to organizational success as it leads the organization towards market domination through delivering quality products and services to the public. Quality also means to seek continuous improvement in the products and services provided by any organization. It is essential for any organization to implement a well developed quality management system because it not only helps an organization attracting and retaining customers but also helps gain competitive advantage in the market. The two most important tasks of a quality management system include quality control and quality assurance. If we talk about quality control, we can say that quality control is a process which is employed in order to ensure a required level of excellence, superiority, and quality in a product or service delivered by a company. Quality control is a process within an organization designed to ensure a set level of quality for the products or services offered by a company. Quality assurance is a process in which products and services provided by a company are checked in order to know whether those products and services meet customers’ expectations or not. All aspects of a product are examined and tested, and if it some part or whole of a product is not found able to meet the quality standards properly; appropriate steps are taken by the quality assurance department to improve the quality of the product. Quality management system is implemented in a company or an organization in order to ensure the quality of the products and services that it manufactures and delivers

Conflict Management and Negotiation Critical Thinking Essay

Conflict Management and Negotiation Critical Thinking - Essay Example The essay "Conflict Management and Negotiation Critical Thinking" discovers the Negotiation Critical Thinking and Conflict Management. In the modern world, handling of conflicts constructively is one of the paramount challenges. Even with maturing humanities, technology and scientific knowledge understanding, not to mention a more educated population, damaging conflicts are still prevalent. When conflicts intensify, the parties reach impasses, and gradually end up hurting each other in the conflict progression. This may lead to psychological problems, personal relations break down and group fights. Nevertheless, even with such adverse effects, conflict management academics still hold that many conflicts are potential to integrative resolution means. As such, parties can reach a mutual satisfactory settlement if they determinedly search for it. In order to handle conflicts constructively, the conflicting parties must be willing undertake an integrative approach. Hence, they must look for evidence in relation to facts and interests. Accordingly, they should be able to creatively exploit that information to breed mutually satisfactory settlements. As a consequence, integration is a significant concept in the conflict management methodologies. It is used in relation to numerous features of the conflict management practice such as integrative potential, integrative outcome, integrative procedure and integrative purpose conduct and helps both parties to arrive at a win-win situation. Case Facts In the case at hand Peter Smith and his wife Catherine Smith became involved in contemporary art in the 1970s. Subsequently, Peter was invited to become a member of the MCA board of trustees which he agreed to and was prepared to donate more money to the $10000 the organization had earlier requested. In 1989, Peter was elected as the chairman of the board. On the other hand, Keith Schmidt was hired by the board to hold the post of executive director at the start of the same ye ar and this was because of his wide knowledge on matters related to museum management. However, these two executives were in constant conflicts mainly in regards to expansion and fund management. Peter was more conservative especially when it came to expansion while Keith was objected towards growth and he viewed Peter as a barrier. The peak of their conflict reached in November 1991 when the board chose to vote for Schmidt’s projects to rapidly expand the MCA against Peter opinion. After this eventuality, Peter and Catherine disappeared from the Chicago art community. In 1997 MCA was under the leadership of Peggy Fischer as the chairperson of the board while Schmidt was still the executive director of MCA. It came to the realization that MCA was under financial constraint since it

Self Awareness Essay Example for Free

Self Awareness Essay 1. Introduction How you access yourself in order to become more self-aware and how you reflect on your career on an ongoing basis is of utmost importance to ensure a successful personal development plan is followed continuously. In the current day and age most managers find it very difficult to set time aside for proper reflection and to spend some quality time putting development plans in place to ensure constant personal growth and development. Some of the key questions a typical manager will have to answer is how to find a balance between work, family life and personal development, or what would be the best models and tools currently available to assist him or herself to enable optimum personal growth. Another question would be how to apply these tools optimally based on your current circumstances. In this assessment I will attempt to address some of these questions, however, I do think that some of the proposals that I will put forward will have to be reviewed on an ongoing bases. This is to ensure it stays aligned with my ever evolving understanding of self-development. 2. Reflection and the way forward 2.1 Reflecting on personal development If I have to reflect back on my career it is clear that I have reached a key moment in my life about three years ago when I hit a ceiling as a subject matter expert. I also realised that I do not have sufficient management experience to make a smooth transition from a subject matter expert to a senior manager. I have reached this ceiling because I have exhausted all possible promotion options. The only way ‘forward’ for me was sidewards. The first question that came to mind was how do I change this conundrum and where do I go from here? I embarked on an MBA at Henley business school without a scientific approach in the hope that it will provide some answers. Fortunately we were exposed early on to tools and models to assist us. I used the Strategic Analysis diagram developed by Prof. Marc Day (2013) to determine which model will be the best suited for my current situation. I decided that the Force Field Analysis model developed by Lewin, K (1952) was the best fit. The reason is because I mainly need to improve my capability to become a better manager, or rather to refine my capabilities, to become a better manager. It also lies close to the Competition quadrant within a firm. This is also very applicable because of the severe competition when it comes to climbing the corporate ladder. Refer to figure 2.1 for details. The first question that now comes to mind is how do I eliminate the opposing forces in order to move from my current state to my desired state. Another question would be how can I best utilise my learning style to speed up the transition? I evaluated these opposing forces and have identified some of them that are more tangible and easier to manage. * Is an MBA the right vehicle or choice for me? I have the highest preference for the Monitor Evaluator team role according to the Belbin Team Role Report (Belbin, 2012) compiled by Henley Business School (2013). This, in short, means that I can often judge accurately, however, I sometimes lack drive. I currently have more confidence that the MBA is probably the right decision because I have the ability to judge accurately, according to Belbin, however, it will remain an open ended question that will only be answered in due time. The MBA is also a formal program. This will hopefully provide the drive I lack from time to time and the motivation I need to complete my studies. I am also Pragmatist (AE) according to Kolb (1985). Honey Mumford (2000) commented that Pragmatists like to see how learning is put into practice in the real world. This also supports my decision to join the formal Henley MBA program because all the case studies are real and theory will thus be applied into practice in real world scenarios. I therefore think that I have made the right decision to decide on an MBA as my education vehicle of choice. In doing so I have definitely weakened one of the opposing forces. * Impact on my personal life, my career and my family I realise that completing an MBA will require serious commitment and will definitely impact my family, my career and my personal life. My wife and children realise that I have reached a dead end in my career and that I will have to do something extra ordinary to change direction. They have also committed to support me from day one because they know that my despondency about my work will eventually rub off on our marriage and family life. We also realise that it is still early days and that the real challenges lie ahead. I am, therefore, convinced that this is an opposing force that I can manage down in order to weaken it. These two are also the most prominent opposing forces, so it will have a major effect on the outcome if they are managed properly. * Financial Constraints This constraint is one of the few that are not really manageable, however, I have arranged with Henley Business School to pay the tuition fees in payments. This will definitely assist me and it will also weaken the opposing force. * Networking ability My ability to network is still an ongoing constraint. I will address this developing need in the next sessions. 2.2 Reflect on recent career I used the Henley Team Working Questionnaire (2010) to reflect on my recent career in order to establish a fit (or lack thereof) between me as a manager / team leader and my role within my organization. I realize that this is not an assessment tool of my current job, but rather a tool to be used to asses my current need of learning in going forward. This has highlighted a few areas that require development. These areas might also be the reason for the misalignment/misfit between my current career expectation and my progression within my organization. I have always realized that I have areas in need of development, hence my decision to start my Henley MBA. The Henley Team Working Questionnaire has assisted me a great deal in identifying those areas. I have used the Henley Star (Henley Business School, 2011), as part of this assignment, to assist me in analysing my most important development areas. The area that has come out on top was my development need to demonstrate impact and to influence others. I currently have a lot of questions that are still unanswered. I hope to get a better understanding of exactly how to approach it and how to address them in order to ensure a successful outcome. I will spend more time on how I plan to address these questions in the next section. For now it is important that I have a starting point for my own personal development in order to improve my current fit. I have also completed chapter 5 of the textbook provided, A Manager’s Guide to Self Development (Pedler, M, Burgoyne, J Boydell, T, 2007: 27). This has also indicated that I need to develop my creativity as well as my command of the basic facts in my company. 2.3 Planning ahead The key question at this stage is how would I go about addressing these areas of development over the next twelve months? I will need to balance three main areas, my life and family, my working career as well as my time spend studying for my MBA. In addition, I will also have to constantly focus on my areas of development in order to try and approve them. Doing this should improve my management capabilities. It will also align me with the correct individuals in my current company to ensure improved opportunities in growing my career. Pedler, M, Burgoyne, J Boydell, T (2007:37) gave a list of activities to do for each area that requires development in their book A Manager’s Guide to Self Development. I have highlighted some of these activities and have drawn up a plan to do it over the next 12 months. Refer to appendix A. I will also have to make sure I spend more time in our office and with top management in order to gain access to valuable information, insights and data. This will assist in improving my impact and my influence with other people. I will also have to manage my time with my client more efficiently in order to attend all the ‘open days’ and information sessions at our company so that I can achieve my goal. I put a schedule together to ensure I manage all areas of development. I know this is premature, however, it is a start. Refer to Appendix B. I intend recording my progress as well as my learning journals in a tool called Evernote. This tool is available across all platforms and it syncs seamlessly between all my devices. This makes it an ideal tool for my requirements. Conclusion I have tried various approaches in the past to improve my managerial capabilities to move from a subject matter expert orientated environment to top management. I realise now that I will have to change my approach because I tend to favour the Monitor Evaluator team role and I am a pragmatist. The key question that still remains is exactly how? This assignment has assisted me in identifying three main areas where development is needed, namely the ability to demonstrate impact and to influence other, creativity and a command of the basic facts. I have put an activity plan together (Appendix A) to assist me improving my areas in need of development. The main issue to keep in mind is that I continuously will have to be self-aware. I will also have to reflect on each and every move I make from now on. My activity plan should also be revaluated on an ongoing basis to ensure it is still the best fit for my current needs. The finer detail is still missing. My hope is that I will be able to i mprove it by applying the models, tools and exercises available during the course of the MBA and to get more clarity in moving forward.

Development of the Underclass in the 1990s

Development of the Underclass in the 1990s Critically evaluate the research evidence in support of the contention that Britain developed an underclass in the 1990s? What are the main differences between the use of underclass and the concept of social exclusion and why is the distinction important? Introduction The idea that society was stratified and inhabited by different classes of people dates back to the thought of Karl Marx. Marx saw capitalist society as exploitative and oppressive. Marx maintained that the conflicts between those who rule and those who are ruled, would eventually lead to changes in the economic system of a society (Marsh, I et al.2000). According to Marx the blame for class exploitation does not lie with individual capitalists but is inherent in capitalist systems . Conflict and tension are also evident in capitalist systems. These are especially evident between between different groups of wage earners and between the ruling classes these would intensify due to a number of developments, namely polarisation, homogenisation, and pauperisation (Marsh, I et al.2000). Polarisation, Marx believed, would occur as a result of increasing tension and hostility between the ruling class and the working class, within the groups individuals would become more like each other resulting in homogenisation, capitalists in their desire for expansion and workers in their reliance on work in factories rather than on traditional skills. The success of capitalism meant that wages need to be kept down and the gap widened between employers and workers. In this way workers are made poorer, or become unemployed and are pauperised. Marx believed that this would result in social revolution and the setting up of a new social system (Marsh, I et al.2000). This did not happen and such pauperization, it might be argued became the basis for what Charles Murray (1990) has termed the development of an underclass. This paper will evaluate evidence to assess whether and in what ways an underclass may be said to have developed in Britain during the 1990s. It will also look at the main differences between the concept of an underclass and the concept of social exclusion and why this distinction is important. Charles Murray and the Underclass Charles Murray is an American and his theory of the underclass was originally developed in over there. He saw an increase in violent crime, a rise in the number of illegitimate births and people dropping out from the labour force, it was on this basis that he formed his theory of a developing underclass. He then attempted to apply this theory to the UK where he observed similar phenomenon taking place. Some of his views led to heated debates, particularly with regard to single mothers, during the Thatcher and Major governments and under New Labour. Unlike America, Britain is more of a welfare state, or was at the time, and he believed that the over provision of welfare services encouraged welfare dependency and a decreasing desire to work for a living (Murray, 1989). Greater welfare provision, he argued encouraged young girls to have children out of wedlock because they no longer had to rely on a man to support them and their child. The culture of dependency that Murray identified, did, he argued, have a generational aspect. Young males growing up without proper role models ran wild and fathered illegitimate children themselves thus continuing a dependency culture. Debates in England His arguments were welcomed by the then Conservative Government who had already vowed to roll back the welfare state. Claiming themselves to be the party of the family (Giddens, 2001) they agreed with Murray that those who did not work should not have children. Those who did have children out of wedlock and could not support them should have their benefits stopped and be forced to give their children up for adoption. Throughout the 1990s this view was espoused by a number of British politicians who aired their views on television debating shows. Although this did not happen, successive Governments have tightened their hold on benefits purse strings and made life much harder for those who have to live on welfare benefits. This had further repercussions in policy making in the UK. The Housing Act of 1996 was seen by many as a result of these debates and deleted some groups from local authority housing lists those people e.g. single mothers, who had been a priority when it came to local authority housing allocation, thus reducing the responsibility towards the homeless for local authorities. It also brought in the Single Persons Homeless Register, thus reducing responsibility for those who would have been seen as in priority need (Bramley et al, 2005). During this time increased unemployment left large numbers dependent on benefits. The number of those who are long-term unemployed also rose. Social changes and successive government policies has widened the gap between rich and poor. Field (1996) has argued that the actions of the Conservative Government in targeting benefits through means testing, actually increased welfare dependency and put people into an inescapable poverty trap. Field further maintains that these policies were a major factor in the developm ent of an underclass in Britain. However, in Field’s view the blame rests squarely on the shoulders of the Thatcher and Major governments. The Underclass and Ethnicity Some of Murray’s views might be considered racist, in that he claims that black people are less intelligent than whites and black women are more likely to have illegitimate children and live on benefits. Giddens supports Murray’s ideas of an underclass and (albeit for market reasons rather than the reasons given by Murray) also argues that a dual labour market is in operation and as a result of discrimination the underclass contains a high proportion of people from ethnic minorities. Much of what he has to say pre-empts Murray’s work as it was written in 1973. Where ethnic differences serves as a disqualifying market capacity, such that those in the category are heavily concentrated in the lowest paid occupations, or are chronically unemployed or self-employed, we may speak of the existence of and underclass (Giddens, 1973:112). Gaillie (1994) has questioned the arguments of Murray and Giddens. He disputes the idea that the underclass develops a specific culture and maintains that there is little evidence to support the existence of a dual labour market. He does however, acknowledge that the position of many people in the labour market has been weakened to the point where they are working for slave wages. While this does tend to support the existence of an underclass, Gaillie refutes the notion that such groups are forming either a class or a culture. Murray’s Later Work Writing in 1999 Murray observed that unemployment among young males was much higher than ten years earlier. He disputes the findings of others when he maintains that there was no evidence to suggest that this was the result of a shrinking market. He cites a rise in crime rates, particularly violent crime as further evidence that an underclass sin Britain is developing in the same way as in America. These figures are however disputed by other theorists who would argue that although the crime rate is high it has been on a downturn. He also refers again to the number of single parent families, but figures in Britain evidence that the majority of single parent families are that way as a result of divorce or the death of a partner, rather than the never married single mother. Some of what Murray has to say takes little account of other social problems that may contribute to people living on the margins of society. Some of the groups that Murray refers to might be said to be socially exclu ded, but this is not the same thing as an underclass. Social Exclusion Social exclusion is a term used in a variety of ways but is generally seen to refer to those people who for one reason or another are not fully included in the social life of a community. The reasons for social exclusion are connected, and are poverty, unemployment, and a lack of education. These are not only reasons however, where a person lives, their ethnicity, sexual orientation, or disabilities are also reasons why they might be regarded as excluded. Government recognises that they cannot tackle social exclusion unless they adopt an approach that deals with all these issues together (ODPM, 2004). However, much Government discourse tends to make little distinction between the socially excluded and an underclass because many of its documents refer to single parent families, anti-social behaviour and youth crime. This is wrong because people can be socially excluded without being part of a sub-culture or underclass, if such a thing exists. Social exclusion is a process that stops p eople from fully participating in society (Giddens, 2001) whereas the concept of an underclass implies that some people choose to opt out of society. Conclusion Although there are times where Murray presents a convincing argument, it is not convincing enough to be able to say that there really is an underclass in Britain. Too many different forces could account for the increase in the number of people on benefits, not least a shrinking labour market which Murray refuses to acknowledge, even though many theorist will agree that this is a global phenomenon. Some points that he makes could place people in the category of socially excluded, but as this paper has attempted to establish that is not the same thing as being a member of an underclass. It is certainly the case that some groups of people are a lot less fortunate than others. Many single parents are forced to rely on benefits because if they go to work they will be even worse off. The costs of childcare are astronomical. In conclusion I would say that the evidence does not support Murray’s theory of an underclass. It does tend to suggest that we live in a society where the gap be tween rich and poor gets wider every day. This in turn means that people are excluded from full social participation e.g. many parents cannot afford for their children to go on school trips. People who live in poorer areas go to the worst schools and so exclusion becomes a vicious circle, but that is not the same thing as saying an underclass is developing in Britain. Bibliography Bramley et al, 2005 Evaluation of English Housing Policy 1975-2002 Field, F. 1996. Stakeholder Welfare. London, IEA Gaillie, D 1994 â€Å" Are the unemployed and underclass? Some evidence from the social change and economic life initiative† Sociology 28, 3 pp737-757 Giddens A 1973 The Class Structure of the Advanced Societies London, Hutchinson Giddens A 2001 Sociology 4th ed Cambridge Polity Murray, C 1989 Underclass Sunday Times Magazine I 26th November Murray, C 2000 Underclass+10 Charles Murray and the British Underclass 1990-2000 London, Civitas in association with The Sunday Times ODPM, 2004. Theme 1: Supply, Need and Access London ODPM Walsh, I ed. 2000 Sociology: Making Sense of Society. Edinburgh, Prentice Hall.

Drug Abuse and Mental Health Essay -- addiction, illness, informative

Substance abuse complicates almost every aspect of care for the person with a mental disorder. When drugs enter the brain, they can interrupt the work and actually change how the brain performs its jobs; these changes are what lead to compulsive drug use. Drug abuse plays a major role when concerning mental health. It is very difficult for these individuals to engage in treatment. Diagnosis for a treatment is difficult because it takes time to disengage the interacting effects of substance abuse and the mental illness. It may also be difficult for substance abusers to be accommodated at home and it may not be tolerated in the community of residents of rehabilitation programs. The author states, that they end up losing their support systems and suffer frequent relapses and hospitalizations (Agnes B. Hatfield, 1993). Furthermore, mental illness and drug addiction are conditions that often occur together. This is a person who has two brain disorders that influence one another, and which both need treatment. Some say that certain drugs may actually cause mental illness in individuals with a weak genetic profile (Genetic Science Learning Center, 2011).With that being said, symptoms may get worse, but drugs do not necessarily cause mental illness. Some people may begin using drugs of abuse as a form of self-medication. For instance, drugs of abuse may temporarily relieve some of the symptoms associated with stress, anxiety, or depression, but the problems will still exist. Therefore, the form of self-medicating when using drugs can lead to harmful effects in a person’s mental health. People who have been undiagnosed may also suffer from serious mental disorders. So they may take drugs to relieve their symptom which is known as self-me... ...nosis and Mental Illness (Schizophrenia and Drug or Alcohol dependance) . Retrieved february 11, 2011, from schizophrenia.com: http://www.schizophrenia.com/family/dualdiag.html Center, N. D. (2004, April). Drug Abuse and Mental Illness. Retrieved Febrauary 9, 2011, from Justice.gov: http://www.justice.gov/ndic/pubs7/7343/7343p.pdf Genetic Science Learning Center (2011, January 24) Mental Illness: The Challenge of Dual Diagnosis. Learn. Genetics. Retrieved February 18, 2011, from http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/addiction/issues/mentalillness.html Lietz, J. (2011). Effects of Substance Abuse. Retrieved February 18, 2011, from ehow.com: http://www.ehow.com/about_4799336_effects-substance-abuse.html Samouilhan, T., & Seabi, J. (2010). University students' beliefs about the causes and treatments of mental illness. South African Journal of Psychology, 74-89 .

Atmospheric Oxygen, Giant Paleozoic Insects and the Evolution of Aeria

Animal gigantism was prevalent during the Carboniferous period of the Paleozoic era. Gigantism in flying insects occurred in abundance; however, arthropods, such as arthropleurids, also experienced gigantism. Arthropleurids existed during the Paleozoic era and were the largest land dwelling arthropods in the history of the Earth. 1m long millipedes are classified as arthropleurids. Amphibians such as the terrestrial labyrinthodont amphibians also became gigantic during the Carboniferous period. Large amphibians reached body lengths of up to 2m. However, these amphibians are limited by respiration through the skin, which is known to restrict maximum body size. The wingspan of a certain extinct dragon fly exceeded 70cm and the wingspan of late Paleozoic Paleodictyoptera was between .9-43cm. There are a few hypotheses that have been aimed at explaining the gigantism during the Paleozoic era. Some are predatory defense and enhanced flight performance. However, the most plausible is the idea that the oxygen increase in the atmosphere caused the increase in body size. Increased oxygen partial pressure caused an increase in diffusive flux in the tracheal system. This led to the adaptation of the bodies of insects, amphibians, and arthropods to the new environment. Carboniferous - is a major division of the geologic timescale that extends from the end of the Devonian period, about 359.2 Ma (million years ago), to the beginning of the Permian period, about 299.0 Ma (ICS 2004). Geological records of atmospheric oxygen and carbon dioxide Since plants have been able to survive on land by carbon dioxide fixation, also known as terrestrializaion, the earth’s atmosphere has undergone a ... ...f terrestrial arthropods with diffusion-limited respiratory systems is consistent with the levels of atmospheric oxygen. (This can be seen in the charts included in the article) A second peak of insect gigantism appears to occur in the Cretaceous period when the atmosphere was also hyperoxic, or contained a high concentration of oxygen. References Orr, W. C. and Sohal, R. S. (1994). Extension of life-span by overexpression of superoxide dismutase and catalase in Drosophila melanogaster. Science 263, 1128–1130. Tyler, R. H., Brar, H., Singh, M., Latorre, A., Graves, J. L., Mueller, L. D., Rose, M. R. and Ayala, F. J. (1993). The effect of superoxide dismutase alleles on aging in Drosophila. Genetica 91, 143–149. Withers, P.C. (1981). The effects of ambient air pressure on oxygen consumption of resting and hovering honeybees. J. comp. Physiol.