Philosophy: What Is Justice

To answer this question I must first define what justice is. Justice is â€Å"the quality of being just, impartial or fair† in your dealings with others according to Merriam Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary. Keeping that definition in mind, I now must turn to the Voices of Wisdom in order to find an example of a situation in which all parties feel that they are being treated justly. After examining examples such as: Euthanasia, discrimination based on sexual orientation, and equal opportunity offered within the book, it becomes clear to me that there is in fact no possible way for there to be justice for all because everyone’s judgement is in some way or another clouded by their own self interests. Euthanasia, people can decide exactly how they want to live but should we as a society allow them the right to decide exactly how they want to die? On the one hand you have the question â€Å"is it just to kill someone or allow them to die when help is available? † The obvious answer is no of course not. This is a prime example of why there can be no justice for all, because on the other hand you have the question â€Å"is it fair to force someone to live through unbearable pain in anticipation of an agonizing death? † The obvious answer to that question is also no. This is where our self-interests come into play. It is in the patient’s own self interests to die because it will ease her pain, but is not in mine to alleviate her of her life â€Å"because death is final and irreversible†, and because â€Å"euthanasia contains within it the possibility that [I] will work against [my] own interest if [I] practice it or allow it to be practiced on [others]. (J. Gay-Williams, pp. 185). This is why our own self-interests unavoidably will not allow us to have a just society. A society is only as equitable as the treatment accorded its most vulnerable members. Therefore, discrimination against anyone based on his or her sexual orientation is a clear and incurable symptom of an unjust society. For example, should someone’s sexual orientation be grounds for restricting their rights? (Daniel C. Palm) The impartial answer would of course be no, everyone should be treated the same. But we still hear the chant â€Å"No gays or lesbians in the military†. This is because it is in the self interests of the heterosexual people in the military have homosexuals in the military. The injustice of this idea becomes crystal clear when we examine the opposite statement of â€Å"No heterosexuals in the military† an idea that is equally ludicrous. (Kessler, pp. 74) As a result of the way we instinctively treat those that are different because they are seen as a threat, our society is will remain perpetually unjust. (Richard E. Mohr) Because of widespread discrimination based not only on race, but also on sex, religion and sexual preference it is impossible for society to offer each and every individual a perfectly equal chance at opportunities such as hiring, promotion, housing, and educational practices that should be within their reach; as a consequence, it is impossible fo r society to be just for all. According to the formal principle of justice, it is required â€Å"that benefits and burdens be distributed fairly according to relevant differences and similarities. † (Kessler, pp. 175) Using this principle it would seem that affirmative action programs of preferential treatment are in truth unjust to white males in that such programs require that â€Å"all things being equal† preferential treatment should be given to minorities and females which violates the formal principle of justice by not treating equal people equally. On the other hand, â€Å"such preferential treatment programs are often justified by appeal to the principle of compensatory justice, which states that whenever an injustice has happened a just compensation must be made to those who have been injured. † (Kessler, pp. 194) According to that principle affirmative action should be considered just in relationship to minorities. As a result, because equal opportunity legislation is not in accordance with the best self-interests of most white males but it is in accordance with those of most minorities, this is another example of a situation in which injustice is inevitable. After closely examining these three specific situations in which injustice—because of our natural tendency to look after our own best self-interests—is certain, it can be concluded that it is hopeless to try to attain such an idea as a society that is just for all. Because these perpetually unjust situations such as euthanasia, discrimination based on sexual preference, ideas like affirmative action or situations similar to these will most likely permanently exist, a society in which there is justice for all is unreachable.

Define and discuss what is hearsay, what is not hearsay, and some common exceptions to the hearsay rule

Hearsay is a testimony given in which the witness does not directly hear or experience what he or she is giving testimony to. In that case, the testimony being declared is hearsay because what is being asserted was not experienced first hand by the declarant, and therefore cannot really testify if it happened or not because the information came from someone else. This brings complications because the original or first-hand witness is not present in the court, and thus, cannot be cross-examined, or thoroughly scrutinized. For this reason, hearsay is generally unaccepted as evidence in the US court system, especially in criminal cases.But as with all rules, there are exemptions to it as well. There are instances when hearsay is the only way to present a certain piece of evidence. For example, if the original witness has passed away, then presenting hearsay testimony is the only available course of action. In this case, the court must consider the hearsay evidence Some common exemptions are dying declarations or a statement made while the person is dying; declarations against interest or when the person testifies to something that may cause some negative effect on the witness. . How has the Crawford vs. Washington case impacted the admissibility of hearsay evidence in criminal trials? The case of Crawford vs. Washington is a landmark court decision which necessitated the need redraw the rules guiding the use of hearsay evidence. The Supreme Court overturned the decision of the Washington Supreme Court and upheld the decision of the Washington Court of Appeals to reverse Michael Crawford’s conviction for assault and attempted murder against Kenneth Lee.The case revolved around whether Susan’s recorded statements in the police station would be admissible as evidence against her husband. Under court rules, spouses are not allowed to testify against their partner, without the express permission of the suspect, or if the spouse is the complainant in the c ase. In Crawford vs. Washington, the plaintiff presented the court with Susan Crawford’s testimony in front of the police; the defense argued that this evidence cannot be accepted because Michael, the suspect, cannot confront the testimony because Susan, as his spouse, cannot stand witness in his trial.The court denied the defense’s petition and accepted Susan’s recorded statement made to the police where she said that Kenneth was not holding a weapon at that time. This testimony shattered the defense’s not guilty plea by virtue of self-defense, and Michael was convicted of the crime. The element of hearsay in this case lies in the fact that Susan’s recorded testimony is presented by the police, and Susan cannot be presented in court to corroborate or refute the statement because as Michael’s wife, she cannot do so.In this case, the Supreme Court overturned the conviction because Michael’s right to confront the witnesses testifying ag ainst him was denied. Based on this, the Supreme Court decided to strike out Susan’s recorded statement, and thus, there was insufficient evidence to convict Michael, and he was exonerated. 3. Discuss some of the situations where the exclusionary rule does not apply, despite the commission of some constitutional violation by the government. The Exclusionary Rule holds that any evidence that is gathered through unlawful or unconstitutional means will not hold in any criminal trial.Particularly, any evidence that is gathered through self-incrimination under duress or ignorance, and unlawful searches and seizures will not be recognized by any criminal court in the United States. The Exclusionary Rule is one of the principal ways to enforce a system of checks and balances within the US court system. This prevents any abuse or misuse from taking place. This rule is the reason why police are mandated by law to inform suspects of their Miranda Rights, especially when they will be de tained and interrogated.If the Miranda warning was not explicitly given, then any statements made during the ensuing interrogation will not be considered by the court. Of course there are exclusions to the Exclusionary Rule as well. The Exclusionary Rule is very specific only in so far as establishing the guilt or innocence of the suspect is concerned. This evidence can still be presented in order to question the reliability or honesty of the defendant’s testimony. Another exclusion is called the inevitable discovery doctrine.This doctrine argues that there are some pieces of evidence, gathered though an unlawful search, that would have eventually been discovered by elements of the law in the normal course of their investigation. This assumption maintains that the evidence would have been found; and that it is only a matter of time before it is discovered. There are also many cases wherein the exclusionary law may be challenged, depending on the circumstances that led to the unlawful search. 4. Discuss the Fifth Amendment privilege against self incrimination and some of the various situations where it does not apply.The Fifth Amendment ensures the privilege of an accused to refuse to answer questions that might further incriminate or be used against him. This right can be invoked at any given time; during investigation, up until the final deliberation of the case. The Fifth Amendment can only be invoked during a direct questioning or interrogation. This right against self-incrimination protects the individual from saying something that might further damage his or her case. There are cases when the individual may choose to disclose what he or she knows about a particular case in exchange for immunity.The government often uses this to bait the â€Å"bigger fishes†, for example in a criminal ring or network. In order to gather valuable information that would lead to more indictments, law enforcers offer immunity against criminal persecution. They ma y also be entered into the witness protection program to ensure the witnesses and their families’ safety. 5. Discuss the four major tests that govern the admissibility of confessions in criminal trials. The Fifth Amendment prevents and protects suspects from making self-incriminating statements, and because of this, the US courts do not accept confessions at face value.Before accepting confessions as evidence in a court case, it must pass a four-pronged test made to establish if the confession was indeed given voluntarily; without threat or coercion of any kind. The first test asks whether the statement was given voluntarily or not. This establishes the circumstances surrounding the act of confession. The second determines if the confession was given in spite of being given the Miranda warning. This means that the confession was given in full deliberation, and acceptance of the consequences of his confession.The third test finds out if any sort of waiver was issued by the sus pect. Finally, the fourth determines if the waiver, if there is one, is clear and unambiguous, without any room for double meaning or misinterpretation. In this case, a waiver refers to a document or a recorded statement that certifies that the suspect is relinquishing his/her legal rights and is giving a full confession. However, this waiver presupposes a thorough understanding of one’s rights before these rights can actually be waived. If the suspect is not capable of such discernment, then the confession might be disputed. . How do some of the rules of evidence limit or even frustrate â€Å"the search for the truth? † Discuss the operation of these rules and their impact on â€Å"justice. †The basic prerequisite of any case is being able to present enough evidence to determine if the suspect is guilty beyond reasonable doubt. If the evidence fails to show guilt beyond reasonable doubt, then the suspect should be acquitted. In a criminal case, the prosecutor h as the burden of proof; meaning that the defense is not required to present any evidence if the prosecutor failed to make their case in the first place.As such, being able to present material evidence is important for â€Å"justice†. The problem is that sometimes, the rules governing the admissibility of evidence prevents the truth from coming out, and impairs the fair disposal of justice. However, it is a fair trade. The rules of evidence ensure that the rights of the accused are protected, even as the rights of the innocent are upheld. It is not foolproof, but it is the best arrangement that can be made under the circumstances; a compromise to balance the rights of everyone involved.

Aanna Lukasik

aAnna Lukasik Acc 422-8909 Q 8-31 1. Not required during this stage – 2. Substantive testing 2. Should focus on enhancing the auditor’s understanding of the auditors understanding of the client’s business and the transactions and events that have occurred since the last audit date. – 1 Planning 3. Should focus on identifying areas that may represent specific risks relevant to the audit. – 1. Planning 4. Do not result in detection of misstatements. – 4 Statement is not correct concerning anatical procedures 5.Designed to obtain evidential matter about particular assertions related to account balances or classed of transactions. – 2 Substantive testing 6. Generally use data aggregated at a lower level than the other stages. – 2 Substantive testing 7. Should include reading the financial statements and notes to consider the adequacy of evidence gathered – 3. Overall review 8. Involve reconciliation of confirmation replies wi th recorded book amounts – 4 Statement is not correct concerning analytical procedures 9. Use of preliminary or unadjusted working trial balance as a source of data – 1 Planning the audit 10.Expected to result in reduced level of detection risk – 2 Substantive testing Q-30 a) The minutes of each meeting refer to the minutes of previous meeting. In addition the auditor should obtain the next year’s minutes, probably for February 2010, to make sure the previous minutes referred to were those from September 16, 2009. b) Information relevant to 2009 Audit Audit Action Required February 15 1. Approval for increased distribution During analytical procedures, an Costs of $500 000. ncrease of $500000 should be expected for distribution costs 2. Unresolved tax dispute. Evaluate resolution of dispute and adequacy of disclosure in FS 3. Computer equipment donated. Determine that old equipment was correctly treated in 2008 in the statements and that appropriate dedu ction was taken 4. Annual cash dividend. Calculate total dividends to determine that dividend was correctly recorded. 5. Officers’ bonuses. Determine were paid in 2009. Consider the tax implications of unpaid bonuses to officers.September 16 1. 2009 Officers’ elected. Inform staff of possibility of related party transaction. 2. Officers’ salary information. Note information in audit files for 2010 audit. 3. Pension and profit sharing plan. Determine if the pension/profit sharing plan was approved. If so make sure all assets and liabilities have been correctly recorded. 4. Loan. Examine supporting documentation of loan and confirm loan information with bank. 5. Aquistation of new computers syst Determine of disposal of the 1 year old equipment and check the recording of the operations. 6. Auditor Selection

Business Improvement and change Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Business Improvement and change - Essay Example In addition, my plan will also work to improve the skills set of the production executive in Nestle Malaysia since they will acquire necessary skills needed to help in solving the environmental constraints within the organization. Moreover, changes will also be noticed in the working culture of factory as the plan will work toward making it accommodate the various elements of change coming along its way (MANWANI, 2008, p.65). In the factory changes will be noticed on the diversity of the organizational culture as my plan will provide the organization with a system of assessing the impact of equality in different departments when handling organizational changes. At the rural factory, the changes that will be noticed will be between the frontline managers as my plan will provide them with a job security to assure them against the uncertainty of loosing their jobs while working for the organization. Also, there will be changes in frontline managers under this department as my plan will provide a system of work that will witness an increase in the production levels (PIPPIN, RONALD, 2009,p.374). Despite succeeding with my implementation plan, I will experience problems in alignment of resources of rural and urban factories since the rural workers may not readily accept my implementation plan to guide them. Secondly, I will also experience problems in trying to convince some of the best frontline managers in the urban centers to relocate to rural centers for equity. This is will be occasioned by the fact that most frontline managers in rural areas are not good as compared to the urban ones (REIFER, 2002). Implementation Approach I will approach the aspect of change within the organization using three interacting elements which are cultural modification, building capacity efforts and introducing infrastructures which are supportive, strengthening and long lasting. This will provide the needed leadership support which will be essential in formulating good values and no rms, resources and skills that will promote stakeholders involvement into the formulation of various departments and systems of the organization. In sum the approach will aim at improving innovativeness of the different programs used and incorporated within the organization to ensure productivity of the organization. Cultural transformation within the organization will assist the different managers present at the organization to promote research and change within the different departments or processes they are in charge. Building capacity efforts within the organization will assist in creating awareness between the different employees and managers available at the organization. This will clearly highlight the expectations and communication to help in achieving the goals and objectives within the organization. Use of infrastructures which are supportive will tremendously help the organization to achieve its production goals because it will provide the existing workers and managers of the organization with the required educational programs and expert resources needed in attaining productivity (FLORAC & CARLETON, 1999). The Implementation Plan Grouping activities within the organization has an added advantage to the productivity since it points to the various points where problems might

Homework Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Homework - Case Study Example A pivot table can then break down the numbers to show the amount sold by each employee. Then, it could even go further and break those numbers down by cities. So you would know which employee made the most number of sales, in which city the most number of sales were made, and which singular employee made the most number of sales in just one city. Data from the pivot table could then be used to allocate funds and estimate future sales based on the data from the pivot table. Comparisons could then be made across previous time periods and a comparison could be made to show the trends of certain employees or locations. Changes could then be made based off this data by either firing an employee or stop selling products in a city that is underperforming. 1- Because they are amazing tools used to quickly explore and manipulate data from a spreadsheet. A pivot table uses existing data and allows users to sort that data by any field they choose. The user can select which fields they would like to be displayed and whether it should be a column or a row header. That table can then be manipulated by integrating formulas into the table to quickly get inventory counts, cost percentages, sales commissions, regional growth, or anything else you need to determine. Using pivot tables to explore crosstab data is much easier than searching through spreadsheets, pulling out the pertinent data, then creating a new spreadsheet with the data necessary. Pivot tables make analyzing large quantities of data a user-friendly experience. You can actually create a pivot table in as few as 10 mouse clicks! You are correct in that using a pivot table can significantly reduce the time it takes to analyze data. All it needs is for just a few spaces to be filled in and the pivot table will display all the information you need in a nice and easy format. You might want to mention though that the use of pivot tables is not simply reduced to business-related activities but can

How God Organizes People for Effective Action Essay

How God Organizes People for Effective Action - Essay Example Our assigned tasks fit together to complete His plan. God views each of us as a very important puzzle piece, existing to complete the whole. For instance, the Bible speaks of King David who greatly enhanced and extended the kingdom of Israel and established the Judean dynasty. This biblical figure was indeed a historical character. According to Daniel Hillel in his book The Natural History of the Bible, in 1993, excavations at Tel Dan, at the far northern-tip of the state of Israel, uncovered an inscription with an explicit mention of the "House of David". Dr. Michael Denton in his book Nature's Destiny, concluded that, "All the evidence available in the biological sciences supports the core proposition of traditional natural theology -that the cosmos is a specially designed whole with life and mankind as its fundamental goal and purpose, a whole in which all facets of reality, from the size of galaxies to the thermal capacity of water, have their meaning and explanation in this central fact." The world is custom-made for our essence. Daniel Hillel describes in his book, The Natural History of the Bible, the venture to the Promised Land.

Assess the argument that a new era of automation is leading to higher Term Paper

Assess the argument that a new era of automation is leading to higher inequality and threatening the social order - Term Paper Example Nevertheless, the fact that technology has also resulted in the loss of jobs and layoff of some employees in the course of creating efficiency within organizations is also a fact that cannot be denied. The major difficulty therefore arises in the attempt to balance the positive impacts and the negative impacts of technology on economic progress, employment and the consequent social change. Thus, while the proponents of the argument that technological automation is likely to create higher unemployment going forward are pitching their argument on the negative effects that technology has created historically, the opponents of this argument counter it with pointing at the positive effects of employment creation arising from technological automation. Overall, there is no single industry in the global economy that has not felt the impacts of technological changes that have created automation and replaced manual processes. The difference emanates from the fact that; while technological automation has favorably affected certain industries, it has affected the other industries unfavorably (EMSI, n.p.). Thus, whether technological automation increases or decreases unemployment, is all dependent on which industry is affected. For example, a study undertaken by the Economic Modeling Specialists International (EMSI) to assess the impact of automation on job losses in different industries indicated that the tourism industry in the USA has lost 24% of its jobs by laying-off 38,000 workers between 2002 and 2014 (EMSI, n.p.). However, the internet marketing industry created 99,000 new jobs between the same 12 year period running between 2002 and 2014 (EMSI, n.p.). The increase or decrease in employment has a major impact on the social equal ity or inequality within the society, respectively. Nevertheless, it can be easily concluded that a new era

Wal-Mart Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Wal-Mart - Assignment Example This power should not be misused but used judiciously to enhance operations and for the overall growth of the company. Management information is helpful so long as it helps in the decision process but in most cases the systems designer systematically neglects the decision that could be made from the information (Stern, 1970). Instead, it is used to analyze questions by manipulating the data. 2. Management Information Systems Stern (1970) defines management system as an â€Å"automated system, which presents information both internal and external to the business that aids in making a specific set of routine decisions†. Systems are often created with miscellaneous pieces of data but they are seldom used or sometimes even misused. MIS should force the system designer to work with the manager and specify the most relevant data needed. The information generated should help the manager in making better decisions and this difference should be measurable. The definition of MIS implies that it is not worth building an MIS system unless the managers are willing to use it. MIS has never been rightly used as a control system for better decisions. 3. Background – Wal-mart Wal-mart plays a significant role in the US economy. Founded by Sam Walton in 1962, it has grown from a single store to a mammoth international corporation. As of 2007 Wal-mart operated more than 3400 stores and is the largest employer in the United States (Basker, 2007). Its first store opened in 1988 as an experimental format. Wal-mart is the largest retailer in the world with its sales being larger than the sales of the three big retailers combined – Carrefour, Home Depot and Metro. It is the biggest retailer of jewelry and groceries in the United States (Dan, 2002). Twenty-four of all toothpaste is purchased at Wal-mart’s (Dan, 2002). Wal-mart own 18 Lear-jets and employs 60 pilots. Wal-mart’s success is attributed to its expert logistics system and its cost-conscious â€Å"corporate culture† (Basker & Noel, 2009). 4. Importance of MIS for Wal-mart Wal-mart was an early adopter of technology and information system. Wal-mart achieved competitive advant age by being a leader in adopting technology in its operations (Basker, 2007). Wal-mart has three basic philosophies behind their Information system – they run a centralized information system from Arkansas for all their operations; they have common systems and common platforms and their third philosophy is to be merchants first and technologists second (Lundberg, 2002). They allow a great deal of flexibility as well so that people in the local markets can adapt to local situations. Wal-mart defines it success with the customer and everyone at Wal-mart has the same definition of success. Wal-mart believes that their merchants, suppliers, customers and business leaders must have access to information as this helps them to better understand the needs of tomorrow (Rollin, 2008). It has technological edge in inventory control, logistics and distribution. All its stores and distribution centers are connected to the company headquarters through computer network. Wal-mart was also a n early adopted of bar-code technology which reduced the labor cost of processing shipments. The software – Retail Link – helped to bring the suppliers close to the individual stores

The four seasons Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The four seasons - Essay Example Effects of the sun are therefore stronger. The temperatures are high with heat waves and the season brings drought and dry winds. These restrict people’s activities such as agriculture that depend on particular weather conditions. The season also identifies weathering of plants leaves in response to the dry condition so that the plants can minimize water loss to the atmosphere. The weather season also forces people to wear light cloths in order to maintain fair body temperatures. Autumn is another weather season that comes after summer. It is characterized by relatively shorter days than summer is. The weather is cooler and the environment has frost in the morning. It is a transition between summer and winter and can have mild characteristics of either the summer season or the winter season. Shading off tree leaves is another important characteristic of the season. Because of the cooler weather in summer, people change their dressing styles to heavier cloths that suit the moderate weather because changed weather does not favor the light summer cloths. The change in weather and anticipation of less dry conditions also means that people can engage in agricultural activities. The gradual change in weather condition that is witnessed in autumn increases in winter and extreme weather is experienced. The winter season is for example cold and snows are common. Rainfall is more frequent and the low temperatures make it snowy. These extreme environmental factors restrict people’s activities such as movements and means of transport are adversely affected. People are also forced to change their dressing styles to heavier clothes and may have to warm their rooms and houses in order to avoid negative effects of cold. Because of the adverse weather conditions, people restrict their movements and only travel when necessary. Spring follows winter and has less adverse weather conditions. The sun shines more than it does in winter and temperatures are relatively higher.

Not needed Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Not needed - Essay Example I played a lot of field games there too. Did everyone love sports when you were a child and supported it? We did! My brother, my friends and I loved sports; we wanted to play even when the army was firing guns and dropping bombs! But, sadly, the grownups were dead against it of course. Now, that I have children I understand why, but then I loathed them. They did not let us play outside for long, especially during the Black September period. So, the schools in Jordan did not support sports that well? No, the times were not right. My school did though. We had these sporting events where we ran, jumped and played our hearts out to win a copy of the Holy Quran or get a new water bottle and sweets. What sports were you taught at school? Besides physical education, doing exercises and all, we were allowed to sign up for private sports like volleyball, basketball etc. My father paid extra for all of us to make sure we get enough of sports and recreation, so we had access to school supplies of balls and I remember even lying to my parents to stay back after school and practice with friends. Did you want to pursue sports and if yes, were you supported? I knew I was good, my family knew it too but getting into a national team would not have been easy. I did get a lot of time to play and practice but I was never encouraged to take it up as a career. But, Jordan had a National Football Team, why did you not try out? Yes, before I was born the team was good; I have heard my father say so. But then they never qualified for any league cups for the next 3 or 4 decades. So, no one really took the team seriously. Well of course now they play much better, not like Brazil or Argentina, but much better than what they played in the... However, after this low period Jordan faced an â€Å"oil-boom† and the country progressed rapidly. Jordan witnessed rapid growth in a number of sectors both private and public. Everything seemed to get better. During this time, Wameed was in his teens and he was really athletic. He would often accompany his father to the Jordan Homenetnum sporting club. Most of the members were Jordanians while some were Armenian. Wameed and his brothers often played at the club and Wameed was particularly noticed because of his athletic built and good play. Eventually he was absorbed into the club’s soccer team. Wameed played a number of tournaments and represented the team a number of times. His family was really proud of him, especially his father. Wameed recalls how much he loved football. At first he would listen to the radios about soccer leagues around the world, and he would jump up every time a goal was made. At first he was not very sure of the teams and did not support either, soon he learnt about different teams and picked out his favorite ones. However, very soon when things returned to normal his family bought a television. Wameed would spend a lot of time watching sports, no matter he understood them or not. Many of the sports were new to him, since the official rules of games such tennis, badminton etc was not known to him, yet he enjoyed each and every single second of watching. He, also remembers, how he would often sneak in his Palestinian friends, who had never seen a television in their life and watched sports with them. Wameed was specially hooked to the television when he saw soccer matches in the television. He carefully watched each and every move of the players and tried to copy them. He practiced them in his room and tried out the moves when he was playing outside.

On Being an Atheist Essay Example for Free

On Being an Atheist Essay In this article McCloskey writes what he believes as truth in the world we live in. He states that theists believe in a God and that they have â€Å"proofs† that this God exists. In the article he addresses these â€Å"proofs† and in a very academic and respectful way tears them down. He attempts to eliminate all possibilities of the existence of God, through what he calls â€Å"reasons why I believe that atheism is a much more comfortable belief than theism, and why theist should be miserable just because they are theists. † The first issue that McCloskey references to is the â€Å"proofs† that Christians hold to prove that God exist, but as we learned in one of our PointeCast presentations, the reasons Christians believe in God are not exactly proofs, because they cannot scientifically or in any way prove to a point that God does in fact exist. These reasons are arguments, theories and carefully thought out propositions that try their hardest to justify what we believe in. Because of this McCloskey argues that humans should give up on the notion that God exists, yet since there also no way to prove that God does not exist, McCloskey is defeated by his own logic. So if humans are to give up on both the notion that there is or is not a God, then that leaves us with nothing whatsoever to believe in. There is no way to prove that God does or does not exist, what I might believe to be a strong argument for the existence of God, and atheist such as McCloskey might deem nonsense. These â€Å"proofsâ₠¬  are simply and objective argument for the existence of God, thus have to be taken as valid argument, propositions, and theory and not as tangible proof. McCloskey dissects three major arguments being the cosmological proof, the  theological proof, and the argument from design. He takes all these arguments and picks them apart for both atheist and theist to see what he is trying to prove. In all honesty in some cases in these arguments of his I can see what he is trying to prove, yet in the end I have no sense of what he has accomplished with his arguments if he himself cannot prove that God does not exist. The first argument that McCloskey addresses is the Cosmological proof. He states that we cannot possibly assume without proof on an â€Å"an all-powerful, all-perfect, uncaused cause† and to this notion I somewhat agree. The reason being is that this argument does not specify the qualities of a god that could create the universe as it is. Thus the argument simply states that there must have been a first cause or there would have been infinite regress, or in other words gods and that is what the argument is trying to avoid. The next argument that McCloskey addresses is the Theological proof. He states that there cannot be indisputable proofs and examples of design that the whole argument becomes invalid. In this case he is again defeated by his own logic; because once again there is no way that any arguments attempting to prove that God does not exist are indisputable as well. In the world we live we must believe in what we as individuals take to as truth, since there is no possible way that a person can prove or disprove that God does or does not exist. McCloskey is attempting to support his arguments so hard that in the essence of itself he is defeating himself without realizing it. I believe that a perfect example of intelligent design is the human body. There is no possible way that such a complex and amazing creation came from a bunch of cells meshing together. Our bodies are built to live on the earth in a way that is amazingly thought out. The body is functioning, living organism in and of itself with thousands of different parts and pieces all working together to accomplish one goal: to live. The human body is the perfect example to show that intelligent design was indeed included in the universe and in the world today. Though this does not prove that there is one God, it does prove that there is a higher being that created what we are  today. I do not object to the thought of microevolution or even evolution itself, but I do not believe that evolution exterminates the need for intelligent design and a creator. Evolutionists believe that there exist the â€Å"perfect condition† as to what created the cosmos and the world around us, yet all the experiments to prove that this event took place have failed. Again there is the fact that we cannot prove or disprove this belief, while the experiments have failed; there is no way to go back in time and to prove that it indeed does not exist. Yet people must take into account that evolution does not cancel out God, in fact why couldn’t it have been God himself that created the â€Å"perfect condition† that brought into place evolution. McCloskey also addresses the fact that there is imperfection and evil in the world, he states that there could not possibly be a God who would allow this. First of all, the cosmological proof in itself does not tell us the characteristic of the creator, simply that there is one. Secondly a person who believes in God would tell you that there is evil in the world because God gave his creation the right to choose. The choice of the first man and woman of the world which God created chose to sin and brought evil into the world. There is also the fact that I believe McCloskey is being quite bold by stating that there is no divine purpose. After all he is simply a person in the world; he himself is not the creator and definitely does not have all the knowledge of the universe. The fact that McCloskey brings up the presence of evil is quite understandable. I completely understand where he is coming from and have had experiences in my own life with people like this. This is actually a very common argument among atheist and McCloskey is not an exception. It is sometimes hard to accept that fact that evil sometime does in fact fall into God’s Will, even some theist have trouble with the problem of evil when they themselves believe in a â€Å"good God†. In this argument I honestly have trouble as well. It is hard to justify a good person’s murder, or the rape of a young child, or the death of thousands because of a natural disaster. Yet in  the depths of my heart I personally believe that when God created the world it was not as such, it was perfect. When sin entered into the world it brought the evil as well. As for why God allows such evil to take place, that is a harder question and an even more difficult answer. I was brought up to believe that when God sees his creation in pain, it hurts him too; there have been times when I have questioned why God allows certain evils in our lives. The truth is there is no arguments that can make a person feel better in the face of child abuse, rape, murder, suicide, and even natural disasters, yet in the moments when people are hurting the most is when they turn to God. Thus I believe that is the way in which we see the reason there is evil in the world. God did not create the world with evil in place, but he did create a creation that could choose for their selves. Thus in essence the human race suffers from our own choices. McCloskey makes some very valid arguments yet I find that most of them stand empty handed. McCloskey also questions why God would not create a human race with free will to always to choose what is right. To this statement I honestly believe that would not be freewill. The reason that God created man with free will was so that he could love God of his own free will. If God had created man to the point where he could only choose what was good and right then in essence it would not have been free will at all. The beauty of having free will is the fact that God lets you choose, though he knows the choices that you will make, the choices are yours. Whether to love God or to reject God, free will cannot be controlled for then it would not be free will at all. At the end of his article McCloskey states that atheism is a much more comforting belief than theism. He uses the example of an ill child that was dying and that he would find no comfort in knowing there was a God. I on the other hand find that if there was no God and man was here on earth simply to be and that there was no reason for living that the death of a child would be unimportant. This might sounds very cruel but it is the truth. If there is no reason to live then dying is not much of an issue, since there is no afterlife simply the life we have here on earth. I find the fact of not knowing what will happen after death disconcerting. To know that when I die I will be in heaven with God is more than enough to help me through this  life on earth. Atheism to me is a sad religion with no reason for the existence of man. Heaven holds so much for the believer, peace, no pain, and an eternal home with God. Atheism to me is the religion that is the most miserable to live with, not theism. The greatest reason being that if there is no God, no afterlife, no salvation; then when death is on your doorsteps there is no hope only despair and fear of the nothingness beyond the grave. I cannot live believing there is no reason to live here on earth, knowing God loves and has a place for me in heaven is what helps me live on this Earth. References Craig, William L. Reasonable faith: Christian truth and apologetics. 3rd Ed. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2008. 71-90. Evans, C. S., Manis, R. Z. Philosophy of religion: Thinking about faith. 2nd Ed. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2009. McCloskey, H. J. Question 1: On being an atheist. 1968. 51-54.

Change Model Essay Example for Free

Change Model Essay The aim of this essay is to critically analyse the background of the Qantas and its decision to launch Jetstar on May 2004 that operated around 800 flights a week across network of 14 destinations within Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane. Secondly, this essay will evaluate how Data Collection Feedback Cycle change model is used to gather major information and to critically analyse it. Thirdly, this essay will critically evaluate the background of Qantas and Virgin Blue and will also highlight various reasons that eventually led the Qantas group for the launch of the Jetstar. Fourthly, this essay will also critically analyse the revenue and profit performance of Qantas prior the introduction of Jetstar i.e. 2002. Fifthly, it will continue to critically evaluate the trend in Qantas and Virgin Blue in 2003. Then the sixth paragraph will also critically evaluate the trend in Qantas after the launch of Jetstar. Lastly, the essay will also look into the annual reports of the year 2005-2009 and critically analyse the significant value added by the Jetstar to the Qantas group; and will critically analyse whether the executive decision of Qantas to launch Jetstar in order to retain the 60% domestic aviation market from its competitors has been a strategic success or not. This paragraph will critically analyse the change management information gathered to launch Jetstar low cost airline in May 2004 by using the Data Collection Feedback Cycle change model. Nadler (1977) as cited in Cumming and Worley (2009:122) highlights that the Data Collection Feedback model consists of five phases that are (1) planning to collect data, (2) collecting data, (3) analysing data, (4) feeding back data and (5) following up on the data collected. In planning to Gather information to justify change Nadler (1977) argues that primary methods such as, direct interviews with CEO and key change agents, observing and identifying the need for change and the use of un obstructive measure as sampling technique, force field analysis and scatter diagrams, could be used to gather major information. In contrast Danaher have used various published data to trace the evolution of the Jetstar strategy of its initial position, to its efforts to attain price competitiveness and service parity, followed by its highly focused, cost-effective service delivery strategy. Based on it they have developed a hierarchical model with parameters estimated at the  individual level. This allows us to study not only how service design and pricing initiatives shift the perceived performance of Jetstar relative to its competitors but also how the airline can move market preferences toward areas in which it has competitive advantage. After done with the planning of the collection of data from competitors performance on its revenue, sales profits, passenger numbers and market share in 2002, 2003 and 2004 against Qantas key performance indicators for the same period between 2002, 2003 and 2004 from the Annual Reports of both Virgin Blue and Qantas domestic operations. Nadler (1977), after the data has been collected data they are analysed using the qualitative change data such as directors report, World Business Briefing /Australia: Airline Profit(2004).The reminder of this essay will critically analyse the data collected from secondary sources such as Annual Reports, newspaper articles and journal articles to analysis the data sourced to evaluate what would be the most effective change to be implemented by Qantas in responding to Virgin Blue competition the Australian aviation domestic sectors. This paragraph will evaluate the basic background of Qantas and Virgin Blue and will also highlight various reasons that eventually led the Qantas group for the launch of the Jetstar. After the deregulation of Australian aviation market there were several airline companies entering the market however the most significant entrance was of low fare airlines Impulse in June and Virgin Blue in August 2000. The arrival of Impulse Airlines and Virgin Blue doubled the number of players and dramatically challenged the stable duopoly of Qantas (after its merger with Australian Airlines) and Ansett, setting off a vicious price war (Traca, D., 2004). However, Impulse facing a major trouble in the cash flow agreed on May 1, 2001 to hand over its operations to its biggest rival, Qantas Airways. As per the deal Impulse stopped its passenger service under its own name on May 14 and leased 21 aircraft as well as cabin crews and pilots to Qantas. The deal led the stock of Qantas heaved by 26% closing at $3.40 per share giving Qantas a significantly stronger position in the Australian market (Gaylord, 2001). Qantas, Australia’s leading domestic and international carries launched a budget airline called Jetstar in May 2004 (Qantas annual report, 2004). With Jetstar Qantas’s aim was to cover the low fare segment of the aviation  industry, which came into existence in the year 2000 with its competitor, Virgin Blue. Virgin had been successfully eating up QANTAS market share by attacking it from below as a no frills provider. In 2001 the collapse of Ansett in domestic market, led Qantas to lease extra flights, add hundreds of special flights in order to help stranded travellers due to Ansett crisis. At the time Qantas flew more than 50,000 former Ansett passengers for free and other 65,000 on heavily discounted fares. Due to this Qantas was able to deliver a profit before tax of $631m and net profit after tax of $428 million at the end of 2002, 30 June, despite of the fact that the world’s aviation market was suffering from â€Å"constant shock syndrome†, due to the September 11 attack followed by bombings in Bali, the war in Iraq and of course the devastating outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (Qantas annual report, 2003). The shutdown of Ansett also highly benefitted Virgin Blue, since the event provided a wide opportunity for Virgin Blue to grow rapidly and become Australia’s second leading domestic carrier. In 2000 it started with only one route (Brisbane to Sydney) with two aircrafts and a team of just 200 people. In 2001, with the opportunity to widen its market segment, 14 new routes were launched (virginaustralia – history). The aim of this paragraph is to highlight how Qantas and Virgin Blue became the only two players in the Australian domestic aviation market in 2002. It will also look in to the key financial indicators of both the companies so that a comparison could be drawn out. In 2002 there were only two companies that survived the fare war of 2000-2001. One of them was Qantas that gained 80% of the domestic market share following Ansetts cessation. Whereas, the number of international passenger declined by 11% which makes an average decline of about 25% in global aviation market (Traca, D., 2004). In the same year Qantas domestic carried 1485 million passengers making a RPK of $2034 million and the ASK of $2503 million (Traffic and capacity statistics, 2002). Qantas announced its financial results for the year ended 30th June 2002. As per the financial result the company had $631 million of profit before tax, a net profit after tax of $million, revenue of $ 10,968.8 million and earnings per share of 29.1 cents (Qantas annual report, 2002). The other survivor of the fare war, Virgin Blue managed to emerge as second Australian Domestic carrier, covering of about 20% of the domestic market  (Traca, D., 2004). Due to its strategic low operating cost and soaring market share, it was able to achieve net profit before tax of $34.8 million and revenue of $388.3 million. In this year the airline carried 3.2 million passengers, its traffic as measured by RPK’S was 3169 million, capacity measured by ASK’S was 3898 million (Virgin Blue annual report, 2004). In March 2002 Patrick Corporation, the premier port cargo handler, bought 50% of the airline. This change made Godfrey, chief executive of Virgin Blue confident about the enlargeme nt of the domestic operation and also expansion into the international market with service to South Pacific (Traca, D., 2004). This paragraph critically analyses the key financial indicators of the Qantas and the Virgin Blue of the year 2003. It will also highlight how Virgin Blue concentrating only of the leisure domestic market was slowly overcoming the market share of Qantas. In 2003 Qantas domestic carried 1768 million passengers making a RPK of $2262 million and the ASK of $2683 million (Traffic and capacity statistics, 2003). Qantas announced its financial results for the year ended 30th June 2003. As per the financial result the company had $502.3 million of profit before tax, a net profit after tax of $343.5 million, revenue of $11,374.9 million and earnings per share of 20 cents (Qantas annual report 2003). Speaking of announcements, in the Annual General Meeting held on 16th October 2003 it was announced that â€Å"the airline is investigating the establishment of separate domestic low cost airline to service the leisure market in Australia† (Preliminary monthly traffic and capacity statistics, July 2003).In this same year Virgin Blue carried 6.8 million passengers, its traffic as measured by RPK’S was 7194 million, capacity measured by ASK’S was 9078 million. Taking advantage of the fact that Virgin Blue had no other competitor serving the price sensitive market of Australia, it earned revenue of $914.6 million, compared to previous year the revenue earned up roared by 135.5% and the number of passengers carried also increased by 107% (Virgin Blue annual report, 2003). This paragraph will critically analyse the launch of Jetstar in May 2004 and the changes that it brought in the key financial indicators of Qantas and as well as of Virgin Blue. Following the announcement made in 2003 Annual  General Meeting Qantas Introduced Jetstar in May 2004. In the first year Jetstar alone carried 273,000 passengers. Prior Jetstar Qantas already had Qantas Domestic and Qantas Link serving domestic passengers. With these three Qantas in total carried 1973 million passengers. Compared to 2003/04 the number increased by 9.4% (Traffic and capacity statistics, 2004). In the same year Total Domestic (Qantas, Qantas Link and Jetstar) traffic was measured in Revenue Passenger Kilometres (RPKs) of $2451 million while capacity, measured in Available Seat Kilometres (ASKs) increased to $3021 million (Traffic and capacity statistics, 2004). On 19 August 2004, Qantas announced its financial results for the year ended 30 June 2004. In the announcement it was stated that the company had achieved a profit before tax of $964.6 million and a net profit after tax of $648.4 million. Similarly, $11.4 billion of revenue, earning per share of 35.7 cents (Qantas annual report, 2004/05). Despite increasing domestic competition during the year Virgin Blue continued to show strong growth and profitability. During the year Virgin Blue carried over 10million (m) passengers, an increase of 53% compared to previous year. Doubling its passenger number the third time in a row in this same year it welcomed its 20 millionth passenger. Its revenue for the 2004 financial year was $1362.3million which is 49% more than the previous year. In the same year profit before tax was up by 45% to 226.2million and a Net Profit After Tax of 158.5million (Virgin blue annual report, 2004). Till March 31, 2004 Virgin Blue had 44 Boeing Net Generation 737 – 700 737 -800 aircraft out of which 36 were leased and 8 were owned. However, during the year the fleet was increased by 15 aircrafts. Since the day of establishment Virgin Blue was committed to keep its cost base low and they are continuously working through it so that they could consistently provide their customers with low fares travel. Their cost per ASK for the financial year 2004 was 8.16 cents whereas a year before it was 8.48 cents. A decrease of 3.5% put the company on a good front in terms of scale and productivity (Virgin blue annual report 2004). The Australian discount airline Virgin Blue, has won 30% of the market from Qantas, the national carrier, which will introduce a low-fare airline, Jetstar. Fare surcharges are being imposed by both groups as fuel pri ces rise (Shaw, 2004). Jetstars initially offered $48 for Melbourne to Hobart route and from $54 for Sydney to the resorts south of Brisbane. The price was similar  to what the price Virgin Blue was offering at the same period. All Jetstar flights offered one class of travel, with unreserved seating. In contrast Virgin Blue offered assigned seating and baggage connections to final destinations (Henly, 2004). This paragraph critically analyse the key indicators for Qantas and Virgin Blue for launching Jetstar in May 2004. It is very clear with the annual report that Jetstar has been profitable ever since it was launched in the year 2004 (Jetstar Media centre). However, the road wasn’t quiet smooth in the initial years. From its launch Jetstar was exclusively using a â€Å"low price† message in its communication, but it was lagging way behind Virgin Blue in terms of quality. The Jetstar overall quality disadvantage was greater at 22.3% (6.02 versus 7.75) (Danaher et.al, 2011. pp. 586 -594, Fig 3). Jetstar was already appealing on the price front, and then it addressed its deficit in quality and tackled that by focusing on some specific sub attributes (not disclosed by the company) that provided Jetstar a good opportunity to overcome the point of difference with Virgin Blue. Then the price perception of Jetstar relative to Virgin Blue dramatically improved from 6.9% deficit in March 2008 to 2.5% deficit in only 3months i.e. 7.42 versus 7.62 (Danaher et.al, 2011. pp. 586 -594, Fig 3). Since the establishment the main concern as a parent company for Qantas Group was that whether Jetstar would financially be profitable in its own right. Hence, it did by earning revenue of $1.020 billion, $1.414 billion, and $1.605 billion in the year 2007, 2008, and 2009 respectively. It was 7%, 10%, 12% of Qantas group revenue respectively (Qantas annual report, 2009). Similarly, in the same order the profit earned was $79 million, $104 million and $118 million (Danaher et.al, 2011. pp. 586 -594, Table 2). Similarly, speaking of market share of Jetstar, it has increased by 29% from the year 2008-2009. Earlier with the perceived mediocre price competitiveness and low quality it was in a poor position as compared to Virgin Blue, whereas, with the necessary remedies taken within the 1st quarter of 2008 it was in position almost equal to Virgin Blue in terms of covering the large proportion of the target market. Jetstar Market Share of Domestic Australian Leisure Air Travel was 14% in the first quarter of 2008, with the changes made the market share increased to 14.6% and it gradually kept on increasing and it had 18.1% of market share in March 2009. Further, with the increase in profit it improved its perceptual position, whereas,  Virgin Blue has remained relativ ely stationary. In conclusion if we are to pay close attention to the domestic growth strategies of the country’s largest airline company; Qantas, its decision of launching Jetstar seems be a successful strategic decision. It was matter of concern that the Virgin Blue an airline company focusing on the price sensitive market would whether survive the competition with 82 year old veteran airline company. However, with its striking approach of low fare Virgin Blue today covers 35% market share of the domestic aviation sector. By critically evaluating the financial indicators of both companies for the year 2002-2004 and also following the series of events, it becomes quiet clear that though Virgin Blue had started small it managed to cover 20% of the target market in 2002. In further years concentrating only in the no frill travel it was able to hold the 30% of the market share, which became a matter of concern for Qantas because though it was making more profits then Virgin Blue it was losing it domestic market grip, therefore, led to the launch of Jetstar. However, even after the Launch of Jetstar Qantas performance was not like it was expected because in the year 2004 Qantas domestically carried only 2061 million passengers which were only 88 million more than the last year. However, with the necessary major changes (not disclosed by the company) Jetstar alone was able to regain the market share of 18.1% by March 2009. REFERENCE LIST Gaylord, B. (2001). Qantas to Absorb Competitor As Fare War Takes a Victim. The New York Times; Business Day. 11Shaw, J. (2004). World Business Briefing /Australia: Airline Profit. The New York Times; Business Day. Henly, G, S. (2004). Travel Advisory; New Offshot of Qantas Offers Lower Fares. The New York Times; Travel Danaher. J. P., Roberts. H. J., Roberts. K., Simpson. A. (2011). Applying a Dynamic Model of Consumer Choice to Guide Brand Development at Jetstar Airways. Marketing Science, 30(4), 586 – 594. Doi: 10.1287/mksc.1100.0619 Traca. D., (2004). Virgin Blue Fighting With National Champion. INSEAD, 5179. Traffic and Capacity Statistics. Retrieved from: http://www.qantas.com.au/travel/airlines/investors-traffic-statistics/global/en Jetstar Media Centre. Retrieved from: http://www.jetstar.com/mediacentre/facts-and-stats/jetstar-group Nadler, D. (1977). cited in Cumming and Worley (2009). Organization development change, 9th edition, South- Western Cengage Learning. Qantas annual report (2002). Retrieved from http://www.qantas.com.au/infodetail/about/investors/2002AnnualReport.pdf Qantas annual report (2003). Retrieved from http://www.qantas.com.au/infodetail/about/investors/2003AnnualReport.pdf Qantas annual report (2004). Retrieved from http://www.qantas.com.au/infodetail/about/investors/2004AnnualReport.pdf Virgin Blue annual report (2004). Retrieved from http://www.virginaustralia.com/cs/groups/internetcontent/@wc/documents/webcontent/~edisp/annual-rpt-2004-a3.pdf

How Does Pick n Pay Address Inclusivity?

How Does Pick n Pay Address Inclusivity? What social responsibility activities does Pick N Pay take part in? Introduction: For businesses studies this year we have been given the task of choosing companies we are going to evaluate on their corporate social responsibility and ethical behavior. This secondary research project will analyse the corporate governance that the JSE (private) companies uphold. All companies are part of a larger holding group and abide by certain codes, rules and ethics. Our aim is to decide which company between the two we have chosen is better governed. Abstract: This task requires us to choose and consider the corporate governance that the JSE listed companies uphold. Research and evidence will be collected to prove our investigation. A conclusion will be made as to what extent and which of the two companies is better governed overall. Methodology: This project required a lot of research and therefore lots of time was spent on the internet looking up all the necessary information. My main information came from the internet sites of the two companies, Spur and Pick n Pay. Both website pages were very useful and provided me with their mission and vision. I also visited a Pick n Pay store and more information was collected there. I also used my own knowledge of the two companies as I have grown up being aware of both Spur and Pick n Pay and as a family we often shop at Pick n Pay stores. Choice of Companies: Pick n Pay: Choosing Pick n Pay as the general retailer I would focus on for this project was very easy. Everyday families buy products from different retail stores namely Checkers, Spar, Woolworths and Pick n Pay. Because we are so involved in these shops and have such a limited choice of retail food stores I thought it would be interesting to see their contribution to corporate social responsibility. A lot of consumers are unaware of a businesses behind the scene ethical practices and I think it is important one realises the significance of large groups like The Pick n Pay Holdings limited group to give back to the community and contribute to sustainable projects. Because of such a wide range of socio-economical issues in Africa businesses need to focus on them and be able to sustain that project. I have heard a lot about Pick n Pay contributions to society and often are exposed to it by visiting their shops (bandanas for sale for the sunflower fund). CSR has a huge impact on the businesses p ublic image and I wanted to investigate why people would or would not want to support Pick n Pay as their grocery store. Introduction into businesss micro environment: A sound mission: We serve With our hearts we create a great place to be With our minds we create an excellent place to shop Key values: We nurture leadership and vision, and reward innovation We are passionate about our customers and will fight for their rights We care for, and respect each other We take individual responsibility We support and participate in our communities We are all accountable We live by honesty and integrity (Anonymous n.d) The Pick n Pay Store limited board runs on a flat organisational structure and has the overall responsibility of all the stores. The board consists of eight non-executive directors and five executive directors. Operational responsibility is divided up into three main groups: The Pick n Pay retail division, the Group enterprises division and the Franklin division. Each division has its own management board and they, as the board members believe this structure allows local operations to make decisions, be accountable for their actions and grow personally. Flat organisational structure: Some people in the lower levels are given more responsibility and fewer managers are needed Senior manager Middle managers Workers The company also believes in decentralisation and this means each store is responsible for everything they do, including budgets, marketing and operations. Each business is responsible for everything they do but run overall by the board of the Pick n Pay Holding limited group The board is assisted by groups of specialised people, one of which is the corporate governance group which ensures all the correct structures are in line with both national and international standards and are appropriate and effective Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainability: Definition: Corporate social responsibility: CSR is about how companies manage the business processes to produce an overall positive impact on society. (Baker n.d.) Since 2005 Pick n Pay have published an annual report to give to suppliers, customers and employees. This focuses and is dedicated solely to their Corporate Social responsibility and sustainability plans as well as the increasing attention customers are placing on companies to be socially responsibility. Pick n Pay has a dedicated General Manger, Tessa Chamberlin whose specific task is to ensure that their sustainable strategies reach their full potential. In conjunction with this Pick N Pay, in 1990 launched their green range of products AND completed its first environmental inspection. Not only do Pick n Pay focus on outreach and community involvement, they are concerned about the sustainability of where there food products and ingredients come from. Pick n Pay are also involved and are one of the main sponsors in the carbon disclosure project which is aimed at growing and processing organic products. In 2007 Pick n Pay contributed R47 million on social initiatives. Pick N Pay stri ve to be practical on there approach to there responsibility to their consumers and communities in which they operate. Pick n Pay aims: Formulating a vision and action plan that is sustainable Appointing a General Manager that promotes sustainable development R30 million over the next 3 years to encourage broad-based black economic empowerment Investments in promoting staff training and development Looking into some of there other CSR which includes (Broader social responsibility): Activities to reduce our impact on the environment: Projects to conserve energy and water consumption A waste, energy and water assessment study . Initiatives to decrease the impacts of transportation All coolants containing CFCs have been stopped. Investigating further packaging to decrease waste produced Alternative locally produced, and more environmentally friendly Green Bag shopping bags are made available to shoppers. Corporate social investment: Total expenditure on CSI : R46 million Focusing on education and literacy; entrepreneurial development; access to primary health care; assistance to the disabled, street children, Aids sufferers; HIV/Aids prevention and support programmes; road safety; housing; feeding schemes; and sponsoring various sporting events. (Marketing division of Pick n Pay n.d.) Campaigns like the Sunflower Fund for the bone marrow registry, the Kids in Parks initiative; and the Pick n Pay School Club programme. The Board of directors, management and all employees are committed to a high standard of corporate governance. Pick n Pay take pride in moral and ethical business standards. The Pick n Pay Holdings Limited group is committed to transparent business practices. The Board is committed to complying in all material respects with the principles contained in the King II report, as well as to the additional requirements for good corporate governance stipulated in the JSE SRI Index. (Marketing division of Pick n Pay n.d.) King II Report on Corporate Governance King II states: The Board is responsible for the total process of risk management, as well as for forming an opinion on the effectiveness of the process; The Board should set the risk strategy policies in liaison with executive directors, and senior management; The Board must decide the companys appetite or tolerance for risk; The Board should make use of generally recognised risk management and internal control models and frameworks in order to maintain a sound system of risk management and internal control to provide reasonable assurance regarding the achievement of organisational objectives; and The Board is responsible for ensuring a systematic, documented assessment of the processes and outcomes surrounding key risks is undertaken, at least annually, for the purpose of making its public statement. (Marketing division of Pick n Pay n.d.) Is it Sustainable? Although a lot of Pick n Pays CSR is contributing money towards various charities and organisations, I think they are also very involved in the community. They do many projects that run once in a year for example the kids in parks project mentioned above, the Sunflower Fund for the bone marrow registry, the Quadriplegic Association of South Africa (QASA) and the Pick n Pay School Club programme. However all these projects are with -standing and are all still functioning today in society. Socio- Economic issues and strategies used: Although Pick n Pay do a lot of CSR I have decided to focus on one specific project. Pick n Pay are very involved in corporate social responsibility and address almost all socio-economic issues including education, poverty, the environment, sponsorship for sporting events and diseases like cancer (sunflower fund) I have chosen a project called Kids in Parks which Pick n Pay has been involved in and a sponsor of for 5years. This project entails both environmental and local community social responsibility and therefore addresses both environmental and underprivileged children/poverty issues. The Kids in Parks initiative uses money from plastic bag sales at Pick n Pay. R1 from every R5 bag sold is donated to a special environmental fund which is now the financial support for the Kids in Parks project. Because of the 2003 legislation put in place by government people now have to buy plastic bags. Consumers are more aware of the importance of keeping bags to re-use and therefore this has had a huge reduction in the number of plastic bags in circulation and litter in the environment. The sale of over 9 million Pick n Pay Green Bags made it possible for them to make available resources for over 20 000 children to participate in this project. Sixteen national parks are used and Pick n Pay has purchased 3 60 seater buses to transport the underprivileged children from the local community to and from the parks. Pick n Pay also sponsor meals, T- Shirts, goodie bags and equipment needed for the fun day. The children stay overnight in dorms and are provided with all the necessary learning equipment. The Kids in Parks Programme provides a unique opportunity for learners and their educators to visit a national park and learn a lot about natural and cultural heritage. The three-day programme allows for loads of discovery, learning and fun for kids.(South African National Parks 2010) The programme shows the importance of national parks to children from an underprivileged background. The children learn to identify, name and describe different fauna and flora. The children learn about biodiversity and how to sustain and look after our environment. Activities make learners aware of water conservation and also allow children to look into different environmental careers that are available. The Kids in Parks initiative is being phased in over a period of three years. Each year five different parks will welcome ten groups of 50 learners and 2 teachers. This means that eventually a total of 7 500 learners, 300 educators from 150 primary schools will have visited 15 parks. The programme is a partnership between SANParks, Pick n Pay and the departments of Environmental Affairs and Tourism (DEAT) and Education (DoE) (South African National Parks 2010) Code of Ethics Pick n Pay ensures that all employees act with the top level of honesty and respect. Pick n Pay was one of the first companies to make a real commitment to corporate social responsibility and they do this by acting in a manner which portrays good corporate governance. They are unbending in their view of their code of Ethics and ensure that all employees follow these rules. New employees are trained and are sensitive to their CSR involvement. Pick n Pay take pride in having in depth knowledge of every aspect of their business, be it operations, interaction with society, environmental involvement and customer satisfaction. This knowledge is always communicated through their comprehensive training schemes in an ethical, honest and respectful manner, whether it is with employees or suppliers, customers and the general public at large. The maintenance and on going development of their code of ethics coupled with their CSR programs is constantly monitored by their board of directors. Any d eviations from their code of ethics are addressed through their disciplinary review procedures. Choice of companies: Spur: I chose Spur because it is a well known, well established brand and therefore should be doing corporate social responsibility. Spur has international outlets and are aware of international standards of corporate governance. Spur South Africa has achieved huge growth this year with turnover increasing to over R2.2 billion, is an increase in corporate social responsibility and governance programs responsible for this growth? Spur targets the fast growing middle class population group in South Africa in the family sit down restaurant market. They are in an ideal position to capatalise on this market although there is huge competition in this sector. They should therefore execute social responsibility programs and show good corporate governance to keep their market share. Introduction into businesss micro environment: The Spur Corporation listed on the JSE in 1986 and currently has 240 franchised spur steak ranches The Spur Corporation assists all their franchisees both before and after opening. The well-trained operations team provides consistent back up and support to all franchises. The Spur corporation are very involved in all there franchise companies. This team ensures Spur upholds the brand name and quality food they are expected to provide. The board comprises of one independent non-executive director, three non-executive directors and six executive directors. The board meets twice annually, the non-executive directors can have direct access to management without the directors being present. This allows problems, if they do occur to be sorted out. Spur corporation is centralised as: Marketing- dedicated marketing team that come up with new ideas for all franchises to use such as promotions and flyers Procurement and manufacturing- there is a manufacturing facility which is responsible for the testing of products Training- dedicated team of trainers who ensure that the franchisees and employees have the necessary skills These divisions are headed up at the head office. Because Spur steak ranches is a franchise the board requires all franchisees to remain at the same standard, these operations named above are headed-up at the head office to ensure this does happen. This structure will minimize duplication of effort and documents. Head office Franchisees: Spur Panarottis John Dorys Vision and Mission Our vision is to be the best family sit-down restaurant in the markets in which we trade. Our mission is to be dedicated at all times to our customers andÂÂ  employees to provide a taste for life for our customers and be a great place to work for our employees. (Spur Corporation,2003) Other micro- environment challenges which Spur has faced in the current year are high rentals, increased costs of electricity rates and taxes, reduced disposable income of customers, high food price inflation and increased wage demands. Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainability: Spur Corporation is committed to achieving high standards of corporate governance to protect the interests of the company and its shareholders The group endorses the Code of Corporate Practices and Conduct as exemplified in the King Committee report on Corporate Governance( King 2) Governance structures are continually enhanced to take account of changes within the group and ongoing developments within corporate governance (Spur Corporation,2003) Spur is very conscious and committed to improving the lives of disadvantaged people in South African through the use of there brand. The Spur Corporation assists in the upliftment of the communities focusing mainly on people development through sport. Corporate social responsibility is an essential part of Spur. Spur has established many community-focused events for disadvantaged children. Funds generated from these events are used for a feeding initiative in rural schools. The Spur Corporation in conjunction with Joint Aid Management (Non profit organisation) provides meals to 350000 throughout SA daily. Sport and recreational events: Spur soccer Masidlale (lets play) is a series of one-day soccer learning clinics. National Schools Mountain Biking league receive continued support for the development of young cyclists Spur adventure provides a fun day for the family Rugby development- Spur is committed to transformation at a schools level partnering with FNB to present classic clashes on TV. Spur also sponsor disadvantaged rugby playing schools Annual charity golf tour- raised over R300 000 for the development of underprivileged potential players and food for many schemes HIV/AIDS: an AIDS awareness campaign has been established for the past seven years Spur, because of their adventure image have used sport as their corporate social responsibility outlet. Is it sustainable? These projects are definitely sustainable as they have long term aims of continuing the projects established. . Through sport disadvantaged children are being taught valuable life skills including team work and personal gain. Children will be able to use the skills they learn throughout their lives and will get much enjoyment out of playing sport. Often disadvantaged children are depressed and unhappy and sport can be a recreational outlet for them to enjoy. Socio- Economic issues and strategies used: Spur is very limited in the socio-economic issues they address however I decided to focus on the Spur Soccer Masidlale initiative which uses soccer as a bases to integrate children from all walks of life. This initiative is part of Spur Corporations corporate social investment (CSI) This experience is a fun and interactive. Properly qualified coaches conduct the standardised drill sessions which are followed by a mini-tournament. The Spur Corporation sponsors lunch for all players, soccer kit, equipment as well as the coaches. Every child involved will receive their own soccer ball. Last year the theme of the initiative was Self discipline which is being followed up this year with the theme of Follow your leader This programme ensures the coaches revisit the schools regularly, enforcing the learning experience. Spur has collaborated once again with Joint Aid Management to feed less fortunate children which will also experience the Spur Soccer Masidlale clinics. The aim: To ensure the youth of South Africa maintain a healthy, active lifestyle. This is why Spur has partnered with the Supersport initiative, Lets Play which aims to get children into the outdoors and enjoying the fresh air. Together, with the same direction in mind they want to get children off the streets and playing sport. This project can contribute towards decreasing crime to self esteem issues. Children need a good basis of moral education and programmes like this one can provide this. Sport is fun and one has to work in a team to achieve a common goal. This program encourages children to follow their dream and introduces them to soccer at a young age. This will help them to find their own identity and promote a life free of alcohol and drugs. A participant enjoying a Spur hamburger A team wearing the sponsored soccer kit Eating a Spur hamburger Eating a Spur hamburgerCode of Ethics Spur requires all their employees to maintain the highest moral and ethical standards with all stakeholders including 1) relationships with other collegues 2) interaction with suppliers in order to meet stringent supply and food safety requirements 3) Bond with customers 4) enhanced interaction with corporate governance structures and NGO groups 5) establishment of remuneration committees as part of their corporate governance program 6) interaction with employee groups for example labour unions, environmental interest groups and disadvantaged In dealing with all stakeholders Spur adheres to the principles contained in their code of Ethics, these principles are : integrity, honesty and good faith, impartiality, transparency and openness, accountability and responsibility(Spur Corporation,2003) This code of Ethics does not mention CSR but does detail how they go about dealing with society in an ethical, moral manner. Analysis of information, comparison and opinion Pick n Pay and Spur: The outlook for Spur is very positive. There financial performance is underpinned by a sound, well thought out corporate governance program, which includes: an audit committee, remuneration committee, risk committee, nominations committee and operational committee. These groups ensure the running of the company is smooth and the public can then be reassured the company is practicing ethical behavior and good governance. This linked with there proposed restaurant growth in South Africa coupled with the 2010 Fifa world Cup will mean that the potential for Spur to become more involved in CSR is there (more money to contribute and make use of) I think Spur need to make the public more aware of their CSR to boost their public image and therefore, becoming more involved will be an advantage and not seen as money spent without return on investment (ROI) However, the spur corporation as a hole focuses on growth and customers and needs to become aware of the need for the businesses to get more involved in CSR. Pick n Pay are very involved in CSR and show a real interest in giving back and doing good in the community. They show this by doing a broad range of CSR that help many different socio-economic problems. Pick n Pay are involved in projects that are not just once off and require a commitment form the business to be sustainable. The Pick n Pay holdings limited group are encouraging good corporate governance across all stores and this is proven in their code of ethics and CSR programmes. VS Discussion and Conclusion Definition: Corporate governance is the set of processes, customs, laws and institutions affecting the way a corporation (or company) is directed, administrated or controlled. Corporate governance also includes the relationships among the many stakeholders involved and the goals for which the corporation is governed. The principle stakeholders are the shareholders, management, and the board of directors. Other stakeholders include employees, customers, creditors, suppliers, and the community at large. Looking at the evidence presented above Pick n Pay is better governed. Although both companies have corporate governance programs in place one can see that Pick n Pay are more committed to their ethical behavior/ corporate governance and CSR. Spur corporations only uses sport to promote CSR where as Pick n Pay has a comprehensive list of different CSR programs they are involved in. Pick n Pay addresses a range of socio-economic issues like education, poverty, the environment and diseases, Spur focuses on the upliftment of children in South Africa. Pick n pay uses there involvement in so many CSR programmes to promote their positive image to the public and therefore having a good effect on sales. Pick n Pay have an extensive view and plan on promoting both broad based and primary bases social responsibility. They have put together a code to develop the Pick n Pay employees (as seen under the corporate social responsibility and sustainability heading). By being corporate social respons ible Pick n Pay are giving back to the society and the environment and at the same time promoting there good corporate governance. Looking at Pick n Pays social involvement and promoting the well being of their own employees who are encouraged to be ethical and work with integrity Pick n Pay does uphold corporate governance.

Annexation In Texas :: essays research papers

The legal authority of Texas cities to annex, and the reasons Texas has been a liberal annexer as well as why the pace of annexation has slowed since 1970 are numerous. In retrospect, this paper will discuss and bring to the table some of the finer points of these statements.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Annexation was, for a long time, a typical proceeding in Texas. Everything from anthropomorphic ideologies to governmental necessities is typically discussed amongst the municipalities and councils that govern and operate Texas cities, as to why a specific place should be annexed. In the earliest days, this country was founded by Masonic people who believed firmly in a tenant called E pluribus Unum, meaning from many one. As this statement suggests, we were the formational creation from many states into one consistent union.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Annexation works pretty much the same way, in that a larger body envelops and consumes the smaller one into itself, so that the larger may prosper. As could be said of the residents in our own city of Houston, Bellaire was only recently annexed to the dismay and objection of its citizens. This would preclude to the ideology of Thomas Aquinas, inasmuch as he discussed Veritatis Splendor Aterna Infernum, meaning the splendor of truth is an eternal hell. The truth being that the residents of Bellaire did not really have any coinciding choice in the matter, and thence having to live through the hell of Houston politics as an example of Texas annexation. The ending outcome for this meant for them that their police department, waste disposal, and fire departments would now be governed by Houston as a whole.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the 1970’s the Texas laws changed yet again, not allowing anyone to annex larger amounts of land and thus throwing the governing bodies to a significant halt. During the 70’s, Texas cities maintained their tax base through annexation of land and subsequently when the free flowing waters of taxes began to halt so the cities started to decay, very similar in nature to the dilapidation of the North.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Also, as a major consequence for government here in Texas (both at the state and local levels, respectively), was to preserve the health of the states major cities in the face of economic and demographic change. With this in mind, our viewpoints were redirected during that period towards the consummation of our cities, and in turn, allowed the cities in Texas to grow and rebirth.

Paintballing :: essays research papers

paintballing   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Paintballing is a fairly new sport that takes a combination of good equipment, athleticism, and skill. This sport was invented when â€Å" A friend of ours found this gun in a agricultural catolouge that was used by cattlemen to mark cows. It wasn’t long afterwords that we bought two of these things and had ourselves a little duel. After it was over we knew that we had stumbled apon something great† –Hayes Noel. Paintballing is a fairly easy concept to explain, One team essentially hunt the other team. Players are armed with paint filled marble sized balls that when shot, travel at about 60 mph.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are many different forms of this game that can be played. There is the most popular game which is single elimination, or if you are hit once (and the paintball breaks), then you must remove yourself from the game. Another game is capture the flag, two armed teams both have flags at an assigned station. You have to capture the other teams flag and bring it to your teams station without getting eliminated. The last game that i will tell you about was also the first game. Two armed players stand back to back, with only one shot, a third person tells the two players to take ten paces and after the players have gone the required distance, they turn and shoot. If one person hits the other, they win.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The euqipment of paintballing is very advanced, in the begining, no saftey gear was required. Now, it is mandatory. Each player MUST wear a mask. The average player will be armed with a gun, a co2 or nitrogen tank, and about 200-400 stored paintballs that are kept in pods. A mid quality semi automatic gun can be purchased for about $100. But prices can range up to $1000.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The question that most people ask when purchasing a gun ask â€Å"What kind of gun do I want? Well, it depends what you want. If you are a new paintballer and want a gun to play around with, then you might look into buying a Wal-Mart pump action gun. If you want a quality gun that will perform in a game, then you want a semi- automatic gun that costs from 100-200 dollars.

The Stoic Tradition Essay -- Philosophy Religion Essays

The Stoic Tradition In the approximate year of 320 B.C., one could be walking down the street with a high probability of passing a house where several men would be gathered out on the porch. It is likely that this was a gathering of individuals discussing philosophy. The gatherings became a more common occurrence, and since they would take place out on the porches, the school of philosophy derived from them takes its name from the Greek stoa, or porch. The ideology of that movement is henceforth known as Stoicism. Also, the Stoics have come to use the statement made by Socrates as the cornerstone of their judgments, being that "no harm can come to a good man." However, this concept is taken a bit further by the Stoics, as they deduce it to symbolize the eventually complete rejection of worldly things. These things they also deem "things which cannot be controlled." The current inquiry considers some of the chief notions of the Stoics, but more specifically it focuses upon one important question: what does it mean to follow nature for the Stoics? To answer this question, the testimonies of several of the Stoics are pooled and examined together in the end. Not only does this inquisition illustrate chief attributes of Stoicism, but those attributes are eventually evaluated in light of their coherence as well. One of the main ideas which form part of the answer as to what it means to follow nature for the Stoics is the following of an intended trajectory. As the oak tree strives to achieve its natural form of the best oak tree that it can become, it is upon its natural trajectory of reaching its potential. So too, borrowing from Aristotle, humans have the potential of becoming excellent in their own right through... ...become cattle. This position forms a contradiction between the endeavor to attain human excellence, become a noble being, and the want to give back. This position is, once again, not human. For one cannot become the best possible oak tree and at the same time reach the highest possible potential of a human being. One is either human, or a plant. Works Cited Aurelius, Marcus. "Meditations." Ancient Philosophy. 3rd Ed. Philosophic Classics, vols. 1. Baird, Forrest E., and Walter Kaufman. Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall, 2000. Epictetus. "Encheiridion." Ancient Philosophy. 31 Ed. Philosophic Classics, vols. 1. Baird, Forrest E., and Walter Kaufman. Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall, 2000. Plato. "Apology." Ancient Philosophy. 3rd Ed. Philosophic Classics, vols. 1. Baird, Forrest E., and Walter Kaufman. Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall, 2000. 82-100.

Porters 5 force analysis of Fast food industry Essay

Porter generic strategies this is a strategy on the dimensions of the strategic scope meaning the market penetration and strategic strength referring to the company. For porter an industry is impacted by five forces. (Porter, 1985)   This study is going to examine the aviation industry, which is amongst the biggest and competitive industry and highly growing Rivalry In a convectional economic setup, competition among rival companies reduces profits of the companies to nil. However, competition can not be perfect and companies are so sophisticated to counter competition by gaining competitive advantage over their rivals. Competition varies depending on the different industries. In the aviation industry the competition is high as there are many companies offering the same services. In pursing the competitive advantage in the industry, the aviation industry can continue to improve its services by introducing new products. At the same time the industry can innovate new ways of services, and improved its general operations. The aviation industry is very competitive and companies in the industry need to merge to reduce competition while gaining competitive advantage. As it is now several companies has collapsed due to high competition in the industry. (Porter, 1985) Threat of substitutes Substitutes in an industry according to Porter (1985) are products from other industries. A threat of a substitute will occur when the demand of the product is affected by changing of price of a substitute product. The price elasticity of a product is directly affected by the availability of substitutes. Since availability of substitutes will make the demand of a product to be more elastic.   In The case of the aviation industry, the industry is getting threats of substitute from the other transportation industry such as road, water and rail transportation networks. Though, aviation industry offers the fastest traveling services, security risks and high air fares have made its customers to opt of these other substitutes. According to Aaker (1984) the industry   Ã‚  can wade off fear of substitutes, by building strong and unique services, having good customer orientation and creating attractive marketing strategies to attract more customers and retain existing ones. Buyer power This is the impact that buyers have on a specific industry. Generally if there is a strong buyer power, the relation between the industry and the buyer is termed as â€Å"monopsony† such a condition happens when there is one buyer and many suppliers. On the other hand buyers are weak when they are many or different segments  Ã‚   and there is no specific buyer who has particular influence on the price of the product. Aviation industry has a weak buyers, the industry can   have take advantage of this by setting prices of its services   customer friendly and offering a high product-mix on the market to satisfy the demand of various customer segments. (Porter, 1985) Supplier power Porter, (1980) states that, each industry needs raw material, components and labor and other provisions. This need creates supplier-buyer relationships between the companies which provide the raw material and the industry. In cases where suppliers are powerful, the can impact the industry through selling of the raw material highly. However, sometimes suppliers are weak, this happens when there are many suppliers for the same product or if the purchasers are many. In the aviation industry, suppliers are many and the industry is not impacted by the suppliers. Aaker (1984) observes that, the industry can use economic of scale to source for better deals to ensure that it gets the best quality of raw material at the best prices. Barriers to entry Apart from rivals posing threat to existing companies, new entries in the industry also pose a threat the existing companies and increases competition in the industry. In practice any company should be able to enter and leave the market. Nevertheless, aviation industry has features that protect high profits of the companies in that industry and restrain additional competitors from entering the industry. Aviation industry has many regulations and licenses both national and international which an   new has to adhere to before entering the industry, this has restricted some potential new comers who can not adhere to this requirements. (Porter, 1980) Conclusion Industry analysis in important in improving   and ensuring the success of a company, in industry analysis there are several tools that are used to analysis the performance of a an industry. Porter’s five forces is one of the tools that are used in industry analysis, to provide vital information concerning the performance of the industry in relation to the five forces which are Rivalry, Threat of substitutes, Buyer power, Supplier power and Barriers to entry.

Individualized Education Program Essay

All children and young people have rights. Most references to rights are about what is recieved to children from others, particularly from their parents and the goverenment and its agencies. Children and young people with special educational needs have a unique knowledge of their own needs and circumstances and their own views about what sort of help they would like to help them make the most of their education. They should, where possible, participate in all the decision-making processes in education including the setting of learning targets and contributing to IEPs, discussions about choice of schools, contributing to the assessment of their needs and to the annual review and transition processes They should feel confident that they will be listened to and that their views are valued. Most schools now have written policies and parts of their mission statements specifically made for the inclusion and equality of SEN children. They must be in written form and should also be posted on the website for access to all who require it. There should also be policies which show the rights and responsibilities of those within the environment. The policies may be a number of separate ones or combined in one policy covering all the relevant areas. The policies should show how the school relates to the main policies affecting the special educational needs. These include:- * Disability and access * Gifted and talented pupils * Race and cultural diversity. * Special educational needs * Inclusion and equality of opportunity * Safeguarding and bullying â€Å"Special Needs† is such a massive topic that has different areas to make it complete. Children with special needs may have mild learning disabilities or profound impairment; food allergies or terminal illness; developmental delays that catch up quickly, occasional panic attacks or serious psychiatric problems. The designation is useful for getting needed services, setting appropriate goals, and gaining understanding for a child and stressed family. Children with special needs are children with a variety of different disabilities, health and mental health conditions that require special intervention, services, or support. Parenting a child with special needs can be particularly challenging. Fortunately, children with special needs and their families may be eligible for services to address their unique needs, many of which are free. Children have special educational needs if they have a learning difficulty which calls for special educational provision to be made for them. Children have a learning difficulty if they: a) have a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of children of the same age b) have a disability which prevents them from making use of educational facilities of a kind generally provided for children of the same age in schools within the area of the local education authority c) are under compulsory school age and fall within the definition at (a) or (b) above or would so do if special educational provision was not made for them. The overall aim is that children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities will have improved health, independence and wellbeing so that they will enjoy childhood, achieve their potential and make a positive contribution in their lives by having timely access to local support and local schools which meet their needs. Special educational provision means: a) for children of two or over, educational provision which is additional to, or otherwise different from, the educational provision made generally for children of their age in schools maintained by the local education authority, other than special schools, in the area. b) for children under two, educational provision of any kind. Some children may be able to catch up with their peers with extra help in the form of short term targeted interventions or a differentiated curriculum, but may not have a special educational need. It is when this support does not help a pupil to progress that he or she will need to be assessed further and support planned, in liaison with parents, carers and other professionals. The child should have a voice in this process. There is a graduated approach to identifying and providing support to meet these needs. The law says the child has special needs if their learning difficulties are caused by physcially disabilites mental emotional and behaviour problems difficulties in reading, writing maths etc†¦ speech diffiulities About 1 in 5 children have learning difficuties at the same time in thie school likfe. Most of these children end up going to a mainsteam school. Children with statement aften atten mainstram school. The Role of the SENCO Early education settings, except specialist SEN provision, will need to identify a memberof staff to act as the special educational needs coordinator (SENCO). In the case of accredited childminders who are part of an approved network, the SENCO role may be shared between individual childminders and the coordinator of the network. The SENCO should have responsibility for: ? ensuring liaison with parents and other professionals in respect of children with special educational needs ? advising and supporting other practitioners in the setting ? ensuring that appropriate Individual Education Plans are in place ? ensuring that relevant background information about individual children with special educational needs is collected, recorded and updated. The SENCO should take the lead in further assessment of the child’s particular strengths and weaknesses; in planning future support for the child in discussion with colleagues and in monitoring and reviewing the action taken. The SENCO should also amke sure that appropriate records are kept including a record of children at school Action A and School Action Plus and those with statements. They usually responsible for the child should remain responsible for working with the child on a daily basis and for planning and delivering an individualised programme. Parents should always be consulted and kept informed of the action taken to help the child, and of the outcome of this action. STATEMENT A statement of special edcuaution needs is a legal document, it decsribes all the needs of the child. Also the special help they require. It takes into account the advice from speech therapist, gp, nurses, teacher councilors etc†¦. The law sasy that all state schhols must do their best, provide full proper education and give the best posible learning for them including inclusion. The law has dealt with special education needs 1993 ducation Act  which replaces the 1981 Act. The 1993 Act states and issues the â€Å"code of practice†. This was issues by the secreatary state and is still being used today. CODE OF PRACTICE Code of practice gives quidence and how to identfy and access special educational needs. In 1978 the warnock committee looked at the needs of the child and not at the handicap. In 1982 the educatio Act encouraged the intigration of the needs and the handicap, This resulted in the statementing process. The Code of Practice suggest 5 stages of action: 1. the class teachers, assistant identify the child SEN needs and takes ential action 2.the school SEN co ordinator takes the lead responsibility. 3. the school is supported by outside specialist 4. the lEA decides whesather a satuortory assessment is nesseccary 5. the LEA considers whether a statement is considered. SEN SPECIAL NEEDS STATEMENTING CODE OF PRACTICE IMPACT OF SEN ON SIBLING AND FAMILY SUPPORT FOR DISABILITY HEARING IMPAIRMENT AUTISM ADHD DOWN SYNDROME DYSLEXIA When a child is identified with a need they are places on a SEN registor withing the schools. Teachers, TA offer support through differenciation. They also support through planning IEPs in place with specific subject and cross cirrcular TARGETS. Targets need to be realistic short term, measurables, smart, achievable, time bound. When targets are set Smart language has to be used. example of smart language which can be easurale : MAKE CREATE WRITE DESIGN and words that are not considered as smart: UNDERSTAND KNOW SHOW Targets set in the IEP should be â€Å"SMART†, which stands for: S specific, so that it is clear what the child should be working towards Mmeasurable, so that it is clear when the target has been achieved Aachievable, for the individual child. Rrelevant, to the child’s needs and circumstances Ttime-bound, so that the targets are to be achieved by a specified time Class and subject teachers and TA support IEPs implementation. SENCO is responsibily for planning, monitoring, and reviewing the SEN provision and the student progress. Termly reviews of the progress are advisaby those on going minireviews are also very important. 1st step for children who have some special needs – SCHOOL ACTION A †¢ School action: the school is able to meet the pupil’s needs with in house interventions, staff and resources. Students can move off the school action A IEPs if sufficient progress is achieved. SCHOOL ACTION PLUS †¢ School action plus: the school is able to meet the pupil’s needs with in house resources but has support from outside agencies, for example, the local authority’s educational psychologist. It is a school responsibility to get support from external agencies. The students is placed on a SEN registor for school action plus. A new IEP is divised in conjuction with the external agencies. Class teachers and TA support the new IEP or implement it in the class or on a one to one basis. SENCO takes the lead monitoring reviewing, co ordinating. If there is progress made the pupil goes back into school action A. If there is progress in school action A then they will be taken off the SEN registor. However if after 2 school action plus reviews, progress is not statutory or has gone worse, the schoolnegoiates with the parent, request the ivolvement of the LEA, asking them to make an assessment. The assessment statutory : parents and school, the LEA to undertake a statutory on a child identifying with SEN. The LEA can take up to 6 weeks to consider whether to approve the application. Then the LEA will take 10 weeks to undertake a essay for the SEN child. Lea will request reports, evaluation, assessments from head teachers, teacher, nurses, gp, SENCO, parents and cares. Following the outcome of statutory assessment the LEA takes 2 weeks to notify to the parenst of their intentions whether they will issues a SA or suggest approriate. The statement of SEN is issued by the LEA only when the mainstream school are unable to meet the needs of a child with it exsisting resources and equipment. Parents then recieve a draft statement, then 8 weeks are given to be finanlized. A statementt is a legal document, procedures are put into place to monitor, review, evaluate the childs progress in a school that is fit for the child or purpose. They also support with transport need, dietery needs, aid needs. The statement LEA is then reviewed annually at which point it can be amended or seized according to the child progress. Statement of special educational needs: the pupil’s needs are severe or complex enough to require additional funding and resources to supplement the school’s support. Referrals for statutory assessment can be made by the child’s school or setting, a parent, or an agency such as a health is The Language of Disability Using the correct termonilogy when discussing the term DISABILITY is important, as use of bad language re enforces stereo types and influnences people attitude. Perhaps the best use of language is â€Å"deaf and dumb†. These words are extermly negative and makes acrossition between deaf and stupidity or having lack of inteligence. It also unlikely that the person is totally deaf. In the context of seacking most deaf people have some degree of speech, although this may be limited because of their inability to learn to say words which they can not hear. So they are not dumb. Eg: victim of †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. person who has†¦. crippled by †¦.. person who has†¦. invilid †¦. person with†¦.. mental†¦.. person with†¦. disabled†¦ disabled person†¦ handicaped.. disabled person†¦ deaf and dumb.. person with hearing visual or speech mongoloid†¦. person with down symdrome abnormal†¦. different†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Disability, is a impairment that has a long term and substantial effect on a child’s ability may amount to a disability. This may include sensory impairments, such as those affecting sight or hearing, or hidden impairments such as dyslexia, autism, speech and language impairments, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. The Disability Discrimination Act 2005 builds on the 1995 Act by requiring all schools to produce a Disability Equality Scheme (DES). The DES must set out ways that schools promote equality of opportunity and promote positive attitudes towards pupils, sta? and others with disabilities. In addition there must also be an Access Plan. This plan must identify how discriminatory barriers are removed. For example: ?an improvement to the physical environment, such as ramps, room layout, lighting ? providing information in di? erent ways for children with a disability, such as audio, pictorial, larger print. Children or young people with medical needs such as diabetes or epilepsy would also be considered to have impairment and therefore be disabled if he or she: a) relies on medical treatment or aid in order to able to be able to carry out normal day to day activities (except needing to wear glasses or contact lenses). b) has a progressive condition (such as cancer, multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy or infection) or  c) has a severe disfigurement which affects normal day to day activities. Legal entitlements Disability Discrimination Act 1995 Protects the rights of all those with disabilities. It also places a duty on schools (and other organisations) to eliminate barriers to ensure that individuals can gain equal access to services. Disability Discrimination Act 2005 Places a duty for schools to produce a Disability Equality Scheme (DES) and an Access Plan. Schools must encourage participation in all aspects of school life and eliminate harassment and unlawful discrimination. The rights of children and young people with special educational needs and disability are set out in the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 . This includes the right to have their needs met without having to wait for a diagnosis. Equally a diagnosis alone does not mean that a child is covered by the act. It is the effect on a child’s ability to carry out day to day activities that has to be considered. Special Educational Needs and Disability Act 2001 Makes it unlawful for educational providers to discriminate against pupils with a special educational need or a disability. The Special Educational Needs and Disability Act (2001)11 strengthened the right of children and young people with special educational needs to equality of access to education, and in particular, to a mainstream school. A statutory duty on local authorities and schools: †¢ not to treat disabled pupils less favourably for a reason related to their disability. †¢ to make reasonable adjustments for disabled pupils, so that they are not at a substantial disadvantage to those who are not disabled. †¢ to plan strategically and make progress in improving accessibility for disabled pupils over time, by: – increasing access to the curriculum – making improvements to the physical environment of the school to increase access to education and associated services – making written information accessible in a range of different ways for disabled pupils, where it is provided in writing for non-disabled pupils. Race Relations Act 2000 Outlines the duty of organisations to promote good relationships between people from different races. Human Rights Act 1998 Sets out rights of all individuals and allows them to take action against authorities when their rights have been affected. Children Act 1989 Sets out the duty of local authorities (including schools) to provide services according to the needs of children and to ensure their safety and welfare Children Act 2004 Sets out the duty to provide effective and accessible services for all children and underpins the fi ve Every Child Matters outcomes Education Act 1996 Sets out the school’s responsibilities towards children with special educational needs. The Act also requires schools to provide additional resources, equipment and additional support to meet their needs Equality Act 2010. Sets out the legal responsibilities of public bodies, including schools, to provide equality of opportunity for all citizens. This brings together nine equality laws The Special Educational Needs Code of Practice 2001 This outlines the statutory guidance for policy and the procedures and responsibilities towards children with special educational needs. It includes the levels of support which should be provided to children, depending upon their individual need. Local authorities and schools are required to develop accessibility strategies and plans to demonstrate this. Children and young people with special educational needs and disability also have a right to have their disability equality positively promoted. Local authorities, schools and educational settings have a duty to ‘take a more proactive approach to promoting disability equality and eliminating discrimination. With this came the requirement to publish disability equality schemes and measure their impact, engage disabled stakeholders, and audit the needs of disabled children and adults within the community. Children with disabilities have poorer outcomes across a range of indicators. These include lower educational attainment, poorer health, more difficult transitions to adulthood and poorer employment outcomes. Families of disabled children are less likely to have one or both parents in work, and are more likely to suffer family break up. Siblings of disabled children may be more likely to suffer from emotional and behavioural problems. WITHIN THE SCHOOL 6. The school must appoint a SEN co ordinator to run a special needs policy 7. By observing, reporting, target, work being set, the SEN co ordinator must keep records and reports of all the children with needs 8. SEN co ordinator has taken lead responsibilty to draw up plans for indiviual childrenthey have to be reviewed each term 9. From sept 1994 all schools were obligied to publish their special need policy. For all the above to work the following conditions within the school environment must exsist. 10. A strong management of head and staff that are committed to speial needs. 11. They need to have good commnication and all â€Å"need to know basis† nformation is showed. 12. A whole school approach with everyone following same procedures 13. Inservice training, SEN is esstenial (current legisalation, current issues, everything updated) 14. Provision of adaquates, children persecfic resources to support the childs needs, specific to their ability 15. High profile educational needs, teachers should be an important part of their school life However school must be careful not to discriminate against pupils with SEN or disablity. There is a difference between SEN and disability. Not all children with disability will have a special edcuatonal need or visa versa. SEN is a relative term and the need is some what dependant on the learning environment. The effectiveness of teaching and the task to be done. Early recognition and intervention Early intervention has lasting benefits, providing a sound foundation for future learning and development. It enables some children to catch up with their class mates and for those who need support on a continuing basis it means thatbhelp is available as early as possible, reducing the risk of long-term under achievement. However, there are a number of factors that get in the way, including poor co-ordination between education, health and social care leading to gaps in support, shortfalls in the availability of childcare for disabled children, dif?culties in refocusing funding to support earlier intervention: Improving support for children with special needs from birth. Children develop and learn from the moment they are born. The ? rst few years are a crucial developmental phase, which do much to shape a child’s life chances. The role of parents in supporting their child’s learning in the early years, more than any other phase, is absolutely critical. Improving childcare for children with SEN and disabilities. Parents of children with SEN and disabilities have more dif? culty than others in ?nding suitable childcare. Key points include: 16. promoting a co-ordinated approach to early education and childcare 17. improving information on the availability of suitable childcare locally through Children’s Information Services and Childcare Link, and through 18. helping families to meet the additional costs Improving SEN advice and support to early years settings Raising the skills and awareness of staff in early years settings Removing barriers to learning Inclusion is about much more than the type of school that children attend. It is about the quality of their experience; how they are helped to learn, achieve and participate fully in the life of the school. But we know that the reality does not always match this. Schools and early years settings still vary enormously in their experience in working with children with SEN, and in the specialist expertise and resources available to them from other schools, local authority education and social services, health, and voluntary organisations. Schools should have the con? dence to innovate and with the skills and specialist support they need to meet the needs of all pupils successfully. How do school complete this with the help of local authority, parents, teacher and other specialist is by many ways: †¢ special schools providing education for children with the most severe and complex needs and sharing their specialist skills and knowledge to support inclusion in mainstream schools †¢ schools working together to support the inclusion of all children from their local community, backed up by good quality specialist advice from the local authority and health services, working in multi-disciplinary teams †¢ parents with con?dence, that, in choosing a local mainstream school, their child will receive a good education and be a valued member of the school community. †¢ help schools to develop effective inclusive practice through a Inclusion Programme bringing together education, health, social care and the voluntary sector †¢ provide practical tools and materials for schools and local authorities to improve access for disabled pupils †¢ clarify the future role for special schools, giving a strong focus to high standards and partnership working with mainstream schools and encouragement to participation in full †¢ take steps to improve the quality of education for children with more severe behavioural, emotional and social dif? culties †¢ work with the SEN to improve planning †¢ develop practical guidance on reducing reliance on high cost placements in residential special schools †¢ set minimum standards for SEN advisory and support services, to achieve greater consistency in quality, availability and cost effectiveness. Widening opportunities in mainstream education is very important when removing barriers. Dif? culties in learning often comes from an unsuitable environment or inappropriate grouping of pupils, in? exible teaching styles, or inaccessible curriculum materials – as much as from individual children’s physical, sensory or cognitive impairments. Children’s emotional and mental health needs may also have a signi? cant impact on their ability to make the most of the opportunities in school. Schools are committed to removing the barriers to learning that many children encounter in school. The National Curriculum contains a statutory statement, Inclusion – providing effective learning opportunities for all pupils. All OFSTED inspections reports implementing this requirement. Schools need to become more effective at responding to the needs of individual pupils through a Inclusion Development Programme. The programme will support partnership projects involving education, health and social care, voluntary organisations, higher education institutions, special and mainstream schools, and early years settings to develop. The aim is to develop evidence base about what works and build about how to implement good practice most effectively. Focusing initially on: †¢ autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) †¢ behavioural, emotional and social dif? culties (BESD) †¢ speech, language and communication needs (SLCN) and dyslexia †¢ moderate learning dif? culties (MLD). The Inclusion Development Programme will support schools and early years settings through: †¢ teaching and learning resources for teachers and early years practitioners †¢ training materials for, and advice on, effective deployment of learning support assistants †¢ guidance on effective classroom strategies †¢ models of good practice for working in multi-disciplinary teams †¢ information about where to go for more specialist advice and support Another great way when trying to remove barries is sharing expertise between special and mainstream schools. Breaking down the divide between mainstream and special schools to create a uni? ed system where all schools and their pupils are included within the wider community of schools. Educating children with the most severe and complex needs can be harder. However having strengthened parents that choose a mainstream place for their child, at the same time we recognise thatsome children have such severe and complex needs that they require more specialist provision than is currently available in most mainstream schools. Providing transport for children with SEN helps cutting back to cost, which enables children to be included and not at a disadvantage. Improving specialist advice and support for schools, parents, children and staff. Schools need access to specialist SEN advice and support to help them identify and meet children’s needs and to provide back-up when children’s needs suddenly change or crises occur. Raising expectations and achievement Schools provides education that brings out the best in every child, that builds on their strengths, enables them to develop a love of learning and helps them to grow into con? dent and independent. You can see great progress in the achievement of pupils in primary and secondary schools in recent years. But we need to do much more to help all children, including those with SEN to achieve as well as they can, not least if we are to reach the challenging national targets expected of all schools. All teachers should have the skills and con?dence – and access to specialist advicewhere and when necessary – to help children with SEN to reach their potential improved data giving parents and teachers a clearer picture of how well children working below age-related expectations are progressing young people able to follow courses which build on their interests and aptitudes and lead to recognised quali? cations young people with SEN actively involved in decisions about their education and options to have real opportunities for progression, training and work. Schools will: put children with SEN at the heart of personalised learning, helping schools to vary the pace and approach to learning to meet individual children’s needs deliver practical teaching and learning resources to raise the achievement of children with SEN strengthen the focus in Key Stage 3 on young people with SEN who are falling behind their peers Personalising learning for children with SEN embraces every aspect of school life including teaching and learning strategies, ICT, curriculum choice,organisation and timetabling, assessment arrangements and relationships with the local community. Supporting improvements in the quality of special school will help: †¢ promote leadership and management training for special school head teachers and managers †¢ increase access to diversity programmes in the special school sector to improve the curriculum †¢ develop tools to help local authorities to identify potentially failing special schools Its very imortant that schools Improve training and professional development opportunitie. Every teacher should expect to teach children with SEN and must ensure that they are equipped with the skills to do so effectively. This will require action at three levels of skills. Delivering improvements in partnership Schools are more consistency between local authorities in their strategic management of SEN, particularly in their use of statements, the level of delegated funding to schools. †¢ schools regularly reviewing the effectiveness of their SEN , with LEAs providing support and challenge where concerns are raised †¢ parents with greater con? Dence that their child’s SEN will be met in school, whether or not they have a statement †¢ greater integration of education, health and social care to meet the needs of children and families in line with the proposals set out Schools will promote more consistent practice through a team of expert, working closely with the Department for Education, who will provide support and challenge on key SEN issues including the use of statements, management of SEN resources, identifying and sharing good practice and tackling underperformance. The networking and collaboration facilitated by the SEN will support this work. They will make SEN Regional Partnerships directly accountable to the Department for Education and Skills for their work on the implementation of this strategy. Ensure that schools make inclusion an integral part of self-evaluation. Role of teaching assistants who work with children with SEN Teaching assistants who work with children with SEN and disabilities, often referred to as Learning Support Assistants (LSAs), play a valuable role, providing one-to-one support to children with SEN as well as wider support in the classroom. However, research suggests that individual support from an LSA can in some cases lead to less involvement by the teacher, leaving the LSA to deliver most of the curriculum. It is important that teachers and LSAs play complementary roles, avoiding over-dependence on the LSA and depriving the child of teacher attention. Similarly, whilst making due allowance for special needs, it is important that children do not rely excessively on the LSA or solely on one-to-one help. If they are supported to learn within peer groups, they will be better able to develop social and collaborative skills enabling them to move towards increasingly independent learning. Many schools have a mission statement which sets out the commitment of the school which focuses on inclusion and equality of opportunity. They are easily avaliable on their websites or can be asked for. There must also be written policies, designed to re? ect the rights and responsibilities of those within the school environment. Policies should also provide guidance for sta? and visitors to the school on ways to ensure inclusive practice. Schools have to conduct policies for many thing which leads to having many many policies. There may be a number of separate policies or they may be combined. Policies must include ways that schools work in relation to: ? race/cultural diversity ? equality of opportunity/inclusive practice ? safeguarding/bullying ? gi ed and talented pupils ? special educational needs ? disability and access. Policies are developed in response to legislation, codes of practice and statutory frameworks. The di? erent ways in which schools promote the rights and equality of opportunity for children and young people must be included in the policies. There is now a greater focus on the outcomes that is, the di? erence that legislation has made to individuals and groups within the school. Schools must monitor the strengths and any weaknesses in policy as they do with each indiviual student and staff. During school inspections, Ofsted also make judgements about the school’s inclusiveness. Legislation is frequently amended and changed in response to outcomes, so it is important that staff are familiar with up-to-date policies and procedures within your own setting. This help protect not only the pupils but staff and head of the school. The development of legislation, policies and practice should be seen as a cycle. The cycle goes like this: Legislation†¦. †¦. Practice and pr.