Econometric Methods Essay

Part A. Multiple choice questions Answer each question by circling one and only one answer. Each question is worth 3 marks (total 30 marks). 1. When estimating a linear probability model using OLS: a. The estimators are biased because errors are necessarily heteroskedastic b. The slope coefficient estimates cannot measure changes in the predicted probability of Y=1 c. The estimators can be asymptotically normally distributed d. All of the above 2. When internal validity is violated: a. OLS coefficients no longer measure the partial correlation between the explanatory variable and the dependent variable b. The population error terms cannot be normally distributed c. The dependent variable necessarily becomes skewed d. None of the above 3. Which of the following dependent variables is least like a limited dependent variable? a. Wages b. Net assets of a household (total assets minus debts) c. Number of visits to the dentist in a year d. An index of happiness where happiness is rated 1 to 10 4. A variable Y is a Bernoulli variable a. Its distribution has the usual 2 independent parameters representing the mean and the variance b. Its expected value equals the ratio of the probability of Y=0 to the probability of Y=1 c. Its variance equals the product of the probability of Y=0 and the probability of Y=1 d. All of the above 5. In the probit model seen in class a. The variance of the error term depends on the vector of explanatory variables b. The variance of the error term is assumed to be 1 c. The variance of the error term does not need to be specified because of the normality assumption d. The variance of the error term can be estimated from the variance of the estimated residual 6. In panel data, the problem of attrition refers to a. The presence of large measurement error in key variables b. The correlation of measurement errors with explanatory variables c. The misclassification of key dummy explanatory variables due to measurement error d. None of the above 7. In the probit model a. The partial effect of a single continuous explanatory variable X on the predicted probability has the same sign as the estimated coefficient on X b. The test statistic constructed by the ratio of the estimated coefficient to its standard error is normally distributed because we are using the normal distribution to model the expected value of the dependent variable c. The partial effects of an explanatory variable are quantitatively close to zero when the standard error of the coefficient on this variable is very large. d. All of the above 8. You have data on a sample of 95 managers working in large firms in Australia. You estimate a logit model of Y= 1 if earning >$500,000 per annum using as explanatory variables: F=1 if the manager is female (0 otherwise); PHD=1 if the manager has a PHD (0 otherwise); an interaction variable FPHD=F*PHD; TEN=tenure with the firm measured in years (a continuous variable). You find the following estimates: Indexi = 0.053 – 0.095 Fi + 0.020 PHDi + 0.007 FPHDi + 0.0015 TENi (0.002) (0.011) (0.009) (0.003) (0.0005) where the standard errors are denoted in parenthesis. You want to test H0: tenure has no effect on the probability of earning >$500,000 per annum versus H1: tenure has a positive effect on the probability of earning >$500,000 per annum. You will use a 5% level of significance to conduct this test. You get an asymptotic t-stat equal to 3.0. Using the tables provided at the end of the exam, choose one of the following as an appropriate critical value to conduct this test: a. 1.662 b. 1.645 c. 1.987 d. 1.960 e. 5.0239 9. Refer to the model and estimates in the previous question. Ceteris paribus, according to these estimates (and ignoring statistical significance): a. Women without PHDs have a higher probability of earning >$500,000 than men without PHDs. b. Men with PHDs have a lower probability of earning >$500,000 than men without PHDs. c. Women with PHDs have higher probability of earning >$500,000 than women without PHDs. d. Women with PHDs have higher probability of earning >$500,000 than men with PHDs. 10. Refer to the model and estimates in the previous question. You want to test that ceteris paribus, men and women have the same probability of earning >$500,000. Under the null, the Wald test statistic is asymptotically chi-squared distributed with a. 1 degree of freedom b. 90 degrees of freedom c. 93 degrees of freedom d. 2 degrees of freedom e. 3 degrees of freedom PART A. Multiple Choice 1. C 2. D 3. B 4. C 5. B 6. D 7. A 8. B 9. C 10. D SOLUTIONS Part B. Problem (Total 30 marks) Equity of access is a primary goal of many health systems. Determining whether Australia’s system (Medicare) meets this goal is an important research question. Consider the case of access to general practitioners (GPs). The probit results presented below in Table 4 are part of an analysis aimed at answering whether there is equitable access to GP services where access is defined on the basis of health needs rather than ability to pay. The data consists of a sample of 3207 single females who were surveyed throughout Australia in 1995. The â€Å"dependent variable† for the study was VISIT, an indicator variable that was equal to one if the women had visited a GP in the last two weeks and zero otherwise. The sample has been divided into two subsets depending on whether the women are less than 40 years old (the â€Å"young† sub-sample) or whether they are greater than 40 years old (the â€Å"old† subsample). Table 4 presents estimation results (variable defini tions follow the table). Young Old Table 4: Probit estimates for visit to GP* Variable Intercept -0.7910 (0.1602) -1.1570 (0.2495) AGE -0.0060 (0.0064) 0.0055 (0.0033) HEALTH 0.3930 (0.0687) 0.6131 (0.0746) KIDS 0.1651 (0.0881) -0.1479 (0.1159) INCOME 0.0003 (0.0032) -0.0052 (0.0037) TERTDUM 0.0120 (0.1042) 0.0844 (0.1509) TRADEDUM 0.1842 (0.0884) 0.2399 (0.1013) DIPDUM 0.0077 (0.1281) 0.0478 (0.1422) PHI 0.0258 (0.0783) 0.1781 (0.0768) Observations 1717 1490 Log-likelihood -935.52 -892.24 PART B. i. (8 marks) Discuss the effects of PHI on the probability of visiting a GP and compare these effects for the two subsamples of young and old women. Repeat the exercise for the KIDS variable. Do you think that these variables are likely to violate the zero conditional mean assumption? Discuss PHI: In both subsamples, the estimated coefficient on PHI is positive; ceteris paribus the probability of visiting a GP is higher for those with PHI than without. The size of coefficients may be discussed using the rule of thumb but these must not be confused with partial effects. The effect is statistically significant among the old while the opposite is true for the young. In the young subsample, the coefficient is insignificant at any conventional level (t statistic for testing irrelevance of PHI against the 2-sided alternative is 0.3295 < 1.645) whereas in the old subsample it is significantly different from zero at the 5% significance level (t statistic = 2.319 > 1.96). The sign is as expected since PHI makes it cheaper to use GP services and women who expect to visit GPs more often are more likely to purchase PHI. The latter implies that ZCM may be violated due to a selection effect. KIDS: In the young subsample, the coefficient on KIDS is positive and statistically different from zero at the 10% level (t statistic = 1.874 > 1.645); the probability of GP visit is higher for those with dependent children. In the old subsample, the sign of the coefficient indicates that the effect is negative but the coefficient is statistically insignificant from zero at conventional levels (t stat = 1.276 < 1.645). A priori, the expected sign is ambiguous; women may visit GPs for children’s medical care as well as their own (positive) but at the same time they may become busier due to child rearing (negative). For the old sample, KIDS may be older and hence mothers no longer visit GPs for the children’s health. Other reasonable explanations are acceptable. You can argue both ways on the ZCM assumption: for example, you can argue that fertility decisions are exogenous to GP visits. You could also argue that there is an omitted variable bias (KIDS is picking up some unobserved component – e.g. better health measurement – than what is being captured by the existing explanatory variables). Also if the true underlying relationship depends on the number of resident dependent chi ldren, KIDS is top-coded at 1, causing the ZCM assumption to fail due to a measurement error correlated with this variable. Additional material: You could also earn marks (lost elsewhere in the question) by discussing the size of the effects. For example, the effect among the young seems non-trivial in the sense that the coefficient’s magnitude is slightly over 40% of that of the coefficient on the poor health indicator (HEALTH) while for the old, the variable seems far less economically relevant relative to HEALTH. ii. (5 marks) If there is equity of access then variables related to income, education and private health insurance should not affect visits to GPs. When the models are re-estimated without these variables (i.e. with only AGE, HEALTH and KIDS included) the log-likelihood values are – 937.92 for the young sub-sample and –898.63 for the old. Using these results evaluate the null hypothesis of equity of access. Statement of the hypotheses: Calculated statistics: LR test statistics: LLRYOUNG = 2(-935.52+937.92) = 4.8; LLROLD = 2(-892.24+898.63) = 12.78. Distributions of the test statistics and critical values: They are asymptotically chi-squared distributed with 5 degrees of freedom under the null. The appropriate 10% and 5% critical values are 9.2364 and 11.0705 respectively. Decision rules and conclusions: Since LLRYOUNG < 9.2364, we fail to reject the null at 10% level in the young subsample; there is not enough evidence to conclude that income, education and PHI variables affect young women’s GP visits. Since LLROLD > 11.0705, we reject the null at the 5% significance level in the old subsample and conclude that there is some evidence against equity of access among the old women. iii. (4 marks) Consider two types of women: type #1 where AGE = 20, HEALTH = 1, INCOME = 20 and all other variables = 0; type #2 is identical except that AGE = 60. Write down the equation(s) you would use to compare the probability of visiting a GP for these two types of women. Using the probit results can you determine which of these two types of women are more likely to have visited a GP in the last two weeks? If your answer is yes then make the comparison, if your answer is no then explain what information you would need to make the comparison. One possible answer is to use the index and argue that the ranking by the probabilities will be the same as that provided by the index: Index for type #1 = -.791 + -.006*20 +.3930 + 0.0003*20 = -.5120 -.51 < Index for type #2 = -1.1570 + .0055*60 +.6131 – 0.0052*20 = -.3179 -0.32 Since the standard normal CDF increases in the probit index, type #2 woman is more likely to visit GPs than type #1 woman. Another possible answer is to write down the normal CDF for the two types and argue that the equation for type 2 will be greater than type 1. Additional material: You could also earn marks (lost elsewhere in the question) by calculating the difference in the probabilities using the table on p.10 of the exam paper; i.e. the difference in the predicted probabilities can be evaluated as (.5-.1255)-(0.5-.1950) = 0.0695 .07 higher for type 2. iv. (6 marks) In determining the sample to be used for estimation, any individual who did not report their income or reported zero income was deleted from the analysis. Do you see any real or potential problems with this modelling decision? Can you provide an alternative method to deal with this problem? Likely problems (one of the following or another sensible problem): -The potential selection bias which arises when the decision to report zero income or refuse reporting any is correlated with the decision to use GP services. For instant, top income groups may be more jealous of their income information and at the same time more likely to be health conscious and visit GPs in consequence; excluding the said individuals would affect all coefficient estimates as the model would have to predict a lower probability of GP visit on average. -The decrease in the sample size and the resulting increase in standard errors. The incomplete cases may still provide useful information on the effects of other variables on GP visits and the researcher has discarded this information. Alternative solutions (one of the following or another sensible solution): – Use other information to impute the missing information – Use dummy variables for missing income. – More sophisticated imputation methods – Estimate a selection model (this is covered in more detail later in the class but you may know about it from reading or elsewhere) v. (7 marks) Explain how you would construct and use a hit and miss table to compare the performance of the models for the two subsamples of women (young and old). (You do not have to actually construct a table.) Step 1. Calculate a predicted probability for each person in the relevant subsample. Step 2. Obtain a predicted binary outcome for each person using a classification rule: if person i’s predicted probability exceeds c, the predicted outcome is 1 and otherwise 0. It is ok if you use 0.5 or the sample mean. Step 3. For each subsample, tabulate frequencies of predicted and actual binary outcomes in the following form: Predicted 01 Observed 0 A B 1 B’ A’ where: A (A’) = the total number of women whose predicted and observed outcomes are 0 (1) B (B’) = the total number of women whose observed outcome is 0 (1) but the predicted outcome is 1 (0). Step 4. Now, compare the relative frequencies of correct predictions for each subsamples; i.e., compare (A+A’) / (A+B+A’+B’) across the subsamples. This tells us how well one model performs relative to another in terms of predicting the observed outcomes. It is ok to describe the comparisons of the predicted 0’s separately from the predicted 1’s (ie the comparisons of A / (A+B) and A’ / (A’+B’) across subsamples) but this is not needed for full marks.

The Just Not Caring Essay

An example of violence against women Imagine the horror of being forcefully tied down, drenching In kerosene oil and being set on fire alive. It would not be a surprise If the mere thought of It Is already disturbing to you. How much more so would it be that this bitter fate is truly faced by many married women in India not at the hands of some psychos or strangers, but by their own so-called beloved husbands and or in-laws?A young woman is either being burnt alive, beaten to death or being forced to commit suicide at someplace in India, almost every four hours for not being able to provide the demand of dowries. Stone) The word dowry In the ordinary sense means properties or resources that are given to the bridegroom and his family at the time of marriage from the bride's family for accepting her to their home permanently. Dowry is, therefore, a compensatory payment to the family which agrees to shelter her hypothetically for the rest of her life. (Madam). â€Å"The nature of prope rty may be movable or immovable.Movable property generally consists of cash, clothes, furniture, ornaments, cycle or car and many other articles and Immovable property Includes land, house and shop or actors, etc. â€Å"(Hookah, 3) Historically, the dowry was referred as gift given voluntarily and it was restricted only to the Brahmins as the symbol of the highest caste. Today the dowry often refers to expensive material objects demand by the bridegroom's family as opposed to voluntarily given and it is unfortunately becoming customary across many deferent castes and social groups. Stone) Although dowry is possibly the single largest cause of bride burning as well as other forms of domestic violence against women; the Inequality between genders, an Increase In consumerism and he growing greed of balancing the social status with material objects also serves to be the motivations in committing the crime of bride burning. Oil) In India, a daughter is often neither valued nor welcomed by her biological family due to the severe financial weight of the dowry expectation. In fact, girls are rejected prior to their birth.Pillar, indicates that detection of a fetus using amniocentesis test have escalated throughout the country and the fetus carrying XX chromosomes are often aborted because the ultimate financial burden of a woman makes a female infant highly unwanted. Rude) The male preference over female Is also due to the custom of husband's family taking in the bride and thus daughters are taken as temporary visitors in their own home. Even in the matter of upbringing, son's happiness and success are considered more important because in return sons bear the responsibility of supporting their parents at the time of old age.Over time, this unequal treatment and abandonment faced by many women from a very young age forces them to view themselves as a minority which then ultimately shatters their confidence and self-worthiness into pieces. This explains why many newly- wed women prefer to stay mute even when they experience brutality or dowry -related violence since they fear or lack the confidence to gear up enough courage in an alien house hold to fight back or report the violence when the dowry obligations are unmet.According to Rude, some even choose suicide as an escape from the brutality of their situation and to spare their parents the humiliation of not being able to India, a total of 2. 276 female suicides due to dowry disputes were reported in 2006 that is six a day on an average, while the figure was 2,305 in 2005. On an average India loses one India woman every four hours over a dowry dispute, as per official data, despite a series of laws to empower them. (Dowry) The ongoing reality of dowry- related violence is an example of what can happen when women are treated as property.Hookah points out homicidal burning to be a common method used to murder a wife by the husband and in-law in order to bring forth excuses to explain the incident . The husband or in-law often reports the incident to the police as â€Å"a stove burst†, an accidental burn that took place while the woman was cooking on a rimes stove. Or the report may state that my wife's dress usually it's a traditionally dress called â€Å"share† caught on fire while she was cooking on a wood burning stove.In case, if the husband or in-law fails to prove the event based upon the evidence, they simply report the death as being one of the suicides. A familiar claim is that the victim burnt herself to death by pouring paraffin oil on her clothes and body and setting herself alight. † (Dowry) Due to lack of evidence, the guilty husband and in-law often escapes even after committing atrocious crimes and they are soon in the arraign business again looking for a new bride with perhaps an even handsomer dowry. Stone) These shocking made-up incidents are linked to the custom of the dowry system that has turned the very concept of marriage–a pure attachment between a husband and a wife–into a transaction, with no value placed whatsoever on the bride or the relationship of the husband and wife. â€Å"For this man or his family woman becomes the ticket to his shortcut richness through the system of dowry. † The groom side of the family often uses the prospect of a son's marriage to full fill all the series in terms of articles that they cannot afford on their own.Women are increasingly seen as commodities and are vulnerable to being treated as replaceable objects because when the flow of dowry ends, they are in a shaky position that can lead to disapproval, cruelty, and finally, dowry-murder. â€Å"The driving force behind this process is the growth of the cash-based economy, which has commercialese dowry and further lowered the status of women despite new laws and educational opportunities designed to assist them. Although a dowry system is illegal in India, it entities to flourish putting lives of many wo men in danger simply because there is no limitation to human greed. Nowadays dowry is regarded, by those who demand it, as reflection of the social status of the bridegroom's family.. Thus, the more eligible the bridegroom is in terms of social standing, the wealth, the educational and career- related achievements, and so forth the larger the dowry that his family has the right to demand and receive.These marriages built upon greed–and not upon love, as it should be–brings only disaster in which only women face. The desire for more never ends once the person has been bitten by dowry bite and as a result when the bride's family cannot pay the amount commanded by the in-laws, the bride is often then burned alive as a consequence. Furthermore, the emergence of consumerism has made it attractive for prospective bridegrooms and their families to use the dowry as a means of enriching themselves at the time of marriage by demanding expensive presents from the parents of the p rospective bride.The desire for continuing to benefit materially from the parents of the bride can take the form of pressuring the parents of young women do not hesitate to the evil custom of dowry. Since it has become very problematic for family with a daughter who is highly educated to find an eligible educated groom due to the pressure that a girl is required to marry a husband above her in terms of education. And it is considered a shameful act to marry a man with a less education.Thus, the daughters' parents are ready to pay a handsome amount of dowry. Geraldine Forbes, and other scholars also point out that, in relatively recent times, rising consumerism and the increasing trend to equate social status with material objects has made it attractive for prospective bridegrooms ND their families to use the dowry as a means of enriching themselves at the time of marriage by demanding expensive presents from the parents of the prospective bride.The desire for continuing to benefit m aterially from the parents of the bride can take the form of pressuring the bride and her family for more dowries even after marriage. (G. Forbes) To halt the practice of bride burning, a change in the perception of women's status is essential. It can be brought about by increase in the education and the equal opportunities for women. The hard earned money saved up or dowries should rather be invested in the betterment of their daughters' future so that they can become and remain economically independent from their husbands or their natal families.In addition shelter homes should be constructed for victims of dowry-related violence since many women are dependent to their husbands and have no place to go. Further more, the media should use it' power to publicize the problems caused by dowry and dowry-related crimes. I. E. Asia & Intel L. 277 (2008) Dowry Deaths (bride burning) in India and Abutment of Suicide: A Socio-Legal Appraisal; Madman, Unaligned

Intro to business Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Intro to business - Assignment Example This has pushed away the desire of many willing to work at the stores. Moreover, in most cases, most people in urban areas are liberals who probably target the nearby shops where stuff goes for just about as cheaply compared to the Wal-Mart stores. This has contributed immensely to retrenchment of the Wal-Mart stores. As an expedient solution to the food desert problem, exertions have been made to finally make it possible the entry of Wal-Mart to lucrative urban markets from which it has long been excluded (Roberts and Berg 160). Wal-Mart’s corporate management team has over the past decades toiled inside its ‘Bentonville Bubble’ in order to win the approval of zoning commissions and committees. This entails focusing on the operational efficiency, the growth of the company and its subsequent profits. However, this has proved not efficient enough and the company has widened its sights, built networks of employees, government agencies, nonprofits and suppliers to ‘green’ its supply chain. By seeking the approval of zoning commissions and committees, Wal-Mart will be in a position to increase its profitability. In order for the company to excel, it has cultivated closer relationships with its suppliers that have immensely contributed to initiatives. Moreover, Wal-Mart has gone further to build bridges between environmental nonprofit organizations and suppliers (Roberts and Berg 149). Most importantly, relying on external network collaborates such as the NGO’s has allowed the company to accomplish most of its objectives devoid of major investments since suppliers tend to absorb most of the costs of certification. Arguably, retailers often face a fast-expanding, multi-pattern competitive set that deprive them the opportunity to realize where they are heading. Wal-Mart as one of the leading companies in terms of sales may face quite a range of challenges once it runs significantly smaller stores. Change in technology and use

Marketing plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Marketing plan - Essay Example Thailand workers used the drink for staying awake during their shifts. The drink was known as Krating Daeng translated to ‘Red Bull.’ He contacted the manufacturers of the drink and bought the foreign licensing rights in exchange of 51% share in his company. When Mateschitz launched the drink in Austria, he did not target factory workers; his target market was young professionals as he would be able to promote a premium and trendy marketing campaign. Product Portfolio Initially, only the regular version of Red Bull energy drink was launched. However, several other variants with different specific features were launched with time: Red Bull Energy Drink – The drink is available in 3 size variations, with 16oz, 12oz, and 8oz. It has been designed for those people who have clear and focused mind and want to perform physically well. Red Bull Sugar free – This drink is a variant of the Red Bull energy drink but it is without sugar and hence, contains only 3 calor ies per 100ml. It has the same features as the Red Bull energy drink. Red Bull Cola – This is a relatively new addition to the Red Bull product line. It is claimed to 100% without chemicals consisting of only natural products with all natural taste. Red Bull Energy Shot – A very recent addition to the product portfolio, Red Bull energy shots is concentrated Red Bull Energy drink without carbonation and no requirement of chilling. It comes in small size of 60ml and consists of 27 calories. However, the concentrated 60ml have the ability of providing the same energy as a regular Red Bull can. (Red Bull Energy Drink, n.d.) Strategic position & situation analysis Market Performance & Positioning As mentioned earlier, Red Bull was first introduced in Austria in 1987. It later ventured into foreign markets with the first venture being in Hungary in 1992. The drink is now available in 120 countries with more than 2 billion sales annually acquiring the position of worldâ€℠¢s number one energy drink. The brand has acquired the top position among 15 other brands of energy drinks that are subsidiaries of different beverage or other companies (BevNet.com staff, 2009). The brand was promoted with a unique and creative style of advertising. The slogan was ‘Red Bull gives you wings’ that not only creates an image in the consumer minds but also suggests physical properties and benefits. Red Bull has been supported with a unique and creative style of advertising. The slogan â€Å"Red Bull gives you wings† strongly suggests the brand’s physical properties and benefits. Red Bull is sold as an energy drink and is designed to combat mental and physical fatigue. It is the combination of ingredients interacting with each other that provides the energy-building benefit. Red Bull operates within the energy drinks sector of the soft drinks market. The product is an example of a 'functional' drink. Functional foods respond to consumer interes t in well-being and performance. The major multinational soft drinks companies are investing in the area of functional drinks, developing their own brands and buying up existing ones. This is seen as being important, given that their traditional soft drinks markets are at the maturity stage in many countries. For these multinationals, new functional drinks offer opportunities for renewed business growth. Positioning The reason why Red Bull was able to accomplish such a huge market share in such little

Capital Punishment Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Capital Punishment - Term Paper Example The arguments of Pojman, which supports capital punishment, were based on three premises from anecdotal evidence. First, the deterrent effect of an object is increased with the increased degree of fear it can cause to a person. Second, people fear death more than any humane punishment, and third, death penalty is a humane punishment. From these premises, the author concludes that the death penalty is a more effective mechanism to deter people from committing homicide compared to long imprisonment (277). The argument presented was potentially sound since it was supported by coherent reasoning. However, while the first premise is logical, the last two premises have a potential conflict since not all criminals are fearful of death and generally, capital punishment is inhumane. Nevertheless, the author’s conclusion still follows his premises since there is a high chance that potential criminals will avoid committing first degree crime if they are aware that the sentence that await s them is death compared to long imprisonment. However, it is argued that capital punishment is not an appropriate sentence to major offenders. There is also a strong contention against the principle that the death penalty has a greater deterrence compared to long imprisonment. ... However, it is argued that life as it is, has an intrinsic value. This makes it unjust and immoral to permit the gambling of the lives of murderers. For the anecdotal argument, one of the premises of the proponent states that the death penalty is a humane punishment. This premise is a weak assumption since it is contended that the moral values of society do not perceive death penalty as acceptable. Thus, killing a person is inhumane. Due to the weak premises of the proponent, it cannot be concluded justly that capital punishment, in contrast to long term imprisonment, has a greater deterrence among potential criminals. A study of Donohue and Wolfers on the homicide rates in US revealed that there is no statistical evidence to prove that the death penalty has a substantial deterrent effect on homicide commission. The findings of the time series analysis showed that as the death penalty execution rose up from 1920s to 1930s, homicide rates also increased while both of the execution and homicide rates went down from 1940s to 1950s (796). Moreover, Donohue and Wolfers also conducted a comparative study between Canada and US to determine if execution rates can significantly reduce homicide rates. The findings showed that both US and Canada showed similar changes in homicide rates amidst country specific legislations that directly affected their execution rates. For instance, when Canada did not conduct executions in 1962, its homicide rates were still close to the US. In a similar way, when US suspended its death penalty policy in 1972, both the execution and homicide rates of US and Canada rose altogether (799). This study supports the argument that capital punishment does not significantly influence homicide rates,

Cultural Diversity and Diverse Sacred Spaces Assignment

Cultural Diversity and Diverse Sacred Spaces - Assignment Example These are all sacred places with spiritual significance to their believers, although their exact functions and related rituals somewhat vary for each religion.The Ka’ba in Mecca, the Wailing Wall, and the Bodhi Tree are the holiest sites because of what they represent to the history of these religions. The Wailing Wall, also called the Western Wall, is the holiest site for Judaism because it is the last remaining wall of the Second Temple. The First Temple refers to Solomon's Temple. This temple, however, was destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 BCE. The Jews rebuilt the Temple, which the Romans destroyed in 70 CE. For several centuries, the Jews went to the Wailing Wall to cry over the destruction of their Second Temple. The Ka’ba is the holiest place for Islam. It is the heart of their hajj, or spiritual pilgrimage, and is located inside the Grand Mosque in Mecca. Muslims believe in the centrality of the Ka’ba as a sacred place of their faith – it is the space inside it, rather than Mecca itself, which is seen as consecrated (Morgan, 2010). Many Muslims think that Adam had built the original Ka’ba but it then was ruined by the Great Flood (Morgan, 2010). The Bodhi Tree is also the holiest place for Buddhists because it is the tree where Buddha attained enlightenment (Harvey, 1990). The original Bodhi tree and its progeny are treated as relics because they symbolize Buddha’s enlightenment (Harvey, 1990). Enlightenment, or being awakened, is also called the wisdom of emptiness. It means that individual existence is not possible since everything is interconnected (Harvey, 1990). The importance of enlightenment to Buddhism portrays the role of the Bodhi Tree in the attainment of this process. The Ka’ba and the Bodhi Tree have mystical origins that the Wailing Wall does not possess. The Ka’ba contains the sacred black stone that Abraham and Ishmael placed there (Morgan, 2010). Pre-Islamic worship believes that the stones of the Ka’ba came from heaven (Morgan, 2010). The Bodhi Tree has miraculous qualities. It is believed to be cut before and to have grown again miraculously the next night (Harvey, 1990). The Wailing Wall does not have any mythical source because it is a man-made creation. Its importance lies in its historical and social functions. These sacred places are centers of prayer or spiritual meditation, although they also serve social purposes. The Wailing Wall enhances the attachment of the people to their Jewish history and identity. It signifies their â€Å"displaced sense of persecution and religious compensation† (Heyd, 1999, p.22). The Western Wall acts as a place of prayer and community activities. The Jews have commonly inserted prayers into the wall cracks because of the belief that they will come true. The custom of inserting written prayers into the wall is so extensive that some American-Jewish newspapers take advertisements of services of putting in s uch prayers for sick Jews. Moreover, Jewish families often gather near the wall to celebrate social events, such as their children’s bar mitzvah, which is a party for boys who turned thirteen. The Ka’ba and the Bodhi Tree are distinct places of worship. Muslims and Buddhists go to these places as part of their pilgrimage. People go there to pray, to assert their faith, and to strengthen their religious communities. Like the Wailing Wall, these sacred sites reinforce the connection between believers and their relationship to their faith. Similar rituals are conducted around the Ka’

Jesus as founder of Christianity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Jesus as founder of Christianity - Essay Example That Jesus of Nazareth, the Messiah or Christ, is the founder of Christianity is held as an unquestionable assumption by many Christians is obvious, but careful scholarship requires that the assumption be qualified, if not refuted. A founder may be defined as a person who establishes, initiates, originates or lays the foundations of an idea, movement, group or institution . Identifying a founder of Christianity then will require one to determine with which person did the religion originate, who established it, who introduced it as an idea or movement, and who gave it its structure and organisation. As we shall see, this task is not a clear-cut one. The origins of Christianity were fraught with much controversy, and its development into the organized religion and group of religious systems that we now call Christianity cannot be said to have been a smooth and linear one. This paper then explores the above question along three axes: Jesus as the founder of Christianity; Jesus as the originator of a Jewish Messianic sect that â€Å"posthumously† became Christianity; and the apostles as the founder of a Jewish sect that became Christianity through the interpretations and Christology of Paul. According to The Columbia Encyclopaedia, the main teachings of Christianity are that "Jesus is the Son of God; that his life on earth, his crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension into heaven are proof of God's love for humanity and God's forgiveness of human sins; and that by faith in Jesus one may attain salvation and eternal life"3. It is indisputable that Christianity centres on the life, death, resurrection, and teachings of Jesus, without whom the religion wouldn't exist. He is the pre-eminent source, and the great 'rabbi', whose words and the Midrash4 thereof form the New Testament scriptures. It is Jesus who gives the basis for the religion's creation in the forty days between His resurrection and ascension: "After his suffering he appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. He said to them 'you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.'"5 Although Christianity begins in earnest after Jesus' ascension, he lays the foundations for it to be carried out in the above quote and in the Great Commission: "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptised will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. And [miraculous] signs will accompany those who believe".6 There are two things of note about this commission; the first is that it reiterates the disciples' missionary work during the lifetime of Jesus7, and the second is that it gives the disciples the power and authori ty to continue doing the miraculous work that Jesus had done in his lifetime. The first time the gospel is preached after the resurrection is on the day of Pentecost, when, on receiving the promised Holy Spirit, Peter addresses the crowd gathered8. His sermon takes the following form: he recalls the Messianic prophecy in Joel and relates the story of Jesus' life, work, persecution and resurrection, using this to demonstrate that "God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ."9 He closes with a rejoinder that indicates the basic tenet of 'The Way': "Repent and be baptised, everyone of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."10 'The Way' eventually becomes known as 'Christianity', after the appellation given to the disciples in Antioch11. On the one hand, the above shows that to some extent, Jesus can be considered the founder of Christianity, since it originates and is grounded in him. On the other hand, it shows, as most definitions of Christianity claim, that the religion that bears his name is actually founded by his followers after his death12. In one sense, Christianity,

Natural and Common Logs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Natural and Common Logs - Essay Example This problem was solved in 1594 by a Mathematician from Scotland, known as John Napier, who introduced a set of logarithmic numbers. (Nagel, 2002, 2006) Today, they are used in modern scientific methods as well, such as calculations for computer science applications and algorithms. Finding out the efficiency of a certain algorithm, the time it takes to solve particular instructions etc. other than that, for many years, logarithms have been used in physics, chemistry, biology in calculating statistical data and values. Logarithms are used in graphical representation of the collected data and can also be used to forecast a trend based on the given data. In the field of engineering, exponentials can give you a hard time determining correlations between events and factors. In such cases, a logarithm can make the problematic function linear and provide a pretty accurate approximation. This makes solving it easy. The graphical representations of logarithmic functions can be much easier to analyze than complex ones and give a better understanding. An example would be of biology, in which the growth of an enzyme is being monitored. Suppose the function provided is: Converting a logarithmic function into an exponential function can be done in a simple way. A logarithmic function is the reflection of an exponential function in the line y = x. ... An example would be of biology, in which the growth of an enzyme is being monitored. Suppose the function provided is: Y = ln x (9.5), where x is the variable that strains the growth of the enzyme. The graph for it would look like:(Zorn, n.d) The graph provides a linear and simple representation, without the use of logarithm, this could be a very problematic function to deal with. Logarithm to Exponential Converting a logarithmic function into an exponential function can be done in a simple way. A logarithmic function is the reflection of an exponential function in the line y = x. for example, the equation we took above, y = ln x (9.5) would become y = ex(9.5). the graph for the exponential function would look like:(Zorn, n.d) Here, we clearly see that both graphs are laterally inverted. Proof: Y = ln x(9.5) After reflection in the line y = x; X(9.5) = lny Now recall that if ln x = y, then x = e y Therefore if ln y = x, then y = e x so; y = ex(9.5) Works Cited 1. L. Bostock, S. C. (1990, 1994, 2000). Core Mathematics for Advanced Level. Cheltenham: Nelson Thornes. 2. Nagel, R. (2002, 2006). Logarithm. Retrieved June 20, 2008, from enotes.com Encyclopedia of Science: http://www.enotes.com/uxl-science-encyclopedia/logarithm 3. Zorn, W. (n.d.). Function Grapher Online. Retrieved June 20, 2008, from walterzorn.com:

Globalization in Egypt and India Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Globalization in Egypt and India - Essay Example With the invasion of foreigners in the 19th century, everything changed hands. Not only were local leaderships surrendered into the hands of Europeans, the Egyptian land was also taken (Khalid, 2009). During the colonial period, Egypt was transformed in that the education systems, farm-level irrigation projects, and economic growth were all improved. These were later left in the hands of Egyptians once they strove for independence that they attained (Mahmoud, 2009). India. Before globalization took place in India, the country was undeveloped. Technology was not much developed and business or commerce was relatively underdeveloped. In addition, people with skilled expertise were few. Internet and email facilities were altogether a dream but this was during that period when Indians used to be just one country and one culture. With time, Indians started experiencing foreign influence. Presently, India is culturally diversified. This has led into some of the impacts that come from differ ent cultures. Almost sixteen per cent of universal population lives in India with over 826 languages. The country is growing and it has 225 cities. Those who took part in the globalization of India include Aryans, Turks, Greeks, Afghans, Muslims, Europeans, Portuguese, Dutch, French, and the English. Aryans, Turks, Greeks, Afghans, and Muslims came with invading armies to colonize the country. Europeans, Portuguese, Dutch, French and the English came with less violent but powerful approaches. Regardless of the way these foreigners came to India, their coming was intentional because those who used arms in their coming had intentions of transforming the country either positively or negatively. The influence impacted in this country was both direct and indirect. It was direct because foreigners came to dwell there. Television is the most dominant way through which India has undergone globalization. This is because television was launched in the country in 1950s and became widespread in 1980s. This has impacted people there through programs that they watch. Because this process was taking place in the Indian cities, youths migrated from rural areas to urban areas in search of jobs created by these foreign cultures leaving the elderly to depend on their own. This is a negative impact of globalization in the country. Other negative impacts were moral decay as people intermingled with foreigners to learn their cultures; divorce rates became very high especially in cities, pregnancy cases with teenagers are very dominant with teenage abortions rising by 20 percent in every year. This is according to a report by the ministry of health in Indian government. Indian traditional dresses have been displaced by western dresses more especially in urban areas. This has been due to the influence of social media and other forms of print or electronic media. Child labor is increasing in the country with more than 115 million children working despite the Indian constitution prohib iting child labor. A significant number of children work in informal sectors. Suicides which are dowry related, sexual abuse, and prostitution have been on an increase due to the negative impacts of globalization brought about by influence from other culture coupled with changing societal trends. The positive impacts of globalization in India include the fact that women have been empowered through being incorporated into the

Filipino Overseas Contract Workers in the US Essay Example for Free

Filipino Overseas Contract Workers in the US Essay For the first study, it is expected that the researcher would determine the factors that motivate Filipinos to leave their own country and work abroad. This would include their financial situations in the Philippines together with family size, occupation of spouse, occupation or educational level of the children, and other demographics. Since it is quantitative, it is expected that the study will be able to generate statistics in order to determine the best reason for their migration. Participants would probably prefer to migrate because of more compensation and support for multicultural groups (Zalaquett, et. al, 2008). This also includes an opportunity to work with the protection of the law implemented in the United States. Qualitative data would suggest poor chances of development for them in their own country. It is also expected in the trend study results that US foreign policy will be implemented for the migration of Filipinos in the country. More Filipinos are expected to leave their country and eventually take their families after they have established their lives in the States. However, the study does not make use of any scale in concluding for its objectives. The study is also limited to Filipinos whereas other races such as Israelites and Palestinians are not included. Also, the focus is only on the reason why Filipinos prefer to leave the Philippines and work in other countries (American Psychological Association, 2002). Based on the expected outcomes of the study, it is recommended by the researcher that further studies be initiated on this specific topic. It is also recommended that a study be conducted on job satisfaction of Filipino overseas workers (OFWs) in the United States and compare them with those who prefer to stay in the Philippines. A comparative study on worker’s rights and social security policies between the Philippines and other OFW filled countries is also recommended to further supplement the results of the present study. References American Psychological Association. (2002). Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code Of Conduct (PDF). Zalaquett, C. , Foley, P. , Tillotson, K. , Dinsmore, J. , Hof, D. (2008). Multicultural and Social Justice Training for Counselor Education Programs and Colleges of Education: Rewards and Challenges. Journal of Counseling Development, Volume 86, Number 3, 323 – 329.

Strategic Thinking In Logic Versus Creativity Commerce Essay

Strategic Thinking In Logic Versus Creativity Commerce Essay It is mutually agreed that the converses of intuition and analysis generate tension during the strategic thinking process. Researchers and contributors to strategic management making the case for logic argue that for strategy to be effective, the strategic thinking process must involve extensive formal analyses and objective collection and processing of data both from within and without the corporation (Hill and Jones, 2007; De Wit and Meyer, 2010). Rational reasoning enables managers gain an accurate perspective on the different options available before identifying the strategic option that best serves the organisations cause: achieving its goals and objectives. Logical analysis encompasses assessing internal and external risks, strengths and weaknesses, market need and so on; so that strategy can be thought out to fit each of the above factors. In contrast to logical thinking, creative thinking involves taking a leap of imagination (De Wit and Mayor, 2010, p. 60) without any logically defined reason for taking such a leap. Creative thinking is a divergence from the rules governing rational argumentation towards problem-solving. Strategic thinking from this perspective is therefore not governed by previous arguments or analyses, but is the generation of action plans using intuition (Hill and Jones, 2007). The strategy thinker will use intuitive judgement to derive a vision for the future. Proponents of this approach argue that it is the best way to define problems and generate innovative solutions since rationality has the potential to frustrate the process of generating novel insight, which, they say, should be the objective of strategic thinking (De Wit and Meyer, 2010). See (appendix A) Apple Inc. case study. Strategic Formation: Is strategy deliberate or emergent? From the dichotomy of rational versus creative thinking, the paradox of strategy deliberateness versus emergency arises. The deliberate doctrine opines that strategy creation ought to follow a coherent series of steps, a coordination of efforts, strategic resource allocation and utilisation and a prior, systematic programming of all processes and activities in the organisation (De Wit and Meyer, 2010). Strategy is a deliberate, systematic attempt to achieve fit between an organizations internal and external strengths and weaknesses, threats and opportunities (Sadler and Craig, 2003). The paradox of deliberateness and emergence comes courtesy of the cognitive school of thought. Managers who prefer logic in strategic thinking certainly believe that strategy formation is a deliberate process; whereas those who prefer intuition would go for the opinion that strategy formation is an emergent process. Managers who believe in emergence understand the process of strategy formation as anchored in an organisations capacity and willingness to stay open to new opportunities or trends, maintaining flexibility to changes in the internal and external environment being able to cognitively discern emerging ideas and concepts and the socio-political and cultural factors; and acting in response (Clegg et al., 2005; De Wit and Meyer, 2010). Strategy thus becomes a reactive process. The deliberate school of thought maintains that strategy has to be crafted; that responding to internal and external factors cannot solely be used to provide an organisation with a roadmap for achieving i ts objectives and realising its vision. See (appendix B) United Parcel Services (UPS) case study. Strategy Renewal: Is change Discontinuous or Evolutionary? Organisational change is an integral element of the strategy process. Strategy aims to outline an organisations plan for achieving its objectives. Sometimes, there are abrupt changes in the internal and external environment, shifts in production or project implementation life-cycles or changes in organisation dynamics (De Wit and Meyer, 2010). With such eventualities, the organisation has to renew its strategy. The paradox of revolution (discontinuous change) and evolution (continuous change) is occasioned by the two approaches to strategic renewal. Continuous change advocates for an evolutionary approach in increasing productivity and operational efficiency (Watson, 2000). Continuous change is feasible with emergent strategy formation since change motivators are everyday observed changes or trends in the internal and external environment. On the contrary, discontinuous (revolutionary) change involves performing a radical surgery to an organisations strategy. Unlike evolutionary strategic change, discontinuous change does not involve continual improvement of an organisations corporate strategy: strategic renewal is achieved by making distinct transformations from one strategic approach to another (De Wit and Meyer, 2010). Whether strategic renewal is achieved through revolutionary or evolutionary change is dependent on specific factors. In project management for example, revolutionary change is a suitable approach since typically, projects have predefined implementation timelines and budgets (Whittington, 2000). Continuous change becomes appropriate when the organisation undergoing change wants to maintain or improve its operational efficiency and competitive advantage in the long run. However, when organisations continuously evolve their strategies to maintain a competitive advantage, increase productivity and operational efficiency, counter the effects of changes in the external and external environment and meet changing customer or client requirements, revolutionary change is still unavoidable (De Wit and Meyer, 2010). Every once in a while, an organisation has to initiate revolutionary changes, processes and projects that wholly transform their strategic outlook and business processes. See (Append ix C) Ferrari case study. Conclusion From the analysis done in this report, it is evident that strategy dichotomies or the paradoxes arising from strategic thinking, strategy formation and strategy renewal are closely interrelated. They arise due to the diversity in the contexts with which strategy is interpreted and understood. Effective corporate strategising, it appears, must be conducted by applying opposing perspectives alongside each other. For example, some specific case may call for a combination of logical and creative thinking in strategy formation whereas others may call for logic only (Clegg et al., 2005). Effective managers should be able to identify which approach will be most effective for each specific case.

Essay --

The institution of marriage has traditionally been defined as between a man and a woman. In the Oct. 15, 1971 decision Baker v. Nelson, the Supreme Court of Minnesota found that "The institution of marriage as a union of man and woman, uniquely involving the procreation(reproduction) and rearing(raising) of children within a family, is as old as the book of Genesis.† The idea that same-sex marriage is a civil rights issue is very misleading to many because technically it is far from it. The unifying characteristics of the protected classes within the Civil Rights Act of 1964 include (1) a history of longstanding, widespread discrimination, (2) economic disadvantage, and (3) unchangeable characteristics... 'Sexual orientation' does not meet any of the three objective criteria shared by the historically protected civil rights categories although the opinion that homosexuality is choice rather than a born trait is heavily debated. In recent decades, marriage has been weakened by a liberal view that is more about adults’ desires than children’s needs. Allowing gay marriage would only further shift the purpose of marriage from producing and raising children to adult gratification. Traditional marriage is already threatened with high divorce rates (between 40% and 50%) and with 40.6% of babies being born to unmarried mothers in 2008 according to National Statistics and the preliminary data for births in 2008. Allowing same-sex couples to marry would further weaken the institution. Sweden began offering same-sex couples benefits in 1987, followed by Denmark in 1989 and Norway in 1993. According to a Feb. 29, 2004 report by Stanley Kurtz, PhD, from 1990 to 2000, Norway's out-of-wedlock birthrate rose from 39% to 50% and Sweden's rose fro... ...havior. It is a natural occurrence that girls who are raised apart from their fathers are reportedly at higher risk for early sexual activity and teenage pregnancy. Children without a mother are deprived of the emotional security and unique nurturing that mothers find it almost natural to provide. Our society can choose to support certain types of sexual arrangements, such as gay relationships, and give support in the form of benefits to these arrangements, close or equal to those given to people in a traditional marriage. I believe in equality of opportunity and this would give both gay and traditional marriages equal support, treatment, and benefits from our government. However the term marriage, to those who still remain loyal to the teachings of religion, has an unchangeable definition, which is the union of man and women in matrimony to become husband and wife.

Listening is a Form of Love Essay -- Personal Narrative

Listening is a Form of Love Listening can be defined as the act of hearing attentively. Love can be defined as a strong redilection or enthusiasm. Listening is indeed a form of love. In my opinion, when you listen to someone or something, that means you are interested in what is being said. I also think listening is a form of caring and of respect. You may care about the person you are listening to or what you are listening to. Listening to a family member can be a form of love. For example, my great-grandfather, Nathaniel Hudson, 92, feels very lonely now because he lives in a nursing home and his family only comes to see him once or twice weekly. He does not really have anyone to talk to. When he comes to my house on the weekends, he is very talkative, telling me everything about his childhood. Most of the time he is boring and he repeats himself often, but I know it is because of his age. It is difficult for him to hear me when I respond to him. However, just by me taking a few minutes to listen to his stories makes him feel good because he had someone to talk to. I made hi...

The Rise in Police Brutality Essay example -- Papers Abuse Cops Author

The Rise in Police Brutality Police brutality and corrupt cop issues have increasingly risen. The problems posed by the illegal exercise of police power, which is an ongoing reality for individuals of a disfavored race, class, or sexual preference. There are innocent people beaten or put in jail or prison. They can be helped, but the ones beyond help are dead. There are good cops and there are bad cops. Under the law, article 7 states: ?No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhumane degrading treatment or punishment? (Amnesty 42). The definition of police brutality is the excessive use of deadly or physical force made by a police officer or officer of the law. By kicking, punching, using weapons, shooting, and killing innocent victims. If every cop followed the articles there would be no brutality. If the court systems barely help, if the police won?t do anything, and the media isn?t around. How can we prevent police brutality? With violence in America steadily rising you might support the fact that cops have to use physical force on criminals. But is excessive force needed for ?unarmed criminals Is it necessary to shoot at an ?unarmed? man 41 times because he made a suspicious move? Is it fair to have a man with no previous crime record to wait over 15 years on death row, while the legal system does nothing? While another man has a wooden stick shoved so far up his intestines that they ruptured. Instead of sitting down watching all this happen around you and just being glad it isn?t you. You can do something about it. Prevent police brutality; corrupt cops and the killing of innocent lives. The heinous, cruel and inhumane acts the following cops have done are by no means justified,... ....org/majfact.htm. February 22, 2000. Handbook of Policing the Police. California: Greenhaven Press, 1995. Leibovich, Lori. ?Rethinking Rodney King? March 13, 1998. [online] Available http://www.salon.com/news/1998/03/13news.html. February 29, 2000. Refuse and Resist. Who is Mumia Abu-Jamal. [online] Available http://mojo.calyx.net~refuse/mumia/051697brochure.html. February 22, 2000. Robinson, Bryan. ?Diallo Officers Self-Defense Case Hinges onLight and Autupsy Evidence. [online] Available -http://www.courttv.com/diallo/012800_background_ctv.htm. February 22, 2000. Rockwell, Robert. Police Brutality: More than A Few Bad Apples [online] Available http://mojo.calyxnet/~refuse/ndp/082497rockwell.html. February 26, 2000. Taylor, Stuart Jr. ?Guitly and Framed? [online] Available http://www.courttv.com/casefiles/mumia/guilty.html. October 25, 1999.

Argumentative Essay of the Movie “The Reader”

Parra 1 Martin Parra Prof. Enrique Wong English 100 4 December 2012 Looks can be deceiving; do not fall into the trap â€Å"Ethical principles stand above the existence of the nation and that, by adhering to these principles an individual, belongs to the community of all those who share, who have shared, and who will share this belief† (Fromm 121). This thought was impossible to perceive in Germany during Hitler’s command and his cruel, racist, immoral Jewish holocaust. Ethics and moral never existed in that country by that time, thus Germans only lived under the â€Å"law†.One special case of this atrocity was the one of Hanna Schmitz, in the movie The Reader. Some people would say that Hanna Schmitz was a right person based on the fact that she helped Michael Berg during his youth and also the fact that she was a disciplined worker. However, she manipulated Michael Berg, killed around three hundred people in the concentration camp, and killed herself when she w as in jail. Despite Hanna helped Michael when he more needed at the time he was very sick, she manipulated and mistreated him in different ways.The first one and the most important was when Michael had to take a bath (The Reader, film). He wanted a private moment, but Hanna disrespected him (The Reader, film). She did not close the curtain and saw him naked. When Michael realized that, he was restrained. Looking at his eyes, Hanna seized the moment and got naked, too. Michael got shocked. After some looks, Michael was having his first sex experience (The Reader, film). He was just fifteen years old. Then, they began to repeat this situation almost every day. So, Michael Parra 2 started to prefer going Hanna’s instead going home, and she did not care about it.Neither cared about his name (she just called him â€Å"kid†) nor how was he with his disease (The Reader, film). She just wanted to have sex and pleasure, not love at all. After some time, Michael read a story to Hanna and she liked the way he did it. Hanna liked so much that she preferred hearing a story before having sex (The Reader, film). Again, Hanna is using Michael just to self-indulge. Another situation where she did not show respect for him was in the train. Both saw each other, but Hanna did not want to greet him and turned around (The Reader, film).Furthermore, she told Michael that she could not be upset with him because she did not care enough about him (The Reader, film). Unexpectedly, he asked Hanna if she loved him, the answer was a deep silence (The Reader, film). So, it is clear that Hanna Schmitz did not respect Michael Berg, just used and manipulated him for her own benefit. After a long time, Michael became a law student and saw Hanna again, but in a trial (The Reader, film). It resulted that Hanna drop her job at the train office and radically became a concentration camp guard (The Reader, film). Why did she take that decision?It can be possible that she was in a diffic ult situation in her life, but she could have easily chosen another type of job, not an atrocious one. Even though she knew her new job was killing people without a logic reason, she accepted before thinking twice. The worst thing she did was burning a church with three hundred people inside and locking all the doors (The Reader, film). Where are the ethics, moral and logic here?! She did not want to think in the most important values and rights, she just obeyed the law. Based on Donald B. Walker article: Law is the derivation of a society? interpretation of justice which is relative both to time and place. Furthermore, the creation of law is more frequently the Parra 3 result of the interpretation of justice by the powerful in the society which is then applied at the expense of the powerless. Obviously, in this case the Germans were the powerful and Jews, the powerless. Consequently, their law was an interpretation of what they think to be justice; but, that justice was based on ha te, racism and killing of some people, especially Jews. This absurd law was the only thing Hanna had in my mind when she was working as a concentration camp guard.She could save those people if she had thought in ethics and rights, but no. She did not open her mind, just obeyed the law. At the end of the trial Michael began to cry because the judge sentence Hanna penal servitude for life because she admitted that the letter about those killed people in the concentration camp was written by her (The Reader, film). It may have been worse; she could have been executed due to all the people she had killed. Years passed, Michael Berg became a judge, he had a daughter; but, he never stopped thinking about Hanna Schmitz.He could not forget her. So, one day he decided to write a letter to her (The Reader, film). When she received it and heard the name Michael Berg, she was surprised. After that, Michael sent her a story recorded in a cassette. Since then, plenty of cassettes arrived to Hann a’s jail (The Reader, film). Since then, she learned how to read and write. Now the big question, why did she tell the judge that she wrote that letter when she did not know how to write? It cannot be possible that Hanna lied in the most decisive moment of the trial, of her future.Finally, she killed herself after Michael wanted to help to her to get out of prison. These attitudes are considered part of the psychologically weakest people who refuse any kind of help from others who love and care them. Once again Hanna Schmitz hurt Michael and did not want his help, even worse, his love. Parra 4 In spite of Hanna Schmitz helped the young boy Michael Berg when he was sick and was an excellent worker, as a conclusion, it is clear that she was a manipulating and cruel person. She used the young boy Michael Berg to satisfy herself and killed a lot of people just because it was her job.She did not showed respect, human rights, and ethics in both cases. Actually, she can be considere d a selfish hypocrite prepotent person who just wanted her own benefit with no respect or care about the others around her. So, be careful; you do not want to be like Hanna Schmitz, right? Works Cited Fromm, Erich. Escape from freedom. New York: Farrar and Rinehart, 1941. Print. The reader. Dir. Stephen Daldry. Perf. Kate Winslet, Ralph Fiennes, and Bruno Ganz. Mirage, 2008. Film. Walker, Donal B. The Detah Penalthy: Legal Cruelty. USA Today, November 1983.

Human resource management function Essay

Human resource management function -Able to outsource production or manufacturing in other countries such as Italy, Morocco, Poland and Turkey which are able to make the shirts cheap enough and good enough. -Under a smart boss who is Passionate and skilled in his business. -Limited human capital especially operation directors so that Robert can concentrate on design. The opportunity to bring more operations director on board so that Robert can concentrate on design. -An adverse Change in the international market environment given that they are unable to manufacture cheap and good quality shirts off the road. Accounting and finance function -Very healthy financially especially due to use retained profits to expand. -Has been self-financed after the paternal startup deal. -Good enough people apart from Robert who are able to do tasks such as analytics, accounting and warehousing much better than Robert. -A paternal startup deal which had higher interest rates than local bank rates. -An extremely conservative approach to financing -Angel investors and equity financiers will be willing to invest in the business given its good financial health. -Cutthroat angel investors who has the potential to affect the growth of the business. – Issuing out part of equity will dilute control of ownership which may bring wrangles in future. Marketing function -E-commerce which is already accounting for 15% of sales. -A Loyal customer’s base that is able to market the business by word of mouth and thus no much marketing needed. -Broad patterns of up to 500 patterns -A number of details about the expansion plan still remain sketchy. -Marketing and promotion only rely with word of mouth. -A chance to build itself as a brand by diversifying into other products such as jackets, shoes, belts. -An opportunity to diversify customers seeming to be demanding diversification. -Opportunity for increased number of outlets -The opening up of an online shop which has potential for multiplying sales from the current 15%. -A longer term vision of taking advantage of the growing appetite for the British luxury brands in emerging markets. -Limitation by design and material. A number of parts or areas of the business need more strengthening so as to accelerate the growth and expansion of the business. The area that should be given priority in terms of strengthening it is accounting and finance since it will affect the other functions. The very conservative approach of financing ought to be loosened and the cutthroat angel and equity investors avoided so as avoiding problems that may arise in the future. The human resource management function should be strengthened by encouraging more specialization within the organization such as by hiring operations directors to manage operations that other may concentrate on other tasks like design. Also trying to engage in manufacturing off the road may help to overcome eventualities such as incase of change in the international market environment. The marketing function can be strengthened by having a clear and concise expansion plan and also by getting more materials and designs to help in curbing shortage in future even after outlets have been increased. Culture is a set of shared expectations, beliefs and norms by the members of the same organization. In depth Organizational culture can be described as the ideological system that is shared by the members of the organization, this culture is transmitted through interaction and socialization in the organization and help to shape the behavior of individuals (Schwartz and Davis, 1981: p. 33). The culture in Emmett shirts is shaped by the following factors. First the sector in which the Emmett shirts business operates in greatly influences it and in this case given that the business deals with clothes and specifically shirts where they sell them on retail to the customers. The fact that they are in direct contact with their final consumer makes them to be more friendly to consumers, listening to their suggestions and demands and showing them that they care. Secondly the influence of the founder or the business leader shapes the organizational culture. Robert Emmett being the owner and boss of the organization is key into formulating ideas and ideologies that are embraced by the others in the organization. Robert refers to himself as a smart boss but also quick to note that he is not there yet, this depicts him as someone setting the precedent to work smart and still seeking to do it better and better. He is also very passionate about his business having has started it from scratch and also not to fail to mention his skills especially in design. The other people in the organization tend to benchmark themselves with the leader and thus in Emmett shirts Robert is very crucial in terms of changing the organization culture. The history and tradition of the business also shapes the culture of the organization. Emmett shirts started as a really small entity with a loan from Robert`s father and now through retained earnings it has grown to three outlets all of which are doing great. The history of the business to its current position shapes the ideas and beliefs of what the business can achieve in future. These ideas and beliefs about the business in turn affect the actions and behavior of the workers and all members at large. The organization expectations in terms the growth plan, returns expected, expectations on the workers, the objectives, long term and short term goals, mission and vision to a great extent dictates the culture of the organization. The culture of the organization should support the realization of the organization expectations. The reward system and measurement of performance of the organization also goes a long way in determining the member’s culture. Emmett`s shirts business is also dictated mostly by this factor since its culture has to support its expansion plan of establishing more outlets. The customer base combined with the broad business environment such as legislation and other aspects like competition defines the culture of the organization. A change in the business environment may necessitate a change of culture as the organization adjusts to the changed environment. Emmett shirts may have to change a few aspects so as to address customer’s demands, respond to their feedback and move along with them. The culture of the organization can also be shaped by its environment such that an environment which is competitive may call for the organization to believe in its being the best, deliver quality products and offer excellent services. A Stakeholder of any organization refers to any person or party with an interest in the organization, the interests of different groups may at times conflict. Financial stakeholders in an organization are those who have financial interests in the organization or they will be affected by the state of the organization financially. Table 1.2 showing different stakeholders and their interests. Stakeholder category. Stakeholder. Interests. Internal stakeholders Owner(s), Robert Emmett Financial return or profits and capital gain or increase in value of his investment. Management team or Employees of Emmett shirts. A sense of belonging, payment, job satisfaction, and training. External stakeholders Lender, Robert`s father. Security and interest rate Community Contribution to community. Government/Authorities Taxes and compliance. Customers Supply of properly priced quality goods and services. Plans concerning future growth of Robert`s business through consideration of a number of available business opportunities. The growth plan will affect the different groups with a financial interest in the business. Robert want to expand his business by establishing more outlets, having an online shop, increasing production and in the long term the vision of taking advantage of the growing appetite for the British luxury brands in emerging markets. Implementing these expansion plans means more risks, increased costs and multiplied management problems. The costs will be elastic to changes in the market in which the organization is operating in and thus the cost is likely to vary with future plans. The owner(s) interest to get higher financial returns could be thwarted in the short run if the expansion plans are implemented. The cash which could have been considered as returns to the owner are used in conjunction with other resources to implement the expansion plan. The owner, Robert will have to contend with nil returns for a time as he awaits the newly established projects to break-even. Expansion also means more finances are needed in the process and Robert may be forced to surrender a good proportion of the ownership of the organization to investors who are ready to invest their money in the organization in exchange to a share of ownership. The management and employees of Emmett shirts will also encounter more management problems in the expansion process and also later as they manage the new establishment in its new environment. Some of the workers may be transferred to different locations and others assigned different and more challenging roles. The above will in turn kill the sense of belonging amongst the employees as they are shifted to different locations and probably also diminish job satisfaction. The management and workers may also have to spend cash and time training so as to be able to handle the new challenges in the organization. Lenders of the business such as Robert`s father who provided the capital for starting the business, their financial interest in the firm i.e. repayment of principal amount and interest may be adversely affected. Loans are supposed to be repaid periodically of which it may not be possible if the expansion plan is quite over-ambitious or done over-aggressively without considering the ramifications of doing that. To avoid a scenario where loan repayment plan fails it is instrumental to plan and budget wisely. Costs can be differentiated into different types and categories which require different treatment in the budget. Variable (VC) or proportional and fixed costs (FC) are the main costs incurred in any business. Although there are intermediaries between the two main costs such are: semi-variable costs, semi-fixed costs. The above classification depends purely on the cost responsiveness to changing levels of business activity. Fixed costs remain constant throughout and do not change even if the level of business activity changes, semi –fixed costs tend to change a little bit to changes in business activity. Variable or proportional costs change with a change in the level of business activity; semi-variable costs have an element of not being very much responsive to change in the level of business activity. In the expansion phase FC rarely change much but VC will change with a slight change in activity level. Table 1.3 Showing the different types of costs in Emmett shirts business and their classification. No Item(Cost) Category Description Rent Fixed costs Cost of hiring space for retailing or warehousing. Labor and wages Variable costs Payment to workers and casual laborers. Designing Variable costs This is the cost used to make designs for manufacturing. Materials Variable costs These are materials or garment used to make the shirts License Fixed costs The newly established outlets will need licenses for them to start operating. Research Variable cost This helps to determine aspects such as location and demand. Depreciation Fixed cost It is the cost of loss of value of machines Motor vehicle Variable cost It will help in transportation of materials and personnel Marketing Variable cost Promotion and advertising especially for new outlets. Consultancy costs Variable costs To help comply with regulations and requirements in the new environment Packaging materials Variable costs Management Allowances Variable costs Establishing new outlets may necessitate additional allowances. Furniture Fixed costs Such as additional tables and chairs The human resource management in the case of Emmett Shirts is wanting in terms of specialization of tasks in the organization. Those doing design should be different from those engaged in managing the operations of the business. Hiring more talented personnel such as operation directors may go a long way in enhancing efficiency and dealing with future challenges that may arise as the business grows. Under the marketing function the expansion plan should be clear and the option to take that is whether to diversify as per customer demands. E-commerce has more potential and can help much in online marketing of the shirts. (Hurley 2011 p. 16) Globalization is the integration of economies, markets, industries, cultures and policy formulation. Globalization has both positive and negative effects on the economy of each country that has embrace it. Emmett shirts to a really sensible extent can be termed as a globalised business, due to the following reasons and aspects that can be seen in it. First under globalization there are four drivers that drive globalization namely: cost driver, market driver, technology driver and competition driver. Emmett Shirts have greatly embraced technology and has plans to continue to do so. Already 15% of the organization total sales are from E-commerce and plans are underway to have a well established online shop which is the same as establishing six physical stores. Having embraced E-commerce the business can be able to sell its product to any person in any place in the world and also do its promotion, marketing and advertising online. This intense online presence will help create more awareness about the product, announce introduction of new products and outlets. It is also easier to solicit support from the existing loyal customer base and even benefit from customer referrals online. Technology level is the number one determinant of whether a business is a globalised business. In my opinion I would say that Emmett Shirts is a globalised business given that it has embraced technology in its operations and has embraced E-commerce and continues to do so. Market driver is another key driver of globalization under which companies take into consideration the various markets to invest that is giving attention to open market economics. Emmett Shirts considers as part of its long term ambition or goal to take advantage of the emerging markets in the east such as in China and others awakening giants. These markets have got high appetite and demand for British luxury products or brands. We also see the business benchmarking itself against a brand from Dunhill road which has more shops in China than in London. This action tells us more about what the business is likely to focus on in its long term plan that is establishing shops in the emerging markets in the Far East. This reason leads me to conclude that Emmett Shirts is a globalised business. In regard to whether Emmett Shirts is globalized we realize that the business outsource its production or manufacturing of shirts from other countries such as Poland, Morocco, Ital and Turkey depending on style and material. The reason doing for this is that in the country it is hard to produce cheap enough and good enough shirts. In summary this action shows us that the business has embraced cost driver as a key factor driving globalization and thus can be termed as a globalized business. There are four drivers of globalization which include: technology driver, competition driver, cost driver and market driver. Under market driver globalization is driven by a desire to expand the market base to the emerging markets which are growing in terms of population and increased consumer purchasing power in these markets. Companies consider investing or shifting their investment to open market economics. This also comes in handy with the aspect of competition amongst different countries and companies which are moving beyond their national or regional spheres to international spheres of the whole global market. Technology has been a driver of globalization in quite a number of aspects such as through E-commerce and Electronic transfer, telecommunication gadgets, platforms and software’s. Platforms such as the social media examples being face book, Twitter linked in and others, the media at large, emails, video links such as Skype have continued to accelerate communication and sharing of key information. In business spheres outsourcing some business tasks have been made possible. Government driver or change of policy framework in different countries and formation of trading blocks. Trade and non trade tariffs and shift in open market system. Formulation of G.A.T.T. (General Agreement of Tariff and Trade). Countries which are willing enter into agreements to carry free trade around the world. The tariffs were initially to protect the local infant industries I a country but the realization that countries have to work together for them to achieve economic development continues to propel countries to loosen their trade tariffs. According to my own analysis technology is the strongest driver of globalization of all the others. This is so because at a click of a button one can buy or sell any product or service while in any part of the world. Technology has turned the world into a global village and communication is made with ease amongst people who are very far from each other as if they were just next to each other. Telecommunication devices such as tablets, smart phones and computers at large have interlinked every corner of the world through the World Wide Web. Reference Hurley, J. (2011) ‘Emmett’s Luxury Shirts: Deciding whether to specialise or diversify a luxury brand’, The Daily Telegraph (London), 19 July. Source document

Developing a Coordinated School Health Approach to Child Obesity Prevention Essay

Introduction Obesity is now become an epidemic among school going young adolescence in developed countries. The prevalence rate of childhood obesity is considerably high in developed countries. Similarly, prevalence rate of obesity is increasing in developing countries too (James 2004). It is estimated that there are 250 million adult obese people live worldwide (Seidell 1999). Obesity is associated with many chronic diseases like hypertension, heart diseases, diabetes type 2 and even cause cancer. So, increase prevalence of obesity means increase global burden of chronic diseases which indirectly affects the status of global economy. Obesity caused about 9% of total annual medical expenditure in the US in 1998 (Finkelstein, Fiebelkorn and Wang 2003). According to Ogden et al. (2006), 19% of children aged 6 to 11 years are obese and 18% are overweight in the US. Given the wide array of devastating health, social and economic consequences of obesity, the continuing escalating rates of childhood ob esity, not least among rural dwellers in the USA, is a great public health concern. Consequently, lot of attention has been paid to the need for effective preventions programmes. Of such programmes is â€Å"Winning with Wellness† programme in Appalachia- a rural area in the US. Based on the evaluation report of the programme by Schetzina et al (2009), this paper reviews activities, approach, framework and theories of the programme. ‘Winning with Wellness’ Programme The school-based health programme â€Å"Winning with Wellness† was introduced as a pilot project in an elementary school in rural Appalachia as a way to promote healthy eating and physical activity for elementary school children (Schetzina et al. 2009). The programme was based upon the coordinated school health (CSH) approach that was developed in 1988 (TN Gov 2010). The aim of the pilot programme was to prevent obesity which is a major problem, particularly in rural areas in the US (Schetzina et al. 2009). The programme was supported financially by community collation and it was implemented together with the school based programme in Tennessee (TN Gov 2010). There are eight different components to improve the lifestyle of students and their families: health education; health services; counselling, psychological and social services; nutrition; physical education; school staff wellness; healthy school environment, and student, parents and community involvement (CDC 2008). The s chool authority established indoor and outdoor walking trails to enhance physical activity among students. Teachers received a training to guide the students properly in such physical activity. A proper nutrition service to promote healthy eating among students was installed such that a registered dietician was assigned to develop ‘Go, Slow and Whoa’ programme which categorized the foods according to their nutritional value and advised the school food service coordinator to supply light diets. Teachers were responsible to provide information about the ‘Go, slow and Whoa’ to students to improve their knowledge about nutritional value of the food and this kind of lesson enable a student to identify healthy and unhealthy diet. School administration also encouraged parents to help their children to choose the healthy diet during lunch in school or at home. Besides students, this health promotion intervention also advocated teachers and staffs to lead a healthy life by increasing physical exercise and taking healthy diet. A counselling and psychological service was available to develop personal skill among the students about physical exercise and active lifestyle. This health promotion intervention maintained all kind of ethical issues such as consent were taken from both students and parents to participate into this pilot project (Schetzina et al. 2009). Third and fourth graders participated in the programme, in total 114 children. Model As stated before in the evaluation report by Schetzina et al. (2009) ‘Winning with Wellness’ Programme was based on the Co-ordinated School Health (CSH) model. The latter was based on the traditional three-component model, where a school health program is defined in terms of health instruction, health services, and a healthful environment. This model was expanded and eight essential components were suggested: nutrition services, health education, physical, education, school health services, counselling and psychological services, healthy school environment, health promotion for school staff and participation of community. Diane Allensworth and Lloyd Kolbe first proposed a health promotion model for school health in a professional literature in 1987 which is now known as Coordinated School Health (CSH) model (CDC 2008). This model placed emphasis on creating supportive environments for students by different measures and the new version has been used and adopted in many health prevention programmes (Schetzina et al. 2009). The CSH model is not based upon the Tannahill Model of Health Promotion where health promotion is defined in terms of health education, health protection, and ill-health prevention. Similarly, CSH model is not based upon the Tones Model of Health Promotion which considers empowerment as the main theme of health promotion practice. According to the Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion (WHO 1986), health promotion strategies should be adapted to the local needs, although there are similarities with the CSH, this approach was not based upon the Ottawa Charter. The CSH offered a way to change the school and ideas were explored and altern ative solutions and approaches could be examined in the classroom. Teachers understood and examined the realities of children’ circumstances and choices and the understanding provided a change to bring and implement better choices for the children. Approach According to Schetzina et al. (2009), community-based participatory research (CPBR) approach was used in ‘Winning with Wellness’ health promotion programme. CBPR is a collaborative approach and this approach is now seen as an alternative to the traditional research approach (Tandon et al. 2007). In this programme, a collaboration of teachers, health care providers, parents, community members and researchers was established to make the following obesity prevention programme effective and evaluate outcome of the programme precisely (Schetzina et al. 2009). Some researchers suggest that in rural areas, parents and community involvement in an important element in an obesity intervention (Hawley, Beckman and Bishop 2006) because of scarcity of resources for health promotion in rural elementary schools (Nelson et al. 2006). To compensate the shortness of healthcare facilities, it is obviously a good decision to choose CPBR which ensures multiple level of influence from individ ual behaviours to family settings, local community and health care services to decrease rate of overweight and obesity among children (Filbert et al. 2009). The approach of this school health promotion encourages children into taking action, and it brings materials and information into the classroom (Collins et al. 2002). The idea of involving parents, families, and school is described as a way of increasing the commitment and ensuring positive educational and health outcomes (TN Gov 2010). Approaches that use several different strategies and include several different people are more successful than an approach that relies on health information and instruction (Collins et al. 2002). The approach created a new cultural norm where healthy and physical activity was promoted and encouraged. The approach also included many different people and resources. The approach opened up ways for new ideas about how to make health promotion a part of changes in school and improvements in the school environment (Veugelers and Fitzgerald 2005). Furthermore, it lowered the risk for chronic disease in adulthood, and helped to promote healthy behaviour that might lead to life-long habits. This health approach can also reduce absenteeism, reduce classroom behaviour problems, improve performance, and prepare students to be productive members of the community (TN Gov 2008). In addition, the approach supports teacher and staff to improve their health and act as role models for the children. However, such kind of programme requires extensive planning and funding and cannot be considered as a short-term approach (TN Gov 2010). Moreover, the success of a school-based programme relies on the cooperation and positive attitude of several groups of professional, as well as parental involvement in the ‘Winning with Wellness’. Programme was more expensive when compared to health promotion programmes that solely focus on health information and instruction (Schetzina et al. 2009). However, changes are not easy to achieve and there is no simple formula. The approach might need to be adapted and changed to suit the needs of specific commun ities (Summerbell et al. 2005). Though this approach has many advantages, it takes longer to implement in new schools, and preparations are needed in order for the approach to be successful in new areas. Theory A theoretical framework helps an individual to focus and clarify intentions and desires with a certain health promotion approach (Naidoo and Wills 2000). Furthermore, a theoretical framework offers a foundation upon which to explain the approach and the benefits that can be expected from a certain approach. Theory of Planned Behaviour (TBP) was used in this programme (Schetzina et al. 2009). This theory is often used to predict positive health behaviours, and it is based on cognitive processing and level of behaviour change. The TBP is used for assessing factors influencing behavioural motivation and action that may be used to exploring and predicting intention related to diet (Conner et al. 2003). Analysis of factors related to beliefs underlying diet and health choices can be examined, and the model can be used for explaining human behaviour (Ajzen and Fishbein 2005). Three different predictors of health behaviour are used: attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavioural control (Nejad, Wertheim and Greenwood 2005). Health behaviours are influenced by the individuals’ personal emotion and affect-laden nature; however, a weakness of the TBP theory is that it does not take emotions into account (Dutta-Bergman 2005). Nevertheless, the TBP can be used to understand p eople’s volitional behaviour, and it can explain the relationship between behavioural intention and actual behaviour. Furthermore, it has improved the predictability of exercises and diet (Baranowski et al. 2003). The theory also takes into account the individual’s social behaviour by considering social norm. Research suggests that this theory is good at explaining intention, and perceived behavioural control (Godin and Kok 1996). Critical analysis of the programme: Traditionally, school-health approaches have focused on knowledge rather than attitudes and skills (Naidoo and Wills 2000). The co-ordinated school health approach challenges the view that pupils will change their behaviour when they have information and knowledge. The CSH works on several different levels in order to promote physical activity and healthy eating (TN Gov 2010). The CSH approach is an ongoing process and the success relies on successful communication between the different groups, professionals, and individuals involved in the programme. A common goal and vision is important and the responsibilities and accountability are shared between the participating groups (Fetro 2005). Even though the groups may support each other, they also function independently. The question is whether a school-based health programmes â€Å"go beyond the intended function of schools† (Miller 2003 p.7). It could be argued that knowledge about health lays the foundation for successful schooling (Miller 2003). However, introducing more programmes into the curriculum is always difficult and schools often have problems to link and include health services and the community in their programmes (Miller 2003). The co-ordinator has the ultimate responsibility for implementing the CSH approach, and it is not recommended that this position is held by the school nurse, unless there is a small school system (TN Gov 2010). A school nurse provides an important link between school, home and the community, and he/she also provides counselling to the pupils. However, the co-ordinator has a wide range of responsibilities: liaison; facilitator; partnership-builder; data collector; report writer; public awareness developer; advocate, information sharer, and overall school system organiser (TN Gov 2010). The co-ordinator develops healthy school teams, and facilitates a system-wide school advisory council. Thus, the responsibility for the successful implementation lies mostly on the co-ordinator. The school nurse is responsible for assessment, planning, and direct care of the children. In addition, the co-ordination between the school and community health care professionals ensures early intervention. The idea is that the health education is implemented into the daily school life, and the education is provided by health educators, teacher, school counsellors, school nurse, dieticians, and community health professionals. During the school years the foundation for lifelong habits are laid, and it is crucial to help children develop healthy habits (Lynagh, Schofield and Sanson-Fisher 1997). An advantage with using school based health approaches is that existing structures and systems are already in place (Miller 2003). Schools have a curriculum into which a health programme can be implemented. Furthermore, using existing structures are cost effective and schools have also been screened for acceptability. Moreover, a school based approach reaches the staff and the people working at school. Teachers and staff may change their own behaviour and become more aware of their eating and exercise habit. School based approaches reach all children in society and the approach can be targeted at specific minority populations. The nutrient programme is developed in the school; consequently, changes can be implemented when the children, teacher and their families are ready and motivated for the change. Policies regarding vending machines, the food and drink children bring to school, can be discussed and evaluated together with the co-ordinator, nurse, and school board (NICE 2006). Advice and care should be non-discriminatory and culturally appropriate, and the character of the CSH approach allows for schools and communities to implement approaches that are adapted to students with disabilities and from ethnic minorities (Naidoo and Wills 2000). Physical education and fitness activities are planned according to the national curriculum (TN Gov 2010). A recent report suggests that more time spent on physical activity does not impair academic attainment (Murray et al. 2007). The CSH approach is flexible in the sense that more physical activity can be added without changing the curriculum, for example, lunch or morning activities (TN Gov 2010). The role of parents and community is to be involved, and school administrator teachers and school health staff actively try to involve the family in the health promotion (TN Gov 2010). The CSH approaches were developed to be a long-term approach where funding was guaranteed (Warwick, Mooney and Oliver 2009). In some cases it may be difficult to receive funding especially since the success of the programme is difficult to evaluate, partly because there are a wide range of programmes and ways to implement the CSH approach (Warwick, Mooney and Oliver 2009). Teachers could be considered as weak link in the programme; however, research suggests that teachers often support programmes (TN Gov 2010). There might be conflicting interest, and teachers who play a vital role in a school-based health promotion programme, may focus on knowledge that can be gained from including health in the curriculum. In contrast, the school nurse may emphasise reducing health risks associated with overweight and obesity (St Leger et al. 2007). Thus, the approach relies on the co-ordinator, head teachers, and the school to identify and agree on the most useful and fruitful outcomes for their programme (Warwick, Mooney and Oliver 2009). There are likely to be variations in programme implementation; every co-ordinator works together with the school and different solutions to reach the goal may be used (Warwick, Mooney and Oliver 2009). Although, a flexible approach has its advantages it can also mean that some schools may integrate concern for health widely across the curriculum, whereas other may choose to focus on specific health issues. As a consequence it is difficult to evaluate the success of the programme. The strength of the approach is that every school has different programmes and services and the solutions and approach are developed to suit a specific school or area. A school can examine their specific needs and resources, although, many programmes are related to the eight components. The full benefit of the CSH approach is perhaps not possible unless you also involve parents (Veugelers and Fitzgerald, 2005). Choices and activities after school influence a child’s chances of becoming obese, and a healthy lifestyle may be difficult for children to change the food and beverage intake at home. Furthermore, if the family is not physically active it may be difficult for children to change the pattern. However, here BMI Index was used as the measurement of obesit y of students. There are several problems related to BMI and some of these could be related to the received result in the programme. There are several limitations with the use of BMI index and the index is sometimes combined with a measurement of the waist circumference. The index does not measure fat itself and it does not take into account the skeletal size, amount of body water or muscle mass (EUPHIX 2009). Moreover, the measurement does not reflect body changes when a person is changing his or her height over time. Thus, the index underestimates the degree of overweight in short children and overestimates overweight in tall children. Considering that the programme involved young children it would have been preferable to use some more measurement to examine any changes in body fat percentage. The location of the fat is important, and the children might have lost fat around the waist and gained in muscle strength, which would have an effect on the body fat percentage (BNET UK 2010 ). Recommendations: There are several advantages with using the CSH model to health promotion. This model provides a wide range of opportunities for children to learn and experience healthy lifestyle choice and activities by concentrating and integrating a wide range of people and resources both inside and outside the classroom (TN Gov 2010). This type of studies needs to be combined with studies exploring what choices children makes after the school day. By limiting the intervention and evaluation of the approach to the school day, it is difficult to first of all evaluate the program, but also to determine the best strategies towards helping children. It is possible the children compensated the healthier choices with an increase in unhealthy behaviours after school. A review of health programmes suggests that the most effective programmes involve parents (O’Dea 1993). Working together with parents to promote healthy food choices at school is not always easy; however, it is vital to include parents and many parents pack their children school lunches (KidsHealth 2010). Furthermore, there are problems linked to promoting physical activity with children walking to and from school as parents are reluctant to let their children walk and play outside after school. Conclusion: Health promotion deals with â€Å"raising the health status of individuals and communities† (Ewles and Simnett 2003 p. 23). However, it is often used to refer to planned activities or programmes (Tones and Tilford 2001). This programme was based on theory of planned behaviour, Co-ordinated School health model, and school-setting approach. The programme provided a way to help children to make healthier lifestyle choices, and the children in the study changed some of their choices related to food. They were also more physically active. The CSH model provided a framework for the school health programme in rural Appalachia and the results suggests that this may be valuable. In addition, the approach provides teacher and children with knowledge that can be used to change the school and ideas can be explored and alternative solutions and approaches can be examined in the classroom. Health promotion in school is one step in the right direction to solving problems related to the growt h of childhood obesity. 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