Pros and Cons of Minimum Wage

Pros 1. Reduced poverty The minimum wage can improve the living standard of low-income workers, which ultimately reduce poverty. According to the International Labor Office (2005), reducing poverty and working poverty requires both productivity growth and employment creation. The World Development Report 2004-05 also stated that there is strong empirical evidence that creating decent employment opportunities is the best way to take people out of poverty. As a result, the wealth gap between the rich and the poor can be narrowed.The Keynesian argument for minimum wages – this suggests that lower-income workers have a high propensity to consume, and that with the extra disposable income from minimum wage, they will spend a high portion the sum which will be injected back into the circular flow of income. In regions and localities where average incomes are low, a higher minimum pay rate can boost total demand for goods and services and create a positive multiplier effect – but much depends on the effect of a pay floor on how many people remain in work. . Reduced government spending on social welfare Since workers are being paid more per hour, their increased purchasing power enable them to meet pay for their basic needs on their own, without relying on government â€Å"top-up† welfare benefits. Therefore, this can greatly reduce the government expenditure on the social welfare, and the spending can be used in other ways, such as education and medication. Cons 1. Reduced employment of the less-skilled workersImplementation of minimum wage can reduce the employment of the less-skilled workers (Neumark & Wascher, 2008). According to The Wall Street Journal (2009), Economists for the Federal Reserve reviewed over 100 academic studies on the impact of the minimum wage and found overwhelming evidence that lower skilled and young workers have increased rates of unemployment when there is a higher minimum wage. These workers are laid off as their emplo yer finds that the employee’s labor is not worth the required age, but additionally employers are filling these jobs with higher skilled labor (Garfield, 1996). Additionally, many others pointed out the importance of the entry level jobs and observed that the loss of these jobs would have a negative impact on the development of a good work ethic in young workers (Irvin, 2009). 2. Shift the cost to consumers The increase in the minimum wage has caused many of these small businesses to raise their prices just to cover costs (Messerli, 2009).As labour is a factor of production, an increase in the average cost of labour will push up the unit cost of products. With the persistent increase in the general price level, there will be at a risk of inflation. 3. Difficult for small businesses to survive in the market Some small businesses may find it difficult to survive in the economy because they cannot afford to pay the minimum wage stipulated by the law. It obstructs their chances o f growth and thereby hampers the economic growth in the larger context.Though some of these companies would charge higher to the consumers, consumers may eventually decide that the high prices cannot be justified and the small business is forced to close (Messerli, 2009). 4. Shadow labour markets may develop Due to the surplus of labour, more people are willing to work at the minimum price than employers are willing to hire, and it is likely that workers will try to sell their services at illegally low prices. These workers are often, especially in America, illegal immigrants who are hired in favour of tax paying citizens.This will cause a decrease in tax revenue as more workers are not reporting their incomes, and an increase in the amount of unemployment benefits the government will have to pay out. The minimum wage benefits those who are employed at it and disadvantages those who loose out on potential employment because of employers hiring from a shadow labour market. The effect of minimum wages on unemployment will depend on the elasticity of demand for labour. If the demand for labour is inelastic, the introduction f minimum wages will only increase unemployment a little. Job losses may simply be due to the increase in labour cost which would result in a lower demand for labour. **** 5. Distortion to the free market Minimum wages are a barrier to the free market. If the minimum wage is set above the market clearing price, it will result in rising unemployment. Some firms will judge the opportunity cost of hiring an extra employee too high and this may prevent some workers from finding jobs who otherwise would normally find it.In a totally free market, they may be willing to accept lower wages. However, even if the artificial barrier were not present, the action of trade unions would greatly limit the wage reduction that workers would tolerate. Rather than have the entirety of the workers in a union take a pay cut, it is more likely that some will be fire d and the rest will continue work at the same wage rate. This means that even in a free market, the offer of lower wages can result in unemployment due to the effect of sticky wages.Equally, in some cases, when wages drop too low, people are willing to forgo employment. This is because the benefits of being employed are hardly greater than the unemployment benefits they would receive otherwise. This is known as the unemployment trap and its result is that even in a free market, if the equilibrium price is too low, unemployment will rise. For the two aforementioned reasons it is impossible to say that the imposition of a minimum wage will definitely cause higher unemployment than if wages were left to the invisible hand of the free market.Reference: Garfield, R. , (1996). â€Å"The Case Against a Higher Minimum Wage†. Retrieved March 9, 2012, from http://www. house. gov/jec/cost-gov/regs/minimum/against/against. htm International Labour Office (2005). World employment report 2 004-05: employment, productivity and poverty reduction. , p. p. 31. Irvin, M. , (2009). â€Å"Minimum Wage Increase Pleases Workers, But Employers Not So Happy†. Retrieved March 8, 2012, from http://blog. al. com/live/2009/07/minimum_wage_increase_pleases. html Messerli, J. (2009). â€Å"Should the Minimum Wage be Abolished (i. e. Reduced to $0. 00)? †. Retrieved March 9, 2012, from http://www. balancedpolitics. org/minimum_wage. htm Neumark, David (Editor); Wascher, William L. (Editor). Minimum Wages. Cambridge, MA, USA: MIT Press, 2008. p. 104-105, 189-190, 258-259. The Wall Street Journal, (2009, October). â€Å"The Young and the Jobless†, The Wall Street Journal, at A12. Retrieved March 12, 2012, from http://online. wsj. com/article/SB10001424052970203440104574402820278669840. html

Children Parents and Family needs Essay

E1 Explain the needs of families which may require professional support. Families may have a variety of needs, in which they need professional support. Families with a large number of children may not have the required amount of living space, this could mean that children are sharing beds, or parents are not sleeping in a room. Children will lack of sleep are proven to concentrate less and develop slower. Families that are suffering with poverty may not be able to afford a house or afford to pay the bills. This is where the family will gain financial support such as housing benefits, their council tax will be paid for them leaving them to pay for water, gas and electricity. Sometimes this help still isn’t enough so families go without heating or hot water meaning they aren’t meeting their basic care needs. Within the community there will be many areas that will offer families in this situation help. They include, sure start centres, food banks, the church and other families. Families in this situation benefit from living in an inclusive community, where the area is safe and free of crime, be it anti-social behaviour of elders or racial harassment. Most areas have community support officers that the children will get introduced to in school or when out on the streets playing. If a family is new to the area and are of a different culture they may struggle to gain help, due to harassment, or lack of communication, be it language problems, or no phone. Money seems to be the main cause of most of the needs that require help. E2 Explain the issues which may lead to stress in families. There are many issues which may lead to or cause stress in a family, these can include, bereavement, new arrivals, a disabled family member, unemployment and poverty. Bereavement has a huge impact on children as well as adults; however children don’t always show that they are being affected. Bereavement will affect the family in different ways depending on who has passed on. If the deceased is a strong main family member, such as a sibling or a main carer the child will be affected hugely, this will have an effect on their whole routine. This could be because they are used to looking that person, or they are used to that person looking after them. A new arrival can cause stress throughout the family, between the primary carers and between siblings, maybe even between children and carers. A baby causes stress between all relationships in a family. The primary carers may begin to argue this is because the child has taken over their day; they may become tiered meaning their mood changes and arguments crop up. The other children in the family may feel left out and start to resent the new arrival. This can cause older children to start misbehaving and younger children may hurt the new baby. A disabled family member will cause stress between the family members, this could be through others interfering, or members feeling left out. When a disabled family member needs a lot of care and attention it takes over the families routine. When the main carers become unemployed it causes stress between them and throughout the family. A change I routine can affect all the family as well as the person becoming unemployed. If that person’s income was used to pay bills then the family may become homeless, they may have to live in a shelter or even worse the streets. Poverty causes stress on all the family they will start to cut back on privileges, this can cause bullying in schools when mufti-day is concerned. E3 Explain the role of parents in children’s play and identify appropriate resources and toys. The parent’s role is to keep the child safe and give them many play opportunities throughout the day. This will differ and change regarding the child’s age and abilities. The child will develop at their own speed meaning that they will need different resources to encourage development. It is believed that children learn best through play so neglecting the child of play is potentially stopping the child from learning healthily. It is important that the resources are age appropriate for the children; this is for health and safety mostly due to small parts which may lead to choking. It is important that the toys are working properly too, as if the toy is supposed to talk out loud and flash the child will not be getting the most out of the toy and will lose interest meaning they will not develop. In the first few months of a baby’s life, when they can’t sit up or pick up objects babies like things that sing and move such as mobiles. It is good to look for mobiles with high-contrast colours and patterns. Many babies are particularly fond of mobiles that play music. Small hand held toys such as rattles are good at this age as they will learn if they move their hand they are making the noise. Having soft music or nursery rhymes playing when interacting with the child will allow the parent to see how the baby responds to music. Babies like to see their own refection so a plastic mirror allows them to play safely. Soft books with sensory sections are good for babies to explore, at this age it is usually with their mouths instead of their fingers however if it’s noisy they will scrunch the book to make noise. As they get older (6 months) the baby will have new needs and parents should fulfil them to the best they can. Babies enjoy play mats and activity bars. These usually contain toys that dangle above the child of are around the child when they are lying down this will encourage physical development. Activity bars are good for playing on the move in cars or in prams. Teddy’s become more of a comfort if the child has it constantly so that when they are going somewhere different they have a home comfort which is familiar to them. Rubber toys such as ducks will allow children to chew and explore whilst providing entertainment when squeaking if being gripped. Thick hard board books will allow children to help try and turn pages and they will enjoy listening to the story as well as looking at pictures. At 12 months the baby will start to move more they will have gain a lot of strength in their arms and legs and toys such as large building bricks; push and pull toys; sorting and nesting toys; climbing gyms; balls; crayons; ride on toys; kitchens and picture books. E4 Describe the benefits of communication between children, parents and practitioners. It is beneficial to children, parents and practitioners to have good communication and a professional relationship. This can be good because sometimes parents feel left out and feel they are not making decisions on their child’s life. These decisions can be what they do, what they eat, whether they learn about different cultures if they are involved in lessons such as sex education and lessons involving celebrations such as Christmas and Easter. If a family had a different cultural background their beliefs may be different, meaning that their family may not want them to learn or take part in festive activities. Some cultures have certain food that they can’t eat this is important that it is shared with setting so that we can respect their wishes and uphold their religions to the best we can. By respecting the family practitioners can keep the consistency of care the child is receiving at home. Meaning confusion is unlikely. Practitioners should have good relationships with the children in their setting, if that child is one of their key children it is important that the practitioner builds a relationship of trust so that the child can come to them with any problem or difficulty they may be having. Communication can be in person, however sometimes parents do not have the same language as we do so in this case letter form in their mother tongue is useful. My setting have a baby book that they send home each night giving the parent the information they need such as what they have done, what they have eaten, their bowel movements, how much they have slept and if they have had any injuries, they will also be given a copy of the accident form. E5 Discuss skills and strategies which are effective in supporting families. There are many ways in which settings can support families effectively. Setting can support families by communicating with them as and when needed they can keep them updated on their child’s progress and what is happening by, text, email, letter, newsletter and some will do it in person. Families can also communicate with settings so that they can request they support they need. This can be for a short period of time or long term due to the seriousness of the issue. Providing suitable resources such as books or story sacks will mean that the setting is supporting the family help the child learn at home. This is by allowing children to take home stories to read or by giving them the story sack so have a play with. Story sacks can help when the child is learning a new story such a little red riding hood. In the sack will be toys that will allow them to play and re-enact the story. They can sometimes be given maths activities and games if the child is lacking in a certain area making their learning fun for all the family. Settings can also introduce new services to the family if they require extra help; these can include family support officers, social workers and psychiatrists. This can be for many reasons but will be initially to support the family. E6 Describe the types of support and information available to parents and families. C1 Evaluate the types of support which will enable parents to meet the needs of their children- â€Å"We have defined ‘family support’ as all services which aim to promote family wellbeing by improving relationships in families and improving standards of living.†(Bruce.T. pg 32 2007) Children’s centres were providing a wide range of such services: home visiting, parenting courses, drop-ins, support groups, family learning activities, adult education and employment support. There are numerous amounts of support and information available for families. This will differ according to required help. All families will have support workers however not all of the families will have social workers. Social workers are used for families that may have difficulties, such as child with disabilities or families where a parent is in or just out of prison or families where the child is lacking in development massively. Families will be offered sure start places, where they will learn new strategies and will be able to talk to other new parents. This is also good for the babies as they can interact with each other and learn how to play and share. The sure start centre by me offers mingle and munch with stay and play from 9.15am- 11.30 followed by bring your own lunch and eat at the centre from quarter to twelve to twenty five minutes past twelve. There is also a stay and play group for two hours on a week day afternoon. They offer families early child care which is affordable, employment and training for families with young children; family support such as home visits, support for parents, information and guidance on parenting and specialist support for families. They offer health services – Anti natal advice, midwife sessions, dental care, speech therapists, breastfeeding, health and safety and help with healthy lifestyles. Sure start centers have many positive points these being, local flexibility, services including outreach and home visiting, family support and good quality play, learning and childcare facilities. Some negatives are that some people feel sure start is there to help people that are lacking in care for children, so they are put off. A toy library lends or hires out toys, puzzles, and games, functioning either as a rental shop or a form of family resource program. Toy libraries offer play sessions for families and a wide range of toys appropriate for children at different stages in their development. Toy libraries provide children with new toys every week or two, saving parents money and keeping children from getting bored. Positive reasons for toy libraries are that they allow families to rent and borrow toys so that the children can play with their new interests this can also allow them to develop while the parent saves money to buy them new age appropriate toys to help them develop also some children have short interests so to buy the toys would be a waste if they only get played with once. A child I know took an interest in dolls and prams, so they borrowed one from the toy library which he played with twice and has never shown interest again. Negatives, is that sometime it’s a struggle to get to the library; some parents may be put off as they think it’s not clean and it looks like they can’t provide for their children. If it is a puzzle maybe there are pieces missing, this should be checked but may have been missed. Some children can’t borrow what they want as others already have, and if they brake the toy that child misses out. E7 Explain the role of the practitioner in supporting families- The role of the practitioner in supporting families is to give them all the help and advice you can. When doing this it is important that practitioners respect the codes of confidentiality both ways not speaking about what they have been told unless it is a concern and not telling them information they don’t need to know, this could be about other children, parents or staff. The practitioner’s job is to care for the child and insuring their welfare is paramount. They will do this by observing the child on a regular basis. This is the most important job. To do these practitioners will attend meeting to discuss anything they have concerns about, be it their health or development. If their concerns are put further they will have to attend multi-agency team meetings which will have other professional in to discuss what should happen with the child. â€Å"The Children Act 1989 has influenced setting by bringing together several sets of guidance and provided the foundation for many of the standards practitioners sustain and maintain when working with children.†(Meggit, pg376 2012) The Act requires that settings work together in the best interests of the child and that they form partnerships with parents /carers. It requires settings to have appropriate adult: child ratios and policies and procedures on child protection. This Act has had an influence in all areas of practice from planning a curriculum and record keeping. D1 Describe how the practitioner can recognise when children and adults may be experiencing problems. The practitioner can recognise problems with children if they have looked after them for a long time the children are very familiar to them. They will notice if the child is unhappy or troubled, this can be shown through behavior, lack of interest, be it food or activities. A child will also show their problems through observations; this can be attitude and behavior changes. If the child has emotional stress they will show it through crying, or sometimes through playing, it could be shown in the role play area or just in chit chat with their friends. They will see problems in adults in various ways. If the family are starting to have financial problems this may be shown through cheques bouncing. If there are other problems at home, parents may come in looking upset, tiered, and hot and bothered. Practitioners can tell a lot by someone’s body language and their facial expressions. D2 Discuss TWO (2) strategies which parents can use for promoting positive behaviour in children. Parents have a range of different strategies for promoting positive behaviour; these include reward charts and time out. Reward charts can be for numerous reasons meaning you can reward them for doing more than one thing. This promotes all types of positive behaviours like using manners, eating all their lunch, tidying their toys, not having an accident, and going to bed at night. The idea is that once they have filled their reward chart they can do something they enjoy. It is important not to take the stickers off them as they will think they are never going to fill it. All theorist believe in praising and rewarding good behaviour. Time out is an effective way of disposing of bad behaviour this is done usually by the same rules. 1st telling the child that it is unwanted behaviour and it is not acceptable, 2nd warning the child that if they do it again they will be put on time out, and 3rd following through and putting them in time out. Parents will then go to them after the correct time and ask them for an apology, if they apologise properly it is suggested that they have a kiss and a cuddle to show that they have been forgiven. However if they don’t apologise they should remain in time out till they realise their behaviour is unacceptable. Many child behaviour theorists support this such as Jo Frost. B1 Analyse some key issues for professionals working in support of families. The key issues for all professionals are building a trusting relationship with the families this is not just with the parents but with the children too, this is so that they can talk to them in confidence about any troubles and concerns they may have when they are given the information practitioner must not break the trust and be confidential with the information unless they feel it needs to be looked in to. Practitioners need to make sure they are not showing any judgements on the family, if judgments are made and are spoken this could lead to the relationship failing and communication dropped if this happens in a setting we cannot make sure the child’s welfare is ok. Language barriers can occur in different ways, these being if they speak a foreign language and if they don’t have an education in your area of profession such as telling a parent you are an EYP will be like talking to them in French they won’t understand. It is important to be clear to all the family and all the other professionals involved. If the multi-professional team is involved in supporting the family there can be many issues the family have, they may become confused as although they are working to the same aim they are pushing their own area of work more, however this might not be the best option for the child. The parents of the child will become overloaded with information and they may become confused. Families working with the multi-agency team will have many areas of professions working alongside each other to get the child on the right tracks however all the areas are completely different so they will be asking a lot all at once. This will be a lot to take in and parents may feel like there is too much to do. A1 Reflect on the benefits to children, parents, families and practitioners from working in partnership When parents are working in partnership with practitioners it mean they are working towards the same aim as each other. This is important as children are easily confused. If parents are involved in planning it means that they know what is happening in their child’s life at nursery, this is good if the child is too young to talk or has communication problems. It is important to have a good, but professional relationship with the family members of the child in your care, as a practitioner we need to know what is happening in the child’s life at home so we can meet their individual needs, this will be done as and when it is needed. We need to be aware of what they are able to do, regarding religious beliefs and cultural backgrounds. This is important when we are cooking for the children too; we also need to be kept up to date with any medication they are on, any food allergies, what they are allowed to eat and what they aren’t. Sometimes parents feel they need to compete with the child’s key worker as they both have a strong bond with the child. This is usually when a child is in the care of a practitioner for most of the waking day. If parents have concerns they should speak to the key worker and they can put into place an activity, where they are showing pictures of their family and teaching them who they are, for example mummy and daddy. Parents can be resentful towards the setting if the child does something significant in their care, such as first words or first steps. If practitioners are working in partnership and have a good relationship with the parents they will take this on easier than if they don’t have a very good relationship.

Analysis Of Walmart Grocery Retail Chain

Wal-Mart is engaged in the retail and wholesale operation around the world. The company is known for offering assortments of merchandises and other services at an everyday lower rate. In the recent time, the retail giant has more than 11,600 stores worldwide and deals with products ranging from electronics, clothing, foot wear, health and beauty along with grocery products. It is the world’s largest company by revenue that is approximately $480 billion as well as the largest private employer hiring more than 2.3 million employees (Anselmsson et al., 2016). The retail company undertakes many business strategies in its business activities including generic strategy and competitive strategy that has actually contributed to the success of the business. The successful business strategies of the organisation include product differentiation and the cost effective measure against the products. The study below consists of the analysis of Walmart grocery retail chain on the issues that the human resources department undergoes. Many big warehouses and stores are run by Wal-Mart stores. Walmart store was founded almost fifty years ago by Walton and his brother Bud in Bentonville USA hence named after their names. Yearly it sells over 300$ billion, hence considering it to be one of the most valuable companies in the world. In many times it has been considered to be one of the biggest employer with more than one and half million workers globally. It is estimated to have more than 11600 stores globally of which 80% are in USA. Studying the economic environment of Wal-Mart will be a key in addressing the analysis of the business. Also the macro and micro analysis due to its running worldwide will also be necessary. Furthermore, strategies which are operational will be necessary in knowing how Wal-Mart is run. Another area is the marketing mix with the four factors being the 4Ps that is the price, product, place and the promotion factors which will help in explaining both the successes and failures of Wal-Mart. Next, is the study of how the human resources of Walmart is managed. The main idea here being to understand the exact area because criticism has been brought about that Wal-Mart doesn’t do well with its employees. Later, before i recommend on the case study, a SWOT analysis is done which will help in looking into Wal-Mart failures and the critics. The last step in the case study will be the conclusion, where there is a summary of all the issues studied and in existence in Wal-Mart company. The below highlighted objectives will be illustrated in our study. How importance each sector is to economy? Operations of Walmart and its Processes analysis Management of human resource and job quality analysis   Weakness studies and how to handle them PESTEL analysis will need to be made that is the Political, Economic, Social and technology factors that influences Wal-Mart directly or indirectly. In real world there exist so many forces that make a company to be more or less appealing in terms of industrial gains. This will be approached with use of five porter’s forces. Many retail companies such as Wal-Mart act within a macro-environment meaning that the scope of what happens in the outside depends on how the company runs. Unlike in micro environments the company with the retail store cannot change as these change occurs but in macro environment they adapt to the change as they occur and according to business rules and objectives. The following below is a PEST analysis explanation. Law enforcement in USA is in charge of local police, while the police of the states provides services at the border. In our case regarding the legal and political laws that affect the retail industry we consider such  (Jonathan, 2016): America is mostly occupied by the white as the majority, followed by the blacks and the rest take the other percentage. The makes the US consumer to be determined and characterized for it being so powerful or even having greater demand. The launching of products depends on the fashionable style it is created upon and products consumer centric, hence creating an engagement with the customers. Walmart is facing a lot of competition from many different countries who have different types of competition. With the use of specialization strategies stores like Target, Kmart, ShopKo will compete successfully against Walmart  (Shelly, 2014). This will be explained in to details using the porters five forces. One of the problem faced by Walmart is that it has very big retail stores but physically small in terms of size. Other retails have been competing with Walmart in Way that they specialize with one product with a motive 0f covering a wide range. This means that what one retails offer is likely to be found in other stores. This bring to an understanding that the retailers offering goods that are unique have an added advantage compared to their rivals. Walmart should be aware that the E-commerce and M-commerce has competition that’s high as we have very many new entrants. Entrance of new companies to the market may threaten the existence of those companies that have been there for a while. The expansion in the whole world is making Walmart to face a lot of competitors from countries that are different. When it comes to individual they have very little bargaining power with the retail stores. Force involved here makes buyers to put Walmart under pressure making it to relate to the laws within those specific territories in which Walmart operates.   Walmart size can break a small supplier. This is because many companies depend on Walmart in buying their product and this makes the suppliers to have very little power against Walmart. The workforce of Walmart is about 2.2M globally. Walmart has encountered many issues and lawsuits with its employees overall. The issues appointed and raised ranges from conditions which are poor for workers, Union that are have policies that are against Walmart, Little amount of money is paid as wage to its employees and lack of enough health care being just some of the bigger issues with relations to how Walmart relates to its employees. In addition to this, it has also been found that Wal-Mart does not pay the farmers well and in fact exploit them in terms of making payment to them (Sparrow, Brewster & Chung, 2016). All these issues have led to massive rebellion among the employees and have questioned the HR policies of the organisation. Thus, it can be said that Wal-Mart is facing human resource issues related to the employees of the organisation that needs to be sorted out. High employee turnover rate of about 70% indicates that many employees employed by Walmart leaves the retail one year after employment, hence explaining the above mentioned issues to being experienced in Walmart by the employees. Wage issue is a very big concern as many are employees are connected by the employer through the salary they receive from the work done. The main issues affecting Walmart is wages rates. When compared to other companies working as retail such as Shopko, Target and others their wage rate is very good and appealing when working with them unlike in Walmart where there is greater workforce but with less employee wage hence many workers are not able work for long. The working conditions in Walmart has also been described as an issue in human resource as , it has been described and reported that Walmart has very small physical stores but very large stores of goods being squeezed in those stores. The mixing of different products and commodities within the same store has made the working condition unconducive in such a manner that the space is small but a lot need to be done within the small space. Third issue is the violation of child labor whereby there has been cases of Walmart being sued for employing children’s who are under 18 to work in their retails. Globally in most countries one is considered mature and ready to work after an age of 18 years. Globally attempt to exploit the young children through employment at tender change is violation on children and this termed as child labor. Fourth issue brought about by Walmart is employing workers who are illegally not allowed to work in those departments in different retails national wide or globally. By illegal workers we mean those workers who doesn’t the specific skills to handle such outlets. This has been experienced in Walmart as many strives to make their end meets. Employing illegal workers put the lives of the customers or consumers of their goods, products or commodities at risk for the lack of knowledge might lead to misunderstanding between them and hence tarnishing the business name. Fifth issue is the opposition from the labor union. Walmart has been on the frontline to be criticised by Labor union in USA. The opposition from labor Union which is mostly due to results of Unsatisfied employees reporting them to the trade union for labor. Gender discrimination in Walmart is also another issue. This has led to day to day rebellion within its employees as women are paid less as their work entails much of sales associates. This highest level of discrimination has led to Walmart being one of the largest discriminatory retail in terms of gender. Last issue and not least is the health insurance issue. Insurance cover for the employee working with Walmart has been an issue for a very long time. Retail is not a secure job because sometimes the materials or products handled might be toxic, flammable, poisonous, fragile etc. and this might need some cover as it is a risk one is taking to be part of the organisation that provides this services. Walmart failure to cover some of its employees and many issue arising when need for cover arises has been termed as a major issue in human resource. The graft for clients appreciative is its solicitation to developing a strategy and implementing it. Once the client understands the process completely then the team that takes part in organizing the strategy will need to receive, then digesting it and then apply what they found in their analysis. Strategic planning context understanding through which a customer or client may think is through understanding the one way or of conducting the SWOT Analysis  (Goodstein, 1993). This is client or customer way of understanding, as this analysis will provide the uniqueness in viewing Walmart retail store through its Strengths, weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats – from mostly the client’s point of view. Maintaining and solidifying current customer value and developing tactics for meeting unanticipated emerging needs provides the basis for either developing or modifying an organization’s strategic plan. It is this application that makes the customer understanding The issues brought about above are clear and evident that there is necessity of undertaking severe action in order to improve the human resource strategy in the organisation. As it has been found that the organisation has faced law suit for its ill behaviour and treatment against the employees, it is highly recommended that the HR policies should be developed keeping the employee guidelines of salary and their welfare. The human resource strategy should also include the training of the workers in order to increase their efficiency at work  (Ravi.S.P, 2015) (Ravi, 2015). If there remains the opportunity, the management needs to consider the transfer of knowledge as well that would eventually help to improve the performance of the employees in the organisation. In addition to this, the company should also consider the importance of gender equality in the organisation that would help to overcome the blames that Wal-Mart is facing in the recent time. Walmart should address and adapt a corporate attitude that is friendly, because it has damaged its image because of its laborsuits towards their suppliers  (Walmart, 2016). Another recommendation that should be considered is participating in charitable events as this will show some kind and make the world to be better. Lastly just like any other organization no matter how small or big it may be either nationally or globally, safety and health of the employee should be given priority. The priority here should be updating their health and medical insurance cover at all times as they might have issues that may arise during working hours and this covers will be highly needed. The working conditions of the employees should be large such that the stores and office have enough room for movement within as this will reduce the congestion that has been experienced in the already existing stores of Walmart globally. Walmart should have initiated its business at a scale that is lower. This mistake led to the situation that it could not cope up with the benefits of economies of scale. Walmart by the name and looks have been seen as one of the best retailers in the world but in real sense it has led to many quitting jobs in other sectors so that they can be employed by them, to end up jobless as their needs and expectations are not met after being employed by them. In conclusion with regards to the issues studied and researched that seems to be experienced by Walmart human resource department, Walmart should take in to considerations of the above recommended solutions to issues brought about and this will eliminate most problems and make Walmart a better retail chain store. Jonathan. (2016). Government Laws affecting retails. Retrieved from small business: www.smallbusiness.chron.com/government-regulations-affect-marketing-retail LLP, T. R. (2013). Punitive Damage and When to Seek Them. JDSUPRA. Ravi.S.P. (2015). Technology Solutions for Sustainable Business Practices. Stakeholder perception in Walmart, 106-108. Shelly, B. (2014). Walmart notches against its rivals. wall street journal. Walmart. (2016). suppliers standards. Retrieved from walmart: https://corporate.walmart.com/global-response/ethical.htm Whaples.Robert. (2007). Modern Hr Economic issues. Walmart growth and Prodctivity. Gorze?-Mitka, I., & Okr?glicka, M. (2014). Improving Decision Making in Complexity Environment.  Procedia Economics And Finance,  16, 402-409.   https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/s2212-5671(14)00819-3 Sparrow, P., Brewster, C., & Chung, C. (2016).  Globalizing human resource management. Routledge. Kumar, N. P. (2014). Human resource management in future an obstacle of champion of globalization.  Human Resource Management,  1(1), 49-57. Anselmsson, J., Anselmsson, J., Bondesson, N., Bondesson, N., Melin, F., & Melin, F. (2016). Customer based brand equity and human resource management image: Do retail customers really care about HRM and the employer brand?  European Journal of Marketing,  50(7/8), 1185-1208.

Corporate citizenship Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Corporate citizenship - Essay Example in education and earning satisfactory returns on resources drawn from the community by avoiding exploitation. This concept in many instances is taken to be a philanthropic move by companies but this is not the case. It is rather a well thought out process whose execution has followed clear business strategies. This process for the management is not that easy as they need to balance the company’s profitability goals as well as society’s needs (both in short and long-term basis). There are certain benchmarks that can be followed e.g. the Millennium Development Goals and NEPAD (Levine 2010). Companies invest huge resources towards Corporate Citizenship and it can therefore make one wonder what they stand to gain while considering on one hand that a business’ business is business and not diversion of resources to non-business ventures (Levine 2010). Businesses engage in Corporate Citizenship primarily to benefit the community in which they operate. However, this act trickles down to the business in form of; better financial performance due to marketing concept coupled with the program, lower employee turnover and higher morale, reduced regulatory supervision, customer loyalty and brand image enhancement being one of the key

Worksheet Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Worksheet - Essay Example nd help is called upon then crew that participate in the kill gets to claim the carcass, the crew that offers help can place additional harpoons or tie onto the first boat to help serve as a drogue. When it comes to sharing the catch, there is a systematic way of distribution, the crew that captures the prey gets whole share, the second crew gets the corporate share and lastly the reaming portion goes to craftsmen who may be from the same clan or other clans. The distribution is done in this manner due to the efforts put by each haunting crew. Alvard uses a line graph to present his data, form the line graph one can tell that Lamalera has been on the decline as times goes by. Marlowe’s hypothesis states that male partner is not partly mating effort, only that it is not wholly mating then this would mean that parental care given to biological child to get special care than the stepchild, direct parental care are the basic needs that one ought to have such as holdings, nursing among others whereas indirect care are the needs that one ought to have to make life worth living and examples are territorial defense, resource acquisition and much more. In direct care, biological fathers tend to interact more with their offspring, they spend much time together with the child and also provide enough food which is essential to a child’s growth. On the other hand indirect care shows how the step father does not spend much time and the division of household stuff is despicable, the communication between man and child is also minimal, finally the stepchild does not receive nurturing care just like the biological child gets. The difference in indirect care is that the man provides parental care in exchange of sexual access, the mother is likely to nurse for longer in this situation. Men earns the reputation of being good hunters hence thy get positive correlated when it comes to reproductive success, having more wives correlate with less investment one’s but one’s own

The Difference of DNP Program from a Traditional Ph.D. Program Essay

The Difference of DNP Program from a Traditional Ph.D. Program - Essay Example Healthcare is continually advancing, even as its delivery is becoming progressively complicated. Advancements in the nursing practice have been prompted due to the inability of the current nursing practice to meet these changes and complications (AACN, 2010). The DNP program has been set forth as a much-needed step towards the development of a non-research clinical doctorate program which can arm expert practitioners with the skills needed to serve as clinical faculty (AACN, 2010). In effect, it is different from the traditional Ph.D. program in the sense that it takes the learning process one step further towards a more clinical approach to nursing education and practice. The DNP program will also incorporate the APRN content which is already in the master’s programs. It will also highlight evidence-based nursing, as well as nurse competency in converting research into practice, in assessing evidence, in applying research in the decision-making process, and in employing feasi ble clinical advancements to the nursing practice (AACN, 2009).

Home Depot's Blueprint for Culture Change Research Paper

Home Depot's Blueprint for Culture Change - Research Paper Example One of the greatest levels of inference that this can help to provide is with respect to the deviation that oftentimes occurs between the real world application of theory as compared to the academic interpretation for theoretical models and approaches. Firstly, Kotter and Cohen present what they term as the first stage of the eight step plan. Within this first stage, three particular steps are evidenced. These are as follows: increasing urgency, building what they term as â€Å"guiding teams,† and getting the right vision. It can immediately be inferred that they engaged with each and every one of these. Firstly, the urgency was created within the corporate level and soon diffused to the lower middle management within the entity. Secondly, it can be directly noted that the implementation of guiding teams was something that Nardelli placed a high emphasis upon. Although it would have been nice to see these guiding teams leverage a further degree of information rather than merel y seeking to implement a rather vague vision. Further, with regards to the last step in this three-step first stage, the actual vision creation and definition that Nardelli sought to engage within Home Depot was largely lacking. Although it is obvious that a new CEO was to seek to leverage increased profitability and maintain sales in an era of growing complexity and competition, the actual means by which this was to be effected were not presented in a step-by-step metric that the reader was able to follow in any discernible or applicable way. Similarly, the second stage of Kotter and Cohen’s eight step plan for instituting change is what is termed as â€Å"engaging and enabling the organization.† This stage includes the following: communication for buy-in, enablement of action, and creation of short-term wins. The is the particular stage of Kotter and Cohen’s process that Nardelli accomplished so effectively and to such a high degree, most likely providing this particular change approach with the degree of success that it ultimately achieved. By interacting with the respective stakeholders of this change process early, the communication for buy-in was related to them and understanding of the need for action was enabled. A more difficult part of this process is allowing for a situation in which short-term wins can be created so that stakeholders not only are continually cognizant of the process but also are aware of the fact that the changes that they have thus far implemented have reflected positively and will allow for future success. However, even though this is difficult, it was achieved by Nardelli in the fact that the changes in approach were proven successful to the stakeholders by increased sales numbers and profitability (Charan, 2006). Moreover, even though the cultural change that was implemented forced many individuals within middle management out of their respective comfort zones, it also allowed for a reconsideration of the a version to paperwork and central procedures that have thus far pervaded the entire business. The final stage of Kotter and Cohen’s eight step process is what is termed as implementing and sustaining change. Within this particular stage exist the following two steps: not letting up and making the idea / change stick. Although it might be easy to say that there are verified statistics that help to prove that Nardelli did not

U.S nuclear weapon policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

U.S nuclear weapon policy - Essay Example U.S nuclear weapon policy The reasons for retaining a triad, a product of very conservative estimates of what would be required to cope with a disarming Soviet first strike, are not discussed officially. The assumption is that a floor exists beneath which U.S. forces cannot be allowed to fall, but this minimum level is not necessarily determined by targeting doctrine or the political goals that the doctrine is meant to uphold. The question of which countries the United States will target with nuclear weapons in the future and under what circumstances is simply not articulated and certainly not clearly understood. According to some officials, this question does not require an a priori answer. The preponderance of U.S. strategic forces remains targeted at the former Soviet nuclear arsenal, considered an immutable imperative. Despite an agreement reached for the two sides to retarget their forces away from one another's territories a symbolic step it is emphasized repeatedly by defense officials that weapons could be rapidly retargeted if necessary. The targeting review conducted by the Bush administration purportedly generated plans that provided for flexible options for global application, including the ability to retarget weapons quickly to meet any contingency. More recently, plans have been discussed to target third world countries with highly accurate conventional forces as well. The vanishing Cold War nuclear order was the product of a need to deter aggression against NATO by superior Warsaw Pact conventional forces. NATO members were unwilling or unable to dedicate sufficient resources or to take the necessary steps to restructure their defense sectors to rectify the disparities in conventional capabilities. Nuclear weapons were a cheap way of maintaining a military balance. Outside of NATO, nuclear guarantees were extended very selectively to close U.S. allies who confronted proximate enemies allied with or part of the Soviet bloc. Insofar as these arrangements were considered legitimate, it was as part of a bipolar system in which the United States, Europe, and a few other allies were united in a defensive alliance, while the Soviet Union was seen as an expansionist power bent on global hegemony. With the exception of Russia and China, the current nuclear threat, to the extent it can be reliably defined, consists of a handful of states with small or fledgling programs and sometimes just immodest ambitions. This is not to belittle the dangers such states may pose to international or regional stability in the future. But the sudden elevation of third world powers to the status of ruthless enemies on a par with the Soviet Union bears further examination, especially since it is now becoming a principal rationale for retaining a U.S. nuclear deterrent. Part of the logic of this argument hinges on the notion that the Soviet Union was rational, valued its survival, and could be targeted effectively, whereas the nuclear powers of the future probably will not share these traits. Now this may questioned "Will our nuclear adversaries always be rational, or at least operate with the same logic as we do We can't be sure. Will we always be able to put our adversaries at risk to make deterrence work Not necessarily, particularly with terrorists whom we may not even be able to find." But if one is going to make the argument that U.S. strategy falls apart in the face of a third world

Sony Corporation Financial review for the Year 2004-2005(As until Essay

Sony Corporation Financial review for the Year 2004-2005(As until Nov05) - Essay Example In the Electronics segment, Sony develops, designs, manufactures electronic equipment. Its subsidiary, Sony Computer Entertainment Inc., the Company develops, produces, manufactures and markets games like PlayStation, PS one, PlayStation 2, among others. In the Music segment, Sony produces recorded music and music videos, and also distributes compact discs (CDs), digital versatile discs (DVDs) and universal media discs (UMDs). Sony's Pictures segment includes production, acquisition and distribution of motion pictures, television broadcasting and online distribution. Sony's financial services include savings and loans. The Other segment consists of an advertising agency business and an Internet-related service business. Focusing on the recent financial year, Sony entered a new stage of development, one that seeks to target opportunities in the upcoming era of broadband networks. A new top-management team made up of CEO Sir Howard Stringer, Director Dr. Ryoji Chubachi, and CFO Mr. Katsumi Ihara was formed to take the lead in this important effort. This is a pivotal year for Sony Corporation, and this new structure will enable the company to streamline its operation, and provide a more cohesive focus for operating its businesses around the world in a proactive and strategic manner. This Report is an attempt to analyze and review, in depth the financial status, position and a comprehensive reporting of the same to the Investors of Sony Corporation. Financial & Market Standpoint(As of Nov'2005): The global economy was generally strong during the first half of the fiscal year. However, the U.S. economy began to slow in the second half of the year due to a rapid slowdown in growth of consumer spending and other economic factors. As the fiscal year drew to a close, economies in Japan, Asia, Europe, and elsewhere showed increasing signs of weakness. Even amid these worsening market conditions, Sony was able to achieve a 9% increase in consolidated net sales for the year (Hem Scott, Inc. ). On a local currency basis, sales rose 12%(Hem Scott, Inc. ). A large increase in sales of electronics products was the primary reason. Regarding earnings, the Electronics business performed very well, primarily due to the performance of digital products and semiconductors. The Game business posted a loss, which was chiefly a reflection of start-up expenses for the PlayStation 2 format. As a result, consolidated operating income increased only 1% compared with the previous year. However, exclud ing the impact of the stronger yen, on a local currency basis consolidated operating income increased 47%. Share of sales and operating revenue by business segment * Year ended March 31, 2005 All eyes are on Sony or, more likely, on its high profit PlayStation home video game systems. PlayStation 2 dominates the "game console market" with about 70% of global sales (Nintendo's GameCube and Microsoft's Xbox control about 15% each). Sony, one of the world's top consumer electronics firms, also makes a host of other products, including PCs, digital cameras, Walkman stereos, and semiconductors; these products account for more than 60% of the company's sales. Sony's entertainment assets include recorded music and

Efficient Functioning of a Capitalist System Coursework

Efficient Functioning of a Capitalist System - Coursework Example The country's law should also assist companies to come-up with their CSR policies; hence the company law has to bring required amendments. Like other countries, the concept of CSR is gaining momentum in the UK and the company law system is incorporating required changes so that companies can carry out their social responsibility. UK company law system is considered as an over-complicated system which has a blend of both modern and radicalism. All the UK listed companies have to comply with the combined code and they have to publish the Turnbull report. This report ensures that the company will manage its non-financial risks and it will pay due respect toward environmental, social and ethical factors along with its main business practice. The UK government always tried to maintain a balance between shareholders interest and this view was clearly reflected in the white paper that provides a guideline which the companies have to follow. A government of the UK has always supported the id ea that the duty of the director of a company has to be codified and the new director should gain an introductory idea regarding the duty toward society. After considering all the factors into account, the UK government had introduced certain amendments like draft clauses, volume II- Schedule II, 2 (b) which was a step toward modernizing the company's lawyer. Different thinkers have the different view regarding capitalism and CSR. The term corporate was well defined by Melvin Aron Eisenberg in the following fashion â€Å"the business corporation is an instrument through which capital is assembled for the activities of producing and distributing goods and services and making the investment. The business corporation should have as its objective the conduct of such activities with a view to enhancing the corporation's profit and the gain of the corporation’s owners.

The Color Purple Essay Example for Free

The Color Purple Essay A symbol of freedom and liberty, individuality yet togetherness; the American Flag has presented an image of America for decades. Ever since Francis Scott Key wrote his poem about the â€Å"broad stripes and bright stars,† the United States of America has been marked with this simple, yet lucid icon of peace and sovereignty. Symbolism in literature plays a bigger part, one that relates an object or ideology to stress a connection to a more discrete or unclear picture. Alice Walker, a novelist, utilizes many symbols to depict the struggle of young African American women to find and rid themselves from captivity. Through many images, Walker allows for recognition between specific symbolic portrayals and the main ideas of the novel. In her novel, The Color Purple, Alice Walker uses symbolism to express the transformation of oppressed women in a segregated society from total constraint to self-empowerment and newfound identities. Through the neglected character of Celie, Walker depicts a reconstruction from weakness to authoritative behavior using symbolism. Because she is a woman, Celie is very under-appreciated and not expected to become anything substantial in society. At the beginning of the novel, Celie allows this image of being a â€Å"mule† to control her life. She describes how she is â€Å"another piece of wood†(30) to numb herself from the painful life she lives. However, later in the novel, Shug Avery, a singer whom Celie becomes very close with, tells her to live with freedom and independence, as well as love and passion. Eventually, this guidance turns her to sewing, a symbol introduced to describe Celie’s sense of pride, accomplishment, and individuality. When Mr. ________, Celie’s husband, comes to visit her while she is sewing, he asks â€Å"what was so special bout [her] pants†(276). She says that â€Å"anybody can wear them†(276), except Mr. ________ replies that â€Å"men suppose to wear the pants†(276). New to her personality, Celie snaps back and says, â€Å"So†(276)? Before her newfound identity, Celie would have never talked back to Mr. ______, now called Albert, because s he would have been abused. She has come to the realization that she is not one that needs to back down to â€Å"hierarchy† because of race and gender. Through this journey toward self-actualization, Celie distinguishes a personality with voice and freedom, thus, much different from her past, imprisoned lifestyle. Similarly to the path of Celie, Squeak, an abused character in the novel, learns that she needs to act upon her uncle’s sexually abusive behavior. The reader changes his/her perception of Squeak when she begins to sing, an activity symbolizing power and voice. Her lover, Harpo, discusses her distinct path to reaching this feeling of self-confidence by stating that â€Å"[Squeak] sit in the corner a year silent as the grave. Then you put a record on, [she] come to life†(100). She develops voice, a characteristic most women lack during this time period. Like Celie’s use of sewing, Squeak’s utilization of singing gives the reader a new depiction of character. These specific representations correspond to each individual’s journey to break free from the wrath of these men, and live a life of confidence and fortitude. Furthermore, Walker not only presents symbols as a way to interpret transformations, but also to display identity, specifically in the characters of Celie, Squeak, and Shug. Color, thus, is one symbol that is explained to fully develop ones sense of selfhood. At the beginning of the novel, Celie shops for clothing, and while shopping she â€Å"think what color Shug Avery would wear†(22). Celie looks for the bright colors, the reds and the purples, however is shut down and forced to buy a color that she may not particularly enjoy in the long run (22). Her sense of entitlement seems to be tarnished and her lack of individuality is clearly portrayed. However, Shug â€Å"wears a skintight red dress†(54) reflecting her strong personality and extreme sense of independence. When Celie begins her transition to freedom, she learns about the importance of color. She returns from her visit in Memphis wearing â€Å"little red flat-heel slippers† (220), displaying a sense of uniqueness and individuality that is newly portrayed to the reader. In addition to color, Walker uses names in the novel to symbolize the identity of characters. Moreover, Squeak is given this nickname during the novel, proving how insignificant women’s voice is throughout the story. Celie tells her to make people call her by her real name, however, she doesn’t seem to understand because she is so used to not talking back to the male figures in society and telling them what to do (86). It is evident that she lacks self empowerment; a specific sense of power. Later, she is raped by Harpo, pushing her over the edge. She forces him to call her by her real name, Mary Anges, which symbolizes a feeling of power and authority. Another name that is introduced throughout the novel, is God. Celie writes her letters to God in a very personal way, as though God is a man, a white man reading her every word, yet not concerned with her prayers. Shug talks to Celie and displays her feeling of God by saying that â€Å"[She] believe God is everything†¦Everything that is or ever was or ever will be. And when you can feel that, and be happy to feel that, you’ve found it†(197). Due to Shug’s ability to guide and lead Celie down the correct path, Celie learns to believe that God is not a figure or a man, but yet an essence, a feeling; he is everywhere. She begins to write her letters not only to God, but also to the stars and the trees and the sky, depicting that God is in everything and in everyone. This sensation, passed on by the guidance of Shug, proves that she has moved in a direction of knowledge and passion, toward self-actualization. In the novel, The Color Purple, Alice Walker uses the characters of Celie, Squeak, and Shug to display the common themes of transformation and new identity through the literary device of symbolism. Symbolism in literature acts as a depiction of a broad topic; it is a useful tool to help display a wide range of ideas or beliefs. Walker forces the reader to understand that the symbols she uses do not just represent one idea or one focus, but many themes such as the development into a new person, the transition to gain a new identity. These symbols help portray a sense of individuality and power, just as the American Flag does for the citizens of the United States of America. Its powerful image gives way to the greater idea it presents: liberty and entitlement.

Parental Consent Abortion Essay Example for Free

Parental Consent Abortion Essay Abortion I. Introduction: A. Attention Grabber: rhetorical question, story, quote, shock, scare, stats, allusion, etc.: Did you know that teenage girls are more than 24 times more likely to die from childbirth than from first trimester legal abortion? B. Why audience should care: Every girl is at risk of getting pregnant, and if parental consent is the reason for childbirth the effects hurt mother and father. C. Background Info. According to the encyclopedia of American law fertility rate went down bc. of abortion and birth control- By the 1870s, a woman’s right to make decisions about REPRODUCTION was restricted by federal and state laws. -ABORTIONS , which increased markedly in the 1850s and 1860s, especially among middle-class white women, had been legal until the fetus â€Å"quickened,† or moved inside the uterus. The -AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION (AMA) and religious groups led the successful move to have state legislatures impose criminal penalties on persons performing abortions. In some states, women who had abortions could also be held criminally liable.(Progressive) D. Thesis: Women under the age of 18 should be allowed to obtain an abortion #without parental consent because every person controls their own body and forcible restriction can lead to drastic consequences. II. Need Step A. What is the problem? Teenagers feel pressured to have the child because they have no right over their own body. If they dont get the proper help they need problems may arise. The American Academy of Pediatrics also opposes parental-involvement laws: Legislation mandating parental involvement does not achieve the intended benefit of promoting family communication but it does increase the risk of harm to the adolescent by delaying access to appropriate medical care. [M]inors should not be compelled or required to involve their parents in their decisions to obtain abortions, although they should be encouraged to discuss their pregnancies with their parents and other responsible adults.(Naral) B. What is/are the cause(s)? Laws making clinics have parental note/ judicial-bypass provisions fail to protect young women. C. How big a problem? It affects everybody, the parents, the child, and the family. -Approximately one-third of American women become pregnant before the age of 20. -Twenty-five percent of teen mothers live below the federal poverty line. Nearly 80 percent of teen mothers eventually go on welfare. Teens that give birth also spend a greater length of time receiving public assistance—an average of three years longer than older mothers through age 35. Teen mothers are also more likely to have lower family incomes later in life.(NARAL) D. What are the ill effects of this problem? Harmful to the teen, and teens future The American Medical Association concluded in a 1992 study that parental-consent and notice laws increase the gestational age at which the induced pregnancy termination occurs, thereby also increasing the risk associated with the procedure. Although a first or second trimester abortion is far safer than childbirth, the risk of complications significantly increases for each week that elapses after eight weeks. (Philip, Diana) â€Å"A Toledo, Ohio judge denied a bypass for a 17-year-old, an A student who planned to attend college and who testified she was not financially or emotionally prepared for college and motherhood at the same time, stating that the girl had not had enough hard knocks in her life. (Philip, Diana) III. Satisfaction Step A. Solution(s) or steps age-appropriate health and sex education with medically accurate information; access to confidential health services, including family planning; life-options programs that offer teens practical life skills and the motivation to delay sexual activity; and programs for pregnant and parenting teens that teach parenting skills and help ensure that teens finish school. B.Specific details on how this problem can be solved: an emphasis should be placed on reducing teen pregnancy. C.Best plan or most important first step: Access to health services, including family planning. A Pennsylvania study found that of the 60 judicial districts in the state, only eight were able to provide complete information about Pennsylvanias judicial-bypass procedure. Some county courts referred minors to anti-choice crisis pregnancy centers that typically provide false and misleading information about abortion and pressure women to carry their pregnancies to term. (Borgman, Caitlin). D. Reasons it is best or most important: Lays foundation and protection for the child and teen. IV. Visualization Step A. The world will have less teenage births, less unsafe abortions and less children homeless and in poverty. B.If we do not solve this problem there will be more teen moms, poverty and unsafe abortions. â€Å"With their parents guidance, more teenagers will choose childbirth over abortion† (Philip) C.In countries where abortion is restricted like poland â€Å"go abroad to the Netherlands, Germany and Austria for abortions.2 Women who are not lucky enough to live in environments such as the EU may be forced to go to foreign countries and undergo underground, unsafe abortions.† (â€Å"this house†) V. Conclusion A. Minors should be allowed to obtain an abortion without parental consent because every person controls their own body and has the right to choose and restricting abortion can lead to drastic consequences. B. Education about sex, family planning, and a bill that allows minors to recieve abortion without parental consent. C. Individuals can talk to their parents about their views on abortion and inform them that they have the right to choose. Individuals can also call your local congressman or write a letter informing them of the dangers of restricting abortion. D. In our everyday lives we can remember how living in the U.S. is a blessing and our freedoms can not be taken away from us. We must remember that every women has a right to their body and giving birth is not the only way to end the suffering of an unwanted pregnancy.

Factors Affecting Millennium Development Goals Progress

Factors Affecting Millennium Development Goals Progress Abstract Water and sanitation is a global canker facing the most world population especially in Africa. Policy makers anticipate 80 billion Euros are needed every year to provide basic sanitation to the rural poor to ease poverty, therefore the need to get an in depth view of sanitation lagging behind is paramount. This paper aims to assess the factors causing the slow of progress in achieving the Millennium Development Goals(MDG) in low-income countries. The pace are due to inadequate infrastructure systems, skilled labour constraints, insufficient political will and growth of population. It will review current studies in the sector and analyse various constraints that jeopardise the achievement of the sanitation development precisely Ghana. In this review article, published journals, reports, conferences are observed. As a results of the above review factors that is hampering MDG sanitation for Goal 7, it was concluded that policy framework should be put in place whereas government and dono r organisations enforced and invest more in sanitation. The research should assist in the development process in an optimised way of addressing water and sanitation issues and allow better understanding of environmental differing that is triggering the success of MDGs. Keywords Millennium Development Goals ; Ghana; Factors affecting water and sanitation development 1. INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND Currently, 2.6 billion people in the world has no access to adequate sanitation(Marion W.jenkins ,2007) and 1.1 billion lack safe drinking water . (Water Aid,2008)representing to two fifth of the world population, leading up to range of diseases like cholera, a devastating cause of child deaths(Marion W. 2007). In Asia 675 million people are without improved drinking water sources and in sub-Sahara Africa, only 36% has no access to basic sanitation (Christine L. And Richard D.2006).The ability of low-income countries to productively solicit external support to scale –up aid is the major confronting issue today. As vast number of international organisations on the verged to address the problem in developing world whiles envisaging the need for every humanity to have access to basic sanitation, Ghana as part of the sub Saharan Africa will not be able to achieve the MDGs (DFID,2006). UNICEF The World Summit on Sustainable Development(WSSD) in Johannesburg in 2002 adopted an international sanitation target to halve the number of people without access to basic sanitation by 2015.This target now transform its self for water supply in support of the Millennium Development Goal of ensuring environmental sustainability(WELL,2003). Considering figures above, indicates the progress and geographic areas of where water and sanitation has covered as of the year 2002.The enormity of the constraints comes with the acknowledgement that poor state of infrastructure impediments are the cause of not achieving the MDGs(refer to appendix2 ) because 50% of the population cannot access improved services serving as an issue(Antonio E.2005), (UN,2007).William Easterly,2008 argued that the MDG are unfair to Africa because MDGs are poorly and arbitrarily designed to measure progress against poverty and deprivation, and that their design makes Africa looks worse than it really was. Most importan tly, another article stated the need for external donors to increase funding although infrastructure systems is another challenging(hlsp, 2009).Contrary the (UNDP,2008) report reveal that lack of framework made monitory difficult to measure and therefore data availability in other cases was unpredictable for the reason been poor system of infrastructure in some countries for collecting appropriate statistics. Empirically, programmes in sanitation in developing countries has been fruitful and yielding results (Marion W. Jenkins and Beth Scott,2007) yet there is an overwhelming number of people who keep on installing latrines or toilet facilities in their homes without subsidy from donors to improved sanitation. Moreover, the global climate change that policy makers have been preaching, the impact in Africa where water crisis is escalating and water table been high especially in the region of Tamale where is terribly hard to drill a sunken borehole a get water even if there is then is possible it may contained 40% of salt(REVSODEP/SIMAVI,2003). Other studies have shown that climate change is a challenge to the success of the MDG(United Nations Economic and social council,2007). A number of studies have reported MDG trend progress of sanitation in Ghana as shown in (appendix1 and appendix 5) shows a series of attainable indicators how Ghana is progressing even though comments regarding poor infrastructure systems exist (Christine L. And Richard D.,2006) which tends to propel the success of sanitation projects in the developing nations . Similar findings have been made via (UN ,2006)department of economic and social affairs. However, most of these studies were based on different country orientations and gross domestic product(GDP) performance raised at the time the survey was made. As such, Aid scaling –up(Peter S.Heller,2005) to the overriding . International Journal on environment resource public health in Zambia 2006 found that lack of well staffed healt h care facilities, electricity, portable water, roads, adequate transportation and communication facilities contributed immensely to not meeting the sanitation target quiet apart from the political instability of other African region. This analysis is similar to less development of in local and national institutions in south Africa(Neville,G.2003) although south Africa is progressing well as compare to Ghana and others. The following Other objectives will enable us dig out further factors. To make a literature review of MDG in sanitation and evaluate current technology options used. Identify factors seen in other studies. To develop, discuss and analyse data. Make recommendations/strategy for promoting sanitation development. 1.2 Ghana The republic of Ghana is a country in west Africa with a population of about 22.1 million people(iicd,2007).The country was the first sub-saharan Africa country to obtain independence from colonial rules on the 6th of march 1957.Despite the country rich in natural resources such as cocoa, gold, timber, bauxite, salt and lately the discovered crude oil, the country is still in perennial sunk with water and sanitation diseases. After colonial rule the country is divided into 10 different regions which include, Northern region-Tamale, Bolgatanga, upper west region, Ashanti region, Volta region, Brong ahafo region, Central region, Eastern region, Greater Accra and western region(see appendix8) . In Ghana rural population who have access to safe water in 2005 stood at 54%, rural population with access to household latrine 25%, urban population with access to safe water 78% whiles 45% of urban citizens can boost of household latrine(WELL,2004). 2. Skilled labour constraints It has been observed that for the Millennium Development Goal to achieve the set target in the sector of water and sanitation the human resources are vital. Shortages of skilled persons (World bank report,2005), (Lancet,2004)affect the health systems as indicative to progress of the MDGs.Erica User in 2005 indicated that international migration is associated with the non achievement of the MDG which seems to be increasing alarming and no resourceful person to deliver sustained latrines. The general conception that the success of MDG 2015 will be met only when african government invest more in sanitation(Arne B. And Abebe S. 2006) than they do now can be in approperiate in some countries without the necessary manpower skill needed. Conventionally, it will also interest the international community to realiseing the poverty nature in developing countries are more than the recoarse (IWA,2008)and therefore should be examine in different perspective way, progress has been hampered by popul ation growth, unbattled HIV/AIDS, wide spread poverty.The view supported by working policy No.45 of (Goerge Essegbey et al 2007) who discovered that innovation in water and sanitation systems were made but was beyond the capacity of of the local people. Unlike in Kumasi a population of 19% of Ghana population census 2000 where technical drawings were made by a consultants for a contractor to implement the work and due to lack of skills required to execute the Ventilated improvement project with respect to the design specifications ,errors were degenerated due to the fact that local people incorporated bamboo sticks in the facility leading to unsuccessful work done. Comparing the situation in Asia to Ghana,(Ljiljana and Ram,2006) in 32nd WEDC international conference in Sri lanka vividly said institutional capacity building can been noticed as the most hindering factor for MDGs. Professional such as engineers who are knowlegeable, skillful and are suppose to assist Non governmental o rganisation and community based organisations in advocating and trainning the latter were seen non available. Again, sanitation projects were constructed in Nepal as shown in the figure3 below similarly described by (JMP ,2008)is a latrine constructed without a slab cover can be considered unimproved. The latrine was contracted to unskilled contractor without the trainee. Moreover, (Maguire,1990) arguable said Lack of knowledge of lower cost technologies and use of technologies in appropriate for developing countries was given in 1988 as one of the obstacles to decade success. 3. Political will Some studies have shown knowledgeablly that lack of political (appendix 11) williness contributed to the slow progress of water and sanitation development in the south(Trocaire,2005),(IWA,2006), (macho ventura,2008). In Ghana for example,Rural areas and small towns had benefited from cross-subsides on water made possible higher tariffs in larger urban areas. But in preparing for privatisation, the government has eliminated such subsidisation by separating out the more lucrative urban water services. This jeopardised the financial sustainability of rural services(UNDP,2007) policy research brief illustrated. On the other hand, this was been carried due to two or more reasons after the implementation of the scheme and as developing change comeby some policy of government will need to change in order not to cause future catastrophe in the long run. Although Subsides need to be provided in oder to promote equitable access to utility services. Some utilitties have introduce life line tari ffs in which minimal levels of utility services are provided free or at a low cost. Essentially, the UNSGAB,2008 undeniably illustrate that 12% of sub-saharan africa national health budget is spend only in providing sanitation and related health services and 50% of the hospital beds are occupied for the same reason. However, experts predicts by 2015 2.1 billion people will still lack sanitation especially in sub-sahara africa untill 2076 (ENS,2008) news. In contrast, some sub saharan African leaders invest a lot of funds in the area of infrastructure and services in water and sanitation primarily into public sectors with other development partners even though these funds are decreasing for various reasons and the share commercial is financing is still very low. The Ghana water and Sewerage Coporation(GWSC), a public utility charged with the responsibility, among others, of achieving self financing status however due to lack of political will by the government over the years to institute adequate tariffs devastated the finances of the GWSC(George Akosa,1995).This situation ,coupled with the general declined of Ghana economy,resulted in most of the operational water supply projects being in a poor state of repair of lacking the installed capacity to provide adequate service.We will probably say the government does invest is only the population in Africa growing leading the people in an extreme poverty from 44.6% to 46.4% as shown in ap pendix 4,10. Furthermore, Ghana is reported to be on track to meet the target of halving poverty by 2015(UNESC,2008) it is yet uncertain if sanitation will be met. There is an improvement in the HIV but the deadlock is still unmet in basic sanitation.USAID argued that should the current progress continue as it is now only water and sanitation in all countries will be met by 2015 whiles (UN News Center,2008)secretary general Ban Ki Mo affirm lack of political will will be the biggest obtacle to imrpoving sanitation on world water day. (vandemoortele,2002) ,considering the perceptions incurr by similar reports and journals that government investment is far less.(Ekow.E,2008)demonstrated that special issue of energy policy on energy in Africa with case studies on Zambia, etc explained at least the political will of many governments to improve the quality and quantity of energy services as a prerequisite for the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. More significantly, unwill giness of government or political interest in sanitation per say,J.Edgardo campos and sanjay pradhan(2007) found that tackling corruption in the water and sanitation sector in some part of Africa was the primary reason for the MDGs not been on target as stipulated. Osumanu Issaka Kanton in Ghana mentioned African governments, like most countries in the developing world, face daunting tasks in their attempts to provide effective and equitable water and sanitation services for their ever increasing urban population,the paper however, contrasted that since the early 1990s the government of Ghana and many local authorities have entered into various public-private partnerships in urban water and sanitation using Tamale as a case studies where private has done nothing invigorated public sector not have achieved and therefore concluded that there can be no sustainable improvement in water and sanitation provision without political commitment, stakeholder ownership and strong support for co mmunity driven initiatives(2008) 4.Over population Poulation change seen as the major propeling factor for the MDGs in developing country with regards to water and sanitation(UNWPP,2005), (ENS,2008). fig 8 shows summary in the graph. The data from these graph was available from mainly from the estimates an medium variant. USAID monitoring report for 2006 MDGs, for instance, found that family planning practice will enhance the unmet MDGs to achieve the Goals by reducing the size of the targetted population groups which will then lowering the costs of meeting the MDGs in Sub-saharan Africa. Fig 9 table I.1 illustrates the report survey.Untill recently, (Esmarie Swanepoel,2008) publised article detailing africa falling behind on millennium development goals-UN as the proportion of people in sub saharan africa living below poverty decreased from 55.7% in 1990, to 50.3% in 2005. However, because of the population growth, the number of people in the region living in extreme poverty, grew by 100 million over the period. Using the below proj ections, the author (Dr.Jean –C. 2006 ) and others have reported distinct effect population growth has on Sub-sahara in terms of unsafe drinking water and sanitation in meeting the MDGs by the anticipated or stipulated year. Factually, the world health organisation (WHO,2004) annual assessment report substaintiate by saying that the world is on track to meet the drinking water target, but sub-sahara africa lags behind and conflict and political instability is a contributory factor with high rate of population growth and low priority given to water and sanitation will be a mirage. The paper concluded that whats more is the reason been the breakdown of water supply systems in rural africa is of high rates. One of the effective approaches shown to be accetable and helping the progress process drawn by the paper was decentralising responsibility and ownership and providing a choice of service level to communties based on their willingness and ability to pay.Urban population growt h was estimated to increased in growth in developing countries from 1.9 billion to 3.9 billion 2030, averaging 3.2% per year which is a major challenge for achieving MDG sanitation(UNESCO IHE,2007). The diagramme in fig 8 and fig9 indicates the percentage of the population living in major cities. The arguement goes to intensify the fact that water supply and sanitation will be an acute shorter for a decades to come. Source :UNICEF(data online) 5. Conclusion In short this paper looks at the slow progress of Millennium Development Goals with focus in developing countries especially sub saharan africa with respect to water and sanitation and various factors affecting the progress.The article then went further in reviewing various studies and literature presented by authors , analysing other views in the subject area and detailing sanitation situation in the case of Ghana. It was found that the systems of infrastructure has made it difficult for the MDGs team to montior effectively the progress and concrete availability of data was inevitable for correlation in knowing the exact people in sub saharan africa that are not covered as far as water and sanitation is concern. Governments interest in investing much funds in sanitary projects was seen lagging other projects in Africa even like health sectors was seen stampeding such as water sector was progressing steadily as compared to specifically sanitation due to high poverty in some countries and HIV/AIDS among others demanding. Therefore,the was the need for donor organisations to increase aid for the developing world. High population growth and inapproperiate use of low technologies were another contributory constraints in achieving the MDG since the number of populates in african countries was increased drastically by a substantial amount with diseases and malnutrion been high among children 0-5 years of age and rising in birth was due to either unexpected pregnancy or unaware or misapplication of farmily planning medicine at their possession. Skilled labour constraints therefore was one of the impediments that contributed tremendously bad towards the goals of the MDG in wardly due to the fact that skilled migrates leave the developing countries not only for better salaries and rumerations but virtue of better health care systems in developed world. In some cases institutional capacity building was seen as vital challenge for the MDGs in africa which some where in Asia for example Nepal it was much the same similarity. However, despite various studies been carried out by viable institutions and authors with different methods of approaches in addressing the Millennium Development Goals in water and sanitation, the plans has little consistency between different countries , thus making it difficult for policy makers to measure and track progress and so therefore Septentie appraisal of attitudes of stakeholders to the factors limiting progress to MDG. Acknowledgements The Author wish to acknowledge other writers for their assidious and great workdone and for the support provided by Dr.John Williams of Portsmouth University. It is also our pledge to send our sincere gratitude for the University Liberians for their kind gesture and contributions towards and during the literature review session. 8. Reference Summary of reference; JOURNALS PLUS PDFs REPORTS FROM INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATIONS : GOVERNMENT WEBSITES and ICE TWO BOOKS : Marion W. Jenkins and Beth Scott(2007). Behavioural indicators of household decision-making and demand for sanitation and potential gains from social marketing in Ghana. Journal of Social science and medicine,64(2007),2427-2442. Frederick Dubee (2008): Water Aid International-water Aids key facts statistics http://www.clubofrome.org/eng/meetings/winterthur_2008/presentations/Prof_Frederick_Dubee_Wateraid.pdf Christine L. Moe and Richard D. Rheingans (2006). Global challenges in water, sanitation and health. 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United Nations Development Programme Bureau for Development Policy. http://www.socialwatch.org/en/acercaDe/beirut/documentos/VANDERMOORTELE.pdf UN(2007).UN news center, UN mark world water day with calls for integrated management of vital resource. http://www.un.org/apps/news/storyAr.asp?NewsID=21951Cr=waterCr1= WHO/UNICEF(2004).Meeting the MDG drinking water and sanitation target: A mid-term assessment of progress. http://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/monitoring/jmp04.pdf Khatri K.B. (2007) UNESCO-IHE institute for water Education. Challenges for urban water supply and sanitation in developing countries. Discussion draft paper. www.unesco-ihe.org/content/download/1016/11873/file/9.paper%20isation%20kala%20.pdf Health and Poverty All over the world, the cost of health care is usually quite high. Poor families have worse health conditions than those with higher incomes. Health is paramount for poor people and in most instances, their very environment is a threat to them. Improving environmental conditions including providing water, sanitation and solid waste management services is basic to the creation of sustainable livelihoods and the elimination of poverty. Water related diseases like guinea worm and trachoma still plague portions of West Africa. A person suffering from guinea worm looses a lot of productive farm time which reduces their income. Ghana is currently one of the leading guinea worm endemic countries in the world. Lack of political will biggest obstacle to improving sanitation – Secretary-General 22 March 2008 – A lack of political will remains the greatest obstacle to efforts to drastically reduce the number of people without access to basic sanitation and clean, running water, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today, calling on the international community to take firmer and faster steps to tackle the problem. If we take up the challenge, the positive impact will reverberate far beyond better access to clean water, Mr. Ban said in a message to mark World Water Day, which is celebrated today. This years Day also coincides with the International Year of Sanitation. Every dollar invested in water and sanitation yields an estimate seven dollars worth of productive activity. And that comes on top of the immeasurable gains in cutting poverty, improving health and raising living standards. The Secretary-General described it as unconscionable that a child dies on average every 20 seconds because of sub-standard sanitation conditions – a situation endured by an estimated 2.6 billion people worldwide, or more than a third of the global population – that are preventable. Poor sanitation combines with a lack of safe drinking water and inadequate hygiene to contribute to the terrible global death toll. Those who survive face diminished chances of living a healthy and productive existence. Children, especially girls, are forced to stay out of school, while hygiene-related diseases keep adults from engaging in productive work. Halving the proportion of people without access to basic sanitation is one of the eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) devised at a global leaders summit in 2000, but the world is far behind the pace to achieve that by the target date of 2015, Mr. Ban said. Experts predict that by 2015, 2.1 billion people will still lack basic sanitation. At the present rate, sub-Saharan Africa will not reach the target until 2076. This years World Water Day also coincides with the International Year of Sanitation. Population growth, widespread poverty and insufficient investment are among the key obstacles, but the Secretary-General noted that the biggest culprit is the lack of political will. Events are being held around the world this weekend to highlight World Water Day, including the staging of a public toilet queue demonstration to raise awareness about the sanitation crisis around the globe. A similar event was held in New Yorks Central Park on Thursday. Wold bank graphic showing the failure of Africa to meet the MDGs.