Leadership Within the 12 Angry Men Essay

Throughout the film, there is seemingly more than one â€Å"leader† throughout the jury as according to Nick’s definition of a leader being that there were multiple influences and instances that persuaded the decisions of others. Initially the situation is composed of a biased and opinionated jury that is almost unanimously convinced the defendant is guilty. Throughout the scene, there is a slow but sure change of mind throughout the jury as the protagonist, Juror #8, successfully persuades the other jurors who initially voted the boy guilty of murder to further investigate and examine the fact which eventually leads to the confirmation and agreement of reasonable doubt among the jury. Juror 8’s effective followership was best represented by his consistent approach and solution to the conflict that initially had nobody even listening. Juror 8 knew what he was standing up for, proper justice, even in the face of adversity as he was challenged by everyone in the room and his willingness and courage to assume the responsibility and challenge the assumed (198). He is also seen as a leader of the group through the honesty and integrity he displayed by â€Å"acting in accordance with solid moral principles† (41) as well as a drive to reach an honest verdict by convincing the group to look at all the possibilities despite the obvious and assumed. Juror 3 would best be classified as an alienated follower as his prejudice against the defendant clouds his judgment, placing a bias on why he thinks the boy is guilty. As it turns out, his own son that he hasn’t seen for 2 years had grown up challenging his authority and rejecting his morals providing the basis for the anger that is displayed so stubbornly until the very bitter end. As alienated followers â€Å"are capable, they focus exclusively on the shortcomings and have experienced setbacks and obstacles† (195) as did Juror 3 when initially, he had convincingly and mindlessly persuaded the others of the defendant’s guiltiness as a result of the anger he felt from the bitter relationship he had with his son. Juror 10 could most definitely be classified as conformist follower as his stubborn belief in the defendant’s guiltiness was supported by a mindless and intolerant argument supported by his racist, bigoted comments. Initially Juror 10 willingly participated in the heated yet convinced discussion as there was little doubt about the defendant’s guilt and conflict was at a minimum. As the tables turned and tension rose, Juror 10 found himself â€Å"concerned with avoiding conflict† (195) and became less of a contributor to the conversation. As with Juror 8, in any situation in which there is an uncertainty or doubt present, especially regarding a decision with such major implications such as the one presented to the â€Å"Twelve Angry Men†, I find it highly necessary to further investigate and take all things into consideration before coming to a decision. The suspicion of shady, questionable behavior of the CEO is to be examined and reviewed in the same manner that Juror 8 went about questioning the assumed â€Å"facts† and looked at all the possibilities.

Mr aaban Essay

An employee’s contract of employment may be terminated by either the employer or the employer or the employee giving the notice required by the applicable award or the industrial Relation act 1990. Where the prescribed notice is not given, the employee shall be paid wages in lieu of notice, or the employer may withhold wages due to the employee. Part 2 Notwithstanding Part 1 above, where any employee is guilty of misconduct, the contract of employment may be terminated instantaneously. Where it is alleged that an employee is guilty of misconduct, the employee shall be provided with details of the allegation/s and be given a reasonable opportunity to respond to allegations prior to a decisions being made to either terminate the employment or to issue a written warning. Part 3 where it is alleged that an employee’s capacity or performance is unsatisfactory, then the following procedure should be followed. The existence of this procedure shall not prevent an employee being dismissed in accordance with part 2 above. The initial discussion and direction will be provided on an informal basis by Business manager of other authorised person. If the problem/s persist the Business manager to other authorised person will discuss with employee. 1. the matter/s of concern; 2. action necessary to resolve the concerns; and 3. a timetable for improvement to be evidence. input including explanations will be sought from the employee. As a result of this discussion the Business manager or other authorised person will notify the employee in writing regarding those matters in question discussed per clause 3. 5 above The notice will detail; 1 the matter/s of concern; 2. actions necessary to resolve the concerns; 3. a timetable for improvement to be evidenced. This notice will be signed and confirmed by the employee to recorded the discussion (3) above. of there is a disagreement as to the content of the notice the employee shall have the opportunity for their view to be placed on the record. Appropriate monitoring and counselling shall then be provided to the employee by the business manager or other authorised person. part 4 at any meeting or discussion forming part of the process in part2 or 3, the employee nay be accompanied by a union representative or other person of the employee’s choosing. Macville Private Incident Hazard Form Incident/ Hazard Report Form Given Name: John Family name: Dawson Position Title: Equipment Assistant International? Yes No Visiting Student Agency Personnel Visitor Contractor Employee number/ Student ID : s654 Address: 57 Mitford Crescent Craigieburn Division: 50 Management Unit: 15 TAFE Unit/ Sub Management Unit: 20 DOB: 02/06/1985 Gender: M F Contact details: 86557342 Have you reported this to your Team Leader/ Manager? Yes No Date 15/08/2012 notified Yes Name ( please Print): Matthew Contact: 0432654678 Macville Private Questions and Answers for Incident Hazard Form Question1. Feed back for the use of Templates: Answer: For Incident Hazard form we got feedback from the employees and management committee so made some changes in it. In incident hazard form we got the feedback from employee suggested that we need to add more question in section 2 details of incident. Rest of the format for this template was achieved good response from all of them. Question 2. Change in template after feedback Answer: According to the feedback on the use of template we made some changes in for example we add some more question regarding the incident so we after giving the answer to those question we have more information what actually happened. Question 3. How to provide information for document Answer: We can use Meta tag which is primary used to help search engines better index a document by supplying additional information about the document. Question4 : Which particular section of the form should prior check the form? Answer: In incident hazard form first check the details of the person to check they are appropriate and then check the details of the incidents what actually happened. Question 5: which software used to make forms for example? Answer: For Incident Form we used software Microsoft word. Macville Private Question and answer for Performance Development form Question1 : Feedback for the use of Templates Answer: Fro the Professional development form we got feedback from the employees and management committee so made some changes in it. First of all we just asked in the form for professional goals then they suggested that if we achieved good response from all of them. Question2. Change in template after feedback Answer: According to the feedback on the use of template we made some changes in for example we made another column of personal goals in professional development form so we can achieve both goal employee’s personal and professional Question3 : How to provide information for document Answer: We can use Meta tag which is primarily used to help search engines better index a document by supplying additional information about the document. Question4: Which particular section of the form should prior check the form Answer: In Performance development form all the sections are important but firstly we will check the Name of the person and date of reviewed and there goals. Question5: Provide clear instruction for the use of all three forms. Answer: Development form is a really good way to know the employee’s work performance that how the employee is doing the job and what he/she want to achieve from doing that job and what/where they can do best in the future for the organisation to achieve their target’s and mission.

Individual Report (50%)

You are required to prepare a report for management, recommending that the Company enter into a new overseas market (defined as a country or large region within it) and outline the main features of the marketing plan. The new market that you recommend is your choice but it must not be one where the Company is already present. The report should be 3000 words max and the hand in date is 13th March 2013 via Blackboard before 12 noon. Your recommendation needs to contain the following:1 Reasons for selection of new market for entry by the Company 2.Alternative markets which were candidates and reasons not selected 3 Proposed market entry strategy, including rationale 4 Outline of recommended marketing mix. Assessment criteria * Knowledge of theory underpinning internationalisation of marketing * Demonstration of the ability to develop appropriate solutions for differing market circumstances * Evaluation of options and justification of recommendations * Use of references, and professional standard of the report The critical points to remember are: 1 Answer all 4 questions and ensure that you answer the questions stated.All questions are equally important but do not necessarily use the same number of words. Do not spend so much time on one question to the detriment of another. Use common sense. 2 The questions are interrelated and you can refer to previous sections to improve the links so that the report flows well. 3 Your marketing mix must make sense with your proposals and with the other parts of the mix. E. g. it is nonsense to suggest that a brand which is positioned as say luxury and High end utilises an everyday low value pricing strategy. Try to be succinct and do not include great parts of research reports. These should be referred to and used to support your arguments. Remember answer the question using your research and analysis not the other way around.5 Use theory and research appropriately to support your justifications and recommendations. Suggested re port structure 1 Introduction – state the company, where they operate now the new country product range/brand and outline of the report. This is very important to set the scene of the report. Do not write the history of the company. Justification for country x Using your research and analysis propose reasons for your selection of the new market to enter. A competitive analysis should be evident. Refer to appropriate theory and reference. 3 Alternative market(s) rejected – suggest markets that were considered and justify why they were not as suitable Refer to appropriate theory and reference. 4 Market entry strategy Propose your market entry strategy which must make sense with the research and analysis from section 2, the attitude towards risk of the company, and your rationale for the entry strategy.Do not just describe the entry strategy – you must justify what you propose. 5 Outline marketing mix strategy – these are your recommendations for the marketi ng mix with justification. You must use appropriate theory and references throughout. You should include here the brand values, positioning, segments and targets for the country you are choosing to enter and provide a justification based on theory and research. For each strategy make sure you mention whether this is a global position whether it has been standardise or adapted.Refer to appropriate theory throughout. You may use examples to illustrate your points but we do not expect a full tactical marketing mix outline i. e. messages. Product strategy – in relation to other parts of the world, product decisions e. g. full product range/limited and why. You might refer to the PLC, competitive advantage, brand position, values etc. Pricing strategy – strategy not tactical pricing/actual price for the product/service. Distribution strategy Promotions strategy – which media do you propose and why?Is it standardised or adapted? You do not need to develop advertising materials or messages. Budget not required. People – is there a service element to your product/service? Process Physical evidence You may use sub headings, diagrams, tables, graphs, as appropriate. You do not need to produce an executive summary. You do need a contents page, page numbers, section headings and reference list. Mistakes from last year 1 Reports were unbalanced – so much time spent on the first questions that the subsequent sections suffered. Missing references throughout the report and use of non credible sources. 3 Lack of International marketing theory. Too much use of very basic marketing theory and textbooks. You must use and International marketing text and appropriate reading. 4 Descriptive PESTLs with no analysis and not used throughout the report. Your research is to be used to justify your decisions. 5 Marketing mix were lists of suggestions with no justification. They must be linked to the PESTL analysis, research and theory and justified. Jacq ueline Lynch February 2013

The introduction of an ultrasonic dish washer Essay

The introduction of an ultrasonic dish washer - Essay Example In relation to the study, the company which has been selected is Ultrasonic Solution providers and one of the main products that will be introduced by the company would be the Ultrasonic dish washer. The product will be offering a cost-effective solution to people in the washing of dishes and another crockery. In addition to this, the product will be offering them comfort as many people do not like to wash dishes and crockery but with ultrasonic dish washer, the problem of washing and cleaning crockery would be solved. The product would be first introduced in the United Kingdom and then with the passage of time, the company would expand its offerings in other countries of Europe and then in other parts of the world. In addition to this geographic location, Ultrasonic Solutions aims to expand its product range as well and in future, it will be coming up with more products that could solve their problems related to home activities. Dish washers require a large amount of water to be use d and this is one of the major environmental concerns of this product. However Ultrasonic dish washer would require 30 liters of water. However one of the important features of Ultrasonic dish washer is that it would recycle 20 liters of water and therefore only 10 liters of water would be required. Although there are some products that help people in a cleaning of dishes and crockery, however ultrasonic dish washer has several functions that would help in solving this problem. With the passage of time, the demand of such products has been increasing not only in private homes but in different restaurants and hotels as well. dish washers have been very helpful and a very good solution for people and restaurant owners in washing of dishes as this not only reduces the time that is involved in washing of dishes but it also reduces the cost. There has been an increasing usage of products like dish washers as this has provided people the convenience and cost-effective solution as before the introduction of dish

Ethical Perspectives Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Ethical Perspectives - Research Paper Example pt different cultures, and more importantly operate within different cultures in a more successful manner that transcends all personal organizational grounds. Due to this, every global organization may be identified with one form of cultural issue or the other that they have to deal with. Chevron is no exception when it comes to these issues of culture and globalization. At Chevron the major cultural issue that is identified has to do with cultural diversity among employees. Of the over 62,000 employees that Chevron has across the globe, close to a quarter of the number is found in the United States alone and another quarter of this is at the head quarters of the organization (Chevron, 2013). Among the total population of employees, people have been identified to come from as many as 40 different cultural backgrounds. Even within its head office San Ramon, California, US, there are people from over 12 cultural backgrounds (Chevron, 2013). This means that cultural diversity among empl oyees is a very huge issue that the company deals with at the local and international levels. As it is held by Graham (2006), cultural diversity comes with a lot of ethical and social responsibilities if an organization wants to hold a very balanced status or image as a global organization. In the case of Chevron, there are specific ethical and social responsibility issues that the company must be engaged in so as to satisfy its culturally diverse workforce to ensure that the fact that employees come from different cultural backgrounds and are mostly found working under the same roof does not pose any labor related issues for the company. At the same time, the company has ethical and social responsibilities to keep ensuring that the company is able to have a single and balanced ethical and social standard that works for its entire workforce no matter the part of the world they find themselves. One of these ethical issues is the need to have a common standard of ethical practice that

Humanism and the Humanistic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Humanism and the Humanistic - Essay Example On the other hand, humanism and humanistic in art refer to art that places the study of human nature as its primary interest. Additionally, its ideals are often secular (they are not religious). Learning and art in the Middle Ages (3rd to the 13th centuries) was mainly centered on religion and the church. However, people became more secular at the onset of the 14th century. Thus, they started thinking less and less about God, religion, and the church. As such, they commenced thinking more and more about themselves, their daily lives and surroundings. The study of medieval and ancient Roman and Greek writings on the government, art, philosophy and scientific matters partly influenced the development of humanism. When people and scholars commenced studying these writings in the Renaissance period, their focus and interests shifted from the traditional fields of study such as medicine, law, and religion. They, therefore, became interested in scientific fields and areas such as the natural world, astronomy, biology, and science. Artists, musicians, composers and writers now started creating and designing their work with themes that were not religious. Furthermore, to focus on t hemselves and their lives, writers authored memoirs and autobiographies about themselves while artists routinely signed their work. The emergence and rise of humanism can be naturally viewed in paintings that were done by artists during the Renaissance period. In the middle ages, before the rise of humanism, artists used to employ a hieratic scale that made saints or religious figures appear larger than the non-religious figures. As humanism grew, artists started making less important or ordinary figures be the same size as the religious figures. Moreover, saints or holy figures started looking more like common/ordinary people. Humanistic art in the Renaissance forced saints and religious figures to

Virtual Field Trip Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Virtual Field Trip - Essay Example Hence, the CSG seeks to empower leadership, collaboration, decision-making skills and social awareness. The Council of State Governments was founded in 1933. It was initiated by then Colorado Senator, Henry Toll. Besides the organizations’ functions in America, it fosters offices in the government’s territories in other countries such as Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands. It is a non-partisan as well as a non-profit society supported by the respective states. Supplementary funds are also derived from different aids like contributions, registration fees, and grants. It currently maintains its headquarters in Kentucky. It is managed by the organization’s executive director. A governor functions as the President of the Council. He is aided by a member of a state of legislature who performs as the chairman. At present, CSG is headed by Jay Nixon, Missouri Governor. The chair is Gary Stevens, Alaska senator. In the absence of the chair, the chair-elect may perform his functions. Mark Norris, Tennessee Senate Majority Leader is the current chair-elect. The vice chair, Carl Marcelino, is the New York Senator. CSG’s website can indeed help individuals acquire more knowledge and discernment when it comes to politics and its systems. Firstly, the featured items are quite beneficial in nurturing insights as to the various leaders’ opinions, actions, and legislations. Other elements such as the military, economy, and geography are likewise being illustrated. The organization’s web page also features policies and research which can give ideas on how sociological and psychological findings affect rulings and plans towards societies’ improvements. Another page on the scheduled leaders and members’ meetings highlight schedules, addresses, topics, and minutes. This specifically shows how people in authority manage their time, resources, and power to be present and effective in a number of conferences. Their

Annotated Bibliography-Sheila-W8 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Annotated Bibliography-Sheila-W8 - Essay Example It is important to know how documentation process is established as it provides for easier management. The article is an online publication. The author establishes that, due to the rise of diseases such as heart failure, which has cause massive deaths, humans still do not change their behavior to control the conditions. It proposes electronic devices that can monitor individuals by internet usage as a way of improving and controlling them as they undergo exercises to reduce the menace. Not much information was available concerning the study and neither did it propose for other future research. The literature review was less in depth but offered a better insight into the study while methods of analysis were by sample surveys of the patients. It is significant that patients change their behavior as it helps health practitioners to manage their health. Kontos, E., Blake, K. D., Chou, W. S., & Prestin, A. (2014). Predictors of eHealth usage: Insights on the digital divide from the health information national trends survey 2012. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 16(7), e172. It is an extensive article that is a JMIR publication. The authors observe that due to development in electronic health technology, health care has improved tremendously especially on vulnerable individuals in the society. The study establishes that factors such as race and ethnicity do not necessary contribute to the electronic health information. But individuals who are less educated find it difficult to accesses the Internet for health information than their counterparts. Not much information was available but proposes for future studies on electronic health literacy. The review was in depth that provided a clear view of the study while methods of research were by case studies. The less literate in the society should embrace technology since it an easier way to manage their health. This is a

Bibliography on Human Impact on Global Warming Annotated

On Human Impact on Global Warming - Annotated Bibliography Example By observing various communities in the ‘Land Down Under,’ the researchers came to draw the conclusion that the practices of the people are pro-environment, and in fact these people organize activities that aim to instill environmentalism in their neighborhoods. Bradshaw, C. J., Sodhi, N. S., & Brook, B. W. (2008). Tropical turmoil: a biodiversity tragedy in progress. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, (7) 2, 79-87. Retrieved from http://www.frontiersinecology.org/current_issue/bradshaw.pdf The review explained how the world has lost the battle of preserving its tropical forests. It further denoted the habitat loss and the potentiality of disaster it has on biodiversity and human health. The locales of the study were the rain forests, savannas and mangroves in select regions across the globe. It inferred that the loss and degradation of essential ecosystem functions (e.g. pollination, carbon sequestration, water cycling) and services (eg. flood mitigation, topsoil retention, non-timber forest products) are harming billions of people living in tropical countries, and that poor governance and corruption are some of the key socioeconomic threats to tropical biodiversity conservation Butler, R. A., & Laurance, W. F. (2008). New strategies for conserving tropical forests. Trends in Ecology & Evolution, (23) 9, 469-472. Retrieved from http://www.ecology.ethz.ch/ education/Resilience_Stuff/Butler_and_Laurance_2008.pdf The scholarly work focused on how to combat the rapid deforestation rates by setting as an example the practices of large transnational corporations. Utilizing the data provided by the United Nations Population Division, it noted the severe conditions of the tropical forests in Latin America, Africa and Asia and... This study elucidated how poor nations contribute to the worldwide degradation of the environment and pollution. It remarked that while wealthy nations have relatively large industries, some countries in the Third World also operate manufacturing sites that are hazardous to the environment and deplete finite resources, which can be considered as exemplifications of capitalism. The authors also included the everyday practices of the rural folks in destroying forests and polluting the rivers and other bodies of water. The collaborative venture of these environmentalists underscored how the population and wealth of nations positively correlated with the level of carbon dioxide emissions in the atmosphere. They concluded that rich nations, where industrialization and urbanization are concentrated, have tremendous impacts to the natural environment than that of the poor ones. The output of the study was a stochastic version of the Impact = Population-Affluence-Technology (IPAT) model to accurately estimate the effects of population, affluence, and technology on national CO2 emissions.Their research surveyed a sample of more than one thousand people across the United States and found out that 75% of them considers themselves as ‘environmentalists.’ They purported the role of popular culture in the advent of Environmental America that has begun since the 1960’s. The book outlined the various human activities that gradually altered the face of the planet. It also implicated the society on its role in environmental degradation.

The Whistleblower Protection Act Essay Example for Free

The Whistleblower Protection Act Essay The Whistleblower Protection Act was designed to provide legal safety measures to individuals occupying positions in the federal government who reveal questionable and unlawful operations within the government agencies.   The Act thus shelters the employee that has disclosed the information so that he will remain protected from any biased actions that may be executed by his superiors in that particular government agency.   This protection is a special precautionary measure that is well compensated in order to maintain the employee status of truthfully reporting the illegal activities that should be investigated by the government. The Whistleblower Protection Act was drafted to include four approaches to activate protection as a whistleblower.   Firstly, the employee who wishes to disclose a questionable operation of another member of the government agency may file an appeal to the Merit Systems Protection Board of his particular agency.   Another approach may be to request for the protection from the special counsel of the government agency. Protection may also be requested through the appeal for individual protection per se.   An employee may also request for whistleblower protection through grievance procedures, wherein the employee reports the grievances and hardships he experiences after he discloses information regarding the illegal operations that he has observed within the government agency.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Whistleblower Protection Act was carefully designed so that not every employee that reports an incident will be immediately protected based on the features of the Act.   Such careful implementation of the protection act was established because it is important that only deserving individuals are provided with the protection that is needed and not all individuals who express their â€Å"concern† over an activity will be safeguarded from any associated reactions that may be given by the employee that is being reported (Wilmot, 2000). The Whistleblower Protection Act is therefore established to proceed initially with an investigation regarding the disclosure that was submitted by an employee.   In addition, the disclosure should be properly endorsed by the head of the office where the employee is working for.   Should this endorsement be absent, the Whistleblower Protection Act will not be implemented.    The present Whistleblower Protection Act is thus available to all federal employees, both those in active duty and those who have retired or resigned, and even those employees who are in the higher positions.   A few positions in the federal government, such as those involved in making agency policies, are not covered by the Whistleblower Protection Act, as well as those employees working at the postal office and the Central Intelligence Agency.   The employees of the Federal Bureau of Investigation are also not provided with the features of the Whistleblower Protection Act.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   A revelation that is presented by an employee should be evaluated to be of substantial information that is well-proven to positively violate the laws and policies of the government agency.   Any violation may be associated with the wrongful management of the government agency or a substantial squandering of government funds.   In addition, any misuse of an official of his powers over the government agency may also be considered as disclosed information by which may activate the Whistleblower Protection Act and be implemented to protect the employee that has disclosed the violation. Other issues that are deemed worthy of activating the protection act may include any information that may cause harm to the general public, such as safety and sickness.   Once the disclosure has been submitted by the concerned employee to his supervisor, this report should be submitted to the head of the government agency.   As soon as this disclosure report is submitted to the head of the government agency, the Whistleblower Protection Act should be discussed with the employee who has reported the violation of another employee.   The features of the protection act should be comprehensively explained so that the employee will understand how the protection act works.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Whistleblower Protection Act was also designed in order to amend an earlier act which was known as the Civil Service Reform Act.   The amendment was based on the modification of the term disclosure in the older reform act and this was replaced by the newer protection act that pertains to any type of report so that employees may have the liberty to report any misuse and abuse of authority within the government agency.   The protection act was also devised to prevent any forms of hindrance that would inhibit the employee from his disclosure of the information he knows with regards to the illegal activities that he observes within the government agency.    There are only a very few cases wherein the Whistleblower Protection Act was not provided to an employee who, after thorough investigation by the appropriate review of the government agency, has discovered that the disclosure that the employee was submitting was based on his goal of acquiring personal gain and benefit.   It is thus important that a meticulous and detailed investigation of the disclosure be performed first before any other measure is performed.   Should the review committee find that the disclosure of the employee does not serve any beneficial purpose but for the employee’s personal gain alone, subsequent actions and the corresponding implementation of the Whistleblower Protection Act will not be exercised.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Whistleblower Protection Act has also experienced a few issues with regards to the technicalities of its design and implementation.   One of the most reviewed and discussed technical issue about the protection act is the phrase â€Å"any disclosure.†Ã‚   The word â€Å"any† was intentionally included in the definitions of the protection act in order to include all forms of reports and does not prematurely filter any disclosures and this has been designed in order to collect as much reports as may be submitted.    The selection and review of the reports are thus handled by the review committee which is mandated to thoroughly study all reports and disclosures that are submitted to them.   The main basis for identification of a valuable disclosure that is submitted by an employee is the fact that the disclosure shows equitable certainty that a mismanagement or abuse of authority or operation is occurring within the government agency. Equitable certainty of the disclosed information is mainly based on the good faith that is shown by the employee reporting the incident.   The Whistleblower Protection Act is also designed wherein an employee may report to any of his superior officials within the government agency, allowing freedom for the employee to report the information he carries with trust and confidentiality.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It should be understood that the Whistleblower Protection Act will only be implemented if the employee is reporting a specific gross mismanagement or misuse of authority by another individual in the government agency.   Should the review committee find that the employee is only disclosing an insignificant amount of questionable activities, the review committee will then provide ample time for the employee to gather more information about the other employee being reported and at the same time will monitor the actions being executed by the employee being reported. Should there be a new additional report regarding the questionable employee, the disclosing employee will immediately be given protection from any probable harm that he may experience during his occupation at the government agency.   The information being disclosed will also be made confidential within the government agency because this secured information will affect the condition of the employee within his workplace (White, 2006). Protection to the employee may include the prevention of any actions that are associated with his position, including any reassignment to another office, termination and even promotion to a higher position.   Such changes in the position of the employee who has disclosed any information on the mismanagement or misuse of another employee is thus unlawful and should be protected by the Whistleblower Protection Act.    References White SM (2006):   Confidentiality, no blame culture and whistleblowing, non-physician practice and accountability. Best Pract. Res. Clin. Anaesthesiol.   20(4):525-43. Wilmot S (2000):   Nurses and whistleblowing: The ethical issues.   J. Adv. Nurs.   32(5):1051-7.

Promotion And Development Of Rail Tourism India Tourism Essay

Promotion And Development Of Rail Tourism India Tourism Essay In India, Railways play a vital role in the socio-economic life of the country. Today, the number of domestic as well as international travelers is increasing with an increase in the disposable income of Indians. To support the increasing traffic of travelers even Indian Railways have come out with few plans over last 10-15 years. They are trying to build their tourism wing as well but still travelers are not aware of the various initiatives taken by Indian Railways. Indian Railways have a totally new wing to handle this i.e. Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC). The first objective of the project is to bring awareness by designing the marketing plan for them. This will be used all over the country to promote rail tourism. The other objective of the project is to find the feasibility of new route which they can venture into. This would require both financial and operational strategy. The final deliverable for the MRR would be a combination of both the strategies mentioned above for Indian Railways to showcase the marketing plan and advantages and risk for investing in the new routes. Objectives of the study The objective of this study is as follows: To study Indian Railways especially tourism hand of it. To study changing tourism pattern in India. To study current IRCTC tourism plan. To understand the demographics of tourist To recommend a marketing strategy for already present plans Finding new route which IRCTC could venture. To develop financial and operational plan for this new route. To recommend a plan for the implementation of above strategy. Hypothesis of the MRR In India, numbers of tourist are increasing every year due to increase in the disposable income. Railway has a tourism wing which tries to satisfy the need of these tourist but still general public is not much aware various initiatives taken. Tourist are still competing with the general traveler to get a seat in rail instead of opting for various other special offers provided by rail tourism. We have an opportunity to start new route and promote both old as well as new routes by formulating a marketing plan for this. Scope and Limitation Scope: This study would help in promoting rail tourism in India. Also this would help them to generate extra revenue by venturing into new routes. It would help to satisfy the current increasing demand for transportation by tourist. Limitation: MRR would choose certain region based on selected parameters to search for new routes and to start with the marketing plan for the same. This selection does not mean that IRCTC would be willing to share all the data for the project. MRR would only deal in highlighting and describing important benefits associated with start of new routes. It would not cover financial and operational details of it. The financial plan would require valuations of new strategy. Limitations in data might lead to valuations based on assumptions and model. However both time and resource did not permit venturing into a study of other Railway systems in detail except through what was available on Internet and locally available article on the subject. Chapter 2: Brief overview of global Tourism Industry Introduction Tourism is travel for various purposes like recreational, business, leisure or pleasure. World Tourism Organization headquartered at Madrid defines tourists as people traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes. In recent times tourism has been recognized as an important social and economic phenomenon. At the World Conference on Tourism held in Manila in 1980, the importance of tourism and its widespread effects were recognized in the Manila Declaration on World Tourism, which stated, Tourism is considered an activity essential to the life of nations because of its direct effects on the social, cultural, educational and economic sectors of national societies and on their international relations. There are three forms of Tourism as per United Nations as follows: Domestic Tourism When a resident is travelling in its own country. Inbound Tourism When Non-residents are travelling in the given country. Outbound Tourism When residents travels to another country. History In earlier times, rich uses to travel to distant parts of the world, to see great buildings, works of art,  learn new languages, and experience new cultures and to taste different  cuisines. The word  tourist  was used by 1772  and  tourism  by 1811.  In 1936, the  League of Nations defined  foreign tourist  as someone traveling abroad for at least twenty-four hours. United Nations in 1945 have amended this definition by including a maximum stay of six months. United Kingdom was the first country to promote leisure travel which was associated with Industrial Revolution due to increase in Industrial population. This comprise of new middle class at that time. This model was then replicated in France, Continental Europe, and south pacific Asia and slowly in other parts of world. Mass tourism was developed with the development of technology and infrastructure, allowing tourist to move around in the world with ease. It was developed only due to new development in transport system around the world. Tourist Destination statistics The global tourism market is very concentrated at the top end; 45% of the world`s international arrivals in 2010 are accounted for by the top ten countries. However the future trends show a major shift in the share of tourist arrivals from developed European economies to emerging Asian markets. Following is the ranking of top destinations as per United Nations World Tourism Organization as per different categories: International Tourist arrivals by country of destination as of 2011 France 80 Million United States 62 Million China 58 Million International Tourism receipts as of 2011 United States $116 Billion Spain $60 Billion France $54 Billion Most visited cities by international tourist arrival Paris (France) 15.6 Million London (UK) 15.2 Million Antalya (Turkey) 10.5 Million Goldrush_big.jpg Source: Amadeus The above diagram shows a research conducted by Amadeus which shows that there will be a dramatic change of travel spend with Asia-Pacific visitor arrivals accounting for 22% of global traffic and Asia-Pacific residents representing 32% of global travel spend in 2020. Although Europe will dominate the tourism market overall but Asia-Pacific have shown a great improvement and is growing faster than other regions. Economic Factors Travel Tourism is one of the worlds largest industries. In 2011 Travel Tourism contributed 9% to the global GDP which values to more than US$6 trillion, and accounted for more than 255 million jobs. Travel Tourism industry is expected to grow by an average of 4% annually over the next 10 years, taking it to 10% of global GDP, or some US$10 trillion. It is expected that by 2022 Travel Tourism industry will account for 328 million jobs or 1 in every 10 jobs on the planet. As per a survey Travel Tourism is a key generator of employment across the European Union directly generating 10 million jobs across Europe, substantially more than the automotive manufacturing (3.2 million), mining (3.6 million) and financial services sectors (8.5 million). Employment is created in the sectors like transportation services like airlines, cruise, taxi, etc; hospitality services such as hotels, resorts, etc; and entertainment industry like amusement parks, casinos, shopping malls, theatres, etc. Ev en Asia Pacific region is now investing money in Travel Tourism to depict same figures in their economies as well. Below is the diagram showing how the contribution is made towards economy and employment through Travel and Tourism (TT). It is divided into three parts i.e. Direct, Indirect and Induced. Source: World Trade and Tourism Council research report The direct contribution of TT to GDP in 2011 was USD 1,972.8bn (2.8% of GDP). The direct contribution of Travel and Tourism to GDP is expected to grow by 4.2% pa by 2022. Total contribution of TT to GDP was USD 6,346.1bn in 2011 i.e. 9.1% of GDP and is expected to grow by 2.8% to USD 6,526.9bn i.e. 9.8% of GDP by 2022. Source: WTTC Negative factors affecting tourism Below are the factors which are affecting tourism in most part of the world: Terrorist threat is one of the biggest negative factors affecting tourism. Terrorist attack in London, US, etc has reduced the number of tourist going to these countries. Also there is  terrorist threat  to  tourist destinations, such as in  Bali  and several European cities. Tsunami in Asia had affected tourism in most of the Asian countries at that time. Thousands of lives were lost including many tourists. Tsunami, Katrina and other cyclones in other regions have slowed down the tourism industry in their respective countries. Virus attacks like H1N1 influenza virus have affected the tourism in several countries. Other factors like economic unrest and recession have affected the number of tourist going for vacation. Future Developments Tourism is expected to grow at a rate of 4% annually and all this requires constant development in the technology and infrastructure. Tourists can be divided generally as per their budgets and taste thus new different ideas are required to pull tourist towards a country or city. For example some people like to go on a hill while some people like to go out for a theme park. Thus various developments were done to cater all the segments as per their needs. Developments like airlines have made it very accessible to travel round the world. International organization WHO estimates that up to 500,000 people is on planes at any time. Internet development has brought a new revolution in tourism industry. One can book tickets (Rail, ship, airlines, etc), plans, packages, etc through internet. One can easily get a customized package as per their needs on a click of button. Due to competition these website gives competitive prices which is always beneficial for the end customer. Sustainable Tourism As the environmental condition of the world deteriorating every year this is an attempt by tourism industry to make as low impact on the  environment  and local  culture  as possible, while helping to generate future employment for local people. The aim of sustainable tourism is to ensure that development brings a positive experience for local people, tourism companies and the tourists themselves. There is a difference between Sustainable tourism and  ecotourism. Ecotourism  is a form of  tourism  involving visiting fragile, pristine, and relatively undisturbed natural areas, intended as a low-impact and often small scale alternative to standard commercial (mass) tourism. Purpose of Ecotourism is to educate the traveler, to provide funds for  ecological conservation, to directly benefit the  economic development  and political empowerment of local communities, or to foster respect for different cultures and for  human rights. A number of countries around the world are dependent on Tourism and consider Sustainable tourism as the important vehicle for economic and social development. Sustainable tourism is visualized as leading to management of all resources in such a way that social, economic and aesthetic needs can be fulfilled while maintaining biodiversity, cultural integrity, life support system and essential ecological processes. It  implies meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. It is not just the responsibility of government but it is the responsibility of all the stakeholders in tourism sector as well as the tourists to ensure that what they are getting today is preserve for future generations to enjoy. All stakeholders are responsible to give a good quality of life to future generations and they shouldnt do anything which would affect the lives of future generation. For Sustainable tourism each country has to address various issues of policy-making, planning, management and the participation of the private sector and other stakeholders must be addressed in terms of opportunities for action and possible constraints that need to be overcome by concerted efforts. Sustainable-Development.png Sustainable tourism aims to reach a balance between the three factors mentioned above i.e. Social, Environmental and Economic factors without affecting the tourists expectations from their travel. Sustainable tourism integrates tourism with other factors like economic and growth policies so as to reduce the negative impact mass tourism. Sustainable tourism requires involving local community as well while developing any tourism plan as they are the people who will get affected by any kind of development in their area. Murphy promoted the use of an ecological approach while implementing the sustainable tourism development process. He considered both plants and people during the process. This is in contrast to the boosterism and economic approaches to tourism planning, neither of which considers the detrimental ecological or sociological impacts of tourism development to a destination. Chapter 3: Overview of Indian Tourism Industry Introduction India is a huge land with a variety of different flora and fauna. Each place has something new to offer. It has covered by Himalayas hilly region on one side and sea on the other sides. Tourism in India is one of the largest service industries. As India is a vast country so there are thousands of destinations and each destination is a tourist spot in itself. Whether you visit the metros, big cities or remote areas of India, you will experience something different and interesting alike. Besides, India is also dotted with a number of picturesque hills which draw tourists from world over and provide a welcome respite from the hustle and bustle of cities. For those who are interested in history and architecture, India has a number of sites which have been designated as World Heritage Sites by UNESCO. You can get a fine glimpse of the bygone era at these Heritage Sites.  UK and US tourists are among major tourist population that visit India. Most popular tourist destinations, in India, among Foreigners are Kerala,  Tamil Nadu,  Delhi,  Uttar Pradesh  and  Rajasthan. Most popular destination among Domestic tourist is Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. Being oldest states of India, heritage Sites and most importantly Pilgrimage Sites, attracts Domestic tourist. According to  World Travel and Tourism Council, from 2009 to 2018, India will among top tourism destination,  having the highest 10-year growth potential.  The  Travel Tourism Competitiveness Report 2007  ranked tourism in India sixth in terms of price competitiveness and 39th in terms of safety and security. A 5000 year history, culture, religion and alternative medicine fascinates all segments of tourist. The focus of the industry is on Atithi Devo Bhavah campaign, targeted at the inbound foreign tourist. Translated literally it means Guest is God. Main attraction to India is its cultural and geographical diversity. It also had a rich history and each region has its own uniqueness which appeals to large and diverse tourist base. There are many tourist spots which come under UNESCO heritage. India provides heritage, sports, medical and business. India has one of the largest and fastest growing  medical tourism sectors. According to global hotel and hospitality consulting firm, HVS International, the strong performance in tourist arrivals in 2005 can be attributed to a strong sense of business and investment confidence in India inspired by: Indias strong GDP performance Strengthening of ties with developed world Reforms in aviation sector which led to better connectivity with many countries, and Opening of sectors of the economy to private sector/foreign investment. Other factors are: Development of infrastructure by government Indias emergence as an outsourcing hub Success of Incredible India campaign and other tourism promotion measures Indias growing recognition as an exciting place to visit. Ministry of Tourism National policies are planned by the Ministry of Tourism. They are responsible for the development and promotion of tourism in India. They are also responsible for the regulation of tourism industry as well as promotion of India as tourist destination to the world. They have to take consideration from all the stakeholders in the sector to execute any plan or development in any of the regions. All the stakeholders involved in this process needs to work collaboratively to function smoothly. Ministry is putting considerable effort to promote new forms of tourism like eco-tourism, medical, sports, water, etc.  The Ministry of Tourism also maintains the  Incredible India  campaign. As of January 2011, head of the ministry is the  Cabinet Minister Subodh Kant Sahay.  India  stole the limelight at the World Tourism Mart 2011 in  London  by winning two global awards Worlds Leading Destination and Worlds Leading Tourist Board,  Incredible India. Economic Factors Tourism contributes 6.4% to the national GDP and 8.8% to the employment in India. It is the 3rd largest foreign exchange earner in India. Travel Tourism (TT) directs contribution to GDP in 2011 was INR1,689.8bn (1.9% of GDP). By 2012, it is forecasted that it will grow by 7.6% to INR1,818.5bn. This shows how much economy can grow just with the help of hotels, rails and other form of transportation services (excluding commuter services). Not only this but it also includes the other industries which are dependent on the tourist such as restaurants and leisure industry. It is expected that by 2022 direct contribution of TT to GDP is expected to grow by 7.7% pa to INR3,805.2bn (1.9% of GDP). The Total contribution of TT to GDP was INR5,651.0bn in 2011 (6.4% of GDP) and by 2012 it is expected to grow by 7.3% to INR6,062.3bn (6.5% of GDP). Total contribution is further forecast to rise by 7.8% pa to INR12,891.2bn by 2022 (6.5% of GDP). % of whole economy GDP Source: WTTC Travel Tourism Economic Impact 2012 Direct TT generated by leisure travel spending (inbound and domestic) is 73.8% of direct TT GDP in 2011 (INR3,335.4bn) compared with 26.2% for business travel spending (INR1,181.3bn). Business travel spending is expected to grow by 4.1% in 2012 to INR1,229.6bn, and rise by 7.6% pa to INR2,562.2bn in 2022. Leisure travel spending is expected to grow by 8.6% in 2012 to INR3,622.3bn, and rise by 7.6% pa to INR7,554.3bn in 2022. Source: WTTC Travel Tourism Economic Impact 2012 Domestic travel spending generated 82.2% of direct Travel Tourism GDP in 2011 compared with 17.8% for visitor exports (ie foreign visitor spending or international tourism receipts). Domestic travel spending is expected to grow by 8.3% in 2012 to INR4,009.9bn, and rise by 8.1% pa to INR8,710.3bn in 2022. Visitor exports are expected to grow by 3.5% in 2012 to INR829.2bn, and rise by 5.2% pa to INR1,382.6bn in 2022. Source: WTTC Travel Tourism Economic Impact 2012 Below are the country rankings of absolute contribution for year 2011. We can see that under direct and total contribution to GDP India is ranked 11th and 12th respectively which is a good ranking. Compared to other Asian economies China is the only country ahead of India in ranking. If we consider employment parameter then India is ranked as 1st for direct contribution to employment while 2nd for total contribution to employment after China. If we see capital investment done with respect to other countries then India is ranked at 4th position. These rankings are in absolute term but if we consider relative value then India is way behind its neighbors. It is ranked as 126th as total contribution to the GDP. While contribution of tourism to employment is ranked at 102nd and capital investment at 97th. Compared to its competitive neighboring nation it is a poor ranking. C:UsersDellDocumentsAIMMRRDocsContribution.jpg Source: WTTC The tables provide brief extracts from the full WTTC Country League Table Rankings, highlighting comparisons with competing destinations as well as with the world average. The competing destinations selected are those that offer a similar tourism product and compete for tourists from the same set of origin markets. These tend to be, but are not exclusively, geographical neighbors. Below is the long term ranking on the same parameters as above. If we analyze the rankings then we can see that it is improving from the current relative rankings. C:UsersDellDocumentsAIMMRRDocsLong term.jpg Source: WTTC The above table highlights comparison with competing destination as well as with world average. It is a snapshot from WTTC country league table ranking. The competing destinations offer a similar tourism product and compete for tourists from the same set of origin markets i.e. geographic location. Statistics of Indian Tourism In 2010, numbers of foreign tourist arrival were 5.78 Million which shows the annual growth rate of 11.8%. This double digit shows that the number of tourist coming to India is increasing at a good rate because the global annual growth is just 6.6% while annual growth of entire Asia Pacific Region is 12.7%. Although this annual growth rate is comparatively high but the share of India in International tourist arrival is just 0.61% and India is ranked at 40th position. We can also see in the below chart provided by UNWTO that the inbound tourism in Asia and pacific region is going to grow faster than any other region of the world. So this gives a lot of potential for Asian countries to grow and develop their economy via medium of tourism. C:UsersDellDocumentsAIMMRRDocsunwto_general_assembly_10oct2011_slide8.jpg Source: UNWTO Maximum tourist comes from USA (16%) followed by UK (13%) and then Bangladesh (7.5%). Delhi (34.5%) and Mumbai airport (20.5%) is the main entry point for tourists coming to India. Below table shows the purpose of FTAs visit to India. C:UsersDellDocumentsAIMMRRDocs77.jpg Source: India Tourism Statistic 2010 In 2010, peak tourist month was December while on the lower side was May. In December there were around 11.8% tourist and in May there were 5.7% tourist only. The below graph shows that peak season were in Jan March Oct Dec in 2010. This is generally consistent with the pattern in 2008 and 2009 also. C:UsersDellDocumentsAIMMRRDocsMonth.jpg Source: India Tourism Statistic 2010 Peak months differ for countries to countries like for USA, Canada, Malaysia, Australia and Singapore, December was the peak month. For countries like UK, Germany and Korea January was the peak month. For few countries it is even August or July. But overall it is the winter season (October-December) where we see maximum FTAs in India i.e. 31.1% and minimum in summer season (April-June) i.e. 18.8%. Of all the FTAs in 2010, Male FTAs accounted for 59.3% while Female as 40.7%. Over the last 15 years the percentage of female visitors has increased in India. The trend among the age group which we have seen in the inbound tourist was that maximum comes from the age group of 35-44, followed by the age groups of 45-54 years and 25-34 years. Minimum were in the age group of 15-24 years. Domestic Tourism: Along with International tourism even Domestic tourism is increasing at a good pace. The compound annual growth rate of domestic tourist visits to all states/UTs from 1991 to 2010 is 13.5%. Below is the diagram showing year-wise domestic/foreign tourists visits to States/ UTs during 2000 and 2010 C:UsersDellDocumentsAIMMRRDocsDomestic.jpg Source: India Tourism Statistic 2010 Below is the figure showing the percentage share of Top 10 States/UTs in Domestic tourist visits in 2010. We can see that Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Tamilnadu itself comprise of roughly 55% of the total domestic tourist visit. In terms of foreign tourist Maharashtra is the state which is most visited i.e. 28.5%. C:UsersDellDocumentsAIMMRRDocsshare.jpg Source: India Tourism Statistic 2010 Chapter 4: Transport Industry in India Introduction Transport in the Republic of India is an important part of the nations economy. Since the economic liberalization of the 1990s, development of infrastructure within the country has progressed at a rapid pace, and today there is a wide variety of modes of transport by land, water and air. Indias transport sector is large and diverse; it caters to the needs of 1.1 billion people. In 2007, the sector contributed about 5.5 percent to the nations GDP. Public transport still remains the primary mode of transport for most of the population, and Indias public transport systems are among the most heavily used in the world. Indias rail network is the 4th longest and the most heavily used system in the world, transporting over 6  billion passengers and over 350 million  tons of freight annually. Good physical connectivity in the urban and rural areas is essential for economic growth. Since the early 1990s, Indias growing economy has witnessed a rise in demand for transport infrastructure and services. However, the sector has not been able to keep pace with rising demand and is proving to be a drag on the economy. Major improvements in the sector are required to support the countrys continued economic growth and to reduce poverty. Primary Mode of Transportation Railways.  Indian Railways (reporting mark IR) is an Indian state-owned railway enterprise, owned and operated by the Government of India through the Ministry of Railways. It is one of the worlds largest railway networks comprising a total of 114,500 kilometres (71,147 mi) of track over a route of 65,000 kilometres (40,389 mi) and 7,500 stations. IR carries over 30 million passengers and 2.8 million tons of freight daily. In 2011-2012 Railway earned INR104,278.79 crore (US$18.87 billion) which consists of INR69,675.97 crore (US$12.61 billion) from freight and INR28,645.52 crore (US$5.18 billion) from passengers tickets. It is one of the worlds largest employers.  The railways play a leading role in carrying passengers and cargo across Indias vast territory. However, most of its major corridors have capacity constraint requiring capacity enhancement plans. To reduce congestion on rail corridors along the highly trafficked Golden Quadrilateral and improving port connectivity govern ment is launching the National Rail Vikas Yojana (National Railway Development Program). The development of two Dedicated Freight Corridors from Mumbai to Delhi and Ludhiana to Dankuni is also in governments plan. Roads.  Roads are the dominant mode of transportation in India today. They carry almost 90 percent of the countrys passenger traffic and 65 percent of its freight. The density of Indias highway network at 0.66 km of highway per square kilometer of land is similar to that of the United States (0.65) and much greater than Chinas (0.16) or Brazils (0.20). However, most highways in India are narrow and congested with poor surface quality, and 40 percent of Indias villages do not have access to all-weather roads. Ports. India has a long coastline, spanning 7516.6 kilometres, forming one of the biggest peninsulas in the world. It is serviced by 13 major ports (12 government and 1 corporate) and 187 notified minor and intermediate ports. The latest addition to major ports is Port Blair on June 2010, the 13th port in the country. These ports serve the countrys growing foreign trade in petroleum products, iron ore, and coal, as well as the increasing movement of containers. Inland water transportation remains largely undeveloped despite Indias 14,000 kilometers of navigable rivers and canals. Aviation. India has  125 airports, including 11 international airports. Indian airports handled 96 million passengers and 1.5 million tons of cargo in year 2006-2007, an increase of 31.4% for passenger and 10.6% for cargo traffic over previous year. The dramatic increase in air traffic for both passengers and cargo in recent years has placed a heavy strain on the countrys major airports. Passenger traffic is projected to cross 100 million and cargo to cross 3.3 million tons by year 2010. Privatization and expansion of the Mumbai and New Delhi Airports and development of new international airports at Hyderabad and Bangalore. Transport infrastructure in India is better developed in the southern and southwestern parts of the country. PESTLE Analysis Political Context Many limitations were imposed by public transport sector. Also government has imposed many taxes which will further increase the prices of automobiles. Government has asked public transport vehicles in many cities to move to CNG instead of petrol which has affected many individuals. Launching the ambitious National Highway Development Program which has seven phases and is expected to be completed by 2012. It includes improved connectivity between Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata, popularly called the Golden Quadrilateral, in the first phase, North- South and East- West corridors in phase two, four laning of more than 12,000 km in phase three, two laning of 20,000km and six laning of 6,500 km respectively in phase four and five, development of 1,000km of expressway in phase six and other important highway projects in phase seven. Total expected investment is INR 2.2 trillion. Accelerated Road Development Program for the North East Region to provide road connectivi ty to all State capitals and district headquarters in the region. Economic Context Petrol prices are increasing every year at a sky rocket speed and this will surely hamper the transport industry as it will lead to increase in the travelling fare. Consumer confidence has decreased as a result of the economic downturn and people are seeking savings in their everyday life. Increase in the average disposable income of both families and individuals indicates that more people can afford to buy and use a private car. Tourism bring foreign exchange earnings of USD 14.19 Billion. The top-income households, the real consuming class with high disposable income, have been getting richer faster. It is for this reason that the boom in sales of virtually every consumer product from cars to bikes to TV sets is visible all over. Societies Context Growing population and numbers of visitors/tourists/immigrants imply increasing demand for transport Services. People are more time-poor and seek efficient ways of transport in the city, where public transport possesses advantages such as rail and bus lanes that avoid traffic jams. People seek the convenience, personal comfort and social status that mainly private cars or, to a certain degree, taxis can offer Technology Context Rapid development in communication and computer technologies, e.g. increasing use of videoconferencing, tele-working and the Internet

Calorimeters and Calorimetry

Calorimeters and Calorimetry Calorimetry is the science associated with determining the changes in energy of a system by measuring the heat exchanged with the surroundings. Now that sounds very textbooky; but in this last part of Lesson 2, we are going to try to make some meaning of this definition of calorimetry. In physics class (and for some, in chemistry class), calorimetry labs are frequently performed in order to determine the heat of reaction or the heat of fusion or the heat of dissolution or even the specific heat capacity of a metal. These types of labs are rather popular because the equipment is relatively inexpensive and the measurements are usually straightforward. In such labs, a calorimeter is used. A calorimeter is a device used to measure the quantity of heat transferred to or from an object. Most students likely do not remember using such a fancy piece of equipment known as a calorimeter. Fear not; the reason for the lack of memory is not a sign of early Alzheimers. Rather, it is because the ca lorimeter used in high school science labs is more commonly referred to as a Styrofoam cup. It is a coffee cup calorimeter usually filled with water. The more sophisticated cases include a lid on the cup with an inserted thermometer and maybe even a stirrer. Coffee Cup Calorimetry So how can such simple equipment be used to measure the quantity of heat gained or lost by a system? We have learned on the previous page, that water will change its temperature when it gains or loses energy. And in fact, the quantity of energy gained or lost is given by the equation Q = mwater†¢Cwater†¢ÃŽâ€Twater where Cwater is 4.18 J/g/ °C. So if the mass of water and the temperature change of the water in the coffee cup calorimeter can be measured, the quantity of energy gained or lost by the water can be calculated. The assumption behind the science of calorimetry is that the energy gained or lost by the water is equal to the energy lost or gained by the object under study. So if an attempt is being made to determine the specific heat of fusion of ice using a coffee cup calorimeter, then the assumption is that the energy gained by the ice when melting is equal to the energy lost by the surrounding water. It is assumed that there is a heat exchange between the iceand the water in the cup and that no other objects are involved in the heat exchanged. This statement could be placed in equation form as Qice = Qsurroundings = -Qcalorimeter The role of the Styrofoam in a coffee cup calorimeter is that it reduces the amount of heat exchange between the water in the coffee cup and the surrounding air. The value of a lid on the coffee cup is that it also reduces the amount of heat exchange between the water and the surrounding air. The more that these other heat exchanges are reduced, the more true that the above mathematical equation will be. Any error analysis of a calorimetry experiment must take into consideration the flow of heat from system to calorimeter to other parts of the surroundings. And any design of a calorimeter experiment must give attention to reducing the exchanges of heat between the calorimeter contents and the surroundings. Bomb Calorimetry The coffee cup calorimeters used in high school science labs provides students with a worthwhile exercise in calorimetry. But at the professional level, a cheap Styrofoam cup and a thermometer isnt going to assist a commercial food manufacturer in determining the Calorie content of their products. For situations in which exactness and accuracy is at stake, a more expensive calorimeter is needed. Chemists often use a device known as a bomb calorimeter to measure the heat exchanges associated with chemical reactions, especially combustion reactions. Having little to nothing to do with bombs of the military variety, a bomb calorimeter includes a reaction chamber where the reaction (usually a combustion reaction) takes place. The reaction chamber is a strong vessel that can withstand the intense pressure of heated gases with exploding. The chamber is typically filled with mostly oxygen gas and the fuel. An electrical circuit is wired into the chamber in order to electrically ignite the c ontents in order to perform a study of the heat released upon combustion. The reaction chamber is surrounded by a jacket of water with a thermometer inserted. The heat released from the chamber warms the water-filled jacket, allowing a scientist to determine the quantity of energy released by the reaction. Source: Wikimedia Commons; thanks to Lisdavid89. Solving Calorimetry Problems Now lets look at a few examples of how a coffee cup calorimeter can be used as a tool to answer some typical lab questions. The next three examples are all based on laboratory experiments involving calorimetry. Example Problem 1:A physics class has been assigned the task of determining an experimental value for the heat of fusion of ice. Anna Litical and Noah Formula dry and mass out 25.8-gram of ice and place it into a coffee cup with 100.0 g of water at 35.4 °C. They place a lid on the coffee cup and insert a thermometer. After several minutes, the ice has completely melted and the water temperature has lowered to 18.1 °C. What is their experimental value for the specific heat of fusion of ice? The basis for the solution to this problem is the recognition that the quantity of energy lost by the water when cooling is equal to the quantity of energy required to melt the ice. In equation form, this could be stated as Qice = -Qcalorimeter (The negative sign indicates that the ice is gaining energy and the water in the calorimeter is losing energy.) Here the calorimeter (as in the Qcalorimeterterm) is considered to be the water in the coffee cup. Since the mass of this water and its temperature change are known, the value of Qcalorimeter can be determined. Qcalorimeter = m†¢C†¢ÃŽâ€TQcalorimeter = (100.0 g)†¢(4.18 J/g/ °C)†¢(18.1 °C 35.4 °C)Qcalorimeter = -7231.4 J The negative sign indicates that the water lost energy. The assumption is that this energy lost by the water is equal to the quantity of energy gained by the ice. So Qice = +7231.4 J. (The positive sign indicates an energy gain.) This value can be used with the equation from the previous page to determine the heat of fusion of the ice. Qice = mice†¢ÃŽâ€Hfusion-ice+7231.4 J = (25.8 g)†¢ÃŽâ€Hfusion-iceΔHfusion-ice = (+7231.4 J)/(25.8 g)ΔHfusion-ice = 280.28 J/gΔHfusion-ice = 2.80102 J/g (rounded to two significant figures) Example Problem 2:A chemistry student dissolves 4.51 grams of sodium hydroxide in 100.0 mL of water at 19.5 °C (in a calorimeter cup). As the sodium hydroxide dissolves, the temperature of the surrounding water increases to 31.7 °C. Determine the heat of solution of the sodium hydroxide in J/g. Once more, the solution to this problem is based on the recognition that the quantity of energy released when sodium hydroxide dissolves is equal to the quantity of energy absorbed by the water in the calorimeter. In equation form, this could be stated as QNaOH dissolving = -Qcalorimeter (The negative sign indicates that the NaOH is losing energy and the water in the calorimeter is gaining energy.) Since the mass and temperature change of the water have been measured, the energy gained by the water (calorimeter) can be determined. Qcalorimeter = m†¢C†¢ÃŽâ€TQcalorimeter = (100.0 g)†¢(4.18 J/g/ °C)†¢(31.7 °C 19.5 °C)Qcalorimeter = 5099.6 J The assumption is that this energy gained by the water is equal to the quantity of energy released by the sodium hydroxide when dissolving. So QNaOH-dissolving = -5099.6 J. (The negative sign indicates an energy lost.) This quantity is the amount of heat released when dissolving 4.51 grams of the sodium hydroxide. When the heat of solution is determined on a per gram basis, this 5099.6 J of energy must be divided by the mass of sodium hydroxide that is being dissolved. ΔHsolution = QNaOH-dissolving / mNaOHΔHsolution = (-5099.6 J) / (4.51 g)ΔHsolution = -1130.7 J/gΔHsolution = -1.13103 J/g (rounded to three significant figures) Example Problem 3:A large paraffin candle has a mass of 96.83 gram. A metal cup with 100.0 mL of water at 16.2 °C absorbs the heat from the burning candle and increases its temperature to 35.7 °C. Once the burning is ceased, the temperature of the water was 35.7 °C and the paraffin had a mass of 96.14 gram. Determine the heat of combustion of paraffin in kJ/gram. GIVEN: density of water = 1.0 g/mL. As is always the case, calorimetry is based on the assumption that all the heat lost by the system is gained by the surroundings. It is assumed that the surroundings is the water that undergoes the temperature change. In equation form, it could be stated that

God Versus Man in Sophocles Antigone Essay example -- Antigone essays

God Versus Man in Antigone  Ã‚     Ã‚   Throughout Sophocles’ drama, Antigone, there are many themes that can be traced. One of the most predominant themes is god versus man, which appears not only in Antigone, but also in many of the classic Greek tragedies written in Sophocles’ time. Choragos:  There is no happiness where there is no wisdom;    No wisdom but in submission to the gods.    Big words are always punished,    And proud men in old age learn to be wise.   (158) The quotation above serves as the moral for this tragedy, which includes an illustration of the theme as it was applied to the play.   In the drama, Antigone, the theme of the inner struggle between allegiance to human law versus divine law can best be seen through Antigone’s reverence for the gods in relation to her actions, Kreon’s realization of the effects of his selfish pride, and the people of Thebes’ observations about Kreon’s decisions.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Antigone has the most direct struggles with human law and a higher law in the drama, for it is the application of this theme that decides her fate.   Faced with the decision to defy the King and properly bury her brother, Polyneices, or leave his body unprepared for death as Kreon wished, she chose to obey the wishes of the gods and bury him.   At the time of the drama, the Greeks believed that a decent burial was essential for the soul to be at rest.   Kreon accused Polyneices of fighting against his own country and forbade all citizens of Thebes to prepare his body.   Instead, it was left to decay on the field on which he was killed.   When Antigone first hears this news, she immediately reacts by telling her sister, Ismene, that she wants Polyneices’ soul to be at rest, and th... ...edited by Dudley, Lavinia P. et alii. New York:Americana Corporation, 1957. vol. 2. Segal, Charles Paul. â€Å"Sophocles’ Praise of Man and the Conflicts of the Antigone.† In Sophocles: A Collection of Critical Essays, edited by Thomas Woodard. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1966. Sophocles. Antigone, Trans. by Dudley Fitts and Robert Fitzgerald. Adventures in Appreciation/Pegasus Edition. Orlando: Harcourt, Brace, Jovanovich, Publishers, 1989. â€Å"Sophocles† In Literature of the Western World, edited by Brian Wilkie and James Hurt. NewYork: Macmillan Publishing Co., 1984. Woodard, Thomas. Introduction. In Sophocles: A Collection of Critical Essays, edited by Thomas Woodard. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1966. Watling, E. F.. Introduction. In Sophocles: The Theban Plays, translated by E. F. Watling. New York: Penguin Books, 1974.

Hurricane Wilma :: essays research papers

Damage Hurricane Wilma is the most intense hurricane ever recorded in the Atlantic Basin. The atmospheric pressure was 882 millibars on Wednesday, Oct.19 making it a category 5. Wilma was the 21st storm of the 2005 hurricane season. On Tuesday, Oct.18 the hurricane was a Category 1 hurricane. Hurricane Wilma came just a week after Hurricane Stan, affecting some of the same countries. By Friday, Hurricane Wilma had caused at least 11 deaths in Haiti and Jamaica. Mudslides were becoming a real threat, prompting evacuations in Central America, The Caribbean, and as far as the United States. Hurricane Wilma pounded the western tip of Cuba (figure 3), where the government had to evacuate more than 500,000 people, including 7,000 people from the coastal fishing village of La Coloma. At least one hurricane shelter in downtown Cancun had to evacuate. There were about 1,000 people that had to be moved during the night because the ceiling threatened to collapse. Hurricane Wilma then headed up toward the United States, aiming tworad Collier, Florida. It cost more than 6 billion dollars in damages [1 billion dollars was recorded in Collier, Florida] in Southwest Florida, making it the most damaging natural disaster in 45 years in Florida. Recovery The American Red Cross gave 4,500 hygiene kits to the Mexican Red Cross, and 2,000 hygiene kits to the Bahamas Red Cross Society. These kits include toothpaste, toothbrushes, soap, shampoo and other items. The kits are being sent from relief supplies that were already in Panama. Three months after Hurricane Wilma made landfall, over 300 million dollars had been approved for Florida residents who suffered damages from the disaster.

Brutus’ Feelings at the End of Act 4

You are Brutus at the end of Act 4. Write your thoughts. I feel somewhat guilty for the way I spoke to Cassius; but I believe he deserved it. I am overwhelmed by guilt that I stabbed Caesar and I still cannot believe that I agreed to do so. It now makes Cassius my one and only brother in this world. He was totally wrong in what he was claiming to be correct, I mean, who doesn’t know Cassius has an itchy palm? What I hate the most though is that he always tries to cause fights with me, especially in front of our armies!Oh, I’m in great sorrow that my wife, Portia, has committed suicide. It’s my entire fault. If I had told her what I was planning to do with Caesar there would have been a lower possibility that she would have killed herself. I showed her no trust and she had all rights to do so to herself; who would want a husband like me? A betrayer, a villain, a person who listened to a man who was only hungry for power. If I don’t reach to a conclusion wit h Cassius, our fights could go on forever. Cassius has such a huge ego that he would always deny the fact that he is wrong.However, I would always continue responding back since I know for a fact that what I say is mostly correct as I have had more experience being in a higher position than Cassius. On the other hand, I had to end the fight somewhere as Cassius wanted me to kill him, and I cannot do this to another brother without a solid reason, but also since I was furious at myself for allowing the death of Portia. Meanwhile, I consider Cassius ideas wrong once more involving the case of marching into Philippi.The best thing to do is to march immediately into Philippi to confront the enemies. If we wait, like Cassius suggested, of course we would be less tired but we would look and be hopeless since we wouldn’t have tried at all and Octavius with Antony will have gained more supporters, making them stronger. After all, Antony does have mind taking persuasive skills. Althou gh, on the outer surface I believe we killed Caesar for the sake of justice, deep inside I know that I shouldn’t have done it.I regret it every moment that passes by; how could I have been such a horrific friend? Sometimes I truly wonder†¦ I’m positive my actions will come back one day to haunt me. They have begun already: my wife died, and what about the ghost entering my tent last night? My heart skipped a beat and I had to wake up my poor Lucius, Varro and Claudius to make sure they had seen or heard nothing! I know I stress my boy Lucius more than any other, but it is because I love him the most; he is like family to me and has been there every moment for me when I needed him.But I would never want to put his strength over his working abilities. If I live, which I am terrified will not be for long, I will reward my boy Lucius more than anybody else. I feel I have no one else in this world, I have disappointed the people I loved the most, most of all. How I fel t sorry for Lucius when he fell asleep on his instrument cannot be explained with words; my boy tries his best to keep me satisfied and I am absolutely grateful for that!My guilt no longer allows me to sleep. I don’t want to admit it to anyone but I know it for a fact by myself. My heart stopped when the ghost visited my tent, it was something I didn’t expect! My confusion that moment, made me understand that what was going around was coming right back at me which made my hair stand on end. I have so much to say to that ghost if it comes again, I must admit to it my guilt for killing Caesar, as I am sure it is just he visiting me.

Clause Worksheet Directions

Underline the adverb clause, labeling the subject and the verb of each clause. 2. Circle the subordinating conjunction in each sentence. 3. Identify the question that is being answered by the clause. 4. Draw an arrow to the word that each clause modifies. 1. I will not go to the movies with you unless you buy me soda, popcorn, and candy. 2. Eric will find the almanacs where the other reference books are shelved. 3. Erin goes swimming whenever she gets the chance. 4. After you have beaten the eggs, slowly add the dry Ingredients to make Mrs..Franken a batch of cookies. 5. The washer will stop if the door is opened. 6. Residents of the quiet suburban neighborhood have been urged by the mayor to conserve water until the shortage ends. 7. His pictures came out badly because the film was torn slightly. 8. We had a good time at the picnic even though we were attacked by an angry swarm of bumblebees. 9. No one may enter the studio while the red light Is on. 10. A tire blew out as the Jet ta xied to the runway. 1 1 . We arrived at the bus station as our bus was beginning to pull away onto the highway. 12.The movie, Spenserian and Superman: Best Friends Reunited, had already started when Mr.. Font arrived. 13. Because we had to get up at 4:30 in the morning, we went to bed before American Idol was over. 14. Whenever It was possible, the guide planted trees. 16. Will you move the couch when you have time? 17. Because the music in the stadium was so loud, Katie got a piercing headache that made her nauseous. 18. No one came to the party since Dave forgot to mail the invitations. 19. Did you see my sister at the mall when you were in Williamsburg? 20. My ride came before I had finished breakfast.

The Controversies in Home Schooling Education

Public schooling has been the predominate form of education in the United States for many decades; however, recent statistics demonstrate a rise in the number of home schooling participants. On the other hand, the majority of these participants eventually return to public school systems once they reach the high school level. The reasons for this movement are based on the opportunities for socialization and academic competition provided by public schools. Public education also provides superior classroom interaction directed by a more qualified faculty. Although home schooling has become an appealing educational alternative, public schools continue to provide better opportunities resulting in a more well rounded citizen. Despite the increasing number of home schooled students due to overprotective parents, public schools continue to offer the best form of education in our country today. To begin, public schools provide a more satisfactory and effective form of education. In home schooling, no competition is attainable to push the child to achieve a higher level of education; however, public schools offer a sophisticated classroom setting in which the students are constantly competing with each other. Many of the children attending public school work hard to earn the most efficient grade in the classroom, but a child learning at home probably will not care for his or her grade. What parent would give a low grade or even fail their child? Every parent feels that his or her student must obtain the most adequate grade. Next, in public school, a student can receive help from several different people within a classroom. To explain, one may ask another student or the teacher for assistance on an assignment (Hawkins 57). Such a variety of help is not attainable in the antisocial home schooling society. Another vital reasonon for a child to go to public school rather than home school would be that of the child's outlook on society. William Martin, Director of communications for the National Education Association, the nation's largest teacher's union explains: If, say, a fifth-grader goes through a book at an accelerated pace, It's good for him to see other kids who struggle with the same material, so when he goes into the work force, he will know that not everyone learns at the same pace,† (Hawkins 58). Furthermore, a student that is taught at home by parents will grow up acting and thinking the same as the parents do. It is important for a child to find his or her own personality with their own visions and outlooks, not just mimic that of their parents. Public schools offer a plethora of different opinions and views concerning world issues and people. A child that understands that everyone thinks differently is a child who will succeed in the real world. Along with these ideas, one more plausible reason is public schools help to provide for a more well rounded citizen. Many participants in the public/home school controversy argue whether or not home schooling impedes the development of social skills in a student. â€Å"In a survey of 115 educators, more than 80 percent believed home schoolers were at a disadvantage in the social development of the child,† (Hawkins 57). Activities may be available to home schoolers, such as church activities, sports leagues, and scouting; however, home schooling deprives the child of important social experiences. These â€Å"social experiences† create an inspirational part in a students' life. Public schoolers have this opportunity with the involvement of school sports, clubs, dances, and other social activities. With out these didactic experiences, a student could result in a socially immature young adult. Along with social skills comes the topic of friends or acquaintances. The majority of children under the age of 18 rely on school as the primary source of social interaction. Friends are easily made at public school because of the many opportunities to interact with other students in class, on the bus, or at school functions. Being home schooled until third grade, it was hard for me to make friends at a young age. The other children that lived on my street would often poke fun at and would not play with me. They did not understand why every morning when left for school I would just be waking up or why when they would return home from school I was in the front yard playing with my dog. One of the little boys who lived at the end of my street thought that it was cool my mom was my teacher, but most of the others child were still cruel to me. Later when did attend public school for the first time, I remember being so nervous and shy. Bathroom breaks, raising your hand to speak, and walking in a line, all seemed foreign to me. My mom had not covered all the new rules and regulations that accompanied public school. It took a while to get used to. While I did enjoy getting to sleep in and work at my own pace, home school was an experience I will never force on my own children. In another instance, arguments arise over the consequences once home schoolers reach the adult working level. Gary Marx, senior associate executive director at the American Association of School Administrators, comments that â€Å"while the parents may seem to be saving their children from confronting diversity in thinking, race, economic status and social skills, in the long run, these young people will still have to go into the world. And these kids later will feel deprived,† (Hawkins 58). In the real world, business people need the skills to work well with others. Deprived home schoolers will find it difficult to interact in the work place because of their lack of contact with other children during their previous years. These students will find that adapting to a more social atmosphere is difficult at an adult level. In one instance, a girl, Teren Williams, was searching for a job. The job for which Teren applied almost did not hire her because they felt that her home school education would cause her social skills to not be â€Å"strong enough,† (Kennedy 50). Teren shows only one example of difficulty faced by home schoolers. Many other instances occur where they overcome problems due to their social standings. A controversial argument has also occurred over the issue of UIL activities in public schools. Many home schoolers, to help advance their social skills, want to participate in these activities. The concerned parents of these students feel that because they pay school taxes, their children have the right to participate in UIL extracurricular activities. However, many public schoolers feel that giving home school students UIL rights would be unethical. Allowing home schoolers to be involved in a public school's UIL program would cause a school district to lose money in the long run. Also, a concern that affects public schoolers involves the no-pass, no-play rules. Grades are really not determined at the home school level; therefore, distinguishing a passing or failing home-schooled student would produce a difficult task for a parent. Another reason that home schoolers should not be allowed to participate involves the fact that they do not have the competitive advantage that a public school student is subject to. Through the opportunity of being in school and training at the same time for that UIL activity, public schoolers can create a stronger UIL organization than if a home school student just came to play. For these reasons, â€Å"most states resist the idea of home schoolers taking courses or participating in extracurricular activities† at a public school (Hawkins 58). Many believe that the involvement process for home schoolers would cheat the public school students who actually work hard to achieve their goals in a more social setting. Even though home school is on the rise, public school still provides a more adequate form of education. More over public education advances the ideals of and preserves the democracy in the youth as it equalizes the opportunities among the different races and classes. In conclusion public school offers an effective form of education that produces well-rounded individuals ready to enter the world.

Impact of US Dollar on Canadian Economy Essay

The Canadian Economy is strong. According to the 2001 Canada Yearbook, factors contributing to the country’s economic health are: natural resources; manufacturing and construction industries; financial and service sectors; the ability to span distances using communications and transportation technologies; dynamic trade relationships with other nations; and the ability to compete in a global marketplace (2004). Being the 2nd largest country in the world, Canada’s natural resources accounts for 12. 6% of its GDP growth in 2003. The Energy Sector, Forestry, Mineral Sector as well as Geomatics Sciences are responsible for this growth. Exportation of natural gas, timber and wood products, potash, uranium and other minerals make up for the growth. Geomatics is the science and technology of gathering, analyzing, interpreting, distributing and using geographic information. Since 2002, when the Canadian Government initiated the focus on understanding and mapping its land resources, it became one of the leading suppliers of information, technology and equipment in Geomatics. Today, Geomatics is a $10 to $20 billion dollar industry growing at a 20% rate, and thus is a potential growth area for the Canadian natural resources sector. According to Industry Canada, the Manufacturing and Construction Industries contribute to about 40% of Canada’s GDP, with an actual gross approximately $25 billion in December 2005. The two industries combined showed growth near single digit levels, (manufacturing at 1% GDP and construction at 0. 7% in Dec. 2005) which propelled the 0. 4 over-all GDP, making up for the loss in the Agriculture section at -1. 6% GDP in December 2005 (2006). The services sector in general is boosting the economy. Canada Yearbook states that the sector employs three out of four Canadians in the 21st Century (2004). Though their output is not as tangible as manufactured or natural goods, the services sector is everywhere and serve as the backbone of every economic sector. From the driver of a courier van to the company financial analyst to the service providers in Civil Defense, all the roles belong to the services sector. Together with advances in information technology, the services sector is transforming Canadian Economy into a knowledge-based economy (2006), as claimed by the Canadian Yearbook, where-in its modern products are efficient back-end services, professional consultancy and breakthrough technologies and equipment. Despite the economic transformation, trade is still the main means of business for Canada. As such, relationships with trade partners play a vital role. Among the countries in the world, four markets are in constant and significant trade relations with Canada: United States, United Kingdom, Japan and more recently, China. Among the four, its close neighbor, the United States takes about 75 – 80% of Canada’s trading business. Thus, changes in the Unites States economy, particularly of the US dollar impacts Canadian economy. State of Canada-US Trade Geography and history have provided opportunities for the United States and Canada to be in close business relations. In the natural order of things, free trade between the two nations would be beneficial in toto. However, political and social ramifications have prevented the successful pact since the mid 1800s until such time when, despite the disagreement of Canada’s Conservative Party, the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between US and Canada was effected in October of 1987. The over-all provision is to minimize tariffs of all goods traded between the two countries to a maximum of 1%. With the FTA in effect, trade between the two countries rose to 40% from a pre-FTA level of 25%. However, there is strong opposition from Canada about violations of the United States in the provisions of FTA, to the disadvantage of Canada’s agricultural business. However, seeing the benefits of a free trade zone, Prime Minister elect Jean Chretien improved the FTA and broadened the extend of the free trade to Mexico. Thus, in January of 1994, the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) between the United States, Canada and Mexico, took effect. Such Agreement involves an immediate and phased release of tariffs and trade barriers for agricultural products traded between the three countries. A macro benefit of NAFTA is a systematic conduct of business within North America because of the creation of an impartial, rules-based system to resolve dispute among the countries. Significant increases in trade activity were observed among the three countries in the first seven years of NAFTA implementation as compared to agricultural trade activities with other markets outside of North America. Canadian agricultural and agri-food exports to the United States and Mexico have increased by 95 percent, reaching $14. 8 billion in 2000. In comparison, Canadian exports of agricultural products to non-NAFTA countries grew by 45 percent during the same period, according to Agriculture and Agri-food Department of Canada (2006). Prior to NAFTA, agricultural import-export activities between Canada and the United States was only at $13. 7 billion. However, this increased $25. 1 billion in 2000, 82% higher, since 1993. Because 61% of Canada’s farming produce are exported to the United States, agricultural exports for the same period grew 92% to reach $14. 1 billion. As a result, Canada’s agricultural trade surplus with the United States has more than tripled since 1993. As summarized by the Agricultural Department of Canada, Horticultural crops: volume exports of tomatoes increased twenty-fold while exports of peppers and lettuce increased seven-fold, and exports of cucumbers increased six-fold. Oilseeds products: soybean oil volume exports increased seven-fold, exports of sunflower oil quadrupled, and canola oil exports increased by 44 percent. Specialty crops: dried beans volume exports nearly tripled. Red meats: beef volume exports more than doubled while pork exports increased by 87 percent. Processed products: roasted coffee volume exports increased nearly seventeen-fold, malt exports increased nearly five-fold, exports of frozen French fries increased four-fold, and pasta exports more than tripled. Following the success of NAFTA and its predecessors from other continents of the world, Canada together with thirty-three other countries belonging to the American Continent are drafting a free trade agreement called Free Trade Agreement Among the Americas (FTAA). With its complex participation, the agreement is still under negotiations. Factors that Influence the Rise of the Canadian Dollar (against the US Dollar) With the rise of the United States as an Economic super power, it naturally assumed a role of having the US dollar as a worldwide currency. Significant markets such as Canada are always compared to the dollar. Moreover, being a majority trade partner of the US, the exchange rate of the Canadian dollar matters significantly over the US dollar. Since 2003, Statistics Canada has plotted the rise of the Canadian dollar against the US dollar and indicated its significant rise against the greenback. There are three factors that may have contributed to this growth: first, the weakening of the US economy brought about by increasing current account deficits; secondly, the worldwide increase in commodity prices; and thirdly, the improved performance of the Canadian economy resulting in trade surplus. Since 2001, there has been a common phenomenon in most major currencies in the world: they appreciated against the US dollar. The Euro and Canadian dollar were two of the strongest performers. When the Euro surpassed the greenback in 2003 analysts predicted that there was no turning back. While the loonie has seen significant appreciation at the rate of 25% since 2001 until 2005, surpassing historical performance by the US dollar. Such appreciation has been driven by the increasing trade deficits of the US. Since 2001, the US has been buying more goods and a service than the country is able to sell. More oil, gas, metals and services were bought with US dollars than were sold outside of the US. Some analysts believe that the on-going War on Terror has been the main source of the deficit. While the country is still figuring out how to address the deficits, major trade partners such as Canada are reaping the benefits of a weakening dollar. At the mercy (or because) of commodity supply, the Canadian economy remained resilient despite the volatility of oil, gas, metals and wood. Being a major supplier of such commodities, precarious world prices came at an advantage. Despite some internal losses as a crude oil refiner, the bottom line effect of this factor remained positive and contributed to GDP. Thus, the increase of the Canadian dollar. Last factor that weakened the dollar from Canada’s point of view is the initiative of its government to attract more businesses through higher interest rates (vs. that of the United States). The over-all effect therefore, of the three factors above is the weakening of the US dollar against the Canadian dollar. Today, the exchange rate of the Canadian dollar is rising and reaching its peak in 2001, at C$ 0. 846 vs. the US$. With such growth, the general assessment of Canadian economists, businesses and external analysts is that this is positive for the Canadian economy, now more than ever. The next sections will have full discussion of the different sectors in the Canadian economy as impacted by the weakening (or strength) of the US dollar. Impact of the US Dollar on Canadian Industries Exports Apart from agriculture and agri-products, steel is another commodity that Canada heavily trades with the United States. Canada’s steel production accounts for approximately two percent of the world’s total supply. This is very small as compared to the Asian producers (Japan, North Korea and Taiwan), which accounts for nearly 40%. Nevertheless, 89% of Canada’s steel export go to the United States while 58% of Canada’s imported steel come from the US. Trade barriers, transportation costs prevent small Canadian steel producers from competing outside of North America. North America’s open market is ideal for small and big steel manufacturers from Canada. Just by its size and high demand, the opportunity for supply is wide. In addition, proximity to such a large market allows for low transportation cost. Just-in-time supply is immediately served without much impact on delivery cost. Furthermore, inventory can be kept low unless preparing for construction peak. Steel pricing in North America is also higher than other export markets by as much as 40% when compared to Japan, where steel importation is minimal due to its own supply. In North America, particularly the United States, steel trade is predicted to continue growth. In this light, sustained and open access to the U. S. market is key to the Canadian steel industry. A slight fallback in the market, for example, experienced in 1995 posed a threat to the industry. Whenever such a slow-down happens, issues related to anti-dumping and government subsidies arise, without any proper venue for address under NAFTA. Unfair trade practice is an issue commonly raised by the US against Canada when market conditions appear to favor Canada’s steel industry. In the same manner, weakening of the US dollar may initiate such a condition when Canada’s steel industry continues to maintain a surplus against the US. Once again is likely to be subject to charges of unfair trading practices by U. S. steelmakers. In 1993, according to Industry Canada, the country had a global steel trade surplus of $580 million and a steel trade surplus with the U. S. of $909 million. While the trade surplus was maintained with the U. S. , the surge in steel demand in 1994 resulted in a dramatic rise in imports and produced an overall international trade deficit of $207 million. The total trade balance deficit increased in 1995 to $349 million as Canadian imports again exceeded exports. However, the steel trade surplus with the U. S. was $1. 0 billion in 1995. Over the period from 1989 to 1995, steel imports have increased from 18. 6 percent of apparent domestic consumption in Canada to 29. 9 percent in 1995. Meanwhile the import share held by the U. S. increased from 8. 6 percent to 17. 5 percent. In the U. S. market, imports increased from 17. 9 percent of apparent domestic consumption in 1989 to 21. 4 percent in 1995, with Canada’s import share increasing from 3. 1 percent to 4. 0 percent. With such steel trade dynamics between the two countries, the weakening of the US dollar means the increase in Canada’s export price. Either more US dollars are needed to purchase the same Canadian product in the 21st century, than during the slump 1990s; or less Canadian dollars are earned for every sale of a Canadian export. At the other end, when Canada imports from the US, the commodities and services become cheaper. Either way, both impacts sales and profits. When sales and profits are volatile, vulnerable small businesses tend to closedown and contribute to unemployment. In order to maintain profit margins, Canadian export companies will need to improve efficiencies. Improvement may come in three ways: production streamlining, outsourcing and amortization gains. When the US dollar is low, it is the best time for companies to reevaluate tools and machinery throughput. Technology improvements will present more-efficient, more-automated processes, which can be useful in improving production efficiency. Since most equipment are bought from the US or are priced in US dollars, lower dollar exchange rates mean cheaper equipment. This is one way that exports companies to maintain profit margins by reducing production cost through efficient machines. In the same line of thinking importing services also come cheaper than when the US dollar is strong. Whether obtaining services from the US, or from East Asia, where intelligent and skilled labor is cheap, outsourcing back-end process in export production always contribute to efficiency. Though this may result to redundancies, macro effects of outsourcing prove to be positive to the bottom line. Lastly, for businesses that amortize US dollar-denominated loans, there will be gains in the amortization payment because of the weakened dollar. Furthermore, during a round-table public forum in 2004, businessmen have suggested that the Canadian government consider lowering interests rates to match that of the US. Doing so will minimize the impact of loans on Canadian dollar-based denominations despite its appreciation. Imports The stronger currency benefits importers. Consumers and businesses benefit from a better Canada-U. S. exchange rate through less expensive imports from the U. S. The depreciation of the dollar lowers import costs and, more specifically, offers cheaper capital goods, making investment in new machinery and equipment in Canada cheaper. Canadian businesses import 80% of equipment and machinery, and with these imports now more affordable, a boost to business investment can be expected. However, some argue that with the loss of revenue, investments in new machinery and equipment would not be substantial.