Rising Cost of Health Insurance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Rising Cost of Health Insurance - Essay Example An entire family's coverage can easily be lost because of retirement, divorce, or a simple switch from full to part-time work. USA Today claims: "Employers say there is no concensus on what to do, long term, to slow health spending," which proves that an agreement needs to be met soon. This issue seriously affects many different individuals, from company owners to the middle-class. Small business suffers especially, but often compensates by hiring young employees; eighteen to twenty-four year olds have the least health coverage in America. Some companies have "eliminated coverage for dependents, while others have canceled their medical plans altogether" (Porter). It is unfair that so many must suffer because of this cost. Two reasons health care is expensive are incredible advertisement costs and a need for advanced machines used for diagnoses. The need for costly medical machines makes sense, but it is unfortunate that countless people aren't receiving proper care due in part to the high prices of commercials. Costs can increase over ten percent in one year, and usually do not go back down afterward. It is disappointing to consider where some portions of health insurance money are headed and how much better they could be spent. Adding to the problem, premiums cut into funds mean

Health and Social Care Management Essay Example for Free

Health and Social Care Management Essay Mary Parker Follett (1868-1933), defined management as the art of getting things done through people. This may seem a very narrow angle for some, however, the philosophical concept of management, relies on results being obtained through people. The nature and role of managers has been an emerging concept since the early 19th century, often linked to  administration and being the middle ground in organisations allowing to filter objectives to employees and vice versa, filtering employees needs to senior staff within the organisation. In my view management is a set of hierarchy working to achieve a common objective. As a Patient Advise Liaison Service (PALS) and Stakeholder Engagement and Involvement Manger, my role is predominantly to manage the customer service role for the Care Trust. Up until recently the Care trust was specialist in Mental Health and Learning Disabilities. The Trust is now at the stage of applying to become a member of Foundation Trust Status, which involves recruiting members to help shape the future of the organisation (BDCT, 2013) My role can be viewed in favour of Mintzbergs headings: Liaison, Monitor, disseminator and spokesperson. I am the Liaison between the organisation and the team, and also the wider service users. I monitor the teams performance, activities and disseminate information from the organisation to many third sector organisations, such as BAMHAG and ACAS, both of which are advocacy services for Mental Health service users As cited in Mullins (2010) by Crainer, management is making things happen. My role can also fit in with Crainers model as I am heavily involved in making sure that the team can meet objectives. The difficulty with the statement of making things happen is dependent upon each individuals motivation and their individual circumstances. I feel that as an individual I am in the infancy stages of my career and have motivation with clear defined, SMART, goals (Mullins, 2010). The managers role and activities have a different number of models and theories which are used to explain what a manager does, or should do. Some of these are explained by the following: Fayols model looks at: Planning, organising, command, co-ordinate and control. My management role does have a certain element of Fayols model, but I found this view to be quite restricted, my role involves a lot of motivation, or the fact that is how I manage. Druckers model looks at settings objectives, organising, motivating and communicating. I feel that this is the best fit for my style and role. The limitation of this model is that it has a less authoritarian approach to it, and as I have discovered in my experiences can lead to the team that is being managed almost abusing a level of candour. Stewart describes the management role as to say the activities and role dependant on demands, constraints, and choices. Again, this can also fit in with my role and management style but is demanding on some of the authority that is needed. The management style as described by Blake and Moulton in their grid looks at manager effectiveness versus efficiency. These are what I believe to be key qualities, attributes and skills of a successful manager. There is however room for a change in style dependant on circumstances. My role is to manage the Patient Advice and Liaison Service for the Trust to ensure the service is visible and accessible to patients, their families and carers through analysis of contact information and evaluation of experience. To develop procedures to ensure effectiveness of core business of service. The implementation of a telephone rota and advertised business hours has been an issue. Service users that are known to the team through historical working practices often end up having adhoc meetings in the office. This is both disruptive to other staff and can also be deemed as unprofessional. However, the particular service users have a high level of dependency on the PALS officers. My initial reaction to this as a manager was that we needed to have a timetable for appointment, so that PALs officers are not severing a link with the service users but for an element of empowering o take place, as explained by Banduras self -efficacy service. If an individual is told they cannot look after themselves, eventually they believe that. However using empowerment can allow for service users to identify their own strengths. As a manager the challenge I face is that PALS officers have  different levels of motivation and different triggers for motivation. Mullins 2010 defines motivation as why people behave in a certain way, why people do what they do. This is explained further to say that the direction and persistence of action. It is concerned when people choose a particular course of action in preference to others, and why they continue with a chosen action, often over a long period of time and in the face of difficulties and problems. This is true of both in a positive and negative light. An example form the team that I manage is that PALS officers are often on the in-patient wards to promote the service of PALS and to ask those people that would otherwise not be able to raise a concern. My critique of this situation was that a service can only be promoted to a certain level, otherwise it can be over promoted and this is where we find the leaflets that are handed out, just thrown about. My view is that each interaction should make a difference to the PALS officers. They should be able to understand that unless they found a new way of working, they are offering a counselling service, for which they are not qualified to do or paid to do. Again the discussion around empowerment was quite useful in highlighting to PALS officers that they are not there to nanny service users. I provide day to day management for PALS staff including provision of formal supervision; there is also need to provide ad hoc supervision, this may be in order to support staff in dealing with sensitive, upsetting, distressed cases / clients. I also receive and deal with complex cases or where cases require escalation from offices; dealing with sensitive, highly emotive issues and dealing with clients who may be extremely upset and / or distressed. My role is also that of a Stakeholder engagement and involvement manager, which has a very corporate approach. I am responsible for forging relationships with both internal and external stakeholders. As discussed, the roles of PALS manager and stakeholder engagement and involvement manager does occasionally cause conflict, they are not natural roles that would come together. My understanding is that my predecessor had an interest in this area and so the role became theirs, and as such has been handed over. Another challenge to the above is that my role is job-shared. My co-colleague also works to manage PALS and stakeholder engagement. The conflict in that situation is that this individual is also a PALS officers, this means balancing three work roles out of which the Since the Mid Staffordshire Enquiry (2012) a huge push has been taking place to ensure processes and procedures are in place for service users/patients, carers and communities to have their say. The Francis Report (2013) highlights 290 key recommendations for organisations providing care. As part of my role I had to identify the key areas for development which are most relevant to the PALS officers and stakeholder roles. Prior to my joining of the team, an internal consultation was underway and when I joined the deadline for the consultation period was looming, however, I was able to be a spokesperson for the team ( Mintzberg) by keeping up to date with PALS policy and guidance and develop local procedures for the Trust in relation to PALS. This had to be robust process which could iron out some of the concerns I also work with the Head of Involvement and Equality to develop the PALS service to ensure the service meets requirements for the transformation agenda. At the moment I do this by having monthly meetings and adhoc regular contact. Again fitting in with Maslows hierarchy of needs I need this regular contact to maintain and improve my effectiveness as a manager. One of the challenges that I face is to maintain an overview of the system used to record PALS cases. This is to ensure information related to quality of services including equality data and patient experiences are recorded and effectively used across the organisation. I also develop local and Trust wide reporting mechanisms to do this. The challenge is the operational side of getting staff to actually record. I will need to consider the barriers to this during the one to one supervision sessions. The involvement function of my role is quite wide but a lot of the work involved looks at developing systems using IT based programmes to support the equality and involvement agendas including development of effective  stakeholder engagement mechanisms to record stakeholders and involvement activities. I also keep up to date with patient experience guidance and to work alongside the Patient Involvement and Experience Manager by ensuring that PALS contacts are recorded accurately and are reported in line with patient experience indicators and commissioning requirements. The NHS has undergone a huge change in the direction of strategies and financial decisions that are made. (DOH, 2013) The failure of previous managing organisations such as the Primary Care Trust, has meant that a lot of the workload from there PCT has now moved over to the Care Trust. The experience of patients is very important in this process as it highlights that poor management can leave patients to have poor experience. (Patients Association, 2013) I MANAGE A TEAM, BUT ALSO HAVE TO WORK AS PART OF A TEAM. MY MAIN ROLE IS THE LEARNING CURVE FOR MYSELF AND TO OBTAIN THE LOCAL KNOWLEDGE HELD BY THE PALS OFFICERS. I DELIVER REGULAR TEAM BRIEFING SESSIONS, SHARE INFORMATION, SKILLS AND EXPERIENCES WITH COLLEAGUES LISTEN AND ARE OPEN TO THE VIEWS OF OTHERS. I ACTIVELY WORK TO DEVELOP AND MAINTAIN POSITIVE RELATIONSHIPS WITH PEOPLE AT ALL LEVELS. BY DEVELOPING AND MAINTAINING CONSTRUCTIVE WORKING RELATIONSHIPS WITH LOCAL SERVICE USER, CARER AND COMMUNITY LED ORGANISATIONS. (MULLINS, 2010) An effective team, as stated by Mullins and other literature surrounding management, is a group of people that work together to achieve outcomes. This is a multidisciplinary approach, using a matrix style of working. I am comfortable with this description as I also feel that a team is a group of individuals that work together to use skills and expertise and team working to complete tasks assigned to the group. The defined role of a team looks at defined roles, skills and expertise. An important part of the team is to maintain regular contact, collaboration, co-ordination. These regular and frequent interactions give the team a more defined purpose. I also feel that a team needs skills and knowledge to carry out capability. The challenges that I face in my role are that the role is of an evolving nature with and increased demand and support should be given by other colleagues in a matrix style of working. However, due to the lack of clarity from senior management and the fact that the job description is very new can lead to an impact on day to day management of the PALS team. Another significant challenge is to performance manage the PALS team. The team has been working together for approximately 8 years, with some of the newer members joining around 4 years ago. This has led to a culture of working to our way. The concern with this approach to team working is that it may not necessarily meet the objectives of the organisation. In the scenario of the PALS team we constantly seem to cover ground rules and not be able to get past that, this can be seen as a level of non- compliance. As a manager my role is to steer the team to meet the teams objectives, but this can be difficult due to the complex dynamics and individual personalities. To combat this I arranged individual sessions with staff to generate discussion around what each member of staff feels that they have done well, what can they do better and what would help them to get to that stage. The challenge that I face with the team during this period of consultation is to maintain a positive working environment and culture which actively improves the performance of the department and teams within it in relation to involvement, patient experience and equality. This id due to the motivation levels within the team. As cited in Mullins 2010, Team working is no more than a fashionable term used by management to give workers an exaggerated feeling of importance my view on this is that team working has to be used in the right context. There are times as a manager where you can be led by your team however, overall the manager has to set the scene and highlight the core areas for team working and independent work. My role in terms of the day to day management of PALS Team including objective setting for individuals and team; allocating work to staff, completing monthly sickness returns. I ensure PALS staff are up to date in terms of all mandatory and required training and development is up to date  at all times. It is imperative to my role to identify and arrange appropriate training and development for PALS staff, via the appraisal and KSF route, to ensure successful delivery of business and to keep staff motivated and engaged in their roles. This is also as described by Druckers management model, which asks the questions of what do managers do? The managers role according to Drucker: Sets objectives. The manager sets goals for the group, and decides what work needs to be done to meet those goals.I engage in this process by using supervision and team meetings, to set objectives but also to understand that the objectives are clear and clarified 2) Organizes. The manager divides the work into manageable activities, and selects people to accomplish the tasks that need to be done. I am in a job share situation, where my colleague is also a part time PALS officer. This has meant that I have had to revise the workload, so that both my skills and management tasks required are delegated appropriately between us and also to staff within the team that have the right skills. The challenge that I face in this situation is that I do not have a PALS background; however, it is important for me to be objective and put simple plans in place to have the team working effectively. I aim to pick up a lot of these conversations during the supervisions that I have with staff. 3) Motivates and communicates. The manager creates a team out of his people, through decisions on pay, placement, promotion, and through his communications with the team. Drucker also referred to this as the integrating function of the manager. My main style of working and management is to use motivation as a contributing factor, by looking at the motivators and demotivates and allowing staff to make their own decisions, using coaching and facilitation. Once aims and objectives are agreed, this allows me to measure the progress during meetings and one to ones 4) Measures. The manager establishes appropriate targets and yardsticks, and analyzes, appraises and interprets performance. This goes hand in hand with  motivation, my main role is to measure the outcomes and also to measure underperformance. I aim to try and do this in a facilitating manner and not punitive. My own experiences of being managed in a punitive manner led me to completely switch off. I believe that the right skills and appreciation is at the heart of trying to get a team or individuals to work together. By using reflective practice I can also measure the performance of the team. I recently asked for team to bring figures of complaints/ concerns and issues to team meetings, so that we can be measurable and auditable. 5) Develops people. With the rise of the knowledge worker, this task has taken on added importance. In a knowledge economy, people are the companys most important asset, and it is up to the manager to develop that asset. During the one to one sessions, I have designed a template to ask staff what works well, how we can do it better, looking at ways of improving stakeholder work, raise the empowerment level of individuals to take on responsibilities once involved, i.e. chair meetings etc. Managers born or made, Mullins states a combination of both, my roles both professionally and personally have evolved through needs (Maslows Hierarchy of Needs). The need to bring a substantial income into our family home coupled with the determination of having a professional post. I also feel that as described above I am working using Druckers model for my personal development. One of the main aspects being that I am constantly setting measurable targets for myself and constantly reviewing progress and working to timescales. One of the constant reminders that I have to keep addressing in my role as a manager is that motivation is not linked to ability. As Mullins points that an individual can be motivated but not have the right skill set or resources to carry out their ability. This is quite fundamental to bear in mind as often motivation and ability can be seen as the same, in my view they are co-dependant but need to be addressed individually. Motivation means doing the best of ability, understanding what you can cope with and enjoy. Motivation is possibly the best way of doing something,  taking into account individual characteristics and drivers. What motivates one individual may not motivate another (Mullins 2010) The definition of motivation is to keep the momentum going, having the drive to achieve objectives, achieving and keeping a check on self-motivation. Motivation is linked to rewards which are individual to different people. Mullins (2010) states motivation is why people behave in a certain way, why people do what they do, the direction and persistence of it is concerned. Having a sense of achievement is important to all; Organisations are now buying into the fact that staff needs to be kept motivated and engaged. As a result of Staff surveys, (BDCT 2012) organisational aims as well as individual aims are driven by certain motivating factors. These as discussed previously are dependent on individual circumstances. In a team of staff the motivation will be at different levels as people are at different points in life. A lack of motivation has the effect of having a destabilised work environment and an impact on staff morale. Motivation is not performance. Performance = motivation and ability levels (UoB 2013) this phrase sums up for me what motivation means as a manager Within motivation there are different theories. Buchanan and Huczynskis theory on goals looks at main motives for our behaviour, wealth status and power trigger. Our behaviour towards attainment is encapsulated as the Content theory. Mullins 2010 looks at content theories as the drive and need of motivation. Decisions: why do we choose to pursue certain goals is termed process theory, the focus is on how choices are made with respect to goals. Job enrichment theory looks at influence and how can we motivate you to work harder. According to Maslows Hierarchy of needs (Buchanan and Huczysnki) an individual, team or manager has the following needs: 1, physiological needs 2, safety needs 3, social needs 4, ego needs 5, self-actualisation Maslow states that the lower needs have to be satisfied first. My role as PALS Manager came as a result of national changes within the NHS. My previous role was in commissioning and due to move over to the Commissioning Board, however due to geographical challenges; I applied for a local job so that it could fit in with my need of being a carer to my family. In my role as Stakeholder Manager, I collaborate and facilitate corporate events, raise service user and carer profile both inward facing across the organisation and outward facing. The Care Trust has made a huge effort to recognize and reference to the Francis Report, patient experience is at the heart of patient care. As stakeholder manager I am constantly reviewing, what does this mean? To take a proactive approach I take the comments from the board to team meetings to raise awareness of issues and concerns that have a potential to take place, based on Mid Staffs Enquiry (Francis Report, 2013) and vice versa from stakeholder groups back to team meetings. It is critical in my role is to keep a balanced view between the organization and the stakeholders. I am able to agree with the rhetoric assumption of we have been here before in terms of making service better for people , but I believe that the catalyst for change is always evolving and by using reflective practice I am able to highlight the positive changes that have taken place. An example of this is that carers are invited to Board meetings to share their experiences so that the senior management has some idea of the situation at grassroots level. Historically this was not taking place, however due to the feedback received regarding involvement activities from service users and carers, the Trust Board invite Service users and carers on  a regularly basis. This allows service users to be an advocate for others but also with regular contact to become almost semi-professional and understand some of the concerns faced by large organisations. The history of service user movement groups is well documented (Everett 1994, Campbell 1996, Wallcraft J, Bryant M 2003) and awareness of this literature enables an understanding to develop of the gigantic steps that have been made in the area of user involvement. The past quarter of a century has witnessed a dramatic change in the way that those using mental health services are perceived, represented and valued, not least as contributors towards their own care as opposed to purely receivers of it. The role of service users in the 2007 mental health service is far removed from the role they played just decades previously (Campbell 2005) and the increasingly used term experts by experience highlights the value placed on service user contribution in all aspects of their care planning. This patient expertise is also fundamental to service user involvement, which not only takes many forms, but occurs on many varying levels. Involvement ranges from the macro level of service planning and evaluation through to involvement at the micro level of service user participation and decision making regarding their own care (Braye 2000). Recognised by the DoH (Department of Health, 2001b) in their Expert Patient document. In my role of team management I am faced with conflicting demands upon my time and within the members of staff. Conflict resolution has become an important part of the managers role, the questions can be asked as to why there can be conflict. One of the reasons that I have uncovered during my research is that individuals can make organisational objectives, become personal objectives, this may not be fitting to everyone, due to individual circumstances. Job purpose and job crafting is linked to my personal beliefs and motivation theory. There are two factors that motivate people in their jobs. These two factors are: Hygiene factors affecting job dissatisfaction are qualities of supervision, pay, company, policies, physical working conditions, relations with others, and job security. Motivator factors affects motivation are promotional opportunities, opportunities for personal growth, recognition, responsibility, and achievement. Herzberg argued that Hygiene factors do not contributes towards higher performance instead they are for prevention of dissatisfaction in jobs. True motivators are impacting motivation and hence organisational performance. In my view hygiene factors are not contributors to motivation is not entirely true. Based on individual factors like responsibility, economic situation, opportunities available, these factors may act as motivators to work. In evaluating the effectiveness of my role as a manager, I am not able to constructively measure my performance in this role as it too early to measure, however, in other areas of my life and on requesting regular feedback from my peers and previous colleagues, I would say that I am an effective manager in terms of motivation, objective setting and team working. I am able to synthesise and analyse my own development to better inform myself and the team that I manage. This role in particular is a short term contract and because of this I feel that my delivery of results is paramount to my reputation as an effective manager. Some of the challenges that I have faced include the spontaneous nature of the team. The embedded dynamics means that it was difficult for staff in overcoming the initial authority and assertiveness of my role. Staff were working to their own demands; they were working hard and trying to give all they can in their roles but not working as effectively as they possibly could. I detected certain levels of non-compliance and lack of respect towards me as a manager from colleague and staff. This may be due to the fact that they consider themselves to be local experts in their respective  roles. This became an apparent weakness; due to unclear nature of my role and lack of management support this had a knock on effect in my management role. Staff felt that because I was unclear they could also have become complacent in their roles and resisting much required change. I gained support from my manager to facilitate those discussions with my job-share and focussed on the need to work more effectively and efficiently. Following on from the Francis Report, the Trust have decided to conduct an external consultation of the department, this will have an impact on the PALS team, both positively and negatively. Positively the recognition and the importance of service user involvement in mental health care are possibly at a higher level now than it ever has been. The Care Trust was up until a couple of years ago a mental health and learning disabilities, specialist trust. Due to the many changes taking place in the NHS this has now changed and the Care Trust has taken on other responsibilities, the challenge that I am facing in my role is that the service users and carers are mostly from the mental health background, therefore the diversity of involvement from a wide range is restricted, however, this is critical to my role and to the wider role of the organisation. Personal development plan An analysis of my personal development plan will allow me to face some challenges constructively. One of the main concerns is that I have no clear definition of role and therefore unable to set objectives for my team. I aim to seek clarification from my manager and also from the organisation in terms of what the PALS team should be doing, especially in light of the Francis Report. I will be arranging staff supervision sessions and also identifying key areas for development of staff. Regular feedback and appraisals will help in setting the teams objectives. The workload will be reviewed and I will be reviewing time on activities so that a rota can be in place for manning the office and the telephones. I will be able to manage conflict regarding the workload, once the discussions around caseload management have taken place. This will allow cases to be appropriately handled and in a timely manner. References Blake, R. R. and Mouton, J. S. The Managerial Grid III, Gulf Publishing Company (1985) Buchanan, D. and Huczynski, A. Organizational Behaviour: An Introductory Text, Third edition, Prentice Hall (1997) Department of Health, DoH, https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/recognised-valued-and-supported-next-steps-for-the-carers-strategy accessed June 2013. Drucker, P. F. The Practice of Management, Heinemann Professional (1989) Everett 1994, Campbell 1996, Wallcraft J, Bryant M 2003 Fayol, H. General and Industrial Management, Pitman (1949). Francis Report and Mid Staffs enquiry: http://www.midstaffsinquiry.com/pressrelease.html accessed June 2013. Herzberg, F., Mausner, B. and Snyderman, B. B. The Motivation to Work, Second edition, Chapman and Hall (1959). Maslow, A. H. A Theory of Human Motivation, Psychological Review, 50, July 1943, pp. 370-96 and Maslow, A. H. Motivation and Personality, Third edition, Patients Association, http://www.patients-association.com/ accessed June 2013. Peters, G. Creating the Modern Organization, in Crainer, S. and Dearlove, D. (eds) Financial Times Handbook of Management, Second edition, Financial Times Prentice Hall (2001), Mullins (2010) Mary Parker Follett (1868-1933), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Parker_Follett, accessed June 2013. Mintzberg, H. The Structuring of Organizations, Prentice-Hall (1979). Stewart, R. The Reality of Management, Third edition, Butterworth Heinemann (1999) WriteWork contributors. Management, Partnership and User Involvement in Health and Social Care WriteWork.com. WriteWork.com, 05 June, 2007. Web. 02 Jun. 2013.

Introduction To Project Management Management Essay

Introduction To Project Management Management Essay Project management is the planning, organizing and managing of tasks and resources to accomplish a defined objective, usually with constraints on time and cost. Most projects, whether they are large and complex or small and simple, can be planned by breaking the project into small, easily manageable tasks, scheduling the tasks, and then tracking the tasks as work progresses. Project management helps you answer questions such as: What is to be done? Who will complete the task? When must it be done? How much will it cost? What happens if work isnt completed on time? Planning the project and creating a schedule This includes defining the tasks and their duration, setting up relationships between tasks, and, if you are tracking resource usage, assigning resources. All later phases of the project are based directly on the information you provide when you first plan your project. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Managing changes This is an ongoing process that begins once you create a schedule and the project starts, and ends when the project is complete. It includes tracking and adjusting your schedule to reflect changes that occur as the project progresses. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Communicating project information This is a very important process that involves communicating project information to clients, project staff, and management. Project management software is productivity software that will assist you in each of these steps. Many professionals find it is among the most productive tools in their skill set. In todays business it is in the best interest of companies to have project managers. Common sense isnt always usually accomplished. For anyone whos ever worked on a project in a technical setting knows this. Indeed, much of working with others consists of solving unexpected problems and learning from mistakes along the way.    Knowing this and having the proper tools a project manager will be able to manage and complete the most intense project out there.   Ã‚   It seems that people time and again have the wrong impression of what a project manager does.    It is not about being able to create a compound plan to hang on the wall.    It is not about setting up conference after conference.    This is about understanding a big business objective, understanding the technology involved, being able to communicate at an assortment of levels, being able to encourage and direct people, being able to handle the constant worry and troubles, and being structured enough to make certain the whole thing that needs to get completed, gets completed.    What this comes down to is a project manager should be able to meet or exceed all of the stakeholders expectations.    The project manager also must be able to get others to work with limited authority throughout the duration.    Doing most of the work yourself is a poor long-term development strategy and will never solve the problem. In every project there are always some universal characteristics that will be shared.    They all have a comprehensible and established purpose and very distinct life durations. Overall, all projects are doing something that may possibly be new or yet a onetime endeavor but have explicit requirements which include; time, price, and performance. Project management deals with tools, people, and systems. (Lewis) The first project of this module is to do a group poster presentation. We have limited time to carry out research and we were worn off by the intensive lectures. This is where I found out how time management and team work play as important elements for success. We distributed the workload among ourselves and set a time frame for completion. Group members were to adhere to the time frame stipulated. This is how we manage to complete a simple presentation, with many hidden hard work behind our success. A project manager should have certain qualities in order to successfully execute a project and then run them successfully for the project to be a hit in the market. A project manager should have certain attribute for successful in a project and they are Monitoring and Controlling: Project manger always monitors the work done by his team members and has control over the entire project. They also have to make sure about the budget estimated at the beginning of the project. Self-esteem: Project manager should always motivate his team members to do their work sincerely and help by supporting each and every one at the work. Leadership skills: Project Manager should have leadership qualities to manage the team. Project closure The final objective is project closure which includes verifying that all of the work has been accomplished, check the Contractual closure of the contract, financial closure of the charge numbers and finally administrative closure of the paperwork. Successful project management can then be defined as having achieved the project objectives. Project management has evolved to plan, co-ordinate and control the complex and diverse activities of modern industrial, commercial and management change and IT projects (Lock 2009). Chunnel Tunnel: Introduction The Chunnel tunnel project undertaken to create a connection between England and France via underground tunnel, presents one of the largest privately funded construction projects ever under taken. It required the cooperation of two national governments, bankers underwriting the funding for the projects, numerous contractors and several regular agencies. The construction and engineering of the tunnel required the use of new technology and required significant modifications during the project due to unexpected conditions and changes required by various parties. This case study demonstrates the numerous factors which played during the course of the project that has significant effects on the overall course of the project. At the end Chunnel project was completed, but it was late and over budgeted. The promotion of and investment in the Channel Tunnel was a challenging multinational affair drawing in institutions from several countries. In this paper, I concentrate on the promotion of the abortive tunnel project of 1957-1975 and the ultimately successful venture a decade later, focusing on governments and companies in Britain, France, the United States, and Japan. I identify the management and sharing of risk as the critical elements in the Tunnels political economy. Here, the difficulties produced by the quadripartite quilt of negotiations involving two governments (Britain and France) and two tunnel companies are at center stage, though I also argue that American involvement was important in the first project, and Japanese financial support was critical in the second. The debates concerned the type of crossing, questions of ownership versus licensing and regulation, and the importance of making public investment in related and supporting infrastructure. The Channel Tunnel has significance as a prototype of public-private partnership in Britain, and I draw lessons from the experience, referring in particular to the challenges presented by the infrastructure project circle.The paper draws on material assembled for Terry Gourvish, The Official History of the Channel Tunnel (London, 2006). It all started in 1802 when French forward a proposal to tunnel under the English Channel, which would be illuminated using oil lamps, horse-drawn coaches for transportation and also an artificial mid-channel foe changing horses. But, the project was delayed for a very long period In 1955 both British and French governments supported surveys and in 1974, a government-funded the twin tunnel project with car shuttle wagons. Later in 1975 British government had no interest in funding the project so they had no objection for a privately funded project. And hence the project was given into the hands of the private companies. On 2 july 1985, both French and British formed a group Channel Tunnel Group/France. The design and construction was done by this company as the project was undertaken by private companies. The Chunnel Tunnel is a build -own- operate- transfer project with a concession. And the British and French governments will hold the control on final engineering and safety decisions, now those were in the hands of Channel Tunnel Safety Authority. Eleven tunnel boring machines, which were working from both the sides of the tunnel cut through two rail tunnels and the service tunnel, this started in 1988, and 1994 operating of the tunnel began. And it was estimated that the cost of the construction was  £4.650 billon.15000 people were employed with daily expenditure over  £3 million. And ten workers were killed during the construction process. The Eurotunnel completed tunnel boring on time, hence the tunnel was finally opened officially by British Queen Elizabeth II and French President Francois Mitterand in a ceremony held in Calais on 6th may 1994. The Chunnel Tunnel also known as (French: Chunnel tunnel source ls manche) is a 50.5-Kilometer undersea rail tunnel linking Folk stone, Kent near Dover in the United Kingdom with coquilles, Pas-de-Calais near Calais in northern France. At its lowest point, it is 75 meters (250 ft) deep 1802 Channel tunnel proposal was brought across by Albert Mathieu 1875 The beginning of Channel Tunnel Company Ltd 1882 Abbots Cliff had reached 897  yards (820 m) and Shakespeare Cliff was 2,040  yards (1,870 m) in length. January 1975 British-French government stopped there backed scheme support in 1974 February 1986 They proceeded the project with the permission of Treaty of Canterbury June 1988 In France the First tunneling was started December 1988 Tunneling operation was started in UK December 1990 Broke down of the service tunnel under the Channel May 1994 The formal inauguration by The Queen and President(French) Mid 1994 Passenger and Cargos started using the trains November 1996 Due to fire there was huge damage in the tunnel November 2007 After the renovation the tunnel was re opened for the public. Fig. SOME IMPORTANT DATES. Challenges: Communication Gap Communication plays a very vital role in a project, not only for the project managers but also for the rest of the team members. This is one of the factors driving a project to success or failure. England and France are the two groups of people who were working together and there were communication gap between two teams, which leads to major delay of the project. Planning There was no proper planning for this project as this was the first project towards Chunnel, none of them were aware how to go about it and what are the different kinds of challenges they will come across during this project and they were unable to project on anything. In every stage they use to come up with different problems and that use to take time this use to reflect time factors and because of this budget use to go high. Strengths Technically strongly built, hence a successful Quality Management implemented. Back office support was excellent. Good team work between two groups. A winning proposal under build owner transfer granted to CTG and overall quality of work impressive, work place accident rates were below the industrial average and implementation of effective change management. Weakness Time delay and over budget, project was not well planned, poor change management, risk management was not in place, change in design resulted in project delay, litigation and claims was high in the project, lack of team work and communication, financial model optimistic resulted in cost increase, scope was not well defined and rolling stock and specifications were not the same between British and French. Lessons to be learnt: Due to proper planning there was delay at work provide adequate defined scope and a well planned changed management system, the sound risk management technique and adequate planning and research techniques to be put in place. Good coordination between two governments and try minimizing the litigation and claims by brining proper planning in place. We had a great time doing this project. The time and money spent on Channel tunnel inspired all team members to take a trip through the Euro-France Eurotunnel. While preparing a poster me and other team memebers got an oppurtunity to watch a documentary video on Euro tunnel filmed by Discovery channel. Project management theories of team leadership was a big lesson I got to learn while doing this poster. One of the team members took control when the team dynamism was coming to a stand still. Watching him giving direction to team and motivating various team members to perform was when I understood leadership roles. I played a role of organiser in the team. I took responsibility to keep track of every ones effort in the team. I also passed on their work done to every other team member, and acknowledged that member. Presentation skills was of most importance in poster making as we were not allowed to explain the posters, whereas the posters had to speak for themselves. All the team had to put their thinking caps on and rack brains to come with a good presentation idea. At first we planned to put everything we had into the poster but later realised that would over crowd the poster. Hence then we sorted the data we had and then easened our poster with a partitioned look and a title in the middle. Project Life Cycle C:UsersdellDocumentsProject metodology.JPG Project Life Cycle As can been seen in the methodology lifecycle graph shown in the poster and also attached in the appendix, our poster making task was a smooth run. Our module leader Michael Snelgrove assigned our team Jaguar with Chunnel Tunnel case study. To make a poster on Chunnel Tunnel project case study wasnt a easy task. I joined the team later hence in the second week the team introduced me to the case study and we all decided to meet again with highlighted essentials. The week after we all discussed and distributed essential task amongst ourselves every Niaz introduced us to the title Everything Comes Down To Money as in the Chunnel Tunnel project the blotted budget was the big issue. Everyone agreed with the title and started with further data collection, Niloy one of the team members gave me the sources for study materials and there on we finalized the total data and content to be presented in the poster. We discussed reaming time cost of printing, specification of poster and risk of show ing some required data on the poster. Every one confirmed their acceptance towards work submitted by each team member. The printing cost of the poster were one of the issues in one of the data meetings but the module leader Michael Snelgrove solved the problem by taking responsibility for poster printing costs, as we were nearing the data submission we discussed our work with the module leader and requested for suggestions to improve the poster then more amendment tasks were distributed among ourselves we then finally sat together and finalized the poster. Analysis and Communications were the major skills we used for the successful completion of the given task. We received positive comments on the judgment day of poster except for our criticism on showing the Hitlers photograph in the poster. Conclusion After doing the poster makings the group has a whole understood that no previous experience and hidden technical costs resulted in late compellation of the project with the bloated budget.

Sir Thomas Mores A Man For All Seasons :: Sir Thomas More Man All Seasons Essays

Sir Thomas More's "A Man For All Seasons" A Man For All Seasons was written about Sir Thomas More and his relationship with the more powerful members of the country in the sixteenth century. It is a recreation of history, dramatised to enhance the experience. Written in the 1960's in a world coming out of global depression, a time of peace, love and drugs, it was a thorn amongst the rose coloured glasses. When people were used to a more relaxed establishment, with much more equality than the decades leading up to it, A Man For All Seasons confronted an immoral, strict and spineless monarch that was Henry VIII. The play was a strong study of moral integrity versus corruption and selfishness, which both contradicted and enforced what the world was like in the 1960's. Bolt's intention was to influence the present by portraying the past. A Man for All Seasons has a slow build up; the first three quarters of the book lays the foundations of the plot in a linear fashion before gradually advancing to a much more meaningful climax. This climax is split into four main sections: "In The Tower", "More Sees His Family", "The Trial" and "The Execution". I will proceed to analyse these in turn. The beginning of the end is where More is in the tower. This starts with the entrance of the Common Man. He speaks and there is no one else on the stage, and he is facing the audience. This indicates that he is a modern device, he is a character in the play, but he acts as a kind of narrator to break the audience's suspension of disbelief. This is ironic; because we know it's not real, it makes us more poignant, and the audience knows things the characters don't. This is needed, as the play is very emotional, the audience need someone to remind them that the play isn't real, yet it is based on a true story, which the Common Man reminds us of as well. "Now lookà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦" shows that he is funny, cheeky and much less formal. The fact that he plays small characters throughout the play, and none of the other characters notice also breaks the audience away from the seriousness of the play. This is important as the play is based on a true story, the audience are more likely to get emotional about the events in the play, and need to be relieved of this tension if they are to filly appreciate, understand, and enjoy the play. "Better a live rat than a dead lion" shows that the Common Man is almost the complete opposite of More, as More is

Solenoids – Physics coursework

Solenoids Permanent Magnet- Magnetic Field.http://www.diracdelta.co.uk/science/source/m/a/magnetic%20field/source.html Magnets have two poles called North and South.Similar (like) magnetic poles repel. Unlike magnetic poles attract. A magnet attracts a piece of iron. The most important of the two properties of attraction and repulsion is repulsion. The only way to tell if an object is magnetised is to see if it repels another magnetised object. The strength and direction of a magnetic field is represented by magnetic field lines. Field lines by convention go from North to South. A magnetic field is three-dimensional, although this is not often seen on a drawing of magnetic field lines.Electromagnets A magnetic field exists around all wires carrying a current. When there is no current the compass needles in the diagram shown line up with the Earth's magnetic field. A current through the wire produces a circular magnetic field. See what happens when there is a current in the wire. The magnetic field for a coil of wire is shown below. The magnetic fields from each of the turns in the coil add together, so the total magnetic field is much stronger. This produces a field which is similar to that of a bar magnet. A coil of wire like this is often called a solenoid.http://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/standard/physics/using_electricity/movement_from_electricity/revision/1/slideshow-1/2/An electromagnet consists of a coil of wine, through which a current can be passed, wrapped around a soft iron core. This core of magnetic material increases the strength of the field due to the coil. ‘Soft’ iron is easily magnetised, and easy to demagnetise- it does not retain its magnetism after the current is switched off. Steel, on the other hand, is hard to magnetise and demagnetise, and so it retains in magnetism. It is used for permanent magnets. The strength of an electromagnet depends on:The size of the current flowing through the coil The number of turns in the coil The material inside of the coil Heinmann physics Domains – http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/solids/ferro.html#c4Ferromagnetic materials exhibit a long-range ordering phenomenon at the atomic level which causes the unpaired electron spins to line up parallel with each other in a region called a domain. Within the domain, the magnetic field is intense, but in a bulk sample the material will usually be unmagnetized because the many domains will themselves be randomly oriented with respect to one another. The main implication of the domains is that there is already a high degree of magnetization in ferromagnetic materials within individual domains, but that in the absence of external magnetic fields those domains are randomly oriented. A modest applied magnetic field can cause a larger degree of alignment of the magnetic moments with the external field, giving a large multiplication of the applied field.FerromagnetismIron, nickel, cobalt and some of the rare earths (gadolin ium, dysprosium) exhibit a unique magnetic behavior which is called ferromagnetism because iron (ferrum in Latin) is the most common and most dramatic example.

Jainism vs. Sikhism Essay

Read the assigned chapters for the week and complete the following table. Be as specific as possible when identifying practices, beliefs, rituals, and historical elements. Cite sources in APA formatting. Core Beliefs Jainism Sikhism 1. Jainism, believing that reality and existence are eternal, does not believe in a Creator force or entity (Molloy, 2013). 1. Sikhism believes in a strict Monotheism, and that all names and titles that humans apply to God are limited because God is beyond all human conception (Molloy, 2013). 2. Jainism believes in the existence of Karma and its influence on the cycle of Rebirth. Unlike other religions that share this belief, Jains believe that more than just animals and insects possess a spirit that is subject to karma and rebirth (Molloy, 2013). 2. Sikhs believe in reincarnation, and that karma influences the cycle of rebirth, with the goal being to accumulate enough karma to obtain freedom from the cycle of reincarnation and be absorbed by God (Molloy, 2013). 3. Jainism believes in five ethical positions that are required for monks and nuns (to varying degrees) and recommended to laypersons. The First is Nonviolence, also known as Ahimsa, which requires the believer to bring no harm to any life-form. The second is Nonlying, as the Jains believe the lying or exaggeration may bring harm to the parties involved. The third is Nonstealing, the desire to steal comes from being attached, to the object or the world, and can cause pain to others. The forth is Chastity, among the monks and nuns it is taken as full celibacy, and among the laypeople, as  fidelity to the believers marital partner. Finally, the fifth is nonattachment, that to progress spiritually, the believer must limit their attachment to worldly objects and people, taken to the extreme among some monks to mean detachment from all including family, and clothes (Molloy, 2013). 3. Sikhs believe in the five sacred components of attire by those initiated into the Khalsa. The first is the Kesh, or uncut hair and beard, with a turban worn by the males. The second is the Khanga, or wooden hair comb, to be worn with the hair at all times. The third is the Kach, a pair of special cotton undergarments. The fourth is the Kirpan, a sword or dagger that is worn at all time. And lastly the Kara, a bracelet of steel worn to symbolize strength (Molloy, 2013). 4. The Jains believe that in the current cycle of the universe, 24 people have reached perfection and have escaped the cycle of rebirth, they are known as Tirthankara, and that they should be role-model and emulated, but not worshiped (Molloy, 2013). 4. Sikhs believe that the scriptures, known as Adi Granth, to contain the spirit of all the past Gurus of Sikhism and revere it as the last, and final guru. When faced with difficult and troubling questions, Sikhs believe that consulting the Adi Granth, or Guru Granth Sahib, by opening the book at random will provide answers (Molloy, 2013). 5. The Jains do believe in the presence of gods, but believe they are also subject to the karma and the cycle of rebirth, and that after they use their positive karma as gods, they are reborn as lesser beings again. Also that, while gods, they are not the Creators (Molloy, 2013). 5. Sikhs believe the use of Military Self-defense to protect themselves and the faith is morally correct. Such a position is unusual in the religious environment of India where nonviolence is common. (Molloy, 2013). Part 2 Respond to the following questions in 150 to 200 words: 1. What do you think is the most important similarity and which is the most  important difference? Use specifics to support your answer. The most significant similarity between Jainism and Sikhism is their continued belief in karma and the cycle of rebirth. This similarity shows that while Sikhism may have been influenced by Islamic teachings, that both faiths have retained a non-linear idea of the progression of time that is integral to Hinduism. The most important difference is each of the religion’s views of violence. The Jains believe in ahimsa, a requirement to bring no harm to anything that bear a living soul, monk and nuns going so far as to brush aside insects before walking so they are not stepped on, and the laypersons avoiding farming because plowing may cause harm to small animals and insects. The Sikhs, however, believe in the use of violence to defend them self’s and their faith, possessing within their faith a military order, the Khalsa, who wear a dagger or sword known as a kirpan at all times. This belief is also evident in the followers of Sikhism to join and participate in the militaries of the country they reside. (Molloy, 2013) 2. Consider the following statement: Sallekhana (â€Å"holy death†) violates the Jain principle of ahimsa because it is an act of violence against oneself. Using examples from Ch. 5 of your text, what points might a follower of Jainism make to argue against this statement? Ahimsa is the prohibition of causing harm. Ahimsa requires that all care must be taken so that one does not bring harm to another living soul, whether it is physical, mental, spiritual or emotional. To remain attached to the material, and the objects of this life will also bring spiritual harm to oneself. Sallekhana is an extension of the practice of fasting. The participant prepares himself for the next life by detaching from the current life, taking in only water and spiritual guidance. This practice is not a violent act against one’s body, but a natural progression at the end of one’s life. This extended fasting is only Sallekhana when willfully taken at the end of a full like as a culmination of one’s detachment from the material and as a sign of one’s virtue. Sallakhana is not an escape from one’s troubles in this life through suicide, but a releasing of this life in order to proceed to the next life in a proper fashion. (Molloy, 2013) References: Molloy, M. V. (2013). Experiencing the world’s religions: Tradition, challenge, and change (6th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Nill Companies, Inc.

Teenage Pregnancy Essay Essays

Teenage Pregnancy Essay Essays Teenage Pregnancy Essay Essay Teenage Pregnancy Essay Essay Essay Topic: Teenage Pregnancy Statisticss from the Malaysia Welfare Department for this twelvemonth. from January to April 2010. reported that 111 single immature misss were pregnant. The figure. nevertheless. is merely the tip of the iceberg as many instances go unreported and gestations terminated. It besides reported in New Straits Times on 23rd July 2010. the organic structure of a babe miss found in a bag at a coach halt near the Sultan Ismail Hospital. Johor Bahru in the forenoon. Besides there a babe found buried. New Straits Times on 18th July 2010. reported that a foetus was found buried by the wayside in Jalan 12. Bandar Puteri Puchong. Selangor. Baby dumping is non the solution to a life job and it could be charged under Section 317 of the Penal Code which carries a maximal jail term of seven old ages or mulct or both harmonizing to the Malayan jurisprudence. For the past few old ages there are many newborn babes have been found. dead or unrecorded in the most improbable topographic points like rubbish shit. For case. The Malay Mail on 26 July 2011 [ 5 ] reported that a foetus with the umbilical cord intact was found in a refuse can at Pulau Mutiara sweeping market in Jalan Makloom. Penang. This shows clearly that â€Å"baby dumping† is truly serious job that presently happened in our society. Based on Table 1. the statistic from the Headquarters of Royal Malaysia Police ( PDRM ) [ 6 ] indicated that there were 407 instances of babe dumping. for the past five old ages get downing from 2005 until 7th April 2010. On norm. there are 68 instances every twelvemonth and these instances keep increasing. While in Figure 1. 2. 1. it shows that. there are 472 babes found dumped nationally since 2005 until 16th August 2010. In twelvemonth 2010 entirely. it already recorded 65 instances up to 16 August 2010. That is means mean 8 instances per month entirely in twelvemonth 2010 and this figure is non included the instances that non reported. Harmonizing to Federal Criminal Investigation Department ( CID ) Director Commissioner Datuk Seri Bakri Zinin. this twelvemonth entirely ( 2010 ) . as at 16 August 2010. 65 dumped babes had been. As compared to 42 instances during the same period last twelvemonth ( 2009 ) . there is an addition in these instances [ 7 ] . Recently. the Cabinet besides informed that there were 21 recorded instances of pupils who got pregnant out of marriage between 2006 and 2010. Then. what about the unreported and live instances? Public belief that the figure more than what we can conceive of. After all the flooring incidents proven by the informations produced by PDRM and Welfare Department. we found a strong base to make this survey. 3. Methods A ; Material A simple random trying technique was conducted among 400 pupils ( out of entire 7535 pupils ) from Form One until Form Six ( Upper Six ) in secondary schools at the country of Bakar Arang State Assembly under Sungai Petani Parliamentary. Kedah. The schools involved were Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan 138 Ibrahim. Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Sungai Pasir. Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Khir Johari and Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Bandar Sungai Petani in Sungai Petani. Kedah. The information was analyzed utilizing Statistical Package for the Social Science ( SPSS ) in acquiring descriptive statistic and correlativity. 4. Results A ; Discussion 4. 1. Profile of Respondents Out of 400 respondents. there were 183 ( 45. 75 % ) male respondents and 217 ( 54. 25 % ) female respondents. This determination showed the dominant of female respondents in this survey. Sing the age group. the respondents were in the age of 13 old ages old ( 18 pupils or 4. 50 % ) . followed by 14 old ages old ( 51 pupils or 12. 75 % ) . 15 old ages old ( 44 pupils or 11. 00 % ) . 16 old ages old ( 97 pupils or 24. 25 % ) . 17 old ages old ( 94 pupils or 23. 50 % ) and in conclusion 18 old ages old and above which is 96 pupils or 24. 00 % . The highest respondents in this survey was 16 old ages old. followed by 18 old ages old. 17 old ages old. 14 old ages old. 15 old ages old and the lowest respondents were 13 old ages old. The race of respondents in this survey consist of three major races in Malaysia which is Malay. Chinese. and Indian and the balance was other races. From the determination. it can be concluded that the highest race in this survey was Malay. which consist of 242 pupils ( 60. 5 % ) . followed by Chinese. 75 pupils ( 18. 75 % ) . Indian 67students ( 16. 75 % ) and the lowest was other races which consist 16 pupils ( 4. 00 % ) . 4. 2. Consequence of Findingss H1: There is a important relationship between consciousness towards effects of free sex and babe dumping issue from the secondary school students’ position. Table 2. Awareness on effects of free sex towards a position of babe dumping issue Awareness towards effects of free sex Baby Dumping Pearson Correlation 0. 396**Sig. ( 2-tailed ) 0. 000N 400 ** . Correlation is important at the 0. 01 degree ( 2-tailed ) . There was a important relationship between consciousness towards effects of free sex and a position of babe dumping issue from the secondary school students’ position whereas P =0. 000 and r = 0. 396. Significant degree is P lt ; 0. 05 ( P = 0. 000 ) . So. the research worker accepts the H1. This means. the consciousness towards effects of free sex has an influence towards position of the babe dumping issue. This determination was besides supported by APWLD Annual Report 2010 [ 9 ] . H2: There is a important relationship between cognition on sex instruction and babe dumping issue from the secondary school students’ position. Table 3: Cognition on sex instruction towards a position of babe dumping issue.Knowledge on sex instructionBaby Dumping Pearson Correlation 0. 445**Sig. ( 2-tailed ) 0. 000N 400 ** . Correlation is important at the 0. 01 degree ( 2-tailed ) . There was a important relationship between cognition on sex instruction and position of the babe dumping issue from the secondary school students’ position whereas P = 0. 000 and r = 0. 445. Significant degree is P lt ; 0. 05 ( P = 0. 000 ) . So. the research worker accepts H2. This means. the respondents agreed that cognition on sex instruction is of import in order to forestall or cut down the figure of babe dumping that happen in Malaysia. Besides that. most of the respondent agreed 139 that by larning sex instruction. adolescents will be more full-blown and responsible to themselves and holding cognition on sex instruction is of import to forestall free sex among adolescents. H3: There is a important relationship between spiritual belief and babe dumping issue from the secondary school students’ position. Table 4. Religious belief and a position of the babe dumping issue.Religious BeliefBaby Dumping Pearson Correlation 0. 386**Sig. ( 2-tailed ) 0. 000N 400 ** . Correlation is important at the 0. 01 degree ( 2-tailed ) . There was a important relationship between spiritual belief and a position of babe dumping issue from the secondary school students’ position whereas P = 0. 000 and r = 0. 386. Significant degree is P lt ; 0. 05 ( P = 0. 000 ) . So. the research worker accepts H3. Religious belief besides plays an of import function in order to forestall babe dumping that addition from clip to clip. Other than that. most of respondents besides agreed that spiritual belief demand to use in their day-to-day life activity. This determination was besides supported by the Azmi ( 2010 ) [ 1 ] and Coleman A ; Testa ( 2007 ) [ 8 ] . 5. Decision As a decision. consciousness towards effects of free sex. cognition on sex instruction and spiritual belief showed the important relationships with the babe dumping issues in our state. Most of the respondents agreed that these three variables have a important impact on babe dumping instances. It is of import for the adolescents to understand the effects of free sex so that they can forestall the unwanted gestation at the immature age. Besides that. the cognition on sex instruction is of import to guarantee the adolescents have a better understanding about their organic structure so that they will non easy affect in free sex which can take to the babe dumping. On top of that. the of import of spiritual belief and patterns besides play a critical map. Every faith has lay down and learn about the Department of State and don’ts. about the wickedness and wages. and all faith prohibited the act of free sex. In order to forestall it. the authorities. schools. parents and adolescents should take necessary actions to halt this babe dumping issue from going worst. 6. Recommendation In order to get by with this babe dumping instances. authorities should come out with several policies and programmes. First of all. the authorities may integrate sex instruction in school course of study as portion of a holistic attack to undertake babe dumping instances. This attack is needed in order to supply consciousness and better apprehension of generative system and wellness at school degree. Besides that. the authorities besides can reconstitute or add the course of study in certain capable such as â€Å"Pendidikan Islam† or â€Å"Pendidikan Moral† in order to make consciousness and highlighted the effects of societal jobs like free sex and babe dumping. The authorities besides should advance Islam as a manner of life particularly to the Muslim young person as we can see today ; most of the people who involved in babe dumping were Muslims. Islamic bookmans and Ulama’ must take this duty to explicate to the community about Islam. However. it is of import for the spiritual individuals to utilize suited method harmonizing to mark group in executing this undertaking. The authorities besides can convey the Ulama’ or others spiritual individual from other faith to give talk to the adolescents based on their belief particularly when there is a plan for adolescents every bit good as when there is a national run to control with this sort of societal job. Drastic measure by the authorities in categorising babe dumping as a condemnable amounting to slay if it meets with all the legal specifications is besides can be introduced. The authorities can give another opportunity to the guilty parents if their babe is found alive but if the babe is found dead. the guilty parents need to be penalized under this condemnable act. 140 Government besides can assist to control this jobs by exterminate adult stuffs from cyberspace and electronic multimedia. These adult stuffs besides one of the biggest factors that can lend to the babe dumping issues because it will act upon adolescents to make bad things. It is besides recommended that the authorities come out with new regulation to curtail the adolescents below 18 old ages old to check-in hotel or motel without parents or guardian. This regulation will able to cut down free sex among the adolescents. Besides authorities. parents besides should actively play their function in get bying with this issue. For case. they should discourse â€Å"openly† about sex and things related to it with their childs. Even though this subject still â€Å"taboo† in certain civilization but it will forestall adolescents to acquire incorrect information about sex from incorrect beginnings. Weak household ties besides one of the lending factors in the lifting instances of baby-dumping. It is a signal to all the parents non to concentrate and occupy with their plants and forgets to pass clip with their kids. As caring parents. we should embrace. snog. love and give more attending to our kids before other individuals do it for them. 7. Recognitions Our sincere thanks goes to our co-workers in UiTM Kedah. Malaysia for whom we have great respect. and we wish to widen our warmest thanks to all those who have helped us with the creative activity of this paper particularly to Abdullah Fathi Muslim. Izzatul Nadiah Isa. Noor Atiqah Idris. Nurul Farakhin Zahrin and Nurzawani Abd Salam. 8. Mentions[ 1 ] Dali. A. ( 2010 ) . â€Å"Gejala buang bayi meningkat† . Kosmo. 17 August. pp. 6. [ 2 ] New Straits Times ( 2010 ) . â€Å"Eight held over merchandising of babies† available at: hypertext transfer protocol: //www. highbeam. com/doc/1P1- 188506529. hypertext markup language ( accessed 26 July 2011 ) [ 3 ] New Straits Times ( 2010 ) . â€Å"Foetus found buried by roadside† available at: hypertext transfer protocol: //www. nst. com. my/nst/articles/27jani/Article ( accessed 26 November 2010 ) [ 4 ] New Straits Times ( 2010 ) . â€Å"Newborn found in fictile bag† . available at: hypertext transfer protocol: //www. nst. com. my/nst/articles/28sarr/Article/index_html ( accessed 26 November 2010 ) [ 5 ] The Malay Mail ( 2011 ) . â€Å"Foetus of male child found in refuse can† . available at: hypertext transfer protocol: //www. mmail. com. my/content/45796-foetus-boy-found-garbage-can ( accessed 26 July 2011 ) [ 6 ] PDRM ( 2010 ) â€Å"Baby Dumping Statistic† available at: hypertext transfer protocol: //www. rmp. gov. my ( accessed 26 November 2010 ) [ 7 ] The Star ( 2010 ) . â€Å"CID Chief: 472 babes found dumped since 2005† . available at: hypertext transfer protocol: //thestarmobile. com/jsp/news/viewNews. jsp? newsID=151204 A ; catID=19 ( access ed 16 August 2010 ) [ 8 ] Coleman. L. M. and Testa. A. ( 2007 ) . â€Å"Preferences towards sex instruction and information from an ethnically diverse sample of immature people† . Sexual activity Education. Vol. 7 No. 3. pp. 293-307. [ 9 ] Asia Pacific Forum on Women. Law and Development ( APWLD ) Annual Report 2010. 141

Interdependence and Adaptability Organizational Learning and the Long

Interdependence and Adaptability Organizational Learning and the Long Introduction Research organizations state that societal learning plays a significant role in enhancing an organization’s performance. Literature has shown that the influence of an organization’s internal framework is minimal when it comes to producing distinctions on the learning levels.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Interdependence and Adaptability: Organizational Learning and the Long-Term Effect of Integration specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Vertical integration is a structural feature that leads to interdependence (Sorenson, 2000). The class objective of this paper is to assess the level of which interdependence and in specific vertical integration influences organizational learning. Another class objective that will be discussed in this paper is whether vertical integration hinders learning by doing. The last class objective is whether vertically integrated corporations gain less from experience in production than non- integrated organizations in steady surroundings. Discussion Vertical integration strictly restricts a corporation’s capacity to learn through doing. This is because reasonable managers find operation optimizations intricate especially when choosing on highly inter- reliant options. Integration can smooth the progress of learning by doing through cushioning activities within the organization. Firms improve in production by achieving experience, that is, they learn new things by doing. There is a positive association linking working experience and staff performance. Organizations, however, undeniably differ in their capacities both to gain knowledge internally and to learn from the actions of others (Sorenson, 2000). Integration brings about interdependence in corporations. Vertical integration slows down an organizations growth rate by reducing its baseline volume from which the organizations growth occurs. Integrated organizations can thus be disadvan taged in comparison to their less integrated competitors. Research has further shown that vertical integration may impair with other learning types in an organization. These include the expansion of vibrant routines and the incorporation of knowledge established outside the organization (Sorenson, 2000). Vertical integration also restricts the probability of learning from other people. An integrated firm has less contact points with the exterior surrounding. While distributors might beneficially dispense knowledge across the competing manufacturers, integrated firms bar this option by not associating with suppliers. Vertical integration restricts the probability of learning from other people through the fact that even when this firms do gain knowledge from other suppliers, they may find it hard to incorporate that knowledge into the organizations’ particular production procedures they have established. Integrated firms thus undergo problems of learning disabilities besides nu merous dimensions (Argote, 1999).Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The above results do not, however, mean that organizations should not vertically integrate. As anticipated, vertically integrated organizations essentially learn more efficiently than their less inter- reliant competitors in unstable surroundings. Organizations may opt to integrate due to interdependence in their innovative design architecture. Integrated organizations that thrive well will gain from distributors deciding to start producing the particular constituents that they want. Victorious firms can thus disintegrate. Success augments the level of vertical integration remarkably (Argote, 1999). Modularization in the computer business elucidates changes in the worth of vertical integration with time. As the accessibility of standard constituents increases, the benefit of internal production reduc es resulting to an attrition of vertical integration benefits as the corporation matures. Regional distinctions might create the vertical integration outcomes (Argote, 1999). Conclusion Organizations suffer from trade- offs especially when selecting the most favorable organizational framework to smooth the progress of learning. In particular, firms that vertically integrate into constituent production gain less through learning by action compared to those firms that acquire constituents from external distributors. It is, therefore, evident that though integration impairs learning through doing, this only affects the corporation’s performance under constant environments. References Argote, L. (1999). Organizational Learning: Creating, Retaining, and Transferring Knowledge. Kluwer: Boston. Sorenson, O. (2000). Letting the market work for you: An evolutionary perspective on product strategy. Strategic Management J. 21, 277–292.

Andrew Blake Essay Example For Students

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Story of Ruth Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Story of Ruth - Research Paper Example Ruth and Naomi are two widows who were blessed with the love and kindness of Boaz. As Ruth was married into an Israeli family, her true and selfless devotion towards her mother-in-law depicts Ruth as true ancestor of David. As Naomi’s husband moved to Moab from Bethlehem along with his wife and two sons, the famine and other disasters were rampant in those times. The tragedy fell on Noami in an unkind manner as she lost her husband and two sons, after living in Moab for almost 10 years. Ruth was married to one of her sons. Naomi wanted to return to the god’s land Bethlehem, as she wanted the mercy of God to be with her. However, as she pleaded with her daughters-in-law to return to their mothers’ home in Moab, Ruth was not willing and went to Bethlehem along with Naomi. Thus began the journey of love and unselfish faithfulness towards God. The theological lesson in this chapter is to have faith in God and never abandon him, although the general feeling may be that God does not show any mercy. The famine of those times was responsible for such belief. However, the faith in God has forced Naomi and Ruth to return to Bethlehem for seeking the mercy of God. God blesses those who have faith in him. Ruth has provided the evidence of having selfless devotion towards God, as she was prepared to leave all her material belongings and go empty handed to Bethlehem along with Naomi.(Gordon, Book of Ruth Ch 1, nd) Faith moves mountains. In showing selfless devotion to God, many material assets are returned to the faithful, through the mercy of great lord.

Human genetic enhancement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 2

Human genetic enhancement - Essay Example Gene insertion may be intended to affect a single individual through somatic cell modification, or it may target the Gametes, in which case the resulting effect could be passed on to generations. The concept of genetic enhancement is not new if one considers the use of genetically modified drug products such as Human Growth Hormone (HGH), which before 1985 could only be obtained in limited quantities from cadaveric pituitary glands but now can be produced using recombinant DNA technology (Stock, 2003). When its supply was limited HGH could only be prescribed to children with short stature caused by classical growth hormone deficiency however with the advent of recombinant DNA manufacturing some physicians are recommending use of HGH for nonhormone deficient children who are below normal height. After reports were heard of a pregnancy achieved through Human cloning program a bill was set up by the Senate that would outlaw all forms of cloning including biometric research aimed at crea ting embryonic stem cells that would not be rejected when transplanted, simply known as therapeutic cloning, and the bill had the support of then president George W. Bush. Any embryonic researcher was threatened with extreme criminal penalties (10 years in jail). An executive order on March 9, 2009 with its main aim of removing barriers to responsible scientific research involving human stem cell was introduced and it highlighted the advances over the past decade in the research field was very promising and would support it with federal funds. The order was to remove all forms of limitations on scientific inquiry expand NIH support on human stem cell research and enhance American scientist's contribution in new discoveries enhance the reputation for the fact that the U.S.A houses the most powerful biometric research facility in the world. There are issues regarding human genetic modifications and they bring up major questions like what extent is permitted by law, the risk involved, and availability of research benefits to people from all walks of life, use of animal model with the aim of human application. Gene transfer at an embryonic stage through a technique called pronuclear micro injections is being tested in animals but based on the experiments it suggests that embryo gene transfer is unsafe and its use results in random integration of the donor DNA, a lack of control of the number of gene copies inserted,rearrangement of host genetic material and the process was necessarily followed by nuclear transfer of enucleated oocytes led to low birth rate and a very high rate of late pregnancy loss or newborn death thus making gene transfer at the embryonic stage for enhancement would reach far beyond the means of acceptable medical intervention (Stock, 2003). But scientists have crossed that line, they have been able to change the DNA in a human egg and might easily ignore the goal which is prevent rare but horrible disorders in babies, caused by defects in the DNA that only passed down from a mother to a kid. Human genetic enhancement is a controversial topic and to make sense of this requires ethical reflection between Therapy and Enhancement. Both proponents and critics of bioenhancemet have argued that the line between therapy and enhancement is very thin. Therapy includes medical interventions that restore human functioning to species typical norms. One example of human genetic

Integrated Case Assessment PowerPoint Presentation

Integrated Case Assessment - PowerPoint Presentation Example Strategies can be on different fronts and thus makes it important for the individual plans to be analyzed and verified accordingly before they are rolled out. The company should consider outlining strategies for every department within the organization as a means of enhancing efficiency. To this end, priority should be a factor to consider while outlining the individual strategies. Consequently, it is critical to point out that not all strategies can work for the good of the company. The strategies that have been employed by the company have been a success only to some extent. In fact, there is a need to revise the individual strategies so that a working plan can be enhanced. Strategies in the finance, operations, marketing and human resource departments have not been much of a success. Disharmony in the various departments has been experienced to the extent that synergy has been elusive. The strategies employed before in the respective departments did not take into consideration the need for all the departments to function as though they were one. Profitability has been affected to a large extent by the lack of coordination within the various departments. To this end, there has been a need to have the activities of the company work in harmony to ensure that efficiency and profitability are enhanced. To this end, there has been a need to revise the respective strategies for various departments. The department of finance should be strategically placed at a point of reference with respect to the policies that are drafted. Virtually all operations in the company depend on the resources. It is, therefore, critical for the company to include the finance department in every strategy for the purpose of aligning the company’s budget with other operations. In this strategic report, it is my prayer that we continue to position the finance department as a major driving force of the company as

Standard American English and Lyrics of Songs Essay

Standard American English and Lyrics of Songs - Essay Example For an exceptional artist to use African American language, she must have obtained a tremendously prodigious number of fans who understand her language better. For instance, when she says â€Å"to the left† is African American idiom and according to Beyonce and the song, she meant that her lover should leave the house and go away to somewhere else. Therefore, the quote â€Å"to the left† according to the standard Britain English, it is incomplete or rather â€Å"to the left† can directly and literally mean go to the left. Therefore, as far as Britain English is concerned, the meaning in those lines is not absolute. Another instance where the use of Standard English is losing the meaning is on the quote â€Å"matter fact†, here there in no preposition, but it is normal with standard American English but not standard Britain English. The meaning will always change when an artist uses standard English, for example, words like â€Å"cause† and †bout† in the song, gives a different meaning hence changes the meaning. When using words like cause instead of because, and bout instead of about, that only gives a total difference and meaning. Artists should reconsider the use of one language that can be understood easily with all people internationally. By this information, the song can reach the listener hence no problems to the

No Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 3

No - Essay Example In discussing Tiffany in the context of the forces considered in performing and environmental scan, it has been evident that the last couple of years, politics and economics have continued to play a critical role in driving different companies in the jewelry industry so as to stay competitive. The issue of blood diamonds continue to elicit mixed reactions. The current economic conditions has made the jewelry industry face a downturn especially in occasions like the Valentine’s Day and Christmas. The risks that Tiffany needs to consider in conducting its operations include the abundance of counterfeit goods which is adversely affecting the sales of the branded accessories for Tiffany. This is further worsened by the increasing internet retailing which continues to make Tiffany’s efforts in fighting counterfeit goods more challenging and consequently makes the company to lose its brand equity hence a threat because of increases customer dissatisfaction due to the detrimental image of the company. Another threat continues to be the slowdown in the US economy which continues to depress the purchasing power of the retail customers hence having a counter effect on the growth of revenue and the margins of the company. The fact that this does not augur well for retail chains like Tiffany makes it threat that needs serious consideration. To establish whether TIF can take on more debt, we computed the company’s debt ratio or capital gearing ratio which measures the proportion of debt finance capital employed by the company. The debt ratio of Tiffany is 43.41% hence the company’s financial position as regards to debts is healthy as it is less geared. The debt equity ratio provides a measure of the proportion of non-owner supplied funds to owner’s contribution. Tiffany’s debt equity ratio is 59.25% meaning that the

Integrated Case Assessment PowerPoint Presentation

Integrated Case Assessment - PowerPoint Presentation Example Strategies can be on different fronts and thus makes it important for the individual plans to be analyzed and verified accordingly before they are rolled out. The company should consider outlining strategies for every department within the organization as a means of enhancing efficiency. To this end, priority should be a factor to consider while outlining the individual strategies. Consequently, it is critical to point out that not all strategies can work for the good of the company. The strategies that have been employed by the company have been a success only to some extent. In fact, there is a need to revise the individual strategies so that a working plan can be enhanced. Strategies in the finance, operations, marketing and human resource departments have not been much of a success. Disharmony in the various departments has been experienced to the extent that synergy has been elusive. The strategies employed before in the respective departments did not take into consideration the need for all the departments to function as though they were one. Profitability has been affected to a large extent by the lack of coordination within the various departments. To this end, there has been a need to have the activities of the company work in harmony to ensure that efficiency and profitability are enhanced. To this end, there has been a need to revise the respective strategies for various departments. The department of finance should be strategically placed at a point of reference with respect to the policies that are drafted. Virtually all operations in the company depend on the resources. It is, therefore, critical for the company to include the finance department in every strategy for the purpose of aligning the company’s budget with other operations. In this strategic report, it is my prayer that we continue to position the finance department as a major driving force of the company as

No Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 3

No - Essay Example In discussing Tiffany in the context of the forces considered in performing and environmental scan, it has been evident that the last couple of years, politics and economics have continued to play a critical role in driving different companies in the jewelry industry so as to stay competitive. The issue of blood diamonds continue to elicit mixed reactions. The current economic conditions has made the jewelry industry face a downturn especially in occasions like the Valentine’s Day and Christmas. The risks that Tiffany needs to consider in conducting its operations include the abundance of counterfeit goods which is adversely affecting the sales of the branded accessories for Tiffany. This is further worsened by the increasing internet retailing which continues to make Tiffany’s efforts in fighting counterfeit goods more challenging and consequently makes the company to lose its brand equity hence a threat because of increases customer dissatisfaction due to the detrimental image of the company. Another threat continues to be the slowdown in the US economy which continues to depress the purchasing power of the retail customers hence having a counter effect on the growth of revenue and the margins of the company. The fact that this does not augur well for retail chains like Tiffany makes it threat that needs serious consideration. To establish whether TIF can take on more debt, we computed the company’s debt ratio or capital gearing ratio which measures the proportion of debt finance capital employed by the company. The debt ratio of Tiffany is 43.41% hence the company’s financial position as regards to debts is healthy as it is less geared. The debt equity ratio provides a measure of the proportion of non-owner supplied funds to owner’s contribution. Tiffany’s debt equity ratio is 59.25% meaning that the

Development of Modern Middle East Essay Example for Free

Development of Modern Middle East Essay The purpose of this paper is to give a synopsis of the life history and work of Muhammad, son of Abdullah, the prophet of Islam. It will also seek to address the persecutions he underwent at the hands of his own clan. Muhammad was and remains one of the most influential people the world has ever seen. He was a mortal, illiterate man who has changed world history and left an indelible mark on the history books. He was the last of the prophets and one of the few with scriptures. The scripture (Qur’an) is one of the most read and revered books on the face of the earth. His work has over one billion followers worldwide comprising people from all races, social status, sex and age. He acknowledged every prophet before him and discriminated against none (Qur’an 2:285). He was a human rights champion. In this paper Quraysh and/or Mecca will mostly refer to unbelievers in Islamic monotheism at the time of Muhammad. MUHAMMAD: BIRTH and CHILDHOOD Muhammad the son of Abdullah and the grandson of Abdul Muttalib (leader of the Quraysh tribe and custodian of al-Ka’aba) is the prophet of the Islamic religion. Muhammad was born in Mecca in the year 570 c.e. which is also known as the Year of the Elephant. This is the year that Abrahah, the king of Abyssinia (modern day Ethiopia) sent a powerful force to destroy al-Ka’aba because he viewed al-Ka’aba as a rival since it was attracting more pilgrims than his newly constructed temple in Yemen. According to history, on approaching Mecca the lead elephant of Abrahah’s convoy refused to enter the city. Then birds filled the skies stoning the army with pebbles so much so that they had to retreat in defeat. Muhammad was a descendant of Abraham through his son Ishmael. His father Abdullah died few months before Muhammad’s birth. His mother Aminah sent him the countryside to be nursed and nurtured as was the custom in Arabia. It’s believed that the children learn the qualities of self-discipline, nobility, and freedom better in the countryside than in the urban areas. It also gave them the opportunities to be speakers of eloquent Arabic spoken by the Bedouin. Aminah did not have much money to pay for the care so most of the caregivers would not take Muhammad until she met Halimah a poor Bedouin woman who became Muhammad’s nurse. One day while playing with his child peers, two angels appeared to him in human form, laid him down, opened his chest and purified his heart. For fear of what might have happened next, Halimah and her husband Harith returned Muhammad to his mother. (Britannica) Aminah died when Muhammad was only six years old. His grandfather (Abdul Muttalib) took custody of him, then two years later Abdul Muttalib fell sick and suspected he may not survive the illness, so he asked his son Abu Talib to take charge of Muhammad. Abdul Muttalib had many sons some of whom were richer than Abu Talib but he was the kindest and most respectable among his brothers. Abu Talib treated him very well and respectfully. ADOLESCENT to MARRIAGE At a young age he joined Abu Talib’s caravan to Syria. On this Syrian trip a Christian monk (Bahira) saw the signs of prophethood on him, invited him and his uncle to dine with him. He saw the prophet seal on his back and told Abu Talib to protect him from the Jews and Christians because might kill him if they realize his was the foretold prophet to come after Jesus (Qur’an 61:6) And [mention] when Jesus, the son of Mary, said, O children of Israel, indeed I am the messenger of Allah to you confirming what came before me of the Torah and bringing good tidings of a messenger to come after me, whose name is Ahmad. But when he came to them with clear evidences, they said, This is obvious magic. Muhammad was said to be a young man of unusual physical beauty and generosity of character. He was revered in Mecca due to his sense of fairness and justice that people often went to him for arbitration, hence the title al-Amin (the Trusted One). His uncle Abu Talib recommended him to Khadija to work on her caravan. He did so well that Khadija retained his service and made him the head of her caravan and proposed marriage to him through her friend. They got married when Muhammad was twenty five years old and Khadija who was forty years old. During marriage they had two sons and four daughters. The two sons both died young and only Fatimah among the daughters grew up to have children of her own. At age thirty five, Muhammad took his cousin Ali who was five at the time into his household and raised him. He later gave his daughter Fatima to Ali in marriage and it was through this matrimony that his progeny came. (Britannica) All these time although an illiterate, he was not satisfied with the spiritual lives of the Meccans. He started retreating to the mountains for meditation. He has seen, heard, and dreamed of miraculous things and beings. He maintained in his mind that there must be a supernatural being somewhere who is responsible for all these creatures. (CARM) CALL to PROPHETHOOD Muhammad continued his daily retreat in the cave on the mountain. One day, generally believed to be the night of power (Laila tul Qadr) in Ramadan at age forty in the year 610 c.e. while in the cave on mount Hira, the archangel Gabriel appeared to him in human form and asked him to recite. Muhammad told the angel that he did not know how to read but Gabriel insisted he recite the name of thy Lord (Qur’an 96:1-5) â€Å"Read! In the name of your Lord (Cherisher and Sustainer), He who created — created man, out of a leech-like clot: Read! And your Lord is Most Bountiful. He who taught (the use of) the Pen, taught man that which he knew not.† The appearance of Gabriel to Muhammad confirmed his call to prophethood which also marked the beginning of Islam, and added another important chapter to Arab and world history. Among the first converts to Islam were his beloved wife Khadija, Ali his cousin and later son-in-law, and his friend Abu Bakr. The words that Gabriel taught him became the first verses (Ayat) of the scriptures (Koran) which later developed to one hundred and fourteen chapters arranged from the longest to the shortest except the opening chapter (al-Fatiha) which is short. The Qur’an was revealed in a period of twenty three years (610-632 c.e), the first thirteen years in Mecca and last ten in Medina. Although not arranged in chronological order, the shorter chapters are the early revelations. The Qur’an is one of the most revered and read books on earth today. It is the most sacred book for the Muslims; they believe it is God’s own words (the original copy in heaven) and that Muhammad is the last of the prophets hence the other title the â€Å"Seal.† In this case Muhammad and the Qur’an are both completely beyond criticism (reprimand) in the Islamic world. The Muslims will go any length to defend both regardless of the consequences. (Britannica) EARLY DAYS of ISLAM and PERSECUTIONS For the first three years Islam had about forty followers (Muslims). Muhammad and the Muslims faced a lot of persecutions at the hands of Mecca pagans, who viewed the new faith as a threat to their polytheistic lives, and the religions of their forefathers. He was still preaching in private even after three years. He preached a lot about kindness to the poor and the weak (women and children), equality of races, equality of men and women before God. Muslims started gaining ground slowly but surely. Since Mecca frequently had visitors, the elders feared that the new faith might quickly spread if strangers started accepting it, so they had to hatch a plan to stop the spread. They continue to defend their religion but offered little new to the challenge Islam brought to them. Abu Lahab (Muhammad’s uncle) and Abu Sufyan gathered eloquent poets from the tribes and started a propaganda war. The poets coined choice phrases and recited well-crafted verses to ridicule Muhammad and call into doubt the veracity of his beliefs. Muslim converts with poetic skill began to construct rebuttals and soon there were dueling poets all over the city. People began approaching the once highly respected Muhammad in the streets shoving and asking him to perform miracles (predict market prices, turn mountains into gold, make angels appear, and etc.) like the earlier prophets did. Many Qur’an verses came down to him to answer the many challenges he faced and those that question the authenticity of the Qur’an. Muhammad frequently reminded them that he was just a mortal man and the Qur’an was his miracle. Another thing that puzzled the opponents was that Muhammad was not a poet, and his sudden eloquence and verbosity was inexplicable. The Meccans admitted to the fact that Qur’anic verses were nice to listen to and its contents were impassioned and appealing. Some clan elders began sitting outside Muhammad’s window at night to hear him reciting his beautiful verses. They enjoyed the verses and knew that those verses could not have come from even the best poet let alone an illiterate man. This continued until they shamed each other into stopping because that will mean they are encouraging Muhammad and admitting that he was on the right path. (Emerick Yahiya) He continued (Qur’an 7:194-198) speaking against asking idols for help even though the idols could not see, hear, speak, or protect themselves. These Qur’anic verses made idol worship look foolish. These assertions did not settle well with the Quraysh, so they approached Abu Talib (head of the Banu Hasim) and asked him to stop Muhammad or relinquish his protection of him so they could take care of him because he attacks their religion which was Abu Talib’s too. Abu Talib knew that to take care of him meant they wanted kill Muhammad. Remembering the promise he made to his father to protect Muhammad he politely told the clan elders that he would continue to extend his clan’s protection to Muhammad. Muhammad was preaching that slaves were equal to their masters at a time when slavery was at its height in Arabia. This alarmed the Quraysh leaders which prompted them to reason with Abu Talib for the second time, they took along an able-bodied young man (Umarah) to be Abu Talib’s adopted son in exchange for Muhammad. Abu Talib strongly rejected the offer. Meanwhile Muhammad continued his preaching and people continue converting to Islam. (Emerick Yahiya) The Quraysh elders tried a third time to reason with Abu Talib only this with an ultimatum and that was â€Å"Stop Muhammad or we will fight him and you.† Abu Talib did not want to cause trouble for his clan, called Muhammad to a private meeting and said to him â€Å"Save me and save yourself.† Muhammad politely responded his uncle by saying â€Å"Uncle by Allah, if they put the sun in my right hand and the moon in my left and ordered me to give up this cause, I would never do it until either Allah has vindicated me or I perish in the attempt.† When the response was conveyed to the clan leaders, they ordered redoubling of efforts to persecute Muslims. Abu Talib assured him of his unflinching support no matter what he preached and called the Banu Hashim and Banu Abdul Muttalib clans to swear to an oath to protect Muhammad. The Quraysh then sent Utbah, a conciliatory Arab leader to Muhammad asking him to stop preaching his religion or at least make accommodation for idol worshipping, then the Meccans would compensate him whatever he wished. Muhammad recited Chapter 32 of the Qur’an, which outlines the truth of monotheism, Allah’s purpose for creation, and the way He chooses prophets to convey His message of salvation. Utbah was convinced that Muhammad was not crazy and that he should be left alone. Persecution of Muslims then increased to an alarming rate. Muslims were tortured, starved, left to die in hot desert sands, and even murdered. MIGRATION to MEDINA (HIJRA) Due to the persistent persecutions from the people of Mecca, Muhammad accepted the invitation from Yathrib (modern day Medina) to be the head of the city and arbitrator for the warring factions. He could also have freedom to practice and preach about his faith. He migrated to in the year 622 c.e. with his family and some followers. When he was leaving his house Muhammad recited (Qur’an 36:9) â€Å"We have covered them so they cannot see,† he slipped out passing unnoticed by the men assigned to kill him. He left his cousin Ali to sleep in his house. Upon arrival at Yathrib, he and his companions were welcomed with loud cry of delight; a chorus of girls sang a welcome song for them. From that day Yathrib was renamed Medina (city of the prophet). The migration is known as Hijra which also marked the beginning of the Islamic calendar. (CARM) Islam started growing rapidly as a dominant political force in Medina and Muhammad assumed the role of a de facto head of state. Both men and women (including but not limited to Safiya bint Abdul Muttalib, Asma bint Abu Bakr, and Fatima bint Muhammad) played important roles as activists and teachers to make a homeland for Islamic monotheism a reality. Many women began to vigorously support the new movement, for Islam presented a great leap forward in both women’s rights and status. Islam was now going through radical changes. The changes included opposition to idolatry, improving personal morality, establishing personal relationship with God, and regulations for public and social life. The Qur’an laid new rules for the conduct of business and commerce, the compulsory 2.5% welfare tax (Zakat) from annual savings to be given for the benefit of the poor and needy. Fasting (abstinence from worldly pleasure during daylight) in the month of Ramadan was established. The five daily prayers were now held in congregation in the mosque. (Mission Islam) With the arrival of Sawdah and marriage to Aisha, Muhammad started to establish a stable household in Medina. Sawdah was a widow of ********* and one of the early converts to Islam. She got married to Muhammad after the demise of Khadija. She was said to be a very kind and humorous woman. Aisha may have been twelve years or so at the time. She lived in her own apartment by the mosque and spent her leisure entertaining visitors and walking the streets of Medina. Aisha was a quick learner and soon became a sought-after teacher on Islamic issues as the years progressed. Sawdah also had her own apartment and did not encroach upon Aisha’s domain. She took the inexperienced Aisha under her wing and guided her in her role as a wife. (Inter-Islam) WARS against DISBELIEVERS Muhammad and his followers fought many wars against Islam’s foes from Mecca, Jews and the tribes. The first of the great wars was the â€Å"Battle of Badr.† The Muslims were outnumbered by Meccans almost three to one. The Meccan army was headed by Abu Jahl a staunch enemy of Islam and the person of Muhammad. The Meccans lost their camp and its wealth and supplies, and about fifty men including Abu Jahl and many other leaders who died in the war. The Muslims took about seventy Meccans prisoner. The Muslims had fourteen casualties. Muhammad announced that Allah’s help allowed them to win (Qur’an 8:9 and 8:17). While the Muslims continued to celebrate their win in Medina, the Meccans were humiliated by the Battle of Badr at home and wanted to revenge. This will mean a change of events for the Muslims (Qur’an 3:140) â€Å"If a wound hath touched you, be sure a similar wound hath touched the others. Such days (of varying fortunes) We give to men and men by turns: that Allah may know those that believe, and that He may take to Himself from your ranks Martyr-witnesses (to Truth). And Allah loveth not those that do wrong†. This leads to the Battle of Uhud. The Meccans used the proceeds from Abu Sufyan’s great caravan to procure weapons for next campaign against Muslims. They had three thousand well-armed fighters divided into three massive columns. The women’s group was led by Hind, Abu Sufyan’s wife who vowed not to mourn the deaths of her father, brother and uncles, and also promised not to sleep with her husband until she had her vengeance against the Muslims. Abu Sufyan trying to convince his wife of his own bravery also promised not to bathe until he defeated Muhammad. Many women decided to come along to encourage their husbands and fathers and watch the battle. Hind, Abu Sufyan’s wife stated â€Å"We will indeed accompany the army and no one can stand in our way or force us back into our homes, if the women were present at the Day of Badr soldiers running away would not have happened.† At the head of each Meccan regiment were men who wanted to see Muhammad dead. Among them were Khalid ibn al-Walid famous Meccan cavalry general who wanted glory and accolades. Abu Sufyan and his brother-in-law Ikhrimah, the son of Abu Jahl were seeking blood to fight for glory. The women made it clear that if their men struck down the enemy they would be embraced and w0uld spread rugs for them. If you turn your backs we will avoid you and we will never come back to sleep with you. (pbs.org) The Prophet instructed fifty archers to protect the Muslims backs and not to move from their posts until they saw the Muslims entering the enemy camp, if the Muslims were being beaten they should still stay at their posts and avoid trying to help so that the enemy could not come behind them. However, the archers left their posts allowing the enemy the chance to get behind them which caused the Muslims to be overwhelmed by the much larger enemy (Qur’an 8:27-28) â€Å"O you who have believed, do not betray Allah and the Messenger or betray your trusts while you know [the consequence]. But when he came to it, he was called, Blessed is whoever is at the fire and whoever is around it. And exalted is Allah, Lord of the worlds.† The Prophet himself got struck by a thrown rock that knocked one of his teeth off and he fell to the ground. He was quickly surrounded by Muslims to protect him from the charging Meccans. The Prophet tried to get up but fell into a pit, Ali and another man lifted him out of the pit. The Muslims suffered about seventy casualties and many others were severely wounded, and the Meccans lost hundreds. However, the Muslims admitted defeat because of high number of casualties and wounded including the prophet with regard to the size of their army . The Meccan women led by Hind enraged by their near defeat began to mutilate and deface the fallen Muslims. They cut off noses and ears and made them ornaments or necklaces moving over dead bodies like ghouls. Hind found Hamza’s dead body, ripped open his chest and chewed on his liver, fulfilling her vow. Hamza was Muhammad’s uncle and the one who killed Abu Jahl, the father of Hind. Hamza was killed by a slave whom Hind promised to set free if he killed Hamza. (Emerick Yahiya) After the battle of Uhud the Muslims position in Medina was precarious and the hypocrites capitalized on this situation to strengthen their position. Most of the tribes were now emboldened since they realize that the Muslims were not invincible. Many times, Muslims who were sent on missions got massacred and this brought about a lot of sadness among surviving compatriots. Muhammad explained the change in their fortunes as God’s way of testing their resolve and sincerity. (Qur’an 2:15 5-156). The Jews who had signed treaties with the Prophet broke the terms of the treaties and they were exiled from Medina. The Jews incited other tribes and Mecca to go to war with Muslims to wipe out Islam. The tribes and Meccans made up an army of about ten thousand fighters to attack the Muslims. The Prophet and other Muslims dug a trench at the south entrance of the city to protect Medina from the menacingly large army attack, since the other side was Mount Uhud and the back was the Jewish fortresses. The army arrived but could not enter the city of Medina so they laid siege for three weeks. This was called the siege of Medina or Battle of the Trench. This was a difficult time for Muslims because their food supply was running out and their Jewish neighbors (Banu Qurayza) had cut the food supply. However, after about three weeks in the cold desert nights the army started feeling weary. One night a raging winter storm befell the army, and the weather was so harsh that they decided to leave. (Emerick Yahiya) CONQUEST of MECCA and PASSING of the PROPHET Despite all the troubles Muslims faced, Islam was steadily growing. In the year 628 c.e the Muslims and the Quraysh signed the treaty of Hudaybiyah, and the Muslims defeated the Jews at the battle of Khaybar. In the year 629 Muhammad led a lesser pilgrimage to Mecca and Khalid ibn Walid converted to Islam. In the year 630 c.e the prophet marched unto Mecca with over ten thousand followers. They faced very little resistance from the Meccans. The prophet and the Muslims destroyed and removed all the idols that filled al Ka’aba and established prayers in the place. Abu Sufyan the last strongest Quraysh leader converted to Islam. (Emerick Yahiya) In the year 632 c.e the prophet went to Mecca with over one hundred thousand followers to perform farewell pilgrimage (hajj). This was to be his last hajj and this was where gave the farewell sermon (address), which reads O People, lend me an attentive ear, for I dont know whether, after this year, I shall ever be amongst you again. Therefore listen to what I am saying to you carefully and TAKE THIS WORDS TO THOSE WHO COULD NOT BE PRESENT HERE TODAY. O People, just as you regard this month, this day, and this city as Sacred, so regard the life and property of every Muslim as a sacred trust. Return the goods entrusted to you to their rightful owners. Hurt no one so that no one may hurt you. Remember that you will indeed meet your LORD, and that HE will indeed reckon your deeds. ALLAH has forbidden you to take usury (Interest), therefore all interest obligation shall henceforth be waived Beware of Satan, for your safety of your religion. He has lost all hope that he will ever be able to lead you astray in big things, so beware of following him in small things. O People, it is true that you have certain rights with regard to your women, but they also have right over you. If they abide by your right then to them belongs the right to be fed and clothed in kindness. Do treat your women well and be kind to them for they are your partners and committed helpers. And it is your right that they do not make friends with any one of whom you do not approve, as well as never to commit adultery. O People, listen to me in earnest, worship ALLAH, say your five daily prayers (Salah), fast during the month of Ramadan, and give your wealth in Zakat. Perform Hajj if you can afford to. You know that every Muslim is the brother of another Muslim. YOU ARE ALL EQUAL. NOBODY HAS SUPERIORITY OVER OTHER EXCEPT BY PIETY AND GOOD ACTION. Remember, one day you will appear before ALLAH and answer for your deeds. So beware, do not astray from the path of righteousness after I am gone. O People, NO PROPHET OR APOSTLE WILL COME AFTER ME AND NO NEW FAITH WILL BE BORN. Reason well, therefore, O People, and understand my words which I convey to you. I leave behind me two things, the QURAN and my example, the SUNNAH and if you follow these you will never go astray. All those who listen to me shall pass on my words to others and those to others again; and may the last ones understand my words better than those who listen to me directly. BE MY WITNESS O ALLAH THAT I HAVE CONVEYED YOUR MESSAGE TO YOUR PEOPLE. After the prophet concluded his final sermons the following qur’anic (ayat) verse was revealed to him (Quran 5:3) â€Å"This day have I perfected your religion for you, completed My Grace upon you, and have chosen Islam for you as your religion.† Muhammad died in the year 632 c.e. after a short illness two years after he conquered Mecca and destroyed the idols in al-Ka’aba. He was buried at Medina in the Mosque (Masjid Nabawi). â€Å"There is no forcing anyone into this way of life. Truth stands clear in the from error† (Qur’an 2:256) Sources Gelvin James L, (2011) The Modern Middle East- A History, Oxford University Press, New York Emerick Yahiya, (2002) The Life and Work of Muhammad, Alpha Books, Indianapolis Britannica Online Encyclopaedia- Muhammad (The Prophet of Islam). Retrieved on September 23, 2012 www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/396226/Muhammad PBS-islam: Empire of Faith-Profiles-Muhammad. Retrieved on September 25, 2012 www.pbs.org/empires/islam/profilesMuhammad.html Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry (CARM). Retrieved on September 30, 2012 http://www.carm.org/muhammad Inter-Islam Home. Retrieved on October 12, 2012 www.inter-islam.org/Biographies Mission Islam. Retrieved on October 15, 2012 www.missionislam.com/knowledge/zakat.htm