Selling Executives on Project Management Assignment - 2

Selling Executives on Project Management - Assignment Example Heerkens (2002)Often times in a project, expectations are not met that are defined in scope and the WBS. Thus, creating contingency strategies is pivotal towards executing a successful project. One of the most pivotal contingency strategies is to have a high incremental cost of resources that continue to plague organizations. One of the strategies I would suggest is financial segmentation. The revenue stream is the focal point that one should examine at Levan. Budget discrepancies are one of the most difficult challenges to deal with when closing down a project because PMs must ensure that they close their projects without any discrepancies. Understanding the segmentation of financials is hectic because it requires signatures, higher authority decisions and collaboration. In midst of the project, most managers forget that budget discrepancies in the beginning can accumulate to be problematic at the end. This not only creates chaos in the project, but diminishes quality, resources and time. The second element I would suggest is that to run more of an Agile environment rather than a waterfall. Agile methodology is one of the best methodologies that have been implemented in the realm of e-commerce. Agile methodology allows organizations to harness growth, breed innovation, and define products that can be tangible and intuitive. One of the best elements of Agile is the fact that one can prototype. The rise of Agile methodology is likely to be more effective because it is very rapid and at the end of each sprint you have something testable and can be given to the client much quicker than waterfall. Heerkens (2002)The techniques that the group found effective were using wireframes and workflows because it is easier to visually understand information than to read 300 page documentation. The third strategy I would suggest is managing change request. It is evident that managing change request is

Case study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 108

Case Study Example As the boss is also in a compromising situation where social media exposes his nakedness. The important fact now is for Paul to understand the pros and cons that are associated with social media. Having the boss as his friend can work in his favor by the boss getting the positive perspective of Paul’s personality hence building confidence in Paul. However, Paul is to desist from making reckless comments that tarnish the image of the company or the boss. Such comments will land him in a bad setting with the boss. Social media improves communication. The friendship will make Paul to easily communicate with the boss as they are friends (Stewart, 2013). The above aspect is critical as it transudates’ to even productivity at the work place. However, it is important for limits to be set on what is communicated on social media. Paul should desist discussing work with the boss on social media plat forms. Matters as asking for sick leave are to be handled in an official manner. Paul should desist from leading the boss to discussing matters pertaining work such as supervisory roles. In case such a topic arises, Paul can let it fade away or totally ignore the conversation as it fades away with lack of attention on the subject matter. Most companies have policies that guide employee’s conduct on social media. Such policies are especially designed and have the capacity to handle Paul’s case. In absenter of such policies, Paul is advised to desist from discussing other employees with the boss on the site and giving personal opinions about the company on the site. Social media is a site that offers an opportunity for people to interact. Paul’s case with the boss is not unique but an increasing headache to many employees. Clearly, bosses that request for friend ship on social media to their juniors are curious and should be handled diligently. Once in friendship with the boss one should be cautious on the photos posted and comments. Some of the bosses

Fast food restaurant Essay Example for Free

Fast food restaurant Essay There are a few issues in the United States that many of us are talking about daily. One of those main issues that are being talked about is food in our society. But even more specific than that, many are talking about how the fast food industry has affected and impacted our society. There is a lot of history of how fast food has started. There were a lot of entrepreneurs many years ago that realized that going into the fast food chain would bring them great profit (Levenstein 229). Some not only went after the food people liked to eat, but also where exactly they started their business. The author Harvey Levensteing tells us that one of the most successful entrepreneurs, Ray Kroc from McDonalds, went after the areas where there were more families with children, and just that helped him become more successful than others (229). So other than a couple of smart guys knowing what industry to get in and being extremely successful, there are many ways that these people have made the fast food industry impact our society in a couple of ways. We all live in this country and since we are all humans we have to make time to eat, whether it is at home or somewhere outside of home, we still have to eat. In that case, we all have seen or been around the fast food industry. Fast food is a growing industry that has had a huge impact in our society today, with its speedy service, the convenience of drive through, and its cheaper way of mass production, it has made us Americans see food in a different way. America now in days is known to want and have everything as fast as we can have it. We Americans, have gotten into this set of mind that if things go faster then everything will be better. Like I have said previously, many entrepreneurs saw that and took advantage of it quickly. It has been researched that people are relying more on food that isn’t prepared at home for meals when you’re not home and even when you are home (Sharkey et al. 1). One of the main reasons for that is that it is time consuming to even go home and cook a meal for a whole family. It saves time to just go right around the corner, usually, and buy a whole meal from Kentucky Fried Chicken. This is an easy way out for those with a fast-paced life which now is almost every American. In many cases when you are tired from working long hours and are starving, a meal from one of the many fast food restaurants just seems holy since you know you will receive it in a matter of just minutes. The fast food chains have adapted with the fast-pace lives which also lead us to other types life styles such as amusement and entertainment (Thomas). With its advantage of saving time and getting as much food as you would otherwise, there is also a disadvantage with fast food being so speedy and gotten us used to it. Since it is a way of getting your food so fast and eating it right away, it takes away from other valuable things there was to eating. We are so wrapped up in just getting eating out of our way that we lose the value to family quality time spent when there is a more home-made traditional meal (â€Å"Advantages and Disadvantages†). Clearly, fast food has helped with getting our meal faster, but also made us lose some of our valuable moments. One huge advantage that fast food owners saw was drive-through, also known as drive-ins. This was something that happened at exactly the perfect time it had to. These entrepreneurs saw how the car industry was growing in our society and immediately took advantage of that fact. That is when drive through started because they saw how much American’s loved the car. So they made a food lifestyle revolve around the automobile, which to this day has stuck to our society. Eric Schlosser has a quote of one of the first founders of drive-ins, Jesse G. Kirby, which he states, â€Å"People with cars are so lazy, they dont want to get out of them to eat! † (Schlosser) This shows how America had changed and revolved around what these guys were doing. Clearly they were successful meaning there had to be those of us loving to just go to a place, order and get our food brought right to us. The bad part of this, was that like Kirby said people were being really lazy to get something we couldn’t go without, which is food. This has come to a full circle with how it has impacted our society. Being able to get in your car and drive through a window and get a meal in a matter of minutes is great, but when we are doing this constantly and through laziness, that’s when we go wrong. The fact that there is an easier way to get our food has helped the fact that America is known for an obese country. We can’t completely blame it, but it has had the drive-in impact, which like it has been said, people are that lazy they don’t want to get out of their cars to even eat. To sum it up, drive-in have been an addition to our society that has had several effects. Another big way the fast food industry has impacted our society is the economics of mass production (Levenstein 228). A perfect example of this is what the McDonald brothers did when they were tired of having to deal with things that lead to them spending much more and consisting of more time. So they started something that would stay with us for a long time. What the McDonald brothers did was: [They] fired all their car hops in 1948, closed their restaurant, installed a larger grill and reopened three months later with a radically new method of preparing food. They eliminated almost two-thirds of the items on the menu. They got rid of every item that had to be eaten with a knife, spoon or fork. The only sandwiches now sold were hamburgers and cheeseburgers. The brothers got rid of their dishes and glassware, replacing them with paper cups, bags and plates. They divided the food preparation into separate tasks performed by different workers. The guiding principles of the factory assembly line were applied to the workings of a commercial kitchen. The new division of labor meant that a worker had to be taught how to perform only one task. Skilled and expensive short-order cooks were no longer necessary. All of the burgers were sold with the same condiments: ketchup, onions, mustard and two pickles. No substitutions were allowed. (Schlosser) This is where it all started. Schlosser clearly tells us that they even added the principle of the assembly line. The McDonald brothers saw that making things in more amounts was going to be way cheaper and save time as well. How they changed things impacted society greatly. After the other fast food entrepreneurs saw that this was a genius idea, they all started following the same path. What Schlosser says that the brothers did is still what we see today in almost any fast food restaurant we go out to eat at. How much they produce in a day is mainly by how much us as Americans demand for. This all seems great and beneficial to all, but how beneficial is it to our society as a whole. The fact that the fast food industry has seen that it is cheaper to hire people to a job that is literary a dead end, make the food we eat just as a simple assembly line to satisfy our need to have everything faster, and making everything in huge amounts has been good in a way, but bad in others. This had led to other problems as to how and where they get there food fast enough to have as much as they need for the demand. Much of the process of how they get there food isn’t the greatest which in another way has a bad impact to this country. Clearly us as Americans loved the economics of the mass production, but we should realize everything behind it. In conclusion, we clearly see the impacts fast food has had in our country and society. It has come to change the way we live because food is such an important part of our lives. Us as Americans have had a habit to want things very quickly, we love our cars therefore the drive throughs were a huge success, and the fact that producing things in large amounts and being able to pay less for the work seemed like a genius idea. This has lead to many benefits with the fact that we are living in a fast-paced society. On the other hand, some of it has affected us like being one of the obese countries. This issue is something that will be talked about for years to come. Hopefully someone will find that happy medium where the benefits of fast food stays, but the bad side of it goes away. When that day come will we have a better way of seeing fast food and how much of an impact it has and will have in our society, and we will be able to focus more on those other issues that are being talked about. Works Cited â€Å"Advantages and Disadvantages of Fast Food. † Buzzle. com. N. p. , 2011. Web. 13 June 2011. Levenstein, Harvey. â€Å"Fast Food and Quick Bucks. † Paradox of Plenty: A Social History of Eating in Modern America. New York: Oxford UP, 1993. 227-236. Phoenix College Library. Web. 7 June 2011. Schlosser, Eric. Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal. New York: Houghton Mifflin, 2001. N. pag. Print. -. â€Å"Fast-Food Nation. † Rolling Stone 3 Sept. 1998: Part 1-2. MC Spotlight. Web. 7 June 2011. Sharkey, Joseph, et al. â€Å"Focusing on fast food restaurants alone underestimates the relationship between neighborhood deprivation and exposure to fast food in a large rural area. † Nutrition Journal 10. 1 (2011): 1-2. Academic Search Premier. Web. 7 June 2011. Thomas, Emma, ed. â€Å"How to Cognate The Good Side of Fast Food Culture. † Sooper Articles. ISolution, 2011. Web. 14 June 2011.

Rowntree and Townsends Theories on Poverty

Rowntree and Townsends Theories on Poverty Introduction Sociologists disagree over what poverty actually is. In this essay I aim to discuss and criticise Seebohm Rowntrees theory from 1899 -1950 then I will discuss and criticise, Peter Townsend’s theory. The next section will be to discuss and criticise, Mack and Lansleys theory, and the ideas of Herbert Spencer (social Darwinism) There will then be a discussion of regressive and progressive taxation and an explanation of Marslands theory. Finally I will explain and criticise, John Wetergaard and Henrietta Resler’s arguement that there is a myth surrounding the welfare state. This myth is that the welfare state is progressive and redistributes from the rich to the poor. Poverty and Seebohm Rowntree In the time of Queen Elizabeth the first it was people’s duty to help alleviate poverty. They did this by feeding the poor and visiting the sick and trying to ensure that people were not destitute. After the Reformation things changed and laws were passed to regulate the amount that was spent on the poor. In 1601 the Elizabethan Poor Law was passed and made provision for â€Å"the setting of the poor on work†[1] The Poor Law also said that the poor were responsible for caring for each other. Overseers were appointed in every area to decide how much poor relief would be needed. In the amended Poor Law of 1834 overseers knew the circumstances of the poor in their are and those who were considered lazy would not get much help. These amendments to the Poor Law gave those in power a greater degree of control over the lives of the poor. In the 1860s, Joseph Rowntree, Seebohm Rowtree’s father conducted two studies into poverty.[2] This led Seebohm Rowntree to later conduct his own study which was published in 1901. He made an early distinction between primary and secondary poverty – a distinction which sociologists still use today. Primary poverty meant that a family did not have enough money coming in to cover the basic necessities of food, shelter and clothing. Secondary poverty was where families earned enough but spent their money on things other than the basic necessities. So some spending was regarded as alright while other spending was seen as wasting money, on drink for example. He believed that wages should be increased because then people would be well fed and healthy and would be an efficient workforce. He raised the wages of workers at his own company and said that businesses who refused to do this should be closed down as they were doing the country no favours. His second study which he car ried out in the 1930s was published as â€Å"Progress and Poverty in 1941.† He argued in this study that the main cause of poverty was unemployment, the conclusions of his report influenced the founding of the welfare state. Although Seebohm Rowntree did a lot to further the cause of the poor and to point out the causes of poverty. His remarks about primary and secondary poverty, while still influential today, were typical of those in power. That is to say they carried the message that the poor were irresponsible and needed to be told how to spend the money that they had earned. Peter Townsend – Poverty as a Social Problem Townsend (1979) has defined poverty in the following way: Individuals, families and groups in the population can be said to be in poverty when they lack the resources to obtain the types of diets, participate in the activities and have the living conditions which are customary, or at least widely encouraged and approved, in the societies to which they belong. Townsend(1979:31). Townsend’s work makes it quite clear that poverty is not just a lack of money but encompasses things other than strictly material needs. Those who are poor often live in poorer areas with badly performing schools and poor housing. This often results in ill health. Townsend said that there were two types of poverty, relative poverty and absolute poverty. Research undertaken for the Rowntree Foundation (Howarth et al,1999) found that in local authority housing more than two thirds of the heads of those households were not in paid work and since 1991 there has been an increase of 40% in the number of local authority areas with above average mortality rates. Absolute poverty is not really seen in the west. In underdeveloped countries people are often denied thenecessities e.g. food and shelter which maintain existence. Giddens (2001:311) argues that the idea of absolute poverty is grounded in ‘subsistence’. Anyone without sufficient food, shelter and clothing could be said to be living in absolute poverty. One of the ways in which absolute poverty is measured is by the poverty line which is based on the price of goods in a given society that humans need for survival. Those who cannot afford these goods live in poverty. Not everyone agrees with this and the idea of absolute poverty is highly contested because the use of a single criterion fails to take into account the differences between societies. Needs are not the same in all societies, or even in the same society, nutritional needs are different for people working in different jobs, a labourer for example may need more calories than a bank clerk. Drewnowski and Scott (1966)[3] argue that absolute poverty should also include a lack of cultural needs. This is often argued over because a fixed standard on such needs is bound to fail. These people are more interested in relative poverty. Relative poverty looks at peoples incomes and compares them to a national average. Relative poverty means that people are living in poverty when their life is compared to those of the average family this is because lack of income also means poorer housing. People who live in relative poverty usually live in deprived areas also. Since 1979 increased unemployment and a rise in benefit payments and earnings that are index linked to prices rather than wages, has resulted in a huge rise in the number of people living in relative poverty.[4] In a report inThe British Medical Journal (2000) the writer looked at absolute and relative child poverty in developed countries where some peoples incomes were more than fifty percent lower than the average. It also said that in the league table of relative child poverty one of the four bottom places was held by the UK. An article in the Daily Telegraph (27/08/02) says that the idea of relative poverty is a problem. The article suggests that instead of using household income as the regulator it might be better if statisticians calculated the prices of basic goods and services. Under the present system the rich were becoming richer and the poor were paying for it in increased taxes and a lack of services. Another approach to measuring relative poverty is through people’s perceptions of the necessities of life which is what Mack and Lansley did. Mack and Lansley The work of Mack and Lansley (1985, 1992) listed those things that were considered to be necessary to modern day life if a person was not living in poverty. They did two studies on relative poverty in the UK. Mack and Lansley carried out an opinion poll to find out what people thought were the necessities of modern day life. There were twenty six things that most people considered important these things included new clothes, heating, a bath and indoor toilet. Relative poverty was thus measured by the presence or absence of the things that had been listed. Mack and Lansley’s research found that the number of people living in poverty in the 1980s went up quite a bit, this poverty was defined by the lack of three or more of the basic necessities mentioned earlier. Between 1983 and 1990 when the two studies were undertaken the number of people who were living in poverty went up from 7.5 million to 11 million and the number of those living in severe poverty or who were lacking more than 7 of the items that were considered essential, went up from 2.6 to 3.5 million (Mack and Lansley, 1992). Poverty is also defined by how far people can afford to participate in social activities such as school trips. In recent years this has been called social exclusion. Social exclusion does not look at poverty just in terms of a lack of material things. It looks at the wider picture and this includes wheter people are able to participate in society. There are no clear ways of measuring poverty. Absolute and relative poverty are both complex and ways of measuring what it is to be poor, and not everyone agrees on them. Policy makers say what poverty is and then make laws for it but few of them experience what it is to be poor. A report published by the Rowntree foundation says that what the poor have to say needs to be taken into consideration in research on poverty. Taking into account the opinions of those who actually lived in poverty would provide useful information for existing organisations that might help shape policy making in the long term.[5] In all this there is a feeling that the poor are somehow to blame for the circumstances in which they find themselves. A point which Herbert Spencer writing in the nineteenth century would have agreed with. As far as Spencer was concerned people lived in poverty as a result of dissolute living. He had no sympathy at all for the poor and regarded many of them as criminals and drunks. He believed it was unnatural to help people who lived in poverty as a result of their own behaviour and irresponsibility. If people were too lazy to work then they should not be allowed to eat. He believed that the cause of poverty could be found by an examination of the moral character of an individual. The Poor Laws were wrong because they encouraged the poor to be lazy and to rely on somebody else’s hard work to provide them with the necessities of life. This allowed moral decline to spread through the population. The result would be that both society and the economy would suffer. Late nineteenth and early twentieth century thought was heavily influence by Darwins work â€Å" The Origins of the Species† and Spencer was no exception. He believed in Darwin’s idea of the survival of the fittest. Society could only evolve properly and morally if the honest and hard working members of society were allowed to keep the fruits of their labour. The week and lazy members of society should be condemned to live in poverty because that was what they deserved. Falling into poverty was a necessary evil in society because without poverty work would not exist. Although this may seem repugnant to a lot of people Spencer’s ideas are still rife in modern society. Peter Golding (1978) has said that media reporting of poverty in the nineteen seventies portrayed the poor as welfare scroungers living off the backs of others. The press portrayed people as having a comfortable existence living off social security at the expense of tax payers. The New Right The Conservative Government headed by Margaret Thatcher were voted into power in 1979. Political debates of the time were concerned with a free market economy versus the welfare state. The tory government brought in measures to roll back the welfare state and control spending. This was done through the introduction of marketing and business strategies into policy making. At the same time there was an intense process of privatization because it was thought that public ownership of companies, and the public sector worked against market forces. Introducing marketing principles into social care allowed the Governments to in theory improve services. It also enabled them to retain a greater degree of control. Giddens (2001) says that: †¦the momentum of Thatcherism in economic matters was maintained by the privatising of public companies†¦..(this)..is held to reintroduce healthy economic competition in place of unwieldy and ineffective public bureaucracies, reduce public expenditure and end political interference in managerial decisions (Giddens, 2001:434). The introduction of market forces into social care was considered the best method of Government spending because free markets were considered to be self organising (Olssen 2000).They thought this would increase productivity and improve care and be cost efficient. Government discourses, both Conservative and New Labour have revolved around the notion that the introduction of market mechanisms would result in a more equitable system benefiting all. However, Alcock (1994) says that the Conservative policies resulted in greater unemployment, a rise in the number of homeless people, and a general growth in social inequality. Marsland (1996) disagrees and says that in Britain poverty has been exaggerated. David Marsland Marsland says that the Rowntree foundation deliberately confuse poverty with inequality and that they exaggerate the amount of poverty in Britain. He says that who say poverty is increasing act out of their own self interest because the evidence is not examined impartially. He does not believe in relative poverty but says that in order to truly be poverty it has to be absolute and this is disappearing from Britain because of the increase in living standards that has come about through capitalism. He is also critical o universal welfare provision i.e. those benefits such as education which are available to everyone regardless of their income as he believes they create a dependency culture. Marsland (1989) believes that relying on the government to take care of the people results in an abdication of personal responsibility and welfare hand outs are just another reason for remaining unemployed. Jordan (1989) says that Marsland is wrong in what he says about universal welfare provision creating a dependency culture and that if such a culture exists it is targeted with means tested benefits that only the very poor get. Rather than poverty being the result of an over generous welfare system, Jordan says that it comes from one that is too mean. Westergaard and Resler (1976) argue that the welfare state does not make the distribution of wealth more equal. Poverty is not being eradicated. Any money or benefits that the working class receive will eventually be paid back in tax by themselves. They believe that the welfare state is simply another tool of capitalism and poverty exists because of that system which prevents poor people from obtaining the resources to stop being poor. In Westergaard’s view the policies of the eighties and nineties and the hold that market forces had over Britain meant that even the aim of redistributing wealth through the welfare state had been abandoned. Kincaid says that it is not just a matter of rich and poor it is the fact that some people are very rich while some are very poor. Poverty therefore is a result of the capitalist system. However, such theories do not really explain why some people become poor nor do they differentiate between poor working class and other members of that clas s. So we have plenty of theories but no real solutions. Conclusion This essay has looked at different theories of poverty. Seebohm Rowntree in the nineteenth century who wanted to improve the lives of the poor and believed that increased wages would change things. Herbert Spencer on the other hand believed the opposite. He thought it was wrong to help the poor and believed that if people were hard working and honest then they should keep all of the money they had earned. Some people were born to be richer than others, it was the survival of the fittest. Peter Townsend distinguished between absolute and relative poverty but relative poverty is not easy to define and is still being contested. Even Macky and Llansley’s work on relative poverty does not solve the problem. New Right approaches have contributed to the problems of poverty but Marxist criticisms do not provide answers as to who the poor really are or how they became that way. Clearly this is not an easy question. Howver, if we look back at the definitions of absolute poverty then we can say that this type of poverty does not really exist in Britain today. Bibliography Giddens, A. 2001. (4th ed). Sociology. Cambridge, Polity Press. Haralambos, M and Heald, R. 1985 Sociology: Themes and Perspectives. London, Bell and Hyman. Howarth,C. et al 1999 Monitoring Poverty and Social Exclusion. York, Joseph Rowntree Foundation. http://www.rte.ie/news/2003/1210/poverty.html Mack, J. and Lansley, S. 1985. Poor Britain. London, George Allen and Unwin. Mack, J. and Lansley, S. 1992. Breadline Britain 1990s The Findings of the Television Series. London, London Weekend Television. Nickell, S. RES conference paper April 2003 Poverty and Worklessness in Britain http://cep.lse.ac.uk/pubs/download/dp0579.pdf O’Neale Roache, J. 2000. â€Å"One in Six Children Live in Relative Poverty.† BMJ 2000;320:1626 ( 17 June ). The Daily Telegraph 27th August 2002 Townsend, P. 1979. Poverty in the United Kingdom. Harmondsworth, Penguin. Giddens, A. 2001. (4th ed). Sociology. Cambridge, Polity Press. Haralambos, M and Heald, R. 1985 Sociology: Themes and Perspectives. London, Bell and Hyman. Howarth,C. et al 1999 Monitoring Poverty and Social Exclusion. York, Joseph Rowntree Foundation. http://www.rte.ie/news/2003/1210/poverty.html Mack, J. and Lansley,S. 1985. Poor Britain. London, George Allen and Unwin. Mack, J. and Lansley,S. 1992. Breadline Britain 1990s The Findings of the Television Series. London, London Weekend Television. Nickell, S. RES conference paper April 2003 Poverty and Worklessness in Britain http://cep.lse.ac.uk/pubs/download/dp0579.pdf Olssen, M. 2000 â€Å"Ethical liberalism, education and the New Right† Journal of Educational Policy Vol 15No. 5 2000 pps 481-508 O’Neale Roache, J. 2000. â€Å"One in Six Children Live in Relative Poverty.† BMJ 2000;320:1626 ( 17 June ). The Daily Telegraph 27th August 2002 Townsend, P. 1979. Poverty in the United Kingdom. Harmondsworth, Penguin. Sociological Review 1 [1] http://www.victorianweb.org/history/poorlaw/elizpl.html [2] http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/RErowntreeS.htm [3] Cited in Holborn and Langley 2002 [4] http://cep.lse.ac.uk/pubs/download/dp0579.pdf Nickell, S. RES conference paper April 2003 [5] From input to influence: Participatory approaches to research and inquiry into poverty by Fran Bennett with Moraene Roberts, published by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation

The Hawaiian Monk Seal: An Endangered Species

The Hawaiian Monk Seal: An Endangered Species The Hawaiian monk seal (Neomonachus Schauinslandi) is an endemic species located on the Hawaiian Islands. It has the following taxonomy: Kingdom: Animalia, Phylum: Chordata, Class: Mammalia, Order: Carnivora, Family: Phocidae, Genus: Neomonachus, and Species: Schauinslandi (fisheries.noaa.gov). It is found predominately on the Northwest Hawaiian Islands, with a smaller population located on the main islands. The monk seal arrived at the Hawaiian Islands anywhere from 3.5 to 11.6 million years ago. They are believed to have entered from the east via a passage way in Central America (fpir.noaa.gov). The animals were hunted aggressively in the 19th century for their fur. Since then, there population has not been able to recover. The monk seals face a number of obstacles to survival. Its population is still declining, as there were an estimated 1,112 remaining in 2015. Historically, its geographic range has been within the U.S. waters near the Hawaiian Islands. They can be found on the isolated beaches of the northwestern islands. They spend much of their time at sea near coral reefs. The seals habitat also consist of submerged sea banks, atolls, and other areas offshore. The monk seal typically forages for food at a depth of 60-300ft. deep (fisheries.noaa.gov). During breeding season, the monk seals are located on the sandy beaches of Hawaii. They prefer remote and secure locations when nursing their pups, which lasts a month until they return to the sea. The life span of a Hawaiian monk seal is 25-30 years. They mature at the age of five, and can grow up to 7.5 feet and weigh 400lbs. An interesting feature of the seal is they are born black, but grow a silver coat later in life. The monk seal is considered a benthic forager which eat fish, eels, octopus, and crustaceans (fisheries.noaa.gov). There are several reasons for the Hawaiian monk seals population has declined at such a rapid rate over the past few decades. First of all, the human population on the islands has disturbed the animals natural habitat. The seals often die after getting caught in fishing nets, and there is a decrease in food available which might be attributed to overfishing in the area. The seals have faced difficulty in finding sufficient food due to competition from other predators as well. Also, the monk seal is a source of prey for sharks which adds to its loss in numbers. Genetic variability is low among the Hawaiian monk seals, which has added to the species difficulty in recovering from its endangered status. This is compounded by the fact that subpopulations fail to migrate or interact with populations of differing islands. This has caused inbreeding which carries with it a host of negative consequences. Genetic diversity helps a species to recover by promoting disease resistance and adaptability to a changing environment. On the other hand, a lack of diversity increases a chance for disease and reproductive failure (Kretzmann 482-483). Inbreeding occurs when the number of potential mates is low, and it carries with it a number of concerns. When a species is facing extinction, the absence of genetic diversity can compound its struggle for survival. DNA testing of the monk seal has shown that its genetic diversity is extremely low. Because of this, an outbreak of an infectious disease could possibly cause the Hawaiian monk seal to become extinct (Kretzmann 487). If the seals were to breed with populations from differing islands, it could hypothetically increase their chance for survival. Mobbing, or the aggressive behavior exhibited by male seals, often results in the death of a female or young seal. It occurs when a group of males attempt to mate with one female and end up attacking the female. The resulting injuries can lead to infection or death. This is causing slower development of the seals population. It is found that in groups of smaller populations with slower growth rates, instances of this behavior are higher. It is thought that mobbing is a learned behavior that may take time to be overcome. Intervention can be used to decrease mobbing behavior, such as removing a set number of males from an area where there is an unequal gender ratio (Starfield and Roth 166, 169). There is currently action being taken to help the species recover. The Hawaiian Monk Seal Captive Care Workshop was created to halt the population decline and help it to recover. The organization believes that an annual reduction in population of 3.9% is due to the poor survival rate of juvenile seals. By supporting captive seals through rehabilitation, nutrition, and relocation, the group hopes to increase survival. It also advocates for other methods of helping the species, such as disentangling seals caught in fishing nets and removing debris from its habitat (Baker and Littnan 11). Other methods include removing sharks from the seals habitat, or relocating pups to areas where there is a lower risk from predators. Captive care and release helps undernourished or ill pups that might otherwise die. Once they are healthy, the young seals are relocated to an area where they will have a better chance of survival (Baker and Littnan 11, 12). It has been found that a high rate of seal pups die shortly after being weaned from the mother. The mother will leave the pup after one month of nursing, and if the pup is unable to find sufficient food, it faces starvation and death. The importance of the conservation efforts by these captive care and release programs cannot be understated. Since the Hawaiian monk seals have low genetic variability, they are more susceptible to disease. It is thought that another species, the Caribbean monk seal (Neomonachus Tropicalis), had a susceptibility for disease which likely hastened its extinction. The morbillivirus is of particular concern for the Hawaiian monk seals. The morbillivirus is a string of viruses that include the measles, which can be spread quickly and easily. Once a seal has become infected with the virus, the lungs and brain are affected, which can lead to death in as little as 5 days. The disease has already killed thousands of Atlantic seals and dolphins. Since the seals have no immunity to these viruses, scientists have taken action to create and administer a vaccination (Rogers). Once scientists found a suitable vaccine, they began to administer it to the seals in 2015. The vaccination process begins with a single injection, followed up with a booster shot one month later. As of September 2016, 43 Hawaiian monk seals have received the vaccination. The group of scientists (HMSRP) administering the shots hope that this project will be successful and grow. The Hawaiian Monk Seal Research Program is also involved in other interventions such as removing seals from fishing nets and hooks, rehabilitating malnourished pups, and relocating seals to higher survival areas. Their efforts have slowed the populations decline by over half in the past 3 decades (Rogers). While the monk seal once had instrumental value, and were hunted for their furs, this led to the near extinction of the species in the early 1900s. Since the seal is no longer used for human purposes, it is now appreciated mainly for its intrinsic beauty. Intrinsic beauty is something that can be valued for its own sake. The monk seal is a rare animal that can be appreciated for its uniqueness, and has been an important aspect of the Hawaiian Islands for over 3 million years. The Hawaiian monk seal is also important to other species and the areas ecosystem. They are an apex predator and play an important role in keeping a number of prey from becoming overpopulated. Therefore, they create a balance needed for in maintaining a diverse and stable ecosystem (Muneoka). This is a significant reason for the conservation of the Hawaiian monk seals. The Hawaiian monk seal has faces so many obstacles over the past century, yet it has been able to survive in spite of these. The most alarming problem that the seals face is lack of food. The juvenile seals are facing a continuing threat of starvation, and they are in constant competition with fisheries and other predators. Protected areas for the seals have been used in the past, and expanding these will likely help. It will not only increase food supply for the seals, but will also prevent them from getting caught by fish hooks or nets. Until there is a greater supply of food for the monk seals, efforts in capturing and rehabilitating the young pups is important. Also, once they seals are at a healthier weight, they can be placed in an area where there is a higher source of food and increased chance of survival. Relocating seals is also helpful in increasing genetic diversity, which will help in the species ability to fight disease. Inoculation of the monk seal is also a good attempt at decreasing the seals vulnerability of disease. One other concern, mobbing, is a factor that is decreasing the chance of the seals survival. Interventions, such as removing males from areas where there is an imbalanced ratio of male to female, are helpful. With all of these efforts, and the noble concern of the people involved, the Hawaiian monk seal is beginning to see a brighter future. The population of monk seals has rising 3% annually over the past 3 years. As of January, 2017, there is an estimate of 1,400 Hawaiian monk seals. This is a great improvement, considering there were 1,112 seals in 2015. Interestingly, the state of Hawaii has dedicated 2017 as the Year of the Monk Seal. In conclusion, with the continuing hard work of the hard working people involved to save the Hawaiian monk seal, there is great hope for the species survival in the future. Works Cited Hawaiian Monk Seal (Neomonachus schauinslandi). http://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/pr/species/mammals/seals/hawaiian-monk-seal.html. Web. 16 Feb. 2017. Historical Timeline of the Hawaiian Monk Seal. http://www.fpir.noaa.gov/Library/PRD/Hawaiian%20monk%20seal/HMS_natural_history_timelineWEB.pdf. Web. 16 Feb. 2017. Schmelzer, Isabelle. Seals and Seascapes: Covariation in Hawaiian Monk Seal Subpopulations and the Oceanic Landscape of the Hawaiian Archipelago. Journal of Biogeography 27.4 (2000): 901-914. Academic Search Complete. Web. 16 Feb. 2017. Kretzmann, Maria B., et al. Low Genetic Variability in the Hawaiian Monk Seal. Conservation Biology, vol. 11, no. 2, 1997, pp. 482-490., www.jstor.org/stable/2387621. Web. 16 Feb. 2017. Starfield, Anthony M., et al. Mobbing in Hawaiian Monk Seals (Monachus Schauinslani): The Value of Simulation Modeling in the Absence of Apparently Crucial Data. Conservation Biology, vol. 9, no. 1, 1995, pp. 166-174., www.jstor.org/stable/2386398. Baker, Jason and Littnan, Charles. Report of the Hawaiian Monk Seal Captive Care Workshop, Honolulu, Hawaii, June 11-13, 2007. Pacific Islands Fish. Sci. Cent., Natl. Mar. Fish. Serv., (2008). Rogers, Kim. Why Rare Hawaiian Monk Seals Are Lining Up to Get Their Shots. Smithsonian (2016). http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/researchers-are-vaccinating-wild-marine-species-first-time-180960479/. Web. 17 Feb. 2017. Muneoka, Lauren. Why Care About Monk Seals? Kahea (2011). http://kahea.org/blog/why-care-about-monk-seals. Web. 20 Feb. 2017.

Automobiles in Early America Essay examples -- Transportation Technolo

Automobiles in Early America The automobile changed American life, but the process was gradual. Though historians argue the date and inventor of the first automobile, we can say that Henry Ford’s creation of his Ford Motor Company in 1903 marked perhaps the major milestone of the early twentieth century automobile industry in America and around the world. Five years after the company’s inception, Ford’s legendary Model T of 1908 would revolutionize transportation and the world economy. Before the Model T, automobiles in the US were associated with only the wealthier class. Ford sought to make cars available to every American. His cars would assume the general build that continues to characterize automobiles today, and his innovation and system of production would make him a legend.[i] The automobile led to an extremely advanced system of roads and contributed to an American mentality of freedom to move.[ii] Early drivers saw both benefits and difficulties as the automobile became the standard American mode of transportation. Philip Van Doren Stern, American historian and writer, describes the early years of automobiles in the US. Between 1904 and 1907, roads were unpaved and cars were not enclosed, so it was of utmost importance to wear proper attire. Clothes were made to protect against dust and rain, but these high-class riders required this new gear to be made from the best materials, like leather and fur. In the 1920s, when most cars were built completely enclosed, there was no longer a need for these elaborate outfits. During the early years of the century, drivers braved uncharted territory with their automobiles despite the rugged mechanics of the vehicles and the absence of smoot... ...fthompso/MgmtCon/Fordism_&_Postfordism.html [vi] Thompson, Fred. (most of paragraph’s information comes from web site above) [vii] Bellis, Henry Ford and The First Mass Production of Cars – The Assembly Line, About.com [viii] Antique Automobile Club of America, Automotive History – A Chronological History [ix] Weingroff, Richard F. The Federal-State Partnership at Work. U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration Public Roads Web site, 1996. [x] Weingroff, The Federal-State Partnership at Work. [xi] Stern, pages 154-173 [xii] University of Houston. http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/database/article_display_printable.cfm?HHID=454 [xiii] Faulkner, William. The Sound and the Fury. New York: Vintage Books, 1984. [xiv] Stern, page 23 [xv] Antique Automobile Club of America, Automotive History – The Assembly Line

Observation as a Social Work Tool and Skill Essay -- Social Work

This assignment is going to look into observation as a social work tool and skill. Firstly, it is going to briefly describe the observation. Secondly it will analyse the interactions using a reflective approach. And finally, it will look into some relevant social work skills and values that relate to the discussed topic. The observation exercise was carried out on the upper deck of a London Bus on a weekday evening and lasted approximately fifteen minutes. The subjects of the observation were a male in his late twenties that appeared to be of Afro-Caribbean origin and a female of a similar age with an Eastern European accent. The male was wearing a tracksuit and had a set of headphones hanging over his shoulders. The girl was dressed in smart-casual clothes. They were sitting next to each other and were having a conversation. At the time of the observation there were not empty seats on the bus. I carried out the observation from a relatively close distance, a couple of seats away from the observed individuals. Due to the nature of what was being said, I learned that they did not seem to know each other. The observed male appeared to be confident and talkative. He seemed to lead the conversation by asking her a number of questions related to her background, marital status etc. He asked her: ‘where are you from?’, ‘How long have you been in London?’, ‘have you got a boyfriend?’ amongst other questions. The observed girl gave the opposite impression. The tone of her voice and her body language showed signs that lead me to believe that she was not entirely comfortable with the situation even though she did made eye contact with him and smiled on a couple of occasions. From an observer perspective I felt a certain level of anxie... ...eflective practice within the social work field. Works Cited Banks, S (2006). Ethics and values in social work. (3rd ed). New York: Palgrave Macmillan. Briggs, S (1999). Links Between Infant Observation and Reflective social work Practice. Journal of Social work Practice. Volume 13, (number 2), p: 147-156 Coulshed, V and Orme, J. (2006). Social work practice. (4rd ed). New York: Palgrave Macmillan. Dominelli, L (2004). Values ethics and empowerment in Social work theory and Practice For a Changing Profession.Uk: Policy Press Tanner, K and Turney, D (2000). The role of Observation in Assessment of Child Neglect in Child Abuse Review. Volume 9, p337-348 Thompson, N (2009). Understanding Social Work (3rd ed ). New York: Palgrave Macmillan. Trevithick, P (2005). Social Work Skills a practice handout. (2nd ed). Buckingham, UK: Open University Press. Observation as a Social Work Tool and Skill Essay -- Social Work This assignment is going to look into observation as a social work tool and skill. Firstly, it is going to briefly describe the observation. Secondly it will analyse the interactions using a reflective approach. And finally, it will look into some relevant social work skills and values that relate to the discussed topic. The observation exercise was carried out on the upper deck of a London Bus on a weekday evening and lasted approximately fifteen minutes. The subjects of the observation were a male in his late twenties that appeared to be of Afro-Caribbean origin and a female of a similar age with an Eastern European accent. The male was wearing a tracksuit and had a set of headphones hanging over his shoulders. The girl was dressed in smart-casual clothes. They were sitting next to each other and were having a conversation. At the time of the observation there were not empty seats on the bus. I carried out the observation from a relatively close distance, a couple of seats away from the observed individuals. Due to the nature of what was being said, I learned that they did not seem to know each other. The observed male appeared to be confident and talkative. He seemed to lead the conversation by asking her a number of questions related to her background, marital status etc. He asked her: ‘where are you from?’, ‘How long have you been in London?’, ‘have you got a boyfriend?’ amongst other questions. The observed girl gave the opposite impression. The tone of her voice and her body language showed signs that lead me to believe that she was not entirely comfortable with the situation even though she did made eye contact with him and smiled on a couple of occasions. From an observer perspective I felt a certain level of anxie... ...eflective practice within the social work field. Works Cited Banks, S (2006). Ethics and values in social work. (3rd ed). New York: Palgrave Macmillan. Briggs, S (1999). Links Between Infant Observation and Reflective social work Practice. Journal of Social work Practice. Volume 13, (number 2), p: 147-156 Coulshed, V and Orme, J. (2006). Social work practice. (4rd ed). New York: Palgrave Macmillan. Dominelli, L (2004). Values ethics and empowerment in Social work theory and Practice For a Changing Profession.Uk: Policy Press Tanner, K and Turney, D (2000). The role of Observation in Assessment of Child Neglect in Child Abuse Review. Volume 9, p337-348 Thompson, N (2009). Understanding Social Work (3rd ed ). New York: Palgrave Macmillan. Trevithick, P (2005). Social Work Skills a practice handout. (2nd ed). Buckingham, UK: Open University Press.