The Philosophy Of Business Management - 991 Words

What brought me to have a passion for business was my leadership skill set. As a child I always knew what I wanted my profession to be, I get electrified whenever I learn something new or see businessmen in their suits. I have come to realization, this job has a lot of components and it is an everyday challenge, although I have a great fondness for competition as well as challenges. The philosophy of business management considers the fundamental principles that underlie the formation, operation, and the everyday challenges of a business enterprise. Furthermore, the basic start of a business begins with a business plan. â€Å"A business plan precisely defines your business, identifies your goals, and serves as your firm’s resume†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦show more content†¦Ã¢â‚¬Å"As a branch of ethics the field of business ethics is interested in how judgments of right and wrong, good and bad, moral obligation and responsibility, rights and duties, and the like, are made and justified† (Gill, David). As a descriptive enterprise, business ethics is an analytical exercise in understanding and explaining how people and businesses make their ethical judgments and decisions. If your business does not carry the proper ethics it cannot thrive. It takes the necessary steps within the business management to enforce these ethics upon their business. The field of business ethics is interested in more than just social and environmental responsibilities but those are certainly critical component areas. Knowing who your competitors are, and what they are offering, can help you to make your products, services and marketing stand out. It will enable you to set your prices competitively and help you to respond to rival marketing campaigns with your own initiatives. You can use this knowledge to create marketing strategies that take advantage of your competitors weaknesses, and improve your own business performance. You can also assess any threats posed by both new entrants to your market and current competitors. This knowledge will help you to be realistic about how successful you can be. In order to maintain a successful business, you will need to attract and then work to retain a large base of

Ethics in Business Overview of Nike Essay - 599 Words

Ethics is a major part in business, and every company that sells a product looking for profit is a business. In the American economy companies with the best ethics has the best profits. However companies occasionally fail to remain ethical in their activities, because they are too concerned with profits. Nike Inc. is a worldwide company that is very famous for their designs and apparel wear, also it is a multination corporation that is engaged in the design and marketing. However Nike has pros and cons in some of their actions have been questionable. History of Nike Before there was a Nike Inc., before there was the swoosh Nike was founded by Bill Bowerman a nationally respected track and field coach at the university of Oregon who was†¦show more content†¦Nike has introduced many products and advertised there products by saying we are the best, or â€Å"Just Do It† which we see lots of times on ads. Nike and 3rd commercials are saying all of our young adults and children can be athletes if we just take risks and do it, to me that is unethical. Nike’s Unethical Treatment of Workers In addition to unethical advertising, Nike also are very unethical to its employees and workers such as the factories they work in. As one of the largest athletic brand the incorporation faces multiple criticism in regards of the workers in sweatshops in Asia. The U.S was shocked by the allegations of physical and verbal abuse taking place in Nike sweatshops. Workers have complained of being verbally, and physically abused by their employers. Women who work for Nike factories are powerless and getting the abuse more rapidly complaints like being, â€Å"kicked, punched, and force to stand in the hot sun† as a disciplinary action for not finishing up on time is a major problem around the 1,000 of overseas Nike factories (DAILY MAIL REPORTER). We Blew It, Another serious allegation that shocked the prospects of the company was that Nike factories were using child laborers to make footballs, the fact that child labor is banned in states and considered unethical there was a major f actor that turned the public opinion against the company(Boggan, 2001). Conclusion After researching about Nike and the ethical, and unethical actions, I think ethics is importantShow MoreRelatedInternal and External factors in Nike1985 Words   |  8 Pagesfunctions are impacted by internal and external factors such as globalization, technology, innovation, ethics and diversity. The successful application of the four management functions when dealing with these factors, impact the success and failures of Nike. According to DeCarlo (2008), Nike has made the rank of 419 out of 2000 on Forbes global 2000 list of the worlds biggest companies. Nike has dominated the shoe industry since they first started back in the 1960s and have yet to slow down. TheyRead MoreNike Corporation Essay732 Words   |  3 Pagesï » ¿Identify a global organization with a multinational presence. Identify and research a cultural issue that affects this organizations interactions outside the United States. Define the issue and provide an overview of how it became an issue in the organization. Prepare an analysis of the ethical and social responsibility issues your organization must deal with as a result of being global. Write a 1,050- to 1,400-word paper summarizing the results of the analysis. Include the following: IdentifyRead MoreNike s Offensive Competitive Advantage1206 Words   |  5 Pagescompetitive advantage. Therefore, this subject is difficult to understand and then apply to a company. The Five Generic Competitive Strategies that Michael E. Porter developed are not really five strategies, more like five with subsets under them. Nike does not fit neatly into a specific strategy. The first factor within the competitive strategy as described in the Essentials of Strategic Management textbook is a broad target market or a narrow target market. The second factor considers the competitiveRead MoreCommunity Relations Efforts Of Nike Inc. Essay2154 Words   |  9 Pages Title: Community Relations for NIKE Author: Isuri Rajapaksa Faculty Sponsor: Katrina J. Quinn Abstract: This case study examines the community relations efforts of Nike Inc. This project gives an overview of the company and shows how the community relations programs can be developed globally. It also consists of the comparison between Nike and Toms. Finally this case study also includes and insight on an interview, suggestions and an evaluation. Nike is a multinational corporation foundedRead MoreLevi Strauss1216 Words   |  5 PagesLevi Strauss at Home and Abroad As one attempts to assess the business ethics of Levi Strauss and Nike in this writing assignment, we are again compelled to revisit the critical distinction of conduct that is legal, yet still unethical. In both instances, Levi Strauss and Nike behaved with the parameters of legal conduct, yet few would argue that profiting from exploitive work conditions is an ethical behavior of any socially responsible organization (broad view social responsibility). ObviouslyRead MoreThe Relationship Between Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility2613 Words   |  11 Pagesyears, the concept of ethics and social responsibility are essential in the business world as society is increasingly paying attention on the social responsibility of the companies and the ethics of their managers. According to Post et al (1996), ethics refers to standards of behaviour and moral judgement differentiating right from wrong. In addition, Bartol et al (2003) defined managerial ethics as â€Å"standards of con duct and moral judgement managers’ use conducting their business†. The objective ofRead MoreNike - Organizational Audit3209 Words   |  13 PagesPresented to: Dr. Laura Pogue Chadron State College Organizational Behavior Audit for Nike Inc. TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Company Overview 2. Body of report 2.1. Introduction to Organizational Behavior [general OB attributes] 2.2. Individual Behavior, Values, and Personality 2.3. Perceptions and Learning in Organizations 2.4. Workplace Emotions, Attitudes, and Stress 2.5. Employee Motivation: Foundations and Practices 2.6. Individual Decision Making 2.7. Team Dynamics 2.8. CommunicatingRead MoreWorldwide Organizations : An Organization1243 Words   |  5 Pagesfrom two or more nations which officials from an assortment of nationalities. Worldwide organizations offer the same item with altered changes to suit the neighborhood taste of every nation it serves Global organizations are associated with various business association which huge assortments of items to the purchaser. Some individuals asserts that worldwide organizations ought to be in charge of the general public whether they affect the general public like environment corruption. They ought to likewiseRead MoreBusiness Ethics of Nike Inc.5528 Words   |  23 Pages1.0 Introduction Ethics, also known as moral philosophy that can be defined in basic term as what is right or wrong in humans’ morality. The definition of business ethics on the other hand, can be defined according by Wikipedia (2011), ‘a form of applied ethics or professional ethics that examines ethical principles and moral or ethical problems that arise in a business environment. It applies to all aspects of business conduct and is relevant to the conduct of individuals and entire organizationsRead MoreNike Ethical issues6658 Words   |  27 Pagesï » ¿ Area: An organisation s corporate social responsibility policies, including business ethics, and their impact on business practice and key stakeholders Title: How does Nike reconcile the need to minimise the cost of manufacturing with the need to meet the ethical and social expectations of its customers? By WORD COUNT Research Analysis Project – 6224 words (minus table) CONTENTS Page CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1.1 Introduction 3 1.2 Project Aim

Leadership and Communication Essay Plan

Question: Discuss about the Leadership and Communication for Essay Plan. Answer: Introduction The Path Goal model is basically a theory which depends upon specifying a style of the leader or behavior which best fits the employee and his working environment in order to achieve a goal in his company. The goal determines to increase the motivation, empowerment and satisfaction of the employee so that they can become the indispensible as well as productive members of the organization. It can be rather suggested that the Path Goal Theory can be best determined as the process in which a leader of a company can identify specific behaviors that are best apposite necessities and working environment of an employee so that it can guide them through the path in obtaining their daily activities in an organization. Basically the theory determines the path where the leaders can adopt a strong or limited path to encourage the employees of an organization to achieve the goals for an organization triumph. A leader is responsible to identify the potentiality of his working employee and thereby he is responsible for eradicating the obstacles for improving the performance of the employee. A leader can also motivate the staffs through the process of rewarding for their enriched performance. The theory basically determines some of the situational arbiter on which the effects of specific leader behaviors are dependent. In the Path-Goal Theory, the independent variables are recognized as the behavior of a leader, where the leader adjusts his or her style of behavior to the employee as well as task distinctiveness so that the employee can be motivated to excel in his goal. With the help of this theory, the relationship between the managers and the subordinates can be facilitated but the relationship between the managers and the peers is strongly affected (Silverthorne, 2001). There are four different types leaderships which can be determined through the following points:- Supportive leadership The primary focus of the supportive leadership is to basically support a staffs psychological well being. In a workplace, it is the primary focus of a team leader to reduce stress diminishes the frustration. In such type of leadership, the focus is basically on the relationships between the team leader and the employees, where the leader shows sensitivity to the necessities of the individual team members and their preeminent interests are taken into account. The leadership style of a person is best judged when the tasks are recurring and demanding. Directive leadership The directive path goal leadership aims to reduce uncertainty of a job function. In this type of leadership, the communication goals and expectations as well as the allotted assignments are clear. Here a leader generates specific expectations to the subordinates regarding the task performance. This style is works best when tasks are unstructured and the inexperience team members give the best efforts to accomplish the tasks. Participative Leadership This type of leadership depends on the mutual participation of the team leaders and the employees and staffs. The team leader gives the most importance in consultation with the group members. In this participative leadership, the team members give the best effort to consider the ideal phenomenon and the expertise before adopting a decision. This approach works best, when the tasks are rather more challenging and the experienced team members want to give their best contribution. Achievement- oriented leadership The achievement oriented behavior of leadership centers on encouraging performance superiority through setting goals that can challenge the employees. In this type of approach, the team leader shows confidence in the abilities of the team members, so that they can perform healthy and exhibits a high standard for everyone. This particular style works best when the employees are unenthusiastic or recognized in their respective work. But different subordinates of the organizations in Taiwan have different perspectives and opinions about how the path-goal theory of leadership enhances companys effectiveness (Silverthorne, 2001). Moreover, communication is necessary within the organization as it helps to identify the definite roles and responsibilities of the individuals working in an organization. By properly planning, organizing and controlling the communication process, beneficial organizational outcomes can be obtained (Nothhaft, 2010). It is very much necessary for the managers or the leaders to adopt essential roles to guide the employees or the subordinates and ensure fruitful performances from them. There are seven most effective roles that the leaders can play in order to motivate the employees to perform better (Muna, F. 2006). These roles are as follows: Gardener Canada Goose Abacus Captain Worldly mind-set Negotiator Acrobat Article 1: Title and article reference Silverthorne, C., (2001). A test of the path-goal leadership theory in Taiwan.Leadership Organization Development Journal,22(4), pp.151-158. Aim/purpose of the article To investigate the effective application of the path-goal leadership theory in Taiwan to achieve their goals Sample, location, method of data collection and analysis 46 managers, 46 peers and 92 subordinates from the organizations of Taiwan. Data was collected on questionnaire basis. Statistical (quantitative) analysis is done. Findings/interpretations reported in the article The results evaluated that the path-goal theory of leadership influences the relationship between the managers and the subordinates and not between the managers and the peers. Significance/contribution of the article in relation to your other articles and your topic The findings and evaluation differ from the fact that path-goal theory of leadership affects the organizational relationships between the managers and the subordinates in Taiwan. Strengths of the article The concept has been well researched and evidences are taken from the effective literature sources Weaknesses of the article There were differences of opinions of the chosen subordinates which were highlighted in the article Quotes from the article that you plan to use in your assignment It was supported when the relationship between managers and subordinates was considered. The theory was not supported when applied to the relationship between managers and their peers Quotes from the article that you plan to use in your assignment This difference generates different expectations in subordinates Quotes from the article that you plan to use in your assignment The data were collected from all subjects using standardized questionnaires previously validated for use in looking at path-goal theory Article 2: Title and article reference Nothhaft, H. (2010). Communication management as a second-order management function: Roles and functions of the communication executiveresults from a shadowing study.Journal of Communication Management,14(2), 127-140. Aim/purpose of the article To provide young communication managers with a theoretical framework so that they can understand what their actual functions and roles are. Sample, location, method of data collection and analysis CEO, communication executives and managers of the organizations. Data is collected through qualitative means embedded within a quantitative framework. Findings/interpretations reported in the article The study evaluated that communication management is second-order management function that promotes the organizational performance via proper planning, organization, control and execution of the activities. Significance/contribution of the article in relation to your other articles and your topic This article enhanced the scope of communication in the workplace. The communication can be effectively managed to yield beneficial outcomes from the organization Strengths of the article This article is based on several reviews and proper literature sources Weaknesses of the article More respondents could have been chosen for the study Quotes from the article that you plan to use in your assignment Institutionalizing a concern is also what differentiates second-order management from politicking. Quotes from the article that you plan to use in your assignment Communication management is explained as a second-order management function, i.e. a function which not only coordinates organizational performance by planning, organizing, controlling, but also institutionalizes certain concerns in the organization Quotes from the article that you plan to use in your assignment von Hayeks metaphor of gardening, of cultivating, is a far more adequate concept to capture the higher and more subtle functions of public relations and communication management than common technomorph metaphors of management Article 3: Title and article reference Muna, F. A. (2006). Seven leadership roles.International journal of commerce and management,16(1), 51-56. Aim/purpose of the article To describe the seven different leadership roles that can enhance the organizational effectiveness Sample, location, method of data collection and analysis The leaders are chosen for this study. Both quantitative and qualitative approaches are taken for data collection Findings/interpretations reported in the article Seven roles of a leader have been portrayed in the study Significance/contribution of the article in relation to your other articles and your topic If a leader adopts all these seven roles then they can guide and lead the subordinates in the rightful direction thereby attaining effectiveness Strengths of the article The article clearly narrated the seven roles of the leader and drew each ones effectiveness and roles and responsibilities Weaknesses of the article The study lacked proper information about the sample collected Quotes from the article that you plan to use in your assignment Gardeners have four main tasks: they prepare the soil; select the seeds; take care of the garden; and harvest. And so do leaders when cultivating human resources Quotes from the article that you plan to use in your assignment Wise leadership is about increasing the long-term value of the organization by containing overhead and operating expenses while at the same time increasing growth and profit margins. Quotes from the article that you plan to use in your assignment Culture, according to most definitions, is the way people and societies behave based on their beliefs, values, norms, customs, and attitudes; which are usually rooted in their geography, history, religion and philosophy. References Muna, F. A. (2006). Seven leadership roles.International journal of commerce and management,16(1), 51-56. Nothhaft, H. (2010). Communication management as a second-order management function: Roles and functions of the communication executiveresults from a shadowing study.Journal of Communication Management,14(2), 127-140. Silverthorne, C., (2001). A test of the path-goal leadership theory in Taiwan.Leadership Organization Development Journal,22(4), pp.151-158.

Same Sex Marriages Essays (1502 words) - Gender, Human Sexuality

Same Sex Marriages Imagine you have fallen in love with the person of your dreams, and the two of you have discussed it and have decided to get married. Now imagine that the person you wish to marry is of a different race. It wouldn't be a big deal, right? Well, if this situation had occurred about 50 years ago, it would have been a huge deal. Just a generation ago, many states banned mixed marriages. Seems absurd, doesn't it? Discriminating against an individual like that because of the color of their skin? This is a situation in America that I am sure all of you are familiar with, and most all of us I am sure agree that just because a person has different colored skin does not make them any different on the inside. We don't discriminate against minorities because of their color of their skin, so why is it that we now discriminate against gays and lesbians because of what is in their hearts? It is the same type of discrimination, and it needs to be stopped. How do we go about doing that, you ask? Don't worry, I am not going to be unrealistic and ask you to become a gay-rights activist and make supporters of all of your friends and family. I am just going to ask you to do your small part to help give homosexuals the ability to marry. It is unfair to deny them this right, and together we need to act in order to give them this right, this equality, that they deserve. As I have told you all in my last two speeches, there are legal rights and benefits that come with marriage that homosexuals are being denied. According to the American Civil Liberties Union, many of the benefits of marriage that homosexuals are denied include: government benefits like Social Security and Medicare; hospital visitation rights; special rates and exemptions on tax returns; joint child custody; joint insurance policies; automatic inheritance in the absence of a will; making medical decisions on a partner's behalf; and choosing a final resting place for a deceased partner. While none of these are reasons to get married, they are all benefits and perks that homosexuals should not be denied simply because of their choice of a partner. They are rights that homosexuals are entitled to and deserve, and are rights that they would be able to benefit from if same-sex marriages were legalized. When you put yourself in their shoes, as I have had you do in my past speeches, it is clear to see that they deserve these rights as much as heterosexual couples do, and that their choice of partner should not affect these basic rights. I am sure you are all still asking yourselves just how YOU can make a difference. Well, you could become active in a gay-rights group, you could organize a rally in Red Square, you could even collect signatures and attempt to gain enough support to put the issue on the ballot for the next elections. But let's be realistic here. We are all students, and are busy with the stress of finals and even graduation for some. The minute that school ends, all we are going to be thinking about is laying out in the sun, taking advantage of three months (or even the rest of your lives) without homework. So who has the time or energy to do any of the things I just suggested? That is why I am just going to ask you to become a supporter by signing a document called the "Marriage Resolution." This is a resolution formed and monitored by a group called The Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund. The marriage resolution, according to the Partner's Task Force for Gay and Lesbian Couples, reads as follows: "Because marriage is a basic human right and an individual personal choice, RESOLVED, the State should not interfere with same-gender couples who choose to marry and share fully and equally in the rights, responsibilities, and commitment of civil marriage." According to Evan Wolfson, the Director of the Marriage Project of the Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund, the resolution is aimed to: help promote the necessary discussion and awareness of our equal marriage rights among gay and non-gay people; collect signatures and supporters as evidence of a growing coalition; and give people a tool and a task in building that coalition and approaching others. It is a tool to reach out and gather support from the American population, support that

50 Incorrect Pronunciations That You Should Avoid

50 Incorrect Pronunciations That You Should Avoid 50 Incorrect Pronunciations That You Should Avoid 50 Incorrect Pronunciations That You Should Avoid By Maeve Maddox Fred Astaire drew laughs back in the Thirties with his song Lets Call the Whole Thing Off in which the lovers cant agree on the pronunciation of words like either, neither, and tomato. On a personal level, I cringe when I hear someone sound the t in often or pronounce pecan with a short a, but I have to acknowledge that both these pronunciations are widely accepted alternate pronunciations that can be justified by the spelling. Alternate pronunciations, however, are a different matter from out-and-out mispronunciations. The latter, no matter how common, are incorrect, either because of the spelling that indicates another pronunciation, or because of what is widely agreed upon to be conventional usage. Word of caution: Im writing from an American perspective. Here are 50 frequently mispronounced words. The list is by no means exhaustive, but provides a good start. 1. aegis The ae in this word is pronounced /ee/. Say EE-JIS/, not /ay-jis/. In mythology the aegis is associated especially with the goddess Athene. It is her shield with the Gorgons head on it. 2. anyway The problem with this word is not so much pronunciation as the addition of an unnecessary sound. Dont add an s to make it anyways. The word is ANYWAY. 3. archipelago Because the word is from Greek, the ch is pronounced with a /k/ sound. Say /AR-KI-PEL-A-GO/, not /arch-i-pel-a-go/. 4. arctic Note the C after the R. Say /ARK-TIK/, not /ar-tik/. 5. accessory the first C has a hard sound. Say /AK-SESS-OR-Y/, not /ass-ess-or-y/. 6. ask The S comes before the K. Say /ASK/ not /aks/. 7. asterisk Notice the second S. Say /AS-TER-ISK/, not /as-ter-ik/. 8. athlete The word has two syllables, not three. Say /ATH-LETE/, not /ath-uh-lete/. 9. barbed wire Notice the AR in the first syllable. Say /BARBD/, not /bob/. 10. cache The word is of French origin, but it does not end with an accented syllable. A cache is a hiding place or something that is being hidden: a cache of supplies; a cache of money; a cache of drugs. Say /KASH/, not /ka-shay/. 11. candidate Notice the first d. Say /KAN-DI-DATE/, not /kan-i-date/. 12. cavalry This word refers to troops that fight on horseback. Say /KAV-UL-RY/, not /kal-vuh-ry/. NOTE: Calvary refers the place where Jesus was crucified and IS pronounced /kal-vuh-ry/.) 13. chaos The spelling ch can represent three different sounds in English: /tch/ as in church, /k/ as in Christmas, and /sh/ as in chef. The first sound is heard in words of English origin and is the most common. The second sound of ch, /k/, is heard in words of Greek origin. The third and least common of the three ch sounds is heard in words adopted from modern French. Chaos is a Greek word. Say /KAY-OS/, not /tchay-os/. 14. clothes Notice the TH spelling and sound. Say /KLOTHZ/, not /kloz/. 15. daà ¯s A daà ¯s is a raised platform. The pronunciation fault is to reverse the vowel sounds. The word is often misspelled as well as mispronounced. Say /DAY-IS/ not /dÄ «-is/. 16. dilate The word has two syllables, not three. Say /DI-LATE/, not /di-a-late/. 17. drowned This is the past participle form of the verb drown. Notice that there is no D on drown. Dont add one when using the word in its past form. Say /DROWND/, not /drown-ded/. 18. et cetera This Latin term is often mispronounced and its abbreviation is frequently misspelled. Say /ET CET-ER-A/, not /ex cet-er-a/. For the abbreviation, write ETC., not ect. 19. February Just about everyone I know drops the first r in February. The spelling calls for /FEB-ROO-AR-Y/, not /feb-u-ar-y/. 20. foliage The word has three syllables. Say /FO-LI-UJ/, not /fol-uj/. 21. forte English has two words spelled this way. One comes from Italian and the other from French. The Italian word, a musical term meaning loud, is pronounced with two syllables: /FOR-TAY/. The French word, an adjective meaning strength or strong point, is pronounced with one syllable: /FORT/. 22. Halloween The word for the holiday Americans celebrate with such enthusiasm on October 31 derives from Hallowed Evening, meaning evening that has been made holy. The word hallow comes from Old English halig, meaning holy. Notice the a in the first syllable and say /HAL-O-WEEN/, not /hol-lo-ween/. 23. height The word ends in a /T/ sound, not a /TH/ sound. Say /HITE/, not /hith/. 24. heinous People unfamiliar with the TV show Law and Order: S.V.U. may not know that heinous has two syllables. (The show begins with this sentence: In the criminal justice system, sexually based offenses are considered especially heinous.) Say /HAY-NUS/, not /heen-i-us/. 25. hierarchy The word has four syllables. Say /HI -ER-AR-KY,/ not /hi-ar-ky/. 26. Illinois As with Arkansas, the final s in Illinois is not pronounced. Say /IL-I-NOY/ (and /Ar-kan-saw/, not /il-li-noiz/ or /ar-kan-sas/). NOTE: Some unknowledgeable folks may still be trying to pronounce Arkansas as if it had something to do with Kansas. The pronunciation /ar-kan-zuz/ is waaay off base. 27. interpret The word has three syllables. Dont add one! Say /IN-TER-PRET/, not /in-ter-pre-tate/. 28. incident Something that happens is an incident. Dont say incidence when you mean a specific event. There IS a word incidence, but it has a different meaning. 29. irregardless See the real word, regardless. 30. jewelry The word has three syllables. Say /JEW-EL-RY/, not /jew-el-er-y/. The pronunciation /jewl-ry/ is common but not correct, as it removes one syllable from the word. 31. library Notice where the R comes in the word. Say /LI-BRAR-Y/, not /li-ber-ry/. 32. medieval The word has four syllables. The first E may be pronounced either short [med] or long [meed]. Say /MED-EE-EEVAL/ or /MEE-DEE-EEVAL/, not /meed-eval/. 33. miniature The word has four syllables. Say /MIN-I-A-TURE/, not /min-a-ture/. 34. Mischievous This is the adjective form of mischief whose meaning is calamity or harm. Mischievous is now associated with harmless fun so that the expression malicious mischief has been coined as another term for vandalism. Mischievous has three syllables with the accent on the first syllable: /MIS-CHI-VUS/. Dont say /mis-chee-vee-us/. 35. niche The word is from the French and, though many words of French origin have been anglicized in standard usage, this is one that cries out to retain a long e sound and a /SH/ sound for the che. Say /NEESH/, not /nitch/. 36. orient This word has three syllables. As a verb it means to place something in its proper position in relation to something else. It comes from a word meaning east and originally meant positioning something in relation to the east. Now it is used with a more general meaning. Say /OR-I-ENT/, not /or-i-en-tate/. 37. old-fashioned This adjective is formed from a past-participle: fashioned. Dont leave off the ED. Say /OLD-FASHIOND/, not /old-fashion/. 38. picture Theres a K sound in picture. Dont confuse picture with pitcher. Say /PIK-TURE/, not /pitch-er/. Pitcher is a different word. A pitcher is a serving vessel with a handle. 39. precipitation This is a noun that refers to rain or snow, or anything else that normally falls from the sky. As with prescription (below), the prefix is PRE-. Say /PRE-CIP-I-TA-TION/, not /per-cipi-ta-tion/. 40. prescription Note the prefix PRE- in this word. Say /PRE-SCRIP-TION/, not /per- scrip-tion/ or /pro-scrip-tion/. 41. preventive The word has three syllables. A common fault is to add a syllable. Say PRE-VEN-TIVE/, not /pre-ven-ta-tive. 42. pronunciation This word is a noun. It comes from the verb pronounce, BUT it is not pronounced like the verb. Say /PRO-NUN-CI-A-TION/, not /pro-nounce-i-a-tion/. 43. prostate This word for a male gland is often mispronounced. There is an adjective prostrate which means to be stretched out facedown on the ground. When speaking of the gland, however, say /PROS-TATE/, not /pros-trate/. 44. Realtor The word has three syllables. Say /RE-AL-TOR/, not /re-a-la-tor/. 45. regardless The word has three syllables. Please dont add an IR to make it into the abomination irregardless. 46. sherbet The word has only one r in it. Say /SHER-BET/ not /sher-bert/. 47. spayed This is a one-syllable word, the past participle form of the verb to spay, meaning to remove the ovaries from an animal. Like the verb drown (above) the verb spay does not have a D in its infinitive form. Dont add one to the past participle. Say /SPADE/, not /spay-ded/. 48. ticklish The word has two syllables. Say /TIK-LISH/, not /tik-i-lish/. 49. tract Religious evangelists often hand out long printed statements of belief called tracts. Thats one kind of tract. Houses are built on tracts. Then theres the word track. Athletes run on tracks. Animals leave tracks. Dont say /TRAKT/ when you mean /TRAK/, and vice-versa. 50. vehicle Although there is an H in the word, to pronounce it is to sound hicky. Say /VEE-IKL/, not /vee-Hikl/. 51. wintry Heres another weather word often mispronounced, even by the weather person. The word has two syllables. Say /WIN-TRY/, not /win-ter-y/. Got any to add to the list? Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Spelling category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:How to Punctuate References to Dates and TimesTelling a Good Poem from a Bad OneHow to Send Tactful Emails from a Technical Support Desk

7 Steps for Writing a Paper on an Environmental Issue

7 Steps for Writing a Paper on an Environmental Issue Are you a student tasked with writing a research paper on an environmental issue? These few tips, along with some hard and focused work, should get you most of the way there. 1. Find a topic Look for a topic that speaks to you, that grabs your attention. Alternatively, choose a topic about which you are genuinely interested in learning more. It will be a lot easier to spend time working on something of interest to you. Here are some places you can find ideas for a paper: Of course, here on About.com’s Environmental Issues site. Browse the front page to see if a topic grabs your attention, or go to more specific content hubs like these ones:Global warmingBiodiversityDeforestationFossil fuelsWater PollutionThe science or environment sections of major newspapers and news organizations will feature articles about current environmental news and events.Environmental news websites like Grist or Environmental News Network. 2. Conduct research Are you using internet resources? Make sure you can assess the quality of the information you find. This article from Purdue University’s Online Writing Lab is useful to help with assessing the quality of your sources. Print resources are not to be neglected. Visit your school or city library, learn how to use their search engine, and talk to your librarian about accessing the resources available. Are you expected to constrain your sources to primary literature? That body of knowledge consists of peer-reviewed articles published in scientific journals. Consult your librarian for help with accessing the proper databases to reach those articles. 3. Follow instructions Carefully read the handout or prompt given to you and which contains instructions about the assignment. Early in the process, make sure you choose a topic that will satisfy the assigned requirements. Once half-way through the paper, and once when it’s done, check it against the instructions to make sure you didn’t drift away from what was required. 4. Start with a solid structure First craft a paper outline with your main ideas organized, and a thesis statement. A logical outline will make it easy to gradually flesh out ideas and eventually produce complete paragraphs with good transitions between them. Make sure all the sections serve the purpose of the paper outlined in the thesis statement. 5. Edit After you have a good draft produced, put the paper down, and don’t pick it up until the next day. It’s due tomorrow? Next time, start working on it earlier. This break will help you with the editing stage: you need fresh eyes to read, and re-read your draft for flow, typos, and a myriad other little problems. 6. Pay attention to formatting Along the way, check that you are following your teacher’s formatting instructions: font size, line spacing, margins, length, page numbers, title page, etc. A poorly formatted paper will suggest to your teacher that not only the form, but the content is of low quality as well. 7. Avoid plagiarism First, make sure you know what plagiarism is, you can then more easily avoid it. Pay especially close attention to properly attributing the work you cite. For More Information Purdue University Online Writing Lab. Writing a Research Paper.

Igor Stravinsky Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Igor Stravinsky - Research Paper Example Ironically, Stravinsky’s father wanted him to be a lawyer instead of a musician, but Stravinsky was bored with law study (Venezia 11). Stravinsky was always more interested in music. While at law school, Stravinsky met Vladimir Rimsky-Korsakov whose father was the very famous composer, Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov. Stravinsky would eventually begin to work with Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov who would eventually teach him about composition. After a vast career in composing different musical scores, Stravinsky died of heart failure in 1971 (Henahan). 2. Biographical Information Stravinsky was born on June 17, 1882. His ancestry was Polish from his father’s side of the family (Oliver 12). Stravinsky had four brothers, and only the youngest brother, Gury was interested in music. Stravinsky was very close to his younger brother because they shared this musical interest, and his brother was a baritone singer. The two boys clung to each other for the affection that they did not receive f rom their parents. Stravinsky would describe his childhood as â€Å"lonely and unhappy† which created challenges for him as a child (Oliver 12). Unfortunately, his brother died of typhus in 1917 (Oliver 14). Needing love and affection, Stravinsky turned to the butler, Simon Ivanovich and his nurse, Bertha, for the affection that he did not receive from his family. For quite some time during his childhood, Stravinsky stayed in his room because his parents thought that his health was too fragile (Oliver 14). As he became older, Bertha and Simon found was to shield him from the cruelty of his father; although Stravinsky as he grew older would not talk about what happened (Oliver 14). At the age of nine, Stravinsky had begun to play piano and he was fascinated by the music. His father did not want him to become a musician because he felt this life was too insecure and it was not a proper career for a young man (Dobrin 14). Instead, Stravinsky’s father forced him into law school because he felt this would be a more lucrative career that would provide him with a more steady income (Dobrin 14). Enrollment into the University of St. Petersburg would be his fate to study law, but he soon found it to be boring. He was more fascinated by music, and although the concept of counterpoint can be considered boring to most musicians, it was of interest to Stravinsky (Dobrin 16). At the university, Stravinsky became friends with Vladimir Rimsky-Korsakov. The two men became fast friends and this lead to Stravinsky working for Vladimir’s father, Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov and eventually he would be able to begin learning composition from him (Dobrin 15). Stravinsky wo uld live his life in Europe and in America. After studying with Rimsky-Korsakov, Stravinsky began to be influenced by composers like Claude Debussy and Maurice Ravel (Schwartz). In his various compositions, one can hear the influences if they listen closely. Within the music of â€Å"Fireworks†, â€Å"The Faun and the Shepherdess†, and the â€Å"Firebird† ballet, one can find the influence of Debussy and Ravel (Schwartz). All of Stravinsky’s music became a part of what is called â€Å"the standard repertory† because of his ability to write very good music. Stravinsky often performed his own work. He began by writing, composing, and playing it on piano, but he eventually began to conduct his own work. He is credited with being the â€Å"first contemporary composer†

How Good Recruitment Practises Help the Organisation In Achieving a Essay

How Good Recruitment Practises Help the Organisation In Achieving a Competitive Advantage - Essay Example The business has roughly 10,000 locations, which consist of the typical sit-in restaurants, drive through windows, and outpost sites. McDonald's supremacy in the fast-food industry is not expected to evaporate anytime soon. The Company is expanding ad infinitum, as in December 2000, McDonald’s and its franchises functioned over 28,700 restaurants wide reaching in 120 countries and terrain, serving food and drab to over 45 million citizens on a daily basis.   Literature Review As per the article ‘Recruitment and Selection’ (2010), it can be said that the recruitment and selection belongs to value added HR processes. The staffing is about the capability of the organization to resource new employees, keep the business in commission, and improve the superiority of the human capital working in the company. The excellence of the recruitment process is the most important driver for the contentment of managers with the services provided by Human Resources Department. Th e article states that the recruitment is a costly HR Process and it eats a fat percentage of the HR budget. Recruitment is a process of taking into service the outlay of hiring. The competitive HR administration always starts with the competitive  enrollment process. The organization builds the competitive advantage with its human resources. The recruitment procedure has to settle on the best sources on the occupation market. The HR recruiters have to make use of the recruitment sources, and the manager has to make the correct and immediate hiring decisions. This is a necessary set-up of the ready-for-action recruitment method. In the world of globalization and liberated market, businesses are facing ever-increasing rivalry and consequently questions on how to guarantee continued existence... This essay stresses that effective recruitment and selection process can give an association a competitive edge over its competitors by saving both time and expenditure. McDonalds recruits most part of its employees from outside source especially from Newspaper ads that cost them less This report makes a conclusion that McDonalds should go for online job advertisements, programs in educational institutions to attract qualified part-time workers. It should take into account different factors like cost of living, taxation, family requirements etc. in recruiting people. An orientation session should be organized at the start to give employees a clear picture of the organization and what it expects out of them. Recruitment policy should be exercised and focused on recruiting the best potential people and must ensure that each employee is treated equally with same dignity and respect; it should encourage employees to achieve self-actualization. Briefly it can be concluded that HRM and a company’s ability to attain competitive advantage are strappingly co-related. In today’s highly globalized world it is difficult for an organization to stay at the forefront and pull off a competitive advantage. The capability to attract the talent, select the finest buddi ng and advancement of skills, stirring innovation and retaining the treasured employees will be the key levers for firm’s triumph. Organizations having good HRM managers and using good HRM strategies are prepared for action advantage.

The Adventures of the speckled band Essay Example for Free

The Adventures of the speckled band Essay I am going to compare the opening pages of two detective stories The Adventures of the speckled band by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Miss Marples Final cases by Agatha Christie. I am then going to find out what is the most convincing and why. In the beginning of the Speckled Band it starts off with Holmes sidekick, Dr Watson examining his case notes on examining my notes. He talks about the way that every one of the cases is unusual a large number merely strange. He then recollects on one specific story. He then sets the scene of when Sherlock is woken up by a woman. He then talks about Holmes then going down stairs to meet her and discover the situation that she is in. At the beginning of Miss Marples Final Cases it starts off just like an ordinary day. The Vicars wife comes into the church to do her flower arranging as usual. It was a cold day but also sunny as she did so the sun came out. Whilst inside the church she noticed something huddled on the chancel On the chancel steps was a huddled dark form. She then realised that it was a man. He then utters the word sanctuary twice. The similarities between the two beginnings are that they both start off in quite a normal way. This is seen in the way the Vicars wife is doing the ordinary thing of flower arranging arranged the blooms in their holders. Another way in which they are similar is that each of the extracts gives small hints of things like death fear and darkness. For example in the Adventures of the Speckled Band the woman says, it is fear, Mr Holmes, it is terror and in Miss Marples Final Cases Bunch says to herself, I dont want to die of cold. The differences between these two stories are that the Adventures of the Speckled Band is set in Victorian times whereas the other story is set more in the 1930s. You can tell this by the words used. For instanced in the Adventures of the Speckled Band it says Knocked up instead of woken up. Another difference between the stories is that the Agatha Christie novel is set in the countryside whereas the Arthur Conan Doyle novel is set closer to a city or town. In the Adventures of the Speckled Band the story is told through the eyes of Dr Watson who is Sherlock Holmes best friend. All of the events are also seen through the eyes of Dr Watson. In Miss Marples Final Cases the author tells the story. Again the author sees all of the events. In the first extract there are only three characters Dr Watson, Sherlock Holmes and a woman. Two people are mentioned but do not appear. Dr Roylott the death of Dr Grimesby Roylott and Mrs Hudson Mrs Hudson has had the good sense to light the fire. In the second extract there is the first character, which is the Vicars wife. Then there is the man on the chancel. What we realise about the characters is that Holmes believes in logic and is very observant for I observe you are shivering. I think that Dr Watson thinks that Holmes is very clever and shows a bit of jealousy because of it perhaps just a little resentment. The woman seems to be very agitated and afraid of something because of the way she shivers. In the second extract the Vicars wife seems to be quite a pleasant woman. She also seems to be slightly untidy because of the way she wears her hat more rakishly than it had done before. I think the Adventures of the Speckled Band is made interesting by the way you know that the woman is worried about something but you dont know what until you read on. I also think it is made interesting by the way Dr Watson says that all of Sherlock Holmes cases are unusual but none commonplace. So this tells you that this one is going to be just as unusual. I think that Miss Marples Final Cases is made interesting by the way it is just an ordinary day until one small thing happens. Also because of this one thing you want to find out what is going on and why it has happened. I noticed that there is a difference between the language used in each of these extracts. You can tell that the Adventures of the Speckled Band was written earlier because of the words and phrases used like a young lady has arrived in a considerable state of excitement. With quotes like this it makes it more difficult to understand. Whereas the Agatha Christie novel is a lot easier to understand because the words used are a lot more similar to the ones that we use today. I would have to say that I prefer the Miss Marples Final Cases. This is because I think that the way the story starts is very good for drawing you into the story. By having something out of the ordinary happen in an ordinary situation. Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Arthur Conan Doyle section.

Street racing: On The Inside :: essays research papers

For 19-year-old Jeff, weekends begin on a long strip of highway near Atlanta. rather than browsing the mall or going to the movies like others his age. Jeff joins a group of his comrades and spectators to witness a spectacular show of speed. As we pulled up to the meeting spot he looks over at me and says, â€Å"Welcome to the world of illegal street racing.† "We have a cruising area where all the cars go and just chill. If someone wants to race," says Jeff, "they just ask...most of our races are with people you know pretty well...we don't have the major race nights like they have in other areas." The other areas Jeff refers to are about as common as can be and can probably be found on a straightaway near you. "Motorsports has made incredible progress as a legitimate sporting event in the last decade," says Editorial Director of NHRA Publications Phil Burgess. "Corporate America has taken a keen interest in motorsports, which has led to the proliferation of not just racing teams, but racing venues, where racers and fans can go to enjoy the fast-paced excitement that the varied forms of racing have to offer. Many sanctioning bodies offer grassroots-level racing, often where families can enter a race car literally off the street and compete against similar entries." Contrary to popular belief, street racing isn't only found on the fast moving streets of the major cities, its going on all over the country. Recent articles published on MSNBC.com report on street drag racing as an increasing problems in such out of the way places as Spokane, Washington and Forth Worth, Texas; other articles found on www.abc.com report on accidents and coverage of events in Washington D.C., Boston and New York City. Los Angeles County is a big street racing scene however, was recently given a $200,000 state grant to crack down on the illegal street racing activity. Penalties for racing vary from state to state and offense to offense, but can range from a slap on the wrist ticket to arrest and impounding of the vehicle as was the case last January when police in Sylmar-Sun Valley arrested 32 people and impounded 72 vehicles after a sweep. With such heavy impending penalties why would anyone set themselves up for what seems imminent trouble? "Everyone's got a hobby," says Jeff. "And this just happens to be mine.

Black & Economic Structure

1) Malcolm X spent much of his life fighting for equal rights for African Americans. Like others, Malcolm suffered from discrimination, economic suppression, and violent acts at the hands of the whites. Throughout his life, he could not escape the atmosphere of racial prejudices, as it existed everywhere from his welfare agencies to school and his family relationships. Although some form of equality exists today, many African Americans males are still continuously trying to establish themselves in society. As a young boy Malcolm participated in activities where he experienced little freedom. Malcolm was ranked number one in his class and elected class president, which shows that the school system allowed him to succeed to an extent. Malcolm had a dream of becoming a lawyer, but his English teacher quickly rejected his dream and told him he should become a carpenter, which demonstrated that whites were willing to allow black success only to a certain degree. Malcolm eventually came to an understanding that white society allowed progression when doing so did not threaten the established order of white society. Throughout his life Malcolm was seen as a â€Å"pet, mascot, and pink poodle,† which excluded him from society. He was a black student in a predominantly white school who was like a poodle in a family. He was seen as a submissive creature that represented no real threat to anyone. He was portrayed as white society’s model for how blacks should act, but white society didn’t see him as a human being in his own right. Malcolm realized that no level of accomplishment or esteem would break down the essential barrier to his acceptance and success in society. White oppression stripped him of the power and independence a normal man would experience. Although Malcolm experienced great amounts of discrimination, he was still able to succeed and become Minister Malcolm X and lead many civil rights events. In society today, the prototypical black male experience in America is extremely comparable to the life of Malcolm X. Most black men are looked down on because of the various stereotypes that exist in our society today. Many believe that if black men aren’t athletes or rappers, or if they aren’t washing dishes or waiting tables, they have no purpose in society other than being seen as inferior. Each and every day a black man experiences discrimination, but the black men who have goals and aspirations will be the ones who will make a difference like Malcolm X did. Malcolm lived through a rough time, but he still managed to make it as can every other black man in the world. ) Like Malcolm X, Washington too envied the lives of white dues to the simple fact that there was absolutely no limit placed on his or her dreams and aspirations. During his years of adolescence, Washington was very aware of what it meant to be a black man in a white society. With this knowledge, Washington was very optimistic and assured himself that whatever dreams or goals he would accomplish would be the result of hard work and persistence. Washington wrote, â€Å"I have learned that success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome while trying to succeed. Out of the hard and unusual struggle through which he is compelled to pass, he gets a strength, a confidence, that one misses whose pathway is comparatively smooth by reason of birth and race. † (Washington, 1901, p 39). Washington believed that if blacks strove to be impressive and distinctive they would be accepted in society. He believed that being black or any race other than the majority was an advantage because there was a better chance of achievement due to the fact that one would constantly try to overcome any obstacles. He believed that through proof, blacks would be connected with the white society. Alongside assisting African Americans in attaining economic success, Washington also had accomplishments in the field of education, in becoming the first black educator at the Tuskegee Institute. Washington was very concerned about forming connections within both the black and white communities, and achieved his goal. I believe his argument is still valid for those who actually want to make something of themselves in life and are willing to go above and beyond in doing so. Unfortunately black males are not always hardworking and persistent in trying to accomplish a goal. They tend to take the easy way out, and in doing so end up with the mediocre jobs unless they are playing professional sports or apart of an entertainment industry. Like Washington said success comes with overcoming obstacles, and I do not think blacks are willing to overcome the many obstacles they would have to face in order to become established. With the many stereotypes of black men, I do not think success would be as easy for the black man because they are already looked down upon from the beginning. ) In recent years, terms such as crisis, at-risk, insignificant, and endangered have been used with increasing regularity to describe the troubles and conditions of black males. The grounds for using such harsh descriptions of conditions that black males face is provided by a broad range of social and economic indicators, all of which point to the undeniable fact that large numbers o f individuals who fall within these two social categories, black and male, are in deep trouble. Many perceive black men as being violent and aggressive law breakers regardless of their true nature. It doesn't stop there. Some stereotypes of Blacks include being arrogant, athletic, devious, dirty, dishonest, drug addicts, incompetent, inferior, lazy, unintelligent, noisy, passive, poor, primitive, untrustworthy, and violent, and â€Å"having rhythm. † Some black men have some of the same goals and aspirations as the white man, but they too have a deep fear of rejection due to the discrimination they continue to experience in their daily lives. When the black man continuously gets rejected he is eventually going to subject himself to activities just to make ends meet, or he is going to start to believe the stereotypes set out for him. When you have a large group of black men in a society that rejects them, they are going to feel like they have no chance at success, and therefore they will feel like they have nothing to lose. With nothing to look forward to, they are going to unconsciously want to destroy their surroundings. Throughout Malcolm’s he was seen as inferior, and eventually began to feel more like a â€Å"mascot† or pet than a human being equal to those around him. Malcolm had dreams of becoming a lawyer, but his teacher instead told him he should be a carpenter. One of his Malcolm’s teachers laughs at him and tells the class that â€Å"though the slaves have been freed, black people are still lazy and dumb. † When an adult says something like that to a child, the child is more than likely going to believe the teacher and begin to think of him or herself as being lazy and dumb. If a child begins to believe this negative stereotype, their performance in school could be effected, and cause them to drop out. If they drop out they may begin to deal drugs or commit robberies and end up in jail. Dealing drugs or being incarcerated is the perception whites have for blacks today. Media also has a negative effect on portrayal when it comes to representing an entire race of people. No two people are exactly alike no matter what race they come from so there is no way one film can represent all peoples. Unfortunately, many people believe that a certain depiction of black people characterizes all black people, which is certainly not the case. This is very dangerous because this perpetuates stereotyping and discrimination. Any form of media, whether it be a film, TV show, etc. , black males tend to play the role of the poor black man who lives in poverty and usually belongs to a gang. He usually has no goals, and has a mediocre job if he has one at all. They usually dress in baggy jeans with long shirts or â€Å"hoodies† and wear timberlands or sneakers. In media, blacks aren’t usually portrayed positively, and even if they were, many wouldn’t believe that is how blacks really live their lives. For example, In The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, the Banks family is very well off, but many wouldn’t believe that all blacks are well off because 95% of the time blacks are being potrayed as being a threat to society. 4) LaLee's Kin: The Legacy of Cotton shows the disadvantaged life of residents living in the Mississippi Delta. The documentary shows how living in poverty and the lack of education still effects the lives of many living in Mississippi even though slavery has been over now for hundreds of years. The main character, Laura Lee (LaLee) Wallace, was an illiterate 62-year-old woman who had been living all her life in Tallahatchie County, Mississippi. She had one surviving son, nine daughters, 38 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren. On a daily basis she encountered many difficulties from raising her grandchildren to receiving news about her son continuously being put in jail. LaLee received $494 from her disability benefits and sold home cooked meals to workers at the cotton factory to make more money to keep the children clothed and fed. In the movie LaLee said, â€Å"I cry sometime, I pray sometime, I sing sometime. † LaLee and her grandchildren struggled each day in trying to take care of each other. The images of barefoot children playing on abandoned cars outside dilapidated motor homes, and of families who get water for drinking and washing by filling plastic jugs from a hose were unbelievable because it took you back to the times of slavery when slaves really had to wash themselves with dirty water or walk around barefoot. One of LaLee’s grandchildren, nicknamed Granny was a very attentive and intelligent in school, but her grades began to fall due to the fact that she had household chores and had to care for her younger cousins or siblings which left little time for education. Paralleling LaLee's struggle was Reggie Barnes, the superintendent of the West Tallahatchie schools, who continuously struggled in trying to raise school standards, bring in qualified teachers and obtain school supplies. If Barnes failed to raise the school from its current Level 1 status to a Level 2, the state of Mississippi has threatened to take over. Barnes and his faculty opposed this because they knew the state would not address the special needs of the children. With the illiteracy of the parents of the families of the children the children most likely will never be able to get a great education which will leave them illiterate when they get older. In LaLee’s family the cycle of living in poverty and lacking education is evident, which makes it seem like slavery still exists to this day.

Forklift truck design – planning systems to enhance forklift safety

I have indentified a need that there is nominally a high rising â€Å"accident† rate which involves forklift trucks, with injuries and fatalities occurring to other workers and members of public who are in the area of the forklift truck whilst in use. I have chosen to design a product that could be fitted, to a forklift truck, which will improve safety and reduce â€Å"accidents† whilst a forklift truck is in use. Resulting in taking all of the above into account my single phrase function statement being â€Å"prevent accidents† however, theirs already methods, procedures and regulations in place to try and prevent â€Å"accidents† such as regulated speed limits, sufficient training in using a forklift truck and warning fixtures such as a drivers horn, hazard light. If an accident was to occur in most cases it will be blamed as an operators fault even if the safety scheme was in place. Employer areas of using forklift trucks, which are also known, to cause accidents. > Lack of training or improper training of employees who operate forklift trucks. > Time factors, having little time to carry out the job in hand causing stress and speeding. > Lack of proper attachments and accessories. > Wrongly tasked job of forklift truck or operators. – Not qualified, using the forklift incorrectly to do the wrong things. > Poor maintenance of forklift trucks Operational areas of using forklift trucks, which are prone, too cause accidents. > Incorrect reversing techniques. > Incorrect turning, use of space > Incorrect use – over loading & over reaching > Incorrect warnings to others about a forklift in use nearby, no signage or alarms/hazard lighting > Poor contact throughout joint jobs, or in shared spaces, could this result in the need of a banks man. > Giving rides on the forklift truck or load – also comes back to incorrect use. > Playing games, not taking the job in hand seriously resulting in stunt driving, erratically driven Having had a quick look at forklift trucks and the ways that they are used I have come to the decision that it would be very rare for a forklift to be involved in an â€Å"accident† due to malfunctions of the forklift truck itself but would result in the incorrect use due to operator error or areas which haven't been covered or have been vaguely thought about by the employee. â€Å"There are reputed to be over 8,000 reported accidents involving the use of forklift trucks in the UK each year and some of these result in fatalities. The majority of these accidents are caused by the lack of sufficient training of the operator, operator error, a lack of knowledge about the equipment and the working environment, bad truck maintenance, poor lighting conditions, inadequate gangways and unsuitable premises in which forklift trucks are used. In fact, slightly more pedestrians are injured as the result of a forklift accident than the operators themselves.† The above statement is taken from http://www.workplacesafetyadvice.co.uk/forklift-truck-safety.html This statement stands by and proves what I have pointed out regarding forklift truck accidents. Having carried out some brief research I can now focus my thoughts onto exactly what I want to be able to achieve for example demands would be things that I would need the final product to have, the principle ideas if you will. wishes, would be the additions, which we don't exactly need but would be an added bonus. Demands Wishes To prevent accidents! Compact Easy to install alongside existing accessories Cheap to produce Universal fitting Works well alongside other accessories Robustness Looks nice Reliable Looks original against existing product Pedestrian safety improved Improved driver visibility Just from carrying out a simple task of listing demands and wishes explores areas, which are possibly endangering humans and infrastructures for example if the product we design does succeed with its demands, then the product its self with reduce risks and risk of accidents, therefore this would result in less employee time off work, less accidents and a lower risk of the health and safety executive getting involved resulting in a fine. All of these problems/potential incidents can be prevented by carrying out the correct procedures and using efficient products and accessories to do so†¦ for example an add on product/accessories that is built and engineered to these exact demands! Outline Specification An outline specification specialises in exact specifications during the early stages of a design process, this being the designing of an accessory to improve the safety whilst forklifts trucks are being used. The specification is to include the need of the particular product, which can then be quantified, by converting each demand into a specific broken down form. Functionality. The functionality would be to try and improve the driver's visibility, increase safety & awareness for pedestrians. User interaction. User Interaction would be visual for example – VDU Monitors so the forklift truck driver can closely examine what is going on with the truck in blind spot areas. Alarms & sensors could be also fitted so as these sound the operator will interact up on hearing these alarms and respond efficiently knowing that something or someone is potentially at risk Physical Form. The physical form of the product should improve the forklifts lifting capabilities and working in tight spaces. Robustness & Operating Environment. The product will have to be robust I,E it is going to be used in different climates, both hot, cold, wet and dusty. If electrical or electronic components are to be used these should be waterproofed in some kind of way, designing a casing that can with stand these conditions could do this. It would need to be made out of a heavy duty material due to the kind of environment being used in, to do this you could design the casing out of a heavy duty plastic or some kind of metal. Signals. Signals of the particular unit or accessory dependant on whether it is electrical/electronic based, it should be ensured that fast response times between display & alarm units are as close to real time as possible. Having Latency type effects will delay the operators response therefore could have already caused an â€Å"accident† Power Supply. Depending on the type of unit a separate battery source (12VDC) could be used, charging the unit off of the existing battery package, it would charge the unit whilst in use. However this may not be very efficient, with solar powered technology becoming more and more common, a little solar panel could be fitted therefore creating its own power supply and charging its own battery source. Safety. The final product designed would need to reach the EU standards and be CE certified, it would need to be proven that the product is safe, and is capable of carrying out the specified task Product Failure. If the product were to fail, it would have to be self-notifying i.e. and integrated alarm with in the unit to notify the operator that it is not working. If the product was to fail and not give any notification of doing so then the operator would still be relying on a piece of accident prevention equipment which could in fact cause an â€Å"accident† Maintenance. The Product should be easy to maintain, be located in a place where it is to do so, maintaining the product would mean checking that the product is working correctly and the connections are all in order. However the product will be designed to last in excess of 5 years under normal operating conditions before it should be due a â€Å"service† Costs. The Estimated development cost of producing this extraordinary accessory would be: à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½50k+ with the forklift truck product retailing at around: à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½350 with a DIY fitting package. However an installation and service/maintenance contract could be agreed resulting in extra income. Schedules. The schedule from designing the specified product to developing it would be roughly around 6 – 12 months. Development schedule would depend on Function Solution Matrix: Function Solution Principle Driver Visibility Cameras – Improving the view of driver, integrated VDU unit 1 Mirrors – Improve the drivers view 2 Maneuverability 5 Second reverse delay – Giving the driver a good chance to look round 2 Restricted speeds for built up area – Reducing the risk of accidents/crashes1 Pedestrian Visibility High-Visibility color's – Another way of enforcing the forklift trucks visibility 1 High intensity lights & Alarms – making people aware of the use of a forklift truck 2 Cordoned off areas/hot spots – reduces the risk of accidents to humans Object sensors Laser Sensors – limit speed of forklift truck depending on how close an object is to the truck, alerting driver Infra Red sensors – limit speed of forklift truck depending on how close an object is to the truck, alerting driver Solution one is rather complex when compared to solution two because it contains more electronic components This means that it may be of a higher potential to fail as there is more that could go wrong. However it would ensure that forklifts trucks that would be lifting more abnormal heavy loads the operator would be easily informed In comparison to solution one, the second solution is much more simple approach to satisfying the specification set. With this would bring better reliability however the product wouldn't be original. The use standardized alarms and hazard lights should be set as a standard, the more complex clever device is the 5-second reverse delay unit. This would delay the operation from putting the forklift truck into reverse giving the operator enough time to check and look around, investigating at this point in time the best route to take and look for instructions The unit would be an all in one manufactured unit in 1 part except the hazard lights. I have chosen to design and build a 5 second reverse power delay (Solution 2) with alarms to indicate a forklift truck is in presence. The 5-second delay gives the operator plenty of opportunity to look around to plan the route to be taken, and there are no objects/people in the way. Picture Taken from http://www.esoftbank.net.cn/images/product_b/10004921/forklift_truck.jpg Standard alarm alerting people of forklift truck operation Hazard light visibility increased for blind/loss of sight people are notified of a forklift trucks operation When the main board detects the forklift truck is put into reverse there is a 5 second delay with restricted power/speed Finally a power source overseeing the whole operation ensuring there is power to all components in order for them to work

Free Essays on Jane Austen

Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice presents a new type of heroine. In her novel, she did not portray a traditional heroine like Jane Bennet. She imposed a new heroine, with new attributes, different to those related to the traditional heroine in the Victorian society. A true woman should combine many attributes. In traditional love story, the heroine must be submissive, weak, extremely beautiful, and dependent. Austen inverted this traditional image of the heroine to come up with a new type of a realistic one. Elizabeth Bennet is an original heroine and antithetical to the heroine of romance due to many reasons. Firstly, she is physically fit. This is evident when she walked for three miles on foot to help her sister. She did not care about the long distance she had to walk. Also, she did not care about the bad weather conditions. Secondly, this example provides another merit in her character which is her caring nature. She is very sensible. She felt responsible for her sister. When there is a need for help, she doesn’t care about social manners or decorum. Thirdly, she is very rational and has a sense of reason and logic. She tried to educate her self through reading. Fourthly, she is a daring and challenging lady, who believed in certain principles. She is independent and strong minded. Elizabeth is not extremely beautiful, but her inner beauty compensates for her lack of physical beauty. She is not as pretty as Jane, but her character is very attractive and worthy of respect. In my opinion, the most important merit in her character is the fact that she is courageous and respectable. She was courageous enough to turn down an irresistible proposal to save her self respect and dignity. I believe that she was rational enough to see that there was no hope in having a happy marriage after that kind of an insulting and condescending proposal. She knew that the man â€Å"Darc... Free Essays on Jane Austen Free Essays on Jane Austen Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice presents a new type of heroine. In her novel, she did not portray a traditional heroine like Jane Bennet. She imposed a new heroine, with new attributes, different to those related to the traditional heroine in the Victorian society. A true woman should combine many attributes. In traditional love story, the heroine must be submissive, weak, extremely beautiful, and dependent. Austen inverted this traditional image of the heroine to come up with a new type of a realistic one. Elizabeth Bennet is an original heroine and antithetical to the heroine of romance due to many reasons. Firstly, she is physically fit. This is evident when she walked for three miles on foot to help her sister. She did not care about the long distance she had to walk. Also, she did not care about the bad weather conditions. Secondly, this example provides another merit in her character which is her caring nature. She is very sensible. She felt responsible for her sister. When there is a need for help, she doesn’t care about social manners or decorum. Thirdly, she is very rational and has a sense of reason and logic. She tried to educate her self through reading. Fourthly, she is a daring and challenging lady, who believed in certain principles. She is independent and strong minded. Elizabeth is not extremely beautiful, but her inner beauty compensates for her lack of physical beauty. She is not as pretty as Jane, but her character is very attractive and worthy of respect. In my opinion, the most important merit in her character is the fact that she is courageous and respectable. She was courageous enough to turn down an irresistible proposal to save her self respect and dignity. I believe that she was rational enough to see that there was no hope in having a happy marriage after that kind of an insulting and condescending proposal. She knew that the man â€Å"Darc... Free Essays on Jane Austen Jane Austen In Jane Austen’s books she is not only the official role, but also the narrator or commentator. She also has an active and controlling presence in her books. Austen presents a style that is fiction and is created out of naturalism. When you read the final product, the book seems real because most readers feel like they know Jane Austen. On the other hand, some readers feel she is a senseless and a very incomplete woman. Austen lived a lot of her dreams through her novels since they were based on observation of her family and friends. Her writing was filled by her total artistic command over her daily experiences (â€Å"Jane Austen†, British authors of the nineteenth century). Jane Austen was born on December 16, 1775 at Steventon, Hampshire, England. Her parents were the Reverend George and Cassandra Leigh Austen. She was the seventh of eight children. The Austen family was large and extremely poor. Austen’s father provided for his family by farming and tutoring. He was also the parish clergyman and a classical scholar with a taste for fiction. Their home was larger than most homes at the time, but it did not seem large to such a big family (â€Å"Jane Austen†, British Women Writers). Her parents sent her brothers Henry and James to a boarding school, where they later edited a literary periodical, The Loiterer. The Austens also sent Jane, six years old, and her sister Cassandra, nine years old, away to Oxford to attend school. The sisters later moved to Southampton in 1782. At the school in Southampton, both girls fell ill of a high fever. While still sick, they were sent to Madame Latourelle, who conducted The Abbey School of Reading. The sisters were not learning as much as they should have been so their parents took them out of the program, and decided to educate them themselves (â€Å"Jane Austen†, British Women Writers). The family loved many novels and read books all the time. That same love for...

How to choose a business-writing training provider - Emphasis

How to choose a business-writing training provider How to choose a business-writing training provider Writing skills is a subject that many trainers claim to be able to provide. Heres our guide to sorting the wheat from the chaff. Writing analysis Its important always to build on what trainees know already. So a good provider should start by assessing documents that delegates have written and do so preferably in advance of the training course. (At Emphasis, we start by assessing 14 aspects of each delegates writing, producing a graph to show which skills they should concentrate on.) Its also useful if they can do the same after training, to assess the effectiveness of the training and pick up on any outstanding learning needs. Specialist trainers The fact that English is usually the first language of trainees does not mean that any English-speaking trainer can train them to use it effectively. Many trainers claim to be able to deliver writing-skills training. But you need to make sure that they have specialist skills in this area apart from experience of running training courses on the subject. To state the obvious: English may be our native language, but its still a language. So it demands specialist skills. After all, you wouldnt want to learn Spanish from a trainer whose only qualification is that they read a book on it last week. Flexible, solutions-based approach The objective of all training should be to give trainees the skills they need to work more effectively. It should not be simply to run a training course. Make sure, therefore, that the providers you choose can be flexible in their approach. They should be able to use a range of training techniques (eg. group-based training; one-to-one, on-site coaching; telephone coaching), so that they can adopt the methods most suited to the trainees needs and circumstances. Bespoke training Training needs to be authentic to work, as trainees need to be able to apply the techniques they learn to their jobs straight away, without having to translate it. So make sure that the provider you choose has the resources to provide bespoke training courses. Follow-up support The true test of training comes when trainees get back to their desks and have to plough through the 30 emails that have piled up while they were on the course. New techniques are easily dislodged by day-to-day workloads, and its all-too easy to slip back into bad habits. So ask what back-up the trainer can provide such as telephone/email support or regular reminders of key messages. If youd like to discuss how we can help you or your team improve your business-writing, call us on +44 (0)1273 936 907 or send us a message.

In class essay2 (1) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

In class essay2 (1) - Essay Example Therefore, if the bone of contention is cost of installation, then concern should be addressed through government subsidy whereby the government should be made to understand that in the event that it subsidize cables, then it is easy for power companies to consider laying power cables underground. This will limit exposure to adverse weather elements that cause interruptions. This way, the government will be helping in making sure that its citizens have access to uninterrupted power supply and probably say bye to blackouts associated with adverse weather conditions (Fecht 1). Assuming that the government does consider subsidy, or even if it does not consider subsidy, whose responsibility should it be to see that the underground cables are laid? In other words should the government, or residents pay for the cost of installing underground power line? As much as this question may be subjected to various opinions, it appears to me that all of them are stakeholders. The government, residents, and the power company should all contribute towards the cost of installing the underground power line. The government has a responsibility to its citizens. As such, should provide part of the funds for installation. The moment there is power blackout, a lot of government job goes undone, inevitably drawing the government in as a stakeholder in the whole scenario. Coupled with its responsibility to ensure that citizens receive all the essential services, the government should not play the second fiddle in the matter. Secondly, the power company should also contribute to t he cost of installation since eventually, all the installations remain their assets from which they earn profits. Lastly, the residents should also contribute something little so that they can have a voice in the whole process to facilitate speedy resolution and installation. However, the

Critique of an Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Critique of an - Article Example Moreover, the authors assert that customers may have a central role to play in the employee turnover in a firm, since satisfied clients may increase the likelihood of employee retention for a firm due to heightened job satisfaction. Slatten, Svensson and Sv?ri (2010: 213) found out that all other factors contributing to the rate of employee turnover are dependent on the employees’ perception of the quality of service that one is capable of providing. The study shows that employee perception acts as the link between antecedents of employee turnover (empowerment, coaching and clarity of one’s role at the workplace), and the consequence that is the likelihood of employees to leave a workplace for another one. The 1076 subjects of the study completed a self-interview questionnaire, all of whom were frontline employees for service firms in Norway (Slatten, Svensson and Sv?ri 2010: 211). The sample was selected by judgment sampling, as 52 percent of the sample was male; avera ge age was 32 years; 61.3 percent were permanently employed and working on a fulltime basis; 74.6 had lasted for approximately 6 years with their employer; and about half had achieved higher education. This sample is only appropriate for demonstration purposes as it is not representative of Norway’s service industry workforce; in addition, the sample size is small and not appropriate for generalization to the whole population (Grant and Cavanagh, 2004: 18). The authors should have adopted a random sample, mainly by a combination of a cluster sample and a systematic sample that is inclusive of all components of the service sector employee population, and is random enough to give each member of the population a chance to be picked in the sample. However, testing the questionnaires on 53 respondents before the study was a proper approach since the pilot study enabled them to identify limitations of the study before incurring financial and time expenses, and make modifications. M oreover, the use of a combination of questions from previous studies gave the authors an increased chance of making corrections on errors made in previous studies and improving on previous study techniques. The variables in this study are qualitative, including satisfaction, perceptions, needs and preferences; however, Slatten, Svensson and Sv?ri (2010: 211) used a seven point Likert-scale to give the qualitative information a quantitative aspect. This involves making numerous assumptions, including the obvious one of assuming that employees had the ability to assign numerical values to their feelings and perceptions (Karatepe and Uludag, 2008: 116). Consequently, the objectivity of the study is reduced as a result of the process of changing quality into quantity, as employees are not homogenous in their perceptions. In addition, there is little difference between the seven levels of Likert-scale, and employees are more likely to be biased in their analysis due to real or perceived differences between them as seen in Chiu et al. (2005: 486). This makes it impossible to generalize the results of the study to include different backgrounds, mainly due to the varied results that are likely since employee perceptions are dependent on a myriad of market factors (Richards, 2009). Slatten, Svensson

The Human Rights Act 1998 and Parliamentary Sovereignty Essay

The Human Rights Act 1998 and Parliamentary Sovereignty - Essay Example Although Section 3(1) of the Human Rights Act 1998 provides for a limitation on the court’s power, in practice it appears as though it is the courts rather than Parliament that ultimately determines the extent to which human rights can be enforced and protected. 1 Section 3(1) of the Human Rights Act 1998 provides that courts are required to interpret national legislation in such a way as to ensure that they are consistent with human rights under the European Convention on Human Rights.2 However, in practice Parliament seemingly ceded parliamentary sovereignty relative to Convention rights to the judiciary. As Young notes, Section 3(1) of the Human Rights Act 1998 â€Å"could have the same effect as if it impliedly repealed the provisions of all statutes† that are inconsistent with Convention rights.3 Some members of the judiciary have expressed concerns over how the judiciary’s enhanced role under the Human Rights Act 1998 can be applied in a manner that corresp onds with Parliamentary sovereignty.4 Goldsworthy however, argues that concerns about the Human Rights Act 1998 usurping Parliamentary sovereignty and introducing judicial sovereignty are unfounded. The Human Rights Act 1998 does confer unprecedented authority upon the judiciary in terms of interpreting statutes so as to render them consistent with Convention rights. At the same time, the Human Rights Act 1998 does not provide the judiciary with the authority to â€Å"disapply† or â€Å"invalidate† those statutes.... Lord Hope observed that: The rule of law enforced by the courts is the ultimate controlling factor on which our constitution is based.10 Therefore from Lord Hope’s perspective, Parliamentary sovereignty has evolved with the implementation of the Human Rights Act 1998 and has not altered the UK’s constitutional principles and values. Lord Steyn, however alludes to a dual sovereignty shared by the judiciary and Parliament as a result of the Human Rights Act 1998.11 Keene argues that the Judiciary under the deference principles implicit in the Human Rights Act 1998, attempts to strike a fair balance between individual rights and â€Å"the need to respect Parliament’s proper function†.12 This balancing act can be observed in the judgment of Laws LJ in International Transport Roth GmbH v Secretary of State for the Home Department. In this case Laws LJ set fourth four guiding principles for judicial application and interpretation of Convention rights under the a uthority permitted by the Human Rights Act. To begin with, the courts must give deference to Acts of Parliament rather than to executive or other official decisions and measures. Secondly, there will be no deference in instances when the Convention calls for a fair balance or where the rights under the Convention are absolute. Thirdly, where parliament will be given deference in instances where the manner is within their constitutional prevue and less deference will be given when the matter is within the judiciary’s constitutional prevue. Finally: Greater or less deference will be due according to whether the subject matter lies more readily within the actual or potential expertise of the democratic powers or the

Risk Factors for Musculoskeletal Symptoms in Sewing Tasks

Risk Factors for Musculoskeletal Symptoms in Sewing Tasks Title: Work-related psychosocial, physical and sociodemographic risk factors for musculoskeletal symptoms of the neck, shoulders and low back among workers engaged in sewing tasks Abstract Background: Neck/shoulder and back pain are highly prevalent among workers engaged in sewing activities, but their risk factors are controversial or not well-established. Methods: Data on sociodemographic and work-related factors and musculoskeletal pain (MSP) were based on questionnaire surveys of Iranian sewing workers (n = 632) (i.e. carpet weavers, shoe workers and sewing machine operators). Results: The prevalence of neck, shoulder and low back pain was 57.9%, 40.5% and 51.6%, respectively. The prevalence of neck/shoulder pain was higher among females and with increasing age. Working posture and fast working were independently associated with neck, shoulder and low back pain. Number of years worked as a sewing worker was associated with neck and low back pain. Long duration of continuous sitting work without a break was only associated with neck pain. Conclusions: The findings emphasise the importance of individual, physical and psychosocial aspects of sewing tasks in association with MSP and highlight the role of prevention in the workplace in order to reduce MSP. Keywords: hand-sewn; shoemaking; carpet weaving; sewing machine; MSDs Introduction Musculoskeletal pain (MSP) in the low back and neck/shoulders is a common cause of reduced quality of life, sick leave, and work disability in both industrialized and industrially developing countries (van der Windt et al. 2000; Picavet and Schouten 2003; McBeth and Jones 2007; Dianat and Salimi 2014). The risk and protective factors of these pains among different occupational groups, particularly in those involved in sedentary and repetitive activities, can be divided into physical, psychosocial, organizational and sociodemographic factors (Arià «ns et al. 2000; van der Windt et al. 2000; Linton 2001; Cà ´tà © et al. 2008; Dianat and Salimi 2014). Evidence suggests that neck/shoulder and back pain are highly prevalent among workers engaged in sewing activities. Previous epidemiological studies have shown a high prevalence of neck/shoulder and back pain among sewing machine operators (Serratos-Perez and Mendiola-Anda 1993; Roquelaure et al., 2002; Ãâ€"ztà ¼rk and Esin 2011), hand-woven carpet weavers (Motamedzade and Moghimbeigi 2012; Nazari et al. 2012) and hand-sewn shoe workers (Dianat and Salimi 2014). Such tasks are typically highly repetitive, which are performed in a seated working posture for a long period of time. The operations usually require the operator to lean forward (with a forward inclined posture of both head and trunk) to see the point of operation and have better visual control of the task. Such a working condition can impose excessive physical load on the musculoskeletal system, and may eventually lead to the development of MSP in the neck/shoulder and back area. Several previous studies have assessed MSP among occupations involving sewing operations such as shoe sewing machine operators (Serratos-Perez and Mendiola-Anda 1993; Roquelaure et al. 2002), garment sewing machine operators (Westgaard and Jansen 1992; Kaergaard and Andersen 2000; Ãâ€"ztà ¼rk and Esin 2011; Wang et al. 2007; Dianat et al. 2015), hand-woven carpet weavers (Motamedzade and Moghimbeigi 2012; Nazari et al. 2012) and hand-sewn shoe workers (Dianat and Salimi 2014), although the effects of risk factors are not consistent and conclusive. There are, for example, very few studies which have examined the association between working postures and MSP among sewing machine operators with some studies showing positive association (Dianat et al. 2015), while others show no association (Ãâ€"ztà ¼rk and Esin 2011). This also seems to be the case for other relatively similar occupations (i.e. carpet weaving and shoemaking) and their contributing risk factors. Therefore, to reduce m usculoskeletal pain, there is a need to improve the understanding of the risk factors associated with such complaints among this working population. Further research in this area will help to better understand the nature of those jobs involving sewing operation and to develop corrective measures and intervention strategies for this population. It also contributes more evidence to the debate and has the potential to inform work practises in other developing societies with similar occupational groups. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the occurrence of neck, shoulder and low back pain and their contributing sociodemographic and work-related (psychosocial and physical) risk factors among workers involved in different sewing activities. The intention was to place the discussion in a wider occupational context and use the findings to highlight areas that need more attention and to assist in introducing preventative measures and developing guidelines regarding safe working practices for those jobs involving sewing operation. Methods Study design and sample This cross-sectional, descriptive-analytical study was conducted in three provinces (East Azerbaijan, Kermanshah and Kordestan) in the western part of Iran. The study population consisted of those workers engaged in different sewing activities including hand-woven carpet weavers, hand-sewn shoe workers and sewing machine operators. Data on the number of workers and workshops in the study area was obtained from the Iranian Ministry of Industries and Mines. There were about 14,000 hand-woven carpet weavers, 7,000 hand-sewn shoe workers and 5,000 sewing machine operators in the study area who worked at approximately 1800, 1700 and 500 different workshops, respectively. Sampling was done using a multi-stage random selection process. In the first stage, the required numbers of workshops, which included 60 workshops from each of the three different occupational groups, were selected randomly (using probability proportion to size sampling method). Using the same procedure, participants were then selected from these workshops. The participants were familiarised with the study procedure and their questions were answered by the investigators. They each signed a written informed consent form before participation in the study. The study protocol was approved by the ethical review committee of the Tabriz University of Medical Sciences. Measures and data collection The data were collected using both questionnaire and direct observation of the participants during their work. Arrangements were made and then investigators visited the selected workshops for data collection. The questionnaire, administered by interviewing the participants, was composed of items on sociodemographic characteristics, work-related psychosocial and physical risk factors and musculoskeletal pain in the last month. Working postures were assessed through direct observation of participants’ postures at their workstations using the Rapid Upper Limb Assessment (RULA) method (McAtamney and Corlett 1993). Musculoskeletal pain The questions on MSP were adapted from the standardised Nordic Musculoskeletal Disorders Questionnaire (Kuorinka et al. 1987). This questionnaire has been translated and revised into Persian language and has an established validity and reliability (Dianat et al. 2014; Dianat and Karimi, 2014). The participants were asked whether they had experienced pain in the neck, shoulders or low back lasting for more than 1 day during the previous month. The location of these anatomic areas was also demonstrated by a drawing in the questionnaire. The response alternatives were: No/Yes. Those participants who reported MSP in any of these body areas were asked to rate its severity using a scale of 1 – very low pain to 5 – very high pain. Disruption of normal activities due to MSP (No/Yes) was also included. Sociodemographic and work-related factors The sociodemographic details included age, gender, height, weight, body mass index (BMI as weight/height2), educational level (Illiterate, Primary school, Secondary school, and Diploma), marital status (Single, Married), being involved in regular sport and physical activities each week (for at least 30 min) (No/Yes) and smoking habits (No/Yes). The questions regarding the work-related psychosocial and physical factors were based on prior knowledge and a literature review (Westgaard and Jansen 1992; Kaergaard and Andersen 2000; Wang et al. 2007; Ãâ€"ztà ¼rk and Esin 2011; Dianat and Salimi 2014) and included daily working hours, number of years worked as a sewing worker, having a second job (No/Yes), perceived speed of work (asking ‘Does your work require you to work very fast? No/Yes), duration of continuous work without a break (> 10 min) (asking ‘How many hours do you usually work without breaks (breaks > 10 min)?’), perceived pressure due to work (asking ‘Do you feel pressure due to work? No/Yes’) and job satisfaction based on the question: ‘How much are you satisfied with your job? Low, Moderate, High’. The questionnaire was tested in a pilot study on a sample of 65 participants in order to obtain feedback on the content, clarity and wording of the items of the questionnair e. The test-retest reliability (stability) of the items of the questionnaire was also good (Kappa coefficients ranged from 0.80 to 0.98). Rapid Upper Limb Assessment (RULA) (McAtamney and Corlett 1993) was used to assess the working postures of operators at their workstations. The RULA is a reliable and validated observational method for assessing biomechanical and postural loading on the musculoskeletal system of operators which is known to contribute to MSP. This method gives a score for each body part, where combinations of individual scores for upper arm, lower arm and wrist are called score â€Å"A†, those for neck, trunk and leg give score â€Å"B†, and the final score is called â€Å"grand score† which indicates the musculoskeletal loading associated with the operator’s posture. The original version of RULA checklist has been translated and revised into the Persian language and has shown to be valid and reliable (Dianat and Salimi 2014). The observations and recordings of working postures were performed by two trained observers. The inter-rater reliability of the RULA scores was also found to be good (Kappa coefficients ranging from 0.82 to 0.99). Statistical analysis The analysis of the data was performed using SPSS software (version 17.0; SPSS, Chicago, IL, USA). Sociodemographic data and work-related characteristics of the study participants were tabulated. Logistic regression models with odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were developed to estimate the effects. The relationship between prevalence rates and study variables (sociodemographic and work-related characteristics) was initially assessed using univariate binary logistic regression analysis. The variables in the logistic regression analyses included sociodemographic (age, gender, BMI, educational level, marital status, smoking and being involved in regular sport/physical activities each week) and work-related characteristics (daily working hours, number of years worked as a sewing worker, having a second job, perceived speed of work, duration of continuous work without a break, perceived pressure due to work and job satisfaction) as well as three RULA scores including RULA score A (arm/wrist score), RULA score B (neck/trunk/leg score) and final RULA grand score. Multiple logistic regression analysis (using backward stepwise procedure) was also performed to estimate the association between independent variables and the reported neck, shoulder and low back pain in the multivariate context. The study variables were theoretically of equal importance, and therefore an equal role was assigned for all of them in the regression models without any adjustment. The assumptions of the models (including the presence of outliers and collinearity) were checked and the fit of the models was confirmed by the Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit test. P Discussion The aim of the present study was to evaluate the occurrence of MSP and their contributing risk factors among sewing workers in a wider occupational context. One of the main findings of the study was that the prevalence of MSP was considerably high among the study population with 76.2% of the sample reporting this, and of these 68% had more than one site of discomfort or pain. This finding provides further evidence that musculoskeletal pain and discomfort is a major problem in this group of workers. More than one-third of the respondents reported disruption of normal activities due to MSP. Individual factors including gender (being female), age (> 30 years old) and lower educational level were independently associated with the occurrence of MSP. Work-related variables such as the number of years worked as a sewing worker (> 20 years for the neck and > 10 years for the low back pain), duration of continuous sitting work (> 2 h) without a break, fast working and working postures were al so found to be independently associated with the occurrence of MSP among sewing workers. There were several notable findings regarding the relation of individual factors to MSP. The results of the present study indicated that gender was a significant factor for neck and shoulder complaints, so that females experienced such complaints more frequently than males. This is similar to the findings of Wang et al. (2007), who reported a higher prevalence of neck/shoulder pain in female sewing machine operators than in males. It was also shown that age was significantly positively associated with neck and shoulder pain. It has been acknowledged that better understanding of the task characteristics may provide an insight into the job (re)design to support the user needs of older working population in future (Stedmon et al. 2012). Moreover, the findings indicated that workers with a higher educational level were less likely to report shoulder and low back pain than other workers. This supports the finding of a study conducted among hand-sewn shoe workers (Dianat and Salimi 2014). As shown in this study, working posture was an important risk factor for the neck, shoulders and low back pain among sewing workers. This finding provide further evidence that the sewing operations involve frequent head and trunk bending movements over the duration of the task, and therefore imposes unacceptable postural loading on the upper body and limbs. Our findings indicated that the RULA scores for the workers’ upper and lower arm/wrist scores (score A), neck/trunk/legs scores (score B), and the grand scores were relatively high. The relatively high RULA scores in this study highlights that the working postures of the workers were constrained by both the visual and the manual aspects of the sewing tasks, and that the design of the sewing workstations had a significant influence on the postures adopted. This emphasises that in most cases the workers’ postures at their workstations need to be investigated and some changes are required immediately. These findings are in part consistent with several previous reports of poor working postures (assessed by the RULA method) among workers involved in sewing machine operating (Ãâ€"ztà ¼rk and Esin 2011; Teodoroski et al. 2012; Dianat et al. 2015) or hand-sewn shoemaking tasks (Dianat and Salimi 2014). The results also suggest that there is a need to consider other work-related physical and psychosocial aspects of sewing tasks. Interestingly, our findings indicated that perceived speed of work (i.e. fast working) was another independent factor that was positively associated with the occurrence of MSP in all studied body regions (i.e. neck, shoulder and low back areas) among sewing workers. This finding may be attributed to the fact that these workers were paid based on the number of items they completed and this provided an incentive to work at high speed without adequate rest breaks. Moreover, the finding indicated that years of employment as a sewing worker was positively associated with the presence of symptoms in the neck and low back areas, which is in agreement with several previous observations (Kaergaard and Andersen 2000; Wang et al. 2007; Dianat and Salimi 2014). It is also interesting to note that the sewing workers in this study had frequent periods of long duration of sewing work without breaks (i.e. sitting in one place in a static or non-moving position for more than 2 hours), but this was only associated with the occurrence of neck complaints. The results from some previous studies suggest that the long duration of sitting work without a break may increase the risk for neck/shoulder pain among different occupational groups (Wang et al. 2007; Johnston et al. 2008; Dianat and Salimi 2014), and that regular rest breaks may reduce the risk for such complaints (McLean et al. 2001). Therefore, sewing workers should be advised to take regular rest breaks in order to minimise exposure and to help recovery from static and awkward postures. The present study has an advantage that the observer error was controlled by using two trained interviewers in comparison to studies in which there were separate observer for each case. However, the findings presented should be interpreted in the context of the cross-sectional study design. In addition, the findings highlight the importance of both individual and work-related aspects of sewing tasks in association with MSP. Thus, in addition to the work-related factors, it might be useful to consider individual factors (such as age, gender and education) as potential confounders in future analysis of MSP among this working group. Conclusions In conclusion, the main finding of the study was that neck, shoulder and low back pain are frequent in workers involved in different sewing activities. The findings highlight the importance of both individual and work-related (psychosocial and physical) aspects of sewing tasks in association with MSP and emphasis the need for ergonomic interventions for improving the working conditions of this working group. Working posture and fast working were found to be as important predictors of MSP in all studied body regions. Number of years worked as a sewing worker was also shown to increase the risk for neck and low back pain among sewing workers. However, long duration of continuous sitting work without a break was only associated with the occurrence of neck pain. Based on the findings of this study, it is recommended that working postures of sewing workers should be improved through workstation design for sewing tasks (i.e. based on workers’ anthropometry). Moreover, workers involv ed in these tasks should also be advised to take regular rest breaks in order to alleviate exposure and also to aid recovery from unhealthy working postures. These findings highlight the role of prevention in the workplace in order to reduce MSP.