Blackbeard the Pirate Myths, Truths and Legends

Edward Teach (1680? - 1718), better known as Blackbeard, was a legendary pirate who worked the Caribbean and the coast of Mexico and Eastern North America. He is just as well known today as he was during his heyday some three hundred years ago: he is arguably the most famous pirate ever to set sail. There are many legends, myths and tall tales concerning Blackbeard, the pirate. Are any of them true? 1. Blackbeard Hid Buried Treasure Somewhere Sorry. This legend persists anywhere Blackbeard ever spent significant time, such as North Carolina or New Providence. In reality, pirates rarely (if ever) buried treasure. The myth comes from the classic story Treasure Island, which incidentally features a pirate character named Israel Hands, who was Blackbeards real-life boatswain. Also, much of the loot that Blackbeard took consisted of things like barrels of sugar and cocoa which would be worthless today had he buried them. 2. Blackbeard’s Dead Body Swam Around the Ship Three Times Unlikely. This is another persistent Blackbeard legend. What is known for certain is that Blackbeard died in battle on November 22, 1718, and his head was cut off so that it could be used to get a bounty. Lieutenant Robert Maynard, the man who hunted Blackbeard down, does not report that the body swam around the ship three times after it was thrown into the water, and neither did anyone else who was at the scene. It is interesting to note, however, that Blackbeard sustained no less than five gunshot wounds and twenty sword cuts before finally dropping dead, so who knows? If anyone could swim around the ship three times after death, it would be Blackbeard. 3. Blackbeard Would Light His Hair on Fire Before Battle Sort of. Blackbeard wore his black beard and hair very long, but he never actually lit them on fire. He would put little candles or pieces of a fuse in his hair and light those. They would give off smoke, giving the pirate a fearsome, demonic appearance. In battle, this intimidation worked: his foes were terrified of him. Blackbeards flag was scary, too: it featured a skeleton stabbing a red heart with a spear. 4. Blackbeard Was the Most Successful Pirate Ever Nope. Blackbeard wasnt even the most successful pirate of his generation: that distinction would go to Bartholomew Black Bart Roberts (1682-1722) who captured hundreds of vessels and operated a large fleet of pirate ships. Thats not to say that Blackbeard wasnt successful: he had a very good run from 1717-1718 when he operated the 40-gun Queen Annes Revenge. Blackbeard was certainly greatly feared by sailors and merchantmen. 5. Blackbeard Retired From Piracy and Lived as a Civilian for a While Mostly true. In mid-1718 Blackbeard intentionally ran his ship, the Queen Annes Revenge, into a sandbar, effectively destroying it. He went with some 20 men to see Charles Eden, the Governor of North Carolina and accepted a pardon. For a while, Blackbeard lived there as an average citizen. But it didnt take him long to take up piracy again. This time, he went into cahoots with Eden, sharing the loot in exchange for protection. No one knows if that was Blackbeards plan all along or if he wanted to go straight but simply couldnt resist a return to piracy. 6. Blackbeard Left Behind a Journal of His Crimes This one is not true. Its a common rumor, because of Captain Charles Johnson, who wrote about piracy around the time Blackbeard was alive, who cited from a journal allegedly belonging to the pirate. Other than Johnsons account, there is no evidence of any journal. Lieutenant Maynard and his men did not mention one, and no such book has ever surfaced. Captain Johnson had a flair for the dramatic, and most likely he just made up journal entries when it suited his needs. Sources Cordingly, David. Under the Black Flag New York: Random House Trade Paperbacks, 1996Defoe, Daniel. A General History of the Pyrates. Edited by Manuel Schonhorn. Mineola: Dover Publications, 1972/1999.Konstam, Angus. The World Atlas of Pirates. Guilford: the Lyons Press, 2009Woodard, Colin. The Republic of Pirates: Being the True and Surprising Story of the Caribbean Pirates and the Man Who Brought Them Down. Mariner Books, 2008.

The Medium Of Art By Leonardo Da Vinci s Mona Lisa

Of all the creative mediums in existence, of which there are a plethora to discover, the medium of Art, although recognized by most as a legitimate creative medium, is one of the most controversial. However, in the subject of practical artwork, sculptures, paintings, and performance artworks, the idea of a definitive artwork is almost non-existent. Although there are artworks that exist, such as Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, which are known seemingly universally (Torov, 2011), there are few critics or viewers who can explain just what exactly constitutes it as a good artwork. This investigation appears to become universal to many other artworks, an argument that arises between technical mastery, motives, and meaning, if any at all. That is to say that interpretation battles against visual astonishment. However, although the visuals are by far the most striking part of almost any artwork, the first thing that most look for beyond the visual elements is the story being told within the visuals. It is for this reason that many war-time, or significant event paintings are remembered; it’s well known, and is a story that is being told constantly through all mediums, within the realm of out, and outside that same realm. Untitled (Perfect Lovers) by Felix Gonzalez Torres Felix Gonzlaez Torres is known throughout the art world as being one of those most creative and unique artist, particularly for his instalment artworks, minimalistic style and the ability to create what heShow MoreRelatedDa Vinci : A Genius And The Definition Of A Renaissance Man1326 Words   |  6 PagesDa Vinci has been called a genius and the definition of a Renaissance man. â€Å"Renaissance man† as â€Å"A man who has broad intellectual interests and is accomplished in areas of both the arts and the sciences.† This is a term still used today, and its derivation is obvious. Many people in the Fourteenth to Sixteenth Centuries were skillful artists and scientists, but Leonardo da Vinci was the quintessential Renaissance man†. His talents without a doubt extended far beyond his artistic works. 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Business Income and Capital Gains

Question: Discuss about the Business Income and Capital Gains. Answer: Introduction: Income tax act of any country plays an important role in revenue collection.It is leviable only on the income earned by individual taxpayers in the form of theirpersonal earnings,business incomeandcapital gains. In Australia, the slab rate of income received by individuals is in between 0% to 45%. Moreover, the revenue generated by the companies while income derived was under 30% tax. It was identified from the case, that Hilary was a trekker. The woman never wrote her story prior to that. For evaluating such case, the case will be described in consideration to the description of the matter of Brent vs FCT 1971 which is identical to the similar case. Biggs wife went for a newspaper interview and provided some photographs to them that made her earn some money. The major concern was to evaluate whether the payment offered to her within agreement will be considered as income or not. It can be deemed that payment made to her must be considered as an income for the reason that she retendered a companys services. Income tax act within sec 36 (a) certain work completed by individual or services for an entity might be considered as that persons income. Despite the fact that services were completed turn out to e an aspect of business. Considering the agreement clauses, selling of right to publish was agreed in her biography. However, the story might appear to be manuscript that was agreed by appellant considered in several distinct clauses such as 3, 1, 8 clauses and so on of the agreement. The stories, which were published in the newspaper about her life, were not written by her moreover, she did not dictate each word of the story. The journalists Held responsible for preparing notes constructed her story. The woman just offered the ideas of the story. The acts clause 6 needed the woman to make accessible all documents and pictures that she has along with her that is associated with the deeds subject matter. On the other hand, clause 8 of the agreement had the appellants undertaking that she cannot discuss the matter with other people to the agreements subject matter; moreover, she is not allowed to attain any newspaper conferences on several subjects within sixty days of manuscript signing. The apparent earned the amount payable under the conduct by availing interview time. It was deemed that information that she provided to media served as her possessed asset. At the time she revealed such information to the journalists it does not remain a secret for her, hence, her assets was no longer available to her and the money, which she received from the company in lieu of her services, was of capital nature and cannot be termed as an income under the Income Tax Act. Under section 17 of such Act, tax on income can be charged only on income taxable that is generated over the year by an individual. Such act does not consider defining the term derived. Based on this act a companys payment to her for services happens to be her income. It is evident from the case that, the individual lent an amount of 40,000 dollars to his family for housing loan payment. Based on agreement, family is entitled to return 50,000 dollars within five years. For evaluating this scenario, it is vital to focus on facts from the Riches v Westnister Bank, 1947 case. Based on law of Australia, tax holding is provided with 10% rate based on Part 3, 11A Division of Assessment Act of Income Tax, 1936. It is vital to realize the interest importance prior drawing conclusion. The general interest aspect is that it can be deemed as payment that remains due for the reason that the consumer do not have at amount at the due date time. It can be considered as profit that he might face if he is bound to utilize the amount or the loss that he experienced, as they had not employed that amount. The general consideration can be entitled to depreciation compensation. The assessable income aspect encompasses the following: Transaction based income other than the basic business course. Earned income or received by commission Dividends received on investments in business Income gathered in outer Australia through a tax resident present in the nation Business investments based interest whether acquired or pre-received Lease payments income and expenses on hire Selling profit gained from some capital assets such as buildings or land Rental property income owned by companies Royalty income at the time several companies employ the companys patent Subsides received from a companys business Within such circumstances, income gathered by individual from his family is deemed an income aspect and deemed as income taxable. Concerning the act, property income despite individual excretion income should be treated as individual income. Riches v Westminister Bank Ltd case decided interest is compensating to an owner for the lost opportunity to use an asset. In such scenario, the court indicated that an individual was liable to avail a deduction about borrowing money. The case study indicated that, the son considered interest payment and related amount within decided time of two years. Considering such scenario, it is gathered that within his books, the individual has maintained 5% interest rate and eliminated his dues totally through a cheque. Based on law, different entries should be prepared so that calculation of income is possible reliably and easily. Such transaction might influence the parents obtainable income, the amount that they will attain from their son should be dep icted separately, and proper money on interest should be indicated. The individual charged 20% interest from his son for overall five years. However, hi son cleared all due within two years period and important changes are to be done by the two parties. Before discussing the given case, it is necessary to explain tax on capital gain. In accordance to the law of Australia, tax on capital might be calculated based on difference between asset cost and related amount that an individual gains at the time of disposing them. This is deemed to be an aspect of Income Tax Act. In the occasion of loss of capital, an individual might not be able to claim the desired amount and can utilize such amount for decreasing its capital gain within the fiscal year. If loss on capital increases considerably, then such amount can be forwarded to the upcoming years. A companys assets include residential buildings, motor card employed private use and similar products might be CGT exempted. In consideration to law of Australia, CGT is deemed to be applicable just on global Australian residents. There exists three distinct ways for capital gain calculation mentioned under: Method of Discount: It is applicable on those properties only which were held by an assessee for more than a period of 1 year. The benefit of using this method is to reduce the capital gain of an individual by two ways: Half of the income of an individual or trusts i.e. 50% is allowed for discount as per CGT regimes. If an individual has superannuation funds than 33.33% of his income is allowed for exemption. It is not available for the corporate or companies. The method of calculating is to deduct cost base and capital loss from capital proceeds than deduct the applied discount percentage. Indexation method: It is applicable for those assets, which was held or acquired by an individual before 21 September 1999 for a period of more than 1 year. The benefit of applying this method is to increase the amount of cost base of an individual hrough implementation of factor of indexation, which is relied on index of customer prices. To calculate the income based on a method an individual should employ indexation aspects those are useful and deduct the indexed cost base. Other Techniques: It is applicable for those assets, which were held by an individual for a period, which is less than 1 year and before the CGT event. The method of calculating income based on this method is by deducting the cost base from capital proceeds of an individual. There are few income categories those remain exempted in such category and are mentioned below: Some assets those are purchased 20 September in the year 1985, deemed as asset before CGT. The property used by the taxpayer as his domestic place of stay and within first two hectares of property utilized in gardening. Purchased collectibles worth 500 dollars, which encompass precious stones, art, stamps and many more for individual purposes Cars along with certain type of vehicles including motorbikes that has a carrying capability of 1 tonne or decreased amount than 9 passengers. Compensation caused due to occupational hazard or for individual sickness or injury Notes as well as bonds sold at a discount rate and traditional securities. Gains or losses occurred generate from simple tax on income. Payments within specific authorized government schemes Considering this case study of Scott, it was gathered that the person acquitted land in the year 1980 and created a building on it on the year 1986. Overall lands value is calculated by adding dollar 90,000 with dollar 60,000, i.e., dollar 1,50,000. The property then was employed for renting purposes to the owner. The person sold property for 8,00,000 dollars in an auction. Scott attained dollar 6,50,000 for attaining gain on capital. This indicates he is not liable to claim exemption on CGT for the property was employed in renting. For this reason, the entire amount is chargeable under capital gains heading. In situation where Scott sold such property to his family member then considering the act h can attain exceptions on the gift tax basis. Entire amount is liable to get income exemptions. In a situation where the property owner was the organization that is linked with renting and hiring business then the entire gained amount might be set off with the business value under business profit and gain head. In such circumstances, the individual cannot gain any exemption under gain on capital head. Conclusion: To conclude it can be said that the Australian system of Tax was one of the most complex system of collecting revenue in the world. It contains near about 125 taxes, which includes commonwealth taxes. Different organizations have been set up to ensure the integrity of taxation system of the country. References: Burkhauser, R.V., Hahn, M.H. and Wilkins, R., 2015. Measuring top incomes using tax record data: A cautionary tale from Australia.The Journal of Economic Inequality,13(2), pp.181-205. Faccio, M. and Xu, J., 2015. Taxes and capital structure.Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis,50(03), pp.277-300. Gale, W.G. and Samwick, A.A., 2014. Effects of income tax changes on economic growth.Available at SSRN 2494468. Harding, M., 2013. Taxation of Dividend, Interest, and Capital Gain Income.

The Ministers Black Veil Essay Example For Students

The Ministers Black Veil Essay The Ministers Black VeilFather Hooper wears a black veil over his eyes and nose, never revealingthe reason of the veil to a soul. At times the sexton would insinuate a reasonbehind the veil but never revealing the answer to the mystery. Father Hooper isa very imaginative and creative individual to innovate the idea of wearing ablack veil to express an idea. He is angry towards the response of the veil tohis parishioners, since they treated him differently with the veil compared towithout it. Most of the parishioners are clueless to why he wears it and sometry to imagine why he would ever want to wear it, but there are only ideas andarguments to why a minister would wear it. We will write a custom essay on The Ministers Black Veil specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now One of the reasons behind the veil might be secret sin. Father Hoopermight have committed a very bad sin which he does not want to unveil to anyone. Instead of not telling anyone the sin he shows it clearly on his face with theaid of a black veil. This black veil might relieve tension in his body that hasaccumulated due to his sin. In the story, Father Hooper says that everyonewears a black veil, meaning that everyone commits secret sins without revealingthem to anyone. If you do not express your secret sin you would be keepingstress and tension locked up inside you, but if you express it, the stress andtension will be relieved. Another reason behind the veil might be sorrow. Deep, dark sorrow forsomeone or yourself might be expressed and shown with the help of a black veil. By wearing the black veil for eternity, you are exhibiting great love and sorrowfor someone or yourself. If the black veil was removed, the sorrow and lovewould be dead. This might be how Reverend Hooper expressed the veil. Father Hooper might have also used the veil as a friend and a device totest Elizabeths love for him. The black veil might have given Mr. Hooperfriendship if he was lonely and without a mate. He could test Elizabeth to seeif an object would come between them and their love. The Reverend told her ifshe was his, the black veil would then be removed. If she was not his, theblack veil would stay on his face and be his friend for eternity. The blackveil came between Elizabeth and Father Hooper, causing him to wear it foreternity. The author Nathaniel Hawthorne shows how one symbol can be interpretedinto many ways and lead to many sub-topics. He does not give the reason behindthe black veil because he wants the readers to use their imagination and thinkof their own reason behind the veil. Although Father Hooper never answered themystery of the veil, there are many theories behind it. I could not think ofone theory for the black veil without thinking of others, therefore I listed allthree of my theories. English

Willis Carrier and the Invention of Air Conditioning

Willis Carrier and the Invention of Air Conditioning I fish only for edible fish, and hunt only for edible game, even in the laboratory, Willis Haviland Carrier once said about being practical. In 1902, only one year after Willis  Carrier graduated from Cornell University with a Masters in  Engineering,  his first air conditioning unit was in operation. This made one Brooklyn printing plant owner very happy. Fluctuations in heat and humidity in his plant kept causing the dimensions of his printing paper to alter and create misalignment of the colored inks. The new air conditioning machine created a stable environment and, as a result, aligned four-color printing became possible – all thanks to Carrier, a new employee at the Buffalo Forge Company who started working for a salary of only $10 a week. The â€Å"Apparatus for Treating Air† The â€Å"Apparatus for Treating Air† was the first of several patents awarded to Willis Carrier in 1906. Although he’s recognized as the â€Å"father of air conditioning,† the term â€Å"air conditioning† actually originated with textile engineer Stuart H. Cramer. Cramer used the phrase â€Å"air conditioning† in a 1906 patent claim he  filed for a device that added water vapor to the air in textile plants to condition the yarn. Carrier disclosed his basic Rational Psychrometric Formulae to the American Society of Mechanical Engineers in 1911. The formula still stands today as the basis in all fundamental calculations for the air conditioning industry. Carrier said he received his â€Å"flash of genius† while he was waiting for a train on a foggy night. He was thinking about the problem of temperature and humidity control and by the time the train arrived, he said he had an understanding of the relationship between temperature, humidity and dew point. The Carrier Engineering Corporation Industries flourished with this new ability to control the temperature and humidity levels during and after production. Film, tobacco, processed meats, medical capsules, textiles and other products gained significant improvements as a result. Willis Carrier  and six other engineers formed the Carrier Engineering Corporation in 1915 with starting capital of $35,000. In 1995, sales topped $5 billion. The company was dedicated to improving air conditioning technology. The Centrifugal Refrigeration Machine Carrier patented the centrifugal refrigeration machine in 1921. This centrifugal chiller was the first practical method for  air conditioning large spaces. Previous refrigeration machines used reciprocating piston-driven compressors to pump refrigerant through the system, which was often toxic and flammable ammonia. Carrier designed a centrifugal compressor similar to the centrifugal turning blades of a water pump. The result was a safer and more efficient chiller. Consumer Comfort Cooling for human comfort rather than industrial need began in 1924 when three Carrier centrifugal chillers were installed in the J.L. Hudson Department Store in Detroit, Michigan. Shoppers flocked to the â€Å"air  conditioned† store. This boom in human cooling spread from department stores to the movie theaters, most notably the Rivoli Theater in New York whose summer film business skyrocketed when it heavily advertised cool comfort. Demand increased for smaller units and the Carrier Company obliged. Residential Air Conditioners Willis Carrier developed the first residential â€Å"Weathermaker† in 1928, an air conditioner for private home use. The Great Depression and  World War II slowed the non-industrial use of air conditioning, but consumer sales rebounded after the war. The rest is cool and comfortable history.

Stifle, already!

Stifle, already! Stifle, already! Stifle, already! By Maeve Maddox Reader Brad Kruse came across this comment from the reader of a rabidly anti-health insurance reform site: die eisernen Stiefel (the iron jackboots) of Obamistas are methodically and systematicly [sic] destroying the very core of our country. Brad’s question has to do with the German word Stiefel, not politics: What I noticed was Steifel.   As in the old Archie Bunker, â€Å"Stifle yourself, Edith!†Ã‚  Does stifle come from boot, as in â€Å"put a boot in it?† No, there’s no connection between German Stiefel and English stifle. The boot-in-the-mouth image, however, certainly suits Archie’s personality. The word stifle has been in English with the sense of â€Å"to choke, suffocate, drown† since 1387. It may have entered English by way of Old French estouffer, â€Å"to stifle, smother.† The French word in turn may derive from a Germanic source: Old High German stopfen, â€Å"to plug up, stuff.† Archie’s metaphorical sense of the word has been around since 1577. The expression eisernen Stiefel, literally â€Å"iron boot† is usually translated into English as jackboot. A jackboot is a type of strong high boot without laces worn by farmers, motorcycle riders and soldiers. Because such boots were part of the Nazi uniforms in WW II, jackboot has taken on metaphorical associations with totalitarian government. Speaking figuratively, â€Å"jackboot tactics† are brutal and oppressive methods of control exercised by totalitarian dictators. 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 Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:100 Whimsical Words25 Russian Words Used in English (and 25 More That Should Be)Predicate Complements

Natural Rights, Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Natural Rights, - Essay Example In, 'Hanging' George Orwell has drawn a picturesque representation of the last minutes of a condemned prisoner, and also the relief of the authorities after finishing their task of execution. It goes without saying that the executants were executing the orders given by their superior authorities. Submitting without protest in a helpless state doesn't mean surrendering of one person and his will, before another. While his own nationals and fellow men didn't show any sort of sympathy or leniency to the condemned prisoner, George Orwell says that his dog hesitated to part with him during his last moments. George Orwell has put forth a question before us whether law is for man or man is for law If one cannot give life, has he got the right to take it away In Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson has very clearly depicted the denial of natural rights to the American Citizen by the British sovereign. The British king has denied the natural rights of the American citizen, ignored the laws of their land and by self assumed power he was imposing his will and desire over a nation for decades together. The American War of Independence is a red-letter mark in the history of the world and those events will remain engraved in the hearts of millions of people.

The death penalty should be administered for particularly heinous Research Paper

The death penalty should be administered for particularly heinous crimes - Research Paper Example hment, most people are afraid of death that is inflicted by the law; hence, what is most fearful is likely to deter most criminals into engaging in heinous crimes. According to Hess and Drowns in their book wrote that death penalty is a better deterrent to violent youths (330). Administering death penalty will be effective in deterring murderers who might otherwise not been deterred through any other means when they friend face this punishment. This is because most of these murderers when given life sentence in place of death penalty, they continue committing crimes in prison, such as murdering other prisoners or even prison wards; therefore, death sentence is the only punishment that can be used to prevent such criminals from committing crimes. Otherwise, they will not be discouraged into committing heinous crimes through any other means, and again because both convicted prisoners and prison warders deserve protection from these criminals. In addition, it is important to enforce death penalty as a form of retribution even though death penalty does not prove to stop murderers from continuing the practice due to the threat of life imprisonment. On the contrary, the finality of death penalty creates fear amongst criminals and sparing the life of prospective victims by deterring those who murdered them, is of more importance than preserving the life of a convicted murderer because of the possibility that executing them will not necessarily deter other murderers. Therefore, in addition, to using death penalty to prevent crime, it is not imposed for the main purpose of reattributing crimes, for instance, in case of murder it is unjust for the criminal to live. Putting threats and punishment is a necessity in the deterrence since it a one justification for violent crimes. Therefore, a criminal who commits heinous crime volunteers to assume the risks involved; hence, the punishment suffered is voluntarily risked and it is unj ust to the criminal not to be convicted and

Brazilian Racial Politics Essay Example for Free

Brazilian Racial Politics Essay The reading provided, extracted from Orpheus and Power by Michael George Hanchard, critiques the Race vs. Class Paradigm that is widespread in the Brazilian society. By weaving together some works of the more renowned analysts and sociologists of the topic, he highlights two main things: firstly, the salient points of their claims and secondly, the faults in their arguments. By comparing and contrasting two schools of thought on the issue, Class-based and Structuralist, he points out certain weaknesses and the glaring irreconcilability of such thought when applied to the trends in Brazilian economic society. The subject of Race and Class and their contributions into creating a society wherein oppression has been structured into policy has fueled many debates, much of them still ongoing. While there has not been any theoretical consensus reached, a characteristic that is always attendant in the field of academia, there is however, a fortunate by-product in that it has broadened the body of current knowledge to embrace other topics into the discussion such as modes of production and social inequality. It is also interesting to note that the post-World War II era, as represented by the works of Oliver Cox and Stanley Greenberg, show the minimum agreement between scholars that race, at the very least, plays cuts an integral figure in structuring the oppressive social inequality. This makes for a broader, richer and more interesting scholarly debate. Hanchard begins the comparison with a discussion on Economic Determinism and the study of the Negro population in Brazilian society through the written work of one Florestan Fernandes, Democracia Racial. Fernandes describes the relationship between the â€Å"White elites† and the â€Å"Negroes† in Brazilian society as a situation where the former â€Å"limit themselves to treating the Negro with tolerance, maintaining the old ceremonial politeness in inter-racial relationships and excluding from this tolerance any true egalitarian feeling or content. † (Hanchard 32) By articulating the â€Å"hegemonic position† of the White population over the Black one, he more than hinted at the absence of racial democracy in Brazilian society. Fernandes’ analyzed the racial interaction of the society a pivotal time in economic Brazilian history. The importance of his written work may largely be attributed the perfect timing of it. His deconstructions and analysis of Brazilian society then, through interviews and the gathering of empirical data, did much to further the study of Brazilian racial relations. Moreover, his role and significant importance to the field is further underscored by the fact that he was the first to analyze the linkage between race and class in the context of Brazilian socio-economic development. He claimed that the Brazilian Blacks were â€Å"exploited both during and after slavery by uncaring whites†. However, in a turn-about, he concludes that the Afro-Brazilian is â€Å"dysfunctional, suffering from anomie, hopelessness and immorality† and lacked a sense of discipline and responsibility that made them pale in comparison to Italian immigrants for competition in the labour markets. Hanchard, however, took issue with this particular conclusion and rebutted by emphasing the failure of Fernandes’ missed or misappreciated the important fact that the intervention of big landowners and government officials played a crucial role in creating a marketplace that preferred Southern European immigrants. In essence, Fernandes’ approach fails is that his discussion of the Negro social movement was confined to issues of racial inequality where race itself was autonomous and not an economic variable nor indicator. George Reid Andrews, by using an approach offered by Greenberg, refutes Fernandes’ claims and forwards his own. Andrews’ approach fares better than the previously discussed one of Fernandes’ to the extent that he explored the â€Å"collusion between the state government and landowners to foster economic development† by subsidizing European immigration creating a rocky playing field where the Blacks were the destined losers. He then claims that although slavery played the role of a detrimental catalyst in Brazilian socio-economic development, it is but one of many factors to the displacement of Afro-Brazilian workers. He considered state intervention more critical in that policy itself structured the economic oppression by the doling out of development funds in a very preferential treatment to European immigrant workers. Thus, he introduced a very important aspect into the debates; that of the material dimension of race and how it structures state policies. At this junction, the theoretical wars began to include a different perspective: Structuralist. As the third generation of race relations, this school of thought rebuts and debunks the racial democracy myth proposed by their predecessors. Carlos Hasenblag and Nelson Do Valle Silva are two of the most prominent figures in this approach that does not treat race and class as being on opposing ends of the same spectrum but rather they situated racial inequality at the very heart of socio-economic relations and the development and trends of the labour market. Harchand, however, critically points out that although there was a discussion of racial inequality, there was virtually no explanation offered how such inequality id politically constructed or even contested. â€Å"Despite the conceptual differences between the Reductionists and Structuralists, the tendencies seemed to concur about one crucial dimension of Brazilian race relations; a dimension that seemed to distinguish Afro-Brazilians from their US counterparts: a lack of collective awareness of themselves as a subordinated racial group. † (Hanchard 41) By analyzing the theories at hand, one thing is clear: the need for a better-tailored conceptual framework to be used as a guide for racially equal policy making. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: 1. In an effort to stop the mentality of finger-pointing to the dominant white, what has the different Afro-Brazilian social movements done, or at least attempted to bring about, in order to correct the racial inequality with regard to economic policy and labour markets? 2. What are some concrete state policies, like the Black Economic Empowerment Movement of South Africa, that can correct this historical injustice?

Religion in government: a plea for our morals and their influence in ou

Hello, I am a God-fearing, love-filled, concerned citizen who is very worried over the slow degradation of morals held in today’s society. In part this horrible condition has come about through the lack of laws restricting the spread of immoral subject matter in television programs and advertisement, the legalization and representation of abortion as a legitimate choice over the welfare of a child and its mother instead of an irreprehensible act of murder, and many other very obvious examples of the our governments lack of legislation to protect the morals of our American families. All of these examples, though rightfully a big reason for any Christian to be concerned there is an argument behind these problems, a cause to the growing moral irresponsibility in our governments procedure. This separation between our legislation and our religious beliefs is based on an argument that the first constitutional amendment which states: â€Å"Congress shall make no laws regarding the establishment of or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.† Was intended to prevent the establishment of laws supportive to religious practices and morals no matter how widely held by the citizenry. And that this is indicative to our country not being founded on Christianity. These arguments, in my humble opinion, are asinine considering the religious backgrounds and beliefs of the framers of this great document. These great men were community leaders, ministers, and above all, Christians. James Madison, regarded by many as the father of the constitution and primary drafter of the first amendment stated in his Memorial and Remonstrance stated, â€Å"Religion†¦[is] the basis and foundation of government. This is not the only example of a founding father in support ... ...ording to Gallup, a well known polling company, just over three quarters of the U.S. population are Christians. To me this means that the majority of citizens are indeed Christian If our government is to function the way it was created to then should our laws not reflect the morals we all share as God fearing Christians? Works Cited *** Charity Wire (N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Nov 2010. http://www.charitywire.com/faith-based.html) **** (Lincoln, Abraham. "Gettysburg Address." Gettysburg, Penn. 19 NOV 1863. Address.) **Eldenmuller, Michael E. "Benjamin Franklin." American Rhetoric.com. AmericanRhetoric.com)., 05 Nov 2010. Web. 15 Nov 2010. *Thomas Jefferson, The Writings of Thomas Jefferson (Washington D. C.: The Thomas Jefferson Memorial Association, 1904), Vol. XIII, p. 292-294. In a letter from John Adams to Thomas Jefferson on June 28, 1813.

How Does You Race, Religion, Nationality, Gender and Culture Define You? Essay

If we were stripped of our day-to-day activities, would you just wander around aimlessly, or would you default to the things that have been ingrained into our brains since we were little? What defines you? It could be your job, the fact that you are an A star student, a parent, or maybe it could be the things you love like your car or your impressive record collection. The problem is, what happens when you lose it? Lose your job, your kids grow up and move out, then what? When you define who you are with what you do for a living or the objects you own, it’s temporary. Identity is fragile. For me, my race, religion, nationality, gender and culture define me. No one can tell you that you are not something you are; that is to say, the things that define who we are cannot simply be taken away because we do not meet their expectations. People’s expectations say more about them than it does you. I am Chinese. But I am not from China. Skin colour is only skin deep. The genes for skin colour have nothing to do with athletic ability, musical talent or forms of intelligence. Unfortunately in Malaysia today, almost everything is race-based, which makes me feel unhappy. Race isn’t biological, but racism is still real. Race is a powerful social idea that gives people different access to opportunities and resources. The government and social institutions in Malaysia have created advantages that disproportionately channel wealth, power and resources to ‘bumiputras’, the Malay and indigenous people, which make up roughly 61.4 percent of the total population. For instance, in my cousin’s school there are quotas on how many Malay, Chinese and Indian students are to become prefects. The idea shocked and angered me further when I found out that out of the twenty positions, only three Chinese students are allowed to become prefects, whereas twelve positions are reserved for Malay students and the remaining five for Indians. She goes to a government school, undoubtedly. I feel grateful because I study in an international school, which does not follow such principles. Race-based quotas, a highly politicized and controversial issue, exists in university admissions also. I am also a Buddhist. But not a strict one. My immediate family does not have a prayer room or even an altar. Usually, Buddhists pray to specific gods or deities and give offerings as a daily routine in hopes of getting what they hope for, or sometimes doing something in return. Some Buddhists do not eat beef because they pray to the Goddess of Mercy, who regards the bull as a sacred animal. To my family and I, Buddhism is not about what you put into your mouth, but rather what comes from your mind and heart. As far as I know, a person who claims to be a Buddhist and does not consume beef can also indulge in unnecessary many other things, most of which are not abiding to the true teachings of Buddhism. We do, occasionally, visit the temple for blessings. We go to the temple in Ipoh, where my aunty and cousins live. The temple is very smoky but we endure it and kneel down in front of the idols of the gods and deities to pray, asking usually for good results, to be in the pink of health and generally good wealth. After that, we stick a few joss sticks into a metal bowl. Sometimes, my parents, with the assistance of a temple monk will use a slipper to hit a charm with the name of whomever they think might be preventing business deals to fall through or cursing them, in some way. Sometimes I do not believe in such things actually working, but I think my parents do it because it might somehow alter their luck. My father is, or rather was, a Christian. He went to church every Sunday when he was younger. His sister married a priest and they are very conservative. I am lucky in the sense that my father does not take religion to the extent that we are forbidden to say phrases such as ‘Oh my god’ or ‘God knows’, like his sister. I am very certain that her own children say that. This is not something she can control because we live in a different age now and the world is constantly changing. I think she should adapt to the current culture, or risk being seen as old-fashioned and not open minded. Back to my father, now he considers himself a Buddhist. He no longer goes to church and goes to the temple, with the rest of my family. I do pray, but rarely, sometimes when I am in desperate need of something, although not to any particular god, in hopes of the god wherever he or she may be, hearing my prayers and fulfilling them. I believe in karma too. When something bad happens, I tell myself that it happens for a reason. Maybe because something good is on its way, or because the Supreme Being is punishing me for something I did previously. I think of it as a balance of nature, because nobody can have it all. I have been to church when I was younger, not because my parents made me but because my friends went. It was quite fun while it lasted. Many activities were conducted during Sunday school, as they called it. Such activities were singing, playing games, drawing and reciting bible verses. Admittedly, I sometimes believe in Greek gods. I find it ‘cool’ because they are special. Maybe I find them so interesting because these beings are publicized and are often said to have mythical powers and go on quests and such in the movies and books. All in all, I think that I might be still finding myse lf in the religion department. But for now, I’ll still consider myself a Buddhist. Seeing as my name is Samantha, I am unmistakably female. Some people may call me girly or feminine but I think I can be tough if I want to. I am not generally a loud person, unlike my close friends. They are treated like boys by other boys. I’m not saying that I don’t accept that, but I think I prefer being treated like a girl. I do not mind gender stereotypes because for the most part, they are true. Gender is defined for us at birth, but how much you become like the gender is down to how much you choose to follow it. I am strongly against anti-gay and anti-homosexual beliefs though. I trust that many people in my generation accept that culture and do not discriminate lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) individuals. There was a recent case of a Muslim gay man in Malaysia says he fears for his safety after speaking about his sexuality in an internet video that attracted online death threats and accusations by religious authorities that he is insulting Islam. I get angry after hearing news of the government acting irrationally towards these individuals. However, the government insists that this comes under the Islamic Law and such acts are a disgrace to their religion. I, myself would like to participate in rallies against anti-LGBT activists next time. Being a Malaysian does not affect me in any way. I do sometimes feel embarrassed by what our country has done in the past. Petty issues are often made big and raise eyebrows around the world. I do not want our country to be famous for its many controversies. Politics is also another factor because many politicians have become corrupt and greedy for money and power. They abuse their power for their own benefit and end up in scandals, which take even more money to cover up. Last but not least, culture does define me. I, as a Chinese celebrate Chinese New Year with my family every year. It is our tradition to pour and offer tea to our elders. We have yearly gatherings in my relatives’ houses. We gamble and eat, like most families do during that time of the year. Sad to say, our culture is heavily influenced by the Western society. This happens because of our exposure to their culture through television, radio and movies. Fads are spread quickly with the access of the Internet. For some reason, the Americans will always be held with a higher regard than the rest of the world. They consider themselves a global super power and can control everything. Our way of speaking, style of dressing and thinking has become more like the westerners’. In a way, I feel disappointed with the loss of a part of our culture but this change is inevitable. In conclusion, I think that as we grow older, we learn and tend to recognize what defines us more. Our priorities change and, in tandem we change ourselves. We must not be quick to judge because looks are not everything. I think our experiences also play a role in defining who we are. We remember the good as well as the bad si de of things, so every day is one part of our long journey to finding ourselves.

Lean Six Sigma in Hrm

1 Lean Six Sigma in the Service Industry Alessandro Laureani University of Strathclyde United Kingdom 1. Introduction The business improvement methodology known as Lean Six Sigma is rooted in the manufacturing industry, where it developed over the past few decades, reaching widespread adoption worldwide.However, according to the World Economic Outlook Database, published in April 2011, by the International Monetary Fund (IMF, 2011), the distribution of PPP (Purchase Power Parity) GDP, in 2010, among various industry sectors in the main worldwide economies, reflected a decline in the industrial sector, with the service sector now representing three-quarters of the US economy and more than half of the European economies. PPP GDP 2010 Agriculture Industry Service European Union 5. 7% 30. 7% 63. 6% United States 1. 2% 22. 2% 76. 7% China . 6% 46. 8% 43. 6% India 16. 1% 28. 6% 55. 3% Table 1. PPP GDP Sector Comparison 2010. In light of the increasing importance of the service sector, the objective of this chapter is to discuss whether the business improvement methodology known as Lean Six Sigma is applicable to the service industry as well, and illustrate some case study applications. 2. What is Lean Six Sigma? Lean Six Sigma is a business improvement methodology that aims to maximize shareholders’ value by improving quality, speed, customer satisfaction, and costs.It achieves this by merging tools and principles from both Lean and Six Sigma. It has been widely adopted widely in manufacturing and service industries, and its success in some famous organizations (e. g. GE and Motorola) has created a copycat phenomenon, with many organizations across the world willing to replicate the success. www. intechopen. com 4 Advanced Topics in Applied Operations Management Lean and Six Sigma have followed independent paths since the 1980s, when the terms were first hard-coded and defined.  Control Key and Word – Text and Graphics.The first applications of Lean w ere recorded in the Michigan plants of Ford in 1913, and were then developed to perfection in Japan (within the Toyota Production System), while Six Sigma saw the light in the United States (within the Motorola Research Centre). Lean is a process-improvement methodology, used to deliver products and services better, faster, and at a lower cost. Womack and Jones (1996) defined it as: †¦ a way to specify value, line up value-creating actions in the best sequence, conduct those activities without interruption whenever someone requests them, and perform them more and more effectively.In short, lean thinking is lean because it provides a way to do more and more with less and less—less human effort, less human equipment, less time, and less space—while coming closer and closer to providing customers with exactly what they want. (Womack and Jones, 1996:p. ) Six Sigma is a data-driven process improvement methodology used to achieve stable and predictable process results, reducing process variation and defects. Snee (1999) defined it as: ‘a business strategy that seeks to identify and eliminate causes of errors or defects or failures in business processes by focusing on outputs that are critical to customers’.While both Lean and Six Sigma have been used for many years, they were not integrated until the late 1990s and early 2000s (George, 2002; George, 2003). Today, Lean Six Sigma is recognized as: ‘a business strategy and methodology that increases process performance resulting in enhanced customer satisfaction and improved bottom line results’ (Snee, 2010). Lean Six Sigma uses tools from both toolboxes, in order to get the best from the two methodologies, increasing speed while also increasing accuracy. The benefits of Lean SixSigma in the industrial world (both in manufacturing and services) have been highlighted extensively in the literature and include the following: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Ensuring services/products conform to what the customer needs (‘voice of the customer’). Removing non-value adding steps (waste) in critical business processes. Reducing the cost of poor quality. Reducing the incidence of defective products/transactions. Shortening the cycle time. Delivering the correct product/service at the right time in the right place. Antony, 2005a; Antony, 2005b) Examples of real benefits in various sectors are illustrated in Table 2. One of the key aspects differentiating Lean Six Sigma from previous quality initiatives is the organization and structure of the quality implementation functions. In quality initiatives prior to Lean Six Sigma, the management of quality was relegated largely to the production floor and/or, in larger organizations, to some statisticians in the quality department.Instead, Lean Six Sigma introduces a formal organizational infrastructure for different quality implementation roles, borrowing terminology from the world of martial arts to define hierarchy an d career paths (Snee, 2004; Antony, Kumar & Madu, 2005c; Antony, Kumar & Tiwarid, 2005d; Pande, Neuman & Cavanagh, 2000; Harry & Schroeder, 1999; Adams, Gupta & Wilson, 2003). www. intechopen. com Lean Six Sigma in the Service Industry 5 Table 2. Benefits of Six Sigma in Service Organizations (Antony, Kumar & Cho, 2007). 3. Lean Six Sigma and the service industryThe service industry has its own special characteristics, which differentiate it from manufacturing and make it harder to apply Lean Six Sigma tools, which can be summarized in the following main areas (Kotler, 1997; Regan 1963; Zeithmal, Parasur and Berry 1985): Intangibility: Although services can be consumed and perceived, they cannot be measured easily and objectively, like manufacturing products. An objective measurement is a critical aspect of Six Sigma, which requires data-driven decisions to eliminate defects and reduce variation.The lack of objective metrics is usually addressed in service organizations through the use of proxy metrics (e. g. customer survey). Perishability: Services cannot be inventoried, but are instead delivered simultaneously in response to the demand for them. As a consequence, services processes contain far too much ‘work-in-process’ and work can spend more than 90% of its time waiting to be executed (George, 2003). Inseparability: Delivery and consumption of service is simultaneous.This adds complexity to service processes, unknown to manufacturing. Having customers waiting in line or on the phone involves some emotional management, not present in a manufacturing process. Variability: Each service is a unique event dependent on so many changing conditions, which cannot be reproduced exactly. As a result of this, the variability in service processes is much higher than in manufacturing processes, leading to very different customer experiences. www. intechopen. com 6 Advanced Topics in Applied Operations ManagementOwing to these inherent differences, it has b een harder for service organizations, such as financial companies, health-care providers, retail and hospitality organizations, to apply Lean Six Sigma to their own reality. However, there are also great opportunities in the service organizations (George 2003): – – Empirical data has shown the cost of services are inflated by 30–80% of waste. Service functions have little or no history of using data to make decisions. It is often difficult to retrieve data and many key decision-makers may not be as ‘numerically literate’ as some of their manufacturing counterparts.Approximately 30–50% of the cost in a service organization is caused by costs related to slow speed, or carrying out work again to satisfy customer needs. In the last few years, successful applications in service organizations have come to fruition and we will illustrate three possible applications: in a call centre, in human resources, and finally in a healthcare provider. 4. Case study 1: Lean Six Sigma in a call centre (Laureani et al, 2010a) The two major types of call centres are outbound centres and inbound centres. The most common are inbound call centre operations.Almost everyone in their daily life has had to call one of those centres for a variety of reasons. Outbound centres are used more in areas such as marketing, sales and credit collection. In these instances, it is the call centre operators who establish contact with the user. Although there are some differences between outbound and inbound call centres, they each have certain potential benefits and challenges, with regard to the implementation of Lean Six Sigma. Benefits Some of the benefits that Lean Six Sigma can deliver in a call centre are (Jacowski, 2008; Gettys, 2009): . 2. 3. 4. 5. Streamlining the operations of the call centre: Lean strategy helps in eliminating waste and other non-value added activities from the process. Decreasing the number of lost calls: Six Sigma’s root-cau se analysis and hypothesistesting techniques can assist in determining how much time to spend on different type of calls, thus providing a guide to the operators. Better use of resources (both human resources and technology), thus leading to a reduction in the cost of running such centres.Unveiling the ‘hidden factory’: establishing the root causes of why customers call in the first place can help in uncovering trouble further along the process, providing benefits that go further than the call centre itself, improving customer service and support. Reducing employee turnover: call centres are usually characterized by high employee turnover, owing to the highly stressful work environment. A more streamlined operation would assist in reducing operators’ stress, particularly in an inbound centre. ChallengesSpecific challenges of applying Lean Six Sigma in a call centre environment (Piercy & Rich, 2009): www. intechopen. com 7 Lean Six Sigma in the Service Industry 1. 2. 3. The relentless pace of the activity (often 24/7) makes it more difficult for key staff to find the time to become involved in projects and Lean Six Sigma training. The realization of an appropriate measurement system analysis (MSA) (Wheeler & Lyday, 1990) is difficult because of the inherent subjectivity and interpretation of some call types, failing reproducibility tests of different call centre operators.High employee turnover, that normally characterizes call centres, makes it more difficult for the programme to remain in the organization. Strengths Weaknesses ? ? Root cause analysis can determine major reasons for customers’ calls, helping to unveil problems further along the value stream map of the company Lean Six Sigma deployment requires significant investment in training, that may be difficult from a time perspective in a fastpaced environment such as a call centre Opportunities Threats ? ? ? ? ? Decrease number of lost calls Reduce waiting time for calls in t he queue Improve employee productivity (i. . number of calls dealt with by the hour) ? Lack of metrics Lack of support from process owner Preconceived ideas Table 3. SWOT Analysis for the Use of Lean Six Sigma in a Call Centre. Overall, the opportunities far outweigh the challenges. Call centres nowadays are more than just operations: they are the first, and sometimes a unique, point of contact that a company may have with its customers. Their efficient and effective running, and their timely resolution of customers’ queries, all go a long way to establishing the company’s brand and image. Project selection is a critical component of success.Not all projects may be suitable candidates for the application of Lean Six Sigma, and this needs to be kept in mind in assessing the operation of a call centre. Also, different tools and techniques may be more suited to a specific project, depending on the nature and characteristics of the process it is trying to address. Projects that better lend themselves to Lean Six Sigma share, inter alia, the following characteristics: ? The focus of the project is on a process that is either not in statistical control (unstable) or outside customer specifications (incapable).As already mentioned in the introduction, Six Sigma techniques focus on reducing the variation in a process, making them the ideal tools for tackling an incapable but stable process, whereas Lean tools focus more on the elimination of waste and would be the first port of call for streamlining an unstable process. Priority should be given to unstable processes, using Lean tools to eliminate the waste and simplify the process. Once it has stabilized, more advanced statistical tools from the Six Sigma toolbox, can be used to reduce variation and make the process capable. ww. intechopen. com 8 ? ? ? Advanced Topics in Applied Operations Management The root reason(s) for this has not been identified yet. It is important to start work on the project wit h an open mind and without any prejudice. Data and hard facts should guide the project along its path. Quantitative metrics of the process are available. A lack of measures and failing to realize a complete measurement system analysis (MSA) (Wheeler & Lyday, 1990) can seriously jeopardize any improvement effort. The process owner is supportive and willing to provide data and resources.This is critical for the ongoing success of the project; the process owner’s role is discussed in detail in the Control Phase section. Potential areas of focus for Six Sigma projects in call centres (Gettys, 2009): ? ? ? ? Lost call ratio out of total calls for an inbound call centre; Customer waiting/holding times for an inbound call centre; First-call resolution; Calls back inflating call volumes. Call centres are increasingly important for many businesses and are struggling consistently with the pressure of delivering a better service at a lower cost.Lean Six Sigma can improve the operation o f a call centre through an increase in first-call resolution (that reduces the failure created by failing to answer the query in the first place), a reduction in call centre operator turnover (leveraging on training and experience), and streamlining the underlying processes, eliminating unnecessary operations. Given the large scale of many call-centre operations, even a relatively small improvement in the sigma value of the process can dramatically reduce the defect rate, increase customer satisfaction and deliver financial benefits to the bottom line (Rosenberg, 2005).By focusing on eliminating waste, identifying the real value-adding activities and using the DMAIC tools for problem-solving, it is possible to achieve significant improvements in the cost and customer service provided (Swank, 2003). 5. Case study 2: Lean Six Sigma in HR administration (Laureani & Antony, 2010b) In the late 1980s, when Motorola implemented Six Sigma originally, obtaining astonishing results, the compa ny was then faced with the dilemma of how to reward its employees for these successes (Gupta, 2005).This was the first time Six Sigma and HR practices came into contact, and a more accurate definition of HR practices was needed. If, in the past, the term HR was related only to administrative functions (e. g. payroll, timekeeping, etc. ), the term has increased substantially, in the last few decades, to include the acquisition and application of skills and strategies to maximize the return on investment from an organization’s human capital (Milmore et al, 2007). HR management is the strategic approach to the management of all people that contribute to the achievement of the objectives of the business (Armstrong, 2006).As such it includes, but it is not limited to, personnel administration. In effect it includes all steps where an employee and an organization come into contact, with the potential of adding value to the organization (Ulrich, 1996). www. intechopen. com Lean Six Sigma in the Service Industry 9 As such, and merging terminology from Lean and HR, we define the following seven points as the Human Capital Value Stream Map: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Attraction Selection Orientation (or induction) Reward Development Management Separation Fig. 1. Human Capital Value Stream Map.The Human Capital Value Stream Map is a Lean technique that identifies the flow of information or material required in delivering a product or service to a customer (Womack & Jones, 1996). Human capital is the accumulated skills and experience of the human force in an organization (Becker, 1993). The Human Capital Value Stream Map is the flow of human capital required for an organization to deliver its products or service to customers; the objectives of which are briefly described below: ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Attract: to establish a proper employer’s brand that attracts the right calibre of individual.Select: to select the best possible candidate for the job. Orient: to ensure new employees are properly trained and integrated into the organization. Reward: to ensure compensation packages are appropriate and in line with the market. Develop: to distinguish talent and ensure career progression. Manage: to supervise and administer the day-to-day jobs. Separation: to track reasons for voluntary leavers and maintain a constructive relationship. It is possible to apply Lean Six Sigma tools to each step of the Human Capital Value Stream Map, in order to eliminate waste in the HR process Wyper & Harrison, 2000). For each step in the Human Capital Value Stream Map it is necessary to establish proper quantitative metrics that allow objective assessment and control of the process step (Sullivan, 2003). This makes use of the more quantitative statistical tools from the Six Sigma toolbox possible. Establishing HR metrics can be controversial, with different parts of the organization having different objectives (Jamrog & Overholt, 2005), but the answer to these simple ques tions may help to focus on the real value each step can provide. 1. 2. 3.What is the expected deliverable of the step? What are the relevant metrics and key performance indicators of the step? What are the opportunities for defects in the step? www. intechopen. com 10 Advanced Topics in Applied Operations Management For recruitment, for example, the answers to the above questions may be as follows. 1. 2. 3. Hire, in the shortest possible time, new members of staff to fulfil a certain job. The number of days to fill a vacancy (also define the acceptable norm for the organization). Any job remaining vacant for longer than the acceptable norm.Similar thought processes can be performed for other steps: having set metrics for each step of the Human Capital Value Stream Map, an organization is now in the position to apply Six Sigma DMAIC to it. Six Sigma can be used to improve administrative processes, such as HR processes. Implementing the Six Sigma DMAIC breakthrough methodology in HR f ollows the same path as implementing it in any other part of the organization. However, there are some specific key learning points and challenges for the HR area, such as: ? ? ?Difficulty in establishing an appropriate measurement system analysis and metrics; Data collection can be extremely difficult, as the project team is dealing with very sensitive issues; and Difficulty in performing any pilot or design of experiment. Any of these is going to impact on the behaviour of staff, making it difficult to measure its results accurately. As a result, projects may last longer than the standard four to six months and the wider use of tools such as brainstorming and ‘Kaizen’ workshops with domain experts may be necessary (Lee et al, 2008).Examples of potential Six Sigma projects in the HR function are: ? ? ? ? ? ? reduction of employees’ turnover reduction in time and cost to hire a new employee reduction in training costs reduction in cost of managing employeesâ€⠄¢ separation reduction in administrative defects (payroll, benefits, sick pay, etc. ) reduction in queries from the employee population to the HR department. Every area of an organization needs to perform better, faster and more cheaply, to keep the company ahead of the competition, and be able to satisfy ever-increasing customer expectations.HR is no exception: more cost-effective and streamlined HR processes will create value for the organization, instead of just being a support act for management (Gupta, 2005). 6. Case study 3: Lean Six Sigma in health-care delivery Health care is a complex business, having to balance continuously the need for medical care and attention to financial data. It offers pocket of excellence, with outstanding advances in technology and treatment, together with inefficiencies and errors (Taner et al, 2007). Everywhere in the world, the financial pressures on health care have increased steadily in the last decade.While an ageing population and technolog ical investments are often cited as culprits for these financial pressures, unnecessary operational inefficiency is another source www. intechopen. com Lean Six Sigma in the Service Industry 11 of cost increases, largely under the control of health-care professionals (de Koning et al, 2006). Lean Six Sigma projects so far in the health-care literature have focused on direct care delivery, administrative support and financial administration (Antony et al, 2006), with projects executed in the following processes (Taner et al, 2007): ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? increasing capacity in X-ray rooms reducing avoidable emergency admissions improving day case performance improving accuracy of clinical coding improving patient satisfaction in Accident and Emergency (A&E) reducing turn-around time in preparing medical reports reducing bottle necks in emergency departments reducing cycle time in various inpatient and outpatient diagnostic areas reducing number of m edical errors and hence enhancing patient safety reducing patient falls reducing errors from high-risk medication educing medication ordering and administration errors improving active management of personnel costs increasing productivity of health-care personnel increasing accuracy of laboratory results increasing accuracy of billing processes and thereby reducing the number of billing errors improving bed availability across various departments in hospitals reducing number of postoperative wound infections and related problems improving MRI exam scheduling reducing lost MRI films improving turn-around time for pharmacy orders improving nurse or pharmacy technician recruitment mproving operating theatre throughput increasing surgical capacity reducing length of stay in A&E reducing A&E diversions improving revenue cycle reducing inventory levels improving patient registration accuracy improving employee retention The focus has been on the improvement of clinical processes to identi fy and eliminate waste from the patient pathways, to enable staff to examine their own workplace, and to increase quality, safety and efficiency in processes (e. g. Fillingham, 2007; Silvester et al, 2004; Radnor and Boaden, 2008).The barriers specific to the deployment of Lean Six Sigma in health care, in addition to the ones commonly present in other industries, are: ? Measurement: it is often difficult to identify processes, which can be measured in terms of defects (Lanham and Maxson-Cooper, 2003). www. intechopen. com 12 ? Advanced Topics in Applied Operations Management Psychology of the workforce: in the health-care industry it is particularly important to not use jargonistic business language, as this has a high chance of being rejected or accepted with cynicism by medical professionalsThe application of Lean Six Sigma in health care is still in its early stages. Therefore early successes in simple projects will pave the way for tackling more complicated initiatives in the f uture, initiating a positive circle of improvement, bringing clinical change on a broad scale. Appropriately implemented, Lean Six Sigma can produce benefits in terms of better operational efficiency, cost-effectiveness and higher process quality (Taner et al, 2007), as the case studies presented in this paper illustrate.The spiralling costs of health care means that unless health-care processes become more efficient, a decreasing proportion of citizens in industrialized societies will be able to afford high-quality health care (de Koning et al, 2006). Continuous process improvement is needed to ensure health-care processes are efficient, cost-effective and of high quality. The five case study applications we have examined in this paper provide examples of how Lean Six Sigma can help to improve health-care processes.The adoption of similar programs in other hospitals across the health-care sector will help the delivery of high quality health care to an increasing population. 7. Conc lusion Lean Six Sigma is now accepted widely as a business strategy to improve business profitability and achieve service excellence, and its use in service organizations is growing quickly. However, there are a number of barriers to the implementation of Lean Six Sigma in services, such as the innate characteristics of services, as well as the manufacturing origins of Lean Six Sigma that have conditioned service managers to consider them as physical products only.On the other hand, as shown in the case studies, there are a number of advantages for the use of Lean Six Sigma in services (Eisenhower, 1999). Overall, the applications so far have showed the benefits (such as lowering operational costs, improving processes quality, increasing efficiency) to outweigh the costs associated with its implementation. 8. References Adams, C. , Gupta, P. & Wilson, C. (2003) Six Sigma deployment. Burlington, MA, Butterworth-Heinemann. Antony, J. (2005a) Assessing the status of six sigma in the UK service organizations. Proceedings of the Second National Conference on Six Sigma, Wroclaw, pp. -12. Antony, J. (2005b) Six Sigma for service processes. Business Process Management Journal, 12(2), 234-248. Antony, J. , Antony, F. & Taner, T. (2006), The secret of success. Public Service Review: Trade and Industry, 10, 12-14. Antony, J. , Kumar, M. & Cho, B. R. (2007) Six Sigma in services organizations: benefits, challenges and difficulties, common myths, empirical observations success factors. International Journal of Quality Reliability Management, 24(3), 294–311. www. intechopen. com Lean Six Sigma in the Service Industry 13 Antony, J. , Kumar, M. & Madu, C. N. 2005) Six Sigma in small and medium sized UK manufacturing enterprises: some empirical observations. International Journal of Quality & Reliability Management, 22(8), 860-874. Antony, J. , Kumar, M. & Tiwari, M. K. (2005) An application of Six Sigma methodology to reduce the engine overheating problem in an automot ive company. IMechE – Part B, 219(B8), 633-646. Armstrong, M. (2006) A handbook of human resource management practice. London, Kogan Page. Becker, G. S. (1993) Human capital: a theoretical and empirical analysis, with special reference to education. Chicago, University of Chicago Press. e Koning, H. , Verver, J. P. S. , Van den Heuvel, J. , Bisgaard, S. & Does, R. J. M. M. (2006) Lean Six Sigma in health care. Journal for Healthcare Quality, 28(2), 4-11. Eisenhower, E. C. (1999) The implementation challenges of Six Sigma in service business, International Journal of Applied Quality Management, 2(1), 1-24 Fillingham, D. (2007) ‘Can lean save lives? Leadership in Health Services, 20(4), 231-41. George, M. L. (2003) Lean Six Sigma for service: how to use Lean speed and Six Sigma quality to improve services and transactions. New York, McGraw-Hill. George, M. L. 2002) Lean Six Sigma: combining Six Sigma quality with Lean speed. New York, McGraw-Hill. Gettys, R. (2009) Using Lean Six Sigma to improve Call Centre operations. [Online]Available from: http://finance. isixsigma. com/library/content/c070418a. asp [Accessed 22nd January 2009]. Gupta, P. (2005) Six Sigma in HR, Quality Digest, QCI International. Harry, M. and Schroeder, R. (1999) Six Sigma: The breakthrough management strategy International Monetary Fund (IMF), (2011) World Economic Outlook Database. [Online] Available from: http://www. imf. org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2011/01/weodata/index. aspx. Accessed 7th August 2011] Jacowski, T. (2008) Maximizing call centre resource utilization with Six Sigma. [Online] Available from: http://ezinearticles. com/? Maximizing-Call-Centre-ResourceUtilization-With-Six-Sigma&id=1014905. [Accessed 22nd January 2009]. Jamrog, J. J. & Overholt, M. H. (2005) The future of HR metrics, Strategic HR Review, 5 (1) 3-3. Kotler, P. (1997) Analysis, planning ,implementation and control, 9th ed. Prentice-Hall. Lanham, B. & Maxson-Cooper, P. (2003) Is Six Sigma the answer fo r nursing to reduce medical errors? , Nursing Economics, 21(1), 39-41. Laureani, A. & Antony, J. 2010) Reducing employees’ turnover in transactional services: a Lean Six Sigma case study, International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management, 59(7), 688-700 Laureani, A. , Antony, J. & Douglas, A. (2010) Lean Six Sigma in a call centre: a case study, International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management, 59(8), 757-768 Lee, Y. , Chen, L. & Chen, S. (2008) Application of Six Sigma methodology in human resources to reduce employee turnover rate: a case company of the TFT-LCD industry in Taiwan. International Journal of Operations and Quantitative Management, 14 (2), 117-128.Milmore, M. et al, (2007) Strategic human resource management: contemporary issues. Prentice Hall/Financial Times. www. intechopen. com 14 Advanced Topics in Applied Operations Management Pande, P. , Neuman, R. & Cavanagh, R. (2000) The Six Sigma way: how GE, Motorola and other top compa nies are honing their performance. New York, McGraw-Hill. Piercy, N. & Rich, N. (2009) Lean transformation in the pure service environment: the case of the call centre. International Journal of Operations & Production Management, 29 (1), 54-76. Radnor, Z. & Boaden, R. (2008) Editorial: does Lean enhance public services? Public Money and Management, 28(1), 3-6. Regan, W. J. (1963) The Service Revolution, Journal of Marketing, 47, 57-62 Rosenberg, A. (2005) Six Sigma: the myth, the mystery, the magic: can Six Sigma really make an impact in your call centre? [Online] Available from http://www. callcentremagazine. com/shared/article/showArticle. jhtml? articleId= 59301130 [Accessed 22nd January 2009]. Silvester, K. , Lendon, R. , Bevan, H. , Steyn, R. & Walley, P. (2004) Reducing waiting times in the NHS: is lack of capacity the problem? Clinician in Management, 12(3), 105-11. Snee, R. D. 2010) Lean Six Sigma: getting better all the time, International Journal of Lean Six Sigma, 1(1), 9 –29. Snee, R. D. (2004) Six Sigma: the evolution of 100 years of business improvement methodology. International Journal of Six Sigma and Competitive Advantage, 1(1), 4–20. Snee, R. D. (1999) Why should statisticians pay attention to Six Sigma? Quality Progress, 32(9), 100–103. Sullivan, J. (2003) HR metrics the world class way, Kennedy Information. Swank, C. (2003) The Lean service machine. Harvard Business Review, October, 123-129. Taner, M. T. , Sezen, B. & Antony, J. 2007) An overview of Six Sigma applications in the health-care industry. International Journal of Health Care Quality Assurance, 20(4), 329-340 Ulrich, D. (1996) Human resource champions. The next agenda for adding value and delivering results. Boston, Harvard Business School Press. Wheeler, D. J. & Lyday, R. W. (1990) Evaluating the measurement process. 2nd ed. SPC Press. Womack, J. P. & Jones, D. T. (1996) Lean thinking. New York, Simon & Schuster. Wyper, B. & Harrison, A. (2000) Deployment of Six Sigma methodology in human resource function: a case study. Total Quality Management, 11, (4/5/6), 720-727. Zeithaml, V.A. , Parasuraman, A. & Berry, L. L. (1985), Problems and strategies in services marketing, Journal of Marketing, 49 (Spring), 33-46. www. intechopen. com Advanced Topics in Applied Operations Management Edited by Mr. Yair Holtzman ISBN 978-953-51-0345-5 Hard cover, 200 pages Publisher InTech Published online 16, March, 2012 Published in print edition March, 2012 The chapters in Advanced Topics in Applied Operations Management creatively demonstrate a valuable connection among operations strategy, operations management, operations research, and various departments, systems, and practices throughout an organization.The authors show how mathematical tools and process improvements can be applied effectively in unique measures to other functions. The book provides examples that illustrate the challenges confronting firms competing in today's demanding environment b ridging the gap between theory and practice by analyzing real situations. How to reference In order to correctly reference this scholarly work, feel free to copy and paste the following: Alessandro Laureani (2012). Lean Six Sigma in the Service Industry, Advanced Topics in Applied Operations Management, Mr.Yair Holtzman (Ed. ), ISBN: 978-953-51-0345-5, InTech, Available from: http://www. intechopen. com/books/advanced-topics-in-applied-operations-managem ent/lean-six-sigma-in-theservice-industry InTech Europe University Campus STeP Ri Slavka Krautzeka 83/A 51000 Rijeka, Croatia Phone: +385 (51) 770 447 Fax: +385 (51) 686 166 www. intechopen. com InTech China Unit 405, Office Block, Hotel Equatorial Shanghai No. 65, Yan An Road (West), Shanghai, 200040, China Phone: +86-21-62489820 Fax: +86-21-62489821

Complete List of High School Electives

Complete List of High School Electives SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Are you thinking about high school electives and wondering what your options are? Unlike required courses, electives are classes you choose based on your interests. Most high schools offer electives that cover a wide variety of topics, so you're sure to find some that interest you! This list was created by compiling the elective options from numerous high schools across the country. A variety of schools were used including public, private, large and small schools in order to create a complete list of high school electives. How to Use This List This list is intended to give you an introduction to all the possible electives you may come across as a high school student. You can use it as a starting point for doing more in-depth research of your own school's electives. Read through the list below, making note of any course names that seem particularly interesting. Then, grab a copy of your school's course catalog (ask your guidance counselor if you don't know where to find it), and look to see which of the electives you found interesting are offered by your school. Read through the course descriptions if necessary because electives can have different names depending on the school offering them, even if they cover essentially the same topic (for example, the culinary arts class listed below could also be called cooking, foods, or something similar). Mark the interesting electives you find in your course catalog as potential classes to take in the future. Also, because this list organizes electives by category, you can see which categories have the most interesting electives for you. While electives don’t include all topics covered in a specific field, if you marked, for example, a lot of the science electives as potentially interesting topics to study, you may want to think about continuing to study science in college. Being interested in your classes is one of the best way to get higher grades and enjoy what you’re learning. Now that you have the complete list, are you wondering how to choose which electives to take? We have a guide for that! Read through it to learn how many electives you'll be able to take and how to choose electives that are both interesting and will strengthen your college applications! What If Your School Doesn't Offer an Elective Listed Below? It would be impossible for any single school to offer every elective on this list; there are simply too many. Schools choose which electives to offer based on a number of factors including location, student population, resources available, teacher expertise, and student interest. If you are interested in one of the electives on this list but don't see it offered in your school's course catalog, you can take the following actions: Talk to your guidance counselor or department head. The elective may be under a different name than the one listed below, or your school may offer a similar course. If there is no comparable course and you are really interested in the subject, talk to your guidance counselor and see if it’s possible for you to do an independent study or take the course at a local community college. The Complete List of Electives Business Accounting Business law Business management Consumer education Entrepreneurial skills Introduction to business Marketing Personal finance Computer Science/Information Technology Animation App development Audio production Computer programming Computer repair Film production Graphic design Media technology Music production Typing Video game development Web design Web programming Word processing Family and Consumer Science Chemistry of foods CPR training Culinary arts Early childhood development Early childhood education Family studies Fashion and retail merchandising Fashion construction Home economics Interior design Nutrition Want to build the best possible college application? We can help. PrepScholar Admissions is the world's best admissions consulting service. We combine world-class admissions counselors with our data-driven, proprietary admissions strategies. We've overseen thousands of students get into their top choice schools, from state colleges to the Ivy League. We know what kinds of students colleges want to admit. We want to get you admitted to your dream schools. Learn more about PrepScholar Admissions to maximize your chance of getting in. Foreign Language American Sign Language Ancient Greek Arabic Chinese French German Hebrew Italian Japanese Korean Latin Portuguese Russian Spanish You might even learn all the Dutch names of the Chinese zodiac signs! Language and Writing Advanced composition African literature Asian literature British literature Cinema studies Contemporary literature Creative writing Debate Film study Gothic literature Humanities Journalism Poetry Popular literature Practical writing Public speaking Rhetoric School yearbook Works of Shakespeare World literature Math Computer math Math applications Probability and statistics Quantitative literacy Trigonometry Performing Arts Choir Concert band Dance Drama Guitar Jazz band Marching band Music theory Orchestra Percussion Piano Theater technology World music Physical Education Aerobics Dance Gymnastics Health Lifeguard training Pilates Racquet sports Specialized sports Swimming Weight training Yoga Science Agriculture Astronomy Biotechnology Botany Earth science Environmental science Forensic science Geology Human physiology Marine biology Meteorology Oceanography Physics Sound and acoustics Zoology Social Studies African studies Asian studies Civics Cultural anthropology Current events Economics European history Human geography International relations Latin American studies Middle East studies Mythology Philosophy Physical anthropology Political studies Psychology Religious studies Sociology US government Women’s studies World politics World religions Visual Arts 3-D art Art history Ceramics Digital media Drawing Film production Jewelry design Painting Photography Printmaking Sculpture Vocational Education Auto body repair Auto mechanics Building construction Computer-aided drafting Cosmetology Criminal justice Driver Education Electronics FFA (Future Farmers of America) Fire science Heating and cooling systems Hospitality and tourism JROTC (Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps) Metalworking Networking Plumbing Production technology Refrigeration fundamentals Robotics Woodworking What's Next? Now that you know the options you have for electives, read our guide to learn how to choose electives that will interest you and strengthen your college applications. Trying to decide whether to take the ACT or the SAT? Read our guide to figure out which test will get you a better score! Are you considering summer academic programs for middle school and high school students? Take a look at our guides for the TIP, SIG, CTY, and Stanford EPGY programs. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points? We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Are You Better at the ACT or SAT Find Out For Sure!

Are You Better at the ACT or SAT Find Out For Sure! SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Because colleges accept both the ACT and SAT, it can be had to figure out which test to take. The changes to the SAT in 2016 made the two tests more similar than ever, although there are still some significant differences in content and format between the two tests. So how can you tell if you'll do better on the SAT or ACT? Drawing on my experience as a 99 percentile scorer on both the SAT and ACT, I'll give you a surefire way to figure out which test will result in the best outcome for you. The Gold Standard of Deciding Between the ACT and SAT There are enough differences between the ACT and the SAT that, empirically, it is difficult to predict beforehand if you'll be better at one than the other. The method I'm going to describe is the best way to be sure of seeing how you'll do on the SAT or ACT. You can use this information in many ways: to figure out what test to study, to see which scholarships you should apply to, and so forth. Once you've used this method, you don't have to guess. What's the method? It's to take both a real practice SAT and a real practice ACT. Who Should Use This Method? Taking practice tests is called the gold standard for a reason - it gives super precise information about which test you'll perform better on. However, taking two full-length practice tests is also time consuming. You should definitely use this method if one of the following applies to you: #1: You're Studying for 40+ Hours If you're going to focus on studying seriously, especially for more than 40 hours, it make sense to make sure you're spending it studying for the right test. Conversely, if you have fewer than 40 hours left (for example, only 20 hours), you should probably not spend 8 hours figuring out what test to take. #2: You're Willing to Invest Time and Energy in Studying If you care about your scores and are generally willing to invest the effort to get the best score, then taking a realistic practice SAT and a realistic practice ACT is a must. This method is not only good for telling if you're better at the ACT or SAT, but is also good practice in and of itself. If you're serious about the SAT or ACT, it would be a mistake not to do this. How Do I Find Out Whether I'm Better at the ACT or SAT? Step 1: Take a Full Practice SAT and a Full Practice ACT Get a real ACT practice test and a real SAT practice test (you can click on the links to get three of each for free). Make sure to choose one that you have not already used. Also, ideally, you should create a realistic testing environment with a timer, calculator, watch, and a quiet room. Now schedule four hours on two separate days to take the practice tests. You want to take them on separate days so that you're not more rested for one than the other. Most important of all, make sure your testing environment is similar on both days. The comparisons will not be valid if you take one at 10AM in a quiet library with plenty of sleep, and another at 8PM in a noisy house after eating a heavy meal. Step 2: Convert Your ACT Score to an SAT Score Now that you have both scores, use our ACT to SAT score conversion tools and tables to convert your ACT score to its SAT equivalent. Example: Mary got a 29 on her practice ACT. She uses the table linked above to convert this to1340. Mary got a 1200 out of 1600 on her SAT. Step 3: Compare Your Scores and Make the Call If your score difference ismore than 100 pointsin either direction, then you have a clear winner. You have done substantially better on one test than the other. You know which one you are better at! Moreover, a 100-point difference is substantial, and colleges will reward you for the better score. Continuing from the example above, Mary's ACT score is equivalent to a 1340 SAT score, while her SAT score is 1200. This means her ACT score is 140 points better than her SAT. She is definitely better at the ACT. If your score difference isless than 100 points, then you don't have a natural disadvantage on either test. The point difference is likely due to chance, and you could study for and score equally well on either test. Now you know how to precisely figure out whether you are better at the SAT or ACT! What’s Next? Get free offical practice SATs and official practice ACTs from us. Download and save them now and use them whenever! Don't have time to use the gold standard? Use our quick method to find out if you're better at the SAT or ACT. Read about the nitty gritty technical details about differences between the SAT and ACT. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Research Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words - 1

Research Report - Essay Example er, is that the Human Resource function by its very nature focuses not only on recruiting the most qualified workers to the organization but also ensuring there is a robust working environment. Lack of conducive working environment precipitates factors such as poor work moral, negative attitude to work, low or total lack of commitment to the organization. At Four Seasons, the management has taken cognizance of the fact that an organization’s most important asset is its employees. Highly qualified staffs who are well motivated would go out of their way to provide the best services to the customers. Such a quality is of profound importance in the hospitality industry where client satisfaction is the key to ensuring the hotel remains in business. An employee provides the first point of contact between a customer and the organization and as such, is the most important PR agent of the organization. Depending on how he or she is treated, a customer’s decision to make a repeat purchase is often rely much on the prior experience they had with the organization. The aspects of HR functions are not quantifiable in monetary terms, but play a big role in influencing the organization’s strategy. It is difficult estimating how much a well-motivated staff may be worth for the organization, but it is central to the firm’s profitability. According to Khan, the Human Resource department has three key roles to play in the organizations strategic advancement (Khan, 2014). These roles include one, to function as a strategic partner. This includes the provision of support for the organization’s policies, the people and implementations of regulations within the organization. Under this role, the department is usually the duty of taking care of administrative matters such as issues dealing with the individual employee payroll issues, insurance, leaves and any other benefits due to the employee. The department also provides support for the circulation of executive orders